Berita Harian has made global news – for the wrong reason.
It published a cartoon on the tsunami in Japan that has been widely seen as appallingly distasteful and insensitive.
Soaring property prices have made it difficult for working Malaysians to afford a home of their own.
Enter the new ‘My First Home Scheme’, introduced by the government. Under the scheme, those below 35 with a monthly income of less than RM3000 may sign up for 100 per cent housing loans repayable over 30 years. But can working Malaysians cope with that repayment schedule?
A huge explosion has hit a nuclear power plant in Japan after yesterday’s massive quake sparking fears of a meltdown. Now, do we really want to opt for nuclear energy in Malaysia?
The plant lies in Fukishima, only 250km northeast of Tokyo. Japanese officials fear a meltdown at one of the plant’s reactors after radioactive material was detected outside it, reports the BBC. The evacuation zone has now been extended from 12km to 20km.
A massive 8.9 quake and huge tsunami have struck northern Japan, triggering a wider tsunami alert around the Pacific rim.
2036: A contact in the Philippines reports that 19 provinces in north Luzon are on high alert. Tsunami waves have already reached the vicinity and more waves are expected to hit. No reports of casualties.
With a dam reportedly having broken in Fukushima prejecture, washing away homes, and Japanese authorities monitoring the nuclear plants, one question arise: Do we still want to go ahead with a 100-storey tower, nuclear power plants and more dams of our own in Malaysia?
A tsunami warning is in effect for Japan, Russia Taiwan, Yap, Philippines, Marshall Is., Belau, Midway Is., Pohnpei, Chuuk, Kosrae, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Johnston Is., Solomon Is., Kiribati, Howland-baker, Hawaii, Tuvalu, Palmyra Is., Vanuatu, Tokelau, Jarvis Is., Wallis-futuna, Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Niue, Fiji, New Caledonia, Tonga, Mexico, Kermadec is, Fr. Polynesia, Pitcairn, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Antarctica, Panama, Honduras, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru.
1730: A contact in the Philippines says they are on a Level 2 alert there and the critical watch-out period is between now and 7.00pm (Malaysian/Philippines time).
The tsunami is also expected to reach Hawaii at just after 3.00am (Hawaii time)/9.00pm (Malaysian time)
Over in Japan:
Inside one home when the quake struck:
The ending of this animated version may be different from George Orwell’s classic, but it is no less compelling.
If the sound on this version is too faint, try this copy.
Another grave development, again in the Batu Lanchang area. This is for a project involving terrace and bungalow houses and a low-cost component, a high-rise block.
A private family graveyard, Kam Cementry, at Lorong Batu Lanchang, Lot 54, Section 5, is at risk, and 56 graves, the oldest dating back 180 years, could be exhumed. With speculation driving up property prices, it is not surprising that developers want to capitalise on prevailing market prices. Unhappy descendants have taken legal action. But the MPPP, for its part, claims that all procedures have been followed in the development application.
Well, well, well, what can I say? Shahnaz A Majid, the estranged wife of Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, the son of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, is seeking RM300 million as her share of assets in a divorce settlement and RM100 million in compensation.
Few Malaysians may have heard of him but that in no way takes anything away from the towering stature of the legendary Penan leader, Along Sega, who passed away on 2 February 2011.Along Sega and his grandson, perched on a tree stump, witnessing logging activities - Photo courtesy of Ngo/Greenpeace
He was an outspoken leader of the Penan’s struggle against the timber firms that encroached into native customary rights lands from the 1980s.
What are a few of the reasons for the BN, or should we say Umno, winning seven of the last eight by-elections?
Here’s something I wrote for Asia Times:
Umno bounces back in Malaysia
By Anil Netto
PENANG – The political tide that earlier rolled against Malaysia’s ruling United Malays Nasional Organisation (Umno)-led coalition appears to have turned again in its favor, raising the prospects for possible early polls.
Gerakan central committee member Dr Hsu Dar Ren has quit the party on the third anniversary of the 8 March 2008 watershed general election.
The reason? “Not so much because of the party itself, which has a good ideology and many good members and many good friends, but more because of the dominance of Umno over everything else within the coalition,” he said.
“I am sick of race-based politics and Gerakan is actually getting further and further away from realising its ideology of building a fair and equitable society.”
The head of both the municipal councils in Penang are now women with the appointment of urban planner Maimunah Mohd Shariff as the new president of the Seberang Perai Municipal Council.
Today happens to be International Women’s Day. So this is good news to mark this day.
Butterworth and BM and other parts of the mainland really need someone to look carefully at urban planning. I hope the MPSP will do something about the entire beach-front of Butterworth (particularly the mess along the ironically named Pantai Bersih), the poor condition of drainage, and the lack of green spaces for recreation.
The Tanjung Bunga Residents Association is seeking legal clarification over what it claims is the “illicit modification” of the Penang Structure Plan.
They are seeking a declaration that Tanjung Bunga lies in the ‘Secondary Corridor’ and not in the ‘Primary Corridor’ of development under the Structure Plan.
So, my source in Pas was accurate in his predictions for both these polls.
On the eve of polling (5 March, 10.28pm – see Coveritlive below) he had predicted a BN win by 3,500 votes in Merlimau (actual 3,643) and a BN majority of 2,500 in Kerdau (actual 2,724).
Aljazeera has made clear inroads into the traditional Internet domination of the global media giants following its breath-taking coverage and live video streaming of the Arab revolution, which has captured the imagination of the world.
This Alexa graph shows just how much ground it has gained.
Essam Sharaf, a former minister-turned-protester at Tahrir Square, was feted by tens of thousands of ordinary people when he returned to the square yesterday as their new Prime Minister, wading into a sea of humanity – without any sign of a security detail.
“I am here because I get my legitimacy from you,” Essam told the crowd, as he stressed his commitment to a transition to democracy while urging the crowd to be patient.
Support the arts in Penang and make Penang a place for creative talents to flourish – and help save our rivers in the process.
This production is brought to you by the good and creative folks at the Ombak Ombak Arts Studio.
Click twice on the poster below to magnify:
Human rights and environmental campaigners seeking accountability from the administration of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud staged a protest at an FBI facility in Seattle.
But they were unable to meet senior officers after security guards locked the doors.
Protest outside the FBI office in Seattle - Photo credit: Bruno Manser Fund
The campaigners have alleged that the FBI’s premises, the Abraham Lincoln Building, in Seattle is owned or linked to the Taib family.
The missing MP for Kota Samarahan has been spotted – on Facebook!
Sulaiman Taib, son of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, has not been seen in public for over a year leading to all kinds of speculation.
Pas is fighting a “losing battle” in Merlimau, a source within the party told me.
The source, who was campaigning for the party in Merlimau over the last couple of days, said the campaign has been “dominated by the BN on all fronts”.