getaran jiwa

No Winner In This Madness

2011-07-09T22:22:00.001-07:00

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (NST) -- Rally organisers claimed the street demonstration yesterday was a success. Police, too, said their operation to curb the riots was a success.
Which meant that the only loser was the man on the street.

Weddings, other celebrations and events were called off as many were afraid to leave their homes, roadblocks caused traffic chaos on several major roads, businesses were shut and taxi drivers complained they could not earn enough to pay their daily rental.

The promises by rally organisers that their march would be peaceful and that it would not affect the public adversely were not kept.

For about four hours from noon yesterday, there were flash points at various spots in the city when supporters of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0), Umno Youth's "Patriots" and hundreds of policemen squared up to each other.

Conspicuously missing were Malay rights group, Perkasa, and Pertubuhan Seni Silat Lincah Malaysia, which in the run-up to yesterday's rally, had threatened violence to stop the Bersih march.

But even without the two groups, the city endured four hours of madness.

Police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, who police said numbered "about 5,000 to 6,000", but they were defiant. They mocked the authorities and were spoiling for a fight from the beginning.

When the authorities moved in, they moved on, causing the disturbance to spread from Masjid Negara to Dataran Merdeka, KL Sentral, Lebuh Pasar Besar, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Pudu, Masjid Jamek, Jalan Sultan, Jalan Tun Perak and Kampung Baru.

All these were captured by the foreign media, precisely what the rally organisers wanted, but at what cost to the nation and its people.

In previous weeks, tensions escalated as various parties took sides. A multitude of reasons and justifications were given, but every individual or group which threw itself into the fray eventually fell into one of two camps -- pro-Bersih or anti-Bersih.

Accusations were thrown, abuses hurled. The language of the discourse, whether in the media or in the coffee shops, turned more divisive by the day.

Arrests were made, weapons confiscated, counter-rallies organised. More than three thousand police reports and counter-reports were filed.

The Bersih 2.0 campaign, which had begun with such noble intentions and in such high hopes, was threatening to collapse upon itself. Even among its supporters, there were calls towards creating a local version of the Arab Spring and Tahrir Square, evoking a state of lawlessness and chaos far removed from the democratic ideal it was protecting.

For those old enough to remember, the spectre of May 13, 1969 loomed like a dark cloud over the noise of the squabbling parties. The causes were different then but this is how it had begun -- anger drowning out the voices of reason, discontent washing over the city's streets.

It took the intervention of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to cool hot heads last Sunday, which allowed both sides to return tentatively back towards the road to civil dialogue.

The counter-rallies were called off. Bersih chairman Datuk S. Ambiga agreed to the offer made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak that the rally be held in a stadium.

But that was shortlived. Anywhere but KL, police said, concerned about public safety and security.

As negotiations fell through, Bersih's aims fell by the wayside. What had begun as a call for electoral reform had turned into an all-out campaign against the system of government.

What was clear was that Berish's intentions were hijacked by the opposition coalition as shown in a photograph taken at a press conference at KL Hilton at the height of the rally yesterday.

Ambiga was seated together with parliamentary opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

What had begun as a call for strengthening democracy became a battle cry for civil disobedience and yesterday, what the authorities feared most, happened.

People got hurt and almost 1,600 were arrested, including 16 children.

Most appalling was the number of parents who brought their children to the rally, despite the knowledge that events could turn ugly.

They wanted their children to witness "democracy in action". What disturbed many was that many of the children had barely mastered the art of walking, much less the nuances of democracy.

It is too easy to forget when we see a picture of a bloodied and bruised protester splashed on the front pages of the papers, that the person is someone's son, someone's sister, someone's mother, or someone's husband.

So in the end, who won?

Why 'kecoh-kecoh' over poco-poco?

2011-04-05T03:02:00.000-07:00

Would I be un-Islamic if I disagree with Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria's decision to ban the poco-poco?
The reason for giving the fatwa is that the poco-poco has elements of Christianity and spirit worship.
Why all these years no ulama has declared it as such and why now?
And during all these years our Malaysian women were really having so much fun sweating it out to the song made popular by Indonesian singer, Jopie Latul:
"Belenggang pata-pata,
( berlenggang).........
cuma ngana suka bikin pusing.
(Hanya kamu suka buat aku pening). "
Is it wrong to have some fun? Have you seen these women chanting some holy or un holy words, as if they are in some kind of a trance? Or have our women converted to Christianity after these sessions?
Why do we have to take this seriously? Poco-poco is just a form of exercise, a close cousin of the aerobics. You will enjoy more during your workouts with fast and catchy numbers.
Jopie Latul's version is the most popular among Malaysians.
Over the years too, some Malaysians have created their own dance steps, and produced their own version of poco-poco, or better still Malaysian (or OneMalaysia) poco-poco.
Thank God, our Indonesian neighbour has not cooked up a storm with Malaysia over the rights to poco-poco!
Let us all not start a row over poco-poco.
We girls just wanna have fun when we get together.
I can vouch for that. I was the one who introduced and taught our Bernama ladies to dance the poco-poco. I was the women association (Benita) president then until my retirement on March 1.
Our GM's wife, Datin Suriani has since taken over this portfolio.
I could see the enthusiasm among the women when they joined these sessions. Benita immediately received new members especially the younger generation, to join our association.
But like many new things, the interest peaked when it was still hot, and dwindled later.
What's important is these women had so much fun.
This year, Benita will have aerobics sessions in its calendar of events.
With all the kecoh-kecoh over the poco-poco, it looks like many women associations are lying low and scrapping the poco-poco from their gatherings.
Let us hope that Selangor and KL will not follow Perak's footsteps.

Sex Video 'teaser' loaded on YouTube

2011-04-04T08:07:00.001-07:00

The Facebook Community were abuzz today with a 'teaser' of the controversial sex video. The Star online reports:

PETALING JAYA: A 'teaser' of the controversial sex video implicating an opposition leader has been loaded on popular social video site YouTube.

The one minute, 47 second clip shows a man in a towel and a woman in what appears to be a hotel room.

A third person, a fully-dressed man, is also seen in the short clip.

It is not clear who uploaded the video.

On March 21, newsmen were shown a 22-minute video, showing a man resembling the opposition leader, having sex with a woman, by a man who identified himself only as 'Datuk T'. He claimed the video was recorded on Feb 21 in a local hotel room.

Datuk T said he wanted the media to watch the footage showing the politician before sending the copy to him and his wife.

He said if the individual in the video was the politician he had identified to the media, "then he and his wife must step down from politics."

Former Malacca chief minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik, businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and Perkasa treasurer Datuk Shuaib Lazim later admitted to being 'Datuk T'.

Sex Video Scandals Spice Up Malaysian Politics

2011-03-30T03:20:00.000-07:00

Sex video scandals in Malaysia involving prominent politicians by far have not really ended in political tsunamis for some key players.

Except for the first case involving D.P. Vijandran of the MIC who has never made a comeback after his fall, there are survivors from these exposes. A case in point is Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek of MCA, who was featured in another video scandal.

The tapes went public and Chua, who was then Health Minister admitted he was the one in the video. Perhaps, due to his honesty, party members elected him as president of the MCA, the second largest component of the Barisan Nasional.

In the latest video scandal implicating Datuk Seri Anwar Inbrahim, the now de facto leader of the Opposition, much will depend on the authenticity of the video clip.

In the case of Anwar Ibrahim, who was then Deputy Prime Minister in 1998, his boss, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, gave him a choice –either retire gracefully or face public exposure and ridicule over his alleged sexual escapades. But Anwar, who has always been a fighter, chose to stay and fight. He was only just one step from becoming Prime Minister.

It’s been ages, and Anwar is still fighting. Anwar is currently facing a second sodomy charge brought by his former aide.

In the latest fiasco involving Anwar, the video itself has not been made public. Those who who have watched the video are a small group of journalists invited by Datuk T, who turned out be three individuals known to Anwar.

One of them is Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik, the former chief minister of Melaka who also fell from grace after another sex scandal. The three men unmasked themselves during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur recently, two days after the video was shown to the journalists at a private function in Carcosa.

Rahim said Mr T was a collective moniker for himself, a prominent businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and a less-well-known man named Shui b Lazim, who was not present at the press conference.

Shazeyl said he was the one who found the video, and that he took it to the other two men to decide what to do with it. The journalists were shown a graphic sex video featuring a man who looked like opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The Opposition has pledged to fight allegations that nwar was filmed having sex with a prostitute insisting its leader’s troubles won’t fracture his three-party alliance ahead of national elections expected within a year.

The video has not been publicly circulated, but opposition officials are scrambling to convince people that it is a plot hatched by the government.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak denied authorities made the video.

Anwar’s top allies held a news conference last week to voice their support for him, claiming the video was simply the latest effort to smear Anwar’s reputation.

“All Malaysians must express their outrage and condemnation that Malaysian politics have reached a new depth of character assassination,” said Lim Kit Siang, a veteran official in the Democratic Action Party.

The opposition believes the release of the video was timed ahead Sarawak state election next month. Anwar’s alliance needs to perform well in the election to boost its flagging morale ahead of snap national polls that many believe Najib will call by early 2012.

Anwar filed a police complaint last Tuesday seeking an investigation into what he described as “an orchestrated attempt to force my wife and me out of national politics.”

“I will fight them, and I will fight them hard,” Anwar said.

Those who saw the video say there is a striking resemblance between the man in the video and Anwar. The PKR leader at a press conference recently noted there is a resemblance but said the man in the video has a bigger belly.

On a more serious note, Anwar said during the time stamped on the video (about 10.30pm on Feb 21), he was at home with his staff and family members.

Some groups have also called for a royal commission to investigate Anwar’s involvement in the sex video.

Of late, the latest internet chat rooms, portals and the Facebook community were abuzz with the sex revelations, with skeptics even saying that the tape was doctored.

PKR's Batu MP Tian Chua, in his tweet, described the "special viewing of a doctored video of Anwar Ibrahim" to the media as a desperate tactic by Barisan Nasional to distract the debate from policies and governance ahead of the Sarawak polls.

"(Barisan) shifted to focus on smearing and character assassination. The whole purpose of the exercise is to smear (Anwar's name).

On March 22, Anwar filed a report regarding this issue to the Dang Wangi police headquarters. He denied the allegations and told that he is not the man in that sex video.

In all these charges against Anwar, the veteran politician has denied all allegations against him,saying that he was a victim of conspiracy by the BN government to smear his name for the past 13 years.

Meanwhile, the search is on for the tape on the internet. Someone by now would have access to the video tape, and it will be a matter of time when some smart aleck upload it for the world to watch.

I Am Back!

2011-03-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

It has been ages since I last penned my thoughts through my blog, Getaran Jiwa. Yes, I am back with a vengeance after a six month hiatus.

Hiatus! Too strong a word, let’s keep it simple, just a long break. Hiatus gives a negative meaning, as I have not totally forgotten that I have a blog and wish to keep it going. As long as I can still write, this blog will stay tuned.

Since Aug 26 last year, many things have taken place. And how time flies! I am now a retiree.

Prior to retirement, I accepted an assignment to visit Boeing’s manufacturing facility in Seattle, U.S. Call it my swan song! It was an experience of a life time, thanks to Malaysia Airlines and Boeing for making it possible for me and the rest of my media friends to be on the trip.

To fast track my story, I have joined a fitness club at Wangsa Walk. It comes with a full package – a personal trainer who is supposed to make me realise my goals –lose weight and keep fit. I wanted quick results, so I went on a thrice a week programme. I was over-zealous at my age.

After two weeks, my head was spinning. So, I was forced to take an emergency brake from my workouts. No, not that my blood pressure level had risen. It was just that I had to take a slower pace now. What do you expect, I am not one who enjoys regular exercises, especially during my later years in office.

What else do I do to fill up my time? To fulfil my spiritual needs, I attend a quran reading class every Tuesday.

What are my plans moving forward? I plan to produce an English-Arabic magazine, hopefully middle of this year with my partner. We are looking for one or two more strong partners for this magazine, which is targeted at the Arab community in Malaysia.

InsyaAllah, once we get the right partners, we will go ahead with this project.
Meanwhile, I am doing freelance copy editing, translation in both Malay and English and conducts courses in journalism.

INDONESIA OH INDONESIA!

2010-08-26T23:26:00.002-07:00

‘Bully- thy neighbour’ seems to be the right slogan for Indonesia, in the light of the recent attack on the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta.

In the incident, demonstrators led by the People’s Defence of Democracy (Bendera), has claimed responsibility for burning the Malaysian flag, Jalur Gemilang and throwing human faeces into the Malaysian embassy compound.

As in the past, Indonesians took to the streets and launched anti-Malaysia campaigns, with protests initially staged against the infrequent Indonesian maid abuse in Malaysia. Emotionally-charged Indonesians vented their anger against Malaysia over almost anything.

Similarities in culture, language and religious customs should make Malaysia and Indonesia good neighbours.

But long-running spats over everything from territorial boundaries to cultural ownership of culinary dishes, dances, instruments and even Malaysia’s national anthem, have over the years hampered ties.

As of 2009, there were nearly two million Indonesian workers in Malaysia, including 800,000 illegals and that 300,000 were employed in the manufacturing sector.

As Malaysian authorities were preparing to send illegal Indonesians home, thousands others were waiting to make their passage, legally or illegally, in search of job opportunities here.

The latest demonstration, which included a threat by Bendera to send home Malaysians in Jakarta after shaving their heads, was supposed to be sparked by our maritime border dispute.

Bendera supporters had also threatened to “sweep” Malaysians from Indonesia. Anti-Malaysia demonstrations in Jakarta, Medan and Pekan Baru took place soon after the arrests of three Indonesian Maritime and Fisheries Ministry officials on Aug 13.

Indonesia should take action against this group -- coincidentally acronymed Bendera, which means flag -- which showed disrespect towards Malaysia. Malaysians have been tolerant towards every uncivilised action from its people without any retaliation.

In the latest incident, Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman has ruled out an apology over the Aug 13 incident, saying that Malaysia had acted within the law when the authorities arrested the Indonesians.

Yes, Datuk Seri, we should be firm and not let our neighbour have the upper hand.

We have tolerated all these years over their bullying tactics and the time has come for them to stop their ‘acts of terrorism” against their own neighbour, and observe and practice good neighbourliness, in the true spirit of Asean brotherhood.

Abdul Rahman Sulaiman Appointed Bernama Chairman

2010-07-20T01:22:00.000-07:00

(Latest pix: Abdul Rahman receiving a souvenir from visiting Vice Minister of State Council Information Office of China, Dong Yunhu (left) at Wisma Bernama on July 6)

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- A former Editor-in-Chief of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), Datuk Abdul Rahman Sulaiman, has been appointed as the new Chairman of the agency effective Feb 1.

He takes over from Datuk Seri Mohd Annuar Zaini whose term as the ninth Bernama Chairman ended on Jan 31, this year, according to the Bernama management today.

The appointment of Abdul Rahman, 64, has received the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin to lead the 13- member Bernama Board of Governors.

He had headed the Bernama Editorial Department from 1989 until 1995. His last post in the government service was as the Director of Communications in the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister's Department from August 2001 until March 2010.

He was also the Director of Communications in the Prime Minister's Department from March 2009 until recently.

Abdul Rahman is married to Datin Maznah Adam and the couple has two sons and a daughter.

He was conferred the Panglima Jasa Negara (PJN) which carries the title Datuk in 2007.

Born on May 26, 1946 in Parit Buntar, Perak, Abdul Rahman received his early education at Sekolah Umum Parit Tok Ngah and the Methodist Secondary School in Parit Buntar.

He joined Bernama in 1971 as a senior journalist after beginning his career in journalism at Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) as a broadcast journalist in 1966.

In 1973 he went for further studies at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and obtained the Bachelor of Arts degree with honours in communications in 1976, and upon returning to Bernama, he was posted to Bangkok and the agency's correspondent for Thailand and Indo-China until 1978.

He had held numerous positions in the news agency including as the Johor Bureau Head, and Executive Editor of the General News Service before being appointed Editor-in-Chief in 1989.

In 1995, he opted for early retirement to contest in the general election as the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Parit Buntar parliamentary constituency where he beat Idris Abdul Rauf from Parti Semangat 46.
--BERNAMA

Bernama’s Very Own King Ghaz With A Heart

2010-02-12T01:04:00.000-08:00

(Pix: Bernama General Manager Hasnul Hassan (left) presenting a photo album to Datuk Seri Mohd Annuar Zaini (right). Looking on is (centre) Editor-in-Chief Datuk Yong Soo Heong).

At yesterday’s farewell gathering for Datuk Seri Mohd Annuar Zaini, whose contract as Bernama chairman ended on Jan 31, former General Manager Datuk Syed Jamil Jaafar likened Mohd Annuar to the late Tun Muhammad Ghazali Shafie.

Muhammad Ghazali, the former Home Minister, who died at the age of 88 last month, was known to be so strict in his work that it earned him the nickname, King Ghaz.

Those who knew King Ghaz, including media reporters who interviewed him, were expected to have enough knowledge when they asked a question on an issue or subject so as not to incur his wrath or displeasure.

Bernama’s very own King Ghaz, was also feared by those who had worked for him during his six year tenure. They describe him as meticulous, one with an eye for details, perfectionist and quick tempered.

Early this week, almost everyone in Bernama – from the security guard to the general manager, received a thank you letter from him dated Jan 31 2010, with the recipient’s name penned in his own handwriting.

The letter : “From the desk of Dato’ Seri Mohd Annuar Bin Zaini’ became the talk of each and every individual in Bernama.

His expression of apology really touched their hearts. “Saya memohon maaf di atas sebarang kekurangan, kelemahan, kekasaran dan kesilapan yang telah saya lakukan dalam tempoh memegang amanah tersebut.”

Mohd Annuar, 59, was the ninth Bernama chairman and had served the agency since Feb 1, 2004.

How often do you get this kind of letter from an outgoing chairman? After his last Bernama board of governors meeting last month, he met up with the editorial staff and personally expressed his sincere thanks to them for their support to him all these years.

The sub editors are especially grateful to Mohd Annuar for approving their request for special allowance, which they have been enjoying till today. This took place during the second half of 2007 when Datuk Seri Azman Ujang was General Manager.

The allowances were more than what they asked for, with English sub editors at the General News Service being paid more than the Malay subs given the large volume of translation work handled daily.

On the other hand, Bernama Economic Service Malay sub editors are paid more than their counterpart in the English subs desk due to the heavy work at the unit.

Special posts at the Editorial were created under his stewardship. Prior to June 2007, the Editorial Department had two executive editors; one for the General News Sservice (GNS) and another for Bernama Economic Service (BES).

I was appointed executive editor of BES in April 2007. The post was renamed Deputy Editor-in-Chief on June 1 2007.

Under the editorial changes, three deputy editors-in-chief were appointed – Zulkefli Salleh (GNS), myself for BES and Zukiman Zain for Foreign and International News Service. Of course, the position comes with a special allowance.

Those who were assigned for some special projects under his leadership would have felt the heat, but they gained knowledge along the way.

While he was known to be short tempered, Mohd Annuar was said to be forgiving. One senior management said that he must have given you the shelling in the morning, but he was quick “to forgive and forget” later in the day.

He demonstrated his eye for details at major events involving Bernama. One example is Bernama’s 40th dinner celebration, which he personally sat through with the organising committee right from the venue, menu, the guests list, seating arrangements, entertainers, Master of Ceremony (MC), etc, etc.

In fact, every minute detail. Nothing should go wrong and his meticulousness throughout the preparation, gave committee members, the jitters. Thanks to him, the event ended with no hitches. It was a roaring success.

Another project is the coffee table book on former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, which is in its final stages of completion. Those responsible for the production had to be extra cautious in all aspects, leaving no stones unturned.

Mohd Annuar, who was closely linked to Abdullah, wanted the best and he expected the best out of the book on Pak Lah. There was passion in him as he went through every inch of the book, the right photo, the right caption and the right copy.

One would have thought, he had a heart of stone. But at the farewell, he expressed his heartfelt thanks to everyone, giving praise to his two drivers whom throughout their service, had served him well. At the same time, he expressed his apology to those whose feelings he had hurt.

Syed Jamil in his speech said that despite his stern ways, Mohd Annuar had a good heart.

During his tenure as Bernama Chairman, Mohd Annuar had introduced and launched the Bernama Editorial System Terminal (BEST) for the Editorial Department and launched the 24-hour radio news and television channel namely the Radio24, and Bernama TV.

A Thank You Note from Tan Sri Hassan Marican

2010-02-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

"This note is addressed to the entire PETRONAS family where ever they are – across the globe, on the platforms, sailing the oceans, in the deserts, in the snow and the service forecourts.

On the morning of 2nd February 1989, I arrived at Dayabumi, a greenhorn to the petroleum industry. After 21 years, I leave the organization, grey haired – having fulfilled the trust or ‘amanah’ that was placed on my shoulders. I could not have done so without the support, dedication, commitment and sacrifices from each and everyone of you where ever you are located. We have done this together as a team. We have built an institution that is respected globally. We hace avoided scandals and

God willing this institution will continue to exist long after we are all gone. This institution is not about me – it is about all of us including our families. All I can say I thank you from the bottom of my heart. No words, no deeds can express the gratitude and I owe it to all of you. It is not about Hassan Merican, it is about all of us.

It has been an enriching and fulfilling journey for me. Never in my wildest dreams did this person from Sungai Petani ever dreams of leading a Fortune 100 company. I have had the honour and privilege to meet with leaders of many countries and the corporate world, but in the end it is all of you that have made it possible. We did it based on values and principles that are dear to us. It is my hope that you will continue to uphold those values and principles. Lose it and we will lose all that we have built.

There will be many challenges that you will face as you continue to serve and contribute to the organization. Rewards and acknowledgement will be scarce - but I know you will do it because you are a special breed of people. It is my hope that you will bring PETRONAS to greater height – standing shoulder to shoulder with the best in the industry.

Tomorrow is my last day in PETRONAS – after 21 years and seven days. I would be lying if I am to tell you that I am not sad, but at the same time, I have always known that it will never be permanent. As such it makes it easier. It would have been nice if time was on my side to personally go around to say thank you – but that is no longer possible.

I have no advise to leave you except to remind you to continue to live with and believe in the SHARED VALUES in both your professional and personal lives. To the younger generation, you need to know and remember that it was not so easy in the early days. It is now your turn to carry the torch – keep it high and keep it burning. Learn from your elders. Give them the respect they deserve. To the elders, nurture the younger generation so that they can continue the legacy. As I have said, there will be many challenges as you go forward. It will require a large amount of resilience and perseverance. The Global Championship journey will never end – it continues. Remember, if it ends, it will be the beginning of the end.

In my years in PETRONAS, I have made many decisions – some right, some wrong and some unpleasant. These decisions we based on analysis and information available the moment in time, and some a judgment call. There would have been occasions when some of the decisions may have hurt some of you. I have many shortcomings. I have endeavored to be fair, reasonable and consistent. I offer you my apologies and humbly seek you forgiveness. I am afterall a mere mortal –lacking in many aspects.

I have received many emails and text messages. I have tried to reply to most of them but unfortunately time has not been on my side to reply to all. I thank you for the kind words and well wishes and I shall cherish them for the rest of my life.

Finally, as I leave tomorrow, on behalf of myself and my family, please accept our apologies for our shortcomings and transgressions. It has been a humbling feeling and a privilege to serve PETRONAS. I could not have done it without all of you on my side. You have been my family and I hope that you will continue to accept us as family.

As we retreat into the sunset, my family and I wish all of you the very best for the future. I hope you will support my replacement, Dato’ Shamsul Azhar Abbas in his endeavours.

Salam dan mohon maaf atas segala kesilapan dan harap halalkan makan minum kami.

Mohd Hassan Marican

(A great loss to both Petronas and the nation )

Petronas Staff Bid Hassan Fond Farewell

2010-02-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

(Bernama Pix)

By Siti Hawa Othman

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 (Bernama) --Petronas is one brand that makes Malaysians proud. And for over a decade, one man has been the face of Petronas, the man we bid farewell today.

The mood was mixed with a tinge of sadness as he walked to the foyer of the Petronas Twin Towers, shaking hands with the staff and well-wishers. For Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican, who has helmed the corporation since 1995, his term as president and chief executive officer (CEO) ends today.

It was obvious that he was fighting back the tears as he smiled at the staff.
“I am okay,” he said, when asked by Bernama how he was doing.

The staff in their thousands had been waiting at four separate spots on their own free will from 4.30pm to wish Hassan, who was accompanied by his wife Puan Sri Noraini Mohd Yusoff from his office in the 81st floor, farewell.

Hassan was proud of his staff and always reminded them they were doing a national service.

He would always relate to the press how his men had struggled under the hot sun in the desert and drilled the deepest ocean. He wanted them to know that they were special and that Petronas had contributed to nation-building.

And today, they gathered to bid goodbye to a very special man with fond memories.

Some, unbashedly, cried. Others sang the Petronas anthem and applauded him as he walked by amid shouts “We love you Tan Sri”.

The staff held up notes and placards saying “U’re simply the best”, “You rock,” “TQ for the legacy” and “We are sad you are leaving”.

Shuzairin Shuib and Salwa Mohd Salleh, from the International Business Unit, said they were sad and touched as Hassan had given so much to the organisation.

“He is a good leader, bringing Petronas to greater heights,” they said.
Yugentharan, from Research & Technology Unit, said he was sad because Hassan was a good leader.

“He has done a lot of good things, looking into the sector of education, scholarships” he said.

Many were disappointed at him leaving Petronas and had wanted him to have a proper farewell.

It was understood that many cried over a two-page farewell note that he posted yesterday, thanking the entire Petronas family across the globe, on the platforms, sailing the oceans, in the desert, in the snow and service forecourt.

Never to take credit for himself, Hassan had always attributed the national oil company’s success to the wisdom and foresights of its founders.

He had said that Petronas had instilled in its people the resolve to deliver superior performance to leave a legacy for future generation.

Trained as accountant, Hassan, 57, had joined Petronas in February 1989 as senior vice president of finance. He was under the tutelage of yet another great man Tan Sri Azizan Zainul Abidin.

Azizan and Hassan had led a strong and committed management team which was responsible for the many successes of Petronas today.

Petronas, set up in 1974 to look after the country’s petroleum resources, made its first international venture at the turn of the 1990s, in line with its business integration, value-adding and globalisation strategy, and has never looked back.

Hassan was appointed president and CEO in 1995 and had assumed the post of acting chairman with the passing of Azizan in 2004 at age 69. Hassan was said to be visibly upset with by the latter’s demise.

Petronas then was already a strong company and ranked among Fortune Global 500’s largest corporations in the world, with a presence in more than 30 countries.

From its humble beginnings in 1974 with a paid-up capital of RM10 million, its shareholders’ capital had grown to RM232.1 billion as of March 2009 while total assets were valued at RM388.1 billion.

Petronas contributed more than 40 per cent to the federal government’s coffers and has since its inception, paid the government a total of RM471.3 billion.

It announced a pre-tax profit of RM89.1 billion for the year ended March 31, 2009 on a revenue of RM264.2 billion.

Petronas usually sets aside up to 35 per cent of its profits every year for investment.

For the year, it has made RM74.0 billion in payments to the federal government which accounted for 45 per cent of the government’s revenue and 71.4 per cent of its pre-tax profit.

Its international operations were now the biggest contributor to the group’s revenue.
Hassan has proven his mettle and the baton is now passed to yet another able man,

Datuk Shamsul Azhar Abbas, who will assume the president and CEO posts tomorrow.
Shamsul, who was MISC Bhd’s managing director prior to his retirement last year, has been with the company since 1974.

He has vast experience in the petroleum industry, having served in several senior positions including vice president of oil business, vice president petrochemicals, vice president exploration (upstream) and vice-president of maritime and logistics.

Some of the staff met by Bernama said they welcomed the new boss who was said to be another charismatic leader. — Bernama

Hassan Marican Leaving Petronas in Good Hands

2010-02-05T05:20:00.000-08:00

Datuk ShamsulAzhar Abbas, the new captain who will navigate Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) from next week, is no newcomer in the oil and gas field.

He has been onboard the national oil corporation since 1974 and has served in several senior positions, including Vice President of Oil Business, Vice President Petrochemicals, Vice President Exploration (Upstream) and Vice President Maritime and Logistics.

Shamsul Azhar, 57, last served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Petronas' shipping arm, MISC Bhd between 2004 and 2009, before retiring in January last year.

Without a doubt, his experience in various departments of Petronas, combined with his five-year stint in the shipping business, speaks volumes of the man, who is taking over the helm from Tan Sri Hassan Marican on Wednesday.

The Britain-trained former oil trader will replace Hassan as President and Chief Executive Officer as well as acting Chairman from Wednesday. Hassan’s contract ends on Tuesday.

Analysts say Shamsul Azhar is a highly respected figure both locally and internationally, and the fact that he is from the industry will ensure continuity in Petronas.

They say that he will be able to contribute positively to the company with his rich experience in all segments of the oil and gas industry.

When he clocks out this Tuesday, Hassan, will be reassured that the national oil company will be in good hands.

With strings of accolades under his belt, the 57-year old Hassan, can bow out with his head held high. One legacy he leaves behind would be the success Petronas has achieved.

Incepted in August 1974, Petronas, considered to be Malaysia’s most efficiently managed government-owned corporation, has firmly established itself as a global energy player over the last two decades.

It currently operates in over 30 countries, and its overseas operations, including exports, account for more than 75 per cent of its revenue.

Over the past five years alone, Petronas, which started off as a company with a paid-up capital of RM10 million, has seen revenue grow from RM137 billion in 2005 to RM264.2 billion during its 2009 financial year.

Net profit during that time grew from RM35.6 billion in 2005 to RM52.5 billion in 2009, with the peak of RM61 billion earned during its 2008 financial year.

When Hassan took over as chief executive of Petronas in 1995, he promised he would transform the oil company into a major international player.

Today, the company which controls and owns the country’s oil and gas resources, ranked number 14 among Asia’s top 50 companies, and 80th globally, in Fortune magazine’s Global 500 listings in 2008, the only Malaysian company in the rankings.

Shamsul Azhar Abbas Appointed Petronas President and CEO

2010-02-03T19:27:00.001-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 (Bernama) -- Datuk Shamsul Azhar Abbas, the former President and Chief Executive Officer of MISC Bhd, has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Petronas, effective February 10.

He has also been appointed Acting Chairman of the Petronas Board of Directors, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said in a statement Wednesday.

Shamsul Azhar, 57, who served as MISC President and Chief Executive Officer between 2004 and 2009, will replace Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican whose contract ends on February 9.

Najib said Shamsul Azhar, who joined Petronas in 1974, has vast experience in the nation's petroleum industry having served in several senior positions, including that of Vice President of Oil Business, Vice President Petrochemicals, Vice President Exploration (Upstream) and Vice President Maritime and Logistics.

"I am confident he is qualified and experienced to bring continued success to Petronas," he said.

Najib also thanked Hassan for his invaluable contribution to the nation and petroleum industry having served as Acting Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Petronas since 1995.

Hassan began his career with the national oil company in 1989 as Senior Vice President, before being appointed President and Chief Executive Officer in 1995 and later also assumed the position of Acting Chairman in 2004.

Najib said during Hassan's tenure at the national oil company, Petronas enjoyed good repute and excellent standing, internationally, and was the only Fortune 500 company in Malaysia.

"He was also instrumental in bringing Petronas to foreign shores, competing side-by-side with international oil giants," added the Prime Minister.

With vast experience behind him, Najib hoped Hassan would continue to contribute his knowledge and experience to nation building especially in the energy sector.

-- BERNAMA

All Eyes On Petronas – Will There Be Any Changes?

2010-02-03T01:39:00.000-08:00

Tan Sri Hassan Marican’s term at the helm of national oil giant, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) ends next week, with an announcement expected soon from the government, which will put an end to the uncertainty surrounding his future.

Speculation is rife on whether he would be reappointed to helm Petronas, Malaysia’s only Fortune 500 company that he has spearheaded since 1995.

The focus now is on the replacement for Hassan as president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the oil company. He is also acting chairman to the Petronas board, a position he has held since the sudden demise of former chairman Tan Sri Azizan Zainal Abidin in 2004.

Under the Petroleum Development Act, Petronas is answerable only to the Prime Minister.

The question is whether there’s a need to replace Hassan as president and CEO, whose performance is measured by the financial strength of the oil corporation.
As at September last year, Petronas cash balances stood at US$26.6 billion (RM88.4 billion).

Petronas currently contributes 45 per cent of government revenue. Last year, the group reported RM52.5 billion in profit on revenue of RM264.2 billion, making it Malaysia’s most profitable company.

According to Singapore Business Times, “For the sake of continuity and for planning purposes, the reappointment of a chief executive of an important Malaysian government-linked company is generally announced way before his contract expires."

Some analysts say Hassan’s term is likely to be extended for another year, noting that “he is the best man for the job.”

It is felt that Hassan’s shrewd experience in the oil industry and fierce independence is also needed for Petronas as Malaysia is on the brink of charting a new economic model.

Petronas’ success in securing lucrative exploration rights in Iraq recently is also another boost for Hassan.

So why change for the sake of changing?

To quote Petronas adviser and former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad: “Perhaps, he has reached retirement age. He has been there for a long time. One has to retire, even if you are very good.”

The rumour mill is now in high gear, with Datuk Shamsul Azhar Abbas, the former managing director of Malaysian International Shipping Corp Bhd (MISC), said to be frontrunner for the post of CEO. It is learnt that the prime minister has met all three internal candidates last week.

Shamsul, 57, retired in January last year from MISC, a Petronas subsidiary and one of the world’s largest oil and gas shippers.

The other potential candidates are Datuk Anuar Ahmad (Petronas Dagangan Bhd chairman), and Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin (former managing director/CEO of Petronas Gas Bhd from 2003-2007).

There is also talk that the prime minister is considering whether to fill the post of Petronas chairman when Hassan’s contract as acting chairman/CEO expires.

While the focus now is on the replacement for Hassan and president and CEO, but equally important is the position of chairman, given the fact that Petronas is the custodian of the nation’s oil and gas resources.

According to Dr Mahathir, it is important to have continuity in the oil company, and the CEO has to be someone from within.

Dr Mahathir has earlier signaled his objection to Hassan being replaced with a politician.

“The three currently shortlisted for the position are from Petronas and this means, they know the company. However, the chairman can be someone from outside. But the CEO has to be from within,” he says.

Many expect Hassan to be confirmed as chairman of Petronas.

Hassan also refused to comment on his future in the national oil company. “I think the best to comment is the government,” he says.

The ball is now in the PM’s court.

Congratulations Rocky!

2010-02-01T21:20:00.000-08:00

(Zulkefli Salleh (left) and Rocky (right) receiving their awards from Acting Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Monday. Pix courtesy of Bernama's photo unit.)

Congratulations to blogger Rocky, whose real name is Ahirudin Attan on being conferred the Panglima Mahkota Wilayah (PMW) award, which carries the title 'Datuk’ on Monday at Istana Negara in conjunction with the Federal Territory Day 2010.

Rocky, who is currently editor-in-chief of The Malay Mail, holds the presidency for the National Press Club and is protem president of the National Alliance of Bloggers (All-Blogs).

He joins the ranks of other media bloggers such as Datuk Ahmad Talib (Pahit Manis), Datuk A.Kadir Jasin (The Scribe), the Star newspaper Group Editor-in- chief Datuk Wong Chun Wai (New Malaysia) and Datuk Ibrahim Yahaya (Dunia Tiger).

Ibrahim, who is Director-General of Broadcasting, added another feather to his cap when he also received the PMW award, together with Harian Metro group editor Mustapa Omar. They were among 27 recipients of the award.

Acting Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah presented the Federal Territory awards and medals at an investiture ceremony at Istana Negara.

My heartiest congratulation also goes to Zulkefli Salleh, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Bernama General News Service and Mohd Ashraf Abdullah, Group Editor of Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad (TV3) on receiving the Johan Mahkota Wilayah (JMW). Ashraf also blogs in his ‘Jejak Pujangga’.

Malaysia in the Spotlight For The Wrong Reasons

2010-01-28T21:06:00.001-08:00

Thanks to saboteurs and hate merchants, Malaysia is now in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

And, negative reports about a country are fodder to the foreign media, with the latest spate of attacks on places of worship in Malaysia attracting international media coverage.

It was not too long ago when the caning of model Kartika Sari Dewi Sukarnor grabbed the international media’s attention, with wide coverage on the issue after she was ordered by the Kuantan Syariah Court to be whipped six times.

She was drinking beer with her husband in a hotel in Cherating in 2007 when she was caught by Islamic enforcement officers. She pleaded guilty a year later. She was fined RM5,000 and sentenced to six strokes of the rotan by the Pahang Syariah High Court on July 20 last year.

There was public outrage over the caning sentence.

And now the controversial use of the word ‘Allah’.

I believe, the desecration of mosques would not have caught that much attention as much as the earlier episode involving the burning of churches following the high court decision granting Catholic magazine, the Herald to use ‘Allah’ in its weekly publication.

In the latest episode on Wednesday, pig heads were thrown into the compounds of two mosques in Petaling Jaya, almost a week after two suraus were torched in Johor.

The mosques are the Al-Imam Tirmizi mosque in Kuala Lumpur and the Masjid Jumhuriyah in a suburb between Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.

Both are located near Kampung Medan, where a bloody ethnic riot took place in March 2001.

This incident is the latest in a string of desecrations of places of worship across the country over the past three weeks, involving 11 churches, one Sikh temple, one mosque and the two suraus in Johor.

Strangely, the Sikh temple has become the target of attacks, although the issue had created tension between Muslims and Christians.

Are these culprits the same people? Police said they believed that the same people were behind the two incidents, which occurred around 6am.

If they are the same people, what exactly is their motive?

We have no answers but hope that the authorities find ways to bring these trouble makers to book.

Meanwhile, let us all remain calm and remain united amidst the tribulations.

Pig Head Incident – The Work of Cold-Blooded “Pig Heads”

2010-01-27T02:40:00.004-08:00

It’s really easy to stir up racial tension, just target the places of worship.

And so, some cold- blooded “pig heads” were playing with fire when they had the nerve and the audacity to launch an assault on two mosques in Petaling Jaya today.

Their bullets – pig heads.

I just can’t imagine these heartless brats who dared to venture into this dirty mission. What do they get in return.

An eye for an eye? Vengeance will only lead to chaos.

Today’s incident was the most serious incident to hit Muslim places of worship following vandalism and other assaults at 11 churches, a Sikh temple, a mosque and two Muslim prayer halls across the country in the past three weeks.

The attacks were following outrage among Muslims over a Dec 31 court verdict that allowed non Muslims to use ‘Allah’ as a translation for ‘God’ in the Malay language.

Nineteen people have so far been arrested for their roles in the attacks.

Police and religious leaders called for calm and said that saboteurs may be attempting to stir up ethnic conflict in Malaysia.

“By looking at the modus operandi of the (pigs’ head) incidents... I think it is the same group that is involved in the previous attacks,” Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan told reporters.

“I think they are throwing money (to those carrying out the attacks) to cause such incidents,” he said, warning those responsible not to “play with fire” and undermine national security.

Let us all remain calm and not retaliate over this incident. Let the police deal with these bad hats.

Meanwhile, let’s pray to Allah for peace and harmony.

Apology Not Enough, Ruthless Aduka Deserves Punishment

2010-01-26T21:50:00.001-08:00

By now, everyone knows Aduka Taruna, who shot to instant ‘fame’ for his libelous remarks towards the late Sultan of Johor, Almutawakkil Al-Allah Sultan Iskandar ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail in his blog.

So far he has apologized and removed the post. But don’t you think this uncivilized blogger deserves some kind of punishment, like making him do community service?

Haven’t we had enough of crude Malaysians like Wee Meng Chee, formerly an undergraduate student at a Taiwan university, who gained popularity after releasing a controversial song fused with Malaysia’s national anthem, Negaraku in 2007?

People like Aduka and Wee probably have the same wavelength – the only difference is Wee is perhaps more “creative” by composing a rap version of the national anthem.

As an unknown blogger, Aduka had earned mileage by insulting the late Sultan with his remarks on his site. Or maybe he thought no one would have read his blog… only to be shared among his friends!

And mind that ‘bazaar’ language used on his blog ‘hubungi gua’ (contact me) and ‘calling2 gua (call me)!

This latest incident should also be a reminder for those on Facebook. Don’t go overboard. Stay away from sensitive issues.

Remember Mohamad Tasyrif Tajudin, an Arts Culture and Heritage Academy (Aswara) student who thought it was funny when he said: "ke nak aku baling bom petrol di sana plak?...harga boleh runding…” (or you want me to throw petrol bomb there? Price is negotiable) on Facebook.

He was charged under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 with knowingly using the application with the intention of threatening others.

Bravo to Our BTV Gals On Convoy To Gaza!

2010-01-21T01:36:00.000-08:00

Bravo ladies, you have made us all proud!

Malaysians probably have seen them reading news on the atrocities during the Gaza assault, which saw civilians killed, and buildings, schools, mosques and hospitals deliberately targeted.

The two newscasters from Bernama TV, Masrenny Masri and Azmawati Azmi, along with two other BTV colleagues, Kuzaimah Idris and Juana Jaafar Manap, took the bold step by joining the Viva Palestina international humanitarian aid convoy to Gaza recently.

Kuzaimah, a former crime reporter at Bernama’s General News Desk, and now attached to BTV, proved to be versatile when she reported both for the wire service as well as for television, on their Gaza experience.

So you think you can say anything on Facebook?

2010-01-17T00:54:00.000-08:00

Last week’s case of a student who posted threatening words on Facebook drives home a point that there are rules that you should follow when posting comments on the internet.

Rules are rules and there are some things that you can’t joke around.

While the 25 year old student was fooling around when he said: “ke nak aku baling bom petrol di sana plak?...harga boleh runding…” (or you want me to throw petrol bomb there? Price is negotiable) on the social networking site, his joke is not funny under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

Mohamad Tasyrif Tajudin, an Arts Culture and Heritage Academy (Aswara) student was charged in the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court last Friday with knowingly using the application with the intention of threatening others.

Tasyrif’s case came in the wake of the controversial use of ‘Allah’ by the Catholic weekly magazine, The Herald, which aroused the anger of Muslims.

Several cases of arson at churches in the country were reported arising from the High Court decision on Dec 31 last year that the Herald had the constitutional right to use the word in respect of instruction and education of the congregation in the Christian religion.

Last Friday’s case serves as a reminder for those who have been using this social networking site by openly giving comments on such sensitive issues.

The ‘Allah’ issue is a sensitive one, and let us not get so emotional over this.

Some non-Muslims chose to worsen the situation with racial overtones in their remarks on Facebook as they failed to understand the reasons for Muslims’ outrage over the use of ‘Allah’ in the Church magazine.

And for our media friends, please respect the use of ‘Allah’. One newspaper recently spelt ‘allah’ (with small letter 'a') throughout in one story in its recent publication. Allah is the Almighty and the only one.

The first letter is a BIG A.

Use of ‘Allah’ By Herald – Controversy Best Resolved Out of Court

2010-01-06T00:32:00.000-08:00

Take it from the wise man himself --our dear Tun --the row over the use of ‘Allah’ by The Herald, a weekly Catholic Church magazine, which has aroused the anger of Muslims, could have been resolved out of court.

In his blog, Che Det, Dr Mahathir Mohamad says the controversy started when he was still Prime Minister. The Cabinet then decided that the use of ‘Allah’ in the Bible was a sensitive issue.

Sensitive issues such as the recent controversy, cannot be solved by referring the case to the law, he says.

Laws, he points out, do not consider the sensitivity of an issue, whether it can cause tension or conflict among people of different faiths.

The correct translation for ‘God’ should be ‘Tuhan’, and not ‘Allah’, says Dr Mahathir. (Go to www.chedet.com)

There you have it!. Herald should have consulted Dr Mahathir for the right translation and not drag the issue to the High Court.

Meanwhile, the High Court today allowed a stay of an earlier order to allow the use of "Allah" by Herald, following consent by the Home Ministry and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Malaysia on the grounds of national interest.

Bernama report below:

Court Allows Stay Of Earlier Order On Use Of 'Allah'

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- The High Court on Wednesday allowed a stay of an earlier order to allow the use of "Allah" by Catholic weekly, Herald, following consent by the Home Ministry and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Malaysia on the grounds of national interest.

Justice Datuk Lau Bee Lan, who had issued the earlier order on Dec 31 last year, made the ruling in chambers after meeting Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and counsel Derek J. Fernandez for Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam for 30 minutes.

Fernandez told reporters that Lau agreed to record the stay by consent.

Abdul Gani was grateful that there was agreement for a stay.

"As far as I am concerned, it involves national interest, there is no necessity to get involved in an argument for a stay," he said.

"I am very grateful to my learned friend who has agreed for a stay and we will try to have this matter be heard as soon as possible in the Court of Appeal. I believe it can be very, very soon," said the attorney-general.

-- BERNAMA

(Go to www.bernama.com)

High Court Allows Stay of Order on Use of 'Allah' by Herald

2010-01-05T23:44:00.000-08:00

F L A S H

High Court allows stay of order on use of "Allah" by Catholic weekly, Herald, after consensus by parties involved on the ground of national interest.
-- BERNAMA

NO to the Use of ‘Allah’ By The Herald

2010-01-05T04:02:00.000-08:00

La illaha illa Allah- There is only one God and that is Allah.

Today, I joined thousands of supporters of a group page on social networking site Facebook in protest against a court ruling allowing a Catholic magazine to use the word ‘Allah’ in its publication.

The Facebook page, named in Malay as “Protesting the use of the name of Allah by non-Muslims" (Menentang Penggunaan Nama Allah oleh Golongan Bukan Islam) expects to draw one million supporters.

The Catholic Church, which publishes a Malay version of its newspaper, The Herald, says that it uses the word ‘Allah” for "the Christian God to meet the needs of its Malay speaking worshippers in Sabah and Sarawak.

The word ‘Allah’ is widely used among the indigenous Christian groups, most of whom speak Bahasa Malaysia.

The ruling by the Kuala Lumpur High Court followed a ban imposed by the government on the weekly Herald in January last year over the use of the word ‘Allah’ by Christians.

According to Reuters, more than 43,000 Malaysians protested online over the court ruling. And the page was drawing 1,500 new supporters an hour yesterday after the court ruling.

The Home Ministry yesterday said it had filed an appeal against the court ruling to avert misunderstanding and confusion among the people.

Meanwhile, the Home Ministry today filed an application to stay the execution of the High Court ruling that the word ‘Allah’ can be used by Herald.

Hearing is tomorrow.

With Blogs, Who Needs The Diary?

2010-01-04T23:17:00.001-08:00

In the good old days, the diary was a platform to pen one’s thoughts over events affecting the owner. It was more of personal storytelling.

As internet access became commonly available, more people adopted it as another medium in which to chronicle their lives with the added dimension of an audience.

Today, the humble diary is fast losing its usefulness with the emergence of online diaries, or almost exclusively called blogs, though some differentiate by calling them personal blogs.

The running updates of online diarists combined with links inspired the term 'web log' which was eventually contracted to form the word blog.

In online diaries, people write their day-to-day experiences, social commentary, complaints, poems, prose, illicit thoughts and any content that might be found in a traditional paper diary or journal. They often allow readers to contribute through comments.

With the start of the new year, communication executives are on their rounds to media houses to distribute their “goodies” – diaries and calendars as a token of appreciation for the media support to their companies during the year that just ended.

Some have distributed them towards the end of last year – either at press nights or hand delivered to the respective media. Some choose to give the goodies early this month by dropping by at the respective media’s offices.

A courtesy call around end December and first week of January is not such a good idea as some of the key editors and reporters are on leave. Many are expected to be back in the second week. Hopefully, they come back in top form and not start work with a MC!

So back to the diary, companies used to hand out (large size) management diaries to editors. The trend has changed to regular and more compact sizes, which are not atypical diary. It is more of a notebook with ample space for writing.

I guess, companies have probably conducted a consumer survey on the use of diaries among their clients or journalists, for that matter. To ensure these diaries reach the right person, many companies made it a point to print the recipient’s name on the diary. Bank Rakyat and Ambank are two examples, with the latter producing similar red coloured notebook each year.

But how many do you need?

Well, let’s see. I place the Bank Rakyat management diary on my table to keep track of my appointments, and use the Ambank notebook for my regular meetings. One or two are kept for separate meetings, while the rest are distributed to my staff and close friends.

All my diaries are for official use. Nothing personal. I have not written any affairs of the heart inside the diary, lest someone may read all my secrets! I treat this blog ‘Getaran Jiwa’ my personal diary but some things are not meant to be shared with everyone.

Let your secrets remain with you.

High Blood Pressure – What A Start To A New Year!

2010-01-03T01:05:00.001-08:00

The year 2009 did not end well for me, health-wise, that is. I didn’t get a clean bill of health as I was told by the doctor that I had high blood pressure (HBP).

I had expected it as I have been having stiff neck for the few days ending December and the pain kept me awake at night.

I blamed it on the stress at the office when work had to be completed before the year ended. The month of December was unusually busy – unlike previous years when many people would be away on vacation on some exotic island.

Going through staff appraisals, PTK examination papers, staff travel claims, preparing/conducting lectures for journalism courses in Bernama, briefing visitors to Bernama, preparing the KPI for my section, etc, etc. Whew!!!

There was a host of other things at work that I had to attend to which added to the stress, and you know what, due to the stress, I couldn’t remember exactly what else that I did during the horrible month of December!

It was because of all this stress that I had been having sleepless nights.And you can imagine when you can't sleep -whatever that is stored in your brain will flashback!

Back to my HBP, the good doctor asked me to have enough rest, and guess what, she gave me panadol to ease the pain. Anyway, I had to believe her that panadol is not a pain killer. It just relieves the pain.

What a day to start the year with a follow up visit to the doctor. The good news is my BP has reduced to a lower level, but “come and check your BP in the next few days,” says the doctor.

Well, so far I have not gone to the clinic as I was feeling much better after having enough rest after the three-day break.

For those with HPB, please don’t take it very lightly. Don’t be like me, I went to the doctor on the third day. High blood pressure is a serious condition that can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure and other health problems.

About 1 in 3 adults in the US has HBP. HBP itself usually has no symptoms. You can have it for years without knowing it. During this time, though, it can damage the heart, blood vessels, kidneys and other parts of your body.

My advice is go for regular check-ups.

My 2010 Wish: To Stay Healthy and Be Happy

2009-12-31T04:08:00.000-08:00

Beginning of 2009, I was suffering from stomach ulcer.

I had throbbing pain in my stomach almost every day and it reached a level that I could no longer bear with it. It was not like as though you were having a splitting headache. No. It was something like gastric pain.

After my umpteenth visit to the clinic, a panel doctor at Bukit Antarabangsa referred me to a specialist (gastroenterologist) at Ampang Puteri. The first visit ended with me being warded at the hospital. I had to undergo endoscopy.

It was the start of a series of visits and of course, more endoscopies. The early part of the year was filled with appointments with the doctor, and later warded.
The finding was that pain killers were the cause of this horrible pain!

I couldn’t recall taking many pain killers, but was very sure that I was a faithful consumer of panadol. However, I was told that panadol was pretty mild to be classified as pain killer. He didn’t say I should stop taking panadol but told me to stop taking pain killers!

Since then, I would be extra cautious when taking any medicine for whatever pain that I had to go through. I even told my panel doctors at this particular clinic near my house, not to give me pain killers in his or her prescription.

However, there were times, I had no choice but to take panadol for my headaches. Not too often though.

The year 2009 also saw several people struck by a killer disease – stroke. It took the lives of my younger brother and the husband of my staff – and all, due to stroke. The husband of another staff is now paralysed due to a stroke.

Life is such. You don’t know when some disease may get into your body’s defence system. At this golden age, you become more susceptible to all kinds of illnesses.
I envy those who stay healthy till they breathe their last.

I am not in my best of health. I do have early symptoms of arthritis, according to a doctor. My problem is I hate to exercise and would rather take the short cut by going to an Indonesian masseuse (tukang urut) to relieve the pain.

I will be retiring in March 2011. This means that I will be in office till end of the new year, as prior to retirement, I would have to take my leave.

Many things are in store for Bernama employees in the new year as the proposed restructure of our organisation, which is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information Communication and Culture, will take place.

The Public Service Department (JPA) has in principle given the nod to the changes, which will see the creation of new posts and units, especially in the Editorial Department.

InsyaAllah, if everything goes according to plan and schedule, the restructure will be realised, the earliest in March or latest by June this year.

God willing, with the blessing of the Almighty Allah, I will enjoy the benefits from the restructure when I retire in 2011.

Here’s wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2010!

Saturday And Stroke Bring Sad Memories

2009-12-27T01:46:00.000-08:00

It was an unfortunate coincidence that deaths came a knocking on a Saturday due to a killer disease – stroke.

My younger brother died on Saturday, Oct 3 and so did Nasriah Darus’ husband, Nik Hasmi, who died at the general hospital last night after being in a coma for more than a month over a stroke.

Nasriah is Assistant Editor of the Malay Subs Desk of Bernama Economic Service. Her 44-year old husband, who was attached to Risda, was survived by a son. His remains were buried at the Muslim cemetery in Batu Caves before Zohor prayers today.

For Nasriah, Saturday was the saddest day of her life as Nik Hasmi left her with no parting words. During the last few weeks, she had been spending sleepless nights in the hospital, and during the days, she would be in the office.

In the early stages when he was struck by the killer disease, she took leave to be by his side. There were occasions when he would make some gestures, and was told by the doctor that he could hear people around him speak.

His conditions worsened lately as he had a fever. Nik Hasmi breathed his last at 7.45 pm.

At the Ar-Rahimah mosque, Nasriah was in between sobs when she reminisced the days she spent with her husband at the hospital. But there was also a wish from her husband before he had the stroke – that he didn’t want her to be at the resting place on the day that he dies.

Perhaps, that was a premonition for her. It was the last journey for him, and he didn’t want to her cry at the burial place as he was leaving for the next life. It was not easy for her, but she had to abide by his wish.

The most touching moment was when her 18-year old son led the prayers for his late father.

Najib, my late brother’s son, would have been in Nasriah’s son’s shoes, had my brother died when his son was much older. Najib was only 12 when my brother Yunus died of stroke. At a young age, a tearful Najib recited the Yasin prayers after his father succumbed to the killer disease at the General Hospital’s ICU. My brother died at 10 am.

Alfatihah. May Allah bless their souls.

A Case of ‘Ali Baba’ And the Forty Thieves

2009-12-24T04:30:00.000-08:00

Remember the story ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’ from the ‘1001 Arabian Nights’, which takes place in Baghdad during the Abbasid era?

One day, Ali Baba overhears a group of forty thieves visiting their treasure store in the forest. The treasure is in a cave, the mouth of which is sealed by magic.

It opens on the words “Open, Simsim” (commonly written as ‘Open Sesame” in English) and seals itself of the words “Close, Simsim” (Close Sesame). When the thieves are gone, Ali Baba enters the cave himself, and takes some of the treasures home.

To cut the story short, Ali Baba becomes wealthy. But Kassim, his rich and greedy brother, who knows about the secret, goes to the cave to take more of the treasure, but in his greed and excitement over the treasures, forgets the magic words to get back out of the cave. The thieves found him there, and kills him.

Back in the present century, Ali Baba is not in the picture. The focus now is on the chief of the thieves, a Brigadier-General.

In the latest fiasco, a Brigadier-General and 40 other armed forces personnel were sacked late last year over their alleged involvement in the case of the missing RM50 million jet fighter engine belonging to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).

Local newspapers reported about the theft of the engine which took place reportedly last year. It was reportedly sold to a foreign buyer when the Brigadier-General was the department head.

Local media said he may also be one of the four men whom Federal Commercial Criminal Investigation Department identified as the main players in the case.

The case is a big blow to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who has placed corruption second among the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the civil service.

Blogger Muhammad Arshad Raji, a retired army officer says “on hindsight, I believe that the government was wrong in keeping silence from public knowledge, this security related issue that has serious national and international repercussions.”

He says, the government will now have to bear the brunt of public odium, and also possibly the loss of public confidence in the government's future handling of serious security related issues. “

“Whatever reasons and justifications that the government has given now has little impact on building and reassuring public confidence, and this does not augur well for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s leadership.

Had the government acted promptly upon the theft being known in 2007, I believe public confidence would not have been badly eroded.”

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail has given his assurance that his chambers would go all-out to solve the disappearance of two F-5E fighter jet engines.

But Najib said there was no cover-up of the theft and sale of the RM50 million fighter jet engine last year.

He said the Defence Ministry and Royal Malaysia Air Force reported the theft to the police immediately after it was discovered and co-operated fully with the authorities to ensure that the matter was thoroughly investigated.

Najib said there would be a full investigation of the thefts, which happened in 2007 and 2008, when he was Defence Minister. However, opposition parties accused the government of covering up the incidents.

Lim Kit Siang, parliamentary leader of the opposition Democratic Action party, said the authorities had been “super slow” and claimed that the prime minister’s response had painted “a frightening picture of a government of thieves”.

In another development, Abdul Gani was quoted as saying that not one but two jet-fighter engines, each worth RM50 million, were stolen from the RMAF base in Sungai Besi.

Both engines served as power plants to the F-5E Tiger II fighter and RF-5E Tigereye reconnaissance jets.

The Attorney-General said the two engines were discovered stolen in May last year. RMAF had lodged a report with the police on Aug 4 last year.

The General Electric J85-21A engines, each worth about RM$50 million, were spares for the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s Northrop Grumman F-5E Tiger II fighters, which fly from the Butterworth air base near the country’s northern border with Thailand.

Defence Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the engines and associated equipment were “believed to have been sent to a South American country” after being moved to the Sungai Besi air force base in Kuala Lumpur for maintenance.

The defence ministry would not identify the company or the country involved or comment on claims in the Malaysian media that the engines may have ended up in the Middle East.

The F-5 went out of production in 1989 but is still flown as a trainer aircraft by US forces and is in frontline or reserve service with many foreign air forces.

The defence ministry said several senior officers were being investigated.

Gen. Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin, chief of the armed forces, said the engine thefts might have been “the tip of the iceberg”, raising the possibility that other military equipment might also have disappeared.

What next?

Tribute To My Dear Brother

2009-12-20T01:28:00.007-08:00

Dear Blog,

It’s been ages since I last wrote a piece on my Getaran Jiwa.

I had wanted to pay tribute to my youngest brother, Mohd Yunus who died of stroke a week after Hari Raya Puasa. Things happened so fast for him.

My brother only spent two nights in hospital, but death knocked on him much too fast. The Almighty Allah loved him more and spared him the agony of becoming paralysed all his years.

I was shattered when I heard that he suffered a stroke. Our family rushed to the hospital when we heard the shocking news.

He managed to say a few words to us before he was put to sleep. All he could say was to ask for our forgiveness, sending signals that he was leaving us for the next life.

In the morning, he could no longer speak to any of us, but we were told by a doctor, that he could hear us. “Just think of Allah, “ my eldest sister whispered into his ears.

We could not be with him at the bedside then, as it was time for the doctor and nurses to attend to him. All we could do was to recite the Yasin for him outside the ward. When we returned, he was already unconscious.

We were told by the doctor that he had to undergo an operation, after which he would be transferred to the ICU.

It was the next morning that we received the news – that my brother has died.
I could not stop crying –at the ICU and the journey to the Muslim burial place.
He was the closest to me. I wished I could turn back the clock.

It took me some time to get over the sadness. I have had sleepless nights and memories of him – in the morgue and the ICU – were haunting me.

There were regrets on my side – there were limits to what I could do for him. Career-wise, he has not been successful, always in and out of jobs. Life has not been kind to him, but he was a loving father of two kids. They loved him dearly, and were closer to him than their mother, a teacher.

Now that he is gone, may Allah bless his soul. Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un.

Don’t Start Another War – Not Over Food La!

2009-09-28T03:10:00.000-07:00

It was only like yesterday that Indonesians wanted to ‘ganyang’ (crush) Malaysians after accusing the latter of robbing them off their cultural and national heritage.

Malaysia has recently been accused by Indonesia of using the Balinese ‘pendet’ dance to promote itself in a television advertisement. Prior to this, Indonesians claimed that Malaysia’s national anthem was copied from the Indonesian song Terang Bulan.

After the tension between the people of Indonesia and Malaysia over the pendet dance has somewhat eased, another issue emerged. This time, the war is raging on over the internet between Malaysians and Singaporeans over food. Both claim that nasi kandar and pasembur are theirs.

This came about after Malaysian Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen’s statement that Malaysia would lay claim to dishes such as laksa, nasi lemak, bak kut teh, chilli crab and Hainanese chicken rice.

To our Singaporean friends, nasi kandar and pasembur definitely originate from Penang. Both words are pronounced in the Penang Malay dialect (nasi kanda’ and pasembo’). As long as I can remember, both have always been associated with Penang. Have you heard of Singapore nasi kandar or Singapore pasembur?

According to Wikipedia, nasi kandar is a popular northern Malaysian dish, which originates from Penang. The word nasi kandar, came about from a time when nasi (rice) hawkers or vendors would kandar (balance) a pole on the shoulder with two huge containers of rice meals. The name has remained and today the word nasi kandar is seen on most Malaysian mamak restaurants.

The most famous nasi kandar stalls are Kassim Restaurant and Line Clear in Penang and the Pelita chain. Pasembur is also listed in Wikipedia as peculiar to northern peninsular Malaysia and especially associated with Penang where the best pasembur can be found along Gurney Drive.

It is a Malaysian Indian salad consisting of shredded cucumber, turnip, potatoes, beancurd, bean sprouts, prawn fritters, spicy fried crab, fried octopus, etc served with a sweet and spicy nutty sauce. In other parts of Malaysia, the term Rojak Mamak is commonly used.

I agree with Malaysian celebrity chef Redzuawan Ismail, better known as Chef Wan, who felt that food lovers should not get too excited over the “ownership” of food as “we are all from the same roots.”

“Where are our roots? We are satu rumpun (from one creed),” said the Singapore-born chef, adding that everyone should just eat and let live.

Singapore is more aggressive at branding. Go to any Singapore food website, and see how it has branded a host of famous delicacies like Singapore fried bee hoon, Singapore rojak, Singapore murtabak, and even Singapore satay!

Satay, according to Wikipedia, may have originated in Java, Indonesia, but it is also popular in many other Southeast Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam as well as the Netherlands, which was influenced through its former colonies.

Satay was supposedly invented by Javanese street vendors, based on satay becoming popular after the influx of Arab immigrants in the early 19th century.

So, Malaysians and Singaporeans better watch out. Don’t claim satay as yours as the “food fight” on the internet may draw Indonesians to join in. Perhaps, Malaysia can start promoting Nasi Kandar and Pasembur as Penang Nasi Kandar or Penang Pasembur.
Or you can sell Malaysia by labelling it as Malaysian Nasi Kandar and Malaysian Pasembur.

In the spirit of Syawal, let’s have an Open House with food galore of Malaysian, Singaporean and Indonesian food (halal food of course), with Malaysia hosting the event. How about it Dr Ng?

“

When Your Parents Are Dead and Gone

2009-09-24T04:13:00.000-07:00

I used to look forward to the long holiday break for Hari Raya when my parents were still alive. It has been 15 to 20 years now and our family home in Seberang Jaya in Penang is still vacant as all members of the family are in Kuala Lumpur, with only my younger sister settling down in Melaka.

Me and my elder sister want to keep the house as we feel that we don’t have to worry about staying in a hotel when we go to Penang or Seberang Jaya for our holidays. At least we can get together in our family home during Hari Raya. The rest don't agree as they want the house sold.

My late parents are buried close to each other at the Muslim graveyard in Permatang Pasir. My eldest sister also lost her husband due to cancer more than five years ago. As she is a housewife with three school going children – all girls – I offered my home to her and the girls.

My eldest sister and her kids are now staying with me in Kuala Lumpur. After their recent graduation, the second sister of the siblings got a job as a reporter in a Malay tabloid, while the eldest finally was offered a bank job this week.

That leaves the youngest, who has a degree in graphic design, without a permanent job. She was working as a customer service assistant at a new petrol station during the fasting month for two weeks until it had to go for a temporary shutdown for reasons which she could not explain.

But Hari Raya has always been spent in Seberang Jaya, with or without our parents. As I have been single all these years, it was much easier for me to spend my Raya with my elder sister and the girls. The rest of my family – brothers and youngest sister – have their own life and family.

In Seberang Jaya, the first day is spent going to the nearest mosque for Aidilfitri prayers, and followed by visits to the graveyards of my parents in Permatang Pasir and my eldest sister’s late husband in Seberang Jaya.

As our Malay tradition, we would either exchange our salam and seek for forgiveness (Maaf Zahir Batin) from each other after prayers or at home after our visits.

I don’t really look forward to going back to Penang as most of my friends are in KL, unlike my sister and the kids, who still have friends in Seberang Jaya. After all, they have been residing in this new township for many years, while I have been away far too long, having spent studying in UiTM, Shah Alam and working in Kuala Lumpur all these years after graduation.

Hari Raya preparation then, that is, when your parents were still alive—was elaborate. It was not so much of the décor -- well, we made it a point to change our curtains every year -- but the furniture’s still the same. But food preparation was elaborate unlike today.

My late mother used to go through the tedious and hard way of preparing her food. It was worse 20 to 30 years ago when we had to use the ‘primitive way’ of ‘grinding’ chilly using the ‘batu tumbuk’ or ‘batu giling’ compared to the present blending machine. Coconuts are also grinded manually using the ‘kelapa parut’ or the so-called wooden horse machine.

The machine is no longer in production and has made way for an electric grinder which has a round cover. Still, this is done manually. All you need is to place half of the coconut on the grinder. You have to do it standing as there is no wooden platform for you to sit like the old wooden horse machine. These machines are available in kampongs and sundry shops.

Many housewives in the city have found the short cut to all these laborious jobs. Coconut milk are usually available in wet markets, but the bad news is you need to queue up and mind you, it’s a long long queue at these markets in the morning, that is one day before Raya.

Modern housewives have even resorted to packaged coconut milk which are equally good. My sister has resorted to this for her rendang and it tastes as good with or without fresh coconut milk.

My late mother used to make the best kuah kacang or peanut gravy on the eve of Raya. We usually eat this with nasi himpit (ketupat nasi) and kuah lodeh. This is our yearly Raya menu. Nasi himpit is usually done the traditional way by placing newly cooked rice into white cloth.

Batu giling (flat stone with a cylindrical stone) is placed on top of the white rice which has been properly tied and flattened. The batu giling adds pressure onto the white rice. Thus, the name nasi himpit. (himpit means pressed or crushed).The nasi himpit will be ready to be sliced the next morning.

Today,my late mother’s kuah kacang recipe has found its way into Matt’s corner, a Malay restaurant in Taman Melawati, which sells kuah kacang and rendang, which are its specialties. Of course at home, you need to pour the kuah kacang gravy in a pot mixed with water and stir it well. It will be ready for serving once you have blended the mixture thoroughly. You can rest assure it tastes home made, and my family and close friend Fatimah, are satisfied customers!

I have not gone back to my family home for Raya over the past few years. I don’t see why not when home is where my heart is – Kuala Lumpur. And Kuala Lumpur being the centre, is now the meeting point for my family members during Hari Raya.

Selamat Hari Raya maaf zahir batin to all Muslims.

Anti-Malaysia Sentiments in Indonesia – Why?

2009-09-04T00:44:00.005-07:00

I don’t understand why Indonesians love to hate Malaysia. ‘Ganyang’ seems to be their favourite word when it comes to expressing their anger or dissatisfaction towards their neighbour, Malaysia.

And every time Indonesians cook up a storm in their homeland, their government would assure the Malaysian side that it has nothing to do with the protests, which among others would include burning Malaysian flags.

Malaysia-Indonesia ties have taken a very sharp turn recently. Malaysians would have recalled Sukarno’s ‘Ganyang Malaysia’ (crush Malaysia) declaration in the 60s. According to reports, this growing anti-Malaysian sentiment is spreading all over Indonesia like wildfire.

As far as I remember, Malaysians have not gone overboard as to burn Indonesian flags in Malaysia. Not that I heard of.

It appears that Indonesians are an emotionally-charged and disgruntled lot.

Recently, there was outpouring of anger, including a heated protest outside the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta, over Malaysia’s supposed theft of the Balinese ‘pendet’ dance to promote itself in a television advertisement. It was revealed that no Malaysian government agency had a role in the advertisement.

The Singapore office of cable television station, Discovery Channel, however, quickly acknowledged that it was responsible for mistakenly featuring the dance in a promotion for its documentary programme ‘Enigmatic Malaysia.’

Earlier, Indonesians also took to the streets venting their anger at Malaysia, with allegations that the Malaysian national anthem – Negara Ku – had been copied from the Indonesian song Terang Bulan.

According to Wikipedia, Negara Ku was selected as national anthem at the time of the Federation of Malaya’s independence from Britain in 1957. The tune was originally used as the state anthem of Perak, which was adopted from a popular French melody composed by the lyricist Pierre-Jean de Beranger.

Another controversy erupted in 2007 after the Malaysian Tourism Board suddenly released the Rasa Sayang commercial, an advertisement used to promote Malaysian tourism industry. Indonesians claim that Malaysia unfairly claimed ownership of the song.

Anti-Malaysia sentiments raged on, with cyber attacks on Malaysia on Sept 1 (Tuesday). According to reports, Indonesian hackers claimed they hit 120 websites in Malaysia on Tuesday.

The hackers said they were acting in revenge against what they perceived as Malaysia’s alleged theft of Indonesian cultural items and abuse of migrant workers, reported the Jakarta Globe.

A statement on a Blogspot blog titled “Terselubung” says that a number of Malaysian websites have been hacked and defaced to “celebrate” Malaysia’s Merdeka Day.

“Today, August 31, 2009, an uncreative country, a country who likes to steal Indonesian culture, a country whose citizen is the mastermind of bombings in Indonesia, a country who harassed Indonesia on the Internet... a country which received their independence from Britain, is celebrating its anniversary,” the website stated.

The site then listed in excess of 120 Internet addresses, including domains for Malaysian educational and tourism pages, reported the Jakarta Globe.

Each link, when clicked, opened to a page with flashing graphics of the Indonesian flag and a statement that the site has been “hacked by Indonesia”.

What next Indonesia?

Indonesia exports human capital in the form of maids. More than 300,000 Indonesian women work as maids in Malaysia. Around 3,000 new maids head for Malaysia every month, most of them placed through specialized employment agencies, according to the manpower ministry here.

Maids file up to 150 complaints every month with authorities in Indonesia alleging ill treatment, overwork, unpaid salaries and physical abuse in Malaysia.

With all these hate sentiments, will Malaysia look elsewhere for maids?

A Tribute To Tai Cheong

2009-09-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

Who would have known Tai Cheong workshop before the tragic fire in Ampang on Aug 29 unless you are his satisfied customer?

Three groups of people would have been shocked by the pre dawn fire at the Tai Cheong Car Workshop in Jalan Hulu Kelang on Aug 29. Twenty five cars were destroyed in the blaze.

First, its owner Tai Cheong, his family and workers; second, the 25 car owners; and third, my family who are regular customers of the workshop.

According to news reports, firemen took about three hours to douse the flame in the incident which took place at about 6.15 am.

As in many other cases, tragedies occur when we are in dreamsville. The fire took place during Subuh prayers, about half an hour after Imsak. Some would have chosen to sleep after Subuh, especially on a Saturday.

Damages are estimated at RM950,000 but there were no casualties.

For me and family, Tai Cheong, a few minutes’ drive from my house in Bukit Antarabangsa, is one of the best workshops we have had. We have tried a few others before, but none can match Tai Cheong in many aspects.

It has first class service – The minute you take your car to the workshop, its mechanics, including its owner, will always be there to receive you. I don’t remember the names of the mechanics though, but they know me and family, especially my eldest sister, who loves to haggle for discounts.

Me and my family are Tai Cheong’s satisfied customers. The price’s affordable, and you can expect your car will be in tip-top condition after the service. Its mechanics never let you down. No charges for a small job.

Tai Cheong is no ordinary workshop. Unlike some workshops that I have been too, Tai Cheong will not make you pay for every “dent” in your car or “leak” in your engine!. Unless, your car is really in a bad shape, the mechanic will advise you accordingly, and that too, he will find ways to work within your budget.

Today, as I pass by the workshop, Tai Cheong is in a sorry state. It was only a week before the tragedy that I told my family that my car needed a service. And now, where shall I take my car for the next service?

Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

2009-08-31T21:39:00.000-07:00

(Merdeka Moments - Photos courtesy of Bernama's Photo Unit)

For the first time, the 52nd day National Day celebration was held at Parliament Square on Aug 31 with the participation of a limited number of people due to the influenza A (HIN1) or swine flu pandemic and the Ramadan month.

For the same reasons, the national level celebration was held on a moderate scale, mostly indoors, in the states.

Bernama marked the day with the raising of the Jalur Gemilang and the singing of Negaraku at Wisma Bernama last Friday. At the event, attended by General Manger Hasnul Hassan and Editor in Chief Datuk Yong Soo Heong, Bernama employees were in high spirits as they sang two other songs Jalur Gemilang and Satu Malaysia.

The celebration, led by maestro Faiz Sanusi from the Sales Department, ended with seven shouts of "Merdeka".

While the 52nd national level celebration has been scaled down, the Merdeka spirit is alive as reflected in the vibrant colours of Jalur Gemilang and the spirit of the people.

The theme of this year's celebration is '1Malaysia: People First, Performance Now.'

Model's Caning Deferred Due To Fasting Month

2009-08-24T01:14:00.000-07:00

KUANTAN, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- The caning of model, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, who was ordered to receive six lashes of the rottan and fined RM5,000 for drinking beer, has been deferred until after the fasting month.

Pahang Religious Affairs, Dakwah, Unity and NGOs Exco chairman Datuk Mohd Sahfri Abdul Aziz said the state Religious Department (JAIP) had received a directive from the Attorney General's office to defer the punishment until the fasting month was over.

"However, the sentence will remain the same," he said here today.

Kartika who was sentenced to six lashes of the rottan and fined RM5,000 for the offence was scheduled to be taken to the Kajang women's prison today to undergo her caning punishment.

According to reports, JAIP officers had gone to Kartika's house in Sungai Siput, Perak but left 30 minutes later after receiving the orders from their 'higher' authorities.

Kartika, 32, a mother of two, was arrested during a raid at the Legend Hotel lounge in Cherating at about 11.40pm on July 20, last year, for breaching Shariah law, which forbids Muslims from consuming alcohol.

On Aug 18, Syariah Court judge Datuk Abdul Rahman Yunus found Kartika guilty of the offence, and handed out the punishment, seen the first of its kind in the country.

-- BERNAMA

Rotan Issue - Much Ado About Nothing

2009-07-30T01:30:00.000-07:00

Come on people, why all the fuss about this Singapore model by the name of Kartika Sari Dewi Sukarnor getting the rotan in Malaysia?

Remember Michael Peter Fay, an American who briefly shot to worldwide fame when he was sentenced to caning in Singapore as an 18-year old in 1994 for theft and vandalism?

Caning is a routine court sentence in Singapore but most Americans were unfamiliar with it, and Fay’s case was the first caning involving an American citizen.

Kartika, 32, a part-time model, hit the headlines – both the mainstream and new media-- for drinking beer at a nightclub in Cherating, Pahang on July 12, 2007.

On July 20, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarnor was ordered to be whipped six times by the Kuantan Syariah Court.

However, in a turn of events, Kartika wanted the court to expedite the sentence.

“I will accept this earthly punishment, let Allah decide my punishment in the hereafter... The court has yet to tell me when the sentence will be carried out, so I would like to ask them to hasten it.

“I truly respect the court's decision... I admit that it's my offence and not that of others, it's not the offence of my parents, not the offence of my other family members,” a teary Kartika told reporters in her home town in Perak recently.

If her sentence is meted out soon, it could be the first time that a man or a woman is caned under Islamic law.

She was drinking beer with her husband in a hotel in Cherating, two years ago when she was caught by Islamic enforcement officers. She pleaded guilty last year.

She was fined RM5,000 and sentenced to six strokes of the rotan by the Pahang Syariah High Court on July 20.

The mother of two, who is married to a Singaporean and is a Singapore permanent resident, paid her fine the following day and decided not to file any appeal.

The caning may sound absurd, but rules are rules. The fact is she is a Muslim. And she knows the rules. She broke the rules and she must accept the consequences.

Based on the Syariah Criminal Procedure Enactment 2002, the whipping tool used must be a rotan or small branch that should be not more than 1.22 metres long and not more than 1.25cm thick.

The whipping has to be done using moderate force and the punisher should not raise the hands over the head to avoid injuring the skin. The appointed punisher must be a fair and mature person, During the punishment, the offender must be dressed according to Syariah law.

Male offenders will be whipped while standing whereas female offenders will be in a sitting position when whipping commences.

Whipping would not be done on pregnant offenders and would only be done two months after delivery. It must not hit the face, head, stomach, breast or private parts - only the buttocks.

The offender's health should be checked by government health officers who should also be present during whipping.

There was public outrage over the caning sentence.

Earlier, women leaders such as Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and Titiwangsa Member of Parliament Dr Lo'Lo Datuk Mohd Ghazali had expressed concern over the harsh punishment in relation to the offence.

Muslim lawyers, however, dismissed the criticism, saying they were a challenge and an insult to the Kuantan syariah court.

The issue could have been prolonged had Kartika not expressed her repentance over consuming alcohol.

Kartika is really lucky she’s not getting a real caning!

English From Pre-School: Right Decision

2009-07-22T00:33:00.000-07:00

When it comes to learning, especially acquiring a language that is not your mother tongue, you’ve got to start early, and preschool’s the best.

Here’s Tuesday’s announcement on efforts to strengthen the command of the English language, from Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin which is front page headline news on The Sun newspaper today:

Preschools To Be Part Of National Education System – DPM

PUTRAJAYA, July 21 (Bernama) -- Preschools will be absorbed into the national education system as part of the efforts to strengthen the command of the English language at the early stage of schooling, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

He said trained English language teachers would be sent to the schools to help improve the learning and teaching of the language.

Muhyiddin, who is education minister, said the government had agreed in principle to implement the policy but had not set any time frame to do so.

He added that the move would be implemented to correspond with the proposal to make English a compulsory pass subject in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.

"If we can set aside a suitable period for the subject, and let trained teachers handle the class, in three years these preschoolers will be able grasp basic English," he said.

By doing so, he said, preschoolers need not wait until they were in primary school to have a good grasp of basic English.

"If the six-year period (in primary school) is not enough, they have five more years to learn the language (in secondary school).

"So, it is unlikely that they will fail their SPM English language examination," he said at a gathering with educators at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) here Tuesday.

He said that the government was aware of the concerns expressed by certain quarters over the proposal to make English a compulsory pass subject as many students, especially those in the rural areas, might not be able to achieve the pass mark.

Citing the results of last year's SPM examination as an example, Muhyiddin said, only 26.9 per cent of rural students managed to register a pass in the subject.

The government, however, would not take the "levelling down" approach in implementing the proposal, he said.

"We should instead be brave enough to adopt the 'levelling up' approach by striving to improve the performance among students.

"In the context of the English language, the suggestion to make English a 'must pass' subject is a levelling up approach to improve the command of the language among students so that they can become competitive."

Muhyiddin said the proposal could be implemented soon but the efforts to enhance the command of the English language among students should start now.

-- BERNAMA

Pos Malaysia Delivers One Billion Mails Annually

2009-07-20T22:23:00.001-07:00

Despite the stiff competition from modern and instant communication systems, the workload of the postmen has not reduced, delivering an average of one billion letters and parcels annually.

The list of services provided by Pos Malaysia Bhd, which has been in existence for more than 175 years, kept on increasing given its position as the exclusive provider of mail services in Malaysia.

Today, Pos Malaysia, which is listed on Bursa Malaysia, has evolved into a multiple service provider, with volume of conventional mail handled by Pos Malaysia totalling 1.271 billion in 2008, according to available figures.

At a recent briefing for visiting members of Benita, an association of Bernama women employees, a spokesperson of Pos Malaysia said the company was committed to improving its products and services to meet the growing demand of its customers.

Forty per cent of its business are handled in Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur, which is the head office of Pos Malaysia has a staff of 2,400, handling an average of 800,000 mails a day.

Most of the mails that Pos Malaysia handles are business-related, such as bank statements, credit card statements, bills, etc.

There are 8,000 postmen in the country, of which 1,600 are in Kuala Lumpur. Of the 1,600 postmen here, 50 are women known as Posnita, who are assigned to do coding duties at the headquarters.

The spokesperson said Pos Malaysia had set before itself realistic service standards, that is, next day delivery after posting for local mail delivery, two days between major towns and 3-4 days between other places in the country.

At present, Pos Malaysia operates a network of over 1,000 outlets comprising General Post Offices, post offices, mini post offices and mobile post offices.

It employs a workforce of more than 16,000 employees throughout the country.

The public can do more than 160 different transactions at the post-office counters, which provide a wide range of services, including collecting payment of utility bills, payment of pensions, renewing road tax and driving licence, as well as paying mobile phone bills.

The postal service, then Postal Service Department, has come a long way from the time when it only delivered letters, newspapers and business documents to Malaysian households nationwide.

Its vast experience formed a strong backbone to support its massive restructuring when it became a corporatised entity in 1992.

In 2003, Pos Malaysia restructured its entire operation into four specific strategic business units -- PosMel, PosLaju, PosNiaga and PosLogistik -- to be more focused on its various customers and marketplace.

Statistics also show that the conventional mail services contributed RM566 million in terms of revenue to the company during the financial year Dec 31, 2008, making it the biggest contributor to the company's revenue.

For 2008, Pos Malaysia posted a net loss of RM33.3 million against a revenue of RM921.7 million, although it made an operating profit.

Its group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Syed Faisal Albar has expressed confidence that Pos Malaysia will return to the black this financial year.

For Faisal, who is formerly CEO of New Straits Times Press Bhd (NSTP), the challenge for Pos Malaysia is to improve the customer service.

Kaka’s ‘Bombers Kiss My’ – This Month’s Flavour

2009-07-20T05:33:00.000-07:00

By now, Kaka of Indonesian musical group Slank (pix top left), who removed his jeans on stage at the ‘Anugerah Planet Muzik 2009’ in Jakarta last Saturday, to show his ‘Bombers Kiss My’ message on his underwear to his audience, would have been the flavour of the month.

Searches for news on last week’s bombings at two hotels in Jakarta on the internet could also be diverted to this latest piece of news from the capital city of Indonesia, which hosted the awards show aired live in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

At the ceremony, Slank’s ‘Kuil Cinta’ took the Best Indonesian Song award category.

Whether the Indonesian authorities would impose a ban on Kaka is yet to be seen. But the entertainment media in Malaysia and Indonesia, have also highlighted this ugly episode, with internet portals inviting comments from the public, with many expressing their outrage over Kaka’s behaviour.

Live television shows have had a history of artistes making headlines –not so much for their musical performance—but more for their disgraceful acts. For these shameful acts, these artistes had to pay the price.

In Malaysia, Faizal Tahir (centre pix) courted controversy on Jan 13, 2008 by removing his jacket, singlet and belt before throwing them to the audience of about 8,000 people live on television to celebrate 8TV’s fourth anniversary. The television station’s top management took stern action by giving him strict warnings and requiring him to be involved in charity work for six months.

Two days after the incident, 8TV held a press conference for him to apologise to all who were offended by his stunt. As a result, on Jan 19, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission stated that it would ban him from appearing on television for three months, also bar 8TV from airing live or tape-delayed entertainment programmes throughout the same period effect Jan 15.

The ban ruined his chance to perform two songs (Mahakarya Cinta and Kasih Tercipta) in Anugerah Juara Lagu organized by TV3.

On the international front, Janet Jackson (pix top right) caused a storm while performing in the halftime show of the 2004 Super Bowl, when her co star Justin Timberlake pulled off a piece of Jackson's costume, exposing her right breast.

An estimated 140 million people were watching the show when at the end, pop star Justin Timberlake popped off part of Jackson's corset, exposing her breast.

MTV produced the halftime show, which was broadcast by CBS. Both had issued their own apologies.

A statement from MTV said the tearing of Jackson's costume "was unrehearsed, unplanned, completely unintentional and was inconsistent with assurances we had about the content of the performance.

"MTV regrets this incident occurred, and we apologize to anyone who was offended by it."

Despite its apology, MTV did not hesitate to promote the incident after the fact. A Web page headline said: "Janet Jackson Got Nasty at the MTV-Produced Super Bowl Halftime Show."

Continuing, the Web page said, "Jaws across the country hit the carpet at exactly the same time. You know what we're talking about ... Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake and a kinky finale that rocked the Super Bowl to its core."

Up Close and Personal With Ahmad Mustapha Hassan

2009-07-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Zuber of Corporate Communication, Bernama)

Ahmad Mustapha Hassan, the author of a book The Unmaking of Malaysia was in Bernama today.

He was not here to promote his book launched in 2007, but to share his experience in managing Bernama as well as being press secretary to former Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and the then Deputy Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

At 73, Ahmad Mustapha is still witty and was happy to see some of the early batches of Bernama journalists present during his talk at the Centre of Excellence on the 12th floor of Wisma Bernama.

Among others are former general managers Datuk Seri Azman Ujang (Bernama editorial adviser) and Datuk Syed Jamil Jaafar (Bessar adviser), former Editor in Chief Datuk Abdul Rahman Sulaiman, former Editors Ratna Melan,Amin Husaini, Rachman Norodin (Nam News Network coordinator) and S. N. Rajan (last post as Bernama’s Head of Marketing).

“I thought I will be talking to young reporters, but I am happy to see some familiar faces,” said Ahmad Mustapha, who was happy to note that he is a natural grandfather, or ‘Datuk’ with eight grandchildren.

During the session moderated by Azman, Ahmad Mustapha, who started Bernama’s commercial ventures when he held the post of General Manager from October 1981 to Nov 30 1987, took the audience on his life journey, and paid tribute to Abdul Razak, whom he described as someone who was easy to work with.

He said Abdul Razak had full confidence in him as press secretary, and Ahmad Mustapha knew then that there was a clear career path for him, envisioning that he could move several steps further, right up to holding a ministerial post, or “even minister in charge of Bernama,” he said in jest, drawing laughter from the audience.

But it was fated that his term with Abdul Razak lasted for one and a half years, till the latter’s death and “fate is such, I become the GM of Bernama”, said Ahmad Mustapha, who shot to stardom when he wrote the book, which was critical of Dr Mahathir.

Launched by former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam in November 2007, the 271-page book, published by the Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, details Ahmad Mustapha’s experience working under the two former leaders and comparisons between their leadership styles.

It also touches on how Abdul Razak’s singular goal was to uplift the rural people who had supported the fight for independence.

In his book, Ahmad Mustapha, who is a nephew of Dr Mahathir said the latter did not follow rules and procedures set by his predecessors.

UTM – The Creator of Creative and Innovative Minds

2009-07-14T06:05:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Zuber, Corporate Communication)

Today, July 14, I must pay tribute to Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), especially its Vice Chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang for sharing with Bernama senior management its successes, breakthroughs and its expertise in a wide range of fields, especially in creative technology.

As the name suggests, technology is its forte, and the university, which aspires to be a renowned technological research university, does not want to let its precious research go to waste and remains stored in the laboratories, so-to-speak.

Over the years, the university has made major technological breakthroughs, but not much is known by the public at large. And UTM under Zaini’s leadership wants to change all that and is going all out to promote the university.

Today, he brought along some of his executive committee members to Bernama. At a briefing by Bernama General Manager, Hasnul Hassan, Zaini also shared with us some of its success stories.

Not many people know that Upin & Ipin is the creative product of UTM.

Upin & Ipin is an animation series about two 5-year-old twins, Upin and Ipin telling their first experience fasting for the first time in the month of Ramadan. The story is told in a simple, comical and hilarious way.

Although the series is tailored for the fasting month, it is also suitable to be shown all year round as it has educational and moral values for children.

The man behind the success of the animation series and 3D film is Managing Director of Les’ Copaque Production Sdn Bhd, Burhanuddin Md Radzi who tapped the ideas of some of the young brains from the university who were final year students at the UTM.

Burhanuddin, who had no background in the film and animation field, took the risks by producing the series and the first 3D animation film in Malaysia.

He majored in petroleum and natural gas engineering from the university and has served as an engineer in the national oil corporation, Petronas for 10 years.

His wife, Ainon Ariff is also the driving force behind this creative venture, when she expressed her interest in producing a film. She had earlier been inspired by her friend, whose son had at that time, just completed his studies at the Universiti Multimedia Malaysia (MMU).

Three MMU graduates involved in this project are Mohd Nizam Abd Razak, Mohd Safwan Ab Karim and Muhammad Usamah Zain Yasin, who now form the backbone of Les’ Copaque, holding key positions as executive director, art director and creative director respectively.

Upin & Ipin or Burhanuddin is not the only success story of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, whose slogan is ‘Inspiring Creative & Innovative Minds’.

It has also produced experts in security systems and games technology. Other breakthroughs include producing enzymes which can convert tapioca and sago into high value product for use in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and food industries.

The brains behind this product, known as CGTase, is Prof Dr Rosli Md Illias, who undertook 10 years of research. He embarked on the research through a RM400,000 fund from the Malaysian Genome Institute with the cooperation of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM).

At 41, Dr Rosli is the youngest professor at the university.

Najib's Basket of Goodies For The People

2009-07-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

A basket of goodies was unveiled by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last Saturday to mark his 100th day in office as prime minister.

Call it a mini budget, Najib certainly won the hearts and minds of the people, judging from the thunderous applause from the thousands of people who gathered to listen to his speech at three halls at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Criticisms are aplenty too, with some saying that his 11 goodies are not new. What's important is he has delivered his message of reaching out to the people.

Before unveiling the good news, he shared with the audience, his walkabout or 'Tinjauan Mesra' with the people, including flat residents and petty traders at Petaling Street.

It is based on the feedback from the people that he decided to announce these good news on his 100th day in office.

"If I was populist, I would have announced it all on my first day . But I took time to gather the input from the people," he said in an interview over RTM.

Najib, who is also Finance Minister, focused on the economy and his leadership style when he first took over office as the country's leader.

With the economy set to contract by between -4.0 percent and -5.0 percent this year, Najib unveiled a slew of economic and financial measures and two stimulus packages worth RM67 billion.

These are the 11 goodies for the people:

1. A 20 per cent discount for users of the pre-paid Smart Tag and Touch n Go cards who pay toll 80 times or more in a month.
2. The government offer for sale of 44,000 units of public housing to people renting these premises in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.
3. A 50 per cent discount on the licence renewal fee for hawkers and petty traders in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur with immediate effect.
4. The government's raising by 3,000 the number of taxi permits, the applications for which will be approved over the next three months.
5. The introduction of drastic measures to reduce crime and fight corruption.
6. Facilitating applications for registration of births in Sabah and Sarawak.
7. Construction of additional roads in Sabah and Sarawak.
8. Upgrading of water and electricity supply in Sabah and Sarawak.
9. Reduction to RM211 the fee for learning to ride Class B2 motorcycles of 250cc and below, beginning Sept 1.
10. Increasing by RM150 million the allocation for Tekun Nasional, with RM15 million to be made available for young entrepreneurs from the Indian community.
11. Introduction of the new Amanah Saham 1Malaysia (1Malaysia Unit Trust) with a size of 10 billion units.

Google’s Top 10 Searches in Malaysia

2009-07-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

Here’s the list of the Top 10 Google Searches July 3-July 9 (NST):

1 Real Madrid – Malaysians join football fans in Madrid to welcome Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

2 Michael Jackson Memorial – The King of Pop’s memorial service on Tuesday drew Malaysians to the Net in search of the plans and live videos.

3 PPSMI – The hot issue of teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English drew Netizens online to voice their opinions.

4 aimsweb – The official Web site for Universiti Teknologi Malaysia was updated with announcements on student intake and academic schedules for 2009/10.

5 UUM – Universiti Utara Malaysia opened its online application for admission into higher learning institution programmes for STPM holders for the next academic year.

6 Manohara – The young model who married the Kelantanese prince hits the limelight again as the court case demanding the return of nearly RM1 million by Tengku Temenggong Muhammad Fakhry Sultan Ismail Petra commences on August 2.

7 1Malaysia – The 1Malaysia concept mooted by the Prime Minister has been getting the thumbs-up with activities such as forums, carnivals and photo competitions to set the tone.

8 BSN – Bukit Bintang Umno division chief Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Zabidi steps down as Bank Simpanan Nasional chairman to comply with Bank Negara Malaysia guidelines.

9 Photofunia – More Malaysians are checking out this latest online photo effects software.

10 TNB – Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin’s hint of an upcoming hike in the electricity tariff has led Malaysians online to search for more information.

1TEAM 1DREAM 1BERNAMA

2009-07-08T21:47:00.001-07:00

BERNAMA , under the stewardship of its newly appointed General Manager Hasnul Hassan, has recently unveiled a new slogan 1TEAM 1DREAM 1BERNAMA to inculcate unity, teamwork and team spirit among its employees.

Hasnul brings with him a wealth of experience from the corporate sector, and since taking over the helm early this year, things are really moving in Bernama, especially at the marketing department.

He has recently appointed a National Sales Team Manager to generate more sales for Bernama’s products and services. This slogan 1TEAM 1DREAM 1BERNAMA was mooted by this new unit.

Hasnul has also introduced an Ambassador Programme to provide incentives for staff who can bring in business for Bernama. He personally persuades his friends from the private sector to subscribe to Bernama’s products and services.

He has set up a committee which has so far implemented some cost cutting measures. The results have so far been positive.

Hasnul is also leading the management team to move forward the proposed restructure plan for Bernama.

Since inception, Bernama, a statutory body under the Ministry of Information Communication and Culture, has not undertaken a major restructuring exercise. The Bernama management has made a presentation on the reorganisation of the news agency before the ministry's Secretary General Datuk Kamaruddin Siaraf recently.

Lots of good news are in store for the staff once the plan gets the ok from the Public Service Department. Datuk Kamaruddin will lead the team from the ministry for a presentation before the PSD, possibly within the next few months.

Bernama, the Malaysian National News Agency is now 42 years old. Since then, it has ventured into the broadcasting world, with Radio24Bernama and Bernama TV on Astro 502.

Back to the 1TEAM 1DREAM 1BERNAMA campaign, a Treasure Hunt was held last week that drew participation from 70 staff.

What’s unique about the hunt is that the one hour event was held under One Roof – Wisma Bernama, to promote the spirit of oneness among the staff. Among the conditions for this hunt – each team must be multi racial, comprising both men and women.

Congratulations to the winning team from our ICT subsidiary, BESSAR: They had all the criteria.

But above all, everyone enjoyed the hunt!.

Use Blogs Wisely, Your Boss Is Watching You!

2009-07-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

The blogging community in Malaysia has grown over the years, with the number reaching nearly 12.1 million, according to search engine, Google.

A good majority are personal blogs – more of an online diary so-to-speak.

According to unofficial figures, there are 50 top bloggers in the country, with 28 per cent writing about personal stuff. Some 16 per cent are about politics, another 16 per cent on technology, with the rest on a variety of subjects.

For those who write on personal stuff or other issues, don’t use your weblog to vent your anger at your boss or your employer, as doing so will land you in jail!.

In what is seen as a landmark case, a former Eon Bank Bhd employee was fined RM8,000 in default two months’ jail by the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur on July 7.

He admitted posting obscene comments in his blog to embarrass his former department head.

The offence under the Communication and Multimedia Act carries a maximum
RM50,000 fine or one year's jail, or both, on conviction.

Bloggers Return To The Mainstream

2009-07-08T02:45:00.000-07:00

In what is seen as a positive sign for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s leadership, bloggers are going back to the mainstream, with Datuk Ahmad Talib, who runs the ‘Pahit Manis’blog, taking the lead, with his appointment as Executive Director of Media Prima Bhd last month.

Media Prima, the largest media group in Malaysia, owns the New Straits Times Press (NSTP), TV3, TV7, TV8 and TV9 . As owner of NSTP, it also controls English newspapers like the New Straits Times and the Malay Mail and Malay newspapers such as Berita Harian and Harian Metro.

Popular blogger Ahirudin ‘Rockybru’ Attan is also back at the NST, with his appointment as head of the Malay Mail. During his first meeting with his staff, he has asked them to buy a pair of jeans.

Rocky’s reason:”We are going to promote free press, but like jeans and everything else in life, there are limits to what we can do.” (That, I must agree with you bro! Nothing is FREE in this world. About wearing jeans, I have my reservations!).

Start a Blog: Good idea!

NSTP has also announced the appointment of another blogger Nuraina Samad as Managing Editor, a post once held by her late father, A. Samad Ismail.

According to Rocky’s Bru, Nuraina is now the newspaper’s most senior editor after Zainul Arifin, the Group Managing Editor of NSTP and Syed Nadzri, the Group Editor.

Congratulations Nuraina, we are all proud of you. It is a welcome change, given that you are the first woman to hold this top editorial post in the NST.

Also taking the same route is Ashraf Abdullah, who runs the blog Jejak Pujangga. He has been appointed TV3 Group Editor, a new post created under Ahmad Talib.

Congratulations also go to another blogger, Fauziah Ismail, who is now Chief News Editor of NST. She has a blog titled 'Latte @ Chinoz On The Park'.

Now that bloggers are back in the mainstream, will they make a difference?

Drink Water on Empty Stomach

2009-07-06T04:33:00.000-07:00

(This was emailed to me recently).

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value.

For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:
Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT
1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water
2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minute
3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.
4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours
5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.
6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases:

1. High Blood Pressure (30 days)

2. Gastric (10 days)

3. Diabetes (30 days)

4. Constipation (10 days)

5. Cancer (180 days)

6. TB (90 days)

7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards – daily.

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.

It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life. Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active.

This makes sense .. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals ..not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!

!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain...

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.
It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.

Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine.
Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks:

· Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting,

· Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.

· You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack.

· Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms

60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up.

· Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive...

Blame It On The System!

2009-06-09T02:36:00.000-07:00

In April 2007, the then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak called for a revamp of the nation’s school curriculum to make students proficient in English.

He said that while the national language Bahasa Malaysia was important, Malaysian students must attain a “respectable level of fluency in English so as to ensure that they are no less qualified when competing globally.”

The medium of instruction in Malaysian government schools was changed from English to Bahasa Malaysia in 1980.

In 2002, the government announced that from 2003 onwards, the teaching of science and mathematics would be done in English, in order to ensure that Malaysia will not be left behind in a world that was rapidly becoming globalised.

This paved the way for the establishment of mixed-medium education. However, the policy was heavily criticised especially by Malay linguists and activists, fearing that the policy might erode the usage of Malay language in science and mathematics.

Now, the latest story is that the government wants to switch back to Bahasa Malaysia.

I agree with former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he said on Monday that he would feel sorry if the government decided to revert to teaching the subjects in Bahasa Malaysia. To quote Dr Mahathir: "If that is the case, in future, all Malays and Malaysians will be bodoh."

I come from a generation that grew up learning almost everything in English.

From primary right to Sixth Form, it was English all the way. The only time that I spoke in Bahasa Malaysia was to some of my Malay friends, my late mother and family members, but my late father, a Customs Officer, preferred to converse in English.

I even took up English literature for my Higher School Certificate examination, learning about Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Othello, among others. But all these did not mean that I had neglected my Malay language or my roots.

Thanks to this old education system, with English as the medium of instruction, things became less difficult when you go to the next level – college or university. I was accepted into Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), then MARA Institute of Technology in Shah Alam in 1974 and signed up for Diploma in Public Administration.

But I decided to change my course to Diploma in Mass Communication on the influence of my childhood friend, Zainon Mohd Isa, whom I met during the orientation period. Thanks to her, and the then Mass Communication Head of School, Marina Samad, I was accepted into the faculty. Of course, the medium of instruction was English.

Please don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that Malay is not important, but the “colonial” system is reaping the results now.

In the job market, employers especially the private sector also prefer graduates who are fluent in English. I joined Bernama in 1979 after working in the TV news section of RTM as a part time/full time reporter for almost two years.

At RTM, news were written in English and translated to other languages by the copy editors. In Bernama, reporters have to write in the language used by the source. If the text is in Malay, the news should be written in Malay and is translated to English by the English subs desk.

The policy stays until today, but blame it on the system, Bernama like many other media organisations, are also facing difficulties in hiring graduates who are fluent in English.

Over the past many years, Bernama has been taking in graduates from local universities to its editorial department, but on-the-job training has done wonders to a good number of them.

At Bernama Economic Service, most of the copies are written in English, given that the majority of events are conducted in English, especially at corporate functions.

Like it or not, reporters at BES are forced to write in English, and I am proud that the economic service has been the best training ground for many reporters. Those who have left us can vouch for that!

Most job interviews for reporters are conducted in both languages, with priority given to English. So where do our local graduates stand?

The next debate on the language issue, I suggest that we all go back to the old education system, English all the way right from primary school. It is at this tender age that one can pick up any language fast. Once everyone is comfortable with the language, you will see a new generation of Malaysians.

Remember, all our past Prime Ministers- and present – are proficient in both languages, delivering speeches at overseas forums in English, the internationally used language.

Policymakers need to be firm and consistent. Our future generation will suffer if we make the wrong decision!

Najib Announces 28-member Cabinet

2009-04-09T04:31:00.000-07:00

KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today announced a 28-member cabinet in 25 ministries which saw eight ministers dropped and seven new faces appointed. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who won the Umno deputy presidency in last month's party elections, is appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister.

Najib, who took his oath of office as the new prime minister on April 3, also retained the finance portfolio which he has held since Sept 19 last year following the portfolio swap between him and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at that time.

Najib's cabinet is slightly smaller than his predecessor's 32 ministers and 27 ministries.

Najib said that the new members of the administration were highly spirited and ready to serve.

"I am confident that all of them share the same commitment to spur the nation towards excellence.

"This is our line-up and our team which reflects Malaysia's plural society," he said when announcing the cabinet list at the Prime Minister's Department, which was carried live on national television.

The new cabinet also a reflection of the slogan "One Malaysia. People First. Performance Now" adopted by Najib's administration.

The eight dropped are Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar (Home), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (Tourism), Senator Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib (Rural and Regional Development), Senator Datuk Amirsham A Aziz (Prime Minister's Department), Datuk Ong Ka Chuan (Housing and Local Government), Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed (Works), Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique (Federal Territories) and Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad (Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs) who had resigned.

The new faces includes Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon who is appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of Unity and Performance Management.

Malaysian Armed Forces' Religious Corp Director Maj-Gen Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom is also among the new faces, appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of Islamic Religious Affairs.

Other new faces are Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah who was appointed Second Finance Minister, Umno Wanita chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (Women, Family and Community Development), Datuk Anifah Aman (Foreign) and Lembah Pantai Umno division chief Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin (Federal Territories).

MCA vice-president Datuk Kong Cho Ha who was previously the Deputy Finance Minister was promoted to a full ministership in charge of Housing and Local Government.

Of the seven new faces, four were made senators to pave the way for their cabinet appointments, namely Dr Koh, Jamil Khir, Shahrizat and Raja Nong Chik, all of whom were sworn in as members of the Dewan Negara this afternoon.

Seven ministers retained their respective portfolios namely Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (Prime Minister's Department), Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat (Transport), Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin (Higher Education), Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili (Science, Technology and Innovation), Datuk Douglas Unggah Embas (Natural Resources and Environment), Datuk Liow Tiong Lai (Health) and Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam (Human Resources).

The new cabinet line-up also saw changes in the portfolio of 14 ministers.

Heading the list is Muhyiddin, who has moved to the Education Ministry from the International Trade and Industry Ministry.

Others are Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop (Finance to Prime Minister's Department), Tan Sri Bernard Dompok (Prime Minister's Department to Plantation Industries and Commodities), Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (Education to Home Ministry), Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim (Foreign Ministry to Information, Communications, Arts and Culture), and Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui (Plantation Industries and Commodities to Energy, Green Technology and Water).

Also moving to new portfolios are Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal (Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage to Rural and Regional Development), Datuk Mustapa Mohamed (Agriculture and Agro-based Industry to International Trade and Industry), Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen (Women, Family and Community Development to Tourism), Datuk Noh Omar (Cooperatives and Entrepreneur Development to Agriculture and Agro-based Industry) Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Prime Minister's Department to Defence), Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor (Energy, Water and Communications to Works Ministry), Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek (Information to Youth and Sports) and Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Youth and Sports to Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs).

The new cabinet also saw the restructuring of three ministries namely Information; Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage; and Energy, Water and Communications.

The three have now been merged into two ministries namely the Energy, Green Technology and Water; and Information, Communications, Arts and Culture.

The prime minister also announced the appointment of 40 deputy ministers including two who were made senators.

They are MCA Wanita chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun who was appointed Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister, and Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin who was appointed Finance Deputy Minister.

They were sworn in as senators this afternoon.

The previous administration has 37 deputy ministers.

Of the 40 deputy ministers, nine are new faces namely Jerlun Member of Parliament Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir, who was appointed International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister, Puteri Umno chief Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin (Health), Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi (Education), Senator Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin (Finance), Senator Heng Seai Kie (Information, Communications, Arts and Culture), Senator Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun (Women, Family and Community Development), Datuk Lee Chee Leong (Foreign), Ahmad Maslan (Prime Minister's Department) and Datuk Razali Ibrahim (Youth and Sports).

The old faces are Datuk Liew Vui Keong (Prime Minister's Department), Senator Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim (Prime Minister's Department), Datuk S. K. Devamany (Prime Minister's Department), Senator T. Murugiah (Prime Minister's Department), Datuk Chor Chee Heung (Finance), Datuk Wee Ka Siong (Education), Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri (Transport), Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew (Transport), Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin (Plantation Industries and Commodities).

Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop (Home), Jelaing Mersat (Home), Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum (Information, Communications, Arts and Culture), Noriah Kasnon (Energy, Green Technology and Water), Datuk Hassan Malek (Rural and Regional Development), Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun (Rural and Regional Development), Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung (Higher Education).

Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (Higher Education), Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan (International Trade and Industry), Fadillah Yusof (Science, Technology and Innovation), Tan Sri Joseph Kurup (Natural Resources and Environment), Datuk Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib (Tourism), Datuk Johari Baharum (Agriculture and Agro-based Industry), Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim (Agriculture and Agro-based Industry), Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad (Defence), Datuk Yong Khoon Seng (Works).

Wee Jeck Seng (Youth and Sports), Senator Datuk Maznah Mazlan (Human Resources), Datuk Tan Lian Hoe (Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs), Datuk Lajim Ukin (Housing and Local Government), Senator A. Kohilan Pillay (Foreign) and Datuk M. Saravanan (Federal Territories).

All the ministers and deputy ministers will take their oaths of office at the Istana Negara at 9.30am tomorrow.

Earlier Najib had an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin at the Istana Terengganu here to obtain his consent on the new cabinet line-up.

-- BERNAMA

NAJIB'S CABINET LINE-UP

2009-04-09T02:52:00.000-07:00

PUTRAJAYA, April 9 (Bernama) -- The full list of Cabinet ministers announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today:

PRIME MINISTER:

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER:

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

MINISTER IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT:

1. Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon (Unity and Performance Management)

2. Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (Legal and Parliamentary Affairs)

3. Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop (Economic Planning Unit)

4. Mej-Jen (B) Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom (Islamic Religious Affairs)

DEPUTY MINISTER:

1. Datuk Liew Vui Keong

2. Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim

3. Datuk S. K. Devamany

4. Ahmad Maslan

5. T. Murugiah

FINANCE MINISTER:

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

SECOND FINANCE MINISTER:

Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah

DEPUTY:

1. Datuk Chor Chee Heung

2. Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin

EDUCATION MINISTER:

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

DEPUTY:

1. Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong

2. Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi

TRANSPORT MINISTER:

Datuk Ong Tee Keat

DEPUTY:

1. Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri

2. Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew

PLANTATION INDUSTRIES AND COMMODITIES MINISTER:

Tan Sri Bernard Dompok

DEPUTY:

1. Datuk Hamzah Zainudin

HOME MINISTER:

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein

DEPUTY:

1. Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop

2. Jelaing anak Mersat

INFORMATION, COMMUNICATIONS, ARTS AND CULTURE MINISTER:

Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim

DEPUTY:

1. Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum

2. Senator Heng Seai Kie

ENERGY, GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND WATER MINISTER:

Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui

DEPUTY:

Noriah Kasnon

RURAL AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTER:

Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal

DEPUTY:

1. Datuk Hassan Malek

2. Datuk Joseph Entulu anak Belaun

HIGHER EDUCATION MINISTER:

Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin

DEPUTY:

1. Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung

2. Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah

INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INDUSTRY MINISTER:

Datuk Mustapa Mohamed

DEPUTY:

1. Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir

2. Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION MINISTER:

Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili

DEPUTY:

Fadillah Yusof

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT MINISTER:

Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas

DEPUTY:

Tan Sri Joseph Kurup

TOURISM MINISTER:

Datuk Ng Yen Yen

DEPUTY:

Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib

AGRICULTURE AND AGRO-BASED INDUSTRY MINISTER :

Datuk Noh Omar

DEPUTY:

1. Datuk Johari Baharum

2. Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim

DEFENCE MINISTER:

Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

DEPUTY:

Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad

WORKS MINISTER:

Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor

DEPUTY:

Datuk Yong Khoon Seng

HEALTH MINISTER:

Datuk Liow Tiong Lai

Deputy:

Datuk Rosnah Rashid Shirlin

YOUTH AND SPORTS MINISTER:

Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek

DEPUTY:

1. Datuk Razali Ibrahim

2. Wee Jeck Seng

HUMAN RESOURCES MINISTRY:

Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam

DEPUTY:

Datuk Maznah Mazlan

DOMESTIC TRADE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS MINISTER:

Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob

DEPUTY:

Datuk Tan Lian Hoe

HOUSING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT MINISTER:

Datuk Kong Cho Ha

DEPUTY:

Datuk Lajim Ukin

WOMEN, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MINISTER:

Datuk Seri Sharizat Jalil

DEPUTY:

Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun

FOREIGN MINISTER:

Datuk Anifah Aman

DEPUTY:

1. A.Kohilan Pillay

2. Datuk Lee Chee Leong

FEDERAL TERRITORIES MINISTER:

Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin

DEPUTY:

Datuk M. Saravanan

-- BERNAMA

Najib Set To Steer Nation To Greater Heights

2009-04-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

By Salbiah Said

KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 (Bernama) -- The going may be tough for Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who takes over Malaysia's top job, but despite the challenges, the path is all set for the son of Malaysia's second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, to navigate the nation to greater heights.

Najib assumes the position as the country's Prime Minister at a highly challenging time when the economy is heading for recession, with exports and manufacturing both badly hurt by the slowdown in the global economy.

The present economic difficulties need a steady pair of hands in Najib to pull the nation through turbulent times.

With a strong background in economy and backed by a strong team, Najib can be counted upon to steer Malaysia through the present global economic crisis and achieving stronger growth in the process, say analysts, economists and corporate figures.

Najib, who is Finance Minister, has promised to use the current global economic downturn to boost the country up the economic value chain and to liberalise the services sector, reduce dependence on commodities and oil exports as well as low-end electronics.

Born on July 23, 1953 in Kuala Lipis, Pahang, Najib was educated at St John's Institution in Kuala Lumpur and Malvern Boy's College in Worcestershire, England, before earning a degree in Industrial Economics from Nottingham University.

Najib became Deputy Prime Minister on Jan 6, 2004 as he actually ascended to that position 47 years after his father's appointment to the same post.

Today, he was sworn in as Malaysia's sixth Prime Minister, in a carefully planned power transition that has been one year in the making. He takes over from Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who steps down after five and a half years in office.

Abdullah, 69, chose Najib as his deputy three months after assuming the post of prime minister following the retirement of his predecessor, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in October 2003. Dr Mahathir served as the country's fourth prime minister for 22 years from 1981.

Najib was formally elected as president of Umno on March 26 at the political party's general assembly to pave the way for him to become prime minister. By convention, the head of Umno has always served as the country's premier since 1957.

In his last policy speech as party president, Abdullah, who has held the post since October 2004, called on Umno members to give their solid support to Najib and help him take Malaysia to greater heights.

In hailing the transition of power, the Chief Executive Officer of the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, said: "We look forward to the new leadership under Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and seek his guidance, wisdom and direction in taking Malaysia through the transition and through one of the most difficult economic climates."

He said MSC Malaysia, which was founded by Dr Mahathir, continued to enjoy strong support under the leadership of Abdullah as he pushed Malaysia into the era of the knowledge or K-economy.

Najib, said Badlisham, has also been a strong driving force in driving the MSC Malaysia through the announcement of the High Speed Broad Band (HSBB) programme, with the objective of increasing the broadband penetration throughout Malaysia.

"We believe that ICT has a significant role to play in many areas, including wealth creation and human capital development. Of immediate interest is for MSC Malaysia to drive the job creation, training opportunities, development of creative and outsourcing services industries as mentioned in the recent mini- budget which was tabled by Datuk Seri Najib," he said.

As the driver of MSC, Badlisham said MDeC would continue to support the national initiative to transform Malaysia into a knowledge-based economy through ICT.

In quoting Najib, he said: "HSBB will be a key national infrastructure initiative which will allow Malaysia to enhance its economic competitiveness in the region, help attract FDI (foreign direct investment) to the country as well as accelerate the nation's ICT and high-tech aspirations and agenda through an enhanced knowledge capital workforce."

Leveraging on the National Broadband Initiative, Najib had also created the Integrated Online Content Taskforce (ICON), chaired by the Chief Secretary to the Government, with a joint Secretariat of MDeC and the Malaysia Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU), he said.

ICON was set up to accelerate the supply of local content, thus increasing opportunities for entrepreneurs and more job creation, propelling Malaysia into a K-economy.

"Furthermore, in line with the HSBB efforts, Datuk Seri Najib also has been instrumental in pushing foreign investment for large ICT companies to set up base in MSC Malaysia, providing thousands of high-value jobs for Malaysians in the field of ICT," he said.

The Group Managing Director of BIMB Holdings Bhd, Johan Abdullah, said for a start, the recent RM60 billion stimulus package must be diligently monitored and to implement an effective, open and consistent communication channel to the public on the milestones to be achieved.

"Najib must hear out at all levels in the economic sector (users, suppliers, financiers, etc) and must come out with a "creative solution" to position Malaysia as not only a competitive but high-value economy.

Johan said it was not a question of whether or not Najib could achieve his economic goals.

"But more importantly, it is the ability to drive key stakeholders at all levels to move together in achieving the economic value chain. Hence, specific skills sets and competencies with a passion for creative thinking must always be given a priority.

"We need to condition the mind of the people that we all need to do it together now for our economic survival for the future," said Johan.

Bank Negara Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz said the Malaysian economy is projected to register a growth rate of minus one per cent to 1 per cent this year and the government and the central bank had implemented measures, such as fiscal spending packages and interest rate cuts, to spur the economy on.

"These measures are projected to take time to work through the economy and should bear fruit in the second half," said Dr Zeti when unveiling the 2008 BNM annual report recently.

Economist Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said the rakyat looked forward to the new premier to rally the Malaysian public to bring about positive and constructive changes that would lead the nation to greater heights.

Navaratnam, who is also Chairman of the Centre for Public Policy Studies, said Najib was almost brought up to lead by his father, gaining wide experience in the government right to the Cabinet level as deputy prime minister.

He became the deputy prime minister on Jan 6, 2004.

"With the many portfolios he has held over the years, including in education, Najib received great grooming from his late father (before that)," he said.

"Najib is well qualified to lead," said Navaratnam, but added that the new prime minister may have detractors who could be dampeners to his efforts in confidence and nation-building after the testy or fractious period after the March 8, 2008 general election.

Navaratnam, who expects changes to take place under Najib's leadership, said: "Reform would have to be the order of the day in all aspects of the Malaysian way of life.

"As the PM (Abdullah) says the new cabinet has to change before it is changed. The BN government will also have to change before the BN is changed."

Sazean Group Executive Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir said the nation was looking forward to this transition, especially with Najib's background as the son of the late Tun Abdul Razak, who together with the late Tunku Abdul Rahman, laid the foundations for Malaysia's prosperity.

"Unfortunately, the struggle and the vision of the founding fathers have gone astray. As a result, Malaysians of all races are very angry and are prepared for change."

However, he said the new leadership somewhat offered the government a final chance to save the nation especially with the Opposition not being able to put their act together even after one year since March 8.

"It is now left to Najib to save his own father's great legacy for the country and rakyat. If the country is united and our Cabinet Ministers are focused on their jobs and remain clean, we can overcome our problems easily.

"One of the reasons why the rakyat are unhappy is because of the (perceived) widespread corruption, abuse of power and red tape," added Abdul Kadir, a former Cabinet Minister.

-- BERNAMA

The Stage Is Now Set For Najib As Prime Minister

2009-03-27T00:46:00.000-07:00

The stage is now set for Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to be installed as the nation’s sixth Prime Minister.

Najib was yesterday formerly elected as president of Umno at the party’s general assembly in a handover that by party tradition was uncontested.

Najib, the eldest son of Malaysia’s second illustrious Prime Minister, Tun Razak Hussein, is to take over as premier on April 3 from Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is stepping down after 5 ½ years in office.

Najib, 55, became the Deputy Prime Minister on Jan 6, 2004.

Abdullah chose Najib as his deputy three months after assuming the post of Prime Minister following the retirement of his predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in October 2003.

Abdullah, 69, in his last policy speech as party president, called on the members to give their solid support to enable Najib to take Malaysia to greater heights.

The prime minister, who pledged to give his undivided support to Najib as the new Umno president and prime minister, said he is handing over the national responsibility to Najib whom he described as "a younger leader who has the maturity and experience to navigate the nation to greater heights."

Abdullah has held the post since October 2004.

Najib’s elevation to prime minister comes at a critical time when the economy is heading for recession despite a RM60 billion stimulus package that he announced earlier this month.

He had earlier in November last year announced a RM7 billion stimulus package to avert recession in 2009.

On Wednesday, Bank Negara Governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz said the central bank expects exports to fall by a quarter this year.

“The Malaysian economy will most probably register a contraction in the first half but Bank Negara is optimistic that the stimulus measures undertaken will lead to a recovery in the second half.

“Currently, we have already priced in further economic deterioration in the global economy in 2009 and we do expect the first half of the year to see quite a significant economic contraction because we are also comparing against an exceptionally high growth during the first half of 2008 (6.7 per cent),” she said.

The economy is projected to register a growth rate of -1 per cent to 1 per cent this year and the government and central bank have implemented measures, such as fiscal spending packages and interest rate cuts, to spur the economy.

These measures are projected to take time to work through the economy and should bear fruit in the second half.

Najib has promised to use the current global economic downturn to boost the country up the economic value chain and to liberalise services, reduce dependence on commodities and oil exports as well as low-end electronics.

RM60-Billion Stimulus Package To Face Economic Downturn

2009-03-12T01:52:00.000-07:00

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 (Bernama) -- The government on Tuesday unveiled its second economic stimulus package totalling RM60 billion, comprising initiatives and ideas to invigorate vital sectors to maintain the people's welfare and prosperity in the face of the global economic downturn.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, when tabling the package in the Dewan Rakyat, said it would be implemented over two years -- 2009 and 2010 -- and would have four thrusts.

These were reducing unemployment and increasing employment opportunities; easing the burden of the people, in particular the vulnerable groups; assisting the private sector in facing the crisis; and building capacity for the future, he said.

Najib said the government would continue to implement appropriate measures to strengthen the confidence of the people and ease the burden, particularly of the vulnerable groups.

"In view of the deteriorating global economy, the Second Stimulus Package is significantly larger and more comprehensive, encompassing various economic sectors and target groups.

"This includes workers, consumers, investors, small and medium businesses, exporters and unemployed graduates," he said.

Najib, while being open about the severity of the global economic prospects, said he was confident that Malaysia would be able to face this difficult and challenging environment with the spirit of unity among the people, just as the country had successfully overcome several crises in the past.

He said Malaysia could not depend on orthodox economic recovery policies, but must be bold in formulating innovative approaches to deal with the crisis.

"There have been increasing calls by the people for the government and the opposition to set aside political differences and focus on the economy.

"I personally acknowledge these calls and, therefore, urge all parties, from the government and opposition to focus on the economy and the people," he said, inviting the opposition to work together in the effort.

"There are high hopes, when faced with an economic storm, for us to always work together and think of doing the best for the people," he said.

Najib announced the package, regarded as a mini budget, when tabling the Supplementary Supply Bill 2009 for second reading in the Dewan Rakyat.

On Nov 4 last year, the government announced the First Stimulus Package totalling RM7 billion which, according to Najib, was being actively implemented and RM6.5 billion of which had been channelled to projects.

The second package also gives special focus to the people of Sabah and Sarawak, particularly in the provision of infrastructure for which RM1.2 billion is to be allocated to increase economic activities.

Projects and programmes to be implemented in Sarawak include the expansion of the Sibu Airport, deepening works at Miri Port, repair and improvement of infrastructure damaged by floods and upgrading of schools.

In Sabah, the main programmes and projects to be implemented include the Kota Kinabalu Electricity Transmission System, upgrading of schools, roads and bridges, and resolving issues related to health services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

In his speech of an hour and 15 minutes, Najib acknowledged that Malaysia now faced an extremely challenging economic environment in the context of the difficult global economic scenario, and said that the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was expected to be in the range of negative one per cent to one per cent for 2009.

Najib said that though developed countries had announced large economic stimulus packages exceeding US$3 trillion, including substantial amounts to bail out their financial institutions and large corporations, these measures had yet to restore consumer and investor confidence.

He said the United States, the world's largest economy and trading nation, was expected to experience a contraction of 1.6 per cent, the United Kingdom 2.8 per cent, Japan 2.6 per cent, South Korea negative two per cent, Taiwan negative four per cent and Singapore negative 4.9 per cent.

"In fact, Singapore's Minister Mentor (Lee Kuan Yew) envisaged that Singapore's economy might contract 10 per cent this year," he said.

Najib said Malaysia had to accept the fact that as a highly open economy it was likely to be impacted through declining exports in line with deteriorating world demand; sharp decline in the prices of commodity exports; decline in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in line with the global recession; and significant decline in Bursa Malaysia due to the global meltdown in equity markets.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SECOND STIMULUS PACKAGE:

* Government unveils RM60 billion second stimulus package to insulate the economy from slipping into recession;

* House buyers given tax relief on interest paid on housing loans up to RM10,000 a year for three years;

* Additional RM200 million for public low-cost housing scheme for low-income earners;

* RM1.6 billion fund to promote investments;

* RM200 million to repair and maintain roads and drains;

* RM150 million for renovation, maintenance and repairs to welfare homes, fire and rescue stations, firemen living quarters and public toilets in mosques, suraus and tourist spots;

* Government to issue syariah-compliant Savings Bonds amounting to RM5 billion this year;

* RM1.95 billion to build and upgrade facilities in 752 schools, particularly in rural areas, Sabah and Sarawak of which RM300 million will be used to improve facilities in government-aided religious schools, Chinese and Tamil schools and mission schools;

* RM230 million allocated to increase electricity supply coverage and water supply in rural areas particularly in Sabah and Sarawak.

* RM350 million allocated for rural road construction.

* Government will provide RM500 million for maintenance of public infrastructure projects, with emphasis to Sabah and Sarawak;

* RM1.2 billion allocated for providing infrastructures and increasing economic activities in Sabah and Sarawak;

* RM300 million for micro-credit programme under AgroBank to assist farmers and agro-based businesses in rural areas and RM50 million for cottage industries.

* RM2 million Fishermen's Welfare Fund to be established and managed by the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority;

* RM20 million will be provided to improve facilities of day-care centres for the elderly, improve management of women shelter homes and increase facilities for child care centres;

* Existing tax exemption under the retrenchment benefit will be increased to RM10,000 from RM6,000 for each completed year of service;

* Government to establish a Working Capital Guarantee Scheme totalling RM5 billion to provide working capital to companies with shareholder equity below RM20 million;

*Government to establish a Financial Guarantee Institution with an initial RM1 billion in paid-up capital to provide credit to companies intending to raise funds from the bond market. Bonds totalling RM15 billion will be raised under this facility;

* Rights issues by listed companies will no longer need approval from the Securities Commission;

* To encourage takeovers and mergers, the Code on it will no longer be applied to private limited companies;

* Only the Securities Commission has to be informed of any amendments to the terms and conditions of bonds and sukuk issuance;

* Convertible and exchangeable bonds will be exempted from mandatory rating requirements;

* Permanent resident status will be considered for high networth individuals bringing more than US$2 million for investment or savings in Malaysia as an effort to bring high networth and skilled individuals;

* High-skilled foreign professionals may also be considered for Permanent Resident status;

* Government to provide RM2 billion to assist implementation of projects through Private Finance Initiative and public-private partnerships. Private firms to be invited to bid for the funds;

* Government proposes to increase the number of scholarships for entry into local private universities;

* Government-linked Companies to set up 10 not-for-profit private schools;

* The services sector will be further liberalised to woo more investments, bring in more professionals and technology and strengthen competitiveness;

* Foreign Investment Committee to adopt a more liberal approach to bring positive changes and nurture a more investor-friendly environment to attract more investments including foreign direct investment;

* RTM to be allocated RM20 million to implement several projects to develop the local music industry;

* All government procurements will be made through open tenders or restricted tenders except for specific cases.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysia, Best Location For Arab Investors, Tourists - Developer

2009-01-24T20:25:00.000-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Arab property developer, Hesham El Din Fathi Mohamed has visited Malaysia more than 50 times, during which he has made comparisons with other nations across the globe.

Nothing compares to Malaysia especially when it comes to attracting investors and tourists from the Middle East, he says.

Hesham, an Egyptian said he worked in the Middle East for 15 years, and having studied the world situation, which currently is dogged by the financial meltdown, he has come to the conclusion that Malaysia is the best and right spot for investment.

"Our vision of the Gulf was that this area would definitely go down very fast. The past few days have confirmed that. By going out first, we would have a bigger chance than anybody else," said Hesham, who is a managing director of Golden Corporate Heritage Sdn Bhd, which is the developer of the proposed Arab City in Jalan Ampang.

Incepted six months ago, Golden Corporate Heritage Sdn Bhd is a joint venture between Dubai, Saudi Arabian and Malaysian partners. The company has branch offices in Dubai and Saudi Arabia with diverse interests in real estate, trading and oil and gas.

Malaysia has a special appeal to the Arab world. What has attracted Arabs to Malaysia all these years is its safe, steady and friendly environment. It has been lauded as a modern, moderate and progressive Muslim nation.

"Having studied the world market, we find Malaysia is the only good spot we can invest in. The Malaysian culture can accept any foreigner easily, has good infrastructure, is blessed with natural resources and further strengthened by stability.

"We have never heard of violence in Malaysia. In all aspects, we find Malaysia the right place to start our investment," he said.

"When we thought of coming to Malaysia, we didn't have a specific project in mind. I came to Malaysia as a tourist more than 50 times before I made the decision. After looking at the society, I decided that this is the right place to invest," said Hesham in an interview with Bernama recently at his office at Menara Ambank in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng here.

While in Kuala Lumpur, he visited the Arab Street in the Bukit Bintang. area. Malaysia has the distinction of having many such enclaves in the various cities and major towns, such as the Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur, Little India in Klang and the Portuguese Colony in Melaka. These are all tourist attractions.

"Hanging out around the Bukit Bintang area made me discover that Arabs are focusing here. But unfortunately, the place is not suitable for Arabs who come here with their families. Arabs choose Malaysia because they want to bring along their families. It is a family destination," said Hesham.

A survey conducted by the company on Arab tourists along Jalan Bukit Bintang revealed that they had problems with food and could not find a place in Kuala Lumpur which was safe for them to spend with their families.

He said that not many Arabs were willing to return for a second visit as they saw very little improvement in the tourism sector catering to their community.

Arabs, said Hesham, tend to enjoy their own cuisine and it was difficult to find a truly authentic Middle Eastern restaurant in the city.

While more than 1.2 million Arabs come to Malaysia each year to shop and spend time with their families, these are not the same group of visitors from the Middle East, he said.

Because of all these factors, including the absence of a similar enclave like Chinatown and Little India, he decided to propose the development of an Arab City in Malaysia, and when completed, it will be the first in the world.

He said after several meetings, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman took only two weeks to give the company conditional approval for the project to be located in Jalan Ampang, which is in the golden triangle. It is also next to Saloma Bistro and Theatre Restaurant and the Malaysia Tourism Information Centre (Matic).

However, the company is still awaiting approval for its request for a 33-year lease on the piece of land from the Federal Land and Mines department, he said.

He said the project, sited a few hundred metres from the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, will be a retail, business and lifestyle hub with a display of rich Arab food, culture and tradition in the heart of the city.

He said the development cost of the project is estimated at RM35.4 million while operating cost is over RM150 million.

The proposed Arab City enclave, which will be equipped with state of the art security systems, will have a two-storey complex with 337 parking bays. Among the facilities are an exhibition and convention centre which will host events throughout the year, ten restaurants, two coffee houses, bakeries and a supermarket.

The bazaar area will have more than 150 shops of international and local fashion brands, a multi-purpose hall, prayer rooms, beauty salons and a theme park for families with children.

The project is expected to provide job opportunities for about 1,000 Malaysians while 200 Arabs are expected to run the business.

Citing figures from Mastercard, he said Arabs from the Gulf states spent US$1.5 billion on shopping abroad during the last summer break.

"Rather than elsewhere, we want them to spend their money here.But we need to make them feel comfortable during their stay," he said.

Following the Sept 11, 2001 attack on the United States, many Arabs have avoided that country and Europe. The situation in Lebanon, which used to be a popular tourist destination for the Middle Eastern tourists, is also not stable arising from the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

"There are no other options for the Arabs. For instance, Saudi Arabians by law cannot go to Thailand," he said.

Many Arabs make Malaysia their first choice destination each year for the long summer holiday.

Hotels in Malaysia during the Arab summer break, register a 100 percent occupancy with air frequency increased from 35 flights per week to 45 between here and the Middle East, with Arabs families usually having a month-long holidays.

"We are testing the waters here. To invest, we need an assurance and the Arab tourists who come here, want to feel that they are comfortable," Hesham said.

He also said Malaysia should tap opportunities from the credit crunch in the Gulf with more Arab investors expected to flow into the country given the attractions here.

"But greater efforts and incentives should be provided for, to create a more conducive environment for the Arabs," he added.

Analysts said early predictions that the Arab states of the Gulf would be largely protected from the international financial crisis have proved misplaced. As the turmoil spread, the Gulf has been hit by its own liquidity squeeze -- largely because foreign funds that had wrongly bet on a revaluation of local currencies pulled out suddenly once the financial crisis hit.

For him, the global crisis should not be an obstacle to doing business.

"You can't shrink and stay at home, waiting for the crisis to go away. Each country has its own crisis. What's happening in US does not have to affect India for instance, unless they are connected. I have been hearing a lot of the crisis and no one can explain why.

"We are here, we have the money. There is a project and there is a market. How is the crisis going to affect us?

"We see things as being wonderful.We see the economy as beautiful. We want to do something, at the least. Let us be more optimistic. I came to Kuala Lumpur not to leave.

"I have my home, my family here but no Malaysian passport or nationality. But maybe I have a Malaysian heart.

"I am living here with friends, family. There is a future for my kids. What is strange is, I am working for the country to be better. I am here to stay forever," Hesham said.

-- BERNAMA

Arab City Delayed By Bureaucratic Red Tape

2009-01-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Bureaucratic red tape may force the developer of Arab City, which is designed to be a symbolic gateway connecting Malaysia to the Middle East, to move from its site in Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur to Melaka, which promises a 24-hour approval for the project.

Hesham El Din Fathi Mohamed, Managing Director of Golden Corporate Heritage Sdn Bhd, said Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam had assured him that the state would facilitate all procedures for the company to invest in the state.

"He (Ali) told me, anytime you face a problem, you can walk in my office and my house is also open for 24 hours to fix the problem," the 45-year Egyptian told Bernama in an interview at his head office in Menara Ambank in Jalan Yap Kwang Seng recently.

Incepted six months ago as a joint venture between Dubai, Saudi Arabian and Malaysian partners, the company has branch offices in Dubai and Saudi Arabia with diverse interests in real estate, trading and oil and gas business.

Drawn by Ali's investor-friendly approach, Hesham said the company planned to invest more aggressively in Melaka, with initial investments of RM350 million.

"So, any place which gives us a good environment to invest and do projects, we will go for that. It will not cost the government a single penny to have the project here. We are paying and all projects will be financed by our company. So, I wonder why you ( KL authorities) are not helping us enough," he said.

The Melaka government, he said agreed to provide the company with a piece of land on the riverside, in the heart of the city, to develop the Arab City.

"For Arab tourists, it will be a short distance from the airport and better than travelling to Penang and Langkawi which will be crowded during the peak season. We find Melaka a good place given its rich historical background. The state government really wants to help us."

Hesham said the company was still waiting for approval from the relevant land authorities for its proposed request for a 33-year lease of the land located near the Saloma Bistro and the Malaysia Tourism Centre (Matic) in Jalan Ampang.

It had earlier expected to complete the project by June this year in time for the Arab summer break.

He said after several meetings, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman took only two weeks to give the company conditional approval for the project to be located in Jalan Ampang, which is at the Golden Triangle.

"If the land department has problems with that piece of land, it must inform this company to find an alternative. But you cannot leave the situation hanging while people are spending overheads.

"So, we hope that things will get a little faster. We won't run away from the bureaucracy. We will fight it. We consider Malaysia as our country. As Muslim businessmen, we want to invest in a Muslim country."

The project, sited a few hundred metres from the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, will be a retail, business and lifestyle hub with a display of rich Arab food, culture and tradition in the heart of the city.

He said development cost of the project is estimated at RM35.4 million while operating cost is over RM150 million. The proposed Arab City enclave, which is to be equipped with state of the art security systems, will have a two-storey complex with 337 parking bays.

Among the facilities are an exhibition and convention centre which will host events throughout the year, ten restaurants, two coffee houses, bakeries and a supermarket.

The bazaar area will have more than 150 shops of international and local fashion brands, a multipurpose hall, prayer rooms, beauty salons and a theme park for families with children.

"The Arab city in Jalan Ampang will not just boost tourism but will also be a dynamic hub for attracting investments."

The project is expected to provide job opportunities for about 1,000 Malaysians while 200 Arabs are expected to run the business.

Hesham said the company expected revenue of RM8.8 million annually from the Arab City in Jalan Ampang.

With no approvals in sight from the authorities here, Hesham said the company had no choice but to start the Melaka project ahead of its earlier plan to have the Arab City in Kuala Lumpur.

"Within seven days from now, I will give my proposal for an Arab City in Melaka to the state government. Hopefully, I can start my project in Melaka next month.

"As for KL, I don't know who I am talking to and who is talking to who. These are all land matters. We are ready. Our people are ready to start on the construction. Our media campaign is also ready.

"Everything is ready. We had hoped to catch the Arab tourists during the Arab summer season in May or June. What's going on now is, if all approvals are not received by end of this month, and there is no way to catch them (Arabs) in this season, I would have to take all my attractions (Arab City) to Melaka."

Hesham said more than 1.2 million Arabs come to Malaysia each year to shop and spend time with their families because of a strong Islamic presence in the country.

The company has been in a limbo for six months, with overheads and other expenditure rising. He said todate, RM6 million, including RM3 million for overhead costs, have been spent with no results.

"We are willing to spend more, willing to be part of the society and to help bring business from the Middle East to Malaysia. But just open the door for us." --BERNAMA

The Gaza Massacre in Perspective

2009-01-14T00:40:00.000-08:00

By Chandra Muzaffar

HONEST, accurate media presentation of context is vital for an in-depth understanding of conflict. In the case of the ongoing Israeli massacre of Palestinians in Gaza, the context has been distorted by much of the media. The impression given is that Israel had no choice but to retaliate against a constant barrage of rocket attacks launched by Hamas after the latter decided to end the Hamas-Israel truce on Dec 19.

While rocket attacks targeting civilians in the southern part of Israel are wrong from the point of view of international law, the media has failed to tell the public the whole truth about why Hamas ended the truce and how Israel is largely responsible for the underlying conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and other Arabs. There are at least five dimensions to the larger context shaping the conflict that have not been highlighted in the media.

One, even after the so-called Israeli "withdrawal" from Gaza in August 2005, the Israeli army has conducted numerous raids and air strikes in Gaza in the name of fighting "terrorism" which have killed hundreds of civilians including women and children. These assaults intensified after Hamas captured the Palestinian Legislative Council in a free and fair election in January 2006. When Hamas ousted its rival Fatah from Gaza in June 2007, Israel went all out to destroy Hamas through military and non-military means.

Two, in spite of Israeli attacks, Hamas, a few violations notwithstanding, observed its June 2008 truce with Israel. Not a single Israeli was killed by Hamas rocket fire during the six-month period of the truce.

The Hamas leadership even proposed a 10-year truce to Israel in April 2008. There was no response from Israel. It was because of continuous Israeli military strikes, the closure of border crossings and a suffocating blockade of Gaza, imposed by Israel, that Hamas was forced to end the truce on Dec 19.

Three, in juxtaposing Hamas rockets with the Israeli arsenal, the media seldom mentions the tremendous asymmetry in military power between the two sides. What are Hamas's homemade rockets compared with the wide range of sophisticated lethal weaponry at the command of the world's fourth most powerful army? The death toll from the present assault tells the whole story: 375 Palestinians to five Israelis as of Dec 30 after four days of air bombardment.

Four, to grasp the significance of this asymmetry one has to place it in the context of the Israeli blockade of Gaza that began soon after Hamas won the 2006 election. By punishing the people of Gaza for voting for Hamas through the imposition of a blockade that has increased poverty and destitution and denies life-saving drugs to the critically ill, Israel has made the victims of its cruel and callous siege even angrier and more desperate. The media has made no attempt to link Hamas's rocket attacks to the siege.

Five, neither has the media explained to the people that at the root of this longstanding conflict that goes back to the beginning of the 20th century is the occupation and annexation of Palestine and the oppression of the Palestinians.

Within a year of the unjust partition of the land in 1948, 78 per cent of Palestine was in the hands of the Zionists. Gaza is part of the 22 per cent that was annexed in 1967. Since 1948, Israel, argues Israeli historian Illan Pappe, has embarked upon a policy of "ethnic cleansing" that seeks to eliminate the indigenous Palestinians from their land. None of these facts and opinions is given any ventilation in the mainstream international media.

It is not difficult to understand why this is so. Zionist influence over the US-Europe controlled international media is enormous. In the US, control over the media is part of what the American sociologist James Petras describes as the "Zionist power configuration" (ZPC) which extends to the principal arteries of the economy, political institutions and the intellectual and cultural life of the nation.

This is perhaps a propitious moment to challenge the ZPC. The US economy is facing its severest crisis ever which must impact adversely upon Zionist power both directly and indirectly. With its inevitable economic decline, US global hegemony which has been a critical factor in sustaining and perpetuating Israel's military dominance of the Middle East is also coming to an end. New patterns of global power are in the offing.

At a time like this, it is important that Americans themselves realise that blind, uncritical US support and protection for Israel is damaging to US interests.

It is significant that no less a statesman than George Washington had warned the American nation in his farewell address that "passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils... facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest... betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter... It leads also to concessions to the favourite nation of privileges denied to others..."

In the last few years, some Americans from the establishment have begun to see this. Jimmy Carter would be a case in point. Academics such as John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt have also criticised the incestuous relationship between Zionist lobbies and the US government. More individuals and groups should be encouraged to oppose the subordination of the US to Israeli interests in the Middle East.

The Palestinians and other Arabs who have to contend with Zionist power should also develop more effective strategies to pursue their struggle for justice. At this juncture many of them oscillate between violence and rhetoric. What is needed is strategic thinking and planning which will produce new forms of challenge and resistance to Zionist dominance. For instance, those who try to break Israel's Gaza blockade by transporting food and medicines through ships are not only providing much needed assistance but are also raising public consciousness about the inhumanity of the Israeli regime. Two women have been at the forefront of such initiatives: the Nobel laureate Mairead Maguire and former US congresswoman Cynthia McKinney.

Such initiatives, it is hoped, will accelerate the demise of Zionist power and US hegemony and create the conditions for the liberation of the Palestinians and other oppressed peoples.

Dr Chandra Muzaffar is Professor of Global Studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia and president of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST). In 2002, he was a member of the Internet World Court on Israel's War of Extermination Against Palestine.

Landslides Strike At The Crack Of Dawn

2008-12-17T00:06:00.001-08:00

(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!

2008-12-01T21:59:00.000-08:00

(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

2008-11-18T00:13:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-17T02:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-12T02:22:00.000-07:00

“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

2008-09-11T22:17:00.001-07:00

(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

2008-09-11T01:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

(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

2008-09-06T22:43:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

(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

Sports Transcends Racial Boundaries

2008-08-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-18T00:52:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

(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

2008-08-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

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