好心做坏事

（一）放生=慈悲？
根据台湾动物社会研究会、国际人道协会公布的台湾放生现象调查，台湾每年至少750次、平均每天约2.1次的放生活动。共有7个组织会到海外放生，放生地点遍及中国、香港、美国、加拿大、印尼、马来西亚、新加坡、尼泊尔、印度、西藏等。 身体不舒服、婚姻不幸福、求家人平安发财、迅速累积功德以求来世福报，通通都要「放生」。但台湾宗教组织的放生现象，在少数法师刻意扭曲慈悲护生原意，披上「赎罪」、「求功德」等外衣，已成为快速募款，具有「宗教市场区隔」的营利事业。 而且，放生行为背后有一套完整的商业供需。为因应市场需求，无数动物被捕捉、繁殖，动物及环境都饱受苦难。 「慈悲护生」的方式很多，例如积极投入河川保育，多做环保，宣导民众吃素等等，才是真正是不伤害动物生存的「护生」。 为了放生而放生，顺应潮流，却不知道背后肥了业者，也间接害死了无数宝贵的生命。是名符其实的好心做坏事。

（二）富从「乞」中求
从小至今我们被灌输的观念变是，助人乃快乐之本。乞丐是社会制度里不幸的一群，理应受到我们的施舍。但是，事实果真是如此吗？难道大家没察觉现在的乞丐趋向「专业」吗？好象来来去去都是那几种形象：或少了只手，或脚被锯了而伤口呈鲜红色（过了几个月再碰见还是一模一样那种），或手抱小孩暴晒于烈日下，等等等等。 乐善好施绝对是种美德，但施舍之余，是否有反思这是恰当与否？钱是真帮了他，还是受益的另有其人？有想过为什么这些乞丐没接受福利局资助而被迫出来行乞？ 再反思一下，有人抱著半睡不醒之婴儿沿途行乞，大家因一念之仁而施以金钱，这样是否助长那些不法之徒到处偷小孩来作摇钱树？在大马，或少听过，但在外国尤其是第叁世界国家好像时有所闻。 捐钱做慈善，管道多得是。慈济、世界宣明会等团体至少有较透明的管理和让人信服的方针。更重要的是，积沙成丘，它们从各路善士所凝聚的款项，是绝对能更好地造福那些需要帮助的人。

Don't ever take the emergency lane

I were "invited" for an "interview" (temusiasat) at JPJ Putrajaya due to the fact that my previous car was blacklisted due to "some offense" which can only be disclosed with my presense in the JPJ office.
The interview was conducted in front of an officer who carried a physical file. Within 5 minutes of "temusiasat", I was informed of the offense that i had made back in Jan 2009. The offense has got to do with me cutting into emergency lane on Seremban highway north bound heading towards Senawang. JPJ caught me with photo taken as proof of me making the offense.
I was so shocked to see how effecient they were in making it a case for me. I came to realise that the date stated (27/1/09) was so happen during CNY and now i recalled why I cut into emergency lane. The traffic condition was bad with massive jam at the highway due to the festive season. My instinct told me that i have to cut to the left in order to move "faster" in the stand still traffic condition. I am not trying to legalize my offense but that was such a basic reaction confronting with a stand still traffic situation.
I was just mere unlucky for been caught red-handed as the JPJ vehical was driving behind me at that time (without me realising of course).
The outcome, I was given a summon of RM300 on the spot of the "temusiasat" session. Paid it on the same day and i have been given a 30% discount.
That was a lesson learned and I am sure that i won't be doing that again.

Behind the hype of a cheaper RON 95 petrol

Effective Sept 01, vehicle owners will be offered a new blend of petrol RON 95 and the cheaper RON 92 will be phased out.
“By Sept 1, RON97 will be the alternative petrol and a premium product.
Instead, the RON95 petrol will be the choice petrol for consumers and be rest assured, the product is of high quality and is good enough to be filled into even luxury and high-powered cars,” said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Why he has to label RON 97 as "premium product". The reason is simple. This petrol is going to cost 20 sen more than what we are paying for the same product right now!
Why claiming RON 95 as "high quality enough"? Simply because it is obviously a lower quality petrol than what we are currently having (RON 97).
No doubt that we are paying 5 sen less for RON 95 (RM 1.75 per liter), but we are forced to settle with something with lower grade obviously. Why so, you can refer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating for information about RON rating. The higher the number, the greater the power it is going to offer. For ease of reference, Shell v-Power is of RON 100.
In conclusion, we have been forced to suffer a quality loss with lower quality petrol effectively Sept'09, by paying 5 sen /liter lesser. And that there is a sharp 11% increase of our usual petrol RON 97 from RM 1.80 to RM 2.00.
Thanks again to the ever effective Malaysian government.

PM's 11 people friendly measures

Yesterday marks the 100th day of our new leadership under YAB Dato Seri Najib.
I am particularly interested on the measure about 20% discount given on Touch & Go card if frequency of usage is 80 times and above.
I am just wondering how many of us the road users will be benefited from this new measure? Practically we have to pay 4 tolls a day to entitle for the discount taking an average working day of 20 days a month.
I personally pay 3 tolls a day amounting to RM 6. Some of my friends pay less number of toll but with bigger amount, totalling up to RM 8 - RM10 per day.
I am happy that it may eventually benefit some road users and subsequently reducing the burden of this group of people. But hang on, in fact not all of them will be benefiting from this new measure. Bear in mind that you have to top up your tounch and go at selected plus & Touch & go offices. How about those used to top up at Maybank and T&G kiosk just like myself? Well, they just have to wait for another half year or so for this to be fully implemented.
From sincerity point of view, I think very little can be felt as government should have reduced the toll rate right away by resigning all the "unfair" toll concessionaires agreements.
To put it precisely, it is still way to go from been satisfactory. What is the point of giving discount without removing the fear of public that toll rates are going to be increased from time to time in accoordance to the agreement, or else.... or else you know what is going to happen. All are coming from tax payer's pocket anyway.

Approaching 20th Month

I can't believe that I have been in the blogging for almost 20 months now.
It all started when i was in Dublin. Back than life was so plain and bored. That was probably the only "honey moon" period for my entire career life. I hadn't got any assignment at that time, with only 1 objective i.e. to be "trained" on company's processes and procedures. Having said that, i would not perceive that as a waste of time as I indeed learned so much that i couldn't have achieved without been in Dublin.
i built trust with the team over there which made the subsequent communication less difficult. Also, it is always good to know a person by face apart from by his/her name.
Anyway, that was history. Just flashed to my mind when recalling about what led to the birth of this blog.

Amdocs

Effectively mid Dec, the organization that i worked with had been merged into another bigger organisation called Amdocs. We have been acquired or "swallowed" by that bigger organisation.
I have not heard of Amdocs by any chance before the merger. Apparently it is a large organization with 17,000 of employees. And now i am one of the employee of this bigger entity.
2 months has passed since the merger and I am still struggling with the changes. Obviously when you are merged into a bigger entity, changes are tremendous!
While coping with the change, I am still waiting for the most awaited news of the year - salary review. If it wouldn't because of the merger, i should have known it by end Jan. And now, in the name of merger, there would be realignment of everything to be in line with the bigger organisation - obviously. Apart from that, i have not heard of any "bad" news yet in terms of job cut or the like. So, lets pray that this is not happening very soon.