Ibrah 51: 27.5m

Malaysia’s population has increased to 27.5 million last year from 22.2 million in 2000, according to the latest census by the Statistics Department.

Malays were the largest ethnic group in the country, comprising 50.1 per cent of the 27,484,596 total.
They were followed by the Chinese (22.5 per cent), non-Malay Bumiputeras (11.8 per cent), Indians (6.7 per cent), and others (0.7 per cent).

Non-Malaysian citizens numbered 2.25 million or 8.2 per cent of the population.

Malays made up the highest proportion of the population in Terengganu (95 per cent), Putrajaya (94.6 per cent) and Kelantan (92.7 per cent).

The highest proportion of Chinese could be found in Penang (42.9 per cent) while the greatest concentration of Indians was in Negri Sembilan (14.3 per cent).

Seventy-one per cent of Malaysians now live in urban areas, compared to just 27 per cent in 1957 when Malaysia achieved independence.

In 2010, Malaysia also recorded 475,816 births, 17.5 per 1,000 population, versus 129,327 deaths or 4.8 for every 1,000 population.

Fertility rates were highest in the Bumiputera community at 2.6, down from 3.5 in 2000, while it fell to 1.5 from 2.6 among the Chinese and to 1.7 from 2.5 in the Indian community over the past decade.

Chief statistician Dr Abdul Rahman Hasan said the lower fertility rates could be explained by the growing number of women who are entering the workforce and increased access to contraceptives.

“When women participate in the economy, the age of marriage will go up.


[Bukan bias gender mahupun anti-wanita, tapi ini realiti. Kita mula bergerak menuju Jepun atau China atau yang lebih dekat Singapura, dimana kadar kelahiran yang rendah memeningkan pemerintah.

Kemajuan yang kita kejar, dalam masa yang sama menidakkan sesuatu yang lain. Kita semakin kurang 'melahirkan' generasi baru kerana semua orang sibuk mengejar kareer.

Nabi Muhammad menggesa kita meramaikan umat, supaya lebih ramai Islam dibumi ini. Sama-sama kita fikir.

Wallahualam]

Ibrah 50: Tax Cuts - A Simple Lesson In Economics

Economics 101

You may have seen this before but it still rattles me.

Tax, tax cuts and how it all works...

Sometimes Politicians can exclaim; "It's just a tax cut for the rich!", and it is just accepted to be fact. But what does that really mean? Just in case you are not completely clear on this issue, we hope the following will help.

Tax Cuts - A Simple Lesson In Economics

This is how the cookie crumbles. Please read it carefully.

Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that every day, ten men go out for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.

The fifth would pay $1.

The sixth would pay $3.

The seventh $7.

The eighth $12.

The ninth $18.

The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.


So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20."

So, now dinner for the ten only cost $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes.

So, the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what about the other six, the paying customers? How could they divvy up the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share'?

The six men realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being 'PAID' to eat their meal.

So, the restaurant owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).

The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).

The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).

The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).

The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).

The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

"I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man "but he got $10!"

"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than me!"

"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!"

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up at the table anymore.

As noted in a review below, this was not written by me.
No way of knowing who wrote this, but to the best of my knowledge the content is accurate.

Ibrah 49 :Melahirkan seorang 'Ibnu Sina'

Seorang doktor yang juga hafiz al-Quran 30 juzuk, bisa sahaja masih seorang sekular!


Seorang lagi 'Ibnu Sina' sangat jauh untuk dihasilkan dengan hanya mengusahakan seorang mahasiswa hafal
30 juzuk, kemudian mengambil jurusan kejuruteraan.


Kita mesti bercita-cita untuk menjadi seorang yang 'total' islamik. Seorang jurutera yang kerjanya memajukan masyarakat dari sudut kebendaan dan kejiwaan.

Benda dalam bentuk ilmu kejuruteraannya.
Jiwa dalam menjadi model seorang Islam yang utuh.

Yang memberi dua kali impak, samada dari sudut keduniaan dan akhiratnya sekali.

Amat sukar tapi tidaklah mustahil.
Zemanx

Ibrah 47: Conquer Your Sadness

Bertrand Russell’s  steps

First you must know how to conquer unhappiness.

1. Don’t be taken in by melancholy

Melancholy is only a passing mood; don’t mistake it for wisdom. Prolonged sadness can lead to mental depression, a sickness associated with suicidal tendency. You must believe that you can change your mood simply by doing something different – play a game or talk to a good friend for diversion.

2. Don't get caught in the competitive treadmill

Life is always a struggle. You compete in school, in university and at work … always wanting to do better and making more money. You really do not need so much to be happy. You must know when to stop chasing material possessions and learn to be contented. You cannot be happy if you are still greedy for more and more.

Feeling happy is the only true success. Don’t work so hard until you forget how to be happy.

3. Develop the right attitude to boredom and excitement

Everyone has a natural fear of boredom. That is why one always has the urge to find things to do. Very few people can just sit down, do nothing and simply enjoy peace and tranquility (but give it a try!). Do not fear a little boredom for a certain amount of boredom in life is to be expected.

The opposite of boredom is excitement but be careful in seeking it. Incidentally, there is a recent news report from Australia that the easy availability of Viagra and other stimulants has raised the level of sexual activity amongst senior citizens (that is, those over 75) to exceptional levels of excitement. Just imagine that. Excitement is best sought in small doses and in the right places.

4. Make your worries concrete, don’t suppress them

Get a sense of perspective. Ask yourself “what is the worst thing that can possibly happen?” For example if your doctor tells you that your disease is incurable, you must realise that worry will not make you better. The best you can do is to find enjoyment every day for whatever life you have left.

On the other hand though, when you have a difficult problem, do not suppress it because it will not go away by itself. Face it, grapple with it and try to find a way to resolve it. Do what you can and believe that it will be alright when the time comes. Remember! Prolonged worrying can cause mental depression.

5. Don’t envy, admire!

Since I have already touched on envy and jealousy at the start of my talk, I only wish to add this: Enjoy what you have for its own sake. Don’t compare yourself with others who are more successful than you.

When you are sad, compare yourself with people who are in a worse situation.

6. Fight back against guilt and shame

When you are young, you are easily influenced by your religious teachers and your parents. As a result, your conscience is formed. Many things you like to do but are considered sinful will make you unhappy as your conscience pricks you. Unless you are able to change your mindset, you will be unhappy.

According to Bertrand Russell, consensual sex between two adults can be very thrilling and the partners should not be made to feel ashamed or guilty. Russell expounded this concept almost a century ago. Today a majority of the people – at least in this auditorium – are prepared to accept the idea. A minority though would think that Russell was encouraging divorce as he was an atheist.

Statistics show that more than 50% of people in Europe and the US are divorced. Frequently many marriages that are unhappy do not end in divorce only because of the constraining factors of religion, children, guilt and shame. So to be happy, you need to understand and appreciate Russell’s philosophy on this issue.

7. Don’t suffer from an exaggerated sense of injustice

We must be concerned about politics because it affects all of us in so many ways and impacts on the future of our children. But you must bear in mind that you alone cannot change the situation or the flow of current affairs. After you have done what you can, leave it to fate and don’t be unhappy.

8. Don’t care too much what others think

"Respect public opinion only to avoid starvation and jail."

Normally you will not feel happy to do something without your spouse’s approval, or that of friends and family. But you must not be afraid to exercise your own judgment in certain important matters, e.g. when to buy and when to sell shares. Your wife may not be giving the best advice on these matters.

Everyone has his own opinion but who is right and who is wrong is a constant puzzle. For example, the Catholics forbid divorce but it is allowed by the Muslim and the civil courts.

The secrets of happiness

Now you must know how to conquer happiness. The next six measures make up Steps 9 to 14 of the Bertrand Russell philosophy to happiness.

1. Cultivate zest

Get into the habit of taking a lively and friendly interest in everything. The more things a man is interested in, the more opportunities he has to make himself happy. An introvert cannot be happy. Outside working hours, you must have a lot of free time to make yourself happy. Make new friends, have more hobbies, play games, surf the Internet, watch football and movies, etc.

2. Be affectionate

Do not be afraid to show kindness and affection to people e.g. tipping waiters and the jaga kereta. You cannot be happy if you do not have the feeling that you are doing something good and people love you. You will feel happy if you can make someone happy.

You can create happiness by offering scholarships to help needy students without expecting anything in return. I have done so and found happiness in this. All the recipients have to promise me is that when they are financially solvent they will help other needy students. In this way, they will continue to do charity and create happiness after I die.

Avoid an argument because no one wins in any argument. Remember how you felt the last time you had an argument with someone. When you receive affection or admiration, you would feel secure and this enables you to perform better. By the same token, you should do the same unto others.

Here I would like to quote from Russell’s book again. “The best type of affection is reciprocally life-giving: each receives affection with joy and gives it without effort, and each finds the whole world more interesting in consequence of the existence of this reciprocal happiness. There is, however, another kind, by no means uncommon, in which one person sucks the vitality of the other, one receives what the other gives, but gives almost nothing in return. Some very vital people belong to this bloodsucking type. They extract the vitality from one victim after another, but while they prosper and grow interesting, those upon whom they live grow pale and dim and dull.”

3. Be a good parent

Give your child time and not too much money.

The bond between parents and children is often one of the greatest source of happiness. But in many cases, it is also a source of unhappiness to both parties. In fact, studies show that in most cases, at least one of both parties is unhappy in the relationship. The reasons for this phenomenon are too many and varied and would be outside the scope of this talk.

4. Do interesting, varied and constructive work

Living in a competitive world, one is born to do work. Everyone needs to work. Work prevents boredom. Even uninteresting work will make holidays more enjoyable. Work offers the opportunity for you to achieve your ambition. Try to find interesting work so that you can enjoy doing it.

5. Cultivate plenty of relaxing minor interests

Enjoy as many hobbies and pursuits as you can; make sure these provide a difference from your day job. For example: Keep a dog, read, surf the Net, play games, watch TV or contact your friends more frequently. You must realise most of your enjoyment is generated from the people closest to you – your friends, children and your spouse.

6. Find the right balance between effort and resignation

A man occupies almost all his time in worrying about his wife, children, his work and his financial position. All these burdens are bound to depress and tire him.

Very few people, except singles, have never quarreled with their spouses. Very few parents have not endured grave anxiety when their children are ill. Very few businessmen have never met financial difficulties and few professional men have not faced periods of failure. It is at such times that the wide variety of cultivated interests provides an outlet for amusement and happiness.

Joy in sharing

Let me end by emphasizing again that happiness is a state of mind.

Research has identified a number of attributes that correlate with happiness: Relationships and social interaction, marital status, employment, health, democratic freedom, optimism, religious involvement, income and proximity to other happy people.

Philosophers and religious thinkers often define happiness in terms of living or leading a good life rather than simply as an emotion. I recommend this traditional definition of happiness to all of you.

In my talk tonight, I have attempted to go beyond the conquest of happiness as it has been analysed by Bertrand Russell. This I have done by introducing an additional important element and that is the joy and contentment that comes with giving and sharing.

Finally, if even one of you here tonight goes home stimulated by this talk and feels inspired to share your talent and material wealth with others, then I will feel that it has been a successful outcome.

Ibrah 48:Cermin Kehidupan

Sungguh lama sekali tidak menulis sesuatu dalam blog ini. Tahun yang amat sibuk dalam karier dengan pelbagai perubahan dan tanda aras dalam kehidupan berkeluarga.Semoga Allah terus merahmati dan menyayangi kita semua.


Terkesan dengan kuliah ringkas di subuhari di Tinggi Alpha, berbicara tentang kepentingan membentuk ahli keluarga sendiri supaya berfikiran positif dan kental mentalnya. Si suami di pelantar minyak rata-rata meninggalkan tanggungjawab mendidik anak-anak sepenuhnya kepada isteri dirumah.Justeru isteri tiada pilihan selain menjadi super-mama dlm kehidupan.Renungan buat diri isteri-isteri. Mampukah kalian?

Isteri itu cermin kepada suami.Begitu sebaliknya.

Bila anda menyunting seorang perawan yg baik budi, baik pekerti menjadi suri anda, maka ingatlah yang barang baik itu tidak akan kekal baik jika tiada penambahbaikan. Tarbiah rumahtangga mesti seiring supaya suami-isteri kekal menjadi manusia berkualiti kepada pasangan masing-masing dan juga kepada masyarakat.

Buruknya perangai isteri adalah berpunca dari si suami.
Buruknya tingkahlaku anak-anak berpunca dari ayah dan ibu.
Lalai si suami jika isteri tiada berperanan.

Usah mengomel isteri tidak sempurna,banyak perangai dan kalian mahu cari lain yang lebih baik.Adat alam kalian akan 'dapat' yang berperangai sama atau lebih teruk. Sunnah alam, jika mahu kek yang gebu, kena cari penguli yang terbaik. Jika kalian sekadar gred C, manakan logik mahu mengharap isteri kalian Gred A?

Cermin diri sendiri.
Jangan jadi Pak Pandir.

Tiada pilihan - jika benar mahu rumahtangga itu kekal terbina dengan unsur kasih-sayang, maka usah diabaikan sama sekali unsur penambahbaikan.

Buat tidak tahu dan tidak peduli seumpama kanser dalam rumahtangga. Tiada disedari sehingga sudah tahap 4 menunggu ajal.Jangan sampai ditahap itu baru berani untuk berubah.Usah jadi dayus. Isteri dan anak itu beban terberatmu didunia. Silap langkah,api neraka bukan main panasnya.
Buat renungan pada diri sendiri dan isteri.Semoga bermanfaat.

Wassalam
Tinggi Alpha

Ibrah 44: Jerung Dalam Kehidupan

Masalah itu sesungguhnya adalah sahabat.
Ia mendewasakan,ia mematangkan dan ia menambahbaik diri kita.


Cuma,mestilah menyelesaikan masalah itu dengan jiwa dan akal yang positif. Kerana berfikiran positif sahaja kunci untuk kita belajar dan mengambil ibrah dari apa-apa jua masalah.


Berfikiran negatif hanya menambah masalah.Masalah tidak terungkai, teladan pun tidak tercerna, yang tinggal, kegusaran hati yang kian menambah, keluh-kesah yang tidak kunjung habis.


Amat rugi.


Sekadar memetik satu cerita yang memberi inspirasi. Kita ini manusia lemah, Tuhan jadikan alam ini tidak sia-sia, maka, belajarlah dan ambillah ibrah sebanyak mungkin, walau dari cerita sang nelayan.

Kisah Nelayan Jepun


The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever.


The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh.


The Japanese did not like the taste.


To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their
boats.


They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen
fish.


The frozen fish brought a lower price. So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive.


Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish.


So how did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan? If you were consulting the fish industry, what would you recommend?


How Japanese Fish Stay Fresh:


To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very
lively state. The fish are challenged.


Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired & dull, so we need a Shark in our life to keep us awake and moving? Basically in our lives Sharks are new challenges to
keep us active and taste better...


The more intelligent, persistent and competent you are, the more you enjoy a challenge


"If your challenges are the correct size, and if you are steadily conquering those challenges, you are Conqueror. You think of your challenges and get energized. You are excited to try new solutions. "




Wassalam.
MO KL