On-Off KLIA East

The controversial proposal for a new RM1.6 billion low cost carrier terminal (LCCT) at KLIA East @ Labu has apparently been shelved following a meeting yesterday between DPM Najib and the two key project proponents - budget carrier AirAsia and conglomerate Sime Darby. This again is after a public hue and cry similar to the one I mentioned earlier in my previous blog. It possibly has also become too costly politically for the administration who must have feared a backlash. (Read The Malaysian Insider [TMI] report, here)

“The DPM played the role of an honest broker. He did not take sides but wanted to make sure that national interest was served. This could only happen if the new LCCT was built in KLIA but Air Asia’s legitimate interests and concerns were addressed,” a government official told TMI.

With the recent IJN brouhaha safely tucked under his belt, Najib must now be relishing his role as a so-called public saviour. But then the question which must be asked is why wasnt the parties involved forced to the negotiating table earlier? As pointed out by TMI, this episode certainly raises some serious questions over decision-making in the government.

Murder he said

I find it rather disturbing that nowadays the powers-that-be will act on issues only after widespread public hue and cry. A case in point is the recent decision by the Attorney-General to reclassify the death of police detainee A. Kugan as murder and calling for the arrests of the policemen responsible.

Kugan, 22, was detained for questioning on January 15 in connection with several luxury car theft cases. He died on Tuesday while in custody at the Taipan police station in Subang Jaya, allegedly due to assault. His family had become extremely suspicious of the numerous unexplained injuries found on his body. A second post-mortem autopsy on the deceased will be conducted today, three days after the family had called off his funeral.

Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar had caused a stir earlier when he said that Kugan, who did not have any past criminal record, died due to 'fluids in the lungs'. He also claimed that there was no foul play involved.

The integrity, accountability and transparency of the Royal Malaysian Police and the AG's office in issuing statements, just to create an atmosphere to subdue public outcry, are now seriously in question. It will surely take more than a simple PR exercise for the police and the AG to regain the respect and trust of the rakyat. I believe there have been some 1535 deaths in police custody between 2003 and 2007. An alarming number indeed. A truly Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) does really seem to be very relevant now.

Here's wishing a hearty Gong Xi Fa Cai to all my Chinese friends.

We will not go down (Song for Gaza)

East Coast Disaster

For the ruling Barisan Nasional, that is.

Although he has dismissed it only as a 'minor setback', losing a parliamentary 'buy" election in a Malay heartland again must surely be very painful for PM-in-waiting Najib, who had tirelessly led the BN campaign in Kuala Terengganu. And if even MCA's Ong Takut Kata is convinced when he 'was told' that the KT Chinese support for BN has actually increased, then its either these BN people are just thick or in a permanent state of denial.

Even Ku Li, here, has called the loss more than a "referendum" on the leadership. "We lost because of a national problem. The rakyat reject UMNO in its present form and style, and they reject its leadership," he said. But the immediate response from the leadership, yet again, is that "this should not be interpreted as voters having spurned BN".

Sheeesh.

Kuala Terengganu

I have never really been to Kuala Terengganu (KT), only passing briefly through the town center a few months ago after visiting the new Crystal Mosque (photo) complex, the only place there worth seeing, I think. I was then on my way for a few days of beach bumming with some friends in Tok Bali, Kelantan. Earlier, the furthest place up north on the east coast I have been to was Kertih, where a few years ago I did a couple of consultancy and audit jobs with some associates for the Petronas port. Driving through shabby towns, kampungs and countryside, we could not then really see where the billions in oil royalty money went.

When blogger Rocky asked me yesterday at Tok Mommy's MRT why I am not in KT with our other blogger friends for the parliamentary by-election there this weekend, I had to confess that I cannot even remember the names of the three candidates. I can recall there is somewan called Wan something or other and that's about it. Unlike Permatang Pauh, for me KT is just another minor 'empire skirmish' for the ruling party and I seriously doubt that the outcome will change anything or make much of a difference to the status quo in the short term. Besides, I am also currently up to my bloody ears in work.

My blogger friend Shar101 is rightfully peeved, here, I think, about the 'dirty tricks' and 'heavy guns' from Putrajaya being brought to bear in the by-election. Nothing surprising here, old bean. But in the final analysis, it is really up to the oghang Kuala Teganung to decide and I hope they will, wisely.

Palestine Relief Fund

Martyred Children of Gaza

There's absolutely no excuse for the above.

While big brother the US of A slumbers in between presidents, more than 700 Palestinians, 219 of which are children, have been killed by the Israeli army. More than 3000 have been wounded. One now wonders whether the Israeli supremacists did indeed choose the right moment to murder Palestinian babies. Yet there is more to come.

MERCY MALAYSIA has, on 30th December 2008, formed an Emergency Response Assessment Team to face the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza strip and appeals to generous Malaysians to send donations. Contributions for the PALESTINE RELIEF FUND will support Mercy Malaysia to procure emergency surgical kits, medicine and hospital equipments to help the hospitals in Gaza.

• Cheques to be made payable to “MERCY MALAYSIA” and addressed to: Mercy Malaysia, Level 2, Podium Block, City Point, Kompleks Dayabumi, Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, 50050 Kuala Lumpur.

• Cash donations can be made via on-line transmission or deposit at CIMB Bank Account No: 1424-000-6561053.

• Donation forms can be downloaded from here: http://www.mercy.org.my/main/images/stories/files/Donations/donationform.pdf

• For further enquiries, telephone +603-22733999 or email: info@mercy.org.my

Please give what you can. It will make a difference.

Failed Privatisation

One afternoon some time in early 1984, as president of the Klang Port Authority's Senior Officers' Association (SOA), I was summoned for a meeting with the then prime minister Dr. Mahathir at his office in Kuala Lumpur. Also with me were fellow presidents Ruslan Zainal of the Port Authority Staff Union (PASU) and Mohd. Nor Katim of the Harbour Workers' Union (HWU). The Government had then announced a 'privatisation policy' involving GLCs and other 'national assets' and the PM wanted to formally inform us of the intention to privatise (only) the port's container terminal.

Probably expecting some opposition on being made "guinea pigs" or whatever, Dr. M immediately took us to task in his usual style, but we just played it cool. We were actually quite enthusiastic about the idea and did not think that anything could possibly go wrong because the terminal, the country's first, was already then quite efficient and making money, lots of money. There was also talk that even staff not involved in the exercise would be given "pink forms' to acquire shares when the new company, Klang Container Terminal Sdn Bhd. (KCT), finally gets listed at the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange. KCT was fully privatised in March 1986.

I have now come to believe that with very few exceptions, as in above KCT case, privatisation as a whole in this country as initiated by Dr M, has failed miserably. The objective which was supposed to ease the government's financial burdens, increase productivity and lower costs have not been achieved. Instead, we have expensive bailouts due to corruption and cronyism, more complaints about inefficiency and the expected reduced costs have not been felt by the rakyat. Obviously, the intention was good but the implementation half-assed.

It took some agitation by a few bloggers, here, and the public at large, for Sime Darby to finally jettison its intention to privatise the Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) yesterday. (Read the Malaysiakini report, here). Why the proposal was even ever considered by the government has never been fully explained. One can only guess at the outcome that perhaps its because we have all become very disillusioned especially when there is lack of transparency in the whole process. Perhaps we just need change and perhaps also it is time we should now seriously consider "nationalisation" instead?

New Yam Tuan

"Seperti pinang pulang ke tampuk,
Seperti sireh pulang ke gagang ..."

The Tunku Besar of Seri Menanti, Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir, was proclaimed as the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Besar or "Yam Tuan" of my home state of Negeri Sembilan yesterday following the death of his uncle, Tuanku Jaafar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman on Saturday.

The four undang or territorial chieftains from the luak of Sungai Ujong, Johol, Jelebu and Rembau have chosen him over the three princes of the late Tuanku Jaafar. An only son and at the age of 19, Tuanku Muhriz had been passed over by the then undang in 1967 upon the untimely death of his father Tuanku Munawir, the 9th Yam Tuan, as he was considered too young then. His uncle Tuanku Jaafar, then a career diplomat, was installed as Yam Tuan instead.

This must come as a huge relief for many of us orang nogori as we have watched with some anxiety and trepidation over the years the extravagant goings-on in the lives of the Jaafar siblings. Avid party goers, they have been busy filling the high society pages of the Malaysian Tatler, the men elegantly tuxedoed and their women dripping with jewellery. Of late, they have also been featured in the business pages of the local mass media, but perhaps for the wrong reasons.

I do believe the undang yang berempat have made no mistake this time.

P.S: Although he is a few months younger than me, Tuanku Muhriz was one year my senior at the King George V Primary School in Seremban in the late 50's. A good pupil, he had earned a double promotion somewhere along the way.

Season's Greetings

Merry Xmas to all my Christian friends and a Happy New Year 2009 to all.
Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all Men.

Treachery... Again

(Source: The Malaysian Insider)

Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat, who promised a couple of days ago to reveal all in the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) debacle, offered instead a gloating testimonial of his own apparent success in revitalising the scandal-ridden project that helped force his predecessor Chan Kong Choy out of office. Read The Malaysian Insider report, here.

Ong (photo, left) told a press conference today that the PKFZ occupancy rate, employment, investment status and cargo movement have increased since the change of management in May. Occupancy rate for all facilities had also increased, with the leased office block recording the most significant increase from one per cent in March to 19 per cent as of November. For open land and light industrial unit facilities, the occupancy rate is now 18 per cent and 17 per cent respectively. Most importantly, said Ong, was the number of employees in the area which had increased from 972 to 1,659 within the last eight months.

“I still can remember when I first set foot in the area, people said this is a ghost town,” said Ong.

Well, I have got news for you, Ong. I was there a couple of weeks ago and it was still very much a ghost town. The "1659 employees" must be invincible. But I am also personally involved in helping a foreign investor friend set up a factory with 2000 workers in PKFZ to be ready by the end of next year, which I believe will be one of the biggest investments there to date. So dont give us that bull crap.

Ong has also refused to blame his predecessors Ling and Chan. “That is the question that only they can answer at that point of time,” he said.

Which brings us back to square one. If this isnt treachery and deceit, then I dont know what is.

Same Old, Same Old

Sorry folks for the longest break I have had since I started blogging a couple of years ago and believe me, I badly needed one.

Barely a couple of weeks now left before we say bye-bye to 2008, there was really nothing new happening apart from a repeat of an earlier disaster we didnt learn from, the usual crap promises we get prior to a by election, etc.

But for me, the only good news I feel worth mentioning is the fact that the report on the RM5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal will be disclosed to the public by the Ministry of Transport (MoT) either today or tomorrow, so says minister Ong Tee Keat. (Read the Malaysiakini report, here)

Ong told a press conference yesterday that the MoT report would disclose, among other things, the chronology of events both before and after the change of guards at the ministry (under the then-minister Chan Kong Choy), PKFZ and Port Klang Authority (PKA). A separate report is being finalised by independent auditor Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC), which will be presented by the PKA as soon as PWC gets the green light from the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

Ong had earlier stated that his ministry's investigation is focused on the qualitative aspects of the matter, while PWC's audit looks at the quantitative aspect. The previous parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by minister Shahrir Samad had failed to complete its probe on the fiasco.

Now lets see whether Ong will walk the talk and whether PWC will ever get the go ahead from MoF.

My Name is Khan

(Click arrow to play)

Resplendent in black Malay baju, complete with samping and songkok, famous 43-year-old Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan received the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM) award from Malacca state governor Tun Khalil Yaakob yesterday. The award carries the title Datuk and Khan is first foreign actor to be honoured.

The award was supposedly in recognition of Khan's indirect contribution to the local tourism industry, where since the filming of his 2001 movie, One 2 Ka 4 at a popular holiday resort in Malacca, the number of Indian tourists to the state has increased significantly, state officials say.

At a post-investiture press conference, Datuk Shah Rukh Khan also disclosed that he will star in a new movie exploring the issue of Islam in the post 9/11 world and the misperception that all Muslims are terrorists. The movie "My Name is Khan" tells the story of six people with Muslim surnames who suffer suspicion and prejudice years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

"Islam does not in any which way tell you to be violent," Khan said. "I think the whole concept of jihad, the whole concept of warring needs to be explained as Allah meant it to be in the Koran. (The film) is an attempt to try and do that in an entertaining way," he added. Filmmaker Karan Johar will direct while top Bollywood actress Kajol Mukherjee, who has acted in several hit movies with Khan in the past, will co-star. (Read today's The Hindu report, here)

There has been some controversy and protests by a few local artistes over this Malacca award. Although having been "weaned" on the old classics of Dev Anand and the legendary Kapoor brothers, I have never followed Khan's more recent Hindi blockbusters which I believe are very well received globally. But if his new movie succeeds in some measure to dissipate some of the anger and outrage being felt in India and elsewhere over the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, or help bridge the widening gulf between Muslims and non Muslims worldwide, then this state award from Malacca will surely be the least that he will deserve.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to all Muslim friends.

Invitation to a Forum and Book Launch

A forum on "New Media and Democratization in Malaysia" will be held today Friday, December 5, 2008 from 8.00-10.00pm at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall auditorium. Selangor state assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad will be keynote speaker.

The occasion will also witness the launch of a book titled “Blogging and Democratization in Malaysia" and its co-authors Prof. Wan Zawawi Ibrahim and Jun-E Tan, will be present to speak about their work. Other speakers include representatives from the organizations collaborating in the programme.

Members of the public are invited to attend the forum which is jointly organized by the Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI), SIRD-Gerak Budaya, the National Alliance of Bloggers (All-Blogs) and the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH).

The Forum was initiated mainly by the CPI YouthSpeak Section which has the objective of promoting discourse through writings and discussion at the CPI website coordinated by Wan Fadzrul and John Lee, and via public forums such as this, to encourage the youth of Malaysia to take part actively in the democratization process in the country.
____________________________
THEME: "New Media and Democratization in Malaysia".

Date/time of Forum: Friday, December 5, 8.00pm-10.00pm
Venue: KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall auditorium,
No. 1, Jalan Maharajalela, Kuala Lumpur

Programme
1. Welcome speech by YL Chong, Editor, CPI
2. Keynote speaker: YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad
3. Wan Fadzrul Wan Bahrum, CPI YouthSpeak Coordinator
4. Yeoh Lee Hin, CPI (Chinese) Web administrator
5. Jun-E Tan, co-author of "Blogging and Democratization in Malaysia"
6. Prof. Wan Zawawi, co-author of “Blogging and Democratization in Malaysia”
7. Teh Yee Keong, KLSCAH Representative
8. Ahirudin Attan, protem President, National Alliance of Bloggers (All-Blogs)
9. Q and A session
10. Refreshments
____________________________________
NOTE: For further information, please contact:
YL Chong: 012-9702285
Helen Ang: 013-2240985

Letter from Mumbai

My old buddy Capt. Jimmy Shroff in Mumbai writes tongue-in-cheek to the Times of India in response to the anger now being felt in India over the recent terrorist attacks.

His simple suggestion: Have a cup of chai (tea).

Or as they say in Cantonese: Yum cha (飲茶)

----------------------------------------------------
To: The Editor, Times of India

Subject: We do care… A cup of tea as follow-up to anger

Dear Sir,

What follows is a suggestion for the formation of an inclusive organization called "CHildren and Adults' Initiative International" or CHAI (International) as a long-term channel not so much in response to the 26-11 terror strike but certainly initiated by the apparently horrible event.

There is no comment on the immediate response being contemplated, whether resulting in armed conflict or not. We may justifiably shatter more human bodies but we must simultaneously strive to build up our more subtle bodies, namely the networked bodies comprising of our emotions and thoughts. We need to improve ourselves. If we expect to have high-caliber persons to represent us in government we need to be high-caliber citizens first.

The immediate action of caring for the injured and the orphaned also does not need any comment.

The main aim of the organization is based on what M.K. Gandhi says so beautifully: We must become the change we want to see in others….. and in the world. But the above is not so much an aim as a technique towards inching for the ultimate indisputable goal: To help us live at a higher level of joy, fortified with knowledge of our self. For the most beautiful concepts and constructions on this planet will tumble but the knowledge of our self will never let us down.

The terrorists have done their work well, meaning that without their conscious knowledge they have inflamed us with their acts, waking us and forcing us to act. If we act well we will be setting up a movement which will eventually engulf the world, not in a destructive fire but in the more powerful fire of love. Eventually the terrorist strike will be seen for the wonderful opportunity given to us.

Although all actions are initiated by our emotions and desires, the intellect and will are roped in to supply the means and the power to bring about the actions dictated by our emotions. A cup of tea will aid us in tempering our emotions so that we do not unknowingly initiate actions which may likely have self-destructive consequences.

Nearly 200 persons were killed during the recent terrorist strike. It is a sobering thought to recollect that a greater number of children have taken their own lives out of fear and frustration of not performing as well in their school exams as expected…… as expected by us parents, by us educators who hide behind academia minutia, and abetted openly by the rest of us taking cover in the corporations who demand the best and brightest of these children for cannon fodder for our own peace machines and machinations.

In other words, if you are not good enough you deserve to die and if you are good enough then you deserve to be given the honor of serving as cannon fodder.

There is no sadder experience than to watch your own child take his life, infinitely sadder than being killed in a surprise war attack. If the above is not terror unleashed by us on our children then perhaps you have another word for it. We have identified the two most important arena where change will be most beneficial to all of us : Schools and at our places of work:

AT SCHOOL

We must set aside some time, at least one period each week, to develop confidence of the children in their own power of thinking of the world at large and their place in it, of arriving at conclusions and eventually being given a platform and opportunity to act upon valid conclusions.

A little attention by us adults on the state of our children will convince us that the above time will have beneficial results. Doctors are complaining that they are seeing clinical signs of stress in children as young as first grade toddlers. At the same time these children display a higher level of knowledge than what we or our parents' generation ever did during first grade. These children are perfectly able to do original thinking and in the process be able to ward off stress that we adults, knowingly or unknowingly, bestow on them.

This so called Socratic method has been used with success in some Scottish schools. Children benefited by this well spent time in school will never fall into the trap of living and dying for other persons' expectations, not even for their beloved parents. So while we adults mess up the world let the children know about the state of the world outside their school, a world they will soon be inheriting, and give themselves and us a chance to do less damage and in the process live a more enjoyable life.

Life is a chance to dance and the basic enjoyment is obtained through the exercise of problem solving. Problems themselves are not a problem. A life without any problems becomes tragic and can lead to the only possible termination of life : death due to boredom.

PLACES OF WORK

Almost all adults work and many children too are ensnared in working at adult jobs. Thus a major portion of the human population spend a major part of their adult waking hours at their place of work. Considering this fact, the atmosphere generated from the attitudes of the top boss downwards play a considerable influence to generate trust or mistrust which in turn results in hostility or warm co-operation, not only in the offices but in the world at large. Wars, including terrorist strikes, and environmental problems are not something thrust upon us from the outside but are a direct result of our seemingly innocent life led day-to-day within our homes, schools and places of work.

The atmosphere at home requires no comment since all of us would agree that love is the unspoken binding factor to have a happy home life. It is only at schools and places of work we slip on our impersonal masks and become stiff as robots, slipping into our well worn roles as teacher and boss and students and employees with their own stilted protocol wherein the prime life enhancing ingredient of love is subdued or altogether neglected as having no practical value. The sorry part is that the place of love, the home, is also creaking under the stress of our unloving ways.

The old saying among our seafaring fraternity, that "a happy ship is a safe ship" has been personally tested for many decades and has been found true without any exception.

With the above introduction of focus for our CHAI international organization, we can slowly formulate the subsidiary aims, select our office bearers from our volunteers in every city, town and eventually every village, form our local, national and international agendas to make all of us feel included. For this organization will be an umbrella wherein each of us will be respected, wherein each of us can have a cup of tea without scalding others. A cup of tea has the amazing property of both warming us and cooling us down before we plunge into joyous arduous labor.

This organization can be many kinds of platforms for many kinds of projects. But it should never become a platform for any narrow-minded vested interests. We should never allow our CHAI to be hijacked for any dubious aims no matter how rosy they may appear outwardly.

The recent terrorist strike was different to earlier terrorist strikes and not just in the modus operandi. For this time many of the victims belonged to what may be termed as the jet set, not to be seen as a derogatory term. The victims at the railway station remain for the most part as faceless as the human beings killed in terrorist activities in Kashmir and other parts of the world.

Not so the persons killed at the two five star hotels and the Nariman House building. Many of them were highly acclaimed professionals, well respected in their fields and in associated social circles. They were articulate and used to independent thinking. Consequently the friends and families of the persons who were brutally killed are also of the same caliber. This was the one mistake the terrorists' puppet master has made which will see not only the gradual elimination of the terrorist but also an immense liberation in the world at large.

Have a cup of tea.
Cheers!

Jimmy Shroff
(A chai-walla)

----------------------------------------------------------
Update: Jimmy wasnt really kidding. Join him at his new International Tea House or Chai International by visiting the website, here: www.chaii.org/

How Now, Brown Cow?

There was a time when I could roughly tell the state of the country's economy by simply looking out of my office window and counting the number of ships anchored in the harbour. But these days I am not too sure, what with conflicting reports in the media and feel-good assurances by politicians whose credibility leave much to be desired. As the year draws to a close, perhaps its time to take stock and ask the question, "What next?"

I am one of those who have been very disappointed that the Anwar Ibrahim-led Pakatan Rakyat failed to topple the federal government on Sept 16. But as pointed out by PKR president Wan Azizah at their recently ended national congress,"Victory is not just about winning in an election but the ability for us to stand up and fight again. Yes, Sept 16 did not happen but we must stand up and fight again."

"Now we are elected representatives, state executive councillors and state assemblypersons. Don't criticise Umno about this or that. What about ourselves?" she asked.

Bloody right.

Reading the headers in today's Malaysiakini gives me the shakes:

In UMNO polls, contractors rule

Mukhriz: Close down vernacular schools

Victory glee, hero worship dominate PKR meet

Intense politicking. Horse trading. Games of one-upmanship. Bla bla.

But at the end of the day, for the man in the street its the results that count.

Mumbai Massacre

I have vivid and happy memories of dinner dances at the ballroom of the Taj Mahal Hotel (photo) and many lunches and dinners at the Leopold Cafe in the Colaba district of Mumbai during my pre-sea cadet training ship days there more than 40 years ago. So it was with profound shock and horror that I read that both places were among a few which have been attacked by militant Islamist gunmen a couple of days ago, leaving many dead and wounded.

My blogger friend MarinaM has also written about this, here, pointing to an online petition started by an organisation called Avaaz.org. This is to register our sense of outrage and extend our undivided support and show solidarity with the people of Mumbai at their hour of grief.

To sign the petition, go here:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/india_undivided/98.php/?cl_tf_sign=1

Yoga Ban: A Right Royal Concern

Yesterday's NST online front page headline, here, says it: "Yoga Ban: Don't question fatwa, says Council" referring to the recent ban by the National Fatwa Council on the practice of yoga, a form of Indian exercise, breathing technique and mind control popular worldwide, by Malaysian Muslims.

But in a breaking news today, Singapore's The Straits Times headline screamed: "Sultan questions yoga ban" when it reports, here, that HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor has made an 'unprecedented comment bordering on rebuke' when he said that "Before banning Muslims from performing yoga, Malaysia's top Islamic body should have first consulted the country's nine hereditary rulers who are considered upholders of Islam here".

In his statement, HRH said he hopes that in future, any fatwa decision that touches on issues involving the general public should be referred to the Conference of Rulers to be approved first before it is announced. "This is to ensure that the process of channeling the fatwa decision is implemented wisely to avoid any confusion and controversy," he said.

HRH also said that the fatwa or religious edict on yoga is still not enforceable in Selangor because it has not been brought to the state's Fatwa Committee. "The committee will meet to discuss this matter in greater detail regarding yoga activities in Selangor so that a decision is not made hastily," he said.

None of the other rulers - including Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu, the current Yang Di Pertuan Agong - have commented publicly on the yoga ban since the Council gleefully went on a fatwa issuing spree recently which also include one for tomboys or 'girls who act like boys' or whatever ...

So how about a fatwa on the ISA then, eh?

Klang Chaos

(Source: Star Metro)

Sorry for being too busy the past week to update my blog. I have been helping a friend who wants to build a factory in, you wont believe this, the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) in Pulau Indah. But I am glad I moved out of Klang and set up home in Kelana Jaya after I retired early about 10 years ago, especially after narrowly missing the havoc caused by the rain in Klang town yesterday.

There seems to be no end to the daily chaotic traffic nightmare in Klang. (Read the Star Metro online report, here). The new rerouting of traffic over the last two weeks is adding to the already utterly confusing and disorderly traffic situation caused by the ongoing construction works on a roundabout and a flyover in the town centre. This has also caused a number of fatal accidents. Having spent most of my life in Klang and suffering the never ending traffic problems there, I can understand the frustration felt by many Klangites.

Press Freedom

For me, the subject first cropped up almost 40 years ago when as a young officer aboard a ship in a home port, I was visited by a relative* who was then managing the Utusan Melayu. At dinner, when asked by a fellow officer (an Englishman) about how free and independent were the newspapers in Malaysia then, he merely shrugged and said, "As free as we can be, bearing in mind that we need licenses to publish and these have to be renewed periodically".

Fast forward 40 years, the situation have changed but the requirement for licensing remains although several of the national mainstream newspapers have for the most part evolved into ruling party media organs. With news being skewed to reflect only government positions, these rags have begun to lose credibility and even readership. It is no wonder that online news portals and weblogs have become very popular, especially amongst the younger set.

Perhaps it was with this in mind that the government now no longer regards online news portals and weblogs as alternative media but as part of the mainstream and have proposed the set up of a Malaysian Media Council, to include bloggers' representatives. To my mind, this would probably end up as another regulatory body if laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act and the Official Secrets Act are not amended first.

At a meeting of 40 editors and media activists and chaired by the Home Ministry's Chief Secretary to discuss the proposal yesterday, Ahirudin Attan a.k.a Rocky, who is the pro tem president of the National Alliance of Bloggers (All-Blogs), was of the view that blogs and on-line portals SHOULD NOT be included in the proposal to set up the Media Council. He said that it was very ambitious on the part of the sponsors of the idea to think that a single council would be able to deal with old and new media. He suggested the formation of an independent Press Council instead. (Read his take on the meeting, here)

I truly and wholeheartedly agree. Just leave us bloggers be.

* Dato Idris Hj. Ibrahim, later an MP and founder of Pemadam.

Raja Petra Freed

On my way to Port Klang this morning, I received a cellphone text message from my lawyer friend Elviza at the Shah Alam High Court that blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) is to be released by this evening. Justice Syed Ahmad Helmy had ruled that his detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA) was illegal and unconstitutional. I immediately then made a detour to the courts complex to meet and congratulate RPK's indefatigable wife Marina, her lawyers Malik and Haris and the many supporters present.

The judge ruled that Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had not followed proper procedure under Section 8 of the ISA to issue the detention order against Raja Petra. There was also no relevance for the minister to issue the order on the basis of mala fide. "I agree the formulation of the ISA was to protect the security of the nation and is constitutional. However, the court can review the detention order if it finds instances where the minister could have acted beyond his jurisdiction to issue the two-year detention order," he said.

In other words, it was implied that there was an abuse of power by the minister. (Read the Malaysiakini report, here)

Pak Habib, please resign now that you have made a complete ass of yourself.