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Pele warns Neymar against early move to Europe Posted: 03 Aug 2011 04:11 AM PDT LONDON, Aug 3 – Brazil great Pele says in-demand compatriot Neymar should follow his example and stay with Santos rather than move to Europe. The striker's performances for Santos have drawn comparisons with Pele at the same age and the 19-year-old (picture) has been linked to both Chelsea and Manchester City in the English Premier League. However, the 70-year-old Pele, who won three World Cups and spent virtually all his career at Santos, thinks Neymar would be best served by developing at home. "He can be a great player, he can be like (Lionel) Messi or Ronaldo, no doubt," Pele told reporters at an event in London to launch an opus for the New York Cosmos, where he ended his career. "But I think it's a little complicated for him to move to a club in England or Italy at the moment. The marking is very tight there. "He would find that a little difficult because he's very young. The game is very physical in England and Italy. Maybe in Holland or France or even Spain it would be better for him." With Brazil hosting the World Cup in 2014, Pele believes it would be good for his country's chances to keep Neymar away from the clutches of Europe's biggest clubs. "I think it is very difficult to keep him in Brazil," Pele said. "Santos is my team and he started there with us. I hope he stays there until more or less the 2014 World Cup but it will be a little difficult to keep him here. "He hasn't reached his potential yet, but he is already an excellent player." – Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Williams chief wants even more F1 races Posted: 03 Aug 2011 03:11 AM PDT LONDON, Aug 3 – Williams chairman Adam Parr has gone against the grain and declared he wants more races on the already packed Formula One calendar. Several teams have said they are uncomfortable with the thought of a record 21 grands prix next year, although Turkey looks set to be dropped to bring the number down to 20, still a logistical and mental challenge for F1 participants. However, Parr (picture) thinks shorter event weekends could open up space for other races as the sport continually expands to new markets with a first Indian Grand Prix due in October. "I think the number of races can increase a little bit. We might have to look at the format of the weekend but we could do a couple more races," Parr told reporters. "There are ways of increasing revenues." All the talk in the paddock at last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix was about F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone changing his mind and letting Pay TV channel Sky Sports show all the races in the UK from next year with the BBC broadcasting just half. It will be the first time some races are not on free-to-air television in one of the sport's biggest markets but Parr reckoned the decision was inevitable given the huge costs in F1 and the BBC being forced to cut back on spending. "We understand they will still be doing a full (highlights) broadcast at 6pm which actually for a lot of people is a better time than it is now," said Parr, who has attempted to reduce F1 costs and is implementing a major personnel revamp at his struggling team. "The fundamental challenge is that Formula One is a very, very expensive show. It is not two blokes with a couple of tennis rackets and a pair of plimsolls all of which was provided free. "If you go to Cirque de Soleil and you see cutting edge performers in an amazing facility constantly updating the show, it costs you £100 (RM487.52) for a good ticket, or you can go to your local circus with a couple of mangy elephants and a rather droopy clown and it costs you £10. People are capable of distinguishing." – Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Israeli scientists develop date-rape drug detector Posted: 03 Aug 2011 12:57 AM PDT The device can accurately detect the presence of two of the most-commonly used date-rape drugs: GHB and ketamine. — AFP/Relaxnews pic JERUSALEM, Aug 3 — The days of having to cart your cocktail to the ladies room may be over: two Israeli scientists say they have developed a sensor that can accurately detect date-rape drugs in drinks 100 per cent of the time. Professor Fernando Patolsky and Doctor Michael Ioffe of Tel Aviv University's school of chemistry say the sensor can tell you in real time whether your martini or your mocktail has been spiked with either of the two most common date-rape drugs. "You just dip it into your drink, it might actually look like a stirrer in the final production, it's tiny, very tiny," Ioffe told AFP. "And you don't even have to hold it up to the light and the system will let you know whether there are drugs dissolved in your drink." The device sucks up a tiny drop of the suspect beverage and puts it in contact with the patented chemical formula devised by Patolsky and Ioffe. "The drug itself is reacting with this chemical formulation and the previously clear formula becomes dirty and when the light shines it you can detect it," Ioffe said. "You don't have to do anything but dip it in your drink." The two scientists tested their device on a range of popular cocktails as well as soft drinks and other beverages and found it was able to correctly tell which had been spiked 100 per cent of the time. "What's amazing is that there is no false positives until now," Ioffe said. At present, the device can accurately detect the presence of the two of the most-commonly used date-rape drugs: GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyric acid) and ketamine. The scientists are also working to expand the device's detection capacity to include Rohypnol, another drug commonly used to sedate the victims of date rape. "We have some very, very optimistic preliminary results," Ioffe said. "All we need is money." The pair expect the first batch of sensors could be commercially available within a year and a half. The chemical formula that the device uses is cheap to produce and is not poisonous, meaning companies should be able to produce the sensor without requiring government approval. All that remains is for the producers to decide how the device will let its users know whether their drink is safe for consumption, and a range of options are being considered, Ioffe said. "We haven't decided how it will let you know. Maybe it will just light up or a part of it will rotate or maybe it will send a signal to your cell phone because you want to be discreet about it." — AFP/Relaxnews Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

A taste of Malaysia in London Posted: 02 Aug 2011 07:26 PM PDT Hakkasan Mayfair. — quintessentially.com pic LONDON, Aug 3 — The culinary capital of quintessential British dishes like fish and chips, pie and mash and ... chicken tikka masala is a go-to destination for anyone who enjoys pub grub served with a frothing pint of real ale. But for overseas visitors from East Asia whose tastes may bend toward piping hot Thai white rice, throat-scorching curries and roasted meats, here are five in-the-know spots to find a taste of home: SEDAP Tuck into this Chinese-Malaysian eatery close to the City financial district during your lunch break for a quick and affordable meal. Managed by a family from Penang, Malaysia, Sedap serves up homely favourites such as beef rendang, Hainanese chicken rice and nasi lemak. On the dessert menu try nonya kueh, a traditional Peranakan (Straits Chinese) baked sweet that often contains ingredients such as pandan flavouring and coconut milk. For those working overtime in the office, or who prefer a lazy night in the hotel room, Sedap offers free deliveries for orders over GBP10 (RM48) within a one-mile radius. (102 Old Street, www.sedap.co.uk) RASA SAYANG Nestled in the middle of Chinatown, Rasa Sayang is well placed for a night out in nearby Soho. Don't be put off by the sparse furnishings; find full-flavoured, spice-infused Malaysian cooking at decent prices. One of few venues in London that has hawker dishes like oyster omelettes and grilled satay on the menu, Rasa Sayang also serves the well-loved spicy laksa curry alongside fishball meepok noodle soup, Straits curry chicken and Singapore-style mee Siam. Those who pine for coffee and tea Singapore/Malaysian style should also not miss Rasa Sayang's 'Milo dinosaur' or 'teh tarik'. (5 Macclesfield Street, rasasayangfood.com) Rasa Sayang's nasi lemak. — mostlyasianfood.com pic HAKKASAN MAYFAIR A favourite for both client meals and lazy Sunday brunches, Hakkasan is a one-Michelin starred modern Chinese restaurant in the West End. Founded by Hong Kong-born restaurateur Alan Yau, who also opened the Wagamama chain of restaurants, this dimly lit and stylishly decorated venue offers traditional dim sum and Chinese dishes with a twist. Sample treats such as black truffle roast duck or stir-fry lobster in black bean sauce, or eat Chinese tapas-style by ordering foie gras crab balls, scallop siew mai dumplings and Wagyu beef cheong fun. Be sure to save some space for their fusion-inspired desserts. (17 Bruton Street, w3.hakkasan.com/mayfair) LEONG'S LEGEND Soup dumplings, or xiao long bao as they are known in Mandarin Chinese, are one of those dishes that once tried are hard to get enough of. Delicate and notoriously labour-intensive to make, they usually contain either pork or crab and a rich soup broth. One of the best places in London to get a taste of these sumptuous bites is Taiwanese eatery Leong's Legend in Chinatown. Designed to look like a traditional Chinese cafe with its wooden stools and tables pushed close together, Leong's also serves up traditional dim sum favourites such as har gao and siew mai, as well as comfort Taiwanese dishes like spicy beef noodle soup and pork belly rice. (26-27 Lisle Street, 020 7734 3380) FOUR SEASONS Known far beyond British shores for its delectable roast duck, Four Seasons' name gets passed on among overseas relatives as a must-try when visiting London. Though similar in concept to many Chinese restaurants with its big round tables and noisy, chattering atmosphere, the tender, fatty roasted duck served here in black sauce is the restaurant's USP. The delicacy is best eaten with rice, along with house special tofu and steam pak choi, and is great washed down with an ice-cold beer or Chinese black tea. Booking in advance requires a minimum spend of GBP15 per person, or expect long queues (especially over the weekend). (Wardour Street, Gerrard Street or Bayswater). — Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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A Minute With: Rachel Weisz on being a ‘Whistleblower’ Posted: 03 Aug 2011 07:27 AM PDT NEW YORK, Aug. 3 – British actress Rachel Weisz won an Oscar for her role in "The Constant Gardner," playing a passionate activist whose husband sets out to discover the truth behind her murder. Now, in "The Whistleblower," she portrays real-life law enforcement officer Kathy Bolkovac, who went to Bosnia on a peacekeeping mission and discovered UN officials and others colluding with contractors in human trafficking. Weisz, 41, (picture) spoke about the difference between low- and big-budget films, how her marriage to Daniel Craig hasn't affected her fame and why celebrities should be protected from phone hacking. Q: You first found out about this film in 2006, but it took five years to get to theatres? A: "I was pregnant and I thought it was an incredible piece of writing and a great script and important story, but I think because I was pregnant it was a little too harrowing for me to deal with at the moment. But I just never forgot it ... I was haunted by it." Q: What was it about the story that captured you? A: "It is one of my favourite genres of a film, a kind of thriller that is a David and Goliath story about an ordinary woman doing extraordinary things, like 'Silkwood'... and 'Erin Brockovich.' (They are) just moms who are doing their jobs and come across an injustice and just go after it. They just become unstoppable and they don't realise they are doing something heroic." Q: Are you interested in international politics? A: "Not particularly, I would much rather play a woman who does something really extraordinary and interesting than a woman who doesn't. "In 'The Constant Gardner' she was a bleeding heart liberal and she was an annoying troublemaker, pain in the arse 'left' kind of girl, and Kathy is not like that at all. She is a cop. She was literally just doing her job. She wasn't there to make trouble. She wanted to help people. She had realistic ideas which the UN embody and do for the main part. "But then I love things about human politics ... I am immensely inspired by stories like Kathy's, not because I want to emulate her, I am nothing like her and if was in her situation I would have gone home without doing anything. I would be way too scared. I don't have that in my nature." Q: What's better, or different, about working on a smaller, low-budget film versus a larger one? A: "The amount of scenes we had to shoot per day was very, very big, it was faster than TV ... but no one was there to make money, everyone there was really passionate." Q: Big-budget movies attract fame, and you, of course, already have a certain measure of fame. Do you get tired of the privacy invasions, especially now? A: "I don't really have any – invasions of privacy. I get snapped at the airport, cause that is where the paparazzi – red carpets and airports – are at." Q: Has it worsened since your marriage to Daniel Craig? A: "Not really, no, it actually hasn't. I mean, yes, I didn't really get photographed at the airport and now I do. I think, touch wood, there is a way of staying pretty unhampered, believe it or not." Q: Regarding the British phone hacking scandal, it seems the British public could accept royals and celebrities' phones being hacked into, but there was only a bigger outcry when it affected regular families. Do you feel that is fair? A: "Everyone has a right to privacy regardless of their status. Actually a tiny bit of that reminded me of 'The Whistleblower' and the UN situation. One (News International) is a corporation, so someone has to be found guilty. Whereas the UN isn't a corporation, it's an organisation. "In discovering, who is the person? (the hacker) who did this, when Rupert Murdoch said 'I have 53,000 employees and it is a really big organization, corporation' it reminded me a little bit of the movie. Although they are completely different stories, how you find out who is responsible for things when there are so many employees there? I think that is a problem at the UN. "But no, I believe in civil liberties, I think everyone has a right not to have their phone hacked." – Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Bruce Lee items to be sold at Hong Kong auction Posted: 02 Aug 2011 11:46 PM PDT Among items up for auction is a dark-blue fur-lined coat which was made around 1973 for Lee's film 'Game of Death.' ─ AFP pic HONG KONG, Aug 3 ─ Thirteen items belonging to the late kung fu legend Bruce Lee, including a 1966 letter he wrote and a fur-lined coat will go under the hammer in a Hong Kong auction next week, a report said Saturday. The sale, which could raise up to HK$880,000 (RM334,000), is believed to be the largest-scale auction of his memorabilia in the southern Chinese city, where Lee was raised before moving to the United States in his late teens. Items to be sold from his estate include a letter he wrote 45 years ago to a friend in which the martial arts specialist talked about the television series The Green Hornet, in which he played Kato, a confidant of the superhero. "The item is meaningful in the sense that it can allow us to understand more about Bruce Lee's views and what he thought about his work at that time," Wong Yiu-keung, the Bruce Lee Fan Club chairman told the South China Morning Post. Other items to be sold at the August 6 auction include a dark-blue fur-lined coat which was made around 1973 for Lee's film Game of Death, a membership card for his kung fu institute, and a name card of Lee. The sale is jointly organised by auction houses America's Kelleher Auctions and Phila China of Hong Kong. Bruce Lee Fan Club and Phila China could not be reached for immediate comment on Saturday. The Hong Kong government said last month that it has shelved a plan to turn Lee's old home in the southern Chinese city ─ which later became a rundown love hotel ─ into a museum, citing differences with the property owner. Fans of the icon, who died in 1973 at the age of 32, have long called for museum dedicated to Lee in the city. Lee ─ credited with catapulting the martial arts film genre into the mainstream with films including Fists of Fury and the posthumously released Enter the Dragon ─ died after a severe reaction to medication. ─ AFP-Relaxnews Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Isu Dawama: Panel Parlimen pandang serius, mahu Ketua Audit siasat Posted: 03 Aug 2011 02:03 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Ogos – Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira Wang Parlimen memandang serius krisis membabitkan Dawama Sdn Bhd, syarikat konsesi percetakan dan pemasaran Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), yang diberi konsesi 12 tahun tetapi kini berhadapan dengan masalah kewangan dan didakwa gagal memenuhi perjanjian. Syarikat itu mempunyai konsesi sehingga September 2014. Justeru timbalan pengerusi panel itu, Dr Tan Seng Giaw juga mahu Ketua Audit Negara menyiasat perkara tersebut. Selain itu beliau juga mahu Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mengumumkan jumlah wang telah dibayar kepada Dawama sejak 2002. Konsesi dengan syarikat akan berakhir pada 2014. "Apakah sebenarnya berlaku dengan syarikat itu?" kata Ahli Parlimen Kepong ini sambil berkata, "syarikat yang mencetak dan memasar buku-buku teks merupakan satu misteri kepada saya." "Tiba-tiba (seramai) 400 kakitangan Dawama diberi cuti tanpa gaji. Berita yang dikeluarkan mengenai buku teks, Dewama dan DBP adalah termasuk kerajaan membayar RM100 juta kepada syarikat itu untuk tujuh tahun, syarikat itu terhutang banyak, Kementerian Pelajaran hendak mencari syarikat lain dan buku-buku teks untuk 2012 mungkin menimbulkan masalah," kata beliau dalam satu kenyataan dikeluarkan hari ini. Sehubungan itu, Dr Tan menambah, rakyat mengharapkan semua pihak mempunyai integriti dan oleh syarikat konsesi mestilah benar-benar mampu mencetak dan memasarkan buku-buku cocok dengan amalan antarabangsa. "Kita tidak mengetahui hakikatnya. Kementerian Pelajaran melantik Dawama, membayar beratus juta ringgit kepadanya serta memantau prestasinya. "Mengapa tujuh tahun kemudian barulah hendak memberhentikan kontrak perjanjian dan melantik syarikat yang lain," katanya yang mendesak Muhyiddin mengumumkan hakikat mengenai kedudukan Dawama. Selain mencetak  dan memasarkan buku dan buku teks, Dawama juga diberi tanggungjawab pencetakan dan pemasaran majalah bulanan DBP. Ekoran krisis DBP-Dawam, agensi itu gagal menggagalkan 10 majalan edisi Julai. Bagaimanapun DBP memberi jaminan buku teks akan dapat dibekalkan kepada sekolah sebelum sesi persekolahan 2012 bermula. Ia didakwa berkait rapat dengan masalah kewangan dialami oleh Dawama. Dawama mengarahkan sekitar 400 pekerjanya bercuti tanpa gaji bermula kelmarin. Semalam, Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong berkata Dawama harus bertanggungjawab ke atas segala masalah dihadapi syarikat itu termasuk isu kewangan sehingga terpaksa mengarahkan pekerjanya bercuti tanpa gaji. Sehubungan itu, Kementerian Pelajaran juga menegaskan kerajaan ada membayar sejumlah  wang kepada Dawama, dipercayai berjuta-juta ringgit dan kini tiada sebarang bayaran tertunggak. "Dawama harus bertanggungjawab (atas apa yang berlaku sekarang)," kata Wee. "Dawama mencetak buku teks dan Kementerian Pelajaran bayar, jualan terjamin tetapi masih tidak dapat membuat duit (untung). Siapa yang harus dipersalahkan?" kata beliau. Dalam laporan semalam, The Malaysian Insider membawa laporan memetik Gerakan Darurat Bahasa (GDB) yang menggesa agar kerajaan membatalkan penswastaan kerja-kerja mencetak dan memasarkan bahan terbitan DBP dan mengembalikan fungsi asal agensi Kementerian Pelajaran itu. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Khairy nafi pernah jadi ‘orang tengah’ antara Pak Lah-Anwar Posted: 03 Aug 2011 01:19 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Ogos – Khairy Jamaluddin menafikan beliau pernah mengadakan pertemuan dengan Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim untuk mendapatkan sokongan ke atas legasi pembaharuan dibawa Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi sebelum bekas perdana menteri itu meletakkan jawatan. Ahli Parlimen Rembau (gambar) memberitahu The Malaysian Insider, beliau tidak pernah bertemu dengan Anwar bagi pihak bapa mertuanya sebagaimana didedahkan oleh kabel diplomatik Amerika Syarikat. "Abdullah mahukan sokongan tidak belah bahagi ke atas rang undang-undang (yang dibawa beliau). Ia adalah penting bagi beliau dan Umno, undang-undang itu diluluskan," kata Ketua Pemuda Umno ini. Portal berita Malaysia Today hari ini menerbitkan maklumat kabel itu, yang memetik Sivarasa Rasiah, Naib Presiden ketika itu dan penggantinya Chua Tian Chang berkata Khairy ada mendampingi Anwar berhubung sokongan ke atas pembaharuan kehakiman sebagai "sebahagian daripada legasi Abdullah." Khairy juga menafikan pakej pembaharuan terbabit termasuk Akta Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah dan Akta Suruhanjaya Integriti Agensi Penguatkuasaan merupakan strategi-strategi politik untuk mengetepikan sebarang usaha menggantikan Abdullah sebagai perdana menteri. "Saya (masih) ingat Abdullah ada meminta Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz agar memberi taklimat kepada semua ahli Parlimen termasuk pembangkang mengenai rang undang-undang itu," kata Khairy tetapi menegaskan, beliau tidak memainkan sebarang peranan sebagai orang tengah bagi Abdullah dan Anwar ketika itu. Dalam maklumat kabel diplomat yang didedahkan itu, Duta Amerika Syarikat James R. Keith memberitahu kerajaannya bahawa Abdullah mengekalkan kontak dengan Anwar menerusi Khairy sebelum menyerahkan tampuk kepimpinan kepada Datuk Seri Najib Razak pada April 2009. Chua dan Sivarasa didakwa mengesahkan perkara ini ketika mengadakan pertemuan dengan setiausaha-setiausaha politik secara berasingan pada 3 dan 5 November 2008. Keith juga menulis bahawa pemimpin veteran Umno Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah juga membuat tanggapan bahawa Khairy bertindak sebagai orang tengah bagi Anwar dan Abdullah untuk bekerjasama. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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So what is a Malay? Posted: 02 Aug 2011 05:24 PM PDT AUG 3 — Fifty-four years down the road, and we Malays still have yet to figure out who we are. Let's backtrack a bit. On the eve of the Bersih rally, friends asked me what the demonstration was about. Upon hearing the explanation, there was an outburst that the rally was against Malay rights, and that if we chose to stand up for free and democratic elections, we Malays would be buried alive by the Chinese. I couldn't see the link between free and fair elections and Malay rights. What I did observe was the anger of professional Malays; they were upset that their financial rights as the dominant ethnic group were being trampled upon. Mind you, the Malays with whom I discussed Bersih were not semi-urban or rural Malaysians. They were all educated locally and abroad, and middle-class. Those who could be described as the aspiring middle-class also expressed similar sentiments. "The Chinese will bury us alive." From that discussion, I surmised that today the issue of Malay rights is no longer racial or religious, but economic. Now this is inconsistent with another identity of the Malays. I am told again and again by many Malays that they are Muslims first, Malays second, if not at all. The latter will be discussed later, in another article. The most vehement sentiments were expressed by someone in his mid-30s, earning five figures and dealing with internationals and non-Malays on a professional basis. He is considering a million-ringgit house and his children attend private schools, because he has no faith in government schools. I don't know about the Chinese burying HIM alive, because I know many Malays, Chinese, Indians, Orang Asal who cannot even dream of buying such a property. Many Malaysians baulk at paying for a RM300,000 apartment or house, so it's a bit rich for the person mentioned above to say he was being marginalised for his race and that non-Malays were going to bury him alive economically. The debate then spiralled to another topic: I asked, while we quarrelled about our rights, did we "successful" urban Malays have any empathy for the poorer ones? Silence. After a while, a rather insensitive response: The poor do not matter. What matters are our families whom we have to feed, clothe and educate. Somewhere down the line, I think we have lost the plot, as we compete and race to keep up with the Joneses, and feed, clothe and educate our families. It is this disconnect that worries me. Since we're talking about what it means to be Malay, let's have a little discussion here. What does it mean to be Malay? I ask, because when I probe, and let me reiterate that I am not an expert on Malay culture, I discover that many of them have no sense, curiosity or drive to find out who they really are. Their ideas of what it means to be Malay are based on their sentiments, uneducated research, the media, but very rarely have they reflected on their histories. When faced with research and facts, they brush them off or are so antagonised by the findings that they label the research as blasphemous, liberal and morally wrong. I am not discounting racism in the country. I have witnessed and faced it first hand, but perhaps I am an equal opportunity victim of bigotry: There have been some Malays, Chinese, Indians, Caucasians, you name it, who have been quite unkind. I, too, become a rabid racist when I drive, and any crazy driver that crosses my path will receive all kinds of insults. To say that we are not inherently racist would be a fallacy. We all have our prejudices. However, to talk about Malay rights, when one does not even know what rebana is (I'll keep this for another day), and has very little empathy for the Malay poor, and would rather be associated with high society events promoting attractive causes that feeds one's agenda, is offensive. I brought this up with a couple of my friends who work in corporations, non-profits, to see if I was overly idealistic. Some of my friends have benefited from government financial support for their education, and collectively agreed that "... the hypocrisy is rather disturbing — the middle-class Malays who are against the rally, do they know that the Malays who were on the streets were mostly lower-middle class, from rural communities who feel that their rights, whether as Malays or Malaysians (probably the latter, if we are being honest) are already being taken away from them? "(It's) not just the middle-class Malays but middle-class in general — we are afraid of the masses, of having the status quo shaken up. Truth be told, while we have liberal thoughts, and sympathies, we wouldn't want our current lifestyle to change for the betterment of the nation. Although I think it's already changing, how is the middle-class supporting itself? I don't know. "Yes, it is more economic than anything else. We just use race as an excuse." ***** I recently participated in the Penang Georgetown Festival forum, I Am Malay. Luminaries such as Dr Maznah Mohamad of NUS, Prof Haji Mohd Salleh of USM and Amir Muhammad discussed the history, origins and the reconstruction of the neo-Malay, and how films captured the psychological, religious and cultural changes Malays faced. Some of the insights shared in brief are as follows: Professor Dr Maznah reminded that the Malays in Malaysia were a political construct. But first we must ask what are the origins and identity of Malayness: geography; allegiance of Malays and religion and how they shaped a race. Maznah continued by saying that the polarisation of the ethnic races in Malaysia was due to colonisation. The Filipino and Indonesian Malay do not behave and think like Malaysian Malays. Prof Haji Mohd Salleh stressed that while we are Malaysians, we are also our own cultures and ethnic races. Thus, we must learn about our histories and language, for these shaped us. He lamented the new crass, crude ways of modern Malays. Our gentleness should not be seen as a vice, for being gentle and moderate are strengths. Towards the end of the forum, a member of the audience asked, surely in this time and age, culture, race and language are not relevant? Why this navel gazing when we have been independent for over 50 years? Surely we Malays are not in a state of decline. Perhaps, we are. Next week: Continuation of the I Am Malay forum. Holy Men, Holy Women is on a hiatus while the writer recovers from her adventures. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

SPR patut lupakan sistem biometrik Posted: 02 Aug 2011 04:51 PM PDT 3 OGOS — Cadangan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) untuk memperkenalkan sistem biometerik sebagai alternatif kepada penggunaan dakwat kekal patut dilupakan. Tidak ada parti pembangkang sebagai pelanggan utama kepada SPR yang bersetuju dengan cadangan itu sekali pun ia satu sistem berteknologi canggih. Penolakan pembangkang itu disokong pula oleh setiap yang menyokong gerakan Bersih 2.0 yang menuntut diadakan reformasi a tau transformasi sistem dan perjalanan pilihan raya di negara ini. Sekali pun jentera biometrik itu dapat menjamin ia dapat mengesan apa yang hendak dikesan bagi mengelakkan penyelewangan, tetapi faktor kelemahan makhluk bernama manusia yang sentiasa terdedah kepada segala tipu daya, jadi punca utama penggunaan sistem biometrik itu ditolak. Manusia itu sendiri adalah punca segala fitnah, maka segala yang boleh mendatangkan fitnah wajah dijauhkan. Jika banyak negara di dunia tidak memakai sistem itu, maka Malaysia pula mahu mempelopori pemakaiannya bagi menunjukkan ia lebih maju dibidang teknologi, ia tidak menjadikan Malaysia mendahului lain-lain negara. Ia tidak menjadi pilihan banyak pihak ialah kerana faktor manusia yang sentiasa terdedah kepada fitnah dan penyelewengan. Dalam diri kejadian manusia itu s endiri dilengkapkan dengan nafsu. Nafsu itu boleh menguasai manusia yang sesungguhnya juga ada kelemahan pada kejadiannya. Hanya para nabi sebagai manusia pilihan Tuhan dijamin dapat mengawal hawa nafsunya. Oleh kerana dalam banyak masa pengendali SPR itu lebih diragui kejujuran dan daya keadilannya, maka tiada jaminan ia dapat memenuhi amanah mengendalikan mesyin biometrik seadil-adilnya. Bukan manusia tidak boleh mempercayai sesama manusia, tetapi manusia hanya mempercayai s etengah manusia dan tiada manusia yang dipercayai oleh semua manusia. Justeru itu manusia mengelakkan penggunaan alat manusia tidak sepakat mempercayainya. Setakat ini rata-rata manusia di dunia sepakat penggunaan dakwat kekal adalah kaedah yang terbaik bagi memanimakan penipuan dan penyelewengan. Ia adalah satu kaedah yang prematif tetapi ia amat sesuai dengan kejadian dan kehidupan manusia dalam semua zaman. Jika cara untuk membuat keputusan seperti sekarang berlaku di zaman Nabi SAW, dan sekalian sahabat Nabi itu tebal-tebal belaka imannya, dan penggunaan dakwat kekal itu adalah kaedah paling sedikit   fitnahnya, saya percaya nabi yang tidak sukakan fitnah menggalakkan keadah yang paling tidak mendatangkan fitnah atau yang paling kurang fitnah. Tetapi dalam perkara yang terdedah kepada fitnah, nabi tidak galakkan sama sekali. Katakanlah isu penggunaan biometrik dan penggunaan dakwat kekal, tidak berlaku di zaman nabi. Pilihan terbaik bagi umat Islam ia minta panduan dari majlis fatwa, apakah panduan yang majlis fatwa boleh beri? Tidak lain majlis fatwa beri panduan, pakailah sistem yang paling kurang fitnah dan keburukannya. Ada empat negara besar di dunia yang ramai penduduk Islamnya yang menggunakan dakwat kekal dalam pilihan rayanya iaitu Mesir, Indonesia, Pakistan dan India. Sekali pun majoriti rakyat India bukan Islam, tetapi penduduk Islamnya lebih ramai dari kebanyak negara Islam. Sepakat para ulama negara tersebut membenarkan penggunaan dakwat kekal dalam pilihan rayanya. Mungkin ketika pilihan raya pertama di masa penjajah dulu — tahun 1955 — penjajah British tidak terfikir akan adanya penyelewengan dan penipuan seperti yang diamalkan di Unted Kingdom, maka ia tidak merasa perlu memperkenalkan dakwat kekal. Tetapi setelah Malaysia ada pengalaman selama 50 tahun mengendalikan pilihan raya, semuanya tahu ia terus terdedah kepada penyelewengan manusia, ia menjadi-jadi disebabkan oleh ketiadaan sistem kawalan yang berkesan dan pengendali pilihan raya tidak berupaya menyekat penyelewenan, maka sistem kawalan itu amat diperlukan. Penggunaan dakwat kekal yang prematif itu tetap  relevan dan terbaik setakat ini diterima pakai oleh banyak negara di dunia. Maka apa yang menjadikan kerajaan Malaysia dan SPR menjadi begitu bebal mengelakkan penggunaannya? Ia terus berdolak dalik mengelakkannya sejak ia mula dikemukakan selepas merdeka. SPR telah mati angin untuk menolaknya dalam PRU 2008 dulu. Ia telah memesan dakwat. Sudah ada dakwat itu. Tetapi ia masih tidak dapat hidayat lalu membatalkannya dua tiga hari sebelum mengundi. Ada perbalahan antara Perdana Menteri masa itu dengan SPR tentang alasan pembatalannya. Kali ini kerajaan dan SPR menggunakan dalih lain. BN dan SPR tiada dalih yang kuat untuk menyangkal pengundi hantu dan penyelewengannya. Ia cuba mengalih kepada penggunaan sistem biometerik sebagai usaha menjadi PRU 13 paling telus, adil dan bersih. SPR membuat janji-janji manis. Ia dilihat seperti menanam tebu di bibir. Tetap ia berdegil untuk menolak dakwat kekal. Jika diadakan pungutan suara kehendak SPR itu akan ditolak. Tetapi rakyat tidak merasa perlu untuk menuntut diadakan pungutan suara mahu dakwat kekal atau alat biometrik. Tuntutan yang mudah guna saja dakwat kekal dan lupakan saja sistem biometrik. * 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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