Lifestyle – Page 2 – In Press Global

Why is Feminism popular? Look at the way we treat our women

by Muhammad Naim Muhamad Ali

As of 2013, the world population is estimated to be around 7, 162, 119. 434 people, with 49.5 percent of the population are women (United Nations Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2019). According to the statistics provided, Malaysia accounted 31.97 million as of 2017, with 48.60 percent is female, yet their every action is still scrutinized, which in turn influences their being and livelihood (Masika & Joekes, 1996). Women, regardless of age, face society’s discrimination when doing the same things that men got away with. Women today are working together to fight for equal treatment, rights, and privileges enjoyed by their male counterparts. However, such efforts showed slow progress due to some factors.

Women generally have fewer rights and opportunities than men (Peace Corps, 2017). The report by Peace Corps highlighted that women have fewer opportunities for economic participation than men, following less access to basic and higher education, health, and safety risks and political representation. Women often assumed the role of wifehood and motherhood which were regarded as women’s most noble – if not only, professions in the early centuries. In the 20th century, for the first time in history, women in most nations, the United Kingdom for instance, finally won the right to vote, as well as to get an education and better job opportunities (Lethbridge, 2018). Perhaps most importantly, what they have fought for accomplished a reevaluation of traditional views of their roles in society

Men are generally perceived as the head of the family. As such, a man is seen as his family’s breadwinner, while his wife will be staying at home to raise their children and take care of the household. In the past, this was considered as a norm for women – to be housewives — but as time goes by, living expenses hiked due to changes in developments and policies. To cushion the rising cost of living, women then started to look for ways to contribute to their families. To do this, they started working — it doesn’t matter how much they were getting paid as long as they could help their husbands.

A year or so ago, I found an article published in The Star newspaper titled “Gender-wage bias still raging”. The article focused on the wage gap in Malaysia. In 2015, women generally earned 8.4 percent less than men. Data retrieved from the National Statistics Department’s Salaries and Wages Survey Report 2013 showed that men typically earn RM2,260 a month, while women earn RM2, 071 for doing the same job. Issues concerning the wage gap between men and women gave rise to the question: why do governments have such biased policies when it comes to salaries for men and women? Don’t women deserve to be paid as much as men? The wage gap is real, as shown in studies done throughout the years. The article too highlighted that despite being skilled, women are paid less than their male colleagues, who are paid 39.7 percent more than them (around RM588).

I recalled watching a movie based on a true event, Made in Dagenham, which dabbled about semi-skilled Ford women machinist who went on strike due to denied pay raise by the management. It may seem a cliché to some people, but this is the reality. Women hardly get pay raise because most of the time they are deemed less capable and productive than men in their work performance due to their childrearing and other related women-related roles (Masika & Joekes, 1996).

Another issue concerning women that should be addressed is, “Are women being taxed for being women?” Yes! The New York Times (2018) highlighted that women are not aware that they are paying more for certain products and services. This is due to the Pink Tax which is additional charges for certain items targeted at women. A lot of research on the pink tax found that women have been paying more than 42 percent than men, on average $1,351 a year of extra costs (Elliot, 2019). Tampons are considered a luxury and not a necessity in many countries. In the United States, some states abide by the tampon tax. The razor is, however, zero-rated in tax because it is used by men who believe that their need to be cleanly shaven is a human right. As such, it is interesting to note that whatever that is used and considered a necessity by men (in order to maintain their hygiene health) is usually zero-rated, unlike items that are needed by women for the same purpose. Is the use of tampons, not a human right? Women must pay at least US$7 for tampons for at least 40 years of their lives and as such, it is now considered a luxury that can’t even be afforded by those from poor countries.

Women did not demand to be treated like men. They demand to be treated equally – because the idea is both genders are equal, but not identical. There are things women are not supposed to do unless in circumstances that they could not afford to avoid. Society, especially men, must end the stigma and discriminations towards women because the world has evolved, and this is no longer a man’s world. Women are not second-class citizens. They do not deserve to be treated with discrimination and prejudice. Not all women are damsels in distress.

Feminism is not a dangerous word as some men would think (some might think that women are going for global domination). It is also not a dangerous movement. It only means the advocacy of women’s rights based on the equality of the sexes (Offen, 1988). People – especially men – need to understand the concept of advocating for women’s rights. They may not have to support the cause, but showing respect to it, is more than enough because how would we feel if we are treated unfairly on a daily basis? This topic might seem petty compared with racial inequality faced by some races for many years. But, in any culture and race, there are men and women who live together and each one of them should embrace and celebrate diversity and differences with respect and harmony.

References

Elliot, C. (2019). The Pink Tax- The Cost of Being a Female Consumer. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from Listen: Money Matters: https://www.listenmoneymatters.com/the-pink-tax/

Lethbridge, L. (2018, February 2). The women’s march: how the Suffragettes changed Britain. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/22776930-05f6-11e8-9e12-af73e8db3c71

Masika, R., & Joekes, S. (1996). Employment and sustainable livelihoods: A gender perspectives. Institute of Development Studies, Gender Office of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Brighton. Retrieved July 22, 2019

Offen, K. (1988). Defining Feminism: A Comparative Historical Approach (Vol. 14). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/3174664

Peace Corps. (2017). Global Issues: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from Peace Corps – Educator Resources: https://www.peacecorps.gov/educators/resources/global-issues-gender-equality-and-womens-empowerment/

Salt, K. (2018, March 2). The Hidden Taxes on Women. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/02/business/women-hidden-taxes.html

United Nations Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2019). World Population Prospects 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from United Nations Population Division: https://population.un.org/wpp/DataQuery/

Is person living with OCD dangerous?

by Noor Farihah binti Rozali

Have you ever seen people wash their hand roughly and keep repeating the same thing all over again? Or take a long shower due to fear of germs and contamination? Do you have friends who constantly check all doors to make sure they are locked or who check their items for many times to ensure that everything is put in the correct order according to their size and colour? If yes, you don’t have to feel worried because they are not dangerous, and they can be treated.

All situations mentioned above are symptoms associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or in short, we can call it OCD. OCD is an anxiety and mental health disorder caused by an imbalance in neurotransmitters that can cause extra discomfort to those who experience it. OCD is a common, chronic (long-lasting) disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions) and behaviours (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over in response to the obsession (NIMH, 2016).

Those who live with OCD can be categorised as washers (they are afraid of contamination so they tend to wash things over and over again), checkers (as they repeatedly check things to make sure all are locked, off and so on because they are afraid of danger), doubters (having doubt if everything is not perfect or done just right, something terrible will happen, sinners (think that they will be punished if they did something wrong, counters (they may have delusions about certain numbers, colours or arrangements) and arrangers (obsessed with order and symmetry) (Pietrabissa, et al., 2015).

Back then, when I was a journalist, I did a special news report about OCD and interviewed one patient with a very bad OCD to the extent that she had to seek treatment from Kuala Lumpur Hospital. She told me that she first experienced OCD-related symptoms when she was 13, but she never knew that she had it back then. Her family members started to sense something was wrong with her when she started spending almost five hours a day just to shower. Can you imagine how hard is that situation? Her OCD got worse when she entered college because whenever she went for her classes, she would go back to her hostel just to make sure that she had all her doors locked. This then caused her depression. She said no one wanted to be her friend as her OCD was disturbing. Then her parents took her out from college for a while to give her special treatment and now she is getting better.

Sometimes, we may think that situation is somewhat normal, but OCD patients really need help and treatment. We may think that it is good to have OCD because our house will remain clean, tidy and everything will be in order, but it is not easy to live with those who have OCD. Can you imagine if you are married to someone with OCD? You would have to face his or her frustration and anger each time you make a mess? You might even have to wait for hours just for your partner to get ready whenever you want to go out. This could affect your relationship. Yes, I am married to an OCD person and I know how it feels.

The most important thing is that we need to support those with OCD and help them. In my situation, for example, I always remind my partner not to take his shower for too long or not to wash his hand roughly as they are already clean. We need to distract them from doing something repeatedly. But if things are getting worse, we need to take them to get special treatment like cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) or medication.

OCD can affect both adults and children. However, there is nothing to be worried about as OCD can be treated even it takes time. In general, CBT teaches OCD patients with different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to the obsessions and compulsions (NIMH, 2016). Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP) is a specific form of CBT which has been shown to help many patients recover from OCD. EX/RP involves gradually exposing OCD patients to their fears or obsessions and teaching them healthy ways to deal with the anxiety they cause (Rajashekharaiah & Verma, 2016). Other therapies, such as habit reversal training, can also help to overcome this compulsion.

Besides that, doctors may prescribe different types of medications to help treat OCD patients, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and a type of serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) called clomipramine (Stein, 2013). SSRIs and SRIs are commonly used to treat depression, but they are also helpful for the symptoms of OCD. SSRIs and SRIs may take 10–12 weeks to start working, longer than required for the treatment of depression. But one needs to remember that these medications may cause side effects, such as headaches, nausea, or difficulty sleeping. People taking clomipramine, which is in a different class of medication from the SSRIs, sometimes may experience dry mouth, constipation, rapid heartbeat and dizziness. These side effects are usually not severe for most people and improve as treatment continues, especially if the dose starts off low and is increased slowly over time.

In addition, another thing that OCD patients can do to overcome their conditions are first, learn triggers that worsen the symptoms to come out with effective coping strategies. Secondly, get enough sleep as it is good to have relaxing time and resting mind. Thirdly, one must consume nutritious food to have a good physical health. Fourthly, break big problems down into small chunks to get everything in a good order and ensure that things are manageable. Next, deal with issues immediately and keep calm. Lastly, address the emotion where OCD patients can find a trusted and comfortable person to share their feelings with. Talk to a friend if one is feeling sad, depressed, or angry about. Invite friends to go somewhere or do something to remove self from the situation.

In a nutshell, those with OCD are not dangerous, but they need to get help and treatment for them to have a better life. We must try to help them, support them, understand their situation and encourage them to get better. For those who are living with OCD, no need to worry because they will get better soon if support is given to them. It just takes time and do not give up.

References

NIMH. (2016). OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER: When Unwanted Thoughts or Irresistible Actions Take Over. National Institute of Mental Health.

Pietrabissa, G., Manzoni, G. M., Gibson, P., Boardman, D., Gori, A., & Castelnuovo, G. (16 Deecember, 2015). Brief strategic therapy for obsessive–compulsive disorder: a clinical and research protocol of a one-group observational study. BMJ Open.

Rajashekharaiah, M., & Verma, P. (2016). Phenomenology of Obsessions and Compulsions in Indian Patients. International Journal of Contemporary Medical Research.

Stein, D. J. (2013). Obsessive compulsive disorder. South African Journal of Psychiatry .

HOW IT FEELS LIKE TO BE THE THIRD GENERATION WORKING AT NST

by Noor Amirah Asraf

I was recently asked about what it feels like to be the third generation member from my family working at the New Straits Times (NST). I have never really thought about this before. Why? Maybe… I needed a job and had seen an NST ad for sub-editors, I applied, went for the interview and got the job.

But this question made me recall the times when my father, Asraf Dahari, who was an NST photographer for 15 years, used to tell us, his children, about the joy he had working here. For as long as I can remember, my father has always described the years he spent at NST as the best time of his life. Even to this day, whenever we talk about NST or when people ask him about his experience working here, he would have nothing but good things to say.

When I told him that I wanted to apply to be a sub-editor at NST, he immediately supported my decision. He even went the extra mile in making sure that I prepared all the documents needed to apply for the position.

When I told him that I got the job that I wanted, he was overjoyed. He kept telling me how he was happy that his daughter chose to continue the family tradition of working here. He was beaming with pride when he sent me off on my first day of work. He told me how he wished my late grandfather, or Tok Ayah, was around to see his granddaughter serve the same English daily they once worked for.

My Tok Ayah, Dahari Ali, first joined NST as a reporter before he was appointed as chief reporter. The last post he held before he retired in 1982 was assistant group editor. My dad idolised his father. I remember well how he used to tell me great stories about Tok Ayah.

Tok Ayah was one of the very few people who supported my father’s decision to become a photographer instead of the engineer that his family wanted him to be. It was him who inspired my father to take pride in what he did for a living. It was him who taught my father to appreciate the hard work put in publishing newspapers — from writing, finding pictures that fit the stories to editing — Tok Ayah taught him not to take even the smallest details for granted. It was Tok Ayah who taught my father that working for a newspaper is a job that comes with great responsibilities –we are responsible for informing people about the things that are happening around us.

Amid mounting excitement to embark on a new adventure in my first real, serious job, I suddenly felt like I had a huge burden to bear.

My father’s and Tok Ayah’s stories that I’ve kept close to my heart all these years, somehow, made me doubt myself when I first started working here.

On my first day of work, I couldn’t help but feel scared. Truth be told, as I was nervously walking to my desk for the first time, I could feel a tight knot forming in the pit of my stomach. I had so many thoughts running through my head. I remember asking myself whether I made the right decision to work here. What if I’m not good enough? What if I can’t live up to my Tok Ayah’s or my father’s good name and reputation? What if people expect me to be as good or even better than them?

As I did not know much about the roles of a sub-editor (except for the basic information about the job that I found on the Internet), I spent the first few weeks trying to adapt and learn as much as I could. I would get anxious whenever some of my father’s colleagues and senior employees who once worked with my Tok Ayah came up to me and greeted me (all thanks to my father who excitedly told his friends on Facebook about his daughter joining NST).

The fact that some people knew my father and Tok Ayah made me feel like I had to prove that I deserve to be here because of my skills, and not because I was someone’s daughter or granddaughter.

The first few months were tough. The nature of my work, which requires me to stay cool, calm and collected, however, left me little time for self-doubt.

My colleagues, too, have been helpful in guiding me as I learn the fundamentals of my job. I slowly learnt to stop comparing myself with my father and Tok Ayah, but instead, make them as my inspiration to keep on improving myself as a sub-editor. I’ve learnt to find joy in completing my tasks the way my father always did when he was working here and emulate my Tok Ayah’s passion and dedication to his job. I’ve discovered that by doing so, I no longer feel the need to prove myself to anyone. The only thing that I should be doing is to have faith in myself and trust my capabilities.

Working here for the past three and a half years has taught me a lot about life and myself. I’ve learnt to appreciate the beauty of language, get out of my comfort zone and be more open to learning new things, and along the way, I’ve not only made new friends but also found a new family. Working here means I get to learn new things every day. Being the third generation working here has only given me the privilege to know why this place holds a special place in my father’s heart. And for that, I will forever feel grateful and lucky to be part of the big NST family.

The Present and Future for LGBT Youth in Malaysia

by Wan Allef Elfi Danial bin Wan Sukeri

Lights. Gone. Before. Time. This is not the actual acronym for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual) but rather an interesting analogy that perfectly describes the LGBT youth in Malaysia. The LGBT community is often considered as the scourge of the society due its members’ lifestyle, which was perceived as immoral and unnatural. Malaysia is notorious for its ban on homosexuality in which any sexual acts involving same sex individuals are heavily frowned upon and in some cases, punishable by law. A popular case involving the public caning of two lesbians who were caught committing sexual acts in a car (Lamb, 2018) is a distinguishable example. But rather than dwelling on the past, I would like to talk about the present and future concerning the LGBT youth in Malaysia.

From showing signs of conflicting qualities, such as men femininity or women masculinity to dressing up differently from the norms of fashion, Malaysian LGBT youths are constantly under attack in Malaysia. However, a study titled How Race and Religion Shape Millennial Attitudes on Sexual and Reproductive Health conducted by Dan Cox and Robert P. Jones from the Public Religion Research Institute indicated that millennials are more accepting towards homosexuality compared with the people of the previous generation (Felicetti, 2015). Furthermore, they also find it difficult to express themselves within a safe space. Even posting any LGBT-related matters on social media platforms warrants them full-fledged discrimination and hatred from society. This fear is the main reason of why many people from the LGBT community are discreet on their sexuality and refuse to further showcase their talents and abilities to the world. Without a proper platform and support from the society, LGBT youth will fade into the background, their talents grow unpolished and their confidence turned nil. Eventually, the spark that once resides in them will grow weaker, as well and their dreams become forgotten.

It is depressing to know that Malaysia is oblivious from the creativity, achievements and amazing ideas that can be produced by the LGBT youth. LGBT youth can never find the opportunity to shine and display their talents properly. The LGBT community in Malaysia should come together and strive for the similar purpose and goals, not fighting for the rights that obviously go beyond the tolerance of religion, such as same-sex marriage and gender change, but instead for the protection against being discriminated, bullied and abused. Hopefully, the future generation is inspired to open their eyes and mind to see the suffering and torment faced by the LGBT community whilst providing protection to them when needed. Empathy is a treasure that needs to be nurtured within the younger generation. Aside from that, I also hope that young LGBT representatives are given a fair and equal chance to be featured in various fields, such as entertainment, economy and politics. In my opinion, everyone should have the same rights to contribute to this blessed land.

It is very crucial to note that the chances of LGBT youth exposed to all types of bullying are fairly high. These bullying activities if not prevented at a young age, can lead to worse repercussions in the future, such as physical abuse and murder. However, it is upsetting to consider a person getting murdered just for loving another person. It is sad and frightening to see people justifying these horrible acts for the sake of preserving Islam sanctity. As days past by and we are inching closer to the year of 2020, the cases of LGBT misfortunes seem to be rising at an alarming rate. In 2018, a video of two men being beaten up by a group of people for allegedly having sex in a car in Kuala Lumpur went viral and caused uproar among the Malaysian society (Adam, 2018). Such similar incidents are likely to occur again if no safety is guaranteed for the LGBT community. Apart from that, this issue can sprout other concerns, such as the increasing cases of LGBT youth affected by mental health risks, often leading to suicidal thoughts and self-harm. A study done by Meyer (2003) showed that stigma, prejudice, and discrimination towards the LGBT community create a hostile and stressful social environment for them that lead to mental health problems. To make things worse, the society seems to be satisfied in pushing them, the LGBT community, to the edge of the cliff.

Islam is a religion of peace and perfection. But the Muslims are not. There have been guidelines and proper methods in handling a phenomenon like this. Unfortunately, some people took matters into their own hands in dealing with homosexuality issues. To many, inflicting pain and abuse upon the LGBT community is a justifiable act. If this behaviour is made into common tradition and hatred is spread, the LGBT youth will face a bleak future. In June 2017, a teenager from Penang was beaten and raped by a gang of young men for having effeminate traits (Thiagarajan, 2017). 18-year-old T. Nhaveen was brutally assaulted and ended up being brain-dead from the various wounds that he sustained on his head, hips and multiple burn marks on his back (Thiagarajan, 2017). Unfortunately, Nhaveen did not survive from the incident and died later on, which led to the case being reclassified as murder (Logeiswary & Sekaran, 2017). Is this the life that the LGBT community has to endure? It seems like being a heterosexual is a privilege.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister of Malaysia has released his statement on LGBT rights in Malaysia by stating that their lifestyle will not be part of the nation’s value system (Pillai, 2018). In order to find solace within the society, LGBT community depends on the millennial’s perception and acceptance towards their rights as those millennials are the future of the country. This is where the upcoming generation, regardless of their sexuality differences, plays a vital part in securing a better future for their homosexual allies. Decades ago, homosexuality topics are considered as a strong taboo and are often refrained from being discussed in households and school settings. Undoubtedly, this has resulted in various repercussions, such as parents of LGBT individuals not knowing the correct way to show support, the society finding it enjoyable to bully effeminate boys, ridiculing masculine girls and many more.

In Western countries, such as the United States, LGBT communities are given rights to be represented in media and entertainment although the appearances are still rather marginal. Some LGBT youth consisting of celebrities are sculpted into icons and followed by millions of fans across the globe. However, this situation is non-existent in Malaysia. This is due to the discrimination woven through decades of fear mongering towards the LGBT community the second their sexuality is revealed. This further pushes the possibilities of LGBT community hiding behind masks and suppressing their skills. Aside from that, a survey conducted by the trend forecasting agency, J. Walter Thompson Innovation Group, young Americans aged 13 to 20 were discovered to be far more open-minded and tolerant than the older millennial groups regarding the issues of gender and sexuality (Zing, 2016). Lastly, the millennials provide their support in increasing government funding towards the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS and accept more LGBT immigrants from other countries that criminalize sexuality (Cohen, 2018).

In short, the LGBT community, especially those from the younger generation, should not be hindered from expressing their true self and showcasing their talents, abilities and ideas. Hopefully, Malaysians will learn to be more understanding and accepting towards the LGBT community. This is easier in the current proliferation of media technology. With the help of the Internet, the younger generation nowadays is broadly exposed to differences of race, religion and culture, feminism, gay rights and other pertaining global issues (DiSabito, 2014). Additionally, LGBT youths need to be assured that the future can hold a bright prospect for them. Thus, Malaysians must come together to achieve undisputable harmony and democracy.

References

Adam, M. (28 December, 2018). Malaysian men beaten up and dragged out of car for ‘having gay sex’. Retrieved 10 January, 2019, from Pink News: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/12/27/malaysian-men-beaten-up-gay-sex/

Cohen, C. J. (10 July, 2018). Millennials Support LGBT Rights But Take Issue With ‘Homosexuality’. Retrieved 11 January, 2019, from Advocate: https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2018/7/10/millennials-support-lgbt-rights-take-issue-homosexuality

DiSabito, A. (4 March, 2014). Millennials are making the world a better place. Retrieved 10 January, 2019, from Daily Collegian: https://dailycollegian.com/2014/03/millennials-are-making-the-world-a-better-place/

Felicetti, R. (15 April, 2015). Millennials: More Accepting of Homosexuality? Retrieved 10 January, 2019, from The Outlook: https://outlook.monmouth.edu/news/30-volume-86-fall-2014-spring-2015/2578-millennials-more-accepting-of-homosexuality

Lamb, K. (2018, September 3). Women caned in Malaysia for attempting to have lesbian sex. Retrieved from TheGuardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/03/women-caned-in-malaysia-for-attempting-to-have-lesbian-sex

Logeiswary, T., & Sekaran, R. (16 June, 2017). Teen bully victim Nhaveen dies. Retrieved 11 January, 2019, from The Star: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/06/16/teen-bully-victim-nhaveen-dies-family-and-friends-fill-hospital-grounds-grieving-and-fuming-over-boy/

Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual. American Psychological Association, 674-692.

Pillai, V. (21 September, 2018). No way we’ll recognise gay rights in Malaysia, says Dr M. Retrieved 20 December, 2018, from freemalaysiatoday.com: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2018/09/21/no-way-well-recognise-gay-rights-in-malaysia-says-dr-m/

Thiagarajan, T. (2017, June 13). Teenager from Penang Beaten and Sodomised for Being ‘Effeminate’ Now Brain-dead. Retrieved from World of Buzz: https://www.worldofbuzz.com/teenager-penang-beaten-sodomised-effeminate-now-brain-dead/

Zing, T. (10 March, 2016). Teens These Days Are Queer AF, New Study Says. Retrieved 8 January, 2019, from Broadly: https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/kb4dvz/teens-these-days-are-queer-af-new-study-says

LET’S GO THRIFTING!

by Nasuha Yahaya

Do you thrift? Who amongst you loves thrift shopping? If you do, you’re not alone. Thrift shopping started to be a new trend which helps us to save more money not only for clothing, but also for our daily items such as furniture, electronic item and many more. Living on a budget is not as frightful as one thought. When it’s done right, it helps us to save more money while looking dashing at the same time.

Thrift shops are not as awful as you thought. You will never know what kind of treasure you might find while thrift shopping. Just like a treasure hunt! Before this, a few people in this world gain an advantage as they go thrift shopping where there was an incident where a man bought a bundle of thrift cloth with a lot of money inside it.

Based on my own experience, I always discover a lot of limited edition products with a reasonable price. For example, when I am studying in Kelantan way back before, I always go for thrift shopping and one day I found one of Vans X The Beatles Yellow Submarine which had been released back in 1986. Yellow Submarine was based on the iconic song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. This shoe had been released on time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ ground breaking first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The dealer gave me a reasonable price for a good condition shoes even though it is a really rare collection.

Source from https://www.vans.com/article_detail/beatles.html

Besides that, if you want to find a good quality and original branded clothing such as Uniqlo, Zara, Topman, Champion and many more brands with a cheap price, you can go to Jalan Raja Bot, Kuala Lumpur. There’s one place that you can easily find a branded stuff as low as RM 1 per item. From my own experience, I can easily get a cute skirt from the branded brand that cost me RM 1 only. Besides that, the thrift shop itself brings so many branded clothing lines from Korea and Japan.

Jalan Raja Bot

By purchasing a new look from any clothing store, you will probably run into other people who will wear the same outfits as you. But when you are doing the thrift shop, you also can develop a unique wardrobe, where the thrift shops have a much more diverse assortment of clothing. This means you’re less likely to find yourself wearing the same top or sweater as other people. Besides that, you can expect to see completely different products at your local thrift store for one week to the next.

You may not like every item or cloth in that thrift shop but by thrift shopping, you can at least have fun looking at ostentatious, retro, or just plain bizarre merchandise in that local thrift shop.

EFFECT OF VIOLENT CONTENTS ON CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOUR

by Nurul Fathnie Rustam

Media plays the biggest role in our daily lives be it broadcasting, print or the new media, bring both negative and positive effect especially on children’s behaviour. Everything that children see or hear in the media early on in their lives affects them in certain ways. Positive parenting role models indicate that in the best interest of our children, we should limit their exposure to violent acts. However, violence is one of the most popular forms of entertainment and you can get violence genre movies or video games easily. This is what the young generation is getting themselves involved with and most parents are not paying attention in this matter as for them, when their child is happy watching anything on the screen, it would be okay. Recently, with the help of internet and the technologies, people nowadays especially young kids can access to any forms of violence content easily.

It is being said that the exposure to media violence increases the risk of aggressive behaviour on certain children desensitizes them to more violent and it makes them believe that the world they are living now is meaner and scarier place to live in. When children consume too much of violent content, it will stuck in their head and they will tend to do any violent act just like what they have seen in the media. Study shows that, performing violent acts in video games are contributing more on children’s aggression than passively watching violent acts on television. This is because in video games, women are usually portrayed as the victim and the male character can do any violent and abusive acts on the female character. Just like what the famous game such as Grand Theft Auto is portraying. It promotes prostitution, theft and violent behaviour. Thus, if the children are overly consumed of violent act like this, this will contribute to any form violent acts in reality.

Children will misbehave and it is pretty normal for a child to have occasional outburst. However, repeated disruptive behaviors may signal a behavioral problem. This behavior may include repeated arguments, tantrums, hostility toward parents or authority ﬁgures and bullying behavior such as picking on small or younger children. It also includes causing or threatening harm to pets, other people or even themselves. In older children and teens, early sexual activity, smoking, alcohol and drug use can be signs of a problem. Skipping school and lying may also indicate a behavioral problem. According to Medline Plus, if a child or teen has a pattern of hostility, aggression or disruptive behaviors lasting six months or longer, the child may have a behavior disorder. Imagine having our children spending most of their times playing violence video games, watching 18sg or 18sx rated series, surfing violence stuffs on the internet without. What is worst? When we as parents do not even have ample time to spend our precious time together with our children until we do not have the idea with what are the things that our children have been up too behind our backs.

Hence, in conclusion, as an adult be it as parents or even older siblings in the family, we should play the biggest role to keep on tracking what are the current obsession of our children or young siblings. We should know what are the games that they are playing, what kind of website they surf, who are their peers or stuff like that. It is not like we want to be overly protective, we just need to control their activities especially if it is involving any violence content. We know how kids can grasps anything that they see and listen quickly and precisely, hence we should be careful with that. Showing them violence acts via the media or video games, will only make it worst.

Teaffani Gastronomy Canape Competition 2018

It’s a Wrap Teaffani Canape Competition 2018 was a successful event that was organized by Teaffani Catering on the 25^th of November 2018! They have been in the market since 2011 and was the official food caterer for the DINNER IN THE SKY back in 2017. However, this year 2018, another breakthrough for them to be organizing a Canape competition for student as part of their CSR Program under “Education and Career Development Theme”.

Congratulation to Cindy Lee Xin Yi from YTL International College for the winner of the RM 1000.00 and also a Gold Medal. Moreover, Silver was won by Umi Asmat Binti Roslan of Silverspoon International College and Bronze was awarded to Siti Hajar Binti Ali From UiTM Puncak Alam who was judged by our Guest Judges Chef Doul and Chef Sufiz. Congratulation to all the winners and a job well done to all of you, and those who did not win there is always next year!

Also, Teaffani Canape Competition was not all about Canape Competition however they have invited a guest speaker Chef Fadzly Che Omar from Gastronomy Association of Malaysia to give an insight on The Impact of Gastronomy upon Malaysian Culture. During this talk Chef Fadzly enlighten the students that being in the culinary arts field is not solely that you only can enter the kitchen. As there are other branches for them to venture in which requires people with great knowledge in culinary arts and gastronomy such as food writer, food stylist, food critique and many more.

Besides that, it is government initiative to expose and enhanced our Malaysian Cuisine to be at par with the other cuisine especially French cuisine and it can be as high standard and prestige as a fine dining quality food. Thus, this is where all students from culinary arts field task to constantly develop and enhance the quality and presentation of Malaysian Cuisine.

Lastly, Congratulation to Teaffani Catering! To be the first catering company that organized a Canape Competition to help the student get an exposure and knowledge on the Culinary field and helped broaden their horizon for their future career!

Towards A Better Social Media User

by Razween binti Md. Rashidi

Technology is having a rapid growth parallel to the human needs as well as the demand of this modern world. It is becoming one of the tools that almost all Malaysians need as it is making life easier compared to our grandparents’ days where communication and other inventions such as computer, tabs or even mobile phones were hard to be found because of the economical state at that time. Now, everything has changed as it is impossible to meet a person without a mobile phone and the access to the Internet.

Our former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi once said that Malaysians are still at the third-class mentality with a first-class infrastructure. In relation to this particular topic, Malaysians are given access to the Internet and we can freely browse and post anything that we like in social media such as Facebook, Twitter as well as Instagram. Since we are given such freedom, most of us tend to take all those opportunities for granted. Based on a personal view as a social media user, the writer personally sees that some of us tend to spread and post negative comments towards other people. For example, if a person has posted about his or her achievement, some of Malaysians will comment that the achievement is nothing if the person does not acquire other skills. We tend to look at the negative side of that person than praise that person’s achievement. In fact, we tend to search for something negative that the person has. Malaysian Digest 2014 requoted words by Communications and Multimedia Consumer Forum of Malaysia Chairman, Dr Elistina Abu Bakar said that Malaysians tend to neglect the things that they have to consider when sharing or posting things online. They do not think of the consequences of posting something negative that may offend other parties who have read what they have posted.

In order to have or to produce a first-class mentality, there are a few things that can be done so that social media users especially teenagers in Malaysia will be more aware about the consequences if they do not use the technologies wisely.

The first thing that can be done is by initiating an early education regarding the social media. This is where people who involved in structuring the education system in Malaysia should include an education regarding the usage of social media in moral subject syllabus for instance. They should know when teenagers started to expose or involve themselves in social media such as Facebook, Twitter as well as Instagram. By knowing that, they can plan on what are the things that can be included in the syllabus. We are in a world where almost everything is having rapid changes. Moral class should expose a situation that is more than just by helping a mother to do the house chores at home. Most of the students have started to engage in an “online” world. They often triggered to explore everything by themselves. So, if there are no guidelines, they may be free to explore and express whatever they want.

In addition to that, another aspect that should be touched on in shaping the children’s mentality in using social media is the parents themselves. Parents is often associated with the behaviour of the children. Hence, it is very important for them to get to know the daily activities of their children whether online or offline. There is no such thing as parents should not be busybody. When parents want to know the activities of their children, it is not called busybody as parents are people who should be respected and they have the right to know the activities of their children. It is important for parents to make sure that the children are like their best friends but they can respect and listen to you at the same time. In relation to the topic, what parents can do to make sure that their children are using social media in a right way is by having a regular check on them. Ask them in the most convincing way in order for them to share with us what they have read or posted in social media. If there are something wrong that we want to correct them, do it in the most professional manner so that our action will not trigger the anger inside the children.

Another reason why parent’s role is important in shaping the children to have a first-class mentality in using social media is because a quiet child at home may be the loudest person online. Hence, it is very important to get to know the children inside and out. Sometimes, we can see that everything is fine on the outside but we should not let them keep everything to themselves and choose social media as a medium to express their anger as well as dissatisfaction.

In conclusion, if all Malaysians tend to post negative things online all the time, foreigners will have a bad reputation towards us as we are not aware of what we have posted online. Hence, in order to have a first-class mentality, we should start using the social media wisely and avoid posting something that can lower down our dignity. Think of the consequences and only post or share something that you really understand.

Parents do play an important role in shaping the children’s behaviour online as mentioned above. We better be safe than sorry. Besides that, it is advisable for all users to be extra careful when dealing with online community. This is because we just look at the online personality of a person instead of their real self. Let’s work towards being a social media user with a first-class mentality. Start shaping ourselves to be one and if other users are using it negatively, why don’t we start using the facilities wisely. Let us portray that we Malaysians are on our way to be a nation with a first-class mentality.

Learning with Mobile Phone

by Hariz Zakuan Zainal

Since mobile phones’ explosion in quality, many colleges have resisted or perhaps illegal, their use within the room. However, associate in nursing increasing variety of educators are currently turning to cell phones so as to bolster students’ engagement and learning. While mobile-phone use ought to be restricted to things wherever the technology genuinely enhances instruction, the advanced practicality of today’s cell phones makes them ideal for 21st-century lessons. For instance, many colleges use the devices to poll students at school via text messages. “If I tell [students], ‘Okay kids, do away with your cell phones, we’re visiting poll in our answers for variety 7—everybody plow ahead and text,’ i purchase ninety to one hundred pc participation,” New Milford (NJ) high-school mathematics teacher Jeff Fiscina told CBS big apple. As additional and additional faculties adopt a mobile-friendly room philosophy, opportunities to use the devices are increasing.

Cell phones are completely different from a PC science lab full of computers or a cart of netbooks as a result of the cellular phone is personal technology. Most students have endowed a good deal of your time learning regarding the options of the cellular phone, the way to navigate and also the limitations of the phone. The opposite reason to essentially rethink the cellular phone discussion is a result of learning on the cellular phone will extend on the far side the walls of the college or the scope of a category amount.

Some folks might want to ban cell phones from school rooms, however I disagree. We tend to didn’t ban pens in our faculties as a result of students will pass notes throughout category. The pencils have conjointly survived while you’ll poke somebody within the eye and also the quantity of paper that’s generated in most colleges is sort of criminal. This can be a brand-new time in education and with dwindling budgets, thus we’d like to rethink potentialities, stretching each dollar. These mini computers are walking through the doors every day, let’s place them to figure. Before you think about making an attempt any of those ideas, do confirm that you perceive the policies that are in situ and you have checked along with your administrator.

Some faculties encourage students to use their phones’ cameras to snap photos to be used as inspiration in art categories. Others enable students to capture pictures of a post-lecture whiteboard. In seconds, children will grab an in depth image of a teacher’s notes on the board and email it themselves, leading to an out of this world study tool. On field visits, students will participate in scavenger hunts by snapping photos of things on a teacher-supplied list.

Mobile phones can even facilitate category discussion. Lecturers may raise students to run a Google look for data on a specific topic. An alternate to presenting the data via lecture or having students browse it from a textbook, discussion-integrated internet searches are doubtless additional partaking, increasing the percentages that students can retain the data. At museums, children will use their phones to seek out further exhibit data that they then enter on a visit activity sheet. Yet one more idea: The bold tech-savvy teacher will use his/her transportable to access any variety of classroom-appropriate websites. As today’s cell phones are effectively miniature computers capable of browsing full versions of websites, lecturers will leverage these resources into a whole-class session.

KL LIVE, INDEED BRINGS MUSIC TO LIFE.

by Fazlin Zulkifli

Let’s just say if you are an avid concert-goer like me, you will understand why KL Live is chosen as one of the preferred location for any musical events. It is a very well-known event space located at the heart of Jalan Sultan Ismail, which will surprise you with the ultimate live music experience you will need to encounter at least once in a lifetime.

Estalished in 2010, the concert hall have held over 63 concert events featuring local and famous, international acts such as Marshmello, Simple Plan, Sum 41, Zedd, Dua Lipa, and the recent uprising American singer that makes highschool kids be feeling proud of their young, dumb and broke self, Khalid.

KL Live is Kuala Lumpur’s fastest growing entertainment venue located at the heart of the city. With the standing capacity of 2500 pax, it is a multipurpose entertainment duplex event hall, with two fully licensed bars, KL Live is known to have hosted some of the most explosive live concerts, DJ parties, dance competitions and corporate events.

KL Live is located on the 1st floor of Life Centre at No. 20 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur. Through its conveniences, the event space is also easily accessed by car and taxi. If you are commuting using the public transport, the closest stop would be the Raja Chulan Station. It is around 5-minute walk from the preferred station and it is also on walking distance from both KLCC and Pavilion.

If you decide to attend any events at the venue, there are certain guidelines that need to be followed. Upon the entrance, there will be security body and bag checks. In order to enter the venue, it is advisable to only bring your wallet and your phone to the venue because there is a restriction towards drinking bottles, medications, packed cigarettes, anything flammable, foods as well as beverages. Extra points if you are ready to display your Identification Card (IC) in order to get the line going smooth and moving before gates starts to open for the show to happen. P.S, during event days, basement parkings are at RM25 per entry, however, there are other alternatives to park your vehicles nearby the venue.

And here I attach videos taken from attending concerts at KL Live. Enjoy!