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Frustrated villagers gather outside Adun’s house

Anil Netto
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23

Photos by Kris Khaira and another

2100: As time runs out, a few dozen High Chaparral villagers have gathered outside the house of the Adun for Seri Delima, R S N Rayer, located off Jalan Masjid Negeri/Green Lane.

Some of the frustrated villagers call for his resignation. “We were betrayed by the BN government previously,” says one of them. “We voted for the Pakatan government, hoping they could bring about change. But we have been let down again.”

No one emerges from the house. The lights inside are off though the porch with cars parked in it is lit.

Several of the villagers are being interviewed by reporters. One of them claims that the village land could have been federal instead of state land. He says that when the Housing Trust was dissolved in the 1970s, “Vested Crown” land should have gone to the federal government.

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Time running out for High Chaparral villagers

Anil Netto
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26

The hourglass has been inverted and the fine sand is now rushing out of the narrow tube into the bottom bulb. The bailiff has obtained a Penang High Court order for the residents of Kampong Buah Pala to vacate their premises as a prelude to demolition.

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Najib to Obama: M’sia strongly believes in democracy

Anil Netto
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Would you believe it? When Obama phoned, Najib told him that Malaysia strongly believes “in the ideals and principles of democracy, including accountability and transparency”.

I wonder if he mentioned how 900 police and riot police personnel turned up to try and stop the DAP from holding a dinner in Klang on 21 June and in the end, carted away the PA system and forbade the organisers from making speeches.

Najib also discussed Obama’s plan to close down the Guantanamo detention camp and indicated Malaysia’s willingness to accept two Malaysian detainees held there. Would they receive a fair trial in Malaysia’s democracy?

In line with Malaysia’s professed strong belief in democracy, would the Malaysian government similarly shut down the Kamunting Detention Centre for good?

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TBRA urges Penang govt to act against MPPP failures

Anil Netto
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7

[poll id=”42″]

Frustrated by the silence and the perceived inaction of the Penang state government, the Tanjung Bunga Residents Association has written a letter to exco members Chow Kon Yeow and Phee Boon Poh, expressing its concerns about property development projects on steep hill slopes. The group is also calling for action to be taken against those in the Penang Municipal Council who were responsible for approving such projects:

TBRA notes the press article in today’s Star (25 June 2009) with some concern as it only talks about rectifying the steep slopes and that TBRA has not heard of any other measures to be taken despite the submissions of memorandums, letters, police reports and other meetings with State Government officials from Feb to June 2009.

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Chancellor who?

Anil Netto
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0

Today’s pop quiz: Who is the Chancellor of Universiti Industri Selangor?

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Wide gap between rich and poor worsens mental health

Anil Netto
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4

A study for the World Health Organisation has provided evidence of how the gap between the rich and the poor affects individual and collective mental health. It shows how the gap causes psychological and physiological changes that affect the mental health of individuals. The report also argues that the mental health component is important in analysing broader health and social issues.

(The study should be seen in conjunction with another study “The Spirit Level”, which revealed that a wider income gap leads to a higher incidence of social ills. Think of the rising crime rate, etc in Malaysia.)

Malaysia has one of the widest income inequalities in the region – and so it’s not surprising that a Bernama report shows that mental health cases are on the rise in the country. Maybe that is why we see so many Malaysians displaying all manner of strange behaviour, whether on the roads or even in Parliament or the Perak State Assembly!

Mental Illnesses Among Malaysians On The Rise

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Bernama) — Mental illnesses has been on the rise in the country, with more individuals seeking treatment for problems ranging from mild anxiety disorders to severe schizophrenia.

According to health ministry statistics, last year saw 379,010 individuals treated as psychiatric outpatients in government hospitals, as compared to 324,344 in 2007.

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Engage sustainable transport expert – in line with CAT

Anil Netto
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13

I was on the road today and, looking at the traffic, I couldn’t help wondering what the Penang government’s plans are to ease congestion in the state.

Surely, there is an urgent need to engage a planning expert come up with a blueprint for sustainable transport management, which would also include pedestrian-friendly streets, cycling lanes, buses, other forms of public transport, and ferries. A masterplan should be drawn up to plan the traffic corridors and ensure that future property development projects  fit into this blueprint.

So here are some questions for the state government:

  • Is it thinking of engaging a sustainable transport planning expert?
  • Does it have a budget for this? And if so, how much?
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35,000 foreigners whipped in last 7 years

Anil Netto
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9

According to Prisons Department records, 47,914 foreigners were found to have violated the Immigration Act from 2002 to 2008.

Of these, 34,923 were whipped. The remaining 12,991 escaped whipping because two thirds of them were women while the other third were men over 50.

[poll id=”41″]

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Charlie Chaplin on democracy and unity

Anil Netto
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2

Excerpt from Charlie Chaplin’s first true “talking picture”, The Great Dictator, released in 1940.

Border guards mistake Chaplin’s character, a humble barber, for a dictator (also played by Chaplin) who resembles him. The real dictator, meanwhile, is mistaken for the barber and arrested. The barber assumes the dictator’s identity and uses the opportunity to make a rousing speech and mobilise the masses in support of freedom and democracy!

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Najib clings on to ‘unity talks’ hope

Anil Netto
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13

It looks as if Najib has still not given up hope that Pas may be persuaded to engage in “unity talks” with Umno.  From the BN’s perspective, the “unity talks” proposal is the best way to throw a spanner in the Pakatan works.

Unable to bring about meaningful reforms to shore up public support, the BN seems to be clinging on to the hope that Pas will change its mind, with Najib now claiming it is a religious obligation to hold unity talks.

Here’s something I wrote for Asia Times:

PENANG – Leaders of Malaysia’s opposition alliance have ended speculation that one of its three parties, the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS), would break ranks to enter “unity talks” with the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the dominant party in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.

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