Landslides Strike At The Crack Of Dawn

(Bernama Photos)

Tragedies seem to strike in the early hours when you are sound asleep.

Last Saturday’s landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa took place about 4am, killing four people, one unaccounted for, 17 injured and 14 bungalows buried.

On May 15, 1999, more than 10,000 residents in Bukit Antarabangsa were trapped when a 100-metre long landslide occurred at 5.20am and cut off the only access road to the hilly residential area. There were no casualties.

I was one of the affected residents who had to go through so much discomfort for quite some time after the tragedy. Authorities were however quick in opening a new access road through Sungai Sering for the residents. But the road was soiled and muddy but we had no choice but to bear with the difficulties.

Back then, we were lucky that the landslide did not cause any loss of lives.

Several other landslides took place at the crack of dawn. On Nov 20, 2002 a landslide at 4.30am flattened the double-storey bungalow of Affin Bank Bhd chairman Gen (Rtd) Tan Sri Ismail Omar.

His wife, Puan Sri Azizah Abdul Aziz, his son Hijaz, two in-laws, two grandchildren and two Indonesian maids, perished in the 4.35am incident.

The bungalow was located 300m away from the Highland Towers.

On May 31, 2006, four people including two children were killed when they were buried alive in a landslide that flattened three blocks of longhouses at Kampung Pasir during a heavy downpour at 4.45pm.

In the latest landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa, I was one of the fortunate residents who were not directly affected by the tragedy.

My house which I bought in 1993 is sited at Taman Bukit Mulia, which is a valley at Bukit Antarabangsa, with access road from Kampung Pasir, the entrance to UK Perdana, another housing area. This road was built after the May 1999 landslide.

Since last Saturday’s incident, I have been consoling myself and family as well as those who phoned and sent SMSs to me after the landslide that my house is on a valley and far away from the tragedy. Of course, I was worried, who wouldn’t!.

I was in Kelantan when the landslide occurred. For the first time ever, I spent Hari Raya in a kampong environment. So, when my sister, whose late husband is from Kelantan threw the idea of spending our Hari Raya Aidil Adha at her in-laws’ village, I simply agreed.

After all, I had no plans despite taking two weeks leave. We headed for Kelantan on Friday and returned on Tuesday, second day of Hari Raya.

On reaching Wangsa Ukay to grab some Ramly burgers at our favourite stall, I noticed the congestion in the vicinity, with cars parked at every corner.

Some 3,000 to 5,000 residents have been asked to vacate their homes and those involved are
those from Impian Selatan, Jalan 9 and 11, Taman Wangsa Ukay, Jalan 6, Taman Bukit Jaya and Taman Bukit Mewah.

On the valley are Taman Bukit Mulia (phase one and two), Villa Duta and Villaria condominiums, a surau and second phase of Riverdale Park apartments. Some 3,000 to 5,000 people are staying in these areas.

From 10,000 in 1999, the population of Bukit Antarabangsa could have reached 15,000 -20,000 people by now. Bukit Antarabangsa is also dubbed Malaysia’s Beverly Hills, with many local artistes staying in the neighbourhood. Among them is Malay pop diva Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin with her husband Datuk Seri Khalid Muhammad Jiwa, whose RM6 million bungalow is located not far from where the landslide occurred.

Since the landslide, traffic at the Wangsa Ukay area which also sites Giant, Burger King, Petronas petrol station, Restoran Wangsa Ukay (mamak restaurant) and several shophouses, is congested, with police, Federal Reserve Unit and army vehicles plying the area round-the-clock.

About 200 metres away is a food court, with a 24-hour mamak restaurant, Restoran Al-Kaafah fast becoming a popular haunt for folks.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces (ATM) and the Public Works Department (PWD) have completed the construction of a 250-metre permanent bridge over a drain, to link Jalan Bukit Antarabangsa and Jalan Bukit Mewah.

The bridge, which will stretch across a large drain running along Jalan Bukit Antarabangsa, will connect residents to Jalan Bukit Mewah 2 and provide crucial access to Taman Bukit Mewah, Taman Bukit Utama residents after the main access road was cut off by last Saturday’s landslide.

Bukit Antarabangsa has recently turned into an army zone, with the sounds of helicopters above our rooftops. It will be a matter of time when things return to normal.

Let’s hope that follow-up action is taken to prevent another landslide from recurring.

My heart goes out to the families of victims who perished in the landslide. And to all who escaped the tragedy, let us pray to God for our safety.

Hey, The Moon Was Smiling At Us!

(Bernama photo by Anuar Isman)

Yes, the moon was indeed smiling at my loved one and me. We had a slight misunderstanding last night, and I said I was sorry for hurting his feelings. But he couldn’t accept my apology.

At home, I sent him my apology through e-mail. Usually, my dear friend would take awhile to get over it and on most occasions, it was due to the slip of my tongue. In his reply, he said that he initially was not planning to check his email, but somehow did. He said that he had some work to do.

Thanks to Mr Moon, there was a warmer tone in his reply. You were smiling at us, but in your mysterious way, I thought you were instrumental in melting his heart. Life is full of surprises!

I only learnt about the smiling moon this morning through my secretary, Siti Balqish who tried to capture the magic moment with her camera last night. The picture didn’t turn out well as Mr Moon could only be captured through the professional lens.

Because of what happened, I spent the night reading newspapers in bed and skipped watching tv. Otherwise, I would have watched the visuals of Mr Moon over local television.

Mr Moon, you simply have that special effect on lovers. It’s not surprising that many popular songs refer to the Moon. One evergreen number is Fly Me to the Moon, written by Bart Howard in 1954. Popularised by Frank Sinatra in 1954, here are the first few lines of the song:

Fly me to the Moon,
And let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars.

Sinatra recorded a whole album of Moon tunes in 1966, as the Apollo missions were gearing up for the first landing.

While the early songs about the Moon referred to its romantic qualities, by the 1960s going to the Moon became a reality and pop songs started to refer to it as a place rather than a mellow night-time friend.

Typical was Jonathan King's 1965 Everyone’s Gone to the Moon which refers to a world that has lost its way.

Some of the popular Moon tunes are Moon River (Andy Williams/Danny Williams), Carolina Moon (Connie Francis), Moonshadow (Cat Stevens), Moonlight Becomes You (Bing Crosby), Bad Moon Rising (Creedence Clearwater Revival) and Engkau Laksana Bulan (P. Ramlee).

Tony Fernandes - The Man Who Dares To Dream

Tony Fernandes (extreme right) at a
press conference in Toulouse recently.
(Bernama pix by Mustaza Yusoff)

From Salbiah Said TOULOUSE (France) Nov 11 (Bernama) -- There he stood with his trademark red baseball cap sharing with his audience from Airbus, his "dream of the impossible" that has driven him to the front seat of the regions largest budget airline that is redefining travel in the Asia Pacific. From zero experience in running an airline, Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, group chief executive officer of AirAsia Bhd, can thank his lucky stars for making a dramatic change of direction to realise his vision of making travel affordable to Malaysians. At the age of 37, Fernandes, who was vice-president for South-East Asia for Warner Music Group from 1992-2001, left the music industry to buy AirAsia, the then bankrupt carrier for a token sum of RM1.00. "This dream that's happened today is due to your hard work," said Fernandes, as he thanked AirAsia staff, management and his partners and aircraft manufacturer Airbus for believing in his dream, at the official handing over of the first Airbus A330 for its low-cost long-haul affiliate, AirAsia X Sdn Bhd, in Toulouse, France recently. The Airbus A330, costing US$200 million (US$1=RM3.54), is expected to significantly reduce the airlines fuel consumption and operating costs. The ceremony, witnessed by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, came just weeks after AirAsia switched the entire Malaysian operations to an all-Airbus A320 fleet. Fernandes, 44, is often described as Richard Branson of Asian airlines and hailed as Asia's answer to easyJets Stelios. British billionaire Sir Richard Branson is founder of Virgin Group of UK while Sir Stelios Haji-Ionannou is founder of easyJet plc, a budget airliner based at London Luton airport. AirAsia X, launched in January 2007, is 48 percent-owned by Aero Ventures (a venture of Tony Fernandes and several of his business associates), followed by 16 percent Virgin Group and 16 percent owned by AirAsia. Bahrain-based Manara Consortium and Japan-based Orix Corp have taken a total 20 percent stake in the long-haul low-cost carrier. "We started with a small dream with AirAsia, two planes, 200,000 passengers a year. Six years later, we had 20 million passengers with more than 80 aircraft. Our eventual dream will be 60 million passengers in 2013 with 175 A320s. "That dream was only for four hours (short haul). Today, with A330, and hopefully A350, we will be able to bring everyone to our magnificent hub in Kuala Lumpur from Europe, Africa and America. And really, we will make the world a small place," said Fernandes. Fernandes founded Tune Air Sdn Bhd in 2001, with a vision to make air travel more affordable to Malaysians. With that in mind, Tony and his three partners in the same year bought over AirAsia from its owner DRB-HICOM. "That same year along with some partners, I formed a partnership to set up Tune Air Sdn Bhd and bought AirAsia for a token sum of RM1.00. Subsequently AirAsia was remodelled into a low-cost carrier and by January 2002, our vision to make air travel more affordable for Malaysians and all Asians took flight," Fernandes says in his blog. Under his leadership, the fledging airline with a RM40 million debt became a blooming, thriving business and has grown into the regions largest budget carrier operating more than 100 routes covering over 60 destinations. From a two-aircraft operation of Boeing 737-300, AirAsia currently boasts a fleet of 72, and has to date carried more than 50 million passengers since its first day of operation. "Today is the start of a dream my partners and I from the music industry had seven years ago, that is to make travel affordable, democratising travel to everyone. Hence, we came out with a tagline: 'Now Everyone Can Fly' (AirAsia). We did for the region. Today, we are in Stage Two 'Now Everyone Can Fly Xtra Long' (AirAsia X)." AirAsia was established in 1993 by government-linked company DRB-HICOM, and started its operations in 1996, but was not successful. Air Asia was then bought by Fernandes in 2001 and he turned it around financially within a year. The ceremony in Toulouse marked the first delivery of AirAsia Xs orders. The carrier placed earlier this year an order for 25 Airbus A330 aircraft to be delivered over the next five years. It is expected to receive its second carrier in December which would further lower its operating costs. AirAsia has since 2005 placed 175 orders for A320s. To-date, 50 have been delivered. The Airbus A330 is powered by Rolls Royce Trent 700 engines. The cabin has 383 black leather upholstery seats, with optional premium XL seats for extra width and leg room as well as the latest in-flight entertainment system featuring innovative contents and applications provided by Thales of UK. To Airbus president and chief executive officer Tom Enders who was present at the historic event, Fernandes said: "We made a deal on the phone and sealed it past midnight in Malaysia. I look forward to a long relationship. "We always say at AirAsia, dream the impossible. Its always good to dream, people will always knock you down, (saying that) I was crazy, can't be done. If you don't dream, some reality wont come true, wont happen. We encourage people to dream. From some dreams, reality will come. "Today is a phenomenal reality for me. And we say believe the unbelievable. Who would think these guys from the music industry would revolutionise air travel in Asia. Keep on believing. Thanks to Airbus for supporting us in very troubled times," said Fernandes. Enders, in his speech, described the event as another important milestone in the strong partnership between Airbus and the AirAsia Group. "It is incredible to believe that it is less than four years since AirAsia placed its first order with Airbus. Since that time, the group has ordered a total of 200 aircraft from Airbus, including 175 A320s for the AirAsia short haul operation and 25 A330s for AirAsia X, making the group one of our largest airline customers," he said. AirAsia X started its commercial service with its flight from Kuala Lumpur to the Gold Coast, Australia on Nov 2 2007, before adding the Kuala Lumpur-Hangzhou route in February 2008. Exactly a year later, AirAsia X ushered in a new chapter of low-cost international travel by flying to its second Australian destination, Perth. The inaugural AirAsia X flight between Kuala Lumpur and Perth touched down on Western Australian soil at 2.40pm on Nov 2 (Sunday), using the airlines brand new wide-bodied Airbus A330. The A330 was freshly delivered from the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France on Oct 31 (Friday). AirAsia X now serves the Kuala Lumpur-Perth route with six direct return flights per week. The airline plans to upgrade this schedule to a daily service by mid-December. It will also commence services between Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne on Wednesday. -- BERNAMA

Cronyism: A Penny For Your Thoughts, Tun

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s advice last Sunday to prime minister-in-waiting, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to keep his cronies and family members at bay when he takes over the reins of leadership is worth pondering.

Dr Mahathir knows best. After all, he has ruled the nation for 22 years. In fact, Dr Mahathir came under virulent attacks by the western media, alleging him of practising cronyism during his term in office as prime minister.

In his website www.chedet.com, which is named after the pseudonym he used when he wrote articles for the newspapers, Dr Mahathir says that when the New Economic Policy began to show some results in the early 80s, the western media and local opponents of the government began to talk about cronyism.

“I came in for virulent attacks because some Malays actually did well in business. They were all labelled my cronies whether they were indeed my cronies or not. Anyone who succeeded was immediately defined as my crony. Many close friends, relatives and members of my family who failed in business would not be called cronies.

It is not the actual relation or association with the leader that qualifies one to be the crony of the Prime Minister. It is the success of the individual. Failures, no matter how close they may be to the Prime Minister would not be called cronies.

This left me in a quandary. As head of the Government, I had to ensure the success of the NEP objective of reducing the disparities between the bumiputeras and the non-bumis. This reduction must be achieved at all levels, not excluding the rich and the very rich. It wouldn't do to have parity among the low income and middle income only, while big businesses are all in the hands of the non-Bumiputera millionaires,” says Dr Mahathir.

But what is cronyism?

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia has defined cronyism as partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications.

“Governments are particularly susceptible to accusations of cronyism, as they spend public money. Many democratic governments are encouraged to practice administrative transparency in accounting and contracting, however there often is no clear delineation of when an appointment to government office is "cronyism".

It is not unusual for a politician to surround him- or herself with highly-qualified subordinates, and to develop social, business, or political friendships leading to the appointment to office of friends, likewise in granting government contracts. In fact, the counsel of such friends is why the officeholder successfully obtained his or her powerful position — therefore, cronyism usually is easier to perceive than to demonstrate and prove.

In the private sector, cronyism exists in organisations, often termed ‘the old boys club’ or 'the golden circle', again the boundary between cronyism and 'networking' is difficult to delineate.”

According to Wikipedia, cronyism can exist anywhere, in both free and not-so-free states. Some notable situations and examples of cronyism in world history include:

George Washington was criticised for appointing Alexander Hamilton as the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury after Hamilton had served as Washington’s aide during the American
Revolutionary War.

Examples of cronyism can be found historically in a number of communist states. The cultural revolution in China was initially popular due to the perception that Mao Zedong was ridding the state of a number of officials who had obtained their positions by dint of friendship with communist authorities. One of the highest level cases of cronyism occurred during the Kennedy administration in the United States. Robert S. McNamara was appointed by President John F. Kennedy without any experience, a point that McNamara made clear in the 2003 documentary ‘The Fog of War.’ McNamara's role in the disastrous Vietnam War was crucial and he is often considered "the architect of the Vietnam War". Kennedy originally offered him a job as US Secretary of State and when McNamara admitted to having no experience he gave him Secretary of Defence. Even though McNamara confessed no experience in defence, Kennedy insisted he accept the position.

· US President George W. Bush was accused of cronyism after the nomination of Harriet Miers to the US Supreme Court. Miers had no previous judicial experience and demonstrated little knowledge of constitutional law, and her selection was rejected by many conservatives and liberals. The appointment of Michael D. Brown to the head of FEMA could also be considered a case of cronyism as Brown had no experience pertaining to his job. The administration has also been accused of cronyism for reducing Scooter Libby’s sentence in the Plame Affair.

Paul Wolfowitz was mentioned in connection with cronyism after the World Bank committee charged him with violation of ethical and governance rules as bank president by showing favouritism to his companion in 2005. The report noted that Mr Wolfowitz broke bank rules and the ethical obligations in his contract, and that he tried to hide the salary and promotion package awarded to Shaha Riza, his companion and a bank employee, from top legal and ethics officials in the months after he became bank president in 2005.

Sept 16, Anwar Hottest Menu At Break Fast Dos

Pakatan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his ambitious plan to take over the federal government on Sept 16 have been the favourite menu of each and everyone at breakfast gatherings during this Ramadan.

In fact, Anwar has been in the limelight since the last general election. He made his return to Parliament on Aug 28, two days after he had won the Permatang Pauh by-election.

His political future hinged on this by-election which he won by a landslide victory. The crucial vote returned him to parliament after a decade long absence.

The March elections handed the opposition control of five states and a third of parliamentary seats. The former deputy prime minister has to persuade 30 lawmakers to switch sides from the ruling coalition in order to gain the majority needed to form a new government.

In the run up to Sept 16, Anwar and his “dream” of forming a new government, topped the list of topics at these breakfast events, with every corporate executive hosting these functions, fishing for the latest juicy piece of news from the media.

This was despite some other developments such as the controversial remarks by Umno Vice-President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to reconsider the 2010 transition plan.

Muhyiddin who is Minister of International Trade and Industry has since said that he will not resign from his ministerial post as demanded by some of his Cabinet colleagues.

Following this, the arrests of Malaysia Today news portal editor Raja Petra Kamarudin, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng under the Internal Security Act (ISA) also drew mix reactions from the public.

The latest to hog the limelight was the outburst from Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim on the use of the ISA on the three individuals last week.

Prior to the controversial remarks by Muhyiddin, the ISA detentions and Zaid’s criticism of the ISA, the study tour by 41 Barisan Nasional MPs to Taipei recently was also the entrée at these breaking fast dinners.

Many had speculated that the trip was planned to derail the Pakatan Rakyat adviser’s plan to topple the government on Sept 16 by getting Barisan MPs to jump ship, although many quarters have denied this. Most of them will return on Sept 17.

Terengganu state PAS commissioner Datuk Mustafa Ali said PKR had not officially consulted PAS on the proposed takeover of the government.

“Anwar seems to be controlling our lives, even when we break our fast, we are still talking about him,” says one top corporate executive at a breaking fast event sponsored by Scomi Group Bhd for Bernama staff at Wisma Bernama last night.

Whichever side of the fence you are in, the debate on Anwar’s dream of forming a new government continues, with each and every individual at these dining tables giving their own interpretation and comments.

At one of these functions last week, some journalists from Suara Keadilan were at the same table with me, and they were of course confident the Sept 16 plan would materialize.

But in the spirit of Ramadan, discussions were under control, with no “untoward incidents.” Most Muslims, after nearly 13 hours of fasting, prefer to enjoy the lavish buffer spreads at the hotel.

Buy Malaysian, Say No To Imported Chocolates

“Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world's perfect food”. --Michael Levine, nutrition researcher, as quoted in The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars

Say No to imported chocolates and Yes to Malaysia’s home-grown ‘food from the gods’. If you have not tasted the goodness and the pure heavenly bliss from Malaysian-made chocolates, then you are missing the best things in life!

My trip to the Malaysian Cocoa Board in Bangi recently resulted in a 360-degree change in my perception of locally-made chocolates. Not only are they tastier, these chocolates are also cheaper and halal too. I have eaten some of these local chocolates in the market many years ago, but they tasted more cocoa with less chocolate.

But with Research and Development (R&D) in place at the MCB’s Cocoa Downstream Research Centre, Malaysian made chocolates are of superior quality and taste as good, if not better than imported ones, with a good number of local chocolate companies making forays abroad.

I had a taste of these chocolates after delivering a talk on journalism at a two-day workshop organised by Bernama for a group of officers, mostly researchers at the centre end of last month.

A no-frills box of chocolates at the centre costs RM20 each, and for my colleague Rohana Mustafa, editor of the Features Desk, who was also one of the speakers, she had her hands full with orders from some 10 people from the Editorial Department.

At the closing of the workshop on Aug 27, Bernama Editor-in-Chief Yong Soo Heong offered MCB to send their personnel for journalism exposure at Bernama Economic Service.

On the commercial front, Malaysian chocolates are also gaining popularity among locals and foreign tourists. One example is the Cocoa Boutique, billed as Malaysia’s largest chocolate paradise at the Malaysia Tourism Centre (MTC) in Jalan Ampang.

The boutique was officially opened by Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said on April 8 2008, held in tandem with the pre-launch of the ministry’s Colours and Flavours of Malaysia campaign.

Having opened its first outlet back in August 2003, the latest flagship Cocoa Boutique is the sixth in line to open. According to its managing director Teng Sze Choong, four of his outlets can be found in Imbi, the National Monument and MTC in Kuala Lumpur.

“Other existing outlets are in GohTong Jaya, Genting Highlands and Penang. We have since welcomed about 4 million visitors from over 80 countries in total and the numbers are increasing by the day.”

Teng says, “Our aim is to offer chocolate connoisseurs a wide selection of the finest locally produced chocolates. The overwhelming response and popular demand by customers from locally and abroad have resulted in the opening of another outlet nearby known as Chocolate Gallery Malaysia to accommodate the increasing influx of visitors.”

“It is our hope that visitors will bring home sweet memories of Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia in the form of our premium and distinctive Cocoa Boutique chocolates with them. We have 300 varieties of fine chocolates specially formulated and made from original Belgian recipes, using 100 percent pure cocoa butter and other quality ingredients.

Meanwhile, to promote cocoa and its related products, the Malaysian International Cocoa Fair 2009 (MICF ’09) will be held on 8 – 12 May 2009 in Kuala Lumpur.

The fair consists of three events - The Malaysian International Cocoa Conference (MICC ’09), The Malaysian International Cocoa Exposition (MICE ’09) and The Malaysian International Cocoa Dinner (MICD ’09). All three events will be held in The Berjaya Times Square.

The MICC ’09 will enable participants to obtain latest information on cocoa research, new technologies, products and other aspect of cocoa.

At the same time, traders, manufacturers, entrepreneurs and business people in cocoa are able to display, market and establish business contacts on their cocoa products, equipment, machinery and other related cocoa products.

Bernama Gets Brand Laureate’s Best News Agency Award

(Bernama Photos By Mustaza Yusoff)

At 40, Bernama is a force to be reckoned with. It has under its stable a full-fledged editorial team, and to strengthen its position in the region, it has also launched Web TV.

As an established news and information provider, the Malaysian national news agency has also under its wings a radio channel and a television channel.

Bernama Radio 24 is Malaysia´s first news radio channel which is available on 93.9FM and via audio streaming, while Bernama TV is a 24-hour news and current affairs channel, offering news and information in Malay, English, Mandarin and Tamil on Astro Channel 502.

With offices in all states in Malaysia and correspondents in Beijing, Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok and New Delhi, Bernama is poised for greater heights.

On June 30, Brand Laureate Award, which honours brand icons and statesmen in Malaysia and Asia Pacific region, named Bernama the Best News Agency Brand Award.

Last Wednesday, Chief Executive Officer of The Brand Laureate Datuk K.K. Johan personally delivered the award to Bernama. There was no representative from Bernama at the auspicious ceremony to accept the award.

At the Brand Laureate Awards 2007/2008 Gala Dinner, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad led the list of those honoured with the Brand Laureate Hall of Fame Award.

He received a Lifetime Achievement Award as an acknowledgment of his works as Malaysia's master brand builder.

In his speech, Dr Johan said Dr Mahathir, during his tenure as Prime Minister, has positioned Malaysia as a respectable nation and a force to be reckoned with in the international arena.

The other recipients were Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid, chairman of Permodalan Nasional Bhd, Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, chairman of Genting and Tan Sri Azman Hashim, chairman of Ambank group.

They were honoured as Brand Laureate's Brand Personality Award 2008.

Johan said the three personalities, had successfully guided the growth of the respective organisations under them.

The Brand Laureate award was conceptualised to honour brand excellences in Malaysia and in the world, and awarded to deserving brands from multinationals, public-listed and government-linked companies that have shown best practices in branding and meet stringent selection criteria.

Breaking Fast With Dates

Muslims around the world break their fast with dates, an essential part of Ramadan, which is historically linked to the Islamic culture.

This Muslim ritual is said to have begun with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) around the seventh century.

That tradition has transformed the date into a massive industry in the Middle East. In Saudi Arabia alone, more than 21 million palm trees produce 884,000 tons of dates a year, making the kingdom one of the largest date producers.

Science has proven that dates are an essential part of a healthy diet, as they contain sugar, fat and proteins as well as important vitamins and are also rich in natural fibres.

Modern medicine has shown that dates are effective in preventing abdominal cancer. They also surpass other fruits in the sheer variety of their constituents that include oil, calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, copper and magnesium.

Dates are also popular in Malaysia, with the fruit easily available at wet markets as well as the shelves of local supermarkets. Date baskets are also common gifts during the Ramadan.

At hotels where buka puasa events for the media are held, plates of dates are placed on dining tables, with more of the fruits at the buffet section. At most of these gatherings, each guest is given a door gift containing a package of dates.

This date ritual reminds me of an advertisement on Ramadan in 2006. It simply shows a plate with three dates on it. Just a sober but cutting reminder to Muslims to reflect on how they observe their fasting month.

It’s main message over a plate containing three dates reads: “Somewhere out there, this is all someone can afford for buka puasa today. If he’s lucky enough.”

The community service advertisement calls on those fasting not to forget the true spirit of fasting and spare a thought before indulging in lavish buka puasa spreads.

In a world that has become a global village with a free market and a free economy, an increasing number of people are falling victim to wars, hunger, incurable diseases, internal strife, and human rights abuses.

The word "Ramadan" comes from the Arabic root word for "parched thirst" and "sun-baked ground." It is expressive of the hunger and thirst felt by those who spend the month in fasting. As opposed to other holidays, when people often indulge, Ramadan is by nature a time of sacrifice.

We know that all major battles in Islamic history were fought and won during the month of Ramadan. There are still battles to be fought and won --against poverty, intolerance, prejudice, racism and terror.

Let us pray for peace and security for the whole world.

Another Feather In Bernama’s Cap With Web TV

(Bernama Photo)

Bernama has added another feather in its cap with the launch of Bernama Web TV, Southeast Asia’s first live Internet news channel.

The new platform, which can be accessed from last Wednesday via www.bernama-tv.com provides for unrestricted access to Bernama TV over Astro’s Channel 502 from anywhere in the world via the Internet.

It is the latest product of Bernama TV, Malaysia’s first and number one 24-hour news channel. Bernama TV was launched on Feb 28 2008, delivering up to the minute news from all over Malaysia, Asia and around the world.

Bernama Web TV comes exactly a year after the launch of Bernama Radio24, the Malaysian national news agency’s 24-hour news and current affairs channel.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his speech launching the service last Wednesday, expressed the hope that Bernama Web TV would become the top choice of the people wanting accurate news.

Abdullah believes the 40-year-old Bernama, is a mature and experienced media institution which has contributed much towards forging greater unity among the people and has served the nation well.

"I am happy with the pioneering effort of Bernama TV in providing for access to news via the Internet. This is definitely a meaningful step forward, “ says the premier.

Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Annuar Zaini says a world pivoted on knowledge requires answers accurately -- and fast. A delay in disseminating accurate information would give ample room for the spreading of false news, he adds.

Mohd Annuar says the false news would reach the target earlier and have the advantage of being the first news while the actual news, having arrived late, would be rated secondary and serve to rectify the damage already done.

"News on government successes requires a prudent approach in terms of marketing and communication methods so that the people are able to appreciate the efforts taken by the government and the world can understand what actually happens in the country."

The Uniqueness of Ramadan in Malaysia

Breaking Fast With Family
(Bernama Photo)

We have come to the fifth day of Ramadan in Malaysia, a special month of the year for over one billion Muslims throughout the world. It is also a time for inner reflection, devotion to Allah and self-control.

For Malaysia, Ramadan is unique in the sense that it is not just about abstaining from food and water for Muslims, it is also a celebration, with the Bazaar Ramadan a common feature during this month.

It is during this month in the Muslim calendar that Muslims and non-Muslims in Malaysia flood the Bazaar Ramadan, held in the evenings, with several mouth-watering dishes available.

And it is during this time that your favourite traditional delicacies, which are not commonly sold daily, are making their way into these hawker stalls, which are only in business (and brisk too!) during Ramadan.

In what is seen as a sign of difficult times for the people as a result of the steep fuel and food price hike, the number of stalls and the crowds at some of these Bazaars have somewhat diminished, as can be seen in Ulu Kelang area.

At Bukit Antarabangsa where I live, there is also a drop in the number of stalls, with little or no choice for the residents who have to find alternative locations, either in jalan Enggang or Taman Melawati.

For instance, a mamak stall selling popiah (mini spring rolls) at the jalan Enggang Bazaar Ramadan, which used to reject customers who come at 7 pm, now accepts orders, with only a handful of people in the queue.

I was one of these latecomers who had wanted this popiah so badly during the last Ramadan and every time I went there, I got a ‘sold out’ reply. Alas, I got my popiah on Tuesday, and I must say it was really worth it!

Ramadan is also a social networking for companies and organisations, with the media’s schedule packed with breaking fast invitations.

For these companies and organisations, the breaking fast do is a token of appreciation to the media for their support in promoting their past events, and some took the opportunity to treat and present Ramadan contributions to Muslim orphans.

Among others who have organised breaking fast events for the media are AmBank, Tesco, Samsung and MSC Malaysia. Malaysia Airports is having its gathering with the media today, while Petronas, Nestle, Bank Rakyat and Air Asia have lined up theirs next week.

Personally, I would rather be with my family when I can enjoy home cooked food, with extras like the murtabak, popiah, kuih badak berendam, tepung talam, roti jala, caramel pudding, etc, etc, etc, etc, from the Bazaar Ramadan.

Peace - It's Every Malaysian's Merdeka Wish

It’s every Malaysian’s Merdeka wish that we all live in harmony. We have enjoyed peace and stability all these years, and let us all pray that Malaysia will continue to be a nation that is peaceful, united and prosperous.

We have said “No” to the racial riots of May 13, 1969 and there’s nothing that we can do to erase that bloody event from our Malaysian history. As the day of our independence draws nearer, let us all remind ourselves that no one stands to gain from inciting racial or religious sentiments.

Ahead of our 51^st Merdeka Day, I would like to take this opportunity to call on everyone, irrespective of their political ideologies, to set aside their differences and work together towards making Malaysia a truly great place to live in.

Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk N. Parameswaran made an interesting point last Monday when he wished that Malaysians would go back to the good old days of the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee, the legendary Malay film icon.

He said Malaysians should emulate what they see in P. Ramlee movies, which depicted them living together in harmony.

"We should begin to appreciate the differences in our races and religions. I like to see this happen as it is important," Param said. In other words, a country with different races but all living in unity and with little discord.

For someone who is “a product of May 13 1969” , Param’s words are worth pondering. Let it not be his Merdeka wish alone, but the wishes of all of us that we should appreciate the differences in our races and religions and live in unity.

It is also our Prime Minister’s wish that Malaysians continue to live in unity irrespective of their political differences, when he unveiled the Budget 2009 in parliament today.

“I pray to God that our future generation will inherit a nation that is peaceful, united and prosperous,” said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when he wrapped up his speech.

Practice Makes Perfect

(Bernama Pix by Zuber Nordin)

Learning a foreign language is not easy, but you need to Practice, Practice and Practice. As the old axiom goes, practice makes perfect.

Put yourself in the frame of mind that you are going to a foreign country and will have no one to help you so learning the language is a must for your survival.

I am one of the few lucky ones in Bernama who have had the opportunity to learn a second language – Arabic. I have always wanted to master the language of our prophet, but never did before.

I must admit that I was slow at reading the jawi text before this and I have myself to blame for not making an extra effort to learn. I guess the old ‘parrot’ system of learning the verses in the muqadam and the Quran, without knowing the true meaning during my younger days has not been effective.

Alas, this Arabic class organised free for Bernama staff since last year has been an eye opener for me, at least. Conducted by a Moroccan, now attached to Bernama’s Arab Desk as a sub editor, Khalid Chtaibi Abu Hiba, the lessons focussed on conversing rather than theory.

To ensure that all of us can speak confidently, at least self-introduction in Arabic, Khalid provided tape recordings (self) of the lessons to the students. Among others, we were taught on self introduction about our family and job and about Malaysia.

Our group has just completed the third level last Tuesday, with each and every one of us tested on our speaking ability.

The result – all of us did well, not perfect though, but we can proudly say that we would be able to strike a conversation with any Arab national who comes to Bernama or whom we meet for the first time.

To prove a point, I practised my Arabic skills on a group of Kuwaiti university students who visited Bernama last Thursday, Aug 21. During the visit, the students were also given a tour of the NAM News Network on the 15th floor.

But of course, only my welcoming speech was in Arabic, the rest on Bernama and its role and policies, as well as the Q-A with the students, on press freedom in Malaysia and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy case, were in English. That will be the day when I can speak fully in Arabic. Wonder when?

Our next level, insyaAllah will be held in September during which we will focus on Bernama – organisation, mission and vision, and the editorial department.

إِلَي الِّلقَاء - Illal Liqaa - Until we meet again

مَعَ السَّلاَمَة - Maasalamah – Goodbye

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Sports Transcends Racial Boundaries

Sports transcends boundaries, and it has proven to be the most effective platform to strengthen the understanding and friendship between peoples from all over the world.

For Malaysia, the most-watched match between Malaysian shuttler Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan of China for the coveted world champion title in the men’s singles final at the Beijing Olympics last Sunday night shows that sports is a unifying factor among races.

It does not matter whether Chong Wei is Chinese, as for us all, he is Malaysian and representing the nation in the Olympics. It has been every athlete’s dream to be in the Olympics, let alone winning a medal.

Wherever they are, at mamak stalls, office or at home, Malaysians from all walks of life, irrespective of race, watched with bated breath the match live on television when Chong Wei “fought to his death” to deliver an Olympic medal for Malaysia.

But poor Chong Wei, he was carrying a heavy weight ahead of the finals against the Chinese juggermaut, with the hopes of the nation resting on his shoulders as the Beijing Olympics approached.

Despite being one of the sport's powerhouses, Malaysia has never won Olympic gold in badminton before, or in any other sport.

Chong Wei had earlier admitted the tremendous pressure and expectation for him to win.

"The whole of Malaysia wants a medal, preferably gold, and I really do not want to disappoint them. To be honest, I do think a lot about it. There is a lot of pressure. My target is to win a medal and the key, I believe, is mental strength."

The Malaysian badminton ace who promised a fight before the games conceded that Lin Dan, world’s number one, was a far superior player. Chong Wei, world’s number two lost to Lin Dan of China 21-12, 21-8.

Never mind silver, you have delivered an Olympic medal and you have made Malaysia proud. You are our national hero and the fact that you have reached this far, that by itself, is a triumph.

Bravo Chong Wei!

Eye on Malaysia Moves To Melaka In October

How sad that the Eye on Malaysia, the largest portable 'observation wheel' in the world and the first overhanging a lake, is moving out of Kuala Lumpur.

The giant ferris wheel is shifting to Melaka in October, which is tipped to draw more tourists, especially from Singapore.

In fact, the change in location for Eye on Malaysia, which is sited at Lake Titiwangsa, is also timely as Melaka was listed on Unesco’s World Heritage City List in July this year.

Last Saturday, GlaxoSmithKline, a leading healthcare and pharmaceutical company in Malaysia, took the opportunity to ride on the historic departure of this landmark in KL by inviting the media and family members to join their family day, which included a free ride on the gondolas.

At the half-day event which ended at 12.30pm, the company also took the opportunity to launch its new product, Scott’s Vitamic C pastilles with mixed berries flavour.

For one who have not been on the gondola, the 12-minute ride was certainly a nice experience. It offers a 360-degrees panoramic view of Kuala Lumpur, including KL Tower, Istana Budaya and Petronas Twin Towers. Of course, Wisma Bernama was also in the picture.

So for those who have not been on this Eye on Malaysia, you can still catch it before it moves to Melaka. Take the night ride, you will enjoy the cool breeze, and spectacular views across Lake Titiwangsa. It will take your breath away!

And bring along your cameras to capture the moments at the lake, which is one of the most popular metropolitan recreational parks in Malaysia.

The Eye on Malaysia was unveiled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Jan 6 2006 in conjunction with the grand launch of the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 celebration.

Similar in concept and style to the famous London Eye, the giant wheel at Lake Titiwangsa has a total of 42 gondolas comprising 39 units for the public, one for VIPs and two for disabled passengers. Each of the gondola can carry eight people.

Campaign To Save Facebook From Closure

A group of Facebook users is going on a global campaign to help save the social networking website from possible closure.

“Facebook Will Be Forced to Shut down in 7 Days! Join and Save it! All in favour of keeping Facebook as it is join this group and invite all of your friends”, says the group.

Facebook CEO and founder, Mark Zuckerberg has been taken to a federal court in the US by owners of ConnectU, a rival website after alleging that Zuckerberg stole their ideas. Owners of ConnectU are seeking to shut down Facebook.

Launched in February 2004, Facebook currently has 71 million users. ConnectU launched three months after Facebook only has approximately 70,000 users. Latest figures show that there are 380,280 Facebook users in Malaysia.

The founders of ConnectU said Zuckerberg agreed to help finish a computer code for their website but stalled and eventually launched Facebook.

The lawsuit against him includes fraud, copyright infringement and misappropriation of trade secrets. ConnectU’s founders are asking the court to shut down Facebook and give control of the company and its assets to them.

ConnectU originally filed a suit in 2004, but it was dismissed on a technicality and immediately re-filed. The owners of ConnectU, brothers Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss and Divya Narenda, claim that in 2002 they began working on a social networking site for the Harvard community called the Harvard Connection.

In 2003, the founders of ConnectU asked Zuckerberg to complete software and database work on the site. After being asked repeatedly to finish, Zuckerberg assured them he was working hard to complete it, the lawsuit said.

According to court filings, Facebook’s attorneys said ConnectU has no evidence against Zuckerberg and deny he stole the ideas from his fellow classmates.

“Each of them had different interests and activities,” Zuckerberg’s attorneys wrote. “Only one of them had an idea significant enough to build a great company. That one person was Mark Zuckerberg.”

But despite the controversy, Facebook is now the world’s social networking king, according to an AFP report from San Francisco, citing industry tracker comScore.

Industry figures show that that Facebook has dethroned News Corp-owned MySpace to become the world’s most popular social networking website, with slightly more than 132 million people visiting Facebook in June compared to approximately 117.5 million that went to MySpace that month.

Some Useful Tips From Ahmad Talib

The last time I met Datuk Ahmad A. Talib was in Tokyo when Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad was then Prime Minister. I don’t recall the year, possibly 2000 or 2001, but one thing for sure, I will always remember Ahmad for his warm persona and generosity.

He was then Group Editor of the New Straits Times, and his presence brought comfort to other Malaysian journalists who were on this trip to cover Dr Mahathir’s visit to Japan.

He was our leader. With him around, everything seemed to fall into place, and things were made even easier with Datuk Zakaria Wahab, then PM’s press secretary, facilitating our job by giving us Dr Mahathir’s speech texts days ahead.

But with the leadership change, this author of the then NST’s weekly column Pahit Manis had to make way for changes. On May 1 2003, a veteran journalist Hardev Kaur took over as the new Group Editor of NST Sdn Bhd. Ahmad was then made Group General Manager, Communications and Editorial Marketing.

Ahmad then left the newspaper to join Maxis Communications Bhd as adviser from June 2005 to November 2006. It was a short stint for him at Maxis, which has since changed from a public listed to a private company.

Partly driven by his passion for writing, this seasoned journalist is now a blogger, and has adopted the name Pahit Manis for his site, which commands 400 to 500 hits a day.

On Tuesday, Aug 12, Ahmad, who had his roots in Bernama, took his time off to share his thoughts and experiences on reporting and managing the news desk with a group of senior journalists and editors at Wisma Bernama.

Ahmad who describes himself as ‘Ex (Axed) journalist’ in his blog was not there to relate his Pahit Manis during the broadsheet days of the NST, but more of sharing some useful tips on how to excel in journalism.

Among others, he said it would be ‘sinful’ for news editors to stop writing even if they are desk-bound, noting that during his term in office, those who managed desks were expected to go out and meet their contacts, attend functions and write stories and features.

For bureau chiefs, 13 or 14 of them, there was no excuse for not writing, he said. They were asked to write news analysis for a column which was prominently displayed on page 2 of the newspaper, and because of the good understanding they had, everyone was ensured of a two-week break before their next article was due.

Even for gatekeepers and news editors, there was no such thing as “not having the time to write” as their year-end appraisals were based on articles that they produced.

To Bernama, he said the best platform for writing would be Bernama.com and what better way to make news editors contribute their articles through a page specially dedicated for them on this website.

Ahmad, who started his career in journalism in 1972, has also served the Business Times and Berita Harian. During the broadsheet days of the NST, he started Travel Times, Cars, Bikes and Trucks. He was also chairman of the Malaysian Press Institute. Currently, he is a Trustee for Yayasan Salam and Yayasan Kebajikan Anak-anak Yatim Malaysia.

Bernama.com Makeover 08.08.2008

(Pix from Beijing Olympics 2008 official website)

Perhaps to coincide with the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, Bernama, the Malaysian national news agency has picked 08.08.2008 to unveil its new look for its official website, Bernama.com.

The most lucky number in the Chinese official language of Mandarin is the number eight, which means "prosperity," "fortune" or "wealth."

“By commencing the Beijing Olympics on 08.08.2008, at eight minutes past eight o'clock in the evening will certainly guarantee that the Games will be carried out under the most auspicious of circumstances," Wang Hua, a Beijinger was quoted in a news report from Beijing, the capital of China.

To attract a larger audience from the Malaysian public, Bernama.com has also added a new icon on politics, which is timely as all eyes are now focusing on the looming battle for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat on Aug 26.

The new Bernama.com has also incorporated a new segment What Say You which invites the audience to give their views on current issues, with today’s topic ‘What needs to be done to improve Malaysia’s public transportation system? ‘ setting the momentum for a more interactive website.

The segment on Editors’ Pick, now renamed Opinions has found its way on the front page, and it has posted the first letter from Alen Noordin of Penang, giving his wish-list on the Budget 2009

Bringing Passion Back To Work

I received a flyer through email today from SMR Hub Malaysia inviting CEOs, MDs, company presidents, chairmen, GMs, directors, senior managers, heads of Human Resources, and those involved in personnel training, to a conference and workshop on Bringing Passion Back to Work at Hotel Istana on Aug 27-28.

The flyer goes like this:

‘Martin Luther King Jr., once said “If a man is called to be a street-sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street-sweeper who did his job well.’”

Martin Luther King’s message to all of us is clear: It is passion that must be the basis of our work.’

In journalism, this is what we need, passion and pride in our work, something that is sadly lacking nowadays, with fresh graduates seeking for jobs rather than understanding the true meaning of the profession.

According to the organiser, the event “is vital to any individual and organisational success. It will overcome the ‘Thank God It’s Friday’ syndrome. With passion, your work and work place can be fun, positively challenging and rewarding.”

It is also passion that drives many to have their own blog. It’s more or less an online diary where whatever that is posted on it becomes a public domain.

For a new blogger like me, I guess it’s because I enjoy writing and this is one way I can really write my mind and feel some sort of satisfaction. It has also something to do with sharing my thoughts and enjoying the fact that someone’s reading it.

So if you are passionate about writing, why not start your own blog. You will enjoy it and will be even more thrilled if you know your beloved ones, friends, colleagues and people out there are reading your 'piece of mind'. If you want attention, then this is the best platform for you.