An Unexpectedly Painless Process (Changing Schools)

We have moved so the kids need to be transferred to a new school for 2009.

Given our work commitments, neither Hubs nor I could take time off earlier to see to the paperwork and processes involved. As such, it was left to the eleventh hour (this week) for us to attend to the matter.

I expected it to be an arduous process, filled with a lot of waiting and paperwork. What happened has been pleasantly the opposite.

Last week, my sons’ present school efficiently handled my forms, typing them up and having the headmistress sign off on them on the same day itself, instead of the usual two to three working days.

This morning, I went to the District Education Office in Shah Alam to get the application approved. There where long queues of parents waiting with forms in hand. Apparently, we weren’t the only last-minute ones. I had around 25 people ahead of me, with only three counters open and one hour before Friday prayers and lunch break. When 12.30 rolled around, there were ten people still to go, and I half expected to be told to come back after the customary two-hour Friday lunch breaks. Instead, the Assistant Registrar himself came to the counter and called all parents of primary schoolkids to come forward with our papers. Having checked that all the necessary documents were in order, he told us to wait. Fifteen minutes later, he re-appeared, and I received my application to change my sons’ schools chopped, signed and approved. All I had to do was to deal with the new school itself now.

I said thank you, but it’s hardly an adequate expression, given how much bureaucracy and waiting time I was expecting. To have that slashed to less than two hours seem quite miraculous. Either this is a normal turnaround time for applications of this sort, or the Assistant Registrar had the sense (and initiative) to realise that with a week to go before the new term starts and three working days only next week, an express solution is needed or some children will not be going to school in time for the new term. Whatever the motivation, this is one very grateful parent. It would be wonderful if all other parts of the Malaysian civil service could be as efficient.

Well, all that remains now is for me to bring the kids’ files (obtained within fifteen minutes today as well) to their new school and hope they will get into the best classes with the best students and that the new environment will be as conducive for learning as the old one has been.

Filed under: Malaysiana, Personal Note, government , civil service, education, education system, kids, malaysia, public school

60 Years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home — so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any map of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person: the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works.” Eleanor Roosevelt

10th December 2008 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since December last year, the Every Human Has Rights campaign has been running, with a different theme each month, and highlighting the various worldwide efforts to remind governments and individuals of the UN Charter, and to push/agitate for compliance.

If you haven’t yet, please, visit the website, read the Declaration, and give your pledge. There is even a plain language version, which strips away the legalese, and makes the Declaration understandable to children.

There is a good article on Malaysiakini, which revisits the human rights issue, and reminds us that:

…rights are universal. Rights do not depend on membership of a particular community or citizenship in a certain state. They are not derived from a social contract.

Rather, because rights are universal, they are attributes of all human beings. Indeed, they are part of what makes us human. Each of us may enjoy rights. Those who exercise power may do so only in limited ways. The limits are set by rights.

..the Universal Declaration marked a giant step forward, as the world’s governments – with abstentions from the Soviet bloc states, Saudi Arabia, and apartheid South Africa, but with no votes in opposition – agreed that rights should take precedence over state power.

Today, the most effective force promoting human rights is global public opinion, informed and mobilised by the large and growing non-governmental human rights movement, which, as in the recent war between Georgia and Russia, has focused international attention on violations of the laws of armed conflict that protect non-combatants.

There are many countries in the world, including the US, that continue to flout the Declaration they pledged in 1948. But, as the author Aryeh Neier reminds us, “without the legitimacy derived from the Universal Declaration and its role in promoting compliance, the non-governmental human rights movement could not have developed into a global force.“

So, head over to the Human Rights website, and give your pledge. To date, only 43,000 plus people have signed the declaration, a paltry number. What is happening to your brothers and sisters, either in your own country or outside, can happen to you, and nothing would hurt more than to have other people close their eyes to your pleas for help or even, God forbid, endorse as well as support the violations.

Filed under: Collectibles, Malaysiana, Newsprint, Personal Note, government , government, human rights, sticky post, UN, war

Women Leaders: Not Hot

So who says the world is not biased against female leaders?

In this Washington Post article, “The label slapped on top women“, the writer contends that female leaders get unfairly labelled as “ruthless”, “conniving” and “mannish”, not because they have to be to elbow their way to the top in a man’s world, but because of ingrained beliefs of the nature of men, women and leadership.

“The roots are in stereotypes about women, men and leaders,” says Alice Eagly, a social psychologist at Northwestern University. “Culturally, women are the nicer sex, and men are more aggressive go-getters. Leaders are generically in our culture more like men than women in the way people think about leaders.“

Experiments show that women vying for leadership roles are automatically assigned two labels. The first is to be seen as nice and warm, but incompetent; the second is to be seen as competent but unpleasant. Women stuck with label A cannot be leaders, because the stereotype of leadership is incompatible with incompetence. Women who become leaders get stuck with label B, because if leadership is unconsciously associated with manliness, cognitive consistency requires female leaders be stripped of the caring qualities normally associated with women.

Judging from the tales of my female-manager friends, I would agree. As a female, women are often expected to be “nice” and “soft”, and when they exercise authority and act in the way male bosses do, they are automatically assigned descriptors such as “over-ambitious” and “ruthless”. Both males and females react with the same prejudice against females in authority positions, the article finds.

In a recent experiment, (New York University organisational psychologist Madeline) Heilman asked a group of volunteers to evaluate two leaders, a man and a woman. She devised two descriptions of executives with roughly similar qualifications.

Without the volunteers’ knowledge, Heilman regularly interchanged the names of the leaders in the descriptions. For each description, half the volunteers thought they were hearing about an executive named James, while the other half heard exactly the same description applied to an executive called Andrea. The volunteers were asked which leader seemed less likeable, and whether they would prefer James or Andrea as a boss. Nearly three-quarters said they thought Andrea was less likeable than James. More than four-fifths chose James as a boss. Women showed the same bias as men: Andrea seemed less likeable merely because she was a female leader.

Heilman’s finding replicates the conclusions of other studies: that the reason people see a highly competent woman as less likeble than a man with precisely the same qualifications is that such women are automatically perceived to have lost their feminine, caring side.

Filed under: Malaysiana, Newsprint, Women, Work & Productivity

Men in the Kitchen

I caught the tail end of Jamie Oliver last night, and as usual, drooled over his culinary creation. It was Caesar Salad with a very tangy twist – lots and lots of grated Parmesan and lemon juice, drizzled over crispy grilled chicken, crunchy croutons and a gorgeous bed of salad. Oh, yum.

Of course, Jamie’s yobbish accent doesn’t capture the imagination quite the way Nigella Lawson’s does but he is a cook I like to watch and learn from.

Back when I was in London, there were these amateur cookshows on British TV that I loved to watch - there was one called Ready Steady Cook where Joe and Jane Public were given fifty pounds (I think) to buy ingredients and had to bring them into the studio. There, they would be paired with professional chefs and had to prepare a proper meal: appetiser, main dish, dessert within 30 minutes. Invariably, one male chef – I forgot his name but he was tall, dark and rather handsome – would whip up creations that would win the studio audience’s hearts. And the members of the public were always quite evenly divided between male and female. In fact, gender wasn’t an issue at all – it was invisible and secondary to the culinary skills being demonstrated.

That, of course, is how the professional culinary world is. Actually, the world of professional chefs is male-dominated and no one kicks a fuss.

But in the world of households, though, particularly Asian ones like in Malaysia, it’s a different situation. A Vice Chancellor mentions that – with the gender imbalance in favour of women in Malaysian universities – it would not be inconceivable one day to find Malaysian men “forced” to go to the kitchen and take care of the children while their wives work, and the whole country is in an uproar. What! Malaysian men (Malay men in particular) doing housework? Unthinkable!

Filed under: Malaysiana, Newsprint, Personal Note, Women

Asia’s Progressive Women

(This is old news by now but I’ve been busy…) 

It’s always heartening to see Malaysian women named in regional and world lists. This time, it’s Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, our Central Bank governor who has deservedly earned a place as one of Asia’s Top 20 Progressives, “individuals driving Asia forward – those that are helping to bring about rules-based civil societies, or who are advancing the cause of better governance, be it in business or government.”

The assertive and competent Zeti Akhtar Aziz was appointed governor of Malaysia’s central bank in 2000. Her appointment demonstrated to the world that being a Muslim woman in an Islamic country was not incompatible with either holding a position of real power or with south-east Asian traditions. She had held previous positions with the bank, including deputy governor, chief economist and head of the economics department.

Zeti was instrumental in advising the government to unpeg the Malaysian ringgit from the US dollar, as she had been in advising the government about implementing the peg in the first place. Many might have disagreed with the government’s decision to peg the ringgit in 1998 during Asia’s economic crisis, but few could argue with the competency with which it was carried out – Malaysia’s central bank is one of Asia’s most technically able and least corrupt.

Very complimentary words indeed and a wonderful boost for Malaysia’s reputation as a solid, moderate Muslim nation. Given that finance is traditionally considered a male domain, Tan Sri Zeti certainly broke new ground when she became the country’s first female Central Bank Governor. Now what we women sincerely hope is that the same approach taken to Tan Sri Zeti’s appointment be applied in other areas that affect women, especially in the area of family laws.

The other two women on the list are Thai: Tarisa Watanagase, the first female governor of the Bank of Thailand, the country’s central bank, and Jaruvan Maintak, Thailand’s auditor general. 

Three out of twenty is not exactly representative of Asia’s female population, but it’s a very good start, and quite encouraging, given that the list selects individuals who push for transparency and accountability. The list’s specific criteria for selection, though, is not disclosed.

Filed under: Collectibles, Islam, Malaysiana, Newsprint

International Women’s Day

It’s today, March 8, an international day to celebrate women and the strides females have made.

Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate their achievements. While there are many large-scale initiatives, a rich and diverse fabric of local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women’s craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.

Source: IWD

There’s a page devoted to IWD in our local papers but scant little attention elsewhere. Only Victoria’s Station advertised a celebratory message in our print media.

I’m not surprised given how I was unaware of the significance of today if not for an email forwarded by Sharon. I am surprised though at the findings of a study conducted by Shamsir Jasani Grant Thornton that found Malaysia to be the third highest ranking country in the world when it comes to women in senior management positions in MLEs (medium to large enterprises). According to the study, 85% of MLEs have women in senior management positions. What’s also surprising is that Philippines and China are first and second, respectively, while countries like the US, Singapore and Britain are 13, 14 and 17.

That’s great news for Malaysian women but before we bring out the cake and bid farewell to the glass ceiling, the survey admitted that in terms of numbers, only 23% of senior management positions in the MLEs are filled by women. That means that although 85% of MLEs have women in their senior positions (and keep in mind, all it takes is just one woman in a senior position for the MLE to say yes to the survey question), when you calculate the number of senior positions in total, women constitute less than a quarter of the population.

Still, it’s not a shabby showing, considering Malaysia is only 50 years old, and has to battle with quite a lot of cultural, traditional, and religious baggage where women are concerned. I am still looking forward to the day when I can open a “Malaysia’s Most Successful” or “Malaysia’s Richest” spread in a magazine like Malaysian Business or The Edge and find a good number of females among the dark suited males that are usually featured. There are usually less than five when features like these are run, and though success can and should be measured by other means, I find it hard to believe that women cannot make it where the men have gone, if that’s where they want to go. 

The study also pointed out that women managers are likely to dominate positions in accounting, human resources, public affairs (PR), communications, advertising, healthcare and the law, and attributed this to “natural” tendencies of the gender as well as by employee and employer leanings. Hmmmm.

I myself am aware that there’s a heavy concentration of females in sectors of communications, PR, and to a lesser extent, advertising, and would only like to point out that so far, in my own survey of Malaysian corporations, the path to the CEO’s office has never originated from PR, Corp Comms, or HR. This is not to say that these departments are not important, they are, only that if you aspire to be CEO, or in a very senior position in a big corporation (CFO, COO, for instance), you should be aware that these departments won’t lead you there. That’s my observation.  

The influence of religion and culture in Malaysia weighs heavily on women and family policies. As Marina Mahathir points out in her excellent write-up to commemorate today:

And here in Malaysia, it has been over a year since the Islamic Family Law was forcibly passed through Parliament and then immediately sent to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for review.Many consultations have been held with many NGOs but to this day, there has been no news on what the result of these consultations have been and what will happen next. As long as the law stays as it is, Muslim women in Malaysia remain at an inferior status to their non-Muslim sisters with regards to their rights in marriage, divorce, custody and inheritance.

We have not done badly, as a nation, in our treatment of women, but we can do so much better to tap into the talents and skills of this half of the population. This is the half of the population that usually bears the load of family responsibilities in the event of break-ups or marital discord, and the unique situations faced by the women of this country, in particular Muslim women, should be addressed.

Our Ministry must do more to protect and champion the rights of women in this country in terms of education (does our Ministry vet through our textbooks and ensure that syllabuses are taught in a way that does not teach children to gender-stereotype from an early age? Children in school are still being taught that polygamy is okay without being told of the responsibilities and consequences), family laws and policies (we have made strides in Syariah courts but not sufficient to ensure justice for wives and mothers; working mothers still find it tough to balance work and childcare because there are not enough incentives given to companies to offer facilities or flexi-time to career Moms), and not just focus on giving aid and charity. The latter treats symptoms whereas the former can ensure that the future is brighter for all Malaysian women. And when Malaysian women are truly given an equal platform to compete and succeed, the whole country will benefit.

I would urge our Minister (who I have been told is a wonderful person) to take a stronger stand on women’s issues and to be ever vigilant against gender chauvinism in policy-making. There are times, Madam Minister, when you have to very tough and not give way.

I recommend again a visit to Marina’s blogpost, as it gives an excellent round-up of events concerning women all around the world.

Filed under: Malaysiana, Newsprint, Women

Valentine Writing

So, how was your Valentine’s Day?

Despite the usual calls from Muslim clergy that celebrating Valentine’s is haram (wrong/sinful), I got carried away this year and gave chocolates to my workmates. I also sent SMS-es to some family members and got a terse reply from one Uncle: “You got the wrong person”. Uh-oh. I responded and said, “No, I didn’t” which I think must have sent him into a (silent) seizure.

Honestly.

But I had an interesting discussion with my good friend M the other day about Valentine’s. She’s French and she was explaining to me that in France, you only celebrate Valentine’s with your lover, spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, the person you have a crush on, etc. She found it very strange that in Malaysia Valentine’s is celebrated with friends, family and yes, even work colleagues.

I find it hard not to celebrate Valentine’s – even though my husband and I forego the crowded, overpriced dinners for Valentine’s (eschewing the commercial trappings also means yours truly doesn’t get any red roses, unfortunately). My Mom never failed to celebrate, and there was one memorable year when I was in boarding school when she sent me two dozen red roses for Valentine’s which caused a stir because she had signed it “Secret Admirer” (she was kind enough to tell me she had sent it though). The roses still came for me even after I had grown out of school, got married, had kids. God, I miss her.

She didn’t think it was against Islam and I would like to think that it’s not, either.

Valentine’s is a fun excuse to celebrate love and relationships. Of course, you shouldn’t need to have an excuse or a special day imposed, but saying “Happy Valentine’s” is a quick, easy, and relatively innocuous way to say, “Hey, you are appreciated” whether as a friend/partner/colleague/relative. You won’t get away with it so easily on other days!

But I am still evaluating the reasons for the call to stop Muslims from celebrating Valentine’s. Perhaps we Muslims should have our own Day of Love where we can indulge in being romantic – after all, our Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. was romantic in his own way – and I am sure Islam is not meant to be serious, rigid, boring and strict all the time.

Filed under: Islam, Malaysiana, Personal Note