End of another year

How fast time flies. Already we are at the tail end of 2006. The new year is just around the corner. How did 2006 fare for me? I'll blog about this after we begin the new year, insya-Allah.

As for my hope and resolution for 2007, I try to be realistic. I hope things will become better (in all sense of the word) and whatever that is that I can change for the better, I resolve to do it.

Too vague? Doesn't matter. What matters is that we strive to make today better than yesterday, and tomorrow better than today.

Muslims will also be celebrating Eid ul-Adha (Hari Raya Haji a.k.a. Hari Raya Korban). I will be driving up north for this Eid. Although this year I'm not participating in any sacrifice, I pray that the spirit of al-qurbaan will not escape me.

So, to everyone, a happy new year and to all Muslims, Eid Mubarak.

P.S. I'll most probably be offline until Wednesday. Time for me to take a short break.

Broken link

The 7.1 magnitude on the Richter scale earthquake that hit Taiwan really shook many parts of the world, though not literally. Perhaps for the first time in the relatively brief history of the Internet, many people experienced the inability to access it. All because the earthquake damaged the undersea cabling system needed to get connected. Details on this here, here and here.

For me personally, it was an annoying experience. Fortunately though, I could still send files through the e-mail system although the free web-based e-mails are mostly inaccessible. In any case, yesterday's experience certainly draws out an important and salient point. We have become very dependent on technologies such as the Internet, and when it fails to deliver, we find ourselves panicking.

On the bright side, I managed to finish another chapter of my second novel because of the inability to use the Internet. This makes me wonder however. If there was no Internet, could I have gotten more writing done? Hmmm...

Beyond 2000

It looks like my blog has hit the 2,000 visitor mark. And now that 2007 is just around the corner, what do I have in store? Frankly I'm not sure what to expect for the coming year. But in terms of blogging, I will definitely continue to do so. For some reason, I find it comforting when I put down my thoughts on the blog - probably just about the only thing (or one of the very few things) that keeps me sane with all the insanity going around us these days.

Preserving the delicate balance

Today marks the second anniversary of the tsunami that devastated much of Southeast Asia, South Asia and parts of Africa. Malaysia was not spared as parts of the west coast of the Peninsular was hit as well. Perhaps, in modern history, the country has never seen such a devastation.

On this second anniversary of the tsunami, Malaysia - especially the southern part of the Peninsular - is still reeling from the aftermath of the big floods. As people are taking stock of their losses, more floods are forecasted unfortunately. While floods are almost the norm during the monsoon season especially in the east coast, this year's floods are extraordinary and caught many people unprepared. Many people are saying that the floods are a result of global warming. For instance, Martin Khor's piece in The Star certainly hit the nail on its head.

I, for one, am inclined to believe that whatever that is happening (not just in Malaysia, by the way), is our own doing, albeit indirectly. Just look at the problems around the world such as the floods and landslides in Indonesia, and the thick fog in London, just citing a couple of examples. The climate imbalance may not just be in the form of catastrophes, but also welcome changes in the weather. My former lecturer in Glasgow, John Galloway, wrote to me saying that this year's winter in Scotland has been pretty warm, which is much to the liking of the Scots.

It would probably be somewhat morbid to assume that more catastrophes as a result of global warming are on the way. Like it or not, we have to be ready for the worst. Everything in this world has been created in perfect balance and harmony by the Almighty Creator. Upset this delicate balance, and we'll end up at the receiving end of nature's wrath. What is happening now may well be the result of our own doing for the past many decades.

I believe the following excerpt from an article I wrote which appeared in the book, New Knowledge: Research and Development in the Muslim World (2004) would best conclude this blog's entry as a reminder to us all:

All natural resources and creations of God on this planet are made for mankind to utilise and develop for the betterment of this world... Man is capable of free action to utilise all resources that may achieve individual and collective perfectness... However, Islam underlines the importance of utilising technology with great care and caution so as to avoid destruction, as stated in the following verse (Surah al-Rum: 41), to the effect that: 'Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of (the meed) that the hands of men have earned, that (God) may give them a taste of some of their deeds, in order that they may turn back (from evil).'

[pg. 161]

Friday ramblings

It's Friday. And I am exhausted. Anyway, just a few updates that I'd like to share here.

Blog links
I have updated the links on my sidebar yet again. I think this is the third time this week. I have added links to Dean Arif's blog, and another to Lana Alesha's blog (if you believe a baby could blog, that is). I have also removed the long list of links to universities and replaced them with a simplified one, by - duh - linking to the Ministry of Higher Education's website. And more importantly, due to overwhelming requests by friends (both cyber and real), I have added a new category of links called "Organ donation info" for links to - you got it - organ donation info.

And speaking of organ donation...
Insya-Allah, tomorrow (Saturday) marks the debut of the infomercial on organ donation I blogged about last week. It will be aired almost every day for a month on TV3. Tomorrow's slots will be during Panggung Sabtu (beginning 2.30 p.m.) and X-Mas Movie Special (beginning 12.30 a.m.). On Sunday, it would be on during Pesona 3 (beginning 3.00 p.m.) and X-Mas Movie Special (beginning 10.00 p.m.). As I mentioned, the airings will go on at other times until the 20th of January.

Much needed break
I am aware that many people will be on leave from this weekend. So, to all my friends and blog visitors, please, please, please drive safely. Enjoy your long holiday break, and come back refreshed for a new beginning and a new year. As for me, being the self-confessed workaholic that I am, I won't be taking any days off aside from the compulsory weekends and public holidays. I'll be driving back to Kulim for Aidiladha next Saturday and will come back to KL on Monday, insya-Allah. It's a short break, I know, but this is the time of the year that I could get a lot of things done because there are not that many distractions, as people are away! But I plan to take a long break some time in the first quarter of 2007 - to unwind, recharge and replenish my depleted energies.

Finally...
As I always say, keep on coming and I'll keep on blogging.

Flooded

The southern part of the country is experiencing the worst floods in 100 years with 45,000 people already evacuated, as reported in The Star. Floods are usually common in the east coast at this time of the year. Unfortunately, while the east coast states are prepared, the southern states are taken completely off guard. This havoc has been blamed on Typhoon Utor. More on Typhoon Utor here.

A blogger friend staying in Johor Bahru, Zetty, called me up last night and told me that her house was flooded. Her family had just returned from Bangkok after a holiday, and the next day, her whole house was immersed in water. She and her family lost almost everything in the house, including her father's wedding presents. [Her father just recently re-married]. Her sister, who is also a blogger, was pushed away by the strong current of the rising tide of water. The flood, at its worst, was neck-high.

Hearing Zetty's story, I am sure that it must have been a terrifying experience. I offer my sympathies to Zetty and her family, as well as to other flood victims. It is a test from Allah SWT and we must all persevere and be patient.

Tomyam domino effect

I don't comment, analyse or write a lot on economic and financial issues. Simply put, I'm not much of an economics guy, but more of a science guy. When you learn science, among others, you learn about the Newton Laws of Motion. But strangely enough, you can actually apply these laws to the economic and financial scenario of the moment.

Newton's first law states that:

Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.

Now, let's apply this to the stock market situation in the region. The Malaysian stock market was enjoying a good run these past few weeks. The upward trend shows a "uniform motion" indicating that the stock market would touch the 1,100 level. Suddenly, an "external force" is applied in the form of yesterday's crashing Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). As a result, the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) fell by 1.96%. Other stock markets also plunged, which include India, Pakistan, Indonesia and even Singapore. More on this can be read here.

Now, the knee-jerk reaction to the situation in Thailand is very much in line with Newton's third law, which states:

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

When Thailand announced its capital control measures, people panicked and started selling their stocks. This resulted in the KLCI (and other stock market indexes) to plummet. KLCI suffered its biggest drop in 5 years. Details on this can be read here.

What about Newton's second law, you may ask. The second law stipulates that:

The relationship between an object's mass m, its acceleration a, and the applied force F is such that F = ma.

The heavier the mass, the more force is needed. The stronger the force, the faster the acceleration. Let's assume that m is a country's economic fundamentals, a is the rate in which the economy rises or drops, and F is the external forces at work. If an economy's fundamental is strong and sound, the external force that is needed to bring the economy down would have to be bigger, hence any negative effects on the overall economy would be minimal. Conversely, if the economy's fundamental is weak, it'd be easier for external forces to influence the economy, more often than not, in a negative way.

Anyway, before I start to blabber some more about physics, let's go back to the issue at hand. It is understandable that people are worried because the memories of the 1997 crash are still fresh. What began in Thailand yesterday has a sense of deja-vu. If it has the same domino effect as it did in 1997, then the region will be in for another round of economic turmoil.

Way back in 1999 while writing an article for my column in The Star, I dubbed this the "tomyam domino effect" because it began in Thailand. You can be assured that if we're in for the worst, it'll be hot and spicy.

Upgraded

Blogger users are aware that Blogger has been upgraded. This new version has some interesting features that allow for a better blogging experience.

After hesitating about it for a while, all my blogs have been upgraded to this new Blogger version. I have yet to familiarise myself with all of Blogger's new tools and features, but so far it looks good and seems to be user-friendly. I have also changed my son's blog template. Other than that, I haven't made any other changes, but who knows. Only time will tell.

Meeting of the menace and the moron

It feels like yesterday when then-Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad called George Soros "a moron" and Soros calling Dr. Mahathir "a menace." So, what happens when these two meet 10 years on?

Apparently, it seems that all may have been forgiven. As Jeff Ooi noted, "there's no permanent friends, and there's no permanent enemies." The meeting focused more on the importance of global peace. And it is interesting to note that the two have something in common --- their critical opinions of George W. Bush's foreign policy.

The two agreed that Bush's policy of waging wars would not help in bringing about global peace. But perhaps, Tun Dr. Mahathir and George Soros stopped short of calling George W. Bush a "menacing moron" or a "moronic menace."

How apt would that be then?

Important take home message

I was in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan the whole of Saturday, chairing 2 sessions of motivational talk given by the ever-popular Dato' Dr. Fadzilah Kamsah. The first session was targeted for secondary school students, while the second session's audience were their parents. Of course, as with many other motivational programmes, there were many tips and encouragement given by the speaker.

But if there is at least ONE message that I took home from the programme, it would be this question: Have you thanked your mother for giving birth to you?

That one question hit the nail on its head. We may have thanked our mother many times before for a lot of things, but I doubt that we have actually thanked her for carrying us for 9 months and then enduring the pains of childbirth to give birth to us. Imagine if we thank our mother for this, it'll surely touch her heart and would strengthen the bond of mother and child.

So, have you thanked your mother for giving birth to you?

Blog notes

Just a note to say that I have added a new link to another blog. The blog belongs to Azhan and family. Azhan is my close friend who is 2 years my junior. He came to Glasgow in 1993 before pursuing his degree in Surrey. We have been close from day one. Heck, he was even my best man when I tied the knot. Anyway, he is now in Switzerland, and this blog chronicles his adventures in Switzerland and Europe.

Also, I am pleased to see many people reading my entry on Fikri. After I posted this entry on Friday, the number of visitors for Friday shot up to a level I've never seen before. There were 27 visitors on Friday alone, which is the highest number of visitors in a day since I started this blog. For the weekend, there were also new records. There were 17 visitors on Saturday (the highest for a weekend) and 11 for Sunday (the highest for Sunday). The average has also shot up to 19 visitors a day from 16 in a span of 4 days.

Not bad for a blog with no gossips.

From deep inside my heart

Tomorrow is the 16th of December. To most of us, it is just another day in the last month of the year. Many people would probably be looking forward to the long holidays coming up soon. But to Muhammad Fikri bin Norazmi, 16, tomorrow is a very important day. Last year, on this date, Fikri received a heart transplant. It marks the beginning of his "new" lease of life. He has been very thankful. I asked him today how he felt. And he replied, "Good. Very good."

For those who may not be aware, before Fikri received his "new" heart, he has made medical history as the first patient in Southeast Asia to receive a mechanical heart, technically known as the Implantable Ventricular Assist Device or IVAD. Fikri's story can be read here and here, among others. You can also visit his personal blog here.

The following is an account on Fikri from my own personal perspective:

I first met him last year when I was at IJN to deliver a talk on organ donation. It was just after he was fitted with the mechanical heart. I was brought to see him at his ward. I can still remember how he was - quite frail and weak from his condition and surgeries. Since then, I have been keeping tabs on his condition. On 15th December 2005, I was in a meeting at the Health Ministry in Putrajaya discussing a research project on organ donation. While we were discussing, Dr. Lela's handphone rang. Dr. Lela Yasmin Mansor is the co-ordinator of the National Transplant Resource Centre (NTRC). She excused herself to answer her phone, and came back in telling us that they have a potential donor. Deep inside, I prayed hoping that Fikri's long wait for a heart will now come to an end.

Indeed, it did. Not only did Fikri get a new heart, but other patients also benefited from the donor, including a policeman who got a lung (the first lung transplant in Malaysia). This past few months, I've been communicating quite regularly with Fikri using YM.

Frankly, knowing Fikri has left a huge impact on my life. I've been involved with organ donation campaigns for the past 8 years or so, but it has always been something "academic" to me. Not until I met Fikri did I realise how serious it is for us to come forward as organ pledgers and hopefully, donors. Now, whenever I speak on this issue, it comes from deep inside my heart, not just from the top of my head.

Since Fikri got his new heart, I've not seen him in person, that is, until last Wednesday when we shot the infomercial on organ donation to be aired over TV3 soon. It's indeed heartwarming to see Fikri doing very well. And I pray that he will continuously be healthy and would live life to the fullest. I wish him all the best of health and the best in his future undertakings.

Happy 1st anniversary, Fikri!

Right here waiting

I used to listen to "Right Here Waiting" when I was in the UK. For those not in the know, this is the title of Richard Marx's hit ballad. Somehow this song strikes a chord in my heart. Don't ask me why though. I have no answer to it. Besides, that's not really what I want to blog on.

Anyway, today I am feeling very happy - and relieved - as I've signed the contract with the publisher of my very first novel. You can read more about it here. Basically, all I need to do right now is just wait for the novel to come out in the market, most probably in January.

So, I'll be right here waiting, and I hope you all will too.

Increased traffic

These past few weeks, this humble blog of mine has seen an increased number of visitors. Some are of course my friends who already know that I have a blog and would therefore drop in from time to time. Others are also friends who are not aware that I have a blog, but chanced upon it after doing an Internet search on things like organ donation. There are also strangers who accidentally stumble over this blog.
Since I started blogging in March, the highest number of visitors is November. There is a good chance the number will increase for December. The average number of visitors have increased from about 5 a day in October to 16 a day today. On a week day, the number of visitors is between 20 to 23 people. On a weekend, the number is around 5 to 8. These figures may be low, but to me, they are respectable, because this blog doesn't play on sensational issues or gossips and the blogger is not a celebrity.

Whoever the visitors to this blog may be, all are welcomed. I truly appreciate the continuing presence of friends here.

And as I always say, keep on coming and I'll keep on blogging.

Meeting on the cards

Way back during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, I used to cringe every time the then-Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad criticised George Soros. The reason was that I feared that things would only get worse with every criticism uttered by Dr. Mahathir. When Dr. Mahathir pegged the nation's currency at RM3.80 to the US dollar, things seemingly improved. While this move initially was met with cynicism and labelled as "unconventional," it has proven to be the bitter medicine that the country required at that point in time.

Ten years on, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is no longer the Prime Minister. The ringgit peg is a thing of the past. The Asian financial crisis is now a case study in the textbooks. And George Soros is... coming to Malaysia.

Apparently, Soros will be delivering an address at the Ritz Carlton Hotel as well as promoting his book Challenges to Promoting a Global Open Society. On top of this, a meeting is being arranged for Soros to meet Dr. Mahathir. More on this here.

Should the meeting materialise, it would be interesting to see its outcome. Who would have thought it possible to see Dr. Mahathir sitting down with Soros. This will definitely be one for the history books.

Public service infomercial

This is a first for me.

I got a call from the National Transplant Resource Centre (NTRC) at Hospital Kuala Lumpur earlier today. They're shooting an infomercial on organ donation and transplantation in co-operation with TV3 this coming Wednesday. In the 40-second infomercial, they'll have several people talking on the subject matter.

I've been asked to represent the view of Islam. The others include Datin Dr. Lela Yasmin Mansor of NTRC, Fikri (a heart recipient), an organ donor's family member and Anita Sarawak (an organ pledger). I've met and I know everyone who will appear, except for Anita Sarawak of course. And speaking of Fikri, he now has his own blog. Feel free to visit and leave him a note from time to time.

While I've never been comfortable with media exposure, I agree to appear because the way I see it, television infomercial is effective in getting the message across. Who would've ever thought it possible in a million years... Anita Sarawak sharing airtime with me? Or is it the other way around? Hmmm...

Somebody pinch me.

The Last Standing Ovation

I once stated that "my weird habits were weirder than some people but not as weird as others." Apparently I wrote this in Pinky's autograph book way back in 1991. I suppose this is still true. My sense of humour can be really really crude, odd and weird - as evident from this explanation that I blogged over half a year ago.

So, would it be a surprise if I find this one particular clip funny? Close friends know that I love reading comics in spite of my somewhat academic outward experience. I especially like to follow the adventures and tales of fictional superheroes. I may not read that many comics anymore, but I still follow their stories through many websites on comics. Call it escapism, if you like.

Therefore, allow me to share the following clip which I find quite outrageous. Those who have watched the X-Men trilogy would probably be able to appreciate this more. This is one of the "weird stuff" that tickles my funny bone. Enjoy!

Something "different" to look forward to

I just got back from Utusan Publications and Distributors at Taman Shamelin Perkasa. I was there to pick up the second proof of my first novel. More info on that here.

Anyway, the sight of the proof managed to boost my enthusiasm to continue writing. I cannot wait to do the proofreading over the weekend. The 339-page Malay novel is slated to hit the market in January 2007. The publisher is UP&D's subsidiary known as Tintarona. I will share more info on this as they come in.

After having 14 academic books to my name, it's a welcome change to publish a non-academic book, even though I will be using a yet-to-be-determined pen-name. This is indeed something that I look forward to come 2007.

It's a Durian weather

Everyone loves durians --- well, almost everyone. I used to love durians as well, way back during my school days. But now, I can't seem to be able to consume this king of fruits. Apparently, when I started my university days back in 1993, I have become somewhat "allergic" to a few types of food, if consumed, would trigger a very serious problem called "migraine."

Anyway, I am not about to blog about the king of fruits or allergy or migraine. Rather, I'd like to touch on the weather we're having in the country lately.

Everyone knows that it has been raining incessantly almost every afternoon and evening these past few months. This is all well and good because it helps to wash away the dreadful haze choking our country. But in the past several days, there was no rain, instead there was an intensed hot weather especially in the afternoon. It is around this time that our neighbour, the Philippines experience the attack of Typhoon Durian. The typhoon began on 26 November and claimed over 400 lives in the Philippines.

Typhoon Durian has since moved towards Vietnam and the Gulf of Thailand. Malaysia's Meteorological Department has issued warnings that the typhoon, which has now been downgraded, will cause strong winds and heavy rain in Terengganu, Kelantan, Perlis, Kedah and Pulau Pinang.

While the weather system may cause some worries in the northern and eastern states of the country, people in the Klang Valley are also experiencing some strange weather pattern. Take yesterday, for instance. Around 5.30 p.m., the sky became dark and you could see lightning striking a couple of times. Apparently, at that time there was a thunderstorm at several places in Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya and Subang. It rained throughout the evening and most of the night, and flooded several low-lying areas, including Shah Alam.

I only got to know this from a friend, En. Mazilan, who works in Jalan Duta and lives in Shah Alam. As for people like me, who live and work in Hulu Kelang, we saw the dark clouds and the lightning, but there was no rain. It was dry and incredibly humid and hot. This is fascinating for me, simply because it's only 15 km from Hulu Kelang to Jalan Duta, and yet, we experienced contrastingly different sets of weather.

These days, the weather is getting more and more unpredictable. Even the durian season is unpredictable and quite random these days.

A reunion of sorts

I just got back from attending the 2006 Multaqa Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah at the Shah Alam Concorde Hotel. I was invited to attend this annual conference by my friend who was my colleague and boss at IKIM, En. Mazilan Musa. He is now the Director of the Socio-Cultural Sector at the Malaysian Institute of Integrity or IIM for short.

Interestingly, it was a reunion of sorts for us who had at one time or another worked at IKIM. Aside from En. Mazilan and myself, Shahriza was also there. He started work at IKIM as the Assistant Programme Manager, and later upon obtaining his degree, he was promoted to the post of Research Officer at the Centre for Economics and Social Studies, which En. Mazilan headed until the end of 2004.

En. Mazilan then joined IIM and has been there since end of 2004. I was briefly under En. Mazilan when I was Fellow at the then Centre for Economics, Social Studies and Technology, before it was reorganised into 2 centres namely the aforementioned Centre for Economics and Social Studies, and Centre for Science and Technology. When it was reorganised, I was reassigned to the Centre for Science and Technology as Senior Fellow.

Since then, I left for Yayasan Ilmuwan in December of 2005 while Shahriza left for SMIDEC about a month later. While the three of us have been apart in terms of organisations, we still get in touch with one another. The rare opportunity to meet up at the conference was indeed a pleasant one, what more with the presence of 2 colleagues from IKIM, Puan Siti Fatimah and Azrina.

It was a good opportunity to catch up with old friends talking about old times, although the time spent may have been brief.

That time of year again

It's the school holidays. It's also the time for weddings. I've been getting a number of invitations, and attended two weddings yesterday.

But I do notice a trend when it comes to wedding invitations.

When we graduate, we receive a lot of wedding invitations from our friends. When we begin our career, we start receiving wedding invitations from colleagues. When we reach the age of 30, we start attending weddings of children of our bosses. When we're in our 40s, we will begin to attend weddings of our friends' children.

And as a friend realistically put it, around that time, we should prepare ourselves for funerals as well.

Suddenly I'm beginning to recall scenes from "Four Weddings and a Funeral."

Did anyone feel it?

Bernama reported that northern Sumatera was hit by an earthquake. Some parts of KL, PJ and Penang felt the tremor around mid-day today. Anyone felt the tremor? I must have been submerged in my work that I didn't notice it until I read the news report after the Friday prayers.

Fortunately, no tsunami is expected out of this 6.6 on the Richter magnitude scale tremor.