FAQ Score-A Programme™

Apakah Score A Programme™?
Score A Programme™ adalah satu program interaktif yang komprehensif dan terbukti keberkesanannya untuk membantu para pelajar bersiap sedia dalam menghadapi peperiksaan dan mencapai kecemerlangan.


Apakah Pembelajaran Input?
"Pembelajaran Input" adalah proses memasukkan maklumat ke dalam sel-sel otak anda. Pembelajaran sekolah sama ada dengan menghadiri kelas di sekolah mahupun mengikuti kelas-kelas tambahan di pusat-pusat tuisyen, membaca, mengulang kaji dan menghafal merupakan "Pembelajaran Input". Terlalu ramai para pelajar menggunakan hanya "Pembelajaran Input", dan inilah punca utama mengapa mereka hanya mendapat pencapaian yang sederhana di dalam peperiksaan mereka. Untuk menyerlah di dalam peperiksaan, anda p


Apakah Pembelajaran Output?
Pembelajaran Output ialah suatu kaedah pembelajaran yang melatih para pelajar mengeluar dan menggunakan segala ilmu yang telah dipelajari di sekolah melalui latihan-latihan yang disediakan di Score A Programme.


Mengapa pelajar memerlukan Score A Programme™?
Score A Programme™ telah direka khas secara terperinci bagi menyediakan kepada para pelajar suatu kaedah pembelajaran yang sempurna untuk membantu mereka menghadapi peperiksaan. Dengan mengikuti Score A Programme™, para pelajar boleh menilai kemajuan dan prestasi akademik mereka sendiri dengan mudah dan lebih berkesan. Dengan ini, mereka boleh menilai sendiri tahap keupayaan, kesediaan dan kefahaman mereka tentang apa yang mereka telah pelajari di sekolah. Score A Programme™ memberi peluang kep


Kenapa eReport Card dalam Score- A Programme™ penting?
eReport Card merupakan satu ciri yang MESTI ADA di dalam Score A Programme™. Ini adalah untuk memberi maklumat yang terkini kepada ibu bapa tentang kemajuan akademik anak-anak mereka, dan dengan ini ibu bapa dapat mengenalpasti setiap kelemahan dan kekurangan akademik anak-anak mereka sebelum menerima kad laporan sekolah anak-anak mereka. Ini akan membolehkan ibubapa memantau akademik anak-anak mereka dan mengambil langkah-langkah yang perlu untuk memperbaiki prestasi akademik mereka.


Apakah aras dan mata pelajaran yang terkandung dalam Score A Programme™?
Semua mata pelajaran yang diajar di sekolah kebangsaan terkandung dalam Score-A Programme™, dan meliputi setiap peringkat persekolahan, bermula dari Tahun 1 ke Tingkatan 3. Score-A Programme™ juga merangkumi semua mata pelajaran yang diajar di Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina. Segala perisian Score-A Programme™ direka secara khusus untuk mengikuti kurikulum Kementerian Pendidikan, dan meliputi semua peringkat peperiksan kerajaan daripada UPSR dan PMR.


Adakah Score-A Programme™ akan membebankan anak saya?
Tidak. Score A Programme bukan satu pengulangan kaedah Pembelajaran Input, dan dengan itu tidak akan membebankan anak anda.


Perlukah anak saya mengikuti Score-A Programme™ jika sekarang ini dia juga menghadiri kelas tuisyen?
Perlu, kerana tuisyen adalah satu lagi kaedah Pembelajaran Input. Sebenarnya, Score A Programme™ merupakan pelengkap yang baik bagi kelas tuisyen anak anda.


Mengapakah Score-A Programme™ hanya menumpu pada soalan dalam bentuk objektif?
Kerana Score-A Programme™ menggunakan teknik Pembelajaran Output dan menguji para pelajar atas tahap pengetahuan dan kefahaman mereka menerusi dalam bentuk objektif.


Adakah bayaran yuran yang dikenakan untuk melanggani Score-A Programme™ berpatutan?
Ya, Score-A Programme™ adalah satu program yang mampu diguna oleh semua lapisan masyarakat dan sangat bermanfaat. i. Harga Score- A Programme™ berdasarkan "satu keluarga". Oleh itu, lebih ramai anak dalam satu keluarga, yuran pembayaran akan lebih murah. ii. Score- A Programme™ membenarkan setiap pengguna untuk berlatih dengan soalan peperiksaan yang tersedia berulang kali dengan tidak terhad, tanpa perlu membayar wang yang lebih.



Dapatkan Score A Programme pada hari ini: http://www.scorea.aridztech.com/?ref=rasyada

Berita Harian:Murid 5A UPSR meningkat

PUTRAJAYA: Keputusan Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) 2007 yang dikeluarkan semalam, mencatat peningkatan dari segi bilangan calon yang memperoleh 5A dan lulus semua mata pelajaran.

Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, yang berpuas hati dengan prestasi calon UPSR tahun ini, berkata keputusan itu mencerminkan kejayaan program melahirkan modal insan yang diberi penekanan dalam Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan (RMK-9) serta Pelan Induk Pembangunan Pendidikan (PIPP).

"Saya berharap pencapaian ini akan terus meningkat pada tahun-tahun akan datang," katanya pada sidang media selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat mingguan kementeriannya di sini, semalam.

Hadir sama, Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Hon Choon Kim; Ketua Setiausaha kementerian, Tan Sri Dr Zulkurnain Awang; Setiausaha Parlimen, P Komala Dewi dan Ketua Pengarah Pelajaran, Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom.

Keputusan UPSR 2007 diperoleh calon di sekolah masing-masing mulai jam 10 pagi semalam. Bagaimanapun, analisis keputusan dan peratusan kelulusan serta senarai pelajar cemerlang akan diumumkan hari ini.
Seramai 511,519 calon menduduki peperiksaan itu dari 3 hingga 5 September lalu di 8,812 pusat peperiksaan di seluruh negara.

Hishammuddin berkata, keputusan UPSR itu juga membuktikan tidak wujud kebocoran soalan peperiksaan seperti digembar-gemburkan sesetengah pihak sebelum ini.

"Jika dilihat dari segi grafnya, sekiranya ada soalan bocor, kita dapat lihat dari segi keputusannya dan jelas daripada taklimat yang saya terima, tidak wujud kebocoran," katanya.

Beliau turut mengucapkan tahniah kepada Terengganu yang mencatat keputusan terbaik dalam UPSR.

Pada sidang media itu, Hishammuddin juga mengumumkan kementerian akan mewujudkan talian hotline dan faksimili mulai Isnin ini khusus untuk ibu bapa menyalurkan sebarang isu atau masalah berhubung pelajaran anak-anak mereka.

"Mereka yang tidak berpuas hati dengan bayaran tambahan, isu beg berat, jadual sekolah atau pandangan berkaitan masa peperiksaan, boleh menyalurkannya menerusi talian itu supaya tiada perkara yang boleh menjejaskan fokus ibu bapa membuat persiapan anak-anak ke sekolah," katanya.

Hishammuddin berkata, kementerian juga bercadang mewujudkan Kelab Roket dan Angkasa di semua sekolah bagi menyemai minat pelajar dalam bidang sains dan angkasa.

Sementara itu, Pengarah Pelajaran Terengganu, Arifin Embong, berkata berdasarkan maklumat awal yang diterimanya, kira-kira 4,000 atau 17 peratus daripada 24,127 calon UPSR di negeri itu memperoleh 5A, berbanding 12.3 peratus tahun lalu.

Beliau berkata, Jabatan Pelajaran negeri menetapkan sasaran 15 peratus murid memperoleh semua A dan pencapaian 17 peratus itu sangat membanggakan.

"Hampir semua sekolah mencatat peningkatan dari segi kelulusan atau pencapaian 5A," katanya selepas melawat Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tengku Bariah di Kuala Terengganu.

Sekolah berkenaan adalah antara sekolah yang menunjukkan prestasi cemerlang apabila 41 muridnya memperoleh 5A, meningkat hampir 60 peratus berbanding 28 tahun lalu.


Jauhilah anak anda daripada ketinggalan : www.scorea.aridztech.com

Utusan Malaysia: Persediaan sebelum bersara

Coretan dari Mr Aridz;

Ramai yang tidak sedar bahawa kos kehidupan akan menjadi bertambah tinggi pada kemudian hari. Semaklah harga rumah pada lima tahun yang lalu dan pada masa ini, ada yang telah meningkat hampir sekali ganda. Rumah teres dua tingkat pada tahun 2002 ialah RM250 ribu di kawasan Ukay Perdana, Kuala Lumpur telah meningkat sehingga RM450 ribu pada masa kini. Begitulah senario kehidupan yang kita lalui.

Apakah pilihan yang kita ada? Ada antara kita akan bersara 5 tahun lagi, ada yang 10 tahun lagi dan ada yang 20 tahun lagi, namun apakah persedian kita? Adakah kita hanya ingin tinggal di rumah tanpa berbuat apa-apa setelah bersara. Umur 55 tahun tidaklah terlalu tua, ada anak- anak ada yang masih bersekolah samada di kolej atau universiti. Pembiayaan pendidikan perlu juga difikirkan dan disediakan.

Saya cadangkan kita melibatkan diri di dalam keusahawanan internet. Mungkin ada yang memandang sinis kepada pandangan yang diberi. Namun, dalam masa setahun setengah, saya telah berjaya mengumpul pendapatan sebanyak RM25 ribu walaupun saya tidak mempunyai asas di dalam pembinaan laman web pada mulanya. Bayangkanlah kemahiran kita yang bakal kita gilap jika kita memberikan sedikit fokus kepadanya setiap hari dan digunakan pada ketika kita bersara kelak. Jika panjang umur, saya masih mempunyai 25 tahun lagi untuk menyiapkan diri saya di dalam bidang ini sebelum hari persaraan saya nanti.

Saya percaya bahawa mana ada kemahuan, di situ ada jalan. Usaha murni pasti diberkati dan ada hikmahnya jika menemui kegagalan.Yang lebih penting, usaha dimulakan dan tidak mengaku kalah sebelum berjuang.

aridz

http://www.scorea.aridztech.com/?ref=rasyada
************************************************************

Miskin selepas pencen -- Dengan purata caruman
RM114,000 pesara belanja RM475 sebulan
Oleh NIZAM YATIM

KUALA LUMPUR 18 Okt. – Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) mempunyai caruman terkumpul berjumlah RM224 bilion sehingga Disember 2006 namun secara purata simpanan seorang pencarumnya yang mencapai usia 55 tahun cuma RM114,000.

Dengan simpanan sebanyak itu, seseorang pencarum KWSP yang bersara hanya mampu membelanjakan RM475 setiap bulan bagi membolehkannya menampung hidup sehingga usia 75 tahun.

Perbelanjaan RM475 sebulan akan meletakkan pesara berkenaan dalam kategori golongan berpendapatan di bawah paras kemiskinan.

Pendapatan orang yang dikategorikan miskin di Semenanjung kini ditetapkan RM530 sebulan, Sarawak (RM585) dan Sabah (RM685).

Pengurus Kanan Perhubungan Awam KWSP, Nik Affendi Jaafar memberitahu, pada masa ini purata caruman terkumpul kira-kira 47,500 pencarum KWSP yang akan genap umur 55 tahun pada tahun ini ialah RM114,000.

“Jumlah simpanan ini tidak mencukupi berdasarkan anggaran mereka akan menggunakan wang itu selama 20 tahun berikutan jangka hayat yang semakin panjang serta kos sara hidup yang terus meningkat,” katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia dalam satu temu bual di pejabatnya di sini.

KWSP mempunyai kira-kira 11 juta pencarum dengan 47,500 orang akan mencapai umur bersara pada tahun ini.

Harian Metro~Penghapusan yuran peperiksaan sekolah

Mengurangkan bebanan rakyat
Oleh Hatipah Ahmad

Antara yang diperkatakan di dalam Belanjawan 2007 adalah penghapusan yuran peperiksaan sekolah dan bantuan supaya kira-kira 31,000 mahasiswa menganggur mendapat pekerjaan. Langkah ini selaras dengan hasrat kerajaan membangunkan modal insan berkualiti dan meningkatkan peluang pekerjaan, terutama kepada graduan.

Bak kata Perdana Menteri, dalam usaha membangunkan modal insan berkualiti, kerajaan akan menggunakan pendekatan menyeluruh iaitu pengetahuan dan kemahiran, nilai etika dan kesedaran budaya akan diberi lebih tumpuan.

Langkah itu, katanya, membolehkan pembangunan sumber manusia yang terlatih dan setanding dengan sumber tenaga luar negara, dan jika ia berkemahiran tinggi dan memenuhi keperluan boleh dieksport ke pasaran antarabangsa.

Di dalam sektor pendidikan, Pengerusi Majlis Permuafakatan Persatuan Ibu-bapa dan Guru Nasional, Profesor Mohamad Ali Hassan, berpandangan Bajet 2007 menunjukkan kesungguhan kerajaan dalam menjana pembangunan modal insan.

Katanya, pembangunan modal insan adalah satu-satunya bidang yang perlu sentiasa diberi perhatian kerana ia membabitkan pendidikan anak generasi bangsa Malaysia.

Memang benar apa yang dikatakan, kita boleh melihat kesungguhan kerajaan dalam mendidik anak bangsa apabila memansuhkan semua yuran peperiksaan daripada Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR), Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) dan Sijil Tinggi Pendidikan Malaysia (STPM).

Malah, dalam bajet kali ini, kerajaan memperuntukkan RM33.4 bilion untuk perbelanjaan operasi dan pembangunan bagi mengukuhkan sistem pendidikan dan latihan yang mana RM6.7 bilion daripadanya untuk pendidikan rendah, RM6.2 bilion untuk pendidikan menengah, RM10.4 bilion untuk pendidikan tinggi serta RM10.1 bilion untuk program latihan.

Mohamad Ali berkata, kesungguhan itu terbukti dengan pengumuman kerajaan bahawa pelajar yang mendapat 10A1 atau yang setara daripada keluarga yang memperoleh pendapatan bulanan RM1,500 dan ke bawah akan diberikan biasiswa untuk melanjutkan pelajaran ke sekolah menengah.

Malah, pendaftaran pelajar pada 2007 dijangka mencecah 3.2 juta untuk sekolah rendah dan 2.3 juta untuk sekolah menengah di samping peruntukan RM1 bilion untuk 22 sekolah rendah dan menengah tahun depan ditambah 198 sekolah lagi untuk dibina termasuk sekolah berasrama penuh.

Tingkatkan daya saing anak anda di dalam pendidikan. ww.scorea.aridztech.com

Another woman gang-raped

What a sad news.... Very dangerous criminal nowadays.. Where is the safe place we can hide? :(

Another woman gang-raped

The Star, 14 June 07

JOHOR BARU: A group of men took a couple on a terror ride before raping the woman, the second such case in as many days here.

A 55-year-old contractor and his 35-year-old female friend had stopped at a petrol station along the Pasir Gudang highway at 10.30pm last week.

As he was filling up, three men armed with parang overpowered him and forced both victims into the car.

The assailants took the victims on a one-hour terror ride before stopping at a secluded area along the highway.

As in the case on Monday, the contractor was slashed in the leg when he tried to escape.

With the injured victim watching helplessly, the men took turns to rape the woman before fleeing in another car driven by an accomplice.

The victims lodged a police report after the incident.

On Monday, a 19-year-old girl was raped by three men as her boyfriend watched helplessly in Taman Tampoi Indah.

Their car was rammed into by another car. Three men in the car then abducted the couple. The boyfriend was also slashed in the leg when he tried to escape.

In another incident, a doctor, in her 50s, fell and injured her head after two thieves on a motorcycle snatched her handbag while she was walking to her car in Taman Melody yesterday.

Passers-by who saw the incident caught one of the suspects. He was handed over to the police.


Ps: Be careful whenever you are out of your home.

The Star~~~Learning new skills

Learning new skills

The Star

Net surfing is not a panacea for a boring life of retirement. It is, however, a fascinating window to the world.

CERTAIN Information and Communications Technology (ICT) knowledge and skills which I picked up have come in handy after my retirement.

In the early-80s, when I was teaching in Cameron Highlands, I heard of the PC being introduced in Malaysia. However, I did not come across anybody using it in the highland during that time, or at least none of my school colleagues used it although at times they did casually mention it.

So whenever I went back to my hometown, Ipoh, during the holidays and on weekends, I would browse in computer shops to have a closer look at that machine.

As with most laymen, I had a phobia about PCs.

My real contact with computer hardware and software came when the National Union of Teaching Profession arranged for some of its members to attend a one-week computer literacy course at Universiti Sains Malaysia. There I picked up dBase2, BASIC programming, Wordstar and a variety of courseware.

I was particularly interested in Wordstar, a word-processing package, which was of great practical value to me in preparing school documents.

As I was teaching English, I found the word processor a fantastic tool as it could manipulate words easily, instantly and neatly, and print the final output in a professional, nice-looking format.

Compared to this state-of-the-art technological creation, my loyal age-old typewriter looked awfully awkward and backward.

My interest in computing prompted me to go for further studies in this field.

I was lucky enough to have been chosen for a one-year full-time Computer in Education course at Universiti Sains Malaysia.

That led me to my obtaining a Master's degree from Universiti Malaya; my thesis was related to using word processing as a writing tool.

Five years before my retirement, using all the computing knowledge and skills at my disposal, I explored the Internet and enjoyed surfing the Net for sense and nonsense.

I began sending e-mails to friends. These e-mails reached their destinations so quickly that the traditional posts and even express mails appeared slow in comparison.

I also learnt additional computing skills on a DIY-basis and from friends who were more advanced than I in ICT.

Now, six years into my retirement, I have been using the computer continuously for communication, preparing documents, setting examinations and gathering information.

Nowadays, I teach English in private institutions, partly out of pleasure and partly due to “pressure” (for the ringgit and sen).

I have picked up PowerPoint presentation skills, learnt how to save data in a thumb-drive or flash-card and how to burn CDs.

Quite recently, I learnt how to print photos using my ink-jet printer. I have also learnt how to prepare name cards using some ready-made, photo-sensitive template papers.

In addition, I have bought a webcam and started capturing my family members in action.

Next, I will “chat face-to-face“ with my son, who works in Hong Kong, via video-conferencing.

I have created a blog where I can post pictures and messages, and another blog where I post my students' compositions, extra assignments and general information. Hopefully this can serve as a useful platform for e-learning.

The Internet is fascinating. I can sit in front of my PC for hours, searching for information from around the world. Of course, Net surfing is not a panacea for a boring life of retirement. It is merely a window to the world. It is a worthwhile hobby. Few retired people can use the Net for life-long earning, but surely they can use it for life-long learning.


Prepare your retirement with best income with internet bizzness at home ~ SCORE A

 

Harian Metro~Graduan buru Mat Saleh kaya

Graduan buru Mat Saleh kaya
Oleh Ahmad Fitri Che Musa, Harian Metro

KUALA LUMPUR: Tiga dalam satu kemewahan, seks dan glamor.

Itulah yang dikejar segelintir graduan wanita dari institusi pengajian tinggi (IPT) tempatan sehingga sanggup menggadaikan maruah semata-mata mahu hidup seperti golongan kenamaan (VIP).

Walaupun memiliki ijazah atau ijazah sarjana, gadis terbabit enggan bekerja tetap kerana dibuai kehidupan mewah dan glamor yang tidak memerlukan mereka berhempas pulas mencari wang.

Golongan itu biasanya gemar berpakaian seksi agar penampilan kelihatan menarik selain memiliki wajah eksotik serta tubuh menawan.

Bercakap bahasa Inggeris pun dengan slanga ‘Mek Saleh’ dan tanpa segan silu minum arak serta gemar bertukar-tukar pasangan apabila berasa bosan.

Mereka menjadikan disko dan kelab malam sebagai tempat pertemuan dengan bakal ‘teman lelaki’ yang kebanyakannya lelaki kaya berjawatan tinggi dari Eropah.

Bagaimanapun, hubungan mereka bertahan paling lama hanya sebulan kerana gadis ini cepat bosan dan kemaruk seks. Ini menyebabkan mereka kembali mencari teman lelaki baru selepas beberapa hari atau minggu.

Seorang gadis ‘3 dalam 1’ yang dikenali sebagai Nadia, 27, berkata dia mula terjebak dengan gejala itu selepas berjinak-jinak mengunjungi kelab malam yang menjadi tumpuan ‘Mat Saleh’.

“Saya seronok dan mula bertukar-tukar pasangan selepas mendapati golongan ‘Mat Saleh’ sanggup berhabisan wang memenangi hati saya walaupun ada antara mereka hanya mahu memuaskan nafsu seks mereka.

“Saya tak kisah kerana saya juga sukakannya. Lagipun, bukannya saya nak kahwin dengan mereka,” katanya.

Nadia berkata, ada beberapa Mat Saleh mahu mengahwininya, tetapi dia hanya berpura-pura mencintai mereka kerana tidak mahu ‘kekasihnya’ lari sebelum dia bosan.

Katanya, walaupun dibawa bertemu ibu bapa lelaki berkenaan di Paris dan diberikan sebuah rumah dan kereta di ibu kota Perancis itu, dia terpaksa menolak lamaran lelaki itu kerana belum bersedia hidup berkeluarga.

“Saya cepat bosan dan tak mahu terikat dengan tanggungjawab sebagai isteri,” katanya yang pernah kecewa selepas putus cinta dengan beberapa lelaki tempatan.

Nadia mengakui dia tidak gemar menjalinkan hubungan jangka panjang, sebaliknya hanya mahu berfoya-foya dengan kehidupan glamor yang menjanjikan seks, wang, beli-belah di butik terkenal dan berpeluang melancong ke luar negara.

Katanya, walaupun berkelulusan ijazah sarjana daripada sebuah universiti tempatan, dia tidak fikir boleh mengecapi kemewahan itu jika bekerja makan gaji.

“Saya beberapa kali bercuti di Amerika Syarikat, Perancis, Australia, Itali dan negara Eropah lain. Ini satu-satunya peluang saya melancong ke luar negara.

“Bukan itu saja, saya juga banyak mendapat hadiah barangan kemas dan pakaian berjenama mahal yang dibeli di luar negara oleh teman lelaki Mat Saleh.

“Saya tak perlu mengeluarkan satu sen pun untuk berbelanja di tempat mahal. Malah, mereka bermurah hati memberikan saya wang,” katanya.

Selain itu, Nadia berkata, dia terpaksa berlagak sopan dan ‘baik’ serta berbohong kepada ibu bapanya kononnya dia bekerja di sebuah syarikat besar yang menawarkan gaji lumayan bagi mengelak aktiviti maksiatnya dihidu.

“Saya juga terpaksa menipu rakan kononnya saya berasal daripada keluarga berada kerana mereka mengesyaki kegiatan saya selepas melihat saya tidak bekerja tapi hidup mewah,” katanya.

Bagaimanapun, Nadia berkata akhir-akhir ini dia berasa berdosa dan bosan dengan cara kehidupan yang tidak menjamin masa depan itu.

Dia kini mula mencari pekerjaan sesuai dengan kelulusannya walaupun terpaksa bermula dari bawah kerana tiada pengalaman.

Menurutnya, sebelum ini dia pernah berfikir untuk insaf dan bekerja di sebuah syarikat, tetapi hanya bertahan dua minggu kerana tidak dapat meninggalkan kehidupan itu.

“Tapi kini saya nekad, usia saya pun hampir mencapai 30 tahun. Saya mahu memikirkan masa depan dan hidup seperti wanita normal yang bermaruah,” katanya.
Pendapatan tambahan yang lumayan dengan internet business dari rumah : www.scorea.aridztech.com/ref=rasyada

Artikel di petik dari rakan internet bisnes saya, saudara aridz:-

Ini adalah artikel hasil tulisan saya sendiri di salah sebuah forum keusahawanan internet. Diharap dapat memberikan komen.

Terima kasih.

aridz.

SUMBER PENDAPATAN KEDUA

Kedudukan ekonomi adalah amat penting bagi menjamin keselesaan dalam kehidupan. Tidak dapat dinafikan bahawa kukuhnya kewangan kita berkait rapat dengan keselesaan yang kita ada. Dalam dunia yang semakin mementingkan materialistik atau kebendaan ini, masing- masing individu mengejar dan mencari peluang untuk mendapatkan aspek ini yang dijadikan juga kayu pengukur kepada status sosial seperti jenis rumah , kenderaan, pakaian dan bermacam-macam lagi.

Kenaikan harga barang keperluan harian seperti makanan, pakaian, petroleum dan perkhidmatan telah menyebabkan keruncingan ekonomi yang boleh menyebabkan seseorang menghadapi tekanan yang memburukkan lagi keadaan.

Terdapat dua cara untuk mengatasi masalah ekonomi ini iaitu dengan cara berjimat atau dengan menambahkan lagi pendapatan kita. Berjimat dengan erti kata lain juga bermakna kita cuba untuk mengecilkan ruang keselesaan yang ada. Contohnya, segala perbelanjaan hendaklah dikurangkan dan dikawal agar tidak melebihi jumlah had perancangan. Sedikit lebihan mungkin akan menyebabkan perbelanjaan lain yang penting akan turut terjejas. Tambahan pula, berjimat juga ada batasnya. Kita tidak mampu untuk terus berjimat jika tahap kos bagi sesuatu perkara sudah berada di tahap yang minima. Tiada ruang lagi untuk berjimat sehingga ianya boleh menyebabkan masalah dan bukan lagi mengurangkan keselesaan.

Mencari sumber kewangan kedua adalah alternatif yang boleh dipraktikkan. Terdapat beberapa cara untuk mencari pendapatan seperti “main” saham, berniaga di malam hari atau melibatkan diri dalam perniagaan yang sedang meningkat naik sekarang ini iaitu perniagaan internet.

Pasaran saham buat pada masa ini adalah amat tidak menentu dan para pelabur khususnya di Malaysia masih tercari- cari masa yang pernah memuncak pada satu ketika dahulu untuk kembali. Pasaran saham tidak selalunya indah dan barangkali lebih memudaratkan dengan risiko yang amat tinggi. Risiko yang tinggi sering kali dikaitrapat dengan keuntungan besar yang akan diperolehi. Pada hakikatnya, keuntungan besar adalah sesekali tetapi kerugian besar mungkin “banyak -banyak” kali. Pasaran saham amatlah mengelirukan dan memang berisiko tinggi.

Perniagaan pilihan kedua iaitu perniagaan pada malam hari mungkin tidak langsung praktikal kerana setelah penat bekerja di siang hari, kita memerlukan masa untuk berehat. Yang amat diperlukan oleh masyarakat adalah perniagaan yang boleh dilakukan tanpa memerlukan aktiviti fizikal tetapi boleh mendapat keuntungan yang lumayan. Contoh paling sesuai ialah perniagaan internet.

Perniagaan jenis ini memerlukan kos yang amat minima dan sedikit kemahiran teknologi maklumat dalam pembangunan laman web yang mana ia kini amat mudah untuk dipelajari dan didapati secara percuma. Perniagaan internet adalah menjadi pilihan masakini. Banyak kursus- kursus perniagaan internet di akhbar- akhbar dan laman web ditawarkan pada masakini. Perkembangan teknologi jalur lebar dan juga hasrat kerajaan untuk memastikan “satu rumah satu komputer” telah menjadi pemangkin kepada perniagaan internet ini. Oleh itu, perniagaan internet dipercayai mempunyai masa depan yang amat baik di Malaysia.

Sebagai kesimpulannya, perniagaan internet adalah menjadi pilihan sebagai cara yang sesuai untuk menjamin kekukuhan ekonomi seseorang. Di samping itu, galakan kerajaan ke arah teknologi maklumat untuk rakyat adalah sejajar dengan perniagaan jenis ini. Kita tidak perlu menunggu lagi untuk memulakan perniagaan internet kerana prasarana sudah terbina pesat sejak 1990-an.

Shakespeare said,
the world is a stage and we are the actors.
We are the actors and the God is the director.

Talking to God, acknowledges that
we believe all blessings come from Him,
Life itself in one continuous blessing from God.

God never blessings us sometimes
and withdraws them at other times,

God is blessing us in every moment of our breathing.

God is there.
He is always listening.
Talking to Him acknowledges that He exist
and everything must come from Him

If you are an atheist,
then the issue would be not of God
but morality.

Even the atheist believes that
what goes around comes around.
Hence, it is about goodness.

RE: The Beauty Of Budgeting : Story to tell

----- Original Message -----
From: fahmy khairuddin
Sent: Jan 19, 2007 10:15 AM

Salam fellows

I agree wholeheartedly with your En. Mahathir... i have an experience to tell, especially to the new young professionals (and a few older ones who got caught in lar)

Allow me to share this as i think this would help all the younger people avoid my mistakes. Others with other credit card nightmare stories please contribute lar. Together we can change the credit card debt problems that is plaguing our young professionals.

My Financial Nightmare Story

In early 2000s took a luxury car loan (due to inflated ego and constant urging from the gf) from one of the main local banks. Part of the loan they gave me a premium credit card with extremely high limits with all sort of perks such as privilege banking, cash withrdawal,etc etc. I already had when 2 cards from my earlier executive days. They werent maxed-up or anything like that, it was there used for mostly buying work clothes, treat dates for nice dinners, etc.

I was running two businesses back then, both were start-ups and one of the company was having cash-flow situation as payments was delayed, and at the same time business was booming. I ended up taking paycuts and irregular allowances (as i was the CEO/MD) and had to advance personal savings so that the personnel can be paid on time. Since cash flow was tight (although the company's sales growth was soaring) i ended up making my car maintenance payment - gas, oil change, parts, and so forth on it on monthly basis by using the cards to manage. I ended up at the end of the year with debts of RM20,000.00. I could plugged it monthly at the cost of RM 2,000, but theni realized then with the card i ended up having to pay more than the original monthly installments! Now to make matters complicated, the car engine blew up and gear transmission went KO and my annual bill on the maintenance blew to RM 30,000.00 .. uggggh mana mau carik duitt...

Now i am stuck with a hot looking car that spent more time at the mechanics than on the road, credit card time bomb, annual road tax at RM 3,000, a bitchy ex (hehehe) and i wont even tell you about the insurance. So time is ticking, i am paying through my nose, and i started having delays in all sort of payments. And i became unhappy overweight jerk who start losing my temper on the smallest of things.

So what do i do???

Who do i call... Well i talked to Johan Nasir (i think some of you guys know him, he used to do credit card restructuring and now still alive somewhere in MAVCAP). Went around and ask for loads of advice and pretty much even ask form loans from my from my business buddies. Best piece of advice I got was from a retired enterperneur -- he said "dont be emotional, just do it". Go out there and solve it, the hard way he said. So i took the blue pill and ....

Car goes first

First order of the day i got rid of the car. It was an emotional separation.. so i bought a used car (a Satria 1.3) although i had a van (more for transporting my staff). Some of my partners and friends lambasted me for "going backwards lar, bad for repo lar.. etc". Guess what? Car got great mileage, killer handling and cheap after-market parts and only rm400+ in monthly payments. In fact i didnt have to valet park the car all the time also helps! First it was kinda sheepish and ego-down driving a car almost 10% the value of my previous car. But i thought of it as a temporary measure..and it sure hell works. Plus the monthly commitment freed is incredible. I could move into a different housing sector altogether for the amount i saved. And yesss i can date more girls!

Credit Card Consolidation

Ok some banks allow credit card consolidation. It is not true for others, but they are banks that allow you to transfer your balance out to another credit card / bank. This can be done but there are time lag commitment for the transferred amount before you can turn it into personal loan which is also known as "term loan".

I wrote in to citibank for 2 cards and converted all my debts to term loan. At 7+% it is a significant reduction of the original interest ratesof 18.5%. For the premium credit card from local bank, i cut the cards in two, send the first half back to the bank. I commited RM 500.00 to its monthly payments, rain or shine. It was suffering a bit at first as initially i had to cover about rm 3,000 committed first before the actual payments goes through.

Lesson Learned...

Well lesson learned, 5 years later i have only 1,500.00 debts as of today and a few months time God willing it will be cleared..

For alternative, pre-paid debit card (VISA) is available, and that is used for hotel travel and tours. Rest carry cash lar...

I sold the Satria back about a year plus ago.. ya know.. it was more emotional to let the satria go rather than the original car. Ya know why? Cause the satria brought the memories of hard days and humbling experience. It taught me that looking good cannot override your budget at all COST. (Plus for some reasons too young girls like to be in Satria too.. that i havent figure it out till today hehehe). And when Proton debut the Neo, i was secretly wishing for it.. :)

I drive a simple sedan to and fro work now, and still worries much about toll, gas hikes, and maintenance as usual la.

Oh ya the company clear itself out of the cash flow.. and there are now new bills in form of taxes start to roll in... Life goes on...:)

... and wisdom to contribute

Avoid credit card pile up my friends... it is a flood gate that once opened it cant be closed that easily because of its complex relationship to lifestyle . This is due to the fact that most of lifestyles today are drilled by "i must have it" and competition to "out-spend" each other. Trust me, you dont need this form of competition.

The marketing executives are so sweet when they offer it to you and the some of the perks (like free cellphone, etc etc).. ... then watch what will happen when you default in your month payment. See the amount of harassment you get. The worst harassment i received was from Citibank. They "missed" call you on your cell from their IVR so when you call back you get a machine at the end of the line. And they did it during office hoursand critical meeting time. And you know the other end of the line is some fresh graduate who took the job up cause she cant find a place in the market and from the tone of the voice she /he really hates the job. And the bloody managers are always hiding behind their staff. I bet you they have a high turnover rate.. well that is different thread lah..

Oops and another -- Car is a deceptive asset. On paper it is a depreciative value over straight line period but in actuality the market gets worst off for 2nd hand cars. No matter how good it looks, it never increases in ringgit value unless you are into antiques. Buy cars with the lowest
(1) depreciation value,
(2) relative low maintenance and cheap parts,
(3) Cheap Loan interests, and
(4) easy to sell.

Hope this helps all you young 'uns there. Live FREE (Free of debts that is..)

cheers
Fahmy the moo

The Beauty of Budgeting

----- Original Message -----
From: mahathir allaudin
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 4:43 PM

I'm not a cheapskate and well known for that especially among those who really know me well even though recently a friend of mine called me that because I refused to call her up so that she can tell me in detail about how she spend her Rm1,000 on her hair treatment(over few days for "x" amount of sessions/treatments).She is not bald or anything like that at all but the whole beautification of the hair and some sort of professional treatment/makeover for the long hair. God knows what she did to her hair and why the whole treatment cost that much.

Anyway,I just think that some or even most Malaysians in general are leading a lifestyle that they can't afford but thanks to the miracle of plastic a.k.a credit card(s) they are able to do so.Whether you make rm2,000++ or even rm20,000-rm50,000 a month or even more there should be some kind of budget to guide us by even if it is easy money and not sweat money for some.We should remember those from riches to rags who lost their wealth due to their lifestyle or even mismanagement of funds by themselves or the ones they trusted to do so on their behalf. This whole budgeting concept is something that I'm looking into this year to have better control over the spending.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can you name a Fortune 500 company that doesn't have a budget? Don't spend too much time thinking about it - there aren't any. Successful businesses around the world have one thing in common: they budget their money. And they do it because it works. But although making money and making a budget appear to go hand in hand, a report on consumer finance by the U.S. Department of Commerce found that throughout most of 2005, American households shelled out more money than they took in. Clearly, the overwhelming majority of Americans do not have a personal budget. So, do you know where your money's going each month? In this article, we show you how to get a better idea of how you spend your money by putting together a personal budget.

Get Over the Terminology

Part of America's aversion to budgeting may be rooted in language. The word "budget" - much like the word "diet" - has negative connotations. Budgets and diets are viewed as restrictive reminders of things we cannot have. This is linguistic nonsense. A budget and a diet are both tools. If the tools are used properly, they lead to a desired outcome. Nobody dislikes the word "shovel", even though the use of the shovel requires effort. People use a shovel to dig a hole. They use a diet to develop a healthy body, and they use a budget to develop a fiscally responsible lifestyle. If it makes you feel better about the process, drop the word "budget" and call it a "spending plan". Instead of viewing the plan as restrictive, think about the things it allows you to buy. After all, a budget is nothing more than a plan for how you will spend your money.

Start with Your Bills

Many people complain that they can't create a budget because they don't know exactly how much money they will earn in a given week. While it is true that workers earning an hourly wage or working on commission don't get the exact same dollar figure in each paycheck, the amount that you earn has much less to do with the basics of budgeting than the amount you spend. Instead of focusing on whether you earn a few dollars more or a few dollars less each month, focus on your monthly spending. The question is simple: where does your money go? Regardless of how much you earn or when you earn it, everybody has fixed expenses, such as the following:

• 
  -Mortgage payments or rent
  -Transportation (car payment, gasoline, train or bus pass, etc.)
  -Utilities
  -Food
  -Insurance

If your recurring expenses don't add up to the amount of your monthly income (and one would hope that they don't), your next step should be to save the receipts from every purchase that you make next month and use them as the basis for creating additional categories or adjusting the numbers in the existing categories.

Beyond the Basics

Once you have the fixed expenses covered, it's time to plan for the variables, such as the following:

• -Birthdays/holidays
  -Gym membership
  -Pet care
  -Haircut
  -Clothes
  -Vacation
  -Entertainment

These items are listed as variables for two reasons. The first reason is that these expenses vary from month to month. The second is that if you don't have the money to cover these expenses, the expenses get reduced or eliminated. If you're out of money, the entertainment budget takes a hit and you stay home on Friday night, or you don't buy those new shoes that you've been considering. Part of taking control of your money is learning how to exercise some discipline in your spending habits.

Look at Your Income

Now it's time to take the theoretical aspects of budgeting and apply them to your life. Take a look at your monthly income. How much are you bringing in on your worst month? Compare that number to the amount that you are spending. Ideally, the income is larger than the output. If so, it's time for a personal savings plan. In other words, don't spend everything you earn - save some for yourself. If you are spending more than you are earning, it's time to review your spending habits. When the output is larger than the income, you have two choices: increase your income or cut the expenses.Strategies to increase your income include getting a new job, getting a second job or finding a roommate to help you with expenses. Strategies to cut your expenses include eliminating impulse buys, which are a major expense for most people, and cutting out planned, but unnecessary, expenses. Keep in mind that simply cutting out that cappuccino in the morning can save you more than $40 a month. The concept is really quite simple - if it's not in your spending plan, you don't buy it.

Create Your Spending Plan

Nearly everyone wishes for more money at some point. That said, all but the wealthiest among us are essentially living on a fixed income. In other words, you bring in a certain amount of money each month, and when it's gone, it's gone. Accepting that reality is the key to living a happier, wealthier life. Keep in mind that your creditors don't work for free, so spending money that you don't actually have is also incredibly expensive. Fortunately, getting your finances on track isn't that difficult, and while there are spreadsheets and software programs designed to make the budgeting process faster and easier, all you really need is a piece of paper, a pencil and the desire to live within your means. The example below will help you get started:

As a general rule, you should also plan to set aside enough money to cover at least three months' worth of your expenses in case of an emergency. Once that money is put away, you won't need to rely on your credit cards should you lose your job or experience unforeseen expenses. Like every other recurring item in your budget, the emergency fund is something you fund one month at a time until you reach your goal.

Conclusion

Despite its negative connotations, a budget is really just a tool that can work to put your personal finances on the right track. If the most successful multi-million dollar companies must budget their spending, it makes sense that a typical household should have to control its expenses in a similar way. Budgeting your money need not be seen as a chore. After all, accepting the limits of your income is the best way to take control of your spending, live within your means and, ultimately, reach your financial goals.