No Plastic Policy

THE DAILY BITCH

Today's bitch is brought to you by good friends, stupidity and idiocity.

Ok, my friends know that I'm not really into recycling, and I'm certainly not a tree-hugging conservationist, but I do, repeat, do support initiatives to protect the environment. After all, I'm going to be around at least another 50 years to enjoy it (or be poisioned by it).

Today's rant is a reflection on certain organisations environmental policies, and the oxymoronic and hypocritical approach they take to saving the environment.

Yes, it's true, the current generations are totally destroying the world.

Lush forests are being replaced by high-rises and beautiful fresh water rivers look more like toxic waste ponds.

An initoiative in Malaysia, which is receiving attention is the 'plastic beg free days', a time when shops or other organisations don't give you plastic bags for your purchases, as their contribution to reducing waste.

At first I hated the concept, but then I learnt which days are for what and arranged accordingly. After all, a 1/7 reduction in plastic waste is a great thing. So now I support the initiative.

But it seems to me that people's awareness of the purpose of this is clearly misunderstood.

I went to a government medical provider today for a check-up and to get new medicine, to which they generously provided me almost an entire pharmacy of drugs.

 

Cliparts: Hand And Pills-JOHNNY AUTOMATIC / Medicaments-SPADASSIN / Open Mouth-NICUBUNU / Pointing Hand-THEGEMINI / Medicines-LAURENT / Callout Star-NICUBUNU
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When the staff passed the meds over, I asked for a plastic bag to put the multitudes of fine chemicals in, only to be told: "Sorry sir, we have a plastic bag free policy here".

Great initiative, but hang on a second, my multitudes of drugs came neatly packaged in tiny little plastic bags, labelled from the provider!

Oxymoron, do or don't?

I support the initiative, but get it right and do it whole hog - it's a bit stupid refusing to give a plastic bag because of policy when you've just handed me over 10 of them.

I do wonder if they see the stupidity?

Pushovers and Bad Road Manners

THE DAILY BITCH

DRIVING can be a dangerous enough experience without the added complication of inconsiderate, stupid people who feel that they should own the road and that the rest of us road users are insignificant.

One such type of person is the queue jumper, those ignorant imbiciles that decide they don't have to wait in queues like the rest of us and try to push their way through.

Yes, I do get angry at these inconsiderate people, but to be honest, they've probably spend their lives taking shortcuts so they don't know any better.

Clipart: Gangster Car Illustration-NETALLOY

http://www.clker.com/

But the people who really 'p' me off are those who let the queue jumpers in. I mean, seriously, these people actually condone que jumping, when they should really be sending a clear message which says no.

I for one refuse to let a queue jumper push in, and I will happily run my car into them if they so feel that they are more important than the rest of us.

After all, I've spent my time waiting in the queue, so I expect everyone else to have the same common courtesy to the road users.

And, I drive an old car, so a few scratches or little dents really don't matter to me.

Good Time Management

THE DAILY BITCH

I'm not the best person in the world at keeping time, but I grew up with a simple rule –“it's polite to be 10 minutes late; any more than that and it's rude”.

I have generally (but not always) followed that rule, turning up around 10 minutes late, giving just enough time for my host to get their last minute things prepared, and me not appearing disinterested by being too late.

But lately, I find an increasing number of extreme lateness, something which I feel is getting less and less appropriate. 

Today alone I have had several incidences of people being late. Not 10 minutes, but half an hour or even an hour. It's not about the traffic; it's the lack of planning and lack of respect to other people that causes it.

Clipart: AmpulhetaCopia - BETTO COUTINHO

http://www.openclipart.org/

My accountant visited today, 40 minutes late. He left his office on time, the traffic was good, but got himself lost. He then thought it was okay to be 40 minutes late whilst he got lost in the neighbourhood - a simple check of a map would have ensured he was not lost, and he wouldn't have wasted 40 minutes of my time, nor pushed the rest of my meetings to be later ... making me look the unprofessional one.

For heaven’s sake, plan.

If you've got time, leave early and be sure. Your lack of planning has a knock-on effect for others, and frankly, the next person who is going to be late for me will simply be told when they arrive to reschedule. I no longer wish to try and squeeze people in just because of their lack of planning

Family Ties And Lies

THE DAILY BITCH

IT was pointed out to me some years ago that the word FAMILIES can only be spelt with the word LIES. How sad, but how sooooo true.

After years of frustration with certain relatives (if you're reading, you know exactly who you are), experience, and repetitive behavior only goes to confirm this old saying.

If I count the number of LIES I have been told, or experienced, over the last five years alone, and did each one by one, I've got a lot of bitching. So, Ill bring it all together and just have a rambling bitch about how people, who are supposed to love you, end up by disappointing you all the more, under the supposed guidse of "caring".

 Image: Mirror On Wall - ASIFTHEBES

www.sxc.hu/asifthebes

If you really care, be honest, always! Yes, truth hurts, but being lied to, then finding out about it hurts more.

So, the Bitch of the Day Award goes to JS (you know) who continues to hurt whether she means it or not, simply because the truth is too hard to face. But tell you what, the truth will make me upset; the LIES make me want to never forgive.

Those of you out there who understand the trapping of LIES in FAMILIES; well, start being honest with yourself and honest with others. The damage will be far less, and you may even get the opportunity to repair relationships.

Hot Stove And Valentine

Bah humbug ... well that's what I say to Valentine's Day, the second most commercial day of the year following Christmas.

Valentine's Day is simply an opportunity for florists and restaurants to rip us off selling their same ordinary wares at an exorbitant price.

True love would be a home-cooked meal and quality time together as a couple, rather than a noisy commercial environment reaking of desperation to impress!

 Cliparts: Love-KIB/Cook-PETER BROUGH/Happy Heart-KABLAM

http://www.openclipart.org/

Speed Maniacs On The Road

I recently had the pleasure of driving from Penang to KL during the festive season. Yes, the latest public holiday and the hoards of traffic returning to KL in time to start work on Monday, Tuesday, or even Wednesday, depending upon how much time could be squeezed out of employers for leave.

As I was driving, safely in the left hand lane, I was shocked at the volume of traffic who were obviously so self-important and precious that they needed to drive fast in the emergency lane.

At the time, I thought to myself what absolute twats they were, risking their lives, and the lives of others by undertaking at such speed, in a lane that really isn’t the right width for even a small car, not to mention, one that is reserved for people who have car problems to stop and safely tend to their car.

Cliparts: Dog In Sports Car-WILDCHIEF/Tire-J ALVES/Skeleton-JOHNNY AUTOMATIC

http://www.openclipart.org/

I mean, imagine if blasting up the hill, they suddenly rammed into a poor motorist who had stopped to change a tyre. I know this happens quite a bit, but these stupid imbeciles put their lives, those of their passengers, and other road users on the lines for what, to save five minutes on a congested highway?

Oh, I forget, these people are the self-appointed VIPs of Malaysia, who think that they have more rights to the roads than anyone else.

Just hope that one day, when they’re broken down on the side awaiting the AAM to change their flat tyre (yes, they're too self-important to change it themselves), a large lorry speeds along and takes out their precious vehicle, which is clearly too good for the ordinary traffic that the likes of you and me have to endure.

Happy New Year To You Too

I loved the Chinese New Year celebration. Not because it meant I had to yet again pay my staff not to work for two days, or the good restaurants being closed for four days while everyone gets together, nor be it the following-the-partner around to visit family members who I don’t remember meeting before, but because of the ironic situation that happened with respect to petrol prices.

A friend put it to me this way. Just before Chinese New Year, the price of petrol was raised yet again. Yes, in a country where most people are struggling with the existing prices, the added burden will no doubt cause unnecessary stress on quite a few.

 

Cliparts: Money Bags-JOHNNY AUTOMATIC /Oil Kills-KAESO

http://www.openclipart.org/

The ironic part, as I was told by one of my friends, was on the first day, the Government sends everyone a Gong Xi message to wish happy CNY to all and sundry, but as it was so eloquently put, really more like saying “thank you for the ang pow”.

I got the point on this, because it seems so timely. Just before a major celebration, up the prices or up the tax, so that you can collect, knowing full well the huge number of people travelling.

Government tax is, as a former colleague put it, “legitimate theft”.

Blind As A Bat?

I love to eat street food, but I have just seen the most disgusting thing ever.

Yes, even worse than the one-foot long rats that scour around Chinatown, worse than cockroaches in your Mee Goreng, this actually had the power to put me off my food.

I decided tonight to have dinner at one of my favourite places in PJ (Petaling Jaya), no specifics to be detailed (except to council refuse removers).

A crowded night, I found one of the last remaining seats, just next to a group of Chinese teenagers who were busy eating. Just as I was about to order my meal, something caught my eye; a sleeping dog, lying on its back, just behind one of the teens.

Cliparts: Dog Eating Sausage, Rock Skull & Angry Guy-JOHNNY AUTOMATIC 

Speech Bubble-IBDJL95

http://www.openclipart.org/

Surprise surprise! It wasn't sleeping. Rigormortis had set in. This poor canine was dead as a doornail, mere feet from where people were eating. Flies had set in and were beginning to feast.

What I can't believe, and this was a big dog, no one seemed to care that they were sharing their eating area with dead animals!

Needless to say, I moved inside to a restaurant, where hopefully the rats were at least alive!

Common Sense In Serving Food

If you have read any of my food reviews, you will discover that I clearly like food. Ok, ‘like’ is an understatement. I have a stomach that stands as testament to my love of food.

I grew up often eating at restaurants, and by my late teens was having my daily lunch and dinner at one. I don't, let me repeat, don't cook! It’s just a no no for me. Partly because I'm not that good at it, and partly because I have the dubious honour of having set fire to two kitchens in the same day, so as you can imagine, insurance is not looking favourably on me.

But despite this misfortune and clear inability, I do know a few things, like the entree should come before the main and the main before the dessert. Well, at least I thought so.

Cliparts: Waiter-ANTONTW/Glass of Beer-CHRISDESIGN/Ice Cream Cup-MACHOVKA/Question Mark_REJON

http://www.openclipart.org/

Images: Dinner Salad 1-ICE/Dish-GOTHAM23

 http://www.sxc.hu/

I had an experience last night, which reminded my of a funny (but irritating) experience I had about a year ago. Anyway, last night first.

I was in Melaka (ok, that's no excuse for stupidity, well .... maybe). I ordered my entree and a main. Main comes out, I eat it. Five minutes after I finish it, my entree arrives. Just thank goodness for the beer which kept me going.

But what it reminded me of was an even more idiotic situation. I was at a well known restaurant brand, no, not TGI's or Chillis (yes, fill in the blanks dear readers) and guess what, the idiots actually served my dessert first, and by the end of the crazy meal, my soup arrived! Common sense, duh! Well, I did enjoy a free meal based on that. I’m just wondering if I could have done the same last night.

Happy Chinese New Year, and I will be back bitching next Monday

Plastic and You

I know it’s a local tradition, or more phenomenons, but I have to try one for the environment here -- please, stop using those plastic bags for takeaway drinks.

It’s funny, I never thought I would use the environment as a rationale to bitch about those hated plastic bags, but upon reflection, it really is an environmental issue. So many bags used for takeaway drinks on a daily basis, thrown away into the rubbish bins, the street sides, and the river channels of Malaysia.

Let’s not (yet) talk about the inconvenience of sipping a hot drink through a small hole in a plastic bag, or the inconvenience of trying to carry them around. Let’s look at the environmental damage these bags do. Think about the number of years these particular bags take to biodegrade, that is, break down and become useful nutrients or simple dust; and compare that to the paper cups used elsewhere.

Image: Plastic Pollution - GOODMORPH

http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=1327947

Ok, I’m not advocating paper cups as the perfect environmental solution, but they do break down faster than plastic bags, and they are so much easier to hold. They are easy to reuse -- how many of us refill a plastic bag with water when we need some from our office kitchen?

The time is here to look at the environment and start thinking more carefully about what we do and what we use. Then in turn, it helps those of us live with out creature comforts and overcome the annoyance of trying to drive and drink whilst holding a moving plastic bag.

Save the environment and save me from irritation at the same time.

Marriages of convenience

I'm not that traditional that I support the old fashioned view of marriage, but I am reasonable enough to appreciate that marriage is an institution and that the values of the institution are commitment, love, and true relationship.

Before you ask, yes I am married, and have been for several years. It may be my second marriage, but just because the first didn't work out doesn't devalue it in any way.

What I'm bitching about today is not genuine marriages, but a growing trend amongst people the world over; marriages of convenience.

Clipart: Chalice and Ring-JOHNNY AUTOMATIC

http://www.openclipart.org/

I have several friends and former friends who fall into this category; getting married in order to stay in a country, or to take advantage of special options available for them.

To me, this disrespects the notion of marriage. It is fraud. Get married for the right reasons, not the convenience of it!

Animal Abusers Earth's Scum

The last few days I have been viewing / reading about the despicable person on YouTube hurting the poor defenceless animal.

Despite being a big bitch, I am an animal lover, and rather than bitching today about something that irritates me, I'd like to suggest an alternate world for animal abusers ... so bear with me.

Animal abusers, along with child abusers, are the scum of the earth.

I'd love to see a world where these people are dominated by extremely large cats and dogs, where the cat uses his/her claws to play with the person much like a kitten plays with a ball of string. Not too harsh, but just enough to scratch and put the fear of life into them.

Cliparts: Dog (ARTFAVOR).Turd (DOOFI).Man (ROMANOV)
http://www.openclipart.org/

I would love to see them being chased through the jungle with a giant pack of dogs on their tail, gnarling teeth ready to teach them a new one.

People who mistreat animals don't deserve to be treated as humans.

I seriously hope that they suffer a fate worse than the animals they abuse.

Whose Right of Way?

I always thought I knew the answer to the question, “Who are roads for?” But after living here for five years I have begun to think that all of my life experiences and common sense has been thrown out the window.

I used to think that roads were for cars, but I soon learnt that this may not be the case. So, I ask again, who should the roads be for? Answer - Motorists.

No, I’m not complaining about those pesky little speed-bumps called motorcyclists, or trucks and tractors that slowly went their way through streets far too small for them to drive on. But I am certainly bitching about inconsiderate pedestrians who seem to have a death wish. And those damn mamak stallholders who feel that car-parks are better filled with their tables than with cars. Frustrating!

Let’s start with the pedestrians. There’s this really cool thing called a zebra crossing. You see them in interesting places; places the "powers that be" thought would help us "foot traffic people" to cross safely.

What shocks me, and obviously irritates me, is the number of people walking aimlessly across the road, along the road, with complete disregard for their own safety, and complete lack of respect for drivers who are the legitimate road users.

Cliparts:  http://www.openclipart.org/

I get incredibly frustrated with the number of people who simply put out their hand and cross the road as you're driving down it, fully expecting you to stop for them because their crossing the road at the wrong place far exceeds our right as legitimate road users to use the road.

I mean seriously, what is with this "hand" thing anyway? Do you know how hard it is to stop a fast moving heavy metal object at short notice because some idiot doesn't have the foresight to think and wait until the road is clear? Stopping a car at even 40km per hour is not easy; with inconsiderate people darting out in front of you it becomes a minefield.

It is time for road users to claim back the road. Yes people, drivers pay road tax, so we get priority. Sure, walk on the road, but don't think you have more right to it than cars, trucks, motorcycles, and the occasional tractor.

Not far from my office I regularly see hoards of miscreants strolling along the road as if it is a footpath. Oh, by the way, there actually IS a footpath, just the road seems more fun to them.

They seem oblivious to the fact that cars want to drive on it -- hey, it's not as though we can drive on the footpath. But what strikes me as even more irritating, they walk so slowly. It's not Sunday Church people, hurry up the pace and stop causing disruption.

I'm not saying don't use the road, I mean, if you think the tarmac is better for your sports shoes on the road, by all means, but please, have some courtesy. Make way for cars. Don't stroll along as if you don't know the cars are there. You're not chickens in the countryside. Get with the game and start being considerate to others.

I'm sure I've just made a few enemies there, but let me continue and diverge.

Along similar lines, car-parks. Are these for cars? I hate to say I think they are not. Car-parking in Malaysia is a fascinating experience. “Let’s double park and block people for half an hour” seems to be the common theme. Do you accept this? Time is money, and people seem to be very happy to waste other people’s time just so they can park those few inches closer to wherever they are going to.

My pet peeves lately are car-parks and tables. Car-parks are for cars, yet come mid afternoon, crazy little guys start putting out tables every time a car vacates its space. I wouldn’t mind so much if there were lots of spaces, but in most cases it is where there is already limited car-parks.

There’s nothing worse than coming back to your car and finding it surrounded by tables full of people eating, drinking, smoking sheesha and people leaning on your car, not even leaving enough space to open your door. This is just rude.

I love the concept of alfresco dining, eating under the stars (sometimes to the perils of changeable weather), but I don't enjoy sucking up car fumes and the constant threat that a car may accidently (on purpose) back into me and wipe me or my dinner out.

It’s time for some basic courtesy people. Let the roads be used by motorists, and stop putting drivers in dangerous situations from poor actions or lack of consideration.

I know I can't change the world, and I know many of you will think I'm crazy for complaining, but what the heck, I'm entitled to my opinion, and I will leave you with one thought: in many countries overseas, if a pedestrian walks in front of a car and gets knocked down, the pedestrian gets hurt, the driver claims for damage from the pedestrian, and the pedestrian is most likely fined for dangerous behaviour.

Would you survive elsewhere?

Who for?

I have one simple question for my readers. Who are roads for: cars, pedestrians, blockades or tables? If you say "they're for all", wait till tomorrow and I'll tell you why you are so wrong!

Blackberry Power

After the fun of trying to change my mobile phone provider, and yes, thanks for asking, I did succeed, I not only got a brand new provider but a nice shiny new toy as well, a Blackberry.

"It will change your life" people would tell me, and yes, I suspect, they were right.

Ok, we might use the analogy that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but then again, this old bitch ain't that old, and I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. But, it is certainly a fundamental change in the way I have to think about structuring my information and storing things. Not to mention, all those new features, which my hardy old Samsung didn't have.

It’s fine to be honest, I like a new toy to play with, and I'm getting the hang of things. But my one complaint is that relentless little red light. It just doesn't stop.

Cliparts: Bull Gauche Stop-TECHNOARGIA / Handphone 2-Anonymous / Sharkot Ball-Chris

 http://www.openclipart.org/

There's either a new message, an SMS, an e-mail, or something there to interrupt my chain of thought.

It's not that the little red light is not helpful, because it is nice to know that something is waiting for me, it is the compulsion that when you see the little red light, you just have to investigate.

True, that is definitely not the fault of the Blackberry (it is after all only doing its job), but it is my (our) fault for subconsciously letting that little red light influence us so much.

The power that light has over our behaviour. Can we leave it alone? No, its constant flashing knows a way at us, making us feel that something important lurks behind the darkened screen. When in reality, it's just another spam e-mail offering us viagra!

Cheap Tactics Waste Time

Malaysia has this really cool thing - we can change mobile phone provider whilst keeping our same number.

In theory this is great, but the process to go through seems more difficult and painful than pulling teeth.

I have spent the last three weeks trying to change away from one provider, let’s call them M, to another provider, let’s just call them C.

So far M have come up with three different excuses for not releasing the lines, provide different information depending upon who is spoken to at the customer service line, and to date, still have not facilitated a smooth transfer.

HandPhone_TOM BROUGH

http://www.openclipart.org/

Don't they realise that they have already lost the customer, and by tactics such as this, they are just ensuring that we tell more of our friends (and frankly anyone who will listen) about our experience.

I love the concept that you can keep your number, and yes, that is a frustration for the provider, but hey, when you're beat, accept the fact, bow out gracefully, and don't irritate your former customer further. That shows a lack of professionalism more than anything, and will stick in their mind, as they are sure never to consider you again.

Personally, I'm looking forward to my new service provider. Not because I've heard they are good or anything like that, but simply because they haven't put me through this "waste of time" exercise that my former provider did.

Signposts - Are You Getting The Right Directions?

I was driving around broader KL today and noticed something that was really strange. Yes, signposts. No, not the fact that many of the signposts in Malaysia don't actually give great direction, or that the signs are located almost immediately after turn offs, but the fact that signposts in the special motorcycle lanes along the highway are so much more accurate and informative than those signs for us real drivers, you know, those of us with a car.

I couldn't believe it; I was out in Subang area somewhere, and could see from my passenger window, exactly how informative (and accurate) the motorcyclists’ signs were, then noticed that the signposts for the actual highway we were driving on were not so "user-friendly".

Fish Crossing Traffic Signs_OCAL

http://www.clker.com/

I did find this abnormality amusing though. I may be inconvenienced by having to reverse down the highway to take a missed turn, but at least someone, assuming they even look at the signs, is getting the right directions. I just wish it were us.

Nightmares for the disabled

I had an experience this morning which really surprised me. Sadly, I can offer no solution, as I'm sure the red tape and bureaucratic decision-making and transacting processes will render such solution useless anyway.

For the very first time ever, I visited Hospital Kuala Lumpur this morning, to take a wheelchair-bound person for a check-up/consultation. Whilst I won't bitch about the doctors or nurses (they were surprisingly helpful and accommodating - I don't believe I am being nice here), my bitch is with the car-parks.

There were no disabled parking bays anywhere near the unit that we were heading to! After 35 minutes of searching, I finally found one, a 10-minute walk from the unit I was heading to.

My gripe is not so much with this, but the only available bay was on rough rock interspersed with muddy pools. Imagine trying to push a wheelchair through that?

 

Artwork by NewsFlashMedia

Cliparts: http://www.openclipart.org/ & http://www.clker.com/

Now come on people, a hospital is for the sick. Is the car-park designed to create further injury to drum up business? It certainly seemed that way.

Common sense in providing more accessible bays for patients and caregivers is a very small step that could be taken, not to mention simple common sense, to provide better service for the elderly and disabled.

Ok, I don't want to be a rights activist for the old and the infirm, but be reasonable, have a bit of compassion, and provide better facilities for these people - they need a little help to make their already challenging life a little easier!

Commiting to a commitment

The Daily Bitch is having a hard day today. Well, not really, but enough of one to get him thinking seriously about "commitment". Every so often, one experiences something that makes them think carefully about things, and the events of today have led me to commitment.

Yes dear readers, I am committed to the Daily Bitch and you will be seeing a lot more of me here.

The commitment I am thinking about is "others" commitment to things, whether it be personal or professional.

A commitment is not a fleeting fancy, a fad, an optional experience. It is a long term obligation from one person to follow through on what they promise.

A commitment cannot be taken lightly, but seriously. Once you commit to something, man up and do it.

 

Don't Tread On Me (Banana Peel Remix)_NERD42

http://www.openclipart.org/

If you can't fulfil, don't run away, but own up and say "hey, I can't do this on time", or better yet, be humble (and earn some respect along the way) by saying, "hey, could I please have a little help".

A commitment is a promise.

Your credibility as an individual, regardless of the situation, is based upon your ability to uphold your commitments.

It is ok to fail, but it is never ok not to try.

Respect comes through trying, not only succeeding, but respect is always lost when someone reneges on a commitment without making an effort.

The Malaysian Education Debacle

One has got to seriously ask, who’s really benefiting from the current set of education policies in Malaysia?

When I first came here I could not help but notice the separatist education policy that allowed for different linguistic and ethnic schools to be operating, all to a variety of syllabi, just to cater for the supposed needs of different communities.

Shouldn’t we all be heading down the same track?

Apparently not! Inward looking policies designed to localise education rather than ensure it meets ever-changing international standards plague the system, from primary school right up to PhD level.

Two recent government initiatives (dare I even call them an initiative, rather, regressions) have particularly raised the eyebrows of this commentator. And yes, before you ask why some unknown white guy is commenting on the Malaysian education system, I have spent half my life working in education, not only overseas, but also in Malaysia as a Principal and a University lecturer. What I have seen has blown my mind, especially the following two.

The first mind blowing initiative was the government’s decision to reduce scholarships to send students overseas to prestigious universities to complete their studies. WTF?

The excuse was that if you leave the students here the local Universities will slowly improve – what, by the time their grandchildren reach study age? This argument is immediately followed by, so many of them don’t come back.

Brain drain is an unfortunate consequence of globalisation of education, but the globalisation of education also provides opportunities for Malaysian students to work under some of the world’s most promising minds.

In order for standards of knowledge dissemination and research to improve in Malaysia, bringing Malaysian universities further up the world university ranking tables, Malaysians need to be immersed in the international education community.

It doesn’t solve the problem of brain drain, but punishing top scoring students who deserve a real chance to make something of their lives by being taught and mentored by global academic leaders, is simply something we cannot turn our backs on.

 

Professor Earth_JOHNNY AUTOMATIC (OCAL)

Well, back to the brain drain. It’s not about “students escaping”, it’s simply about making it attractive to come back. Salaries at government universities are not attractive, and those with exposure overseas may in fact follow the money.

Pay academics what they are really worth, reward them for sharing their brilliance (or at least, current mediocrity) with their students, and show that Malaysia is serious about improving the quality of tertiary education. 

International universities import expert professors to help develop their teaching and research program – but how many expatriate staff do Malaysian Universities have? It is this global integration, exchange of staff, and sharing of academic wisdom and practice that truly contributes to building strong universities. Local conferences and incestuous training practices simple perpetuate a downward style of textbook teaching and lack of real innovation.

Well, enough said on that one, let’s turn to my recent gripe regarding primary and secondary schools.

I read last week the controversy over “teacher registration”. Hmm, I thought to myself. Malaysian parents are happy to have their kids taught by anyone. Teacher registration may be a bureaucratic process, but done right it is also a form of quality control.

Teachers register to show that they have completed the necessary teacher training and achieved the required achievement goals, that they are competent in the subjects that they teach, and to ensure that they are upstanding citizens – after all, we don’t want criminals teaching our kids, do we?

I recall an incident several years ago when I interviewed a local candidate for a teaching job. This short pudgy man, with far too much bling-bling came to the school for an interview. His extensive handwritten resume (apparently short pudgy men can’t use typewriters or computers) was impressive.

He had been employed as a full time teacher at two government schools, yet had not what I considered sufficient qualifications to be a teacher, let alone the communication skills or classroom management skills to handle the position.

Maybe this one fell through the cracks I thought, but during two years of interviewing, it clearly became obvious that the crack was very wide, and had an equally exhaustive population.

Teacher registration ensures that your children are taught by professionals capable of imparting knowledge in an appropriate way, as well as guaranteeing the safety of the children in their care. How safe do you feel with your children’s current teachers?

This is not to disrespect teachers, for I am one myself. But it is to say that as with any industry, there are rogues. As adults, we can weed these rogues out, but do our children get the same benefit.

It is time to rethink the stance on teacher registration and start looking after the children – ensuring that they get the best available, and that they can trust the actions and behaviour of those responsible for their care during school hours.

For Malaysia to grow as a world class educator, it is time to really focus on how to ensure that quality education is being achieved. Look outside the box, provide realistic solutions to ensure that future generations get what they deserve – the best!