Category: Personal Thoughts

Bad read


It was a late night last night and I’m struggling to focus on work now, so I jumped on a couple of sites to browse.

Unfortunately one of them was the Malaysia Today website and this headline “Anwar squashed by Najib’s speech” caught my eye. It turned out it was a New Straits Time article so you know it is likely to be an utter waste of space. I didnt want to make the arvo any more laboured than it already is so I gave it a miss in a heartbeat.

I have left Malaysia for a number of years now so I am probably even more remote than ever before but everytime I see Najib Razak’s name it still floors me for how someone with so much baggage can be allowed to head the government and be accorded any respect at all. He still carries the stench of the Altantuya Shaaribu murder – the C4 explosives used by Najib’s aides, the link with Razak Baginda – Najib’s close aide – with Altantuya Shaaribu, the disappearance of her record of entry into Malaysia, the statements by the bodyguard of Razak Baginda, the purported photograph of Najib Razak and Altantuya Shaaribu and the reluctance of Najib Razak to ping Gani the AG and Musa Hassan the IGP, the link of Najib Razak to Perimekar and the Scorpene purchase… all these add up to be a huge 600 pound gorilla.

How does a beast of that magnitude get ignored and someone with so much dirt like Najib Razak still strut around? Not only should he be far away from the seat of government, he should be investigated and if appropriate, charged, tried and put away. It still angers me, strangely enough.

Cleaning and Waiting


With kiddo away for her version of schoolies Tress and I have been filling our time with stuff that revolves around people in church and food.

Last Wednesday night after my brief appearance in a board meeting at work we went out to a Chinese dumpling place. Then on Thursday we were at an Indian place with a couple o families and on Friday we met with about half a dozen other families in Brian and Doreen’s home for a break up dinner. On Sat it was at Alex and Li Har’s, this time for a farewell for a family who was relocating to WA.

Finally last night another half a dozen or so families came to our home for a roti and curry dinner.

Tress parents are coming to visit in a little over 2 weeks and together with the dinner last night, we had good reasons to go on a cleaning spree over the weekend. Following on from the previous weekend, we continued to sweep, wipe, mop, wash, vacuum and dust. The cool weather helped heaps and kept us going till it was time to get ready to get to Alex and Li Har’s.

We haven’t got anything else lined up for our home the next few weeks. Things have come to a halt now and like someone said to me last night, it would be a really good time of just reflecting on what to do, next year in particular that’s for sure but also from a more general sense, for the next ‘x’ number of years. In a sense, all that cleaning is to be ready for the waiting which must happen now.

Time’s Up With Church Board


After a false start, I decided yesterday, to leave the church board. It has been 4 years now. The last time I tried to leave was over 2 years ago but it was in the context of leaving the church then.

Back in 2009 I thought the church was all over the shop in its teachings and these were dished out not just over the pulpit but also during bible studies and even a funeral service. After that service in question, some leaders were standing around where the casket had stood and conducted what was called a cleansing ceremony. Other than being spooky it was also very worrying to say the least. I was starting to think there may be cloaks and candles to be pulled out next. The leader who was leading the ceremony had also started preaching funny stuff – statements like some songs were anointed and would therefore last but others weren’t (so maybe Rod Stewart and Queen were anointed) and that houses with spiders and insects meant the occupants had issues with their lives – they were “unclean”.

When leaders also allowed circus like The Elijah Challenge to excite its congregation I decide I had enough and decided to leave.

As it turned out, events unraveled and before I could formally inform the Board, other leaders were creating little tsunamis and things got hostile and the whole thing started to break down. I could not leave when it was in that state so we hung around. One positive thing out of that episode was I decided I needed to have formal training in a bible school – I’m still at BCV (MST) now.

Things have stabilised much better now and I think we have a normal healthy church with sound teaching and well intentioned leaders.

I am however, tired of being the one to raise issues. I have always envisaged a church board to be one which identifies issues, discusses them through on an open, robust and unreserved manner, so that everyone has a clear understanding and rationale for where the church is, where it wants to head, and what it needs to do. When for the most part people appear uninterested, non-engaging and greet matters raised with muted responses (at best) I am less inclined to raise issues. If that is to be the case, I might as well not be in the board.

I no longer want to be the one which raises issues, the one to ask uncomfortable questions and the one who sends long emails which people either don’t read, think they’re a nuisance or don’t respond to. They may react to these months later, without addressing the context and points raised (because they were raised long ago). Most importantly, I don’t want to be unhappy at home because of these issues.

Summer’s here… really?


Summer’s finally here but you wouldn’t know it. It was 8 degrees this morning when I drove out to the gym. It would indeed be strange to be watching the cricket on television this summer.

The Kiwis open our cricket season in the Gabba this morning. Other than the cool morning, Peter Roebuck is also no more, so this summer and cricket would indeed be different. Despite all that has been said about Ricky Ponting, I’m glad he’s still there in the team facing the Kiwis. I hope he’ll be there against the Indians too. He’s the one constant to ensure this summer’s cricket wouldn’t be an entirely alien experience.

I was hoping to go for the Boxing Day Test in the MCG again this year, seeing we’re not planning to travel over the summer Christmas holidays. It turned out however that Tress’ parents would be here in a couple of weeks and would stay over Christmas and New Year. I wonder what they’d think about spending a day in The G watching Michael Clarke’s Australia trying to wrestle some dignity against the Indians. It would certainly be a treat to watch the Little Master and Ponting on opposite sides again. It could well be the last time these two play in the same test match. I dont think however, that the senior Chews would take any interest…

Summer’s really here?

Remembering not


Officially it was 30 Nov. In reality, no one really knew. It could have been 29 Nov. So every year I start remembering my dad on 28 Nov.

On the morning of 30 Nov 5 years ago, my dad was found to have passed on. I still have to think hard to recall the last time I spoke to him He was a man with free spirits and though that was what probably sent him packing earlier than he should, it also made him the man that he was. The fact that he was the eldest in a family of 8 siblings didn’t dilute that one bit.

Every year for the past 5 years around this time I get a bit moody.

I still cant remember the last time I spoke to him.

 

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Weekend Blitz and Bliss


We saw the sun peeking through yesterday arvo just after 2pm. We were at a lunch but decided we must sneak away. The rain had been belting down all day Saturday and our plans to work the garden had been frustrated. We thought if the weekend was going to see any work done we had to leave that lunch soon, great food and wonderful company notwithstanding.

Jason and Mel have always dished out great meals and company. Generous to a fault, it is always difficult to say no to their invitation. So although we had said they should direct their generosity at other more deserving souls, we gladly rocked up anyway. We thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon which unfortunately we had to cut short if we were to halt the rate at which our little garden was turning into a jungle.

The fact that kiddo wasn’t there made it a little harder as other than the cries of the garden, there was no other reason not to just while away the afternoon over a really long lunch.

Kiddo had left earlier yesterday morning. We drove to Tulla just after 8am and after she checked in we did some quick duty-free shopping and she was off through the gates. We started missing her as soon as we got into the car and left the airport. Thanks to the wonders of modern day apps like “Whatsapp” and Skype however, we managed to chat with her later in the evening, as she enjoyed what looked like a really good dinner in Klang. She’d have plenty of that in the next 2-3 weeks.

Before we settled down to avail ourselves to the modern communications technology however, Tress and I tore ourselves from Jason and Mel’s place, got home and immediately changed into our “working gear”. I ducked out to the local service station to get some petrol for the mower and got back and started working.

We trimmed, cut, mowed, swept, washed and did as much as we could for the remainder few hours of daylight, which thanks to daylight saving and the impending start of summer, lasted till almost 8pm. As usual after working on the garden, a cold one tasted exceptionally good and the Tiger Beer Tress had bought a few weeks earlier came in really handy. It was sheer bliss to sit on the deck, looking at a cleaner and tidier lawn and sipping cold beer. What a way to end a weekend. Knowing kiddo would have a great time over 6,000 km away was a bonus.

 

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2012?$


2012 may yet turn out to be a tumultuous year, albeit for different – principally economic and financial – reasons. It’s all a bit worrying, depressing even. That’s what happens when you catch up on financial news in this climate I guess.

I have not read financial news for a while now. My current role does not require this beyond the most cursory glance at interest rate trends and general property market well being.

Just for fun however I decided to catch up on some news and it was a mistake. 2012 now feels like a harbinger of bad things, from the perspective of how the economy and finance will fare.

First there’s this swathe of industrial disputes fought out in a climate of economic uncertainty as a result of what’s happening in Europe. Collective agreements companies rushed to sign before the Fair Work Act – courtesy of Julia Gillard – kicked in after Rudd got into the Lodge, are due to expire in 2012. So apparently workers and employers are slugging it out in anticipation of new deals and the Fair Work Act is apparently more focused on processes than outcomes.

Then there’s the credit outlook. With banks exposed to the sick men of Europe seeking to make up gaping holes, borrowing – mainly the interbank sort – is going to be a lot more expensive. Bond on the other hand are seeing low yields as a result of capital leaving Europe and seeking new low risk parking lots. Apparently companies thought 2012 would see the GFC ending so heaps of corporate bonds were structured to mature then. A host of factors would combine to heap pressure on funding and make the business environment very difficult.

I wonder what 2012 would look like. It probably isn’t “The End” but it looks like it could well be messy.

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New Horizons


We were away last weekend. Kiddo wanted to explore potential horizons and we obliged. It also meant she could clock up the requisite mileage as an L-plater.

We took off on Saturday morning, braving the downpour as I took us out of Melbourne. Once out somewhere on the Metropolitan Ring Road, kiddo took over and my role doubled. I was mentally still doing the driving but I was at the same time, keeping an eye on kiddo and making sure she was alert and focusing.

I stole the odd moment or so to break the monotony by taking pictures of the often beautiful country roadsides, especially when the rain abated.

LBJ came along for the ride and was very well behaved the entire time.

We got to our destination just after 5pm, checked into our pet friendly hotel, unpacked and then went out to a local Thai restaurant for dinner.

The next morning we went to a Uniting Church and relived liturgical service before visiting a market downtown and then proceeding to the CBD for Tress to visit the local Myer store. We then headed to Kiddo’s survey site and drove around a little bit before proceeding to a riverside for LBJ to do his business, enjoyed the clean crisped fresh air before looking for another restaurant for dinner. This time we found a Punjabi one and it was by far the best food we had in that town, all previous visits included. Happy, we went back to the hotel, watched the surprisingly good “Thor” starring Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins (liver licking good Hannibal) and Natalie Portman.

We left the next day just before 1pm, after Kiddo completed her survey and we pushed back to Melbourne, arriving just after 8.30pm. Kiddo was again at the wheel for the most part.

Kiddo at the wheel seems to be the overriding theme over the weekend, in so many sense of the word. She’ll soon be the driver and we will no longer take her where she wants to go.

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KLSE – Peter Pan qualities


Someone sent me an email on the Malaysian equity market which appears to be as infantile as it was the last time I had anything to do with it. The name Harvest Court Industries struck a chord and I had to dig around in my memory bank before realising it was a company close to home. A distant relative started it – the Ng family in KLang – and an early professional mentor – Mr SS Muker – was on the board of the company.

News about a Sabah based company proposed takeover of Harvest Court Industries caused the share price to surge. It took 2 seconds to guess the cause – a politician (in power) was linked to it. This time it was the second son of the sorry Malaysian Prime Minister, with the unfortunate name of Nazi-fuddin. Nazifuddin was on the board of the Sabah company and I guess it was expected he would be on the Board of Harvest Court Industries. This was enough to cause the share price to surge.

The mickey mouse behaviour of the Malaysian equity market is a bit like Peter Pan. It never grows up. Even when a leprous name like that of Najib Razak is associated with the company, there was positive price movement. Beggars belief.

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ANZ Rewards Card


If you have an ANZ Rewards Card, make sure you don’t get slugged with the $42 annual rewards program fee. Check your statement and if they charged you, ring them up and get them to waive it. I did, but I was prepared to just cancel the card if they didn’t so I guess you have to be ready for that if they don’t budge.

I get annoyed with big corporations like that, who try to sneak in little bits of fees and see if they can get away with it. I don’t know if they deliberately target unsuspecting customers who don’t check up on details and blissfully pay unnecessary charges and fees. I am guilty of that sometimes – paying unnecessarily – but given the vulgarity of senior banking executive remuneration, paying banks fees which are totally unnecessary and unjustifiable has become a lot less unpalatable. Even revolting.

So if you are an ANZ Bank customer, and hold an ANZ Rewards Card, make sure you don’t get slugged unnecessarily. It’s only a 5 -10 minute phone call to get rid of this and save yourself $42.

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