A snatch theft victim in hospital; Paula’s bail extended
I am just back from visiting a friend in hospital in Penang today – a snatch theft victim.
She was walking home to her flat after work at 7.30pm a couple of nights ago when someone on a motobike sped up and suddenly tugged at her handbag slung over her shoulder. It didn’t come off easily and she lost her balance, fell to the ground and was dragged on the rough tar road for a bit (ouch!).
She won’t be able to walk for a week (but thank God, no fractures or concussion).
This is not improving my perception of the crime rate – and it’s going to get worse with the economy sliding downhill next year.
Meanwhile, Paula Khoo, the singer-guitarist-emcee who was arrested at a Penang Abolish ISA vigil a few weeks ago, continues to face uncertainty.
Good news! Bicycles freed… but no “perarakan” allowed
You will be pleased to hear that the Jerit bicycles, yes bicycles, have been released. I guess they were innocent after all, poor bikes – and it’s all systems go for tomorrow.
So with that, the cyclists are expected to hand in a memorandum to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng tomorrow at around 12.30pm in Komtar.
Sungai Siput MP Jeyakumar Devaraj spent most of this afternoon negotiating with senior police officers in Penang. “I told them, come on-lah, there are so many criminals around for you to deal with; just let our cyclists do their thing and they won’t cause any problem,” he said over the phone.
Penang gov’t backs Jerit cyclists but police block them
The Jerit cycling team have again be stopped, this time at a police road-block in Penang.
They were them that they would not be allowed to do any cycling in Penang and could be arrested if they did. A lorry carrying the bicycles has been brought to the Teluk Kumbar police station.
Jerit cyclist freed on police bail
Jerit campaign cyclist Ruben s/o Loganathan was freed on police bail at 7.50pm yesterday.
The Jerit cycling team from the north are now on the way to Penang. Tomorrow, they are due to hand over a memorandum to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at 12.30pm in the Komtar foyer in front of Maybank.
Jerit campaign cyclist arrested near Kulim
Just received word that one of the 45 Jerit cyclists on the way from Alor Star to KL via Penang has been arrested in the small village of Merbau Pulas near Kulim this evening.
According to Sungai Siput MP Jeyakumar Devaraj, Ruben was detained for distributing leaflets which did not indicate the Jerit office address. Leaflets are supposed to bear the publisher’s name and address. The Jerit leaflets only displayed the Jerit website address, the Jerit email, and the Jerit office phone number.
But the Jerit website shows the Jerit office address.
Out-of-touch Najib wants poor to buy laundry dryers
Political economist Andrew Aeria has sent in this comment, which I think reveals how out of touch Najib is with the hard reality facing low-income families in the country:
First, petrol price increase. He said: Change your lifestyle. Then, crime: Change your perception. Now, laundry drying: Change your habit by buying a dryer or dry your laundry downstairs. This guy has no inkling of the life of ordinary people. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and he has never known privation or hunger. So, when he talks, his ideas and suggestions are all in tune with his privileged world-view of his own creature comforts. Does he think everyone living in a high-rise can afford a laundry dryer?
Petrol price – subsidy, levy or free float?
Blog reader Sam Gopal has this to say:
Anil, You have been advocating strongly for a STRONG and WORLD CLASS public transport system. At this very time you are asking the Government to lower petrol prices. Lowering petrol prices will only make the public go back to using their cars even more. I think the push is for the Government to maintain a levy of petrol and then use this MONEY effectively to IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION system. Lets not jump into the bandwagon and simply oppose for the sake of opposing. On the other hand LGE is making ludicrous demands of giving RM6,000 per family using PETRONAS money. Seriously, why can’t he talk about using this money to improve public infrastructure? The very thing China is doing, pumping in USD600 BILLION plus to improve infrastructure, and not handing out money to its citizens just like that, where ther is NO Return On Investment, except paying for more imports with this sort of money handed out.To clarify, I am not advocating a total peg to the market price. So while a price of around RM1.50/litre might be the real market price price based on the current global market price for crude and the historical trend (as Penang CM Lim Guan Eng has suggested), it might not be prudent to use that price. A price reduction, yes (to provide immediate relief for people affected by the slowing economy), but not a total free float. I believe in the long run, we need to tax fossil fuels, which are a polluting, non-renewable resource. This could take the form of a small levy to invest in renewable energy (solar, for instance), public transport and other conservation projects. Such a levy should accompany immediate significant improvements in public transport – but so far, all the past promises of improved public transport have not materialised. This levy must go into a special “green fund”, which must be carefully and transparently managed. Only problem is I don’t think it’s possible to have such a transparently managed fund under this administration; if the fund is not managed properly, the money could so easily be squandered in dishing out inflated contracts to cronies, as we all know. It is risky to talk about pumping in billions into infrastructure when we know there are many “leakages” along the way. Public spending should be for the widest possible public benefit and not just to profit some big-time crony contractors.
Abolish ISA Mass prays for police too; RPK defends site
Does RM1.90/litre for petrol sound right?
Let’s update the chart which Ong Eu Soon prepared:
| Petrol price | Global crude | |
| RM/litre | US$/barrel | |
| 01/10/00 | 1.20 | 35 |
| 20/10/01 | 1.30 | 20 |
| 01/05/02 | 1.32 | 26 |
| 31/10/02 | 1.33 | 28 |
| 01/03/03 | 1.35 | 31 |
| 01/05/04 | 1.37 | 38 |
| 01/10/04 | 1.42 | 47 |
| 05/05/05 | 1.52 | 48 |
| 30/07/05 | 1.62 | 57 |
| 26/02/06 | 1.92 | 63 |
| 05/06/08 | 2.70 | 120 |
| 17/11/08 | 2.00 | 55 |
| 2/12/08 | 1.90 | 48 |
Zaid’s OUT; M’sian Anti-Corruption Commission’s IN
I think I spoke too soon. This was what I wrote in my blog posting yesterday:
Anyway, contrast this with how Zaid Ibrahim’s presence at Pakatan events has been greeted by the folks in Umno.And now they go and sack him. Umno’s failure to implement meaningful reforms is complete. Well, you might ask, what about the reforms in the pipeline by March 2009? I fell off my chair laughing when I read a source quoted on the front page of theSun commenting on the proposed Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which is supposed to be more independent than the Anti-Corruption Agency:
“This means, the commissioner (the director-general of the agency) will enjoy unprecedented independence as enjoyed by the A-G, the auditor general and judges,” said a source.Well, we all know how independent they are, right? If we are lucky, the MACC might even be as ‘independent’ as Suhakam! 🙂
On a lighter note, Guan Eng ventures into the lions’ den
Three possible reasons why someone invited Guan Eng to Gerakan’s Wawasan University for the inauguration of Chong Eu as its first chancellor:
- it’s common courtesy to invite the Chief Minister;
- the person who issued the invitation has a good sense of humour; or
- the person who issued the invitation wanted to watch the ‘fun’; or
- all of the above
Guan Eng in ‘enemy territory’ GEORGE TOWN: After severely criticising his predecessor Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and Gerakan leaders for the last eight months, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng found himself in “enemy territory” yesterday. He made an unscheduled appearance at the inauguration ceremony of Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu as Wawasan Open University’s (WOU) first chancellor at the university’s campus. His attendance drew surprised stares from guests and newsmen present.
High crime rates? Nah, just change your perception…
First, when the price of petrol was hiked, they told us to “change our life-styles”.
Now, when the crime rate appears to be high, they are telling us to “change our perception” of crime…
… and all will be well.
Najib was saying that our perception of worrying crime rates should be viewed in perspective: apparently Malaysia has lower crime rates than Japan and Hong Kong.
Maybe it was just my perception that my apartment was broken into last year and my personal belongings stolen.
“Otak-tak-centre” approach to heritage conservation?
So the Penang government will consult Unesco to come up with a solution to the scandal of the four proposed high-rise buildings in the George Town world heritage core and buffer zones. In the meantime, the developers concerned have been advised to halt their projects temporarily to placate the public and to avoid risking the world heritage status.
Are they trying to persuade Unesco to agree to those four high-rise buildings? It’s not a question of whether Unesco agrees or disagrees. It’s really a question of whether we value our own priceless heritage, which is unique in this region. Look at how other historical cities in Europe have strict guidelines as to what kind of buildings are allowed and what aren’t in their own heritage areas – even without a world heritage listing. Over here, guidelines are just for show (or to secure world heritage status); nobody cares about enforcing them… as long as quick (short-sighted) profits can be made.
Why is the state bending over backwards to please these developers? You tell me. Oh yes, that familiar line again; repeat after me, all together now, “They will claim compensation from the state if we don’t allow them.” That’s pathetic. Let them try and do that, and we shall see if the people of Penang will be amused.
An irate Penang resident and blog reader, Andrew, sends this comment:
Why does this DAP-PKR govt have to consult Unesco for a win-win solution? The only win-win should be for the people of Penang and for heritage conservation.
Mystery woman shows up at PJ candlelight vigil
Pave paradise to put up 800 parking bays in Youth Park
Canadian song-writer Joni Mitchell felt compelled to write the song “Big Yellow Taxi” when during a visit to Hawaii she took a taxi to a hotel and peered out of the hotel room window the next morning. She described what she saw to journalist Alan McDougall:
… I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart… this blight on paradise. That’s when I sat down and wrote the song.The line “Paved paradise to put up a parking lot” could well describe what we are doing to our Pearl of the Orient, which is rapidly turning into one big parking lot. “Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…” Now I have stumbled onto plans to put up 800 parking bays at the Penang Youth Park. 800?! Are they out of their minds? We have such limited recreational areas and parks – and they can think of putting up 800 parking bays? Someone, please tell me it’s all a misunderstanding… I got this information from an official-sounding website Adun PP Net. This is what it says:
Make a date with RPK, Thuan Chye and Jo Kukathas
Raja Petra Kamarudin and playwrights Kee Thuan Chye and Jo Kukhatas will be appearing on the Riz Khan show at 10.00pm on Wednesday, 3 December over Al Jazeera English (Channel 513 Astro). They will be discussing Malaysian politics and culture and touching on the ISA among other things.
RPK’s legal battle continues
RPK lives to fight another day as the Sessions Court has effectively left it to the High Court to decide which court should hear his case – the Sessions Court or the magistrate’s court.
PKR congress, yoga fatwa and sordid politics
Heading to the PKR congress Photo by Amiruddin
Blogger Amiruddin will be covering the PKR congress, which is expected to draw thousands.
Read Farish Noor’s article on the yoga fatwa here.
And check out ABC’s Foreign Correspondent documentary on Malaysia’s sordid and sensational politics here.
The spectre of job losses haunts Malaysia
The global recession is already creeping up on us with the spectre of job losses looming. Already, we hear multinational corporations here slowing down production, asking workers to take annual leave and going for planned shutdowns. No bonus, no increments, etc…
That’s not surprising. US third quarter 2008 economic growth was already in negative territory: – 0.5 per cent (preliminary figure). Personal consumption in the States was down by 3.7 per cent – and that could worsen – while retail sales fell 15 per cent. Housing prices there are expected to slide further. US unemployment could soar to 8.5-9.0 per cent by the end of 2009.
That’s grim reading, isn’t it? It would be foolish to think Malaysia can be spared, especially when traditionally, 20 per cent of Malaysia’s exports have gone to the United States – 12 per cent to the giant US electronic multinationals – while Europe is also sucked into the maelstrom.
Blog reader Drachen mocks the thinking in some circles:
Nah, Anil! Don’t be a Chicken Little! Malaysia’s economy has STRONG FUNDAMENTALS! We are managed by SUPERIOR LEADERSHIP! NOTHING will affect our growth and prosperity! We can take ANYTHING the world can throw at us! We are IMMUNE! Let’s all go back to sleep! HAHAHA!We are talking of a recession in Malaysia that could be worse than that of 1997, which was essentially triggered by a regional financial crisis. In contrast, the coming recession would be more akin to what we experienced in 1986, when exports weakened and commodity prices slumped, sparking job losses.
LA turns to solar energy; why not Malaysia?
“Why solar? L.A. enjoys 276 days of sunshine a year, according to the mayor’s office. Solar would also help cut down on the city’s notorious smog.”Well, why don’t we seriously consider solar? If Los Angeles can move towards solar – the city is aiming for 35 per cent of its energy from renewables – there is no reason Malaysia can’t move in that direction now. If we start now, we can pre-empt any move towards nuclear power plants, which, knowing our maintenance culture, would be a disaster waiting to happen.