Here is one guy’s impression of what the PGCC would look like from Komtar. KL Dude has had a go on photo editor with the earlier picture of the PGCC Twin Towers posted on this blog; only this time he has actually added the 38 towers in front of those “iconic” towers. Perhaps his impression is not really to scale, but you get the idea… It’s a (concrete) jungle out there, folks!
The New York Times has finally admitted in an op-ed video – in contradiction to some of its own reports – what many of us already knew: that the US war in Iraq is largely against a determined home-grown resistance movement against Occupation (yes, the ‘O’ word). Check it out.
Go here to watch Fahmi Reza’s outstanding film on the 1947 hartal – the winner of the 2007 Freedom Film Festival. It’s worth the watch.
While Malaysians tend to look down on neighbouring countries because their workers are forced to work abroad and remit money home, few of us realise that, as a percentage of GDP, migrant workers from Malaysia remit more home than those from Indonesia and Thailand.
Just read a Star report that says Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon has rejected ‘suggestions’ (I thought they were demands) from NGOs for more public hearings on the PGCC. He was echoing State Local Government Committee chairman Teng Hock Nan’s statement on Sunday that there would not be any public hearings on the project.
Why are Malaysians – via Petronas – providing billions of ringgit in gas subsidies to the profitable IPPs?
And yet, the government is always complaining it has to pay so much in fuel subsidies for the people. What about the gas subsidies to the IPPs? The owners of the IPPs are not exactly poor. In fact, they are prominent billionaires.
So why is all the focus only on Tenaga, which is being squeezed in the middle?
That’s the question I tried to explore in this article for IPS.
I was glad to see the Malaysiakini interview with Toh Kin Woon and sorry to hear that he is retiring from politics soon.
I would say Toh, the Gerakan vice-chairman and Penang state exco member, is the most principled politician in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. He has called for the abolition of the Internal Security Act and was one of a handful of ruling coalition politicians to say he disagreed with ISA arrests in the past.
What I find most remarkable about Kin Woon is his down-to-earth nature, his sincerity and utter humility – the total absence of any arrogance of power. What a stark contrast to many other BN politicians!
A few years ago, the government allocated funds to turn parts of the area around Jalan Kapitan Keling in Penang into a “Gold Bazaar”.
According to Seri:
…the Gold Bazaar was proposed by former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohammad after a trip to Dubai and upon being told that the majority of the jewellery on display were from Penang, Malaysia. Having seen the vast market potential, it was then proposed that the areas of Jalan Kapitan Keling, Buckingham Street and Campbell Street be gazetted as the Gold Bazaar of Penang. (In 2004), the Federal Government allocated RM6 million to start the project.
Never mind how the project turned out – I haven’t heard anyone talking about the “Gold Bazaar”, so that is an indication – but what is relevant to the PGCC is that the council invited the local business community, the Penang Heritage Trust and environmentalists for discussions on the project. I understand this was not required by law, but the council, to its credit, allowed some measure of public participation. Imagine, this could be done for a project worth only a few million ringgit.
All that bad news about the judiciary and the shambles it is in. Yet, amidst the uproar and outrage (and rightfully so) over the Lingam tape, there was much cause for rejoicing especially in Sarawak: a sweet victory for natives over the Sarawak state government on the issue of native customary rights, courtesy of a landmark Federal Court decision.
Thanks to a reader for sending this news item to me with the following comments:
This was a bit dicey — but now, this is the end of the line for the Sarawak government’s position; the State AG, if he repeats the position he has been stating all this time, will be in breach of the law as this is now the law of the land. It is truly a great victory for the natives and for customary rights.
Congratulations to the Federal Court.
Just received the following in the mail:
Dear Anil,
Allow me to introduce myself. I am a blind individual in my 50s, and a singer, guitarist by profession. Just like yourself and many other right-thinking Malaysians, I am truly fed up of the Barisan government what, with their many unjust policies. Needless to say, their corrupt practices know no bounds, and their divide-and-rule policies are most despicable to say the least. For your information, I have placed numerous comments over Malaysiatoday. By the way, I have enjoyed reading some of your articles both over Malaysiatoday and Malaysiakini respectively. Do keep up with your writings, for who knows, you might just be able to wake up more Malaysians from their slumber.
Finally, Anil, I wish to inform you that I have started a blog where I talk about retro music and about my political views. On my blog, you will find newspaper articles about my profession and letters that I have written to numerous government officials for assistance, but who have chosen to ignore my pleas for help. My blog address is as follows alfredhosinger.blogspot.com
Please feel free to visit my blog.. .Looking forward to your early reply.
Yours sincerely,
Alfred Ho