With income per capita of about US$9,970 and Petronas continuously providing an onerously generous 40 per cent to government revenues, Malaysia has all the essential ingredients to flourish.It remains a mystery as to why and how this small country of 30 million people managed to shockingly assume the unsolicited title of the region’s most unequal nation.Have we the common people, appreciated how much wealth Malaysia has?Do we have a clear picture as to how such wealth was spent?In these essays, the author attempts to uncover how our oil and gas resources were developed and whether they have been exploited for or, rather, at the expense of the general public. The oil royalty dynamics are also explained step-by-step to provide a context to the on-going saga.How does the exploitation of this fast-depleting resource play a pivotal role in the multiple socio-economic realities we face, ranging from household debt to income inequality, stagnant wages and poor educational standards in international rankings?Is our national education a failure? Should we teach Philosophy in universities?What are the myths of the rich and poor? How can education alleviate the poor? Encounter failures inherent in the education system and discover the spirit of education volunteerism as possible ways out. This forms the raison d’etre for Teach for The Needs (TFTN) – to promote education equality among underprivileged children.Such a riposte to the current malaise in education begs the question, is school a betrayal to education itself? Is the time ripe to replace our current national philosophy of education with love and free education?The author’s search for enlightening answers to some of these hard pressing questions gave birth to this book where a mixture of ideas, ideals and critical proposals coalesce into one. Deliberations in this book are hardly the author’s alone – it is humbly shared in the hopes that they can be expounded further through the public domain. To that end – requiro!Categories: Criticism, Economics, Education, Energy, Essays, Malaysia, Oil and Gas, Pedagogy, Philosophy, Policy, Political and Social Views, Politics, Public Policy, Trade, Volunteerism

    and I am wide awake because the man of the house has decided that he needs to perform a series of complex manoeuvres that involve him balancing on his left elbow. When I fell asleep last night, there was a baby lying next to me. Her smelly diaper is still wedged on my head but aside from this rather damp clue, I can't seem to find her anywhere. I could ask my mother-in-law if she has seen the baby, but she may just tell me that I need to fast on alternate Mondays, and God will deliver the baby back to me . . . Full of wit and delicious observations, Mrs Funnybones captures the life of the modern Indian woman—a woman who organizes dinner each evening, even as she goes to work all day, who runs her own life but has to listen to her Mummyji, who worries about her weight and the state of the country. Based on Twinkle Khanna’s super-hit column, Mrs Funnybones marks the debut of one of our funniest, most original voices.

    and about life. From a key figure in the running world comes a unique little compendium of information and anecdotes about a life in motion. Champion marathoner Amby Burfoot has created a distinctive resource to help runners run better, faster, and farther. More than this, his succinct and sure-footed text will help runners rediscover and deepen their own joy in the sport. This is a celebration of running.Training, racing, nutrition, injury prevention, issues for women, weather, mental preparation, and the marathon are discussed in detail with plenty of solid information. Each chapter ends with a list of relevant principles of running. Interwoven among the facts and fundamentals are enlightening personal notes from a learned lifelong runner. The Principles of Running is much more than a simple manual. It is a book that you will not be able to put down, although you are not sure whether you are reading it for the running tips or the life lessons. It is a book that you will keep on your nightstand, tuck in your briefcase, and give to your friends. It is a book that is certain to help you hit your stride--whether your running shoes are off or on.

    Traces the long career of the popular rock guitarist, discusses the influences of his music, and assesses each of his albums.

    Moments later, Rajiv Gandhi was dead, blown up by suicide bomber Dhanu, irrevocably changing the course of Indian politics, as Neena Gopal, just yards behind him, watched in horror. In this gripping, definitive book, Gopal reconstructs the chain of events in India and at the LTTE�s headquarters in Sri Lanka where the assassination plot was hatched, and follows the trail of investigation that led to the assassins being brought to justice. Drawing on extensive interviews, research and her own vast experience as a journalist, she deftly establishes the background�the shortsightedness of India�s Sri Lanka policy; the friction between the intelligence agencies and between the agencies and the external affairs ministry; the many warnings that went unheeded; and the implacable hatred that LTTE supremo Prabhakaran felt for Rajiv Gandhi. Bringing all these complex threads together, Gopal takes us step by step to Sriperumbudur as Rajiv Gandhi walked inexorably to his death on that tragic May evening twenty-five years ago.