WEEK 7 -POST CNY

After long weekend, I have to be back in Lanai earlier than before since I to send my son and daughter to SA bus station and Jalan Duta after CNY holiday break. The monday class started with Dr KhaminderSsingh on Globalisation topic and the evening we have birtday session. The next day we have OTW than everybody take the oppurtunity to complete reading the book for their book review assignment. I have to amend my book review and bind it at night. Class Research Methodology conducted in UKM and all CP were in planters order had to remove our necktie due to the aircond problems and the class also not enough tables for CP. The class end up at 1600hr. The class on thursday by Dr Ruhnas and we satar with group 4 presentation (Supt Mohamed, Lcol Radzi, LCol MNor and follow by lectures on FP Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam. The week 8 schedule quiet heavy with 3 full day until 5 pm. We having new subject -Crisis mnanagement and Resolution By Dr Kamrulnizam, RM and India Foreign, Economic and Defence Policies. Next week we having the Army Day and CNY celeberation at Flamingo hotel. But not to forget we have to submit group assignment for Regional Field Studies to Indonesia dan Philiphines. My IC Dr Yunus RMAF have sending message on the gp amended copy for us to check and update whatever data required. By monday we have to resit and discuss it for final amendment. At this moment I still searching my problems statement on my thesisi paper. Two more assignment must be ready before 21 Mac. I promise to myself to complete it before the date planned since after coming back RFS we have to prepare for the RM coloquim on 5 to 9 Apr. On the admin and socio side I have receiced 5 invitation cards for wedding cerominies starting from this week end until end of school holiday. The furthers is Kuantan on 7 Mac.(Baha 27, Baijuri 28 Feb, Roslan, Abdullah 7 Mac, 13 Mac Rosli)

WEEKS 6-MAFDC

The course reaching to weeks 7, for the past 6 weeks everything look more enjoyable with more assignment keep coming. The week 7 supposed to start with lecture from Dr Jun on our qualitative reasearch in UKM but the lecture cancelled and we have to do own research. I managed to use the time to bring my wife to HTM di Setia Wangsa for medical check up. We arrived befeore 7 and while waiting for turn, we meet Kak Sad and K Ezam, K Kadir and BG Azmy after 2 year missing on duty. At hospital we meet more old friend who visiting the HTM for thier own purposes. Around 10 we were in room 3 meeting Dr Liza who just came back from Western Sahara on Medtim UN mission. The second day 0n 18 Feb, my group presentation take the stage with the topic of Malaysian Foreign Policy Mahathir Era which shapes his FP with economic diplomacy. We manage to present in the specific time given and not much comments from Dr Ruhanas. In the evening our class continue with guest lecturer from Indonesian Embassy bapak Djoko Haryanto on the Indonesia's Foreign policy, Economic and Defence policies. The IO is from Bapak Col Laut Atok Dushanto. The class end up befeore 5pm. The next day we have our Dr Z class with special lectures from Mr Kuik Cheng Chwee, Senior lecturer, PPFS, UKM. His topic on the Constructism -Its Assumption and Application. The shift of Realism, liberalism to new paradigm of Constructivism. It was a good lectures and easily can be pick up in understanding new taught of theory. After Friday prayers at Masjid Solihin Bangi, the golf player proceed to Bukit Unggul Golf Club for our Course MAFDC tournamont. Only 2 Ds turnup (Dato Lee and Dr Zakaria). Eventhough about 2 month did not swing the golf , I manage to arrives with no 3 best scores for first nine but on the second nine is the worst. This prove that my handicapped maintain at 24. The golf also give the opportunity for me to know Dato Lee (DS Navy) and also my friend Malik and Radzi. It is a good exercise after the hard work of the week and good present of my presentation and warm-up essay. The week 7 will be more challenging with submission of book reviews and my thesis proposal which to push to gear 2 meeting with my supervisors. The weeks 8 and 9 I have to prepare my group presentation on Philippines Defence Policy and the paper for Regional Visit to Jakarta, Bandong and Manila. Our Army Day on 1 Mac also need to be discuss further with CP Army especially on the events for the day. Wasaalam.

LONG HOLIDAY CNY

Last Saturday until Tuesday is the CNY holidays, even though on holiday mood, I list down few thing to do during the holidays. After go through my dairy, I managed to clear one assignment but still continoues reading 4 books (On Strategy: completed first reading, MFP 1981-2003- 2 chapters, left only 2 more chapters to finished, read a few chapters in Reflections on ASEAN-related to my slide presentation, and chapter 1 Research Methodoly). Apart of my study, I managed to finished my plan to repair and modified bookshelf for my children and cleaned my house compound. Unfortunately today all my plan on assignment need to be seige due to my daughter birthday. Last year we all managed to wish her through phone since she in the college(Arau), but this time we plan to have some small family gathering but it became more marrier when my brother in law with family (Angah and Suri) arrived with Pizza Hut. Thank you to my first son who throw in satay Kajang from his salary and the elder daughter bought birthday cake from secret recipes. My wife also cook simple lunch with beef steak (last year qurban), vege and masak lemak nenas ikan talang masin. While she cooking, myself and the third son doing DIY fixing the bookself, modified showcase and arrangging the front porch. We have our lunch at 3pm. Angah also brought me bonsai tea tree, now I have 4 BT in my collection a apart of my eel pet. Eventhough I have some backache, by doing the work I like most all the paint gone. After 10pm I came back to check the emails and prepare for tommorow lectures but the bad new our class in UKM is cancell, but I plan to be in the college to discuss my gp presentation and searching articles/burrows some books for my reseach thesis. The good side of today birthday I do not spent on cake and main lunch as usual and today celebration also including Mak Ngah Ana (biras) belated birtday which fall on the 13 of Feb. It is a good holidays that I can spend my quality time with all my children who are back home and the event allow our families (in law family) togetherness. Alfatihah to Sairah my Mother in -law and Mohd Sidek father in-law RIP.

MY WAY-------WAYS AND WHAT WAY......TO....

I have planned my holiday to read on the subjects related on my assignments and thesis (read few books) on my thesis. One full baggage of books taken home but only few open and glance through. The holiday moods look to control my laziness and fall to sleep when open the few pages. Lastly I end up searching few related articles in the websites. The first day CNY holiday, I managed to complete the PowerPoint for Gp presentation on 18 Feb 09 and email to my gp for comments. There are few more on my list still pending. The work seem not roll out since I don't have the knowledge on the subjects matters and all requires reading before I could pick up the important salient points to write in my assignments. Sometimes my wife encouraged me by reading loudly at my side to motivate/help me awake, thank to her, unfortunately while she reading myself sound snoring beside her patiently. The only way, I then switch on to e-mails, blogs and reading from the web. Today, all my children back home and my wife busy preparing food and hearing the news before relying back to me. Tomorrow, we plan to have Birthday party for Illah my third children celebrating her 22 years old birthday. I also plan to fix up new bookshelf for my son in their bedroom. For the past one month, most of my free time is gluing in the bedroom practice writing, force reading and glancing into my unfinished assignment........ at the end I went down having my lunch and snacks. In the evening I prefers to go for jogging at Taman Rakyat or gardening at our house compound. Aha..... this ways how I managed my time? It is right or wrong? at least I know where I spend my times and hope by Mac I could manages my precious time properly and rightfully.

CNY

My housing area surround with Chinese and Indian. Last month was the Ponggol festival for Indian and today is the CNY celebration. During the ponggal there is no holiday and I am way in KL but from my wife I have the input about the activities celebrated during that night. Last night and the previous CNY after having their grand dinner, the firecrackers and CNYsong take place untill midnight and continous like war cannon and bombs until early morning. To us it is normal since we moved in 1998, but some times middle of the night the loud bang of firecracker wake us up. To some maybe apart of their culture but sometimes the tolenrance should be coorperates with the action and the neighbours harmony. Do they think about others who need sleep in peace. The activities to be stop at least untill midnight, and they can start burning "monies" from 0600 morning until midnight. The can burned thier money as much as they want but they must tolerates and think about others. I also see the Ponggal nowdays follows the firecrackers culture and more often whatever holidays or any celebration the sounds of firecracks or fireworks is a must. From where they get the illegal stocks or who is the supplier? There are rules and regulations and enforcement body to controlled the banned items but why all this easily found in markets? So many arrest made on the smuggling firecrackers but many in the markets ? Why is it because no one do thier job what they suppose to do? or they are deaft to hear the sound or the sound to them like thunderstorm and lightning during rainy season eventhough there are under the hot sun. To report and complaint or to argue is no use but to educates and to curb the source of supplier is wiser. Higher penalty and jails the pusher and supplier will only make way for better living for people at large but the demand and supply must be controlled by govern body with No Corrupt and Good jobs.

My thesis topic was forwarded to HOSSIR for approval by DS Council on the 18 Jan 2010. My topic was amended according to the wider scope of security in Southeast Asian. It is easier to look at bigger scope then later focus to the more specific issue. Luckily my topic only required minor amendments. The new topic proposal have been forwarded on the 8 Feb for UKM approval. started from last weeks, most CP already started reading on the relevant topic. We have to read at least 10 books, journal and articles to form up theoritaical frameworks and conceptualisation of the problems statement. The coloquim on our proposal will be presented to supervisors and college council somewher Apr 2010. My topic is The Singapore Challenges in Southeast Asian Security. I have to chart the millestone on conceptualization my thesis so that I have more time to complete other assignments by Okt 2010..................

CDS DISPOSAL

12 Feb is exactly we have gone through a month in the MAFDC. Administratively we have to pocket out around RM 400.00 for the food, CP Funds and Photostatted the relevant books, journal and articles. The messing charges for one month is between RM 150.00 t0 180.00 while the balance for the miscelanous. At 8 oclock ,CDS disposal started with the post mortem for the past month activities followed with future activities including country visit on Mac 2010. The visit plan is to Indonesia (Jakarta and Bandong) and to Manila will be arranged according to the schedule. Meanwhile the Extra regional only will be made known by Jun if the budget increase.
The feedback from the CP also required. The issues of slide, lectures note and dressing also forwarded and discussed with CDS. The CDS concluded his briefing by presenting his poem by illustrated the day one CP report until yesterday. As usual 0900 break at Wisma Kancil with special nasi lemak with fried chick and popular rendang beef lung. After eating nasi lemak, the eyes starts to be smaller and smaller.

THE FIFTH WEEKS

On the weeks 5, I observed most CP look more cheerful but every body is always in hurried with big baggage with computer and books. Some left the reference book in the pigeon hole, library and syndicate room lockers. Who ever commute daily by car there will be extra T shirt/shirts but for sure there are books in the back seat, front passenger seat and in the boots also few books thrown around. At the Lanai Mess the room always light on until wee morning. The books also everywhere in the room be at the bedside, on the bed, the racks an some on the floors. Few I believes in the small room reading while at ease.

Every morning, The CP stay SOP will arrive earlier around 7 am and be the first in the syndicate room if that morning schedule for PLD class. The fifth weeks, everybody is more serious in reading books, journals or notes related to their assignments. Some came early to surf the web using the facilities provided by the college. By 730 in the morning, normally I used to surf and download whatever journals, articles for the assignments. The PLD session also becoming lively and most of CP use whatever terminologies, jargon in the discussion or debates. Most CP have solved their administrative problems but few still worried about the unapproved topic for master thesis.
First group exercise, we have to prepared until midnight and myself together with my China CP discussed and prepared the HDI related to Movement/migration based on Human Development Indexes year 2009. Surprisingly my colleague well verse and having good speaking English. We manage to complete our analysis on the topic before midnight. Today we also had the Guest Speaker from Philippines Embassy and the setting as usual started with Introducing CP from Philippine's briefly present the good introduction, follows by lectures and lastly concluded by Dy Comdt cum CDS (Col Rosli). Tomorrow we will have the CDS Disposal and follows with Dato Dr Zakaria lectures before the College pack up for the long CNY holiday. To CP the few days holiday means for families but we have to read, read and read and complete 2 assignment that to be submitted on 17 Feb. The other assignment also need to be working out and must be ready by end of the month. Happy CNY to Comdt, LCol Ir OW, LCol Johnny Lim, LCol Dexter and Lcol Xu.

THE FOURTH WEEKS AT MAFDC

For the past 3 weeks, I managed to swallows what the course all about. The time passed so quickly and waits for no one. I have time to exercise do whatever I use to use before. Except the reading, I have to put more effort by doing smart reading and smartly acquired the relevant articles for my thesis. The mind manager program which I practice last year was useful and easy to outline whatever assignment given. Anyway I need to adjust a few problems which I could manage it within few weeks before 1 Mac 2010. To manage the time rightfully and managing the time still becoming big issue. I had some problem to divide when the time to read and when the time to write. Anyway I found a good article in NST Feb 1, on writing tips:

To be a good writer, put your heart into it and keep going until your reach your goal. Don’t be shy to ask for help from professional.

1. Just write. Put your words on paper, computer, even if writing sounds a little awkward at first. Leave it for a few days and come back. You will see ways to improve it.

2. Start a blog. For example you could publish parts of your story serially online. The tough that other people might be looking for updates will inspire you to provide them.

3. Write to a particular audience. You may to practice writing to an imaginary audience.

4. Have a room or a space. Some people need a quite room to write while others enjoy noisy coffee shops. If you writing fiction, try writing in a colorful room to bring out your imagination.

5. Don’t get discouraged. The truth is it’s hard to write a book, but it is not possible. Keep writing.

6. Don’t be afraid to be totally creative with your writing tough people may criticize your work.

7. Edit your writing once you have your first draft, reread it and rewrite it. You are looking for errors in grammar and spelling as well as style, content, organization and coherence.

Even though, the tips for writing a book I can use it for writing up my assignments. This week all lectures to be in the class and group assignment starts rolling on the 4 Feb 2010. He lucky guys belong to Mr President CP group, mine will be on the 18 Feb 2010. Thank you.