Better English: 2016

Thursday, 17 November 2016

WHAT IS IT TO BE A TRULY MALAYSIAN

Introduction

Now, Malaysia has achieved the 55^th Independence ceremony. The freedom of Malaysia is not quite the same as different nations. It was a smooth independence complete by holding talks with the British. On 31 August 1957, United Kingdom gives independence to Malaysia. Independence Day means a day to celebrate the dignity and freedom of being a Malaysia.

Multi-Racial Culture

I am proud to be Malaysian is because there are multi-racial culture. Malaysian is a multi-racial country. There are few types of race and religion in Malaysia. For instance, Malay, Chinese, Indian, Sikh and numerous indigenous people. Growing in a multi-racial culture society has taught me to respect people from different race and religion. I was also taught to appreciate and love my country, Malaysia. Moreover, Malaysia is a unique country because all of the race has a different costume. When it comes to festive season Malaysian society will unite and celebrate the festive. Example of traditional costume in Malaysia are baju melayu, cheongsam, saree, punjabi, baju burung, baju panjang and so on. (SHAARMENI KALIMUTHU)

Purchase Malaysian Product

As a Malaysian, we should advocate the Buy Malaysian Products Campaign to stimulate the economic growth of the country while facing the global economy recession. Indeed, we should purchase the Malaysian products as the reduction in the cost of the product. This is because the overall of production would be reduced and indirectly reduced the price of the products as the special packaging of the products are not required for the transportation from one place to another place. Moreover, we could display our supportive to the local business by purchasing local products. Hence, this gesture would lead to more profit for the local business and create the jobs opportunity for the Malaysia citizen (Benefit of .net, 2016). (LIM MIUN CHEN)

Patriotic

A people who live in a country, must has patriotic spirit and everyone has a different ways to show that. As a Malaysia people, we also have patriotic spirit. For example, when we travel to other countries, we can share about Malaysian culture, foods and the place to the local people. So there will more people know about Malaysia and they also will travel to our country. The culture in Malaysia is different with other countries, foods are delicious and the places are very nice. Those who travel to Malaysia, they said that this country is very good.(KHOR QIAO ROU)

Language Ability

What actually makes us as a truly Malaysian is our language ability. Being a Malaysian, I can be very proud to say that the average of us speaks at least two languages. The national language of Malaysia is Malay (Bahasa Melayu) and English is the second language. Mandarin and Tamil are commonly used by Chinese and Indian respectively. There also have some spoken language (dialect) in Chinese and Indian community like Hakka and Telugu. In this way, Malaysian already beat out other nations like Korea and Japan where only limited to one language. This will increase the ability of Malaysian to survive and connect to the world with no communication problem. (OH YI ZHI)

Conclusion

In conclusion, we should be proud to be part of Malaysian citizen because we have beautiful community and civilization, can produce intelligent athletes. Hence, we must do the work together and citizen in Malaysia should make Malaysia proud.

Reference:

Benefit of net, (2016) ‘Benefits of Buying Local’ [Online] http://benefitof.net/benefits-of-buying-local/ Accessed: 16/11/2016

· Dre, Xiao(2016). "I Am Proud To Be Malaysian" [Online ]

https://www.scribd.com/doc/137699596/I-Am-Proud-to-Be-Malaysian [Accessed :14 Nov 2016]

· Saman, Hasni(2016). "I Am Proud To Be A Malaysian Because Our"[Online]

https://www.scribd.com/document/177147044/I-Am-Proud-to-Be-a-Malaysian-Because- Our-Country-Has-Been-Independent-From-British-Colonies [Accessed : 14 Nov. 2016]

Sunday, 6 November 2016

The Current Tax System is Unfair to the Middle Class and Lower Income Group. Do You Agree?

Malaysia Tax System can be divided as direct taxes and indirect taxes. The direct taxes such as Corporate and Personal Income Tax, Custom Duty Tax while for indirect taxes include Goods and Services Tax (GST). This entry will talk about Personal Income tax and GST in Malaysia.

Personal Income Tax is a tax collected from individuals and it is imposed on different sources of income like labour, pensions, interest and dividends. In Budget 2016, the personal income tax rate increase in high income earners and remain unchanged in low and middle income. The comparison between 2015 and 2016 will be shown at the table 1. (OH YI ZHI)

Table 1

We disagreed that personal income tax have impact the middle class and lower income group in Malaysia. As a Malaysian citizen, we have a responsibility to ensure that the country’s property is always properly cared for. Thus, we are based on our ability such as personal income to pay the income tax in order to contribute to the country. The primary function of taxes is to generate a stream of revenue for the government. Therefore, the tax that has been paid would be utilized in various types of purpose, such as paying the salary to the government employee and ensure the road safety as well as well-maintained (LIM MIUN CHEN).

GST is stands for The Goods and Services Tax and it is a consumption tax imposed on the sale of goods and services. In some countries it is also called Value Added Tax (VAT). It is a new tax instrument introduced by the Malaysian government on April 1 in 2015 and it is stand at 6 percent. GST has been force to charge on a material. GST is the replacement of CJP and SST.CJP stands for Cukai Jualan dan Perkhidmatan and SST stands for Sales & Service Tax. (SHAARMENI)

Goods and Services Tax (GST) had affected the business and consumers in Malaysia, especially the middle class and lower income group. The meaning of GST is the products prices increasing and cost of living become high, therefore people may not willing to spend so much as their limited purchasing power. For example there are some people is not eligible to pay for income tax where their income is under certain amounts, so the broad based tax system-GST will impact on those low income workers who are not the taxpayers, now as they will have to pay for GST when they consume and make purchases. (KHOR QIAO ROU)

Malaysia has to keep tab on improvements to the tax legislation in the region and other parts of the world. Make proactive suggestions to reform and enhance the current structure so that we are in step with worldwide developments. There are some of the current tax system that is unfair for the middle class and lower income group but some is not, like we disagreed that personal income tax is unfair but we agree that GST is unfair for them in Malaysia.

References

KPMG (2015) ‘Malaysia – Budget 2016 taxes high earners more, relief for low-to-middle incomes’ [Online] https://home.kpmg.com/xx/en/home/insights/2015/11/flash-alert-2015-134.html [Accessed: 03/11/2016]

Kumar, D. (2014) ‘What are the good sides and the bad sides of GST (goods and services tax)?’ Quara [Online] https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-good-sides-and-the-bad-sides-of-GST-goods-and-services-tax [Accessed: 03/11/2016]

R & C RADZI & CO CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS (2016) ‘ DEFINASI CUKAI BARANG DAN PERKHIDMATAN’ http://www.rundinggst.com/index.php/features-mainmenu-47/definasi-gst [Online] [Accessed: 05/11/2016]

Trading Economics (2016) ‘Malaysia Personal Income Tax Rate’ [Online] http://www.tradingeconomics.com/malaysia/personal-income-tax-rate [Accessed: 03/11/2016]

Saturday, 29 October 2016

Inspiring Story: People Who Had Changed the World

There are many people who made a different or who have change the world and they have an inspiring story that we can learn from them. For example Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi and others. Therefore we decided to choose Thomas Alva Edison and Jimmy Choo, They are the people who also have change the world so much.

Thomas Alva Edison was a very successful inventor and businessman. He was born on 1847 and died on 1931. The products that he contributed include phonograph, electric light bulb, motion picture camera and alkaline storage batteries as well as improving the telegraph. He held 1093 patents for his inventions. Edison started selling newspaper at age 12, he used the money to conduct his experiment. Edison was applying what he learned on his inventions. For instance, after access to the news bulletins teletype to the station office, he began publishing his own small newspaper. It was a started on his entrepreneurial venture where he can saw the opportunity. (OH YI ZHI)

He had an inspiring story that changed the world. He was a person who did not afraid of failure, not afraid of risk, never give up and know how to unleash own creative spirit. For example, he failed to refine the light bulb and so many times it took him 10,000 attempts to perfects. However he failed that but he still continued to try and try again until he successful and he said that ‘I have not failed. I have just found 9,999 ways that do not work’. So this shows that he was not afraid of failure and the risks. He also never gave up to have tried thousands of different filaments before finding a cheap but reliable substance to use for electric bulbs. (KHOR QIAO ROU)

Shoe lovers certainly have heard of the man behind of the most magnificent footwear brands in the world – Jimmy Choo which born in 1961 in Georgetown, Penang. Jimmy Choo made his first pair of shoes as his father taught him the skill and craft by the age of 11.Today his creation is recognized worldwide and giving back to the community by donating the money to the local charities is one of the preferred methods of successful people. For instance, he is planning to develop a shoe academic worldwide that firstly opened in Malaysia. He also went back to the London College of Fashion in 2014 for raising money to the young students (Jean, 2015). (LIM MIUN CHEN)

Jimmy Choo was never let to stich the shoe, he was told to sit and watch. In the early 1980s Jimmy Choo went to England, he choose to study at the Cordwainers Technical College in Hackney. After he graduated from his college with honors in 1983, he choose to stay in England. He open his first shop at Hackney in 1986 that was in an old hospital building. Princess Dianna also had bought Jimmy Choo shoe and she wear it where ever she went. The reason why the production of Jimmy Choo shoe was increasing, it is because of good understanding between the Vogue. (SHAARMENI)

We can learn many values through the inspiring story of Thomas Alva Edison and Jimmy Choo. If a person does not work hard will not succeed even he or she is a genius, like what Thomas Edison said 'There Is No Substitute For Hard Work'.

References:

Biography (2016) ‘Thomas Edison Biography’ [Online]

http://www.biography.com/people/thomas-edison-9284349

[Accessed: 28/10/2016]

Biography.com Editors (2014) ‘Jimmy Choo Biography’

The Biography [Online] http://www.biography.com/people /

jimmy-choo-20692491 [Accessed: 29/10/2016]

Jean, K. (2015) ‘6 Lessons To Learn From Malaysia Shoe

Designer & Millionaire Businessman Jimmy Choo’

Vulcan Post [Online] https://vulcanpost.com/365901/6-lessons-

jimmy-choo-top-shoe-designer/ [Accessed: 26/10/2016]

Library of Congress (2016) ‘Life of Thomas Alva Edison’

[Online]https://www.loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-

pictures-and-sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/biography/life-

of-thomas-alva-edison/ [Accessed: 28/10/2016]

Tuesday, 11 October 2016

Phobias

What are the girl feel when you see this picture? Fear? Afraid?

Maybe she has a phobia...

Phobia is an abnormal intense and irrational fear of a given situation, organism, or object. There are three categories of phobia which is specific phobia, social phobia and agoraphobia.

Shaarmeni
Specific phobia - Animal types - Cockroach

There are several types of phobia in this world. Phobia that I have was Katsaridaphobia. This phobia means that you are fear to a cockroach.

Cockroach is an unhealthy animal. I would feel uncomfortable if I see cockroach crawling. I hate cockroach because I thought it would bite my legs but after I done some research, I found that cockroach will eat human flash of both living and the dead. Currently, I was brave enough to kill the cockroach when it is small but when it is big I will just run away because it will fly and bite me.

Qiao Rou
Animal types - Frog

Ranidaphobia is the phobia that I have. This phobia is the morbid and irrational fear of frog and it is not to be confused with the fear of toads, Bufonophobia. When I am studied in primary school, there had a frog inside my school bag and follow me went to school. At that time, I totally do not know there had a frog in my bag, so from that time I am fear of frog. I will try to look more pictures or real frog, and try to imagine that the frog is cute like a dog so that I can overcome this phobia.

Yi Zhi

Situational types - The fear of darkness

Nyctophobia is one of the most common phobia in the world which means the fear of darkness. I was having this phobia since childhood because of the horror movie. After that, darkness had been considered as dangerous to me.

For me, the light is compulsive needed during night and I have to sleep with a nightlight. Driving at night also is a hard task for me especially is a rainy night because I would feel nervous and anxiety. Currently, I try to sleep without nightlight and I will do deep breathing and mind visualization when I have to staying dark instead of running away from the situation.

Miun Chen
Social Phobia - The fear of public speaking

Fearing of public speaking is one of the phobias I have in my life. Glossophobia is the scientific term designated to a severe fear of public speaking and discovered that their mouth dries up, voice become feeble and the body begin shaking. Those symptoms I have possessed assuredly. I may even sweat and felt the heart palpitating rapidly.

However, I began to realize that I should not be afraid of public speaking when I was appointed as chief invigilator during high school. This is due to give a speech during the gathering is one of the tasks entrusted and I have to give a speech in front of all the teachers and pupils. As time goes by, I have overcome successfully and now I’m not afraid stand in front of audience.

In conclusion, we have to face our phobias in order to move forward. If we do not face it properly, we will not get the things we want because the things we want always come with fear.