Robert S. Kaplan: Alignment: Using the Balanced Scorecard to Create Corporate Synergies
Khaled Hosseini: A Thousand Splendid Suns: (International export edition)
Michael H. Morgan: Lost History: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers, and Artists
William A. Cohen: A Class with Drucker: The Lost Lessons of the World's Greatest Management Teacher
This week the Flickr Urban Sketchers group's theme is bridge.This pedestrian bridge is located along jalan Sg Besi.I love the design especially the spiral staircase.I hope to sketch this bridge from this photo..
I love to snap photos of beautiful and unique bridges.Sketching them is another story.Below is one of them at Putrajaya.If you wish to sketch nice looking bridges,just go to Putrajaya.
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Is it due to my age or road and traffic conditions when I felt scared travelling along the road linking Gua Musang and Kuala Lipis three days ago?I think it is both.Just look at the photo of overladen lorry plying this stretch of road.As soon as the road was clear,I overtook this lorry because I was scared that the logs may fall off and hit me!
I was made to understand that this is a part of National Central Spine road that has been planned for upgrading.In the mean time,may I ask favours from my friends in JKR to ensure the roads have adequate guard rails(some damaged ones have yet to be replaced) and good effective traffic management in place when the roads are being repaired or rehabilitated.Just take a drive and you will know what needs to be done.
By the way, how do people drive along this highway with dangerous bends and double curvatures? Well, they raced as they like and broke all the traffic rules inside the MOT book!My heart was in the state of pray most of the time.
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I don't travel often but when I do,I like to stop at a few places along the highway.Today,on the way from JB to BBB, I stopped at Pagoh R&R.I was really impressed by the design and upkeep of the facilities.The place is beautiful,airy,clean and has adequate food stalls and facilities.Kudos to PLUS.
However, when I travelled from KL,Kuantan,Kuala Terengganu and Kota Bharu last two weeks,I think road users do need similar R&R facilities like those provided by PLUS and other toll road operators.For federal and state roads,I think the government should build the facilities and let the private companies manage and operate them.
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How do we get about 150,000 people to ride bicycles to work
in Paris everyday? If it is Amsterdam,I would believe it.If it is Kuala Lumpur,I would
say impossible.Yes, it is happening right now in Paris!
It started in 2005 and by August,2008 there are 20,650 bicycles for rental at 1,450 stations all over Paris.It cost a private company JCDecaux a sum of 90 million Euros and no cost to the government at all.This is a good privatisation model.For detail,please read here.
Dubbed Velib-From the French word for bicycle(velo) and freedom(liberte)-the project is a change management success story.I got to know about this because it was featured in PM Network monthly magazine,September,2008.
This is something that KL must learn from Paris.It is not enough to put the physical infrastructure in place.We have to manage the behavioural and cultural aspects as well.According to mahaguru of change management Prof John Kotter, we must manage The Heart of Change!
Photo Note: It is taken from PM Network Magazine,September,2008.
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Here is the story.
I am very disappointed that this had happened.As usual,the minister in charge of transport will say or had said:"Tee Keat meminta pihak RapidKL menyiasat insiden tersebut dan memastikannya tidak berulang lagi."I have heard that many times before,and honestly I don't believe it won't happen again.And the CEO was reported to say this,"RapidKL chief executive officer Suffian Baharuddin said the accident could have been caused by a technical problem."
To the CEO,please get your 'technicals' right!My ears and eyes are telling me that something is still wrong out there!
I have blogged before about the noise generated from the moving train.That is technical!Only deaf people could not hear the noise,and my fellow engineers must have heard about it.And what have they done about it?
The next time I board LRT or Putra trains,I will act like a blind and deaf old engineer.I see nothing and I hear nothing.It is better for me to bring my camera and take photos of people in the train(see the photo above).The photo on the left showed empty ERL.It is more interesting...
By the way,I have set up a Flickr group about Malaysian trains some time ago.You are welcome to see some interesting shots from our fellow members.Here is the link.
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I am one of those who could only afford to make noises in the Kedai Kopi or Kopitiam about the high cost of toll.Every time I visit my son in JB,I have to cough out at least RM41 just for the toll,not to mention about the same amount for the petrol for my MyVi.At least now, there is evidence that the new Minister of Work is doing something good for the rakyat and I also know that he is also instrumental for getting rid of ceiling price for the steel effective today.I hope this is a good beginning for a few more things.I look forward to hear or read more rakyat friendly good news from all ministers,especially those that affect the daily lives of ordinary folks like me. By the way,please donot ask us to eat less rice because the price is higher.
KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 (Bernama) -- The proposal to reduce toll rates will be brought to the Cabinet meeting for a decision, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today. "It is a suggestion from Datuk Zin Mohamad (Works Minister) who has expressed that his choice is to reduce toll rates. But the suggestion must be brought to the Cabinet for a decision to be made," he told reporters after officiating the opening of the Fifth Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) here today. Abdullah said this when asked to comment on Works Minister Datuk Ir Mohd Zin Mohamad's statement yesterday that highway toll rates could be reduced but it was subjected to the findings of a concession study currently being carried out by his ministry. The study is expected to be ready in another three months and will be the basis for the renegotiation of agreement between the government and the highway toll concessionaires in the country. Mohd Zain said the main issue up during renegotiation will be the clause on the toll rate review mechanism which does not allow the concession company to increase toll rates as it wishes but would have to depend on the number of vehicles using the highway. -- BERNAMA
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A few days ago I embarked on a Putra train from Pasar Seni to Taman Jaya. The noise generated when the train took a curve and when it was stopping was unbearable!Something was grossly wrong some where.I hope the RapidKL would do something before anything untowards happens .Over to you guys.By the way,the engineer in me is worried.
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Free for All!
That is the main news on The Star first page today.Even though I am not a regular traveller,I welcome a good competition between between MAS and AirAsia. Whatever is the offer,the consumers will benefit, one way or the other[the pun is intended].On reading the news,I was disappointed to get free ticket for my planned trip to 'balik kampung 'during this coming school holidays.The offer is only from 10th June onwards. Both are smart enough to charge us full fares during the peak seasons.After all, both are business entities to make money and not to give poor souls free tickets.
From my experience,I will choose MAS even though both of them give me free one way ticket.It is the level of service rendered at the airports and on the plane.I heard that Airasia is offering roti canai in flight.That is cool;but I prefer my roti canai at mamak shop better.
For small time businessman like me,it is the total cost that matters.It is not just the cost from one airport to another. That is how I will make a decision.
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First,let me thank Dr Idlan Zakaria for her permission to allow me to blog using her nice photo taken in Amsterdam. This shot reminds me of my family trip to Holland in 1997.It was a trip to remember for me and my entire family.We had great time in Amsterdam and the only thing that I regret was not making an effort to ride a bicycle in the Land of Bicycles-The Netherland.
Just look at the photo on the right.The road has a bicycle lane!I have been living in Kuala Lumpur for more than 30 years now and I have yet to see a bicycle lane in my neighbourhood Kampung Pandan,located about 3km away from the city centre.I am not wrong to say that KL is not friendly to cyclists.When I ride my mountain bike for my exercise/leisure,I am taking a great risk to use the main roads.Most of the time,I ride using side roads and only on weekends.Some time ago,I blogged about bicycle lanes but not in KL.It was along a main road from Alor Setar to Kangar! If my memory is still in tact,I observed that more bicycles were used in Oxford and Cambridge,England.With increasing fuel price,I think more people will be willing to ride bicycles if there are enough bicycle lanes provided.
Every time I see a kid riding a bike,it reminds me of my childhood days-way back in the 60's.During that period,there were not many small bicycles like BMX nowadays.I learnt how to ride using my late uncle bicycle and when I ziarah his grave two months ago, the memory flashed back.I remember he took me around in our kampung...(gendong at the back)
My parents could not afford to buy me a bicycle then.I always dream of having one of my own.When I got by first salary from being a temporary teacher in 1973,I bought myself a bicycle.I used it to travel from my house and the school to teach maths while waiting to get a place to go to UK to study engineering.(September 1973)
My kids were luckier than me.My second son is a fan of BMX bike.He loved to do all those dare-devil tricks.During one of my trips to England,I took him to White Chapel and ended up buying a morales bike for him.It cost me almost RM1000!Lucky boy...
In mid-90,I joined my schoolmate Nadim to enjoy riding mountain bike.My first bike is a Haro.It is still working until today after a few repairs.A few months ago, I bought another mountain bike-The Trek to replace my old shaky Haro.Now, I ride it about twice weekly.I know some of my peers who are sick and they can't walk properly.Here,I am riding a bike around the neighbourhood.My great thanks to Allah swt for His rahmah on me.Alhamdulilah.
Here are the link to my bike set and LTDL set of photos at my Flickr.
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It was the longest journey I ever took a ride on LRT from PWTC to Pandan
Jaya.It has nothing to do with the time taken even though I had to wait 15
minutes for the Ampang train to come.The last time,I took the wrong
train but this time I was more careful to read the signage.
The train was sardine-packed.The guard told me only eight trains are operating during weekends.It was all standing room only.For peak hours like this (7.45pm), I feel RapidKL should provide more trains.
Initially,I was breathless due to the body smells of those near me.My nostrils were bombarded by all kinds of smells that made my breathing difficult.I inhaled slowly to avoid bad smells from entering my lungs.I keep looking outside to check the next destination as I was anxious to arrive as soon as possible to get fresh air or when the train stops at the next station.At the same time I wish to arrive early to get out from the smelly crowd!
Next,entered two young couples who can't wait to show their affection to one another.They had to do it in front of me.I don't wish to elaborate in details what they did; but it was more than enough to get old man like me sexually aroused!This made my breathing getting worse.Luckily, in less than five minutes,my train arrived at the destination.As soon as the door opened,I quickly rushed out to get more fresh air.
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