Some would go to great lengths in skewing statistics in order to achieve that desired result. Certainly a positive result would increase one’s chances of being accepted in a renowned journal. Others might fabricate methodologies so that all would look proper on paper.

Indeed, at the end of the day, what is important is that it all looks well and proper on paper. This is what matters to editors of those journals.

The question is, are there truly ethics in the academia when it comes to publishing? Or is the mad dash for publications forcing academicians to skirt the boundaries of ethical practices in research?

Although it is important to educate the audience on your background and expertise, it is often unnecessary to remind your audience of this fact. Most educated audiences would have gotten that information at the start of your talk.

Often the humility of the speaker would be more appealing to the audience. This actually portrays confidence as opposed to insecurity.

So please spare me the agony, my dear speakers.

Note : at a conference in Singapore.

However, the civil service is often equated to the Barisan Nasional government. How many times have we seen government projects being labelled as “Projek Barisan Nasional” !

Hello! It is a federal government’s project using taxpayer’s money. It should just read “Projek Kerajaan Persekutuan”. The people would not expect anything less from the Federal Government. To hijack the project and make it your own is just wrong, unless it was fully paid for using the money from the political parties making up Barisan Nasional.

How many times has the BN government hoodwinked the people into believing that BN is the only party that can bring progress.

The country remains the same but we can change the managers. It should not mean that changing the manager will deprive the country of its financial resource, unless the manager has plundered the wealth of the country.

Malaysia does not belong to BN. They have to get that into their thick skulls. It belongs to her citizens. We are the shareholders. So treat us with respect, not condescending remarks that make a mockery of our intelligence.

Let this country be great again for the benefit of all. Let the bumiputeras finally rise equally after years of abuse by the select Umnoputras using the NEP.

I find these days that every event is being turned into a racial or a religious issue at any opportunity. It is baffling that PERKASA is warning against this rally when in fact, there is little to do with them. I was puzzled, so I looked up the reasons for the latest call to demonstrate.

From bersih.org ,

The demands of the rally are:
-Clean the electoral roll
-Reform postal vote
-Use indelible ink
-Free & fair access to media
-Minimum 21 days campaign period
-Strengthen public institutions
-Stop corruption
-Stop dirty politics

Is there anything wrong with these demands? Instead of engaging this group actively, there is an attempt to silence them. This only instigates more rebellion when the Government is seen as antagonistic to these ideas, which should be the ideals of any elections. Of course, the Government denies that elections are unfair and often points to their massive loss in the last General Election as a testament to its fairness. That was during PM Badawi’s time, a more liberal leader than PM Najib.

Back to PERKASA, why are they even involved in this fight?? Who do they represent actually? UMNO??

Let me tell you how corrupt our government agencies can be? A recent event by a non-governmental organisation representing patients, which needed police approval was delayed until a “payment” was made. Despite an initial attempt to resist this, there was little choice if the event is to materialise on time. It is accepted as a norm to “pay” police officers. If such an activity is rampant at this level, I shudder to think of the degree of corruption at a much higher level.

I think to avoid a BERSIH rally, the government should actively engage this group of people and show transparency in attempts to rectify or prove that steps are taken to ensure a fair and just election. This is not very hard to do. But any attempt to force the issue is usually met with stiff resistance and threats of violence.

Malaysia is my country as well and I hope that cooler heads will prevail on both sides of the divide.

This could have been preventable had this boy gone for corrective heart surgery prior to irreversible changes to his heart. Why then did this boy not undergo this surgery ?

Can’t help to think that money was the culprit in this. Funds for urgent life saving surgery can be shockingly hard to find. Government funds are often fraught with bureaucracy leading to channeling of funds to less urgent cases.

There are many poor Malaysian out there regardless of race. All of them need help.

We need more philanthropism in our community. Celebrities and businessmen alike should create foundations where applications for certain causes can be channeled. As of now much of their charitable efforts are shrouded in secrecy.

Government needs to set up an urgent panel to discuss cases that may need expedient funds. There needs to be a board to look into certain cases on a more personal basis.

Otherwise more souls will be lost unnecessarily.

Why? Why is it happening so frequently? The first week of 2011 alone, there was reportedly more than 10 cases.

The availability of baby hatches, where parents can leave their unwanted child, is not wide spread enough. In a predominantly Muslim country, where children out of wedlock are seen as an abomination, these baby hatches are often viewed as encouraging illicit sex. Even if available, many would not want to take the risk of revealing their identities by approaching these hatches.

Not all innocent lives will be saved but these baby hatches have already saved a few. That itself is an achievement. Imagine with more baby hatches nationwide, more can be saved.

Statistics may only reveal the tip of the iceberg as many would have gone unnoticed, flushed down toilets or buried in remote locations.

Sex education remains the pillar in our fight against this menace. Competent teachers and appropriate syllabus are important aspects of sex education. Talking about it openly does not equate promoting promiscuity. Parents should be the main driver in educating their children.

My only prayer now is that God protect and save these innocent souls.

I think schools should do more to assuage other road users and residents in the surrounding areas by trying to solve the snarling traffic at their doorsteps.

Perhaps one can have different drop off points deflecting traffic to different locations. Providing adequate waiting zones for cars and buses should be part of future planning when building schools. School authorities should provide ushers that can help with unloading or opening doors, hastening the drop off process.

Educating parents on car pooling or encouraging children to ride on buses can be rewarding. Parents should also be warned against parking recklessly or inconsiderately when waiting for their children.

Ultimately, city planning is essential. Road systems should be adequately broad to hold the heavy volume of traffic during the usual drop off and pick up times. Building more schools, thus limiting the number in each individual school, may also be a solution.

This is understandably a worldwide problem. However, we can do more to help rectify a problem that has been the bane of many parents and non-parents alike.

The decade will remain with digital technology on the headlines. There is so much out there at this moment that keeping track of the progress is almost impossible. Unfortunately, in medicine, doctors are extremely resistant to the use of new technology in patient care. This is coupled by poor support and enthusiasm from the IT department at most hospitals.

So much of healthcare is still trapped in using archaic technology of previous decades. Advancing ideas appear to be poorly received and hampered by the tide of bureaucracy.

Despite many IT campuses including one at University of Malaya, there appears very little collaboration between faculties. Hence, hospital administrators have to turn to expensive services from private companies, who appear equally aloof and incompetent. The millions that were spent on the electronic health information system has not resulted in any improvement in the software, which is fraught with crashes and un-user friendliness.

As we read about the excitement of newer applications of digital technology in healthcare, Malaysia appears stuck in the past, unable to unshackle herself.

For a start, I feel that doctors need to take the lead in using digital technology in patient care. There is an urgent need to improve on this front before we are left further behind.

Nuclear power has always been viewed as clean energy. As the definition of clean energy is when there is no emission of greenhouse gases, nuclear power certainly qualifies. However, what we do not see is the fact that nuclear power requires enriched uranium. This radioactive material is not only dangerous is handled inappropriately, or worse still, falls into the wrong hands, it is extremely hard to dispose of.

As a result, Malaysia has to think not only about building nuclear power plants, it has to think about maintaining a high security facility to store nuclear wastes for possibly centuries to come. Maintenance of such facilities is surely to absorb a high cost.

Malaysia should be innovative and attempt to harness even cleaner energy through appropriate research funding. Money planned for nuclear power plants should be channeled into funding research for renewable and clean energy. Nuclear power is not renewable.

The ruling government must give the people enough reasons to believe that Malaysia has no other alternative but to go nuclear. Have we exhausted all other avenues? The clear answer to that is no.