Eid with my sisters

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

I've never imagined that spending Eid with my sisters who are non-muslims could be as great as the last week. I have 5 other siblings but only one of my sisters stayed near me. She is married and is now a Maths teacher at a secondary school near my work place. My youngest sister who is now 20 years old has just started her university at UKM near Kuala Lumpur. She decided to spend her semester break of a week at Johor to visit both of us. Plus, during Eid season, there is literally no one at any universities in Malaysia except those who can't go home or have no where to go.

She arrived on the eve of Eid and we went to have my last iftar at my foster family at Johor Bahru. The next day, both of my sisters came to visit me and we had some great time eating together after Eid prayer. We then went to visit a few houses until they were tired of the similar Malay Eid food. The next day, I started my Shawwal sunnah fast and they came visit me after lunch at my office where we all get to go online together since they each has a laptop and I have three internet lines in my office - actually one whole hub but only three wires.

We were deciding on going to the UK, trying to discuss it, after countless times, and ended up only me going to my graduation by myself. At the last hour before iftar, they started to play "Bejeweled Blitz" on facebook, trying to top the leader board. I played along with them. It was fun fighting to go on top of each other. Then we went to have iftar together - roti canai and teh tarik. This is actually my first time taking these two partner food together after coming back to Malaysia.

We did quite the similar the next day. They also took some photos in my office while I was working. Then we played "Bejeweled Blitz" again and had iftar. The next day was actually a working day and my sisters came again. I really enjoyed their company. Then we went home, I cooked for everyone and my youngest sister stayed at my house. On Friday, we did the similar and at the evening, we had iftar together and they bought me two moon cakes since it's going to be the Moon Cake or Lantern Festival two weeks after Eid. This is our tradition and it has nothing to do with religion, just a Chinese tradition, as far as I know. It is the time when family members sit together enjoying moon cakes and traditional Chinese tea while gazing at the moon and kids playing lanterns.

We didn't meet on Saturday because they went to a Chinese friend's wedding. The next day, I picked them to have breakfast together before I sent my youngest sister to the coach station. I actually, for the first time, felt that I'm going to miss her when her coach was leaving the platform.

Alhamdulillah, it was a nice week with my sisters. Hopefully one day, we will perform Eid prayer next to each other.

Wassalam.

Eid Mubarak!

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Taqabbalallahu wa minna wa minkum - a line that you said to congratulate muslims who have fasted the month of Ramadhan on Eid Day. Eid Mubarak, may your deeds in this holy month be accepted by ALLAH and rewarded. May ALLAH forgive all our sins, shower us with mercy and blessing, and free all of us from the Hell Fire.

We celebrated Eid in Malaysia on 20th September 2009. My sisters came to visit me and we had quite a nice day together going around town to visit people and eat a lot of traditional Eid food.

This is my first Eid after leaving the UK. I just realise that every Eid in the UK I don't miss anyone in Malaysia but now that I am in Malaysia, I am actually missing badly all my friends and aunties in the UK! Somehow they are closer to my hearts than people around me in Malaysia. Have I changed?

Anyway, wherever you are, my friends, my sisters, I wish you a very happy Eid and may we meet again soon.

Wassalam.

Academic Discussion - Report

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

On Ayien's request, here is the result of the discussion:

Attendance: 60++ (some who came late didn't sign the attendance), including the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic & International Affairs) of UTM

The report is in Malay and I'm sorry for not being able to provide a translation of the report. However, the conclusion is that Malay Language should be used as the main language for teaching and learning at the university but English Language should be improved to enhance student learning and to prepare them for their future endeavour, either in their career or further study.

Wassalam.

p/s: the report below could be looked better in .pdf format but I don't know how to upload it here or attach it here.

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Laporan ringkas hasil perbincangan “Diskusi Khas: Implikasi Pemansuhan PPSMI Terhadap P & P di IPTA” pada 9hb September 2009 di Dewan Senat, UTM Skudai.

Diskusi ini dihadiri oleh lebih kurang 60 orang staf akademik, staf sokongan dan pelajar yang berminat tentang isu ini. Turut hadir dalam diskusi ini adalah Yang Berbahagia Prof. Ir. Dr. Mohd. Azraai bin Kassim, Timbalan Naib Canselor (Akademik & Antarabangsa) dan Prof. Dr. Mohd Salleh bin Abu, Dekan Fakulti Pendidikan. Diskusi dimulakan tepat pada jam 2.20pm dengan ucapan aluan Pengerusi Majlis, Prof. Madya Aziz bin Nordin, pensyarah Fakulti Pendidikan dan diikuti oleh ucap utama oleh Prof. Dr. Noor Azlan bin Ahmad Zanzali, Ketua Jabatan Pendidikan Sains & Matematik, Fakulti Pendidikan berkaitan hasil kajian pelaksanaan PPSMI di 160 sekolah di seluruh negara yang dianjurkan oleh Pembina. Menerusi kajian yang menggunakan kaedah tinjauan interaktif, didapati tahap penggunaan Bahasa Inggeris (BI) dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran (P & P) di sekolah adalah pada tahap yang rendah khususnya di sekolah-sekolah luar bandar (Pembina, 2009). Kini isu pengajaran dan pembelajaran sains dan matematik bukan lagi tertumpu kepada pengajaran untuk meningkatkan kemahiran BI tetapi apakah bahasa yang
paling sesuai atau kaedah P & P yang paling efektif untuk menyampaikan ilmu sains, matematik dan teknologi.

Pada jam 3.00pm, Diskusi I yang bertajuk “Pro dan Kon Pemansuhan PPSMI” dimulakan oleh Prof. Madya Dr. Md. Nor bin Bakar, pensyarah Fakulti Pendidikan. Ini diikuti oleh Diskusi II yang bertajuk “Arah Tuju P & P di UTM” pada jam 3.45pm yang diketuai oleh Prof. Madya Dr. Mohammad Yusof bin Arshad, pensyarah Fakulti Pendidikan. Akhirnya, program ini ditutup dengan Sesi Pergulungan yang ringkas oleh Prof. Dr. Noor Azlan bin Ahmad Zanzali. Berikut merupakan ringkasan daripada perbincangan yang dibahagikan mengikut kategori.

1. Kebanyakan peserta bersetuju bahawa Bahasa Melayu (BM) dan Bahasa Inggeris (BI) adalah penting untuk pengajaran dan pembelajaran dalam sains, matematik dan teknologi:

Mendaulatkan Bahasa Melayu dan pada masa yang sama Bahasa Inggeris dipentingkan

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Termizi bin Ramli (FS)

BI perlu dikuasai tetapi BM perlu menjadi asas kepada kita dalam mendapatkan ilmu

Prof. Madya Ainullotfi bin Abdul Latif (FKM)

BM penting untuk negara, tetapi BI tidak boleh diabaikan

En. Johari bin Hassan (FP)

Graduan UTM diharap dapat menguasai kedua-dua BM dan BI serta ilmu sains dan teknologi. BM didaulatkan tetapi BI juga dikuasai pelajar.

Prof. Dr. Noor Azlan bin Ahamd Zanzali (FP)

2. Kebanyakan peserta bersetuju dengan penggunaan dwibahasa dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran di UTM:

Penggunaan dwibahasa – BM bahasa rasmi, BI digunakan juga dalam P & P bila perlu

Prof. Madya Ainullotfi bin Abdul Latif (FKM)

40:60 BI:BM untuk semua mata pelajaran termasuk pengajian Islam, BM 100% adalah ditolak.

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Termizi bin Ramli (FS)

Mengajar sebahagian dalam BM dan BI

En. Hassan bin Hushin (FP)

3. Tetapi ada yang mencadangkan BI sepenuhnya:

Subjek sains & teknologi 100% dalam BI – IPT ke atas (Tingkatan 3 ke bawah gunakan BM manakala Tingkatan 4 ke atas mula gunakan BI untuk mata pelajaran sains tulen dan matematik)

Prof. Madya Dr. Seth bin Sulaiman (FP)

4. Ada juga yang berpendapat bahawa P & P mestilah dalam BM:

BM adalah bahasa perpaduan dan termaktub dalam Perlembagaan penggunaannya dalam sistem pendidikan di Malaysia.

En. Kassim bin Thukiman (FPPSM)

5. Jadual 1 menunjukkan sebab-sebab bagi perbezaan pendapat di atas.

Jadual 1: Sebab-sebab bagi perbezaan pendapat tentang penggunaan bahasa dalam P & P di UTM

Bantahan ke atas penggunaan BI sepenuhnya
• Termaktub dalam Perlembagaan penggunaan BM dalam sistem pendidikan Negara (En. Kassim)
• Tujuan pendidikan dan bahasa kebangsaan adalah untuk perpaduan, jadi BM adalah medium untuk mencapai perpaduan (En. Kassim)
• Ahli politik menggunakan BM (En. Kassim)
• Kemasukan pelajar ke IPTA khususnya UTM yang berasaskan S & T akan dikuasai oleh mereka yang mahir BI dan biasanya bukan dari kalangan Melayu – buktinya adalah UTM sebelum 1973 hanya terdapat 10% pelajar Melayu tetapi menjadi 90% pada tahun 1974 apabila dasar bahasa ditukar (En. Kassim & Prof. Termizi)
• Aliran sains tulen akan dikuasai pelajar yang pandai BI manakala aliran sastera akan dipenuhi pelajar Melayu yang lemah BI (Prof. Termizi)
• Wujud ‘simpton malu bertanya’ di kalangan pelajar dalam P & P BI, pelajar tidak faham apa yang diajar dan tidak tahu apa yang hendak ditanya (Ismail, pelajar)
• BM lebih mudah difahami, kenapa perlu ditukar ke BI sedangkan pembelajaran S & T melibatkan otak kiri manakala bahasa otak kanan (Ismail, pelajar)
• Akan wujud jurang yang lebih jauh antara pelajar bandar dan luar bandar, pelajar aliran sains tulen dan sastera (Prof. Termizi)
• Bimbang BM akan pupus (Prof. Termizi)
• Akta IPTA tidak menyebut penggunaan BI di IPTA (En. Hassan)

BM & BI
• Win-win situation (Prof. Termizi)
• BM perlu dimartabatkan manakala BI perlu dikuasai (Prof. Termizi, PM Ainul, En. Hassan, En. Johari)
• Dilaksanakan secara bertahap-tahap (Prof. Termizi)
• Pelajar tetap boleh mencapai kecemerlangan di luar negara walaupun diajar dalam BM (PM Ainul)
• Perbendaharaan kata BM bagi bidang aeronautik telah dibina selama 20 tahun (PM Ainul)
• Belajar dalam BM dan berfikir dalam BI (PM Ainul)
• Bimbang BM akan pupus sekiranya menggunakan BI 100% di IPT (Prof. Termizi)
• BI perlu dikuasai, jati diri negara sendiri juga perlu dipertahankan (Prof. Termizi)
• BM terbukti berjaya dalam ilmu sains & teknologi (Prof. Termizi)
• BM digunakan bukan kerana tidak pandai BI (Prof. Termizi)
• Pelajar sukar memahami dalam BI sahaja (Prof. Termizi, En. Hassan)
• 70% pelajar UTM Tahun 1 mendapat MUET Band 1 sahaja (En. Hassan)
• Negara Scandinavian boleh dijadikan contoh untuk Malaysia (PM Ainul)
• Iceland mempertahankan bahasanya (Prof. Termizi)

Sokongan ke atas pengguanaan BI sepenuhnya
• UTM bergerak ke arah pengantarabangsaan dan pengaruh BI dalam ilmu S & T tidak dapat ditolak (PM Dr. Seth)
• Kertas kerja Impact Factor yang tinggi adalah dalam BI, maka pelajar dan pensyarah perlu menguasai BI untuk penerbitan (PM Dr. Seth)
• Bahan-bahan ilmiah terkini online dalam BI, kecuali kita dapat meningkatkan aktiviti penterjemahan dengan pantas, kita tidak dapat kejar ilmu terkini seperti mana Jepun yang mampu menghasilkan penterjemahan ilmu terkini dalam masa 2 minggu ke dalam Bahasa Jepun (PM Dr. Seth)
• Bahasa hanyalah kod, yang penting adalah ilmu. Ilmu sekarang banyak menggunakan kod dalam bentuk BI (PM Dr. Seth)
• Hanya mata pelajaran sains & teknologi dalam BI manakala yang lain kekal dalam BM (PM Dr. Seth)
• Setuju pasca ijazah diajar dalam BI (En. Hassan)
• Perlu melihat keperluan semasa (PM Dr. Baharin)

6. Pengalaman mengajar dalam BM dan BI:

Pelajar mengalami masalah pemahaman konsep dalam BI.

Prof. Madya Ainullotfi bin Abdul Latif (FKM)

Pengajaran Fizik sukar sampai kepada pelajar dalam BI

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Termizi bin Ramli (FS)

Dalam kelas Tahun 1, bagi pelajar SPI (Kursus Pendidikan Pengajian Islam), pensyarah lebih menggunakan BM; tetapi bagi pelajar SPL (Kursus Pendidikan TESL) pensyarah menggunakan BI. Guru-guru pelatih di sekolah melaksanakan PPSMI tetapi pelajar tidak faham pengajaran guru pelatih dan memaksa guru pelatih menggunakan BM.

En. Johari bin Hassan (FP)

Pelajar mengalami kesukaran belajar falsafah dalam BM tetapi lagi sukar dalam BI

En. Hassan bin Hushin (FP)

7. Isu bahan pengajaran dan pembelajaran:

Tiada bahan dalam BM kalau tidak mula mengetengahkan penggunaan BM dalam pembelajaran sains & teknologi.

En. Johari bin Hassan (FP)

Perlu cepat menterjemahkan bahan ilmiah terkini ke dalam BM.

Prof. Madya Dr. Seth bin Sulaiman (FP)

8. Isu Pengantarabangsaan:

UTM menuju pengantarabangsaan, oleh itu, BI harus menjadi medium dalam kuliah.

Prof. Madya Dr. Seth bin Sulaiman (FP)

UTM mengambil pensyarah antarabangsa

Prof. Madya Dr. Mohammad Yusof bin Arshad (FP)

Pelajar antarabangsa pun perlu berbahasa Melayu.

En. Hassan bin Hushin (FP)

Pelajar asing menggunakan kamus elektronik dalam kuliah

En. Johari bin Hassan (FP)

Pelajar antarabangsa bukan isu kerana pelajar antarabangsa kebanyakannya pasca ijazah. UTM tidak perlu ubah bahasa demi sebilangan kecil pelajar antarabangsa keran UTM perlu memberikan keutamaan kepada pelajar sendiri bukan pelajar antarabangsa khususnya di peringkat pra ijazah. Oleh itu, tidak wujud isu pensyarah perlu menggunakan BI di dalam kuliah kerana isu pengantarabangsaan.

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Termizi bin Ramli (FS)

9. Isu-isu lain:

Ada yang berpendapat bahawa isunya bukanlah bahasa yang digunakan tetapi bagaimana bahasa tersebut digunakan untuk mengajar. Isunya bukan bahasa tetapi strategi bahasa digunakan kerana guru tidak diajar kaedah mengajar menggunakan BI dan kadang kala pelajar tidak tahu guru sedang membetulkan bahasanya dan memberikan maklumat yang tidak benar kepada pelajar, contohnya perkataan ‘Okay’ sering menimbulkan salah faham.

Pn. Azian binti Abd Aziz @ Ahmad (FPPSM)

12 tahun persekolahan tidak dapat menguasai BI tetapi kursus 3-6 bulan BI ke luar negara mampu menguasai BI. Ini menunjukkan bahawa kurikulum BI di sekolah tidak sesuai untuk membantu pelajar menguasai BI – KPM perlu meneliti isu ini.

Prof. Madya Dr. Baharin bin Abu (FP)

Cadangan:

a. Wujudkan dua sistem:
UTM boleh mewujudkan dua dasar:
1. menggunakan BM sebagai asas, pelajar antarabangsa perlu belajar BM
2. Pelajar boleh graduate apabila cukup kredit seperti di US

Prof. Madya Dr. Baharin bin Abu (FP)

b. Polisi bahasa
Akta IPTA tidak menyebut penggunaan BI di IPTA.

En. Hassan bin Hushin (FP)

IPTA tidak mempunyai polisi bahasa yang jelas. kajian akademik diperlukan sebelum dasar bahasa ditetapkan, gunakan diskusi ini untuk membuat kajian.

Prof. Madya Dr. Md. Nor bin Bakar

c. Kajian akademik & diskusi lanjutan
Analisis semua isu yang dibangkitkan dan bahan ilmiah yang ada dengan rasional dan saintifik.

Prof. Madya Ainullotfi bin Abdul Latif (FKM)

Mencadangkan siri diskusi ke setiap fakulti – Road Show untuk mendapatkan pandangan yang lebih menyeluruh melibatkan pentadbir dan pelajar dalam diskusi ini.

En. Hassan bin Hushin (FP)

Academic Discussion

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Today, I'll be organising a special discussion or rather an academic colloquium that involves all the academic staff at UTM. It is a simple organisation but the topic is a very hot one.

See, Malaysian started to teach Science & Mathematics at schools using English in 2003 in the hope that the students' English will be improved since most of the science and mathematics learning materials online and worldwide are in English. This implicated the teaching and learning from the lowest to the highest educational institution. Now that the government has called it off because it is not helping the learning of Science and Mathematics, plus the English is not improving as well (according to some studies), so what is UTM suppose to do now?

This is why the discussion is organised and will be documented rather than all these academicians keep bringing it up through the emailing list. Surely no actions will be taken when people just randomly throw out their ideas on emailing list.

I don't know how many people will turn up today but I hope it is a successful one - that the objectives of the programme is achieved.

Wassalam.

NVivo

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

We are now having a short course on the use of NVivo - a software or tool to analyse qualitative data. I have learnt this when I was in Cambridge but that was like 3 years ago and at that time, the NVivo was still in version 5. Now it's version 8 and a lot have changed, plus a lot have been forgotten.

I did my PhD qualitatively but I did not use NVivo to analyse my qualitative data because I prefer analysing my data manually. Indeed it is adequate only that I need a big space to have all my data stuck up on the wall for me to refer.

It's quite a fun course cause there are not just me but also colleaugues. The facilitators are also our colleauges, a pair of husband and wife. Sitting next to me now is their daughter. She is ill hence not going to school. Instead, she is now searching for games online to play with me. We are going to play some games now. While waiting for her to download the game, I blog.

The one thing that I like about NVivo 8 is the Chart Wizard. It can produce a chart easily using the wizard. Sounds like Excel? Yes, but on top of that, the NVivo chart can be made in a 3-D format and it's very easy to read the data from the chart by just rolling over the mouse cursor on the part that we want to read. The photos below are just an example but it's not that clear. You can actually turn the chart 360 degrees wherever you like.

Anathor feature in NVivo that attracts quite a lot of people is model making. For example the model bottom.

That's far for today. The class has started.


Wassalam.

A postcard

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

A pleasant surprise that I received this morning though I sort of expecting it but then when my friend came back from Egypt I still didn't receive this, I have forgotten about it. Earlier on, she was in Egypt and asked me for my postal address, so I knew what could it be and she likes postcards as well. Later, when I've learned that she has arrived back in the UK, so I did not expect anything from Egypt.

Anyway, I received this postcard in a rather unexpected manner. The postcard was in some else's pigeonhole at my faculty and it dropped right in front of me when my colleague took all her mails out of her pigeonhole. If you can see how the stamps and the written name and address in the below picture, you will not be surprised to realise why I did not get the postcard in my pigeonhole.


But alhamdulillah it arrived and I'm so glad to read it. Yes, I miss her so much, more than words and thoughts can explain, only my heart and the Creator of my heart know.

For all my friends, even a little thing like an email, chat, facebook wall or message, text, phone call, postcard, dua that they made, salam that they sent, etc. really excite me. I wish I can do the same to all my friends as well.

Wassalam.

Acceptance

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

Ya ALLAH, expand my chest, widen my heart, open my mind and let me accept all of Your creations, be they good or bad in my eyes, either I like them or not, for I am only Your timid humble little servant who has no right to judge Your perfect creations. Ya ALLAH, take my nafs al-amarah away from me, shower me Your tawfiq and guidance, lead me to my fitrah, align my every move, thought and intention to the way of Your Beloved (saw). You love to forgive, please pardon my sins and have mercy on me, for I bear witness that there is no other god than You, the only one that is worth to be worshipped, and Prophet Muhammad (saw) is Your Messenger, our leader. I submit my whole life to You and leave all my affairs in You. Innaka anta at-Tawwabu ar-Rahim.

Inna solati, wa nusuki, wa mahyaya, wa mamati, lillahi rabbilalamin.

Wassalam.

Mercy - Forgiveness - Freedom

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh,

1st - 10th of Ramadhan - Mercy

O ALLAH we seek Your love, and the love of those who love You, and any action that reaches Your love. O Allah we seek Your love, O ALLAH make us from the close loved ones, O ALLAH make us from Your close loved. O ALLAH make our reverence to You as though we see You, and make us from the close loved. O ALLAH we seek Your love, and the love of those who love You, and any action that reaches Your love – O The Most Beneficent, O The Most Compassionate.

11th - 20th of Ramadhan - Forgiveness

O Allah! You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You. [The best dua for repentance]

O ALLAH, You are the One who pardons greatly and loves to pardon, so pardon me. [same dua for Laylatul-Qadr]

21st - 30th of Ramadhan - Freedom from Hell Fire

O ALLAH! We ask You to be pleased with us, reward us with the Paradise and we seek Your refuge from Your anger and the punishment of the Fire.

ALLAHU'alam.

Wassalam.