THE ELEVENTH HOUR

Canadian High Commission Contacts

2011-07-21T03:05:00.007-07:00

Click to enlarge

Canadian Graduate Association Miri

Standing, left to right: Piasau Boat Club's Peter Ng (Secretary), Curtin University's Nicholas Leong (PR), Peter Chia (Vice-President), Luke Chong (President), Steve Ma, Raymond Luk, Miri Municipal Council's Chai Ko Het, Quickcopy's Alex Khoo (Constitutional Officer, absent).

Seated: Raynald Brassard & Sarah

Coming soon: Faxes and mail from Canadian High Commission directly to the CGA Miri president; a report on two meetings in 2 locations.

Happenings in Malaysia

2011-07-20T01:38:00.003-07:00

Just got this e-mail from a Malaysian pal. I wonder why I missed this incredulous news while I was overseas ...

Date: Fri, Nov 13, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Subject: Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong Declared a Muslim

The Syariah Court has today declared that the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong was a Muslim more than 10 years ago when he passed away, in 2007. The Syariah Court also ruled that since non-Muslim is allowed to inherit any part of a Muslim's assets or wealth, the inheritance of Lim's property by his non-Muslim children are invalid and unlawful."Therefore, the assets should be immediately returned to Tan Sri Lim's name, and then redistributed to his Muslim heirs (if any) according to Syariah law. If he has no Muslim heir, then the assets shall be given to the Islamic authorities and they can do whatever they wish. The non-Muslim children are disinherited." The Syariah Court ruled.

Dato' Zakaria Lim Abdullah, 35, the late Tan Sri Lim's only Muslim child and the 20th of his 20 offsprings, is now poised to become the Chairman of Genting Group, 1 of Southeast Asia's richest companies worth RM2 trillion as at press time. (He would have inherited only 1/20 of Tan Sri Lim's assets if Tan Sri Lim was not declared a Muslim.) However, he refused to confirm whether he would stop the gambling business of Genting even though it is haram under Islamic law."Are you saying that our Hadhari government should refuse to collect taxes from gambling, alcohol, pork and other haram businesses?" Dato' Zakaria replied, perhaps rhetorically.Dato' Zakaria has also said that he shall honor his pledge to donate 1/10 of his newly inherited fortune to Jabatan Agama Islam Pahang and UMNO in equal share if he won the case, made 3 days before theSyariah Court decision.

"Business Reasons"
"My late father wanted to keep his conversion secret because he was a gambling tycoon, and he did not want to jeopardize his gambling empire or make his shareholders lose confidence in Genting," said Dato'Zakaria during the hearing in Syariah Court . The Syariah Court felt that "this is most likely true because of the huge business implications. It is very normal for Chinese to do this. We can accept that."As to the testimonies of Tan Sri Lim's 19 other offsprings in the Syariah Court, who unanimously disputed the alleged conversion, the Syariah Court said, "Even though it is 19 to 1, but because the non-Muslim witnesses refused to swear on the Qur'an before they testified in court, we could not consider their testimonies. In any event, even if they did swear on the Qur'an, the non-Muslims would still carry less weight when compared to the testimony of 2 Muslim men. It is not about the number, it is about quality of the witnesses."

The other witness supporting Dato' Zakaria's claim to have witnessed Tan Sri Lim's conversion is Ustaz Abdul Rahman Ganinah Abdullah, 23 years old. The Ustaz would have been only 13 year old at that time of the conversion, but the Syariah Court said that,"Being a righteous, God-fearing Muslim, we have no reason to suspect that the Ustaz told any lie. In any event, he has reached the age of puberty at the time (of the conversion) so he was qualified to witness the conversion."

"Answer To God"
It DependsThe Syariah Court has also ruled that the overwhelming evidence of Tan Sri Lim drinking alcohol, praying to pagan idols, celebrating pagan religious festivals, eating pork and gambling in his own Genting Casino and generally behaving like a non-Muslim all his lifeuntil his death was irrelevant. "Once you have converted, you are a Muslim till you die, no matter what you did before your death. You will answer to God for all your sins."However, on the same kind of "answer to God" argument made by the non-Muslim children that:"By the same logic, the Deceased himself should answer to God for concealing his alleged 'conversion' from hisfamily and resulting in him not being buried as a Muslim and his assets distributed among his non-Muslim children; it's not up to the Islamic Authority to insist on his assets being inherited under Islamic law if he, KNOWING THAT HIS ASSETS WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED LIKE AN INFIDEL (AND HE MIGHT BURN IN HELL), still didn't want to tell his family to bury him as a Muslim and distribute his assets like a Muslim."The Syariah Court said "you cannot say he must answer to God for everything. Sometimes he also has to answer to us, the Islamic Authority and Syariah Court . If we say he has to answer to us, then he has to. When it comes to God's law, logic has nothing to do with it.Why is it so difficult to understand?"

"New Conversion Policy" vs New Economic Policy
The case to declare one of the richest Chinese in the world (at his death) as a Muslim was started 2 years ago (8 years after his death), 1 month after another non-Muslim Malaysian tycoon's Muslim son was able to exclusively inherit his father's global business empire worth RM80 billion at that time by proving in Syariah Court that his father had "converted in secret," resulting in his mother and all 9 other siblings losing the right to inherit any part of the tycoon's wealth,leaving him the sole heir to the huge fortune.There are currently at least 200 more cases of the same nature pending before the Syariah Courts nationwide involving deceased non-Muslims who were wealthy during their lifetime and left behind ahuge personal fortune. Rough estimate suggests that 50% of them were started by 1 of the Muslim children of the deceased (99% of them newly converted asMuslims), and the rest by the Islamic Authorities seeking to disinherit all non-Muslim children.If all of the cases succeed, it is estimated that the ratio of equity held by Muslims in Malaysia would jump from the meagre 19% as at 1 January 2018 to 76%, a whopping 3-fold increase.

The Perak Mufti, who applauded the Syariah Court's ruling, said that this wave of after-death declarations of conversions is the new approach taken by the Islamic Authority to speed up the Islamicization of Malaysia, butis also designed to achieve the government's goal to redistribute wealth among the races which thegovernment could no longer do (and failed repeatedly to do) under the now abolished National Economic Policy"By creating real economic incentives for the dhimmis to become a real citizen of the Islamic state, we expect more of them to embrace the true path, and this will mean that we no longer have to rely on the NEP to achieve such noble socio-economic goals of the government. Besides, this is more effective because to take money away from living people will create a lot of noise, but a dead person will not make any noise, right?" He said. However, it is not clear whether the non-muslim children would still be able to keep their inheritance if they convert to Islam immediately. The Mufti of Perak, when consulted on this issue, said,"If that could bring them to Islam, then it would be good, so the Syariah Court should allow that. But then it might be unfair to those children who converted into Islam earlier perhaps we can still allow them to inherit only 30% of what an "early bird" Muslim heir wouldhave been able to get, to provide some "early bird bonus incentives" for them to convert earlier. When we are dealing with Chinese, such bonus incentives are very important, if you know what I mean. Anyway, we'll think about this in the next National Fatwa Council meeting. But rest assured that we shall continue to our struggle until the Kingdom comes (literally)."

Chinese Beginning to Be Concerned
The Chinese community has now taken this matter very seriously and are brainstorming on the options to overcome this problem. They have also called for an end to the practice of declaring a person's status as a Muslim after his or her death, a radical change from their usual attitude to shy away from controversial political and religious issues. Analysts believe that this is because this is threatening their economic interests.Supporters of the now semi-defunct Malaysian Chinese Association, Gerakan and Malaysian Indian Congress, still part of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, have called on the top BN leadership toput forward a plan to resolve such controversial and provocative religious issues once and for all and in a manner which is fair to the non-Muslims. An MCA leader who declined to be named told our reporter:"We fear a backlash. Most NGO and opposition leaders have called on the non-Muslims to boycott BN if no fair solution is put forward before the upcoming general election. These issues have been aroundsince at least the Moorthy controversy in 2005 but still remained unresolved. The are now affecting the basic security and fundamental well-being of the non-Muslims."This is a very serious issue for all non-muslim Malaysians to think over since several recent cases have been unjust and unfair, and the basic constitutional RIGHTS been taken away from them. It's no longer a safe country to live.

Unpredicted Planet Alignment

2011-05-05T21:15:00.001-07:00

Just in case anyone missed this news on Yahoo ...

Six Planets Now Aligned in the Dawn Sky

Geoff Gaherty, Starry Night Education,
Space.com geoff Gaherty, Starry Night Education,
space.com – Thu Apr 28, 10:31 pm ET

If you get up any morning for the next few weeks, you’ll be treated to the sight of all the planets except Saturn arrayed along the ecliptic, the path of the sun through the sky.

For the last two months, almost all the planets have been hiding behind the sun, but this week they all emerge and are arrayed in a grand line above the rising sun. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter are visible, and you can add Uranus and Neptune to your count if you have binoculars or a small telescope.

This sky map of the six planets shows how they should appear at dawn to observers with clear weather and an unobstructed view.

Astrologers have always been fascinated by planetary alignments, and the doomsayers of 2012 have been prophesying a mystical alignment on Dec. 21, 2012.

The modern tools of astronomers, such as planetarium software, show otherwise: absolutely no alignment at any time in 2012. But they also reveal a beautiful alignment visible during the month of May this year. [Planet Skywatching Guide for 2011]

Six planets at one time

While astrologers view planetary alignments as foretellers of disasters, modern amateur astronomers look forward to them as nothing more than grand photo ops.

If you go out any morning for the next four days, you’ll be treated to a view of the crescent moon and all but one of the naked eye planets.

Because the moon moves rapidly from one morning to the next, it will only be part of the lineup for the next four mornings, but the four naked-eye planets will be there for the next few weeks.

Venus is, as always, the brightest and most visible of the planets, and it can be your guide to spotting the others. About half way between Venus and the rising sun is Jupiter, the second brightest planet.

Mars will be a tiny speck just above Jupiter, and Mercury another tiny speck about half way between Jupiter and Venus. Uranus is slightly more than one binocular field above and to the right of Venus, and Neptune is much farther to the right, about 40 degrees away in Aquarius. The Moon will be just above Venus on Saturday morning, and just above Jupiter and Mars on Sunday morning.

How to photograph the planets

Capturing a photograph of this gathering of the planets couldn’t be easier.

Just about any camera will do, though a camera with a telephoto lens setting will be better. Let the camera’s exposure meter be your guide, though a slight underexposure will help bring out the colors of the dawn sky. [Astrophotography Telescopes for Beginners]

Try to place the silhouette of some foreground object to lend depth to the scene. The best pictures will be on the next few mornings, while the crescent moon is part of the grouping.

This article was provided to SPACE.com by Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu.

Aussie Bus

2011-05-01T07:05:00.008-07:00

Aussie buses are abundant and there are many friendly drivers manning them Down Under. If one encounters problems in locating certain places, ask the driver for assistance and they will likely help you out cheerfully and courteously. I never fail to thank these professionals, believe me.

Occasionally though, one reads in the papers of certain drivers doing something mean - and the jury is out whether it was justified-such as a recent case whereby a woman found much sympathy from the public after her little daughter was thrown out of a bus for being too noisy by the female driver! Unfortunately, the details of this case is hazy for me at the moment due to an unprovoked vicious assault I suffered at the hands of a dishonorably discharged mentally deranged Kiwi soldier with a lengthy record of such aggressiveness in public (No, he had never even seen military action overseas!). Three kung-fu kicks and three karate chops from behind me eventually brought me crashing down in the huge dining room of a 1900-built former hotel with many shocked witnesses looking on, probably thinking it was the shooting of a Jackie Chan kung fu blockbuster. Hell, I felt I was iin a movie when I smashed against a bookcase with a loud
crash.

Frankly, he was out to kill with his martial arts and wrestling background but I recovered fast after forgiving him, thanks to Shaklee, the best natural nutritional supplement in the world! I even managed to mumble a few times, "I forgive him".

On hindsight, I should have declared loudly, showing the V-sign, "Shaklee rules!"

Here's something about a woman, a baby and a bus ...

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says, "That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen. Ugh!"

The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: "The driver just insulted me."

The man says, "You go right up there and tell him off, go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you."

That was supposedly the UK's no. 1 joke!

Lighthouse family - High

2011-04-21T03:43:00.000-07:00

I remember my promise ...

Nothing Gonna Change My Love For You

2011-04-19T03:25:00.000-07:00

Someday

2011-04-17T02:22:00.003-07:00

Ti kak solnce Pri si yariri solnce ti poxoja na zoloto Moyo serdace byotsya silno

Perth's Murray Street

2011-04-04T20:06:00.009-07:00

Just round the corner of wellington Street and Barrack Street where I stay is a busy street called Murray Street. Like New Zealand's Queen Street lots of people walk along it. There's also entertainment by all kinds of artistes out to make some fast bucks... from magicians to street dancers entertaining everyone, the young and old alike enjoy their time here. Unlike Queen Street, the whole area has no vehicles driving along this lengthy stretch of paved road ... except for police vehicles... ever ready with their special caged vehicles to lock up law-breakers. What is available at this marvelous street is a wide space that has plenty of empty space for everyone to sit around on comfortable benches and hang around! The shops on both sides of the street deserve mention: there're shopping malls, shoes, bags and clothes boutiques, cafeterias, bookshops, money changing offices, watch shops, immigration consultancy centres, restaurants, city info centres and many others. Unfortunately, there are apparently certain undesirable individuals who create problems for others like quarrelling, fighting or stealing and these are times when the professional cops of Perth come in! Here are pics of a street performer doing his balancing act... a cop about to arrest a woman who had had a fight with her mate and a view of my residence with all the noisy construction going on ... More stories to come...

What a Strange World

2011-03-17T03:58:00.000-07:00

Perhaps when I purchased my first Japanese-made Toyota vehicle in Tauranga, New Zealand it was a hint of Christchurch earthquarke tragedy and the present tragic unfolding drama and highly likely nuclear catastrophe in Japan ... The bonnet had a rough burnt appearance and I was saying that I had survived a disaster and after the Christchurch earthquarke which I had narrowly missed, I was explaining tongue in cheek that my vehicle had survived an earthquarke ... unprepared that the shocking events would occur in Japan ... but I did surprisingly mentioned to my Canadian buddy by phone at the 11th hour before the Jap tsunami that the world was going crazy with tsunamis, Aussie floods, cyclones and Kiwi earthquarke ...

Here is a song that I heard in the 1960s and found on the net again ... several years ago and I was just playing it on my laptop hours before the Christchurch earthquarke.

Yes, it's indeed "a strange, strange world we live in ..."!

Rodgers & Hammerstein - Win a Trip to Salzburg, Austria! :: Contest Confirmation

2011-03-03T10:02:00.001-08:00

Rodgers & Hammerstein - Win a Trip to Salzburg, Austria! :: Contest Confirmation

Sorry, Spirits

2011-02-25T01:03:00.007-08:00

I have to apologise. I was searching and watching Youtube the night before the horrific earthquarke struck Christchurch and one of the videos made a lasting impression on me. It was an old catchy song by a not very well-known South African group, Four Jacks and a Jill. It was a 1960s hit which I often heard and loved when one of my attractive sisters played it over and over again in our shop. She was eventually won over by this relatively unknown boy and married him. There had been so many other reputable suitors she rejected despite their many gifts to me of postage stamps, comics and other stuff I collected!

Well, I was torn between putting up this video and the John Malott commentery which I felt was important to clarify the issues in Malaysia. On the other hand, the song, "Mr Nico" surprisingly had scenes of building destruction from beginning to ending. I love old buildings with their history and I was disturbed to watch it. Besides, I didn't wish to give my Kiwi host the impression that I were an anti-progressive activist! Having considered this, I therefore decided to post it the next day ... little did I know that on February 22nd-a day before my birthday-disaster struck and I would painfully witnessed not only sad deaths but painful scenes of historical buildings in ruins ... and the collapsing scenes of tall concrete buildings -- in contrast to what this video shows! What difference would it make if I had posted the somewhat sentimental video? I don't think it could be a forewarning of destruction and death ... Noone will turn back the clock and stop building taller and taller iconic buildings!

On a side note, I am thankful to God, dear spirits, that I changed my mind about driving to Christchurch to celebrate my birthday there before I depart from New Zealand. I had planned it weeks ago and even obtained marvelous detailed maps and brochures from the nearby NZ Automobile Association.

By the way, I've made my small contribution at a supermarket and I hope you will do so too wherever you are.

Here's the video:

An Accurate Knowledgeable Foreign View

2011-02-21T01:10:00.007-08:00

This is rewritten comment after having some second thoughts on my part. I still fully agree with what Mr Malott has to say. What I need to say here is that I am presently most disappointed and upset that the pm who used to be popular with many Malaysians of all races as a liberal minister, is these days seen to speak and act extremely, departing even more radically from his predecessors. It is confusing: is he kow-towing or pandering to the extremists to grasp on to power? Is there no courageous Nelson Mandela's and the late Tunku Abdul Rahman's compromising spirit in the country's leadership anymore? What does the future hold for Malaysians who are not privileged Malays?

Not for PM to say one religion superior to another

By John Malott

Bernama recently commented that I have “gone off the rails” because of my Feb 8 op-ed in the Asian Wall Street Journal.

To prove its point, the news agency gave just two examples. First, that I was wrong in saying that Malaysia’s needs to grow by eight percent annually over the coming decade to achieve Vision 2020 and higher income status.

In my defence (Who’s off the rails, Bernama? Part 1), I revealed the source of my ‘error’ – a speech and report from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Bernama also took me to task for saying that racial and religious tensions in Malaysia are higher today than when Najib (right) took office and are worse than at any time since the riots of 1969.

It pointed out that one week after my article appeared, Najib attended a meeting of the Malaysia Interfaith Council to commemorate World Interfaith Harmony Week.

My crystal ball obviously was out of order, because I did not know that the prime minister would attend that meeting and express his support for the group’s work. Bernama is right; he should be praised for doing so.

But Bernama’s crystal ball also was out of order, because it did not know that just four days later, Najib would undercut his good deed when he warned against religious pluralism and said that other religions are not equal before Allah.

Asma Uddin, a Muslim attorney in Washington, who is the editor-in-chief of Altmuslimah, has pointed out that there are four different views of religious pluralism among Muslims.

A few, she says, see non-Muslims as the enemy. Others view non-Muslims as people to whom the message of Islam must be preached.

Still others see people of other faiths as deserving of tolerance and mutual respect, while still believing that Islam is superior to other religions. Another group goes beyond mere tolerance and believes that other faiths are equally valid theologically to Islam.

With his comments that other religions deserve respect but are not equal before Allah, Najib appears to hold the third view – that Islam is superior to other religions.

When Islamic scholars and a government think tank said the same thing last December, (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department) Nazri Aziz (left) disagreed and said, “I cannot accept [that]. I believe Islam does not ask you to say things like that.”

Nazri told The Malaysian Insider, “You should have enough faith to be confident of your own beliefs and not belittle the beliefs of others. It all comes from inferiority complex.”

But it’s OK for the prime minister to say that Islam is superior, says Rev Thomas Phillips, president of the Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism. Followers of every faith believe that their religion is the best, he says, and the prime minister is just taking a theological stand.

Phillips is correct that the leaders and adherents of every religion believe that their faith is better than all others. In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI asserted that Christianity is superior to other faiths, and within Christianity, Catholicism is superior to Protestantism.

Even within Islam, there are disagreements. Malaysia recognises only the Sunni form of Islam, and last December religious police arrested over 200 Shiites who were praying on the Day of Ashura.

But the prime minister of 1Malaysia is not a theologian or religious figure. He is the leader of the government. The constitution simply says that “Islam is the religion of the federation;” the constitution does not say that Islam is superior to all other religions.

It says that other religions “may be practised in peace and harmony”. In asserting his views on what should be left to religious leaders as a theological issue, Najib, who says that 1Malaysia’s goal is to enhance the nation’s unity, has demeaned the religious beliefs of 40 percent of his fellow citizens who are not Muslim and told them that they are not equal before God.

Jakim to explain

The prime minister reportedly said that he will call on government Islamic agencies such as Jakim to explain the issue of religious pluralism to Muslims.

But even before it could try to explain the issue, Jakim has been told by the Prime Minister’s Office that its first act is to identify groups in Malaysia and overseas that are trying to promote pluralism, so it does not take root and “destabilise the country”.

Jakim, of course, is the agency that has been on a crusade against Valentine’s Day and issued the guidelines that Hardev Kaur enforced when she “recommended” that crosses be removed before the prime minister came to the Catholic archbishop’s Christmas Day open house.

Those guidelines even said that Muslims should not attend events where people wear “red costumes like Santa Claus or other garments that reflect religion”.

That is the first time I have heard that a Santa Claus suit is a religious garment.

As for Valentine’s Day, Jakim’s head Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz (right) said that it “is associated with elements of Christianity”, and “we just cannot get involved with other religions’ worshipping rituals”.

Here’s a message for Wan Mohamed: When I give my wife chocolate and roses on Valentine’s Day, it’s about my wife, not Jesus.

When Jakim – an arm of the Malaysian government and part of the Prime Minister’s Department – displays this level of ignorance, it casts doubt on their ability to provide guidance and educate Muslims about other peoples’ religions.

It also demonstrates the need for a genuine interfaith dialogue in Malaysia.

When he attended the Interfaith Council gathering, Najib said its discussions should be kept private because they are too sensitive for public debate.

Perhaps what is needed is the opposite. If religion is a sensitive issue, then why are people like Siti Nor Bahyah allowed on the airwaves to disparage other religions? Why does Wan Mohamed utter the words “Christianity and vice activities” in the same sentence?

Is it not possible to conduct an informed interfaith dialogue in public in order to strengthen understanding and reduce religious tensions in Malaysia?

Does Najib really believe that Islam is superior to all other religions? Would he really be offended if he entered a room where a crucifix is displayed?

In my Wall Street Journal op-ed, I said that Najib and his government are doing and saying these things to shore up their political base in the Malay community. And I stand by my opinion.

——–

JOHN MALOTT is a former US ambassador to Malaysia.

Doing Good

2011-02-12T16:19:00.004-08:00

Sometimes, I am told certain stories which leave me with a lingering memory. I would think long and hard about them and even when I'm cooking, eating or taking my shower I would think over the matter. Here's a story I heard from a mate and the narrator swears it's a true story!

A woman baked chapati for members of her family and an extra one for a hungry passerby. She kept the extra chapati on the Window-sill, for whosoever would take it away. Everyday, a hunchback came and took away the chapati. Instead of expressing gratitude, he muttered the following words as he went his way: "The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" This went on, day after day. Everyday, the hunch-back came, picked up the chapati and uttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" The woman felt irritated. "Not a word of gratitude," she said to herself...

"Everyday this hunchback utters this jingle! What does he mean? "One day, exasperated, she decided to do away with him. "I shall get rid of this hunchback," she said. And what did she do? She added poison to the Chapatti she prepared for him! As she was about to keep it on the window sill, her hands trembled. "What is this I am doing?" she said Immediately, she threw the chapati into the fire, prepared another one and kept it on the window- sill. As usual, the hunchback came, picked up the chapati and muttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" The hunchback proceeded on his way, blissfully unaware of the war raging in the mind of the woman.

Everyday, as the woman placed the chapati on the window-sill, she offered a prayer for her son who had gone to a distant place to seek his fortune. For many months, she had no news of him.. She prayed for his safe return. That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to find her son standing in the doorway.. He had grown thin and lean. His garments were tattered and torn. He was hungry, starved and weak. As he saw his mother, he said, "Mom, it's a miracle I'm here. While I was but a mile away, I was so famished that I collapsed. I would have died, but just then an old hunchback passed by. I begged of him for a morsel of food, and he was kind enough to give me a whole chapati."As he gave it to me, he said, "This is what I eat everyday: today, I shall give it to you, for your need is greater than mine!" " As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale.

She leaned against the door for support. She remembered the poisoned chapati that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son, and he would have lost his life! It was then that she realized the significance of the words:"The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!"Do good and; Don't ever stop doing good, even if it’s not appreciated at that time.

Spirits of the West

2011-02-11T19:36:00.013-08:00

Kiwi spirits ... of the supernatural kind! Yes, there are those in the other dimension of the world around!

How else can I explain that each time I go somewhere I get contacted by them in this country?

First instance: when I was waiting to catch the bus to Ellerslie in Auckland to look at some second-hand cars for sale, I had a desire to visit the oldest graves nearby the the Langham Hotel, next to Seymour Street. These were the oldest graves in the city holding the remains of many early pioneers and dignitaries, mostly from England.

As usual, I paid my respects with brief christian prayers in the serene surroundings as vehicles zoomed by and life in the fast lane went on all around me.

Then my Sunday bus came and I hopped on board.Soon, a hippy-looking Caucasian came on board and he sat close by. Normally, I didn't speak much to strangers but I suddenly felt like communicating with him and subsequently we had a friendly chat and discovered we were heading the same way with a similar purpose! Furthermore, he was a mechanic by trade from England here on a working holiday.

To shorten this story, if you have read my blog earlier, we got lost and it was another English Caucasian stranger who helped us and by a remarkable coincidence, while chatting, we discovered he had been to parts of Malaysia and Wales, England where my new pal was from! So the English spirits may have blessed me with their assistance!

Then not too long ago, I offered a ride to an East Indian Muslim as he had a car problem. Along the way back, he suddenly requested help in picking up his ex-wife and kid from the public Greeton swimming pool. I was driving along an unfamiliar avenue back to Clarke Street so I had to make a U-turn back to Fraser Street. I did so and I found myself at the old Presbeyterian cemetery. I turned to this Muslim fella and said, "Yunno-I've always wanted to visit one of these cemeteries here. Wanna go?" I was surprised when he replied in the affirmative, saying that he, too was curious. Well, it was an interesting half an hour out there on a warm sunny day with a Muslim and even in Malaysia I could not convince a Muslim to go to a Christian site these days. He asked many questions and we were both fascinated by the old dates and recent dates of recent extended family deaths that were added on plagues placed on the gravestones. It was sad but spiritually uplifting to understand the close-knitted love in these departed families. I felt God wanted me to share this fact with my divorced friend who had confided in me that he only wants a better wife even though his ex-wife is good and still loves him! They have a seven-year-old boy who is an exceptional student in school.

After our sharing, he invited me for some drinks and we had wine. This was a surprise as Muslims are forbidden to drink alcohol. Anyway, out of courtesy I accepted his drink. That was not the end of the story ... he abruptly left the kitchen where I was helping to wash the glasses and came back with an unexpected unbelievable surprise! It was a beautiful invaluable holy object! I was stunned and speechless with astonishment. Here I cannot say more as it is his private possession.

That's not all about the other side reaching out ... several days ago I was requsted by a desperate Tauranga friend to give him a ride to work somewhere in the Hamilton Road area. While we were on the Cameron Road, he was notified that the work was cancelled. Upon hearing this, I decided to turn back and I found the closest parking spot by the roadside. Lo and behold! It was the entrance to a memorial hill where the greatest epic battle was fought between the Maoris and British!

What was remarkable was that noone had told me anything about Gate Pa and the historical sites. I recall asking friends here about interesting historical places and I was introduced to a ordinary model Tauranga village just about 50 yard from my residence. All this time, I
had the impression there was nothing exciting here. ... But it was intriguing that Cameron Road could be so long and famous here ... Who the heck was Cameron? Impossible to be the present courageous out-spoken prime minister of England! Then, there I was, with plenty of time to kill and unknowingly at that moment, an answer to my question and so we took a walk. Unfortunately, on this day, my camera was being charged at home! I wasn't deterred from wandering around the historic hill. It was in fact, incredibly within walking distance from my place at Clarke Street!

What was also amazing was that as a History buff, I had taken all the Military History courses in Canada for my English/History degree and I was at that time challenged to apply my knowledge of pre-modern warfare ... and the art of battle at this historic location ... just as this impressive video on Youtube explains clearly.

Oh yes, on my first trip to New Zealand, I did some reading in one of the public libraries and there were fascinating accounts of cannibalism practised by very early Maori warriors. However, on this trip, I discovered on one of the the information booths that Ngatirangi, the chieftain who defeated the British at Gate Pa was a nobel who gentlemanly spelt out the terms of military engagement before the battle and if the information is accurate, he kept his word and did not kill wounded British.

To the Colonel,Friend, -Salutations to you. The end of that. Friend, do you give heed to our laws for regulating the fight.Rule 1. If wounded or captured whole, and butt of the musket or hilt of the sword be turned to me, he will be saved.Rule 2. If any Pakeha, being a soldier by name, shall be travelling unarmed and meets me, he will be captured, and handed over to the direction of the law.Rule 3. The soldier who flees, being carried away by his fears, and goes to the house of the priest with his gun (even though carrying arms) will be saved. I will not go there.Rule 4. The unarmed Pakehas, women and children, will be spared.The end. These are binding laws for Tauranga.

A few observations about my first historic visit to a battleground in New Zealand. the hill was well-maintained with gigantic beautiful trees and flower plants. There were six info booths providing explicit details of the pre and post-battle but unfortunately, the last two booths were completely destroyed by vandals! Got two pics to show what I mean.

The huge memorial at the hilltop was a moving reminder of the senseless killings that took so many young British and Maori lives. Note-worthy was the grim fact that the dead were buried there. Nearby, Saint George's Church, (an Anglican one that would have been my denomination if I'm not closer to the Catholic faith) added a spiritual touch to the surroundings and as in many past wars that have seen sons and daughters, husband and wives, friends and foes meet abrupt brutal ends, the church is comfortingly dedicated to the memory of all. Frankly, I could sense the face of battle and the courage of those who fought there. May all rest in peace. Amen.

p.s. To be fair to the British soldiers--I sense their unhappiness in my omission of some important facts--their battle performance and readiness were affected by many adverse factors--from a low-paying brutish weary 19th century military lifestyle to the hilly, forrested and swampy terrain, the odds of winning were already heavily against them before the battle commenced.

I have just made an exploration of the terrain around the hill, including the deep wide valley.

Carman - Satan Bite The Dust!

2011-02-08T05:47:00.000-08:00

Something different for a change!

Kong Hee Fatt Cai, Mates!

2011-02-03T14:44:00.003-08:00

OOOpppss! Chinese New Year was yesterday & I have been guilty of forgetting to wish all my Chinese visitors "Happy Chinese New Year"!

It is the Year of the Rabbit, supposedly, a somewhat tough year for many.

Here's one prediction--forcast-- I quite believe may be accurate!

World Forecast 2011
Forecast for 2011: the Chinese year of the Yin Metal Rabbit (or Hare) - 3rd February 2011 to the 22nd January 2012.
Although the world economy will technically be out of recession, many countries will still be marred in debt and subject to high taxation. Unrest will grow and governments will be forced to place their dometic agendas above the demands of international co-operation. This will place great strain upon the European Community, the Russian Federation, the Chinese Communist Party and the economic co-operation between Canada, the USA and Mexico.

This is because the Yin Metal Rabbit is an introspective, home loving pacifist with a sharp business acumen who will ensure the preservation of his own creature comforts to the exclusion of outsiders. It is a year in which the family will come first. Expect moves by some States in the USA and China to demand greater autonomy, and for pressure to grow in Britain to withdraw from the European Community.

Expect that individual countries (and those in a currency union) will introduce protectionist measures by raising tariff barriers leading to disputes at the WTO, and moves to manipulate currencies to ensure competitive export prices.

Housing markets in the Anglo-Saxon world will fall back to their long term average and a mood of realism amongst both buyers and sellers will lead to a propitious year for Estate agents as volumes increase. Interest in the Art world will increase markedly.

Expect too that NATO countries will tire of the war in Afghanistan as Al Quaeda and other Jihadists lose their enthusiasm for attacking the West. And the Middle East should also expect a period of relative calm.

But please note: our prediction for 2010 included these words: "We must also face the possibility in a Metal Tiger year of yet more military conflict between opposing idealogies, rather like the Korean War that started in 1950 - a previous year of the Yang Metal Tiger." It is conceivable that 2011 will be affected by events that have their origin in 2010.

All this will be in marked contrast to what will happen in 2012 - the Year of the Water Dragon which starts on the 23rd January 2012, and finishes on the 9th February 2013. Our forecast for 2012 will be available soon.

Ha! I didn't make that prediction! I found it on the Net and it's anyone's guess who did the prediction... Net wizard, chinese feng shui naster, MI5, CIA ...?! Que Sera Sera

Shed a Tear

2011-01-30T01:25:00.012-08:00

Here's one of my old favorites that never ceases to make me think back in time and recall wonderful moments and people ...

... Memorable occasions with our many past highly respected and dedicated competent Christian principals(Some of them were Reverend Father Brian Taylor of Oxford, London whom my immediate family members would never forget for many reasons, Mr. Nigel Heyward of Tasmania, Australia whom many Columbans loved and Miss Leonie Kathreen Armour of Melbourne, Australia who was my principal for six years and was much loved as well). Our assemblies in our Mission school, Saint Columba's School --one of the top schools in academic (Senior Cambridge School Exams) and extra-curricular activities!) always began with the respectful rendition of the national anthem, 'Negara Ku", followed by the lusty singing of our school song-Between the hillside and the sea/We work and play here in harmony/May steadfast service and loyalty/Bring wider vision of unity ...

Throughout the years in our assemblies, we had announcements and Christian sermons, ending with the unforgettable "Lord Dismiss Us". The first two stanzas were sung when school reopened and the last two stanzas were solemnly sung by us before we went back to our classrooms. Here is the song. Yes, I can shed a tear listening to the meaningful hymn ... and remembering many old Columban classmates and buddies I have lost along the way ...

Jamail Ali, Musa Talip, Lai Hii Man, Lai Teck Soon, Liew Joon Chiang, Austin Lim, Anne Yapp, Nancy Yapp, Jackson Brooke, Pui Chin Chiat, Jamilah Piee, Zaiton Davidson, Stanley Liew, Charles Fam, Alan Ku, Albert Yapp, Chong Yuk Min and others including a warm Malay girl whose name I can't recall right now-will add in later ... (Update: Hasnah Hisham) ... I know all of you are up there smiling down on us ...

My Dream Job

2011-01-28T05:27:00.005-08:00

I have often wondered what would have happened if I had fulfilled my desire to be a radio deejay, way back in the 80s when I arrived in Camrose to do my college studies. I recall on the first day of orientation I submitted a request to join the campus station, much to the increduility of the volunteer failitator! It wasn't her fault that she had this stereotypical view that a Chinese needed English lessons and not be speaking English so much, moreover, publicly!

Months passed by and I kept making inquiries about radio work but was told there were no available spots at that time. It was disappointment after disappointment and there I was, with my many music casettes (In those days, who had heard of cds?)! These casettes omprised of English hits albeit mostly oldies with some commtemporarily hits. It was a dream to share songs and tell the significance of each of them in a bygone early post-British colonial era ... somewhat a nostalgia trip down memory lane. It would have been marvelous fun using a wide range of my vocal capabilities, trained in years of school, church carolling and choir practices, from being a tenor to a bass vocalist, and yes, I would love to ape the speaking style of my "mentor", the one and only controversial Malaysian radio dj, Patrick Teoh (Have a look in Youtube). Yeah, done probably in a little more courteous and less obnoxious way, of course! Besides, a year in demanding talented Professor Robert Moore's nerve-wrecking Drama 260 with the best of the best of Albertan dramatists broadened my thinking and improved my speaking skills, from enounciation to pronounciation!

Well, it didn't happen. I never sat in the coveted deejay seat and go live on air ... but I did sit in the chair on the first day of orientation! I did get a near shot at the dream job once--on a really cold freezing winter 11 pm night ... when I got a call from one of the station fellas, asking, "Hey, we have a spot for you tonight--the deejay can't make it--wanna come and join us?" "No,Thank you," I quickly politely replied. I was warmly tucked in bed and hell, it was somewhat minus 40 degrees with that dreaded wind blowing strongly outside. "No way, that station is out there, about three soccer fields away!" I reasoned. Not long after this, I was gone from this college and at university many kilometers away in the capital city, Edmonton.

Oh well, perhaps someday, Malayia will be more liberal and permit private radio stations to open and operate freely... then our talents will be recognised!

"R" for Rain & Romantic Song

2011-01-21T18:25:00.010-08:00

Outside, it's raining cats and dogs. It's a cool time to share with you some cybersurfing tales. In this case, I decided to look up a 1951 old hit of Frankie Laine, "Rose, Rose I love You" and yes, listening to it, I was curious about the girl he was singing about ... Was this"Flower o f Malaya" real? What was her actual profession?

Before answering these questions, take note that in the Youtube video, Rose, as a chinese would not be dressed in a kimono like a Japanese girl. She would highly likely wear a cheongsum, a tight Chinese ladies' dress that is still worn often during auspicious occasions such as Chinese New Year, birthdays and so forth these days in Malaya (Malaysia). The trishaw was just right in the 1950s but the steamer would have been a passenger liner rather than the tanker that was depicted.

Here's what I found out, much to my astonishment... and amusement... There was a stripper and spy (?), Rose Chan Wai Cheng in Communist--terrorised old Malaya in the 1950s. She was a very attractive Chinese girl with legions of fans and yes, this Flower of Malaya was known to Frankie Laine and they had an affair. Surprisingly, she refused to accompany Frankie back to the States. Sadly, she died of cancer later. How could stripping be allowed in a Muslim-dominated country? Well, it all points to the fact that the Malaysian constitution was intended to be liberal, secular-based and all races would be multi-racial and multi-cultural as the founding father and first pime minister Tunku (Prince) Abdul Rahman promised and assured. As it is, many present day leaders of today tend to push their own religious agendas and impose their own interpretations.

A bit more news about Rose in Malaysia's Star paper:

Unforgettable Rose Chan

Stories by TOMMY LEE, CHOONG KIM KWEE, TAN SIN CHOW AND FLORENCE A. SAMY

Dead but certainly not forgottten. The final resting place of Rose Chan at the Beow Hong Lim Columbarium in Air Itam, Penang draws the occasional visitor, more so during Qing Ming, though no one knows if fans or loved ones came to pay their respects. Sunday Star revisits the legend of the striptease on this special news focus.

ROSE Chan’s last public appearance drew both crowd and controversy, even though it was just a series of photo exhibitions and the striptease queen was dying of breast cancer.

The lingering mix of curiosity and fascination continues to draw the occasional visitor to her final resting place at the Beow Hong Lim Columbarium, despite it being nearly 20 years since her death.

The Rose Chan exhibitions were held in 1986 at Komtar and the Sungai Nibong pesta site in Penang and the Sungai Wang Plaza in Kuala Lumpur.

Peter Soon, who organised the exhibitions, remembered the huge crowds that turned up, especially at the Kuala Lumpur venue.

Recalling events that led to the exhibitions, the former jeweller said: “Rose Chan was known for being charitable but towards her final days she had no money. She asked me to help sell her jewellery.

“So I suggested the exhibitions to raise funds for her medical treatment,” said Soon, 48, who knew the strip artiste through her love for jewellery.

The exhibitions, featuring revealing photos of Rose Chan in her element, raised RM25,000 through the RM5 entrance fee collection.

“Although weak from the chemotherapy treatments, she turned up at the Komtar exhibition, wearing a wig and accompanied by her young daughter,” said Soon, who owns the Pinang Peranakan Museum (of Nyonya-Baba and mixed heritage).

Antique collector Michael Cheah, who helped to run the exhibitions, remembered that the front part of the exhibition featured peranakan antiques while the back portion displayed the photos of Rose Chan.

“But many people who came were not interested in the antiques. They asked straight away for Rose Chan. Some were disappointed there were no striptease shows,” he said, recalling that he had to cut out paper stars to stick over the stripper's breasts following complaints from the public.

Penang Development Corporation property division assistant manager Chew See Jan said due to Rose Chan’s controversial reputation, the PDC, which owns the Komtar shop lots, had to advise the organiser to cut short the exhibition.

Retired history lecturer Dr Leong Yee Fong, 65, said the social transition from colonial rule to independence had allowed striptease entertainment to thrive in the 1950s and 1960s.

The former Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer, who had seen Rose Chan peeling off her dress “piece by piece” at the New World amusement park in his younger days, said she was a legend in her own time for being not just a good dancer but skilled in her exotic stunts.

“Rose Chan made stripping an art form,” said Dr Leong.

- The Star -

Here is what our Frankie is singing about:

Rose, Rose I love you with an aching heart.
What is your future, now we have to part?
Standing on the jetty as the steamer moves away,
Flower of Malaya, I cannot stay.

Make way, oh, make way for my Eastern Rose.
Men crowd in dozens everywhere she goes.
In her rickshaw on the street or in a cabaret,
"Please make way for Rose," you can hear them say.

All my life I shall remember,
Oriental music and you in my arms.
Perfumed flowers in your tresses,
Lotus-scented breezes and swaying palms.

Rose, Rose I love you with your almond eyes.
Fragrant and slender 'neath tropical skies.
I must cross the seas again and never see you more.
Way back to my home on a distant shore.

(All my life I shall remember,)
(Oriental music and you in my arms.)
(Perfumed flowers in your tresses,)
(Lotus-scented breezes and swaying palms.)

Rose, Rose I leave you, my ship is in the bay.
Kiss me farewell now, there's nothin' to say.
East is East and West is West, our worlds are far apart.
I must leave you now but I leave my heart.

Rose, Rose I love you with an aching heart.
What is your future, now we have to part?
Standing on the jetty as the steamer moves away,
Flower of Malaya, I cannot stay.

(Rose, Rose I love you, I cannot stay.)

If you would like to read more about the Flower of Malaya and see this beautiful woman, follow this link:

Year of the Rabbit

2011-01-21T12:26:00.005-08:00

Click to enlarge

Dear Rabbit,

According to the the Chinese Zodiac, you're supposed to rule the world when February 2nd comes. As expected it will be a good year for some.

I can only pray it will be a good year once again for me, though the signs indicate it will be tough for us rats! How true will that be? We shall see ...

Has there been a premonition of misfortune, bad luck or unpleasantries heading my direction? Well, I recall when we were in the vehicle heading towards Sydney, it struck --with a soft plob--one of you cute little bunnies but it was the silly bugger's fault--it dashed across the road when were cruising at 110 km/hour ... and besides, I was not driving the car! (and I was not driving the car when it killed a bird as well!)

Anyway, in repentence, here's my humble rabbit tribute to the wisdom of your species. May I be forgiven and may boundless fortune and luck befall me in your Year of the Rabbit.

Female Circumcision

2011-01-20T01:05:00.005-08:00

I was listening to my favorite radio station (Hint: Easy listening!) today, and there was some talk about an upcoming movie about a Somali girl who becomes a successful model and edured female circumcision in her young life.
This made me recall that I had an official Malaysian gov't news agency pic of that religious Islamic procedure in modern day Malaysia. Is it propaganda or was it like any other minor surgery? Could that girl be so relaxed? Personally, I think it is not hard to imagine the excruciating pain of it all after the surgery.

Am I against the procedure for females? I would unhesistantly say "Yes", having read up on it.
My understanding of female circumcision is that the girl's most sensitive pleasurable organ, the clitoris is snipped off. Man, that sounds painful! Anyone who knows a woman will see the horror of having that off ... Of course, she's still capable of vaginal orgasms but tragically, the circumcised woman will never exerience clitoral orgasms ... I also doubt she will be capable of being turned on in any way! It is barbaric to mutilate and unjust for anyone to deprive the human rights of another person and in particular, her own body.

Merry Christmas, Friends & Relatives!

2010-12-24T22:18:00.003-08:00

Merry Christmas and a blessed new year ahead!

Christmas Day out here is wonderful... love the fantastic cheap offers at supermarkets before Xmas, church Christmas mass, fantastic tv shows (got up at 6 am) and sunny Mount Maunganui ...and the limitless cybersurfing opportunity ...

Disturbing News

2010-12-21T00:25:00.005-08:00

I was browsing the net when I came across this article in Malaysia Unplug.com about a possible hidden agenda by the Malaysian government in islamising the population, especially the young people. I will not comment further except to say that I hope what many conspiracy theorists are saying is not true. I have to add, though that as an experienced over 20 years educator, I did notice past subtle changes in History books but if it is so extensive as what is written here, I am disturbed. Disturbed for many reasons, some of which is that History is going to be a compulsory subject with a required pass; the students of History are youths and last but not least, Islam in Malaysia is a one way street-you enter it and there's a hard time in coming out... meaning the Sharia law makes it hard for anyone to renounce the religion. Let me add that I have nothing against the religion. Like I said before, I have studied it in Canada in Al Azhar's - educated Dr. Earl Waugh's class.

School History Textbooks - Historical Facts or Political and Religious Propaganda?

by

"A Concerned Mother"

When one picks up a history book, one would expect to read a fair account of events as they actually happened in the past. Definitely, one would expect the most accurate record possible of history as it unfolded through the decades, written as objectively as possible.

A most reasonable expectation indeed when the book in question is a major textbook prescribed by our Education Ministry for our students nationwide.

A book that is instrumental in shaping the young minds of our future generation. The issue takes even greater prominence when the content of that book is going to decide whether our students pass or fail in a major exam on which their future hinges.

FORM 4 HISTORY TEXTBOOK

Lay hold of the Form 4 history textbook that our children are compelled to digest.

Read it for yourself.

Take a good hard look while the storm is brewing in the teacup. And it is brewing for good reason.

Be shocked at what the syllabus writers have managed to QUIETLY incorporate into our school syllabus just a few years ago, UN-NOTICED by most people, even parents of affected students.

This is no typical history textbook. Simply because the syllabus writers have not confined its content to history.

Instead they have extended its boundaries seemingly to push a certain agenda.

In the process, our history textbooks seems to have taken on a quest of its own - to win the hearts and minds of our children for that particular agenda.

We have to take note that all 4 writers of the textbook comes from only ONE race and religion, WITHOUT representation from other faiths and races.

I write as a concerned mother who cares about what my children are being fed in school.

I write as a troubled citizen who cares about the younger generation that will one day helm the nation.

I write based on my own personal review of the Form 4 history textbook and this review is based on the hard facts of the content of the textbook, without any intention to offend any religion, its prophet or believers.
I will leave the review on the accuracy of the history to historians, who are already speaking out on the historical errors and distortions contained.

The first fact to note is the overwhelming proportion of the Form 4 history textbook being devoted to Islamic civilization (100 PAGES) while the other religious civilizations are barely given a passing mention (460 WORDS).

Out of 10 chapters, 5 bulky chapters are devoted to Islamic history and civilization, which constitutes at least half a year’s study. This certainly is a disproportionate emphasis on one religion, to the exclusion of all other religious civilizations.

Most of us would not mind our children understanding more about Islamic civilization. But it has to presented fairly accurately within a balanced perspective.

Do we want to mislead our children to believe that there is only one important civilization in the entire history of the human race and the rest are insignificant?

Are the other major civilizations not worth studying in equal if not greater depth?

Giving our children a correct and broad worldview can only benefit our nation in the context of a globalized world. Otherwise, our nation will be producing people with an extremely narrow worldview and an incomplete and distorted view of world history. That is to our own loss.

Secondly, this history textbook seems to seek to influence the young minds of our children who come from various faiths, to follow the prophet of one particular religion.

There is a detailed study of the life of the prophet Muhammad (pg 102 – 107). He is repeatedly praised throughout the chapters. Students are then repeatedly exhorted throughout the book, to emulate him as a ROLE MODEL in life (pg 106, 111, 124, 133, 137, 138).

We respect the Muslim belief in the greatness of their prophet. However, we have to respectfully suggest (with no offense intended whatsoever to the prophet) that teachings that encourage students to follow any prophet would more properly belong to a religious class meant for students who already subscribed to that particular faith. It has no proper place in a major history textbook for students of other faiths. In a plural society like ours, the religious sensitivities of other faiths must surely be respected.

Thirdly, throughout the pages of the textbook, history seems to have been written from a religiously biased viewpoint. Other religions seems to be cast in an unfavourable light.

Consider some statements found in the textbook:-

(1) Islam is described as a religion easily acceptable and not confined to any race, nation or geography (pg 185).

(2) Islam can be accepted by many people because of the purity of its teaching (pg 110).

(3) The uniqueness of Islam resulted in many people embracing the religion (pg162, 163, 185).

(4) The conversion of some Arab leaders to Islam in 629 AD is described as “an act done after rational investigation into the truth of Islam” (pg 133).

(5) Islamic social policies are described as so attractive that European Christians converted to Islam during the Byzantize era (pg 163).

(6) Islam requires rational thinking and therefore is accepted by all levels of society. (pg 185).
Sadly, biased religious viewpoints are being unfairly shoved onto our children as established facts within the framework of a narrow religious perspective.

Fourthly, the history textbook itself dwells on the TEACHINGS of the religion.

Whilst the children have to study Islamic concepts (pg 185), no space is given to a balanced comparison with the teachings of other religions. Our youth are therefore taught the virtues of one religion to the exclusion of others.

Why not have a balanced approach and allow our children to learn the basic tenets of all major world religions? Allow them to engage in comparative studies.

Will it not be healthier to promote better understanding among the races which has positive effect on nation building?

Fifthly, the textbook also promotes Syariah law as suitable and practical for a multi racial nation.

It cites the example of the success of the multi racial community in Madinah governed by the Madinah Charter. The formation of an Islamic government in Madinah is stated to thus prove that Islam can be practiced in a wholesome daily living and should be emulated by the Malaysian society.

Syariah law is hailed as just, complete and perfect, and can be followed by all communities (pg 128). There is mention of social justice under Islam (pg 128); equal treatment to all people under Islam (pg 110, 128); purity of the struggles of Islam (pg 112); fairness, integrity, consideration and generosity of Islamic economic principles (pg 128).

Perhaps the fifth ground raises the most questions and rings loudest the alarm bells.

It makes us wonder why our school history syllabus is written in a way that seems to be condition the minds of our youth to accept Syariah laws as the basis of our legal system in the future?

Is there a deliberate political and/or religious agenda at play?
Our Education Minister owes us an explanation.

We want to know why our school curriculum has been allowed to be written from such a religious slant by a group of writers of only one religious background.

We want to know the reason for this sudden but quiet change in the school syllabus a few years ago.

We want to know why our children are compelled to disproportionately focus and digest so much on one religion without a balanced perspective of others?
We must demand for an immediate and urgent revamp and re-writing of the entire history curriculum for our schools and universities.

There should be a panel of qualified historians from all races and faiths working reviewing the syllabus. Feedback must be obtained from the public.

We must insist that politics and religious indoctrination be strictly kept out of our textbooks.

History should be what it is – an objective and accurate record of past events.

We must no longer allow our school syllabus to be hijacked for political and religious propaganda.

Until then, it is unacceptable to even think that History should be made a compulsory pass subject in SPM.

Update: Perth to Sydney by Road

2010-12-19T20:40:00.004-08:00

I ought to include this Youtube video that shows longest straight road in Australia on the Nallabor Plain or Desert which is in Western Australia and South Australia. No dispute here as there's an official notice by the roadside stating it's the longest at 90 miles (1000 km)!

Yeah, give me another opportunity and I would love to cross it by road once again!

Oh, Auckland!

2010-12-18T00:19:00.012-08:00

First I must say this: I love Auckland! It's such a vibrant clean city--I hasten to add I'm not talking about some hookers outside my high rise apartment room--there's so much happening! I was there when backpackers from around the world lavishly splashed their dollars in the many bars downtown ... and in the bars within the hostels. Furthermore you could feel Christmas is in the air with the gigantic Santa and his reindeer! Hi, Ruldolf, the red nose reindeer ... gimme me a ride to the North Pole--I miss some fluffy snow!
Strolling up and down Queen Street was a fantastic experience! Lots of people walking everywhere and window shopping was fun! There was so much food everywhere--from hotdogs to kebabs... food, glorious food! How could I miss out the colorful folk along the street, illegally (?) expressing themselves for a dime or two! Sometimes there was a French magician making coins disappearing and reappearing in odd places; a wizarded old Maori strumming a guitar, belting out--get this--"Hari Krishna, Hari Krishna..." and then I stumbled across one of these John Lennon-type Krishna fellas handing out fliers about his religion!
One memorable incident had a small element of intrigue on Queen Street. I was with a long hair hippy-looking English fella whom I had met on our bus ride to Ellerslie to purchase a vehicle and we decided to drop by the International Hostel just to check out the accomodation rates. My bearded pal wanted to find out about employment as well. While waiting for the counsellor, we saw a youthful Caucasian Kiwi stroll over to a microphone on the registration counter. He started announcing that there were drinks like beer and food such as burgers and fries and exhorted everyone to purchase them and I was so impressed with his advertising skills that I turned to my British pal and said,"Ah, that's very enterprising!"
Sam* nodded his head in agreement, "It is, isn't it?"
I was startled when a sneering loud glutteral voice contemptiously interrupted us.
"You think that's clever? It's all *&^%$%&!!!" and a further string of vulgarities flew from his mouth. I was shocked... and concerned 'cos he seemed to have an Arnold Schwernegger physique and a tanned Germanic look with crew cut hair. He was clutching a beer in one hand.
Both Sam and I just grinned in a friendly manner at him and hastily walked away. I whispered jokingly to Sam, "He's gotta be a German mercenary or hitman!"
Sam looked at me and mumbled, "You think so? Nah, he's likely South African, an Afrikaneer." He added, "I've been there before."
That was an unpleasant incident.
Earlier that day, Sam and I had a good experience of Auckland hospitality. It was really a bad stroke of luck when we were dumped somewhere far from the Ellerslie Race Course by the Maori bus driver. We had told him all along we wanted to get to Ellerslie and yet he finally got us to drop off pointing to a direction which he said would lead us to the place. I was uneasy as he seemed to have a smirk on his face. As we walked along the road, we saw no sign of the course (I had been there a year ago and I felt we were not heading in the right direction). We even saw a Chinese Buddhist temple amongst all the houses! I decided then to stop walking and looked around and saw a Caucasian with a youth loading some bags into his white sports car outside his house.
Quickly I walked over to him and asked for road directions to Ellerslie Race Course. He was surprised and amused we were where we were as it was far away in the opposite direction! What happened next was incredible. The nice gent said he was actually going somewhere close to the place and we could squeeze in if we didn't mind! Pheew! How relieved we were! Readily, we scrambled in and soon we were speeding away! It must have been over a mile away! The friendly fella struck up a conversation with us and told us he and his family had been to many places, from England to Malaysia, to attend sport car races, sometimes driving cars themselves.
Now that was the most hospitable act I have ever experienced in my travels everywhere! Unfortunately, I can't remember his name. I do recall he was clean shaven, slim built and tall and wore short or long-sighted glasses.
Thanks a million, mate!

Surely You Remember ...

2010-12-18T00:11:00.005-08:00

Could we remember the countless moments we sang and sang this beautiful meaningful song? We even had a play in our annual concert with this song as the theme ... May we recall all those times and more!

Cops!

2010-12-15T02:17:00.005-08:00

I recall mentioning my encounters with cops in Australia. They were pleasant ones which impressed me by their professionalism and courtesy. Many security services of developing Third World countries could learnt a lot by observing them!

The first encounter was when our vehicle was pulled over by a Western Australian cop. An officer came up to where my co-driver was and politely asked him to take a breath - analyser test. He was given a long white plastic tube and told to blow into it. Then the tube was removed and given back to my co-driver! The officer checked the device & let us move on, after thanking my co-driver.

Our next "meeting" with a cop was a less pleasant one for my co-driver. Just as we were about to take off towards Sydney, a patrol car drove up to us in the opposite direction! Next thing we knew ... my unfortunate co-driver, the millionaire was slapped with a speeding ticket. Oh yes, the cop was cool and courteous enough to ask if he knew he was overspeeding first (to his credit, he admitted it) and then asked him to go to the patrol car. I stared at the mirror above me and saw the cop pass him a ticket! The funny thing was that my unfortunate "friend" had just confidently uttered that they were no cops around that early morning when he got caught and it ruined his day! I had to drive much more after that! One last comment about my friend's driving skills ... he ought to be a race driver and ... I would politely decline ever going on a long drive with him!

Special on My Birthday

2010-12-13T21:10:00.005-08:00

I came across a remarkable story in The Daily Telegraph while killing time on this rainy boring day. Well, what could a fella do when he's not into alcohol or tobacco! Here's excerpts of it ... and the twins are due on my birthday! Of course, they could be out sooner ...

A British barrister, Carole Hobson is 29 weeks pregnant with twins which are due on February 23. Nothing unusual? Man, she's 58 years old! The twins will be a boy and a girl and they will not have a dad as they were conceived using donor eggs and sperm without any genetic links to her. The donor eggs came from a 24-year-old Indian woman and the sperm came from a Scandinavian engineering graduate.
Here's a bit more about the story from The Daily Telegraph:

This is, by any reckoning, a truly astonishing story of modern motherhood — and one that raises profoundly troubling ethical questions about the extremes to which some women are willing to go in their bid to have children.

When Carole gives birth, she will be younger by four years than the oldest woman in Britain to become a mother — Patricia Rashbrook, who in 2006 gave birth to a son at the age of 62. She will even be four months younger than the oldest woman to give birth to twins — Janet Bosher, a former nursery teacher who gave birth to twins in 2002 at the age of 58.

But she is the first to undertake such extremes as a single mother, and has taken some deeply controversial decisions along the way.

Not that Carole sees any problem with her circumstances.

‘I have absolutely no doubt about my capability of loving two children who are not genetically mine,’ she says, in her first exclusive interview. ‘If I did, I would never have gone ahead.

‘I am absolutely thrilled to be pregnant with twins, and I can’t wait to see my children for the first time.

‘Age, to me, is just a number. Some people reach 50, just give up and wait to die: but not me. I spent my 20s and 30s trying to avoid getting pregnant, but in my late 40s and 50s I felt incomplete without a child. I want to seize every opportunity that medical science can offer me, as a woman.

‘Some people might accuse me of being selfish, or going against nature, but isn’t it going against nature to perform heart surgery or transplants? I’m no more selfish than any woman who wants a family.

‘People ask me: “How will you cope with twins?” or “How will you feel when they start school and you are 63?” These things do not concern me at all.

‘Yes, I am sure it will be hard at times, but I’m fit and healthy, and I fully intend to enjoy and cherish my babies.’

Nor, it seems, does Carole have any moral or ethical issue with Western women paying for donor eggs from women from poorer countries.

‘That is just the way the world is,’ she says matter-of-factly. ‘If women in Britain are not donating eggs, then you have to take a more global view.

‘As for my children being mixed race, we now live in a multi-ethnic society where it is simply not an issue.

‘I believe a child’s identity comes from being loved and knowing themselves, rather than skin tone. When they are older, I shall take them to their countries of origin so they can learn about their cultures.

‘If there are issues, there are donor conception networks which can give advice and help.

‘I’m not pretending it won’t be hard at times, but, as a parent, my role is to love and help these two babies to become happy, independent individuals.’

What makes Carole’s decision even more remarkable, perhaps, is her profession. A qualified barrister and trained social worker, she works for a national agency supporting vulnerable children through the court process. She has witnessed first-hand the devastating effects parents can wreak on their children, either inadvertently through ill-health, lack of maturity or ignorance, or, in the worst cases, deliberately.

This, however, she says has given her insight into the emotional and physical needs of children. And while she accepts that in an ideal world that means having a loving father, too, she does not consider it essential.

‘Of course, fathers are important to children; but better no father than one who causes emotional or physical damage to a child,’ she says.

‘Through my work, I have seen what some parents can do to their children. On my side, I have maturity and wisdom.’

Perhaps so, but others will no doubt see her decision as reckless. So how did she come to take such desperate measures to conceive?

A headteacher’s daughter, and the eldest of four children, Carole grew up in Lancashire but has settled in Kent.

Her three younger brothers are all married with children, and are what she describes as ‘very traditional, very conventional’.

Indeed, one of them told her she was ‘crazy’ when she announced her decision late in life to try for a child, even telling Carole that her babies ‘would be no relatives of mine’.

‘Some members of my family have been shocked, but I am sure they will come round once they get over the initial embarrassment,’ says Carole, whose elderly parents are both 81.

‘My mother is concerned about my health, but, along with my sisters-in-law, has been very supportive, and we all just hope the twins arrive safely.’

Carole, who has never married, admits that when she was younger she never felt maternal. At 38, she fell pregnant accidentally with twins, but miscarried. She was sad, but also thinks it was for the best because it was ‘the wrong time’ and her relationship not solid enough.

It wasn’t until her late 40s, when she realised time had run out to have a baby naturally, that it suddenly hit her what she’d missed out on.

Involved in a long-distance, on-off, 11-year relationship with a geologist, she asked if he would be the father to her children, fertilising donor eggs through IVF.

‘He wasn’t exactly horrified when I asked him, but he wasn’t keen either because of the logistics of our relationship. He was away a lot, working abroad.’

‘Then, the more I thought about it, the more I realised that this was something I could go ahead with on my own. Once you can pass the psychological barrier that this child will not be biologically yours, then you can also accept that the father can be a donor, too.’

Not surprisingly, the relationship with her boyfriend petered out not long after as she embarked on her quest to have a child without him.

It is fair to say that Carole, a single-minded character, went to remarkable lengths to achieve her goal.

It was in 2007, aged 55, that she first travelled to a clinic in the Ukraine seeking help to conceive using Eastern European donors, but was refused treatment when a scan appeared to show a complication with her kidneys.

After further tests in Britain showed her kidney function was normal, she then approached a Harley Street fertility clinic, where she underwent a whole barrage of health tests before being referred to another clinic in Cyprus for the IVF, because of a shortage of egg donors in Britain.

‘I had two cycles, both of which failed, and then, once I turned 56, the London clinic refused to treat me any more because 55 was their cut-off age,’ says Carole.

‘So I went back to the clinic in Cyprus independently for a further two attempts. Each time it failed, I felt heartbroken. But once you get on the IVF treadmill, it’s so hard to get off. It’s a bit like gambling: you keep thinking “Perhaps next time, I’ll be lucky”.’

So in one last throw of the dice, Carole took the decision to fly to Mumbai to visit the Deccan fertility clinic, after learning they accepted patients up to the age of 63.

In recent years, India has, controversially, pushed medical and ethical boundaries by treating much older, childless women, despite concerns over life expectancy.

In 2008, Rajo Devi Lohan gave birth to a daughter at the age of 70, but has never recovered from complications. The same year, 70-year-old Omkari Panwar became the oldest woman in the world to give birth to twins.
Neither of these women is believed to have been treated by the clinic Carole attended.

‘From my research, I could see that clinics in India seemed to have very good success rates, and it was also much cheaper than British clinics,’ says Carole, who liaised by email with the clinic for a year until she was satisfied with their methods.

She paid £3,000 for her IVF in India. This included the fee that was paid to the two donors she selected from the clinic’s books.

The egg came from a 24-year-old Indian mother-of-two, whom Carole selected from an option of eight possible women she was shown details and photographs of. The sperm came from an anonymous 6ft tall Scandinavian engineering graduate. She chose him because — unlike the previous sperm donor she’d used — he shared her blood group, which she hoped would increase her chances of success.

These are the only details that Carole knows about her future children’s genetic parentage, although she says she was impressed by the clinic’s detailed medical analysis of the quality of sperm and eggs.

She admits, however, that British doctors she has visited were horrified over her treatment abroad. They were alarmed at the much higher dose of hormones prescribed by Indian doctors, warning of the risk of deep vein thrombosis (potentially fatal blood clots).

They were equally disturbed by Carole’s agreement to have six fertilised embryos implanted in her womb to increase the chances of success — a practice long considered high-risk in Britain.

‘When I went to my GP for the pregnancy test on my return to Britain, he was visibly shocked when I told him,’ explains Carole.

‘I’d agreed to the implantation of six embryos because I doubted any of them would work anyway. The night before the pregnancy test, I couldn’t sleep, and when it came back positive I couldn’t believe it.

‘It was a bit frightening, and a vision went through my mind of six cots — but when I went for my first scan on July 5, it showed three embryos. The other three had not taken.’

Pregnant with triplets, Carole realised the enormity of her situation. The cool-headed manner in which she decided to deal with it, did, she admits, upset some of her friends.

At 13 weeks, she opted for a selective reduction, whereby a needle was passed into one of the embryo’s hearts and injected with a chemical to stop it beating.

‘The worst part was waiting for the procedure, because I’d made up my mind at six weeks,’ she says. ‘I knew that if I tried to carry all three babies, the risk of disability was much higher, as was the risk of prematurity and the risk of losing them all.

‘I knew I wouldn’t be able to cope with three severely disabled children, who might need 24-hour care or be unable to lead independent lives. Everyone wants a healthy baby, not because they are selfish, but for the sake of the child.

‘A few of my friends could not understand or accept why I wouldn’t want to try to keep all three, but it is not a decision I have regretted.’

At 20 weeks, Carole found out the sex of her babies and was delighted to discover she was expecting a son and a daughter. She has already chosen the names Matthew and Freida, but for the moment has nicknamed them ‘Kicky one’ and ‘Kicky two’ because she feels them vigorously kicking each other in the womb.

‘And I’m sure that will continue after they are born,’ she adds wryly.

Carole has nothing but praise for the NHS, which has been supporting her through this pregnancy. She is under the care of the South-East Neo-Natal Unit based at Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham.

Without doubt, though, there are some who will question whether the NHS should pick up the bill for a high-risk pregnancy conceived and paid for privately abroad.

Carole prefers to concentrate on the positives, despite the mixed reception from friends, family and medical staff.

‘How you cope as a parent is not about how old you are, and I think my chances are perhaps better than an immature 16-year-old,’ she says.

Having waited so long and spent so much money on her quest to have children, Carole, rather surprisingly, does not intend to be a stay-at-home mum. As a single parent, she will need her salary to support them, so is planning to return to full-time employment following maternity leave.

She has no husband or partner to fall back on for emotional or financial support, or, indeed, to look after the twins should anything happen to her.

‘You only have to look at people like Jade Goody to know that young mothers with children can die early, so nothing in this life is predictable,’ says Carole.

‘But I have three brothers with children who, I hope, will play an active role in their lives and step in should anything happen to me.’

In January, a Spanish male au pair will arrive to help out at her three-bedroomed home in Kent, doing the chores and walking Carole’s two dogs, Milly and Lucy, leaving her free to concentrate on the babies.

‘I have a lot of stamina,’ she says, confident that she can cope with the exhausting, sleepless nights. ‘As the eldest of four children, I was Mummy’s little helper with my brothers.

‘I have spent my whole career working with children. I’m sure the next few years will be jolly difficult at times, but rewarding and enjoyable too.

‘For now, I’m just looking forward to meeting my babies.’

My Kiwi Uncle Sam

2010-12-13T14:35:00.006-08:00

Coming soon!

Perth to Sydney in 52 Hours

2010-12-13T14:10:00.003-08:00

... and it was done by car!
We actually started off late and left at around 5 pm. I had to wait six hours for the car owner to show up and when he did, his front right wheel hit the curb accidentally, leaving permanent scrap marks! At that time, he did not tell me he was the owner of the vehicle!

Another creepy thing about driving along Aussie roads was to see many white wooden crosses strung along many roads. These were testimony to the many fatal accidents in these places. Having had extra-sensory experiences before, I could feel the presence of these souls whose lives were cut short ... sometimes due to their follies but at other times they were innocently killed by drink drivers. What surprised me most was the absence of crosses along Australia's longest straight road in the Nullibor Plain as the temptation to overspeed was there! Apparently, the cops have been doing a good job there!

Australia ...18 Roadkills Update

2010-12-13T13:21:00.005-08:00

In going through my notes about my time in Australia, I need to add in more "spice" to my story earlier. Yes, I have not forgotten to say more about the encounters with the profesional cops...
Observations made during the trip ...
The roads from Perth to Sydney were prone to flooding and on two separate occasions I had to drive through flooded roads. The most nerve-wrecking moment for me was when I drove along a road not too far from Broken Hill towards Sydney with my co-driver fast asleep and I saw a warning sign of possible flooding in some parts of it but decided to throw all caution to the wind as it was a balmy hot day with a bright sun up in the heavens and went at maximum 110km/hour cruise speed ... saw some slow movement of a huge truck and four-wheel drive ahead ... hit the brakes and before I knew it ... our vehicle was in sock-high flooded water! The other drivers stared at us as we hit the water with a splash and I realised then that they were possibly concerned about falling over the road into the gully below or a sinkhole perhaps!

Mon Dieu! 18 Road Kills!

2010-12-05T21:31:00.006-08:00

Hello, everybody who's visiting my blog! I'm alive! I survived the three-day drive through the amazing dry arid desert known as the beautiful Nullarbor Desert aka the Nullarbor! I started off from Perth Victoria Park in one of the Ford Motor Company's latest car model -- still too tired to recall what the model is, will add in later -- and drove and drove, almost like my fave Canuck singer, celine Dion's song lyrics "I drove all night ...". Yeah, don't try this fellas if you have a fear of the unknown! The owner of the expensive vehicle was a total stranger and it would turn out later that he had so many past over- speeding tickets that he said "I can't remember how many!" That meant I had to do most of the driving while he snoozed! Jeez, day driving was a breeze along the mighty fine roads that were pretty winding in many areas but night driving was hell! Most, if not most of the rural roads did not have street lights! Don't worry though if you're ever attempting this feat, the reflectors on the roads were abundant and helped lots whenever the car lights hit them!

So it was great--who wouldn't enjoy driving a brand new largest Aussie car dealer John Hughes' Ford vehicle from Perth to Sydney? Just push the button on "cruise control" and enjoy the fast ride! Then when we reached the awesome Nullarbor Desert ... OMIGOD! I couldn't sleep staring in awesome wonder at how vast a desert it was! I could see small trees at first and then all I could see were yellowish land without any trees! Then there was this huge clear sign that said we were on Australia's longest straight road!!! Wow! Could I resist speeding over the 110km/hour speed limit? Ah, I won't answer that but all of my Miri buddies know I don't over speed or break the traffic laws ... However, my wealthy manager co-driver assured me that in Australia, there would be areas where overspeeding the speed limits are permitted if there are not posted anywhere!

So what could I have missed if I were sitting in the great Indian Pacific train from Perth to Adelaide? Wow! I would have missed the fresh cold air and the blazingly bright sunlight, the stench of road kills, the sight of over 18 bloody dead young kangaroos on the roads, dirty ugly vultures plucking away at their corpses, having the meals of their lives ... and the killing of a cute young rabbit as our car struck it just as it was about to reach our lft side of the road! Then there was the incredible view of the Pacific Ocean as we reached past Western Australia into South Australia ...

To be continued

Encounter with WA Cops
Encounter with SA Cops!
My change of destination from Adelaide to Sydney
The amazing Sydney City
The Red Lights of Sydney!

More amazing stories about the Nullarbor at Wikipedia here: Nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nullarbor_Plainullarbor

Mama Mia!

2010-11-27T23:43:00.006-08:00

It's almost 4:00 p.m. and I'm sitting inside the Western Australia State Library, blogging now and listening to some beautiful live singing by an Italian choir ... You see, there's a celebration of the Italian community and their many contributions to the society here. There is presently an exhibition of moving testimonies in huge posters, accompanied by vintage pics of the early Italian immigrants, some of whom were p.o.ws of WW2! Fascinating ... really touching tales of discrimination and the consequences ... Certainly many democracies can learn to be repentant of their past mistakes and Downunder we can see with our very own eyes, a nation that is not afraid of its past shadows! Cool, even he Italian consul is here with some sort of Aussie statesman in the ceremony...Many of us are busy with our own activities but occasionally, some of us would glance at all the merry-making... uncommon practice out West that many asian libraries would frown upon in their old autocratic--or shall I say, authoriterian style!

How strange it is ... I wasn't supposed to be here! I would have been relaxing on the Indian Pacific train bound on a three-day ride to Adelaide! I tried booking a seat and even went to the train station at East Perth, after catching the metrotrain there but couldn't get a seat!

I sort of miss a wonderful French gal, Clemency who was on her merry way to Sydney on the Indian Pacific train. We were the only two persons sitting together and instantly hit it off. She entrusted her many belongings in my care when she had to go elseway and I did so likewise. She was smart, having just completed her uni and advertising studies ... She could be a Hollywood star with her stunning looks! Hell, sure wish I could flirt! Anyway, we couldn't help feeling a little sad to part as friends ... funny that she had just arrived from Auckland and I am on my way there!

Ah yes! Here's little update about this marvelous Aussie one-person only toilet ... I discovered that the public library one is really classy! When you enter inside it withits spaceous size, a male voice tells you to lock the door, followed by a lovely tune in the sound system ... It was soothing but the voice will remind you that "You have TEN minutes" in the loo. Hmmmnn ... I love the tune ...It was something about love--just forgotten its title... wonder if a different tune will come on? Gotta drop by to find out after this!

One little thing that bugs me about this place is FLIES! Nasty pests that will even attempt to enter your nostril and mouth, even when you're walking ... Malaysian flies are never this aggressive! Wonder if there are any attempts or campaigns Downunder to get rid of them permanently!

Come on, Singapore!

2010-11-26T03:42:00.003-08:00

Just read about the embarrassment the Singaporean authorities are feeling over their colorful polo team swim trunks ... I think our progressive kinsfolks across the straits are over-sensitive in this day and age! Haven't we all seen it all? I say, let's be liberal about it!

Come on, Singapore, show everyone how open-minded you are!

At Last, Dear Australia!

2010-11-26T02:42:00.006-08:00

Yes, that's right! At long last, I'm in Australia, the land of my many past dreams, of kangaroos, jolly swagmen, billybong, pretty sheilas ... and so many other greats! Yeah, I'm in Perth, enjoying the warm --nay-- scotching sunshine at this time of the year! Here's a list of wonderful folks I would love to meet: my dearest loving foster "parents" Nigel and Pamela Heyward of Tasmania and their two sons, one of whom Philip was my best childhood mate ... and my all-time favorite teacher/principal, Leonie Kathleen Armour, Revd. John Yapp, my late uncle Chong Yuk Min's widow ... and yes, my own dearest eldest sister, Mary Chong who's a law practictioner and lecturer here ... someone whom I would love to spend time with!

Back to Perth .... It was not my first choice as I was thinking of dropping by Australia enroute to New Zealand and outwards to Canada. Of course, spending time with my dear sis is important and besides, the air fare to Perth seemed fairly low compared to others. I imagined Perth would be an easy access point to other cities... Nothing could be further than the truth -- it is expensive to travel elseway from here!
Anyway, being out here is marvelous. What a big city it is! It's clean and well-maintained. The folks here are friendly ... they can give proper, clear and concise directions unlike, if I may admit it, so many Malaysians in the cities and towns of Malaysia!
Some fascinating things I've learnt so far ... seasoned traveler that I am ...
I was strolling along Beaufort Street when something caught my eye --a quite ordinary road sign that made me stop and stare ...huh?! "Toilets" it says! Yup, I have since learnt that the clean Aussies have special single toilets ... a fella goes in a nice rectangular loo that has a whooshing sound door--wah! Auto-door... just press a red button &just imagine yourself in a Star Wars space machine as the door slides open!
Wonderful ... but I had an interesting experience at a Chinese food court in a nearby shopping mall ... We had to queue up to use the toilet! Quite a lot of fellas understandably couldn't stomach it and walked off ...

More from the bright side ... it's 7:25 pm here and I've been sitting and blogging outside the State Library of Western Australia since 5 pm. Nothing like free Aussie wifi! Thanks, mate! Cheerio!

Coming later--Bedding with the Germans, glasses and glasses of free wine from a young English fella with a love problem ... so Camrose guys ... the peer counseling training helped!

The Haunting of West Edmonton Mall (2)

2010-11-24T19:09:00.003-08:00

How cruel the world
where a weak soul is the hunter's prey
and the sick silenced the lambs
Never to face justice as the cases go cold ... and colder ...
Oh who am I you ask
Why must I haunt the hollow halls of WEM
when darkness falls
Why may I ask you, perhaps the self-righteous reader
who has and will judge me for what I was when I was amongst you in the land of the living ...
a mere existence, a lonely desolete free-spirited woman
cast in the world's stage as an ill-fortunate lady of the night
serving the wickedly sick pleasures of weak men ...
and yet these men lack the understanding, compassion and humanity to leave me alone to be free in what I do ...Show all

To be continued as the medium dozes off ...

A Wonderful Life

2010-11-22T09:36:00.003-08:00

On the eve of my departure ...

The Haunting of West Edmonton Mall

2010-11-11T10:33:00.004-08:00

Far, far out west of Canada
in the icy cold city of Edmonton
in the province of Alberta,
lies a stately mall of gigantic proportions called West Edmonton Mall ...
where millions come visiting ...
to splash money lavishly on food, games, wine, women and song ...

When darkness falls
and the air is still ...
with not a sound all around
I will come forth from once boisterous Bourbon Street ...
after I awake in eternal unrest
to seek justice in this cruel world around me ...
where the poor, downtrodden and weak
suffering women are lonesome, often make the bad choice of high risk living
and in tragically sad unkind barbaric inhumanity
are sexually abused and even slain in different ways ...

To be continued when the medium awakes ...

Camera Defect in a "Haunted" Place

2010-11-05T21:20:00.003-07:00

It was a former Japanese Kempeti (equivalent to the German Gestapo) interrogation centre back in the late 30's during WWII ... and many of those who were forcibly brought here were summarily executed nearby.

Here is a pic I snapped to see if this place could be haunted at daytime ... Can you see anything?

Bloody Tale of a Canadian Bust

2010-11-05T20:33:00.014-07:00

Out in Edmonton, Alberta is a statue of a naked female torso ...
It belongs to me ...
and I would love to have it back ...
Where it is & who has it
I know not now ...
I recall leaving it in the basement of a wooden house ....
But here's the bloody tale related to it...

It was a bitterly cold snowy day
and there was this often said words
"The wind chill factor ..." made it like hell was on ice
but coming from a hot tropical climate it was close to heaven!

There was this middle age Canuck
a mommy who tried hard to finish a sculpture
so that she would get her grade in Art & Design ...
It was not an easy task
as the wood sawing machine was old & its blade was blunt .,.

So I had carpentry experience before in school
doing well in the subject ...
and I helped her to carve the tiny piece she wanted ...

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain & soon realised that my near-severed fourth finger ...
was dangling from my hand ...
There was no medical aid noticeable at the U of A woodwork place
& the instructor wasn't around after preparing the sawing machine for us ...
so in mad pain I held onto my finger & dashed out to the nearest medical clinic on campus
just 50 yards away ...
without proper winter attire out in the cold
I could feel my body freezing as the Chinook wind blew hard ...
I stumbled, slipped and fell twice on the slippery icy walkway as I ran with my blood flowing freely,
dripping, dripping everywhere from my hand ...

Soon I was given several stitches & had the day off to rest in bed at home!
In gratitude, the lady presented me with the bust of herself when we parted at the end of our Art & Design class ...
& the instructor made my time (& pain) worthwhile by giving me a 'B" for excellence in Art & Design work after purchasing my wooden sculpture with a fee months later ...

Coming up ... pic of the charming lady sculpturing herself ...

Student hit for bringing non-Halal Food

2010-11-04T17:57:00.003-07:00

Even PM Mahathir once said, to paraphrase Shakespeare, "There's something rotten in the state of Denmark" and that's the news out from Sarawak in Malaysia. It is an overwhelming Christian state with many mission schools but for reasons best known to those in authority, more Muslim teachers than those of other religious affiliations are very evident in the composition of the teaching staff.
I reserve any further comments on the following report which is a hot topic now, pending the outcome of a call for an investigation and disciplinary action against the errant staff member.

Student Whacked 10 Times for Non-halal Food

KUCHING: A 10-year-old schoolboy here received 10 “whacks on his palm” for bringing fried rice with pork sausages to eat in school during recess.

A senior teacher at the St Thomas Primary School here caned Basil anak Baginda 10 times on his palm for bringing non-halal food to school.

His mother, Angela Jabing, disclosed this incident at a press conference yesterday much to the shock of several PKR women leaders who were present.

"My son Basil anak Baginda, aged 10, has been with St Thomas’ Primary School, Kuching, since his kindergarten years.

“On Oct 15, I prepared fried rice with pork sausages for my son to bring to school for his recess. However, I was shocked to learn that he was punished and caned 10 times on the palm by the senior assistant for bringing non-halal food to school," she said.

"I have never received any written circular from the school that children cannot bring non-halal food to the school," added the distraught mother.

Unsatisfactory explanation

Jabing said on Oct 19, she went to the school to seek a clarification of the incident.

"I met the principal who was at the time sitting with the senior assistant in the senior assistant’s room.

"Instead of clarifying the reason for my son’s punishment, the senior assistant said that he could not remember the incident,” Jabing said.

According to her, the senior assistant had summoned her son to his office to explain himself and had later told her not to blow up the incident as it was a sensitive matter.

Jabing said that the headmaster had also told her that in February this year, the senior assistant had announced during the school assembly that the students were prohibited from bringing any non-halal foodstuff to school, even for their own consumption as an act of respect for the Muslim students.

“I was not satisfied with the explanation, so I wrote in asking for a written explanation within three working days.

"On the third day, I received a call from the principal who requested to meet me on Oct 28. I still insisted on a written reply on the matter and was told by him to collect the letter the following day.

“The letter did not properly answer my question on why my son was caned 10 times for eating fried rice with non-halal sausages. Is this a justified action taken by the school on schoolchildren?” she asked.

Ministry must investigate

Jabing also wanted to know whether the school was trying to implement this “non-halal” food rules on children’s food brought from home.

She also wanted to know if the instruction came from the Education Ministry.

Meanwhile, PKR women leaders present at the press conference have demanded that the ministry investigate the incident.

They said if left alone, the issue could turn “very ugly” especially in a mission school.

Mysterious Sky Images 2010

2010-10-25T20:32:00.003-07:00

Unexplainable images found amongst my camera pix files after I had snapped several pics one stormy late afternoon recently... They had not been seen when I took them so I was stunned to see them appear... An enlarged close-up view is on the left. Please click to enlarge further.

Poor Soul!

2010-10-25T09:09:00.012-07:00

Dear Soul ...
For all the good you did helping hundreds ...
You would be stunned to be hit hard by those above you, trapped in an investigation ...
by perhaps former colleagues of yours
When it was said you once had The Force in you ...
and I saw you at your office when you fell ...
How sadly different you looked ...

I was there, in his 4-wheel drive ...
When the conspirator bragged about his successful plan to have taped your conversation with him and later report to the powerful top ...
a sexual harassment case filed by a foreign worker against a local employer ...
and you were said to have given the wrong advice to the victim ...

This man was the prime conspirator to send you packing ...
A man of your race with a burning desire for revenge
For all the contempt, scorn and lack of attention he claimed you had for him and his workers time after time ...
in his business dealings ... and I--
I believed him at that time and the truth was soon revealed many times that he was himself a lying rogue ...
A strong man of grey hair and wrinkles who cheated those who were fooled by his charms and frequent self-declarations of absolute high business ethics ...
Please forgive me for not speaking out, dear heart, but who was I ...
but a passerby in a beautiful land of snow-capped mountains, animals and abundant fruit who has learnt the bitter painful lesson of ever speaking out on social injustice anywhere and suffered much with shattered dreams ...

Penang Museum

2010-09-30T11:47:00.007-07:00

It's a great fantastic place to be. There is so much rich history in Penang to marvel at in the huge old building that is like a portal to a past dimension. I could spend the whole day there reading and studying all the collections ...

One thing that boggles the mind is why the museum has to close on Fridays! Is Penang so special with its Fridays? Can't the "patriotic" staff consider the many visitors who are keen on Penang history? Why can't the authorities get hardworking staff to keep the museum opened just like many other Malaysian museums on Fridays? Even half a day would do, Thank you. How many visitors like me have been fooled and disappointed not to be allowed into the museum on a Friday? I spent a lot of time in pouring rain to dash to the museum and to my utter disbelief, found a small notice somewhere--I can't recall where -- stating simply "Close on Friday". No apology and yes, if any of you museum folks are reading this, I mumbled to myself "Lazy bastards!" I don't think I was the only one who swore that day: there were a Korean/Japanese couple with a small girl in a trolley, three Asian-looking elderly women and a Caucasian man with his Asian female companion. No one was happy ... and the increasingly heavy rain wasn't pleasant on that 3:00 PM afternoon, too!

So I say, my idea of patriotism is going the extra mile to do what one can ... and in a museum setting, show the richness in Penang and Malaysian history, educate the world and this is dedication and patriotic to do so. Be selfish and close the museum and how many weary travelers out to learn the more about the state become disgusted with the laissez-faire approach of the relevant authorities.

Fortunately for me, I managed to drop by the place on a Saturday for a brief two hours before catching my flight back home to Sarawak.

So Penang, thumbs up for the many historical places, cuisine, transportation, friendly people and cheap shopping but thumbs (& toes) down to the museum for not having thoughtful, considerate, caring hard-working staff!

End of the World, 2012

2010-09-20T02:28:00.000-07:00

So are we ready for the last day for our planet??? Believe it or not!?

2012: The End of the World?
Monday, August 17, 2009

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," August 14, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: There is a whole cottage industry growing around the belief that the world may come to an end in 2012.

Many new Web sites, books and even an upcoming blockbuster movie all delve into the theory surrounding the supposed doomsday. And one of these 2012 prophecies was made by the mysterious and ancient Mayan culture. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANNITY (voice-over): For decades, their cities have been excavated, their languages studied, their scripts decoded, yet this civilization still mystifies. So what lies behind the shroud of thousands of years of culture, astrology and architecture?

ROBERT GLEASON, AUTHOR: The Mayans' background is shrouded in mystery. They come out of nowhere a long time ago, and they suddenly have these incredible astronomical insights.

HANNITY: Some say that behind the shroud is a prediction, a premonition that the world as we know it will come to an end in the year 2012.

According to Robert Gleason, who is the executive editor of the upcoming book "Apocalypse 2012," it all begins with their calendars.

GLEASON: They had one that was purely ceremonial. They had a second one called the Haab. And that was a solar calendar, and they needed that calendar to know when they would plant their crops. At the end of each long-count calendar, homo sapiens comes to a catastrophic and. And we are now toward the end of the fifth and final calendar.

HANNITY: So it would appear the Mayans knew their days were numbered. But when would this catastrophic end take place?

GLEASON: It's 11 — 11 p.m. universal time, December 21, 2012.

To be continued ...

More Delicious Cuisine

2010-09-13T14:13:00.005-07:00

Here's my highly recommended food in Sabah: roasted chicken with rice, cooked the Vietnamese way! For RM6.00 there's quite a lot of crunchy crispy skin chicken. Other choices include Viet-styled spring rolls, steamed chicken, beef stew and others. The eatery is clean with plentiful tissues on rolls on the walls and food is served in a rather hygienic way and the tasteful furnishing itself is impressive at the food place. Peppermint is situated close to Gaya Street and a local Malaysian bank. Don't miss it if you're there ... & say "Hi!" to the friendly staff there! for me!

The chicken eatery is another reason I luv Kota Kinabalu city!

Warning: Seating is a constant problem so either go early or wait in a queue!

Canada Hill

2010-09-09T09:01:00.004-07:00

Here is a view of part of Canada Hill. That's right ... Canada Hill and it's not in Canada!

How did it get its name? It is said that in the early 20th century, many Canadians came from Alberta to work as drillers and engineers in the newly discovered oil well sites. Many died as well, due apparently to the mosquito-infested mangrove swamps of those days (None remain to this day) and unsanitary health conditions. Yards or meters away from the hill is a quiet churchyard, filled with graves of these poor unfortunate foreign workers who lost their valiant lives in this forgotten remote part of the world, far from their homeland.

A stroll amongst the lonely graves today will allow one to see that one of the early deaths was in 1910 and that was the year when oil was discovered in Miri. Unfortunately, as one strolls here, one could see that the ravages of time has taken a toll on the historic gravestones. Some are broken and others are scattered all about... Others remain in oblivion forever buried in piles of grassy mounds...

Anyway, one can still enjoy the sights and sounds of historic Canada Hill. An elderly Chinese sinseh (medicine man) once remarked to me that the hill "is a dragon that will bless Miri City eternally" but he also warned that "any action on any part of it will spell disaster for the city". That was way back in 1978, a time of pain for me after I got hit by an oil worker in a speeding Toyota that was leaving the SHELL offices downtown.

Canada Hill, of course, will be very special for my family. It was the very hill where my youngest son, Leximus was born enroute to the General Hospital ... and he came into our world at the back seat of my Proton Wira, meters away from the house of my close Canadian buddy, Mike of Calgary! Perhaps one day, I will change my kid's middle name to Canada Hill!

Frankly speaking though, our kids' names should in fact be a little Russian as we have evidence there is slavic blood in our distant family tree (This explains the fair complexions of some of us, including relatives) ... and that's another amazing story!

Pics from left to right: unusual bird constantly jabs on very old gravestone (My third time to witness this activity on three different occasions) & part of Canada Hill today.

A Modern Melanau Wedding

2010-08-26T14:09:00.003-07:00

I came across an old wedding pic of a happy couple today ... and couldn't help recalling that day when I was invited to witness it at Luak Bay. The happy bride was an old friend of mine and we had been in school together for over five years. She looked radiant as always!

Class of '77, remember our Maknon!

Food, Glorious Sabahan Food!

2010-08-26T13:38:00.005-07:00

If you're ever in Sabah--Kota Kinabalu, the capital city--to be exact, try some cheap delicious seafood delicacies! Well, if you're a thrifty person, buy and cook by yourself some of the exotic sea food such as these sea creatures I came across in the wet market at the crowded Filipino section of the city... From left to right: baby squids; baby oysters (Wow! They are huge!)

As for those who love a delicious bowl of cholesterol-free noodles, drop by my favorite corner shop coffehouse along Gaya Street. The food is abundantly delicious & the prices are pretty affordable. What you can savor is the char sau or char siew -- roasted meat -- that looks like pork but is actually roasted marinated chicken meat... Yummy! The noodle is mixed with an oily China-made sung chu sauce and some sweet vegetables are thrown in for just an appetizing early breakfast meal. Yeah, so you're gonna scoff that the food is rich in cholesterol ... Well, a wall sign assures you there's no pork in the shop!

PC Love Affair

2010-08-12T21:44:00.001-07:00

How much do we love our pcs ... Wherever we go it comes with us ... & we are always ...always gonna keep using it daily!!! What would life be without the precious priceless device!

http://web.mail.com/32447-111/mmc-2/en-us/Suite.aspx">Mail.com Message List (1306)

The Thing about Miri City ...

2010-08-10T10:08:00.004-07:00

I'm a local born fella and I feel proud of the city for its past and present achievements which have obviously been accomplished in leaps and bounds ... There are many positive stuff to be said -- without going into details -- about a once sleepy hollow that used to be famous just for its oil and bars and Monica Lodging ...

There are apparently not so nice stuff I want to share here, one of which is the unfriendly nature of the city towards visitors and I mean specifically those who drive into the city from other countries and towns.

Without comparing too much with great tourism destinations like Kota Kinabalu, New Zealand, the States and Canada we can see how the narrow roads and road signs are so poorly planned and limited in information. Friendly road signs should be treated as beacons of hope and guide to drivers and every distance to locations should be indicated; general directions to all locations should be provided and all facilities such as rest areas, petrol, food and lodging clearly indicated . The signs should also indicate the distances of these areas so that first-time visitors/drivers will know roughly where the places are. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to read and calculate that 5 km away would be the nearest rest area or loo!

Miri today is just a city like many small towns with the slight difference of the basic requirements of infrastructure that must be available to obtain city status. There is so little around us to remind us of its golden glorious history and the bad past when ambitious egomaniac Japs ruled the Asian region and the many past heroes and founding fathers of the ex-town seem to be conveniently forgotten and unrecognised. Case in point: just take a walk to the oldest Mission school in the city and you will soon realise not a single street is named after its Asian founder or the many pioneers who established the first oldest educational institution. What we have is the name of an unknown dead fella who did nothing for the school or the area on the street sign.

What the city should be doing is put a seasoned traveler in charge of turning this city into a great tourism destination. Mirians have to think like a tourist to attract tourists. A little imagination helps too.

Just a Paper

2010-06-03T01:12:00.011-07:00

An old scrap of paper caught my eye the other day. It had been gathering dust all these years right in my storeroom corner. I had been looking for a few useful items.

I picked up the tattered greying paper up and was just about to toss it into my rubbish bin when some familiar names appeared.

There were 31 printed names under the heading Sekolah Rendah Sri Mawar Primary 4 class of 1992 ... Some harmlessly naughty and some well-behaved kids I had taught British, Australian and Malaysian English whose photos are still somewhere in my home. There were some studious ones as well, of course and there would be marvelous stories to narrate some other day ...

Here are the names of these memorable kids who would be 28--year old adults by now in alphabetical order ...
Aaron Sauu, Alfred Wong Vun Jun, Alicia Liew Yeung Ying, Andrea Huong Jia Mei, Brenda Sim Kim Ling, Cheam Ai Queen, Lau Tang Zoo Yik, Didi Bahdriyyah Bte Suhaili, Dinah Ting, Gary Shih, Jennifer Yong, Kristin Yang Fu Chun, Kiu Ngin Kar, Leong Wei Sin, Ling Lu Siong, Lydia Mattu, Norzalekha Bte Yazid, Noh You Ji, Ronnie Ling, Rose Hii Yun Hee, Simon Ha How Kiat, Simon Sim Cheng Yang, Ting Ka Ka, Ting Mong Ling, Wanda Tan Hui Ping, William Tan Hyan Tjen, Wong Kiong Hui, Yong Kai Siang, Yvonne Tan Hui Ling, Ryan Jolly and Shawn Tan.

Naturally, I would be curious as to what careers and lives they are leading these days ... May God keep them safe and grant them peaceful and happy lives.

Ask Me No More

2010-06-03T00:53:00.003-07:00

Ask me no more: thy fate and mine are sealed;
I strove against the stream and all in vain;
Let the great river take me to the main;
No more dear love,
for at a touch I yield.

Just a poem in my journal ... thought I'll share with you... Author unknown.

To err is human; to forgive, divine

2010-06-02T14:47:00.007-07:00

It is time to forgive and to forbear. There is a time in a person's life when the reality of the situation sinks in that there's no turning back of the clock. We propel ourselves fast forward to the future and leave the past behind bearing in mind the tough, and often unjust lessons we've learnt along the way.

I leave with no guilty conscience, with the evidence that I worked hard, being the earliest worker many, many times and never being late nor missing from my work place according to the time schedule.

I also leave knowing that I was always on good terms with my employers and senior staff and fellow colleagues during the time I was employed by The Borneo Post.

Even though I did not agree with many of the things that were done, I have been a good soldier, obeying orders without any hesitation. May those of you in positions of authority have peace of heart in all that you do.

To fellow bloggers reading this -- yes -- The Truth is Out There.

The rest of the story, as they say, will be in the judging hands of God.

On my part, I forgive and forbear and leave with the less than desired small compensation.

The Borneo Post (Sabah) Editorial and/or Management Staff 2009

2009-12-04T23:35:00.012-08:00

Net buddies, here's a quiz ...

Who owns The Borneo Post/See Hua Daily News?

Who are the SARAWAKIANS holding the key Borneo Post newspaper editorial positions in Sabah?

General Operations Officer / Borneo Post (Sabah) Manager ...

See Hua/Borneo Post (Sabah) General Operations Manager ...

The Borneo Post Chief Editor ...

The Borneo Post Chief News Editor ...

What are their responsibilities? ...

What happens in a newspaper publishing office in Sabah?

Who is responsible for what you read and see?

What do the several graphic designers do?

Where does the news come from? Is plagiarism practised and condoned by management?

How much can an editor make moon shining as an election candidate's manifesto writer in Malaysia?

Who writes the most in the editorial office and for The Borneo Post in Sabah?

Do editors actually fake complaint letters to the editor?

How many pcs are there in The Borneo Post office?

How many of them are uploaded with Microsoft applications?

Are contracts honored by the management?

Are offer letters taken seriously?

How many award winners deserve the press awards for their features/reports which were mostly rewritten ("edited") by others?

Answers coming up later ... More quizzes and pics as well ...

Miri Theartre

2009-12-04T23:08:00.006-08:00

Click pic to enlarge!

Any Mirian recall those memorable moments when we watched movies in the old cinema right in front of the Police Station? The station is still there but instead of the theartre at the prime location, we have an impressive beautiful tall building today!

I also recall the day a young man by the surname of Tan was fatally stabbed to death while he was watching a horror movie, "Return from the Dead" (By the way, someone said the title was "Ghost's Revenge" ... What I do recall is the word "dead') ! He was seated somewhere at the front row, just a few rows from us.

Halfway through the flick, we heard some screams and shouts. Then all hell broke loose as everyone ran helter-skelter for their dear lives out of the place! We ran out as well without a clue as to what was happening. There were rumors of a police operation, gang fight and a murder.

It was only sometime in the following day that we heard the gory details about the murder that was splashed in the local papers.

Winter at the University of Alberta

2009-11-23T01:05:00.008-08:00

I found this shot of a freezing cold winter day at the UA LRT route that passes by the administrative offices. I guess those days when we were hanging around, waiting patiently with cold hard hands our digging deep into our thick winter jackets for the various public Edmonton Transit buses to various city locations are over.

It is hard to imagine the train that is sending the students to the university daily. The lucky students today do not have to endure as many lengthy hours of awaiting the buses in freezing bone-chilling weather, sometimes with the temperature dipping below -40 degrees celcius. The snow would be so thick everywhere but the campus workers always do a magnificant job in removing them in hours.

Indeed, I can't wait to see the amazing changes to the UA campus scene these days! There's nothing like a reunion with the many buddies we have there!

My Sarawak Governor's Honored Uncle

2009-10-26T23:56:00.006-07:00

One of the most memorable moments in Auckland was the time I spent with my well-known uncle, Chong Yuk Hien, formerly the Miri District Council (Now renamed as Miri Municipal Council, following Miri's elevation to city status) secretary. A qualified architect, he retired to New Zealand in the eighties. With his departure, our Anglican church in Miri lost a very generous, gracious, God-fearing and humble gentleman. It was because of his love for Christ and church that he did a lot of architectural drawings for free without charging a single cent. There are indeed so few humble, kind and warm-hearted human being I know like him. Meeting him and spending time with him was the answer to my dreams as some of you are aware I did mention his story and his heroic actions in defending Sarawak against the offensive launched by the Brunei rebels to take over the Sarawak government in the sixties' Brunei Rebellion. For his courageous actions, together with a handful of local Ibans, in holding the northern front against the invading rebels, he was presented the colonial government's governor's award bu the last British governor, Governor Sir Alexander Waddell. In the pictures, my uncle and I climbed up Mount Wellington which is near his home. In my two weeks with my relatives, we had a marvelous time walking and climbing various places. Mt. Wellington is such a fascinating site. There was a Maori settlement at the summit, and it is believed that warring cannibalistic Maoris fought each other up there in many pitched bloody battles. I managed to reach the summit myself as my uncle found it quite tiring considering his age, and I went to the actual spot where there could be seen the remnants of a stone settlement. There were lots of stones and rocks in certain parts of the area. I could almost feel the presence of hundreds of blood-thirsty Maoris with their bloody curling cries in the lonely desolete place, as the wind howled and blew fiercely and the warm sun beat my face high up there ...

Invictus

2009-10-22T00:49:00.000-07:00

Invictus

-William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

UA German Club Ski Trip

2009-10-12T02:11:00.005-07:00

One of the most memorable times during my academic studies at the University of Alberta back in the nineties were participating in the many sports activities we had in the German Club.

Here's a pic of one of those memorable days. We had a ice-skating and ice-hockey match out to one of the frozen lakes and I had organized it as the elected sports conveynor for one of the years .

That's me in the white skull cap! I can't even recall what was on my head ... I believe it was a cap! I'm holding a long ice hockey stick.

What can I say about ice hockey? It's terrific fun but it can be nasty as there is so much speed involved in the game as we skate on the slippery ice and whack the small round puck into our opponents' small home goal.

Then there are times when desperation and accidents could create some jousting and pushing ... and punching! Certainly, it's a man's game!

So when I was in Calgary, I was going, "Go, Flames, go!" but when I was in Edmonton, I had to go, "Go, Oilers, go!" and of course, we had the whiz kid and champion, Wayne Gretzky in those exciting days!

My Workplace

2009-10-08T19:45:00.019-07:00

Pics clockwise from left, the Sarawak-linked KTS group of companies building in downtown Kota Kinabalu, along Jalan Pantai housing KTS, The Borneo Post on the fourth floor, Utusan Borneo on the sixth floor and See Hua Daily News as well as other KTS subsidiaries on the first floor; the beautiful Gaya Street fountain is close by the office at the next street; famous ex-journalist Cedric Pulford, director of Pulford Media Limited, United Kingdom was hired by the company to intensively train all of us KTS newspaper staff (except for See Hua Daily News employees) to be professional world-class journalists from August 10 -- August 16 this year. More pics and stories coming ...

When I use the word 'journalists' believe me, it can mean differently for some of us in this part of the world.

Of course, we know that we sub-editors, editors and editorial assistants are considered as journalists as well ... and the nature of our work is defined in the dictionary, encyclopedia, or whatever.

In reality, do we just do the editing or more than that? That is the question and as I am presently not at liberty to say further due to a clause in my contract shutting me up as a present editorial assistant employee, I will remain silent for the time being.

Let me put it this way, without us, what you read in the papers tomorrow would be amazingly different.

More stories and pics later... m

A Proud Father

2009-09-30T00:38:00.004-07:00

Okay, okay! For all you proud folks out there here's a moralistic story. Just guess what the moral lesson is yourself! What else can I say ... By the way, if you find the sentences a bit funny, blame it on the system. If I have time, I'll correct it.

Four friends, who hadn't seen each other in 30 years, reunited at a party.

After several drinks, one of the men had to use the rest room.

Those who remained talked about their kids. The first guy said, "My

son is my pride and joy. He started working at a successful company at the

bottom of the barrel. He studied Economics and Business

Administration and soon began to climb the corporate ladder and now

he's the president of the company. He became so rich that he gave

his best friend a top of the line Mercedes for his birthday."

The second guy said, "Damn, that's terrific! My son is also my pride and

joy. He started working for a big airline. He then went to flight school to

become a pilot. Eventually he became a partner in the company, where

he owns the majority of its assets. He's so rich that he gave his

best friend a brand new jet for his birthday."

The third man said: "Well, that's terrific! My son studied in the best

universities and became an engineer. Then he started his own construction

company and is now a multimillionaire. He also gave away something very

nice and expensive to his best friend for his birthday: A 30,000 square

foot mansion."

The three friends congratulated each other just as the fourth

returned from the rest-room and asked: "What are all the congratulations for?"

One of the three said: "We were talking about the pride we feel for the successes

of our sons....What about your son?"

The fourth man replied: "My son is gay and makes a living dancing as a stripper at a

nightclub."

The three friends said: "What a shame...what a disappointment."

The fourth man replied: "No, I'm not ashamed. He's my son and I love him. And

he's lucky, too. His birthday just passed the other day and he received

a beautiful 30,000 square foot mansion, a brand new jet and a top of

the line Mercedes from his three boyfriends."

Here's Deborah Capes!

2009-09-30T00:18:00.003-07:00

If any of you were in St. Columba's Primary School back in the late 60s, you'll remember my closest English buddy, Simon Capes.

Here's a pic of his memorable sister who was about two years younger than him. Some of you would have been classmates with her, I'm sure.

She was in Miri visiting old familiar places and her family--she's now happily married to an ex-Sri Lankan ruby star--spent some wonderful time with us.

What a marvelous warm caring woman she is! My kid really loved her and she's holding him in the pic.

Several years later, her brother Simon, actually, Captain Simon Capes, formerly with the Royal Navy, stayed with us for about two weeks. Next time I'll share pics of those thrilling two weeks in Miri and you will be amazed with how much the once young handsome English boy has changed!

If any of you wish to contact any of them, do let me know and I'll provide the addresses in London and Sri Lanka, with their permission first, of course.

English Song Version of a Romantic Korean Show

2009-08-26T12:42:00.005-07:00

There was a time when we were young ... Can we remember what it felt like to be in love for the first time?

Perhaps if we listen and even watch a romantic video we can have a rush of memories flooding back... Here's a music video that caught my eye making me to pause, reflect on the touching Korean tv love series called "Spring Waltz" that RTM was showing over quite a long period sometime ago.
The film's synopsis is a little complex - little poor boy and little rich girl like each other on an island; boy's dad owes people money, takes boy away to a town selling him to a rich childless couple; girl misses boy, grows up into a beautiful woman; meanwhile the poor boy becomes rich by then as he grows up and becomes a famous pianist in a relationship with a well-off woman; his best friend (played by Daniel Henney) who faithfully helps him is always there; one day, the pianist and the old girlfriend accidentally bump into each other; like each other without realising they were old friends on the island; the pianist's best friend always supports his friend but at times the girl and him seek each other's comfort as he likes her a lot; ... eventually the pianist meets his childhood girl on the island following a break-up and they rekindle their old feelings in the end ... after several tear-jerking episodes of misunderstandings on the parts of those around them and them...

So that's one great Korean love film that's as good as "Winter Sonata"!

Have fun watching this!

A Haunting Song ...

2009-08-25T11:48:00.004-07:00

especially dedicated to those who love medicine ... and you know who you are!

End of Times

2009-08-19T14:11:00.002-07:00

Are we going to believe that? Could it be the TRUE prediction...???

2012: The End of the World?

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," August 14, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: There is a whole cottage industry growing around the belief that the world may come to an end in 2012.

Many new Web sites, books and even an upcoming blockbuster movie all delve into the theory surrounding the supposed doomsday. And one of these 2012 prophecies was made by the mysterious and ancient Mayan culture. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HANNITY (voice-over): For decades, their cities have been excavated, their languages studied, their scripts decoded, yet this civilization still mystifies. So what lies behind the shroud of thousands of years of culture, astrology and architecture?

ROBERT GLEASON, AUTHOR: The Mayans' background is shrouded in mystery. They come out of nowhere a long time ago, and they suddenly have these incredible astronomical insights.

HANNITY: Some say that behind the shroud is a prediction, a premonition that the world as we know it will come to an end in the year 2012.

According to Robert Gleason, who is the executive editor of the upcoming book "Apocalypse 2012," it all begins with their calendars.

GLEASON: They had one that was purely ceremonial. They had a second one called the Haab. And that was a solar calendar, and they needed that calendar to know when they would plant their crops. At the end of each long-count calendar, homo sapiens comes to a catastrophic and. And we are now toward the end of the fifth and final calendar.

HANNITY: So it would appear the Mayans knew their days were numbered. But when would this catastrophic end take place?

GLEASON: It's 11 — 11 p.m. universal time, December 21, 2012.

To be continued ...

A Chinese Love Song

2009-08-19T12:56:00.002-07:00

... an old one to bring back some memories ...

An Insightful A(H1N1) Commentary

2009-08-13T09:59:00.007-07:00

The following commentary was recently made by an astute journalist.
I'm impressed and would love to join in the fray and share constructive opinions about the state of current affairs in Malaysia as well.

I hope Malaysians will kick the "tidak apa" attitude and act fast at all times before everything shuts down with a pandemic that goes "amok".

Whose fault is it that leads to the high mortality?

(By LIM SUE GOAN/Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/Sin Chew Daily)
2009-08-13 14:13

The influenza A (H1N1) mortality rate in Malaysia is close to 2% instead of the 0.1% to 0.4% as estimated by the Health Ministry. It reflects an unusual phenomenon. Without finding out the crux of the problem, assuming that 5 million of people are infected, probably 100,000 of them will die, instead of 5,000 to 28,000 as estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

If we compare to other countries, we can see the inadequacy of prevention and control in Malaysia. Vietnam reported 1211 confirmed cases with one death and the mortality rate of 0.08%. While Hong Kong reported 5991 confirmed cases with four deaths and the mortality rate
of 0.067%. Australia reported 27,663 confirmed cases with 95 deaths and the mortality rate of 0.34%. Even Singapore that found death cases earlier than Malaysia, reported only nine deaths.

The Health Ministry believed that the domestic confirmed cases are far lesser than the announced amount, and said it should be multiply by 20 to get the correct data. But if we compare it to other countries calculated based on the announced confirmed cases, their rates are
still lower than ours.

"Many people complaint that government hospitals have been reacting too slow to the influenza..."

Why was our death toll increased to 44 people within three weeks after the first death case reported on 22 July? And why are we having over 200 new cases each day, causing the epidemic to fall out of control?

Such a high mortality rate might be caused by a variation of the virus, weak immune system of Malaysians, poor public health system and ability to deal with an emergency. The former two causes have very low probability. If there is a variation or a new virus, the Health Ministry would have recognized it through the autopsy reports. And no matter how weak is the Malaysians immune system, it would not have killed six to eight people every day. The key should be the public health system and the mobility of medical personnel.

Hong Kong, Japan and Australia no longer take the quarantine measures, but they are still having a low mortality rate because of their sound public health systems in which their medical personnel treat the high-risk patients first.

Many people complaint that government hospitals have been reacting too slow to the influenza, including spending a lot of time waiting for tests and long testing time. Many patients might have missed the golden time for treatment during the waiting period and died.

In addition, during the early stage, the government treated the epidemic with neglect, low efficiency and it did not see it as a serious infectious disease. If the government has held a large-scale awareness and hygiene campaign, including stopping assemblies, the
epidemic would not have lost control.

The people lost the sense of crisis because the government did not propagate it through the media at that time as they took into account the impact of it on the national economy, especially on tourism.

Such a serious epidemic has tested Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's governing philosophy of "people first, performance now". The government must take urgent measures and emergency means, including having early school holiday and a general mobilisation of medical
resources, to prevent the spread of the influenza. Any hesitation will further push up the death toll.

Guess who this SOB is?

2009-08-08T22:45:00.005-07:00

The following pics and extract is from Wikipedia ... with some personal added comments. Due to the busy nature of my work I have made limited comments which will appear in future without fear, as a citizen of the world. .

Reincarnated in Malaysia???

It's easy ... Listen, read everything and see him and others like him in action. Be the objective judge.

PAUL JOSEPH GOEBBELS, Adolf Hitler's Minister of Propaganda.

He acted as a loving family man with adorable children and a good wife. He appeared to be patriotic as in the picture inspiring the Nazi soldiers and given the chance to be a one-day chancellor threatened "total war"... and this evil orator spewed hatred everywhere making threat after threat on limiting the freedom of people ...

Here are some of the many cannily familiar historical background to many of today's holder of this and other powerful positions, of this master propagandist:

Goebbels earned a Ph.D. from Heidelberg University in 1921, writing his doctoral thesis on 18th-century romantic drama; he then went on to work as a journalist and later a bank clerk and caller on the stock exchange. He also wrote novels and plays, but they were refused by publishers. Goebbels came into contact with the Nazi Party in 1923 during the French occupation of the Ruhr and became a member in 1924. He was appointed Gauleiter (regional party leader) of Berlin. In this position, he put his propaganda skills to full use, combating the local socialist and communist parties with the help of Nazi papers and the paramilitary SA. By 1928, he had risen in the party ranks to become one of its most prominent members.

Goebbels rose to power in 1933 along with Hitler and the Nazi party, and he was appointed propaganda minister. One of his first acts was the burning of books rejected by the Nazis. He exerted totalitarian control over the media, arts, and information in Germany. In that position, he perfected an understanding of the "Big Lie" technique of propaganda, which is based on the principle that a lie, if audacious enough and repeated enough times, will be believed by the masses.

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What's the Problem?

2009-07-24T21:06:00.006-07:00

It has been sometime since the gravely troubling news came out about the deliberate attempt by some Islamic extremists - so called journalists - in Malaysia who provocatively pretended to be Christians, performed one of Christianity's most sacred acts by partaking of the communion and later spitting out what they had taken with self-visual evidence and their self-boasting.

Is there any evidence that any action has been taken against these agents of hate who were out to cause disharmony in a multi-racial country? Can anyone imagine a reverse role of a Christian pretending to be a Muslim and even without doing anything offensive getting away scot - free for that? There would be major demonstrations and UMNO, and even PAS will be making threats everywhere and the ISA would be invoked detaining the agent provocateur(s) ... BUT WHY IS THIS RECENT OUTRAGEOUS INCIDENT HANDLED SO DIFFERENTLY?

As much as I dislike the ISA (abusive law often used to stifle political dissent and trample on human rights) as long as it is in force, I say throw the book at these brainless so-called journalists! No one is above the law... If they thought Muslims were been converted in the Church ... if they had the guts and the brains they could and should have just ask the good priest for permission to attend the service as journalists with an open date. They would have been surely invited into the church to observe everything.

As someone who moves around in Christian circles, I can vouch our Christian pastors and priests will welcome visits for whatever purposes. The house of God is always open to all.

By the way, may the body and blood of Christ open up your hearts and minds if you partook in the sacred rites. Yes, may you feel what Christians feel and your hatred turn to Christian love.

Here's the article in The Star.

Published: Monday July 13, 2009 MYT 7:55:00 PM

Al Islam duo under investigation

By LOURDES CHARLES

newsdesk@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: The two Al Islam reporters who published an article in their magazine after allegedly entering a church here could be jailed for up to five years if found guilty of causing disharmony.

The two went “undercover” by posing as Christians to infiltrate a church they claimed was converting Muslims into Christians.

Two police reports have been lodged. One of the complainants, Joachim Francis Xavier, 33, who lodged a report at the Patani Road police station, said entering the premises with the intention to spy had angered many Catholics in the country.

“The writers had admitted in an article published in the May issue that the allegation turned out to be untrue, but we are deeply concerned that they had violated our sense of privacy to worship freely,” he said.

It is learnt police have classified the case under Section 298A (1) of the Penal Code for causing disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will, or prejudicing harmony or unity on religious grounds.

If convicted the duo could be jailed from between two years and five years.

Federal Criminal Investigations Department director Commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin said police have so far recorded statements from at least four people in connection with the article published in May.

It is learnt that statements were recorded from church authorities as well as the complainants themselves.

Police are expected to haul up the reporters for questioning soon.

2009-07-23T10:55:00.007-07:00

I will Burn My Barisan Life Membership Card

2009-07-21T20:02:00.006-07:00

I don't know him personally. He was just someone in the opposition, someone called to the Malaysian Anti-corruption Commission to assist them in their investigation of allegations of misappropriation of state funds by state executives.

He went in good health and he ended up a dead broken man at the side of the MACC building.

The world and I know him now as a certain Teoh Beng Hock.

Images show not a tough hardened individual but a friendly, slim and slightly diminutive person.

One small Malaysian, a David without a sling vs. an ugly huge Goliath, a massive institution with powers to detain and God knows to torture, perhaps mentally - formed to supposedly fight corruption, but at the time of Teoh's death, appeared obscenely fixated in catching 'ikan kecil' - small fries who were in the opposition, opposing the government, who were alleged to have squirreled off a few thousand dollars.

Never mind that millions of dollars have appeared to be skimmed by others, likely politically prominent, in the other scandals involving military hardware, a port and a public servant's grand mansion, amongst others?

A Malaysian lost his life under mysterious circumstances: he was not a suspect yet interrogated for a prolonged 11-hour period from 5 pm till 3:45 am and the fact that he was to be married the next day to a career woman bearing their baby ...

Nothing short of a Royal Commission of Inquiry, and one with highly respected objective and fair-minded persons is called for. It must be thorough and leave no stones unturned in finding the truth of what actually transpired. Need we say we have to bear in mind, if the top man in police uniform in Malaysia Rahim Noor could turn into Mohd Ali in punching a hapless detainee, Anwar Ibrahim, could not another individual in uniform be equally sadistic and even more violent?

Failing that, in my book, I respect the government less and to me, the MACC is not worthy to be respected as a just body in the fight against crime.

I blog this in outrage, coming from a life member of the ruling National Front coalition, someone who will soon publicly burn the life membership card in disgust with the current state of political events.

'The Voice'

2009-07-11T08:28:00.004-07:00

The day, this outspoken radio deejay was silenced forever over the airwaves transmitting from Radio Television Malaysia's Radio 4, I stopped listening to the radio... and never turned on the local radio for musical and other shows.... Why? Because we needed real people who would speak from the heart... and we could express our emotions, think and reflect... in a world of reality. We were and are sick of 'Nazi' propaganda that Hitlerian Goebels was so good at and many persons in authority around the world would attempt to follow his racist steps... misleading facts, tricking and fooling citizens into believing falsehood, suppressing civil rights and 'cushioning' implementation of disguised state policies that harbors the ultimate aim of a single master race based on a single religion for a gullible public ...

Beauty of Kota Kinabalu

2009-07-07T10:45:00.004-07:00

Of course, this state is such a beautiful one. It's hard not to fall in love with the beauty of the natural environment and its many friendly people.

The air here itself is so fresh, unlike many major cities in the world. There's virtually no humidity unlike the hometown I come from...

There are lots of pigeons in the city and they don't seem to fear humans! Just look at these few cute birds I encounter while out strolling along Gaya Street when I first came.

The other scenes were shot when I walked out of my office, crossed the street behind it, went straight inside Merdeka Square and out to the waterfront. It was sheer magic-to behold the setting sun as it lay its weary golden head into the waters in the far distance ...

Oh yes-the beggars-they are mostly illegal immigrants who were allowed to remain in this state by previous governments for God-knows whatever reasons...

More about Sabah later...haven't much time...can't check for errors in this blog!

Old Miri & 1Borneo

2009-07-03T23:27:00.003-07:00

Just a two pics for all guests here. The old black & white shot is that of Miri's first and only train in action back in the 1910s.

The other pic is taken at one of Malaysia's largest shopping mall, 1Borneo. You can see see this long escalator without any steps gliding effortlessly down to the basement where there're many food shops and fine crusine.

More later ...

The Death Pest-carrying Horseman

2009-07-03T21:38:00.003-07:00

So after watching/experiencing thrilling/horrifying/shocking events like the fall of the Berlin Wall, communism, break-up of the Soviet Union, the tsunami, urban warfare-World Trade Towers and Pentagon bombings, London, Madrid and Bali bombings, sarin and anthrax attacks, suicidal bombing of various ages and sex, Hurricane Katrina flooding in Alabama, global warming, dramatic political changes in ruling governments ... We have a pandemic that's scaring a hell lot of the world!!!

Is this another accurate fulfilment of the Holy Bible prophecy in the Book of Revelations that warns of wars, famines, pestilence, etc... as we live in the end of days?

Here's the latest in London's Daily Mail today.

Teen is swine flu's first victim in London as ministers warn 40 a day could die by end of summer

By David Derbyshire
Last updated at 1:28 AM on 04th July 2009

A teenager became the fourth Briton to die from swine flu, doctors said yesterday.

The 19-year-old from London tested positive for the virus after he died on Wednesday.

Like the UK's other three swine flu victims, he was suffering from 'underlying health problems'.

The death came as the Chief Medical Officer warned against buying potentially dangerous counterfeit flu drugs over the internet.

Health experts say some of the medications on sale are useless - while others are danergous - laced with rat poison and other toxic chemicals.

Warning: Health Secretary Andy Burnham issues the swine flu predictions in the Commons earlier this week where he warned that as many as 40 people a day could die from the disease

Yesterday there were more than 7,400 confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK. If the number of cases continues to grow at the current pace, the UK could have 100,000 new cases every day by the end of August.

So far, most swine flu patients have suffered only mild symptoms. However, they are still be urged to stay away from GP surgeries or hospitals if they suspect they have the flu.

The latest victim lived in South London. His details were yesterday being withheld on the request of his family.

It was reported that the teenager had learning difficulties and was very ill with a rare longterm condition which left him with serious chest infections.

Dr Simon Tanner, regional director of public health for NHS London, said the capital has seen a spike in flu cases in the past week. It is now the second-worst affected area after the West Midlands with more than 1,900 cases.

Tragic: Sameerah Ahmad, who died on Friday, is one of three killed in the UK by swine flu

'It's with sadness that we have to announce the death of a patient in London who has subsequently tested positive for H1N1 swine flu,' he said.

Everyone had a responsibility to protect those who were vulnerable from the virus, he said.

'There are people out there in the community - precious individuals that have got really difficult medical conditions - who are particularly vulnerable when the population has a virus like this in it,' he said. 'We've all got a responsibility for their sake.'

More...

He said most of the confirmed cases showed mild symptoms, but added: 'Some people may be more susceptible to the virus and if you have flu-like symptoms, it is important that you talk to your doctor.'

Jacqui Fleming, 38, of Glasgow, was the first person in the UK to die of swine flu. She died last month, two weeks after her son, Jack, was born 11 weeks prematurely.

Jack died later but had not contracted the virus.

The second victim was a 73-year-old man from the Inverclyde area of Scotland. Then a week ago, Sameerah Ahmad, six, became the youngest UK victim.

Swine flu vaccine, pictured being prepared this week in a laboratory in Brisbane, Australia, will be in the UK next month, Mr Burnham said

She was born with a rare life-threatening disease and died at Birmingham's Children's Hospital after contracting swine flu.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson yesterday stressed that Britain had massive stockpiles of the anti-flu drug Tamiflu and would be one of the first countries to have access to a vaccine. Tamiflu doesn't cure swine flu, but eases symptoms and speeds up recovery time.

Sir Liam warned against trying to buy the drug online. 'There's a lot of concern amongst health authorities that people might buy counterfeit drugs,' he said.

'We have got a massive stockpile of Tamiflu in this country and everybody can have access to it through the health service.'

According to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, 'spam' emails promoting Tamiflu are now more common than those promoting Viagra.

The Government is also buying in 130million doses of vaccine - enough for the entire population. The first delivery is expected next month.

'Now we're entering the most dangerous phase'

Under the Government's pandemic action plan, there are three levels of alert for a serious flu outbreak. Earlier this week the Health Secretary announced the UK would now enter the third, most serious, phase.

The first stage is Containment, which Britain entered when the first cases, a honeymoon couple, were confirmed in Scotland on April 27.

The priority is to stop the disease spreading as much as possible. Everyone with suspected swine flu has their diagnosis confirmed by a lab report, and is given the anti-viral drug Tamiflu. All recent contacts of infected people are traced and also given Tamiflu. Schools are closed if teachers or pupils contract the disease.

The second stage is Outbreak Management, which the country entered on June 25.

Action against swine flu was stepped up in three 'hot spot' areas - London, Glasgow and the West Midlands - where it was no longer possible to contain its spread.

In the hot spots, suspected cases were no longer sent for lab testing, with GPs doing the diagnosis, and people with swine flu got Tamiflu, but contacts did not as a matter of course. Schools in the hotspots were no longer automatically closed.

The third stage, which the whole country has now entered, is called Treatment.

GPs will be given the discretion to hold back Tamiflu to those with minor symptoms - and in a few weeks it may be rationed to at-risk groups. Vaccines will begin to be delivered once the first batches arrive in August.

Goodbye, Music King! Goodbye, Angel!

2009-06-25T20:31:00.009-07:00

Yeah, the world has lost one cool gifted musician... Mike, we love your music, will surely miss more of your brilliant contributions but we hate your scandals!

May you rest in peace, King of Pop!

Goodbye, Farrah! Mike was the king & you were the angelic golden princess!! May you also rest in peace as we remember you as 'Charlie's angel' and our fave pop star pin-up gal ...

May this day be forever remembered as special with the passing over of two great stars in our lives... So where were we when we heard the news? For me, I was in the newsroom and the big boss shocked me by telling me the news when I came in earlier than usual by FIVE hours... and last night I was looking at some ghastly autopsies performed on a Caucasian and an Asian in Thailand...!!!

The Kota Kinabalu of Today

2009-06-22T10:22:00.006-07:00

The Kota Kinabalu of Today

Gentle cool breezes, lazily sweeping waves ebbing and flowing, starfish and corals in the crystal-blue sea, open clear skies ... abundant fruit and vegetables everywhere... sipping an ice-cold glass of lime drink... These are the vague memories that have haunted me since my first trip to Sabah 45 years ago.

It was one of the most memorable times of my life, when at the age of five, my mom brought me along to Sabah to visit my dad who was working in Kota Kinabalu as a clerk of works in a relative's large hardware shop, Wui Cheong Hardware Sdn. Bhd. In fact, it was reputably the largest hardware shop in this city in the old days.

The flight itself was sheer fun as we flew on a Malaysia-Singapore Airways (MSA)Fokker-friendship, the predecessor of Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) in those days from the Lutong Airfield. What an incredible flight that was, having to sit in a jerky rickety Fokker as it took off with a loud roar from the tarmac that was surrounded by grass and trees!

I could recall on board the crammed small plane, we were given a plastic cup of pineapple juice and some sweets by a charming friendly air hostess with a really cheerful disposition. That was "service with a smile" comparable in some ways to today's MAS' golden girls, I guess.

Coming back to the present Sabah, I am experiencing a Borneo state that is familiar and yet alien in some ways.

There is an air of excitement here. This has to be due in many ways to the multi-cultural races, many attractive friendly members of the public and the opposite sex, plentiful eateries and mega shopping malls.

The locals are friendly and they speak my kind of dialect, Hakka of the 'sing-on-hak' type. In overhearing the locals' conversation in Hakka, I can understand every single word and it is safe to say that the candidness of the speakers speak volumes about the things I need to know about everything here!

But what is the city of today like?

An interesting conflicting conclusion I can make is that it is rich in some ways; yet also poor in many ways.

A trip to the local wet market was a learning experience of the richness of this city in terms of jungle products. Lots and lots of bananas, honey dew fruit, water melons and other exotic fruit were stacked up high virtually almost everywhere. The fruit were amazingly cheap too-prices of bananas at RM2 a comb, honey dews at RM2.00 for 4 huge slices, and so forth. Miri's fruit market was incomparable to the market here with such insane prices!

There were also heaps of dried large prawns that looked simply fleshy-reddish fresh and other sea food around. Fish were abundantly displayed in the fish market.

Looking out to sea, I could see the richness of the sea as Sabahans carried out their abundant harvest of Mother Nature's gift to humans, abundant sea food. Far out in the horizon, it was dotted with numerous fishing vessels and sampans, bobbling gracefully in the deep blue sea. Further ahead could be seen the many kampung houses along the sandy shore of a distant beautiful greenish forested big island known as Pulau Gaya.

Then there is the majestic Mount Kinabalu, south-east Asia's tallest mountain! It attracts tourists like hungry flies to food. A stay in a back-packer's hostel is sufficient to see the many foreign tourists putting up for a night or so, obviously eager to conquer the mountain. Many of these tourists could also be seen mingling around in this capital city, Kota Kinabalu.

That is the golden side of Sabah that I have exprienced since my arrival here over a week ago.

However, there is also a disturbingly less glittery side to this magnificant state that once used to have a reputation as the richest state in the Malaysian federation (Today, Sarawak is considered rich though still considered as underdeveloped).

There are some beggars everywhere. (Don't get me wrong-Sarawak, including my hometown, Miri does have beggars too). They seemed to appear from nowhere like forgotten spirits of the movie kind.

Just the other day, when I was having a meal at a popular spot near my office, an elderly man dressed in rags popped out from nowhere and went around with his open palms to ask for money.

After leaving the coffeehouse, as I strolled along High Street, by the sea, towards another part of the city, an elderly lady, dressed in rags as well, suddenly appeared amongst some metal pilings for a building project that had long been abandoned. Predictably, she stretched out her hand for money as well.

Even an admiring gaze at the clock tower in the evening from my hotel veranda soon turned me off when out of the corner of my eye I caught the sight of some movement on the bench by the roadside. It was between the Traffic Police Station and the KK Municipal Council building.

What was it? As I stared hard, trying to discern what it was, I could see a man with a dark complexion hanging around near it. Seizing my camcorder hastily, I magnified the viewing lens and could see he was actually preparing to bed down for the night!

"Fine!" I tried to falsely reassure myself, "He's just relaxing out there!" Of course it was not true because when I asked the counter clerk he confirmed my nagging suspicion: he was a destitute lost soul who would sleep out there night after night and leave when dawn would break!

To be continued...

A Step Back in Time

2009-06-17T18:06:00.004-07:00

This coming Friday, June 19, 2009 my alma mater will begin its 80th anniversary celebration. There would be an opening ceremony, as usual, by a distinguished guest of honor. This person could be anyone from the ruling political coalition party's highest person such as the Chief Minister down to an ordinary elected representative.

The guest of honor could also be the bishop of the Anglican Church as Mission schools were founded by Christian missionaries through much blood, sweat and tears throughout Malaysia.

In East Malaysia, that is, Sabah and Sarawak, missionaries courageously with the grace of God, endured much hardship in the old days when all all countries were in a stage of development which needed implementation of good infrastructure, better economical and political policies. It was a time when malaria, tuberculosis and fever took the lives of many, most of whom were infants. There was a low cure rate with inadequate medical facilities, a sorry state of affairs that amny countries faced.

Despite the many barriers that missionaries faced, they reached out to the spiritually hungry folks. Living extremely difficult lives like those who were native in the areas deep in the interior of the rainforest and even less developed urban areas, these People of Faith never weavered in comforting the sick and needy and sharing the gospel of love.

In Malaysia, specifically East Malaysia, these godly persons founded academic institutions everywhere. From northern to southern Borneo, they sought the financial assistance of overseas Christians and friends. Millions of dollars were poured into the establishment of these important institutions of learning. The lips of many Malaysians would utter with utmost respect and pride the names of saints from "Saint Luke" to "Saint Mary". Year after year, with fail, thousands of graduates were churned out from these Mission schools.

In Sarawak, the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Ministers, House Speaker and many other ministers and elected representatives experienced the multi-racial sharing that marked, and continues to do so, the important existence of these schools.

My alma mater, St. Columba's School has always faithfully carried out its educational mission. Thousands of Columbans like us are most grateful to the missionaries, Church, school, principal, teachers and the government for their roles in shaping the direction of our lives and instilling the spirit in us to live harmoniously with Malaysians of various races, color and creed.

To all of my fellow Columbans in present day St. Columba, including the principal, teachers and administrative staff, even though I may not know you well, I salute you in your dedication and love for the school. May our school ever progress and its students learn to love it and hold fond memories of their time spent there.

Above are a few pics from the past...

Opening of a new primary school block

2009-06-16T11:05:00.004-07:00

Here's a 1967 pic of one of our most popular Residents, Dato Lampang declaring open our new primary school block...

Columbans! Our alma mater is 80 years old! Wherever you are, come and join the reunion dinner on August 15, 2009. One of our most popular principals, Miss Armour will be coming.

Sarawak's First Flag!

2009-06-12T20:26:00.004-07:00

Wow! This is so cool! I found this pic of Sarawak's first flag. It was known as the Rajah's St. George's Flag!

I think I should have placed a pic of Sarawak's present flag with this so everyone can make a comparison and see how different the two flags are!

My Favorite Kiwi Boss

2009-06-10T20:29:00.005-07:00

Dr. Brian J. Michell of Christchurch, New Zealand.... Five years under him was a tough but a highly beneficial learning experience.... from defensive Kiwi driving to Kiwi office management... This is why I'm less of an emotional Asian boss but more of a disciplined but kind Germanic-Kiwi-Canuck type of office administrator! This includes punctuality which can be understandably tough if one has small kids and a beauty-conscious wife!!!

Thanks, boss for making me more of a humanistic individual! Thank you as well for being such a good Samaratian before I left all of you...

Those years with the Fellowship and your family will always be treasured by me.

By the way, I'm also so glad to hear that good-natured Jonathan(high up on the slide) and lawyerly David(beneath him) are doing exceptionally well in New Zealand...

Mr. DPM, I'm Impressed

2009-06-10T01:57:00.008-07:00

Mr. DPM, I'm impressed with what you said about the importance of English.

That is the gospel truth.

He sees the light at the end of a long dark tunnel.

It was a tunnel of hopelessness when the day some political smart alec got Malaysians into a hellhole. English was removed as an important subject. Books were used which were hastily written for students and the propaganda machinery went into overdrive with the emphasis on just one language, Malay.

There were lost Malaysian souls . Graduates who lived and could survive in a coconut shell. They were the future workers who could hardly read, write or speak basic English leaving educational institutions to seek work. These were engineers, IT specialists and others who would not be employable till they had undergone more studies-at tuition schools!

They were marching into hell as it was and still is a rapidly growing globalized world. The demand for those who could communicate in English, the international language was and still is high. Most materials and bosses were and are speaking English. Unlike their smart all-rounded language experts, these condemned lot could not seek greener pastures elseway.

Having said all that, it is now hoped that a new policy be implemented making a pass in English be compulsory in SPM. Obviously a compulsory subject will definitely mean a keener study of the subject. Perhaps proper professional and objective research also needs to be carried out as quickly as possible to ensure its smooth implementation throughout the nation and a solution to ensure the policy considers the plight of rural regions in Malaysia which are less developed in infrastructure and lack qualified English specialist educators.

Yessir! I will raise my hat to you if you do the right thing!

In fact as an English specialist myself, if there is a call for paid voluntary educators, I will sign up, not for a chestful of patriotic awards but to seek the betterment of my fellow persons, even in the wild rural countryside for such a sensible worthwhile cause.

On a lighter note here are samples of bad English in public. One can only guess what iron straighten is and although clean ears may be clear in the hair dressing saloon advert, ear cleaning would sound better and in the other one, the legal money lending company is advertising on the smaller white piece of paper for a female employee with the words Vacancy on Female instead of for female !!!

A Multi-racial Nation

2009-05-25T01:08:00.000-07:00

Its' a nation with many diverse races.

How can it stay united in the face of growing extremism on many sides?

Just look around us today and compare everything with the past we knew. There's a certain polarity from dress to religion.

While I was in school in the '70s no Malay girls wore a scarf or tudung. Today, everyone of them wears one and it's even made compulsory. There are no exceptions to the rule.

We even exchanged photos with each other in those times. The girls' hair flowed freely and some of them had hair that went way below their shoulders. Was that sexy? Was it so sinful? Was it such a turn-on?

No, it wasn't. The rape statistics would also prove that there were fewer sexual abuse cases in those days compared to these days, I'm sure.

I'm a social animal and there were many days in my youth when we had Malays, Dayaks, Indians and Chinese friends coming together to work and play. We ate, drank and made merry.

Religion was never an issue.

Today I look at the kids and what do I find? They hang around those of their race; drink their own 'brew' and there are even questions and issues on the halal nature of food and for Pete's sake, the cooking pots and pans and so forth.

How's there going to be a simple get-together or pot-luck party when there's a quarrel over the 'clean' state of the utensils?

Another case in point: a Neighborhood Watch or 'Rukun Tetangga' party was held for my neighborhood. I went there for fun and games expecting a party like in the old days. We'll have lucky draws, games and even dancing.

Man, what do I get? It started with a solemn prayer, even though there were more persons of other faiths. With that, my interest to mingle with the opposite sex or others dissipated. When religion comes in, who wants to gossip or talk about exciting things like sex, movies, fashion and so forth? One might as well dress in black as in a funeral wake.

Of course my high expectations of fun included dancing as in old times. Right. No dance, no games-just some spicy food supplied by certain people who were 'clean' enough to prepare it and paid for by RT money.

I never went to another RT party after that.

So I say that people have to be more considerate. In fact, Malaysia should go the liberal way, not attempt to Islamise everything and let people see the importance of sharing and not just one race taking from others only. The Lina Joy court decision was a national tragedy.

The defeatist uncompromising atitudes towards other converts and converts' cases in emotional traumatic matters related to death were and are grievious hari-kiri for bigots who selfishly and stubbornly hold them.

Perhaps too the Singapore model of getting everyone to learn more languages instead of concentrating on one should be encouraged or decreed to buckle the dangerous extremist trend this country is heading for.

Short of making changes now will surely see more widespread polarization and a resulting failed state.

By the way, to my good stern U of A Islamic professor, Dr. Earl Waugh, a graduate of the world famous Islamic University, Al Azhar University of Egypt, I have to withdraw my opinion in my first thesis that Malaysia will be the shiny beacon of perfection amongst multi-national nations.

Susan Boyle in 1984

2009-05-25T01:06:00.000-07:00

Miri's Firecrackers Accident

2009-05-23T23:02:00.003-07:00

Don't play with firecrackers! The consequences of not listening to good advice is this!

The poor Indon apparently set up the lengthy string of crackers
by dangling it from a small metal rod that was placed inside a bigger metal pipe.

When the carckers exploded, the pipe flew off and despite the distance he was standing from it, smashed his skull severely, cracking it open and scattering his brains everywhere.

This accident happened in Miri City during the Chinese New Year celebrations this year.

Playing with firecrackers is an offence of course and rightly so considering the accidents that do happen to youngsters... and no, this fella was not a youngster!

Why People Fail in Power Grabbing

2009-05-15T06:49:00.007-07:00

Let's take a look back in the case of Sarawak when a former Chief Minister, Rahman Yakub with his supporters attempted to regain power... Read what an understanding former minister Adenan Satem said then about those who seek to utilize undemocratic means to form the state government.

The subsequent move by the present popular Chief Minister, Taib Mahmud was brilliant when he quickly dissolved the state legislature, calling for a snap election to let Sarawakians decide whom they preferred, winning the 'chess game'!

Do click over it to enlarge for reading!

Keeping a Promise

2009-05-15T01:45:00.004-07:00

It will be this week-sometime, that is-when I'm going to post somewhere a video of one of Malaysia's best and unforgettable radio deejays, Patrick Teoh aka "The Voice'" given a verbal 'slap in the face' by a lady!!!

Btw, I'm itching to talk about Perak, a state where my late dad was a home guard before the war and my mom received her training as a mid-wife at Ipoh Hospital ...

One thing I can say is I love the state, people, sights and sounds & food there ...

Yes! I think there is a 'great pretender' there!!! The people should decide at the ballot box and not be 'robbed'!

Should Auld Acquaintance be Forgot...

2009-05-14T02:29:00.007-07:00

As the last strains of that haunting song fades...Columbans! Faithful souls of our old school with its Irish saint, Saint Columba! It's time again to come together to celebrate the 80th anniversary of our alma mater!

The tentative date is Saturday, 8th August, 2009 (That's right-8/8/09!) at a leading restaurant-either Eastwood Valley Country Club Restaurant, Imperial Ballroom or Mega Hotel Restaurant.

The ticket will cost RM50.

Oh yes, I'm making arrangements to fly out our beloved Aussie principal, Ms. Leonie Armour from Down under. I'm going to be honored to have her as our guest in my home for the duration of her stay here with us.

Don't miss this big event, folks! Be there or be square!

Here's a joke for old buddies... By the way, bet you never knew-Ms. Armour's Irish!

Two men were sitting next to each other at a bar. After awhile, one guy looks at the other and says, "I can't help but think, from listening to you, that you're from Ireland."

The other guy responds proudly, "Yes, I am!"

The first guy says, "So am I! And where about from Ireland might you be?"

The other guy answers, "I'm from Dublin, I am."

The first guy responds, "So am I!"

"Sure and beggorra. And what street did you live in Dublin?"

The other guy says, "A lovely little area it was. I lived on McCleary Street in the old central part of town."

The first guy says, "Faith and it's a small world. So did I! So did I! And to what school would you be going?"

The other guy answers, "Well now, I went to St. Mary's, of course."

The first guy gets really excited and says, "And so did I. Tell me, what year did you graduate?"

The other guy answers, "Well, now, let's see. I graduated in 1964."

The first guy exclaims,"The good Lord must be smiling down upon us! I can hardly believe our good luck at winding up in the same bar tonight. Can you believe it? I graduated from St. Mary's in 1964 my own self!"

About this time, Vicky walks into the bar, sits down and orders a beer.

Brian, the bartender, walks over to Vicky, shaking his head and mutters, "It's going to be a long night tonight."

Vicky asks,"Why do you say that, Brian?"

"The Murphy twins are drunk again."

A Death Omen

2009-05-08T19:20:00.005-07:00

A strange but true story here...

One day, I had the sudden inspiration to paint the wall of an old building that was formerly used as a dreaded Kempeti (Military police) interrogation centre by the occupying Japanese army during World War 2. The building is located in a graveyard which holds the remains of many foreigners and locals. Most of the foreigners were Aussies, Britons and Canadians, unfortunate victims of rampant diseases as workers in the newly discovered oilfields. The area is close to Sarawak's Miri's most famous landmark, aptly called Canada Hill in honor of many Canadians coming from oil rich Alberta in Canada who had been hired as oil workers.

So back to my story... the walls of the building had been painted with a faded pink and there were black fungi patches all over it. The walls used to be painted in grim black.

I decided to paint sea creatures all over the wall to enliven everything a bit in view of the grim graves and a solitary war memorial that housed the remains of 28 innocent foreign and local civilians-including my granduncle- who were brutally tortured and executed by the barbaric WW2 Japs.

The result of the mural work was colorful sea creatures were randomly splashed everywhere, including the sting ray as shown in the pic.

It was an instant image in my mind that a sting-ray, which my friend and I had had an encounter with back in the late '70s (resulting in his emergency treatment) would serve as a scary warning of its potential devilish dangerous and harmful capabilities beneath its benign appearance ...

Not too long after this, the world would shockingly lose one of our courageous animal rights heroes, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin when he had a rare careless encounter with a sting-ray in Australia .... Could this be a premonition of his death?

My Dream

2009-04-19T02:34:00.006-07:00

I dream of a nation that has a parliamentary democracy with a monarchy which is respected by its citizenry. It will be in the model of Great Britain's and Thailand's democratic system-royalty in pagentry above politics and non-interference in political affairs.

I dream of a nation with equality for all and no special rights for any race. If it is in the constitution, the unfair clause has to be removed. South Africa with its past apartheid policies eventually changed for the betterment of its citizens.

I dream of a nation that has a a non-corrupt government that does not misuse repulsive means of abusive tools of security acts to remove political dissent, criticisms and opposition. No one has to live in fear of sudden disappearance as in certain underdeveloped Third World South American dictatorships and Middle-east monarchies.

I dream of a legal system with courageous honorable courts of law that treats everyone equally under the law and observes the constitution and I dream of a nation that does not fear anyone in regard to religious matters. All people will have the God-given human right to choose and profess the religion they believe in without coercion or compulsion.

Barisan Wins at Batang Ai...Hurrah

2009-04-08T02:14:00.001-07:00

... Many Santa Clauses have come and gone... Here're the gifts you're getting, folks as reported in The Borneo Post ...
Rm 50 million stimulus package for Batang Ai for roads linking all the longhouses PLUS RM12 million for tar-sealing, all coming from the RM60 million stimulus package from Federal... promises Minister of Land Development Dato Sri Dr. james Masing, (BP 26/3/2009)... an assurance from Public Utilities Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan of supply of electricity to Batang Ai longhouses ... RM2 miilion approved for the up-grading of longhouses in Batang Ai promises Deputy Rural & Regional Development Minister Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun, (BP, 29/3/2009)...RM1.5 million for Batang Ai from Federal Int'l Trade & Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, handing a mock cheque for RM1.5 million to Chief Minister of Sarawak Pehin Siri Abdul Taib Mahmud at Demak Jaya, (BP, 5/4/2009)...

Southern Grandma

2009-04-01T01:57:00.004-07:00

Here's something to tickle our funny bone. There's something about the wholesome goodness of some of us who speak straight from the heart without pretension and all the hypocrisy... Maybe some of our rural folks do possess the qualities we have lost!

Ah, the States! I think of Elvis Presley, Jimmy Carter, John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, Jim Reeves, Skeetle Davis, Johnny Horton, Donny and Marie Osmond, Dolly Parton, Eddie Rabitt and so many other folksy southern people many of whom have the unique southern accent when they speak ...

Lawyers should never ask a southern grandma a question if they aren't prepared for the answer.

In a trial, a southern small town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly elderly woman to the stand. He approached her and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know me?"

She responded,"Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a young boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."

The lawyer was stunned! Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?"

She again replied,"Why, yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him."

The defense attorney almost died.

The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said, "If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll send you to the electric chair."

Congrats, Mr. P.M.-to-be!

2009-03-27T02:20:00.004-07:00

As much as I try to be a fair-minded blogger and not subjective, I'm taking this opportunity to offer my congratulations to the next incoming Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Sri Najib Razak.

As an ethnic Chinese, I do share some trepidation (Man, gotta check this spelling-I sense it's not right... will correct it later!) as to what policies he would follow and as a history lover, a sense of deja vu can almost be felt when it is recorded in the annals of Malaysian history as to how his father abruptly became the Prime Minister, taking the reins of power from (yes!)a liberal Prime Minister- cum- founding father of Malaysia, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Here now is an intriguing insightful article by Khoo Kay Peng that I found in the Malaysian Insider-another 'Think out of the box' blog. It somewhat sums up all my thoughts about the change of guard in our Malaysian political scene.

By the way, I'm still trying to say I'm been objective as a Barisan man by having this article here.

Speaking or writing, that is, of objectivity, I may offer my good honorable buddy Nicholas Bawin of Party Keadilan, in the name of fair-play, some useful test-proven FREE 666 tips in playing the political game in a more fairer way (on a more level field? Haha) and yes, a ghost of a chance for the PKR candidate to win Batang Ai, however unlikely as it is, considering the awesome war chest (including brilliant and shrewd minds) that Sarawak's ruling Barisan has.

How about a friendly get-together sometime in Kuching, bud?

The prospect of Umno under Najib - Khoo Kay Peng
MARCH 26 - Najib Razak, Sharizat Jalil and Khairy Jamaluddin are going to form the leadership backbone for Umno. Can their leadership provide a new impetus for the party's revival? Can Umno help to rejuvenate other BN component parties?

There are several issues which the new leadership must address quickly:

1. The party is suffering from a serious perception deficit. It is known for being a bully, a rule bender, rowdy, autocratic and feudalistic. The party does not mind manipulating religion, race and recently the monarchy to satisfy its political agenda.

One of the biggest challenges for the party under the new leadership is to prove to us that it is ready and capable of governing a multiracial society. An Umno which caters for only the Malay community may help to extend the lifeline of the party but not the coalition's. Can Najib convincingly rebrand his leadership to appeal to all Malaysians? Can his leadership be current and flexible enough to win over the waning support of young Malaysians?

2. Umno new leadership is the most controversial in the party's history. Najib is entangled with several allegations. Two veteran leaders, Dr Mahathir and Tengku Razaleigh, had urged the new president to come clean on the matter.

Ku Li told The Malaysian Insider, "(He) should take the witness stand to clear his name or take legal action against the growing number of foreign publications linking him with the murder of Altantuya Shariibuu and the purchase of submarines.

He "should finally face these suspicions and implied charges, submit himself to legal scrutiny, and come clean on them.'' Meanwhile, Khairy was implicated in the last general election as one of the main causes of BN's stunning defeats.

A number of BN leaders had quietly singled him out for arousing the anger of non-Malays. The two leaders have a lot of work to do to repair their public image.

3. Under Najib leadership, will his reforms plan suffer the same fate like Abdullah's?

Several actions taken by the Umno led government do not augur well for his leadership e.g. arbitrary use of ISA against civilians, Perak power grab, dubious decisions taken by public institutions against the opposition, action taken against bloggers, police interference in politics and others.

His leadership has given us a perception that Umno is not committed to promote and defend the rule of law, the federal constitution and the democracy system.

What is Najib's focus and priority?

The interest of this nation or his own political dominance? Malaysians do not like to be kicked around anymore. My sense is that many Malaysians despise unfairness and arrogance.

4. Is Umno willing to share more power with other component parties? These political parties can no longer hide that they are not consulted in policy formulation and decision making within the government. Most of these parties are reduced to making statements in the media.

If the trend continues, expect very little to change in BN. The progress of this country must involve more than just Umno leaders. The party does not have the capacity to single handedly pull this nation out of the current economic dilemma.

The talent pool needs to be enlarged. Is the party willing to consider meritocracy over ethnicity?

5. The current perception today is the party is outdated and does not understand the needs and
wants of a multi-racial nation. Does the party understand what are the key success factors of a society increasing threatened by complex global challenges?

The plate is full for the new Umno leadership. It takes a superhuman performance of the leaders to rebuild and regain the confidence of Malaysians towards the party.

We are at the twilight of a race-based political model.

Is it True?

2009-03-23T02:43:00.004-07:00

Someone shared with me this bit of news recently. The question is, it it true? As it is said, "Laughter is the best medicine" so have a good laugh anyway!

This is from an actual trial in the UK:
A young woman who was several months pregnant boarded a bus.

Then she noticed a young man smiling at her and she began feeling humiliated on account of her condition. She changed her seat and he seemed even more amused.

She moved again; and then on her fourth move he burst out laughing.

She had him arrested.

When the case came before the court, the young man was asked why he acted in such a manner. His reply was: "When the lady boarded the bus, I couldn't help noticing she was pregnant. She sat under the advertisement which read: "Coming Soon: The Cold Dust Twins". Then she moved under one that read: "Slogan's Ligaments Remove Swelling", and I was even more amused when she sat under a shaving advertisement which read: "William's Stick Did the Trick". Then I couldn't control myself any longer when on her fourth move she sat under an advertisement which read: "Dunlop Rubber would have Prevented this Accident".

The case was dismissed.