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Issue 5/December 2007

Message from the President

Some will pass with flying colours and their good report card will hopefully carry some mileage in term of recognitions and rewards. On the other hand, some unlucky mortals, of which normally perceived as a mediocre, will have to improve and do some fine-tuning here and there in order to be in the hall of fame the coming year. And of course for a short period of time, we will hear grumbling, bitching and whining from the unlucky mortals, presumably for missing the opportunity to climb up the stage and having their photo taken and published in Berita LGM. That was the normal scene we witnessed if we play the tape over and over again. Having said all the above however was not the point here. What intrigued and never failed to fascinate me most was looking at the way the assessment was being carried out. Some of us, while carrying out the deed has somehow forgotten their role and hijacked the role that was rightly and supposedly done by God. We determined the fate of our buddies and how their future would be. Having spent almost sixteen years in LGM, I have seen, heard and experienced this predicament myself. Let us remind ourselves to be more objective and utmost fairness when carrying out our duty. But again, for the unlucky mortals, please don’t be despair, as I always believed the reward would come in another form, if not here then it will be in the life after. Throughout the year, SOALGM has actively organised many activities for the members. A teambuilding activity in Bkt. Tinggi recently was among the one that attracted many young members to join. Despite the earthquake that almost disrupted our activities, I heard everybody enjoyed the outing and benefited so much from the program. I was stranded in Kuantan and totally missed the fun. But blaming the flood was like putting the blame to God. Looking at the brighter side and having trapped for two days, for the

second time, in the same place and for the same reason has given me the opportunity to clear my mind a little bit, and hopefully with this cleared mind I can see things in a new perspective. This was quite significant to me especially, as previously my vision was quite blurred by the haze that clouds our organization. Many more activities are on the way especially for the members in the coming quarter. These activities were planed meticulously by our committed EXCOs in order to create as much opportunity as possible for the members to get together, to know and to understand each other better. We took note that some of our members were too busy with their work and trapped in their offices or laboratories to the extent that social life was almost impossible or unheard of. To fight their boredom and also to give some relief to those who were trapped or purposely trapped themselves for some unknown reason only God knows, SOALGM activities can be the solution to their prayers. Talking about research and premier research organization, this reminded me the word of wisdom from one of my mentors, of which took me sometime to “see” and understand. Research is not glamorous. Research is seeking for knowledge and technologies. Research is service, sacrifice, conviction, patience, devotion and pain. When researchers do not see rewards, the heart to do active research is extinguished, and the man is “research-dead”. Being near to a laboratory does not make one a researcher. If the heart is closed, one does not wish to understand anymore. If one has no heart, the brain cannot make an ideal. No amount of training or retraining will tune dead heart. Today we can see in our organization the trend. Researchers had unconsciously evolved into “research managers” or worst “pseudo-scientists”. It was a sad thing to see this thing happen to our organization. Put aside you belief, your background or your personal grouses and let us together do something meaningful to put our organization back into its rightful place as a respected premiere research institute it used to be. Happy New Year!

Shamsul Bahri Abdul Razak, SOALGM President

For Members Only www.soalgm.@yahoogroups.com

Senior Officers Association (SOA) Persatuan Pegawai Pegawai Kanan

Lembaga Getah Malaysia

As the year draws its curtain to a close, perhaps it is a good time for us to sit down and hit the replay button to see what we have done or achieved over a period of 12 months. I am quite sure by now most of us have already been assessed and evaluated by our bosses on our achievements over that period of time.

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Berita SOA MRB Received the Public Services Innovation

2007 Awards

Dr Mohd Akbar Md Said, DDG (R&I) (second from right) received the AIPB award

from Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, Chief Secretary to the Government (left) The committee of the prestigious Public Services Innovation Award for the year 2007 had recognised the Malaysian Rubber Board's innovation "The G-Flex Canister" as one of the top five recipients in the category of "Collaborative Research between the Public and Private Sectors Innovation Awards (AIPB)". The G-Flex Canister was the result of a joint effort between MRB and Hateg Corporation Sdn Bhd. On 29 October 2007, Tan Sri Mohd Sidek bin Hassan, Chief Secretary to the Government presented the awards at the Public Services Innovation Award Presentation Ceremony in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. MRB was represented by Dr Mohd Akbar bin Md Said, the Deputy Director General (Research and Innovation). MRB received a cash of RM 10,000, a trophy and a certificate of acknowledgement while Harteg was presented with a trophy and a certificate. The G-Flex Canister is a component of the rubber trees stimulation system called G-Flex which supplies ethylene gas to the tree aimed at increasing yield. The system consists of an easy-to-manage Inflatable and Collapsible Container (ICC), sealant, a plastic tube joined to a one-way valve and a canister containing pressurised liquidised ethylene gas which will revert to gas when in use. The canister is refillable and each unit is able to stimulate up to 3,000 trees. The AIPB award was first introduced in 1993 following a decision made in 1992 by the Panel on Public Administration Improvement. Recipients of the award are acknowledged of their collaborative efforts to commercialise findings or products from the public sector research institutions. A total of 32 innovations were submitted for the AIPB award in 2007. LGM Homepage HHUUwww.lgm.gov.myUU

Penganugerahan Pingat Khidmat Cemerlang Masyarakat (P.M.C)

Pada 25hb. Oktober 2007 bersamaan 13 Syawal 1428H, En. Shamsuri b. Mohd Hidir seorang pegawai penyelidik yang bertugas di Unit Pembaikan dan Perlindungan Tanaman (UPPT) telah di anugerahkan Pingat Khidmat Cemerlang Masyarakat (P.M.C) di Majlis Istiadat Pengurniaan Darjah Kebesaran kali ke-4 oleh Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tuanku Yang Di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus. En. Shamsuri b. Mohd Hidir telah berkhidmat sebagai Pengarah Wilayah Tengah di Negeri Sembilan bermula pada 1hb. Oktober 2006 hingga 1hb. Julai 2007. Semasa bertugas di Negeri Sembilan, beliau bersama-sama dengan kakitangan Wilayah Tengah telah meneruskan usaha dalam menjayakan berbagai projek LGM di Negeri Sembilan demi untuk kepentingan pengusaha getah di negeri tersebut. Mengenangkan taat setia dan jasa kepada Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tuanku Yang Di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus dan Negeri Sembilan, maka beliau telah dianugerahkan pingat Khidmat Cemerlang Masyarakat (P.M.C).

Welcome On Board SOA LGM welcomes the following new officers on board of Malaysian Rubber Board:

Name Date of Appt. Unit Ab. Latif bin Dalib 1 Feb 2007 BPP Abdul Malik bin Ismail

1 Feb 2007 Wilayah Timur - Kuantan

Zainuddin bin Roji 1 Feb 2007 Wilayah Selatan - Melaka

Abdul Karim bin Abu Bakar

1 Feb 2007 UIP

Hairul Irwan bin Jamaluddin

1 Feb 2007 MRE

Mohd Azafi bin Kee Mohd Idris

1 Feb 2007 UPF

Maslina binti Salleh 1 Mac 2007 AHM Ahmad Fakri Zaki bin Samad 18 Jun 07 UEP

Shafizal bin Yusof 2 Julai 2007 UEPr

Did You Know…. =3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288

41971 69399 37510 58209 74944 59230 78164 06286 20899 86280 34825 34211 70679 82148 08651 32823 ...

Penerimaan Pingat P.M.C di Istana Besar, Sri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan.

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Name Date of Appt. Unit

Wong Hon Fei 16 Julai 2007 UKRP Veronica Charlotte a/p Arokiaraj 16 Julai 2007 UPP

Khaw Pei Chin 16 Julai 2007 UTGT Lee Jiang Jun 16 Julai 2007 UKRP Muhammad Umar bin Zulkefli 23 Julai 2007 UKRP

Mahmud Iskandar bin Seth A. Rahim 23 Julai 2007 UKRP

Aziana binti Abu Hassan 01 Ogos 2007 USTL

Aimi Izyana binti Ismail 01 Ogos 2007 UPPC

Ahmad Idzfar bin Che Azhar 01 Ogos 2007 UAD

Salihin bin Marlizan 01Ogos 2007 UKP

Hanim binti Mohamed Yusof 06 Ogos 2007 UKP

Shaikh Mohd Hizami bin Shaikh Abd Hadi

3 Sept 2007 WU-Ipoh

Muhammad Zahidin bin Razman

3 Sept 2007 WS-Segamat

Mohd Hakimi bin Ahmad Zainudin 3 Sept 2007 UPPT

Mohamed Helmy bin Maarof 1 Nov 2007 UPT Mohamad Akmal bin Abdul Rahim 1 Nov 2007 USTL

Selamat Bersara SOALGM ingin mengucapkan berbanyak terima kasih di atas segala jasa yang telah dicurahkan oleh pegawai-pegawai yang telah bersara di dalam tahun 2007. Moga maju jaya di alam persaraaan.

Nama Unit Tarikh Persaraan

Abd Aziz bin Youp Kamaruddin UUPK 30/01/2007 Zainul Abdin bin Maidunny, Dr UPPE 20/04/2007 Mohd Akib bin Mohd Yusoff UEP 28/06/2007 Mustapha bin Ngah, Dr UMNT 3/7/2007 Md Aris bin Ahmad, Dr UTGT 3/9/2007 Ahmad Ikram bin Abdul Jalil, Dr UMNT 16/09/2007 Loh Pang Chai UUPK 8/12/2007 Nor Aishah bt Abd. Aziz UMNT 22/12/2007

Majlis Bersama Jabatan Majlis Bersama Jabatan (MBJ) telah diadakan pada 18 September 2007 di mana beberapa perkara berikut telah dibincangkan:

1. Yuran Keahlian Persatuan/Pertubuhan Professional (berkaitan dengan bidang tugas)

Pihak pengurusan (PP) telah bersetuju untuk mempertimbangkan memberi bantuan bayaran kepada yuran keahlian RO yang (dan ingin) menyertai sesuatu persatuan berkaitan bidang tugas. Justeru itu pihak SOALGM diminta untuk mendapatkan maklumat dari ahli-ahli tentang keperluan tersebut bagi tindakan PP. Tindakan : Sila hantar nama pegawai, nama persatuan serta justifikasi berkaitan tugas yang ingin disertai kepada pihak SOALGM (En. Shahrir) untuk diajukan kepada PP. Tarikh tutup 30 September 2007. Ed: Nota tambahan—beberapa ahli SOA telah memohon kepada UPSM berkenaan perkara di atas. UPSM telah memaklumkan bahawa:

a. Pegawai Kanan digalakkan menyertai persatuan/pertubuhan di luar LGM khususnya yang berkaitan dengan industri getah.

b. Penglibatan dalam aktiviti pertubuhan/persatuan hendaklah terbatas, di luar waktu pejabat, tidak menggunakan peralatan pejabat serta tidak menjejaskan perkhidmatan.

c. LGM hanya akan menjelaskan yuran keahlian (pendaftaran dan tahunan) terhad kepada seorang atau dua Pegawai kanan yang aktif atau terpilih dalam Jawatankuasa sahaja.

d. SOA calonkan nama-nama Pegawai Kanan yang layak dan nama Persatuan/Pertubuhan yang hendak dianggotai kepada UPSM untuk tindakan selanjutnya.

2. DPRIM (Diploma of Plastic & Rubber Institute of

Malaysia) Cadangan dari pihak SOALGM untuk tidak menghadkan syarat penyertaan oleh RO yang belum disahkan di dalam jawatan diterima oleh pihak PP, dengan SYARAT bayaran pendaftaran ditanggung oleh RO (berlum disahkan) yang berminat. Untuk keterangan lanjut sila berhubung dengan Presiden atau En. Shahrir. …MBJ bersambung di muka 29

Takziah SOALGM ingin mengucapkan takziah kepada Pn. Kartini Alias (UPB) yang kehilangan anak sulung beliau pada bulan November lepas. Al-Fatihah.

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SOA Activities

SOA Annual Dinner (13 July 2007) Al Diafa Restaurant, Sri Petaling menjadi tempat SOALGM menjamu selera bagi Majlis Makan Malam Tahunannya kali ini. Tema MM adalah “Arabian Style” di mana tetamu digalakkan memakai pakaian Arab/Timur Tengah pilihan masing-masing. Kebanyakan memilih pakaian dari cerita “1001 Malam” atau “Aladdin, Disney”. Makanan yang disaji terdiri dari kambing panggang yang diletak di atas nasi beryani, ayam panggang dan berbagai lagi makanan ala Timur Tengah. Mujurlah (atau tidak, bergantung kepada kesukaan anda) tiada tarian gelek yang selalu dibayangkan jika diadakan majlis ala Timur Tengah. Terdapat beberapa orang “penari” lelaki dari SOA yang berangan menjadi penari gelek tetapi tidak “menjadi”. Hiburan bukan sekadar dengan “penari lelaki SOA”, terdapat juga orkestra yang mendengdangkan lagu-lagu Arab. Tidak lengkap MM SOA tanpa acara Cabutan Bertuah, penyampaian hadiah dan quiz. Tidak ramai yang berputih mata pada malam itu memandangkan terdapat berbagai-bagai hadiah dan hamper disediakan untuk dimenangi. Acara kemuncak adalah pemilihan “Prince and Princess of the Nite”. Rakan kita En. Roland Ngeow Yen Wan (Rubber Products Factory) telah dipilih sebagai “Prince” manakala Cik Siti Salina Sarkawi (UTGT) sebagai “Princess”. Pendek kata, bagi yang hadir, malam tersebut sungguh menyeronokkan dan bagi yang tidak hadir, moga dapat hadir bersama rakan-rakan SOA yang lain. **Gambar-gambar dipaparkan di muka surat yang berikutnya** Ed.

Sports do not build character. They reveal it. HHHeywood BrounHH US journalist (1888 - 1939)

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.

HHUUEddie RickenbackerUUHH US WWI aviator & businessman (1890 - 1973)

What m

ay be Best Y

esterday, M

ay not be Good Enough Today,

Maybe O

bsolete Tomorrow

.

When the last river is polluted, When the last tree is cut,

And when the last fish is caught, Then we realise that we cannot eat

When a politician says, "Let me make something perfectly clear," remember that he

usually won't.

SOALGM EXCO 2006/2008 President : Dr Shamsul Bahari Abdul Razak V. President : Pn. Siti Hawa Sulong Hon. Sec. Gen : En Sharir Mohd. Salleh Asst. Hon. Sec. Gen: Pn. Sriyati Hamid Treasurer : En Junaidi Ismail Education Sec. : Cik Siti Salina Sarkawi Social Sec. : Pn. Dazylah Darji Sports Sec. : Cik Nor Hidayati Kamarulzaman Committee : Pn. Roslinda Sajari Members En. Ong Chin Wei Pn. Nik Intan Nik Ismail Pn. Hashimah Idris

Just as you began to feel that you could make good use of time, there was no time left to you.

HHLisa Alther

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SOA Team Building, Colmar Tropicale, Bukit Tinggi (14-15 Dec 2007)

SOA organized a trip for its members to Colmar Tropicale at Bukit Tinggi recently. This was not just a trip, but an exercise in team building for its members. Twenty eight members participated of which 39% were made of ROs who recently joined LGM (I’m guessing that the older members could not make it due to familial commitments as it was the school holidays). Eventhough it rained/”snowed” most of the time while we were there, all activities pressed on with minor hitches here and there. As soon as we arrived and checked in, we had our group pictures taken on the picturesque wooden bridge in front of the resort. We were then bussed directly to the Japanese/Botanical Gardens for the first activity-- Mini Explore Race. There, we were divided into four groups of 5-6 members each (see table). The moment we got the questionnaires from Intan, Yati and Salina, each team went into a mad rush to find out the answers to the questions in hand. Some of us “pancit-ed”, yours truly included, coz the terrain was rather challenging. Bonus points were rewarded to the group that had their picture taken at the check point in the Japanese Garden and to the group who finds the “Golden/Wooden Key”.

Group Team Members

Group 1

Ahmad Fakri Lee Jiang Jun

Nurul Syahidah Safiah

Siti NorQamarina Siti Shazwani

Group 2

Mahmud Iskandar Roland Rohani

Nurmi Rahayu Aziana

Group 3

Muhamad Umar Shafizal Murnita

Nursaraliza Noor Liana

Group 4

Nazarudin Nor Mayati

Norlee Aimi Iziyana Muhd Hakimi

Sharon After dinner and “basuh badan” as Junaidi puts it, we participated in the game “Win, Lose or Draw”. Here we discovered some budding artistes and some lousy ones (hahahaa….jangan mare ye). There was a show down between Grp 2 and 4 and Grp 4 came out as the winner. Next, was the “SOA Bowling Tournament” at the Bukit Tinggi Hill Resort Sports Centre. The tournament was a good exercise as budding bowlers were earmarked for the upcoming 2008 MARS games. In this segment, Group 1 was the champs with Mohd. Fakri (UEP) and Nurul

Syahidah (UKA) was the Best Men and Women Bowler respectively. Just to note, they both were from Group 1 (yay!!). The Karaoke session didn’t pan out coz the staff for the lounge had apparently gone to bed early. Besides that, all of us were knackered and gladly went to our beds for a good nights rest. The much anticipated “Paint Ball War” was conducted on the 2nd day. Among all of us, only Roland and Nazarudin had any experience with the activity. We were briefed on safety measures and regulations of the game. I didn’t participate in it coz I can’t for the life of me run so I resigned to watching the others deck it out from a high vantage point, but soon it began to rain again. So Ong and I decided to go bowling instead. I heard the others had tonnes of fun. Some got shot in the butt and arms but there were no real casualties. During the long wait for the bus for the trip back to Colmar, everybody was dissecting the moment by moment of the “war”; who got shot where (with bruises as trophies), who shot who, who got the flag etc, etc. A mad rush to lunch and checking out (with another session of “basuh badan”—eh Junaidi?) ensued. The crowd at the resort had swelled three times since we left after breakfast for the Paint Ball War. We were lucky to have the resort almost to ourselves the day before. The last activity of the weekend was a game of Sudoku which was such a brain twister that I could only give morale support to my team mates. Thank God we won, Group 1 that is…yay again! Prizes were handed out to the champs. The summary of the results are as follows:

Group 1 2 3 4 Xplore Race

4 3 1 2

WLD 2 3 1 4 Bowling 4 1 3 2

Paint Ball 2 2 4 3 Sudoku 4 3 1 2 Total 16 12 10 13

Safiah Atan (Group 1…yay!!)

Group picture taken before going to the Botanical Garden

for the Mini Xplore Race

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Coretan Ahli

The Coolest Kursus Induksi 17-27 April 2007 Hola…In midst of getting the nods of approval for conformation into their posts, 23 LGMians (11 officers and 12 kumpulan sokongan 1) have been sent to participate ‘sukapaksa’ to an induction course, the Kursus Induksi at Hotel Impian Morib, Selangor. Lots of sweet and not so sweet memories were collected in the quest of fulfilling the requirements for conformation. We’ve endured so many sleepless nights and mountains of assignments. Nevertheless, the LGMians had showed true commitments and dove to the challenges (now I’m exaggerating). It was proved when the lot of us showed up with bags under our eyes (studying for the Induksi’s exam). Here are some pictures of the sweet memories to be shared...

All participants with their smiles of satisfaction after their ‘intense discussion’ with UPSM

Hmm…Lunch is still far away… better get some rest, to keep the energy for tonight’s revision.

En. Naini had a brief discussion with the Induksi participants. My friend and I stifled an urge to tell him our ‘not so sweet memories’

Even if everybody ran to and fro for their lunch, we still and would always have an affinity for posing merrily in front of camera…

Ahh…The soothing scenery…Never failed to raise our stressed spirit in completing the assignments.

Well, I daresay that LGM is world’s best rubber research institute!

Never underestimate “Women Power”. Women have proved they are good leaders. Women rules!

Raihan’s response when asked how’s life after the Cari Menantu program? Are you participating in other tv reality program?

You all go first. Azura and I will conquer the world after we finish our supper…

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We have been told that ALL of us had successfully passed the “Kursus Induksi”. Congratulations to all participants. We’ve made it guys! A token of appreciation is dedicated to the UPSM for their excellent work of providing us a place in the Kursus Induksi. We also built a ‘networking of contact’ with various govenrments ageincies which also took part in the Kursus Induksi. Please have a peek into our very own blog: HHUUhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Coolest_induksi_group/UU Azlina Bahri

Merdeka Day – my experience At 6.00 pm on 30 August 2007, my son and I took the LRT to Masjid Jamek to join Malaysia’s 50th birthday bash. As we stepped down from the station, we could feel the festive atmosphere with people from all walks of life coming for the celebration. Being early, we stopped over to have teh tarik and daun pisang dinner. After dinner, we walked to Merdeka Square, ready for the best Merdeka celebration ever. We found a nice spot, facing the gigantic screen. There were already thousands and thousands of Malaysians coupled with few hundreds of foreigners. We bought some kacang putih and mineral water and joined in the singing of patriotic songs. It was a wonderful and historic feeling, Malaysians gathering in one spirit. We sang patriotic songs such as Keranamu Malaysia, Tanggal 31 Ogos, Perajurit Tanah Air or Inilah Barisan Kita, Putra Putri, Malaysia Boleh, Muhibbah and Jalur Gemilang. I had goosebumps over and over again and the patriotic feeling was at its highest level. My son, beside me kept nudging me not to sing so loud (probably he has not seen this side of me), but I explained to him how I felt and towards the tail end before countdown, he was joining me in a subtle way (probably not cool for guys his age to be patriotic). Ten minutes before countdown, the atmosphere was explosive with the singing getting louder and full of emotion. I never felt more Malaysian and being proud to be a Malaysian. At the stroke of 12 midnight, suddenly everything stood still, an up and coming young politician raised the Malaysian flag, followed by the national anthem - Negara Ku and then two long speeches. How disappointing!! The crowd in Merdeka Square had expected a big bang of fireworks immediately after countdown and were prepared to rejoice our country’s 50th birthday with umph…. Anyway, before the second speech was over, I left the square along with almost half the crowd, disappointed. I heard the fireworks were out after 1 am. Although the celebration, after the countdown, was not as I had expected, I was really glad I made time to be at Merdeka Square for Malaysia’s historic 50th birthday bash and it turned out to be a memorable evening. Cool Malaysian

A retiree’s mulling I once saw a wall poster that read: “If you want to be seen, stand up, if you want to heard, speak up, if you want to lead, be in front.. Otherwise, sit down and shut up!” Another poster reads: “Wise men talk because they have something to say; Fools talk because they just want to say something”. As a retiree of MRB, I originally plan to allow my brain hang loose and enjoy every second of my home sojourn. But being a fool that I am, I have something to say. Not that I want to but in response to a polite request by the President of SOALM to whom I take my hats off for his interest to tap on the knowledge of MRB retirees. Who am I? By now I bet everyone is wondering who am I and what’s the idea of writing to the SOALGM Newsletter? As formality, etiquette and protocol warrants it, yours truly is an ex-RRIM Rubber Instructor (1972-1978), ex-MRRDB senior research officer (1978-2007) and ex-MRB Head of Unit. I retired in 2005 but was extended on a 1+1 year contract till last June. However, while browsing through the LGM website today I am most amused to see my name still listed as a Research Fellow. I am flattered -- a handsome monthly paycheck to justify the listing would be most welcome! On the other hand, I am wondering, who is sleeping on the job? On a bragging note, throughout my career I had written over 100 seminar and policy papers, articles for RRIM, MRRDB and MRB’s publications such as the Malaysian Rubber Review, the Malaysian Rubber and Technology Digest, Getah Asli, notes and inputs for various Ministries and agencies and so on and so on. I had also participated in trade missions to promote Malaysian rubber products in Japan, the Middle East, Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina and the UK. I was also selected to participate in feasibility studies in preparation of national policies for the Malaysian tyre industry and industrial master plans (IMPs). I also served as the Honorary Secretary of the Malaysian Rubber Products Manufacturers Association for almost a decade. Enough to flip your eyeballs up? Secondly, I write not with any malicious or revengeful intention against anybody or party. But upon my inevitable retirement after having completed 35 years of a most enjoyable career in an internationally-acclaimed rubber research organization I realized that rubber flows deep in my blood!

No doubt Shazwani had had enough of tea and snacks. Evidences were on the coffee table. All glasses and plates were all hers!

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Who are you? To begin with, allow me to pose the following questions to all MRB officers and SOALGM Newsletter readers:

• How many of you can clearly really relate your current work to MRB’s visions, missions and roles as “the custodian” of the Malaysian rubber industry and its stakeholders?

• Do you seriously think your research works and related

projects will eventually benefit the Malaysian rubber industry?

• Can you figure out what is the future direction of the

Malaysian rubber industry?

• Do you think the MRB will last forever? Is rubber research still relevant to Malaysia?

• How do you compare the RRIM and the MRB? Do you

agree with me that the RRIM was once a horse jockeyed by specialized experts who pulled the cart to new heights but the MRB is now a new horse trying to push the cart to unknown destined directions?

• Can you detect any research blind spots in the MRB? If you

do, do you have the guts to point them to your superiors?

If you feel that the above questions are of no concern to you, I frankly feel that you are not productively working for the MRB and the Malaysian rubber industry. You are in MRB just to earn a living. And that is one of the major differences between MRB officers of today and the RRIM researchers of yesteryears. There is an obvious dilution of interest, passion, commitment and dedication in serving the interest of the industry and the MRB’s other stakeholders. I categorise you as a smart but “robotic employee” who sadly lack passion in your career. If you belong to this category please count your blessings as it is quite rare amongst government agencies for officers to be so well-treated and easily-promoted.. Meritocracy aside, with lots of luck, MRB officers only have to mark time before being promoted, qualified or otherwise. I likened the MRB to a “charitable” organization in as far is promotion is concerned. Sometimes my mind wonders whether promotion is a mere “fill in the blanks” exercise. Why write to SOALGM? So, why and what is this mulling all about? You see, after serving in rubber research for 35 years under five different sets of management in rubber I realized that the Malaysian rubber industry has become a part of me no matter how much I tried to wean it off. The entire period of my service was full of personally humbling, eye-opening, knowledge-gaining, and self-satisfying experiences; be they at the district, state, national or international levels. On that score, I retired with a few worries that are pricking on my conscience.

So, I am opening my personal Pandora’s Box. But please be assured that I definitely will not dwell on heavy thought-drowning brain-squashing stuffs such as global warming, environmental interconnectedness, nano-technology, quantum physics and spirituality, string theory, politics or sexual proclivities. Instead, I will be down to earth to think aloud my personal concerns for the MRB and the Malaysian rubber industry. If you think this is going to be another mundane rumblings of = a nyanyok retiree kindly skip and proceed to the next article. Otherwise do not blame me for any consequential mental disorder, torments or build up in your blood pressure or anger levels. At the onset, my cursory assessment of the current structure of and the prevailing work environment in MRB points to an obvious gradual shift in focus, style of management and the taking over of rubber research activities by a group of younger academically-qualified officers. This in itself is good as the rubber industry is in need of transfusion of fresh minds and strategists to keep it stay alive. Unless you have forgotten, rubber research in Malaysia is almost a century old. Over the years there had been shifts in research focus and priorities in response to changes and development in the global and domestic rubber scenarios. Growth policies and strategies were formulated. However, reality veered off most plans. The unsuspected rapid emergence of Thailand and Indonesia to wrest away Malaysia’s global leadership in natural rubber (NR) production despite all the R & D efforts caught everyone by surprise and raised many questions. Why did Malaysia lose the prestigious position as the world’s largest NR producer and exporter? How did these two neighbours do it? Where did we go wrong despite having prominent scientists, rubber economists and rubber strategists? Have we failed in some aspects along the way? Did we rest too much on past laurel established by our predecessors and thus became complacent? Was the world rubber industry going too fast for Malaysian rubber research to cope and catch up to? I am sure if the same occurred to any business entity, heads will definitely roll! Another development that boggles my mind is the apparent weakness in human resource planning and development, both for the industry and the research system. For years everyone was aware of the critical need for replacement labour to fill the widening gap owing to gradually ageing smallholders. This was an issue repeatedly raised by the industry. Yet today, if not for imported labour, Malaysia’s NR production may dwindle faster to less than a million tonnes. It appears tha the Malaysian rubber industry is in the hands of foreigners. How come? Have MRB comprehensively-formulated short, medium and long term growth-policies and strategies to sustain the Malaysian rubber industry? I vividly remember asking the

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MRB Chairman on the need for a master plan for the industry. His off-the cuff remarks was that master plans are what they are – only plans. It appears to me as though the system is just limping along instead of “walking the talk”. Yet, one of ex-honchos of MRB adamantly kept screaming to the world that the organization is “the custodian of the Malaysian rubber industry”. But has MRB really studied in detail and in full consultation with the industry the critical needs and interest of all its stakeholders? Is the syllabus of the Hevea Academy tailored to meet the skill needs of the industry? Has the Academy adequate qualified and knowledgeable lecturers? On a personal note, yours truly and another officer who just retired but now serving on contract as a Unit Head had drafted a comprehensive report listing the skills and training needs the rubber downstream sector foresaw to be lacking in the future. I wonder if our paper which was based on consultation with rubber product manufacturers and associations serve any purpose to the Akademi. Is there a need to “reinvent the wheel”? In the downstream area, there is an urgent need to formulate plans of actions (POAs) to chart the success of implementation of the Third Industrial Master Plan (IMP3) for the rubber products industry. Are current MRB officers competent to draw up the pre-requisite POAs and a comprehensive techno-economic policy and strategy to thwart the impending impacts of bilateral, regional and global trade liberalization? In the face of a gradually-changing world and Malaysian rubber topographies and absence of any national policy and supporting strategies can MRB still self-proclaim itself as the “custodian of the Malaysian rubber industry?. In simple words, is the MRB and its officers groping in the dark in its deliverables for the industry? I am sure most will be quick to response “MRB has the POA whatttttttt?”. My response to that is “Is the MRB’s 2003 Plan of Action still relevant and implementable? If so, to meet whose needs? The industry of MRB’s “SKT”? Was the POA a “syok sendiri” exercise? Did anyone realize that the POA in itself is a proof of poor leadership? It was a rolled-up plan. Rightly, it should be the opposite! Effective leaders are good trackers. They lead; not ask employees for directions! Internally, the prolonged lack of detailed study and appropriate plan of action on long term human resource development, both in quality and quantity, is responsible for the current obvious shortage of well-trained and adequately-experienced personnel in critical areas of research and technical innovations, public relations, inter-personnel etiquette and good writers of Bahasa Malaysia and English research reports and articles ..

My two years of editing drafts of MRB’s Annual Reports 2005 and 2006 attested to this weakness which is prevalent “across the Board”, so to speak. While not claiming to be a literary expert numerous basic grammatical errors and slip shot presentation raises my concern on the level of literary competency amongst MRB officers. In most cases, the write-ups which should be precise and easily comprehensible Divisional reports were mere lengthy cut-and-paste submissions of Unit quarterly reports. In my humble opinion such weakness and shortcomings points to the effectiveness of MRB’s delivery system and question its relevance as the “custodian” of the Malaysian rubber industry. There may be recent development within the MRB system the details of which I am not privy to and which stand to rebut my celoteh. . I eagerly look forward to see more positive changes in the its delivery system and deliverables for the betterment of the Malaysian rubber industry and the Board’s stakeholders. Despite my strong words, short of condemning, and which I likened to a lemon-coated candy, MRB in its entirety is a “goldmine” of tangible as well as non-tangible resources, intellectual capabilities and opportunities waiting to be exploited by those with the appropriate know how and of course, “know who”! Do exploit whatever is available to you to the maximum. Stay focused on your roles in upholding the image and prestige of the MRB. Then again, the multi-tasking most officers are facing now reminds me of a Russian proverb that says “There will be trouble when cobblers start baking pies”. As a strong believer of specialization I worry MRB officers may just become jack of all trades but master of none. I believe specialisation is a prerequisite to growth and development. On that note I close my mulling with this message: “Be wise; strategise!” Thank you. Abdul Halim Hassan, K.M.N

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Road Trip

TARRC, Brickendonbury on 5 April 2007

Apa terjadi kepada TARRC selepas ini? Proses pengambilalihan Tun Abdul Razak Research Center (TARRC) sedang dalam peringkat kelulusan Majlis Tempatan Hertfordshire .... untuk kelulusan bila-bila masa? Kalau betul berlaku, maka mungkin lawatan saya tempoh hari merupakan yang terakhir, walaupun selepas ini sesekali ke England bagi melihat cucu-cucu saya yang akan terus membesar di negara yang pernah menjajah Malaya dahulu. Bangunan TARRC sememangnya bersejarah bagi kita, sejarah perkembangan dan kemajuan industri getah asli yang turut membantu England menjadi negara maju..... Sudah hampir berpuluh tahun kita dijajah dan getah merupakan sumber asli yang dikeluarkan di Malaysia untuk membangunkan negara mat salleh tu...

Sekarang kita menyambut 50 tahun merdeka, TARRC merupakan lambang sejarah kemerdekaan. TARRC di bawah Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) dulunya RRIM merupakan satu-satunya cawangan pusat penyelidikan terkemuka Malaysia yang berada di England. Kita berbangga kerana pada masakini mat-mat saleh yang berkhidmat di bawah MRB di mana kita pula yang membayar gaji mereka yang dulunya menjajah kita.... Ini merupakan erti kita telah Merdeka.... Perlu kita bangga sebab kita rakyat Malaysia menjadi pengurus dan pentadbir TARRC. Amat malang sekiranya salah satu pusat kecemerlangan penyelidikan getah Malaysia di England ditukarkan kepada Pusat Latihan Sukan Berprestasi Tinggi di bawah Majlis Sukan Negara pula. Apakah yang hendak dibanggakan dengan pusat ini? Apakah dengan adanya pusat ini, Malaysia berkemampuan melahirkan ramai ahli-ahli sukan atau atlet bertaraf dunia? Kenapa kita tidak berbangga dengan kecemerlangan kita di dalam penyelidikan getah telah mencapai taraf dunia? MRB sepatutnya mempertahankan TARRC sebagai lambang Malaysia cemerlang, gemilang dan terbilang dalam penyelidikan getah asli bertaraf dunia.....setuju tak? Sempena 50 tahun kemerdekaan, kenapa tidak kita mengangkat TARRC sebagai satu lambang warisan sejarah pencapaian penyelidikan getah oleh MRB yang sebenarnya sudah bertaraf dunia? TARRC perlu diwar-warkan sebagai satu-satunya pusat penyelidikan getah terulung di dunia. MERDEKA, MERDEKA, MERDEKA! Hj Johani Md Zain **Berita baik!! Permohonan pembinaanPusat Prestasi Sukan oleh Kerajaan Malaysia telah DITOLAK oleh East London Council!!!!—NST 16.11.07

Haha, You Didn’t Know that…Did You?! Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.

Answers to: a) Riddles: 1. A pencil 2. Footsteps; 3. The sun; 4. Rain; 5. Your name b) Brain Teasers: 1. 43-all others are 1 greater than a square 2. Geranium, Gardenia, Columbine, Celandine 3. Each may be preceded by “break” to give a new word. 4. Unchained Melody 5. 18 peppers

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BIKING HOLIDAY FROM IPOH TO PENANG

The group later became smaller as the 2 hours ride time enjoyed by the group early Sunday mornings gave way to the much needed rest or family commitments each weekend. Now we have four cyclists and to keep the group excited with cycling was to set a goal each year.

In 2007, we decided to do the 3-day, 350km interstate bike ride organized by one of the local cycling clubs. Pedro Yeop with his RMC buddies had done this couple of times before. This year the route is from Ipoh to Penang. To shorten the intro, when it came to crunch time of the challenge, the group number declined from 8 to two cyclists; of course, ‘Young’ Pedro Yeop aka the man with a ‘younger one’ is in. The others had either chickened-out or were busy for ‘whatever reason’.

Well to be really honest, it was not a difficult task. Now I know that the trick is to pace one self. The journey as in life requires patience and passion and as in any project it requires time, effort and money. I enjoyed the whole cycling trip and in many occasions during the ride wished that more of our members could be with us. The journey taught many things such as team work, networking, sharing facilities, consideration, supporting fellow cyclist, preparation and many others that can easily be applied to our everyday life here in LGM. One good thing about the organization of the trip was it was done by pure enthusiasts; there were no political, fund raising or ‘naik pangkat’ agenda. They did it because they enjoyed doing it. Period. The Biking holiday was organized by PCC. We rode from Ipoh, Taiping, Kulim, Bukit Mertajam, Penang Bridge, Balik Pulau, Telok Bahang and ended at Golden Beach Hotel.

Now let us talk about the ride. The ride, to Pedro and me, was a casual ride because to us, it was not a race. We rode at our own pace meeting and chatting with fellow cyclists at rest stops. We discovered the backdrop of our countryside, provided businesses to domestic food stalls and witnessed leisurely activities in our backyard which we can’t see while zooming towards our destination in our cars. What more can I say about the Interstate2007, it was sheer fabulous.

Day 1 Route – The first 150km consisted of rolling route with couple of short climbs which included a climb at Bukit Berapit. The main peloton pace as usual was fast - averaging 30km/hr.

There were many young guns that were out to prove their manhood by trying to finish as fast as possible, but for us our rides were at our leisure, pacing from behind, averaging 25 km/hr with stops for rest. We know that we can’t check into hotel early so we purposely paced ourselves. ‘Pedro’ Yeop is prone to cramps, and since we agreed to ride together, we were looking out for each other during the ride. Unlike the others, our ‘Pedro’ prefers ‘bus stop’ break so that he could lie on the bench. We had to do three refueling stop, one at kilometer 60, 80 and another at kilometer 110 (i.e. before the climb). We arrived at Taiping Golf Resort just about 2 pm. The last cyclist, a determined woman on a mountain bike who refused the support vehicle and cycled till she dropped, arrived close to dinner time.

Day 2 Route – The group left Taiping Golf Resort and went fast, panicking a little for about 20km or so as there were almost 100 eager cyclist doing an average 40km/hr blocking one and half lane of the road causing a traffic jam. In the midst of the action, I lost ‘Pedro’. We had promised to have breakfast at the 29 km ‘warung’ so I stopped and waited for him, happily watching the fast cyclists “fly” by. Pedro and I had breakfast and continue the journey together. There was a gruesome hill climb at the 39 km mark; many underestimated the climb. I ran out of gear and opted to push half way up while Pedro, thanks to his granny gears, he spun his wheels up onto peak. After that, we rode downhill for almost 5 km.

We cycled down hill with speed over 60kmph. After few rests, we tagged along a group consisted of a few tri-athletes; Pedro’s RMC mate who is half his age and his girlfriend - a newbie, ‘on and off’ tandem riders alternating riding in their support cars and couple of mountain bikers. They were nice and together we had fun, stopping for mee rebus, ais kacang, roti canai and wherever we felt like having during breaks to avoid cramps. There was this extremely fat guy from Klang whom we met, almost fainted few times while riding. One experienced elder cyclist decided to ride with him and yelled at him to keep him awake when his bike started going astray. Fortunately, his loving wife drove behind them in their Estima and he finally decided that he had enough and quit at the 100 km mark. Kudos, for such a big person who managed to cycle 100 km.

Biking has always been considered a healthy activity, usually meant by pedaling around our housing estate for a few kilometers. For us mortals, cycling 150 km in a day is a joke. The story started as a group of LGM staff decided to take up cycling as their effort for a healthy and better lifestyle. In about two years, the group grew to 8 cyclists or so, and we were doing 40 km Sunday rides. Results were not guaranteed but they were earned.

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Famous Inventors….you may or may not know them Abū ‘Alī al-Hasan ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Haytham was born in the HHArabHH city of HHBasraHH, HHIraqHH (HHMesopotamiaHH), Ibn al-Haytham was a pioneer in HHopticsHH, HHastronomyHH, HHengineeringHH, HHmathematicsHH, HHphysicsHH, and HHpsychologyHH. His optical writings influenced many Western intellectuals such as HHRoger BaconHH, HHJohn PechamHH, HHWiteloHH, and HHJohannes KeplerHH.

Ralph H. Baer (born HHMarch 8HH, HH1922HH) is a HHGermanHH-born HHAmerican HH HHinventorHH, noted for his many contributions to HHgamesHH and the HHvideo game industryHH. In 2006, he was awarded the HHNational Medal of TechnologyHH for inventing the HHhome console for video gamesHH and spawning the video game industry.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Came afternoon, the heat was unbearable and our bodies were overheating, so we continued pacing ourselves through the last leg of the trip. Later, in the final 10 km, we were blessed by a heavy rain fall. We stopped for shelter at a ‘Kelapa sawit’ factory canteen, but decided later to ride in the shower and enjoy the coolness that came with the rain. We managed to reach the Summit Hotel at about 3:00 pm, checked in, showered and went out to hunt for the ‘best nasi kandar in town’.

In the picture above, ‘yours truly’ is second from left with the armband, in front of the Amoi in pink. One thing I noticed during the ride, ladies always like to cycle behind me. I heard them say, I offered good protection against wind, or maybe it was their excuse to enjoy my behind

Day 3 Route - The inaugural ride crossing the Penang Bridge was exciting to say the least. We were escorted by the police, checked through the bridge two by two and breezed onto the bridge to Penang. We were the 2nd cycling group to be allowed riding across the bridge; the 1st was one of the Le Tour De Langkawi events. The day was cloudy as we crossed the bridge and it showered a little as we came to Queensbay Mall (QBM). We had quick refreshments at QBM and later pushed up to Balik Pulau (BP). There was a hefty climb before BP which I enjoyed as my heart rate was increased to about 80%. In fact, I overtook the slower riders on the way-up. It rained heavily and visibility was not that good as we zoomed to the ‘Dewan Serbaguna Balik Pulai’ for a sponsored lunch. Nice food.

The food was good, nothing like Penang food. We finished the best daging bakar with air asam in town and we continued our 40 km or so journey to the hotel through Telok Bahang and Batu Ferringgi. Before that, there was another steady and long climb which we enjoyed every minute. The only regret was we did not anticipate a durian orchard, the famous Balik Pulau durian orchard, as we are cycling down hill fast.

Anticipating the hotel was not going to be ready by 2 pm, we cycled leisurely by the beach stopping for ‘ais kacang’ and ‘mee udang’ and finally reaching the hotel by 2 pm. The rooms weren’t ready, so we took a nap in the lobby area until finally given rooms at almost 4 pm. We had a Gala dinner that night, and next day, we were driven back to Ipoh in a chartered bus. Overall, it was fun and I do wish many more SOA members can join our group next year. All you need are a bike and a determined self, the rest you leave them with us, and we will let you know. SOA Cycling member **PS. FYI, Pedro Yeop and ‘yours truly’ are ex-SOA Presidents. We still do the Sunday morning 2 hours cycling (completed by 10 am) and all are welcome to join us. I am starting a mountain bike group to ride LGM hills opposite the Sg. Buloh station.

Riding across the Penang Bridge was exhilarating. We were the 2nd cycling group allowed across. The other was the Tour De Langkawi

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When I was at TARRC…

0B0BAs one of our prominent guest columnists, an avid photographer and a die-hard fan of the Iron Maiden, Dr. A. Ikram has retired and probably is enjoying his retirement life riding ponies somewhere in Cherating, he would not possibly write in this column again. So to keep this column active (as well as to honor one of Dr. Ikram’s last wishes before he left LGM) I thought sharing some of my illustrated experience in this column with the SOALGM members could be very interesting.

During the Summer of 2006, I have the opportunity to spend two months at The Materials Characterization Unit, TARRC, of which to get myself familiarized with the world of polymer microscopy. As you all might have known, I am a biologist and was trained as a cell biologist, so polymer microscopy was something new to me. I was only getting acquainted with this subject (polymer) approximately five years ago. I don’t want to bore you all with the details of my attachment, of which you can read in my lengthy technical report, but to share some of my experience in term of a photographic essay (as this is supposed to be a photography column). Unfortunately, there was no photo of the laboratories or my photo working in the lab as I was so busy and so occupied with the work so that no chance at all to take out my camera and record the evidence☺

Frank was a very nice person and you can always trust him whenever you want to travel anywhere in the UK. BTW, not to confuse you all….Frank was the taller one, flanked by Kartini of UPB.

Two months of a solitary confinement has force me to watch even my-not-so-favorite series Superman, in my single bedroom flat at The Hale Court. Notice a putter at the background? – Putting was my other favorite pastime activities at the flat’s nice green (the garden to be precise).

Sue and Ian were kind enough and always invite me to their beautiful old English cottage after work for a chat (sorry no photo of them both – but if you look close enough, you can notice Ian in the photo “indecently” displaying his bare chest - as it was summer).

Poppy was abundance in Ian’s garden and around the cottage. The plant was also one of my PhD subject during my initial year in Durham (Hevea tree does not grows naturally in the UK, except of course , in the green house of The Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew).

At last, my prayer to end my solitude was answered by the visit of our chief accountant (to audit TARRC). It was one of the hottest summer days that weekend, and a quick shower was so tempting and I have from time to time reminding Azhan not to have a dip in the fountain at the Trafalgar Square. At the background (far right) was The National Gallery.

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Shamsul Bahri

A parade by the Queens Guard from the Buckingham Palace, to celebrate Queen’s Birthday Celebration (remember your kindergarten storybook of The Steadfast Tin Soldier?)

London’s Eye was very tempting but the crowd and the long-queue for the ticket (and the ride) really put us off.

Street entertainer like this was a common sight along the Embankment (London). I wonder how this lady commuted using the Underground, dragging along her large piano.

There was an unforgettable experience in this tube for our Chief Accountant.

Norain (far right - one of our staffs at TARRC) was kind enough to round up close friends for my farewell party at Salleh’s place. Asri looked very cheerful after his kidney transplant.

Salleh played the guitar very well so did Asri. At the background was Ruhida, amazed at the antics both

displayed.

Dr. Elias, didn’t want to be outdone by the other two guitarist, showing off his rustic but fine skill, serenading the 60s, and 70s’ selection.

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A Word from the Wise

Some Good Ways to Discipline Children Excerpt from Come On People: On the Path

from Victims to Victors By Bill Cosby and Dr. Alvin Poussaint

Children require structure and predictable rules. Above all, they require attention. Back in the day, parents bothered their children when they came

home from school. Some parents may not have known how to do long division. They may not have known how to write or how to construct a business letter. But they knew how to prod their children because they wanted them to be something. Parents back then might have said, "Well, what did you do today in geometry?" They may have thought isosceles was a guy from the Bible and that a hypotenuse was a big ugly animal in Africa, but they knew their kids. They would make us go upstairs, get the book, bring it down, sit with them, and go over it. And even if they didn't understand, they'd pretend to. They pretended to because they knew kids needed an education. That need hasn't changed.

Share your experience. A wise parent or caregiver shares her wisdom. She tells children about useful social skills as well as about the need to be responsible and orderly. A child who is disciplined will be more obedient and also more organized as a student. He'll do better in school and in life. Of course he will!

Educate your children. Good discipline is key to supporting the learning and education that our children need. Kids do better academically and are less likely to drop out if they take more responsibility for their school success. Self-disciplined people are more likely to succeed at whatever they do.

Distinguish discipline from punishment. This is not just a word game. Discipline and punishment really are different things. Discipline may include punishment but aims for a much higher goal. Discipline includes other ways to shape a child's behavior for the long term, not just for the short term. The aim of good discipline is to teach children self-control and the difference between right and wrong, which becomes part of their inner character.

Behave the way you want your children to behave. Children learn discipline in ways that parents need to be aware of. For instance, children will learn right and wrong by watching what their parents do. If parents lie, the kids will. If parents use racial slurs, so will the kids. If parents use violence at home, the kids will use it in the streets—the same with alcohol and drug abuse and cigarettes. This stuff starts early. We know a kid whose first words were "lousy bum," and he used them—echoing his old man—to address an Eagles wide receiver who dropped the ball in the end zone.

You parents and caregivers who don't want the kids to do these things, don't do them yourselves. That's the first step. If you have other bad habits, like being sloppy or late, don't expect the kids to be neat or on time. You can say, "Do what I say, not what I do," all you want, but when you turn your head, the kids will do what you do. Actions speak louder than words. Whatever behaviors and attitudes you want for the children, you'd better model them in your life. Tone down your language. As a parent or caregiver you should consider the language you use within the four walls of your home. Curb the yelling and the angry tone. For instance, imagine yourself at dinner. Listen to yourself say, "Pass the bread." Then ask yourself, How am I saying it? Do I should like a parent who cares? Or do I sound like a prison guard? Your kids can tell the difference.

Listen to your children. Think about sitting down with the children in your charge and asking them—with a smile and a relaxed expression—the very simple question, "What makes you happy?" They'll be glad to answer that. And ask, "What makes you sad?" Don't even get into anger. Just ask, "What makes you sad?" And then you can deal with it from there. Try that every day, just talking to the children.

Reward good behavior. The best kind of reward is praise. If a child usually makes a mess at the table, praise her when she doesn't make a mess. And make sure she helps to clean up the mess she does make. In this way, you are helping to reinforce the behaviors in your child that you want to continue.

Make the punishment fit the crime. Penalties help, but they should not be excessive and should be linked with the misbehavior that you are attempting to modify. For instance, if your kid is not getting enough sleep because she is staying up too late, the penalty could be an earlier bedtime. The reward could be a compliment when she wakes up refreshed in the morning and looking like a million bucks.

Set limits wisely. Children need limits set by parents or caregivers, often to protect them. You can't let your kid run out into the street where he might get smacked by a car. You restrain him and say very firmly, "No, no—dangerous. You can get hit by a car!" There is no need to spank. You took the time to explain, and you were firm. With repetition, the child will get the message and learn not to run into the street. Setting limits also involves setting rules that children are expected to follow. Tell them that dirty clothes go in the hamper, garbage goes in the trash, food goes nowhere near the bedroom, and adults are to be respected, not talked back to. Let older children set their own rules. To a point, of course, it's helpful to let older children help set the

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rules. This is particularly true for teenagers. Kids can even help determine what the penalty should be when they break a rule, such as curfew. You have the final say, but at the same time it helps children to participate in setting household rules.

Be consistent. Children need to know what you expect from them by the limits you set. And you must be consistent. If there is no TV on school nights, there is no TV on school nights. Period. Stick to these rules no matter how loudly kids whine. If you let them change your mind by throwing a fit, they have won a victory that is not good for them or for you. In fact, you will have validated the outburst by giving in. Sometimes adults cave in because they feel the children won't love them if they don't. But, in the long term, children will love and respect adults more if they are consistent. And remember, consistency doesn't mean being rigid when you realize circumstances have changed.

State the rules positively. Parents and caregivers should put a positive spin on rules. For instance, "Please put dirty clothes in the hamper," works better than, "Don't throw your dirty clothes on the floor." "Treat family with respect" is more useful than, "Don't smack your little sister." Too many "Thou Shalt Nots" encourages some children to defy authority or express anger. Even with the positive tone, you still have to be firm and consistent.

Give children choices. You can also discipline children by giving them choices. Do they want to take a bath before or after dinner? When the kids choose the time, they have made a commitment to take a bath, which is what counts. Do they want to wear the black pants or the green pants to church? They get the choice, but you have just told them they are not wearing jeans. Likewise, you can let them choose from a variety of foods as long as the choices are all good ones. Children who are given choices feel respected. They are also learning independence, which becomes especially important during adolescence. Children who are allowed to make small choices at young ages are better prepared to deal with the larger choices when not so young. With proper discipline at home, kids behave well when they are away from home and out of sight of their parents or caregivers. Disciplined kids are less likely to disrupt the classroom or bully and intimidate other kids. Your self-disciplined child is someone you can count on to take responsibility for what he does and is less likely to do what others want him to. Disciplined children know the difference between right and wrong and are less likely to go wrong, and today there are a whole lot of ways to get there—illicit drug and alcohol abuse, premature sexuality, violence. You name it, someone is doing it. But it doesn't have to be your kid.

Statistics and You DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS… WHAT IS IT? Descriptive Statistics are used to describe the basic features of the data in a study. They provide simple summaries about the sample and the measures. Together with simple graphics analysis, they form the basis of virtually every quantitative analysis of data. Various techniques that are commonly used are classified as:

1. Graphical description in which we use graphs to summarize data.

2. Tabular description in which we use tables to summarize data.

3. Summary statistics in which we calculate certain values to summarize data.

We have two objectives for our summary:- 1. We want to choose a statistic that shows how different

units seem similar. Statistical textbooks call the solution to this objective as a measure of central tendency.

2. We want to choose another statistic that shows how they differ. This kind of statistic is often called as a measure of statistical variability.

When we are summarizing a quantity like length or weight or age, it is common to answer the first question with the mean, the median, or the mode. Sometimes, we choose specific values from the cumulative distribution function called quantiles. Then, the most common measures of variability for quantitative data are the variance; its square root, the standard deviation; the range; and interquartile range. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS IN EXCEL??? WOW! Microsoft Excel provides a set of data analysis tools called the Analysis ToolPak, that you can use to save steps when you develop complex statistical or engineering analyses. You provide the data and parameters for each analysis; the tool uses the appropriate statistical or engineering macro functions and then displays the results in an output table. To access these tools, click Data Analysis on the Tools menu. If the Data Analysis command is not available, you need to load it. Try this!

1. On the Tools menu, click Add-Ins. 2. Select the Analysis ToolPak check box. 3. Click OK.

To use the Analysis ToolPak: 1. On the Tools menu, click Data Analysis. 2. In the Analysis Tools box, click the tool you want to use. 3. Enter the input range and the output range, and then

select the options you want. The Descriptive Statistics analysis tool generates a report of univariate statistics for data in the input range, providing information about the central tendency and variability of your data.

1. Mean - This arithmetic mean otherwise known as the average

2. Standard Error - Estimate of the error in the sample mean

3. Median - This is the value in the middle 4. Mode - This is the most common value 5. Standard Deviation - A measure of the variability of the

data

The first half of our lives is ruined by our parents, and the second half by our children.

HHClarence DarrowHH US defense lawyer (1857 - 1938)

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6. Sample Variance - The Square of the standard deviation 7. Kurtosis - Measures the heaviness of the tails of the

distribution 8. Skewness - Index of whether the values are at one end of

the distribution 9. Range - The difference between the maximum and the

minimum 10. Minimum - The smallest value 11. Maximum - The largest value 12. Sum - The sum of all the values 13. Count - The total number of values

Hashima Idris

Intuition, Knowledge, the Heart and Truth (Part three of three) Another meaning of the word spirit is what is understood by those who call the soul (= ruh) 'spirit' when it has left the body on earth and passed to the other side. This mechanism of the physical body works from morning till evening like a machine, which stands up to all the turmoil of life, encounters all difficulties, and one day falls flat, when the power/energy that kept the machine going suddenly gives out. The doctor says that the man's heart failed. That which was most important to him has left. What left the body was the person. The body was a mask which covered that person. When the mask is removed, that visible person becomes invisible. When the body cannot hold it any longer, he lets it go. This does not mean that he does not want it. The real "being" is the spirit. And so the man spent his entire life on this earth without knowing his true being. The spiritual self (= ruh) is the opposite of nafs, it continually strives to lift man to the heavens. The nafs is the chain that binds us to the Earth, i.e. it keeps the balloon tied to the ground. Without it, the balloon would simply soar to the skies, i.e. the soul will fly up to the heavens leaving behind its body. People want to talk in order to know, and then they forget it all. Very often, it is not the one who knows talks so much, but the one who wants to know. People strive for many different things in this world, but last of all, they seek the spiritual path. The believer works for realization of God. The rough edges of everyday life rubbing against him make him heartsore, but just as the diamond by being cut, becomes brilliant, so does the heart. When the heart has been sufficiently cut, it becomes a flame that illuminates not only his life but that of others. Spirituality is an experience in life, an education in the "highest knowledge". When someone has achieved spirituality on earth, it is not necessary for him to stay longer, unless it is his desire. And the day the false conception of self is removed from his eyes, he begins to see the immensity of God's majesty. When the lips are closed, the heart begins to speak. When the heart is silent, the soul blazes up, bursting into flame, and this illuminates the whole of life. It is this idea which demonstrates the great importance of silence, and this silence is gained by UUreposeUU. Most people do not know what repose is, but only when they are tired, and if they're not tired, they’d never see the necessity for it. The intoxication of daily life is such that he cannot fully to take in everyday life to lead one to life's ideal is to

appreciate repose. There is a greater mystery in repose. It is repose which makes them thoughtful. For example when a person retires to a room alone from the activity of everyday life and draws a breath of thankfulness as he feels after all his interesting or tiresome experiences. There is nothing to distract his mind and nothing which demands his action. At that moment, his soul has a glimpse of relief, the pleasure of which is inexpressible. It is not an ordinary feeling, for there is a far deeper feeling behind it. One who has repose is naturally thoughtful. People working im the busy services sector, upon whose minds there is a continual demand, often in time develop impertinence, insolence and lack of patience. They do not become less sensible, it only means that lack of repose, which weakens their sense of control, makes them give way to such things. This shows repose is necessary for every practical life and soul living on earth. It is the most important thing to be developed, not only in an adult, but is something to be taught from childhood. Sometimes cats and dogs are more intuitive than mankind. Although man is more capable than the animals, he does not give himself time to become more intuitive. When a person has a little leisure time sitting in a bus, he at once pretends to be busy by looking at the newspapers and magazines (and nowadays, hand phones). In spirituality, the method of repose is adopted to prepare one to begin the inner path, in communication with oneself, the "true self" within, as if one is blowing one's inner spark into a divine fire, for it is in the innermost self of man that God is to be known. "UUHe who knows himself knows his Lord". UU The Lord described this by speaking through His Prophet: "Man is my secret and I am the secret of man." Our Prophet said, UU"A moment's reflection is worth more than a year of worship"UU. This does not mean that the voice of the inner self does not come to everyone, it always comes, but not everyone hears it. This can be achieved by a certain way of sitting and breathing, and also by a certain attitude of mind (meditation). Then he begins to become conscious of that part of his being which is not the physical body, it is no longer a matter of his imagination, it is the truth of life, it is his actual realization of the experience that is independent of physical life. It is in this state that he is capable of experiencing the phenomena of life. Ordinary people who reads about the kingdom of God and Heaven reads names but do not know where Heaven is, and feels that there is a God but there is no evidence for it. This outward belief in a deity he has not seen makes a large number of intellectual people turning away from the outer religion because they cannot find an explanation and consequently they become materialistic. Spirituality is only a light thrown upon one's own religion. UUWhen everything there is can be found in a room, all that is needed is the light. Man is always concerned about what others think of his actions, instead of being concerned with what the Lord thinks of them. Man cannot escape from his own actions, however wicked he may be, he will not really be pleased with his wrong actions. There is a natural sense in man that distinguishes between right and wrong, just or unjust.. Even a child knows when things should be harmonious, for this is a natural tendency in the heart of man, for the greatest judge is sitting in his own heart. The soul is not pleased with what is not right, but is satisfied with something that gives it complete happiness. Thus, the best path

23

consider to take in everyday life to lead one to life's ideal is to consider harmony. In all circumstances, one should try to harmonize with one's fellow creatures. Harmony is that which makes beauty, beauty in itself has no meaning. A word, a thought, a feeling or an action which creates harmony is productive of beauty. The world has many good people, but not always harmonious. There are many true people, but their truth is not always comforting. It is easy to say, but most difficult to live. If it is not easy to harmonize, it is not always because other people are difficult; it is we ourselves who cannot bend. For example, the palm tree that grows straight up cannot harmonize with other trees whose trunks and branches are crooked and bend, and growing all over (like our rubber forest). One has to be more pliable than one is by nature. One has to be more clever than one really is. Whatever a person's education or position in life, he may possess all he wants, but if that one thing is lacking in his life and heart, then nothing can bring him peace. A. Ikram

Oprah, Maya Angelou In April, Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday. Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older. And, there on television, she said it was "exciting." Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occurring every day...like her breasts. They seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first. The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple and honest woman, with so much wisdom in her words! Maya Angelou said this: "I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow." "I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights." "I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life." "I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life'." "I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance." "I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back." "I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision." "I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one." "I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone." "People love a warm hug, or just a friendly UUpat UUon the back." "I've learned that I still have a lot to learn." "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel

Nine words women use... 1.) Fine : This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up. 2.) Five Minutes : If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house. 3.) Nothing : This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine. 4.) Go Ahead : This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It! 5.) Loud Sigh : This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6.) That's Okay : This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake. 7.) Thanks : A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome. 8.) Whatever : Is a women's way of saying F@!K YOU! 9.) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to #3.

Oooohh…that Puss in the Boots is soooo HOTT…Meeeorw!

Yeah! Don’t worry about it….I GOT IT!!!!

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Seram-Bee

Pais Tempoyak Ikan Talapia

Bahan-bahan: 1 ekor ikan talapia | saiz sederhana 3 sudu makan tempoyak baru 20 biji cili padi | ditumbuk lumat 1 labu bawang besar | diracik 1 batang serai | dihiris kecil 25 mm kunyit hidup | ditumbuk lumat 2 sudu makan santan Garam secukup rasa Daun pisang Cara Memasaknya: 1. Gaul kunyit, cili padi, tempoyak, serai dan bawang bersama. 2. Lumur badan ikan dengan garam dan balut di dalam daun pisang bersama bahan-bahan tadi. 3. Tuangkan santan di atas badan ikan. 4. Bakar ikan di atas bara api samada di atas kuali atau di dalam ketuhar. Hashimah Idris

I thought you were trying to get into shape? I am. The shape I've selected is a triangle.

1B1BGarden Fresh Tomato Soup (All Recipes.com)

2B2BINGREDIENTS

4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes 1 slice onion 4 whole cloves 2 cups chicken broth 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons white sugar, or to taste

3B3BDIRECTIONS

1. In a stockpot, over medium heat, combine the tomatoes, onion, cloves and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and gently boil for about 20 minutes to blend all of the flavors. Remove from heat and run the mixture through a food mill or sieve into a large bowl, or pan. Discard any stuff left over in the food mill/sieve.

2. In the now empty stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux, cooking until the roux is a medium brown. Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, then stir in the rest. Season with sugar and salt, and adjust to taste.

**This is really good. I’ve tried it…yumm. Ed**

Health food makes me sick.

HHCalvin TrillinHH US columnist (1935 - )

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Funny Bones

Computer Trouble I was having trouble with my computer. So I called Harold the computer guy, to come over. Harold clicked a couple of buttons and solved the problem. He gave me a bill for a minimum service call. As he was walking away, I called after him, "So, what was wrong?" He replied, "It was an ID ten T error." I didn't want to appear stupid, but nonetheless inquired, "An, ID ten T error? What's that .. in case I need to fix it again?" Harold grinned.... "Haven't you ever heard of an ID ten T error before?" "No," I replied. "Write it down," he said, "and I think you'll figure it out." So I wrote down . I D 1 0 T I used to like Harold.

IBM Memo I don't know how they wrote this with a straight face. This was supposedly a real memo sent out by IBM to its employees in all seriousness. It went to all field engineers about a computer peripheral problem. The author of this memo was quite genuine. The engineers rolled on the floor! Especially note the last couple of sentences. "If a mouse fails to operate or should it perform erratically, it may need a ball replacement. Mouse balls are now available as FRU (Field Replacement Units). Because of the delicate nature of this procedure, a replacement of mouse balls should only be attempted by properly trained personnel. Before proceeding, determine the type of mouse balls by examining the underside of the mouse. Domestic balls will be larger and harder than foreign balls. Ball removal procedures differ depending upon the manufacturer of the mouse. Foreign balls can be replaced using the pop off method. Domestic balls are replaced by using the twist off method. Mouse balls are not usually static sensitive. However, excessive handling can result in sudden discharge. Upon completion of ball replacement, the mouse may be used immediately. It is recommended that each person have a pair of spare balls for maintaining optimum customer satisfaction. Any customer missing his balls should contact the local personnel in charge of removing and replacing these necessary items. Please keep in mind that a customer without properly working balls is an unhappy customer."

LIFE IS GOOD And They Ask Why I Like Retirement! Question: How many days in a week? Answer: 6 Saturdays, 1 Sunday Question: When is a retiree's bedtime? Answer: Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch. Question: How many retirees to change a light bulb? Answer: Only one, but it might take all day. Question: What's the biggest gripe of retirees? Answer: There is not enough time to get everything done. Question: Why don't retirees mind being called Seniors? Answer: The term comes with a 10% percent discount. Question: Among retirees what is considered formal attire? Answer: Tied shoes. Question: Why do retirees count pennies? Answer: They are the only ones who have the time. Question: What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire? Answer: NUTS! Question: Why are retirees so slow to clean out the basement, attic or garage? Answer: They know that as soon as they do, one of their adult kids will want to store stuff there. Question: What do retirees call a long lunch? Answer: Normal . Question: What is the best way to describe retirement? Answer: The never ending Coffee Break. Question: What's the biggest advantage of going back to school as a retiree? Answer: If you cut classes, no one calls your parents. Question: Why does a retiree often say he doesn't miss work, but misses the people he used to work with? Answer: He is too polite to tell the whole truth. My favourite one: QUESTION: What do you do all week? Answer: Mon to Fri. Nothing, Sat & Sun I rest!

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PHYSICAL An 80-year old man goes for a physical. All of his tests come back with normal results. The doctor says, "Chuck, everything looks great! How are you doing mentally and emotionally? Are you at peace with God?" Chuck replies, "God and I are tight. He knows I have poor eyesight, so he's fixed it so when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, POOF! the light goes on. When I'm done, POOF! the light goes off." " WOW, that's incredible," the doctor says. A little later in the day, the doctor calls Chuck's wife. "Ethel," he says, "George is doing fine! But, I had to call you as I am in awe of his relationship with God. Is it true that when he gets up during the night, POOF! the light goes on in the bathroom and when he's done POOF! the light goes off?" "Oh, my God!" Ethel exclaims, "He's peeing in the refrigerator again!"

The Bribe A young lawyer was defending a wealthy businessman in a complicated lawsuit. Unfortunately, the evidence was against his client, and he feared the worst. So the lawyer asked the senior partner of the law firm if it would be appropriate to send the judge a box of Havana cigars. The partner was horrified. "The judge is an honourable man," the partner exclaimed. "If you do that, I can guarantee you will lose the case!" Weeks later the judge ruled in favour of the lawyer's client. The partner took him to lunch to congratulate him. "Aren't you glad you didn't send those cigars to the judge?", the partner asked. "But I did send them," replied the lawyer. "I just enclosed the plaintiff's lawyer's business card!"

Short Jokes and Quips In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman

listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens. In the third year, they both speak and the neighbors listen.

What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh Why won't sharks attack lawyers?

Professional courtesy. How many politicians does it take to change a lightbulb ?

Two. One to change it, and another one to change it back again. Three rights make….. a left.

A conclusion is the place where you find yourelf . . . when

you’re tired of thinking Work fascinates me . . . I could sit and watch it for hours

You are only young once . . . but you can stay immature

indefinitely We got rid of the kids . . . the cat was allergic.

Have you ever noticed the people who tell you to calm

down . . . are the ones that got you mad in the first place. Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes . . .

then you'll be a mile away from them and you'll have a new pair of shoes. It is tougher to loose weight as we age . . . by then your body

and fat have become such good friends. If you think nobody cares . . . try missing a couple of

payments. He who laughs last . . . thinks slowest

NST , 11 February 2006

27

Mind Bender

Riddles 1. I am taken from a mine, and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost everybody. 2. The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they? 3. What goes round the house and in the house but never touches the house? 4. A cloud was my mother, the wind is my father, my son is the cool stream, and my daughter is the fruit of the land. A rainbow is my bed, the earth my final resting place, and I'm the torment of man. 5. What belongs to you but others use it more than you do? Brain Teasers 1. Which of these numbers is the odd-one-out? 2. Here are the names of four flowers with the vowels removed. What are the four flowers? 3. What do the following words have in common?

4. Rearrange the following letters to give the title of a popular song. 5. Peter picked one pepper more than Paul. Pat picked one pepper more than Pam. Peter and Paul picked 10 more peppers than Pat and Pam. Peter, Paul, Pat and Pam picked 60 peppers. How many peppers did Peter pick? www.thinks.com

Optical Illusions

MBJ bersambung dari muka 3

3. Isu keselamatan di pejabat PP menggesa dan meminta agar SOALGM mengingatkan ahli supaya lebih mengambil berat tentang isu keselamatan di Pejabat (dan makmal-makmal), terutamanya apabila menerima pelawat (dan ‘salesperson’). Pastikan pelawat mengambil pas masuk dan minta borang tandatangan pegawai (yang didapati dari pegawai keselamatan) untuk ditandatangani. Di masa akan datang (?), satu bilik pertemuan (common meeting room – bersebelahan bilik pengawal keselamatan di BTK) akan disediakan untuk sebarang pertemuan dengan pelawat dari luar.

4. Perjanjian Penyelidikan di antara RO dan LGM SOALGM telah meminta PP mempertimbangkan agar RO yang belum disahkan didalam jawatan dikecualikan dari menandatangani perjanjian tersebut. Permohonan tersebut akan dibawa ke Mesyuarat Pengurusan untuk dibincangkan. Untuk maklumat lanjut sila hubungi Presiden atau En. Shahrir. Isu-isu tertangguh (dan sensitive) lain akan dibawa dan dibincangkan ke satu mesyuarat dan perjumpaan SOALGM dan Ketua Pengarah LGM pada masa yang terdekat.

43 26 50 37 17 82

GRNM GRDN CLMBN CLND

FAST THROUGH DOWN AWAY WATER NECK

ECHO IN MUDDY LANE

Do you see anything in this black & white image? Do you see the dog?

Stare at the centre of this image and move your head toward the screen. The outer circles appear to spin.

Useless but Interesting Facts…

If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

28

Koleksi Pantun

Ambil bertih dari hulu,

Isi mari di dalam balang; Bersihkan laman kita dahulu,

Baru bersihkan halaman orang.

Anak penghulu pergi ke baruh, Sampai ke baruh membeli raga;

Kalau di hulu air keruh, Di hilir pun keruh juga.

Anak lembu ditambat orang, Makan padi dalam sawah; Bawa ilmu padi di ladang,

Tambah berisi tunduk ke bawah.

Tenang-tenang air di laut,

Sampan kolek mudik ke tanjung; Hati terkenang mulut tersebut,

Budi yang baik rasa nak junjung.

Tingkap papan kayu bersegi,

Sampan sakat di Pulau Angsa; Indah tampan kerana budi,

Tinggi bangsa kerana bahasa.

Asal kapas menjadi benang, Asal benang menjadi kain;

Barang yang lepas jangan dikenang, Sudah menjadi hak orang lain.

Nasi lemak buah bidara, Sayang selasih saya lurutkan; Buang emak buang saudara, Sebab kasih saya turutkan.

Apa merah di dalam padi, Pucuk kandis digulai asam; Apa marah di dalam hati,

Muka manis ditarik masam.

Ayam bulu balik, Telur atas para;

Abang baru balik, Tidak bawa apa.

Budak-budak meruncing kalam, Makin diruncing makin tajam;

Setitik dakwat nak perintah kalam, Adakah nyamuk nak perintah alam.

Selamat Pengantin Baru

Pada 6 bulan kebelakangan ini tiga lagi rakan SOA kita telah mendirikan rumah tangga. Mereka adalah En. Krishna Kumar dari Unit Bioteknologi (16 September 2007), Puan Sharon Khaw Pei Chin dari Unit Teknologi Getah Termaju (30 November 2007) dan Puan Nor Salwanie Mohamed Razali dari Unit Ujian Produk dan Kualiti (22 Disember 2007). Moga bahagia ke anak cucu.

Tahniah SOALGM mengucapkan tahniah kepada Pn Hashimah Idris (SPP) dengan kelahiran anak sulung beliau, Muhammad Najmi (3.22kg), pada 23 Dec ’07.

Sharon Khaw dan suami