Najib's 'Bribery is The Best Policy' Election Strategy Fails

Ban Election Bribery

So the opposition dramatically snatched a parliamentary seat in Sibu, a hitherto BN stronghold. This can be rightfully described as an 'historic' by-election, no doubt about that.

Two important conclusions that can be made from this result are 1) The influence and unlimited power of the BN and Umno is approaching its nadir. This is good for the country's future. 2) Money, even tonnes of it, can't buy everything. Najib splurged and promised millions in exchange for votes. But this sort of bribery didn't work with the Chinese. (Malays and Indians are a different kettle of fish however and we can fully expect Najib's 'development philanthropy' to target these communities more intensely in future polls).

You can bet your last election bribe ringgit that the Umno leadership especially its middle echelon will be wild at the 'ungrateful' Chinese. These leaders are so used to the 'you scratch my back, I scratch yours' practice, that any sign of independent thinking or action immediately elicits the 'you are a pengkhianat' knee jerk reaction. We can expect the Utusan Malaysia and a few intellectually challenged crony Malay 'patriots' to lead the clarion call to punish the Chinese in whichever way possible. 'Revoke the citizenship of these pendatang', 'don't test Malay patience and generosity', 'Malays are under threat by kafirs who will take over and enslave us' will be some of the more idiotic statements that will be made.

Amidst the hysteria, Tun Dr Mahathir will proclaim that this is what happens when the people continue to forget May 13 and ignore the noble intentions of 'ketuanan Melayu'. "If Umno and Najib continue to sideline Perkasa and other well meaning groups and persist in pampering the non-Malays and implementing the unfair NEM, we will become slaves and servants in our own tanah air," Mahathir will lament.

Ibrahim Ali, foaming in his mouth, may call for a Malay 'boikot' of the Chinese without giving details. He would probably conveniently omit selling all shares in and resigning from the board of directors of Chinese owned companies.

Najib however will as much as possible avoid commenting on the debacle and will instruct his henchmen to redouble efforts to create at least five more 'independent MPs' so that his 1Malaysia matlamat can take root.

All the non-Malay BN component parties will secretly curse Umno for this embarrassing loss while outwardly dismissing it as a minor setback.

All the above reactions may or may not take place but what the DAP should ensure is to NOT allow itself to gloat or appear pompous after this fine win. Modest deportment in the wake of a well deserved victory is a sure vote winner.

Former Crime Chief Dato Ramli Yusuff Acquitted Of Corruption Charges. Syabas Judge Gunalan

From TheStar online.

Suspended Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Ramli Yusoff has been acquitted of corruption charges by Sessions Court here.

Judge M Gunalan ruled Friday that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against Comm Ramli, who was charged with failing to declare ownership of 20,000 Telekom Malaysia Berhad shares, 154,000 Permaju Industries Berhad shares and interest in two office properties worth RM1,032,840.

Ramli, 56, was alleged to have committed the offences at the office of the then Anti-Corruption Agency's deputy public prosecutor in Putrajaya on Sept 17, 2007.

***** Judge M Gunalan must be congratulated for sticking up for justice unlike his seniors in the higher courts including and especially the Appeals and Federal Court who have shown time and again that they have no brains or balls. Even in this case which will definitely be appealed by the government let us see what the superior courts decide. No prize for guessing which way those judgments will go.

3 Women Caned For Syariah Offences In Malaysia. Oh How Proud We Are!!

Welcome to the club Malaysia. You have truly shown us the spirit of "Malaysia Boleh!"

According to The Star -- Three Muslim women became the first in the country to be caned for committing various syariah offences.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the sentence was carried out on Feb 9 at 10am.

Two of the women were given six strokes of the rotan while the third was whipped four times.

One of them was released on Feb 14 after spending a month in prison, Hishammuddin said.

He added one woman would be released over the next few days while the third would be released in June.

All three were found guilty for committing illicit sex.

Hishamuddin must be deliriously happy, now that he has burnished his Islamic credentials for all to view at home and abroad. A real caning bradder and three females at that! Such good news must go down well in brotherly Afghanistan and Pakistan. Not to forget our Muslim compatriots in Sudan and other such nations which are trying their level best to emulate the golden age of Islam of yore.

Congratulations Umno, congratulations Malaysia, for you have finally achieved the recognition which you have yearned all this while from your Islamic brothers and in the process created a record of sorts -- dishing out syariah prescribed caning of women in a constitutionally secular country.

MAS CEO Idris Jala Named Orient Aviation Person 2008

Datuk Seri Idris Jala, managing director and chief executive officer of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), has been named Orient Aviation Person 2008 for being the driving force behind the national carrier’s amazing comeback.

While many wrote off the airline when it made its biggest losses ever of RM1.3 billion in nine months in 2005, Idris joined the airline and turned MAS’ record losses into record profits and rebuilt confidence and morale among its 20,000 employees, all within two years.

“MAS recorded RM851 million in the financial year 2007, its highest profit in 60 years of operations, and is only one of the six airlines in the world recognised as a “5-star airline” by Skytrax, United Kingdom, an accolade it has won for three consecutive years from 2006 to 2008,” said MAS in a statement.

Idris said he was pleased and honoured to accept the award as he and his team worked hard to turnaround MAS. Now, they are embarking on a business transformation journey in pursuit of their vision to become the World’s Five Star Value carrier. Idris said he is blessed with a great team of people who are passionate about the airline.

Orient Aviation chief executive Barry Grindrod said Idris acted speedily and decisively. In the last three years, he has slashed US$500 million costs at MAS.

Idris is on target for additional cuts of US$280 million in operational costs this year. Significantly, he has also restored morale in the carrier which was rock bottom when he joined the airline, Grindrod said.

He has quickly become one of the most highly respected chief executive officers in the industry worldwide, he said.

Previous winners of the award, which was established in 1999, include Chew Choong Seng from Singapore Airlines; Geoff Dixon, Qantas Airways; Jaime Bautista, Philippine Airlines; Kanok Abhiradee, Thai Airways International and David Turnbull, Cathay Pacific Airways. (Bernama)

***** Our congratulations to Datuk Seri Idris Jala. It is hoped that the government has learnt valuable lessons from the earlier debacle and will in future not treat the airlines as the personal property of Umno.
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Makkal Osai Gets Nod To Renew Permit

The Tamil daily, Makkal Osai which had an application for the renewal of its publishing licence rejected on April 16, was today given the nod to renew the permit. According to the General Manager of the newpaper, S.M. Periasamy the Makkal Osai will start publishing again this Saturday.

Probably as a result of the numerous appeals as well as the furore the ban had aroused, the Home Ministry must have had a 'change of heart' and relented. The ministry could well have been taken aback by the uproar and objections to their high-handed act as well as the absence of a good enough reason to justify the refusal to issue a permit.

Following the rejection, Makkal Osai had filed an appeal against the decision by the Home Ministry. Former MIC deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam had then met with Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

Makkal Osai submitted an application for renewal on July 16, 2007, three months before its permit expired on Oct 15 last year.

The newspaper started operations as Tamil Osai in 1981, and later changed its name to Makkal Osai in 2005. It has a daily circulation of 52,000 copies and 95,000 on weekends.

The renewal while good news for those espousing free speech, would probably be a sad day for the daily's arch-enemy Samy Vellu.

Besides Makkal Osai, the other two Tamil dailies are Tamil Nesan and Malaysia Nanban.

BN Mulls Cooperation With Pakatan Rakyat

Malaysia's ruling coalition may open "a new era'' of cooperation with the opposition in administrative matters, the prime minister said Tuesday, signaling a policy shift after recent elections nearly leveled the balance of power.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's National Front coalition has long shunned any cooperation with its rivals, but it has been forced to consider how to deal with a three-party opposition alliance that won control of five states in March general elections.

Abdullah indicated he was surprised that the opposition handed a key administrative post last week to a well-known National Front member.

"It's just not been the practice,'' Abdullah told reporters. "Normally we keep to what we want to do, and the opposition parties also keep to what they want to do.''

National Front officials have debated whether Lee Kah Choon of the coalition's Gerakan party should be kicked out after he accepted an offer last week to head two opposition-run development and investment organizations in the industrial hub of Penang state.

Abdullah said he was not in favor of punishing Lee, stressing that "if there is no clash in policies, then perhaps it opens the way to cooperate.''

"We can always create a new era, but as far as I'm concerned, this is a matter for the parties to decide whether they want it or not,'' Abdullah said.

Lee resigned as Gerakan's deputy secretary general last month after the party lost control of Penang for the first time in nearly 30 years. He remains an ordinary member, though there has been speculation that he might cross over to the opposition Democratic Action Party.

Opposition leader Lim Guan Eng, the new chief minister of Penang, has said Lee's appointment is part of the opposition's plan to "chart a new course, a new political paradigm'' that emphasizes fairness to all sides.

The National Front held on to power in last month's elections, but lost its traditional two-thirds majority in Parliament and conceded five of Malaysia's 13 states to the opposition.

Abdullah has been trying to keep the coalition's 14 parties united amid widespread rumors that dozens of government lawmakers plan to defect to the opposition. He is also fending off demands by some coalition members for his resignation.

***** The new cooperation policy is a welcome one and the nation will benefit from the resultant goodwill. Although BN must have been taken aback by the novel offer, the PM has shown remarkable good sense and pragmatism in not condemning the appointment, questioning the opposition's motives or calling for disciplinary action against Mr Lee. Keep it up Pak Lah.

Another flip flop?: Kah Choon Cannot Go Against BN Spirit, Says Abdullah

Pro-Government Paper Flays Ruling Party

The dominant party in Malaysia’s ruling coalition today faced an unexpected attack from a major pro-government daily which accused its leaders of “boorish and loutish” behaviour and asked it to get down to the work of governing.

The Barisan Nasional coalition, which has been in power since 1950, returned to rule with a dented majority in the 8 March general elections amid discontentment among ethnic minority communities like Indians.

The New Straits Times blasted the leading partner of the coalition, United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in a front-page editorial, telling it to stop “whining and blaming each other for the dismal election results. ”A few incidents like the demolition of a 100-year-old Hindu temple, brandishing a kris (sword) by a lawmaker claiming supremacy of Malays in this multi-ethnic country had provided extra impetus for the Chinese and Indians to abandon the BN at the polls.

Sections of the party have urged premier Mr Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resign following the electoral results. and asked “retired” UNMO leaders to let Mr Abdullah do his job, an apparent reference to former leader Mr Mahathir Mohammed. (The Statesman)

***** From where or whom did the normally servile NST get the guts to slam its political and financial master? Any guesses?

AirAsia Recognised As One Of The Top 50 Most Innovative Companies In The World

AirAsia has been recognised as one of the top 50 most innovative companies in the world by Fast Company magazine. AirAsia is the only ASEAN brand and the only airline to have made it on the “Fast 50” list. AirAsia ranked number 43 this year on the list.

The “Fast 50,” announced in the Mar-08 edition of Fast Company, highlights how innovation can drive economic growth.

AirAsia exemplifies innovativeness in every aspect of its operations including its business, culture, products and services. The success of AirAsia flourished through innovative extension of the brand outside of Malaysia through strategic joint ventures resulting in Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia, allowing it to broaden its reach from these two hubs. The world continues to have its eyes fixed on AirAsia when it took another revolutionary step late-07 by launching low cost long haul airline, AirAsia X.

Contrary to conventional booking system, the airline took a leap of faith in driving sales through online booking and pushing it with awareness campaigns to drive guests to book online. The airline’s website is surfed by users from 200 countries around the world and records 260 million visits per month. Guests can also pre-order their meals online.

AirAsia also offer services such as web and kiosks check-in, allowing guests to save time and bypass the queue at the check-in counters, as well as booking via mobile, which allows guests to book anytime, anywhere.

In Oct-07, Fast Company set out to identify and rank the world’s most innovative companies. The magazine deployed dozens of reporters around the globe to gather data and interview experts and business leaders in every industry to get their nominations. The final 50 were selected from a list of 300 finalist companies. The magazine placed a high premium on companies that had demonstrated significant innovation over the past year. Actual rankings were determined by vote by a panel of editors and writers. (Peanuts! Low Cost Airline News, Australia)

***** Congratulations to AirAsia. It is hoped that other companies in Malaysia instead of being envious of AirAsia would try to emulate its success.

Inwardly Ecstatic Gerakan To 'Act' Against Paranjothy Over 'Sensitive' Remarks

Gerakan has initiated disciplinary action against its Youth vice-chief S. Paranjothy over his racially sensitive remarks against Umno.

Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said Sunday the party viewed the matter seriously and that the case has been referred to the Disciplinary Committee for a decision on the action to be taken before it was to be brought to the party's Central Working Committee (CWC).

He said the action against Paranjothy could be in the form of a suspension or explusion from the party. "We will abide by the party's procedure before deciding on the form of action to be taken," he told a news conference at the Gerakan state head office here.

Paranjothy is alleged to have issued a press statement claiming that he was not happy with Umno and the way Indians in the country were being treated.

Koh said Paranjothy had disregarded the team spirit in Gerakan because as the party's Youth vice-chief he should have consulted other party leaders before making a major statement.

"His action is clearly contrary to my advice for Gerakan to always find constructive solutions to all problems, no matter how difficult, including matters related to the problems faced by the Indians," he added.

He regarded as inappropriate Paranjothy's open verbal "attack" of another BN component party. (Bernama)

***** It must be the best kept 'open secret' in Malaysian politics that whenever a courageous non-Malay politician publicly ticks off Umno, the non-Malay parties in the BN coalition almost to a man and woman silently nod in agreement. "That bugger got balls maah!" must be their innermost thought. "Good for him, at least he showed the arrogant racist bastards in Umno their place," would be their next hidden opinion.

This is followed a day later by uneasy mutterings, growls of disapproval and cries for blood from the middle rung idiots of Umno before the Big 2 speak their piece and ask for action to be taken. The leader of the offending component party then hauls in the outspoken one and has a word or two with him. "I know that you're absolutely right when you termed these Umno motherf*****s as racists. I know it, you know it, the whole bloody world knows it! But you simply can't go public and tell it as it is. Now you have no choice but to retract your statement and say sorry before Pak Lah or Najib haul your ass up. Also to make it look like we are sincerely upset, we'll for a time suspend you. But confidentially speaking, you've done a great job and have a bright future in our party. Keep it up, young man."

The courageous one is then cajoled into acting out the BN sandiwara for all to see and be amused. That may soothe prickly Umno egos but in fact the damage has already been done and the thinking public will realise that yet another salvo against race discrimination has been fired accurately at the hitherto invulnerable racist target, Umno, and the echo of that attack has reverberated around the globe. And there will be near universal support from the non-Malays for the brave one's scathing criticism of Umno.

Well done S. Paranjothy, you truly deserve a Datuk Seri title for a job well done.
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UPDATE: Paranjothy stands by his statement.

ACA Closes Probe Into Ex-CM Osu Sukam’s RM28 Million Debts. Why Am I Not Surprised?

The Anti-Corruption Agency has closed investigations into former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Osu Sukam’s gambling debts amounting to RM28mil as there was insufficient evidence.

Movement for Democracy and Anti-Corruption (Gerak) chairman Ezam Mohd Nor said the ACA had informed him that it could not trace the source of the money Osu used during his gambling spree in various overseas casinos.

“When I told them that such a high debt was enough to prosecute, I was told that it was difficult to verify the source of the money,” he said.

Ezam, who went to see ACA investigations director Mohd Shukri Abdull yesterday for updates on several cases that Gerak had reported over the years, was briefing pressmen on the outcome of the meeting.

Osu allegedly accumulated the huge debt with a casino in Britain between February and November 2002, but according to a report had somehow succeeded in repaying some RM21mil of the RM28mil debt. (The Star)

***** Bloody hell! The same old 'insufficient evidence' bullshit by the ACA. Yet these very buggers in the ACA, out on a witch hunt, could easily trace that the former Sabah police commissioner Datuk Ramli Yusoff had diverted a police aircraft for his personal use.

Osu Sukam's reputation and misdeeds precede him and by right there should have been no problem at all in nailing this corrupt bastard. Why should it have been so difficult to find out where he got the millions to feed his addiction for gambling?

This surrender by the ACA to the Umno leadership will only encourage our Hadhari practising pemimpin to make hundreds of millions more secara haram and use it for non-halal purposes. That big buaya sitting pretty in Kota Kinabalu must be smiling happily. If an idiot like Osu can get away with it, then there is no problem for the wily fox.
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Malaysia's Angkasawan Aspires To Return To ISS As Commander

Malaysia's first angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha aspires to return to the International Space Station (ISS) as a mission commander in future. Still missing life on the ISS, he also hopes to be there longer.

"I have been telling myself that I want to return to the ISS for six months and hoping that it will be as its commander. God willing, I will prove that I can do it," he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama's Radio 24 today.

He said that his success in completing the space mission proved he was serious in wanting to fulfill his responsibilities as a Malaysian. He said that he now felt free after having successfully fulfilled the huge responsibilities entrusted on him. "I realised it was a huge responsibility for me and I am very grateful for having performed it well," he said in the interview from the post-space mission quarantine centre in Star City, Moscow.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar will be at the quarantine centre for between 10 days and two weeks for health monitoring before he can be allowed to come home. He, however, is very grateful that throughout the space mission, he did not have any health problems and attributed his healthy condition to the Malaysians who prayed for him.

On the challenges facing him during the mission, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar said the biggest challenge was to carry out the experiments which had been entrusted on him. "I realised the experiments like the one of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia was crucial because the scientists had worked very hard for two years on it ... and I did the best possible," he added.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar also said that he took the space mission seriously and not for fun. "It was not for fun or merely to travel to space. To me, it was crucial to show the whole world that we, Malaysians, are capable of doing things like this," he said.

He said that he also felt elated and proud to be given the trust by the European Space Agency (ESA) to repair its equipment at the ISS.

"It was indeed a great honour that the ESA placed its trust in a Malaysian angkasawan to do the job," said the orthopaedic surgeon. In the interview, which lasted for almost an hour, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar was also asked on NASA's action in not recognising him as an angkasawan but only as a space flight participant.

"To me, regardless whether NASA called me a space flight participant or by any other name, what is important is that I'm recognised as an angkasawan by all Malaysians.

"Likewise the Russians, they recognised me as a Cosmonaut Researcher. This is important because I did the training with them and only they know what we (he and Kapt Dr Faiz Khaleed (Malaysia's back up angkasawan) went through and how serious we were to accomplish the mission," he said.

He, however, said that the training they went through was different than the one required by space tourists, whose training was only for six months.

"Perhaps, I should also prove to them (NASA) that I am capable of doing the best. Hopefully, after this I will get to go to space longer, perhaps six months and be given the opportunity to work with NASA and to prove to them that we are as good their astronauts," he said.

Meanwhile, recalling the experience during landing in the Soyuz TMA-10 capsule, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar said he felt difficulty breathing and his chest felt like an elephant stepping on it. "It felt like an elephant stepping on your chest... it pressed on your chest so hard that you felt like you were not able to breathe and uncomfortable. But we had been taught to breathe through our abdomen and release the air through the chest, the training saved us," he added.

During the interview, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar also took the opportunity to thank all Malaysians for their prayers and hoped Malaysia would produce more angkasawan and scientists in future. He also hoped that Malaysia would make further inroads in aerospace development and produce its own rocket for a space mission. (Bernama)

***** Syabas Dr Muszaphar. May your successfully completed mission be the beginning of a new era in Malaysia's space journey. Ignore the envious ones who tried to find fault every step of the way and pathetically attempted to belittle the entire space trip.

True, that the circumstances surrounding the conception of our space programme, especially the defence deal with Russia regarding the purchase of MIG fighter jets, leaves many questions unanswered. But that has nothing to do with you or future angkasawans. You now serve as a shining example of what we can achieve and will be an inspiration for those determined to excel.
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Najib Will Go To Moscow To Greet Malaysian Astronaut On His Return From Space

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will be here on Oct 21 to welcome back to earth Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha, the first Malaysian to go into space.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said here today Najib, who will represent Malaysia and its people, had confirmed by telephone his presence here on that date.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar is scheduled to return to earth at 6 pm (Russian time) at a location 1,500km from here. He will be with Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Oleg Kotov, who are now in the International Space Station (ISS).

The Malaysian had blasted off into space from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, on Oct 10 in the Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft with Commander Peggy Whitson and Flight Engineer Yuri Malenchenko, and is scheduled to dock with the ISS tonight.

Jamaludin said it would take between six and eight hours for the two recovery helicopters to locate the spacecraft and bring the crew to the nearest airport for their flight to Moscow.

He also said that he would convey to the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, the Malaysian government's decision to have backup astronaut Capt Dr Faiz Khaleed participate in the next space mission.

Jamaludin said he would seek the assistance of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States to train Dr Faiz to surpass the NASA benchmark for an astronaut.

"Both Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and Dr Faiz have surpassed the benchmark set by Russia. Now we want them to surpass the American benchmark," he said.

Jamaludin said efforts must also be made to find a backup astronaut for Dr Faiz, who himself had been the backup astronaut for Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor.

Meanwhile, Dr Faiz said he was happy to know that the Malaysian government, as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Oct 10, had decided to enable him participate in the next space mission. (Bernama)

***** What a caring and concerned leader we have in our beloved DPM, who is taking the trouble to go all the way to Russia to receive our angkasawan on his return. I wonder which other country will bother to send their number two man in a similar situation. Keeping in mind that Najib is a very busy person on a hectic daily schedule, it must be quite a sacrifice for him to travel to Moscow and await our angkasawan.

There are of course those who would say that he is merely trying to get some reflected publicity from the space trip. I don't know. What do you think?
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Malaysia Hopes Space Voyage Will Inspire Future Scientists

In an interview with VOA from Kazakhstan, Malaysia's Science, Technology and Innovations Minister, Jamaluddin Jarjis, says he hopes the mission will inspire a new generation of Malaysian scientists.

"Putting our man, our Malaysian man in space, is basically - we want to raise the bar for Malaysia in terms of acquiring knowledge for the future, especially the young ones, the five million kids in school," he said. "And also we are quite proud, because in conjunction with our 50th anniversary of the nation, that we are positioning ourselves as part of the - connected to the world."

Muszaphar is a member of Malaysia's Malay ethnic group, and much advance study and debate went into deciding how he would honor his Muslim religious duties while in space.

The Muslim requirement to face in the direction of Mecca during daily prayers, for example, is a challenging prospect while orbiting hundreds of miles above the earth in a weightless environment. An imaginary line from Mecca into space was drawn, and it was decided that Muszaphar would face that line at the start of his prayers, and continue facing the same direction throughout the flight.

He also pledged to follow religious practice during the last days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which coincide with the beginning of the mission.

Malaysian clerics exempted Muszaphar from fasting while in space, but he says he will observe the fasts anyway.

The country's Ministry of Religion has written the world's first handbook for Muslim astronauts to sort out that and other religious issues.

Malaysia paid Russia $25 million to allow Muszaphar's participation, part of a $900 million package linked to Malaysia's purchase of 18 Russian fighter jets.

The 35-year-old surgeon is scheduled to return to Earth October 21, while his two companions remain behind in the space station. (VOA News)
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Malaysian Readies For Hari Raya In Space

A crew that includes Malaysia's first astronaut and an American who will become the first woman to command the international space station prepared Monday for blastoff later this week.

Shaikh Muszaphar Shukor, a Muslim, will spend 12 days at the international space station.

The Soyuz-FG rocket is scheduled to blast off from the Central Asian steppe on Wednesday night to take Malaysia's Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, Peggy Whitson of Beaconsfield, Iowa, and Russian Yuri Malenchenko into orbit.

During his 12-day space trip, Shukor is to study the effects of microgravity and space radiation on cells and microbes, as well as experiments with proteins for a potential HIV vaccine.

The rocket —adorned with a Malaysian flag and coat of arms and carrying a Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft—was moved Monday to the launch pad from its assembly site at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

"It's too exciting to be cold," said Shankini Dovaisingam, a Malaysian aerospace engineer observing the final preparations. "It's amazing to see the Malaysian flag on a Soyuz spaceship."

The mission coincides with the last days of Ramadan, the holy month when Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, but Malaysian clerics decreed that Shukor will be excused from fasting while in space.

Shukor's religion also requires that he face Mecca for prayer but clerics decided that the exact location matters only for the beginning of the prayer ritual.

Shukor, 35, will bring a "symbolic" load of Malaysian food to the space station, said Zulkeffeli Mat Jusoh, a program director for the Malaysian space program.
(Source- Gulf News)

Interesting report:
Dr Mahathir Improving, Looks Forward To Launching Of Malaysian Astronaut.

Aussie University Honours Malaysian Tycoon

Malaysian-born Maha Sinnathamby, the creator of the A$12 billion Greater Springfield residential development near Brisbane, has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Southern Queensland (USQ).

Multi-millionaire Sinnathamby, who has a deep commitment to education, was instrumental in attracting the Toowoomba-based USQ to establish a campus in Springfield last year, now home to about ,1000 students, many from Asia.

He was conferred the doctorate by the university's chancellor, Bobbie Brazil, to the delight of his family, corporate colleagues and academic staff.

Greater Springfield, Australia's first privately-built city, 28km south-west of Brisbane, has won international acclaim for its uniqueness.

Sinnathamby, a product of Seremban's St Paul's Institution, who grew up in Negri Sembilan, said: "I'm extremely proud of this honour because I have a lifelong passion for education."

The university's vice-chancellor, Professor Bill Lovegrove, said the conferral of the doctorate on Sinnathamby was in recognition of his distinguished service to the Springfield community and to USQ, while also acknowledging his strong advocacy of the ideals of the university.

Apart from his business acumen, Maha possessed some unique personal characteristics, Prof Lovegrove said. "Among them are his broad vision, an entrepreneurial spirit, a tenacious nature, a willingness to take risks and think outside of the square, a community focus and commitment in the face of adversity.

"These ideals align closely with those of USQ and help to explain the close ties that have formed between the university and Maha," he said. (Bernama)

***** It's always nice to read about Malaysians who have succeeded abroad, especially those who have achieved much without the aid of crutches and quotas and have never been honoured with a Datuk or Tan Sri title. The success of such people should serve as encouragement for those who feel that they have been left by the wayside through unfair government policies and racial discrimination under the guise of 'social engineering' and 'national unity'.
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Well Done SAC (I) Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff

Police have arrested two men under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly sending SMSes to spread rumours about race riots in the state. The two men, in their 20s, were arrested yesterday following police reports lodged over the matter over the past few days.

It is learnt that more are expected to be picked up as investigations into the case progressed.

Acting state police chief Senior Asst Comm (I) Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff confirmed the arrests and said investigations were being carried out under Section 28 of the Internal Security Act. “I wish to stress here that security in the state is under control and that the SMSes and e-mails being circulated are purely rumours and malicious,” he said.

SAC I Mokhtar said the police would not hesitate to take action against anyone for spreading or forwarding such messages including investigating them under the ISA.

It is learnt that as a precautionary measure, police have stepped up patrols around the city and have even increased roadblocks.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that there was no truth to the rumours of a race riot in the country. He said the SMS messages of racial clashes in Pasir Gudang, Johor, which had been circulating since Monday were “lies, lies and nothing more than lies.”

***** That was indeed fast! As many of you would be aware, one such SMS which was circulated claimed that that the kaum India would be causing trouble and perpetrating violence at Pasir Gudang. It advised that Malays be very careful, exercise vigilance and stay indoors or at least away from that area on the 29th and 30th of August! I wonder what could have been the purpose of implicating one race group and scaring another and could there be some bigger dalang behind these SMS-sending idiots?

It is to the credit of the acting Johor CPO Mohd Mokhtar that he has taken speedy action and nabbed the guilty rumour mongering bastards. The authorities should now proceed to immediately charge these scum in court and let them languish in jail without continuing to resort to the ISA.

In the past fortnight as our newspapers have been reporting, the acting CPO has cracked down on criminals on several fronts. This is in sharp contrast to the earlier chap (I wonder what happened to him) when the Johor police looked jaded and lethargic. These days we find few opportunities to congratulate the police, especially its senior officers. We need efficient pegawai2 kanan like Mohd Mokhtar. Well done.
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Pak Lah Dazzles At 2007 LID

It was certainly heartening to see Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's natural warmth shining through the entire proceedings of the just-concluded Langkawi International Dialogue.

Even more touching was the warmth that radiated between Abdullah and former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad right from Day One.

For Dr Mahathir, it must have been comforting to see his successor, Abdullah, soldiering on with the ideals of the "smart partnership" dialogue.

Abdullah's felicitations to Dr Mahathir and Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali on their 51st wedding anniversary surprised the couple, who deeply appreciated Abdullah's thoughtful gesture at the opening of the 2007 LID.

When asked about the Prime Minister's good wishes, Dr Mahathir said he was grateful.

"Terima kasihlah, saya tak sangka dia tahu (Thank you, I didn't expect him to know that)," he said.

For Dr Mahathir, he too was magnanimous in his remarks prior to the start of the Dialogue when he said Abdullah had chosen an appropriate theme for LID 2007 - Poverty Eradication through Human Capital Development and Capacity Building.

Abdullah was also gracious in passing over his turn to speak to Dr Mahathir after he was invited by Swaziland's King Mswati III to do so on the last day of the LID.

Abdullah's gallant and respectful gesture not only caught delegates by surprise, but also sent newsmen covering the event to train their focus on where Dr Mahathir was seated.

And there was more to come.

The two later walked together in a jovial mood for lunch at the Berjaya Langkawi Beach & Spa Resort and their joyful disposition certainly brightened up the warm sunny skies of Langkawi.

Read the entire report from Bernama HERE.
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Pak Lah Congratulates Dr M On 51st Wedding Anniversary

Malaysia's prime minister congratulated his predecessor, Mahathir Mohamad, on his wedding anniversary, striking a surprise conciliatory note in a high-profile spat that has virtually destroyed their friendship.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced at the end of a dinner speech Sunday that it was also the 51st wedding anniversary of the former leader and his wife, Siti Hasmah Ali.

Mahathir, who shared the dinner table with Abdullah, beamed as the announcement drew applause from an audience of hundreds of international dignitaries and officials attending the Langkawi International Dialogue, a three-day gathering of government leaders and corporate figures.

Abdullah congratulated Mahathir and paid tribute to the couple's long union, calling it "a smart partnership" and adding that he wanted to wish Mahathir, 82, "a long life."

Mahathir later told Malaysia's national news agency, Bernama, that he was grateful for the courtesy, adding that he had thought Abdullah was not even aware of the anniversary.

The two men were once close friends and partners in government.

However, Mahathir, who hand-picked Abdullah to lead Malaysia when he retired in 2003, has repeatedly blasted Abdullah's policies in the past 1 1/2 years, accusing his successor of corruption, nepotism and mismanaging the economy. Abdullah has rejected Mahathir's allegations.

Mahathir congratulated Abdullah in June when he remarried after his first wife died of cancer in 2005.

Among the leaders who attended Sunday's banquet were Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Swaziland King Mswati III. (International Herald Tribune)

***** Perhaps this is the Malaysian style of smoking the peace pipe. Anything is possible in politics especially with general elections not too far off.
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Ministers, Deputy Ministers Barred From Holding Posts In Sports Bodies. Ban MBs, CMs Too

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has barred ministers, deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries from holding posts in sports associations, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said Wednesday.

She said the prime minister issued the directive, which took immediate effect, at the weekly Cabinet meeting today. The move is to ensure ministers, deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries are not bogged down with too many responsibilities.

The directive, however, was not binding on menteris besar and chief ministers, she told Bernama.

Meanwhile, the directive was greeted with mixed reaction by the sports fraternity.

Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) secretary Datuk Sieh Kok Chi said the prime minister may have his reasons to issue the directive as people involved in sports bodies, especially at national level, need to devote a lot of time and at the same time are required to attend to their ministerial duties and functions.

Table Tennis Association of Malaysia (TTAM) secretary Chan Foong Keong said though it would be a big loss to the association, "we will have to adhere to it since the prime minister has made the decision." TTAM is among sports associations affected by the directive. The others are Malaysian Body Building Federation (MBBF), Equestrian Association of Malaysia (EAM) and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn is MBBF president; Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy (TTAM president); Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis (EAM president); and Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Anifah Aman (FAM vice-president).

Energy, Water and Communication Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik is International Wushu Federation vice-president.

A number of state and district-level associations is also expected to be affected by the directive as some ministers and deputy ministers are known to hold positions in them.

***** Despite what some of these officials may say, in the long run this is the best thing that can happen to Malaysian sports. However the PM should exercise his personal authority and also ban as many MBs and CMs as possible from further ruining sports in our country.

While it may be construed as disrespect if Pak Lah were to mention Royalty, it is high time that those Royals who are involved in sports take the hint and regally step down. They will be doing the nation a great favour.

One reason why so many politicians are into sports, apart from the pemimpin's desire for publicity, is the damn opportunistic leeches that many of these sports officials are. They suck up to these leaders who know diddly-squat about a sport merely for personal gain. In the process true sportspersons and knowledgeable administrators are sidelined and the old order persists long, long after the expiry date. And as an end result, these power brokers have murdered sports in our country.

All we can say is "better late than never". Well done Pak Lah.
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UPDATE.
Obedient Cabinet: Ministers Adhere To Directive To Vacate Posts In Sports Bodies.
Penang CM Koh: "No way Jose, I'm stayin' on as FAP President. No capable successor bradder!"

Muhamad s/o Muhamad Should Lodge Report Against Tanjung Malim Umno Division

The Tanjung Malim Umno division has called for the revival of English-medium schools.

The resolution, one of four passed at its delegates’ conference yesterday, said this would enable students to prepare themselves in the globalised world.

The delegates felt that reviving English-medium schools was crucial particularly for rural students.

Apart from the Malay language, all subjects in school should be taught in English because of the increasing use of the language in courses like medicine, engineering and ICT. (TheStar)

***** By now Muhamad A/L Muhamad's patriotic blood should be at boiling point. How dare these upstarts at Tanjung Malim even think of replacing Bahasa Melayu/Malaysia with a bahasa asing? That too with English, the language of the colonial bastards who in the first place were responsible for making the "Malays become a people with low self-esteem and lacking in confidence, and with most living in poverty" to quote our esteemed Deputy Prime Minister.

English indeed! The language of those who colonized us for 400 years. So traumatized were our people by these English marauders that we had to introduce the NEP as a means of correcting the discrimination endured by the Malays including those who were not even born during that period, never experienced colonial rule, never even seen a 'colonialist', have studied and worked in that colonial homeland and have taken 'colonial' spouses.

This call by the Tanjung Malim Umno division should be condemned by all right thinking patriots like Muhamad (2x). It implies that our Bahasa Melayu is not in the same league as major world languages. That is a nonsensical and more seriously an anti-national view. It is regrettable that some pengkhianat managed to get this resolution passed. I wonder if he is a blogger too.

If the Japanese, French, Koreans and the Russians can be taught in their own language why can't we? And there are great advantages not knowing English. We can smuggle millions in foreign currency in and out of Australia and get away scot free if caught. Now that must count for something!

So it is humbly requested that Muhamad (2x) should make another trip to Dang Wangi as soon as possible and lodge a report against the ingrates in Tg Malim who have insulted the national language. While there he should also ask the cops to check if somehow Raja Petra had a hand in getting this resolution passed. Also he should this time ensure that he takes a copy of TheStar with him as proof. He cannot always expect journalists from the Chinese press to be around to help him find the evidence.