Inventing our Future.... 11.1.11

Yes here in Malaysia it is 11-1-11.
I am old enough to have lived through the 8-8-88.…9-9-99 ...10-10-10 !Nothing out of the ordinary happened on any of those dates...so I expect the same old today and also on the 11-11-11 and 12-12-12.....These are only numbers on a calender. But thanks for reminding us...it is interesting.

so we understands that diversity spans the whole array of human characteristics that differentiate and shape us, including, but certainly not limited to, race, gender, culture, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic background, age, religion, and language. For us to contribute to future research areas and lead in global communities, we must prepare them to step outside their own worldviews, to appreciate other people’s life experiences and to engage their perspectives.

Therefore, we has reenergized its efforts to create a culture of inclusion, so we can actively capitalize on our community’s diverse skills and perspectives, and better advance the fundamental mission of “to advance knowledge and educate everyone in science, technology, and other areas that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.”

Inventing Our Future

What do I look for in interviewing and recruiting

Many asked me to write about this, so here goes.

I'm not really the most conventional person in conducting interviews but I have been blessed with getting good people.

What do I look for?

1) The hunger in their eyes -- the look that says they're determined to go out and prove to everyone that the world has missed them, and made a mistake doing so.

2) Looking at their present job. If they are bored, then that's what I want. Someone who's raring to go.

3) People who believe in themselves. Believe in meritocracy.

4) Team players with little politics (not always easy to find).

5) Humility. I hate people who are into how large their office is going to be, or "what car do I get?" And, of course, "what's my title?" Being humble and proving one's own ability is the key. Then everything else follows.

6) The ability to adapt to change and move from department to department (much like Holland's total football concept). And innovators: People who dare to take risks and change the norm.

7) Adding extra value to the organization. In whichever way and whichever area. Musician, artist, sportsperson, etc. I like all rounders.

8) Doers rather than talkers.

9) And last on my list: academic credentials.

That's it. Good luck for all those dreamers. Remember, always be postive. Life is much more fun that way. And live your dreams. You only live once so go out there and do whatever you want. You only have one life - make the most of it.

Tony Fernandes CEO Blog

The Entrepreneur

Dare to dream

So your decade hasn’t been a perfect 10? Maybe it’s time to take a cue from life’s more conscientious students.
IT seems like just yesterday when the dawn of the new millennium was on everyone’s lips. But now that the decade has drawn to a close, many of us now realise that there is no Y2K bug, no Armageddon and nothing to stop us from living our dreams.
But do you really believe it? No?
Then here are some questions to ponder over: How much has your life changed? Are you any wiser? What’s the biggest lesson you have learned? What do you want to achieve in the next 10 years?
We talk to a few individuals on how the decade went down for them. Life is an art of drawing without an eraser, says novelist John Gardner; now, if we can only get it right for the next 10 years.
Agent of change: ‘My dream for the next 10 years is to become an advocate of unity, not just in Malaysia, but in the world, through my writings,’ says Anas Zubedy.

Anas Zubedy, 46, entrepreneur
I believe my mission on Earth is to advocate unity among people. I knew this from the time I was a really young boy, growing up in Penang.
When I was three, my family moved to a Chinese area in Fettes Park, Penang. We were the only Malays living there. So while we were a Malay family at home, I grew up just like any other Chinese boy outside. I was an odd sight — a skinny Malay kid chattering in Hokkien.
There were children who refused to play with me, and there were those who refused to play without me. From that young age, I learnt that there were no bad races, just “unconscious” people.
Our immediate neighbours were Eurasians. They welcomed my siblings and I into their homes and taught us English. Then one day there was a new Indian kid at school. He became a good friend. Once, when I was at his house, my friend’s father reprimanded his mother for serving me chicken that had not been slaughtered according to Islamic tradition. I was just a small insignificant boy, and yet this man respected my faith enough to make sure that it was honoured in his home.
These experiences growing up taught me that no matter the colour of our skin or the language we speak, there are universal values we all share.
My experiences in university and in working for one of the world’s best multinationals has taught me conceptual skills and leadership skills, business pragmatism and the power of innovation, but there is one thing I’ve learnt which never fails, and that is God. He allows us to experience the fullness of life — which also means making mistakes, so that we may learn from them.
It sounds ironic, I know, but when we know our limitations, we start to perform. It means we have a good base to work on so we won’t fall as many times as before. That’s what my past 10 years were like. Growing older and accepting my limitations. These days, I’m able to see the bigger picture. I have also become more forgiving. For instance, I realise now that unity doesn’t happen in a day. You have to work towards the transition period.
Writing ads about racial harmony is one thing but we also work at the ground level to get the message across. Talk less, do more — that’s my philosophy. We need to have more conscious people, which is why I aspire to help more people discover their potential at the personal level. My dream for the next 10 years is to become an advocate of unity, not just in Malaysia, but in the world, through my writings.
Listening to her heart: Chim Li Yen left the rat race to set up a holistic centre with two partners. – SAM THAM/The Star

Chim Li Yen, 29, co-founder of The Violet Flame
The past 10 years have been like a path of self-discovery. I have transformed from an insecure teenager to an independent and confident adult. Moving from student life to the working world was both exciting and scary.
A nine-to-five job, responsibility and commitment were huge words to digest for a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky girl. Mid-20s was somewhat like a quarter-life crisis for me. I questioned the meaning of life when I became depressed, and turned to alcohol as therapy.
When my parents separated, I started a quest of introspection to truly understand myself and why I was here. I attended many spiritual courses and meditation retreats, travelled to ashrams in India, underwent alternative therapy sessions, devoured metaphysical books, wrote in journals every day and rekindled the connection to the divine. That was the missing piece I was searching for — the connection to myself and to God.
After five years of being in the pharmaceutical rat race, I grew disillusioned with the entire game and left to set up a holistic centre called The Violet Flame with two partners in 2008. I found the courage to be who I really was after I realised that I was not my identity, the money in my bank account or my material possessions.
One of my greatest lessons in life is the ability to trust myself and surrender to the divine. All these years, my training as a pharmacist had required me to use my head and analyse my way through life. Navigating life using the mind prevented me from taking unnecessary risks, but I also missed out on the unlimited possibilities along the way. It kept me safe from harm but I lost my vitality, the joie de vivre.
Over time, I realised how much I was missing out so I started to learn to listen to my heart, and life immediately became more magical. I wake up every morning with the intention to give my best in everything I do and to serve in every way I can. I am passionate about assisting others to find their way back to themselves. I pray for the wisdom to see things as they are, for humour so I may take myself lightly, and for humility to trust the guidance in my heart.
‘The greatest lesson I’ve learned about life is to live it fully every day, making each moment really special, and spending it with the o nes who really matter. Very often, we get so caught up chasing dreams that we forget to smell the roses,’ says Tiara Jacquelina.
Tiara Jacquelina, managing director of Enfiniti Vision Media
In the last 10 years or so, I spent my time doing the things I loved most — travelling the world, bringing up my two wonderful kids and working on meaningful projects.
Travelling has opened my mind and my eyes to a new perspective on life and living meaningfully, novel ideas and different ways of doing things. I always return inspired and re-energised. It makes me want to do better in my personal life and pushes the boundaries in the work I do.
Bringing up a “tween” or a teen in this day and age comes with a whole new set of challenges, but my two kids are as perfect and complete as they come; I can’t ask for more. They are intelligent, creative, artistically inclined, spirited, opinionated, but at the same time respectful, kind and loving. And I have the full support of a wonderful husband to thank, for helping me in this area.
Career-wise, the last 10 years have seen my best work ever as an actor and producer, and I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the most talented and passionate individuals in the country and even in the region.
The greatest lesson I’ve learned about life is to live it fully every day, making each moment really special, and spending it with the ones who really matter. Very often, we get so caught up chasing dreams that we forget to smell the roses.
Goals and ambition are important to have, but I really cherish precious moments like watching my children grow up, having the freedom to be impromptu enough to read a brochure, pack a bag and travel with my husband, spending quality time with my mother, making time for good conversation with good friends over a cup of coffee, and setting enough time aside for myself, too. Sometimes, you just need to BE.
‘I had a choice: Fulfil the needs of one — myself — or the needs of many,’ says Tsem Rinpoche, who has chosen to invest his time and effort in helping others.

Tsem Rinpoche, 45, founder of Kechara
I had many people tell me that I would never make it. Some people just gave up on me and walked out when times got tough. There were times in my life when I had no money, no food and I had even been confronted by dangerous, life-threatening situations. My life often played out like a movie.
I persevered. My mentors believed in me and in the potential of every person to be better. Meeting, studying with them and having the rare chance to serve them have been the most significant and transformative experiences of my life.
By their advice, I came to realise that I am only one person while all other beings in the world are many. I had a choice: Fulfil the needs of one — myself — or the needs of many. I realised that I couldn’t take anything with me when I die anyway, so why waste all this time feeling sorry for myself? It would be much better to invest that effort and time in helping others.
I was also blessed with many friends with warm, spiritual hearts. We started Kechara House in the year 2000. From a small shoplot, Kechara grew quickly, driven by the commitment of its members. Kechara celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with 13 departments and nearly 100 full-time staff dedicated to reach out with spirituality in action from Kechara Soup Kitchen to Kechara Care and Kechara Animal Sanctuary.
I’ve learned that all of us basically want the same thing. We all want to be appreciated and to feel that we have done something of use with our lives. Not only that, we want to feel a sense of purpose, although our means might vary. However, we have to respect differences in our social or cultural backgrounds, to genuinely look past the differences and look at the similarities we all have.
Self-worth is very important and it can only be developed if we realise all of us are in the same situation and want the same things. If we can do that, I think we can achieve a lot of peace within ourselves and with the people around us.
My plan for the next 10 years is the same plan for the rest of my life: I would like to do more social work and establish different organisations to help a more diverse set of beings. I would like to help battered people, abandoned animals and the homeless.

Yvonne Foong, 24, student and motivational speaker
As a kid, I watched a psychologist talk to her client on TV. She was able to help her client through empathy and unconditional positive regard. This stirred something within me so I decided that I wanted to be a psychologist when I grew up.
But life took an unexpected twist 10 years ago. I learned that I had a genetic disorder that made tumours grow and impede my central nervous system. I lost the hearing in my right ear at 13, and discovered that I couldn’t walk at 16. I have had nine brain and spine surgeries to remove different tumours since then and started a public fundraising campaign to finance better medical treatments in the U.S.
So I’ve been the patient myself, the one needing help and charity. In the process of taking care of myself, I experienced firsthand what the people I intend to help go through and feel. All the surgeries I have had, the social involvements and getting to know other patients have taught me something I found shocking at first: What people need more than short-term monetary assistance is the motivation to take responsibility for their own lives.
When I tried to help other patients acquire better treatments, I realised that not everyone was willing to put in the effort to help themselves. People often told me when I started fundraising: “Yvonne, we are helping you because you first helped yourself”. I didn’t understand it then, because I was merely doing what I needed to. Now, I finally get it.
My campaign has taught me self-worth by the distance that people were willing to go to just so I could have surgery in the U.S. Some promoted my T-shirts and books to their friends; some went on hands and knees to help raise funds. Whenever I was still short of money, many gave out of their life savings and said: “I’ll top it up”. They were once strangers. Their sacrifices made me feel worthy.
My campaign has also taught me humility. The distance that people are willing to go to for my sake has humbled me. Who am I to deserve such great sacrifices from people? Therefore, I always remind myself to pay it forward through my writings and public speaking.
As for what lies ahead of me, I still have one year’s worth of college credits to earn before I graduate with a psychology degree. But my campaign — Heart4Hope — is already inspiring people to think. I’m glad that despite everything, I am living according to my calling. But I try to be flexible and not rigid in planning my future. Que sera sera ... what will be, will be.

Happy feet: Joseph Gonzales (centre) teaching dance to his students at Aswara.
Joseph Gonzales, 50, Aswara’s Culture and Heritage dance department head
The first 10 years of this new millennium has been a greater challenge than I imagined. I was given the responsibility to helm a nearly dead dance department, Aswara. It was sink or swim. However, I was willing to take up the challenge and give it my best shot.
Since then, I have slaved over dance education and focused on fine-tuning the Diploma programme and instituting a Bachelor of Dance programme, creating what I think is an amazing syllabus of dance that is unique not just in Malaysia but on a global scale.
These 10 years was also about finding a “home in the world”. In my youth, I had naively assumed that I would have a wife, a house and 2.5 children at this age! However, I am still a bachelor after all these years. I still intend to celebrate life, and live with the choices I have made.
I am able to indulge in my passions for watching film, playing sports and travelling. I also visited my parents’ homeland of Kerala for the first time this year and plan to make many more visits in the future. The greatest lesson I have learned is ilmu padi which means that the more knowledge I acquire, the more I should be humble. I have learned patience and perseverance, being consistent in all my dealings and to follow through to the end.
I have been penniless in London, and learned that what does not kill me can only make me stronger. Yet, I never let the doubters or failures drag me down. I’ve kept myself open, kept my faith. I remember the tough times and I am grateful for the people who were there for me.
My new dream is to create a full-time professional company like Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Theatre or Lin Hwai Min’s Cloud Gate Company in Taiwan, with dancers trained at Aswara. My mind explodes at the thought of our best dancers performing regularly with professional wages. The world is going to be astounded!

Stop chasing success and start pursuing significance

LAST month, I shared the stage with Patch Adams at the Gathering of the Great Minds. Patch Adams is building a legacy of greatness through his simple message of love.
Patch was a renegade medical student who vowed to build a hospital where no one would ever have to pay for care. Upon becoming a physician, he immediately invited patients into his home, and for 12 years lived with his wife, two children, four other physicians and as many as 50 homeless patients. He has never turned anyone away and never charged a penny for care during these years. He has treated tens of thousands of patients out of love with nothing asked in return.
Years later, Patch set up the Gesundheit Institute which offers free, holistic medical care to everyone.
Patch Adams uses love and humour to heal, creating a legacy that will outlive him.
Patch learnt love from his mother. His father was killed in the military when he was only six and since then he has championed love in everything, including in business. Patch, now 65 years old (and famous from the movie about him!) uses love and humour to heal, creating a great legacy that will outlive him.
As the year winds down, it may be a good time to consider the legacies we leave behind. An ancient proverb says, if you lead a meaningful life, you never really die. Instead, you break into 1,000 pieces, each of which stays alive within the people whose lives you've touched along the way.
I recently read about Nick and his wife Drana. Nick was a great businessman who earned enough to make most of their dreams come true. Their children were set to follow their similar route to success. But Nick and Drana decided that they did not want the same success for their kids. Instead they wanted to raise their kids to achieve significance.
They realised that they needed to change their own lives from a successful one to an enduring one. They opened their home to strangers, started serving instead of receiving, volunteered and helped countless people. Their youngest daughter, Agnes, decided that she would devote her life to being significant. She was smart, pretty and industrious and knew these were keys to being successful, but she learnt from her parents that to be significant, her heart, character and love were more critical.
In 1997 Agnes passed away and I was asked to do a TV obituary special on Agnes. The world knew Agnes as Mother Teresa. Her parent's decision to forego success in lieu of significance ensured that their legacy lived on in their daughter and lives on today in millions of lives affected by Agnes' grace and mercy.
Great leaders leave legacies that transcend them. Ken Blachard says, Many people measure their success by wealth, recognition, power, and status. There's nothing wrong with those, but if that's all you're focused on, you're missing the boat. Instead focus on significance.
The Wright Brothers focused on significance not to become rich but to change the world through flight. Their competitor Samuel Langley worked tirelessly for monetary success in aviation. Langley was never successful.
In July 2006, Enron founder, Kenneth Lay died, leaving a tainted legacy. Jeffrey Skilling, Bernie Ebbers (Worldcom), John Rigas (Adelphia), Dennis Kozlowski (Tyco) were CEOs focused on short-term monetary success which ended in shameful legacies. Lee Iacocca and Jack Welch painstakingly built their businesses on solid foundations, achieving a leadership legacy admired the world over.
Have you given thought to your legacy? Will your legacy be like Jack Welch, Nelson Mandela, Patch Adams, Steve Jobs or Nick and Drana who raised Agnes to greatness? Or will your legacy be tarnished by deception, misdeeds, shame, regret, hypocrisy, or a failure to reach your potential?
Legacy is a powerful word closely associated with leadership. We are all leaders. Parents are leaders. Teachers are leaders. If you lead one person, you are a leader and have a responsibility to leave a positive legacy.
Wikipedia describes legacy as something handed down from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past; or something acquired without compensation. It is synonymous with birthright, inheritance, heritage and tradition. Leaders create and pass down legacies.
So, how does one start one's journey of building a lasting legacy? The answer begins by taking an inventory of yourself. You need to find out what makes you tick. It starts with passion.
Legacies are built on passion
A recent survey indicates that 75% of the world's population are unaware what their true passion is. Finding your true passion isn't as simple as it seems. Asking yourself some pertinent questions like what puts a smile on your face, what do you find easy to do or what sparks your creativity may help begin this journey of discovering your passion.
Steve Jobs had a lot of time in honest soul searching before he figured his true passion. Doing what you have a passion for brings out your best, and this leads to greatness. Greatness is the starting point of significance.
Legacies are built on significance
Mother Teresa's parents, Nick and Drana, consciously made a decision to move away from chasing success to chasing significance. Patch Adams made a resolution as a medical student to move away from being a rich, successful doctor to making a significant impact in medicine. How do you move from pursuing success to significance?
Here are a few questions that may help you:
1. Who am I?
2. Why am I here?
3. Where should I be going?
4. How will I get there?
5. When I get there, will I feel significant?
You can also make a list of the 10 most significant achievements of your life and why it was significant. As you discover where your deepest passions intersect with your greatest abilities, you begin your blueprint for significance.
Two construction workers were asked to describe their same jobs. The first employee says his job was to lay bricks. The second says he was building a cathedral. Which employee would you hire? The second employee works for significance while the first works for a pay-cheque.
I spent two years working at Johnson and Johnson. In 1942, Gen Robert Wood Johnson wrote a one-page document that came to be known as the J&J Credo. The Credo outlines the company's priority and responsibility to conducting business firstly to people who use its products, secondly to its employees, next is to the community and environment and finally to its stockholders. He believed if J&J focused on significance (patients and employees) first and relegated success (shareholder value), shareholder value would ultimately be realised.
And he was right. Additionally, every employee at J&J finds personal significance in their lives by the Credo.
Legacies are created daily
John Maxwell states the success of my day is based on the seeds that I sow, not the harvest I reap. Too often, leaders bypass the process of sowing seeds in favour of short-term results. This is what led leaders like Ken Lay to their ruin.
Sowing unwearyingly is better than instant results as real reaping is dependent on the seeds you sow today. Legacies are the results of giving today as sowing daily into the lives of others will compound over time.
Legacies are not created instantaneously. It is built daily through values, hard work, integrity of leadership and character. The choices you make every day with your time and efforts directly impact how you will be remembered. The secret of significance is determined by your daily agenda.
It's not about leaving a legacy, it's about living a legacy. Leaders have been conditioned to think about the future. But in doing so, they have forgotten about the present. And the present is how they create their legacy, claims author Shane Yount.
Legacies take years to build but can be lost in a moment. CSPAN commissioned a study to judge the 41 past American presidents on 10 leadership qualities. The top three presidents were Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and George Washington. The bottom two Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon. Both Clinton and Nixon would have ranked higher if only they had moral authority, which they tarnished due to scandals.
Legacies endure through succession
Finally, legacies must have succession. Peter Drucker said that there is no success without a successor. Abraham Lincoln's leadership ended slavery in America. After the war, Lincoln rebuilt the south, ensuring goodwill towards the freed black slaves. However, he was suddenly assassinated and Andrew Johnson took over as President. Johnson reconstructed the South's oppressive system of white domination and destroyed Lincoln's legacy of freedom stunting the civil rights movement and perpetuating injustice for another century.
As Maxwell rightly states, a leader's lasting value is measured by succession. If Lincoln had a successor who shared his vision, America's torrid racial issues may not have plagued them into the 20th century.
As leaders close out their tenure, leaders must channel their being toward helping their successor continue the legacy. The best leader creates new leaders, which includes developing, training and equipping others for leadership success.
The great leaders who leave lasting legacies are the ones who are most generous with their knowledge and expertise. These are the people who wind up creating the most economic value and create lasting leadership legacies.
Final thoughts
It is always morbid to think of death, but when we die, what will be said at our eulogy. We become immortal not through material possessions but through the legacies we leave.
People do not remember us for what we do for ourselves but for what we do for them. At the end of the day, no one remembers what numbers you closed for each of the quarters you were in charge. They do remember your leadership, service, character and inspiration.
Patch Adams' talks about love as his purpose in life. Lennon and McCartney, echoes Patch by saying in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you give. Likewise, your legacy is more dependent on what you give today, then what you take.

Artical by Roshan Thiran is CEO of Leaderonomics, a social enterprise passionate about creating a leadership legacy in our nation. For more information on world-class leadership programmes for your organisation or opportunities to provide leadership education to the under-privileged, call +60122792744 or login to www.leaderonomics.com

Tapping youth power to reach the sky

AMERICAN novelist Pearl S. Buck once said, "The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible -- and achieve it, generation after generation."

During the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa, Germany and Spain gambled with their younger, albeit untested, players. What they lacked in experience, they overcame through passion, hard work and team spirit. The young players played their hearts out because their future depended on the team's outcome and performance. Germany was stopped at the last four, while Spain went all the way to the finals to beat Holland.

It was not easy for the manager to choose to leave out the more experienced players in favour of the young. Fortunately for Spain, the manager stuck his neck out and adhered to his strategy -- playing a young team despite having to put up with much criticism and intense media pressure.

The manager not only had to convince the football federation but also the public and the media of his decision. At the same time, he hoped the young players would not be overwhelmed by the occasion, and be intimidated by the seniors.

In many ways, this situation is not much different for governments and business management. In Malaysia, the leadership needs to engage the youth in the country's pursuit of economic transformation and innovation.

We need managers who better understand youth to leverage on their strengths to support the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). But we must first make them aware of the importance of the ETP, as well as understand its objectives and the drivers to get them interested to participate.

There lies the first challenge. The youth, through their social networking platforms, have created their own paradigm and language of communication. This transcends geographical and cultural boundaries, allowing them to communicate effectively among their groups. Could they be attracted to ETP as much as Facebook, Twitter or even cloud computing? Would it be necessary to "translate" the ETP into their language or even better, an extension of the ETP that spells out clearly the roles and opportunities for them?

One way of overcoming the communication barriers is to collaborate with the various youth movements.

One good example is myHarapan. It is a youth trust foundation that supports youth and youth projects that contribute to the country's social economy by providing platforms and opportunities.

It facilitates youth development by ensuring continuous value creation from the youth, for the youth and via the youth. Its intention is to be the platform for the youth to get their voices and projects heard.

From my brief encounter with myHarapan, my first impression was as Buck described: fearless. The youth have different perspectives of the ETP. They are quite wary of the inconsistent and seasonal engagement initiated by the public sector.

The lack of a clear framework makes it difficult for them to provide effective feedback. They have a dislike for formal meetings. They prefer more informal yet result-oriented engagement like Web conferencing, for example. It is as effectual as live meetings but with less cost or even no cost at all.

It is highly recommended that we utilise the Internet and electronic media to engage them. We need to take advantage of the social networking platforms which youths use a lot.

Through the Internet, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) have become more accessible. The earlier they are aware of STEM and the consequent opportunities, the more likely they will choose these fields for their career. The nation needs STEM-qualified people to drive the economic transformation. In many economic activities, data mining is often crucial. The more IT-savvy youth can undertake desk research and analysis faster. This will support the business community which needs quick quality intelligence for market access and business development.

In order to fast-track the STEM initiative, an alternative thread to the formal education is strongly recommended. We can engage the youth during holidays on projects supported and guided by industry. They will be grouped according to age; foundation club (15-20 years), the idea generation club (21-30 years) and niche builder club (31-35 years).

The foundation club will focus on STEM and innovation fundamentals, the idea generation club on ideas and the niche builder club on early entrepreneurship. We will profile the youth and select the best.

The initial target is to transform 100,000 youth to be ETP-certified next year. This way, the nation would produce at least one million youth leaders in their respective skills to continue the economic transformation beyond 2020.

There are similarities in managing football and the economic system. Not unlike football, the economic transformation game requires appropriate resources and strategies to move ahead.

We have youth as our resource. They are at the age of discovery and dreams with limitless energy and ideas. All we need is the right mix of resources to match our strategies. It's a team game and therefore, requires the contribution of all members of the team, not only the players, but from the coaching to the pitch maintenance person and even the fans. It's time for us to return to the premier league of economic and market competition, and to strive to emerge champion. With youthful support, the sky is the limit.

By Yusoff Sulaiman

Malaysia Won the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup

The Indonesian National Team beats the Malaysian Team last night with a 2-1 score in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup Football Tournament in its second leg of the final round held in Jakarta. Last Sunday however, the Malaysian team won against Indonesia with a 3-0 score in Kuala Lumpur in the first leg of the competition.

The Malaysian team, therefore, was declared the champion of the tournament followed by Indonesia in the silver medal position. Congratulations to both teams and to the entire participants of the said competition! May you continue to strive for excellence and put Southeast Asia as one of the strongest footballers in the world.

Rio praises team via tweet

Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand’s Twitter message.

ENGLAND defender Rio Ferdinand has praised the Malaysian Tigers, who lifted the AFF Suzuki Cup on Wednesday, via Twitter.

The Manchester United football star tweeted a couple of hours after Malaysia's historic win: "Congratulations 2 Malaysia who beat Indonesia in the Suzuki Cup final.

"I played against Malaysian U(nder) 23 team 18 months ago, quite a good team."

Thanks for the praise on Malaysia team... Glory Glory Man Utd...

Facebook-Driven Newark Overhaul Lurches Forward

Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg speaks to 11th grade math students at the KIPP Newark Collegiate Academy, in Newark, N.J., on Sept. 25. He visited the school to highlight the $100 million deal with Newark schools that he announced earlier in the week with mayor Cory A. Booker and Gov. Chris Christie.

What began as a swashbuckling move by the mayor of Newark, N.J., the state's governor, and a newly minted billionaire to reshape the beleaguered Newark school system has turned into a tangle of blowback and counterpunches as skeptics contend their plan would violate state law.

The hubbub centers on a bet by Mark Zuckerberg, the 26-year-old founder of the Facebook social-networking site, that $100 million of his money—and brash new state and local leadership—could transform the Newark schools, which have been under state control for 15 years.

At issue is the power-sharing arrangement proposed by the three men. In a series of media appearances, including a kickoff announcement on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Sept. 24, they said New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would "partner" with Mayor Cory A. Booker over the next five years on a district turnaround, drawing on the millions Mr. Zuckerberg will provide, through a new foundation.

Science Grows on Acquiring New Language

Recent studies on how language learning occurs are beginning to chip away at some long-held notions about second-language acquisition and point to potential learning benefits for students who speak more than one language.

“We have this national psyche that we’re not good at languages,” said Marty Abbott, the director of education for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages in Alexandria, Va. “It’s still perceived as something only smart people can do, and it’s not true; we all learned our first language and we can learn a second one.”

New National Science Foundation-funded collaborations among educators, cognitive and neuroscientists, psychologists, and linguists have started to find the evidence to back that assertion up. For example, researchers long thought the window for learning a new language shrinks rapidly after age 7 and closes almost entirely after puberty. Yet interdisciplinary research conducted over the past five years at the University of Washington, Pennsylvania State University, and other colleges suggest that the time frame may be more flexible than first thought and that students who learn additional languages become more adaptable in other...

Happy New Year 2011

To all the lovely people out there...

Patience, Forgiveness and Understanding are great tools for humanity...!

Spread the Love :-)

May the Almighty bless you all with the happiest New Year ever!
1.1.11