星期一, 三月 16, 2015

My response to Zaid Ibrahim's view on national language as a key to unite Malaysians


(Picture taken from the Internet)

The post is here http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2015/03/12/kids-should-mix-freely-to-bridge-racial-gap/

Zaid's opinion is still old and outdated. Indonesian Chinese were banned from speaking their mother tongue since 1960s. Yet they were massacred in 1998. It is very obvious that language is not the major concern of racism.

You learn language for convenience, not because to show your "patriotism". The latter is so bullshit. It is a poisonous product of Nationalism which is so outdated because the colonized power has long gone and some people still want to stick with this.

To counter Racism, you should question whether you teach your child to learn to respect "different opinions or different ways or different living styles". Do you see others are also human as you? Do you see other religions are as equally holy and TRUE as yours?

You can go on remain don't bother to understand people who are different than you, you can go on live in your own circle of same race because that is your freedom, nothing wrong about that, but you should not tease, discriminate or bully people just because they are different than you.

Most most most importantly, no race based policy should be introduced at government's level. This is the root for all the feud that are happening today.

Malaysia was British's Malaya. British gave us independence because they were under serious threat from the Communist Party. Otherwise you think why British would let us go so easily and so peacefully? And one thing for sure that our forefathers proved to British that ALL races wanted independence. UMNO alone wasn't enough to convince British to approve independence. So this is how it happened. All races back then had contributed much to our independence.

Our political system , admin system, all the infrastructure, and even the race proportions are the legacy of British , not from all the state kingdoms.

Also, please go n check the year 191x Currency Note that was printed by then Johor Kingdom. It's even got Chinese character printed on the it. Another thing to note is that Johor Sultan even formed Sistem Kangcu to get Chinese immigrants to develop Johor's agriculture. Malay back then was so open and confident. They did not request for any help from the government.

After our independence, our economy was still very much in the hand of foreigners. The statistics are available in many books, including Syed Ali Hussein's "The Future of Malay". Therefore, it is ridiculous for someone to think that Chinese was controlling Malaya's economy since independence. The biggest cake for sure reserved for the people from the Queen's land .

Malaysia government only managed to buy over all the foreign assets decades later, after the government earned much from the crude oil business. Now it's the GLCs that are controlling our economy. Most of the employees in GLCs are Malays. All the so called Chinese tycoons nowadays have to "cari makan" in oversea. It is naive for someone to think that these Chinese tycoons have chance to expand their wealth here without UMNO's intervention?

As for majority Chinese who are definitely not tycoons, they have been sacrificing a lot of their time to make their living. They dare not have so many children because they have to spend much effort in accumulating more wealth for their descendants. So there is a price to pay. As a comparison, most of the young Malay family usually want to have at least 4 kids, some even want more. Imagine the heavy expense to sustain so many mouth, it makes sense that it is more difficult for Malay family to accumulate wealth. The logic is very simple. This is very basic financial planning knowledge. Perhaps this is not a problem for people who always hope government can do anything for them whenever they're in need.

Also, some people think that Chinese were massacred in Indon because they were controlling the national wealth so the BN goverment was doing the right thing to implement "NEP". My advice to these people are, please do not think your bros and sis are "natural born killers" like those Indons. Even you yourself like killings does not mean they like too. To kill out of jealousy is inhuman and it's Haram in every religion. If you believe to kill the rich is something right, you are no different than those Indon beasts, who portrayed very very wrong image of your religion to the world.

In short, nationalists don't really care for the good for people. Nationalists only want to fulfill their ego that is shaped from the illusion that if someone from their race succeeded, they can share the glory just because they belong to the same race. This is funny, they don't even have contribution to the someone's journey of success. Don't they remember that every glory does not belong to us, but belongs to God?

Chinese early settlers did not invade this land by force, it's all the western powers that killed all the natives here. And now what? These nationalists want Chinese descendants to become as close as their own race, they want their descendants to play unfair game just for their races to catch up. Looks like this will make them happier. This type of "happiness" is all coming from their ego. I wonder if God still has a place in their heart?

I urge all these nationalists to stop being blinded by Nationalism ideology. Let me repeat, Nationalism ideology was meant to be the weapon to fight the colonized power. Your enemy has long gone. Hence the Nationalism mindset should be gone too. This ideology did not even exist only until like 100+ yrs ago. Today we are already in information era. People are talking about Globalism and Pluralism now.

星期二, 三月 10, 2015

復禮與自省減社會戾氣

此文于西元二零一五年三月十七日获刊登于《南洋商报》言论版-有话直说:自省与复礼减戾气•勇瑜

复礼与自省减社会戾气

很多中国游客很可怜,一些同胞在国外随地大小便、机舱内闹事、破坏公物等,自己或许并没那么做,但负面报道实在太多,印象已成,也无辜一齐被骂被人鄙视。

曾几何时,中国是非常重礼节的国度。国与国之间讲礼,官员来往讲礼,民间交集更是离不开礼。明代天主教神父著作《大中华帝国》内对神父等人在中国所受到礼节有多描述。从中可得知当时官府即便不太欢迎外国人,但待客之道却不缺。而南宋大儒朱子所留的《朱子家训》内更处处可见洒扫应对之法,其家训是很经典的古人家教素材。

华夏礼节源远流长,生、冠、婚、丧等人生大事很早已有一套礼仪制度。儒家始祖孔子更是喜欢宣扬礼。其“克己复礼”之说更被许多儒家学者称作儒家精髓。所谓有教养,就只因懂得“克己”啊!

中国五四运动掀起了一股倒孔家店的风,本来是要倒那些假儒家名义的不合理制度,结果却演变成整个儒家自民间被连根拔起。社会抗拒儒家的风气即使直至今日仍存。结果,中国经济起飞了,许多国民的修养完全没跟上。许多人有幸发达,无奈修养不及格,被称为“土豪”也。

儒家的修养方法很实在,在于两个字-"自省"。"吾日三省吾身",曾子天天都自省三次。“射有似乎君子,失诸正鹄,反求诸其身。”,孔子谓射箭不中,不是去怨,“上不怨天、下不尤人”,而应“反求其身”,即自省也。

当自己情绪来了,忍不住口出恶言,甚至动粗等,此时儒家的自省方法可派上用场。先去了解情绪为何会上来?因为对方做了某事说了某话而引发。为何自己对对方所做所说会起如此大的情绪?就这样像剥洋葱般一层一层剥下去。

情绪既然来了,绝不能力压之,压抑情绪对自己的身心都有害。《中庸》谓:"喜怒哀乐之未发谓之中,发而皆中节,谓之和"。情绪来了,儒家的修身法是该使情绪得体的表现出来。这样情绪不会留在心里,也不会引起不必要的后续麻烦。这是很实际的做法。

自省功夫日深,最后会发现,任何问题,全都是自己的问题。往往因为自己"不诚",自己不敢面对自己的内心,自己不对自己诚实,所采取的行动皆基于自我欺骗。当造成不幸局面时,也是不敢坦诚面对,不承认自己最初所做的决定根本就是歪的,才把一切错误都往他人身上推。故孟子说:“反身而诚,乐莫大焉”,自省至至诚,问题已非问题,又如何不会快乐?

许多华裔网民喜欢在网上咒骂人去死或写出"把他切成一段段"等言论。殊不知这些话被有心人翻译给他族看,令他族认为许多华人皆是极端之徒。其实,这些网民,充其量只是为逞一时之快来发泄生活中的不满,但他们这种言论之后果可大可小。而学习儒家修身法会对他们有益。他们可从中了解如何能帮助自己走出心理困境,迈向阳光普照的生活。做着愈多,社会的戾气必减。

星期一, 三月 09, 2015

雜志《品牌與連鎖》作品: 世界十大航空品牌

最近,航空业在我国成为热烘烘的话题,处于多事之秋。首先是马航被名厨抨击,指其所提供飞机餐椰浆饭不合水准,然后没多久,就发生了神秘兮兮的马航客机MH370失踪事件。该客机绝迹印度洋,大概是有史以来最离奇的飞机失踪事件。以上都是坏消息,好消息则是工程一而再再而三延迟的第二国际机场以正式在五月头启用,成为我国最新的廉航终站,无论是规模和设施都比就廉航终站好得多,里面更是有如另一间购物商场。至于旧廉航终站LCCT,已完成任务走入历史了。

华人社会有犯太岁的说法,犯太岁代表诸事不顺波折重重。今年乃木马年,据传统说法,生肖年几乎都是太岁年,故今年肖马者通通犯太岁。我国名为马来西亚, 航空公司恰巧叫马航,马航今年首季发生了这么多事,令人感觉马航犯太岁的说法似乎很恰当。犯太岁都非好事,惟也有些见解说犯太岁亦指诸多变化,马航的两起事件的确是倒霉之极,至于第二国际机场启用,可是大大喜事啊,至少我国廉航终站的搭客终于可结束在烈阳下徒步登机的日子了。

我们杂志趁热打铁,趁航空课题尚热,今期特为大家呈上国际十大航空品牌,请大家笑纳。

阿联酋航空
2013年总营业额(美元):约211亿
飞机数量:222
航线数量:134
创立年份:1985
口号:曾有多个口号。最新为“Fly Emirates, Hello Tomorrow (2012) ”(阿联酋航空,明日你好!)
面子书订阅人数:280万
资料:阿联酋航空起初为著名的旅游品牌。最新的战略是把品牌转为生活化品牌,目标客户是几乎天天都在飞行的“地球公民”。其意义就是使这些地球公民把阿联酋航空当成生活的一部分,工作也好旅游也好都会自然而然的选择阿联酋航空这个“家庭管工”。为了使品牌成为航空业的Louis Vuitton(路易威登),阿联酋航空不惜砸下重金赞助世界闻名的英超球队-阿森纳!例如阿森纳前几年所启用的“酋长球场”就是阿联酋航空活生生的品牌代表,该球场到了西元2028年还会使用“酋长”的名称。而阿联酋航空更赞助了阿森纳的球衣直至西元2019年。除了足球外,阿联酋航空也赞助了不同的体育赛事,而且多是比较“贵族”级的赛事如世界第一方程式赛车,和网球比赛。单单是与世界第一方程式赛车的合作阿联酋航空就花了一千万美元,务必使阿联酋航空的标识得以在赛车场内映入观众眼帘。阿联酋航空非常照顾口操各种语言和拥有不同文化背景的顾客,并在每个前往不同地点的班机上提供贴心的服务 ,例如在从中国飞往非洲的班机上使用华语(普通话)来沟通。

卡塔尔航空
2013年总营业额(美元):约76亿
飞机数量:132
航线数量:133
创立年份:1993
口号:World's 5-star airline (世界五星级航空)
面子书订阅人数:390万
资料:卡塔尔航空的品牌形像就是以一个字来形容-豪华!其班机及机舱服务设备等都是豪华级的。而卡塔尔航空也同样通过足球赛事来使品牌闻名世界。首先是入股法国老牌球队巴黎圣日门,成为其幕后大老板,使巴黎圣日门最近几个赛季再度强势崛起。另一方面,卡塔尔航空也与欧洲顶尖球队巴塞罗纳签下价值不菲的赞助合约,在巴塞罗纳队衣和球场上打出品牌广告。卡塔尔航空是首家为客户定制贴身服务的航空公司,如在一等舱提供平躺椅。其服务素质被某些航空杂志评价为中东最佳。卡塔尔航空也非常注重顾客的安全,为顾客制定从机场到机舱到目的地的安全流程。

新加坡航空
2013年总营业额(美元):121亿
飞机数量:104
航线数量:62
创立年份:1947(原马来亚航空。1972年分家)
口号:A Great Way To Fly (良好的飞行方法)
面子书订阅人数:77.1 万
资料:新加坡航空与马来亚航空是孪生姐妹。两个其实是连体婴,后来新加坡被逐出马来西亚后,许多东西都开始分你我,新加坡的马来亚大学变成了新加坡国立大学;著名报章南洋商报星洲日报在新国的办事处被合并成了另一家新报章“联合早报”;而马来亚航空在新加坡就自然而然的变成了新加坡航空。新加坡航空不像之前所提那两家中东航空公司般在昂贵的足球比赛或世界第一方程式赛车大抛金钱玩赞助。新加坡航空靠的是真真正正的口碑与“新加坡女孩”。任何新加坡航空的女性员工(主要是空中服务人员)都可说是“新加坡女孩”,其形像是身穿新加坡航空制服的任何亚洲面孔的女孩(通常是华裔面孔)。该制服的设计灵感源自马来传统女性服装“克巴亚”(kebaya)。据调查,该制服普遍上给 人一种 很关怀顾客、很温暖的态度、很高雅的感觉。而且该制服的颜色也能反映出新航员工的职衔高低,如那些总管级的就身穿红色的制服。历史证明,“新加坡女孩”这位“品牌大使”非常管用,所以这么多年来,新加坡航空始终不肯放弃这位“品牌大使”。目前,“新加坡女孩”甚至登入了伦敦的杜莎夫人蜡像馆,与其他“名人”一起让游客拍照留念。新加坡航空曾经对外发表,把“新加坡女孩”在新航的地位等同于迪斯尼公司的“米奇老鼠”,可见“新加坡女孩”是多么的成功。新加坡的服务是顶级的。为了搞好“新加坡女孩”,新航遴选员工的标准特别严格。所有的员工都需要频繁受严格的训练。一切都是为了提升员工面对顾客的应变能力和服务水平。

全日本空输
2013年总营业额(美元):约178亿
飞机数量:210
航线数量:73
创立年份:1952
口号:Inspiration of Japan (日本的灵感)
面子书订阅人数:54万
资料:日本给人的印象都是属于非常保守的国家,他们并不是很欢迎外国人成为日本公民,所以人口老化现象特严重。来自日本的全日本空输就像日本政府般,比较专注在日本国内进行其品牌形象工程。他们主要赞助的是日本的影视业,如赞助电影《梦想起飞:菜鸟空姐的处女航》和由日本大明星木村拓哉主演的《空中情缘》剧集。全日本空输的 顾客可要求特别餐,如过敏餐、素食、孩童餐、清真餐、低糖分餐、低热量餐等等。若顾客想带宠物上机,全日本空输会特别处理。该公司很注重顾客在互联网上对公司的看法,对网上种种评论会赶紧跟进,绝不怠慢。日本人可说最注重守时的了,全日本公输也不例外,其在地员工会于登机门处戴上显示通关所需时间的电子腕带,好给顾客知道登记所需时间。

汉莎航空
2013年总营业额(美元):约413亿
飞机数量:287
航线数量:215
创立年份:1953
口号:Nonstop You(一路为你)
面子书订阅人数:160万
资料:汉莎航空来自欧洲大国德国,由于德国的高科技及认真严谨的形像深入民心,汉莎航空因此也令人非常放心。德国人与日本人一样,都很爱国。这间汉莎航空公司涉及足球业,不过就只赞助德国甲级联赛的皇牌球队拜仁慕尼黑,真的非常爱国。汉莎航空秉持德国个性,很低调,默默耕耘,就是靠优良服务来建立口碑就是了。

国泰航空
2013年总营业额(美元):约128亿
飞机数量:139
航线数量:112
创立年份:1946
口号:People. They make an airline. (每一个人,成就每一次飞行。)
面子书订阅人数:71万
资料:国泰航空是香港的代表。香港曾一度很长时间为亚洲的首要金融中心,面对各城市竞争,其地位目前稍微滑落,但金融服务仍然首屈一指。国泰航空善于利用香港的优势,也企图把其航空业务塑造成“亚洲心脏”。国泰航空也有赞助体育和文化活动,但都不是那些世界级的大型活动。国泰航空比较注重以一流的服务来建立口碑。譬如之前就曾把空服员的一日工作流程拍下再放上网,公开于所有人看,根本不怕众人一览无遗,这就是国泰航空对旗下员工服务素质的信心程度,这个营销手法受到公众好评。国泰航空的商务舱备受推荐。在商务舱内的每个座位皆可可看到窗外美景,而且每张座位可轻易就变床。国泰航空也注重服务本土化,会根据地区提供适合当地人口味的飞机餐。该公司也为乘客提供护肤品,使乘客在机上也能好好保养肌肤。

阿提哈德航空
2013年总营业额(美元):约480亿
飞机数量:92
航线数量:96
创立年份:2003
口号:From Abu Dhabi to the World (从阿布扎比到世界)
面子书订阅人数:约71万
资料:比较起其他航空公司,阿提哈德航空只算是小童而已。由于临近城市的航空公司都赞助著名足球球队,阿提哈德也不例外,赞助英超球队曼城。曼城队的球场就称作“阿提哈德球场”,并将为期十年。这间航空公司赞助曼城后,加上曼城在联赛的表现瞬间脱胎换骨,还从众多强队手中夺走了英超桂冠。阿提哈德航空还特地为曼城队留了一架专机呢!阿提哈德航空注重以环保方式经营生意,所用的一切材料都须顾及环保。 把顾客照顾得无微不至,甚至设立了“顾客服务单位”(Guest Response Unit), 为世界第一家如此做的航空公司。该单位二十四小时运作,共有九种语言选项。阿提哈德航空也以一流的飞机餐闻名,该公司打算把世界知名餐馆的美食通通搬上机舱内,使乘客纵然身在机上也能品尝顶级料理。该公司也备有“飞机保姆”,协助顾客在机上照顾小孩。

法国航空
2013年总营业额(美元):约351亿
飞机数量:251
航线数量:204
创立年份:1933
口号:Air France, France is in the air (法国航空,法国在空中)
面子书订阅人数:370万
资料:法国航空善于聘请流行乐队为其创造歌曲,以在其广告中或者机舱内播放。法国航空也赞助文化活动,如该公司为格调高尚的康城电影节的唯一官方航空公司。该公司曾是世界上唯独两家拥有协和飞机的航空公司之一。协和机的航空技术是属于突破性的,是航空公司非常好的生招牌,但因为发生了不少事故,最终也遭法航淘汰了。法国菜系是世界顶级菜系。所以法航的飞机餐是不可能随随便便的。法航把一些获颁米其林三星级的餐馆美食搬上了机舱,是非常棒的享受。法航也为顾客提供“贵宾房”(Le Salon),身在贵宾房可品尝顶级自由餐、上网服务、淋浴间、甚至是三温暖服务等等。

土耳其航空
2013年总营业额(美元):约832亿
飞机数量:250
航线数量:247
创立年份:1933
口号:Widen Your World (开阔世界)
面子书订阅人数:370万
资料:土耳其航空非常厉害,懂得聘用著名球星如梅西等玩自拍为土耳其航空拍广告,创意十足,值得褒扬。该公司也积极把公司定位为“创业者人脉”公司,乘客在机舱内可通过某些软件看到从各处收集来的创业点子,促成商业合作。该公司也创办香水品牌TK 1933,积极在机上使用该品牌的香水,乘客上机后所闻到的芳香就属于TK1933。欧洲航线很短,通常飞欧洲航线的班机都只为乘客提供饼干小食等等,而土耳其航空就不同,即使是欧洲航线,该公司照样为乘客提供热食。

澳大利亚航空
2013年总营业额(美元):约163亿
飞机数量:140
航线数量:41
创立年份:1920
口号:Spirit of Australia (澳大利亚的精神)
面子书订阅人数:48万
资料:澳洲航空的招牌就是其“从无死亡事故”的历史,简直就是安全保证。澳航知道制服的重要性,因而聘请知名设计师设计空服人员制服,再下重金聘请名模为制服打广告。该公司为了确保飞机常常准时起飞准时抵达,故投资于昂贵的仪器以记载飞机起飞降落的时间。

人说青出于蓝而胜于蓝,榜上以亚洲传统航空公司居多,欧美的很少,不是说欧美航空公司不好,而是已被亚洲新兴航空公司这些后浪越过头了。

中东航空公司似乎都很热衷于赞助世界级体育项目,如英超足球等等。这或许与当地人甚至航空公司老板热爱足球运动有关。其他的航空公司都没这么做。

航空业竞争万分激烈,其实众多航空公司的产品与服务都大同小异,再怎么日新月异都好,竞争对手很快就大撒金钱有样学样尽力赶超对手。他们主要的战略还是尽力挽留顾客使顾客忠于他们。

星期五, 三月 06, 2015

馬幣三千多元的“念力班”

坊间有位江姓讲师是神经语言程序大师,他有数个课程,其中一个是教人使用念力的,收费马币三千多元。

其实,如果付费上这位讲师的其他课程,或许还值得也说不定。但付三千多元上他的念力课,恐怕你要考虑考虑。

我虽没上过其念力课,但从其他管道得知,其实我一早已学得,而且我还是免费学来的。除了一些手法不同,关键的概念简直都一模一样。

这样的话,还需要花三千多马币来上这种课吗?你只需要找些书本照练就可以了。

我就曾多次成功用念力来使奇迹发生。

星期四, 三月 05, 2015

潛意識探測錘



写着书。写着写着,突然想起,当初友人特花上八千多元,向某新加坡郭姓大师级专家学习神经程序语言。

课程共八天之久,故大概平均一天一千元,其中一天是学“潜意识探测锤”法。

後来他来我处表演,弄了老半天,那个探测锤才动了一点点。轮到我出手,一下子就转得又快又大圈。

我告诉朋友,我这招是自老师傅处免费学来的。结果,朋友感觉好像受那位大师所骗了。直至今日,友人也不知要如何应用那门知识,渐渐的,这些宝贵知识已被友人抛诸脑后,八千元就这样烟消云散。

朋友是完全以初哥身份去上那个课程。我觉得,如果他先在该领域多作研究,再来上课的话,应该会自课程处学到更多心得。上课时间有限,只能尽量去接触知识,但若真要融会贯通,还是该多应用才行。

不过,那位郭大师真的很会打广告。记得一回他来隆时,其保时捷座驾贴了其大名,泊在谷中城酒店大门附近,给人很有气派的感觉。八天课程,一人八千多元,上课者三十人,的确是赚得盆满钵满。

星期日, 三月 01, 2015

Kitchen Delight @ Bukit Piatu Melaka

I have written about this some time ago. In Chinese.

http://amadeusbv.blogspot.com/2013/08/kitchen-delightchicken-delight.html

It used to be located at Bukit Baru, just next to a hotel. The name was Chicken Delight. The restaurant's design and operating way is very much like a "fast food" type. My Melaka friend is the one who brought me there. Since then this place has become my all time favorite each time I dropped by Melaka.

When I was still saying in Kulai, I travelled between Kulai and Segamat weekly. If I travelled from Kulai back to Segamat, I usually took the highway between Kulai and Yong Peng.

Sometimes I prefer to take the "Federal Route" as an alternative to the Highway because I wanted to enjoy the fun of passing different small towns along journey home. 

One day as I was passing by a small town - Kelapa Sawit, I saw a fast-food like restaurant with the name "Chicken Delight". I thought this might be the branch of the one in Melaka. So I decided to have my lunch there.

The menu of this restaurant is so different than the one in Melaka. I ordered some but I cannot remember what did I order and whether the food tastes good.

Back to Kitchen Delight, the chicken here is always so tender and juicy. My favorite meal here is Nasi Lemak with Fried Chicken or Snack Plate. I have tried other meals like Claypot Chiken Rice and it is also delicious.

Recently I dropped by Melaka again and had my lunch at Kitchen Delights. This time I tried something different. Nasi Goreng(Fried Rice) Kampung with Fried Chicken Wing and traditional Hokkien famous dish - Mee Hoon Ker Soup. For drink I ordered Papaya Milk which is recommended in the menu. Food wise the quality maintains. Though the price of the Kampung Style Fried Rice is quite expensive.

Very satisfying lunch.