Hey, people. I have decided to terminate this blog (to abandon this blog actually) as I have formed a more professional one at http://donovanleesh.blogspot.com. Lol. Thanks for your continuous patronage and I hope to see you in my new blog.
Have a nice day! =>
My goals in life are always impermanent, having unrealistic and highly ambitious thoughts until I reach my current stage in life. Lol. I would not touch on those foolish goals anymore as I have finally found something which is still considered as ambitious by most people, yet achievable provided that I put in more effort towards realising them.
I would like to pen them here, which serves as a constant reminder and enable me to not stray from the path, since one of my weaknesses is my interests never last. I’ll try my very best to stick to these goals and I pray that I can achieve them at the end of the day.
My Bachelor’s degree would be the deciding factor in whether or not my goals are achievable. The first goal to be accomplished is to graduate with a CGPA above 3.00 and in the next 2 years. The minimum duration of completing my studies is 4 years but I had committed certain errors which would make me extend an additional year. However, 4 years is still reachable as long as my application to do 26 credit hours in the next semester is approved.
For the information of those who are not from my faculty, the students have to pass all the core papers in the first 3 years before they are allowed to proceed to the final a.k.a. the professional year. Hence, if you fail a core paper, say in your 3rd year, you will have to re-sit for that sole subject for the whole following academic year as the core papers last for 2 semesters. Cruel isn’t it? Well, if you look at the bright side of this regulation, it would enable students to grasp all the areas of law (most of it actually) before they set their sight on professional practise in the final year.
Back to my first goal. Let’s presume that my application to do 26 credit hours is approved. It would not be easy for me either as I would have continuous hours of lectures and tutorials to attend from morning till evening. Attending them is simple, as the challenging part would be to remain conscious (awake.. lol) throughout that duration and gain some knowledge (the rest is at your own work), not forgetting the preparations for tutorials, tonnes of assignments, etc. It certainly takes a gutsy man to survive through that ordeal. (Lol. I cannot afford to procrastinate any longer).
I’ll have to make one of my batchmates, Aishah ‘Little’ (nickname due to her size) as my role model since she managed to pull trough the previous academic year with an above average result (well, once again, the average result for my batchmates is within the ‘C’ category.. =P) with more or less the same amount of credit hours. Kudos to her! =) I don’t think that I will have problems in obtaining the minimum grade to pass the papers, but what I really hope to achieve is to attain at least a B+ in all the core papers scheduled, so that my current CGPA (slightly below 2.5.. i know, it’s seriously bad and unexpected for many.. lol) can be increased to above 3.00. (Wish me luck as I need an abundance of them!) =D
If you can still recall my first goal, the main reason why I need at least a CGPA of 3.00 is that I would be able to register for my Master’s degree without having any working experience qualification (in case I want to do my Master’s first before working). If you have done some research, you would know that people who intends to further their studies with a CGPA below 3.00 for their first degree would need some working experience in order to do so. (I’m unsure of the private colleges though).
Probably the next question that comes into your mind is why do I want a Master’s degree. You see, I may end up in the legal fraternity (practising lawyer, legal adviser/consultant, majistret? lol, etc.) which would definitely earn me big bucks in the long run, but I rather choose to work for an international NGO (or is it body?) i.e. the United Nations based in a foreign region (my preference would either be Geneva or New York) which provides far lesser income.
I have been checking out the vacancies in the UN for some time, and I understand that one of the many qualifications would be to have an advanced university degree, even for the position of an ordinary officer. Besides that, a hopeful applicant also needs to have at least 7 years of working experience in the related field for that same position! (Pheww.. it’s not easy to be a part of the UN).
The next question is which occupational group in the United Nations would I want to be in? There are 27 groups to choose from, but after slashing off unrelated groups to my field of study, the remaining ones are civil affairs, electoral affairs, human resources, human rights, jurists, legal affairs, political affairs and social affairs. Well, my one interest which remains intact till now is human resources.
Nonetheless, the occupational group would still be dependent on the Master’s degree which I take and there pops up another question i.e. which Master’s degree would I choose? Frankly, I have not decided on this matter but I have listed down 3 potential ones which are Master of Laws (LLM), Master in Public Policy (MPP) and Master of Public Administration (MPA). One thing in common among the 3 degrees is they are all offered by UM. I still prefer to take my master’s in UM as the course fees are definitely lower than private colleges, the short distance from home (it’s 32 kilometres to be exact.. lol) and the life convenience which has already been developed. Well, it would be great also if I can further my studies in a foreign top-notch university, but the cost of it hinders me from doing so.
How would I be able to get the years of working experience then? My plan is this. I’ll graduate (hopefully) in 2010, do my chambering for 9 months thereafter so that I can get my license to practise law (the safest way just in case the UN career does not work out), find for a job in a legal firm say for 4/5 years, then take a year off to do the Master’s degree and apply for the UN job after that. In the meantime (working period), I would also take up language courses i.e. French and Spanish, to boost up my chances of being accepted into the United Nations.
Having said so, the most important thing for me to focus on now is my Bachelor’s degree as the rest can be discussed later. I must ensure that I acquire at least a second-upper class degree and in the minimum duration of time spent.
As for my love life, I would temporarily put it on hold and let things develop naturally as time passes. I realise that it’s somehow pointless to chase after it (awakened? lol). Don’t get me wrong. I would definitely love to live a happy family life but then, career comes first. When it is settled down (my future career with UN hopefully), then only I’ll get myself tied with that commitment.
Another thing for sure is I do not want to live the rest of my life in Malaysia! Lol. I hate the political scenario at the moment and future perhaps, with no capable ones to be the next Prime Minister.. be it Najib or Anwar. Malaysia will not be my dream country anymore (unpatriotic? treachery? =P) and I’ll not waste my effort for this country. There are a lot of things which I want to start a new in a foreign country and I’m definitely looking forward to Switzerland.
Till then. =>
Published on May 27th, the Sun.
Discrimination, insulting and degrading. These are the words which I would use on the people who claimed that the local graduates are worse than their foreign counterparts. How can there be different salary payment scales for the former and latter? Aren’t all of us humans who obtained a scroll for a Bachelor’s degree? What happened to Article 8(1) of the Federal Constitution which provides for equality before the law and equal protection of the law?
Being an undergraduate in University of Malaya, I am willing to vouch for my peers that we are equally capable, productive and competitive. Gone are the days when we were tagged as lack of communication and problem-solving skills, critical thinking, proficiency in the English Language, etc. It is the perception and mind-set of the society at large, particularly the employers, that the local graduates are still in the category of what I had just stated.
This is totally unjust and unwarranted as all of us deserve a second chance of having a new outlook. By saying so would also demoralise and hamper the numerous efforts put in by the university officials and ourselves to prove that we stand equally tall. For those who criticised us, you will be surprised when you gaze at our curriculum and extra-curricular activities which is no less better than the ones in a foreign university.
I do not deny the fact that there may be some undergraduates in the local universities who are less competitive, but that is only a small percentage of us. This is probably due to the justification that not all local undergraduates are as privileged as their friends. They are from a dissimilar background, thus rendering them with less exposure as compared to those who hailed from an urban origin or a well-to-do family. Nevertheless, they do possess advantages such as determination and strength, be it mentally or emotionally, and they would certainly succeed provided that they are given a chance by everyone.
Last but not least, to all my comrades out there, we have to prove ourselves to the society that we do have all the necessary qualities to compete and survive in the working world. I believe that it is only time which will tell all. Until then, the society must stop from having the perception that foreign graduates are better than the local graduates.
I always wanted to write on this topic but I could not find time or in other words lazy to do so. Lol. Dr.Mahathir’s escalating accusations toward Pak Lah seemed to reflect upon his past administration which he is either ignorant of or he presumed that everyone else is as forgetful as him. I always had my utmost respect for him, being the ‘Father of Modern Malaysia’, till the day he decided not to retire gracefully. Hence, the question of whether should we be grateful to him arose. Coincidentally, I found a post in RPK’s Malaysia Today which I think has answered the question above. The following is the exact unaltered copy except for the spacing and bolding of words in order for it to look inviting. (Donovan is anti-plagiarism! Lol) =>
By S. Ali Mahmud
In
my last week article entitled ‘Poor Invalid Dictator’, I encountered a
comment about being grateful to Mahathir for all the developments he
had brought into the country. As much as I like to agree, I would more
incline to agree to disagree.
Before
I dwell further, perhaps it is interesting to remind ourselves about
how this man by the name of Mahathir remained as the country’s Prime
Minister for more than two decades. One must not forget that how this
man manipulated the democratic system of this country to ensure that he
continues to be the leader of this country for the previous 22 years.
Based on my recollection, when he was the president of UMNO, which
technically made him president of the National Coalition party and
hence the Prime Minister of this country, he barred anyone from
challenging the presidency in UMNO. Thus, in reality, this man’s
premiership is autocratic in nature and technically speaking, he was
not really the leader the people of this country desired.
His
appointment as Prime Minister aside, when Mahathir assume the role as
the leader of this country, it is his responsibilities then to ensure
that he was able to administer this country in accordance to the wishes
of the people. Whether or not he did that over the last 22 years of his
administration, I would rather all of you be the judge as the facts
would speak louder than what I write in this letter. Top that, whether
or not we Malaysians should be grateful to him, on personal basis, I
would so NO! I do not owe him any gratitude rather I think he ought to
be grateful that despite his atrocities during his ‘reign’, the
Malaysian public are polite enough to not incarcerate him. In that
sense, Mahathir should be grateful to us, fellow Malaysians!
As
a matter of fact, we should no longer feel indebted towards our
leaders. In a democratic country, leaders are ‘paid employee’ of the
citizens of that particular country. They are therefore required to
carry out whatever that are mandated to them by their boss. Similar to
the concept of company, shareholders are actually the bosses of a
company, thus creditors would go after the shareholders when a company
is in liquidation and not the management. Management, in the country
sense government, are appointed to carry out the administration of the
country and ensure that the economy of the country continues to be
solvent. To my mind, we should only be grateful towards those who truly
deserved. In a political sense, only leaders who uphold justice and do
not have personal interest (I know it sounds too ideal but there are
still some genuine leaders around) who deserves appreciation. Else, I
think we should just view them an employee.
Did
Mahathir really develop the country in the real sense? If yes, who
really benefited from this development? What real development are we
talking about? Let’s examine some aspects of developments and their
results under the reign of Mahathir:
o
Education - Honestly, how many of you truly think the education system
of our country is satisfactory? 50 years ago, those who merely attended
school till standard six were able to speak and write both English and
Bahasa Melayu well. Today, one who holds a degree is not guaranteed to
be able to write properly. In the quest of dignifying the national
language, most children today could hardly be fluent in either one of
these languages, let alone to articulate them in writing. Beside those
who are fortunate to have parents that willing to either spend extra
money or time to either send their children to better schools or
include additional classes such as tuition, children of those who could
less afford become the victim of the education system. Looking through
some of the text books and after talking to some, it is evident that
the standard of education in our local public schools has deteriorated.
The concept of education these days are merely ‘feed and spit’.
Students are not taught the concept of think and analyse. There are
times even teachers are unable to explain what they taught because they
too are lack in the understanding of the subject matter. Thus, how
would the process of education be interesting to these young minds?
Often I feel sorry for them as I personally feel that if children are
taught to learn, to understand, to analyse and to argue a particular
subject matter, teaching and learning would be interesting because it
should be a ‘two ways interactions’. The mindset of the young learning
from the old ought to be set aside because teachers could probably
learn from children too. Mahathir’s regime had turned the entire
education system upside down. Though not all, but most of the students
who studied under his education polices turned to become ‘submissive’
and with that Mahathir attained his objective of having a ‘compliance’
and ‘obedience’ society.
o Infrastructure- I will not dispute that we have quite an acceptable
infrastructures built throughout the nation. However, I wish to
highlight that roads which are constructed properly are usually toll
roads. Meaning public is and will continue to pay for the construction
and the maintenance of these roads. As for the non toll roads, most of
them are in quite appalling conditions save and except for the roads at
the privilege society’s residential areas. In addition, the toll roads
are usually those that linked to residential areas of middle and low
income households, adding further financial burden to these groups. The
mileage and toll rates would usually cost quite substantially to these
households.
o Buildings development- most Malaysians are proud of the PETRONAS Twin
Tower. Mahathir once justified the building of this structure as
putting the country’s on the global map. What a juvenile reason! How
many of us think that the development of Putrajaya, KLCC and many other
buildings are necessary? What happened to structures like Dayabumi and
many others that are hardly occupied? In most countries, constructions
of buildings are to accommodate the demands but in our country,
buildings are built to become white elephants. Worst is the new
buildings are usually structurally defect. Leakages seem to be a common
problem. How much did the taxpayers pay for all these faulty
structures? The man made lakes in Putrajaya, Wetland and Proton are
amongst those disastrous projects! The over zealousness of developments
factually is to popularise Mahathir and to enrich his cronies. The
country’s ecological systems have been destroyed and sacrificed to pave
way for the benefits of these ravenous contractors. As a result, the
country now has to pay for various forms of natural disasters.
o
Social developments- What is the state of our society today? I can give
you a few scenarios to ponder. Today, generally, the Malaysian society
has turned materialistic, obtuse, self centred, racist, uncouth,
arrogance, irresponsible and the list go on and on. Why does the
society turn into such? Well, based on my calculation, this is the
result of the government socio-political landscape as this would ensure
that only the selected few would be empowered to rule the country
whilst the mass majority continue to be the helpless citizens. Fears
are instilled with the enforcement of draconian legislations such as
the Internal Security Act (ISA) to curtail and impede those who speak
up and revolt against Mahathir’s system. The absurdity of
administration is further evident by our surroundings. For e.g. the
‘allergy’ of local councils and city halls to the natural plants which
resulted in them being ct down and replaced with the fake/plastic trees
seemed to be the priority of the local councils and city halls. I am
still perplexed if members of these local councils and/or city halls
are aware that plastic trees can never produce oxygen or absorb water
like the natural tress?
o
Economy- This country is blessed with natural resources which could
rightly made it another ‘dragon’ of Southeast Asia. Nonetheless,
corruptions, unnecessary developments and wrong investments resulted in
unnecessary wastage of this country’s income. Ever wonder why our
country never seemed to be able to compete with Singaporean economy?
Until this very day, I resent the success of Singapore (in a very
positive way) as I know if the country is properly managed, we could
have been either be as good as if not better than Singapore. This
country appears to have all the wrong ingredients for its wealthy
management. The employment of obtuse and dim-witted human capitals
coupled by a tyrant leaderships definitely result in weak and wasteful
economy. In terms of our country’s economic progression, we should turn
green eye when our island republic neighbour is able to inject capital
into world renowned institutions via its Sovereign Wealth Funds whereas
our country’s investment arm is nothing but a mediocre investor. The
list of investment by far has yet to impress me as these companies
aren’t those that belonged to what I would call ‘A list’ companies.
Even the Middle Eastern countries, which are lavish in their spending,
are prudent to invest their wealth in worthy investments. Shouldn’t we
all ask what happened to the revenues gained from the export of our
black gold? We have seen how monies are spent extravagantly by building
the ‘tallest’, ‘biggest’, ‘narrowest’ and almost ‘most crooked’ (or any
other that would qualify to be in the World Guinness Record) without
much considerations whether these would benefit the people of the
country. Glamour appears to prevail over the necessity of projects to
the public. Too much money has been spent on wasteful projects that
purely benefit Mahathir, his cronies, the hand-kissing members of UMNO
and gang. Perhaps it is worth to remember that this is the public’s
money which neither belongs to Mahathir nor his cronies. Hence spending
this money should rightly benefit the entire population of this nation
rather than the selected ones.
To
continue writing about how much destructions Mahathir had done to this
country probably would require me to produce them in entire
encyclopaedia’s version. However, the aforementioned are merely the
summary of what I am able to think of for time being. The only credit I
probably would generously give to Mahathir is his brevity to disagree
with the superpower.
My
fellow countrymen, we never owe our leaders anything. We appoint them
to serve us and to carry out jobs and mandates that we desire. They are
all compensated with decent remunerations and exempted from paying
income taxes. That is rewarding enough. If they are not satisfied,
perhaps they ought not to offer themselves to be in politics.
Hey, people. I’m finally awake from the semi-conscious spell cast on me by Facebook. Lol. I had spent more than a week on that unproductive ’social’ thing, wasted precious time which I could have used them on my heavy academic workload and updating my blog. Sigh.
Hmmm… I wonder why is Facebook so addictive especially to beginners? It is not only me who fell upon this trap, but the majority of people who started Facebook would also face the same consequences. I think that it may be due to the innumerable applications which allow the users to play games, raise pets/ animals, sell your friends, send gifts to other people and many more. People who just had Friendster only before they signed up for Facebook like me, would certainly be fascinated by the extra applications which could not be located in the former.
I do not doubt that Facebook is really good to help someone to pass time, but using it continuously would definitely have the same effect like people who loves coffee. They get obsessed! Lol.
For people who are still being hypnotised by Facebook a.k.a. my co-counsel’s favourite word ‘berfoya-foya’ , it is time to wake up and move on with life! *nudge*
Published on May 15, the New Straits Times and May 21, the Sun.
Several constitutional issues cropped up particularly after the 12th general election. Among them being the right of the Ruler to appoint the Menteri Besar which is not the preference of the Executive, the choice of the Ruler which has no majority support from the State Legislative Assembly, and the most recent one is none other than the intervention by the Ruler in the administration of the State Executive.
The main objective here is certainly not to question the legality of the Rulers’ decisions from the constitutional perspective but to propose a splendid solution to resolve these issues. As far as I am concerned, no actions have been taken by any party to resolve the matters with the Judiciary, thus rendering people to wonder whether before the Rulers came to such pronouncements, do they have the rights to do so via the Federal Constitution?
At the moment, there are only different legal and laymen views from the two sides of a coin. As the people tend to interpret the subject matters according to their opinions, benefits and political standing, there would never be a full stop to this unless it is being rectified by the Judiciary appropriately. It is neither my intention to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against any Ruler which is a seditious act under section 3(1)(a) of the Sedition Act 1948 (revised 1969), by challenging their decisions, nor to suggest that the matters at hand be brought forward to the attention of the ordinary civil courts, be it the High Court, Court of Appeal or the apex court itself.
I would like to advocate that a special court be set up i.e. the Constitutional Court, to decide on constitutional issues which arose in this country. This court shall consists of judges who are willing, independent and truly able to protect, preserve and defend the Federal Constitution by virtue of Article 124 read together with the Sixth Schedule of the Federal Constitution which is the judicial oath imposed on aspiring judges of the superior courts. The Constitutional Court shall also be the sole court to determine constitutional matters, the decisions made shall be final and must be adhered to by all the parties without any qualms.
This is definitely not a new idea as the Republic of South Africa had established its own Constitutional Court in the year 1994. The provision for the conception of the court can be located at section 167 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
I am amused with the fact that if a backward country like South Africa can propel itself and move forward to face the changing needs of the times, why can’t Malaysia who had gained modernity and achieved independence for more than 50 years cannot accomplish the same?
The Executive and most importantly, the Legislature have to study and construe this proposal objectively with the view of solving constitutional issues accurately and swiftly. It is only then that the ends of justice can be met and the ordinary people have the faith that their constitutional rights are being safeguarded.
Note: I do not mean to offend anyone in this post. I am just telling the truth as what had ensued throughout the duration of organising this project. If I had offended you in anyway, I sincerely apologise for that. Names have been changed to protect the identity of the person from being revealed, except for the ones whom I would like to compliment.
PART I: INTRODUCTION
It started off as one of my 4 resolutions which I must achieve in my university life. Unfortunately, this is and will be the only one which has/can been achieved, albeit not as grand as how I planned. That’s why I said in my Friendster profile that my plans always fail.
The opportunity for me to fulfill one of my resolutions, which is to organise an international project, arose when my former roommate (Ben Miranda) engaged me as the Assistant Director of Publicity for the English Bureau in 5th Residential College, when I was in my first year. In one of the initial meetings, the discussions were mainly focused on what activities should the bureau organise for the fiscal year of 06/07. That was when I heard of this debate tournament, used to be organised by the bureau biannually, beginning from the year 1988 until the seventh AVD in the year 2000. Among the reasons it ceased operation were the lack of manpower, capable director, the debate was taken over by a different university, etc. So, when I heard of that, my instantaneous response was I will take up the challenge to revive AVD! Then, everyone’s expression in the meeting was like "Wow! Can this small guy do it?" The issue spread like mushrooms blossomed after the rain (direct translation of the Malay proverb seperti cendawan tumbuh selepas hujan), lol, and mostly everyone in college knew about it either sooner or later. My name became famous in college over night because of that! =>
PART II: FIRST OBSTACLE - THE APPROVAL
Nevertheless, Ben passed me the previous AVD KKDs (Kertas Kerja Dasar) or proposal (you know what, they are the only asset the English Bureau has..lol) and I started to work on creating my own proposal. It took me only 2 days to get it done but to get the approval was months. Yes, months! This is due to the many evaluations that I have to go through, presentation after presentation with the JTKs, JIKs and college management. Besides that, the bureaucracy in the Student Affair’s Department also contributed to the delay. I will always remember Kak N till my last breath, the clerk who is in charge of synchronising, checking and collecting the KKDs of residential colleges’ projects in UM. So much time, energy and money were wasted because she’s super fussy a.k.a. Ms.Perfectionist. You cannot have a single alphabetical mistake, your language must be accurate and the arrangement of the contents must be in accordance with hers were among her many requirements. Hence, I had to make numerous trips to the Department located in Kompleks Perdanasiswa just to be corrected everytime (why can’t she correct everything at one time?), walking under the hot sun for about 20 minutes like a fool (I only brought my car at the end of first sem). And most of the time when I reached there, she was either absent, on medical leave, in a meeting or on a course. Can you imagine how frustrated I was? I had to walk all the way back to college for another 20 minutes when I had gained nothing. Finally, when she accepted my proposal after weeks of physical (feet), mental and emotional torture, I was a relieved man. But that was only the beginning. Lol.
When the approval letter was signed by the then Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Datuk Dr. Mohd. Razali Agus, I started to form my committee and recruited ordinary members. They were all in their first years, except for a few of them being second years. Most of them proved that they can be committed and since the exams were approaching, we did nothing other than coming up with plans for the next semesters. End of first semester.
PART III: NIGHTMARES BEGUN
At the beginning of the second semester, all my nightmares begun. One by one of the committee members tendered their resignations, including the seniors citing different reasons such as having attachments during the original planned AVD week which is scheduled from the 9th to 16th December 2007, have lots of other commitments in other projects, would like to focus in their studies, etc. The true reason which I finally found out was some seniors in the college are secretly stabbing me from the back! They advised my members to quit as this project will not materialise and time shouldn’t be wasted on it. The anger in me surfaced. I repeatedly told myself that I would not be distracted by their remarks and this motivated me further to prove that all of them were wrong and those who quit would regret! Fortunately, my most trusted people at that time did not turn their backs on me, among them being Sivaraj, Kuan Ching, You Yang, etc. but it did not last due to several unforeseeable circumstances. They were really good, supportive and dedicated to make this project happen. (If anyone of you are reading this, thanks a lot for the assistance you had rendered me, notwithstanding it was a short stint). => Generally, not much progress in the 2nd semester, other than plenty of plain talks with little actions. Since most of the committee members were gone for good (for not trusting me, lol), I had to form my second committee which also had the same fate as the first, although slightly different. At the same time, somewhere in the month of April, I was hired without pay, lol, by Abang Hafiz to be his Deputy Director III (which was then promoted to DD II) for the 2007 Convocation Festival (FESKUM). As a first year undergraduate, I have set a precedent for holding that high position in the biggest student project of UM! That is probably the only thing I can be proud of in my university life so far. Lol. Thank you, Abang Hafiz! => End of second semester.
During the holidays (May/June), I had 3 tasks to perform. Firstly, to undergo trainings for student facilitators (Pembantu Mahasiswa) who have to assist the UM/ college management in the orientation week for the incoming freshies (lots of down moments also.. will write on that next time, lol, infact all that I joined are disappointing, even in the law faculty where I’m famous among the active seniors for being in the center of many controversies), the next being the work of FESKUM (I was in charged of supervising the challenging Marketing and Publicity Division) and my very own AVD. Given that I was the Director of AVD, I decided to arrange it in my lowest priority, because I cannot sack myself even if I do not perform. Lol.
PART IV: NIGHTMARE CONTINUES
The new semester commenced which marked the beginning of my seniority in UM, lol. After the Minggu Haluansiswa (orientation week), I proceeded with the recruitment drive of ordinary committee members. It lasted for one week and the outcome wasn’t as good as I expected. How naive I was. I could not recall the role certain jealous, idiotic, bastard.. (all the foul words will come out, lol) seniors particularly of my own race played in the last semester. They were playing the same cards again! Seriously pissed off. However, I acted cool and I still had the faith that I could pull through despite the handful number of members.
The next uncalled thing which happened was my 3 generals who had to bid farewell to me. Siva had expelled himself from college for reasons not meant to be published here (more or less the same on why I left college after AVD), Kuan Ching was promoted to the Treasurer of JTK (the student body at college level) thus it was not appropriate for her to still be in AVD and You Yang had a personal reason which was sad indeed. I did not blame them for leaving.
At the same time, I was extremely busy with my FESKUM duties which lasted till the month of September. I basically had very little time for my own project. When the FESKUM nightmare was finally over, my attention was now shifted totally to AVD. On the other hand, my studies were neglected even with the exams drawing nearer which eventually caused me to be placed under observation this semester, lol. Other matters which had come to light were some committee members had been sacked collectively in an EGM in the month of October for not giving commitment and I promoted the remaining AJKs (all are first years) to fill up the vacancies as division heads. That was my third committee. Not much of progress though in terms of outdoor work due to all the problems I faced. A lot of banks, legal firms, and corporations turned down my sponsorship proposal. We were lack of experience and guidance since the last AVD was in year 2000 and practically no one knew how it was conducted except for the ‘assistance’ provided by Dr.C which I would cover later in Part VII.
PART V: EMERGENCE OF MR.F
Then again, I did not know of another person who holds a very high position in JTK (Mr.F) secretly working to woo my handful number of members out of my team. He has been a pain in my ass for a number of months which I thought that we had reconciled during the pembantu mahasiswa 3rd phrase training. Naive again. He also managed to get an ambitious spy from my team to work for him, lol. Providentially, my remaining committee members did not succumbed to his ‘harassment’. Thank you for being loyal (if you are reading) =>. In addition to that, days before my family law paper which is somewhere in November, when everyone would be busy revising (the same thing which I was doing), he called me and threatened to scrap off my project if he did not see any progress in it. It would have immediately come across the mind of any reasonable person that such act would affect my preparation for the coming exams. I really can’t think of a basis, no matter how much I scratch my head, on why he couldn’t have thought of that! Is he unreasonable? Or abnormal @ insane? Lol. After I received the threat, I couldn’t focus in my studies any longer. You see.. put yourself in my shoes first. I had done so much (the above is just a brief explanation of what had actually transpired.. too lengthy) and undergone innumerable obstacles, struggles, pain and sufferings to reach that stage. AVD VIII was about to be implemented, just short of two months (postponed to January for clashing with the World’s Debate in Bangkok) and I was still persistent in my belief that AVD can take place. Previously, I did not have the time to study and when I actually need that remaining precious time, he deprived me of that! Mr.F was certainly one of the contributing factors of my academic failure that semester. I may not have failed my papers if I had utilised the short time before the exams. Other than that was thankfully, there was a change of Master during that time and my project adviser, Dr.Rohana who is the current Master, was in UK to complete her PHD. Or else, my project would have certainly been canceled for having little progress or no progress at all. Lol.
PART VI: WHEN THE SUN STARTED TO SHINE BRIGHTLY
My exams were done. Time to go back to AVD. This is when my determination paid off. I am grateful to the Venerable Phakchok Rinpoche for his blessings. The real outdoor work begins here, which is to get sponsorship. This is also where the strong family ties which I have assisted me. My parents were very supportive and would not want to see me fail. They lent a hand in finding for sponsors, my dad approached his customers while my mum approached her former employers and friends. Malcolm also played a part in this by arranging for a meeting with the MP of Bintulu. At last, money is no longer a hindrance to my project (Thanks dad, mum n Malcom!). => In addition to that, I was able to get a number of sponsored food, items, goodie bags, gifts, etc.
The next problem to be settled is the participation. Just for your information, AVD is not an ordinary debate tournament which sees tens or hundreds of team participating in a knock-off style. AVD is very different in the sense that only one university will represent one country (on invitational basis) and it is conducted in a league manner. Previous AVDs had seen universities like Universitas Indonesia, NUS, University of Phillipines Diliman (UPD), Chulalongkorn University, University of Hong Kong as the guest and two local universities which are UM on the capacity as host and International Islamic University of Malaysia. The most number of participation one AVD can only get is 10 which represents the 10 ASEAN countries (excluding Timor Leste which I doubt has a university at the current moment). Out of this number, universities from Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei can be singled out because they do not have an English debate team and they do not take part in the World’s tournament which is held annually.
PART VII: DR. C - A FRIEND OR A FOE?
Dr.C is one of the coaches for the UM debate team and was also initially appointed as the chief adjudicator of AVD VIII. He was a former committee member back in the early 90s and he would normally share albeit briefly on how it was conducted those days. For instance, they would give free air tickets to participating teams, invite the ambassadors of the participating team countries for the press conference, Sultan Azlan Shah would officiate the opening ceremony on His Highness’s role as the patron which is where the challenge trophy is named after him, celebrities will chair the debate semi-finals and finals, etc. Saw that? It was really grand those days in view of the fact that very little international projects were carried out back in the 80s and 90s. The main sponsor used to be Hong Leong Bank which sponsored RM70K bianually without fail.
Compare that with the current times. Virtually, every local university would organise at least a project in a year at the international level and countless other projects be it at national level, inter-university or within the campus of the university as well. This is not inclusive of the student projects of the many private universities and colleges. Therefore, the competition to obtain sponsorship is very stiff, with most of the corporations and big firms being reluctant to give anymore to student projects in fulfilling their social corporate responsibilities, but to look for other means like NGO projects or projects which would really have publicity worthiness, if you know what I mean. In reality, it is no longer possible to get RM 70K from a corporation just as easy as that (I’m talking about student projects). Even to get RM20K, which I had the experience in FESKUM, Celcom imposed scores of conditions which eventually caused a pow-wow with the committee and university officials for not being in a win-win situation.
Back to Dr.C. I had placed all my trust in him to guide us and he was also willing at the same time. He told me not to worry about the debate technicalities which is not our expertise (none of them in the committee are debaters, except for Faisal) and instead to focus on raising sufficient funds, to look for participants and the arrangement of their lodgings which includes accommodation and food. He had also assured me several times that he will also assist in terms of getting participation from Universitas Indonesia, Chulalongkorn, UPD and NUS because he has the necessary contacts of the respective debate team advisors.
Nonetheless, my committee still played our part in the participation wise. Invitation letters via e-mail which were sent out repeatedly to the national universities of all the ASEAN countries, c.c. to the Rector/ President/ Vice-Chancellor, Student Affairs’ Department, Deans which we can get hold of, International Corporate Relations, etc. (we got the e-mail addresses from their websites), had either bounced back (majority) or unattended. All calls made were also unanswered except for Cambodia or inaccurate. The informations provided by the websites are definitely outdated or they just do not check their e-mails, lol. Luckily, the UPD’s Deputy VC and NUS’s student affairs senior officer replied and agreed to send their teams. That moment was magnificent! =D We managed to finally get 2 international teams, not withstanding UM’s debate team which made the number to 3 now.
The minimum number of participations that I need to run in a league style is 4 which means there was only one more to go. However, I insisted that we should have more. We still continued our search for teams. Since most of the e-mails failed, Dr.C stated that he will help us to pass the original invitation letters to the team advisors during the World’s meet (one was held in KL sponsored by CIMB and another in Bangkok - which is the yearly tournament) and assured us that the team from Universitas Indonesia (UI) and Chulalongkorn should not have a problem in participating. He asked us to wait for his good news and so we relied upon his words (this took place only after the next paragraph).
Prior to that, there was a period of time which Dr.C tried numerous attempts to avoid me. My calls were unanswered and messages not replied. It was only when I made the effort to go to UiTM, Shah Alam somewhere in mid-November where the inter-varsity debates were held, he was stunned to see my presence. I approached him. Before I opened my mouth, his first sentence was: "I know you have been trying to get hold of me for sometimes, but…" He must had felt guilty at that time. He told me not to worry as he will get the participation of the two universities. My worries were lessened thereafter.
PART VIII: TWIST OF EVENTS
Again after the World’s in KL, Dr. C reiterated that after he met the advisor of Chula, the team will most likely take part in AVD VIII. UI did not come for the tournament in KL but he said that he will hand over the invitation letter when he meets them in Bangkok in about 2-3 weeks later (mid-December). Hence, I was given the legitimate expectation that I will see the participation of another international team at least.
Dr. C returned to UM in early January. No confirmation yet as of UI and Chula. He gave me a different story this time as he said that they would contact me directly. I gave in and waited for their replies. A week later, there was no reply from any of them yet. I couldn’t wait any longer. Loads of matters had to be settled such as accommodation, transport, food, trips, etc. Pressures were mounting. AVD will begin on January 20th. I decided to meet Dr. C. Up till now, he was still in his lackadaisical attitude and thought that AVD was in February (Weird! He was the one who suggested that I postpone it to January.. he must be suffering from lost of memory indeed). Lol. He then promised to check with them immediately this time. I wander why couldn’t he call before hand and had waited for them to contact me instead? He has the relevant contacts, not me. That was when I started to doubt his sincerity in helping me. Be whatever it may, I have not lost my faith in him.
A week and a half before AVD was scheduled to begin. I reluctantly accepted the confirmed news which I do not hope to hear from Dr. C. Both teams could not make it as it was like immediately after the World’s and I had to find an additional back up team as soon as may be. Before this, I had already prepared an invitation letter to IIUM, which was infact given but ‘taken back’ when I went to Dr.C in UiTM, Shah Alam 2 months ago. Lol. Subsequently, I informed Dr. C and he called the person in charge to invite his team, which they agreed. Dr. C waived the registration fee without seeking for my permission first. He then requested me to fax the letter to IIUM. Without further delay, I did as what he asked and over the next 2 days, I got the reply letter back. Even though I may not have gotten the number of international teams that I wanted initially, I had no choice but to make do with the only 4 teams (NUS, UPD, IIUM, and UM). Who would be so thick to call it off after nearly 2 years of hard work? Lol. Either do I to postpone it as I wanted to finish it quickly.
PART IX: A SLOT ON SELAMAT PAGI MALAYSIA!
Mr.Khairi, an officer with the International Corporate Relations (ICR) assisted AVD in the form of publicity by arranging for a session with Hello on Two! (Thank you, sir). On January 2nd, I received a call from RTM at approximately 2.00pm. The caller informed me that the request for AVD to be on air was approved. It was not Hello on Two but Selamat Pagi Malaysia (SPM) instead on RTM1. And that slot was scheduled on the 3rd (which was the following day!).
The lady who called asked me to fax her the proposed Q&A for 15 minutes which I did in due course. A meeting was called by the then Master of 5th RC, Dr.Zurainee with the committee members of AVD at night. She wanted to know the agenda for the session with SPM the next day as she would be accompanying me to Angkasapuri.
7.30am, January 3rd. I fetched Dr.Zurainee to Angkasapuri. I was told to report in by 8.30am as the session would begin at 9.00am sharp. Although the distance from UM to Angkasapuri was short, we left early to avoid traffic jam and to familiarise ourselves with the nerve wrecking environment. Lol.
Only invited guests, apart from employees were allowed to drive through the heavily guarded entrance but the guests had to obtain a security pass from the guard house first. Members of the public who wished to enter Angkasapuri had to leave their vehicles outside in a designated area which can only fit 30 cars the most at a time. It was relatively tiny compared to the size of Angkasapuri! I had a problem with parking the next time when I returned to get the recording copy. Lol.
After we collected our security pass, I drove straight to the building (forgot the name) where the recording was made. Upon arrival, Dr.Zurainee and I were attended by a personnel who directed us to the make-up room. There was a session ongoing live. I need to make-up? Lol. Only ‘powder’ was applied on my face though. Make-up for the female counterpart was more which I do not know how to describe.
The time was 8.45am. The session which I saw previously on the way to the make-up room has ended. The two hosts came into the VIP waiting room (for the guests) and greeted us. The guy had a chat with me. He was very friendly. He had a degree from IIUM in economics and this hosting job is his part time. There were also several other people inside who were waiting for their turns. Mine was next.
8.55am. Time to take the seat in front of thousands of viewers, in particular the housewives and retirees’ categories. It was commercial time. I was so nervous but was good in hiding it. Lol. It was my first time being live on air! My mum (dad was working), grandparents and other family members and family friends were glued to RTM 1 at that time to get a glimpse of me. The pressure in me increased.
3..2..1.. Camera rolled. The hosts started talking and introduced Dr.Zurainee and me. Questions unfolded followed by our answers, but they changed the way the questions were given to them! Lol. I was confused and I just gave whatever that came to my mind at that time (funny answers) instead of the memorised ones..! :P I have a copy of the recording. My committee members who watched it (especially Adzfar) would laugh, tease and mimic me. Lol.
As time passes, I got less nervous but Dr.Zurainee was calm all the while despite the contrary earlier in my car. She was nervous and I was the cool one! Lol. 9.15am. Time to say goodbye and as the commercials were being played, our seats were swiftly replaced by the next person in line. Then, we left immediately and headed back to UM. I had a class to attend. Nevertheless, it was a great exposure. Not many people would have the same opportunity. =>
PART X: AVD VIII OPENING DINNER
Finally, I thought that all my hard work and sheer determination these 2 years had paid off. Inner preparations were made to welcome the arrival of the 3 teams excluding UM’s. Banners and buntings were put up around UM (very challenging and exhausting!), rooms were cleaned, bed sheets were installed, etc.
On January 20th (Sunday), the team from UPD arrived early in the morning, at approximately 4.00am while NUS came much later, around 5.00pm. They checked into their rooms in Fifth RC and the agenda for the day was free & easy till 8.00pm, the Opening Dinner. The team from IIUM only turned up during the Opening Dinner, so as Dr.C’s team. IIUM chose to travel everyday from their campus (but changed their mind during the Opening Dinner to stay in RU/ college) while the UM debaters stayed in their respective colleges/ home. The patron who officiated was none other than the former Permanent Representative to United Nations, Tan Sri Razali Ismail (Despite his status, he is a very simple and punctual man who does not liked to be bound by protocols. He’s very particular about the language and regularity though. He is not fond of the common speeches, souvenirs but something special not because of the financial value but the priceless quality in them.. lol, it’s extremely difficult to please him. No wander why his secretary is also fussy! lol) while the representative of the Vice-Chancellor was Prof. Dato’ Dr. Mohd. Amin, the Deputy VC for Academic & Internationalisation.
Held in Rumah Universiti (RU), it was a simple one indeed. The most memorable event (for me) which took place that night was probably my speech. I spoke with burning flames and razing guns, criticising the seniors and Mr.F who made my life a miserable one in college for the past 2 years (I bet you will also do the same! lol) and also thanked the people who has assisted me from various angles in making the eighth AVD a reality. Everything else went on just fine that night till the end of the ceremony inclusive of determining the fixtures for the preliminary rounds which will begin on the next morning. The words best described me at that moment were glad and relieved.
PART XI: HIT BY TSUNAMI
It was only after the dinner which the unexpected deadly catastrophe struck. The debaters from IIUM (who stayed in RU for the night) called me to question on why I did not provide their team with the motions whereas the other 3 teams had acquired them a week before hand. Apart from that, 2 officials also called me. They accused me of being biased and they claimed that most of the tournaments which they had attended were also of the same fate! How unlucky they were, I thought. I pitied them but at the same time, I was hurt and could not digest their baseless accusations. I had the proof of sending them the motions a week before the dinner. It was in the e-mail sent folder. Nevertheless, I provided them with the evidence because they had to make a report to their university.
In the meantime (already back in college with the debaters from UPD and NUS, 12.40am), I discussed with them the plight suffered by IIUM and they were willing to change the motions. I thought that the matter was settled as Dr.C also had no problem with the change in motions (after I called him). After that, I conveyed the decision to the debaters from IIUM and they replied that they would consult their university officials first. One of them called back within 20 minutes. He said that it was unfair to the other teams if I were to change the motions just to accommodate them. Nonsense! Had not I told them before that the other teams were agreeable to the adjustment in motions? I guess now they were finding fault with me. Besides that, he also relayed that his team will decide on what to do in the next morning, on whether to remain or withdraw from the debate tournament.
I imparted this back to Dr.C who asked me to tell them that they must make the decision that night itself and again, I had to call the representative from IIUM. He provided with the same reason, allow me to check with the officials first. The time was already 1.30am when the IIUM guy returned call. He uttered that since he could not reach his official, they decided to pull out from AVD VIII. I was speechless as I followed Dr.C blindly. I called Dr.C and he assured me that there would not be a problem as he would come out with a Team B to replace IIUM. So, there were 2 UM teams now against NUS and UPD. I thought that the tsunami has subsided but the assumption was wrong again.
After I related the decision by IIUM to the debaters from NUS and UPD who were in the Bilik Bacaan, they called me half an hour later to meet up with them together with the CA (chief adjudicator) which I heard PA (personal assistant) as I did not know what CA meant, lol. So, I brought Faisal, Irfan and Beh along. It was only then I realised that they wanted to meet Dr.C! I told them that it was kind of impossible as he was not staying in 5th RC but in a different college. However, I did call Dr.C but his mobile phone was switched off. He might have foreseen this, I guessed. We proceeded with the purpose of the meeting without Dr.C.
I got a shocked of my life when they told me that it was pointless for them to remain in the tournament anymore, with only 3 universities left. It could no longer be considered a tournament, but a training instead. They, through the NUS representative, gave me an ultimatum which is to end the whole thing by January 22nd (Tuesday) instead of the planned 26th (Saturday) and to relocate them to RU because they could not bare the standard of living in 5th RC! Lol. (Come on, they paid only USD 150.00 which is inclusive of food & accommodation for a week, not forgetting the planned trips to various places such as Genting, Putrajaya, Sunway Pyramid, KLCC, etc. What else do you expect?) and an additional request by the UPD debaters that we borne their air tickets for the change in departure date. They felt cheated and they wanted to return to their respective countries in view of the fact that they should not skip lectures and study for their upcoming examinations. I told them that I understand their quandaries but it is not possible for us to do that because everything has already been planned. The finals were scheduled on Thursday night and the guests of honour (Tan Sri Razali and Datuk Rafiah Salim, the Vice-Chancellor) and also spectators from boarding schools in the Klang Valley have confirmed their attendance. I asked them to consider the others as well such as the tickets bought for Genting themepark, the arrangement of buses, food, etc. We could not reach a compromised solution and decided to discuss with Dr.C the next morning at the debate venue.
10.30am, at Dewan Perdana 2, Kompleks Perdanasiswa. A half an hour discussion ensued between Dr.C, myself and the debaters from NUS and UPD. Dr.C was firm in his stand that the organisers should not comply with their requirements and said several remarks which offended them. They decided to leave immediately! OMG. I was devastated. Everything that I worked for were ruined. Dr.C consoled me by saying that AVD can still go on with UM’s Team A and Team B in the finals! Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of having an ASEAN Varsities’ Debate? Lol.
PART XII: UPD RELENTED
The Singaporeans left that afternoon itself, by boarding a bus home. They apologised to me somehow, knowing that I have done and sacrificed so much for this project. Whereas the debaters from the Philippines have yet to decide, pending for instruction from their officials via e-mail. I tried to persuade them to change their mind. This time, they asked me to change their accommodation to RU and to convert this tournament into an exhibition match instead, if I want them to stay. The reasons for the requested conversion were it would be unfair to UPD since UM has 2 teams thus their (UPD) chances to go into finals would be lower and with only 2 universities left, even if UPD had won, they would not be proud of being the ASEAN’s champion.
I tried to raise this up with Dr.C but he shot it down flat. His justifications were the organising committee should not stand low to accommodate the participants and it is normal to have teams who quit after the opening ceremony. But that was the only international team left! With them gone, AVD will no longer be ASEAN Varsities’ Debate but UM Varsity’s debate with the two UM teams in the final. Besides that, the boarding school students from all over Klang Valley who aggred to come would have been cheated. How was I able to answer to VC and Tan Sri if they asked?, was also another question which arose in my mind that time.
PART XIII: DR.ZURAINEE TO THE RESCUE
I had no other option but to report this incident to Dr.Rohana, my project adviser. She brought it up with Dr.Zurainee, the then Master of 5th RC. Both of them were stunned and sort of agitated with me for not informing them earlier. Instead of finding my fault, they decided to solve the problem. Both of them, myself and the team from UPD had a lengthy discussion and Master promised to side Sabrina and her team (UPD) after listening to their arguments. Dr.Rohana was then asked to meet Dr.C to compromise on this issue while Dr.Zurainee left for her office in 5th RC.
PART XIV: THE REALISATION
It was then which I found the realisation that I WAS WRONG all the while along! I shouldn’t have referred any problem other than debate technicalities to Dr.C in the first place, because he is neither the advisor nor a Fellow in 5th RC! He is just the CA! I regretted my actions. All these problems surfaced because I had relied upon him too much right from the beginning. All the Ifs emerged..
- If I had not followed his say that only one university per country is allowed to participate, I could have gotten more participations which will lessen the risks that I faced even if there were teams who chose to quit.
- If I had allowed IIUM debaters to stay on until the next morning, they may still have been in the tournament, thus NUS & UPD would have no reason to quit.
Master was absolutely right when she said that the director is the owner of the project. I’m the owner of the eighth AVD! Thus, I have every right to decide on what was best for the project, not anyone else. It was too late by then. =<
PART XV: BOTH UM TEAMS THREATENED TO WITHDRAW
When Dr.Zurainee, Dr.Rohana, myself and the team from UPD were busy having a discussion in DP 2, the UM debaters were having their debate sessions as usual in DP 1 as though nothing had transpired. Dr.Rohana and I went into the hall and invited Dr.C out for a talk.
Dr.Rohana explained the decision made by the Master of 5th RC and asked for Dr.C to compromise on that issue by converting this tournament into an exhibition match. Dr.C was still firm as his previous stand that the committee should not stand low to accommodate the participants and he added a new basis this time, that if you make AVD an exhibition match, in the future, teams will no longer participate in it. He did not want to compromise and Dr.C also stated that he will pull both UM teams out from AVD if it is to be converted into an exhibition match.
Therefore, we ended the talk with zero achievement. Dr.Rohana and I went back to meet Master in her office to discuss further. There were 2 outcomes of the discussion which Master allowed me to pick anyone of them (she will still support me regardless of any) given that I was the Director of the project. Firstly, continue to practise the previous way of tournament and sacrifice UPD. Secondly, convert the tournament into an exhibition match and risk losing both UM teams which meant that I must form my own debate team for that match on Thursday night!
Hmmm.. it was a tough decision to be made. If you were in my shoes, which option will you choose? Master and Dr.Rohana wanted to know my selection before 11.00pm.
PART XVI: THE CRUCIAL DECISION
Before I made the decision, I solicited for opinions from my fellow committee members. After several hours of soul-searching, I opted for the second option. At 11.00pm, I messaged Dr.Rohana to inform her of my decision. She was in a meeting with Master and she replied that Master wanted to see me at 1.00am.
1.00am, January 22nd (Tuesday). A few committee members accompanied me to meet Master at her office. The objective of it was to determine my next cause of action after the selection. I told her that we do have some debaters in college that might be able to help us for the exhibition match.
The next vital step was to inform Dr.C of my decision. Decided to call him tomorrow morning but he ended up calling me first. I informed his nicely that I have decided to accommodate UPD’s request and would convert the finals into an exhibition match. Thanked him again for the help he rendered previously and thus, terminating his role as CA indirectly.
PART XVII: THE REMAINING DAYS
Firstly, a substitute team had to be formed for the commencement of the exhibition match. My members and I went around to source for debaters who were willing to take part. It was not easy as the current UM debaters would not agree unless with the consent of Dr.C, which I doubt if he would. Hence, we had to look for former debaters or debaters who were not a proxy of Dr.C. Fortunately, we were able to get Afiq, Raihana (both from 5th RC) and Lee Eng Yeow (my batchmate) to assist us. (Thanks a lot!) => The team from UPD also agreed to polish them. Meanwhile, DP 1 & 2, Kompleks Perdanasiswa (KPS) which were booked for the prelims were left vacant on Tuesday.
Besides the spending of time in training for the exhibition match, Sabrina, Richard, Kenneth and Alvin were brought around to visit several places, among them being Genting Highlands, KLCC, Petaling Street, Central Market, the Curve and Sunway Pyramid. They practically enjoyed themselves in view of the fact that they need not attend classes! (lol) and got to travel to different places. Instead of ASEAN Varsities’ Debate, it was more of ASEAN Varsities’ Holiday. Lol.
PART XVIII: THE EXHIBITION MATCH CUM CLOSING CEREMONY
8.00pm, January 24th (Thursday). The finals which was originally planned to be held in Auditorium KPS was now relocated to DP 1 because I wanted it to be in low profile. Repackaged as an exhibition match, it was done in a small scale without the presence of Tan Sri, VC, or any of the Deputy VCs. I had related to them on the events unfolded and they agreed that it was not appropriate for them to turn up. Master was the VIP. The spectators were only comprised of college officials, JIKs, JTKs, boarding school students which agreed to come and my parents, of couse. Lol.
It was also difficult to get hold of experienced adjudicators as it was a last minute thing. I contacted a few English lecturers but to no avail. The role of the adjudicators were not important that night, but to entertain the crowd particularly the students, we had to have 3 judges. Therefore, Kenneth (UPD) was recruited to be the CA, and was assisted by Fazlisya Ramli and Udesh Chaskar. (Thank you!) =>
The closing ceremony followed, after the match. Everything went on well until the end.
PART XIX: DEPARTURE OF UPD
8.00pm, January 26th (Saturday). The UM’s minibus arrived in the vicinity of 5th RC. What made this bus special was we officiated it! It was cosy and had a leather/ plastic aroma. Prior to this, Sabrina and team had checked out from RU in the afternoon and their luggages were kept in AVD’s operation room before we went to KLCC. Several JTKs and members of my committee tagged along to bid farewell.
I told the bus driver to go to KLIA, only to realise that it was LCCT instead when we reached there! Lol. We spent about 25 minutes at LCCT, took pictures, exchanged hugs and kisses. 
The 4 of them (Sabrina, Richard, Kenneth and Alvin) were unwilling to leave, and so were we for them to depart. We built a strong friendship albeit in only a week. They were warm, friendly, caring and genuine. Alvin even offered me a place to stay and to take me around if I ever to go to Philippines in the near future. So nice. => I told him that I might go this coming June but I forgot that I have special semester. Classes as usual. (sigh)
Mission accomplished! =D
PART XX: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In reality, right from the beginning of this project, I had worked on a lone ranger basis. It was hard to delegate because whenever I gave my members’ tasks, they would either do it half-heartedly, didn’t know what to do because they were inexperienced or would not perform it at all. I could not be firm due to insecurity as I only had a small number of them. There were already people who tried to haul them away from me, I wander what would have happened if I was strict from the beginning itself.
In contrast, I started to see the existence of teamwork towards the end in my 3rd committee and would like to give them full credits for the accomplishment of this project. If not for them, the eighth AVD would not have materialised while I would be lying on the hospital bed. Lol.
To Faisal Rasyid, Hui Yun, Sei Fong, Wan Sin, Maziah, Cheryl Khoo, Adzfar, Malcolm, Kalai, Irfan, Beh a.k.a Panda, Daud, Donna, Ee Hui and Jay, I salute you for all your perseverance, contributions be it in the smallest form and for having patience and faith in me throughout the duration you were in the committee. Except for Maziah (senior), the rest of you had proven yourselves to be just as capable as any seniors to the college officials and JTKs. Congratulations! With these qualities, I believe that all of you will make it big someday. =>
As for my good friends, Kartina, Siti Fairuz, Tan Su Mei and Joy Lee who volunteered themselves to be in the committee even though they were not residents of 5th RC, I would like to convey my highest gratitude and appreciation to them. Thank you very much. =>
I believe that I had left several people being unhappy with certain of my decisions and actions at times, especially Cheryl and Wan Sin, I would like to tender my sincere apologies to all of you. It was not my intention to hurt you but it was the circumstances that made me, without realising it myself. I hope that you can understand my predicaments. It was not easy to be in my position, with all the pressures from everywhere mounting including from myself and the bad experiences which I had with my previous two committees and the people in college.
PART XXI: CONCLUSION
The eighth AVD may not be as great as those days but this may be taken as a stepping stone for better AVDs in the future. It would definitely be much easier for the next AVD to be organised, since contacts had been established, people had gained experiences, guidelines were formed, etc. compared to mine which started empty handed. All the flaws in this edition should be taken positively and be turned into lessons which will enable future AVDs to be enhanced, back to its old glory days.
I absorb all the blames as the director as I believe that it was me who caused these flaws and mistakes. I hold no grudges toward anyone including Dr.C, Mr.F and the seniors as they were the ones who enabled me to learn. Loads of invaluable lessons were gained, which only people who had gone through themselves will benefit from it. No one other than myself would appreciate and understand the innumerable sacrifices made and hardships encountered from the beginning till the very end of it. I take all these as the necessary ingredients which will form the better qualities in me. After all, I’m richer at the end of the day!
THE END. (finally!) =>
My previous 2 posts have its significance. Can you see it?
It’s my political maturity! I will no longer side any parties as I want to look at things from the independent’s point of view. I will criticise whoever I think has not done the right thing but it is subject to friendships made. I will never betray the friends that I made in the campus pro-government side but will continue to assist them if I believe in the cause of it.
I refer to Datuk Lee Kah Choon’s recent resignation from PGRM (Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia). First and foremost, I do not find that his acceptance of the two director positions in Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and investPenang (iP), a wrong decision. We must comprehend that we are now moving towards a new political era, hence we ought to experience new precedents also. Even Pak Lah has said that there is nothing wrong with the decision, albeit changing his mind several hours later, probably due to the numerous pressure he received from the other BN leaders.
Kah Choon has repeatedly denied that his acceptance of the two key positions in the state a political move, but a sincere one to serve the people of Penang as an ordinary public servant. Despite the claims by other top PGRM leaders that his move is politically motivated due to the basis that he did not get what he wanted (which is to lead the party in Penang to counter the opposition), I feel that he is not that type of person as I have personally met and talked to him once (the advantage of being active in campus politics.. lol).
The PGRM leaders who made the calls for him to relinquish his positions or face expulsion from the party are definitely short-sighted. They are still playing the old politics which are no longer relevant to the changing of times. What the people really want is good governance and for Kah Choon to serve in a state which is held by Pakatan Rakyat (PR), it might be a blessing in disguise for the party to reemerge as the peoples’ choice. What dumbfounded leaders they are!
Allow me to divert a little. I find that the directive from the BN component parties which demand their members to surrender their positions held in PR states for breaching the spirit of BN, ridiculous. Since the Federal Constitution can be amended to suit the instance, why can’t these directives be revised as well? Gopal Sri Ram JCA once observed in the case of Tan Tek Seng v Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Pendidikan that the Federal Constitution is a living document which should be in tandem with the national ethos. Thus, the directives should also be in accordance with the current times.
I will still have the faith and respect in Kah Choon, pending he does not join DAP or PKR, to prove his sincerity in serving the people and PGRM wrong. His resignation will certainly be a lost to PGRM (sigh). On the other hand, Kah Choon will most likely gain the respect of the people for his actions although politicians from both BN and PR will have reservations for his intention.
It is hilarious to see that a politician with a million principles, whom has loggerheads with his party’s Secretary General, finally relented one of his principles by becoming the Speaker of Selangor’s Legislative Assembly. Mind you, I’m not saying that he did not want to be the Speaker initially, but it is the process of becoming one that has made him.
I will always remember that in the news coverage of him after the fall of Selangor to Pakatan Rakyat, he emphasised repeatedly that he does not want to become a State Executive Councillor. This is due to his principle that he will NEVER don the songkok, which a person needs to put on for any swearing in ceremony of official positions in Malaysia. The reason given was he would be disloyal to his race if he wears one.
Actually, there is nothing wrong to be dressed in a songkok. It is not that the non-Muslims will be an apostate if you wear one, but it is a ceremonial attire which everyone, regardless of race and religion, must give respect to. The intention of a person is very important. If you have no intention of converting to Islam, you will not betray your religion even if you put on the songkok. (This is how I look at it in view of the fact that I had a songkok on my crown for several occasions. You are allowed to have a dissimilar opinion. Lol.)
Yesterday, he appeared again on the front page of most local newspapers. But what makes him amusing is, this time he was spotted with a songkok on his head! What a principled man has he become! You judge for yourself.
