Oil tumbles below US$40 for first time since 2004

PHOENIX: Oil prices tumbled below $40 for the first time since the summer of 2004 Wednesday despite an announcement from OPEC of a record production cut of 2.2 million barrels a day.
Markets had already priced in a vastly reduced flow of oil and traders focused instead on troubling economic data that points to a long and severe recession.
Light, sweet crude for January delivery tumbled 8 percent, or $3.54, to settle at $40.06 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Benchmark crude prices fell as low as $39.88, a price last seen in July 2004.
"There's just so much oil in inventory out there right now,'' said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research.
"Nobody wants to buy this stuff.''
Crude prices have fallen so low, producers have leased supertankers to store the oil at sea, hoping that oil will rebound.
U.S. gasoline inventories continued to rise, the government reported, providing further evidence of a major pullback by American motorists.
Demand for gasoline over the four weeks ended Dec. 12 was 2.7 percent lower than a year earlier.
OPEC had already announced cuts totaling 2 million barrels earlier this year, also with little effect.
The unprecedented production cuts and the market reaction show just how fast energy demand has fallen during the worst economic downturn in at least a generation.
"You've got a commodity that people are buying less of because they can't afford to buy more,'' said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp.
"People are fearful. They have a lack of confidence in the economy. They're closing their factories.''
Grim economic news radiates out of the U.S., Europe and Asia almost daily as consumers and industries pull back on spending.
The Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. said Wednesday it will cut 1,300 jobs and close a plant in Georgia.
Newell Rubbermaid Inc. is reducing its salaried work force by as much as 10 percent.
The Atlanta-based company slashed its fourth-quarter and full-year profit guidance Wednesday.
In Detroit, General Motors Corp. put the brakes on construction of an engine factory trying to hold on to the cash that it has left.
Meanwhile, the dollar suffered its biggest one-day decline against the euro after the Federal Reserve cut a key lending rate target to historic lows.
That would typically lead more investors into the crude market because oil is bought and sold in dollars and you can get more bang for the buck.
But investors in this harsh economic climate are holding onto their wallets like never before, betting there's not enough global demand to support higher crude prices, said Gene McGillian, an analyst at Tradition Energy.
"Oil prices should be a lot stronger,'' McGillian said.
The last time oil prices dipped below $40 a barrel was July 21, 2004.
Prices settled that day at $40.09, according to Peter Beutel, an oil analyst at Cameron Hanover.
Many analysts believe oil prices will continue falling next year with agencies ranging from the U.S. Department of Energy to the International Energy Agency forecasting weak demand.
IHS Global Insight Chief Economist Nariman Behravesh was among the industry experts forecasting lower prices for oil.
"Oil prices will (easily) fall below $40 per barrel in the next year, and could tumble all the way to $30,'' Behravesh said in a research note.
"With the economic outlook deteriorating by the day, futures markets for commodities have not priced in the full extent of the 'demand destruction' taking place.''
Doubts also remain about the willingness of some OPEC members to adhere to price-boosting production quotas.
"OPEC has lacked credibility for a long time on discipline,'' said Gerard Rigby, energy analyst at Fuel First Consulting in Sydney.
"OPEC is going to have to show they are committed to the cut, that it's not just talk.''
U.S. crude inventories rose slightly last week despite expectations for a drop, while gasoline reserves increased as demand stayed below year-ago levels, according to government data released Wednesday.
Analysts had expected a drop of 900,000 barrels, according to a survey by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.
In London, February Brent crude rose 97 cents to settle at $45.53 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.
In other Nymex trading, gasoline futures fell 3.45 cents to settle at $1.0055 a gallon.
Heating oil fell 1.77 cents to $1.4425 a gallon while natural gas for January delivery fell 15.2 cents to settle at $5.619 per 1,000 cubic feet

source by www.thestar.com.my

EPF 8% Means Paying More Income Tax ( For High Income Group )

Assume monthly basic salary is RM4000.

- If your monthly EPF contribution is 11% ( RM440 ), taxable income = RM3560, income tax payable = RM77.

- If your monthly EPF contribution is 8% ( RM320 ), taxable income = RM3680, income tax payable = RM109.

Conclusion : If you choose to contribute 8%, you will end up paying more income tax to the government,which will make the government richer. Finance Minister Najib said this measure is meant to boost up the slow-down market, but from this example we see that the money does not go into the market. Instead the money goes direct
into the government's pocket through the greater amount of income tax that we will have to pay. Obviously this measure does not help the market at all.

pEAce

Is a mental state of mind.
Very subjective in nature.
Therefore, misused by the younger generation.
As an escape route to run from an issue.
Seeking for peace is actually seeking to etress.
Therefore homosapiens out there do not misuse a word to confuse others.

CHANGE

1.The change will come to Malaysia in next General Election. If my prediction is right the 13th GE will create a tremendous change with the Pakatan Rakyat coalition will set major turnout and win the heart of Malaysian voters. The ruling party Barisan Nasional will have to wait and watch the game how the Pakatan master minds are going to break the 51 year of momentum.

2.UMNO is still very busy digging their own grave by fighting for the upcoming UMNO election next march. But the Pakatan coalition is breaking their mind to set a master piece for the next 13th General Election. No more race base party is supported in this new era. This has been proved by the American New president Barrack Obama the Democratic Party leader that people are ready for the change. Even he is a African American, his approach on change has made the people to choose him as a president. If the American can make it real why can’t we?

3. The 12th Malaysian GE result has given the ruling party a gentle warning so that they will take necessary action to rebuild peoples confident, but I don’t think they have learnt a lesson and still arrogant on what they are doing. If it still goes on for sure Barisan Nasional and its coalition will regret in the next GE. Day by day the UMNO lead government is doing mistake again and again by increasing the frustration of the people out there.

4. Race base party is no more entertain in the globalization world. Human are more mature now days and moving forward to a fair and peaceful world. Freedom in religion, practicing the rule of law, and fare treatment for all are those fundamental things need to be practice in our country. Only than Malaysia will move forward and can compete with the leading nation worldwide. If this country wants to have their own rule, and practices suppression, oppression and marginalization of some ethnic, I’m sure Malaysia will not ever be a country that everyone talks about.

5. Finally, if all this crab is still going on until the Next GE… I’m sure you should know what you suppose to do for a CHANGE to take place.

The CHANGE means by RPK

To President-elect Barack Obama of the United States of America
Your election to be the next President of the United States is a sweet victory for all who espouse change, fairness and equality. The reality of a you being a first term African-American senator being elected to the highest office in the nation, by her citizens representing all races and religious backgrounds, brings much hope and inspiration to all of us in Malaysia.
We Malaysians have been dulled into a sense of complacency for far too long by the propaganda that change is risky, that the time-tested Barisan Nasional leadership knows what is best for the people, and that 'Ketuanan Melayu' is the only way to go. Your message of “We are the change we seek” is equally fitting for us in Malaysia. May this historic moment be the catalyst to open our people's and politicians' eyes, that change is possible, that no barrier is too great if we so desire to transform this wonderful country of ours into a land that every Malaysian can truly call home .
When you said “"Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long “, the message resonates all too clear for us and we do hope that we in Malaysia can also rise above the racial and religious politics to ensure a safe place under the sun for every Malaysian, regardless of race, sex, and religion. We want to celebrate and value our own diversity, and where caring for each other overcomes distrust between one another
We congratulate you on your victory, and we hope that it will bring about positive changes for the world, and inspire all Malaysians to reclaim our rights to determine how we want our beloved nation to change and progress

Source by malaysia today

Diwali gathering with family members.

KUALA LUMPUR: A short stint in Holland has given Jivan Mohan the extra motivation to steer Sapura to glory in Division One of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL).
The 25-year-old national midfielder spent 1½ months with the Hilversum Mix Hockey Club in Amsterdam prior to start of the MHL earlier this month.
“It was a great experience to play in Holland. Their league is very competitive and the games are very physical. I learnt a lot and it has motivated me to raise the standard of my game,” said Jivan.
Festive mood: Jivan Mohan (centre front row) enjoying an early Deepavali celebration with friends and relatives at his uncle M. Ramachandran’s house in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, on Friday. — ASRI ABDUL GHANI/The Star
“My goal is to help my club (Sapura) win one of the titles at stake this season.”
Sapura’s best achievement in the MHL was in 2005 when they were crowned League and overall champions. They were also League winners in 2004 and overall champions in 2006.
“Ernst and Young and Tenaga Nasional may be the more fancied teams but, hopefully, we can give them a good fight this time around,” he said.
The other teams in Division One are Maybank, National Juniors and Nur Insafi.
Sapura have played two matches so far, beating Maybank 2-1 in their opening match before losing to Ernst and Young 1-2.
Jivan is one of the two national players in Sapura’s side, the other being G. Sasitheran.
The team also have a good mix of former internationals in S. Kuhan, Maninderjit Singh, K. Keevan Raj, K. Logan Raj and goalkeeper Mohd Nashihin Nubli.
Jivan is also looking beyond the MHL in a bid to come out of the shadows of his more illustrious elder brother Jiwa, who quit the national team early this year after serving the country for more than a decade.
“My brother has competed in the Olympics and World Cup. I have not. It will be an important year for Malaysia next year and my goal is to help Malaysia qualify for the World Cup,” said Jivan, who recently graduated from the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) with a degree in Human Resource Development.
The national team were severely criticised after failing to qualify for the last World Cup and Jivan does want to see a repeat of that.
Jivan is now back with his family in Penang for the Deepavali celebrations and is hoping to make up for lost time with his loved ones.
“I have been with the national team for seven years and this has been possible because my family has been very supportive,” he added.
The MHL will resume after a one-week break for Deepavali and Sapura’s next match will be against Tenaga Nasional on Friday.

Jivan is waiting to be a COP

KUALA LUMPUR: National hockey player M. Jivan’s childhood dream was to become a police officer. And this could become a reality for the Penang-born player, who obtained a degree in the Human Resource Development during the convocation of the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Serdang yesterday.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who has 98 international caps to his credit, said that it was not easy to juggle time between study and to train and play hockey for the country.
“However, it was all worthwhile as I obtained the second class upper degree. I thank my parents (Y. Mohan and Chua Cheok Kooi) for their support and encouragement,’’ said Jivan.
Jivan, who made his senior international debut in the Bangladesh Prime Minister Cup in 2001, said that he would apply for a job as an Assistant Superintendent of Police.
Family joy: M. Jivan is chaired by his father Y. Mohan and friends Kevinder Singh and Jayaprakash after the Universiti Putra Malaysia convocation yesterday. Looking on (from left) are elder brother Jiwa, sister-in-law Tarveen, younger brother Jayarajan and mother Chua Cheok Kooi.
“It was my dream since I was young to become a police officer,’’ said Jivan, whose elder brother Jiwa quit the national team in May.
Jivan, who has represented Sapura in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) since 2003, said that he also hoped to help his club win one of the two titles this year.
“We failed to win any silverware last year and we will give our best this time,’’ he said.
Sapura, who came back from a goal down to beat Maybank 2-1 in the opening match on Friday, will face favourites Ernst and Young today.
“We hope to get the better of Ernst and Young, who have several national players,’’ said Jivan.

PAC to discuss helicopter deal

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today decided to discuss the controversy surrounding the tender process for the procurement of new helicopters for the armed forces at its next meeting.
MCPXCommittee chairperson, Padang Besar MP Azmi Khalid said the meeting is needed to inform the public of the real situation. Asked if Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who has been implicated in the controversy would be called in for the meeting, he replied: "We will see first, I don't want to jump the gun.""That is why we need a briefing first as I am not going to pre-empt this," he stressed.Azmi said the discussion was needed as committee members need to know the actual process of the purchase."The (meeting) will also discuss on how to make a decision on why they (the government) have to pay four times than the book value. The norm in the purchase in companies in that part of the world is only 2.6."How come you have to pay 4.7 more? So we'll leave it (the issue) to the members of this committee. I think they want to know the rationale of how it was done and why," he added.Azmi also assured that the people and the ministry involved in the Eurocopter deal would be called in.
Two other matters for discussionApart from the helicopter deal, the upcoming meeting will also look into the high-speed broadband contracts that were awarded to Telekom Malaysia as well as Maybank's acquisition of a 56 percent stake in bank Internasional Indonesia, a financially struggling bank, with a discounted price of RM4.26 billion."The committee will keep having discussions for us to come up with better measures to curb these situations," he said, adding that the meeting however will not involve any investigation.Today's meeting which was held in the Parliament building also discussed the introduction of the use of bio-metric system to handle the issue of illegal immigrants in the country.No date has been fixed for the next meeting. In another development, Azmi said the committee had suggested that the Home Ministry help Immigration Department set-up a bio-metric system at all entry-points on land and sea throughout the country to curb illegal immigrants issue.The RM50 million system, which is now being introduced in Tawau, Sabah, uses a high-technology system which detects the identity of an immigrant automatically by using the thumb-print."There are a lot of (illegal) immigrants who were sent back (to their respective countries) and had questionable records but came back to Malaysia with a different name," said Azmi.Even though the bio-metric system in Sabah costs RM50 million, this however could help reduce the security cost of the people, he explained."Social cost will also be much reduced. If the bio-metric system can be used in Singapore to observe the outflow of immigrants from Malaysia, I don't see why we should not use it too," he said.The bio-metric system, he noted, could be used between Thailand and Malaysia and other boarders in the country.He further suggested that civil-volunteered corps Rela could also be utilised to guard the coastal regions."The illegal immigrations will not come to designated entry-points. They come through to any coasts unguarded, now we have introduced Rela as an organisation, and they have quite the strength in numbers. Why not utilise them?” he asked.The three-hour meeting which was held with representatives from the Home Ministry was also attended by opposition MPs Tony Pua (DAP-Petaling Jaya Selatan), Tan Seng Giaw (DAP-Kepong) and William Leong (DAP-Selayang).

source by malaysiakini

AG's hidden hand 'confirmed' in Anwar trials

A high-level investigation has ‘confirmed’ that current attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail had abused his power to fabricate evidence in Anwar Ibrahim’s trials 10 years ago, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

source by malaysiakini

Altantuya-Najib

Altantuya Shariibuu, the controversially murdered Mongolian national, and Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak are back again in the spotlight.
MCPX
Making waves in cyberspace is an article entitled ‘Abuse of power by the deputy prime minister’ appearing in ISA detainee Raja Petra Kamarudin’s Malaysia Today website. The report reveals a string of SMS messages purportedly exchanged between Najib and lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah over a period of nearly one month, starting from Nov 8 to Dec 2, 2006.Their correspondence revolved around Abdul Razak Baginda, one of Najib’s advisors charged with abetting two police officers in the slaying of the 28-year old Mongolian national - with whom the deputy premier has been alleged to have had a sexual relationship.
Tipped to succeed Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when he steps down by March next year, Najib is now in locked in the throes of a heated race for top party posts in his Umno party.
Not only is he contesting the Umno presidency, which Abdullah is vacating, he is also busily organising and installing a line-up of lieutenants who can help him shore up power in his bid to become the next premier.
No effect on campaign
However, his supporters deny the latest news could have any effect on his campaign.
"We are not bothered about that," said a long-time close supporter told Malaysiakini. "It is obviously intended to sabotage him but he is riding a wave of popularity now. I don't think Umno members have much choice anyway."
Yet the 55-year old Najib, who has repeatedly denied the allegations, has taken the trouble to swear his innocence twice. The last was at mosque during the Permatang Pauh by-election tussle with Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.
In delegates' conferences at 191 Umno divisions across the country, Najib has secured 28 nominations - winning the thumbs-up from all the divisions that have voted so far.The UK-trained economist needs to obtain a total of 58 nominations in order to stand for party election in March next year.
So far, no one else has been nominated to contest the presidency - which comes with the premiership in tow - but party watchers say it it is still a long journey ahead, with another three weeks to go until nominations end on Nov 9.
Anti-Najib banners
Meanwhile, anti-Najib banners have sprung up in some parts of the city. Civil groups have been condemning Raja Petra's detention under the Internal Security Act, calling for the oppressive law - that was originally intended to contain terrorists - to be repealed.
Some critics have even suggested that his arrest was to stop him from writing about the Altantuya murder, which could potentially upset Najib's plan of becoming the nation's next prime minister.
"The extension detention order is clearly politically motivated to silence critics and dissenting views from the government. Raja Petra has been very vocal in exposing corruption and abuse of powers in the government, especially the gruesome murder of the Mongolian women, Altantuya that may implicate powerful figures in the government," said Syed Ibrahim, chairman of the Abolish ISA movement.
String of SMSes
The Malaysia Today article, which came out on Saturday, said while the SMS correspondence did “not answer lingering questions about Najib's alleged past relations with Altantuya, the text messages show clearly Najib's active intereference in the case very early on.” One of the text messages allegedly sent by Najib said that Razak “will face a tentative charge but all is not lost.” The article went on to question: “This message raises a lot of questions about Najib's role in this case. Why did he mention ‘tentative’ charge and that ‘all is not lost’ for Razak Baginda? How would Najib know this before Razak was charged? Is there already a deal in place that will see Razak aquitted?”
Raja Petra, the editor of Malaysia Today, was arrested under the ISA last month and jailed for two years for allegedly disrespecting Islam in some of the articles that had appeared on the website.
A thorn in Najib's flesh, Raja Petra - who is also a well-known supporter of Anwar - has published numerous exposes about Najib and his wife on his website.
He is also facing sedition charges for having allegedly implied the deputy premier and his wife, Rosmah Mansor were involved in Altantuya’s death. Both have denied the allegation

source by malaysiakini

Application for Industrial Technical Course

Jabatan Tenaga Manusia opens applications for Industrial Technical course for January 2009 intake (closing date) 20 Oct 2008. Please visit www.jtm.gov.my for more details. Please assist me to pass the information to all our brothers and sisters out there.

For online application, please ,logon to http://www.jtm.gov.my/UPLSept08/index.jsp

Banning Hindraf a solution?

MCPXIn the eyes of critics, the latest threat to ban the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), the group credited for the Indian awakening in the country, is the latest move by the Barisan Nasional-led federal government to 'demonise' the group.According to them, the BN may have kick-started a contorted campaign to smear the movement, which may ultimately lead to a ban.Many regard Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, MIC president S Samy Vellu (right) and Utusan Malaysia as the driving forces behind this murky campaign to paint the human rights group as an unruly, ill-mannered and impolite body.Thus, understandably, the government had to get even with Hindraf, which has been largely blamed for shifting Indian votes en bloc from BN to the opposition in the March general election, they said.Hindraf inspired Makkal Sakti or people power has stung the government into realising the importance of minority Indian votes for its electoral survival. It has also woken up the community from a deep slumber and state of denial.The majority of Indians in the country had for a long time believed that only the MIC and BN could look after their interests, a syndrome perpetuated and constantly highlighted by media campaigns and stereotypical image-building.Hindraf's emergence awoke the community, eliminated the 'BN is best' myth and instilled anger and frustration in Indians, who now blame the government for 51 years of betrayal, mistrust and marginalisation.Critics believe the government waited for its chance to exact revenge and it duly arrived when Hindraf activists paid a Hari Raya visit to the prime minister's open house in the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 1.They said BN leaders then seized the chance to criticise, not mincing their words in calling Hindraf a rude and ungrateful movement out to disrupt racial and religious harmony in the country."It was an insult to Islam," said Syed Hamid, an obvious over-statement arising from a sense of urgency to go for a quick kill.

A ban looms
Now the threat is on to ban the unregistered body."How could the government ban an unregistered body?" asked London-based Hindraf leader P Waythamoorthy.Even if the government somehow manages to ban Hindraf, he is convinced that it would only fuel the burning Makkal Sakti spirit of the Indians."The government may be able to get rid of Hindraf, but not the Makkal Sakti fervour," said the self-exiled leader, who left the country just before the government's clampdown on the movement late last year, following its mammoth rally on Nov 25.Five Hindraf leaders –P Uthayakumar, 47, M Manoharan, 47, R Kenghadharan, 41, V Ganabatirau 35, and T Vasanthakumar, 35, have been in detention in Kamunting under the Internal Security Act since Dec 13.Hindraf visited the prime minister's open house to urge Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to release the five and repeal ISA.Waythamoorthy insisted that the Putrajaya administration extended an open invitation to Hindraf to come to the open house and that its activists lined up in an orderly manner to shake hands and wish Abdullah well in the festive season.BN leaders, Utusan Malaysia and certain Umno-linked NGOs have been accused of distorting the Hindraf visit.The movement has since lodged a series of nationwide police reports against Syed Hamid, Utusan and several non-government organisations and threatened to file multi-million ringgit suits against its critics.Not wanting to be left out, MIC leaders accused the activists of sabotaging the party's efforts to persuade the government to release the Hindraf 5.Bafflingly, Samy Vellu has emerged to champion the Hindraf cause, a struggle that he belittled and loathed when he was in the government. Not surprisingly he has been accused of hijacking the Hindraf cause to re-brand and re-position MIC as a vital political entity for the Indian community.But the unequivocal truth is, MIC is rapidly becoming irrelevant to Indians.In the last election, the community widely rejected BN's divide and rule policy and voted in multi-racial political bodies to represent their interests.Although Pakatan Rakyat leaders like PAS president Hadi Awang, bloggers, NGOs and civil activists have defended Hindraf's Hari Raya visit , the government is disinterested to listen, contrary to Abdullah's claim that he has "big ears to hear grievances of all Malaysians".Sincere efforts neededWaythamoorthy believes Hindraf is being used as a pawn to increase the individual popularity of Umno leaders in their race for supremacy in the run up to party elections next March."It shows that Umno has lost touch with grassroots sentiments and undercurrent demands for a different political approach to govern a multi-racial Malaysia," Waythamoorthy said.Banning Hindraf would not solve the outstanding Indian issues in the country nor will it pave way for MIC and BN to regain lost votes.BN and MIC must realise that they must first address and resolve Hindraf's 18 issues submitted in a memorandum last year, which touched on the non-existence of kindergartens in Tamil schools, the high suicide rate among Indians, the indiscriminate demolition of Hindu temples and direct discrimination, marginalisation and racism against Indians, both in the public and private sector.
Strong action against an unregistered body would not dampen the Makkal Sakti spirit that has become the heart and soul of the majority of Malaysian Indians.They demand constructive government action to address and resolve their dilemma, provide them with wider opportunities for both business and employment and upgrade their standard of living.In all, they demand that the government does away with its marginalisation policy.Banning Hindraf is not the solution.Getting rid of an Indian mouthpiece will only aggravate the situation and isolate BN further from the community.

source from malaysiakini

Bush says the government's financial rescue plan is aggressive and big enough to work

WASHINGTON - President Bush said Friday that the government's financial rescue plan was aggressive enough and big enough to work, but would take time to fully kick in. "We can solve this crisis and we will," he said in brief remarks from the White House Rose Garden.
Bush spoke as leaders of the world's top economies gathered in Washington amid frozen credit markets, panic selling in stock markets and a looming global recession.
The president noted that major Western countries were working together in an attempt to stabilize markets and end the spreading panic, including coordinated cuts in interest rates.
"Through these efforts, the world is sending an unmistakable signal. We're in this together and we'll come through this together," Bush said.
Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven — the United States, Japan, Britain, Germany, France Italy and Canada — were here for a weekend meeting. Bush plans to meet with the leaders on Saturday.
Bush said he understood how Americans could be concerned about their economic future. "That anxiety can feed anxiety and that can make it hard to see all that's being done to solve the problem," he said.
But despite a relentless sell-off that has seen the Dow Jones industrials plunge 20 percent in the past seven trading days, Bush said, "We are a prosperous nation with immense resources and a wide range of tools at our disposal."
The president said the new $700 billion rescue plan that he signed into law a week ago authorizes the Treasury Department to use a variety of measures to rebuild their balance sheets including "purchasing equity of financial institutions."
It was the first time the president has mentioned suggestions that the government buy shares of banks, although it has been mentioned by other administration officials.
Since the bailout package was signed into law, the conversation about how it will be used has shifted from taxpayers buying troubled mortgages to taxpayers buying troubled banks. Or at least pieces of them.
Such a move would amount to a partial nationalization of the U.S. banking industry, a move once considered unthinkable.
The government is authorized under the law to buy "troubled assets."
Those assets include mortgages, but according to the law, they may also include "any other financial instrument" that is "necessary to promote financial market stability ... ."
It is the government's position that this authority extends to bank stocks.
"The plan we are executing is aggressive. It is the right plan. It will take time to have its full impact. It is flexible enough to adapt as the situation changes. And it is big enough to work," Bush said.
He also noted that the Federal Reserve has injected hundreds of billions into the system and with other central banks has made interest-rate cuts that should help thaw frozen credit markets and enable loans to flow again.
Government insurance on bank and credit union deposit accounts has been raised to $250,000 and the Treasury is offering insurance for the first time for money-market funds, he added.
"The federal government has a comprehensive strategy and the tools necessary to address the challenges in our economy," Bush said.
While he sought to reassure Americans that the government is doing all it can, Bush also acknowledged mounting worry among people about their retirement and investment accounts.
Bush said his administration had launched initiatives that "have helped more than 2 million Americans stay in their homes."
He also noted "rigorous enforcement" steps taken by the Securities and Exchange Commission to make sure that some investors don't "take advantage of the crisis to illegally manipulate the stock market."
Stock market volatility continued, with the Dow Jones industrials falling nearly 700 points soon after trading began, regaining all of that deficit to show an advance and then turning lower again.
"Over the past few days," Bush said, "we have witnessed a startling drop in the stock market, much of it driven by uncertainty and fear. This has been a deeply unsettling period for the American people."

Antioxidants

How much do you know about antioxidants? Human body is programmed to automatically generate antioxidants. Antioxidants are used to neutralize byproducts that are being produced during normal human body processes. These byproducts are usually oxidative in nature and they need antioxidants to neutralize them, or else they will damage or body cell.

Human body only produces a limited dose of antioxidants. Those whom live in the city, especially those whom are exposed to more pollution, sun, stress, and etc will have to boost their antioxidants by consuming antioxidants in medication form or ensuring a balanced diet which is enriched with antioxidant.

Antioxidants are found abundant in beans, grain products, fruits and vegetables. Look for fruits with bright color - lutein in some of the yellow pigments found in corn; orange in cantaloupe, butternut squash and mango; red from lycopene in tomatoes and watermelon, and purple and blue in berries. So enjoy eating a variety of these products.

Consuming Vitamin C in heavy dosage is an encouraged behaviour as they can transform into antioxidants if taken in excess.It is best to obtain these antioxidants from foods instead of supplements. In addition, minimize the exposure of oxidative stress such as smoking and sunburn.

Source by Daveena R.R.

Eye care

Who is affected by computer vision syndrome?

More than 143 million Americans work on a computer each day, with 88 percent of them suffering from computer eye strain, according to estimates.
In addition, nearly 54 million children work at a computer each day either at home or in school.* Prolonged computer use can stress a child's eyes and impact his or her vision development.

What are the symptoms of computer vision syndrome?

If you or your child spend more than two hours each day in front of a computer screen, you likely experience some degree of computer vision syndrome (CVS). Symptoms of CVS include:
-Headaches
-Loss of focus
-Burning/tired eyes
-Double/blurred vision
-Neck and shoulder pains

What causes CVS?

CVS is caused by our eyes and brain reacting differently to characters on the screen than they do to printed characters. Our eyes have little problem focusing on most printed material, which is characterized by dense black characters with well-defined edges. Healthy eyes can easily maintain focus on the printed page.
Characters on a computer screen, however, don't have this contrast or well-defined edges. These characters (pixels) are brightest at the center and diminish in intensity toward their edges. This makes it very difficult for our eyes to maintain focus and remain fixed onto these images. Instead our eyes drift out to a point called the "resting point of accommodation" or RPA.
Our eyes involuntarily move to the RPA, and then strain to regain focus on the screen. This continuous flexing of the eyes' focusing muscles creates fatigue and the burning, tired-eyes feeling that is so common after long hours at the computer.

What can I do about it?

The solution is simple: see an eyecare professional that specializes in computer vision care.
In most cases, standard reading glasses

or over-the-counter readers are not accurate enough, because viewing a computer is usually at a different distance (18"-28") than reading distance (16"-21"). Once an eye doctor accurately diagnoses your computer vision problem and determines your correct computer working distance, it's a simple matter to prescribe computer glasses that will allow you to work comfortably and productively at that distance.
Also, please read about studies that show computer eyewear can increase computer worker productivity significantly, with cost savings for employers who provide the eyewear.

Will glare screens prevent CVS?

Glare screen filters may help somewhat, but they will not solve your computer vision problems because they only affect glare from the computer screen — not the visual problems related to the constant refocusing of your eyes when working at a computer.
Only when your eyes can focus clearly at the plane of proper distance on the computer screen can they experience relief from the fatiguing effects of CVS. An anti-reflective coating (AR) is also highly recommended on all computer eyeglasses. An AR coating prevents glare and reflections on the front and the back of the lenses that would interfere with focusing on the screen.

Will computer eyeglasses make the screen clearer?

Yes, because they will eliminate the constant refocusing effort that your eyes go through when viewing the screen. It has also been proven clinically that having the correct prescription in computer eyeglasses increases productivity and accuracy.
Using proper computer eyewear can prevent eye strain.

Do computer eyeglasses look like safety glasses?

No. Almost any style of frame can be used for computer eyewear.
More important are the lenses that your eye doctor chooses for your computer eyeglasses. Ninety percent of the time, multifocal lenses will be your best choice, as they are designed specifically for working at a computer. They allow you to see clearly at your correct computer screen distance and can give you some distance vision beyond the computer.
But whether the lenses are multifocal or single vision, you and your eye doctor must determine the best lenses for your work environment.

What about the tints I've heard of for computer lenses?

If you work in a brightly lit office, you may benefit from a light tint applied to your computer lenses. This can cut the amount of light that reaches your eyes and provide relief in some cases. But tints and filters don't address the underlying cause of computer eye srain

.

Does every computer user need computer glasses?

More than 70 percent of computer users need computer eyeglasses.** In fact, according to a study out of the University of California, Berkeley, 25 percent to 30 percent of children would benefit from computer eyewear.

If I don't have symptoms of CVS, do I still need computer eyewear?

Maybe. According to a University of Alabama study (2004), computer users who are not experiencing symptoms of computer vision syndrome may also need computer eyewear. The study reports that it does not matter whether subjects reported symptoms of CVS.
The fact is that viewing a computer screen is a different stimulus for the eyes than reading printed materials. It is much more difficult for the eyes to focus on pixels than on printed characters. Individuals with no visual problems may still be losing productivity and accuracy at the computer. This is the number one reason to get a regular eye exam from a computer vision specialist.

Will insurance pay for these glasses?

In some cases, it will. If you have medical coverage, but not vision insurance

, the exam portion of the cost may be covered by your medical carrier. If you have vision insurance, you may be entitled to an annual exam, which could be used to cover the computer exam and a portion of the cost of the computer eyewear. A few progressive companies are already providing exams and eyewear for their employees who work at computers.

Will my reading glasses work at the computer?

Not necessarily. As with anything else you do in life, it is important to have the right tool for the job. You would not use a hammer when you need a screwdriver. The same goes for your vision: you would not use distance glasses for doing close work. So, in most cases, your reading glasses are probably not going to do the job at the computer.
The correct computer eyeglasses will optimize your comfort and productivity at the computer screen while also allowing you to read and see out at some determined distance (10-13 feet). Reading glasses are usually prescribed to read at a distance of 16"-18", but computer glasses are usually designed to work at 18" to 28".

Is it true that if a person doesn't see the computer screen clearly, he may not be as productive?
Yes, but in cases where the correction is only slightly off, the computer user may think he is seeing the screen clearly. Yet a recent study at the University of Alabama found that, over time, even the smallest miscorrection can cause big problems down the road, including loss of productivity and accuracy in the workplace.
The eyes viewing a computer for many hours a day is analogous to the eye muscles being forced to do push-ups for hours and hours. Over time, these push-ups will significantly affect productivity, accuracy, and comfort.

Isn't ergonomics the solution to computer eye strain?

Ergonomics is important — changing one's computer workstation can certainly help to minimize other physical symptoms. But ergonomics cannot fix a visual problem. The proper prescription computer eyeglasses at the proper computer distance (18" to 28") is most important. This can be done only with the right computer lens prescription.

Will wearing computer eyeglasses make my eyes worse?

No. In fact, prescription eyeglasses can prevent further damage to the eyes. Depending on your prescription, an eyecare professional will probably fit you in either single vision or multifocal lenses. The single vision lens is designed to optimize your vision at one distance only: near for reading or work at the computer; or far for distance (watching a movie or driving).
Many eyecare professionals are now fitting computer users in a multifocal lens that has a wide intermediate zone, which optimizes computer work. This lens also allows the wearer to read printed material while working at the computer and see a limited distance (10 to 13 feet). It is true that your eyes will get worse if you continue to stress the eye muscles and do not wear prescription eyeglasses.

Malaysian Education System

When it comes to education in Malaysia all students will start grumbling towards the system which have been practiced so far since independence.
4-6 years – kindergarten.
During this period children study fundamental education such as alphabet, words, sentence, numbers, colors, songs, phrases, coloring.

7-12 years – Primary School
During this period student learn more about language, basic mathematics, calculation, writing essays, and other co curricular activities. This 6 years will pass by very fast and finally they will end up in sitting for UPSR in the final year of primary school. These will be the deciding factor for those who want to enter into premier school or vocational schools.

13-15 years – Lower Secondary School
During his period student will be having fun and enjoyable moment of their entire life. The number of subjects they took will definetly burden them.
BM,BI, Math’s, History, Geography, Science, Moral, Arts, Kenahiran Hidup and Tamil or Chinese OR Jawi are those subjects that have to be studied during form 1 until form 3. Smart student will be scoring easier in their PMR examination in form 3 and those who not very keen in studies will having their red marks in the report book.

16-17 years – Upper Secondary School
Those who get red marks will facing hard time whether want to proceed studying or quit. But education in Malaysia don’t allow student who have bad result to stop studying. They still have the choice to continue study, but will be entering art stream. Those who score flying colors will be sitting in the science stream. The number of subjects keeps increasing to 10 or more subjects that compulsory for the SPM exam. With no other choice all form 4 student will be biting their nails to face the SPM exam in the following year end. They have less than two years to cover more than 10 subjects with a complicated syllabus. Students who are in the premature stage don’t have any choice to decide on their carrier path,
like wise in the Srilanka or even India, education system totally different from here. They have the vision in education of what they want to be in future. They have the education system that provides necessary skills and knowledge which helps them in the future. Of course it is important to include all sort of knowledge in early stage, but if this is the case Malaysian education doesn’t give much importance to IT related studies in the early stage. Do you know IT will be controlling the world in the future? What is going to be to our student in the future? Are they going to be left behind from the western countries, Japan, Singapore, India and China, Korea, Taiwan? They are very far away from us. Event we start now we can’t catch up with them in coming 50 years.
The secondary education system should be customized according to needs of the students who decide what will be their future career path. In accordance with that, the subject that they pursue must help them in the future. The system must make sure that, student are eager to develop their knowledge and skills thru the education system. By preparing for exam, student doesn’t really gaining knowledge but practicing to pass the exam by choosing short cut methods. On of the short cut methods is doing the same type of question again and again because student just want to pass the examination…that’s all their aim.
To be continued..

Selamat Hari Raya

I'm wishing all of the muslimin and muslimat around the world selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.


People who going back ( balik Kampung) please drive safely and dont rush during your journey.


Think of the people that you love most and all the while follow the speed limitation when you are driving on highways.


I'm not able to balik kampung because all my malay colleague take leave so i have to replace them working in this days..I hope they will replace me during my festive season.

Just to share the Hari Raya open house that organized by Pak lah and his Cabinet Ministers.
I was there around 12.30 pm to enter the open house. But unfortunately i able to get into the house around 3 '0 clock. I feel so exhaust waiting and waiting and waiting because of the improper crowd managemnt by the people incharge. Ministers that shaking hands to everyone who enter the room makes the delay. It is not neccessary to shake hands to all of them at a very narrow line. It doesn't make sense at all.

thousands who queing untill outside of PWTC really pist of with the event. After all the way waiting for enter the room, because of this hand shaking deal that make to the very long queue.

I hope Next time organizers will take this into consideration and do not make the same mistake in the future.

Trash the ISA.. release those in

Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin was sent to the Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping, Perak, this morning to begin his two-year detention without trial under the Internal Security Act.

MCPX
Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar last night signed the detention order for the blogger to be held under section 8(1) of the tough security law. Under the Act, the initial two-year detention period can be renewed indefinitely.According to journalists stationed outside the Kamunting detention camp, Raja Petra arrived at 11.50am in a white van with heavily-tinted windows.
"The act by the minister to sign the section 8 order yesterday is completely unacceptable," said Raja Petra's lead lawyer Malik Imtiaz. The legal team believes the minister’s decision was linked to a habeas corpus hearing in the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning, which had been filed by Raja Petra's lawyers to secure his release.A writ of habeas corpus orders the authorities to produce detainees before a judge to determine whether the government has the right to continue holding them.
Speaking to reporters later, Malik (left) argued that “the arrest was issued last night to avoid the consequences of this habeas corpus”.
Amarjit Sidhu, another of Raja Petra's lawyers, said the government had pulled a "mean, dirty trick" by issuing the detention order last night.
"The government can now hide behind a veil of secrecy because they do not have to disclose reasons for detaining him," he said.
Senior federal counsel Abdul Wahab Mohamad in his preliminary objection argued that the hearing was rendered academic as the clause under which Raja Petra is now detained supercedes section 73(1) of the ISA, under which he was initially held.However, Malik countered: “Section 73(1) detention was without basis, unconstitutional and in bad faith… so the minister’s order could only have been the result of enquiry by the police, meaning that the section 73(1) order flows into the minister’s (present) order. “Because it flows, what we say is that the question of whether this section 73(1) detention was lawful is a matter which is relevant for the challenge on the section 8 order.”Malik pointed out that, if the matter is argued under the section 73(1) order, the court can review the matter objectively and look into the basis of detention.Still, the legal team will file another suit to challenge the section 8 order - even if the court’s jurisdiction is limited to weighing the procedure only.Malik said the basis of detention under section 73(1) and section 8(1) is the same. “(Section 8) is relevant to section 73(1). So if we declare this to be unlawful, we can have a basis to argue that the minister’s detention is not just irregular for procedure - therefore showing the minister has no power to make the order. And that would give a wider basis to argue,” he said.Judge Suraya Othman told lawyers to make their submissions on Oct 28. Ex-minister attends hearing Also making a surprising appearance in the courtroom was former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim, who sat next to Marina. “He (Raja Petra) writes well, he speaks his mind and we need more people like him," said Zaid (left in photo), who had resigned to protest the use of the ISA to detain Raja Petra and two others on Sept 12.Zaid said he attended the hearing to show support for the wives of many others being held under the restrictive law. “We should encourage people to speak out. If (those detained) have done wrong (then) we (should) charge them (in court),” he said.Zaid also said that freedom of expression and of speech are important values and that “we cannot intimidate with fear”.Earlier this morning, Raja Petra's wife Marina Lee Abdullah had confirmed the continued detention of her husband.“(Police) said my husband had been sent to Kamunting this morning and that he will remain there for two years with no trial.
"This is the worst news I can receive but we will keep fighting for his release,” she told AFP, holding back tears.“This is very unfair… we have filed our affidavit, they don’t reply to our affidavit for five days… this is ridiculous. This is a political move, it is very clear… he is not a threat to national security - it is bullshit.“This is dirty foul play by the government as they know that we are in the process of fighting for his release in the court, but I was expecting this.”Raja Petra, 58, has been under police custody in an unknown location since his arrest.Fellow-detainees Sin Chew Daily senior journalist Tan Hoon Cheng, 33, was freed 18 hours after being arrested, while Selangor senior executive councillor and Seputeh parliamentarian Teresa Kok, 43 was released after seven days. According to his lawyer J Chandra, Raja Petra was arrested for publishing articles on his news portal which allegedly tarnished the leadership of the country and insulted the sanctity of Islam.The former newspaper columnist had earlier been charged with sedition and defamation after linking Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his wife to the sensational murder of a Mongolian woman.
Minister confirms detention
Meanwhile minister Syed Hamid confirmed Raja Petra's detention under the ISA, stating that he was satisfied with the reasons given by the police for the blogger's detention."The detention is due to Raja Petra's articles that ridiculed Islam which could arouse anger among Muslims."The police had recommended his detention and after going through the papers, we are satisfied that there are strong grounds for him to be further detained for two years (in Kamunting)," he said. This is second time that Raja Petra has been arrested under the ISA.
He was detained under the draconian law in 2001, at the height of the reformasi movement triggered by the sacking and jailing of former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, who is now opposition leader.However, he was released by the police after 53 days without being sent to Kamunting detention centre.

source by http://www.malaysiakini.com/

Mahathirs concern regarding UMNO and PM

Dr M: Don't repeat my 'mistake'
Jul 26, 08 5:51pm
Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged Umno members not to repeat his ‘mistake’ in backing Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to be prime minister.
MCPX“I admit I wronged in choosing Abdullah as my successor. Now I regret because I didn’t think that ‘Mr Clean’ would not be that clean.“I believe that Umno members and leaders at all levels who are angry with me (for anointing Abdullah) surely does not want to make the same mistake,” said Mahathir. The former premier said this in his post on his blog - chedet.com - yesterday, which was aimed at urging Umno members at divisional levels not to nominate Abdullah as Umno president. Despite dissatisfaction within Umno on his leadership, Abdullah has announced that he would defend his party presidency during party polls in December. Explaining how Abdullah was hand-picked as his successor, Mahathir said that he was influenced by people who called the former 'Mr Clean'.No one asked Pak Lah to stayMahathir added that Abdullah was also older than Najib Abdul Razak and no one objected to the succession plan at that time. “(Following this) the Umno general assembly officiated (my choice) of Abdullah as deputy party president during the party elections. “Thus, I assumed that the succession plan to Abdullah was not something that was not wanted by Umno. No one objected,” added Mahathir. However, he notes that when Abdullah announced that he would step down as prime minister in 2010, it was well-received by all - Malays and non-Malays alike. “No one pleaded for him to stay on. It is clear that everyone wanted him to step down,” he said.‘Blame yourself’Mahathir argued that the 2010 time frame was too long and Abdullah should be made to resign immediately in order for Umno and Barisan Nasional to invigorate itself. “If the divisions and branches allow Abdullah to continue as party president, the blame would be on Umno members.
"They would be held responsible for the destruction of Umno and the disaster that will strike the Malays and Malaysia. Component parties would also be destroyed,” he said. Mahathir, who quit Umno in protest of Abdullah’s leadership, has been going on a campaign to unseat Abdullah who he blames for Barisan’s electoral setbacks in March.He has previously backed Najib for the post of Umno president and recently hinted that current Umno vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin was better candidate.

sorce by malaysiakini.

Karpal's view on US

We criticise US, they too can critcise us: Karpal
Ahti Veeranggan Jul 26, 08 6:08pm
If one is ever ready to criticise others on their application of rule of law, one should be prepared to accept similar criticisms against its own system, Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh said today.
MCPXIn a statement, the DAP veteran ticked the government off for rejecting Washington's concern on the application of rule of law in PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy charges.“As such Washington's call for fair and just investigation on Anwar's case was necessary and understandable.“Instead, as sovereign nation, Malaysia should make every effort to be consistent in ensuring justice via application of universal rule of law,” he said.Yesterday, Foreign Minister Rais Yatim demanded that the United States stop “interfering” in an investigation into sodomy allegations against Anwar lodged by a former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.He was responding to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice statement on Thursday urging Malaysia to ensure a “transparent” investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations against Anwar.Karpal said the Putrajaya administration should not accuse the US of meddling in the country's internal affairs when Malaysia itself was guilty of doing the same on Washington in many instances.
Not meddling in internal affairsHe cited the government's criticisms against the US on its application of the rule of law on its own citizens, especially on the high-handed action by law enforcers against blacks, and the treatment of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay as fine examples of interference.He also noted that the Malaysian government under former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad was among the first government to criticise the treatment of Bosnian Muslims by the Serbs in 1990s.“In a world of rapid globalisation, any country which criticises another on application of the rule of law cannot be deemed as meddling into the domestic affairs of the country.“No country can deem itself as immune from criticism when the rule of law was defied and, rendered ineffective and impotent,” he stated.“Therefore Malaysia should not suffer from a phobia over criticism by the US in regards to Anwar's case,” he added.In light of the growing criticisms from abroad condemning the apparent high handedness in the way Anwar was arrested from his house last week, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar recently briefed more than 90 envoys on this issue.Karpal deemed the government’s move as “Putrajaya's lack of confidence in our very own legal system.”“The government need not be apologetic by ensuring envoys that Anwar would be given a fair trial,” he said.He said the government should not have briefed envoys if it was confident that Malaysia legal system upholds the rule of law and was beyond reproach.

source by malaysiakini

Petol pricve comparison among the petroleuum producers

Dear malaysians...Due to the recent petrol hike, most of the vehicle owners are suffering deadly.
They are not satisfied with the governemnts decision on hiking the petrol price to 41%.
1 litre of petrol is now RM 2.70 compare to RM 1.92 last thursday. The petrol price comparison is to be with the producers of petrol not among the country which does not produce petroluem.

Malaysia should compare prices with the following country that priduce petroleum.

UAE - RM1.19/litre
Eygpt - RM1.03/litre
Bahrain - RM0.87/litre
Qatar - RM0.68/litre
Kuwait - RM0.67/litre
Saudi Arabia - RM0.38/litre
Iran - RM0.35/litre
Brunei - RM1.10/litre
Nigeria - RM0.32/litre
Turkmenistan - RM0.25/litre
Venezuela - RM0.16/litre
MALAYSIA - RM2.70/litre

clearly shows that Malaysia is the most expensive petrol sellers among the rest...

Anti -fuel hike demo starts

Anti-fuel hike roadshows begin Saturday

The Coalition Against Inflation (Protes) is launching their nationwide roadshows condemning the sharp hike in fuel prices starting this Saturday in Seremban.
MCPXProtes spokespersons would be issuing a short public statement at the Terminal One shopping mall to mark the start of the campaign at 3pm. A host of NGO representatives and Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives from the federal and local level would then distribute leaflets at the shopping mall. “The climax of the launch would be the ceramah in Taman Jasmin, Senawang (near Seremban) on Saturday evening where a strong line-up of speakers will be sharing their views on the shocking hike in fuel prices,” said Badrul Hisham Shaharin, who is part of the organising committee for the Seremban roadshow.
An application for a police permit was made last Friday and a reply is expected soon. Since 2006, the Protes coalition - consisting of 57 NGO and five opposition parties - have been organising a series of activities against rises in utility, fuel and toll charges. Through a series of roadshows throughout the country, the coalition seeks to rally 100,000 people to a mass demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on July 12 against the recent hike in fuel charges.Police probeIn a related development, police have recorded statements from several Pakatan elected representatives from Negeri Sembilan yesterday over a demonstration in Seremban last Friday. Among those who have had their statements recorded included state assembly opposition leader Loke Siew Fook (Lobak), assemblypersons Wong May May (Mambau), Cha Kee Chin (Bukit Kepayang), P Gunasekaran (Senawang), Chai Tong Chai (Chuah) and PAS Negeri Sembilan chief Zulkifli Omar. According to Loke, the demonstration jointly organised by Pakatan Negeri Sembilan took place for one hour at the Seremban market involving some 100 people. “It was peaceful. We dispersed on our own after making our stand known,” he said, adding that Seremban district police were investigating a report filed by their own officers. Loke expressed surprise that he was called in for questioning and said that the police action may be a form of intimidation as the Seremban-leg of the Protes roadshow was around the corner.“This is my second term as an elected representative. Before this, I was involved in many protests before. They were all peaceful and we dispersed peacefully after that. “In all of those instances, the police had never taken statements from me before, nor had the police lodged a report against us. This is the first time my statements were taken over a peaceful assembly,” he stated.

source by malaysiakini ( www.malaysiakini.com)

Sarwak MP's ready to take a shift

Sarawak BN reps urged to cross over
Tony Thien May 10, 08 12:06pm
PKR’s sole elected representative in the Sarawak legislative assembly has asked Barisan Nasional state assemblypersons and MPs to join the ranks of Pakatan Rakyat “to fulfill the phenomenal expectations of the people after the March 8 general election”.Dominique Ng Kim Ho (PKR-Padungan), who is also Sarawak PKR chairperson said the defining moment had come to realise what he called "the dimensions and meaning of Merdeka in Malaysia after decades of hardship and unjust subservience".
"You can help raise Sarawak to the centre stage in our nation, to a respected position in the Asean region and even beyond,” he told the ruling state BN’s 61 representatives, including ministers and assistant ministers.In his debate on the motion of thanks to the head of state, Ng said Pakatan has the numbers to take control of the federal government and that in due course there is a strong possibility Malaysia will have her first woman prime minister.According to Ng, Pakatan is confident of support from at least 10 MPs from Sabah and some from Sarawak.He said under a Pakatan government, apart from the oil/gas royalties being raised, the land policy of the BN government will also be changed and land will be returned to the people.’
Land a contentious issue Ng was referring to both urban and suburban lands under the mixed zone land category which have been placed under Section 47 (notice to compulsorily acquire the land). Land affected are public purchases which are expiring in their leases and may not be renewed as well as native customary rights (NCR) lands affected by commercial development, especially oil palm plantation activities. Land has been a contentious issue and is central to the election campaign theme of the opposition in the recent elections in the state. PKR has promised that land lease will be extended to 99 years or in perpetuity should Pakatan form the state government after the next state elections due in 2011.
Ng said the post Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud era is coming soon with the expected new dawn in the Land of Kenyalang (Sarawak) with the blossoming of the Malaysian spring that came on March 8 in a display of the Malaysian people’s power and the recent legal return to politics of former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, PKR de facto leader and prime minister-in-waiting.When Ng stood down, he received applause from the six DAP state assemblypersons, led by their leader Wong Ho Leng, the member for Bukit Assek.

source from www.malaysiakini.com

Ibrahim refuse to apologize to Karpal

Ibrahim’s refusal to apologise to Karpal causes commotion
A COMMOTION broke out in the Parliament lobby during a meeting between Datuk Ibrahim Ali (Independent – Pasir Mas) and a group of disabled people who demanded that he apologise to Karpal Singh.
The group, known as Malaysians Against the Discrimination of the Disabled (MADD), urged Ibrahim to retract his recent statement in Parliament requesting that Karpal Singh (DAP – Bukit Gelugor) stand up while speaking in the Dewan Rakyat.
Ibrahim had apologised to the group initially for hurting their feelings over the remarks he made in the Dewan.
However, when he refused to apologise to Karpal Singh, who is wheelchair-bound, several from the group became agitated and this led to a shouting match.
Shouting match: Ibrahim arguing with the disabled yesterday. On his left is Gobind Singh.
“My problem was with Karpal Singh and never with all of you. I have never offended you and I love disabled people from the bottom of my heart.
“But if you all have misinterpreted my meaning, I extend my sincerest apologies.
“I hope you don’t misunderstand this because there are groups trying to take advantage of you,” he said, referring to several Pakatan Rakyat leaders – Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Lim Lip Eng, Loh Gwo Burne, Gobind Singh Deo and others – who had escorted the group into Parliament.
Ibrahim even said that he would propose that the Government allocate a RM500 monthly allowance to the disabled, which was greeted by cheers.
However, a huge spat ensued when Lim Lip Eng (DAP – Segambut) questioned Ibrahim if he would offer an apology to Karpal Singh.
To this, Ibrahim shouted “No! No! No!”.
“I will not apologise to Karpal. You cannot force me. I will not apologise for the benefit of the opposition party,” he retorted, and stormed off from the meeting.
In response, the group shouted back at him: “What if you are disabled one day?”
A representative from MADD later handed over a memorandum to Opposition Leader Dr Wan Azizah.

source from www.star.com.my

Karpal queries DAP, Pakatan leaders' silence
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz May 10, 08 10:15am
Amidst the uproar from Barisan Nasional leaders over Karpal Singh’s remarks regarding Perak Sultan Azlan Shah’s order for a senior civil servant to be reinstated, the DAP chairperson has expressed surprise about the noticeable silence from his own party members.“My own party leaders have not condemned me for saying what I said. On the other hand, they have not come out openly to support me, which is unfortunate,” he told a press conference at his office in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.“When it comes to the crunch, the party must, should stand by its chairman as long as the chairman is telling the truth,” he added.Karpal’s comments come on the heels of several police reports and statements by BN and Malay leaders - including Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Najib Razak - against his statements on the Perak Sultan.Azlan Shah had ordered for the reinstatement of the state’s Islamic Department director Jamry Sury after the latter was transferred to another department following what was alleged to be his refusal to cooperate with the new Pakatan Rakyat state government.In response to the sultan’s orders, Karpal said early this month that Azlan Shah had acted beyond his powers as under the country's law, the Pakatan-led state government had every right to transfer Jamry as he is a government servant.Commenting on this Thursday, Abdullah claimed that what Karpal said was seditious, insulting to the Sultan and tantamount to questioning his prerogative and knowledge of his scope of duties as the state’s head of religion.Najib, on the other hand, described Karpal’s statement as incorrect as the federal and state constitutions legally allow the sultan to act as he did.
Perak MB also quietSeveral police reports were also made by Barisan Nasional MPs and a Malay NGOs coalition, who accused Karpal of being seditious, rude and having insulted the institution of Malay rulers.Following this, Karpal said yesterday that the police were scheduled to see him tomorrow morning at his office in Penang. While Karpal said he will not back down from his stand on the issue despite the police reports against him and what he described as moves to ‘intimidate’ him, he was also wondering why his own party members and other leaders from the Pakatan coalition were muted on the issue. “Publicly, I have not seen any statements (by DAP leaders), at least in print,” said Karpal.Asked why there were no such statements supporting him, Karpal said: “I don’t know. They should back me, right?”Meanwhile, in the Star, Perak Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin was reported to have kept mum on Karpal’s comment that Nizar had ‘wilted and buckled’ under royal pressure.Asked about Karpal’s statement that he had bowed down by apologising to Azlan Shah over Jamry’s reinstatement, Nizar was quoted as having said: “ “No. No. No. No statement from me,” said the report yesterday.

source from http://www.malaysiakini.com/

BMC residents doused and gassed
Andrew Ong May 9, 08 10:51am
The tranquil suburb of Bandar Mahkota Cheras (BMC) descended into chaos last night when police doused some 500 residents with water cannons and fired dozens of tear gas canisters into the crowd.During the melee, Segambut member of parliament Lim Lip Eng and BMC Open Road Committee chairperson Tan Boon Hwa were allegedly assaulted by plainclothes police officers.The incident occurred shortly after Lim arrived at the scene at about 10pm to lend support to the residents who had gathered at the Bandar Tun Hussien Onn intersection of the Kajang-Cheras Highway.The highway concessionaire Grand Saga Sdn Bhd was in the midst of erecting a concrete barrier - for the third time - aimed at thwarting the BMC residents from entering the intersection and thus bypassing a toll booth on the highway.This resulted in commuters having to travel an additional six kilometres and pay Grand Saga 90 sen toll for every trip [see Google map below].At the time when Lim came to the area, the police were keeping a close watch on the residents who were gathering around Grand Saga employees working on the concrete barricade.Lim had approached Grand Saga workers and the police to find out who was in charge of the construction work. After failing to get answers, he decided to remove the wires from the machines used by construction workers to weld the steel rods to reinforce the concrete barrier (left).'I was maced, beaten'Without the welding machines, Grand Saga workers withdrew, prompting residents to surge past riot police cordons and destroying the partly-completed barrier with their bare hands in a matter of minutes.The jubilant crowd later tossed Lim into the air several times but the mood soured seconds later when the riot police issued warnings for the crowd to disperse.Suddenly some 50 riot police took up attacking positions and there was a brief stand-off with the residents with only what remains of the barrier separating the authorities and the residents.What followed was utter chaos when Lim tried to stop a water cannon truck from advancing by standing in front of the truck.According to Lim, several plainclothes officers forcibly removed him and a melee ensued."They dragged me aside and sprayed mace on my face. I couldn't see. Then they punched me and kicked me," he told reporters about two hours after the incident.His shirt was torn during the scuffle.Selangor state executive councilor Ean Yong Hian Wah who was also at the scene told reporters that the Lim's beating only stopped when the police were told he was a parliamentarian.Beaten in front of reportersLim, a trained lawyer, is a well-known figure among the residents as he has been serving as the legal advisor for the BMC Open Road Committee.Meanwhile, committee chairperson Tan was among the crowd at the time of the fracas. Upon seeing Lim being assaulted, he rushed forward to aid him.For his efforts, Tan too was allegedly assaulted and later arrested. Eyewitnesses claimed that he was punched at least once by a plainclothes officer in full view of a group of reporters and photographers.Tan was bundled away in a police patrol car while a resident drove Lim and Ean Yong to a nearby clinic for medical treatment.By this time, the police had already fired the water cannon once, but when it failed to break up the crowd, three rounds of tear gas were fired. The crowd eventually dispersed.When approached by reporters last night, Kajang district deputy police chief Supt Toha Abdullah claimed that he was unaware of the police beatings.He also said that the police had to disperse the crowd because they were "menggangu tugas keselamatan pihak polis” (interfering with police security duties).In all, three residents and Tan were arrested.When Kajang district police chief Shakaruddin Che Mood was contacted shortly after midnight, he said that the police had yet to decide what charges would be slapped on the detainees.Tan was bailed out early this morning.Watch 12-min video of the shuffle on Malaysiakini.tvSPECIAL REPORT: The Grand Saga in Cheras

source by http://www.malaysiakini.com/

RPK bailed out tomorrow

breaking news Malaysia Today news portal webmaster Raja Petra Kamarudin has agreed to post bail after meeting his wife Marina Lee Abdullah at the Sungai Buloh prison this morning.
Following this, just after the lunch-hour break, Marina, with the help of Raja Petra's lawyer J Chandra posted bail at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court.Chandra however said that although the bail money has been paid to the court, it would be only tomorrow before Raja Petra was allowed to leave the Sungai Buloh prison."Bail release takes 24 hours. Judge Nurmala Salim won't make any exception in our case," he told reporters after meeting the judge in chambers.He added that Raja Petra could be released anytime after 9am tomorrow.Meanwhile Marina also said that she spoke to Raja Petra this morning."He said he has broken his hunger strike and I believe him," she said.

Order to produce Earlier, Chandra explained on the procedure that would have to be followed for Raja Petra to be released following the bail posting.
He said that after showing proof that Marina had paid the RM5,000 bail through a bank to the court, the judge will then issue the 'order to produce' (OTP) to allow the Sungai Buloh prison department to release Raja Petra.
"The OTP will be sent by hand by the police," said Chandra."Normally this process takes one day, but we are trying to expedite (the release). We are confident that our client will be released today," he had said this morning

Candlelight vigilMeanwhile, some 150 people held a nearly two-hour long candlelight vigil outside the Sungai Buloh prison last night, calling for the charge against Raja Petra be dropped and that he be immediately released.The crowd which began gathering from 9pm, comprised of individuals and several notable bloggers who chanted slogans calling for Raja Petra's release and carried three large banners which read "Justice for ALL... tantuya".

Source from www.malaysiakini.com

PM stopped Najib from seeing Dr.M

watch this video

http://www.malaysiakini.tv/

Clinton wins in Indiana

Sen. Hillary Clinton takes a narrow lead in Indiana to win U.S. Democratic primary
Sen. Barack Obama wins North Carolina primary, boosting his lead in the delegate race
Poll workers reported heavy voter turnout in both states

for more info click this link http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/06/primaries.change/index.html

Bill Gates Talks Tech in South Korea

"We're approaching the second decade of (the) digital age," Gates told Lee at the start of their meeting at the presidential Blue House, according to a media pool report.
South Korean automakers Hyundai Motor Inc. and affiliate Kia Motors Corp. announced with Microsoft Tuesday that they will use Microsoft's in-car software for controlling personal music players and telephones with voice commands.

"We're doing some very interesting work on automobile software," Gates said after dining with Lee. "That's a really wide open area."
The three companies also plan to set up an automobile innovation center. Hyundai and Kia form the world's sixth-largest automotive group.
Separately, Microsoft also said Tuesday that it will invest $280 million in a new research and development center in Beijing and will double its full-time research staff in China to 3,000 people in three to five years.
Lee, a conservative former construction CEO, swept into office in February with a vow to boost economic growth through deregulation and increased foreign investment.

hello fellows danger nearing us

hi kaigal..we have no rights to throw our opinion even in blogs itself..what a discrimination world is this?
We are seated here in solidarity for fellow writers and bloggers to make our stand on similar action that may be taken against other writers and journalists in future," said Interim Council National Alliance of Bloggers president Ahirudin Attan.

blogger raja petra has been charged for using seditious in his malaysia today blog recently..
The charge sheet also highlighted nine paragraphs of the article which was titled 'Let's send the Altantuya murderers to hell' as seditious [See chart below.

Raja Petras wife commented,
"She also said that she was disappointed with the manner Raja Petra was treated by the police in the run-up to being charged today."I'm not angry but I'm very disappointed with the way things are done in a hurry. They send us to this court (Jalan Duta) and then push us to the other court (Petaling Jaya)."They send us to this police station and say come tomorrow and then they come to the house to take the computer. And this has happened even today when they want to charge him."We went there at 8.30am and waited till 11am and they say it's not there and tell us to come to PJ Sessions (Court). It's a circus. It doesn't look as though they are serious. It's trumped up charges. As though as everything is done in a hurry," she said.

News update

analysis With the Parliament being telecast live, the public is bound to wonder if Pakatan Rakyat can form a shadow cabinet. This concept is well-established in the United Kingdom where the opposition’s senior MPs take on shadow cabinet portfolios.Lim Kit Siang, as opposition leader in the 2004-2008 period, tried to form a shadow cabinet of sorts amongst DAP MPs but this attempt failed to achieve any momentum. There are a couple of reasons for this.Firstly, Lim, by virtue of his personality and his working style, inadvertently prevented other DAP MPs from enunciating their own policy positions on their portfolios. Many of them still looked up to Lim, a workhorse and an autodidact, for policy direction.Secondly, many of them probably felt that this was a waste of time given that they had little domain knowledge in the portfolios assigned to them and there was little chance that they could actually become actual ministers which such portfolios anyway.The equation has obviously changed after the recent general election. There are many more opposition MPs who can take on shadow cabinet portfolios and quite a few who can speak authoritatively on various issues, including finance, education and ICT, just to name a few. More importantly, the incentive for taking up these portfolios is much higher compared to before since there is a distinct possibility of Pakatan taking over government.The formation of a shadow cabinet will not be easy though. With various opposition leaders busy running five state governments, and with their head honcho, Anwar Ibrahim, pre-occupied with negotiating with potential crossovers from Barisan Nasional, it's entirely possible that they have not had time to properly sit down and discuss the creation of a shadow cabinet.We cannot discount the possibility we will not see the formation of a shadow cabinet anytime soon. This, we argue, would be a mistake for Pakatan. They should create one sooner rather than later, if they want to be taken seriously as a 'government-in-waiting'.We all saw the protracted negotiations involved in determining executive council positions in both Selangor and Perak which, together with royal intervention, held up the formation of the state governments in these two states. To avoid a repeat performance, it makes sense for Pakatan to make known, internally and externally, the possible allocation of cabinet portfolios if and when they come to power.Now, let's look at the possible options for forming a shadow cabinet. One obvious approach would be based on the UK model where there is one shadow finance minister, one shadow education minister, one shadow home minister and so on. This way, every minister on the government bench will have a counterpart on the opposition bench.There is some natural appeal to this approach as the public would like to know what a Pakatan cabinet would look like. In particular, people would want to compare and contrast it to the BN cabinet.Such a move would be fascinating and would no doubt generate plenty of discussion and debate amongst political analysts and journalists and in the coffee shops and online forums. But it would also unnecessarily hamper Pakatan as it would entail inevitably contentious negotiations for portfolios amongst the three parties.If one thought that the seat allocation process amongst the Pakatan parties were difficult and testy, imagine what shadow cabinet negotiations would be like, especially if you throw in potential crossover parties from Sabah and Sarawak into the mix.Contentious horse tradingA much better option would be for Pakatan to allocate shadow portfolios in a more liberal fashion whereby specific portfolios can be allocated to all three parties, which would then each identify its own MP to assume those portfolios.For example, there could be an MP each from PKR, DAP and PAS, responsible for higher education. Each could be given the flexibility of speaking out on different aspects of policy to do with public universities and private colleges. This model could be replicated for other portfolios.The downside of this approach, of course, is that sometimes, MPs from the different parties might disagree on different policy aspects within their respective portfolios. For example, DAP might be in favour of having a more meritocratic policy of admissions into public universities which takes into account of the fact that STPM exam is much harder than the matriculation exam while PKR or PAS might be in favour of maintaining the current system of admissions.However, the advantage of this approach, as opposed to a UK-style shadow cabinet, is that it allows Pakatan to avoid being bogged down with contentious horse-trading that would naturally entail in the formation of a one-to-one shadow cabinet. Instead of arguing over who gets what, in taking a more liberal approach, Pakatan can show that it indeed has ample expertise to form the next government.Whatever approach is taken, Pakatan has to form a shadow cabinet sooner rather than later, especially since it has gone on record as saying it would form the government by Sept 16 this year. The public would naturally want to know - and has a right to know - whether Pakatan MPs are capable of meeting the challenges at hand. There is no better way to let them know than by having a shadow cabinet.