The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| England’s King Richard III found under carpark Posted: 04 Feb 2013 05:53 AM PST  The skeleton of Richard III is seen in a trench at the Grey Friars excavation site in Leicester. — Reuters pic Richard, depicted by William Shakespeare as a monstrous tyrant who murdered two princes in the Tower of London, was killed fighting his eventual successor Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field in central England in 1485. In one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of recent times, a team from the University of Leicester said evidence showed that a skeleton found last year during excavations of a mediaeval friary under a parking lot in the city was indeed that of Richard. After a detailed academic presentation focusing on the life, wounds and physique of Richard III, the lead archaeologist on the project, Richard Buckley, announced his conclusion to cheers and applause. "It's the academic conclusion of the University of Leicester that beyond reasonable doubt the individual exhumed at Grey Friars in September 2012 is indeed Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England," Buckley said. Academics said DNA taken from the body matched that of Michael Ibsen, a Canadian-born furniture maker in London who genealogists said was the direct descendant of Richard's sister, Anne of York. The skeleton showed signs of injuries consistent with wounds received in battle; a bladed implement appeared to have cleaved part of the rear of the skull while a barbed metal arrowhead was found between vertebrae of the skeleton's upper back. While the findings may solve one riddle about Richard, the last Plantagenet king of England remains a complex figure whose life, made famous by Shakespeare's history play, deeply divides opinion among historians in Britain and abroad. — Reuters |
| Election flags up, ceramahs roll ahead of polls Posted: 03 Feb 2013 08:35 PM PST  BN flags can already be seen everywhere in Brickfields.  KUALA PILAH, Feb 4 – Political party flags are up all over the country and politicians of all stripes have begun going to the ground in earnest even though no date has yet been set for Election 2013. And the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government in Selangor has already indicated it will dissolve the state assembly after the Chinese New Year celebrations next week. PR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has also been touring the country as part of his Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat ceramah to whip up support for the coalition despite the absence of a formal campaign period. In fact, it has actually been one long campaign for both PR and the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government since Election 2008 In tiny Negri Sembilan last week, Anwar spoke at an economic and social forum (Majlis Penutup Dialog Ekonomi dan Sosial) at Kuala Pilah and a Merdeka Rakyat talk in Gemas. Launched last August, the ceramah is a bid to give meaning to Malaysia's independence, and also to educate and meet the grassroots all around the country. It is also literally the vehicle to garner support and gain voters. Negeri Sembilan is an Umno stronghold where PR wants to win and gain an even bigger presence. In light of the Felda Global Ventures (FGV) listing and subsequent share price fall, PR hopes to persuade and gain supporters in Gemas, which has a sizeable Felda community. At the closing ceremony of of the Majlis Penutup Dialog Ekonomi dan Sosial in Kuala Pilah, Anwar addressed the economic woes of the audience which numbered about 200 plus. Kuala Pilah is one of the many old towns dotting the country, with the odd modern hypermarket and banks stashed in the middle of old shophouses. It is a town that can bloom, but seems sandwiched in time and potential. It, sadly, seems stuck. And perhaps that was why Pakatan supporters and curious onlookers came, to listen to Anwar Ibrahim and other ADUNs such as Anthony Loke, MP for Negeri Sembilan and State Assemblyman for Lobak. They wanted a change in their lives. They wanted to be financially independent. Men and women jostled for seats. A man wearing sunglasses and an Afro wig sat in the front and blocked the view of the audience with his hair. Some sat in to avoid the heat, and stared blankly at Anwar and the other MPs. "We are not a poor country. We cannot compare our economy to Indonesia. But Indonesia has surpassing us – they are able to set a minimum wage for their people. "They have set a minimum wage of RM700. We (PR) suggest RM1500. BN wants RM900. Indonesia's minimum wage is considered high because things are cheap in the country, unlike ours. "This is why our palm oil plantations are hard pressed to hire Indonesian workers because life is so much cheaper there." The plight of the Malay economy in Malaysia has never been discussed properly; the national focus is about how awful the Opposition was, he said. The conversation had never been on the important issues – why was the such high unemployment, and why were the young not being paid their worth, for instance? And yet, the offspring of a minister who had the same qualifications as a poorer youth had better pay and received contracts worth millions of ringgit. He spoke of PR's promises should they take over Putrajaya. The lowering of car taxes and prices. Education being free. Releasing the rakyat of economic burdens. Making sure Felda settlers receive their dues. Anyone else who was expecting a proper discourse on national economics and PR's plans on managing Malaysia's resources from Anwar would be surprised, and disappointed. The truth is that the grassroots aren't interested in all that – they are concerned about bread and butter issues. And the former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia had cottoned onto the zeitgeist. He knew what they wanted to hear, and he and the party was going to deliver them. The crowd nodded, and agreed. When a member of the audience was asked whether Anwar's painful past (of ISA, the beatings per se) should be mentioned at a ceramah, he nodded his head slowly. "Orang kampong perlu tau. We do not know what happened to him when he was jailed. Not all of us have access to news." BN flags have been spotted near Jalan Travers. Gemas is an interesting township. It is a quaint town, which very little happens. When ceramahs such as this come to town, there is a carnival like feel to it. Hawkers sell all sorts of food, tee-shirts touting the issue of the day are sold – it's all good business for them. And Gemas could very well be the straw that breaks the camel's back. According to the blogger, Sakmongkol AK47's blog entry, Gemas may well be the tsunami PR needs. It is also where many Felda settlers live. About 9,000 people attended the last ceramah for the night. Anwar expounded on tolerance and acceptance, and that he and PR will not compromise on the rights of Muslims and Malays. Could it be that the audience (about 9000 strong) being a predominantly Muslim and Malay crowd needed to be assured of their rights? "We (Muslims) must uphold and honour integrity and principles so all of us benefit," he said. Again, the abuse towards Felda settlers was brought up. The replanting drive ("Projek Tanam Semula") had been a failure – trees were not growing, flowers were not blooming and the earth was not fertile. The Felda Global Ventures has tanked. They have been duped. The Felda Story is a cause PR will champion, Anwar said. The crowd cheered. Reformasi! He rallied. REFORMASI! Takbir! ALLAHUAKHBAR! The crowd was an older crowd. The young who came had followed their families, and many preferred checking their Facebook accounts on their smartphones. One young woman complained to her father that Anwar Ibrahim was dry, "Kalau Datuk Seri lawak, lagi best" (If Datuk Seri is funnier, it would be better). A young man glued to his phone was asked how he felt about the ceramah and whether he wanted changes in his town. He was non-commital, "Ha ah. Kot. Ya. We need change." The older generation echoed all the politicians' sentiments – it was time for change. They were tired of corruption and 'maksiat'. They wanted money; they weren't looking for riches. They just wanted enough to not burden anyone else in their old age. Bread and butter issues were foremost. Syariah came second. All ended by midnight. It was going to take another three hours to reach Kuala Lumpur, and there would be more trips like this to come. |
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