Be Thankful

Someone who cannot benefit from a little will not benefit from a lot.

Wishing U the Best

EMAS, BAS & BCA, Leonidas's side-kick, Eddy, Daia, AK, Aini, Ku, Mimi, Aji (to name a few - sorry!),

Wishing you all the best for your upcoming examination, InsyaAllah.

Iran & Israel

Salam.

This morning, Imran will be delivering his lecture on 'will Israel attack Iran?' at the Dewan Muktamar, Pusat Islam, 9 am.

Everyone is invited. See you there.

Busy morning

EMAS, Renie, Ezar & Eka,

will get in touch with you guys this afternoon. Im occupied with post-graduate interviews this morning. See you then.

Have a pleasant morning.

Overcoming democratic deficit

Democracy does not always work well!

Deqman & Ku Shima, hi to both of you!

Have a nice day!

Switched off

Dear all,

Its viva voce time. I will be away from office for the whole working day of Thursday, April 12th, 2007. However, I will try take a peep at the mailbox during lunch break. Should there be any urgency, please get in touch with me via my cell-phone.

Thank you.

Have a nice day.

EMAS

Dear all,

the scores will only be posted later this week, NOT TODAY. Please make sure you have submitted all assignments/group work.

Note: Rohaizan, we need to discuss. Thank you.

Blogging - Controlled Democracy?

At least two ministers in Malaysia were recently reported to have been subscribed to the idea that imposing some degree of controlling & monitoring over blogging activities should be made a public policy. The closest model - as iterated by them - is Singapore, where bloggers are constantly monitored by the Republic State.

Singapore - then under Lee Kuan Yew - had chosen a particular brand of democracy, called controlled democracy. It is an austere system which continues to be the subject of much debate. At all time, Singapore means business. The island recognized that in order to compete with its large and resource-rich neighbours, it had to create an environment that boosted confidence, within and without. One of the approaches or measures taken was to attract talent from abroad. This was realised in 1997 when - following the launching of "Operation Contact Singapore" Singaporeans and foreign talents were persuaded to stay and live in Singapore.

Now, back to Malaysia. Soon after this, we will probably see a new climate of blogging. Whatever it is, bloggers will nevertheless be more selective in detailing out highly-sensitive issues. In other words, let all sensitive issues handled by the authority (read: handled by non-opposition politicians, in or outside the Parliament). Anyways, bloggers still have the freedom to write and express feelings; but only in the fields of non-political, non-partisan issues such as entertainment and other social activities. (Political maturity, therefore, is not very much in perspective here). What about this: "Man by nature is political animals"? Are bloggers not "man"?

Announcement - EMAS III

Dear all - EMAS,

Please be informed that - prior to my telephone conversation with Dr. Posiah at 1120 today, April 5, 2007 - Leadership for Change seminar is now shifted from 8.30-1130 to 2.30-5.30pm (Sunday April 8).

Thank you.

Its only a gentle reminder!

Dear EMAS (Shamsul in particular),

The entry ('All the best') was meant as a straight-forward gentle reminder, no more no less. I hope you will do your very best - over & above the par, of course - for your upcoming endeavour.

Please take note of the necessary things that you need to do or submit before too long. Otherwise, you will probably end up looking for yet another solutions a day before your exam starts.

Noriah, your proposal is ok. Its fine. Please proceed.

All the best

Dear all (EMAS - Executive MAsters in Administrative Science)

We are approaching the final week of a series of critical stages in your academic (& social) endeavour. I know its not easy. Azlina comes all the way from the North while many others are having problems with so many domestic & national issues daily. But yet you are still here, marching (or perhaps, toddling?) enthusiastically, manouvering your way through this thick jungle of uncertainty in your very own world. So please observe the law! Dont get yourself caught in between uncertainties. If so, take a step back, pause for a while, reflect, and come back and have a fresh discourse once again.

All the best to you!

Note: Just a gentle reminder - have you submitted all the assignments in due time?

Dream

I slept and dreamed that life was beauty; i woke, and found that life was an enemy; and i summed it all up as a tragedy - in all matters, must one consider the end? Am i already there?

Could it be that...

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man...

I lock myself back in my miserable dungeon, reflecting things that passed by. Why am I thinking about tragedies? There are only two tragedies in life, as far as I am concerned: One is to lose my heart's desire. The other is to gain it. Am I getting back mine..?

Faith

Faith is to see the unseen, to believe in the impossible.

Life is tough enough; we have to be tougher, and stronger. Im sure God never gives us more responsibilites than we can handle. Though its hurt to be left alone, Im sure nothing is more painful than the feeling of being neglected. Life and success, after all, require pains more than brains, or emotions.

Hurt

I entrusted myself to Him and determined to travel alone...

Its hurt, especially when you have this feeling that you are being neglected, or simply unappreciated, or perhaps unwelcomed. I took to the heart the saying "The misfortune hardest to bear are those which never come" and recalled that "The greatest thing in the world is to know how to be self-sufficient"..

Yes, Im fine. But no doubt, its hurt.

Lesson

I learnt my lesson today.

"Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of soul, impossible.

<de Montaigne>

Thus, it therefore, equates this pretty well:

"A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears."

Not counting on luck

I would like to believe my dream is workable. Or is it?

Faith

If you ask me about the secrets of success, I wouldn't like to recommend anything for there is no magical method nor formula to achieve your or our goals in life. Yes, there are indeed many factors that should come together before you can turn 'defeat' into 'victory'.

If there is one single word that can explain it all, I would say that word is faith. Faith in yourself - that everything is indeed fated: you see the unseen; you believe in the impossible; and you concretise the intangible. Do well in whatever you do. Take pride. With God's will, you can succeed in all your endeavours. I bet you remember well "on no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear" (2:286).

A friend of mine (SSF) once reminded me, "True friends help you with your work; 'good-time companions' tempt you to shirk your responsibilities and to waste your life's precious hours."

Till then, good luck, and I pray for your 'success'.

To leave the world a bit better than we found it...

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to endure the betrayal of false friends; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you live, this is to have succeeded." <Emerson>

This is perhaps the concept of worldly success for some people. Can we have that as well, as she had always wished for?

Work

As pretty as the flowers

I am now in the airport lounge, having early breaksfast - prawn kue tiaw and what not. I was with them last night, until 12am or so; and this morning, at about 5am, they were still at the work station in the faculty finishing their project. Wow!I can't imagine how they could do it, and yet they survived despite all the difficulties that they have gone through all these years. Bye.

Food & Poison

Had a fairly long discussion with _______ this morning. What shall I say? What is food to one man is bitter poison to others. Why dont you simply pick the food and let the other party enjoy the poison?

Public Affairs - While having breakfast

Dear Mr. MP, this is what Michel de Montaigne has got to say about public affairs:

"There is, in public affairs, no state so bad, provided it has age and stability on its side, that it is not preferable to change and disturbance."

What is so difficult, then? Can you please furnish us with adequate informations, please?

Four Factors of Transformative Initiative

- Still on change management. Sirkin, Keenan & Jackson (HBR, Oct 2005, 83 (10), pp 96-106) mentioned about the combination of four key factors that create a continuum - from projects that are set up to succeed to those that are set up to fail. These factors ('dice') determine the outcome of any transformation initiative:

d - the duration of time until the change program is completed;

i - integrity; i.e its ability to complete the initiative on time;

c - commitment to change that top management (c1) and employees (c2); and

e - effort over & above the usual work that change initiative demands of employees.

Dear EMAS 716 members,

The analysis section of the case study project will consist of asking and answering fundamental questions/issues as has been discussed during our last session. Provide your written analysis mostly in narrative form instead of relying heavily on bulleted items and brief lists. Your discussion should be related to your topic. For example, if your topic is leadership style, at least two of the related theories should deal directly with the organisation or department under observation.

Demonstrate also that you have acquired new knowledge in the course instead of answering based solely on experience and common sense. This assignment should be about 6-7 pages (double space, 10 pt Times Roman).

Communicate with me in-person, by telephone, or via e-mail about any question you have in regard to this assignment. You will also receive ample instruction in class.

Note: Please send in your proposal by end of this week. By the way, I have received Ezu, Redzuan and Noriah's proposal last week. And I am still waiting for others. Thank you. Have a nice day.

A very good morning to you

Salam, Prof Shad.

Have a pleasant morning! Thank you for the materials. Appreciate it.

Da Vinci

Dihar wanted to know more about The Da Vinci Code, the mystery novel by Dan Brown (2003: published by Doubleday). I dont have much to say about this. But there are a lot of information that we can retrieve from books and the internet.

Basically the novel is based on the controversial premise that there is a conspiracy within the Roman Catolic Church to cover up the true story of Jesus (apostle).

The story (as the author summarises it) goes like this: A renowned Harvard symbologist is summoned to the Louvre Museum to examine a series of cryptic symbols relating to Da Vinci's artwork. In decrypting the code, he uncovers the key to one of the greatest mysteries of all time . . . and he becomes a hunted man.

The novel has helped generate popular interest in speculation concerning the Holy Grail legend and the role of Mary Magdalene in the history of Christianity. According to the premise of the novel, the Vatican knows it is living a lie, but continues to do so to keep itself in power.

It is a thriller story involving secret societies, conspiracies, the Catholic Church, and the fictional "truth" about Jesus Christ.

During the course of the novel it is alleged that the Catholic Church is perpetuating a major, centuries-long conspiracy to hide the "truth" about Jesus Christ from the public, and it or its agents are willing to stop at nothing, including murder, to do so. (http://www.catholic.com/library/cracking_da_vinci_code.asp)

The "fact" page of the book asserts factuality for certain claims regarding the Priory of Sion, Opus Dei (a major focus of the book), and the descriptions found in the book of art, architecture, and rituals.

Although the "fact" page presents the book's most overt claims to accuracy, the novel itself implies that much more is factual than what is stated on this page. The book is written in a way that suggests that its claims regarding the Priory of Sion, the Catholic Church, and Christ are to be taken seriously. The author's own remarks outside of the book suggest the same. On his personal web page, he speaks of the historical "secret" he reveals in The Da Vinci Code and states: The secret I reveal is one that has been whispered for centuries. It is not my own. Admittedly, this may be the first time the secret has been unveiled within the format of a popular thriller, but the information is anything but new.

According to the "fact" page (of the Da Vinci book), the Priory of Sion-a European secret society founded in 1099-is a real organization. In 1975, Paris's Bibliothèque Nationale discovered parchments known as Les Dossiers Secretes, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo da Vinci.

The novel goes on to depict the Priory of Sion as a secret society defending the bloodline of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. Because it allegedly holds the secret of this bloodline, it is persecuted by the Catholic Church. The organization also is devoted to worshiping "the sacred feminine" and holds orgies as a form of ritual worship.

Note: Apostles?
Literally meaning "sent ones." In the Gospel of Luke, the inner circle of Jesus’ 12 helpers were called apostles before his crucifixion. After his resurrection, the criteria to be an apostle is that you had to have been following Jesus before his death, and be an eye-witness after he rose again. The claim to apostleship by Paul of Tarsus was in dispute because his first contact was a vision of Jesus long after his ascension into Heaven.

How Carter is saving Israel

Firas Ahmad, Senior Editor of Islamica Magazine writes about Carter's best-selling book, Palestine, Peace not Apartheid. The issues raised by Carter are looked at different perspectives by Firas.

Read the article.

The Gift

I got this nice piece of anecdote from Kak Ros while writing this morning. Thanks to her.

"Everyday is a gift, and as long as I can open my eyes, I will focus on the new day, and all the happy memories that I have built up during my life."

Political power

Jamil, thank you for your comment. As it has always been said & reiterated by many, political power is indeed a relationship. But some authors/scholars (e.g Ball, Bottomore, Ladski) believe that the relationship is not always clear. Thus it is necessary to discover exactly who or what has power (in relation to whom or what).

Can we safely say that the American President is more powerful than the British PM? Why?

Have a nice day!

Time to Think

Come to think about eating, how much is actually enough? We simply can't resist, can we?

Away from office

Dear all (esp Rahimi & Goona),

Im sorry for not being able to stay around this weekend. Im in the Northern region until Monday. I will respond to your enquiries the moment I reach Shah Alam early next week. Have a pleasant weekend. Happy Chinese New Year.

Of fatigue, depression & despair

I politely refused Sean's friendly invitation for another jaunt on the lecture series. I just needed a peaceful time at office & Shah Alam. In my heart I wished them well though I accepted that the flame of joining back burnt as strongly and fiery as it had ever done.

Thank you, anyway. Appreciate it.

Success & failure

To a certain extend, I must agree that there is an element of subjectivity about what amounts to succesful life. Having re-read Sir Edmund Hillary's The view from the summit, it is fairly clear that success favors dreamers, as Hillary says,

"As a youngster I was a great dreamer, reading many books of adventure and walking lonely miles with my head in the clouds." (p.11)

Likewise, this very good friend of mine, Prof. Shad Faruqi (feb 1, 2004) says that,

"Ultimately success is faith, courage and persistent that count."

In giving our best, if despite the positive attitude we stumble, we have to get up and get going, as the saying goes, "Failure is not to fall down but to stay down."

He's here!

Ya. Right before me!

Of Istihsan & Istiqamah

How personal is a 'sincere' opinion can be? And how beautiful - good & rightful - a thing that is always preferable? Elsewhere, hedonism has been refered to as things/actions/decisions people choose to do or not to do due to their inner fear of so many things. Can we say something personal then? Is this all about ihtisan, a method of exercising personal opinion in order to avoid unfairness (in terms of law & enforcement)? If so, then, this leads us to another preferable method of deciding; the istiqamah, i.e. how people look for ways to avoid deviations and extremes. This, of course involves sincerity, uprightness, integrity and honesty.

Would not it be possible to have such a wonderful way of complying with the spirit of going along the mainstream?

Until, and only when sincerity, honesty and integrity are indeed reflected as clear as crystal, can we talk freely about the beauty of not going against the mainstream.

This is certainly not a political efficacy

It was not really about work, I guess. It must be more than simply a petty thing or issue that can be handled in seconds by anyone. The last time we engaged in a conversation - telephone or face to face - we talked about something else. And this time, he seemed to be reflecting also about something else, certainly not about office or current political issues. We talked about change & perception. But the idea did not go down pretty well. We stopped. Then we talked about efficacy: perception of any individual that certain activities can bring about change. Should we go ahead with the idea? No. We were not ready, that I can be very certain. I will wait for more hints from him, of course.

Kids

I agree that most parents (Malaysian, of course) are 'a curious breed indeed', as iterated by this one scholar (Farish, 2005:152). He says,

"They produce children who never asked to be produced in the first place, and then demand - as their right - that their children grow up to be exactly what they wish them to be."

In view of this, I always seek to first understand, then to be understood. My youngest son, Zuhair, is now in year 1, primary school. He gets up at 6am; waits for Mdm Harban's van at 7am. He'll be in school for at least 3 hours (Sekolah Agama). He has less than 2 hours to get ready for the evening school. He will have to spend another 5 hours in school before he is back at home by 630pm. Then, he has about 10 minutes to get ready for al- Quran lesson and have dinner right after that, i.e before maghrib prayer. After dinner/maghrib, Zuhair will do his homework until 915pm. Sometimes, if he is still strong and fresh, he will watch tv for, say about 30 minutes, usually 'Dunia Baru' program. Then he goes to bed.

I used to spend hours on football pitch when I was at the same age as Zuhair... and I played badminton every night, usually after al-Quran lesson at the Madrasah Kuarters Penjara Taiping. Pity Zuhair.

Learn

Prior to last night's discourse, a few conclusions were withdrawn. People learn from each other. They interact and communicate in so many ways (not necessarily via two-way communication. It can be one way, anyway). The information about how people manage themselves is universally available - autobiographies etc. Kennedy (1993) talks about 'preparing for the twenty-first century'; Naisbitt (1999) speaks his mind in 'high tech high touch'; Soros (2002) suggests ways to 'transforming this world into a more prosperous and peaceful future'; while Osman Bakar (2007) reflects on the Andalusian achievements in science and their significance to human civilization. These are all information that we use to transform them into knowledge, if God permits.

There is no stopping.

Fear

Ive just finished flipping through and re-read pages of 'Battles: the art and science of modern warfare' (edited by Lewis, J.E 1995). What I like most about the book is how it is introduced.

Lewis says, "If war is not an inevitable part of human nature, it is an enduring one."

Paused for while, I am quite certain that life is fairly an arena that is full of challenges. It is.

Life is not like that!

When one door closes, another door opens; but more often than not we look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we dont see the ones which open for us. Oh dear! My, my!

Of bestowing & witholding knowledge

He who bestows knowledge on the ignorant wastes it; And he who witholds it from the worthy has done them wrong.

What should I say, then?

Light

I have to admit that after a short reflection of what 'light' is all about - i.e after having a rather 'short but impactful' discourse with someone yesterday, January 15th - the concept of light as iterated by Al-Ghazali has emerged fairly clearly in the horizon of my visual. Al-Ghazali made it clear by saying (derived from the particular verse - the Light - that:

God is the light of the heavens and earth; the likeness of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp, the lamp in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star kindled from a blessed tree, an olive that is neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil well-nigh would shine, even if no fire touched it; light upon light; God guides to His light whom He will. And God strikes similitudes for men, and God knowledge of everything.

Thank you, whoever that someone is.

Global Leadership

Assalamualaikum wbt,

Dear class of EMAS 716 (Dec-April 2007), welcome back!

For this weekend - since that will be the first meeting - we will take every opportunity we have to most of all, discuss about how we will make the most from our meetings. First, we will discuss about 'integrity' (academic, in particular). Then, we will move on to talk about the necessary things we need to prepare especially for seminar/classes, like for instance, what we should do before, during, and after each of our meeting. You may want to know more about what integrity requires of you & me during discussions; so this weekend will be the best time for us to really talk about it. You may also wish to discuss at length all issues pertaining to exams, written assignments, final grade etc; this weekend should be the appropriate time for that.

Handouts - like study plan, outlines & additional study materials - will be provided.

For a beginning, I would like to suggest three titles (books) for our reading pleasure:

ISMAIL, N. (1999). Prophet Muhammad’s leadership. The paragon of excellence altruistic management. A cross-application to modern management and leadership practice. Kuala Lumpur: Utusan Publications & Distributors Sdn Bhd.

Steers, R.M., Porter, L.W., & Bigley, G.A (1996). Motivation and leadership at work. McGraw-Hill: Singapore.

Goldsmith, M. et.al. (2003). Global leadership. The next generation. Pearson: NJ.

More journal articles and books (as recent as 2006) will be suggested during our first class. Have a nice day.

MPAJA in history

I read with much interest the President of Hua Zong's remarks that 'After the Japanese surrendered, the MPAJA accepted the British order for them to lay down their arms and come out of the jungles".

Meanwhile, the President was asking the Minister of Information, Datuk Zainuddin Maidin to retract his remark that 'the MPAJA monument at the Nilai Memorial Park is erected to honour the former Malayan communists'.

Could it be that Hua Zong is trying to emulate the 'Ethnic Relations' issue which was brought up in the Parliament, ended up with the book reviewed by a special committee following Cabinet's order?

Eid Mubaraq 1427

Staff of FSPPP.













Academic members of FSPPP.

Bangsa Melayu

The Vision 2020 & National Agenda blueprints define 'bangsa Malaysia' fairly comprehensively. Now, look at what one scholar (Ismail Noor, 2003) has got to say about 'bangsa Melayu'. Maybe after this we can have a closer look at some of the self-explained definitions of a Chinese, Indian etc.

“The Malay is a practising Muslim, residing in Malaysia, whose roots go back to his ancestors of the Old Malcca Empire and of those who were sons of the soil in the other parts of the Malay archipelago, strecthing as far back in history as 3000BC. The Malay is endowed with a cultural heritage that has made him known throughout as the “gentleman of the world”. The Malay lives in a sanguine environment that is free from the vagaries of the weather and the harshness of natural calamities. The grace that God Almighty has bestowed upon the Malay has moulded him into a person who follows the path of temperence, making him a gentle and considerate person. His attributes and personality are clearly reflected even in the fine art of Malay cultural dance, whihc is expressed in slow and graceful movements depicting his affinity with the peaceful surroundings. The Malay is also a wonderful and gracious host to his guests, and this has been depicted in the writings of not a few Westerners, at times putting him at a disadvantageous position when dealing with pthers. But over time, he has also learned to manage his boundaries, be they physical or psychological, well. The modern Malay is suave, savvy, enterprising and values-driven. The globalised world will be his next battleground.”

Bangsa Malaysia?

Datuk Abdul Ghani Osman, the Chief Minister of Johor had recently iterated his view on Dr. Lim Kheng Yaik & M.Kayveas's much propagated slogan of Bangsa Malaysia. Read his view, here.

"Think"

“There are seven sins in the world:

Wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice and politics without principle.”

(M. K. Gandhi)

Leadership & Leading

The government yesterday announced the establishment of Akept - Akademi Kepimpinan Pengajian Tinggi - which emphasises on the leadership aspect of teaching staff in all public institutions (of higher learning). (Not long ago, the Star published an open letter written by a university lecturer in the Klang Valley). The establishment of the academy is indeed timely and welcomed. As a beginning, the academy is emphasising on the leadership skills of academics. In the future, the terms of reference of the academy perhaps, can be extended, focusing more on the people.

Leadership is not all about skills. It is about the quality of people that we have in ummah, in the society. Islam, as a din, regards man as the vicegerent of God on earth. Every man is entrusted onto him trust (amanah) and responsibility to rule and dominate the earth according to God’s will and purpose, as laid out by the al-Qur’an (Al-Baqarah (2): 30). In doing so – i.e dominating the earth – human must, at all time, hold on to the condition that they remain obidient to God, that is, being God’s servant, or ‘abd Allah. It is, therefore, pertinent to note that Islam views leadership as a trust that comes with responsibilities. As opposed to the Western tradition, where the trust is normally observed and emphasised in the form of organisational objectives, Islam relates leadership with the trust which is from God. Thus, it is clearly stated that the basic conception of leadership is man-centred.

The term din is not the same as the concept ‘religion’ as interpreted and understood throughout Western religious history. Here, din is understood in such a way that, all the basic connotations inherent in the term are conceived as gathered into a single unity of coherent meaning as reflected in the Holy Qur’an and in the Arabic language to which it belongs. Thus, as iterated by many scholars (e.g Syed Muhammad Naquib; Syyed Hossein Nasr), the primary significations of the term din can be reduced to four: (1) indebtedness; (2) submissiveness; (3) judicious power; (4) natural inclination or tendency.

Malay Leaders

(It is Zahier's birthday today (November 1st). Happy birthday, Zahier. God bless you. God bless us.)

Perhaps perceptions of some Malay politicans and partisan regarding leadership concept is worth considered, as narrated in the following example. Shortly after the UMNO split in 1987, the general sentiment of some Malays partisan – as reported by mainstream newspapers – were reported to be quite critical of how idealistic their leaders attributes should be. As Milne & Mauzy (1999:4) observed, the sentiment was that,“The leader must fight for the Malay cause, should not be sombong, should have tokoh (style), and preferably, should be of aristocratic birth.”Some other desirable traits or features were also mentioned, such as tradition, harmony, and peaceful succession, while disapproval of impatience and ambition was expressed.