...excerpt from "Kata-kata aluan".

Sungguh gembira pagi ini apabila menerima 'Kata-kata Aluan' untuk buku saya yang akan di terbitkan dan di lancarkan Bulan Disember nanti.

Penulis kata-kata aluan tu bukan calang-calang orang. Beliau sendiri sudah menulis lima buah buku dan kesemua nya berada di pasaran.

Jadi menerima pujian dari beliau memberi satu suntikan motivasi kepada diri saya....

Buat masa ini saya rahsia kan dulu penulisnya.

Di bawah ini saya kongsikan sebahagian dari apa yang beliau telah tuliskan.

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Kata-Kata Aluan

Membaca setiap baris sajak-sajak karya Ariffin Mamat dalam buku ini seakan menyelami perasaan penulis secara lembut dan santai. Mengambarkan seribu suasana, liku-liku peristiwa, lorong-lorong kehidupan, warna-warna emosi dan keprihatinan yang mendalam.

.....
...

Sebagai seorang penulis dan pembaca yang cermat dan sama merantau, bagi saya, sajak-sajak Ariffin Mamat sungguh berkesan dalam menyambar imaginasi dan menghayati yang tersurat, juga yang tersirat di susunan kata-kata berhemah.

Sehingga ke sajak terakhir, sajak-sajak Ariffin Mamat menambah pengalaman baru, kalau tidak sentuhan bermakna untuk jiwa-jiwa yang dahagakan keindahan bahasa dalam menyuburkan minda dan rohani.

...
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Preface for "Echo of Silence"...in a few words.

.......
.....
...
(an excerpt of) the Preface.

I am pursuing my dreams. I have always had a dream to see my name appearing on a book’s cover. It has been my dream since I was ten years old. That was the year my father died, and the year that I changed from being a jovial young boy to a quiet, reflective young man who in his formative years began to understand about the temporary nature of life, and that love can be snatched away without logical reasons. Walking from a rubber tree to the next, I used to help my mother with rubber tapping, and I occupied the time nurturing my dreams. One of those dreams was to write a book.

This book is very special to me because it brings together words which I have written to capture my most private and vulnerable moments. These words represent my personal side which is often concealed from public eyes.

.....

...

.

Lecithin, Love, and Lies!

Miera opened the Mini Cookies packet. She paused just before dipping in to fish out the mini cookies. She read the ingredients on the side on the packet. The small prints forced Miera to extend the printed surface to about one-and-half feet away from her eyes. Long sightedness, she was often reminded, a sure sign of old age! At 55, she never felt happier in her life. Old maybe, but very happy! And for her, that was that mattered.

'Lecithin!' she burped the word. Simultaneously, she flipped the Mini Cookies packet into the trash bin under her study table.

She moved back to the food hamper which she won as a lucky draw prize last night at her company annual dinner. She examined all the packets of ready to eat cookies and biscuits. She sighed. All of them contained one or more ingredients which have been identified by the Religious Fatwa group as Non-Halal. After discarding all of those packets into the trash bin she was left with a few bottles of fizzy drink and a few packets of roasted peanuts! She  grabbed one of the groundnut packets and move back to the sofa, and flicked the remote control looking for BBC lifestyles channel. To be specific she was looking for the 'Antique Roadshow' programme.

Once she had to decline an invitation from her neighbour to a 'Cukur Jambul' event because she didn't want to miss a particular episode of the program. 

 "That is pathetic!" Said her daughter Saffiya when told the reason for her staying home despite many guests were already arriving at her neighbour's house about three doors away!

"Maybe. But if I tell you that the other reason I don't attend is because Mencukur Jambul is not the practice of the Prophet, does that make it okay for me to not go?" Miera said, without taking her eyes off the 46 inches screen of one of the two Sony TV sets she had.

Saffiya left her swivelling laptop table chair, moved closer and sat next to her mother.

She said, "Mom, Cukur Rambut Bayi is one of the Sunnah! Therefore, not a good excuse!"

Miera grimaced and pouted her lips. She gestured to Saffiya and said, "Bring your laptop here, let us google and find out what is the Islamic law regarding upacara Mencukur Rambut Bayi!"

In a flash Saffiya was back next to her mother with the Macbook Air on her lap.

"Ok, google for Islamic law about shaving a baby's hair" Said Miera, and in saying that she wrapped her arm around Saffiya's waist.

Saffiya edged even closer to her mother and rested her head on her mother's shoulder. She googled and her face lighted up when she saw the search result. She showed what was on her Macbook screen to her mother.

"The Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said,

"Every child is in pledge for it's Aqeeqah which is sacrificed for it on its seventh day, and it is named on it, and its head is shaved" (Abu Dawood)Shaving the baby's head

On the seventh day after the birth the head of the baby should be shaved. So when al-Hasan was born the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) told his daughter, Faatima (RA),

"shave his head and give the weight of his hair in silver to the poor" (Ahmad)

The right side of the head should be shaved first, then the left as mentioned in the hadeeth,

"shave, and he indicated to the right side of his head, and then the left" (Muslim)

Miera pulled away the Macbook from Saffiya's lap. She read the whole page, then the next page.

"Thanks, but I apologize Saffiya for not shaving your head when you were a baby!" She gave Saffiya a hug.

"Moommmmm....shaving is only for a baby boy!" Said Saffiya.

"Aik...where did you read that? The hadith said, 'each baby', which means it applies to both boys and girls!" Said Miera, this time felling triumphant!

'I know, just teasing you mom! Kasi chance lah Mom menang!" Said Saffiya, cheekily!

"Sayang, please help me to search about Lecithin!" Miera requested.

Instead of doing what her mother asked her, Saffiya placed the Macbook on the carpet, and she stretched out on the sofa placing her head on her mother's lap.

"Mom, I love you!" She said in a whisper.

"I love you too darling...but what is it that you want now?" Miera had got accustamoed to Saffiya's tactical move whenever she wanted something. Often in the past whenever Saffiya wanted something from her mother, she would do the same thing, cuddling up to her mom.

"Mom...I want to invite Idham home to meet you. I love him mom, please say can...." Saffiya whispered, ever so softly almost sounding like the purrs of their Siamese cat.

*******Ngantuk dah! Besuk sambung lah*******

A poem from my son Haziq~!

Haziq is multi-talented, Mashaallah. He captures the most beautiful pictures, creates amazing videos, and I now discover, to my amazement, he writes poems too. I will be including five of his poems in my soon to be released book of poetry and Sajak. Below is one of them...He is now in his final year of an IB course.

 

The Old Man, The Worried Wife

by Haziq Ariffin on Sunday, 20 September 2009 at 23:07

He sat there,
So alone and trapped,
Even with her sitting opposite,
He just sat there,
Mouth shut,
Eyes blank.

She sat there,
Waiting and waiting,
Not knowing what went wrong,
With her man sitting opposite,
She sat there,
Waiting,
and waiting.

He was bearded with age,
Grey, wrinkled, wise,
He looked around often,
For interesting things,
That could spark conversation,
But nothing.

She was bothered with the silence,
Eyebrows curved with worry,
She only took her eyes off him,
To look at what his eyes were seeing,
But she couldn't understand,
Why he was so empty.

They both sat there,
In their own silent bubble
that a sonic boom can't intrude,
Gazing and slowly eating their food.

Was it a custom to dine out,
But be so inclusive to oneself?
Not sharing thoughts with,
The love of their lives.

Makes me wonder,
The strength of love,
Can it endure everything?
Or does it fade away like old photographs,
Which you look back on,
Reminiscing the good ole days,
Wishing to be back there.

It's the kind of love,
Never seen in movies,
Never sung in songs,
Never written in books,
Love can be so boring,
But yet so beautiful,
As it teaches others around,
Who care to witness it,
It inspires them,
And questions them,
Is this what you want,
when you grow up?

He sat there.
She waited.
I observed,
and was educated.

50 years together,
Bitter sweet concoction,
Love is forever,
But treat it with caution,
And be clever,
Strive for it,
Endeavour,
Or it's the end,
Forever.

Muhasabah selepas Haji...

"Lillah hita'ala"

Setiap kali kita pasang niat di dalam hati untuk setiap rukun dan wajib Haji, kita akan membisikkan, "Lillah hita'ala" di dalam niat itu.

"Kerana Allah Ta'ala!"

Jika kita sebenar2nya membuat ibadah 'Kerana Allah', kita harus lah mengerti dan memahami apa yang di kehendaki Allah dari ibadah kita.

Adakah Allah ingin melihat gambar2 kita sewaktu kita tawaf? atau melontar? Perlu bukti kah di mana kita pergi dan apa yang kita lakukan?

Camera yang kita bawa dan gambar2 yang kita ambil boleh menjadi racun kepada keihlasan niat!

Terfikirkah kita, apabila mengambil gambar2 khemah dengan kemudahan istimewa, sofa empuk dan makanan sedap, dan berkongsi pula gambar2 itu di FB, adakah ihlas niat kita untuk menginsafkan diri dan bersyukur dengan nikmat dan rahmat Allah? Atau untuk berbangga diri kerana kita mampu mendapatkan layanan istimewa?

Atau untuk siapakah sebenarnya ibadah kita? Mungkin kah untuk kawan2 di FB?

-Hanya kita sendiri yang mengetahui, selain Allah yang sememangnya Maha Mengetahui.

Saya sendiri khuatir sekiranya saya sendiri yang baru pulang dari mengerjakan ibadah Haji - sebenarnya baru pulang dari satu pelancungan ekslusif dan konference terbesar di dunia dan tidak lebih dari itu. Alangkah ruginya.

Bukan kah Allah telah menduga akan ada segolongan manusia yang datang mengerjakan Haji, dan mereka tidak mendapat apa2.

Jika lah semudah kita menghembuskan hingus dan membuang kahak untuk membuang dosa-dosa kita sebelum dan semasa ibadah Haji - alangkah senang nya.

Tetapi dosa-dosa kita tidak zahir.

Dalam usaha membuang dosa, jika hati kita tidak ihlas kepada Allah, boleh membuat kita mengutip dosa baru. Ya Allah~!

Se waktu solat Maghrib di malam sebelum ke Arafah, Ustaz Ahmad dari Muasasah yang kami sertai telah membaca Surah Al-Bakarah ayat 196 ke 202. Beliau seorang Tahfiz dan memahami bahasa Arab dengan mendalam. Ketika membaca ayat2 tersebut kedengaran suara beliau tersedu. Aku cuba memahami maksud ayat2 tersebut, terutama 4 ayat ini. Semoga kita termasuk di dalam golongan yang di sebut di dalam ayat 201 dan 202. Kita juga berdoa supaya tidak lalai dan tidak termasuk di dalam golongan yang di sebut di dalam ayat 200.

199 - Kemudian bertolaklah kamu dari tempat bertolaknya orang-orang banyak (Arafah) dan mohonlah ampun kepada Allah; sesungguhnya Allah Maha Pengampun lagi Maha Penyayang.

200 - Apabila kamu telah menyelesaikan ibadah hajimu, maka berzikirlah (dengan menyebut) Allah, sebagaimana kamu menyebut-nyebut (membangga-banggakan) nenek moyangmu, atau (bahkan) berzikirlah lebih banyak dari itu. Maka di antara manusia ada orang yang berdoa: "Ya Tuhan kami, berilah kami (kebaikan) di dunia", dan tiadalah baginya bahagian (yang menyenangkan) di akhirat.

201 - Dan di antara mereka ada orang yang berdoa: "Ya Tuhan kami, berilah kami kebaikan di dunia dan kebaikan di akhirat dan peliharalah kami dari siksa neraka".

202 - Mereka itulah orang-orang yang mendapat bahagian dari apa yang mereka usahakan; dan Allah sangat cepat perhitungan-Nya.

Wallah hu Aklam.

Sekadar Muhasabah diri sendiri! Ampun maaf jika membuat tuan dan puan Haji dan Hajah terasa hati.

Saya sungguh excited!!!

Wow, Saya sungguh excited!!!

Faith Piaf, the lady editor who has shyly asked me not to mention her real name until the launch of the book, updated me today...that...

"Kenapa gugur daun-daun"

> Editing of sajak-sajak and poems, done! <

 Which means that my first book will be at the printer very soon. In fact as soon as I finalize the cover design and submit the foreword and my biodata!

She has discussed with the printer, and they suggested that I also include ONE short story and ONE CERPEN, from my collection of short stories and CERPEN into the book as an appertizer of my second book, which will be a collection of short stories and CERPEN.

 This first book will be in hard cover, and it will contain a collection of English and Bahasa Malaysia poetry. All written from the heart...~!

 It will be available before the end of December, according to Faith Piaf! 

Now...ermmm...I have to think about something else....

....How do I publicize this book?....

Gheeee....Saya bukan ada geng dalam media nak panggil buat press conference.

Tak juga cukup glemer nak buat signing or upacara 'membaca' di khalayak ramai! gheee...

An open plea to Faith Piaf and/or kawan2 yang pakar dalam bidang ini...psst, tolong organize a gathering amongst  friends, maybe they can help to publicize buku saya ni, boleh? Jika ada kenal rakan2 dari Media bagus jugak kan....

Please. 

Being particular or being a pain in the rear~!

One may think that by asking questions repeatedly, one is being particular about certain subjects. However, it is worthwhile to make a quick check how one's persistence come across to others.

Inability to accept answers given, and lack of courage to make one's own decisions and to be responsible for those decisions can come across as negative behaviour.

Let me illustrate through a few examples.

1. Joe was in a group of Muslims facing the learned Ustaz listening to explaination about some of the pertinent Law of Fiqh (Hukum Fikah).

 "Rasullullah made wuduk in certain ways. There are evidence from Hadith which we can learn from!" Said the Ustaz and he went on to demonstrate how it was done!

> Joe interrrupted the act with the same question which had prompted the Ustaz to address the subject in the first place! This time, actually to the annoyance of a few of the group members.

"So if we follow the Rasullullah way, which Mazhab is that?" Joe asked, again, for the third time when the Ustaz had finished his demonstration.

> He was so stuck to the 'Which Mazhab' question that he lost perspective of the core issue - the Sunah way of making Wuduk!

2. Joe was listening to the group leaders explaination about the transportation (Bus) time-table for the group to move from the camp site to another location.

"But, if we go during that time we will miss an Afdal time to solat a Fardhu prayer!" He questioned the wisdom of the organizer.

>The organizer took pain to explain constraints and reasons why that time table was the best option for the groups, and some fatwa about the prayer time.

> Seated there, a few people already made up their mind that they were going to make their own travel arrangement so as not to inconvenient others.

Since they were able to make their own decision, they therefore could not understand why Joe had persisted that the organizer change the bus departure timing. Hence they had a negative perception of Joe.

3. Joe considers himself a good Muslim who often lead prayers. He makes effort to memorize many Surahs and Ayats. In prayer congregations, whenever he does not lead, he forces his way to the front of the line, often inconveniencing others who are already there before him.

> This act of overzealous enthusiasm trying to please Allah often result in negative reaction and perception by his colleagues. He is often seen as self-centered and conceited. But does Joe know?, Or does he care? Ermmm.

4. The group was getting ready to pray when Joe, in a very certain and loud manner corrected the way one of the Jemaah in the congregation stood and did his Takbir.

Rather surprised and embarrassed, the person at the receiving end of Joe's intervention corrected himself, per Joe prescribed way.

>After the prayer, the learned Ustaz explained that the way the person did was perfectly acceptable!

Again, Joe's over enthusiasm and over confidence came across as arrogant and patronizing. Simply said, a valid reason for him to be considered as a Pain in the Rear~!

----

There are many people like Joe out there! ( I need to mention, Joe is a fictitious character!)

There could be one reading this blog entry now. Well, all I want to achieve by writing this article is to prompt everyone (including myself of course)  to do a brief self-reflection or 'Muhasabah Diri' and take the necessary step not to be a pain in the rear end, on continuous basis.

Pause. Give others some credit that they too know what they are saying or doing too. Take some responsibilities to make decisions and take choices on your own, without imposing on others to believe the same way you do.

There is a small chance that you could be wrong...right? *wink*

It is better to be humbly correct than confidently wrong.

"Happy 28th Anniversary ~!"

13 hb November 1983 - sudah 28 tahun berlalu. Banyak dugaan dan cabaran telah kita lalui bersama. Ada kala nya kita hampir saja mengaku kalah. Ada ketikanya kita tidak mampu lagi melangkah. Namun, kita gagahi juga. Masih banyak saat-saat manis yang telah kita ciptakan bersama. Senyum dan tawa, bersama anak-anak dan juga ketika kita hanya berdua...bagaikan satu ikatan kasih sayang di simpul mati. Di lerai tak terlucut, di cantas tak mungkin putus.

Terima kasih isteri ku kerana memberikan 28 tahun dari usia mu menjadi teman setia di dalam kehidupan ku. Airmata mu, banyak menitis. Luka di hati mu masih berparut. Aku lah suami mu yang zalim, justeru itu - maafkan aku!

Di penghujung hari ulang tahun perkahwinan kita yang ke dua puluh lapan ini, aku mengucapkan dan mendoakan kebahagiaan kita yang berterusan, supaya hidup dan mati kita di dalam keimanan, dan kita di pertemukan kelak di Syurga, inshAAllah.

Gambar-gambar di bawah ini sekadar imbasan memori yang telah kita cipta bersama.

"Happy Anniversary darling ~!" 



Menerima menantu - satu milestone istimewa di dalam kehidupan kita~!

Kita...sentiasa berbangga sebagai rakyat Malaysia, walau di mana kita berada~!



Sempoi - kita paling selesa dengan gaya kita sendiri~!

Kita sangat gembira setiap kali ke Mejid Nabawi Di Medinah~!

Umrah - satu2 anugerah dan kemudahan dari Allah untuk kita selama berada di Saudi ~!
Alhamdullillah.



Anak-anak - penyeri rumah tangga, tahun demi tahun seorang demi seorang meninggalkan ~!

Bersama-sama menyambut ulang tahun kelahiran aku yang ke 50 di Rumah Anak Yatim Darul Izzah - 2007~!

Saat saat kita berbangga menyaksikan anak menerima ijazah di atas pentas ~!

Ada ketikanya, kita sempat berduaan menikmati keindahan kehidupan ~!

Pertama kali menjelajah padang pasir di Dubai 2003 ~!

Kau dan aku - di bawah cahaya bulan, di tepi Laut Merah, melukiskan warna-warna cinta
walau hanya d kanvas yang semakin pudar~!

Saat-saat bahagia bersama anak-anak~! Ketika melawat Zeti d Dublin 2005~!

Di belakang kita ada 'dia' - semoga anak-anak kita berjaya dunia ahirat ~!

For 28 years you have been tolerating my antics with a smile - thank you ~!

Di Istanbul - 2008 ~!

Riding the blue water of the Bhosporus - dingin suasana ketika itu,
mengingat kan ketika kita mula bertemu di musim dingin ketika di Portsmouth dahulu~!

Kita juga saling bergembira menerima tetamu ~!

What year was this? I think 1996 ketika di Taman Setia, Gombak.

Makan-makan, salah satu our activity kegemaran kita sekeluarga - our quality time~!

Contoh kita tidak lah selesa sangat bila formal begini...~! hehehe.

Kita lebih selesa ketika kita berdua-duaan, di dalam domain kita sendiri~!

Masih kah kau ingat? Ketika kita d Beirut, melihat keindahan alam, sambil kita membisikkan keindahan sebuah kehidupan~!

Ketika aku memeluk mu, tidak di duga seorang sahabat kita telah merakamkan saat-saat itu. This must be one of my favorite photos of us~!

Perjalanan kita yang belum selesai ~! Inshaallah...semoga Allah terus memberkati kehidupan kita, dan menerima ibadah kita, dan menjadikan kita suami dan isteri yang hidup dan mati di dalam keimanan ~! Amiiinnnn.

"I love you~!
And i look forward to many more family pose during future Hari Raya...
with our grandchildren in the frame as well, InshAAllah~!"

Perubahan kecil...sejak berkampus d Mina!

Salah satu daripada perubahan yang telah aku lalui sewaktu di Mina ialah 'jadual' diri. Pada mulanya, perubahan jadual di desak oleh keperluan menggunakan 'toilet'. Oleh kerana kesesakan jemaah beratur di depan 'toilet' di waktu-waktu 'peak hours', aku telah melatih diri untuk bangun tengah malam untuk urusan mandi manda dan menunaikan apa saja hajat. Lalu alarm di pasang jam 3 pagi. Ada kalanya, diri sendiri terjaga di jam begitu sebelum alarm berbunyi.

Kesempatan bangun di waktu itu di guna sepenuhnya untuk solat Tahajud, dan apa saja amalan yang afdal di lakukan di ketika malam masih sunyi sepi, kecuali sesekali kedengaran dengkur dari kawan2 seperjuangan. Actually happy juga aku mendengar berbagai irama dengkur...mengingatkan aku, yang 'I am not alone!' lah kan...

Sekembali ke rumah, aku masih terbawa2 dengan terjaga waktu tengah malam. Satu nikmat pula rasanya dapat bangun malam2 begitu...!

InshaAllah, semoga berkekalan perubahan ini. Kepada para sahabat yang sudah pun mengamalkan berjaga di waktu tengah malam, alhamdullillah~!

It was a personal journey...

  

Alumni Mina 2011 - Muasasah Ustaz Hassan (Riyadh)



Our very special guests after Hajj !

  My Haj journey started on Thursday 3rd November at 12.00 midnight when my wife and I were driven to the airport to join other Malaysians from Jeddah and those who were arriving from Jubail. At 12.30am, we boarded a bus and started our journey towards Mecca for our Tawaf Qudum.

The journey ended at 2am on Thursday 10th November when my wife and I arrived home and reunited with Luqman and Haziq who have been staying home for the period we were away. They have done very well - living independently. They even went through an ordeal of an accidental locked-out, and came out wiser and closer to each other. 

Two hours after being home, we received the arrival of sixteen very special guests  who have accepted our invitation for a sleep over at our home. They were pilgrimage friends whom we have met during Hajj and who were returning to Jubail the next day. It was our honour and pleasure to turn our living room and spare bedroom into 'Mina-like' camp for a fifteen hour rest before their long journey home continued the next day.

What went on during Hajj was a personal and private experience and I have decided not to write about them, at least for now. Suffice to say, it was a very humbling experience. May God accept my Haj and do'a, and the Haj of my dear wife, and those of our friends and relatives and all Muslims who surrendered themselves to God unconditionally.

Thank you for your do'a!

"Selamat Hari Raya Haji, Maaf Zahir Batin!"

At 2 am tomorrow morning my wife and I will be joining other Malaysian Jemaah boarding a bus which will take us to Mekah. This will be my second time doing Haj, and I am doing this Haj for my late father who died when I was ten. My late mother, alhamdullillah, had the opportunity and did perform her Haj many years before she died in 2002.

I performed my own Haj together with my wife in 2003. It was indeed the start of my love affairs with Saudi Arabia.

In 2003 I was based in Singapore working with Unilever Asia. During my last conversation with my mother in August 2002, one day before she died, I promised her that I would do my Haj. That promise brought a smile which unfolded slowly and glowed eternally on her face. She squeezed my hand with approval.
My father died in 1969 before he could perform his Haj.

While doing Haj in 2003, my wife and I thought that it would be so nice if I were to get a job  opportunity in Saudi so that we could visit Mekah as often. We prayed to Allah to grant us that wish. Alhamdullillah, in July of the same year I was offered a job by Unilever Middle East, and to be based in Jeddah. In September of the same year, I relocated and started my new job.

Tomorrow morning, we will be taken to Mekah to do our Tawaf Qudum and then to Minna where we will camp until Wukuf in Arafah.

InshaAllah, may God accept the Haj of Muslims from all over the world. May all our sins and those of our beloved ones whether dead or alive be forgiven.

"Selamat Hari Raya Eidul Adha...Mohon Maaf Zahir Batin... Di minta halalkan makan dan minum...dan doakan supaya di permudahkan urusan kami di Mekah nanti!"

Why I can't be successful in a Malaysian company...

Even if I try to be humble, I still can say that I have been quite successful in my career thus far, Alhamdullillah. And...thus far...is already far enough, as I am on the last strech before finishing what has been quite an illustrious and satisfying career. At least in my own definition!

In a career spanning over 28 years, I have not worked in a local Malaysian company. I will be the first to admit that I don't have what it takes to be successful in a typical Malaysian corporation.  Let me tell you five reasons why...

1. I am direct...I call a spade a spade, and I don't care who holds the card!

> I speak my mind. I speak as I think. I speak the truth.

- The above are formula for disaster if I were to work for a typical Malaysian company, and a few GLCs come to mind.
.

2. I pay little respect for protocols & hierachy - I respect values and principles!

> Rule # 1, that a boss is always right, is not a rule I believe in.

> Speaking up, and in Malaysian culture can be known as dissent, is something I do quite often.

> I am guided by values and principles.

> However I respect people regardless of positions including people in high positions, who add value, respect others, and observe the values and principles of the organization.

- In a culture where bosses want to be treated as 'Kings', I would fail miserably.

3. I don't tolerate fools!

> People who make a habit of fooling others would know straight away that they are not welcomed in my organization.

> People who doesn't realize that he is making a fool of himself, will get feedback from me and I'll expect the person to change.

If he doesn't change, he will be changed.

- In a culture where ability to fool others is a measure of success, I will be counter cultural.

4. I am too proud to carry anyone's bag!

> I don't stoop for approvals, and I don't grovel either.

> I am too proud to brown nose anyone!

> I definitely don't carry anyone's briefcase...never have been and too old to start now.

- In a culture where ball polishers are rewarded, I would be at the bottom of the ranking!

5. I don't take nor give percentage, or under the table or by whatevername you call bribery and corruption!

> The statement is self-explanatory, and there is no need for me to elaborate.

- Bottom line I will not get any contract, especially those dished our by politicians.

Having said the above generalization, I must say, I admire and respect my colleagues who are able to change the working culture in some of the Malaysian companies. They are the real heroes of the profession!