Does Re-training Help Jobless Graduates?

Wahlau, Such English!

As usual, the government claims that almost all their students in the SL1M programme got a job on leaving it.

Pray tell, what jobs?

We don't want any mickey mousing? Comprede?

Also, do a transparent tracker study and see how many were retained by their employers.

Wahlau! Such Spelling!

While the government trumpets in cacophony , the private sector are more muted in their responses.

A Malay legal firm tells about poor communication skills, particularly in English, among these graduates and once they do not contribute effectively to the firm, they will be given the walking papers.

How man? No Speak English;No Job!

Again, how many of them will be underemployed, using their lesser certificates to get jobs at fast food joints and 24-hour convenient stores?

Yes, also GLCs may be forced to accept them as national or social service.

I see almost a whole generation who will be English-deficient. Many thanks to the myopic politicians we have.

So,who are we kidding?

SL1M is so slim! So are its possible chances of success.

Verdict: Shockingly sickening!

Home Tuition-Early Signs of Progress

Tuition for Students

I must be having bad to mediocre students.

I could be having undisciplined learners who are difficult to teach.

Or may I am just unlucky to be saddled with lazy bums as my students.

Looking back at my teaching history, there was some joy when I taught voluntarily for the church.

During my Berjaya University College days, I like most of the students because they do try hard.

The Form Four student was an uninterested and disinterested student. She left on her own accord.

My stint at the tuition center at Section 14 was just bad luck since I was saddled with a class more than 40 students which was pretty hard to control.

At Aman Suria, I felt the students being rich spoiled brats, were not there to learn but to socialise.

For my students at home, the first brother and sister pair was just incorrigible as they were rich kids and think that it was the job of their parents to leave them a legacy even if they are poor in their studies. Thankfully they got out on their own.

The second brother and sister pair were again rich kids from an international school and the brother was from a  private school. They possibly wanted me to go to their house to teach. Failing which they got another teacher. Que sera sera.

My current stint with a tuition center is manageable as the classes are small. Only issue-they pay a paltry sum and waste my week-ends.

I had this two sisters who also came to the house for tuition. The first is now in college while the second is still under my tutelage.

I see improvement particularly in her writing skills though she has still  has to improve on her vocabulary.

Abracadabra!

Tender mercies.

Some good feelings at last.

Patent Drafting-Not Everyone's Cup of Tea

Patent Drafting Do's and Don'ts

Once there is novelty in an invention or innovation, protection will be required if it has commercial value.

It is mostly a time-consuming and costly affair if the government or institution does not lend a hand.

While in the past, this will drain an inventor's savings, today the government and institution, understanding the need to protect such R&D outputs for the national good, have started to contribute to its protection not only in the home country but abroad as well.

This year, I was indirectly and inadvertently roped into this business of patent drafting. Not the virgin drafting per se but in the editing of the English to ensure its precision and specificity of claims.

Patent drawing

Patenting could be seen as easy on the outset. However, not everybody can draft.

Two ingredients are required. The scientific knowledge behind the invention and innovation; and two-the command of English to ensure precision of drafting in an expressive manner to ensure no ambiguity of claims.

My experience has shown that though the drafters may have knowledge on the invention or innovation, they stumbled in drafting the patent with precision as they lack  good command of  written English. Poor vocabulary led to the choice of wrong words and poor structuring can cause ambiguity both in description and claims.

My difficulty is not in the English language but more so to appreciate the invention and innovation as the original inventors see it for most unskilled drafters may be describing it too loosely or may even be off the message that the patent intends to carry for the purpose of registration and protection.

No easy thing, this patenting business.

A Evening Walk in Setia Mall

Dimmed Lighting by Green energy

As we happened to be in Setia Alam, we visited the Setia Mall.

This mall is a green mall powered by solar energy.

After all, it had begun to rain and we need shelter and some good dinner.

Pulling in the crowd

There was some good shopping at the mall especially with the newly opened H&M and its competition Uniqlo.

Drawing in the younger set

Interesting, the crowd was not too bad for a Saturday night and they seems to have purchasing power too.

Still packing them in

Walked around at the food outlets and finally settled for Manhattan Fish Market.

We ordered a Seafood special pasta, a dory in Mediterranean style with rice and a platter of their fried dory with fries.

Seafood

The pasta was great but the other dish were so-so.

Cost us RM 63.00. Not too bad.

Went to Starbucks for a Java chip and a black coffee before leaving for home.

One of those rare days when we got back to PJ at 11 pm.

Johore-PR's Fervent Wish-wash?

Jewel in the Crown of BN

PR has been gunning for this jewel in the crown.

Johore has 3 million population where 60% are Malays. There are 21 state constituencies and 74 Felda stations.

They did not do well in the last GE.

A Balancing Act in 13th GE?

While the urban states saw keen fight between the DAP  and the MCA-Gerakan front, semi-urban constituencies were tough nuts for both the Keadilan and PAS contenders.

For these areas, the more important aspects are:

• Did the PR made inroads by reducing the majority votes of the UMNO candidates during the last GE?

• How many areas which were rural has become suburban since the last GE?

• How many youths are there in these hot marginal seats won by UMNO? 

These three aspects will be the key indicators whether PR can take away UMNO seats particularly in the Felda stations.

Mission Partial Impossible?

PR's prayer.

Get 35% of the current UMNO voters to swing over especially youths. Old Felda pioneers may still stick to their loyalty mindset for UMNO though some may be persuaded by their children to shift side as they are exposed to the internet stories of woe and ignominy that is driving down UMNO and MCA. Also the ubiquitous cellular phone with its SMS  capability and the portable DVD machines and DVDs can again be used menacingly against the BN as it has been used in the last GE by varsity students who encamped on the FELDA stations and traditional kampungs .

The PR is very confident of winning urban seats as MCA and Gerakan are already on the way to their political mortuary not because of the strength of DAP but because of the implosions and would-be sabotages that will be taking place against their candidates as the polls gets near.

PAS seems to be exceptionally positive about  having a good fight in 50%-50 % areas of Malay-non-Malay characteristics or even in 60%-40% of similar type constituencies. They, however, see FELDA and FELCRA areas are quite insurmountable because of the old guards or guardians of UMNO that have control over these areas. These are especially obliged to UMNO for the many goodies they have received for a long while sans the current political developments and controversies surrounding UMNO party leaders in Kuala Lumpur.

PAS is hoping that the younger generation, particularly the second and third generations in these insulated and closeted constituencies will help to overcome the "bridge too far" to help PAS and Keadilan take over these constituencies on their march to Putrajaya. Are these expectations valid?

BN diehards and Swing Voters

The average PAS commentator does not see that rosy picture. They are still pessimistic of FELDA and FELCRA stations. To them accessing these stations physically has been difficult in the past because of the stranglehold held there by UMNO loyalists.

For them strategically, it is best to place more hope on the traditional kampong voters working on their small-holdings, padilands and dusuns.

Still they are hopeful for an upset to take place in Johore in their favour this time around.

While the PR is hopeful that  70% support from the state’s Chinese community which make up over 35 per cent of Johor’s population will likely vote Opposition, it is interesting to note that UMNO itself  is not too confident of their BN partners breezing into victory in the urban constituencies.

The last count:

25 out of 26 Parliament seats went to BN.

50 out of 56 State Assembly seats went to the BN.

Can PR do magic this time around?

Where are the three witches that predicted for Macbeth and Banquo?

Can we enlist them to crystal-ball for PR?

Bad Drivers and their Bad Mentors

A Bad driver

The worse thing about a bad driver is that they don't believe they are so.

They would mentor you wherever they may be seated; beside the driver or even in the backseat hollering one command after another.

Giving them fine pointers of driving is like giving a flower to a gibbon.

Don't Want to Learn

The same goes for a newbie driver who is wont to learn.

Not only are they slow inept drivers but they just shut themselves out from good advice.

No wonder the roads are full of bad drivers these days.

They won't learn;that's why!

Equaliser,Re-equaliser and Stabiliser

Looking for God

Just a train of thoughts.

The world is unkind.

So, we seek an equaliser to ensure there is justice for us.

We seek God.

We then find peace.

Satanic reversal?

Once that takes place, the dark forces will play the  re-equaliser  role to put us back to square one so you will suffer again. You called these adverse forces, challenges.

Ending it all for peace?

So, you pray again for a stabiliser.

So, will God triumph over Evil?

Ponder in faith.