Pengalaman menyekolahkan anak di dua negara berbeza banyak mengajar ibu bapa seperti saya tentang dua sistem persekolahan yang berbeza... Masa menghantar anak-anak ke sekolah di Australia, belanja yang diperlukan adalah dalam RM300 seorang bagi membeli uniform sekolah dan peralatan sewajarnya. Ingatkan yang tu dah cukup tinggi...rupanya di Malaysia kosnya lagi tinggi (kalau takpun 2 x 5) walaupun kedua-dua sekolah adalah bantuan penuh kerajaan. Kos permulaan saja dah mencecah lebih RM500 tak termasuk yuran. Tak de lagi kasut Pallas Jazz berharga RM 12 atau Badminton Master berharga RM 9 atau BM2000 yang boleh dipakai dari tingkatan 1 hingga tingkatan 5 (dengan syarat saiz kaki maintain)... Kasut Bata sekarang dah mencecah RM25 sepasang...ada juga jumpa dan beli kasut yang sale RM5 - tapi memang value by money bukan value for money - basuh sekali dah koyak.
Yang tu bab peralatan sekolah....dari segi kurikulum pun agak memeningkan...tak tau kenapa budak darjah 1, 2 di Malaysia perlu diajar subjek bahasa Arab. Lagi satu arahan pelik ialah untuk membeli senaskah terjemahan Quran 'pocket book size' bagi setiap pelajar - harga satu dalam RM 48...pendekata - membebankan. Yang best tu arahan dikeluarkan melalui surat oleh pihak sekolah, tetapi bila kewajaran arahan dipersoalkan kepada guru kelas, guru kelas mengaku tak tau kenapa arahan sebegitu dibuat. Mungkin tujuan murni nak menggalakkan murid mengenal isi kandungan Al Quran, tapi pada peringkat darjah 1, 2 tak nampak kewarasan tindakan seperti tu. Elok lagi beli Mukaddam dan ajarkan mukaddam tu pada peringkat umur macam tu. Sekarang anak yang di darjah 2 takpun guna Quran yang dibeli...takut nanti jadi Quran Na O Mei...dah bertahun-tahun simpan pun cantik je lagi....
Pengajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam bahasa Inggeris pun mengelirukan. Seolah apa yang dipelajari ialah menterjemah dari BM ke BI dan sebaliknya bagi subjek tu...bukan untuk mendalami apa yang dipelajari... Silap haribulan cikgu yang mengajar pun tak paham apa yang diajar.
Darjah 3 pula dah start kena masuk aktiviti unit beruniform dan sebagainya...tempoh masa persekolahan termasuk sekolah agama tampak membebankan berbanding sekolah satu sesi yang ingin dilaksanakan...masalah beg berat masih tiada kesudahan...di sini buku teks lebih mementingkan kecantikan - kat Australia cikgu fotostat je mana aktiviti yang nak dibuat pastu tampal pada scrapbook yang besar tapi nipis dan ringan...
Beberapa minggu selepas budak start sekolah, terbaca pulak dalam suratkhabar ada satu usul (tak pasti dari siapa) minta diperkenalkan pelajaran 'teknologi NANO' di sekolah-sekolah termasuk sekolah rendah....satu lagi arahan 'nano-nano' yang nak menambah beban pada murid-murid. Tujuannya kalau ikut suratkhabar tu untuk mewujudkan lebih ramai pakar Nano technology di Malaysia. Dulu biotekno sekarang nano tekno. Tak 'sedor' lagi agaknya yang tekno-tekno ni macam lagu tekno yang ada nilai mengikut musim - bila dah ada teknologi lain yang lebih mantap, maka teknologi tu orang dah tak pakai. Lagi tu, apa guna wujudkan 10 juta jurutera Nano kalau kepakaran bidang lain tak sampai 10% dari nisbah rakyat tempatan.
Hari ni ada pulak cadangan ujudkan kad pintar dan sistem e-wallet bagi atasi masalah pelajar ponteng dan pelajar salahguna wang poket untuk berbelanja yang bukan-bukan. Satu lagi cadangan canggih yang kelak berpotensi menjadi 'canggah'. Sebelum siapa-siapa keluarkan arahan untuk memperkenan teknologi sepertinya di sekolah-sekolah, eloklah dipikirkan beberapa aspek, contohnya :-
1) Kalau dilaksanakan - siapa akan tanggung kos kad pintar dan e-wallet tu...
2) Berkemampuan ke untuk maintain sistem tu selama-lamanya hingga hari kiamat sekiranya ia diterimapakai...
3) Sanggup ke pengusaha kantin terima dan maintain sistem terima wang e-wallet tu...
4) Kalau pengusaha kantin sanggup - boleh ke dijanjikan kos maintenance tak dimasukkan ke dalam harga makanan yang dibayar...
5) Kalau sistem offline - sanggupkah pengusaha kantin bukak buku 555 pasal budak tak de cash.
6) Siapa yang lebih untung kalau sistem tu dilaksanakan...rakyat...kerajaan...atau pengusaha / pengeluar kad pintar (yang nampaknya berpotensi mendapatkan keuntungan seumur hidup sepanjang hayat bagi syarikatnya...).
7) dan...berkesan ke untuk mengurangkan gejala ponteng...atau bakal melahirkan lebih ramai kaki ponteng yang lebih cerdik dari kad pintar??!!!
Pengamatan sekarang, nampak seperti trend sekolah menjadi lubuk emas bagi banyak pihak...cikgu nak buat kelas tambahan pun dah ada kenakan caj...rasanya ada lagi yg ikhlas nak mengajar murid-murid tapi bilangannya kalau dibuat kajian mungkin jauh berbeza dengan zaman-zaman sekolah masa dulu...sekarang ni apa-apa serba serbi duit...yang terbeban ibubapa jugak...dan PIBG terus juga berjamuan setiap tahun....
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Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Monday, December 28, 2009
Lowly paid bus driver cause accident??!!
Quoted from Zainal Rampak interview as Transport Worker Union (TWU) secreatary general - Lowly Paid and Exhaustive Driver cause accident.
It's non other than this right moment to issue a statement that will uphold your name in the Union. After the tragedy that killed 10 passangers instantly due to driver's carelessness (based on news report that he admitted to be sleepy) where the whole nation is pointing finger to bus driver and came out with some outrageous and almost ridiculous suggestions i.e. bus to only operates in daytime, at least some one is defending the driver (no..it's not Karpal Singh this time).
However, the statement made by the TWU secreatary general can still be argued. Receiving low pay is not an acceptable excuse to involve in drugs to keep awake when driving the bus. People will mostly agree that drugs are more expensive and 'control' item compared to cigarette. I suppose that the all drivers who take drugs are also smokers...(it'll be a surprise if they only take drugs but didn't smoke). The question is why spend your small salary on drugs and cigarettes if the salary you received is really that small??!!
Another point that we should take note is that bus drivers will normally receive special treatment when they stop at the selective restaurant in course of the journey. They will be entertained by the restaurant's patron by giving them free foods, drinks and cigarettes. Sometimes, bus passangers have to wait for the driver to show up...maybe he was really taking his time to rest in the expensive treatment they received at the not-cheap-at-all restaurant for the bus passengers.
Maybe the driver in this case is sleepy because he has his stomach full after stop in the journey...or is it because his failure to get involve in drugs, thus the accident occured?
What has been missing are talks in upgrading the life and duty of the bus driver. I'm not sure who determine the RM500 basic salary for them. I supposed its not derived from the market. But if it does, then there are certain players who are toying with other people income in this case.
Another point that sounds ridiculous but practical suggestion is to start a journey with a little 'doa' by the bus driver on duty...at least he will knows that he has been 'entrusted' to carry people lives on his steering and pedals.
Or is it time for LPKP to have direct monitoring or at least telecommunications with buses operating especially at night, just as for pilot who are communicating with the control tower. LPKP can check now and then just to ensure that the bus driver is still awake.
Now it's back to the question...does lowly paid bus driver cause accident?? Hence, it's better to have unpaid bus driver cause they won't drive the bus...at least we can 'save' some lives from the road...
It's non other than this right moment to issue a statement that will uphold your name in the Union. After the tragedy that killed 10 passangers instantly due to driver's carelessness (based on news report that he admitted to be sleepy) where the whole nation is pointing finger to bus driver and came out with some outrageous and almost ridiculous suggestions i.e. bus to only operates in daytime, at least some one is defending the driver (no..it's not Karpal Singh this time).
However, the statement made by the TWU secreatary general can still be argued. Receiving low pay is not an acceptable excuse to involve in drugs to keep awake when driving the bus. People will mostly agree that drugs are more expensive and 'control' item compared to cigarette. I suppose that the all drivers who take drugs are also smokers...(it'll be a surprise if they only take drugs but didn't smoke). The question is why spend your small salary on drugs and cigarettes if the salary you received is really that small??!!
Another point that we should take note is that bus drivers will normally receive special treatment when they stop at the selective restaurant in course of the journey. They will be entertained by the restaurant's patron by giving them free foods, drinks and cigarettes. Sometimes, bus passangers have to wait for the driver to show up...maybe he was really taking his time to rest in the expensive treatment they received at the not-cheap-at-all restaurant for the bus passengers.
Maybe the driver in this case is sleepy because he has his stomach full after stop in the journey...or is it because his failure to get involve in drugs, thus the accident occured?
What has been missing are talks in upgrading the life and duty of the bus driver. I'm not sure who determine the RM500 basic salary for them. I supposed its not derived from the market. But if it does, then there are certain players who are toying with other people income in this case.
Another point that sounds ridiculous but practical suggestion is to start a journey with a little 'doa' by the bus driver on duty...at least he will knows that he has been 'entrusted' to carry people lives on his steering and pedals.
Or is it time for LPKP to have direct monitoring or at least telecommunications with buses operating especially at night, just as for pilot who are communicating with the control tower. LPKP can check now and then just to ensure that the bus driver is still awake.
Now it's back to the question...does lowly paid bus driver cause accident?? Hence, it's better to have unpaid bus driver cause they won't drive the bus...at least we can 'save' some lives from the road...
Kenapa perpaduan Melayu rapuh??!!
Apabila tiba waktu solat berjemaah di Malaysia - tak kira la di masjid bandar, kampung atau di surau ofis...satu perbezaan ketara yang dapat aku rasa adalah dalam kerapatan saf jemaah...
Di Australia...surau / masjidnya kecil hatta jika masjidnya besar sekalipun apabila waktu solat berjemaah, kedudukan jemaah berdiri di dalam saf amat rapat...tak kira la apa bangsa - Arab, Melayu, Jawa, India, China dll. yang tak kenal dan tak paham bahasa ibunda masing-masing, saf yang dibuat amat rapat - menyerlahkan ukhuwah silaturrahim sesama Islam. (Para sahabat bila berjemaah dan bila duduk, daun yang jatuh dari atas takkan jejak ke bumi akibat keakraban saf mereka..)
Di Malaysia....kita ada banyak masjid-masjid yang gah...surau-surau yang kalau boleh semua kampung dan taman perumahan nak 'sorang' satu sebijik, tak mau share. Tapi bila time solat berjemaah...lesu tu lain cerita. Jemaah yang ada pun safnya tak berapa nak rapat...kadang kala bila kita nak rapat orang sebelah siap elak sikit tak nak rapat... seperkara lagi di masjid yang ada tikar sembahyang (sejadah) yang 'individual' tapi dijahit antara satu dengan lain untuk jadi sejadah panjang..aku tak berapa nak kenan pasal bila orang solat berjemaah dia akan diri seolah-olah dia solat sendirian - bila nak sujud tu nak kena tengah-tengah gambor kat sejadah walhal tu solat jemaah...penat imam kata rapatkan SAF...
Saf di Malaysia tak berapa nak padu...renggang walaupun yang solat tu majoritinya orang Islam berbangsa Melayu...mungkin sebab tu bangsaku susah nak bersatu...mungkin sebab tu perpaduan kita rapuh....
Di Australia...surau / masjidnya kecil hatta jika masjidnya besar sekalipun apabila waktu solat berjemaah, kedudukan jemaah berdiri di dalam saf amat rapat...tak kira la apa bangsa - Arab, Melayu, Jawa, India, China dll. yang tak kenal dan tak paham bahasa ibunda masing-masing, saf yang dibuat amat rapat - menyerlahkan ukhuwah silaturrahim sesama Islam. (Para sahabat bila berjemaah dan bila duduk, daun yang jatuh dari atas takkan jejak ke bumi akibat keakraban saf mereka..)
Di Malaysia....kita ada banyak masjid-masjid yang gah...surau-surau yang kalau boleh semua kampung dan taman perumahan nak 'sorang' satu sebijik, tak mau share. Tapi bila time solat berjemaah...lesu tu lain cerita. Jemaah yang ada pun safnya tak berapa nak rapat...kadang kala bila kita nak rapat orang sebelah siap elak sikit tak nak rapat... seperkara lagi di masjid yang ada tikar sembahyang (sejadah) yang 'individual' tapi dijahit antara satu dengan lain untuk jadi sejadah panjang..aku tak berapa nak kenan pasal bila orang solat berjemaah dia akan diri seolah-olah dia solat sendirian - bila nak sujud tu nak kena tengah-tengah gambor kat sejadah walhal tu solat jemaah...penat imam kata rapatkan SAF...
Saf di Malaysia tak berapa nak padu...renggang walaupun yang solat tu majoritinya orang Islam berbangsa Melayu...mungkin sebab tu bangsaku susah nak bersatu...mungkin sebab tu perpaduan kita rapuh....
Why we have to pay RM50 more?
Starting from 1st January 2010, all credit card holders will be imposed with RM50 government tax on top of the annual fees that they are paying to the bank all this while. The first thing that came into my mind is that this move is introduced to prevent too many people signing up for credit cards and at the end of the day ended up becoming bankrupt due to inability to pay for the credit cards' debt.
I have started using my credit card since 1998/99. At that point of time to get a credit card is not as easy as today. The compliance rules are quite strict e.g. you cannot get a credit card if you're not gaining enough income to have one. But, still with some 'help' I managed to get a credit card - instead 2 credit cards - Master and Visa (which I have cancelled one of them because both were carrying the credit limit amount together). My salary at that point of time is RM2000 (nett) and what stopping me from getting the card in a 'clean' way is my working status as 'contract worker'. Till now, I still retained the card (I mean the account - the card itself has been replaced in a number of occasions).
Looking back at the issue of imposing RM50 annual tax to credit card holders, I am at first not too keen as I thought only new applicants will be charged the RM50 fees. But, later I found out that current card holders were also being charged the same amount and to make it worse is that you'll be charged when you're renewing the card or during when its annual fees need to be paid.
In my experience, I came across three types of credit cards owner (not user):
1. Those who have credit cards and like to spend all the time using their card.
- this category can further be divided into two i.e. those who can afford to pay and those who cannot afford to pay
2. Those who like to boast or looks cool for keeping credit card in their wallet.
3. Those who need to keep credit cards for emergency usage.
The RM50 tax will not be strongly felt by the first category especially the second type in the first category.
It might hit the target of eliminating the second category of credit card owner.
However, it will be a big slap to the third category of owner.
For me, I was once the second category when I first started having credit cards, I have fallen into the first category (both types in this category) as well and now I've considered myself as the third category.
Credit card would be handful when you need to book a room in a hotel during outstation works or if your work demand you to travel all around, having a credit card which debt you can pay when you received your salary or allowance for the travel you made is something to be think about.
Thus I think it is unjustified to charge the RM50 especially for the last category of credit card owner. It might be more reasonable to charge a person on his second or third credit card that he or she has. Even that, having two credit cards are sometime beneficial especially when your first credit card cannot 'go through' in a transaction, so you still have a second lifeline for that.
It is also might be more reasonable for the government to charge the bank the RM50 for any issuance of credit cards to a new applicant or for current applicant who the bank will be giving him his second, third or even seventh credit card under his name. Hence, any bank will think twice before issuing any credit card. After all bank has been taken our money from unreasonable and irresponsible source i.e. charging RM0.50 for the fourth and more cash withdrawal that we made.
The RM50 is introduced during high time when inflation hit the world (even though Malaysia seems to be inflation-free..hmmmph..), when the price of basic goods keep rising - illogical enough during festive season...and we have so many festive seasons to cherish in a year. Further, the introduction of 4% GST next year still remain a mystery in terms of the impact that it may carry.
By the way, I just wonder if we can pay the RM50 tax using a credit card??!!
I have started using my credit card since 1998/99. At that point of time to get a credit card is not as easy as today. The compliance rules are quite strict e.g. you cannot get a credit card if you're not gaining enough income to have one. But, still with some 'help' I managed to get a credit card - instead 2 credit cards - Master and Visa (which I have cancelled one of them because both were carrying the credit limit amount together). My salary at that point of time is RM2000 (nett) and what stopping me from getting the card in a 'clean' way is my working status as 'contract worker'. Till now, I still retained the card (I mean the account - the card itself has been replaced in a number of occasions).
Looking back at the issue of imposing RM50 annual tax to credit card holders, I am at first not too keen as I thought only new applicants will be charged the RM50 fees. But, later I found out that current card holders were also being charged the same amount and to make it worse is that you'll be charged when you're renewing the card or during when its annual fees need to be paid.
In my experience, I came across three types of credit cards owner (not user):
1. Those who have credit cards and like to spend all the time using their card.
- this category can further be divided into two i.e. those who can afford to pay and those who cannot afford to pay
2. Those who like to boast or looks cool for keeping credit card in their wallet.
3. Those who need to keep credit cards for emergency usage.
The RM50 tax will not be strongly felt by the first category especially the second type in the first category.
It might hit the target of eliminating the second category of credit card owner.
However, it will be a big slap to the third category of owner.
For me, I was once the second category when I first started having credit cards, I have fallen into the first category (both types in this category) as well and now I've considered myself as the third category.
Credit card would be handful when you need to book a room in a hotel during outstation works or if your work demand you to travel all around, having a credit card which debt you can pay when you received your salary or allowance for the travel you made is something to be think about.
Thus I think it is unjustified to charge the RM50 especially for the last category of credit card owner. It might be more reasonable to charge a person on his second or third credit card that he or she has. Even that, having two credit cards are sometime beneficial especially when your first credit card cannot 'go through' in a transaction, so you still have a second lifeline for that.
It is also might be more reasonable for the government to charge the bank the RM50 for any issuance of credit cards to a new applicant or for current applicant who the bank will be giving him his second, third or even seventh credit card under his name. Hence, any bank will think twice before issuing any credit card. After all bank has been taken our money from unreasonable and irresponsible source i.e. charging RM0.50 for the fourth and more cash withdrawal that we made.
The RM50 is introduced during high time when inflation hit the world (even though Malaysia seems to be inflation-free..hmmmph..), when the price of basic goods keep rising - illogical enough during festive season...and we have so many festive seasons to cherish in a year. Further, the introduction of 4% GST next year still remain a mystery in terms of the impact that it may carry.
By the way, I just wonder if we can pay the RM50 tax using a credit card??!!
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