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Where did respect go? Where is it on the roads, at schools and at the workplace? Have Malaysians forgot to respect others? This topic had been bugging me for days due to a shocking spectacle of young people at Mid Valley who had not a care in the world... They just pushed their way through a crowd of ladies and children. Was it impatience or was it just a case of bad upbringing? Whatever it was, it got me thinking about how people have changed over the years. I reflected about family, friends and colleagues. "No one is perfect," I thought to myself. But I also wondered if this was caused by the onset of social media. It seems (and likely so), everyone is in a hurry to be the first with the news, with trends, the latest fashion craze. The word TRENDING is the king of alphabets now among trillions. This prompts my question: "Are people living with habits cultivated by virtual reality?" A "friend" who does not even care if I have enough

And, stop being submissive 'YES MEN' If you were in the middle class group, you are likely now poorer than ever before. Some may ask why, but the writing is on the wall... The current economic crisis, or recession, is caused by obvious factors. A lack of accountability has befallen Malaysia. No one asks questions anymore. People just keep quiet out of fear or a lackadaisical manner. Oh how have we arrived to this present and sorry state of affairs? Or, is it just the usual "tidak apa" attitude? Maybe people are just greedy, trying to pay for a lifestyle that they can't afford. This "can't save money anymore" scenario is likely caused by the implementation of the GST. A dear Malay friend called this morning to express her frustration about the general population that does not seem to care anymore... She lamented how political bigots misconstrue religion and play the race card. I advised her that it is best to just take a deep b

Rain dance - Part One Sitting alone at a roadside stall selling pork noodles, Imelda could not believe that it had been years since she went to the beach. The howling winds and mists of spray from the rain had jogged her memory. The beach was her place for solitude. It fed Imelda's soul. The times she ran freely on the beach, when she was not shackled by a mobile phone, the weekends when she was young, sexy and beautiful. The wonderful moments of her young life in love with Ray. How good it was to be young. Being widowed now, those memories only brought heartache. Suddenly, a hand touched her shoulder... - To be continued

BY PATRICK HO, EDITOR - GOLF DIGEST MALAYSIA 46-year-old S. Murthy Needs Urgent Financial Assistance. Send your donations to Maybank account - 'S. Murthy A/L Somasundaram', Account no: 112054136681 He woke up early preparing for the second round of the PGM Tour's Perlis stop on October 6, 2016, a Thursday. It was a typical routine for pros. Minutes later, S. Murthy's world came crashing down when his sister called him saying that his house in Banting was on fire. By 7 a.m., S. Murthy had withdrawn from the tournament and he was on the highway rushing back to Klang, a frustrating five-hour journey. By the time they arrived, all they were greeted by was a smouldering frame of what used to be their single-storey home. The fire started at 5.30 a.m. and the fire department informed them that preliminary investigations showed that an electrical short circuit was the likely cause. Nothing was left. No clothes, no furniture. "Everything is gone,"

*as appeared in the June 2016 issue of Golf Digest Malaysia Malaysia has many well-funded junior and professional development programmes. Only thing is, they were not planned to have long-term sustainability. Hands-up, how many of you know if there is a career-ladder in golf? It is easy to watch the Golf Channel and think that the events you see on TV could be a career for your child. But that is farther from the truth. To get to those big events, most of the professionals that you see on TV have gone through a very long and difficult road to get where they are. Most would have started at an early age, playing in junior tournaments and eventually progressing to collegiate golf before playing in Q-schools to earn their tour card. The respective PGAs also require candidates to undergo a three-year apprenticeship in club management, marketing and etc. It requires a lot from the parents too, in terms of time and financial sacrifice. Furthermore, that blueprint or system

Happiness... What is it, I constantly ask? It feels nice when we are happy. But, what does the word actually mean? Does it last? Definitely not. But why do normal human beings search for it, or cling to it? So far, I know it doesn't last because I, like others in this world, have to go through suffering. What is suffering, you may ask? Is it desire, greed or caused by ignorance? You decide what it is. And, please don't offer any advice in return. YOU are not an expert. Neither am I! There is no right nor wrong. But, there is good and bad. That's the law of life that governs this world. A lot of us WANT peace, love, pleasure and riches. We forget or don't even realise that we DO NOT NEED a lot of material things that supposedly makes us happy. Were you contented after buying a Ferrari? Don't become a troll or hater. Yes, the creation of the digital world has created a new form of darkness. People have got lost, being attached to virtual reality; d

Regular course maintenance carried out during the fasting month is important for golf courses. Every year, the holy month of Ramadan sees a reduction of rounds played. This window of opportunity offers golf course managers and superintendents the time needed to execute maintenance practices that would normally hinder play. Most procedures carried out include hollow tining, detatching and top dressing of greens to name a few. As I write this on the second day of the fasting month in June, I realised that I have spoken to many single handicap golfers in the past about the regular “off-season”. The majority of these seasoned golfers said that they prefer not to play for the whole month due to the maintenance works being carried out. Meanwhile, some said that this was the best time to rest their body and take a break from the game. However, there are some who said that paying for the special discounts during the fasting month was not worth it. This is because most of the

The lack of professionalism continues to plague the golf industry If there is more like me that are labelled “rebellious”, I would like to meet them for a drink. This is because after being in the golf business for the most part of my working life (16 years to be exact), I have not seen many changes. Unfortunately, there are still industry leaders making the same mistakes in marketing, advertising and promotions. Yes, it is a bloody farce whether you like to admit it or not. Many of us who are part of it, those who "allowed mistakes to fester", have a lot of soul-searching to do. Our inaction, or foolishness in making people happy, in believing that they will give us profits in return have caused the whole industry to spiral downward. Living in a comfort zone or just going with the flow? Perhaps. Many “golf VIPs” use the word progression and development in their speeches, but let’s not even go there without causing blood to boil. As someone who is first a j

Opened about a month ago, Savini Ristorante Italiano brings a breath of fresh air to KL's fine dining food scene. Located on the second floor at the Intermark, Jalan Tun Razak, it features a modern and classy interior to fete gourmands who relish the finer things in life. Patrons who dine here are advised to expect the unexpected from Chef Azizan. He has been at the forefront of Malaysia's fine dining movement and his creativity with taste and colour will impress. He is a painter who dares to play with food. My personal favourite were his Hokkaido Scallops with Watermelon. Every bite brings more pleasure than one has ever experienced before. The use of simple seasoning and balance between sweet and sourish was just perfect. Wagyu beef lovers will be glad to know that Chef Azizan only selects the marble 8 grade. Robin, the photographer, and I were left speechless with each pleasurable bite of the Wagyu steak that was served with a perfectly made spaghetti to

I am confident to say that I am not alone when we talk about bad drivers on our roads. Most of these senseless rogues are young, and, they are not just "boys". They are impatient and do not seem to have sat for a traffic rules exam. Off and on, or regularly for some, we encounter aggressive "young punks" who stick a middle finger at us, even though we have not done anything wrong. I even had the disdain honour of a young and beautiful lady driver glare at me even though she had cut in front of my vehicle suddenly. Some individuals are even crazy enough to try to run us off the road. Is this road rage caused by the strain of the rising cost of living, or  is this just plain and simple indiscipline? I shudder to think what will happen to them when they meet the wrong type of people on the road one day. More than anything else, I suspect these boys and girls to be kids that have been lucky enough to be born in a family without having to worry about paying for b

This morning was a typical start... my schedule was derailed by emails and Watsapp messages. Needing to rush to Shah Alam to collect the Lexus RX, it was a late breakfast at 11am later. The above intro to my day is not my grouse. I stopped by Empire Subang for a quick bite before a meeting with a client. By nature, I rarely complain about bad service from foreigners. At Teh Tarik Place I ordered half boiled eggs that became a fried, sunny side up, while toast bread without kaya came with kaya. I wasn't mad at the Myanmar staff because it was obviously down to a communication breakdown. More than that, I am shocked that no Malaysian wants to work as waiters anymore. These days, most, if not all, restaurants use hardworking Myanmar nationals. At 46 this year, I looked back to the time when I was a 17-year-old working at A&W. I had no problems with being a waiter and doing other duties like painting or banking the days earnings. All I wanted was to learn more and earn

My job routine starts when I wake up. Thanks in part to the inventors of smart devices. It's so easy isn't it? There is no standard checklist but it's more habit. A social media check starts things off, followed by email communications. Most of the time, this sets the tone for the rest of my day. Hence, this blog post. A new PR (or MEDIA RELATIONS) company had a staff bug me for the past month for a PDF copy of news published in the magazine that I work for. There are countless others too, and its worst when there wasn't any face to face meetings with these PR "practitioners" before. Before I go on, like some of my peers, I have dabbled in PR work before. And, I have had the privilege of learning from some of the legends of the trade. Some have become great friends too. Coming back to the 'PDF' copy of published articles (for billing purposes)... My question to this, or these kind of, 'PR' company is, "why can't you subscr