Abdilbar

World against hunger

2008-04-12T17:06:00.008-05:00

As we have all heard, food prices have been increasing dramatically in recent months. In Malaysia, the price of rice nearly doubled, as well as the price of cooking oil. For myself, living in the US doesn't mean that I don't experience all these problems. The price of rice here has doubled too in just 4 months, from $6 to nearly $11. For other Americans, the rising price of corn has affected their behavior in consumption. No one can escape this global turmoil, but the most affected group is the bottom 50% of the world population, the middle and lower class group. Before anything else, we should question ourselves, why suddenly the chronic inflation creeps into our food?

Well, everything relates to each other in the world with no boundaries. Due to the rising gas prices, people feels that biofuel is the next best thing to make gas more affordable, but in reality, we are left indifferent than before because of the increasing demand of food (especially corn, the primary source of biofuel) drives the food price loco. For our staple food, rice, it has some major issues too. In Vietnam, the primary rice exporter, the crop is getting affected by diseases and also mother nature, drought. While in India, their population is booming and of course they need to feed themselves too. China, the small group of farmers can't cope the rising population, which most of them works in the industrial sector. In Malaysia, as one of the major palm oil producer in the world besides Indonesia, is facing hard time since it is more profitable to feed the car (as the biofuel) than to feed our own mouth!

According to the statisticians, the total food that we are producing today can feed more than 10 billion people, which is way more than the world population which now stands at 6.55 billion. The question is, where is the food? Of course the food is with the 1/6 part of the world population, the developed nations, that consist of 57 countries. In poor countries like the African countries, 16000 children died everyday due to hunger, which is approximately 1 child in every 5 seconds. The problem doesn't end there, World Bank targeted that the food price will steadily increase in the future, which I assumed that the hunger problem will be getting worse and worse. In developing countries, there is a check and balance, since they get to enjoy the invention of cars and transportation, living in a wealthy environment, thus having a price increase in food doesn't matter much to them. However, in poor countries, where they can't even get to ride a bus, living in dirty condition, thus experiencing a food price increase due to global energy crisis is just unfair.

Therefore, I urge all my readers to be engaged in humanitarian issues, and the least you can do is to donate to make food more affordable. Even if you feel that this issue is not affecting you in any way, this is a borderless world we are living in, and global economy affects everyone. It will affect us in a certain way but we won't realize about it. Let us all be thankful with what we have!

Fitna

2008-03-27T19:34:00.009-05:00

Sorry for not being able to update this blog frequently this past few weeks. I have been very busy lately since before the spring break, due to exams and tons of homeworks, and I was out of town for the break, doing some volunteer work in western Michigan. Well, 'nuff said! Today, this article caught my attention:

Dutch Lawmaker Posts Anti-Islam Short Film on Internet

Geert Wilders, the Dutch right-wing politician, has kept his promise of publicizing his anti-Islam movie titled "Fitna," which translates in English as "ordeal." The short film is 17 minutes long and has been posted on video sharing site www.liveleak.com. Wilders allegedly had problems finding a host willing to post his movie.

Liveleak.com accepted but maintains that it does not agree with the movie's message and several of its staff were offended by Fitna. However, "our being offended is no reason to deny Mr Wilders the right to have his film seen," Liveleak wrote on its website.

"I make a distinction between the ideology of Islam and the Koran and Muslims. My problem is with the ideology not with the people.... I have nothing against Muslims," Geert Wilders told, per AFP. He is a member of a far-right party, Freedom, which holds 9 of the 150 seats in the Dutch parliament.

"Fitna" is "not a provocation, but ... it's five minutes before midnight and this is the last warning as far as I'm concerned," he said, AP further reports. Thus, Wilders appears to believe he is on a crusade to save the world from Islamization which will otherwise bring about doomsday.

While many in Netherlands and elsewhere live under the terror of a wave of attacks from extremist Muslims, triggered by the film's release, Muslim scholars have been less impressed by the movie. Maurits Berger, professor of Islam in the West at Leiden University, told AP that he found the movie less disturbing than he had expected. Instead, it is a series of "images and photos, headlines from recent years which we already know," he said to AP.

The movie's message is double-edged: it asks Muslims to "tear" away hatred from the Koran, and it asks non-Muslims to stop Islamisation. The short film ends with the caricature by Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard of the Prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb in his turban.

Geert Wilders, 44, was raised a Roman Catholic and his wife was allegedly a former believer of Islam. He has close ties with Israel and was suspected of being an Israeli agent, Dutch newspaper Telegraaf reported in May 2007. [via eFluxMedia]

Well, what do you guys think? For me, I am pissed for the wrong message he brought into the video especially when he quoted the Quran in a way that is misleading, and turned it into a hateful message. For example, he quoted Surah 4 (An-Nisa'), verse 56:

Those who have disbelieved our signs, we shall roast them in fire, whenever their skins are cooked to a turn, we shall substitute new skins for them, that they may feel the punishment: verily Allah is sublime and wise.

Which the real meaning is to be quoted from the previous verse, Surah 4 (An-Nisa') verse 55-56:

Some of them believed, and some of them averted their faces from him: And enough is Hell for a burning fire. Those who reject our Signs, We shall soon cast into the Fire: as often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the penalty: for Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.

This is the complete meaning, which is about the torture in the day of resurrection for the non believers. It is not something that is to be carried out now. I highlighted the word "soon" which was left out by Wilders to instill the hatred meaning into the video. Another one, he quoted Surah 8 (Al-Anfal), verse 60:

Prepare for them whatever force and cavalry ye are able of gathering, to strike terror, to strike terror into the hearts of the enemies of Allah and your enemies.

But, the real meaning is to be quoted from verse 60-61:

Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth know. Whatever ye shall spend in the cause of Allah, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly. But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah. for He is One that heareth and knoweth (all things).

Which really means that you have to fight if you are being treated unjustly, but if your enemies want peace, then we shall give them peace. See how misleading his meaning is?? He said, "I make a distinction between the ideology of Islam and the Koran and Muslims. My problem is with the ideology not with the people.... I have nothing against Muslims." Pardon me, the ideology is perfect, the meaning is perfect, he misquoted the Quran, he twisted the meaning, and the root of the problem is the people.. not the religion. The message in the Quran does not approve Muslim going against the others, which can be found in Surah 109 (Al-Kafirun), verse 1-6:

In the name of God, most gracious, most merciful.
Say : O ye that reject Faith!
I worship not that which you worship.
Nor will you worship that which I worship.
And I shall not worship that which you are worshiping.
Nor will you worship that which I worship.
To you be your religion, and to me my religion.

Gnome sighting in Argentina

2008-03-15T15:26:00.002-05:00

A TOWN in South America is living in fear after several sightings of a 'creepy gnome' that locals claim stalks the streets at night.

The midget - which wears a pointy hat and has a distinctive sideways walk - was caught on video last week by a terrified group of youngsters.

Teenager Jose Alvarez - who filmed the gnome - yesterday told national newspaper El Tribuno that they caught the creature while larking about in their hometown of General Guemes, in the province of Salta, Argentina.

He said: “We were chatting about our last fishing trip. It was one in the morning.

“I began to film a bit with my mobile phone while the others were chatting and joking.

"Suddenly we heard something - a weird noise as if someone was throwing stones.

"We looked to one side and saw that the grass was moving. To begin with we thought it was a dog but when we saw this gnome-like figure begin to emerge we were really afraid."

Jose added that other locals had come forward to say they had spotted the gnome.

He said: “This is no joke. We are still afraid to go out - just like everyone else in the neighbourhood now.

"One of my friends was so scared after seeing that thing that we had to take him to the hospital.” [The Sun, Mar 11]

Mukhriz: PM, please resign

2008-03-14T19:12:00.006-05:00

PETALING JAYA: Umno Youth has distanced itself from Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir’s call for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to resign.

Its chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said in a statement sent via SMS that Mukhriz’s call was made on his own accord, and did not represent the stand of Umno Youth.

“If it is true that Mukhriz has asked for the Prime Minister’s resignation, then it is not the stand of Umno Youth, as our decisions have always been made collectively.

“As I have stated before, Umno Youth’s loyalty belongs to the leadership of the Prime Minister and his deputy.

“If the statement has been made of his (Mukhriz) own accord, it is my personal stand that his call was made at a time and in a method that is not appropriate,” he said in his text message.

Yesterday Mukhriz, who is Umno Youth executive council member, wrote a letter to Abdullah pressuring him to step down after the ruling coalition’s dismal showing in the 12th general election, describing the move as the honourable thing to do.

Hishammuddin's SMS, however, did not mention if any action would be taken against Mukhriz.

Mukhriz had also caused headlines in July last year when rumours spread of his intention to contest for the movement’s top post.

He had then pledged to give his full attention to helping Hishammuddin and Umno Youth.

When contacted in ALOR STAR, Mukhriz expressed surprise that the personal letter dated March 12 had ended up on the Internet.

“It was a personal, heartfelt letter addressed to the Prime Minister,” he said, adding that carbon copies of the letter were sent to top Umno leaders, namely deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, vice-president Datuk Wira Ali Rustam, vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and secretary-general Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad.

Mukhriz said the Barisan’s colossal defeat in its strongholds showed that even party members had betrayed the coalition.

“If Datuk Seri (Abdullah) does not step down in the near future, I am really worried that the trust of the rakyat, especially the Malays, in Umno and BN would diminish,” he added in the letter.

Mukhriz acknowledged that the letter would anger Abdullah and other Umno members.

“However, in the interest of the Malays and Umno, I am willing to accept reactions to this appeal,” he said.

Mukhriz ended the letter saying he was confident Abdullah would do the right thing for the sake of both race and nation.

[The Star, Mar 15 2008]

This is the copy of the letter:

12th March 2008
Dato' Seri,
Let me take this opportunity to thank you and the party's leadership for the faith in me and the chance to contest in Jerlun as a Barisan Nasional candidate. With the blessing and hard work of the party's leadership and machinery as well as the people of Jerlun, I have won the elections and am now a new Member of Parliament.

However, sadly enough, my victory is rendered meaningless in view of the defeat that Umno and the Kedah BN suffered in the hands of the opposition. Apart form Kedah, four other states as well as the Federal Territories also received similar humiliation in defeat.

In fact your own state of Penang was wrested by the DAP from the BN. Kelantan is again under Pas rules. In other states, the BN also suffered a similar humiliation when the level of BN support by the people has tremendously reduced. This, Datuk Seri, has never happened in the history of BN rule.

The sole intention of my letter to you is meant to save UMNO and BN from being rejected further by the people and from being no longer relevant to our religion, race and nation.

Dato' Seri, the people are unhappy and the message from them is very clear, and that is they have rejected you as the nation's chief executive.

Contrary to your claim that you still have the support of Umno and other component parties, the reality is that even our own party members had reneged in their voting pattern by supporting the Opposition and inflicting the BN its defeat.

Dato' Seri, when the people held street demonstrations you openly dared them to resort to the ballot boxes to demonstrate.

They took your challenge by coming out, especially tho people in the Peninsular, and they demonstrated their feelings by voting us out at the BN at State and Parliament levels.
It is therefore clear that your leadership and your handling of the issues faced by the people and the nation are no longer accepted. Let's not deny the truth just for the sake of keeping your seat as Prime Minister.

For the love of this country and the people, I beg that you take responsibility for the defeat. We can save UMNO, the BN and the nation only if you relinquish your positions as Prime Minister and the President of UMNO.
Dato' Seri, I hope you will understand that I make this plea with the intention of salvaging a very dire situation. A move has been made to woo the BN representatives to join the Opposition. The enemy needs just 35 seats more to topple the government of your leadership.

If you do not resign in the near future, I fear that the situation will become untenable and that the Malay support for Umno and BN will be a thing of the past.

This plea I make without malice, and I am aware that your reaction and that of other UMNO members could very well be hostile.

But come what may, I am prepared, for the sake of the Malays and UMNO, to face the consequences of my action. With all humility, I leave my fate to Allah SWT.
Dato' Seri, I am sure that you will do the right thing for the sake of the people and the nation. May Allah SWT bless you for the sacrifice you make by stepping down.

Wasallam

Yours Sincerely

Mukhriz Mahathir
Jerlun Member Parlament

Pilihanraya Umum ke-12

2008-03-08T00:49:00.014-06:00

The heat is on!! Get the latest info for the election by clicking the icon above. The result will be out and covered through this live portal from 5.00AM - 1.00PM CST. You can know who wins the parliamentary seat for your area, and most importantly, the voice of Malaysians. Will Barisan Nasional (National Front) have the 2/3 majority they have been aiming for? Will Barisan Alternatif (Alternative Front) win big this time? You can have all those infos through this live portal. I will keep you posted if I find a better portal. Stay warm~

Click the TV3 icon if you wish to watch the live broadcast of the event. However, it only works on Internet Explorer! It takes time to load and buffer, probably because everyone is watching it right now... funny part is, I got hooked up watching Panggung Sabtu (hindustan) while writing this post...lol! The program will stop if your computer is idle.

TV3 Programs on Pilihanraya Umum ke 12

Buletin Utama - 6.00AM (CST)
Siaran Langsung Keputusan Pilihanraya - 7.00AM (CST)

[Updated] Many of the local websites are down at the moment. Click here to get the latest news on PRU 12

Undi Tok!

2008-03-06T19:56:00.005-06:00

Despite all the anti-blog campaign by the government, limited media exposure for the Alternative Front, here comes one of the most tech savvy election candidate in Malaysia! Tok Maimun Yusuf, 89 year old candidate for P 036 K. Terengganu. She has her own blog, YouTube videos and even her own Facebook profile! Even Pak Lah doesn't have a blog, shame on you~ No wonder TMnet is so slow. I do respect the people who have been helping Tok getting through with the election. Show her some love people!!

Blog
Facebook
YouTube

Selamat berjaya, Tok!

[UPDATED] Tok Mun lost in the fight for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seats with only 685 votes, compared to Razali Ismail (BN), winner of the seat with 32582 votes. No matter what the result turned out to be, she will always be remembered as the gutsiest candidate of all time!

Dulu, kini, selamanya

2008-03-06T19:49:00.004-06:00

Well, this is a list of BN's achievements in A WEEK! Pretty impressive uhh? Not a single government in this world can be this efficient when it comes to the "hal ehwal rakyat". They have solved a lot of problem, in just one week. From pig farmers to save someone's life! What can I say, they are the best, always be the best... Dulu, Kini, Selamanya! Now and forever, until the time is through, I will stand with you~ yeahh!!!

PSD: It’s only for those whose family income is RM1,500 and below
New link to ease traffic
BN pledges to write off taxes
Promise of more jobs in the IDR
Aqua-tourism plan for village
MB: Land lease method to legalize fish breeders
RM550mil for new villages
Asahan state candidate listens to plight of the needy
Chinese community happy with Government’s move to build SJK (C) Kulai 2
Solution to drainage problems
RM26m district hospital
On a mission to ‘heal’ hearts
Contractor no stranger to Bukit Gantang residents
Farmers’ labor bears fruit finally
Kuala Langat also set to become an education hub
Malacca pig farmers thankful for MCA’s efforts
Free tuition classes
Help reach out to drug addicts, NGOs urged
MCA’s Gan wants a caring community
Help for Indians in Bukit Bintang
Putting the shine back in Kinta Valley
Goh on a mission to help others
MCA in venture to bolster economic contribution
Samy: Govt has given Indians RM430 mil
Allaying a Seri Delima concern
Through sickness and health
RM400,000 for associations, NGOs
RM10,000 for old folks home
Do your best, candidates told
MCA to set up task force on land issues for Kulai folk
Fu resolves more than 2,000 public complaints
Candidates respond to floods
Mohd Ali gives proof

There are more, but to list each and every single one of them is making me insane... whatever it is, I want to wish the very best of luck to BN! ;D

Parliamentary seats with RM400M tag

2008-03-06T13:55:00.002-06:00

MP Sibu threatens not to allocate RM 400M for flood fund in Sibu if he is not reelected. This is an article in a public newspaper in Sibu, which I think is a brave and daring move in Malaysia. Click the jump to read the whole article. Read more

Southwest Airlines flew 'unsafe' planes

2008-03-06T12:45:00.002-06:00

Discount air carrier Southwest Airlines flew thousands of passengers on aircraft that federal inspectors said were "unsafe" as recently as last March, according to detailed congressional documents obtained by CNN. Read more

Be careful with what you eat

2008-03-04T01:44:00.002-06:00

TOKYO (AFP) - A Japanese man was taken to hospital with a fish hook in his intestines after eating a hamburger from a convenience store, police said Tuesday.

The 19-year-old, from the western city of Himeji, complained of stomach pains late Sunday after eating the hamburger, which his mother had bought from the nearby FamilyMart store, a local police spokesman said.

When he checked the bag in which the hamburger came the man found a fish hook about one centimetre (0.4 inches) long, he said.

"Then he went to hospital and the doctor found in the X-ray picture another fish hook in his small intestine," the spokesman added.

The man's mother lodged a complaint with the store, which then reported the case to the police.

The spokesman added that the teenager could face surgery to remove the hook if doctors were unable to remove it naturally.

FamilyMart Co. Ltd., one of Japan's major convenience store chains, said it has recalled hamburgers sold at shops in western Japan.

"FamilyMart will thoroughly investigate the case to find out what caused the problem, including the possibility that the foreign objects might have come from the factory," it said in a statement.

Japan has been hit by a series of health scares in recent months.

Ten people required hospital treatment for pesticide poisoning after eating Chinese-made frozen dumplings, leading the two countries to investigate the safety of food.

Clinton! Obama! Clinton!....Obama!!!!!!

2008-03-04T01:39:00.001-06:00

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Montgomery County authorities say a man stabbed his brother-in-law during an argument over who should get the Democratic nomination for president. What's more, Jose Ortiz, 28, who's charged with felony assault, is a registered Republican.

District Attorney Risa Ferman said Ortiz supports Hillary Clinton and Sean Shurelds supports Barack Obama. She told reporters Monday that the two got into an argument in a Collegeville home Thursday night and Shurelds tried to choke Ortiz. She says Ortiz then stabbed Shurelds in the abdomen.

Shurelds was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but is expected to recover. [Associated Press]

M'sia's govt rejects call for American-style political debate ahead of election

2008-03-02T13:18:00.000-06:00

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's government has rejected an Islamic opposition party's challenge to hold an American-style public debate between their leaders ahead of March 8 general elections, news reports said on Sunday.

Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party President Abdul Hadi Awang recently dared Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to hold a televised debate similar to those held by US presidential candidates.

But the Sunday Star newspaper quoted Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz as saying there was no place for such debates in Malaysia.

'We don't follow the American system in our country. We (the country's leaders) should be debating with villagers or town folks concerning local issues affecting them,' she said in the report.

An aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing protocol, confirmed the minister's comments but did not give further details.

PAS is the chief rival of Abdullah's National Front coalition for votes among ethnic Malay Muslims, who make up about 60 per cent of Malaysia's 27 million people.

PAS controls the northeastern state of Kelantan, the only one of Malaysia's 13 states under opposition rule.

Malaysia has substantial minority populations of ethnic Chinese and Indians.

Sunday's New Straits Times newspaper quoted Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak as saying there was no need for the National Front coalition to entertain the PAS call for a public debate.

'That is the way of the opposition,' he was quoted as saying.

'We give everyone the freedom to campaign but it is the people who will decide the outcome.'

PAS officials said Malaysia's largely pro-government mainstream media have given the opposition little exposure and a debate would give it a chance to publicly air its views.

'We want the National Front to debate on public issues so people can compare our policies, but they are afraid people will have the opportunity to listen to PAS. They want to deny us the media exposure,' PAS senior official Hatta Ramli said.

'It looks like our standard of democracy is very much lower than in the US,' he said.

The National Front, which won 91 per cent of parliamentary seats in 2004 polls, is expected to easily win again but with fewer seats amid public complains over rising inflation, crime, and racial and religious tension.

Both sides are waging a hard-fought campaign ahead of the March 8 polls, with top leaders crisscrossing the country to make speeches. The National Front aims to capture Kelantan and has pledged billions of dollars (euros) to develop the mostly rural state. [Associated Press]

Why I shouldn't involve in politics... at this moment?

2008-02-29T19:12:00.010-06:00

As a student, the government always remind us not to involve in any kind of politics (except for those who wanted to join Kelab UMNO, then.... hmmm... *thinking*... that's a tough one ;p). Last week, Dato' Pa a.k.a Mustapa Muhamed, the Higher Education Minister warned all the students not to involve in any political parties, especially those who are being "paid" by the government to study. And he was pretty much convinced that the government sponsored students will always support and vote the government (in other words, jangan lupa mengenang budi). Read the rest of the story here. If I were to vote for this election, it would be kinda hard to take a side in any of the political parties in Malaysia.

Why shouldn't I vote for the National Front (BN)?

Cronyism

Approved Permits scandal a few years back.
The wealthy corrupted politician, Zakaria Md Deros.

The fact that the Malaysian media is fully controlled by the government, or in other words, you only listen and watch stuff that they wanted you to. The most important of all, why can't we even voice our opinion peacefully?
Sluggish performance in recent years.

Uncontrollable inflation.
I can say that Malaysian economy is currently rapidly growing, but, failure to control the heating economy will lead to inflation, and worst stagflation (when price is rising to high, currency is getting stronger and no one wants to invest in our country thus resulting in job loss and rising unemployment = kerja takde, duit takde, barang mahal). Another thing I want to quote:

On the ringgit exchange rate of RM3.22 against the US dollar, the highest recorded in 10 years, Abdullah said it reflected the country’s strong economic position.

“I hope this will help draw more foreign investments to the country,” he said.
[The Star, Feb 17 2008]

Stronger currency won't draw more foreign investments because our currency is relatively expensive to others. I think this statement sums it all~

Unhealthy majority in Parliament.

The 2/3 majority did not lead to a healthy debate in parliament and stupid arguments always happened (i.e Sexist bocor incident, Nazri's "Bodoh" and "Racist" arguments.... just find the videos in YouTube).

Money Politics, Corruption

It would be better to explain this through a video so that I won’t be accused of writing wild allegations. By the way, I do not approve the last message. Just want to bring you guys to Tun's speech.

On the other hand, why shouldn't I vote for Alternative Front (BA)?

Weak Opposition

The opposition party has got nothing to say but to highlight the weaknesses of the ruling party. For example, they voiced up against the corruption, inflation, rising crime and injustice, but they never put forward the options to overcome the problem.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, once said that if he wins the election (even though technically he won't be able to take part in the election) on the 8th of March, the very next day, the price of petrol and other essential household goods will be cut down. Yeah right, there is no easy way out in fighting inflation overnight. Suka-suka je nak turun harga. There will be a really huge side effect on the fiscal policy if billions of ringgits are allocated into subsidizing goods in just one night (I'm referring to goods that are bought by Malaysians, every single day, cost billions of ringgit in transaction daily). Why he promised such a thing? Because even if all Barisan Alternatif candidates were to win their respective seats, they won't be able to govern the country; hence, such a promise can just be thrown away. Good job, now they can just promise the stars, the moon and the sun, and everyone will support them.
Until now, they have not come out with ONE manifesto that represents a common agreement between the component parties, which shows us that they do not have a common ground in terms of how they will govern the country. Except for the Piagam Rakyat, which did not come out from their own mouth.
Lack of understanding and tolerance between the component parties, for example is the argument between Hasan Ali (Pas), Azmin Ali and Khalid Ibrahim (PKR) on who is going to be the candidate for Menteri Besar Selangor.
Most of the manifestos from the component parties look into solving short term problems rather than long term. For example, DAP promised that RM 6000 of bonus will be allocated to each families who are living on less than RM 6000 a year. Where do the money come from? A total of RM35 billion will be sucked up from Petronas annual profit of RM70 billion. Yes, this step does eradicate poverty instantly, but it is a cost to the government, instead of an investment that will have a better outcome in the future. This sum of money is better spent on research for alternative energy for Petronas (to drive the price of fuel down in the near future)... this too can eradicate poverty. Petronas is a GLC, so it won't be a problem to guide them in distributing the profit. If they say that we are an oil producing country, aren't we supposed to invest in this kind of thing?
In addition to all of these, they are not the one giving me the scholarship (I'm not anti-government okeyh, at least I still have the sense of berterima kasih....lol, even though, technically it's tax payers' money)

The fact that I have more to say about BN is because they have govern us for more than 50 years, doesn't mean that I support the others. So, do I have a choice? Yes, not to involve in any of these. Hopeless? No, I still have faith in my country. I still have faith in all Malaysian to decide who are the best to govern our country. What I hope for the "future" election (13th General Election and so on) is for the government to allow all Malaysians to become educated voters, have a live debate between BA & BN, free the media and etc. If every parties are confident that they can govern the country better, why not debate on all issues? This is the real meaning of democracy. These differences in political parties should not be considered as animosity, but rather a healthy debate that leads us to a common ground, that is to have the best for our country. I know some of you might agree with these, and some might not. But after all, we all still hope for the same thing, aren't we?

Have a happy election! ;P

HINDRAF Rose Rally

2008-02-28T02:35:00.003-06:00

You wacth, you decide. I can't further comment on this video since my words are bound by the documents that I signed a few years back when I received the government scholarship. My purpose is to give the awareness to my fellow readers about the current happenings in Malaysia, that's all. Drama~ drama~

Real Firefox

2008-02-26T23:16:00.003-06:00

Some nerds colored their dog to look like the Mozilla Firefox mascot. Cool~

Smile!

2008-02-26T22:50:00.003-06:00

Visitors to a Hampshire aquarium are being greeted by an eerily alien-like smiling face.

People have likened the baby thornback ray's distinctive face to the 'Last Human' featured on Doctor Who.

In the BBC series, the last surviving human was reduced to a stretched sheet of human skin with just a pair of eyes and a mouth.

The semi-transparent thornback ray, only a month old and just 12cms in length, is part of a captive breeding programme at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Southsea.

It is one of a dozen, hatched from egg-cases known as 'mermaid's purses', currently being looked after in a special nursery tank.

When they are large enough, they will join the adult thornbacks and several sharks in a large pool.

A Blue Reef spokesman said the babies are proving very popular with visitors. [via Ananova]

Is Our Electoral Process Really "BERSIH"?

2008-02-25T17:38:00.008-06:00

Well, the title says it all. Some of us might say that our electoral process is clean and better than the other countries who don't even have the opportunity to undergo the electoral process. But some of us are the BERSIH people who demand a better and cleaner election. I, myself believe that it is hard to get a really "clean" election because when the money talks nothing can shut it up. Here is the proof of flaws in the Malaysian Electoral System. Copy and paste one of these IC numbers:

881231100432
881103750027
880505066047
880906087033
881030136332
891102740096
891129740088
890520610089
890112146416
890920076065
890403615016
910609755079
920622710069

And then click the icon above to access the Live Undi Portal. Paste the number you have copied into the space for "Voter Verifications" and click "Check". What you see is something unbelievable where someone that is already or probably dead is able to vote, or we call them "phantom voters" or pengundi hantu. In this case, 89 is not 1989, but it's 1889... which most of them are probably dead. To explain to the non-Malaysian readers, the first 6 digits of the IC number is the birth date (i.e in this case 920622 = 22 June 1892). So, the question is, how the Electoral Commission can overlook such an obvious error in the registration process, even after BERSIH had the open demonstration last year (plus, tearing Tan Sri Abdul Rashid's posters and being labeled "Biadap (Rude)" by PM). Same old problem, no lesson learned.

[UPDATED]: Previously I noted that these are underaged voters, but a concerned reader pointed out this case, which makes much more sense to me since this problem has become a usual election problem every 5 years. Hmmm... I wish I could attack EC with a stupider error... like my first thought, rather than the lame usual phantom voter problem....lol!

Sha la la la

2008-02-23T23:57:00.002-06:00

Enjoy!!

What is Barisan Rakyat?

2008-02-23T19:23:00.003-06:00

Barisan Rakyat is the new terminology/concept introduced by Haris Ibrahim, a political activist, to refer to Barisan Alternatif/Pembangkang (PAS, PKR, DAP & MDP) + RPK (a component party of BN in Sarawak) due to the fact that they endorsed the People's Declaration. In this declaration, to keep things short is a revolutionary manifesto that labels rakyat as the supreme decision maker of our country's internal affairs. I have read it, and trully support it because I can see that nothing bad will come out of this. It reflects the true idea of democracy as it upholds the rights of the rakyat regardless of race or religion by calling for efforts to create a Malaysia for all Malaysians, eliminate poverty, to eradicate corruption, bring back the absolute idea of democracy, free Press, and an independent judiciary.

However, BN (all except RPK) still refuses to endorse it, maybe to the fact that it is too revolutionary and the Malaysians are not ready to face it. Well, guess what? Malaysia Boleh! I really hope, that the future government, whoever they will be, will uphold the rights of the rakyat! That's how it "supposed" to be....

People's Declaration

P/S: If you have read it, feel free to give your comments about this declaration!

Candidates List

2008-02-23T17:15:00.007-06:00

Malaysian General Election 2008 is just around the corner with only 2 weeks to go. At the moment, every parties are struggling to name their candidates.. and some even had to go through intense lobbying and emotional conflict to get their names as the candidates.

News:
Perlis lists looks settled after intense lobbying
High drama from Putrajaya to Perlis
DAP man resigns after candidates list announced

They are still in the process of naming their candidates, so some of the seats are still vacant. Maybe some of you still do not know who are contesting for the parliamentary seats of your hometown, then click the icon above to get all the infos on the coming general elections. Some of you are voters, and most are don't (including me... MSD did not reply my inquiries about Borang A to enroll me as a voter..lalalala)...but the least you can do is to know the latest news about the election. Selamat mengundi to those who can vote!

Vote the candidate, not the party.

Videos of the Week

2008-02-22T23:03:00.004-06:00

Sounds from Windows

What Song is This?

Arrested Woman Beat by Police Off Camera

Warning, video is a little bit graphic

"Change you can Xerox"..touché

2008-02-22T13:27:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, CNN held a debate between Hillary and Obama at the University of Texas-Austin and one of the issue raised was the plagiarism of Obama in several of his speeches. Take a look at this video:

However, this morning I found a video in the YouTube that at the end of the debate, Hillary's wrap up speech more or less sounded like John Edwards speech. Hmmm... touché. Take a look:

What I want to say is that, it is totally immature to attack someone based on speeches that only have two lines that sounded similar to other people's speeches. It is a weak campaign strategy to gain support from people. Unless if Obama plagiarized a complete speech including all the plans that someone has came up with, then that would be an issue worth to be mentioned on her campaign. At last, she herself sounded like John Edwards. Every politician uses the same rhetoric style to gain supporters, and the possibilities to "sound the same" is there. Please don't make a fuss about it ma'am....

Kill James

2008-02-22T11:52:00.003-06:00

By PETER BERNARD, News Channel 8, And RAY REYES, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 21, 2008

A Lithia family says a cuddly, programmable Elmo doll revealed its dark side yesterday after fresh batteries were installed.

Instead of singing songs or reciting the favorite color of its 2-year-old owner, James Bowman, the doll started making death threats, the family says.

With a squeeze of its fuzzy belly, the Sesame Street character now says, in a sing-song voice, "Kill James." "It's not something that really you would think would ever come out of a toy," said Melissa Bowman, James' mother. "But once I heard, I was just kind of distraught."

The Elmo Knows Your Name doll, which connects to a computer to learn certain phases and names, recently ran out of battery power, Bowman said.

About an hour after she put new ones in, "I noticed exactly what it was saying," Bowman said. "And my son was repeating exactly what it was saying."

Bowman said Elmo is James' favorite character. James even has Elmo slippers, but the malfunctioning, death-threat-spouting Elmo Knows Your Name doll is now being kept away from her son, Bowman said.

"This is his absolute favorite toy," she said. "So we've been going through a lot of hassle because he's trying to climb up the counter and up the closets to get it."

Fisher-Price, the toy company that manufactures the dolls, said it will issue the Bowmans a voucher for a replacement doll. The company said it will examine James' model for the source of the problem and check whether other Elmos are experiencing the same malfunction.
View video here

This story really reminds me of the Chucky from the movie Child's Play! How in the world that a totally different kind of vocab can be part of the toy's dictionary? That's totally creepy....

Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116

2008-02-21T09:37:00.005-06:00

A Swedish couple has been fined for failing to register a legally approved name for their seven-year-old child, who is presently called "Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116" (pronounced "/ˈalˌbin/"). They've offered to change the kid's name to "A," but the Swedish government says that won't do, either.

Because the parents (Elizabeth Hallin and an unidentified father) failed to register a name by the boy's fifth birthday, a district court in Halmstad, southern Sweden, fined the parents 5,000 kronor (US$682 at the time). Responding to the fine, the parents submitted the 43-character name in May 1996, claiming that it was "a pregnant, expressionistic development that we see as an artistic creation." The parents suggested the name be understood in the spirit of 'pataphysics. The court rejected the name and upheld the fine.

[Link]

This is one hell of a story that just made my day. I think the parents got really annoyed by the government to name their son and bang their heads on the keyboard..... "Sweet, I guess we just pronounce it Albin... *grin* genius~"

"Build-in" Cellphone

2008-02-21T08:50:00.005-06:00

This is one of the coolest gadget I've seen so far. It looks and sounds ridiculous, but this concept, if succeeded, would be a grand breakthrough for biotechnolgy field. Believe it or not... it's a cellphone, buried under your skin. You can touch for activation (instead of touchscreen, it's touchskin), and the two wires are connected into the blood vessel (technology that converts the oxygen and glucose in the blood to energy). The cool part, the "screen" is animated and there is a potential for a 3G video call to be displayed on your skin! What if some people actually goof around with this thing by sticking it elsewhere on the body...on the stomach perhaps? That would be really funny.... lol! [via Gizmodo]