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.

China All Geared For The Olympics

Thanks to People’s Daily, I finally landed on the soil of China, the world’s most populous country, to attend the Second 10+3 Media Cooperation Forum in northern China’s port city of Tianjin on May 19.

The meeting however was held just a week after a major earthquake devastated Wenchuan County in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, causing major casualties and property loss.

Despite the tragedy, China soldiered on, and as a perfect host, organisers took the media on a tour to Tianjin Port, Tianjin Binhai area and the Olympic Centre Stadium.

After spending a couple of days in Tianjin, we then departed on May 21 (Wednesday) for Beijing. There we visited the purpose-built Olympic venues such as the open air National Stadium, also known as the 'Bird's Nest' which will host the opening ceremony.

Themed ‘Beijing Olympic Games: Sharing the Success’, the forum was sponsored by People's Daily and presented by the Tianjin Daily News Group.

At the forum in Tianjin, People’s Daily president Zhang Yannong said the Beijing Olympics provided an excellent opportunity for media cooperation and the media were expected to participate actively in reporting.

“People of all countries, especially Asian neighbours, will share the event through an objective, accurate and comprehensive report,” he said.

Jiang Xiaoyu, executive vice president of Bejing Olympics Committee (BOCOG) said the Games would help strengthen the understanding and friendship between the peoples of China, Asean, Japan and Korea, and further improve the exchanges and cooperation in the political, economic and trade, cultural and sports fields.

“Hosting the Olympics, is the century long expectation of the Chinese nation. Beijing is the third Asian city to host the Summer Olympics, after the 1964 Tokyo Games in Japan, and 1988 Seoul Olympics in the Republic of Korea. Beijing 2008 Olympics is not only the glory of China, but also the glory of Asia.”

Meanwhile, China has assured athletes and spectators of a safe Olympics after 16 policemen were killed in an a attack in the western region of Xinjiang on Monday. The opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games will be held this Friday.

When My Best Friend Retires

Come Aug 25, Mafuzah Ahmad retires after 29 years in Bernama. Despite the retirement age being extended to 58, Mafuz, as she is affectionately called, says she has had enough after giving her all to this organisation.

Call it job burnout or stress, she is one dedicated worker. As Bernama.com editor, Mafuz used to spend hours in the office, and while her colleagues would have already had their dinner, and watching tv with their family, she would still be glued to her office computer.

Mind you, Mafuz used to clock out at midnight, almost every working day. What a life!

In fact, we used to poke fun at each other for staying single till today. “How do you expect Mr Right to come your way when you spend half of the time in office?” But thanks to people like Mafuz, Bernama.com is what it is today.

Today, Bernama.com, the official website of Bernama, can boast of some 40 million hits a day, with clients like Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Boeing, Takaful and Westports to name a few.

But my best friend won’t be totally out of circulation after she retires. She will still serve Bernama as a part-time caption writer in the photo unit while focusing on her spa and aromatherapy business.

I have known her since UiTM days. She majored in PR while I was in advertising. After graduating mid-1977, we both joined TV1 as a part-time/full time reporter.

It was tough for me as I had to make ends meet, having to pay rent and my own bills with only RM400 a month, while Mafuz was lucky as she was staying with her parents.

After one and a half years in RTM, we applied for a full-time job in Bernama. She got the offer in May, while I followed suit a month later.

Throughout all these years in Bernama, she has been one great friend, and the greatest friend ever. She was always there when I was down and out.

There were times she didn’t have to offer any solution to your woes, but the fact that she was there to listen to your problems was the best medicine ever. Most of the time, it was more of affairs of the heart. You can tell her anything, and she would not be shocked.

For you dear Mafuz, I dedicate some of these quotes to you:

“A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him, I may think aloud.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you."

- Elbert Hubard

“The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.”

– Unknown

Facelift For Bernama.com

Bernama’s official website, Bernama.com will soon get a facelift.

It will be more interactive, with a new segment ‘What Say You’ to be featured on this revamped site, which is expected to draw a larger audience to Bernama.com, which now boasts of some 40 million hits a day.

‘What Say You’ is inviting public comments on issues of interest. While the present icon, Editor’s Pick publishes letters from viewers (Letters to the Editor) on all issues, the new segment gets the public to air their views on topics selected by Bernama.

The concept of posting viewers’ comments on all issues will be retained, with the icon Editor’s Pick changed to Opinions instead.

Look-wise, the new Bernama.com is more pleasing to the eyes, incorporating the creative ideas and expertise from our own in-house web design team at the Portal and e-Commerce division.

The content driver comes from the Editorial, led by the dynamic and prolific editor-in-chief Yong Soo Heong, who is entrusted to take on the challenges from the alternative media and to entice the public to use Bernama.com as an official and authoritative source of news.

For a start, only the main (English) and Bahasa Malaysia pages will get a new look, while the Mandarin and Arabic sites will be revamped later.

Meanwhile, ahead of its launch, the segment on Letters to the Editor is also inviting the public to give their Wish-List for Budget 2009, which will be unveiled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Friday, Aug 29.

The idea is to create the momentum for the new segment on ‘What Say You’ and what better way to get Bernama.com viewers to give their views on what’s in store in the budget and their own personal expectations.

Strange But True

By sheer providence, my late father and my elder sister’s late husband share the same name – Mohd Said. And guess what? The kadi who blessed my sister’s marriage to my brother-in-law was also Mohd Said. What a strange coincidence.

As far as I can recall, my father and brother-in-law did not really get along despite the fact that the latter was his choice. Both hardly agreed on anything, with my father a staunch Umno member while my brother-in-law was a hardcore PAS supporter.

I couldn’t understand how my father had to pick my brother-in-law as my sister’s life partner when she was just not her type and his Kelantan accent was so strong that most of the time, I couldn’t understand what he was trying to say.

But this man who married my sister had a good heart. He was kind to everyone, and would go out of the way to help anyone in trouble. It was this man who filled the spiritual vacuum in my sister, and the beneficiaries were of course, their three kids, all girls. Today, my sister can be proud of her three girls who have a solid foundation in Islam.

Seven years have passed since my brother in law died of brain tumor. Prior to his demise, he had been suffering from severe headaches and took them lightly. Months he was warded in Penang Hospital, and for my sister, a housewife, these were truly trying times.

It is also God’s will that my sister is now staying with me in Kuala Lumpur. Her three daughters are now in their final semester at UiTM and spend their vacations here. It is also destiny that my sister and I are keeping each other company.

Allah does have a way with our life, and being single and with no commitment, the most I could do is to share whatever rezeki (fortune) that I have with the people closest to me. And that is with my family.

Injecting A New Lease of Life To RTM1 News

One of the things Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said on his first day at work after the official swearing in ceremony was that he was willing to engage bloggers and sit down with them.

And he meant it and met the Malaysian blogosphere. After the meeting, he decided to offer them 20 minutes of prime air time on RTM’s Warta Perdana every Sunday starting April 20.

Engaging the blogging community is among his primary tasks to regain the confidence of the people, especially after the bad showing in the last general elections.

“The reforms would not be complete if the government does not bring a new approach to the media. It’s very important to provide the fresh air that people have been longing for a very long time,” he says in an interview posted on his blog NotaShabery.com. (He’s also into Facebook).

For one who believes the opening of minds is important, Shabery is open to any new ideas, including allowing a 30-minute live telecast of the parliament sitting daily.

Last night, he chaired a forum at Angkasapuri, which was attended by some 250 people comprising media practitioners and representatives from agencies under the ministry.

The objective was to find ways to improve RTM1 news bulletins. RTM, government-owned radio and television station, is not proud of the fact that since early 2000 to date, the number of its viewers has not changed much.

For example, total viewership for Warta Perdana is around 300,000 to 600,000 that is way below TV3’s Buletin Utama, which attracted some 3,479,964 people according to the latest figures for the July 13 to July 19 week.

Figures don’t lie and Shabery is going all out to change that and he wants to get to the bottom of it.

Among the RTM circles, many have given the thumbs-up to Shabery for his open approach , especially in instituting changes at the station. What’s important, they say, is there is less interference into the news operations.

Last night’s forum was testimony of his desire to bring in some fresh air into RTM, with panelists Prof Datuk Dr Hamdan Adnan, Fomca adviser, Dr Mahadi J. Murat, film maker and former lecturer of media studies of Universiti Malaya, and Ahmat Ab. Wahab, senior manager of audio visual service, Bernama TV.

It was a fruitful dialogue as many new ideas were given by all three panelists, with Ahmat, previously from TV3, giving some “trade secrets” to RTM1 news division, which were well received by key people of the unit, including the Secretary General of the Ministry, Datuk Kamaruddin Siaraf.

And judging from remarks from the audience, mainly RTM staff and part-timers, more changes can be expected as Shabery tackles the viewership issue head-on. Next on the cards is his meeting with RTM1 news presenters, who also had their voices heard before the minister last night.