THE brain is a significant gift of God. It is perhaps the most mysterious organ of the human body. But out of this mystery arises an even more mysterious entity, the mind. The 20th century witnessed many great achievements by neuro-physiologists and psychologists in describing the functioning of the brain and mind respectively. These findings…
TO outsiders, the Asahi Best Base Sdn Bhd factory in Kulim Industrial Estate is like any other manufacturing outfit. But the moment guests enter its main office they will surely be struck by the extra effort put in to create an environment-friendly work place. On top of the regular doormat to remove loose dirt from…
THE Third Outline Perspective Plan or OPP3 was presented to Parliament last Tuesday. This plan marks the beginning of the second phase of Malaysia’s drive towards developed nation status by 2020. It is heartening to hear that many of the objectives of the precedingplan have been realised. It would have been sweeter if it could…
On Monday, Muslims will celebrate the new hijrah year of 1422. Hijrah denotes the migration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina. There were several reasons for this move. The Prophet had just lost his uncle Abu Talib and wife Siti Khadijah, who were his staunch supporters and protectors. This led to the Quraisy clan…
THE concept of rights was thought to have originated from prehistoric man. When strangers met, a line was drawn between them and one would declare: “What is on that side is thine (yours) and what is on this side is mine.” This is the simplest form of rights, a luxury prehistoric man, living in relative…
TWO important events took place last week. The first was the publication of the initial analysis of the human genes, the mapping of which was completed in the middle of last year. It is revealed that the total number of the human genes is approximately 30,000, only a third of the previously established estimate. This…
ACCORDING to the futurist, Alvin Toffler, human history can be seen to fit patterns. This takes the shape of great advances or waves. In a book published about a decade ago, Toffler described the information age of the 20th century as The Third Wave. Then last year another great wave hit us. This was the…
LATELY, there has been a huge public debate over the decline of the standard of English among students. Generally, it is accepted that a good grasp of English is vital as it is the lingua franca of the day. In the field of religious studies, too, the language has played a major role. Throughout modern…
THE impending meeting between leaders of the two political parties representing the country’s majority Bumiputera population is a golden opportunity to resolve some, if not all, of the prevalent Muslim dilemmas. Muslims are in a dilemma because they seem to be falling between two stools. They are forced to live in one of “two worlds”.…
BREAKING fast with 32 beautiful children of the Sungai Pinang Home and School for the Orphans in Klang recently was a most memorable and touching experience. It is true that occasional visitors to shelter homes would find the tenants happy and merry. But the truth of the matter is that such perception is, by and…
