I believe quite a while ago there was a bit of controversy going on regarding some competitions and the country's religious authorities say that games of chance was forbidden.
There I was in the National Savings Bank (BSN) this morning accompanying my Mom and I realised that BSN's got their own savings bond lucky draw every month. This has been going on for years now. The BSN is fully government owned. And these lucky draws are games of chance. Numbers are picked at random, and the lucky winner gets prizes like luxury cars and other stuff.
How come all these years no one has said anything about these draws to be forbidden aka haram?
It doesnt suprise me cos as usual, this country is filled with hypocrites who say one thing, and yet dont practice it.
I digress. The PM's beloved wife has passed away. She was a productive person well loved by many. Not because of who her husband was, but mainly for who she was personally and the work that she has done. It is obvious that the mass media has made millions from the condolence adverts over the past few years. What an utter waste of money. Money that should have been used to alleviate poverty. To help the hardcore poor. Disgusting. Just as disgusting as the congrats adverts whenever some person gets a datukship or whatever medal. "
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
"Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Inggeris
'Hishammuddin Mahu Bahasa Melayu Dimartabatkan Semula'
Ahh. Lots of fiery discussions online and otherwise, about more importance to be given to the Bahasa Malaysia ...blah ...blah..blah.
For starters. What does UMNO stand for. UMNOputras are so arrogant, generally. Wielding keris. Screaming nationalism. Tetapi, apakah erti perkataan UMNO itu sendiri? UMNO = United Malay National Organisation.
Kalau saya tidak silap, United Malay National Organisation adalah perkataan-perkataan bahasa inggeris. Saya rasa pihak-pihak yang menggunakan bahasa inggeris sebagai nama organisasi mereka tidak ada hak untuk berjuang untuk memartabatkan bahasa Malaysia ;)"
'Hishammuddin Mahu Bahasa Melayu Dimartabatkan Semula'
Ahh. Lots of fiery discussions online and otherwise, about more importance to be given to the Bahasa Malaysia ...blah ...blah..blah.
For starters. What does UMNO stand for. UMNOputras are so arrogant, generally. Wielding keris. Screaming nationalism. Tetapi, apakah erti perkataan UMNO itu sendiri? UMNO = United Malay National Organisation.
Kalau saya tidak silap, United Malay National Organisation adalah perkataan-perkataan bahasa inggeris. Saya rasa pihak-pihak yang menggunakan bahasa inggeris sebagai nama organisasi mereka tidak ada hak untuk berjuang untuk memartabatkan bahasa Malaysia ;)"
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Property market, south Johor
It is becoming too common for players in the property market to inflate their sale and purchase agreements. Examples would be, concluding a sale at say RM200,000 but in the sale and purchase agreement its stated as RM220,000. With that, and a 90% loan from the ever so friendly bankers in the present situation, the buyer practically gets 100% financing. And thats only assuming the mark-up is only 10%! There are cases noted where the mark-up even goes to about 30-40% above the actual price.
Now, some might wonder that this isnt such a bad thing after all. People continue to buy properties. Unfortunately this is the signs of a bubble economy. Waiting to implode, and hurt, again, and again, and again. We never learn. Our administrators of the economy have short term memories, always.
Assuming almost everyone marks up their agreement, on record it appears as though prices keep on rising, indicating a booming market! Government compiled records dont factor this anomaly. Everything appears to be rosy for the past year. For stamp duty purposes, the Government would be happier if the agreements are marked up as the taxes are based on the sale price or market value, whichever is higher.
The rest of the players indulging in this activity i.e. the solicitors, estate agents, loan facilitators a.k.a. 'runners' etc, couldnt care less either. As long as the buyer gets the loan and the sale goes through, nobody could care less of the repercussions.
Which leaves us the banking sector. Almost gone are the days where bankers are prudent and insist on protecting the interests of the bank. The frontliners are mostly sales people. People who work on commissions and with high sales targets. Theyre pressured to deliver. To ensure that the banks have a fantastic loan growth.
In the late 1990s we started having bankers undercutting each others interest rates by offering staggered rates with subsidized levels in the first year of two. This was to encourage re-financing of loans. Whilst the end-user or borrowers benefited, so much of work was generated without much real benefit to the economy. The left hand was passing money to the right hand.
And now, so many at the local level appear to be dropping their guard and closing an eye to this "marked-up" agreements situation.
Property consultants have a major challenge in their hands. Gone are the days where they can rely on records of property prices being transacted and form an opinion on the value of a specific property. The declared sums on agreements, now more so than in the past, cannot be relied at all. To do so, would be to the detriment of their practice.
The act of developers providing "discounts" to the prices of their developed units doesnt help the situation either.
Over the past few years, too many developers have simultaneously lauched andd developed big mixed residential schemes in the outskirts of the city centre. And the past few months see many of them having unsold units that have been completed and issued with Certificates of Fitness for Occupation. In an apparent act of desperation many have been giving discounts or rebates, along the lines of the marked-up agreements. For example, one could buy a double storey terrace house for RM220,000 by paying perhaps around RM1000 only, and upon signing of the loan documentation and release of funds, get a rebate of RM20,000 from the developer! Yes, the 100% financing days are back. Many banks are openly condoning this practices.
As to why regulating bodies of the financial industry has yet to take any action, I have no idea. It is not prudent lending to lend margins of 100% or even 95%. Is greed the motivating factor that is blinding the players?
As always the property market will move in cycles. Without real growth in the southern johor region, nor any new major investments coming in, current events appear to be worrisome. Whilst properties within the city centre and immediate prime residential suburbia appear to be resilient and to a certain extent appreciating, the outskirts of the city centre appear to be very shaky.
As always, ceteris paribus is the qualifying statement. It means, assuming all else is constant, as at this present time. Whether this present prognosis will hold water, remain to be seen. Personally, I am very very cautious now, bordering on pessimism.
Now, some might wonder that this isnt such a bad thing after all. People continue to buy properties. Unfortunately this is the signs of a bubble economy. Waiting to implode, and hurt, again, and again, and again. We never learn. Our administrators of the economy have short term memories, always.
Assuming almost everyone marks up their agreement, on record it appears as though prices keep on rising, indicating a booming market! Government compiled records dont factor this anomaly. Everything appears to be rosy for the past year. For stamp duty purposes, the Government would be happier if the agreements are marked up as the taxes are based on the sale price or market value, whichever is higher.
The rest of the players indulging in this activity i.e. the solicitors, estate agents, loan facilitators a.k.a. 'runners' etc, couldnt care less either. As long as the buyer gets the loan and the sale goes through, nobody could care less of the repercussions.
Which leaves us the banking sector. Almost gone are the days where bankers are prudent and insist on protecting the interests of the bank. The frontliners are mostly sales people. People who work on commissions and with high sales targets. Theyre pressured to deliver. To ensure that the banks have a fantastic loan growth.
In the late 1990s we started having bankers undercutting each others interest rates by offering staggered rates with subsidized levels in the first year of two. This was to encourage re-financing of loans. Whilst the end-user or borrowers benefited, so much of work was generated without much real benefit to the economy. The left hand was passing money to the right hand.
And now, so many at the local level appear to be dropping their guard and closing an eye to this "marked-up" agreements situation.
Property consultants have a major challenge in their hands. Gone are the days where they can rely on records of property prices being transacted and form an opinion on the value of a specific property. The declared sums on agreements, now more so than in the past, cannot be relied at all. To do so, would be to the detriment of their practice.
The act of developers providing "discounts" to the prices of their developed units doesnt help the situation either.
Over the past few years, too many developers have simultaneously lauched andd developed big mixed residential schemes in the outskirts of the city centre. And the past few months see many of them having unsold units that have been completed and issued with Certificates of Fitness for Occupation. In an apparent act of desperation many have been giving discounts or rebates, along the lines of the marked-up agreements. For example, one could buy a double storey terrace house for RM220,000 by paying perhaps around RM1000 only, and upon signing of the loan documentation and release of funds, get a rebate of RM20,000 from the developer! Yes, the 100% financing days are back. Many banks are openly condoning this practices.
As to why regulating bodies of the financial industry has yet to take any action, I have no idea. It is not prudent lending to lend margins of 100% or even 95%. Is greed the motivating factor that is blinding the players?
As always the property market will move in cycles. Without real growth in the southern johor region, nor any new major investments coming in, current events appear to be worrisome. Whilst properties within the city centre and immediate prime residential suburbia appear to be resilient and to a certain extent appreciating, the outskirts of the city centre appear to be very shaky.
As always, ceteris paribus is the qualifying statement. It means, assuming all else is constant, as at this present time. Whether this present prognosis will hold water, remain to be seen. Personally, I am very very cautious now, bordering on pessimism.
Friday, August 05, 2005
Doesn't each citizen have the right to be critical when things are being done so very wrongly in this country? Wishing that our country prospers and every single citizen enjoys the benefits and not "ditindas" is wrong?
Wishing that poverty was eradicated, and the poor be uplifted economically, and not concentrating on enriching the croonies, is wrong? Wishing that the government was more responsible and not let countless of our young students migrate overseas for good (e.g. Singapore taps our best students when theyre in their early teens) is wrong? And yet the government has the cheek to initiate programs to attracts "brains" back to the country, which naturally fails. What an irony!
The article by "David Cyranoski: Malaysian biotechnology: The valley of ghosts" in the magazine NATURE was fair comment, me thinks. Yes, to a certain extent superficial since it fails to highlight our research achievements in the bio-tech field. But then again, his highlight was the Bio-valley, and how and why its become a white elephant. And his comments on how the government doesnt walk the talk (or failing to get the best brains to walk the talk), is after all true.
Wishing that poverty was eradicated, and the poor be uplifted economically, and not concentrating on enriching the croonies, is wrong? Wishing that the government was more responsible and not let countless of our young students migrate overseas for good (e.g. Singapore taps our best students when theyre in their early teens) is wrong? And yet the government has the cheek to initiate programs to attracts "brains" back to the country, which naturally fails. What an irony!
The article by "David Cyranoski: Malaysian biotechnology: The valley of ghosts" in the magazine NATURE was fair comment, me thinks. Yes, to a certain extent superficial since it fails to highlight our research achievements in the bio-tech field. But then again, his highlight was the Bio-valley, and how and why its become a white elephant. And his comments on how the government doesnt walk the talk (or failing to get the best brains to walk the talk), is after all true.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Blogthings - Your Birthdate: June 25: "What Does Your Birth Date Mean?
Your Birthdate: June 25
Your birth on the 25th day of the month (7 energy) modifies your life path by giving you some special interest in technical, scientific, or other complex and often hard to understand subjects.
You may become something of a perfectionist and a stickler for details.
Your thinking is logical and intuitive, rational and responsible.
Your feelings may run deep, but you are not very likely to let them show.
This birthday makes you a more private person, more introspective and perhaps more inflexible.
In friendships you are very cautious and reserved.
You are probably inventive, and given to unique approaches and solutions."
Your Birthdate: June 25
Your birth on the 25th day of the month (7 energy) modifies your life path by giving you some special interest in technical, scientific, or other complex and often hard to understand subjects.
You may become something of a perfectionist and a stickler for details.
Your thinking is logical and intuitive, rational and responsible.
Your feelings may run deep, but you are not very likely to let them show.
This birthday makes you a more private person, more introspective and perhaps more inflexible.
In friendships you are very cautious and reserved.
You are probably inventive, and given to unique approaches and solutions."
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Its been 2 years since i started blogging here. Its been very interesting. To be able to put into words thoughts and events. Something to reflect upon. And after seeing the first entry i made, i can say i have managed to toe the line. Privacy of people around me have been maintained. Those i write about, will know its them am referring to. The rest wouldnt have an idea at all.
How time flies. And how fast kids grow. And how i still procastinate and not put up their pictures online in a photo album.
Since mid June, i've been toying around with 360.yahoo.com. Its a bit interesting cos it enables a connection with the friends i have on Yahoo Messenger. Well. Lets see how it goes. I have yet to decide whether to keep both blogs or to use just one.
How time flies. And how fast kids grow. And how i still procastinate and not put up their pictures online in a photo album.
Since mid June, i've been toying around with 360.yahoo.com. Its a bit interesting cos it enables a connection with the friends i have on Yahoo Messenger. Well. Lets see how it goes. I have yet to decide whether to keep both blogs or to use just one.
On kids and numbers
Weird (some call it sad, suey, tough luck) thing happened a couple of evenings back. My elder 4 year old daughter and I popped by the new house. I had wanted to check the house to see if there were signs of water leak after a heavy thunderstorm. It was about 6.30pm and she was tugging my pants and walking alongside, fearful of the place. No one else in sight in the neighbourhood, no lighting. It was after all a recently completed scheme.
As i was locking the gates, she looked up at the house and said 'dad..i dont like number 11! (the house number). I was taken aback. Asked her why and she just shrugged her shoulders and said she didnt like it. Naturally i couldnt resist asking her what number she liked. She blurted out 165. Aisey, 3 digit number. Pestered her again, what other numbers she liked. She said '25'. Was taken aback again. 25 being my date of birth. 630pm and it wasnt too late to pop by the number forecast shops and get the numbers. Alas, i didnt. It was getting dark, and didnt like the idea of taking her along to go buy numbers!
Didnt think much about it till the next morning. Opened the dailies and as usual after glancing at the usual killing and bad news on the front page, was reading the sports pages. There it was. 3D results. 165 was the 2nd prize for that draw!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I believe this was the second time over the past few years she has said a sequence of numbers that somehow or rather ended up in the winning numbers that evening. Sigh. Sad case. Daddy wasnt a compulsive gambler. Nevermind. Will keep ears wide open and act upon the next time kids blurt out numbers out of the blue Image "
As i was locking the gates, she looked up at the house and said 'dad..i dont like number 11! (the house number). I was taken aback. Asked her why and she just shrugged her shoulders and said she didnt like it. Naturally i couldnt resist asking her what number she liked. She blurted out 165. Aisey, 3 digit number. Pestered her again, what other numbers she liked. She said '25'. Was taken aback again. 25 being my date of birth. 630pm and it wasnt too late to pop by the number forecast shops and get the numbers. Alas, i didnt. It was getting dark, and didnt like the idea of taking her along to go buy numbers!
Didnt think much about it till the next morning. Opened the dailies and as usual after glancing at the usual killing and bad news on the front page, was reading the sports pages. There it was. 3D results. 165 was the 2nd prize for that draw!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I believe this was the second time over the past few years she has said a sequence of numbers that somehow or rather ended up in the winning numbers that evening. Sigh. Sad case. Daddy wasnt a compulsive gambler. Nevermind. Will keep ears wide open and act upon the next time kids blurt out numbers out of the blue Image "
Insanity
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.- Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
Had a brief chat with friend regarding the above just a moment ago.
Friend: most of us are insane then
Me: indeed. Image but most wont admit it
Friend: Image
Friend: well if the world is full of insane ppl it shudnt be a problem
Me: the world has lots of insane ppl..the only prob is most dont admit it..or dont know it
Friend: wht one doesnt know doesnt hurt
Me: it hurts others
Friend: how cud it when the other is insane too?
Me: insane ppl got feelings too Image
Me: when one is insane... he or she does insane stuff... some of these stuff hurts other ppl, without he or she knowing it
Friend: yeah i guess so
Friend: esp if tht someone is close or important to us
Me: yup..true"
Had a brief chat with friend regarding the above just a moment ago.
Friend: most of us are insane then
Me: indeed. Image but most wont admit it
Friend: Image
Friend: well if the world is full of insane ppl it shudnt be a problem
Me: the world has lots of insane ppl..the only prob is most dont admit it..or dont know it
Friend: wht one doesnt know doesnt hurt
Me: it hurts others
Friend: how cud it when the other is insane too?
Me: insane ppl got feelings too Image
Me: when one is insane... he or she does insane stuff... some of these stuff hurts other ppl, without he or she knowing it
Friend: yeah i guess so
Friend: esp if tht someone is close or important to us
Me: yup..true"
For the past couple of days i've been spending more time reading blogs online. And i've come to realise theres a nice bunch of people out there who write wonderfully with much wit and humour and not to mention intellect. People like Amit who collates lots of IT related stuff and writes about them, as well as people like Kenny sia, Minishorts, Aizuddin, Lilianchan etc. Then theres this thing called Project Petaling Street which has enabled Malaysian bloggers to group up. Theyve met up twice, from what i gather. The writings are diverse. And there is much interaction within the respective blogs.
I think, at one point when KLGC1 was created by yahoo, it attracted that diverse range of people. Those were quite the fun days. Adults and teens, bilingual with the preference being english.
Well, as i read at one of the blog sites, i had these thoughts. Humans have the tendency to point errors of others. To look for fault in others and their beliefs. Whereas the exact opposite should be the case. One should be looking within and aiming to be a better person, for almost all of us are with faults. Wouldnt the world be a better place if everyone operated on that basis. To respect that there is someone out there who believes in something else contrary to our own beliefs. And that we have no right to tell them that theyre wrong purely on the basis of the teachings we've each received during our upbringing.
I think, at one point when KLGC1 was created by yahoo, it attracted that diverse range of people. Those were quite the fun days. Adults and teens, bilingual with the preference being english.
Well, as i read at one of the blog sites, i had these thoughts. Humans have the tendency to point errors of others. To look for fault in others and their beliefs. Whereas the exact opposite should be the case. One should be looking within and aiming to be a better person, for almost all of us are with faults. Wouldnt the world be a better place if everyone operated on that basis. To respect that there is someone out there who believes in something else contrary to our own beliefs. And that we have no right to tell them that theyre wrong purely on the basis of the teachings we've each received during our upbringing.
"Red devils
'Mourinho also admitted his surprise about fans' loyalty in Britain, highlighting the case of Sir Alex Ferguson's United, who were given a standing ovation at Old Trafford at the end of the season despite failing to win a trophy. 'I saw the Manchester United players and manager after their last home game go for a lap of honour after losing to us. 'If they had done that in Portugal they would have had bottles thrown at them,' said Mourinho. '
-------------------------------------------------------------
Its a good idea to keep in thought, just in case the red devils fail to win anything this coming season! I'd aim directly at Fergie whom i blame totally for last season's disaster. Poor selections and tactics almost the entire season. sigh."
'Mourinho also admitted his surprise about fans' loyalty in Britain, highlighting the case of Sir Alex Ferguson's United, who were given a standing ovation at Old Trafford at the end of the season despite failing to win a trophy. 'I saw the Manchester United players and manager after their last home game go for a lap of honour after losing to us. 'If they had done that in Portugal they would have had bottles thrown at them,' said Mourinho. '
-------------------------------------------------------------
Its a good idea to keep in thought, just in case the red devils fail to win anything this coming season! I'd aim directly at Fergie whom i blame totally for last season's disaster. Poor selections and tactics almost the entire season. sigh."
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