I want to thank my friends who were willing to come to my church’s Easter drama this weekend. It was a fantastic drama production, and many people were saved during this Easter weekend. Despite the rain, you guys who came on Saturday braved it and came nevertheless! God bless you all.

Well I recently watched a video (above) depicting a skit about a girl who was initially walking closely with Christ and enjoying His presence (thanks Rachel for sharing this video), but later many things came into her life and separated her from Jesus. I call them demons. First was a relationship with a man against the will of God, then it was money and material longings. Then there was drinking and alcoholism. Later on it was influences from the outside world (images of beauty) that made her feel depressed and insecure. Subsequently suicidal temptations arose from this insecurity. All these demons came between her and God. Perhaps this girl was looking for happiness in many forms in this world. But she only ended up with anything but happiness. Her life was in a mess. The demons would not allow her to get back to Christ on the other side. She struggled and struggled to get back on track. But they resisted violently. She wanted those days walking in joy with Jesus again. She longed for peace from God. As she was about to give up in her attempt to seek Jesus, Jesus steps in and protects her from these demons. Jesus overpowers all these demons; the girl regains her strength and revels in the joy of the Lord.

Now as I look upon the friends around me, I realize that many struggle with all kinds of demons in their lives. I have many friends who smoke and just cannot seem to quit the habit. They smoke a pack a day or maybe even more. Many go clubbing and get themselves drunk sometimes. They indulge in physical pleasures. Even games can sometimes be a demon. Many guys are trapped in the habit of playing online games for hours and hours or even for days and days without control. Some decide that happiness can be found by looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend to touch and have physical contact with, even if the relationship is shallow and meaningless. Well, some might not agree with me but all these things cannot bring lasting happiness and I believe so ever so strongly. As illustrated in the skit above, these things come between us and God, separating us from the One who can really provide the antidote to that void in our souls. No matter how hard you try to be happy, as long as you continue to live such a lifestyle full of dmons, you can never attain it. As my pastor says, “You can be sincere (in your pursuit of happiness), but you can be sincerely wrong.” Happiness is attained through a relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. Break the bondage and free yourself from the chains of those demons. Call upon and cry out to Jesus! He will come and rescue you!

This song “Cry out to Jesus” by Third Day (also thanks again to Rachel for reminding me of this song) really illustrates this well:

To everyone who’s lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there’s nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

Chorus:
There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He’ll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that’s struggling just to hang on
They’ve lost all of their faith in love
And they’ve done all they can to make it right again
Still it’s not enough

For the ones who can’t break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you’re not alone in your shame
And your suffering

Chorus

When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who suffers with being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

Chorus

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He died on the cross about 2000 years ago for our sins (ever wondered why this year is 2008?) Indeed, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was a real historical incident that shook the world at that time. His innocent blood was shed so that you and me, sinners, could be forgiven. He sacrificed Himself so that we, sinners, can approach God and have a relationship with Him. We cannot save ourselves. Only Jesus can.

If you feel drawn to the message in this post, make no mistake about it. God is speaking to you. He wants to know you and He wants to fellowship with you. Say this prayer: “Lord, please forgive me of my sins and I repent of all my past sins. I accept you as the Lord of my life from now onwards. Renew me and transform me into the person that you want me to be. I want to follow Jesus and accept Him as my Saviour. Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for me. From this point onwards, I am saved! Amen.”

Wham! Just with a short prayer like that, and you are already saved. It is just that simple. No rituals, no idols, no proceedings. Just talk to God aloud. He is a LIVING GOD. He created you and me in a very special way. He loves you very much.

Jesus was crucified, descended into Hell, and on the third day He rose again. Jesus Christ defeated Death.

Blessed Easter everyone!

(If you said the prayer, do keep in contact with me so that I can help you in your walk with Christ and integrate you into a church. The walk with Christ is a very exciting journey.)

Dear Ern,

Freshman decisions for fall 2008 will be announced on March 27!

We know you’re hearing from other University of California campuses, but before you give them your reply, please wait to hear from UC Berkeley: we’re worth the wait! (The only UC I applied to is Berkeley)

Berkeley decisions will be posted online via the student portal, myBerkeleyApplication, at: http://students.berkeley.edu/myberkeley/myberkeleyapp.asp

If you haven’t already done so, log in now to create your password so you’ll be all set to find out the admission decision as soon as it’s posted.

…

Well well, they’re all coming really really soon…

10 days to Stanford decisions!

“Huh? What are you talking about? Why should I kiss dating goodbye? Are you nuts? Shouldn’t this be the age when we go out for as many dates as possible and as often as we like to see who we are compatible with? You are a fool, Ern Sheong, for trying to tell me to stop dating. It would never happen.”

I recently read a thought-changing and mind-renewing book by Joshua Harris entitled “I Kissed Dating Goodbye.” It encourages us to look beyond dating for the fulfillment of the moment and instead exhorts that we withhold the desire to date until the day we are ready for a long-term commitment. A sentence from the book sums up the entire message: ‘The joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment.’

“Why?” you ask. Simply because being with someone now without consideration of commitment is actually a very selfish act as we only gratify ourselves and not the needs of the other person as well. When commitment is not in the equation, the relationship is only waiting for the end to come as there is no lasting commitment.

Another point is that God already has better plans in store for us. He wants us to focus on Him first and not be distracted by dating. He wants us to serve Him whole-heartedly first instead of dwelling on thoughts of whether this girl or guy likes us or not. When the right time comes, God will reveal someone to us, once we are ready for commitment.

That is just a gist of what the book is trying to tell us. I encourage you (unless you are already married) to pick up a copy of this book today at major Christian bookstores. If you were wondering, the writer of this book did indeed get married to his dream sweetheart. That is living proof that you will not be left as a single for the rest of your lives despite reading this book!

An Easter Production proudly brought to you by City Harvest Church Kuala Lumpur.

Come and watch the story of Jesus!

22-23 March 2008
Saturday 5.30 & 7.30 pm
Sunday 9.30 & 11.30 am

Location: City Harvest Church, Subang Jaya (very near Monash University and Sunway College)

Tell me if you are coming! Transportation can be arranged.

Click on the thumbnail below to view the e-flyer:

Zhong Liang approached me and asked my about my MIT admission decision. I was like, “Not out yet what…”

Then he said, “But hey, my friend already knows that he got waitlisted through e-mail.”

“Huh, I never received any e-mail…” (still skeptical) Blur me…

So my heart jumped and I went directly to mitadmissions.org to track my application status. Entered my username and password twice and then THIS page popped out:

Dear Ern Sheong,

The Admissions Committee has completed its review of your application, and I am so sorry to tell you that we are unable to offer you admission to MIT.

Please understand that this is in no way a judgment of you as a student or as a person, since our decision has more to do with the applicant pool than anything else - most of our applicants are not admitted simply because we do not have enough space in our entering class. This year we had almost 13,500 candidates for fewer than 1,600 offers of admission, from which will come our 1,000 freshmen. Since all of our decisions are made at one time and all available spaces have been committed, all decisions are final.

I am very sorry to bring you this disappointing news, and I wish you the very best as you continue with your education.

Sincerely,

Stuart Schmill
Interim Director of Admissions

No wonder I did not get any e-mail from them yet…

Haha… no comments… 1 down 4 to go. Come on Stanford…!!!!!

I am now contactable at the same previous number since I got a new SIM card with the same existing number. Bought a new Nokia 3500 Classic phone today with my own cash (read: hurts).

But since I bought it with my own cash I will treasure it more as well.

For my phone number you can visit my Facebook profile (no. is only visible to friends).

Bumped into this in Hazwani’s blog. Looks like most of us (me especially) do not read the New Straits Times =.=

Yes we have all heard about this guy with 20 A1s and 1 A2.

But A DJian has scored 15A1s and became Selangor’s top student! Congratulations to Chow May Suen! (Puan Yap’s daughter) May Suen is now officially the DJian with the most number of A1s in SMKDJ’s history! Congrats again!

Good time management the secret of her SPM success

PETALING JAYA: Good time management - that was the secret of Chow May Suen’s success when she was announced as Selangor’s top student in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination.

The 18-year-old student of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Damansara Jaya scored 15 A1s.

“There was never any special formula, I just managed my time well - for studying and co-curricular activities,” she said..

Chow, who wants to major in pediatrics, is currently pursuing her A-Levels at Taylor’s College in Subang Jaya.

Her mother Yap Swee Pek, 46, who is teaching chemistry at her daughter’s former school, called Chow “very hardworking”.

-NST March 13th 2008

(Yes, despite despising the bond that is attached to most, if not all, scholarships, Ern Sheong is embarking on a Malaysian Scholarship ATTACK while ignoring the bond part, at least for now during the application stage. Good thing for him that SPM results were already released, so there are abundant scholarship options NOW. Many of these still accept post Pre-U students (A Levels in my case).

His options, after his not-so-comprehensive and not-so-encompassing research online and input from his dear mummy, are 12 Malaysia overseas scholarships: Name of Scholarship (Deadline)

1. Biasiswa Khazanah Global (26 March)
2. Shell Malaysia Scholarship (31 March)
3. Yayasan Telekom Malaysia Scholarship (31 March)
4. Securities Commission (31 March)
5. Bank Negara Scholarship (11 April)
6. Yayasan Sime Darby Scholarship (31 March, only for selected UK and Aus universities, sorry US ppl)
7. Yayasan Tenaga Nasional (16 March, I discovered this at the last minute!)
8. Felda Scholarship Programme (22 March)
9. Gamuda Scholarship Awards (15 April)
10. Great Eastern Scholarship Award (31 May)
    
11. Astro Scholarship (20th April)
12. CIMB Scholarship (only for CIMB employees’ children)

Yeah so if you guys heard of any other OVERSEAS scholarships around here in Malaysia which is not listed above kindly comment here. And yeah I purposely omitted Petronas and JPA (don’t think they take in A level students anyway, and I was already rejected by them earlier).

Why BNM or SC or CIMB would accept a person intending to do an electrical engineering degree is anyone’s guess. Though with a Management Science or Operations Research course they might still accept me somehow.

Hope this helps those with the same situation as mine too: Want to go overseas but too expensive to pay on your own. ACT NOW!

UPDATED: Yayasan Sime Darby Scholarship added (No. 6); Yayasan Tenaga Nasional deadline and link updated (No. 7); Felda Holdings Berhad Scholarship added (No.8); Gamuda Scholarsip Awards (No.9); Great Eastern Scholarship (No. 10); deadline for BNM Scholarship added; status of CIMB scholarship added; Astro Scholarship updated

Call me stupid. I take a taxi to work daily and I often wear this black trousers with a slippery pocket. My phone is in the right pocket of my trousers but when I sit in the cab the pocket is tilted at a downward angle and so most of the time the phone slips out of my pocket and onto the taxi back seat. It has happened many times already. But I either noticed it gone from my pocket or the taxi driver saw it as I alighted without my phone and alerted me (this happened once).

Yesterday, it happened again. My 3-month old, one thousand ringgit phone slipped out of my pocket and onto the taxi’s back seat. I alighted the cab oblivious of this. Neither did the cab driver alert me because he did not look behind. I only noticed the disappearance of my phone later on when I was wondering why my right pocket felt empty.

I called my own number with my boss’s phone and a lady picked it up. As it turned out, that she was the next passenger on the taxi. She spoke mandarin to me and hence I passed the call to my colleague. We arranged to meet at 12.30 the next day (today). My colleague ends the conversation but without taking her contact number or name or even where to meet! (The stupid thing was that I didn’t even try to converse in English with her, or Bahasa if need be! Otherwise all details would have been sorted out!) I thus assumed that it was at the taxi stand, but I did not make it a point to call her again to get more details. (DAMN STUPID OF ME) I did SMS her in English, asking for her contact number, but I got no reply.

Thus I waited for half an hour today from 12.30 pm onwards, but no one came. Sigh. I couldn’t call my phone today, as the phone must have been turned off. I also set a pin number to the SIM card, so the phone bearer could not turn it on to receive a phone call from me even if she wanted to. Or maybe the battery died. STUPID ME.

One of those things that happen la. Shows how stupid SPM straight A students can be. (Only referring to me) Yeah, this is a very good example to illustrate that academics aren’t everything. Common sense is indeed more important.

Hopefully she would take the trouble to go to a Maxis Customer Center and return it.

T_T … So yeah, if you did not get the point of this post, it is this:
Don’t contact me at my usual 012 220#### number until I have reunited with my phone again.

If I get a new number, I will update you guys. Oh yeah, and I need to fork out my own money for another phone, because mum/dad won’t buy it anymore.

I am extremely angry with myself, beyond words, for being so foolish, careless and dumb.

This post is in response to the post written by Kevin Chan, a former DJian who is currently working as a temporary teacher in SMKDJ.

Now, for the main reason I wanted to write this post, our very own disquieting headmistress - the Datin. Well, she IS my current boss, considering that I’m working in SMKDJ right now, but in lieu of all that I’m hearing from all around these days, I guess it would just be a cardinal sin to stay silent anymore. Thanks John, for making me see that a ‘tidak apa’ (heck care) attitude wouldn’t help anyone and it would only further undermine all our previous efforts in making DJ the prestigious school that it now is - our spirit of meritocracy and high standards.

Well, for the benefit of all DJ alumni and current students in DJ, these are the changes that Datin has implemented (or at least tried to implement) so far (this is by no means a comprehensive list, just some of the things that I remember):

1. Attempted to shut down the cheerleading squad.
2. Attempted to shut down our school’s strong Christian Fellowship (CF).
3. Made it mandatory that co-curricular clubs must have a certain number of Malays in their executive committee.
4. Took in a large number of Malay students into the prefectorial board without an interview. Note that other non-Malay students have to go through a rigorous selection and interview process before they are accepted as probationary prefects.
5. Reduced the number of periods a week for additional mathematics and increased the number of periods used to teach modern mathematics (which is largely regarded as an easier subject, unless you happen to come from a different planet), resulting in teachers making students stay back for extra classes. Didn’t we also use to stay back for extra classes back in the time where we had more add math periods?

Let me make this clear that this is by no means a puerile attempt at defamation, but genuine concern for the future of SMKDJ. I am in no way anti-Malay; my dear Hamlet is very much Malay and she can so testify to that, but the injustice in my alma mater these days just fills me and quite a few other concerned DJ alumni with indignation.

I believe that DJ has always stood out in so many things ranging from sports, debates, cheerleading to our overall school culture because we were fair.

Also read about Andrew’s Loh’s response to this issue. Andrew has also added points 6,7 and 8 based on current DJian feedback.

I have personally heard of all these stories myself from many people. It turns out that most, if not all, are true. Kudos to Kevin for speaking out vehement and doing something about it.

Well, so far a lot of discussion between DJians has been happening online about this. Ex-DJians, generate support and inform your little brothers and sisters in DJ to give feedback to Kevin or Andrew! Although I am strongly skeptical about the possibility of removing Datin from her post, we can at least define some boundaries for her to follow through the proper channels. DJ is supposed to be meritocratic! SMK Damansara Jaya is not just ANY school an outsider Pengetua can come and tamper with.

In the meanwhile, Kevin will keep us all updated about this issue!

So Streamyx is actually quite reliable here in Bandar Utama (BU7). I upgraded to 1 Mbps but got 1.3 Mbps!

Well but I know of many users who are not so lucky like me here, and having worked in a Streamyx rival company, iZZi, I hear many grouches everyday about Streamyx. Guess I happen to live in a good area in terms of Streamyx’s service. XD

I have been writing too much in the past few posts. A random picture would be good!

It was another long night working at Giant Kelana Jaya last week but then some ex-DJ Prefects came to light up my day half an hour before Giant closed it doors! Thanks for visiting guys!

From left, John, Suh Ming, Kevin and myself.

If Suh Ming had not pointed it out, I would not have realised that the picture also featured, from left to right: KP 2005/2006, PKP II 2005/2006, PKP II 2004/2005 and KP 2004/2005. Lol

Oh and I plan to work until 31st March before quitting. I want my weekends back. And I want to be more involved in church, which is hard to do when I work crazy hours.

At a glance:

• The Barisan National coalition has been denied 2/3 majority by the opposition.
• Barisan secured a simple majority to form the government.
• The Democratic Action Party (DAP) won every parliamentary and state seat it contested in Penang.
• The combined opposition of DAP, PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) and PAS (Parti Islam Semalaya) will form the new government in Perak.
• PAS and PKR won 40 of the 45 state seats in Kelantan, with BN taking the rest.
• PAS and PKR have won 22 out of 36 state seats in Kedah.
• Opposition takes Selangor (State seats: PKR 15, DAP 13, PAS 8 out of 56)
• Opposition captured 10 of the 13 parliamentary seats in the Federal Territories.

Shocks:

• Datuk Seri Shahrizat (Minister for Women, Family and Community Development) loses Lembah Pantai seat to PKR’s Nurul Izzah Anwar
• Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon (Gerakan Acting President) lost to Dr P Ramasamy in Batu Kawan
• Datuk Seri Sami Vellu (Works Minister) lost to Dr D. Michael Jayakumar
• Datuk Lee Hwa Beng (Subang Jaya Assemblyman) lost to Loh Gwo Burne in Kelana Jaya
• Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin (Information Minister) lost to PKR’s Johari Abdul in Sungai Petani
• Chew Mei Fun loses PJ Utara seat to Tony Pua Kiam Wee (I am shocked)

Finally, Malaysians have voted to make their voices heard. The election results stunned many Malaysians (I was certainly shocked), who did not expect the Opposition to capture so many states. This is the power of the democratic voice. It shows that our votes have power and our voices can be heard in Malaysia. The people in many constituencies basically decided that they would vote for any party as long as it is not the BN.

But the BN is still in control of the Federal Government, and as Wong Chun Wai says in his column in the Sunday Star, the BN might have to review its numerous projects in states lost to the Opposition. This might mean that Selangor, the most industrialized state in Malaysia, will be affected in many ways, he says. Penang has also gone down to the Opposition, but will this have effect on the industries there? Penang is home to large multinationals like Intel and Dell who make Penang their manufacturing hub.

Nonetheless, I echo Wong’s closing statements in the article. The clear winner wasn’t the Opposition or the BN, it was the democratic system in Malaysia. Yesterday has shown that democracy is very much alive here in Malaysia. We Malaysians want change in this country. We are sick and tired of all the nonsense that has been happening while the BN ruled. We non-Malays are also frustrated with the discrimination in this nation, particularly the affirmative action system here.

I hope that the Opposition can now work harder to deliver their promises after this election. When many more young voters enter the legal age of voting in the next few years, Barisan National will have to watch out and work harder as well. Otherwise we young people would come in and wipe the BN out and deny them of even a simple majority.

Friday, March 7th was the day the Singapore A-Level results were released. I came down to Singapore to collect the results, and stayed overnight at my aunt’s place. Saturday, I went to City Harvest Church Singapore @ Jurong West for the 3.30 pm service to meet up with my previous cell group friends (and also to visit CHC Singapore).

As usual, the presence of God was strong there and the worship was electrifying. But this is not why I blogged today.

Somehow, during that very service, by coincidence or by God’s divine plan for me, CHC was publicizing the City Harvest Bible Training Center School of Theology (CHBTC SOT) Advanced Certificate of Theology course, and they even made a video explaining the significance of going to Bible School and the importance of being equipped for God’s ministry. At first, I did not think much of it. (My earlier desire to go to Bible School was met with fierce opposition from my mum, thus I gave in) But as the service proceeded, I felt a very strong (and unmistakable) conviction in my heart that God wanted me to attend SOT. The video shown seemed to speak to me and it increased my desire to attend SOT this year.

I saw the dates on the flyer: 4th April until 24th August 2008 (5 months). The timing was so good. No clashes with any studies (if I were to go to the US to pursue further studies), and going to SOT was anytime better than my 6-7 day a week job manning a booth at Giant Kelana Jaya working 9 hours a day selling some stupid wireless broadband. I also have enough savings from my previous paychecks to pay for the fees needed to attend the course (SGD 1250) on my own.

Most of all, I wanted to be equipped for God’s marketplace ministry before I leave for university. Not that I would become a Pastor (although if God calls who am I to say no), but I am more geared to be a businessman or entrepreneur who is also preaching the gospel and spreading God’s word around in the realm of business.

Pastor Kong called to the stage two former Bible School graduates and asked them how they were doing. They were actually not in full-time ministry but they were impacting the realm of business in their own way having been equipped by SOT in their earlier years. I believe that I can also serve God in the realm of business or to serve God better in church, but now I do not have any idea of how I can do such a thing without the proper training. Hence I have no doubt that going to SOT will give me a set of tools that I can work with to build God’s kingdom here on earth, while also pursuing my dreams of setting up a business in the future.

At the end of the service, Pastor Kong asked all who felt the calling of God to go to Bible School someday (he didn’t say this year) and to serve Him in ministry, be it full-time or marketplace, to stand up. I don’t know. I just had the urge to stand up. And so I stood with many others. Pastor Kong then asked those who were sitting to stretch out their hands to us and pray for us.

When I reached home from Singapore, I told my parents about it. But the first word that came out from my mum’s mouth was a resounding NO. She cited accommodation problems, and also said that there were many things to be done in Malaysia. What things, mum? What is so good about working until 11 pm daily at Giant KJ? What is left to learn by staying here for the next few more months while waiting for university? You just don’t want me to leave home again right? (I am her only child)

“Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Luke 18: 29-30)

Come on, mum. Please allow your son to discover his destiny and to be prepared for God’s work. I want to embark on an unforgettable adventure of serving God better. And I would love you no less too. I was called. This is not my own personal desire. It is God’s. Please say YES. The deadline is this Friday.

Update: Perhaps the timing is not right. The NO is as strong as ever. I give up trying to convince my parents. Yes, the call was unmistakable, but the timing might not be right now. I will have to wait until after university I suppose. I have to learn to trust God’s timing. May God open up a path for me.

I would like to extend my congratulations to all from National Junior College who did exceptionally well in the previous 2007 Singapore-Cambridge A Level Examinations! Kudos especially to Yoon Ji Wei, Navin Brian Ramakrishna, and Doan Duc Huy for being the top three students in National Junior College. They scored straight Distinctions in all subjects taken, including Project Work and H3 subjects. Also kudos to Tan Shao Min for clinching the Institute of Physics Gold Medal awarded to top Physics students in the nation. My congratulations also goes out to Mohd Faisal Johandi, former Council President, for becoming the top Malay student in National JC.

I would also like to congratulate all for putting up their best effort in the examinations. National Junior College did well too, although I do not have the exact numbers.

Sometimes people here like to think that with stellar A Level results one can conquer anything and become extremely successful out there. In Singapore, people slight others with less than stellar results. Sad but true.

But never let yourself be judged by a piece of paper called the “Results Slip.” Cliche as it might sound, life is more than academics. Failure has to be treated with more respect here. People don’t like to take risks here. If they do, they are all too calculated. If you failed to live up to your own expectations, do not worry. The beauty of life is that we are meant to fail again and again whilst being given the future chance to stand up again victorious, even if it might not be in the A Levels examination again. There is always something larger to conquer out there.

As Micheal Jordan once said,”I’ve missed more than 9000 shots. I’ve lost almost 300 games. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” You might have missed a bit now, but that miss is going to make you aim much better in the future, and win you more games in the future. If you scored a perfect shot now, well good for you! But don’t be complacent and always seek to improve your game, or today’s missers will overtake you and trump you.

Congratulations to all once again!