LEARN FROM FAILURE

One of the last things any of us wants to be considered is a failure, right? Just the word failure creates a negative undercurrent of emotion within us. Being labeled as a “failure” is one of the harshest critiques of one’s personal worth…according to modern society.

Everybody knows Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, Steven Spielberg, Albert Einstein, and Henry Ford. Nobody would argue that these are some of the best, brightest minds to have ever existed and that they have all made tremendous contributions to society. Nobody would ever attach the word failure to anyone of them. But that is exactly what they were at one time.

TEN LESSONS WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM FAILURE:

1. FAILING BUILDS CHARACTER

There is a lesson to be learned from everything, including failing. Perhaps the greatest benefit earned from failure is strength. Think about it: if life were perfect and every endeavour ended in seamless success, what sort of person would you be? The truth is this – failure teaches us more about ourselves and builds character better than success ever could.

2. FAILURE CREATES OPPORTUNITY

Think about this: how many times in your life have you failed at something only to discover another opportunity? Maybe it was a failed relationship that led you to someone great. Maybe it was a job that did not suit you and brought you a better one. Regardless of what your circumstance was, the sweetness afterward was much better, as a result, was not it?

3. FAILURE IS A GREAT TEACHER

Failure has a way of showing what your strengths and weaknesses are while motivating you to correct them. In any area of life – academics, work, play, relationships, etc. – failure is often the driving force behind success. For example, Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player in history, failed to make his high school basketball team. When asked about his early failures, Jordan said: “I have failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeeded.”

4. FAILURE INSTILLS COURAGE

As should be clear by now, most people are scared of failure. Many of us are unwilling to take an uncertain path; we would just prefer to stay in the same boat and not rock it too much. After all, we have responsibilities and people that depend on us. In short, failure requires courage. Whether the failure experienced was anticipated or not, you will need to toughen up a bit to get through.

5. FAILURE TEACHES PERSEVERANCE

When experiencing failure, it is very easy to just roll over and give up. “What is the use?” you say to yourself. It takes guts and determination to keep driving forward. Take J.K Rowling, author of the enormously successful Harry Potter series. Rowling said that she received “loads” of rejection letters over a five-year span before finding a publisher for one of the most successful books and movie series ever.

6. FAILURE SPAWNS CREATIVITY

If necessity is the mother of invention, failure is the father. Nothing spurs creativity like a failure. Artists and creators of all stripes know that if something does not work out, they must tap into their large reservoir of creative talent to create something truly unique.

7. FAILING REQUIRES MOTIVATION

Winston Churchill once said, “Success is your ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” The most successful people are simply the ones who did not give up. Finding the motivation to believe in yourself and press on is paramount.

8. FAILURE IS ACCEPTABLE

While a simple concept, accepting failure can be difficult to truly embrace. In the midst of experiencing failure, it is never a good feeling. In fact, this feeling can be downright gut-wrenching. But just remember that failure is acceptable … lack of effort is not. Here is Michael Jordan again: “I can accept failure; everyone fails at something. But I cannot accept not trying.”

9. FAILING ENCOURAGES EXPLORATION

Steve Jobs knew that the corporate world was not for him. In fact, many things were not. He disliked college, societal norms, and the stiffness of business people. Before founding Apple with Steve Wozniak, Jobs could have been labeled as a failure … he just did not care. Jobs said: “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” So, explore and do not let anything, especially fear of failing, stop you.

10. FAILURE TEACHES RESILIENCE

Along with making us better people, failing both teaches and strengthens resilience. Through the discomfort and uncertainty of an epic fail, one will be better able to take on any of life’s challenges as they come. Resilience is something required of all successful people, and there is no better teacher of resilience than failure.

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Make preschool compulsory to ensure children’s literacy, govt told

 

The education ministry has been urged to review preschool programmes.

PETALING JAYA: 

An educationist has urged the government to make preschool education mandatory to ensure that all children have mastered reading, writing and arithmetic when they enter Year 1.

This comes after the education ministry revealed that 122,062 Year 1 pupils had been identified as needing intervention in the three fundamentals, also known as the 3R skills.

Educational sociologist Anuar Ahmad said it was almost like a punishment to segregate these students into intervention classes when it was not mandatory for children aged five and six to go to preschool.

“If we really want our children to master reading, writing and arithmetic by the time they enter primary school, it must be compulsory for all children to go to preschool. 

If they complete preschool and still cannot master the 3R skills by the time they’re in Year 1, then send them for intervention classes. That would be fairer,

 the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia academic told FMT.

Anuar said the latest statistic was a warning for the ministry to review its existing policies on early childhood education, adding that intervention classes were merely a stop-gap measure that the ministry should not be relying on.

“The government needs to come up with a policy that would ensure our children master reading, writing and arithmetic before they enter Year 1.

Otherwise, the number of Year 1 students who have yet to master the 3R skills will increase year by year,

 he said, describing the issue as a critical problem for the national education system.

On Monday, education director-general Azman Adnan said 122,062 Year 1 pupils were enrolled in a three-month intervention programme for reading, writing and arithmetic beginning last month.

He said 62,928 students had not mastered both reading and arithmetic, 45,465 were struggling with reading, and 13,669 had difficulties with arithmetic.

Early childhood education expert Mastura Badzis said there was a need for teachers and the education ministry to find ways to create an interest in reading rather than forcing the children to learn to read through a three-month programme.

Mastura, of Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia, also said separating these students into special classes would put them under more pressure, taking away the joy of learning.

We should use the three months to foster an interest in reading rather than forcing them to read. In developed nations, they don’t pressure students into reading but instead emphasise the joy and benefits of reading.

Meanwhile, Saedah Siraj, a professor of curriculum development at Universiti Malaya, warned that the education ministry must nip the problem in the bud or risk having a higher number of illiterate Malaysians.

She called for a review of preschool programmes and suggested the ministry make reading a subject on its own, on top of the language subjects. - FMT

Discussion on who should lead PN on the table at PAS muktamar, says analyst

 

The PAS muktamar is expected to bring together about 5,000 leaders and members at the Al-Makmur Complex in Kerdau, Temerloh, Pahang, from today until Sept 15.

PETALING JAYA: 

PAS’s 70th muktamar is expected to rally its members ahead of the 16th general election, but an analyst has predicted that discussions about the Islamic party leading Perikatan Nasional may also surface.

Zaireeni Azmi of Universiti Sains Malaysia said the court case involving PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, who is accused of sedition during the Nenggiri by-election campaign last month, may fuel calls for him to be replaced.

Acknowledging PAS’s capacity to lead PN due to its majority in Parliament, she believes that any leadership change should be guided by mutual understanding and the best interests of the people.

Why not?

 she told FMT about PAS leading PN, 

especially since each component has its own role

. She said strategies to attract young voters for GE16 are also likely to be discussed.

The muktamar is expected to bring together about 5,000 leaders and members at the Al-Makmur Complex in Kerdau, Temerloh, Pahang, from today until Sept 15.

National Professors Council fellow Azmi Hassan said the time has come for PAS to seize the position of opposition leader to demonstrate its dominance.

PAS needs to strategise how to obtain that position, especially as Bersatu is facing severe internal issues, with its president weakened by legal charges,

 he said.

Ariff Aizuddin Azlan of Universiti Teknologi Mara said the success of PAS-led state administrations will likely be a key focus of the muktamar.

He also said it would be focused on relations between PAS-led state governments and Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s role as an adviser in strengthening the economic framework of those states.

In terms of GE16 preparations, Ariff said the muktamar might also highlight leaders who could be considered for key positions in Putrajaya, including PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.

It’s not far-fetched to expect popular figures like Dr Sam will be promoted, as he is seen as a frontrunner and a potential candidate to challenge the popularity of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim,

 he said, using a nickname affectionately given to Samsuri. - FMT

Time to sell Malaysia Airlines to the highest bidder

 

I probably shouldn’t join the crowd piling on to Malaysia Airlines’ latest misery. After all, there’s guaranteed to be another miserable episode down the road soon.

But then, where’s the fun in that! Let’s kick a guy when he’s down! It’s the Malaysian way.

Anyway, civil aviation was a highly nationalistic and protected field years ago, when the air was crowded with national flag carriers, and ominous stuff like 

fifth freedom flights

 and such, which by the way had nothing to do with Star Wars.

However, the worst days of protectionism are mostly over. Many of the national carriers, including grand old names such as British Airways, Lufthansa, etc, are no longer state-owned.

For other state-owned flag carriers, their existence is often a series of regular near-death experiences punctuated by huge government bailouts.

Among such carriers are venerable names such as Japan Airlines, Thai Airways, Air India, and of course our very own Malaysia Airlines.

There are a few exceptions certainly, including Singapore International Airlines (SIA), the flag carrier of our neighbour down south. Others are the national airlines of the oil-rich nations of the Persian Gulf.

Some of these Gulf airlines dominate international air travel to such an extent that even the Americans, supposedly free-market advocates, get conniptions.

Emirates example

Let’s be clear though about how such airlines, especially Emirates, have flourished.

When Emirates was set up, its main objective wasn’t just to serve the people of Dubai, a territory not even the size of Negeri Sembilan, one that certainly didn’t need air travel.

It was to help turn Dubai into a global city by making it a critical aviation hub, Dubai being located on the lucrative Kangaroo Route connecting Europe to Australia.

It didn’t hurt to have a pragmatic government willing to put the best people possible in charge. Tim Clark, a Brit who is the long-time president of Emirates, has run the airline so well he’s now an icon in the industry, whose word can shake the halls of Airbus and Boeing.

I met a senior leader of Emirates many years ago who told me that 96% of Emirates staff were expatriates. This is one example of the pragmatism I’m talking about.

Most of these staff do the boring but necessary work such as handling customers, whether on the ground or in the air.

Role of engineers

However, there are many – and in this group there are many Malaysians – who do the critical job of flying and perhaps the even more critical engineering job of keeping the aircraft flying.

It’s often said that engineers own the aircraft, and only reluctantly lend them to the pilots. Engineers are certainly the key players in the latest saga in the chronicles of Malaysian aviation

Malaysia Airlines recently lost a large number of engineering staff to newly-set up aviation engineering operations, including some owned by rivals such as SIA.

Unsurprisingly this explains the hysterical claims of sabotage by politicians opposed to the decision to allow such businesses to be set up in Malaysia.

On govt ownership

A more important topic, however, is whether we should even keep Malaysia Airlines as a government-owned company at all.

My simple answer: No.

Malaysia Airlines has been a political football for decades, with its most infamous episode being the privatisation of MAS to political cronies in 1994.

That failed spectacularly, though the cronies involved didn’t suffer too badly. They got back their money – our money actually – in spite of being absolute failures.

Since then, the amount of taxpayers money thrown into this bottomless pit has run to over RM28 billion, or almost a thousand ringgit for each of Malaysia’s citizens.

Too many parasites

What have we got for the money? A stumbling and failing airline that, as regular as clockwork, needs more bailouts.

In Malaysia’s corrupt and toxic political environment, the chances of Malaysia Airlines succeeding come up to zero. There are too many parasites – cronies and the privileged elites – who will fight to protect their interest in feeding off the airline.

I’m not talking about the staff, even if their number, motivation and even their skills and qualifications are in question.

I’m not a big fan of the narrative of how great Malaysia Airlines used to be in the Good Old Days. You can’t really compare the time when aviation was less of a cut-throat business and more of a jealously-protected and often nationalised industry.

A breed apart

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. But since those days, it has certainly been a dismal failure. Losing so many trained and critical engineers at one go is but the latest of its debilitating mishaps.

Aircraft engineers are a breed apart. They don’t come from universities but are rigorously trained until they get to hold the coveted rank of licensed aircraft engineer, at which point the whole world is their oyster.

That MAS still had so many of such engineers who hadn’t gone to work elsewhere is a miracle by itself.

Malaysia has so many good things going for it. Our aviation professionals are highly respected. We have a huge airport in Kuala Lumpur International Airport which has something that many other airports lack – excess capacity. We now also have Subang airport, finally waking up from its slumber.

The priorities

What Malaysia should care about is to have safe, affordable air travel provided by private, competitive Malaysian companies such as AirAsia, the largest low-cost carrier in Asia, with a track record of over two decades.

In AirAsia’s early days, there was some help from the government, but it’s nothing compared to what Malaysia Airlines got. Although AirAsia is still suffering from the Covid hangover, and occasionally shoot themselves in the foot, at least their finances are not our problem.

So, sell Malaysia Airlines to the highest bidder who’s prepared to run it as a viable business. Make one last generous gift to make sure the staff who may be laid off are fairly treated. That’ll still be cheaper than the never-ending bailouts.

Let the new owners deal with the parasites and cronies and hangers-on. We shouldn’t have to care as it will no longer be our money they’re feasting on.

Foreign companies setting up operations here invest hundreds of millions of ringgit and employ many Malaysians. Sure, they’ll repatriate their profits, but they can’t just close shop and leave. They need us as much as we need them.

We should be less concerned about having a failing national flag carrier and be more concerned about creating an aviation-friendly business environment that can attract investments and create jobs.

Pragmatic outlook

Look at how we wasted billions to create a national car, whereas Thailand didn’t bother but created a national car industry that now employs close to a million workers and is among the top 10 car exporters in the world.

Be like the Thais – keep our fragile egos in check and focus on what’s really important: to give the rakyat affordable and safe air travel; bring in even more tourists and transit passengers; and create centres of excellence for the aviation industry.

For this to happen, we need to get over this silly and expensive pride about a national flag carrier, a pride that many other nations have got over years ago.

Over the last few decades, there hasn’t been much to be proud of with our flag carrier, while there has been plenty to be angry and ashamed of.

Every single ringgit that goes to prop up Malaysia Airlines is a ringgit that doesn’t go to the poor and the needy who need it more. I certainly can’t, and won’t, offer my blessing to such wastage.

It’s time we moved on. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.