Love For Language

HAVING grown up in an urban environment in Ipoh, orang asli Noor Azamira Long of the Semai tribe always sees herself as being luckier than most of her peers.

Not only did she attend boarding school SM Sains Sultan Mohamad Jiwa, Kelantan, for her secondary education, she also had a chance to pursue a degree in the German language at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

“I didn’t have to go to school on foot or by boat. I am quite lucky (compared to the rest of my peers) that I have opportunities to receive quality education,” said Noor Azamira who has been working as a counsellor at DAAD, or Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (German Academic Exchange Service).

With that in mind, Noor Azamira is determined to convey the importance of education to her community

“Only with a good education and skills can we get out of poverty.

“Our attitude must change, and we must embrace knowledge as well as technology for the better,” she said.

Noor Azamira was among the 614 graduates who received their scrolls on the first day of UPM’s 34th convocation. Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was the guest-of-honour.

When asked why she wanted to learn German, Noor Azamira, 27, said, “German is a technology language that is highly useful”.

“It is not a difficult language for me to learn. When I was a beginner, I noticed that there are a lot of similarities between the German language and my mother tongue,” said Noor Azamira, who also speaks Cantonese.

RTM newscaster and host Jessica Ong Hai Liaw, 36, was spotted at the convocation. She graduated with a PhD in Bahasa Melayu.

Dr Ong said Bahasa Melayu was her favourite language.

“There’s something about the language that makes it so beautiful and special. I have a lot of Malay friends too,” said Dr Ong, who is also a teacher at a government school in Petaling Jaya.

Beaming with joy was another graduate Teng Wern Jyet, 22, who received the Chancellor Gold Medalist Award.

“This award has given me the confidence to carry out my plans to pursue a masters degree and, hopefully, a doctorate degree as well,” he said.

Debat Diraja IPT 2010

Gambar di atas - Pasukan Debat Diraja UPSI 2007 UITM Shah Alam

Sekali lagi Debat Diraja IPT 2010 dipancarkan dan kali ini Unmiversiti Tun Hussein Onn Johor dipilih selaku tuan rumah. Malang sekali 3 tahun kebelakangan ini saya tidak berkesempatan menyertai pertandingan ini dek kerana pelbagai halangan dan aktiviti. Pada tahun ini sekali lagi saya tidak dapat menghadiri kerana menjadi pengapit pengantin sahabat sejawat, Fazli Hussin.

Debat Diraja IPT memberikan secalit memori. Penyertaan pertama pada tahun 2006 di UNIMAS memberikan pengalaman berharga dan sehingga kini menjadi lipatan memori yang cukup indah. Pada ketika itu saya di gandingkan dengan Halimatul Saadiah (kini guru di Pahang ), Nurul AIni ( Pensyarah KMP ) dan Nadiah ( Pensyarah KMJ ) memberikan penagalaman pertama yang sangat berharga. Pada pusingan pertama ketika itu, pasukan saya bertemu dengan pasukan Khairul Anuar ( pendebat UKM ) dan kami menang!. Seterusnya penglibatan Debat Diraja ialah di UiTM 2007 dan UIAM 2008.

Buat pasukan UPSI 2010 sejuta harapan di kendongkan demi membawa nama universiti. Percayalah, hanyalah usaha, keberkatan dan keyakinan membawa kearah kejayaa anda semua..Bakat baru seperti Nuraini Muanwar dan Shahril Kasin diharap dapat membawa reputasi UPSI segah kegemilangan era 2004-2005. Insya Allah.

Percutian Idaman Seterusnya

Krabi Tahiland

Semoga Berbahagia Fazli Husin dan Maizatul

12 Disember 2010 Majlis Perkahwinan rakan sejawat Fazli Hussin dan Maizatul di Felcra Bukit Kepong, Labis, Johor. Pada kebiasaannya saya menghadiri Majlis Perkahwinan sebagai tetamu undangan, namun berbeza pada kali ini, saya diundang pula oleh Fazli sebagai pengapitnya. Akui jujur, inilah pengalaman pertama. Terima kasih Fazli. Semoga ikatan bahagia yang dibina kekal terjalin sehingga keanak cucu. Insya ALLAH.

Pulau Pangkor dan Cameron Highlands - Mengisi masa cuti yang panjang

Sebagai seorang pendidik hujung tahun sudah tentu cuti akhir tahun. Cuti yang panjang sudah tentu diisi dengan aktiviti-aktiviti percutian, riadah dan tidak terkecuali menghadiri majlis perkahwinan sahabat handai.

Pulau Pangkor , 28 - 30 November 2010

Cuti pada tahun ini dimulakan dengan percutian di negeri Perak. Percutian 3 hari 2 malam ini sebenarnya di rancang oleh abang saya, Abdul Rashid Lokman dan kakak, Rohaya Lokman. Percutian separa ahli keluarga ini tidak dirancang rapi, tetapi kerana pengalaman saya yang telah berkunjung lebih 2 kali ke Pangkor maka urusan penginapan dan pakej percutian menjadi mudah.

Cameron Highlands, 6 - 8 Disember 2010

Aktiviti cuti sekolah di susuli dengan mengunjungi Cameron Highlands selama 3 hari 2 malam. Berkunjung di Cameron Highlands pada musim cuti sekolah menyebabkan kami terkandas beberapa jam di antara Kampung Raja menuju Berinchang. Percutian pada kali ini bersama rakan lama asrama sekolah SMK Kuala Kubu Bharu, Mohd Izwan Mislam dan rakan pendebat UPSI Kadir. Di Cameron Highland cuaca memang sejuk dek hujan yang turun renyai. Namun kami masih boleh mengunjungi tempat-tempat menarik seperti MARDI, Ladang Teh, Pasar Berinchang dan sudah tentu Night Market Berinchang. Sesuatu yang amat di kesali, harga barang-barang di Cameron termasuk hotel terlalu mahal. Bayangkan kita menghuni hotel tidak berbintang tetapi di caj dengan harga 3 bintang. Walau bagaimanapun percutian di Cameron Highlands pada akhir tahun ini, sangat seronok kerana seolah-olah berada di luar negara lantaran cuaca yang sangat sejuk ( 15 darjah celsius ), orang yang ramai dan kemeriahan sambutan krismas.

Itulah 2 buah percutian ringkas sempena cuti akhir tahun 2010 ini. Cerita selanjutnya menyusul..

p/s: penguasaan penulisan bahasa melayu saya masih lemah.

Hidup Pelbagai Cabaran!

Dalam menerus serta melegasi kehidupan, pelbagai ritma acuan kehidupan harus kita lalui.. Moga tuhan tunjukkan jalan sebenar pada diri ini, hambamu yang jahil dalam melakar estetika kehidupan.

Pain killer that’s a real killer

A woman is fighting for her life after taking pain-relieving pills from Malaysia that may be linked to her liver failure.

K. H. Leong, 51, needs a liver transplant within the next few days or she may die.

Her husband, daughter, seven siblings and many nieces and nephews all volunteered to give her a part of their liver, but none was found to be a suitable donor.

Doctors at the National University Hospital (NUH) told the family that Leong has only a “short window” left to get a transplant.The Health Sciences Authority told The Straits Times that it received a report from the NUH on Nov 22 on this case. It is now trying to determine if the liver failure “was directly caused by the product”.

Its spokesman added that the product, which claims to treat joint pain, is not sold here.Leong, who works in public relations in a multinational company, had been suffering from acute pain in both her wrists for some time. An operation on both wrists in August last year failed to relieve her of the pain.

In November last year, a friend introduced her to the pills from Malaysia. The pills – round, black balls about 5mm in diameter – came in plastic bags with Chinese words claiming to be “homemade from secret ingredients of herbs”. It recommended that adults take four pills a day and children take half that dose.

They were priced at RM18 for about a month’s supply. She took them till July this year. The pills seemed to cure her pain. But in August, an annual health check found problems with her liver. The doctor told her to stop taking the pills and referred her to a specialist.

The private specialist she consulted spent five weeks testing her for hepatitis – one virus at a time – as it is a common cause of liver failure. The tests were negative. Leong’s only child, bank executive K. Y. Pang, 27, said: “We didn’t know it was that bad. We wasted so much time.”

She had been worried about her mother taking the Chinese medicine. “I asked her if she was sure it was safe. She told me that Chinese medicine has no side effects, and that they worked.”

The specialist put Leong on steroids, and she appeared to improve initially. But after a week, he said that her liver was 80% damaged. She was also tired and jaundiced. He then suggested that she check into NUH as a liver transplant was clearly needed.

On Nov 10, doctors at NUH confirmed that she had acute liver failure and put her on the waiting list for a liver from a dead person. Her extended family came forward to volunteer part of their livers. But only her four sisters and one niece had the same blood type: O+. One of her sisters, aged 49, appeared an ideal match at first. Said her sister Julia, a property agent: “I was happy to donate. After all, she’s my sister.”

But during the detailed screening that precedes such donations, doctors found a cyst in her kidney that could be cancerous and might have affected her liver too. She suggested removing the cyst first, then donating her liver, but doctors said she would need months to recover from such a major operation.

The other sisters were underweight and not suitable donors. Pang said Leong does not know how serious her condition is. The HSA spokesman has urged the public not to buy health products from dubious sources.

She added: “Consumers are advised to be wary of products that promise quick cures of serious conditions with claims that sound too good to be true.” In 2002, slimming pills under the name Slim 10 took the life of one woman, and actress Andrea D’Cruz survived only after getting a liver transplant