Concert of the year:
1. Digi All American Rejects live in Bkt Jalil
2. NTV7 live concert featuring Kelly Chan, Richie Ren
Movie of the year:
Missed too many movies this year. Seldom see me in the cinema.
Song of the year:
It's a Climb (Miley Cyrus), Paparazzi (Lady Gaga).
Hotel of the year:
M Hotel. I like.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Malaysia's 100 leading graduate employers 2008
*Tied position
Friday, May 01, 2009
Drinking US$5 cups of tea show you're a true postmodern Asian
My friend Andy told me he goes to Starbucks every day. I told him he was a coffee addict. He shook his head. "Actually, I can't stand the stuff," he whispered. "I order tea."
Andy is your typical modern Asian yuppie fashion victim, or what I prefer to call "an idiot." You may think that's harsh, but anyone who pays US$5 (HK$39) for a cup of tea - just to look good - deserves to be dissed.
But then I realized I was no different. I go to trendy Western restaurants, but sneak in a bottle of chili sauce to give the food a chance to bite back. (Warning: If you do this, DO NOT keep the chili sauce in your trouser pocket. Accidents can cause inflammation of the underpants, which can painfully damage your chance of fathering multitudes).
It's funny: the inhabitants of Asian cities look totally Westernized these days. Yet, scratch the surface and you find traditional Asians underneath.
So here is a list of Signs That You Are a Postmodern Asian.
If you haven't eaten rice at least once a day, you feel hungry. You have black hair, but think of it as dark brown. Many members of your family have politically incorrect nicknames, such as Fatty-Uncle. Your No1 guilty secret: you enjoy karaoke.
You have lived next door to someone for five years, but know nothing about them. Your older relatives still think that you have to shout into phones to make yourself heard. You drive a German car in your dreams, and a Toyota in real life. You think wearing a Rolex Oyster is a legal requirement for Asian businessmen.
You have Western pills in your medicine cabinet, but also strange smelling rocks, seeds and a bit of sliced deer antler. You have never even thought about paying full price for a DVD or CD. Your parents don't realize that there are other things you can study at university other than accounting, business, medicine, law and engineering. You have at least one friend whose first name is a noun, as in Diphtheria Chan.
You never realized that solitaire could be played without a computer. There are jars of dried leaves in the pantry of your family home. Your mobile phone has a different ring tone for your main spouse and your "minor" spouse.
You know more European designer labels than any of your European friends. You have no time for organized religion, but take the fung shui of your office seriously. You think there's nothing odd with an adult buying a Nintendo DS or a PSP for his or her own use.
You think of all software as freeware. Several of your friends use what they think are trendy, popular Western names, such as Winnie, Gilbert, and Fanny. You are amazed what your Western friends pay for designer Asian clothes that look like stuff in your grandmother's wardrobe. You have no interest in classical music, but were forced to do piano or violin all the way to grade eight.
All your Western friends think you are a whiz at maths. And lastly, you are reading this in a designer coffee shop - drinking a US$5 cup of tea.
Andy is your typical modern Asian yuppie fashion victim, or what I prefer to call "an idiot." You may think that's harsh, but anyone who pays US$5 (HK$39) for a cup of tea - just to look good - deserves to be dissed.
But then I realized I was no different. I go to trendy Western restaurants, but sneak in a bottle of chili sauce to give the food a chance to bite back. (Warning: If you do this, DO NOT keep the chili sauce in your trouser pocket. Accidents can cause inflammation of the underpants, which can painfully damage your chance of fathering multitudes).
It's funny: the inhabitants of Asian cities look totally Westernized these days. Yet, scratch the surface and you find traditional Asians underneath.
So here is a list of Signs That You Are a Postmodern Asian.
If you haven't eaten rice at least once a day, you feel hungry. You have black hair, but think of it as dark brown. Many members of your family have politically incorrect nicknames, such as Fatty-Uncle. Your No1 guilty secret: you enjoy karaoke.
You have lived next door to someone for five years, but know nothing about them. Your older relatives still think that you have to shout into phones to make yourself heard. You drive a German car in your dreams, and a Toyota in real life. You think wearing a Rolex Oyster is a legal requirement for Asian businessmen.
You have Western pills in your medicine cabinet, but also strange smelling rocks, seeds and a bit of sliced deer antler. You have never even thought about paying full price for a DVD or CD. Your parents don't realize that there are other things you can study at university other than accounting, business, medicine, law and engineering. You have at least one friend whose first name is a noun, as in Diphtheria Chan.
You never realized that solitaire could be played without a computer. There are jars of dried leaves in the pantry of your family home. Your mobile phone has a different ring tone for your main spouse and your "minor" spouse.
You know more European designer labels than any of your European friends. You have no time for organized religion, but take the fung shui of your office seriously. You think there's nothing odd with an adult buying a Nintendo DS or a PSP for his or her own use.
You think of all software as freeware. Several of your friends use what they think are trendy, popular Western names, such as Winnie, Gilbert, and Fanny. You are amazed what your Western friends pay for designer Asian clothes that look like stuff in your grandmother's wardrobe. You have no interest in classical music, but were forced to do piano or violin all the way to grade eight.
All your Western friends think you are a whiz at maths. And lastly, you are reading this in a designer coffee shop - drinking a US$5 cup of tea.
IRB servers overwhelmed
Done my 1st tax filing cum e-filing at 5am, 30 Apr.
Thursday April 30, 2009
By TEH ENG HOCK,KNG ZHENG GUAN and RACHEL LAU
PETALING JAYA: For the second year in a row, taxpayers filing their tax returns online at the last minute have caused the Inland Revenue Board’s (IRB) computer servers to jam up.
On a normal day, filing the returns online would only take a couple of minutes but the process took hours in the last few days as today’s deadline approached.
IRB has acknowledged the problem, and advised that the best time to access the e-Filing system is between 1am and 7am.
Last year, the servers were also jammed up in the last few days before the April 30 deadline.
Taxpayers crowding the IRB office in Kelana Jaya yesterday as the deadline for filing their tax returns nears. - GLENN GUAN / The Star
About 1.2 million people - almost half of the 2.5 million taxpayers in the country - used the e-Filing system last year.
When the system was first introduced in 2006, only 187,000 taxpayers responded to online filing of taxes. The number grew by more than 350% in 2007, with 876,000 e-filers.
Counter services at the IRB headquarters in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, were extended to 10pm yesterday and will be extended until midnight today. More than 70 computers have been set up at the headquarters to assist taxpayers to file their taxes.
At 8am, there was already a growing crowd at the Shah Alam office while at noon the Kelana Jaya office was packed.
Kelana Jaya IRB public relations officer Noorhaya Ibrahim said there was an average of 3,000 people daily for the past week and the crowd had doubled in the last two days.
Thursday April 30, 2009
By TEH ENG HOCK,KNG ZHENG GUAN and RACHEL LAU
PETALING JAYA: For the second year in a row, taxpayers filing their tax returns online at the last minute have caused the Inland Revenue Board’s (IRB) computer servers to jam up.
On a normal day, filing the returns online would only take a couple of minutes but the process took hours in the last few days as today’s deadline approached.
IRB has acknowledged the problem, and advised that the best time to access the e-Filing system is between 1am and 7am.
Last year, the servers were also jammed up in the last few days before the April 30 deadline.
Taxpayers crowding the IRB office in Kelana Jaya yesterday as the deadline for filing their tax returns nears. - GLENN GUAN / The Star
About 1.2 million people - almost half of the 2.5 million taxpayers in the country - used the e-Filing system last year.
When the system was first introduced in 2006, only 187,000 taxpayers responded to online filing of taxes. The number grew by more than 350% in 2007, with 876,000 e-filers.
Counter services at the IRB headquarters in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, were extended to 10pm yesterday and will be extended until midnight today. More than 70 computers have been set up at the headquarters to assist taxpayers to file their taxes.
At 8am, there was already a growing crowd at the Shah Alam office while at noon the Kelana Jaya office was packed.
Kelana Jaya IRB public relations officer Noorhaya Ibrahim said there was an average of 3,000 people daily for the past week and the crowd had doubled in the last two days.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Motorcycles help keep you young
Mental condition can be improved by using motorbikes to commute, says software expert. -AFP
Thu, Mar 05, 2009
TOKYO - Riding motorcycles helps keep drivers young by invigorating their brains, the scientist behind popular "Brain Training" computer software said Wednesday, citing a new scientific study.
"The driver's brain gets activated by riding motorbikes" in part because it requires heightened alertness, Ryuta Kawashima said after his research team and Yamaha Motor conducted a string of experiments involving middle-aged men.
"In a convenient and easy environment, the human mind and body get used to setting the hurdle low," he warned.
"Our final conclusion is that riding motorcycles can lead to smart ageing."
Kawashima is the designer of "Brain Training" software, which incorporates quizzes and other games and is available on the Nintendo DS game console under the name "Brain Age" in North America.
A self-professed motorcycle fan, 49-year-old Kawashima cited a new study conducted jointly by Yamaha and Tohoku University, for which he works.
One experiment involved 22 men, all in their 40s and 50s, who held motorcycle licences but had not taken a ride for at least a decade.
They were randomly split into two groups -- one asked to resume riding motorcycles in everyday life for two months, and another that kept using bicycles or cars.
"The group that rode motorbikes posted higher marks in cognitive function tests," Kawashima said.
In one test, which required the men to remember a set of numbers in reverse order, the riders' scores jumped by more than 50 percent in two months, while the non-riders' marks deteriorated slightly, he said.
The riders also said they made fewer mistakes at work and felt happier.
"Mental care is a very big issue in modern society," said Kawashima. "I think we made an interesting stir here as data showed you can improve your mental condition simply by using motorbikes to commute."
Thu, Mar 05, 2009
TOKYO - Riding motorcycles helps keep drivers young by invigorating their brains, the scientist behind popular "Brain Training" computer software said Wednesday, citing a new scientific study.
"The driver's brain gets activated by riding motorbikes" in part because it requires heightened alertness, Ryuta Kawashima said after his research team and Yamaha Motor conducted a string of experiments involving middle-aged men.
"In a convenient and easy environment, the human mind and body get used to setting the hurdle low," he warned.
"Our final conclusion is that riding motorcycles can lead to smart ageing."
Kawashima is the designer of "Brain Training" software, which incorporates quizzes and other games and is available on the Nintendo DS game console under the name "Brain Age" in North America.
A self-professed motorcycle fan, 49-year-old Kawashima cited a new study conducted jointly by Yamaha and Tohoku University, for which he works.
One experiment involved 22 men, all in their 40s and 50s, who held motorcycle licences but had not taken a ride for at least a decade.
They were randomly split into two groups -- one asked to resume riding motorcycles in everyday life for two months, and another that kept using bicycles or cars.
"The group that rode motorbikes posted higher marks in cognitive function tests," Kawashima said.
In one test, which required the men to remember a set of numbers in reverse order, the riders' scores jumped by more than 50 percent in two months, while the non-riders' marks deteriorated slightly, he said.
The riders also said they made fewer mistakes at work and felt happier.
"Mental care is a very big issue in modern society," said Kawashima. "I think we made an interesting stir here as data showed you can improve your mental condition simply by using motorbikes to commute."
Saturday, December 20, 2008
I NEED This Job - NOT !
by Joe Turner, The Job Search Guy
I recently received a letter from a job seeker indicating that she had been called for an interview but didn't have all of the qualifications. "Carey" wanted to know what advice I could give her, adding that she really "needs this job."
My response to "Carey" applies to most job seekers who don't have all of the qualifications listed in the job description. Consider this a wish list from the employer. Know that, even in today's tough economy, employers aren't always going to get everything that they want, either.
Attitude
Your attitude is more important than your compendium of skills and abilities. Many people write about "attitude" as something you can switch on and off. Like trying to sell the interviewer on the idea that you're some cheerful, gonzo team player willing to tackle any task thrown at you. This is pure rubbish, of course, and it will last about 20 minutes, or as long as you're able to maintain this false front.
When I say attitude, I'm talking about your core belief in who you are and what you bring to the table at an interview. It starts with self-respect. Before any interview, tell yourself this: "I may need oxygen, food and water, but I DO NOT NEED THIS JOB." With today's economic climate of gloom and doom and job losses projected to tally into the millions by the end of 2009, this may seem almost suicidal.
Yet, by freeing yourself from feeling you "need this job", you will actually perform better during the interview by not giving your power away to the employer. Otherwise, your sense of neediness will be read as desperation and will work to your disadvantage to quickly eliminate you from further consideration.
Of course, it's all well and good to talk about thinking "I don't need this job" when the rent is due and your bank account is empty, but don't give your power away. Realize that the employer needs to fill this position ASAP and might want you as much as you want them.
Employer's NeedsInstead of YOUR needs, think instead about the EMPLOYER's needs. Remember, companies hire people who can either make money or save money for them. They're looking for people who can best provide a return on their investment.
Focus on the major benefit you bring to your employer. How does that benefit help them make or save money? If you can get to the root of their need, you can stand out among even stronger candidates who only talk about their skills.
For example, an administration assistant may have a very strong phone presence and as a result, makes clients feel at ease. She sets the stage for their continued purchases from her company. Her strength is her phone skills. Her benefit is happy clients, and consequently, more revenue to the company.
Highlight those areas where you are strong and really sell those. Bring up examples from your past when you were successful, and describe them. When you go through this exercise, you'll most likely amaze yourself with your list of work-related accomplishments. More importantly, you'll begin to see yourself in a new light-a producer of results. You'll also inoculate yourself from the dreaded "I need this job" syndrome that so many job seekers share, and take a giant step toward having the employer think, "I need YOU for our company".
SummarySure, the economy will continue to decline while not only jobs, but entire businesses, crumble and dissolve into oblivion. Yet, as some companies fall, others will rise.
These employers, more than ever, will need employees who not only know who they are, but who know and can articulate the true value of their accomplishments as a return on investment to their employer. When you can do this, you'll lose the "I need this job" syndrome and have employers feeling "needy" for you.
As a recruiter, Joe Turner has spent the past 15 years finding and placing top candidates in some of the best jobs of their careers. Author of Job Search Secrets Unlocked and Paycheck 911, Joe has interviewed on radio talk shows and offers free insider job search secrets at: www.jobchangesecrets.com.
I recently received a letter from a job seeker indicating that she had been called for an interview but didn't have all of the qualifications. "Carey" wanted to know what advice I could give her, adding that she really "needs this job."
My response to "Carey" applies to most job seekers who don't have all of the qualifications listed in the job description. Consider this a wish list from the employer. Know that, even in today's tough economy, employers aren't always going to get everything that they want, either.
Attitude
Your attitude is more important than your compendium of skills and abilities. Many people write about "attitude" as something you can switch on and off. Like trying to sell the interviewer on the idea that you're some cheerful, gonzo team player willing to tackle any task thrown at you. This is pure rubbish, of course, and it will last about 20 minutes, or as long as you're able to maintain this false front.
When I say attitude, I'm talking about your core belief in who you are and what you bring to the table at an interview. It starts with self-respect. Before any interview, tell yourself this: "I may need oxygen, food and water, but I DO NOT NEED THIS JOB." With today's economic climate of gloom and doom and job losses projected to tally into the millions by the end of 2009, this may seem almost suicidal.
Yet, by freeing yourself from feeling you "need this job", you will actually perform better during the interview by not giving your power away to the employer. Otherwise, your sense of neediness will be read as desperation and will work to your disadvantage to quickly eliminate you from further consideration.
Of course, it's all well and good to talk about thinking "I don't need this job" when the rent is due and your bank account is empty, but don't give your power away. Realize that the employer needs to fill this position ASAP and might want you as much as you want them.
Employer's NeedsInstead of YOUR needs, think instead about the EMPLOYER's needs. Remember, companies hire people who can either make money or save money for them. They're looking for people who can best provide a return on their investment.
Focus on the major benefit you bring to your employer. How does that benefit help them make or save money? If you can get to the root of their need, you can stand out among even stronger candidates who only talk about their skills.
For example, an administration assistant may have a very strong phone presence and as a result, makes clients feel at ease. She sets the stage for their continued purchases from her company. Her strength is her phone skills. Her benefit is happy clients, and consequently, more revenue to the company.
Highlight those areas where you are strong and really sell those. Bring up examples from your past when you were successful, and describe them. When you go through this exercise, you'll most likely amaze yourself with your list of work-related accomplishments. More importantly, you'll begin to see yourself in a new light-a producer of results. You'll also inoculate yourself from the dreaded "I need this job" syndrome that so many job seekers share, and take a giant step toward having the employer think, "I need YOU for our company".
SummarySure, the economy will continue to decline while not only jobs, but entire businesses, crumble and dissolve into oblivion. Yet, as some companies fall, others will rise.
These employers, more than ever, will need employees who not only know who they are, but who know and can articulate the true value of their accomplishments as a return on investment to their employer. When you can do this, you'll lose the "I need this job" syndrome and have employers feeling "needy" for you.
As a recruiter, Joe Turner has spent the past 15 years finding and placing top candidates in some of the best jobs of their careers. Author of Job Search Secrets Unlocked and Paycheck 911, Joe has interviewed on radio talk shows and offers free insider job search secrets at: www.jobchangesecrets.com.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
The new finance career playing field
To say the least, the landscape for finance job seekers has drastically changed.
Some of the largest finance employers have gone bankrupt, been acquired or, at best, are seriously ailing. Unless you've been hiding out in a cave somewhere for the past year and a half, you know that the credit crisis that began in summer 2007 has turned into a full blown financial crisis.
Companies have booked billions of losses and shed thousands of employees, meaning finance jobs are harder to come by than in years past. However, contrary to popular opinion, that doesn't mean finance positions aren't out there; they are, but they just might not be in the most obvious of places.
Some of the largest finance employers have gone bankrupt, been acquired or, at best, are seriously ailing. Unless you've been hiding out in a cave somewhere for the past year and a half, you know that the credit crisis that began in summer 2007 has turned into a full blown financial crisis.
Companies have booked billions of losses and shed thousands of employees, meaning finance jobs are harder to come by than in years past. However, contrary to popular opinion, that doesn't mean finance positions aren't out there; they are, but they just might not be in the most obvious of places.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Job hunting's a breeze for these graduates
By Lin Yanqin, TODAY Posted: 12 May 2008 1008 hrsThey are finding better paying jobs and finding them sooner, even though their graduating cohort of 711 graduands is 84-per-cent bigger than that of the previous year's 386.
Of the graduates surveyed by the Singapore Management University (SMU), the top 20-per-cent wage earners enjoy monthly starting salaries of $5,600.
Most of these highly-paid graduates are employed in investment banking or management consulting. According to SMU, its top nine highest wage earners draw between $8,000 and $10,000.
Overall, close to 100 per cent of those who responded to the annual survey — 618 graduates — found a job before or within six months of their graduation last year. Out of these respondents, 519 graduates, or 84 per cent did so within a month.
The average salary of those in full-time permanent employment is up 6.7 per cent to $3,040. Those who graduated cum laude (with distinction) or better are getting monthly starting salaries of $3,540, up 7 per cent from 2006.
About two-thirds of respondents had received multiple job offers, ranging from between two and 10 offers.
Meanwhile, about 3 per cent surveyed are economically inactive, pursuing postgraduate studies, travelling or other personal choices. Mr Bernard Chen, 26, an SMU graduate now working as a foreign exchange trader at Citibank, told Today: "I think one reason more graduates are finding better-paying jobs earlier is because there's a competitive atmosphere at SMU.
"When you see your seniors getting jobs early, you will want to work hard to do the same, or even better. The professors also advised us to start looking early because you would want to be the first person employers talk to, not the last."
About half the respondents are in the banking, finance, auditing and accounting sectors, while the rest are employed in a range of sectors including services and consulting.
Said SMU president Howard Hunter: "Over the years, our graduates have earned the confidence of employers who saw the difference provided by an SMU education. We will continue to ensure that our undergraduates have opportunities for global exposure to widen their perspectives as well as platforms for character development." - TODAY/ar
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Rapid transit systems in the World
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rapid_transit_systems
London Underground Tube was built since 1863 and has 269 stations.
NY Subways was built since 1870 and has 422 stations.
Tokyo Metro was built since 1927 and has 165 stations.
London Underground Tube was built since 1863 and has 269 stations.
NY Subways was built since 1870 and has 422 stations.
Tokyo Metro was built since 1927 and has 165 stations.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
GE
歷經130年洗滌通用電氣搭上全球化科技列車
一個企業，跨越了一個世紀…
一個企業，跨越了一個世紀…
人事、業務及經營等，經過百年歲月洗滌，皆在改變。
今年慶祝130週年的通用電氣（General Electric），業務遍及全球過百個國家，營業額超過千億美元。
今年慶祝130週年的通用電氣（General Electric），業務遍及全球過百個國家，營業額超過千億美元。
通用電氣東南亞總裁史圖亞特說，是全球化及科技，讓通用電氣成功跨越世紀，屹立不倒。
史圖亞特指出，集團將著重透過自行增長，擴大業務版圖。1876年，鼎鼎大名的發明家、電燈開山鼻祖托馬斯愛迪生，創辦愛迪生電燈公司。
1890年，愛迪生業務重組，成立愛迪生通用電氣公司（Edison General Electric Company）。
1892年，愛迪生通用電氣與湯姆森休斯頓電氣公司（Thomson-Houston Electric Company）合併，通用電氣終于誕生了。
1896年，道瓊斯工業指數榜成立，通用電氣是從當年至今，唯一一家經過112年，仍榜上有名的公司。 若以市值計算，通用電氣目前是全球第二大企業。
看重研發
在通用電氣服務超過28年的史圖亞特向《中國報》娓娓道來，管理層在多年來更換無數，唯一不變的是對科技研發的承諾，進而造就公司與時`井併進，在競爭激烈的市場立足，並傲視全球。
“單是在產品研發，去年投資額已突破37億美元（約118億令吉），料今年將增至約40億美元（約128億令吉）。”
科技，令通用電氣在世界舞台上更具競爭力，並生產高素質產品及服務。
“我們需了解客戶面對的難題，繼而透過科技研發，協助他們施展策略，解決問題，並製造更多商機。”
他相信，科技對每個人及每項業務，皆扮演重要角色，因可提升產能及減低成本。
“應以長遠眼光，看待科技研發投資，若不重視研發，不捨斥資在這塊蛋糕上，業務就會不進則退。”
通用電氣去年營業額報1727億3800萬美元（約5528億令吉），淨利則高達222億800萬美元（約711億令吉）。
該公司今年首季營業額高達422億美元（約1350億令吉），淨利則報43億美元（約138億令吉）。
322億售塑膠業不斷重組業務
通用電氣是少數擁有商用、軍用噴射飛機引擎技術的製造公司。通用電氣去年宣佈，以超過100億美元（約322億令吉）脫售旗下塑膠業務。
詢及集團是否有意進一步整合業務時，史圖亞特坦言，東南亞區並無此意，若真有意整合業務，也將透過集團進行。
惟他強調，目前集團對旗下業務感滿意，暫無意脫售。
“我們將不斷重組業務，並會維持多元化架構。”
史圖亞特說，集團將著重透過自行增長（Organic growth），擴大業務版圖。
“環顧全球其它大型企業，皆把業務發展重心放在自行增長，包括我們熟悉的豐田（Toyota）及惠
他強調，包括大馬在內的東南亞市，也將以相同策略壯大業務。
自行增長
詢及是否有意在我國雙重上時，史圖亞特直言：“我們擁有充裕資金，沒必要上市籌資。”
根據公司業績報告，通用電氣今年首季現金流量高達37億美元（約118億令吉），全年現金預估為230億美元（約736億令吉）。
另外，對環境及大自然的回饋，通用電氣計劃，在2010年耗資15億美元（約48億令吉），投資在綠能環保技術
表現超越美國海外銷量貢獻大
傑夫伊梅爾特說，公司著重全球化策略，美國以外市場成長迅速，支撐公司業務。通用電氣主席兼總執行長傑夫伊梅爾特曾指出，美國經濟走緩，對旗下金融服務業務而言，是項挑戰。
惟該公司策略是著重全球化，其中美國以外的發展國家收入成長約14%，發展中國家增長率更突破38%，繼而支撐公司繼續穩健成長。
通用電氣擁有6大業務，包括商業金融、基建、保健及工業等，除了業務多元化，業務觸角伸向世界各地，減低風險。
目前，通用電氣產品及服務銷售至160個國家。
綠能技術
史圖亞特指出，在2006年，美國以外市場銷量，已遠遠超越美國。
當美國經濟漸走緩之際，通用電氣在穩健海外支撐下，依然可挺進攀高。
Friday, May 02, 2008
How to travel by train in Singapore & Malaysia
http://www.seat61.com/Malaysia.htm
Currency:
£1 = 6.2 Ringgit = 2.7 Singapore dollars.
$1 = 3.1 Ringgit = 1.3 S$.
Currency:
£1 = 6.2 Ringgit = 2.7 Singapore dollars.
$1 = 3.1 Ringgit = 1.3 S$.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
I have told new CEO of TMI about my interest to join TMI.
He has replied and passed it to the person in charge.
I dunno what will happen whether I will join back TM group serving TMI as this is only an express of interest.
It is still too early to say.
If no good offer from Malaysia, I might be leaving Malaysia hopefully within this year.
It might not necessary be Singapore. But it could be Hong Kong or Middle East.
I’m keeping my options as open as my long term goal is to work in Europe or US.
And Im gonna further my studies overseas.
He has replied and passed it to the person in charge.
I dunno what will happen whether I will join back TM group serving TMI as this is only an express of interest.
It is still too early to say.
If no good offer from Malaysia, I might be leaving Malaysia hopefully within this year.
It might not necessary be Singapore. But it could be Hong Kong or Middle East.
I’m keeping my options as open as my long term goal is to work in Europe or US.
And Im gonna further my studies overseas.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Just Change It
Harga petrol di Malaysia sepanjang zaman...(dalam masa 16 tahun - sejak 1990 )
Sebelum 90 - RM 0.89
Tahun 1990 - RM 1.10 (kenaikan RM 0.21 )
01/10/2000 - RM 1.20 (kenaikan RM 0.10)
20/10/2001 - RM 1.30 (kenaikan RM 0.10)
01/05/2002 - RM 1.32 (kenaikan RM 0.02)
31/10/2002 - RM 1.33 (kenaikan RM 0.01 )
01/03/2003 - RM 1.35 (kenaikan RM 0.02 )
01/05/2004 - RM 1.37 (kenaikan RM 0.02)
01/10/2004 - RM 1.42 (kenaikan RM 0.05)
05/05/2005 - RM 1.52 (kenaikan RM 0.10 )
31/07/2005 - RM 1.62 (kenaikan RM 0.10)
28/02/2006 - RM 1.92 (kenaikan RM 0.30)
28/03/2007 - RM 2.25 (kenaikan RM 0.33)
Perhatian : (Ayat - ayat ' Standard ')
1. Kenaikkan minyak sehingga sekarang masih rendah lagi, kalau dibandingkan dengan mana-mana satu pun negara Asia yang lain.
2. Kerajaan Malaysia memastikan kenaikkan harga petrol tidak akan membebankan .
3. Kerajaan Malaysia tidak mampu menampung lagi subsidi harga petrol disebabkan kenaikkan harga pasaran global. (Tetapi cuma mampu membayar kos untuk DR. SMS melawat angkasa lepas dengan menumpang roket negara Russia )
4. Kerajaan Malaysia memberi jaminan harga runcit petroleum tidak akan dinaikkan lagi pada TAHUN 2007. (Sehingga sebelum pilihanraya yang akan berlangsung pada tahun depan 2008)
Saudara / Saudari,
Pertama sekali abang Perdana Menteri kita iaitu Ibrahim bin Badawi menerusi syarikatnya SkyChef menjadi supplier makanan kepada syarikat penerbangan MAS, menyebabkan MAS mengalami kerugian sebanyak RM900 juta untuk sembilan bulan yang pertama pada tahun 2005.
Abang PM kita jual sebotol air mineral kepada MAS dengan harga RM30 setiap botol.
Jadi? Tidak kita hairan jugalah jika MAS menanggung kerugian sebanyak itu...
Menteri Besar Terengganu iaitu Idris Jusoh telah mengadakan majlis Perlumbaan Kapal Layar Monsoon Cup, yang juga telah menelan wang rakyat sebanyak RM300 juta.
Wang ini dibayar kepada seorang peniaga yang bernama Patrick Lim dan kekawannya termasuk Khairy Jamaludin, iaitu menantu Perdana Menteri. Majlis Perlumbaan Kapal Layar Monsoon Cup yang tidak sampai 5 hari telah menghabiskan RM300 juta wang seluruh rakyat Malaysia, yang terutamanya golongan berbangsa Cina yang telah banyak membayar cukai pendapatan kepada kerajaan...
Sudah tentu wang RM300 juta itu ditelan oleh 'orang bertuah' yang dapat kontrak RM300 juta itu.
Untuk memulihkan kehilangan wang sebesar itu yang telah ditelan oleh 'orang bertuah' tersebut, sekarang subsidi petrol dipotong, dan harga petrol dinaikkan RM0.30 per satu liter, dan dijangka akan dinaikkan RM0.30 lagi pada tahun depan selepas akhirnya pilihanraya iaitu pada tahun 2008.
Telekom Malaysia pula merugikan lebih RM700 juta sebab terpaksa membayar ganti rugi kepada syarikat komunikasi German iaitu Deutsche Telekom. Terpaksa bayar ganti rugi RM700 juta cuma sebab syarikat Telekom Malaysia 'tidak tahu' membuat kontrak untuk polisi perniagaan yang mematuhi sistem.
Disebabkan berbagai-bagai 'kesilapan' yang telah dilakukan oleh ketua-ketua yang 'kurang pandai' Kerajaan Malaysia , kerajaan kita potong lagi subsidi petrol demi memulihkan kerugian wang negara.
Sekarang, pada hakikatnya, kos sememangnya lebih murah lagi kalau naik kapal terbang Air Asia pergi-balik di antara Kuala Lumpur dan Kuala Terengganu. Tambang pergi-balik Air Asia di antara Kuala Lumpur dan Kuala Terengganu tidak sampai RM300 bagi tiga orang sekeluarga.
Sebab syarikat Air Asia diuruskan oleh orang yang tidak rasuah dan yang tahu berniaga tanpa menyusahkan penggunanya.
Sekarang, dengan harga petrol yang telah naik, kos untuk petrol sahaja hendak pergi dan balik di antara Kuala Lumpur dan Alor Setar mampu mencecah RM220 (untuk kereta Proton Waja). Cagaran tol pula melebihi RM160, tambah pula perbelanjaan makan dan minum (nasi campur dengan teh kosong) bagi sekeluarga 6 orang, lagi RM40, ini bermaksud kos perjalanan dengan kereta yang menggunakan petrol dan kena cagaran tol, tambah dengan makanan untuk pergi balik di antara Kuala Lumpur dan Alor Setar sekurang-kurangnya RM400 atau lebih.
Negara-negara lain bukan macam negara kita.
Misalnya, walaupun harga petrol di Thailand lebih tinggi daripada Malaysia, di sana, pengguna lebuhraya mereka tidak perlu membayar cagaran tol.
Dari Bukit Kayu Hitam ke Bangkok jaraknya melebihi 1,100 batu (bukan kilometer) dengan lebuhraya 6-Lorong (bukan 4-Lorong macam Lebuhraya-Utara-Selatan kita) tanpa sebarang plaza tol dibina disepanjang atas lebuhraya mereka.
Di Thailand , tiada rasuah AP. Harga kereta import Honda Civic 1.5cc di Thailand tidak sampai RM40,000. Lebih murah daripada harga kereta keluaran Perodua, iaitu Kelisa 1.0cc di Malaysia. Inilah kebaikannya untuk rakyat di sana , sebab tiada rasuah AP di sana ...
Di Malaysia pula ada AP. Sebenarnya harga AP yang perlu dibayar kepada Kerajaan (MITI) tidak sampai RM250 sahaja. Tetapi AP boleh dijual sehingga RM40,000 sekeping kepada 'Dato-Dato' yang kaya, yang dikenali sebagai 'AP King'. Rasuah AP ini telah berlanjutan selama lebih daripada 30 tahun, sejak mulanya Kerajaan Malaysia mula mengimport model kenderaan negara-negara asing untuk pasaran otomobil negara kita.
Akhir kata, rakyat Malaysia yang terpaksa menanggung akibat 'tradisi rasuah AP' ini.
'AP King' pula hidup mewah dan bergaya sedangkan ada banyak keluarga berbagai bangsa yang hidup merana dan tidak mampu memiliki kemudahan kenderaan sendiri sebab harga yang terlalu tinggi.
Oleh yang demikian kereta Honda Civic 1.5cc yang dijual dengan harga RM40,000 di Thailand naik sehingga RM110,000 di Malaysia . Banyak rakyat Malaysia telah rugi besar.
Kerajaan yang telah mengalami kerugian berlebihan disebabkan pelbagai lubang-lubang rasuah telah ditebuk dalam sistem pentadbirannya, maka potonglah subsidi petrol dan menaikkan harga petrol RM0.30 per satu liter untuk memulihkan keadaan.
Malaysia Boleh!!!! Memangggggg Bolehhh!!!!
Sebab Kerajaan Malaysia nak buat apa pun boleh!!!!
*Sila hantarkan maklumat ini kepada rakan-rakan anda, dan juga tolong cetakkan dan kongsikan maklumat ini dalam bentuk 'hard copy' sekiranya boleh, kerana cuma 5% rakyat Malaysia yang tahu menggunakan komputer secara bermanfaat, manakala yang 95% lagi tidak tahu, ada banyak lagi juga yang tahu, tetapi cuma tahu menggunakan komputer untuk tujuan bahan lucah sahaja dan tidak menghiraukan maklumat seperti ini, mereka juga memerlukan maklumat seperti ini sebagai langkah pertama untuk mengubah sistem negara yang telah kian lama 'tercemar'.
Cukuplah, selepas 50 tahun kemerdekaan negara kita, kita masih lagi berada di dalam tangan pemimpin yang berdosa banyak membohong, asyik mementingkan diri, dan tidak berpandangan jauh.
HAPUSKAN PENTADBIRAN ASAS RASUAH!!!
Adakah kita harus menjadi mangsa dalam kejadian sedemikian?
Orang lain hutang, kita sebagai rakyat pula yang kena bayar.
Yang penting sekali, bukan setakat membayar sahaja, manakala hendak bayar sampai bila??
Adakah ini akan berhenti jika kita tidak membuat sesuatu bersama-sama???
On top of all that...still want to send 2 Clowns to moon.
ROKET ITU BUKAN BUATAN NEGARA KITA .....'DIA' CUMA TUMPANG NAIK SAHAJA.
Untuk apa ya????
Eksperimen membancuh teh tarik secara terapung ke????
HA HA....
Better use all the money to spend on something else to help the poor, improve the traffic system, subsidize the petrol price, and clear all the debts that the government is owing to other countries...what another stupid act by the government!!!! Please stop fooling around with our money!!!
JOM UBAH ! Just Change It !!!!!!! Vote wisely !!
Sebelum 90 - RM 0.89
Tahun 1990 - RM 1.10 (kenaikan RM 0.21 )
01/10/2000 - RM 1.20 (kenaikan RM 0.10)
20/10/2001 - RM 1.30 (kenaikan RM 0.10)
01/05/2002 - RM 1.32 (kenaikan RM 0.02)
31/10/2002 - RM 1.33 (kenaikan RM 0.01 )
01/03/2003 - RM 1.35 (kenaikan RM 0.02 )
01/05/2004 - RM 1.37 (kenaikan RM 0.02)
01/10/2004 - RM 1.42 (kenaikan RM 0.05)
05/05/2005 - RM 1.52 (kenaikan RM 0.10 )
31/07/2005 - RM 1.62 (kenaikan RM 0.10)
28/02/2006 - RM 1.92 (kenaikan RM 0.30)
28/03/2007 - RM 2.25 (kenaikan RM 0.33)
Perhatian : (Ayat - ayat ' Standard ')
1. Kenaikkan minyak sehingga sekarang masih rendah lagi, kalau dibandingkan dengan mana-mana satu pun negara Asia yang lain.
2. Kerajaan Malaysia memastikan kenaikkan harga petrol tidak akan membebankan .
3. Kerajaan Malaysia tidak mampu menampung lagi subsidi harga petrol disebabkan kenaikkan harga pasaran global. (Tetapi cuma mampu membayar kos untuk DR. SMS melawat angkasa lepas dengan menumpang roket negara Russia )
4. Kerajaan Malaysia memberi jaminan harga runcit petroleum tidak akan dinaikkan lagi pada TAHUN 2007. (Sehingga sebelum pilihanraya yang akan berlangsung pada tahun depan 2008)
Saudara / Saudari,
Pertama sekali abang Perdana Menteri kita iaitu Ibrahim bin Badawi menerusi syarikatnya SkyChef menjadi supplier makanan kepada syarikat penerbangan MAS, menyebabkan MAS mengalami kerugian sebanyak RM900 juta untuk sembilan bulan yang pertama pada tahun 2005.
Abang PM kita jual sebotol air mineral kepada MAS dengan harga RM30 setiap botol.
Jadi? Tidak kita hairan jugalah jika MAS menanggung kerugian sebanyak itu...
Menteri Besar Terengganu iaitu Idris Jusoh telah mengadakan majlis Perlumbaan Kapal Layar Monsoon Cup, yang juga telah menelan wang rakyat sebanyak RM300 juta.
Wang ini dibayar kepada seorang peniaga yang bernama Patrick Lim dan kekawannya termasuk Khairy Jamaludin, iaitu menantu Perdana Menteri. Majlis Perlumbaan Kapal Layar Monsoon Cup yang tidak sampai 5 hari telah menghabiskan RM300 juta wang seluruh rakyat Malaysia, yang terutamanya golongan berbangsa Cina yang telah banyak membayar cukai pendapatan kepada kerajaan...
Sudah tentu wang RM300 juta itu ditelan oleh 'orang bertuah' yang dapat kontrak RM300 juta itu.
Untuk memulihkan kehilangan wang sebesar itu yang telah ditelan oleh 'orang bertuah' tersebut, sekarang subsidi petrol dipotong, dan harga petrol dinaikkan RM0.30 per satu liter, dan dijangka akan dinaikkan RM0.30 lagi pada tahun depan selepas akhirnya pilihanraya iaitu pada tahun 2008.
Telekom Malaysia pula merugikan lebih RM700 juta sebab terpaksa membayar ganti rugi kepada syarikat komunikasi German iaitu Deutsche Telekom. Terpaksa bayar ganti rugi RM700 juta cuma sebab syarikat Telekom Malaysia 'tidak tahu' membuat kontrak untuk polisi perniagaan yang mematuhi sistem.
Disebabkan berbagai-bagai 'kesilapan' yang telah dilakukan oleh ketua-ketua yang 'kurang pandai' Kerajaan Malaysia , kerajaan kita potong lagi subsidi petrol demi memulihkan kerugian wang negara.
Sekarang, pada hakikatnya, kos sememangnya lebih murah lagi kalau naik kapal terbang Air Asia pergi-balik di antara Kuala Lumpur dan Kuala Terengganu. Tambang pergi-balik Air Asia di antara Kuala Lumpur dan Kuala Terengganu tidak sampai RM300 bagi tiga orang sekeluarga.
Sebab syarikat Air Asia diuruskan oleh orang yang tidak rasuah dan yang tahu berniaga tanpa menyusahkan penggunanya.
Sekarang, dengan harga petrol yang telah naik, kos untuk petrol sahaja hendak pergi dan balik di antara Kuala Lumpur dan Alor Setar mampu mencecah RM220 (untuk kereta Proton Waja). Cagaran tol pula melebihi RM160, tambah pula perbelanjaan makan dan minum (nasi campur dengan teh kosong) bagi sekeluarga 6 orang, lagi RM40, ini bermaksud kos perjalanan dengan kereta yang menggunakan petrol dan kena cagaran tol, tambah dengan makanan untuk pergi balik di antara Kuala Lumpur dan Alor Setar sekurang-kurangnya RM400 atau lebih.
Negara-negara lain bukan macam negara kita.
Misalnya, walaupun harga petrol di Thailand lebih tinggi daripada Malaysia, di sana, pengguna lebuhraya mereka tidak perlu membayar cagaran tol.
Dari Bukit Kayu Hitam ke Bangkok jaraknya melebihi 1,100 batu (bukan kilometer) dengan lebuhraya 6-Lorong (bukan 4-Lorong macam Lebuhraya-Utara-Selatan kita) tanpa sebarang plaza tol dibina disepanjang atas lebuhraya mereka.
Di Thailand , tiada rasuah AP. Harga kereta import Honda Civic 1.5cc di Thailand tidak sampai RM40,000. Lebih murah daripada harga kereta keluaran Perodua, iaitu Kelisa 1.0cc di Malaysia. Inilah kebaikannya untuk rakyat di sana , sebab tiada rasuah AP di sana ...
Di Malaysia pula ada AP. Sebenarnya harga AP yang perlu dibayar kepada Kerajaan (MITI) tidak sampai RM250 sahaja. Tetapi AP boleh dijual sehingga RM40,000 sekeping kepada 'Dato-Dato' yang kaya, yang dikenali sebagai 'AP King'. Rasuah AP ini telah berlanjutan selama lebih daripada 30 tahun, sejak mulanya Kerajaan Malaysia mula mengimport model kenderaan negara-negara asing untuk pasaran otomobil negara kita.
Akhir kata, rakyat Malaysia yang terpaksa menanggung akibat 'tradisi rasuah AP' ini.
'AP King' pula hidup mewah dan bergaya sedangkan ada banyak keluarga berbagai bangsa yang hidup merana dan tidak mampu memiliki kemudahan kenderaan sendiri sebab harga yang terlalu tinggi.
Oleh yang demikian kereta Honda Civic 1.5cc yang dijual dengan harga RM40,000 di Thailand naik sehingga RM110,000 di Malaysia . Banyak rakyat Malaysia telah rugi besar.
Kerajaan yang telah mengalami kerugian berlebihan disebabkan pelbagai lubang-lubang rasuah telah ditebuk dalam sistem pentadbirannya, maka potonglah subsidi petrol dan menaikkan harga petrol RM0.30 per satu liter untuk memulihkan keadaan.
Malaysia Boleh!!!! Memangggggg Bolehhh!!!!
Sebab Kerajaan Malaysia nak buat apa pun boleh!!!!
*Sila hantarkan maklumat ini kepada rakan-rakan anda, dan juga tolong cetakkan dan kongsikan maklumat ini dalam bentuk 'hard copy' sekiranya boleh, kerana cuma 5% rakyat Malaysia yang tahu menggunakan komputer secara bermanfaat, manakala yang 95% lagi tidak tahu, ada banyak lagi juga yang tahu, tetapi cuma tahu menggunakan komputer untuk tujuan bahan lucah sahaja dan tidak menghiraukan maklumat seperti ini, mereka juga memerlukan maklumat seperti ini sebagai langkah pertama untuk mengubah sistem negara yang telah kian lama 'tercemar'.
Cukuplah, selepas 50 tahun kemerdekaan negara kita, kita masih lagi berada di dalam tangan pemimpin yang berdosa banyak membohong, asyik mementingkan diri, dan tidak berpandangan jauh.
HAPUSKAN PENTADBIRAN ASAS RASUAH!!!
Adakah kita harus menjadi mangsa dalam kejadian sedemikian?
Orang lain hutang, kita sebagai rakyat pula yang kena bayar.
Yang penting sekali, bukan setakat membayar sahaja, manakala hendak bayar sampai bila??
Adakah ini akan berhenti jika kita tidak membuat sesuatu bersama-sama???
On top of all that...still want to send 2 Clowns to moon.
ROKET ITU BUKAN BUATAN NEGARA KITA .....'DIA' CUMA TUMPANG NAIK SAHAJA.
Untuk apa ya????
Eksperimen membancuh teh tarik secara terapung ke????
HA HA....
Better use all the money to spend on something else to help the poor, improve the traffic system, subsidize the petrol price, and clear all the debts that the government is owing to other countries...what another stupid act by the government!!!! Please stop fooling around with our money!!!
JOM UBAH ! Just Change It !!!!!!! Vote wisely !!
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Election 2008
This is posted by one of my friend in friendster.
Just take a read.
:)
Alhamdulillah..akhirnya opposition
parties berjaya menduduki 10 kerusi di
Wilayah Persekutuan KL berbanding 1
sahaja kerusi untuk BN!!
Aku di Parlimen Bandar Tun Razak pon
menangis selepas keputusan di umumkan
Calon PKR menang
majority...Alhamdulillah, tak sia2
pengorbanan kami selama ni...
Nampaknya rakyat kita sudah sedar dan
mampu berfikiran matang dan logik!!
Just take a read.
:)
Alhamdulillah..akhirnya opposition
parties berjaya menduduki 10 kerusi di
Wilayah Persekutuan KL berbanding 1
sahaja kerusi untuk BN!!
Aku di Parlimen Bandar Tun Razak pon
menangis selepas keputusan di umumkan
Calon PKR menang
majority...Alhamdulillah, tak sia2
pengorbanan kami selama ni...
Nampaknya rakyat kita sudah sedar dan
mampu berfikiran matang dan logik!!
Monday, December 24, 2007
The global fight for top talent
December 7 2007: 12:07 PM EST
The global fight for top talent
From the United States to Saudi Arabia, countries are finally recognizing that human capital is crucial.
By Geoff Colvin
(Fortune Magazine) Three scenes from the new battle for global economic supremacy:
1. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, the country that sits on 25% of the planet's oil, knows that oil is not his country's future. That's why he's spending $12.5 billion to found a graduate research university, which he'll endow with $10 billion - as big an endowment on day one as MIT has built in 142 years. The point of this project, on a grand scale even by Saudi standards: to attract the best researchers in science and technology.
2. The European Union has proposed new rules to attract the world's most highly skilled workers. If they can show that they're well educated and hold an offer of a lucrative job in Europe, they can get a two-year renewable permit to live there. The problem Europe is trying to solve: 85% of emigrating unskilled workers from developing countries go to Europe, but only 5% of skilled workers do so.
3. HCL Technologies, an Indian infotech services firm, has noticed a major change in its best young employees. Until two or three years ago, few of them would work for it unless they were promised an overseas assignment. Now it's just the opposite: They see India as the most compelling source of excitement and opportunity, and they don't want to be sent away.
~~~
We've known for a long time that this day was coming, and now it's here: Countries are finally realizing that their future prosperity depends not on natural resources or even on financial capital, but on human capital. Companies have been battling for years to attract and keep the best people. Now countries are engaging in the same fight.
The contenders
It wasn't much of a scrap until recently. Only the United States, Western Europe, and Japan - for a while - were even contenders. They didn't beat up on one another too badly vying for the best talent because there was enough to go around. Their economies weren't sufficiently info-based to make talent as critical an advantage as it has become, and the economy wasn't sufficiently global for human-capital supremacy to be crucial. Now all those factors have changed; many countries are in the hunt, and they're all after the same thing.
Since this is a fundamentally new fight, no one is sure what will win it. But we can already identify some fairly deep and difficult questions the fight raises. How countries answer them will help determine national wealth and power.
How long will any country tolerate Info Age protectionism? Notice that Europe's new proposal to attract highly skilled workers is pretty pathetic. It doesn't really offer any attractions; it just scales back rules that keep those workers out.
We have similar rules in the United States, such as our skinflint distribution of H-1B visas and immigration rules that favor family connections over skills. Why do such rules exist at all? In the Industrial Age we protected manufacturing workers with tariffs and quotas, but we can't put duties on bits and bytes, so in the Info Age we protect knowledge workers by restricting immigration.
No country can have world-class workers if it continually protects them from world-class competition. Cisco CEO John Chambers, who is passionate on this subject, says, "Anyone with a college degree should be welcome to come to our country, with appropriate security checks."
The U.S. may be rich, but we hardly have the best education system
Why isn't the United States more serious about the key competitive advantage of the Info Age, education? How to make human capital more valuable is no mystery, yet the world's richest country still has nowhere near the world's best education system. That means trouble that will only get worse.
Stephen Roach, former chief economist of Morgan Stanley and now head of the firm's Asian operations, says, "In the U.S. we've squandered our advantage by not investing in educational reform."
What, ultimately, is a national economy? Is it good for a country if its companies prosper by offshoring high-value intellectual work? What if a nation's high-value employees are working in that nation for other nations' companies? Or if highly skilled immigrants perform high-value work and send their earnings home? The answers aren't obvious, but they are important.
This international fight for talent will get much more serious. With luck, it will lead to something new: a free market in brainpower. That may not come to pass- but wise nations will prepare for it.
The global fight for top talent
From the United States to Saudi Arabia, countries are finally recognizing that human capital is crucial.
By Geoff Colvin
(Fortune Magazine) Three scenes from the new battle for global economic supremacy:
1. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, the country that sits on 25% of the planet's oil, knows that oil is not his country's future. That's why he's spending $12.5 billion to found a graduate research university, which he'll endow with $10 billion - as big an endowment on day one as MIT has built in 142 years. The point of this project, on a grand scale even by Saudi standards: to attract the best researchers in science and technology.
2. The European Union has proposed new rules to attract the world's most highly skilled workers. If they can show that they're well educated and hold an offer of a lucrative job in Europe, they can get a two-year renewable permit to live there. The problem Europe is trying to solve: 85% of emigrating unskilled workers from developing countries go to Europe, but only 5% of skilled workers do so.
3. HCL Technologies, an Indian infotech services firm, has noticed a major change in its best young employees. Until two or three years ago, few of them would work for it unless they were promised an overseas assignment. Now it's just the opposite: They see India as the most compelling source of excitement and opportunity, and they don't want to be sent away.
~~~
We've known for a long time that this day was coming, and now it's here: Countries are finally realizing that their future prosperity depends not on natural resources or even on financial capital, but on human capital. Companies have been battling for years to attract and keep the best people. Now countries are engaging in the same fight.
The contenders
It wasn't much of a scrap until recently. Only the United States, Western Europe, and Japan - for a while - were even contenders. They didn't beat up on one another too badly vying for the best talent because there was enough to go around. Their economies weren't sufficiently info-based to make talent as critical an advantage as it has become, and the economy wasn't sufficiently global for human-capital supremacy to be crucial. Now all those factors have changed; many countries are in the hunt, and they're all after the same thing.
Since this is a fundamentally new fight, no one is sure what will win it. But we can already identify some fairly deep and difficult questions the fight raises. How countries answer them will help determine national wealth and power.
How long will any country tolerate Info Age protectionism? Notice that Europe's new proposal to attract highly skilled workers is pretty pathetic. It doesn't really offer any attractions; it just scales back rules that keep those workers out.
We have similar rules in the United States, such as our skinflint distribution of H-1B visas and immigration rules that favor family connections over skills. Why do such rules exist at all? In the Industrial Age we protected manufacturing workers with tariffs and quotas, but we can't put duties on bits and bytes, so in the Info Age we protect knowledge workers by restricting immigration.
No country can have world-class workers if it continually protects them from world-class competition. Cisco CEO John Chambers, who is passionate on this subject, says, "Anyone with a college degree should be welcome to come to our country, with appropriate security checks."
The U.S. may be rich, but we hardly have the best education system
Why isn't the United States more serious about the key competitive advantage of the Info Age, education? How to make human capital more valuable is no mystery, yet the world's richest country still has nowhere near the world's best education system. That means trouble that will only get worse.
Stephen Roach, former chief economist of Morgan Stanley and now head of the firm's Asian operations, says, "In the U.S. we've squandered our advantage by not investing in educational reform."
What, ultimately, is a national economy? Is it good for a country if its companies prosper by offshoring high-value intellectual work? What if a nation's high-value employees are working in that nation for other nations' companies? Or if highly skilled immigrants perform high-value work and send their earnings home? The answers aren't obvious, but they are important.
This international fight for talent will get much more serious. With luck, it will lead to something new: a free market in brainpower. That may not come to pass- but wise nations will prepare for it.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
How to make every drop of fuel count
Plan your route. Know your short cuts and avoid rush hours where there will be traffic congestion.
Inflate your tyres regularly. Under-inflated tyres use more petrol.
Travel at a constant speed as this keeps fuel consumption constant too.
Do not speed. Fuel consumption increases rapidly at speeds over 90kmh.
Wind up all windows to make your car more aero-dynamic.
Switch off your engine if you are stationary or when waiting for someone.
Clear your car of junk. Extra weight on the car increases petrol consumption. Alternatively, decline taking on passengers.
Use your air- conditioning and other on-board electrical devices such as mobile phone chargers sparingly.
Make sure your petrol cap fits tightly. Petrol can easily evaporate if the cap is not airtight.
Inflate your tyres regularly. Under-inflated tyres use more petrol.
Travel at a constant speed as this keeps fuel consumption constant too.
Do not speed. Fuel consumption increases rapidly at speeds over 90kmh.
Wind up all windows to make your car more aero-dynamic.
Switch off your engine if you are stationary or when waiting for someone.
Clear your car of junk. Extra weight on the car increases petrol consumption. Alternatively, decline taking on passengers.
Use your air- conditioning and other on-board electrical devices such as mobile phone chargers sparingly.
Make sure your petrol cap fits tightly. Petrol can easily evaporate if the cap is not airtight.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Popular Advice You Shouldn't Take
WallStreet Journal
Sunday July 1, 3:30 am ET
By Jonathan Clements
If you're in your 20s, the world may not throw money at you -- but you'll get plenty of free financial advice.
For instance, you have no doubt been told to save diligently, fully fund your employer's 401(k) plan and avoid credit-card debt. And those are all good suggestions.
But there are other suggestions that aren't quite so good -- including these four popular pieces of advice.
1. AMASS CASH
If you are just out of school, you probably have all kinds of financial ambitions, including buying a car, purchasing a home and trying your hand at stock-market investing. But according to some financial experts, your top financial priority should be amassing an emergency reserve equal to six months of living expenses, with this cash tucked away in conservative investments like money-market funds and certificates of deposit.
Let's be honest: This is dull, unrealistic and -- I would argue -- not all that sensible. Even if you regularly sock away 10% of your after-tax income, it might take four years or so to amass six months of living expenses. At that juncture, you are supposed to leave this money in low-risk investments, where it will earn modest returns for the rest of your life.
Sound bad? It gets worse. While you were building up your emergency reserve, you were likely neglecting important goals like funding your 401(k) plan, which might earn you a matching employer contribution, and saving for a house down payment.
My advice: Forget the emergency reserve. Instead, stick at least enough in your 401(k) to get the full company match. Next, fund a Roth individual retirement account. If you still have extra money to save each year, by all means stash it in conservative investments in a regular taxable account.
If you get hit with a financial emergency, tap the money in your regular taxable account first. But you could also borrow from your 401(k). In addition, at any time, you can pull out your Roth contributions -- but not the account's investment earnings -- without paying taxes or penalties.
You could also use your taxable account and Roth for a house down payment. Once you have bought the house, set up a home-equity line of credit, which you can then use as an emergency reserve.
2. BUY BIG
That brings me to another piece of conventional wisdom that's often doled out to folks in their 20s: Buy the biggest house possible.
I have some sympathy with this suggestion. If you are early in your career and you expect sizable pay increases in the years ahead, you may want to stretch to buy a somewhat larger house.
After all, if you purchase a place that you quickly become dissatisfied with, you could soon find yourself trading up to a better home. That will mean forking over a 5% or 6% selling commission, mortgage-application costs, lawyer's fees, moving expenses and more.
Don't, however, misconstrue what I am saying. I am not endorsing the contention that real estate is the best investment you can make, that you should buy the largest house possible or that you should take out the largest mortgage possible.
Borrowing a huge sum to purchase an unnecessarily large house is financial foolishness. You will saddle yourself with hefty monthly mortgage payments and a lifetime of large utility bills, maintenance costs, property-tax payments and home-insurance premiums. Rather, when buying that first home, you should strive to purchase a place that's the right size for you and your family -- and that you can see living in for a good long time.
3. GET A LIFE
Insurance agents often push folks in their 20s to buy cash-value life insurance, arguing that it's far cheaper to purchase these policies when you are young.
Don't do it. To be sure, under the right circumstances and with the right policy from the right company, cash-value life insurance can be a decent investment. But for those in their 20s, these policies are unlikely to make sense.
Remember, the principal reason to buy life insurance is to protect your family -- and you may not even have a spouse, let alone kids. And if you are married with young kids, you no doubt need a heap of coverage. The cheapest way to get that coverage is with term life insurance, which offers a death benefit and nothing more.
Cash-value life insurance, by contrast, combines a death benefit with an investment account. Because the premiums on these policies are so high, you will likely skimp on coverage, which means your young family won't be fully protected. Moreover, if you buy a cash-value policy, you probably won't have the spare cash for other, better investment opportunities, such as funding a Roth IRA and your employer's 401(k).
4. GO FOR GROWTH
Those in their 20s are encouraged to invest heavily in stocks, because they have decades until retirement and thus plenty of time to ride out market declines. This is good advice -- in theory.
In practice, I would be a little cautious. You don't want to invest heavily in stocks and then panic and sell during the next market plunge. Yet that's a real danger if you are new to the market and you have never lived through a market decline.
My suggestion: Start with 60% stocks and 40% bonds. If you find yourself unperturbed by market swings, move your stock allocation up to 85% or 90% after a year or two.
Younger investors are often also told to favor highflying growth stocks. Growth stocks can be wild short-term performers -- but the hope is that they will deliver superior long-run returns.
Unfortunately, there's a good chance this hope won't be fulfilled. Academic studies suggest the highest returns are earned not by growth companies, but by prosaic bargain-priced value stocks.
I am not, however, suggesting you load up on value. Instead, start by building a well-diversified portfolio that includes both growth and value stocks, as well as offering exposure to the broad U.S. market and to foreign markets. If you later want to add a tilt toward value stocks, be my guest. But your top priority should be broad diversification.
jonathan.clements@wsj.com
Sunday July 1, 3:30 am ET
By Jonathan Clements
If you're in your 20s, the world may not throw money at you -- but you'll get plenty of free financial advice.
For instance, you have no doubt been told to save diligently, fully fund your employer's 401(k) plan and avoid credit-card debt. And those are all good suggestions.
But there are other suggestions that aren't quite so good -- including these four popular pieces of advice.
1. AMASS CASH
If you are just out of school, you probably have all kinds of financial ambitions, including buying a car, purchasing a home and trying your hand at stock-market investing. But according to some financial experts, your top financial priority should be amassing an emergency reserve equal to six months of living expenses, with this cash tucked away in conservative investments like money-market funds and certificates of deposit.
Let's be honest: This is dull, unrealistic and -- I would argue -- not all that sensible. Even if you regularly sock away 10% of your after-tax income, it might take four years or so to amass six months of living expenses. At that juncture, you are supposed to leave this money in low-risk investments, where it will earn modest returns for the rest of your life.
Sound bad? It gets worse. While you were building up your emergency reserve, you were likely neglecting important goals like funding your 401(k) plan, which might earn you a matching employer contribution, and saving for a house down payment.
My advice: Forget the emergency reserve. Instead, stick at least enough in your 401(k) to get the full company match. Next, fund a Roth individual retirement account. If you still have extra money to save each year, by all means stash it in conservative investments in a regular taxable account.
If you get hit with a financial emergency, tap the money in your regular taxable account first. But you could also borrow from your 401(k). In addition, at any time, you can pull out your Roth contributions -- but not the account's investment earnings -- without paying taxes or penalties.
You could also use your taxable account and Roth for a house down payment. Once you have bought the house, set up a home-equity line of credit, which you can then use as an emergency reserve.
2. BUY BIG
That brings me to another piece of conventional wisdom that's often doled out to folks in their 20s: Buy the biggest house possible.
I have some sympathy with this suggestion. If you are early in your career and you expect sizable pay increases in the years ahead, you may want to stretch to buy a somewhat larger house.
After all, if you purchase a place that you quickly become dissatisfied with, you could soon find yourself trading up to a better home. That will mean forking over a 5% or 6% selling commission, mortgage-application costs, lawyer's fees, moving expenses and more.
Don't, however, misconstrue what I am saying. I am not endorsing the contention that real estate is the best investment you can make, that you should buy the largest house possible or that you should take out the largest mortgage possible.
Borrowing a huge sum to purchase an unnecessarily large house is financial foolishness. You will saddle yourself with hefty monthly mortgage payments and a lifetime of large utility bills, maintenance costs, property-tax payments and home-insurance premiums. Rather, when buying that first home, you should strive to purchase a place that's the right size for you and your family -- and that you can see living in for a good long time.
3. GET A LIFE
Insurance agents often push folks in their 20s to buy cash-value life insurance, arguing that it's far cheaper to purchase these policies when you are young.
Don't do it. To be sure, under the right circumstances and with the right policy from the right company, cash-value life insurance can be a decent investment. But for those in their 20s, these policies are unlikely to make sense.
Remember, the principal reason to buy life insurance is to protect your family -- and you may not even have a spouse, let alone kids. And if you are married with young kids, you no doubt need a heap of coverage. The cheapest way to get that coverage is with term life insurance, which offers a death benefit and nothing more.
Cash-value life insurance, by contrast, combines a death benefit with an investment account. Because the premiums on these policies are so high, you will likely skimp on coverage, which means your young family won't be fully protected. Moreover, if you buy a cash-value policy, you probably won't have the spare cash for other, better investment opportunities, such as funding a Roth IRA and your employer's 401(k).
4. GO FOR GROWTH
Those in their 20s are encouraged to invest heavily in stocks, because they have decades until retirement and thus plenty of time to ride out market declines. This is good advice -- in theory.
In practice, I would be a little cautious. You don't want to invest heavily in stocks and then panic and sell during the next market plunge. Yet that's a real danger if you are new to the market and you have never lived through a market decline.
My suggestion: Start with 60% stocks and 40% bonds. If you find yourself unperturbed by market swings, move your stock allocation up to 85% or 90% after a year or two.
Younger investors are often also told to favor highflying growth stocks. Growth stocks can be wild short-term performers -- but the hope is that they will deliver superior long-run returns.
Unfortunately, there's a good chance this hope won't be fulfilled. Academic studies suggest the highest returns are earned not by growth companies, but by prosaic bargain-priced value stocks.
I am not, however, suggesting you load up on value. Instead, start by building a well-diversified portfolio that includes both growth and value stocks, as well as offering exposure to the broad U.S. market and to foreign markets. If you later want to add a tilt toward value stocks, be my guest. But your top priority should be broad diversification.
jonathan.clements@wsj.com
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Chinese in Malaysia part 2 - GENTING Group & IOI Group
鉅富祖籍耍本色（第四篇） ＊福建幫＊
1天內拿到賭牌, 林梧桐白手起家
“Uncle Lim”，是大家對今年4月剛歡慶90大壽的丹斯里林梧桐的暱稱。
新一代賭王的光環，則慢慢在丹斯里林國泰身上成形。
油棕園及蒲種區產業發展，卻是丹斯里李深靜的代表作之一。
雖然三者看似風馬牛不相及，但難掩蓋福建人低調行事的謙卑作風。
林梧桐
祖籍：安溪
從身無分文到富甲一方，林梧桐一手將荒蕪的雲頂高原打造成聞名國內外的避署、旅遊兼娛樂勝地，並與雲頂（GENTING，3182，主板貿易）劃上等號。
這位白手起家的經典傳奇人物，1918年在中國福建省安溪出世，16歲喪父后獨挑母親與7名弟妹的生活重擔，1941年從中國南下大馬，在叔父手下做個每日工資只有80仙的學徒。
日軍侵佔馬來亞期間，他當過小販，戰后轉行賣廢鐵，從而成立建發實業公司，承包建築工程，並在採礦業務賺取不少錢。
60年代初期，林梧桐承建金馬崙高原水力發電廠，觸發他想在吉隆坡附近高原，發展旅遊休閒業的意念，開發賭場就成為致力追求的目標。
林國泰
30多年前，他在已故國父兼首任首相東姑阿都拉曼協助下，一天內申請到經營賭場的執照，被譽為“全世界最快取得賭場執照的人”。
冀全球排第3
早在70年代后期，雲頂便已朝向業務多元化發展，以旅遊休閒業紮根，進而開發種植業、產業發展、能源、造紙、石油及天然氣及海上郵輪業務。
2004年，林梧桐宣佈退休，正式把雲頂集團掌管大權交給次子林國泰，自己則退居幕后。
林國泰青出於藍
林梧桐為雲頂奠下強穩根基后，再由林國泰擴大版圖至世界多個角落。
林梧桐曾表示，很滿意林國泰這位接班人，並形容他是個有自己行事風格、幹練且聰敏的企業家。
除了將雲頂業務版圖，透過麗星郵輪（Star Cruise）擴至公海，林國泰更將賭業投資拓展至美國、英國、盧森堡、澳洲和菲律賓等地，成為亞洲最大賭業上市公司。
成功取得英國最大賭場營運業者，史丹利休閒（Stanley Leisure）的控制股權后，在林國泰領軍下，雲頂贏得新加坡第2張賭場營運執照，一年內雙喜臨門。
雄心壯志的林國泰甚至放眼，雲頂10年內成為全球第3大休閒娛樂兼博奕集團，並積極透過麗星郵輪進軍澳門博彩業。
雖然林國泰表現青出于藍，新一代賭王風彩逐漸成形，他卻像父親一樣，待人謙卑，行事低調，不愛出風頭，雖然掌控龐大集團及身兼許多要職，卻一直避免成為鎂光燈焦點。
購園坵賺第1桶金．李深靜親力親為
李深靜
祖籍：永春
李深靜是位在油棕園長大的貧苦人家孩子，年少時曾沿戶兜售冰淇淋養家，最終憑著苦幹及不斷掌握機會，崛起為擁有萬頃土地的企業鉅子。
年輕時，他做過園坵管理員，能操一口流利的淡米爾語，較后曾管理位于巴生附近的油棕園，自己還經營一家汽油站。
據稱，李深靜聯合數位巴生商家，向丹斯里李萊生購買柔佛數千英畝園坵，從中得利上百萬令吉，賺得人生第一桶金。
后來，他從事房業發展，首個計劃即是加影附近的南順發花園，但真正讓他開始嶄露頭角的，卻是獨力收購氣體製造業者工業氧氣（Industrial Oxygen）一役。
成為IOI集團（IOICORP，1961，主板種植）前身的工業氧氣大股東及管理人后，李深靜1985年開始通過一系列企業及土地收購活動，進軍油棕種植及產業發展領域。
1989年，甘文丁機構（Kamunting）旗下南洛園坵待價而沽，當時逐鹿者眾多，李深靜在最后期限前才接獲獻議。
4.7億購南洛
但他在短短一天內，決定通過工業氧氣出價5億令吉（過后改為4.7億令吉），高價收購南洛園坵和其它資產（包括棕油廠、樹膠及可可加工廠），震驚大馬商界。
工業氧氣原已擁有1萬5556公頃油棕、樹膠及可可園，加上南洛園坵資產，頓時躋身為當時五大種植股之一。
李深靜深懂週期性的種植業無法常保盈利，所以高價出售部份地段作為其它用途（包括房地產、休閒勝地及高爾夫球場），從中賺取厚利。
蒲種產業先鋒
蒲種今日朝氣蓬勃的發展，歸功于李深靜的獨到眼光。
1989年杪，李深靜購買蒲種406英畝土地，全面推行價值達10億令吉的混合房屋發展計劃，成為蒲種區產業發展先驅。
蒲種當時僅是一片遼闊無垠的園坵地，在別人眼里或是毫無希望的土地，在李深靜眼中，卻是黃金地。
他深信，有朝一日蒲種將發展成比八打靈再也還要現代化的城鎮。
蒲種今日朝氣蓬勃的發展，就應驗了李深靜的獨到眼光。
如今，除了身兼IOI集團及IOI產業（IOIPROP，1635，主板產業）執行主席，李深靜也積極為多家公司、協會及社會組織，提供諮詢及引導。
值得一提的是，翻查過往資料時，赫然發現，李深靜多年來保持低調作風，特別是以個人為主的報導竟屈指可數。
1天內拿到賭牌, 林梧桐白手起家
“Uncle Lim”，是大家對今年4月剛歡慶90大壽的丹斯里林梧桐的暱稱。
新一代賭王的光環，則慢慢在丹斯里林國泰身上成形。
油棕園及蒲種區產業發展，卻是丹斯里李深靜的代表作之一。
雖然三者看似風馬牛不相及，但難掩蓋福建人低調行事的謙卑作風。
林梧桐
祖籍：安溪
從身無分文到富甲一方，林梧桐一手將荒蕪的雲頂高原打造成聞名國內外的避署、旅遊兼娛樂勝地，並與雲頂（GENTING，3182，主板貿易）劃上等號。
這位白手起家的經典傳奇人物，1918年在中國福建省安溪出世，16歲喪父后獨挑母親與7名弟妹的生活重擔，1941年從中國南下大馬，在叔父手下做個每日工資只有80仙的學徒。
日軍侵佔馬來亞期間，他當過小販，戰后轉行賣廢鐵，從而成立建發實業公司，承包建築工程，並在採礦業務賺取不少錢。
60年代初期，林梧桐承建金馬崙高原水力發電廠，觸發他想在吉隆坡附近高原，發展旅遊休閒業的意念，開發賭場就成為致力追求的目標。
林國泰
30多年前，他在已故國父兼首任首相東姑阿都拉曼協助下，一天內申請到經營賭場的執照，被譽為“全世界最快取得賭場執照的人”。
冀全球排第3
早在70年代后期，雲頂便已朝向業務多元化發展，以旅遊休閒業紮根，進而開發種植業、產業發展、能源、造紙、石油及天然氣及海上郵輪業務。
2004年，林梧桐宣佈退休，正式把雲頂集團掌管大權交給次子林國泰，自己則退居幕后。
林國泰青出於藍
林梧桐為雲頂奠下強穩根基后，再由林國泰擴大版圖至世界多個角落。
林梧桐曾表示，很滿意林國泰這位接班人，並形容他是個有自己行事風格、幹練且聰敏的企業家。
除了將雲頂業務版圖，透過麗星郵輪（Star Cruise）擴至公海，林國泰更將賭業投資拓展至美國、英國、盧森堡、澳洲和菲律賓等地，成為亞洲最大賭業上市公司。
成功取得英國最大賭場營運業者，史丹利休閒（Stanley Leisure）的控制股權后，在林國泰領軍下，雲頂贏得新加坡第2張賭場營運執照，一年內雙喜臨門。
雄心壯志的林國泰甚至放眼，雲頂10年內成為全球第3大休閒娛樂兼博奕集團，並積極透過麗星郵輪進軍澳門博彩業。
雖然林國泰表現青出于藍，新一代賭王風彩逐漸成形，他卻像父親一樣，待人謙卑，行事低調，不愛出風頭，雖然掌控龐大集團及身兼許多要職，卻一直避免成為鎂光燈焦點。
購園坵賺第1桶金．李深靜親力親為
李深靜
祖籍：永春
李深靜是位在油棕園長大的貧苦人家孩子，年少時曾沿戶兜售冰淇淋養家，最終憑著苦幹及不斷掌握機會，崛起為擁有萬頃土地的企業鉅子。
年輕時，他做過園坵管理員，能操一口流利的淡米爾語，較后曾管理位于巴生附近的油棕園，自己還經營一家汽油站。
據稱，李深靜聯合數位巴生商家，向丹斯里李萊生購買柔佛數千英畝園坵，從中得利上百萬令吉，賺得人生第一桶金。
后來，他從事房業發展，首個計劃即是加影附近的南順發花園，但真正讓他開始嶄露頭角的，卻是獨力收購氣體製造業者工業氧氣（Industrial Oxygen）一役。
成為IOI集團（IOICORP，1961，主板種植）前身的工業氧氣大股東及管理人后，李深靜1985年開始通過一系列企業及土地收購活動，進軍油棕種植及產業發展領域。
1989年，甘文丁機構（Kamunting）旗下南洛園坵待價而沽，當時逐鹿者眾多，李深靜在最后期限前才接獲獻議。
4.7億購南洛
但他在短短一天內，決定通過工業氧氣出價5億令吉（過后改為4.7億令吉），高價收購南洛園坵和其它資產（包括棕油廠、樹膠及可可加工廠），震驚大馬商界。
工業氧氣原已擁有1萬5556公頃油棕、樹膠及可可園，加上南洛園坵資產，頓時躋身為當時五大種植股之一。
李深靜深懂週期性的種植業無法常保盈利，所以高價出售部份地段作為其它用途（包括房地產、休閒勝地及高爾夫球場），從中賺取厚利。
蒲種產業先鋒
蒲種今日朝氣蓬勃的發展，歸功于李深靜的獨到眼光。
1989年杪，李深靜購買蒲種406英畝土地，全面推行價值達10億令吉的混合房屋發展計劃，成為蒲種區產業發展先驅。
蒲種當時僅是一片遼闊無垠的園坵地，在別人眼里或是毫無希望的土地，在李深靜眼中，卻是黃金地。
他深信，有朝一日蒲種將發展成比八打靈再也還要現代化的城鎮。
蒲種今日朝氣蓬勃的發展，就應驗了李深靜的獨到眼光。
如今，除了身兼IOI集團及IOI產業（IOIPROP，1635，主板產業）執行主席，李深靜也積極為多家公司、協會及社會組織，提供諮詢及引導。
值得一提的是，翻查過往資料時，赫然發現，李深靜多年來保持低調作風，特別是以個人為主的報導竟屈指可數。
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