Assorted links

1) Engineering Malaysia’s Future (written by Sir James Dyson, industrial designer and founder of Dyson Ltd)

Excerpts:

What boosts a country's economy aren't stockbrokers and financial speculators -- making things does.

Firstly, we need to get young people excited about science and engineering for the satisfaction of solving a problem. Secondly, we need to be exploiting knowledge through collaboration, not competition, between universities, companies and not-for-profit organisations. Lastly, we need to create a culture where science, technology and engineering are held in high esteem.

Research and development takes time and it takes money, with many dead ends before breakthroughs occur. But it is how new technology is created; it's a long slog -- ideas are instant but invention is long-term. When a breakthrough does occur it must be celebrated and in turn this will help open the eyes of the public and young people to engineering's opportunities.

So, yes, while Malaysia has ambitious plans to become a developed nation by 2020, achieving them will be possible if everyone steps up. Governments, academics, schools, researchers and businesses all have their part to play in engineering Malaysia's future.

2) Malaysia’s Middle-Income Trap (written by Nina Merchant-Vega and Herizal Hazri of Asia Foundation)

Malaysia has done tremendous job progressing from low-income nation to middle-income nation. But why it is so difficult to move up further to high-income and developed nation? One of the points in the article stated that we need to progress from being manufacturers (and depending too much on foreign investors) to becoming inventors (and innovators), which repeats what James Dyson said in his article above.

3) Watch This Face - Dr Afifi al-Akiti (written in Emel, a Muslim Lifestyle Magazine)

Not long after Mamaboyz (aka DrWati) wrote about Ustaz Zaharuddin’s article ‘Inginkan ulama Malaysia seperti al-Qaradawi’, I came across this tokoh Shaykh Afifi, who is the first Malaysian/Malay Oxford Don. Wow. How come I’ve never heard of him before?

Excerpt:

Dr Afifi al-Akiti - also known as Shaykh Afifi - is a man with many hats. When he dons his mortarboard he is the ever erudite Oxford scholar. Walking through the historic stone-walled city, he bears the positions of Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Theology - Oxford University’s oldest faculty - as well as holding a Lectureship in World Religions at Worcester College, University of Oxford, where he teaches both Islam and Christianity.

Yet when he takes his position at the front of the mosque, sits on the floor and ties his ulema imama, he is the classically trained Muslim theologian and skilled faqih. Steeped in both Islamic and Western academic cultures, Dr Afifi is blessed with a rare insight.

The mortarboard, he notes, is inspired by a madrassa graduation ceremony where students would reverently tie the Qur’an upon their heads. Similarly, the Oxford one-on-one tutorial system mirrors the traditional relationship between shaykh and student. As the first ever Malaysian Oxford Don, Dr Afifi continues breaking boundaries, reaching out far beyond the dreaming spires; in addition to his critically acclaimed written works, he has worked on several BBC documentaries, including the recent Science and Islam.

4) Can’t Find a Dream Job? Create Your Own (written by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits blog)

Excerpt:

Don’t wait for someone to hand it to you. Don’t hope that you’ll win the lottery. Don’t give up and consign yourself to a fate of misery and (worse) dullness.
Create your job! It might sound far-fetched for some of you (while others have already done it) but it’s very possible. Not easy, mind you: it takes hard work and smarts and passion and a crap-ton of learning and a willingness to take risks and make mistakes.

5) Responsibilities of Ownership (written by Erin Doland of unclutterer.com)

This article really resonates with me. I'm sometimes conscious about being perceived as 'kedekut or berkira nak beli benda-benda' among my siblings, but it's not really about the money (though sometimes it is), it's about being a smart consumer.

Excerpt:

One of the downsides of owning a lot of things is you have to care for a lot of things. Caring for copious possessions is simple if you have a team of people to do it for you — cleaning, maintenance, security — but not so simple when you’re the one with all the responsibilities.

I’m not an ascetic. I have stuff. My son has toys, and our family has a car. I’m not an advocate for a possession-free lifestyle. Rather, I adhere to smart consumer practices (spending less than you earn, researching products before your buy them, buying the best quality you can afford, only buying products you need or help you pursue the remarkable life you desire, and trying your best to refrain from acquiring clutter).

Another thing smart consumers acknowledge is that stuff is more than physical objects. Stuff is storage space in your home. Stuff is protecting your things from theft, pests, mold, mildew, and the elements. Stuff is taking time for dusting, cleaning, and returning things after you use them. Stuff is shipping costs, taxes, upgrades, accessories, and energy to power. Stuff is the tradeoff of time, energy, money, and space that you could have used for something else — something you might want more in your life.

Before making a purchase or acquiring a new object, pause and ask yourself if you are willing to accept all the responsibilities that accompany the object. When sorting through the things in your home, ask yourself the same questions. Recognize how the things in your life will impact your future. Don’t get caught off guard by the responsibilities of ownership.