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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