Month: March 2007

Uncle Henry


He’s my 7th uncle (7 chek). Well sort of. He’s now is Melbourne with his wife, Kuan Kuan (therefore, my 7th Chim). They were in Adelaide for Carol’s convocation. Carol is their niece, the daughter of KC Lim and Swee Leng (4 Kor). They’ll be staying with us while in Melbourne, leaving next Tuesday.

Joo Ming picked  them up from the airport yesterday, and we had dinner in Glen Waverley (Ocean King) last night. When we got home, they called a few old friends and relatives, and caught up with them and arranged to meet them.

This morning, I dropped them off at the Novotel in Glen Waverley; Theresa booked them in for a tour to the Great Ocean Road, and the pick up was in that hotel at 7.15 this morning. They should be back around 8pm.

I emailed AIG yesterday, just to touch base and get an update on the likely start date. I hope it would be  next Monday.

Lunch with TT


TT Quah was a successful businessman. He became a mobilizer for missions and took on a full time role to serve God. He has been heading the Gospel Avenue missions outfit and is an edifying speaker.

TT and his wife have been friends since Alex, a great mate from Klang, first introduced us over 6 years ago. Today, he spoke again, in our church. I think our church benefited a lot from his sermons. A whole lot more than say, Dr Low’s. Dr. Low…is… Dr Low. I never felt comfortable with his tendencies towards prosperity gospel and his “bicycle faith” nonsense (it is nonsense, to me … just see my blog title…).  Anyway, I hope TT takes on a whole lot more significant role in ICC. I really hope he does.

Leaving the Pit Stop


I met the HR person of AIG yesterday and on the way back, the agent called to ensure I had in fact met her. Later that afternoon, another agent called about an interview with another firm, Mills Oakley. Seeing that I have just got the offer from AIG more or less finalised, I would have said no but for an incident involving Karina, someone we know from church, about 2 weeks ago. After a prayer meeting 2 Wednesdays ago, she told me she had a dream that I got a job in Oakleigh. I told her I had not applied for any jobs there and she said it wasnt the place Oakleigh necessarily; the dream just had the work Oakleigh in it. So when I got that call yesterday, I had to say yes to the interview, just to see if there was anything to Karina’s dream. So, I’m heading for that one later today. Meanwhile, the Asian firm out here in Doncaster/Springvale also called yesterday. He has now decided he cant match what I had asked for, saying it would disrupt the feelings of the other lawyers in the firm. Yet, he sounded like he was in desperate need for someone to come in to alleviate some work pressure. So, I said I would come in to help him out for the time being and see what happens. If he cannot pay me what he said he would, why would I stay with him when I have alternatives? No brainer, really. Anyway, since the AIG process would take some time, I’d just go in to help this guy out, initially at his Springvale office. I’d go in tomorrow for that.

I was in the city this morning too, for the interview for my citizenship application. Everything went well, except they needed to sight kiddo’s passport and birth certificate and I had not brought it with me. So before I visited Mills Oakley in William Street, I’d drop in at Spring Street again to let the Immigration people see kiddo’s documents. Meanwhile, I met with Alex and Ronald Kang in Balwyn for lunch and from there, I took a tram to the city.

AIG


I have just been offered a job with AIG. AIG Letter

While it is a short term contract, hopefully this is a means to get back into corporate work here in Melbourne. I’d probably now “officially” turn down the other position with the law firm out here in Doncaster/Springvale.

Meanwhile, it is heartening to see a letter like this in Malaysiakini, apparently written by a bumi. Very positive stuff.

Old friends in Melb, Working Soon, hopefully


Yesterday was a busy day entertaining old friends who were/are visiting Melbourne. David Chiang and his whole family were here but left yesterday night. I had lunch with them. Alex on the other hand, arrived yesterday and I caught up with him over a few beers at Shine, after which he came over to our house for dinner. He came with Kwang (his oldest boy) only, as they were school hunting. Both families would be coming again later in the year to settle in Melbourne for good.

Last night, while chatting with Alex at home over a very good red (Penfold’s St Henri Shiraz), CQ called again about starting work in his firm. I really have to think about this. AIG is also close to making an offer, and I’m supposed to see the departmental team members for coffee tomorrow morning. Apparently, the MD had cleared my appointment a week ago, and they are in the process of doing reference/background check and if those go well, would proceed to draw up a contract. I guess this weekend would be a time of prayer and decision.

I have learned to just live through difficult times, and knowing that God doesnt necessarily attend to our needs when we feel He should.That does not necessarily undermine my faith in Him – in fact, I tend to think that it was a tough lesson which was aimed for one to be like Daniel’s 3 friends (Shedrach & 2 Ors), who would serve God no matter what, and especially if He doesnt deliver us from our immediate woes. He is God. If we’re to be His children, it is total faith in Him, even if He doesnt appear to be tending to our needs. I think the timing of Beram’s Cat and Dog theology was near perfect.

Bloodied Nose and Still Waiting


Last night, kiddo and I sat around, firstly in the bathroom and then on the dining table, from just a little before 3am right up to just after 5am. She was having her now regular nose bleed. I was getting the towels and fresh ice for her and she was just holding them to her nose. I think we definitely have to put a stop to those chocolates. I love my dark chocolates and she too has acquired that taste, so I guess it was partly my fault that we both sat through last night. I had only gone to bed close to 12am, so I was reminded of what it was like when she was only a few months old.

I now feel like a zombie. Yet, I’m trying to draft an Employment Contract for this guy I am yet to be 100% sure about. He’s a nice fellow, his practice appears to be thriving but there is a niggling feeling about it and much as I’d like to return to work asap, there’s something about this job. Maybe it’s the idea of returning to suburban practice. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, except I have been telling myself I have to try to go back to some corporate/financial services focused work or practice. Of course, this is proving a lot harder than I thought and though there is still one avenue which looks positive, I am not raising my hopes too high too soon. I know I have acquired some level of “match fitness” in terms of handling rejections but the call, when it comes, still packs quite a punch and it usually knocks me out for a couple of days, when I would seek the company of Mac of De Bortelli. Maybe it is little, anecdotal incidents (such as being asked to draft my own Employment Contract) which make me uncomfortable. In any event, last night after the prayer meeting, Karina (one of Theresa’s and A Hooi’s buddies) told me she had a dream of me finding work in Oakleigh. Nice, except I have not applied for any jobs there. Maybe she was referring to firms with Oakley in it (Mills Oakley, for example). Either way, Oakleigh (or its variations) is certainly not in my radar now. But, one never knows. God, well… He IS God.Employment Contract

No Info on Malaysian Version


Just following up from yesterday’s entry on public servant package, I could not find anything on Malaysian packages, especially those working in local councils. I did not expect to anyway. I guess such information would probably never be volunteered, never mind published.

Public Servants’ Salaries


Lee Kuan Yew likes to trumpet the fact that Singapore has a reputation as one of the cleanest government/bureaucracy in the world. He attributes this to (amongst others) the high salaries paid.

In today’s local paper, it was reported that the CEO of our local council was paid a total package of $292,000 last year. This included a basic salary of $224,000. In comparison:

  • Steve Bracks, the Premier of Victoria, was paid $235,000
  • John Howard, Prime Minister, gets $309,000

You know, I dont think if you paid those clowns running places like the MPK (Klang local council) a higher salary, they’d be less inclined to corrupt practices. Higher salary can no longer work as a deterrent in Malaysia because it has become ingrained. The top guy in MPK would thank you for the $292,000 per annum salary and proceed with his corrupt way anyway. Pay Khir Toyo $235,000 per annum and you’d still …

Cat and Dog Theology


Cat & Dog Theology - Book CoverBeram Kumar spoke in our church on the “Cat & Dog Theology” series, a few weeks ago. He was there again today, on the second instalment. Some notes may be found here

While the principles were familiar, its lessons are especially relevant and challenging for me at this point. God doesnt exist for my needs. The irony is that this lesson has actually provided comfort to me, in that instead of expecting God to meet my needs (no matter how “benign” and “selfless” I may think these needs to be), I  now have someone to articulate in my church (at long last), a principle to counter the expectation that God’s favour is a matter of course. There are lessons in pain and suffering, and that principle should have been clear as day. The prevailing thoughts in our church however, has been closer to the teachings of the prosperity gospel and I have struggled with that. God exists for His own sake. He made us and saved us for His glory, not ours.

Joe Bloggs in Malaysia


Bloggers in Malaysia have had a good run lately. There has been a sense of camaraderie, brought about by a law suit  commenced by the New Straits Times (Malaysia’s  ageing /dying newspaper)  and its senior executives, against two bloggers. The battle-cry has been “Bloggers United”.

After a stiff drink last night, I decided to have a little fun and went to some of these bloggers’ sites to post comments. I simply asked if these bloggers were for real, in the sense that all the chest-thumping cries for freedom of expression are sincere or is this just another symptom of herd mentality amongst bloggers? Would they, for example, blog about the appalling state of justice in Malaysia? The non-Malays are consistently and systematically marginalised, with each new generation of Malay leaders shouting the same racist slogans louder than their predecessors.

One blogger suggested, in his reply, that it is “not very advisable” to blog about the issue of a more just and equitable society in Malaysia. Malaysians tend to “keep everything inside us” on these matters. In the same reply however, he extolled the virtue of freedom of speech.

A major problem with Malaysia is the NEP and the preferential treatment of Malays. Singapore started out on the same platform with Malaysia, over 40 years ago.It chose to take the route of meritocracy, but Malaysia stuck to preferential treatment for Malays. See where these two countries are now?

A few weeks ago, I was reading up on some UNCITRAL stuff (UN Convention on International Trade Laws, I think) and stumbled on a speech by Chan Sek Kheong, the Chief Justice of Singapore. He was a Malaysian. Born in Ipoh. He ended being the top legal person in Singapore, after also serving as the AG of Singapore. That has another story all of its own but that lead me to look up the qualifications of some of its judges, as well as its Cabinet members.

The qualifications of the members of Singapore’s government and judiciary are astounding. When I tried to find out more info on Malaysia’s counterparts, I did not get very far. I dont think I need to try very hard to prove that the qualifications of Malaysia’s judiciary and cabinet is more a case of kulit-fication (based on the colour of one’s skin). In Malaysia, a basic requirement for success in the public service is that one has to be a Malay. Sure, there is the token non-Malay here and there but they are just that – tokens.

If you leave the crucial decisions in the hands of those who are there as decision makers not because they are the best qualified but because they are Malays, then there is a jolly good chance these decisions would be bad or wrong ones. Malaysia in the pits? Kiddo would say: like duh?!!!

The whole world is facing a multitude of issues so challenging everyday feels like the beginning of the end of the world as we know it. The economic uncertainties, the wars waged by the US and its allies, global warming and the worsening climatic conditions, social repercussions of floods of information and open communications via mobile phones, internet, satelite and the likes, all these are challenging matters even for the brightest. If you leave the decisions in the hands of…yada yada. I said it before. See above.

Surely these are matters Malaysians would want to talk about a whole lot more? No, apparently. It is “not advisable” It is better to “keep these things inside”. Come on, Malaysian bloggers. Get real.