LONE

Friday, December 31, 2004

Donate to the Tsunami Relief Funds

Numerous funds have been set up to handle donation to help tsunami survivors and their families. Though donation in kind are welcomed, according to aid organisations, money is the best form of donation. Donation in kind like food and clothings need to be transported to the affected countries and these will encounter the difficulties of packaging and transportation. Those who want to donate/contribute to the Tsunami Relief Funds, some of them are as follows ::

Star/Maybank joint fund for tsunami victims

The public can send their cheques to our headquarters at Menara Star, 15, Jalan 16/11, Section 16, 46350 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia or to our Penang office at The Star, 202, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang.

Cheques can be made out to:

Tabung Bantuan Bencana Negara, and mark "Untuk Mangsa Tsunami" on the back of the cheque;

Malaysian Red Crescent Society, and mark "Tidal Waves Victims" on the back of the cheque; or

Mercy Humanitarian Fund with "South-East Asia Earthquake Appeal" on the back of the cheque.

The Star will hand over the cheque to the respective organisations at the end of the campaign.

Contributions in cash could be made by cheque to "Tabung Bencana Tsunami Asia - Kementerian Luar Negeri" and sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wisma Putra, Precinct 2, 62602 Putrajaya.

The ministry could be contacted at telephones 03-8887 4000; 03-8887 4386; 03-8887 4332; 03-8887 4321 or fax 03-8889 1717 and 03-8889 2834.

THE NST, BH, TV3 AND 8TV
MALAYSIAN TSUNAMI DISASTER FUND
Contributions can be sent to the New Straits Times or Berita Harian at Balai Berita, 31, Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur and cheques should be made out to New Straits Times Press Berhad. On the reverse side of the cheque, please write "NST-BH Malaysian Tsunami Disaster Fund."

All contributions will be handed over to the Federal Government Disaster Fund.

"theSun Tsunami Emergency Supplies Fund"
Sun Media Corporation has pledged to match ringgit-for-ringgit what the staff donates.

Cash contributions via cheques should be made out to "theSun Tsunami Emergency Supplies Fund" (Maybank Account No. 514301412093) and sent to Sun Media Corporation, Lot 6, Jalan 51/217, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat's Relief Effort
Those who wish to send assistance can contact:

Pusat Pembangunan Komuniti
Parlimen Merbok
82, Jalan Permai 1
Taman Desa Permai
Sungai Lalang
08100 Bedong
Kedah(near the Sungai Petani Utara Toll Plaza along the North-South PLUS Highway)

Or phone:

Saiful Izham Ramli: 012-321 1162
Mohd Asri Omar: 019-442 8774

| ¶ 12/31/2004 01:47:00 AM

Thursday, December 30, 2004

Tsunami Tragedy::What Next?

The death toll suffered by the 11 nations devastated by last Sunday tsunami tragedy, now is said to stand at 82,847 and many fear that it would go even more than 100,000 as the count continues to mount. Latest CNN report places the toll at 116,000 dead, about 80,000 alone in Indonesia. There is also this BERNAMA report that says that the death toll in Acheh alone may exceed 400,000![could this be a typo!] The next contributing factor would be diseases, water-borne ones, which are associated with such disasters eg cholera, typhoid and dysentery. These diseases can cause havoc on survivors who may not have supply of clean water and proper sanitation and are also in a weakened state of health. So the things that are of immediate importance for the tsunami survivors are shelter, safe water, sanitation, safe food and medicine.

Nature has certainly chosen a 'terrible' day to unleashed her devastating and maximal effects on earth's inhabitants and as a result caused one of the worst natural disasters in history. . A day when nature could catch many on the beaches of those nations sharing the Indian Ocean and unleashed her anger. For when the tsunamis struck it was Boxing Day, a Sunday during the season when a lot of holiday makers would be out on the beach. Is this, in a manner of speaking, nature's way of showing her displeasure and at the same time punish us for not taking good care of the environment. Some have said that the terrible effects of the tsunamis might have been less if the mangroves and other natural barriers have been better maintained and preserved. The chosen day was also one on which a lot of leaders in authority happened to be away from their posts, holidaying and on leave.

The general consensus is that if there had been an early warning system in place for the affected nations, the death toll would have been less. The second point conceded by officials is that if broad public warnings had been issued immediately after the occurrence of the massive undersea earthquake in Sumatra, countless lives could have been saved from the subsequent tsunami death waves that followed. An early warning system alone is of little use unless evacuation procedures are in place and the affected population are ready and prepared to respond. Australia has enouraged the Indian Ocean countries to consider setting up a tsunami early warning system and India and Malaysia have expressed interest. But when such a system can be set up is definitely not in the immediate future. Indonesia has already voiced that such a sophisticated system may be too expensive for the poorer countries. So while the countries are debating about whether they can afford or not such a system and decide if and when such a system should be set up, postmortems should be conducted so that the countries will be ready and prepared if a natural disaster should strike the region or a particular country again. A local system should be in place in each nation to handle a severe natural disaster when the situation arises, be it tsunamis, monsoon floods or highway slides.

To quote Thammasarote Smith, a former senior forecaster at Thailand's Meteorological Department, "It is true that an earthquake is unpredictable but a tsunami, which occurs after an earthquake, is predictable." From what i have heard, this from a Hong Kong tsunami expert, on CNN, is that a quake of 7.5 magnitude would definitely have tsunamis following in its wake. Things might have been different if on that fateful day, we were aware of this point, that tsunamis are in fact predictable.

The scenario might have been like so. As soon as the quake was detected, the individual National Disaster Relief & Management committees of each Indian Ocean countries were immediately informed that tsunamis are expected to follow. Taking the local scenario, our local Seismology Division of the Meteorological Services Department did pick up the Sumatran quake and registered it as being one of 7.0 on the Richter scale. If this has been passed on to our National Disaster Relief & Management committee and it soon after utilised all our means of public communications like the various radio stations, TV stations, mobile telcos to pass on the warning, timely evacuation of those potential disaster victims would have followed. The warnings could have been issued to all the beach resorts to clear holiday makers from the danger zones. In the meantime, the polis and army would be mobilised to ensure orderly evacuation. Of course orderly evacuation would have been possible only if the population was knowledgeable of the dangers, this is where education of the population is important. It is obvious that this time around, the population had little or no knowledge of the dangers involved. There were stories of holiday makers refusing to leave the beach despite the calls by lifeguards and others. Stories of those on the beach staying back to observe the massive waves and collecting fishes regurgitated by the deadly waves. It is obvious that we need to be educated on tsumanis and other natural disasters. How to recognise early signs, how to be vigilant and be prepared to run when things start looking unusual or abnormal and not stick around unnecessarily.

It must be noted that there were some 4 hours before the quake and the tsunamis reaching our shores. An alert knowledgeable well prepared and organised National Disaster Relief centre, an alert communication system well utilised and an alert, knowledgeable responsive population wouldl have resulted in less human and property damage.

According to an AFP report Malaysia was indeed fortunate this time around as it is believed that Sumatra did provide us protection.

The secret to Malaysia's miracle lies in Sumatra itself, experts say. The epicentre of the quake lay just west of Sumatra's northern tip, meaning that as the tsunamis set off on their deadly course across the oceans the island acted as a buffer for Malaysia.

The quake if it had occurred further out in the sea north of the tip of Sumatra would have resulted in the tsumanis reaching our shores in even greater force and greater speed. Will we be so lucky the next time around. Of course there are many who would say that it may be another 100 years before we are visited by a natural disaster of such proportions. With the changes that we have brought against nature and the environment who knows when nature may decide to strike back again!

| ¶ 12/30/2004 03:46:00 PM

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Don't Police the Polis

The POLIS wants to police the media but tells the media not to police the polis. This is essentially the message [i think] the IGP gave the media at a Police Dinner With The Media, recently. The IGP message was read out by the Federal Police Director of Management, Datuk Kamaruddin Ali.
The event was also reported by the STAR, under this heading :: Police honour The Star during media night. It made no mention of the message the polis was trying to pass on to the media. Wonder why so? Did the STAR not get the message or Datuk Datuk Wong decided to ignore it. The STAR report tersely said this :: "The annual event was part of the force's effort to strengthen ties with media."
So what was the message the IGP wanted the media to take home? What can be glimpsed from the BERNAMA report with the headline :: Media Reminded To Avoid Reporting Sensational Issues. Excerpts from this report ::

The media should reach an understanding with each other in refraining from reporting sensational issues which bring about negative effects on crime and the police force.
An understanding [by the media] was crucial because every report carried by the media would have positive and negative effects. Issues pertaining to crime, if over-sensationalised, would give a negative preception [of the polis] to the public.
"The media plays an important role in creating public awareness especially on crime prevention such as the reports on rapes and traffic accidents.
"However, if the reports were excessive, the public will be afraid and worse, it would give a negative impression to foreigners."
The media [should] refrained from criticising the police force if any of its officers were involved in malpractices.
He [the IGP] gave an assurance that the police force would take stern action against officers who were guilty
Media criticism against the police force not only demoralised the police personnel as a whole, it also eroded public confidence in the force.

Many, me included, would agree with the IGP that the media should not oversensationalise crime reporting, especially rape and murder cases. Some of the papers, in order to boost sales, have been guilty of this, describing the crimes in their gory details and going into details which are better left alone. Surely i don't have to give further details or examples of such media reports. i really don't understand what the IGP meant by excesssive reportings, is the media reporting more crimes than there really are and as a result getting foreigners think that our fair country is rifed with crime waves? i don't agree that there has been excessive crime reporting, sensational yes, excessive certainly no.
But what i disagree most is that part of the message regarding criticism against the polis force about polis officers involved in malpractices. When was the last time, we get to read this stuff in our media. Imagine our self-censoring media criticising the polis and coming out with investigative reports on polis malpractices! The IGP is obviously bringing out the chopper when even a penknife is not needed. Now what is our cowed media going to do next, sing more praises regarding our PDRM. If our media is to live up to its purpose and duty, reporting on polis malpractices will only enhance the image of this fair country and attract foreign notice that corruption and malpractices are not welcomed [isn't this what our new PM has been saying since he took over] but certainly send a message to the PDRM that malpractices by its members would not go unnoticed. Public confidence in the media would definitely be enhanced. The honest members of the PDRM would definitely feel that their honest toll is not going to waste and it would definitely stop those considering embarking on dishonest endeavours, and make them think twice or even thrice. i feel the IGP is sending a wrong message to the media and the polis force. His assurance that the guilty in the PDRM would face internal stern action is definitely not very assuring. Will a day come when bloggers and others would be invited to a Police Dinner With The Bloggers & Others and a similar message not to criticise polis malpractices! But then again tomorrow we may be told that the media report on the IGP message has been all but correctly quoted. i am sure i must have got the said message, especially the portion regarding media criticism of polis malpractices all wrong.

| ¶ 12/28/2004 03:36:00 PM

Monday, December 27, 2004

Tsunami Warning System for Malaysia?

The death tolls as reported on the CNN website ::

Sri Lanka :: 10,000
India :: 6200
Indonesia :: 4350
Thailand :: 866
Maldives :: 48
Malaysia :: 53 (Star online)

These figures will get worse as many more are declared missing or lost.
There are tsunami warning centers that cover the Pacific Basin and the U.S. West Coast. These centres were aware of the Sumatran quake and the possibility of tsunamis according to the director of the International Tsunami Information Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. But there is no such warning system exists for the Indian Ocean. India and Sri Lanka are not covered by an international tsunami warning system. Such a system would have provided the affected regions of Asia with an early warning. The warning system is designed to alert nations that potentially destructive waves may hit their coastlines within 3 to 14 hours. Tsunami wave sensors do not exist in the Indian Ocean, so there was no way to determine whether a tsunami was forming or the direction it would travel. Although Thailand belongs to the international tsunami warning network, its west coast does not have the system's wave sensors mounted on ocean buoys.
According to a STAR report ::

The international warning system was started in 1965, the year after tsunamis associated with a magnitude 9.2 temblor struck Alaska in 1964.
It is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Member states include all the major Pacific rim nations in North America, Asia and South America, was well as the Pacific islands, Australia and New Zealand.
It also includes France, which has sovereignty over some Pacific islands, and Russia.

CNN has an animation of how a tsunami is formed (quicktime required). BBC provide graphics of how the quake/tsunami disaster unfolded, here.
Something posiitive may yet come out from the tsunami disaster that parts of Asia are presently facing. BERNAMA reports :: Malaysia To Set Up Tsunami Alert System. It reported that deputy PM, Najib Tun Razak said Monday that the government will seek Japanese expertise to set up a tsunami alert system to face the eventuality of a similar onslaught in future. Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang had this to say :: "Malaysia should have an early warning system that could have saved scores of lives lost in the devastating tsunami." According to Lim, Malaysia and other south-east Asian countries should have taken their discussions last year seriously about introducing an early warning system for tsunami although they happen very rarely in the Indian Ocean. Instruments and the computer systems used to predict tsunamis and provide early warning are very expensive. The early warning system is said to work in this manner (from the STAR report)::

The warning system analyses earthquake information from several seismic networks, including the U.S. Geological Survey.
The seismic information is fed into computer models that "picture'' how and where a tsunami might form.
It dispatches warnings about imminent tsunami hazards, including predictions how fast the waves are traveling and their expected arrival times in specific geographic areas.
As the waves rush past tidal stations in the ocean, bulletins updating the tsunami warning are issued. Other models generate "inundation maps'' of what areas could be damaged, and what communities might be spared.

Expensive as the system may be, gomen in our region should seriously consider setting it up for the region. For it is still not too late to have this early warning system set up for who can be certain that another devastating tsunami would not hit our shores again in the near future.

| ¶ 12/27/2004 11:05:00 PM

Huffing Charge

This UPI headline caught my eye :: Accused 'huffer' kills teen in crash. Huffing is like puffing. So why should someone be charged as a "huffer". Upon looking up the other meaning of "huffing", things become a little clearer. It appears that "huffing" has to do with volatile substance abuse :: it is the practice of inhaling volatile substances for their psychoactive effects. Common substances used for "huffing" include petrol, propane and butane gases, freon, plastic and rubber cements and acetone. Abuse of such substances do carry harmful side effects. Volatile agents used for anaesthetic purposes in medicine like ether and nitrous oxide can also give "highs" but have less harmful effects. Obviously senile me is out of touch with such practices of our in-generation.
Parents who want to know more on how to deal with "huffing" can check out this link at DrGreene.com.
Now back to the article that started this blog entry. According to the report, New York City prosecutors have filed a driving while huffing charge against a man they say caused a deadly accident while high on aerosol fumes. While under the influence, the man crashed head-on into an oncoming vehicle, killing an 18-year-old girl. This apparently is the first driving-while-intoxicated-by-aerosol-propellant case in New York state. Presently there is also no law in New York state that specifically deals with driving and "huffing". It is hope that the case will set a precedent. The other problems faced by the prosecution are that physical signs of "huffing" disappear almost immediately, so investigators have a difficult time investigating cases where the practice is involved. There are also no standard breath, urine or blood tests which can detect the inhalants used.
Now what i am wondering is whether our polis do consider this form of substance abuse when investigating road traffic accident cases or other criminal cases. The other thing is whether our penal code has a section dealing with such offenders when they are under the influence. Obviously our in-generation must be using or abusing such volatile psychoactive agents like their fellows in New York and other places.

| ¶ 12/27/2004 04:55:00 PM

Sunday, December 26, 2004

Tsunami Hits Penang Update

Things are clearer now but unfortunately the local tsunami related mortality is rising. Bernama reports that at least 30 deaths have occurred.
Najib is reported as saying that the PM has been kept informed and has been told regarding measures taken. Najib is also quoted as saying :: "Our country has never experienced such a disaster before." This may be the reason why the tsunami which followed the earthquake, said to the largest in the world in the last 40 years, has appeared to caught us unprepared. The quake is said to have occurred at about 8.58am and the tsunami only hit Batu Ferringghi at about 1.45pm. This was according to an eyewitness, Dr George Jacob, who was in the Casuarina Beach Hotel, Batu Ferringghi, when the tsunami struck.
In Kedah, at least 7 were reported dead after a tsunami tidal wave roared through nine villages along the Kuala Muda coast. This was reported by BERNAMA.
The latest report by the STAR says that at least 43 people were killed and more reported missing in several parts of Malaysia when tidal waves of up to six metres high hit northern Peninsular Malaysia following an earthquake in Sumatra Sunday.
The Director of the Seismology Division of the Meteorological Services Department, Low Kong Chiew, said in a statement that the quake hit northwest Sumatra at 8.58am. "A preliminary measurement showed that the centre of the earthquake was at Latitude 3.1 N and Longitude 95.5 E (about 680km from Kuala Lumpur) with a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale," he said. Wonder what he did after the preliminary measurement was made? Latest media reports said that the quake was 8.9 on the Richter scale. And some reports stated that after-shocks can be expected up to two weeks after the quake. So do stay away from the seas and the beaches.
Our Works MINIster, DS Samy either is clairvoyant or has had a premonition. This report carried by BERNAMA had him saying this :: "This morning I contacted the Director-General of MHA Datuk George George between 7 and 7.30am regarding the matter.". The Sumatran quake occurred at 8.58am and the tsunami hit Penang at about 1.45pm! Samy was already on the job before that. It is also reported that he has been informed by the experts that the Penang bridge is not affected and safe for traffic. The experts had given their opinion after having conducted a visual inspection using special equipment, the inspection found no unusual readings. i am sure that Samy and his experts would be following up those visual inspections with special equipment by taking a much closer inspection of the bridge and further testing. They might also want to take a closer look at those newly repaired cracking pillars of the MRR2.
The CM of Penang, some are calling her, the decaying state, is said to be in New York. Samy wanted to share the tremors and has kept TS Koh informed of the disaster in his state. Though unfortunate, this wil provide a chance for TS Koh to demonstrate what his newly proclaimed 3E can do. Though the 3E's are really meant to clean up 'dirty decaying Penang', the tsunami mess today can also benefit from the 3E's.

| ¶ 12/26/2004 10:34:00 PM

Tsunami Hits Penang

BERNAMA reports that a tsunami has hit Penang at about 9am this morning. The STAR in its latest update had the following to say ::

AT least six were killed and 15 were injured by 5m tidal waves in Penang which were caused by a massive earthquake off Sumatra this morning.
Among the badly affected areas were the coastal areas of Balik Pulau, Permatang Damar Laut, Batu Ferringhi, Tanjung Bungah and Gurney Drive.
A Meteorological Services Department spokesman said the tidal waves, some as high as 5m, happened as an after-effect of the earth quake which occurred in the Indian Ocean off the western coast of North Sumatra.
"We expect the tide to return to normal at about 4pm," he said.

BBC news reported that a severe earthquake had occurred in South East Asia affecting Sri Lanka, India, Sumatra, Thailand and parts of Malaysia. Presently it looks that Indonesia is the worse hit. The quake is said to have registered 8.5 on the Richter scale.
BERNAMA had the following to report regarding Penang ::

In PENANG, thousands of people fled from high-rise buildings and hotels which shook and caused mass panic.
The worst-affected area appeared to be the northeast part of the island.
A resident of the 10-storey Nusantara apartments at Jalan Perak, Ismail Merican, said he was jolted awake when his bed began to shake severely.
"My iron gate was rattling and I saw my neighbours running," he said.
He woke up his family and they fled the building together with all its occupants.

While in Kuala Lumpur, a resident of a high-rise felt the earthquake and thought it ws because of his headache ::

A resident of Pangsapuri Cendana, Zainal Abidin Razali, 52, said he felt the building swaying at about 9.10am but initially put the feeling down to his headache.
When his wife told him that she experienced the same feeling, he quickly left his 15th floor apartment with his family using the stairs.
"When we got out of the building, there was already a big group of people outside talking and shouting," he said.
Another resident, Bariah Al Bakri, 40, who lived on the 7th floor, said she felt the building shaking and then heard people shouting.
"I grabbed my handbag and ran," she said.

i have never heard of a tsunami affecting our shores and wonder if this is the first such happening. Hopefully, it does not cause too much human or property toll.

Updates when available. Yes for that matter, anyone out there in Penang or other affected areas want to keep this blogger updated, please do so, thanks.

| ¶ 12/26/2004 04:38:00 PM

Friday, December 24, 2004

NO to 10% Toll Hike Petition

Those who are against the forthcoming TOLL HIKE can express their

protest

and

sign

the on-line petition

here.

| ¶ 12/24/2004 03:51:00 PM

Terror Training

The Thai PM said that he had photographic proof that Thai terrorists were being trained in Malaysia. He even specified that they were being trained in the PAS controlled north-eastern state of Kelantan. He said he was ready to show and tell if the Malaysian authoritites wanted to know. Apart from Malaysia, Indonesia was also implicated in terrorist training. Thaksin had this to say when he made the accusation ::

"If you ask me where they have been trained, absolutely one group of them has been trained in Malaysia, but we believe it was done without the knowledge or support of the Malaysian government."

The accusation did not go down well with Malaysia and Indonesia. The two denied any such involvement and asked Thailand to show prove. The photographic proof when shown led to the whole thingy taking a comical turn and is heading for a diplomatic blow-out. The alleged photos, Deputy Interior Minister Sutham Saengprathum claimed showed Thai Muslim separatists training in northern Malaysia. According to a report in the Nation ::

The first photo to appear – on page one of Thai Rath newspaper – showed a group of Thai Muslim students dressed in junior military uniform wearing a chequered scarf known in Arabic as a keffiyeh.
The students were standing in a relatively open area with a few rubber trees in the background, not a dense forest as Sutham had earlier claimed.
One student standing in the middle was holding what appeared to be a toy gun. Thai Rath reported an unnamed official source had named the toy-gun holder as Anwar Kazor, a prime suspect in the killing of Pattani provincial judge Rapin Ruankeow in September.
The rest looked stalwart, trying to put on their best face for what appeared to be a class picture of school buddies taken four years ago.

The principal of Islam Nithiwit School, confirmed yesterday that the photo was indeed taken at his school by students participating in a parade marking the school’s Sports Day. They were told to dress up in costumes, so some put on junior military outfits known as ror dor uniforms, he said. So much for muslim terror separatists being trained in the jungles of Kelantan. Thaksin should now eat humble pie and apologise for his false accusations. Indonesia and Malaysia should see to it that he does not do it again and certainly not let him get away.

| ¶ 12/24/2004 10:41:00 AM

Thursday, December 23, 2004

Just Penang 'Decaying'?

Lately there has been much talk about Penang 'Decaying' and there are these three newspapers carrying on about the 'sad' state of affairs in Penang. Why is this happening only now? There is this nonsense about the Pearl of the Orient needing a polish. The last time i checked, Penang was more or less the same as it was some 20-30 years ago. The same as many other places in this fair counry of ours. All those who are now saying that Penang is in a state of 'decay', please do look at your own places first. Can any one say that the state of the traffic, rubbish and hawker centres are better now than they were 20-30 years ago in their own locality? Truly and really answer :: YES? If so, that so and so must be bullshittig him/herself. Pardon me, but let me say it like it truly is, most parts and places in this fair country has gone to the dogs [hopefully the dogs won't get angry with for the compare] over the past 20-30 years. The traffic is horrible in most towns, hawker centres are not what they were before, finding a proper parking space is a luxury and water coming out of the taps is now no longer as clean or as sweet as before.
What puzzles me is why are the three papers picking on Penang alone? Is there a hidden agenda, knowing who the owners of the said three papers are. May be Datuk Seri Lim KY or Tan Sri Koh should seriously consider getting Gerakan its own paper. Is it someone great idea of telling the Tan Sri, t is time for him to go? But seeing that what is said to be happening in Penang is similarly happening in most of the rest of the country, why don't the papers also focussed on the rest and maybe tell those in charge in these other places that it is time to go. Not all blame should be directed at those in charge, those living in these places should also share the blame. After all they are responsible for putting those in charge in their in charge positions.
Why don't the said papers come out plainly with what is the root cause of the state of decay. Ever since local councillors became appointed and not elected, local problems have been pushed to the side. These councillors have turned out to be yes-men and yes-ladies and have little time to listen to those they are supposed to serve. There appears to be a mis-match of agendas. There seem to be a lack of new ideas and directions. Maybe it would be better for the papers to highlight and take up this issue of the need for return of local council elections. If the papers are not willing to tackle the root cause, then it is better to leave things alone.
In the meanwhile, the papers might serve the public better by joining CAUTI and helping to fight the impending 10% PLUS toll hike. The Anti-Unfair NSE Toll Hike protests are to be held this Sunday, the 27th of Dec at the following toll plazas :: Butterworth, Ipoh, Selangor/KL and Johore. FOMCA is also joining in to fight the toll hike, what about the STAR, NST and Berita Harian?

| ¶ 12/23/2004 10:31:00 PM

Saturday, December 18, 2004

Some Early Xmas & New Year Presents

We are certainly gonna be blessed this festive season. Presents are just coming along our way. Our Healthy MINIster announced recently, that in the near future we will no longer be burdened by having to pay for the medicine of the less fortunate who have to attend gomen health facilities.
Next came PLUS saying that there will be a 10% plus for those using its highways and expressways. Those who don't want to be subjected to this 10% present can go and use the byways and the old federal trunk roads. Once again this present is to ensure that the gomen is not burdened, for if the 10% increase is not allowed, it would have to compensate PLUS to the tune of RM154 mil a year or RM38 bil for the next 33 years. Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang says hogwash and thinks Samy knows nuts about maths. Lim has this to say ::

The second question is where Samy Vellu had learnt his maths – as compensation of RM154 million a year does not add up to a grand total of RM38 billion for the next 33 years – as the total is RM5 billion and not RM38 billion!
Thirdly, why must compensation be paid to PLUS for the next 33 years till 2038, when the 30-year NSE concession which started in May 1988 is to end in 2030 after a 12-yeasr extension in 1999? With another 25 years to run for the concession, at the compensation rate of RM154 million a year, the total compensation liable till the end of the concession is RM3.85 billion – one tenth of Samy Vellu’s hyperbolic claim of RM38 billion! Or is there a secret compact that there would be another extension of the NSE concession, despite the earlier extension of the original 30-year NSE concession to 42 years?

Why the lopsided agreement, Datuk Samy please do tell us all about it.
Not to be left out, Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) will up the ferry fare by 233%, from the present 60 sen to RM2 soon. PPSB claims that the State Gomen of the 'decaying state' has given the go ahead. This was refuted by the 'decaying state' Chief MINIster the very next day. He said that a 100% increase was being considered ie from 60sen to RM1.20! Whether it will be a 233% or a 100% present, ferry users will know soon.
The people of Selangor will be saying Syabas this and Syabas that in 2006. For in an early announcement, Syabas says that water rates will be going up in 2006. Much joy for Syabas but not for the people of Selangor.
All the above mentioned presents will definitely not be welcomed by the people, for they can only further burden the people who are already burdened with the double price increase in petrol this year
Wiith the many presents coming your way from the gomen and bodies corporate there will be no need for any more presents from me, so i'll just wish you all :: "Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year."

| ¶ 12/18/2004 12:53:00 PM

Monday, December 13, 2004

Much Ado About Nothing

The Jakarta Post said :: Why the fuss? Much ado about Anwar. It wondered aloud as to why a simple social visit should nearly escalate into a potential diplomatic row and cause embarassment to two friendly governments. The irony maybe that eventually, this episode only helped to stimulate greater sympathy for the very person one government sought to restrict.
The Jakarta Post sees AI's visit to Indonesia as the growing democratic climate in Southeast Asia and ASEAN. It claims that Indonesia is moving away from being a 'repressive political regime'. It continues by saying that political opposition is part-and-parcel of democracy and courtesy shuld be extended even if a visitor is a known-political opponent in his own country.
The Jakarta Post said that Kuala Lumpur's consternation over AI's visit to meet with notable figures in Indonesia is understandable and it went on to call the KL gomen, "a regime which has dominated the political scene for decades by effectively muzzling open opposition." It chided KL for waging a public relations battle against AI on foreign soil and said that this will only fuels sympathy for AI and adds to his standing as a new patron saint for political prisoners in Southeast Asia.
Our PM's caution to foreign leaders about meeting Anwar was considered clearly inappropriate. Anwar is neither a convict nor a fugitive. That he is regarded as an "opposition" leader should not discourage Indonesian leaders from meeting him for opposition leaders are legitimate members of the political infrastructure and have equal rights. If Malaysia is not claiming to uphold democratic principles and is in fact a place where oppositions are considered subversive, then the context of PM's remarks are more explicable. It also expressed regrets if President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's decision not to meet with AI was as a result of Kuala Lumpur's comments.
Definitely Pak Lah's comments and unusual request have not gone down well. The Post further commented that they are also not congruous with the decision made at recently concluded ASEAN Summit in Vientiane at which member nations professed a desire to forge ahead with political development as part of a greater ASEAN Community.
It was obvious that Pak Lah's comments/request was not entirely acceptable in Indonesia, to say the least, and may have backfired. AI did little to help by praising Indonesia's democracy and lauding Indonesia's freedoms. This irked our deputy PM and he had to respond by telling AI not to tarnish [wonder what this means when BN used] Malaysia's image and belittle Malaysian democracy. He further added that Malaysians 'Must Be Proud Of Unique Sharing Concept', whatever this means.
What will happen next when AI visits other ASEAN countries like the Phillipines and Thailand? Will Pak Lah make similar 'requests' and Najib fight a rearguard action then? Probably it would be best to leave AI well alone then things AI does won't get any undeserved attention, hey let sleeping dogs lie, so they say.

| ¶ 12/13/2004 11:22:00 AM

Sunday, December 12, 2004

Half Of Bisikan Bayu Beach Gone!

At this time of the year, the east coast states are being stormed by the monsoon rains. This year has been particularly bad for Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. In Kelantan, there has not been a severe flood for the past 20 years or so but it's different this year. Over the past few days the water has rising and today many parts of Kota Bharu are under flood waters. In most years where there have been floods, mainly the coastal areas and the banks of the Kelantan river have come under flood waters. But owing to the heavy rains this year, areas further inland are under water. Places like Limau Manis, Wakaf Bharu and Wakaf Siku are under water. The carpark of the new Kota Bharu Mall is under water. If the rain doesn't go away, we wonder which other parts of Kota Bharu will go under. The Kota Bahru Hospital and nearby gomen buildings are under water. Those huge rats unique to Kota Bahru are running for their lives. Presently, the Sultan Yahya Petra Bridge over the Kelantan river is closed to traffic. Bernama has reported that there has been so far 5 deaths in Kelantan.
The floods have also disrupted the PLKN as those from the east coast states are prevented from reporting. The latest sessi of the programme starts tomorrow.
Another devasting effect of the monsoon rains and winds have been the erosion of the beaches. Pantai Cahaya Bulan aka Pantai Cinta Berahi [PCB] is a pale shadow of what it used to be some 30 years ago. Sabak Beach has also sufferred from severe erosion as can be seen in this pictures here and here. The latest to suffer is Pantai Bisikan Bayu aka Beach of Whispering Breeze/Wind which is said to have been half eaten away in the past three days. According to a local resident, Samad Idris, the beach had gradually been eaten away by waves over the past 10 years. About 900 metres of the beach had been lost as nothing was done to save it, he added. If no measures are taken urgently by the authorities to stop the erosion, the fear is that the beach will be lost for good in another two or three monsoons. Bernama reported that ::

Casuarina trees which decorated the one-kilometre beach, once considered the most beautiful picnic spot in Kelantan, had collapsed and several traditional bungalows were damaged by the pounding waves.
The sea is now threatening a chalet belonging to the Sultan of Kelantan, shophouses erected by the Pasir Puteh Disrict Council and Kelantan Economic Development Corporation's Taman Rehlah which are located between 20 and 50 metres from the beach.

Only now after the beach has been half eaten away are there thoughts of saving it. It has been reported that ::

Pasir Puteh Member of Parliament Datuk Che Min Che Ahmad visited the area and told reporters that he would ask the Drainage and Irrigation Department to monitor and assess the situation.
He said he would also apply for an allocation from the Agriculture Ministry to build a buffer as part of efforts to defend the beach against the sea's onslaught.

The east coast states will be off-limits to tourists for this season, hopefully the flood waters will recede fast enough and the damages and death toll will not be high. Those of us, fortunate enough not to be living in monsoon and flood proned parts should join our brethens in prayers.

| ¶ 12/12/2004 10:51:00 PM

Marginalia

Came across this article Scribble a message in the margin by Ben MacIntyre, on the subject of marginalia. It is probably something all of us must have indulged in at one time or another. Used to do lots of it with my text books and lecture notes, started off with pencil marks, ballpoint underlinings and when highlighters came words and lines and sometimes even whole para would get lighted up. Now there are also web highlighters for your web pages.
With the net now marginalia has gone electronic and we can visit sites and blogs and indulge in marginalia by leaving our comments and so on. There are web sites where we can write about our experiences like e-Marginalia, which caters for travellers who would like to share their experiences of places with others, this marginalia site is of the scholarly type and this one which is of the ranting type.
Among notable marginaliars [as if there is such a word], one could include King Henry the VIII, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who invented the term "marginalia", Nelson Mandela and Mark Twain.
Not everyone likes marginalia, some would call it a crime, just take a peek at this. Apparently it was the growth of public libraries after 1850, with their ban on writing in books, that made marginalia not fashionable. Books became revered objects; to write in them was to violate them, and a crime to those who wanted to start reading with a clean sheet.
MacIntyre says in his interesting article that he is launching the Society for the Protection of Amateur Marginalia, or Spam, [why Spam? a rather irritating word for those with plenty of junk in the mail box]. As for his rules for Spam, they are as follows ::

1.No writing in library books, hardback books, illustrated books or books lent to us by people who haven’t already written in them.
2.No writing in pen, unless you have won a Nobel prize for literature.
3.Any and every cheap paperback can be made used of as a notebook to be written in and then passed on.
4.Newspapers can serve equally well and therefore should have wide margins for such.

There is even a poem by Billy Collins, you can listen to it here and more examples of marginalia can be seen here.

| ¶ 12/12/2004 04:29:00 PM

Saturday, December 11, 2004

Ugly women get less AID

i was stunned by this headines, initial thought was that it was referring to AIDs but on proper scrutiny it was referring to monetary aid given to single mothers! In this STAR report, the Penang State Islamic Religious Council was chided by the Auditor-General for not being fair to less attractive single mothers. He pointed out that ::

There were discrepancies in the distribution of the Fisabilillah (meant for the needy) fund, he said attractive women were given a larger share while some older single mothers were not even included in the list of recipients.

He further added ::

“This is what happens if clear and comprehensive guidelines are not imposed."

Now don't we wonder what guidelines are being used in Penang to decide who are the attractive ones and therefore 'deserve' more monetary aids. Are the single mothers made aware of these guidelines and therefore turned up attractively dressed and madeup? Is this probably BN's way for countering what it believe maybe in practice in Kelantan where the less attractive are being giving jobs in preference to their more attractive sisters. This issue was brought up in the last edisi of Debat Perdana.
Now one way we may utilised to do away with this discriminasi is to have these ladies turned up in very very loose baju kurungs and have their faces covered as far as possible. This would then ensure that those who are to decide how much monetary aid they should get is attractiveness-blind. The other thing that maybe considered is to have the panel who decide be made up of equal number of attractive and less attractive members of the fairer sex. But then again who will decide who should be on the panel, after all 'Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder". But surely the Auditor-General in all his wisdom will surely be able to come out with clear and comprehensive guidelines in the very near future for the good welfare of all single mothers, not only in Penang but the entire nation.

| ¶ 12/11/2004 11:45:00 AM

IMA’s Lt Ibrahim, a prince from Malaysia

Found on the front page of The Indian Express ::

IMA’s Lt Ibrahim, a prince from Malaysia

Prince keeps a tradition alive, among 18 foreign cadets this year

SIDDHARTHA SARMA

DEHRA DUN, DECEMBER 10 Probabaly for the first time ever, the Indian Army will have a Malaysian prince in its ranks. At least for the next two years.

Earning his spurs at the Indian Military Academy’s 72nd passing-out parade here today was Lt Ismail Ibrahim of Johor province, son of Crown Prince Anwar Ibrahim and grandson of Sultan Iskandar.

‘‘We have always held the traditions of the Indian Army in high esteem and wanted the prince to study at the Academy,’’ Crown Prince Ibrahim told The Indian Express, after his son was commissioned into 61st Cavalry.

‘‘However, this is just the beginning, and he has many more things to learn,’’ says Crown Prince Ibrahim, before tracing the family’s special relationship with the Indian Army back to World War II.

‘‘During the war, three officers from the Johor Army were sent to the IMA to receive military training, even as the provinces were battling the Japanese. One of them later became the chief of the Malaysian Army, while the other, Toong Hussain On, became the Prime Minister of Malaysia,’’ says Crown Prince Ibrahim. Lt Ibrahim plans to stay in the Indian Army for the next two years.

‘‘The Academy was a very good experience in military training and I shall be continuing with what I have learnt here,’’ he says.

The young prince was one of the 18 foreign cadets who passed from the Academy today, including those from Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius and Nepal. Of course, Crown Prince Anwar Ibrahim was not the only father with a proud smile lighting up his face as over 440 cadets made the grade.

Click for the rest

The New Kerala also had a report entitled :: Malaysian royal graduates from IMA. The Johore Crown Prince was referred to as Anwar Ibrahim, the crown price of Johor and the late former PM was Tun Hussain Onn. It looks like the Indian press has problems with people and things Malaysian. It looks like those in Wisma Putra has work to do. Now how many of us knew that Tun Hussein Onn, the Father of Unity, left UMNO twice, the first was in 1951 to join his father in forming the Independence of Malaya Party (IMP) and the second when UMNO Baru was formed.

| ¶ 12/11/2004 10:19:00 AM

Friday, December 10, 2004

Well Rounded World Class Grads

The Higher Education Minister has urged local universities to produce well-rounded world-class graduates who are able to compete globally. He said that with the huge number of graduates now, only those with what he termed "credibility" could compete in an increasingly globalised world. Hey, it looks like our HE MINIster does know how competitive the globalised world is or will be, whatever he may mean by graduates with "credibility". Could he be saying our present unemployed and unemployable graduates do not possess this stuff. Now shouldn't the MINIster be looking at why we are having so many "incredible" graduates. Which MINIster(s) and MINIstry are responsible for producing them? Could it be the famous UUCA which may have stifled our instituitions of higher learning and students and prevented them from becoming well-rounded and world-classed. Looking around, maybe the HE MINIster shouldn't have to worry about making well-rounded graduates, there appears ro be quite a large number of them already loitering around with their well-padded and rounded midriffs which are also sported by many of our MINIsters. But as for world-class, the MINIster has plenty to do indeed. Not that there have not been calls and suggestions regarding what needed to be done. The following links will be a little enlightening for him ::

Repeal the UUCAand Restore University Freedom
University of Bangsar Utama
University lacking Autonomy :: Repeal UUCA
Soh Sook Hwa's Case :: How to be world class?
Aspirasi dan Idealisme Mahasiswa :: USM Student to Face DC

There have been more calls and suggestions to the MOE and MINIster concerned regarding the falling standards of our universities and their graduates. In the words of an oppositon leader ::

In the sixties, Malaysia's sole university, the University of Malaya, was rated as one of the best universities in the Asia-Pacific but more than three decades later, it had suffered such a serious erosion of academic standards and quality that it was ranked a lowly 47th position out of 77 universities in the Asiaweek's 2000 ranking of Best Universities in the region, with two other named universities, Universiti Putra Malaysia in 52nd and Universiti Sains Malaysia in 57th position.
Malaysia has currently 17 public universities, 11 private universities, 4 foreign university branch campuses, 3 local private university branch campuses, 2 private university colleges and 516 private colleges/institutes of non-university status - but we do not have a single world-class university when we should have several by our global development status. I do not think Malaysia even ranks among the world's 300-400 top universities.

The MINIster has said that "The government has made a huge investment in education at all levels. Universities should now carry out their responsibility in a sustematic manner to fulfil this national objective." It is easy for him to say all that. He should be aware that monetary investment without accompanying academic freedom for the university staff, lecturers and students will lead no further than the present sad state of affairs. Now that we have two and not just one education ministers, they should get down to tackling the root cause of why we are producing so many "incredible" graduates before it is too late. They should firstly get the UUCA repealed, ensure that there is freedom for academia to flourish and work on ensuring that there is meritocracy where selection of university entrants are concerned. They should also ensure that qualified students are being given their university places and that there are sufficient places available for them. They should in the meanwhile forget about making BolehLand a world class educational hub and enticing foreign students to our shores for the time being. Forget about money making via an education hub, lets look after our own backyard and students first.

| ¶ 12/10/2004 04:48:00 PM

Brain Cell Killer in Shampoo?

This is something for all you shampoo users to think about. Okay, a study recently carried out on RATS has shown that an ingredient in shampoo, methylisothiazolinone (MIT), causes neurons aka brain/nerve cells to die. MIT is found in shampoos, hand lotions and paints.
According to the National Institutes of Health, popular brands containing MIT include the shampoos Head and Shoulders, Suave, and Clairol, as well as Pantene hair conditioner and Revlon hair color.
MIT, belongs to a class of compounds called biocides. These are used in the manufacture of many common household products and industrial water cooling systems to kill bacteria. So it can be expected also to kill other cells.
According to lead researcher Elias Aizenman, a professor of neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said that of particular concern is that chemicals like MIT are not subjected to neurodevelopmental testing. He is concerned that without such testing it is not known if, for example, a pregnant woman who is exposed to MIT could put her fetus at risk for abnormal brain development. People working directly with MIT are those most at risk, he added.
In earlier experiments with rat brain cells, Aizenman's team found that direct exposure to MIT in concentrations like those found in hand cream was enough to kill neurons. In the current series of experiments, also with rat cells, the researchers found that a long exposure to low concentrations of MIT caused a malfunction in the ways neurons communicate with each other.
So the next time you use your shampoo or hand lotion just check out whether the contents include MIT.
If you want to know what others have to say regarding Aizenman's studies, check out this article

| ¶ 12/10/2004 02:08:00 PM

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

No One Immune [from Graft Probe]

After more than a year at the helm, our PM has the above to say during an interview with Reuters last Monday. Mark his words, for he has vowed 'to pursue corrupt officials, however senior their rank' the report goes. The PM is probably aware that joe-public is getting impatience with his near-moribund effort at achieving 'zero corruption'. This was his battle cry soon after taking over the premiership. His handling of 'the worse case of money politics' aka bribery and corruption which took place recently in elections for his own party has resulted in many wondering if his 'zero corruption' effort has fizzled out. The foot dragging by him and his deputy and other party members who claimed that they were in the know but at the same time saying that 'I no can tell on my friends and party members' have little to dispel such thoughts.
The stance taken by the ACA has also not been of any help. If we are to believe the former PM, money politics have been around sincee 1975. The Tun, in an exclusive interview, said :: "There were people who came to me before I was elected vice-president (1975) and told me if I gave them money, they were prepared to give me a bloc vote." Now isn't the ACA aware of this, why has it taken the ACA such a long long time to reaise that money politics is corruption and therefore a CRIME. For it was only recently that its top man came out to say :: "Money Politics A Crime." Even after this and despite the PM saying :: "ACA Can Act On Cases Of Money Politics", it would have been better if he had said :: "ACA MUST ACT on money politics"; we find the UMNO Deputy President still saying :: "Not All Cases Of Money Politics Will Be Referred To ACA," and insisting that only where there is concrete evidence will the cases be forwarded to the ACA. Now to joe-public, wouldn't it appear that UMNO members are of a different kind! It is good that the PM has come out with his latest announcement, virtually countering his deputy and confirming that his zero tolerance to corruption is still on track.
Further excerpts from the Reuters interview ::

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told Reuters in an interview that no one was immune and more arrests of senior people could follow if the evidence stacked up.
Asked if more "big fish" were likely to be caught in his anti-corruption net, Abdullah said: "I am in no position to say that. I might be creating a lot of unnecessary speculation."
"But as far as I am concerned, big or small, we will take action against these people."

.....

Abdullah said a friend had also been netted, though he did not name him, to demonstrate no one was immune. A government source later identified the friend as a senior ruling party official who had been charged after a corruption investigation.[Ah must be Kasi]
A witness protection scheme for corruption cases is also being created, the prime minister said.

Ah finally a breath of fresh air from the PM, but then again he has been a man of many words and ideas for reforms but joe-public is wondering will he be taking the walk soon instead of just all this talk and talk!

| ¶ 12/07/2004 03:58:00 PM

Monday, December 06, 2004

"Towards Racial Unity and National Survival"

Having followed most of the recently aired 'Debat Perdana', one has this surreal feeling that those who participated are discussing a country other than Malaysia. Self censorship has obviously become something which is deeply ingrained in the psyche of those who participated, whether they are from UMNO-BN, the oppostion parties or NGOs. They seem to paint a picture of a country that is full of 'perpaduan', 'harmoni', toleransi and sbn. This is especially so with participants from the UMNO-BN parties and the NGOs. The moderator, if one may address him as such, appears to want to ensure that this rosy picture is not tainted by views coming from those participants from the non-UMNO-BN parties.
The latest , 'debat' saw the following panel members ::

PAS women's wing information chief Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud
JAGAT Technology Group chairman Datuk Ruhanie Ahmad, former BBC chairperson
MCA's Kota Melaka MP Wong Nai Chee, the giant DAP slayer and
Universiti Malaya's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Deputy Dean Prof Dr R. Rajintheran.

One would not be far wrong after viewing this particular 'debat' and coming away with the conclusion that there was a gang of 4 males attacking one lady and trying to force down her throat, the idea that racial unity of the UMNO-BN variety is florishing in this country and that we are geared fully for 'National Survival' in the era of 'globalisasi' which will soon descend upon us. Little or no mention was made about the problems of interaction between our youths in schools and campuses all over the country, the prevailing corruption in almost all sectors (polis included), money politics, the problems of our jobless graduates, the drug abuse problems we have, the poor work ethics of our civil service and work force and the list can go on and on. Why was there no mention of all these?
Instead what was served up :: UMNO-BN has gone to great effort to make Malaysia better known on the international scene, we have progressed tremendously under UMNO-BN, the economic 'powerhouse' we are today, the tremendous infrastructures UMNO-BN have built (the collapsing commuter labs, 'cracking MRR2' and 'Hospital Kulat' have been conveniently forgotten); i would be the first to agree with the panelists that we are in our present state of affairs because of UMNO-BN and that UMNO-BN is fully responsible for the present state. For since independence, have we known any other gomen? Incidentally, all these issues have been brought up in different fora at one time or another by even UMNO-BN, but so far in these debats, they seem to have been swept under the proverbial carpet. The other prominent issue brought up by the 3 male panelists and the moderator, despite having said that we are highly united, is that PAS is responsible for the state of disunity in our largest community ie the Malay community, the controversy of 2 imams, UMNO kafir, Hadi's fatwa.
All said and done, it must be mentioned in passing that despite the various attacks, Dr Siti Mariah did acquit herself fairly well, no thanks to the other panelists or debat moderator.
One would have expected the panelists to discuss ways and means of overcoming the above mentioned problems the nation is facing. Actions to be taken to ensure 'National Survival' in the face of globalisasi and the way forward for this nation. With that in mind, one has to conclude that the latest debat has failed. i'll probably not be watching further edisi of the same. But then again they might just be 'worth' watching, just to see how well panelists from PAS and the other opposition parties will perform in the presence of the 'bashings' from the other side.

| ¶ 12/06/2004 04:49:00 PM

Saturday, December 04, 2004

President Susilo Won't Be Meeting AI

Earlier on it was reported by the media that after his South Afican trip, AI will be heading for Indonesia to meet with the new Indonesian President. Now according to a report in the Jakarta Post :: Susilo won't meet Anwar. Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said on Friday :: "There's no plan whatsoever from President Susilo to meet Anwar Ibrahim. It is not on the President's schedule."
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak will also be in Indonesia next week and Dino said that the Indonesian government was busy preparing for Najib's visit instead. He will get to meet President Susilo and the Vice President. Among the issues Najib would be discussing with the Indonesians counterparts are illegal immigrants, plantations, palm oil prices, and co-operation in oil and gas exploration.
Further, according to the report, during his four-day trip to Indonesia, AI will only meet Vice President Jusuf Kalla, House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono, People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Hidayat Nur Wahid and prominent political figures like Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri.

| ¶ 12/04/2004 10:11:00 AM

Friday, December 03, 2004

UNO-INO Money Politics

Money Politics Code of silence ::

Perhimpunan Agung Khas UMNO 2000 - News :: 2000

Can UMNO wipe out corruption? by Fan Yew Teng Aliran Monthly 2003:10 ::

Asia Times - News and analysis from throughout Southeast Asia :: ::02.10.04

Razaleigh's Proposal To Stem Money Politics In Umno :: 02.10.04

MCA: Money politics hurting Umno’s image, says Mahathir :: Oct 2004

Malaysian Students Against Mahathir ::

Why UMNO needs the ACA to investigate money politics now :: 20.11.04

Allegations of money politics spoil UMNO assembly :: 25.09.04

I no tell on my friends ::

The Tun MP since 1975 ::

Sack Adnan for condoning graft, Pak Lah told :: 02.11.04

[Bernama] UMNO may refer money politics offenders to Police, ACA :: 15.11.04

Umno muling over moves to curb money politics :: 16.11.04

Money Politics A Crime, Says ACA :: 01.12.04

Not All Cases Of Money Politics Will Be Referred To ACA, Says Najib :: 02.12.04

Act Against Money politics :: 02.12.04

Let ACA probe money politics in Umno, PM told :: 03.12.04

Politik wang, Pak Lah kata BPR boleh bertindak :: 03.12.04

ACA Can Act On Cases Of Money Politics, Says Abdullah :: 03.12.04

Umno board: No deadline but make complaints fast :: the Star

Motion to bar from Parliament Astaman of UMNO money politics guilt ::

ACA Says Academy Reflects Country's Resolve To Fight Graft :: Bernama.com :: 03.12.04

Concrete Evidence Needed To Refer Money Politics to ACA :: 04.12.04

Graft body can probe Umno money politics cases:: STS 04.12.04

Kit Siang: Prosecute Umno leaders who don’t cooperate on money politics :: 04.12.04 :: M'kini

| ¶ 12/03/2004 10:55:00 PM

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

Siti Defamation Cases

Charges have finally been brought regarding the e-mail defamation of popular local songstress, Siti Nurhaliza.
Song diva Datuk Sharifah Aini Syed Jaafar was charged in the Magistrate's Court, Petaling Jaya, with defaming the popular local singer via e-mail last August. Datuk Sharifah Aini is said to have e-mailed to Ahmed Shaharil Jamaluddin, a lecturer of a college in Penang, several allegations pertaining to Siti Nurhaliza.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Shaharil was himself charged in the Magistrate's Court, Penang with three counts of defaming popular local artiste Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin through e-mail last August. He is alleged to have sent the defamatory e-mails to three entertainment journalists of NST, Harian Metro and Utusan Melayu.
Both Datuk Sharifah and Ahmed pleaded not guilty to their respective charges. Their charges of criminal defamation, are offences which carry a prison term of up to two years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
The allegation by the veteran songstress that she was assaulted last month, that she had been dragged out of her car by two men, assaulted and injected twice with an unknown substance has yet to be settled. Police investigations and examination of TV3 closed-circuit TV footage from cameras monitoring the location of the alleged assault were inconclusive. An analysis conducted at the National Poisons Centre at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Penang did not show up any toxic fluids in her body. Further action regarding this assault is awaited. There were suggestions in the media that Datuk Sharifah Aini might be sent for psychiatric assessment. Certainly there must be speculations why she did what she is alleged to have done. Early this month, BERNAMA reported that the polis will issue summons to singer Datuk Sharifah Aini if she had made a false report regarding her asault.
The MALAY MAIL had earlier reported that when asked in connection with her, Datuk Sharifah Aini had the following to say ::
"I am not scared and I will fight to the end to make sure the truth prevails," said Sharifah yesterday.
"I will not lose hope. As far as I am concerned, I have already been publicly judged. The past Ramadan, I was put on a difficult public trial." Sharifah remains adamant, though, that she was attacked that night of Oct 14.
"The truth is, I was hurt physically, and then some people want to force me to believe that I am emotionally, mentally, psychologically and spiritually unstable. Where is the justice in that?" she said.

Also according to the Malay Mail, it was reported that Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail will hold a Press conference today to make official announcements concerning Sharifah's case.

The connections ::
Ahmad Shaharil Jamaludin is ::
1. The president of Sharifah Aini's fan club
2. Sharifah Aini's adopted brother

The alleged defamatory e-mails can be seen here. Presumably, CT in the e-mails refers to Siti Nurhaliza.

Updated::
The MMail reported that according to Sharifah Aini's defence lawyer :: "It's a silly case". He commented that :: if everyone who received an e-mail and forwarded it to their friends were hauled to court, “half the population would be going to jail." He also opined that the case was a waste of public funds.

| ¶ 12/01/2004 07:42:00 PM

All d'News Menu

Alternative News & NGOs

BrainTeasers & Educational

Games Simplex