Anecdotes of my passing...

As the gentle refrains of Amy Macdonald singing to the tune of her guitar lazily played in the background, I am consciously reminded that it has been exactly a year since I left the land of the Union Jack. Oh the irony of it all! My departure date had nothing to do with my patriotic beliefs nor ingrained homing beacon, but more about personal events instead. Given a choice, I’d have stayed on and believe me when I say that I can wax lyrical for hours on end on the virtues of the many aspects from the home of fish and chips.

For all my admiration and praises of greener pastures faraway, I’ll always still have Malaysia as my homeland. However, I still harbour the hope of living in as many different places as I can before I die. At least while I’m still mobile. If anything, the wanderlust and many encounters with people from various backgrounds only served to work harder to inspire me to make it work.

I don’t think I will say anything further lest I open a wellspring of emotions that will only make me ramble meaninglessly on. On a similar theme, it’s quite funny how people keep anniversaries of both good and bad circumstances as if to remind themselves of that one moment in time...in the end, it’s the memories that remain and the friendships you keep that is the only reminder of that time long gone.

Here’s to more adventures! In the words of Buzz Lightyear, ‘To infinity and beyond!’

In between reading fiction and gorging on typically unhealthy Malaysian fare, I’ve managed to see quite a lot of movies. Courtesy of my sister’s stash, of course. Gone are days when I can get them off college friends and housemates. I still have the internet, but sadly not the patience to go through searching the files and then waiting another day or two for it to be completely downloaded. That’s a rant for another day…

Going back to the movies, there are few that I would recommend if anyone should feel like catching a good flick or two. A note though, is that these movies are not blockbusters and they are also not easily available here, so it’s best to perhaps get it online or perhaps from me.

Le Papillon – touchingly heartwarming and leaves you with a serious fuzz in the tums. It’s about a little girl (she’s so adorable!) and her relationship with a gruff neighbour who is an old man who collects butterflies. They go on a journey to catch an elusive butterfly and in the process taught each other the deeper meanings of life.

It’s all in French so unless you can understand it, subtitles would be highly recommended.

History Boys – This is a great story that revolves around a bunch of pre-University boy students trying to get admissions into Oxbridge. What struck me most is how it also reminds me of the Malaysian education system and its emphasis on exams. With a brilliant cast and smooth writing, this is a modern day Mr. Holland’s Opus.

Love and Other Disasters – a light movie that delightfully weaves through the themes of love and sexuality. It is very tastefully written and premiered in the UK last year in the London Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. It was actually produced much earlier but has remained relatively low-key. The philosophy of “true love” is also discussed in this movie albeit not as deep as I would have liked. This is also another pet topic that I like…

A memorable scene in the movie is where a gay protagonist is given advice on relationships by a shrink using the analogy of farting. Very creative!

Having listed this three, there are a few more gems that I would like to share but they will come in another post. I have avoided discussing the movies in length lest I destroy the joy of watching them for you. However, a caveat – these are light movies and personally I find them to be very interesting.

For all you investment-savvy people or anyone who cares a little about wealth management/creation, please rise early on the 5th of August 2009 and queue up at any ASNB offices or agents namely Maybank Berhad, CIMB Bank Berhad, RHB Bank Berhad, and Pos Malaysia Berhad to purchase the Amanah Saham 1Malaysia. For first timers, bring along your IC (get it photostated as well), Borang ASNB P1 and the cash/cheque/etc. For recurring users, bring ANSB 21Form, Investment Book and the cash/cheque/etc. I am not sure if existing ANSB subscribers will need to start a new book but logic would dictate that they're merely topping up and therefore need not start any new account. However, no matter which group you are in, it is advisable to obtain the forms at the said locations before the 5th and get them filled up so that it will greatly expedite your agony on the 5th. :D

The estimated yields, according to Bernama which quoted Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) CEO Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman, would be between 3.7% to 4.0%. This is a marked lesser than other ASNB funds which goes up as high as 6.3%. However, it is still better than the rates offered by fixed deposits at all the major banks in Malaysia.

The queues will be long and the wait unbearable, so go there early. As usual there will be a quota of 50% allocation for the Bumiputeras, 30% for Chinese, 15% for the Indians, and 5% for "lain-lain". One would think with a fund name like 1 Malaysia, such quotas would be contradictory..oh well. When it started, ANSB however did not have any quotas imposed. It was only subsequently added which I guess is to prevent certain groups from hogging the entire share. Viewed in this perspective, it is commendable as everyone deserves a share. The quest to be financially-sound is more important than ever and everyone should strive to understand and learn more.

However, there are also speculations that this AS 1Malaysia is merely another attempt to restore the coffers of the ruling elites as they have depleted them in the by-elections just gone by and also to prepare for the next general election. I think there are some grains of truth in this, but nonetheless, it is an investment opportunity for every Malaysian to buy the unit trusts to consolidate or add to their networth. Notwithstanding any political motivations or intentions in starting this AS 1Malaysia, I hope more will make use of this opportunity to invest, especially the first-timers and the rural folks.