Translation Focus

CASH IS KING 1.   Cash is King and it makes people worship them. 2.   Money can be earned though halal ways like salary and business profits.  3.   But, money can also be gained from theft, fraud and corruption. Monies gained through this means are not halal and it's haram. Obviously, this is wrong according to law. 4.   Al-Quran mentioned about the sins gained through haram means like stealing, fraud (during selling and buying) and bribe to the judge. 5.   Islam didn't stop accumulating wealth as long its is from halal source. Zakat have to paid from the wealth. Religious contribution and charities are also encouraged. 6.   If the wealth is from theft or corruption, could it made as halal if the haram source paid as zakat or sponsoring to perform haj? Ulamas have to study carefully and voice  their thoughts or issue fatwa.   7.   What about the unpaid compulsory zakat through haram gains? Again, a concise study ...

ART OF BANKNOTE DESIGN The Bank of Korea announced earlier this year that it plans to become a cashless society by 2020. Predictably, ultra-progressive Sweden is another contender, while Malaysia has no intention of denying its citizen the wonderful world of real money. As an art enthusiast, it's hard not to be impressed by banknotes when you take a good look at them. Very seldom does this happen though. The exhibition launched recently at the Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art gallery is one of those rare occasions that art and money come togethet in a positive way. The exhibition , Works On Paper: Art In The Wallet, has three aims: To admire the art of banknote design; to understand why the notes look the way they do; and to encourage people to look at them in the first place. Central bankers are always delighted to see public examining their cash. They'll certainly be looking in this exhibition, as there's no escape from the super-sized notes on displayed. De...

PAGES FROM THE PAST : PROVINCE WELLESLEY Khoo Salma Nasution highlights the forgotten heritage of the province now known as Seberang Perai in her latest pictorial book Driving into Seberang Perai is almost like entering a different state altogether. The casuarina trees that pepper the coast of Penang as you head towards the iconic bridge fades into the silhouette of the hills that cradle the island. Warehouses, large but low concrete buildings, and blocks of shophouses greet you in Seberang Perai, the strip of land often referred to as "the mainland" by Penangites. It is a world apart from the giant trees that shade some of Penang's historical streets, or George Town narrow lanes, opulent clan houses, century-old places of worship and grandis colonial buildings which dot the island. In her latest book, Province Wellesley - A Pictorial History , historian, heritage activist and author Salma Khoo Nasution offers an insight into just how rich this lesser...

TIMELESS CLASSIC Ancient Chinese idioms continue to be relevant today Idioms. Peribahasa. Chengyu. Figures of speech that roll off the tongue effortlessly into our daily lives yet belong to a time gone by. They survive because they're timeless, carrying implied or hidden meanings that are crystal clear when uttered in written text or in speech. A conversation with a friend recently reacquainted me with the delightful Chinese idioms, chengyu and the legends and fables they originated from. Generally, in the form of four-character idioms, they often convey a deeper meaning, a lesson of life. It was some years ago whilst researching Asian legends that I came across this literary form, specially from the story of Old Man Yu Moves The Mountain, Old Man Sai Weng Loses His Horse but it doesn't mean It's Unlucky and perhaps, most apt this year, To Kill A Chicken To Warn The Monkey. Sha ji jing hou is the saying or "kill the chicken to scare the monk...

EGGPLANT Once a upon a time, there was an old ruler who had many lands as his personal territories. One day, he left his palace to hunt on his lands. His private cooks and the guards accompanied him. In addition, he took his jester with whom he could have fun. All day long they looked for game. Nevertheless they could catch nothing. Very hungry, they went back to the cook. "Bring me something to eat!" The ruler said, "I'm so hungry that I could swallow a big sheep in no time." The poor cook was frightened and said, "Your Excellency! Unfortunately, we have nothing but eggplant here."  The ruler paused for a moment and murmured, "That's all right. Just be quick." The meal was made ready quickly and the ruler began to hungrily eat the eggplant. He then said, "What an unbelievably nice food eggplant can be!" His jester began to talk about the advantages of eggplant as he kept on looking at the ruler. Feeling bloated, th...

BAGAIMANA GULA MENJEJASKAN KESIHATAN GIGI Gula merupakan salah satu daripada penyebab kerosakan gigi. Walaupun gula (sukrosa) adalah penyebab gigi rosak yang utama, tetapi ini tidak maksud ia merupakan satu-satunya punca. Semua gula boleh digunakan sebagai makanan bagi bakteria di dalam plak pada gigi. Bakteria tersebut mengeluarkan asid yang boleh merosakkan enamel gigi. Oleh itu semua jenis gula menjadi satu masalah di bawah keadaan yang sesuai, sama dengan makanan kanji. Kebiasaannya makanan manis atau makanan berkanji yang akan melekat pada gigi. Ini akan mudah mendatangkan kerosakan gigi. OBESITI Di Malaysia, terdapat enam juta orang dewasa yang mempunyai berat badan berlebihan dan obes. Demikian menurut kajian yang dijalankan oleh Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, Kaji Selidik Pemakanan Orang Dewasa Malaysia 2003. Selain daripada lemak dan kolesterol, salah satu faktor utama yang menyebabkan obesiti ialah kalori, contohnya kalori daripada gula. Gula pasir itu menambah t...

Crime for not vaccinating your child? Lately the papers are gushing with news about vaccinating children. The deputy health minister says he is planning to make it a crime for not vaccinating one's child. The minister of health disagrees. He prefers educating the parents instead. The Women's Ministry is mulling to prosecute parents who refuse to vaccinate their child. Some radio stations have come into the act too - vilifying parents who refuse to vaccinate their offspring. Statistic have been rolled out to show an increase of cases of measles and deaths from diphtheria - all attributed to a failure to vaccinate. No clear causal links have been established, though. To complicate matters, Indonesia acknowledged that since 2003, fake vaccines have been given to millions of children. This follows a scandal in China involving improperly stored vaccines distributed in 24 provinces since 2010. The United States Supreme Court has determined that vaccines are "una...