In the midst of all the doom and gloom surrounding the global economic slowdown, it is heartening to know that there is at least one sector in Malaysia that is expanding, creating thousands of new jobs over the next few years.
10 lessons to be learnt from the Big Bang tennis flop
Now that the recriminations have flown around after the “Kings of Tennis” debacle, it would be a pity if this episode is allowed to peter out without any real lessons being learned.
There are larger lessons here for the state when dealing with private companies coming up with all sorts of ideas and proposals:
1. Protect the public interest at all times, ahead of private interests.
2. Check out the track record of the companies concerned. Do they have a history of successful ventures? Are they in financial trouble? Check out the directors’ backgrounds.
3. Don’t get too “pally” and cosy with the business community. State government officials are there to uphold and defend the public interest. It’s fine to encourage economic activity, but when dealing with private companies, always do so at arm’s length.
4. Beware of things which appear to be free and cost nothing to the state. What do they expect in return – if not in cash, then in kind? Are they looking for relaxation of regulations, easier licences, cheap land, monopolistic advantage or a stepping stone to related ventures?
5. If they are introducing new technology, chemicals, etc, is the technology proven and safe? Remember the Precautionary Principle:
The precautionary principle is a moral and political principle which states that if an action or policy might cause severe or irreversible harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence of a scientific consensus that harm would not ensue, the burden of proof falls on those who would advocate taking the action.
The principle implies that there is a responsibility to intervene and protect the public from exposure to harm where scientific investigation discovers a plausible risk in the course of having screened for other suspected causes. The protections that mitigate suspected risks can be relaxed only if further scientific findings emerge that more robustly support an alternative explanation. In some legal systems, as the law of the European Union, the precautionary principle is also a general and compulsory principle of law.
In other words, the burden of proof lies with those introducing the technology to prove that it is safe – and NOT with the public to prove that it is harmful.
Gotcha!
Selangor state assembly member Lau Weng San was assaulted on Sunday Photos by Sunny Lim
Ever wondered what the view from inside a police truck would be like as you are hauled off to the police station? This is what Sunny saw…
Waiting… and waiting: Inside the PJ police station after being arrested
More than 100 people attended the Mass for ISA detainees at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus last night. Parish priest Fr Marshall Fernandez and Fr Fabian Dicom concelebrated the Mass. Police presence was low-key, with just a couple of plainclothes officers outside.
There will be another Mass next Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Lau Weng San, the Selangor state assembly member representative who was assaulted during the vigil in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, has found a picture of the man in plainclothes who he identifies as the one who assaulted him. Click here. Gotcha!
Weng San was among 23 arrested on Sunday. Also among those arrested was Sunny Lim, who provides an inspiring account of his participation in the vigil, capturing the spirit of the occasion. He was outraged by what he witnessed.
The weather was kind and the night air was filled with patriotism. The national anthem was heard loud and clearly sung by all present in unison. Before it was over, my arm was grabbed by a plainclothes officer. I suffered shock for a moment and wondered what had gone wrong. I remained composed and walked along with him. Full article on the Aliran website here.
What do all these vigils mean and why are the authorities now getting a bit edgy? I tried to answer these questions in the article for IPS below:
Ronnie Liu arrested
Selangor state exco member Ronnie Liu has been detained or arrested, according to two sources.
Big Bang tennis event ends with whimper
The ‘Kings of Tennis’ tournament in Penang this weekend has been cancelled.
How much will it cost to clear the mess in the Esplanade, including all that concrete? A couple of million ringgit? Did the state government collect a deposit from the organisers? If yes, great. If not, why not?
RPK sedition trial continues on 16 Dec
Just received word that RPK’s sedition trial will resume on 16-19 Dec.
Buses in the sky? Improve buses on land first
Another company is proposing a solution for Penang’s transportation problems.
This time it’s the Aerobus, which glides on overhead tracks. Apparently the system is being proposed for areas outside the heritage zone in George Town.
The company behind it is Aerobus International Inc, through its local rep, Aerobus Malaysia.
The company which submitted the proposal is Pinggiran Pelanggi Sdn Bhd.
Its executive director (or is it executive chairman?) is Aripin Mokthar, who is also described in news reports as Aerobus Malaysia Marketing and Development director.
Before you jump and exclaim “Penang leads!”, Malacca announced in February a simliar RM1.8 billion Aerobus mass transit system. Apparently, it will take six years to complete. In Malacca, Pyramid Express will build, operate and manage the Aerorail system. Technical and project management support will come from Pinggiran Pelangi Sdn Bhd.
Mass for ISA detainees in Pulau Tikus church tonight
I hear there is going to be another Mass for ISA detainees at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus, Penang, tonight (Wednesday) at 8.00pm.
Zaki Azmi’s express ride
5 September 2007 – Lawyer Zaki Azmi, a former Umno legal adviser and disciplinary committee chairperson, becomes Federal Court judge. He is the first lawyer to be appointed straight to the highest court.
Three months later:
5 December 2007 – Zaki becomes Court of Appeal President, the No. 2 post in the judiciary.
Where to from here?
Rakyat@work who was on his way to Ipoh to cover the Sunday vigil there reflects:
As we go into regression over (Sunday) night’s pandemonium, many would have formed new impressions and new experiences and witnessed the new rakyat thinking as we move forward into a new Malaysia.
Change is inevitable; it’s happening right here, right now! Whatever course the rakyat choose to take next will determine if we remain stagnant or progress as one human race.
While my travelling mates and I were covering the Ipoh vigil, our hearts were beating for the PJ vigil as early as 7.30pm. Our handphones were literary filled with breaking news every 5 to 10 mins. SMSes were exchanged at a furious pace, back and forth. (All the 4 Ws were put to use: Who? Where? When? Why? and now trying to anwwer the What? What’s all this about? What is going to come out of it? What was it the police were trying to prove? What is the rakyat all about? We can only answer within ourselves. Something was brewing all right but never in my wildest imagination could I have comprehended what was to follow (which is history now):
“I WILL NOT BE COWED!”
I would just like to share with you these SMSes: