Protest at Allah verdict in Penang
A group of about 200 to 250 Muslims protested this morning in Penang against the High Court verdict granting the Herald the right to use the term ‘Allah’.
The gathering, in front of the Dewan Sri Pinang, opposite the Penang High Court, began at 10.15am and ended before 11.15am, according to an eyewitness. It was organised by the Badan Anti IFC (Inter-Faith Council) network, known by its acronym Badai, and comprised representatives of various groups. Badai was the same loose group that gathered some 200 demonstrators and disrupted an Article 11 forum at a hotel in Penang in 2006.
Augustine Paul’s role will not be forgotten
Federal Court judge Augustine Paul, who passed away yesterday, will be remembered by many Malaysians for his role in the Anwar trial during the reformasi era.
His frequent use of the word “irrelevant” during the Anwar corruption trial whenever Anwar’s defence counsel wanted to raise what they felt was pertinent evidence soon resulted in the word becoming something of a sarcastic buzz-word in Malaysia.
Paul’s meteoric rise through the judicial ranks, immediately before and after that trial, raised eyebrows.
One of his last major decisions was in the case of Kampung Buah Pala, where some 300 residents were facing eviction and the demolition of their ancestral village. On 24 June 2009, Federal Court judges Paul, Hashim Yusoff and Mohd Ghazali Mohd Yusoff dashed the villagers’ hopes by unanimously rejecting their application for leave to appeal against a Court of Appeal decision that had overturned a landmark High Court verdict in their favour.
Can the Penang govt direct MPPP to build PICC?
Can the Penang state government direct the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) to implement the proposed Penang International Convention Centre?
On 30 November 2009, in response to an oral question in the Penang State Assembly by Pantai Jerejak member Sim Tze Tzin (PKR), Chow Kon Yeow, responding on behalf of the Chief Minister, replied that “in line with a state government directive, the MPPP had been directed to implement the construction of a convention centre at a site determined by the state government, that is, at the Penang International Sports Arena (Pisa) in Relau, Penang”.
He added that the proposal was in the planning stage, and the MPPP would decide if a traffic impact assessment was needed once it received a detailed proposal.
Is it within the power of the state government to issue such a directive to the MPPP?Â
Landslide hazard areas of Penang
Our gut feeling may tell us that some parts of Penang appear more landslide prone than others, but are there any scientific or geological grounds for such concern?
Landslide hazard map – Maps from paper by Lee and Pradhan
Here are a couple of maps reproduced from a paper on ‘Probabilistic landslide hazards and risk mapping on Penang Island’ by Saro Lee (Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources) and Biswajeet Pradhan.
This paper looks at landslide hazards and comes up with a landslide risk analysis of Penang Island using Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing data. From this a hazard map (above) was produced with a high degree of accurarcy, the authors say.
Landslide hazard map – Maps from paper by Lee and Pradhan
Here are a couple of maps reproduced from a paper on ‘Probabilistic landslide hazards and risk mapping on Penang Island’ by Saro Lee (Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources) and Biswajeet Pradhan.
This paper looks at landslide hazards and comes up with a landslide risk analysis of Penang Island using Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing data. From this a hazard map (above) was produced with a high degree of accurarcy, the authors say.
Why I am against the Penang convention centre
The proposal for a Penang International Convention Centre is already moving, but I dare say a large majority of Penangites are unaware of it.
This artist impression of the convention centre doesn’t show how close it will be to the existing Penang International Sports Arena (Pisa).
In fact, the public have been given until 8 January 2010 to submit their opinions and views – and that’s it for the consultation.
The Bayan Baru Residents Association has already registered its objection in a letter to the press. You can submit your views to the Penang Municipal Council or you can email your views to riduan@mppp.gov.my before the deadline expires.
Personally, I am against the project, which is expected to cost RM50 million (and that’s just an estimate). The money is expected to come out of the precious funds of the Council, which has budgeted a deficit of RM40 million in 2010 on the back of revenue of RM230 million (two thirds of which is raised from assessments/taxes). The Council has allocated RM30 million for the convention centre in 2010 and a further RM20 million is expected to be incurred in 2011.
Why Penang doesn’t need a convention centre like this built with public funds:
This artist impression of the convention centre doesn’t show how close it will be to the existing Penang International Sports Arena (Pisa).
In fact, the public have been given until 8 January 2010 to submit their opinions and views – and that’s it for the consultation.
The Bayan Baru Residents Association has already registered its objection in a letter to the press. You can submit your views to the Penang Municipal Council or you can email your views to riduan@mppp.gov.my before the deadline expires.
Personally, I am against the project, which is expected to cost RM50 million (and that’s just an estimate). The money is expected to come out of the precious funds of the Council, which has budgeted a deficit of RM40 million in 2010 on the back of revenue of RM230 million (two thirds of which is raised from assessments/taxes). The Council has allocated RM30 million for the convention centre in 2010 and a further RM20 million is expected to be incurred in 2011.
Why Penang doesn’t need a convention centre like this built with public funds:
Avatar: Beyond the 3-D, another dimension
This post is dedicated to blogger Antares, who I understand is seriously ill with a malaria infection. Antares knows all about the inter-connectedness of Nature that the movie Avatar depicts so beautifully. Wishing him a speedy recovery.
A couple of days ago, I thought I would check out the movie Avatar after a couple of friends tipped me off about the story line.
Of course, the special effects in this movie by the directors of Titanic are spectacular and the unorthodox love story, compelling. But looking beyond these, I was pleasantly surprised by the powerful and rich underlying messages in the movie.
In the movie, the earth is dying as humanity has destroyed the environment. Humans are colonising another planet to extract minerals and other raw materials from a site where an alien tribe lives. Corporate greed is alive, this time focused on exploiting the untapped resources of the alien planet, while science is being used to serve the corporate agenda.
Vegetables: Just grow them … the natural way!
Concerned about expensive vegetables? Why not do something about it…
Blog reader Anthony Louis comments from afar:
Hello Malaysians, I live in Germany. You guys will be surprised how many people grow their own veges in their homes and then share them with their neighbours.
A RM17 million price tag
On 4 December 2009, Sime Darby Bhd, through its plantation arm, Sime Darby Plantation Sdn Bhd, bought the entire issued and paid-up capital (50,000 shares of RM1 each) of an obscure new company, Nature Ambience Sdn Bhd, for RM16.8 million.
What makes Nature Ambience, which was incorporated only a year ago (on 12 December 2008), so special? Although it will become an oil palm plantation firm, a company search reveals its nature of business to be “general trading”.
On 2 October 2009, the Ministry of Land Development, Sarawak granted Nature Ambience approval to be the investor/developer for 26,211ha of Native Customary Rights land in Kapit and Julau, Sarawak. This was reportedly in line with the Sarawak state government’s “new concept of development on NCR land”. The Ministry is headed by James Masing, who is also the state assembly member for Balleh, one of the constituencies in Kapit.
With its purchase of Nature Ambience, Sime Darby will now be allowed to develop oil palm plantations in the Sarawak NCR development scheme.
This Christmas, give them hope…
If you are wondering how you can make the year-end extra meaningful, why not think of the Monfort Youth Centre in Malacca.
The students of the Monfort Youth Centre
Help the Centre give hope to the young: An artist’s impression of the proposed double-storey building – Images courtesy of Monfort Youth Centre
First of all, I want to say thank you for your support this year with this blog. Some of the discussions and debates we have had here have been priceless. We have witnessed many things together in the struggle for justice and freedom – sometimes “live” as news breaks. At other times, we have been aghast at the environmental and human price some of us have paid for unsustainable development. And if we start to talk about corruption, oppression and exploitation, we could be here all day…
The year end is also a time for us to reflect on our lives, our priorities and what our role is in the larger scheme of things. Jesus himself was born in poverty. He constantly identified with the poor and those whom society often shunned. He empowered them and gave them hope.
The students of the Monfort Youth Centre
Help the Centre give hope to the young: An artist’s impression of the proposed double-storey building – Images courtesy of Monfort Youth Centre
First of all, I want to say thank you for your support this year with this blog. Some of the discussions and debates we have had here have been priceless. We have witnessed many things together in the struggle for justice and freedom – sometimes “live” as news breaks. At other times, we have been aghast at the environmental and human price some of us have paid for unsustainable development. And if we start to talk about corruption, oppression and exploitation, we could be here all day…
The year end is also a time for us to reflect on our lives, our priorities and what our role is in the larger scheme of things. Jesus himself was born in poverty. He constantly identified with the poor and those whom society often shunned. He empowered them and gave them hope.
Jomo’s warning and a film in Papan
Listen to what UN Assistant Secretary-General K S Jomo, an economist from Malaysia, has to say about the perils of financial liberalisation, as reported in theSun:
A bigger crisis awaits Malaysia if we continue on the path of financial liberalisation and fail to learn the right lessons from the last economic downturn in the late 1990s, warns an economist.
The RM1.20 tomato
Friend of mine bought a tomato for RM1.20 at the Tanjung Bunga market.
Now you would think a RM1.20 tomato would have to be pretty special.
No, this was just a little tomato, not even big and juicy.
Unlike ordinary tomatoes that would rot in a few days if left in the open, this one could keep for a while. Makes you wonder.
If a tomato could cost RM1.20, imagine the prices of other fruit and vegetables. The question is, how are the lower-income group coping? As food prices soar, as real wages remain stagnant and as overtime pay is slashed, many among the working class are struggling to put food on the table for their families – while some of our leaders squander our nation’s resources and their spouses go on shopping sprees abroad.
Bad news from Copenhagen; Vroom! in Malaysia
Folks, it’s bad news from the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen as the nations of the world failed to agree on a common platform to reduce the threat.
There is no Copenhagen climate treaty. History was not made; no deal was sealed. This is the grim situation, at a glance:
Najib has committed Malaysia to a 40 per cent cut (compared to the 2005 level) in emissions by 2020. The Pakatan parties, on the other hand, unveiled their common policy framework, which promised to “reduce carbon emission rate to conform with international standards” and to build the foundation for a smooth transition to alternative energy resources.
But in the same week they pledged all this, the deputy sports minister, representing Najib, unveiled the Malaysian-backed Lotus Team drivers for the coming high-octane Formula One season, while over in Penang, street circuit races were revived with the holding of the Petronas Cub Prix at the Esplanade over the weekend. Are these politicians for real? It is as if Malaysians live on a different planet, where rhetoric and reality never meet, where climate chaos will never encroach into our comfort zones.
Part of the problem is that we have been kept in the dark on the key issues surrounding climate change, while a small minority are in denial mode. The other reason is that many of us seem to value unsustainable corporate-led economic growth above environmental protection. This is a piece I wrote for IPS:
Second bridge concession period not yet decided
It looks as if the concession period for the second Penang bridge hasn’t been decided; it will only be finalised in the first quarter of 2010, says Nor Yakcop.
In that case, why did the Malaysian Highway Authority state it to be 45 years in its Annual Report for 2008?
Keep an eye out for this and monitor the total cost carefully. It has already escalated from the time it was first announced in the media. In this era of climate chaos and concern over greenhouse gas emissions, it is also not the most environmentally friendly project around.
Bernama carries the following report:
Second Penang bridge concession is 45 years
The concession period for the controversial 17-km second Penang bridge is a staggering 45 years, according to a reliable source.
File picture of second Penang Bridge construction site at Batu Kawan – Photo by Anil
And what is this reliable source? None other than the Malaysian Highway Authority’s Annual Report for 2008 – although it doesn’t indicate when the concession period will begin.
At 45 years, the project is the highest among nine highways listed as under construction. Of the remaining eight, two are for 40 years each, and the rest 33-34 years. So why is the second bridge so special to warrant 45 years?
File picture of second Penang Bridge construction site at Batu Kawan – Photo by Anil
And what is this reliable source? None other than the Malaysian Highway Authority’s Annual Report for 2008 – although it doesn’t indicate when the concession period will begin.
At 45 years, the project is the highest among nine highways listed as under construction. Of the remaining eight, two are for 40 years each, and the rest 33-34 years. So why is the second bridge so special to warrant 45 years?
Let them know what you think of local elections
So the PR is apparently divided over the issue of local council elections ahead of its convention, according to the Malaysian Insider.
Ai-yah, like that also cannot agree! What’s the problem? Still want to follow the old BN way of rewarding supporters through appointments to local town councils? Or is it the racial bogey they are worried about? I thought we had moved beyond that in our new politics.
Okay, let’s make it easier for them to make up their minds: tell them what you think. After all, they are supposed to represent you, right? And if they don’t want to listen to you, well you know what to do…
[poll id=”51″]
Let them know what you think of GST
A Goods and Services Tax Bill has been tabled in Parliament today.
The GST is a tax on your consumption/expenditure – though it may be mitigated by tax credits and a range of exemptions on essential items.
Proponents say it will broaden the tax base and ensure that the rich too will pay taxes – especially on luxury items – instead of escaping due to loop-holes in the tax system.
Critics argue that it is a regressive tax that will widen income disparities and result in the poor paying taxes for the first time (whereas under the present income tax system, they are exempted). Unlike in the developed nations, the majority of Malaysians do not pay income tax because of their low income; thus, they cannot receive a tax credit to reimburse them for the GST they would incur on a basic level of expenditure. Critics say it would make more sense for the government to raise money by cracking down on corruption and plugging “leakages”.
Here’s your chance to make your voice heard. If they don’t listen to you, you know what to do at the next general election.
[poll id=”50″]
CT scans, mammograms: Be aware of the risks
Just a little public service announcement regarding what they don’t usually tell you.
Beware the cancer risk of CT scans. Also read up on the raging debate sparked by a federally funded US task force of physicians who found that the benefits of regular mammography for women between 40 and 50 are outweighed by the risks.
I have always wondered why cancer is on the rise. Might not some of the cancer cases be due to tests/scans like these?
This from the Wall Street Journal:
The risk of cancer associated with popular CT scans appears to be greater than previously believed, according to two new studies published Monday in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Fright for BN as Budget passed by 66-63 votes
It was fright night for the BN as the national Budget reportedly was passed by a wafer-thin 66-63 majority in Parliament last night.
That’s 48 per cent attendance for the BN MPs and a 77 per cent turnout for the Pakatan reps. If half a dozen more Pakatan MPs had been there and they had defeated the BN in the vote, it would have sent shock-waves across the country. A missed opportunity if ever there was one.
Najib and Ong Tee Keat reportedly had to rush to Parliament to vote – and this was for their “1Malaysia Prosperity for All” national Budget.
Tamiflu: US$3b spent – but does it really work?
This is something that I have been wondering about for a while now: why do so many people believe everything that Big Pharma tells them without conclusive evidence? One would have thought that governments and the medical community would want to see rigorous testing before spending big bucks for some ‘miracle’ drug.
Why have governments around the world spent US$3 billion since the emergence of H1N1 on Tamiflu, a drug that seems to do very little? That’s the question raised by The Atlantic, after the British Medical Journal revealed that researchers were unable to conclude that the drug is really effective.
Reuters reported in May that Malaysia was boosting its Tamiflu stockpile to cover 10 per cent of its 27 million population from 7.5 percent.
Now, in an explosive report, The Atlantic reveals:
Governments, public health agencies, and international bodies such as the World Health Organization, have all based their decisions to recommend and stockpile Tamiflu on studies that had seemed independent, but had in fact been funded by the company and were authored almost entirely by Roche employees or paid academic consultants…