Thursday
April 28, 2011
Materials engineering an important discipline
IN Malaysia, Materials Engineering is not a popular course,
partly due to lack of publicity. It is a very important discipline.
In the Materials Engineering course students learn about
metallic materials, polymer materials, ceramic materials, materials processing
technologies, corrosion prevention, non-destructive testing, materials impact
on environment and management.
All these subjects are very useful and relevant in the
industrial world.
A graduate in this field can be absorbed into many job
sectors besides the material processing industry.
They can be employed in the petrochemical industry as well as
power generating industry.
The scope of job is very important for our sustainable
development.
Materials engineers were involved in solving the radiation
leak at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan following the recent
tsunami. They were able to explain why the cooling system, that was cooled
through the injection of seawater, needed to be treated with boric acid.
The engineers also detected the cracks and used paint and
liquid glass to seal the cracks.
They spread polymer resin in the nuclear plant to control the
radiation that was a breakthrough in materials engineering.
Efforts must be made to promote materials engineering to
secondary school students.
GOH
HOE HOE,
Kuala Lumpur
Monday
January 3, 2011
Thank you for your dedication, Mr Chai
TEACHERS throughout the country were back in school to
register new students despite Dec 31 being a special public holiday to
celebrate the win by the national football team in the Suzuki Cup.
The dedication shown by the teachers should be highly
praised. First, the new students will remember teachers as dedicated persons
who work hard to ensure a good beginning for them. Second, the registration of
students according to schedule means parents do not have to take another day
off to accompany them to school for that purpose.
The day also reminded me of Mr Chai, a very dedicated teacher
of Hu Yew Seah, Penang. In 1968, my parents decided to transfer me to Hu Yew
Seah from another school as I could not cope with my studies in the first
school.
After a year of study, I became a better student. I attribute
this to the dedication of Mr Chai, who taught me with patience.
Mr Chai was an educationist who practised the philosophy of
Confucius of providing education to everyone irrespective of class. He was very
concerned about students who performed poorly and always motivated students
from lower income families.
After the final exam that year, Mr Chai presented gifts to
two students. The presents were not given to the top students in class but to
two below average ones who had shown eagerness in study.
One present was given to Loh Ah Seng who sat beside me,
another to me. The award had motivated me to study hard and this changed the
course of my life. The good conduct shown by Mr Chai always reminds me not to
look down upon people. Thank you very much Mr Chai. I shall always remember
you.
GOH
HOE HOE,
Kuala Lumpur.
Friday
September 17, 2010
Developing human capital is crucial
THE scholarships awarded to 50 UEC-holders from Chinese
independent schools via 1Malaysia Development Bhd in conjunction with National
Day is very encouraging.
It shows that the “1Malaysia, people first, performance now”
initiative is not just mere slogan, but something that can be realised.
It also signifies that the Government is serious in
developing human capital, taking the best from different communities.
Although the number of students in Chinese independent
schools in Malaysia is not that huge, these schools have played an important
role in producing political leaders, business entrepreneurs and professionals.
Prime MinisterDatuk Seri Najib Razak knows this very well and
he has been very concerned about the development of Chinese independent schools
since he served as Education Minister.
We hope this important step will lead to a transformation
that will benefit the people and the nation, and eventually strengthen our
status as a centre of excellence in education to attract talents from within
and outside the country.
Human capital development is an important element in a
competitive global environment because it will ensure that Malaysia will
continue to develop through innovation and creativity.
GOH
HOE HOE,
Kepong, Kuala Lumpur.
Thursday
May 31, 2012Adapting building designs
THE proposal by the local government of Kota Baru to include
a dome-shaped element in the Kelantan Buddhist Association complex is an act
that can hardly be accepted.
This insistence by an officer of the local government
reflects his inadequacies on the history of architecture and his lack of
professionalism in and understanding of town planning.
Building design is a wide subject and it also has a great
impact on the lives of people as well as development of a country.
Factors to be considered in the design of buildings include
structural strength, cost of construction, local weather and environment, and
cultural aspirations of the people.
For these reasons, many institutes of higher learning
throughout the world have renamed their building construction faculty as
faculty of built environment to truly reflect the role of building construction
in the comfort living of human beings and sustainable development of the world.
Even though the shape and appearance of a building reflects
the culture and aspiration of the people, it does not necessary symbolise a
religion.
It is a great mistake to generalise a building with a pagoda
and Buddha statue as a Mahayana Buddhist temple, a dome-shaped building as a
mosque and a Cathedral-style building as a church.
Buddhism, which originated from India, was able to grow in
China and blossom in Japan because it was able to adapt to the local cultures
and living styles.
Likewise, through adaptation of local cultures including in
architecture, science and technology, Islam became more and more influential
and a living religion.
The oldest mosque in Malacca does not have a dome but instead
has Chinese and Indian architectural elements in it, and this has not made it
lose its function as a place of prayer for Muslims.
The National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur features a 16-pointed
star concrete main roof that truly reflects the aspirations of the people and
the nation, yet it functions very well and efficiently as a mosque.
The insistence on conformity to design based on the religious
view of a given group will give rise to confusion, increase in costs, delay in
construction and other shortcomings which eventually will reduce the
competitiveness and attraction of a city.
Move on and rely less on foreign labour
I HAVE attended several seminars and noticed that the
participants were mainly concerned about the shortage of foreign workers and
the availability of SMI loans. It is without doubt that labour shortage and
liquidity are two major critical issues. However, just addressing these two
issues alone is not sufficient.
We must remember that the world is not static but dynamic.
Countries where our foreign workers come, such as Indonesia and Vietnam, are
now progressing well. Soon, they may also face labour shortages. And, in the
long run, our small and medium-sized industries cannot depend solely on foreign
workers.
The operating environment resembles an ecosystem chain where
the survival of SMIs will depend on a variety of factors such as socio-economic
stability and investments from within and outside the country.
The fall in FDI will definitely have negative impacts on the
performance of SMIs downstream. Therefore, it is important for us to maintain a
conducive environment to attract local and foreign investments.
Recently, Japan’s Ambassador to Malaysia Masahiko Horie
mentioned that Japanese companies in Malaysia were concerned over the shortage
of labour and knowledge-based skilled workers. If the situation persists, they
may relocate their labour-intensive plants to some other countries. We must not
take this lightly and hopefully, our government agencies will arrange a
dialogue with them to identify their needs.
Malaysia is now facing problems that the Taiwan SMIs faced at
the turn of the 20th Century. At that time, Taiwan’s SMIs were very much
dependent on foreign workers and many Malaysians went there to work.
But in the 1990’s, Malaysia’s economy improved greatly and
Malaysians working in Taiwan returned to work in Malaysia. Coupled with tough
measures against illegal foreign workers, the SMIs in Taiwan were then facing a
serious labour shortages.
To survive, the Taiwanese government and SMIs took a series
of effective measures to adjust themselves to the changes, including the
relocation of labour-intensive industries to mainland China, adoption of
automation and efficient work-flow system and changing the attitude of
youngsters towards blue-collar jobs through certification programmes.It is high
time that we take the cue from Taiwan.
GOH HOE HOE,Kuala Lumpur. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?sec=focus&file=/2010/9/14/focus/7027765
Friday
November 26, 2010
Chong Eu had courage to make changes
AS a Penang-born Malaysian, I feel very sad over the
departure of Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, a former chief minister of Penang. Dr Lim was
one of our most outstanding leaders who did not talk very much but worked very
hard for the industrialisation of our country.
He showed his unparalleled far-sightedness as a political
leader.
After the Gerakan wrested power in Penang in 1969, he
travelled overseas to invite foreign investors to set up electronic factories
in Penang.
The electronic factories gave Penang a new lease on life when
it lost its free port status. The free trade zone provided ample job
opportunities for the people. The setting up of these factories also
contributed much to the growth of downstream industries in the country. Apart
from that, we also benefited in terms of transfer of technology.
I was one of those who benefited from the industrialisation
programme initiated by Dr Lim. In the 1980s, chances for young people to
further their tertiary education were scarce. However, those who worked in the
multinational electronic factories in Penang were given ample opportunities to
upgrade their skills and education.
While working in National Semiconductor, I took a City and
Guild diploma course in electronic engineering conducted by the company and
after graduation, was given the opportunity to go to Japan for special
technical skill training under an AOTS (Association for Technical Overseas
Scholarship) scholarship.
I will always remember Dr Lim, not only as the Father of
Industrialisation of Penang, but also as the person who played an important
role in fostering the early “open university” programme in Malaysia.
I only met him once but I was very impressed by his words.
He believed that industrialisation was very important to our
country because of its multiplying effects. For instance, a factory of 1,000
workers would create another 6,000 additional job opportunities because the new
factory would create demand for food, housing, clothing, education and
entertainment.
One important thing that we can learn from him is that
courage is a dominating factor in initiating changes. Dr Lim also displayed his
wisdom as a political leader by joining the Barisan National because he knew
the importance of unity and stability in fostering economic development.
Friday
September 24, 2010
Culture and heritage maketh a top class city
I wish to comment on the Economic Transformation Programme
under which Greater Kuala Lumpur is listed as one of the 12 NKEAs.
According to this programme, the Klang Valley and its
vicinity will be transformed into a modern city with sophisticated
infrastructure and facilities by 2020.
However, the upgrading of infrastructure and facilities alone
will not be sufficient to make Greater Kuala Lumpur a top class city in the
world; preservation of cultural heritage needs to be considered too.
A world class city like Paris is appealing not because of its
modern infrastructure only but because of its unique culture and heritage such
as the Louvre Museum.
We do not have Louvre but we have a live museum in Kuala
Lumpur. For example, the Sentul-Menjelara area is a natural presentation of
Malay, Tamil, Sikh, Gujarati, Siamese, Sinhalese, Hokkien, Hakka, Cantonese,
Kochow and Hainanese cultures.
Some of the lost customs and traditions in mainland China are
still being practised here. This is something we KL citizens should be proud of
as it truly reflects our tourism tagline “Truly Asia”.
This is the real asset which can be used to project our image
internationally as an attraction.
The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station is also one of the earliest
in the Far East and its presence reminds us of the important position of our
country in the world since the day of the Industrial Revolution.
We are blessed with our heritage and nature. The unique
environment of KL is conducive for movie making and I feel our Government
should seriously consider turning Greater Kuala Lumpur into another movie city
in the Far East which will in turn serve as a magnet to draw tourists and
investors.
GOH
HOE HOE,
Kepong.
Friday
August 20, 2010
Bakun dam a step in the right direction
THE Bakun dam construction work has come to the final stage
and the dam is expected to be in operation a few months from now. What are the
implications of the project which is capable of generating 2,400 megawatts when
in full operation?
Is this a benchmark to show that we have began to move
towards the economic transformation based on the New Economic Model (NEM) which
amongst others emphasises on innovation and creativity to raise the income of
our nation?
As we know, energy is an important element in our daily life,
especially for a major manufacturing country like Malaysia. One of our
attractions to foreign investors is electricity supply which is not only cheap
but also reliable. Malaysia’s electricity tariffs are one of the lowest in the
region due to substantial amount of subsidies by the Government.
In time of comfort, we must plan for sustainable development.
We cannot rely on subsidies forever. We need to find alternatives to prevent a
crisis so that the country can continue to grow.
The construction of the Bakun project has been implemented
according to the principle of sustainable growth and green technology. Water is
a renewable source of energy because it rains throughout the year in our
country.
In the long run, the project will enable us to acquire
reliable power supply at low cost. This, in turn, will attract foreign and
local investors to establish their industries here. As a result, more jobs will
be created to increase our national income. This project has also benefited thousands
of Malaysians involved in the construction and in terms of technology transfer.
Apart from that, the Bakun dam will serve as a flood mitigation system to
protect the life and assets of the people living along the Rejang river bank.
A good government is not only concerned about the daily life
of the people, it must also be able to plan through creativity and innovation
to ensure that the nation can continue to grow in an era full of competition
and uncertainty.
GOH
HOE HOE,
Kuala Lumpur.
HISTORY: What about other evidence?
I CANNOT accept the comment made by Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim
that Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat and Hang Li Po did not exist.
Written
historical documents are not the only things to prove the existence of these
people; their pictures and diaries written by famous travellers also provide
evidence of their existence.
Just depending on written history alone would not enable us to understand what
took place in the past.
Other than the Malay Annals, is there any historical record of Hang Tuah? Some
people say no, just because they have not read of any historical records by
western scholars.
I have seen in a history textbook a picture of a letter in Chinese written by
Hang Tuah to the King of Ryuku (now Okinawa in Japan) complaining about the
misbehaviour of a group of Ryuku sailors in Malacca.
My friend from Okinawa told me that a kris belonging to Hang Tuah was even
found in a temple in Okinawa by those who did restoration work at the temple.
Emulate the
Japanese way
IN less than a month, three serious
accidents have taken place in three major cities.
The first was at a
shopping mall in Subang Jaya, involving an explosion believed to be due to a
gas leakage. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured or died.
In the second
accident, a crane toppled at a building site in Penang on Oct 4 which caused
loss of life and property.
The third accident
occurred at a construction site in Kuala Lumpur a few days ago, where a
semi-finished concrete structure collapsed.
Why are these
accidents happening? Are those involved following standard operating
procedures?
Are employers
providing training to frontline workers, such as security personnel and
construction workers? Are enforcement agencies efficient in carrying out their
duties? Do we realise that safety and security are the concern of everyone?
These questions need answers.
I am not an expert
in occupational or industrial safety, but I wish to share my experience as a
supervisor at a construction site of a multinational electrical firm, owned by
a Japanese group.
The main criteria
the company looked for when recruiting staff was not academic qualification,
but honesty and dedication, because they believe that honest and dedicated
staff would always be concerned with the safety and well-being of the public.
Every morning,
everyone at the construction site, including the Bangladesh, Pakistani and
Indonesian workers, would assemble outside the site office.
Each group leader
had to report on the work progress to the director. The director would then ask
if anyone found any potential hazard at the construction site.
He would warn us
against hiding anything pertaining to work hazards, and advise us to work hard,
but not to work beyond our capability.
After the meeting,
he would ensure that everyone wore safety apparel before beginning their daily
duties. On top of that, time and again, he would instruct the group leader to
educate the foreign workers on matters pertaining to safety.
A daily meeting like
this, which usually takes less than 10 minutes, is an effective way to ensure
that important information is passed to every worker, and that everyone works
according to standard operating procedures.
I think it would be
good for Malaysian companies to follow the Japanese way of management to
enhance safety, security, comfort and productivity in our living and work
places. This should be part of the transformation of our country.
GOH HOE HOEKuala
Lumpur
letters@nst.comShare |
Read more: Heritage: History, culture are our strengths
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/19tage/Article/#ixzz1Owcsk9TJ
EVERY Malaysian should support Malaysia's bid to become a member of the Unesco
World Heritage Committee.
Our success in the preservation of World Heritage sites is well reflected in
the 1Malaysia spirit that encompasses unity in diversity.
Malaysia has been an important trade and cultural exchange centre since ancient
times because of her strategic location.
The Bujang Valley historical site in Kedah provides ample evidence of the
country's role as a trading centre in ancient times.
In those days, traders from China, India, Persia and Greece came on junks and
ships during the two monsoon seasons.
The Bujang Valley civilisation is mentioned in the ancient texts of China,
India, Persia and Greece. It should be further promoted.
The Kristang language spoken by the descendants of the Portuguese in Malacca is
another heritage that we can be proud of.
The Kuala Lumpur railway station is said to be the oldest railway station in
Asia and deserves to be well maintained.
Chinese villages in Malaya that were set up during British times are also
unique. The existence of these villages are important because they enabled the
Chinese to contribute to the economic growth through tin mining and rubber
tapping.
The Minangkabau traditional houses found in Malaysia are not only unique in
their design, but also reflect the value and wisdom of the race.
Many think that Ferdinand Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the world.
Magellan died two weeks before the team did that and it was Panglima Awang, his
assistant, a Malay from Malacca, who took over the role to accomplish the goal.
The success of Panglima Awang is a source of inspiration for the younger
generations to work harder and excel in their undertakings.
The longhouse in Sarawak perhaps is one of earliest forms of condominiums where
people share resources and work together for the benefit of the community.
Sabah and Sarawak have many ethnic groups with diverse cultures that should be
preserved.
Malaysia can, therefore, play an important role in the preservation of world
heritage.
GOH HOE HOE, Kepong, Selangor
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/19tage/Article
GOH HOE HOE, Kuala Lumpur
letters@nst.com.my
ACCORDING to a Japanese press report, a Japanese scientist had, in 2009,
pointed to the possibility of a giant tsunami hitting the Pacific coast of the
nation's Tohoku northeastern region, but the warning was not heeded by Tokyo
Electric Power Co (Tepco), which is now struggling to combat radiation leaks
from its tsunami-hit nuclear power plant there.
According to the Jiji Press report, Yukinobu Okamura, chief of the Active Fault
and Earthquake Research Centre of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial
Science and Technology (AIST), issued the warning in June 2009 at a meeting of
a Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry panel on earthquake safety at nuclear
power plants.
Okamura had studied the 869 AD Jogan earthquake that jolted the Tohoku region
and found that layers of sand driven by tsunami were found inland, including
areas around Tepco's Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 nuclear reactor plants. He also
said huge tsunamis had hit the region once every 450 to 800 years.
Okamura said tsunamis bigger than those anticipated by the power supplier could
hit the Tohoku region.
Okamura urged the panel to review nuclear power plants' quake resistance in
terms of tsunami. But Tepco argued that it was unnecessary to take the Jogan
quake into account in the quake-proof design of nuclear power plants, as the
quake occurred more than 1,100 years ago.
The earthquake and tsunami in Japan has given us two messages: monitoring of
past earthquake incidents should be an integral part of any nuclear power plan
programme, and historical records can provide important data and information
vital to planning and development.
Read more: Japanese lesson: Info on quake history crucial to planning
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/22lesson/Article/#ixzz1KVmnpH5G
Not quite right,
Minister
Posted on 12 October 2011 - 05:07am
I DISAGREE with
the Tourism Minister’s statement on NTV 7 on Monday, Oct 10 that local Chinese
are not very keen on domestic tourism. I am not sure on what statistical basis
Dr Ng Yen Yen made the statement. If it is based on hotel stay and theme park
entry expenses, it is not precise enough.
A day
trip should be counted as a tour activity and not an excursion. Years ago, I
worked as a part-time tour guide. Every week, I would take a group out of KL,
and when we returned in the evening, the toll stop would be congested, with
easily more than 50 buses waiting to pay toll. Most of the buses carried local
Chinese visitors who were returning from temple visits or sightseeing.
And
they came back with loads of items like biscuits and honey – an indication that
the Chinese are indeed keen on domestic tourism, especially on the delicious
foods. Their expenses also contribute to growth in tourism and tourism-related
industries.
So,
contribution to tourism cannot only be based on the business of hotels and
theme parks; it must also factor in business generated by small traders. We
should also look at tourism not merely as a business activity but also one that
promotes unity and integrity among the rakyat.
Goh Hoe Hoe
via email
Unity in
diversity
Posted on 10 October 2011 - 05:06am
THE Nine
Emperor festival that falls on the ninth moon of the Chinese calendar is a
grand festival among Malaysian Chinese. However, not many people know that each
year, the festival is celebrated coincidently with the Nine Nights festival of
Navratri. I realised this only after having stayed three year in Kampung
Kasipillay, Kuala Lumpur.
I had
celebrated the Nine Emperor festival by observing a strict vegetarian diet
throughout the nine days since childhood, a practice I have not been keeping to
after moving to Kuala Lumpur because of work and living circumstances.
The
Shree Lakshmi Narayan Temple is just next to the condominium at which I stay.
Every year, at the beginning of the ninth moon, large crowds of Hindus would
converge on the temple for Navratri prayers. There would also be dances with
colourful dress to the beat of drums. Navratri is celebrated for 10 days.
What is the significance of two festivals of different communities celebrated
coincidentally each year? It tells the world that unity in diversity is found
in this blessed land.
The
harmonious human relationship has enabled us to be in a unique place in the
world where different cultures can co-exist. This is one of the greatest
contributions of Malaysia to world heritage and peace.
Goh Hoe Hoe
via email
Steer clear of heritage sites
WHEN I was a small child my father
used to tell me a story about a conversation between Confucius
and a clever boy. In the story, Confucius was travelling to Qin
with his disciples, when their carriage was blocked
by a castle being built by a boy .One disciple asked the boy to
shift the castle but the boy refused and told them that the carriage should go
around the castle. Confucius agreed and ordered his disciples to use the
alternative path.
Confucius has shown a good example of respecting children’s right
to play and developing their mind.
Respecting human rights means respecting people’s right of survival,
right to education, right to develop themselves, right to
inherit their tradition and so on.
I believe that human rights are important factors that need to be taken
into consideration in the structure plan for Kuala Lumpur .Paris is appealing
not because of its modern infrastructure but its unique heritage buildings
. A city without heritage is a city that has lost its identity, its
soul and itscharm.
For this reason we sincerely appeal to the Land Public Transport
Commission (SPAD) toconsider using the under-used car
park near Jalan Sultan’s heritagebuildings. Please consider this option
to minimise the impact caused to the people and to project our nation as one
that is highly committed to the preservation and conservation of world
heritage.
Goh Hoe Hoe
Kuala Lumpur
Do we need nuclear plants?
TWENTY-FOUR
years have passed since the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident took place in
Ukraine, USSR. The accident had claimed thousands of lives, badly damaged the
infrastructure of the affected place and caused environmental destruction. It
was reported that Ukraine suffered a loss of more than US$300 billion, some are
even of the opinion that the tragedy was the main factor that accelerated the
collapse of the Soviet Union.
Some attribute the cause of the accident to poor design of older Soviet nuclear
reactors while others blame the negligence of the operators and poor
communication their organisation.
Whatever the cause the message is clear: Nuclear power plants need to be set up
and run in a systematic manner to avoid disasters.
We do not discount the benefits of building nuclear plants in our country,
however, the whole process needs to be done according to principles of good
governance. If it is done according to good governance, it will benefit the
country with cheap and clean energy.
In addition, our scientists and engineers will have a better chance to upgrade
their knowledge and skills through technology transfers.
I am not a specialist in nuclear power plants and rarely read about the
development of the technology, however, I am concerned about the plan to build
nuclear plants in Malaysia. I hope more people will join the discussion on the
pros and cons of the move to ensure the outcome is beneficial to the rakyat and
nation.
Goh Hoe Hoe
Kuala Lumpur
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=55679
More to Penang’s investment draw
IN
2010, Penang attracted more than RM12 billion in foreign investment and became
the top investor destination in Malaysia.
A great part of the foreign investment is from expansion and diversification
projects of electronic firms in the state. The quantum leap in foreign
investment is not solely due to efforts by the state government; market forces
and the investment climate were key factors.
The electronic and telecommunication industry has entered into the new
transformation stage characterised by short product life cycles and wide range
of models, high level of customisation and automation.
Penang is not exclusive of this transformation. To survive and remain
competitive, it is natural for the manufacturing firms to expand their
automation lines and upgrade their manufacturing and research facilities to
cope with changes in the market trend. Despite tough competition from countries
in this region, investors still make Malaysia their first choice because of its
political stability and world class infrastructure. But these two factors alone
will not be enough to sustain our growth.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said
during a dialogue with foreign investors that a big concern is the shortage of
professional and skilled workers, therefore it is important for us to give
priority to human capital development and encourage companies and workers to
take part in life long learning programmes. This is to ensure that we remain
dynamic and innovative.
Yamato
Kuala Lumpur
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=56792
Vertical farming the way
to go
Goh Hoe Hoe
Nov 9, 10
3:47pm
According to the statistics given by
the swiftlet farming industry, swiflet farming is now contributing RM1 billion
to the national income and this is expected to increase to RM5 billion by 2015.
Our venture into the bird's nest industry began rather late in the 1990s
compared to our neighbouring countries, However, it is growing very rapidly
here. Currently there are more than 8,000 swiftlet farm-owners operating 40,000
swiftlet houses in the country.
Shouldn't the success of the bird's nests industry be emulated? The success of
this industry reminds us of the potential to developed other agriculture
sectors such as in-house farming on a large scale to enable us to exported
vegetables to the Middle East countries which currently import most of their
food and drinks from the US, Pakistan and Austria
We also cannot discount the possibility of venturing into 'vertical farming' in
Malaysia which is believed to be the solution to expanding food production in
the future. In fact, vertical farming is not new to us.
When Sanusi Junid served as agriculture minister, he had taken the initiative
to experiment with growing rice on the rooftops of buildings and this was
considered impractical by many people but
today, with the advances in science, this method can be implemented without
much difficulty.
The advances in agricultural science and technology have also provided
opportunities for urban dwellers to undertake hydroponic agriculture in limited
areas.
For this
reason, we should encourage more of the city population to grow their own
agriculture plants either to supplement their incomes or as a leisure activity
to make the city more lively and healthy.
TRANSFORMATION
IS CRUCIAL
Opposition
leader Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim earlier has proposed a minimum salary 1100
ringgit, and two days ago the Selangor Statechief minister Tan Sri Khalid also
announced the minimun salary of RM 1500 for Selangor government servants .
Apparently this is a very good measure as itwill reduce the burden of rakyat
caused by rise in living cost , and also to maintain the vitality of the
market. However if we were to analys further this measure may no work in long
term and also are not necessarily without adverse effect .For those who has
basic economics knowlege a substantial increase in salary not linked to
increase in productivity wont help the country's economy, but also cause a
vicious cycle.
Because
this would result in increased costs, and increase prices of consumer goods and
services which in turn will adversely affects the competitiveness of Malaysia
.This would also lower down the confidence of domestic and foreign invesor
towards our country . Today, there are countries that end up with bankruptcy as
a result of decline in productivity and competitiveness of its workers .
Therefore, we can conclude that a substantial pay rise y alone can not solve the
problem of rising cost of living , and a substantial pay rise will not
necessary make the lives of the people happier in long run.
Transformation
is a best way to solve rakyat problems which are pertaining to food , shelher ,
transport and clothes. The transformation should include not only government
and economic transformation which are greatly assisted by scientific and
technologigy innovation.But must also encompaaes positive mental
transformation. Whenever we consume or work we must always ask am I doing
things benificial to myself , other and world. If we think in this direction
then we would not willing to waste , eat and consumed according to plan to
avoid waste. We will alsi think I live and work not for myself but to give back
the best I have to the society and to works towards a better world. This
wholesome thaught will guid us to live better and prevent us from using unethic
way to reap fast profits.
Use Malaysian building
materials
I Am very upset by the
foreign consultant company that asked Putraholdings to stop using Malaysian
made glass.
The building construction and infrastructure projects are
contributory factors to the growth of
national economy , stimulating the growth of our national economic ,
stimulating the demand for building materials , hence providing ample job
opportunities to those engaged in building materials industries and related
service sectors.
Stopping the use of Malaysian made building materials
such as glass means those involved in the manufacturing of building materials
are deprived of their growth opportunities.
Local building materials should always be given top
priority because the building industries form an important linkage in our
economic eco-system. Depending heavily on imported building materials meaning
we are adding more risk factors to our infrastructure development.
The implementation of infrastructure Construction for
economic transformation programmes such
as MRT benefits our people and country not only in terms of efficient mode of
transport but will also provide opportunities to Malaysian building materials
manufacturers to expand their business and upgrade their technologies.
Goh Hoe Hoe
Kuala LUMPur
