I wrote I think slightly more than a year ago for Project What's after SPM, which I believed failed to launch. Haiz.
Anyway, for your reading.
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What drove me to study what the Chinese would describe as a “cold door subject” was my interest in studying are we are shaped by the people around us. A process, called socialization, is done since one’s babyhood, continuing to his death. In this process, we see how a person is shaped through every interaction in his life course. Not only it helps people understand people, but it helps you understand you.

Anthropology is derived from Greek words “anthropos”, which means “human”, and “logia” which means “discourse” or “discussion”. It is a study of the culture, belief and practices of living people, with the goal of providing a holistic account of humans and human nature itself. Sociology, as the name connotes, is a study and analysis of the human social structure and activity, with the goal of pursuing social well-being for all man. In simpler (albeit in extremely inaccurate) words, anthropology is the studies the individual and his direct influencers, whereas sociology studies the society as a whole.

The subject matter of these courses is diverse in nature. I believe it is quite safe to say that anthropology and sociology is the mother of all social sciences. There are 5 branches in anthropology:
1.    Biological Anthropology
2.    Cultural Anthropology
3.    Linguistic Anthropology
4.    Social Anthropology, and
5.    Archaeology

Sociology, on the other hand, has a wider scope:
1.    Sociology of culture
2.    Sociology of deviance
3.    Sociology of economics
4.    Sociology of education
5.    sociology of gender
6.    Sociology of work/industry
7.    Sociology of knowledge
8.    Sociology of law
9.    Sociology of military
10.    Sociology of politics
11.    Sociology of religion
12.    Sociology of science, and
13.    Sociology of stratification

Are you surprised to see subjects such as law, economics, and politics in the list? Well, these subjects are a part of sociology because they play a big role in society. Another fact nugget for you: these subjects were developed so extensively, it was decided that they should be split up. In Universiti Sains Malaysia, Economics is a subject still studied in the Faculty of Social Sciences, while in most universities Economics have split with the Faculty of Social Sciences to form its own faculty. I guess there is only so much the human brain can handle.

I’m personally drawn to the sociology of deviance, simply because everyone has been involved in an act of deviance at least a few times in the lifetime. Another concept in this aspect of sociology is that crime is a deviant behavior; however, not all deviant behavior is a criminal act. This is because an act of deviance is an act against societal norms whereas a criminal act has been defined and prosecutable by the law. For example, transsexuals are seen as deviants in society, but the law does not state that they can be prosecuted by law. However, a night burglary is a crime because it is defined and prosecutable according to Act 574, Section 456 of the Penal Code, which states “Whoever commits lurking house-trespass by night or housebreaking by night, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine, and for every second or subsequent offence shall be punished with imprisonment and shall also be liable to fine or to whipping.”

People should take a course in either anthropology or sociology for the simple reason that our society needs people who have more than just a basic knowledge of self and society. Some of the questions that arose for me and my view of society came up during my course of study are
1.    Do you like the person you see in the mirror? Why?
2.    What influenced all the decisions you’ve made so far?
3.    Can you change the course of your future?
4.    Do you like the society today? Why?
5.    Can you understand why they act that way?
6.    Can you empathize with them although you do not subscribe to their ideologies?

I’m not aware of the monetary or scholarship opportunities; however, the course will most definitely widen your worldview. This in turn will help you understand not only yourself and the people around you; it also enables you to bring gradual change in the environment you are in.

The Monkey Story

There was once 5 monkeys that were kept in a cage. Above them hung a bunch of bananas. The cage was opened and the tempting smell and sight of bananas left all the monkeys wanting to get them. 

But just as one came out of the cage, all the monkeys were doused with water and beaten back into the cage. This happened over and over again.

Soon the monkeys learned that any effort to get the bananas would involve all 5 monkeys a dousing of water and beating. 

One day, 1 monkey was taken out and another came to substitute that monkey. It had no prior knowledge to what happened before, so when it saw the bunch of bananas, it naturally went out to take it. However, before it could reach outside the cage, the other 4 monkeys, fearing that they would be doused and beaten because of this new fool, caught that monkey and beat it up. This happened a few times and the new monkey learned if it were to attempt to go out, it would be beaten up by the other monkeys. So the second monkey was rotated, then the third, then the fourth, then the fifth. By now the 2nd batch of monkeys learned that if they were to go out and attempt to take the bananas, they would be beaten down by the monkeys from the 1st batch (or the ones who got "educated" by the previous batch).

Unbeknowest to the 2nd batch of monkeys, a 3rd batch was forced to watched them from a distance since the 2nd monkey's rotation. The 2nd and 3rd batch of monkeys were now put into a bigger cage. However, none of the monkeys attempted to leave the cage. The 3rd batch learned from afar, that if they didn't want to be beaten up by the 2nd batch, they better stayed put. They never noticed the bananas from the start.

After being put in the bigger cage, the 10 monkeys never realized that the bananas and the people who put them in the cage were now gone. When hunger took over, they fought and killed each other. In the end, none was left alive. The funniest thing was none of them made a single attempt to escape the cage.

The best part was, the 1st batch knew the reason they stayed in the cage. The second batch barely knew the reason. The 3rd batch had no idea whatsoever of the 1st reason but followed blindly anyways.

Sounds familiar, politically?

The First Generation builds an empire,

The Second Generation maintains it; but

The Third Generation squanders it all.

ENGLISH AS MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION

Commenting on  Muhyiddin: UKM proves Malay language works

Dear DPM,

English should be the medium of instruction in  all institutions of learning, especially if we want to move forward and BE RELEVANT in today's global economy. Many of our graduates are useless (and therefore jobless) in today's workforce simply because they CAN'T SPEAK PROPER ENGLISH.

If you want to use the excuse of Korea, Japan and China for being able to retain their language, therefore Malaysia can too, you are DEAD WRONG.

Korea, Japan and China are heavily industry-based and they have made it in the global market. They have their mark in the global market. Just naming a few here:

1. China
   Lenovo - Computers
   NetEase - Gaming site
   Chery - Automobile
   Gree, Haier - Electric products
2. Japan
   Toyota, Subaru - Automobiles
   Kawasaki - High end Motorcycles
   Sony - Electronics and Entertainment,       
   Bathing Ape (BAPE) - Fashion
3. Korea
   Hyundai, Kia - Automobiles
   The Face Shop, Missha - Cosmetics
   LG, Samsung - Electronics

Besides, these countries have hardworking citizens. Apart from that, when the brands go overseas, they become English too.
As for Malaysia, our best brands are mostly operated in English anyways.

And FYI, the three countries are also pushing their citizens to study English, so that they can be more competitive in the marketplace.

Pouvez-vous comprendre ce que j'essaye de dire ?

Going Once, Going Twice! Malim Nawar SOLD!!!

Malim Nawar's a place in the state of Perak, in a messed up country called Malaysia.
Ex-PKR sucker by the name of Keshvinder Singh a/l Kashmir Singh is now an independent candidate, citing "disappointment in bla bla bla bla bla.... "

Sorry la. Wasn't born yesterday.

Everyone with half a brain knows Keshvinder was given a handsome offer by BN to quit. Stop your bloody self righteousness and come up with a more original excuse will you?

Hey, PKR. You guys sure are low on funds. Then again, you don't have access to taxpayer's money huh?

PSD Scraped?!! BOOYAH!

Seriously this song has nothing to do with whatever I'm posting right now, but I'm grooving to it when I first heard that the M'sian government is scrapping PSD (Public Service Department) scholarships. And you guys should too! Check it out!!

It's by Kevin Wu a.k.a. KevJumba, David Choi and Wong Fu Productions called "Dance to this Song".

Note: PSD Scholarship is henceforth just PSD. Lazy to type "scholarship" over and over again.

Back to the topic at hand. PSD being scrapped in favor of "building more universities". BOOYAH people!!!
I totally disagree with PSD anyway. Your "whys" are answered below.

1. PSD is given by quota, not based on meritocracy. It means you are smart, but might not be the smartEST.
2. PSD holders overseas are WAY overpaid. Think in terms of UK Pounds, US dollars, Russian Rubles, Japanese Yen and Korean Won. Minimum in USD per semester in these countries are 10,000, which is equivalent to roughly RM33,000 per semester. I pay less than RM10,000 for my whole 3 year study for a degree in a Malaysian public university.
3. An overseas degree does not guarantee you a job. You may have a PSD, but you might fail the exam and interviews, so job security is not so secure.
4. PSD holders need not waste effort to learn a new language, i.e.: Korean, German or Russian.
5. PSD holders DO NOT get good grades like the local kids. I've personal met a few of them in Korea and in England. They are barely scraping a CGPA of 2.5/4.0, which is like C+. In fact, they admit most of them are getting diplomatic passes.
   It means that they are supposed to fail, but they don't cos they're foreigners on scholarships.
   I really wonder what the hell happened to Nur Amalina Che Bakri? I'm hearing two stories:
   
   1. She's still in Edinburgh doing Medicine AND Pharmacology, but when I tried to search evidence of it, ZILCH. Wikipedia does not count. Heck, Sinbad and Tom Cruise were proclaimed "dead" in Wiki, y'know. Source is not reliable at all.
   
   2. She's quietly residing in Johore Bahru after failing 2nd year in Edinburgh. Tons of info, but all hearsay.
   
6. MOST IMPORTANTLY:
   The money used to send PSD's overseas, could be used to build more universities, improve the current universities and sponsor more students to study locally.

Scrap PSD already.
MCA and  MIC, what the F*** are you doing saying that PSD shouldn't be scrapped? You guys should be fighting for more places for non-Bumiputeras to get into local public universities.
If brain drain from Chinese and Indians gets more serious in the future, you guys are totally to be blamed.

And kudos to suggesting Mandarin and Tamil to be compulsory at schools, though I still think that the English school system back the day is still better. The two other languages are totally additional. Scrap vernacular schools. Make it English and Malay schools only. English school for elites and Malay school for those whose can't catch up. Other languages (Mandarin, Tamil, Punjabi, French....) be made OPTIONAL.

For the record, I'm a classified banana who went through 9 years in vernacular CHINESE school. SMK Chung Ling Butterworth from Form 1-3, 85th out of 485 students in the form when i left (Bragging rights, babeh!). Reason for not completing til Form 5 was because I moved to KL.
So I do know what I'm talking about and not some random banana who doesn't know and appreciate vernacular schools. I appreciate that education system. I just don't think it's good for the country.

Anyways, Malaysia's screwed if we don't buck up. Think Greece, Iceland and Spain. FYI, the economy doesn't just run on $$$ only.

马来西亚少年对政治的态度

第一次用中文博客...请别见怪  :)


这次用中文的确是有原因。而这原因是马来西亚少年对政治的态度。不值马来西亚少男少女，是马来西亚华人少男少 女。

身为马来西亚少年华人，我总是觉得我们这些华人老是有那种古老的想法。
什么想法呢？
那种。。。 “国家打得乱，没关我事。 政治就让政治家解决，本人生意做好，本人有钱财，够了，随便吧” 态度。一说到政治，全 部就说 “什么也做不到，政治家全都被收买了”的态度。


拜托！若我们什么都不做，袖手旁观，休想我们以后的日子会好过点儿。我不是叫华人少年进入政治。 
但我们必定要对政治 有些了解，因为它和我们的将来互相关系。我们不自己出马，谁会呢？

我们年轻这一代不可以拥有老一辈那种想法了。

Political Suicide, much?

Datuk Kong Cho Ha, current Transport Minister of Malaysia. Before he had a chance to prove his mettle, Datuk Kong kong-ed himself. Read the news here.

He said the probe into the PKFZ scandal was 'sufficient', and added there is no need for the issue to be re-examined. No issue here, 'cos we all have different views about it anyways.

However, of all things and of all people to say such dumb ass things, he had the "guts" to blurt out, "I also have to know exactly what the PKFZ is about."

Dude, in case you haven't notice, feigning ignorance is lame, but successfully shooting yourself in the leg is an entirely different ball game altogether.

GERTAK or GELAK? Hmmm.....Ahhahaahahahahaha....

Commenting on GERTAK and Dr Azly Rahman's Evolving From Gertak to Gelak

GERTAK are full of bigots.

Are the Malays not receiving education? Nope, if fact many of them get into boarding schools, matriculation programmes and government scholarship because they are supposed to be the creme de la creme of Malaysian minds.

Are they Malays do not have jobs to support themselves and their families? I don't think so. All the keranis I know do a pretty fine job on goyang kaki in government department while you can see the nons zipping around like blue-bottle flies on the same pay scale.

Do the Malays have not enough HELP? I most certainly do not believe that is the case. The Malays have their special privileges, like having a 5% discount when buying a house, 51% quota when it come to equities in the commercial market, a certain percentage of job security when companies are hiring, they have their entrepreneur help under SME, have FELDA and FELCRA projects to help them gain more, and some more.

Is GERTAK saying, after 53 years of independence, the "favored" race are an incompetent lot, who still need government hand outs after all this time?

The Malays are NOT an incompetent lot, GERTAK. You just want status quo to remain as that, back in Malaysia's zaman jahilliah, where politicians can instill fear with May 13, and threaten Malaysians with words like "be grateful", "sensitive", "racial" and "ISA".

Because of people like those in GERTAK instigate unnecessary and supposedly-long-dead issues, Malaysians are a bunch of yellow-bellies.

Guess what? NOT ANYMORE.

Well, at least for some of us.

The new generation are now voicing out. The old era of subservience has to be replaced by a new era of matured, thinking individuals. Malaysia has only two choices anyway; either we progress, or we regress.

Let's not harp on old issues shall we? It's time to move on. 53 years is a ridiculous waste of time. Wasting any more is even more ridiculous.
The world's not gonna wait for us anyway.

Perpaduan Kekal Relevan? What the Hell?

I was watching the news yesterday and I saw this line while the news people were interviewing non-Bumiputeras on RTM 1. I could only looked in total disbelief of, in my unhumble opinion, the most idiotic statement of the millennium.

That Statement was: PERPADUAN KEKAL RELEVAN DI MALAYSIA. (Unity stays relevant in Malaysia)
What the hell is wrong with these people? How is the government going to run a country that isn't united?