Search This Blog

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

My Very First Tag *sigh*

My February 7 entry is referred:


Dear Ang,

An entry entitled "My Most Fondful Memory Period of Time if I Can Turn Back The Time."

Truth be told, dere's not even a day passed I'm not thinking bout these moments I've spent wif 'em.

I miss 'em
I love 'em

n

I hope God will gather us again doing things crazily n (wildly?) LOL

but above all,

no matter where the wind takes us apart, they'll forever stay in my heart.

So Ang Choon, mission accomplished.

Enjoy XXX



"My Most Fondful Memory Period of Time if I Can Turn Back The Time"


0023 in da morningand its been raining since early afternoon.My double-glazed windows are painted wif delicate pearls of water which ever constantly merge to from tiny, merry streams racing each other down 2 da panes.I welcome da rain. I thank Lord 4 dis little miracle of His.




It was on 7 days b4, where all began. @ dat time, none of us had imagined how splendid da gath will b. Including me!! I thot it wud b just another ongoing social event wif -IHAB- &-WANZUL-I reached Stoddart House from a long tiring weekends @ Malaysia Hall. Greeted by Ihab n Wanzul, n by a new chap whom I never seen b4 -MIRUL- traversing all da way from Ukraine 4 his Europe Trip. He welcomed wif a smile & I reciprocated. da demarcation of geography never be a reason 4 us 2 break da silence.


Da expatriates of us thronged da table. Sharing - listening - learning - updating. For I felt its just a small world 4 us da humans 2 live on. God has destined dat we dun meet in our home country but in da land miles away - The Great Elizabethan Soil.

We still remember da funniest thing ever - how deceived n gullible WanZul was 4 a fren he didn't recognise. It was a complete furore, telling ya, as da burst explodes 2 every inch of da flat. da innocent mortal just happened to know -R GEN- who joined da Stoddart clan on da next day.

N dats wat we did. Filling da space wif laughters n jokes. Full of fun n blissful. We transformed da cramped flat of Stoddart House into a Chateaubrind of our own. I testify, none of a second went by where we felt left behind. We belonged 2 each other erasing da sense of alienation n da 'i'm-hollier-than-thou' enigma. Wondrously, it seems, da bond of frenship has been tied n sealed 4 ages 4 da fact we just met.


Until dis very moment, I boggle learning da miracle of dis.
Today, as I'm writing dis, I cud vignette all of our memories even unambigous - even we r separating 4 different paths in life, fighting 4 a survival, striving 4 a brighter future.

Sound n Clear.
Not even a bit is faded n blurred. To thou, I shall promise, da memory wud never decay, till da day I last see dis brandished earth.
To Ihab, WanZul, R-Gen n Mirul,


A Shakespere I am not, 4 I cant create da sweetest-most remarkable poem on earth ever made, 2 express my profoundest expressions of gratitude, how much all of u mean 2 me. (plus, I've been warned not 2 come out wif any melancholic eye-watering sayings 4 they will find it as a catastrophic emotional disturbance)

Perhaps thank you isnt sufficient enough 2 return all da kindness shown n given, but still allow me to
1) Thank you 4 da lovely Stoddart House
2) Thank you 4 da couch
3) Thank you 4 da bed
4) Thank you 4 da maggi me
5) Thank you 4 da London ride
6) Thank you 4 da few sips of Starbucks Coffee
7) Thank you 4 da toast
8) Thank you 4 da Boots' brownie
9) Thank you 4 da choc mousse
10) Thank you 4 da £1 bus fare
11) Thank you 4 da ears 2 listen
12) Thank you 4 da ideas given
13) Thank you 4 da few inhales of ciggies
14) Thank you 4 da mellowing chords of nite carols despite been warned countlessly by da conducter. LOL
15) Thank you 4 da blast fashion show
16) Thank you 4 da Rossa Dance featuring .............ops,cant say much. Ive been warned.Enough sed.
17) Thank you 4 da English Salad Pasta wif Roast Chicken n Chips.
18) Thank you 4 da Confession Nite of ours
19) Thank you 4 da Chinatown visit (ayam itik b*** bagai nih!!)
20) Thank you 4 da nite walk along River Thames
21) Thank you 4 da laugh
22) Thank you 4 da subtly smiles
23) Thank you 4 da remembrance
24) Thank you 4 da sharing n talking ...... gossiping?!?!
25) Thank you 4 accepting me 4 who I am
n da most important
26) Thank you 4 being dere when I need most.




Hugs n Kisses,
Your -WanZue-



Monday, November 19, 2007

Are all women like dis?




There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she was blind. She hated everyone except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend.


One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her and then she could see everything, including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, "now that you can see the world, will you marry me?" The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry him.


Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and latter wrote a letter to her saying, "JUST TAKE CARE OF MY EYES PLEASE."


This is how humans change when their status changes. Only few remember what life was before, and who has always been there in the most painful situations.

Monday, November 12, 2007

I'm back folks xxx



Dear Lord

Grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change
The courage to change the things that I can
and
The wisdom to know the difference

To ye I seek the strength


AMEN ...

Friday, November 09, 2007

Just A Quickie


Dear all,

I was been tagged by Ang's 'Whatablog' to write on 'MY MOST FONDFUL MEMORY PERIOD OF TIME IF I CAN TURN BACK DA TIME'.

To be honest, I've blogged on dis kinda thing months ago, but I dun mind 2 reiterate da same, stressing how priceless da remembrance means 2 me.

However, please gimme a moment 2 get my arse sticks 2 da chairs as I'm currently tied to work's commitment. Will probably be on air mid next week, if not early.

So check it out ya!!!

Regards,
XXX


p/s : I'll be away over da weekends, fulfilling da last days of Eid. wohoooooooooooooo

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Wud Dere Be A Better Hope For Our Children ?

Among the Malaysian legal practitioners, The Royal Speech was kinda like inspiring and full of bravery. It speaks out da malformation of their legal system. Undeniably, the voice of change has been ongoingly raised for the government to realise how sick the legal system is due to direct and indirect interference by them. But I supposed its just circling n hanging in the air – waiting and weakening.


Our neighbour, however, has been far too advanced than us (I believe). Dats Y they stand higher and stronger than us, allowing them mapping themselves proudly on the globe. Its not dat Im not a patriotic neither a non-nationalist (alrite2, I’ll watch 1957: Hati Malaya soon ok? Fair Enough!!) but its just da truth dat you and I got to bear, for my eyes cudn’t lie, my mouth cudn’t deny and my ears will never die.


History tells, we started from the very same point. We grew from da very beginning, sharing similar chronological events prior independent. But till dis moment of time, we have gone too far in our separate ways. Its like two twins were born together (obviously from da same mother laaaaaaaaaa kan …if not takkan jadi twins), but end up one’s been extremely taller from the other.


The Malaysians in many cases, r hardly to accept changes. We prefer to live things in day way it is, as long as it doesn't deteroriate 'our life'. 'Our life' referring 2 da individual bearers. So long it is yet 2 cause dangers/harm 2 others (which r not related 2 'em directly or indirectly), we tend to adopt da 'wait n see' culture. HOW BAD.

One of the most remembered disasters by the Malaysians, was da catastrophic flood, washing large parts of a Southern State in Malaysia. Da whole vicinity was sanked due to heavy rain PLUS A POOR DRAINAGE SYSTEM, despite countlessly advice and warnings signed 2 da authority 2 improve. And Godswilling, by just 4 nites of continuous downpour, we realised dat sumting ought 2 b done n worst, it shud be done ages ago.

We never learn dat "time waits 4 no man"

In fact, my rumbles wud juz be rumbles. A meaningless sayings 2 da authority. At least 2 draw da attention of my fellow readers. I can't do much 4 a change I'm afraid =( but wif da all I have, I'll do wif da best dat I can =)


Those two speeches below-attached are da evidence on my rumbles today. I’ve enclosed two different excerpts touching on the ground of justice and judiciary. I wud like to acknowledge ‘LifeInside’ for sparking dis idea to me. U always be a great inspiration for Asignofthecreator to live on. Coincidently, its just happened not too long after the 14th Malaysian Law Conference took place.


My motives are noble n clear – I am not blaming much on da current jokers who shape the silly – lelucons into the holliness of law neither da current law maker cum enforcer for enduring this ‘unofficially-accepted’ cancer in our judiciary, but just to highlight how serious we have gone wrong to our future inheritors. We deserve a better country where JUSTICE is upheld under the name of LAW and let dere be no suppression, interference and influence from other parties. ( u know wat I mean dun ya) PEACE


FOR A BETTER MALAYSIA

XXX

Why Singapore Is What It Is



Pic is courtesy of LifeInside


Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was the keynote speaker at the opening of the International Bar Association’s annual conference last night. This is his address.


TO UNDERSTAND Singapore, you have to know how we were suddenly thrown out of the Federation of Malaysia in 1965 and became an independent state. Peninsular Malaya had been Singapore’s hinterland ever since the British founded Singapore in 1819.


We faced a bleak future. We had no natural resources. A small island-nation in the middle of newly independent and nationalistic countries of Indonesia and Malaysia, each determined to cut Singapore off as the middleman. To survive, we had to create a Singapore different from our neighbours - clean, more efficient, more secure, with quality infrastructure and good living conditions.

We sought to provide an environment that our neighbours did not provide - First World standards of reliability and predictability. Important for investors and economic growth is the rule of law, implemented through an independent judiciary, an honest and efficient police force and effective law enforcement agencies. Had we not differentiated Singapore in this way, it would have languished and perished as a shrinking trading centre instead of becoming the thriving business hub it is today.


I studied law in the Cambridge Law School and am a barrister of Middle Temple, an English Inn of Court. I practised law for a decade before I first took office in 1959 as prime minister of self-governing Singapore. Therefore I knew the rule of law would give Singapore an advantage in the centre of South-east Asia where the law was often what was decided by the leader, whether a president or prime minister, often an ex-military man.


Singapore inherited a sound legal system from the British. Clear laws, easy access to justice and an efficient legal system provide the basis for citizens to compete equally in the market and to grow the economy.


A stable and predictable legal environment facilitates the enforcement of contractual rights and protection of property rights. The common law heritage and its developed contract law are known to and have helped attract investors. Our laws relating to financial services are similar to those of leading financial centres in other common law jurisdictions such as London and New York. As these are the two leading financial centres in the world, their laws govern most financial transactions worldwide. They are used freely in Singapore.


Since 1959 we have adopted English as our working language. While we have kept key English legal principles; after the United Kingdom joined the European Union, it adopted EU laws and doctrines. We have not followed them. Instead we have amended our laws to fit our needs and circumstances.


The independence of our courts is protected by the Constitution that prevents removal of judges from office by the executive. We established our final Court of Appeal in place of the Privy Council as our courts would be more familiar with our own legislation and local conditions and culture.


We still look to English precedents and examples, but increasingly we look also to those of United States, Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries. Even civil law countries have given us useful concepts and ideas, especially those adopted and incorporated as part of UNCITRAL trade laws.

Needs-based legislation

WE have special legislation to meet our needs: A multi-racial and multi-religious society is prone to conflicts. Race, language and religion in Singapore have to be handled sensitively, especially during elections. We have enacted the Religious Harmony Act and set up the Presidential Council for Minority Rights. We created Group Representation Constituencies to ensure minority representation in Parliament.


For good industrial relations, we enacted the Employment Act and Industrial Relations Act to provide the framework for our tripartite system of industrial ties, a system for collective bargaining, and an Industrial Arbitration Court to resolve industrial disputes.


For law and order, we have strong deterrent sentences for offences such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms. The Immigration Act provides for caning sentences to deter illegal immigrants and overstayers. For national security, the Internal Security Act allows for preventive detention, an effective response to terrorists.


By the 1980s, the system of courts we inherited from the British could not cope with the increasing volume of work. It needed to be modernised and to make use of IT. This also needed a chief justice who is not only legally qualified, but also has managerial and administrative experience to reform the system.


It was Chief Justice Yong Pung How (1990-2006) who had practised law for over two decades before he became a merchant banker and finally chairman of Singapore’s largest bank. He restructured the system, instituted new procedures, used IT in the courts, increased the number of judges and courts and selected the most able and balanced of those at the Bar to become judges.


The World Bank, in a report this year entitled Judiciary-led Reforms In Singapore - Framework Strategies And Lessons, stated: ‘Over the past 15 years, Singapore’s judicial system has been transformed from one that many viewed as characterised by inefficiencies, delays, and inadequate administrative capacity to one widely seen as among the most efficient and effective in the world.’


Attorney-General Chan Sek Keong, who has since become Chief Justice, will maintain these standards. Good governance, a sound legal framework and judiciary have resulted in stability and economic growth.

Transparency and integrity

OUR emphasis is on meritocracy, the building blocks of sound governance and integrity in our judiciary and legal system. The integrity of our financial systems withstood the turbulence of the 1997 Asian financial crisis that caused several of our neighbours’ banking systems to collapse. Singapore’s firm regulatory framework has facilitated economic progress.


Corruption, endemic in parts of the world, was seeping into Singapore in the 1950s when elections had introduced elected ministers in the transition to internal self- government. In 1959 when we took office in the first fully elected government, we moved swiftly to rid ourselves of corruption before it could become endemic.


Transparency International, a civil society organisation against corruption based in Berlin, has repeatedly listed Singapore among the top five of 163 countries. And the only one from Asia in the first five. Our system does not tolerate corruption and we have avoided the problems of widespread corruption that have plagued Asia. Our Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) annually tabulates the cases brought against officers and executives from the public and private sectors. In two cases, it led to the conviction and prison sentence of a junior minister. Another, a Cabinet minister, committed suicide after being investigated for corruption.


Three factors enabled Singapore to escape the poverty that plagued the region: First, clean and efficient government; second, the character and capabilities of the leadership in charge; third, an industrious people, eager and quick to learn to be productive and gainfully employed.

Defamation

POLITICAL leaders in Singapore take action against opponents who make statements against them that impute dishonesty and lack of integrity. Situated in a region where ‘money politics’ is part of the political culture and an accepted way of life, any allegation of corruption in Singapore must be taken seriously.


It leads to an investigation by the CPIB, and/or an action for defamation against the person making the allegation to clear any doubts on the integrity of the government. As a result, people in Singapore do not equate their political leaders with second-hand car salesmen.


Economic competitiveness

INTERNATIONAL surveys of economic competitiveness of countries always include the legal framework and the administration of justice as key criteria in ranking such countries.
The Political and Risk Consultancy, World Economic Forum and other polls show that both foreigners and Singaporeans believe we have good judicial and legal systems, and fair administration of justice.


The Institute For Management Development World Competitiveness Yearbook has consistently ranked Singapore in the top two positions since 1997 under the Legal Framework component. (This category examines if the legal and regulatory framework encourages the competitiveness of enterprises.)


The World Bank released its study Doing Business Report 2007 in September last year. Singapore fared better in 2006, compared to the previous year, and has replaced New Zealand at the top spot. Despite these endorsements, we cannot be complacent. We have to respond to new challenges that technology and globalisation have brought upon us.


With technology increasingly sophisticated in a world that is increasingly borderless, crime has become multi-faceted, and multi-jurisdictional. Our legislative mechanisms have responded to meet these challenges. Many legal issues today require an international cooperation for solutions.

Law firms are also taking advantage of new global business opportunities and technologies. US and British law firms are able to venture aggressively into new markets, following their clients’ multi-jurisdictional businesses. Businesses span many countries and lawyers must meet the needs of their multinational clientele.


We need to maintain Singapore’s position as a city par excellence, with an environment that is clean, safe and vibrant to work in and live in. We try to retain our best, and we attract the best to come, settle and raise their families here.


XXX COURTESY OF MALAYSIATODAY.NET XXX