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Cathay bans shark fin from cargo flights Posted: 05 Sep 2012 07:24 PM PDT A customer (right) talks to a shopkeeper in a store selling shark fins (left) in Hong Kong on September 5, 2012. — AFP-Relaxnews pic HONG KONG, Sept 6 — Cathay Pacific said Wednesday it would no longer carry unsustainably sourced shark products on its cargo flights, dealing a blow to Hong Kong's huge shark fin industry. Environmental groups welcomed the move but shark fin merchants said it threatened their livelihoods, even though most of the estimated 10,000 tonnes of fins Hong Kong imports annually comes by ship. "Cathay Pacific has decided to stop shipping unsustainably sourced sharks and shark-related products," the airline said in a statement. "There is very compelling scientific evidence to support that this is the right thing to do for a company committed to sustainability. "Specifically, due to the vulnerable nature of sharks, their rapidly declining population, and the impacts of overfishing for their parts and products, our carriage of these is inconsistent with our commitment to sustainable development." Hong Kong is one of the world's biggest markets for shark fins, which are used to make soup that is an expensive staple at Chinese banquets. Environmentalists say the sustainable shark fin industry is tiny and most shark products are harvested in a way that threatens scores of shark species that are deemed vital to the health of the oceans. WWF-Hong Kong conservation director Andy Cornish said that while it was difficult to quantify how much shark fin Cathay carried, the ban was "fantastic news". "I think the significance of this goes beyond the direct impact of any unsustainable shark fin they might have been carrying before. This continues the momentum of companies, particularly in Hong Kong, acting more responsibly," he told AFP. Cathay said it had studied the issue for a "very long time" before siding with conservationists who have long been calling for curbs on the shark fin trade. "The decision had to be based on scientific data – for example, are sharks really endangered?" the airline said. "We believe that we now have compelling evidence that the majority of shark fishing is incompatible with our position on sustainable development." It said the new policy would take about three months to be put in place as shippers had to be notified and "appropriate procedures" established. But no new contracts to carry unsustainably sourced shark products would be entered into, effective immediately. Shark fin sellers condemned Cathay's decision. "We have to put food on the table, so of course we want the shark fins to keep coming in," fin merchant Leung Wing-chiu said at his shop in an area of downtown Hong Kong where shark fins are prominently displayed for sale. About 73 million sharks are killed every year, with Hong Kong importing about 10,000 tonnes annually for the past decade, according to environmental group WWF. Most of that is re-exported to mainland China. The number of threatened species has soared from 15 in 1996 to more than 180 in 2010, mainly due to the growing Chinese demand for fins. Shark fin soup is viewed by many Asians as a rare delicacy and is traditionally served at wedding parties and business banquets in Hong Kong, which handles around 50 per cent of the global fin trade. Importers and restaurants that serve the product often cite the cultural aspect of shark fin soup to justify the trade, but some surveys suggest consumers are willing to forgo their traditional delicacy. A survey by marine conservation group Bloom last year showed that some 78 per cent of Hong Kong respondents considered it socially acceptable to leave shark fin soup off the menu at a wedding banquet. Major Hong Kong-based hotel chains Peninsula and Shangri-La have recently stopped serving shark fin at their up-market restaurants, amid signs that demand for the soup in Hong Kong is falling. Cornish said however that demand in mainland China was rising due to the growth of the middle class. — AFP-Relaxnews

Chicken rules the roost this fall on fast food menus Posted: 05 Sep 2012 06:21 PM PDT Chicken takes center stage on Burger King's fall menu. — AFP-Relaxnews pic NEW YORK, Sept 6 — Burger King's new US fall menu lineup is heavy on chicken-based sandwiches and wraps, making good on predictions made nearly a year ago by industry observers that chicken will be fast food's new beef. Early this week, the second largest burger chain in the world revealed its limited-time fall menu, which includes grilled chicken sandwiches with Italian basil sauce, wraps, salads, and deep-fried 'Popcorn' chicken, with nary a beef item mentioned. Nearly a year ago, BurgerBusiness.com predicted that the rising price of beef and the falling prices of chicken breast would have a major impact on the fast food market in the US, with chains renewing focus on chicken-based items to offset costs. Market research group Mintel also found that chicken has become the protein of choice among US restaurateurs with chicken-based menu items growing an average of 12 per cent over the last three years, particularly in the casual dining sector and among fast food eateries. And given the recent bad rap beef received in the debacle over pink slime – beef trimmings zapped with ammonia gas and used as inexpensive filler – chicken is poised to be the star protein for at least the next two years, predict Mintel analysts. Meanwhile, after a 20-year hiatus, KFC announced plans to bring back a snack-sized sandwich called Chicken Littles this fall, following in the popularity of bite-sized slider burgers. The mini sandwiches are topped with pickles and mayo in a sweet bun for US$1.29 (RM3.85). Wendy's, too, is heavily promoting a trio of Asiago Ranch Chicken Clubs topped with bacon, Asiago cheese and Ranch sauce. — AFP-Relaxnews

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Women in Asia largely ignorant, fatalistic, about fertility Posted: 05 Sep 2012 06:53 AM PDT HONG KONG, Sept 5 — Women in Asia are largely ignorant about fertility problems and tend to blame their failure to conceive on "God's will" and bad luck, a survey has found. The survey, which covered 1,000 women in 10 countries who had been trying to conceive for at least six months, found that 62 per cent of them did not suspect they may have a fertility problem. They were even less likely to point the finger at their husbands, with 80 per cent of them not suspecting that their partners may have a problem with fertility. Infertility is defined by the World Health Organisation as the inability to conceive after a year of regular, unprotected sex. But only 43 per cent of the women surveyed knew that. Only 30 per cent of the women, all aged 25-40, recognised that obesity could reduce fertility and only 36 per cent knew that chances of getting pregnant declined with age. Forty-three per cent did not know a man may be infertile even if he could achieve an erection and 73 per cent were unaware that men who had mumps after puberty could be infertile later on. Instead of getting treatment, 46 per cent of respondents blamed their inability to conceive on "God's will" and 45 per cent put it down to bad luck. Lead researcher P C Wong at the National University Hospital Women's Centre in Singapore said such a lack of understanding could result in couples waiting too long — only to realise when they finally decided to seek help that it may be too late. "That's a lost opportunity because even if they come for treatment, our success of treatment is higher with younger women," said Wong, who heads the reproductive endocrinology and infertility division at the hospital. Chances of success with in-vitro fertilisation — the best known fertility treatment — is 40-50 per cent when a woman is under 30 years old but that drops to 10 per cent once the woman is over 40. By 44-45, the chance of success is 1 per cent. "The reason is because eggs in the ovaries decline in quality and quantity ... as we go along and age, the chances of conceiving is much lower," Wong said by telephone. The survey, commissioned by Merck KGaA unit Merck Serono, covered China, India, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia. Wong said his team hoped to work on a similar survey aimed at men in Asia. — Reuters

Shanghai residents stand up to save their dialect Posted: 05 Sep 2012 04:16 AM PDT SHANGHAI, Sept 5 — A small group of scholars, students and local residents of Shanghai are standing up to save their dialect, which traces its roots to one of China's oldest spoken languages, from extinction. Shanghainese, like many of the estimated 80 other dialects spoken in China, is endangered by the central government's pro-Mandarin policy, which allows only "putonghua" — literally, "common language" — to be used at schools as a way to control the vast country with its population of 1.4 billion. The "putonghua" mandated by Beijing may dictate the pronunciation of these two characters on a billboard in the city as "Shànghǎi", but Shanghainese will tell you different. — Reuters pic "I guess the younger generation is much more familiar with English than their mother tongue," said Roman Xu, a 33-year-old who heads a non-profit organisation that promotes the use of the Shanghai dialect. "I've read in history books about how a language gradually dies out. Hope my mother tongue won't become one." Qian Nairong, a professor at Shanghai University who specialises in language research, says it's not yet too late to save the dialect — but the clock is ticking. "Shanghainese will come to an end within a generation or two," said Qian, who has written textbooks as well as a dictionary on Shanghainese. Shanghainese, a branch of the Wu dialect that was spoken in regions around Shanghai over 2,200 years ago, has its own grammar and vocabulary, with limited correlation with Mandarin. For example, a commonly-used phrase "have you eaten?" would be "ni fan chi guo le ma?" in Mandarin but would be pronounced "nong che gu la va?" in Shanghainese. The dialect's unique pronunciation also makes it a distant relative of Japanese, according to Qian. Advocates, consisting mainly of scholars such as Qian and non-governmental organisations, have started to move to protect Shanghainese, and their efforts seem to be bearing some fruit. Some public buses have started to use Shanghainese, in addition to Mandarin and English, in their announcements, while Shanghai Airlines in January began using the dialect on some of their flights. While fewer and fewer younger generations are learning to speak Shanghainese, those from outside Shanghai seeking jobs in the country's commercial hub say the dialect still plays a key role in society. Zhang Wenxia, an undergraduate from central Henan province, said she was completely left out at a job interview at a Shanghai-based media company. "I felt like I was deaf during the job interview," she said. "The only language that was spoken was Shanghainese. The hiring manager and other candidates communicated fluently in Shanghainese, and I had no choice but keep silent." Xu Shudan, a 28-year-old insurance salewoman from neighbouring Anhui province, is studying Shanghainese at a privately-run school. "Mandarin is spoken nationwide. However in Shanghai, using words like "nonghao" — a local expression for hello — can immediately close the distance between business partners," she said. — Reuters

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Selena Gomez gets raunchy in ‘shocking’ new movie Posted: 05 Sep 2012 09:06 AM PDT VENICE, Sept 5 — If Selena Gomez wants to ditch her wholesome image as a Disney child and girlfriend of teenaged pop star Justin Bieber, then her raunchy and raucous new film "Spring Breakers" seems as good a place as any to start. The movie, which premieres at the Venice film festival today, is directed by Harmony Korine and stars Gomez and fellow Disney graduate Vanessa Hudgens as bikini-clad revellers on a drink- and drug-fuelled orgy of beach parties and pranks. The camera zooms in on scantily clad teenagers gyrating to the music, local drug dealers snort cocaine from writhing, topless girls and mobsters cruise the streets of Florida in Lamborghinis in a hedonistic portrait of the "American Dream". Selena Gomez at the photocall: "I did things I didn't even know I could do." — Reuters pic Gomez plays Faith, the least wild of a group of four young college students on their mid-term "spring break", and the actress admitted that some fans would find the movie shocking. "Obviously I know that coming from Disney Channel gives you kind of a brand in a way," the 20-year-old told reporters in Venice after the movie was screened to the press. "People do put a label on you. I know that I have younger fans, and this is an opportunity for myself to kind of grow. It is a little shocking, I think, for the younger audiences ... but I think it was right for me. "I did things I didn't even know I could do on the movie and I do think it was because I trusted Harmony." Gomez, who rose to fame as a teenager on Disney show "Wizards of Waverly Place" and enjoyed success as a pop singer, added that she turned down the opportunity to play one of the more racy characters. "I just didn't think I was ready for it, and I do think that Faith is right for me at this time in my career and in my life. Of course eventually I'm going to kind of work my way up to that I think," she added. Mixed reviews Reaction to the movie in Venice has been mixed. Korine is described as an "enfant terrible" of American film making who is best known for writing controversial sex movie "Kids" and directing the experimental "Julien Donkey-Boy". Some critics found "Spring Breakers" implausible and pretentious, while others described it as "wild" and "compelling" and a breath of fresh air at a film festival dominated by more serious, sombre cinema. Robbie Collin of the Daily Telegraph argued that Korine did not go far enough. "Beneath its Terry Richardson-esque porn chic surface, 'Spring Breakers' is no racier than a mainstream Hollywood teen comedy, and Korine doesn't seem to know what to do with his film's incredibly timely, potentially dangerous premise," he wrote in a three-star review. In the film, the four friends join hundreds of others whose sole aim is to get drunk, stoned and naked. Korine said he was aiming to capture the spirit of young people today who were often misunderstood. "This idea that there is no soul ... with the new generation is not true, but it's just that the soul has morphed. "It's about kids that are raised on video games, and raised on YouTube clips and raised as television babies, and so the step from watching to doing is sometimes very, very small." In the story, things turn sour for Faith and her pals when police bust a party and throw them into jail. They are bailed out by local drug dealer and rapper Alien, played with exaggerated relish by the Oscar-nominated James Franco, who spots them in court wearing only bikinis and decides to take them under his wing. Faith feels increasingly uneasy as Alien tries to seduce her, and leaves her friends before they are drawn into an increasingly dangerous cycle of sex, money and violence. — Reuters

Cirque du Soleil 3D fantasy film to open Tokyo fest Posted: 05 Sep 2012 08:42 AM PDT From their performance of "Alegria" in Tel Aviv, August 8, 2012, the circus-arts entertainers of Cirque du Soleil will open the Tokyo International Film Festival in 3D. — Reuters file pic TOKYO, Sept 5 — "Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away", a 3D fantasy film executive-produced by "Avatar" director James Cameron, will open the Tokyo International Film Festival on October 20, organisers said today. "Worlds Away", written and directed by Andrew Adamson, who helmed the first two "Chronicles of Narnia" movies, follows a young couple who becomes separated and must journey through dreamlike worlds of Cirque du Soleil to find each other. The film, which makes its world premiere at the Tokyo festival screening out of competition, incorporates performances shot in 3D from actual shows by the circus-arts entertainers. Cameron, whose "Titanic" premiered at the Tokyo festival in 1997, is one of Hollywood's biggest proponents of 3D. He said last month he would open a joint venture to provide 3D filming technology in China, where audience demand for the format is booming. The 25th edition of the Tokyo festival runs October 20-28. Veteran Hollywood producer Roger Corman will head the jury to select the winner of the festival's top Sakura prize. The main competition lineup will be unveiled later this month. Last year's winner, drama-comedy "Untouchable", became the top-grossing French film of 2011 and raked in US$356 million (RM1.1 billion) at box offices worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. — Reuters

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Tesco buys e-book company Mobcast for £4.5m Posted: 05 Sep 2012 07:04 AM PDT British supermarket giant Tesco said on Tuesday that it has agreed to buy London-based e-book firm Mobcast. – AFP pic LONDON, Sept 5 – British supermarket giant Tesco said yesterday that it has agreed to buy London-based e-book firm Mobcast for £4.5 million (RM22.16 million). "Tesco has acquired Mobcast, the award-winning digital book platform provider," the retail group said in a brief statement that also gave the purchase price. "The acquisition further strengthens Tesco's digital entertainment offer, following the purchase of movie and TV streaming service blinkbox in 2011 and personalised internet radio service WE7 in June 2012." Mobcast provides a platform for companies to sell e-books and currently works with mobile network Orange, which is owned by France Telecom. London-listed Tesco is the world's third-largest retailer after US-based Wal-Mart and France's Carrefour, but has suffered poor trading at its domestic operations in recent times. Meanwhile, yesterday's deal will hand a windfall to Mobcast co-founder Andy McNab, who fought behind enemy lines with Britain's elite Special Air Service (SAS) in the first Gulf War. McNab is now a best-selling thriller writer and founded the e-book company with chief executive Tony Lynch in 2007. – AFP/Relaxnews

Indian literary star seeks new history of East versus West Posted: 04 Sep 2012 06:14 PM PDT NEW YORK, Sept 5 —  Indian writer Pankaj Mishra has never shied away from controversy in his native country or abroad, but he hopes that his latest book will bridge the gap between the East and West instead of merely inciting an intellectual brawl. A respected voice in the Indian, British and American literary scenes, Mishra seeks to shed light on the eastern thinkers who influenced their regions during the period of western imperialism. "From the Ruins of Empire: The Intellectuals Who Remade Asia" (picture) hits US book shelves on Tuesday. Mishra, 43, devotes the bulk of his chapters to names that have been absent from both Eastern and Western accounts of nineteenth and early twentieth century history - names he thinks people should know to understand the roots of contemporary events such as the Arab Spring and the rise of India and China. "I thought both the nationalist histories I grew up with and these new imperialist histories were missing out," Mishra told Reuters in an interview, saying writers and historians were "sometimes actively suppressing a whole range of ideas, personalities and events that were very important to the formation of modern Asia." He challenges the western narrative of imperialism - something he has made a name for himself doing. After years of writing in-depth political and literary pieces for the New York Review of Books, the New York Times and others, in November 2011 Mishra wrote a scathing critique of conservative historian Niall Ferguson's book "Civilisation: The West and the Rest" in the London Review of Books. Mishra's negative review led to a contentious and highly publicized series of exchanges between the two men, in which they clashed largely over the role imperialism played in the making of modern Asia. "Imperialism was all about occupation, invasion, war, appropriation and constructing racial hierarchies in which darker-skinned peoples were treated abominably," Mishra said. "To presume that it's something that essentially brought free trade and democracy to native peoples across Asia and Africa - you can't get more ludicrously wrong than that." No Western intervention Although his tome is largely historical, Mishra draws connections between the eastern thinkers in his book and current events. Instead of crediting western influence for the recent spate of uprisings in the Middle East, he traces the foundations of democracy in Muslim countries back to Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, a nineteenth century Persian who advised leaders in places from Egypt to the Ottoman Empire to India. "It is possible to say that someone like al-Afghani stands at the beginning of political awareness in the Muslim world," Mishra said. "He should be better known and something like the Arab Spring should have been predicted a long time ago." Mishra said that more multifaceted histories not only allow people to predict the course of the future, but for countries to find common ground and avoid conflicts caused by limited perspectives. "You look at the way languages and religions move across this wide territory (Asia and the Middle East) and you realize there's a lot more in common between these different places than you might think," he said. "This book is very much an attempt to present the perspective of people in parts of the world who have traditionally been excluded ... bringing the world into conversation - not just people in the west, but people in places like Egypt, who may not know what's going on in China at the same time." Although he encourages dialogue between the East and West, Mishra feels that Asian and Middle Eastern politics fall squarely in the domain of those regions, including the current conflict in Syria. "I think there's such a long and dismal history of western intervention in these parts of the world that it's perhaps best for western countries to not intervene," he said. In the future, Mishra, who divides his time between London, and Mashobra, India, hopes to hear more voices like his. "I think that Asia has not been conceptualised, has not been imagined sufficiently," he said. "What we now need are histories that give a global perspective." — Reuters

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Gadis serah diri bantu sisasatan insiden hina gambar pemimpin Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:28 AM PDT JOHOR BAHRU, 5 Sept — Seorang gadis yang dikehendaki polis bagi membantu siasatan insiden memijak gambar pemimpin negara pada malam sambutan ambang Merdeka, 30 Ogos, menyerah diri di Balai Polis Sentral, di sini, hari ini. Model sambilan berusia 19 tahun itu yang berasal dari Taman Puteri Wangsa, di sini, tiba di balai polis berkenaan kira-kira pukul 11 pagi dengan diiringi peguam, Norman Fernandez dan beberapa rakan. Dia kemudian dibawa keluar dari balai berkenaan kira-kira pukul 1.05 petang dan menaiki sebuah kereta untuk dibawa ke ibu negara. Fernandez yang juga Timbalan Pengerusi DAP Johor ketika ditemui berkata gadis itu tampil menyerah diri selepas menyedari gambarnya yang dikaitkan dengan insiden berkenaan dipaparkan di akhbar. "Gadis itu bukan anggota DAP tetapi dia tampil kepada kami untuk meminta pertolongan. Dia dibawa polis ke rumahnya untuk mengambil pakaian berwarna merah yang dipakai pada hari tersebut sebelum ke Kuala Lumpur bagi siasatan lanjut," katanya. Sementara itu, Timbalan Ketua Polis Daerah Johor Baharu Selatan Abdul Samad Salleh mengesahkan gadis itu ditahan selepas dia menyerah diri dan dibawa kem ibu negara untuk siasatan lanjut. "Dia dikehendaki polis berhubung laporan yang dibuat di Balai Tun H.S Lee. Gadis itu disiasat mengikut Seksyen 4(1)(b) Akta Hasutan 1948, Seksyen 290, 504 dan 509 Kanun Keseksaan," katanya. Dua hari lepas, Polis Kuala Lumpur mendedahkan 11 keping gambar individu yang dirakam terbabit dalam insiden berkenaan yang berlaku pada himpunan janji demokrasi pada malam ambang sambutan Hari Kemerdekaan ke-55 negara. Semalam, seorang pelajar lelaki berumur 19 tahun, dari sebuah kolej swasta di Cheras, Kuala Lumpur turut ditahan bagi membantu siasatan selepas dia tiba dari Batu Pahat, bersama kedua-dua ibu bapanya. — Bernama

Kumpulan hak asasi gesa tindakan berat terhadap perogol kanak-kanak Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:12 AM PDT Kumpulan hak asasi kanak-kanak menggesa kerajaan merombak undang-undang sedia ada supaya kebajikan kanak-kanak di bawah umur yang dirogol dipelihara. — Gambar Reuters KUALA LUMPUR, 5 Sept — Kumpulan hak asasi kanak-kanak menggesa kerajaan merombak undang-undang bagi mensabitkan pesalah seksual dengan hukuman lebih berat selepas dua pesalah terlepas daripada hukuman penjara kerana merogol teman wanita mereka bawah umur bulan lepas. Dalam laporan hari ini, mahkamah tinggi telah membebaskan seorang pemilik pusat jagaan kanak-kanak daripada hukuman mandatori penjara dan sebatan atas alasan tiada bukti penembusan kelamin dan keterangan mangsa tidak boleh diterima pakai. Pengamal hak asasi kanak-kanak dalam kenyataan kepada The Malaysian Insider hari ini memberitahu perkara tersebut berlaku kerana terdapat kelemahan dalam perundangan melibatkan kes rogol terutama melibatkan mereka bawah umur. "Undang-undang yang tertulis dan dikuatkuasakan wajar seiring dengan lunas perundangan antarabangsa bagi melindungi kanak-kanak," kata pengarah eksekutif Malaysian Child Resource Institute (MCRI),  Brian Lariche. Beliau juga menyambut baik langkah kementerian wanita, keluarga dan pembangunan masyarakat yang mahukan undang-undang statutori rogol disemak semula. Brian juga menyatakan laporan hari ini adalah satu lagi bukti terdapat kelemahan pada undang-undang sedia ada selepas mahkamah rayuan membebaskan pemain boling tenpin kebangsaan, Noor Afizal Azizan daripada pertuduhan merogol budak bawah umur pada bulan lepas. Isu terbabit menarik perhatian orang awam terutama selepas mahkamah sesyen membebaskan Chuah Guan Jiu, 22 seorang juru elektrik atas pertuduhan sama dan hanya dikenakan ikat jamin RM25,000 dan  bukan hukuman penjara. "Penghakiman tersebut tidak selaras dengan undang-undang yang disyaratkan dan ia menimbulkan persoalan kearbitrarian dibahagian pihak hakim. ''Rogol' dan 'umur matang' dinyatakan dengan jelas  tetapi dalam kes ini ia tidak dipatuhi," kata Brian lagi. Di Malaysia, undang-undang yang diperuntukan memberi definisi sempit untuk rogol. Mengikut Sekysen 375 Kanun Keseksaan, "Seorang lelaki dikatakan telah 'rogol' seseorang...apabila mengadakan hubungan seksual dengan wanita" tanpa kerelaan diri atau tanpa persetujuan atau dengan  paksaan, atau mangsa tersebut berusia bawah 16 tahun - umur yang sah secara sukarela mengadakan hubungan seksual. Seksyen 376 mensabitkan mandatori hukuman penjara sekurang-kurangnya lima tahun atau tidak lebih 30 tahun dan dirotan atas kesalahan merogol kanak-kanak. Walaubagaimanapun, hakim mempunyai kuasa mengikut budi bicaranya dibawah seksyen 294 (1) Kanun Jenayah  untuk membebaskan pesalah kali pertama di bawah pengawasan berkelakuan baik jika mereka  memutuskan terdapat beberapa faktor yang boleh meringankan hukuman. "Jika kita biarkan undang-undang ini kekal, selepas ini hakim mungkin beranggapan hukuman minimum lima tahun tersebut terlalu berat dan boleh membuat penghakiman lain selain ikat jamin berkelakuan baik,  kata, Sharmila Sekaran daripada Voice of the Children kepada The Malaysian Insider. Badan bukan kerajaan tempatan tersebut menyokong rombakan ke atas undang-undang dan polisi melibatkan kanak-kanak selain memberikan latihan dalam isu-isu kanak-kanak. "Kami mahukan alternatif hukuman supaya hakim dalam mensabitkan pesalah dengan hukuman lebih berat," tambah beliau lagi. Penasihat Yayasan Chow Kit (kumpulan kesedaran kanak-kanak), Dr Hartini turut senada dalam isu melibatkan undang-undang 'rogol statutori' ini dan mahukan "rombakan menyeluruh untuk membela  kepentingan seseorang kanak-kanak" dan bukan sekadar meminda undang-undang sedia ada ketika ini.

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Bali beza Posted: 04 Sep 2012 04:46 PM PDT 5 SEPT ― Berawal dari perbualan dengan rakan kongsi di Bali, Termana merangkap pemandu kereta semasa membawa pelancong Malaysia mengelilingi Pulau Bali, maka lahirlah idea tentang "Bali Beza". Melihat kondisi Bali yang semakin kelam, penzahiran idea yang sudah lama tercetus di benak pemikiran kami berdua ini tidak boleh ditangguh. Oleh kerana kami terlibat dalam dunia pelancongan, "Bali Beza" adalah konsep yang dicipta kami untuk "menjual" Bali pertama, secara perniagaan dan kedua, secara pengetahuan. Oleh kerana sudah lama kami bebelkan tentang permasalahan yang dihadapi Bali, maka konsep pertama kami mulai dengan menubuhkan "Alt-ourism Asia Bali", sebuah ejen pelancongan alternatif yang berakar kepada pemberdayaan masyarakat Bali dan pencerahan kepada pelancong yang berkunjung. Seterusnya konsep kedua ― membawa apa yang kami takrifkan sebagai Bali yang berbeza ke Malaysia dan syukur berkat bantuan komuniti Frinjan, penerbit buku Gerakbudaya dan beberapa individu lain, idea ini akan menjadi kenyataan 30 September nanti di Map @ Publika, Solaris Dutamas. Sebetulnya, acara "Bali Beza" bukanlah kebenaran mutlak dalam erti Bali yang ada sekarang tidak mewakili Bali, beza yang dimaksudkan di sini bertujuan untuk memberikan sisi lain Bali yang jarang ditampilkan dalam risalah pelancongan dan media. "Bali Beza" (juga beza di tempat lain) amat penting supaya pengetahuan kita tentang sesuatu tempat itu lebih objektif dan luas, bahkan pada saya pengetahuan tentang beza itu adalah ilmu asas. Berikut tiga program utama yang telah disusun. Diskusi Bali beza Secara sengaja, kami memilih tarikh 30 September untuk menayangkan filem "40 Years of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy" karya Robert Lemelson ― ahli antropologi lulusan Universiti California dan mendiskusikan buku berjudul "Melawan Lupa: Narasi-Narasi Komunitas Taman 65 Bali" ― sebuah kompilasi tulisan anak muda Bali yang terkena dampak tragedi. Berbeza dengan filem dokumentari rasmi "Pengkhianatan Gerakan 30 September Partai Komunis Indonesia" atau singkatannya "Pengkhianatan G-30S-PKI" yang semasa Presiden Soeharto berkuasa selalu ditayang setiap 30 September oleh seluruh stesen televisyen nasional, filem "40 Years of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy" menceritakan tragedi pembantaian itu dari empat sudut berbeza. Ke-empatnya berasal dari latar belakang keluarga yang berbeza dan salah satunya merupakan anak pemimpin parti pro PKI di Bali. Robert Lemelson telah mewawancara ribuan orang yang terkena stigmatisasi dan intimidasi kerana dinilai terlibat gerakan komunism atau pro-kiri. Empat puluh tujuh tahun setelah tragedi, berbagai pelanggaran hak asasi manusia terhadap keluarga dan saudara dari mereka yang dianggap terlibat gerakan komunis atau pro-kiri masih terus terjadi. Bahkan anak-anak berusia remaja yang sama sekali belum dilahirkan ketika tragedi terjadi, tetap harus memikul dampaknya. Kondisi di Bali yang parah jelas dinyatakan dalam kata pengantar buku Melawan Lupa;  "Peristiwa kekerasan politik di Bali 1965-1966 juga berdampak pada perubahan peta sosial dan intelektual di Bali. Sekali lagi, yang dibantai pada era tersebut tidak saja orang-orang yang dituduh berafiliasi dengan PKI, tetapi juga kaum-kaum intelektual publik yang menjadi sandaran bagi rakyat untuk memperjuangkan keadilan sosial. Praktis pasca 1965-1966, dinamika intelektual publik di Bali mengalami kemunduran, yang ada justru intelektual yang mengabdikan diri pada kekuasaan Orde Baru dengan menjadi komprador-komprador investasi pariwisata yang sedang dicanangkan pemerintah pusat. Organiser-organiser rakyat yang bekerja di akar umbi juga tidak luput dari pembantaian; selain itu, depolitisasi subak dilakukan sehingga subak tidak lagi menjadi organisasi yang memiliki sistem politik dan ekonomi yang mandiri dan menjadi basis gerakan rakyat tetapi dirubah menjadi kelompok petani yang semata-mata mengurusi pembagian air" Sastera Bali beza Menampilkan Frischa Aswarini (kiri), seorang penyair muda Bali yang menurut saya punya prestasi cemerlang di dalam bidang kesenian dan pemikiran. Dalam usia yang baru 21 tahun, beliau pernah menjadi pembaca puisi terbaik pada Poetry Slam Utan Kayu International Literary Biennale 2009 dan beberapa puisinya tersiar di media massa seperti Kompas, Koran Tempo, Pikiran Rakyat, Bali Post, dan Jurnal Sundih. Apa yang saya kagumi tentang beliau adalah pemikirannya yang progresif terutama terkait isu-isu politik dan wanita dalam keadaan Bali yang dilanda konservatisme "Ajeg Bali" (Ketuanan Bali) yang tidak mencerahkan. Sebenarnya agak menyedihkan melihat kondisi wanita Bali secara umum apatah lagi yang terlibat dalam dunia sastera. Mungkin terlalu awal menyimpulkan kerana saya masih belum mengetahui banyak tentang Bali dan wanitanya, namun persoalan seperti ini sering dipertanyakan di sana, "Bagaimana perempuan muda di Bali boleh belajar sastera, bukankah perempuan Bali hanya disibukkan dengan upacara keagamaan? Begitu juga fakta bahawa tatanan masyarakat Bali yang mengusung sistem patrilinear menghambat pertumbuhan budaya sastera wanita di Bali. Konsert muzik Bali beza Menampilkan Nosstress, 3 anak muda yang berbasis di Denpasar ― sebuah kota yang sentiasa hiruk pikuk seperti digambarkan dalam lagu "Hiruk Pikuk Denpasar" yang termuat dalam album pertama mereka, "Perspektif Bodoh". Suara bising bukan asing lagi Kepulan asap kendaraan menjejal pagi Bangunan tampak berdiri di sana sini Yang terlihat cuma fatamorgana sunyi Orang-orang sudah enggan berjalan kaki Matahari sudah bukan sahabat kita lagi Sedikit mungkin yang berpikir tentang ini Atau harus tunggu sampai api membakar kota ini Hiruk pikuk Denpasar Banyak sampah berserakan di jalanan Kebersihan bukan cuma tugas truk berbedag hijau Ayo ikut bersihkan sampahnya perlahan Atau harus tunggu sampai mereka menimbun kota kita Hiruk pikuk denpasar Nosstress membawa nafas segar kepada dunia muzik Bali yang sentiasa tenggelam dalam hiruk pikuk dunia pelancongan yang menjanjikan anak-anak muda Bali jalan pintas menuju stabil dengan bekerja sebagai pelayan di atas kapal pesiaran. Nosstress menyampaikan kritik sosialnya dengan bersahaja, pop serta santai dan berjaya menghindari retorika tanpa aksi yang sering dibawa band-band yang ingin kelihatan dekat dengan isu-isu kekinian seperti "green" dan lain-lain. Mungkin kerana itu Nosstress diminati anak-anak remaja, kelompok sasar untuk perubahan yang penting tetapi sering diabaikan lantas dikuasai muzik-muzik yang layu lagi melayukan. Teman di Bali, Gde Putra menulis, "Sebagian besar tema-tema lagu Nosstress mewakili hal itu (kritik sosial dan motivasi diri), sangat positive dan penuh semangat untuk tetap berjuang menghadapi hidup. Seperti dalam reff lagu Tak Pernah Terlambat dalam album ini "Tak pernah terlambat jika kau ingin berubah, hanya dirimulah yang menghambat segalanya" atau dalam lagu Bersama Kita "Semua cerita dalam setiap hidup takkan selamanya indah, takkan selamanya buruk, coba selalu hadapi", lirik-lirik ini ibaratnya pemandu sorak kepada manusia yang berjuang untuk survive di saat ketidakpedulian antar sesama semakin terasa". Semoga dengan tampilan Bali yang berbeza, khalayak di Malaysia dapat menghargai Bali dengan lebih baik dan turut bersama-sama bersolidariti mewujudkan Bali dan bumi kita yang mampu dan layak dihuni generasi mendatang. "Malaysia Beza" juga dalam perancangan untuk dibawa ke Bali tahun hadapan memandangkan masih banyak masyarakat berpendidikan di sana yang terjebak dengan nasionalisme pembodohan dan malas membaca. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Getting it done, and done right Posted: 04 Sep 2012 04:42 PM PDT SEPT 5 ― I was not brought up with a silver spoon. My siblings and I went to public schools, did not carry handphones, laptops, Gameboys or any other fancy gadgets to school ― simply because we didn't have them. Be that as it may, we had fun growing up. The sense of family and the importance of values were inculcated in us from young. I was always reminded of other less fortunate individuals around me, and how I should be thankful and count my blessings. Even though my mother was a senior teacher then, my siblings and I never received special attention in school. We earned everything through hard work and merit, whether it was scholarships, textbook assistance, a place in boarding school, etc. I was brought up to believe that we reap only what we sow, and not to take what I don't deserve. I attended an event last week, and beside me was a hotelier. He drives a new E200 Mercedez Benz, is married to a successful entrepreneur wife and has a son studying in England. We chatted for a while before he started talking about his daughter who got a government scholarship to study medicine in the UK. I spaced out after that. Yes, most of us have all received assistance from the government in some way or other... whether it is politically motivated or not. But financial assistance for education, health, and yes even fuel should go to those who deserve and need it. This is not a private initiative, mind you, but a publicly funded one. To think my hard-earned tax money goes to paying for her education nauseated me. I suppose the government feels that we have enough schools in Sabah, Sarawak staffed with quality teachers who speak impeccable English, Malay and classrooms that are filled with quality textbooks that do not resemble a nasi lemak wrapper, before deciding that it is morally and ethically right to fund someone who is rich, using taxpayers' money. And yet they are at a loss as to where they have gone wrong, and why the rakyat is angry with them. Yes, public scholarships must be awarded based on merit but only to those who need financial assistance. The recipient's financial background should come first before academic excellence and qualifications when vetting their eligibility for scholarships regardless of skin colour. While the rich can often find more than one way to fund their ventures, the poor are lucky to even find one. The whole process of awarding scholarships must be made transparent. From the process of selecting candidates, to how the scholarships are awarded, the whole evaluation process must come under public scrutiny just like how they award A's in public examinations. This is public money, mind you, and we should have an independent body overseeing this whole process. Something is definitely wrong with the system when the rich receive financial assistance for education but the poor have to fork out money, and pay interest on student loans. Same goes for big, flashy cars guzzling down RON95 petrol meant for the poor. Why isn't the government addressing this? Everything is "tidak apa" with them. It would seem that as long as they have Petronas to bail them out, they will continue spending time, money on issues that are beyond our comprehension. For instance, the theme for this year's Merdeka celebration, and not too long ago, our excursion to outer space. Do they realise that education and scholarships are bread-and-butter issues that affect the whole nation? They should be formulating policies to churn out more intelligent students from schools, so that we can have more astronauts instead of graduates who are not even fit for employment by industry standards. Our resources are finite and will eventually run out if this wastage continues. Building and transforming our resources into human capital should not be at the expense of the poor. Yes, I choose Malaysia and with that also responsibility. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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