TODAY newspaper

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Knitting with $10m

Call for ideas on tapping fund to bond locals, immigrants

Why spend so much money on this?

Is there a need?

Why not spend on Singaporeans who need financial assistance?

What would happen to Singapore if all jobs and all Singaporeans are replaced by foreigners?

Why not spend money to attract overseas Singaporeans to return?

It is very difficult to get domestic workers who are as helpful and loyal.  Those new arrivals are of sub-standard, incompetent, inadequately trained and of low calibre and yet their salary is escalating.  MOM should reduce the foreign workers levy to make it more affordable for people who does not have family support and really needs to rely on domestic workers.  We also need to pay a fee to the employment agencies to bring in those sub-standard domestic workers and cover insurance.  If they did not survive the training or after we gave them a chance and train them, they packed and go off prematurely without completing their two year term, we have to pay the agency again.  It makes us feel like a fool to provide them with free food, lodging and training and they turn around and bite us.

Sometimes it is very difficult to choose between work and family.  If we choose to work, we have to put in long hours and neglect our family.  On the other hand, it is not advisable to have a sole bread winner or single income family as jobs are not secure and if we are not rich.

There are some young generation Singaporeans who does not want to get married, does not intend to start a family and have children as they do not want their next generation to suffer and go through the stress that we are experiencing.

It is extremely tough to be a woman in this modern era as we have to take on multiple responsibilities.  We have to work to contribute to the family's financial pool, to help support parents, parants'-n-law, children and grand parents, if any.  I used to dispised and cursed those people who abandoned their aged parents, but having gone through that difficult period myself, I am now more sympatetic and understanding towards them.  My mother-in-law was hospitalised and we would visit her every evening after work and did not have any chance to talk to the doctor..After two to three weeks, I suddenly received a call from the staff nurse who informed that my mother who could not talk and was under tube feeding can be discharged.  We were to bring her home immediately, if possible the next working day.  I panicked as I was not mentally prepared to take care of a patient with tube feeding and to nurse her.  I have to purchase all the essential items for tube feeding and pick up some knowledge of nursing.  The nurse was kind enough to direct me to get the service of the nurse from the hospice for home visits and to apply for subsidy.  After my mother-in-law was discharged, my 13 year old daughter was hospitalised.  Everything seemed to be coming down hard on us, there were no family support, I almost broke down and nearly lost my job.  Unfortunately, by the time the subsidy was approved, my mother-in-law passed away.  The nurse from the hospice called to make appointment for her next visit and informed that the applicatiion for subsidy was approved, I told her we don't need it anymore.

Finding Courage

Facing Adversity/The Dark Clouds

I once wrote about a road sweeper who went berserk over the bad weather. The dark clouds quickly enveloped the sky making the whole scene look like it was night-time. The breeze blew down the leaves from the tall trees. Frustrated that his whole job of cleaning the place being ruined, he angrily shouted at the sky. In quick response the Heavens replied with flashes of lightning and rolling thunder.

To cool the mad sweeper, the clouds decided to pour rain all over the place. As the rain fell on the sweeper, he stood bravely in the storm, getting fully drenched. Unlike King Lear, his anger gave way to tears which mixed with the raindrops falling to the wet earth.

I give this example as a situation of adversity. Normally the appearance of dark cloud in the horizon spells coming troubles or problems. Ask yourself: “How many of us shield ourselves with umbrellas or raincoats to weather the storm?” Usually we are unprepared for rainy days; we run for shelter when are confronted with difficulties.

Once I got caught at High Street in a heavy rain. I stood along the corridor and when the wind grew strong and started to howl and hurl the shower of rain towards me, I moved into the cloth merchant shop. The unsympathetic owner was unhappy with me and said that his bales of clothes were getting wet. I understood his hint and went back to the corridor. Within a few minutes, the rain subsided and I left High Street to continue my walk towards Coleman Street.

Being caught by disturbing elements can be frustrating at times. However, to waste time or miss an important appointment is not so bad when comparing to other negative events like fire on a ship, shipwrecked (like in the movie Titanic), drowning, hijacked, severe flooding and being made homeless. Life is also not that predictable; it is full of ups and downs. We rejoice in the moment of ups and feel sad in time of successive downs.

 Lurking Dangers

Situations are always changing. However, at times, when changes do give warning signals, we are blind to these. We feel that the dark clouds at the horizon would pass away. When the whole sky turns black, we still feel that it would not rain at all.

Being alert or on the lookout for hazards is part of good community work. I have read in the newspapers of thoughtful citizens pointing out fire hazard areas and action has been taken to remove the hazard. In the olden days tension cables used to run overhead and there was an occasion where a life wire (which has snapped off) was lying on the ground. A trishaw man accidently stepped on the live naked wire and he was instantly electrocuted to death. The underground work at Nicoll Highway had a tragedy few years ago and some workers died buried in the mishap. The court hearing on this case was highlighted in the papers and the drama became an issue witnessed or read by the nation. Careless dumping of toxic product into the sea has caused mercury poisoning of our fishes and other sea creatures. Toxic waste has to be properly disposed off instead of irresponsible dumping to cause public hazard.

Curiosity & New Awareness

Now looking at the individual point of view, we ask how does adversity affects our lives. Is an encounter with adversity part of life’s many learning journeys? Why are we afraid to commit mistakes? Why is the ladder to the top so difficult to climb? Is it because the foundation was not made strong enough? Why are we so dissatisfied? Why do we punish our bodies to fatigue, our mind to madness, our families depriving them peace, personal rights and happiness, our friends bothering them so much so that they begin to avoid us?  Is the next level of victory very necessary?

Do you know what happened to Alexandra the Great? After conquering the ancient world of those days, there was no more land to invade. He broke down and wept bitterly on the bank of the Indus River. His vast army of loyal soldiers was not shield enough to protect him from the sense of deep unhappiness and hopelessness. That is how Alexandra was humbled; gradually his army disbanded and his vast empire loosened to break up into many kingdoms again.

In the olden days (long before the idea of Earth being a sphere was accepted), navigators feared to venture far out at sea. They were frightened that ships might fall over if they crossed the edge if of the Earth.  Magellan undertook the long sea voyage but was unfortunately killed in the Phillipines by the wild natives. Christopher Columbus undertook the sea expedition in search of the East Indies, instead discovered a vast new continent – the America. Today America is the land of many opportunities.

Scope of Advancement

Take the case of an artist. If he is timid and he continues with his routine work, then there is lack of creativity. His work would in time become stale and lesser people will pause to take a look at his work and perhaps consider purchasing the art-piece. Afraid to try new things, juggle with colours & new medium or come up with new techniques is something of a severe limitation to an artist. To challenge the assumption and cross the boundary will lead to breakthrough. An artist doing experimentation with his work would eventually be successful as he finds his niche over time.

What happens to the artist can also happen to the pupil. There are some pupils in the class who are timid by nature. They are co-operative and much disciplined in class. However, the devil is not in their outward behaviour. It is embedded deep within them. They have some difficulty in understanding the lecture of the subject teacher. Afraid to ask in order to clear their poor comprehension of what is being taught, they allow the situation to take control and they become victim of the circumstance. Works pile up and are left half-done or mostly undone. The mind wanders away from the subject and in time the report book shows a score of red marks. To fail in an examination is really disheartening. It gives a strong blow to the pupil and his motivation is at rock bottom.

To correct the situation takes a lot of time and energy. The pupil has to work hard, go for extra coaching and learn to concentrate so as to build his understanding power. To help his son, a father purchased an ‘Earthscope’ card titled GET ORGANISED! A numbered list shown below was useful:

This card did help the boy. Therefore it is apt to say “Your future is not in the hands of your teachers. Your future is in your own hands”.

Some Good Virtues

Thus curiosity and rational thinking are your friends, not enemies. Don’t consider these attributes as time wasters. The urge to know more and application of logic builds up the mind and there are many gems hidden in the vast sea of knowledge. These gems (new ideas, concepts or methods) are hidden and need to be discovered. Once you recognise the muddy nuggets, you polish them to give good lustre. As these new ideas shine, there is recognition given to their practical application. Tested, redesigned and properly packaged, these ideas march on to capture the world by storm and surprise. You find that your creation has heralded a new age. The thinking and paradigm of the world has already changed by this new revolution.   

Another good friend of ours is tolerance. Showing respect and consideration for others is a powerful virtue. If your mistake is pointed, learn to be graceful instead of becoming unhappy and angry. Sometimes you feel disturbed by small irritations. In such a state, a friendly smile, a courteous enquiry or even cute laughter of a child seems to be like poison or unnerving. It is the exercise of patience and tolerance on a daily basis to happenings; one can enjoy peace of mind and understanding of family members, relations, friends and others. The art of loving and giving makes one tolerant. Be kind towards the weak and poor. Be kind towards pets and animals. Don’t discriminate anyone for reasons of religion, colour, gender or status in society. Learn to rise above the narrow alley of divided loyalties. You would surely broaden your outlook. I say tolerance leads to happiness. Tolerance is a power that gives you ample courage.

The Team versus the Individual

An interesting observation between a single individual and a group of people is worth mentioning. What interest me is that when an individual joins a team of people, he not only gains new perspective, learn new things and improve his social or interaction skills, but also finds courage.  The courage to discuss, to plan and decide, to give suggestions and to trust each other is a positive development for the individuals working together. The team is an umbrella – it provides sufficient shield against lack of confidence and weathers the changing climate of work-place. In fact, the team is the best umbrella I know.

If you take an ice cream stick and try to bend it, it will easily break. If you take a bundle of say 12 ice cream sticks and do the same, you can’t break them at all. Hence this illustrates the strength of a team. The team’s result is that of the sum total carefully discussed and well-thought of and then selected the suitable ones. A dominating character cannot control the team. He has to tone down his nature and listen to the logic or rationale of the group. In learning to go with the flow, a dominating individual has the chance to reflect upon himself and learn his mistakes and where he lacks or lags behind. Isn’t it good? With a formal organisation, it provides co-ordination and proper use of resources. With sufficient fund and talents, many worthwhile things can be done. The once used-to-be-timid or shy individual is doing wonders: his new found courage has opened many doors of opportunity.

Leaving a legacy behind

Sometimes you come across someone complaining that a colleague is glory-hungry. He or she is constantly claiming credit for any successful project within the company and always undermining the teammates’ industrious work. To maintain the badge of “employee –of-the-month” or “best employee-of-the-year”, the person may even resort to blaming the colleagues as incompetent lots. However, if the person continues to contribute to let the organisation grow better and better, there is the chance of the staff being remembered by the firm’s history books. On retirement, a person may leave a rich legacy with the firm. His strategic decisions, his motivation style for his staff, the many business deals signed, opening up of new departments and expansion overseas would not be forgotten. All these and revolutionary ideas would find their way into the print world of managerial books. Legacy is healthy collection because of their aid in future research & reference. Thus it is the organisational direction and growth, not the fact that I am better than you that counts!

Learning & Development 

We have heard of Research & Development but we often forget the existence of Learning & Development. A progressive firm is one that is always on the look-out for new talents besides maintaining its pool of current talent. To recruit some high flyers is not a bad idea. It is just like introducing yeast into the lukewarm milk. This step causes a culture change which give rise to yoghurt. On adding colours and sweetener, we have lovely, tasty yoghurts on hand. However, the catch is that the high flyer mist not be thinking of his own self only all the time. He must help all and imbibe a learning culture so that the firm progresses as a whole. Employers are keen to know the depth of 2A1E of an employee i.e. their Ability, their Aspiration and their Engagement.  In the process of learning & development, the firm comes up with its own customised talent identity kit. Like a litmus paper, a new candidate’s potential is highlighted. In the working world, learning agility, IQ & EQ, business acumen, people skills, resilience and result-oriented nature are some basic ingredients to watch for.

Charting an Organisational History

Visit a large corporation and chances are you will be treated to a showroom that highlights to you the vast operation and expansion power of the firm. The firm’s HQ could be here in Jurong, Tuas or any of the industrial estates. The corporation has expanded with branches in HK, Tokyo, Canberra, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Calcutta. A board showing the various locations is depicted with colourful mapping pins. There is a flow chart of different processes or systems practised. Then there is a board known as the Organisation chart showing the position of the CEO (who is at the top) and the branching out of various managers, supervisors and sections of the firm like marketing, data processing, the general office, transport unit, finance section, training centre, the manufacturing department and the Research & Development unit. All these represent the geography of the corporation. In the midst of busy operation, brisk business and expansionary moves, the history aspect of the firm is neglected.

We can see the visible aspects of the firm like the plants, transport bay, vehicles plying to and fro the ports and the various delivery points, the finance going on strong with incoming profits and distribution of pay and commissions to its staff on time, the churning out and branding of goods from its plants. All these geographical aspect of movement and expansion is something we can comprehend.

Therefore in plotting the history of the organisation, an ad hoc team of specialists could be assigned to dwell into the various archives or old records, interview old staff or retired personnel, go through the past to know how the firm started off, who was the founder, its early years of hardship and challenges faced. As all these are traced back, the accumulated material becomes a historical record of the organisation. The history of the organisation serves to instil pride, inspire people, allows itself to become a reference guide to the past and traces the developments & changes that took place. The continual updating of significant events into the history database/record is useful. Hence the history and geography of an organisation is a rich source to know more about the organisation.  

In Reflection

You move in life from one sorrow to another, from one injustice to another. Now that all these have happened to you, do you still feel muted? Where is your courage, my friend? Can you write, can you paint, and can you sing or speak up? What’s more? Can you take a decision with courage, with confidence and that which is coherent, that which is workable, not something that is unachievable? Do you know that your decisions could affect the lives of many? Do you wish to impart good values or allow time and tide to take care of things? Do you wish to navigate with proper planning, course & bearings or just drift hoping to reach your destination of choice? Do you have the required skills or experience or need more of them and also additional time? All these and more questions will come to hone you toward progress.

However, in the spirit of reflection, spirit of discovery and spirit of building goodwill and success around us, a spark of fire is rekindled. It is the first step, a step towards learning and progress. This glowing fire is your inner motivation and your new found courage. You begin to find in due process work-life harmony and the freedom to propel greater height.

By Om Nath Panday

16 SEP 2009    

Since 1 January 2009 NEA has tighten the smoking ban rules by covered more area, the prohibited including lift lobbies, multi storey car park and enclosed common area. What really shocked me is that the law will not cover HDB corridor!! It' means smoker can smoke at corridor as when as they feel like to.

Is HDB corridor not considering a common place? How about enclosed place? HDB corridor is not covered (no roof)?

I really doubt on this area.....funny statement...

Keep Looking Forward

There’s always something to look forward to:

-          A special occasion

like a birthday, a honeymoon, discharged from hospital after a long illness,

end of a difficult time, a family gathering, and so on

-          Nice things to do

helping your neighbour’s child with his maths problem, take care of your plants and fish pond, attend a new course, and so on

-          A friend to chat to or one yet to meet

immersing yourself in friendship is better than always busy judging people. A friend is very useful especially in this age of modern living with great stress.

-          A dream to be realized

You never know that today could be your day. After working so hard, your pet project has been successful. You succeed in innovating something new that every Singaporeans wish to befriend you. Your dream of touring round the world comes true today.

-          Someone to greet

When Queen Elizabeth last came to Singapore, the Singaporean couple was happy to see the Royalty descended to their HDB flat. If there is no royalty to visit you, never mind. Your long lost relation believed to have died two decades ago in a fishing accident in the Andaman Sea is back to meet you.

-          A little surprise to brighten your day

A thoughtful person gives you a gift or a box of chocolates in order to bring smiles on your face or you feel surprise that you have secured a job after the firm told you six months ago that they have no vacancy. You are invited to take up a reporter’s assignment and you feel happy that your talent is not wasted.

      -     Or perhaps loving words that someone will say.

Om Nath Panday

10 SEP 2009

  History

A history class was on;

Told the teacher to her class:

“The British fought and won,

Now old weapons lay to rust”.

I read a new history book

On ancient civilizations.

I took a closer good look:

an empire split into nations.

A historian sieves through old

records to highlight some fact.

Ancient maps are like gold,

showing us new details or fact.

The silk route or trade route

puts  Asia on the ancient map. 

Ancient sea route & land route

were flawed and full of gaps.

Land, flags and ensigns

reigned the old world.

Trade pacts inked or signed

now rules our new world.

With trials and errors

Mankind progressed.

With wars and terrors

nations regressed.

History is a nation’s past:

Of pain, glory and culture.

Reminded in a march past –

how we built our new stature.

First the horrific World War I,

then terrible World War II.

Next the Korean Peninsula,

after that then in Indo-china.

Conflict after conflict,

the UN witnesses.

Wound and pain inflict,

the world witnesses.

The fight against diseases,

the fight for women’s right,

the fight against injustices,

the past was full of fights.

In a real big fight,

evils took flight.

What historians tell

are all clearly spelt.

One turn then leads to another.

Early men lived in dark caves,

many tribes fought with others.

Now it’s have-nots versus haves.

In prehistory, it was for survival.

In a river civilization it was for

agriculture, barter or trade revival,

Time moved and it stood for

Renaissance & Exploration.

Then came maritime power

and global colonialism.

Today it is a shower of

free trade versus protectionism.

Money, commerce & trade,

immigration and road/rail transport,

relief supplies, food & aids

help all, including the frail.

The industrial revolution,

the growing population,

the knowledge explosion,

make sense of evolution.

First stone & iron age,

then came the atomic age.

Now the computer age,

or the robotic & digital age

Is our new welcomed heritage.

The UN disapproves misdeeds

but then few seem to heed.

The past is now all history.

In creating your own history,

don’t repeat past follies

and then be always sorry.

Om Nath Panday

7 SEP 2009

Winning Ways

This fiction, devoted to Teachers’ Day, is an attempt to fathom a pupil’s devotion to his teacher. A cabby feels that he is using winning ways to help a passenger surpass traffic congestion using another route saving her on transport expenses and spare her the frustration of being caught in a road jam. He thinks positively that after ferrying her, he can pick other passengers instead of wasting his time. He was also caring towards his passenger. Read on to find more about his winning ways.

A slow walking Malay lady, looking worn out or tired, carried with her a heavy basket load of items which she has shopped from Tekka market. The spread of anxiety and frown on her face belie the good soul within. She has seen better days when young as a beautiful and cheerful girl in Farrer Park.

She loved the rugged boys of her age and joined in their team of soccer or go to the gym. Those were the days and this attractive lady could speak or read with great fluency multi-languages: in Bahasa (Malay), Proficient English (not one with Singlish spread like that of a cheese bread), Arabic (for spiritual knowledge and advancement) and French (an aspiration to live in fashionable Paris). She was intelligent and successfully completed her Institute of Education training to become a teacher in a Secondary School.

She taught for many years English, Malay, History and Arts. Being a capable and hardworking person, she climbed the teaching career ladder fast to become HOD in History & the Arts. At home, she had a personal project on promoting a deeper understanding of the Malay culture through her extensive research and writing. It is hard to get such a merit teacher to teach the class so well that her classes always clocked with bright students, mainly bringing distinctions in their subjects. Cikgu Siti, as she was popularly known, became a role model for other aspiring teachers.

Well, the Siti of today is a far cry from the Siti of yesteryears. Siti walks slowly, much of her memory faded due to the progressive Parkinson disease. Sometimes, she has difficulty in finding her way home and at times she is temporarily at a loss if someone were to ask who she is. She tends to forget her own name and her own self. At the onset of this disease, she was forced to leave her career; the teaching world became the distant past as it receded away from her life.

Feeling tired, she placed her load of shopping item. A passing taxi driver stopped in front of her. Truly it was godsend. Siti was glad that Allah has listened to her plight. Seeing the frail lady, the driver personally came out and helped to keep her bag into the vehicle.

As he started the taxi, he asked her where she wished to go. Siti told her destination to the driver and he proceeded. Siti looked out from the taxi window. She could see the shop houses. This is a neat and clean nation. Siti look in amazement at the many positive changes because she seldom goes out of her house. Neat & clean: this aptly describes Singapore roads. The government has done a lot of excellent work in the building and maintenance of public roads. There is currently a major construction work near the busy junction of Serangoon Road/Upper Serangoon Road/MacPherson Road.

Foreseeing traffic congestion ahead, the driver advised Siti to take the alternative route of going into Upper Boon Keng Road, then cut through Geylang Lorong 1 turning into Geylang Road and then proceed along Aljunied Road. Siti was blurred about Lorong 1 geylang because she could not clearly comprehend the new option. However, she meekly agreed and allowed the driver to proceed. As the driver moved along the congestion- free route along Upper Boon Keng Road and then to Geylang Lorong 1, Siti realised the wisdom of the driver’s advice. Suppose if she were to follow the stretch of congested Serangoon Road all the way up to the start of MacPherson Road, the meter would chalk up a reading of at least $15, taking into consideration the peak hour surcharge and meter still working unfairly while vehicle is stuck stationary along Serangoon Road.

Once at Lorong 1 Geylang, Siti’s mind became crystal clear and she was happy to see the alternative route in a new perspective. She knew the Geylang Road but somehow could not understand why this idea did not occur to her. Anyway the road was now clear and soon the taxi arrived at Balam Road. The driver helped Siti to the lift landing. The meter was $12/= in all but he, out of sympathy, charged her $7/= only (returning back to her the green crispy five dollar note). A smile spread on Siti’s face revealing her momentary happiness.

A smile can bring cheers to others; in fact this communication is so powerful that it transcend over all human languages and barriers. The taxi driver became happy too because his kind assistance was well-appreciated.

A few days later, the driver was reading the The Straits Times when he came across an obituary column showing the face of a departed soul. As he peered at the photo of a young Malay lady, he recognised that she was his teacher in Secondary II. Thanks God, as the family members were unable to find her current photo, they gave to the press her old photo when she was a school teacher. His awareness grew further as there were two more obituaries in the same page bearing her name Siti Hazarah (one given by her ex-school staff and another by a close friend of her).

So now it became evident that the lady he ferried to Balam Road the previous week was actually his school teacher. Although he longs to meet her, it was too late now (he could not do anything).

The driver looks on sadly and his face becomes moist with trickling tears.

By Om Nath Panday

2 SEP 2009