Ah-Ha - Teaching English

It's time for you to polish your bloody English, boy !! Haha anyway this video is extremely funny thus...here it is.

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Islam mudah, tidak menyusahkan manusia

Oleh: DR. ASYRAF WAJDI DUSUKI

Islam merupakan agama yang mudah dan tidak pernah bermaksud menyusahkan manusia. Sebaliknya, kedangkalan manusia memahami Islamlah yang sering mengundang perilaku songsang segelintir umat hingga Islam tertampil bagaikan agama yang rumit dan banyak pantang larangnya.

Situasi sedemikian pastilah bertentangan dengan realiti dan tabii Islam itu sendiri sebagaimana yang dijelaskan Allah s.w.t.: Dan berjihadlah kamu pada jalan Allah dengan jihad yang sebenar-benarnya.; Dialah yang memilih kamu (untuk mengerjakan suruhan agamanya); dan Ia tidak menjadikan kamu menanggung sesuatu keberatan dan susah payah dalam perkara agama. (al-Hajj: 22).

Rasulullah s.a.w. ketika mengutuskan Muaz dan Abu Musa ke Yemen, turut bersabda: Sesungguhnya agama Islam mudah....permudahkanlah dan jangan kamu menyusahkan, sampaikan khabar gembira dan jangan membuat mereka lari. (Riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim).

Sebab itulah syariat Islam sama ada berkaitan ibadah (peraturan berhubung kait dengan hubungan antara makhluk dengan Tuhannya) mahupun muamalah (bersangkutan hubungan sesama manusia) tidak pernah meletakkan bebanan ke atas manusia di luar kemampuan dan kudratnya. Bahkan dalam ibadah umpamanya terdapat hukum yang dinamakan rukhsah yang memberi kelonggaran beribadah terutamanya apabila wujud kesukaran untuk menyempurnakannya.

Sebagai contoh, Allah mengharuskan berbuka puasa pada bulan Ramadan bagi yang bermusafir dan orang sakit. Begitu juga mengharuskan sembahyang jamak dan qasar bagi musafir, tayamum ketika ketiadaan air atau jika air mendatangkan kemudaratan dan pelbagai lagi.

Kesepakatan ulama terdahulu mengenai prinsip kemudahan dalam Islam inilah yang membentuk satu kaedah fiqah masyhur, ‘al-masyakkah tajlibu at-taisir’ yang bermaksud kepayahan membawa kepada kemudahan (Imam Al-Sayuti, Al-Ashbah Wa An-Nazoir). Berasaskan kaedah ini, para ulama menyepakati bahawa apabila seseorang berhadapan dengan situasi susah hingga menyukarkannya melaksanakan kewajipan syarak secara sempurna, maka kesusahan dan kesulitan itu menjadi sebab untuk dia mendapat kemudahan dan keringanan dengan cara dipermudahkan pelaksanaannya dan dibuangkan kesusahan yang melanda.

Berdasarkan prinsip ini jugalah, isu-isu berkaitan dengan muamalah maaliah atau urusniaga kewangan telah banyak dapat diselesaikan oleh ulama kontemporari terutamanya yang bersangkutan dengan kekangan semasa. Sebagai contoh, senario dunia pelaburan masa kini umpamannya, amat sukar untuk umat mendapatkan pelaburan yang seratus peratus bebas daripada unsur-unsur haram seperti riba.

Hakikat ini juga pernah dinyatakan Rasulullah dalam sebuah hadis: Akan tiba suatu masa pada manusia, di mana semua orang terjebak (memakan) riba. Ditanya, “Apakah semua manusia?” Jawabnya: “Yang tidak langsung makan akan juga terkena debunya. (Riwayat Ahmad, Abu Dawud dan An-Nasa‘i).

Menyedari realiti inilah, ulama kontemporari berpendapat bahawa adalah harus untuk melabur dalam syarikat yang beroperasi di dalam aktiviti perniagaan yang bercampur di antara unsur-unsur halal dan haram. Dengan syarat, aktiviti utamanya adalah halal tetapi terdapat sedikit sahaja unsur haram dalam operasinya.

Sebagai contoh, sebuah syarikat perladangan yang aktiviti utamanya memasarkan produk perladangan halal tetapi turut memperoleh pendapatan faedah daripada simpanan tetap (fixed deposit) dalam bank konvensional. Maka dalam hal ini, Majlis Penasihat Syarak Suruhanjaya Sekuriti Malaysia memutuskan bahawa seseorang itu tetap dibenarkan melabur dalam syarikat perladangan tersebut selagi mana nilai perolehannya yang berunsur riba tadi tidak melebihi 10 peratus daripada keseluruhan perolehan syarikat.

Ketetapan ini berdasarkan prinsip yang dinamakan ‘umum balwa iaitu suatu kaedah yang memaafkan sebahagian daripada unsur haram yang amat sukar dielakkan terutama dalam senario dunia perniagaan kini yang tidak boleh lari daripada elemen riba secara total. Imam As-Sayuti dalam bukunya Al-Ashbah Wa An-Nazoir turut memperincikan prinsip ‘umum balwa sebagai salah satu sebab yang membolehkan kelonggaran diberikan berpandukan kaedah syarak ‘kepayahan membawa kepada kemudahan’.

Demikianlah hebatnya Islam yang merungkai pelbagai permasalahan dan kekangan yang dihadapi umat dalam melaksanakan tanggungjawabnya sebagai khalifah Allah di muka bumi. Sebarang kesulitan dan kepayahan yang dihadapi tidak wajar dijadikan alasan untuk curang terhadap Allah sehingga melanggar segala batasan syariat.

Apa yang paling mustahak dalam mengaplikasikan instrumen syarak yang cukup luas ini, aspek warak atau takutkan Allah harus mendominasi pemikiran dan sikap kita dalam bermuamalah. Sikap warak inilah yang akan membentengi umat daripada sebarang bentuk penyimpangan, pelampauan mahupun keterlanjuran hingga mungkin terjerumus ke dalam kancah menghalalkan yang haram dan mengharamkan yang halal. Waiyazubillah.

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Top Gear on Korean & Malaysian Car

Enjoy the clip mate !!

PART I

PART II

Besto Regardo,
I really love watching Top Gear.Jeremy Clarkson and his buddies render something about car from different perspective...and good entertainment as well.Hahahaha LMAOL!Cheers all...


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I smell something fishy....Is it a sign ?

Aku tidaklah begitu arif tentang perihal dunia politikus tetapi aku tidak juga begitu bodoh untuk tidak mengambil tahu langsung mengenai perkembangan semasa di tanah air.

Sejak kebelakangan ini, tidak dapat tidak untuk aku mengakui akan hakikat terdapat kecenderongan di kalangan pengamal media massa di tanah air untuk berlumba-lumba menyiarkan liputan berita yang berkisarkan sentimen perkauman.

Bukanlah tidak wajar langsung bagi mereka untuk menghidangkan berita yang menyentuh isu perkauman tetapi agak ironi kerana sebelum ini, berita yang seumpamanya bagaikan sesuatu yang taboo untuk diperkatakan secara terbuka apatah lagi dengan pantang larang yang ditetapkan oleh pihak-pihak tertentu.Kononnya atas dasar memelihara perpaduan kaum.Adalah tidak wajar juga bagi kita untuk menafikan hak kewartawanan di kalangan pengamal media namun apa yang berkocak di peta minda, meruntun persoalan di naluri hati aku ialah,"Kenapa secara tiba-tiba,sejak baru akhir-akhir ini sahaja khalayak dihidangkan dengan berita yang berkait sentimen perkauman".Adakah udang di sebalik ketam atau ini merupakan percaturan pihak tertentu untuk memastikan kepentingan mereka terjamin.Aku dapat menghidu sesuatu yang tidak kena...i can smell something fishy behind...Fikir-fikirkanlah.

Pada mulanya, kita dikejutkan dengan pendedahan tentang video lagu Negarakuku yang didendangkan oleh Meng Chee, pelajar Malaysia yang berasal dari Muar dan kini menuntut di Universiti Taiwan.Aku berkesempatan menatap video muzik tersebut di Youtube dan seharusnya aku perlu bersikap jujur dangan mengatakan bahawa aku agak terpesona dangan nyanyian Meng Chee.Sedap..sememangnya sedap suara dan irama rap yang didendangkannya...lebih slurrppp dari duta Maggi tanah air.Tetapi bakatnya yang hebat itu mengundang kontroversi dan celaan dari kalangan disebabkan beberapa rantaian lirik yang tidak enak didengar.Aku berpendapat, agak kurang matang bagi Meng Chee untuk mempersoalkan tentang beberapa isu berkaitan agama tetapi adalah lebih tidak matang pemikiran sesetengah pihak yang kononnya terbakar jiwa mereka dek penangan Meng Chee itu sehinggakan mendesak agar hak kewarganegaraan Meng Chee dilucutkan dangan seta merta meskipun yang telah membuat salah sudah mengakui akan kesalahannya dan meminta maaf.Aku juga sedikit kaget kerana isu yang sebegini tetap kencang dikipas dan disajikan setiap hari bagaikan ianya merupakan suatu bencana besar yang melanda negara dan lebih mengancam berbanding isu-isu 'panas' lain yang seharusnya lebih diberi perhatian yang sewajarnya dalam pembentukan sebuah negara yang 'cemerlang, terbilang, gemilang dan...'

Belum pun habis isu Negarakuku, menyusur pula berita 'panas' tentang HINDRAF (Hindu Rights Action Force) yang bersuara menyatakan bahawa nasib kaum India di tanah air tidak diberi perhatian dan pembelaan yang sewajarnya.Kemudian timbul pula pelbagai berita-berita panas lain seperti tuntutan pihak pemuda parti politik MCA agar projek-projek dan tender kerajaan di buat secara terbuka,penghapusan Dasar Ekonomi Baru, kes "Penternak babi di Alor Gajah diberi kata dua" oleh KM Melaka,isu sebuah akhbar berbahasa Tamil, Makkal Osai yang menyiarkan gambar Jesus sedang memegang sebatang rokok dan satu tin bir pada muka surat depan,dan pelbagai lagi isu yang berkaitan tuntutan dan permintaan sesuatu kaum ke atas hak mereka terutamanya dalam aspek pendidikan dan ekonomi serta celaan sosial.
Who messed up and ignited the bloody mayhem in the historical fold of the country.What was behind the mostly traumatized event.I bet you not a single Malaysian has a gut to scrutinize and divulge the facts or whatsoever pertaining 13th May 1969.Kua Kia Soong ? He is not Malaysian!.The professor is Singaporean, just in case he was unknown to you.Do you think today's Malaysian youngsters have any idea about 13th May ? I doubt that and i think most of them don't wanna give a shite about it.

Mengapa isu-isu sebegini datang menyerang secara tiba-tiba bertubi-tubi bak tsunami melanda negara pesisir Lautan Hindi suatu ketika dahulu? Adakah ini merupakan suatu petanda bahawa ikatan permuafakatan antara kaum di Malaysia masih ampuh meskipun negara bakal meraikan hari kemerdekaan jubli emasnya tidak berapa lama lagi atau adakah ini semua hanya sandiwara pihak tertentu yang sememangnya akan menggunakan taktik yang sama acapkali menjelang pilihanraya umum.Ini bukanlah kali pertama,bahkan ia seolah suatu kelaziman apabila menjelang pilihanraya umum, gendang perkauman akan dipalu sekuat dan sekerap yang mungkin.Khalayak khususnya orang Melayu akan ditakutkan seolah hak-hak dan kehidupan mereka akan terancam dengan berita-berita dan tuntutan yang agak agresif oleh kumpulan-kumpulan yang mewakili kaum tertentu.Rakyat digertak dengan api perkauman yang sememangnya suatu yang sensitif untuk dipersoalkan secara terbuka dan membuta tuli.Sigh...I hope there is no hidden agenda behind all these exposure.

Namun apa yang pasti, kita mengharapkan tanah air ibu pertiwi akan sentiasa dirahmati oleh kuasa hakiki yang Maha Esa.Kita mengharapkan kemakmuran,keadilan,permuafakatan ,kemajuan dan keutuhan jatidiri maruah rakyat akan termakbul di bumi bertuah,Malaysia.

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Fahami 5 mitos, salah tanggapan pasaran saham

# Pasaran saham ialah kasino!
Tidak, pasaran saham BUKAN kasino. Melabur dalam saham pada dasarnya berbeza daripada berjudi. Membeli saham atau stok mewakili pemilikan dalam sesuatu syarikat dan memberikan hak kepada pembeli menuntut hak terhadap aset syarikat dan berkongsi keuntungan syarikat.
Selalunya, pelabur berfikir bahawa membeli saham adalah cara untuk mencuba nasib dan mendapat keuntungan dengan cepat. Tanggapan ini salah.

# Hanya untuk orang kaya
Tanggapan ini tidak tepat kerana sesiapa saja yang mempunyai pengetahuan pelaburan yang baik dan sedikit wang simpanan boleh melabur dalam pasaran saham.
Pelabur berjaya bukan mereka yang kaya, tetapi mereka yang menggunakan maklumat dengan berkesan dan mendapatkan bantuan daripada golongan profesional berlesen untuk membuat keputusan berdasarkan maklumat.

# Masa paling baik untuk melabur ialah ketika pasaran ‘bull’
Ketika pasaran ‘bull’ atau ketika pasaran sedang naik dan aktif, bukanlah satu-satunya masa paling baik untuk melabur.
Berbekalkan maklumat yang baik dan pemilihan saham yang teliti, pelabur boleh membuat keputusan pelaburan yang baik pada bila-bila masa saja, sama ada ketika pasaran ‘bull’ atau bear (apabila pasaran jatuh dan tidak aktif).

# Mustahil melabur tanpa ‘maklumat panas’
Walaupun tanpa ‘maklumat panas’ (hot tips), pelabur masih boleh membuat keputusan pelaburan yang baik jika mereka melakukan penyelidikan sendiri.
Pelabur mesti memahami dengan jelas mengenai pelaburan mereka dan tidak bergantung hanya kepada maklumat panas.
Sekiranya pelabur tidak mempunyai pengetahuan atau mempunyai hanya sedikit pengetahuan mengenai pelaburan, lebih baik jika mendapatkan khidmat nasihat penasihat pelabur. Pastikan mereka mempunyai lesen yang sah.

# Beli saham harga murah ketika pasaran ‘bullish’
Membeli saham harga murah ketika pasaran ‘bullish’ (bullish market) dengan harapan harganya akan naik ketika pasaran sedang ‘bullish’ bukan satu strategi pelaburan yang berkesan. Strategi lebih baik ialah membeli saham syarikat yang mempunyai asas yang baik pada harga berpatutan.
Ini kerana harga adalah hanya satu bahagian daripada pelaburan saham.

Jangan keliru dengan konsep pelaburan nilai (value investing). Ini bukan bermakna membeli saham apa saja syarikat yang harga pasarannya sedang menjunam, seperti kata pepatah lama Wall Street, “Those who try to catch a falling knife will only get hurt”. Pelaburan nilai ialah membeli saham syarikat berkualiti tinggi yang dinilai rendah oleh pasaran.

Sumber: Perbadanan Pembangunan Industri Sekuriti(SIDC)　sidc@sidc.com.my atau layari laman web Pelabur Malaysia di www.min.com.my.

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Endurance Test in Nara...yeah why not ?

A great journey starts with the first step.Yup that's what people say.Well, in my case, it turns out to be "A great journey starts with a couple of SMS".

A good buddy of mine, Imai Taro (Well he has nothing to do with Ultraman Taro though)would never cease of asking me to join him for any occasion that sparked in his brain. Last Tuesday, he sent me the first SMS as invitation to join him cycling up to the 931 meters Mount Rokko. I'd really love to give a nod for any outdoor stuff kinda of but the fact is, it was too bloody hot out side nowadays.Gosh natsu in Japan is hell hot.

Anyway eventually we did ascending Mt. Rokko but with our arse sitting in his Wagon R.We sealed mutual concession that instead of bringing along my mama charinko, i should take book or something readable. So i decided to get with me the book that i am in the midst of - "人を育てるトヨタの口ぐせ" or in English simply translated as "Toyota Jargon".I bet you, this book is one damn fantastic bible for anyone to grasp about Toyota Management style and easy to comprehend since the Japanese language applied are not that complicated.Good for gaijin !



When we arrived at one spot on the mountain, it felt rather chilly.We were lucky since it was a clear day thus big part of Kansai region- covering Osaka metropolis,Kansai Intl Airport until the city of Kobe, was visible.There were crowd of people and tourist which attracted much of our attention.Haha 美人をさがせ～。

After enjoying the beautiful scenery,we landed at one cafe shop.Apart of having cafe latte and cappucino, much of our time spent on reading and chatting.On that occasion, Imai asked me about my plan for summer holiday."Well nothing particular dude".I replied."Hey is there any place you wanna go in Japan".Followed Imai. He suggested Shikoku, Wakayama, Gifu, Takayama to me.I didn't really mind much so i left to him to decide and the day after....we shot to Gojyo-shi.Without proper planning, i hope to find something extraordinary at Gojyo.We arrived at Gojyo eki at around 4 pm and the journey was damn hot and exhausting.Imai dictated that we go to the MontBell youth hostel-our temporary ghetto, on foot.God...can't you see it's bloody burning! Anyway walking we did...for about 3km under the heating sun.
Montbell at Gojyo Youth Hostel.I'll put other pictures next time if, Imai generously handed me some of his collections
We spent only a night at the hostel.I must say the hostel was quite nice and valued for the money we paid..3900 yen each per night.There, it was the first experience for me getting into the public bath and ofuro.いっすね。。全裸で～。On the first night, we spent most of our time on reading.それぞれの本に夢中。。興味しんしんだったな。でもさ、良い事のは俺らの部屋の隣にめっちゃいいカップルがいた。彼女はすげい美人でセクシ～。うわあああ鼻血でちゃうよ。

Next day we got up quite early at about 8 am.After having breakfast,we packed our stuff and checked out at 10 am yet we decided to spend some extra time there...still.Nevertheless, Imai and i had nothing to do..so to kill the time, each of us took out the book and slowly....until at one point,we decided to stop reading and do something else.

Actually MontBell is a very well known brand for the outdoor activity.Therefore there were numerous kind of activities provided for visitor to join, experience and challenge.They have rafting, canoeing, or kayaking in Yoshino river, mountain biking, cycling, trekking and so on.Due to cost constraint, we decided to take the cheapest option - cycling, that cost us 400 yen each.Upon received the bicycle, we travelled as far as we could along the Yoshino river.I must say it was a very memorable experience and i did enjoy the beautiful scenery of the unspoilt nature.It was awesome and truly remarkable view.The only slack was the heating sun.It was vehemently hot and we did really test our endurance in the adventurous trip.

We departed form Gojyo for Osaka at around 3:30 pm.The train we boarded didn't even have air cooler but ceiling fan instead.Gossh..unbelievable in the state of Sakura.But that's what we experienced.

Thank god that we made our way safely and i'm really looking forward for another voyage..next plan; perhaps to have a bite of sanuki udon at shikoku, and autumn at Kamikochi in Shinshu. Honma iiideee~
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A most peculiar language

OVER A CUPPA WITH HOO BAN KHEE

ENGLISH is the most global language of all; it is used not only by the people of the former British Empire, but also by international organisations.

It is not the easiest language to master. Its spelling system is sometimes idiotic and its pronunciation, illogical. But, admittedly, it is one of the most well-developed languages in the world. Because it is so widespread, the language tends to take on a life of its own, with peculiar variations, once it has taken root in a particular nation or region that is not its country of origin.

Of course, the standard for good English is still BBC English, but that is rarely spoken today, even in London, except among upper-class people.

Elsewhere, native English rules. There is American English, which is slightly different from Australian English which, in turn, is quite different from Indian English. And none of them resembles BBC English or the Queen’s English. But the variations can be charming, even endearing, to those who speak and understand the lingo in question.

Malaysia, too, has her own variation, which we all know as Manglish. To master Manglish, you have to speak like a rapidly-firing rifle and spice up your sentences with lahs, mehs and lohs.

Not all English-speaking people can understand our brand of English. But give them time and they might just be charmed by it.

In Singapore, Singlish – as spoken by Phua Chu Kang – prevails despite Lee Kuan Yew’s tremendous efforts to promote standard English.

The Japanese, Koreans, Taiwanese and mainland Chinese tend to imitate American English, which does not go down well with South-East Asians, who speak mostly with a British accent. The feeling is mutual. While they find our English awkward, we find theirs jarring to the ear.

Frankly, Manglish is unique. Some of the common expressions we use daily are baffling to those not quite used to our style. There are instances when we are guilty of “murdering” or abusing the English language because we fail to grasp the correct meaning of certain words.

I remember a brief conversation with an old Englishwoman while I was waiting for a bus, during my short stint in London years ago. She asked me where I was going. I told her I was going “marketing” and showed her the shopping basket I was carrying.

“Oh, you mean you are going shopping,” she corrected me politely. Marketing, she added, would mean promoting and selling goods in the market.

I thanked her but deep down in my heart, I said to myself: “Hey, back home, we all go marketing every day. Anything wrong, meh?”

My other linguistic encounter was in the Lake District, England, where I once took my family for a holiday. There are beautiful lakes and picturesque hills, with quaint little hamlets and charming farmhouses, some of which have been turned into B&B-style accommodation for tourists.

We went up the meandering mountain road to soak in the panoramic views and inhale the crisp mountain air.

Later, we met a group of elderly tourists, with whom we engaged in small talk. I expressed how much we had enjoyed the refreshing view. “We even went mountain climbing!” I said excitedly.

“Oh, that’s mountain-walking. You don’t do mountain-climbing here,” one of them said pleasantly. I was rather baffled.

I later learned the difference between mountain-climbing and mountain-walking.

Malaysians are in the habit of ending a sentence with lah, mah, man, one and loh. These are local expressions assimilated into English, which give it a local flavour. The use of the words is so ingrained in us that even when we are on business trips overseas, we spill the words out spontaneously. We presume that everybody will understand what we are saying.

Not quite. Try it and if you find your listeners knitting their brows in intense concentration, trying to understand what you are trying to say, it’s time to step on the brakes.

First, slow down. Most of us speak too fast and pay little attention to pronunciation. Second, try to economise on the use of typical Malaysian words such as lah, loh and meh for the sake of the untrained ear.

However, when you are in a foreign land and feel a little homesick, it is exciting to hear Manglish. It evokes a feeling of brotherhood. You want to get closer to the people speaking it and find out more about them. Are they students, tourists or Malaysian expatriates? Hey, what are you doing here? Where is your kampung, man?

Languages evolve. We don’t write and speak the way we used to decades ago.

Along the way, we have dropped many words which we found to be unfashionable or incongruous to our present-day lifestyle. And we have coined or borrowed words that are more in tune with the times.

The language used for smses is an excellent example of this even though purists must be hopping mad with the way we corrupt the language. But then languages are living entities; they grow. We adapt and borrow words from other languages. New words are coined every day while old ones, which do not fit in, just die a natural death.

So there’s nothing wrong with our lah, loh and meh. We are just being creative. We are waiting for the day when such words are included in the Oxford Dictionary, alongside words like “amok” and “kowtow”.

Only then can we say that English is a truly global language.

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10 panduan untuk melabur di pasaran saham

ANDA ingin melabur di pasaran saham tetapi tidak tahu caranya? Di sini diberikan panduan ringkas.

Langkah 1:
Lakukan ‘ujian kewangan kendiri. Analisis objektif kewangan, kekangan (halangan) dan ketahanan terhadap risiko. Tanya diri sendiri sama ada anda sudah bersedia dari segi kewangan untuk melabur di pasaran saham? Jangan sekali-kali meminjam untuk melabur di pasaran saham kerana sentiasa turun naik, anda boleh kehilangan wang yang dipinjam.

Langkah 2:
Syarikat broker saham anda dan wakil peniaganya (remisier) mesti dilesenkan Suruhanjaya Sekuriti (SC). Untuk semakan, layari lawan web SC di www.sc.com.my atau hubungi 03-6204 8000 (Jabatan Pelesenan).

Langkah 3:
Bagi membolehkan anda melabur di pasaran saham, anda perlu membuka akaun CDS (Sistem Depositori Pusat) dan akaun dagangan di syarikat broker saham anda. Akaun ini adalah untuk kegunaan eksklusif anda. Jangan benarkan sesiapa, termasuk wakil peniaga anda menggunakannya untuk urus niaga mereka sendiri.

Langkah 4:
Ketahui produk yang diurusniagakan di Bursa Malaysia. Buat penyelidikan dan dapatkan maklumat secukupnya dari segi ganjaran dan risiko serta cara melabur dalam produk terbabit daripada wakil peniaga anda. Anda boleh melawat laman web Bursa Malaysia di www.bursamalaysia.com atau laman web Pelabur Malaysia di www.min.com.my untuk mengetahui lebih lanjut mengenai produk pelaburan yang ditawarkan.

Langkah 5:
Pelajari prosedur urus niaga. Gagal memahami sepenuhnya mengenai prosedur urus niaga boleh mengakibatkan kerugian yang disebabkan kesilapan teknik. Minta wakil anda menjelaskan kepada anda.

Langkah 6:
Ketahui mengenai syarikat yang ingin anda melabur. Sebelum melabur, buat penyelidikan terhadap syarikat yang anda bercadang untuk membeli sahamnya. Kenali syarikat itu dengan membaca prospektus, laporan tahunan dan artikel dalam akhbar. Keputusan pelaburan anda mestilah berdasarkan maklumat. Elakkan khabar angin (tips).

Langkah 7:
Berikan arahan yang jelas. Arahan anda kepada wakil peniaga mestilah jelas. ‘Fifteen’ (15) lot dan Fifty” (50) lot bunyinya mungkin sama di telefon. Berhati-hati kerana di pasaran saham, komunikasi yang tidak betul boleh menyebabkan anda mengalami kerugian yang banyak.

Langkah 8:
Semak nota kontrak anda. Selepas anda berurus niaga, semak dengan teliti setiap nota kontrak sebaik saja anda menerimanya. Jika terdapat sebarang kesilapan, hubungi syarikat broker saham anda dengan segera untuk membuat pembetulan.

Langkah 9:
Pantau pelaburan anda. Jangan biarkan pelaburan anda tanpa dipantau. Perkara yang anda tidak ambil peduli itu mungkin nanti boleh menyusahkan anda.

Langkah 10:
Penuhi tanggungjawab dan laksanakan hak anda! Sebagai pelabur, anda mempunyai tanggungjawab untuk dipenuhi dan hak untuk dilaksanakan. Tanggungjawab yang dimaksudkan ialah sebagai pemegang saham sesebuah syarikat. Jangan mengabaikannya. Pelajari lebih lanjut mengenai tanggungjawab dan hak anda dengan melayari laman web Pelabur Malaysia secara percuma di www.min.com.my.

Jika pembaca mempunyai sebarang persoalan mengenai pelaburan (saham atau amanah saham), sila ajukan ke sidc@sidc.com.my atau layari laman web Pelabur Malaysia di www.min.com.my.

SIDC sebelum ini adalah cabang latihan dan pembangunan Suruhanjaya Sekuriti Malaysia yang dikenali sebagai Pusat Perkembangan Industri Sekuriti.

Sumber daripada: Berita Harian

Besto Regardo,
To me the best and fastest way to learn is to get a good mentor who has proven track record in the said field.

以上です。

Letter to a Young Malay Professional

M. Bakri Musa and Din Merican

Dear Khairul:
We are touched that you feel comfortable asking us for advice, considering that we have not met you except virtually through this wonderful medium of the Internet. Yes, modern technology is bringing the world together, reducing distance to irrelevance.

We congratulate you on your MBA. It is undoubtedly a major milestone in your life journey, besides being your entry into the world of business. The analytical and other skills you have learned are applicable beyond the field of management. Management after all is concerned with getting things done through people, and about leadership.

You are also now well prepared to benefit from your future experiences. Experience is a great teacher, but only to those well prepared, otherwise you risk drawing the wrong lessons. As that great surgeon William Mayo of Mayo Clinic fame observed, some surgeons repeat the same mistake a hundred times and call that experience. Ask their patients what they think of that!

We applaud you for another reason. You had the humility and wisdom to recognize early that your bachelor’s degree was just the beginning and not the end of your intellectual journey. Far too many feel otherwise; they presume to know everything upon getting that parchment paper. They stop learning. A presumptuous few even feel that they could lead a billion-dollar corporation or advise the prime minister just because they received their first degree from a prestigious university. Then there is preening graduate who mistook his in-laws’ adoration as an endorsement to lead the nation!

Our culture contributes much to these inflated expectations. We generously refer to a leader with only a first degree as an “Islamic scholar.” Never mind that he has nothing original to his credit. Another with a general degree from a provincial university is proudly touted as a “British-trained economist.” There is not even a trace of embarrassment with that extravagant assertion. Our culture is generous to a fault!

It may surprise you that one measure of quality for American universities is the percentage of their graduates who go on to graduate and professional schools. Your professors have imbued in you the right values by your furthering your studies. You are ahead of many of your compatriots, even those from august institutions who somehow missed being educated during their undergraduate years.

Awesome Responsibility of Advising

We are uncomfortable with dispensing personal advice; the burden of responsibility weighs heavily on us. Once when one of us was advising his nieces and nephews, his mother gently admonished them, “Do not listen too much to your uncle, you may end up marrying a foreigner and leaving the country!”

While we may be shy in giving you personal advice, we are not at all hesitant in recollecting our experiences, the paths we had chosen, and the choices we have made in the hope that they might be useful to you. Both of us have similar aspirations and perspectives for our people and country. We are comfortable with where we are. We may not have nor do we aspire for the trappings of success normally associated with our culture. In relating our experiences, that is our caveat for you.

Both of us are of the same generation and gone through similar experiences growing up. Our paths diverged dramatically only in adulthood. Din hails from rural Yan, Kedah, and lived for many years in Alor Setar before proceeding to Penang Free School. His detractors refer to him derisively as a mamak. Bakri is still at heart the kampong boy from the royal town of Sri Menanti, Negri Sembilan, base of the matrimonial adat perpateh society. That gives special meaning to the term “kampong.” It is less a geographic description, more a state of mind, as in “plebian.” Thus in addressing members of the royalty, we refer to ourselves as “Patek hamba!” (Slaves).

Din attended the University of Malaya in the early 1960s. It was a reflection of the caliber of that institution at the time that when he went for his MBA in Washington, DC, he excelled. He returned and worked for such outstanding personalities as Tun Ghazalie Shafie at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tun Ismail Ali at Bank Negara and later, Sime Darby, the eminent economist Agoes Salim of Bank Pertanian, Tun Mahathir when he was at FIMA, Tun Tan Siew Sin (Sime Darby), and Indonesia’s dynamic entrepreneur Aburizal Bakrie and his top manager Tanri Abeng.

Bakri went to Canada and became a surgeon. After a stint in private practice there, he yearned for something more than having a dog, station wagon, and a house in the suburb, and decided to return. However, after nearly three years in the service of the Malaysian government, he discovered that he had fewer headaches when he stopped banging his head against the bureaucratic wall. So he left.

That brief description does not do justice to Bakri’s tenure in Malaysia. It was his most satisfying experience professionally, in part for the privilege of having participated in training some of the nation’s future eminent doctors and surgeons. Bakri also remembers fondly Tan Sri Majid Ismail, the pioneering orthopedic surgeon and later, legendary Director-General. Unfortunately, Tan Sri retired soon after Bakri came aboard. Earlier while Bakri was still in Canada, the late Ungku Omar who was then Dean of Medicine at UKM, encouraged Bakri to pursue research. Sadly Ungku Omar died before Bakri returned. His career might have taken a different path had he came back sooner. However, we do not speculate on paths not pursued.

Our commonality is our outstanding mentors early in our careers. They set the bar high, and quickly shaped our personal values and work culture. Luck played a role, but we also chose to be under such exemplary individuals.

We chose carefully for another reason. We did not feel that we could influence much less change the surroundings so early in our careers. We never underestimated the inertia of the status quo. Once we had some solid experiences, only then did we become assertive. Where we could not change, or if we felt we were compromising ourselves too much by staying, we did not hesitate to leave.

Choose Carefully

Be prudent in your early career choice. Join a multinational corporation, and your talent and hard work would be nurtured and well rewarded. Pick the civil service, and you would quickly acquire the bodek culture, the obnoxious habit of “sucking up” to your superiors. Be active in UMNO Youth, and soon you would be adept at racial taunting and obscenely brandishing your keris.

We see too many bright and idealistic young Malays who are intent on changing UMNO only to be changed by it instead. To us, that is a tragedy; to them, an advancement.

We look in dismay at many young Malay professionals rushing to climb the administrative ladder at the expense of their professional development. When Bakri taught young surgeons he insisted that they first concentrated on polishing their surgical skills and publishing a few papers before being distracted by rapid administrative promotions. Once they took on administrative chores they would be literally consumed by the bureaucracy.

Politics is another great seducer of young Malay talent. We look askance at one neurosurgeon, still a rarity for our community, readily giving up his hard-earned career for opposition politics!

It is praiseworthy that our brightest and talented aspire to lead the nation. However, before they contemplate that, they should first prove themselves by excelling in their chosen profession or enterprise. Anything less and they would be disrespecting their fellow citizens.

We tell our adult children that they would have to create for their employers at least twice their salary in the value of work: one half to cover their pay and the other half for other overhead. Anything less and you would be a burden to your employer, or, as kampong folks would say, makan gaji buta (lit. Eating a blind salary). In our faith, that would also be haram.

No one can guarantee you your job security; only your clients and customers can do that. Ketuanan Melayu (Malay hegemony) notwithstanding, the world does not owe you a living; our leaders are misleading our young to have them think otherwise. There is no substitute for competence, integrity, and hard work.

Finally, you can make a difference. The individuals Din and Bakri served were driven by their strong conviction that they could make a difference. And they did. There were also individuals of exceptional competence and uncompromising integrity whose personal examples spoke louder then their words. They demonstrated best the leadership ideals of our prophet, s.a.w.,: quadrat hasanah (leadership through personal example).

Again, congratulations on your MBA, and best wishes in your chosen career.

(Din Merican is a senior research fellow with the Cambodian Institute of Cooperation and Peace. He was recently named an adjunct professor of global business strategy and a board member of the newly formed University of Cambodia , Phnom Penh. Din Merican had worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bank Negara Malaysia and Sime Darby.)

Resource from: Malaysia Today

Besto Regardo,
Afterall, it's on you to decide my pal...it's your life.

以上です。

Obon Yasumi....one week celebration

Yeehaaaww...the much awaited summer holiday has come at last.

So what's your plan pal? I don't have any.Just wanna chill down and relax for the whole one week.Need some refreshment, i suppose.

Basically, Japanese would consume this once a year seasonal golden opportunity to converge the families and their old folks, spending days at the beach, enjoying 夏祭り(Summer Festival)and 花火(Fireworks play）.

As for me...naahhh　nothing particular. My time is my own for this few coming days hence i'll try to spend it wisely. Running in the park every one?

Well..Happy Yachumi everybody.Hopefully i'm lucky to encounter many cute girls '美人' with their kimonos or yugata..extra ordinarily lovely.

以上です。

The Truce declared in Langkawi

Following the cancellation of the 'Crooked Second Link Bridge' project perpetuated by current premier's administration and varied dilemmas haunting the fate of Proton, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad has been frequently condemning and furiously criticizing Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.It has become public's acknowledgment since then.

However, seems like the wind has changed its direction suddenly.The harsh noisy 'Hard Rock' beats has been switched to the cool and steady 'Contemporary Jazz'.The two above mentioned figures had likely declared a truce during both presence in an event pertaining to the 'Langkawi International Dialogue' which held in the legendary fabulous island recently.

What i could see, the unexpected outcome has sent us a signal.The signal tells us that the General Election is imminent.It would be anytime soon that the parliament and all state assemblies in Malaysia are dissolved by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong upon the advice of the Prime Minister.

Certainly Mahathir and Pak Lah would spare awhile their bickering to ensure that National Front which is leaded by UMNO, is in solid form and undivided in order to secure the landslide victory achieved in 2004.Of course Mahathir was harsh against Pak Lah on certain issues but to concluded Mahathir is going to walk with opposition parties, holding hand in hand to fight for his unsatisfactory against Pak Lah is just another amateur's daydream.


Besto Regardo,
Still could recall the song..."Marilah mari, pergi mengundi, jangan lupa kewajipan pada negara.." And the another one would sounds like this.."Bersatu kita bersatu...lalala lalalala lala..." Ops sorry, that's only all i can remember.

以上です。

Dilema umat dan sinar Islam

Dikatakan bahawa Islam semakin berkembang dan mendapat tempat di kalangan 'Japanese' dan 'Korean'.Di Jepun tidak dinafikan bahawa terdapat bangsa Jepun muslim tetapi yang pasti sebahagian besar daripada Muslim di Jepun adalah daripada bangsa asing yang menetap dan bermaustatin di sini.Di tempat kerjaku, hanya aku seorang Muslim namun apa yang menarik ialah mereka, 'Japanese' menghormati hak aku sebagai seorang Muslim.

Sebelum keberangkatan ku ke Jepun lagi, mereka telah mneyakinkan aku supaya tidak perlu risau apabila tiba di sini kerana segalanya akan disediakan dan diberi perhatian yang sewajarnya.Bilik solat khas,hak menunaikan solat ketika waktunya dan menu yang menepati citarasa Muslim, telah disediakan dengan baik sekali.Aku sangat bersyukur.

Aku harap Islam akan menyinar dengan lebih terang di bumi Sakura yang bertuah ini.Bagi aku, apa yang bagus tentang orang Jepun ialah mereka tidak akan menerima sesuatu secara bulat-bulat tanpa sebab yang kukuh dan rasional.Segala persoalan logis "Kenapa, bagaimana, mengapa," dan sebagainya akan dikemukan tentang Islam lantaran bagi mereka untuk memahami Islam yang sebenarnya.Inilah sifat 'reasoning & practical' bangsa Jepun yang aku sanjungi berbanding orang Melayu kita (termasuklah empunya diri ini muhaha) yang biasanya membuat sesuatu tanpa memahami secara mendalam hakikat dan sebab musabab sesuatu amal.

Sebagai contoh, orang kita amat takut untuk menyentuh anjing (walaupun Poodle yang comel itu), menjauhi makanan berupa daging yang tidak disembelih secara Islam, mengatakan itu haram ini haram secara tegas, tetapi apabila disoal "Mengapa, kenapa" dan sebagainya pasti tidak ramai yang dapat memberi jawapan yang jelas,meyakinkan dan tepat.Jawapan biasa yang hanya mampu dihamburkan ialah, "Kerana telah diarahkan oleh tuhan, kerana tertulis dalam Al-Quran, kerana ditegah oleh agama". Inilah kelemahan umat kita yang hanya hebat dan gah dalam beramal (secara membuta tuli) tetapi tidak dalam berfikir.Kita hanya mampu berhujah secara 'suku masak' dan ini pastinya tidak akan memberi sebarang makna.

Perlu diingatkan bahawa sikap jelik umat kita yang lebih kepada sindrom "Buat sajalah, jangan banyak soal..Kalau dah Islam kata haram tu, haramlah,cakap banyak buat apa!" menyerlahkan lagi kebobrokan dan kebodohan kita sebagai pengikut yang buta tuli seperti lembu dicucuk hidung.Sikap seperti inilah menyebabkan berlakunya pembrontakan dan penolakan orang Eropah kepada sistem gereja dan Kristian pada zaman pertengahan lantas mencetuskan kebangkitan zaman "Enlightenment" dan "Reason".Sikap kejumudan yang mengetepikan hakikat berhujah untuk menyuraikan kekeliruan dan kegelapan sebaliknya untuk mencari kebenaran telah menyebabkan kemunduran kukuh mencengkam nasib umat Islam ketika ini.

Aku yakin Islam itu sendiri tidak rela sekiranya umatnya hanya gah dan bising dalam mengharamkan itu dan ini, mengkafirkan orang itu dan ini, mencemuh bangsa itu dan ini, beramal secara membuta tuli tetapi tidak disertakan dengan hujah yang kukuh dan logis.Justeru apakah yang menjamin kita untuk berupaya berhujah secara telus dan bijaksana, tidak lain dan bukan daripada ilmu yang hak berserta amalan berfikir dan bersoal.Sama-samalah kita fikirkan.

Menafikan hak bersoal, menyampaikan pendapat dan bersuara adalah suatu tindakan autoritarian dan ini ternyata bercanggah dengan prinsip Islam itu sendiri yang menggalakkan sikap berlapang dada dan terbuka.Di Malaysia terutamanya, ada dikalangan ustaz dan orang agama yang akan menempelak apabila disoal "Mengapa dan Kenapa". "Ustaz kenapa kita diharamkan daripada....", maka tidak kurang di kalangan 'orang-orang agama' ini akan membalas seperti "Kalau Islam dah kata haram tu..haramla. Kalau awak banyak soal menunjukkan awak tidak yakin pada ajaran Islam".
Bagi aku, sikap sebegini yang ditunjukkan oleh sebahagian umat kita adalah kerana mereka sendiri tidak begitu yakin dan memahami Islam secara mendalam tetapi malu untuk mengakui akan kejahilan diri sendiri.Budaya sebeginilah yang menyebabkan umat Islam sekarang tidak mampu mencerna idea-idea yang bernas,tidak mampu berfikir secara logis,tidak mampu berhujah secara bijaksana, tidak mampu berinovasi dan merekacipta,mundur dalam arena sains, teknologi dan industri, dan kesimpulannya, hanya mampu menjadi umat pengguna dan bukan pencetus.

Tidak kurang juga yang akan menyanggah sekiranya dikaitkan Islam dengan penemuan saintifik.Mereka mempersoalkan mengapa sesuatu yang ditulis di dalam Al-Quran dan diriwayatkan dalam Hadis perlu dikaji dan diselidiki akan keberkesanan dan kebenarannya.Mereka lebih rela dan suka sekiranya umat ini hanya menjadi umat yang mengikut saja seperti lembu dicucuk hidung.Aku yakin...dan sememangnya aku yakin dengan sepenuh hati aku, bukan inilah yang di citakan oleh Islam.Siapakah pengkhianat dan penghancur Islam itu sendiri? Adakah mereka dikalangan bukan Muslim atau dalang sebenar yang mengikis budaya-budaya intelek itu adalah dikalangan orang Islam itu sendiri.Ayuh marilah kita sama-sama berfikir..dan bertindak untuk mengubah fenomena yang sudah lama membarah agar umat dapat bergerak maju ke hadapan menjadi umat yang progresif dan makmur, inshaallah.

Besto Regardo,

Buah fikiran yang tidak seberapa ini tercetus sementelah aku sering bergaul dan bertukar pendapat dengan rakan-rakan sekerjaku, bangsa Jepun.Aku pasti, sekiranya bangsa Jepun ini ramai yang mendapat hidayah memahami hakikat sebenar Islam, maka sinar Islam akan lebih terserlah kerana mereka ternyata memiliki sikap,budaya,cara berfikir dan mentaliti yang sangat baik.(Sememangnya model & tauladan daripada sikap bangsa Jepun telah diakui dunia). Go go Nippon...!!

以上です。

Mengimbau kembali perkembangan Islam di Jepun

Disunting daripada rencana yang ditulis oleh DATUK MAZLAN NORDIN

DALAM simpanan tukang catat ini sejak beberapa tahun lalu ialah sebuah al-Quran yang dicetak di negara Jepun. Pada sebelah kanan setiap muka ialah ayat-ayat suci dan pada sebelah kiri terjemahan dan penjelasan dalam bahasa Jepun.

Kitab suci itu dicari semula dari rak buku setelah membaca berita berulang mengenai orang-orang Islam di Korea Selatan berdoa supaya kira-kira 20 orang awam Korea yang ditawan oleh askar Taliban di Afghanistan tidak diapa-apakan.

Kerana, orang-orang Islam bangsa Jepun dan Korea berupa golongan minoriti di negeri masing-masing. Keterangan mengenai mereka yang diperoleh dari Wikipedia, ensiklopedia bebas mungkin berguna bagi kita.

Pertama mengenai Islam di negara Jepun. Hubungan pertama dengan orang Islam ialah dengan orang-orang Melayu yang bekerja sebagai kelasi kapal-kapal British dan Belanda lewat abad-19. Sebelum itu, lewat 1870, buku riwayat hidup Nabi Muhammad telah diterjemah ke bahasa Jepun. Dengan itu, agama Islam dianggap mengambil tempat dalam imaginasi intelek bangsa Jepun.

Satu lagi yang dianggap pertemuan penting ialah pada tahun 1890 manakala Turki pemerintahan Uthmaniah mengirim sebuah kapal ke Jepun sebagai membalas secara hormat lawatan seorang putera diraja Jepun ke Istanbul beberapa tahun sebelum itu.

Orang Islam Jepun yang pertama menunaikan fardu haji ialah Kotaro Yamaoka yang memeluk agama Islam pada tahun 1909 dan mengambil nama Omar Yamaoka manakala pergi ke Mekah.Hmm..tidak menghairankan sekiranya orang Jepun selalu tersalah faham bahawa budaya orang Arab itulah Islam.Kalau hendak menjadi Muslim perlu menjadi seperti orang Arab.Inilah yang perlu diterangkan secara jelas kepada mereka bahawa Islam itu bersifat sejagat..'universal'

Seorang lagi bernama Bunpaciro Ariga yang berniaga ke India dan memeluk agama Islam setelah berkenalan dengan orang-orang India Islam. Beliau kemudian mengambil nama Ahmad Ariga.

Pelarian Islam

Masyarakat Islam muncul di negara Jepun dengan ketibaan ratusan orang Turkoman, Uzbek, Tajik, Kirghiz, Kazakh dan lain-lain pelarian Islam dari Asia Tengah dan Rusia, iaitu akibat revolusi komunis. Mereka diberi perlindungan oleh Jepun dan selanjutnya bermastautin di beberapa buah bandar.
The opening of the Tokyo Mosque, May 12, 1938. Present are Abdürreid Ibrahim, in the center; seated next to him is Admiral Ogasawara Chsei. Reproduced with kind permission of Müge Isker Özbalkan, great-granddaughter of Ibrahim.
Dengan lahirnya masyarakat kecil Islam itu, beberapa buah masjid dibina. Yang utama sekali ialah Masjid Kobe pada tahun 1935 dan Masjid Tokyo pada tahun 1938 (diperbaharui pada tahun 1990-an).

Dalam masa Perang Dunia Kedua pula, makluman mengenai agama Islam tersebar luas di negara Jepun dan di kalangan pusat-pusat penyelidikan mengenai Islam dan dunia Islam. Lebih 100 buah buku dan majalah mengenai Islam terbit di negara Jepun.

Sebenarnya terbitan-terbitan itu bukan untuk memperkenalkan Islam, tetapi untuk membolehkan pihak tentera lebih mengetahui mengenai Islam dan orang Islam. Ini kerana wujudnya masyarakat Islam yang ramai di China dan Asia Tenggara yang ditakluki oleh tentera Jepun.

Pada tahun 1970-an, pelbagai maklumat mengenai Islam tersebar, iaitu selepas “krisis minyak tahun 1973.” Dengan itu ramai orang Jepun mendapat kesempatan melihat gambar-gambar orang Islam menunaikan fardu haji di Mekah dan mendengar bacaan-bacaan ayat suci al-Quran serta suara bilal melaungkan azan.
Sebilangan orang Jepun kemudian memeluk agama Islam ketika itu dan kemudiannya ‘puluhan ribu’.
Aktivis Muslimah di Jepun

Hingga baru-baru ini, masyarakat Islam paling ramai di negara Jepun ialah orang Turki. Lalu disebut bahawa sebelum meletusnya perang, orang Jepun bersimpati dengan warga Islam di Asia Tengah yang antikomunis.
Sebilangan lagi masuk Islam setelah berkenalan dan berdampingan dengan mereka manakala tamat perang.
Sebilangan pemandu pesawat-pesawat angkatan udara Jepun dilatih mengucap dua kalimah syahadat jika ditembak jatuh dan ditawan oleh orang-orang kampung.
Menurut yang empunya cerita, beberapa orang yang berbuat demikian terkejut melihat orang-orang kampung berubah sikap mereka.

Jelas bahawa serangan Jepun di China dan negara-negara Asia Tenggara merapatkan hubungan dengan orang-orang Islam. Mereka yang masuk Islam menubuhkan, pada tahun 1953, organisasi Islam yang pertama di bawah pimpinan seorang bernama Sidiq Imaizumi. Bilangan ahli seramai 65 orang Islam bertambah dua kali ganda beberapa tahun kemudiannya.

Bilangan sebenar orang Islam di Jepun tidak begitu jelas kerana kerajaan Jepun tidak bertanya mengenai agama dalam borang-borang banci dan lain-lain dokumen rasmi. Bilangan mereka ditaksirkan kira-kira 70,000 orang, iaitu 90 peratus warga asing dan 10 peratus Jepun.

Sukar untuk menemui buku-buku berkaitan Islam di kedai-kedai buku Jepun

Terjemahan al-Quran dalam bahasa Jepun belum diedarkan secara meluas. Pelbagai tulisan mengenai Islam tidak jual di toko-toko buku atau diperoleh di perpustakaan awam.

Demikian serba sedikit mengenai Islam di negara Jepun.

Besto Regardo,

Islam is universal.Being a Muslim doesn't mean you have to dress,eat and live like Arabs.This is what many of us and moreover non-Muslims' misinterpretation pertaining Islam itself.

以上です。

Around the world for honeymoon in 604 days

Hong Ju-won, The Korea Herald Publication


When Koo Whan-hoi was photographing the sunrise in Istanbul in December 2003, three dogs jumped up and bit through his thigh. The fear of having rabies prompted him to think twice about what he truly wanted in life.

"Rabies is said to be deadlier than Aids. Thinking I may not have much time left, I asked myself what I wanted to do," said Koo, the author of the book Crazy Honeymoon 604.

Some people might say his decision to quit his job as travel journalist, get married and go on a 20 month trip around the world with his wife could be the very symptom of the disease (if insanity is one of them.)

Koo married Park Jin-young in May 2005 and they went on their journey the following month. Park was delighted with Koo's honeymoon plan and jumped at the opportunity.

"Who doesn't like to travel? You have to think simple and just leave," Park said. At the announcement of their departure, both of their mothers responded by fainting. But the couple remained unyielding and set off to explore 40 countries in 604 days with only 43 million won (about $46,800).

Koo with his stubble and Park without any makeup stand out among the busy bees around the City Hall. They are now back home to tell the stories of their very long honeymoon.

The platter of Peking duck on the table at a Seoul restaurant seemed to make them reminisce of the days when they were in China. Koo said Peking duck is the most well known, but there are better delicacies in China. Once, they recognised the Chinese character standing for pig on a menu and ordered the dish. However what came out didn't look or taste like the pork back home. After stripping the bones clean, the two assembled the skeletal remains. It formed a figure of a tail. Park didn't fail to add that pig's tail is nothing in Chinese cuisine.

The couple thought English would take them around the world. It did until they hit South America. When body language met its limits, they nestled in Guatemala for a week for a crash course in survival Spanish. When asked what one needs to know in order to survive, they replied: "Agua (water) and muy caro (very expensive)."

They said a traveller should pack an altimeter. When they were driving up Karakoram (a mountain dividing China and Pakistan) they experienced the four seasons change. It started off steaming hot, then it started to drizzle then sleet, and at the peak of the mountain there was a snow storm. The plants and animals also changed as the altitude rose. As they experienced their atmosphere change within a matter of minutes, they couldn't help to wonder "how high up are we?" They regret they didn't have an altimeter so they suggest it for a traveller's must-have item.

When their lengthy journey around the world came to an end, Koo said he was excited to return to his jobless life in Korea. This was possible because he learned how to appreciate the smile of a little girl in Laos, chai made from the pond waters of India and the crystal clear sky of Uyuni, Bolivia. Park said that "If you know how to find happiness you can be dauntless wherever you are in the world," Park said. So even though their lives in Seoul were unplanned, they knew they were going to be happy.

In Italy when the couple lost a bag which had their camera, PC and other personal belongings, they were devastated at first. Later they felt it was unnecessary luggage and grew to be more comfortable without it. It would be wise to live the way they travelled, discard the luggage we own called worries and travel light in life.

以上です。

Wealth creation versus inflation

WHEN defining wealth, reports usually refer to it as the accumulation of resources. Individuals are said to be wealthy when they are able to accumulate substantial and valuable resources of goods and/or assets. Net worth is the most common expression of one’s wealth.

In Malaysia, wealth is acquired either via inheritance or generated from earned income, with the latter often associated with entrepreneurs, businessmen and professionals.(Of course what transpired here is through decent ways not by ill gotten ok!)

Wealth creation is the key to financial freedom and building one’s wealth requires having the right information, planning and making skilful investment choices.

Having executed this, the result would be having enough financial resources at one’s disposal to enjoy a blissful retirement and ensuring a prosperous future for one’s children and heirs.

Creating wealth is no doubt the aim of every Malaysian. However, research shows that many admit they do not take a proactive approach nor do they have in place a strategy to build wealth.

Survey shows that Malaysians tend to only start planning or be actively involved in building wealth for retirement at the age of 45, when it becomes apparent that the funds saved will not be sufficient to provide for their retirement.

The perception among many Malaysians is that their discretionary savings, together with their retirement funds from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), would be sufficient for their retirement and their children’s needs.

One of the most common factors contributing to this mindset is that they often find the financial world complex and as such, tend to opt for the simple route – leaving their money in the bank in the mistaken belief that it will generate sufficient returns.

Interestingly, an individual often forgets the effect of inflation and how it impacts on their savings. For example, if a daily meal today costs RM20, in 20 years it will cost RM64 – this is on the assumption of inflation of 6% per annum.

If one forgets the effect of inflation and do not utilise their assets to generate a return higher than the rate of inflation, there is a possibility that the value of their wealth in terms of spending capacity at retirement could be smaller than what it is today.

One of the ways to avoid this is to engage in the process of compounding.
Compounding is the process of reinvesting one’s investment returns in the hope of generating higher earnings. In effect, the longer an individual leave the compounding process in action, the more money they will have – it’s literally that simple.
It has been described as the eighth wonder of the world because it is the most effective tool in helping build wealth, and yet it’s often overlooked by most.
To illustrate the impact of time and compounding, two types of investors are being featured:

# Smart Saver invests RM250 per week starting at age 25 until retirement at 65.

# Late Saver saves RM250 per week starting at age 35 until retirement at 65.

In this example, there is an assumption of a 10% rate of return and that all earnings are re-invested.

The chart shows that in the end, Smart Saver has accumulated the most, with over RM588,370, or 159%, more than Late Saver, and this is purely due to the effects of time and compounding returns.

To replicate the success of the “Smart Saver”, one of the first lessons to learn is to understand that wealth creation is not easily achieved. One needs to be disciplined as well as persistent to be financially sound now and in the future, not just for oneself but for their future generations as well.

In executing this, always remember the famous saying: “You don’t have to be wealthy to be an investor but you need to be an investor to be wealthy”.

Besto Regardo,

My advice to ya'll is pretty simple. Start saving early. When i say "saving" i don't mean to save your money by just putting it into your piggy box or conventional bank, but to save it for investment.And the best if you could generate huge cash at the early age and dump most of'em in your investment. That will be too damn delicious buddy.Many financial advisors are telling that, at least put away 10~20% from your earning for saving and the rest can cater for expenditure but...hehe what i have been practicing since adolescent age is totally contradicting.If Black Eyed Peas have their song saying PUMP IT, i have mine which sounds as DUMP IT..Ooh yeah.So what are you waiting for pal..dump'it..dump'it.As long as not remp'it. Cheers !!

以上です。