My Very Singaporean Journal

Singapore. Who on earth hasn’t heard of it? A smallish city-state just off the southern tip of Malaysia, no larger than the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur. And a very, very ambitious and modern country too.

Me being a Malaysian, it is almost customary to visit Singapore at least once in my lifetime. I beat that though. I have been there three times in my short life thus far. My latest visit there was to attend prayers that my uncle was having at his home, and chill out and have a look around after that.

It had been some time since my last visit, which was some five years back. Since I had grown up and matured over the years and forgotten Singapore pretty much along the way, this trip of mine served as an eye-opener. That is because I am old enough to judge for myself if whether Singapore is a great city or otherwise.

My stay lasted only five days, but I did as much as I could in that period of time. My cousins were very familiar around there, and it helped a lot. I just followed them around.

Getting down to my personal experience in Singapore, I would start with my first night. I took a bus along with my mother and siblings from Kuala Lumpur and spent the night at Shangri-La in downtown Singapore. It was very late so I dozed off as soon as I got into the room.

After checking out of the hotel the next morning, I made my way to my uncle’s house in Ang Mo Kio together with my family. The prayer had commenced on Friday and was to conclude on Sunday. The continuous three day prayer is synonymous with the Sikh community and is called ‘Akhand Path’.

I was there throughout the course of the day and helped out here and there. I also took the initiative to explore the house and my, it is huge and very well done-up. That night, I stayed at another uncle’s house of mine located at Woodlands as the formers house was quite crowded. In the car, I learnt a lot about Singapore from this uncle of mine.

He explained that no one would break traffic rules in Singapore because the laws are very stringent. Not surprising since an offence would warrant 4 demerit points and should it hit 10 demerit points, severe penalties such as the suspension of driving license await. Then there are a whole lot of other laws. I deduced that there are just too many laws for such a small place.

The next morning, a Sunday, was when the prayer culminated. There was ‘Kirtan’ after that, followed by ‘Langgar’. Since it was done in a private residence, there were not that many people as compared to a Gurdwara. Then, we got down cleaning up the whole house and putting things back in order.

After a long day, my uncle said that he would treat us out for dinner. We went to Orchards Road via MRT. I realised that the transport system there is integrated and henceforth, that makes it convenient for commuters. No wonder Singaporeans need not have their own cars, and the roads are always clear.

We walked around Orchard Road, pretty much window-shopping. Then, we had to decide where to eat. First, we searched for a vegetarian restaurant, but to no avail. In the end, we settled for Grandma’s at ION Orchard. Truthfully speaking, the food there was not at all cheap, but the quality, superb!

By the time we reached home, it was way past midnight. I struggled to get sleep that night, and therefore I woke up late the next morning. On that evening, I had planned to go to Marina Bay with my cousin, but after doing some research beforehand, he found out that the Formula 1 circuit had been disbanded and there was nothing much to see.

Orchard Road it was again. We went there, walked around more, walking in and out of malls and plazas like we were walking through a mega-maze. The place was alive with many people, the atmosphere electric. There were the superb Christmas decorations too lining the streets and spicing up the malls. It was a sight to behold, literally, as it was unique.

The sad part is that many shops closed down early, and soon after there was nothing much to do in the malls. We reached a common ground that it was best we went to Chinatown. After an MRT interchange, we were there. Again though, the stalls were mostly closed. It was practically deserted. Anyway, we bought a few mementos such as key chains from there.

Guess what time we had dinner that day? We had dinner at sharp 12 midnight! Awkward isn’t it?

My cousins went back the next afternoon and together with my family, I went to my other uncle’s condominium unit at Woodlands. We spent the latter half of the day there. My aunty served us delicious home-cooked pizza for tea, followed by some special sort of rice for dinner. I also met their grandchild who’s 2 years of age.

That spelt the end of my trip to Singapore for it was our turn to return back to our base in Malaysia the next afternoon. I spent some time with my uncle’s children the next morning, thanked him and my aunty for the wonderful time we had there and off we were to Kuala Lumpur.

A worthy trip and a well-served break from life at home is how I would sum up my visit to Singapore. It certainly helped to relax after a hectic year of school and studies. This has set the tone for a productive holiday, I hope.

The Ideal Sikh That I Want To Be

I am currently a young but a quickly growing Sikh teen. When I grow older, I aspire to be as perfect a Sikh as I can be; one who would be an exemplary role-model to youngsters and whom they can look up to.

The best way, or rather the most conventional path to undertake is that I will subscribe to the teachings of the Sikh institution. Actually, it is not that I have not subscribed to those teachings yet. It is just that as I grow older, the thought of being a great Sikh will inspire and spur me on to lean onto the finer, more intricate teachings of the Sikh ideology.

For a start, I have taken ‘Amrit’, something that is a rarity given the age that I had taken it – 11. Well, there is ample of room of improvement there, and truthfully, albeit with much haste of my consciousness, I will improve there.

In addition to that, I also do my ‘Rehraas Sahib’ path on an almost daily basis. Speaking of that, I had started doing ‘Japji Sahib’ in the mornings but God forbid for some reason or another, I could not sustain it.

Furthermore, I do not indulge in anything that is strictly prohibited in my religion. To put it to perspective, I have unshorn hair and many of you would be amazed, my unshorn hair measures a little longer than 165cm.  I also do not consume intoxicants such as liquor and cigars. There are other prohibitants too, but these are the key ones. 

As a result of that, the thoughts of me cutting my hair or consuming alcoholic beverages do not even cross my mind. Moreover, I shall, throughout the entirety of my life, thank God for whatever he has in store for me as well as whatever he blesses me.

I shall also work hard and live by the three golden rules put forth by Guru Nanak, namely; living an honest life by earning by the sweat of my brow and the strength of my back, resonate on the name of the Lord Almighty on every breath I take and lastly, share my earnings with the less fortunate and needy.

If, by God’s grace, I be a millionaire or something to that tune in the future, I will build institutions for the less fortunate and shelter the homeless. I will, essentially, do as much as I can do with the power within my hands to change the lives of the many needy people that are scattered all around the globe.

After helping these people get a firm footing in life, it is my hope that they would in turn help their needy brethren, and so on and so forth. If this cycle continues, the chances of finding helpless folks on the streets will diminish little by little year after year.

So much chatter but no work will make this piece of writing awfully redundant. I will, henceforth, stick to what I have said I want to be in the future. They say, actions speak louder than words, and for that reason, it is my duty to walk the talk, the sooner the better that is.

After all, I want to strive to be as compassionate as Guru Nanak, as great a learner as Guru Angad, as great a sacrificer as Guru Arjan and Guru Tegh Bahadur, and also as commanding a leader as Guru Gobind Singh was. That is my perception of the ideal Sikh that I want to be.

*This is the core of an essay that I had written for the end year 'Sikhi' assesment test of my Punjabi School.

A Never Ending Obsession With Money

Know this to be true that the world we live in is essentially a money-motivated world. Money talks; period. It’s as simple as that. This is because if the allure of money was not to be, many people would cease to do a whole lot of things in life.

In this modern era of the business merry-go-round, one with the most money offered on the table comes out trumps. The catch is this: The usage of ‘business’ here is not limited to its literal translation. It encompasses a world much larger than just that, sports and politics among others included!

Hang on a second. The literal meaning of ‘business’ has always – and forever shall – be comprised of ‘who’s got the most money’ kind a type of thing. That is the norm in that sense. Hence, the issue that needs to be tackled is the maltreatment and abuse of money in the case of namely sports and politics. That is, I am afraid, just the tip of the iceberg.

How often do you hear a footballer trying his best to innocently claim that he switched football clubs on the basis that his new club is more ambitious than the previous one when in true fact his previous club was rich in footballing heritage whilst his newer club is notable for nothing but a burgeoning coffer? Even a fool would dismiss his claims as to why he switched clubs for the obvious reason is telling.

If that is not enough, then ponder on this. When was the last time you read in the papers that a politician was charged on the grounds of money-laundering or misuse of the taxpayer’s money for his personal use? My bet is perhaps yesterday.

Okay. Enough posers to tinker on for the time being. Let us disseminate the facts and analyse the case at hand meticulously, before attempting to put two-and-two together to solve the jigsaw.

Let’s get down to the basics first. Sportsmen and politicians are meant to be honourable, principled, morally-sane and most importantly, loyal to their cause throughout their lives. The sad part is, due to the allure and temptation of money, their behaviour becomes tantamount to that of a drunken man, unable to see beyond his inebriated vision.

Therefore, rhetorically speaking, money leads them astray in life. The essence of this is that they are not content and grateful with what they have. They forget to thank God for what He has given them. Some may argue that if we are to be content with what we have, then who is going to progress in life? In that case, a middle ground; the point of equilibrium balance, should be sought. Such a compromise would be the best solution.

Moving on to more general outlooks of money, it’s tempt and its implications, there are many instances that were can hand-pick from our day-to-day lives. I recall very clearly that only half-a-dozen years ago, one dollar could buy me a hefty lunch with an adequate variety of side dishes. Now? That same amount of money would get me peanuts. That is appalling even if some of the difference is due to inflation.

Then, a couple of years ago, the price of crude oil skyrocketed worldwide. Public transport operators practically begged the government to allow them to increase their ticket fare in a bid to lessen their burden. The government succumbed to their pressure. Now, two years on, when the crude oil prices have nose-dived, the transport operators still refuse to lower their ticket fares. This just sums up the insatiable human nature.

All in all, based on the facts and examples put forth, it can be concluded that money is indeed an obsession that people come across in their lifetimes. However, as obvious as it may sound, we have the power to change the course of mankind for its betterment. Let us not set a precedence that life is all about money for the future generations. Thus, the human race must do-away with this unruly phenomenon before it is too late.

Online Gaming: An Irresistible Allure

You are bored... stiff bored that is. There is nothing that you can do in the world to annihilate that utter boredness of yours – EXCEPT for this one little remedy – ‘ONLINE GAMING’!

What is so different about online gaming that it beats all other sorts of computer games? Simple. It’s because you can play with REAL people, wishful thinking in the case of computer games where you would only play with Artificial Intelligence (AI) at most.

Trust me, once upon a time, I used to be hooked to the computer on grounds of online gaming. Before I proceed any further though, let me clarify one thing first. What I mean by online gaming is not playing flash games on Miniclip or Facebook or anything of that sort. Online gaming here refers to Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) games.

I was, on two notable occasions, made a slave of the MMO gaming world. Each of it for a long period of time too. Make no mistake that this is not a confession; it is a mere insight into the online gaming world on my part. Looking back, I feel one of it was worthwhile the servitude, but the other – crap!

Referring to my experience of both the games, the worthwhile former is Powersoccer while the crap latter is Runescape. I had, however, tried my hand at a couple more MMO’s, but for some reason or another, I sticked to these two games only.

I started off with Runescape first. It was practically peer pressure to a certain extent as my classmates were speaking of it every time in class. It wasn’t only me who caught the bug. A few more classmates were on it too. So, we would go home, play till we were scolded off, and boast of our achievements the next day in school.

In the matter of six weeks, I had gone up to level 58, which is a good record. This game lasted me six months before I got the better of its boredom. The game was gradually updated but the updates seemed to be non-relevant, to me at least, and that was the end of it.

Next up – Powersoccer. This was something I ventured into alone, and only one of my classmates caught onto it, albeit by only a bit. I have so many reasons to be proud of my time playing in Powersoccer. It was, and has been, the one and only game in which I successfully made a breakthrough in.

Granted. The graphics and animation have some way to go before reaching the level of say, FIFA, but still it was fun playing Powersoccer. Boasting 3 million members, I was once ranked No. 11 in the world, and top in Asia and Australia. That was until I was banned. Why? I myself am confused. Their version of the story was that I used cheats to reach where I was, but heck, I am no cheater!

Now, I literally do not play MMO’s anymore. Well, I do play Superstar Racing, but extremely rarely because too many features have to be bought and are members-only and this as a result just put me off.

As for you, I am sure you would have experienced online gaming, and most probably enjoyed it. Anyway, what I am looking forward to doing in the near future is playing MMO games via gaming consoles such as Xbox. It is undoubtedly a new-generation gaming experience, one that I would very much like to get my hands on.

2012: The Movie Review

"Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists and governments. '2012' is an epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggles of the survisors."

- http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/ -

A colossal letdown. That's how I would sum up my experience of watching '2012' and disappointing and below-par were the first two words that came to my mind after watching the movie.

It was an anti-climax in other words, not the least after all the hype and euphoria that was surrounding it pre-screening. '2012' was on the lips of every individual that I spoke to in the run up to the premiere of the movie. The trailer did its job pretty well, with unwary cinema-goers like me buying the fact that it was going to be one hell of a blockbuster. How wrong was I!

And so I headed into the cinema upbeat and in a state of utter excitement. I was glad I could watch the movie so soon after it was released, and had a premature picture in my mind that this would rank as one of the best movies I had seen in my lifetime.

Getting to the nitty-gritty bits, I would generally say that the plot was highly predictable. As such, you could anticipate what was going to happen next and this to a great extent killed the suspense of the movie. Expect for in the beginning of the movie, where they showed Satnam and the mining facility in India, the plot was lacking in immersive trepidation.

Incredibly glorified in the trailer, the special effects were not up to the standard. There were a good amount of scenes with decent special effects, but too often than not, the parts where the buildings came crashing down to the ground looked downright lame.

The bright spark though was that the cast chosen were well-suited to the make-up of the movie. The role played by Chiwetel Ejiofor as Adrian Helmsley was a blazing success. He made the character of Adrian as his own. His role was sometimes serious, but otherwise, his easy going character bode well with the movie on the whole.

Moreover, the Russian billionaire, Yuri Karpov, was another good portrayal. His character had a distinctive flavor to it. In addition to that, the other members of the cast played their roles with excellence too.

What baffles me most is that how can an old hand like Roland Emmerich, who directed ‘Independence Day’ and ‘The Day After Tomorrow’, direct a movie which is inferior in terms of overall experience compared to his previous two blockbusters. Roland is a highly capable director and surely he will bounce back with more gusto after learning from his mistakes.

Besides that, there is also a resemblance of '2012' with ‘The Day After Tomorrow’. Some might feel that the general flow of the story was same in both the movies. This is because both of the movies hinge on natural catastrophes that befall the human race. Therefore, Roland should have ventured into another movie genre.

To sum it all up in a nutshell, this movie has fallen some way off its desired benchmark that is to be an epic movie. However, the movie still makes for a good viewing, better than the likes of Terminator Salvation, but definitely not in the class of the Transformers franchise.

Overall Rating: 7/10
Plot: 6/10
Special Effects: 6.5/10
Cast: 8.5/10

10 Ways to Spend the Holidays

Holidays loom on the horizon. Some of us have already taken a pre-holiday holiday, so to say. There would be ample time to spare in the holidays, and therefore spend your time wisely. Well, here are 10 worthwhile as well as cool and fun ways you could spend the long break:

• Create your own blog. Many youngsters have started blogging as an avenue to express their thoughts. Not only that, but via blogging, you can improve your writing skills too.

• Pick up a new skill such as swimming, singing or dancing. These will help to broaden your general talent base. It might also come in handy one fine day in your life.

• Go on a journey of soul-searching. Spend more time with yourself by communicating with your conscience and you would be surprised to know how close you could get to your inner self.

• Grab a pack of popcorns and head to the cinemas. Holidays pave the way for youngsters to indulge in the seemingly endless influx of Hollywood blockbusters.

• Enjoy by living healthily. Sweat it out by regularly playing sports such as football and badminton. At the same time, you would have plentiful of fun with your peers.

• Attend character building camps. Not only do these sort of camps offer the chance to learn a thing or two about yourself, but you would make new friends too.

• Pick a couple of novels from the nearest bookstore. If you are one who rarely reads, take this opportunity to read. Thriller genred books are the best ones to be read as they are action-packed and suited to a teens flavour.

• Test your Intelligence Quotient (IQ). This would be an indicator of your real intelligence based on common logic and requires no textbook knowledge. Many IQ tests are offered online for free.

• Design a trip to an attractive tourist spot. It is time to rewind and relax after a hectic year of studying. It doesn’t necessarily have to be somewhere far-fetched. Places such as Langkawi and Tioman will do the trick.

• Identify a role model. This is to give you the impetus to want to be someone successful in life. Your role model should be someone who is a leading figure in his/her field and relevant to whom you want to be in future.

*This is an article that I had written for New Straits Times and a revised version of this has been published in the Niexter pullout dated 19th Nov. 2009

Exams: A Case Study

‘Exams’. How much we students fret just upon hearing that word, let alone when we are forced into the exam hall to do our exams. How we wish there were no exams, and how some even go on to the extent of cursing the poor guy who started something called ‘school’ which led to the existence of exams.

Like many events in life, there are pro’s and con’s to exams that are not only held in schools, but in colleges and universities throughout the world as well. Based on my opinion, exams are rigid and it is of no good to unearth the talent needed to drive the nation forward. Exams measure one’s textbook intelligence primarily, and that is an important point to be noted.

At the same time, I would say a good many students would not care about their studies if it were not for exams. Therefore, in a sense, exams pushes students to study. Otherwise, students will just go to school with the intention of disrupting law and order.

In truth, exams are not a prerequisite for success in life. Many, for instance Bill Gates and Albert Einstein, did not do too well in their exams in school. The reason why many study hard for exams is because it will offer them a stable job in the future.

Say, for example someone scores brightly in school, and carries on that form into college and university; it is highly likely that that person would become a successful individual in their career thereafter. One who studies biology well in school, does pre-medical in college and medicine in university with distiction, will inevitably be a good doctor.

However, the odds of that person being a multi-millionaire, or someone to that tune, would be nigh unimaginable. That is because since exams are most of the time based on textbooks and ‘confined’ knowledge, hence those who excel would most probably have limited soft skills needed to start entreprises and businesses among others, and also shallow general knowledge.

This is not always the case though as I know of some people who are academically strong as well as posses abundant soft skills in addition to being articulate general knowledge wise. This is a rare breed, one which I respect and wish to emulate as I feel it is simply superb to be always able to get results towards the top end of 100 while at the same time being holistically intellectual.

No offence, but I am sure we have come across many people who get top marks in class yet they cannot speak an intellectual conversation. These are the sort of people that are branded ‘nerds’ who mug their textbooks all year long. Do they serve themselves and humanity on the whole any purpose?

Another con of exams is that those held especially in the East are typically harder than those in the West. Instead of being an advantage, this has backfired on countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. This is because for Easterners, the emphasis is placed on detailed theoretical knowledge, while in the West, it is on hands-on practical knowledge.

No matter how hard we try, exams will remain a part and parcel of a student’s life. The best thing is to adapt and try as hard as possible to get good grades. However, there should not be a state of paranoia whereby you keep staring into a textbook all day long. Therefore, keep this in mind that you should excel not in exams by virtue of being a ‘nerd’, but as a holistically developed individual.

Malaysia and Motorsports: The Rise

Some 15 years ago, our then Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir, had mooted an idea to bring the Formula One circus to not only our country, but to this region. There was a general feel of scepticism towards his idea. Yet, here we stand; having already hosted 11 successful Grand Prix’s in Formula One as well as being a permanent fixture on the premier motorcycling world championship calendar, the MotoGP.

Truth be told though, the Sepang International Circuit served as a catalyst to what would mean greater heights. Not long after its inception, Malaysians had their men to cheer on in Formula One and MotoGP respectively. However, the euphoria fizzled out and before we knew it, Alex Yoong and Shahrul Yuzy were out of race seats.

That seemed to be the end of it. There were no budding prospects that were groomed to follow in their footsteps. Apart from some occasional success in A1GP, there was nothing much to shout about on the international motorsports scene since then. Internal bickering among the motorsports affiliates in Malaysia only made the situation from bad to worse.

Whatever said and done, amid the doom and gloom, a bright ray of hope appeared. First, the selection for the wildcard entries into the Sepang MotoGP leg drew momentum. At the same time, Fairuz Fauzy was going guns in the World Series by Renault and to cap that off, our current Prime Minister announced that Malaysia were going to be represented on the Formula One grid next year. Many, including me, were incredibly surprised upon learning that we were going to undertake such a venture. I, for one, could not believe what I was reading in the newspapers and hearing in the news.

Recently, our two motorcyclists who took part in the 125cc class drove the race of their lives’ to come home in extremely commendable positions. There are offers on the table for them to continue featuring in the championship prominently from next season on. The best part is Datuk Tony Fernandes announced that they would be more than willing to pump in the cash to set-up their own team.

As for the case of the 1Malaysia Lotus F1 Team, it only gets better. The team are on schedule to roll out their car for testing, and Tony handed over duties of the team CEO to Proton’s General Manager. At the moment, they are finalising the drivers for their cars next year. My bet is that Fairuz Fauzy has done enough to secure his spot as he had one heck of a season in the World Series by Renault, finishing second overall in the standings. In Mike Gascoyne, they have one of the best technical men to lead their team too.

In the lesser echelons of the racing world, Malaysia has been rising slowly and steadily. One man that is bound to be a headline-grabber down the years to come is Jazeman Firhan Jaafar. He is a racing hotshot and has been tipped by many in the racing fraternity to bloom into a world beater. Then, we also have the Meritus racing team. They are the only Asian team competing in GP2 Asia and have won numerous awards throughout the years via virtually dominating the Formula BMW Asia.

Conclusively, Malaysian motorsports has got the potential, but not yet the resources, to rival and overwhelm the best in the world. I would put down a marker that in about eight year’s time we would definitely be a force to be reckoned with. This would inevitably translate to technological advances in our automotive industry among others.

The 1Malaysia Formula 1 initiative, together with the refined blueprints to fully compete in MotoGP, definitely are not tantamount to building castles in the air. The sure thing here is that through motorsports, Malaysia has the chance to be the best in the world, something that would be wishful thinking in the case of football and lately, hockey.

*This is an article that I had written and a revised version of this has been published in the Niexter pullout dated 3rd Dec. 2009.

Young Guns Set the Trail Ablaze

Meet four new up and coming business prospects – Eric Soo, Lee Kean Boon, Aurelia Tiam, and Jeremy Lee , all of whom who are twenty years of age bar Aurelia who is nineteen. They are the four co-founders of a company called Fitness in Training which has risen to prominence after advancing to the final round of the inaugural Young Entrepreneur Startup (YES) Challenge.

How did it all start? On one fateful day, they were in their lecture hall and there was an announcement regarding the YES Challenge. Jeremy and Kean Boon were next to one another and they decided at once to join the challenge. However, there had to be four to a group. They turned around and saw Aurelia, who was looking for team-mates. Then, Eric was walking by and he said he wanted to join the group as he too was searching for team-members. The end product was inevitably something that somewhat just conjured up at the spur of the moment. Eric summed it all up by saying, “It was rather random and coincidental”.

After that, they went to the drawing board to prepare blueprints for their company. In the beginning, their idea was to set-up a company dealing with new designs on banners that people were using. However, this idea of theirs was blatantly rejected.

Thereafter, they ran short of ideas, but yet they did not lose heart over the challenge. They were bent to take part in it. Just when all avenues seemed to be leading to a dead-end, light at the end of the tunnel appeared. Eric, rather dubiously, said that a thought struck him when he was bathing. He saw a problem. His tummy was as big as it could get, and he realised that, that could be the focal point of their business.

The fact is that too many teenagers and young adults do not give two hoots about their well being, especially in terms of their body weight. They care not to exercise. This, in turn, served as a catalyst for the four budding entrepreneurs who at once subscribed to Eric’s idea. Thus, the company Fitness in Training was conceived.

The primary objective of the company revolves around providing children between the ages of eight to 18 years the chance to experience holistic exercise of the physical, mental, social and emotional self through the organising of four day three night camps. This would lead to those who participate in the camps to come out a healthier person in every aspect.

When asked on whether were they already business-literate or greenhorns learning their ropes around in the field when they first started out, their unanimous answer was, “We were definitely learning our ropes around. Although we are business students, what we learn in theory is generally out-dated and hence we have to think on our feet when running this company.”

Proceeding to their experience of the YES Challenge, they opined it made them better individuals. Aurelia said, “Before, I was quite reserved. But after coming on board, the YES Challenge taught me to be more articulate. It also improved my communications skills, besides helping me to discipline myself.”

Eric echoed her sentiments, saying, “The YES Challenge provided me with the opportunity to make real friends in addition to supplying endless networking opportunities.” Kean Boon was more philosophical. He said, “It has helped me to open my eyes to a lot of things in life. Importantly, this has given me the platform to own my own venture some day.”

So, how did they manage to secure a lump-sum of RM 7750 through the YES Challenge to bankroll their business? Case study shows that obesity and overweight are two major problems, no thanks to the influence of the television and gaming consoles. Therefore, they managed to present their business idea in a commanding fashion before the panel of judges that presided over the finals. They convinced the judges that obesity and overweight are prevalent in Malaysia, and that they could do something to initiate change via their company, Fitness in Training.

No doubt they have made it big in terms of their business, but do not forget that they are also studying at the same time. It is some feat to be able to juggle their time efficiently in studying as well as managing their business. To those who suffer from time mismanagement, Eric has this piece of advice. “Learn how to set priorities. Do things that are important, not those that are urgent as most of the time, urgent things turn out to be unimportant.”

Aurelia, an avid fan of the Late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong and an admirer of Sir Richard Branson, added that they would usually commit more time to their business when they were on a holiday, but come the exam season, their focus would be on their studies. Furthermore, having to do more in a lesser time frame prompted them to pay more attention in class so as to make up for their loss of studying time as a result of having to manage their business.

On a higher note, Kean Boon insists that the time is now. He says that you never know when an opportunity would come by again, so the best thing to do is to nick it when it is within your grasp. Moreover, he holds high regards for Tun Dr. Mahathir and Steve Jobs, and hopes to emulate them. His inspiration – “Things that you think are impossible are actually possible for there are no limits. The limits are all in your mind”.

Coming back to the discussion of the first Fitness in Training camp that is planned to be held in mid-December, they hope that this would get youngsters excited to live healthily. In addition to that, they want to empower youngsters to know that they have a choice – that is they can choose to live healthily. A host of exciting events are lined up, and there would be sessions ranging from physical workouts to nutrition classes to mental and emotional healthcare, all to be conducted by renowned professionals.

Currently, the planning is in the consolidating phase. They have most of the issues ironed out, and are planning to confirm the venue sometime soon. One pressing issue they hope would be part of history when the camp finishes is that they want youngsters who have no confidence to fit in socially to do so via the many exercising activities lined up for them.

In short, watch out for Fitness in Training and the brains behind this company as they are sure to make waves in the country. They are, after all, the face of tomorrow’s business leaders.

*This is an article that I had written for New Straits Times and a revised version of this has been published in the Niexter pullout dated 5th Nov. 2009.

Attitude Is the Epitome of Success

U.V.Wong, 29, is the Director of Special Initiatives of My MoneyTree Sdn. Bhd. He is a former micro electronics student turned businessman and he takes on questions regarding his company and the Young Entrepreneurs Startup (YES) Challenge.

First and foremost, could you share what was the main reason behind the setting up of My MoneyTree Sdn. Bhd.?

Actually, believe it or not, credit card debt in Malaysia is RM26 Billion! This is a serious issue since many youths who have just started working do not know how to handle and manage money in a proper manner. This is one aspect that education in school does not cater to. Youngsters, being who they are, continue spending relentlessly. They do not realise the trouble that they are putting themselves into by swiping the credit card indiscriminately. Therefore, we are here to help youths so that they do not have these sort of problems to face in life.

What is the ultimate goal that MoneyTree strives to achieve via the various programmes offered by you guys?

Our ultimate goal is to instil financial savviness amongst today’s youths so that they could become financially free, and to also help them develop Entrepreneurship skills that would allow them to start their own enterprises and take control of their future.

Basically, what are the programmes that are offered by MoneyTree?

At the moment, we have two main programs which form the core of our business; The MoneyTree Financial Literacy program and the MoneyTree Entrepreneurship Program, which includes the MoneyTree YES Challenge that we organized recently.

Speaking of the YES Challenge, what was the rationale that MoneyTree had in mind when you guys embarked on the organising of it?

This is interesting. We wanted to solve two problems. One was that many a youths wanted to do business but they lacked the knowledge, not in the sense of theoretical knowledge, but practical knowledge. The next problem was money. These problems were solved by us providing the finalists with practical business knowledge, as well as assisting them to secure government-backed grants.

At the initial stage, was MoneyTree confident that some exceptionally talented entrepreneurs-wannabe would be unearthed?

Of course! We know it for a fact that there is no shortage of talent out there. Just that there is no platform for youths to acquire the necessary skills, knowledge, networks and funding to fuel their dreams of becoming an entrepreneur

Why was it that MoneyTree deemed that university-going youths were most suited to take part in this challenge? Why not those in their thirties?

We feel that undergrads have fresh mindsets, as in they are teeming with endless amounts of creativity and innovation. They are an energised lot too, and that just makes it easier to work with them. Unlike those who have been in the business sector for some time, these undergrads need not unlearn much. They start afresh as their minds are not clobbered with any traditional approaches to business.

How did MoneyTree go about publicising on the challenge to university students around the country?

We worked hand in hand with the conventional media. We approached the media via NST. Then we reached out to the youths through college and university road shows. However, the most effective channel was through the social media. We made full use of Facebook, Twitter and numerous online magazines to spread the word regarding this challenge.

How was the response to the challenge? Were the university students excited?

The response was very good in fact and the majority of the university students were excited. All in all, we had 24 teams who had signed up for the challenge. Each team had to pay RM500 as an entrance fee. From the 24 that had signed up, they were scaled down to 15 teams. Those 15 were required to present their Executive Summaries. Then, after the next round of elimination, we were down to seven teams. These seven teams had to defend their business ideas before a panel of judges that were ever waiting to shoot them with any question that came to their mind. From those seven, only five teams advanced to the finals.

What were the criteria that the panel of judges were looking for in the contestants before deciding who were to proceed to the final round, the ‘MoneyTree Pitching Session’?

There were two major criteria that the judges were looking for. Actually, there were another eight more criteria to be taken into account but those only came into play during the ‘Final Seven’ round. The two major criteria were commercial viability, i.e. does it have the potential to make money and does it also have economic sense and scalability, i.e. can the business be scaled up to something bigger into say, a franchise.

Based on your personal opinion, how would you rate the five finalists on the overall?

On a scale of 10, I would easily give them 8.5-9. I must say that they are the cream of the crop. I find many distinctive values in them. They all have fantastic attitudes, they are hardworking, they are committed to what they do and last but not least, they are willing to constantly learn and improve on themselves.

What were the reactions of the investors during the pitching session? Were they impressed by the talents of the contestants in setting up their companies?

Actually, such a pitch has never been attempted before on this scale in Malaysia. And since this was being done for the first time, we were quite excited for we did not know how the investors would react. To our joy though, the investors were very, very impressed. From the RM125,000 required by the final 5 teams that made it to the finals, we managed to secure RM 97,000 in 3 hours! And what was really impressive and interesting was the fact that investors were all queuing up to invest in these new start-ups.


What is in store for the five finalists next, and how would MoneyTree continue to support them throughout their career?

Currently, we are taking them on road shows to colleges and universities. We aim to make them the next Malaysian Entrepreneur Idols. The main reason of the road shows are for the finalists to inspire others to do what they have achieved. As we know it, youths relate to youths better.

After evaluating the inaugural challenge, do you think it is feasible to embark on a ‘Season 2’? Would there be benefits?

Definitely! I believe the benefits of YES are obvious. In fact, the plans for a Season 2, or known as the second phase, are in the final stages. We are having a victory lap party that is tentatively scheduled for the 21st of November, and are looking at announcing on the launch date of the second phase there.

Lastly, name the single most admirable quality that you find in all the contestants?

It is their attitude, definitely. No doubts about that. Without the right attitude, nothing falls into place.

*This is an interview that I had written for New Straits Times and a revised version of this has been published in the Niexter pullout dated 5th Nov. 2009.

If I Were A Millionaire

I wake up in the morning, and with my eyes barely open, I smell French toast and get the sight of a avant-garde Estonian sparkling wine. Just here, on my bed, one of my maid serves me breakfast on a silver tray. I eat quickly, for I have important agendas on later in the day. In a split-second, I am in my bathroom having a hot sauna bath. Oh my, it really is way better having a sauna bath than a cold shower.

Then, I get dressed in one of my favourite tee. I put on some Armani bodyspray around my upper body, hoping not to get anyone to faint throughout the course of the day. Before leaving my house, I make a quick visit to the altar to say thanks to God for another wonderful morning. I fetch my HS-Z600 car keys, and as soon as I am in the car I drive off.

As I arrive at the Munich High Golf Course, I take out my golf bag while awaiting my playing partner for the day. I was all in a hurry for I am going to have a round of golf with the Mercedes-Benz Group chairman. I make sure I am at my best. Sooner than later, I meet him, exchange conversation, and we take to the golf course.

By noon, the sun is blazing hot, and we decide to end the game. It is a draw. Anyway, I treat Mr. Daimler to lunch at the grandest restaurant in downtown Munich. Well, reservation in itself had cost $2000.We both discussed on business opportunities over lunch. I opine that he is not too bad a bloke and I am sure he thinks the same of me.

Our discussion is deep and it has already been a couple of hours. I decide I better get going to catch up with my agenda for the day. I foot the bill for it is my treat, and I leave a hefty tip for the waitress. She is bewildered by the sum I give her, but I told her “You can keep that”.

Just as I am making my way from the golf course, my best friend calls and sort of on top of his voice scream to me, “Hey mate, you were supposed to be here by what, 20 minutes ago?” I can understand Marx’s despair, but luckily the movie is going to start half-an hour’s time only.

“Well, gone!” I think to myself. No time for us both to have our customary chat over a cup of coffee. I beat a red light to get to ‘Times Square-Squared’ mall as quickly as I can while keeping my fingers crossed that Marx is still there. No choice because the movie tickets cost a lot of money and I did not want it to go to waste.

The movie was great. Marx sort of cooled down over the course of the movie and he is normal now. I have to leave so I say good bye to him and wish him luck for his endeavors in marketing his new tyre brand ‘Marxy’ in the region. He says it is going to be the best tyre brand in the world, and I say, “Why not?”

Already this is turning out to be a hectic day but I cannot go back home just yet. My team is in the finals of the Europa League later this evening, and so as the team owner, I have to be there early. Bayern Munich is a German club that I bought last year and seeing them in the finals of a tournament of this stature is a great feeling. Already my brand, HS, is now renowned all over the world, and this is due to the fact that I do not get shirt sponsorship for my team, instead my car brand is stamped on the Bayern Munich jersey.

Many people have thanked me, and still are thanking me as I approach the air-conditioned director’s box at the Allianz Arena for returning the glory days back to the club due to my heavy investment in it. The match gets underway and I am following the game with great interest. My team wins in the end, but I cannot indulge too much into it. I congratulate the manager and players before making my way home. It is almost a quarter to two, and that means a little rest for me. With Sunday supposedly being a rest day for many, including for me, this turns out being the complete opposite.

I reach home, reply some important e-mails, undress and slump into my super cozy Uzbek cotton pillow and with the quilt made by my mother over my body, I doze off into deep sleep.

I wake up in the morning, realising my father was on the verge of pouring a bucket of water over my face. I rush to the bathroom to have my shower and get ready for school. Wow, I then thought to myself, that might have been a dream, but I promised myself I would make that dream come true, the dream to live like a millionaire, a multi-multi millionaire that is.


*This essay, entitled 'If I Were a Millionaire', is an essay that I had written in school.