Why Malaysia is still a third world country… July 25, 2009
Posted by Jannah in Malaysia, Opinion, Politics, Public.add a comment
Having had numerous conversations with a lot of people from various backgrounds with different opinions, I have come to a conclusion. Malaysia is still a third world country because we lack the ability to think. No, not the ability, the desire to think.
So on that note, let me share with you what I think..
First, lets look at the TV series that we have here in Malaysia, and try and compare them with the ones that we are used to watching in the US . Grey’s Anatomy for example, even though none of us can deny that this series is more entertainment rather than intellect (as compared to a discovery channel documentary), has a decent amount of valid information in it. You can tell that a considerable amount of effort was put into researching the medical conditions, the backgroud of their education, what their work encompasses and how REAL examinations are being done. The actors made sure that they took some time observeing and shadowing real surgeons so that they can play the part convincingly.That is why their acting do not seem fake. They actually do what scientists do if you think about it. They observe, formulate their own understanding about what is going on and reproduce their thoughts into their acting. It is not attributed to talent alone nor is it just merely “pretending to be in someone else’s shoes”.What about the ones that we have here then? I do not deny that there are very few good movies out there, but thats it, they are very few. Hence why we have a lot of ridicilous and unintelligent shows out there. I am sure you wouldn’t have any difficulty thinking of one. What about series like CSI, Bones? I am certain that none of our series can even come close to the standard that these series have.
Now lets compare the education system that we have here in Malaysia with a country like Britain say. Here we are taught to just accept what ever that is being said or taught to us by a body of authority. No objections. In order to excel in our exams, all we need to do is read, memorize and do lots of latihan. There is actually no room for understanding what we are learning, to actually fathom, digest what is being taught to us. We are not taught how to learn, we are taught what we need to know to pass the exams. There is a big difference there. Kids are not given the freedom to explore, to experiment, to be creative in their own right.
In order for us to become a negara maju, an inquisitive mind is essential. Only through that will we be able to nurture young minds into becoming scientists, good politicians who make good policies for the betterment of the country, good teachers who are creative in discovering ways to make their students interested in learning, parents who know that it is important to instill good thinking skills from young, university students who are engaged in whats going on in the country that one day they will inherit. Only then will we be more than just an ordinary citizen whose only priority in life is to get straight A’s, obtain a dgree, get a good job, make loads of money and live a comfortable life, but to hell with what ever else that is going on outside.
But hey, this is just what I think. You on the other hand, might think differently. If you do think that is..
Peace =)
Small Talks June 21, 2009
Posted by Jannah in Family, Malaysia, Medicine, Opinion, Public.2 comments
Salam.
I hate making small talks. I don’t really fancy events where you need to mingle around so that you’ll be able to establish networks and ‘make friends’. I don’t mind the occasional, meet someone new and get to know them, but when its at events that you know people are just there so that they can take advantage of you later on, I feel like running away.
I was at an event with my dad today for IJN. Not to say its one of those things that I mentioned earlier, but it was along those lines. Mak saya takde, pergi kerja kat Kuantan, so I had to fill in for her. It wasn’t too bad, I did meet a lot of interesting and famous people and I got to dress up 
I think I have always been one of those people who prefers to do the background job instead of the one who gets to go up and take the credit and the fame. I prefer being the one who does the dirty work and builds the foundation daripada pergi attend bende2 macam nih. No offence to them, but I do feel as if its all a bit fake sometimes. there a genuine people out there, but, c’mon, lets be realistic, you could probably count them with your hands.
Dulu, when I was a part of the MSSM commitee, there were a few events that we had to attend as certain VIPs would be there. It would be good oppurtunity for us to make ourselves known so that nanti senang nak mintak sponsor untuk M night. Uggghh, I so did not like it. I felt as if I’m being rude or something. Bukan ape, macam nak amik kesempata jer rase. Good for those who are good and are able to do it, because I for one, was not comfortable with it. In the end, I ended up directing M night pun, bukan cari sponsor.
I guess, this is one of the main reasons why I want to be a doctor – you do a lot of hands on jobs, not mere administration and corporate stuff. I aspire to be like my mom one day. She has spent her whole career being a public servant. I admire that and I hope I can do the same thing one day 
CBN, The shining star of my life~ June 18, 2009
Posted by Jannah in CBN, English, Malaysia, Opinion, Public, Reflection.add a comment
Salam. Hello folks, its been awhile huh? No inspiration I guess..
Ah well, its rare that these days come by, so here I am, writing on…
The other day, Farhanah and I went by CBN to pick up Raudhah from school. Manje sungguh kanak-kanak ni, we used to take the LRT back under the hot scorching sun lagi! Anyway, Raudhah usually waits for us in the red hall, so we hung around there while waiting for school to end. As luck would have it, CBN 1 were practising for this action and sing competition they have the day after. Apparently, they’re at state level! So, me and farhanah sat there and watched as these kids performed their routine over and over again until Miss Low and Mrs. Phua were satisfied. Needless to say, Miss Low is still as garang as she was back when I was in school. Although the then often used ‘bangau’ word is no longer present, I can see that she still strike fears into these kids. Haha. Even I was scared! Nak beli makanan from the kantin and makan dalam red hall pun takut kene marah. Lol.
As I was sitting there, observing from a safe distance, the teachers drilling into these students that they have to be perfect and pronounce every single word properly (“open your mouths!!” / Miss Low: Its roooommm, not ruuummm; kids: “roooooooommm”), I can’t help but think no wonder we have quite a decent command of english. Not to blow on my own trumpet or angkat bakul sendiri, but I am proud that I can speak proper english (at least I think so!). Even the way these kids speak english is different than the average Malaysian. I think undoubtedly, CBN has a recomendable reputation for being a good english-speaking school.
I remember the days during english classes, we were made to read aloud and the teachers made sure that every enunciation was clear and loud. And my mom even made us do mouth exercises in the morning on the way to school. Memories of choral speaking competitions, drama competitions, public speaking and english days never fails to make my zygomaticus muscles to contract (that means smile, Apologies, I am a medical nerd). Even today, as I watch videos that my batch mates put up on their facebooks of our interclass drama competition back then makes me proud to be a CBNer
I think it is not the learning of the english that makes a difference, its the practice that you get from speaking over and over again. Listening to english songs and then trying to imitate the way they pronounce and speak does help. Who says listening to songs is a waste of time?! Maybe thats why our english sounds more American than it does British, we watch too many American shows.
Aah well..speaking and writing are two different things unfortunately for me. Too bad words don’t flow as well as it does for me when I write, hence the very limited entries. Its not that I don’t have ideas on what to write about ( I have loads, trust me), its just that every time that I am set to go clicking away, words just fail me. I guess I don’t express my thoughts as well as other people *sigh* Maybe I should talk more? Naahh, not me..
Ok, since I don;t have any ideas on what to say to close this entry, I shall just rant away..
Read the nwspaper today. I thought the government is on the right track to limit the numebr of SPM subjects to just 10 (although 12 would probably be more realistic). Its just unneccessary to take soo many subjects me thinks (kalau nak show off tuh lain lah cite). No disrespect to those who have (kudos to them for excelling), but I think taking too many subjects just increases the pressure on others (not to mention yourself!) to take up just as many. Plus, at the end of the day, how many subjects you take for SPM only takes you so far. Tak caye? Tanyelah mane-mane budak yang dah masuk university.
We focus too much on developing students who are excellent exam wise that we forget in order to survive the rat race that is this world, it takes more than a brilliant mind. I’ve seen loads of people who are not neccessarily the brightest students but have succeeded way further than the smart ones. You know what they had in common? They are all street smart, have good english and work their a** off. Of course, occasionally there are the ones who we like to call “pacat” but that’s a whole different story.
So, lessons for today, speak good english, be street smart and work hard! 
Right, till next time peeps, I need to get back to my puzzles and Kris Allen
Politics. And all the shenanigans that comes with it. February 10, 2009
Posted by Jannah in Malaysia, Opinion, Politics, Public.add a comment
I know its been a while (Ok, a long time) since my last entry, but in my defence, I have been swarmed with exams! (alasan untuk diri sendiri je sebenarnya nih =p)
Anyways, I’ve been trying to keep up to date with what’s going on back home. Although, I must say that reading all these news just makes me sad. Not to mention angry, dissapointed and all other negative connotations that you could possibly think of. Frankly speaking, I am just becoming more and more disgusted with Malaysian politics. Yes, I agree, politics are essential. Even Rasulullah (pbuh) was a political mastermind. However, one thing that I am able to deduce from all my observation of the happenings in Malaysian politics is that Politics brings out the worse in people.
I’m not just talking about politicians per se (although the statement is mostly attributed to them) but everyone in general. What else, if not politics, can provoke adults, intellectuals, professionals to beat each other up on the basis of ‘principles’? What else, if not politics, provides the medium for bribery and treachery to become oh-so-common? What else, if not politics, that can make a person throw all their ‘principles’ out the window? Surely this is not portraying good logical thinking, let alone the teachings of Islam.
Over the past week, I’ve seen countless videos, read numerous articles about protests (and not peaceful ones at that), fightings, bickerings. Over what?
I think, most times, people get into politics with the best of intentions which I’m sure most of us have. We want to change the world, make it a better place. Set right to the world. But sometimes I wonder if it is still possible to be involved in politics and come out of it saying, with confidence, that you did what you set out to do originally without sacrificing your principles (the good ones of course) even just a little bit. I am not sure that one can survive the political game anymore without being “coerced” into doing something that they swore they would not do before. Politics have just gotten so dirty lately that I’m not even sure its serving its purpose.
Honestly, I am not taking any sides because obviously both sides have their shortcomings. Nevertheless, it just bewilders me to think that we specifically chose these people to protect our rights and be our voices, yet at the end of the day, all they seem to care about are their own interests.
P/s: I’ve added new pictures! Check them out on the Photo Gallery page
It’s been a while… October 18, 2008
Posted by Jannah in Medicine, Opinion, Reflection, Religion, random.add a comment
It’s been a while since I last updated this blog. Forgive me, but unfortunately quite a lot of different things have been happening that I had to deal with first. Alhamdulillah, everything’s finally settling down now and I can finally get back to my normal, uncrazy life
The last time I wrote an entry was when I was still enjoying my pleasant, peaceful summer. A time when I didn’t have to think about studies and my social responsibilities. Sadly, tha time has come and gone and I am now in my second year. My second year as a medical student and my second year in lovely Manchester. Alhamdulillah I’ve managed to get thus far. Syukur sangat-sangat.
However, it hasn’t been all sunshines and rainbows ever since I came back. As most of the people close to me would know, I had some problems the minute I landed in Manchester. Thank God I am blessed with family and friends that faithfully stood by me and supported me in more ways than one. i am forever grateful to all of you. I learned that in life, God throws you all kinds of challenges and problems. Challenges for you to take on and problems for you to learn how to solve. The way I see it, all these can only result in two things; you either become stronger and grow closer to Him and learn things about yourself and others that you would never have known in the first place OR you don’t. With every “bad” thing that God gives us, InsyaAllah there’s always something good awaiting at the end of it. I guess it’s really up to us how we take it, perceive it and deal with it. What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger right?
Other than that, life has been pretty good. Eid was awesome, still is Kat Manchester nih tak habis-habis dengan raya. That’s what I love about it. It is after all my second home Besides being busy with my studies (neuro is driving me crazy!) I’m also occupied with MSSM’s activities plus the occasional helping-with-other-projects here and there. I know my parents are worried that I’m getting myself busy with too many things, but I can’t stand not being busy. I need it to keep me occupied and distract me from other things in my life that I’m really not too keen thinking about right now. My life feels a lot more meaningful and worthwhile when I’m busy. Maybe this is the compensation that I get. Huhu. Anyways, mak & ayah, you know I love you but don;t worry. InsyaAllah nana tau where my limit is. Lagipun I’m stepping down in a few months time
So, to anyone out there who’s having troubles of their own, take it from me, Hold on. Pray a lot. No one else can help you but Him. Always, always seek for His help. InsyaAllah sooner or later everything will fall into place Have faith…
p/s: I’ve started my second year with a semester on neurology, basically THE MOST COMPLICATED thing you could ever learn. Nevertheless, studying medicine never fails to dazzle me on how majestic Allah’s creations are. Oleh itu, faham-fahamlah yer jika saya tidak selalu mengupdate ini blog. InsyaAllah I will try and squezze my thoughts here when I have the time Thanks for reading folks..cheers~
p/ss: Adik-adik, I missss you allll~~~ Mak and ayah too…
note: I’ve uploaded a slideshow of a collection of my raya pictures. Had to wait until all the open houses were over, that’s why it took so long!
How narrow-minded do they think we are??? September 13, 2008
Posted by Jannah in Malaysia, Opinion, Politics, Public, Religion.2 comments
It really infuriates me when politicains say things like “Hak keistimewaan melayu, sistem raja-raja dan perkara-perkara yang berkaitan dengan agama Islam adalah isu sensitif dan tidak sepatutnya dibincangkan secara umum”. As a malay, I honestly feel insulted by this. Not “protected”, insulted.
How stupid do they think we are? Do they think that lack such intelligence so as not to be able to stand up for ourselves? Do they think we are that narrow-minded? That immature??
C’mon laarr…we are living in the 21st century for God’s sake. Most of us are now well-educated, able to distinguish between what’s right and what’s wrong. Most of us are able to think for ourselves. We are not children who needs to be “protected” all the time. What’s the harm in arguing? In discussing what we are “fighting” for? If we believe that what we “stand” for and believe in is right, then shouldn’t we be able to defend it? When we keep saying that it’s a sensitive issue and should not talk about it openly, we are indirectly proving that our stand doesn’t have a strong basis. Embarassing don’t you think? I personally feel embarassed when our so called Malay fighter leaders say these kind of things. It just shows how unintellectually stimulated they are. We chose our leaders not just to fight for our “rights”, but to also represent us. To be a representative of our race to other people. That means they should be able to explain why certain thins are the way they are. By sweeping things under the carpet, you won’t make it go away. All it does is make it more and more dirty as time passes by.
This issue about malay rights is one thing. I personally do not agree with some of it. To me, by saying that we need these special treatments, we are incapable of fighting for ourselves. I agree there was a time when probably the malays needed a litle bit of a push to help us going. But that was 50 years ago. I dare say right now that we are, if not at par with the other races, just a little bit left behind. And from what I can see, all this special treatments that we are getting are not helping us, it’s just making us more complacent (stressing that I’m only talking about a minority here). It’s sad that some of us actually think that we are not good enough to compete with the other races and come up tops in the end.
Futhermore, I absolutely do not agree that Islam should be considered as a sensitive issue. We as muslims know and believe that Islam is perfect. Then what is there to be afraid of talking about it? Allah Himself says that agama Islam is for those who think. We can see the how magnificent Allah is through His creations, thru thinking. So, if we do not discuss Islam with our friends of different religions, how are we to fulfill our duties as caliphs in this world? Think about it. If during the time of Rasulullah (pbuh), he said, “owh, religion is a sensitive issue. don’t talk about it” what would happen to Islam? it would never spread as wide as it has today. By arguing (in a good and mannarable way of course), we stimulate our minds into thinking. When we think, then only are we able to distinguish between what is wrong and what is right.
I really do hope in my heart that a time will come when we can talk about things openly – without fights breaking out or people hurting each other. A time when we really, truly are a civilised nation. An intelectually stimulated nation.
P/s: The words that I chose to put under inverted comas are arbituary in meaning of it’s uusage in this particular context.
Tudung oohh tudung~ September 10, 2008
Posted by Jannah in Opinion, Reflection, Religion.3 comments
I was inspired to write this entry after reading a couple of articles written by RPK on Malaysia Today ; The great tudung debate & The trees from the forest.
I’m not actually going to comment or say anything with respect to the articles because God knows my religious knowledge pun takdelah tinggi mane, takat belajar agama kat sekolah biase jer, tu pun sekolah convent (no offence ustazah ngehe ) But I have learnt (or probably the best word to use is realize) a thing or two through my personal experience of wearing the hijab.
I have to admit, the first time that I donned the tudung, it was “forced” on me by my parents, meaning to say that I was somewhat reluctant to wear it. Most of my close friends back in school were non-muslims, you see. So it was a bit awkward in a sense. Don’t get me wrong, they didn’t have any problem with me wearing it – although there were the occasional “Why do you have to wear a tudung?” “You have such beautiful hair! What a shame!” “Lagi cantik if you tak pakai tudung” Owh I’m sure you know what it feels like, wanting to be accepted. Plus considering the fact of how insecure I was back then, lagilah! I was so concious of what people would think of me and how it would affect my appearence – dahlah muka time tuh tembam, bile pakai tudung, habis jadi bulat terus! 
So, in order to somewhat ‘reduce’ the effect, I started wearing it only when I went out with my family. I didn’t wear it to school. I thought, if I wore it outside, in the general public, no one knows me so who would notice? So yeah, it was relatively easier that way.
The first day I wore a tudung to school was when I was in form 2. I still remember that day vividly in my mind. I remeber wlaking up the stairs form the primary school to the canteen. The first look I got was from a fellow muslim friend. All she did was smile but that simple gesture meant the world to me So teruslah jalan sampai masuk hall. Did the usuals, sat in a corner where my friends and I usually sit while waiting for the bell to ring. Most of them came during reading time so no one really had a chance to say anything. But they did give me supporting smiles and a few questionning looks I must say. Buat bodoh jer, I told myself. The rest of the day was pretty normal (normal being ade yang puji, ade yang terkejut and there were a few who didn’t say anythimg really) except for one particular incident. This incident I think will be crafted in my memory for all eternity – in a good way
What happened was, when we got to class, the girl who was sitting in front of me – a malay, muslim girl – turned around, looked at me for about a milisecond and laughed 
Litterally laughed. I was flabbergasted! and embarrassed to say the least. rase nak nangis dah time tuh 
– yes, I cry a lot back then. By God’s grace, my friend who was sitting next to me, told her off. Hah! I can’t remember exactly what she said but it ran on the lines of “Asal ko gelak? Menyibuk jer!” More or less. I swear I could have kissed her at that moment. I have never, ever been so proud to be friends with someone more in my life than that particular moment. Syukur sangat2. After that, it was basically uneventful and as years go by, I think I’ve learned a thing or two about tudungs and the schenanigans that comes with wearing it.
Regarding all the dalils about wearing a hijab, itu biarlah saya serahkan kepada mereka yang lebih berilmu. I have my own personal reasons for wearing it, and I’m sure everyone does too. The essential thing is, for me, it is more important to have that conviction for wearing it rather than the act itself. It’s crucial that we understand why we wear it, be it for God, to protect our own chasity etc. Without understanding, without really believing in your own personal rationale, it’s useless. Pointless. That is why we see a lot of people do a chipsmore with the hijab nowadays – now you see it, now you don’t.
Mind you, I am in no way judging the ones that do not wear them. In fact ever since I went to the UK, I have a newfound respect and totally different view of those who do not wear it. Lebih baik tak pakai tudung tapi hati bersih and iman kuat daripada pakai tudung tapi perangai tak mencerminkan perwatakan seorang muslim. I think mabe it’s a Malaysian, or rather, a Malay’s mentality. Or is it just me? Hmmm 
At the end of the day, biarlah ape sebab pun we put on the hijab, yang penting, kita ikhlas and InsyaAllah, Allah will repay us for it I have never regretted the fact that my parents pushed me to wear the hijab. In fact, when I think back, I am glad they did. As you grow older, you see things differently and what mattered to you before might seem so feeble now. All I know is, the longer I wear it, the more I understand why God made us do it.
As an afterthought, I do agree with RPK that sometimes our prioritizations are pretty messed up. We tend to focus on the little little things rather than the bigger, more crusial problems that we are facing. Humans do that. Like this thing with the Bukit Bendera UMNO chief – totally bollocks I have to say. And jsut to point out, I don’t swear. Especially not in public.
Child Beggers July 12, 2008
Posted by Jannah in Opinion, Public.3 comments
I was having dinner at a nasi kandar shop with my family when I saw this little girl begging customers for money. And the first thing that struck my mind was “I hope she doesn’t come at us”. Not because I didn’t want to get close to her but because I feared that I wouldn’t be able to turn her away. People say “just ignore them, they’ll go away” “these kids are working for a syndicate and all you will do is encourage them”.
