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Australians develop ‘smart’ bandage Posted: 09 Jun 2011 03:22 AM PDT A smart bandage by Louise van der Werff. The fibres change colour when exposed to heat. SYDNEY, June 9 – Australian researchers have developed a "smart" bandage that changes colour as a wound worsens or improves, potentially leading to the better treatment of ailments such as leg ulcers. Lead inventor Louise van der Werff, a materials scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, said the dressing would change from red to blue depending on the temperature of the wound. "If the wound becomes infected then it typically gets warmer. It would get cooler if there were, for example, a compromised blood supply," she said recently. Van der Werff said wound changes were not always obvious and the fibre she helped devise, using liquid crystals which react to different temperatures, could show changes of less than half a degree Celsius. "A temperature is sort of an obvious indication – if they can see that through a colour change then hopefully it can help a lot," she said. Van der Werff, who is completing her doctorate at Monash University in Melbourne, said plans were underway to incorporate the colour-changing fibre into a textile which could then be woven or knitted into a wound dressing. "Our main target is for chronic wound care – the elderly, obese and people with diabetes who can get wounds like leg ulcers and pressure ulcers and things like that which can really last a long time without healing properly," she said. – AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

Feeling nauseous? Eat dirt Posted: 09 Jun 2011 01:29 AM PDT Geophagy, or the act of eating dirt, stems from a biological need to protect oneself from toxins and pathogens, says a new study. – Shutterstock LOS ANGELES, June 9 – It may be regarded as a strange phenomenon in the developed world, but tucking into a generous helping of mud pie is perhaps the most natural way to protect the stomach against toxins, parasites and pathogens, a new study suggests. After sifting through 480 reports compiled by missionaries, plantation doctors, explorers and anthropologists from around the world, researchers at Cornell University concluded that human geophagy – the act of eating dirt – is most likely driven by the belief that earth and clay absorb dangerous toxins and act as a shield against pathogens. Their review was published in the June issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology and explores a range of possible theories to explain why people in areas outside the Western world crave dirt. After exploring other possible theories – that geophagy is driven by hunger and food shortages, or for its nutrients like iron, zinc or calcium – researchers found that protection against toxins and pathogens was a recurring pattern within the mountain of data. While it may sound counterintuitive, the report points out that geophagy is documented most commonly in women in the early stages of pregnancy and in pre-adolescent children – both of whom are especially sensitive to parasites and pathogens. In parts of Africa, rural areas of the US, and remote villages in India, for instance, clay is used to eliminate nausea, as it coats the gastrointestinal tract and is believed to absorb dangerous toxins. The eating of clay is also common among people suffering from gastrointestinal stress, the report pointed out. Because the dirt itself is usually taken from deep below the surface of the ground and is usually boiled before consumption, it also acts as an antidote to parasites, researchers said. For Western societies, however, the act of eating dirt – typically considered impure and contaminated – is treated as a pathology and abnormal behaviour, a stigma lead author Sera Young hopes to demystify. It's also been associated with pica, an eating disorder characterized by the abnormal cravings for nonfood items. "We hope this paper stimulates research," Young and her colleagues wrote. "More importantly, we hope readers agree that it is time to stop regarding geophagy as a bizarre, non-adaptive gustatory mistake." Currently, countries like Haiti, the poorest economy in the Western Hemisphere, eat "bonbons de terre," sun-dried cookies or pancakes made from earth. But as the report points out, the first written account of human geophagy came from Hippocrates more than 2,000 years ago and since then has been reported on every inhabited continent in almost every country. Meanwhile, another study published in Australia last year suggests that children who eat or inhale dirt while spending time on the playground could actually become smarter. When scientists fed mice a dirt bacteria called Mycobacterium vaccae, the animals navigated complex mazes twice as fast as those that weren't – a finding that flies in the face of helicopter parenting and compulsive hand-sanitizing habits. Young has also written a book on the subject called Craving Earth: Understanding Pica - the Urge to Eat Clay, Starch, Ice, and Chalk, which is available on Amazon. – AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

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Obreht youngest winner of Orange fiction prize Posted: 08 Jun 2011 05:54 PM PDT Obreht poses with her novel 'The Tiger's Wife' at the Royal Festival Hall in London on June 8, 2011. — Reuters pic LONDON, June 9 — Belgrade-born author Tea Obreht was the surprise winner yesterday of Britain's Orange Prize for Fiction with her debut novel "The Tiger's Wife," a mystical, magical examination of the recent conflicts in the Balkans. At 25, Obreht is the youngest author to scoop the award, which honours female writers from around the world and is now in its 16th year. Despite her high profile in the United States, where she has lived since she was 12 and is seen as an up-and-coming literary star, Obreht was among British bookmakers' outsiders to win the Orange Prize for Fiction with odds of 6/1. The favourite had been Emma Donoghue for "Room" followed by Aminatta Forna ("The Memory Of Love"). Also on the shortlist were Emma Henderson ("Grace Williams Says It Loud"), Nicole Krauss ("Great House") and Kathleen Winter ("Annabel"). "'The Tiger's Wife' is an exceptional book and Tea Obreht is a truly exciting new talent," said Bettany Hughes, broadcaster, historian and author who chaired the Orange Prize judges. "Obreht's powers of observation and her understanding of the world are remarkable. By skilfully spinning a series of magical tales she has managed to bring the tragedy of chronic Balkan conflict thumping into our front rooms." She added: "The book reminds us how easily we can slip into barbarity, but also of the breadth and depth of human love." Obreht's family left Belgrade at the beginning of the 1990s as war broke out in the region, and spent time in Cyprus and Egypt before moving to the United States. "The Tiger's Wife", set in a Balkan country ravaged by conflict, follows a young doctor as she tries to unravel the mysterious death of her grandfather in a remote village. Critics praised its blend of contemporary realism and village legend, with Ron Charles of the Washington Post highlighting its "refreshingly un-American" treatment of the subject of death. "The Balkans' legacy of living amid so much carnage and desecration has produced what Obreht calls 'the delusion of normalcy, but never peace'," he wrote. "That sounds grim and depressing, but conveyed in storytelling this enchanting, it's the life you remember." Others were less convinced by the book, published by Random House in the United States. "After meeting innumerable exotic characters, it dawned on me that the back-stories stand in for a story, and style stands in for emotion," wrote Kapka Kassabova in Britain's Guardian newspaper in a mixed review. The Orange Prize is a perennial topic of debate in London literary circles, where authors are divided between those who view it as sexist and those who argue that women need a prize of their own in a male-dominated world of publishing. Booker Prize winner A.S. Byatt was one recent high-profile critic of the award, while "Harry Potter" creator J.K. Rowling came to its defence, saying it did "a useful job." Obreht receives a cheque for £30,000 (RM150,000) and a limited-edition bronze statue known as "the Bessie". — Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

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We are all Lain-lain (Part 1) Posted: 08 Jun 2011 05:28 PM PDT JUNE 9 — How many Malaysians you know are ethnically "pure"? At this stage of the article — inspired in no small part by the saga faced by Shay Adora Ram's parents — let's just take that to mean 100 per cent Malay, Chinese, Indian or Lain-lain. I'm willing to bet it's easily less than 50 per cent, and that the people you know and surround you have a little bit of Thai, Indonesian, Filipino, Eurasian, Arab, Iranian, Chinese, Indian, Malay, and goodness knows what other types of blood somewhere in their ancestry. I'm about one-eighth Indian by blood (I have chosen as my Indian name Perlapan, get it?); although, my maternal grandmother was a Chinese woman who was brought up by an Indian family (common enough in Malacca), so I don't know how that all adds up. She sometimes spoke Tamil to my grandfather, but all their children spoke Malay growing up (my mother oddly enough can read Tamil, but cannot understand what she is reading — much like me and Russian), and all seemed to have married Chinese (a trend which with one white Canadian exception seems to have continued unbroken in my generation so far). One of my cousins was named Saraswathi, and when her teacher called her name in SRK Infant Jesus Convent in Malacca, prompting her very Chinese-looking self to stand up, the teacher said "No, no, not you girl, you sit down". All of us have or have heard hundreds of such fun stories. The brains behind the wonderful Your Grandfather's Road project, a very good friend of mine, used to show a slide when he gave presentations about the project. On this slide, there were three beautiful women, dressed in traditional Malay, Chinese & Indian garb respectively. The point he made was this: that this 1 Malaysia Ali, Ah Chong and Muthu depiction of our society was simply not an accurate reflection of reality — we no longer live in such a crudely delineated social landscape. Race, ethnicity, nationality, kaum, bangsa Late last night, there was an argument unfolding on Twitter. Against my better judgment, I felt I might as well jump in. The advantage of having some time on one's hands is the ability to occasionally out-troll the trolls — a sport that, after all, really pivots on one's endurance and staying power (being right occasionally helps as well). So, among the things I was trying to give some people a hard time about was this: can one — in an academically and conceptually sound and consistent manner — properly define and differentiate the following terms: ethnicity, race, and nationality. While we're at it, can we do the same for kaum and bangsa? Now, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but my parents spent a whole lot of money on my education, so let's see if we can explore whether or not consistent definitions for such things exist. The Wikipedia article on race offers quite an insightful exploration of the concept, which I believe essentially concludes that most serious scholars think there's no such thing. Let's explore some simple ways we might be able to differentiate people by "race." How about how they look? Well, my cousins all look Chinese, but many of them list "Indian" in their registration forms, like their fathers before them. How about defining by parentage? What about children who don't know or are uncertain of the race of their parents? (like my paternal grandfather, for instance, who was also adopted) Perhaps we can define according to language and culture? My cousins and I again mostly don't speak any Chinese, and they most certainly do not speak Tamil — does that mean we are neither Chinese nor Indian? What about the difference between race and ethnicity? Are Bugis and Javanese the same ethnic group? If they are not, how can "Malay" be an ethnic group? Are Tamils and Punjabis the same race? If they are not, how can "Indian" be a race? If we were to exchange the places of "race" and "ethnic group" in the questions above, would there be a difference? A Malual in Southern Sudan is a Malual to the Dinka, a Dinka to Southern Sudanese, a Nilote in East and Northeast Africa, a Sudanese in Africa, and just another black guy in America. Which one is his ethnic group, race or nationality? A nation is by far the most constructed of these constructs. An often quoted author and anthropologist Benedict Anderson uses the term "imagined communities" to differentiate between real communities based on real interactions versus communities that some people want us to imagine exists. We use kaum and bangsa quite often, but do we know exactly what they define or categorise? My conclusion is this — all these words have no scientific or useful semantic meaning that can withstand scrutiny. They are empty constructs that were put in place to help divide a people into "others", when what we should be striving instead for is a way to unite people into an "us". If we cannot even really define them properly, then why on earth are we insisting that we put it down on forms, and worse yet, why do we spend all our time fighting about it? * Tomorrow: We are all Lain-lain (Part 2) * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

A guide to a great career in Malaysian politics: Umno first Posted: 08 Jun 2011 05:16 PM PDT JUNE 9 — So you want to be a politician. Well done... wishing it is only a kind step away from willing it in this celebrated old sport of intrigues, deceptions, expectations and, above all, perceptions. The days of Idi Amin and Suharto may be long gone but as far as leaving a legacy goes, nothing quite matches politics unless, of course, you find the cure for cancer. This guide is concerned with getting you to the very top, so this is not an elongated explanation on how to fill up a political party membership form and then through to getting elected to your local branch's protocol sub-committee (Read: You don't get to decide the type of flowers to be presented to a visiting party leader, even if you do get to wrap it). We are into the big time baby, so this is about getting our own "First among Equals" chasing pack. The next generation of Malaysian leaders set to lead, whether they can or not. We've left the "can" at the door. You start by picking a side. Malaysian politics is parochial and polarised, so picking a side helps you along the way better than not. Don't be fooled by former and present muftis who claim to be apolitical and supportive of good policies — they are hedging their bets. Everyone has to — in the current climate — in order to move their career forward. Decide then, Barisan Nasional or the other blokes? This column will centre on a career in Umno, you'll have to wait for your Pakatan turn. Note: No one else has explicitly written down a manual, so live with this till someone else does, hopefully with pictures. [Politicians not nuclear physicists, they (politicians, silly!) appreciate graphic details I'm told.] A Barisan Nasional career path You might not need to do anything. (Sigh, pause and continue...) That is if you are the male child of any Umno minister or ex-minister. The average grade score leaving school will get you a not-so-average scholarship to a pretty average university somewhere there are nice roads for your "student" car. A career and then a job in politics await those conventional, grateful and colourless. Now for the rest. [We are helping top dogs (cats, if you want to keep this manual kosher a la Malaysia), not supporting cast so we are politely, with great reservation but no apology, ignoring those who apply to join the other 13 component parties in Barisan Nasional (BN).] The rest again. Three sub-filters: Name, origin and faith. Your success percentage falls or increases with where you stand in the three. You may be a constitutional Malay, but the name has to be national without being regional, if that makes sense. Tip: Rahman great, Herman OK, Rahaman Pitchay worrying and Seri Hanuman — an unmitigated disaster waiting for an iceberg or a shout from the crude kid at the back of the classroom. The National Registration Department has strict rules on name changes so sometimes this one you just have suck it up. Sad though that people who have amazingly unimaginative names like a hybrid of their parents' names don't suffer for their abysmal names. A sign that mediocrity is preferred. First box ticked, move on to the second — region. If you were born in Kedah, Johor, Penang, Pahang, Selangor or Perak, very nice and well done to your parents. Eleven of the 12 past-present Umno presidents/deputy presidents are from the first four states. Yes, Penang is indeed curious. The final two have no precedent but remain large traditional Umno states.  Being born in Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah, Negri Sembilan, the Federal Territory, Perlis or Malacca is not the end of the world, but you'll struggle since your state either has large non-BN forces or is too small. Sabah is a large Umno state but the disparate and fluid nature of politics over there in terms of the Malayanising process coupled with distance to Kuala Lumpur handicaps Umno members from there. A whole paradigm separates Sabah and Johor inside Umno. Sarawak's not in the peninsula and without Umno presence, so over there you have to settle for statewide opportunities, not national ones. Not so good too if you were born in Brunei, Singapore, Thailand or south Philippines (you know who you are). Hope your chances are still bright, move on to criterion three, religion. No atheists, agnostics or scientists. You can mask your lack of faith with an over-eagerness for race since the party struggles to differentiate it from religion. Or, you can fake piety by lengthy salutations in Arabic and thanking god for everything including the red plastic chairs in halls you speak in. You can never be thankful enough. Thank god. All three factored, rate your chances in the Barisan Nasional. Yes, yes, you might make it anyway (to the top) while failing all three, it is always possible. But please do not be offended if we do not place our money on your chances. You might be disappointed that up to this point there has been no reference to your intellectual ability, well we've come to that exciting point; it does help immeasurably if you are not a raving idiot. Throw die and follow one of these paths. The special officer. You are an aide, but no envelope licking is necessary. If you notice the male, ethnic, name, region and religion filters, coupled with a decent university degree requirement and then no philosophical objection to the dynamics of Umno's prevailing ideologies, then the list becomes amazingly thin. There are not that many out there, and recruiters take them early. How to be one then? Get noticed through Umno clubs in universities overseas; or participate in local university activism by opposing the need for student activism other than to support Umno ministers; or pose incessant questions at government events to senior ministers, which actually are congratulatory messages to them on their dress and previous actions. When you get the job, grow. Don't get greedy now, there'll be time enough later.   You are closer to a senior politician, but building your political future on the coat-tails of another politician is asking for a short career. The national name recognition has to be upped while at the same time increasing your local presence in your local division. There is no consensus if having your sponsor from your home state is better or not. Mind you, high rate of moderate to great success using this tried and tested route. We-are-the-youth-of-the-day path. This is about membership and then leadership of organisations like Belia 4B, Malaysian Youth Council, Prowaris or increasingly Perkasa Youth. Getting there might be trickier since there is a longer queue. After a period, aide positions will open up for discerning youth leaders and you can then keep all three jewels — government, party and youth posts. The more the merrier. Can be coupled with other tracks, but you have to balance belligerence with a willingness to be inclusive. So, some might call you a hypocrite. It's OK, you get the TV time and those calling you names won't get radio mention, let alone any funding. (Snigger if you find this reality amusing.) Advisory: All youth projects come down to souvenirs for VIP, launch multimedia AV and catering. The actual project is optional. The professional son returns. This circumvents the no-merit attacks since you cut your teeth in the real world. That's the upside. Downsides, you will have to re-establish your local credentials. Your sponsors might prefer you to come with better solutions, but your peers and subordinates might find you snobbish. Being right does not help you, being popular does in the long run. If you can shake off the people-rustiness then things do look bright. I-am-my-own-man path. Green Day songs pre-"American Idiot" would be a great soundtrack for this option. The general idea is to have deep love for the Malay dream while being dismissive about your predecessors. You can be an Umno member (like Dr Mahathir Mohamad back in the '60s) or not (like brother Anwar Ibrahim in the '70s), really does not matter. You just have to be impatient and point your fingers at easy targets, like an ethnic group or social class. Must be willing to consider jail time and have strong constitution, even if you care little for the Federal Constitution. You milk the spirit of revolution and then you retract. Just as you reach the precipice you turn around and take the Umno pledge. By then you are perceived to be your own man taking on Umno. It took seven years for Mahathir from being sacked to becoming deputy prime minister, two years from being a non-member to full minister for Anwar. The bravado of this method will last a long time, or you may fall short. Low success rate, but high returns. Umno historically is filled by risk-averse members who like to win by having advantages their opponents don't have, like the backing of their colonial British masters. Which is why the self-made renegade who survives the scares becomes an instant icon to the very people who opposed him before. The Umno landscape is bereft of alpha males. Don't worry, you don't have to choose this path, the path is either meant for you or not. The staid culture since post-1987 with Umno Baru and institutionalised factionalism has made these individuals rarities. Like Highlanders (apologies, truly for the 1980s reference). Decision time then The great part about the Umno world right now is that national power is pretty much in your hand, right or wrong. It is a sight to behold seeing a senior Umno politician just brushing aside any amount of reason with their righteousness. No, seriously. There will come a time Malaysians would miss that attitude. And you could be one to join the illustrious line of men and women. I probably won't like you that much after you start but I'm not your nanny. Note: You'll probably be able to afford a fair number of nannies before you are done with your Umno years. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

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Ismail Sabri: Saya tak halang, tapi mogok pengusaha lori tak adil Posted: 09 Jun 2011 02:16 AM PDT PETALING JAYA, 9 Jun – Tindakan sesetengah pihak yang mahu melancarkan mogok ekoran pemansuhan diesel super subsidi untuk lori komersial oleh kerajaan 1 Jun lalu boleh dianggap sebagai tidak adil kepada kerajaan kerana sebelum pemansuhan itu para pengusaha lori sudah lama menikmati keuntungan. Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob berkata, walaupun super subsidi ditarik balik, sebenarnya kerajaan masih menanggung subsidi melalui diesel biasa dengan nilai subsidi kira-kira RM1. Menurut beliau, dahulu para pengusaha lori komersial membayar RM1.48 sen seliter melalui diesel super subsidi tetapi kini mereka perlu membayar RM1.80 seliter di mana kerajaan memberikan subsidi pada sebahagian harganya. "Mereka perlu sedar bahawa, walaupun kerajaan menarik balik super subsidi kepada mereka, kerajaan masih memberikan subsidi RM1 setiap liter, bukan bermakna kerajaan tarik sepenuhnya. "Jika ditarik semua, mereka akan membayar RM2.80 sen seperti yang dibayar pihak industri ketika ini," kata beliau dipetik Bernama Online. "Jadi, ancaman kepada kerajaan untuk boikot dan mogok adalah `very uncalled for' ... tak munasabah langsung. Selama lima tahun sudah mereka menikmati hasil daripada faedah yang diberikan kerajaan kepada mereka, tiba-tiba dalam waktu ini mereka nak mogok, ini satu tindakan yang tidak baik, eloklah difikirkan semula," katanya. Ismail Sabri juga berkata beliau tidak berupaya menghalang pihak tertentu untuk melakukan mogok. Menurut beliau, perkara itu jika hendak dilakukan biarlah mengikut undang-undang kerana di Malaysia, walaupun bebas bersuara negara ada undang-undang. "Negara ini negara yang bebas untuk mereka melakukan apa sahaja, jadi terserahlah. Kalau nak demonstrasi lebih daripada lima orang mereka kena dapatkan permit polis, negara kita bebas tapi ada undang-undang, saya tak boleh nak sekat kepada sesiapa apa mereka nak buat, terserahlah," katanya. Kerajaan telah memansuhkan diesel super subsidi yang dinikmati lori komersial kerana beranggapan hanya kenderaan individu dan kenderaan berkepentingan orang ramai sahaja yang wajar menikmati kemudahan tersebut. Super subsidi bagaimanapun dikekalkan kepada kenderaan yang melibatkan kepentingan orang ramai seperti bas sekolah, teksi dan individu yang membeli enjin bot sangkut dan sebagainya. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

Konflik Kuin cetus kerana MB tak faham AUKU, kata SMM Posted: 09 Jun 2011 02:06 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 9 Jun – Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM) menyifatkan kegagalan kerajaan negeri Kedah menyelesaikan konflik Kolej Universiti Insaniah (Kuin) kerana kegagalan PAS menasihatkan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak dalam isu lima penuntut yang dikenakan tindakan tatatertib. Menurut Pengerusi SMM Ahmad Syukri Ab Razab, sepatutnya PAS perlu menjelaskan kepada Azizan mengenai Akta Universiti Kolej Universiti (AUKU) yang perlu dimansuhkan selain turut diperjuangkan parti Islam itu. Kesemua penuntut itu didakwa di bawah kesalahan AUKU kerana menyertai demonstrasi, memberikan ucapan di hadapan orang ramai menggunakan pembesar suara di sudut pidato dan mengadakan sidang akhbar berhubung bantahan pembukaan Sekolah Insan Bestari yang menggunakan bangunan tahfiz. Dalam perbicaraan tatatertib pada 25 Mei lalu, kelima-lima penuntut kolej itu dijatuhkan hukuman gantung pengajian. Mohd Faiz Mohd Arshad digantung dua semester manakala Mohd Aiman Che Ab Razab, Zukhilatif Marzukhi, Mohd Azlan Mat Zain dan Ahmad Remi Md Arof, digantung satu semester dan diberi surat amaran. "Mahasiswa juga beranggapan bahawa konflik yang berlaku adalah disebabkan kegagalan pemimpin tertinggi PAS dalam memberi penjelasan mengenai AUKU terhadap kerajaan negeri yang diperintah oleh pemimpin PAS. "PAS sepatutnya seawal mungkin perlu memperjelaskan prinsip parti mengenai AUKU kepada kerajaan negeri Kedah di bawah PAS yang memiliki IPTS agar krisis seperti di Kuin tidak berlaku," kata Ahmad Syukri dalam satu kenyataan. Oleh itu tegas beliau, PAS perlu bertanggungjawab untuk menyelesaikan konflik ini agar ia tidak menggugat kedudukan parti Islam itu di Kedah. "Oleh itu, PAS perlu bertanggungjawab dalam menjernihkan semula prinsip yang telah tercemar ekoran penindasan terhadap aktivis mahasiswa Kuin. "Mahasiswa boleh menerima konflik Kuin ini sebagai satu kesilapan yang tidak sengajakan, namun mahasiswa tidak boleh menerima sekiranya kesilapan ini cuba disenyapkan dan ditutup tanpa penyelesaian yang telues. "Mahasiswa merasakan PAS perlu mempamerkan ketegasan dalam isu Kuin ini bagi mengelakkan pesimis masyarakat khususnya golongan muda terhadap kekuatan prinsip dan pendirian PAS," katanya. Justeru tegas Ahmad Syukri, pihaknya menggesa agar kerajaan negeri Kedah dan pentadbiran Kuin agar menjelaskan kedudukan sebenar kelima-lima penuntut itu selepas mereka mengemukakan surat rayuan. "Setelah hampir dua minggu rayuan dikemukakan, lima orang penuntut Kuin yang dikenakan tatatertib belum mendapat apa-apa maklum balas daripada pihak pentadbiran Kuin "Hal ini adalah amat tidak beretika kerana pihak pentadbiran hanya mengambil masa satu hari untuk menjatuhkan hukuman tetapi telah mengambil masa yang lama untuk meneliti rayuan. Perkara ini seolah-olah memperlihatkan sifat acuh tak acuh pentadbiran KUIN terhadap tuntutan mahasiswa yang mahu hukuman digugurkan," katanya. Sebelum ini SMM juga telah menyerahkan memorandum kepada Pakatan Rakyat dan Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia (Suhakam) untuk menyelesaikan konflik itu. Tambah Ahmad Syukri, pihaknya sekali lagi akan menyerahkan memorandum kepada PAS untuk menuntut parti itu mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap mana-mana pemimpin yang membelakangkan prinsip. "Dalam memorandum tersebut juga mahasiswa memberi tempoh sehingga hari Isnin depan untuk pihak Kuin menyelesaikan konflik yang berlaku dan memohon maaf kepada mahasiswa yang dizalimi. "Jika isu ini tidak diselesaikan segera, mahasiswa nekad untuk melancarkan desakan yang lebih besar di peringkat nasional," katanya. Sebelum ini Azizan berkata Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang tidak boleh campur tangan berhubung tindakan Kuin yang mengenakan tindakan tatatertib ke atas penuntutnya. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

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Spies to stay with Yamaha MotoGP team in 2012 Posted: 08 Jun 2011 08:00 AM PDT Yamaha MotoGP rider Ben Spies of the US holds the trophy on the podium after his third position of the Catalunya MotoGP Grand Prix at the Montmelo race track, near Barcelona, June 5, 2011. – Reuters pic LONDON, June 8 – American Ben Spies will ride for Yamaha's MotoGP factory team again in 2012 after extending his contract for another year, the Japanese manufacturer said today. "We hope that he will remain at Yamaha for many years to come," said Yamaha motor racing managing director Lin Jarvis in a statement. "Ben has shown his ability to successfully compete at the highest level; firstly by becoming Yamaha's first World Superbike champion in 2009 and then attaining the status of Best Rookie in 2010 with the Tech3 Yamaha Team." Spies, team mate to Spain's world champion Jorge Lorenzo, is seventh overall in the championship after five races. The 26-year-old Tennessee-born rider replaced Italian MotoGP great Valentino Rossi, who moved to Ducati, at the factory team this season after previously riding for the non-works Tech3 Yamaha outfit. – Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

Former Japan striker Suzuki to play for free Posted: 08 Jun 2011 07:51 AM PDT TOKYO, Jun 8 – Former Japan World Cup striker Takayuki Suzuki has promised to play for free this season after being unveiled by J.League second division club Mito Hollyhock today. The 35-year-old, who scored Japan's first goal of the 2002 World Cup as co-hosts, had played minor league soccer in the United States since 2008 and initially planned to switch to coaching. "My aim is to get Mito into the J.League first division. That's all," Suzuki told a news conference. "I heard the club had financial difficulties so I asked to play on an amateur contract," added the bleached-blond striker, who has also had spells in Belgium and Serbia. Suzuki agreed to join Hollyhock, in Ibaraki Prefecture, north of Tokyo, after hearing about their plight following the devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 11. Formerly of J.League power Kashima Antlers, also based in Ibaraki, the local-born Suzuki said: "I'm really happy to be able to play back at home again." – Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

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Bukan Melayu hak dapat biasiswa juga, kata MCCBCHST Posted: 08 Jun 2011 03:10 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 8 Jun – Majlis Perundingan Malaysia untuk agama Buddha, Kristian, Hindu Sikh, dan Taois (MCCBCHST) menegaskan orang bukan Melayu berhak mendapat biasiswa kerajaan memandangkan Perlembagaan Persekutuan tidak menghalangnya. MCCBCHST menegaskan Artikel 153 (2) Perlembagaan Persekutuan membenarkan satu "kadar munasabah" diberikan kepada orang Melayu dan Bumiputera. Ia turut menekankan "diperuntukkan 100 peratus biasiswa kepada orang Melayu. "Selepas kadar yang munasabah ini, bakinya sepatutnya diberikan kepada orang bukan Melayu dan mereka mempunyai hak dan kepentingan yang sah dalam mendapatkan biasiswa," kata Pengerusi MCCBCHST  Dr Thomas Philips dalam satu kenyataan hari ini. Philips juga mengatakan Artikel 153 (1) Perlembagaan Persekutuan menyebut Yang di-Pertuan Agong mempunyai kuasa menjaga kedudukan dan keistimewaan orang Melayu selain "menjaga kepentingan kaum lain." MCCBCHST berkata demikian sebagai mengulas kenyataan Gagasan Anti Penyelewengan Selangor (GAPS) yang mendakwa hanya orang Melayu dan Bumiputera berhak menerima biasiswa kerajaan. GAPS berkata hujah mereka berdasarkan kepada Suruhanjaya Reid, lima anggota panel Komanwel yang menggubal perlembagaan negara pada tahun 1965. "Hujah GAPS ini tidak dapat diterima," kata Philips sambil menambah suruhanjaya itu telah meminta satu kajian untuk melaksanakan kuota itu selepas 15 tahun dilaksanakan. "Artikel 153 hanya membenarkan kadar munasabah kuota-kuota melalui tiga perkara – (i) jawatan-jawatan dalam perkhidmatan awam (ii) biasiswa-biasiswa dan (iii) mendapatkan permit atau lesen untuk operasi perdagangan atau perniagaan. "Maka tidak mungkin ada kuota-kuota lain," tambahnya. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

Kes Khir Toyo: Bekas MB Selangor dapat ‘diskaun’ hampir 50 peratus Posted: 08 Jun 2011 01:25 AM PDT SHAH ALAM, 8 Jun – Dua tanah lot dan banglo dijual kepada seorang ahli perniagaan pada harga RM6.5 juta sebelum didakwa dibeli oleh Dr Mohd Khir Toyo (gambar) dengan harga RM3.5 juta, demikian diberitahu di Mahkamah Tinggi hari ini. Pemaju hartanah Saiful Aznir Shahabudin memberitahu dia menjual hartanah itu kepada pengarah Ditamas Sdn Bhd Shamsuddin Hayroni pada Disember 2004. MENYUSUL LAGI Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

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Knowledge not fear in religion Posted: 07 Jun 2011 05:11 PM PDT JUNE 8 — A reader asked me in an email what my thoughts were on the "… religious management in the country…" and what I would do about the disarray. I was quite stumped by the question. While I read in dismay about what was happening to our country, I had to admit, I didn't have the answers. Malaysia is obsessed with titles and credentials, and I was a highly improbable person to answer such a question. Perhaps, I replied to the reader, this was something best left to politicians, activists and religious authorities. He wrote back, "… but if you could, what would you do?" It is obvious to most thinking Malaysians that there is a serious disconnect between the real lives of Malaysians and the perceived notions of our lives by (self) appointed leaders of our faiths and authority. And that there are gaps among ourselves, within our own communities, and when combined, these only aggravate the situation. We must remember when it comes to our religions, we are emotional. Where is the sacred space for us to believe and practise our faiths? In Faith-Based Diplomacy: Trumping Realpolitik, Douglas Johnston had written that there was the assumption that with globalisation and modernisation, there would be "… a gradual, persistent, unbroken erosion of religious influence. " [1] The book further elaborates, "Quite often, the reaction against (Western) modernization is framed in religious terms. This is a valid characterisation when one considers the modern, secularized, and rather compartmentalised approach to life … the strict division between the sacred and the secular observed in the West is a relatively recent innovation—and is foreign to much of the rest of the world. As Boston University sociologist Peter Berger has pointed out, 'The difficult-to-understand phenomenon is not Iranian mullahs but American university professors.'" Is this a predominantly Muslim problem? No. A review article by Michael G. Peletz states that "… we see many of the same general dynamics operating in a wide array of predominantly Christian, Jewish and/or Judaeo–Christian contexts (including the USA) and among Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and others (Casanova, 1994; Antoun, 2001; Juergensmeyer, 2003; Cannell, 2010; Hefner, 2010). As with capitalist markets, modern states and civil society, it seems that public religions are here to stay." [2] My personal opinion is that while our religious leaders have the right to feel besieged and want to protect the faithful, the ego needs to be kept in check. We must own the responsibility of disseminating information and we must be objective. It is not about authority and position of power. I am extremely suspicious of committees and panels. While I understand the need for a body to campaign and discuss religious matters, I have always wondered about what goes on in the minds and hearts of the individuals involved. I am sure that most are selfless, but who is to know? There is always an agenda. In Malaysia, it is about protectionism. It is about a minority constantly battling a majority that is fearful of a loss (of its position), whereas all the former wants is space to practise what it believes in. We have yet to learn that negotiation is not just about compromise. How can our leaders help? In the second chapter of Faith-Based Diplomacy: Trumping Realpolitik, the author Andre Malraux wrote, "Among the attributes that give religious leaders and institutions sizeable influence in peacemaking, four stand out: 1.   A well-established and pervasive influence in the community 2.   A reputation as an apolitical force for change based on a respected set of values 3.   Unique leverage for reconciling confliction parties, including an ability to rehumanize relatiohships 4.   The capability to mobilize community, national, and international support for a peace process." Most important, religions possess a transcendent authority for their followers that is the envy of most temporal leaders. However, looking at some of our religious personalities who have caused more grief than inspired hope, the above may not be possible in the immediate future. Another reader emailed to ask whether there was a place for agnostics and atheists in a country like Malaysia, where religion plays an integral role. "What is your take on people who don't have a religion especially in the context of Malaysia where like you said — religion has become inseparable from the national discourse?" My rather inadequate answer to all of the above is that we Malaysians have the right to empower ourselves with knowledge. We must overcome our fear of the Other and learn more about each other. My column, Holy Men Holy Women, has taught me that we can learn from each other's differences and delight in our similarities. Inter-faith dialogue is an important tool, and we must include our youth in the negotiations. We cannot expect to love each other when we meet, but the whole idea of such dialogue is to exchange. Anger, fear, myths must be addressed. Our education system needs to be revamped. Perhaps a return to the past where we had a system that worked; a time we fondly remember our children mixing freely with each other. We should encourage comparative religious courses. We must create and sustain a reading public. A culture that instils the love of books is also one that promotes the endearing quality of being curious, which in turn leads to critical thinking. Kumon, Enopi are supplements to an education, but do not necessarily mold children into personable beings. Malaysians, God fearing or not, must focus on the relevant issues: education, corruption, the economy and the welfare of the state. Instead of being taken up by polygamy and obedient wives, and who's falling in and out of political parties, we should emulate Canada and Scandinavian countries which have exemplary welfare, health, employment systems. We should focus on what unites us — our common good, and our similarities (socially and culturally). And not the superficial chaff they would have us believe is dividing us. Notes: [1] Faith-Based Diplomacy: Trumping Realpolitik. Contributors: Douglas Johnston - editor. Publisher: Oxford University Press. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 2003. [2] Islamization in Malaysia: Piety and consumption, politics and law. Michael G. Peletz [3] Building a Shared Home for Everyone-Interreligious Dialogue at the Grass Roots in Indonesia. Contributors: Achmad Munjid - author. Journal Title: Journal of Ecumenical Studies. Volume: 43. Issue: 2. Publication Year: 2008. Page Number: 109+. COPYRIGHT 2008 Journal of Ecumenical Studies; COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

Kepimpinan PAS dan prospek lanskap baru politik negara Posted: 07 Jun 2011 04:59 PM PDT 8 JUN — Muktamar PAS ke 57 pada 3,4,5 Jun baru–baru ini mendapat perhatian orang ramai. Kalau dulu tidak ada siapa yang berminat mengikuti perkembangan PAS tetapi sejak pasca PRU ke 11, perkembangan PAS diberi tumpuan yang mendalam. Utusan Malaysia dan TV arus perdana yang sememangnya bersikap negatif  dengan PAS menggunakan kesempatan Muktamar kali ini untuk 'membelasah' PAS tetapi dengan cara yang halus dan menyakitkan. Apa yang pelik dalam liputan ini, pemimpin-pemimpin Umno dan para ahli akademik yang menjadi alat dan perkakas buruk Umno seolah-olah lebih hebat penghayatan mereka kterhadap perjuangan PAS, malah ada yang mengatakan PAS telah hilang ketulenan perjuangannya apabila sedia tunduk kepada desakan Dap dan PKR dan sanggup meninggalkan perjuangan Islam yng dibawa selama ini. Kepada Utusan dan TV arus perdana saya ucapkan syabas kerana memberi tumpuan walaupun caranya tidaklah cerdik, tetapi yang penting kepada para penganalisa dari ahli akademik mereka telah menggadaikan nilai akademik mereka untuk kepentingan Umno saya ucapkan takziah kepada karier mereka. Kepada pemimpin Umno saya tak tahu nak ucapkan apa-apa tentang komen mereka tetapi yang pasti mereka 'lebih PAS dari PAS!' Apa yang lebih penting dalam memahami isu muktamar PAS bukanlah apa yang mahu difahamkan oleh media massa perdana yang bertaraf 'longkang' dan 'parit' itu, tetapi apa yang lebih penting ialah apa yang PAS mahu lakarkan untuk masa depan perjuangannya. Perjuangan selama 57 tahun ini bukanlah satu perjuangan yang melalui jalan yang mudah. Telah beberapa kali PAS rebah dan bangkit, rebah dan bangkit sehinggalah ia mampu sampai kepada tahapnya yang ada hari ini. Tahapnya hari ini bolehlah dibanggakan berdasarkan kepada beberapa halangan yang berjaya diatasi oleh PAS sepanjang keberadaannya di pesada politik tanahair. Antaranya ialah, PAS bukan sahaja didokongi oleh segmen berlatarbelakangkan agama tetapi juga oleh segmen lain yang berperanan aktif. Kedua, PAS berjaya meroboh tembok yang memisahkannya dengan pengundi bukan Islam dengan pencapaiannya yang terbaik di kawasan-kawasan campuran. Ketiga, PAS mempunyai sayap bukan Islam (DHPP) dalam struktur partinya yang tidak pernah dibayangkan sebelum ini dan akhirnya PAS berjaya melebarkan pengaruhnya di luar kawasan tradisinya di Pantai Timur dan Utara ke Tengah dan Selatan tanahair termasuk Sabah dan Sarawak. Pencapaian-pencapaian ini berlaku di tengah-tengah suasana permusuhan media perdana kepada PAS dan aturcara permainan demokrasi yang tidak adil. Bagi parti lain yang tidak mempunyai kekuatan ideologi dan organisasi parti sudah pasti akan berkubur untuk terus hidup dalam suasana sedemikian rupa, tetapi PAS mampu hidup malah terus segar bugar seperti rangkap akhir lagu PAS yang berbunyi: "Berpandukan Al Quran dan Sunnah, suburlah hidupnya dan pasti berbuah…" Inilah buah-buahnya yang dipetik oleh generasi  PAS hari ini. Malangnya kita tidak akan mengharapkan para ahli akademik 'dungu' mampu melihat pencapain-pencapaian ini, janganlah mengharapkan Umno pula nak ingatkan pencapaian-pencapaian PAS! Para perwakilan Muktamar ke 57 sebenarnya mengirimkan isyarat kepada orang ramai bahawa mereka telah membuat beberapa pertimbangan yang matang di mana asasnya ialah, ketokohan kepimpinan bukan sahaja keperluan dalaman tetapi ia perlu diambil kira keperluan persepsi awam di luar parti. Dengan kata lain ketika mereka mengundi mereka bukan 'bijaksini' sahaja tapi juga 'bijaksana' maksudnya mereka perlu mengambil kira orang lain dan bukannya syok sendiri. 'Syok sendiri' ialah apabila mereka melantik kepimpinan yang mereka kenal dalaman sahaja tetapi tidak mengambil kira populariti kepimpinan di kalangan awam. Barisan teratas yang baru dipilih memperlihatkan populariti kepimpinan yang diiktiraf oleh orang awam. Selain Presiden yang dikenali dalam dan luar negeri, Timbalan Presiden Mat Sabu sememangnya tokoh dikenali ramai kerana pidatonya dan komitmennya kepada reformasi demokrasi di negara ini. Ketiga-tiga Naib Presiden pula iaitu Salehudin, Husam dan Mahfuz mempunyai kekuatan akar umbi dan popular di kalangan massa. Undi tertinggi AJK Pusat pula iaialu Sdr Mazlan Aliman berjaya menggegarkan isu Felda sehingga menjadi isu nasional. Ini adalah sebagai contoh para perwakilan membuat pertimbangan impak kepopularan selain daripada komitmen mereka kepada dasar dan perjuangan parti. Isyarat perwakilan juga mengharapkan beberapa pembaharuan dalam parti apabila mereka berani memecah tradisi mengundi calon 'bukan ustaz' untuk nombor 2 tertinggi parti. Ini bermakna, 'jika kami berani memecah tradisi, kami mengharapkan sesuatu daripada keberanian ini dengan usaha pembaharuan yang berupaya melonjakkan parti ke hadapan.' Ketegasan ini mudah difahami kerana perwakilan mengharapkan barisan ini mampu membawa hasrat persediaan PRU 13 dimana untuk PAS berjaya menambat hati pengundi, persediaan organsiasinya perlu di tahap yang meyakinkan pengundi dari sudut PAS seharusnya membawa aspirasi nasional. Mengolah parti dalam proses menasionalkannya memerlukan seni kepimpinan tahap tertinggi dalam mengimbangi prinsip Islam sebagai dasar parti dan keperluan nasional sebagai manifesto politik parti kepada orang ramai. Ini sebahagian daripada harapan yang dikalungkan kepada kepimpinan yang baru. Satu fakta yang tidak dinafikan ialah kenyataan bahawa lanskap politik negara akan berubah dengan tumbangnya Umno dan BN. Impak tumbangnya regim lama ini akan mengubah cara pentadbiran politik di negara ini dimana satu wajah baru akan muncul dan satu waktu peralihan akan berlaku bagi mengurus 'after-shock' jatuhnya satu sistem lama. Kekosongan kejatuhan Umno/BN perlu diisi oleh PR dan PAS mesti memimpin usaha pengisian ini nanti. Retorik kepimpinan PAS perlu diterjemahkan dalam praktikaliti manifestonya di mana buku jingga sedia ada perlu dihadam oleh para pengundi nanti. Kesemua tawaran-tawaran ini akhirya akan berpijak kepada satu persoalan penting iaitu, apakah perubahan yang ditawarkan oleh PR akan menjejaskan asas-asas kenegaraan yang terbina selama ini? Kepimpinan baru mesti meyakinkan 27 juta rakyat Malaysia bahawa tanggungjawab mempertahankan asas-asas kenegaraan adalah komitmen PAS dan PR dan untuk berbuat demikian PAS perlu diyakin dan diterima sebagai pembawa obor aspirasi nasional. Komitmen kepada Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan simbol-simbol serta penghayatan patriotism perlu dilihat mengalir dalam seluruh organ parti dan terungkap dalam retorik ucapan-ucapan kepimpinan. Makna Muktamar ke 57 ini penting  untuk kita melihat satu perubahan lanskap politik yang bakal akan berlaku dan secara kebetulan PAS memberanikan diri untuk membuat pemilihan pada kali ini walaupun Umno dan DAP menangguhkan pemilihan parti masing-masing. Ini satu keberanian dari PAS untuk mengatakan kepada orang ramai bahawa ia tidak perlu bimbang perubahan pucuk kepimpinan mahupun kesan proses pemilihan bahkan barisan yang dipilih baru-baru ini adalah untuk menyediakan ruang yang akan ditinggalkan oleh regim lama dalam cita-cita PAS untuk memartabatkan maruah dan hak rakyat demi negara yang tercinta. Prospek kepimpinan baru dalam perubahan lanskap politik negara cerah dan meyakinkan. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price.

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