Camus's blog

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/2/17/lifefocus/2031...

By MANSOR TUN ABDUL AZIZ (MCKK Class of '82)

From social science classes to social soirees, MCKK and TKC alumni flirt and flit about the society scene.

AT the launch of Tun Mahathir’s book in Putrajaya recently, Datuk Seri Megat Najmuddin Khas – respected corporate figure, stalwart of the Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance and in this instance, a humble guest at the breakfast event – had a good laugh when a reporter asked about the ubiquitous maroon necktie sported by him and several other guests, including Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad, the co-author of the aforementioned book.

At another event across the globe, I was approached by a Hermes-clad accountant in a quiet tea room in London, inquiring if I had once studied at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK).

“You were my junior,” he said, “and we used to fight over the piano behind Hargreaves Hall, remember?”

Ironically, I was not even wearing anything maroon at that point in time.

(Boys (from left) Scomi CEO Shahzanim Zain, Sapura Oil & Gas director Rohaizad Darus and the writer at a recent reunion and, inset, as they were in 1978.)

MCKK alumni – whether they are reminiscing over a hole-in-one at KLGCC or hopelessly lost in Outer Mongolia – just seem to have that je ne sais quoi that makes them stand out from the rest.

“I think it is that maturity which we picked up during our formative years,” said top MAA executive Helmy Had Sabtu over cigars one afternoon.

“Residential schools, elite or otherwise, seem to accelerate mental development as we are surrounded by our peers, 24/7,” the 43-year-old reasoned.

“The need to conform, contradict and co-exist is constantly there while the bonds developed between us remain intact for a lifetime,” added lawyer Harmy Yusof, Helmy’s batch mate and tennis partner at the Royal Lake Club in Kuala Lumpur.

The MCOBA ICT Committee had its first meeting for 2008 at TIR's conference room (thanks Rik!) on Friday, January 11 2008.

We welcomed the following new committee members, who are very keen to volunteer and help MCOBA to achieve its ICT goals and objectives:

• Aizad ’03
• Fuqaha ’04
• Eddie ’00
• Panda ’03
• Serah ’03
• Zaneq ’03
• Jae ’03

The main agenda was to discuss and decide the best CMS platform to build an interactive application portal for MCOBA. Both Drupal and Joomla are very favorable, but Joomla has an edge in terms of its look-and-feel and the availability of the required modules.

Eddie has been tasked to take the lead in the MCOBA portal development. Our target launch will be March 2008.

Malaysia's 2020 vision is on track, but it will require considerable will to keep it there, according to government sources. The vision is an ambitious plan to turn Malaysia into a first world country before 2020.

A presentation to the Map Asia Conference in August by Ms Puan Noriyah binti Ahmad was devoted to plans to 'move the economy up the value chain'. She is the deputy director general of the economic planning unit in the Malaysian Prime Minister's Department.

Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster. They decided to settle the argument with a race. They agreed on a route and started off the race. The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he'd sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race. He sat under the tree and soon fell asleep. The tortoise plodding on overtook him and soon finished the race, emerging as the undisputed champ. The hare woke up and realized that he'd lost the race. The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins the race.

This is the version of the story that we've all grown up with. But then recently, someone told me a more interesting version of this story. It continues.

ahmadk@nstp.com.my

January 13 2007

WORLD BANK REPORT ON OBSERVANCE OF STANDARDS AND CODES

MALAYSIA scored high marks for disclosure and transparency of accounting standards in the World Bank report on the country's Observance of Standards and Codes in respect of corporate governance.

Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said such a report recognises that Malaysia has a world-class system in corporate governance, which is on par or even better than those implemented in some developed countries.

"This is something we should be proud of but it did not come as a surprise as we have introduced such corporate governance standards and system since the 1990s," he told the Press after launching the World Bank's Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes (ROSC) in respect of corporate governance in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

By Marina Emmanuel
marinae@nstp.com.my

January 13 2007

THE number of credit card loan defaulters in the country is still low, but Bank Negara Malaysia wants to cut the level of non-performing loans (NPLs) from credit cards even lower.

The NPL from credit cards is about 3.8 per cent out of the RM18.6 billion total credit card loans last year.

"Although these figures are low, we consider it an early warning signal and would prefer rehabilitating these cardholders before they fall into the debt trap," Bank Negara Deputy Governor Datuk Mohd Razif Abdul Kadir said yesterday.

Speaking after launching Bank Negara's Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (CCDMA) for Penang, he said that if the situation is not checked, it has the potential to result in socio-economic problems for the country.

From NST

Spectres the new tourist spectacle

26 Jun 2006
June Ramli and Mimi Syed Yusof

KUALA LUMPUR: Spooks and spirits, haunted castles, legends of pontianak and jin. Who hasn’t experienced that chill down the spine over an evening of ghost stories?

The Tourism Ministry is looking to the other world to attract more visitors. It is planning to use Malaysia’s treasure trove of haunted buildings, ghostly tales and folk legends as a draw for Visit Malaysia Year next year.

Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Kamarudin Siaraf said paranormal tourism was "in" overseas but had yet to be explored here.

Indonesia is currently battling Japan in the Thomas Cup 2006 quaterfinals in Tokyo. Taufik Hidayat surprisingly lost 1-2 to Sato Shoji in a 90-minute game. The second game is now underway.

It would be an upset if Japan would beat Indonesia, but it would be a great news to the Malaysian camp. Malaysia will be meeting South Korea in a few hours. On paper we look good to proceed to the semi. All the best to the team!

Click here for the live results of the on going games.

We all know that there are a lot of conspiracy theories surrounding the 9/11 events.

This particular site presents a Flash documentary of the Pentagon supposedly being hit by a missile instead of Flight 77 as we've been told.

Nice graphics. Worth viewing. Check it out:
www.pentagonstrike.co.uk

I wrote a short original piece here a while back with the title Malaysians According to Google.

And I'm happy to read Syed Nazri's column in the NST today where he used that piece as his last word.

So, don't think that what you blog on MCOBA Offside would never amount to much. It might just get published in the mainstream media one day. Keep blogging guys! :)