Education system not producing thinking graduates

Education system not producing thinking graduates.

 Graduates emerging from the Malaysian education system fail to meet the expectations of prospective employers due to a lack of critical thinking skills and poor communication.

This has resulted in employers having to provide additional training to fit them into their respective job scopes. Many graduates also have to accept employment that does not correspond with their qualifications.

Malaysian-based education, human resource and recruitment consultants feel that there should be a sound foundation in critical thinking to be incorporated into the education system to prepare future generations for the employment market.

There was a distinct gap between what the Malaysian education system is producing and what employers are looking for.

“This has resulted in six out of 10 graduates from Malaysian universities taking as much as six months to find a job. The other 40% take even longer,” said Haggag, whose company provides workforce solutions that include recruitment and training.

“Recruitment is a distinct challenge as the universities are churning out graduates who don’t have the requisite skills to enter the workforce.

“From the manpower context, we find that seven out of 10 graduates who come to recruitment interviews fail the English [language] competency test set by our clients.

“The lack of proficiency in English limits their ability to communicate beyond the borders of Malaysia and this lowers their confidence and curtails their ability to add value in the workplace.

Many of the new graduates lack the critical thinking skills required to keep up in a world that is constantly changing and becoming increasingly competitive.

“New technologies and methodologies are forcing people to operate beyond their comfort zone.

“In our competitor nations, the young professionals are more advanced in critical thinking, innovation, thinking out of the box and have continuous development initiatives compared within Malaysia,” he pointed out.

He added that today, most employers are looking for graduates with a high level of confidence who are exposed to niche areas outside of their academic studies.

“These new graduates won’t give you textbook answers, but will, through their answers, display a global mindset and show understanding of moving trends in the world.

“Employers are usually prepared to pay a higher salary to get these ‘global associates’ onboard,” Ramon said.

Prospect Consulting Sdn Bhd director Nina Adlan, who provides advisory services to educational institutions aiming to set up branch campuses in Malaysia, said she has observed ‘a disconnect’ between what graduates put down on their curriculum vitae and what they are like in reality.

“When we hire, we consider the way graduates converse and portray themselves to be more important than what’s in the CV.

“What’s the point in having good academic results when they can’t communicate, can’t conduct a proper conversation and have no confidence?” she said.

One reason for the lack of confidence evident in young graduates is that educational institutions are not placing enough focus on equipping undergraduates with skills that will enable them to think out of the box and adapt to the demands of the working world.

“Among the reasons why those emerging from local education system do not meet employers’ standards is the system itself.

“It is not dissimilar from that of the UK, which is teacher-centric and focuses on rote learning and swotting and places less emphasis on practical application.

“The system also focuses on individual achievement and less on team performance, so there aren’t many opportunities for students to acquire interactive skills.

“It’s the same in Malaysia, where the system is biased towards those who do well in exams, which is not necessarily the best way to gauge their employability,” he added.

Nina said for Malaysia to produce more employable graduates, all parties involved in education should work together to create a culture that places a high value on critical thinking and creativity to replace the current one which focuses on information transfer and academic results.

An Internet check on the most frequently asked interview questions provides an insight into the “real world” out there with questions such as: What do you look for in a job? Why should we hire you? Define success at work? How do you feel that your education has prepared you for this job? to Why is a manhole cover round?

Nina said the grounding for the future generation to handle these and other questions and to be in a position to handle work situations without having to literally flip through a manual (if there is one), is to lay a strong foundation at the school level for them to be able to come up with strategies and solutions that can be unique and appropriate for each situation.

This, she insisted, would help pave the way to achieve Malaysia’s quest to become a developed nation with the necessary manpower that would meet the industries’ and the country’s requirements. 

6 wrong reasons to do phD

A Ph.D can be your chance to get paid to tackle intellectual problems and explore new areas of knowledge. Or it could be a disastrous experience that leaves you mentally drained and in debt. Ph.D’s are the most consuming of higher education degrees. A doctorate is the highest level of education you can attain. So, obviously this will take up your time, energy, dedication, and money. With this much commitment, it is not for everyone, but can be incredibly rewarding if done for the right reasons. Below, we will explain some of the wrong reasons of doing a Ph.D. If you one of these is on your list of reasons to do a Ph.D, maybe you should step back and reconsider. If you agree with this list and have other reasons for doing a Ph.D, it might be exactly what you should be doing. So, let’s take a look. (source:dailymail.co.uk)

1. Fulfilling Others’ Ambitions If you are doing a Ph.D because your parents expect it of you or because your significant other insists, or even because you are trying to live up to the standards set by an elder sibling or relative, you should reconsider. Fulfilling your own ambitions and going after your dreams will be much more gratifying, and your passion will make the process seem easier. A Ph.D is a large, strenuous undertaking which only gets tougher if you have no interest in the subject or have no passion to pursue it at the doctorate level. (source:fastprofits.com.au)

2. Peer Pressure While it is great having an incredibly educated social circle, fitting in is not a reason to do a Ph.D. It is challenging, time consuming and will require all your attention. So, unless you are sure that you are willing to and capable of put in the amount of work required for a Ph.D, don’t do it. You will burnout and it will drain all your energy. (source:bobmaconbusiness.com)

3. Ego Gratification Many students believe that they have yet to meet a challenge they cannot beat. This misplaced genius complex, while a great driver for perfectionists and fuel for ambition, has no place as a student. Students are most importantly, learning from others. If you would like to do your Ph.D to gratify your ego and boast that you too are capable of attaining this exclusive degree, you are doing it for the wrong reasons. You will be unhappy with the enormous amount of work expected from you; but worse, you may end up with an unsatisfied sense of superiority because the novelty of showing off your degree wears off. (source:gq.com)

4. Escaping Your Job It is true that getting a degree in another field is a great way of finding your passion and taking steps towards it. However, this is only the case if you are certain of what you are planning on studying. Disinterest will follow you if you are simply trying out something new for the sake of variety. (source:abroadee.com)

5. Keeping Your Visa Often, you get accustomed to the lifestyle, the culture, the people, or maybe the country that you’ve finished your undergraduate education in. Doing a Ph.D for the sake of staying in that city or area isn’t a good enough reason. (source:campuscalm.com)

6. The Real World Scares You It’s easy to assume that a Ph.D program will just be a more intense version of your undergraduate degree. But that will most definitely not be the case. The goals are not to submit your assignments on time and ace your exams. Your classes will be there to help you build a foundation and to guide you in your research. You will be assessed mainly on the basis of your research and your publications. This is really important for students who are still studying or have just finished their undergraduate or master’s degrees. If you think you are going to continue studying the way you used to and you’d prefer that to finding a job, a Ph.D is not what you are looking for. The real world may surprise you yet.

The most important reason to do a phd: It fits you. We cannot emphasize this enough. If you are somebody who wants to change the world and challenge what is accepted today in any subject area that you are passionate about, a Ph.D is probably for you. Basically, any reason that has less to do with the Ph.D and how it suits you as a person, and more to do with external factors is probably a wrong reason because the Ph.D is a lot to deal with.

It is also important to remember that whether it is in physics or psychology or geography, a Ph.D will go beyond what you have previously covered and will render you capable of making a difference. A Ph.D can often be a ticket to lifelong research and academic insights. So, if you are the type of student who always wants to learn and apply that learning back at the world and make a difference, a Ph.D is definitely for you!!!

Hujan… petang..

Derasnya curah air hujan
Tak mampu menghapus jejak kenangan
Tapak - tapak silam kerinduan
Masih menggurat disudut ingatan
Terkulai layu jiwa didakap kesepian
Gementar...kedinginan tanpa pujaan

Good morning!!!!

Good morning!!

Kesan Maksiat Tetap Berbahaya Walaupun Mendapat Keampunan Detik Islam

Kesan Maksiat Tetap Berbahaya Walaupun Mendapat Keampunan
Detik Islam

Selagi bergelar manusia, kita tidak terlepas daripada melakukan dosa dan maksiat secara sedar ataupun tidak. Saya akui kelemahan diri ini yang sering gagal menangani kehidupan tanpa dosa. Tidak kira ia berlaku sama ada dari pandangan mata, pendengaran, butiran kata-kata dan anggota yang lain. Apabila dikuasai oleh nafsu dan pujukan musuh manusia, syaitan laknatullah, saya hilang rasa malu untuk melakukan dosa walaupun akidah kita dipaterikan bahawa Allah itu Maha Mengetahui segalanya apa yang berlaku di langit dan bumi, yang terang mahupun yang tersembunyi.

Namun seperti biasa, selepas melakukan dosa dan maksiat saya akan mulai sedar kembali bahawa diri telah terjebak dengan perkara mungkar. Timbul rasa penyesalan dan malu akan apa yang sudah berlaku. Ia seterusnya mengajak diri untuk sujud memohon keampunan  daripada-Nya. Di sini akan terasa sayang dan cinta-Nya kepada para hamba-hamba-Nya yang menyesal perbuatan mereka. Lagi menambahkan rasa malu dan segannya saya sebagai hamba kepada-Nya. Titisan air mata penyesalan jatuh agar dosa-dosa sebelumnya diampunkan oleh-Nya. Maha Suci Allah, sesungguhnya Engkau Maha Penerima Taubat.

Sebagaimana disebutkan dalam hadith Qudsi, Nabi saw bersabda dari apa yang telah dikhabarkan oleh Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, baginda bersabda:

“Dahulu, ada seorang yang telah berbuat dosa. Setelah itu, ia berdoa dan bermunajat; ‘Ya Allah, ampunilah dosaku! ‘

Kemudian Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala berfirman: “Sesungguhnya hamba-Ku mengaku telah berbuat dosa, dan ia mengetahui bahwasanya ia mempunyai Tuhan yang dapat mengampuni dosa atau memberi seksa karena dosa.”

Kemudian orang tersebut berbuat dosa lagi dan ia berdoa; “Ya Allah, ampunilah dosaku!”

Maka Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala berfirman: “Hamba-Ku telah berbuat dosa, dan ia mengetahui bahwasanya ia mempunyai Tuhan yang mengampuni dosa atau menyeksa hamba-Nya karena dosa….”

(Hadith Riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim)

Daripada hadis di atas, peringatan kepada diri saya yang hina ini dan sesiapa sahaja di luar sana mengalami situasi yang sama, pintu taubat sentiasa terbuka untuk hamba-hamba-Nya yang lemah dan menginsafi diri. Dan Allah swt tidak pernah berputus asa untuk mengampunkan hamba-Nya selagi seorang itu terus istiqamah memohon keampunan daripada-Nya. Ingin saya peringatan diri saya sendiri sekali lagi agar kita bersama-sama memohon keampunan daripada-Nya dengan penuh keikhlasan dan bersungguh-sungguh setiap masa dan jika boleh, setiap hari agar diri kita terselamat daripada sebarang sifat tercela.

Sesungguhnya, maksiat tidak pernah memberikan sebarang nilai tambah kepada amal timbangan walaupun ia manis dan nikmat dilakukan. Beberapa minit yang lepas, saya terbaca satu ungkapan hebat daripada seorang ulama yang tidak asing yakni Ibnu Qayyim Rahimahullah akan kesan maksiat dalam kitab beliau Faraid seolah-olah tahu diri ini dirundung dalam perasaan bersalah dan berdosa. Ibn Qayyim menyebut bahawa ;

“..antara kesan maksiat adalah pelakunya tidak banyak mendapatkan petunjuk, fikirannya kacau, ia tidak melihat kebenaran dengan jelas, hatinya rosak, daya ingatannya menjadi lemah, waktunya hilang sia-sia, dibenci manusia, hubungan dengan Allah renggang, doanya tidak dimakbulkan, hatinya keras, keberkahan rezeki dan umurnya musnah, diharamkan mendapatkan ilmu, hina, dihinakan musuh, dadanya sesak, diuji dengan teman-teman yang jahat yang merosak hati dan mensia-siakan waktu, cemas berpanjangan, sumber rezekinya ditarik, dan hatinya tergoncang. Maksiat dan lalai membuatnya lupa dzikir kepada Allah, sebagaimana tanaman tumbuh kerana air dan kebakaran terjadi kerana api.”

Ya Allah, begitu binasanya kesan perlakuan maksiat dalam kehidupan. Ya Allah, ampunilah aku, Sesungguhnya, aku telah melakukan perkara yang Engkau mahu hamba-Mu jauhi. Astarghfirullah..

Original Article: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/UHQdyX/~3/AGO0IdDWnTQ/kesan-maksiat-tetap-berbahaya-walaupun.html

Ibu bapa awasi anak anak gadis kita dari lelaki lelaki jahat yang mengintai anak gadis kita

Lelaki-lelaki jahat yang mengintai anak gadis kita: 

Beberapa hari lepas saya didatangi seorang ibu bersama anak gadisnya yang berumur 15 tahun, anak bongsu beliau.
Daripada riak mukanya saya tahu ini bukan kes biasa-biasa tentang haid yang tidak teratur.

Namun saya sengaja bertanya, datang sebab haid tak teratur ke?

Wanita itu mungkin dalam lingkungan awal 50an. Bertudung hitam labuh. Malah anaknya juga datang dengan seragam sekolah agama dan tudung labuh hitam.

Dia kelihatan serba salah dan tidak tahu untuk memulakan kata. 
Entahlah doktor, entahlah doktor, saya tak tahu nak kata apa, katanya berulang-ulang kali. Wajahnya seperti mahu menangis, dadanya kelihatan sesak dan dia sangat gelisah.

Lalu saya menerjah-mengandung ke anak Puan?

Selepas itu kata-katanya keluar bagai empangan pecah-tak dapat dibendung lagi.

Bermacam-macam cerita keluar dari tingkatan satu ke tingkatan 2 dan kini di tingkatan 3.
Berbagai juga kata-kata pedih ditujukan pada anaknya yang kini menundukkan kepala saja. 
Bodoh. Tak faham bahasa. Kurang IQ. 
Rupa-rupanya anaknya ditangkap tidak hadir ke sekolah, tetapi telah keluar bersama lelaki. Anaknya jua telah mengaku kepada guru bahawa beliau telah berzina.
Namun dia percaya anaknya tidak melakukan apa-apa. Tak sampai peringkat zina. 
‘Dia tak tahu doktor. Dia tak faham. Mungkin sekadar sentuh-sentuh dia fikir sudah melakukan. Dia ni bukannya pandai.
Saya rasa dia tak buat doktor. Dia tak tahu..”

Saya minta wanita itu keluar dan saya bersemuka dengan anaknya.
Ternyata anak yang ‘tidak pandai’ ini telah melakukan zina sejak di Tingkatan 1-tanpa disedari ibubapa. Dengan ramai lelaki.
Berbagai bangsa.
Berbagai umur.

Dia tidak kelihatan seperti anak nakal dan liar. Dia kelihatan baik dan ya, mungkin sedikit naif-atau bodoh seperti kata ibunya.

Namun di sinilah lelaki-lelaki jahat mula memasukkan jarumnya.

Saya tanyakan bagaimana permulaannya. Saya tanyakan apakah beliau menonton video lucah.

Lalu dia menceritakan kepada saya awal mula penglibatannya menjadi seorang ‘pelacur’.

Tinggal di kawasan Kampung Pandan yang terdiri dari majoriti Melayu, lelaki jahat pertama yang membawanya mengenali dunia seks dalam keadaan akal dan jiwanya belum bersedia dan belum disediakan adalah seorang lelaki Indonesia. Bermula dengan mengajak menonton video lucah. Pastinya didahulukan dengan kata-kata manis dan pujian. Hingga akhirnya mahu melakukannya dan sehingga merasa ketagihan.

Kemudian disambut oleh lelaki-lelaki jahat yang lain sambung menyambung sehingga yang terakhir ini.

Ada yang mengambil kesempatan merakam dirinya dan kemudian mengugut untuk menyebarkan videonya. Sehingga anak baik yang tidak tahu apa-apa ini terpaksa mencuri sejumlah wang ibubapanya untuk diberikan kepada lelaki tersebut.

Lelaki terakhir ini, sebelum perbuatannya diketahui adalah seorang lelaki berumur 30 tahun yang sudahpun ada 2 isteri.

Kata anak malang ini, --walaupun saya sudah tidak suka melakukannya, tetapi lelaki itu selalu merayunya sehingga dia merasa kasihan, lalu menurut kemahuan lelaki tersebut-----dapat saya bayangkan bagaimana lelaki jahat ini menggunakan kelebihan akalnya memanipulasi anak ini untuk memuaskan nafsu binatangnya.

Setelah saya kisahkan pada ibunya, longlai tubuhnya dan tersepuk dia di kerusi. Tidak disangkanya langsung anak bongsu manjanya telah jauh melangkah dalam keadaan dia sentiasa dalam ‘denial’- pura-pura tidak nampak atau tidak mahu percaya.

Pecah lagi empangan rasanya buat kali kedua. Menceritakan bagaimana sibuknya dia dan semua terletak atas bahunya. Anak yang ramai, ada yang punya masalah jiwa sedang dalam rawatan, anak dan menantu yang silih berganti bersalin dan beliau yang menjaga.

Tentang malunya sedangkan dia adalah ketua wanita di dalam sebuah NGO Islam. Suaminya pengerusi surau. Bagaimana dia merasakan tuntutan dakwah untuk menyampaikan kepada masyarakat.

Dalam kesibukannya, dia tidak sedar anaknya sedang mengalami perubahan hormon. Dada anaknya sudah memutik dan ada rasa yang tidak difahami dalam dirinya. Namun, dia tidak perasan itu semua. Baginya anak bongsunya ini masih ‘baby’.

Namun ada mata-mata liar yang perasan. Yang boleh menghidu naluri semulajadi remaja ini. Yang akalnya sudah masak dan matang.

Kita melihat anak kita sebagai baby, namun ada mata lelaki jahat yang melihatnya seperti kucing melihat hidangan menggiurkan di depan mata……yang melihat sampai ke dalam-dalamnya….baginya ini ada daging baru yang enak…

Lalu lelaki jahat ini akan memulakan jarumnya. Kenal-kenal dulu. Puji-puji. Minta nombor handphone. Memasang ayat-ayat….
Dan anak yang hidup dalam keluarga besar yang sentiasa sibuk ini, serta sudah dianggap tidak pandai ini, yang barangkali tidak pernah menerima pujian dari kedua ibubapanya, sangat mudah termakan pujuk rayu…dan selebihnya adalah sejarah…
Anak ini tidak jahat. Dia tidak liar. Dia lahir dari keluarga baik-baik , keluarga pendakwah.

Namun kerana adanya lelaki-lelaki jahat yang sepatutnya menjadi pelindung kepada anak ini, dia menjadi mangsa.

Beberapa ingatan yang melintas di kepala sebagai peringatan buat ibubapa.

1. bila anak meningkat remaja - perhati-perhatikan dia. Dia ada keperluan/needs. Jadilah temannya. Bersembang dengannya. 
2. Jangan mengutuk anak sendiri. Berilah pujian. Terutama bapa dan abang. Puaskan dia dengan pujian dari lelaki dari keluarganya, supaya dia tak layu lentok dengan pujian lelaki jahat. Ingat wahai bapa, kalau berat sangat mulut dan memuji, tangan berat sangat nak membelai, ada orang lain yang akan mengisi kekosongan itu nanti
3. Keterlaluan dalam kesibukan - walaupun untuk tujuan dakwah. Wahai ibu, tempatmu di rumah. Perhatikan dulu anak daramu sebelum kamu ingin berdakwah.
4. Pendidikan - berikan sedikit pendidikan seksual bila tiba masanya. Biarkan dia mendengar dari mulut kita bukan dari mulut gatal lelaki jahat. Terkadang kerana ‘soleh’nya kita, nak menyebut seks pun kita tak tersebut. Bahkan dalam program reproduksi pun ada yang tak senang bila diajar tentang alat reproduktif kepada kanak-kanak - tak sesuai katanya.
5. Anak-anak perlu diberi pendidikan dan tanggungjawab. Jangan jadikan dia ‘pets’. Yang kita manjakan dan belai-belai selalu tanpa kita beri didikan. Jangan sesekali menyangka anak kita tak akan melakukannya…….ia akan memberikan kita rasa selamat yang palsu.
6. Bila anak kita telah jadi anak dara, seolah-olah ada bauan atau haruman yang tersebar keluar dari rumah kita - lalu menarik banyak ‘bugs’. Fahamkan dia tentang nilai dirinya. Banyak anak gadis hari ini, termasuk anak gadis kita juga, kadang tergedik-gedik dihadapan kamera. Fahamilah wahai ibu, wanita itu seluruhnya adalah aurat. Sangat menarik perhatian. Sangat menggoda. Beritahulah pada anak kita. Tanamkan sifat malu pada dirinya.
Perbetulkan pakaiannya.
Jagalah dia.

Sedikit nukilan dan ibrah untuk dikongsi bersama.

Yang ada anak lelaki tolonglah ajarkan supaya menghormati perempuan, belas dan kasih padanya dan sentiasa melindunginya.

Ya Allah lindungilah anak-anak gadis kami!

Oleh : 
Dr Ariza Mohamed
Pakar O&G Hospital Pakar Ampang Puteri
AJK Wanita Ikram WP

Are You Financially Ready To Buy A House In Malaysia?

Are You Financially Ready To Buy A House In Malaysia?
By iMoney Research Team .

Most financial experts recommend that you allocate no more than one-third of your total income to pay off your home loan.
*This article is also available onwww.starproperty.my.
Owning a home you can truly call your own represents the ultimate dream for just about anyone. But with escalating real estate prices and the burden of lengthy loan repayment periods that easily go into 30 years or more, buying and financing a home is not just a matter of saying “I like it” and signing on the dotted line. It is something that should be done with a great deal of sense and prudence.
For all aspiring Malaysians who are actively considering buying a home by taking a loan, here are three things to determine if you’re financially ready to undertake this life-changing endeavour:
1) Do you have enough for the upfront costs?
In Malaysia, most banks offer up to 90% of the property’s price (margin of financing) for your first two residential properties. If you receive that 90%, you need 10% cash to pay for the rest of the property’s price.
Say you’re targeting to buy a condo in Cheras for approximately RM400,000, you must have a minimum RM40,000 to pay upfront, be it from your savings or money from your parents or siblings.
2) Do you have extra cash for miscellaneous fees and charges?
First-time home buyers may not know it; but buying and financing a home takes more than just the deposit and the loan, it also involves miscellaneous fees and charges that include, among others:
1. Stamp duty for transfer of ownership title (also known as memorandum of transfer or MOT) = 1% for the first RM100,000; 2% on the next RM400,000, and 3% on the subsequent amount.
2. Sale & Purchase Agreement (SPA) legal fees = 1% for first RM150,000 and 0.7% of remaining value of property within RM1 million
3. Stamping for SPA = Less than a hundred Ringgit
4. SPA legal disbursement fee = A few hundred Ringgit
5. Loan facility agreement legal fees = 1% for first RM150,000 and 0.7% of remaining value of loan within RM1 million
6. Stamp duty for loan = 0.5% of loan amount
7. Loan Facility Agreement legal disbursement fee = A few hundred Ringgit
8. Fee for transfer of ownership title = A few hundred Ringgit
9. Mortgage Reducing Term Insurance (ie. think of it as a life insurance for your home loan) = RM1,000 or more (some banks waive this amount)
10. Government Tax on Agreements = 6% of total lawyer fees
11. Bank processing fee for loan = RM200
*Note: The percentages are based on recommended numbers and industry averages. Actual figures may differ.
To put things into perspective, a home valued at RM400,000 with 90% margin of financing comes close to about RM20,000 in fees and charges – which will have to be borne by you, the buyer. Now consider this: do you have the money to make it happen?
3) Can you afford to pay the monthly instalment?
Unless you have the financial muscle to buy a property with cash upfront (in which case, this article probably wouldn’t apply to you), you’ll need to secure a loan from a bank or a financial institution to help pay for your home.
Based on the current market rate of 4.2% to 4.4% p.a. interest for a standard home loan, you will need to pay a minimum of RM1,760 per month over the next 30 years for a 90% loan to finance a RM400,000 home. To quickly calculate the monthly instalments charged by banks of Malaysia for a home loan of any value, you can use our home loan calculator.
As most financial experts recommend that you allocate no more than one-third of your total income to pay off your home loan, this means you or your household should have an income of at least RM5,280 per month to afford the RM400,000 home.
Take note that Malaysian banks generally allow you to hold loans (including commitment for car loan, personal loan etc.) of up to 80% of your income if you have a relatively good credit score, so you can always choose to increase your monthly instalment and shorten your loan term. But make sure you’ve done the math and understood the financial implications before you commit!
What if I don’t qualify?
For those of you who can afford the monthly instalment but do not have the necessary savings for down payment and legal fees & charges, hope is not lost.
For a start, you may consider looking around for properties with free SPA and loan facility agreements to save thousands of Ringgit in legal fees. This should be relatively simple as most new property projects commonly absorb the costs of legal agreements for home buyers.
To cut down on the initial payment needed to buy a home, do actively shop around for properties with low initial down payments. Many developers now offer competitive early bird or “easy entry” sales packages which include rebates of between 2% to even 10% of the property price.
Ultimately, buying a home is a serious life decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Though owning a home in a posh area is always nice, one should always consider one’s financial position when it comes to buying property, so you don’t end up being overly burdened for the next few decades. Hopefully, this article will serve as a general guide for all Malaysians who are thinking about buying a home now.

Lenovo Vibe X2 priced at RM1,199, supports dual-SIM

Lenovo Vibe X2 priced at RM1,199, supports dual-SIM

from : SoyaCincau

Lenovo is launching the Vibe X2 smart phone in Malaysia next week. Ahead of its launch, Lenovo Malaysia has already revealed its official pricing of RM1,199 and they have also confirmed that we will be getting the dual-SIM version.

The Lenovo Vibe X2 was announced during IFA 2014 and it stands out with its layered metal design. It carries a 5″ Full HD display and it runs on a 2.0GHz MediaTek MT6595 Octa-Core processor that’s mated to 2GB of RAM.

On-board it gets a 32GB of storage that’s non expandable and it also includes a 13MP + 5MP cameras that comes with a host of selfie and extra camera features. Powering the device is a 2,300mAh capacity battery and overall it still maintains a sleek 7.27mm thickness. Out of the box, it runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with Vibe UI 2.0 skin on top. You can view our hands-on photos in our earlier post.

Lenovo Malaysia is also throwing a party at Zouk for the Lenovo Vibe X2 and they are giving away 500 exclusive invites where you also stand a chance to win the phone. To take part, you can register over here.

POOR ENGLISH DUE TO LEARNING ANXIETY??

IT was not uncommon in the kampung those days that you would get teased by your friends if you picked up an English storybook or spoke in English.

No one would dare converse in English or risk being labelled as “action” (showing off).

Things have changed somewhat, partly due to the advent of the Internet, but people still feel some ambivalence towards learning the English language, especially in the Malaysian context.

No doubt English is an important second language and it is widely spoken in the country. From being seen as a language of a colonial power, English is now a language for modern science and business, and a new window to the world.

Excluding pre-school, the minimum formal learning period of the English language for Malaysian school students is 11 years, and they continue learning it at the tertiary level. What is alarming then, as pointed out by the education minister last week, is the deficiency in English competence among undergraduates. It has become a major concern to education policymakers.

Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the deputy prime minister, said he was baffled as to why Malaysian students, after completing pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary education, still could not converse in English, meaning they could not speak the language well after going through the entire education system.

There must be something wrong somewhere, he figured.

“They start learning English at pre-schools, and then, they move on to primary and secondary schools... they should have the basic knowledge and they continue learning the language in universities... that is another four to five years... there should not be a problem,” Muhyiddin was quoted as saying.

“I don’t think the number of hours is insufficient if you take into account the 18 to 19 years of learning process.

“Something is not right.”

Even more worrying is that a good command of English is a prerequisite for getting a good job. Apparently, that was why 55 per cent of fresh graduates failed to secure a job.

What are the reasons for the current abysmal standard of English in the Malaysian school system?

One factor may be the quality of teachers. Muhyiddin said the prevalent usage of Bahasa Melayu in learning other subjects could also be a factor.

“But I don’t think we should blame Bahasa Melayu for affecting the standard of English in this country,” he said.

Scholars point to another underlying factor — the learning anxiety. Learning a foreign language is a complex task susceptible to human anxiety.

Negative attitudes in learning a foreign language are associated with anxious feelings, such as uneasiness, frustration, self-doubt and apprehension, resulting in undue stress on students.

One scholar notes that the factors of anxiety among Malaysian students learning English are personal, school instructional practices as well as social and cultural influences that make them “linguistically and psychologically isolated from the English language use”.

The scholars conclude that it is pertinent for our students and undergraduates to overcome this “language anxiety” to be competent in English.

Even in Beijing and other major Chinese cities, students and office workers make a beeline for English language centres, some housed in leading shopping malls, to learn English.

Unlike China, Malaysian students are exposed to English since primary school. Maybe we need to change the way English is taught at schools to ensure that our students are more competent in the language, both verbal and written.