Update: Zunar arrested. But his book launch tonight will proceed as planned, according to Malaysiakini editor Steven Gan. See CartoonKafe.
A couple of days ago, I thought that would make a strange and ‘arresting’ headline.
Sad to say, reality can be real strange. Malaysiakini reports that half a dozen police personnel raided Zunar’s business premises and confiscated 66 copies of his latest cartoon book ‘Cartoon-o-phobia’, due to be launched tonight.
Remember how 8 March 2008 was seen as a watershed of sorts and people were said to be feeling more empowered after that? Now’s the real test. The Penang Local Plan will soon be put on public display for public comments.
The plan will show the detailed conditions for land use, planning and development in microscopic detail. This means you will be able to tell precisely what is allowed and not allowed in your neighbourhood.
But for the process to work, you need to take a good look at the draft when it is displayed and then submit your objections or views to the local government. Little point complaining later. So look out for the display soon.
I do wish the Penang state government leaders would declare their assets as a fine example of accountability and transparency for the federal government and other state governments to emulate.
This is yet another reminder.
The diabetes drug Avandia, which generated US$1.2 billion for GlaxoSmithKline last year, has been banned in Europe and restricted in the US.
It is yet another blow for Big Pharma. AFP reports that in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration has severely restricted the drug after data suggested “an elevated risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, in patients treated”.
Concern has been mounting over the drug’s active substance rosiglitazone. Sales of Glaxo’s other diabetes drugs Avandamet and Avaglim, which contain the substance, have also been halted in Europe.
The plan to introduce GM mosquitoes in Malaysia will not be implemented “at the moment”.
“Seemingly it is quite an interesting (solution) to deal with such a problem but I think… not until and unless every aspect of research being carried out is clinically tested and… environmental issues have been addressed,” AFP reported Muhyiddin as saying.
That is of course welcome news; good sense has prevailed. Now can we look into eliminating the breeding sites of the aedes mosquito? It was shocking to hear that a spot check for dengue breeding grounds by the authorities found the Penang Hospital compound teeming with aedes mosquitoes and larvae, as reported in theSun.
Are progressive reforms – real change – and social justice possible in Malaysia? Who says ‘No’? Your mission: Achieve the impossible.
That’s Korean acoustic fingerstyle guitarist Sungha Jung.
Along with Nazri’s straight talking to Utusan comes another pleasant surprise: Khairy Jamaluddin has called on the government to implement a minimum wage.
In an opinion piece in The Edge (20 September), the Umno Youth leader said a minimum wage has become a moral obligation that the government must fulfil immediately.
Khairy rightly pointed out that a third of the workers in the country earn less than RM700 a month – which is below the poverty line. And the average annual increase in wages was only 2.6 per cent over the last decade – below the global average of 3.2 per cent.
Nazri’s criticism of Umno-owned Utusan over its support for Perkasa reflects growing unease – even within Umno circles – of the paper’s leanings and a growing realisation that the right-wing group is going to cost BN plenty of votes.
Nazri has asked Utusan if its wants Mahathir to replace Najib. His outburst can be found here.
He has also taken on the Utusan columnist who goes by the pseudonym Awang Selamat and challenged him to reveal his identity: “I hope he can be a man like me and prove that he is not scared of criticism by coming out in the open and not hiding behind the pseudonym that he uses.”
The inquest into Teoh Beng Hock’s sudden death resumes at 9.30am. The investigating officer is expected to take the stand. The ‘suicide note’ may make an appearance as well.
Someone should carry out a global survey to rank countries by the number of ‘VIPs’ per capita. This is one survey we might rank right up there along with the most status-conscious countries.
In Malaysia, apart from all those with official honorifics (and there are quite a few of them), there are those wannabe VIPs who are actually willing to pay good money to acquire instant ‘titles’.
Why is it that many Malaysians crave for titles? Perhaps they think an honorific would draw fawning attention at various public events, denote status, and offer privileges (like at airports, whether local or foreign).