@keeyit
Wow, yoga classes. I heard that going for yoga can help slim down. Is that true? I sure need some exercise but I don’t think my rusty joints can take it.

@Hasbullah Pit
In this case, it seems like this kid went and study medicine in a country and/or university that is not recognized by another organization. For whatever reason NASA isn’t acknowledging him as an astronaut, they must have their reasons.

Don’t forget that the Government has only chosen him to go for the “training” and trip to space. However, that doesn’t in anyway make him an astronaut. The government of Malaysia has no say whether he is an astronaut or not. Just because the parents sent their kid to study medicine doesn’t make the son a doctor. The kid needs to go through stuffs like med school and internship in hospital for a few years before he is a qualified doctor.

Click here for an article on how to apply for an astronaut position at NASA. I quote a few sentences from the article:

But becoming an astronaut in the U.S. space program is not easy, and the process can take several years.

Your screening performance will be evaluated, and if you are lucky, you may be accepted as an astronaut candidate. NASA announces candidates every two years, selecting about a hundred men and women out of thousands of applicants.

If you are selected, you will report to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for training and evaluations, which last two years.

At the end of the two-year training period, you may be selected to become an astronaut.

Once you are selected for a flight, you will receive specific training for the mission at least 10 months prior to the flight.

However, if there are still people who insist on calling him an astronaut, I can agree but will relate it to F1 drivers.

Most F1 drivers are paid by their teams to drive an F1 car. On the other hand, there are also a few who paid their team (through sponsors) to drive an F1 car. Both groups are still considered F1 drivers but the one who paid to have a chance to drive shouldn’t be too proud of his achievements. Whether you like it or not, our Angkasawan paid to fly. I am (and we should) still be proud of it but let’s at least acknowledge him with the proper name.

@Devil
Well, whether he is a space tourist or the real thing, I still believe that he and all of us Malaysians should be proud of him and ourselves. Whatever it is, he is still the first Malaysian to be in space and Malaysia has a citizen who has been into space. That itself is something to be proud of.

I just wish that people “label” him correctly so that we don’t end up shy in the future when we claim we have an astronaut in space but the rest of world is saying he was just a spaceflight participant. I hope you understand what I mean.

In simple words, if this so-called astronaut is “worth-it” then next time i’ll take up some pilot course theoretically and then pay my air ticket, sit on the plane, and call myself a pilot. Its definitely cheaper…. probably i can buy a plane.

And yes I agree that we need to label him correctly and not to create a big hoo-ha over some incorrect label.

I rest my case.

=P

So if Sheikh Muzafar has been called ‘Spaceflight participant’, it not his fault.
Then Sheikh Muzafar and other 11,250 candidate applied for that programme has been cheated by Malaysian Goverment?

He did apply for ‘Angkasawan’ but then when he was choosen, he is just ‘Spaceflight participant’. Should he and 11250 other candidate sue Malaysian Government?

Oh wait, from by observation ONLY Nasa labelled him ‘Spaceflight Participant’. Nasa, yes the American Space Agency.

If Aunty X has a son that applied to be a doctor, she tell people she has a son that applied to be a doctor. Her son was choosen the Government to be a doctor. But suddently Uncle Nasa called him as Medical Assistant. Should, the son and the family being ashamed?

@Freethinker
Well, the trip to space is paid, no doubt about that. However, I think having a Malaysian to space still somehow shows something. I not sure what that something is but at least one day, we know a Malaysian has been to space.

@Dean Kuok
“Model” citizen. LOL. Well, you have a point about sending a dentist/model to space. He was chosen and there must be a reason. I hope he can do his duties and come back with good results. What is he supposed to do in space again? I am sorry but I am not following all this buzz. The last I heard was people poking fun of him going up there play congkak and gasing.

@Devil
Thanks. I just read Jeff Ooi’s article and immediately corrected my post. That’s when I read your comment. Thanks for correcting me again.

@Angie Tan
Hehe. Never watch it over the TV meh? How was the reaction from your friend? Everyone got jump up and down or not?

@anthraxxxx
Wah liao eh, got so boring or not? From what I read in the papers, everyone seem to be excited leh. Send a Proton to mars ah? You think our Proton will “survive” the heat ah? hehehee.

@meltingpot
No, I said “…(probably) the whole of Malaysia was talking about it…”.

Hehe. Well, from what I read, it seems like this to space “mission” is a big buzz. Not sure though. I for one didn’t even talk or heard about it personally.

@Red ribbon
LOL. I know what you mean about making it “look big”. If I am not mistaken, The Star published 9 to 10 pages on this. It better look big, it costs us Millions. I wonder if this has anything to do with the coming G.E.?

@abgzam
hehe. hehe.

Neither do I. bugger off.

@CY
LOL. Again, I do not feel “anything” in this first launch, I don’t see why I should/will feel anything for the second. Of course, unless there is something that I missed out in this one, or the next one has something worth my attention.

@Hasbullah Pit
Sorry but I don’t follow this Malaysian to space program much so I do not know what’s going on “behind the scenes”. I heard something about something costing a billion ringgit..but now I am reading the space program cost RM90 Million. Who knows if there is anything else behind “behind the scenes”?

Firstly, I want to make it clear that I did not say this space “trip” is “membazir”. What is RM90 million compared to RM4.6 billion? Anyway…

As for whether he is an astronaut or a spaceflight participant, it is very important. Reason being there is a difference between a doctor and a medical assistant. Both treats patients but in different ways and different situations. Most importantly, their qualifications are different, they dress different and are called differently. So yes, Malaysia has a spaceflight participant in space but not an astronaut.

If Aunty X has a son that works as a medical assistant, she shouldn’t tell people she has a son that works as a doctor. In the end, the son and the family is the one who will be ashamed. There is nothing wrong with being a medical assistant. Just like there is nothing wrong as him being a spaceflight participant. Being the first Malaysian spaceflight assistant to space is something we can be proud of too. What I am emphasizing is the need to label him correctly.

Whether it’s astronout of sp[ace participate, for me it doesnt really matter.
What do you expect from free ride after purchasing sukhoi.

for me, it’s not ‘membazir’ but i’m not the kind of person who are too proud of it.

Since we got good deal when we bought sukhoi. we optimize it.

If we want to wait until we have our own rocket to be driven by local real astronout. Wait lah.

for those who keep complainting “wasting money”lah, “space participant only lah”. Please form “F-18 Hornet Fan Club”

if be bought 18 F-18 Hornet, we didnt get free ride, we dont need to choose ’space participant’, no need to run 5km, no need to find who want to do experiment in ISS.

Please read:-
http://sebolku.blogspot.com/2007/10/program-angkasawan-yang-membazir.html

Second astronaut with inverted commas is on the way. That time, I doubt you’ll be able to sleep well xD