The Inspirer

FORMULA FOR ACHIEVING SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP

2012-01-19T16:50:00.000+08:00

While I was in Kulim for three days from 16-18 January 2012, I was assisted by a public transport entrepreneur, Encik Zamri, with whom I enjoyed a nice chat and exchange of ideas. After listening to his takes on various current issues, I am more resolved that the formula for achieving a peaceful and successful relationship with anybody is actually very simple:

If you are wrong, apologise.

If you are right, just shut up!

How much time is left for you?

2012-01-13T11:50:00.000+08:00

Try this metaphor. The measuring tape has a finite number: 60 inches. Our life has a finite number, albeit unknown. So, if your finite age is 60 and you are 50 years old, how long is your 'measuring tape' left?

The most important thing to do now is...what are you going to do with what is left? Time management is basically about improving the quality of your life by concentrating in quality activities only, and eliminating the non-necessities. Concentrate only on what is important in your life - physical, mental spiritual, social, financial, career and family - and be useful to others, expecting nothing in return. I assure you that you will lead a quality and meaningful life.

Remember what Albert Einstein said: Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.

What can I do if my superior 'steals' my time?

2012-01-13T11:02:00.000+08:00

Someone from Batu Gajah asked me a couple of days ago: What can I do if my superior 'steals' my time? My answer was similar to what Steve Jobs said above. Be true to yourself. Have the courage to stand up and say what you truly feels. If you are afraid of the consequences, and say or do things against your will, you will be forever trapped as a prisoner of your own conscience.

And you have no one else to blame, but yourself!

How do I motivate my subordinate to perform above expectations?

2012-01-09T13:17:00.000+08:00

One of my ex-programme participants asked me via e-mail a couple of days ago:

How do I motivate my subordinate to perform above expectations? To put it another way, how do we obtain the ability to awaken their enthusiasm, commitment and passion to go the extra mile?

The thought of engaging employee's discretionary effort has always been appealing to leaders. Why? Obviously, because engaging employees discretionary effort plays a major role in shaping the success of the talented few leaders who know how to do it well.

The basic premise that we must use is that everyone is motivated by WIIFM – What’s In It For Me. If your subordinate / follower refuses to go the extra mile, you have to ask these 6 questions to yourself to determine why he doesn’t do what you want him to do:

Does he know what he is supposed to do?;

If he doesn’t have a clue on what he is supposed to do, how can he be motivated to do it? Your job is to ensure that the task is doable, and explained to him clearly. DO NOT ASSUME that he knows.

Does he know how to do it?;

Your subordinate may be technically competent to do his job. But that doesn’t mean that he also knows how to do the extra task that you asked him to do. Make sure he does, and DO NOT ASSUME.

Does he think that he is already doing it?;

If he thinks that he is already doing it, you need to correct this misperception. You need to tell him the exact results that you expected.

Are there obstacles beyond his control?;

Sometimes in order to perform the extra task, the subordinate needs to get cooperation from other people or other department. Maybe due to his inability to work well with people, he couldn’t get the much needed cooperation. Your job is to remove the obstacles and provide all the support that you can give by bridging the gap between him and other stakeholders.

Does he think that something else is more important than the extra work that you asked him to do?;

You really need to talk to him on this. If you discover that he is working two jobs because he needs the extra money, for example, you need to counsel him on company policy and persuade him that this extra work you asked him to do is just as important as whatever something else he is doing. Please bear in mind that you should NEVER undermine or bad mouthing his something else just so that your extra task shines. NEVER!

Is he rewarded, in some ways, for not doing it?

Why was he promoted in the first place? Was it some kind of emotional bribe that you can use later? Please go deep into your conscience and answer this truthfully. He may not have been a promotable employee in the first place, and the fact that he got a promotion despite a ‘B’ grade performance can bloat his ego that he is so good that he can still expect to be rewarded even if he is not performing his best. If this is the case, then you need to counsel him and pop-up some ego balloons so that he will understand where he really stands. Please do this discreetly.

What to do now? Once you have determine your answers to the above questions, provide him with FEEDBACK. Yes! Frequent and meaningful informal feedback is more effective at unlocking discretionary effort than all other leadership techniques. This truth was discovered by the American Institute of Human Resources which commissioned research into the drivers of employee performance. They discovered that frequent, meaningful informal feedback has more impact on employee performance than any other leadership technique. All that is required is for you as the leader to illustrate how the employee’s performance, strengths and personal characteristics are critical in helping your team or organization to achieve your respective goals.

Yes, motivation comes from within. However, that doesn’t mean you as the leader cannot do anything to motivate your people. Yes, you can do something within your power to use these 5 keys to unlock the human side of supervision, which acronym is I-CURE:

Make people feel IMPORTANT

Demonstrate that the extra task is meaningful and important to you and the company. Make sure that he understands that the extra task you give him is actually a vehicle for his growth. As his leader, after you have made your goal clear you must empower him to perform on his own.

Show that you CARE

Take a sincere interest in his private life. But you need to draw a line where you shouldn’t cross.

UNDERSTAND the person behind the employee

What makes him tick? His family? His hobby? His ambition? His extra time with his friends? What makes him feel satisfied?

REWARD employee’s efforts

Only give reward if you sincerely believe that he really deserves it that you will give it to him even if he is your worst enemy. Make sure that the reward is immediate, specific and meaningful. Remember this general guideline: PRAISE IN PUBLIC, REPRIMAND IN PRIVATE. The operative word here is “general guideline” because there are people who are not comfortable to be praised in public.

ENCOURAGE two-way communication

Finally, you must be approachable at any reasonable time so that he can come to you for advise, guide or just to talk. Make sure you make some time to talk to your people EVERYDAY. Yes, everyday! And it doesn’t have to be long; 1-5 minutes a day per person is good enough. Don’t hide behind your never ending reports and meetings until you don’t have time for your people.

Finally, what you need to do now is to talk to him privately and without interruption, as in counselling. Prepare what you need to talk about, and how you are going to say it. If it doesn’t sound right, rephrase. And then practice, practice, practice until you are confident enough to say it without offending him or anyone else.

Remember that you are not paid for what you do. You are paid for what your people do!

Tune Hotels to open in Kulim this September

2011-08-23T12:17:00.001+08:00

Seri Malaysia Hotel in Kulim...read this...If you do not look after your customers well, someone else will. So, buck up or buck out!

Aug 23, 2011

Tenth Tune Hotel in Malaysia: Tune Hotel Kulim

Tune Hotels, the pioneering value hotel chain under Tune Group, is adding another property to its portfolio with the opening of its latest hotel in Kulim, Kedah next month. It is going to be the 10th Tune Hotel to open in Malaysia, bringing its worldwide network to 13 hotels including two in Bali, Indonesia and one in London, England.

Located at the Kulim Landmark Central, Tune Hotel Kulim is strategically located between Kulim old town and its new town centre. It is also about 3 km from the Kulim Hi-Tech Park, the first high technology industrial park in Malaysia.

The new Tune Hotel that has 50 rooms comprising 32 doubles, 17 twins and a wheelchair-friendly room is scheduled for opening on 23 September 2011.

To kick-off its pre-opening sale, Tune Hotels is having a special promotion where rooms at the Kulim hotel are going for as low as RM10 per night. Booking starts today until 26 August for stay period from 23 September 2011 up to 31 August 2012.

Tune Hotels Group CEO Mark Lankester says: “We are spreading the Tune Hotels brand and quality to all over Malaysia and the opening of Tune Hotel Kulim scheduled for next month is a testament to our commitment. We look forward to serving the needs of particularly business travelers to the third largest town in Kedah that is home to one of Asia’s top business parks, the Kulim Hi-Tech Park. With its vicinity to Penang, Tune Hotel Kulim also acts as a satellite to our hugely popular Tune Hotel Downtown Penang. Our guests will find Tune Hotel Kulim a great option as the town is very close by to the North-South and East-West Highways.”

CUSTOMERS ARE NOT SALES RESISTANT; THEY ARE ACTUALLY SALES PEOPLE RESISTANT.

2011-08-05T15:21:00.001+08:00

In our programme "How To Be A Winner, Not A Whiner" in Melaka, Ipoh and Petaling Jaya, many participants complained of the fact that their product is slightly more expensive than their competitors. And they found it difficult to be competitive.

I advocated two things to facilitate the process of selling - the establishment of a solid and mutually respectful relationship, and to add value to their service.

With all due respect to the sales professionals who attended the programme, I am of the view that CUSTOMERS ARE NOT SALES RESISTANT; THEY ARE ACTUALLY SALES PEOPLE RESISTANT.

This view is supported recently by a sales expert, Mr. Geoffrey James, who discovered the order of how most customers make a buying decision, when they are contacted by the sales professional:

#1: Do I want to do business with this particular sales professional?
#2: Do I want to do business with the firm this sales professional represents?
#3: Do I want and need the product this sales professional is offering?
#4: Does the value and price of this product meet my expectations?
#5: Is this the right time to make a decision to buy this product?

Sales happen quickly when these decisions are made in the correct order and sales are delayed when a sales rep allows the decisions to be made in the wrong order. So your job is to address those decision-making points — in that order.

Then, you'll have nothing to whine about!

Life is full of options

2011-07-25T13:38:00.000+08:00

Some people might say, "I don't have a choice." or, the victim mentality "He made me do it, I didn't have a choice." or "Between life and death, I had to relent. I really had no choice." All these statements are fallacies. Life in fact is full of choices. Even your refusal to choose, is a choice. So in short, life is full of choices. Sometimes life hands us many choices, sometimes just two options to choose from. So you need to make up your mind. Are you here or there? No beings can be neither here nor there. Fence sitting by itself is a choice, albeit a temporary one.

So what is your choice?

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

2011-01-03T10:13:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year 2011?

Happy? New Year 2011.

Will we be Happy in New Year 2011?

10 Tips to live happily in 2011:

1. Be kind to yourself. Know that it is natural to have negative feelings from time to time. Only by accepting these feelings and not being afraid of them can we learn to be really optimistic.

2. Listen carefully to your inner “chatter”. See if you can catch yourself in full negative mode: blaming yourself, blaming others, exaggerating situations, or panicking. Observe these negative thoughts and the feelings they give rise to.

3. Notice how this inner chatter makes you feel: would you let someone else talk to you like that? Would you talk that way to someone else?

4. Take responsibility for your feelings. This is the first principle of optimism. Your feelings, however they started, happen inside you and only you can decide how to react to them.

5. Think about how you can help others, if you don’t already. The delightful side- effect of this is that you start forgetting about yourself. Anyone with children will be familiar with this already.

6. If you find yourself compulsively checking the news bulletins, stop. Now. Our addiction to bad news feeds off our boredom and negativity. And the news repays the favour by feeding us with fear and anxiety.

7. Take practical steps to take care of your basic needs: rest, routine, work, companionship, freedom and flexibility. And enough holidays.

8. Practise some variety of energy management to keep your emotions (and your hormones) on an even keel: exercise, sport, yoga, therapy, dancing, or just jumping up and down on the spot.

9. Develop appreciation. Before you fall asleep every night, try thinking of three things that went well in your day. In psychological trials, this simple exercise has been proved to raise levels of subjective happiness for sustained periods.

10. Finally, have fun. It’s a long road, and you’ve just begun.

Lost opportunity

2010-12-22T11:29:00.003+08:00

I attended my paternal grandmother's funeral yesterday. She was 103 years old but still as sharp as a 30 year old lady. I was close to her and supposed to meet her this weekend, and now poof!...she is gone. I am really distraught.

I informed my office manager vide SMS that I had to take an urgent leave because I had to attend my grandmother's funeral. And she replied, "NOTED."

Noted? Noted, she said? Being someone who always referred to us as her team, her people, her action simply defy her own words. And you know what people will believe, when words are in contradiction with deeds.

A leader always grab any opportunity that come his/her way to RELATE to his/her people. In the case of my office manager, she had always wanted to portray herself as a leader. As such, what she should have done was to offer me her condolence. This, she failed to do. And this is not the first time that she has failed. Only this time is the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back.

She had lost that golden opportunity to show that she care. And to show that she deserves to wear the badge of leadership. As far as I am concerned, every time she opens her mouth that she is this and that leader, she screams Fake! Fake! Fake!

It is now too late for her to make amends. It is now permanently stamped in my mind, beyond a shadow of doubt, that she simply didn't care.

From now on no matter what she says or does, it will only strengthen the imprint in my mind that talk is cheap. Period.

CUSTOMER DISSERVICE - "COURTESY" OF SERI MALAYSIA KULIM

2010-11-30T15:32:00.002+08:00

Saya dah kerap sangat mendengar cerita yang kurang enak tentang rangkaian hotel Seri Malaysia. Tak sangka pula begitu teruk sehingga saya sendiri menginap di Seri Malaysia Kulim, Kedah baru-baru ini.

Saya difahamkan Kulim tak ada hotel lain yang lebih baik...so, Seri Malaysia pun ok lah. Semasa check in takde masalah.. Difahamkan harga bilik termasuk breakfast dan dinner. Dinner adalah antara pukul 7malam-9malam. Masuk bilik nampak normal. Masa sarapan pagi pun takdelah masalah besar, kecuali telur yang sepatutnya separuh masak dah jadi telur keras kematu. Itu aje. Lepas sarapan saya menjalankan tugas diluar sepanjang hari.

Balik semula kebilik, hari dah malam. Pukul 8.00malam saya turun untuk dinner. Eh! takkan tinggal kuah kari aje? Ikannya mana? Sayur pun tumis kobes aje? Ini ayam masak kicap ke, makan nasi dengan kuah kicap aje? Saya pun tunggu kot-kot bahagian dapur terlambat top up. Sambil tu saya tengok ade juga guests yang sanggup makan nasi dengan kuah kari campur kuah kicap aje. Ish! sayu betol la...macam anak yatim piatu kami dibuat dek Seri Malaysia Kulim ni. Macamlah kami tak bayar! Sayur tumis kobes tu aje yang masih banyak sebab ramai tak sanggup ambik...rupanye aje pun dah cukup untuk potong selera makan!

Lepas 15 minit takde nampak ape-ape perubahan, saya minta nombor telefon owner. Budak reception tu minta saya cakap dengan resident manager, tapi pada hemat saya kalau resident manager buat kerja takkanlah jadi macam ni. Saya pun call owner. Namanya Encik Husni bin Dato' Hussin (019-5535883).

"Awak turun makan pukul berapa?" tanya Encik Husni bin Dato' Hussin ni dengan nada irritated. Orang utara kata "cengih". Saya memang pantang sungguh kalau orang berkasar, menjawab, "Awak tengok jam sekarang pukul berapa?" Ketika itu pukul 8.15malam. Takkan makanan dah habis sebelum pukul 9malam? "Nanti saya suruh manager saya ambil tindakan dan jumpa awak."

Saya tunggu juga apa "tindakan" yang akan diambil oleh manager berkenaan. Oh ini saje ke yang larat dibuat oleh manager anda, Encik Husni? Ibarat melepas kentut didepan khalayak umum...perlahan-lahan, antara berani dengan tidak, antara nak buat dengan tidak...you know how it is! Saya difahamkan oleh para peserta kursus yang saya kendalikan yang turut tinggal dihotel yang sama, ramai mereka sakit perut sebab makan kari ikan mentah yang dihidangkan melalui "tindakan" manager berkenaan. Bila ramai hadirin yang komplen kepada manager tu...dengan selamba dia cakap, dinner ni free...meaning, what do you expect?

Free? Engkau ulang lagi sekali? Free engkau kata? Ada ke satu business entity yang matlamatnya keuntungan yang nak bagi hotel guest yang beratus orang jumlahnya tu makan free? Nasib baik bukan saya yang dengar dia cakap istilah "free". Kalau tidak malam tu mesti ada orang yang akan terpaksa menghirup kuah kari dengan straw minuman! Free katanya! Unbelievable!

Lain kali bila orang komplen, mintak maaf la bagi pihak organisasi anda walaupun ini bukan salah peribadi anda. Jangan bagi excuse. Orang tak minat nak dengar excuse anda.

The issue is not whether we get to eat or not. No! We are not that hard up. If we can afford to stay at a hotel, albeit a low budget hotel like Seri Malaysia, we can certainly afford to have dinner elsewhere. The issue is that our reasonable expectations are not met. The issue is that we are not treated the way a customer should be treated...with respect and dignity. Those are the issues!

Encik Husni, jengok-jengoklah kebajikan anak buah anda di Hotel Seri Malaysia Kulim ini. Kalau anda abaikan mereka, mereka akan abaikan guests dihotel anda. Akibatnya? Anda bayangkan sendiri. Kajian menunjukkan bahawa seorang pelanggan yang tidak berpuashati akan memberitahu kepada 10-20 orang yang lain. Dalam kes ini, saya sebagai trainer akan jadikan kejadian dihotel anda ini sebagai kajian kes yang akan dikupas, dikomen, "dinikmati" oleh RIBUAN peserta kursus saya. Bagaimana anda mahu menangani "tsunami" dan badai akibat kecuaian anda dan anak-anak buah anda ini? Hanya kerana mahu menjimatkan 2-3 kilo ikan, anda membayar dengan dengan harga yang amat mahal...bad reputation...forever! Sepatah kata idiom Inggeris, penny wise; pound foolish.

Encik Husni, let me give you a bit of lesson on excellent customer service. People like to be heard, to be listened to, and to listen to an apology. You got it? That lesson is free, Encik Husni...my courtesy.

Saranan saya, jika para pembaca blog ini ke Kulim jauhilah Hotel Seri Malaysia ini. Bermalamlah dengan kenalan di Kulim, atau tinggallah di hotel-hotel yang berkualiti yang banyak di Sungai Petani...kira-kira 40minit daripada sini. Saya lebih rela tidur dimasjid daripada melanggan hotel yang melayan saya dan tetamu lain bagai kan kami ini pengemis.

POSITIVE WORK CULTURE_10 Workplace Rules of Engagement

2010-11-22T10:19:00.002+08:00

1. Instead of covering your ass, put your ass on line.

Nobody ever advanced their career by covering their ass and nobody ever got ahead without taking risks. No pain, no gain. Simple as that.

2. Don’t rip off ideas, riff on them.

Instead of co-opting or outright stealing a coworker’s or employee’s idea, do what bloggers do: we’re always riffing on each other’s posts. Everybody benefits and some of the offshoots are better than the original.

3. Tell it straight, don’t sugarcoat or breathe your own fumes.

That’s right, grow some cojones, be honest about what’s going on, and accept nothing less from others. Being a yes-man or surrounding yourself with them spells disaster for you and your organization.

4. Instead of protecting your turf, open up the playing field.

The more you try to protect your domain the faster you’ll lose it. Also, turf wars quickly deteriorate into dysfunctional silo behavior and bunker mentality. It’s all bad. Besides, influence without authority or control is the true test of leadership.

5. Don’t bitch about the boss; complement his weaknesses.

Workers are constantly whining about their boss without realizing the harm it does to themselves. If you want to do your career some good, learn to identify and minimize your boss’s and coworker’s issues. That’s actually what good leaders and effective managers do.

6. Attack the problem, not the person.

People are always complaining that conflict stresses them out. When it’s directed at a person, it is bad news. But when it’s directed at solving a real customer or product problem, that’s another story. Workplace conflict is beneficial, as long as it isn’t personal.

7. Don’t place blame; take responsibility.

Pointing fingers just creates tension or inflames already tense situations. Rather, by identifying and taking responsibility for issues, you bring them to light sooner, get them resolved faster, and will be recognized for your effort.

8. Instead of making waves, make decisions.

Dysfunctional managers love to disrupt things and create turmoil. In reality, they’re only disrupting their own already-tenuous jobs. Instead of making waves, dive in, analyze the problem, and propose a solution.

9. To break analysis paralysis, take a chill pill.

One or two chronic debaters can effectively stall any kind of decision-making. I’ve seen entire organizations brought down by this insidious behavior. Instead of beating a dead horse, chill out, then meet back and actually make and document a decision. You can always change it later, but not if you never make the call.

10. Replace strategy du jour with strategic planning.

The opposite problem of analysis paralysis is overreacting to a single data point and declaring a new direction, oftentimes without key stakeholders present. An effective strategic planning process will take care of that.

Mandela: Don't call me a saint

2010-11-20T11:00:00.001+08:00

In this extract from his new book "Conversations with Myself" - which is drawn from his personal archive of papers, conversations and speeches - Nelson Mandela muses on leadership and human fallibility.

Men and women, all over the world, right down the centuries, come and go.

Some leave nothing behind, not even their names. It would seem that they never existed at all.

Others do leave something behind: the haunting memory of the evil deeds they committed against other people; gross violation(s) of human rights, not only limited to oppression and exploitation of ethnic minorities or vice versa, but who even resort to genocide in order to maintain their horrendous policies.

The moral decay of some communities in various parts of the world reveals itself among others in the use of the name of God to justify the maintenance of actions which are condemned by the entire world as crimes against humanity.

Among the multitude of those who have throughout history committed themselves to the struggle for justice in all its implications, are some of those who have commanded invincible liberation armies who waged stirring operations and sacrificed enormously in order to free their people from the yoke of oppression, to better their lives by creating jobs, building houses, schools, hospitals, introducing electricity, and bringing clean and healthy water to people, especially in the rural areas. Their aim was to remove the gap between the rich and the poor, the educated and uneducated, the healthy and those afflicted by preventable diseases.

Indeed when reactionary regimes were ultimately toppled, the liberators tried to the best of their ability and within the limits of their resources to carry out these noble objectives and to introduce clean government free of all forms of corruption. Almost every member of the oppressed group was full of hope that their cherished dreams would at last be realised, that they would in due course regain the human dignity denied to them for decades and even centuries.

But history never stops to play tricks even with seasoned and world-famous freedom fighters. Frequently erstwhile revolutionaries have easily succumbed to greed, and the tendency to divert public resources for personal enrichment ultimately overwhelmed them. By amassing vast personal wealth, and by betraying the noble objectives which made them famous, they virtually deserted the masses of the people and joined the former oppressors, who enriched themselves by mercilessly robbing the poorest of the poor.

There is universal respect and even admiration for those who are humble and simple by nature, and who have absolute confidence in all human beings irrespective of their social status. These are men and women, known and unknown, who have declared total war against all forms of gross violation of human rights wherever in the world such excesses occur.

They are generally optimistic, believing that, in every community in the world, there are good men and women who believe in peace as the most powerful weapon in the search for lasting solutions. The actual situation on the ground may justify the use of violence which even good men and women may find it difficult to avoid. But even in such cases the use of force would be an exceptional measure whose primary aim is to create the necessary environment for peaceful solutions. It is such good men and women who are the hope of the world. Their efforts and achievements are recognised beyond the grave, even far beyond the borders of their countries, they become immortal.

My general impression, after reading several autobiographies, is that an autobiography is not merely a catalogue of events and experiences in which a person has been involved, but that it also serves as some blueprint on which others may well model their own lives.

This book has no such pretensions as it has nothing to leave behind. As a young man I combined all the weaknesses, errors and indiscretions of a country boy, whose range of vision and experience was influenced mainly by events in the area in which I grew up and the colleges to which I was sent.

I relied on arrogance in order to hide my weaknesses. As an adult my comrades raised me and other fellow prisoners, with some significant exceptions, from obscurity to either a bogey or enigma, although the aura of being one of the world's longest-serving prisoners never totally evaporated.

One issue that deeply worried me in prison was the false image I unwittingly projected to the outside world; of being regarded as a saint. I never was one, even on the basis of an earthly definition of a saint as a sinner who keeps trying.

"Conversations with Myself" is published by Macmillan.

A Story About Motivation_WHY PEOPLE DON'T DO THINGS THEY ARE PAID TO DO

2010-11-18T11:12:00.000+08:00

by Peter Bregman

I was walking back to our apartment in Manhattan, the hood of my jacket pulled tight to keep the rain out, when I saw an older man with a walker struggle to descend the slippery stairs of his building. When he almost fell, I and several others went over to help.

There was an Access-A-Ride van (a Metropolitan Transit Authority vehicle for people with disabilities) waiting for him. The driver was inside, warm and dry, as he watched us straining to help his passenger cross the sidewalk in the pouring rain.

Then he opened the window and yelled over the sound of the rain coming down, "He might not be able to make it today."

"Hold on," we yelled (there were five of us now) as we helped the man move around the back of the van, "he can make it."

Traffic on 84th street had stopped. We caught the man from falling a few times, hoisted him back up, and finally got him to the van door, which the driver then opened from the inside to reveal a set of stairs. The man with the walker would never make it.

"What about your side door, the one with the electric lift?" I asked.

"Oh yeah," the driver answered, "hold on." He put his coat over his head, came out in the rain with the rest of us, and operated the lift.

Once the man with the walker was in safely, we all began to move away when the driver opened the window one more time and yelled, "Thanks for your help."

So, here's my question: Why will five strangers volunteer to help a man they don't know in the pouring rain — and think about the electric lift themselves — while the paid driver sat inside and waited?

Perhaps the driver is simply a jerk? Perhaps. But I don't think so. Once we suggested the lift, he didn't resist or complain, he came outside and did it immediately. And he wasn't obnoxious either. When he thanked us for our help, he seemed sincere.

Maybe it's because the driver is not permitted to leave the vehicle? I checked the MTA website to see if there was policy against drivers assisting passengers. On the contrary, it states "As long as the driver doesn't lose sight of the vehicle and is not more than 100 feet away from it, the driver can assist you to and from the vehicle, help you up or down the curb or one step and assist you in boarding the vehicle."

So why didn't the driver help? Part of the answer is probably that for him, an old man struggling with a walker isn't a one-time thing, it's every day every stop, and the sight doesn't compel him to act.

But that answer isn't good enough. After all, it's his job to help. That's when it suddenly hit me: The reason the driver didn't help might be precisely because he was paid to.

Dan Ariely, a professor at Duke University, and James Heyman, a professor at the University of St. Thomas, explored this idea. They set up a computer with a circle on the left side of the screen and a square on the right side, and asked participants to use the mouse to drag the circle into the square. Once they did, a new circle appeared on the left. The task was to drag as many circles as they could within five minutes.

Some participants received five dollars, some fifty cents, and some were asked to do it as a favor. How hard did each group work? The five dollar group dragged, on average, 159 circles. The fifty cents group dragged 101 circles. And the group that was paid nothing but asked to do it as a favor? They dragged 168 circles!

Another example: The AARP asked some lawyers if they would reduce their fee to $30 an hour to help needy retirees. The lawyers' answer was no. Then AARP had a counterintuitive brainstorm: they asked the lawyers if they would do it for free. The answer was overwhelmingly yes.

Because when we consider whether to do something, we subconsciously ask ourselves a simple question: "Am I the kind of person who . . ?" And money changes the question. When the lawyers were offered $30 an hour their question was "Am I the kind of person who works for $30 an hour?" The answer was clearly no. But when they were asked to do it as a favor? Their new question was "Am I the kind of person who helps people in need?" And then their answer was yes.

So what does this mean? Should we stop paying people? That wouldn't work for most people. No, we need to pay people a fair amount, so they don't say to themselves, "I'm not getting paid enough to . . ."

Then we need to tap into their deeper motivation. Ask them: Why are you doing this work? What moves you about it? What gives you the satisfaction of a job well done? What makes you feel good about yourself?

People tend to think of themselves as stories. When you interact with someone, you're playing a role in her story. And whatever you do, or whatever she does, or whatever you want her to do, needs to fit into that story in some satisfying way.

When you want something from someone, ask yourself what story that person is trying to tell about himself, and then make sure that your role and actions are enhancing that story in the right way.

We can stoke another person's internal motivation not with more money, but by understanding, and supporting, his story. "Hey," the driver's boss could say, "I know you don't have to get out of the van to help people, but the fact that you do — and in the rain — that's a great thing. And it tells me something about you. And I appreciate it and I know that man with the walker does too." Which reinforces the driver's self-concept — his story — that he's the kind of guy who gets out, in the rain, to help a passenger in need.

Ultimately someone else's internal motivation is, well, her internal issue. But there are things we can do that will either discourage or augment her internal drive. And sometimes it's as simple as what we notice.

It's not lost on me that I too have a story about myself — I'm the kind of guy who stops on a rainy day to help an old disabled man to his van — and that it makes me feel good to tell you about it too. That will make it more likely that I'll do it again in the future.

As we left the scene, I looked at the drivers of the cars who waited so patiently and waved, mouthing the words "thank you" as they passed. Every single one of them smiled back. Wow. New York City drivers smiling after being stuck in traffic for ten minutes? That's right.

"Yeah," they were thinking behind their smiles, "I'm the kind of driver who waits patiently while people less fortunate than me struggle."

(Peter Bregman speaks, writes, and consults on leadership. He is the CEO of Bregman Partners, Inc., a global management consulting firm, and the author of Point B: A Short Guide To Leading a Big Change.)

Leadership is about Connecting, Not Dominating

2010-11-18T10:09:00.001+08:00

by Sean Silverthorne

Too often, people in high positions view leadership as a scene from Patton, where the fiery general (George C. Scott) stands in front of an inconceivably huge American flag to fire up his troops before the allied invasion of France.

“Americans love to fight” Patton barks. “All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle.”

That style of testosterone leadership works on the battlefield, but not in the boardroom. Just ask Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy, who also happens to be a social psychologist.

“They want to stake out a position and then try to move audiences toward them. That’s not effective,” she tells Harvard magazine.

Instead, business leaders need to connect with audiences, not establish dominance over them.

Forget projecting high competence, the “I’m the smartest (or toughest) guy in the room” tactic. Instead, when you come into a meeting, “be trusting, connect with the audience wherever they are, and then move them with you.”

To come across as warm and competent, she says, engage in “appropriate self-disclosure, the use of humor, and natural smiles,” all of which signal warmth. “So do behaviors called ‘immediacy cues,’ like leaning toward someone, communicating on the same physical plane, and being closer physically, although the ideal distance varies greatly across cultures.”

Another tip: don’t over exaggerate the importance of words. You can easily wind up sounding like you’re reading from a script.

The piece on Cuddy’s research, The Psyche on Automatic, is a fascinating glimpse into how body language and stereotypes lead us to snap judgments, and the many ways people react more to what we project than what we say. All good lessons for leaders to learn.

DANGER LURKING IN PAPER CUPS!

2010-11-10T16:59:00.000+08:00

2010-11-04T13:28:00.000+08:00

“We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles, rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to humanity.” - Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

To all wives out there...from your husbands who had difficulty expressing themselves

2010-10-18T14:03:00.000+08:00

Everything is attainable if...

2010-09-27T14:28:00.000+08:00

One of the most successful international golfers of all-time, Gary Player, won more international golf tournaments than any other player of his time. A man once said to him: "I'd give anything if I could hit a golf ball like you."

Tired and frustrated after a day of poor play, Player replied, "No, you wouldn't. Do you know what you've got to do to hit a golf ball like me? You've got to get up at five o'clock in the morning, go out on the course, and hit one thousand golf balls. Your hand starts bleeding, and you walk up to the clubhouse, wash the blood off your hand, slap a bandage on it, and go out and hit another one thousand golf balls. That's what it takes."

While most people wish this and that, winners act. Period.

You want something? Go get it. Period.

2010-09-06T13:10:00.000+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPnudujlBZI&feature=related

Hey, don't ever let somebody tell you, you can't do something. Not even me, alright? You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. You want something, go get it. Period.

Joe’s Headache

2010-09-03T11:02:00.001+08:00

The doctor said, “Joe, the good news is I can cure your headaches. The bad news is that it will require castration. You have a very rare condition, which causes your testicles to press on your spine and the pressure creates one hell of a headache. The only way to relieve the pressure is to remove the testicles.”

Joe was shocked and depressed. He wondered if he had anything to live for. He had no choice but to go under the knife.

When he left the hospital, he was without a headache for the first time in 20 years, but he felt like he was missing an important part of himself. As he walked down the street, he realized that he felt like a different person. He could make a new beginning and live a new life.

He saw a men’s clothing store and thought, “That’s what I need…A new suit.”

He entered the shop and told the salesman, “I’d like a new suit.”

The elderly tailor eyed him briefly and said , “Let’s see. Size 44 long.”

Joe laughed, “That’s right, how did you know?”

“Been in the business 60 years.” the tailor said.

Joe tried on the suit, it fit perfectly.

As Joe admired himself in the mirror, the salesman asked, “How about a new shirt?”

Joe thought for a moment and then said, “Sure.”

The salesman eyed Joe and said, “Let’s see, 34 sleeves and 16-1/2 neck.”

Joe was surprised, “That’s right, how did you know?”

“Been in the business 60 years.”

Joe tried on the shirt, and it fit perfectly.

Joe walked comfortably around the shop, and the salesman asked, “How about some new underwear?”

Joe thought for a moment and said, “Sure.”

The salesman said, “Let’s see…Size 36.”

Joe laughed, “Ah ha! I got you, I’ve worn size 34 since I was 18 years old.”

The salesman shook his head, “You can’t wear size 34. A size 34 would press your testicles up against the base of your spine and give you one hell of a headache.”

New suit - $400
New shirt - $36
New underwear - $6
Second Opinion - PRICELESS

Top 5 reasons why “The customer is always right” is wrong by Alexander Kjerulf

2010-08-25T09:14:00.001+08:00

THE phrase “The customer is always right” was originally coined by Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of Selfridge’s department store in London in 1909, and is typically used by businesses to:

Convince customers that they will get good service at this company
Convince employees to give customers good service

Fortunately more and more businesses are abandoning this maxim – ironically because it leads to bad customer service.

Here are the top five reasons why “The customer is always right” is wrong.

1: It makes employees unhappy

Gordon Bethune is a brash Texan (as is Herb Kelleher, coincidentally) who is best known for turning Continental Airlines around “From Worst to First,” a story told in his book of the same title from 1998. He wanted to make sure that both customers and employees liked the way Continental treated them, so he made it very clear that the maxim “the customer is always right” didn’t hold sway at Continental.

In conflicts between employees and unruly customers he would consistently side with his people. Here’s how he puts it:

When we run into customers that we can’t reel back in, our loyalty is with our employees. They have to put up with this stuff every day. Just because you buy a ticket does not give you the right to abuse our employees . . .

We run more than 3 million people through our books every month. One or two of those people are going to be unreasonable, demanding jerks. When it’s a choice between supporting your employees, who work with you every day and make your product what it is, or some irate jerk who demands a free ticket to Paris because you ran out of peanuts, whose side are you going to be on?

You can’t treat your employees like serfs. You have to value them . . . If they think that you won’t support them when a customer is out of line, even the smallest problem can cause resentment.

So Bethune trusts his people over unreasonable customers. What I like about this attitude is that it balances employees and customers, where the “always right” maxim squarely favors the customer – which is not a good idea, because, as Bethune says, it causes resentment among employees.

Of course there are plenty of examples of bad employees giving lousy customer service. But trying to solve this by declaring the customer “always right” is counter-productive.

2: It gives abrasive customers an unfair advantage

Using the slogan “The customer is always right” abusive customers can demand just about anything – they’re right by definition, aren’t they? This makes the employees’ job that much harder, when trying to rein them in.

Also, it means that abusive people get better treatment and conditions than nice people. That always seemed wrong to me, and it makes much more sense to be nice to the nice customers to keep them coming back.

3: Some customers are bad for business

Most businesses think that “the more customers the better”. But some customers are quite simply bad for business. Danish IT service provider ServiceGruppen proudly tell this story:

One of our service technicians arrived at a customer’s site for a maintenance task, and to his great shock was treated very rudely by the customer. When he’d finished the task and returned to the office, he told management about his experience. They promptly cancelled the customer’s contract.

Just like Kelleher dismissed the irate lady who kept complaining (but somehow also kept flying on Southwest), ServiceGruppen fired a bad customer. Note that it was not even a matter of a financial calculation – not a question of whether either company would make or lose money on that customer in the long run. It was a simple matter of respect and dignity and of treating their employees right.

4: It results in worse customer service

Rosenbluth International, a corporate travel agency, took it even further. CEO Hal Rosenbluth wrote an excellent book about their approach called Put The Customer Second – Put your people first and watch’em kick butt. Rosenbluth argues that when you put the employees first, they put the customers first. Put employees first, and they will be happy at work. Employees who are happy at work give better customer service because:

They care more about other people, including customers
They have more energy
They are happy, meaning they are more fun to talk to and interact with
They are more motivated

On the other hand, when the company and management consistently side with customers instead of with employees, it sends a clear message that:

Employees are not valued
That treating employees fairly is not important
That employees have no right to respect from customers
That employees have to put up with everything from customers

When this attitude prevails, employees stop caring about service. At that point, real good service is almost impossible – the best customers can hope for is fake good service. You know the kind I mean: corteous on the surface only.

5: Some customers are just plain wrong

Herb Kelleher agrees, as this passage From Nuts! the excellent book about Southwest Airlines shows:

Herb Kelleher [...] makes it clear that his employees come first — even if it means dismissing customers. But aren’t customers always right? “No, they are not,” Kelleher snaps. “And I think that’s one of the biggest betrayals of employees a boss can possibly commit. The customer is sometimes wrong. We don’t carry those sorts of customers. We write to them and say, ‘Fly somebody else. Don’t abuse our people.’”

If you still think that the customer is always right, read this story from Bethune’s book “From Worst to First”:

A Continental flight attendant once was offended by a passenger’s child wearing a hat with Nazi and KKK emblems on it. It was pretty offensive stuff, so the attendant went to the kid’s father and asked him to put away the hat. “No,” the guy said. “My kid can wear what he wants, and I don’t care who likes it.” The flight attendant went into the cockpit and got the first officer, who explained to the passenger the FAA regulation that makes it a crime to interfere with the duties of a crew member. The hat was causing other passengers and the crew discomfort, and that interfered with the flight attendant’s duties. The guy better put away the hat. He did, but he didn’t like it. He wrote many nasty letters. We made every effort to explain our policy and the federal air regulations, but he wasn’t hearing it. He even showed up in our executive suite to discuss the matter with me. I let him sit out there. I didn’t want to see him and I didn’t want to listen to him. He bought a ticket on our airplane, and that means we’ll take him where he wants to go. But if he’s going to be rude and offensive, he’s welcome to fly another airline.

The fact is that some customers are just plain wrong, that businesses are better of without them, and that managers siding with unreasonable customers over employees is a very bad idea, that results in worse customer service.

So put your people first. And watch them put the customers first.

POEM - ROBERT PAUL MORENO

2010-08-18T17:14:00.001+08:00

This morning, as usual, I sent my 8-year old son to school. Usually after the ceremonial 'salam' I always kiss him. But this morning is different. He refused to be kissed. 'Malu kalau orang nampak', he said. With a slightly dented father ego, I just smiled...my son has grown up. He is concerned now about what other people might think of him. And suddenly I felt 'lost' and 'nostalgic'. And I remember my late father who always kissed my forehead when we met once a month when I was still a primary school boy. And I remember the day I kissed my father's forehead when I visited him last. A couple of days later, he passed away. And with glassy eyes, I recalled this poem.

The Time Is Now

If you are ever going to love me
Love me now, while I can know
The sweet and tender feelings
Which from true affection flow

Love me now while I am living
Do not wait until I am gone
And then have it chiselled in marble
Sweet words on ice-cold stone

If you have tender thoughts of me
Please, tell me now
If you wait until I am sleeping
Never to awaken

There will be death between us
And I won’t hear you then

So, if you love me, even a little bit
Let me know it while I am living
So I can treasure it.

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT RAMADHAN AL-MUBARAQ

2010-08-11T07:44:00.000+08:00

To all my muslim brothers and sisters, Happy Ramadhan al-Mubaraq today 11 August 2010!

TEAMBUILDING AT GENTING VIEW RESORT 08 AUGUST 2010

2010-08-09T10:38:00.020+08:00

MBSB_WORKPLACE WELL BEING JULY 28, 2010

2010-07-29T12:01:00.002+08:00

KD SRI INDERAPURA @ USS SPARTANBURG

2010-07-23T10:57:00.004+08:00

Dear Mr Jim Brock
Mr. Bruce Manley tried to but couldn't reach you. This is what he writes:

"I tried to reply to the American about your post but had to set up accounts and got harassed with google demanding a cell phone number, so screw it. I’m sending my reply to you as an email and you’ll see the truth of what happened. Basically, the crew didn’t give a damn and let it burn.

Hey Brock, I figured you for a lifer. x-GMGSN Bruce Manley here. Nothing personal, but I don't have too many nice things to say about the Navy. Yea, I hated the Navy and hated the Spartanburg County. The enlisted people were a bunch of stupid animals, half of whom were sociopaths avoiding prison terms. Just about all of them were drug addicts and our ship alone had more dealers than all of metro LA. Remember the Petty Officer Mitchell and Naval Intelligence incident? We were treated like shit, stripped of all human dignity and owned in every sense of the word by Uncle F&^%& Sam. Remember Joseph Knauer? The guy was borderline retarded and an asshole to boot. He is precisely why ships sink. But I do remember you and you were a pretty good guy - rare.

But it was sad even to see that pig go down, after cheering the fire photos at first. That thing was pure evil. I think the ship would not - and probably could not - have gone down with proper damage control.

If shore power was lost where were the SSDG's? Should've been fired up right away. What about watertight integrity? Apparently, nobody bothered to dog the thing down, so firefighting water just filled the compartments like a glass of water. That is called NO damage control.

Worst comes to worst, do proper dogging and flood the damn burning compartment with pumps. Some theorize it started in the galley but you can see in the pics it was really on Deck 3 starboard (near the fwd marines berthing?).

The lower decks were steel and you can see held up well. The aluminum superstructure is what failed the worst. Watertight integrity with some judicious flooding was all that was needed here.

Ironic that I hated the Navy so much because I love the sea. I live on it. Yep, 136 feet bow to stern my friend. But this thang ain't no haze gray. Knauer ended up in Sedona, AZ selling times or some shit. Remember Mark Fleishman? He worked for Siemens, maybe still does. He used to install MRIs for hospitals.

Laterz"

ATTITUDE

2010-07-22T17:45:00.001+08:00

MERCEDES_THINK AND DECIDE BEYOND THE BOX_14-15 JULY 2010

2010-07-22T17:37:00.005+08:00

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE YOURSELF

2010-07-21T10:56:00.001+08:00

RANHILL_HOW TO BE EFFECTIVE AT WORK 13 JULY 2010

2010-07-21T10:50:00.002+08:00

HOW TO BE EFFECTIVE AT WORK AND IN LIFE?

2010-07-21T10:36:00.002+08:00

Set your own goals!

SMEC_HOW TO BE EFFECTIVE AT WORK_Group 1

2010-07-20T11:01:00.004+08:00

Encik Shafii Abdullah, appointed as a jury in one of our activities

MBSB_EFFECTIVE SUPERVISORY SKILLS 8-9 JULY 2010

2010-07-09T11:55:00.001+08:00

CLERICAL DEV SKILLS AT IWK 28-29 JUNE 2010

2010-06-30T11:03:00.006+08:00

KNOW WHEN TO QUIT

2010-06-28T09:00:00.000+08:00

Winners never quit. Quitters never win. And you have to know when it is foolish to continue.

OPTIMISM IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

2010-06-26T09:00:00.000+08:00

EFFECTIVE SUPERVISORY SKILLS AT KPC KUANTAN

2010-06-24T20:17:00.007+08:00

I had just concluded the ESS programme in Kuantan this evening. While waiting for my old college friend, Shamsul Ismail - a successful petrol station operator in Kuantan - to meet me at my hotel room, I thought why not I write something for the benefit of my new friends at KPC. And I'll write in the form of a story...

Shortly after the close of World War I, Dale Carnegie learned an invaluable lesson one night in London. He was attending a banquet given in honour of Sir Ross Smith. During the dinner, the man sitting next to him told a humorous story which hinged a famour quotation from Shakespeare. The man mentioned that the quotation was from the Bible. He was wrong. Dale Carnegie knew that. He knew it positively. There couldn't be the slightest doubt about it. And so, to get a feeling of importance and display his superiority of knowledge, he offered his unsolicited and unwelcome opinion.

And of course, the storyteller stuck to his guns. "What?" he thundered at Dale Carnegie. "From Shakespeare? Impossible! Absurd! That quotation was from the Bible, and I knew it with not one scintilla of doubt!"

The storyteller was sitting on Dale's right and Frank Gammond, Dale's old friend, was on his left. Frank had devoted years to the study of Shakespeare. So Dale Carnegie and the storyteller agreed to submit the question to him. Frank listened, kicked Dale under the table, and then he said, "Dale, you are qrong. The gentleman is right. It is from the Bible."

Dale couldn't wait to get Frank alone. On their way home that night, Dale said to him, "Frank, you knew that quotation was from Shakespeare."

"Yes, of course," he replied. "Hamlet, act five, scene two. But Dale, we were guests at a festive occasion. Why prove to a man he is wrong? Is that going to make him like you? Why not let him save his face?He didn't ask for your opinion. He didn't want it. Why argue with him?"

Morale of the story: No one likes to be criticized.

LEADERS ARE READERS

2010-06-24T09:00:00.000+08:00

OH STRESS!

2010-06-22T09:00:00.001+08:00

This entry is dedicated to all my friends, especially Mr. Rashidi Johari from Spirit:
Don't sweat the small stuff, bro!

BASIC PRINCIPLE IN NEGOTIATION

2010-06-21T12:16:00.001+08:00

MERCEDES_THINK AND DECIDE BEYOND THE BOX_14-15 JUNE 2010

2010-06-21T11:02:00.000+08:00

LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR NEW MANAGERS

2010-06-17T17:01:00.004+08:00

We have just concluded the programme at MEFA training centre. Phew! After 2 days of sharing, I felt as if I've known this group of participants all my life. And when some of them told me that they come all the way from Kota Kinabalu (Chiew Mi), Kuching (Julip), Kuala Terengganu (Noorlia), Johor Bahru (Faris), Tina Liu (Republic of China), Rashidah, Rozani, Mazian, Rashidi, Adam Tan, Aida and Siti Zahilda, I felt obliged to share with them many things which I hope are useful in facing the challenge as managers at their respective companies.

Some of them are newly appointed managers, while some are old hands. But they are an equal when it comes to absorbing information and knowledge. I've only the greatest of respect for them, and would like to wish them all the best in their challenging voyage as managers.

Brothers and sisters, please look after your health well and lead a balanced life style. Good luck!

THINK & DECIDE BEYOND THE BOX

2010-06-17T16:48:00.003+08:00

(photographs to be uploaded soon)

How do we teach creativity to a group of people with excellent technical background who have always been very precise and accurate with facts and figures?

That was the challenge I faced in a two-day programme at Mercedes-Benz. It appeared on the first morning that the programme was not going to fare well due to its nature. Well...I'm pleased to report that after the ice has thawed, I learn more from the participants than they from me! It was kind of fun to watch young and promising people make fun of themselves and their circumstances which they have so far taken too seriously.

The key to creativity is, of course, have fun!

Note: The training facilities and food were Mercedes-Benz standard and the organizer was simply superb! Thank you and congratulations to the team of organizers.

The Secret to Being Energetic

2010-06-02T17:53:00.003+08:00

The Star newspaper on May 31, 2010 reported that reading and having sex nightly are the Tokoh Nilam award winner Alias Ismail's secret to his seemingly boundless energy during the day.

Well, Cikgu...I think some things are best kept to ourselves...wink! wink!

Pembunuhan kejam Aminulrasyid Amzah oleh anggota polis: Penjelasan YB Khalid Samad

2010-04-29T13:00:00.002+08:00

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Keadilan Untuk Aminulrasyid

Pada hari Isnin 26 April, jam 4 petang, saya telah menerima panggilan dari Ustadz Nasaruddin, Pemangku Ketua Pemuda PAS kawasan Shah Alam. Dia memberitahu saya bahawa seorang remaja yang berumur 15 tahun telah ditembak mati oleh Polis di Seksyen 11 Shah Alam awal pagi tadi. Penduduk sedang berkumpul di Surau Seksyen 11 untuk menunggu jenazahnya dan semua menyuarakan ketidak puasan hati atas tindakan Polis. Remaja berkenaan anak salah seorang ahli Qariah yang dikenali masyarakat tempatan.

Mendengar berita tersebut saya pun telah bergegas ke Surau berkenaan dan mendapati sudah ramai berkumpul di situ. Saya melihat ramai di antara mereka terdiri daripada remaja belasan tahun. Sebahagian dari mereka menunggu di luar kawasan Surau sambil sebahagian yang lain berada di dalam kawasan Surau tersebut. Setiba sahaja saya, qamat Salat Asr telahpun didengari dan Salat hendak dimulakan. Saya mengambil wudu’ dan seterusnya menyertai jemaah. Setelah selesai salat, saya mendapatkan penjelasan dari Ustadz Nasaruddin mengenai apa yang telah berlaku. Beberapa orang turut mendengar dan memberi penjelasan termasuk seorang penduduk yang telah menyaksikan sendiri peristiwa berkenaan kerana kereta yang dipandu arwah terbabas di hadapan rumah beliau.

Mengikut keterangan mereka, pada jam lebih kurang 1.30 pagi, beberapa das tembakan telah kedengaran di jalan 11/2. Apabila disiasat, didapati sebuah kenderaan sedang dikejar kenderaan polis. Akhirnya kenderaan yang dikejar terbabas dan melanggar tembuk rumah dan pemandunya, Aminulrasyid Amzah, mati terkena tembakan di kepalanya. Seorang penumpang telah keluar dan berjaya melarikan diri.

Saya kemudianya membuat panggilan telefon kepada Dato’ Khalid, Ketua Polis Negeri dan meminta penjelasan dari beliau. Dato’ Khalid menegaskan bahawa siasatan sedang dijalankan dan anggota polis yang terbabit telah dipindahkan ke kerja-kerja pejabat. Menurut beliau, siasatan dibuat oleh polis Negeri, bukan oleh polis Shah Alam, bagi menjamin ketelusan. Begitu juga tegas beliau, bahawa siasatan dibuat di bawah Kanun Keseksaan 302, iaitu tuduhan membunuh sebagai bukti seriusnya pihak polis ke atas kes ini.

Dalam keadaan asyik mendengar penjelasan tambahan dari mereka yang berada di Surau, tiba-tiba beberapa orang membawa seorang remaja ke hadapan saya sambil berkata kepada saya, “dia lah penumpang yang bersama arwah yang telah melepaskan diri”. Orang semakin ramai berkumpul dikeliling saya dan memandangkan keadaan semakin bercelaru, saya menasihati remaja tersebut untuk ke tempat lain dahulu dan ‘stay low profile’. Saya mengambil nombor telefon bimbitnya dan berjanji akan memanggilnya kemudian untuk bertemu dalam suasana dan keadaan yang lebih tenteram untuk mendapatkan penjelasan berhubung peristiwa berkenaan daripada beliau. Saya berpesan supaya dia berhati-hati supaya tidak ditahan polis kerana dikhuatiri penjelasan beliau akan dipengaruhi pihak polis untuk sealiran dengan kenyataan yang telah dikeluarkan mereka. Kenyataan yang dikeluarkan polis melalui TV dan radio, saya diberitahu, berbunyi “seorang yang disyaki penyamun ditembak polis awal pagi di Seksyen 11 Shah Alam….sebilah parang dijumpai di dalam kereta disyaki digunakan sebagai senjata untuk menyamun….suspek kedua berjaya melepaskan diri..”

Selepas Maghrib saya berhubung dengan remaja berkenaan dan kami bertemu bersama beberapa orang sahabat sebagai saksi. Remaja tersebut memberitahu bagaimana arwah telah mengambil kereta kakaknya pada lewat malam sambil semua sedang tidur dan menjemput beliau. Mereka telah ke sebuah kedai di Seksyen 11 dan seterusnya ke Seksyen 7 setelah mendapat panggilan dari seorang rakan lain yang mengalami kerosakan motorsikal di situ. Dalam perjalanan ke tempat kerosakan tersebut, berhampiran restoran Ali’s corner, mereka tergesel dengan sebuah kereta mewah yang sedang parkir di situ. Kemalangan ini menyebabkan arwah ketakutan dan beliau terus membawa kereta untuk melarikan diri. Pada masa yang sama mereka dapati ada motorsikal yang mengejar mereka. Apabila sampai di Seksyen 12, di jalan dari bulatan Istana Kayangan menuju SIRIM, motorsikal berkenaan terlanggar kereta yang dipandu arwah di bahagian belakang dan terus terbabas.

Arwah terus membawa keretanya dengan laju dan pada ketika itu mereka telah memintas sebuah kereta peronda polis. Kereta peronda tersebut terus membunyikan sirennya dan mengejar mereka, melalui SIRIM terus ke bulatan dan menuju ke Masjid Negeri, sampai ke Seksyen 9 dan kembali ke bulatan Istana Kayangan. Dari bulatan Istana Kayangan mereka berpatah semula ke Seksyen 11 memasuki simpang berhampiran Caltex, Esso dan terus memasuki jalan 11/2. Tiba-tiba kedengaran tembakan beberapa das. Kereta terhoyang hayang disyaki tayar telah terkena tembakan. Arwah terus memandu dalam keadaan tayar ditembak sehingga tiba-tiba beliau rebah ke atas ribanya. Kereta terus menyimpang ke kiri dan terbatas melanggar tembok sebuah rumah.

Apabila di pegang kepala arwah, didapati berlumuran darah. Terasa kepala berlubang dan darah membasahi tangan dan bajunya. Remaja ini terus keluar dari kereta, terpaksa keluar dari pintu sebelah arwah, kerana pintu sebelah dirinya telah terhimpit. Terpaksa mengalih mayat arwah supaya dapat melepasi diri dengan tujuan menyerah diri. Tak sempat apa-apa, sebaik sahaja keluar beliau diterajang seorang anggota polis dan beliau terus melarikan diri.

Sambil mendengar penjelasan beliau, tiba-tiba abangnya muncul entah dari mana. Memarahi beliau kerana tidak pulang ke rumah. Apa dah jadi ini, kata abangnya, bagaimana adik saya digelar penjenayah. Kami menenangkan abangnya sambil memberitahu niat kami adalah untuk menolong adiknya. Dia terus meminta adiknya pulang ke rumah, ayah menunggu katanya. Kami ikut sekali. Setibanya di rumah mereka, ayah dan ibunya kebinggungan. Kami menenangkan mereka dan memberitahu mereka anak mereka bukan penyamun.

Seterusnya saya membawanya bersama abangnya untuk membuat laporan polis. Jam sudah hampir pukul 10 malam. Saya ingin menentukan bahawa laporannya sama seperti ceritanya kepada saya sebelum ini. Tiada paksaan untuk mengubah ceritanya. Selepas laporan disiapkan saya bersamanya dan abangnya bertemu pegawai yang bertugas. Saya bertanya apakah SOP untuk pihak polis menggunakan senjata api menembak orang yang disyaki. Dia menjawab, hanya sekiranya nyawanya atau nyawa orang lain terancam.
Remaja saksi utama dibenarkan pulang ke rumah. Saya telah berhubung dengan YB Gobind Deo terlebih awal dan meminta dia mengambil kes ini. Dia berjanji akan berjumpa remaja berkenaan pada esok harinya, iaitu Selasa jam 10.30 pagi di mahkamah Shah Alam.

Selepas itu saya ke rumah arwah untuk bertemu keluarganya. Ibunya kesedihan. Abangnya kebinggungan. Bagaimana ini semua boleh berlaku. Mendengar percakapan ibunya berhubung arwah yang merupakan anak bongsunya, saya merasa sebak. Saya tak boleh bayangkan kesedihannya. Semakin ramai datang berkumpul. Saya berundur pada jam 12 tengah malam.

Esok pagi jam 9.30 pagi saya mengadakan sidang akhbar di pejabat saya. Dalam sidang akhbar tersebut saya menyatakan 3 perkara seperti berikut :-

1. Arwah bukan penyamun dan penjenayah. Warga Seksyen 11 mengenali beliau dan tidak akan menerima alasan sedemikian rupa dari mana pihak sekalipun.
2. Arwah tidak cuba melanggar anggota polis seperti yang didakwa. Arwah telah ditembak semasa memandu melarikan diri dan bukan semasa mengundur kereta untuk melanggar anggota polis. Itu satu pembohongan sepertimana juga kisah kononnya ada sebilah parang di dalam kereta.
3. Saksi yang merupakan rakan sepanjang peristiwa malang tersebut perlu diberi perlindungan dan tidak ada usaha dilakukan supaya ceritanya diubah untuk bersesuaian dengan kisah yang dilaporkan pihak polis. Saya meminta Polis bertindak secara profesional dalam kes ini dan jangan berusaha untuk melindungi anggotanya.

Shah Alam menjadi medan berlakunya pembunuhan Teoh Beng Hock sebelum ini. Malaysia juga menyaksikan sebelum ini kes Kugan yang telah mati di dalam tahanan. Norizan Salleh yang ditembak secara rambang sebanyak 5 kali tetapi masih hidup untuk menceritakan pengalaman ngerinya. Harap jangan dilupa juga kisah Altantuya bersama bom C4. Ini semua kes-kes yang tergantung yang menjadi tanda tanya masyarakat. Entah banyak mana lagi kes yang tergantung sebegini yang tidak diketahui umum.

Apa yang pasti, kita tidak boleh membenarkan kes Aminulrasyid berkesudahan sebegitu rupa. Kita doakan semoga roh Allahyarham ditempatkan bersama orang-orang yang soleh yang beroleh rahmat.

WaLlahu 'Alam
KHALID SAMAD

Just Do It! vs Just Du-it!

2010-04-29T12:35:00.004+08:00

This is my answer to some of my friends' questions about my political affiliation.

TIME MANAGEMENT – How To Get More For Less

2010-04-27T14:17:00.003+08:00

Do you still remember the countless times when you were given a month to complete an assignment, and found that one month is not enough? And since the due date is tomorrow, one night is more than enough to complete it for the next day submission?

How many times have crises motivate you to achieve new levels of performance? I 'm sure you don't want to regularly operate in crisis-mode. So how can you increase productivity without waiting for a disaster to happen? Well, we can create these three factors which are always present in a crisis response:

Urgency. People feel motivated when they know time matters. What to do - Set clear goals and clear consequences if the goals are not achieved.

Empathy. People want to feel emotionally connected to what they're doing. What to do - Show employees how their work will matter to other people such as their colleagues or customers.

Innovation. In a crisis, there's no time or patience for red tape. What to do - Remove unnecessary organizational obstacles to being innovative, and get rid of the time-consuming processes that would be the first to go in a crisis.

"DON'T WE ALL?"

2010-04-22T14:56:00.007+08:00

I dedicate this story, written by an anonymous person,

to my brothers-in-law, Anuar and Ayong.
Thank you both.

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes and no money.

There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those “don't want to be bothered” times.

"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought.

He didn't. He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.

After a few minutes he spoke. "That's a very pretty car," he said. He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly blond beard keep more than his face warm.

I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened, something inside me said, "Ask him if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true to the inner voice.

"Do you need any help?" I asked.

He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments. I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me.

“Don't we all?” he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun.

“Don't we all?”

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true.

“Don't we all?”

No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too.

No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can still give help.

'IF' by Rudyard Kipling

2010-04-22T11:12:00.008+08:00

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you
IF you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
IF you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

IF you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
IF you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
IF you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:
IF you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

IF you can make one heap of all your winnings,
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss;
IF you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

IF you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose common touch,
IF neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
IF you can fill the unforgiving minute,
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

SEMINAR SENAM SILAT & TARI SILAT MELAYU

2010-04-12T12:00:00.005+08:00

(sedang menanti gambar-gambar daripada Encik Nik)

Pada hari Sabtu lepas saya ditakdirkan oleh Allah SWT dapat menghadiri seminar 'Senam Silat & Tari Silat Melayu' di Kota Damansara. Senam Silat dipimpin oleh Guru Utama Perguruan Pukulan Pencak Silat Pusaka Warisan, Guru Hazuan, manakala tari silat oleh Guru Aziwahija. Waduh! Terasa seperti baru mengenal keMelayuan diri. Langkah, kekuda, limbai dan pelampas diperkenal dan diperjelas satu demi satu. Makna, maksud dan guna setiap gerak dijelaskan dengan cara yang cukup baik. Melihat tari silat Guru Azi yang indah dan mempesonakan juga membuatkan saya terkenang kembali jasa guru-guru tua silat yang telah lama tidak disedekahi al-Fatihah.

Sekalung tahniah dan jutaan terimakasih kepada yang berusaha Encik Nik-PeSilat, Guru Hazuan, Guru Aziwahija, dan semua tenaga kerja disebalik kejayaan seminar ini. Tuan-tuan semua adalah diantara wira-wira sebenar bangsa Melayu yang tidak didendang. Sumbangan tuan-tuan sesungguhnya amat besar terhadap perkembangan silat di dunia khasnya, dan kehebatan Melayu khasnya.

TELL ME WHY

2010-04-08T13:35:00.001+08:00

PERKASA AND IBRAHIM BIN ALI! NOT IN MY NAME, OK!

2010-03-29T10:16:00.003+08:00

Ibrahim bin Ali, the president of Malaysia's right wing group, PERKASA, and I do not know each other. Nevertheless, since he is a member of parliament (courtesy of PAS) and he has been active in Malaysian politics for quite some time, I sort of understand his political affiliations and inclinations. As far as I can comprehend, Ibrahim bin Ali is just like most other Malaysian politicians from Barisan Nasional - opportunists, spineless and unprincipled. For all I know, they are willing to sell their own mothers for wealth and power.

Ibrahim bin Ali, MP...Listen! I've had enough of your manipulative antiques. You fight only when it convenient you and your cohorts. You manipulate shamelessly our names to advance your personal interests. Shame on you! I dare you, if you are man enough to use your own name to fight for whatever injustice befallen upon you. And see if anybody will give a damn about you!

Ibrahim bin Ali is riding on what the Arabs called "Asabiyah" or what the Jews called "Chutzpah". In other words, these are right wingers movements which approve blind loyalty towards your own race without due regard for justice and the truth. Their race, and their race only, has the right to live. This idea is offensive towards the idea of a fair and progressive Malaysia. This is also clearly go against our Quranic teaching which command us in Surah Al-Hujurat verse 13: "O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). "

Ibrahim bin Ali should also heed the Sultan of Selangor's advice when His Royal Highness politely refused to officiate PERKASA's meeting: “Perkasa should be tolerant and respect other races in Malaysia, live in harmony and work together to develop the country.”

But knowing Ibrahim bin Ali...he heeded no one as long as he can be in the limelight, as long as he is at the top of the heap...even heap of shit is good enough for him! See his interview with Al-Jazeera here.

As one fellow blogger puts it: "...It would do no good for anyone to tell him of integrity, honor, truth or the need for one to be seen to be true to one’s belief or to be true to those that you have pledged allegiance to. This guy is one of a kind. The kind that thrives within UMNO. That cannot exist without UMNO. That feeds off UMNO. And UMNO feeds off him. That helps makes UMNO what it is today. Totally without credence and without the respect of the people it governs."

Please lah Ibrahim bin Ali and your so-called PERKASA movement! Not in my name...OK?

Kenyataan dan Pendirian Rasmi PACE: Pelaburan berjumlah RM1 bilion oleh Syarikat Coca Cola di Malaysia

2010-03-24T17:07:00.001+08:00

Assalamualaikum wrt bth

Dengan Nama Allah Maha Pemurah Lagi Maha Pengasihani

PACE merakamkan rasa dukacita terhadap pelaburan berjumlah RM1 bilion oleh Syarikat Coca-Cola di Malaysia. Syarikat Coca-cola akan mendirikan kilangnya di atas tanah yang dibeli daripada TH (Tabung Haji) Properties di Nilai, Negeri Sembilan dan upacara pecahtanahnya telah disempurnakan oleh YAB Perdana Menteri, Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Hj Abdul Razak pada 15 Mac 2010.

Lebih meresahkan lagi perkembangan ini berlaku di saat-saat Masjid al-Aqsa dikepung dan pihak Zionis Israel terus mengancam keselamatan Masjid al-Aqsa dengan mengumumkan perasmian kuil Hover di persekitaran kejiranan Masjid. Tindakan regim Zionis ini jelas merupakan provokasi terancang sedang di masa yang sama rakyat Palestin di bawah umur 50 tahun dihalang dari memasuki masjid al-Aqsa yang berada beberapa ratus meter sahaja dari kuil tersebut.

Mungkin orang ramai akan bertanya apa hubungkait di antara pembukaan kilang Coca-cola di Malaysia dengan ketegangan yang berlaku di Baitul Maqdis timur dan di Masjid al-Aqsa. Dua perkembangan ini saling berkaitan kerana Syarikat Coca-cola telah dikenal pasti sebagai penyokong kuat kepada ekonomi Israel dan kewujudan entiti haram Yahudi Zionis yang merampas negara Palestin dan mengusir rakyatnya keluar. Sebagai sebuah negara yang merdeka dan berdaulat, Malaysia berhak untuk menentukan dasar dan pendiriannya tanpa di pengaruhi oleh mana-mana pihak yang berkepentingan.

Namun Malaysia telah mempertahankan dasar luar yang konsisten terhadap penubuhan negara haram Israel sejak mencapai kemerdekaan iaitu tidak akan mengiktiraf entiti haram tersebut, meskipun Israel adalah negara anggota penuh PBB. Berdasarkan kepada hakikat ini, tindakan membenarkan Syarikat Coca-cola melabur dan membina kilang pembotolan produk minumannya di sini adalah sesuatu yang bercanggah dengan prinsip yang dipertahankan sekian lama. Oleh kerana Syarikat Coca-cola menyokong ekonomi Israel secara terbuka maka mereka bersekongkol dengan regim Zionis yang tidak diiktiraf oleh Kerajaan Malaysia. Membenarkan kilang syarikat Coca-cola beroperasi di bumi Malaysia boleh memberi implikasi merestui regim Zionis yang bertindak sebagai negara penyangak yang tidak pernah akur kepada undang-undang antarabangsa dan menghormati hak asasi rakyat Palestin.

Sokongan Coca-cola kepada Israel bukanlah berdasarkan dakwaan semata-mata bahkan terdapat dokumentasi lengkap mengenai penglibatan Syarikat Coca-cola di dalam membangunkan ekonomi Israel sejak tahun 1966. Pada tahun 1997, misi ekonomi Kerajaan Israel telah memberi penghargaan kepada Syarikat Coca-cola dalam majlis Penganugerahan Perdagangan Israel atas sokongan berterusan syarikat itu terhadap Israel selama 30 tahun dengan mengabaikan seruan boikot Israel oleh Liga Arab. Pada tahun 2002 Syarikat Coca-cola membuka kilang di atas tanah rakyat Palestin yang dirampas di Kirvat (Qiryat) Gat dalam negara Palestin yang dijajah. Berita ini dilaporkan di dalam akhbar rasmi Israel Haaretz pada 19 Julai 2002. Seperti yang dilaporkan oleh akhbar Ha’aretz pada 18 Oktober 2005, Coca-cola meningkatkan pelaburannya di Israel dengan menguasai 51% saham dalam Tavor Winery, sebuah syarikat pembuat arak di Israel. Ini hanyalah sebahagian dari rekod cemerlang Coca-cola di dalam menyumbang kepada kemakmuran ekonomi Zionis Israel.

Fakta-fakta ini adalah hakikat yang tidak mungkin disanggah tentang betapa eratnya hubungan yang terjalin di antara Syarikat Coca-cola dan entiti haram Israel.

PACE dengan ini mengambil pendirian berikut:

1. PACE memohon agar Kerajaan Malaysia mengkaji semula keputusan untuk membenarkan Syarikat Coca-cola melabur dan membuka kilang operasinya di Malaysia.

2. PACE juga memohon agar TH (Tabung Haji) properties tidak melabur atau terbabit dengan transaksi perniagaan yang meragukan kerana Tabung Haji terlibat secara langsung di dalam menjana pendapatan untuk urusan pengendalian jemaah Haji rakyat Malaysia. PACE mengajak semua pihak supaya prihatin dengan perkara ini kerana secara simboliknya ziarah, umrah dan ibadah haji ke tanah suci Makkatul Mukarramah tidak sewajarnya membawa kepada keruntuhan satu lagi tanah suci, masjid al-Aqsa al-Haram as-Syarif di Baitul Maqdis.

3. PACE menyeru seluruh rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira keturunan, bangsa dan agama supaya menyahut seruan boikot barangan Israel yang kini sedang berkumandang di seantero dunia. PACE menyokong kempen BDS (Boikot, Divestment and Sanctions – Boikot, pengalihan pelaburan dan sekatan) ke atas Israel yang diterajui oleh VPM (Viva Palestina Malaysia – sebuah koalisi NGO yang menganjurkan kempen boikot ke atas empat produk utama yang menyokong Israel iaitu Coca-cola, McDonald, L’oreal dan Nestle). PACE menyeru seluruh rakyat Malaysia supaya mengutamakan produk tempatan dan hanya membeli produk luar khususnya produk Amerika Syarikat apabila perlu sahaja dan sebagai pilihan yang terakhir.

4. PACE akan terus menyokong Kerajaan Malaysia yang secara konsisten mempertahankan dasar tidak mengiktiraf Israel dan sentiasa peka dengan penderitaan rakyat Palestin dengan membangkitkan hak mereka di pelbagai forum antarabangsa terutama di Persidangan Agung PBB dan OIC.

5. PACE berdoa dan mengharapkan negara Malaysia akan terus dilimpahi dengan rezeki yang melimpah ruah dan penuh keberkatan dari Allah SWT.

Prof Madya Dr Hj Hafidzi Mohd Noor
Pengarah
PACE
(Pusat Kecemerlangan Palestin)

Joke: Alhamdulillah

2010-03-08T11:36:00.001+08:00

An Imam was selling his horse in the market. An interested buyer came to him and requested if he could get a test drive. The Imam told the man that this horse is unique.

In order to make it walk, you have to say Subhanallah.

To make it run, you have to say Alhamdulillah

And to make it stop, you have to say Allahu Akbar.

The man sat on the horse and said Subhanallah. The horse started to walk. Then he said Alhamdulillah and it started to run. He kept saying Alhamdulillah and the horse started running faster and faster. Suddenly the man noticed that the horse is running towards the edge of the hill that he was riding on. Being panicked, he forgot how to stop the horse. He kept saying all words out of confusion. When the horse was just near the edge, he remembered Allahu Akbar and said it out loud. The horse stopped just one step away from the edge.

The man took a deep breath, looked up towards the sky and said...Alhamdulillah!

NO WONDER NIZAR JAMALUDDIN LOST

2010-02-10T12:10:00.004+08:00

On November 12, 2009 Hanipa Maidin (PAS central committee member and legal adviser) wrote in Malaysian Insider:

“Show us any provision in the Perak Constitution empowering the Sultan of Perak to sack Nizar”. That was fundamentally the gist of the submission made by Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin’s legal team in the recently concluded appeal at the Federal Court.

Datuk Zambry Kadir’s lawyers as well as the Attorney-General, in asking the apex court to affirm the decision of the Court of Appeal, submitted that Zambry is the lawful mentri besar (MB) as he was appointed by the Sultan under Article 16 (2) of the Perak Constitution. Not so soon, replied Nizar’s lawyers. Before Zambry may claim that he is the lawful MB he has to discharge the burden of proving that the office of the MB rightfully held by Nizar was indeed vacant. Alternatively, Zambry has to prove that Nizar was validly or constitutionally sacked by the Sultan.

As rightly pointed out by Harley CJ (Borneo) in Stephen Kalong Ningkan vs Tun Abang Haji Openg and Tawi Sli (1966) 2 MLJ 187, there are two situations where the Governor (or the Sultan as the case may be) may exercise his absolute discretion namely (a) on the issue of the appointment of MB or (b) withholding consent to dissolve the State Assembly.

Nevertheless, as Harley rightly cautioned “As regards to (a), nobody could be so foolish to suggest that a Governor could appoint a second Chief Minister while there was still one in office...”

What is plain and obvious in this case is that until the appeal was heard on Nov 5, 2009 Zambry has not been able to prove that the office of MB held by Nizar was vacant. Nor has he been able to prove that Nizar was legally or constitutionally removed by the Sultan.

Zambry’s lawyers, and of course the A-G, submitted further that since Nizar had, by a letter dated Feb 5, 2009, asked the Sultan to dissolve the State Assembly under Article 16 (6) of the Perak Constitution and since the Sultan had withheld his consent to dissolve the Assembly, Nizar and his exco members have no other options but to resign en bloc.

They further submitted that in his letter to the Sultan, Nizar had stated therein that there was a deadlock in that the numbers of the state assemblymen of BN and PR were equal, namely 28 each, as the seats of the three defected assemblymen were duly declared vacant by the Speaker. By conceding that the numbers were equal, they argued, Nizar would definitely be defeated if a vote of no-confidence was to be carried out. This is because the Speaker (Sivakumar) could not cast his vote under the Perak Constitution. Thus, they argued, Nizar would lose by one vote.

In reply, Nizar’s team submitted that before Article 16 (6) would apply, there must be cogent proof that Nizar had indeed lost the vote of no-confidence of his peers in the State Assembly. It was not disputed in this case that hitherto, Nizar has not lost any vote of no-confidence simply because no such a vote has been carried out at any time. Thus the condition precedent of Article 16 (6) was not met by Zambry.

Nizar’s team also relied on historical precedent. Historically speaking, as far as the issue of MB’s removal is concerned, the constitutional convention endorsed the practice of casting votes of no-confidence which was to be held in the State Assembly. Apart from Stephen Kalong Ningkan, the downfall of the PAS government in Terengganu in 1961 was also another case in point.

In 1959, PAS captured Terengganu and in turn formed a coalition government with the help of Parti Negara. One Daud Samad was duly appointed as the MB. However, the lifespan of such a government was too short. On Oct 26, 1961 the Information Chief of Umno declared that three assemblymen each from PAS and Parti Negara had defected to Perikatan’s team.

On Oct 30, 1961 a vote of no-confidence was duly passed by the Terengganu State Assembly evidencing the demise of Daud Samad as the MB of Terengganu. The attempt by Daud Samad thereafter to ask the Sultan for the dissolution of State Assembly was rejected by the latter. The Sultan instead appointed Ibrahim Fikri from Perikatan as a new MB.

The aforementioned historical precedent demonstrates that the Sultan only made a decision refusing to dissolve the State Assembly after a vote of no-confidence was duly passed by the State Assembly. If this precedent was duly observed, would we have to see what we have seen in Perak?

With regard to Zambry’s arguments that Nizar would lose a vote of no-confidence on the basis that Sivakumar could not vote, this was a reply by Nizar’s team: “Yes, constitutionally speaking Sivakumar, being the Speaker, could not vote. However, what shall bar him from stepping down as the speaker when voting really takes place? What shall bar him from becoming an ordinary member of (the) State Assembly and in turn exercising his right to vote if Umno is confident enough of bringing a motion of non confidence against Nizar?” If Umno is too foolish, it may appoint another state assemblyman from its side to replace Sivakumar and if this really happens a vote of no-confidence against Nizar will remain wishful thinking.

When Nizar refused to resign, his team submitted, was the Sultan given the power to sack him? Zambry’s teams said yes, the Sultan has such a power. Nizar’s team replied “show us any provision in the Perak Constitution giving the Sultan of such an express power.” Zambry’s team submitted the Sultan was deemed to have such a power. Nizar’s team retorted “show us the said deeming provision enshrined in the Perak Constitution”. Of course, no such deeming provision exists.

Nizar’s team then submitted that there must a deeming provision in the Perak Constitution stating in no uncertain terms that when the MB refuses to resign, his office is deemed to be vacant by the operation of law.

Nizar’s team quoted a very clear example of such a deeming provision in the Perak Constitution. Article 19 (1) in Part 2 of the Perak Constitution is such a classic example. The said Article expressly provides that the Sultan is deemed to have vacated his Throne if he fails to attend the Senate meeting for a very long period without sufficient or reasonable grounds. You notice no such deeming provision exists as far as the removal of MB is concerned.

To add further, Nizar’s team submitted that Article 16 (7) of the Perak Constitution expressly provides that, unlike the State exco members who hold their positions at the pleasure of the Sultan, the MB’s office is not at the pleasure of the Sultan. Thus, any suggestion by Zambry’s lawyers that Nizar could be removed by the Sultan was, at best, fanciful and at worst, smacks of power hunger on Zambry’s part.

Being in Nizar’s teams, I believe that the Court of Appeal has erred in law when it dismissed Nizar’s appeal but the question remains, is our Federal Court willing to upset and overturn such a decision by the Court of Appeal? May the Federal court be reminded that cuiusvis hominis est errare, nullius nisi insipientis in errore perseverare (anyone can err, but only the fool persists in his fault)

And he penned off with these words:
"Nizar deserves to win the appeal unless of course… (please fill in the blanks)."

I'd like to fill in the blanks with the following facts:

The five-man panel of Federal Court judges comprised Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sherif, Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Ariffin Zakaria, and Justices Datuk Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin, Datuk Mohd Ghazali Mohd Yusof, and Datuk Abdul Hamid Embong.
Tan Sri Alauddin bin Mohd. Sheriff, president of the Court of Appeal, ruled on Apr 16, 2009 that Perak Assembly Speaker V Sivakumar does not have the power to suspend Menteri Besar Datuk Zambry Abd Kadir and six state executive council members from attending the assembly. It is a decision that was made in blatant defiance of Article 72 (1) of the Federal Constitution which says,”The validity of any proceedings in the Legislative Assembly of any State shall not be questioned in any court”.
Tan Sri Arifin bin Zakaria, Chief Judge of Malaya, ruled on Apr 16, 2009 that Perak Assembly Speaker V Sivakumar does not have the power to suspend Mentri Besar Datuk Zambry Abd Kadir and six state executive council members from attending the assembly. It is a decision that was made in blatant defiance of Article 72 (1) of the Federal Constitution which says,”The validity of any proceedings in the Legislative Assembly of any State shall not be questioned in any court.”
Datuk Zulkefli bin Ahmad Makinudin, Federal Court judge, ruled on Apr 16, 2009 that Perak Assembly Speaker V Sivakumar does not have the power to suspend Mentri Besar Datuk Zambry Abd Kadir and six state executive council members from attending the assembly. It is a decision that was made in blatant defiance of Article 72 (1) of the Federal Constitution which says,”The validity of any proceedings in the Legislative Assembly of any State shall not be questioned in any court.”

Now, three (3) out of five (5) member of the Federal Court have shown their disregard for the sanctity of the Federal Constitution, what hope did Nizar has when the case was heard by the five member panel as opposed to the full eleven member panel?

No wonder the Bench didn't answer the request, “Show us any provision in the Perak Constitution empowering the Sultan of Perak to sack Nizar” because there is - expressly or impliedly - NONE!

The question now: IS THIS DECISION MARK THE RETURN OF ABSOLUTE MONARCHY IN THIS COUNTRY?