JOM Issue 01

151 FRANKLIN ST

BY FAR THE BEST CBD APARTMENTS IN MELBOURNE

Artist impression

Pricing

Studio apartments starting from: AUD $330,000 » » » »

1 Bedroom from $378,000 2 Bedrooms from $580,000 3 Bedrooms from $789,000 4 Bedrooms from $1,346,000

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Studio 38.00sqm - 44.60sqm 1 Bedroom 43.00sqm - 67.50sqm 2 Bedroom 70.00sqm - 85.00sqm 3 Bedroom 98.00sqm - 129.70sqm

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Artist impression

Green Initiatives

Resident Facilities

» » » » » »

» » » » » »

Natural ventilation Bicycle facilities 4-Star Green Star Compliant Water tanks ‘Live’ green walled facade Car Share

Indoor heated swimming pool Gymnasium Garden Terrace Theatrette Chef Inspired Kitchen Conveniently situated retail

INVEST IN A NEW MELBOURNE STORY Introduction to Fulton Lane

FULTON LN is a fully integrated mixed-use development situated in the heart of the Melbourne CBD, which will have an end development value of $470M. This premium grade development will comprise two residential apartment towers and podiums (total 786 apartments) sitting atop a vibrant retail component of 1,400 square metres. » Close to landmark destinations in the CBD: - Queen Victoria Market - Melbourne Uni, RMIT and La Trobe Uni - Public transport systems - Retail hubs such as Melbourne Central

Artist impression

Tower 2 Fulton Lane Tower

NOW SELLING » 45 storeys » 487 apartments » Studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, 3 bedroom and 4 bedroom plus dual key apartments

(lease one part of the apartment and the other part can be used by the owner)

VIC TORIA QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET

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» Backed by many years of experience in residential development » Has delivered affordable luxury projects in key Asian Markets » Combines development skill and innovative implementation to deliver quality projects » Appointed renowned architects, Karl Fender (Fender Katsalidis Architects) to design Fulton LN.

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Editor Joyce Ng Editorial Assistants Josh Yu, John Ward, Emily Matthews, Sonya Ong, Adri Praditya Design & Layout Joo Li Su, Raymond Chai Marketing Officers Christina Soh, Farah Hashim, Pam Vasu Public Relations Clarice Chan Finance & Legal Eddie Lee, Josh Yu, Cheer Ray Ang Production Manager Jun Tan Editorial Contributors Ka Mun Ho, Lianne Zilm Letitia, Joanna Loh, Honming Tung, Julian Lee, Sumisha Naidu, Fern Yi Lim, K.C. Boey, Erick Ng, Antony Wallace, Ken Lin Ooi, Amanda Wong, Clarice Chan, Melissa Yang Ying Qing, Chen Wing Seng, Lee Jing Xing, Jun Tan, Cheer Ray Ang Photographic Contributors Eric Chiang, Calvin Chua, Josh Yu, Amir Izwan, Mahen Bala, Siok Yee Tan, Jristan Chan, Lebin Teo, Docklands Tony, Sam Cheong, Irfan Anhar, Mohd Hazwan, Lianne Letitia Zilm, Chen Wing Seng, Ng Xiang Wei, Citsabehsan Devendran, Chris Samuel, Clarice Chan, Praveen Nagapppan, Gerald Ponniah, Jun Tan Illustrator Vanessa Law Website Designers Wei-Hao Tan, Jristan Chan, Bei Xian Koh Videographers Kenneth Leow, Emily Yii Special Thanks Dato’ Sri Anifah Aman, Dr Mohamad Rameez Yahaya, Melvin Castelino JOM would also love to thank everyone who has helped or supported and given us encouragement over the past months.

Advertise in JOM advertise@jommagazine.com.au General inquiries contact@jommagazine.com.au Work experience/ internships JOM is recruiting and is looking to facilitate work experience or internship programs.

Please email Joyce Ng at joyce@jommagazine.com.au for more information.

Submissions JOM welcomes article, story, comic, joke and photo submissions. Please email your submissions to editor@jommagazine.com.au or for more information.

JOM Magazine is published by JOM Media Printed by Forest Printing & Trading JOM is a bi-monthly magazine. Views expressed by authors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Copyright is reserved.

Find us online Facebook www.facebook.com/jommagazineaus Twitter Jommagazine Youtube JOMmagTV Channel www.jommagazine.com.au

ON THE COVER

The cover replicates the cover of exercise books commonly used by school students in Malaysia. This issue is a special edition in conjunction with the publication of the official first issue of JOM.

The Scent of Summer Summer in Melbourne reminds us of home in Malaysia, it seems. The heat, rain and sometimes the humidity resemble the feel I grew up with for 20 years before I came to this land down under. Yet, it is not exactly the same; it’s not ‘home’. I feel confused sometimes, with the feeling that home is close yet far away with that scent of summer.

JOM is a piece of home we are seeking to create - a home that belongs to overseas Malaysians, particularly in Melbourne. We have various reasons for being where we are; however no matter how far and how long away we have been from home, I believe that deep down in our hearts, there’s a Malaysia we still call home.

I am really glad that after publishing the pilot issue in September 2012, we can now present the official first issue of JOM Magazine. One of the main topics of this issue is education in Malaysia, particularly teachers, as the Malaysian government has recently released an education blueprint. Education can bring us a long way, and teachers can definitely greatly impact on our lives and how we develop as people. With this, we also decided, fairly late in the piece, to ‘turn’ the current issue into one of the tools we used the most in schools– ‘buku latihan’ (exercise books).

As we have just departed on the JOM journey, we are still seeking our identity. We hope through having this ‘buku latihan‘, we remember how we started, as children, learning and departing on a journey to become who we want to be, and who we are.

Various constraints have also shaped this magazine, such as time and financial resources. However, we hope you enjoy this special edition of JOM Magazine, the first and only Malaysian community magazine in Australia, and possibly, in the world. I, on behalf of JOM, thank you all for giving us the support that has made the official first issue of JOM possible. Last but not least, I wish you a happy holiday season, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2013!

Yours Sincerely, Joyce Ng Editor

) : ? s e i r o m e M

Contents p08

Jom Picks

summer getaways

10

Event Calender

events / christmas / new year

14

Christmas Celebration

malaysia / australia

16

News Corner

ups and downs in malaysia / past events

20

Inside Malaysia and Beyond

education blueprint / Inspiresea

26

Malaysian Tales

prominent malaysians / teacher / drummer

32

Property

mistakes we do

35

Migration

what to look for in 2013

36

Yum yumm

ice cream

38

Travel

summer destinations /

journey to the west

42

Lifestyle

skin care / ethical fashion

45

Something To Say

counting down to home / teachers / ms. ellen koh / a belated thank you

50 54

Let’s Talk

what to expect for 2013 / why stand for election /

Kurang Manis

why lah gangam style?

JOM’s Picks: Summer Getaways

Breakfast Bruschetta with sautéed spinach, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon & pesto sauce

Las Chicas is a brunch spot just 3 minutes walk from Balaclava Train Station. The café serves Spanish and Mexican inspired dishes. A signature dish, the Breakfast Burrito is stuffed full with fresh grilled bacon, generous serve of scrambled eggs, with a slab of guacamole topped off with salsa. Another signature dish is the Breakfast Bruschetta. Pesto and pine nuts are the secret to this hearty dish.

Pulpit Seawater Rock Pool If you are in the mood for a little adventure, go brave the wind, scale the stairs and mount some rocks to arrive in another world.

Come observe the intricate ecosystem of these rock pools. If you take a closer look in nature’s fish bowls, you’ll spot a diverse range of marine organism such as algae, sea stars, blennies and gobies that swim, float, and dart all around the pool. If you stay late enough for the sunset, you might even see penguins returning from the ocean!

203 Carlisle Street, Balaclava VIC 3183 Opening hours: Daily 7am – 5pm

Cape Schanck, Mornington 420 Cape Schanck Road, Cape Schanck VIC 3939

Breakkie/ Brunch at Las Chicas

Cherry Picking CherryHill is one of the largest fresh cherry producers in Australia. Started in 1940, it has since been owned by an Australian family for three generations.

It takes only approximately 45 minutes from Melbourne city to reach this breathtaking place by train/bus/ car. Each person is given a bucket to fill up with as much cherries as you can. Cherries are sold at $10 per kilogram. After a satisfying cherry picking session, you’re free to have a picnic on the grass fields. CherryHill also make and sell cherry products such as cherry ice-cream and cherry juice.

CherryHill Orchards 474 Queens Road, Wandin East VIC 3139 Opening hours: Daily 9am – 5pm Entrance fee: $10

08 JOM’s Picks

Opel Moonlight Cinema Thinking of winding down after a hot summer’s day? Why not have a picnic and watch a movie with friends under the stars?

Every summer, the Melbourne Opel Moonlight Cinema screens contemporary, cult and classic movies on Central Lawn at the Royal Botanic Gardens. A wide selection of celebrated movies such as Looper, The Intouchables and Hotel Transylvania will be screened after sundown. The Melbourne’s Summer 2012/2013 season runs from 6 December 2012 to 31 March 2013.

For more information, visit http://www.moonlight.com.au/ melbourne/ Central Lawn, Royal Botanic Gardens Royal Botanic Gardens, Birdwood Avenue, Melbourne CBD VIC 3004

20 things

20 things to do before the summer is over: 1.

Spring cleaning – if you haven’t done it already. Throw out the old impromptu buys, presents from ex-girlfriends and

last year’s sociology notes.

2.

Send out some postcards. Send some love the old school way. Postage is cheaper than usual over the festive

season anyway.

3.

Plan a bbq – throw another shrimp on the barbie! Or steak, or vege patties. Whatever.

4.

Foster or adopt a pet – http://www.melbourneanimalrescue.org/ 5.

Have a watermelon eating contest.

6.

Learn to play the ukulele. Or the harmonica or the didgeridoo.

7.

Attend a music festival – Pyramid Rock Festival, Falls Music and Arts Festival, Summadayze, Big Day Out. 8.

Learn a new language – language schools offer summer courses all around Melbourne. Bonjour, buenos dias.

お元気ですか？ 9.

Apply for a summer job/ internship. (read: stop playing PlayStation all day) 10.

Start a blog – document your summer memories. Write it, photograph it, record it.

11.

Get that haircut. The one you’ve been thinking about but haven’t got the time or guts to. JUST DO IT. 12.

Go on an ice-cream hunt – Eat all the flavours you can find and write to us about it. editor@jommagazine.com.au 13.

Make a home video – or several. Who knows maybe you’ll become an internet superstar.

14.

Go swimming with sharks at the Melbourne Aquarium, or swimming with the dolphins in the wild. www.dolphinswims.com.au 15.

Camp out on the beach – www.coastalcampingvictoria.com.au 16.

Start an organic vege patch or build a terrarium. Learn more from www.ceres.org.au 17.

Volunteer at the Basket Brigade – help package X’mas gifts for less fortunate families in Victoria. http://www.magicmoments.org.au/ 18.

Lend a helping hand to your community – help the folk at Lentils as Anything

(www.lentilasanything.com) or Kinfolk (www.kinfolk.org.au). Or go to the market with the old nan down the road.

Or help the neighbours walk the dogs.

19.

Compliment at least one stranger a day. “Nice shoes. I like your hat. Cute butt.”

20.

Busk – go solo or start a band. Put your secret vocal/ tap dancing/ magic trick skills to good use. Permits are

available from the City of Melbourne council. Find out more http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/

JOM’s Picks 09

UPCOMING EVENTS

DEC: 14th-15th RISE Music and Arts Festival

RISE Refugees presents its third annual Music and Arts Festival, celebrating the creative talent of our refugee and asylum seeker members.

Friday 14 December from 6.30pm, Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI).

Saturday 15 December from 1pm, Main Stage, Federation Square.

16th Organ &... Military Band: Air Force Band

Melbourne Town Hall The Air Force Band returns to the Melbourne Town Hall for an end-of-year festive celebration. Perfect

for an afternoon of family entertainment.

Till 20th Dec

Chinatown Market Day Heffernan Lane in Chinatown On the third Friday of every month, dive into Heffernan Lane in Chinatown for hawker-style stalls and a true night market vibe.

JAN:: 17th – 3rd Mar

Ovo by Cirque Du Soleil Docklands Park 1-91 Harbour Esplanade Docklands VIC 3008 Tuesday: 8pm - 10:30pm Wednesday: 8pm - 10:30pm Thursday: 8pm - 10:30pm Friday: 8pm - 10:30pm Saturday: 4pm - 6:30pm, 8pm - 10:30pm Sunday: 1pm - 3:30pm, 5pm - 7:30pm

Cirque du Soleil is currently touring Australia with a new big-top production, the critically acclaimed and family-friendly Ovo, the show that takes audiences into the colourful and energetic world of insects.

14th – 27th

Australian Open Melbourne Park Batman Avenue Melbourne VIC 3004 Summer in Australia is tennis. Balmy nights, world–class matches, colourful fans, live entertainment and all the tennis action streamed on the big screen at Garden Square. For two weeks in January, Melbourne Park has it all.

23rd – 27th

Blaze – International Dance Spectacular Hamer Hall A collective of pure talent, Blaze brings the raw energy of street and break dance together with some of the hottest music in the world.

10 Event Calendar

26th – 30th

Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival Australian Centre For The Moving Image (ACMI) The 2013 Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival screens the awarded films for free.

25th – 9th Mar Zoo Twilight Friday: 5:30pm - till late Saturday: 5:30pm - till late Summer has arrived and it’s time to enjoy those warm evenings with Zoo Twilights at Melbourne Zoo. See your favourite artists and bands perform live every Friday and Saturday night from 25 January to 9 March 2013. Selected animal exhibits will also be open after hours, just for Twilights guest.

13th – 3rd Feb Midsumma Festival Birrarung Marr

Midsumma, Melbourne’s annual Queer celebration, is a federation of arts and cultural events spread over 70 different venues throughout Melbourne!

FEB: 1st – 3rd Melbourne Summer Boat Show Docklands

The Melbourne Summer Boat Show is Melbourne’s only on-water event featuring a colourful display of yachts, luxury vessels, trailerable boats, jetskis and more.

9th

the

MSO Frozen Planet in Concert Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Emmy Award–winning British composer George Fenton conducts the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Australasian premiere of Frozen Planet in Concert.

9th Latin Summer Festival Federation Square Saturday: 11am - 9pm

The Latin Summer Festival showcases all kinds of entertainment from Latin America, including food from different regions, art, live music and family entertainment. There will also be circus–inspired roving performances as well as handcrafts, fashion, jewellery, education and much more. Come and experience summer with true Latin passion!

10th Melbourne Japanese Summer Festival Waterfront City Piazza

At the Japanese Summer Festival, you can learn the traditional ‘bon odori’ dance, see live music and martial arts, enjoy Japanese cuisine and more.

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR EVENTS 1st – 24th Gingerbread Village 9am-5pm daily.

The award-winning pastry chefs at EPICURE’s Culinary Centre are in the Christmas mode again and are working on an even bigger Gingerbread Village to be displayed at the City Gallery, Melbourne Town Hall from Saturday 1st December, 2012. Come and spot (not eat) the iconic Melbourne landmarks and enjoy the treats and activities planned in the Gingerbread Village!

Location: 90-120 Swanston Street, Melbourne CBD https://www.facebook.com/gingerbreadvillage 21st Christmas with the Penguins

Party with the Penguins could be your Melbourne’s coolest Christmas event. Apart from gourmet dinner, there will be live music all night long and an all-inclusive menu of hot and cold canapés, beer wine and soft drinks. Good for smaller corporate groups and early reservation is required.

Event Calendar 11

22nd The Big Sing by The Gertrude Players

Come and be inspired by The Gertrude Players, a non-for profit organization that sings and acts to raise money to relieve poverty or sickness and to support disadvantage persons in their annual Christmas show – The Big Sing. Share the Christmas spirit and love by supporting The Gertrude Players raise more money in their 13th Big Sing.

Location: Napier Hotel, Fitzroy, 6pm https://www.facebook.com/gertrudeplayers 30th Nov – 4 Jan

Christmas Festival 2012 The City of Melbourne lights up with Christmas magic with a month of FREE Christmas entertainment, as the City of Melbourne launches its annual Christmas festival. Come together with the whole family to enjoy the following Christmas entertainment: Santa in Christmas Square

Saturday 1 December until Monday 24 December Nativity scene blessing

Monday 3 December, 10.30 am Christmas decorations and projections program

30 November until 4 January Location: City Square, Melbourne CBD www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/christmas 1st – 30th Spirit of the Square Location: Federation Square, Swanston Street http://www.fedsquare.com/events/spirit-of-the-square/ 13th – 22nd Follow the Star

Follow the Star is a walk through Nativity Christmas Lights Display featuring thousands of Christmas Lights throughout scenes depicting the story of Christ and Christmas from both a traditional and spiritual perspective.

Location: 275 Middleborough Road, Box Hill South http://revivalcentres.org/melbourne/follow-the-star-christmas-lights-display/ 1st- 24th Christmas at Puffing Billy

Board the century-old steam train and enjoy the sights and sounds of Mother Nature at the scene of Dandenong Ranges this Christmas. Celebrate it with family and friends over a sumptuous three course meal on board Puffing Billy.

Location: Puffing Billy Railway, 1 Old Monbulk Road, Belgrave http://www.puffingbilly.com.au/news/article/christmas-menu-available-in-december NEW YEAR’S EVE EVENTS 31st

New Year’s Eve at Fed Square On New Year’s Eve, Fed Square will beat to the sound of African drums in a free program of live music and dance performances.

Location: Federation Square, Swanston Street

Family Festival at Yarra Park (MCG) Join the high-spirited celebrations, which begins at 6pm, with roving performers, carnival rides, children’s activities and workshops, and well-known, headline artists on the main stage. Bring a picnic rug, relax on the grass with the family and count down to the Family Fireworks at 9.15pm.

Location: Alexandra Gardens and Birrarung Marr, Yarra Park

12 Event Calendar

Midnight Fireworks When the clock strikes 12am on New Year’s Eve, Melbourne sky from CBD to Docklands will be lighted up with fireworks. At Docklands, the main stage at the Waterfront City Piazza will host live entertainment from 6pm onwards, with fireworks at 9:15pm and 12am.

Location: Docklands

Thinking of Staying After Graduation ?

Australia’s Graduate Visa Will Keep You In Place For Months.

18

What Can I Do ?

Travel Work Play Study What Do I Need ?

Completed an eligible qualification in the last Six(6) months as a result of Two(2) years study in Australia

Possess Skills & Qualifications that meet the Australian standard for an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) Rayford Registrations:

www.rayfordmigration.com enquiry@rayfordmigration.com MMIA No. 2378

Head Office: Suite 22-2, Wisma UOA II, 21, Jalan Pinang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: +603 2715 5999 (Malaysia) Australia Branch: Level 18, No. 152, Central Park, St. Georges Terrace 6000. Tel: 08 9278 2451 (Australia)

An Australian Christmas WRITES Emily Mathews Photo Docklands tony

Christmas is the most widely celebrated religious festival in Australia, owing to a large Christian population (61%) and a strong Judeo-Christian cultural heritage. In early December, various Christmas events and festivities are held to mark the beginning of the Christmas season. Many children get seriously busy writing letters detailing their Christmas wish list to Santa Claus, who is traditionally considered as the person to delivers gifts on Christmas Day. The penultimate event to Christmas Day is the traditional Carols by Candlelight concert held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne every year on Christmas Eve. Here, tens of thousands of people gather for the open air concert to watch celebrated singers and musicians perform and to also sing favorite Christmas carols. This tradition began in 1937 and is a highlight of the season.

Another truly Melbourne Christmas tradition is taking the whole family to see Myer’s Christmas Windows in Bourke St. It began as Myer’s gift to the city of Melbourne and now celebrates its 57th year. This year, the Christmas Windows display is a tribute to the children’s book, Russell's Christmas Magic. According to Myer’s website, over one million local

14 Christmas

and overseas visitors view the Myer Christmas Windows.

Christmas decorations and traditional staples such as mince pies and ham, are on supermarket shelves even before the season has begun. In fact, it is not surprising to see Christmas fare and decorations in Woolworths and Coles as early as October!

A traditional Australian meal includes a turkey dinner, baked ham, prawns and mince pieces. The dessert favourite is the pavlova, which consists of egg meringue and fruit slices.

Christians usually attend Christmas Eve or Christmas Day church services and later gather at a family members house to have a shared lunch or dinner. As Christmas is celebrated at the peak of summer, many Australians celebrate outdoors by having a BBQ lunch at home. Others might have a picnic on the beach or at a nearby park.

The Boxing Day Cricket Test match is a traditional event during the season and held the day after Christmas in Melbourne at the MCG. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Celebrating Christmas in Malaysia wRITES Emily Mathews Photo sam cheong

Christmas is celebrated by Christians the world over to mark the birth of Jesus Christ over 2000 years ago. Christmas is the second most significant celebration in the Christian calender after Easter.

There is a Christmas Eve countdown in Bukit Bintang, KL which culminates in fireworks at midnight. An entire digital park, which depicts winter Christmas scenes, has sprung up in iCity, Shah Alam.

Christians make up about 9 % of Malaysia’s 28 million citizens. Christmas is a national holiday in Malaysia. While it is celebrated by a small population, Christmas celebrations have seen a resurgence in the last five years.

Christians put up their Christmas trees a few weeks before Christmas with the usual lights and baubles. However more and more non-Christians in Malaysia have taken to also putting up trees in their houses as a festive decoration.

Increasingly, they have also embraced the spirit of gift-giving by buying each other presents for Christmas.

Christmas is now celebrated as a major religious festival by the government. In fact, each year the Prime Minister hosts a Christmas `open house’ for citizens, to commemorate the occasion and support the Christian community. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak also attends Christmas functions, one of which was hosted by the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur.

Christmas celebrations now seem to grow more extravagant each year as festive decorations now adorn most shopping malls, corporate buildings and public places. In KL, the nation’s capital, major roads, leading into the city are embellished with Christmas trimmings.

For Christians, Christmas begins with the family worshipping at church either during an evening Mass on Christmas Eve or an early morning Church service on Christmas Day. Later, family and friends gather together for a Christmas lunch. While local Christians may indulge in Western Christmas fare such as turkey and mince pies, local speciality dishes dominate the lunch table. After lunch, comes the most eagerly awaited event, which is the opening of presents.

Selamat Menyambut Hari Krismas!

Event Calendar 15

News Corner Ups and Downs in Malaysia 1. Malaysian economy grows, public sector deficits remain heavy, salaries up

PHOTO LEBIN TEO

2.Attractions board: Legoland, Hello Kity, Barney Malaysia has opened its first international theme park, Legoland. It is also the first Asian country to carry the franchise. For Christmas, Malaysia exhibits a nine-meter Christmas tree. It took more than 400,000 Lego bricks and 260 Lego ornaments. For the record, it is the biggest Lego Christmas tree in Asia.

Malaysia’s economy grew 5.2 per cent as domestic demand has caught up, offsetting a decrease in exports. Central bank’s report said much of the domestic demand is credited to private consumption and investments, mainly in sectors such as transportation, oil, gas and public utilities.

Malaysia’s public sector-wide budget deficit lies at a whopping 10.5 per cent this year, including the federal government’s budget deficit of 4.5 per cent. The amount comes largely from non-financial public enterprises (NFPE), which is predicted to grow to RM 100 billion in 2013.

The workforce will see a tiny leap in payout in 2013.

Salaries are projected to marginally increase from 5.5 per cent [2012’s average salary] to 5.7 per cent next year.

Towers Watson 2012 General Industry Total Rewards Survey says there will be more sales, marketing and engineering jobs next year.

Alongside Legoland, there’s Sanrio Hello Kitty Town and The Little Big Club. Both opened their doors in October, a month after Legoland was open to the public. Unlike Legoland, these theme parks are more of a place for the little ones as attractions include Hello Kitty Carnival, and Barney Beach Party at The Little Big Club.

3. Baby dumping hitting a new low According to government official data, 517 babies were dumped in Malaysia from 2005 to 2011 and 31 cases were reported in 2012 itself. 287 of the babies dumped were found dead. Most of the mothers were in their teens or early 20’s, more often than not, unmarried. In a notorious case in September, a mother tossed her still alive infant out her 3rd floor flat, shattering the baby’s skull.

On a related note, any child born out of wedlock is given the uniform surname- bin/binti Abdullah, which permanently stigmatizes them as illegitimate children. Malaysian NGOs have taken matters into their owns hands to prevent further fatal baby dumping by opening a baby hatch- it functions like a bank deposit hatch where babies can be dropped off safely but anonymously.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MALAYSIAKINI

4. Vernacular education still wanted Chinese schools associations and supporters of mothertongue language schools rallied in Petaling Jaya against the new education blueprint. They said the new blueprint would gradually dissolve vernacular schools and turn them into public national schools. More than 2,000 people were present at the rally; this being their second rally. Largely unknown, the issue goes beyond the loss of mothertongue language. Many Chinese parents believe that the disciplinary approach and curriculum offered in the Chinese schools are what is really at stake.

5. Animal welfare bill on its way- finally!

The government said in November that an Animal Welfare Bill to protect animals, including strays, is underway. There has been an increase in cases where pets are abandoned because of mountainous medical bills or simply because they weren’t cute anymore. The Bill will also take action against those who shoot cats and dogs. The Penang government came under fire last year for allegedly shooting strays.

16 News Corner

9. Anti-sexist bill tabled The newly tabled no-sexist remarks bill is currently being debated. There has not been, to date, a specific provision in the law that prevents MPs from making sexist or offensive remarks in Parliament. The issue becamea focus when an assemblyman told state executive councilor Elizabeth Wong “to remember to take care of your own forest” during a debate.

PHOTO GERALD PONNIAH The glass panels have been moved to the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Klang

One of the most controversial examples to date is a 2007 MP Bung Mokhtar speech. He said, “mana ada bocor? Batu Gajah pun bocor tiap-tiap bulan juga.” It was during a Dewan Rakyat session about a leaky roof in Parliament House.

6. Virgin Mary spotted An image resembling the Virgin Mary was spotted in a Malaysian hospital’s window. Hundreds of Catholics flocked to the area in prayer and worship; pictures of the image have also gone viral on Facebook. Some of the witnesses camping outside the hospital claimed that they saw an image of an adult Jesus Christ two mirrors away from his mother.

8. UMNO stance on LGBT; PAS and hair salon In the recent UMNO general assembly, delegates called for action against advocates of homosexuality, pluralism and liberalism. One delegate went as far as suggesting rehabilitating LGBT individuals.

Meanwhile in a recent case, the opposition party component, PAS, imposed a fine on a unisex hair salon when one of their female hair stylists served male clients.

PAS later said they intended to segregate patrons visiting hair salons; where only a female hair stylist can serve a female client and vice versa.

Khoo Kay Peng, Malaysian political analyst, on the 13th General Election expected to be held in March 2013: “It could be the most competitive elections in the history of Malaysian politics. We may see our youths playing a bigger role politically and may turn out to vote in large number. We may witness a transition of political leadership since this GE could be the last for a number of iconic leaders such as Lim Kit Siang, Nik Aziz, Hadi Awang, Karpal Singh, Taib Mahmud, Abdullah Badawi, Nazri Aziz, Chua Soi Lek, Ong Tee Keat and others.”

Some residents have returned to their previous house, now floating in water after the construction of Bakun Dam

7. PROTEST: Lynas and mega dams More than 10,000 Malaysians flocked to the borders of Dataran Merdeka to protest against the infamous Lynas rare earth plant in Kuantan. Almost 1000 of them walked the 300 km from Kuatan to Kuala Lumpur to show their determination for their cause. The first batch of 100 containers of rare earth ore from Mouth Weld, Australia, arrived in Kuantan under heavy police escort at the end of November.

Across the Peninsula, in Sarawak, a coalition of NGOs is calling for a stop to the mega dams projects, which they claim are invading their customary lands- forests and homes. Despite the shortcomings of the Bakun hydroelectric dam in 2011, the plans to construct 12 mega dams is underway.

“It will be a close affair. It may lead to a regime change or it may give us another 5 years of intense political competition.”

News Corner 17

Malaysian Events in Pictures PHOTO ERIC CHIANG HINN YUEN, JOYCE NG, IRFAN ANHAR, MOHD HAZWAN & JOSH YU

(Top) Dinner and chat with YAB Dato’ Sri Anifah Aman Foreign Minister of Malaysia the day after the launch of the Consulate General of Malaysia Melbourne Office. Issues discussed ranged from Lynas, to brain drain and relationships.

(Top) Official Launching of Consulate General of Malaysia Melbourne on 7 November 2012.

Malaysians can now renew their passports in Melbourne.

(Right) Getting close with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister, during a high tea function on 11 November 2012.

Also present at the high tea function was Datuk Sri Dr. Chua Soi Lek, MCA President.

(Left) A chat about the current situation, public perceptions and election in Malaysia on 8 October 2012, organised by Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM) Melbourne.

Talencorp speaking to working Malaysians in Melbourne about working in Malaysia on 9 October 2012

For the first time, the World Economic Chinese Forum was moved from Malaysia to Melbourne, held on 12 - 13 November 2012. Malaysian speakers attended are such as Tan Sri Razali Ismail, Lim Guan Eng, and Tan Sri Dr. Fong Chan Onn.

(Top) Setia Melbourne Development Co. Ltd and friends having a picnic on 10 October 2012 to announce their new project on St Kilda Rd. Standing from the left is Michael Argyrou, Managing Director of Hickory Group, Karl Fender, architect of Eureka Tower and Mr. Choong Ka Wai, CEO SP Setia Bhd Group Melbourne.

18 Past Events

(Top) Getting close with Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, Malaysian Deputy Minister of Higher Education, during the Human Capital Development Seminar, organised by Kelab UMNO Melbourne. Also speaking at the inspiring seminar was Dr. Juanda Jaya, Mufti from Perlis.

(Left) Malaysia Aspiration Summit (MAS), 7 October 2012, organised by Malaysian Aspiration Program, an arm under Malaysian Students’ Council of Australia (MASCA), Victoria.

(Top) First Malaysian Grand Ball, organised by various student organisations in Victoria.

(Top) Annual Malam Gemilang, organised by Kelab UMNO Melbourne.

(Top) First ASEAN Games Australia, organised by MSports, an arm under Malaysian Students’ Council of Malaysia, and partnering with other ASEAN societies. Malaysia team was the overall champion.

(Bottom) Malaysia Day BBQ Celebration organised by Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM) Melbourne

(Top) Muzika Melbourne, an annual musical event organised by Kelab UMNO Melbourne.

(Top) The 2nd Malaysian Street Festival, 14 October 2012. held at Queen Victoria Market. The event was organised by Vision Malaysia.

(Left) Dinner with Regent of Perlis (4th from left), 5 December 2012, organised by the Consul General of Malaysia Melbourne, Dr. Rameez Mohamad Yahaya.

Past Events 19

Teachers make or break our nation: Does Malaysia’s Education Blueprint 20132025 adequately address the deteriorating quality of teachers?

WRITE JOANNA LOH & HONMING TUNG

Malaysia’s education system is not faring too badly as one of a developing nation. Malaysia currently has a 92% literacy rate and is close to achieving the Millennium Development Goal of universal primary education (96% enrolment) and universal lower secondary education (86%).

The main question remains - is our education system sufficient for transforming Malaysia into a developed nation? The newly-released Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 recognised ‘quality’ as the dimension needing the most urgent attention.

The public has become increasingly concerned with the quality of education and teachers in our schools. In fact, the Higher Education Leadership Academy found 50% of the lessons were delivered unsatisfactorily after observing 125 lessons in 41 schools. Students were more likely to be tested on surface-level content understanding (70% of all lessons observed) rather than their higher-order thinking

20 Inside Malaysia and Beyond

Summary of Malaysia’s Education Blueprint’s Roadmap to transforming the teaching profession into a profession of choice: 1. Improving standards and support systems

1. Hiring less teachers to concentrate resources

2. Improve training program standards, increase practicum time

3. More stringent standards in graduating from teacher training programs

4. Improving assessment tools for teacher evaluation

5. Streamlining data collection to avoid duplication of data requests

6. Specialist coaches to concentrate on underperforming schools (SISC+)

7. E-Guru video library: videos of how classes can be conducted, based on subject

specific matter 2. Diversifying career paths to reduce workload, increase efficiency and job satisfaction

1. Establishing specific tracks for teaching professionals: teaching; leadership and

management; subject matter expert

2. Accelerating career progression

3. ‘Transition’ for underperforming teachers 3. Peer-led culture of excellence (no concrete plans, other than allowing teachers more autonomy with curriculum timetabling and lesson organization)

skills. In some schools, teachers failed to complete the prescribed syllabus. Could this be why the tuition business in Malaysia is thriving? Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, chairman of PAGE (Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia) agrees that all parents, whether rich or poor, urban or rural, are sending their children for tuition because they are concerned that schools are not adequately meeting their children’s academic needs.

The quality of a teacher enormously impacts a student’s performance. In a Tennessee (USA) study, two average eight-year old students diverged by more than fifty percentile points in 3 years, when one was taught by a high-quality teacher and the other, by a lower-quality one.

In a report analyzing the world’s top-performing education systems, Barber and Mourshed said, ‘The quality of a school system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers’.

Academically, Malaysian students’ grade point average in national examinations has been steadily improving, however with notable variation between subjects. In the SPM (Malaysian Certificate of Education) 2011, 23% of students failed English while 9% failed Bahasa Malaysia. This mirrors the lack of English mastery amongst teachers. A Cambridge Placement Test (CPT) of 7,500 English language teachers showed a significant number failed the minimum proficiency standard required for teaching English.

In contrast to the rosy picture painted by our national examination results, international benchmarking tests such as TIMMS and PISA show a declining trend, compared to peer countries and amongst the Malaysian student cohort.

The explanation was that TIMMS and particularly PISA focused more on knowledge application and reasoning skills, which meant Malaysian students were deficient in

problem-solving skills vital for the workforce. Again, this could reflect that either the teachers lacked reasoning skills or teaching ability.

Increased access to education has multiplied the number of teachers. In 2010, there were 38 applicants per place for the Teacher Training Colleges’ training programmes. This translates to a student-to-teacher ratio of 13 to 1, one of the lowest when compared to other OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries.

However, the candidates’ standards may have dipped amidst the recruiting frenzy. In 2010, 70% of successful applicants failed to meet the minimum academic requirements, although this has improved since then.

While the selection process does not appear to meet the gaps in the workforce, the blueprint suggests there is a glut of teachers in certain subjects and a shortage in others. 6,000 Malay and Islamic education teachers were reassigned to meet shortages in other subjects. Dr Marzuki Mohamad, from the Education Ministry, said it was due to poor teacher distribution (urban versus rural) and not a lack of subject teachers. The teachers’ preference to work in bigger cities was a major factor. Nevertheless, the shortage of qualified teachers in Math, English and Science must be addressed to improve student performance.

Also, while our teachers may be committed to developing professionally, one wonders at the quality and efficacy of their training. Malaysian teachers spend an average of 10 days for professional development, exceeding the ministry’s required seven days. However, how much of their training trickles down to their students? Kee, a secondary school teacher, said she felt a more coordinated implementation of the professional development days was needed when these

Inside Malaysia and Beyond 21

“ In 2010, 70% of successful applicants failed to meet the minimum academic requirements, although this has improved since then.

“ Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Foreword

1

teachers returned to their respective schools. She added, discussions were usually conducted after didactic talks about specific subject matters but usually, not reflection times. Thus, it is difficult to assess how much the teachers retain.

Besides this, practicum time only accounted for 20% of total pre-service training time, compared to an average of 40% in OECD countries. The lack of specialist teacher trainers is also an issue, for example, there are only 2 specialist teacher trainers in Selangor, who serve 900 schools.

According to Lok Yim Pheng, secretary-general of the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP), only a few teachers undergo a Continuous Professional Development Programme. The NUTP recommends all teachers undergo this Programme and that a specific body committed to the teachers’ professional development should oversee it, to enhance training content and delivery. For one, teacher trainers may be knowledgeable in their subject matter but fail to teach higher order thinking skills. Also, the teacher pre-service training should be revamped and the competency of lecturers, enhanced. The curriculum should also include basic law, human rights and communication and problem-solving skills.

Therefore, the Malaysian Education Blueprint proposes 3 waves of teacher quality enhancement- Wave One for improving standards and support systems (2013-2015), Wave Two for enhancing career pathways and progression (20162020), and Wave Three for creating a peer-led culture of professional excellence (2020-2025) (infographic). These ‘waves’ aim to improve the quality of current teachers and to transform teaching into an attractive profession, attracting top talent for the future.

From the end of 2012 to 2013, a few strategies will be implemented to improve the quality of teachers. Beginning from December 2012, 70,000 English teachers will be assessed on their proficiency in teaching English via the CPT. Those who fail the minimum requirements will go through an intensive English training course in 2013. If they continue to fail in the next two years, these teachers will be reassigned to other subjects. New graduates and other subject teachers will be assigned to teach English to meet the projected shortfall of English teachers.

Current measures to address the shortage include exchange programs involving foreign native English-speakers teaching English in Malaysia, such as the Fulbright Teaching Assistantships involving American students coming to Malaysia to teach English. According to the Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, retired teachers were recruited to teach but only a little over 20 teachers agreed to return. One wonders how well-publicized this retiree recruitment drive was, and whether there was a lack of information about this retiree recruitment exercise. A transition-to-teach program for graduates of non-teaching backgrounds, similar to an American programme, has been suggested but no substantial plans have been made. There is a need for more quality teachers in less urban areas, where the shortages exist.

Also, extra support will be given to teachers and principals in underperforming schools, starting with Kedah and Sabah, with the employment of 461 SISC (School Improvement Specialist Coach) coaches to provide customized training.

This will be expanded nationally by December 2013. There have not been any other improvements to the teaching training program.

Teacher recruitment prerequisites will be made more stringent from next year, working towards recruiting only the top 30% of all future graduates.

The blueprint contains little details on plans to attract this top cohort. Also, university assessments should be standardized to ensure graduates are up to standard and imbued with qualities of the profession.

22 Inside Malaysia and Beyond

In a recent survey of 10 parents in Malaysia, five whose children attend private or international schools and five whose children attend national schools: 1. 9 out of 10 parents would send their children to private schools if the costs of studying at private and public schools were the same. Some of the reasons include the inconsistent and frequent changes in syllabus and the shortage of qualified teachers in public schools.

2. 10 out of 10 parents send their children to private tuition. Four of them said it’s because of their doubt of the quality of teachers at school.

The ministry has suggested a few plans to ensure the Blueprint’s effective delivery. For example, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin proposed an Education Delivery Unit be set up by January 2013 to implement the Blueprint in the ministry and schools. Ministerial and non-governmental sectors will ‘monitor progress, problem solve implementation issues with responsible officers, and manage communication with stakeholders with regard to the transformation.’

Currently, the search continues for someone to lead this unit.

In addition, individual Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), for the senior leadership will be set up, and will be cascaded down to the remaining individuals in the ministry. Half-yearly, rigorous feedback sessions will be conducted with the top leadership, and will spread to their subordinates. Underperforming staff will be given the necessary support, but consistently underperforming staff will be assigned to more suitable roles. The ministry will also commit to education targets and the Minister, to the designated KPIs of the Blueprint.

One notable effort would be the ‘Teach for Malaysia’ (TFM) program, where carefully selected new graduates commit to a two-year fellowship in underperforming schools. According to Tien Tien Wong, a TFM fellow, TFM ‘advocates that a teacher who cares and who would go the extra mile for them is priceless in changing the child’s future.’ We hope that the ministry considers this model of teacher recruitment in their training programs. As Wong points out- ‘we desperately need people who are passionate to serve in the education domain who will join for the outcome rather than the income.’

While the ambitions and transparency of the Blueprint is commendable in making teaching a desirable profession, concrete plans are needed beyond the year ahead. A coordinated, effective and whole-hearted implementation is important, and is constantly assessed based on clear KPIs. Besides, clear ownership and direction of this Blueprint is needed as previous Blueprints were set aside by each successive minister. Many Malaysian students have shown an aptitude for the academics, and we trust the right policies and effective Blueprint implementation will prepare every young Malaysian to face the new set of challenges in the 21st century.

InspireSEA WRITES FERN YI LIM PHOTO AMIR IZWAN

JOM: What are your goals for Inspire SEA? Sandra: We want to bring back what we have learnt abroad to inspire kids in Malaysia. We want to inspire the spirit of volunteering in the Malaysian community.

Rafiq: There is a big difference between the education system in Australia and Malaysia. Australians learn beyond the stuff in classrooms. They emphasize on a lot more balance, which includes sports and extra co-curricular activities. We want kids to go all out with what they’re passionate about.

How did InspireSEA design its modules in the program so that it suited your objectives?

Soo Mei: We went through the syllabus

24 Inside Malaysia and Beyond

Inspire Southeast Asia (Inspire SEA) is a 4D/3N camp that seeks to inspire students from underprivileged homes to love learning and to pursue whatever they are passionate about, despite their backgrounds.

Organized by MInspire, it will be held at SMK Pulau Indah from 17-20 December 2012. We spoke to Hui Xuean Sandra Chua, Soo Mei Ooi, Melissa Azleen and Rafiq Saiful Aznir, who pioneered the program.

from Form 1-3. Then, we selected a few that could be put into games so that we can get their interest. Take physics. We want to show that it’s in our everyday life.

Melissa: We want students to think outside the box, instead of absorbing and regurgitating everything. Or else, you forget about it after a few years.

Who are your target students?

Soo Mei: We’re targeting underprivileged students who don’t have much exposure to different opportunities, especially the Form 3 students will have to choose their streams in form 4. We want to convince them that education is important, but it’s not everything.

Sandra: At the same time, we put in a speakers’ corner where speakers will come to inspire the kids to aim for a better future.

What sort of speakers are you inviting?

Sandra: We asked someone in Petronas, who works closely with students like these.

She knows what they are going through, and how to approach them. We also got another person from Teach for Malaysia.

Rafiq: Ideally, speakers will have come from the same background because we want to show the kids what they are capable of doing.

How did you identify your participating school?

Soo Mei: We went through the Ministry of Education and got a whole list of schools from the Selangor Education Ministry.

Then, we shortlisted a few schools.

Melissa: We contacted one school and they requested that 50 of their students fill those spots. It is our first camp so we don’t know what to expect.

We’ll start with one school and analyze the reception.

geared towards different subjects like Geography or Science. In one of the stations, the challenge is to get an egg to float. They can put in salt, water and so on. But, the main aim is to help students understand all the principles behind these experiments.

Rafiq: We want them to apply what they have learnt in the classroom into everyday life. This will make them more passionate about wanting to learn and give them confidence when they go into the classroom.

Melissa Azleen

How many people have volunteered under this program?

Soo Mei: We have about 20 volunteers.

Melissa: There is a mixture of Malaysians living in Melbourne and Malaysia.

Sandra: There are also foreigners from South Africa, Sri Lanka, China, and Vietnam.

What outcome do you hope for from this camp?

Soo Mei: Because this camp is only for 4 days and 3 nights, we cannot expect students to immediately change overnight.

But, we’ll be following up with them once or twice a year to track their progress.

Do you have any future plans for InspireSEA? Soo Mei: We’re InspireSEA: Inspire South East Asia. So, if this turns out well, we’re

What subjects do your modules cover?

Soo Mei: Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Arts, Maths, Language, and Music. Since our target students are in form 3 this will have a good gauge as to which path want to take.

Because Malaysians are brought up in an environment that is built around passive learning, how are you planning to encourage students to actively participate?

Melissa: The activities that we have are broken down into a few groups. Each group will have two mentors who will be nurturing and encouraging them to be more outspoken.

Sandra: Instead of telling them what to do, the mentors will encourage them to think and discuss in their own group when making decisions.

How do you incorporate all those subjects into the module?

Soo Mei: It will be through games. For example, we’ll be having a game a la Amazing Race, where stations will be

HuiXuean Sandra Chua

Rafiq: I think managing people was the key thing. Some people are very excited to join in. But when they take other priorities into consideration, they cannot be as committed to it as much as they were enthusiastic about it.

What’s the best thing doing this?

InspireSEA: The whole learning experience for all of us planning this. It is invaluable.

With such enthusiasm and passion for a better future for the underprivileged, we hope to see Inspire SEA to succeed in its first camp.

Soo Mei Ooi

planning to proceed to other South East Asian countries. This is for the long term.

What’s the biggest challenge that you faced?

Rafiq: I think developing the modules was one of the toughest.

Soo Mei: It was tough because we were planning it over here but we needed people to go back to Malaysia. And not everyone could make it back.

Rafiq: One of the main challenges was also the fact that we were new. To get sponsorships and support for this was very challenging. We had no experience and credibility. If this camp goes smoothly, it will give us a better chance for securing a more sustainable future.

Soo Mei: Teach for Malaysia was also very keen to go through our syllabus and see if it was appropriate.

Think what they are doing is awesome? InspireSEA welcomes volunteers and sponsorship for their programs next year.

More details on www.inspiresea.com.

Rafiq Saiful Aznir

Inside Malaysia and Beyond 25

Musing Across Borders We chat to prominent Malaysians who now work and live in Australia Negotiating the global identity today Cr Ken Ong, Melbourne City Councillor Some governments may see migration as brain drain but the reality is that we live in a knowledge-based society and naturally, the workforce will go search for new knowledge and new opportunities. There are 500, 000 Australians living abroad and are celebrated for their roles in their new host countries; they’re not seen as a loss.

Governments should begin to look at why people are leaving their homeland in the first place before saying anything else. People will choose a place that offers the best environment, social compatibility and community infrastructure that fits them best. So, if the government is keen on maintaining their local citizens, they should identify the root causes that led to migration, and take action to encourage them to stay in their homeland. Really, it is not much different from any business trying to keep their long-term customers.

With that said, the idea of Malaysians migrating overseas is not synonymous with cutting off all ties with Malaysia. Malaysians can play a role in linking between the country they live in and Malaysia aspects of business, arts and culture, tourism, education, social issues and technology. * These are my personal opinions and not official Council position.

Missing loved ones, remembering our ways Dr Mohamad Rameez Yahaya, Consul General of Malaysia The first time I lived overseas, I missed my mum’s cooking. I grew up with her cooking - roti canai, nasi briyani and the lot. You just could never go wrong with her dishes. My mum was a teacher, and then she became a headmaster. She was also the sole breadwinner in my family; she struggled a lot, you can say that. So I am fortunate to have her and all that I have today began with everything my mum gave me.

She passed away last year and I really miss her. She visited me when I was serving in New York. She came all the way to visit me when I had my first-born child. In February, she was planning to come visit me here in Melbourne but before she could, she passed away. This is one thing about living overseas - you really miss your loved ones. I believe it is something very innate in our Malaysian upbringing; we always stay in touch with our families. So, never forget that, when you go home for a visit, thank them.

For many of us who are not physically in Malaysia, my view is we are liberal yet conservative. We have our own ways of negotiating an issue which is not the same with other cultures. This is not to say we are better than they are. I believe it is through conciliation that we solve problems despite our differences. By respecting our superiors and getting our messages across through the right channels that will make them listen to us.

So, don’t just attack or criticise issues about our homeland. If you are keen to build a country, be constructive. Come attend the forums organised, to the consulate general and channels like Pemandu and Talentcorp to give us your ideas.

26 Malaysian Tales

Multiverse: on making “nothing“ music Multiverse is a rising Melbourne band who played at various festive grounds and local music venues in Victoria, including a special slot on PBS.fm and the latest performance at the End of the Line Festival which was possibly dubbed benchmark gig of the year. Multiverse’s music doesn’t fit into any one genre, which is what the band wishes their music to be – what they call “progressive experimental punk” - pushing musical expression and not conforming to any particular style. The band has recently released its self-titled first EP. We spoke to the band’s Malaysian drummer, Ammar Khairi, who shared with us his musical philosophy.

INTERVIEWS JOYCE NG Write JOSH YU & JOYCE NG PHOTO MAHEN BALA

Malaysian Tales 27

JOM: What forms the concept behind your debut?

AK: There is no particular concept that drives our music.

Instead of conceptualizing, we interact, collaborate, progress and subsequently grow. The outcome is never the goal; the process is the focus.

Is there something you’re conveying through the music in the album? The compositions are simply a reflection of our experiences. Many of the extant themes and ideas were established by us while on an odyssey abroad. Elements were written in Greece, Spain, Chile, Argentina, Turkey and others. This internationalism is reflected throughout the album. The multitude of musical and syntactical elements tries to convey the relationship between diversification and unification.

What did you hope to achieve? Did you achieve what you hoped for? We hoped to achieve nothing. Achievement is an illusion; a distraction. Expectation can only result in disappointment. The key to truly embracing and immersing oneself in the fluidity of the work process is to disregard expectation, the faux hope of achievement, and the artificial confidence that they engender. Instead, we embrace discipline. Creativity, innovation and originality all spring from roots of discipline.

How has the response been for the EP? Where is it available? The compositions are available for download from our website: multiversegroup.org. Alternatively if you come for our performances, hardcopies are available free of charge.

How was End of the Line Festival 2012 for you? End of the Line Festival 2012 was an enjoyable experience. As with all primary productions, flaws were apparent, but overall the event was a success. The organisers established a fantastic medium of expression for a variety of artistic minds.

What has inspired the musical style of your band? The philosophy of life.

Is the band’s music style your personal music style too?

How has your personal music style influenced the music of the band? Yes; when one’s tune can’t be named and is unknown, that signifies originality. Therefore, originality is our style. For many years, we realised that specifications made things complex. We share the common liking of making things easier. Making simple things complex is common; however, making complex things simple, that is creativity. That said, influence is not the matter that concerns, it is the impact of my style that can be seen through collaborations. My involvement can’t be seen as an influence, rather, an appreciation towards something I can’t name.

What makes you passionate about music? What got you into music? Music is my bottomless passion. Passion is in us, you can’t find it until it reveals itself. Passion is not hobby where you can choose; it’s our nature which

28 Malaysian Tales

needs cultivation. Music is a form of expression that is very extensive, deep and systematic. When words fail, music prevails. Music provides me the space to explore and discover myself, an opportunity to learn and relearn and to grow. Amongst musicians, mistakes are often deemed as beauty; the imperfection that signifies honesty and modesty. To further understand humanity is what brings me into music.

Would you consider yourself a musician? Well for a second I thought, what makes one a musician? I personally think that one can also become a musician without playing an instrument. Having said that, when it comes to music, about the crucial aspects are understanding and appreciation – two major attributes that are lacking in common society. Since music is my passion, I’m very enthusiastic in being able to add value to people’s lives through music as my medium.

What makes a good drummer? Discipline, perseverance and good attitude. On a certain level, adaptability, compatibility and flexibility are common amongst many legendary drummers. All in all, I would humbly say that simplicity is the key.

What’s your advice for young people in Melbourne who wish to be musicians? Stop trying, just do. Stop procrastinating (time-consuming) and start producing (practice. And practice.)

Does being Malaysian affect or contribute to the music your band makes? Culturally, yes. The foundation of Malaysian ethnic music incorporates rhythm and groove in its entirety. As a self-taught sticksman, I’m always inspired by the beauty that lies in between sound (logic) and the artistic elements (soul). When both are combined, it produces the feeling humans can’t describe. Again, when words fail, music prevails.

Multiverse is: Rami Kais - Guitars, Piano, Vocals Brett McLatchie - Bass, Vocals Ammar Khairi - Drums Audiences have been spotted around Australia, Malaysia, US & Eastern Europe Things they enjoy in common: Turkish coffee, Aussie footy & High-ropes on trees courses!

Their music can be found at: multiversegroup.org

PHOTO JRISTAN CHAN

Teaching in Malaysia versus Australia A good teacher will make or break anyone’s education experience. To do this, it doesn’t matter where you are, it takes passion, willingness to learn, hard work and diligence. Kristy Tan is a Malaysian ESL teacher in Melbourne. She talks to JOM about studying and teaching in both Malaysia and Australia.

INTERVIEWS JOYCE NG WRITE SONYA ONG & JOYCE NG

JOM: How many years have you been working as a teacher in Australia and in Malaysia? What subjects do you teach or specialise in? KT: I have been working as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Australia for the past year. Prior to this, I have done teaching placements in Malaysia and India. I am qualified to teach and have taught ESL and Humanities or Social Studies.

How do you find the experience teaching in Malaysia and in Australia? What’s the difference? Are the challenges similar or different? Which environment would you prefer? I have enjoyed teaching in both Malaysia and Australia although I have had more experience teaching in Australia. To be honest, it’s hard to generalise the similarities and differences but I’ll speak from my personal experience keeping in mind that this is just one person’s observation. Relative to Malaysia, the Australian curriculum seems to favour creativity and critical thinking skills more

30 Malaysian Tales

than other skills. For example, students here are often encouraged to speak up and get involved in hands-on activities that I feel build up their confidence and empower them to tackle real-life tasks. Having said that, in Malaysia, the curriculum seems more close-ended and students are often required to be both precise and knowledgeable in their assessments which is usually a written exam. This brings up different issues in relation to education. I guess as an educator, I am constantly asking myself ‘What’s best for my students to learn?’ or ‘What would they need for their future?’. In some regard I think that I would prefer a balance between the systems so that younger students are taught the essentials and grounded in them well and as they get older, say in secondary school, that they are given more opportunity to think critically and creatively. Hopefully then, they will bring both discipline and creativity to their skill sets as young adults.

What do you think of the quality of teachers in Malaysia and in Australia, if you would compare? I believe that there are great teachers and not so great teachers in both countries. In my opinion, quality of teaching directly correlates with quality of learning and I have had great learning experiences in both countries. I remember moments in secondary school in Malaysia where I was completely absorbed in my learning simply because a teacher made it interesting. Engagement seems to be the universal factor. Students want to learn when the lesson is engaging and teachers who get that seem to do better. Of course this takes dedication, innovation and understanding on the teacher’s part and you get such teachers in both countries.

How do you find the level of respect towards teachers among the students and the public in Malaysia and in Australia? In general, I think students in Malaysia seem more respectful of teachers or anyone older than them.

It’s a cultural thing more than anything. I remember being taught when I was young to always greet a teacher and to say thank you and to address teachers formally. Here, students seem to treat you more like an equal, and respect is a lot harder to earn. Having said that, students here are also more likely to give you constructive feedback, to let you know honestly if something is working or not whereas, I believe in Malaysia, most students might only tell you the good things.

What’s your comment on the common belief of the deteriorating quality of teachers in Malaysia? I am saddened to think that that is the common belief in Malaysia. But I always believe that a problem can always be seen as an opportunity. So if this is what most people are thinking, perhaps this calls for the need of some reforms in education. For a reassessment of what education should be like, what good learning feels like, and what good teaching looks like. I would suggest that teachers be given more opportunity to develop relevant and practical teaching skills, that a mentoring system be set up especially for graduates, and for continued learning and professional development in areas paramount to teaching.

people thinking of becoming a teacher?

A good teacher is engaging and passionate about their students and their learning. I am a firm believer that students are curious and want to learn. As a teacher, you have to connect with your students and make what they do in the classroom relevant to their lives. Often, once they see the purpose in what they are doing and realise that you care enough to make that link, they are more than willing to follow your instructions.

A good teacher is organised, professional and does what students need instead of what they want. A lot of times, teaching feels like crowd control and you have to be 3 steps ahead of your students. So planning ahead, having routines, structures and just being on top of things are essential for a teacher. Being professional too and following through with consequences goes a long way. It shows that you are fair, mean what you say and this gains the respect of your students.

Finally a good teacher is always learning. You can only preach what you practise and as a teacher, I feel like I am constantly learning. Learning new topics, learning more effective teaching strategies, learning about each student. It never ends.

My advice is that it’s a lot of hard work and dedication, but it’s also extremely rewarding. I suggest getting as much experience as possible volunteering and working with young people as nothing is a better teacher than experience.

Also, when it gets tough and your students are playing up, remember, there was a time when you were young too. Be patient but firm with them. They’re worth it.

What made you decide to be a teacher? Were you trained in Malaysia or in Australia? I had always wanted to be a teacher since I was in high school. I loved learning and after volunteering for years at my church youth group, I knew that I had a passion to work with young people. I also believed that good education was empowering and equipped individuals with skills to become better people and to make a better society. I then sought to pursue it and have not looked back ever since.

I was trained in Australia but I conducted a short teaching placement in Malaysia in my 3rd year of university. I went back to my secondary school (Sri Sempurna) and wor summer break. I did this because firstly, I wanted to gain as much experience as possible teaching anywhere and everywhere and secondly, I wanted to compare and contrast my experience in Australia to what it was like over there.

What makes a good teacher? What advice do you have for

Malaysian Tales 31

Most migrant buyers are particularly inexperienced in buying properties at auctions. In Malaysia, property auctions are generally associated with bank foreclosures. In Melbourne, auctions are one of the most popular ways to sell a house.

Top 10 Malaysian Property Buying Mistakes WriteS erick ng

Erick Ng is a licensed property buyer’s advocate at Capital Exchange International. He exclusively represents homebuyers and investors to master plan, search, research and negotiate the lowest possible purchase price and best terms. Trained in architecture, construction and real estate, Erick’s client base ranges from first home buyers/investors to property developers and government officials. Erick was recently featured on Channel 9’s prime time show ‘Hot Property’. For enquiries, email erick.ng@cexi.com.au.

32 Property

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. We all understand that. Australia has its unique way of life, culture and legislation. However, when it comes to buying one of the most expensive assets in their lives, Malaysian migrants tend to think they know it all. They often buy with a Malaysian mentality and consequently, achieve undesirable and sometimes disastrous outcomes. In my experience as a buyer’s advocate, I have witnessed and encountered many stereotypical mistakes Malaysian buyers tend to make. There are too many to mention in the space of this article but here are the top 10.

1 The Real Estate Agent “Looks After” the Buyer The most obvious and popular mistake migrant buyers commit is making the assumption that a real estate agent (selling agent) is on their side. Victorian legislation (Estate Agents Act) stipulates that selling agents must act in the best interest of his/her seller (vendor). These agents have signed contracts with the vendor to obtain the highest possible price. Would they be sincerely impartially looking after the buyer’s interests? Absolutely not.

Remember, real estate agents are seller’s agents.

2 The Lack of Due Diligence Many buyers buy emotionally, but rationalise their decision later.

Emotion and ego often influence the decision of buyers. After a purchase, buyers then try to justify their bad decision by focusing on the “good” aspects of the property. “We didn’t know” is the common excuse but it is always too late. It is alarming that migrant buyers do not do the all-important high-standard due diligence and seek professional advice.

3 Asking Non-Real Estate Professionals for Property Buying Advice For some reason, Malaysian buyers think a person who is somewhat related to a property field would know a lot about property buying.

For example, they like to ask migration agents, bankers, accountants, solicitors, conveyancers and builders about which suburbs are best to buy in and if a particular property is a good buy. While there are some merits in seeking uneducated opinions from various sources as part of research, buyers must realise that professionals can only advise them on their own area of expertise and many questions posed to these professionals are beyond their capability. Each profession has their own area of expertise.

4 Pricing Games Buyers are often manipulated by the under-quoting, over-quoting and the mystical “P.O.A” (Price On Application) used in advertised price. Many listings do not even have a price. So what price to offer without overpaying? Many agents will tell the buyers a deal happens when there is a willing buyer and a willing seller.

Regrettably that is not what the bank’s valuation would agree upon.

Overpaying for a property happens even in a soft market. Some buyers think it doesn’t matter as they are living in it but problems often arise when unforeseen circumstances force these buyers to sell the property before the market recovers.

5 Unfamiliar Buying Methods Most migrant buyers are particularly inexperienced in buying properties at auctions and in handling expressions of interest and even private treaty. Often, they do not know how to spot a dummy bidder, make effective bids, have no idea on auction rules and are naively manipulated by agents. The lack of understanding in the buying mechanism has proven a disadvantage to many buyers.

6 Making Verbal Offers & Bargaining in ‘Pasar Malam’ (Night Market) Style Verbal offers are as good as no offers. It is almost hilarious to see how Malaysian buyers negotiating with the agents with techniques more commonly used in buying a garment in a ‘pasar malam’.

7 Section 32 One of the most common mistakes Malaysians make is to belittle the significance of the Section 32 disclosure document. Many buyers make offers without being informed about the particulars in the Section 32. Some buyers do not read the document and consequently, have signed on the Contract of Sale to their detriment.

8 Cooling-Off Penalty Each Australian state has different cooling-off rules. When ‘kiasu’ buyers put written offers on two properties and subsequently withdraw one during the cooling-off period, they are ‘stung’ by the State of Victoria’s cooling-off penalty of 0.2% of the purchase price (or $100, whichever is greater).

9 Off-The-Plan Traps Often many properties that have failed to sell to local Melbournians, have ended up in the overseas seminar market. Peppered with hype but void of credible information, overseas buyers are “taught” how to invest off-the-plan in Melbourne by sales agents disguising these sessions as “education” seminars. The loss of value in off-the-plan high-rise units in particular, over the past couple of years, means that many buyers have been caught in contracts where the current value of what they have purchased is considerably less than what they were contracted to pay.

10 Not Hiring A Buyer’s Advocate It is interesting to observe that many migrant buyers are willing to overpay tens of thousands of dollars and gamble their 6-7 figure sums away. They would get invaluable assistance by employing a buyer’s advocate who specialises in searching, evaluating, negotiating the purchase and protecting the buyer’s interests.

Buyer’s advocates equip buyers with the knowledge they need to make an educated without any of the sales manipulation generated by sales agents; misquoting, bait advertising and cleverly-staged presentations. They are the buyer’s lifeguards, saving buyer time and money, and preventing them from making costly mistakes.

Property 33

Migration Matters As Malaysians in Australia, often we discuss the issue of migration and visa options available for us – which are usually complicated and tricky to decipher. So, with consultation with migration experts JOM presents a new section, Migration Matters, to keep you updated on immigration news.

Another calendar year has come to an end, and this year has been filled with many migration changes. As per usual, they rarely favour the visa applicant. With major visa reforms occurring every January and July, it’s important to keep up to date with the changes and how they may affect yourself or someone close to you. For example, the Visa Application Charge (VAC) for the Subclass 485 (Skilled Graduate) – temporary 18 month visa is increasing from $315 to $1,260 as of 01/01/2013. Migration law is constantly changing and what rules that previously applied to a friend or family member may no longer apply now. It’s an all too familiar affair hearing the line, “But my friend didn’t need IELTS when he lodged it” or “But my friend didn’t need to do that”. So those of you who are wishing to stay in Australia beyond your studies or who may already be here on temporary visas, need to know what options you may have, whether it be 457 business sponsored visas or applying for a 485 visa and then applying through Skill Select.

Skill Select Expression of Interest (EOI)

A minimum of 60 points is required to submit an expression of interest. At which time it is then active for a 2 year period. Each nominated occupation has an occupation ceiling and limited places offered per calendar month.

The higher the points you score, the higher your chance of receiving an offer, as they are offered to higher ranked individuals then lower ranked (with the exception of State or Territory sponsored applicants).

If you are invited to apply for a visa you will receive an invitation from SkillSelect. You will then have 60 days from the date of invitation to make a valid visa application before the invitation expires. The date you make the visa application is the date that you are eligible to attain a bridging visa, entitling you to stay in Australia until a decision is made on your visa application.

It is therefore highly advisable to lodge a subclass 485 visa (if eligible), prior to applying for an EOI, as this will keep the applicant in Australia whilst the EOI is being considered.

We wish you a happy and safe Christmas & New year.

As of 1st January 2013, the only way to attain a permanent General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa will be submitting an EOI, through Skill Select. Even if you have the magical ’65 points’ and an occupation on the SOL List, it no longer will guarantee you PR. You must apply through Skill Select.

An EOI is not a visa application, it is an indication that you would like to be considered for a skilled visa. It’s a common misconception that people believe that submitting an EOI, will grant you a bridging visa. An EOI will never grant a bridging visa, because it’s not a visa application, it is purely an expression of interest that you wish to apply for a permanent visa.

To submit a complete EOI you will need to provide a range of information online depending on the visa(s) you wish to be considered for. This includes: •

basic personal information

•

nominated occupation

•

work experience

•

study and education

•

level of English skills

•

details of a Skills Assessment, related to nominated occupation

Antony Wallace (RMA: 0965140) Principal Migration Agent I-Migration antony@i-migration.com.au

Migration 35

I scream, you scream, we all scream for…

WRITES JOSH YU PHOTO JOSH YU

Ice cream...... possibly the very reason summer was invented, although we can’t officially confirm that as fact. In any case, it is hard to deny that summer just wouldn’t be the same without it.

But not all ice cream is the same. While it may be difficult to find bad ice cream, there are certainly a number of ice creameries around Melbourne that deserve a special mention, whether for their quality of ice cream served, their range of flavours or originality in approach to serving this classic summer treat. Here are a few that we think are worth visiting when you feel like a cold snack to cool you down..

Jauja Helados Jauja in Carlton is a spin off store of the popular chain in Argentina. The wide selection of artisan ice creams and sorbets include popular Argentinian favourites such as salted caramel and soursop, as well as Asian selections such as durian, reflecting the store owner’s Malaysian heritage. The ice creams are seasonal and all made on site using fresh and natural ingredients, in the traditional Argentinian method. The ice creams are smooth and creamy, and full of real bits of the ingredients used.

Prices: $4.70 to $11.60 for 1 to 3 scoops (depending on ‘classic’ or ‘deluxe’ flavours) Where: 254 Lygon Street, Carlton

Tom Turtle Probably the only place on our list that demands a sit down session to enjoy your ice cream, Tom Turtle is a rather high-end ice cream café with a novel approach to serving its cold delicacies – in cubes. With a huge selection of flavours, these ice creams are served beautifully arranged on a cold plate. The ice creams are consistent and smooth and flavours sometimes subtle, but refreshing. Choose from pre-selected dishes, or pick your own individual cubes.

Prices: Range from $2.50 per cube to $15.00 for 10 cubes (dine in) or $5.50 for 4 cubes to $11.00 for 10 cubes (take away) Where: 169 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Passionflower Passionflower boasts an impressive range of Asian flavours, including pandan, Thai milk tea, taro, black sesame and durian. Served with crepes or in waffle cups, there’s plenty of space to sit down to enjoy your dessert, or simply pop in and grab a cone and be on your way. The flavours the ice creams are distinct but not overpowering.

Prices: $4.50 to $8.00 for 1 to 3 scoops (plus 50c per scoop for ‘premium’ flavours) Where: Shop 2, 168 Bourke Street, Melbourne

36 Yum yumm

Il Dolce Freddo One of the most popular ice creameries on Lygon Street, Il Dolce Freddo is also a long time favourite of ice cream-goers in Melbourne. This is certainly attested to by the numerous awards it has won for its gelato. The selection of ice cream and gelato is impressive, and they are nicely presented, topped with colourful arrangements of their ingredients. Despite its name, there is actually a good selection of Asian flavours too.

Prices: $5.70 for small to $8.60 for large cone or cup Where: 116 Lygon Street, Melbourne

Cold Rock Ice Creamery Not just a store, but a franchise chain, Cold Rock is famous for its motto – “Choose it. Mix it. Smash it. Love it.” Choose from a classic range of flavours to have in the traditional way, or create your own flavour by mixing the flavours however you like. Add in some extra toppings such as marshmallows, nuts, lollies, chocolates, and watch as your chosen ingredients are mashed on a cold slab in front of you. You can even do the same for a milkshake – pick and combine your flavours for some potentially interesting results.

Prices: $4.50 for a small cup or cone to $6.90 for a large. 90c for mix- ins, 40c for toppings Where: Various locations around Australia – visit www.coldrock.com.au to find your nearest store

Xpat Ice Cream This one’s a bit unusual. But if you’ve ever had a hunkering for an ice cream while washing your clothes, now you can. Wedged inside a Laundromat, this little shop offers a decent selection of Nӧrgen-Vaaz ice creams seven days a week between 6am and 11pm. They can even mix and mash your ice cream with a selection of toppings like Cold Rock. Sure to make your next washing trip more enjoyable. And at a price that won’t hurt your hip pocket.

Prices: $3.00 for small to $6.50 for large cone or cup Where: 253b Burwood Highway, Burwood

Gelateria Capriccio Located just across from a park and Williamstown pier, Gelateria Capriccio is one of a few ice creameries on the strip facing the water. Easy to access with a spacious layout, the ice creams are fresh and perfect to accompany you for a nice summer stroll in the park and along the water overlooking numerous yachts and the HMAS Castlemaine, a restored World War II corvette that now serves as a military museum.

Prices: $3.50 for ‘baby’ to $6.00 for large cone or cup Where: 171 Nelson Place, Williamstown

Yum yumm 37

Summer holiday ideas in Victoria To help you make the most of summer, we’ve handpicked some great summer destinations which will have you enjoying the great weather, stunning Victorian scenery and fresh seasonal produce.

WRITES KA MUN HO PHOTO KA MUN HO, JOSH YU

Mornington Peninsula Given its proximity to Melbourne and the scattering of charming beach towns and wineries on offer, it’s no surprise that the peninsula is on the list. Admire the ruggedly beautiful coastline at Cape Schank National Park, clamber onto London Bridge sea stack at Portsea Surf Beach or pick your own punnet of fresh berries in one of the many fruit farms.

Fans of the vanilla slice will point you to Sorrento, while wine lovers can taste their way through the Red Hill area. Even designated drivers can enjoy vineyards visits, with great pizzas at T’Gallant and quirky outdoor sculptures against a gorgeous backdrop at Montalto Vineyard.

Bright

This small town in the Alpine region of Victoria serves as a base for ski season tourists hitting up nearby ski slopes, but it’s also the ideal place to escape to when the summer heat gets too oppressive. The mild weather, accompanied by wildflowers in full bloom, makes it perfect for hikes, bike rides and other outdoor activities. Time your visit to coincide with the town’s monthly Saturday markets to enjoy some local produce, crafts and homemade edibles. For the young at heart, nearby Wandiligong is home to Australia’s largest hedge maze.

Healesville Healesville is best known for its Healesville Sanctuary, a place where many of us have brought overseas tourists to fawn over Australian fauna such as wombats and koalas. Adorable animals aside, this town also offers great scenery and art galleries.

Visit TarraWarra Museum of Art for their collection of Australian art, and stay to watch the sun set over the green rolling hills behind the museum. Drop by the White Rabbit brewery for excellent ale and cider, and while you’re in the town center, check out the Healesville Contemporary Art Space.

Heide Museum of Modern Art If you only have time for a daytrip, head down to the Heide Museum.

Immerse yourself in their extensive modern and contemporary art collection, enjoy sunshine and structures in the sculpture park, and grab a spot of fancy lunch at Café Vue.

PHOTO CHRIS SAMUEL

Grampians Iconic for its various rock formations, the Grampians National Park offers numerous walking tracks and look outs for people of all abilities to enjoy the outdoors. Look out for the traditional aboriginal art scattered around the park, and if you’re lucky, you may encounter some of the natural wildlife including wallabies, wombats and echidnas. Take the hike up to ‘The Summit’ for spectacular views of the surrounding landscape – just be sure to stay away from the unfenced rock edges if you’re not great with heights!

38 Travel

Journey to the West Just how wild is the west? In late November 2012, 6 JOM disciples went on a journey to the west (of Melbourne, that is). Most easily accessible from the city via the West Gate Bridge, the west side of Melbourne contains some beautiful scenery and unforgettable experiences.

WRITES JOYCE NG PHOTO SIOK YEE TAN, JOSH YU, JOYCE NG, JUN TAN

Travel 39

4

2 3

1

1 Swimming with dolphins in the wild!

There are only 15 spots in the world that provide this opportunity of swimming with dolphins in the wild, and there’s one just about 2 hours driving from the Melbourne city. The dolphin species you will encounter is unique to Port Phillip 1 Bay and cannot be found in any other part of the world.

The chance of spotting and swimming with the dolphins in the wild is said to be about 90% on any given trip. This time, we were disappointed as we could only spot dolphins from One may also take a ferri ride from Queenscliff to Sorrento, or vice versa. afar and they disappeared before we could jump into the water and join them. In March 2011, JOM editors were lucky enough to swim with plenty of the dolphins in the water. So, it really depends on luck!

Nevertheless, we had a great time as we swam with the seals and enjoyed the many other activities and it was 3 Werribee Open Range Zoo definitely a happy and unforgettable experience.

Werribee Open Range Zoo is what its name suggests – it is a safari-style zoo where the animals are free to roam in large, Place: Port Phillip Bay (dolphin trips usually depart from open enclosures. Take a tour on the specially designed bus Queenscliff or Sorrento) and you will see ‘safari’ animals from various continents How far: Approximately 2 hours drive from Melbourne city such as wildebeest, zebras, giraffes and hippopotamuses!

We recommend: “Sea All Dolphin Swims” are a friendly and Hop onto a jeep and get closer to the animals for an experienced operator. They have fun activities other than ultimate African adventure that is close to home. just swimming with dolphins and the seals.

Tip: Going on a warm and sunny day is the best. Sunny because it’s easier to spot dolphins.

2 Rose Garden and the Werribee Mansion

Place: Werribee How far: Approximately 1 hour drive from Melbourne

4 Williamstown Seaport

Surrounded by over 5000 roses, we had a chilling and peaceful rest on the grass after the dolphin trip. The Rose garden at Werribee is also known as the Victoria State Rose Garden and is the winner of the prestigious World Federation of Rose Societies Award for Garden Excellence.

The garden is even shaped like a giant Tudor Rose!

Next to the rose garden is the beautiful Werribee Mansion, surrounded by 10 hectares of garden. The mansion has a long history that you can explore when walking through its halls. Part of the mansion has also been converted to a hotel with spa resort. A perfect place to relax in peaceful surroundings.

Looking over Melbourne city, the port of hundreds of boats is quite a spectacular scene sitting on the calm water. You can’t miss the HMAS Castlemaine moored at the jetty, giving visitors a glimpse of a real World War II era naval ship, and now just behind it rests the behemoth that is the HMAS Canberra, one of the largest ships ever acquired by the Royal Australian Navy.

But Williamstown port is not just a heaven for military fans. Just across from a park fronting the water are rows of numerous eateries catering to people of all culinary inclinations. Sit at a table or take your food across the road to enjoy on the grass while looking across the bay.

Place: Werribee How far: Approximately 1 hour drive from Melbourne Tip: If you have strong hay fever, bring your tablet just in case!

Place: Williamstown How far: Approximately ½ hour drive from Melbourne

Travel 41

Skincare in Summer WRITES LIANNE ZILM LETITIA PHOTO CALVIN CHUA

Summer is a favourite season of many, yet probably the harshest season on our skin. If you’re tempted to get out and about this summer, here are some tips: Don’t forget your sun block. The sun intensity in Australia is much stronger than what we’re used to, so apply sun block and don’t forget to touch it up every few hours.

Don’t use last year’s sun block, as it gets less effective over time. It’s best to buy small bottles more often, also so that it’s more convenient to carry around.

If you do get sunburnt, there are several ‘after-sun’ lotions available and aloe vera gels are known to be very effective as well. Keep your skin moisturised at all times.

Exfoliate your skin. It removes your dead skin cells and gives your body a natural glow, so get some nice body scrubs and jump into the shower.

Away go the ugg boots, out come the thongs! Don’t forget to moisturise your feet and scrub them too to make sure they stay nice and soft through summer.

If you’re the type who loves tanning, don’t resort to tanning beds or sitting in the scorching sun for hours on end. Use self-tanning products that gradually darken your skin colour.

Make sure you rehydrate with plenty of water. Take this opportunity to enhance your diet with delicious summer fruits as well.

Ethical Fashion Fair@Square WRITE MELISSA YANG YING QING & CLARICE CHAN PHOTO JOSH YU

Sustainable and eco-friendly fashion does not necessarily mean burlap sacks and hemp anymore, as seen recently at the Fair@Square Fashion Show in the BMW Edge at Federation Square. It was a balmy evening as style, fashion and ethics came together in a vibrant show featuring some of the popular and innovative local brands in the country.

The fashion show was held to kick start the weekend-long national fair-trade and ethical festival. The evening was hosted by blogger/designer Connie Cao from K is for Kani who is a vintage lover and also a true believer in quality and longevity of products.

The show featured a kaleidoscope of colours from Australia’s budding eco-ethical fashion scene. Premium luxury swimwear brand JETS kicked off the evening with amazing one-pieces and also vibrant two-pieces that were unique in style and portrayed femininity. FOLKE, a brand that produces men’s fashion forward pieces also did not fail to impress. Male models dressed in the latest summer trends looked dashing in the organic cotton tees, shirting and board-shorts that were produced with utmost quality. KissinCussin was a favourite. It is a designer label that portrays bohemian lifestyle. Clothes by this brand displayed a cool-effortless sense of style that is suitable for Melbourne’s Spring/Summer weather. Other very impressive labels were SOSUME, Pins by Lydra and Pure Pod. But

the best was saved for last. Bachhara wowed the crowd with their chic, bright-coloured kaftans and their long, feminine dresses.

An outfit is never complete without the finishing touches of statement accessories. The stand out pieces included brands such as Andeol, Sunglasses by Proof, SOLLIS, Constance Roe and many more. Not to be forgotten were also the ecofriendly footwear such as Etiko, Gideon Shoes, Melissa and YourEcoSteps that were seen on the runway.

After the exciting, colourfully themed fashion showcase, the winner of Melbourne’s most sustainable design was announced. Caroline Tang, a local fashion-designing student won the award with her amazingly creative and unique design. The night ended with a lucky draw with premium bags and totes as prize giveaways.

Lifestyle 43

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Counting down to Home WRITES SUMISHA NAIDU PHOTO CALVIN CHUA

During my first few years in Australia, counting down to November was almost a ritual. As a student, summer meant going back to Malaysia. Summer meant going home.

Not that I didn’t enjoy the time I spent in Melbourne. The new friends I made not long after coming here fast became family, and my room here became well, my room – not just a temporary abode. In fact, I got so used to life here that I felt oddly out of place the first time I went back to KL after being away.

Ten months had passed and some things were just... different. Like why was my dog sniffing me with suspicion when I walked through the door? Or why had my bedroom suddenly morphed into my dad’s study? And who was this man pretending to be my little brother?!

But all that uncertainty and discomfort fast dissipated.

There’s nothing quite like the easy banter and inside jokes between family members to put you at ease. Or the familiarity of scents and sounds and languages at your neighbourhood mamak stall. Or the excitement of being reunited with friends who’d spent the year studying all across the globe too.

So for those one or two months of summer, being back in KL was truly a great vacation. It was a time of catching up with all you’ve missed, a time of pulling out that rusty Malay and for me, a time of celebrating Christmas and New Year the way I have for years – with the people who know me best.

And for a few years, this was how I, just like many other Malaysian students here in Australia, spent my summer.

That is, until I graduated.

This year, I’ll be in Melbourne for Christmas. I’ll be in Melbourne for New Year’s. When you work full time (especially as a journalist), there are no more seemingly endless, lazy summer holidays.

Now, this isn’t a problem exclusive to me by any means.

Many professionals work throughout the holidays – they just save up their leave and take a holiday some other time

(though it’s a much shorter one than the average university student’s). But for Malaysians here in Australia – and I suppose many other migrant communities – it’s not just vacation time we’re getting less off...it’s less time spent with our families during the holidays. It’s less time spent back home.

I know I really can’t complain. It’s my choice to work here this year and at the end of the day, I have people I’d be happy to spend the holidays with in Melbourne too. But still, it’s sad to have to say goodbye to that yearly countdown.

I know there are many Malaysians living overseas who’ve gone through this. I wonder what it’s been like for them. Is it strange, going back to Malaysia once every few years and seeing how your country has changed while you’ve been away? Is it still easy to catch up with childhood friends – or has time and distance made it more difficult to relate to one another?

Or is home always just that – home? It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been away, you can always go back.

I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but the lyrics of a Bon Jovi song now come to mind: Who says you can’t go home?

There’s only one place that call me one of their own Just a hometown boy, born a rollin’ stone Who says you can’t go home?

Who says you can’t go back?

Been all around the world and as a matter of fact There’s only one place left, I want to go Who says you can’t go home?

So maybe I won’t be going back to KL for Christmas, or the New Year. And maybe I’ll never get a two month holiday again. But no matter how much (or how little) time I have to spend in Malaysia, I don’t think I’ll ever stop counting down to that jarring yet sweet hit of humidity when you step off a plane at KLIA; those first delicious tastes of roti canai and milo ais; and that sense of feeling well, and truly, at home.

Something To Say 45

Lee Jing Xing, 12, Malaysia, thinks many of her teachers are strict but that all of them are genuine in educating and is grateful for every teacher she has met.

Ms. Ellen Koh WRITES AMANDA WONG HUEE PING

“ She was the type of teacher who made you want to study and do better just because you felt like all her efforts would go to waste if you didn’t.

Unlike most kids, I loved going to high school. I was the kid who would have to be sent home from school for having too high a fever or for sneezing uncontrollably in class. But not just for the friends, like the reason ever y other teenager would bear school for. Despite having the most amazing friends I could have asked for, I was incredibly blessed to have teachers that make you want to go to school ever y day. A lot of them impacted me in a huge way and it took me a long time to decide who to write about, because if I could, this would take up more space than I have.

So after an intense debate in my mind, I finally decided to write about my chemistr y teacher, Ms. Ellen Koh. She taught my class from Form 4 through to Form 5. Despite what people say about young teachers being inexperienced, she would put so much effort into lessons. She made sure she taught us concepts in the most concise and easy-tounderstand ways. She didn’t judge us or put us down when we made mistakes, instead she would tr y to help us and tr y to come up with study plans for the weaker students. Study plans tailored to how different people studied. She was the type of teacher who made you want to study and do better just because you felt like all her efforts would go to waste if you didn’t. But the thing I cherished the most was the way she marked our SPM trial exam papers. The bare minimum for teachers when marking papers, from a student’s perspective, was just to give us marks where marks were deser ved and maybe cross out what is totally irrelevant.

That itself takes a lot of work. So imagine my surprise when each of us got back our papers filled with red words all over, plus a long paragraph on the last page. She gave us feedback on how we answered questions, what we did wrong and how we can maximise the marks we scored. The long paragraph at the end? Each of us got our own honest and heartfelt message on our progress, how much harder we would have to work and mostly just words of encouragement - words to encourage us not to give up when the end was so near.

It has been almost three years since I graduated high school, but I still keep in touch with her. I still tell her when I do well in chemistr y units even though she was not the one who still teaches me because I feel immensely grateful to her for my achievements.

Something To Say 47

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A belated thank you An opportunity only comes knocking once in a blue moon an eulogy by Chen Wing Seng, Indonesia PHOTO NG XIANG WEI, INDONESIA

I clearly recall how I dreaded the routine life of secondary school; school, lunch, tuition, homework, sleep. My formative years were relatively dull with most of the time being spent at school, going for tuition or just playing video games at home. Looking back, I was surprised at how I managed to become what I am today considering I hardly socialised with friends and teachers. I never had a goal in life.

When I was in form 4, there was a new teacher in school who was notorious for his past record of unpredictable rage in front of his students. Perhaps lady luck was with me as he turned out to be my English teacher whom we nicknamed Mr Hyde. On that fateful day, my classmates and I were anxiously glued to our wooden chairs waiting for him, abstaining from our usual antics for fears of being reprimanded during the first lesson. Seconds seemed like hours as we waited and waited for him. Finally the door creaked open and a man of medium build came in. Standing at 6 feet, he stood there staring at us, his glare sending chills down

“ He always had that strict and cold expression on his face and a day without any shouting and scolding was a miracle for us students.

our spines as if giving us a premonition of hell to come. He introduced himself as Mr. Nada and went straight to business by dividing us into two groups and made us debate on why English should be retained as the language in science and mathematics in schools, a hot topic during that time. For a person like me, I was not interested at all and shied away from all the hassle of debating but as if fate was going against me, I was the first chosen to go. I literally cursed him inside of my heart but still went up to the challenge. I did a decent job as I was in fact one of the top students in class. The thing that separated me from the others was the fact that I took things half-heartedly and hardly took up any challenges.

Mr Nada noticed that I had talent, but he also knew I was lazy. The year spent with him as my English teacher was dreadful. He always had that strict and cold expression on his face and a day without any shouting and scolding was a miracle for us students. To make things worse, he had a tongue that spewed blades and he did not hesitate to give names or use harsh words when we got on his nerves. His lessons were always practical and always required us speak up or to take initiatives to ask questions – the total opposite to what I was. As such, I was branded by him as the hermit. As if it was yesterday, I can still recall him screaming ‘Hermit, you have to stop being complacent’. I would always end up not saying a thing and get reprimanded afterwards. He did not stop there as he put me in the debate team and also had me go for public speaking during Monday assembly. I could never understand why he did that. The year flew by and before long, I graduated from high school. I applied for a government scholarship and managed to get it thanks to a successful interview session.

It now struck me that all the things I deemed annoying and unnecessary gave me the edge in getting the scholarship. It was then I realised that it was Mr Nada who imparted the necessary skills to me. It is amazing how some people just make themselves look so nasty and terrible but in fact, they are acting for a greater good.

For the future of his students, Mr Nada became Mr Hyde. I did not get a chance to thank him as I had to prepare to study abroad and after a few years, I overheard from my friends that he had passed away from lung cancer. I was shocked and at the same time, I felt sick. I was disappointed at myself for not making the effort to express my gratitude. Only at that moment I remembered that he once said, ‘An opportunity comes knocking once in a blue moon. Hence hone your skills and mind for when that moment comes, you can grab it and not let go’. This quote meant everything for me. Had it not been for Mr Nada, I wouldn’t have been able to obtain the scholarship and to think of the future if that didn’t happen: a miserable life for my parents who promised to fund me for medical studies which I myself did not want to take.

He was my mentor and he was part of the reason of my success. They say life is like a candle. Brittle, fragile… burning itself for others until it dies. I say the light of a candle can be transferred to a thousand others, that a will can be passed down and never dies. I believe that is the case with Mr Nada. His students and the generation of teachers to come will inherit his determination to light the path for the next ones. May you rest in peace. With Metta (With love)

Something To Say 49

“

Okay. Face it. The world did not end in 2012. December 21st was no doomsday – there was no apocalypse, no great tsunamis and no astronomical explosions. Life goes on. Having lived to tell the tale, it is time to put aside 2012 and roll out the 2013 calendar. So, what’s in store for 2013?

Being patriotic Malaysians, the 2013 General Election is undoubtedly the most anticipated national event of the year. The shockwaves of the 2008 elections indeed brought about a political revolution which in effect gave birth to Pakatan Rakyat’s credibility as a potential opposition to take over Putrajaya from Barisan Nasional. Politics has never been this alive in Malaysia, swing votes have never been of such importance, and youths have never been so involved and outspoken in the political arena. On a national scale, this represented a positive movement toward better democracy and higher accountability for the next government.

With the whole nation electrified into an election mood, Malaysians have never been so excited about casting the ballot for a long time. Being youths ourselves, this is definitely a not-to-be-missed event, not simply because the 2013 election is fast establishing itself to be a vital turning point in Malaysia’s political history, but also because of the fact that we will be a key factor in writing the course of history in Malaysia this time.

On another level, many would regard the New Year to be a good place to start afresh, and there is a good reason why it should be it. For the 2013 hopefuls, the New Year brings about optimism and fresh determination to make long term resolutions. Being university students, this would mean a pursuance for academic achievement; to study harder for exams, to apply for an internship, to consider doing a Masters or even simply to find a better balance between work and play. The list can be endless. More importantly, these aspirations must be accompanied with perseverance to make our resolutions work. True enough, it is this lack of commitment that results in many of us being stuck in a stagnant cycle of merely making resolutions, year after year, without any tangible results.

Hence, when you make a pledge for 2013, make it a point this year to persevere through till the end.

While the world of academia will demand a lot of your time, try to make time to detach yourself from the stress of your studies and do something that you would have never thought of doing. Let 2013 be a year of excitement. For a start, get out of your comfort zone, the further the better, and plan fun crazy things to do.

Conduct a street performance or a flash mob down the streets in Melbourne. Go dress up creepily for Halloween and make it a point to scare people with your outfit. Even simple things like having sleepovers with friends at the beach counts towards making your university life different. Indeed, it will be these memories that you will reminisce about in later life. Thus, make 2013 the year when you shall bring memories of your university life far beyond those of the traditional classroom lectures and the stress of exams.

After all, life is short, and you only live once. Every one of us will age in time.

Nonetheless, the choice to be young at heart remains ours. As today shall be the past of tomorrow, strive to make your university life memorable. Make a wish for 2013, and make it true. I wish you an auspicious year ahead!

50 Let’s Talk

What to expect for 2013 WRITES KEN LIN OOI

Let’s Talk 51

And off their cars went.

Between us, we had one set of manual jack and angled nut remover for the four wheels. And it had not occurred to us that the wheel nuts would be red-hot with all the racing.

Our pit crew must have been a sight from the grandstand just across from our pit at the start and finish — juggling wheel nuts in the air.

It was an experience, and we were the richer for it. The levity of crew encounters apart, of first order to us was track time — to learn about people and car dynamics at speed. That was mission accomplished.

Council elections was an alluring proposition. The last time I was anywhere near one was the first elections after we as a family relocated to Melbourne from Malaysia. As a stakeholder in landed property, I expected I had to fulfil my electoral obligations.

Apparently not. I was not on the roll. And that has been that since.

Why stand for election?

WRITES K.C. BOEY

THE SOS dropped in the inbox from out of the blue.

Heeeeelp!

And he was my mate. All I was required to do was help distribute how to vote cards.

The first question was why; what drove a man on a shoestring budget, drawing on the goodwill of mates, love of family — knowing the disruption to comfort, rhythm and routine that went with it — to embark on such a venture?

My mate was standing for election to local council. For the first time. Flying solo; as an independent. Bankrolling himself. No party machinery; no army of party apparatchiks.

It was simple, and straightforward, apparently. The decision rested on the discovery of a need to the community out of a personal experience, and the realisation that if he did not do something about it, no one else was going to do as good a job as he would.

He hit his family, social and internet networks.

And the realisation came overnight.

Hmmmm, intriguing. Why? We’d had coffee a few days previously. There was no mention of this.

Came Saturday October 27, 2012, my mate had five polling centres to race through, dropping off how to vote cards to his motley crew of brother and sister-in-law, family friends, buddies forged in the common purpose of the children’s school council — and their children — friends of friends and acquaintances even, and last but not least his untiring wife and young daughter.

I was curious. Reminded me of the time I first raced a car. It was for the experience — so I could write about it. Ours was an independent entry too. No factory support.

It was an endurance saloon car race that involved a change of a set of tyres. When it came time for change, the factory pit crews trundled out their electrical gadgetry to jack up their car, unbolt the wheel nuts and whirr them back on.

52 Let’s Talk

Now here was my mate anxious for a helping hand. In the interim, since my first attempted encounter with local elections, I had come to study politics. This was my opportunity for a “worm-eye” view, I thought.

I shuddered to think of the running around weeks prior, getting his limited material — compared with his party-

supported opponents — designed, printed and collected. All by his lone self. And no doubt his wife, moved by her love.

She had sought opinion on a personal matter, and taken counsel.

Came the day, it seemed to me like the blind leading the blind, even as I kept counsel to myself. It was a long road from the approaches to the allowed perimeter of the voting booths for agents of the candidates to position themselves with their paraphernalia.

I am still not clear what she is on about. But if this was her idea of electoral representation, elections are not such a futile exercise.

Campaigning was over. Not that my mate was in any position to have done any in the run-up to the polls.

Conspicuous by their absence was any sign of posters of my mate anywhere in my drive to my allocated voting centre.

Not even in the proximity of the centre.

The only “tool” left to muster support was to optimise visual recognition and recall. The question was should one person — as I was at my allocated centre — position himself at the start of the approaches to the voting centre, at a strategic convergence of the approaches somewhere in the middle, or as close to the permitted six-metre perimeter of the voting booths as possible?

My first-time candidate mate thought he had staked out the optimal strategic spot for us. That no one else was there, he put down to ignorance of the permissible limit where agents could position themselves.

His logic was that more often with voters than not — in the Australian system where voting was compulsory —the balance of probabilities rested with the candidate of last recall among apathetic voters.

And so the day ebbed and flowed, from when polling opened at 9am to close at 6pm. I’d had to be in place from 8. When it became clear that my mate was not going to be able to muster a scrutineer for the count, I volunteered to get locked in with the counters.

That the count took no more than an hour and threequarters was a pleasant surprise.

The stream of voters was a study in contrast. A sense of humour was a requisite to rise above some of the encounters. Many of the voters were not much in the mood to engage in any manner of banter by the time they came to me with my thrust-forward hand with “another one” of those how to vote cards. They were “trailing” cards as they made their way to vote.

There were the encouraging encounters. There were a few men, and women, who wanted to know more about the candidate; what he stood for. And who were prepared to share what they looked for in the candidate of their choice.

These were useful for next time around — one never knows.

She had a need (perhaps); she took the opportunity to seek counsel, and by all accounts, she found solace in electoral representation.

My mate? We finished with a barbeque at his house, where us helpers exchanged notes, and weighed where he might finish up. He wasn’t going to win. But he was going to acquit himself as a first-time independent. He was buoyed to give it a real go next time around; not leave things to practically overnight In the event, he came sixth; of I don’t know how many candidates in his ward. There were many. The five ahead of him were all party-backed candidates from the same one of two major parties of Australian politics.

The process of electoral politics at the local level was affirming — for my mate, and for me as an on-the-ground observer.

Winston Churchill, British prime minister during World War II, is oft-said to have said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.

My mate reminds me of two other luminaries: one before, and one after Churchill.

Two hundred years before Churchill was Edmund Burke, the Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist and philosopher who, after moving to England, served for many years in the House of Commons.

Burke is known for variations on the quote attributed to him; that evil happens when good people do nothing.

Across the Atlantic from Churchill almost two decades later, John F. Kennedy laid down a purpose to good governance. Addressing his fellow Americans on his inauguration as 35th president of the United States of America, he implored them to “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”.

As Churchill says, democracy is not perfect. It remains for us to strive to do better — all the time.

My mate failed his first time. He’ll be back.

ends

One attractive young lady stood out. She lingered after her vote. And she asked for my number!

We have met since. She has come round to the house. And met the wife (so much for any ideas you might have had!).

K.C. Boey is a Malaysian curious about what makes Australia tick.

Let’s Talk 53

Kurang manis by Julian Lee

Why lah Kampung Style?

Malaysians have the most Gangnam Style parodies in the world, I was recently told. There is, it seems, one from each state and more. The most popular Malaysian parody is probably the well made KL Style, created by Jin Lim and Reuben W. J. Kang. At the time of writing it has had over 3.5 million views on YouTube.

What are we to make of this?

Regardless of whether Malaysia has the most parodies of Gangnam Style of any country, it certainly has a lot and there is something worth remarking on here. Perhaps part of the puzzle is to be found in that Malaysians are widely cited as having the most Facebook friends per person (with Brazil and Norway close behind). As many readers will know, Facebook is a key way in which many mobile Malaysians keep in contact with people back home.

But just as those overseas reach back home through Facebook, likewise is it the case, it seems, that those in Malaysia are reaching out to the world. What the parodies of Gangnam Style could be read as indicating is that Malaysians feel comfortable, and enjoy, participating in globalisation. However, Malaysians are not just absorbing

54 Kurang Manis

globalisation, they are mingling it with what it means to them to be Malaysian. Therefore, in KL Style, we hear that “Nasi lemak, kopi ‘O’, teh – we keep it local; Use teksi sana sini LRT – we keep it local; Baju kurung, sari, or cheongsam – we keep it local”.

While the performers say they “keep it local”, we also see in the video a myriad of images that speak of Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur as a globalised place. We see Taylor’s University (a sign of global education), Sunway Lagoon (global tourism), the Twin Towers (global economic integration and the icon of Malaysia to the world), and people doing the Gangnam Style horse-riding dance (global culture).

Regardless of what one might make of Gangnam Style from a musical perspective, its Malaysian parodies indicate an outlook on, and ease with, the world beyond that bodes well.

Julian CH Lee is a lecturer in Global Studies at RMIT University.

Let's P lay!

New Year resolutions more often, To take chan ces. To say Yes s. And.... to and less Nos to opportun itie :) - Clarice Chan expand my shoe collection To stop taking things for granted and to be thankful for all that I have - Eddiei Lee

g e p rocra st in ati n m ti ss le d n e To sp a M u n Ho o n inte rn et! – K

Find a part time job, be better at shopping and learn how to swim - Ooi Ken Lin

To get a girlfriend - Jouvarn Gultan

loved ones To appreciate my more – Jun Tan

To change the w orld – Zaim Mohzan i To become more fit and to take up photography - Vic toria Brown be open to new expe riences & enjoy the little things in lif e - Alia Alsagoff

Learn Ma ndarin and Spanish – Adri Pra di t ya

PR Get a

Be a vegetarian for 30 days and enjoy life more - Pam Vasu

To be courageous en ough to take steps towards doing things i want to in life without wor rying about immediate conseque nces.

- Praveen Nagappan

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Sa n e h C

rried Get ma yan h - Jia S Be a be tte r ho use wi fe - Lia nn e Le tit ia Zi lm

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Kepercayaan Kepada Tuhan Kesetiaan Kepada Raja Dan Negara Keluhuran Perlembagaan Kedaulatan Undang-Undang Kesopanan Dan Kesusilaan

Australia

Malaysia

1 sqm

10.8 sqft

1 stubby

1 small bottle of beer (375ml)

1 tinny

1 can of beer

1 slab

24 bottles/cans of beer

1.00 AUD

± RM 3.10

2

3

4

5

6

2 X 1 = 2 2 X 2 = 4 2 X 3 = 6 2 X 4 = 8 2 X 5 = 1 0 2 X 6 = 1 2 2 X 7 = 1 4 2 X 8 = 1 6 2 X 9 = 1 8 2X10=20 2X11=22 2X12=24

3 X 1 = 3 3 X 2 = 6 3 X 3 = 9 3 X 4 = 1 2 3 X 5 = 1 5 3 X 6 = 1 8 3 X 7 = 2 1 3 X 8 = 2 4 3 X 9 = 2 7 3X10=30 3X11=33 3X12=26

4 X 1 = 4 4 X 2 = 8 4 X 3 = 1 2 4 X 4 = 1 6 4 X 5 = 2 0 4 X 6 = 2 4 4 X 7 = 2 8 4 X 8 = 3 2 4 X 9 = 3 6 4X10=40 4X11=44 4X12=48

5 X 1 = 5 5 X 2 = 1 0 5 X 3 = 1 5 5 X 4 = 2 0 5 X 5 = 2 5 5 X 6 = 3 0 5 X 7 = 3 5 5 X 8 = 4 0 5 X 9 = 4 5 5X10=50 5X11=55 5X12=60

6 X 1 = 6 6 X 2 = 1 2 6 X 3 = 1 8 6 X 4 = 2 4 6 X 5 = 3 0 6 X 6 = 3 6 6 X 7 = 4 2 6 X 8 = 4 8 6 X 9 = 5 4 6X10=60 6X11=66 6X12=72

7

8

9

10

11

12

7 X 1 = 7 7 X 2 = 1 4 7 X 3 = 2 1 7 X 4 = 2 7 7 X 5 = 3 5 7 X 6 = 4 2 7 X 7 = 4 9 7 X 8 = 5 6 7 X 9 = 6 3 7X10=70 7X11=77 7X12=84

8 X 1 = 8 8 X 2 = 1 6 8 X 3 = 2 4 8 X 4 = 3 2 8 X 5 = 4 0 8 X 6 = 4 8 8 X 7 = 5 6 8 X 8 = 6 4 8 X 9 = 7 2 8X10=80 8X11=88 8X12=96

9 X 1 = 9 9 X 2 = 1 8 9 X 3 = 2 7 9 X 4 = 3 6 9 X 5 = 4 5 9 X 6 = 5 4 9 X 7 = 6 3 9 X 8 = 7 2 9 X 9 = 8 1 9X10=90 9X11=99 9X12=108

10X1=10 10X2=20 10X3=30 10X4=40 10X5=50 10X6=60 10X7=70 10X8=80 10X9=90 10X10=100 10X11=110 10X12=120

11X1=11 11X2=22 11X3=33 11X4=44 11X5=55 11X6=66 11X7=77 11X8=88 11X9=99 11X10=110 11X11=121 11X12=132

12X1=12 12X2=24 12X3=36 12X4=48 12X5=60 12X6=72 12X7=84 12X8=96 12X9=108 12X10=120 12X11=132 12X12=144

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

X 1 = 1 X 2 = 2 X 3 = 3 X 4 = 4 X 5 = 5 X 6 = 6 X 7 = 7 X 8 = 8 X 9 = 9 X 10 =10 X 11 = 11 X 12 = 12