More about Tiger Mom & Kids

I did a feture story for The Star (29 June 2011) about the Malaysian Tiger Mom and her twin cubs.
Here's the link where you can read the story -
http://parenthots.com/features/Raising-purr-fect-kids.aspx

Tiger Wives, East & West

After all the news about Tiger Moms, recent headlines have been hogged by Tiger Wives!

So, Wendi Deng is now the subject of tweets in the world of twitter….where snide remarks and wisecracks are aplenty….Examples, apparently from the West, are: Time to get a Chinese wife, not only can she help build your business empire (alluding to biz in China), she can be a Tiger Mom (alluding to Amy Chua) to bring up your children, and even double as your body guard!” and "Marry a kungfu bella!"

Wendy has lots of credentials, a smart cookie no doubt. She was born in Shandong (tall and strong), went to study in the US at age 19, got her business degree from Yale, moved on to work in HK, where she caught the eye of her then big boss, Rupert Murdoch. The rest is history….

After the valiant and gallant act of protecting her doddering hubby from a foam pie, a British MP remarked that she has a great left hook. But no, it wasn’t a left, it was in fact a right hook…or more precisely, a right-hand slap, accurately and speedily delivered by an accomplished ex-volley ball player from China, no less! J

Wendi’s sensational and meteoric rise to media stardom reminds us of other Tiger Wives of Western origin: Carla, First Lady of France; Cherie, wife of Tony Blair; Anne, wife of the infamous IMF ex-CEO Strauss-Kahn; and last but not least Melania, wife of Donald Trump with her famous words:  “I have a big boy, Donald, and a little boy, Baron. I take care of both very well.”  That sums up what a Tiger Wife is….as The Daily Telegraph said, The Tiger Wives’ Club is small….she knows that her spouse is less than he seems, and she, in fact, is rather more. She’s plucky; he’s lucky. J 

NOT suicide, NOT homicide... Now it is suicide

Logically, if a person is found to have died of an “unnatural” cause, what can it be if it’s neither suicide nor homicide? How about accident? If someone threatens you, pushes you towards an open window, where you lose your balance and fall through by “accident” and die, is this homicide? No? At least it is a case of manslaughter? No? How about using one of Simon Winchester’s favorite words” chance-medley”?

The following paragraph caught my attention when I was reading Winchester’s book “The Professor and the Madman”, not least because I was so intrigued and upset by the two cases of bizarre death – for want of a better description --at MACC office. 

According to Simon Winchester: “… chance medley is a wonderful legal word – the language of law offers up a profusion of delights – is ancient (first seen in 1494) and is defined as an

accident or casualty not purely accidental, but of a mixed character.

Chiefly in manslaughter by chance-medley (for which later writers have used chance-medley itself): “the casual killing of a man, not altogether without the killer’s fault, though without an evil intent; homicide by misadventure…….”

My questions are: Shouldn’t someone be held culpable for a chance-medley? The Bar Council claims that the foreign forensic expert did not conclude that Teoh Beng Hock committed suicide. So, it was RCI who made this conclusion, but substantiated by what evidence? Will there be another RCI for the case of Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed? I am waiting with bated breath….

Dr. Sun Yat Sen a U.S. Citizen?!

Oh My God! The Founding Father of Republican China (國父　孫中山先生)was a U.S. citizen! This is really interesting and intriguing news.

According to recent news reports, The American Institute in Taiwan will, for the first time, on 4^th July, make public an official document to prove that Sun Yat-sen was a U.S. citizen. 

This official document was issued in 1904, at a time when Sun Yat-sen was actively campaigning to call on all overseas Chinese to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. However, whenever he tried to enter into the U.S. for this campaign via San Francisco, he was continuously being blocked and harassed by the Customs & Immigration officials. To facilitate his multiple entries into the country, the U.S. government released documents to prove that Sun Yat-sen was born in Hawaii, and therefore he was a U.S. citizen; and that he was only temporarily residing in China. Actually from history, we all know that Sun was born in Zhongshan county of Guangdong Province, China. This fact is NOT disputable. However, he did spend some years in Honolulu when he was a teen and studied in Iolani School and Oahu College (now known as Punahou High School.) BTW, Obama also spent a few years as a student at Punahou.   

After a long history of animosity and distrust towards the Americans, today, the Father of Republican China is revealed to be a U.S. citizen, and just as China is celebrating the centennial of the Red Revolution. This new revelation is best considered a beautiful joke in history, but it is quite certain that the angry youths of this huge nation are not likely to be amused by this “announcement”.

Charting the way forward: Technical & Vocational Education for Chinese Youths in Malaysia

By Dr. Gan Siowck Lee

 Preamble 

First, there is a need to make a distinction between technical and vocational education. Technical education refers to the preparation of students for jobs involving applied science and modern technology. It emphasizes the understanding and practical application of basic principles of science and mathematics, rather than the attainment of proficiency in manual skills that is properly the concern of vocational education. The goal of technical education is to prepare people for occupations that are classified above the skilled crafts (from vocational education) but below the scientific or engineering professions (from more academic tertiary institutions). In short, technical education produces mid-level technical workforce or technicians, while vocational education produces craftsmen or artisans whose jobs are based on manual or practical activities, related to a specific trade or vocation.  

In the Malaysian context, students who exit from high schools (at SPM level) may opt for technical education. Depending on their subsequent performance and attained formal qualifications, there is a progression path for further education to obtain higher degrees as technical professionals. However, vocational education as defined above, usually target students who exit earlier from high schools (probably PMR?) or even primary schools. There is usually no progression path to further or higher education.    

Some suggestions 

My suggestions are based on the assumption that the main objectives of this symposium (as per  your article in Nanyang) are:

1.     To find ways of encouraging Chinese youths to attend government technical & vocational schools (funded by taxpayers’ money!) for effective participation in the nation’s industrial development.

2.     To increase the participation of Chinese youths in technical & vocational education from the current 3% to a projected 25% or more.

3.     To identify ways of integrating the various efforts and expertise of the Chinese community (especially in vocational training e.g. apprenticeship) into the government vocational education scheme.     

I don’t know how much data/info you already have about the state of technical & vocational education within the Chinese community. I don’t have much info myself, except the perception (from observations and hearsay) that the Chinese youths are generally NOT interested to attend government technical & vocational schools. (Many choose to learn their skills through apprenticeship.) Do we have enough data or info to strategize to get a fair share of the cake i.e. getting Chinese youths trained in the government technical & vocational schools? If not, I propose that the symposium focus its discussion on coming out with an action plan for the following:  　

1.     Obtain data/info about government technical & vocational education: how many schools, where, courses offered, duration, student intake policies (quota?), staff profile, medium of instruction etc. Compile and disseminate relevant info in schools through pamphlets, talks, and counseling. 

2.     Obtain information about school leavers & drop-outs at various stages, and compile list. Identify potential drop-outs and compile list. Disseminate info about technical & vocational education to them, organize talks and provide counseling. 

3.     Do a survey with these students to find out reasons for early exit or drop-out (before SPM or at primary schools), identify their interests in vocations, their perceived difficulties/problems related to government technical & vocational schools. 

4.     Set up centers (in schools or communities) to assist students in their application for entry into government technical & vocational schools,  monitor and follow up with regard to eventual intake/admission. 

5.     Monitor students’ progress in the government technical & vocational schools and provide assistance and counseling as and when necessary, to arrest and prevent early exit or dropout.

6.     Conduct extensive interviews with Chinese youths who have attended and successfully graduated from government technical & vocational schools, engage or involve them in promotion campaigns, or make video recording of such “success stories” to use as promotional materials in schools, community centers etc.

 7.   Engage the various associations (of people in various industries) to help identify expertise and vocational skills that can and should be passed on through more formalized channels of training, rather than mere apprenticeship. 

8.     Strategize towards integrating the expertise and skills identified in (7) above into the government technical and vocational education scheme to attract more Chinese youths to participate.

Conclusion

One of the anticipated outcomes from this symposium should and would be a viable and workable action plan. This plan may need to be initiated, co-ordinated or even implemented by 华社研究中心 with the assistance of MCA’s deputy education minister Dr. 魏家祥。A special operational unit has to be set up to carry out the plan, taking into consideration the need to source for funds.  

(Written on 26 May as a response to Mr. Tan Chin Gim, prior to the symposium on 29 May 2011. Chinese version will be made available shortly....)

Waking up from a dream......

The following was published in Sin Chew, translated by “anonymous”, and edited by Gan Siowck Lee

夢醒時分 Waking up from a dream.....

鄭丁賢 (The Editor, Sin Chew Jit Po)

你是否和我一樣，發覺身邊的親戚和朋友，似乎少了許多。

Do you feel the same as I feel? All of a sudden, I realize that friends and relatives around me seem to have become less and less.

以往接近過年時，各種聚餐排得滿滿的，而今年，似乎沒聲沒息。

Those years, when the New Year drew near, all sorts of gatherings and appointments almost completely filled my diary. But in recent years, it seems so quiet……

即使是平常日子，電話少了，與大家見面也少了。

Even in normal time, phone calls become less and less; face-to-face meetings are getting rare…..

也許，大家各忙各的；或者，目前流行“宅生活”，儘量避免出門。

Perhaps, everybody is busy with their own things, or perhaps, nowadays people prefer to stay in.

也不盡然如此。再想一想，很多老友和親戚，已經不在了。嗟！大吉利是，他們都還好好的，只是離開了馬來西亞。

However, this is not entirely true. Come to think of it, it can only be because old friends and relatives are not around anymore. God bless, they are still alive and well, it is just that they have all left the country, Malaysia!

去了中國大陸開工廠；王子不做工程師，移民到澳洲開小食檔；阿風離開本地大學，去香港做講師；青蛙去了台灣，開展事業第二春；還有的到了美國、英國，唔，還有去印尼的……。

They have gone to China to set up factories; Ah Wang quit his job as an engineer and emigrated to Australia to set up his little eatery; Ah Foong left the local University and went to Hong Kong as a lecturer;  'Frog' went to Taiwan to pursue his second career…. Others went to the US, UK, including even Indonesia ...

起初，以為這只是個別現象，逐漸的，旁人也有同樣發現；原來，這不是個別現象，而是社會現象；這不是少數，而是相當大的數目。

At first, I thought these are individual cases, but gradually, people around me realize the same thing. These are not individual cases, but a phenomenon of our society. We are NOT talking about small numbers but pretty big ones indeed.

外交部早前披露了一個數字，說明這個現象是多麼真實，多麼貼近。

The Malaysian Department of Foreign Affairs released some figures recently, they confirmed that this phenomenon is real.

從去年3月到今年9月，已經有30萬大馬人移民他國；其中20萬 人是今年1月到8月出走的數目。

From March 2008 thru September 2009, a total of 300,000 Malaysian emigrated to other countries, among them 200,000 left between Jan - Aug 2009. (In just 8 months!)

累積下來，已經有超過200萬大馬人移民，接近今天印尼外勞在大馬的人口。

Cumulatively, 2 million Malaysians have emigrated, and this figure is close to the number of Indonesian workers in Malaysia today.

不同的是，移居他國的大馬人，多是專業人士、中產階級。

The difference is: Those emigrated are mostly professional and middle class people.

他們有很多出走的理由，追求事業發展，為了孩子前途，尋找個人更大空間……，概括一句：對馬來西亞失望。

They have many reasons to leave: Pursue career development, for the future of their children, in search of better life and environment... In short, they have lost hope in Malaysia .

50年前，大家說，馬來西亞真好，好過香港，甚至日本。

50 years ago, people said: Malaysia is very good, better than Hong Kong and even Japan .

30年前，大家說，馬來西亞還不錯，比得上韓國、台灣（不提香港和日本了）。

30 years ago, people said: Malaysia is not bad, comparable to S. Korea and Taiwan. (No mention of Hong Kong and Japan any more).

20年前，大家說，馬來西亞還可以，至少超越中國、泰國（不能和台、韓比了）。

20 years ago, people said: Malaysia can do lah, at least better than China and Thailand. (Cannot compare with Taiwan and Korea lah!)

10年前，大家說，馬來西亞再差，還不至於像越南、印尼（中國已是不同級別）。

10 years ago, people said: No matter how bad Malaysia is, cannot be worse than Vietnam and Indonesia lah! (China is already in a different category).

今日，越南和印尼的經濟成長率遙遙領先大馬， 社會活力和知識發展也勝過一籌；距離愈來愈近了。

Today, the economic growth rates of Vietnam and Indonesia already far exceeded that of Malaysia. Social vitality and intellectual development of the country are also better. The gap between us and them is closing up…..

怕甚麼，還有菲律賓和柬埔寨、緬甸。

Why worry? There are still the Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar trailing behind us.

但是，一位經濟學家最近到菲律賓考察之後，認為再過20年，大馬可以取代菲律賓，出口馬籍女傭到全世界了。

However, according to an economist who recently did a survey in the Philippines, in 20 years' time, Malaysia can replace Philippines to become the World exporter of maids!

半個世紀以來，馬來西亞是在大宅院裡，用封建方式，分配祖宗家業，消耗社會資源，浪費和逼走人才；不談競爭力，忽略生產力，討厭績效制。

Over the last half century or so, Malaysians have been living in a big old imperial housing complex, closing up and surviving on properties left behind by their ancestors; exhausting social resources, squandering and driving away talents; they never talked about competitiveness, totally neglected productivity, and hated meritocracy.

亞洲金融風暴來襲時，大馬把門關起來，以為避過一劫， 有人還自我陶醉，自以為是天才策略。

When the Asian economic crisis hit in 1997, Malaysia closed their doors, thinking that they have averted catastrophe. Some even eluded themselves, thinking that they were such genius in handling the situation.

然而，其它國家面對風暴，走出風暴，進行體質改革，跨步向前，登上另一個水平；大馬卻還在原地踏步。

However, just look at other countries in the neighborhood: They stood up, faced the storm, and walked out of the storm. They overhauled their system, and surged ahead; they moved up to a new level. And Malaysia, we are still walking on the spot!

馬來西亞，該醒一醒了。

Dear Malaysia, it's time to wake up!

Hong Kong's "tiger mom" (Part 3 of 3)

The latest I gathered from reading The Star (5 March 2011) is that the two kids are now in the midst of writing a book about their experiences and success story! I can't wait to get my hand on it.....to hear from the horses' mouths, so to speak....

So, you have heard enough about the US “tiger mom”! Scary…..to some.
Now that you have also read about the HK's version, You can compare the two “tiger moms” and draw your own conclusions. But, here are my recommendations to all young mothers with kids:

First and most important of all, discipline your kids, so that they not only learn to be smart, they also learn to be good human beings. I leave it to you to list all the criteria for a “good” human being. (If you are NOT sure, read the Malaysian Educational Philosophy at the end of this posting. I am usually quite critical of our education system, but this philosophy is very well-stated, implementation is, of course, another matter....)

2) Yes, discipline your kids, but make sure they enjoy what they are doing, be it learning or playing. I leave it to you to be creative and innovative, in making learning fun and enjoyable.

3) Yes, discipline your kids, but NOT at the expense of their emotional and physical health. Give them plenty of love, enough sleep and rest, nutritious food and lots of good exercise and games which they enjoy. I leave it to you to draw up your own “sensible” plan.

4) Last but not least, discipline your kids, so that they learn and master at least two languages. Research findings have consistently shown that bilingualism enhances cognitive development.

BTW, if you are a grand parent, research has also shown that learning a second or new language at this ripe old age can defer the onset of Alzheimer disease and dementia! :-)

And, BTW, there are lots of "tiger moms" here in Malaysia, too. Look around...and you will spot them...

Here's the Malaysian Education philosophy for your reference:

Education in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards and who are responsible and capable of achieving high level of personal well-being as well as being able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, society and the nation at large.
[Curriculum Development Centre, Ministry of Education Malaysia, 1988]