Memori 2019

Tahun 2019 adalah tahun yang bagi saya penuh dengan kenangan yang amat memberi kesan kepada diri saya dan keluarga. 

Masalah kesihatan diri agak rumit.

Saya menjalani pembedahan mengeluarkan batu karang (kidney stones) pada penghujung tahun, Disember 2018. 

Pada Januari 2019 saya dimasukkan ke ICU Hospital Kuala Lumpur selama 3 hari dan berada di Wad Kardiologi selama 7 hari kerana masalah jantung (heart failure case). 

Akan di cerita secara lebih terperinci. 

Makkah 1440H 2019M

Alhamdulillah saya dan isteri selamat menunaikan ibadah haji tahun ini (1440H) . 

Kami berdoa semoga Allah menerima ibadah haji kami berdua dan mendapat haji yang mabrur, InshaaAllah. 

Adalah menjadi hasrat saya ingin berkongsi pengalaman sedikit sebanyak semasa berada di tanah suci selama 29 hari. 

Reactivation 2019

I am very determined to be active again in writing here.

There were so many things last year that I would like to write here, but sadly never being able to get it done.

I started 2019 with poor health condition, being hospitalized and in ICU. This experiences make me value our life in a different perspective. Will share.

What the young ones want !

Here is what being reported on TN50 by Youth Minister Khairy

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/04/22/kj-response-to-tn50-encouraging-initiative-has-collected-over-26000-ideas-from-youths-in-its-first-p/

PUTRAJAYA: The 2050 National Transformation (TN50) initiative has collected over 26,000 ideas from young Malaysians about the future they want, after 90 days of rigorous engagement sessions with various groups of society.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin (pic) said the response towards the TN50 movement in its first phase has been quite “encouraging”, with about half a million young Malaysians taking part in dialogues, workshops, phone interviews and online surveys.

“We have gathered 26,000 aspirations from half a million young Malaysians, and our dialogue and engagement sessions will continue until the end of the year.

“We have received all sorts of feedback, but we managed to categorise it into five main aspirations.

“To summarise, Malaysians want a Malaysia that is united, fair, sustainable, competitive and economically strong,” said Khairy at a special media briefing here.

A lot of young Malaysians want a Malaysia that is able to generate high-income jobs in the future, he said.

“From our engagement sessions, we found that a lot of youths say they want to see their incomes in­­crease drastically in the next 30 years.

“A lot of them also say they want more flexible working conditions. For example, they are able to have a permanent day job which allows them to work from home. This would enable them to have a second career, perhaps in a freelance manner,” said Khairy.

Under the second phase on TN50, he said the aspirations gathered would be analysed and summarised, before being collated to the TN50 document.

Five groups called “Circles of the Future” will be formed, and each “circle” will consist of 10 youths and three experts.

The five circles will analyse five topics – economy and jobs, environment and well-being, governance, lifestyle and community.

“These circles will hold discussion groups and workshops on the topics they are assigned to.

“The ministry has identified some outstanding youths and experts who will be part of Circles of the Future.

“However, we also encourage the public to propose individuals who they think have the calibre to join Circles of the Future,” said Khairy, adding that the proposed names can be submitted to www.mytn50.com/circles/registration

Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/04/22/kj-response-to-tn50-encouraging-initiative-has-collected-over-26000-ideas-from-youths-in-its-first-p/#WKS1pV9YbcHSdPVp.99.

My comment:

I also wish that the young Malaysians will also look into how they can involve in community services including to the special needs persons.

I always feel that young ones need to be exposed early into the spirit of volunteerism.

Here are some highlights about youth and volunteerism I extracted from a UN write-up:

• Youth contribute over $35 billion per year in volunteer hours and are more likely than any other age group to have volunteered informally in the past years

• Volunteering is associated with a 27% higher chance of employment, and the effect is especially strong for those without a high school diploma or who live in rural areas

• Young people are supporting UNDP in Ghana, by strengthening internal and external communications via websites, social networks and an intranet.

• Every year, more than 6,500 online volunteers between the ages of 18 and 30, representing 65% of all online volunteers, are mobilized.

Re-Activation Again !!!

It has been a year since the last entry here. I hope to be able to pen some thoughts here.
I haven't been writing for quite some time, partly due to works and my other NGO involvements.

I probably maintain this as photoblog-type - more pictorial and less writing.

I will be working on a proposed coffee table book on the 50-year Anniversary of Cerebral Palsy Johor.

More updates on this (hopefully not after 1 year)..

IEM Courtesy Visit to SinChew Newspaper

IEM delegation led by our in-coming President, Tan Yean Chin made a courtesy call to Sin Chew newspaper office  in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday 16 March 2016.

I went there as IEM Bulletin Editor together with chairman of Membership Admissiob Board, Dr Cheong, committee member of Fire Advisort Board, CK Loo, and executive director, Wong CF.

We were well received by SinChew's Editor-in-Chief, Datuk Pook Ah Lek, executive editor-in-chief, Kuik Cheng Kang, GM corporate communication and promoton, Tan Kim Chuan, and few others.

Nice and friendly people there.

Dr Cheong arranged this courtesy call thru this old clasmate, Chen Lai a senior staff at Sinchew.

Sinchew is very supportive of IEM all these years and our visit really enhance our networking with SinChew.

The next day, our group photo was published in the newspaper (below). My name was mentioned in this chinese daily written in Mandarin.

My IEM colleagues, Lau TO and Dr Wang read mandarin and they helped to translate this to me.

Workshop & Brainstorming Session of IEM JURUTERA Magazine

(Photo courtesy of Janet Lim, IEM)

The IEM JURUTERA bulletin team of which I am the current Bulletin Editor had a fruitful workshop yesterday, 19-March-2016, to review plans for improvement.

My editorial colleague and friend Ir. Lau Tai On wrote about the workshop in his blog. Here is the link (Ir. Lau TO's write-up). Thank you and well reporting, Ir. Lau TO.