“Selamat pulang ke tanah air”—these words strike a chord within the hearts of many Malaysians; I am no exception. This is the phrase I have yearned to echo in my ears and heart again since I first touched down in KLIA after a year of loss, solitude, and sorrow in my distant home, the UK.
Artificial intelligence seems closer to fact than fiction as chatbots like ChatGPT have taken the world by storm. ChatGPT is a chatbot that does more than your average school work. From diagnosing a medical disease to writing songs and poems, providing cooking recipes, planning your dream European holiday, identifying bugs in code, and explaining the errors, ChatGPT has defied the norm and become a symbol of the endless possibilities that artificial intelligence can offer. But as we delve deeper into the mechanics of it, we begin to assess several factors of this revolutionary generative AI chatbot that induces excitement but also fear-mongering and serious concerns.
The recently announced Budget 2023 under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s administration will allocate RM15.1 billion to the Ministry of Higher Education, which is a 5.7 per cent increase compared to the previous budget, as reported by New Straits Times. The ministry has since pledged to improve the quality of Malaysian higher education, including upgrading the basic infrastructures and adopting more digitalisation to enhance digital learning, pairing with fiscal efforts such as the deferment of National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan payment and cash distribution via the e-tunai Belia Rahmah initiative.
The UK has seen its fair share of challenges since 2020. With the pandemic taking charge, a series of unfortunate events followed soon after. From having three Prime Ministers in a year to the Queen’s passing, the sterling took a deep dive following political and economic uncertainties. Now, the nation is challenged with its biggest issue yet: the cost of living crisis. The cost of living crisis (CoL) began in late 2021 as an effect of the pandemic. Inflation was at an all-time high, causing a rise in prices and a fall in the public’s real disposable income. In other words, there was a significant increase in the cost of living compared to the previous year, creating an economic gap that has only worsened.
It was certainly a tough pre-Valentine weekend for Penang Deputy Chief Minister Ramasamy Palanisamy when he was attacked by politicians from both sides of the aisle, along with various civil societies and non-governmental organisations, over his remark that the Malaysian civil service is currently Malay-dominated and that the current government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must take action to ‘break’ the Malay dominance in the public sector.
Dah makan?”. A question that connects us. A question of care and love. A question that might as well be a greeting. When I think of home or growing up, this question always comes to mind. The weight it holds, the care that is expressed through such a simple question—it is so much more than its translation, asking if I’ve eaten. It’s an extension of care, sometimes an offering and, most times, an invitation. What this phrase really means to me is an expression of love. It is what I think of when I think of love languages.
On 16 August 2021, following the resignation of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s government due to backlash on the handling of Covid-19, UMNO vice president, Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri became the ninth Prime Minister to lead the country’s recovery. He commanded a very slim four-seat majority in Malaysia’s 222-seat parliament of 114 seats. Pakatan Harapan (PH), the opposition bloc, had 88 seats in parliament. The country was still recovering with half-baked lockdowns and an unfinished vaccination program, and a general election was unrealistic and inconsiderate to the struggling rakyat. Thus, a memorandum of agreement between PH and the government was signed to ensure political stability.
We often seek entertainment when we are bored, whether it be going through social media, online streaming platforms, or games. I’m sure many of us have listened to our parents or seen other parents lecture us not to play too many games and focus on our studies since games aren’t going to feed us or get us a job. This might be true a few years ago, but how true is it now?
It is ironic to admit that I am prouder to be Malaysian while studying in Manchester than back home in beautiful Pulau Pinang. Growing up in front of Astro Ceria, running along lorong’s carefreely, queueing up by the milo truck drenched in sweat, I took the Malaysian part of me for granted.
It’s odd how what other people see as a waste of time is insightful for me and has changed my perspective on things. Whether it be bickering couples or day-to-day lives, as usual, your girl loves listing, and today’s list will be in the form of the things I have learned from one of my go-to series, One Day At A Time.
DYNAC
Dynac Sdn. Bhd., is a company that offers products & services from oil and gas, chemical refinery, rig building industry and telecommunication. For many years, it has served the industry with dedication, winning projects especially in the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry. As a company that competes for major projects, it has to ensure that the construction work meets all the specifications and this is certainly a task that is taken seriously by Dynac.