Chia: Don’t view blogs as threats

Another article in the news about blogs. (Source : The Star)

Chia: Don’t view blogs as threats
By DAVID TAN
PENANG: Citizen journalism in the form of blogs should not be viewed as a threat to the Government.

Deputy Information Minister Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye said that citizen journalism through blogs presented an opportunity rather than a threat.

“Blogs provide a valuable feedback mechanism for the Government. Such feedback provides useful checks and balances and helps the Government to improve its delivery services,” he said.

Chia said that like conventional journalists, bloggers should conform to ethical standards practised in the world of professional journalism.

“This is to ensure that its contents comply with Malaysia’s laws and are credible,” he said in an interview.

Chia will speak on the Media’s Role in The Digital Era at the MSC Malaysia Cybercity Conference, which will be held on Oct 23 and 24.

He said there were about 70 million bloggers’ websites out of the three billion websites available in the cyber world now.

“There are approximately 1.4 blogs being created every second on a daily basis. For this reason, it is very difficult for the authorities to monitor and track consistently those websites that spread rumours and falsehoods,” he said.

Chia said that Internet users must therefore adopt a critical attitude towards the content of the digital media.

“While digital media has been used for the greater good to promote e-banking, e-government, and on-line shopping to improve delivery system, it has also been frequently used negatively to spread rumours and unreliable information.”

However, there were presently adequate laws, such as the Communications & Multimedia Act of 1998, to regulate digital media, he said.

“The law allows for the relevant authorities, such as the internet service providers and the police, to work together to prevent any cyber activity that contravenes the laws of the country,” he said.

Singapore Straits Times deputy editor Felix Soh who will speak on the same topic at the conference, said the Singaporean authorities were quick to act against those responsible for initiating provocative discussions on politics, race, religion, and language on the net.

“This is because the Singaporean authorities have very clear cut guidelines on such issues. For example, only members of political parties can initiate political debates,” he said.

OMG. Am I a threat? I never expected that. The government should take blogs constructively. They have a real chance to be close to the people and understand what we want. Embrace the people's opinions if you really wants to please us.

What happened to asking the people to speak up? What happened to "'Tell the truth even if it's painful"? Well, many blogs are feelings of the people.

Many parties may view it as a threat as it is an uncontrolled mass media. They have no power over what the bloggers say or write. Those with much to hide or scared of the truth may view blogs as keys to the skeletons in their closets.

As to whether blogs are written mostly by unemployed women. Well ..., I am most definitely not a woman, and I do have a job, as do most of the bloggers that I know (has a job, of course).

No Witness Protection Act, say Bar Council, Param

This was in the Sun paper today. The online link.

No Witness Protection Act, say Bar Council, Param
Giam Say Khoon
PETALING JAYA (Oct 8, 2007): What Witness Protection Act? That was the question the legal fraternity was asking Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamad Nazri Abdul Aziz today.
Nazri had mentioned the "Act" yesterday when he said the person who took the controversial video clip of a lawyer’s phone conversation with a "Datuk" would be given full protection, including, possibly, a new identity.

The Bar Council said there is no such legislation. Its president, Ambiga Sreenevasan, said the council had never heard of such an Act on witness protection and even if there is one, it did not know its scope.

"Although Section 53 of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997 provides some form of protection, it is not to the extent mentioned by the minister," she told theSun.

According to the Anti-Corruption Act, the identity of the person who provided information to the Anti-Corruption Agency shall be a secret between the officer who made the complaint and the person who gave the information, and everything contained in such information, the identity of the person who gave the information and all other circumstances relating to the information, including the place where it was given, shall not be disclosed or be ordered or required to be disclosed in any civil, criminal or other proceedings in any court, tribunal or other authority.

Asked whether there is a witness protection programme in the country, Ambiga said there is none. However, she said it was within the jurisdiction of the police to protect a witness like what was done in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case.

She said the council welcomed the enactment of such a law so that it will encourage honest people to come forward with information on a wrongdoing.

Nazri had said yesterday the source of the video clip could be given a new identity or undergo surgery to be given a new face under the Witness Protection Act.

Former United Nations special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Datuk Param Cumaraswamy said in a statement Parliament had only passed the Evidence of Child Witness Act, making provisions relating to the giving of evidence by child witnesses this year.

"I hope Nazri is not confused with the Act. As a de facto minister for law, he should exercise caution and check his facts before making public statements. Incorrect statements such as this could embarass the government," he said.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail also said she was mystified when Nazri made the statement as the legal division in parliament has confirmed that no such Bill had been tabled for a first reading in the lower house.

What I meant: Nazri

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamad Nazri Abdul Aziz agreed that a Witness Protection Act did not exist in Malaysia. He said he had got his press secretary to inform the press to correct his statement on Sunday but it was not done.

"The government is looking to enact a law to protect whistle-blowers, there is a need for such a law," he said in a phone interview.

Nazri said when he spoke to reporters on Sunday, he was referring to all available Acts in the country that offered some protection to witnesses, like the Anti-Corruption Act, Criminal Procedure Code, Evidence of Child Witness Act and Anti-Trafficking In Persons Act.

He said he had asked his press secretary to inform the press to clarify his statement, but no clarification has been made.

In 2002, former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim had said a witness protection scheme would be introduced to assist Malaysia’s effort to combat terrorism.

In August this year, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan also called for a Witness Protection Act to shield those who help in police investigations or testify in criminal cases.

It is really surprising to hear a Minister, especially one who is supposedly the de-facto "Law Minister", make a statement without getting the facts right. When someone clarifies the situation, the blame is passed on to the press secretary. Whether it was his own words or really misquoted, probably only he will know.

But real damage could be done if the wrong message is conveyed. Sometimes it's better to get your facts straight before making a statement, especially if your words have a level of authority.

Khairy: We have not lost the Chinese vote

This article was on the frontpage of the Today newspaper in SG today. The online link is here.

Khairy: We have not lost the Chinese vote
Key to the future is how to strengthen Malaysian identity
Nazry Bahrawi
nazry@mediacorp.com.sg

DESPITE lacklustre support from the Chinese community in the last two by-elections, Malaysia's ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) is confident that it is not losing the backing of the Chinese electorate.
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There were issues that have caused Chinese Malaysians to harbour some unhappiness, admitted rising political star Khairy Jamaluddin, deputy chief of United Malay National Organisation (Umno) Youth, and son- in-law of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.
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These issues — and there were a lot of them at the local and national level — have probably been politicised and blown out of proportion, and they may have somewhat affected the sentiments of the Chinese community, he told Today in an exclusive interview.
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"But to say that we have lost a lot of support from the Chinese community — I don't think that is true," said Mr Khairy, speaking over the weekend on the sidelines of the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit organised by the New York-based Asia Society.
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Despite winning the recent by-elections in Ijok, Selangor, and Machap, Malacca, the performance of the coalition showed a decline in Chinese support.
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In the hotly-contested Ijok by-elections in April, the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), a partner of the coalition, managed to net less than half of the Chinese voters.
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And in Machap, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) — BN's Chinese partner — saw its majority lopped off by nearly 500 votes compared to its performance in the 2004 general election.
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Could these setbacks be traced to Malay-sia's controversial affirmative action economic policy, previously known as the New Economic Policy (NEP), which targets a 30 per cent share of the economy for the Malays or bumiputeras (sons of the soil)?
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Mr Khairy defended the retention of the NEP-type policies.
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"Distribution of wealth made possible under these policies is crucial not only for the bumiputeras who are doing badly but also for those non-bumiputeras who are still suffering from poverty and do not have educational opportunities," he said.
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But the Government has lifted the constraints of this policy in initiatives where it was trying to attract foreign direct investments (FDIs).
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He cited Southern Johor's economic corridor — the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) — where investors in industries such as logistics and tourism are exempt from the bumiputera policy.
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Official statistics justified the retention of the policy, he said.
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"If you look at broad-based numbers, with regard to education attainment and income disparity, the numbers show a marked gulf between bumiputeras and non-bumiputeras," he said, with the latter much better off than the former.
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"Certain people" would therefore require "certain advantages" in education, poverty alleviation and in the start-up of, for example, small businesses, said Mr Khairy.
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But Malaysia was also looking into disparity within the other ethnic communities to ensure that no one is "left behind". And BN was making good progress, especially in the area of economic development.
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Will BN perform well in the upcoming elections? Yes, if it can deliver on the promises of the last general election, especially in meeting basic needs such as school upgrading and improving the education system.
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Mr Khairy, who has been widely credited with directing the BN campaign strategy which swept Mr Badawi to a landslide victory in the last elections, brushed aside suggestions that the opposition had made progress since then.
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"I would argue that the opposition today is not as focused, not as ideologically driven and not as cohesive as when the Pas (Parti Islam Se-Malaysia) was leading the charge (from 1999 to 2004)," he said, in an allusion to former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto leader of opposition party Keadilan today.
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Looking to the future, he said that the issue of race relations remains a challenge for Malaysia, an issue which would have to be tackled with "maturity" and a "deft touch" especially with younger Malaysians.
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"I think the younger generation ... wants to talk about more things than the older generation. We have less baggage I suppose in that sense," he said but warned that as always, it would be best to tread carefully when discussing race as it can "stir up emotions".
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"I am not saying that we can't talk about it. We can. But we must do it in an atmosphere of utmost sincerity and openness," he said.
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And even when promoting racial unity, Mr Khairy stressed that the Government will not ignore the uniqueness of different races.
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"We are not going to make you say you're Malaysian and forget about the fact that you are Malay or Chinese. That is ridiculous," he said.
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"The success of Malaysia comes from the fact that we have our own heritage. The trick is how to work together — to strengthen the Malaysian identity. To me, that is going to be the key to the future."

It came of a surprise that this interview as on the front page, especially here in SG. Here we have a non-MP & non-government official clarifying on the racial matter in Malaysia. Is he speaking as UMNO Youth Deputy Chief or PM's son-in-law?

From the looks of things, it looks as if the imminent general elections will be kicking off soon. The signs are there. First a speech by our PM. Now his son-in-law. Painting a rosy picture? Or trying to win confidence?

...These issues ... have probably been politicised and blown out of proportion, and they may have somewhat affected the sentiments of the Chinese community ...

Trying to calm things down or just damage control?

... Mr Khairy defended the retention of the NEP-type policies ... But the Government has lifted the constraints of this policy in initiatives where it was trying to attract foreign direct investments (FDIs) ...

Somehow these statements seems contradicting to me. I could be wrong.

..."But Malaysia was also looking into disparity within the other ethnic communities to ensure that no one is "left behind". And BN was making good progress, especially in the area of economic development. " ...

... "I am not saying that we can't talk about it. We can. But we must do it in an atmosphere of utmost sincerity and openness," he said ...

...And even when promoting racial unity, Mr Khairy stressed that the Government will not ignore the uniqueness of different races...

..."The success of Malaysia comes from the fact that we have our own heritage. The trick is how to work together — to strengthen the Malaysian identity. To me, that is going to be the key to the future. " ...

Honesty? Or just putting another show to the world? Somehow, we can't help but hope that there is an ounce of truth in that.

I am not a pessimist. I am a true believer. One that believes there is hope. Hope for ONE country. Hope for ONE nation. Hope for ONE Malaysian race.

I passed my Basic Theory Test for Driving!

I passed! I passed! Yesterday I went to take the Basic Theory Test for driving in SG. If you have a Msian driving license, you can still drive SG, provided you have not worked more than 6 months.

I've been here for a year, which makes me illegible. So, I needed to convert my Msian drving license to a SG driving license. All I need to do, was to take a Basic Theory Test, which is similar to MY's Undang-undang Jalan Test.

Here in SG, you are not required to go for any courses; you can, if you want (don't waste your money). All you need to do is buy the book for SGD3.00 and you can self-study. They even sell question and answers books(past years questions, no doubt) for you to practice (it's like taking my SPM exam).

Anyway, it's a paperless EXAM. You do the EXAM on a touch screen monitor. You answer 50 questions in 50 minutes. You need to get minimum 45 correct answers. It's conducted in English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil, whichever you prefer. Once you have completed, the monitor tells you immediately if you pass or fail.

I have not gotten the license yet. I still need to go to JPJ (MY) to get a letter and go to the SG's traffic police counter to get the license.

Oh yeah, in case you were wondering, NO, I am not buying a car. Just getting the license just in case I need to drive.

Abdullah on the painful truth

This article was in the Today's paper in SG today. The online link.

Abdullah on the painful truth
Take an honest
look at race and religion issues: M'sian PM

KUALA LUMPUR
— Religious and racial divisions have brought Malaysia to the "brink of disaster" in the past and continue to hamper its growth, the country's Premier said in reports published yesterday.
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Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi spoke of the need to confront racial and religious issues in Malaysia in a serious and honest manner.
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About 60 per cent of the nation's 27 million people are ethnic Malay Muslims. The rest are mostly Buddhist, Hindu or Christian Chinese and Indians.
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"We do not want to pretend and say everything is okay. We do not want to be in a state of denial. Tell the truth even if it is painful," he was quoted by the New Straits Times as saying.
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Fifty years after independence, Mr Abdullah said race and religion continue to be hot issues "which we have to manage all the time", The Star quoted him as saying.
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"We have been solving one racial issue after another. We have even been on the brink of disaster," he added, referring to 1969 clashes between majority Malays and the minority Chinese community, in which many were killed. Since then the country has been largely peaceful.
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"People tell me: 'It's nothing. Don't worry, Pak Lah. Everything's okay.' But the more people tell me not to worry, the more I worry. Because some people just say that to reassure me," Mr Abdullah, referring to himself by his popular moniker, was quoted by The Star as saying.
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"But I say: 'Tell the truth even if it's painful.'"
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Mr Abdullah also noted the presence of a "disappointing" mindset with regards to racial and religious issues in Malaysia.
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"It is regretful how readily and very quickly we respond to what we see as a racial or religious issue," he said, adding that both political parties and the public behaved in this way.
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Mr Abdullah was speaking at the National Delegates Conference of Gerakan, a multi-racial party dominated by Chinese members. Gerakan is a component party of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
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Malaysian commentators have sounded the alarm over the growing "Islamisation" of the country and the increasing polarisation of the three main ethnic communities, who mingle much less than they once did.
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Many of Malaysia's Chinese minority believe the government's economic policy discriminates against them in favour of the Malay majority. — AFP

Made 4 years ago after he was elected. Now said again just before the elections. An act of virtue or another move to garner votes? Do I choose to believe or maybe it's the truth? Am I naive? Or am I too pessimistic? Time will tell.

Some signs that are too good to miss

Some really great signs that makes you think.

At least the asked politely

10 points for honesty

A very helpful sign

Errr, how many hours in a day?

I didn't know that ...

I guess the roaches don't smoke

Nice NEW name

Sleepy Thursday morning; Liverpool lost to Marseille

Feeling really sleepy now. What to do? Slept at 5am yesterday and woke up at 7am. 2 hours of beauty sleep. Had to drag my reluctant body out of bed and to work. It was still sleeping in the MRT.

The reason I slept late was due to work (meeting today; have to finish up some stuff) and watching football. The worst part of it is that I stayed up late to watch the game and Liverpool lost 1-0, at home!

For most of the game, Liverpool played really bad! They were the home team and they were not dominating; giving the ball away too easily. It was only after Marseille had scored that they started to look lively. The last 15 minutes were really frantic. If Liverpool played the game like the last 15 mins, they would have won by 3-0 at least.

Lunch time soon. Grab a quick bite and then try to catch a few minutes of shut-eye.

Visit Malaysia 2007

I was browsing through the Star online website this morning. I accidentally clicked on one of the contest links on the side bar (it's stated All Malaysian Bloggers Project).

The website that appeared came to a surprise to me. At the first glance, I was still stunned and was wondering what the heck did I just click on. Have a look for yourselves.

What a way to promote Visit Malaysia 2007

What do you see? My impression is that it is Visit Malaysia year 2007. Come to Malaysia and see the skin walkers. From the picture, you can tell immediately skin walkers are people with damn sharp fangs or teeth. Most probably you will end up as food to them.

The tagline is even better. "For them to live, we must die." So come to Malaysia and die or be eaten. You die so that they can live. Save the skin walkers, sacrifice yourselves. Foreigners are probably thinking there are skin walkers in our rain forest. What an ad!

Here's the link.

Someone should actually look at the webpage before publishing it on the net. I blame it on advertisers running too many ads on the page just for the sake of money. Please don't give the wrong impression. I don't want to die or be eaten.

Check your blood pressure

The last time I was back in Malaysia, I checked by blood pressure (I have the equipment at home). At that time, I registered a rather reading on the high side. My mom said it could be because I had been running around the whole day.

I did not want to take things for granted. So I wanted to go for a check up when I got back to SG (coz medical's covered by the company in SG). It just so happens that when I got back, I came upon a demonstration in a shopping mall to check blood pressure.

Check what your level is

If it's free, you gotta queue

They were selling this machine where you put your arm in and the machines reads your blood pressure. The machine's rather bulky as you can see, and it's not cheap as well. That's why there is another smaller handheld version for roughly half the price.

But the machine's not the key topic here. Luckily my reading was still normal, 120/80. Made me feel relieved. Otherwise, I would have to watch my diet, sleep earlier and exercise more. That's another issue.

A few word of advice to all of you. With the pressure of work and the lifestyle we live (mostly because we eat too much and exercise too little), some of us may have high blood pressure, but we may not even know it. Some of us may have hypertension. It don't matter whether you are 20, 30 or even 50.

I suggest that once in awhile, we should check our blood pressure. You may go to the clinic and ask the doctor to measure (if your company covers the bill). Otherwise you can buy a handheld machine and try it at home. You can probably get a cheap one for less than RM100.

Or you can go to the shopping malls and see if there's any demonstration and you can try it for free. You may try out the Osim or Ogawa shops, I think they have the equipment, and they would probably be willing to help, if you tell them you are interested in a machine of theirs.

Honestly, look after yourselves. Still watch your diet. Stop watching so much TV or reading too much blogs. Get your big fat a** up and do some exercise.

Donut Factory

One thing I have learnt in Singapore is that where ever there is good food, people will queue for it, no matter how long. There is a new crave in Singapore, for donuts. And there is one leader in this new craze called Donut Factory. I think there are 2 branches in SG, Raffle's City and Suntec City.

Donut Factory Outlet

Let me share my experience with you. I came upon it by chance in Raffle's City. The first time I was there was at 7pm, there were 2 long queues. I was thinking, "What the heck are these people queueing for? Free food?"

The 2nd time I was there, it was 6.30pm, I tried to queue, at the persistence of my wife of course. But was told the queue was closed (luckily).

The 3rd time, at the persistence of my wife again, I went there after work. Arrived at 6.00pm, I went straight to the queue. The queue was not too long, so I thought "Great, I arrived early." Suddenly, a girl came up to me and said, "I'm sorry sir. The queue closed 30 mins ago."

"What! It's only 6pm and they close at 9pm." I thought.

Anyway, I left and passed by around 8pm. The queue was still there!!! People had been queueing for 2 hours!, for donuts!!!

Another time, I was there during the weekend. Arrived at 10am this time. There was already a queue, but the shop was not open yet! I found out the shop opens at 11.30am. So I came back at 11.45am just to see how the queue was. OMG!!! There were 3 queues!!! Can you imagine!

Anyway, on Saturday, I came upon this branch in Suntec City and was explaining the situation to Douglas, when suddenly my wife said, "Hey, the queue is not long here, why don't you queue?" Great suggestion.

It starts here

The queue in front of me (trust me, this is short)

The queue in front of the shop

At last, after half an hour of queueing, it was my turn. Luckily I started early. The queue got longer by the minute. Anyway, got half a dozen donuts, all with different toppings and fillings, for SGD7.00. I queued 30mins for 6 donuts. That's 5mins per donut.

Anyway, we passed by again an hour later. The queue was still there. In cantonese, there is a saying, They have never eaten donuts in their previous life (Chin Sai Mei Sik Ko Donut).

These people must really like donuts

Well, we stuffed ourselves with the donuts just before dinner. TBH, the donuts were good, really good. The dough was easy to bite and not powdery. A few bites and you swallow it easily. Donuts made to perfection. Reccommended for donut lovers.

But if you ask me to queue for 30mins again, I'll say never mind.