Latest news with #Clarence
The Star
2 days ago
- General
- The Star
Kadazan man told not 'Malaysian enough' to rent room in Puchong
KOTA KINABALU: When Kinney Junior Clarence applied to rent a room in Bukit Puchong, he anticipated the usual questions from agents, such as location, job, budget, and race. What the 37-year-old customer service specialist from Sabah did not expect was to be indirectly told that he was not "Malaysian enough." Clarence, who has lived and worked in the Klang Valley for about five years, shared a conversation on Threads that left many netizens both amused and annoyed. He had applied for a room via a rental site and, as per routine, filled in his details, listing his ethnicity as Kadazan. To his surprise, the property agent replied that the unit was "reserved for local Malaysians only." "I was stunned. I replied, 'Kadazan is Sabahan, sister! I'm Malaysian too," Kinney told The Star. Despite his explanation, he said the agent never responded after that. Rather than getting angry, Clarence chose to laugh it off. "It was funny and a bit infuriating at the same time, because it is such a basic thing. Kadazan is not even a rare ethnicity. Imagine if I had mentioned some of the lesser-known races in Sabah," he said. Clarence added that this was not the first time he had encountered such ignorance. "People in the peninsula often confuse ethnic groups in Sabah and Sarawak. Some think Iban is from Sabah, or Kadazan from Sarawak. It is common, but still disappointing," he said. Originally from Penampang, he returned to the Klang Valley to build his career after the Covid-19 pandemic, having previously studied there. He said he was looking for a room in Bukit Puchong simply because it was closer to his office. Fortunately, Kinney has since found a better place, which he described as "closer to work, better, and with no issues like that." His post has since gone viral, receiving over 1,700 likes and 298 comments, many from fellow East Malaysians sharing similar experiences. One Sarawakian said the issue extended beyond house hunting, recounting job interviews where she was told, "Sorry, we only hire Malaysians at the moment." Another recalled being welcomed to "Malaysia" by fellow university students on her first day of class, despite being from Sabah. One commenter from rural Sarawak joked that as a Kenyah, they were mistaken for someone from East Africa's Kenya. Others questioned how such confusion could still happen, with one suggesting the agent "retake her History and Geography papers." Despite the humour, Clarence hopes Malaysians, especially in Peninsular Malaysia, will make more effort to understand the country's cultural and ethnic diversity. "Come on lah, it's 2025. We should not still be asking if someone from Sabah is Malaysian," he said.
The Age
5 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Top small restaurant takes on one of Brisbane's best dining precincts
Eating out Food It's to join some star laneway neighbours in a larger space from an in-demand Emme and Pilloni designer. What won't change? The exceptional, produce-driven food. Clarence is getting an upgrade. Ben McShane and Matt Kuhnemann's little Woolloongabba restaurant that could has become a favourite among diners in the know since opening in 2022. But in a 40-seat heritage tenancy in the old Shop Row building, there's an argument it's a touch too little and, given its quality, should be better known. Also, its location, at the Annerley Road end of Stanley Street, can be hard to travel to. But a move to Fish Lane in 10 weeks is intended to change that. Clarence will close on Stanley Street in late July and reopen in a new tenancy tucked underneath the Cremorne apartment development. 'I think we were looking for what the next thing would be,' McShane says. 'But it's obviously a huge commitment, something like that. So we were a little apprehensive. 'The last few years haven't gone quite as well as we'd hoped, so it can be hard to double down on [the concept].' Fish Lane, though, is very different to Stanley Street. Over the past decade it's become one of the city's best dining precincts, second perhaps only to James Street. Southside, Julius, Maeve Wine, Hello Please and Lune all call the area home, among a bunch of others. It's surrounded by stacks of residential apartments, has ready access to public transport, is just across the road from QAGOMA and the Queensland Museum, and QPAC is scheduled to unveil its new 1500-seat theatre towards the end of the year. 'There's everything here,' McShane says. 'There's residential. It's a little bit more eclectic than, say, James Street. It's a little more relaxed … but you're still very well-connected to everything. 'I don't think we'd fit on James Street. It makes sense here.' You can understand how the building's landlord, Stockwell, got McShane and Kuhnemann over the line. Clarence 2.0 will be a precisely designed open-air 60-seat evolution on its predecessor. Alkot Studio, recently celebrated for its work on Pilloni in West End and Emme on James Street, is overseeing a space defined by green and white tiled walls, globe pendants and banquette seating. 'I don't think we'd fit on James Street. It makes sense here.' Clarence co-owner Ben McShane The restaurant will carry over Clarence's distinctive green colour and also its open kitchen, this time with counter seating so you can get up close and personal with McShane and Kuhnemann as they go about their cooking. Clarence's approach to food will remain much the same, with McShane and Kuhnemann continuing to leverage close-knit relationships with producers such as Tommerup's Dairy Farm and Neighbourhood Farm to power a menu that constantly evolves depending on what's in season. 'But then there will be a few more comfortable, accessible dishes that will stay on a little bit longer,' McShane says. 'It might be coral trout with new potatoes and a meuniere sauce, or something like a steak frites. 'It's great to have those vibrant, interesting dishes [typical of Clarence], but there will just be a few more things – objectively good dishes that everyone's going to want to eat every day of the week.' Drinks will continue to be anchored by a tight all-Australian wine list that favours 'funky, smashable' drops. 'There's that population density here that means we can be that great neighbourhood restaurant,' McShane says. 'We can be part of your evening before the theatre, or after. We don't have that versatility where we are at the moment. So it's about adjusting what we're doing to suit that.'
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Top small restaurant takes on one of Brisbane's best dining precincts
Eating out Food It's to join some star laneway neighbours in a larger space from an in-demand Emme and Pilloni designer. What won't change? The exceptional, produce-driven food. Clarence is getting an upgrade. Ben McShane and Matt Kuhnemann's little Woolloongabba restaurant that could has become a favourite among diners in the know since opening in 2022. But in a 40-seat heritage tenancy in the old Shop Row building, there's an argument it's a touch too little and, given its quality, should be better known. Also, its location, at the Annerley Road end of Stanley Street, can be hard to travel to. But a move to Fish Lane in 10 weeks is intended to change that. Clarence will close on Stanley Street in late July and reopen in a new tenancy tucked underneath the Cremorne apartment development. 'I think we were looking for what the next thing would be,' McShane says. 'But it's obviously a huge commitment, something like that. So we were a little apprehensive. 'The last few years haven't gone quite as well as we'd hoped, so it can be hard to double down on [the concept].' Fish Lane, though, is very different to Stanley Street. Over the past decade it's become one of the city's best dining precincts, second perhaps only to James Street. Southside, Julius, Maeve Wine, Hello Please and Lune all call the area home, among a bunch of others. It's surrounded by stacks of residential apartments, has ready access to public transport, is just across the road from QAGOMA and the Queensland Museum, and QPAC is scheduled to unveil its new 1500-seat theatre towards the end of the year. 'There's everything here,' McShane says. 'There's residential. It's a little bit more eclectic than, say, James Street. It's a little more relaxed … but you're still very well-connected to everything. 'I don't think we'd fit on James Street. It makes sense here.' You can understand how the building's landlord, Stockwell, got McShane and Kuhnemann over the line. Clarence 2.0 will be a precisely designed open-air 60-seat evolution on its predecessor. Alkot Studio, recently celebrated for its work on Pilloni in West End and Emme on James Street, is overseeing a space defined by green and white tiled walls, globe pendants and banquette seating. 'I don't think we'd fit on James Street. It makes sense here.' Clarence co-owner Ben McShane The restaurant will carry over Clarence's distinctive green colour and also its open kitchen, this time with counter seating so you can get up close and personal with McShane and Kuhnemann as they go about their cooking. Clarence's approach to food will remain much the same, with McShane and Kuhnemann continuing to leverage close-knit relationships with producers such as Tommerup's Dairy Farm and Neighbourhood Farm to power a menu that constantly evolves depending on what's in season. 'But then there will be a few more comfortable, accessible dishes that will stay on a little bit longer,' McShane says. 'It might be coral trout with new potatoes and a meuniere sauce, or something like a steak frites. 'It's great to have those vibrant, interesting dishes [typical of Clarence], but there will just be a few more things – objectively good dishes that everyone's going to want to eat every day of the week.' Drinks will continue to be anchored by a tight all-Australian wine list that favours 'funky, smashable' drops. 'There's that population density here that means we can be that great neighbourhood restaurant,' McShane says. 'We can be part of your evening before the theatre, or after. We don't have that versatility where we are at the moment. So it's about adjusting what we're doing to suit that.'
Scotsman
20-05-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Why Scotland urgently needs separate schools for children with special needs
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... I've never been what you could call an educational researcher: indeed, during my actual career I was always a lot more interested in teaching and young people than I was in 'education' per se. However, in recent weeks, I have conducted some extensive educational research; to wit, I have spoken to some teachers about what's going on in their professional lives these days… well, some… well, two, actually. Now the statisticians among you will scoff, because two isn't much of a sample, but I'm going to press on regardless and with some pride, because these two were actual practising teachers, people who have thus far dedicated their professional lives to being in actual schools, dealing with actual young people, rather than skiving off on secondment (not that one can really blame the skivers, teaching being so much easier when there are no kids involved). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Their views are, perhaps, of more urgency than those of officials from Education Scotland or the Scottish Qualifications Agency (both disgraced organisations) or trade union officials or academics – those with whom the Scottish Government prefers to converse about education in Scotland. The Scottish Government's 'presumption of mainstreaming' is a cynical, money-saving policy which is probably the central reason for poor results and bad behaviour in schools (Picture: Matthew Horwood) | Getty Images Teachers who can't teach I wonder, in fact, when Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth last had an in-depth conversation with two teachers, in which she simply asked them to talk about their working lives. Judging by the state of Scotland's schools, I imagine it may have been when she was a teacher herself. Anyhow, my two separate conversations yielded interesting results. One was with the deputy head of an urban comprehensive, whom I shall call Petunia (not their real name) and the other with a highly experienced and much-loved teacher in a Lothians state primary school, whom I shall call Clarence. Two great teachers, Clarence and Petunia, and both happy to suggest practical ways to improve the lives of their colleagues and students. I asked them to tell me what three things would improve their schools most, and gave them plenty of time to consider their answers. Some of what they said came as no surprise. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For Petunia, the first thought was the need to ensure that schools are kept in at least a satisfactory state. How are we supposed to convince young people to look after their schools if the buildings are leaking, cold and falling apart? Her second view was that, as she put it, 'we need to be able to get rid of crap teachers'. Quite right. A stressful job To be honest, I think the vast majority of teachers do a good, sometimes great, job in circumstances that most people simply don't understand; a complex, multi-faceted, stressful job often dealing with large classes of children who are all individuals with their own needs – educational, pastoral and personal. These stresses make teachers extremely collegiate, kind and thoughtful to each other, but therein lies a problem. It's very hard to get rid of a teacher who, for whatever reason, can't teach. Ms Gilruth will shortly be sending them to the Scottish Centre for Teaching Excellence. That will not solve the problem. Clarence was concerned about the way head teachers are recruited and subject to scrutiny. They also saw the way in which funds were used for learning assistants as something needing dealt with. Too much of the time, assistants are away from the classroom helping children with difficult, specific learning issues, including those who, for one reason or another, need 'time out' from the classroom. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This is work which requires to be done by highly trained specialists; learning assistants should be helping in the great drive to close the poverty-related attainment gap, a flagship SNP policy which has so far dismally failed. Cynical, money-saving policy The children who suffer most, of course, are the least able children, who deserve just as much help as a child with a diagnosis, no matter how legitimate. Which leads neatly to the problem that both these seasoned teachers identified, in their very different teaching environments: the necessity to reconsider the Scottish Government's 'presumption of mainstreaming', this cynical, money-saving policy which is, truth be told, probably the central reason now for the poor results, poor behavioural standards and poor teacher retention dogging Scotland's schools. Many teachers, including Clarence and Petunia, spend great chunks of their working lives dealing with small numbers of young people, most of whom have complex difficulties, and some of whom are liable to 'kick off' at the slightest provocation. This is rarely the fault of the child or teacher. It's simply the wrong environment and we need to change that. It used to be that the parents of most of these young people wanted them to be in 'mainstream' (ie ordinary) schools, mixing with the children who do not have such profound issues; this was deemed to be socially useful and instructive. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But social media, newspapers and books all seem to suggest that their views have changed, as they realise how unsuccessful the experiment has been, and how alienated and frightened many of their kids are by the mainstream experience. Lack of political interest Meanwhile, the parents of actual mainstream children (of all abilities) want more of the teachers' time. This is not unreasonable. We need – urgently – to re-establish specialised, dedicated units and schools for children with special needs. This is not about these two great teachers – it's about a great mistake that is being perpetrated on their profession and their students. I am mystified as to the lack of action on this issue, and the lack of sustained interest from political parties. Maybe they need reminding that there's an election due next year. Thanks, Clarence; thanks, Petunia.
Straits Times
18-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Headstart On Record Podcast: Can you earn a living on a skilled trade?
An entrepreneur shares his hard-earned lessons on working with one's hands. ST GRAPHICS: NATASHA LIEW Headstart On Record Podcast Can you earn a living on a skilled trade? Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times. For much of human history, manual work and the skilled trades have been the default way to earn your keep. Even in a small, advanced economy such as Singapore, there remains a need for this work to be done, that requires a mix of hard graft and mindfulness. To piece together how to be successful in the trades, ST correspondent Tay Hong Yi speaks with his guest, an entrepreneur who slogged to build businesses across landscaping, hospitality and outdoor education. His guest is: Mr Clarence Chua, co-founder of The Sundowner Nature Experience Centre Highlights (click/tap above): 1:53 Did Clarence always know he would be working a skilled trade? 10:07 What is the most satisfying part of Clarence's job? 11:18 Tips for those hoping to pursue a skilled trade 21:06 Dealing with parental disapproval Read about Mr Chua's work here: Read Tay Hong Yi's articles: Follow Tay Hong Yi on LinkedIn: Host: Tay Hong Yi (hytay@ Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim & Hadyu Rahim Executive producers: Ernest Luis, Lynda Hong & Joanna Seow Follow Headstart On Record Podcast channel here: Channel: Apple Podcasts: Spotify: Feedback to: podcast@ Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: --- Follow more podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: ST Podcast website: ST Podcasts YouTube: --- Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: Google Play: Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
