Been a long time

Hello. Been a long time i didn't update my blog.

In this interval of time, so many things happened. A period of growth, and evolution. I just couldn't care less about the tiny irritants that are happening around me because I have bigger things to worry about.

So, I am happy that I have grown out of the phase of adolescence and became a full fledged adult, grown up with the experience, not determined by my family, but by me and my hard work alone.

I learned a lot.

1. How to let go
2. How to accept people
3. How to defend yourself
4. How to be happy
5. When I should and shouldn't care
6. How to vocalize my thoughts
7. How to love your friends
8. How to de-claw your enemies and make them your friends

But knowing all that, doesn't make me perfect or  more superior than others. Some are born lucky to be exposed to these life changing experiences and some are just not. Life has it's way of rewarding people. We just have to be patient.
 

Ironic Malaysia

I find it ironic:


Malaysia wants to be a developed country in 2020. But having only wealth is not enough. If the people are morally incompetent to manage the country's wealth, then I think you know where Malaysia will be heading. And to think that this disease lies dormant in the future leaders of Malaysia.


We should not only blame the leaders. The citizens are also to blame. With a lousy work mentality and an unacceptable level of unhealthy competition, it will be hard.


Malaysia still has a long long long long way to go. As long as the mentalities of it's people doesn't change, we could just forget about going in par with the rich nations that build their wealth on human assets, research  and manufacturing.


With the thinking of the citizens, still shrouded by pointless entertainment and dumb racial politics, the road to infinite progress will be very hard.




 

Words of advice (INFJ)

I learn form experience.

Sometmes I sit, and just watch what is happening around me. I see good things, i see bad things.

What I see very clearly is that hardworking people will not fail. They will not regret because their hard work will eventually pay off.

But there are some, who wants things without working hard for what they want. And it pisses me off. Or even if they work hard, it will only be temporary.

I love my companions who are hard working, who endure, who never give up, who aim for perfection. I have trouble with those who do the opposite. As someone who sees this, I could only offer my advice. And sometimes a little nudge.

At the end of the day their success depends on them despite of the push i give.

Often I am called the killer of joy, of being a party pooper, but often I am correct. My actions and my achievments prove my point.

I am an ordinary human. What puts me where I am now is my hard work and my mentality. I am not perfect but everyday I choose to better myself, and become better than I was yesterday.

People tend to put others on pedestals, but what is the point? Why don't we follow who we respect.

Things I've learned

1. When we tell others not to do something, make sure we ourselves are not doing the thing that we are prohibiting.
2. Do not even think about changing people to be like yourselves. Respect their differences. Only react when their differences affect your safety, work or sanity.
3. Children should be nurtured to think independently, freely and openly. Parenting means guiding the child to bringing out their full potential; not guiding the child to become mirror images of their parents. 
4. Keep your ideals and beliefs true. Never sell them away for material or worldly benefits.
5. Be direct and firm in communication. Being diplomatic has its limits.
6. Keeping hierarchies has its limit. Old people should discuss new ideas with young ones instead of just shutting down new input.
7. If people do you wrong, be firm, set your boundaries, and forgive them. If things still don't work out, they don't deserve you. Just bail out.  

About me: An INFJ

I recently found out I was an INFJ. (Google for MBTI-Myers Briggs Type Indicator). Really described me 98%. Amazing!

INFJ - ----Profile by Sandra Krebs Hirsch and Jean Kummerow---- 

INFJs are future oriented, and direct their insight and inspiration toward the understanding of themselves and thereby human nature. Their work mirrors their integrity, and it needs to reflect their inner ideals. Solitude and an opportunity to concentrate thoroughly on what counts most is important to them. INFJs prefer to quietly exert their influence. They have deeply felt compassion, and they desire harmony with others. INFJs understand the complexities existing within people and among them. They are at their best concentrating on their ideas, ideals, and inspirations. 

--Living-- 

INFJ children have two sides. They can be very much involved in the world of people, as well as quiet, imaginative, and in their own world. They are usually gentle and abhor violence. As teenager, INFJs look for a small group of people who understand and appreciate them. Without this support, they can feel isolated from others. INFJs who do not find a supportive social group may find the teen years to be somewhat difficult for them because of peer pressure to be popular and activity oriented. They are not likely to enjoy large parties, but prefer intimate groups of close and long-standing friends. Many INFJs who have the opportunity to gravitate toward higher education where they often find their niche. With their intellectual bent, they are led to endeavors that allow them to deal with theory and complexity. Professors often spot their intellectual inclination and encourage it. INFJs often settle early into a career choice and diligently apply themselves to the career's requirements. This same diligent pattern applies when selecting other important things in their lives, such as where to live, who to marry, and what activities are worthy of their dedication. INFJs have an internal picture of how they would like their work to contribute to the general good. If they are in an appropriate career area, INFJs may reap the rewards of their insight and hard work. Because of their future-focus, their people orientation, and their push toward task completion, they may rise to positions of responsibility.

 --Learning--

 INFJs have a strong love of learning, and they tend to do well academically. Through persistence, diligence, and conscientiousness, they complete their assignments on time. They are likely to enjoy research and will go great lengths to find answers. INFJs enjoy investigating the possibilities and meanings beyond the actual facts and realities. Reading holds a particular fascination for them because it allows them to have quiet reflection time and engages their imagination. They also like the written word (and rely on it more than the spoken word) since it is usually better structured and more coherent with a ready-made framework. INFJs write and communicate well because they want to formulate their ideas clearly. They place high regard on their reader and audience. They seek to communicate their ideals to others. When their ideals need to be championed, they speak up in an enthusiastic and impassioned way. As students, INFJs prefer learning from teachers whom they both like and admire, and who give them personal attention. INFJs are often 'model' students. They are quiet and orderly, reflective and thoughtful, and sincerely want to please their teachers and learn the right thing. They learn best from others but want time to assimilate material by themselves. INFJs will go beyond what has been presented and often mull material over in their minds. Occasionally they will discuss ruminations with others in order to learn even more. They particularly like the more conceptual and theoretical classes, therefore, higher education is comfortable to them. 

--Working--

 INFJs tend to be devoted to what they believe in and seek work where their needs, values, and ideals can be deeply engaged. They move on the wave of their inspirations and are determined to see that their values are worked out in their lives. They will work toward their goals individually and, when needed, will put together a team of other highly dedicated people like themselves. They are personal be with others, working with integrity and consistency, and they follow through on their commitments. INFJs, while concentrating on what is important to them, may ignore the political ramifications of their actions. They can be surprised by the necessity of being political and usually resent that aspect of organizational life. Being able to talk honestly and comfortably to people at work is much more important to them than 'playing games.' INFJs orient themselves toward their goals using a personal, values-based framework. They do not 'advertise' their values and priorities because they believe in harmony and positive relationships. However, one would do well not to underestimate the amount of perseverance, energy, and time INFJs give to their priorities. What they do, they do with an almost religious intensity. The INFJ external environment may be only partially organized. Their internal environment, by contrast, is anything but haphazard. Their ideas need to fit into a coherent whole that has the pieces in place. Organization of the internal world takes precedence over organization of an external world. INFJs prefer occupations that focus on the big picture, involve conceptual awareness, and lead to a better understanding of the spiritual, emotional, or future needs of people. They want their work to have impact and meaning and for it to bring them admiration and respect. While INFJs can and do enter all occupations, some are more appealing to them than others. These include Clergy, Education Consultant, English Teacher, Fine Arts Teacher, Librarian, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Scientist, Social Worker, and other occupations that allow INFJs an opportunity to make their own creative contribution. 

--Leading--

 INFJs lead through their quiet yet persistent and determined effort toward long-range goals for themselves, others and their organizations. In working toward their vision, they win cooperation rather than demand it. INFJs work to make their insights real and are able to inspire others with their ideals. They use a low-key, soft, yet intense and determined course of action. When they do not directly lead others, they may still act as facilitators between people. In meetings, they focus on both people and new ideas. 

--Leisure--

 Leisure-time pursuits for INFJs are often solitary or involve the company of others who are particularly important to them. Sitting around with dear friends discussing feelings can be very special to INFJs. INFJs are likely to have friends of long standing rather than make many new acquaintances. They may meet with their friends fairly consistently to share what is happening in their lives. It is sometimes difficult for others to break into this circle. These deep friendships are important, even though INFJs may not share much directly about themselves. 

--Loving--

 For INFJs, 'still waters run deep.' They tend to become attracted to someone special and prefer this one deep relationship over many superficial ones. The depth of involvement and feeling that the INFJ has toward loved ones is only partially communicated outward. At times, when alone, INFJs become truly in touch with the depth of the love they have for their partner. They may not openly demonstrate or even verbalize their intense feelings. INFJs often have an ideal standard of what love is. They hold to their ideal and are disappointed when, inevitably, their relationship and/or mate reveal flaws. INFJs enjoy sharing activities like a regular 'date,' revisiting the place where they first met their mates, or doing other symbolic things that help to continue and confirm the existence of the bond that they feel for their partner. INFJs want to give love and to be loved. They enter into relationships just to be cared for, even when the person is not right for them and they suspect it. However, when they meet that special person, they are quick to get into the relationship and make it a serious one. They will end their other relationships in order to pursue their loved one. They become very focused, intense, and direct in that pursuit. INFJs, when scorned, take it personally and retreat inward. They may obsess about the relationship and their role in its failure. One INFJ explained, 'people can do the most outrageous things, yet I blame myself for triggering their behavior or not recognizing it. I see myself as responsible for relationships. Other people can dismiss them --- I'm not able to.' INFJs may blame themselves and experience a period of mourning. If they do not marshal their resources, externalized their feelings, and take risks to move on, they may experience a long period of self-examination. 

Guides

"I can only show you the door, but you have to go to it yourself"

Promoting ideas to change the world is not an easy task. There will always be hurdles, not only from others but also from within.

We live in a polarised society. A society where we are free to choose what we want, and what is best for us. But freedom is only valid, as long as we do not limit the freedom of others.

Due to this logic, the concept of freedom itself is quite difficult to comprehend. Are we free to take advantage of others? Are we free to steal from the rich? Are we free to bring harm unto others?

I see that putting a limit on freedom is the only way a society can thrive. If we give children to much freedom, they will never want to go to school, and would rather just play until time is too late for them to become a great contributor to society itself. If we give freedom for people to upload videos or write articles on the media, people will tend to spread lies for their own advantage for this is the nature of humans.

Humans, when they are in desperation will do anything to survive. Even the chivalrous and the most righteous of them. The evil ones use religion, ideologies, social concepts and influence to make sure that their needs are met. Some will sell their faith and belief just for an easy life. This is but the reality of the world we are living in.

 Humans tend to misuse freedom. They spread lies, promote hatred, bring down people just for the sake of ego and the will to win. In Facebook, I find it quite depressing seeing people spreading bullshit. They point out the problems, but rarely say anything to solve them. Yet if they say things to solve only a few actually take the initiative to execute what they do.

Due to this, I myself am quite depressed at the state of the being of us humans. We are at an all time low. Its too late for the generation above me and my generation to change. But I believe that the genaration below me can change and I will try my best to guide them. I also believe in all my heart, that to change the world, one has to first master his or herself, before he or she can rid the world of the imperfection it has.

Helping the needy

I have a concept on helping the needy. If you were to have plenty of extra money, would you give the needy the extra money that you have. My answer is: NO!

Shocking is it? But hear me out here.

If I were to have plenty of money, I would invest on things that will teach the needy to make their own money. Example: Education, skill, work etc. To quote an idiom:

"Give a man a fish, he can eat it in a day, teach a man to fish, he can eat it for a lifetime"

Providing the needy with means to serve the society, not only increases their worth, but also the worth of society itself. By providing facilities for them to develop themselves, they will no longer be classified as needy, for they are provided with means to feed themselves.

Society itself is projecting an aura of insincerity. Corporations donate for the sake of "tax relief" and "marketing". With their ridiculous giant mock cheques, while being surrounded by the ever money hungry media. Another case is so, that some people who become rich act all cocky and end up having this sense of superiority that furthermore increases the social rift between rich and poor. I myself am embarrassed to say that I'm human.

Jealousy is also a problem. Powerful executives get shunned by the lower and middle class because they say that the distribution of wealth is unfair. But for me, these executives are people who provide jobs an opportunity for the middle and lower classes. Researchers catalyse the advancements of technology. Their research provide more opportunities. Why shouldn't their achievements be rewarded? They toil with their studies, they nurture their talents to become who they are. They themselves sacrifice a lot. Everyone should try thinking in the situation of others.

The needy also should take the initiative. Wealth doesn't come to lazy people. Not ever. If the human development facilities are there, but they themselves are too lazy to develop themselves, I think that they don't deserve the right to complain about the unfair distribution of wealth.

Its time for us to sit down and discuss.

Human potential

An idea to unify, to relate, to find a completing theory that will push human potential towards a point of no limitations.

To combine socionics and the sciences to the mind, body and soul, and to bring this idea to mankind, is the dream I wish to bring towards the world. To achieve a wonderful balance in the being a human being, pushing them to perfection and self satisfaction, and at the same time destroying barriers that limits human potential.

Humans can swim, can fly, can walk, can crawl. They could go to the moon, climb mountains, survive the harshest climate, build wonders of art, could outrun machines and many others. But I believe that the potential we have is only the tip of the iceberg. A high percentage of our minds lie dormant, our souls mostly lies lost to the tides of materialism and the need of money. The media tells us how to think, what to wear, and dictate our mind. Furthermore limiting human potential.

For that I continue my scholarly activities by reading, talking and observing until I come to an idea. An idea that will one day make a very big difference.

Perjuangan

Bak kata seorang tokoh aku: Kalau kita tidak kayuh dengan kuat menghadapi arus perubahan, maka kita akan hanyut dan mati ditarik oleh arus ini.

Salam sejahtera. Sebelum saya memulakan, ingin saya nyatakan bahawa posting ini tidak ada kena mengena dengan unsur politik murahan yang sering dikeluarkan dalam facebook, youtube dan lain-lain. Posting ini juga tidak mempunyai sebarang unsur sindiran. Posting ini merupakan posting berkenaan perjuangan, idealisme dan lonjakan mentaliti. 3 aspek yang pada pendapat saya akan menentukan nasib negara dalam beberapa tahun akan datang. Pada post ini saya ingin menyentuh tentang topik pertama iaitu perjuangan.

Perjuangan

Perjuangan merupakan perkara yang amat mulia. Tetapi sebuah perjuanagan yang walaupun niatnya amat suci macamanapun, tidak akan membawa kebaikan jika tidak disulami dengan keikhlasan. Di laman sosial terdapat segelintir rakan-rakan yang selalu berkongsi post di facebook berkenaan opresi, agama, anaka bangsa dan sbgnya. memang eloklah kalau perkara baik dkongsi dengan orang ramai. Tetapi  yang memalukan saya ialah "paradox" dalam tingkah laku manusia. Mulut kata lain tapi tangan buat lain. Sebagai contoh, ayah yang melarang anaknya merokok, sambil menghisap rokok. Perkara ni amat kerap berlaku, dan ini sangat menghampakan saya.

Perjuangan yang disulami dengan agenda tersembunyi tidak akan berhasil. Ini dibuktikan melalui sejarah. (Nazisme: Menegakkan darah Aryan, tetapi agenda tersembunyinya, membunuh ramai manusia yang tidak bersalah, Sozialisme: Menegakkan dasar ekonomi sosialis, tetapi membiar rakyat mati kelaparan). Soviet Rusia dan Jerman pada perang dunia kedua akhirnya musnah.

Setakat ini hanya segelintir sahaja rakan-rakan saya yang memperjuangkan syiar Islam yang pada pendapat saya, ikhlas memperjuangkannya. Segelintir pejuang pada zahirnya memperjuangkan perkara ini, tapi melihat tingkah laku mereka, sangat meghampakan.

A new chapter of my life

Alhamdulillah aku dah grad Bachelor. Kalau nak banding Januari 2009 dengan Mac 2013, aku rasa diri aku lagi matang dari dulu. Dalam tempoh 4 tahun ni, banyak benda yang ditempuhi. 1001 emosi, cubaan,  tekanan. Di samping itu ada jugak kenangan paling best, yang sampai tua aku akan ingat.

Duduk oversea ni, famili duduk jauh. Berdikari sangat penting. Jaga hubungan dengan orang, diri sendiri dan kerja merupakan cara paling effektiv untuk menyerikan hidup di sini.

Sini, banyak benda pasal diriku ku belajar. Persahabatan kat sini memang amat dihargai, especially bila dapat rakan yang memang sekepala, memang best.

Kini hidupku diteruskan. Ku menyambung ke peringkat sarjana. Insya Allah September 2014 siap. Kerja lagi berat, tapi sebab dah terbiasa dengan kerja berat sepanjang 2012, rasanya boleh kot nak bawak. Tambah2 lagi ada geng sekepala masuk satu kos, lagilah best.

Kini ku pelajar sepenuh masa. Matlamat, nak jadi yang terbaik, nak buat sesuatu yang boleh ubah dunia ni, ke arah yang lebih baik. Itu cita-citaku, dan aku berharap agar saya dapat mencapai matlamat tersebut.

 

What makes a powerful decision maker

Decision making is never easy. Because once you decide, it's hard to turn back. I would like to list certain qualities that make a powerful decision maker.

• Has a clear set of priorities
• Never let emotions or personal vendettas go in the way
• Consistent and fierce in upholding their stance
• Think based on facts and figures
• Has a strong set of principles
• Futuristic
• Sees things in many perspectives
• Responsible
• Open minded

Thoughts from my heart

When emotions overcome logic,

words get played and twisted. 

best of intentions become worse of schemes.

bad decisions are made. The devil smiling.

Hurtful things said. 

Selfishness looms its wings.

humans become Animals

And hatred diminishes the sun's loving rays

Blog Stats

I made a survey on my blog. Amount of views in comparison to the topics presented. So far, here is my conclusion


1. The more overall the topic is, the more readers there are. Posts like Palm Oil, The Dangers of Financing and Credit, got much more views than topics which just explains my personal achievements and experiences.

2. People tend to read, but not comment. For example, this one post I got 50 views in a week, but 0 comments. Maybe they're just lazy to write.

3. Readers from Malaysia tend to skip topics based on social studies, moral, politics and psychology. Maybe some feel offended when it comes to my liberal views on politics, humans and life. The thing is that my blog is aimed at international readers and not only a few minor groups in the society.

4. Google is a major source of internet traffic. Words normally searched by people on google got most hits on my blog. Words like "financing", "mentality", "palm oil", etc. are clear examples.

5. Promoting my blog on facebook has more negative than positive side effects. Of course the readers increase. But the readers belong to the "friends" category. So, some of them use my blog as a tool of judging and stereotype. They attack me not by commenting, but sharing posts in facebook which really contradicts my opinions. Its not thinking bad,, but a matter of observing these coincidences, and the regularities that these "coincidences" occur. Examples I won't say.

Let me explain the reason why I blog, or perhaps the reason why most people blog. Blogs are pages to share your opinions. Share what you think. Share one's ideals, one's interests and tendencies. SOme people say that exposing myself makes me more vulnerable. But the thing is that, as a human, when one dies, one's action vanishes with his life. What stays are only his deeds and his knowledge in which he changed the world with. That is entirely it.

Perhaps I am no politician, or powerful patron. My words may be faint now. Perhaps even ignored and seen as ludicrous. But if i were to go anytime soon, this blog will stay and it's words catalyzing the thoughts of its readers. My opinions are never perfect. Perfection lies only in God. I just hope that these opinions become a source of critic and inspiration which will give rise to a more unified way of thinking.     

Opportunity

Opportunity to do something worthwhile in my life. Something that I will always be proud of. My beloved machine. A testing rig able to deliver a flow up to 1200 m³/h and a vacuum of 310 mbar relative pressure. This rig is built for the measurements of gas ventils, which are used in stationary gas power plants, in which the very exact and precise measurement of the flow and the pressure drop plays a very important role in ensuring the quality of the exhaust gases in these power plants are in par with the current law.  

This machine consists of a total of 70 components based on my conception. But choosing them, and talking to the supplier what you want in german was one of the hurdles. This project, something which normally takes 2 years to really execute, I pushed myself and completed it in 6 months. The controlling aspect of this project was also a hurdle, for skills which a normal mechanical engineer never learns in classes like analog processing, measurement technology and more are used.  After 6 months, I finally commisioned this machine. Now this machine has the ability to measure flow, pressure drop, temperature, humidity, under many conditions, all with a maximum error of 0.65%, thanks to the calibration and the ultra fast signal processing. 

Then comes the automation of the machine, which means increasing the user friendliness, so that normal workers could operate it. This automation also enables the measurements to be done in a very short amount of time. Here was the usage of Visual Basics a winning factor. 

A one man project, a project which once gracefully completed, initiated a great deal of respect from my bosses and collegues. But the most important thing is that as a young engineer, I learned so many things. Not only technically but also socially, like how to converse with bosses as well as workers, ethics when talking on the phone, writing mails to influence and mostly how to be proffesional in how we act. The most important however is learning the western mentality of directness, precision, effectiveness and quality.

But its unfair for me to bare the credit alone. Many people helped me along the way. My friends and most importantly my old boss, Thomas. Special thanksto my company for giving me the opportunity, my study partners in the University, and also the Malaysian government for allowing me to be in Germany.      

The dangers of financing and credit

Before I begin, let it be known that my opinion is based on a logical view point and has nothing to do with anyone. Its nothing personal, just facts and my private opinion on the topic of loans, interest, and financial management.

Introduction

Today we lived in  a capitalized society. A free market where we can choose freely what we want to buy, what to sell, and make more profits based on the initial capital we invest on anything be it business, services, manpower etc. These profits in turn fuel the economy, provide jobs, and provides users with the basic necessities to live, food, clothing and shelter. People who invest a lot of capital get more returns and can afford to buy big houses, fancy cars, gadgets and jewels. Capital in this sense is "education" and the "time" we spend on education, for besides money and services, that is also an investment which could spur big returns.

This capitalized and free market society has it perks, but also its downfall. Of course people are free to choose. But not all people are smart in making decisions, for all our backgrounds are different. People see things differently among themselves. We are born in  world of diverse mentalities, backgrounds and personalities. That is why there exists a term rich and poor. Rich which refers to people who have wealth more than average and poor, whose wealth is considered below average. In the capitalistic point of view, rich people are people whose investments have paid off, and poor people are those who either did not invest or just made a poor investment at the first place.

People who are born rich are enjoying the investments their parents or ancestors have invested. But as our financial history has dictated, economies tend to collapse, due to many unavoidable factors. Nature, weak investor trust and many others. When one aspect of our economy collapses, the others will also collapse with it, just like a row of domino blocks. He comes the role of a centralized system so as to counter this domino effect.

Some of us are weak in financial management or sometimes born unlucky. Some of us invest in a house only to have discovered that the house would have been destroyed the next day by a flood. Some of us invest in hand phones not knowing that smart phones are already a thing in the consumer market. That's why wealth is something that takes a lot of wisdom and vision to create.

A summarized history of banking

Banks. In the middle ages, at the times of the crusades, banks were created to transfer assets quickly from one place to another at a certain fee. This fee is paid for the service of the bankers. This helped society a lot because it provided a safe way of transferring assets in the presence of bandits and robbers, hoping to have some wealth for themselves. These bankers had so much fees, until they became richer than kingdoms. Kings and queens who often went bankrupt because of the war they had lost, often borrowed money from these bankers. The more they borrowed, the more "fees" they have to pay. Some kingdoms went bankrupt because they couldn't afford paying back these bankers. Finally the kingdom's assets are taken away by these bankers, and the more these bankers became rich and had power behind the scenes.

With the richness that these bankers have, they invest more. They lend more money. And the more people who cannot pay up their debts, the more assets they earned. With this seized wealth, they make smart investments and the value of their wealth quadruples. This pile up of wealth eventually leads to power mongering and abuse by the "upper" class which is for me a modern form of oppression itself.
These power people buys influence and power with these assets and finally shape the world to what it is today. An age where the rich opresses the weak in a clean way, in broad daylight.

These "fees" finally was given a name: interest, that which mainly shapes our financial system today. Banking is a way of taking advantage of the weakness of the human soul, the yearning for richness, to turn this yearning of others to profits for another. The weak humans end up having to work hard just to pay up these "fees" instead of paying for the real value of the things they bought. These "fees" fuel the richness of the bankers and the more these bankers oppress.

Capitalism and marketing

It has now become a trend. People tend to buy things they cannot afford and don't need. This problem comes from the rise of electronic media: television, radios, internet.--> Advertisements.

Advertisements are by-products marketing. Marketing is a way of communicating the value of the product to the consumers. Marketing to the final consumer (non business) is using the neuro linguistics programming of the human mind to make the user buy the product. The final consumer mostly buys the product not as an investment but as a need or a desire.

When we look at ads around us: For example, a cool, rock hipster with girls and riches all around him, or a beautiful hot chic, whose eyes of men roll when they see her. Ant these cool or beautiful people, they all use a product. Hmm... an I-Phone perhaps, or a Tablet, or a Passat, or Maybeline makeup. These ads gives the end consumers a sense of inadequancy. Its another word saying that if we don't buy it, we will never be cool, happy, sexy etc. That is why only good looking people appear on ads.  We subconsciously have the mind set that if we buy those marketed products, we will also become like the people in the advertisements. --> Happy? Muscular? Sexy? Fulfilled? Impotent? Just look at any bill boards around you and think about it.

Marketing is not entirely bad. It is good if it helps the society by selling to them what they really need. Telling them to buy necessities instead of luxuries. The capitalistic system that we have nowadays promotes wasteful buying. It tells us to buy things we don't really need. Finally when we throw away these useless products, and buy more useless products which is more expensive.    

Loans: An illusion of wealth

Banks also market their "products" by using ads. They show a happy couple with smiling kids (mostly all good looking) happy with the house that they bought. At the end of the ad, there comes a message, "Finance Packages: 3 % Anually". 3 % seems to look harmless. But imagine if you want to make a loan which cost $300 000 and want to make a 30 year loan so that you can own that house. Ok lets do Math:

Interest:
3%/year x 30 years = 90%

Total money borrowed form the bank:
$300 000 + (90% of $300 000) = $ 570 000

Amount paid per month:
$570 000 / (30 years) / (12 Months/year) = $ 1583,33 / month

Which means for the first 14.2 years, the consumer is only paying interest ($270 000) in total. What do you call that? Isn't that opression?

That is why when we walk throug financial centres, these banks have gigantic buildings compared to normal retailers. Imagine the income they make from 1000 consumers, who take up the same bank loan. And lets say, if any consumer couldn't afford to keep up with the payment due to a financial meltdown which makes people lose their jobs, the new owner of the house will be the bank.  

Some home owners who couldn't afford mortgages opt for refinancing, which means they borrow money to cover up the debts they cannot pay. This decreases their monthly payments. Only one thing increases. The income of the banks. So these banks become richer, at the expense of people who are struggling with their mortgages.

The thing about houses: Based on their location: The value goes up. A smart investor could make a loan for a new house, wait for a few years and sell it again at a price higher than what he is paying the bank in total. That however requires careful planning and smart decison making.

Cash loans - A bigger trap

Cash loans. The consumer gets flexible cash. But it comes at a higher price, namely a higher interest. For example a consumer makes a small $20 000 cash loan at 8% interest per year and he wants to pay it in 10 years. Let do Math's again:

 Interest:

8%/year x 10 years = 80%

Total money borrowed form the bank:
$20 000+ (80% of $20 000) = $ 36 000
Amount paid per month:
$36 000 / (30 years) / (12 Months/year) = $ 100/ month

Ok. Seems less. But the danger of cash loans, is that one tends to missuse the cash they see in front of them. They get $ 20 000 of loan. And thers a big chance that they will spend it on bad investments like luxuries which doesn't give any returns due to the flexibility of cash and the dangers of capitalistic marketing.

Mindset change towards loans

Being a smart consumer, one should never forget this rule:
"Spend only what you can afford"

Being a smart investor, on should
"Take risks only with a solid foundation and a clear vision. Always have strong reliable backups"

And most importantly. One should see the capital we get from loans as capital for investment. This capital is not wealth. It is never wealth, for if we think that is wealth, forever will the banks have a hold on our lives and continue opressing the weak.

Credit card misuse. The end of civilization
Another product trend by the financial industry (ironic why they call it industry):
Its located in everybody's wallet/purse. Almost all businesses accept them. Anybody with a simple pay check is eligible to own them. --> Credit cards

They offer nice credit limits. CREDIT limits. Another word for Loans -> with the interest.

Good usage is using them and paying all of what you use with your next pay check. Bad usage is not doing so. However the best usage is not using them at all, but for the sake of easing our transactions like airline booking, online shopping etc, there are several perks to have them, ONLY if you know how to use them.

Having a credit card without knowing how to use them is like driving a airplane without a license. --> Crash and burn!!

Having one credit card is enough. Having two or three because one is reaching its credit limit and is not usable anymore is a disaster. Both short term and long term.




    

  



 

Oh Hidup

Hari ini secara rasminya ku mula bekerja sebagai Jurutera. Walaupun tak mendapat ijazah lagi, kuasaku di syarikat ini seperti jurutera. Gaji x sama lagi. Tapi takpe lah. Mula dari bawah dulu. Lama2 naik ke atas.

Kadang2 teman2 aku bertanya, ''Farid, kenapa kau susahkan diri kau?''. Ku hanya membalas dengan senyuman kerana ku yakin apabila ku terangkan, mereka tidak akan bersetuju denganku. Sebenarnya ku bekerja lebih, bukan hanya kerana duit. Bagiku duit boleh dicari mana2. Yang payah dicari ialah pengalaman.

Seperti segelintir yang mengetahui, keluargaku bukan keluarga yang disuap dengan harta warisan. Ayahku telah bekerja keras untuk mendapat segala kesenangan yang keluargaku kecapi hari ini. Sauadara maraku bukan jenis kelas atasan. Tidak punyai pangkat2 yang besar seperti yang sering diheboh-hebohkan oleh segelintir rakan yang lain. Keluarga kami biasa. Tidak punya orang2 dalam. Kalau nak masuk asrama ke Universiti ke, kena ikut sistem. Tak boleh mengambil jalan senang.

Dari luar memang nampak senang tapi hanya keluargaku tahu. Ada kala ku dulu selepas SPM, ayahku tidak mempunyai kerja. Masih teringat aku dan ibuku terpaksa kumpul surat khabar lama di keliling rumah untuk membeli goreng pisang. Ku bekerja sebagai pelayan. Di kala rakan2 ku yang lain seronok membuat lesen yang dibiayai ibu bapa mereka, ku bekerja sambil dicaci segelintir pelanggan2 restoran yang biadap. Duitku ku tolong keluarga ku.

Dulu ku sedih, tapi kini ku bersyukur kerana pengalaman ini membuatku lebih kental dan kuat. Pengalaman ini membuatku lebih memahami orang2 yang kurang bernasib baik dariku. Pengalaman ini memberi ku motivasi untuk bekerja keras dan tidak mudah putus asa.

Di UiTM, ku kenal dengan Puan Rokiah dan keluarganya. Mereka mengajarku banyak perkara tentang kehidupan. Ku diberi peluang memotivasikan orang2 lain di bawah naungan Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya. Ku kenal ramai orang. Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung (GPMS), Intec Students Peer Group (ISPEG), Peers UiTM dll. Persatuan2 ini membuka mataku kepada perjuangan segelintir kumpulan di masyarakatku. Di kala ketidakstabilan ku di usia remaja, Pn Rokiah memberi banyak pertolongan emosi dan rohani kepadaku. Di samping itu, tidak lupa Ustazah Syarifah Zaharah dan Puan Siti Aluyah. Nama2 ini ku tidak akan lupa.

DI samping itu teman2 saya tidak patut dilupai. Mereka banyak membantuku, mengisi kebosananku, dan memberi warna kepada kehidupanku. Di German, saya amat bersyukur kerana diletakkan di Offenburg. Di sini saya berpeluang mengintegrasikan diri saya ke masyarakat antrabangsa. Tidak dari segi sosial tapi dari segi kerja. Ku banyak belajar dari mereka. Mengambil mentaliti kerja mereka, dan memastikan mutu kerja ku menjadi sangat tepat. Mereka pun banyak mencontohiku dari segi peradaban, fokus dan intelek. Kesusahan hidup di dunia asing yang mempunyai budaya dan bahasa berbeza membuatku lebih kental dan lebih mengenali diriku.

Kini ku bekerja sebagai Jurutera sambil menghabiskan semester terakhir saya. Pengalaman menjadi hala tujuku yang utama. Ku tahu ku tidak mempunyai orang2 dalam. Oleh itu saya berharap agar saya dapat naik tangga kerjaya berbekalan pengalaman dan kegigihan yang luar biasa.

Tujuan hidupku bukan untuk bermewah. Ku hanya mahu keluargaku hidup selesa. Sebagai bakal suami, saya mahu anak saya membesar dengan hidup yang sederhana dan dipenuhi kasih sayang oleh keluarga sendiri. Ku tidak mahu anak-anakku diabaikan kerana ibu bapa mereka terlampau mengejar kemewahan, sepertimana yang sering berlaku sekarang.

Ku tidak mahu kereta import yang mahal, rumah yang mewah atau bercuti di tempat2 yang mewah apabila ku menjadi bakal pemimpin keluarga. Ku hanya impikan keluargaku selesa dan gembira, diriku tenang dan peluang untuk beramal dengan membantu orang-orang yang susah di kelilingku. Membantu bukan dari segi kewangan, tetapi dari segi motivasi, mentaliti dan modal insan, kerana 3 perkara inilah yang membezakan antara manusia yang biasa dan manusia yang luarbiasa.

Bagiku semua manusia sama. Yang membezakan adalah perangai dan tingkah laku mereka. Ku mempunyai hormat yang luar biasa kepada mereka yang merendah diri, dan mereka yang menyayangi orang lain lebih daripada diri mereka sendiri. Buat bukan sebab agama suruh. Buat sebab diri sendiri nak. Agama tu bagi kami petunjuk. Nak ikhlaskan hati dengan petunjuk ni bukan perkara senang. Ni pendapat peribadi aku.           

Semakin tua...

Kadang2 duduk fikir sorang2. Tahun 2011 dan 2012.. x habis2 rushing. Semakin tua, semakin banyak tanggungjawab, urusan, dan benda yang kena fikir.

Kat German, ak rasa 2009 dengan 2010 . Sekarang 2011, 2012, dah bukan macam dulu dah. Pindah rumah, kerja, projek, pindah rumah lagi, urusan dll. Meh aku ringkaskan:

Jan 2009- Dec 2010: Tahun vacation. Duduk pergi kelas, risau pasal exam je. 2 tahun tu, tahun seronok. Selalu lepak ngan kengkawan. Macam2 drama. Tapi seronok. Dan best.  

Jan-Mac 2011: Sibuk  dengan exam, cari rumah, sibuk cari tempat practical, interview, sibuk pindah rumah

Mac-Sept 2011: Practical, tolong dak2 MGSS, pindah rumah, masuk rumah baru. Sibuk tahap permulaan katakan. Kerja berat kat ofis. Macam2 karenah orang pelik kat ofis. Walaupun begitu kepala masih senang untuk bersosial ngan kengkawan. Sempat buat Eurotrip, lepak Neuschwanstein, berbasikal ngan member, dan bermesra ngan budak2 Ulm. Haha So, ok lah. Lepas tu September, kena pindah balik Offenburg. Penat.

Okt- Jan 2011: Sem horror untuk budak course aku. Sem perlu makan banyak kepala hotak nak survive. Siang malam study group, pergi rumah budak kelas, study group lagi, discussion. Masa yang sama kena mintak tempat kat syarikat nak buat thesis untuk tahun depan. Kat kampus, ke hulur ke hilir. Interview dll.  Walaupun begitu, masih senang nak bersosial ngan budak Offenburgers malam2. Tengok cerita la, tengok muvie la, main game la, masak2 la. Ngan budak2 luar Offenburg, semakin kurang dah sebab weekend masa rehatkan kepala otak. 

Jan -Mac 2012: Exam untuk sem horror, interview ada sekali. Lepas dah konfem dapat tempat nak buat thesis next sem, nak kena cari rumah, pindah rumah. Nasib baik dak2 kelas tolong pindahkan barang. Masa ni, jarang sangat ada kat rumah. Asyik atas train je.

Mac-Julai 2012: Waktu paling kritikal setakat ni. Masuk tempat nak buat projek thesis.. FUlamak. Boss mcm Donald Trump, thema thesis sangat susah, kena cakap Deutsch dgn banyaknya nak berurusan kat telepon. Beli barang, amek quotation, tiap2 bulan meeting. Memang dilayan mcm engineer habis-habisan. Dapat budget 50 000 Euro untuk projek. Kebebasan banyak. Dapat meja sendiri, tepon sendiri. Tapi harga kebébasan itu ialah tanggungjawab dan tekanan nak memenuhi harapan department aku. Isnin-Khamis. Tiap hari 10 jam kerja. Naik train 3 jam ke Offenburg Khamis malam. Jumaat dari pagi ke petang ada kelas. Jumaat bertolak balik ke rumah. Sampai malam. Pening. Stress. Sampai paper exam semua aku tolak sem depan. Xpe la. Masa ni, sempat bercuti skl je. Nak bersosial ngan kawan2 macam dulu semakin jarang. Kontakt deorg pun dah siket.

Ogos-Sept 2012: Waktu aku jadi gila. Ngan thesis, (bahasa German macam sampah), kena betulkan banyak kali. Mujur dak2 kelas ada. Lepas tu ngan raya sekali, buka2 puasa nye. Lepas tu barang untuk projek ak dah sampai siket2. Nak bina2 semua benda berat dalam bengkel. Semua buat sorang2. Tapi sekarang ada prestij siket dalam syarikat aku. Kena nek pangkat. haha. Boleh kerah orang2 bawah dah. Hahaha.  Lepas tu kena pindah rumah lagi. Hanya dengan basikal. Adoi. Penat. Dah lah lama x balik Malaysia dah. Ngan homesick. Lepas tu dengan urusan lain2 lagi. Insurance la, ni la tu la.

Harap2 Tuhan berkati gaya hidup aku. Amin 

Palm oil

Many issues are surrounding palm oil. This is my take:

1. Malaysia is the second largest exporter of palm oil next to Indonesia with plantation land ranging to about 4,5 Million hectars.
2. Palm oil is a good source of fat vital for nutrition and a good source of biofuel.
3. The production cost of palm oil is very low. This yields higher profits in comparison to other types of oil.
4. About 10% of our exports is palm oil. 
5. Plantations and refineries provide jobs for people and the profits made by palm oil could provide a great capital investment for the development of our country.
6. Thanks to the Human Model Development project initiated by our government, where there is a very high subsidy in higher education both domestic and abroad; There are now plenty of specialists in the job market that can provide more research, sales, and development. The more we head to the future, the less dependant we are to imported specialists. 
7. New land could be opened up thanks to agencies like FELDA. This allows the more effective use of land mass in Malaysia. 
8. Westeners say that palm oil consumes land, which is bad for the climate and the environment. But they never consider the fact that plam oil is the solution for the food vs. oil crisis, and has raised the standard of living for many people who lived in poverty. Would animal lovers rather protect a dying orangutan or a dying person? Which is more precious? That is the question I would like to ask them. 
9. The land used for palm oil is turned to agricultural land. Those are still plantations, which contributes to the climate. This is much better than building uncontrollable amounts factories, and nuclear power plants, like the westeners like to do.
10. Developments in the combustion engine will pave the way for cars or power plants that relies solely on biofuel. Biofuel has less emissions in comparison to fossil fuels. The supply is also unlimited because these fuels are planted, not drilled from a reserve.

Because of this, I see palm oil as a good investment. I may forsee a sharp hike in the price of palm oil:

•  when the supply of fossil fuel leads to dangerous levels 
•  the fossil fuel market may collapse due to a sudden occurance of catastrophical political instability

So, thats my take on palm oil. What do u think?

Penghabisan thesis

Benda yang paling best ialah: Lepas 6 bulan bertungkus lumus, berfikir, jadi gila jap, lepas tu berfikir lagi, lepas tu meeting sana sini, telefon sana sini, sampai extend satu semester, berurusan dengan seribu satu loghat orang Jerman, boss garang, xde orang Malaysia dalam julat 50 kilometer, presentation yang sangat menakutkan; akhirnya hasil karya aku siap. Dalam bahasa Jerman.  Thesis ku: 65 Muka surat ayat buatan sendiri. Ringkasan pembelajaran degree mechanical engineering di Jerman.

Thesis yang sangat mencabar. Alhamdulillah habis. Projek yang makan bajet 40 000 Euro, 268 cawan kopi sepanjang 6 bulan, dan mengambil 960 jam untuk direalisasikan. Benda yang paling best ialah perkara2 yang dibelajar semasa buat projek ni, yang tidak boleh dipelajari dari mana2 kelas atau kuliah  iaitut; Cara berinteraksi, cara bagi arahan, cara bercakap dengan orang atasan, bawahan dan cara menjadi fleksibel dan proffesional dalam apa jua keadaan. Pengalamanku dewasakanku.

Awal2, ada sesetengah orang gelak, cakap aku x kan sempat siap. X amek aku serius. Cakap projek ak makan masa dua tahun la, suruh aku putus asa la. Kini mereka salah.

Kepada yang membaca: Pesanan aku: Jangan jadikan apa2 rintangan sebagai alasan untuk putus asa. Biarpun faktor bahasa ke, budaya ke, persekitaran ke, kewangan ke. Kalau buat silap, baiki. Silap lagi, baiki lagi. Gunalah apa2 cara, biarpun pelik atau luar mainstream, sampai benda tu berfungsi.