Saving Humanity and Planet Earth (SHAPE) - Global Webinar

 

GUYS - GLOBAL WEBINAR WITH BIG NAMES AS SPEAKERS, peace, anas

Greetings friends,

Peace

Saving Humanity and Planet Earth (SHAPE) is an initiative to address the multiple crises that have brought us to the brink of the precipice.

JUST has been part of this initiative since its inception, and now we are calling for invitations to join us on our second upcoming Webinar to be held on 23rd February 2023, 4.00pm MYT

The main goal of this Webinar is to lay down a frank appraisal of both on-going and arising geopolitical crises, and draws lessons from the Ukraine war and set new pathways to global security

To Register for the Webinar, please click the link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_YLETTUn-TeOKolWhFXuz3w

We encourage all our members and friends to also share this Webinar with others among their networks of friends

If you have any inquiries, please feel free to contact us

Regards

Hassanal Noor Rashid

JUST Programme Coordinator

H/P: +6012-3621155

LIFT SANCTIONS AGAINST SYRIA TO LESSEN SUFFERINGS OF THE PEOPLE CAUSED BY THE EARTHQUAKE - BY Dr Chandra Muzaffar

 GOOD TO READ

LIFT SANCTIONS AGAINST SYRIA TO LESSEN SUFFERINGS OF

THE PEOPLE CAUSED BY THE EARTHQUAKE - BY Dr Chandra Muzaffar

The International Movement for a Just World (JUST) urges the

American, British, Australian, Canadian, Swiss and some

European Union and Arab League governments to lift the

unjust, immoral sanctions against Syria in order to lessen the

immense sufferings of the people caused by the massive

earthquake of 6th February 2023.

A number of local groups including the Syrian Red Crescent

Society have already made this call. Among individuals and

groups at the international level who also want sanctions

lifted is Helga Zepp LaRouche of the Schiller Institute. It is

reported that the US and EU have suspended temporarily

their sanctions. But this is not enough because it means that

they can be re-imposed at any time. If sanctions have to be

terminated once and for all, it is because there were no

justifications for them in the first instance.

The US began targeting Syria in 1979 by placing it on the list

of state sponsors of terrorism. This was largely because of the

support that then Syrian president Hafez Azad gave

Palestinian, Syrian and other Arab freedom fighters seeking

to liberate Palestine, Syria’s Golan Heights and other Arab

territories from Israeli occupation. It is an indication of the

degree of influence that Israel and Zionism exercise over US

foreign policy in West Asia and North Africa (WANA).

Between March and August 2004, sanctions were intensified

as a result of new allegations of Syrian interference in Iraq

and Lebanon which impacted upon Israel. By this time, the

Syrian government’s relationship with Hamas in Palestine and

Hezbollah in Lebanon and its close fraternal ties with Iran

were at the core of US animosity towards the resolutely

independent minded nation. Needless to say, Israeli interests

were prominent in all these US stances.

However, it was only after 2011, camouflaged by the socalled Arab Spring, that organised, aggressive US led attempts

to overthrow the Syrian government of Bashar Azad,

supported by some of its European allies and WANA friends,

gave birth to a whole range of new sanctions from travel bans

and asset freezes to prohibitions on exports and restrictions

upon the oil sector. The EU also joined the US in embargoing

the oil sector. 20% of Syria’s GDP came from oil. It has been

estimated that the country has lost 107 billion US dollars

from its oil and gas earnings since 2011.

Some Arab League states also froze Syrian government assets

as did Turkiye in 2011. But none of these actions had as

severe an impact upon the Syrian economy and State as the

capture of territories containing oil and producing wheat and

cotton by rebel groups linked to governments, ethnic

movements or terrorist outfits in the region. These groups

collectively known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are

led by Kurds with longstanding grievances against both the

Syrian and Turkish governments and are supported by the US.

They occupy parts of North West Syria badly affected by the

earthquake.

It is this fractured and fragmented country that Bashar Azad

presides over. It is a country in which 15.3 million people out

of a population of 21.3 million are in need of humanitarian

aid. Bashar’s power and authority have been further

weakened as we have seen by loss of control over vital

resources and by crippling sanctions. It is understandable

why his government was not able to respond quickly and

effectively to the earthquake catastrophe which as of 11

th February has killed at least 3,500 people. It is of course much

smaller than the more than 22,300 children, women and men

who have perished in neighbouring Turkiye.

Nonetheless, the Syrian tragedy demands a response that

goes beyond rescue and recovery operations. It is a colossal

tragedy complicated by sanctions which impede not only ongoing operations such as the flow of basic necessities and the

arrival of much needed personnel but also hinder medium

and long-term relief and rehabilitation work. This is why

sanctions have to be lifted immediately. This is why both

peoples and governments everywhere should make this their

priority plea.

The conflicts between competing groups the majority of

which are armed should also be brought to an end as soon as

possible. It is not going to be easy. One hopes that this

mammoth catastrophe will persuade some of the principal

actors in these conflicts to reflect deeply on what has

happened --- the unfathomable suffering of millions of

human beings on both sides of the Turkiye-Syria border. If

their suffering is to have any meaning at all, let it herald the

end of conflicts and killings along the border and in other

parts of Syria. In this regard, it is encouraging that the United

Nations has appealed to all warring parties to observe a

ceasefire with immediate effect to enable humanitarian

assistance to be channelled to the victims of the earthquake.

There is another glimmer of hope. Even before the

earthquake, on the 5th of January 2023, the president of

Turkiye, Recep Erdogan indicated that he wants to meet up

with the Syrian president, Bashar Azad, to discuss and resolve

their differences. Let us hope and pray that both men will

work towards such a meeting --- a meeting which will result

in a mutually acceptable solution to their problems. If the two

leaders who enjoyed a close friendship some time ago make

peace with one another, there is a strong possibility that

Turkiye and Syria will be able to come together on a firm

footing and most of the other protagonists will also be able to

bury the hatchet.

If that happens, the deaths of thousands --- especially little

children --- in one of the greatest tragedies in recent times

would not have been in vain.

Dr Chandra Muzaffar is the president of the International

Movement for a Just World (JUST).

Malaysia.

12 February 2023

Have A Meaningful Chinese New Year 2023 - LEARN HOW TO LEARN

WHY WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO LEARN

Learning how to learn is a skill – a crucial one.

It is a much-needed ability not just for our fresh graduates and newbies but for anyone who wants to keep pace with the world and stay relevant. A skill that will help us learn new things, grow, develop and avoid becoming deadwoods.

Learning how to learn helps us find answers when ‘we do not know what we do not know’ thus avoiding our blind spots – the antidote of being ‘bodoh sombong’. Learning how to learn is an attitude. To learn how to learn we need to cultivate the curiosity of a child and the awareness that it is okay not to know everything and to look for answers. To ask questions, is actually, being smart.

Practising learning how to learn requires action and good habits. When given a task, especially a new one, do not rest just on our past laurels, experience and skills – just in case they are not adequate or worst still, obsolete. One must read, read, and read. Investigate and do some research. Be active in looking for mentors, coaches and teachers. Be quick to volunteer for tasks outside our job scope and what we are paid for. These habits ensure that we learn something we would have learned less well, more slowly, or not at all if left alone.

A person who practices learning how to learn is like a seed. A seed has potential. But it would not grow into a big, strong, beautiful fruitful tree without absorbing and making full use of resources from the outside like sunlight, water and nutrients. We can keep a seed in a bottle for years and it will remain a seed. Good seeds can go bad if they are kept too long.

Like a seed that grows into a strong tree, learning how to learn ensures that we make full use of all resources available and grow to our fullest potential.

HAVE A MEANINGFUL CHINESE NEW YEAR 2023

Let us add value.

Peace, anas

Have a Meaningful Christmas 2022

 

Have a Meaningful Christmas

Why the Razak Report of 1956 recognises the importance of English

In today’s globalised world, the lingua franca is English where the vast majority of English speakers are not 'native' speakers. As a lingua franca, English is the bridge language making communication possible between groups of people who do not share a native language or common dialect.

English as a lingua franca, not only facilitates interactions for trade but also political, diplomatic, cultural, religious, arts and administrative, exchanges. It creates opportunities for scholars, scientists, thinkers, innovators and artists from different nationalities to work together.

Malaysia recognises the importance of English well before Merdeka. The Razak Report of 1956 made both the Malay Language and English compulsory for primary and secondary education. The Malay language with the purpose of uniting the nation while English to give our citizens the added advantage - as a crucial means to “ensure that no pupil shall be at a disadvantage in the matter either of employment or of higher education in Malaya or overseas.”

Over the years, we may have forgotten this well-thought-out endeavour. Our people, especially rural youths, are losing out and is at a disadvantage. It is time we revisit The Razak Report. We need to reflect on its recommendations and rebreathe its spirit. Going forward, put in place a plan for success.

Let us add value,

Have a Meaningful Christmas

Why Politicians Lie

 

Six Reasons Why Politicians Believe They Can Lie - by Jim Taylor Phd.

Do politicians really think they won't be caught when they lie?

Good to read - go here why politicians lie

FOR SME LEADERS ONLY - FULLY SPONSORED WORKSHOP

Hi guys, I have limited seats for this workshop that we normally organise for Senior Managers and Top Talents at MNCs and GLCs. The Public Program price per pax is RM 4770.00. So, this is a really unique chance.

This one is fully sponsored by HRDC for Senior Managers and above - ONLY FOR SMEs.

We have a few more seats left, its a first come first serve basis. Please do not call or contact me directly but click this link to register https://forms.gle/1CxH5YZKfApjmp9d8 . This is to ensure fairness and we follow the first come first serve approach.

Thanks, anas

JUBAL - A Christian-Muslim Friendship

 

JUBAL

Dear Jubal, it was 20 years ago today that you left us. It has been 20 years!!! But I have never stopped missing you. You were always there when I draw lines for MAD workshop and at the end of the program when the group sings FANTASY - walking among the participants like you always do. And, when I listen to Ennio Morricone's The Mission - just to remember you.

Love you much, brother!!!

JUBAL - A Christian-Muslim Friendship

“And nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, "We are Christians": because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant” - Quran 5:82

In school, I was never good at choosing the right time to start and prepare for exams, so by the time I actually got to it, it was usually the exam week. I also picked and chose when to pay attention and when not to pay attention in class, with the latter being the norm. I would be reading something else, dreaming or plain half-asleep most of the time. Well, there were bright moments, although limited, when I was a teacher’s dream come true in subjects I liked – History, or when awesome teachers were teaching like Mr Teh-Ewe Hooi, Ms Lim Hoang Hoang and Cik Shakila Manan.

But it was still a shocker to me when I got P7 for my Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, Bahasa Malaysia paper – by default I was a second grader. My Bahasa Malaysia was always good and I was always praised by my teachers. In fact, in Form 4 my marks were sandwiched between the top Malay and non-Malay student for highest marks. In those days, they awarded two prizes for Bahasa Malaysia – One each for Malays and Non-Malays. On hindsight I thought that was silly!

Getting P7 was a problem because my plan was to correct my mistake in choosing to be in the science class during Form 4 & 5 and switch to the arts stream for Form 6 – and you cannot do that without a credit in Bahasa Malaysia! I was one of the fashionably naïve teenager whom after Form 3, rushed to be in Pure Science class not knowing that Additional Math and I were like water and oil and I had no chemistry with Chemistry. But, instead of getting to go to Form 6 Arts in Penang Free School (PFS) (PFS = a place only for the brave and the true!), I received a letter from Jabatan Pelajaran1 to report to a Maktab Sains2 in Seremban. Alamak3!

I was told that for me to be reconsidered into PFS, I must first cancel my name in person from the Maktab Sains in Seremban. So off by bus I went to hang out with my sister in KL and took a day trip to Seremban by train. The recollection I remembered most about the Seremban trip was reading Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings while listening to Bob James’ jazz music using Kak Adek’s (my second sister) Panasonic walkman. Yes, it was a Panasonic not a Sony and during that time it was cassette tapes not CDs, DVDs or Digital Drive!

While waiting for the returning train to KL, I had a good many hours to read at the train station sharing my Coke and Bob James with a few down and out souls resting on the platform floor. I lazed with them, had some deep and meaningful conversations about how life was tough and the need to carry on. A few years later when I read George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London, I recollected this very Seremban experience.

I had to travel and plead to the Jabatan Pelajaran quite a few more times, in person, through letters, recommendations, etc and finally, months later, I was accepted back to the school that was built for only those who were Brave and True. I was not alone; one of my best buddies Nicky Ng Cheng Loong was also accepted. We were the last batch – batch number seven. We both were already planning to register to a private school, Methodist High School Penang when we got the news. Phew!

The first time Jubal and I interacted

Jubal was the assistant class monitor at Upper Six Arts Three where both Nicky and I were placed. That pogeh fella (pogeh = smoke in Tamil, I will explain later) came to PFS only in Form 6. Earlier he schooled at TI – a Technical Institute. He did not understand and was a little annoyed with all the commotion caused by my presence. I was a popular kid in school and many of my old buddies like Bubba and Thiam Sin were celebrating ‘my return’. Furthermore, I was busy introducing the gang to Nicky, who was from MBS, Monkey Boy’s School, prior to Form 6. There were girls in the class and I wanted to get to know them too! PFS is co-ed at the 6th form level! There is a GOD and God is GREAT!

Jubal, stood from across the room holding my registration form and spoke his first sentence to me by asking, “Hey Anas! Why didn’t your father name you anus?”

“The same reason why your father did not name you jubok (anus in colloquial Penang),” I answered.

Jubal and the class burst out in thunderous laughter and he suggested, “Mari-mari duduk sebelah saya, kita mesti jadi kawan baik.”3

We sat together in Form 6. His words became like a prophecy. We became best of friends. It was a friendship built on trust, care, understanding, love and compassion. And we had fun, always sharing our own jokes that no one else would make sense off – we were teenagers!

We were an unlikely pair, he smells; I don’t. He was not an egoistic person; I was full of ego (and still am) enough for the two of us and three more lifetimes. He had a face full of hair; I could hardly grow a decent moustache. I could do the Moonwalk, he danced like a papan4. He wore slacks, I wore jeans. He was always giving in; I was always on the offensive. He treated his car like a queen; I treated mine like a slave. He was always well groomed; I hardly combed my hair. I swam like a fish; he was totally scared of water. He took 3 weeks to decide which room to rent, I took 30 minutes to buy a house but on the other hand he married the first girl he dated (bodoh5 fella), and I am still as single as the time he and I first met.

Our relationship was special. In class when we were seated, it was a norm that our hands were on each other’s shoulders so much so I would smell like he did by day’s end. Once a teacher, Cikgu Ismail, probably irritated by our constant whispering and smirking walked over towards the two of us and asked,” You dua orang kembar Siam ka?”6 I answered back with a question, “Cikgu datang dari Kedah kan?”7 and when he answered yes, I continued, “Patut Cikgu bau macam padi.”8

All three of us laughed. Cikgu Ismail was a cool Sir. Jubal and I belanja9 him a few nasi kandar10 lunch when we were in the early 30s; he was no longer teaching then and was transferred to Jabatan Pelajaran Pulau Pinang.

Jubal and I had a deep and meaningful friendship. Even our parents and family recognized it. Umi and Irene his wife understood that when I was back in Penang, time must be allocated for the two of us to hangout. Jubal started working in Penang after Form 6, while I continued studying at Universiti Malaya and later made Kuala Lumpur my work base. We made the best of whatever times we had together and never failed to make time for each other. We cared and think for each other always. We practiced empathy between friends, always trying hard to ensure the other party gets whatever is best.

After he got married, he moved to Balik Pulau – literally and geographically the other side of Penang Island. It does not matter even if my trip back was a short one, we would still find the time to catch up. If I was back for three days, I would drive to Balik Pulau on the first. He reciprocated by coming over to Fettes Park the next day. The third day we will meet halfway at Teluk Bahang for an early morning teh-tarik11 and roti canai12.

He would slip me into church; it was easy because I do look like a Mat Salleh celup13. It was fun as Christian girls know how to dress well and yet do it decently. Although Jubal will taruh14 me, “ Ceh Zubedy, in church also you tengok perempuan!”15. I took him to Friday prayers; it was easy too, as with a songkok16 he looks like a typical Mamak17 fella.

On a more serious note, we got to learn each other’s religions. I opened his mind and heart to Islam, and he did the same for me with Christianity. Not that we shared many books and debates, or discussions, but we shared a life together, a friendship and a living example; a good Christian in my midst and a good Muslim in his.

We saw the good in each other stemming from the very different religions that we professed. It made us realized without much funfair or the need for deep intellectual realization that at the deepest level we share the same Good God who is Caring, full of Grace, Merciful and Kind. That is why the relationship is deep and special; we are connected at the heart level. And, both our hearts are deeply connected to God. As Darrel, Jubal’s brother constantly reminds me, “I think God wanted us to be together, Jubal, you and I.”

While we worked hard at the friendship, life too chanced us to constantly meet. First it was the anus-jubok incident. When Nestle sent me for training in Kuantan, he was transferred by UAB (Use Another Bank?) to Kuantan too. He wanted to be a trainer-facilitator and strongly believed that teaching is one of the most meaningful professions. I started a training business. But it took almost 2 years for Irene and me to talk him into dropping his cushy salaried job and take the first step to be what he wanted to be.

It was during his first understudy that the term Pogeh took shape. It was during my Presentation Skills Workshop. To teach participants how to give a good speech, we first taught them how to sing. The song chosen for the activity was “Smoke gets in your eyes”. Jubal translated the song title into Tamil, “Pogeh Kanne Pat Te Re Chi”, and he would utter it in a manner that would make you laugh.

As he was tone deaf, it was hilarious to hear him singing it in Tamil. Later, he slowly changed the term pogeh and it became identified with bodoh or blur. So you can start a sentence with, “That pogeh fella forgot to pay the bill” or when someone created a big blunder, “Dashat pogeh fella lah”.

Jubal was a master in creating abbreviations and words with new meanings – his part-time job. So CAT is Chick Attracting Tool. The moment I bought the Mercedes E200 Compressor, he added a U in front of CAT, so it’s U-CAT – Ultimate Chick Attracting Tool. TIF is Top Indian Fella and so on. Anyone who had spent enough time with Jubal, ends up using all his funny terms and creation. Perhaps Jubal should have worked with Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka.

I received an email from him asking me to pick Irene and him up from the airport one day later than planned. They were having a holiday in Bali and he said he wants to Genggong (Make Love To, Have Sex With, or simply F_ _ _ depending on who you do it with) his wife for another day. Pogeh fella, now I had to go change my entire schedule.

That night just after midnight, someone rang my doorbell. I looked outside and saw a police car in front of my house and I recognized Mr Veerasingham our Resident Association Leader at Hartamas. I went outside and the police officer asked if I knew a Jubal Lawrence, as in case of emergency it was stated that I was the person to call.

I answered yes, ‘ Dia kawan karib saya”18. He continued gently, “Maaf saya ada berita buruk. Encik Jubal dan isterinya mati lemas di Bali. Encik kenal ahli keluarga dia?”19

That was more than 7 (today 20) years ago. We were an unlikely pair. I swim like a fish; Jubal was totally scared of water.

Love you and miss you brother.

“Those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve”. - Quran 2:62

Peace, anas