“Let’s Step Forward Together”: Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern won the general election last weekend in a landslide, securing three more years in power after the country stopped the spread of the coronavirus.
With more than 90 percent of ballots counted, her centre-left Labour Party had won 49 percent of votes enough to secure a total of 64 seats in the 120-seat parliament, the country’s first majority since 1996. The opposition party on the other hand, the centre-right National Party had only 27 percent of the vote and 35 seats.
Voters rewarded Jacinda for her successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic after the country extinguished the disease with only 1,883 cases and 25 deaths recorded. As the pandemic began to gather pace globally, Jacinda opted for a draconian lockdown in March and sealed off the country’s border to all except returning citizens while shuttering non-essential shops and bars.
“Tonight’s result has been strong and it is clear that Labour will lead the government for the next three years. We will build back better from the COVID crisis. This is our opportunity to take on poverty and inequality. Let’s step forward together,” she said in her victory speech at Auckland Town Hall.
In a room full of cheer, she added on to say, “New Zealand has shown the Labour Party its greatest support in almost 50 years. We will not take your support for granted. And I can promise you we will be a party that governs for every New Zealander.”
Congratulations on your second term win, Jacinda! We wish you all the best!
Women leaders in Malaysia: YB Puan Nor Azrina Binti Surip
Do you know who YB Puan Nor Azrina Binti Surip is? Fondly known as Nurin Aina, she is a politician from the People’s Justice Party (PKR) from the previous governing Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition. She is currently the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Merbok seat in Kedah.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Among her experiences prior to politics were her involvement with Kelab Rakan Industri and working as an environmental researcher at UTM Skudai.
Her involvement in politics began from the 2013 general elections where she lost the Merbok seat for another politician.
When it was time for the 2018 general elections, she contested again for the same seat and finally won.
Nurin Aina is known to organise several outreach and community programs to people in her area. One of them includes the Ziarah Kasih program where she and her team visits the homes of the underprivileged and provides them with basic necessities. She also organises a mobile counter for people’s service centre in Merbok (Kaunter Bergerak Pusat Khidmat Rakyat Parlimen Merbok) where visitors would relay their complaints, get a free health checkup and register as a voter.
Here’s to having more women who step up and become leaders of the country!
MODA treats breast cancer survivor and buddies to special makeover
Fighting a disease can sometimes be a tedious and lonely journey. However, for some, they are fortunate to go through it all with the support from their loved ones.
In an effort to thank such lovely souls (breast cancer survivors and their buddies, in this case), the Malaysian Official Designers Association (MODA) organised a Pink Buddies Day Out where 16 pairs of breast cancer survivors and their friend who helped them shared their journey.
MODA also prepared a special surprise for the survivors and their friends where they brought in local fashion designers to accessorize them on October 3rd at W, KL.
The survivors were elated after the makeover. Some even expressed that they felt happy and more confident about themselves. Apart from that, they shared their appreciation towards their loved ones during their difficult time.
For the fashion designers, Jimmy Wong and Kit Woo, they were truly inspired by the stories shared by the survivors and for the opportunity to create unique styles which in turn brought a smile to the faces of the survivors and their buddies.
Jimmy Wong and the mother-daughter pair. He shared that he felt satisfied and delighted to hear the pair compliment each other after the make-over. - Picture courtesy of Jimmy Wong (Taken from Malay Mail)
Kit Woo recreated a style for the married couple where they were donned in jackets. — Picture courtesy of Kit Woo (Taken from Malay Mail)
We may not understand the pain one endures but we can always share our love and support. It makes a difference.
Fun Facts (Jewellery edition)
Fun Fact #1
Did you know that the oldest known jewellery is dated 135,000 years ago? The jewellery piece, the Eagle Claw Necklace was from Croatian Neanderthals.
The discovery broke certain long-held beliefs of Neanderthals: being able to ascribe value for anything aesthetic and how they could kill and declaw enough eagles to produce the necklace.
Fun Fact #2
Diamonds, one of the hardest minerals on earth, were first discovered in India in the 4th century BC. As the earliest diamonds began to be traded along the Silk Road, they became popular due to their strengths and refractive properties.
Even from the olden times, diamonds were used in adornments, as cutting tools, as talismans and at one point, used to cure illnesses in the Dark Ages
Fun Fact #3
According to anthropologists, the tradition of the engagement ring started from a Roman custom where the wives wore rings attached to small keys, showing they belonged to their husbands.
Archduke Maximillian of Austria took it a step further in 1477 when he ordered for the first diamond engagement ring to be made for his fiancée, Mary of Burgundy. That trend spread amongst the European aristocracy and nobility and later, to the rest of the world.
Fun Fact #4
Did you know that throughout history, live insect jewellery was a trend? The first time it trended in history was during Ancient Egypt, where the people wore scarab beetles on their clothes as a token of luck during battles.
Other instances include Ancient Mayans using insects as love charms, Mexicans decorating Maquech beetles to use as brooches and middle-class Victorian women donning live beetles as a tribute to Mother Nature. Imagine an accessory that literally crawls on your skin - no thanks!
MERCY Malaysia launches mental health hotline for Sabahans in light of COVID-19 spike in the state
MERCY Malaysia has kickstarted a dedicated psychosocial support hotline for Sabahans in light of the COVID-19 spike in the state.
The free-of-charge service will provide a listening ear for anyone who may be struggling with feelings of anxiety, depression, stress or other negative emotions due to the unprecedented times of the pandemic.
According to Masniza Mustafa, MERCY Malaysia’s health coordinator, the rise in numbers of COVID-19 cases and the ongoing CMCO can be detrimental to the mental health of fellow Sabahans. Having a psychosocial support hotline can be a lifesaver during this difficult time of crisis.
“The fear and anxiety of being infected and affected by this pandemic could be overwhelming and cause a strong emotion in adults and children and it could lead to significant psychosocial consequences in the future. Realising the current situation and the need for psychosocial support for the people in Sabah, MERCY Malaysia has responded by extending our Psychosocial Support Hotline service to people in Sabah,” she said.
The hotline will be managed by clinical psychologists and counsellors who can provide Psychological First Aid. Four psychosocial volunteers from MERCY Malaysia and two psychology officers from MOH will also be tasked with taking the calls.
The service is predominantly available in BM for now but MERCY Malaysia will be able to accommodate other languages and dialects upon request. The hotline will run daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and can be reached at 088338088.
10 Things Not To Say To Someone With Depression
When you find out that someone you love is dealing with depression, it’s only natural that you will want to offer comfort or words of advice. However, one must be wary of what one says as depression is a mental health issue. As someone who wants to offer comfort, here are a few things that you shouldn't say to someone with depression.
1. “Just try harder!” / “Snap out of it!”
Expressions like these not only makes a depressed person feel more hopeless, it can make them feel demoralised too.
2. “Cheer up and smile!” / “Why can’t you just laugh it off?”
Depression is often oversimplified with expressions like these. While positive thinking can help, it is not enough to cure depression.
3. “But you don’t look depressed!” / “You look happy all the time!”
As the saying goes - you must never judge a book by its cover. Just because a person appears to be smiling, it doesn’t mean he/she is not dealing with depression.
4. “It can’t be that bad.” / “You think you have a bad time?”
Something that seems like a small inconvenience to you may look like an impossible hurdle to another. Be careful not to minimise or dismiss someone else’s pain.
5. “It’s your fault.” / “You’re imagining things.”
There are many factors that lead to depression including their genetics, the environment they are surrounded by and the stress they have. No one chooses to be depressed.
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