Cabinet updates

News just in! The new Minister of Tourism is.....Dato' Seri Azalina Othman Said, former Minster of Youth & Sports. Expect to be some major changes in the Ministry with this iron lady. Will she be able to fulfill the vision for 22 million tourists and expenditure of RM48 billion for 2008? Hopefully there won't be any scandal for this lady that might mar her reputation.

Other shocking revelation, the iron lady for MITI is not in any Cabinet portfolio. Datuk Syed Hamid Albar do a 360 turn from Minsitry of Foreign Affair to Ministry of Home Affairs. A lot of Ministers & Deputy Ministers from Sabah and Sarawak. Lots of other changes. Just watch the news tonight!

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Last sunday, I went to Temerloh to visit my aunty who is in the final stages of her terminal disease. I was sad to see her so emaciated and weakened by the disease. I haven't seen her in ages and it was awkward to be near a sick person. She couldn't speak much, but recognized both me and my sister. I was paralyzed, didn't know what to do, or say the right things to comfort her. How do you comfort a dying person?! It's as if I was feeling her imminent death...

All I can do is pray for her, for her to be placed among those blessed by God.....Amin.....

Dawn of a New Era......?

I had mixed feelings about the newly completed PRU 12....the results were shocking but somewhat expected in certain parts, made stronger by the influence of the "resurrected leader". Somehow I was quite open to the idea that the underdogs can make a difference in Malaysia. Maybe we are too complacent and too comfortable in our life not to want changes but I think it's high time that some of us get used to it.

This is my second time voting, and I must say that I was a bit wiser in chosing the better candidate. Notice that I didn't say the "right" candidate, as I don't have much faith in political parties. I don't think it's wrong not to vote for the current ruling party, I think the trend now is that people vote for the leaders that they think have integrity, passion and can address the people's issues. I think the new leaders have a great burden and expectations of the people to carry on, so everyone's eyes are on them to perform the best to fullfill their manifesto. The same goes to the current rulling party, they have to work double or even triple harder in order to gain the peoples' confidence in them again. The theme "Berkhidmat Untuk Negara" should be their motto and not just something that people mock. The government really do have to work for the people and not just reap the benefits for themselves.

Only time will tell, or in another 4 years time, we can tell the difference!

Of headscarf and Malaysia

I had just finished accompanying a group consisting of really important people in the incentive travel industry. We were one of the organizing committee responsible in bringing these people to Malaysia, to showcase Malaysia as an incentive destination. Incentive is a reward programme that organizations give vacation or travel opportunities to their employee that perfom well or achieve certain target. Normally, multi level marketing organizations or corporate companies have this kind of reward programme. Incentive is actually a serious business and a lot of countries are becoming more aware of this and thus becoming more competitive in their bids.

I had the cheek to ask one of them what does she think about Malaysia now that she is already here, and according to the so-called professional in the incentive industry, Malaysia is unknown in the world map, or to be more specific, in the American map. Did I mention that most of them are from the United States? Go figure. Most Americans don't own a passport thus never travel, and probably don't know their own states. Just watch the new reality tv show "Are you smarter than a 5th Grader". Its amusing that Americans find ways to humiliate themselves.

Another incident was that during one of the hosted dinners, I went to the restroom and opened my headscarf to adjust it. In walk one of the group member and she just ignored me. I said hi to her, and asked her if she didn't recognized me because I wasn't wearing the headscarf. She was quite startled by my question but was polite enough to say hi and spoke to me. Later on the 42nd floor of the Petronas Twin Towers, she approached me and said that it was true that she didn't recognize me that night in the restroom. Its funny, she observed, that beneath the headscarf, I was still the same person.

We also brought this group to Putrajaya, and the the group literally dropped their jaws seeing the beauty of Putrajaya and the fact that we have developed so much in our 50 years of independence. Hopefully this experience will open their eyes to Malaysia and not just think that we are a 3rd world country, with no tall buildings, no amenities, no facilities. We have progressed beautifully and my hope for the future is that it won't be ruined by our current situation.