FMT News |  |
- Answer Musa’s claims, cops tell top brass
- SB tailing me, says Musa
- Paul McCartney in last Dandy comic
- JPJ claims transparency in AES contract award
- Kaji selidik daftar pengundi kelirukan rakyat
- Looking for perfect fitness gifts?
- ‘We leave it to the DAP CEC’
- Norway princess in secret India trip to play nanny
- Cops quiz PKR leaders over Green March
- ‘Explain Hindu burial land given to Muslims’
- So long Black Pete?
- Usaha akhir MIC tawan kaum India
- Tawaran roboh kamera AES
- Indonesian embassy warns maids to avoid Malaysia
- Australia ponder post-Ponting new order
- Twin ‘threats’ to Sarawak’s oil palm industry
- Condominium sits on Umno’s ‘welfare’ land
- Asian shares slip off nine-month high on weak US data
- T Team beli pemain Ireland, Caleb Folan
- That liberalism, pluralism menace
- Love thy neighbour as you love thyself
- Public inquiry needed on police, ministry
- By popular demand gay marriage is on
- China prepares to grow vegetables on Mars
- Surendran gives cops the silent treatment
- Image of dead girl captured in S’pore
- ‘We can’t live on cheap petrol forever’
- 23 lokasi sasaran kayuhan Jerit
- Tough times, Nobel prize money down
- ‘Stubborn’ MRT Corp to be hauled to court
- Dr Ling kemuka satu lagi representasi
- Umno, MCA berebut kerusi Bandar Tun Razak
- Malaysia’s economic freedom rank improves
- Election hype and debates
- Jangan beri kepercayaan kepada yang ‘desperate’
- Napoleon letter sold for RM 745,000
- Of God, Shahrizat, Utusan
- The increasingly bizarre tale of John McAfee
- GE13 will be horror show for BN
- NGOs to take up Sabah’s ‘lost’ cause
- Cargo ships can’t unload as strike enters 7th day
- APS to back pro-Pakatan candidates
- Tips for holiday tipping and gifts
- Najib, jawab 10 soalan sebelum PRU13
- Genneva’s liabilities exceed its assets by 10 times
- ‘King Khan’ casts spell on Moroccans
- England to face Australia, Wales in 2015 World Cup
- Ba double leads Newcastle to victory over 10-man Wigan
- Vatican unveils Pope’s Twitter handle
- China’s dot-com darlings tap cheap global credit
| Answer Musa’s claims, cops tell top brass Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:27 AM PST
"Of course it is damaging to the police force but then again, there is no smoke without fire, so there is an element of truth in it," said a senior policeman on condition of anonymity. "Perhaps in a way it is good because if the top level wants to change, it is high time to look into it," he told FMT. Last week, Musa dropped a bombshell when he accused Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein as one of the politicians who interfered with police investigation. The former top cop also suggested that criminal elements had infiltrated the police force, revealing that there were cases where the links went high up and "nobody dared talk about it." His damning comments coincided with Umno's general assembly; the party's last huddle before it faced the 13th general election. Umno top leaders, including Hishammuddin, had not directly answered Musa’s claims since last week, choosing instead to dismiss them as attempts to sidetrack the public from the issues raised during the general assembly. Meanwhile, current IGP Ismail Omar said that he did not have the time for things that were "not important" – a response that courted ire from Musa who labelled the former as "snobbish." ‘Ismail is a poor leader’ Commenting on this, the senior police officer told FMT that Ismail lacked leadership quality. "He shouldn't be there in the first place, he's merely a puppet. Whenever he is summoned by the ministry, he comes back crying. "Whenever he is pressured, he doesn't act professionally, he screams at his officers. He is someone who is hard to work with, no backbone, no guts," he said. Another police officer also agreed that it was best for the top brass to answer Musa’s allegations but criticised the latter for revealing the cracks only after he had retired. "You were our leader then, and during your time, you did not say all this, just asking people to be tougher. Personally, I feel that when Musa was the IGP, he took care of his own seat. "And now that he is without position, nobody can do anything to him, he comes out openly talking about his own former employer like that. It's not right. You were not there for months but years. What were you doing then?" said the source. But a third police officer told FMT that Musa's claims "don't add up." "If you ask me personally, we are always loyal to the leadership… so whatever my former boss says doesn't disturb our morale, as we work based on rules and regulations," he said. Also read:      |
| Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:20 AM PST
This followed his controversial press conference last week, where he claimed that criminal elements had infiltrated the police force and revealed that politicians interfered with investigations. Apart from him, Musa said that R Sri Sanjeevan from the NGO My Watch which organised the press conference was also being tailed. Musa is the patron of the newly-formed NGO. “To me it’s funny lah. Why must you put me under surveillance? As if I am a threat to security. “I would like to advise them not to follow me lah. I won’t destroy the nation, that’s number one. Number two, I think you have better work to do, like following criminals, who are really jeopardising the safety of the public,” the former IGP told FMT. “So I think it is stupid of them [to follow us], wasting the rakyat’s money. If you want anything just call me, I’ll tell you everything,” he added. On how he found out, Musa said:”Of course I know who is following me but I didn’t want to confront them. Don’t want to embarrass them. Of course they ran away when they saw me.” Asked why he was being tailed, Musa shrugged and replied: “I don’t know, probably instructions from up top. Maybe the IGP himself, I don’t know.” Musa said that although in the past he had been tracked by syndicates and tontos “plenty of times”, this was his first time being followed by a policeman. “Never by policemen, but by syndicates and tontos you know, who want to know my movements. I still remember when I was in the drugs unit. That’s why whenever I got out of the house, I would never follow the same route for fear that people might either follow me or ambush me and all that. We must be aware of my environment, being a trained police officer, you know,” he added. While Musa said he did not feel threatened, Sanjeevan admitted that he was slightly more rattled. “From the day we held that press conference, we have been followed. The same face, the same cars are around here. The cracking sounds on my phone…,” he added. Sanjeevan said that there was no reason for the police to resort to these "harassing" tactics as MyWatch was merely an NGO that was concerned about the welfare of the country. “I feel it is a breach of human rights, this is all abuse of power and is being instructed at the higher level. The thing is, we’ve got nothing to hide. We’re just concerned because crime happens and it is not political, it does not care who we are. “If you want, just call us up, record our statements. Please don’t plant SBs on the people who are trying to help you reform,” he added. Sanjeevan reiterated the call for the current IGP Ismail Omar to meet them in person in order for them to work together and share information. Also read: Public inquiry needed on police, ministry    |
| Paul McCartney in last Dandy comic Posted: 04 Dec 2012 02:04 AM PST
The comic that brought beloved characters including pie-eating cowboy Desperate Dan and Korky the Cat to millions of homes is going digital-only from today, 75 years after it was first published. The weekly publication sold more than two million copies in its 1950s heyday, but with children lured by alternative entertainment from television and video games, circulation fell to less than 8,000. Published in the Scottish city of Dundee by DC Thomson, executives are describing digital-only Dandy as a chance for a “new lease of life” rather than the beginning of the end.
He said that in an interview with music magazine NME in 1963 he was asked what his personal ambition was, and he replied that he wanted to have his picture in The Dandy. “I hope it’s not too late!” the 70-year-old wrote in a letter. “The Dandy was a favorite comic of mine when growing up in Liverpool and each week I would look forward to the exploits of Desperate Dan and his other comic book colleagues.” He will be seen grimacing as Desperate Dan squeezes his fingers in a firm handshake, after which McCartney leads 50 of the comic’s most famous characters in a sing-a-long of the Beatles hit “Hey Jude”.—Reuters    |
| JPJ claims transparency in AES contract award Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:52 AM PST
In a press statement issued today, JPJ director-general Solah Mat Hassan said the contract was awarded after fair competition among nine companies. He added that the government undertook extensive research, including visits to countries using the same system, before it considered implementing it. He dismissed accusations that it was done in haste. Among the countries visited were South Korea, Australia, the United States, Germany, Sweden, France, Britain and Switzerland. “We found after the visits in December 2005 that we should implement the AES,” read the statement. It added that a steering committee was set up to oversee the project. Putrajaya is struggling to deflect accusations of foul play in its move to implement the AES, which detractors claimed was aimed at enriching companies linked to Barisan Nasional. The two firms awarded the contract to implement the enforcement system — ATES Sdn Bhd and Beta Tegap — will spend between RM300 million and RM400 million each to set up traffic cameras at 831 "black spots" nationwide. Thorough vetting Both ATES and Beta Tegap are entitled to RM16 per valid summons for the first five million issued. They will then split the remaining revenue evenly with the government up to a cap of RM270 million each. The firms will each receive 7.5% from the remaining revenue and the government will keep the rest. Pakatan Rakyat has suggested that the companies are linked to the MCA and Umno, but this has been vehemently denied. Parliament recently approved the implementation of the AES despite calls for a review and opposition from both sides of the political divide. Solah said bidding companies were vetted thoroughly and asked to conduct live demonstrations and that the two were picked only after detailed assessments by several government agencies, including the Audit Department and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission he added. “It took us eight years before we decided to implement it,” he said. Also read:    |
| Kaji selidik daftar pengundi kelirukan rakyat Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:46 AM PST
Wakil Majlis Perundingan Melayu (MPM), Hanafi Sulaiman berkata, kerajaan negeri juga didakwa menyalah guna wang rakyat untuk kepentingan politik dengan menjalankan kaji selidik itu. “Tidak wajar kerajaan negeri melangkaui tugas dan peranan yang diberikan kepada SPR (Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya) sehingga kaji selidik itu dijalankan,” katanya. Beliau berkata demikian ketika ditemui pemberita pada Majlis Perjumpaan SPR bersama pemimpin parti politik dan taklimat Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13) serta aturcara simulasi pilihan raya di sini hari ini. Hanafi menegaskan, “kaji selidik yang dilakukan kerajaan negeri hanya membuat orang ramai jadi keliru sedangkan segala laporan dan kajian semula ini sepatutnya dilakukan SPR. “Kalau tengok dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan di mana SPR ada tiga tugas. Pertama, mereka mentadbir pilihan raya, kedua melakukan persempadanan dan mendaftarkan pemilih tapi apa yang berlaku di Selangor, ialah kerajaan negeri menjalankan kaji selidik,” terangnya. Menurutnya, SPR tak pernah menyuruh mereka menjalankan kaji selidik untuk menentukan sama ada para pengundi membuat pendaftaran atau tidak, undi di mana. Perbuatan ini membuat orang ramai menjadi keliru. “Sepatutnya orang buat laporan sebab kerja-kerja ini tak boleh dibuat, hanya SPR sahaja yang boleh. Daftar pemilih, persempadanan semula. Apa rasionalnya, apa untungnya berbuat begitu sedangkan SPR ada autoriti berbuat demikian?” soal Hanafi. Pada Jun lalu, Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim menyerahkan 94,474 borang Kaji Selidik Daftar Pengundi melibatkan tujuh kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri (Dun) iaitu Pandamaran, Pelabuhan Klang, Selat Klang, Sri Serdang, Kota Anggerik, Batu Tiga, Sri Muda dan Sri Andalas. Menurut Menteri Besar, tujuan kaji selidik tersebut dijalankan adalah untuk membuktikan kepada SPR bahawa wujudnya pengundi hantu berdasarkan peningkatan luar biasa jumlah pengundi baru. Simulasi pilihan raya Dalam perkembangan yang berkaitan, Pengarah Pilihan Raya Negeri Selangor, Dzulkifli Ab Rahman berkata, proses simulasi pilihan raya yang pertama kali diadakan ini adalah bagi memberi penjelasan mengenai dakwat kekal dan tempoh masa bantahan. Ianya disertai oleh kira-kira 150 para pemimpin negeri yang mewakili pelbagai parti yang akan bertanding dalam PRU ke 13 nanti. Penyelaras Barisan Nasional (BN) Shah Alam, Datuk Nawawi Md Zain ketika ditemui berkata, simulasi memberi penjelasan menyeluruh tentang banyak perkara berbangkit dan menambah, “kalau dulu ada masa bantahan, kini tiada masa bantahan.” Timbalan Pengarah 1, Jabatan Pilihan Raya Selangor, Khairuddin Osman pula berkata, terdapat beberapa isu yang tidak dijawab dengan jelas oleh SPR antaranya mengenai kertas permohonan. “Malah dari segi peraturan perjalanan pilihan raya juga perlu diperbaiki,” katanya.    |
| Looking for perfect fitness gifts? Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:30 AM PST
There is also the revival of the humble foam roller, which experts say, like old-time push-ups, squats and planks, has never been more popular. Anita Golden, fitness manager at a Crunch gym in New York City, said she’ll be giving clients a foam roller called the GRID. “We’ve always had foam rollers in the club but now more people are using them as a way to ease post-workout muscles, prevent injuries and exercise the core,” Golden said. When it comes to big-ticket items, Colleen Logan of Icon Health and Fitness, which manufactures a number of fitness brands, said the treadmill remains the most popular gift. “Treadmills continue to lead the industry in terms of home fitness purchases,” said Logan. They account for about 57 percent of fitness purchases, while elliptical trainers and stationary bicycles are a distant second and third place at about 8 percent each. The average home treadmill costs about US$700, said Logan, but the technology revolution has transformed even this stalwart at the high end. The ultimate splurge, at US$4,000, she said, is the Boston Marathon Treadmill, which allows users to adjust speed in 1/10 of a mile per hour increments without touching the console. It also lets users run a virtual Boston Marathon. For people on a smaller budget, there is the iFit app that lets the iPhone capture a favorite vacation run or bike ride in Hawaii, store it in data centers all over the world which collectively are referred to as the “cloud,” and download it to an iFit-enabled treadmill at home. “You’ll view the exact route and experience the same terrain again,” Logan explained. Devices, gadgets and apps proliferate as tech-savvy fitness becomes more accessible, according to Jessica Matthews of the American Council on Exercise (ACE). “There’s a lot of interest in on-body monitoring devices as ways to motivate and track progress,” she said. “They run the gamut from basic devices to track hours, steps, and caloric expenditure to full-body tracking.” Nike+ Sportsband has a series of small lights on the wrist band that change from red to green as the runner nears his goal, while the BodyMedia FIT Armband tracks everything from the number of calories burned to the quality and quantity of sleep. ACE also studied fitness DVDs released for the holidays.
Among the best were “Amy Dixon’s Breathless Body Vol.2: The Edge.” Matthews called it a challenging cardio workout best suited to those on your list with “an established base of fitness.” “Jessica Smith’s 10 Pounds Down Better Body Blast” also got a thumbs up for its well-rounded routine and clarity of instruction. For people seeking a mind-body approach, Matthews praised “STOTT Pilates Intense Body Blast: Pilates Interval Training: Level I,” which she said is accessible for someone new to fitness. “They do a great job queuing movements and creating flow,” she said. Richard Cotton of the American College of Sports Medicine suggests giving the fitness novice the gift of a personal trainer. “The best is human assistance,” he said. “Another way is a beginner group exercise class.” He also suggests a gift certificate for shoes at a running store equipped with a treadmill. “You need shoes that fit your gait,” he said. “People should always get their gait analyzed.” Golden likes to cite the law of reciprocity to the personal trainers she manages. “I always tell them to get their clients something,” she said. And what does the personal trainer want for Christmas? “I like the roller, or a new jump rope,” she said. “Fitness people aren’t hard to please. Get me a new yoga mat and I’m happy.”—Reuters    |
| Posted: 04 Dec 2012 01:12 AM PST
Seputeh member of parliament Teresa Kok, Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming and Wong Ho Leng (Sibu) have all said that they would abide by whatever decision taken by the DAP central executive committee (CEC) on the matter. Teresa told FMT that she will abide by whatever the DAP CEC decided and although she was not against the proposal, it had to be deliberated further. The one-man, one-seat was proposed by DAP chairman Karpal Singh a few months ago. The proposal has received mixed response from DAP leaders. The proposal would confine a candidate to contest only one seat, either parliamentary or a state seat, at the upcoming general election. Teresa however declined to say if she would settle for a parliament or a state seat, if the proposal is adopted by the party top leadership and enforced at the next general election. She is a three-term Seputeh MP and a first term state assemblywoman for the Kinrara state seat in Selangor. The DAP national organising secretary also said that she was not totally against Karpal’s proposal but the matter should deliberated further, getting views of other party leaders, as well as grassroots members. The 48-year-old politician said some mainstream media had twisted her statement when she initially responded to Karpal’s proposal. “Even at the Selangor DAP convention, I read out a press statement to the media to clear the air on the matter. This was because my earlier statement was made to sound like I was against the proposal,” she added. She said the matter was also looked at by the DAP candidature committee, appointed by the party leadership after the proposal was mooted at the party’s CEC. DAP congress next weekend Teresa said the committee should take into consideration DAP’s strategy to secure more seats at the upcoming general election. “It is not in my mind to discredit Karpal’s proposal but rather to state the fact that it is not a new issue…it has been referred to the CEC and a decision is yet to be taken by the CEC,” she added. She said the party decided to field her for the Kinrara state seat at the 2008 general election after taking into account two key considerations. “Firstly the seat was bordering Seputeh and secondly the party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng felt that we needed a strong candidate for the seat,” she added. She said it was the same situation in eight other cases. “At the end of the day, whatever perks I receive as an MP and assemblywoman, is utilised for party work and the constituencies. It is not for me…I am also not greedy for power,” she stressed. Party sources revealed that the proposal would be tabled at the party’s national congress next weekend in Penang. A party insider also told FMT that so far, eight out of 10 DAP branches who responded to the proposal do not favour the one-man, one-seat rule. Nga , who is also Pantai Remis (Perak) state assemblyman, said he agreed to Karpal’s proposal in principle. “However, I feel since this involves the party’s election strategy, it should be dealt separately according to the need of a particular constituency,” he said. Wong on the other hand when contacted said, via an SMS text message: ” Let party decide and we abide.” Below is the list of DAP leaders who concurrently hold parliament and state seats; 1.Chow Kon Yeow — Tanjong (Parliament)/Padang Kota (state assembly) 2.P. Ramasamy — Batu Kawan/Prai 3.Lim Guan Eng — Bagan/ Air Puteh 4.Ngeh Koo Ham — Beruas/Setiawan 5.Nga Kor Ming — Taiping/Pantai Remis 6.Teresa Kok Suh Sim — Seputeh/Kinrara 7.Loke Siew Fook — Rasah/Lobak 8.Wong Ho Leng — Sibu/Bukit Asek 9.Chong Chieng Jen — Bandar Kuching/Kota Sentosa    |
| Norway princess in secret India trip to play nanny Posted: 04 Dec 2012 12:54 AM PST
Armed with a diplomatic passport that granted her immediate access, the future queen jumped on a plane in late October when the employee, who is also a friend, and his husband were unable to travel to care for their newborns. “For me, this is about two babies lying alone in a New Delhi hospital,” Mette-Marit said in a statement. “I was able to travel and wanted to do what I could.” She did not alert Indian authorities and spent several days with the babies at the Manav Medicare Centre, where staff assumed the wife of Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon was a nanny. While the princess was away, her name continued to appear in the official palace calendar and her absence from a parliamentary dinner was not explained. A relative of the two fathers eventually took over from Mette-Marit and the fathers received a visa in November, when they brought the babies back to Norway, the palace added.
Protestant Norway was the second country in the world in 1993 to register same sex partnerships while same sex marriage has been legal since 2009. The Crown Princess acknowledged the debate and insisted she is not taking a side and only did what a friend had to do. “Sometimes life presents you with situations with few good solutions. This was one of those,” she said. “There is an important debate going on about surrogacy and this was not meant as taking a side.”—Reuters    |
| Cops quiz PKR leaders over Green March Posted: 04 Dec 2012 12:50 AM PST
PKR vice president Tian Chua, Subang MP R Sivarasa, Kapar MP S Manickavasagam and former deputy minister Tan Kee Kwong had their statements recorded at the Wangsa Maju police station. Last month, thousands marched at the nation’s capital in support of the Green March rally, held to raise awareness on the Lynas rare earth plant and other environmental issues. However, the marchers had to sit down along the sidewalks at Jalan Raja after the police barricaded the entrance to their original destination, Dataran Merdeka. Deputy Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said that the participants had breached provisions of the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) as it was a street gathering. On Nov 29, the police questioned property agent Jimmy Wong and his school teacher wife for their participation in the rally. Tian Chua said that he was questioned by an officer named ASP Ramlan, who was cordial in his approach. "They are just doing their work," he added. Among the questions posed, Tian Chua said, was on the details of the Green March rally and why the marchers made a stop at Sentul. "He asked about a dozen questions. I only answered some of them as advised by my lawyers," added the PKR leader. The PKR leaders were represented by lawyers Latheefa Koya and Afiq M Nor. Also read: Cops quiz two over anti-Lynas rally 14 reps pledge support for green motions Green Walk ends near Dataran amid blockade    |
| ‘Explain Hindu burial land given to Muslims’ Posted: 04 Dec 2012 12:35 AM PST
“Why grab the land when Selangor is 7,955 square kilometres?” asked Hindraf’s P Uthayakumar in a letter addressed to Selangor Menteri Besar, Khalid Ibrahim. Uthayakumar, who is also Human Rights Party’s pro-tem secretary general, was responding to a news report in Malay daily, Sinar Harian today on the matter. In the report, Malaysian Indian Welfare and Cemetery Management Association president M Raman had asked the state government for an alternative plot of land for a Hindu cemetery. Raman said the state exco, at a meeting in July last year, despite acknowledging that the plot of land in Teluk Piai was a Hindu cemetery decided to regazette it as a Muslim cemetary. Raman said this was revealed in the 2010 Selangor Cemetery Inventory Report. “Even a letter from the rural and urban planning department dated Aug 28 this year states that the land, in Lot 13, Api-Api, Kampung Teluk Piai, is a Hindu burial land,” said Raman. Uthayakumar said: “Reconvert, re-gazette, issue permanent land titles and restore this historical Hindu cemetery in the memory of the rubber tappers who contributed extensively to Malaya’s economy.” He also requested for a copy of the 2010 Selangor Cemetery Inventory Report under the Selangor Freedom of Information Enactment 2010 to ascertain the number of Hindu cemeteries in the state and how many of them have been gazetted. Uthayakumar also raised concerns over the status of the Hindu cemeteries in Barisan Nasional administered states. He gave three examples: the Bukit Jalil Hindu cemetery that was re-gazetted as Muslim burial ground, a cemetary in Kuala Sawah, Negeri Sembilan that was wiped out and a burial ground in Rantau, Seremban that was desecreated.    |
| Posted: 04 Dec 2012 12:33 AM PST
Saint Nicholas, or “Sinterklaas” in Dutch, brings presents to children on Dec 5 in the Netherlands and on Dec 6 in Belgium, and is always accompanied by at least one assistant dressed in 17th century costume who has a blackened face. The tradition has been difficult for Dutch and Belgian people to explain abroad, where “Zwarte Piet” (Black Pete) is viewed with either outrage or ridicule. Dutch pub “De Hems” in London opts for blue face paint instead. Sinterklaas celebrations in western Canada organized by the Dutch community were called off last year and former Dutch colony Suriname has said Zwarte Piet is not welcome this year because of concerns over racism. For most Dutch and Belgians Zwarte Piet is an innocuous fairytale character who assists the popular Sinterklaas and hands out candy to children, but some there too argue he is a harmful stereotype best done away with. “It was about six years ago when my mum came home from work and phoned me,” performance artist Quinsy Gario, who was born on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao, told Reuters. “On the phone I could hear her trembling. She was upset, livid, and said someone at work had called her Zwarte Piet.” In 2011, Gario decided to protest against the tradition by standing with a “Zwarte Piet is racism” T-shirt in a crowd watching a Sinterklaas parade in the Dutch town of Dordrecht. His subsequent arrest made headlines in Dutch media. Film by a bystander showed three police officers pinning him to the ground and kneeing him in the back. Gario also said he had pepper spray sprayed in his eyes. “I spent six and a half hours in a jail cell for freedom of expression,” he said. Business embrace Nevertheless, Zwarte Piet remains popular in 2012, and his traditional arrival by boat with Sinterklaas a few weeks ahead of the actual celebration was witnessed by thousands of starry-eyed children in Brussels and Amsterdam. Sinterklaas, the presents he brings, as well as the traditional food and candy sold around this time are also good business for companies such as toy stores and supermarkets. “Families with children are a very important customer group of ours. How would you explain to your children that Zwarte Piet is no longer allowed?,” said Chief Operating Officer Sander van der Laan of Albert Heijn, the Netherlands’ largest supermarket. Dutch anti-discrimination organisation RADAR said that it would talk to retail organizations in the coming months about how to make Zwarte Piet less racist. “We believe that you have to go to Piet, not Zwarte Piet, to leave the celebration intact but get rid of the stereotypes,” said Margriet Maris, a lawyer at RADAR.
RADAR said it had received about 25 related complaints this year, still only a fraction of the 1,000 it dealt with overall. The tradition of St Nicholas exists in other European countries, including Austria and Germany. But he is only accompanied by black helpers in the Netherlands and Belgium. Celebrations were depicted on paintings of 17th century Dutch artists Jan Steen and Richard Brakenburg, but Zwarte Piet only made his first appearance in a mid-19th century illustrated book by Dutch teacher Jan Schenkman. Entitled “St Nicholas and his servant,” it showed a short, dark-faced man dressed in a Moorish costume a few steps behind an imposing white man with a white beard and bishop’s outfit. “There’s a theory that says that important people had a black servant, it was a status symbol. Sinterklaas was an important man, so he needed one too,” said John Helsloot a researcher at the Meertens Institute in Amsterdam. “Somebody who dresses up as Zwarte Piet is not a racist but it is a fact that he’s part of a tradition which gives a stereotypical, racist image of black people,” he said. Pressure on Zwarte Piet seems to be increasing in 2012 and even well-known conservative blog “Geen Stijl” (No Style) has written that it’s time for Sinterklaas to find a new helper. “It’s 2012, people,” wrote GeenStijl in a post that attracted much attention. “We’re better than Zwarte Piet.”—Reuters    |
| Usaha akhir MIC tawan kaum India Posted: 03 Dec 2012 11:53 PM PST
KUALA LUMPUR: Perhimpunan Agung Tahunan MIC ke-66 pada Ahad bersedia untuk menggerakkan delegasi dan pemimpin akar umbi sebagai kempen terakhir untuk memenangi hati dan minda masyarakat India kepada Barisan Nasional (BN). Setiausaha Agung parti Datuk S.Murugesan optimistik hasil kerja serius dan usaha berterusan yang dijalankan selama dua tahun di bawah pelan tindakan bersepadu akan membuahkan hasil kepada MIC. Memenangi semula sokongan majoriti pengundi India menjadi tugas utama parti itu berikutan kekalahan besar dalam pilihan raya umum 2008 apabila ramai kaumIndia keluar BN. MIC hilang enam daripada sembilan kerusi Parlimen yang dipertandingkan. Ia hanya mengekalkan kerusi di Tapah, Cameron Highlands dan Segamat dan menawan semula Hulu Selangor pada pilihan raya kecil kemudian. Dalam temu bual dengan Bernama, Murugesan menerangkan rancangan parti terbesar masyarakat India itu, mengatakan ia tidak pernah mengambil ringan rayuan kaum India dan telah banyak menyelesaikan masalah lama yang dihadapi komuniti itu, terima kasih juga kepada usaha Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dan presiden parti Datuk Seri G.Palanivel. “Masyarakat harus memahami bahawa rancangan ini adalah murni dan bukan hanya untuk jangka masa pendek. Ia sudah pasti mengambil masa untuk melihat hasilnya. Kamu tidak boleh hanya lakukan sekali dan berpendapat MIC berjaya memenangi kembali masyarakat. Tidak ada jalan pintas,” katanya. Murugesan berkata Palanivel telah merangka strategi untuk menggerakkan kerajaan melaksanakan dasar dan skim untuk membantu dan meningkatkan taraf hidup masyarakat India, sambil menepis kritikan buruk bahawa parti itu telah melakukan yang terbaik dalam usaha memastikan kaum itu tidak terlepas dari arus perdana pembangunan negara. Di bawah Belanjawan 2013, RM350 juta diperuntukkan kepada Skim Pembiayaan Tekun bagi industri kecil dan sederhana, RM50 juta daripadanya adalah untuk Skim Keusahawanan Sosial Kaum India, katanya. Juga RM50 juta diperuntukkan untuk melatih 3,200 pelajar India yang miskin memperoleh kemahiran industri, dan RM100 juta untuk menaik taraf dan pembangunan sekolah Tamil di seluruh negara, katanya. Bersih dan telus Murugesan menegaskan MIC sentiasa mengekalkan dirinya sebagai parti yang bersih dan transparen, untuk menunjukkan kepada pengundi, pemimpin parti adalah lebih baik untuk mentadbir dan akan teruskan usaha menangani isu-isu yang dekat di hati kaum India seperti sekolah Tamil, pendidikan universiti dan peluang pekerjaan untuk semua. Beliau juga berkata parti itu telah menjalankan pengesahan pengundi dan pendaftaran di semua 4,300 cawangannya di seluruh negara, dan juga telah memperkenalkan pelbagai langkah untuk menarik pengundi muda menyertai parti itu. “MIC bersama (komponen) Barisan Nasional yang lain telah melaksanakan beberapa program termasuk ‘Karnival Kerjaya Pemuda BN’ dan ‘Konsert Jelajah BN Pilihan Saya’ juga menggunakan media baru seperti Twitter, Facebook dan blog sebagai salah satu cara mendekati golongan muda,” katanya. Berdasarkan statistik baru-baru ini menunjukkan antara 60 dan 65 peratus pengundi muda memilih BN berbanding Pakatan Rakyat memandangkan parti pembangkang itu hanya pandai menabur janji tetapi gagal mengotakannya,” kata beliau. “Untuk menarik generasi Y, MIC mesti berupaya memberi penjelasan dan memberitahu mereka bahawa inilah masa depan yang kita mahukan, iaitu ini adalah hala tuju bangsa bagi memastikan masa depan yang lebih baik dan stabil untuk mereka,” katanya. Murugesan berkata walaupun pengundi India kembali semula ke pangkuan BN dan trend itu semakin baik sejak 2008, MIC masih berusaha meningkatkan jumlah pengundi India. “Memandangkan komuniti India sering kali mendesak transformasi dalam MIC, parti ini sedang melakukan transformasi agar lebih agresif untuk memenuhi harapan dan cabaran yang semakin meningkat yang dihadapi masyarakat,” katanya. Murugesan berkata parti itu menerima enam resolusi antaranya politik, hal ehwal kerajaan, pendidikan dan sosioekonomi, untuk dibahaskan pada perhimpunan Beliau juga berkata perhimpunan itu, hanya berlangsung sehari bagi menjimatkan masa dan kos, akan dirasmikan Perdana Menteri dan pengerusi BN Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. - Bernama    |
| Posted: 03 Dec 2012 11:44 PM PST
“Untuk menjimatkan wang rakyat, kami sanggup merobohkan kamera tersebut secara percuma,” kata Pengarah Propaganda Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM), Edy Noor Reduan dalam satu kenyataan media hari ini. Ini berikutan amaran terakhir yang dikeluarkan kepada Kementerian Pengangkutan untuk menanggalkan kamera tersebut dalam tempoh dua tiga hari lagi setelah hampir sebulan masa yang diberikan. Arahan untuk merobohkan struktur kamera haram AES itu dikeluarkan oleh Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Tetap Kerajaan Tempatan, Kajian dan Penyelidikan, Ronnie Liu. Jika arahan itu gagal dipatuhi, kerajaan negeri menerusi Majlis Perbandaran Sepang (MPS) akan merobohkannya. Edy Noor berkata, pihaknya juga mempunyai pandangan yang serupa dengan kerajaan negeri bahawa adalah tidak wajar bagi mana- mana pihak untuk menaikkan apa-apa struktur tanpa kebenaran pihak berkuasa. “Ini kerana ia turut membabitkan soal keselamatan awam, apatah lagi struktur tersebut juga mengganggu keselesaan awam,” terang beliau. Menurutnya, SAMM juga mempunyai kemahiran dan punya tenaga anak muda yang cukup untuk menurunkan kamera AES dengan selamat. “Kami juga mengajak sekutu NGO dan NGI lain untuk turut bersama dalam tindakan merobohkan kamera AES apabila mendapat kebenaran dari kerajaan negeri Selangor dalam sedikit masa lagi,” ujarnya.    |
| Indonesian embassy warns maids to avoid Malaysia Posted: 03 Dec 2012 11:28 PM PST
In the latest maid abuse scandal to hit Malaysia, authorities said they had freed 95 Indonesians, six Filipinas and four Cambodians who toiled as housemaids by day but were locked inside a building near the capital Kuala Lumpur at night. Recurring reports of abuse of Indonesian maids have soured relations between the two Southeast Asian neighbours and in 2009 prompted Jakarta to angrily cut off the supply of domestic workers to Malaysia. The two sides announced a year ago that the ban would be lifted after they reaching an accord to provide maids better protection and working conditions. But the latest case showed Indonesians were still at risk, especially those who come to Malaysia illegally without going through proper recruitment channels, a spokesman for Jakarta’s embassy said. “The Malaysian authorities should take tough action… It’s better for Indonesian maids not to work in Malaysia,” spokesman Suryana Sastradiredja told AFP. “They (Malaysia) are asking for Indonesian maids but they cannot protect them well.” The women freed on Saturday — who according to Malaysian media reports had arrived illegally over the past several months — have been taken to a shelter and will eventually be sent back to Indonesia, Sastradiredja said. Sastradiredja said that since the ban was lifted, fewer than 100 Indonesian maids had arrived through official channels, turned off by the low salaries and abuse reports. But, citing reports from Indonesian and Malaysian activists, he said Jakarta fears thousands more may have been duped into coming illegally with promises of well-paid work since the ban was set in 2009, and were now working in vulnerable situations. One of Southeast Asia’s most affluent and developed countries, Malaysia has long attracted women from its poorer neighbours, mostly Indonesia, seeking work as maids. Before the ban, some 300,000 Indonesians were legally registered as working as maids in Malaysia. Recurring incidents in which foreign maids have been confined, abused, beaten, or even killed have repeatedly rankled Malaysia’s neighbours. In October, an advertisement in Malaysia that offered Indonesian maids “on sale” went viral online in Indonesia, sparking new outrage. Last month, police said they were investigating a man in northern Malaysia for allegedly raping his 15-year-old Indonesian maid, while in a separate case, three police officers were charged with raping a 25-year-old Indonesian woman at a police station. Cambodia also banned sending maids to Malaysia last year following numerous abuse complaints. -AFP    |
| Australia ponder post-Ponting new order Posted: 03 Dec 2012 11:21 PM PST
They will, of course, be without Ricky Ponting for the first time in 17 years after the former captain bowed out following his 168th test, which ended with a 309-run defeat and the loss of the series to South Africa in Perth. “I just hope I’ve left the team in a better place than it was when I started,” Ponting, struggling to contain his emotions, said at the conclusion of his final news conference as an international cricketer on Monday. “I think every player that comes into international sport wants to say that they can walk away with the team being in a better place than it was, hopefully my impact and input on Australian cricket has left something behind.” Ponting’s impact on cricket certainly goes beyond the 13,378 test runs he scored. There can be no doubt that, through no fault of his own, the Australian cricket team is not in a better place than it was when he made his debut against the Sri Lankans in 1995. The then 21-year-old had forced himself into the team by sheer weight of runs and batted behind Michael Slater, Mark Taylor, David Boon and Mark Waugh at number five. Glenn McGrath took seven wickets and Shane Warne six as Australia won the match by an innings and 36 runs. Australia clearly have some players in fine form – Michael Clarke was named Player of the Series against South Africa for his two brilliant double centuries and Mike Hussey also scored two centuries. But no-one would pretend for a moment that the current side is close to the complete article. First and foremost, before the first test against Sri Lanka in Hobart next week, they must decide who replaces Ponting at number four in the batting line-up. With time running out before the tour of India and back-to-back Ashes series next year, coach Mickey Arthur and captain Clarke have suggested a completely new look to the top order might be on the cards. “We need a lot more consistency from our top four because we know at five and six we’ve got the best batsman in the world (Clarke) and Mr. Cricket in Hussey, we just need one-two-three and four to be giving us a really good platform,” Arthur told reporters after the Perth test. “We haven’t discussed it yet but it’ll probably be a guy that comes in and bats at three, with a possible move for Shane Watson to four. It just looks right and gives us a little bit of stability.” Watson has not looked wholly comfortable at number three in the tests he has been fit to play since dropping down from the opening partnership. His average slipped to 36.92 after making 35 runs over two innings in Perth. Clarke, the top ranked batsman in the ICC rankings, said he would be happy to consider moving up from number five. “I’ll bat wherever Mickey and I think is best for the team,” he said. “The number I bat makes no difference to me. If it’s best for the team for me to bat three, I’ll bat three. “If it’s best for me to stay at five, I’m not bothered. I guess we need to work out what player is getting selected first and then what’s best for the team in regards to batting order and the whole top six.” Rob Quiney, who replaced the injured Watson for the first two tests against South Africa, looks to have a good chance of a return, while test rejects Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja, as well as the uncapped Alex Doolan, are also in the mix. Arthur conceded there was plenty of work to do before Australia match the standards set by his old team South Africa, but said there had been clear improvements since their last test in Hobart, which they lost by seven runs to New Zealand. “I think we are in a much better place than we were this time last year and we’ve got to just keep building,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure we’ve got a settled unit very clear in their roles come those big tests that lie ahead.” -Reuters    |
| Twin ‘threats’ to Sarawak’s oil palm industry Posted: 03 Dec 2012 11:16 PM PST
As of June 2012, the state has 1.21 million hectares of palm oil and 58 mills with a combined processing capacity of 102.14 million tonnes of FFBs a year. But the state whilst riding a wave of success with palm oil is facing twin threats – the global perception of palm oil and a shortage of manpower. Land Development Minister James Masing, during the recent sitting of the state legislative assembly, highlighted the two pertinent challenges confronting the palm oil industry. "The latest challenge is the attacks against palm oil in France. These come in two forms – the 'palm oil free' labels now prominently stamped on many food cartons, and the 'Nutella tax' which proposes a 400% hike on palm oil shipped into France. "The 'Nutella Tax' which was initiated by a French senator is based on claims alleging that the food ingredient is bad for health. It is alleged that it contains high levels of saturated fats and that the palm oil industry is causing indiscriminate deforestation. "Whether or not this tax is passed by the French government is immaterial as consumers and retailers may already have a very negative perception of palm oil," said Masing, adding that palm oil is currently one of the most extensively researched oil. He said research and human clinical trials have shown that palm oil increases good cholesterol and beneficially modulates the bad one, therefore reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. Palm oil has also been found to play a protective role in cellular ageing, hardening of the arteries and cancer. Masing said the findings of the Malaysian research have been objectively reviewed by scientists from 19 countries representing a range of appropriate disciplines. The reviews, he added had also been fully endorsed by renowned international nutrition scientists. Comparative studies have also shown that oil palm is the world's most productive oil producing plant, yielding about five tonnes of oil per hectare in Malaysia. Labour shortage Palm oil yields 10 times more oil than soybean, seven times more than sunflower and five times more than rapeseed, and occupies less than 5% of land under oil seeds cultivation. "All these show that what the French activists and lobbyists have said, in fact, go against scientific explanations. We can only conclude that these allegations are based purely on economic rivalry to protect their sunflower and rapeseed farmers. "Thus, those allegations are mere lies. But the sad fact is that these lies have been taken as the truth by the ill-informed consumers," said Masing. He said that apart from the formation of a joint committee between Malaysia and France, the authorities should consider making full use of the social media in tackling these accusations. This would ensure that the state has global reach to the consumers and retailers, not only in France, but in other countries as well, he added. Sarawak’s labour department statistics show that as of June 30, 2012 there were 98,092 persons working in oil palm plantations, out of these 80% are Indonesians. "As the industry in Indonesia is expanding very rapidly, it has become increasingly more difficult to get additional workers from that country. “Thus, the state government is considering other source countries for the recruitment of workers to ease the shortage, ” he said, adding that this was however a short term solution. Make jobs attractive Masing said what the industry “urgently” needed were long term solutions to the shortage of workers. He suggested that that the plantation industry itself “play a positive role” in making jobs attractive and appealing to workers. "One long term solution is to attract our own people to work in the oil palm plantations. This should help ease the shortage of workers and prepare us for further expansion. "In this regard, the setting up of a skills training centre located at Jalan Simpang Gedong, Serian by a private sector company is commendable. "I’m sure the innovative 'five package formula' to be used by the centre would be able to attract our locals, albeit at the lower category plantation workers, towards plantation work. "Another way to attract the locals is to give tours of the plantations to students and under-graduates, and offer holiday work to them during school breaks. "In this way, they will know about plantation works on a first hand basis. Attractive remuneration such as comfortable accommodation should also be given serious thought. "The other long-term solution is to increase mechanisations in field operations. The enhanced R&D in field mechanisation by MPOB is a step in the right direction. "It is, however, equally important for the R&D to give greater emphasis on designing and producing more machines and equipment that are affordable and suitable for use in plantations in Sarawak in view of its less favourable terrain," said Masing.    |
| Condominium sits on Umno’s ‘welfare’ land Posted: 03 Dec 2012 11:00 PM PST
Party national publicity chief Tony Pua said the land, worth RM200 per square feet was sold at RM1. A medium cost condominium had been built on it when Barisan Nasional leaders, in justifying the cheap price, claimed that community centres would be built there. Documents obtained showed that the two-acre land was worth RM17.5 million but allegedly sold at a meagre RM87,000 to Selangor Umno before Pakatan Rakyat took over the state in the 2008 elections. “When they (BN) rebutted, they said the land parcels were for building kindergartens and community halls and other services for the people. This is clearly not the case,” Pua told reporters. Pua, who is also the party’s No 2 in Selangor, added that a unit of the Suria Damansara condominium cost RM450,000. The controversy was first raised by DAP Sekinchan assemblyman Ng Suee Lim last month. He claimed that the lands were divided among BN’s component parties. MCA holds five plots, MIC three and Gerakan one. Umno Kuang assemblyman Abdul Shukor Idrus later defended the land takeover, which he claimed was used to build public amenities such as halls and kindergartens. "Umno is the people, and it represents 400,000 Selangorians who paid their taxes… This is not for individuals but for a large organisation. "Why can't Umno use funds to build public halls for the community?" he had asked. Click here to view the video on YouTube. Of the 24 plots, 15 were now owned by Umno branches or divisions, with six of them going to Umno Sungai Besar division, which was led by former menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo. Former MIC president S Samy Vellu together with someone named S Subramaniam and the late SOK Ubaidullah, who was one of MIC’s founders, were named as trustees for a 2,832 square metre plot in Kuala Selangor. The biggest plot on the list was a seven-acre piece of land in Klang, owned by the Kota Raja Umno division, followed by a 6.5-acre plot in Batu 14, Puchong, owned by the Puchong Umno division. “They took the lands for self-serving interest," said Ng during the same press conference. "Where is the transformation that they are talking about?” he asked, referring to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s reform pledges.    |
| Asian shares slip off nine-month high on weak US data Posted: 03 Dec 2012 10:56 PM PST
Declines in Asian stock markets suggested caution setting in after gains in recent weeks, with investors reluctant to chase shares higher amid continued gridlock in the US Congress over proposals to avert the so-called fiscal cliff – $600 billion worth of tax increases and spending cuts that will be automatically triggered in early 2013. European shares were expected to open lower, US stock index futures eased and riskier assets such as commodities were also hit, with oil, copper and gold all losing ground. “Oil markets are starting to come off on the weaker-than-expected manufacturing data and the fact that the US economic outlook remains unclear,” said Natalie Rampono, commodity strategist at ANZ in Sydney. “We are also seeing mixed headlines on the fiscal cliff negotiations, so markets have already taken on a cautious outlook on that account.” MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS fell 0.2 percent, backing away from a nine-month high reached on Monday. Australian shares .AXJO eased 0.6 percent, while Japan’s benchmark Nikkei share average fell 0.3 percent. .AX .T Financial bookmakers called London’s FTSE 100 .FTSE, Frankfurt’s DAX .GDAXI and Paris’s CAC-40 .FCHI to open down 0.2-0.3 percent, and S&P 500 futures slipped 0.2 percent. Global share indexes had risen on Monday after manufacturing surveys showed signs of a recovery, albeit an uneven one, in China’s economy and a slower contraction in Europe. But sentiment toward equities soured after data revealed US manufacturing unexpectedly contracted in November to its lowest level in more than three years. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said on Monday that its index of national factory activity fell to 49.5 in November, the weakest since July 2009, as companies worried about whether lawmakers in Washington could reach a budget deal in time to avert a fiscal crisis that may lead to a recession. Heading into next week, even a hint of progress in the fiscal cliff negotiations could spawn a modest rally, said Vishnu Varathan, regional economist in Singapore for Mizuho Corporate Bank. “Overall the euro zone noises are coming out positive and I don’t see any turning around there. The only real deal-breaker, whatever will send the dollar spiking up and risk really off the table, will be if there is a complete breakdown in the Congress negotiations,” he said. “Right now there is some disappointment here and there, but overall still the consensus is that negotiations will result in some kind of acceptable compromise,” Varathan said. The Australian dollar recovered from initial weakness on Tuesday after a widely expected interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). The rate was trimmed by 25 basis points to 3.0 percent, matching the previous record low. The RBA said the full impact of rate cuts in the past had yet to be felt, and that recent data confirmed the peak in resource investment was approaching. The Aussie rose 0.2 percent on the day and last traded at $1.0440, not far from a two-month peak of $1.0491 touched last week. The euro was flat around $1.3060, hovering near the previous day’s high of $1.3076, the single currency’s strongest level in about six weeks. <FRX/> The euro gained as Greek bonds rallied on Monday after Athens announced better-than-expected terms for its planned debt buy-back, boosting chances it will succeed and lead to the release of fresh aid funds. The US fiscal cliff issue remained in the minds of many investors, underpinning the Treasury market, where benchmark 10-year yields held steady in Asian trading around 1.628 percent. <US/T> Brent crude slipped 0.3 percent to around $110.60 a barrel and gold fell nearly 1 percent towards $1,700 an ounce. Copper fell from the first time in four sessions, coming off a six-week high reached on Monday to drop below $8,000 a metric ton (1.1023 tons). <O/R> <MET/L> <GOL/> The White House dismissed a proposal from congressional Republicans on Monday that included tax reforms and spending cuts, saying it did not meet President Barack Obama’s pledge to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans. The Republicans proposed overhauling the US tax code to raise $800 billion in new revenue over 10 years. Obama’s opening bid, outlined last Friday, seeks $1.6 trillion in new revenue by allowing the expiry of tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush for the top two tax brackets. “Now that the both sides have put out their plans on the table, we can say at least the negotiation is starting. But the way it looks, it will be difficult to get any deal by the second week of December. Probably it’s going to take until the third week,” said Tomoaki Shishido, fixed income analyst at Nomura Securities. -Reuters    |
| T Team beli pemain Ireland, Caleb Folan Posted: 03 Dec 2012 10:26 PM PST
Bulan lepas kelab berpengkalan di Kuala Terengganu itu mengambil bekas pemain negara Belanda, George Boateng. T Team yang kini mahu dikenali dengan gelaran The Titan akan dilatih oleh Peter Butler dari England. Folan pernah bermain untuk kelab Birmingham City di England. Walaupun pasukan bertaraf kelab, T Team dengan pembelian dua pemain ternama itu berpontesi menjadi pencabar pasukan handalan lain seperti Kelantan, Selangor dan Johor. Pencapaian terbaik kelab itu ialah musim 2011 apabila mara ke separuh akhir PIala Malaysia sebelum tunduk kepada juara sebenar Negeri Sembilan. Musim 2013 ini, liga bola sepak Malaysia dimeriahkan dengan beberapa pemain ternama, antaranya David Guiza dan Simone Del Nero yang bermain untuk Johor serta Dimitros Pertros untuk Kelantan. Liga Malaysia akan bermula bulan Januari depan.    |
| That liberalism, pluralism menace Posted: 03 Dec 2012 10:00 PM PST
Even Umno which has been lovingly protecting the Malays for the last 50 years and the various religious authorities are now watching open-mouthed in horror as liberalism sweeps across the land unhindered – infecting unsuspecting Muslims. Yes, once this affliction manifests itself, it will cause widespread confusion among the Malays causing them to question themselves, question the state and question their religious beliefs. Sometimes they may even question each other. Some are already questioning why there is so much repression of their individual freedoms, in comparison to the non-Malays. Unable to control themselves, they are also starting to question the royalty, the state and the religion. And worse, they are now questioning the hand that feeds them (Umno). Some are even questioning the need for Malay supremacy. How disappointing is that? It is a pity that there are so few organisations like Perkasa around to protect Malay rights. Ibrahim Ali is a rare breed and he epitomises the true towering Malay. Racism has been around in Malaysia for half a century, so why bother to dismantle it? And why must they blame Umno for looking after the Malays with affirmative action, when MCA and MIC conveniently ignored their own people? Great leaders like Dr Mahathir Mohamad has reaffirmed that those race-based parties are here to stay. PAS is but a fine example. When there was lack of jobs for the Malays, Umno absorbed them into the civil service. Yet the Malays remain unappreciative of the fact, due largely to liberalism. They think if they choose Pakatan Rakyat, there will be more individual freedom and liberal thought. They think there will be lesser interference to the way they want to live. Malays have been warned That’s why, what Nurul Izzah said also had me and the whole nation quite confused, even though I can "a little speaking". What she said was too liberal and the Malays must not entertain such pluralistic thoughts. The younger generation could go quite berserk. The state doesn’t ask very much of the Malays. Only once every five years to give them our mandate to carry on whatever they are doing and they will leave us alone to our fate. And yet some Malays seem to think that the state wants to control our minds and our thoughts. Already, Umno has warned us many times that PAS is out to get us, and if we believe in their extreme ideologies, we will be even more entrapped. Let Pakatan Rakyat deceive the public with its Malaysia for Malaysian slogans or a caring government that will serve the people and accord all citizens individual freedoms. The Malays do want to be part of such liberal ideologies. We are contented with the status quo and many of us are preparing in earnest for the hereafter. Yes, liberalism has caused many Malays to leave Umno’s fold and to dine with the enemy (PAS). Today, there are many liberals in PAS, questioning Umno’s impeccable religious credentials, and even have the cheek to call Umno murtad (apostates). Now, isn't that a little too extreme? PAS’ consistency in belittling the faith of its Muslim political opponents shows that it lacks legitimacy as reformers, said Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein. Isn't that food for thought? Although liberalism has a broad meaning, it does not mean moderation. Moderation is practised by the Muslims in this country but PAS has a higher agenda and intent on introducing a more Islamic outlook. It is not contented that Malaysia is already an Islamic country and wants a purer and more unadulterated version. So the Malays will have to get ready for a better version to their existing way of life some day. Religious authorities have made the call to curb liberalism among the Muslims. Compared to Muslims around the world, the Muslims in this country are relatively weak, especially the younger generation that needs to be constantly nurtured. A borderless world has distracted the Muslims from their focus, causing them to embrace liberalism and pluralism and to seek for political change. PAS Youth has called for more religious education to fill this vacuum. Liberalism begets forgetfulness Young Scholars Secretariat (Ilmu) working committee chairman Ustaz Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya said pluralism was an understanding which adopted extreme tolerant attitude based on western perspective. "I am waiting for the National Fatwa Council to issue a clear fatwa [edict] on the understanding for Muslims to refer to," he said. The fatwa needs to be implemented with strict religious action and enforcement to eradicate such ills effectively. Meanwhile, the Ulama have questioned the Malays who believe in celebrating the diversity and plurality of Malaysian society. This is a tradition that should not be overly promoted as it may threaten the faith of Muslims. Certain guidelines for proper intermingling have been drawn up as intermingling between the races has become too close for comfort. What the government has done for the Malays in the past have been conveniently forgotten, and today the Malays have become rebellious. They have lost respect for the authorities and the government. This needs to be checked. Liberalism has gone out of control until the Malays are willing to vote against the very government that has nurtured them from day one. It has gone so bad that the Malays cannot be depended upon to make the right choice even though they have been given the freedom to exercise their vote. Today, even affirmative actions for the Malays are being questioned and dissected by liberal Malays themselves. They question the role of BTN (Biro Tata Negara or National Civics Bureau), and is efforts to unite the Malays. Bad for health They question why the Malays are repressed against their will. Ask any Malay out there whether they feel repressed. And if given the freedom, will they turn apostate? Of course not! Even the banning of Bibles in the Malay language and the utterance of the word "God" has not stemmed the runaway liberalism the Malays are now facing. Malays must understand that too much freedom of expression is bad for health. It is also shameful to our way of life. Thinking too much will cause more white hairs to grow, that’s why we must leave it to the religious scholars to interpret our future. We should not rebel against our political masters, or choose liberation in place of religion. We must protect our way of life and, most of all, we must protect Malay political power. The Malays must come to terms with themselves. We are different from our non-Malay counterparts, and we should not think like them. Be contented with our fate, and that we are a special class of citizens. Also be comforted that the state will take steps to silence this national conversation by waging a campaign against liberalism and pluralism in the name of Islamic authenticity and purity. A tour guide, trained pilot and naturalist, Iskandar Dzulkarnain has been writing a few years now, especially enjoying satirical pieces like this one. He is a FMT columnist.    |
| Love thy neighbour as you love thyself Posted: 03 Dec 2012 09:51 PM PST FMT LETTER: From SatfSerani, via e-mail This is a poem dedicated to all of humanity Love You lock the door behind you, The sky, bright, beautiful and blue. Hand in hand, you walk with your lover, You’d sooner die than take another. They can say what they want, you don’t give a shit, You love him, he loves you, what more is there to it? Through hell and high water, with him you will stay, Never leaving his sight, not even for a day. Hate People may not like it, they say that it’s wrong, But what do they know, in their hearts, love is gone. They march on the streets with their sticks and stones, They’re coming for you, they’re coming to break your bones. These are the same people, Who can quote from the Bible. They don’t preach what they pray, You’re a sinner if you’re gay. Politicians But then there are these narrow minded fools, Who think they have the right, to make up all the rules. Not a care in the world, for who it affects, If they think it’s right, so it will be set. These men are lawmakers, people in power, They expect us to adhere, bow down and cower. They send out their thugs to instill in us fear, Don’t bother, don’t try, you’ll never come near! People Black, white, yellow or brown, Colour is nothing, it won’t put us down. We stand by those who have been inflicted, We have no reservations, love is unrestricted. We the people, don’t want to fight, All we ask from you, is to give us our rights. Whether L, G, B or T, We ask you for nothing, but liberty! You You, the person who stands by the side, The violence scares you, you want to run and hide. Brother, or sister, please don’t run away, I promise you we’ll march, with pride some day. If you want to know, how you can play a role, And fight for these people, left on their own. Just shout when you hear of discrimination, We will unite and fight it, together as a nation. Hope There are those who believe that our world is torn, It’s too late, all that is good, is gone. Let me tell you my friends, that is not so, We, mankind, have a long way to go. For all forms of hate that live in this world, I pray, humanity, will be a sight to behold. No longer hating, no fighting, no killing, For all that is good comes a new beginning.    |
| Public inquiry needed on police, ministry Posted: 03 Dec 2012 09:43 PM PST
The serious allegations of misconduct against the former IGP Musa Hassan through a statutory declaration (SD) made in 2009 and the recent claim by the ex-inspector-general himself that criminal element had infiltrated the force as well as interference of politicians in investigations warrants an urgent independent public inquiry to restore public trust in the Malaysian police force. These allegations contained in the SD were by police officer Noor Azizul Rahim Taharim, who served as Musa's aide de camp from 2005 to 2007. The document accuses Musa of wrongdoings during his tenure and exposes how he had purportedly silenced critics with transfers and trumped-up charges. Azizul claims that former CID director Christopher Wan had revealed to him that Musa had directed the setting up of a covert blog to publish allegations of corruption against then deputy home minister Johari Baharom. The contents of the blog, he said, damaged Johari's reputation and subjected him to a probe by the Anti-Corruption Agency. "I am also aware of the statutory declarations made by several policemen, police informants and subjects of police actions showing links between Musa and the underworld, specifically concerning restricted residence detainee Goh Cheng Poh @ Tongku and one shadow figure, BK Tan. Based on my personal knowledge and involvement as the ADC to the IGP, I can confirm that the statements made by these deponents concerning Musa were true…," he alleged. Referring to the SDs of ASP Mior Fahim Ahmad and ASP Hong Kin Hock, Azizul confirmed that their allegations had basis. The pair had claimed that there was manipulation of promotions, ranks and postings in the PDRM involving BK Tan. "The credibility of these officers would be 'demolished' such that whatsoever information they gathered about Musa would be discredited. These officers would suffer hardship being transferred away from their families and home base. They would also get bypassed in promotions and suffer disciplinary action without the proper process. Consequently, less able officers climbed the ranks and the victimised officers were used as warnings against others… This process of 'mecantas' [pruning] explains the apparent lack of ability by PDRM to tackle crime, the lack of motivation and low morale within PDRM that saw crime escalating at an alarming rate during Musa's tenure," he added. After former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi gave Musa a two-year extension in 2007, "This served as a powerful endorsement that the government was fully behind Musa. A sense of fear also gripped many within PDRM and outside when not long after that in October 2007, the lawyer who assisted CCD [Ramli] in the Goh Cheng Poh @ Tengku matter [after the AG Chambers declined to prepare affidavits for the CCD], was himself arrested in a most humiliating manner and charged one day before Aidilfitri. "The message was clear that Musa had the support of the ACA, the attorney-general and the prime minister in all his actions. The fear among officers in PDRM became the need for self-preservation after six rank and file policemen including Ramli were charged with various offences. Not long after that, the AG ordered the release of the said Goh Cheng Ph @ Tongku." (FMT, Dec 12, 2012) These are serious allegations by the former aide-de-camp of the ex-IGP which have demoralised the entire Malaysian police force. Earlier in the week, the ex-inspector-general himself had pointed the finger at Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein when he charged that politicians had interfered with investigations. Musa's revelations that the police force had been infiltrated by criminal elements and that the current IGP Ismail Omar was weak in heading the police force are enough reason for the urgent establishment of an independent public inquiry. These exposes of unprofessional goings-on in the Malaysian police top brass and skeletons in the cupboard of the Home Ministry provide us with some clue as to why the recommendation by the Royal Commission on the Police in 2005 for an Independent Police Complaints & Misconduct Committee has failed to be implemented after so many years. The government must ultimately be held responsible for dragging its feet on this vital reform to stop deaths in custody, police shootings and the culture of impunity in the Malaysian police force. The just accomplished Leveson Commission over the British media practices brought about by phone hacking of the British media cannot compare with these much more serious allegations against the Malaysian police top brass and the Home Minister. Also read:
Kua Kia Soong is Suaram adviser.    |
| By popular demand gay marriage is on Posted: 03 Dec 2012 09:36 PM PST
The law goes into effect following a required 30-day waiting period after Governor Paul LePage on Nov 29 certified the results from the Nov 6 election, a spokeswoman for the governor’s office, Adrienne Bennett, said yesterday. “The long wait for marriage for same-sex couples in Maine is almost over,” Betsy Smith, executive director of EqualityMaine, said in a joint statement with Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD). “Before the end of this year, all loving and committed couples in Maine will be able to stand before their friends, family and community and make a lasting vow to be there for one another,” Smith said. In last month’s historic vote approving same sex marriage, some 53 percent of those deciding the issue in Maine voted in favor of the new law, said the ACLU of Maine. Marriage equality advocates are still trying to determine what level of activity there will be on December 29, because Maine’s town halls won’t necessarily be open, since it is a Saturday.
“But we anticipate that some of the bigger municipalities will in fact open; we don’t have confirmation of that yet,” he said. While the law allows same-sex couples to marry, there are a number of questions remaining about implementing the law as well as potential action by the U.S. Supreme Court on federal marriage law, the statement from EqualityMaine and GLAD said. The Supreme Court on Monday remained silent about whether it will enter the legal fray over same-sex marriage and hear one of several pending appeals on the issue. The court’s nine justices met in private on Friday to consider whether to review challenges to the U.S. Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to married same-sex couples, and to California’s gay marriage ban, known as Proposition 8. Nine of the 50 states and Washington, D.C, have legalized gay marriage, while 31 states have passed constitutional amendments banning it.—Reuters    |
| China prepares to grow vegetables on Mars Posted: 03 Dec 2012 09:19 PM PST
Four kinds of vegetables were grown in an “ecological life support system”, a 300 cubic metre cabin which will allow astronauts to develop their own stocks of air, water and food while on space missions, Xinhua news agency said Monday. The system, which relies on plants and algae, is “expected to be used in extra-terrestrial bases on the moon or Mars”, the report said. Participants in the experiment could “harvest fresh vegetables for meals”, Xinhua quoted Deng Yibing, a researcher at Beijing’s Chinese Astronaut Research and Training Centre, as saying. “Chinese astronauts may get fresh vegetables and oxygen supplies by gardening in extra-terrestrial bases in the future,” the report said, adding that the experiment was the first of its kind in China. China has said it will land an exploratory craft on the moon for the first time next year, as part of an ambitious space programme that includes a long-term plan for a manned moon landing. The Asian superpower has been ramping up its manned space activities as the United States, long the leader in the field, has scaled back some of its programmes, such as retiring its iconic space shuttle fleet. In its last white paper on space, China said it was working towards landing a man on the moon — a feat so far only achieved by the United States, most recently in 1972 — although it did not give a time frame. China’s first astronaut Yang Liwei said last month that Chinese astronauts may start a branch of China’s ruling Communist Party in space, state media reported. “If we establish a party branch in space, it would also be the ‘highest’ of its kind in the world,” Xinhua quoted Yang as saying. The astronaut was launched into space and orbited the earth aboard the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft in 2003. -AFP    |
| Surendran gives cops the silent treatment Posted: 03 Dec 2012 09:18 PM PST
“I will give my statement in open court, not to the police,” he told reporters after a 30-minute meeting with officers at the Travers police station here. He went there with his lawyers, S Ambiga and Latheefa Koya. The protest, publicised as a "sit-in rally," is scheduled for Dec 12 and will be held outside the National Registration Department in Putrajaya. Police summoned Surendran to the Travers station as a follow-up on a report filed by Inspector George Nipa on Nov 24, the day the PKR leader delivered speeches during a protest march in Brickfields. The police report was made under Section 9 of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, which requires organisers of a peaceful assembly to notify police a month beforehand. Surendran's speeches were on the issue of citizenship documentation for Indians born in Malaysia. He told reporters that today's attempt to interrogate him was part of a bid to stop next week's sit-in. “It is an attempt to crack down on the 12.12.12 protest," he said. "A few thousand people are expected to turn up.This criminal investigation is improper, uncalled for and an abuse of power.” Latheefa said Surendran exercised his right to remain silent, provided for under Section 112 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code. Last Saturday, police questioned Kapar MP S Manikavasagam about the Brickfields march. Manikavasagam said five police officers went to his office to record his statement. “They questioned me for using the word 'celaka' (damn) during the march in Brickfields," he said. “They also stressed the need for a permit for the 12.12.12 rally." He alleged that police were trying to instil fear in activists planning to participate in next week's protest.    |
| Image of dead girl captured in S’pore Posted: 03 Dec 2012 09:17 PM PST
In its latest investigation, the team from Singapore Haunted returns to East Coast Park’s Yellow Tower for a special episode. Many years ago, a girl and her boyfriend went to the Yellow Tower late at night. A group of men then beat up the boyfriend and went on to rape the girl. The girl died during the incident. Apparently the ghost of the girl still haunts the tower till today. Last year, the team left powder on the stairs of the tower and captured amazing footprints believed to be from the same female ghost. The evidence was aired in an episode which went on to make headlines in Singapore. For their latest episode, Singapore Haunted Yellow Tower Revisited Special, the team decided to return to the Yellow Tower after receiving numerous emails from viewers who watched the episode of the investigation held there last year. Viewers claimed that the paranormal entity is still residing in the tower.
He says, "We’ve done this show for two seasons and we are about to do our third and we’ve encountered many different types of paranormal activity but the evidence we gathered at the Yellow Tower this time has to be the most compelling evidence that points to the existence of the paranormal." Highlights of the investigation include this incredible thermal image of a paranormal entity. Thermal imaging detects radiation in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum. This photo shows the thermal image of a ghostly figure on the second floor of the Yellow Tower. It was captured right after one of the investigators claimed to see a female ghost which appeared to him for a few seconds. (Video time code: 15:34) The team used various scientific equipment like night vision and thermal cameras, digital infrared thermometer, audio recorders and the K-II meter which is a form of Electromagnetic Field (EMF) detector. Paranormal investigators believe that paranormal entities emit EMF and it’s this EMF that can be detected by the K-II meter.
The first voice was recorded when the investigators ask the entity why didn’t she leave this place. A voice answered: "Home" (Video time code: 11:41). The second voice was recorded after the investigators asked how old she was when she died at the tower. The reply was: "Young" (Video time code: 13:26). Both EVPs were followed by intense EMF activity recorded by the K-II meter. The full investigation can be viewed online. For more info/questions/interview please email the producer, IZ Darson at izreloaded@gmail.com    |
| ‘We can’t live on cheap petrol forever’ Posted: 03 Dec 2012 09:12 PM PST
“We cannot live on cheap petrol forever. We can seek ways to transition into subsidy removal. In order to protect the average consumer, perhaps we can begin by applying an implicit subsidy cut on large engine capacity vehicle owners via a higher road tax. “That means for many of us in this room, myself included, we should pay higher road taxation to proxy subsidy removal for our bigger cars. At the appropriate times, the petrol subsidies themselves should gradually be removed. “I know it may be a small start to begin with, but the market needs to be conditioned for an outcome without social upheaval. This structural fix should ultimately give the government the much needed elbow room for its spending agenda,” he said in his keynote address at the MIER National Economic Outlook Conference here. He said Malaysia is at an economic crossroads of sorts, facing a list of challenges, whether internal or external, and all of which need to be addressed expediently. “We are no longer attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as freely as we did in the past. We are not investing enough to meet our aspirations. Private investment now makes up a smaller portion of Gross Domestic Product than was the case historically. “Although we continue to maintain a relatively high national savings rate, some of those savings have gone overseas. Malaysia has become a premature exporter of capital, a characteristic that is unbecoming of a growing, high potential economy. There is also this silent issue of capital flight, whether it is in the form of over-invoicing by corporates or personal wealth leakages. “On the domestic production front, we depend on a relatively narrow spectrum of growth drivers. The government’s revenue base is just as limited and on expenditures, we need to quickly address the issue of fuel subsidies. There is widening disparity between the haves and the have-nots, between the urban and the rural folk,” he added. Government on the right track Tengku Razaleigh said while the issues were serious, the government was taking constructive steps to address them. He said the present government was “very right” to admit that execution risks are large and considering the limited financial resources, the policy-maker’s prerogative is to make sure that the prescription is executed well. Speaking on the rural sector, he said presently about eight million Malaysians or 30 percent of the nation’s population lived in rural areas. “Yet it has not received as much focus as it should. The rural sector can become a powerful force in driving the nation’s economy. Think of it as a potential hedge against the vagaries of globally-linked growth. “Our government’s Rural Transformation Programme is a constructive step towards achieving this effective hedge. We should go even further because as it stands, our rural sector is exposed to the gyrations of globalisation thanks to the commodity cycle. “What the rural sector needs is a carefully-planned programme to deliver credit to the smallest of businesses. Our financial system needs to be more involved in supporting the rural businessman when experience in other countries shows that it works for both borrower and lender,” said the former Umno vice president who is also the Gua Musang member of parliament. He said another compelling tool to diversify Malaysia’s growth sources was housing. He said although the government’s PR1MA is largely designed to assist in development of affordable homes for the middle-income sandwich class, the focus should also be on low-cost homes, “(Low cost homes must be) built on a scale that is larger than what we’ve pursued in the past. Increasing home ownership among the lower income level groups via housing finance availability creates a favourable wealth effect as we’ve seen in public housing programmes in other countries. “As we all know, it also creates considerable knock-on effects on domestic demand. We should consider launching large low-cost housing schemes supported by the availability of finance. On sovereign wealth, he said there was an idea to set up an entity that separately, and professionally, manages proceeds from the country’s oil and gas endeavours. “Back then, the concept of a sovereign wealth fund never really existed. Had we pursued that idea then, we would have been one of the first countries in the world to have created a sovereign wealth fund. We might even have been wealthier as a nation considering the bull market in both bonds and equities for a good part of the past 30 years. “The idea of a sovereign wealth fund still appeals to me just as it did back in the 1980s. This sovereign wealth fund must be professionally managed and committed to performance, governance and transparency standards that would give the public greater confidence in the government's effort to save for our future generations. Touching on the manufacturing sector, the former finance minister said the country’s loss in manufacturing competitiveness “must somehow imply a potential gain in services jobs but there is one caveat.” “This caveat is education. Education is perhaps the single-most important factor to rehabilitate Malaysia's competitiveness in the longer run. Education is a key building block to making Malaysia a favourable investment destination. “Do you know that Malaysia has 21 public and 61 private tertiary institutions that confer degrees today? Are they producing the right graduates for our future?,” he questioned. Also read: Malaysia's economic freedom rank improves    |
| 23 lokasi sasaran kayuhan Jerit Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:54 PM PST
Kayuhan selama empat hari itu bermula pada 7 Disember ini jam 9.00 pagi, dari Pasar Besar Seremban dan bergerak ke Mantin, Pajam, dan Labu. Manakala hari kedua akan bermula di Pedas-Linggi dan akan berakhir di Pejabat Menteri Besar, Wisma Negeri di Seremban pada Isnin 10 Disember ini. Penyelaras Jerit Negeri Sembilan S Tinagaran berkata, sepanjang perjalanan di setiap hentian kumpulan berbasikal itu nanti akan bertemu dengan masyarakat yang mahu mengemukakan sebarang tuntutan kepada Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan. “Kami mensasarkan kawasan kampung dan estet yang menghadapi pelbagai masalah dan mengutip suara mereka melalui memorandum. “Pada masa yang sama kempen kesedaran turut disebarkan kepada mereka yang kurang pendedahan terhadap media baru supaya mereka tahu situasi yang sebenar. “Acara kemuncak segala tuntutan rakyat itu nanti akan diserahkan kepada Menteri Besar dan juga Ketua Pembangkang Negeri Sembilan Anthony Loke,” katanya dalam sidang media di Dewan Perhimpunan Cina Kuala Lumpur-Selangor di sini hari ini. Tuntutan tersebut meliputi tujuh tuntutan utama iaitu menuntut pilihan raya yang adil dan bersih, menghentikan pemusnahan alam sekitar, serta menamatkan penswastaan perkhidmatan awam seperti air, elektrik, kesihatan dan pendidikan. Selain itu, tuntutan supaya hak dan kebajikan pekerja dilindungi, hak untuk himpunan aman dan kebebasan bersuara serta memansuhkan undang-undang zalim akan turut dikemukakan. Sementara itu, penyelaras kempen M Sivaranjani berkata pihaknya mengalu-alukan sokongan orang ramai terutamanya anak muda yang berminat menyertai kempen berbasikal ini. “Orang ramai yang berminat untuk menyertainya boleh menghubungi pejabat Jerit di talian 0387370766,” katanya yang menjamin kempen tersebut akan berjalan dengan aman tanpa mahu menimbulkan sebarang masalah atau provokasi. Kempen ini turut mendapat sokongan kumpulan Bersih, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram), Pusat Pembangunan Kebudayaan (LLG), serta beberapa NGO lain termasuk Pakatan Rakyat.    |
| Tough times, Nobel prize money down Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:45 PM PST STOCKHOLM: The Nobel Foundation will cut more costs and try to boost returns from its investments after the global downturn forced it to reduce its prize money by 20 percent this year. The Nobel Foundation, one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, made waves earlier this year when it cut its prizes to 8 million crowns (US$1.2 million) after a decade of costs over-running its income from investments. “I expect that it will stay on this level now for quite a while,” Nobel Foundation Executive Director Lars Heikensten told Reuters in an interview on the eve of a week of ceremonies and banquets associated with the prize. “I don’t think we should take it up and down every year depending on circumstances,” said Heikensten, a former Swedish central bank chief, adding the prize could be frozen at its current nominal amount for several years. The drive to conserve capital has already meant renegotiating deals from suppliers such as airlines, restaurants and hotels ahead of this week’s ceremonies. Organisers have even cut the number of cars ferrying guests around Stockholm.
But in recent years it has faced tougher times. “It is not at all a crisis,” Heikensten said. “But we felt that we should do something about it.” The foundation has brought in outside advisers to help with investment decisions while looking to cut spending across the organization. “It’s a sort of restructuring process,” Heikensten said. “It has gone reasonably well. We will need to push back a little bit more next year as well I think, but we have come some ways.” Looking beyond cost cuts, the foundation is seeking to bolster investment returns that have averaged 1.5 to 2 percent over the past 10 years, roughly half as much as its spending in the same period. Last year the market value of the foundation’s invested capital fell 2.6 percent to 2.97 billion crowns (US$446 million) as a 9 percent drop in returns from its equities investments overshadowed better performance by its other assets. To stem the tide it has brought in well-known Swedish names as advisers such as Sven Nyman, co-founder of independent fund manager Rational Asset Management, and Kent Janer, a senior manager of the Nektar hedge fund. “It’s a good group,” Heikensten said. “Now the test is to make this group work.” The fund, which invests in both hedge funds and cheaper index funds, is also setting up benchmarks against which it can gauge its performance in comparison to similar institutions as well as different asset types. But boosting the foundation’s economy may also mean seeking out more sponsorships to increase revenues and ensure the Nobel brand becomes better known in Asian markets such as China. “I think there is great potential here, and these are good things. If it can encourage a lot of small kids in China to go into science that is really important,” Heikensten said. “We are certainly not going to take risks with the trade mark. At the same time one has to realize that always when you collaborate with someone you take a certain risk.”—Reuters    |
| ‘Stubborn’ MRT Corp to be hauled to court Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:40 PM PST
Pinggir Zaaba Residents Action Group claimed that they have been ignored by MRT Corp which is keen to expedite the construction of the railway system that runs through Klang Valley. "We have faith in the justice system. We believe the courts will give us a fair hearing and address our concerns in the suit which we will file soon," said a statement from the group. On Nov 20, about 20 residents from Pinggir Zaaba staged a protest outside their homes in protest against MRT Corp’s construction of rail tracks that cuts across their neighbourhood. They claimed that the tracks, some of which were being built just 14 metres away from their homes, is causing noise pollution and damage to their properties. The affected householders said that they have had meetings with MRT Corp and Syarikat Prasarana Bhd on the matter since early this year, but no proper solution was offered. The residents said that they had no choice but take legal action against the project as previous overtures to find an amicable solution with MRT Corp did not result in the desired solution. "We have lost faith in MRT Corp and we doubt it would take the necessary measures to address our concerns," the statement read. MRT Corp, a government linked company, was set up for the purpose of implementing Malaysia’s first integrated and sustainable mass rapid transit railway. Also read:
TTDI folk seek PM's help against MRT MRT Corp promises 'low noise' trains    |
| Dr Ling kemuka satu lagi representasi Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:37 PM PST
Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Datuk Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi di sini hari ini bahawa representasi yang dikemukakan pada 21 Nov itu berkaitan kewangan dan kos pembelian tanah. Beliau berkata pihaknya memerlukan masa untuk meneliti permohonan itu bagi mendapatkan pandangan pakar dan akauntan. Pada 9 Okt lalu, Dr Ling telah mengemukakan representasi berkaitan pertuduhan terhadapnya selepas bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad memberi keterangan. Hakim Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi menetapkan 21 Jan untuk menyambung perbicaraan dan pihak pendakwaan perlu memaklumkan kepada mahkamah mengenai perkembangan representasi sebelum perbicaraan bermula. Dr Ling didakwa menipu kerajaan Malaysia apabila tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan kadar faedah sebanyak 7.5 peratus setahun adalah kepada harga pembelian tanah pajakan negeri 7324 Lot 67894 yang berasaskan RM25 skp (sekaki persegi) iaitu RM1,088,456,000 sedangkan beliau tahu Jabatan Penilaian dan Perkhidmatan Harta (JPPH), dalam menentukan nilai kadar RM25 skp, telah mengambil kira kadar kupon/faedah. Dia juga didakwa atas dua pertuduhan pilihan (pindaan) iaitu menipu dan sengaja tidak mendedahkan kepada Jemaah Menteri fakta berkaitan kadar faedah sebanyak 7.5 peratus setahun adalah kadar faedah tambahan kepada harga pembelian tanah pajakan 7324 Lot 67894 berasaskan RM25 skp iaitu RM1,088,456,000. Dr Ling yang menjadi menteri pengangkutan selama 17 tahun mulai 1986, didakwa melakukan semua kesalahan itu di tingkat 4, Pejabat Perdana Menteri, Bangunan Perdana Putra, Putrajaya antara 25 Sept dan 6 Nov 2002. Beliau dipanggil membela diri pada 9 Mac lalu dan seramai empat saksi telah memberi keterangan termasuk dirinya sendiri dan Dr Mahathir. - Bernama    |
| Umno, MCA berebut kerusi Bandar Tun Razak Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:27 PM PST
Dua parti utama BN – Umno dan MCA – katanya, masing-masing mahu meletakkan calon di kawasan tersebut. Calon Umno yang dikatakan mahu bertanding ialah naib ketua bahagian, Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Alhasbhsee manakala calon MCA ialah naib presiden MCA, Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen; YK Chew; Tsen Bok dan senator Chu Lai Kang. "Kami buntu. MCA mahu bertanding, Umno pun mahu meletakkan calon. Penyokong berpecah, undi pun berpecah," beritahu timbalan pengerusi biro penerangan Umno Bandar Tun Razak,Hamzah Wahab. Parlimen Bandar Tun Razak dimenangi calon PKR Tan Sri Abdul Khalib Ibrahim setelah mengalahkan penyandang, Datuk Seri Tan Chai Ho pada pilihan raya 2008 dengan majoriti. Menteri Besar Selangor itu akan mempertahankan kerusi parlimen tersebut sebagaimana diumumkan Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Menurut Hamzah, Umno mahu meletakkan calon kerana Bandar Tun Razak merupakan kawasan majoriti pengundi Melayu. ‘Melayu lawan Melayu’ "Meletakkan calon Melayu mempunyai peluang yang lebih besar untuk menang kerana pengundi tidak mahu lagi calon MCA. “Mereka kata calon MCA rasis. “Biar calon Melayu dari Umno lawan calin Melayu dari PKR, jumlah pengundi Melayu ialah 52 peratus manakala bukan Melayu 48 peratus” tambah Hamzah. Hamzah menambah, jika BN berkeras mahu meletakkan calon MCA beliau bimbang akan ada kalangan pengundi Melayu yang melakukan sabotaj. Katanya, Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yang juga pegerusi BN Wilayah Persekutuan mesti bertindak segera menyelesaikan kemelut itu. Beliau berkata, jika tidak semakin sukar untuk BN menang di Bandar Tun Razak.    |
| Malaysia’s economic freedom rank improves Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:27 PM PST
According to The Economic Freedom of the World: 2012 Annual Report, produced by Canadian think tank Fraser Institute in partnership with 86 other institutes, higher economic freedom is linked to higher income per capita, increased economic growth and a higher level of income among the poorest. In this year’s report, Malaysia has improved in all the categories measured by the index: size of government; legal system and property rights; access to sound money; freedom to trade internationally; regulation of credit, labour and business. "Our improvement in the ranking shows that the government's economic agenda has successfully halted our ranking decline for the last few decades," said Wan Saiful Wan Jan, chief executive of Malaysian think tank the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS). "I believe the NEM (New Economic Model) and ETP (Economic Transformation Programme) has produced a positive impact on the level of our economic freedom, and this has helped us improve our position in the global ranking," he said in a statement. Wan Saiful explained that the Economic Freedom Index has a lag of two years, and the report that IDEAS released today measured Malaysia's performance in 2010 – just after Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had announced the NEM and ETP. "Therefore, based on our performance in the first year of the NEM and ETP as measured in this index, I believe we are on the right track. "I hope the government will remain committed to the liberalisation spirit of the NEM," said Wan Saiful. The results of the report could help boost support for Najib's administration in the coming general election, as it lends credence to his repeated claims that transformation is possible under the current Barisan Nasional government. In his opening speech during the Umno general assembly last Thursday, the premier had highlighted the economic reforms he had spear-headed since he took power, saying that this proved the rakyat need not change the government to experience change. Najib even took a jab at Pakatan Rakyat and the "forked tongue" opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, claiming that the latter would destroy the economy by running up debt and would turn Malaysia into an Asian version of Greece within three years. Flaws in the system But Wan Saiful said today that Najib's economic decisions also had its flaws, pointing to subsidies and the slew of cash handouts such as the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) scheme, which many detractors have accused as being "vote buying". The first BR1M scheme provided one-off cash handouts of RM 500 to households earning less than RM3,000 a month. A second round of handouts, for which the government has allocated RM3 billion, is expected to be disbursed starting Jan 15 under the name BR1M 2.0. Meanwhile, the Malaysian government continues to subsidise and control prices on many essential items such as palm oil, cooking oil, petrol, rice and sugar, although it has promised to cut subsidies gradually over a longer period of time. According to a World Bank report published this year, the total government expenditure on subsidies and other transfers in Malaysia was last reported at 41.72% in 2010. "The government must avoid the tendencies to offer populist handouts and subsidies as we come closer to the general elections because this will have a negative impact on our standing globally," said Wan Saiful today. According to the economic freedom report, Hong Kong has the highest level of economic freedom worldwide, with a score of 8.90 out of 10, compared to Malaysia's 6.96. (Malaysia is tied with Ghana.) At second place is neighbouring country Singapore (8.69), followed by New Zealand (8.36), Switzerland (8.24), and Australia and Canada tied in fifth place at 7.97. The rankings and scores of other large economies include: United States (18th), Japan (20th), Germany (31st), Korea (37th), France (47th), Italy (83rd), Mexico (91st), Russia (95th), Brazil (105th), China (107th), and India (111th). Also read: ‘We can’t live on cheap petrol forever’    |
| Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:25 PM PST
The general election is just around the corner. At every corner you turn and in every conversation you hear, the election is being talked about passionately. Regardless of whichever side of the political divide one stands on, the future of the nation is at stake, our fates as well as those of our children and their children hang in the balance. The Malaysian experiment in democracy had at its core the guiding principles of progress through 'check and balance', and mechanisms such as the 'separation of powers’ and two tiered parliamentary representation built in to ensure a progressive union of the rakyat. However instead of progress, the experiment has pushed our country further away from its goals. Three generations have passed; 12 general elections have come and gone; six prime ministers have helmed the bridge of the beautifully built but badly sailed ship of Malaysia; yet, there has only been one government, one ruling party, one business plan and one corrupt hole that those at the top keep digging at the expense of the rakyat. All this has been garnished by lies after deceptions, time and time again. I was recently lucky enough to spend two weeks in America, during the last frantic few weeks of campaigning for the recent US presidential election. Though I am no stranger to foreign politics – having been involved in British politics with the Liberal Democrats – being in New York two weeks before the acid test of Obama's new politics of Hope and Change, was nothing short of an eye opener. Fortunate enough to be present for three out of the four most important debates in the US legislative term; namely the vice presidential debate, the presidential town hall debate, and the presidential foreign policy debate, I never knew where my threshold for overdosing on politicking was, until now. Polls in the US On TV, analysts and spokespersons from both sides of the divide were interviewed on split screens around the clock and across time zones, whilst live debates and polls assessed every nuance, slip, or hidden meaning behind the speaker's words. Competition raged amongst the countless TV channels to deliver the most impressive visual presentations of the latest polling figures, not to mention opinion pieces on candidate's choice of words, narrative style, perceptive strategy, body language, and last and sometimes seemingly least, their stand on the various pressing issues and topics they stood for. Granted, the buzz surrounding the debate does tend to verge on the side of overkill. More often than not, both parties employ huge resources and go startling lengths to tear apart their opponent with minute details. But this façade (although it must be navigated with care) does not take away from the ultimate purpose: to inform and to get people talking about each candidate and what policies they stand for. My daily 15-minute queue for my Sumatran Macchiato in Starbucks saw students of all hues and accents discussing politics; teenagers whining about how uncool one candidate was compared to the other; and a group of high-powered well-dressed business women biting at one of the talking points. It was a big deal! Whether it was the substance that they cared about, or simply the presentation, they were certainly participating in the discussion. All that, can be said for every elections, in every democratic nation in the modern world. It's definitely applicable to our political reality in Malaysia. But one could be quite surprised to find that the above paragraph is a statement made by an American citizen of Mexican descent in his 20's named Miguel working as a barman in New York. And it's not Malaysia he's talking about. Ultimately, through extensive debates and the public dismantling of policy; each and every member of the public has the opportunity if he or she wishes to become part of the debate. Level playing field Regardless of the winner in the race, after the election, the electorate knows exactly what deal he or she signed up for, and will hold the president to account. Now, don't be mistaken for one minute that I'm saying Malaysia should have this ESPN'isation of politics; nor am I suggesting we have a presidential system as opposed to our own parliamentary system, and NO, neither am I building some elaborate ploy to bring about republicanism. What I am saying is that the USA is one evolutionary step closer to promises of democratic ideals as we know it. Not only do they have Congress, keeping a check on the Senate and vice versa; and the judiciary doing its part for justice; not only does the president have his executive powers; now the people have – through information technology and media – evolved into another significant branch of power; one more organically evolved mechanism of check and balance in the grand scheme of nation building. Americans are not living in a representative femocracy, but a truly participative democracy. Unlike here in Malaysia, both sides of the political divide have equal air time, equal opportunities, and an equally large platform to publicly air their own policies and debate their opponent's stand: something that our political elites palm off as 'not Malaysian culture'. Cutting a long story short, it is not up to the political elites to decide what is, or what is not, Malaysian culture, especially when it comes to the much anticipated prime ministerial debate. We know Umno/BN assume that their proposals need not be debated as their decisions are final: just look at the 2013 parliamentary budget debate. This attitude has evolved out of a process of enduring hegemony that has lulled the rakyat into complacency and assumption that they have no right to challenge the ruling party. This is not democracy. It is also not democracy when the government change rules that don't favour them by employing violence over and above debate: look back at the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis. Time to call for change In view of the above, I pose the following question: If the rakyat do not have the ability to debate, question, challenge or change the government's policies, do we live in an authoritative totalitarian state? I believe we do. I may have joined the chants of 'Four More Years' of the Democratic crowd when watching the US presidential foreign policy debate, you certainly won't hear me saying that here back home. Will we see the day, that prime ministerial candidates can go tooth and nails against each other on national TV, and slug it out for the people to see? Will we see the day that the people's views, concerns and questions, are aired live without censor? Forcing those in power and those who seek power to listen to the people when forming their policies? Will we see the day when policy is informed to the people and for the people's needs? Will we see the day that we bravely and freely, take significant and visible steps together as a people, to close the gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of our time? Will we see a successful 'formula' for the nation building experiment that is Malaysia? As the twenty-something politically aware New York barman Miguel said, 'the future of the nation is at stake, our fates as well as those of our children and their children hang in the balance'. Though he may not have been talking about Malaysia, his words could not have been more applicable. And, unlike in Malaysia, Miguel knows that he can influence the decision making process: every four years. We in Malaysia are definitely feeling the 'fierce urgency of now'. In light of the impending general election it is time to call for change. How? you may ask. I believe you know the answer. Howard Lee is Perak DAPSY secretary and election strategy director.    |
| Jangan beri kepercayaan kepada yang ‘desperate’ Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:23 PM PST
Perhimpunan Agung UMNO yang baru selesai pada 1 Disember 2012, mudah bagi kita untuk merumuskannya dan apa yang berlaku dalam perhimpunan itu sangat tepat dengan apa yang kita telah tahu selama ini. UMNO sungguh tertekan dan akan menghadapi pilihanraya yang paling getir dalam sejarah parti itu. Segala apa yang berlaku dalam perhimpunan itu merupakan satu manifestasi yang jelas tentang tekanan yang parti itu hadapi. Setakat ini UMNO telah melakukan banyak usaha untuk mendapatkan keyakinan rakyat dan salah satu dari perkara yang dilakukan ialah berbai'ah di depan Dr Mahathir Mohamad supaya ahli-ahli parti tidak melakukan sabotaj terhadap calon-calon BN. 'Initiative' yang dilakukan oleh Mahathir memanggil pemimpin-pemimpin Bahagian UMNO di seluruh negara untuk berjanji dan bersumpah tidak mensabotaj parti itu menunjukkan yang sabotaj-mensabotaj calon merupakan masalah yang terbesar dalam UMNO. Jika berbai'ah itu di jadikan sebagai salah satu usaha besar untuk bertahan, maka itu sekali gus membayangkan kepada kita UMNO sudah terlalu hampir kepada kekalahan. Jika isu sabotaj-mensabotaj itu tidak besar masakan tindakan bersumpah itu di jadikan usaha yang dilakukan oleh pemimpin besar yang pernah menjadi PM selama lebih dari dua dekad. Tindakan bekas PM ini memanggil pimpinan Bahagian untuk bersumpah itu juga mengiyakan apa yang di pandang oleh rakyat yang Mahathir merupakan orang yang paling takut jika UMNO itu jatuh. Sebab beliau merasa takut itu boleh lah tuan-tuan agak dan agakkan saudara-saudara itu tidak mungkin salah. Kenapa sampai bersumpah? Kalau parti itu (UMNO) kuat dan mendapat sokongan, apa yang perlu bersumpah-sumpah itu? UMNO sepatutnya memberikan kepercayaan kepada pemimpin-pemimpin mereka di peringkat Bahagian tetapi sebaliknya UMNO tidak yakin dan tidak mempercayai ahli -ahlinya sendiri. UMNO mempunyai masalah dalaman yang ketara. Orang ramai tidak tahu masalah ini asalnya, tetapi setelah berlakunya angkat sumpah di depan Mahathir itu sudah cukup untuk menyatakan dengan 'conclusive' UMNO dalam kesempitan. "Yang lebih lucunya kami terpaksa angkat sumpah dengan orang yang menjadi penyebab kepada perpecahan kami dalam UMNO ini. Nampak sangat Mahathir terlalu takut dengan masalah beliau jika UMNO tewas dan dia mahu kita jadi pelindung dia setiap masa. Kita di bawah ni hanya diperguna macam lembu saja," kata seorang AJK Bahagian yang saya kenali sebegitu lama. Lebih banyak bercakap lebih banyak kelemahan kita lihat dalam UMNO ini. Kata Najib dalam perhimpunan itu, "satu undi untuk DAP merupakan satu undi untuk tekanan terhadap orang Melayu". Kata perpatah 'bercakap di siang hari pandang-pandang, bercakap malam hari di dengar-dengar'. Najib tidak langsung nampak musuhnya di dalam BN sendiri yang bercakap bertentangan dengan kata-kata pemimpin tertingginya. Chua Soi Lek pula berkata “satu undi untuk DAP itu adalah satu undi untuk tekanan terhadap orang Cina". Apa maknanya semua ini? berteraskan elemen rasis yang merbahaya dan ingin melihat rakyat yang berbilang kaum ini untuk mengesyaki di antara satu dengan lain. Ini merupakan manifestasi yang UMNO sedang tersepit apabila Pakatan Rakyat mampu untuk mencari formula penyatuan kaum yang ampuh yang tidak mungkin boleh di capai oleh BN. UMNO memusuhi DAP seolah-olah kami dalam DAP ini seperti haiwan dan binatang liar. UMNO tidak mahu mengakui yang DAP lebih di yakini oleh sesiapa yang ikhklas mahu melihat kerjasama di antara kaum itu. Takutkan orang Melayu UMNO masih menakut-nakutkan orang Melayu dengan mangatakan jika PR memerintah maka DAP dan orang Cina akan berkuasa. DAP hanya akan meletakkan lima puluh calon di dalam PRU ini dan jika calon-calon parti ini menang kesemua kerusi sekali pun, orang-orang Cina tidak akan menguasai politik negara ini. Lagi pun, adalah diperkatakan yang di antara lima puluh calon-calon DAP itu berkemungkinan ada calon Melayu yang akan menunjukkan yang DAP bukannya parti rasis seperti UMNO dengan Melayunya dan MCA dengan chauvinis Cinanya. Sesungguhnya kemampuan DAP untuk lebih bertanggungjawab terhadap siasah yang realistik dan politik keamanan ini menjadikan BN khususnya UMNO begitu goyah dari hari ke hari kerana yang pasti MCA akan kehilangan undi Melayu dan UMNO juga bertambah kurang sokongan dari orang Melayu itu. UMNO sekarang ini sedang kehilangan sokongan dari orang Melayu kerana PAS telah menunjukkan kemantapannya untuk menarik sokongan Melayu Islam. Isu ini lebih membuatkan UMNO tidak tentu arah dan menyebabkan pucuk pimpinannya bercakap dengan nada yang tinggi dalam PAU baru-baru ini. Laungan dan jeritan pucuk pimpinan UMNO itu hanya melambangkan betapa runsingnya UMNO dalam menghadapi pilihanraya kali ini, yang merupakan ibu segala pilihanraya dalam sejarah kemerdekaan negara. Hanya saya ingin mengingatkan parti-parti dalam PR agar sentiasa bersyukur dengan perkembangan ini dan jangan sekali-kali bersikap takbur dan mendahului Tuhan. Sikap parti-parti dalam PR setakat ini baik dan diharapkan ia akan bertambah baik dari masa ke semasa. Perpaduan kaum Saya sendiri sangat berbesar hati yang PR tidak henti-henti berusaha untuk mencapai matlamat yang satu negara kita, iaitu perpaduan kaum atau yang di sebut selalu sebagai 'national unity' ini. Perjuangan ini merupakan perjuangan 'ultimate' rakyat. Rakyat sudah tidak mahu lagi diperguna oleh mana-mana pihak untuk memecahkan perpaduan di antara rakyat berbilang kaum semata-mata kerana sikap 'desperado' mereka dalam politik kepartian yang jumud dan merekahkan kesatuan yang sedang kita pupuk sekarang ini. Apa yang perlu sekarang hanyalah kesedaran rakyat yang orang Melayu khususnya tidak menolak perpaduan tetapi biarlah perpaduan itu berlaku di luar UMNO dan BN. Inilah perubahan yang sedang jelas berlaku di negara ini dan fenomena ini nampaknya akan membuahkan masyarakat yang berpadu walaupun di bawah naungan siasah yang berbeza. Rakyat wajar melakukan perbezaan ini. Kita sudah muak dan jemu dengan kata-kata yang memecah belahkan kita semua. Ingat! yang rugi hanya kita rakyat di bawah ini jika kita masih mahu berfikir cara yang dikehendakki oleh UMNO. Kita perlu menolak isu rasis terus-terusan dan ini akan menjamin keamanan negara yang kita cintai ini. Ingat betul-betul, memberikan kepercayaan kepada pihak yang ‘desperate’ amat merbahayakan negara pada masa yang akan datang. http://aspanalias.net.blogspot.com/    |
| Napoleon letter sold for RM 745,000 Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:18 PM PST
The code-written letter, signed “Nap” and dated Oct 20, 1812, sold for 187,500 euros (US$244,400) in all at a sale organized by Osenat auction house near Paris on Sunday. Initial estimates indicated it would fetch 10,000 to 15,000 euros. When the hammer came down, a telephone bidder for a Paris-based manuscript museum snapped it up for 150,000, or a final total of 187,500 euros when additional costs are included. Manuscript expert Alain Nicolas explained the significance of the letter. “It’s entirely coded and signed, normally they weren’t signed but this one was so important it was signed anyway,” he said. “We also have the transcription, and obviously that amazing first sentence: ‘I’m blowing up the Kremlin at three o’clock in the morning, which provoked a bidding war, an explosion of bids, and a record for an extraordinary letter written in Moscow,” he said. The missive was written at a difficult moment for Napoleon, towards the end of his 1812 Russian campaign, in which more than 300,000 French soldiers died. The battle outside Moscow in September is considered among the bloodiest day of action in the Napoleonic Wars, with at least 70,000 casualties. When Napoleon finally entered Moscow, he found the Russian Tsar had already evacuated and the city was in tatters. It was then he began the disastrous Great Retreat from Moscow, ordering the Duke of Treviso to destroy the Kremlin as he went. Others were disappointed not to get their hands on the letter. Franco-Russian Napoleon enthusiast Vladimir Hofmann went to the auction hoping to secure the letter for a museum based in St Petersburg. “It seems to me that this letter belongs to France but it belongs just as much to Russia. For Russians, Napoleon’s campaigns in general and all the 1812 campaign is a more important historical moment than it is for France,” he said.—Reuters    |
| Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:17 PM PST
To laugh or not to laugh – that is the predicament we all find ourselves in after reading what Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said at the Umno general assembly recently. Without even a tinge of embarrassment, she intoned that God is with Utusan and not with all those pesky news portals that have been the bane of the ruling party and presumably her family. Perhaps God came to her in a dream and told her He loves Utusan for showing the way to truth and justice. All the others have strayed and must burn in hell. Shahrizat is defending a paper noted for its "extreme racist rhetoric" and religious bigotry, while condemning the news portals for their "unfair coverage" of the ruling party. She blew kisses to Utusan for "championing religion, the nation, the country and the people", while implying that the new media is trying to ruin the country with its provocative headlines. This former minister, whose fall from grace was not mourned, is the last person to stand sentinel at the gates of heaven. The whole world knows the true colours of Utusan. It is a daily that publishes combustible stories that can spark race riots and religious conflicts. It champions the cause of the majority race and sees the other citizens as enemies who must be marginalised and crushed. It constantly plays with fire by stirring Malay sentiments against people of other faith. Its irrational and unethical behaviour goes unpunished simply because it is controlled by Shahrizat’s party. Umno calls all the shots and pulls all the editorial strings and Utusan dances wildly and unashamedly on the stage. Yet Shahrizat sees purity and sincerity in this propaganda mouthpiece for the ruling party. She salutes a fighter not of moral causes but an instigator of violence and hate. How can God side with such a creature let loose on the country with impunity? Shahrizat invokes His name in vain to lend credibility to an organisation that has lost all claim to honour and integrity. The All-Knowing One can certainly fathom the deceit and hypocrisy that oozes from a failed politician. Shahrizat, who suffered an ignominious defeat to a young challenger and who sneaked into Parliament through the back door, mourned the unjust attacks on the Barisan Nasional. The BN is made to look like a poor victim stoically enduring blows from the new media. Its only defender is Utusan, the darling of the rabid fanatics who are itching to burn all "infidels" at the stake and turn the country into a vast Malay heartland. But more often than not, the BN is a not victim of ill-treatment but a perpetrator of unscrupulous practices and the fountain of injustice. Scale of justice The BN juggernaut driven by Shahrizat and her ilk did not have an easy outing. Standing in their way are the news portals – the new media that dares to expose the dirt and excesses of public figures. With the entrance of the new players, a whole new ball game is born. In this wide field, the voice of the downtrodden is given ample space to rise and be heard. People now have more trust in the online media than in Utusan, which distorts the truth to serve the interests of the ruling class. Democracy is treated better in the news portals than in Utusan. Utusan keeps mum over the abuses of the BN but its referee, Shahrizat, cries foul when BN is vilified. She wants the news portals to be fair to BN like what Utusan does. Balderdash. Justice and fairness do not exist in BN’s lexicon or find pride of place in Utusan’s dictionary. The ruling coalition and its mouthpiece are forever colluding to clamp down on citizens seeking rights and fair treatment. In the midst of all this unhealthy development, the new media has come out on the side of the oppressed and suppressed. Where did Shahrizat get the idea that God is on the side of Utusan – only God knows. The alternative media will not go away. Its searchlight will continue to hover, circle and swoop down on all those who abuse public trust or misuse public office. The new voice is fighting for people and country. It is more fitting to salute the common citizens struggling for truth than those spinning lies, pouting threats, smearing God’s name. The members of the new media take great pride in using the country’s name in defence of democracy and human dignity whereas Utusan’s Malaysia is devoid of honour and is a crying shame on the country. If God must take sides, surely He knows better than Shahrizat in which direction to tilt the scale of justice. Also read: Shahrizat slams news portals, says God is with Utusan    |
| The increasingly bizarre tale of John McAfee Posted: 03 Dec 2012 08:02 PM PST
In a plotline worthy of a Hollywood thriller, the American anti-virus software pioneer went on the run from his Belize island home hours after his Florida expat neighbor Gregory Faull was murdered early on November 11. With 20-year-old girlfriend Sam in tow, McAfee has evaded capture for more than three weeks. He claimed on Monday that the fugitive pair have secured safe passage out of the country, although no one has a clue where they are. McAfee’s ramblings are laid bare for the public at whoismcafee.com, the blog he set up to counter the lies he says the media and the Belize government have perpetuated in the wake of his disappearance. On Saturday, a posting cited an unconfirmed report that the 67-year-old McAfee had been captured at the border of Belize and Mexico. But, as anyone accustomed with the blog would know, nothing should be taken at face value. On Monday morning, McAfee posted an update apologizing for the misdirection, saying he had conjured it up to mislead the Belizean authorities, who have declared him a “person of interest” in the case. “I am currently safe and in the company of two intrepid journalist(s) from Vice Magazine, and, of course, Sam. We are not in Belize, but not quite out of the woods yet,” his post said. “My ‘double’, carrying on a North Korean passport under my name, was in fact detained in Mexico for pre-planned misbehavior, but due to indifference on the part of authorities was evicted from the jail and was unable to serve his intended purpose in our exit plan,” it added. In the McAfee story, the truth is an enigma. Did he actually commit the crime? If he did, why leave such an elaborate e-trail? If he didn’t, why go on the run at all? McAfee was involved in a spat with the deceased but maintains his innocence and says he fears for his life if he gives himself up because the Belize authorities are corrupt and have it in for him. Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow has described McAfee as “bonkers,” saying he is only wanted for questioning, and urged him to give himself up. Police found no sign of the tech guru when they raided his property on the island of Ambergris Caye — a ring of white sandy beaches around a mangrove swamp off the northeastern Belizean coast — on the evening of the murder. McAfee said he didn’t immediately leave his home and was hiding neck-deep in the sand with his head obscured by a cardboard box. He later claimed to have donned a serious of elaborate disguises to keep an eye on the police investigation, including masquerading as a drunken German tourist complete with a Speedo and flamboyant Hawaiian shirt. McAfee has given interviews from hiding. Many were straight out of a John Le Carre novel, involving elaborate meetings with middlemen, telephone calls with different numbers and rendezvous at safe houses with secret passwords. In an interview with CNN on Friday, McAfee appeared red-eyed and scraggy, and said he was so fearful he carries up to a dozen disposable cell phones at a time. “I’m going to fight until something changes,” the fugitive said, declining to indicate how long he would remain in hiding but insisting he would get Sam somewhere safe before returning to Belize to clear his name. A successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur who cashed out to live the life of an adventure seeker, McAfee amassed huge wealth from the antivirus software that bears his name. He decamped to Belize in 2009 after losing an estimated $96 million of his $100 million fortune due to bad investments and the financial crisis. According to profiles in The New York Times and tech magazine Wired, his lifestyle became increasingly extreme as he descended into a drug-fuelled existence centered on young prostitutes. Jeff Wise, a science and adventure writer who has known McAfee for years, told Fox News that his increasingly odd behavior earlier this year had seen him become estranged from the US expatriate community in Belize. “Around the time his herbal drug plan collapsed, he started to get really heavily into this kind of synthetic, hallucinogenic hyper-aphrodisiac,” he said. “Everyone was scared of McAfee. He was walking around the beach carrying a gun.” Police raided McAfee’s home in April and he was briefly incarcerated after police found him living with a 17-year-old girl and discovered an arsenal of seven pump-action shotguns, one single-action shotgun, and two 9-mm pistols. Police say Faull, 52, was discovered by his housekeeper with a 9-mm slug in his head lying in a pool of his own blood. Prior to his murder, Faull had led neighbors in writing a letter to the mayor complaining that McAfee’s “vicious” dogs and aggressive security guards were scaring tourists and residents alike. McAfee shot dead four of his dogs before fleeing, claiming they had been poisoned, possibly by Faull. Police said the dogs were exhumed last week and ballistics experts are seeing if the slugs match up with the one found in Faull’s head. -AFP    |
| GE13 will be horror show for BN Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:53 PM PST
Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor claims BN expects to win more than the 140 federal seats it took in the 2008 general election. He is quoting “trusted” government sources. Pray tell: can we expect government sources to tell otherwise? And who are these “trusted” government sources who produce these intelligence report? Are they reports from Kemas, Jasa or maybe from minister Rais Yatim? If it is from Rais, then the numbers are understandable. Rais was never known to be good at numerics. Seriously, let’s look at the numbers. BN admits to the possibility of losing six seats in Sabah and seven seats in Sarawak. BN is saying it will win more than 140 seats. There are 222 seats in Parliament. If BN loses 13 seats in East Malaysia, Pakatan Rakyat will be getting 122 seats because in Peninsular Malaysia, the opposition coalition is set to win 109 seats. With PKR’s Ibrahim Menudin set to win in Labuan, Pakatan has 110 seats already. What Tengku Adnan dare not reveal is that BN can lose up to 12 seats in Sabah and up to 13 seats in Sarawak, making a total loss of 25 seats from the East Malaysian states. Don’t dream, BN The nightmare ahead is that BN will be reduced to a party with 87 seats. Let me tell you how. In the four northern states – Perlis, Penang, Kedah and Perak – Pakatan will win 56 seats to BN’s 14. In the west coast – Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor – Pakatan will win 35 to BN’s 26 seats. Pakatan expects to win nine seats in Johor this time around. Out of the 36 parliamentary seats in the east coast states – Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang – Pakatan can win 22 to BN’s 14. In the Federal Territories – Wilayah Persekuatuan Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan – Pakatan will win 11 against BN’s two. There you are, 110 seats for Pakatan, and we haven’t even talked about Sabah and Sarawak! The writer is a former Umno state assemblyman but has now joined DAP. He is a FMT columnist.    |
| NGOs to take up Sabah’s ‘lost’ cause Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:49 PM PST
According to the president of newly-founded UK-based Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia (BoPi MaFo), Daniel John Jambun, several NGOs and human rights activists are already in contact with the United Nation’s Commissioner for Human Rights (UNCHR) in Geneva over human rights issues in Sabah and Sarawak. “While in London recently, I was made to understand that Suaram is also making a representation to UNCHR in Geneva, Switzerland, on human right issues in Sabah and Sarawak,” he told FMT here. He however declined to name the other groups that he said are also making representations to the UN, adding that it should be known in due time. “This is a good development as we in Sabah and Sarawak have been subjected to discriminatory policies by the federation and state as far as issues of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, racial discrimination, access to public education and scholarship as wells as minority cultures are concerned,” he said. Jambun said BoPi MaFo also would engage the UNCHR as he himself had been in a group of Borneo’s activists in an earlier briefing on Borneo’s issues at the UN body’s headquarters in Geneva in April, 2011. Jambun, who is also State Reform Party (STAR) deputy chairman, Sabah chapter, said it was high time that focus be given to the “impossibly poor” of Sabah and Sarawak. He said that it is only natural that people would seek ways to search for solutions to perennial problems in the two states that had in 1963 agreed to join Malaya and Singapore to form a new Federation with guarantees on autonomy and freedom. He said that he himself is disturbed with many complaints and reports from Sabahans that they were fed up with the failure by the federal and state authorities to address the “perennial problems” faced by the people by declaring non-issues. “We would like competent bodies to look and really examine our conditions of guarantee in Sabah and Sarawak” and not be fed the same old lines that “everything is fine in Sabah or Malaysia,” he said. “Sabah and Sarawak combined is far bigger than the peninsula in terms of land mass, (has more) natural resources, economic and industrial potential, but look at these two states today… both are the poorest in Malaysia. Certainly there is a deep-rooted problem somewhere,” he said. Last year, Jambun presented a paper ‘Disenfranchisement of bona fide Sabahans’ at a briefing and dialogue in Geneva for UNCHR officials from various sections, including the human rights, the economic, social and cultural rights, the religious rights and the indigenous peoples and minorities sections. Jambun also presented the same paper at separate meetings of parliamentary select committees in The Hague, Holland, and Brussels in Belgium in April last year.    |
| Cargo ships can’t unload as strike enters 7th day Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:48 PM PST
With mounting economic losses estimated at several billion dollars, the strike marks the largest cargo traffic disruption at the twin Southern California harbour facilities since a 10-day lockout of longshoremen at several West Coast ports in 2002. Unlike the labour clash a decade ago, which took place in the fall, the latest dispute is unfolding after the busy pre-holiday shipping season, limiting the scope of its ripple effect. Major US retailers, including Target and Home Depot, said they have so far been largely unaffected by the strike because the bulk of their Christmastime inventory has already made it to store shelves. But the National Retail Federation has asked President Barack Obama to intervene, warning that a prolonged strike could have a "devastating impact on the US economy." The brunt of the latest dispute at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which together account for nearly 40 per cent of all US cargo container imports, has been borne mostly by dockworkers and truckers in the region. Terminal operators also worry about lost business as some cargo is diverted to competing ports. Striking port clerks remained at loggerheads yesterday with shippers and terminal owners over the future of union representation for clerical jobs after employees retire. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 has so far resisted calls for outside mediation. The 800-member clerical workers unit of the ILWU local walked off the job on Tuesday, with some 10,000 longshoremen and other union members refusing to cross picket lines, forcing a shutdown at 10 of the twin ports' 14 container terminals. Four other container terminals remained open, along with facilities for handling shipments of automobiles, liquid fuels and break-bulk cargo such as raw steel. The overall economic impact of the strike has been estimated to run at more than US$1 billion (RM3 billion) a day — including lost wages of dock workers, truckers and others idled by the walkout and the value of cargo rerouted by shippers. The strike has prompted at least 11 freighters to change course and take their cargo to ports in Northern California, Mexico and Panama, according to the non-profit Maritime Exchange of Southern California, which tracks shipping in the region. Another 11 ships were waiting at anchorages outside the Los Angeles-Long Beach complex, unable to discharge their cargo, said Dick McKenna, executive director of the Maritime Exchange. "Shippers are a conservative bunch. If there is no reliability at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, they'll go someplace else," said Steve Getzug, a spokesman for the Harbor Employers Association, representing shippers and terminal operators in the labor talks. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa sent a letter to negotiators for both sides yesterday urging them to bring in a mediator to help resolve the dispute and to stay at the bargaining table around the clock until an agreement is reached. The Harbour Trucking Association, representing 8,000 truck drivers, called yesterday for the Federal Maritime Commission to bring greater pressure to bear for a settlement. Marathon negotiations over the weekend, capped by another exchange of proposals, failed to produce a breakthrough. John Fageaux, head of the ILWU Local's clerical workers union, criticized management's negotiators for calling a break in the talks on Saturday night, saying, "We were prepared to bargain all night." Getzug, of the employers association, said they were "trying to move this thing along as quickly as possible," and that the companies would welcome a mediator. ILWU leaders are demanding that jobs traditionally performed by their members remain classified as union work and subject to the union's contract terms, even after employees holding them retire. The employers insist on reserving the right to fill only those jobs that need to be filled. Holiday season shipments unscathed The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together handled more than US$400 billion in goods arriving or leaving the West Coast by ship last year. The two ports directly or indirectly support roughly 1.2 million Southern California jobs — workers involved in moving freight to or from the shipping complex, experts say. A number of retailers told Reuters their holiday-season merchandise was already in the supply chain and that they were using other ports around the country as needed to divert incoming shipments. -Reuters    |
| APS to back pro-Pakatan candidates Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:40 PM PST
Throwing its opponents and detractors off guard, the pro-Pakatan Rakyat political platform headed by Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing will instead focus its strength on uniting Sabahans behind opposition candidates challenging the Barisan Nasional’s hold on power. The group sees it as its best chance to be able to effectively bring about a change of government in the 13th general election. “We in APS are committed to support any candidates that will be fielded by any of political parties in PR (Pakatan) in the coming election,” Bumburing told a gathering on Sunday that he used to celebrate his 61st birthday. The former deputy president of United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) urged APS members, supporters and sympathisers to reaffirm their commitment towards achieving their goal which was changing the government. “APS’ commitment is to align ourselves with the political parties that make up Pakatan Rakyat as well as work alongside other non-governmental organisations that are also aligned with the other organisations in Pakatan,” he said. Bumburing said the grouping had formed a pro-tem supreme council and each of its members had been allocated specific duties to streamline and coordinate its activities. The supreme council is made up of a mix of well-known politicians and Sabah activists. Former Tuaran MP Kalakau Untol, a former federal deputy minister, is chief organising secretary while deputy president is former Upko vice-president ex-senator Maijol Mahap. The vice-presidents are businessman Dr Richard Gunting, ex-assemblyman Laimun Laikim and retired senior government officer Hernman Tionsoh. Native rights Youth leader is Denis Gimpah of Tamparuli while Pertus Francis Guriting of Tambunan is the secretary-general. Guriting is being assisted by Benson Inggam of Kuamut. Brendan Mojilip is treasurer-general assisted by James Miki of Beluran. Lesaya Lopog Serudim from Kiulu is information chief while assistant is Patrick Sadom of Sipitang. Retired senior government servant Alex Kando from Inanam is APS liaison chief. The post of women’s wing chief is still vacant. Bumburing also announced the appointment of 13 other supreme council members. They are former senator and ex-Kuala Penyu assemblyman John Ghani, ex-Tuaran MP Monggoh Orow, Mail Balinu, Itoh Manggonb, Biou Suyan, Ismail Banaran,Stephen Michael, Liberty Lopog, Maruddin Suabon, Paul Kadau, Edwin Ambu, Maurice Awit and herman Mianus. Touching on his 61st birthday, he said since it was a special day for him he wished to renew his pledge after resigning from the government ruling party on July 29 “to champion the welfare of the people of Sabah, especially the native.” The former deputy chief minister said APS would fight for the rights of the natives in land ownership under the native customary right (NCR). He said it was sad to note that the native of Sabah had been deprived of ownership of land on which they had been toiling for generations.    |
| Tips for holiday tipping and gifts Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:37 PM PST
One of the most appreciated expressions of gratitude to those who support and assist you in your life all year long is the holiday tip. Whether it’s your doorman, a favorite server at a restaurant, or the person who shovels or plows your drive so you can get to work every day, a holiday tip is the perfect way to say thank you. Given in the form of cash or a gift card, the amount of your tip should be based on several factors including: The quality of the service received. The length and nature of your relationship with the individual. The value you place on the service (think nanny versus newspaper boy) The following is meant to guide you in determining who to tip and how much.
* Superintendent/Custodian: Assuming they have been responsive to your cries for help during the year a tip of US$30 – $100 is considered appropriate. If you relied heavily on them, you may want to aim for the US$100 mark. * Newspaper Carrier – If your paper was consistently delivered to your door and not the neighbours and wrapped when it was raining, a tip of US$20-$50 is appropriate. * Mail Carrier — Since government employees are not allowed to accept cash, consider giving a gift card to a local store or restaurant in an amount up to US$20.
* Parking Attendant – If you are happy to entrust your car to this individual (or individuals) on a daily basis, a tip of US$10-$40 each is appropriate. * Housekeeper – This is one area you don’t want to mess up! You have a special relationship with a service provider who cleans your home or office. Gift bags and gift cards are always nice but if you know your housekeeper can use the money, the standard is tipping what you pay per visit. * Gardener – If you have a lawn service team that tends your property on a regular basis you can write their company a letter of appreciation (especially if you do not know their names). If you have a personal gardener, a monetary gift is appropriate and can range from US$20 to $100 depending on what you pay weekly or monthly. * Waiters – The regular 15-20% of the check is always expected for good service. If you have a waiter you see regularly at a favourite restaurant or when entertaining clients, an additional holiday tip of US$20 to $50 is always appreciated.
And remember, if you’re not in a position to tip everyone on your list, a simple but sincere thank you note is always appreciated. If you’re comfortable, note that the lack of an enclosure speaks to your current circumstances and not a lack of satisfaction with the service. You can always extend a tip later when your situation turns around. (Pamela Eyring is the president of The Protocol School of Washington (PSOW), which provides professional business etiquette and international protocol training. Founded in 1988, PSOW is the only school of its kind in the US to become accredited. Any opinions expressed are her own. PSOW’s website is: www.psow.edu.)—Reuters    |
| Najib, jawab 10 soalan sebelum PRU13 Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:35 PM PST SURAT FMT: Dari Lee Khai Loon, melalui e-mel Saya mendesak Perdana Menteri Najib Tun Razak untuk menjawab segera 10 soalan penting sebelum PRU13 diadakan. Sebenarnya Najib telah menjadi Perdana Menteri yang sarat dengan paling banyak skandal dalam sejarah Malaysia serta ada keperluan untuk beliau tampil ke depan dan bersihkan nama. AMK (Angkatan Muda Keadilan) berpendapat kegagalan Perhimpunan Agung Umno dalam mengemukakan sebarang pandangan dan halatuju negara dalam mencapai perubahan yang baik kepada rakyat. PM Najib langsung tidak menyentuh tentang isu rasuah dan penyelewengan dalam Umno, tetapi memilih untuk serang dan mengaibkan Pakatan Rakyat. Perbuatan Najib bukan sekadar menunjukkan bahawa Umno telah hilang keyakinan untuk menang dalam PRU13. Sekiranya beliau ada keikhlasan untuk mengakui kesalahan yang dibuat oleh Umno-BN sejak dulu, maka 10 soalan yang dikemukakan oleh AMK perlu dijawab dengan serius agar rakyat dalam menilai dengan informasi yang mencukupi dan gambar yang sebenar. Soalan 1: Sekiranya Najib menyatakan bahawa Malaysia adalah sebuah negara yang paling demokratik di dunia, kenapa sampai hari ini masih enggan untuk berdebat dengan Ketua Pembangkang Anwar Ibrahim? Bukankah berdebat adalah sebahagian penting dalam sistem demokrasi? Soalan 2: Sebagai seorang pemimpin negara yang bertanggungjawab serta hormat pada kuasa rakyat, bagaimanakah Najib menangani kekalahan yang bakal dihadapi oleh Umno-BN dalam PRU13? Bagaimanakah beliau memastikan peralihan kuasa secara aman kepada Pakatan Rakyat? Soalan 3: Jikalau Najib ingin mengambil martabat wanita, kenapa memecah rekod Malaysia dengan menjadi lelaki pertama yang merangkap Menteri Wanita? Adakah Umno-BN ketandusan pimpinan wanita yang berkebolehan dan kredible. Soalan 4: Dalam konteks mencari kebenaran serta urus tadbir yang baik, kenapa kerajaan Umno-BN menghalang peguam Perancis untuk masuk ke Malaysia untuk memberi taklimat tentang perkembangan terkini perbicaraan skandal pembelian kapal selam Scorpene? Kenapa memperalatkan Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM) ke atas Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) yang membawa kes skandal Scorpene tersebut ke Mahkamah di Perancis? Soalan 5: Apakah pandangan Najib terhadap skandal RM40 juta Ketua Menteri Sabah Musa Aman yang merupakan komisen pembalakan serta sumbangan politik? Adakah kerajaan Umno-BN akan menubuhkan Suruhanjaya Diraja untuk membuat siasatan ke atas kes rasuah dan konflik kepentingan? Soalan 6: Kenapa Najib masih mengambil sikap bisu ke atas pelbagai dakwaan serius yang dibuat oleh ahli perniagaan Deepak Jaikishan khasnya dalam projek Kementerian Pertahanan yang berjumlah RM100 juta pada tahun 2005 berkait rapat dengan keluarga Najib? Adakah kerajaan Umno-BN cuba untuk melindungi kebenaran daripada diketahui oleh rakyat? Soalan 7: Bekas Ketua Polis Musa Hassan telah menuduh Menteri Dalam Negeri Hishammuddin Hussein Onn yang campur tangan dalam pentadbiran PDRM, bagaimanakah Najib menangani isu profesionalisme dan kewibawaan polis yang dimanipulasi oleh parti Umno-BN? Soalan 8: Kenapa kerajaan Umno-BN berdegil untuk membenarkan loji nadir bumi Lynas untuk beroperasi di Malaysia walaupun ditentang kuat oleh rakyat? Adakah menarik pelaburan asing lebih penting daripada kesihatan rakyat? Rakyat didahului yang diwar-warkan dalam slogan 1 Malaysia hanya slogan kosong yang tidak bermakna langsung? Soalan 9: Kenapa penstrukturan semula subsidi sering kali dikenakan ke atas barang keperluan rakyat tetapi langsung tidak mengkaji semula perjanjian Pengeluar Tenaga Bebas (IPP) yang jelas berat sebelah? Adakah Najib lebih suka membuat public relation exercise tetapi enggan mengakui menangani masalah pokok kenaikan harga barang? Soalan 10: Walaupun pembubaran Dewan Rakyat terletak pada tangan Perdana Menteri, adakah Najib akan mencontohi Menteri Besar Selangor Khalid Ibrahim yang telah mengumumkan bahawa Dewan Negeri Selangor akan dibubar pada bulan Mac 2013? Kenapa Najib masih bersenang hati dengan rakyat sentiasa meneka tarikh PRU13? Kenapa tidak menetapkan tarikh dengan lebih awal? Oleh itu, AMK mendesak Najib untuk menjawab kesemua 10 soalan tersebut dengan ikhlas. Jangan lari daripada permintaan rakyat serta menjalankan reformasi tulen termasuk perang rasuah serta melaksanakan urus tadbir yang telus dan baik sebelum PRU13. Penulis ialah Ketua Penerangan Angkatan Muda Keadilan Malaysia    |
| Genneva’s liabilities exceed its assets by 10 times Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:25 PM PST
Gold-trading investment company Genneva Sdn Bhd, which is under investigations for malpractice and other trading violations, had liabilities that exceeded its assets by 10 times, said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). BNM said it has already uncovered "considerable losses" experienced by the company in 2012. The central bank released a joint update yesterday on investigations that it is conducting along with the police, the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism and the Companies Commission of Malaysia. It said that based on documentation seized from the company, more than 8,000 customers who have already collectively paid for 4,000kg of gold have not received their order. Genneva also owes RM80 million to customers who have surrendered their gold to the company but have not received their cash. According to BNM, the company’s method was to sell gold to customers at 20% to 25% higher than the market price but in return, promising customers a guaranteed return of 2% to 3%. The central bank said this practice is not sustainable and the company’s cash-flow was sustained from money collected from new customers. In November, Deputy Finance Minister Awang Adek said Genneva could have raised as much as RM10 billion from 35,000 investors and that authorities have so far recovered RM4 billion in cash and bank accounts from investigations. Genneva was just one of several companies conducting such trading that are being investigated. Among the other companies that were raided by BNM in October include Pageantry Gold Bhd, Caesar Gold Sdn Bhd and Worldwide Far East Bhd, which were all gold-based trading companies. Customers have inundated the authorities with appeals to release some RM99.8 million of funds and 126kg of gold that were secured as evidence against the suspected parties. BNM said the monies and gold were required as part of its investigations and will only be dealt with at the direction of the courts. This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve    |
| ‘King Khan’ casts spell on Moroccans Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:13 PM PST  MARRAKESH (Morocco): Bollywood “demigod and prince charming” Shah Rukh Khan whipped thousands of Moroccans into a frenzy at the Marrakesh film festival when he danced to the tunes of movie songs at the Jamaa El Fna square.Khan, 47, popularly known as “King Khan”, was cheered at the square — a mecca of tourism in Morocco — where a giant screen was installed to show a preview of his latest Hindi movie, “Jab Tak Hain Jaan” (Till My Last Breath). In its 12th edition, the festival which runs until Dec 8 in this ochre city, is presenting a “special tribute” to Indian cinema as it celebrates its centenary. “I am pleased to present the star, the icon, the demigod of Indian cinema, Shah Rukh Khan,” said an organiser as the arrival of the star sparked a roar from young fans, who braved gloomy and cold weather to catch a glimpse of him. Khan, who acted in some 80 films, was specially invited for the festival in Morocco, where Bollywood films rank alongside Egyptian movies in popularity.
Later festival organisers screened a preview of “Jab Tak Hain Jaan,” directed by legendary Bollywood filmmaker Yash Chopra who died in October in Mumbai, the home of India’s Hindi-language movie industry, after more than five decades of movie career. Khan had acted in several box-office hit movies produced and directed by Chopra such as “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge” (Bravehearts Will Take The Bride Away), “Dil To Paagal Hai” (Heart Is Crazy) and “Daar” (Fear). He has also taken lead roles in other blockbusters such as “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” (Something Is Happening) and “Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham” (Sometimes Joy, Sometimes Sorrow) directed by another popular Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar. “This is the first time I am seeing Shah Rukh Khan. This is a dream. He was two feet away from me. He is so simple and modest,” Khadija Ariba, a young student, told AFP. “I know all his films. They talk of love, injustice, humanity… things that we speak of. He is the prince of most girls.” For many fans it was an “unforgettable” experience at Jamaa El Fna.
Ranked in 2001 as part of the World Heritage List by UNESCO, Jamaa El Fna — site of the April 28, 2011 bombing that killed 17 people — was teeming with joyful fans — mostly students and employees — who cheered Khan. “I left my workplace at 5 pm to see Shah Rukh Khan from close, but once here the place was already packed with people,” said Ahmed, 32, a carpenter. “What I like most are his songs. And I have a friend, who speaks very good Hindi which he learned by watching his movies,” he said as he straddled his motorcycle. Fifteen films are in the race for the top prize at the festival, including “Touch of the Light” by Taiwanese Chang Jung-Chi, “The Attack” by French-Lebanese Ziad Doueiri and “Like a Lion” by Samuel Collardey of France. The festival’s jury comprises of Canadian Marie-Josee Croze, American James Gray, Moroccan Jillali Ferhati and French Lambert Wilson. On Friday the festival kicked off with a special ovation for French actress Isabelle Huppert.—AFP    |
| England to face Australia, Wales in 2015 World Cup Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:07 PM PST
Holders New Zealand, who have never lost a pool game in the tournament, got a favourable draw as they will face Argentina, Tonga and two qualifiers. Twice winners South Africa were paired alongside Samoa for the fourth consecutive World Cup and Scotland, while fourth seeds France, who leapfrogged England in the rankings to snatch the last top-tier seed, were rewarded with games against Ireland and Italy. Tournament officials said the draw was made three years ahead of the event to ease planning and logistics and they now know to organise sizeable venues for the eye-catching Pool A clashes. England’s November defeats by Australia and South Africa sent them into the second tier of seeds while Wales’s precipitous decline since their Six Nations grand slam dropped them to the third tier a little over a year after they reached the World Cup semi-finals. So they now face the toughest group, alongside twice champions Australia, along with “Oceania 1″, possibly Fiji, and the winners of a final playoff. While the importance of topping a pool can be debated, the fact remains that no team has lost a World Cup match and gone on to win the trophy. “It is definitely a pretty tough pool,” England coach Stuart Lancaster said. “We might have to change our warm-up games,” he added, after England had played Wales in warm-ups before previous World Cups. “Australia have just beaten us and if you look at the age and profile of their squad, they have got some young lads as well. We will look forward to it.” Australia captain David Pocock said of the rivalry with the host nation: “It runs deep. To play them in the pool there will be a lot of hype around that game and it’s one you look forward to as a player.” One crumb of comfort for the teams in Pool A is that should they top it they would not play world champions New Zealand, who England hammered 38-21 at Twickenham on Saturday having lost the previous nine meetings, until the semi-finals at the earliest. Wales have also lost their last nine games against Australia but coach Warren Gatland put a positive spin on the draw. “We put ourselves in this position and our experience of 2011 is that if you come out of a tough group it sets you up for the quarter and semi-finals,” said Gatland, whose side lost to South Africa but beat Fiji and Samoa before overcoming Ireland in the quarter-finals. “The tougher the group the better. If you look at New Zealand often they don’t get tested enough in the pool stage, Teams sometimes field a second side against them. And then they often come undone.” If New Zealand win their pool, as they have in every previous tournament, they face the runners-up of Pool D, likely to be France, Ireland or Italy. Pool C runners-up, probably Argentina or Tonga, will play the Pool D winners. But All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, whose 20-game unbeaten run ended on Saturday, was taking nothing for granted. “If you don’t respect somebody you are going to get your rear end spanked. No-one has a God-given right to get through the quarter-finals.” France have been pooled with one of the southern “big three” only once in eight World Cups and coach Philippe Saint-Andre was happy with his European group. “We’re not in the pool of death,” he said. The World Cup will get underway on September 18, 2015, with the final to be held at Twickenham on October 31. -Reuters    |
| Ba double leads Newcastle to victory over 10-man Wigan Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:06 PM PST
The Senegal striker’s double blast took his tally to 10 league goals this season, putting him level with joint top scorers Robin van Persie of Manchester United, Luis Suarez of Liverpool and Swansea City’s Michu. Ba put Newcastle in front with a crisply-struck penalty into the bottom corner of the net after Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa was sent off for bringing down Papiss Cisse just inside the box in the 12th minute. The home team made it 2-0 nine minutes later when Ba pounced on the rebound to score from close range after goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi could only parry a fierce 25-metre drive from full back Davide Santon. Substitute Gael Bigirimana added a third goal, his first for the club, in the 71st minute when the Zimbabwean beat Al Habsi with a curling left-foot shot from 20 metres. “It’s been a difficult time for the players and staff because we’ve had so many injuries,” Newcastle manager Alan Pardew told Sky Sports. “It was nice to get an early break tonight. I’m not a lover of that rule,” he said referring to the option referees have of sending a player off for stopping a goal-scoring opportunity, “but I did think it was a penalty”. Newcastle stayed 14th in the table with 17 points from 15 games, three points ahead of Wigan who are fifth from bottom. “It became very difficult for us after 21 minutes, 2-0 down and only 10 men on the pitch,” said Wigan manager Roberto Martinez. “The sending-off was a big decision. For me the ball was between the two players and Figueroa should have been allowed to make a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge. “To me the intention was to go for the ball. I thought it was too much of a punishment and it was harsh,” added Spaniard Martinez. At the other end of the table, Manchester United stretched their lead to three points with a 4-3 victory at Reading on Saturday and second-placed Manchester City were held to a 1-1 home draw by Everton. -Reuters    |
| Vatican unveils Pope’s Twitter handle Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:00 PM PST
Benedict already has 1.2 billion “followers” in the standard sense of the word but next week he will have another type when he enters what for any 85-year old is the brave new world of Twitter. The Vatican said yesterday that the pope will start tweeting on Dec 12. “The handle is a good one. It means ‘pope’ and it also means ‘bridge builder’,” said Greg Burke, senior media advisor to the Vatican. Among the other handles that Vatican officials had reportedly considered was @BenedictusPPXVI, but they opted for something that was linked to the office of the papacy. But don’t expect tweets about how the pope is feeling or which soccer team he is praying to win a derby. The papal tweets will be spiritual, Burke told a news conference, and the pope will tweet when and how often he wants. And, even though Benedict is not the kind of person who walks around with a Blackberry or iPad, Burke said “all the pope’s tweets are the pope’s words. Nobody is going to be putting words into his mouth.” The first papal tweets will be answers to questions sent to #askpontifex. The tweets will be going out in Spanish, English, Italian, Portuguese, German, Polish, Arabic and French. Other languages will be added in the future. Primarily the tweets will come from the contents of his weekly general audience, Sunday blessings and homilies on major Church holidays. They will also include reaction to major world events, such as natural disasters. Benedict will be pushing the button on his first tweet himself on December 12 but in the future most will be written by aides and he will sign off on them. But while the pope will be one of the world’s most high-profile tweeters and have many followers, he will not be following anyone himself. “This is the new market of ideas and the Church has to be there. We want to use any method to spread the message. It’s cost-effective and not very labor intensive and it is aimed at young people,” Burke said. Pellets of wisdom
“Reducing the pope’s message to 140 characters is definitely a challenge but we have seen that a profound thought can also be expressed in a brief Biblical passage,” Celli said. “We can see this as sparks of truth or pellets of wisdom”. And are there any fears that it could create problems with a type of social media that generates so much discussion? “I think the risk would be not to go there because you are afraid of going there. Then you would leave vacant a space that is important to spread the pope’s teachings,” said Monsignor Paul Tighe of the Vatican’s communications commission. The pope’s Twitter page is designed in yellow and white – the colors of the Vatican, with a backdrop of the Vatican and his picture. It may change during different liturgical seasons of the year and when the pope is away from the Vatican on trips. The pope, who still writes his speeches and books by hand, has given a qualified blessing to social networking. In a document issued last year, he said the possibilities of new media and social networks offered “a great opportunity”, but warned of the risks of depersonalization, alienation, self-indulgence, and the dangers of having more virtual friends than real ones. In 2009, a new Vatican website, www.pope2you.net, went live, offering an application called “The pope meets you on Facebook”, and another allowing the faithful to see the pontiff’s speeches and messages on their iPhones or iPods. The Vatican famously got egg on its face in 2009 when it was forced to admit that, if it had surfed the web more, it might have known that a traditionalist bishop whose excommunication was lifted had for years been a Holocaust denier.—AFP    |
| China’s dot-com darlings tap cheap global credit Posted: 03 Dec 2012 06:55 PM PST
China’s three dominant dot-com names – Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent Holdings Ltd – have successfully tapped global funding this year, stockpiling a combined $6 billion in debt despite investor skepticism about opaque Chinese companies. The big three plan to use the money to pad their industry advantage at home, to compete better abroad, and perhaps to buy cash-starved rivals. Ultra-low interest rates on U.S. government bonds, the benchmark against which most debt is measured, have driven down borrowing costs around the world. That has been a boon to corporate borrowers who are finding plenty of yield-hungry investors willing to extend long-term credit. “The mature guys, Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, these guys need to fund new growth. They are incredibly dominant in China, so they need to expand into international markets and create new products,” said Sean O’Rourke, an analyst at Shanghai-based Redtech Advisors. O’Rourke said the money that Baidu raised in November – a total of $1.5 billion in 5- and 10-year bonds – would be more than enough to buy some of its smaller rivals, and said there were “dozens” of potential takeover targets. While Baidu said it intends to use this tranche of funds for cross-border acquisitions, it could potentially spend it on buying domestic competitors that have listed abroad. Baidu’s bond sale was notable both for its size and its reception in the market, which has been skeptical of U.S.-listed Chinese companies after a rash of accounting scandals. The hurdle was especially high for Baidu because it lacks the physical assets bond investors prefer, and it was seeking a 10-year term, which is a lifetime for a technology firm. Yet it managed to sell the debt at a yield of 3.518 percent, just 185 basis points over the risk-free rate that is normally associated with U.S. Treasury bonds. Google sold 10-year bonds in May 2011 with a yield of 3.734 percent. Treasury yields have fallen since then, so if Google were to tap the market now it might obtain a lower rate. The bond market embrace comes at a good time for technology companies because corporate the governance scandals have all but shut down another popular funding avenue – listing of shares on U.S. exchanges. Just two Chinese technology companies have successfully launched U.S. initial public offerings this year, including newly listed YY Inc. That’s down from 15 in 2011 and way off the 41 issues in 2010. These IPOs have raised only $153 million this year, compared with $2.17 billion last year and $4.01 billion in 2010, Thomson Reuters data shows. By contrast, Tencent and Baidu raised $2.1 billion via bond issues this year, while Alibaba has raised a massive $4 billion in loans. “It’s a lot faster and simpler to raise bonds – raising equity would result in share dilution and takes a longer time,” said Thomas Chong, Internet analyst with BOCI Research in Hong Kong. Chong said the companies were keen to borrow even though their balance sheets are loaded with cash because they need U.S. dollars but their revenue is primarily in yuan. Tencent is expected to nearly double its free cash flow in the current year to 18.3 billion yuan ($2.94 billion), according to Nomura. Baidu’s free cash flow this year is estimated to hit 8.0 billion yuan, Credit Suisse said in a report. China’s tax laws provide another incentive to borrow in the international credit markets. If Chinese companies use domestic cash to repay foreign borrowing, they would have to pay a remittance tax of as much as 10 percent, said Catherine Chan, head of investor relations at Tencent. “Raising offshore capital to repay offshore loans through bonds issues will help optimize our tax obligation while allowing us to take advantage of the higher deposit rates in China by parking cash generated from our operations onshore,” she said. Size matters Credit investors and analysts doubt that the positive reception afforded to China’s tech giants will trickle down to smaller players whose prospects may be less certain. That means debt markets won’t replace IPOs. Many Chinese Internet companies could use cheap bond funding right now, especially those in gaming and e-commerce. But the lesser known firms are eyed suspiciously because they lack solid assets and their cash flows are unpredictable. “It will take some time to educate the bond market about Internet companies, given we are usually asset-light and have a shorter track record than traditional brick-and-mortar industries,” said Tencent’s Chan. Even for established names, market perceptions can change rapidly: Yahoo lost 80 percent of its market capitalization since its Internet peak in 1999 while Google’s stock has risen more than six-fold since its stock market debut in 2004. “If you look at the rapid rate of changes in technology and consumer behavior, I would be concerned about holding debt in the longer term. You could, for instance, have some new platforms or delivery medium emerging and taking over from these sites,” said Tim Jagger, Singapore-based portfolio manager at Aviva Investors. -Reuters    |
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