咬文嚼字

My daughter wanted to renew her passport a year earlier than it should be because she learnt a lesson from her friend when her visa cannot be issued because the expiry date of her passport is only around 6 months before a visa can be issued. She is thinking she might as well renew it a year earlier. Yesterday, we did have a look at the form and realized that the photographs that she owned were not standard enough for the purpose of the passport. She then took a new one at a nearby photograph shop. Today, we hurriedly went to the shop and took the photograph before the Immigration Office was closed at three. Without delay, we saw an officer and paid the money following the procedure. The passport could be taken after an hour. We took a ride and bought some groceries before we arrived at the office at 3:30p.m. I have the habit of flipping any documents when I received it. Do you know what I notice? My daughter's passport will be expired on 21 March 2012. I was surprised when ...

Last Saturday, Dad and mum took the early MAS flight to KL to be in time to do follow up checking by the oncologist, Dr. Lau and Dr. Lee, in KLGH on 12/7/2010. Before he left for KL, he said he would like to stay in KL for  3 weeks until the next follow up and after that he would come back. We all didn't really believe in him actually. We doubted how many days he will be able to stay there. The following day, i.e, on Sunday, he said he would like to come back to Sibu if everything turned out fine after seeing the doctors on Monday. What we guess is very true. How could he able to stay in KL? No way........ Sis and hubby are working the whole day. They do not have time to bring him around and he cannot go out anytime as he wishes. After the follow up and the doctor confirmed that there is nothing serious and he claimed that he is getting better, he asked sis to buy his ticket immediately. Upon checking the fare .... there is certain complications and sis decided to ...

Scholarship allocations based on four categories: Nazri By LEE YUK PENG KUALA LUMPUR: The 1,500 scholarships given to Malaysians to pursue degree courses overseas this year were allocated under four categories. For the first category, 300 scholarships were given based on merit, with bumiputras getting 20% and non-bumiputras receiving 80%, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abd Aziz. Fifty-nine bumiputras, 209 Chinese, 30 Indians and two others receive scholarships in this category, he said in his reply on behalf of the department, on points raised in Parliament Wednesday over the the 10th Malaysia Plan. Under the 900 scholarships awarded based on racial composition, Nazri said 557 were given to bumiputras, with 480 Malays, 74 East Malaysians and three others benefitting. In the non-Muslim category where 343 scholarships were given out, 247 went to Chinese, 88 to Indians and eight to others, he added. For the third category, which was for East Malaysia...

一个换汤不换药的奖学金政策 nkkhoo 7月11日 晚上 10点30分 纳吉首相在国大党常年集会上发表的SPM考9A+不分种族自动获得奖学金新政策是另一个空洞承诺，不过是骗一下在场出席者的政治伎俩。 先看看政府海外奖学金(MARA+PSD)分配额的种族比率。 玛拉海外奖学金: 土著 100% 非土著 0% 公共服务局海外奖学金: 土著 56% 非土著 44% 总比率: 土著 86% 非土著 14% 首相有说明非土著9A+学生是分配到海外的奖学金吗？ 没有！ 由于非土著的海外奖学金的固打额只有14%或大约500份。在僧多弱少资源不公平分配的情况下，很多非土著9A+优秀生是一样如往分配不到政府的海外奖学金。政府最多把分配不到海外奖学金的非土著9A+优秀生给一个安慰式的国内的PSD奖学金。 试问今天的非土著9A+优秀生不能申请到PSD国内奖学金有多少人？一个或一千个人? 纳吉的SPM考9A+不分种族自动获得奖学金新政策跟今天的政府奖学金分配方式有分别吗？ 马来巫统领导人很精明，让不去用脑袋分析的华人和印度人听了马上站立起来大声叫好 "1Malaysia"。 大家先去了解这新政策的内容。它是一个换汤不换药的奖学金政策，即使有执行也等于没有。这9A+ 新政策实际上是做表面功夫，对非土著优秀学生是没啥新的好处。 为什么政府不公平点多分配海外奖学金给非土著? 现在土著的海外奖学金固打额是86%。 (包括 Mara 和 PSD)。 把海外奖学金30%固打给土著，开放其他70%给所以人竞争是目前非土著能接受的妥协方案。 注：作者部落格www.nkkhoo.com 本文摘之当今大马。

I am quite frustrated with my Samsung sliding handphone. It gave me so much trouble since last year. My screen suddenly disappeared one day and I had to transfer all my contacts to the SIM card to be moved to the old grandfather handphone of my hubby. After the screen was changed at a cost of RM120.00 (not genuine), I was happy to transfer back all my contacts again to my own handphone. Sad to say, it was not used for long until today, I need to repeat for the second time the same thing which I have done. The screen of my handphone is again not functiong. I am very frustrated and decide to buy a new battery for the ole NOKIA so that I can use it permanently. I do not want to use the sliding phone anymore. I would rather prefer to use the simple old handphone which will definitely be giving me less trouble............

前几年就已经一直在准备拍全家照，却到现在还没有实现。去年都已经与照相馆约好时间，最后却功亏一篑。 今年我又与相馆老板约好了，希望这一次会成功的完成多年前一直未完成的心愿， 第一次照全家福的照片。孩子们在未来几年很可能为了学业，各奔前程，分散各地，如果可能，再齐集时已经是若干年后的事了。适逢女儿儿子放暑假回乡，乘这个假期，全家齐集，捉紧时间， 来拍一次照，捕捉那一刻，让它成为永恒，让美好的记忆永远留在那一瞬间。若干年后，再次翻过这些相片，几许的回忆，几许的点点滴滴， 在脑海里重复温习过，应该是人生中一部分小插曲。 相片点缀着一些故事与事迹，全家齐集时那甜蜜的时光， 在家庭每一个成员的心中都留下一段不可磨灭的记忆。待续。。。。。 终于照相片这回事尘埃落定，早上，我与小儿都有要事在身，八点至十点事情办完了，就赶紧回家与女儿一起上理发院整理了一头难看的头发，女儿一头乌黑的长秀发也让老板娘用她的仪器，梳了个卷卷好看的发型。弄好时刚好十一点整，一点时间都没有浪费，换了衣服就往小儿学校载他，带上了他的衣服，直奔早已预约的照相馆。老板是一个很熟悉的朋友，他说我们真准时。其实准时是我的习惯，可是今天我自己都不知道能不能准时，所以预约的时候跟他说会在十一点多到十二点多上门拍照。早上到时正是十一点半！！ 还算准时。 拍了一些全家照，终于了却多年的心愿。

早晨五点，摊开报纸，映近眼帘的是政府在商讨六十退休的可行性。 决定将与九月财政预算案一起公布。前些时候，就听闻说退休年龄可能延迟至六十，如今，内阁真的在讨论着它，那我相信实行的机率已经是百分之九了。 再说，那我们身为政府公务员，且是已经度过了半个世纪蹉跎岁月的哪一群， 到底要做什么打算呢？其实答案见仁见智，不能下一个定论。 一些朋友因为健康的问题，不能继续服务。 他们有心无力，不得已要早一些退休。所以六十对他们来说应该是太老了。 一些朋友却老当益壮，六十还是精神奕奕，退休无所事事，还不如继续教育英才，造福人群？ 另外一些迟婚，退休时，孩子还在求学阶段，是最需要用金钱的时候，况且还是很健康，何不如继续而一举两得呢？ 还有一些，家庭经济状况好，觉得再继续服务是一种压力， 还是乘早退休享清福去吧！ 最重要的是我们对着一份工作到底有没有那一份热忱？如果没有的话，还是乘早退休吧！ 所以，所有人的选择不能一概而论。每一个人都有选择的权利。每个人都会看着自己的情况而作出最适合自己的选择。

政府一直在探讨研究UPSR 及PMR 存废的问题，而且大伤脑筋。在教育界里浮沉将要三十年的我，并不赞同把这两个重要的考试给废了。教育界体恤老师们繁重的工作量，所以认为费了公共考试会让老师们比较轻松。这样的决定，当局大错特错。 我可以想象未来所有的评估都变成校内评估。校内评估的成绩也是校里的老师额外的工作。那不是叫老师们太沉重？ 还有废除公共考试然后转为校内评估有一个很大的缺点。这个制度对成绩非常优异的学生来说，实在是很不公平的。举例说，现在的SPM 纯科学实验评估是校内的老师自己给学生评估。问题就出在这儿。这么多年来，所得到的对评估后的评语多多。 1。有些学校的学生根本就什么都没做， 年尾的时候，老师就填上假的分数交卷， 那对好学生公平？ 2。一些学校学生的资质劣等，老师很努力的去教导，可是老师们无语问苍天，不能交出成绩来，校内评估的宗旨是教导学生到他们明白， 然后评估分数是每一个学生都拿满分。公平否？ 3。另外一间学校的学生都是优异生。他们的分数也只是满分。那不等于说在纸上，所有人都一样聪明，所有人都可以进医学系？所有人都可以进牙医系？当学位不够分配时，就牺牲了许许多多非常有资格的学生，而选了一些根本就不够资格的学生读那些需要很高天资的科系？马来西亚的教育制度真的是一团遭。公立大学的程度每况愈下， 毕业生参差不齐，有的根本就不能用，试问他们怎么样的在社会上与人竞争？公立大学应该要有品质管理， 才能给公众一些信心。 4。如果老师们交出的评估分数不是满分，校长是不会放过的。学生拿不到满分，老师就会被怪罪没有尽责任。 所有的校长都要他的学校成绩比别人好，被压得喘不过气得还不是老师？ 校内评估，如果真正的去做，当然是好的。只是，从以上的几个观点来看，诸君是否以为马来西亚能够善用它来教育我们的下一代呢？我怕将来是弄巧反拙。 渺小如我，无权无势，只能在这里发发牢骚，还能干什么呢？