Ahmad Ismail didn’t mean it, Abdullah says

Bukit Bendera UMNO division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail was reported to have allegedly uttered the remarks in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak during a ceramah in Permatang Pauh in Aug 25 that “the Chinese were mere squatters or temporary residents of the nation and therefore, it was impossible to achieve equal rights amongst races in the country,”

In addressing the issues, Malaysia Prime minister and UMNO President Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he will personally see to it that Bukit Bendera UMNO chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail does not repeat his remarks about the Chinese.

“I will tell him not to do it again. You know in a campaign all sorts of things can come up. I don’t think he meant it. I’ll make sure to tell him not to use it again,” the Prime Minister said after chairing the Bertam UMNO division meeting yesterday.

Gerakan, a component of the Barisan Nasional (BN), has called for stern action against Bukit Bendera UMNO division head Datuk Ahmad Ismail over his recent “seditious” remarks on the Chinese community.

Gerakan secretary-general Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye in a statement said, “Many Malaysians are disappointed with the mild statement by Prime Minister and UMNO resident Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when commenting on the seditious statement by Datuk Ahmad Ismail.”

“They (Malaysians) had expected a strong rebuke, especially on Aug 31, a day all Malaysians celebrated the country’s independence. After 51 years of independence, any further doubt of loyalty of any Malaysian of any ethnic origin and the questioning of citizenship is beyond the understanding of all Malaysians.”

“Ahmad’s statement was outdated and racially provocative, adding that any sign of the Barisan Nasional tolerating any out rightly racist and provocative views would give the wrong signal to the people.”

“Ahmad Ismail should not only retract what he uttered and also apologize to all Malaysians but also be disciplined so as to prevent such divisive statement or action from being repeated. Such archaic views can further divide a multi-ethnic country like Malaysia,”

Gerakan vice-president Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan urged UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership to review its stance against Ahmad. He called on the police to investigate the matter as the MCA and Gerakan Youth had lodged a police report against Ahmad.

Penang Gerakan Youth committee member Dr Thor Teong Gee lambasted Ahmad and charged that UMNO was still using racial ideology to achieve its own personal political agenda. Bukit Mertajam MCA division chairman Lau Chiek Tuan called for disciplinary action against Ahmad.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s political secretary Ng Wei Aik also called on Ahmad to immediately retract his statement and apologize to the community.

Meanwhile, Tanjung Gerakan Youth division chief H’ng Khoon Leng lodged a police report at the district police headquarters in Patani Road over Ahmad’s alleged remarks.

MCA Youth chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said there was no reason for Ahmad to stir racial feelings with his remarks.

“This is the Merdeka month and such a racist remark should not have been made,” he added.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said UMNO leaders should stop using racial sentiment to seek support from the people.

Former UiTM students protest against quota at UiTM be opened

About 5,000 UiTM students assembled in front of the state government administration building, Bangunan Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah (SAAS) to protest against the suggestion by Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim is suggesting that 10 per cent of the current student quota at UiTM be opened to non-Bumiputeras and foreign students.

He had said that the suggestion could raise the quality of education and spirit of competition among students at the institution.

The suggestion to open up the university was to improve the quality of education and competency amongst its students as the university is currently only open to Bumiputeras.

He proposed to sit in a special meeting with some state executive councillors and the university's student representatives to come up with ideas to further advance the achievements of higher learning.

In responding, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, however, said Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has no power to make a proposal that the student quota for Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) be opened to the non-Bumiputeras too.


He said those who had the rights to decide on the enrolment policy were those who had links to the educational institution.

“It is not within his jurisdiction of power. Matters pertaining to the intake (of students) lie with the educational institution concerned.”

The suggestion, however, were met with opposition from former UiTM students who described it as illogical and did not deserve any consideration.

Najib as the new Prime Minister in 2010

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will step down as Prime Minister in June 2010 and hand over power to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said two years was the right amount of time for him to complete his projects.

"(Deputy Prime Minister) Najib (Razak) also needs time to prepare the party for the next elections - whether it's 2012 or 2013.

"During this period, I will also let Najib sit in more committees and get to know the leaders of other countries."

Abdullah who is Umno president however said he would still seek nomination to contest the party's top post during the December party election and that Najib who is his deputy would still go for the number two party post.

He said he would not be leading Barisan Nasional into the next general election because by that time the country would have Najib as the new Prime Minister.

Abdullah admitted that he felt a little sad over his decision to quit as Prime Minister.

Opposition files motion of no confidence against PM

Pakatan Rakyat Members of Parliament, led by MP for Permatang Pauh and PKR president Datin Seri Wan Azizah Ismail, filed a motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister and his Cabinet after months of making the threat.

The Speaker promised to give full consideration to the motion but it has been understood that the motion will be rejected after it is read on Monday.

The motion, filed under Section 18 (1) and (2) of the House Standing Order, was passed to Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia at his office in Parliament House at 3.45pm.

Among others, the motion stated that the 12th general election witnessed a 'political tsunami' which saw five states and the Federal Territories falling into the hands of the Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional being denied a two-thirds majority.

"BN achieved its slim victory by manipulating the Election Commission and through lies.

"The price of fuel was suddenly raised after the elections although the deputy premier - while launching the election manifesto - promised this would not happen.

BN parliamentarians who rejected this irresponsible action of their leaders are threatened and forced not to speak out.

"This development has caused a crisis of confidence with the prime minister and his cabinet. The people are facing several crises such as an increase in the prices of fuel and foodstuff.

"In addition, the people's confidence in the police, attorney-general and judiciary is also on the decline. Crime and corruption is on the rise."

China’s Economic Rise -Fact and Fiction

China’s economy will surpass that of the United States by 2035 and be twice its size by mid-century, a new report by Albert Keidel concludes. China’s rapid growth is driven by domestic demand—not exports—and will sustain high single-digit growth rates well into this century.

In China’s Economic Rise - Fact and Fiction, Keidel examines China’s likely economic trajectory and its implications for global commercial, institutional, and military leadership.

Key Conclusions:

• Potential stumbling blocks to sustained Chinese growth - export concerns, domestic economic instability, inequality and poverty, pollution, social unrest, or even corruption and slow political reform - are unlikely to undermine China’s long-term success.

• China’s financial system, rather than a shortcoming that compromises growth potential, is one of the strengths of what the report calls “China’s money-making machine,” in part because of its ability to support the financing of infrastructure and other public investments necessary for sustained rapid growth.

• A Chinese economy that eclipses the U.S. by mid-century has both commercial and potential military implications. China will be the preeminent world commercial influence. China’s military capabilities are a small fraction of the United States’ today, so there is time to prepare for a very different world in fifty years.

• American policy makers should take this opportunity to enact wide-ranging domestic reforms and rethink their concepts of global order.

“China’s economic performance clearly is no flash in the pan. Its growth this decade has averaged more than 10 percent a year and is still going strong in the first half of 2008. Because its success in recent decades has not been export-led but driven by domestic demand, its rapid growth can continue well into the twenty-first century, unfettered by world market limitation.

China’s likely continued success will eventually bring an end to America’s global economic preeminence, requiring strategic reassessment by all major economies - especially the United States, the European Union, Japan, and even China itself.”

Abdullah: slander and lies spread in cyberspace

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Monday labelled as treachery the deliberate attempts to create perceptions of uneasiness and distrust in the people via the Internet and the short messaging service (SMS) with blatant disregard for the principles of the Rukunegara (National Principles).

The prime minister said these attempts, undertaken through Internet blogs, the YouTube and SMS, had blemished the principles of the Rukunegara such as Loyalty to King and Country, Upholding the Constitution, the Rule of Law, and Good Behaviour and Morality.

"All the slander and lies spread through the blogs and YouTube do not contribute to ease and confidence in the people," he said at the monthly gathering of the Prime Minister's Department, here.

"There is no more regard for statements of truth in law. Little attention is given to (one's) demeanour in life. The sovereignty of the Rulers is turned into an issue," he said.

Abdullah said not all of the people believed in the negative perceptions which were attempted to be created but it was portrayed that more people had become trapped in that situation.

"Conduct attributed to the truth is not appreciated. What is appreciated is the perception, and along with it the lies.

"Perception negates the truth. The truth is no longer talked about. The important thing is the perception," he said.

Abdullah said perceptions had influenced the attitudes and options of some people in the making of decisions, including those related to investment and business.

He said this must be rectified but, unfortunately, it had become a subject which the people were most interested in, so much so that it had become word of mouth and they resorted to exaggeration.

"The people must be appeased so as not to have any fear of a possible shortage of food. They must be pacified so as not to have any worry over their own safety and that of their families," he said.

Abdullah said the nation had just gone through the democratic process (March 8 general election) and the government had been given the mandate to administer the country.

The government, he said, hoped to be able to fulfill the aspirations of the people.

He said the government had adopted and would take measures to reduce the financial burden of the people arising from the increase in fuel prices which had caused them some restlessness.

"The people must have confidence in our efforts," he said. The prime minister called on the enforcement authorities to be firm in maintaining peace and security in the country.

"Let's stop doing what is undesirable. The people must exercise a high sense of responsibility. Our priority must be to maintain peace," he said.

NYC Company Markets Obama, McCain-Labeled Condoms

The presidential race is in full swing—in more ways than you might imagine. A young New York City entrepreneur has decided to “have fun” with the campaign by marketing condoms featuring images of Barack Obama and John McCain.

Benjamin Sherman, who created the company Practice Safe Policy, says the Obama condom carries the slogan “Use With Good Judgment.” The McCain version says “OLD BUT Not Expired.”

According to the Web site, McCain condoms “are battle tested, strong and durable, for those occasions when you just need to switch your position!”

While the company can’t guarantee the condoms are 100 percent effective, it says it’s certain “that without wearing one, there’s likely to be an Obama-Mama in your future.”

TUN DR MAHATHIR QUITS UMNO

It is truly unbelievable that former Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today announced that he was temporarily resign from Umno as a sign of no confidence in his successor's leadership with immediate effect and urged other members to follow him.

He indicated that he would only rejoin the party when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi steps down as Umno president.

"I will only come back to the party when there is a change in leadership," the ex-premier told a 1,200-strong crowd at a forum in his home state of Kedah this morning.

He also called on all Umno ministers, deputy ministers and all levels of party leaders to join him in leaving the party.

However, he asked these members not to join other political parties.

One notable Umno leader who has apparently took on Tun Dr Mahathir's call to resign is Sanusi, who said he would release an official statement later.

Abdullah, in an immediate reaction, expressed shock at Tun Dr Mahathir's resignation, saying, " I didn't expect him to leave but I will continue to fight for the party."

Oil painting at auction house

A painting by Lucian Freud, entitled "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping", is displayed at Christie's auctioneers in London April 11, 2008. The woman who posed naked for Freud revealed Saturday she was paid 20 pounds -- and the resulting painting is expected to become the most expensive work by a living artist. [Agencies]

Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen arrives for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala, "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" in New York, May 5, 2008. The superhero mania that is invading American cinemas this summer has taken hold at one of the country's most distinguished art museums with an exhibit on how their colorful costumes have influenced fashion. [Agencies]

CNN STARTED INFORMATION WARFARE?

The cyber warfare seems to be worsen by CNN on March 25, 2008 by running a "quickvote" poll asking readers to vote "yes" or "no" to the question: "Should the Olympics in China be boycotted?"

The online poll on the Chinese tech site DoNews was reposted an item from the blog dengjin.com. by blogger. The blogger instructed readers how to vote "no" and urges them to do so in large numbers.

The blog post was published on March 26, 2008, and DoNews republished it at around 5 pm Beijing/Hong Kong time.

At 10:30 pm Hong Kong time, the blogger believed to be Chinese was accused hacked the poll and replaced with new posting. Immediately, CNN.com replaced the poll after Chinese netizens started all voting "no" in big numbers.

BBC – BIAS BROADCASTING CORPORATION

BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation became Bias Broadcasting Corporation.

Currently, many Chinese, whether in China or outside the country, are deeply indignant at western media coverage of Tibet, Dalai Lama, Olympics and Freedom & Democracy issues.

Many issues claim to be conveniently muddled to confuse or even misinform the public. Finally, on April 19, 2008, thousands of Chinese students and expatriates convene in Old Palace Yard in London to protest against the BBC's and other British news organizations' distorted and lopsided reports on Tibetan secessionist violence and London leg of Olympics torch relay.

They carried “Bias Broadcasting Corporation” banner. The protest was participating by some western people too.

RED ROSES SYMBOLIZE ROMANCE

While I fall in love, I like rose. When my heart broken, I like roses too. Roses are beautiful and the name originates from Latin rosa. In Malaysia, roses are planted commercially in Cameron Highlands.

Each rose color means something different: red roses - love, yellow roses -friendship, white roses - respect, and so on. Everyone knows that red roses symbolize romance. But do you know what other rose colors mean? Learn it here.

Red — The red rose tells your sweetheart without a doubt, "I love you." A vibrant and dramatic color, it stands for romance and passion. It’s the perfect choice for your true love, the love of a lifetime or someone you want to get the message it's time to "get serious."

White — Tells your sweetheart that they're simply "heavenly," and is a great color for the romantic in your life! White roses also stand for innocence, which makes it a perfect color choice for Dads to give daughters.

Pink — Send deep pink roses and you're telling that someone special you appreciate their sense of grace, style and their gentle nature. Send them light pink roses and you're saying, "I really admire you!"

Yellow — Could there be any other color but bright sunny yellow roses that symbolize friendship, affection and joy? Send your best friend a bunch of these stunning blooms with a card that says, "You'll be my best friend forever!"

MISJUDGMENT CAUSED BN LOST THE CYBER WAR

The price paid for the serious misjudgment and ignore cyber-campaigning on the Internet is too high. It caused the powerful Barisan Nasional coalition suffered its worst-ever results in March 8 polls that left five states and a third of parliamentary seats in opposition hands.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today said his "biggest mistake" in disastrous elections was to ignore cyber-campaigning on the Internet which was seized by the opposition.

"We certainly lost the Internet war, the cyber-war," Abdullah said in a speech to an investment conference.

"It was a serious misjudgment. We made the biggest mistake in thinking that it was not important," he said.

"We thought that the newspapers, the print media, the television was supposed to be important, but the young people were looking at SMS and blogs."

"It was painful ... but it came at the right time, not too late," he said.

The foreign analysis observed that the opposition, which was largely ignored by government-linked mainstream media, instead waged an enormously successful online campaign using blogs, news websites and SMS text messages.

The comments are a major about-face for the government, which had vilified bloggers, calling them liars and threatening them with detention without trial under draconian internal security laws.

The mainstream media are "often compelled to ignore or to play down" opposition events.

KABINET BARU 2008

Perdana Menteri : Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Timbalan Perdana Menteri: Datuk Seri Najib Razak

JABATAN PERDANA MENTERI Menteri : Tan Sri Bernard Dompok
Menteri : Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz
Menteri : Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Menteri : Datuk Zaid Ibrahim (senator)
Menteri : Datuk Amirsham A Aziz (senator)
Timbalan : Datuk Johari Baharum
Timbalan : Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim (senator)
Timbalan : S K Devamany
Timbalan : Datuk Hasan Malek

KEMENTERIAN DALAM NEGERI
Menteri : Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar
Timbalan : Datuk Chor Chee Heung
Timbalan : Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh (senator)

KEMENTERIAN KEWANGAN
Menteri : Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Menteri II : Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop
Timbalan : Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah
Timbalan : Datuk Kong Cho Ha

KEMENTERIAN PENGANGKUTAN
Menteri : Datuk Ong Tee Keat
Timbalan : Datuk Anifah Aman

KEMENTERIAN KERJA RAYA
Menteri : Datuk Ir. Mohd Zin Mohamed
Timbalan : Datuk Yong Khoon Seng

KEMENTERIAN PERUSAHAAN PERLADANGAN DAN KOMODITI
Menteri : Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui
Timbalan : A Kohilan Pillay (senator)

KEMENTERIAN TENAGA, AIR DAN KOMUNIKASI
Menteri : Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor
Timbalan : Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum

KEMENTERIAN PERDAGANGAN ANTARABANGSA DAN INDUSTRI
Menteri : Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
Timbalan : Datuk Liew Vui Keong
Timbalan : Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan

KEMENTERIAN PERTANIAN DAN INDUSTRI ASAS TANI
Menteri : Datuk Mustapa Mohamed
Timbalan : Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim

KEMENTERIAN PERDAGANGAN DALAM NEGERI DAN HAL EHWAL PENGGUNA
Menteri : Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad
Timbalan : Jelaing anak Mersat

KEMENTERIAN PELAJARAN
Menteri : Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein
Timbalan : Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong
Timbalan : Datuk Razali Ismail

KEMENTERIAN PENERANGAN
Menteri : Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek
Timbalan : Datuk Tan Lian Hoe

KEMENTERIAN PERPADUAN, KEBUDAYAAN, KESENIAN DAN WARISAN
Menteri : Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal
Timbalan : Teng Boon Soon

KEMENTERIAN SUMBER MANUSIA
Menteri : Datuk Dr S Subramaniam
Timbalan : Datuk Noraini Ahmad

KEMENTERIAN SAINS TEKNOLOGI DAN INOVASI
Menteri : Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili
Timbalan : Fadillah Yusof

KEMENTERIAN PERUMAHAN DAN KERAJAAN TEMPATAN
Menteri : Datuk Ong Ka Chuan
Timbalan : Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew
Timbalan : Datuk Hamzah Zainudin

KEMENTERIAN PERTAHANAN
Menteri : Datuk Seri Najib Razak
Timbalan : Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop

KEMENTERIAN KEMAJUAN LUAR BANDAR DAN WILAYAH
Menteri : Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib
Timbalan : Tan Sri Joseph Kurup
Timbalan : Joseph Entulu Belaun

KEMENTERIAN LUAR NEGERI
Menteri : Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim
Timbalan : Datuk Seri Tengku Azlan Abu Bakar

KEMENTERIAN BELIA DAN SUKAN
Menteri : Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Timbalan : Wee Jeck Seng

KEMENTERIAN KESIHATAN
Menteri : Datuk Liow Tiong Lai
Timbalan : Datuk Dr. Abdul Latiff Ahmad

KEMENTERIAN PEMBANGUNAN USAHAWAN DAN KOPERASI
Menteri : Datuk Noh Omar
Timbalan : Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah

KEMENTERIAN PEMBANGUNAN WANITA,KELUARGA DAN MASYARAKAT
Menteri : Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen
Timbalan : Noriah Kasnon

KEMENTERIAN PELANCONGAN
Menteri : Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said
Timbalan Menteri : Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib

KEMENTERIAN WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN
Menteri : Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique
Timbalan Menteri : Datuk M Saravanan

KEMENTERIAN PENGAJIAN TINGGI
Menteri : Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin
Timbalan Menteri : Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung
Timbalan Menteri : Datuk Idris Haron

KEMENTERIAN SUMBER ASLI DAN ALAM SEKITAR
Menteri : Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas
Timbalan Menteri : Datuk Seri Abdul Ghapur Salleh

BABY GIRL BORN WITH TWO FACES IN INDIA

A baby girl was born with two faces and four eyes in Gautam Budh Nagar hospital in the suburbs of Delhi, India on Monday, March 10, 2008

A patient was admitted to our hospital around 0600 hrs IST in the morning. An unusual girl child was delivered normally with two faces and four eyes. Both mother and the child are healthy and doing fine," Dr Aas Mohammad of Saifai Hospital said.

Doctor attending the baby said she is otherwise healthy.

Born to Vinod Singh and Sushma at Saifai Hospital in Dadri, the baby is being worshipped by the residents of the area who say she is an incarnation of god.

Neighbours of the couple are offering money and seeking blessings from the baby girl.

Vinod and wife are hoping the government will help with medical treatments needed for their baby girl in the future.

Bernama apologises to Lim for false May 13 attribution

Read The New Straits Times news

Bernama apologises to Lim for false May 13 attribution

By : Melisa Darlyne Chow

GEORGE TOWN, Sat: Bernama has apologised to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for the “sloppy editing” in its news story on March 12 which mistakenly quoted Lim as commenting on the May 13 incident.

The issue of the Penang government marginalizing anybody in the state does not arise following the apology letter issued by Bernama on Friday that stated that the news agency had mistakenly quoted Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said as commenting on the May 13, 1969 tragedy.

"I consider the issue closed, as the issue of DAP marginalizing Penangites did not arise at all in the first place, Lim told a press conference after opening the Artistic Malaysia Gallery here today. "Until now, the state government has not implemented any policies that were not profitable to Penangites, except for one company. Even that is not a Bumiputera company.”

Bernama editor-in-chief Yong Soo Heong said upon a thorough review, the inclusion of the fact along with Lim's quote was deemed inappropriate. Yong noted the inclusion of the fact was intended to give background on the establishment of the NEP in 1971.

It was earlier reported that the new state government had outlined several reforms it plans to undertake in the state administration, starting with doing away with the practices under the NEP. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had warned Lim not to make statements, which could stoke racial tension, which the latter later refuted.

Some 1,000 Penang Umno members and supporters had held demonstrations at Komtar on Friday in protest over Lim's move to abolish the NEP.

Lim said the state government had only wanted all government procurement and contracts be done through the open tender system. Even this was made into an issue, then there was nothing he could do about it.

"We have to move forward. Let us move on to an era where there is transparency and integrity, to ensure the state's resources can be shared among everyone. The Prime Minister has also given his assurance that federal government projects here will go on as usual. We cannot allow certain quarters to make an issue out of this. Penang Umno must respect the people's wishes.

"Let us carry on with the task of leading the state, which has been entrusted to us by the people," he said. “The state government has not discriminated anybody.”

Lim said he did not want to prolong the matter further and the state government would move on from here to implement policies that were beneficial to all Penangites.

POLITICAL VANDALISM IN MALAYSIA

Malaysia Election Commission Chairperson Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman’s double-storey bungalow was splashed with red paint by three unidentified men early yesterday morning, ruining his front gate and one of his vehicles.

The attack can be classified as a simple piece of political vandalism. It is believed that the main cause for the red paint attack is due to the last-minute move by the Election Commission to scrap the use of indelible ink that was announced on Tuesday, following legal advice and looking at the issue of public order and security.

Legally, Election Commission had to scrap the indelible ink unless the Election Regulations 1981 are amended, as the right to vote cannot be made conditional on the marking of voters' fingers.

A lot of criticisms have been thrown to EC for the decision, and some political party supporters even have taken this aversely. Ironically, the decision is tough and difficult, but it ought to be done.

Isn't the idea that this is such a just cause, while painful, is worth the price?

OIL HITS RECORD HIGH $103.95 PER BARREL

World oil price hits another record high $ 103.95 per barrel will cause the Malaysian government to increase the subsidy if if no price hike. Ironically, the profit of PETRONAS will be increase too.

The question remains: Are the government going to increase the petrol price immediately after winning the 12th General Election which will be held on the March 8, 2008?

The gravity-defying price of oil shot through another barrier March 3, 2008 by briefly touching $103.95 a barrel in New York trading, the highest cost ever for black gold even after adjusting for inflation.

Chakib Khelil, president of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, said the 13-nation cartel is shying away from boosting production because of the U.S. economic slowdown, political turmoil in the Middle East and expectations of slackening global demand for crude.

CHICKEN EGGS CHEAPER NOW

It is a good news that chicken eggs drop in price? It is due to general election? By the way, the real questions remain:Are other things like public transport, TOL, electricity bills, telephone and daily goods will follow to drop their prices?

The price drop was reportd by all the media. Read the news : The prices of chicken eggs dropped by between one sen and two-and-a-half sen effective today.

The price of Grade AA eggs is 28.5 sen (30 sen previously), Grade A 28 sen (29.5 sen), Grade B 27.5 sen (29 sen), Grade C 27 sen (28.5 sen), Grade D 26.5 sen (28 sen) and Grade E 25.5 sen (27 sen), according to a statement from the Federation of Livestock Farmers’ Associations of Malaysia (FLFAM).

The new prices were based on the market demand and supply, the statement said.

GOODBYE FOR NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR

After March 1, 2008, Netscape Navigator will be no longer be supported clearly shown that technological advancement is fast moving. Those uncompetitive product will be out from the market and replace by more reliable, user friendly product.

It is reported by BBC that Netscape Navigator, now owned by AOL, will no longer be supported after 1 March 2008, the company has said.

In the mid-1990s, as the commercial web began to take off, the browser was used by more than 90% of people online.

Its market share has since slipped to just 0.6% as other browsers such as Microsoft' Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox have eroded its user base.

The company recommends that users upgrade their browser to either Firefox or Flock, which are both built on the same underlying technologies as Navigator.

Welfare State Replaced Islamic State

PAS broke the own taboo by fielding the first non-Muslim candidate and the party’s manifesto themed “Trustworthy, just and clean Government: A nation of care and opportunity”, clearly reflected that the party not only sideline the Islamic state but said no to Islamic States and replacing it with welfare state.

KUMUTHA Rahman, the 29-year-old law graduate, had been named as the first non-Muslim candidate fielded by PAS headquarters in Batu Pahat.

She is contesting the Tiram state seat But Pas is fielding her under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat symbol based on the electoral pact the two parties have entered into.

She had broken the conservative Islamic party's 61-year-old tradition of only fielding Muslims as candidates.

Pas will contest 34 state seats and nine parliamentary seats in Johore. The party had lost in all 37 state seats and 11 parliamentary constituencies it contested in the last general election. This time around, fresh faces made-up one-third of the candidates and none of the Pas Women’s wing leaders.

The Tiram constituency is a Barisan Nasional stronghold. In the 2004 election, BN's Maulizan Bujang beat Pas' Roslani Sharif, by a margin of 15,595 votes and the coalition us expected to repeat the feat. The Indian vote, which comprises 14.39 per cent of that area’s voters

Nik Aziz : Umno members are "person of the forest"

The orangutans are two species of great apes known for their intelligence, long arms and reddish-brown hair. The word orangutan means "person of the forest". It is the common term in Malay local languages. Maias and mawas are also used in Malay, but it is unclear if those words refer only to orangutans or to all apes in general.

The PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat calling Umno members orangutans, is it proper to use the words orangutan in politics? The question remains but the PAS spiritual adviser has his explanation.

He said, sometimes one has to be a bit rough for the message to hit home. When someone does something wrong, we should be in the position to correct him. Sometimes he advises, sometimes he uses the rotan (cane). In this case, it is the rotan.

“Even the West uses the word 'animal' quite liberally. I am not even using the word ‘animal’. I am only using the word ‘orangutan’, which is not as bad."

Nik Aziz likened smokers to animals who did not think before hurting themselves. As party members who smoked did not fully understand Islam, as smoking was considered haram (forbidden) or makruh (allowed but not encouraged).

Indian should cast their votes wisely

Can MIC convince the India voters to vote for Barisan Nasional in this general election? The question remains but definitely the MIC President will denies the alleged waning support from Indian communities toward BN in this general election. It seems that the issues raised by Hindraf are the most worrying as well as damaging factor for Barisan Nasional particularly MIC in the general election.

Hindraf purportedly organized the gathering at Parliament House to hand over roses to the Prime Minister but not one rose was seen clearly can be seen as a political protest. It can be seen as the strategy of exploiting the 13-day campaign period for the general election to petition the release of the movement’s five leaders detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Hindraf, which claims that Hindus have been marginalized besides also making outrageous accusations of ethnic cleansing against the Government, purportedly organized the gathering at Parliament House to hand over roses to the Prime Minister and to petition the release of the movement’s five leaders detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

But not one rose was seen and instead, the gathering took the form of a political protest with Hindraf leaders urging the crowd not to vote for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in the March 8 general election.

Teargas and water cannons were fired by police upon some 300 Hindraf supporters and some 200 people were arrested who defied orders to hold an illegal rally in Kuala Lumpur 16 Februari 2008.

The protesters had also for weeks said the rally would be peaceful and they would bring their children along. There were hardly any children in sight and most of the protesters were between 20 and 60.

Prime Minister Abdullah lashes out at extremist Hindraf. He says that the Hindraf gathering this morning was an attempt to raise fear in the people and disrupt the polls which would be held on March 8.

MIC President Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has advised Indian voters not to let emotions rule when casting their votes on March 8 as they will end up regretting it. The MIC president said it was important for them to vote wisely for the sake of their children and the Indian community.

Nomination day on Feb 24, polls on March 8

Parliament was dissolved yesterday, ending weeks of speculation. Polling is on March 8 and nomination on Feb 24, providing 13 days for political parties to campaign, an additional five days compared to only eight days in the 2004 general election.

The assemblies of all states except for Sarawak were also dissolved Wednesday after the Menteri Besar and chief ministers sought consent from their respective rulers.

Candidates will vie for 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state seats.

The 13-day campaign period for the general election is adequate for all the political parties contesting in the polls, Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said today.

He said the commission took into account internal security and public order when deciding on the campaign period.

Parliament dissolved, elections on

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has announced that Parliament has been dissolved, paving the way for the 12th general election.

At a hastily convened press conference at his office Wednesday afternoon, he said he had met the Yang Di Pertuan Agong in the morning and received His Majesty's consent to dissolve Parliament.

"I've informed Parliament and the Election Commission," Abdullah said. The state assemblies have also been advised to dissolve.

The Prime Minister declined to speculate on what date Malaysians would cast their ballots, saying that it would be up to the Election Commission (EC) to decide.

"I am confident of winning, and I hope that we will retain our two-thirds majority," he said.

The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition swept to a landslide victory in the last general election in 2004.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission said it would announce polling and nomination day on Thursday at its office in Putrajaya.

The Election Commission held several meetings Wednesday in preparation for the Prime Minister's announcement of the dissolution of Parliament.

“We have got the declaration on the dissolution of Parliament by the Yang Di Pertuan Agong and the announcement of nomination and polling will be done tomorrow," said EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman.

When asked if nomination day was February 21 and election day on March 2nd, he said: “You can speculate anything you want. The official announcement is tomorrow.

“You wait for the official announcement,” he added.-star

Year of Earth Rat

In Chinese lunar calender, 2008 is the year of rat and the rat is earth rat. According to Chinese fung Shui, the year of rat is the year of instabilities. The international relations tension will be increases, stock market will be fluctuated and natural disasters will be increased.

Singapore-based Chinese astrologer Tony Tan, a former broker at DBS Securities, predicts Asian equity markets would turn in losses in the Year of the Mouse.

Tan expects markets to bottom out in April, a "dangerous" month for stocks because of clashing elements. Prices may rebound as the Year of the Mouse continues, without setting new highs, he said.

Being the first sign of the Chinese zodiacs, rats are leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the twelve signs.

Intelligent and cunning at the same time, rats are highly ambitious and strong-willed people who are keen and unapologetic promoters of their own agendas, which often include money and power. They are energetic and versatile and can usually find their way around obstacles, and adapt to various environments easily.

A rat's natural charm and sharp demeanor make it an appealing friend for almost anyone, but rats are usually highly exclusive and selective when choosing friends and so often have only a few very close friends whom they trust.


The Rat was welcomed in ancient times as a protector and bringer of material prosperity. It is the first of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese lunar calender.

Rat is associated with aggression, wealth, charm, and order, yet also associated with death, war, the occult, pestilence, and atrocities. The year of the Rat is associated with the earthly branch symbol.

In Chinese, the word 鼠 may refer to either the rat or the mouse. Therefore, in this context, Year of the Mouse and Year of the Rat are interchangeable terms.

Demolition of the Indian temple

Religion issues are one of the most sensitive issues in Malaysia. When carrying out duties, not only local authorities but all government agencies should be more sensitive. The laws made by the Government are for the benefits of the people, so when it is enforce, it should be more sensitive but it should not be exploited, misinterpreted or take advantages.

Read the Star story.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government will ensure the relocation of temples and other places of worship were done in an orderly manner, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He added that local authorities should be more sensitive, when carrying out demolition involving places of worship.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the demolition of the Indian temple in Padang Jawa in Klang in November, which was built on private land, could have been postponed to a later date.

“The demolition should not have been carried out a week before Deepavali. The relevant authorities could have postponed it one or two months later.

“That was wrong on their part. We are sorry for that,” he told a one-day special convention for MIC branch chairmen at the PWTC Sunday.

Advising local authorities not to repeat such an incident, Najib said they should work together with the local MIC leadership first before carrying such demolition orders at an appropriate time.

Najib also stressed the temple’s deities were not desecrated during the demolition.

“I have checked with several sources on the matter,” he added.

Abdullah serve as prime minister for only one term-Dr Mahathir

Politics is the art of impossible, so whether the ”gentlemen’s agreement” between Abdullah and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that he will serve as prime minister for only one term before handing over the post to his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is true nor non existed is unimportant. What matter is, who is in power and decide the game? By the way, Dr Mahathir, however, admitted that he had no way of proving it.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has denied having a ”gentlemen’s agreement” with with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that he will serve as prime minister for only one term before handing over the post to his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. "There is no gentlemen's agreement," the prime minister told reporters after opening the Pavilion shopping centre here today. Abdullah, however, declined to elaborate when pressed for further comments on the matter. He repeated, saying: “No gentlemen’s agreement”.

The prime minister was asked to comment on the so-called "gentlemen's agreement" between Abdullah and his predecessor Dr Mahathir as claimed by the former prime minister that Abdullah would serve as prime minister for only one term before passing the baton to Najib. Dr Mahathir said yesterday that since Abdullah was older than Najib, he should be prime minister for one term and then Najib should be able to take over. Dr Mahathir claimed the agreement was made in 2003 when he handed over the leadership to Abdullah. Dr Mahathir, however, admitted that he had no way of proving it.

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 31 (Bernama) -- Stressing that he was not aware of any "gentlemen's agreement" between Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he was committed to support and be loyal to the prime minister. "I don't know about that (gentlemen's agreement). I am committed to support the prime minister and be loyal to the prime minister," the Deputy Prime Minister told reporters after opening a seminar for Felda mosque officials. Najib said his focus at the moment was on the soon-to-be-held general election and "I want to ensure the Barisan Nasional wins big."

Pressed further whether he knew about the gentlemen's agreement, Najib said: ”I don’t know. You have to ask the parties concerned.” He was asked to comment on the so-called "gentlemen's agreement" between Abdullah and Dr Mahathir as claimed by the former prime minister that Abdullah would serve as prime minister for only one term before passing the baton to Najib. Dr Mahathir said yesterday that since Abdullah was older than Najib, he should be prime minister for one term and then Najib should be able to take over. Dr Mahathir claimed the agreement was made in 2003 when he handed over the leadership to Abdullah. Dr Mahathir, however, admitted that he had no way of proving it.

No any kind of an Annuar comeback: Mahathir

Who are the ‘deadwood’ and corrupt referred to by former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad? The question remains. But the intention of him to criticize again especially election is around the corner is being raise by the public.

During Tun Dr Mahathir leadership, he is the leader and decision maker. He always won as he set the rules of the game. Now he is nobody as he no longer controls the levers of power, it serves no purpose by criticizing unless he has some hidden agenda. He still takes Anwar Ibrahim as his greatest political enemy, and passing remark on the "gentlemen's agreement" between him and Abdullah that Abdullah would serve as prime minister for only one term before passing to baton to Najib. His statements are very damaging to the ruling party as well as the opposition. But anyway, Malaysian still supporting the government of the day and will give the mandate again during this coming election for stability and prosperity.

Mahathir said his former deputy Anwar Ibrahim would not be a major factor in the coming elections nor any kind of an Annuar comeback.

"There's no more political future for him. If he thinks he's going to be the prime minister, it's daydreaming of the worst kind," he said

“Consider your votes for leaders who are not ‘deadwood’ and corrupt, as the party failed to ‘cleanse’ itself from these sort of people”. He said this in the media conference “Dr. Mahathir’s selected letters to world leaders”, after the launching of a book compiled and authored by former Malaysian Ambassador to the UN and NSTP Chairman Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad.

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad urged the rakyat to use their votes wisely and elect people who are fit the lead the Government and rakyat.

He added the changes are required to be made as political parties failed to make the necessary changes within and did not manage to the “cleansing”, to stay relevant for the rakyat.

Mahathir writes that "news in the mainstream media is so censored and spun by spin doctors that the prime minister cannot possibly know the feelings and frustrations of the majority of the people … fortunately for the government, Malaysians abhor violence when expressing their anger”.

He also notes that, “So things must become much worse before they would show their (people’s) true feelings in any way. In the meantime, the sycophants will continue to enjoy their day. Poor Malaysia!”