Felling of trees......the only Way??????

It is a common practice for our local authorities to fell a tree by the roadside if the tree poses danger or obstacle to road-users. Other then, felling trees is there any other way ?A tree takes years for its growth to maturity but felling just takes a few hours. What a waste and negative impetus in our effort to preserve nature! Can the work of felling belittle the roles of environmentalists in their effort for conservation and preservation of existing greenish nature which has become the victim of development. Does the act of felling sarcastically and indirectly point to the signage wordings with “ Green, greener future “? Is a tree an obstacle or a its falling poses danger to road-users, incidentally it is arguable the act of felling. One would wonder other than felling of trees, is there other method to preserve the trees along the roads especially those trees in the public parks.


I had seen trees were being coiled and reinforced with fencing and bars to prevent it felling in some countries and this act of protection really transmits and carries the strong message waking up on love on greenish environment. Have our local authorizes any plans to adopt and follow this method of protecting trees?


While I was travelling on some roads in Penang, I noticed that some trees by the roadsides had been tagged and circled with red white PE barrier tapes. Obviously, these trees are awaiting the fate to be felled. Deforestation and reclamation of land from sea are on-going process for development and it seems that the green-greener future is only slogan for publicity and not concrete practice stopping destructive action. Our future for better environment is in dilemma. Refrain and restrain from the act of felling may help, to some extend, to preserve nature and environmental awareness.

一人错，多人遭殃！

何谓《一人错，多人遭殃！》？如果，没处于那个境界，真的是没法以亲身来体会和描述那种无奈又委屈的处境！


话说某天，在阿依淡打枪铺某个组屋的底楼，不少人正在等待电梯抵达的时候，突然从电梯左边的走廊冲出一辆电单车，差点撞到在等待电梯抵达的人。虽然没有不愉快的事故，但虚惊的经历免不了！事情发生后，受影响的人就向有关当局投诉。当局也很快有了反映而针对性做出了解决问题的源头。解决的方案就是在底楼的电梯的左右旁的走廊面向电梯处建设两支约四尺高的铁杵来防止电单车进入！


两支约四尺高的铁杵在电梯的左右旁的走廊竖立后，效应立刻立竿见影，但似乎多是负面性的！


原本在组屋底楼的电梯正面处就有了栅栏型的高铁杵，如今电梯的左右旁的走廊面又有两支四尺高的铁杵，那么人群来往，东西的流通系肯定会受到影响！如果组屋居民要搬运大型的家具如沙发，橱柜，冰箱等，该怎么做呢？一些以手推车搬运东西的居民又怎样越过这所谓障碍的铁杵呢？左有铁杵右也有铁杵，居民是左右为难！用手推车？手推车难过，居民心里也难过！靠轮椅进出的居民原本行动就不方便，如今内心更加难过吗？万一，有居民要靠手推担架车到医疗处，救护人员该怎样在无障碍的情况下方便又快速的把担架越过铁杵呢？

打枪铺组屋已逾五十多年！当年的设计和构造是不符合现在的设备条件和规定。当局不能没有全面性和深透性的研究，只靠表面的事故的做出失衡的决定！

What the haste to put it through !!!

Undeniably, though Service tax on repair and maintenance has been enforced more than a month, its implementation is still the subject of criticism and comprehensiveness among affected groups. The haste move by the government to impose Service Tax on almost all types of maintenance and repair clearly demonstrated its lack of empathy and the required process to complete the necessary procedures on its finalization on procurement of contracts on repair and maintenance by all the affected. The announcement was a surprise as quoted by the press as the authority presumed all affected were ready and easily adhered to its rulings but in reality it was not only a surprise but shock as it was a haste. As it happened, numerous queries including the questions posed by the attendees in the Q&A session but viewed as provocative by the officer-in attendance during the talk on new implementation of SST on repairs and maintenance organized by Customs Office, Prai last March 24 proved the confusion and disillusionment existed among most of the attendees.

Repair and maintenance including calibration, testing, corrective measures, fault finding and rectification are totally different from procurement of materials in manufacturing sectors where the date for completion of production is predictable. In practice, ample notification for the work on commencement of service and repair is needed and crucial as preparatory ground work such as arrangement on the date for site-visit by supervising consultants, and renting and installing of testing equipment etc are time consuming. To prevent any misunderstanding between the service providers and the clients, Purchase Order or (PO) will only be issued upon completion of fault finding of which its duration for the testing and fault finding is unpredictable. To avoid pricing problems and any controversy, PO will normally be issued when all faults and work are defined and finalized. What a coincidence and also a bemusement with the sudden announcement of implementation of SST! When the findings completed and PO just issued to the service providers in February 24, immediately a revised pricing was needed for the inclusion of SST for the work to commence in latest month! How to resonate the SST in the price negotiation with the clients? Yes, it may be easy to quote the enforcement of SST by the authority but will the unexpectedness help to erode the confidence on the service providers?


Additionally, there were some repair works which had started prior to the imposition of SST but stretched beyond March 24 when its price had been mutually finalized and agreed. Surely the affected clients would not agree for the extra payment on the revised price to include SST. Of course, the Customs Office can instruct the service providers to include SST in the billings. The instruction looks simple and it only works for local companies but not for all foreign companies. For an example, for signed and endorsed contracts for provision of long term services maintenance and rent of equipment, invoices and supporting documents will have to submitted online with the agreed pricings . Any discrepancies will be automatically rejected and for further negotiations on alterations and amendments on price difference are seldom entertained.


The economic and financial market are full of challenges and volatile, however, the authority may help to tranquilize the trend with less “ surprise “ move. Other than pragmatics in the implementation of rules and orders, empathy should be taken into consideration too.

被宗教意识绑架时

农历新年期间，槟城极乐寺每晚都以发光二极管LED大放光明迎接新春供民欣赏。 这灯会自1983年开始，至今不曾中断。 在璀璨灯火中，浓浓的新年气氛下，应是到访槟城游玩者的必逛灯会！


我家是靠近亚依淡，新年期间的夜晚，偶尔会与家人一同步行至极乐寺。一来是散步，二来是一起与众多访客来逛逛游玩观赏新春灯火凑热闹！访客们大多数来自本地，这可从他们的车辆数字得知；但也有不少外国游客！访客,游客中偶尔会出现了三，五位戴着鲜艳头巾的女子。从头巾与服饰，这些女子肯定是穆斯林信徒，只是不知是本地人，还是外国游客？在我心底下，以本国目前的政治局势和宗教倾势，这些前来游览极乐寺，大方进入寺庙，甚至毫无悬念，在寺庙的贩卖摊位，在众人前，敢以手触碰带有佛教意识的纪念品，应该是非本国人吧！为了确认我的看法，我走近了在摊位徘徊观看的三位戴着鲜艳头巾的女孩的旁边，希望从他们的交谈中，知道她们的来处。她们正在用非马来文在交谈，用了有泰国腔调的语音在谈！原来是来自泰国的穆斯林的女信徒。相信这泰国的穆斯林的女信徒是以非宗教的意识和眼光来极乐寺，而是纯粹来观赏旅游景点！


在我国，穆斯林信徒进入非回教寺庙参观？可能吗？也许有，但不显见！但相信不久的未来，在我国政客操弄人民的情绪下，宗教变成敏感课题时，犹如《河滩里的鹅卵石》，越滚越滑时，成了争论后，非回教寺庙可能会成了穆斯林信徒禁区了！


前几天，槟州前首长丹斯里许子根在槟城国际体育竞技场SPICE出席“星空云海”书法纪念特展开幕仪式时，分享了一段渊源趣事。许子根博士说在1963年7月24日，星云大师随中国佛教访问团首次来马弘法，地点是极乐寺，当时国父兼首相东姑阿都拉曼就是开幕人；那天转递剪刀给国父的正是许子根博士的妹妹。六十多年后，事过境迁，物是人非的今天，国父东姑阿都拉曼没被宗教意识绑架，参与非本身宗教的活动和事物，的确是令国人铭记。如今我国的多数的政治领导者，已被宗教意识绑架，一句“bak”或“肉”，似乎《蒙在鼓里听打雷》，就立刻想到是非穆斯林的食物，犹如《鸡蛋里挑骨头》，硬找麻烦，对当事人没完没了！


换了政府，明天会更好吗？以目前的趋势，一般人多不看好！这可从我国股市，汇率的波动的可探测吧！

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前旅游促进局总监拿督阿玛尔坚遭到降职至副总监之事，肯定犹如带刺的鲜花，好看但有点扎手。好看是因为公务员表现不达标，遭降职或调职是公众人士要看的好事，扎手是因为至目前还没听到和读到来至希盟的朋党的声援或不一样的见解！是明哲保身吗？ 但很欣慰的这降职之事受到了首相安华的高度评价。首相安华表示，尽管张庆信的工作方式可能被误解为“凶”，但他的决策旨在确保公务员的最佳工作绩效。


首相安华的评价是及时和缓冲性的，因为若没有其它希盟的朋党或联合政府成员党的一句公道或均衡的话，可能会引发无止休，无所谓的争执。其实，无论是公务员还是私人领域的职工，在工作上如有任何的误解和违规，必须及时纠正。这是标准作业的运作。但在双标下，我们可看到团结政府的某个成员党对公务员在处理事情时，若有误解和犯规，这成员党却是演示包容和忍受！


不久前，在对华人农历新年的贺词中，某政府机构图文并茂以月饼来向华人拜年。月饼是中秋节的礼品，供品与华人农历新年不扯上关系，这月饼图就引起了负面反弹。在恶评中，该政府机构立马换上《无月饼图》的贺词向华社祝贺！原本以为这错误的就告一段落，但由某华裔掌管的政府部，趁着农历新年的开放日，就以月饼重点出击来招待上门的祝贺者！不知该华裔部长的用意是什么？是转达食物没有季节之分？ 还是包容是美德？也许，在未来的农历新年，粽子也是可品尝食物之一！


也在不久前，某华裔部长的官车有一段路途违规地紧随救护车的后端。此事见报后，该部长的回应是：“他会配合调查，一旦证实犯错，将会代司机缴付罚款！”。这部长在转达什么信息？包容？雇主是员工的保护伞？员工做错由雇主挡？这也难怪，当这部长来槟吃饭时，其部下会封锁整条街道，会推拉那些早已泊好在街边的车辆让出更大的空间，让这部长与其官员能无障碍上餐馆用餐！部下能毫无顾虑的拉车，那是不是因为有上司的照顾？ 无论任何，公务员的表现不达标之事，让我们看到来自东马与西马各部长有各不同的对待和处分

Fruitless struggle for her betterment

After witnessing the predicament faced by my student, I am now bewildered and reserved on the assertion that education is for betterment of life.


Ms Khu, an OKU student of mine, became a quadriplegic after a horrific accident in 1999. She was paralysed from the neck injured and has to be seated in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Because of her immobile and asymmetrical condition, her mother quit her job and took care of her full time. Incidentally her mother was illiterate but she knew the importance and role of education. Under her constant advice and infusion, her daughter, Khu, realized the importance of the education for her survival on the route for her future independent living.


Before the fate-changed accident, Khu was a high school student in Kedah. The accident had derailed her study as her movement was confined to bed and wheel-chair in her daily activities. Realizing the importance to her especially as an OKU, two years after the accident, she went back to school continuing her high school education. After completing her high school education, Khu decided to further her study in Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR) college in Penang. This was the time when I knew her through the former President of Society of Disabled Persons Penang.


Since Khu moved to Penang, she had been under my guidance as an English teacher for numerous years. My sharing with her and my constant emphasis to her was that Education was for her life betterment and the solution for independent living. I reiterated that only knowledge with wisdom enriched from education, obstacles and hindrance in life will be solved, cleared or reduced. Khu’s never-say-die attitude had railed her through high school education, first-class honors degree in Social Sciences and finally master-degrees in Sociology.


However, it seemed to me that I had misled her that education would definitely help her as till to date, despite her many attempts she still could not find a job to enable her to gain a humble living. After completion of her master-degree course in USM almost 7 years till now has been struggling but repeatedly failing to get employed both in private and public sectors. Despite her quadriplegic condition, when she was called for an interview she would attend irrespective the distance. Once, she even travelled to Bangi from Penang to attend the interview with her limited monthly income spending on travelling and lodging. But the end result was the same and unsuccessful!


What a sarcasm to my repeated encouragement and advice to her that only education was the right route for her to weather the storm in her future in spite of her quadriplegic. I am in dilemma whether her frequent failures to get jobs would discourage her to share her experience of her achievement to motivate students especially those OKU as she was often invited by some schools showcasing on stages disseminate her challenges in her studying life as a student.


To me, if she gets employed she can be an exemplary model for other OKU to follow. But now clearly and surely her repeated failure may dim the hope as a model for those unfortunate that education is for betterment of life. It is a setback and also a disappointment to her. Hopefully, fighting spirit will be always with her and the present failure to secure a job will not erode her confidence.


Our government has, time and again, called on public sector to employ more disabled people or OKU in the workforce in order to achieve one per cent employment target. To this appeal, I wonder have the various government departments taken the initiative to answer this persuasion?

False hope on her struggle for betterment

What a setback and disappointment to her, an OKU, who graduated with a master-degree but fails to get a job despite her numerous and continuous attempts! And what a ridicule to my repeated encouragement and advice to her that only education was the right route for her to weather the storm in her future in spite of her quadriplegic. To be frank, after graduation, her attendances to the interview for jobs always end up with failure for her to secure a job to enable her to have a decent and independent living.


Ms Khu, an OKU student of mine, now a close friend of mine became a quadriplegic after a horrific accident in 1999 and was paralysed from the neck injured and has to be seated in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Because of her immobile and asymmetrical condition, her mother resigned from her job and took care of her. Though her mother was illiterate, she knew the importance and role of education in daily lives. Under her constant advice and infusion, her daughter, Khu, realized the importance of the education on her future.


Before the accident, Khu was an ordinary high school student in Kedah. Knowing the importance of education, she passed her SPM in spite of her quadriplegic and furthered her study in Penang Tar college. This was the time when I knew her through the former President of Society of Disabled Persons Penang. She has been under my guidance as an English teacher for numerous years. My sharing with her and constant emphasis to her was Education was for life betterment and solution for independent living. Only knowledge via learning, obstacles and hindrance in life will be solved and reduced with wisdom enriched from education. Her never-say-die attitude had railed her through high school education, first-class honors degree in Social Sciences and finally master-degrees in Sociology. But to me, it seemed to me I had misled her that education would definitely help her as she still could not find a job to enable her to gain a humble living.


There is a quota for government department on the employment of OKU, however, it seems that the door has been shut to her. Khu, an student, after completion of her master-degree course in USM almost 7 years till now has been struggling hard but repeatedly failing to get employed both in private and public sectors. Despite her quadriplegic condition, when she was called for an interview she would attend irrespective the distance, Once, she even travelled to Bangi from her home town in Penang to attend the interview with her limited monthly income spending on travelling and lodging. But the end result was unsuccessful ! Khu, Is she an exemplary lesson for me to reiterate and repeat that education is for betterment of life? From Khu’s repeated failure to secure a job, have I to rescind ?