Headlines: Oct 25-30 (backdated)

Posted on October 30, 2010 by Mabel

»» Ms Demori, can you please provide me with a real life example of a business that has suffered because someone went on maternity leave? Hai, I just don’t understand this woman – keep quoting West this, West that (eg companies have collapsed in the West, economies are not growing because of maternity leave)…geez, there… is more to a business and economy than just women going on maternity leave. While we are at it, can you please go look at the economies of the Scandinavian countries like Sweden where maternity leave is more than 90 days? Economy there is dying is it? Businesses collapsing keh? Last I check, IKEA, Ericcson, Tetra Pak, Electrolux (and others) are doing pretty well, if not okay, these days.

Maternity leave a major strain
thestar.com.my
“… I know of some employers in the West who prefer to run their business with the help of family members because employing staff will be too expensive, and will eventually compromise the company’s stability… Unions and NGOs have tilted the balance of benefits far too much in favour of the employ…

»» It’s not all roses when it comes to higher retirement age. What about in countries/areas where unemployment among the young is high and positions are only available when someone retires or leaves? What about wage calculation? The French protest a higher retirement age not because they are lazy but because there are other hidden implications in the long run.

TODAYonline | Singapore | Live longer, work longer?
www.todayonline.com
SINGAPORE – Even before laws to re-employ workers for three years beyond 62 are in place,…

»» I wonder whose pockets got fatter with the money from this. *sigh*

Money paid but projects yet to be completed
thestar.com.my
A TOTAL of RM753,723 was paid for 67 acquisitions involving 31 projects without the items being received or the jobs done under the First Economic Stimulus Package, said the Auditor-General’s Report 2009.

»» WTH. You mean to tell me that you had no guidelines in place when it comes to dispensing funds? Talk about corruption occuring in plain sight.

Health Ministry rapped over payment to private hospital
thestar.com.my
…In its reply, the ministry said it approved the RM7mil based on feedback from the technical division. It said the ministry is in the midst of drafting a set of clear guidelines to be submitted to the Finance Ministry for approval…

»» Our mothers, MILs and confinement ladies plus hospitals AND even new mums need to understand that preventing mothers from caring for their babies especially at night and preventing things like rooming-in on the pretext of rest does more harm than good in the long run. Foresight is needed.

Study: Lack of breastfeeding costs lives, billions of dollars – CNN.com
edition.cnn.com
If most new moms would breastfeed their babies for the first six months of life, it would save nearly 1,000 lives and billions of dollars each year, according to a new study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

»» Unbelievable. =.= (Next we’ll have people tell us that male enhancement products must be a staple!)

TODAYonline | Singapore | ‘Daddy’ raped minor to ‘protect her from being cheated by men’
www.todayonline.com
SINGAPORE – Under the pretext that he wanted to prevent the girl from being cheated by men, he…

»» This is why you should not simply take antibiotics for any darn bloody thing – seen doc give out antibiotics for flu, food poisoning, etc before even making sure if there is a real need for it (note that antibiotics only kills bacteria and does nothing to viruses)!

Superbug detected in woman
www.thestar.com.my
GUA MUSANG: A superbug which is resistant to antibiotics has been detected in a 24-year-old woman, the first known case in Malaysia, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Liow Tiong Lai.

»» Our reasons are simple: If we work in M’sia, the savings will be less due to the low wage vs high cost and forex. Then there is the matter of work culture vs work productivity, red tape as well as the quality of the education our children will receive. Does the TC need any more reasons?

It may not be just money
www.sun2surf.com
Many of those working abroad have heard of these promises before and some did return but found the red tape just too much for them to bear that after a while they went back. So the task of the Talent Corporation is also to convince the Malaysians living and working abroad that things are different n…

»» From Mdm Demori again. Needless to say, I had a good laugh.

theSun
www.sun2surf.com
“Free mingling of the sexes is certainly not advisable because it can affect people in an adverse manner both physically and emotionally. Extra-marital sex can lead to a host of diseases…Ultimately, good sex is a commitment, like marriage and like life. People who opt for free mingling of the sexe…

»» This is why M’sians who marry abroad ought to register their marriage with the M’sian HC or embassy within the time frame given. Have lost count of the no of people who ask me if it’s okay if they don’t register their marriage – excuses given as things like “too much of a hassle, too problematic, etc”. Hello, you got m…arried – isn’t that already a lot???? What’s a little bit more paperwork?

Approval for citizenship under Home Ministry’s jurisdiction, says rep
www.thestar.com.my
”Since Kah Weng was born before his parents registered their marriage, then he is actually a non-citizen,” she said, adding that the parents had failed to comply with Section 31 of the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976. She said under the act, couples who got married abroad must register th…

Life with a toddler.

Posted on October 30, 2010 by Mabel

Many mums out there will tell you that those few early years with a toddler is a time peppered with lots of wanted patience, silent frustration and quick weight loss alternatives. You learn to…

…grow eyes at the back of your head,
…sharpened your instincts so that you know trouble is just around the corner when your little bub is silent for more than a minute,
…negotiate and sometimes it can be as if your little bub is a terrorist and unyielding.
…develop a thick skin and that stony face during public episodes of tantrum throwing.
…juggle a family on top of “me” time and if you’re like me, “shop” (own business) time.
…let go and trust that your baby will be back to you when s/he needs you.

Eva is becoming more independent as the days go by, sometimes faster than her 15 month old body can take. In a month, she went from supported walking to unsupported brisk walking and would refuse to hold our hands. She likes to do things her own way sometimes and insist on it to the point where she’d throw a tantrum just to get what she wants. Do we give in? On the contrary. We draw the line between “it’s okay to be yourself” to “it’s not okay to be yourself and get hurt in the process”. Occasionally, I let go, trusts that my daughter knows her limits and come out pleasantly surprised at the knowledge that she does. Often, if she has had enough of playing, walking and climbing, she’d tell us that she wants to go home and wind down for the morning/afternoon/night.

She has her own little agenda, but that’s just it – life with a toddler is never quite boring or the same daily.

Dating = impending parenthood

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Mabel

When the Premier of Malaysia announced that maternity leave would be stretched from 60 to 90 days for government servants, one particular letter made it to the papers a few days later. This individual highlighted some examples of discrimination against singletons in the workforce and while I can sympathize, I wasn’t all that impressed when that same person asked for an equivalent number of leave for dating (s/he made it sound as if one was shopping around for a hot tub cover)!

… If pregnant women can get maternity leave, why can’t the Government then also give 60-day “dating leave” for single people? …

Evidently, there are people out there who think that maternity leave is used by women to lounge around, shake their legs…all while getting paid. Never mind that it is always hardly the case, that the same single women later go on to marry and feel that they have been “singled out” (don’t mind the pun) as pregnant women or married women with young children.

Honestly, is it a pregnant woman’s fault when a singleton ends up having to pick up the pieces during maternity leave? When that same singleton is asked to handle more than they can take without due compensation? In fact, it isn’t. Pregnant women face problems of their own at the workplace. Many companies try to get away without having to pay for maternity leave by overworking pregnant women in hopes that they would leave before they can claim maternity leave. Others make life miserable for such a woman by loading her with work or impossible assignments upon her return from maternity leave. I know of many such cases in Singapore and I am sure that there are some in Malaysia as well. It was only recently, after the announcement of extended maternity leave, that women started coming forward with stories of companies mistreating pregnant employees.

Can we still say that single employees are right to pin the blame on their pregnant colleagues? I hope not. I shared my thoughts on the matter with the Star and the letter appeared today. Below is the full, unedited version.

The letter “Don’t single us out only when in need” left me feeling quite disappointed and sad to know that in this day and age, there are people who are still ignorant of why maternity leave exists.

Maternity leave is important as women need time to cope with breastfeeding, the care of a newborn, adjusting both physically and emotionally, and so forth. Some women have more difficult pregnancies than others with problems like morning sickness, gestational diabetes, bleeding, so forth. Carrying a baby – a human being – to full term is not an easy task or for the faint of heart. I find it shocking that an equation to dating is drawn! For a lot of women out there, can we truly say that our dating days are the same as having a baby? I doubt so.

If single people or married individuals are being singled out to handle tasks unfairly, they should take it up with their management and the Ministry of Manpower, not blame other married colleagues. Poor leave coverage is clearly a management problem and if someone has to shoulder the extra burden, the compensation should be made to that person. Again this falls under the jurisdiction and care of the company. For far too long, many Malaysian companies have forced individuals to work overtime or take on additional work without pay or time off. What is the Ministry doing about such organizations?

By complaining about these benefits that supposedly are for a group of people, the author run the risk of it backfiring. What if in the future, this person goes on to have children? Would they appreciate being forced to work away from home constantly, being forced to return to work immediately after having a child?

One thing is obvious – this single person definitely have no idea what it takes to have a child, much less, maintain a family.

Think before you pop that pill.

Posted on October 27, 2010 by Mabel

For years, we have brushed aside warnings of the existence and evolution of superbugs just as quickly as we brush aside people who hand out aj madison coupons and flyers by the road. We ignore them because we think they don’t matter or it’s not real enough for us.

The proof is now in the writing – they *do* exist and it’s thanks to our own paranoid attitude-actions towards medication. People who contribute to this range from the doctors who are quick to prescribe broad spectrum antibiotics for things that don’t require antibiotics like the common cold (a virus actually) to people who fail to complete their antibiotic prescriptions.

A superbug which is resistant to antibiotics has been detected in a 24-year-old woman, the first known case in Malaysia, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

…

Liow said the superbug, known scientifically as the NDM-1 (New Delhi metallo-lactamase-1), was not a threat to the patient and she was receiving regular attention at the hospital.

…

Identified in India and Pakistan, it had reportedly caused the death of a Belgian man and infected several people from Britain, Australia and the United States who travelled to the two countries for surgery.

The Belgian was reportedly infected by the bacteria after being hospitalised in Pakistan for a leg injury suffered in a car accident.

Full story here.

One thing needs to be clarified though. The NDM-1 is an gene NOT a bacteria. If a bacteria mutates and ends up carrying this gene, it becomes immune to almost all antibiotics. What happens is that when a bacteria with this gene comes into contact with an antibiotic, it’ll produce an enzyme that stops the antibiotic from doing its job.

And that’s not all.

The NDM-1 gene can jump across bacteria strains easily and it’s worrying – imagine encountering a bacteria that is already resistant to one antibiotic in the market and then have this gene hop onto the same bacteria. You end up with a potentially infectious disease that has no known treatment at all.

So how is it not a threat to us? Gosh. Typical response really.

One way we can do our part is by being more careful with the medication we put into our mouths. Question our doctors whenever they prescribe antibiotics. I was given antibiotics for a common cold that I had a few weeks ago. Did I take it? No. Why? Because I know that common colds are caused by viruses NOT a bacterial strain, hence there is no need for any antibiotics. Not only it is a waste but it actually kills good bacteria in the body (women take note) resulting in higher chances of you contracting things like a yeast infection.

How annoying!

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Mabel

I have been using these template pencils for all my quilting projects and never had any issues washing them out – they are washable, in case you’re wondering – until bloody now. At least five of my handmade toys have template pencil stains which will not go away even after two washes (with detergent), application of stain removers as well as things like lemon juice + baking soda paste. I may have to resort to oxygen bleach in order to get the job done but that means risking a bleached-looking toy (which definitely cannot be added into the shop’s inventory). ARGH! This is just as annoying as having blackheads on nose which won’t go away!!!

This has been bugging me for the last two days; I ended up spending at least one to two hours just trying to remove the stain(s). Right now, I’m sick of sewing and am awfully tempted to break the offending pencil into two. And in case you think I’m joking, look at the picture below and see why I’m not exactly in the best of moods right now. Hmpr.

Thoughts on the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka tower

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Mabel

The latest talked-about topic these days in Malaysia is the proposal for the construction of a 100-storey tower in the heart of KL city, near the historical Merdeka Stadium.

Unveiled during the 2011 budget last Friday, it has since sparked debate on the purpose, the cost and the necessity of another skyscrape. Many deemed this to be another white elephant, a way for Najib to add a notch onto his bedpost, just as his predecessor, Mahathir did with the set-up of Cyberjaya, Putrajaya and other mega projects.

Quoted here,

“Mr Najib said that such projects exemplify the spirit of ‘Malaysia Boleh’ or ‘Malaysia Can!’, a national campaign conceived by former premier Mahathir Mohamad, a huge advocate of mega projects.”

When faced with backlash from both opposition parties as well as most members of the public, Najib went on to add that

“…the rationale for the Warisan Merdeka tower was similar to the one behind the iconic twin Petronas Towers, in that it would serve as a symbol of a modern and developed Malaysia.

He stressed that the project would also have a “multiplier effect” on the economy and help drive it forward, in addition to providing an attractive commercial centre for Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera businesses alike.

“This project is not a waste (of resources) but will bring benefit,” he said.

Najib dismissed out-of-hand Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) criticisms that such expenditure was “irresponsible” by pointing out how well-received predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s megaprojects had been despite opposition attacks.

“When Tun Dr Mahathir built the Penang Bridge, they (the opposition) attacked it too, but now the people of Penang themselves are asking for a second bridge,” he said, adding that the former premier’s decision to build the Petronas Towers had faced similar problems.”

See full story here.

There are some things I’d like to put forth (and would like some answers, if possible) – if only he goes around reading blogs and especially mine (would he have any reason to?) – to the good Premier of Malaysia. Sometimes I do wonder…does he think that projects like this are as simple and clear-cut as finding out what diet pills work best?
Continue reading →

Very Berry Muffins

Posted on October 17, 2010 by Mabel

Having a toddler around is often an added incentive for me to whip up some really yummy goodies. The fact that she’s also quite adventurous with food and willing to try new things helps a lot. Unlike many of my Asian friends, I’ve taken a different approach to feeding Eva – nearly no porridge and plenty of “adult” food. Contrary to popular belief, toddlers and babies above 1 yo can eat adult food, provided that they have been introduced to chunky textures after 8-9 mths. This is important as babies need to learn how to chew and manage large chunks of food – hard and soft. Plus chunky textures also means good exercise for the gums!

I make nearly all the “adult food” that Eva eats, from pastas to muffins and cakes. This way, I ensure that she takes minimal amounts of sugar and salt and no preservatives or artificial flavouring. Doing this also helps us both when we go out for meals or travel because it means that she can join us at the table with minimal fuss and enjoys equal treatment that adults gets (plus herself too!). I believe that I have a budding foodie on my hand and she is starting to show a keen interest in the kitchen, often wandering in there whenever the light is turned on in hopes of catching a glimpse of food preparation in progress as well as to sneak in a bite or two!

Anyway, for this recipe, I cut back on the original amount of sugar (from 1 cup to 3/4 cup) and used a mix of berries instead. The result is a rather moist and fruity muffin that is not very sweet at all; great for toddlers and those of us who don’t have a sweet tooth! Plus it’s pack with lots of antioxidant and Vit-C goodness – beats OD-ing on vitamin c serums, no?

Very Berry Muffins
Adapted from Gourmet Girl’s Moist and Light Blueberry Muffins

3 cups cake flour
3/4 cup brown/black sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup plain yogurt (low-fat is alright but I’ve used full fat)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup chopped strawberries

Method

Preheat oven to 190 °C. Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.

Whisk all wet ingredients together and mix well.

Add dry ingredients to egg-yogurt-sugar-vanilla essense mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until just barely combined. Add blueberries and fold in. Do not overmix as it’ll result in dense, dry muffins.

Fill paper cups halfway and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. If possible, put a small ovenproof glass of water in together with the pan to keep the muffins moist throughout the baking process.

Serve warm/cool as is or with a sprinkling of icing sugar.

Time to babyproof and retrain!

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Mabel

Before people here think that having a child in a home is akin to being in a death trap, it’s not. Babyproofing is one thing, training and disciplining your child is another. I have wires and electrical sockets running around free and Eva knows very well that touching them means Mummy is going to scold her and she doesn’t like being scolded. So she stays away from the “no-no” which are wires, sockets, drawers and cabinets.

But now that she’s walking, stumbling and falling are pretty much out of her control. So we’ve decided to babyproof our coffee table and low furniture by using corner protectors. Babyproofing is not like stocking up on Polaris Accessories for your car but more on the simple matter of moving things that are dangerous (eg, can lead to choking, hurt fingers, etc) up and off the ground by 12 inches or more, stashing away cleaning agents, curving off sharp corners and well, make sure that those little curious fingers don’t get caught in door hinges and etc.

It’s that phase in life that every parent goes through and after a while, it’ll be quickly replaced by another. For now, babyproofing is IN!