Be careful of phishing emails and other suspicious emails

In this technology age, we can never be too trusting of emails that we get. After all, you never know if it's a scam, a hoax or a way to cheat you of your money, your property or worse, your identity. You may think that these hoaxes emails are just waste of your time but it can be much, much worse.

Many people are unaware of the rising crime of identity theft. By identity theft, it means people can use your personal information that they gleaned from you through their fraudulent emails and then 'become you'. They could go to the extent of using your name, your social security number and everything about you to purchase things, to take up mortgages or to even commit crimes!

That is why you should be very careful about releasing your personal details to virtual strangers and if you have already done that, it is best that you check whether your identity have been stolen in sites like ID Watchdog. It is a good thing that there are sites like ID Watchdog so that we can be reassured that there's no one else out there using our identity to commit crimes or run up a really huge bill!

Lose weight and have great hair for better sex appeal!

People say beauty is skin deep and I absolutely agree but even so, every normal person wants to appear attractive and importantly, with a healthy glow.

A lot of people have weight issues and fighting this weighty problem could be a real challenge sometimes especially when it is difficult to find time for proper exercise and it also takes a lot of will power to stick to nutritious food with all sorts of unhealthy temptations out there.

I have always maintained that the best way to lose weight is by exercise and eating balanced, healthy meals instead of stringent fad diets. Exercise is also good for optimum health. However, for some people, it is not enough. They may exercise and control their food intake as much as they want and still, the needle on the weighing machine won't budge. So, in cases like this, especially for those who are on the obese side and their weight are posing a health hazard to them, then taking some slimming pills to aid in weight loss do help.

You don’t have to lose your hair over this (and if you are really losing hair, there’s always Propecia) whole weighty issue at all.

But if you want to lose weight because you think it affects your sex appeal. Well, you are wrong. It is all about confidence and the way you carry yourself. Charisma is more than looks and weight or even a full head of hair. It is about you and how you carry yourself.

So, go out there with your head held high and maybe, you might strike a pot of gold. With your new found health and confidence, heck, you won’t even need Cialis.

Becoming rich and famous the billionaires' way

We all have dreams of striking it rich and becoming an overnight millionaire to join the ranks of the Nouveau Riche (that's French for 'New rich') since most of us do not have the luxury of inheriting millions from our family fortune.

However, we can always take a leaf from the experiences of billionaires who have time after time add on to their fortunes faster than you could pronounce the words Nouveau Riche! There are, in fact, a lot of self-made millionaires and billionaires who came into their own wealth due to their entrepreneurship and very wise investing.

One of the world's top ranking billionaires, Tsai Wan-Lin is a really good example of the Nouveau Riche because he started life as a poor rice farmer's son in Taiwan. However, this enterprising and determined man turned his life around by selling insurance. He founded Cathay Life Insurance and has since stepped down for his son to take over. This humble man also lived simply and is very publicity shy despite his billions.

Another self-made billionaire we all know is, of course, William Gates III, or more commonly known as Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft. He is proof that you can be a Harvard dropout and still become a billionaire, as long as you persistently fight to achieve your dreams.

So, if you plan to join the list of billionaires of the world, start reaching out to your dreams now and be persistent. Just remember to also use some wisdom and learn to be humble because it is in humbleness that we learn.

All work and no play....

One of my most favourite homeworks during my schooldays was essay writing because it does not involve any calculations and well, I can just use my imagination and write anything I want and still get marks from it.

No guesses why I am now a blogger, huh?

Of course, it was not always like that. At one point, especially in college, I find that it takes up too much time to be producing writing assignments while still enjoying some ME time...after all, college is all about finding myself, right?

I remember being made to write a summary essay on a thick boring book and I was struggling like mad over the whole thing. In the end, I did a thoroughly lousy job and got really lousy marks for it. I darn well deserved that since I was too occupied with..err..other diversions to be concentrating on a summary essay.

And then, can you just imagine the amount of time is wasted on writing assignments? Just think, there you are, with a hot date lined up and several parties to go to over the weekend and you have an essay on Shakespeare to complete. That sure does cramp your time a bit...Shakespeare is definitely not an easy subject to be writing about, I can tell you.

Luckily in this age and time, students writing essays on their own at all odd hours of the day to make the deadline is a thing of the past. There are plenty of writing services available on the internet and all you need to do is to hire someone to do the work for you in as fast as 6 hours' time!

Amazing, isn't it? For a small sum of moolah and you could go party all night through and have someone do your homework for you. And it is done professionally too. You can do a google search or even check out Custom Writing which offers rather great writing services.

Anti-PORR people, time to break out the champagne!

To all the Anti-PORR campaigners, it looks like your dream came true because the federal government has decided to shelve this controversial and very much unwanted PORR (Penang Outer Ring Road) project indefinitely.

I read in Malaysiakini here that:

Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister's Department today said that the RM2 billion Penang Monorail and RM1.5 billion Penang Outer Ring Road have been shelved.

MCPX

According to EPU director-general Dr Sulaiman Mahbob, projects that are not people-centred under the original Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) will be put on hold or deferred.

Frankly, I am glad that they shelved the PORR thing. It was a stupid idea in the beginning anyway and let's not forget that the stupid billion ringgit project only serve to line some cronies' pockets.

So, yes, I couldn't agree more that this project is not 'people-centred'. It was definitely more 'crony-centred' right from the beginning. Is the BN government finally seeing sense?

Or did they have this skewed sense that Penangites REALLY wanted the PORR badly so canceling it is a very good way to punish Penangites who dared to mark the cross next to logos that do not look like the scale in the elections.

But then the DPM Najib denies this (according to Malaysiakini):

Met later, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said the deferment of the two Penang mega-projects was not a punishment on Penangites who voted in the opposition-led state government.

"(There is) no question of punishing anyone because (other) essential projects continue to be implemented whether the states are run by Barisan Nasional or not," he told a press conference held at the lobby.

As for the cancellation of the Penang Monorail project, I have mixed feelings about it. For one, at least there is not another project in which all our taxpayers' money (that's TWO blardy BILLION!!) were not spent to line another crony's pockets to complete the monorail project.

For another, we are in dire need of a proper public transportation system in Penang because having only RapidPenang is DEFINITELY not enough! I do not understand the part about this project not being people-centred.

So, providing public transportation is not people-centred, then what is? Projects that give more profits to their cronies? What, are they worried that the DAP-PKR state government will scrutinise the project and expose them so it is better to scrape it for now?

Okay, even if they want to shelve the monorail project because it is too expensive, do they have alternative public transportation projects for Penang? By the looks of it, nope.

First they increase the petrol price, now they do away with an alternative public transportation system here. So, are Penangites supposed to walk and cycle everywhere now?

Yep, we have a really great federal government and I absolutely agree that this does not mean they are punishing Penangites for voting them out. After all, public transportation is not people-centred. It is only for show and to line some cronies' pockets.

If you are one of the idiots who rushed to pump petrol yesterday, you are stupid!

Some people are so stupid.

Okay, not only some people. A LOT of people are so stupid. And kiasu. And brainless. And obviously senseless. Not to mention moronic and idiotic.

The ever great Prime Minister announced an increase in petrol price yesterday so what do most people do?

They make a beeline to the petrol stations, causing massive jams everywhere.

Me, I just want to get home early but no thanks to all those idiots clamouring to pump petrol at the RM1.92 rate, I got stuck for two hours in traffic to travel a short distance from my son's babysitter's house to my apartment.

A journey which normally took me 15 minutes turned into TWO blardy hours of crawling along millions of cars driven by countless other idiots intend on converging on any petrol station they spotted.

Some of them are so stupid that they queued up till 4am!!



See, I was justified to call them stupid idiots. Not bad enough jamming all the roads, some more so stupid to wait till 4am. Gila these people!

If they really do some serious calculations, they will find that they probably wasted more time, money, petrol and energy queuing up for hours just to pump petrol at RM1.92 than the money they seemed to think they had saved by doing this.

Just think lar.

Start of journey: Petrol at half tank
Time started: 5pm

During journey: Petrol down to nearing E
Time: 8pm

At Petrol station: Fill up to full tank
Time: 9pm

Journey back: Petrol plunging down to slightly below full tank
Time: 10pm

Reached home: Petrol is down to only three quarters of the tank
Time: 11pm.

So, just to 'save' say RM10 or RM15, SIX hours was wasted inching along the traffic jam AND more than half tank of petrol was wasted. I seriously do not see how that could save them money.

It all goes back to the same thing because they burnt up more petrol in the queues and jams than putting it in!

Grrrr....some people. Stupid never mind lar but some more caused so much inconvenience to others.

If nothing to do, you can go gawk at Japanese dolls

I have always had this thing for porcelain dolls...especially the part where it could come alive and start terrorising people ala Chucky style...Damn cool, huh?

Okay, okay, my morbid sense for horror aside, there's this free Japanese doll exhibition at the Sun Gallery at Sun-Yat Sen Centre in Macalister Road. No, no, not the 'live' Japanese doll but the porcelain kind that you can see but can't touch.

For more info on this exhibition, here is the news about it taken from our community rag, The Star. By the way, the exhibition is only until May 31 so hurry if you really need to gawk at Japanese dolls in antique kimonos.

A JAPANESE doll maker is giving porcelain dolls an important role to play.

She is turning them into ambassadors of Japanese culture.

Doll maker and antique kimono collector Hiroko Hirano, 60, has been making the ‘ultimate’ porce-lain dolls and dressing them in priceless kimonos that are almost a century old, and more.

Impressive: Hirano holding a porcelain doll dressed in a kimono.

Breathing new life to the antique pieces, she modifies the kimonos and converts them into doll kimonos.

Commonly used for aesthetic purposes, the dolls dressed in kimonos will dazzle admirers with their beauty and more importantly, restore the people’s interest in Japanese culture and kimonos.

“Antique kimonos were very finely-made. In olden days, kimonos were widely worn so there were many skilled kimono makers in Japan. They have since passed on and such fine kimonos are very hard to come by now.

Hiroko with some more of her dressed up dolls.

“I have been collecting these kimonos for 20 years. They are priceless and I feel it would be a shame to just keep them in storage just because they have some holes and faded colours.

“Even in Japan, not many are interested in the kimono anymore. So I want more people to have the chance to admire the beauty of such rare pieces,” said Hirano, adding that her kimono teacher had discouraged her from taking the ‘treasures’ out of Japan.

Kimonos, she explained, were more than traditional costumes as they also represented the spirit of Japanese women.

Another doll, which was dressed up in a miniature antique kimono.

“We call it Yamato-nadeshiko, which refers to the ideal Japanese woman who is gentle on the outside but strong spirited inside,” she said in an interview at her Jalan Thomas home.

Hirano began doll making from a young age as a hobby but as she became more skilled over the years after taking lessons from professional doll makers and doll artists in Australia, United States and Japan, she was inspired to teach others the wonderful art.

She started teaching doll making in Japan last year.

She has been living in Penang for about 10 months and believing that all good things must be shared, she wants to teach doll making here too.

“I started with clay but it was not so interesting so I moved on to porcelain doll making in 1991 and my interest grew.

“I thought only professionals or specialists could make such dolls. I was surprised that I could also learn the art. Now I want to teach others,” she said.

Those who are curious to learn more about her Hiroko Dolls and antique kimonos, can visit her first solo exhibition in Malaysia at the Sun Gallery at Sun Yat-Sen Centre, Jalan Macalister, Penang, from May 17 to 31.

She will be putting up about 40 porcelain dolls clad from top to bottom in antique kimonos and dolls dressed in Western-style clothing made from old kimono fabrics.

Accessories for the dolls like ‘geta’ (Japanese clogs), ‘kinchaku’ (Japanese handbags to go with summer kimonos or yukata) and ‘hagoita’ (wooden bats for traditional bats) will also be on display.

The exhibition will open from 10.30am to 6pm. Admission is free.

Should Kit Siang change his blog post?

If you've been following the news, I am sure you will find that suddenly there is so much interest in bloggers and blogs that the police have a cyber crime unit just to check on blogs and websites to make sure they do not contain so-called seditious statements.

Even in parliament, MP Lim Kit Siang was warned and told to 'correct' his blog post on Kiandee which you can read in his blog. According to Malaysiakini:

Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia has warned Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) to correct remarks in his blog which lambasted deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee for rejecting his motion on Sabah illegal immigrants.

Should Lim fail to do so, he could be liable to disciplinary action similar to that instituted in the past against fellow DAP parliamentarians Karpal Singh (Bukit Gelugor) and Fong Po Kuan (Batu Gajah).

Pandikar also told Lim to make corrections to his press statement on the issue, which was similar to his blog posting.

So now it seems that stating your own opinions in your own personal blogs about the arseholes (you know who I am talking about here) could be construed as seditious or 'baseless organisations'.

Even now, the MCMC are 'investigating 22 websites and blogs' for airing false, pornographic and baseless allegations. According to Deputy Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum they will use the Sedition Act and Penal code in the investigations.

I say enough is enough already.

You lose the two third majority, so deal with it! What is with all this sudden interest to arrest bloggers and punish wakil rakyat bloggers for stating the obvious? Of course, through their skewed sense of right and wrong, what we see as true facts are labeled as 'baseless allegations'.

So, bloggers, you now have two choices. Blog the truth and face possible actions for writing 'baseless allegations' or lie through your teeth and present an even more skewed situation to the public.

Of course, you could always use the third and more popular choice that plagiarists often adopt. No, no, no, not copying other's blogs but use different names.

Say, instead of naming the person/ party you are blogging about, you can use monikers like Bodoh Numbskulls or Najis or Pakcik Kampung or Kerisman or Moron, etc. Unleash your creativity! Also use double meaning to the hilt.

Them morons may or may not know what you are about but heck, it makes it damn difficult for them to prove anything because you can always say that it is a piece of fiction you write for fun. Heh.

Me? I couldn't care less. I am only blogging the truth and what I think. This is my blog and I will blog whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want!

Yes, I am afraid that my big fat butt may get hauled in so I may adopt the third method once in a while if I venture into ultra-sensitive territory....

They are doing good work, so do chip in!

I have heard quite a lot about the amazing good volunteer work by the Buddhist Tzu-Chi Merits Society, especially when the tsunami hit our shores years ago. How they personally go out to the ground and hand out aids in terms of food and cash direct to the victims.

And the wonderful thing about this is that all of the volunteers are very polite, kind and very professional in what they do. I have personally seen how they go from house to house in the tsunami aftermath in Tanjung Bungah to check on the victims, get their names and contact and then give them food on the spot. It is something I have never seen before.

So, in the recent disasters in China and Myanmar, Tzu-Chi volunteers have also moved into action and they are (reportedly) one of the only two charitable organisations allowed in to help cyclone victims in Myanmar. I am sure, over there, the volunteers also personally went down to the ground to distribute aids to the victims instead of just dumping the whole shipment of food and supplies on some local organisation or even the authorities there.

I spoke to some of the volunteers there and it seems that it is a Tzu-Chi policy for them to hand out donations in kind or in cash direct to the victims and not through any middlemen. This is to ensure that all donated items do really reach the victims.

Their first batch of volunteers to Myanmar just came back and now they are planning to go over again to provide free medical clinic to the victims there.

So, I am calling all who wish to help, to donate to Tzu-Chi in order to help the cyclone victims in Myanmar. They are also helping victims in China so, if you want to donate to the victims in China, you can too. Here are the details:

Make your cheques payable to:

BUDDHIST TZU-CHI MERITS SOCIETY MALAYSIA
Please write your particulars on reverse-side of your cheque such as: Name, I/C, Address, Tel no.,and Handphone

Please mail to:
316,Jalan Macalister,10450 Penang, Malaysia

To bank in the money:
Payable to: BUDDHIST TZU-CHI MERITS SOCIETY MALAYSIA

Please write your particulars on the bank-in slip such as: Name, I/C, Address, Tel no.,and Handphone and Fax to 604-2261013

Bank Name: Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank)
Account Number: 507013126489

Bank Name: Public Bank Berhad
Account Number: 3102212517

Alternatively, you can also use online banking to bank in the money to the two bank accounts.

To receive official receipts, please mail them your following information:
- Name
- IC No.
- Postal Address
- Transaction Date
- Donation Amount
- Donation Purpose :International Relief Fund

For more inquiries, please call
604-229 7021 or fax : 604-226 1013
Email: acc@tzuchi.org.my

Website: http://www.daai.com.my

The can of worms that is the PGCC controversy

From all the furore over the controversial multi billion Penang Global City Centre (PGCC) project to the disclosure that it was not even approved yet to hints that it may be one of the largest land scams ever and now legal battle in Penang Turf Club because of this project.

Looks like this project is doomed to be dragged through the courts and to also receive the most negative publicity over these two months after its grand launch back in Oct last year!

The latest update on Malaysiakini on this piece of prime land over at Batu Gantong sees a suit by Penang Turf Club ordinary members Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping and Datuk Lee Choon Hoe against the club committee members "over the deal made with developer Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd to develop the controversial PGCC" (read the news here) and the committee members refuting their claims.

I daren't write much more about this whole issue less I too get dragged into the courts for contempt or whatever, so here is the news and chronology of events regarding the whole PGCC debacle from Malaysiakini:

PGCC imbroglio: Turf Club breaks silence, refutes allegations
May 24, 08 5:23pm

Push has finally come to shove for the Penang Turf Club (PTC) when it broke its long silence today over numerous allegations made by several ordinary members.

In a statement today, the club’s assistant general manager and secretary Leow Khin Ming said PTC has decided to refute the allegations made against them by Tan Kok Ping over the proposed relocation of the club to Batu Kawan in order to prevent confusion among club members and the public.

“The decision to relocate the club from its present site to Batu Kawan was made by the majority of club members at a duly convened extraordinary general meeting held in November 2002.

“(Kok Ping) should not attempt to impose his personal views on the majority decision of club members,” he stated.

Yesterday, Kok Ping and fellow ordinary member Lee Choon Hoe in their own capacity and on behalf of all club members sued the PTC committee members and several others over the deal made with developer Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd to develop the controversial Penang Global City Centre (PGCC).

The suit named PTC committee members Ong Eng Khuan, Robert Chan Woot Khoon, Dr Henry Ooi Kwee Lim, Oon Chong Kie, John Alexander Rodgers, Seow Chin, Tan Phaik Guan, Teh Choon Beng, Ch’ng Chin Ghee, club consultant Muhammed Rizal Abdullah, club financial controller Tan Hock Lim and club assistant general manager and secretary Leow Khin Ming as defendants.

Prior to that, Kok Ping and 12 other ordinary members of the turf club lodged a police report on May 8 alleging that the PTC committee had abused its powers in its dealings with Abad Naluri.

In both actions, Kok Ping alluded that some 580 ordinary members of the well-established horse racing club had been kept in the dark over several agreements signed between the PTC and Abad Naluri.

In 2003, PTC and Abad Naluri signed a preliminary agreement for the sale of some 260 acres of the club’s land for RM488 million in order to develop the PGCC.

Abad Naluri was expected to raise that sum and manage the financing for several years before the PGCC project starts contributing back.

From the RM488 million, RM375 million was designated to build a new racecourse in Batu Kawan in the mainland, relocating PTC’s existing racecourse on the island's prime Batu Gantong land while the remaining RM113 million would be paid to PTC in cash.

However, this agreement had allegedly lapsed and Abad has paid only RM10 million in advances to PTC so far.

Subsequently, a formal agreement was signed on May 12, 2004 which restructured several clauses in the preliminary agreement. Another supplementary agreement was inked on April 1 this year that granted Abad Naluri a renewable extension of three years in fulfilling their contractual terms.

He claims that the committee - as trustees of the club - breached its fiduciary duties and abused their power in selling the premier land without considering its members' interest.

Allegations refuted

Despite the numerous allegations made by Kok Ping, Leow specifically refuted the following:

• Kok Ping recently stated that the Batu Gantang racecourse is a well-known landmark in Penang and that it was a real shame to destroy an iconic heritage.

PTC rebutted saying Kok Ping and his friends have attempted to convince members to develop bungalow units for sale at the club’s present site and use the new profits to build a new racecourse in Batu Kawan since April 2008.

“This is contrary to his public stance that the club should be maintained as an iconic heritage,” said Leow.

• Kok Ping said that he voted against the extraordinary general meeting resolution (to relocate the club) when it was mooted in 2002.

PTC noted that there are no records in the minutes of Kok Ping having spoken against the resolutions but there were other minority members who had opposed the move.

• Liew pointed out that one of the resolutions was to pay every ordinary member RM20,000 each for hardship when the racecourse is relocated to Batu Kawan.

“Three cheques amounting to RM20,000 were sent to Kok Ping in his name and according to the club’s bank statements, these cheques were cleared,” said Leow.

• Kok Ping alleged that the PTC president and two of his staff members signed a supplementary agreement which granted a renewable extension of three years till March 2011 for Abad Naluri to complete building the new racecourse in Batu Kawan.

PTC argued that the club committee did not renew the 2004 agreement with Abad Naluri by a supplementary agreement in 2008. Instead, they “merely imposed a definite time frame for the completion of the new race course in Batu Kawan by March 2011".

“If the PGCC project cannot be carried out for any reason by Abad Naluri, then the committee and members of the club can consider any new proposal for the development of the club by open tender,” said Leow.

• Kok Ping expressed he did not have the intention of running for the PTC presidency or for a committee post.

PTC noted that in 1992, Kok Ping tried unsuccessfully to get elected to the club’s committee. Also, in 1993, he was part of the ‘vision’ team that sought election to the club’s committee but he was defeated.

Leow explained that the club did not want to engage in a media war with Kok Ping because many of his accusations are subject matter of a police report which he lodged.

He said the PTC was also advised by its lawyers to respond fully to all the inaccuracies and disinformation once the police had completed the probe.

The RM25 billion PGCC project has been plagued by controversies after it was launched by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last year.

This include the revelation that the project has not been approved by local government agencies and locals protesting against the massive development in the already-dense island state.

Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, now only you want to talk about ISA?

This goes to show what a suck-up the Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon is! (read the Malaysiakini news below…)

The DAP and PKR have been harping on abolishing the draconian ISA for years now. After all, the stupid act gives the government the absolute power to detain people without a fair trial indefinitely. It is an act against any basic human rights.

But have Gerakan ever issue any statement against it? Nope. Not a single peep.

Wah, then suddenly now, Dr Koh so supportive of the proposal to review the ISA. What the heck. Eh, you worried about Gerakan being relegated to being less than an office boy for Gerakan issit?

Of coz, we really have to give him credit. He managed to suck up to the BN leadership while at the same time act as if he really cared about the ISA detainees. This is what people call kill two birds with one stone, eh?

Pretty smart move you think?

But hor, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, the people are not stupid okay? You think we are blind and stupid and deaf issit? You think we did not notice the deafening silence on the whole ISA issue from Gerakan all these years? You think we will forget all about it the moment you suddenly decided to say that the Hindraf 5 should be released now.

Woi, you might as well start supporting the Hindraf’s cause now while you are at it. What next? When the capricious BN decided to review the NEP, you will also jump in and say ‘ Yes, we welcome the move…etc…etc..***suck up, suck up, suck up***….’

Boy am I glad you were voted out of the state government!

News from Malaysiakini:

Gerakan welcomes ISA review
May 23, 08 3:18pm
Gerakan today urged the government to set up a parliamentary select committee to look into the review of the Internal Security Act, a proposal which was mooted by the government yesterday.

Hoping that the ISA review would eventually lead to some significant changes in the colonial-era security law, Gerakan’s acting president Dr Koh Tsu Koon said that the parliamentary committee can play a role in identifying the changes.

This select committee consisting of members of Parliament from both the government and opposition benches can examine in depth various aspects of the Act and achieve some common ground before tabling for open debate in Parliament,” he said in a statement today.

He added that the proposed review of ISA should make it to be in compliance with basic principles of human rights.

“There should be enough safeguard against various possible and actual infringements on basic human rights.

“The review should also provide more specific definitions and listing of offences which relate to genuine threat to national security, including terrorism,” he added.

The former Penang chief minister said that with clear criteria and enough safeguards, the ISA “will less likely be subject to abuse and the perception that it has been used for political purposes to silence dissenters”.

PM was quite receptive

Yesterday the de facto law minister Mohd Zaid Ibrahim told Parliament that the government would review the law which allows for indefinite detention without trial.

He said that the review - to be undertaken by a study involving Zaid, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar and Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail - will “enhance and update provisions” in it.

“However, as a government that is sensitive towards the public’s demand, it is open to enhancing and updating provisions under the ISA as well as other laws,” he told Parliament.

“Preventive detention is actually still needed in this country. However, there is the possibility of reviewing the Act in future,” Zaid said, without giving a timeframe of when the review will take place.

Responding today, Koh said that Gerakan was one of several parties which have been calling for review or even repeal of the ISA since the 80s.

He also revealed that he has been pursuing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi since April on the need for ISA review.

“The prime minister was quite receptive,” he said.

Release all ISA detainees

Koh also pointed to another parliamentary select committee which was formed in the 80s to look into changes to be made to the Dangerous Drugs Act which also provided preventive detention without trial, just like the ISA.

He said that committee, of which he was a member, was able to come up with some specific provisions to provide for safeguard and the bill was passed in Parliament.

“That committee which comprised opposition members such as Lee Lam Thye was given a very good insight into the various aspects relating to drug trafficking and preventive detention, including difficulties with respect to evidences and witnesses,” he said.

Koh also revealed that in January and February, and again in early April and May this year, he had appealed to Abdullah for the review and release of existing ISA detainees on health, humanitarian and other valid grounds, including the Hindraf 5.

Last week, the Federal Court refused to release five ethnic Indian activists - dubbed the Hindraf 5 - who were fighting for their freedom after being detained under the Act.

The five, including a newly sworn-in state lawmaker, were detained in December after enraging the government a month earlier by mounting a mass rally alleging discrimination against minority ethnic Indians.

That's right, blame the white blouse for social ills and sex crimes

While you are at it, why not blame little children for daring to play in playgrounds as they are inviting perverted pedophiles to kidnap them by blatantly displaying themselves in such a public place.

Also, blame the women for even daring to step out of their homes as it could be construed as they are ‘inviting’ attention to themselves by blatantly displaying themselves in public places.

Don’t forget to blame all the clothes manufacturers for their audacity in producing clothes of any colour except for black such as yellow, blue, red, pink, purple, green or any other shades lighter than black could be construed as sexy.

While we are on a roll here, might as well reintroduce the chastity belt and impose laws to lock up all women and girls behind windowless rooms so that they do not tempt any men just by being there.

Finally, blame God for creating women in the first place to tempt men to commit evils of all kinds.

Seriously.

The root of social ills and sex crimes is more than just a white blouse. It is more than pirated porno materials available everywhere. It is more than the so-called negative western culture presented through the television, internet, etc.

Does this uptight, ignorant Munirah Bahari of the National Islamic Students Association of Malaysia even know what nonsense she is spouting before opening her mouth?

Other bloggers, Lilian and PabloPabla, have already pointed out her foolishness and blatant ignorance.

I however wish to point out that she is but an example of many others in the society who tend to blame everyone and everything from clothing to the victims EXCEPT for the perpetrators and lack of education when it comes to sex crimes.

So, the rapist / pervert / sexual predator were not pinpointed for their sick aversions but the victims were pinpointed for their dressing and their looks.

No rape / sex crime victim ever ‘asked for it’ no matter how she looked like or dressed like. Do you think Nurin asked for it? Do you think the countless young children who were sexually abused and raped asked for it?

In rape cases, it is often about control and not about sex. Even in sexual abuse cases, it is often about control and less about sex. How could raping an eight year old be about sex when the poor child hardly have any breasts? Rape was also one of the main actions in times of war, again, it is about power and control. Not about sex.

It is sad indeed that despite efforts by womens’ organisations like Women’s Centre for Change to change the mindset of the people to think about educating the people to respect women to reduce sexual crime rates, there are still those in society who preferred to blame it all on the victims than on the lack of education to prevent the perps from doing this.

It is also the same for social ills. Education and religious teachings play an important part to curb these. It is not about clothing or lack thereof. If adults, parents and teachers alike, do not play their roles to teach the young and lead by example, what could a simple white blouse do?

If I remember correctly, the Sisters (nuns) in the convent school I went to were dressed in white habits too. I hardly think those are sexy in any way!

On another note, I wore white blouses throughout my schooling days. So did my classmates and schoolmates. Amazingly, none of us were raped or sexually assaulted because of our ’sexy’ attire.

Shucks, if we knew white blouses are sexy, we would not have bothered going to all that trouble smuggling our own clothes in our school bags to change into so that we could go lepak-ing after school in ‘cool’ attire!

Shiissshhhh…how come no one ever told us this all those years ago? Ceh, the guys then must have been blind while the guys now must probably have x-ray vision which can only be thwarted by black or darker coloured clothing.

Next time go dating, ask permission first before you touch!

So a guy hugged and tried to kiss his girlfriend while on a date. The girl, for some reasons known only to her, rejected it eventhough he is her boyfriend but he probably didn't take no for an answer and continued with the hugging.

Luckily, she broke away and ran off to tell her brother who promptly brought reinforcement to catch the guy. They sent the amorous man to the police station and lodged a police report that he had molested his girlfriend.

I don't know...it sounds a bit strange that they are actually a couple and the guy was sent to jail for not accepting the fact that ice princess do not like being touched. Maybe its because the girl is only 19 and the guy is 29 and a rubber tapper at that. Maybe she thinks he is going too fast. Or maybe, she is trying to break off and he tried to persuade her otherwise.

Or were there underlying reasons behind all this? I guess we will never know... What we know is that it never pay to be too amorous, eh? So, guys listen up! Don't take the liberty to touch here touch there thinking your girlfriend won't mind. There are laws in this country and she may have your horny ass hauled in for molest if she doesn't like it! Ask properly and you shall not pay for it this way.

Now, back to the story. The guy got five months jail and today in High Court, where he had appealed against the sentence, the judge was scornful of the other judge who passed the sentence.

"Like this, people dare not go dating anymore," the judge reportedly said.

So, the judge reduced the guy's sentence and fined him RM1,500 instead.

Wah...RM1,500 he could even pay for two hours with the maths genius hooker in UK! And that is not only confined to touchy-feely all but the whole works!

Tsk..tsk..tsk... Although it may seem a mere slap on the wrist to those earning a lot, to this rubber tapper guy who is earning RM200 a month, it is 7 months of pay! Besides, if he can't pay it, he will have to spend 3 months in jail.

So, the moral of this story is, respect thy women be it girlfriends, sisters, mothers, cousins, grandmothers, etc for hell hath no fury than an angry woman out for vengeance!

Women power rules! Mwahahahaha...

Update:

Here's the full article from Star online:

Judge: Five months’ jail for hugging girlfriend is extreme

By PRISCILLA DIELENBERG

PENANG: A High Court judge found that the five-month sentence imposed on a rubber tapper for outraging the modesty of his girlfriend by hugging and kissing her as unwarranted because of the couple’s relationship.

“No one would dare to go dating again with such an excessive punishment, given the relationship. No man would want to ask our anak dara (young women) out anymore.

“This is the reality of life,” said Justice Abdul Rahim Uda

He was hearing an appeal by Mohamad Roslan Zainol, 29, against his conviction and sentence for outraging the modesty of an 18-year-old girl by hugging her at a beach in Telok Molek, Teluk Air Tawar, North Seberang Prai, at 9.30pm on Nov 29 last year.

According to the statement of facts, Mohamad Roslan was the girl’s boyfriend and they had sought shelter under a tree when it began to rain.

He then tried to kiss her and hugged her tight several times, but she struggled free and ran off.

The girl’s brother later took Mohamad Roslan to a police station and lodged a report.

A magistrate’s court in Butterworth had on Dec 3 last year jailed Mohamad Roslan five months after he pleaded guilty to the offence. His family later got him a lawyer and he was allowed stay of execution on the jail term pending the appeal.

Yesterday, Justice Abdul Rahim Uda said the sentence was unwarranted because of the couple’s relationship.

DPP Muna Mohamed Jaafar, who seemed to agree with the judge that the five-month jail term was excessive, said Mohamad Roslan had to be given appropriate punishment as a lesson for him and to those inclined towards such action.

Justice Abdul Rahim dismissed Mohamad Roslan’s appeal against his conviction, but allowed his appeal against his sentence.

In mitigation, Mohamad Roslan’s counsel A. Premanand said his client had repented and promised not to repeat such offences.

Justice Abdul Rahim fined Mohamad Roslan RM1,500 in default three months’ jail.

Update on the abandoned boy case

With all that Datuk Lee Kah Choon episode, I am sure many people have forgotten about the 10-year-old boy, Yeap Jia Hui, who was left to stay alone for the past two years.

For those of you in the dark about this, I wrote about his case here and here.

Since all the MSM is too busy chasing after Kah Choon and the stupid ministers who were in town recently, I decided to check up on what's happening with the poor boy.

So, thanks to my very reliable sources, I found out that the boy is now staying with his grandmother temporarily.

Meanwhile, the exco in charge, Phee Boon Poh, is making sure that the Welfare Department is doing its job to settle all the documentations for the boy to be legally adopted by his grandaunt.

This is the process for now:

1. Welfare Department is preparing assessment reports on the grandaunt to make sure she can be the legal guardian for the boy (and not another adult out to make labourers out of children or some other more sinister things..)

2. The reports will be brought to court for a court order to grant the grandaunt the rights to be the boy's legal guardian and take care of him

3. Court decides and grant the order

4. Boy can legally move in with the grandaunt in Kuantan.

5. Welfare Department here will liaise with Welfare Department there to check on the boy occasionally to ensure that the boy is being well taken care of by the grandaunt - my guess is that normally they won't be bothered but with Phee Boon Poh breathing down their necks, they probably has to do it!

6. The boy will also be sent for professional counseling as he had suffered quite a lot of emotional trauma (of being left to fend for himself) so that he learns how to cope with all this.

Now, I have read somewhere that the boy is not a 'good, studious boy who does his homework' as reported by the MSM. Apparently the boy smokes and sometimes even ponteng school. I strongly feel that it is not the boy's fault at all. Hey, he is only 10!

He was abandoned when he was 8. So how many 8-year-old do you know who are responsible and know the difference between right and wrong without an adult to keep him in check?

So, criticisms against the boy is totally unwarranted. A child is born innocent and pure until he was corrupted by his environment and surroundings. We, as outsiders, would never know what type of environment or surroundings the boy went through in all his 10 years' life. We would never know what type of people or influences he was exposed to. We would also never know the psychological effects of being left alone to fend for himself for two years on a young child like him.

If you really want to criticise, the blame should be on the adults, the people who produced him and left him. They may have their reasons but to me, it is unforgivable for a parent to abandon their own child no matter what.

As a parent, I would rather die than leave my child to fend for himself at such a young age. If only every parent, fathers and mothers, can be like the father in the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, (acted by Will Smith and his son), we won't have anymore abandoned children in this world!

Changes on the way...

In order to serve you better (HAH!), this site is changing and will be moving home to its very own domain very, very soon.

Well, actually, honestly, it is not to serve you better but to give me more headaches trying to figure out Wordpress and its plugins and widgets from hell....heheheh...

So, lookout for a brand new Penang Views and News site coming up near you. You can access and read it anywhere, everywhere and anytime as long as you have internet connection!

Oh, you can already do that now...

What's so different, you ask? Err... I dunno la. Been reading around other blogs and some auntie keep harping on how great it is to have own domain and etc and how great her hosting company is that I rushed and immediately signed up with Bryan.

What to do, I am a typical kiasu Penangite mah.

So, due to the pindah rumah, I may not be posting as much entries the next few days because I will be too busy struggling with Wordpress. Besides, all the MPs (including CM) are out of town in Parliament so probably not much going on in the political scene locally...

Remember, keep a lookout for the brand new, shinier website coming up soon!

Looking for study options or looking for food?

Well, there's a 'My Career and Education Fair 2008' at Pisa this weekend so if you are thinking of furthering your studies or wondering what you want to be other than being a blogger, head on over to the fair.

I won't know if it's any good because I haven't been to any of these things for ages! I am way beyond help when it comes to education...heheheh

Also, for those hungry ghosts out there, there's a charity food fair coming up this Sunday. It is a two-in-one event. You get to eat and you get to help cancer patients! What a deal. Seriously. Okay, okay, so the eats aren't free but hey, it is to help poor cancer patients and you have to eat right?

So, don't forget to go to:

Ho Chiak Charity Food and Fun Fair 2008

Venue: Mount Miriam Hospital

Date: Sunday, April 27

Time: 10am - 3pm

As a bonus, all of you who wants to meet the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng may get to see him there! I heard he is officiating the fair at 10am.

If you don't know how to go there, just call 04-8907044 for directions. Or check out their website at: www.mountmiriam.com.

Pikom PC Fair is a death trap!

They have created a death trap, if ever a fire broke out, at the Pikom PC Fair in Pisa!

Firstly, the stalls are all so crammed together that the walkways are narrow and with the huge crowd there, it isn't very easy to get around.

Secondly, they have this REALLY STUPID idea to have one entrance and one exit. That's not the worse of it, they partitioned off the entrance so if you are on the other side of the concourse, you will have to walk ALL AROUND to the entrance if ever you need to get out in a hurry. The exit is on the lower ground so those who had walked around the concourse, go downstairs to the indoor stadium to check out the stalls and came up to the concourse again, will find that they have no way out but to go back down.

I do not see the point of this at all as there was no entrance fees. Since each and every single stall has so many staff to push their items at you, I would hardly think it is that easy for thieves to steal expensive stuffs like, say, a notebook (which are all locked, anyway).

As for the fair itself, if you are looking for cheap DVDs, CDs, thumb drives, memory sticks, memory cards and other techie accessories, then, going to the Pikom PC Fair is a good idea. Some of these items are being sold quite cheap and much lower than market rate.

A word of advice, though, go early as the crowds there are truly unbelievable and you may not get a good parking spot!

Other than that, well, it is not so great la. Most of the more expensive stuffs such as notebooks and some cameras are being sold at normal market prices...maybe with discounts of RM50 or so or worse, stupid free gifts that you do not need.

To prove my point, I went and checked out the prices of HTC Touch, my PDA phone, and found that there were no special discounts, no special packages and no special free gifts. It is the same as going to the shops on normal days to buy it. I also checked out wireless modems and the discounts were only between RM20 to RM50 or some of it the prices are the same but it includes unwanted free gifts.

The only good thing about the Pikom PC Fair is that all of the techie shops are concentrated in one place and it makes surveying and scouting for the best prices the shops can offer for certain items easier.



The Pikom PC Fair at Pisa is until Sunday and open from 11am to 9pm.

Lucky Flower

Look longer, the luck may rub off on you !

Ever heard of the Chinese phrase 'tik chu kai hua' - literal translation 'iron plant blossoming'?

Well, being an ang moh sai (English educated), I have not heard of it before until this nondescript GOOD LUCK plant blossomed at a friend's house and everyone practically made a huge fuss about it!

It seems that it is very, very, very rare for this plant to 'kai hua' so it is often that this 'tik chu kai hua' phrase was used in the same context as, say, 'when pigs fly'. I think.


It is also believed that if this plant were to produce blossoms, then the owner will reap the 'benefits' in the form of GOOD LUCK in everything. It could be a promotion, an unexpected windfall, maybe even strike the lottery?

It is also believed that those fortunate enough to see its blossoms will also similarly get GOOD LUCK!

Muahahahah...I just bought a lottery ticket, does that mean I am going to strike it rich and be able to 'fire' my boss?

Oh, well, superstitious it may sound but hey, no harm looking at flowers right? It is not as if we are required to eat it or anything! And yes, these pictures are of the GOOD LUCK plant and its blossoms.

So, if after looking at these pictures and you strike 4D, don't forget to belanja me huh?

Mickey's Amazing Journey

I went on five journeys with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Daisy recently and though the whole ride was pretty fun, it wasn't what I'd spend good money on!

A scene from Peter Pan

The Disney On Ice - Amazing Journey show is great entertainment for the little ones and even some adult die-hard Disney fan.

101 Dalmations

Perhaps my expectations were high but I find it a bit of a let-down. Although my toddler enjoyed every minute of it, I find myself getting bored after the first few scenes.

In the journey, the five Disney hosts takes viewers to the lion's den (Lion King) and from there to the doghouse (101 dalmations) and then on to the bottom of the sea (Little Mermaid). The costumes were beautiful but I find the props a bit lacking. The background was bare most of the time except for some special lighting effects. The music is...well...it is Disney so the music are those you hear in the related animated films.

The hosts of the whole journey

After an intermission of about 20 minutes or so, the journey continued on to Hawaii (Lilo & Stitch) and ended spectacularly with the boy who doesn't grow up (Peter Pan). There was, of course, a finale where all the characters came out and skated around but it wasn't very impressive as there were just too many and it ended up looking like a bunch of colourfully dressed people fighting for space in the makeshift skating rink.

A scene from Peter Pan

The finale

So, in short, this is what I think of the show:

Entertainment value: Good for children, okay for Disney fans, nothing great for others

Costs: Not worth the ticket price of between RM55 and RM205. If it is between RM30 and RM100, then it is just nice.

Costumes: Pretty good

Music: The same Disney theme songs for the animated films

Watch again: Only if my kid insisted on going and I can get a discount or free tickets again...

Fun factor: 6 / 10

Shocking frontpage news!

I never imagine that I could ever say this about the MSM but today's frontpage commentary by NST was a really GOOD one!

NST says:
Get on with the job

IT’S been five weeks since the general election. The Barisan Nasional was returned to power, albeit with a smaller majority and the loss of five states. Despite the shock of the result, it was still a mandate that no one could argue with, not even Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his wildest allegations of electoral fraud. But what has Umno, the leading partner of the coalition and largest party in parliament, been doing since March 8? Bickering, pointing fingers, baying for vengeance and doing everything imaginable except rolling up its sleeves and getting down to the work of governing.

Enough is enough.

People are getting fed up with Umno’s moaning and groaning, the political wayang and sandiwara its cast of characters is playing up and down the country.

The truth is that the people have long been disgusted with the kind of boorish, loutish behaviour that Umno leaders had exemplified because of their grip on power since independence in 1957.

Brandishing the kris was hurtful to the non-Malays but the party leadership did nothing to take the Umno Youth chief to task for the menacing and insulting gesture. Which was why he was emboldened to repeat it and provide extra impetus for the Chinese and Indians to abandon the BN at the polls.

It also did not go unnoticed that the leadership put up with the racist and inflammatory rhetoric of the delegates at the televised 2006 Umno general assembly.

Then there was the desecration of the temple under the watch of the then Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo which did so much to outrage the Hindus throughout the country and turn them against the ruling coalition. And Dr Khir had the cheek to award a broom to a local council president, when neither he nor the party president could control the warlords who held the party to ransom over the choice of candidates, and stabbed the party in the back when they did not approve of the candidates.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is now paying for these and other acts of omission, including the undeliverable promises of change that he made when he first became prime minister in 2003.

Every other day, he has had to deflect attacks by party members and ex-leaders who conveniently have absolved themselves of any fault. But every day that he is sidetracked by party bickering is another day affairs of state are neglected — the nation and the people are the losers.

Abdullah has said that he has got the message; he has accepted responsibility for the unkept pledges; and this time, he vows he will deliver on his promises and set the country in order before he retires.

That is, in fact, the verdict of his mandate, and he should be allowed to get on with it. But all the worms crawling out of the Umno woodwork — especially the retired and those with shelf lives past due who have found new breath in their calls for a party coup — won’t let him.

They don’t get it. Abdullah is not solely to be blamed and everything will not suddenly be all well again if he goes. Umno from the roots to the high branches all have to share the blame for their silence, their greed, arrogance and shenanigans that have turned off voters. So stop the navel-gazing and infighting.

If they have to fight among themselves, at least have the decency to keep it civilised and behind closed doors. They don’t have to drag the whole country through their infernal politicking.

There are more important things than private peeves and settling of scores.

Neither the brewing crisis over soaring food prices nor other major issues are going to wait for Umno to put its own house in order. Now is the time for the grand old party to move on, do the things its leaders have promised and show that it still has what it takes to lead the nation.