Diversity is our great wealth

Malaysian Muslims need to travel more, even within the Muslim world just to see its diversity. Muslims all over the world have just as many different cultures and traditions as they do similarities.

I was really hoping to end the year on a happier note. But in a very fractious year, there is simply no let-up. The long list of intolerance and human rights abuse continues unabated.

We live in a country of a great diversity. Our people are of many different ethnicities and religions. That is our great wealth and strength and undoubtedly we have managed to live better with that diversity for more than 50 years.

Now, however, diversity is a fact that can’t even be acknowledged.

What does plurality mean? It just means that we are not homogenous, that we have many different streams among our people, whether it’s ethnic makeup, beliefs or opinions.

Being plural is just a statement of fact, not a judgement call on which of these streams are better than the other.

Yet, there are people warning us about the dangers of pluralism, because apparently pluralism makes equal what they believe is not. Where they got this is not stated.

All of us believe that our religion is the best one. But the fact that other religions exist is something we have to accept.

In parts of the world, our religion is not accepted and indeed discriminated against. If we complain about that, is it not hypocritical for us to do the same at home?

In the Quran, God talks about believers and defines them this way: “Believers are only they whose hearts tremble with awe whenever God is mentioned, and whose faith is strengthened whenever His messages are conveyed unto them, and who in their Sustainer place their trust.” (Surah Al-Anfal, Verse 2).

Can we seriously go around and decide who are believers and who are not? And even if we could, can we do anything about it? As God says, “Behold, God lets go. Astray him who will (to go astray), just as He guides unto Himself all who turn unto Him” (Surah Al-R’ad, Verse 27).

Nor does pluralism refer only to us and the other but also within our own communities. How is it we can be so intolerant even of those within our own fold, unless we don’t know our own religion?

“All believers are but brethren. Hence, (whenever they are at odds) make peace between your two brethren, and remain conscious of God, so that you might be graced with His mercy.” (Surah Al-Hujarat, Verse 10).

And yet, our leaders are calling us to hound people whose beliefs differ from ours, even when their roots go back to the same source as ours.

Sometimes, I think Malaysian Muslims need to travel more, even within the Muslim world, just to see its diversity.

Muslims all over the world have just as many different cultures and traditions as they do similarities.

Not everybody does things exactly the way we do it. Yet their core beliefs, what makes them Muslims, are all the same.

So who are we to decide whether they are wrong or not?

More practically speaking, if we insist that Shiites are deviants, then how do we explain the Islamic Republic of Iran and its membership in the OIC? Or is inconsistency simply part of politics?

Not only are we a plural society in terms of race, religion and within religion itself, we are also plural in other ways, including sexuality.

Here again we go against our own core beliefs in order to act out our own prejudices.

If we believe that God determines everything, then surely our sexuality is not a matter of choice either.

Therefore, if we did not choose to be heterosexual, it stands to reason that nobody chose to be homosexual either. In this way, we are equal before the Divine.

How then does this justify the type of savage discrimination that some of us insist must be inflicted against those of minority sexualities?

If we persecute every single gay man, woman and child in this country, would God guarantee that no disaster will ever befall us henceforth?

If I sound frustrated, it is because I am completely tired of the abhorrently arrogant way that those in authority have conducted themselves in the past year.

Somehow supremacist beliefs about just about everything is gaining ground, not just about race and religion but also about gender, sexuality, age, disability and everything else not considered the “norm”.

Those of us who complain about discrimination and abuse become the ones who are branded irreligious.

Did we forget this verse? “O men! Behold, We have created you all out of males and females, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another”. (Surah Al-Hujarat, Verse 13).

Could there be nothing clearer about a pluralistic world?

Try and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, everyone!

For enlightenment, do read this http://www.ammanmessage.com/.
Diversity is our great wealth

Love does not hurt nor hate

When we discriminate against any member of a group or community, we act against the Constitution, against the Government’s latest calling: 1Malaysia.

“If you just learn a single trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view ... until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” – Atticus Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

TRY this. Take the person next to you right now. Now, try to imagine that you are him or her. Perhaps, you do not know enough about that person? OK, even if you did, would he or she actually act or feel like that?

Slowly, you may just realise this: he or she is not you. But, what if that person were you?

Think about this: the words “transsexual, transgender, homosexual, intersex (person born with female and male genitals)” are just names. Like your name is James or Sarah. However, these words specify the identity of a particular group or community in our society.

Let’s have a look at our Federal Constitution (“the Constitution”); see the design created that appears to include and binds every group and community of Malaysian people. Simply put, the Constitution serves everyone.

For example:

> All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law. – Article 8.

> No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty save in accordance with the law. – Article 5

> This Constitution is the supreme law of the Federation and any law passed after Merdeka Day which is inconsistent with this Constitution shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void. – Article 4.

Clearly, the words “all persons”, “no person” alone shows that the Constitution does not discriminate against transgenders, transsexuals, non-heterosexuals, intersex and such people. Because if that were the case, why imprint these words onto the Constitution?

Meaning, Ah Boon with his noodles in the hawker stall is just as protected by the Constitution as Nanie, a mak nyah having her teh tarik at the mamak shop.

Ironically, when we discriminate against any member in these groups or communities, we act against the Constitution. Similarly, we act against the Government’s latest calling: 1Malaysia.

There has never been “1Malaysia, but ...”

But if you saw a mak pondan next to you right now, would you see her as a non-Malaysian?

Strangely, it would not be the first thing on your mind, would it? How would you feel if someone hurt you for being who you are? In fact, have you ever been hurt like that in your life?

Research also shows that in Malaysia, the transgendered community faces a daily living of rejection, marginalisation, hate, abuse, discrimination and brutality because they are what they are.

In addition, out of 16 countries around the East and Asia Pacific, only five, including Malaysia, deem male-to-male sex as illegal. One of the biggest nations in the world, China, does not decree male-to-male sex as illegal. Even Timor Leste considers it legal.

Are they actually dirty ... evil … wrong, or is it just what people have been telling you to think about them? Do you actually know of one, properly and personally? What if that very person they spoke so cruelly of … were you?

If one tries to analyse the words of 1Malaysia and the Constitution, this common thread may be seen: Malaysia is about peace, unity and equality.

Which makes a lot of sense, since it ties in with our Malaysian nature: “relak … chill la”. As a matter of fact, such spirit guide the law and the people therein, every day, to ensure that justice is served.

For example, the High Court, in the case of Re JG v Pengarah Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara, permitted a male-to-female to have her registration and identity card altered to suit her new gender.

James Foong J held: “She felt like a woman, lived like one, behaved as one, had her physical body attuned to one and, most important of all, her psychological thinking was that of a woman.

“In this case, the first prayer was for a declaration which the court had power under the Specific Relief Act 1950 to grant. As for the second prayer, it concerned only an administrative exercise and the defendant was empowered by law under S 6(2)(o) of the National Registration Act 1959 to make correction and alteration in the register and identity card.

“All these would give full effect to art 5(1) of the Federal Constitution which states that ‘no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty save in accordance with the law’.”

Change happens and we almost always move with change. One man’s meat may be another man’s poison. Interestingly, not everything right makes another thing right: Would you protect your best friend in trouble despite knowing that she or he was wrong?

Why? Because the best thing within us is not a matter that is black or white. And we try our best to strike that balance.

In whole, our humanity lies in love. Just looking at the concept of 1Malaysia and the Constitution, it appears that we, the Malaysian people want to be guided by love.

Love does not discriminate, condemn, hurt or hate. It does not divide nor speak the worst of another. Love is real and fair.

The law looks like a scary piece of paper. However, it is real and, where outdated, change should occur to suit the ever-changing times and our ever-changing needs. After all, the laws were made for all of us.

Transgenders, transsexuals, non-heterosexuals and intersex are a part of us: can we put our sticks down?

> The writer is a young lawyer. Putik Lada, or pepper buds in Malay, captures the spirit and intention of this column – a platform for young lawyers to articulate their views and aspirations about the law, justice and a civil society. For more information about the young lawyers, please visit www.malaysianbar.org.my

Love does not hurt nor hate

Autogate system for foreigners

PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department is planning to create an autogate system for foreigners by the middle of next year, said director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad.

He said that at the moment, the autogate facility was being used by departing local passport holders only.

“By introducing the autogate system for foreigners, we will improve the efficiency of operations at the country’s entry and exit points like KLIA and other international airports.

“It will also strengthen the integrity of immigration officers by preventing bribery,” he said.

Alias added that the system would also be able to detect if foreigners were using fake visas or someone else’s passport. He said that only genuine visitors would be able to pass through the autogate.

“The system will be able to detect passports verified by the Inter­national Civil Aviation Orga­nisation which were being used in more than 60 countries.

On the detection of fake passports or the misuse of genuine documents, Alias said that every visa had a serial number which could be detected by the autogate system.

“If the visa is fake and cannot be read by the system, the gates will not open,’’ he said.

Based on statistics from the enforcement unit, 267 arrests involving foreigners were made under the 1966 Passport Act from January until October.

Another 22 offenders were arrested during operations with other authorities.

Alias said that his department was already working with other countries to share information and expertise.

“We are working with Australia and the Netherlands and will be partnering with the United States and Britain.

“We are currently preparing the framework for a memorandum of understanding with both countries,” Alias told mStar in an exclusive interview.

Autogate system for foreigners

1,000 retired English teachers to be hired

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry plans to recruit 1,000 retired English language teachers on a contractual basis, deputy minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said.

The move would complement the recruitment of native English-speaking teachers from countries such as Britain and Australia.

“These retired teachers will be employed part-time on a contractual basis to teach English in schools.

“We are also looking at extending current teachers’ contracts and increasing the intake of English language teachers,” he told reporters after attending the 2010 Inter­national Competitions and Assess­ments For Schools awards ceremony here yesterday.

In the Budget tabled in Parliament last month, it was announced that 375 native English-speaking teachers would be employed to train local teachers.

Dr Wee added that recruitment of foreign teachers was just one method to strengthen the teaching of English in schools.

“There is a perception that we are not engaging local talent, but this is not true. We are trying to get as many qualified teachers as possible and this will involve a multi-faceted approach,” he said.

On sex education, Dr Wee said the subject was not a new one but an “improved and updated” version of the existing curriculum.

“There is the social and reproductive health component, which is already taught.

“As the primary and secondary school syllabi will be revamped next year, this subject has undergone an update as well,” he said.

Earlier in Subang Jaya, Dr Wee said the construction of a new Chinese primary school – SJKC Tun Tan Siew Sin – in Putra Heights would commence once the local council approved the building plans.

Announcing the approval of a piece of land worth RM11mil by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for the school, he said the ministry had also approved RM6mil to build it.

He said the residents in Putra Heights were pleased with the news and thanked Muhyiddin and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for it.

“The school can accommodate 1,400 pupils per session. It will also cater to the needs of the community in the surrounding areas,” Dr Wee said after visiting the site.

Also present were chairmen or representatives from the five residents’ committees in Putra Heights and the school’s building committee chairman Lim Kim Hui.
1,000 retired English teachers to be hired

Sektor Perbankan Seharusnya Perkenalkan Lebih Banyak Produk Inovatif

KUALA LUMPUR, 20 Okt (Bernama) -- Sektor perbankan seharusnya meningkatkan usaha dalam memperkenalkan lebih banyak produk kreatif dan inovatif untuk merangsangkan perniagaan dan perdagangan, kata Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

Beliau berkata ini adalah seiring dengan inisiatif kerajaan untuk memberikan penekanan kepada pertumbuhan yang diterajui sektor swasta dan pada masa yang sama memastikan Malaysia terus menjadi negara yang mesra pelabur.

"Pastinya, kita telah berada di landasan yang betul sekarang memandangkan pelbagai inisiatif seperti Model Baru Ekonomi dan Program Transformasi Ekonomi telahpun diperkenalkan untuk merancakkan lagi pertumbuhan ekonomi.

"Yang demikian, adalah penting untuk sektor perbankan untuk kekal berdaya saing dalam bergerak ke hadapan.

"Dengan lebih banyak produk inovatif dan kreatif dalam sektor perbankan, ia akan meletakkan Malaysia di barisan hadapan dalam menarik lebih banyak pelaburan di dalam dan luar negara," kata beliau kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan kerjasama antara RHB Bank Bhd dan PayPal dalam memperkenalkan dua perkhidmatan pembayaran inovatif yang baharu.

PayPal ialah peneraju global rumusan dalam talian dengan lebih 87 juta akaun di 190 pasaran dan 24 mata wang seluruh dunia.

RHB dan PayPal telah memeterai perjanjian eksklusif untuk menyediakan para pengguna bank dengan dua perkhidmatan pembayaran inovatif baharu di Malaysia.

Kedua-dua perkhidmatan itu ialah "Top-Up" online ke akaun PayPal dan pemindahan wang dalam talian menerusi platform pembayaran global PayPal.

Mustapa berharap kerjasama ini adalah permulaan kepada banyak lagi inisiatif yang akan muncul dalam sektor perbankan.

"Kami berharap ia akan menyaksikan perdagangan yang lebih hebat antara Malaysia dan rakan niaganya," tambah beliau.

-- BERNAMA

Sanak Saudara

Hari ini Okt 15, 2010.. Hari yang panas dan menyedihkan, telah lama aku menyimpan perasaan ini dan telah lama aku berusaha. Nampaknya lebih baik aku buat haluan sendiri selepas ini. Apa yang aku maksudkan adalah hubangan kekelurgaan dan sanak saudara...

Kekadang kita yang mengaku saudaramara boleh betikam lidah, ada pula yang depan mengaku saudara dibelakang dicanang pada orang yang tidak ada hubungan persaudaraan dan ada pula yang terus nak putus saudara kerana hal2 pribadi... Sedih kalau nak difikirkan, tapi itu lah lumrah hidup...

Aku mula sedar dan dapat melihat jelas dengan jawapan2 yang lama aku cari, sekarang aku lebih pasti akan arah tuju ini hubungan perkeluargaan dan sanaksaudara ini. Memang dah selalu dengar kerana harta putus saudara, tapi bagi aku itu semua tak penting, yang penting adalah hubungan yang kukuh tali persaudaraan..

Sekarang ini aku mula terfikir, kalaulah satu hari nanti aku menjadi usahawan berjaya, mesti ramai sanak saudara yang tak pernah aku jumpa akan datang dan yang pernah tak mengaku saudara pun akan mula mengaku saudara kembali. Pelik? tapi itu adalah kenyataan, aku diam tidak bermakna aku terima semua apa orang cakap dan perlalukan pada keluarga aku. Persoalannya kenapa manusia, terutama orang MELAYU ini berperangai macam ini, hasrat dengki, eri hati dan gila kuasa/ harta.. Aku pun pelik, apa kepuasan yang dia orang dapat dari semua itu?. Mula hari ini, pada siapa sahaja yang nak mengaku saudara aku, aku terima sahaja dan yang tidak nak itu aku tak boleh buat apa-apa, sebab kau orang pun bukannya budak-budak lagi. Dah tahu yang mana baik dan buruk..

Akan tetapi keluarga yang terinayanya ini tidak akan bertidak balas, Allah itu maha besar.. Setiap perbuatan yang baik akan dibalas dengan baik, dan juga sebaliknya..Biarlah.. Perpatah melayu ada berkata.. Rambut sama hitam hati lain-lain.. Luka diluar boleh nampak, tapi luka didalam tiada orang tahu... Aku bukan jenis berdendam, tapi ingat. ini mungkin hari keluarga aku, satu hari nanti akan tiba hari kelurga mereka dan masa itu biarlah dia merasakan apa yang orang lain rasakan selama ini....

Amin

now you know the salary of hitz.fm morning crew, Lil’ Kev wins Astro suit

KUALA LUMPUR: Popular deejay Kevin Arokiasamy, better-known as “Lil’ Kev” who formerly co-hosted the Morning Show, won his breach of contract lawsuit against Astro’s Airtime Manage­ment & Programming Sdn Bhd.

High Court Judicial Comm­issioner Justice Rosilah Yop awarded a declaration to Lil’ Kev that a letter by Airtime Manage­ment dated Aug 28, 2003, meant that the defendant had violated the terms of an agrement.

Justice Rosilah issued a declaration that the violation of the terms meant that he could terminate the agreement and claim for damages.

She declared that the letter and its order was a modification to the terms of the agreement which required his consent.

The judge has ordered that damages be assessed after hearing evidence from Lil’ Kev and three witnesses of the defendant.

In his suit filed on Dec 15, 2004, Lil’ Kev claimed that he had entered into an agreement with the defendant on Aug 29, 2002 where he consented to serve its radio station hitz.fm for two years.

His salary for the duration of the contract was RM24,000 per month for the first year and RM26,000 each month the second year.

He said the dispute occurred when he was directed to transfer to the afternoon shift which he felt violated the terms of the agreement.

Lil’ Kev has been co-hosting the Morning Show since 1997.

In a statement of defence filed on Feb 21, 2005, the defendant stated that although it reserved the right to modify, add to or eliminate all or any part of benefits at any time, it had offered relevant incentives to Lil’ Kev.

Speaking to reporters later, his lawyer Isa Aziz Ibrahim said the defendant had no right to transfer his client to the afternoon shift as it violated the terms of the agreement.

When contacted by The Star, Lil’ Kev, 39, said he was relieved by the judgment.

“Normally, corporate companies are not favourable to us. It should protect the talent,” he said.

He said the judgment would be “a sort of protection for deejays so that they will not be easily pushed around”.

Lil’ Kev wins Astro suit

RM1.3 billion suit filed against Astro operator

KUALA LUMPUR: A company supplying television support equipment today filed a RM1.3 billion suit against MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems Sdn Bhd.

AV Asia Sdn Bhd filed the suit this morning here against MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems, the company which operates Astro, for breach of mutual non-disclosure agreement over a satellite dish technology.

In the suit, filed at the High Court Registry here this morning, AV Asia is claiming RM1.3 billion for exemplary and aggravated damages.

It named Tele System Electronics (M) Sdn Bhd as the second defendant.

AV Asia CEO V. Vijaya Kumar was present this morning and the suit was filed by counsel Ravi Sodhi.

Ravi, when met with reporters following the filing, said his client had learnt that the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had made recommendations to MEASAT to conduct studies on the use of different satellite dish sizes and design to reduce existing rain fade problems inherent in the satellite dish.

Rain fade is a characteristic of satellite transmission in tropical weather conditions where, during rain, the satellite transmission would suffer from interruptions.

AV Asia claimed MEASAT used their confidential information to launch its Astro Byond high definition service at the end of 2009.

Ravi explained that on June 18, 2007, AV Asia requested Maspro, a Japan incorporated company which also provides television support equipment, to initiate research and later brought this to MEASAT.

A mutual non-disclosure agreement was then signed between both parties, dated Aug 1, 2008, and confidential information was shared during negotiations between both parties.

However, Ravi alleged that AV Asia later discovered MEASAT had disclosed the confidential information to tender bidders, Tele System Electronics.

"The complaint here is the mutual agreement that had been breached. The agreement only allowed the exchange of confidential information between the two parties," he said.

When asked about the amount of the claim, he said the amount stated was derived from the commercialisation of Astro Byond.

He added that AV Asia was also claiming for its losses, due to the alleged agreement breach, to be assessed.

PayPal to open 2nd operations hub in KL

ONLINE payment specialist, PayPal, plans to open its second Asian service operations hub in Kuala Lumpur within the next six months.

This is to cater for an increasing demand for e-commerce, particularly in the Asean region.

PayPal Asia Pacific Vice President Farhad Irani said the company is at present scouting for an appropriate location and approval from the relevant authorities.

"We will be able to make a definitive announcement within the next three months. We also hope this hub will be operational by year-end," he added, when asked about the investment by the company for the hub.

Irani said the hube will employ between 250 to 400 people with the ability to speak different languages in serving the various countries in Asean.

"The company has at present, service operations in Shanghai, China, with 450 employees," he highlighted.

He said the opening of the hub in Kuala Lumpur is part of the company's long term plan to strengthen its presence in Malaysia.

Irani had earlier signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) and eBay.

The MoU will see PayPal and eBay organise a series of seminars, workshops and provide consultation support services to Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, witnessed the signing of the MoU.

The implementation of the eBay for Business Programme, will see the SMEs gain knowledge on how to effectively conduct market research, undertake sourcing and marketing of products as well as provide customer service for the merchant sector.

Irani said PayPal and eBay remain very optimistic about the prospects of e-commerce.

"With 15.8 million internet users and e-commerce expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 28 per cent from 2006 to 2010, the potential for Malaysia remains tremendous," he explained.

On eBay, for example, Malaysia is one of the most active markets in cross border trade within Southeast Asia.

"The total value of goods, sold to overseas markets like the United States or Europe by Malaysian eBay sellers alone, grew by 69 per cent year-on-year in January 2010," he said.

It was reported that PayPal processed more than US$6 billion in total payments volume in the Asia Pacific in 2009.

Irani said with the special tie-up with Matrade, its members who sign up for PayPal accounts will benefit from a 25 per cent discount on all transactions fees for the first 100 transactions, made within their first three months of registration.

Besides that, eBay will also be waiving insertion fees for the first 100 listings created by Matrade members.

PayPal, which is an eBay company, manages more than 84 million active accounts in 190 markets and 24 currencies around the world. - Bernama


Read more: PayPal to open 2nd operations hub in KL http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20100519143307/Article/index_html#ixzz0z3LlyDKL

PayPal to open 2nd operations hub in KL

Malaysia ranked 13th in freedom to travel survey

DUBAI: Malaysia has been ranked 13th in a global survey conducted to gauge travel freedom enjoyed by the citizens of various countries.

The Henley Visa Restrictions Index-Global Ranking 2010 was compiled by Henley & Partners, a firm that specialises in international residence and citizenship planning.

The United Kingdom, Denmark and Sweden topped the list with a score of 166, 164 and 163, respectively.

The index ranked countries according to the visa-free access its citizens enjoy, to other countries, Henley & Partners said on its website.

With a score of 151, Malaysia was ranked above countries and territories such as Liechtenstein, Hong Kong, Brazil, South Africa, Montenegro, Russian Federation, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, India, Egypt and China.

The firm said it had analysed the visa regulations of all countries and territories in the world.

"This is the first time that a global ranking shows the international travel freedom of the citizens of the various countries, as well as the international relations and status of individual countries relative to others," it said.

The company noted that in today's globalised world, visa restrictions played an important role in controlling the movement of foreign nationals across borders.

"Almost all countries now require visas from certain non-nationals who wish to enter their territory," it added. - Bernama

Malaysia ranked 13th in freedom to travel survey

Menyusur galur buku

SEPERTI diketahui umum, cerita- cerita dalam buku Sejarah Melayu kebanyakannya ditulis bagi memuji dan mengagungkan raja-raja Melayu lama.

Naskhah asal Sejarah Melayu mula ditulis pada zaman Sultan Melaka, Sultan Mahmud Shah, dan dikatakan dibawa ke Goa apabila Melaka jatuh ke tangan Portugis.

Ia kemudian dibawa balik ke Johor oleh Orang Kaya Suguh sebelum disusun semula oleh Tun Sri Lanang semasa beliau dipenjarakan di Aceh.

Ketika itu, Kesultanan Johor diserang askar-askar Aceh.

Oleh itu, dalam kekecohan tersebut, Sultan Johor berkemungkinan besar terdesak untuk membuktikan kepada rakyat tentang kekuasaan dan haknya menerusi Sejarah Melayu.

Kajian atas arca dan batu bersurat perkuat teori kewujudan agama Buddha

SELAIN kajian yang dibuat terhadap enam bab pertama buku Sejarah Melayu, kajian arkeologi turut membuktikan bahawa kerajaan Melayu lama di Singapura pernah berada di bawah pengaruh agama Buddha.

Pakar sejarah dan kaji purba, Profesor Madya Dr John Miksic, berkata 90 peratus daripada arca dan batu bersurat purba yang ditemui di Semenanjung Tanah Melayu dan Sumatera berasal daripada agama Buddha.

Menurutnya, hanya 10 peratus sahaja daripada penemuan tersebut berasal daripada agama Hindu, sekali gus membuktikan bahawa teori yang diajukan sejarawan setempat, Encik Kwa Chong Guan, kemungkinan adalah benar.

Dalam seminarnya baru-baru ini, Encik Kwa berkata kerajaan Melayu lama Singapura dan penduduknya mungkin asalnya beragama Buddha, berdasarkan kajian beliau terhadap bab pertama hingga keenam teks Sejarah Melayu karya bendahara Johor, Tun Sri Lanang.

Ini kerana beliau menemui unsur-unsur agama Buddha dalam versi teks Sejarah Melayu milik Sir Stamford Raffles, Raffles Malay 18 - versi paling lama disusun pada kurun ke-19.

Dr Miksic memberikan beberapa contoh artifak yang membuktikan kewujudan pengaruh Buddha.

Antaranya batu bersurat ditulis dalam bahasa Sanskrit dengan skrip purba Devanegari kurun ke-10, yang ditemui di Pulau Karimun, sekitar 30 kilometer dari Singapura. Ia masih terdapat di sana.

'Tulisan di permukaannya menyatakan ia ditulis penganut agama Buddha Mahayana. Ia ditulis dalam zaman Kerajaan Sriwijaya, kerajaan Melayu silam beragama Buddha Mahayana yang berkuasa dari kurun ke-7 hingga ke-13,' ujarnya.

Kerajaan Sriwijaya berpusat di Palembang dan pengaruhnya tersebar luas hingga ke seluruh Indonesia, Malaysia dan Filipina.

Ia banyak dipengaruhi budaya India - pertama budaya agama Hindu, diikuti agama Buddha, yang diperkenalkan di sana pada 425 Masihi.

Menurutnya, nama Sri Tri Buana, pengasas Singapura purba, adalah istilah agama Buddha yang biasa digunakan pada kurun ke-14.

'Sebuah kitab Buddha bahasa Thai daripada kurun ke-14 yang mengisahkan tentang takdir berjudul Doktrin Trai Phum atau Doktrin Tri Buana dalam bahasa Sanskrit. Seperti yang dikatakan Encik Kwa, Tri Buana bermaksud tiga alam yang dipercayai wujud dalam agama Buddha.

'Nama-nama empat raja Melayu pertama memerintah Singapura lama (Sri Tri Buana, Paduka Sri Pikrama Wira, Sri Rama Wikerma, Paduka Seri Maharaja) juga bukan nama Islam,' ujar pensyarah Jabatan Pengajian Asia Tenggara, Universiti Nasional Singapura (NUS) itu.

Menurut beliau, keramat Iskandar Shah di Fort Canning juga kemungkinan besar sebuah candi Buddha.

'Tidak mungkin beliau dikebumikan di sini kerana beliau menjadi sultan di Melaka dan meninggal dunia di sana sekitar 1413. Malah, keramat tidak semestinya menempatkan kubur. Ia juga boleh jadi tempat memuja, tempat bertafakur dan lain-lain lagi,' ujar beliau, yang mengetuai penggalian arkeologi pertama di Singapura pada 1984.

Malah, penghuni Singapura berbangsa British pertama, John Crawford, juga pernah mencatatkan bahawa terdapat saki-baki candi dan biara Buddha di Fort Canning.

Menurut Dr Miksic, agama Buddha dibawa ke rantau Melayu oleh pedagang dan kelasi Melayu yang menjelajah ke negeri India.

Katanya, pada kurun kelima, sesetengah orang Melayu di Kedah dan Patani menjadi penganut Buddha - terbukti daripada inskripsi Buddha yang ditemui di selatan Kedah dan Seberang Perai di Pulau Pinang.

Pada kurun ke-7 pula, kerajaan Sriwijaya memeluk agama Buddha Mahayana. Agama Buddha mungkin tersebar ke sana dari rantau Bihar, timur laut India, tempat terletaknya biara Nalanda.

'Sriwijaya adalah antara tempat utama bagi pembelajaran agama Buddha ketika itu. Selain guru-guru India, sami Buddha berbangsa Benggali, Atisha, serta sami Cina, Yijing, juga belajar di sana sebelum meneruskan perjalanan ke India untuk belajar di biara Nalanda.

'Malah, orang Melayu dulu kala juga yang merintis jalan perdagangan jarak jauh merentasi Lautan Hindi. Penghuni pertama Madagascar pada kurun ke-5 juga bukan orang India atau Afrika, tetapi orang Melayu,' kata beliau.

Kisah dan cara buku ditulis banyak dipengaruhi unsur Islam

TEORI sejarawan setempat, Encik Kwa Chong Guan, yang menyatakan bahawa kerajaan Melayu lama Singapura mungkin menganuti agama Buddha berdasarkan unsur-unsur agama itu yang terdapat dalam buku Sejarah Melayu mungkin kurang tepat, kata pakar sastera Melayu yang juga Penolong Profesor Jabatan Pengajian Melayu, Universiti Nasional Singapura (NUS), Dr Jan Van Der Putten.

Ini kerana buku itu sebenarnya adalah teks berunsur agama Islam kerana sebahagian besar kisah yang terkandung di dalamnya dan cara ia ditulis dipengaruhi budaya Islam.

Meskipun buku itu mengandungi unsur Buddha, Hindu, animisme dan pagan, terutama dalam enam bab pertama, ia lebih banyak dipengaruhi unsur Islam kerana ditulis pada zaman Kesultanan Johor - kerajaan Islam.

Malah, buku yang disusun dan ditulis bendahara Johor, Tun Sri Lanang, pada 1612 itu mula ditulis dalam zaman Kesultanan Melaka, juga kerajaan Islam.

Menurut Dr Van Der Putten, pengaruh kuat agama Islam dalam Sejarah Melayu jelas terbukti dalam prolognya.

'Sejarah Melayu dimulakan dengan bacaan bismillah, puji-pujian kepada Allah, syahadat, serta pujian dan bacaan selawat ke atas Nabi Muhammad saw,' ujarnya.

Malah, ia juga diberi nama Sulalatus Salatin oleh pengarangnya, yang bermaksud pertuturan atau salasilah segala raja dalam bahasa Arab.

Keseluruhan buku itu juga ditulis dalam Jawi, cara penulisan yang diubah suai daripada bahasa Arab - bahasa perantaraan kaum Islam sejagat.

Dr Van Der Putten menambah meskipun unsur-unsur kepercayaan orang Melayu purba seperti Buddha dan Hindu dicampuradukkan dalam Sejarah Melayu, ia telah disesuaikan kepada konteks agama Islam oleh pengarangnya.

Beliau memberikan contoh 'kontrak sosial' antara ketua menteri Palembang, Demang Lebar Daun, dengan raja Palembang, Sang Sapurba, dalam bab kedua buku itu.

Demang Lebar Daun sebagai wakil rakyat meminta raja Melayu agar tidak memberi aib kepada rakyat. Sang Sapurba pula meminta rakyat agar tidak sesekali menitikkan darah raja ke bumi dan menderhaka sekalipun raja berbuat zalim.

Menurut Encik Kwa, kontrak sosial seperti itu mungkin tercatat dalam kitab Buddha, Digha Nikaya, tetapi Dr Van Der Putten berpendapat bahawa kontrak sosial itu menggambarkan undang-undang syariah Islam.

Dalam bab keenam, kerajaan Singapura ditimpa 'bala' dan binasa diserang Majapahit. Katanya, senario tersebut menggambarkan azab daripada Tuhan yang menimpa negeri itu - akibat raja tidak mematuhi undang-undang yang ditetapkan dan bertindak zalim ke atas rakyat.

Malah, bendahara Singapura, Sang Rajuna Tapa, yang menderhaka kepada raja dan negeri sendiri, juga bertukar menjadi batu.

Menurutnya, meskipun beliau tidak pasti sama ada konsep kontrak sosial itu berasal daripada agama Buddha, beliau berpendapat konsep tersebut dan hukuman yang menimpa sesiapa yang tidak mematuhi raja adalah sesuatu yang lebih universal daripada agama Buddha.

Kerajaan Melayu lama Singapura beragama Buddha? Bukti diperolehi melalui kajian ke atas Sejarah Melayu

Ramai menyangka kerajaan Melayu lama di Singapura beragama Hindu. Namun, seorang sejarawan setempat, Encik Kwa Chong Guan, yang menjalankan kajian ke atas buku 'Sejarah Melayu' telah mengemukakan satu teori bahawa mereka mungkin beragama Buddha. Teori beliau itu disampaikan dalam satu seminar anjuran Pusat Kajian Sejarah Asia, Pusat Nalanda-Sriwijaya di Iseas. NURUL DAYANA SIMANGOON (dayans@sph.com.sg) menyusuri teori tersebut.

SEBELUM kedatangan Islam, ramai menyangka kerajaan Melayu lama di Singapura dan penduduknya menganuti agama Hindu.

Namun, teori seorang sejarawan setempat, Encik Kwa Chong Guan, telah menarik perhatian apabila beliau menyatakan bahawa kerajaan Melayu lama itu mungkin asalnya merupakan penganut agama Buddha.

Ini berdasarkan kajian beliau ke atas enam bab pertama Sejarah Melayu, yang menurutnya mengandungi beberapa unsur agama tersebut.

Buku Sejarah Melayu atau Sulalatus Salatin, yang tidak asing di kalangan para akademik dan pelajar pengajian Melayu, ditulis oleh Tun Sri Lanang, bendahara Johor, pada 1612.

Encik Kwa membuat kajian ke atas versi Sejarah Melayu milik Sir Stamford Raffles, yang digelar Raffles Malay 18 - versi paling lama yang disusun pada kurun ke-19.

Ia dokumen sejarah penting mengisahkan kebangkitan, kegemilangan dan kejatuhan zaman kerajaan Melayu lama di rantau ini, termasuk di Singapura.

Encik Kwa, daripada Sekolah Pengajian Antarabangsa S. Rajaratnam (RSIS) Universiti Teknologi Nanyang (NTU), berkata unsur-unsur Buddha itu dipercayai antara bukti Semenanjung Tanah Melayu, termasuk Singapura, mungkin pernah berada di bawah pengaruh agama Buddha sebelum Islam tersebar luas di rantau ini sekitar kurun ke-15.

Ini sekali gus mungkin dapat mengukuhkan lagi teori wujudnya satu kerajaan Melayu lama di Singapura yang membina istana di Bukit Larangan atau Fort Canning Hill sebelum penemuan Singapura moden oleh Sir Stamford Raffles pada 1819.

Kerajaan yang dipercayai didirikan Sang Nila Utama atau digelar Sri Tri Buana pada kurun ke-13 itu dan berterusan selama lima keturunan, dikatakan mungkin mengamalkan agama Buddha Mahayana, yang tersebar luas di rantau Melayu ketika itu.

Encik Kwa, yang juga Ketua Program Luar RSIS, telah menyampaikan hujahnya itu dalam satu seminar The Buddhist Origins of 'Singapura': Re-reading Chapters 1-6 of the Sejarah Melayu (Asal Usul Buddha Singapura: Pengkajian Semula Bab 1-6 Sejarah Melayu).

Ia dianjurkan Pusat Kajian Sejarah Asia, Pusat Nalanda-Sriwijaya, di Institut Pengajian Asia Tenggara (Iseas).

Menjelaskan kajiannya, Encik Kwa berkata meskipun orang Melayu sudah memeluk Islam ketika Sejarah Melayu ditulis, mereka masih dipengaruhi agama Buddha dan Hindu - amalan nenek moyang mereka.

Lantaran itu tidak hairanlah Sejarah Melayu dicampuradukkan dengan pelbagai mitos dan legenda berunsur agama Buddha, Hindu dan pagan, selain Islam.

Antara unsur ketara ialah nama Sri Tri Buana (juga dikenali sebagai Sang Nila Utama) yang dipetik daripada kekata agama Buddha bermaksud 'raja tiga alam' dalam bahasa Sanskrit.

'Penganut Buddha Mahayana percaya seseorang itu boleh dilahirkan dalam tiga alam - arapudhatu atau alam tertinggi yang penghuninya telah mendapat petunjuk, rupadhatu atau alam pertengahan yang belum mendapat petunjuk, dan kamadhatu atau alam terbawah yang tidak mendapat petunjuk.

'Oleh itu gelaran raja tiga alam itu menunjukkan penulis Sejarah Melayu mungkin telah memaparkan Sang Nila Utama sebagai penjelmaan semula dewa Buddha mazhab Mahayana, Avalokitesvara. Ini memandangkan pengaruh kuat agama tersebut di Nusantara sebelum ketibaan Islam,' ujar beliau, yang juga mantan pengarah Muzium Negara.

Menurutnya, tujuan Sejarah Melayu ditulis mungkin berunsur politik - bagi memberikan raja-raja Melayu hak dari segi moral dan agama untuk terus bertakhta dengan mendakwa diri mereka keturunan dewa-dewi serta mempunyai kuasa sakti atau daulat.

Satu lagi unsur Buddha yang diketengahkan Encik Kwa, juga salah seorang penulis buku Singapore: 700 Year History, adalah asal usul nama Singapura.

Menurut Sejarah Melayu, Sang Nila Utama, raja Bintan yang berpindah ke Temasek, menamakan pulau ini Singapura selepas melihat seekor singa - dianggap satu petanda baik yang membawa tuah. Singapura bermaksud Kota Singa dalam bahasa Sanskrit.

Namun, singa juga merupakan antara simbol penting agama Buddha iaitu lambang kerajaan, kekuatan dan kekuasaan Buddha.

Malah, terutama dalam amalan Buddha Tibet, Buddha biasanya dipaparkan sebagai menduduki takhta atau singgahsana berbentuk singa. Ajaran Buddha juga kadangkala digelar 'ngauman singa'.

'Avalokitesvara dikenali sebagai dewa yang mempunyai 'Takhta Singa' atau Sinhasana dalam bahasa Sanskrit. Oleh itu, mungkin kisah asal usul nama Singapura itu sebenarnya melambangkan pulau itu sebagai pilihan utama Sri Tri Buana, iaitu penjelmaan semula dewa Buddha bagi 'Takhta Singa' beliau,' ujarnya.

Kontrak sosial antara raja Palembang, Sang Sapurba, yang mewakili raja Melayu dan ketua menteri, Demang Lebar Daun, yang mewakili rakyat, dalam bab kedua Sejarah Melayu juga mungkin berunsur Buddha.

Diriwayatkan Demang Lebar Daun telah menawarkan anaknya, Wan Sendari, kepada Sang Sapurba sebagai isteri dengan syarat raja menepati satu waad (perjanjian) agar anaknya terselamat daripada penyakit kulit yang melanda semua isteri Sang Sapurba (akibat kuasa sakti).

Sang Sapurba pula meminta agar rakyat tidak sesekali menitikkan darah raja ke bumi, walau raja Melayu jahat dan zalim pekertinya.

Beliau berkata barang siapa tidak menetapi perjanjian itu, maka 'dibalikkan Allah bumbung rumahnya ke bawah, kaki tiangnya ke atas'.

Teori kontrak sosial seperti itu, kata Encik Kwa, mungkin wujud dalam kitab Buddha digelar Digha Nikaya, di bahagian Agganna Suttanta.

Satu lagi unsur Buddha ialah upacara bersiram, yang dikisahkan dalam bab kedua Sejarah Melayu.

Diriwayatkan, setelah Sang Sapurba mengahwini Wan Sendari, satu 'panca persada (tempat bersiram) tujuh pangkat, lima kemuncaknya... bekas air mandi sekaliannya emas berpermata' telah ditukangi.

Selepas genap 40 hari dan 40 malam 'makan minum bersuka-sukaan, pasangan suami isteri itu diarak tujuh kali berkeliling panca persada itu dan dimandikan'.

Menurut Encik Kwa, upacara itu serupa dengan upacara bersiram yang diamalkan penganut Buddha mazhab Tantrik bagi menyucikan diri, digelar kalas abhiseka.

10 couples caught naked daily on Terengganu beaches

KUALA TERENGGANU: As many as 10 couples are caught daily by anti-vice volunteers along the Tok Jembal and Teluk Ketapang beaches, which are increasingly becoming favourite haunts for sexual trysts.
Many of them are said to be students from institutes of higher learning.
A volunteer, who requested anonymity, said most of the couples were caught “doing it” behind coconut trees, rocks, inside cars and even openly on the beaches.
“For non-Muslim couples, we could only advise them on the sensitivity of their action to the locals but Muslims caught will be produced before the Syariah Court,” he said.
He said anti-vice officers would go to places identified as “hot spots” to catch the culprits in the act.
“We listen for sounds of heavy breathing and kissing.
“We then move in and aim our torchlights on the couples. In most cases, they are caught naked.”
The officer said the procedure was to wait awhile before approaching the couples so as to get evidence for prosecution purposes.
“I have daughters and I feel sorry for the parents of these couples,” he said, adding that the youngsters had betrayed the trust of their folk who hoped their children would excel in their education.
The 48-year-old volunteer, who claimed to have caught 1,200 couples on the beaches since signing up as a volunteer in 2004, said he had had enough.
“I cannot take it any longer and am thinking of giving up this work. I have decided that enough is enough after six years as a volunteer,” he said.
Terengganu state executive councillor Rozi Mamat said he had received reports that “dozens of young couples” had been spotted in compromising positions at both the beaches.
“I have received numerous complaints from nearby villagers about immoral behaviour,” he said.
Rozi, newly-appointed as the state Youth and Sports committee chairman, said: “These activities could lead to moral decay among our youths if we keep mum on the matter.”
To address the situation, Rozi plans to suggest to the state government to light up both beaches and intensify patrols at “hot” areas.

10 couples caught naked daily on Terengganu beaches

Malaysia's broadband access most expensive in APAC

Malaysia telecom operators paid the most for their Ethernet broadband lines in the Asia-Pacific region while their peers in Hong Kong enjoyed the lowest access bills, according to a recent study by the Asia-Pacific Carriers' Coalition (APCC).
Released on Jun. 14, the survey revealed that Malaysia topped four out of five categories--differentiated by network speeds--covering Ethernet broadband monthly rental and installation costs. It was second highest in the fifth category, revealed the study.
For instance, the monthly rental and installation cost for 2Mbps circuit would cost an operator in Malaysia US$4,564 but only US$374 in Hong Kong.
Surpassing Thailand, which was ranked second in the study, Malaysia had the costliest local Internet access lines in the Asia-Pacific region.
Only countries with the top two most costly bills, as well as the country with the lowest access bill, were ranked.
The study showed that Singapore, which was the costliest for telecom providers when the survey was last conducted in 2006, dropped down the list this year. However, the Republic was still "two to three times" more expensive than the cheapest country, Hong Kong.
The report also stated that demand for Ethernet broadband access has not only "continued to rise" but the demand for higher bitrates is also increasing. This upward trend is reflected by the availability of information, compared to previous years, on carriers requesting for 10Gbps access circuits.
The study, which Telecommunications Research Project Corporate (TRPC) was commissioned to conduct, gathered information from seven international carriers and looked at three forms of access platforms: Ethernet, leased lines and DSL (digital subscriber line).
For Ethernet broadband cost, the survey covered 13 countries--in which the seven carriers offered Ethernet services--and assessed the monthly rental and installation costs of various Ethernet access speeds: 2Mbps, 10Mbps, 50Mbps, 10Mbps, 1Gbps and 10Gbps.
Leased lines were "the most widely used leased circuits across Asia-Pacific", according to the APCC study.
Of the 14 regional countries surveyed for leased lines access, nine countries saw their costs reduced in real terms since 2006. The five countries that bucked the trend were Malaysia, India, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.
"We are disappointed to note that local access charges have risen in real terms in five countries since 2006," said APCC President Simon Smith. "Our members continue to experience challenges in obtaining competitive local access price charges, which are often disproportionate to charges for an end-to-end international service."
Smith called for "fair" local access charges as these were a "critical requirement" for the creation of a competitive communications environment.
He also encouraged regulators in the markets reviewed to "take the necessary and appropriate regulatory action" to lower access pricing.

By Kevin Kwang, ZDNet Asia on June 29, 2010 

Saudi women use 'breastfeed the driver' fatwa in driving bid

"Do the women have to breastfeed the driver in the presence of their husbands or can they do this alone?"

"Who will protect the wife if the husband entered the house unexpectedly and found his wife breastfeeding the driver?" she asked.

Saudi women plan to turn a controversial fatwa (religious ruling) to their advantage and launch a campaign to achieve their long-standing demand to drive in this conservative kingdom.

If the demand is not met, the women threatened to follow through the fatwa which allows them to breastfeed their drivers and turn them into their sons.

The campaign will be launched under the slogan: "We either be allowed to drive or breastfeed foreigners," a journalist told Gulf News.

Amal Zahid said that their decision follows a fatwa issued by a renowned scholar which said that Saudi
women can breastfeed their foreign drivers for them to become their sons.

"As every Saudi family needs a driver, our campaign will focus on women's right to drive," she said.
The controversial fatwa, which was regarded as both funny and weird, issued recently by Shaikh Abdul Mohsin Bin Nasser Al Obaikan, member of Saudi Council of Senior Scholars and adviser to the king, has sparked a debate in society.

The renowned scholar said Saudi women can breastfeed their foreign drivers for them to be become their sons and brothers to their daughters.

Under this relationship, foreign drivers can mix freely with all members of the family without breaking the Islamic rule which does not allow mixing of genders.

Breast milk kinship is considered to be as good as a blood relationship in Islam.
"A woman can breastfeed a mature man so that he becomes her son. In this way, he can mix with her and her daughters without violating the teachings of Islam," the scholar said.

‘Ridiculous and weird'
Al Obaikan based his fatwa on a Hadith (saying) of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) which was narrated by Salim, the servant of Abu Huzaifa.

Later, Al Obaikan clarified that his fatwa was being distorted by the local media which ignored the condition that the milk should be drawn out of the woman and given to the man in a cup to drink.

Speaking to Gulf News, a number of Saudi women condemned the fatwa. Fatima Al Shammary was quoted by the local Arabic daily Al Watan as saying the fatwa was "ridiculous and weird".

"This fatwa has become a hot topic of debate among women. Is this is all that is left to us to do: to give our breasts to the foreign drivers?" she said.

Another Saudi woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, questioned: "Does Islam allow me to breastfeed a foreign man and prevent me from driving my own car?

"I have not breastfed my own children. How do you expect me to do this with a foreign man? What is this nonsense?" she said.

Another woman said the fatwa should also apply to the husbands who should be breastfed by housemaids. By doing so, all will be brothers and sisters," she said.

Hamid Al Ali, a journalist for an electronic newspaper, recalled that an Egyptian driver who had a crush on a female teacher he drives to school asked her to breastfeed him. When she retorted angrily, he said: "I want to be your son."

Saudi writer Suzan Al Mashhadi sarcastically asked Al Obaikan: "Do the women have to breastfeed the driver in the presence of their husbands or can they do this alone?"

"Who will protect the wife if the husband entered the house unexpectedly and found his wife breastfeeding the driver?" she asked.

English is the way to go, says Johor Ruler's consort

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is moving in the opposite direction compared with countries such as China and Indonesia that are fast catching up on becoming more proficient in the English language, said Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah (pic).

She spoke about the many youths who could not speak or write well in English.

“They are reluctant to participate in international conferences because they have no confidence in speaking up and writing reports in English,” said the Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim’s consort.

Delivering a royal lecture at the 19th Malaysian English Language Teaching Association (Melta) International Conference on Monday, Raja Zarith, who is the patron of Melta, said: “One way to boost students’ confidence in speaking in English is by asking them to do presentations regularly in front of the class.”

She also said that English could be used to communicate the message that Islam was a religion of peace.

“Post-9/11, there have been stereotypes and misconceptions about Muslims and Islam. With good English, we can tell the world that Malaysian Muslims do not prescribe to the doctrine of terrorism.”

Raja Zarith also paid tribute to the teachers for their efforts in moulding young minds and contributing to the country’s development.

“Nevertheless, education is always dynamic. Teachers need to be aware of the latest happenings in order to keep up with the students nowadays,” she added.

The Star is the media partner for Melta.

English is the way to go, says Johor Ruler's consort

Man gets ‘high’ on panties

KUALA TERENGGANU: A medical assistant’s fetish for used panties was uncovered when police found hundreds of underwear hidden in a cabinet when they searched his home for drugs.

The 2.45am raid yesterday at Kampung Rawai, Alor Limbat in Marang did not yield any drugs but police found about 400 pairs of panties and 10 bras that the 39-year-old man had stolen from homes over the past year.

“He has been stealing panties since his school days. He normally sniffs a panty for a day or two and then keeps it.

“After that, it becomes part of his collection. He doesn’t wear men’s underwear but wears the stolen panties instead,” said a police source yesterday.

Out in the open: Police showing the panties collection belonging to the medical assistant during a press conference in Kuala Terengganu.

“He gets a ‘high’ from sniffing panties.”

State narcotics chief Supt Roslan Abdul Wahid told a press conference that police also believed that the assistant, who is attached to a government clinic in Marang, had stolen panties from patients during his previous stints at other hospitals and clinics in Dungun and Marang.

Police officers were also taken aback when they found that the man was wearing one of the stolen panties when they conducted a body search.

“The suspect, who is a hardcore drug user, is neither a transvestite nor does he have previous record of sexual crimes,” he said.

Supt Roslan added that the man, who is a bachelor and lives alone, revealed that he had had the fetish since his school days and had stolen thousands of panties in the last two decades.

He said the man also had two previous cases under Section 51 (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drug Act for drug abuse and tested positive for drugs yesterday.

Supt Roslan said another four people, including a woman, were detained in a another raid at Alor Limbat in Marang at 5.30am the same day.

Police recovered 60 amphetamine-type pills from the four.

Man gets ‘high’ on panties

More than 70% of AIDS/HIV sufferers in Malaysia are Muslims: AIDS Council

KUALA TERENGGANU: More than 70% of the 87,710 HIV/AIDS sufferers in the country are Muslims, Malaysian AIDS Council vice-president Datuk Zaman Khan said.

Therefore, he said, the celebration for this year's World AIDS Day would emphasise efforts to enhance awareness on AIDS among Muslims.

He said what was more worrying was a report by the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS)on AIDS, which stated that nine Malaysians were infected with the disease every day.

Also of concern was the spread of the disease among women, from 9.5% in 2000 to 20% last year, he said, when speaking at a function to commemorate World AIDS Day here Tuesday night.

He said that in 2000, the main cause of women being infected with HIV/AIDS was drug addiction, but lately, it had been attributed to heterosexual sex (30%).

On HIV/AIDS sufferers in Terengganu, he said a total of 315 new cases were reported last year.

Kelantan recorded the highest number of HIV/AIDS cases at 596, followed by Pahang (431) and Selangor (378), he added. - Bernama

More than 70% of AIDS/HIV sufferers in Malaysia are Muslims: AIDS Council

Taman Majidee folk living in fear of criminals

By AUSTIN CAMOENS
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

JOHOR BARU: Residents of Taman Majidee here have been living in increasing fear the past 20 years as criminals are getting more daring and aggressive.
Many of these residents hope for a stronger police presence in the neighbourhood to curb multiple crimes, especially house break-ins.
Zainab Ibrahim, 54, said her house had been broken into at least 10 times the past 30 years.
The retiree, who lives with her daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren, added that she had also been a victim of snatch theft three times last year.
“The neighbourhood used to be a nice place to live in the 1970s but now no one can walk the streets alone without worrying about snatch thieves and robbers,” she said.
Another resident, who only wanted to be known as Govind, 71, said crime was a common occurrence in the neighbourhood.
“Almost every month, a house is robbed,” he said, adding that he was not surprised to hear about the robbery attempt on June 1, about 300m from his house, where robbers used a woman as a human shield when pursued by a security guard.
The retired doctor asked why the police had not been keeping an eye on the neighbourhood with the high crime rate there.
A businessman who only wanted to be known as Low, 57, echoed Zainab’s sentiment that the crime rate in the area was much lower 20 years ago.
“I own a shop lot in the area and it is disturbing that so many crimes occur here on a monthly basis.”
Johor Baru (South) OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob said that police would step up patrols in the housing estate.
“We are aware of the residents’ concerns. We will increase patrols as well as police presence,” he said.
He urged anyone with information on any crime related cases to contact the police hotline at 07-2212999 or the nearest police station.


Taman Majidee folk living in fear of criminals

Johor: Kampung tradisional mahu kekal warisan

RUMAH penduduk Kampung Tebrau Bakar Batu akan dipindahkan bagi melaksanakan projek Iskandar Malaysia.

Penduduk Tebrau Bakar Batu bimbang pembangunan kikis status

JOHOR BAHRU: Menganggapnya sebagai kampung yang kaya dengan warisan, penduduk di penempatan Kampung Tebrau Bakar Batu, di sini mengharapkan sebarang bentuk pembangunan yang ingin dilakukan di kawasan berkenaan tidak mengancam kehidupan mereka.

Malah, mereka juga berdoa semoga penempatan yang diduduki dan bakal melalui proses pembangunan itu tidak akan meminggirkan hak dan keistimewaan penduduk, apatah lagi rasa sayang terhadap penempatan berusia lebih 100 tahun itu tidak dapat dinafikan lagi.

Difahamkan, Kampung Tebrau Bakar Batu antara tujuh kampung termasuk Kampung Tok Siak, Kampung Hajah Hasnah dan Kampung Belantik yang bakal terbabit dalam projek kerajaan negeri iaitu Lebuhraya Penyuraian Timur (EDL) di bawah kawal selia Unit Perancang Ekonomi Negeri (Upen).

Semua penduduk yang terbabit difahamkan bakal dipindahkan ke penempatan baru iaitu di tapak sekitar kawasan yang dibangunkan sebaik saja penempatan baru berkenaan siap dan penduduk dipastikan tidak akan melalui proses pemindahan sementara.

Penduduk sejak lebih 30 tahun lalu, Norwati Ahmad, 55, berkata mereka tidak menghalang sebarang bentuk pembangunan yang ingin dilakukan di kawasan mereka, namun masih mengharapkan pihak yang terbabit supaya bersikap lebih telus mengenai masa depan mereka.

 KAMPUNG Tebrau Bakar Batu yang terbabit dengan projek Iskandar Malaysia.


Katanya, impak dan manfaat yang bakal diperoleh penduduk seharusnya menjadi tajuk utama jika benar pihak yang terbabit bercadang untuk membangunkan penempatan mereka sekali gus mengambil kira kepentingan penduduk yang sudah lama menetap di sana.

“Terus terang, kami tidak menerima penerangan secara jelas bentuk pembangunan yang bakal dilakukan di penempatan kami, namun dalam masa sama tetap berharap supaya pihak yang berkenaan menilai semula keistimewaan yang ada di kampung ini.

“Secara dasarnya, kami menyayangi kampung ini apatah lagi ia antara kampung yang tertua di Johor Bahru dan kerana itu bila projek ingin dibangunkan, bayangan mengenai status kampung tradisional terhakis sama sekali,” katanya.

Seorang lagi penduduk, Ali Awang, 60, berkata walaupun pembangunan yang bakal dilakukan berkenaan akan membantu menaikkan lagi taraf bandar raya di negeri ini, namun usaha untuk menghapuskan warisan nenek moyang mereka adalah perlu dipertimbangkan.
“Kami sedih sebenarnya mengetahui kampung yang menjadi warisan untuk generasi masa depan seakan-akan dipinggirkan keistimewaannya sekali gus berharap masih ada ruang yang dapat membantu kami menghidupkan kembali suasana kampung ini.

“Justeru, pembangunan yang ingin dirancang bukan menjadi halangan kepada kami, namun kami masih berharap supaya penempatan baru kami itu akan tetap di kawasan sama kerana kami ingin mengekalkan tradisi kampung ini sampai bila-bila,” katanya.

Rakan sekampung, Fazli Adnan, 38, berkata lebih 1,000 penduduk di kampung mereka sedikit berasa terjejas dengan pembangunan yang bakal dilakukan berikutan penempatan mereka banyak menyimpan pelbagai memori pahit dan manis di kalangan mereka.

“Apa daya kami selain berharap pembangunan semula dapat dijalankan di kawasan sama kerana mempunyai nilai sentimentalnya yang tersendiri,” katanya.

Oleh Umi Nadirah Abdul Rahman
uminadirah@bharian.com.my

The price of ignorance

You can live with HIV for years but die every day from discrimination.
THERE was a guy in my university who was usually spotted alone and the rumour circulating about him was that he was HIV-positive. No one knew for sure but some students questioned why he was so skinny. Sadly, he was shunned by many.
The truth is that AIDS does not discriminate. There is no physical stereotype that applies. In fact, of the 33 million people living with AIDS in the world, 2.1 million of them are children.
You can’t even rely on symptoms to know whether or not you are infected because many people who have the virus don’t have any symptoms at all for many years.
Just recently, I was moved by a personal story I read on Marina Mahathir’s blog. She wrote about a friend who recently died but never stopped advocating better treatment of people living with HIV.
Her friend stood up in front of her father Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad years ago at a presentation on the plight of Malaysians living with HIV saying: “I’m a teacher and I’m HIV-positive.”
Marina remembers how her father’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at the sight of a perfectly normal-looking young woman standing in front of him disclosing her status.
Dr Mahathir, who was PM at the time, later mentioned in one of his speeches how saddened he was to hear that some doctors turned away patients with HIV. Many of them still suffer in silence.
I was particularly disturbed when I heard about a family who tried to cleanse the body of their son, who had died of AIDS, with Clorox hoping to rid him of the virus. If they were fully aware of how HIV was transmitted, I’m sure they wouldn’t have resorted to such measures.
It is important we get our facts straight so that we don’t live with unnecessary panic or fear due to incorrect information. As Dame Elizabeth Taylor said: “It is bad enough people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance.”
You won’t contract the virus from hugging, coughing, sneezing or swimming in the same pool as someone with HIV. There are no cases of HIV even being transmitted from sweat, tears or saliva.
Their mere presence will not harm you but every time you engage in unprotected sex, no matter how healthy the person looks, you’re putting yourself at risk.
Last week, I was meandering through the narrow back lanes of Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur with my trusty GPS, a handycam in tow and my notepad leading me to the doorstep of the PT foundation, which has been around since 1987.
PT Foundation (formerly known as Pink Triangle Sdn Bhd) is the largest community-based organisation providing information, education and care services relating to HIV/AIDS in Malaysia.
I wanted to speak to people living with HIV to find out about the challenges they face on a daily basis.
I met people of all ages when I was there, even a small child who had the face of an angel. She reached out to me with her hands outstretched as if she was waiting for her hug. Instinctively, I picked her up and swung her around while she giggled, caught up in the moment.
Toddlers have no sense of time and she seemed like any other playful child in the universe but she wasn’t. Her future was uncertain yet.
Looking into her mischievous eyes; it was hard to imagine she was even sick. When I put her back down, she wandered off in search of her next adventure not realising what a profound impact she had had on me.
My mind started to think of all the what-ifs.
Could she have been saved if she didn’t receive her mother’s breast milk? Then I asked myself: When will she be old enough to be told she’s living with HIV? How is that going to affect her schooling, her self-esteem, her relationships or getting a job one day?
It was difficult for me to hear how some families turned their backs on members when they found out they had HIV. Some of them were forced out of their homes.
A man sitting quietly in the corner told me he came to the PT Foundation regularly to take a shower and grab a meal because he was no longer welcome in his home.
I was also told of a 22-year-old guy who applied for the job he always wanted and got it. At the time, he didn’t know he was HIV-positive.
A strange twist of fate occurred on an afternoon he would never forget. He decided to donate his blood at a blood donation drive where he later found out his blood could not be used because he was HIV-positive. He was in total shock. He spiraled into a depression. He didn’t know what to do.
In panic, he turned down his dream job out of fear that he would be discovered if the company sent him for the standard medical check-up. He also never told his parents about his condition because he feared he would be disowned.
He showed up on the doorstep of the PT Foundation one night and the staff were worried he might have lost his will to live but at least he was in a place where he felt safe from discrimination.
It took several months of counseling before he came to terms with the reality of his situation.
It must be simply horrible to be living with this virus and feel so completely alone. In the last 20 years, the number of new HIV cases in Malaysia has increased by 883%.
We cannot ignore this situation because it’s happening in our backyard. What’s alarming according to the World Health Organisation is that 30% of all new HIV cases in Malaysia are women, mostly married, who contracted the infection from their husbands.
How can we turn our backs on these people?
This is something that could happen to anyone. They should not need to suffer in silence or suffer alone. It is difficult for anyone to live with the virus. Must we break their spirits as well?
Every life deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. We may never know what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes but we can try to make room for some compassion and acceptance in our hearts for those suffering with HIV.
Jojo Struys is a TV Host/producer and more of her thoughts can heard on jojostruys.com. Videos of Jojo at the PT foundation and speaking to those living with HIV can be found on staronline.

The price of ignorance

Award-winning teacher’s secret – reading and sex

KUALA TERENGGANU: Reading and having sex nightly. That, says Tokoh Nilam award winner Alias Ismail, is the secret to his seemingly boundless energy during the day.

Even his colleagues have been left wondering how the teacher manages to remain energetic enough to conduct additional co-curriculum activities until the late evening.

Alias Ismail

“They always ask me whether I consume jamu (traditional herbs) to keep me going,” said the 41-year-old yesterday.

“Often, they are astonished when I tell them that it’s actually an active sex life and reading that makes one healthy, wealthy and wise.”

Alias is the inaugural recipient of the state-initiated award to honour a teacher who has managed outstanding achievements in education.

He received the award from Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said at Dewan Al-Muktafi Billah Shah, Universiti Darul Iman Malaysia here.

Alias also received a sponsored package to perform the haj.

The father of four said he made it a point to have sex daily before he and his wife retired for the night and felt it made him more agile and active.

“A good and legitimate sexual relationship is a kind of energy booster for me and my wife that has not only kept our marriage ties cordial but also made our bodies and brains functioning remarkably,” he added.

Alias, who teaches Bahasa Malaysia at SMK Menerong in Hulu Terengganu, said he was able to concentrate on his work after a “blissful” night with his wife.

He added that it was also a nightly ritual for both him and his wife, Rosmahwati Abdullah, 41, to read a few pages of a book and have an intellectual conversation before moving on to other “activities”.

The couple have been doing this since their marriage 25 years ago and they have a collection of 1,000 books, including romance novels.

He has also shared his secret with his eldest son, now 23.

Award-winning teacher’s secret – reading and sex

Video budak dua tahun hisap rokok di Indonesia kejutkan pakar kesihatan

GEMBIRA MEROKOK: Ardi Rizal, dua tahun, ketawa sambil merokok dan bermain kereta jip mainan plastiknya di rumah keluarganya di sebuah kampung di wilayah Sumatera, dalam gambar yang diambil pada 16 Mei lalu ini. -- Foto AFP

AKARTA: Satu video baru yang menunjukkan seorang kanak-kanak Indonesia berusia dua tahun sedang merokok mencetuskan kejutan di kalangan pakar kesihatan dan mendedahkan tentang masalah ketagihan tembakau yang sedang meningkat di negara Asia Tenggara itu. Ibu bapa kanak-kanak lelaki itu, yang dilihat sedang merokok dalam klip video yang disiarkan dalam laman web akhbar The Sun, sedang disiasat, kata pegawai Indonesia selepas video itu menarik perhatian seluruh dunia. Kanak-kanak montel itu, Ardi Rizal, dilihat sedang tertawa dan memberi respons kepada orang-orang di kawasan sekelilingnya sedang dia duduk atas kereta jip mainannya sambil menghisap rokok. Bapanya dilaporkan memberi Ardi rokok pertamanya sewaktu kanak-kanak itu mencapai usia 18 bulan. Kini, Ardi merokok sebanyak 40 batang sehari. Ibu kanak-kanak itu berkata Ardi akan menghentakkan kepalanya ke tembok kecuali dia dapat menghisap rokok yang mengandungi bahan nikotin itu, tetapi bapanya mendesak bahawa Ardi 'sihat'. Pegawai Kementerian Perlindungan Kanak-Kanak, Encik Heru Kasidi, berkata keluarga kanak-kanak itu akan disiasat atas apa yang jelas dianggap sebagai satu kes penganiayaan kanak-kanak di kebanyakan negara. Ini kali kedua tahun ini Indonesia dimalukan oleh liputan media seperti itu. Satu lagi video yang disiarkan di Internet pada bulan lalu menunjukkan seorang budak lelaki Indonesia berusia empat tahun menghisap sebatang rokok cengkih, sambil menghembus bulatan asap dan memaki-hamun atas galakan orang dewasa di sekelilingnya. Dasar peraturan lemah - Indonesia adalah satu-satunya negara di Asia Tenggara yang belum menandatangani Rangka Kerja Konvensyen mengenai Kawalan Tembakau - membolehkan syarikat-syarikat tembakau mengarahkan sasarannya kepada golongan muda di Indonesia menerusi iklan dan promosinya. Penyanyi Amerika Syarikat, Kelly Clarkson, yang juga pemenang pertama rancangan American Idol, menggugurkan tajaan sebuah syarikat tembakau bagi konsertnya di Jakarta pada bulan lalu selepas kumpulan-kumpulan antimerokok mengemukakan bantahan atas dasar beliau boleh menggalakkan tabiat merokok di kalangan peminat mudanya. -- AFP.

Idris Jala: M’sia must cut subsidies, debt by 2019 or risk bankruptcy

Idris Jala: M’sia must cut subsidies, debt by 2019 or risk bankruptcy
By TEH ENG HOCK and SHAUN HO

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will be bankrupt by 2019 if it does not cut subsidies and rein in borrowings, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala on Thursday.

He said that Malaysia's debt would rise to 100 percent of GDP by 2019 from the current 54% if it did not cut subsidies.

“We do not want to be another Greece,” he said when officiating the Subsidy Lab Open Day here to receive feedback from the public on subsidies.

Some of the recommendations of the subsidy rationalisation lab:

- Reduction of gas subsidy, resulting in an increase in electricity tariffs. However, most households will not be affected as the move will only affect those consuming more than 200kWh.

- Toll rates to increase in mid-2010 as per concession agreement except for highways without alternative toll-free routes.

-Outpatient treatment at public hospitals to be increased from RM1 to RM3. In-patient treatment will also increase, depending on the wards (Class One, Two or Three), from between RM3 and RM80, to between RM6 to RM160.

-Text book loan scheme and tuition subsidy aid to be abolished. Students will also have to pay for public examination fees.

-Foreign students will pay full fees at public universities.

-Local undergraduates and postgraduates to pay more in student fees, ranging from RM300 to RM800.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported Idris as saying that Malaysia was likely to become an oil importer as early as next year at the current rate it was consuming petroleum,

Malaysians continue to be among the highest fuel consumers per capita in the world fuel consumption habits pattern which generally has remained relatively unchanged despite increased oil prices in 2008.

He also said that approximately 70% of the government's liquid petroleum gas (LPG) subsidy went to commercial concerns and not the intended households.

About 30% of the cooking oil subsidy was also abused, he said.

He said the government is proposing to phase out the petrol subsidy gradually in line with its move to strategically position Malaysia's economy on a stronger footing to realise the aspirations of Vision 2020, which is to achieve a developed, high-income nation status.

"Subsidies are an inaccurate representation of trade," Idris said when officiating the Subsidy Lab Open Day here to receive feedback from the public on subsidies.

"In addition, they pose a fiscal burden that emerging economies such as Malaysia should move away from. As such, we desperately need an exit strategy for subsidies, as they are unsustainable," he said.

"In order to save the country, we need to increase our GDP, Malaysians need to be aware we are giving the highest subsidies - 4.6 per cent of GDP even higher than Indonesia (2.7 per cent) & Philippines (0.2 per cent)," said Idris, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU).

Malaysia is one of the most subsidised nations in the world. Its total subsidy of RM74 billion in 2009 is equivalent to RM12,900 per household.

This covers the areas of Social (RM42.8bil), Fuel (RM23.5bil), Infrastructure (RM4.6bil) and Food amounting to RM3.1bil.

"All savings to reduce these savings are intended to reduce our deficit and debt of RM103bil in five years," he said.

Meanwhile, studies by Bank Negara have shown that inflation will rise to four per cent (2011-2012) and three per cent post 2013.

Subsidies only result in market distortion and they drain the government of much needed funds that could be better used for more strategic and pressing development projects for the rakyat, Idris said.

"The time for subsidy rationalisation is now," he said.

"We are reviewing the possibility of introducing a floating price mechanism, mitigation measures and assistance needed to put in place."

"We do not want to end up like Greece with a total debt of EUR300 billion. Our deficit rose to record high of RM47 billion last year."

"If the government continues at the rate of 12 per cent per annum, Malaysia could go bankrupt in 2019 with total debts amounting to RM1,158 billion," he cautioned.

Idris Jala: M’sia must cut subsidies, debt by 2019 or risk bankruptcy

A good deal for Malaysia

by MERGAWATI ZULFAKAR

Emotional issues with Singapore are passe. It should be business and economic interests now between two neighbours.
It is a 217ha of land that runs from the north to the south of Singapore – the size of almost 300 standard football fields. A valuation exercise carried out last year found the total land area to be worth up to S$4bil (RM9.5bil).
The KTM Berhad railway land has been a thorny issue between Malaysia and Singapore for almost 20 years.
There had been plenty of arguments and bad blood over the railway land that was leased from Singapore.

Issue resolved: The Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Tanjung Pagar railway station building will be conserved given its historical significance. It will be a centrepiece for the new proposed development on the site. — AFP

To Malaysia, the land represents its sovereignty while Singapore wants to develop it.
Where previous leaders had failed, two relatively young leaders are set to resolve the KTM land issue because they refused to be bogged down by old issues. It is a breakthrough.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has described the deal as historic while Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong summed it up aptly:
“It is time to rejoice.”
The KTM Berhad land that stretches from Woodlands and ends in Tanjung Pagar was leased under 1918 colonial ordinance for 999 years.
It is solely for operating a railway line to ferry goods and passengers to Singapore and vice versa.
Over the years, the surrounding areas have been overtaken by development with industries and waste treatment.
The Points of Agreement (POA) was eventually signed on Nov 27, 1990 on the status of the railway land but problems arose as each side had its own interpretation.
Now many Malaysians are questioning just how does Malaysia benefit by giving up the leased land?
What is the big deal with Tan-jung Pagar being relocated to Woodlands on July 1, next year?
For a start, it is as a super good deal for Malaysia.
It goes beyond land. It involves spawning the local economy and the connectivity between Johor and Singapore (see graphic).
M-S Pte Ltd will be set up by the end of the year with Khazanah Nasional holding a 60% stake and Singapore state investment arm Temasek Holdings holding the remaining 40%.
They will jointly develop the KTM land in Tanjung Pagar, Kranji, Woodlands and Bukit Timah.
At the same time, the six pieces of land earmarked for joint development could be swapped for four pieces of land in Marina South and one in Ophir-Rochor, the city state’s prime financial and business districts.

Marina South recently saw the opening of an integrated resort, Marina Bay Sands. Imagine the huge potential of development that can take place here.
Imagine, one day we may just get to see an iconic building in Marina South with Malaysia’s influence.
More good things are coming – a rapid transit system link Tanjung Puteri in Johor Baru and Singapore will be developed by 2018.
The link will connect with other public transport services in Johor Baru and the republic.
Some 80,000 Malaysians commute daily to Singapore to work and study. Their travelling time will be cut and traffic congestion across the Causeway and within Johor Baru itself will ease.
Word has it Kempas will be the next railway hub in Johor should Malaysia opt to move the railway station from Singapore soil in 2018.
Singapore has also finally agreed to become a partner in an iconic project in Iskandar Malaysia, the Malaysian growth corridor which sits next to the island city state.
This is the signal that the private sector has been waiting for from the Singapore Government.
Singapore businesses want to invest in Iskandar, knowing its full potential and given the success of China’s special Shenzen economic zone.
Khazanah and Temasek will form a 50-50 joint venture company to undertake the development of the iconic wellness township project in Iskandar.
For a start, the launch of the “live work play” wellness township concept will offer traditional and complementary alternative medicine and modern medicine.
Take a pick if you want Malay and Chinese traditional healing or don’t be surprised if ayurveda is available too. Where else would one find traditional healing methods in one place?
A new interest is growing among Singapore companies in Iskandar. That also means multinational companies operating in Singapore will take notice too.
When the investments start coming in, more jobs will be created.
Expect more exciting things to happen in the near future.
The negotiations have been tough. Some may argue, we are losing our rights to the railway land but KTM is losing money from the Singapore route.
Legal experts argue that Malaysia’s hands are tied. Malaysia’s interpretation of when the POA takes effect does not hold water any more.
It has been a long 19 years and six months.
By the time the Tanjung Pagar Railway station moves to Woodlands next year, it would have been 20 years and six months.
Under Najib, Malaysia is quite clear about where it is heading. We cannot wait for another 20 years to get things moving forward.
Sentimental and emotional reasons alone will not get us anywhere.
> Foreign Editor Mergawati Zulfakar plans to take a sentimental train journey to Tanjung Pagar before the KTM service stops going there.

British scientist becomes first human 'infected' with computer virus

British scientist becomes first human 'infected' with computer virus

BEIJING: A young British scientist stakes a claim to being the first human infected with a computer virus after he contaminated an electronic RFID chip implanted in his hand, reported China’s Xinhua news agency on Tuesday.

Dr. Mark Gasson from the University of Reading, truly is the first human carrying a computer virus inside his body.

However he, the human carrier, might no actually be “infected” the chip he has embedded in his hand surely is.

Dr. Gasson implanted a chip into his hand that gives him access to lab facilities without needing a key or magnetic card, and allows him to be the only person who can access his mobile phone while it is locked to all others.

But he went so far as to infect that chip with a virus, wanting to test whether or not it will be possible to infect other chips in the system with a proverbial slight of hand.

The results shows he succeeded to infect his PC, that the virus in the chip in his hand was able to migrate to the desktop computer.

On why someone would want to do that, Dr Gasson’s reasons is the awareness that more and more people have chip-based electronic parts in their bodies - a pacemaker for example - and that we will have to learn all we can about how such vital instruments may be impacted by other electronic devices.

“This type of technology has been commercialised in the United States as a type of medical alert bracelet, so that if you’re found unconscious you can be scanned and your medical history brought up.”

Also, he thinks that implanted chips, like we now use them for dogs and cats, will most likely find their way into the human body in one way or another.

However, concerns raised by Dr Gasson worries Professor Rafael Capurro of the Steinbeis-Transfer-Institute of Information Ethics in Germany, who said: “If someone can get online access to your implant, it could be serious.”

Supporting his claim, Professor Capurro contributed to a 2005 ethical study for the European Commission that looked at the development of digital implants and possible abuse of them.

“From an ethical point of view, the surveillance of implants can be both positive and negative. Surveillance can be part of medical care, but if someone wants to do harm to you, it could be a problem.”

In the future, Dr Gasson scientist said there is the distinct possibility that in a security obssessed world, chip implants may make passports and credit cards obsolete in the future. -- Bernama

British scientist becomes first human 'infected' with computer virus

How to stay safe on Facebook

PRIVACY and security must be dirty words at the Facebook HQ at the moment as the world's largest social media network comes under fire for its privacy policy that has left users exposed and vulnerable.

Amazingly, it was reported that Facebook's privacy policy is a whopping 5,830 words long, even more verbose than the Constitution of the United States which reads at 4,543 words.

Here are some of the precautions you need to take to stay private and safe:

Make friend lists

Categorise your “friends” into various groups according to what information you want them to have access to, from “Work Friends” (minimal access) to “Acquaintances”, “Family” and “Close Friends” (full access) .

Restrict access to profile

To prevent strangers from accessing your page, it is advisable to allow “Only Friends” to access your profile.

Remove your address and phone number

This may be useful information for your real friends and family but imagine what will happen if the information falls into the wrong hands.

Remove your full birthdate from your profile

Identity thieves can use it to obtain more information on you and even gain access to your bank or credit card account. If you want to remind your friends about your birthday, remove the year.

Be careful when registering for new applications

It is all fun and exciting to try out new games and quizzes but what many don't realise is that you may unknowingly be sharing all your information with the developers who can then sell your data or spam you.

Go to “Privacy Settings” and tick “Applications”, followed by “Settings”. Uncheck the boxes for the personal information that you do not want them to obtain.

Still, according to security expert website, the CSO (Chief Security Officer) Online, Facebook users unwittingly expose themselves to five dangers that might be beyond their control: their information is shared with third parties; their privacy settings revert to a less safe default mode after each redesign; malware from Facebook advertisements; fake profiles from scammers; and real friends who unknowingly make them vulnerable.

How to stay safe on Facebook

Follow procedures, religious officers urged

By ZULKIFLI ABD RAHMAN

PETALING JAYA: Islamic religious authorities should follow procedures when they are carrying out khalwat raids.

Non-governmental organisations said officers conducting the raids would not be accused of acting beyond their jurisdiction if they did so.

They said this when asked to comment on the incident in which a 21-year-old college student fell to his death from an apartment in Gombak while trying to escape a khalwat raid.

It was reported that the raid was carried out by several mosque committee members after residents complained of immoral activities at the apartment.

Sisters in Islam (SIS) said khalwat raids shouldn’t be carried out in a way that degrades human dignity.

“The practice of barging into people’s houses, and bedrooms in particular, clearly violates an individual’s right to privacy and human dignity protected by the Quran,” said its legal affairs officer Ratna Osman.

She added that khalwat raids contravened several injunctions in the Quran.

Expressing sadness over the student’s death, she said such an incident would not have happened if procedures were followed.

Malaysian Council For Child Welfare honorary secretary Ismail Majid also said khalwat raids should be carried out according to guidelines spelt out by the state religious authorities.

“I don’t know how the raiding party carried out their operation, but the youth must have panicked and jumped out the window.

“Usually, raiding officials will knock on the door and introduce themselves before checking whether any form of immoral activity is taking place in the house.

“Standard operating procedures should be followed. Otherwise, their methods may be questioned if something untoward happens,” he added.

Social activist Datuk Paduka Marina Mahathir wrote in The Star on Tuesday that religious officials should be held accountable if death or injury occurred during khalwat raids.

“Just as others are held responsible when accidents happen, religious officers must be, too,” she added.
Follow procedures, religious officers urged

Improve your pronunciation

Exploring English
By Keith Wright

LEARNERS’ pronunciation and confidence will significantly improve when they know the rules that apply to speaking English.

To help learners with this, The 4S Approach to Literacy and Language – Accelerated English Programme teaches The 4S Keys to Pronunciation.

A very simple Key to remember is that multi-syllabic nouns usually stress the first syllable, e.g. gar/den; den/tist; pi/lot; oc/to/pus.

The main exceptions to this rule are those words that have an obvious “root” component from which they have been made, e.g. invisible; reporter. When a “root” is part of a word, it is usually the root-syllable that is stressed.

The 4S Key To Pronunciation teaches: In a multi-syllabic word, the stress also can be on the root or base from which it has been built. For example: ex/pend/i/ture; e-val/u/a/tion; re/sour/ces; in/fla/tion; e/vac/u/a/tion.

In contrast, when a word is used as a verb, the stress usually shifts further down the word to another syllable. Compare the following sentences:

The President will address the Congress (verb) – What is your new address? (noun).

If one is unsure what syllable to stress in a bi-syllabic word, it is “safe” to stress both, e.g. ham/mer.

Another easy Key to remember is: double consonants usually split, e.g. but/ter, span/ner.

Speakers need to know also that when a word or syllable ends in a consonant, it is said to be “closed”, and the previous vowel is usually short or regular.

The relevant 4S Key teaches: Closed syllables end in consonants and the vowel is usually ‘short’, e.g. ban/ner; cof/fee.

Another way to remember this Key is: consonants usually close – vowels usually open.

When the double consonants split in a word, the first syllable is “closed off” by the first of the double consonants, which makes the preceding vowel “short” or regular, e.g. hap/py; tof/fee; win/ner.

Double consonants have another Pronunciation Key: they usually follow short vowels.

The final “e”

In English, thousands of words end in the vowel “e”. A characteristic one needs to remember for pronunciation purposes is that it is rare for the final “e” in a word to be pronounced.

Usually, when a word ends in the vowel “e”, it is silent but the preceding vowel is “long”, i.e., it says its own name, e.g. bake; scene, ride; note, cute.

The relevant 4S Key To Understanding Pronunciation teaches: The final silent “e” lets the other vowel do the talking.

There are only a handful of common words that say their “final e”, i.e. apostrophe, catastrophe, epitome, hyperbole, recipe, posse, coyote – the, me, she, he, we, thee and the names of people such as Marie, Debbie, Annie, Kylie, Ronnie, Donnie, etc.

There are other closely linked 4S Keys that relate to vowels making their “long” sound. The first one refers to “open” syllables, i.e. those ending in a vowel, e.g. mo/tel, Pe/ter, du/gong, ti/ger, ta/ble, ho/bo, pre/fer, no/tice.

Open syllables usually end in a long vowel. In contrast, closed syllables end in a consonant.

The main exceptions to the Open Syllable Key are those words that end in the vowel “e” where the final “e” is silent, e.g. take.

Another 4S Key teaches about “stand-alone” vowels, i.e. syllables that consist of just one vowel such as a/gent, e/ven, i/tem, o/dour, u/niform, ex/am/in/a/tion, etc.

Stand-alone vowels are usually long.

The common exceptions are words beginning with “a” such as a/bout, a/gain, a/do, a/mount, etc.

In these words, it is now common practice to make the “uh..” sound one hears in comma and panda.

Knowing the keys to understanding pronunciation is a sure way to quickly improve one’s ability to pronounce words correctly.

Of course, there are exceptions that need to be remembered, for example with words that have been borrowed from other languages, or because of the presence of what are known in 4S as the Influential Consonants.

When a learner has mastered the Key that relates to a particular “clue” word, dozens of other related words can also be pronounced correctly and with confidence.

For example, when one knows that the “o” vowel in mo/tel is pronounced as a “long” sound — because open syllables usually end in a “long” vowel — one can also correctly pronounce related words, such as mo/tion, mo/tor, ho/tel, vo/ter, vo/cal, so/cial, po/tion, de/vo/tion, and so on.

Keith Wright is the author and creator of the 4S Approach To Literacy and Language (4S) — a modern, innovative and proven method of accelerating the learning of English.

The 4S methodology and the associated Accelerated English Program (AEP) mentioned in this fortnightly column are now being used internationally to enhance the English language proficiency of people from a diverse range of cultures and with different competency levels.

E-mail
contact@4Sliteracy.com.au for a free copy of the 4S file: “101 Wrongly Pronounced Words”.


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