Shout! Make some noise!

I've just added a Shoutmix box to my blog. Earlier, I resisted adding a shoutbox to my blog because I thought the Blogger commenting system is sufficient to obtain feedback from readers like you. Response has been poor however with only one post receiving comments, although I'm sure that many people have seen/read more than one of my posts, so this is probably due to the clunky Blogger commenting system. I find it hard to continue writing without knowing the reaction from readers i.e. one way communication.

Other reasons why I don't favour a shoutbox:

• Limited message length.
• Older messages will be deleted if storage quota is reached.
• It's easy to impersonate another person.

But since a shoutbox is much easier to use, doesn't require an account and facilitates off-topic discussion, I've finally added it to my blog. It's up to readers to choose between the Blogger commenting system or Shoutmix to get their voices heard. I would prefer if readers use the Blogger commenting system while responding to articles, so that any comments will remain permanently together with the article written.

P.S.: Be the first to leave a message in my shoutbox (it's sort of empty) to secure a place in the Polywj's Book of Records! Sold in major bookstores and retail outlets.

Form 6: Malacca High School (Part I)

Two weeks into Form 6 at Malacca High School (MHS). Not full attendance though, because I ponteng (skipped) school on Monday and Friday last week to take the JPJ test for car and motorcycle respectively. In a moment I'll be telling all that I've learned about this school within this time frame.


School Background

MHS was founded in 1826, said to be the oldest government English school in Malaysia. The school motto is Meliora hic sequamur, which is Latin for "Malacca High School"... or so I thought. I didn't even realise it was the school motto when I first saw this phrase on the school crest (left). Only later I found out the meaning of these three foreign words: "Here we strive for better things". It is amazing that these three Latin words when translated into English become a sentence which is 6 words long, double the amount of words. But this is not my first encounter with a Latin school motto. In my previous school, the motto is Age Quod Agis, which when translated into English becomes "Whatever you do, do it well", also double the original amount of words. So my conclusion from above is that Latin is a rather compact language...

Much more information about MHS can be found in the Wikipedia article about this school here, so I will not go beyond providing a few important background information about MHS, or I may as well copy and paste the whole Wikipedia article here. Another thing worth mentioning about MHS is its school song. From the Wikipedia article and some research, I realised that the melody for the school song is called "Materna" composed by Samuel A. Ward in 1882. What makes it more intriguing is that the melody for MHS' school song is also the same as an American patriotic song called "America the Beautiful" written in 1904. So during the school assembly, imagine somebody singing "America the Beautiful" instead of the school song, which are both of the same tune. In place of "Sekolah Tinggi, Sekolah Tinggi" it would be "America, America"! The following is the lyrics for the MHS school song and "America the Beautiful", side by side for comparison. Below the lyrics is a small player that will play "Materna".

MHS School Song

America the Beautiful

Sekolah Tinggi Melaka keseluruh negara Beramai-ramai kita dukung rukun negara Satu padu bertenaga majukan negara Prinsip hidup progresif amalan sekolah kita Sejak lapan belas dua puluh enam namamu terbina Sepanjang masa kemuka mulia dan bahagia Sekolah Tinggi, Sekolah Tinggi, tempatmu berbakti Perpaduan, bercahaya, kekalan abadi.

O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain; For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea. O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine. O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam, Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self control, Thy liberty in law.

First Impressions

I've never imagined when I first arrived that studying Form 6 in MHS would be a world of difference compared to my counterparts in college. One thing for sure is that we have to don the school uniform (like ever before) although this year's uniform for Lower Sixes at MHS is different compared to other students, that is a combination of black and white (excluding purple and green necktie we have to wear full-time).

My first day there was last Tuesday and it was orientation week held in the school hall. We had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Mustafa, the discipline master, for a briefing (on discipline of course!). He can be described as anything but nice, but this is still based on my first impression of him, as always. Although it was the second day of school for us, he made a fuss out of those not sporting a complete school uniform. He proceeded to call those without a school badge OR tie to stand at the side of the hall and those without school badge AND tie to stand on the stage [Sweat]. Of course I (and among many others) have none of those, so I went up the stage, only to be called down a minute later because it was my first day in school [Sweat again]. After a lecture on school attire was everybody allowed to sit down again. What a pure waste of time. He went on to say that handphones are not allowed in school, and asked those who brought handphones to stand up. I was one of the few who admitted bringing along a handphone, though I'm sure there should be more. But he took no further action. Later, he demonstrated that he is someone not to be messed easily by throwing a chair ('jika tidak, kerusi ini akan layang'). Those who have trouble imagining it can find Jude for a rendition of this scene (Why Jude? More about that later). These happenings really brought me back to reality that as Form 6 students, we are still ordinary schoolchildren just like those in Form 1 to Form 5. What is special about us is only our uniform, which didn't translate into any "special" privilages...

Other first impressions of this school were gained before school starts and during recess. Every morning, we have to assemble at the Form 6 Quad to sing the school song and hear somebody recite the doa. Both are new to me, so I guess that this only happens in schools controlled by the Malays (all MHS principals since 1985 are Malays). And then there are the toilets. The toilets are definitely a far cry compared to my former school's toilets. In short, they stink. For girls, toilet woes abound! MHS, being a predominantly boy's school, has only a toilet (if I'm not mistaken) for around 250 girls to share. So expect a long queue during "peak" hours at the girl's toilet. The situation is so bad that a female teacher actually advised girls during the orientation to drink less water, in contradiction to the usual doctor's advice...

The above gives another impression that funds channelled to this school is not well managed. As a fully government-aided school, one can expect good facilities for the students, but contrary to my belief, this is not so. Not only the regarding the toilets actually, but also the library. Amazingly, the library has less books compared to, again, my former school, a mission school. Oh, did I forgot to mention that the principal drives a Mercedes and sits on a brand new plush sofa during assembly?

To be continued...
Next in Part II: Not everything is bleak - more on orientation week, my class and teachers.

Follow up on PSD scholarships for students with 9As

The New Straits Times did a follow-up report today on scholarships that the PSD is planning to offer to all students with at least 9As in their 2007 SPM.

Info on scholarships to be out next week

PUTRAJAYA: Parents seeking information on the government scholarships for students who scored at least 9As in last year's Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia can find it in major newspapers by the middle of the month.

The Public Service Department said it would take out advertisements with detailed information on the government scholarships.

A PSD official said those who had already started Form Six or matriculation could still apply for them.

"Students can also apply on-line but at the moment, the Internet forms are not ready.

"Information on how to apply online will also be mentioned in the newspaper advertisements.

Last Friday, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan announced that the government had decided to increase the number of scholarships.

Since then, parents have bombarded the NST with phone calls seeking more information.

Some asked whether their their children studying in private universities and colleges were also eligible.

The initial announcement said those eligible were students who scored 9As and above in the 2007 SPM examination, regardless of economic background.

I hope they would provide more details on this as soon as possible, so that students can make an informed decision on whether it is worthwhile to study in government or private institutions.

PSD To Sponsor All Students Obtaining 9As?

I saw a news article in The Star today entitled "PSD to offer scholarships to all SPM students with 9As". Can't you believe it? A lot of people I know obtained at least 9As in their 2007 SPM. But what's the catch? Here is what was reported by The Star and other media organisations:

The Star

PSD scholarships for SPM students with 9As

PETALING JAYA: The Public Service Department (PSD) will offer scholarships to all students who scored 9As in their SPM examinations last year, regardless of background, to study Form Six in fully-aided schools.

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan said students who do matriculation, including those in Universiti Malaya’s Science Preparatory Centre and International Islamic University’s matriculation programme, would also be offered scholarships.

These students will also be sponsored for their first degree if they do it in a local university, he said in a statement yesterday.

Sidek said the PSD would also sponsor such students if they obtained places in an Ivy League or equivalent university.

Top-scoring students who get a place in a Malaysian branch of a foreign university such as Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne Unversity will also be offered scholarships.

On top of this, Sidek said the PSD would offer scholarships to 2,000 students for overseas studies and a further 10,000 for studies in local universities.

He said the scholarships were being offered in line with the Government’s efforts to develop human capital.

He said the Government was aware that the number of high achievers is growing every year. Yet, not every student would have a chance to get Government sponsorship.

“The Government realises that high achievers are assets.

“As such, it has introduced the initiative to increase the number of scholarships where students of any background will be offered as long as they satisfy the SPM 9A score condition,” he said.

The move, Sidek added, would indirectly encourage these high achievers to further their education in local universities.

The New Straits Times (NST)

Govt scholarships for all with at least 9As in SPM

KUALA LUMPUR: Students who scored 9As and above in the 2007 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination will be sponsored up to their bachelor's degrees at local universities.

Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan said the government had decided to increase the number of scholarships because outstanding students were the nation's future assets.

"The number of students who obtain excellent results in all SPM subjects is rising every year but not all of them are able to obtain scholarships as the number is limited.

"Realising that these outstanding students are the nation's assets, the government has taken the initiative to provide scholarships to all students with at least 9As, regardless of background," he said yesterday.

"This move will indirectly attract good students to further their studies at local universities, which will also help to raise the standard of higher education in Malaysia."

Those furthering their studies to Form Six at government-assisted schools and matriculation centres under the Education Ministry, including the Centre for Foundation Studies in Science at Universiti Malaya and the Universiti Islam Antarabangsa matriculation programme, will stand to benefit from the offer.

"Students who have obtained places in Ivy League-standard foreign universities and local campuses of foreign institutions such as Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne University will also be sponsored," said Sidek.

The measures, he said, were consistent with government initiatives to develop skilled human capital.

The government will be sponsoring 2,000 students under its Overseas Degree Programme this year and another 10,000 students at public universities under the Domestic Degree Programme.

Both reports are very vague and confusing in their reporting. Do students have to take Form Six, matriculation and other programmes by the Government in order to qualify for this scholarship? What about those already studying in local private colleges and universities like Nottingham and Curtin in Malaysian campuses? They did mention ALL students! A report by Bernama on this subject is better in the sense that it clears up these issues.

Bernama

PSD To Sponsor All Students Obtaining 9As In 2007 SPM

KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 (Bernama) -- The Public Service Department (PSD) will sponsor all students who obtained 9As or better in the 2007 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.

This is in addition to the 2,000 students under the Overseas Degree Programme and 10,000 under the Local Degree Programme, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan says in a statement.

The sponsorship will be given to students undergoing Form Six at government schools and matriculation centres under the Education Ministry, Universiti Malaya's Pre-Science Centre and International Islamic University Malaysia's Matriculation.

It will continue up to the first degree-level at local universities and extended to those who have obtained seats at Ivy League universities overseas and foreign university campuses in Malaysia like Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne University.

Based on the above report (and my interpretation of it), the sponsorship will be given to students who will be undergoing Pre-U studies at government schools and matriculation centres under the Education Ministry, Universiti Malaya's Pre-Science Centre and International Islamic University Malaysia's Matriculation this year (yeah, that's the catch). After completing their studies, the scholarship will continue for those taking first degree-level at local universities and foreign university campuses in Malaysia like Monash University, Nottingham University, Curtin University of Technology and Swinburne University. Moreover, those who have obtained seats at Ivy League universities overseas will be also sponsored.

There are other questions that remain unanswered like "What is it meant by 'sponsor'?", "Is it a full scholarship?", "How are students going to know whether they are given this scholarship?" and "Do students need to apply for it or they will get it automatically?". I think these questions will be answered in due time. The most important thing the government is trying to do now is to get students to study in government-aided schools and institutions.

For 2007 From 5 students, it is another hard time rethinking whether they should continue into Form Six (and others mentioned) or study at a private university or college. Many have already decided on this before the announcement by PSD. Are they willing to sacrifice the luxury of studying in private institutions in order to gain this scholarship? And for those already planning to study From Six, they have to think of the increased competition they have to face when entering the universities covered by this scholarship after getting their STPM results.