The Sad State Of English In Malaysia

Please read the letter below which is self explanatory.

Subject: Letter by a director in Universiti Teknologi Mara - A Classic

4th UiTM INTERNATIONAL SPORTS FIESTA
19 – 23 November 2009 FUTSAL-RUGBY 7- TENPIN BOWLING-BADMINTON


Dear Sport Friends,

Regarding about the global issue H1N1 happens around the world, sadly to be informing that our UiTM International Sports Fiesta will be postponing to 19-23 November 2009.

For all teams which have been confirm to participate in our events, we have to say sorry for this announcements and our Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Health also advise to us to change the date for this current situation.

By the date have been confirm incoming this November hopefully your teams still can participate in our event and don’t hesitate to contact us for further information.

And again, we would like to say sorry about the date change for the sake of our health among us.

See you in this November at UiTM Malaysia !!

Regards,
Mr. Mustaza Ahmad
Director
Sports Centre
Universiti Teknologi MARA
Malaysia

Disclaimer: The above was received by e-mail and I cannot vouch for its authenticity.

Bukit Antarabangsa Residents Slam Shabery Cheek's Insensitive Attempt To Spread The Blame

Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek should be more sensitive towards the feelings of the residents who have suffered so much as result of the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide tragedy last Saturday.

Residents action committee chairman Datuk N. Muneandy said his statement Tuesday was uncalled for in light of the recent tragedy and only served to add fuel to the frustration and dismay already felt by the victims.

Ahmad Shabery reportedly told residents not to point fingers solely at the Government as both developers and housebuyers who chose to live in highland areas were equally to be blamed and should accept responsibility for what happened.

“Are you saying we should blame the mother for giving birth to the thief?” he told reporters Wednesday, adding that residents had invested millions of ringgit to purchase homes there.

Muneandy said there had been many signals over the years to indicate that the soil structure was unstable but complaints to the local authorities had fallen on deaf ears.

He said the complaints for the past five to 10 years have touched on various issues including cracks in drains and falling rubble and trees at the current landslide site.

“We want the authorities to do something to safeguard the future safety of residents there. The buck must stop here,” he said.

Muneandy said the committee would be bringing in their own geo-technical and legal experts to look into the soil structure at the landslide area which killed four people and resulted in nearly 3,000 being temporarily evacuated from their homes.

“We will collect evidence on what exactly happened and who is responsible. Then, we will consider whether to sue those responsible,” he said.

The committee, which represents the residents of four streets in Taman Wangsa, Wangsa Heights and Antanium, also told the Government to provide more information to the residents’ committee, claiming they were being kept in the dark over plans to alleviate problems caused by the landslide.

“We have not been told about what is happening. We are left wondering what to expect next,” he said.

Read the whole story HERE

***** Did we really expect any thing different from a government minister? If Shabery had his way he'll totally absolve the kerajaan and place the blame solely on the residents and the developers. MBs, Exco members and Majlis officials will be exonerated and described as completely honest and dedicated public servants. Malaysia Boleh!!

Don't Politicise Oil Price Hike Says Home Minister Syed Hamid

Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar slammed the Opposition for politicising the fuel price hike issue and said protests will not solve any problems.

"The price increase of crude oil is a global phenomenon. We did not raise the price just because we felt like it. We do not like the high price too," he said.

He was speaking to reporters Saturday after opening the police family day here.

Syed Hamid was asked to comment on Friday's protest in Kuala Lumpur over the increase in fuel prices.

"It does not solve anything. In fact, it causes more problems such as traffic congestion and affects businesses around the area," he said.

He added that the police practised a high level of tolerance during Friday's demonstration and did not engage the crowd.

On Friday, a large group led by PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub gathered in front of the Kampung Baru mosque after Friday prayers to protest against the recent fuel price hike.

Syed Hamid stressed that the organisers should ask for permission from the Home Ministry first before holding demonstrations.

"If they want to do it in a contained area, we will consider it.

"I cannot say yes, I cannot say no (whether to approve or not), but I will look at the application," he said.

***** Syed Hamid said that the ''police practised a high level of tolerance during Friday's demonstration and did not engage the crowd'. How come the cops didn't show the same restraint at a gathering of Indians at Istana Negara this morning?

I suppose it would have been politically suicidal for an already weakened government to unleash the thugs in the police force on Muslim Malays and that too after Friday prayers. Indians however seem to be fair game all year round. Some things won't change.

Raising Fuel Prices An Inevitable Move, Says Pak Lah

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today he hoped the people would understand that the government's move to raise fuel prices recently was inevitable.

He said the government had to up the price of petrol by 78 sen to RM2.70 per litre and the price of diesel by RM1 to RM2.58 per litre on June 5 though it was never its intention to burden the people.

"The price of crude oil in the global market is continuing to rise and the government has been forced to increase its fuel subsidy," he said when addressing community leaders and senior government officers at a lunch in conjunction with his one-day visit to Kelantan today.

The prime minister said that though the government had to continue subsidising the rising fuel prices, it would not raise them again this year.

"We understand the problem faced by the people and are doing everything possible to ensure that the recent increase in fuel prices will not further burden them, and we give the assurance that the fuel prices will not be raised again (until the end of this year)," he said.

He said he would elaborate on the issue of higher fuel prices at his meeting with the people scheduled for tonight at the Kelantan Poverty Foundation in Padang Kala here. (Bernama)

***** Pak Lah - between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Government Says It Will Clamp Down On Today's Fuel Hike Protest

Malaysian authorities vowed to stop an opposition rally on Friday against a sharp fuel price rise that has stoked public anger and handed a poltical weapon to Prime Minister Ahmad Abdullah Badawi's rivals.

Protests have so far been small and scattered, but on Friday after Muslim prayers, the opposition plans to draw 20,000 people in a march from a mosque in a poor part of Kuala Lumpur to the iconic Petronas towers in the city centre to underline anger against the state energy giant.

Police have urged people not to join the rally, termed illegal because no permit has been issued, and warned they would arrest protest leaders.

"Demonstrations and illegal assemblies only disrupt public order and cause traffic chaos," the pro-government New Straits Times quoted city police chief Muhammad Sabtu Osman as saying. We are not sure how many protesters will turn up and which routes they will take. But we are taking all precautionary measures," a police spokesman told Reuters.

There are tight restrictions on public gatherings in Malaysia, but the opposition has said it will go ahead anyway.

"The people are angry. They say the fuel price is very high so they want to say something," said Safarizal Saleh, a leader of the youth wing of the Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), the main Islamist party and one of the organisers of the rally.

Petrol prices were raised by 41 percent and diesel 63 percent in line with a global surge in oil prices, a measure that would drive inflation to a 10-year high of 4.2 percent in 2008.

The government says it will save 13.7 billion ringgit ($4.2 billion) as part of a broad overhaul of its heavily subsided energy pricing system.

Trying to assuage public anger, Prime Minister Ahmad Abdullah Badawi has said there will not be any more fuel increases this year and announced a cut in the allowances of ministers as part of measures to cut government costs.

Despite the rises, pump prices for petrol in Malaysia are still among the cheapest in Asia.

But critics led by former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim have rejected the measures as too little and questioned why Malaysia, the largest net oil exporter in Asia, should face the fuel hike when the country earns 250 million ringgit ($76.76 million) a year in revenue for every $1 rise in crude prices.

"Although Petronas is estimated to have earned RM2trillion over the last 34 years ... its accounts are not accessible to (the) public nor by the people's elected representative in Parliament," said Waytha Moorthy, chairman of HINDRAF, a group campaigning for the rights of ethnic Indians which is supporting the fuel protests.

Petronas posted a record profit of $12.9 billion for the year ended March 31 2007, helped by a boom in crude oil prices. The state oil firm is expected to release its 2008 earnings at the end of June.

***** Petronas' earnings over the years have been siphoned off by various government 'policies' and we can forget about getting even an estimate of where it all ended up. When the government can't even give us a proper accounting of the KL Commonwealth Games expenses do you think they'll budge on the Petronas billions?

Anwar Ibrahim Seeks Government Ouster Over Fuel Hike

Thousands of Malaysians on Sunday took part in the biggest opposition protest against a sharp rise in fuel prices that has stoked public anger in the oil exporting country.

The rally in a football ground in the capital by opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim was part of a series planned to pile pressure on beleaguered Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to either reconsider the oil and diesel price rise or resign.

"Reformasi, reformasi", the crowd in a poor, largely ethnic Malay part of Kuala Lumpur shouted, recalling Anwar's rallying call for reforms from a 1998 campaign after he was sacked as deputy prime minister.

"Politically, the message was clear on March 8, economically it's now a disaster. That is why we are calling on them to resign," Anwar said at the late night rally.

Abdullah, fighting for political survival after leading his coalition to its worst electoral performance in five decades of rule in March, has said the price rise was necessary in line with a global surge in oil prices.

Fuel subsidies have become financially crippling, the government said. Pump prices in Malaysia are still one of the cheapest in Asia.

But Anwar said the decision to raise petrol prices by 41 percent and 63 percent for diesel will hasten the government's fall as members of the ruling coalition begin to break ranks over the move that would drive inflation to a 10-year high.

Anwar has said he has enough lawmakers to topple the government following the March 8 election and was waiting for the right moment. Anwar said in the past three months alone his party had received 50,000 applications for membership and these included members of constituent parties of the ruling coalition.

"We have seen clearly more interest and support for Pakatan Rakyat (the opposition alliance). This applies even to members of parliament. Even some of them have been encouraged to approach me directly even though they are being closely monitored," he said.

But he did not give any details and analysts say Anwar, who was cast into the political wilderness after being dumped in 1998 by his former mentor, ex-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, has repeatedly made claims without showing any evidence.

PROTESTS

Protests in Malaysia, unlike in countries such as India and Indonesia which too have raised fuel prices, have been small and scattered, partly because of restrictions on public assembly.

But the opposition has planned a demonstration on July 12 when it says it will bring 100,000 people into the city centre to demand that fuel prices be restored to earlier levels.

The government has said it would save 13.7 billion ringgit ($4.23 billion) as part of a broad overhaul of its heavily subsidised energy price system. The money used for subsidies, which eats up a third of the budget, would be better spent on development projects, the government said.

Abdullah, also fighting to fend off a challenge to his leadership from within, will spell out measures this week to ease the burden on consumers, state media said. The proposals include ways for state bodies to save costs, widen the social safety net for the poor, increase the number of price-controlled items and improve public transport.

***** What strategy has the opposition to control fuel prices here amidst an unprecedented and devastating surge in the selling price of crude oil? These protests seem more like rank opportunism and cashing in on the misery of the average Joe. The dilemma that we face now is not of the government's making. It is merely responding to the economic situation and while we have no choice but to bite the bullet, the kerajaan is at least trying to soften the blow with relief in other sectors. If this can be done speedily and efficiently then the ill-feeling all round would be somewhat assuaged.

Assembling a hundred thousand people to protest the fuel hike is not the way to go. Carefully and precisely enunciating their plan to overcome the current economic crisis is what the opposition should be doing instead of stirring unnecessary trouble at a time of stringency.

Fuel Price Hike 'Unconscionable', Says Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Friday that his government's decision to sharply raise fuel prices was "unconscionable."

In a move to end decades of heavy subsidies that have kept Malaysian fuel prices among Southeast Asia's lowest, the Malaysian government Thursday jacked up the pump price of gasoline by 41 percent to 2.70 ringgit (US$0.87) a liter, or 10.23 ringgit (US$3.30) a gallon.

Diesel prices shot up 63 percent to 2.58 ringgit (US$0.80) per liter.

Speaking at a forum in Manila, Anwar noted that Malaysia is a net exporter of petroleum, which annually generates "huge resources and profit."

"To decide summarily, without regard to the plight of the vast majority, particularly the poor and the marginalized, to me, is unconscionable," he said.

In Kuala Lumpur, Domestic Trade Minister Shahrir Samad said Friday that the government will not revise the price increases despite opposition protests, but assured there would not be further hikes anytime soon.

Like some other Asian countries, Malaysia had faced a spiraling fuel subsidy bill that could have been more than 56 billion ringgit (US$17 billion) this year due to rising world oil prices.

Anwar, a former deputy prime minister and finance minister who now leads an opposition coalition, said, "We cannot opt for any other thing except for market economy ... but this cannot be done without regard to the issues of good governance and accountability."

Anwar was fired by then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in 1998 in a power struggle. He was expelled from the ruling party and convicted of sodomy and corruption, charges he says were politically motivated.

He was released from prison in 2004 after the sodomy conviction was overturned, but the corruption conviction barred him from holding political office until April 15, 2008. (International Herald Tribune)

Umno Seeks To Ride Out Fuel Protests

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's party was meeting on Friday hoping to weather a storm over unpopular fuel price hikes that come on top of a poor showing in elections earlier this year.

The two-day meeting of the supreme council of United Malays National Organisation was meant to set out a blueprint to revitalise the party following the election in March.

But Abdullah has come under renewed pressure from the opposition over the 41 percent rise in petrol prices and the 63 percent increase for diesel.

UMNO is the backbone of the National Front coalition which has led Malaysia since independence in 1957. Supreme council members planned to "chart the party's future and formulate strategies to regain support", Bernama said.

But analysts said this week's price rises could trigger an early exit for Abdullah. State media said he was expected to attend the meeting's closing session on Friday.

"The fuel price hike makes it more difficult for the prime minister to conduct a smooth transition of power," said Hussin Mutalib, a political scientist who tracks Southeast Asian issues at the National University of Singapore. "There could be a push forward for him to leave fast."

The fuel rise is expected to lift average inflation to a 10-year high of 4.2 percent in 2008, central bank chief Zeti Akhtar Aziz said on Thursday, compared to last year's 2 percent.

The hike comes two months after the ruling coalition recorded its worst-ever performance in a general election during its 50-year rule.

Angered by the rising cost of living and growing racial and religious conflict, Malaysians voted to hand control of five of the country's 13 states to the opposition in the poll.

There was a small protest against the fuel hike in the capital on Thursday and the opposition plans a bigger protest after Muslim prayers on Friday.

Mustapa Mansor, chairman of Ikrar, a non-governmental organisation that is made up of opposition front members, said between 100 and 200 people were expected to take part in the protest ahead of a likely bigger demonstration next month.

***** Pak Lah finds himself in a lose-lose, damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. I don't envy him. Let's wait and see how Umno extricates itself from this mess.

Government Over-Reacting To Global Oil Market, Says Mukhriz Mahathir

Being a net oil exporter, Malaysia should not have overly reacted to the artificially inflated global fuel price, Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said.

Instead of restructuring the country’s subsidy package according to the volatile global market price, the authorities concerned should have formulated strategies to cushion the impact, he said.

He described the petrol price increase by 78 sen per litre and diesel by RM1 per litre as too drastic.

“The rakyat is already burdened by the rising cost of living. We cannot justify the increase by saying that our fuel price is still lower than Singapore. “We cannot compare with Singapore, as their per capita income is three times higher than us,” he said, adding that the people were not prepared for the additional burden.

He appealed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to look into the possibility of imposing the fuel increase on staggered basis.

“If Pak Lah is not up to it, please make way for someone who is willing to do it (impose measures that would ease public burden),” he said.

Abdullah had not taken into consideration the feelings of the rakyat when he made such a drastic decision, which had a spiralling effect on consumer goods and food.

“Although we read in papers that the economy is thriving, men on the street are not feeling it. They also do not have the means to absorb the sudden increase in fuel price,” he said.

He called on the authorities to formulate a workable solution to avert a crisis. “We can look into unconventional methods to address the problem. For example, during the Asian financial crisis, Malaysia pegged the ringgit to shield currency onslaught. During that time, we were criticised for ignoring the principles of economy. But such unconventional measure proved to have worked in our favour,” he said.

Mukhriz also criticised an article that highlighted Singaporeans expressing relief that the Malaysian government would not imposed a ban on sales of fuel to foreign-registered vehicles at petrol stations located within 50km from the border.

“It sounds ironic, as if we are doing this for the Singaporeans, not for us (locals),” he said. (The Star)

Protesters Target Malaysian Fuel Price Hike

Malaysia's government faced demonstrations and public outrage Thursday over its decision to hike petrol prices 40 percent overnight, in a bid to curb its massive subsidies bill.

Opposition groups said they would hold protests in Kuala Lumpur at 11.30am (0330 GMT) and in the northern city of Ipoh at 11.00am over the "unconscionable" increase.

"The fuel increase is both economically inefficient and socially unjust," said Lim Guan Eng, secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party which is part of the opposition alliance.

"So long as rich companies continue to enjoy such fuel subsidies, especially the independent power producers, the fuel increase will be seen as both pro-rich and punishing the poor," he said in a statement.

The new pump price for petrol will be 2.70 ringgit (0.84 dollars) and 2.58 ringgit for diesel. Petrol previously cost 1.92 ringgit, among the cheapest in Asia.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's announcement on Wednesday evening triggered chaos across the country as motorists swamped fuel stations to fill up before the measure took effect at midnight.

Traffic snarls brought streets to a standstill in the capital Kuala Lumpur as up to 100 cars queued at each petrol station which still had fuel to sell, while many others said they had sold out and turned angry customers away.

Abdullah indicated that further increases were in the pipeline as Malaysia moves to completely abandon fuel price controls that would have cost 17.4 billion dollars this year -- about a third of the national budget.

"God willing I hope Malaysians will not demonstrate over this," he said, referring to fury over earlier hikes in a country where public transport is poor and most people are reliant on their cars.

Motorists who turned up at petrol stations Thursday to pay sharply higher prices to fill their tanks were uniformly furious over the decision.

"We can do nothing about this government increase -- we have to buy fuel, otherwise how can we go to work?" said 56-year-old engineer K. Letchumanan. "For my family it's not so bad as we have two incomes, but the poor people will suffer."

Aminah Rahmat, a 46-year-old streetside vendor who had set up her food stall outside a petrol station, said she could already barely manage on her monthly income of less than 1,000 ringgit (300 dollars). "The government does not care for our welfare, that is why they have made such a huge fuel increase," she said. "How can I afford to pay so much to transport my cooked food to my customers? I will go out of business."

Bus operators said that a third of companies may have to close down and lorry firm said their rates would have to rise, in a move that will trickle down to higher prices for goods and services.

Abdullah is taking a major political risk in removing price controls as he attempts to recover from disastrous March elections that dealt the ruling coalition its worst results in half a century. Rising prices of food and fuel were a major factor in the ballot, which has triggered repeated calls for the premier to stand down.

"It is not an attempt to be popular, we have to think in the best interests of the people," Abdullah said Wednesday.

Under a revamped subsidy system, drivers of smaller vehicles will receive a cash payment of 625 ringgit to offset the rising cost, equating to subsidising some 800 litres of fuel.

But economists said the subsidy cut was deeper than anticipated, and that the cash payment was not large enough to compensate for average use.

Abdullah said the price hike could suppress economic growth and drive up inflation as high as 5.0 percent this year, from current levels of 3.0 percent in April.

As part of the subsidy reform, industry and power producers will be charged higher prices for gas from July. Electricity tariffs will rise 18 percent for householders, and 26 percent for commercial and industrial users.

But there was good news for Thais and Singaporeans who will now be allowed to buy fuel at border petrol stations after a recent ban was lifted in view of the subsidy cut.

Omens Foretold Central China Killer Quake

A lake that ‘vanished’, an army of frogs and butterflies that migrated, and distinctive cloud patterns... these are the clues to some geological activity that, many Chinese believe, may have presaged the earthquake that killed over 10,000 people in central China on Monday.

The earliest such ‘portent’ surfaced barely two weeks ago in Hubei province, which abuts Sichuan. A local newspaper, Chutian Metropolis Daily, reported that late in April, Guanyin pond, a 100-metre-diameter waterbody with about 80,000 tonnes of water in Enshi city, had dramatically emptied out with a strange sucking sound within four or five hours, leaving only black, gooey slush.

Stunned villagers walked into the dried-up pond and secured the large ‘beached’ fish that were floundering around, the report said.

According to municipal records, such an occurrence had been reported thrice earlier — in 1949, 1976 and 1989 — and each time it had been accompanied by tectonic shifts. (In 1949, the People’s Republic of China was founded; in 1976, Chairman Mao Zedong died, and China’s worst earthquake, in Tangshan, occurred, killing over 250,000 people; and in 1989, China witnessed a political upheaval following the Tiananmen protests.)

“We didn’t know what to make of it this time,” a villager was quoted as saying.

Then, on May 10, the West China Metropolis Daily, in Sichuan, reported that an army of toads was seen migrating from their traditional habitats in Mianyang in the province. In trying to cross a busy road, hundreds of them were run over by vehicles, it added. A similar toad migration was reported from far-away Jiangsu province on the east coast; likewise, a migration of butterflies was reported in Mianzhu village, also in Sichuan.

Other Internet posts in the days leading up to the quake claimed to offer scientific validation of other kinds of geological activity that, in the estimation of geologists, pointed to a worrisome build-up of seismic stresses. In one post, a person stated: “I’ve seen earthquake clouds (the distinctive cloud patterns that are caused by tectonic plate shifts)...I wonder where a powerful earthquake will strike today or tomorrow.”

Another post, purportedly from a geologist, claimed that he had predicted a seismic event, but had been forbidden to release the information “for fear of creating panic.”

Barely days before the earthquake, the website of the Abeizhou Seismic Bureau of the Sichuan provincial government had put out a notice assuring people that ‘rumours’ of an impending earthquake – which were by then circulating freely — were to be disbelieved.

Curiously, that government notice, which was proved spectacularly wrong by the killer quake – has since been removed, pointing to an inept attempt at covering up perceived official negligence.

In a country that claims to have successfully ‘predicted’ earlier earthquakes by studying animal behaviour patterns, it isn’t any wonder that such claims – with a mix of half-baked geological facts and pure mumbo-jumbo – have gained ground.

Chinese seismology officials have moved to end speculation about whether early warning signs to the earthquake were ignored. On Tuesday, at a press conference by State Council officials, an official responded to just such a question by saying: “Such kind of speculation is entirely unreasonable.”

A geophysicist commentator concurs. “Predicting earthquakes is far from being an exact science,” he says. “Yes, there are indicators that an earthquake is close, but the majority of the time nothing happens. To say that evacuations should have been organised based on these portents is ludicrous. To this day, nobody has come up with a scientific way to predict earthquakes.” (DNA)

Umno Comes Under Fire From Malays

Malaysian dailies say Malay voters turned off by politicians' greed for power
Malaysia's ruling party, Umno, has come under serious scrutiny and criticism from many Malays who say the supremacy of the race has been threatened by last Saturday's electoral results.

Greed among its members and their quest for power seem to have been key reasons for the 5 per cent swing in Malay votes away from the Barisan Nasional coalition in which Umno is the dominant party, say the critics.

'It is no longer the party struggle for bangsa, agama dan tanahair (nation, religion and country), the party slogan of the early years. That has taken a back seat,' wrote Mr Zainon Ahmad, political editor of the English-daily The Sun, in a commentary yesterday. 'It's the narrow individual struggle to amass wealth.' He noted that some BN candidates lost simply because party workers refused to do their jobs when they did not get their cut of the party's campaign funds. 'Thus, many campaign posts had to be abandoned,' he wrote. 'For Umno, volunteerism is long gone.'

Professor Md Shukri Shuib, a lecturer with the college of law, government and international studies at Universiti Utara Malaysia, agreed. 'Umno leaders were engrossed with tenders, wealth and corruption issues, cronyism and weak leadership, outdated ideas and implementation of projects that did not have a positive impact on people,' he was quoted as saying in a commentary in Thursday's Utusan Malaysia. They must now think of their responsibility to the race above self, family and friends.' Malay voters also no longer viewed Umno as their sole champion. That was reflected at the polls.

Political observer Abdul Rahim Abdul Rashid noted that Malays divided their votes between Umno, the conservative Parti Islam SeMalaysia, and the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), which played the multiracial card in the election campaign. 'Chinese voters have long been unhappy with the treatment of non-Malays and they want the same rights and privileges and thus voted for the opposition,' he was quoted by Utusan Malaysia as saying. 'Unfortunately, the young Malay generation who are angry with the government also chose the opposition.'

Professor Mohd Zainul Fithri, vice-president of the Management and Science University, said: 'Voters no longer think about Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy).' In the election, voters shifted their support from BN to the opposition 'as a sign of protest and not because the PKR is strong', he added. 'The BN and Umno suffered because there were too many leaders who were hungry for power. They forgot about service to the people.'

Utusan Malaysia's commentary warned: 'If Malay leaders do not take serious steps now, the future of bumiputera is under threat.' It quoted Prof Abdul Rahim as saying: 'What worried us is that, when the power of Malays in Penang is weak and can be easily toppled, the same thing might happen in areas with a Chinese majority in other states.'

Letters from readers published in the newspaper expressed similar sentiments. 'Personally, I would prefer that PAS rules Kedah and Kelantan because at least the dignity of the race and religion is safeguarded,' wrote a reader Jasa. Another reader wrote: 'There are many safer ways to voice unhappiness but not by taking this risk (of not voting for BN). 'Malays do not have anything to safeguard our dignity besides staying in power.'

Umno Women's deputy chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said in Utusan Malaysia yesterday that it was time for the BN to do some soul searching. 'I believe that not everyone rejects BN,' she said. 'They just want a check and balance and we should face all of that.' (Straits Times, Singapore)

***** Do you think that Umno will take heed of the situation and make the necessary changes to their strategy or will they continue along the same path of plunder, blunder, racism and divide-and-rule?

Petronas Warned Over Ogaden, Advised To Immediately Terminate Oil Exploration Activities

I don't know much about the issues involved. This report is being posted here just for information.

By Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis.

In an overwhelming Open Letter – alarming warning, the Ogaden communities in Europe demand the immediate termination of every activity related to oil exploration in Ogaden that would be carried out by the Malaysian company PETRONAS under terms of deal closed with the illegal regime of the Tigray tribal dictator Meles Zenawi.

The demand involves immediate evacuation of all the PETRONAS staff from the Western Somali province that has been illegally offered by the departing in 1954 British colonials to the murderous, cannibalistic pseudo-king of Abyssinia Haile Selassie.

Without an immediate UN Security Council decision and the subsequent deployment of UN – AU forces, Ogaden risks living another nightmarish escalation of hostilities between the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Amhara and Tigray tribal thugs and gangsters sent by tyrant Zenawi in guise of 'national army' to perpetrate genocidal acts of the utmost barbarism against the people of Ogaden.

We are strongly convinced that PETRONAS top management should take the serene advice of the Ogaden Communities in Europe very seriously; any further presence of the Malaysian company in Ogaden only risks producing an unnecessary hecatomb for which the only responsible will be PETRONAS as already properly and publicly warned.

In addition, the Malaysian company should consider better ways to market its global stance and activities than just closing deals with greatly loathed, bloodthirsty dictators and an unrepresentative regime that does not reflect more than the racist ideas and attitudes of the analphabetic Amhara and Tigray Monophysitic mob (which totals merely 17% of the entire population of that country).

We publish here the integral text of the Open Letter to the President of PETRONAS, as it consists in a key document pertaining to the current situation in Ogaden. We join the Voice of the Ogaden Communities in Europe, demanding PETRONAS to immediately evacuate its staff from Ogaden and cancel any deal signed with the criminal cannibal Zenawi.

Tan Sri Dato Sri Mohd. Hassan Marican

President & Chief Executive Officer

Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS)

Tower 1 PETRONAS Twin Towers

Kuala Lumpur City Centre

50088 Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia

January 1st 2008

Mr President,

The Somali people in the Ogaden didn’t choose to be a part of the empire-state of Ethiopia, but Ethiopia annexed their land without their consent in collusion with European colonial powers. The last portion of the Ogaden was handed over to Ethiopia in 1954 by the British Government. Since then the Ogaden people are fighting for their basic human rights including their inalienable right to self-determination.

In order to quench national resistance in the Ogaden successive Ethiopian imperial, military and civilian regimes including the current regime of Dictator Meles Zenawi has committed unspeakable atrocities against civilian population.

Without the knowledge and consent of the Somali people in the Ogaden, the Ethiopian government signed agreements and gave concessions to foreign oil companies to explore oil, natural gas and other minerals in the Ogaden. As a result of the illegal and shady deals between the Ethiopian government and overseas companies such as Petronas; the Ethiopian government forces evicted a large number of nomads from their ancestral grazing lands. Around the exploration sites the poor vegetation, which is essential for the nomads and their livestock was burned or removed.

Petronas financial assistance to the Ethiopian Government aggravates an already precarious humanitarian situation and contributes the deterioration of human rights situation in the Ogaden. The Ethiopian armed forces are killing civilians, gang- raping women, torching villages and hamlets, starving out the civilian population and displacing them to satisfy your company.

You can read the full report HERE.
Image - Source

Most Dangerous Places In The World For Journalists

Iraq has been rated by an independent monitoring body, the Press Emblem Campaign, as the most dangerous country in the world for journalists, ahead of Somalia.

Sri Lanka ranks third, with seven journalists killed in 2007 against four last year due to the intensity of the civil war, said the PEC Ticking Clock that monitors the journalist causalities on a monthly basis.

Pakistan comes fourth with five journalist casualties. "The continued deterioration is clear in Pakistan, where five journalists were killed," the PEC said.

India shares the ninth place along with Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, and Guatemala, with two journalists killed in each country in 2007.

The PEC, founded in June 2004 by a group of journalists from several countries based in Switzerland, is an independent humanitarian association aiming to strengthen the legal protection and safety of journalists in zones of conflict and civil unrest.

According to the campaign monitoring system, never before have so many journalists been killed globally in one year, the total up to date is 110, as compared with 96 in 2006 and 68 in 2005.

"Therefore, the 2007 year causality figure reflects a new deterioration for freedom of the press worldwide," it said, adding 2007's tally represents a 14 per cent increase over the 2006 figure.

In total, journalists have been killed in 27 countries led by those killed in Iraq, the most dangerous for the fifth consecutive year, with 50 journalists killed in 2007, against 48 in 2006 and at least 250 since the war was launched in Iraq in March 2003.

***** Compared to these places, journalists must find Malaysia a completely safe oasis in the midst of war, violence and ruthless cruelty. For once I agree with our silly slogan, Malaysia Boleh.
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Bali Bombers Will Not Ask for Clemency

Three Indonesian militants on death row for their involvement in planning the Bali bombings five years ago said on Saturday they were ready to die and would not seek a presidential pardon.

Imam Samudra, Amrozi and Mukhlas, also known as Ali Gufron, were sentenced to death for the October 12, 2002, resort island bombings in which over 200 people died. They face execution by a firing squad after the country's top court rejected their appeal.

"Clemency is not from Islamic law. I have been living as a Muslim and will die as a Muslim," state news agency Antara quoted Imam Samudra as saying after Eid al-Fitr prayers at their prison mosque on Nusakambangan island in Central Java.


"Clemency is only proposed by guilty people and we are not among the guilty people," he said. "Even if were we to die right now, God willing, we will enter heaven as martyrs."

The three men have already said in a statement read by their lawyers that they will not seek a presidential pardon and that if they are executed, their death will bring "light to the faithful and burning hellfire for the infidels".

Indonesia's Constitutional Court is expected to rule on October 30 on a petition challenging the legality of the death penalty which was filed by lawyers for six Australians on death row for drug trafficking in Bali.

It is not clear if a decision in favour of the petition would affect the fate of the Bali bombers.

Hundreds of activists, religious leaders and other Indonesians have signed a petition calling on the government to scrap the death penalty altogether. "Various studies show that the death penalty has no deterrent effects," said a statement by the Alliance for the Abolition of the Death Penalty. Signatories includes leaders of Indonesia's main religions, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Amnesty International has also appealed to Indonesia to commute all death sentences and spare the Bali bombings trio. "Executions can create martyrs whose memories become a rallying point for their organisations," Amnesty said in a statement.

The bombings in Bali and other attacks that have hit Indonesia in recent years have been blamed on the Southeast Asian Islamic militant group Jemaah Islamiah.

But analysts say the security threat from Jemaah Islamiah (JI) appears to have been contained. "The threat from JI is much less than it was five years ago," said Sidney Jones, Southeast Asia director of the International Crisis Group think-tank. JI still exists as an organisation but most of its members aren't interested in bombing."

The last big bomb attack in Indonesia was over two years ago when three Islamic militants blew themselves up in beachside restaurants in Bali, killing 20 people. (Independent Online)
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"U.S. Living A Nightmare In Iraq," Says American Ex-General

The U.S. mission in Iraq is a "nightmare with no end in sight" because of political misjudgments after the fall of Saddam Hussein that continue today, a former chief of US-led forces said Friday.

Retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who commanded coalition troops for a year beginning June 2003, cast a wide net of blame for both political and military shortcomings in Iraq that helped open the way for the insurgency -- such as disbanding the Saddam-era military and failing to cement ties with tribal leaders and quickly establish civilian government after Saddam was toppled.

He called current strategies -- including the deployment of 30,000 additional forces earlier this year -- a "desperate attempt" to make up for years of misguided policies in Iraq.

"There is no question that America is living a nightmare with no end in sight," Sanchez told a group of journalists covering military affairs.

Sanchez avoided pointing his criticism at any single official or agency, but it appeared a broad indictment of White House policies and a lack of leadership in the Pentagon to oppose them. Such assessments -- even by former Pentagon brass -- are not new, but they have added resonance as debates over war strategy dominate the presidential campaign.

Sanchez went on to offer a pessimistic view on the current U.S. strategy against extremists will make lasting gains, but said a full-scale withdrawal also was not an option.

"The American military finds itself in an intractable situation ... America has no choice but to continue our efforts in Iraq," said Sanchez, who works as a consultant training U.S. generals. (Xinhua)
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Is The U.S. Army At Breaking Point?

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates admitted Wednesday that the U.S. Army is under severe stress and "out of balance," although he denied that it's broken by the Iraq war.

Addressing the annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army, Gates also said he recognized the fact that the army has been under-funded, and that the U.S. government needs to provide enough money for personnel and equipment in the coming years.

One day earlier, Army Chief of Staff General George Casey said six years of war has taxed the U.S. military, which is "out of balance."

"We are consuming our readiness as quickly as we are building it," Casey said.

As the Iraq war drags on, many U.S. military leaders have been concerned the Army has been stretched too thin and is approaching its breaking point.

***** What is really surprising though is the news that the Bush Administration is seriously considering an attack on Iran in the near future. With the present Iraq quagmire bleeding the U.S. defence forces it would be foolish for them to risk another disastrous misadventure.
(PHOTO, Courtesy of U.S. Army, taken by Marine Corps Sgt. Andrew D. Pendracki.)

Thai Jet Crash Inquiry Probes Human Error

The pilot of a jet that crashed at the Thai resort of Phuket killing 89 people had decided to land despite being warned of dangerous winds near the runway, airline officials said on Tuesday.

Udom Tantiprasongchai, president of budget carrier One-Two-Go which operated the doomed plane, admitted the airline bore some responsibility for the crash. "It is too soon to jump to conclusions, it is unfair to our staff. Please wait until the investigation is finished. But definitely it is partially our responsibility," he told reporters.

Kajit Habanananda, the vice president of One-Two-Go, said the pilot had been warned about the wind, but urged investigators not to assume that human error was to blame for Thailand's worst air disaster in a decade. "It's true that there was a warning of wind shear from the previous flight," Kajit said. "But the wind is constantly changing," he said, adding that such weather conditions were the main factor that would influence a decision on whether to abort the landing.

Wind shear is a sudden change in the wind that can throw a plane off course but then disappear just as quickly, leaving pilots struggling to keep the jet under control.

Sunday's flight from Bangkok was approaching in driving rain and wind when it slammed onto the runway before breaking up and hitting a wooded embankment in flames. It was carrying 123 passengers and seven crew, of whom a total 41 escaped. The death toll included up to 57 foreigners.

Kajit urged investigators to wait for data from the flight recorders, which have been sent to the United States for examination. "I would like to wait for the results of the black boxes from the US, which will take one week, before saying what the cause of the accident was," Kajit said. "As of now, I cannot speculate. No one knows the truth."

Air traffic controllers at Phuket told the Indonesian pilot Arief Mulyadi, who was among the dead, that weather conditions were bad, said Kumtorn Sirikorn, executive vice president of the national air traffic control body, Aeronautical Radio of Thailand. "There was a warning of wind shear from the pilot of the previous flight, which landed four minutes ahead of One-Two-Go," he said.

"Air traffic control asked the pilot whether he knew about the wind shear, and he said he knew. Then the air traffic control official gave him additional information and asked him whether he still wanted to land or not. The pilot insisted he wanted to land. Maybe something unusual occurred during his landing attempt."

But the pilot's son said senior officials at the airline told him that his father had asked for permission to return to the capital Bangkok, according to the Indonesian newspaper Tempo. "Arief had the time to ask the authorisation to go back to Bangkok and abort landing in Phuket airport because of unfriendly weather," but the air traffic control tower said he should land, Agung Bayu Hanggono told the newspaper.

Civil aviation officials have also previously said the pilot of the MD-82 had received permission to abort the landing at the last minute. (Daily News And Analysis)
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Allegations Over Destruction Of Rainforests Unfounded, Says Musang Aman. Can We Believe Him?

Malaysia reiterates that the allegations by some western countries over indiscriminate opening of oil palm plantations and destruction of its rainforests and habitats are unfounded.

Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman, in saying this last night, urged the western non-governmental organisations to stop their smear campaigns because Malaysia is committed to protecting the environment.

"Of course we are very concerned about these allegations and I want to put on record that we, Malaysians, love our forests and their biodiversity.

"We're not going to destroy them because we know that the forests can provide us with a lot of good things.

"We're proud of our eco treasures from mountain high to ocean deep. This is also our selling point in getting tourists to the state," he said at a dinner to welcome participants of the Oana Workshop on Sustainable Forest Management here.

Musa said that Malaysia had developed environment-friendly practices in its oil palm management and production through research and development (R&D) programmes and had largely stopped felling virgin forests for oil palm 10 years ago.

However, despite its strong commitment towards sustainable forest management, it had had to face negative publicity campaigns from time to time, he said.

Welcoming the move by the Organisation of Asia Pacific News Agencies' (Oana) secretariat to hold the workshop in Sabah, Musa hoped that the participants, particularly foreign journalists, would be able to personally see the conservation efforts by the government and write truthfully, thus correcting the misconception. (Bernama)

***** Just speaking like a dedicated conservationist while behaving like a modern-day lanun isn't going to convince anyone. Can we believe Musang Aman's heart-rending fairy tale?
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Sarawak Government Greed Responsible For Rise In Borneo Crocodile Attacks.

The following report is from The International Herald Tribune. It clearly shows what unimpeded greed and avariciousness can do to the wildlife in the resources rich state and the domino effect it has on everything and everyone else. What has the state government being doing apart from directly and indirectly contributing to the horrible situation unfolding there? Read and shake your heads in sorrow and disgust at the greedy crooks responsible for this.

Logging and palm oil ventures are coming too close for the comfort of river-dwelling crocodiles on Borneo island, possibly resulting in more attacks on humans, a U.N. environmental expert said Wednesday.

Alexander Sayok, a scientist in charge of the U.N. Development Program's forest management project in Malaysia's Sarawak state in Borneo, said he has noticed increasing reports of crocodile attacks since early 2006, raising fears that the reptiles are becoming more violent.

"The habitat of the crocodiles has been threatened because land development activities for logging and palm oil are being taken right to the river banks," Sayok told The Associated Press. "There are fewer areas left now for the crocodiles to roam, bask or hide from humans." Crocodiles are common in Sarawak's long, winding rivers, and they are protected under Malaysian wildlife laws, which outlaw them being hunted or killed.

In previous years, attacks on humans averaged about one every four months. However, two crocodile attacks have been recorded in separate districts this month alone. A timber worker was reportedly snatched and killed on April 18 while he was bathing near a logging camp, while a villager had his hip bitten while paddling a boat early this month.

Crocodiles generally do not attack people unless they are disturbed or hungry, Sayok said. He noted that development has jeopardized their food sources, with monkeys and deer dwindling because of deforestation and fish being killed by water pollution.

Sayok did not have statistics for crocodile attacks, and Sarawak Forestry Corporation officials said they could not immediately provide figures or comment.

Sayok added that there were many crocodiles in the Loagan Bunut National Park in Sarawak, but no attacks on people have been reported there, probably because curbs on development have ensured the crocodiles have sufficient fish and breeding grounds.

Conservationists say land clearing for logging and palm oil plantations has intensified in Sarawak in recent years, jeopardizing indigenous tribes and various animal and plant species. Government authorities have denied this, saying development activities are under control.

***** So whom do you wish to believe? The conservationists who have directly blamed the land clearing for logging and palm oil plantations or the state authorities who say that "development activities are under control" and therefore semuanya ok?
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