Malaysian Maths

It is most alarming that many Malaysian schools teach our children
the wrong things. I mean: can the children really apply what they are
taught in school later in life?

For example,can you imagine a mathematics question in a recent
examination as follows?

If an egg costs fifty sen, and if you buy 1/5 of the egg, how much
would you have to pay ?"

Who in Heaven's name will want to buy 1/5 of an egg ?

Yet, this is how they structure the questions in Malaysian schools.

Why not pose questions that would be more useful later in life when
you go out into the world to earn your living ?

To help Malaysia's Ministry of Education to better face the realities
of life, we are suggesting some questions they could use in their
classrooms.

QUESTION 1.

If your father drives from Kuala Lumpur to Penang along the PLUS
Highway and there are four speed traps along the way and if each
speed trap could cost him RM300.00 in fines, how much in fines
would he accumulate by the time he reaches Penang ?

ANSWER (Multiple choice):

1. He would not suffer any fines as oncoming cars would flash
their headlights and he would slow down before getting to the
speed trap.

2. He would pay only RM80.00 as RM20.00 bribe would be
sufficient at each speed trap. Raya time, maybe a little more.

3. My father would not be stopped as he is an UMNO Wakil Rakyat,
so he is exempted from speed traps.

QUESTION 2.

If a Bumi company is awarded a RM150 million government contract,
and they make a 20% profit, how much profit would be at the end of
the contract period ?

ANSWER (Multiple choice):

1. There will not be a 20% profit as they would have to pay the Minister
10% and UMNO 5%.

2. They would make a 30% profit, which is the progress payment they
receive, after which they will abandon the project and let the government
call for re-tender.

3. The company will not make any profit at all as the MD will siphon out
all the profits and show a loss to avoid paying corporate tax.

QUESTION 3.

If the national petroleum company, Petronas, makes 5 billion ringgits per
year, how much should Petronas have in the bank after 25 years?

ANSWER (Multiple Choice):

1. Nobody is supposed to know as Petronas need not show its accounts
to anyone except the PM and this information comes under the Official
Secrets Act.

2. Petronas has nothing accumulated in the bank as all the money will be
spent bailing out companies and cronies of the PM.

3. Who cares? The rakyat doesn't see any of it anyway.