Life is too short …

William Blake wrote …

I was angry with my friend;

I told my wrath, my wrath did end.

I was angry with my foe;

I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears,

Night and morning with my tears;

And I sunned it with smiles,

And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night.

Till it bore an apple bright.

Bitterness and unforgiveness can form a deadly poison for the soul.

Sadly, bitterness and unforgiveness very often become the poison that we start administering to ourselves.

We keep injecting the apple with poison hoping our foe will eat the shiny, red apple.

But we are really injecting ourselves with the poison.

Life is too short to inject ourselves with the poison of bitterness and unforgiveness …

AND THEN IT IS WINTER ..

April 5, 2015

(The Star) – The late Tan Sri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis posted this touching message a few days ago via WhatsApp to his acquaintances. The Rompin MP was among six people killed in a helicopter crash in Semenyih on Saturday afternoon.

AND THEN IT IS WINTER

You know … time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.

But, here it is… the “back nine” of my life and it catches me by surprise… How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?

I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that “I was only on the first hole” and the “back nine” was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

But, here it is … my friends are retired and getting grey… they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me… but, I see the great change … Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant … but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we’d become.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore … it’s mandatory! ‘Cause if I don’t on my own free will … I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so … now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though I’m on the “back nine”, and I’m not sure how long it will last … this I know, that when it’s over on this earth … it’s over. A new adventure will begin! Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn’t done … things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I’m happy to have done. It’s all in a lifetime.

So, if you’re not on the “back nine” yet … let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don’t put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether you’re on the “back nine” or not!

You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life … so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember … and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!

“Life” is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY! HAVE A GREAT DAY Remember “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. LIVE HAPPY IN 2015!

LASTLY, CONSIDER THIS: Your kids are becoming you …. but your grandchildren are perfect! Going out is good … Coming home is better! You forget names …. But it’s OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!! You realize you’re never going to be really good at anything … especially golf. The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don’t care to do them anymore. You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. It’s called “pre-sleep”. You miss the days when everything worked with just an “ON” and “OFF” switch…You tend to use more 4 letter words … “what?”…”when?”…” ??? Now that you can afford expensive jewellery, it’s not safe to wear it anywhere. You notice everything they sell in stores is “sleeveless”?!!! What used to be freckles are now liver spots. Everybody whispers. You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet … 2 of which you will never wear. But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!

Stay well, “OLD FRIEND!” Send this on to other “Old Friends!” and let them laugh in AGREEMENT!!! It’s Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE, SO ENJOY ..

Al Fatihah buat Allahyarham Tan Sri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis ...

Bayaran Bonus Berdasarkan KPI?

Bayaran Bonus Berdasarkan KPI?

FEB 17, 2015

Rombakan Pembayaran Bonus Penjawat Awam? Bayaran Bonus Berdasarkan KPI? Apa kata 1.5 Juta kakitangan awam? : 

Hari ini salah seorang penganalisis ekonomi negara yang juga merupakan Ahli Jawatankuasa Kluster Ekonomi dan Kewangan, Majlis Profesor Negara (MPN) Prof Dr Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman mendedahkan situasi yang sedang berlaku dalam sektor awam.

Dengan negara mempunyai saiz jumlah perjawatan yang ramai, Prof Dr Abdul Rahim Abdul perhatikan masih ramai lagi penjawat awam di Malaysia tidak menunjukkan komitmen, prestasi yang diharapkan kerana merasakan mereka berada di “zon yang cukup selesa” dibandingkan dengan pekerja swasta di Malaysia untuk bersaing bagi menunjukkan prestasi yang terbaik.

Penjawat awam diberikan akses pelbagai kemudahan dan faedah yang lebih baik, imbuhan, bonus yang besar dibandingkan kebanyakan pekerja swasta di Malaysia.

Cadangan Penambaikan Meknisme Kenaikan Pangkat & Pembayaran Bonus Penjawat Awam?

Prof Dr Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman tampil dengan beberapa cadangan dan saranan dengan harapan ia mampu meningkatkan semula tahap prestasi penjawat awam di Malaysia.

1. Bonus sepatutnya dibayarkan kepada penjawat awam berdasarkan Indeks Petunjuk Prestasi (KPI) yang       dibuktikan mereka sebelum itu.

·        2.  Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) mesti lebih telus dan fokus kepada kualiti kerja yang boleh diukur.

·       3.  Penjawat awam yang tidak mencapai KPI yang disasarkan hanya layak menerima gaji bulanan seperti          biasa tanpa bonus.

·         4. Setiap pekerja perlu ada KPI untuk menentukan pemberian bonus dan kenaikan pangkat kena ada KPI       yang jelas dengan harapan penjawat awam akan lebih peka.

5. Negara berdepan kerugian kerana perlu lantik ramai kakitangan namun pada hakikatnya bilangan pekerja     yang besar itu bertindih buat benda sama sehingga ramai yang mengambil kesempatan termasuk yang curi     tulang.

6. Jangan bayar bonus satu bulan contohnya kepada semua penjawat awam sepertimana yang berlaku               sekarang. Hanya lakukan pembayaran bonus kepada penjawat awam yang cekap sahaja.

7. Manakala kakitangan kerajaan yang tidak menunjukkan prestasi kerja memberangsangkan tidak akan           diberikan bonus.

Apa kata anda pula? Bersetuju dengan saranan dan cadangan Prof Dr Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman ?

Secebis Sejarah Kampung Gedong , Simunjan

Samarahan dan Sadong di akui sebagai salah sebuah daripada 5 negeri Melayu yang wujud sebelum zaman Kesultanan Brunei.

Sarawak Sebelum Brunei dan Brooke:  5 Negeri Melayu Yang Hilang

Prof. Madya Datu Hj. Sanib bin Hj. Said

Felo Kanan Kursi Nusantara, Institut Pengajian Asia Timur

 Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak

©Sanib bin Said 2011

Negeri Samarahan dan Sadong

            Adanya penemuan tembikar China abad ke 14 dan 15 di dua buah tempat di lembah Sungai Sadong menunjukkan terdapatnya kesinambungan politi di pantai dengan yang wujud di pendalaman.  Tempat yang pertama ialah Gedong.

Di sini terjumpa 79,754 pecahan tembikar dan ratus benda lain seperti manik, duit siling dan emas. Lucas Chin mencadangkan bahawa Gedong ini merupakan tempat perkuburan tetapi tanpa menemui sebarang tulang manusia. Terdapatnya pecahan tembikar dan benda-benda lain dengan begitu banyak besar kemungkinan Gedong ini merupakan politi yang agak besar.  

Kajian yang dilakukan oleh Lucas Chin menunjukkan bahawa jika Gedong merupakan sebuah politi maka ia wujud dari abad ke-7 hingga ke-13, iaitu sezaman dengan Santubong.

 Limabelas batu ke pendalaman Gedong terdapat sebuah lagi politi di Bukit Sandong. Di sini terdapat 30,000 serpihan tembikar yang mempunyai asal dan ketuaan seperti yang terdapat di Santubong dan Gedong.  

Selain daripada itu yang membezakannya dengan tempat-tempat tadi ialah adanya 143 serpihan tembikar Sawankhalok.  Mengikut Lucas Chin serpihan Sawankhalok dan ”blue and white sherds” ini ditarikhkan pada abad ke-16 dan ke-17.  

Walaupun sukar untuk menyatakan adanya perpindahan dari politi-politi yang awal ke Bukit Sandong tetapi ia jelas menunjukkan kesinambungan politi Sarawak.  Dan walaupun politi Gedong dan Bukit Sandong ini tidak tercatat dalam tulisan-tulisan China dan Jawa, namun kewujudannya juga tidak dapat dinafikan.  

Lucas Chin menyimpulkan:

“What is also considered significant is that with such large quantities of ceramic wares excavated at such inland sites at Gedong and Bukit Sandong, it indicates that trade was not necessarily confined to the coast as previously believed.  Trading boats could have sailed as far inland as possible for trade.”

PERBANDINGAN GAJI GURU

A  touching story about how much some students care and love their teachers.

He was in the first third grade class I taught Saint Mary's School in Morris, Minn. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark Eklund was one in a million. Very neat in appearance, but had that happy-to-be-alive attitude that made even his occasional mischievousness delightful. 

Mark talked incessantly. I had to remind him again and again that talking without permission was not acceptable. What impressed me so much, though, was his sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving - "Thank you for correcting me, Sister!"I didn't know what to make of it at first, but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day. One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too often, and then I made a novice teacher's mistake. I looked at Mark and said, "If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut!" It wasn't ten seconds later when Chuck blurted out, "Mark is talking again." I hadn't asked any of the students to help me watch Mark, but since I had stated the punishment in front of the class, I had to act on it. I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I walked to my desk, very deliberately opened my drawer and took out a roll of masking tape. Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark's desk,tore off two pieces of tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I then returned to the front of the room. As I glanced at Mark to see how he was doing, he winked at me. That did it!! I started laughing. The class cheered as I walked back to Mark's desk, removed the tape, and shrugged my shoulders. His first words were, "Thank you for correcting me, Sister."

At the end of the year, I was asked to teach junior-high math. The years flew by, and before I knew it Mark was in my classroom again. He was more handsome than ever and just as polite. Since he had to listen carefully to my instruction in the "new math," he did not talk as much in ninth grade as he had in third. One Friday, things just didn't feel right. We had worked hard on a new concept all week, and I sensed that the students were frowning, frustrated with themselves and edgy with one another.I had to stop this crankiness before it got out of hand. So I asked them to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then I told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed me the papers. Charlie smiled. Mark said, "Thank you for teaching me, Sister. Have a good weekend." That Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday I gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. Really?" I heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" "I didn't know others liked me so much." No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. I never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The studends were happy with themselves and one another again. That group of students moved on.

 Several years later, after I returned from vacation, my parents met me at the airport. As we were driving home, Mother asked me the usual questions about the trip, the weather, my experiences in general. There was a lull in the conversation. Mother gave Dad a sideways glance and simply says, "Dad?"

My father cleared his throat as he usually did before something important. "The Eklunds called last night," he began. "Really?" I said. "I haven't heard from them in years. I wonder how Mark is." Dad responded quietly. "Mark was killed in Vietnam," he said. "The funeral is tomorrow; all parents would like it if you could attend." To this day I can still point to the exact spot on I-494 where Dad told me about Mark. I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. Mark looked so handsome, so mature. All I could think at that moment was, "Mark, I would give all the masking tape in the world if only you would talk to me." The church was packed with Mark's friends. Chuck's sister sang "The Battle Hymn of the republic." Why did it have to rain on the day of the funeral? It was difficult enough at the graveside. The pastor said the usual prayers, and the bugler played taps. One by one those who loved Mark took a last walk by the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water. I was the last one to bless the coffin. As I stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to me. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. I nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin. "Mark talked about you a lot," he said.

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates headed to Chuck's farmhouse for lunch. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting for me. "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it." Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. "Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it." Mark's classmates started to gather around us. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album." "I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary." Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said without batting an eyelash. "I think we all saved our lists." That's when I finally sat down and cried. I cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important.

Author: Peter Unsworth from Calgary Alberta. Canada

Points To Ponder

Not Ordinary Teachers?
by Dunstan Chan
http://www.theborneopost.com

Last week NUTP president Hashim Adnan said the goverment should consider lowering the benchmark to enter the teaching profession for students who have been active in sports.

"We cannot expect students active in sports to be able to produce results like inactive students as they would need to go for training and may miss lessons or have less time to study. Instaed of ignoring them, the ministry must make allowances for those who have represented the state or the nation in sports.

This suggestion raised quite a few eyebrows. In the case of my friend John, it was more than just raising the eyebrow. It was the deep furrow of a worried frown.

Perhaps it is understandable; John still has two children in school and he, like many, subscribes to the belief that brain and brawn are two mutually exclusive commodities. Such a belief has been prevalent for years. In fact the Chinese have an expression 'boon bu chuan chai' (Hokkien) meaning the complete man is one who is at once a scholar and a warrior, in their consideration, a very rare phenomenon.

John is concerned that his children might be taught by someone who might not be fully equipped for the job by virtue of his or her commitment to activitites other than academic.

Let me at this point go off tangent somewhat to offer my two-sen worth view on education. The prevalent culture in Malaysia I note is that a school is a place where the teacher (being the fountain of knowledge) dispenses knowledge to the students (the receptacles). The task of the students in turn is to reproduce the said knowledge during the examination. Thus, note taking becomes a very important activity. Reproduction is a premium while exploration of beyond the realm defined by the textbooks take a very far backseat.

Interestingly, such a mindset is carried beyond the school years. One of the first things I got  asked when I ran training programmes for adults is "Are there notes?" I posed the same question to the late Zig Ziglar (he was one of foremost motivational speakers and trainers in the US) when I attended his seminar some ten years ago. I noted that  the seminar files given to the participants contained mostly blank pages. He gave me a gentle smile and explained to me that he wanted us to write down on those pages the learning points from the seminar and add extra comments or counter points if we so wished. This would help us to internalise the lessons. He said that no two participants would likely  to have identical notes. He was at pains to point out that learning is a very individual experience.

The key word in education is 'learning'. I remember the word of a very wise professor: "My aim is not to try to give you all the words on the subject. Suffice for me that you leave this place with the desire to learn; that you accept that learning is a lifelong activity. If I manage to teach you to learn how to learn then I believe I have fullfilled my vocation."

This brings me back to the issue of champion sportsmen being given special dispensation from exacting pre-qualification of becoming teachers. Instinctively one may    balk at the idea. How can we accept the idea of someone, who because of his preoccupation with sports and thus was unable to acquire sufficient knowledge, to teach our kids? However, after I had pondered on the matter for a while I came to the conclusion that these sportsmen may be able to offer the students something as valuable, if not more, than the ordinary teachers.

The key ingredients for sporting successs are courage, discipline and a willingness to learn. They would have agreed with the wors of Winston Churchill: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts."

These sportsmen would have learned that without hard work there would be no success. My neice enjoyed a measure of success as a swimmer. I know that by the time she won a medal at the SEA Games she would had swam enough lengths to reach all the way around the world. For a period of ten years, she never got out from bed later than 5.30 am. Incidentally, so did her mother who was her driver.

Champions would have had to endure the berating of their coaches, swallowed their pride and put their heads down and continued with their training and practices.

These and other fine values  the champion sportsmen teachers can share with their students. These are the attitudes they have acquired not from books but throught actual experiences. Surely that's worth something.  

A letter to FB friends ...

The Star

Wednesday June 20, 2012

A letter to FB friends ...

MANY of us parents are worried that you kids are being exposed to more than you should.

While we do want you to have fun, most importantly we want you to be safe as well in that place that you call Facebook.

Only people who are true friends in real life can be your friends on Facebook. Just like we tell you not to talk to strangers, don’t add on anyone you don’t know (friends of friends don’t count unless they are already your personal friends too).

Do not accept friend requests from people you don’t know. (Your parents should be Friends with you.) Only those you have met face to face should be added.

If you think you are grown now and can put up suggestive links and posts, think again.

Please remember that many from your family and friends, young and old, are seeing your posts. When you post suggestive pictures or four-letter words, everyone is viewing it.

Do you realise that many parents also check their children’s FB pages and may not want their young kids viewing such pictures or profanity? It’s like flashing these pictures or using foul language in front of your parents and elders.

Just as we tell you to dress decently when you go out, the same rules apply. No pictures of yourself scantily dressed or any form of suggestive poses should be for public view.

There are people out there who could take advantage of your pictures or may get the wrong impression of you. The same applies to pictures of your friends; get their permission before posting them online.

If your friends have posted pictures or language that is inappropriate, just delete it. My nephew went a step further and just “unfriended” the person who put up inappropriate pictures, and he publicly apologised.

In Malaysia, the Government has made us responsible and accountable not just for our own posts but even for comments made by others on our home page. So my young friends, we can even go to jail for something said by your friend which the Government does not approve of.

Please, don’t just use SMS language. Since you are spending so much time online, do it right. Writing full words will help you learn the English language, improve your spelling and help you score better in your English exams.

Remember, what you write online will be there forever, to be read by everyone, and be interpreted by the reader and not necessarily in the way you intended.

Don’t write anything you wouldn’t say directly face to face. Don’t think your teachers won’t be able to read what you have written; remember other people could repost what you have posted.

If you are spending about an hour a day online, you may be getting addicted. Restrict online activity to weekends. Having poke wars, spamming friends and smiley comments is not education. Playing Farmville is not real life.

Get Real. Get a life: there is nothing as good as a game of badminton with friends or swimming a few laps in the pool for real. Seriously, how about a good book or spend some time helping out mom?

Safeguard your privacy. Do not give out your personal information to anyone.

You should not give out personal details like your full name, school, home address, phone number, where your parents work or what car they drive, etc. - not even for contests, quizzes, etc. You really don’t know who is on the “other side!”

Never agree to meet an online “friend” somewhere in the real world. How do you know who it is? The other person could even be a fraud who is trying to take advantage of you (every parents’ nightmare).

Don’t believe everything people you meet on the Internet say about themselves. Think about how easy it is for you to “fake it” online, and remember it is just as easy for everybody else to do the same.

Even if somebody says they are your age, remember that they can very easily lie and don’t be gullible.

If anybody on the Internet says or does something that scares or bothers you, stop talking to them right a way. Never talk to them again, and tell your parents or an adult you trust right away.

If anyone online threatens you, your family, or anybody else, tell your parents first. Don’t hesitate. Your parents have your best interest at heart.

No one on this planet cares or loves you as much as your parents.

So think before you post.

AUNTY BINA,

Puchong

SELAMAT HARI GURU

Whose Child Is This

"Whose child is this?" I asked one day

Seeing a little one out at play

"Mine", said the parent with a tender smile

"Mine to keep a little while

To bathe his hands and comb his hair

To tell him what he is to wear

To prepare him that he may always be good

And each day do the things he should"

"Whose child is this?" I asked again

As the door opened and someone came in

"Mine", said the teacher with the same tender smile

"Mine, to keep just for a little while

To teach him how to be gentle and kind

To train and direct his dear little mind

To help him live by every rule

And get the best he can from school"

"Whose child is this?" I ask once more

Just as the little one entered the door

"Ours" said the parent and the teacher as they smiled

And each took the hand of the little child

"Ours to love and train together

Ours this blessed task forever."

- Author Unknown

TERIMA KASIH CIKGU ...

SELAMAT HARI IBU

SELAMAT HARI IBU

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

‘ The bravest battle that ever was fought;

Shall  I  tell you where and when?

On the maps of the world you will find it not;

It was fought by the mothers of men.’

Joaquin Miller

Dulu dan Sekarang .. apa bezanya ?

Dulu dan Sekarang .. apa bezanya ?

Kata Noor Azam :

… Membuka buku-buku pelajaran anak-anak, ternyata mereka kurang mendapat perhatian yang cukup, dari ibu bapa mahupun dari guru-guru di sekolah. Mungkin, jumlah anak-anak yang terlalu banyak dalam tiap kelas, alat-alat pelajaran yang tidak lengkap, murid-murid yang kurang sihat, suasana yang kurang mengghairahkan, membuat guru-guru tidak dapat  memberi perhatian yang cukup kepada murid-muridnya. Saya teringat, seorang teman, guru sekolah rendah, tahun lalu mengatakan dengan sungguh-sungguh : Mutu pelajaran sekolah-sekolah rendah Melayu sekarang merosot. Mengapa? Jawabnya : Perhatian yang berat ditumpukan kepada soal-soal yang lain dari pelajaran. Guru Besar sibuk dengan pentadbiran dan bermacam-macam laporan. Kursus-kursus untuk guru banyak, tetapi kesan praktik belum terlihat. Perubahan sistem, pertukaran buku teks, kehanagatan soal gaji dan perkhidmatan guru, semuanya ikut mengurangkan perhatian semua pihak kepada pelajaran.

Kalau begitu , ini suatu trend yang merbahaya. Jawabnya : Ya , tetapi begitulah keadaan sekarang …

Ini petikan tulisan Noor Azam , Perspektif , Dewan Masyarakat  bulan Mac 1972 ..  buat renungan kita bersama. Ya .. renungan kita sejak tahun 1972.  Itulah  agaknya yang  mampu kita buat .. renung-renungan dan mungkin sedikit cubit-cubitan.

1972  - 2012 ..(dari zaman ‘bell bottom’ hingga muncul semula ‘bell bottom’)  macam sama saja masalah guru.

Food for thought .. Disconnected from real life

Friday January 20, 2012

Disconnected from real life

By WONG PEK MEI

pekmei@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Social networking can be addictive and stunt personal interaction, say experts.

People frequent websites like Facebook due to easy access via mobile devices, but “such convenience is distracting people from having real social interaction with another human being”, said psychologist and counsellor Adnan Omar.

“For example, a couple missed an opportunity to have true interaction with each other by going out for dinner, only to be surfing the Net or checking e-mail on their mobile devices,” he told The Star recently.

It was reported on Jan 10 that a nationwide study showed that Malaysian mobile web users on average spend 20% of their time on social media like Facebook and Twitter, 18% on music or videos, 17% on playing games, 14% on searches for general information and 13% on e-mail.

Adnan was concerned that society might lose its ability to connect with the people within.

“We may know people in Russia but we do not know our own neighbours although they are just one wall away,” he said.

“If you're spending more than 25 hours per week social networking for other than work or academic reasons, you're addicted to it. It does not help that the Internet is readily available and you don't have to turn it off.”

Adnan said addicts had the urge to check their phone constantly and felt “empty deep inside” if they did not do so.

“When people post their pictures and updates, they are waiting for compliments to make them feel fulfilled. The other reason is that they need to kill time and would feel useless or uncomfortable if they do not do anything.

“Technology creates activities but not necessarily productivity although it makes us feel that way,” Adnan said.