Category: Random rambling

Thank you, Dr Muhd Kamil Ibrahim

I met him in a conference in Glasgow in 2010 when I was a PhD student at Durham University. He came to the conference to accompany his wife who presented a paper based on her Masters research. One of the vivid memories of him during the conference was he was carrying their sleeping daughter on a way back to their hotel. Our eyes met for a while and he smiled with his tired eyes. Coming all the way from Malaysia was not easy especially with a small child. At that time, I already knew him. He already published his famous book “Travelog Haji: Mengubah sempadan iman” and I have read his book which I borrowed from a friend. Reading his book consoles me, as I was unable to perform hajj in 2010, despite having received a letter from Tabung Haji.

I met him the second time when he came to UTM in 2019 to deliver a talk. I remember him saying that when writing a book, it is challenging if we do not give it a try. When some attendees remarked on how time-consuming writing could be, he replied, “Think about how others might benefit from what we write.” His words resonated deeply, reminding us that writing is not just about self-expression but also about contributing to the lives of others. It was a perspective that transformed how I viewed the purpose of writing, not simply fulfilling KPIs.

After the talk, I bought one of his books and asked him to autograph it for a student of mine who was unwell and had wished to meet him. When I mentioned that the autograph was for someone else, he looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes and asked, “Don’t you want my autograph too?” I smiled and told him that meeting him in person was a far greater privilege and honor than having his signature while giving another book for him to sign. His books are deeply inspiring and humbling, serving as powerful tools for his dakwah (spiritual outreach). That encounter left me pondering: What is my tool for dakwah?

He is a special person. A unique individual blessed by Allah with the ability to write and touch the hearts of others through his works. Some of my friends who know him and his family personally, particularly Kak Roza (his wife), have posted on Facebook that they have inspired and made a difference in the lives of so many people in a variety of ways. Getting the news about the passing of a unique person like him is not easy to fathom.

Last Friday, I came across a post from his wife, requesting anyone who read it to recite Surah Ar-Ra’d. Her words conveyed the gravity of his condition. I prayed fervently that Allah would bless him with the honor of passing away on the best of days—Friday. Yet, Allah’s plans are always better. He passed away on Tuesday 14 January 2025. Al fatihah.

Quiet quitting

There are times when I feel overwhelmed with things around me and I admit that I have difficulty to reorganise those things according to priorities. What I normally do is, I will categorise things accordingly based on urgency and importance. But I will remind myself those urgency and importance should be related to what is really matters to my identity as a Muslim and how it will impact my relationship with Allah. This is challenging. Every time.

This is already October, another two months before we reach the end of 2024. What have I done so far this year?

Off lately, I find myself just do a minimum without caring going extra miles to do something. This is especially relating to things which are instructed by others which I have to do. I have been wondering what is the cause of this even though I can guess. I remind myself that I should not rely on my guess without concrete reasons to avoid su’u zahn (opposite of husn zahn). While listening to a radio this morning (17 October 2024), the radio DJs talked about “quiet quitting”. It is a term to refer to a phenomenon at a workplace where its employees just do bare minimum required in their job, without the motivation of doing more than what is required. It does not mean the employees are demotivated to do their job well, it is just they do what is required. Nothing more, nothing less. The thoughts of “why should I do more?”, “why should I care to go extra miles to contribute?”, “if other people do not care, why should I care?” would always linger as a subconscious reminder which leads this phenomenon to thrive.

No doubt we have to adapt to changes that happen around us. Yet, to balance between the needs and wants are not easy. We need to do our job well and protect our mental health and personal time. Quiet quitting is when we do all that without formally resigning. In this case, it serves as a coping mechanism of finding balance in life and perhaps can be seen as a personal assertion between work and personal life.

I do not know what else to write here. To end this post, I asked ChatGPT to compose a poem based on what I have written above. Enjoy!

The world surrounds, a sea of demands,
Urgency whispers, yet slips through my hands.
I stand overwhelmed, priorities unclear,
Yet deep in my heart, I know why I’m here.

I sift through the noise, sort urgent from small,
What truly matters, what matters at all?
I pause and reflect, what will this mean
In the light of my faith, the unseen, the serene?

With each task, each step, I seek to align
What echoes forever with the Divine.
But still, there’s a weight I can’t deny—
This pull to do less, the question, “Why?”

Why should I strive when others stand still?
Why climb the extra mile, climb the hill?
Perhaps I’ve quiet quit, in more ways than one,
Just doing enough, until the day’s done.

Yet balance is fragile, this life, a test,
To protect my soul while giving my best.
I find myself torn, between needs and care,
Seeking peace in the midst of this quiet affair.

As the year wanes, I ask with a sigh,
What have I done? How? Why did I try?
In moments of silence, I find what I seek—
A reminder of strength, though I may feel weak.

Quiet quitting, perhaps, is more than it seems,
A way to balance, to cradle my dreams.
But still, I must strive, for in my heart I know,
The true path is where both faith and effort grow.

MAJLIS BERSAMA NAIB CANSELOR BULAN OGOS 2023: 1 Ogos 2023 (Selasa)

Sesi kali ini, antara perkara yang aku belajar dari Datuk NC ialah tentang sikap. Bukan aku tidak faham tentang konsep sikap, tingkah laku dan apa kaitannya dengan tindakan, matlamat dan sebagainya sebelum ini. Tetapi dari kata-katanya membuat aku berfikir tentang “Apakah matlamat yang aku ingin capai?”

“The right attitude cultivates the right behaviour which leads to the desired outcome”

Melihat kembali usiaku yang akan menginjak ke siri 5 beberapa tahun lagi, aku hanya berharap matlamat aku untuk _________ dapat tercapai. Itu impian ramai orang. Tetapi melihat video viral tentang seorang penceramah yang juga pensyarah USIM yang meninggal ketika memberi kuliah subuh, aku tersentak. Dapatkah aku peluang sebegitu?

What doesn’t kill you make your stronger…..

Someone gave me a newspaper article about teachers’ behavior in implementing punishment. This person just wanted my opinion about the right way to punish students. Well, to differentiate what is right or wrong is a bit tricky. It is contextual. But if you want to see punishment from psychological perspectives, in specific operant conditioning (a theory by B. F Skinner), you will see that punishment does not have to be physical.

When I was 10 years old, I was struggling with double digits multiplication. I vividly remember the incident well until now. To cut the long story short, I was called in front of the class with another 3 students. I only remember one out of the three students. One of them is N because she stood on my left side. There was no one standing on my right side. After so many years, the incident seemed like a dream, or more like a nightmare. It felt as if that incident never happened in my life even though sometimes the memory still bugs me once a while. This is what we call as repressed memory. Even though the idea of repressed memory is controversial, but in my case, it is as if subconsciously I purposely wish not to remember it. This is quite logical if we refer to Freud’s defense mechanism of repression.

I never met the teacher again after I left primary school. I know some of my friends had met her once or more than that. I feel there is no need to meet her. I still respect her as a teacher but what she had done is unforgettable. That is for sure. Someone told me that I need to move on. After all, this teacher already passed away. Lesson needs to be learned. Every time I teach a relevant topic, I will use that as an example of what a teacher should not do. In a way, that incident gives me ideas to be a better teacher. For that, I thank her (arwah Cikgu N) for that. Al – fatihah.

Mata CPD (terkini mulai 2 Mei 2023)

CPD bagi tahun 2023 telah diubah berdasarkan keputusan Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Universiti Bil.8/2023 bertarikh 2 Mei 2023. Matlamat asal Pelaksanaan CPD bagi Staf Akademik dan Staf Pengurusan, Profesional dan Pelaksana (PPP) masih lagi sama iaitu ianya selaras dengan Latihan Berasaskan Kompetensi (Competency Based Training) di Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

Matlamat pelaksanaan CPD

Pelaksanaan CPD berasaskan kompetensi untuk staf UTM diwujudkan bertujuan untuk memastikan staf menghadiri latihan mengikut komponen CPD yang telah ditetapkan selaras dengan keperluan kompetensi yang diperlukan oleh staf UTM.  Selain itu, ia juga dapat membentuk staf yang berpengetahuan tinggi, berkemahiran dan mempunyai sikap positif melalui kehadiran ke program/kursus yang lebih menyeluruh.

Pengiraan mata CPD yang baharu

Universiti telah menambahbaik penetapan Mata CPD dengan pengiraan mata CPD baharu yang lebih terperinci dengan menentukan keperluan CPD tahunan berdasarkan kompetensi yang dibangunkan. Staf hanya perlu menghadiri latihan bagi memenuhi jurang kompetensi serta pemilihan peserta kursus lebih tepat mengikut keperluan kompetensi. Cadangan pengiraan Mata CPD baharu bagi pelaksaan CPD selaras dengan Latihan Berasaskan Kompetensi (Competency Based Training) sebagaimana di dalam pekeliling dilampirkan.

Walau bagaimanapun pelaksanaan Mata CPD bagi Staf Akademik mengikut pecahan pada tahun 2023 ini, adalah separuh daripada 42 mata iaitu 21 mata. 

Peratus dalam Laporan Penilaian Prestasi Staf Akademik (eLPPT)

Di dalam Laporan Penilaian Prestasi Staf Akademik (e-LPPT) sebanyak lima (5) peratus tanpa mengambil kira komponen CPD yang telah ditetapkan di dalam Jadual 2 akan diberikan kepada staf yang telah mencapai 21 mata. Pengumpulan Mata CPD mengikut pecahan bagi staf akademik akan dilaksanakan sepenuhnya mulai tahun 2024.

Pelaksanaan hari latihan umum peringkat Universiti: Hari Selasa petang

Pelaksanaan penetapan Mata CPD selaras dengan Latihan Berasaskan Kompetensi (Competency Based Training) bagi staf UTM ini berkuat kuasa mulai tahun 2023. Sehubungan dengan itu, seluruh warga Universiti berstatus tetap dan kontrak (lantikan UTM) sahaja adalah diminta mengambil maklum mengenai perkara ini.  Selaras dengan pelaksanaan Latihan Berasaskan Kompetensi (Competency Based Training) ini, hari Selasa petang sebagai hari latihan umum peringkat Universiti kepada semua staf UTM.

Pembatalan MyCPD yang berdasarkan Pekeliling lama (2018)

Dengan berkuat kuasanya Pekeliling Pentadbiran pada tahun 2023 ini, Pekeliling Pentadbiran pada tahun tentang 2018 Pelaksanaan Sistem Pengumpulan Mata MYCPD Pengurusan Profesional dan Pelaksana (PPP) UTM adalah dibatalkan.

Additional Google workspace storage: How to apply?

To add your Google workspace storage, you can apply by filling in this Google Form.

There are several options of storage that you can choose from 20GB to 2,000GB.  The price range is different too.  The cheapest is 20GB for RM38.16 including SST.  If you want the 2,000GB storage, it will cost you RM3,816.00.   

I took the middle range version.