Many Malaysians have expressed disappointment over the BBC’s backing down from a ‘HARDtalk’ interview with RPK.
Much of this sentiment, I believe, stems from a perception that the BBC is a bastion of impartial, independent reporting.
Far from it. The BBC reflects the establishment viewpoint in the UK. Its positions on the illegal invasion of Iraq, the US-UK role in Afghanistan and the Israeli occupation of Palestine are well documented.
The MIC appears to have slid out of the picture after its poor showing in 2008 as Prime Minister Najib reaches out directly to Indian Malaysians in a series of events.
30 Jan – Najib visits Batu Caves on Thaipusam eve. He becomes only the second PM to visit the site after his father. But a giant replica of him at the venue becomes an issue – as did the refusal to allow the Selangor MB to speak at the same venue.
23 April – Najib officiates at the 1Malaysia Vaisakhi Open House at the Indera Mulia Stadium in Ipoh. He announces an allocation of RM4 million to assist in “strengthening cultural aspects, language teaching and repair and maintenance of Sikh houses of worship across the country”. See Berita Harian report here. “You help me…”?
12 June – Najib launches SMC2010, endorsed by the Sri Murugan Centre, and reportedly offers “more scholarships and direct financial aid for Tamil schools under the 10th Malaysian Plan”. See Malaysian Insider report here.
If you are finding it difficult to forgive someone, then this tale of reconciliation might be helpful.
Richard Moore has forgiven a British soldier who fired a rubber bullet and blinded him when he was just a child aged 10 in Northern Ireland. Now, they are friends.
Selected highlights from the Teoh Beng Hock inquest featuring DPP Razak sparring with Pornthip. (Notice the lawyer at the bottom left with his hand on his forehead!)
Happy Merdeka, folks! It’s time once more to reflect on the state of our nation and where we are at the moment.
We have much to be thankful for. Despite the best attempts of certain quarters to divide us on the basis of race and religion, Malaysians by and large haven’t fallen for the bait. We have grown into maturity and can now see through such diabolical tactics.
A two-day trip to Malacca proves to be an eye-opener. And a cruise along the Malacca River after dark reveals more than just the gaudy lights of the illuminated river banks.
When I arrived in Malacca last weekend for a two-day stay, residents there told me quite a bit about the city and its questionable spending on various projects. Mostly they centred on and around various modes of transport:
Here’s a good reason for moving to public transport: we are not going to significantly reduce traffic congestion anytime soon by using improved traffic modelling and management methods.
Building new roads is not the solution either. The Wall Street online quotes Martin Wachs, director of RAND Corp’s transportation, space, and technology programme, as saying that new roads lead to more travel (traffic) due to an effect known as ‘triple convergence’: if new roads are built, many drivers who had shifted their trips 1) to off-peak hours, or 2) to different roads, or 3) to public transport, would resume their previous pattern and converge onto the new highway. See Wall Street article here.
Alfred Ho entertains us this weekend with the late Kyu Sakamoto’s Sukiyaki.
Global food prices are projected to rise in future as a result of changing weather patterns, water scarcity, higher oil prices and increased demand from emerging markets like China and India.
As if that’s not enough, financial speculators are turning their attention to agricultural commodities and gambling on food products. See the Spiegel article here and the Green World Investor blog here.
We were warned in 2008 of a global food crisis. But have we learned any lessons? Are we doing enough to promote food security and sustainability in Malaysia (other than corporate agriculture)?
While we are obsessed with FDI, are we doing enough to chart out a sustainable – and the key word is sustainable or organic – agriculture blueprint that would meet the needs of our people in the future?
Alarm bells have started ringing after it was found that children under five in Australia who had been given seasonal flu jabs suffered from fits at a rate that was ten times higher than normal.
Doctors have been alerted to use alternatives. Adults were not affected.
Up to one in 100 children given the jab, made in Australia by CSL and marketed in the UK by Pfizer, suffered febrile convulsions in the following hours and days, reports the Daily Telegraph.