Category Archives: Ponderings & Personal Development

HIV Programme – a rotten tomato rating to myself

Posted in All in a days work, Ponderings & Personal Development by

I wanted to host my HIV programme in a different format this year. Instead of another aerobics session with a public talk, I made it into an organised CME session. The turnout was bad as I overlooked certain things that could have made a difference. Less than 10 people attended the talk.

  • NO hype. There was no hype built around the programme. Hence, people were not excited to attend the session and just cited ‘being busy’ or ‘patient ramai’ as an excuse. I could do better by explaining what World AIDS Day is and emphasising the importance of healthcare worker’s support.
  • Existing HCWs do not see their role in HIV care. To them, it is a distant thing managed purely by myself, Dr Minci and members of my team. While it is true that we coordinate patient’s care, other healthcare professionals are equally important in managing these cases.
  • Team spirit. It is noticeably lacking as compared to my NCD team. Perhaps it is predominantly male making them less enthusiastic about the frills of any celebration.

Anyway, InsyaAllah I can do better in 2025. I will be having a new co-champion. I hope that everything goes well. Amin.

Ina Naim, Selamat Pengantin Baru

Posted in Current Events by

As much as I am not a fan of Ina Naim and her late husband’s parenting techniques and lifestyle, I feel that there is nothing wrong with her entering marriage life again. After all, it was a choice she made at her own will with her kid’s best interest in mind. It is not a crime to find love and comfort in the arms of another man after the passing of her husband.

I was honestly flabbergasted at the comments left by other women on her wedding news. Things like, “How could you forget your own husband already”? or “You are being selfish, you should think about your children!”

Ina Naim is a mother of 4. Before this, she had no income of her own and depended heavily on her husband for matters of everyday living. To have Khairul, her new husband, in her life is a huge step as they have to come to terms with the changes that will happen with this union. I really hope this man can be a great father figure to her children and that Ina Naim will be showered with much love and respect as a wife and mother.

I mean, shouldn’t we all wish the best for everybody? A little bit of thought and kindness goes a long way.

Making informed decisions based on the choices we have

Posted in Ponderings & Personal Development by

Perhaps we can start with food.

Every year there will be parents passing comments on Facebook about how displeased they are when their kids receive junk food as goodies during the end-of-year class party. The way I see it, if you have been feeding your child with mostly quality food for the whole year, then I believe that even if the child receives those goodies, he/she will know which ones she could indulge in more, and which ones to space out in terms of its consumption frequency.

Ramadan is coming soon. I think that is a good month to train ourselves as adults and our kids to make better meal choices during Sahur and Iftar. Malaysia has a very food-orientated scene during Ramadan. The bazaar keeps popping up more than the year before. I would expect the prices would be freaking expensive as well. Sadly, this is where food wastage happens as well. I feel that as Malaysian Muslims, we need to focus on sweetening the ibadat component of Ramadan.

Food should be back to what it is – a form of sustenance to feed the soul and body. Not as a means to satisfy cravings per se. Having said that, I am not against the idea of organising Iftar to form meaningful connections with family and friends. If it is well-planned and promotes togetherness, then that is also a form of Ibadat.

The life we live is based on the choices we make along the way. Make better food choices. Live a better lifestyle. That is what I am aiming for in 2025.

This is a challenging moment to be Vivy Yusof

Posted in Current Events by

Ever since the Khazanah x PNB investment loss of 43M came to light, netizens have not stopped asking for an explanation of what went wrong with Fashion Valet. Many have demanded that the husband and wife duo/founder of the company step forth and clarify the news to the public.

I thought it was interesting to discover that a lot of people actually do not want FV to succeed. So many people were talking trash about her. In fact, ever since Vivy was portrayed in mass media at least more than a decade ago for her bright idea of championing local designers to Malaysians through an online platform, people were still sceptical of her talent. She had the privilege of using Daddy’s money (which is true) and that somehow placed her in a rank similar to those who are not regarded as true entrepreneurs. For example, celebrity turned businesswoman or brand ambassadors etc. As opposed to those who have trouble securing a grant or a loan to kick-start their business. Even then, I still thought that if someone used Daddy’s Money and lacked entrepreneurial talent, the money would still go down the drain. Instead, Vivy’s business thrived and more people began to appreciate the works of our local designers. We should applaud that.

Even I was influenced to grab something from FV or more precisely dUCK. Too bad, I am not a fan of their collection and just bought a few scarves packaged beautifully in their signature purple boxes. Enough to convince myself that I was once part of the crowd. The interest towards the brand waned off sooner than I thought simply because of the high price tag. Although I could afford it, I did not think that it was worth my hard earned money. And so, FV or dUCK was just a ‘catalogue’ I enjoy browsing from time to time because of it’s aesthetic nature. While it’s visually appealing, it requires considerable contemplation before making a purchase. A RM300 scarf or RM400 tote could get me quality groceries for two weeks.

Over the course of time, it is expected that the designers no longer need FV to grow their brand and presence as digital technology has become more accessible and cost-effective to manage on their own. This was what I grasped from her book, The First Decade. To me, the book did not have a forceful presence like Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’ or “My Name Is Hasmah” by Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali. It felt like reading her blog as the tone is perceived as quick-paced. I could actually hear her voice in my head while reading. Even then, it wasn’t a book without substance at all. There were poignant moments that made you understand that running an online business is not as easy as it sounds.

Investments are bound to succeed or incur losses. What angered the public was that the loss was too huge and FV’s apology was deemed childish. What’s more, Vivy parades her luxurious lifestyle which gives an ick to those who have always been against her from Day 1. I honestly feel bad for her because I feel that she is receiving an inappropriate amount of hate simply due to her being already rich (generational wealth) and yet still being able to secure funds from Khazanah x PNB. In other words, using taxpayer’s money. According to the public, it should have been put to better use by these investors to support other promising and viable ventures. Honestly, I am not affluent in the business world. Hence, I trust that Khazanah X PNB would know what they are doing. Still, this issue does give me this unrested feeling that privileged members of society do have it easier sometimes. Thankfully, the investment made by PNB did not come from our ASNB subscription.

Anyway, I look forward to the turnaround of FV in the hands of NXBT Partner as the majority stakeholder of the business. I believe despite the setbacks, the couple will find a way to rise up again. True entrepreneurs always do. Perhaps in the future, the founders can approach matters with enhanced perspectives and establish an online presence that focuses on less contentious issues with other local e-commerce players.

MREC – Applying ethical approval for my FYP (OUM) research study

Posted in Adult Learning, Ponderings & Personal Development by

I am currently in the final year of my psychology studies. Initially, I wanted to complete my degree in 4 years but I underestimated the challenges that ensued when you’re a part-time learner. Studying while working is no easy feat. The stress gets to you. A fellow learner was even admitted to the hospital because of hypertensive urgency. I guess this is what happens when your students are in the slightly older group population. Sometimes I took only two subjects in a semester because I anticipated that my work burden would be massive in the upcoming months. Hence, the delay in completing my degree. Nevertheless, this is not a race. There is no rush as there are students who studied for up to 7 years to complete their journey. I am only up against myself to ensure I reach the end with a scroll.

An important component of this degree is to do the Final Year Project (FYP). Open University Malaysia (OUM) would provide the list of supervisors to choose from and I was so glad when I saw Dr Juliana’s name on the list. I have been eyeing her since the second year of my studies when she taught us Social Psychology. If her name wasn’t there, my next option was the HOD himself, Dr Wong.

I contacted her through email. There were a few forms to fill and I managed to submit my topic to OUM’s research unit. Next came the stressful part.

All research studies conducted at any KKM facility must have approval from the Medical Research Ethics Committee (MREC). I had a look at the requirements through the National Medical Research Registry (NMRR) website and was astounded by the amount of documents I have to submit for the approval process. What happened next was a race against time.

Thankfully the Clinical Research Centre at Melaka Hospital was of great assistance. They guided me when I had to amend my study protocol and patient consent form. I was relieved when my study was approved after 1 major and 1 minor revision. This is because, by the time Dr Juliana gave her clearance for me to collect my data, the MREC approval had come through. It was a 3 month process. At the same time, I also had to complete the Chapters as required by the FYP assessment scheme. That means preparing 2 sets of different things for the respective bodies.

Once MREC gave me my letters, I submitted a site approval form to the district health office for further action. Hence, here we are now. In my data collection stage. I am trying not to get myself too overwhelmed by taking it one step at a time. Thinking too far ahead would be distressing. Furthermore, I have my supervisor to advise and guide me accordingly. My aim is to send a weekly update so that I remain motivated and on track with my project.