A Decision Gone Dreadfully Wrong

PPSMI: 'Declining scores prompted policy reversal'


KAMPAR: The command of Malaysian students in Science and Mathematics subjects have been on a steady decline forcing the Government to revert the teaching of the subjects to Bahasa Malaysia and other vernacular languages.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the Trends Report showed Malaysian students’ position in Mathematics dropped to 20 from 10 while Science went down from the 20th place to 21.
"Data showed that when English was not used to teach the two subjects 30 years ago, there was an increase in the number of graduates and professionals."
"And when it was changed in 2003, our students could not cope with the change in language," he said Friday.
Speaking to reporters after opening the Fifth Malaysia Festival of the Mind at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) here, Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said the ministry's records also showed a decline in the students’ ability in learning the subjects.
"If we continue, we will see double jeopardy and I do not want Malaysians to face problems later," he added.
Muhyiddin had on Wednesday announced that the subjects would be taught in Bahasa Malaysia or in the mother tongue in vernacular schools from 2012, while English would be given prominence by beefing up the teaching of the language.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/10/nation/20090710165700&sec=nation

Dear all sincere apologies for not posting anything new recently. Anyway, I know this has been an issue that has surfaced for months and there is no way i can impart any influence on, however due to the post i uploaded last year, I have to restate my statement.

Look at what our deputy prime minister is saying, we are changing for the greater good because results are on the backward trend. How on earth can this man be appointed if he does not even comprehend simple common sense? Results are declining because your standards are rising you imbecile pillock. What does it really mean when your students are scoring 2 dozen distinctions but could not face the challenge the world presents them with.

Look at the past, where our forefathers, or rather our fathers really embraced the Higher Certificate Examinations before the Mahathir era, getting a distinction is like scoring straight for today. However people of this generation usually converse in english with confidence and tend to have a stronger vocab base than you and I. Why? because they were educated the correct way.

And i have yet to come to the english bit yet. With the rest of the world trying to catch up with the global english "outbreak", we are going to allow the rest to move forward because our students are afraid of english. Come on people, when you have a disease you search for a remedy; ironically when you have weakness have a way to curb it. We have to confront the situation where by our students do not have a good command of the global language and instead of easing their pain towards their fear, inflict them with more. Additional hours of teaching english and consulting other country about their teaching method is utterly rubbish, waste of more public funds. I say you shouldnt be able to get your SPM certificate without have at least C6 for english, and for the part of the examination board make sure the paper is of Cambridge 'O' levels standard or higher. I am darn confident with the fear of not graduating strike into the pupils heart, they will have no choice but to take english seriously.

In the decision to revert teaching of science and maths back to Malay and other languages, I have nothing to say other than it is a decision to be regretted in the long run. With declining english standards our students are already suffering, having such help induced into their lives taken away, we are helping them to dig their own grave. Having personally gone through this malay system, studying abroad had made me realised how far i am behind and how much extra effort i have to put in. So remember those who are still having maths and science in english, you are given a previllage that neither the past nor the future can enjoy, so make good use of it

Must Visit

Well, it has been some time ago that I made a trip to Hong Kong, hence i revisited the pearl of the orient 6 months back, and found the truth between a true and fake gem. It matured and grew in value with time, so did Hong Kong.

Stark contrast laid before this archipelago of life, technology and tradition. With Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Lantau bustling with the modernities, the new territories set back to a pictures scene of the 80ths.

Still a foodies haven, as well as scenery junkie's Mecca, a trip there is really irresistible. As I always said, a picture speaks a thousand words, let it fulfil its potential.

Tai O fishing village, Lantau Island

Hong Kong Island taken from Kowloon

Expanded view Venetian Macau

The Venetian Macau

Hong Kong Tram Service

RM1000 Dim Sum Anybody?

RM 2000 Steamboat

Life in the High Seas

Life is so unpredictable, with each tide gushing into the shore and back to the abyss, destiny of our life clings on to the next tide we encounter. Well it has been really some time since i coughed out something for my blog, time to reflect upon the last two months. Destiny has waved its magic wands to me in the direction of a shipyard, and the spell has been cast for me to remain there for the next 4 months. And what a 4 months it will be, as i found out after working there for the first week.
The company in question is Jurong Shipyard Private Limited.
Expertise: Off Shore Deep Sea Oil Rig Construction
Location Singapore, Classified
Environment: Harsh, Hot and Humid
Learning Experience: Abundant
Well like I used to murmur, A picture speaks a thousand words, let it fulfil its purpose

Exercise in the morning is part of our job scope

Construction in full swing

Rigs side by side

Akan Datang!


PS:All Pictures Posted here are rights of Jurong Shipyard Pte Ltd

Unlawful usage of these photos will be severely punished.

A Car to Die For

Was it Wednesday or Thursday, hmmmm... Anyway i was prowing along the streets of Jalan Bukit Bintang near Ritz Carlton Hotel until a large crowd aroused my curiosity. Initial thoughts were some illegal gathering, but second thoughts after examining the dressing of those men, put my suspicion at bay. Fine men in fine suits surrounding something.


This was what I stumbled upon.

Maserati Gran Turismo RM1.1 million

Maserati Quattroporte 4.8L RM 1.3million

Man these cars are gorgeous. Beautiful pieces of engineering costing a handsome million each. Even the smell and touch of the interior feels a million quid.

First World Ambition, Third World Reality

3 years ago, while launching the new Low Cost Carrier Terminal in KLIA, our Prime Minister said that we are heading towards becoming a regional hub for low cost airlines and that we have a world class facility that cost over RM 200 million to cater for that purpose.

Well since the opening, i had not paid the facility a visit and was assuming that passengers going in and out are enjoying our hospitality. However reality spoke in honesty. When i finally decided to drop by, reality had never been so far away from what has been promised.

The entire terminal was dirty, messy, horrible, unbearable, terrible, dreadful, awful, appalling etc. etc. etc. All the words u could cough out of the dictionary that bears the meaning bad can be used as an adjective towards the KLIA LCCT. The following are just a few flaws that i manage to extract from this eye sore.

• Air condition was below par- Temperature at 30C

• The terminal was so crowded that passengers waiting had to sit on the floor.

• No proper sitting or waiting area for the passengers.

• Ventilation was so bad that exhaust fumes from aircraft seeped into the terminal.

• No proper signage in the Check in counters.

• The terminal was basically built out of zinc roof and God knows how much of the 200 million has gone into corruption..

• Construction was still going on and there was dust everywhere.

This is becoming like PUDURAYA bus terminal.

Air Asia's motto is Now Everyone can Fly. For the LCCT is NOW EVERYONE CAN DIE. For pete's sake MAHB have given Air Asia a pig's sty as an airport terminal. It not low cost, its basically no cost. So lousy was the terminal that i feel ashamed to be a Malaysian

Merry Christmas

After all my grumbling and mumbling about the Malaysian education system, lets look forward to this festive season. As a car freak, I would really love to have my own for Christmas, perhaps in 20 years time, maybe. Anyway many gorgeous looking road crawling machines have emerged silently recently and they all are really something special to have for this festive season.

Ferrari California

Nissan GTR

Aston Martin DB9

Porsche 911 GT3

Audi R8V10

Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4

Come on, realistically most of us wont have the money or the bravery to spend whats little left of us in one of those. So instead we should console ourselves and be contended with what we will most likely end up with

Perodua Myvi

Proton Saga

Or judging by the current financial and economical situation, and the unstable petrol prices, we are better of going back to the past, to where our ancestors pledged their trust to, or realistically speaking to the only thing we might be able to afford.

Bicycle

SO MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY, HOHOHO!!!!!!!!!!

Bleak Reality

Merry Christmas everybody. It was nearly a month ago since I posted anything, just to pronounce how busy I was. With FIVE datelines running near, two tests greeting this festive season, whats there not to like? Everything. Anyway through the last few postings, I was very critical and harsh on the Malaysian education system, or was it HONEST? This time though, its reality that we have to face studying in public institutions in Malaysia.


As I said before, the true reflection of the success in our education system could be found in university rankings, hence let me help with that.



2008 rankings Universities Country
1 HARVARD University United States
2 YALE University United States
3 University of CAMBRIDGE United Kingdom
4 University of OXFORD United Kingdom
5 CALIFORNIA Institute of Technology (Calt...United States
6 IMPERIAL College London United Kingdom
7 UCL (University College London) United Kingdom
8 University of CHICAGO United States
9 MASSACHUSETTS Institute of Technology (M...United States
10 COLUMBIA University United States
11 University of PENNSYLVANIA United States
12 PRINCETON University United States
13= DUKE University United States
13= JOHNS HOPKINS University United States
15 CORNELL University United States
16 AUSTRALIAN National University Australia
17 STANFORD University United States
18 University of MICHIGAN United States
19 University of TOKYO Japan
20 MCGILL University Canada
21 CARNEGIE MELLON University United States
22 KING'S College London United Kingdom
23 University of EDINBURGH United Kingdom
24 ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of T...Switzerland
25 KYOTO University Japan
26 University of HONG KONGHong Kong
27 BROWN UniversityUnited States
28 École Normale Supérieure, PARISFrance
29 University of MANCHESTERUnited Kingdom
30= National University of SINGAPORE(NUS)Singapore
30= University of CALIFORNIA, Los Angeles (U...United States
32 University of BRISTOLUnited Kingdom
33 NORTHWESTERN UniversityUnited States
34= ÉCOLE POLYTECHNIQUEFrance
34= University of BRITISH COLUMBIACanada
36 University of California, BERKELEYUnited States
37 The University of SYDNEYAustralia
38 The University of MELBOURNEAustralia
39 HONG KONG University of Science & Techno...Hong Kong
40 NEW YORK University (NYU)United States
41 University of TORONTOCanada
42 The CHINESE University of Hong KongHong Kong
43 University of QUEENSLANDAustralia
44 OSAKA UniversityJapan
45 University of NEW SOUTH WALESAustralia
46 BOSTON UniversityUnited States
47 MONASH UniversityAustralia
48 University of COPENHAGENDenmark
49 TRINITY College DublinIreland
50= Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de LAUSANNE...Switzerland
50= PEKING UniversityChina
50= SEOUL National UniversityKore a, South
53 University of AMSTERDAMNetherlands
54 DARTMOUTH CollegeUnited States
55 University of WISCONSIN-MadisonUnited States
56 TSINGHUA University China
57 HEIDELBERG UniversitätGermany
58 University of CALIFORNIA, San DiegoUnited States
59 University of WASHINGTONUnited States
60 WASHINGTON University in St. LouisUnited States
61 TOKYO Institute of TechnologyJapan
62 EMORY UniversityUnited States
63 UPPSALA UniversitySweden
64LEIDEN UniversityNetherlands
65 The University of AUCKLANDNew Zealand
66 LONDON School of Economics and Political...United Kingdom
67 UTRECHT UniversityNetherlands
68 University of GENEVASwitzerland
69 University of WARWICKUnited Kingdom
70 University of TEXAS at AustinUnited States
71 University of ILLINOISUnited States
72 Katholieke Universiteit LEUVEN Belgium
73 University of GLASGOWUnited Kingdom
74University of ALBERTACanada
75 University of BIRMINGHAMUnited Kingdom
76 University of SHEFFIELDUnited Kingdom
77 NANYANG Technological UniversitySingapore
78= DELFT University of TechnologyNetherlands
78= RICE UniversityUnited States
78= Technische Universität MÜNCHENGermany
81= University of AARHUSDenmark
81= University of YORKUnited Kingdom
83= GEORGIA Institute of TechnologyUnited States
83= The University of WESTERN AUSTRALIAAustralia
83= University of ST ANDREWSUnited Kingdom
86 University of NOTTINGHAMUnited Kingdom
87 University of MINNESOTAUnited States
88 LUND UniversitySweden
89 University of CALIFORNIA, DavisUnited States
90 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UniversityUnited States
91= Université de MontréalCanada
91= University of HELSINKIFinland
93= Hebrew University of JERUSALEMIsrael
93= Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenGermany
95 KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Scie...Korea, South
96 University of VIRGINIAUnited States
97 University of PITTSBURGHUnited States
98 University of CALIFORNIA, Santa BarbaraUnited States
99= PURDUE UniversityUnited States
99=
University of SOUTHAMPTON
United Kingdom



There is no Malaysian university seen here, or in fact you will have to scroll all the way to 250 before UKM appears. This is a justification on how "successful" our education system has been. Its absolutely amusing on how UM has dropped from 50 to 400 in 2 decades, and to the dear tax payers out there, remember you have been paying through your noses, having a sizable portion your hard earned income slashed to pay ministers who knows next to nothing and tarnish our once renowned education system.

What else we could foresee in this situation for the future, lets see University of Bangladesh overtaking us?? I foresee a bleak future to our leaders to be out there. With such appalling standards in our system, its a perfect breeding ground for rubbish in the society. I am so sorry for the kids who are bounded by this system, you are the brightest star with your light being diminished each day and your potentials being flushed down the drain. Hopefully there is a silver lining within the clouds for this bunch of true hopes.