Wednesday 16 December 2015

A summitter of Gokyo Ri

Assalamualaikum and a very good afternoon I bid to Governor, DG, AGs, Directors, Deputy Directors, and all guests who are present today. 

I’m not a descriptive person. I will not describe to you how amazing the views were from beginning to end of the journey. I believe the video presentation and the photo exhibition have done a fantastic job in illustrating that. What I would like to share with you are my personal reflections on the journey, something that could not be captured visually, but could be felt and only seen in hindsight. 

If I were to share two eye-openers from this adventure, they will certainly be the new comfort zone I have found & a different interpretation of success I have been enlightened with. 

They say “Growth happens outside of your comfort zone”. And that was exactly the reason on my mind when I signed myself up for this expedition. I wanted to go out of my safe cocoon and challenge myself to grow. I wanted to recognise my boundaries and push myself to overcome them. But little did I know, I was actually jumping out of my comfort zone, to a different kind of comfort zone. 

Why do I say that? 

Despite the tremendous challenges we have to face all the way through, I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by people who have made me feel at home. 

It was a journey where friendship is age, race, and status blind. There is no question about how high or how low you are on the corporate ladder because underneath us all, we are flawed individuals who are striving to be better. 

It was a journey where people have endlessly encouraged and cheered for each other even though they themselves were gasping and struggling to make it to the finish line. 

It was a journey where you see living proofs that with hard work and determination, it is possible to have a career, a family and still keep pursuing interests you have passion for. 

It was a journey where the only comparison ever made upon you is one against your previous self, not against a benchmark set by others. And in those elements, I found my comfort zone. 

This trip has also opened my eyes to another definition of success. For most of us, success is about transcending our limits and achieving our dreams. While those are absolutely true, little did we realise that there is another level of accomplishment that we could, and perhaps should strive for. And that is, by helping and empowering others to also grow beyond their limits. 

This different interpretation of success is demonstrated by none other than our team leader, Apau. I kept wondering, why would a man 

  1. Spend thousands of Ringgit to climb the same peak for 3 times 
  2. Take the pain to train us, whom level of fitness are so far behind 
  3. Spend so much time to organise for the trip, get the paperwork and approval ready when he could have climbed a different peak on his own, hassle free. 

I found my answer at the summit of Gokyo. 

As I was getting closer to the peak, I told myself that the first thing I wanted to do was to find Apau and thank him for making this possible. That’s all. 

Instead, standing in front of him, I found myself crying and lost for words for a moment. I hugged him eventually and said “Thank you. 
Thank you Apau, for everything”, to which he replied “it felt good, right?” 

You see, Apau had “been there & done that”. He knew how mountains could change people and how nature has opened minds and thoughts in ways no self-help books could. He believed that and wanted to share that valuable learning experience with the rest of us. 

Success could be scoring your personal goals or a long list of personal accolades. To Apau, success is helping others to get there. It’s about making small but permanent impact in other people’s lives. It doesn't matter if he has climbed the mountains for the umpteenth times, but if he could make the journey possible for other people to bring changes within themselves, that is already a success. To me, this is deeply profound. It is a very meaningful compass to navigate our lives with for greater purpose that yields greater good. 

All in all, the expedition has been amazing and has offered us a holistic learning experience. I have learned useful knowledge on health and fitness like what to eat and not to eat on training days and experienced the good physiological changes that happen in between. At the same time, I also gained tremendous motivation to keep on pushing forward even when my legs are quitting on me because I know the pain is worthwhile. 

In fact, I believe the experiences we had have made all of us stronger physically, mentally and emotionally. 
As I reflect upon my one year anniversary with Bank Negara, I find myself lucky to be surrounded by highly motivated yet humble colleagues with diverse backgrounds. The learning opportunity that this organisation has to offer (indoor or outdoor) is something not to be taken for granted. 

When a British mountaineer named George Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, his answer was “because it’s there”. I used to think that sounds cliche and a bit too simplistic to say, especially for someone who was about to conquer the impossible and leave a legacy behind. 

Now that I’ve been to the Himalayas, I’m thinking maybe George Mallory was right after all. The trekking experience there is so incredible that no words could do justice. 

So, I’ve decided. If someone asks why I would put myself under Apau’s training regime and endure hundred kilometres of trekking, my answer would be “because it’s worth it”. 

And I hope people wouldn’t find that answer cliche and simplistic too, but rather will be inspired to experience what could be a life-changing journey of a lifetime. 

Thank you. 

- Atikah Abdul Aziz -
Central Banker

Monday 31 August 2015

Mari Merdekakan Diri Kita

Tahun ini kemerdekaan negara ini diraikan dengan berbeza gayanya.

34 jam sebelum tiba 31 Ogos, kurang lebih 230,000 rakyat berhimpun secara aman di sekitar Dataran Merdeka untuk menyuarakan lima tuntutan iaitu:
1) Pilihan raya yang bebas dan adil;
2) Kerajaan yang telus;
3) Hak untuk berdemonstrasi;
4) Mengukuhkan sistem demokrasi berparlimen; dan
5) Menyelamatkan ekonomi negara.

Sekurang-kurangnya satu daripada tuntutan tersebut telah tertunai, hak untuk berhimpun dengan aman.

Tahniah buah pihak penganjur, Polis Diraja Malaysia dan 230,000 peserta Bersih 4.0 kerana membuktikan rakyat Malaysia boleh berdemonstrasi secara aman dan matang.

Dua tuntutan yang kian nampak pentingnya adalah keperluan rakyat bertindak segera untuk sebuah kerajaan yang telus bagi membetulkan persepsi awam dan antarabangsa tentang kedudukan ekonomi negara.

Rakyat sekarang semakin demanding! Jawapan seperti "ini adalah fenomena global" tidak boleh ditelan bulat-bulat tanpa disokong dengan hujah dan fakta. Memang kejatuhan matawang dirasakan oleh beberapa negara lain seperti China, Australia dan Indonesia tetapi kenapa kerajaan-kerajaan yang boleh membuat persediaan awal agar tidak teruk kesan yang dialami mereka?

Oleh itu, kerajaan yang dipimpin oleh Perdana Menteri perlu lebih kreatif dan logik dalam berhujah dengan rakyat. Bak kata Sultan Johor, "Jangan perbodohkan rakyat!"

Semoga rakyat lebih bebas menyuarakan kritikan dan idea selepas ini dan moga kerajaan tidak lagi berlagak serba tahu dalam dunia yang kian mencabar ini. Kerajaan usah takut dengan keberanian rakyat mengutarakan pandangan mereka kerana suara-suara itu adalah "check and balance" buat kerajaan untuk memberikan perkhidmatan terbaik untuk rakyat Malaysia. Jika sesatu dasar itu didapati pincang, tidak terlambat untuk mengakui kesilapan, belajar daripadanya dan move on!

Rakyat juga usah terpengaruh dengan bisikan-bisikan perkauman dan keganasan yang cuba memecahbelahkan perpaduan kita. Malaysia lahir daripada muafakat dan toleransi nenek moyang kita yang nampak kebaikan dan manfaat negera ini bebas daripada belenggu penjajah dalam mengatur perjalanan kita. Oleh itu, raikan kepelbagaian kita untuk saling lengkap melengkapi dalam berdepan dengan cabaran demi cabaran.

Selamat menyambut Hari Kebangsaan buat seluruh rakyat Malaysia. Merdeka dan bersih tanahairku!

Thursday 27 August 2015

Hanyut

Dear friends,

The most anticipated film in 2015 will be coming soon (please join me to pray hard on this).
Meantime, please enjoy the film trailer below.
http://youtu.be/bLOAUTHrL8c

Filem Hanyut ini adalah arahan Uwei Haji Saari dan dibintangi oleh Peter O'Brien,Diana Danielle, Ady Putra dan Sofia Jane. Ini adalah filem termahal yang pernah dibikin oleh mana-mana pengarah di Malaysia.

Sent from my iPhone

Tuesday 18 August 2015

Dayang Nurfaizah - Tak Pernah Menyerah OFFICIAL MV

Tak pernah menyerah
Untuk selalu mencuba
Menjadi yang terbaik untukmu
Dan segalanya
Check out Dayang Nurfaizah's latest music video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/R24lzCfvdX0

My 2 cent is this new single is not as melancholic as Di Pintu Syurga but it slowly grows in you. As always, Dayang Nurfaizah really connect with you, with her awesome's penghayatan. Also, the single is good for a theme song. If you don't know what a theme song is, please watch Ally McBeal's Theme of Life episode.


Sent from my iPhone

Sunday 9 August 2015

Orang Kita Tidak Hirau Kebenaran

Pagi Ahad yang sejuk di Melaka, ditambah enaknya dengan sepiring Mee Melah, nasi lemak 70 sen dan kopi O kampung.

Duduk senyap-senyap, dikelilingi orang-orang tempatan, sesekali tercuri-dengar perbualan terhangat warung kopi.

Tanah keretapi.

Susah untuk cari rumah mampu dimiliki.

Handphone.

Anak-anak kahwin dan keluar rumah.

Berbeza dengan mood di ibukota dan di alam maya. Orang sini tidak suka risau-risau. Mungkin mengamalkan positivity in life!

Atau mereka betul-betul tidak peduli sebab pi mai pi mai tang tu. Jadi, mengapa perlu diberatkan kepala dengan hal-hal remeh.

Sesekali, di corong radio meneriakkan kempen sambutan kemerdekaan. Hargai kemerdekaan, syukuri kemerdekaan, antara intipadi yang dilaung-laungkan. Bagaimana pula rayakan kemerdekaan?

Di kala Syawal kian hampir di penghujung, Muslim bebas merayakan kemenangan masing-masing melawan nafsu dan menginsafi nilai sebenar nikmat dan rahmat Allah. Kita bebas merayakan kemenangan ini selagi tidak menyimpang dari syariat Islam. Ada yang menunaikan puasa enam, ada yang mengadakan rumah terbuka, ada juga yang bercuti ke luar negara.

Tetapi bila bicara tentang 31 Ogos, mengapa kita tidak merayakannya sebebas-bebas mungkin selagi tidak melanggar syariat Allah?

Rakyat yang bebas tidak perlu ditakut-takutkan tentang itu dan ini. Rakyat yang bebas mampu menilai yang mana buruk, yang mana molek. Rakyat yang bebas akan melihat jauh, tidak terhenti yang kepada kehidupan esok pagi sahaja.

Kebebasan yang ada patut diraikan. Jangan puas setakat wujud DNA dari Male Y dalam dubur Saiful. Jangan puas setakat RM2.6 bilion adalah derma. Jangan puas setakat landasan kapal terbang bertakung adalah sesuatu yang biasa untuk lapangan terbang baru.

Kebebasan yang Allah beri perlu dimanfaatkan sebaik mungkin. Allah taala berfirman, "Bacalah dengan nama Tuhanmu yang menciptakan".
Jadi, jangan malu dan malas untuk membaca.

Pepatah Melayu juga mengatakan, "Malu bertanya, sesat jalan". Jadi, bertanyalah.

Benarkah orang kita tidak hirau kebenaran? Yang pasti, saya bukan begitu.

Awak?

Sent from my iPhone

Friday 7 August 2015

After the Rain

What a moving song by Najwa Mahiaddin, which was officially released yesterday afternoon on her Facebook page.

The song is very much relevant to Malaysia's current political drama as well as the sad episode of MH370.
The picture is courtesy of The Malay Mail
We may all fall down
But we all get up
Hold your head up Malaysia
After the rain comes the sun
You may listen the track at https://www.facebook.com/najwamusic/videos/10152863787606184/

Thank you Najwa for a beautiful and soulful song.


Sent from my iPhone

Saturday 25 July 2015

Murah Hati dan Kelangsungan Hidup

Sehari dua sebelum Aidilfitri, para netizen berdiskusi di Facebook tentang seorang ayah membawa tiga orang anaknya menaiki motorsikal pulang ke kampung.

Seminggu kemudiannya, viral lagi di Facebook tentang seorang peniaga yang pemurah, mendermakan sebuah kereta Iswara kepada keluarga ini untuk kegunaan seharian. Itupun, setelah puas memujuk si ayah selama dua jam untuk menerima pemberian ini.

Sekarang, tertanya-tanya benak ini apakah kereta itu bakal menyelesaikan hal ini - pulang ke kampung dengan selamat.

Hati ini juga tertanya-tanya, ke mana suri rumah keluarga ini? Adakah mereka mempunyai anak-anak yang lain? Tidakkah mereka juga pulang ke kampung untuk beraya? Bagaimana ya? Satu demi satu soalan datang tanpa jawapan.

Pada aku, masyarakat perlu disedarkan tentang bahaya menunggang motorsikal berempat sejauh 300-400 km itu. Mungkin si ayah menunggang dengan cermat tetapi ada juga kemalangan yang berlaku ekoran kelalaian pemandu yang lain. Aku tidak pernah menunggang motorsikal hampir 20 tahun tetapi aku pernah memandu lebih jauh daripada itu. Sedikit sebanyak keletihan tetap dirasa.

Mungkinkah itu adalah pilihan yang paling ekonomikal tetapi faktor keselamatannya bagaimana pula?

Aku rasa isu sebenar adalah kos sara hidup. Jika betul telahanku, pemberian kereta tersebut belum tentu akan membantu keluarga ini ke sana ke sini dengan murah dan selamat.

Aku rasa lebih sesuai bantuan diberi dalam bentuk pemberian tiket bas ekspres kepada keluarga ini. Jika sesiapa mempunyai maklumat lanjut tentang keluarga ini, mungkin boleh dipanjangkan kepada aku supaya boleh diusahakan inisiatif #TiketBasUntukPulangKeDesa.

Apa-apa pun, aku berdoa kepada Allah taala semoga keluarga ini diberikan perlindungan dan kelapangan hidup.

Sent from my iPhone

Monday 29 June 2015

Melbourne property inflated, bribery involved, says The Age on Mara deal

Jika benar, mereka inilah pengkhianat yang sebenarnya. Mereka khianat amanah bangsa dan negara.

#TolakPerasuah
#BenciRasuah


Vendors for Dudley International House in Melbourne have admitted in a sworn testimony that they inflated the price of the property, rubbishing claims by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) that it paid lower than the market rate for the property, The Age said. The Australian paper's regional editor and journalist told The Malaysian Insider the.... http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/melbourne-property-inflated-bribery-involved-says-the-age-on-mara-deal

Monday 22 June 2015

Baby hatches aim to reduce infant dumping

Baby hatches, a place for parents to anonymously leave infants for adoption, are aimed at reducing the rate of baby dumping cases in Malaysia and saving the lives of newborn babies.

KPJ Penang Specialist Hospital chief executive officer Abd Aziz Abd Rahman said many still threw unwanted babies into garbage bins, toilet bowls, drains or lavatories despite baby hatches being made available.

"Dumping babies is one of the easiest ways by a couple who commits adultery and illegitimate pregnancies in this modern life, but they must not dump in disgusting areas.

"Many are still not aware of baby hatch places amid phobias and panic thus throwing the baby into garbage bins. The spirit of having a baby hatch is to help save babies' lives," he told reporters today.

According to Abd Aziz, a baby hatch was opened in KPJ Penang last year but had yet to receive any babies due to a lack of awareness of such a service. He added that the act of leaving a baby in the hatch was not a criminal offence.

He also expressed hope that illegitimate newborns could be left in a safe environment as they did not ask to be born but nevertheless had the right to live.

Currently, nine KPJs offer baby hatches, namely KPJ Tawakkal (Kuala Lumpur), KPJ Seremban, KPJ Ipoh, KPJ Johor, KPJ Kuantan, KPJ Penang, KPJ Perdana (Kota Baru), KPJ@Damai (Kota Kinabalu) and KPJ Kuching.

Abd Aziz said seven babies were saved by baby hatches at nine KPJ hospitals since the programme was launched in 2010 by non-governmental organisation OrphanCARE Foundation.

He said KPJ had an integrated standard operating procedure for the managing of the baby hatch collaboration with OrphanCARE, including lodging a police report within 24 hours after the incidence report was made to OrphanCARE.

Abd Aziz said the baby would then be released to police, OrphanCARE and representatives of the Social Welfare Department for future adoption which had a long waiting list. – Bernama, June 22, 2015.

Note: The article was first published on The Malaysian Insider

Tuesday 16 June 2015

MaDu by Koperasi Alumni Sekolah Tinggi Melaka Berhad

Dear friends,

We have set up a cooperative recently and now selling a range of pure honey products. We really hope for your support. For more info, visit us on Facebook or Instagram

You may call/sms/whatsapp us at 014-6288821, 012-2623285, 010-2944974, 011-14764891 or 012-6067337. We also have a stockist at Kedai Mutiara Egypt, Tesco Ampang. 

Thank you

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Ke hadapan kawan-kawan sekelian, 

Kami telah menubuhkan sebuah koperasi dan sekarang ini menjual barangan berasaskan madu asli. Kami amat mengharapkan sokongan kawan-kawan sekelian. Untuk maklumat lanjut, lawati kami di Facebook or Instagram.

Anda boleh juga telefon/sms/whatsapp kami di talian 014-6288821, 012-2623285, 010-2944974, 011-14764891 or 012-6067337. Kami juga mempunyai satu stokis di Kedai Mutiara Egypt, Tesco Ampang.

Terima kasih.

Tuesday 2 June 2015

Group to hold walk for raped teenager on 7 June 2015

It's kind of sad that such episode happened in my beloved country. Despite the loopholes of the existing law with regard to statutory rape, I personally think the lawyer defending the 60 year-old man charged with raping a minor should feel ashamed of his decision to take up his case.

In solidarity to the poor girl, let us ensure this black episode won't happen again.

#NO2Rapists

*************************************************

A coalition of women and children's civil society groups, Citizens Against Rape, will hold a walk in Kuala Lumpur this Sunday to raise awareness on protecting children in the wake of the acquittal of a 60-year-old man charged with raping a minor in Sibu four years ago. The 14-year-old girl became pregnant and in 2012 gave birth to a son. DNA tests showed that the man, Bunya Jalong, was the biological father of the child.

The court acquitted the man based on the legal definition of “sexual intercourse” which means only penile penetration.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/group-to-hold-walk-for-raped-teenager-this-sunday#sthash.Ps2e4I4s.dpufhttp://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/group-to-hold-walk-for-raped-teenager-this-sunday

Monday 1 June 2015

My long lost friend

A friend sent these two pictures to one of my alumni Telegram groups. Ya Rabbi Ya Rasul, only Allah know how excited I was every time I heard or met of long lost friends.

This friend of mine that I got to know in 1990, when he got selected for MHS' football sponsorship scheme. He's from Masjid Tanah, Melaka.

I like chatty people, and Norizan Isfak Ahmad was one of those friends that I ran to if I need a pair of listening ears.

After SRP, I moved to a boarding school in Johor and I got to know he left MHS too. Since then, I heard nothing from him.

Old friends bring back memories and I treasure all of my memories, be it sweet or bitter. I'm not a person who regrets things that I did in the past, but actually I did regret of not writing diaries during my school days. How I envy my friend, Rezuan who had that habit since at young age. How I wish I could flip through those pages, to refresh me of the colourful life I had during my student life.

Sunday 24 May 2015

Girls and a boy


Makan-makan is the ritual of our department. And all of us like to eat! Well, who doesn't rite?

Sent from my iPhone

Monday 4 May 2015

Friday 17 April 2015

Congratulations Tony!


TIME has included Tony Fernandes as one of the 100 Most Influential People in its latest publication. Congratulations, you really deserve the spot. I hope more Malaysians are inspire by him to strive our very best in what ever field we are in.

Enjoy reading what TIME has written about Tony Fernandes.

Air-travel companion

More than 8 million people are in the air each day traveling in planes, trusting their lives to the care of strangers. Technicians, in-flight crew, pilots. You don't hear much when things go as planned. When things go wrong, there is terrible speculation, uncertainty and questions from every direction.

People reveal their true selves in the worst of times. After learning that AirAsia Flight 8501 had gone missing, Tony Fernandes stilled the chaos by being himself—a family man and a business leader. He guided his company and employees through the horror. As AirAsia continued to serve its passengers, Tony acted as a friend, father and son to families whose darkest days were not done.

The end of every journey is home. With his strength, candor and compassion, Tony helps get AirAsia's passengers home every day. And he continues to lead a company that has earned the trust of travelers.

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Laluan khas basikal pertama di ibu kota kini dibuka

KUALA LUMPUR: Laluan khas basikal yang pertama di Kuala Lumpur sepanjang 5.5 kilometer dari Dataran Merdeka ke Mid Valley, Bangsar, kini dibuka untuk kegunaan orang ramai.

Perasmian laluan tersebut disempurnakan Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib yang berbasikal menyusuri laluan tersebut bermula di Mid Valley bersama penunggang lain pada pagi Selasa.

“Saya berharap laluan basikal ini dapat dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya dan tidak disalahgunakan,” kata Ahmad Phesal dalam sidang media pelancaran laluan khas tersebut di Menara Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL).

Pembangunan laluan khas menyusuri Sungai Klang, Brickfields, pekarangan Kompleks Dayabumi dan seterusnya Lebuh Pasar Besar itu dimulakan pada 2013 dan menelan belanja sekitar RM700,000.

Langkah ini bertujuan menggalakkan penggunaan basikal sebagai mod pengangkutan alternatif bagi mengurangkan jumlah kenderaan yang menyumbang kepada kesesakan lalu lintas setiap hari, selain usaha mengurangkan kadar pencemaran di Kuala Lumpur.

Selain itu, ia dapat menyemarakkan budaya berbasikal dalam kalangan masyarakat Malaysia terutamanya yang tinggal di ibu kota, sejajar pelaksanaan Fit Malaysia dalam membentuk negara yang lebih sihat dan cergas.

Sementara itu, dalam sidang media pada majlis tersebut, Ahmad Phesal berkata dua lagi projek laluan basikal akan menyusul, iaitu laluan dari Wangsa Maju ke Taman Melati sepanjang empat kilometer dan Wangsa Maju ke Taman Batu Muda sepanjang dua kilometer yang melibatkan kos pembangunan sekitar RM2.3 juta.

“Selain itu kami sedang memikirkan untuk membangunkan satu lagi projek seumpamanya di kawasan sepanjang Sungai Bunus. Kalau ia dapat diselaraskan dan diperluaskan sebagai sebahagian daripada rancangan pembangunan ‘Greater KL’, apa salahnya.”

Projek laluan basikal ini merupakan sebahagian pakej pelancongan ibu negara dalam memperkenal Kuala Lumpur sebagai bandar raya pesat membangun yang turut mempromosikan budaya sihat.

Bagaimanapun, Ahmad Phesal berkata laluan khas basikal Mid Valley-Dataran Merdeka itu masih terdapat banyak kekurangan yang perlu ditambah baik.

Untuk itu, beberapa cadangan penambahbaikan seperti penggunaan lampu solar dan pemasangan kamera litar tertutup (CCTV) untuk tujuan keselamatan selain pembangunan landskap di sepanjang laluan akan dilaksanakan dari semasa ke semasa.

Anggota peronda DBKL juga akan ditugaskan mengawal lalu lintas serta keselamatan penunggang yang menggunakan laluan tersebut.

“Kita akan menambah lagi kekuatan anggota berserta aset rondaan. Ketika ini DBKL memiliki unit peronda basikal dengan kekuatan seramai 20 orang anggota, dan 40 basikal akan ditambah dalam masa terdekat,” katanya.


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Kongsi melalui applikasi iPhone Astro Awani  http://www.astroawani.com/apps

Friday 10 April 2015

MaDu by KOASTMAL

My friends and I have successfully set up a cooperative for the ex-students of Melaka High School recently.

Our first project is to market and sell natural honey products.

Please do support us!


Tuesday 7 April 2015

Film Trailer: 1,2 JAGA

I found this trailer on Youtube. Another promising film by a talented local artiste, Namron. The film is expected to hit Malaysian cinema in May or June 2015.

Enjoy watching the trailer below.

http://youtu.be/XbVcZgDcazc


Sent from my iPhone

Friday 3 April 2015

Malacca to build tallest telco tower in Asean

The Malacca government plans to build the tallest telecommunications tower in Southeast Asia.
Chief Minister Datuk Idris Haron said Melaka ICT Holdings (MITCH) will be asked to prepare the feasibility studies on the 186-metre tower in two weeks’ time.
"It will be another landmark for Malacca apart from providing better telecommunications services for the people," he told reporters yesterday. – Bernama, April 3, 2015.

The man who's always on the bus

The article was first published on BBC News on 2 April 2015.

Spending all your nights sleeping on buses seems a grim fate. But that's the existence some people endure, writes Damian Zane.

Heathrow airport is pretty empty at 2am. One of the few people around is a man waiting for a bus.

It's part of his nightly ritual as he seeks shelter on London's network of night buses.

This is Ahmed, not his real name, a 44-year-old failed asylum seeker from India. He's wrapped in a large cream, canvas coat, with a thick brush of grey hair combed to one side.

Ahmed starts his journey at about 11pm in Leicester Square, in the heart of tourist London, packed full of people throughout most of the night.

It's a perfect place to remain invisible.

But Ahmed's typical nightly route starts with the number 24 to Hampstead Heath. Then he gets off, and gets the bus straight back where he came."With all these people going to the pubs and clubs, you can stay here until four o'clock in the morning," he says.

By the time he reaches central London again, the night buses have started and he can pick one of the longest routes to allow for the most rest.

"Sometimes I think about ending my life," he says, while contemplating the possibility of being arrested and forced to return to India.

Ahmed is a Muslim who grew up on a farm in rural Gujarat. Fearing for his life in the communal riots there in 2002, he fled to London. During an earlier bout of violence he'd witnessed his uncle being stabbed to death.

Traumatised by that experience and concerned that he could be targeted, he was persuaded by his parents to leave and find a better life outside India.

"They said 'you should go, don't worry about us'. That day was a very heavy day for me because I [was] leaving my parents alone," he says.

With a visitor's visa in his passport he flew into Heathrow and applied for asylum. It was rejected. India is considered to be a generally safe country, and certainly big enough for the possibility of restarting a life away from Gujarat.

Ahmed's appeal was also refused and he was told to return to India. But instead he chose to silently drop out of the system, fearing the consequences of returning home.

Not being allowed to work, he had no income and soon began sleeping rough - in doorways and behind bins, occasionally a bed in a shelter. Eventually he heard about the bus option, and has since spent much of the past three-and-a-half years sleeping on night buses.

And during that time, he's picked up certain techniques to remain undetected.

But Ahmed has also learned other methods to improve his chances of a good sleep.

He rushes to the front of the queue, he says, because there are others like him and everyone clamours for the seats on the lower deck, above the engine at the back, where it's warmest.

Ahmed says it's easy to spot others in a similar situation. Many are dressed in jeans and layers of hooded sweatshirts to keep out the cold, often avoiding eye contact in an effort not to be noticed.

At one stop, he points out migrants who he's travelled on the buses with before. It's a fleeting glimpse of some sort of camaraderie between these night travellers, but they all have their own individual struggles to contend with, which can hamper the development of strong friendships.

Ahmed is one of thousands of failed asylum seekers, as well as people awaiting the outcome of appeals, drifting through London, often unrealistically hoping their circumstances will suddenly change.

No accurate count of their numbers exists. It's inherently difficult to count people who have dropped off the radar. A report last year said that the Home Office is unaware how many of the 175,000 people who have no right to be in the UK still remain.

On the bus, Ahmed grabs some rest whenever he can.

He says he has a recurring dream. "It's like somebody's after me, they're going to hit me or stab me." Ahmed says that some people in the same situation can be hostile, pushing and shouting at him.

But his constant fear is of being discovered by authorities. So he adopts a common survival strategy - never cause trouble and never be where trouble is happening.

On the busy Friday and Saturday night buses, things can get rowdy, he says, making it difficult to sleep. But if ever that rowdiness escalates into violence, Ahmed is off at the next stop, keen to avoid being there if police are called.

He's not entirely alone in his struggle to survive in London. A mosaic of organisations exists in the city to help migrants and asylum seekers. They can provide piecemeal help in the form of small cash hand-outs, legal advice, a hot meal and a shower.

Three times a week Ahmed visits a centre in east London where he can wash himself and his clothes. He also stores two plastic bags holding his possessions there. At another of these charities, Ahmed cooks in return for travel money to ride his buses. After the meal, Ahmed plays table tennis and Scrabble with other migrants.

A free meal and the chance of companionship is a big draw.

"I love cooking, I'm happy if the people are eating and bless me," he says. "It means more to me than getting my papers to stay. It's by people's blessing that things will get sorted out."

But these moments of pleasure and purpose are just short punctuations in long stretches of loneliness. And once the centre closes for the day Ahmed is back on the buses.

"Last night my leg was paining me, my whole body was aching, and now the weather's getting cold," he says. "Two winters I passed on the buses and it was quite difficult. It's very difficult to survive in the winter time."

We board the night bus to Heathrow Airport. At 80 minutes, it's one of the longest routes on the network.

But arriving at an airport raises the nagging question about what is so wrong with returning to India. In the UK he has no job, no place to live and no security. It is hard to imagine what could be worse than this.

Yet Ahmed is adamant. "I can't go. Back home I have a more dangerous situation and persecution. So I'm not ready to go back to India.

"If my situation is getting worse then there may be no alternative for me [but to kill myself]. I always pray that I never get caught and sent back to India."

But how much longer can he continue?

Another couple of years, Ahmed says. He clings to the hope that once he's been in the UK for 12 years he'll be allowed to stay officially. But that optimism is not backed up by the law.

Such a provision - after 14 years, not 12 - did exist until 2012. People living in the UK - either legally or illegally - for that time could then apply for leave to remain. That period has now been lengthened to 20 years.

And unless Ahmed decides to return to India, or gets caught, that means many more hours of waiting, and many more night buses.

Tuesday 31 March 2015

Enough with the comics, give full list of GST-free items, says Rafidah

BY ANISAH SHUKRY
Published: 31 March 2015 7:00 AM
The article was first published on The Malaysian Insider.
Putrajaya must change its current approach of educating the public on the goods and services tax (GST) by publishing immediately a list of tax-exempted items in every newspaper in the country, former minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said.
The outspoken former international trade and industry minister said a clear list would help consumers to be better prepared for the new tax which takes effect tomorrow.
She said Putrajaya’s reliance on the use of cartoons, billboards and technical jargon such as "zero-rated" for the past year to explain GST has left Malaysian consumers, including herself, more confused over the new tax system.
"It should be made available in all the newspapers, in all languages, and it should not be technical,” Rafidah told The Malaysian Insider.
"Our problem is that the explanation so far has not been clear. The government has been using different sources or different approaches, and most of them have been very technical.
"For instance, who understands what ‘zero-rated’ means? Why can’t they just use the phrase ‘tak kena GST’ or ‘no GST’. That’s much simpler and easier to remember.”
She said it was also important that Putrajaya first cleared the air over which items would not be taxed, so that consumers would not rush to stores and hoard goods unnecessarily in anticipation of the GST.
Rafidah said the newspaper pull-out would also help consumers identify traders who raise prices on items that were not affected by the GST.
"Let’s say on April 1, I read the newspaper and I see that soap will not be taxed. Then I go to the supermarket and see they are charging me 6% for it. Thanks to the pull-out, I know they are cheating me and I can report this.
"Forget about the various codes, the technical jargon and whatnot. All that is irrelevant,” said Rafidah.
She added that Putrajaya could pay for the newspaper pull-out as the cost involved would be far less than erecting large billboards across the country.
"Some time ago, there was a billboard near my house that said education would be exempted from GST. It even had a cartoon drawing on it. I thought, what does that mean? Are university fees or tuition fees exempted from GST? What about books or computers or school-related tools?
"Instead of spending money on all those billboards, by this time you could’ve gotten a complete publication on all the items that are not taxed,” said Rafidah.
She added that a separate exercise should be done for traders so that they could calculate how the GST would affect them, and urged the government to hold meetings with associations.
"Right now, there appears to be no coordinated effort. That’s the only problem. I have no quarrels with the tax itself. It is a good move to rationalise taxes. But people are not familiar with it; some are taking advantage of it, and that causes confusion and hoarding.” she added.
The GST jingle sung by customs officers which was mocked online by Malaysians. – The Malaysian Insider pic, March 31, 2015.One of Putrajaya's efforts to educate the public on GST through a music video recently received heavy criticism from Malaysians after went viral on the internet.
The video, purportedly created by the Customs Department, hailed the virtues of implementing GST, but was panned by critics as "sad", "cheesy" and "reminiscent of the 1970s".
In the meantime, to ease the transition period, the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry has set up a round-the-clock operations room to monitor prices after the GST kicks off.
Located at Precinct 2 in Putrajaya, the operations room would also take complaints and reports from the public on GST matters.

Tuesday 24 March 2015

Bank Rakyat FY14 net profit up 2.7%, pays 15% dividend

By Ahmad Naqib Idris / The Edge Financial Daily   | March 24, 2015  

KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Bhd (Bank Rakyat) announced a 15% dividend payout after its net profit grew 2.7% to RM1.96 billion for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2014 (FY14), compared with RM1.91 billion the previous year.

It also saw a record high profit before tax and zakat of RM2.16 billion for FY14, up 1.6% from RM2.13 billion in FY13.

“Bank Rakyat has performed well in 2014, despite the challenging economic environment, following the fall in commodity prices and the ringgit,” Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hasan Malek told a news conference to announce the cooperative bank’s results yesterday.

The bank’s total dividend distribution for FY14 — at 15% — was at RM450 million compared with RM446 million in FY13, which was also at 15%.

“A 15% dividend payout is considered high, in terms of yield. So we maintained the same dividend payout as in 2013,” said Bank Rakyat managing director Datuk Mustafha Abdul Razak.

Bank Rakyat reported a gross income of RM5.98 billion, contributed mostly by income of RM4.53 billion from financing. Its other operating income was up 9.44% at RM571.56 million from RM522.26 million in the previous year, largely due to recoveries on financing written off of RM205.92 million.

Its gross financing balance climbed 5.6% year-on-year to RM62.1 billion, while consumer gross financing increased by 7.3% to RM56.71 billion.

The bank reported a 7.6% growth in assets to RM89.18 billion, while its return on assets remained strong at 2.5%.

Total deposits for the year expanded 4.9% to RM68.52 billion, with retail deposits accounting for 16.9% of the total compared with 16% in FY13.

Non-performing loans (NPL) were lower at 2% in FY14 compared with 2.2% in FY13.

“We are improving our underwriting standards and our NPL will continue to improve further. We would like to bring them to be on par with the industry’s standard of 1.7%, within this year or the next,” said Mustafha.

He said the bank sees a big potential in the non-government market, and would like to expand its footprint in the private segment.

“If you look at the number of people, that are working in Malaysia, of about 13.2 million workers, 1.5 million of them come from the government sector. So there is a market of about 12 million employees in the private sector. If we can capture about 3% to 5% or so of this market, it is already a lot. We are already targeting this new market but we are still very cautious as we want to make sure the quality of the asset is good,” said Mustafha.

Monday 16 March 2015

Race-based parties growing more irrelevant, survey shows

BY ANISAH SHUKRY | Published: 16 March 2015 
The article was first published on The Malaysian Insider.

Malaysian voters overwhelmingly want political parties which take care of all Malaysians, rather than ones that fight for just their own race and religion, a survey has shown, even as ruling parties Umno, MIC and MCA continue to rely on race-based politics to drum up support.

The survey, commissioned by The Malaysian Insider, found that the racial rhetoric these parties thrive on is not consistent with what Malaysians want.

Of all the respondents polled, 76.9% said they preferred a party that was inclusive over one that catered to just their community.

This preference cuts across race, age and the political divide, the survey carried out by independent pollster Merdeka Center found.
In terms of ethnicity, 67.5% of Malays, 91.4% Chinese and 89.2% Indians polled said they preferred a party that takes care of all Malaysians.

Only 27.8% Malays answered otherwise, despite the rise of vocal Malay/Muslim pressure groups such as Perkasa and Isma, which claim to represent thousands of members and are demanding that Umno to do more to protect the Malays.

“What Barisan Nasional stands for – race-based politics – is growing increasingly out of sync among the electorate. Even among the Malays. It’s only the really hardcore who want race-based politics,” Ibrahim Suffian, the director of Merdeka Center, told The Malaysian Insider.

And despite Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s increasingly right-leaning stance, 73.4% of Barisan Nasional supporters who were surveyed said they wanted a party which takes care of all races.

Meanwhile, 77% of respondents who were still undecided about which party to support said a party that caters to all races could represent them during voting time.

Most Malaysians also said the most important quality they looked for in a candidate during elections was one with good relationships with all ethnic groups.

“It is clear from the survey that Barisan Nasional is running behind and that it’s playing catch up with the public, who are open to less race-based parties and want ones that cater for all Malaysians,” said Ibrahim.

“And you have a big chunk not affiliated with either side, who are looking at what the politicians can deliver. These Malaysians are no longer dependent on the mainstream media, they can make up their own minds.”

However, Ibrahim said this did not necessarily spell the end of Barisan Nasional, because many Malaysians who were unable to sit well with the race-based politics were willing to overlook it, as long as the ruling coalition continued to deliver.

“Their supporters think, ‘yes, I don’t agree with the politics of BN, but it puts food on the table, it gives me jobs, and it prevents the other guys from taking over’. So you’ve got people still voting for them,” said Ibrahim.

In a testament to the 52% of Malaysians who voted for Pakatan Rakyat during the 2013 general election, the survey revealed that when voting, most Malaysians (63.2%) regardless of race looked for a party leadership that promoted change or reform, as opposed to one that preserved the status quo (25.6%).

Interestingly, supporters of the incumbent, BN, were split on the issue, with 46.8% saying they wanted a party leadership that espoused change, and 42.2% saying otherwise.

Party leadership is the main consideration most Malaysians (45.1%) take into account when voting, the survey showed, while only 17.3% and 15% said the party or candidate being fielded in their area, respectively, was their number one concern.

Change and reform had been among Najib’s buzzwords when he took on the Umno presidency in 2009, but the prime minister has had to dial back on his reforms – most notably his promise to repeal the Sedition Act 1948 – following pressure from within his own party.

The survey involved 1,008 respondents of voting age, who were interviewed by telephone from January 21 to 30 and chosen through the random stratified sampling method along the lines of ethnicity, gender, age and parliamentary constituencies.

All parliamentary constituencies were surveyed and the selection of the respondents is proportional with respect to the population.

Friday 13 March 2015

EPF says 80% of workers have savings below poverty line as they turn 55

BY SHERIDAN MAHAVERA
Published: 13 March 2015 8:23 AM

Malaysian workers during morning rush hour on their way to work. EFP says most Malaysians have not enough savings in their pensions fund as they reach 55, forcing many people to work into their 70s, reflecting latest global trends. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, March 13, 2015.
Malaysian workers during morning rush hour on their way to work. EFP says most Malaysians have not enough savings in their pensions fund as they reach 55, forcing many people to work into their 70s, reflecting latest global trends. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, March 13, 2015.
Nearly 80% of workers who will turn 55 this year will not have enough savings in their Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to live above the poverty line, according to figures released by the fund’s chief executive officer.

Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said for the next 20 years, the workers would not have enough in total EPF savings to enable them to live on RM800 a month, which is close to Malaysia’s average poverty line income of RM830.

This is because most of them had low wages when they started contributing to the fund in 1980s, and continued earning relatively low salaries till they turned 55, said Shahril, who did not provide a number for this batch of retirees.

The revelation shines the spotlight on the problem of low incomes among a majority of Malaysian workers, even as Putrajaya said it aims to make Malaysia a high income nation in five years’ time.
According to Shahril, more than 75% of its 14 million EPF contributors earn less than RM2,000 a month. About 15% earn between RM2,000 and RM5,000 a month, while those earning more than RM5,000 are in the top 10%.

The EPF has set RM196,800 as a savings threshold that would allow a contributor to spend at least RM800 a month for the next 20 years.

The threshold is revised every three years to take into account inflation.

Only about 20% of its contributors who turn 55 this year are expected to have RM196,800 in total savings. That percentage is likely to stay about the same in the coming years, said Shahril.

“Historically, we have a low wage environment, so that percentage has inched up only a little.

“This is why we tell contributors not to take out their savings till they are 60, when they really retire.

“That extra five years can earn them an extra 40% through compound interest,” Shahril (pic, right) said when met after a talk organised by the Chevening Alumni Association in Kuala Lumpur last night.

These figures, he said, reflect the new reality of working life in Malaysia, as people will have to work beyond 55 in order to save enough to live out the rest of their lives.

“This is the trend in developed countries and we are getting there. The reality is that you cannot retire and enjoy yourself at 55 any longer.”

That age was set in the 1950s and has not been changed to take into account longer life expectancies, he said, adding that these days, people expect to live through their 70s.

This trend is compounded by the fact that Malaysia is a rapidly ageing nation. In 2030, 17% of the population will be aged above 65, he said. In 2040, people aged 65 will outnumber younger individuals.

“So we need policies to deal with this, such as financial literacy training so that young people are aware of the need to save for retirement and how to integrate old workers into the market.

“These are issues that advanced economies have to deal with and we are getting there,” said Shahril. - March 13, 2015.

- The article was first published on http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/epf-says-80-of-workers-have-savings-below-poverty-line-as-they-turn-55#sthash.rwsMYIjt.dpuf

Monday 23 February 2015

Lenders look to Plan B after passing on three-way merger

Malaysian lenders are rolling out alternative growth strategies for their Islamic businesses, after a proposed three-way merger that would have created one of the world's largest Islamic banks was scrapped last month. Weak economic conditions scuppered plans for a tie-up of Malaysia's second-biggest lender CIMB Group Holdings Bhd with RHB.... http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/lenders-look-to-plan-b-after-passing-on-three-way-merger

Friday 13 February 2015

Takziah buat keluarga Allahyarham Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat

Semoga Allah mengampunkan Tuan Guru dan tempatkan roh beliau di kalangan hamba-hamba yang diredhai-Nya.

Kehilangan besar kepada umat Islam di Malaysia.

Al-fatihah.

My first and only meeting with him in 1998 had totally changed my perception on him. Since then, he has impacted a lot on my life and even elevated to the Warga Gemilang Wall of Fame on 16 May 2000.