Sunday, November 23, 2008

Fatwa Council says yoga with worshipping, chanting is prohibited

The Star
By Mazwin Nik Anis

PUTRAJAYA: The National Fatwa council has declared that the yoga practice which involves three elements of physical movements, worshipping and chanting as haram (prohibited) in Islam.

Its chairman Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Husin said although merely doing the physical movements of yoga minus the worshipping and chanting might not be wrong in the eyes of the religion, it should be avoided as “doing one would lead to another”.

He said yoga has been practised by the Hindu community for thousands of years and incorporates physical and religious elements and chants and worshipping, with the aim at “being one with God”.

“Because of this, we believe that it is inappropriate for Muslims to do yoga and the council has declared that practising yoga when it comes all together with the three elements as haram.

“We discourage Muslims to do yoga as a form of exercise because it will ultimately lead to religious worshipping and chanting which is against Islam.

“In Islam, one must not do things which can erode one’s aqidah or faith. Doing yoga, even just the physical movements is a step towards an erosion of one’s faith in the religion, hence Muslims should avoid it,” he told a press conference.

He added that the council had come up with an edict on yoga as the matter was brought up to them following growing concerns whether it would be against the religion if Muslims do the exercise.

Recently, a lecturer Prof Zakaria Stapa of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Islamic Studies Centre advised Muslims who had taken up yoga to stop practising it for fear that they could deviate from the teachings of Islam.

Shukor said the declaration of yoga as haram was done after serious and indepth discussions were made by the council members who met last month.

He added after studying the matter, including the history and purpose of yoga where the ultimate aim was to “be one with God”, the council decided that it was inappropriate for Muslims as it could affect one’s faith.

Asked if the decision would draw flak within the Malaysian community, including the non-Muslims, he said the ruling was only meant for Muslims and the rest were free to practise yoga.

“The fatwa (edict) is meant solely for the Muslims to follow. The non-Muslims need not question or debate about this because they are free to do whatever they wish. It is the Muslims who have to adhere to this,” he added.

Shukor said once the edict was gazetted, it would be up to the state governments on how they plan to implement and enforce the ruling as religious affairs come under its purview.

“Malaysia is not the only country which declare yoga as haram in Islam. Singapore and Egypt have come out with the same edict as well,” he said.

He said Muslims must be careful as to not do things which could erode their faith, adding the religion strongly advocates “prevention is better than cure”.

“There are many other forms of exercise that Muslims can partake especially when the religion promotes healthy living and lifestyle. Performing prayers for example is a good form of exercise,” he said.

FATWA ON PENGKID: Jakim clears the air

NST
Aniza Damis

EXACTLY one month ago, the National Fatwa Council made a decision against women who dressed like men, denouncing it as haram. This has been met with anger, protest, and mainly, confusion, as to what exactly it is that the fatwa condemns. ANIZA DAMIS speaks to Malaysian Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) director-general Datuk Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abd Aziz to get a clearer picture of the issue.

The fatwa against pengkid as released by the National Fatwa Council on Oct 23:

“Pengkid, that is, women who have the appearance, mannerisms and sexual orientation similar to men is haram in Islam.

“We urge parents and the Muslim community to pay serious attention to this problem. Emphasis should be placed on teaching and guiding young girls especially on the aspects of their clothing, behaviour and appearance so that this problem may be avoided, because it runs counter to their fitrah and Allah’s way.”

(Fitrah: the innate natural sexual inclination that each human is born with, and which does not change. In Islam, if a person is born male, he is masculine and is sexually attracted to women; and if a person is born female, she is feminine and sexually attracted to men.


Q: What is the actual definition of “pengkid”?

A: Pengkid refers to a married woman or maiden whose appearance or image is like that of a man. Although this also includes the dressing of the person and not just the way she behaves, the way of dressing is just one aspect of what makes a pengkid.

A woman may be dressed as a woman, but her behaviour may be like a man, or it might be a combination of this. She might also have a sexual desire for women.

This brings it “hampir” (close) to the practice of lesbianism.


Q: Is it close to, or is it actually lesbianism?

A: We can’t say that all people who are pengkid are lesbians. That wouldn’t be right. That’s why I say it is “hampir”.

Hampir means she doesn’t do that act, but she is heading that way. For instance, Islam forbids people from coming close to zina. That means, not only is the act forbidden, but any act that may lead to the actual act is also forbidden.

I believe there is no religion that allows lesbianism or homosexuality. But anything that can drive or lead towards it should also be stopped. So, this is the culture that we are trying to stop.

Actually, we are trying to save these women (from be coming lesbians).


Q: When you translate this fatwa into English, the word “tomboy” is used instead of “pengkid”. “Tomboy” in English doesn’t have a sexual connotation. So, what do you mean by “dressing like a man”?

A: This is what we mean by “fitrah”.

A safe way is to teach children, whether male or female, from an early age to follow their respective fitrah.

If we allow this budaya practice (of pengkid) to continue to develop, it will become an tradition, and then a norm. When it becomes a norm, then people will think no longer think of it as a wrong. This is something we do not want to happen.

That’s why we want to go back to the fitrah. If you follow your fitrah, the chances of you being safe are higher, compared with if we were to completely give freedom until you could not differentiate between feminine characteristics and male characteristics.


Q: Unlike in other Muslim countries where a fatwa is an advisory, in Malaysia it is law. Do you really want to make this fatwa law?

A: In Malaysia, not all fatwas become law. It only becomes law when it is gazetted. And not all fatwas in Malaysia are gazetted.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Wonder Pets




Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Students To Benefit From IPTC, Hosted By Malaysia For The First Time

One hundred students representing 54 institutions from 29 countries has been selected to participate in Education Week programme, a special component of the International Petroleum Technology Conference (2008 IPTC), which will be held for the first time in Malaysia from 3rd to 5th December 2008.

The 100 students were selected from a group of 249 nominated undergraduates in science, geo-science and engineering from 32 countries.

Malaysia is represented by 14 students from five universities.

More than 4,000 oil and gas professionals from around the globe are expected to attend 2008 IPTC, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. This will be the first IPTC held in the Asia Pacific region.

The opening ceremony will feature the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as well as the 2008 IPTC Executive Committee Co-Chairmen Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican, President and Chief Executive of PETRONAS and Mark W. Albers, Senior Vice President of Exxon Mobil Corporation. - BERNAMA

School closure upsets many

The Star
By YUEN MEIKENG

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 170 students from Sekolah Sri Inai here are in a lurch after the school gave notice of closure beginning Jan 1.

At least 12 teachers of the school located in Jalan Ulu Klang, Ampang, are also expected to be jobless.

It is learnt that school co-founder and executive chairman Datuk Alias Shamsuddin sent letters to parents two days ago informing them of the closure, citing poor student enrolment these past few years which had put the school in financial distress.

In the letter made available to The Star, Alias expressed regret, adding that the school administration would assist parents to enrol their children in other schools.

Many parents said the last-minute announcement was unfair. Several of them met with Alias at the school yesterday.

“Two of my sons will be sitting for the PMR and UPSR next year. The change in schools will affect them and may disrupt their studies,” vented Mohd Taufik Nordin, a 47-year-old businessman, in a phone interview.

An annoyed S.S. Maran, 38, said he was only given the letter after collecting his son’s report card.

“Even though the letter said the staff would help find replacement schools for the children, there is no assurance.

“Moreover, the transfer will take time and is subject to the Education Ministry’s approval,” he said.

A teacher, who declined to be named, expressed shock when she learnt of the school’s closure on Friday, saying she did not know where to find a job.

However, she was more concerned for the students because they might find it difficult adjusting in a new school.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said the school had given the parents a rude shock, adding that it was duty bound to help enrol the students in new schools.

He said he would channel the parents’ complaints to the Private Education Division to investigate the matter.

Sekolah Sri Inai Kuala Lumpur, established in 1977, consisted of Sri Inai Senior, Sri Inai Junior and Tadika Inai.

Its Penang and Klang branches were sold off in 1983 while the schools in Petaling Jaya were taken over by new management in 2006.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Ka Seong: Need To Review Policy

From MYsinchew.com

PUTRAJAYA: Deputy education minister Datuk Wee Ka Siong said many people have been weighing the issue of continuing or discontinuing the teaching of science and maths in English based on the UPSR model announced by the education ministry (that more than half of the candidates have chosen to answer science and maths papers in English).

However he felt this was nothing more than the education officials' excuse to justify their policy.

"This is a matter of face. These officials cannot admit that the decision they made under Tun Mahathir's instructions five or six years ago (to teach science and maths in English) has been wrong."

During an exclusive interview with Sin Chew Daily on Friday, Wee Ka Siong reiterated that he would try to understand the motive of those releasing such messages on the policy of teaching science and maths in English, and with what kind of mentality they have been seeing this issue.

"Many people feel that the recent declaration by the education department director-general that more and more students have chosen to answer UPSR science and maths papers in English, is the stepping stone for the continuation of this policy.

"But I don't think the same way. In fact, I think they're trying to find themselves an excuse to prove what they've been doing over the past six years has not been totally wrong."

On the education ministry's intention to hold a roundtable meeting to discuss the policy of teaching science and maths in English, he said the time has not been fixed but it is almost time to come up with a decision.

"It should be December (for a decision). The continuation or discontinuation of the policy is of utmost importance."

Viewing the policy with optimism

Ka Seong said he was viewing the policy of teaching science and maths in English with much optimism, adding that education minister Datuk Seri Hishamudddin is a very pragmatic person.

He said there would be a transitional period after a decision has been made in December, just like the revision of some textbooks cannot be carried out at once. However he said it should also not be dragged on too long.

"There are some preparatory works to do, probably one or two months, but we still can make it, as a new batch of students is coming in."

However he said the ministry would have to consider what to do with the more senior students, as we cannot simply put an instant stop to the whole policy without bothering about the others.

Analysing the trends

Wee Ka Siong said the data released by the education department director-general represented the overall percentage of students choosing to answer science and maths papers in English from primary schools of various language streams.

Nevertheless, he has instructed relevant officials to provide the percentages of students choosing to answer the papers in English, their mother tongues, or bilingually, from schools of different language streams.

He said only by doing so could he see the trends in schools of different streams, so that he could get a better idea how to answer questions directed to him at Dewan Rakyat.

He admitted he had been looking at issues from a broader perspective, and that the ministry needs to take into consideration differing views.

"Some of the issues have been spotted by the press but not us. They tell us what they've seen and in this way the education ministry can move further ahead."

He pointed out that the media had reported that the answers to some questions in the UPSR Chinese paper were ambiguous, so he summoned the teachers setting the questions, and proposed to the head of the examinations board that creative questions should have not been set in an objective mode, but subjective.

"I'm that kind of person who will say just anything I'm not happy with in the ministry. I'm very clear where the baseline is and what we should or should not do.

"I've never taken a day off during these seven months in office!"

5-year average more rational

Ka Siong said it is rational for the ministry to use 5-year average for the science and maths results for comparison purposes.

He said the point is not the 2% or 3% improvement in exam results, but the standard of the exams, as the students are different each year and it is therefore not conclusive to make such comparisons for the purpose of research. (By CHEN YUZHEN/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily)

Saturday, November 15, 2008

UPSR Results: English scores now better as well

NST
By: Regina Lee

Teaching Mathematics and Science in English may have actually paid off with better results in English.

The results for this year's Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), announced yesterday, saw a significant increase in pupils who scored As in English.

There was a 4.4 per cent hike in the number of pupils who scored As in English, as compared with the national average of the past five years' results. There was also a 4.8 per cent increase in competent students (those who scored A, B or C) in the language.

This year, a whopping 46.6 per cent of pupils chose to answer the Mathematics paper in English, while 31.1 per cent were confident enough to tackle the Science paper in English, compared with just 0.2 and 0.3 per cent respectively last year.

"Their level of proficiency in English is getting better," said Education Ministry director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom, after releasing the UPSR results.

This year's UPSR pupils formed the pioneer batch which was taught Mathematics and Science in English right from Year One in 2003.

Pupils who sat the UPSR in 2006 and last year were only taught the two subjects in English when they were already in Year Two or Three.

Results for the Mathematics paper, however, showed a 2.2 per cent decrease in both A scorers and competent students.

Alimuddin dismissed any significance in the drop, arguing that it had very little to do with the teaching of the subject in English.

"There are very few English terms that pupils had to remember for Mathematics. If anything, it is the Science subject which should show significant changes as there are more terms."

Performance in the Science subject only dipped by 0.7 per cent compared with the average over the last five years.

The ministry recently concluded four dialogue sessions with various parties on the teaching of the two subjects in English to decide whether to continue with the policy or revert to Bahasa Malaysia or the mother tongue in vernacular schools.

There is also an increase in the number of pupils scoring As in all subjects. Of the 518,616 pupils, 46,641 passed with flying colours.

"Apart from English, the pupils also generally did significantly better in Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese composition and Tamil composition."

On why the ministry compared this year's UPSR results with the average over the last five years instead of last year's examination, Alimuddin said it was more accurate.

He also shied away from announcing the top scorer and best performing school, a move seen as supporting the ministry's policy of making education less exam-oriented.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Malaysian mauled to death by Singapore Zoo's white tigers

A Malaysian worker from Sarawak died after he was mauled by tigers at the Singapore Zoo in Mandai Road Nov 12th, afternoon.

Visitors watched in horror as three white tigers pounced on Nordin Montong, 32, who was said to have entered the enclosure where the tigers were kept in the 12.30pm incident.

Zoo workers rushed to rescue him by distracting the tigers.

A Singapore police spokesman who confirmend the incident when contacted by Bernama, said the man was injured on his neck and body.

Paramedics pronounced him dead at about 12.45pm.

Meanwhile, in a statement this evening, Singapore Zoo’s Assistant Director of Zoology Biswajit Guha said the victim’s family had been notified.

He said zoo officials had sent condolences to the worker’s family and would provide assistance they needed.

Biswajit also said that zoo authorities had commenced their investigations into “this isolated incident”.

He said Singapore Zoo was committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all visitors and employees as well as the animals.

As a precautionary measure, the zoo authorities had temporarily closed the white tiger exhibit, he added.

Recounting the incident, he said the victim, a contract worker, was attacked by three white tigers after he allegedly jumped into the moat at the white tiger exhibit at 12.15pm.

This created a commotion, which attracted the attention of a keeper who was nearby.

Simultaneously, other keepers went to the exhibit to distract the tigers in a bid to rescue the worker.

The keepers managed to rescue the worker and brought him out of the exhibit, Biswajit said.

While waiting for the ambulance, the zoo veterinarians attended to him but Nordin had succumbed to his wounds, he added.

UPSR: Larger number of pupils answering in English

The Star
By KAREN CHAPMAN

Overjoyed pupils of SK Bukit Damansara showing off their
UPSR results on Thursday. A total of 159,234 pupils
answered the
Science paper completely
in English. For Mathematics
it was 238,153.


PUTRAJAYA: Between 31% to 46% of pupils who sat for the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) this year answered the questions set for the Science and Mathematics paper entirely in English.

Education director-general Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom said a total of 159,234 pupils answered the Science paper completely in English. For Mathematics it was 238,153.

This is a significant increase compared to last year’s figure of 1,324 for Science and 1,075 for Mathematics.

“The 518,616 pupils who sat for the UPSR this year are the first group to have started studying the two subjects in English since the policy was introduced in 2003,” he told a press conference Thursday after giving an analysis of the UPSR 2008 results at the ministry.

He said pupils had the option of answering the two subjects entirely in English, in Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese/Tamil (mother tongue) or a combination of all three.

Alimuddin said that this year’s UPSR results would be discussed by stakeholders at round table meetings before a final decision to continue teaching Science and Mathematics in English or to revert to Bahasa Malaysia would be made.

Ministry officers would also compile all the data related to the issue including newspaper articles and memoranda received to Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, he added.

“The minister will then bring the matter to the Cabinet for a decision,” he said.

The policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English was implemented in phases, starting with Year One, Form One and Lower Six in 2003.

Hishammuddin had said that whatever was decided, the ministry would not implement the new policy in January next year as it was too soon.

He said any decision would not affect those already in the system and that it would start with a new group of Year One pupils.

Meanwhile, Alimuddin said the ministry had compared this year’s UPSR results with the last five years’ to compare pupils’ performance.

“The pupils’ UPSR results were better this year compared to the average measured over the last five years,” he said.

He said 9.2% (46,641) scored all As this year compared with an average of 7.8% over the last five years.

The number of pupils who achieved grades A, B and C in all subjects was 62.7% this year compared to the 60.5% average over five years.

Alimuddin said the ministry would not be releasing information on the top pupils and also the states’ results to the public.

“The information will be released to the state education department, district education office and school but we don’t want parents or pupils to feel pressured,’’ he said.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Artificial turf for schools?

The Star
By KAREN CHAPMAN


SHAH ALAM: The Education Ministry is looking into the possibility of using artificial turf in some schools as the maintenance cost was cheaper compared to managing real fields.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the ministry was pioneering the use of artificial turf in certain areas to see if it worked.

“All Singaporean schools use this but we are not sure if this will prove suitable for us as it is quite a different feeling compared to playing on a real field,” he told reporters Thursday after presenting a trophy to the football team from SK Alam Megah 3 for winning the Piala Raja Muda Selangor 2008.

He said the ministry was upgrading the fields of the 34 schools involved in the football competition as a reward as the effort put into the event “went over and above the call of duty”.

“The cost of repairs for the field of this particular school, SK Sekyen 24 which hosted the competition is RM198,000 as it had drainage problems,” he said.

The other school fields might not have the same problems so the cost of repairs could be less, he added.

“It is impossible to reward all 10,000 schools due to the cost factor,” he said.

Fields for new schools built under the Ninth Malaysia Plan would be located at the front of the school, rather than at the back or at the side, he added.

On the possible contest between Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and her deputy Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Hishammuddin who is Umno Youth chief, said he prayed that whatever decision was made at the Wanita level would not affect the ability of its members to close ranks after the party elections next March.

“This is what I hope for the Youth wing too,” he said.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

25,000 pupils in T’ganu to get laptops next year

KUALA TERENGGANU: Carrying heavy school bags to school would be a thing of the past for 25,000 Year Five pupils when they receive a laptop computer each from the Terengganu state government next year.

Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said the pilot scheme, aimed at reducing the burden of school children who carry heavy book loads to school, would cost the state government RM30mil for the purchase of computers from Intel Electronics. The laptops would become the pupils’ electronic text books.

”By April next year, we expect to distribute laptops to 25,000 Year Five pupils who will use them in place of books with text incorporated into their laptops through the cooperation of Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka (DBP).

”After buying the first batch of computers, we will work with Intel to set up a factory in Gong Badak to produce similar laptop computers for those in Year Four, Three, Two and One. We expect to produce 10,000 units a month,” said Ahmad Tuesday after handing out prizes to winners of the Cleanest Schools in Terengganu competition, at Wisma Darul Iman here.

Also present was state Education, Higher Education, Human Resource, Science and Technology committee chairman Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman.

He added that by three to four years, all primary school children in Terengganu would be equipped with laptops to eliminate the burden of carrying heavy school bags.

To cater for the transformation in the mode of teaching which will be the first of its kind in the country, Ahmad said the state government would enroll more than 100 graduates in the field of information technology to train school children and teachers on ways to use the laptops that would become electronic books. - Bernama

Monday, November 10, 2008

SPM & STPM 2008


A BEST OF LUCK TO ALL


'SPM & STPM 2008' CANDIDATES

MAY ALLAH BLESS YOU

Saturday, November 08, 2008

UPSR results out Thursday

The Star
By KAREN CHAPMAN

PUTRAJAYA: Pupils will be able to obtain their Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination results next Thursday.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said pupils would be able to collect their results at their respective schools after 10am.

“This does not mean that the decision on whether to continue with the policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English will be announced after the release of the UPSR results,” he told reporters Friday after the ministry’s post-Cabinet meeting.

Hishammuddin said the UPSR results would have to be analysed first before it was brought back to the stakeholders at the four roundtables for further discussion.

The issue would then be brought to the Cabinet for a decision on whether the policy would remain in English or revert to Bahasa Malaysia, he said.

A total of 518,616 pupils sat for the examination this year and were the first group to have started studying the two subjects in English, when the policy was introduced in 2003.

The policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English was implemented in phases, starting with Year One, Form One and Lower Six in 2003.

He had said last week that an announcement on the issue would depend on how long it took to analyse the differing views.

Hishammuddin had said that whatever was decided, the ministry would not start in January next year as it was too soon.

He said any decision would not affect those already in the system and that it would start with a new group of Year One pupils.

Friday, November 07, 2008

CON ARTISTS

Do not allowed yourself to be fooled by these Con Artists!

Below is the popular trick used by a beggars.

Material - red ink, cotton pad,white glue, tooth pick (tiny sticks). cotton wool, if no red ink you can use animal blood.













Use white glue to create the wound surrounding.













Wait for the glue to dry.

Use tooth pick to create the wound area.













Use a dishwasher pad to spread the extra glue.













Use little drop of red ink to create the outside scratched area.













When dry, use cotton pad with red ink (not too much) to strengthen the surrounding scratched area.

Use tooth pick to spread the glue to create the broken skin.













Use red ink to put at the inside of the glue.













Some place with more and some with less ink to make it look more real. Wait to dry.

Finished!

Cuepacs disagree with proposal to reduce EPF contribution

NST

KOTA BARU, KELANTAN: The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) welcomes the RM7 billion stimulus package introduced by the government.

However, its president Omar Osman said Cuepacs disagreed with the government's decision to allow members to reduce contributions to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) by three per cent for two years beginning Jan 1.

He said the contributions were supposed to be savings for the members after their retirement and if workers were given the option to cut their contribution from 11 per cent to eight per cent, then their savings would be reduced.

“There are now 43,000 workers in the civil service who are contributing to the EPF. We have calculated that an employee in the support group who works for 35 years will have at most about RM160,000 when he retires. What can they do with the amount, say in 2020.

“We are worried that workers will get used to the reduced amount and will not increase it later. However, we will agree to the reduction if the employers' contribution is increased to 16 per cent.

“This will show that the government is concerned with the plight of the workers,” he said after taking part in a forum at the National Conference on Medical Laboratory Sciences here.

God's Pharmacy! Amazing!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM) Trial Exam Paper - SPM 2006

MRSM trial papers (SPM 2006) are available at its official website with no answer schema provided.

Bahasa Melayu: Paper 1, Paper 2

English: Paper 1, Paper 2

Mathematics: Paper 1, Paper 2

Sejarah: Paper 1, Paper 2

Pendidikan Islam: Paper 1, Paper 2

Additional Mathematics: Kertas 1, Kertas 2, Paper 1, Paper 2

Chemistry: Kertas 1, Kertas 2, Kertas 3, Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3

Physics: Kertas 1, Kertas 2, Kertas 3, Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3

Biology: Kertas 1, Kertas 2, Kertas 3, Paper 1, Paper 2, Paper 3

Prinsip Perakaunan: Paper 1, Paper 2

EST: Paper 1, Paper 2

Barack Obama elected president

The Star

President-elect Barack Obama, left, and Vice president-elect Joe Biden wave to
supporters during their election night party at Grant Park in Chicago.


WASHINGTON (AP): Barack Obama was elected the nation's first black president Tuesday night in a historic triumph that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself.

The son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, the Democratic senator from Illinois sealed his victory by defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in a string of wins in hard-fought battleground states - Ohio, Florida, Virginia and Iowa.

A huge crowd in Grant Park in Chicago erupted in jubilation at the news of Obama's victory. Some wept.

McCain called to concede defeat - and the end of his own 10-year quest for the White House.

Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, will take their oaths of office as president and vice president on Jan. 20, 2009.

As the 44th president, Obama will move into the Oval Office as leader of a country that is almost certainly in recession, and fighting two long wars, one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan.

The popular vote was close, but not the count in the Electoral College, where it mattered most.

There, Obama's audacious decision to contest McCain in states that hadn't gone Democratic in years paid rich dividends.

Obama has said his first order of presidential business will be to tackle the economy. He has also pledged to withdraw most U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 16 months.

Fellow Democrats rode his coattails to larger majorities in both houses of Congress. They defeated incumbent Republicans and won open seats by turn.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

26,000 teaching positions to be filled next year

NST

PUTRAJAYA: Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said 26,000 teaching positions will be filled next year although the world economic situation was unpredictable now.

He said he will ensure that 14 schools under construction now would be fully operational next year.

“Whatever efforts and progammes to make education available to children will be retained as education is very important,” Hishammuddin told reporters at the Education Ministry Quality Day here today.

At the function he presented the Ministry of Education Quality Award to Sekolah Menengah Teknik Taiping in Perak in the form of a certificate, a trophy and a financial allocation of RM50,000.

The Ministry of Education Secretary-General’s Quality Award was won by the Kelantan Education Department’s Group to Raise Quality of Work which received a certificate, a trophy and a financial allocation of RM35,000.

Ten urban primary schools won the Excellent School Award, among them Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Convent Ipoh, Perak; SK Agama Miri, Sarawak; and SK (P) Sultan Ibrahim, Johor Baharu.

Under the rural category 12 schools won the award, among them SK Methodist Parit Buntar, Perak; SK Sri Skudai, Johor; and SK Abang Aing, Sri Aman, Sarawak.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Many nice teachers out there

The Star

READING Wong Sai Wan’s article about his teachers (“To Sir with love,” – The Star, Oct 31) makes me want to share some good news.

My children were the only Chinese students in two different Sekolah Kebangsaan when they were in their primary years.

My daughter was in Year 6 and had to go to a different school from her brother because his school had just opened and did not have Year 6 classes. We faced hard times due to racial verbal abuse. Many a times I had to go to their school to watch over them. Luckily my daughter had very nice and understanding teachers who reprimanded those who said things that were not nice.

My son was not so lucky as he was only eight and not a very bright boy. What do kids that young know about race? They gave him some hard times.

It is worse when you have a teacher who looks at race, too. Luckily for him that teacher did not stay long.

When he was in Year 4 he got a very nice teacher, a real angel who sees children as students and did not bother about the colour of their skin. For the next three years she was my son’s saviour. I am very grateful to her and the many other teachers who took care of my son, even though he was not a very bright student.

To Cikgu Raudha, Cikgu Roshida and many others who made my son’s learning years a joy, I would like to thank you very much. I know I could never thank you enough but I will always feel grateful for all you have done.

To all parents who send their children to Sekolah Kebangsaan, there are many nice teachers there who see your children as students regardless of their race.

KPO CHI,

Kuala Selangor, Selangor.

Nurses, medical assistants can now get higher pay

The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Nurses, medical assistants, x-ray technicians and health inspectors can now go higher up the pay scale under a new integrated graduate scheme by the Health Ministry.

Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said the plan aimed to improve the overall pay of these medical personnel so that they would be more focused on giving quality care to patients.

“I hope these graduates provide healthcare services by not just stressing knowledge and skills but also possess positive values in patient care,” he said on Monday.

He said this after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry and 24 public and private institutions of higher learning to use its facilities for various healthcare education programmes.

Liow said nurses with first degrees would be able to receive pay grades from U41 to U54. It was learnt that the basic pay for degree-holders in grade U41 was nearly RM2,000 per month excluding housing, personal, cost-of-living, critical post and public service allowances.

The base pay including allowances for nurses at U48 is about RM8,000.

To reach the top pay grade of U54, the nurses had to have at least a Masters degree and have served more than 20 years as a nurse along with the necessary experience, skills and competence.

At the moment, nurses in the country received only up to U48 salaries.

According to Liow, the country did not have enough nurses as there was only one nurse to 375 residents.

“We need to reach one nurse to 200 residents to meet World Health Organisation standards by 2015,” he said.

Liow also said the higher pay scheme were to stop brain-drain of local nurses leaving for better pay in countries such as Dubai and others in the Middle East.

“This should be good news for nurses. Malaysia cannot continue to have cheap labour.

“If we want to retain our workers, we can’t pay them any less,” he said.

This year, he said some 6,000 nurses were trained by the country’s 27 Health Ministry colleges, 10 public and 54 private institutions that offered nursing education.

21,828 lepasan STPM layak ke universiti tahun ini

KOSMO!

KUALA LUMPUR - Seramai 21,828 pelajar lepasan Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) atau 54.3 peratus daripada 47,182 pemohon telah diterima melanjutkan pengajian di Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Awam (IPTA) bagi sesi 2008/2009.

Daripada jumlah itu, seramai 754 pelajar diklasifikasikan pelajar cemerlang yang memperoleh sekurang-kurangnya 90 peratus dalam pencapaian akademik dan lima peratus pencapaian kokurikulum.

Timbalan Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Idris Haron berkata, sebanyak 70 peratus daripada pela- jar itu adalah bukan bumiputera.

"Pelajar bukan bumiputera lebih ramai yang cemerlang kerana STPM memang menyediakan peluang yang lebih kepada mereka," katanya ketika menjawab soalan tambahan yang dikemukakan oleh Datuk Ibrahim Ali (Bebas-Pasir Mas) di Parlimen semalam.

Terdahulu semasa menjawab soalan tambahan Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (BN-Bintulu), Harun menjelaskan, terdapat lima kursus kritikal yang menjadi rebutan, antaranya perubatan, farmasi dan pergigian.

"Kita menyedari terdapat pelajar yang gagal mendapat kursus seperti yang dipohon kerana beberapa faktor, maka sebab itulah kementerian meletakkan lima pilihan kursus.

"Apapun, kementerian sedang mengaturkan bagaimana pelajar cemerlang ini akan ditawarkan kursus kritikal," jelasnya.

Nota Terkini