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KPJIUC, IPT terakhir sebelum kursus baru perubatan dibeku Posted: 25 Jul 2011 02:44 AM PDT PUTRAJAYA, 25 Julai — Kolej Universiti Antarabangsa Kejururawatan dan Sains Kesihatan (KPJIUC), menjadi institusi pengajian tinggi (IPT) terakhir yang diluluskan sebelum moratorium atau pembekuan ke atas penawaran kursus baru bidang perubatan di IPT dilaksanakan, pada Mei lalu. Menteri Pengajian Tinggi Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin berkata KPJIUC telah membuat permohonan untuk menawarkan program perubatan sebelum moratorium dilaksanakan. "Adalah satu pembaziran atau kegagalan untuk memanfaatkan ekosistem yang terdapat di KPJH (KPJ Healthcare Berhad). Mempunyai rangkaian hospital tetapi tidak boleh menawarkan program perubatan," katanya dipetik Bernama Online. Beliau ditemui selepas menyerahkan surat pelawaan naik taraf daripada status kolej kepada kolej universiti di sini hari ini. Turut hadir Pengarah Urusan KPJH Datin Paduka Siti Sa'diah Sheikh Bakir. Mohamed Khaled berkata pada masa ini terdapat 33 universiti menawarkan program perubatan termasuk KPJIUC. Mei lalu, kerajaan melaksanakan moratorium atau pembekuan penawaran kursus baru bidang perubatan di IPT selama lima tahun sehingga 30 April 2016 berikutan peningkatan ketara bilangan graduan perubatan yang dikeluarkan IPT, kompetensi pegawai perubatan siswazah, tenaga pengajar dan Hospital Pengajar. Mohamed Khaled berkata pihaknya yakin KPJIUC akan dapat memainkan peranan besar terutama dalam bidang sains kesihatan, satu daripada bidang yang dipilih bagi mempromosikan pengajian tinggi di peringkat antarabangsa. Katanya berdasarkan kepada kekuatan sumber yang ada, kolej universiti itu boleh memberi sumbangan dalam bidang penyelidikan dan pembangunan(R&D) perubatan terutama menerokai ubat-ubatan baru. "Kita dapati penemuan ilmu-ilmu baru banyak berlaku dalam sektor perubatan, dan KPJIUC dengan rangkaian hospital dan dinaik taraf, saya percaya mereka juga diperlukan untuk melakukan (R&D)," katanya. Sementara itu, Siti Sa'diah berkata program perubatan itu akan dimulakan dalam tempoh kurang dari dua tahun, dan yakin rekod perkhidmatan dalam bidang kejururawatan serta mempunyai kekuatan 800 pakar dalam pelbagai akan membantu pelaksanaan program perubatan itu. Beliau berkata KJP sedang membina kolej di Nilai yang boleh menawarkan kursus itu dan menampung jumlah penuntut. Terdahulu, Mohamed Khaled dalam ucapannya berkata pelawaan naik taraf ke status kolej universiti kepada KPJIUC dibuat selepas kementerian mengkaji dan meneliti beberapa kriteria utama dan syarat penting terhadap pihak kolej. Katanya perkara itu meliputi kekuatan modal dan kewangan syarikat, keberkesanan tadbir urus, pengurusan dan sistem pentadbiran kolej dan tahap kelayakan akademik tenaga pengajar. Selain itu, tahap kualiti program akademik dan prestasi kolej, potensi dan keupayaan kolej dalam aktiviti penyelidikan, pembangunan dan usaha pengkomersilan, usaha kolaborasi strategik dan pengantarabangsaan pihak kolej turut diambil kira. Mohamed Khaled berkata dengan pelawaan naik taraf KPJIUC itu, Malaysia akan mempunyai 23 buah institusi pengajian tinggi swasta (IPTS) bertaraf kolej universiti. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Putrajaya bincang isu Wahabi, kaitan dengan terorisme Posted: 25 Jul 2011 02:06 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 25 Julai — Isu berkaitan fahaman Wahabi muncul semula hari ini dengan Putrajaya mengadakan mesyuarat khas meminta para mufti dan agensi agama negeri mengambil tindakan memantau amalan tersebut. Difahamkan mesyuarat pagi ini merumuskan pihak-pihak dipercayai ada kaitan dengan amalan Wahabi akan berakhir dengan pembabitan terorisme. "Mesyuarat hari ini hanya memfokus pada isu amalan fahaman Wahabi dan kaitan dengan terorisme... di mana akhirnya mesyuarat memutuskan mereka yang ada kaitan dengan fahaman ini boleh menjurus kepada terorisme," kata sumber kepada The Malaysian Insider. Mesyuarat hari ini adalah susulan kepada pertemuan tahun lalu yang membincangkan isu berkenaan a,alan Wahabi di peringkat pusat pengajian tinggi. "Berdasarkan maklumat diterima, kesemua mufti negeri diminta memantau perkembangan amalan Wahabi di negeri masing-masing dan mengambil tindakan sewajarnya jika perlu," kata sumber itu lagi. Beberapa mufti yang dihubungi The Malaysian Insider enggan mengulas lanjut melainkan mengakui ada mesyuarat itu. "Lebih baik tanya kepada Majlis Keselamatan Negara," kata sumber itu lagi. The Malaysian Insider juga difahamkan mesyuarat hari ini ada menyenaraikan beberapa nama pemimpin yang popular negara ini termasuk tokoh-tokoh ulama muda yang menyertai Umno tahun lalu. Antara nama itu ialah bekas mufti Perlis Prof Madya Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin (gambar kiri), yang pernah dikaitkan dengan fahaman Wahabi. Asri ketika dihubungi berkata beliau terkejut dengan kemunculan semula isu amalan Wahabi sedangkan menurut beliau ia sepatutnya sudah "reda." Bagaimanapun beliau tidak menolak ia kemungkinan ada kaitan dengan perkembangan politik negara dan usaha mengalih pandangan selepas perhimpunan aman 9 Julai. "Saya ada menghubungi Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Johari, tetapi beliau tiada maklumat tetapi memberitahu akan meneliti," katanya Asri memberi pandangan progresif mengenai perkembangan politik semasa. Sementara itu ulama muda Umno Fathul Bari Mat Jahya berkata, beliau tidak mahu memberi sebarang komen berhubung perkembangan terbaru ini. Beliau sebaliknya menegaskan agar pihaknya diberi peluang untuk membuat penjelasan dengan MKN. "Saya tidak mahu cakap apa-apa mengenai perkara ini, saya difahamkan ia masih dalam proses perbincangan lagi. "Jadi lebih baik keadaan reda dulu dan kita harap dapat membuat penjelasan dengan MKN, perkara ini terjadi sebab kita tidak mendapat peluang untuk buat penjelasan," katanya. Isu mengaitkan Asri dengan fahaman Wahabi dan pengganas Jemaah Islamiah (JI) muncul awal tahun lalu. Ketika itu nama Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, bekas menteri besar Perlis Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim dan Mufti Perlis Dr Juanda Jaya juga muncul. Nama tokoh-tokoh itu dilaporkan dibangkitkan pada satu taklimat keselamatan negara berhubung JI di Bukit Aman ketika itu. The Malaysian Insider difahamkan nama Hadi dan Shahidan tidak muncul kali ini. Isu itu sekali lagi muncul April lalu apabila seorang pegawai kanan Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia mengesyaki Imam Besar Masjidil Haram Sheikh Dr Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz As-Sudais, yang berada di Malaysia, cuba menyuntik fahaman Wahabi di kalangan umat Islam negara ini dengan menggunakan platform "kerajaan dengan kerajaan." Zamihan Mat Zin, yang kini berkhidmat sebagai Penolong Pengarah Pusat Al-Quran dan Ilmu, Teras Institut Latihan Islam Malaysia berkata, lawatan kerja lima hari Sheikh Abdul Rahman yang berakhir Ahad lalu kemungkinan membawa metodologi yang bertentangan dengan amalan Ahli Sunah Waljamaah, yang menjadi pegangan umat Islam di Malaysia. Kata beliau, Sheikh Abdul Rahman berpegang kepada fahaman Wahabi dan cuba menyuntik amalan itu di kalangan umat Islam melalui seminar "Berpegang kepada al-Quran dan As-Sunah" bertemakan "Dan Berpegang Kamu Semuanya Kepada Tali (Agama) Allah dan Janganlah Kamu Bercerai-berai." "Imam ini (Sheikh Abdul Rahman) bawa amalan Wahabi dan menggunakan platform kerajaan dengan kerajaan untuk menyuntik fahaman Wahabi kepada umat Islam di Malaysia dan negara-negara Islam yang lain. "Kalau beliau datang bercakap untuk soal umum tentang Islam, kepentingan Islam kita boleh terima, tapi ia jadi masalah kalah bercakap tentang Allah ada mata . . . ada tangan . . . ada kaki . . . itu semua kita tidak boleh terima," kata Zamihan yang pernah menjadi fokus berhubung isu Wahabi tahun lalu. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Samseng di jalanraya Posted: 24 Jul 2011 05:36 PM PDT 25 JULAI — Ribuan lampu isyarat dipasang di merata tempat di seluruh negara.  Begitu juga halnya dengan papan tanda jalan raya yang mengingatkan pemandu-pemandu kereta, lori, dan pembonceng motosikal untuk sentiasa berhati-hati di jalan raya.  Sementara kehadiran polis trafik, dan pegawai Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) untuk menangkap pesalah-pesalah trafik terus mewarnai senario pemandangan di ibu negara saban hari, sesuatu yang dilihat sinonim dengan kehidupan penduduk di bandar besar.   Dahulunya, melintasi sebatang jalan raya yang sibuk tidak menjadi masalah kepada pengguna. Lagipun, jumlah kenderaan yang ada ketika itu pun agak sedikit kerana bukan semua rakyat mempunyai kemampuan untuk memliki kenderaan masing-masing. Menakjubkan juga, sikap pengguna dahulunya tidaklah seganas berbanding pengguna sekarang. Takuk minda pengguna jalan raya pada masa itu cukup "simple" dan mereka diajar untuk patuh kepada undang-undang.  Namun demikian, apa yang berlaku 20 atau 30 tahun lalu sudah berakhir dan tidak kelihatan akan kembali. Nampaknya, kebanyakan rakyat Malaysia sudah tidak takut dengan undang-undang yang dikuatkuasakan. Sebaliknya, mereka menguatkuasakan undang-undang mereka sendiri. Dalam erti kata lain, undang-undang rimba semakin bermaharajalela. Biarpun lampu isyarat menunjukkan warna merah, dipandunya laju seolah-olah tiada hari esok. Keselamatan pejalan kaki yang ada di hadapan mereka langsung tidak dipedulikan. Sebaliknya, nafsu untuk sampai ke tempat yang ingin dituju dipuaskan ke tahap yang semaksimum mungkin.   Semestinya, pengguna jalan raya termasuk penulis sendiri merasa tidak selamat untuk melintas jalan raya. Apakah ada jaminan bahawa pengguna jalan raya mereka tidak akan dilanggar ketika melintas? Dan apakah ada jaminan bahawa si pesalah akan turun membantu jika pengguna jalan raya dilanda malapetaka?      Mungkin ada benarnya juga pandangan umum yang mendakwa rakyat Malaysia memang peramah orangnya di hadapan tetamu asing tetapi apabila berada di atas jalan raya, perwatakannya berubah dengan sekelip mata-360 darjah. Mereka bagaikan dirasuk, dipengaruhi dengan kemarahan dan hilang pertimbangan.    Saban hari, ketika dalam perjalanan menuju ke tempat kerja, kesalahan demi kesalahan terus berlaku di hadapan mata penulis. Daripada memandu melebihi had laju, memotong kenderaan lain di atas garisan berkembar dan tidak menghentikan kenderaan ketika lampu isyarat menunjukkan merah. Yang cukup mendukacitakan, si pesalah banyak ketikanya bukan sahaja tidak tahu malu dengan perbuatan bahaya mereka sebaliknya terus bermegah-megah. Sudahlah melanggar peraturan jalan raya sesuatu yang buruk, tetapi bagi mereka yang menyedari kesilapan tersebut tetapi tidak mahu insaf, itu sebenarnya lebih buruk dan terkutuk! Apakah yang mereka akan capai melalui perbuatan bodoh sebegini? Kerajaan dan pihak penguatkuasa tidak harus menghantar mesej salah kepada pesalah trafik dengan memberikan diskaun saman. Dengan memberikan diskaun, mereka sebenarnya sedang menggalakkan si pesalah trafik untuk terus melakukan kesalahan.    Sikap toleran penguatkuasa untuk memberi diskaun saman baru-baru ini tidak kena pada tempatnya. Penguatkuasaan undang-undang tidak wajar mengenal erti siapa dan berapa tinggi darjat seseorang. Yang melakukan kesalahan tetap perlu dihukum dengan setimpal bagi menghantar mesej jelas bahawa kesalahan sedemikian tidak boleh dipandang ringan. Kerajaan tidak perlu gentar dengan ugutan ataupun keluhan pengguna jalan raya yang mahukan tolak ansur dalam penguatkuasaan undang-undang. Selagi ketegasan itu tidak diterjemahkan ke dalam tindakan yang konkrit lagi tegas, maka selagi itulah kelompongan itu akan dimanipulasi.      Tidak mengapa jikalau pendekatan yang digunakan tidak popular. Biar dilabel sebagai zalim atau tidak prihatin sekalipun, prinsip menegakkan undang-undang tidak boleh digadaikan. Menggadaikan prinsip ini hanya bererti memberikan 'lampu hijau' untuk segelintir hidup dalam dunia mereka, dengan undang-undang mereka tersendiri.      Jika diajukan soalan berikut: Adakah sukar untuk mematuhi undang-undang yang ditetapkan? Jawapannya sudah cukup jelas — TIDAK. Ianya banyak bergantung kepada tahap disiplin dan kesanggupan diri seseorang untuk mematuhinya.  Jika mereka ini sanggup bangun awal untuk sampai ke tempat kerja mengikut masa yang sepatutnya, sudah tentu tidak ada sebab mengapa sikap berkenaan tidak boleh diterapkan ketika mereka di atas jalan raya. Kini, tinggal sembilan tahun sahaja lagi sebelum Malaysia dikatakan akan mencapai status negara maju. Pada 2020 nanti, akan digambarkan Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara maju bukan sahaja dari segi pembangunan fizikal tetapi juga pembangunan rohaniah dan jasmaniah. Kedua-dua elemen inilah yang akan melengkapkan agenda pembangunan negara. Berpandukan kepada realiti semasa, masih banyak ruang penambahbaikan yang perlu dilakukan dalam konteks takuk minda rakyat. Selagi takuk minda rakyat masih tidak berubah, selagi itulah hasrat negara menjadi sebuah negara maju menjelang 2020 akan hanya tinggal impian semata-mata. Kalaupun berjaya menjadi negara maju, yang majunya mungkin hanya dari pembangunan fizikal tetapi tidak dalam pembangunan rohaniah dan jasmaniah. Inilah cabaran terbesar yang perlu ditangani jika Malaysia mahu dianggap sebuah negara maju dalam konteks yang sebenar-benarnya.  Perjalanan panjang yang penuh ranjau ini harus dimulakan dari sekarang!  * Pandangan di atas hanyalah pandangan peribadi penulis. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Meneroka Beijing dari ‘kosong’ Posted: 24 Jul 2011 05:20 PM PDT 25 Julai — Apabila saya ditawarkan peluang oleh syarikat penerbitan OneNusantara Sdn Bhd untuk ke Beijing, China, selama 10 hari untuk mengumpul bahan bagi menghasilakan buku travelog dan/atau panduan pelancongan, saya menerima tawaran itu dengan gembira. Saya belum pernah ke India dan China walaupun saya amat kagum dengan kehebatan tamadun dan kebudayaan tradisional di kedua-dua negara Asia itu. Walaupun saya sudah tahu bahawa saya akan ke Beijing pada 12 Julai lalu, saya sengaja tidak melakukan apa-apa pengumpulan bahan atau kajian menerusi buku mahu pun internet. Saya membuat keputusan itu secara penuh sedar kerana saya mahu pergi ke Beijing dengan fikiran 'kosong' iaitu tanpa sebarang lambakan maklumat mengenai sejarah, budaya, cuaca, kehidupan, teknologi, kerajaan, pengangkutan awam dan sebagainya. Dengan itu, selama 10 hari di Beijing, saya mendapat pelbagai maklumat dan pengalaman baru kerana saya mengunjungi kota metropolitan itu tanpa sebarang "harapan" dan "andaian". See Hua (kiri) sentiasa bersedia menjawab pertanyaan mengenai tempat-tempat yang dilawati. Saya, Izan Ali, Nurul Fadzillah dan Jasmine Koh amat bertuah kerana kami ditemani oleh Tan See Hua, calon PhD dari Institut Teknologi Beijing (BIT) sebagai "pemandu pelancong" yang kemudian bertukar menjadi sahabat karib. Pemuda berumur 29 tahun itu yang berasal dari Tangkak, Johor, ternyata mempunyai maklumat amat mendalam mengenai sejarah, budaya, sosial, makanan, pengangkutan dan segala hal berkaitan Beijing. Saya mula mengenali Beijing menerusi pengalaman berada di kota metropolitan itu sendiri serta mendengar pelbagai penerangan yang diberikan oleh See Hua. Pengalaman seperti ini amat menarik kerana saya berpeluang mengenali, memahami dan menghayati pelbagai perkara berkaitan Beijing secara sedikit demi sedikit; bukan dilambakkan sekali gus di depan mata. Saya, Izan, Fadzillah dan Jasmine pada mulanya dijadual menggunakan perkhidmatan pemandu pelancong selama empat hari sahaja sebelum menyertai rombongan pelancong dari Malaysia pada 16-21 Julai. Bagaimanapun, akibat terlalu kecewa dengan "pelancongan Islam" yang sebenarnya hanyalah "pelancongan beli-belah", kami berempat memutuskan untuk meneroka Beijing secara sendirian serta dengan bantuan See Hua pada tiga hari terakhir kami di sana. Pengalaman seharian saya di Beijing ada disiarkan di The Malaysian Insider dan menjadi catatan yang menceritakan bagaimana saya mengenali dan memesrai Beijing secara berperingkat-peringkat selama 10 hari kami di sana. Sistem kereta api bawah tanah yang dikenali sebagai Beijing Subway — atau subway — mula beroperasi pada 1971. Rangkaian itu semakin  berkembang sejak 2002 dan menyediakan perkhidmatan pengangkutan awam kelas antarabangsa kepada pengguna. Kepada mana-mana pelancong yang datang ke Beijing, gunakan sahaja rangkaian subway, bas dan teksi tanpa bergantung pada bas pelancongan yang sebenarnya membantutkan usaha mengenali budaya dan cara hidup sebenar penduduk di kota ini. Menurut See Hua, menjelang tahun 2020, sekitar 30 rangkaian subway yang melibatkan 450 stesen hentian dan landasan 1,050 kilometer dijangka beroperasi di Beijing. Kunjungan saya ke Beijing hanya selama 10 hari dan tentulah tidak mencukupi untuk menulis buku serba lengkap mengenai kota itu yang mempunyai sejarah amat panjang. Sebaliknya, buku yang bakal dihasilkan lebih berupa panduan kepada pelancong beragama Islam dari Malaysia mengenai pelbagai perkara berkaitan Beijing yang wajar dan perlu mereka ketahui supaya kunjungan mereka menjadi lebih terancang dan bermakna. Maka tentulah saya, Izan dan Fadzillah dengan bantuan Jasmine dan See Hua akan menulis buku itu berdasarkan pengalaman sebenar kami "meneroka" Beijing selama 10 hari. Bukan bagi tujuan "pelancongan beli-belah" tetapi "pelancongan budaya". Misalnya, jika diperhatikan, ada tiga bentuk seni bina yang amat dominan di pusat kota. Seni bina tradisional yang kaya dengan budaya China masih dikekalkan antaranya menerusi bangunan di Tiananmen dan Kota Larangan. Seni bina yang dinamakan "Sino-Sov" pula dapat dikenal pasti menerusi bangunan berbentuk kotak yang kebanyakannya dibina pada tahun 50-an, 60-an dan 70-an. Bentuk ketiga adalah bangunan serba moden dan serba canggih yang pasti membuatkan kita kagum, khususnya selepas khusyuk dengan kehebatan KLCC selama ini. Setiap objek di Beijing ada kisah tersendiri berkaitan sejarah, seni dan budaya. Banyak tempat di Beijing berakhir dengan "men" yang bermakna "pintu Gerbang" (gate). Tempat-tempat itu sesungguhnya pernah menjadi pintu gerbang sepanjang Tembok Besar China suatu masa dahulu. Kita juga akan bertemu banyak tempat yang berakhir dengan "cun" yang bermakna "kampong", "jie" yang bermakna "jalan" dan "hutong" yang bermakna "lorong". Dengan bantuan dan panduan See Hua, kami berempat berjaya menimba pengalaman bermakna di beberapa cun, jie dan hutong; selain meneroka tempat-tempat lain yang biasa termasuk dalam pakej ditawarkan agensi pelancongan. Bercakap mengenai nama, "Beijing" sendiri mempunyai kisah menarik yang hanya saya mula teroka secara mendalam selepas pulang ke Malaysia pada 21 Julai. Nama "Beijing" bermakna "ibu negara di utara" sebagaimana "Nanjing" bermakna "ibu negara di selatan" kerana "jing" bermaksud "ibu Negara". Nama lain bagi Beijing adalah Peking dan nama itu masih digunakan secara rasmi dalam pelbagai urusan. "Beijing" adalah sebutan Mandarin manakala "Peking" pula sebutan dialek Fujian. Semasa pemerintahan Dinasti Jin, nama Zhongdu digunakan. Semasa Dinasti Yuan pula, Beijing dikenali sebagai Dadu bagi orang China dan Daidu bagi orang Mongol. Nama Beijing juga pernah ditukar kepada Beiping oleh Maharaja Hongwu dari Dinasti Ming apabila ibu negara ditukar ke Nanjing. Hal ini kerana "jing" bermakna "ibu Negara" manakala "ping" bermakna "keamanan" — seperti pada nama Taiping, Perak. Maharaja Yongle pula mengembalikan nama serta kedudukan Beijing sebagai ibu negara; sehingga pada 28 Jun 1928 apabila Kuomintang (KMT) melakukan perkara sama seperti Maharaja Hongwu. Akhirnya, pada 1 Oktober 1949, Parti Komunis China di bawah pimpinan Mao Zedong membentuk Republik Rakyat China, sekali gus mengembalikan nama dan kedudukan Beijing sebagai ibu negara. Dengan lebih 19,612,370 penduduk, kota metropolitan ini menjanjikan pelbagai pengalaman yang mampu membuka mata dan minda pengunjung dari jauh dan dekat. Malah, tidak salah jika saya mengatakan bahawa setiap pokok dan batu di Beijing mempunyai kisah tersendiri berkaitan seni, budaya dan sejarah kota ini. Saya percaya bahawa buku yang sedang ditulis berdasarkan pengalaman 10 hari kami meneroka Beijing dari "kosong" mampu memberi sekurang-kurangnya panduan berguna kepada pembaca. * Pandangan di atas hanyalah pandangan peribadi penulis. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Australian Cadel Evans wins the Tour de France Posted: 24 Jul 2011 08:41 AM PDT BMC Racing Team's Cadel Evans of Australia rides ahead of the pack in Paris during the final stage of the 98th Tour de France cycling race between Creteil and Paris July 24, 2011. — Reuters pic PARIS, July 24 — Cadel Evans became the first Australian to win the Tour de France after finishing with the peloton in the last stage won by Briton Mark Cavendish today. Luxembourg's Andy Schleck was second overall with his brother Frank taking third place. Three-times champion Alberto Contador, who was unbeaten in all the grand tours he entered since 2007, was fifth overall. — Reuters  Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Hamilton wins German Grand Prix in superb style Posted: 24 Jul 2011 06:52 AM PDT McLaren Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after winning the German F1 Grand Prix at the Nuerburgring circuit July 24, 2011. Hamilton won the race ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso of Spain Red Bull's Mark Webber of Australia. — Reuters pic NUERBURGRING, Germany, July 24 — McLaren's Lewis Hamilton produced a monumental drive to take his second win of the season in the German Formula One Grand Prix today after an enthralling battle with Ferrari's second-placed Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber. Red Bull's titleholder and runaway championship leader Sebastian Vettel struggled in his home race to come in fourth, ending a run of 11 successive podium finishes, as rain just about held off. Pole sitter Webber, who finally led a lap for the first time this year, had watched team mate Vettel win six of nine races, but both Red Bulls were this time outshone by Britain's 2008 champion Hamilton. — Reuters  Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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US babies learn ‘self-rescue’ from drowning Posted: 24 Jul 2011 03:28 AM PDT Swimming instructor Katie Smith helps her student Victoria Phelan, 10 months, in Dale City, Virginia on June 8, 2011. — AFP pic DALE CITY, July 24 — Some see it as a potential life-saver, others as tantamount to child abuse: controversy is brewing in the United States over "self-rescue" classes to prevent babies from drowning. Victoria timidly floats on her back in a swimming pool not far from the US capital, Washington. If she moves too much she will swallow a mouth full of water. Victoria is 10 months old. Wearing a pink one piece swimsuit, the little one comes to Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) meetings Monday through Friday to learn a controversial method of drowning prevention for children as young as six months old. "At the beginning, she was a little fussy, but she got used to it very quickly," said 31-year-old Sara, whose daughter can now turn herself over in the water and float flat on her back. "It takes a lot of dedication but it is definitely worth it. I know she can save herself." Each day, mother and daughter drive two hours to the Dale City pool in Virginia, where Katie Smith teaches the technique during 10-minute courses spread over four to six weeks. The "self-rescue" method, designed to teach a child who accidentally falls into the water to roll onto his or her back and float, is taught in the United States and 11 other countries, according to company website infantswim.com. At 20-months-old, Evan can swim underwater and kick his feet to turn face up and breathe. "The first times he cried but because he was doing something new. Now, he cries when he gets out of the water!" said his mother Wendy. "I still watch her, but if I turn away I am not so nervous," said 37-year-old Amy, mother of four-year-old Gaby. But the method has its detractors. Risks with infant swimming "Some of the techniques that anyone can see on the Internet right now could and should be viewed as, at the very least, child abuse," said Jim Reiser, an instructor who preaches a gentler approach to child swimming. Reiser was appalled watching the YouTube video "Lincoln in ISR", which shows an instructor letting a one-year-old repeatedly sink into a pool, pulling himself up and catching his breath between swallowed water and tears. "I had to turn it off," Reiser said. "I was in tears and sick to my stomach. Imagine what the child was thinking but couldn't verbalise because he was too young. If the teacher was doing that to an adult, the adult would think the guy was trying to kill him." When AFP contacted the mother of the child featured in the video, Jennifer Feagans, she said 4-year-old Lincoln now "adores" the water. "I know that video of Lincoln is hard to watch but he is an amazing swimmer now," she said. A video of Lincoln's first ISR lesson can be seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gkCuUTlduc Richard Lichenstein, a pediatric emergency medical physician at the University of Maryland Hospital for Children in Baltimore, Maryland, does not recommend the method. "The technique does not teach a baby to swim nor can it be conclusively proven that it teaches an infant to survive," he said. "Worse it may give a parent the false sense that their child will not drown or knows how to swim. "Infants can become hypothermic from exposure, get water intoxication from swallowing water and develop gastrointestinal and skin infections. There are risks associated with infant swimming," Lichenstein added. In 2007 there were 525 accidental drownings among infants from one to six years old, according to the American Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. — AFP-Relaxnews Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

‘Air-conditioned clothes’ help Japan beat heat Posted: 24 Jul 2011 02:34 AM PDT Hiroshi Ichigaya (left) president of Japanese power-saving goods venture "Kuchofuku," meaning air-conditioned clothing in Japanese, displays a jacket which has cooling fans on its back, at the company's headquarters in Toda city, suburban Tokyo on July 12, 2011. — AFP pic TODA, July 24 — As jackets go it looks far from fashionable, but its Japanese maker cannot meet sky-rocketing demand for "air conditioned" coats with built-in fans. Kuchofuku Co. Ltd — whose name literally means "air-conditioned clothing" — has seen orders soar amid power shortages in Japan after the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami. As parts of the nation sweat out an uncomfortable summer shackled by restrictions on electricity use, demand has grown for goods that provide guilt-free respite from the unrelenting summer heat. Two electric fans in the jacket can be controlled to draw air in at different speeds, giving the garment a puffed-up look. But this has not deterred those happy to be cool rather than "hot" when it comes to fashion. "I work in a very hot place and have to wear long sleeved outfits, so I came over to buy this to stay cool and to prevent heat stroke," said Ryo Igarashi, 33, as he left the Kuchofuku office after buying an air-conditioned jacket. Igarashi said the clothing offers him relief at hot construction sites where he, coincidentally, installs air conditioners in buildings. Nearly 1,000 companies in Japan use Kuchofuku, including automobile giants, steelmakers, food companies and construction firms. Among its other products, the company also sells air-conditioned cushions and mattresses that use Kuchofuku's patented plastic mesh system that allows air to circulate while supporting weight. The products have taken on extra significance since the closure of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and a government decree obliging big companies in the Tokyo and Tohoku northern region to reduce power usage by 15 per cent to avoid blackouts. Initiatives such as "Super Cool Biz" encourage employees to ditch jackets and ties and turn down air conditioning, while the power-saving drive has also sparked demand for cooling gadgets. Personal air-conditioning Imports of electrical fans through Tokyo port hit a record high in May, jumping 70 per cent from a year earlier to 1.24 million units, according to the customs office. The fans in the Kuchofuku jacket are connected to a lithium-ion battery pack that lasts for 11 hours on a single charge, consuming only a fraction of the power used by conventional air-conditioning, said company president Hiroshi Ichigaya. Ichigaya says that his clothing offers a counter-intuitive solution: that by wearing more, a person can feel cooler than if baring it all. "People are now trying to wear as little as possible in such campaigns as Super Cool Biz, but wearing more Kuchofuku makes you feel much cooler," Ichigaya told AFP. Up to 20 litres per second of air circulates throughout the jacket and escapes through the collar and cuffs, drying off sweat and cooling down the wearer. The idea of "personal air-conditioning" struck Ichigaya — a Sony engineer for two decades until the early 1990s — when he was trying to invent an air conditioner that would use little electricity. "It came to me that we don't need to cool the entire room, just as long as people in it feel cool," he said. Kuchofuku, first launched in 2004, typically draws demand from factories and construction sites but the company has recently seen orders come in from office workers and housewives. A standard air-conditioned jacket sells for around 11,000 yen (RM420), with others priced higher. A central government official recently approached the company to buy half-a-million jackets, but Ichigaya said he had to turn the order down because the company was unable to boost production in time to meet demand. The company will sell a total of 40,000 jackets, cushions and other air-cooled products this year, double last year's figure, Ichigaya said, adding that sales would reach 80,000 if he could manufacture enough. — AFP-Relaxnews Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Fans snap up Winehouse albums after ‘Rehab’ singer’s death Posted: 24 Jul 2011 08:42 AM PDT Flowers and tributes are seen outside the home of Amy Winehouse in London on July 24, 2011. — Reuters pic LONDON, July 24 — Fans rushed to download Amy Winehouse's two albums after the beehive-haired British soul singer became the latest in a grim tally of rock stars to die at the seemingly cursed age of 27. Winehouse, found dead at her London home yesterday, occupied top slot on the iTunes UK download chart 24 hours later with "Back to Black", the 2006 album that won five Grammy awards in the United States and turned the troubled north London girl into an international star. Police say it is too early to speculate on how Winehouse died and a post mortem will not be conducted before tomorrow morning, but Winehouse's struggle with alcohol and drug addiction were well documented. Her best known song, the booming "Rehab", from "Back to Black" bore witness to her doomed struggle to get clean. Other members of what has been dubbed the "Forever 27" club include Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, who died at that age in different circumstances after chaotic lifestyles associated with a rock'n'roll career. In many cases their posthumous fame has surpassed the success they enjoyed in their career, with their recordings still selling and enjoyed by a new audience. That appeared to be the case for Winehouse, one of the most talented singers of her generation who leaves only a slim set of recordings showcasing her talent. "Back to Black", knocked fellow female British vocalist Adele's "21" off top spot on the iTunes chart. Winehouse, who was on the Universal Music label, also occupied third spot, with a package comprising "Back to Black" and her 2003 debut "Frank", while a "Deluxe Edition" of "Back to Black" was number four. Her death came too late to influence the top 40 chart of downloads and disc sales released by the Official Charts company this afternoon, but she is likely to top the list next week. Sales of Winehouse's albums increased by 37 times between Friday and yesterday, with track sales up by 23 times, the Official Charts Company said. "We would expect an even bigger impact to roll through over the coming days," said Official Charts managing director Martin Talbot. The sales surge mirrors the 2009 example of Michael Jackson whose songs leapt to the top of the charts after his death. Jackson's estate is estimated to have generated more than US$310 million (RM930 million) from album sales and spin-offs since the "Thriller" singer died two years ago. Painful decline Winehouse slid from being a chirpy teenage singer from a north London Jewish family to someone who could barely walk at her final concert performance in Serbia. "Before she became famous, it wasn't merely that she didn't use hard drugs, she was against hard drugs," biographer Chas Newkey-Burden told Sky News. "She would get up and walk out of the room in disgust if someone even mentioned taking coke or something." Winehouse won critical acclaim after the release of her debut album "Frank" in 2003 before becoming a worldwide phenomenon with the success of "Back to Black". "It was between the two albums that she went off the rails, partly in reaction against the fame. And I think she was quite scared of her talent," Newkey-Burden added. Broadcaster and radio DJ Paul Gambaccini said he had witnessed her decline over the years he hosted the music industry's Ivor Novello song writing awards. "When she began attending she was a fresh-faced, shy young woman ... the next year she was a bit wobbly. The last time she was there she didn't come in until the ceremony was two-thirds over and her award had already been accepted by her dad," Gambaccini told BBC television. Winehouse was a victim of "tremendous fame and money," Gambaccini said. "Although your bank balance goes up, the tolerance of your body does not. And that is why although she could afford more substances to put inside her, her body could not accept them." Winehouse had been regularly recording but had not released a new album since "Back to Black". Her spokesman said it was unclear what use would be made of the recordings. But a posthumous album would seem inevitable given her huge popularity. "She constantly wrote music, that's what she did. There are lots of demos knocking around and all sorts," the spokesman said. — Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Stars mourn Winehouse in Twitter tributes Posted: 23 Jul 2011 07:04 PM PDT British singer Amy Winehouse in 2009. — AFP pic LONDON, July 24 —Stars took to Twitter to voice their sadness at the death of British soul singer Amy Winehouse today, with many calling her demise a tragic waste of her talent. Friends, fellow entertainers and well-known public figures expressed their shock on the micro-blogging website after the 27-year-old was found dead at her north London home.  "Truly sad news about Amy Winehouse. My heart goes out to her family. May her troubled soul find peace," wrote US actress Demi Moore.  British singer Lily Allen said: "It's just beyond sad, there's nothing else to say. She was such a lost soul, may she rest in peace."  Chef Jamie Oliver wrote: "Such a terrible shame to lose Amy Winehouse. Such a talent, such a waste, raw talent."  Sarah Brown, the wife of former British prime minister Gordon Brown, said: "Just heard the sad news that Amy Winehouse has died. "At only 27 what a terrible waste of a great talent. Sincere condolences to her family."  CNN television presenter Piers Morgan called it "desperately sad news". "Supreme talent, terrible self-destructive addictive personality," the former British tabloid newspaper editor wrote.  US country singer LeAnn Rimes wrote: "RIP Amy Winehouse. So sad to see such a talent gone and her life end in tragedy. This makes me terribly sad."  Singer and actress Kelly Osbourne said: "I can't even breathe right now I'm crying so hard. I just lost one of my best friends. I love you forever Amy and will never forget the real you!"  Burlesque artist Dita Von Teese wrote: "Devastated. I spent extraordinary times with Amy. She sang for me once for hours, it was the most beautiful and touching thing. A huge loss."  Singer Jessie J, a fellow graduate of the BRIT talent school in London, tweeted: "The way tears are streaming down my face. Such a loss."  Spice Girls vocalist Emma Bunton said: "Such sad news about Amy Winehouse. My thoughts are with her family."  A tweet from British boy band JLS read: "Times like this remind me why it's so important to live life to the fullest! Amy Winehouse you will be a legend in all our hearts!" — AFP-Relaxnews Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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PRU-13: Tinggal beberapa bulan sahaja lagi, kata Muhyiddin Posted: 24 Jul 2011 02:19 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 24 Julai — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mahu semua parti komponen dan anggota gabungan Barisan Nasional (BN) merapatkan barisan menjadi satu pasukan BN mulai sekarang bagi menghadapi pilihan raya umum (PRU) ke-13 akan datang. Timbalan Perdana Menteri (gambar), yang juga Timbalan Pengerusi BN, berkata perpaduan di kalangan parti komponen dan anggota gabungan ialah pra-syarat utama yang mesti diberi tumpuan utama ia boleh memberi kesan kepada PRU. "Kita tidak mempunyai banyak masa. Hanya tinggal beberapa bulan sahaja lagi dan kita mesti menunjukkan kepada rakyat bahawa kita mempunyai pasukan yang mantap untuk berdepan pilihan raya umum. "Kalau sebelum ini kita mempunyai Team 1, Team 2 dan sebagainya, saya mahu mulai sekarang, kita hanya mempunyai satu team sahaja iaitu Team BN," katanya ketika merasmikan perhimpunan agung tahunan ke-19 parti Barisan Kemajuan India SeMalaysia (IPF) ke-19 di Seri Kembangan di sini hari ini. IPF yang diasaskan mendiang Tan Sri M.G Pandithan pada tahun 1991 telah diterima sebagai anggota gabungan BN pada awal tahun ini. Ini juga merupakan kali pertama persidangan tahunan parti itu dirasmikan oleh pemimpin tertinggi negara. Dipetik Bernama Online, Muhyiddin berkata dasar kerajaan dalam mendahulukan kepentingan rakyat adalah pra-syarat kedua yang perlu diberi perhatian. Sehubungan itu beliau menegaskan, semua anggota parti komponen BN harus terus mendukung perjuangan kerajaan dalam mendahulukan rakyat dalam setiap aspek sosial dan ekonomi. Ini merupakan teras penubuhan parti-parti komponen BN yang mahu memperjuang dan membela nasib rakyat, kata Muhyiddin. "Seperti juga IPF, perjuangannya bukan untuk mendiang Pandithan, tetapi untuk membela nasib rakyat jelata supaya menjadi lebih baik dan usaha ini perlu diteruskan," katanya. Timbalan Perdana Menteri turut menegaskan bahawa perpaduan nasional negara ini perlu dipertahankan dan mana-mana anasir jahat harus ditentang. Mengambil contoh serangan berkembar oleh pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab di Oslo, Norway yang kini telah mengorbankan lebih 90 nyawa, Muhyiddin berkata perkara sedemikian tidak harus dibenarkan berlaku di sini. "Kalau ada pihak yang mahu memporak-perandakan kita dengan politik sempit, kita harus menentang mereka," katanya. Sementara itu, dalam ucapan perasmiannya kepada hampir 2,000 anggota IPF, Timbalan Perdana Menteri mengiktiraf sokongan dan peranan IPF kepada BN selama ini walaupun hasratnya untuk menjadi parti komponen BN belum tercapai. Beliau mencadangkan supaya Presiden IPF M. Sambathan menyediakan dan mengemukakan kepada beliau projek yang mahu dilaksanakan oleh parti itu dalam membantu rakyat. "Saya juga berjanji akan memberi peruntukan untuk pelaksanaan operasi...aktiviti-aktiviti boleh dijalankan dengan sebaik-baiknya," katanya. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

SPRM tubuh panel eksekutif transformasi susulan siasatan kes Teoh Posted: 24 Jul 2011 01:39 AM PDT PUTRAJAYA, 24 Julai — Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malausia (SPRM) menubuhkan satu Jawatankuasa Eksekutif Transformasi susulan syor dalam laporan suruhanjaya diraja yang menyiasat kematian bekas setiausaha politik DAP Teoh Beng Hock yang diumumkan Khamis lalu. Jawatankuasa itu, menurut SPRM, satu langkah proaktif akan bertanggungjawab dengan segera dalam meningkatkan prestasi kualiti, pentadbiran mekanisme penyeliaan, memantau dan melaksanakan reformasi struktur dan pengurusan SPRM, keberkesanan siasatan, memantapkan pencapaian fungsi operasi melalui pembangunan modal insan, memajukan keupayaan siasatan perakaunan forensik serta memperhalusi usaha-usaha yang sedia ada bagi mengesan sebarang kelemahan serta mengambil tindakan pemulihan segera bagi memacu ke arah peningkatan tahap kualiti operasi pihaknya. "Selain itu, salah satu fungsi Jawatankuasa Eksekutif Transformasi ini adalah melihat, mengkaji semula dan melaksanakan penambahbaikan yang bersesuaian yang dicadangkan dalam laporan suruhanjaya diraja," kata SPRM. Dalam satu kenyataan dikeluarkan petang ini, SPRM berkata jawatankuasa tersebut juga akan melihat secara keseluruhan struktur dan mengkaji semula semua sistem dan prosedur operasi masa kini. Ini kenyataan kedua dikeluarkan oleh SPRM ekoran pengumuman laporan suruhanjaya diraja. Semalam, SPRM mengumumkan bahawa pihaknya telah memutuskan untuk melucutkan tiga pegawai yang dinamakan oleh suruhanjaya itu dalam laporannya. Memperincikkan langkah susulan ini, SPRM berkata Jawatankuasa Eksekutif Transformasi ini terdiri daripada empat orang pengurusan tertinggi SPRM, empat ahli jawatankuasa dan panel suruhanjaya serta dua orang pakar undang-undang termasuk seorang dari jawatankuasa yang sedia ada. Jawatankuasa ini diketuai oleh Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed. Ia turut dianggotai oleh Timbalan Ketua Pesuruhjaya Operasi Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull, Timbalan Ketua Pesuruhjaya Pengurusan dan Profesionalisme Datuk Zakaria Jaafar dan Timbalan Ketua Pesuruhjaya Pencegahan Datuk Sutinah Sutan dan ahli Lembaga Penasihat Pencegahan Rasuah Tan Sri Rashpal Singh. Datuk Zamani Abdul Ghani iaitu ahli Panel Penilaian Operasi, Datuk Seri Azman Ujang (ahli Panel Perundingan dan Pencegahan Rasuah) dan dua orang pakar perundangan iaitu Datuk Mohd Nor iaitu Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Aduan SPRM) serta Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman yang merupakan bekas ahli Suruhanjaya Diraja yang menyiasat kes Teoh. "Beberapa orang pakar dari dalam dan luar negara juga akan dibawa untuk membantu jawatankuasa ini menilai dan melaksanakan penambahbaikan yang dicadangkan," kata SPRM. Selain itu menurut SPRM, pihak Pemandu juga akan membantu Jawatankuasa Eksekutif Transformasi ini. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Book fair fiesta in Hong Kong Posted: 23 Jul 2011 06:25 PM PDT No long queues to buy tickets plus easy payment methods equals to breezy entry into the fair. JULY 24 — I had promised myself to save up for an armchair and a wall clock. Yes, so I can sit comfortably and watch time go by.  We've lived in Hong Kong for over three years without a clock because I have been holding out for the perfect one — classic enough for my ever-changing taste and modestly priced to keep my husband happy. I've finally found the right one, so now I've only to convince the husband that modesty is overrated.  My promise vanished into thin air this week. I boarded the bus to Central with the single-minded mission to buy a gift for a two-year-old's birthday party. It was going to be a rocker chick type of outfit. Modestly priced, of course.  As the bus rounded the corner onto Gloucester Road, I realised that there was somewhere else I needed to be. I was near the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai where the annual Hong Kong Book Fair was being held.  Book fairs are generally not my scene. Past experiences have been limited to hot, crowded and dusty warehouse sales in industrial areas in Petaling Jaya and I had no plans to push my way through what the papers had estimated to be 20,000 visitors in the first two hours on the opening day.  Now that my son is learning to read though, I've shifted into full mama mode. Books are expensive in Hong Kong and so any discounts are promptly pounced upon.  I confess that I wanted to catch a glimpse of the skimpily-clad "lang mo" (pseudo-models) who had created such a furore at last year's fair for kissing and hugging male fans during an autograph-signing session. I was in awe of these girls for turning an otherwise staid book fair into a hormone-pumped affair by promoting their picture books (of themselves in even less clothes).  Two were allowed back this year but with strict guidelines. Nonetheless, they were far from my mind once I entered the hall (plus there wasn't enough time), as were e-books that are this year's hot ticket. I was there for children's books and nothing else.  I got off the bus and immediately saw a succession of bright orange sign boards along the road leading the way to the fair.  What a walk it turned out to be. An otherwise straightforward journey was prolonged by way of countless steps and two pedestrian bridges no thanks to detours to maintain smooth traffic flow. Who needs antenatal exercise classes when there is a book fair to attend?  Thankfully the ticketing booths (16 in all) were clear of long lines with each booth offering a separate line for cash and Octopus (stored value cards) payments. So that was done in under one minute.  Then it was up three floors to the children's books exhibition. This was split into two massive halls. The English section took up perhaps a third of one hall, and is said to be the largest turnout of English language book publishers in the fair's 22 years of existence.  Four suitcases and three backpacks and one little jaga boy. I was pleased to see some big names on the shelves like Random House, Harper, Penguin and Parragon. Most were offering up to 30 per cent off the regular retail price. But what blew me away as I made my way through the booths was seeing folks, and by folks I mean parents and children — lugging SUITCASES around like we were all at the Chek Lap Kok airport!  Pasar malam-type trolley bags were also spotted as were foldable chairs though most made themselves comfortable by sitting along the perimeter of the halls picnic-style.  One kind 10-year-old girl who helped me sort out a small mishap brought her pink Barbie roll-along. I sneaked a peek when she unzipped her bag: water bottle, cardigan and snacks were tucked alongside teen novels and school books. Respect.  Some brought their domestic helpers as well, not to watch the kids but to carry heavy-duty eco-friendly shopping bags and yes, play luggage-minder.  Which is why I found it surprising that a recent survey on reading habits found that 40 per cent of the 643 respondents felt that the book fair did not contribute to boosting Hong Kong's reading habits. I mean, at each of the four booths (520 booths in total) I queued up at, I noticed customers carrying stacks of books, spending between $200 and $900.  Books were not the only merchandise on offer. Educational DVDs, toys, globes, 4D human anatomy models and craft supplies were also up for grabs.  I racked up books from the Berenstain Bears series, the Thomas and Friends series as well as early reading books from Harper and Random House (each series selling four books for $100).  When I finally climbed into a taxi, the driver enquired if I had spent more than $1,000. I took that to mean that it was common to do so.  He then informed me that every year he would pick up passengers who had travelled from China just to attend the fair. "They spend a lot of money," he said. "One passenger spent $20,000!".  Organisers are expecting 2,000 mainland tourists in 60 tours groups to attend the fair. It certainly doesn't hurt that tourists need only pay $10 to get in compared to $25 for adults visitors.  Chill out corner for the little people. I braved the crowds once again the following night, this time with husband and son in tow. The attendance seemed to have doubled but thankfully having a young child in a stroller qualified us for special access thus shortening our walk considerably. The venue's security personnel even allowed us to use lifts for the disabled which was a thoughtful gesture considering the number of people waiting for the other public lifts.  A big thumbs up to the organisers, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, for a job well done. There is no doubt I'll be back again next year, maybe with a suitcase in tow. As for the birthday girl, her gift's gone from rocker chick to bookish chic.  * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Towards left of centre Posted: 23 Jul 2011 06:04 PM PDT JULY 24 — The ultimate and only game plan of Barisan Nasional (BN) is to destroy the alternative, Pakatan Rakyat. Without a viable alternative, BN will be perpetually in power. But the moment there is a credible alternative, no one can rule out the possibility of a change of government.  BN is attempting three very different acts at the same time: to put Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim behind bars in the hope of finishing off Pakatan Rakyat and Parti Keadilan Rakyat; to get PAS to form a unity government with BN; demonise DAP on one hand and yet on the other hand, strangely enough, hoping that DAP will join BN.  BN strategists are an increasingly confused lot. They have alternately accused the DAP of being the spokesman for Chinese, Christians, or chauvinists, in an attempt to stoke Malay hatred against the DAP and turn the Malays against Pakatan Rakyat.  Since Umno's July 2005 General Assembly, the party continues to move further away from the centre and is taking extreme positions.  In the 14 years between Mahathir's 1991 announcement of Vision 2020 and the July 2005 General Assembly when it resurrected the New Economic Policy, Umno's gentle stand towards non-Malays won it much support in the 1995, 1999 and 2004 General Elections.  Post-2005 Umno and its mouthpieces Utusan Malaysia and Perkasa have already given up winning over non-Malays, especially after the March 8, 2008 general election.  But playing the racial card may not win Umno too many votes. BN's most successful election performances in 1995 and 2004 were not riding on the back of increased Malay votes, but were attributed to its successful portrayal of opposition parties as extremists, while portraying Umno as centrists in a race-based political universe.  While claiming that it defends the Malays, Umno has been powerless to solve the problems plaguing the Malays including corruption, poverty and inflation.  The most important issue in the next general election is whether non-Malays can accept PAS, and whether Malays and Bumiputeras can embrace DAP.  DAP's political stand has always been to speak up for all Malaysians. In the history of the party, DAP not only has elected representatives from three major races, it also is the party with the highest number of Indian elected representatives in this Parliamentary session.  Admittedly, there was a time when the party's supporters mainly comprised Chinese, and many party events seemed to have a more Chinese flavour.  Our next challenge is how to broaden the DAP's national appeal and reach out to all races with the DAP's message.  Lim Guan Eng's launch of the Malay-language website Roketkini.com was premised on this purpose. It is hoped that this website will attract more young, urban Malays and readers of the Malay language from all races to create a new political culture and build a common political ground.  The economic reality of contemporary Malaysia requires Pakatan Rakyat and the DAP to take a left turn as far as our economic vision is concerned. Equality and solidarity should be placed at the forefront of the economic discourse.  The Singaporean electoral upset and the uprising in the Middle East since early this year share three common factors, namely inequality, inflation and the Facebook generation.  It is not that there was no growth in Singapore or Egypt. Far from it. In fact Singapore experienced a record 14.5 per cent growth in its GDP in 2010 while Egypt and Tunisia had a growth rate that averaged 5 per cent.  It is fair to establish that growth alone is not sufficient to generate social cohesiveness. Failure to address issues concerning distribution and equal access to opportunities literally brought down these governments.  In short, it is inequality that fuelled anti-establishment anger. A system that privileges a small group of well-heeled elite over the others is tolerated either because growth spilled over sufficiently to keep everyone happy or the prevailing oppressive nature of the regime kept the people in fear most of the time.  But the spike in global inflation since the global financial crisis in 2008 is felt more keenly in societies that are hugely unequal economically than those that are more equal. The poor and the middle-class saw their living standards fall rapidly as inflation rose.  And the presence of the Facebook generation tilted the balance as the state is no longer able to monopolise the spread of news and communication channels to organise mass civil disobedient actions.  The lessons that all governments need to learn are these: that investors, either foreign or local, are not voters; tourists are not voters and real estate developers are not voters either. Economic growth alone without fairer distribution of the fruits of growth is not politically sustainable.  Our economic agenda needs to prioritise jobs and wages in our discourse. It is pointless if we have a huge influx of investments without generating decent jobs for the locals.  While checking inflation sounds noble, it is almost impossible to curb it especially as the latest wave of inflation is to a large extent a result of rising wages for workers in the eastern seaboard of China.  It is time for us to re-look at Malaysia's low-wage policy, set a minimum wage, and also put a stop to the massive influx of unskilled foreign labour. We must end the vicious cycle of low wage, low skill and low productivity.  Beyond jobs and wages, we need a paradigm shift in housing, public transport, healthcare and sustainability.  While the private sector can remain a player in these sectors, the public sector must play an active role to ensure that private speculation and profiteering would not result in the majority not having a roof over their heads, those who do not own a car become immobile, and those who can't afford healthcare suffer or die miserably. And, our environment is not to be compromised either.  Hence, a "left turn" in our approach to the economy is required in order to ensure that all Malaysians regardless of race and ethnicity live a decent life with equal opportunity in the face of global inflation.  Malaysia is at a crossroad in which a change of the federal government in the next general election is no longer deemed impossible.  But for that change to happen, PAS and DAP must both win across the ethnic divide while Pakatan Rakyat needs to provide a new and creative economic alternative premised on left-of-centre ideas of equality and solidarity. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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