Zubedy eyes international expansion to promote unity idea by Cynthia Blemin - The EDGE

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Gen Y: Looking Forward into the Future. We want you there!

      

Dear Gen Y and those aged below 40 :) ,

Good news! We have a gathering just for you. Let's look forward to 2014. On this day, we are going to talk about these:

1)     Resolution 2014 - How to set goals and achieve them?
2)     How can Gen Y be creative and innovative?
3)     How to work with Gen X and Baby Boomers?
4)     How to be slim and fit for the rest of your life?

The Gathering of Unity for Youths (GOYFU) was started in 2011 as an avenue to inspire and engage the youths of Malaysia. GOYFU's ambition is to encourage youths to become effective role players for Unity in Malaysia through their efforts in the workplace, schools, homes, and neighborhoods.

Since 2011 we have had 3 GOYFUs, and this year's upcoming GOYFU will be our fourth. Harnessing what was learned and experienced last year, our youths can apply the information and spread the word of Unity. We hope this event will positively impact the wider nation.

Let's talk about issues and concerns that are relevant to you, to help add value to certain things that are relevant, impacting and affecting both your present and future.

A lesson in real harmony by Marina Mahathir - The STAR

Sarawakians are used to living with such religious diversity and have no time for the sort of angst that we over in the peninsula have.

WHEN I was a little girl in Alor Setar, I thought that Malaya did not extend any further than my home state. I did eventually learn that in fact it was much bigger when we visited my grandparents in Kuala Lumpur. But for a long time, my child geographical imagination was severely limited.

As an adult, of course I have been all over the country. And despite being a pretty small one, there are distinct differences in environment, atmosphere and attitudes in dif­ferent parts of the country, not to mention different dialects and food.

There is enough variety already within peninsular Malaysia without us even experiencing what is on offer over the water, in Sabah and Sarawak.

It is this diversity that makes our country wonderful.

Recently, I was invited to Kuching to speak to some young people about social media and whether it contri­butes to social cohesion.

I always jump at the chance to cross the water and it was a bit of a shock to realise that I hadn’t been to Kuching for some five years.

Besides the many culinary joys to be found there, it is always interesting to check out what Sarawakians are up to.

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The Launch of Many Colors One Race: 10 Nice Things You Can Tell Your Children about Other Races and #SSNC AfterParty

Zubedy officially launched our latest publication titled Many Colors One Race: 10 Nice Things You Can Tell Your Children about Other Races at our location in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail on 25th October 2013, Friday. 

  

The book is zubedy's newest addition to our 'Books to Unite' series. A known proponent and advocate for Unity, we have under our belt 16 titles - 10 in English, 3 in Bahasa Malaysia, 1 in Mandarin, and 2 are multilingual - that promote a United and emphatic Malaysia.

The Unity message in this book is narrowed down for the children’s palate. However, according to Anas Zubedy, the author and Managing Director of Zubedy (M) Sdn. Bhd., "Don't mistake it for a children's book. Yes, it was designed with children in mind but Many Colors One Race: 10 Nice Things You Can Tell Your Children about Other Races is meant to be read together by parents and children. It's a book for the entire family."

"As children enjoy being read to, it is critical that we acquaint them with the best of other races. From there on we can introduce nice things about others to our children." he added.

As part of the launch, seven Standard 6 students from Sri KDU Primary School were invited to read certain quotes from the book. Then Anas zubedy and the Sri KDU students proceeded to revealing the book for the press and audience. 

 

To add value to the readers, this book provides more than just stories to be read about Malaysian races. Children and parents can build their own stories about their friends of other races using the blank pages that are weaved into the book. These blank pages become the vessel for children to ponder, recognize, and acknowledge good traits of their friends of other races. 

"As parents and adults, sometimes we, without even realizing and or having the slightest intent to be malicious, say things about other races that may not be in good light. And this is passed on to them and possibly even imitated by them," Anas said further. 

Anas expressed his hope, "With this book, I hope this will create a chance for us to change the situation; to nurture positivity and love towards our fellow Malaysian brothers and sisters."

The supporters of #SaySomethingNice campaign were also given tokens of appreciation during the event, in the form of a plaque of acknowledgement as well as signed copies of Many Colors One Race: 10 Nice Things You Can Tell Your Children about Other Races.

 

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You can get your copy of Many Colors One Race: 10 Nice Things You Can Tell Your Children about Other Races by Anas Zubedy at major bookstores.

*The book is available at the retail price of RM27.90.

** For direct orders and bulk purchases (at a discounted price), please email aizat@zubedy.com. No postage fee for Semenanjung Malaysia.
  

New BEE is from same old mould by Zainah Anwar - The STAR

Making progress?: Bumiputras employed in the professional and management category have outstripped Chinese and Indians, while those qualified as doctors, engineers, and architects are almost proportional to the country’s racial composition.

There is need for a thorough evidence-based review of Malaysia’s affirmative action policies that began with noble objectives 40 years ago.

THAT the New Economic Policy has succeeded in eradicating poverty and eliminating the identification of race with economic function is not disputed. Malaysia’s poverty rate has plummeted from over 50% in the 1970s to only 1.7%, according to the 2012 Household Income Survey.

Bumiputras employed in the professional and management category have outstripped Chinese and Indians, while those qualified as doctors, engineers, and architects are almost proportional to the country’s racial composition.

Similarly, bumiputra corporate equity has gone up from only 2.4% in the 1970s to 23.5% in 2011, and according to other measurements, even higher.

These are all laudable achievements. No one is questioning the twin objectives of the New Economic Policy.

However, the debate today remains how best to achieve these objectives in the context of a more globally competitive environment, persistent income inequality over the past 10 years, growing intra-ethnic income inequality and other divides such as rural/urban, and peninsula Malaysia/Sabah-Sarawak.

Given these inequities and the rising intra-ethnic income inequality among the bumiputras and between Malay and non-Malay bumiputras, most of whom live in Sabah and Sarawak, isn’t it time for the Federal government to start addressing the needs of poor bumiputras through a differentiated approach?

Can an affirmative action policy targeted at bumpitras continue to treat this ethnic group as one homogenous community when data show increased intra-ethnic inequality as one outcome?

Should a policy designed to build national unity from the ashes of May 13, 1969, continue on the basis of ethnicity when this has resulted in increased communal tensions and undermine social cohesion?

What should be done?

Many Malaysians believe the unexpected announcement of the Bumiputra Economic Empowerment (BEE) programme was more of the same and politically motivated to appease Umno’s own Tea Party hardliners in the run-up to party elections.

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Have A Meaningful Deepavali - Friday in The STAR

“How is history taught? Is it taught as a living background to contemporary things as a clue to contemporary evolution…”

- Sarojini Naidu 1879-1949

Back to basics: Let’s agree on our history 

We have been a nation for more than 50 years. Yet we have not agreed on our history. We are like the six blind men and the elephant. Each one sees history narrowly instead of seeing it as a whole.

To move forward we need to agree on our history. We need to accept certain fundamentals and understand how we have evolved to be who we are today.

We need to look at history from a larger perspective and use wisdom to accept our history whether it suits our liking or not. We have to look at the facts. We need to form a history with truth as a guide. To do that, we need to ponder these questions.

When and where does our history start?

What is the importance of the Proto-Malays to our history?

How have the early Hindu and Buddhist influences affected our history?

What are the significances of Old Kedah Sultanate and the evolution of all the other Malay sultanates?

What is the role of Islam in shaping the Malay sultanates, culture, and traditions?

How did the Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Japanese colonisation affect us; especially the British era leading up to the formation of our modern nation?

What about the history of Sabah and Sarawak? How do they form a part of our current history?

Where do we place the history of ordinary folks, every community; be they the majority or the minorities?

Why did 1957 and 1963 happen? What is the meaning of 1957 and 1963? How do 1957 and 1963 colour our recent history?

What does our Constitution say about our historical framework? How does our Constitution capture our history and make it into a social contract for us to create new history?

We are who we are today because of our shared history. To live in peace and progress, we need to agree on a shared history and understand it. Only then we can create a better and united future.

As we reflect on history, we are still creating it. In creating history, we must decide what we want for our children and our children’s children. Our decision today will create our tomorrow. Let us be wise.

At zubedy, our programs draw strength from shared values and traditions. We believe that at heart, all Malaysians want good things for themselves and for their brother and sister Malaysians, simply because our nation cannot prosper as a whole if some of us are left behind.

Let us be first and foremost Malaysians.

Let us add value,

Have A Meaningful Deepavali.

Focus on the economy BY Wong Chun Wai - The STAR

At annual political party gatherings, we hardly ever hear any rational or clever discussion on the economy and on how we as a country should move forward in a global competitive environment.

IT always troubles me – and I am sure many Malaysians feel the same too – when politicians, especially those belonging to parties involved in the governance of the country, cannot go beyond talking politics.

If you follow the proceedings of the annual general meetings of our political parties, you will find that the state of the country’s economy is hardly given any priority.

Speakers at such meetings, sometimes called general assemblies, prefer to stick to political issues. They play to the gallery and engage in attention-grabbing rhetoric so that they can be guaranteed media space to reach a far bigger audience beyond the meeting hall.

We have seen them all. From apple polishing their leaders to making outrageous demands, some think they can play the jester but what they think is funny can be hurtful at times.

Sure, time is allocated for debate on the economy but more often than not, the speakers cannot see the big picture. Instead, it is always about how the various communities should share the pie, or who should get the lucrative contracts and projects.

The Opposition, on the other hand, seems to criticise for the sake of it, without providing a viable, alternative Budget. At their annual general meetings, the economy is also low on the agenda.

And yet, in a most ironic way, the Budget speech gets extensive coverage and is probably the most analysed event of the year.

At the annual political party gatherings, we hardly ever hear any rational or clever discussion on the economy and on how we as a country should move forward in a global competitive environment.

But the reality now is that the cake is shrinking. There is really no point talking about how we should split the cake if we cannot even bake it well.

And so we spend time quarrelling over issues that do not contribute to productivity nor help to strengthen the country’s race relations.

Our politicians are known for their foot-in-the-mouth syndrome and we have become notorious for making announcements first before studying their ramifications.

Be it a policy or a law, the tendency is for our leaders to announce it first, wait for the reaction and, if negative, review, back track or simply scrap it. Not only is the damage already done, we also give the world the impression that we do not give enough thought to all these serious matters.

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