My Blogs on TheStar.com.my

I'm about to log off and swipe out from the office. Just thought I'd spare a thought online before my CNY holidays. Tonight, a 800km journey awaits me as I drive from JB to Penang. I am eager to arrive home as soon as I can, and also all the more eager to see my loved ones.

To all other drivers out there, here's wishing you a safe journey - remember the Ops Sikap - remember that my life is precious.

I grew up learning to respect my elders. It didn't matter whether I liked certain relatives or not, the point was to remain respectful and humble. This value was inculcated in the early days of my childhood, and today it has proven to be helpful both, at the workplace and home. When others receive a certain amount of respect, they are more likely to accept your opinions, suggestions and offer their helping hand at the same time.

This respect is certainly not well reflected in today's youth. I have seen teenagers barking rudely at shopkeepers, roadside vendors, tuition teachers and especially their own parents. Some teenagers have forgotten the polite "Uncle/Aunty" greetings and have evolved into the Western culture of calling people older than them by their first name or worse, by their nickname.

Do we expect this generation to maintain our Malaysian fame of being a polite and welcoming society. A warm and loving people. We need to look into new methods of inculcating respect. Respect cannot be built through a SMILE campaign and the like.

We, as adults need to ask ourselves whether we are respectable, and whether we have taught ourselves to expect respect from those who are younger. Youth cannot be expected to respect us if we do not teach them how to. Are we also teaching them the wrong thing by our bad example?

I hope this area of respect for elders will be taken seriously by leaders, adults, parents, schools and especially the media. There needs to be more shining examples of respect and perhaps the media can start broadcasting more movies, sitcoms and soap operas which demonstrate respect for elders.

Don't expect the youth to have any respect for life or themselves, if they haven't even been taught to respect anyone in their lives.

I just came from a week long holiday to Kuching and Seri Aman. I had booked a budget flight for this trip from a year ago and it was such a pity that I missed the National Day celebrations by a space of just a few days.

What I expected to see was a mess left behind by the crowds and some form of disorder in the streets. I was proven wrong the moment I stepped foot onto the tarmac at Kuching Airport.

I was amazed to see that within the last two years, the old airport had been given a face lift, if not more. A quick tour around Kuching waterfront left me impressed. The city was so clean and the buildings well-maintained. The hawkers and souvenir peddlars remained polite and jovial eventhough they had just survived the onslaught of the crowds during the National Day celebrations.

Even the trunk road to Seri Aman was clean and the vegetation which lined the route was well-trimmed. Clear signages and coffee stops along the way made the drive pleasant and memorable. I had as much Laksa Sarawak and Mee Kolok as I pleased. The rows of pepper trees and the occasional wondering native added a touch of serenity to the drive.

I am so amazed with the beauty, upkeep and cleanliness of Kuching that I will visit Sarawak again. The same vow I made two years ago. Keep it up Sarawak!

A meek plant grows into a forest,

by the river's mouth it lay,

the erring human cannot comprehend

how the bakau stood firm when the tsunami came

Earth angels

humbled by the seasoned ballet of roots

we glided silently pass nature's mime

In harmony, united they stood

Let's be true Malaysians for a moment. Let's reflect over the glories we have achieved over the past as a nation, the name we have built for ourselves and the legacies we are leaving behind.

Let's then ask this question. Behind the facade of everyday news, of politics and having to answer to old politics, of crime fighting and of accidents, are we still progressing as a nation today?

What is our target? Are we still trying to accomplish Vision 2020 or is that gone with the previous dream. I really don't know. Tell me.

I recall as a child, school holidays were never dull. My parents would take me on short holiday trips to visit new places around Malaysia. I am not from a rich family so each holiday was a well-planned trip within our affordability. When we were less affluent, we still made the effort to stay over somewhere nearby. Just a place where nosy people and all familiarities were kept away from us. It didn't matter that we had to take public transport or fight with the crowds, what really mattered was that we had the time, freedom and space to be away as a family.

Today my observation is that most school children do not share the same experiences that I had. School homework and projects have become a form of suffocation to our young generation. Sometimes, tuition is equally a menace during school holidays. Children are often advised by their parents to study through the holidays anyway.

At the workplace, parents also face difficulty juggling the pressures of work and taking time off to be with the family. Some adults pressure other adults that the management frowns upon those who take leave.

Perhaps, this is the cost we have to pay for development and urbanization.

I think we have reflect and focus on what is important for nation building. The basic unit of the Malaysian society like any other society is the family unit. The parents and the children.

The stress and strain of the modern society have caused rifts in families and have resulted in many broken relationships and unnecessary hurt. We have to give opportunities for our families to grow and heal. I believe good holidays are essential for every family.

If the schools and workplaces truly can't afford to release her people for long holidays, then I urge the government to plan more educational, family oriented and convenient places and spaces within reasonable distance and affordability. This includes places where the family can just spend a night or two away from home, enjoy the affordable and educational experience, and yet be able to go to work or school the next day.

There should also be more family activities and entertainment available in public places like shopping malls, community halls, parks and places of worship. This improves accessability. These activities should be of a spontaneous nature so that families can participate without much thought.

The systems that hold our country in place should also be routed to build healthy families. For example, there could be income tax deductions for expenditure on Father's Day, Mother's Day and Children's Day and school holidays. There could be family days for schools whereby parents can just take off from work, no questions asked. Perhaps, even the way our streets are designed could be more convenient and safe for families to take walks on their daily outings.

Think and implement family friendly cities. I leave you to brainstorm.

Most of all, we need to educate our people about the importance of good families and the values and sacrifices required to get it right. I thank God that our nation's leaders have set good examples in this aspect. I do hope that our nation will one day hold the highest place in the statistics of healthy families.

I read with much interest about the recent decision to remove use of foreign sounding names currently embellishing our Putrajaya roadsigns. Words sounding like presinct, parcel, boulevard etc are to be replaced by words rooted in our national language, Bahasa Malaysia.

I suddenly couldn't help but recall beautiful images of stately buildings, mansions and structures I had seen from my friends' travelogues, of Europe, America, China and even Russia. And then I thought of those I had seen in Putrajaya.

What came to mind was a simple question. Were ours built to last? It then occured to me that other countries are rich in history and heritage because their structures were built to last.

I hope that our government will place equal importance to the naming convention as well as to building quality structures that will last for more than a lifetime. If nothing be left in Malaysia, at least let us keep our pride, nation and buildings too.

Let us use the right materials, ingenious engineering designs and consistent maintenance - towards building a heritage for ourselves.

I was at a week-long meeting recently and subjected myself to more than three cups of black coffee a day. It was the first time I allowed myself such abuse. Suffering from palpitations at the end of the week (and I'm only 25 years old), I thought to myself... surely, those who drink their fair share of caffeinated cuppa everyday, are addicts in their own right.

White coffee, kopi-O, teh tarik whichever way you would like your portion, please do not overdose yourself. Caffeine in coffee or tea alike are poisons in my book. It tricks your heart and brain into working overtime. It's like being on an adrenaline rush to an early end of your life.

It seems to have become a necessity that we close deals over a cup of java, or pay our bills at hotspots serving coffee ice-blendeds... save those folks who do so over hard drinks aka liquor...

I have nothing against caffeine or its drinkers... after all this is a blog where I can air my views freely... Just thought I should recommend that we drink less coffee and drink more water! Haha... after all, in Malaysia we are blessed with this natural resource unlike some of our neighbours (who are probably still sore from the cancellation of the scenic bridge project *wink*)

It just occured to me that I have forgotten to appreciate something that is important to perhaps this generation...  It's convenient, cheap and truly amazing... If there's anything I could thank the government and private sectors for, it's the introduction and integration of the internet in our daily lives... Thank you for making it available to your people.

I do my banking, news-reading and research from the comforts of my home. I'm not even worried when I'm away from home. There's always the cybercafe, handphone (which I could use as a modem when I'm really desperate) and my best friend's PC... haha...

I used it years ago to exchange homework and exam tips. Today, I collect photos and pictures of life and beautiful things from the net because it's cheaper than purchasing those books in the stores. On days when it's raining or when I'm at a lost for gifts, I turn to e-shopping. When there's nothing interesting on TV (as is the case these days), my chat buddies and blogs call me.

Best of all, I'm in touch with the rest of the world even when it's unsafe to venture out. My favourite cousin is just a video conference away, and my mom is able to print out all my e-mails.

Thank you that we're not left behind in this technological age. Thank you Malaysians who made this possible.

I suggest the statistics of MyKad losses be reviewed. Out of 2 million missing cards, I sincerely hope that they are mostly due to individual carelessness and that it is NOT a reflection of the crime rate in Malaysia. What I simply mean is this: conduct a survey and find out how many out of 2 mil are due to cases of pickpocketing, snatchthefts and other similar crimes. It may be a cause of real alarm.

I certainly hope that with all the money the government is pledging towards the betterment of Malaysians in the 9MP, security and crime reduction will become a reality. We, Malaysians, have had enough of compromising our freedom by living daily behind locked grills and still having to clutch our purses tight as if to save our lives, whenever we dare venture out, that is.

With all the hype on the rising fuel cost and the PM's advice to 'change our lifestyle' , I wish to add that the mass media needs to take on a more proactive role. Perhaps, just like how we banned alchohol and cigarrette advertisements, we should look into banning or limitting credit card and maybe even sms contest advertisements. These advertisements are encouraging the public to overspend unnecessarily. Very soon, we will be launching a "Tak Nak" campaign to curb credit card and sms contest habits. How very immature.

Recently, my reliable fiance was overseas and of all times, my car had to break down. It couldn't start and it was already about 8.00p.m. I suspected it was the battery and so I called my mechanic who very kindly came all the way to my apartment carpark at no extra cost. I had another problem though. Having not enough cash in hand, I called a friend who rushed to a nearby ATM and got me the amount I needed. I was extremely touched when my neighbour saw me in distress and actually bought me dinner. Wow! With friends like these, I want to live in Malaysia forever!

I am happy that the Malaysian Immigration has improved its image over the years. Having worked and studied in Penang, KL and JB, I have observed that long queues are now swiftly attended to, travel documents are meticulously yet accurately processed and the application process itself has been simplified. Instructions to the public are easily available online, at designated kiosks, and no doubt ask any of the Immigration officers, for they have truly adopted a Service with a Smile attitude.

The EPF has also upgraded in needful ways. Visits there to check your account, update information and make withdrawal applications are now "customer-friendly" and almost hassle-free.

It may not sound fair but one way I judge and measure the development and progress of our nation-building is through the way our civil servants respond to and service public needs.

Congratulations to the Immigration and EPF. Even as we seek to improve the IC/Passport numbering system, Malaysia, your citizens are with you, as long as your service to the community improves too.

Another Lunar Year is nigh, and as usual the frenzy of preparations have begun. Marketing, getting a hair-cut, renovating the house, cleaning, decorating... I am looking forward to the Reunion Dinner.

For the benefit of those who are wondering what it's all about... The Reunion Dinner is a time when the family gets together for the last meal of the lunar year, while ushering in the new lunar year. For most homemakers, it is a nightmare... Kilos of vegetables, meat and rice to cook. Feeding sometimes up to three batches of relatives since the dining table can't hold so many.

It is sad that today's generation sometimes view this Dinner as troublesome or boring... Some don't even make it a point to attend because they are living a bit too far away and perhaps, just find the traffic jams or bus fares unaffordable.

Even though I work miles away from home, I make it a point to be home for this Dinner. I know that my family values this tradition because it makes sense that at least once a year, the whole family is reunited. Imagine, who we would be, without our family and loved ones. It is such a joy to see the younger ones grow up and also be reminded that our elderly are growing old.

So if you've decided not to go home for the Reunion Dinner, let me persuade you to. Do it for your loved ones. It's not too late to buy your bus ticket... or update your Touch N Go card... Happy Reunion Dinner!

I am a daily commuter on the Pasir Gudang highway.

Lately, due to heavy rainfall, the tar have come off the roads along certain stretches of the road.

The potholes are deep, and when it rains, they cannot be seen. When there is no rain, motorists drive through clouds of dust and debris.

Nowhere in Malaysia have I ever seen this sight!

How can a highway which serves as the lifeline of the Johor industrial park be of such poor quality that all it takes is rain to turn the roads into killer stretches.

Somebody please come to Johor and take down the accident statistics and total up the death toll!

Please repair the roads before more lives are taken.