Not Ipoh Mali... But Very Good Bakery & Design Artistry Skills

... 146 Jalan Taming Sari, Taiping ... its called IPOH BAKERY, and they are churning out wonderful looking cakes, so realistic ... just wondering why call it Ipoh Bakery when you are obviously in Taiping?

Check out their full portfolio via Facebook, type in Ipoh Bakery. Here are some great photos:

You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato ...

How long have we been calling for an abolishment of APs, still around I see ... and wait, they now came up with an Economic Cost Benefit Analysis ... OK, people, lets do an Economic CBA then.

IF ABOLISHED
a) cost government (Malaysian public) RM2.8bn in revenue
b) AP holders' corporate/individual tax, maybe RM200m, assuming they make only RM900m a year

IF ABOLISHED
a) car purchase savings RM2.8bn to Malaysian public
b) trickle down, multiplier effect from HAVING a lower car installment plan, more funds to meet other necessities or other loans, maybe buy a bigger and better property
c) more variety in cars that can be purchased by more Malaysians
d) DO NOT NEED TO PLONK DOWN LARGE FUNDS for reconditioned cars, which will clog the environment, result in much higher maintenance cost

The government MUST not view tax/fees collected as theirs', it belongs to the Malaysian public. So the argument here is moot. The government does not loses if the public benefits by the same quantum. You want to raise back RM2.8bn in revenue, go increase petrol RON 97 by another 15%-20%, you will be taxing people who can afford expensive cars.

As for business opportunities for Bumiputras, I think any person with some semblance of an economics degree will be able to tell you that the APs is a created industry out of thin air THAT yields no "real value" in terms of contribution to PRODUCTIVITY, SKILLS, CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, VALUE ADD to the real economy. I am all for encouraging business opportunities and skills development, but make sure its in areas where we are adding real value, such as oil & gas, private equity, academic scholarships, etc...

Pekema: Abolishing Aps Would Affect Government's Revenue

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- The abolishment of approved permit (AP) for cars would not only give a negative impact to the Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the automotive industry, but could also affect the government's revenue through tax collection from the AP holders.

The Malay Vehicle Importers and Traders Association Malaysia (Pekema) president Datuk Zainuddin Abdul Rahman said the annual tax collected from members of the association amounted to over RM2 billion, eventhough the number of cars sold constituted only five per cent of the overall market.

"From the number of imports, the quantity that are brought in is not big however in terms of tax collection, our contribution is commendable. For example, in 2011 the government's import tax collected from our members totalled RM2.8 billion, and this increased to RM3.3 billion in 2012.

"This did not include the annual corporate and indvidual taxes. Moreover, the government receives new revenue from the fees of each AP for used cars of RM10,000 which now amounts to more than RM1 billion," he said in a statement in conjunction with Pekema's annual general meeting here Friday.

Zainuddin said the irony was that this was the only AP that the government had imposed a fee out of the more than 800 types of APs issued.

Early this month, the Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the government is still studying the proposal to abolish the AP for the import of vehicles as it would affect the country's revenue.

He was reported as saying that whatever policy that would be introduced to replace the AP would be able to compensate the loss of government revenue.

Elaborating, Zainuddin said the criticism that the continuation of the open AP policy would be seen as the government taking a 'step backwards' was unfounded.

"The issue of 'going backwards' do not arise as the open AP policy has succeeded in ensuring the participation of Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the automotive industry. This is one of the government's affirmative action in the implementation of the New Economic Policy," he said.

In this regard, Zainuddin said Pekema was thankful to the government for considering the problems that could be encountered by the AP holders, especially its members.

"Pekema has consistently said that the huge implication on Bumiputera entrepreneurs if the open AP policy is abolished is that it would kill the Bumiputera participation in the nation's automotive industry...if the proposal is adopted," he added.

-- BERNAMA

Published: 29 August 2014

Abolishing  approved permits (AP) for cars would not only have a negative impact on Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the automotive industry, but could also affect government revenues, said an industry player today.
Malay Vehicle Importers and Traders Association Malaysia (Pekema) president Datuk Zainuddin Abdul Rahman said the annual tax collected from members of the association amounted to more RM2 billion, even though the number of cars sold constituted only 5% of the overall market.
"The number of cars brought in is not big, however, in terms of tax collection, our contribution is commendable. For example, in 2011 the government collected almost RM2.8 billion from our members and this increased to RM3.3 billion in 2012.

"This excludes annual corporate and individual taxes. Moreover, the government also derives revenue from the fees of each AP for used cars of RM10,000 which now amounts to more than RM1 billion," he said in a statement in conjunction with Pekema's annual general meeting today. Zainuddin said the irony was vehicle AP was the only one hit by a fee out of the more than 800 types of AP issued.
Early this month, the Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed (pic) said the government was still studying the proposal to abolish AP for the import of vehicles as it would affect the country's revenue.
He was reported as saying that whatever policy that would be introduced to replace the AP must be able to compensate the loss of government revenue.
Zainuddin said criticism that an open AP policy meant the government was taking a “step backwards” was unfounded.
“The open AP policy has succeeded in ensuring the participation of Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the automotive industry. This is one of the government's affirmative actions in the implementation of the New Economic Policy."  – Bernama, August 29, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/government-will-lose-rm2-billion-if-aps-abolished-says-pekema-bernama#sthash.l65Szmul.dpuf

Abolishing  approved permits (AP) for cars would not only have a negative impact on Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the automotive industry, but could also affect government revenues, said an industry player today.
Malay Vehicle Importers and Traders Association Malaysia (Pekema) president Datuk Zainuddin Abdul Rahman said the annual tax collected from members of the association amounted to more RM2 billion, even though the number of cars sold constituted only 5% of the overall market.
"The number of cars brought in is not big, however, in terms of tax collection, our contribution is commendable. For example, in 2011 the government collected almost RM2.8 billion from our members and this increased to RM3.3 billion in 2012.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/government-will-lose-rm2-billion-if-aps-abolished-says-pekema-bernama#sthash.T8vFcsVz.dpuf

Abolishing  approved permits (AP) for cars would not only have a negative impact on Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the automotive industry, but could also affect government revenues, said an industry player today.
Malay Vehicle Importers and Traders Association Malaysia (Pekema) president Datuk Zainuddin Abdul Rahman said the annual tax collected from members of the association amounted to more RM2 billion, even though the number of cars sold constituted only 5% of the overall market.
"The number of cars brought in is not big, however, in terms of tax collection, our contribution is commendable. For example, in 2011 the government collected almost RM2.8 billion from our members and this increased to RM3.3 billion in 2012.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/government-will-lose-rm2-billion-if-aps-abolished-says-pekema-bernama#sthash.T8vFcsVz.dpuf

Happy Mid Autumn Festival

Amazing sand painting/artistry celebrating the Mid Autumn Festival ...

Gotta Love 'Em Goldman Bankers

Want to know how the top 2-3% looks at life .... how disdainfully ... (facepalm). Heard the following conversation snippets inside GS elevators.


#1: Some chick asked me what I would do with 10 million bucks. I told her I'd wonder where the rest of my money went.

#1: The fact that most people are too stupid to know how dumb they really are is the fabric holding our society together.

#1: Whenever someone asks how I'm doing, I usually just lie and say 'good', even though I'm doing a lot better than that.

#1: Checking your phone after someone else pulls out their phone is the yawn of our generation.

#1: ‘Do what you love' is great advice for making 30k a year.

#1: Some people assume I am quiet, boring, or shy, without ever realizing that I just don't like them.

#1: Poor people eat so much fast food you'd think their time was valuable.

 #1: The people with the loudest social media conscience conveniently forget that their iPhone is made by slave labor in China.

 #1: Work hard. Eat right. Exercise. Don't drink too much. And only buy what you can afford. It's not rocket science.

 "Money can't buy happiness but it solves 95% of the problems that make you unhappy."

 #1: Dinner with my wife’s friends is such a chore. It’s impossible to remember which ones she secretly hates.

 [At the gym] #1: What machine should I use to impress the girls? #2: The ATM.

 #1: Most celebrities barely have high school diplomas so who gives a shit what they think on substantive issues.

 “Hot girls will never know if they are actually interesting or not."

 #1: Only idiots get bored when we've all got handheld devices containing infinite knowledge at our fingertips.

 #1: I start every cell conversation with 'my phone's about to die' so they don't waste my time.
 Fox News panic over Ebola. 100% of scientists say not to. 99% of scientists panic over climate change. Fox News says not to.

 #1: The NSA is the only branch of the government that actually listens to people.

 #1: Starbucks needs a separate line for people who have their shit together.

 #1: I don't have an iPhone case. I'm not irresponsible or poor.

 #1: The grass is greener on the other side because it's fertilized with bullshit.

 #1: The new standard of cool is hanging out with friends and not ever looking at a phone.

 #1: Don't apologize for being late with a Starbucks latte in your hand.

 #1: You shouldn't retire until your money starts making more money than you made in your best year.

 #1: I love how politicians complain about tax loopholes as if they didn’t write the laws.

The Real Hunger Games

Aaron .Ho said...

I think my mom is trying to tell me something when she share this post with me.

Anyways, great article!! The points are (though I would like it to be untrue) spot on.
As one of those spoilt brats who don't know any better, I would like to post a question to everyone here.

I've realized that most of the comments here are spoken from the parents' perspective. While finding the root of the problem and breaking the cycle is important, what would you guys suggest for those young graduates like us where "the damage is done" ?

Like one of the comment said, we are lacking the "hunger" because we were stuffed like no tomorrow by our parents/education/society.. How do we get back that "hunger" ?

It would be great if the author or anyone could offer some guidance for overfed kids like us on how to be hungry again. Perhaps an update is in order? (Doesn't sound like I am asking to be spoon-fed ?? Hahaha old habits die hard)

9:49 PM

DALI:

First of all, kudos for your response, to be aware enough and having the guts to write in reply to the article are signs that you are OK. You may be "prividged" but you are centainly not damaged. I guess what your mom might be hinting is this:

- take up responsibility as your own man, as Russell Peters would say, "be a man". To be a man means to acknowledge your role, you are your parents child, make them proud. You may be someone's boyfriend/husband, make them proud. To make them proud, be the best that you can be, though thats easier said
- be responsible for your actions, inaction ... do not ascribe blame for your failures on others, your shortcomings on being dealt bad cards by fate .. take charge of your own life

- instead of asking your parents for help to buy a house (which is OK), first, try to do all that you can to do it on your own. Did you do that?

- being responsible for your own livelihood, think about your future 5, 10, 20 years down the road... how will you be when you get there? By what fate throws to you? Or do you determine your own destiny as far as you can. Do you sit around waiting for things to happen? Do you spend too much time doing things that will not make a shred of difference 5, 10 years down the road... clubbing, drinking, gossiping, too much time on the internet, playing computer games, etc...

- being responsible does not mean trying to just get rich .... it mean spending quality time when you are with your parents, friends ... think practical when it comes to your career progression, are you accumulating the right skills, do you network enough to gather the potential opportunities in life

- the hunger has to come from within, even when you have RM5m in your bank account, you must still have the hunger, the hunger to leave a legacy of some sorts, to leave the world a better place ... you can do that by being the better son or daughter, the better boyfriend/husband, the better friend ... 

- do not be wishy washy, do not procrastinate endlessly... be the person who starts things

- know your own worth as a person, there is only one person like you ... discard bad influences, discard negative people around you, stick with those who love you back or who will love you no matter what

- is this the best you can do, are you stagnating as a person, always do not be the know it all because we really don't know much after all

You can always find a "successful person" around you, why is he.she "successful"... they can balance things, career/love.family/money/enjoyment/leisure ... set your priorities right, learn to say "no" and learn to say "yes" to the right/wrong things.

Specifically in your career, try to think of issues from your boss' perspective, anticipate what is required to get things done, and just get things done with minimal complaints or excuses.

Problems With Today's Young Graduates (Re-post)

Wow! A blast from the past, posted this back in 2008 ... somehow, I find the current batch (2013-2014) of graduates to be much better than those I interviewed in 2006-2008/
----------------------------------
The headline may sound like an old man bitching about how tough it was during his younger days, I hope its not. Over the last few years I have had to hire at least 10-15 new graduates every year, and then get the unit managers to train them up. In highlighting their shortcomings, I have to generalise but I am sure that's pretty much the same conclusion throughout the country in all industries.

1) Rich parents - Parents who are rich, please note, generally your children will be assholes if you do nothing right when they were young. That's because the over mollycoddling, pandering to their whims and fancies, have shaped their character - which is pathetic. I have a few rich kids who have OK degrees, but decided to quit after a couple of months because they wanted to do something else. When asked further, they said they wanted to go further their studies. Geez, that is only an option if your parents are well off. After the years of investment into the child, there is seemingly no inclination of the need to be independent or self sufficient. They can have the option because the parents allow them to. What a wonderful bunch of kids.

Some even have the audacity to go for a long holiday after their graduation. You try to follow your Western fellow graduates... well for one, most of them work for at least a year to save up before they embark on their travels (I don't think we do)... and when they study, they themselves take up student loans which they will pay back when they work (which we don't).


2) Character - Linking onto the above, the same spoilt brats generally have poor character. When I say character, I meant ability to assume responsibility, respect for corporate culture, ability to apply themselves well, work at something, ability to learn and willingness to learn, and general people skills.

3) English - Now we go to quality of graduates. Most, whether they are local or foreign graduates, cannot speak coherent English. I am appalled that the Chinese schools are now clamouring for Science and Maths to be taught in Chinese for the first 6 years of schooling. Why? English is not a glorification of western culture, it is an essential tool for business and global communications. I am not dissing Chinese, Malay or Tamil language, but if you think you can compete in an increasingly globalised world with just your mother tongue, that is misplaced arrogance of culture. Study English together with whatever other languages you want, not at the expense of English. It is also not enough to just have a working knowledge of English, you need to master it. Education gives a person choices and options, and English broadens that scope even more. Can your child go and work in the US or European firms, if he/she wanted to? If they had the tools, they would be sought after if they were good.
  

4) Communication skills - Linked to the mastering of English, it is not enough to learn how to do power point presentations or run up figures in excel spreadsheets. A person can greatly add value when they can present them well. Oratory skills are mightily lacking in Malaysian young graduates. The art of persuasion, the ability to project professionalism, and eventually the ability to lead. Just imagine Obama without his oratory skills. I always exhort my friends with kids to forget about the ballet classes, the extra tuition classes... make sure you enroll them in the drama and speech making skills classes, there are a few around.

5) Intellectually not strong - When I come across even those who scored fantastic results or graduated from top foreign universities, I find some of them unable to hold an intellectual argument. If presented with a common question such as why are we now in this global economic crisis. Most I will hear are one or two points: easy credit, excess leveraging... and nothing else. A decent answer would have to include examining the crux factors, there are at least 5, and then ascribing proper blame proportionately. You need to examine a complex issue from a few angles. Our education system is such that there is only one answer per question in the exam papers. Hence after giving one answer, they think they have answered the whole question. 


6) Bias/Street Smarts - Some will say that local graduates are unfairly discriminated. I don't buy that. I tend to not look at degrees as that only tells me you can read and write. What most employers are looking for is that one quality - I call it street-smartness or ability to think on his feet. Can you be taught that? I don't know. It has to do will self assurance and inherent self confidence. These people are problem solvers, they are doers, they take the initiative, they will speak up at the right time, they get the job done by hook or crook. They rise above the crowd because they won't be the first to say "cannot do". They are achievers when they put their minds to it. They can be persuasive and they apply themselves diligently to master any new tasks. You have that, the degree is just a visa for you to travel further in your career.

We have too many followers, not enough street smart people. I don't think you can teach that at MBAs. But one thing for sure, you may be able to cultivate "street smartness" when they are young. Always encourage and allow your kids to join the Scouts, Drama Clubs, Leos or Interact clubs. To me, these are breeding grounds for future corporate animals. The interaction, social politics, club politics, camaraderie, application to one's objectives are all critical to encourage one to develop and establish his own identity and personality, and in many ways help them make sense of how the world operates. Most of the street smarts I know who now do well in corporate world, also did remarkably well in those movements and clubs when they were younger. 


Parents nowadays have fewer children, so they can spend more resources on them. This apply to not just the rich.  Don't molly-coddle. Some over protective parents do not allow their kids to join any society or clubs even. They get ferried to and from school and then to and from tuition. When home, they do some homework and play computer games or do internet chats the whole time. Time to rethink our influence in our young.

p/s photo: Choi Jeong Won

I No Longer Have Patience

“I no longer have patience for certain things, not because I’ve become arrogant, but simply because I reached a point in my life where I do not want to waste more time with what displeases me or hurts me. I have no patience for cynicism, excessive criticism and demands of any nature. I lost the will to please those who do not like me, to love those who do not love me and to smile at those who do not want to smile at me. I no longer spend a single minute on those who lie or want to manipulate. I decided not to coexist anymore with pretense, hypocrisy, dishonesty and cheap praise. I do not tolerate selective erudition nor academic arrogance. I do not adjust either to popular gossiping. I hate conflict and comparisons. I believe in a world of opposites and that’s why I avoid people with rigid and inflexible personalities. In friendship I dislike the lack of loyalty and betrayal. I do not get along with those who do not know how to give a compliment or a word of encouragement. Exaggerations bore me and I have difficulty accepting those who do not like animals. And on top of everything I have no patience for anyone who does not deserve my patience.” _ Meryl Streep