Tuesday, July 29, 2008

给秀玲支持的Open Letter

嗨,秀玲,你好!真的好久不见了。一开始知道你的消息时,有少少的惊讶,因为你除了癌症外,现在又多了一担啊...我是说你的TB菌啊,乘虚而入。还好你也是生性乐观的,对于你的working holiday的决定,我觉得是好得不得了!看到你和绪庄在纽西兰的照片,有点像是你们两人在度蜜月咧!哪门的病人啊,你的气色还真不错!;-) 我赞成,纽西兰的环境目前很适合你们(尤其是你的健康福利)。我也蛮羡慕的。

我目前在一个比TB更强的病毒实验室做我的硕士研究--猜猜看?
是爱滋病毒咧,怕吗?我没事,专业的很!TB实验室也在我的同一个部门。你的资料没说错,只要你好好修身健体,TB菌是很容易被控制的。我们的免疫系统可不是简单的!好好照顾自己啦,没有什么可以轻易打倒你的,只要你不放弃。

马来西亚的政经文教各领域至今还没有什么头绪,但有越来越多人投入‘救国’的行列中,别担心。即使不是站在最前线,你还是很有用的哦!别忘记我们的朋友们几乎全部都没有放弃过支持正义和自由的斗争。你和我都一样,身在海外,心系大马,支持任何与我们同一阵线的战友。 =)

说真的,我还蛮想去纽西兰去度假。那里实在是太美了!既然你们会呆在那里一些时候,说不定我还可能可以拜访你们tim! hehe

好了,祝安康!

(我知道你会很得空,也许会游览到我的blog来领接我给你的surprise回复!谢谢你登门造访,让我重新知道你的近况。保持联络)

Sunday, July 27, 2008

生活update 727

时间过得真快,现在已经在倒数2个月的状态。很快就大功告成,(希望可以)凯旋归来马来西亚。这个星期将会是我的最后一个星期在实验室做实验工作了,接下来只会在家里埋头苦干,绞尽脑汁完成我的论文。

***

在不同国度和文化,别人会给你一些印象而你自己不认为。
举例来说,我的导师(supervisor)会认为我勤力,很有冲劲和上进心,对我很刮目相看。而坦白来说,我感到有点惭愧,因为我并不觉得,反而常常想偷懒。我的好友说:‘这不就好嘛,如果他们不认为如此,你才有问题’。说的也是,我也只好尽量表现出来。相比与我同室的意大利博士学生同事和另一位同事,我的表现还算不错--也许这是这里的研究工作环境吧,节奏放缓,不急不迫。但是我听说,若我改次在德国或瑞士读博士就会感受到不同的拼劲了。也许亚洲人本来就应该很勤力才对的,不然心理就会不平衡或过意不去。

我的导师很想留我下来,作她的博士学生,只是她无法给我助学金支持我。再加上如今我的两个博士申请被拒绝,暂时我的未来还未定。我想,申请工作也需要一点耐性,可能目前在还未硕士毕业前我的条件还不是太好。助学金?我有点不知如何找给她。说实在的,我确实想出走英国到欧洲大陆(德国或瑞士)继续我的学位。我也感觉到欧洲大陆的大学较慷慨,愿意给以升学机会和助学金栽培他们。而英国则把海外学生当他们的赚钱工具,我相当不悦。这可能是现实吧,其他欧洲国家需要下更多的功夫和砸更多的金钱,增加他们的吸引力来说服顶尖人才过去那里助他们一把。我希望我会是受益者。

为什么要继续博士?不少人都会如此问。以我目前的情况,若要在我的本行继续钻,博士应该是最好的选择。我把它当作是我的学术工作之一,希望能赚钱之余(助学金里的生活津贴),趁我还年轻达到我的学位的最顶峰,不让我将来有遗憾。我本身会有趁热打铁的心态,若不是现在,以后的事很难说--比如说我投入了其他的工作和其他的因素,届时不是说要抽身干干脆脆去读博士就可以了。

***

上个星期我与婉仪庆祝了我们的二周年纪念。当天我们互相给对方的惊喜,也像是一种默契。日常生活的支持和精神上的依靠让我们一路走下去,感受到爱的存在。不知不觉中,我们分隔两地了近9个月了。这些日子说难不难,说易不易-难的是,谁不想即刻就在你所爱的人的身边?就在这里,一段感情需要理智和信念来领航。我们都有共同对未来的憧憬,脚踏实地地携手往那理想走去。也许在这年代,不少人都对感情抱着较悲观,而且相信现实就是如此。相信浪漫,制造浪漫的人也许是异数。我认为,很多事情其实是掌握在自己的手中。在生命里,每个人都是自己的导演,自己写自己的结局。不要看小自己的能力,其实你的举动可以决定命运,积极化理想为现实。我很庆幸能找到和拥有一个与我同样信念的人,一起创造我们的未来。^_^


节哀顺变,馨怡。希望你能坚强地面对未来度过难关。
生日快乐,huey in!

Friday, July 18, 2008

DNA profiling is NOT the best evidence

There is no use for the minister or people like Khairy to challenge for Forensic DNA profiling for Anwar's Sodomy case part 2. I must regress and take back my earlier thoughts that DNA profiling is the best evidence in this case. Normally this method is quite reliable to convict the accused, when the integrity of the investigative team and the police force is not compromised -- they must be independent and professional to gain confidence in public. Still it is not the only proof the prosecution team has to produce.

It is very likely that the result of this DNA profiling be fabricated, to serve the conspiracy theory. I wonder if Saiful still has any of Anwar's 'criminal' samples - such as Pubic hair or semen in/on him, after so long he had been 'sodomized'. I seriously doubt. So, what is there to match if he doesn't obtain these specimen? The best that Saiful can get for DNA profiling is Anwar's hair. This is not too difficult for him to obtain as he is working close to Anwar. But hair sample could be used to yield Anwar's DNA too, DNA profile will be identical to any other part of him. Of course if Anwar is willing to give his DNA sample to match, it will be the perfect match to the his own hair. The question is, how can hair be the decisive evidence to convict someone in sexual crime? How do we know if the DNA specimen obtained from Saiful is semen or pubic hair (he could still obtain this in Anwar's bathroom or toilet, mind you!), not hair? What if police or investigative team just order some dodgy forensic doctor to fabricate the result by duplicating the sample provided by Anwar? This shows how easily the authority could set Anwar up.

That is why i said, DNA profiling should not be the only evidence, and not the best one in this case. I would not believe any of that result unless they could clear my early doubts mentioned here.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Witnessed the historic debate

Last night, i would call the historic debate event a success. I still hope to see more debates like this televised for public, on other issues or topics. A mature democratic society should encourage more debates or forum or discussion on various issues. Suppressing dissent views is a tactic used in the past that proves unsuccessful in the new era of e-generation. It is a good sign that the government step up to face the public for the first time to debate on policy that affects/rocks the whole nation.

This kind of debate should be held especially just before General Election, so that the voters could compare different policies and visions of one party, and get educated in the intellectual process. Thus, they are able to make their informed decision. This is what i called Democracy in action when the people is exposed to all the information concerned them.

From the beginning to the end, i'm more convinced by Anwar. Put aside my affiliation with PKR, the party which i support (for what it worths of the policies they proposed and endorsed) and my personal admiration for Anwar's oratory, on the technical ground of debating, my verdict would be Anwar 8 - Shabery 5 (on the scale of 10). In my opinion, Anwar did successfully make his stand clear and plausible. The argument that if he forms the government tomorrow, he will slash the price of fuel 50 sen, and he is able to show where the money will be coming from, to sustain the amount of subsidies he proposed. This almost goes unchallenged by the opponent who went around to do personal attack, rather hit on the topic or engage with the new policy Anwar stands for. This is kinda regret for me. As a government Minister, he seems like having less statistics, figures and facts to back his argument up, than the former Finance Minister. He drew up his points mostly figuratively and lack of depth in his analysis of the fuel hike issue. His economics sense is quite poor, and that is the major flaw to let the more experienced person Anwar to get the upperhand on few of the crucial arguments on the impact of Fuel hike costs to the national economics growth and inflation.

On the contrary to his recent fiery speeches in many ceramahs, yesterday he acted very gentlemen, and statesman-like. His objective and message are rather clear, speaking with confidence and knowledge -- giving me the impression that 'I know how to run this country's economics, if you are incompetent or ignorant, please don't stand in my way and get me the hot seat now-- i will prove to you that i can do it'!
that's why if Finance minister (our PM Pak Lah) or at least Finance second minister come on stage to challenge, Anwar will not get away with that so easily. I think he made a very good preventive stand to state that he will only reduce 50 sen, within his undoubted ability limit. Although this implies that he did not intend to fulfill his pledge in the last General Election (this is the only qualm i had about him tonight, slightly disappointed), it is still true that he will and he could bring down the fuel price to the extent he said. It says a lot about Anwar, that he is a realistic and practical politician. He could come clean on what he really believe, but himself is a great political tactician. This kind of politician is most likely to succeed, survive and revive.

Funny enough, Shabery still accused Anwar of taking Petronas coffer money out to subsidise the people, i think he really did not pay attention to Anwar's speech just before him. Anwar stated clearly that he wants Petronas to reinvest their small part of interest for the benefits of the GLC. He defended Petronas but just criticized BN government for mishandling the economics. The accusations Shabery threw at Anwar lie bare, and makes it more obvious that Shabery might have prepared/rehearsed his arguments. Perhaps he could not change at that time being, it is out of his expectation that Anwar cleverly shifted the goal post and avoided embroiled in the obvious argument trap.

Overall, even though i did not see face to face with many points raised by Shabery, i still grant a pass for him as a government representative. He has expressed out very much the government wants him to bring out, and considers him has done the job well to impress the boss (while making Anwar appears 'ugly' with all those personal attacks). I am quite satisfy with the debate yesterday night. =)

The TV live debate was broadcast for the first time in Malaysia history. I am very pleased to watch it online after my work. It's nostalgic -- it reminds me of the good old days of debating during my secondary school and college years. At the same time, i learned that Sunway University College has sent their chinese debate team for Intervarsity Chinese Debate (Quan Bian) this year, and UPM had performed quite well in the recent Asian Pacific intervarsity chinese debate. All these events suddenly making me attached to debating once again.

Friday, July 11, 2008

最近

看了纷纷扰扰的大马政治‘连续剧’,给了很多人一种乱象的感觉。主导着的政治大人物看起来真的很忙,忙着解决自己惹上或被惹上的事。人民的生活如何?安华确实有把人民的课题挂在嘴边,而纳吉甚至连说都说不出来了—被记者左问altantuya右问Bala的SD,忙透了。安华放出风声说要来个‘换政府’东马青蛙跳跳季候风,搞得国阵政府都不能专心念政了。现在做多了也是白费心机的,谁想要在不久后自己的心血被政敌抢功劳?他们现在可以做的是,干扰民联5州政府的运作,试图制造一种印象民联政府也是办事不力。我想,如果要换政府就尽快吧!我已不想听到再多的口头承诺,要嘛,就尽快以行动来证明吧,不然就别浪费新闻版位和我阅读新闻的时间(我发觉近来已对一些政治新闻感到郁闷了,就skip着读)!
说起来,目前民联在落实大选承诺方面,还未能真正让我乐观起来。也许是抱着一定的期望,所以也会比较急迫起来。我相信,若真的要显示改革的诚意,不会太难。我希望看到的(而州政府应该能做到的):地方政府选举和资讯自由法案,至今仍看似遥遥无期,领导班子好像不太热衷。至于设立影子内阁方面,更提不起兴趣。我相信民联里的议员素质是不容置疑的。理论上,成立一个值得人民钩起幻想的梦幻内阁组合应该不是问题。问题应该还是在于民联内的各党合作基础仍薄弱,各党依旧各自为政,政治行为依然像过去在野党一般。其实我最想看到的是长期能持久性,详细的发展计划和政策。目前国阵与民联看起来只好像有意识上的分别,单看政策还未真正分别出这两个政治联盟的不同。无论如何,现在我仍确信民联会是较廉洁的政府,议员们的人格是可以被信任的。

----

聊到了我自己,事到如今只剩下好好完成我的‘大作’-硕士论文。下周我又要‘离家出走’,搬出去寄宿我LSE朋友的家大约两个月(已说好的啦,是互惠互利啦)。已搬家过的人应该了解搬家的麻烦,这次我就事先把一半的‘身家’运回大马。九月底吧,你会看见我亲自把另外一半的身家搬回来。是的,我继续留在英国深造的机率很低。嘿嘿,我不曾说我不会再出国,只是换个地方继续完成我的梦想。

读生物科技或者现在就读的免疫学,在大马最常被人问到的是,以后你可以有什么就业的机会?基本上,要做回老本行,在大马或只有去钻学术界。同样的,在外国也是一样呀,只是在学术界上的需求高机会多待遇更好罢了。除此之外,你还可以考虑进入医药研究商业机构,也是做研究研发的工作。

在大马生活如今就像‘老鼠赛跑’,薪水的不变应对生活开销的万变,对于很多人日子不容易过。月入三千在今天来讲也无法给自己对未来的保障,只能见一步行一步。怎么能让我安心呢?纵使我愿意成为学术人员(小学时填写的‘科学家’),也不想被金钱问题缠绕着。我希望我的贡献付出,能值一定的待遇,这样才能保持士气去工作,为理想也为现实。即使论良心工作为国为民,在其它的地方更有潜能让我施展抱负,为国争光。所以,在这里做个小结,因为我还不能决定在大马会做些什么学术相关的工作,我会继续留在国外以升学同时工作(就读phD就是一种工作)来赚外汇和知识。何乐不为呢,如果他们赏识我愿意资助我的一切的话。