is giving out cash good?

The government has spent a large amount of money on scheme in which the poor are given cash in the bid to assist them. I consider myself as coming from this poor category and hence I know that receiving cash would make us feel so grateful (who doesn't?), and the best part is that we actually don't have to do anything to get it! Well maybe we just have to listen to some boring speeches, but it's worth it.

But really, is this actually helping us in a long run? Is giving out cash to people without having them to do anything a good thing? Is it healthy from the economy perspective? I'm no expert in this.

I just think that maybe getting them a job, or assisting them to get one or starting a business or something would be better. No?

The money spent on this scheme can be used for other things to benefit the poor and the rest of the people in the country.

What triggers me to write this is a news that I just read which says that the amount of the cash maybe will be increased if the current ruling political party wins during next election. It sounds like a bribe, no?

I'm not anti government. In fact I'm more of a pro government. And there are good schemes like book voucher and the assistance to improve small biz, are good and have to continue.

Even the opposition using more less the same method. When I was in Indonesia, the Penang government hold a dinner to meet, bond, and answer questions from Malaysian students regarding latest issues. And I remember one of the state minister was saying that they are trying to reduce the number of the poor in the state by giving out cash just so that the poorest have just enough income to put them out of the 'poor category'. hmm does it work that way?

lets start living now!

I have just realised that I should stop chasing the future much and to live more on the present.

While struggling for a better future is a must, I shouldn't neglect the current live, the now.

We deserve to have fun and live to the fullest everyday amid stressful work we have to face or whatever reasons we have to postpone being happy.

We don't have to wait to really living, enjoying it and live to the fullest. Do it now as we're not even sure how long we will be living.

Amir's visit.

A good friend Amir came to my hometown, Lenggong in Perak last week. It was our last activity during the holiday before we actually start working!

I took him to many places where we had loads of fun visiting.

After completed his 274km bus journey from KL, first he had to accompany me to Taiping Hospital because I had a doctor appointment that day haha. After done seeing doctor I took him to several places around the town of Taiping such the Taiping lake garden. (The most beautiful garden i have ever been to hence it is my favourite) and later we went to Kuala Sepetang Mangrove forest reserve and also the Taiping Night Safari. I love zoo!

Kuala Sepetang mangrove forest. It's huge!

Amir trying Mee Udang Mak Jah

Taiping Night Safari! It was cool as we can see lions and tigers running around and playing!

On day 2, I took him to the royal town of Kuala Kangsar for some touristy stuffs and then we headed to Bukit Merah water theme park.

Amir in front of the beautiful Ubudiah mosque.

Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery.

At Bukit Merah Laketown resort. Had loads of fun at the waterpark! omg I love water.

Cool ATV ride at the ATV adventure Larut in Taiping! This is Amir's favourite.

Day 3: Took him around Lenggong, the world UNESCO heritage site, then headed to Seri Iskandar to visit a friend there, and Ipoh at night to watch a football match live.

At one of the many caves in Lenggong.

Inside Lenggong Archeological Museum.

Raban Lake near Lenggong.

Lata Kekabu waterfall

We watched a football match at Stadium Ipoh at night. Love the atmosphere!

 Day 4: he headed back to KL to attend the induction course. We're gonna start working soon!

Train fetish

I like trains since when I was small. Even though I was only manage to see the trains when my father stopped the car when we happened to cross the railway on the road. Haha I remember there was one time when the alarms and the warning lights flashing signalling the road will be closed temporarily for the train to cross, instead of going faster my father decelerated the car so that me and my siblings would be able to see the trains. haha. And the very long cars moving on the track really amazed us, or me particularly :p

And like the other normal kids, having a toy train was my dream. But coming from a not so well to-do family, I never asked for one. My parents never actually spent money on such things like toys. The only toys my sister and I had were the donated used teddy bears (argh).

So when I got my first salary later (yay), I promise I will buy one for me, hmm maybe several of them so that I can connect the tracks together to make a long track for the train haha.

Four days ago I took the ETS train from KL to Ipoh and I love it. It ran 150km/hr, maybe faster, and it was really comfortable and smooth as compared to bus or other transports that use the land road. and I felt safe. Really glad the double tract from KL to Ipoh is done. Now the double tract from Ipoh to Padang Besar at the northest part of the peninsular is under construction. I am following the updates regarding the project closely and can't wait for it to be done. They say it is more than 75% complete now.

Few years back, I took the old train namely Senandung Malam, and it was a one long journey. There was only 1 trip per day due to the single rail track and it's a night trip. It was a noisy and bumpy ride. Now it became history.

Just now I checked on the latest development of the KL MRT project. Love it. Love the artist's impression videos, can't wait for it to happen for real.

And every time there's a news about the possibility of  a fast train project from KL to Singapore, I will read every single word of the news keenly. And I hope it's going to happen for real.

I wish the government will extent the double track project to the east coast of the peninsular and also to Sabah and Sarawak. It would be easier for us to travel to places there. Traveling to these places via road is too mush a hassle and energy and time-consuming. Plus the motion-sickness that I have, is not helping haha.

Train is really the future of transportation on the land.

Knowing about how advanced the technology and the engineering of high-speed trains around the world is, really excites me. And I dream of traveling in the Eurostar from London to Paris one day. Enjoying the views from the window.. I want to try other fast trains too like in Germany and China.

So anyone wants to travel with me soon? hehe

applying housemanship in malaysia for medic fresh graduates

This post is dedicated to those who has just finished medical school especially those graduated abroad. There are several sites and blogs that i found helpful but here i will summarize and put it into numbered points to make it simple.

Here are 5 easy steps :)

1) Fill in the SPA8i form online at Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam (SPA) website:
http://www.spa.gov.my/

2) Contact SPA to book an interview (via phone/email/go to its office)

3) Download, fill in & send in the Borang 4: Permohonan untuk Pendaftaran Sementara, Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and Borang Maklumat Tambahan MMC.
http://efenem.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/mmc-daftar.pdf

4) Download, fill in & send in the borang Permohonan Jawatan Pegawai Perubatan, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM)

http://www.mediafire.com/?jqggmomhy2lifwo

5) Attend interview at SPA office.

That's it. Read the guidelines carefully as you fill in the forms and get the required documents attested.

Currently I'm waiting for my interview scheduled on 13 March. Wish me luck!

don't be too mean towards cats

I was having a little chat with my Mak Ngah when she told me about her son who's now moving to Kedah from his previous house in Negeri Sembilan due to work. He is a cat lover, he loves to pick up stray cats and lets them stay at his house. As a result he has many cats.

But mysteriously his cats keep on disappearing one by one. My aunt says she thinks it is his neighbors the ones that took the cats and threw them away as to them the cats in the neighborhood is a nuisance.

It got me thinking, maybe there's an answer to my kittens disappearance when I was in Medan, Indonesia. It's weird really, as one kitten disappeared after another within one or two days. It's impossible for them to go to far and got lost or hit by car in such orderly interval.

My kitten Abu, who ran over by my neighbour, without informing me was buried. I knew about it a few days later only after an old lady told me what she witnessed.

This is really sad you know. If that was what exactly these people were doing then they should know how selfish they are. And very unfair towards the innocent cats.

These cats were taken from the streets, adopted and taken care of. Isn't that a good thing? Not only it gives these cats better lives they deserve, it also will reduce the number of stray cats that many people find disturbing on the streets or at the restaurants, (though all these cats are asking for is some leftovers that we not gonna eat anymore).

But still if you are unhappy about cats, talk to the owner. We can control the cats better. And the number of cats can be controlled by spaying these animal. Throwing them somewhere else is not solving but creating more problems.

Last week I found out about this very sad news:


This wonderful person, Nicole took these cats from the streets, adopted them and feed them with love. Unfortunately her neighbours complained to DBKL and they gave her several days to get rid of these cats.

And what happen to those cats on the street of KL captured by DBKL? What I  read in the Mastika January 2012 edition startled me. Those cats will be put in cage and feed for 1 week, and after 1 week if nobody buy them for RM15, these cats will be put to 'sleep'.