Air crash in Taiping

Air disasters are supposed to be rare, due to the stringent precautions taken before flights. Still, in recent times, they seem to occur quite frequently and mysteriously in a row. Take the case of the months of June and July of this year. Within those 2 months there was a spate of 4 air disasters! Read on.

From: www.wikipedia.com

On June 1, 2009, Air France Flight 447 crashed when flying through a severe storm over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil. All 228 passengers and crew were killed.

On June 30, 2009, Yemenia Flight 626 crashed in the sea while attempting to land in Moroni, Comoros. There was one survivor among the 153 people aboard.

On July 15th, 2009, Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 crashed near the village of Jannatabad after its tail caught on fire. All 153 passengers and 15 crew on board have been reported as dead.

From: www.beirut-online.net

On July 24,2009, An Iranian passenger plane, Ilyushin Il-62 jet was flying from Tehran to mashad, crashed after requesting an emergency landing, killing at least 16 and injuring no less than 21.

Are these just accidents or someone or something is trying to tell us something? We can only wait!

I was encouraged to muse a little on the disasters because an air crash just occurred in my home town of Taiping, recently, on Sunday, August 16, 2009. A newly-assembled Jetpod plane also known as ‘flying taxi’ belonging to the British-based Avcen Ltd crashed at the Tekah airstrip in Taiping while trying to take off, killing its inventor, Briton, Michael Robert Dacre. It was a test flight and he was piloting the plane himself.

Dacre, 53, was also the managing director of Avcen Ltd Malaysia which is based at Patimas Technology Centre in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. He had wanted the eight-seater 'flying taxi' ready by 2010. The Jetpods are able to take off and land within short distances.

Picture on the left shows the actual Jetpod planes. On top is the plane that crashed. ( from: The Star Online-18-8-09)

Michael Jackson Lives On!

Truth to tell, I had thought that Michael Jackson’s burial had followed his memorial service on the July 7, 2009. I am quite sure that many in the nations other than USA had thought so, too.

We, in our group of friends, had in fact talked about the matter of Christians keeping the body of the dead for two weeks before burial. Therefore, it comes as a shock to us that Michael Jackson’s body has yet to be buried! And it will only go under (forgive me for using this slang – I am excited!) on August 29, 2009, after two months!

It was our fault, too. We had not followed up thoroughly. We had resigned ourselves to the reality of accepting the fact that Michael Jackson was ‘dead and buried’, where else Michael Jackson had been ‘living’ (lying) all this while!

Well, off I go, I have some explaining to do to my wife.

Supporters of 'Khan'tempt

Shahrukh Khan’s supporters in India burnt the flag of the United States, yesterday, expressing their anger for the Newark Airport’s Immigration authorities for detaining and questioning him for about 2 hours, in the early morning of August 15, 2009.

Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan may be the superstar of the Hindi world or the whole of India. Or even the whole world, if you want. But that was a poor reason, and indeed a very pitiable one at that, to burn the flag of a nation. If they had shown their displeasure by marching and handing over a memorandum to the relevant authorities or representatives or by demonstrating with banners, or by other civilized ways then the world would have felt sorry for their unhappiness for the ‘abnormal’ reception given to their idol. But to go to the extent of burning the flag! This is certainly not acceptable. One can only feel contempt for this uncultured faction.

Perhaps, they had also remembered the incident of a few weeks ago when a man of stature in the form of no other than the former Indian President Abdul Kalam was frisked by personnel of USA’s Continental Airlines at New Delhi Airport. But still, to vent their anger by burning an innocent flag? This act does indeed deserves scorn.

Dream On!

I have a dream

To dream like Dr Martin Luther King Jr

That one day our nation will be one and not divided by race, religion, schools, festivals, languages or jobs.

1 race – the Malaysian race – Everyone can practice everyone’s customs and traditions.

1 religion – Malaysianism, if you please – a combination of all religions. No conversions. Anyone can enter anyone’s place of worship and pray!

1 festival – Malaysian festival – Whole Malaysia celebrates the festival in every cultural ways it has, once only every year.

1 language – English – all Malaysians intertwining smoothly with the language. At home they speak their own mother tongue.

1 school - teaching in the English medium and the vernacular languages for home use. Even the villagers speak good English!

1 restaurant – anyone can enter any restaurant and consume any food he wants there and then. Malaysians from all roots is seen having meals at one place eating anything they like.

Let me dream some more!

The armed forces consist mainly of Chinese, Indians. It is very difficult to see the Malays. It is the same in the government departments – difficult to see a Malay.

The Malays move the Malaysian economy. Everywhere you see there are only Malay businesses -shops, factories, firms and the likes. Only a few Indian and Chinese shops strewn here and there. Cities and towns are mainly made up of the Malay populace. The Chinese and Indians are toiling in the paddy fields. The kampongs are mainly made up of Chinese and Indian inhabitants.

Please stop my dream! It is getting to be a nightmare!

The Great Swine Flu

The pandemic influenza A(H1N1), seems to be running out of control. In the initial stages, there was only 1 death after two weeks. Now, there are a few deaths occurring daily. There is the lingering fear that your loved ones could be next. 

It is hoped that the government administrators and the medical authorities do not take a calm stance and tell the public not to be overly alarmed at the first sign of flu. And that, most flues tend to go off without treatment and that the sufferer should just stay at home and not overcrowd the hospitals.

Looking at the increasing cases of infection and deaths, it is time for the nation to seek foreign help to curtail the menace called Influenza A(H1N1). Even WHO representative for Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore, Dr Hans Tieru had said that this pandemic is going to stay for more than a year, and that Malaysians should not take the pandemic lightly, as it was spreading rapidly, infecting many and killing several every day.

The time has come for the administrators and politicians, at large, to put all other things aside and give priority to the grappling with. and find a solution to, the flu situation.

Stop having ceramahs and gatherings, to prevent grouping together of people. Travelling overseas on official, business or personal requirements should be given a lengthy thought.

Currently, the medical world is only providing us with Tamiflu to combat this deadly pandemic. Other alternatives should be made available through research and collaborations.

Tragedy at Tanjung Karang - Malaysia

6 persons were killed, yesterday, due to leakage of noxious ammonia gas from a faulty refrigeration system of a make shift cooler tank used for storing fish. This happened at a jetty in the fishing village of Kampung Bagan Pasir in Tanjung Karang. Three others were warded at the Tanjung Karang Hospital.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director, Soiman Jahid said this was the first time that the department has to respond to a case such as this. This could be even be a first for Malaysia, where 6 people have perished from inhaling noxious gases in Malaysia.

News of deaths by accidents on the roads, by diseases of the unexpected nature, and deaths in hands of the lawless persons, being the norm, that always gets into the pages of the papers, this, indeed, comes as a shock.

Tragedy could strike from any corner any time. It is our very most task to get ourselves prepared for the calamity, in the way of machines, materials of safety and mental preparation and probability.

About ammonia(dictionary.com):

a colorless, pungent, suffocating, highly water-soluble, gaseous compound, NH3, usually produced by the direct combination of nitrogen and hydrogen gases: used chiefly for refrigeration and in the manufacture of commercial chemicals and laboratory reagents.

About Tanjung Karang:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tanjung Karang is a main fishing and paddy growing town in Selangor, Malaysia. It is loosely translated into English as the " Cape of Corals" It is located in the district of Kuala Selangor about 15 kilometers away from the town of Kuala Selangor. The town of Tanjung Karang is divided by Sungai Tengi river at the middle and connected with a bridge. The word Tanjung is also sometimes spelled as Tanjong but still refers to the same place. Most of the local Chinese live in urban and sea side (Bagan) area to carry out economic activity, while most Malays live in rural areas and carry out agricultural activity especially rice cultivation.

People Power In Stadiums

A day after the mass rally protest against ISA, Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak said that the protests caused many inconveniences to the other populace of Malaysia. Traffic jams were massive and many, business affected, the public delayed greatly in reaching their destinations, etc. To solve these inconveniences he said that future protests should be held in places far away from the main town or city center, and the stadiums were the best choice. He said the protesters could shout their voice coarse and do all the heroics.

Well,...ahem... why not? How about throwing in a football match to attract more protesters? Better still, if the match was between the pro and anti participants of the issues there would be reasons to shout the voice coarse! In between the games, you can do the Mexican waves, while yelling out the objections! Wow! What a spectacle that would make! Ho! Ho!

Or, have a concert, with the top celebrities of the nation doing their stuff; singing, ‘jogetting’, rocking, break-dancing or whatever. Dance and shout along your grudges!

Or, have a kart race! Have the opposed issues labeled on the karts separately. Shout your voice coarse. See which issue-kart wins! Have your day!

Have tickets issued to the protest-cum-entertainment functions, with draws, and prizes offered to the winning tickets. A Proton Exora or two, tickets to the football world cup finals in South Africa! Alternatively, several home theatre systems, motor cycles and whatnots. And Wow, again! That would surely pull in protesters in the thousands!

Seriously, the main purposes of the protests are to attract the public’s attention to the issues at hand. This can only be effectively achieved by inevitably giving some discomfort to public at large. Having the protests at an isolated place like the stadiums will only let the issues stay hidden and unnoticed forever. The government or the authorities concerned will tend to give a blind eye to the plights of the people.

The police should not always take protests as a threat to the stability of the nation. In fact suppressing protests will do more harm than good in a civilized world of ours. It will encourage and kindle more protests. The police need to be more people friendly and give permits to parades and protests. Giving permits do not necessarily mean that they are against the government of the day. They would be only carrying out duties as its institution demands. However, conditions should be attached. The protests should not be chaotic and violent in nature. No screaming and yelling should be allowed by the organizers. The crowd should disperse quietly and in an orderly manner when the time limit is up. The place where the protests were held should be as intact as before the demonstrations - nothing broken and no rubbish strewn on the area. The protests should not involve the palaces. It is not right and proper. The people elected the government of the day and why should they run to the palaces whenever there were some grievances? They can always elect the persons or the administrators of the nation that they think can serve them best, at the elections to come.

If the civilities were followed both by the police and the protesters then FRUs, water canons and tear gases would be things of the past.

Look! Books!

Books really cost a bomb, for the average person, that is. Today I went to the Popular Bookstore in Taiping, just to look around. I like books. Nobody can connect with you like books. No, not even your close of kin. A book in your hand, and you can let your imagination run wild, or sober, as suits the situation in the book. And a bit more!

Moving on, in the bookstore, I let my eyes and hands get busy on the front and back covers of the books in the ‘Non Fiction’ shelves. Just the covers because I am one who thinks that someone is always watching me and I did not want to let them assume that I am reading the books for free. Such a sensitive bloke, that’s me (sic). Even if I open the books, it will be just for a flip second!

The covers always have some minor details about the books and more importantly, the price tag.

The book by Obama – ‘The Audacity of Hope’ – had the tag of RM33.90. Some hope!

Marina Mahathir’s ‘50 Days RantingsByMM’ cost RM19.50. If 50 days of rantings cost so much I wonder how much a whole year’s rantings will cost! (No hard feelings, Marina. Just joking!)

On the other hand, ‘Dr Mahathir’s Selected Letters To World Leaders’ cost a cool RM49.90! Just letters, mind you. What a killing by the publishers! Secrets revealed, perhaps?

A book ‘An Autobiography - M.K. Gandhi’ was also at hand. Poor Gandhi, with his old and haggard face on the cover, was just waiting for RM10.00. A kind and simplistic soul to the end.

Lim Kit Siang’s ‘Time Bombs In Malaysia’ turned out to be one of the bombs all right - RM50.00!

The smiling face of ‘Najib Razak’ will certainly make you smile back at him. The book cost just RM19.90, quite low for a Prime Minister.

On the contrary, ‘Michelle Obama’ with her face in a charming grin on the book cover of her ‘biography by Liza Mundy’, may make you grin back, but only for a short while, up to the time you see the price tag of RM49.50.

Sorry, folks. I did not buy any of those, what with me being just an average person. But don’t you worry. Average persons do have a rage to get what they want, sometime or other. Ha! Ha! I am coming back to get Gandhi and Najib first.

I just quietly slipped out of the place. On the way out, my eyes dropped on the evergreen Reader’s Digest. It costs RM15.00 now. It cost only RM1.20 when I was schooling! Oh, well, book-price and tide waits for no man!

The Beer Summit

As we all know, President Obama had used an unfortunate word to describe the action of Sgt Crawley, on July 16, in arresting Professor Gates Jr. He realized his mistake and decided to make amends, by calling over the sergeant and the professor to his mansion, at the white house, and have a beer or two with them, to neutralize the situation. Vice President Joe Biden was invited. 

Taking the cue, the American media, gleefully, arose to the occasion, by terming the get together as the ‘beer summit’!

Having a casual beer together seems to be another approach by Obama, to solve a small domestic misgiving.

Well, and good. But suddenly, this thought came into my mind. What if the sergeant had been a Muslim? Can the Islamic overseers allow such acts of diplomacy? Clearly not. Not with alcohol-consuming being one of the no nos of Islam. The most they can do is to have a ‘mineral water summit’, but that is rather unattractive. The parties involved may refuse to turn up! A ‘grape juice summit’, perhaps? Or an apple juice? Or...no, I had better stop here! Well, folks, time to reminisce about the favourite drink of your country!

Just in case your beer-drinking historian asks you when was the Beer Summit held, the answer is Thursday, July 30, 2009!

Missing the news

How many of you have your newspapers delivered to your house daily, thrown perhaps, over your fence, often giving you a jump, wherever you are? Or tucked nicely in the gates. Or do you buy the daily from the shops nearby? I am one of those who buy theirs from shops around.

Well, the topic is not on how we obtain our daily dose of news and knowledge. Let’s leave it to the vendors and move on.

This morning - Tuesday August 5, 2009 – I was comfortably seated in my chair with nothing to do, just waiting for the breakfast from my good wife. I had not bought my newspaper yet, so I just took a paper lying on the desk beside me to while away the time and was surprised to see a news that I had missed. The paper was the Starmetro. Surprised, because the news was about a place in my town, about Bukit Larut. The date was 28 July 2009! Who would not like to read what was happening in one’s own place. And I had unconsciously given it a miss! The news was about an erosion issue.

I wonder whether I am alone in this kind of inobservance. Or, are there still others with this predicament. Sorry folks, I hope there are! Otherwise, I will be painting myself as an inobservant and careless cuss, and that is not a good accolade to give oneself, is it not? If others are also experiencing it, then I am saved! I am normal!

Coming to the erosion issue, there was this article that caught my eye:

State Health, Local Government, Consumer Affairs, Environment, Public Transportation and Non-Islamic Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said the developer was now clearing the land for the project’s septic tank system.

Wow! Look at the man; he is the chairman in so many portfolios! He should be loaded with cash! But this can only mean that competent personalities are hard to come by in Perak.

The Datuk has to be everywhere. No proper rest is being given to him. My heart bleeds for him. Will someone please stop this bleeding, by lessening the burden on Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon’s shoulders? Find some qualified and capable individuals for the state.

Well…... on second thought, I think it is okay, as long as he does not send his Public Transportation representative to attend a Non-Islamic Affairs Talk!

There seem to be people with more portfolios than him! Only hope they do not mix up their representatives.

ISA protests - a day to remember

Yesterday - August 1st 2009 - was a big day in Malaysia, especially in KL, the Malaysian capital, for it was there a huge crowd, which had never been seen before, gathered, to show opposition to the draconian Internal Security Act or (un)fondly called as the ISA. Draconian, because the act stipulates police to arrest people and put them away in the detention camps without judge and jury for a maximum of 2 years. Big day, because such huge sea of people had never gathered before to oppose an act of law passed by the government, several years before. Previously, there had only been scattered protests here and there. ‘Huge’ crowds denotes over 15,000 people, quite a voice to contend with.

The police were kept busy from the previous day, putting up roadblocks, diverting traffic, scrutinizing and scanning for over zealous participants. On the day itself, the protest, which had started off peacefully, ended up in disarray and chaos, as the police and Federal Reserve Units (FRU) battled with the crowd to disperse them. Chemically infused water and tear gases were unleashed at the crowd to defeat their mob like enthusiasm mingled with fury.

 Several protesters had been arrested. They had gone to present an anti ISA memo to the Palace, which, in the end, they were unable to do so. 

However, it is being hailed as a big success due its propensity to attract the world’s attention. The media, too, were in chaos, unable to declare the correct estimation of the crowd in numbers. TV2 said there were around 10,000 and TV7 said 15,000. The online media, Malaysiakini estimated the number to be in the region of 20,000. Crowds do create havoc to the systems! Time to change.

From Astro with love!

(posted this blog on star online blog - malaysia)

This morning, I received a letter from Astro, saying it has increased its sports package, by a whopping RM12 per month, with immediate effect! Next month’s bill will show the new total to be paid.

Doesn't the government have any control on this matter, the price increase, by Astro? Are only the rich allowed to be fans of sports?

This is the result of having only one company to monopolize the satellite channels. It can increase prices at its own whims and fancies.

I am not wealthy. I am on to Astro mainly for the world news and the live sports coverage. I will gladly accept if Astro can provide the sports package alone, so will thousands of others.

The price increase by Astro seems to be well timed, what with the World Cup Soccer finals being held just next year.

Relax!

Times have changed

1. Gone are the days when priests used telepathy to communicate. Now they use hand phones!

2. Gone are the days when boys going out in the evening to play football would come back with their legs weak. Nowadays they come back with their fingers weak!

3. Gone are the days when you can buy a notebook for 20 cents. Now they cost a few hundred dollars!

4. Gone are the days when you cannot sing when brushing your teeth. Now you can shout all you want with the teeth in your hands.

5. Gone are the days when you used a postman to send your letters. You are the postmaster now! Sending emails!

Answers from students

History teacher: Who discovered the radio?

Response 1: When did it go missing?

2: Which one? Yours or ours?

3: My brother found one behind the tree.

4: Still could not be found. Shall I make a police report?

Geography teacher: Where is Liberia?

Response 1: Who is she?

2: Went to the loo, I think.

3: Hey, Liberia! Where are you?

4: Is she the Statue of Liberty?

Teacher to student: What is the meaning of this?

Student: Well, ‘this’ means the matter or object near you.

Top news of the day

(The Star Online)Monday July 27, 2009

Yasmin Ahmad laid to rest

By NURBAITI HAMDAN and ZALINAH NOORDIN

PETALING JAYA: Award-winning director Yasmin Ahmad, 51, was laid to rest at the SS22 Muslim Cemetery yesterday.

My Comment: Innumerable tributes are pouring in for this great woman. Her contributions to the development of the Malaysian cinema saw no racial boundaries. Her extraordinary talent as a film and advertising director (has won several notable awards) was admired and praised by all the races in Malaysia. This is why her demise is such an heartbreaking news for the Malaysians.

On 7, 2Monday July 2009 (the Starline)

Gates reassures Israel on U.S.-Iran strategy

By Jim Wolf

My Comment: Looking at the title, one can be excused for wondering whether Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates JR. was such an important person that his assurance was very important to Israel, what with the news of his skirmish with Sgt James Crowley of Cambridge Police Department just having been news casted recently! Ha! Ha! Read on!

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates moved to reassure Israel on Monday that Washington's bid to talk Iran into giving up sensitive nuclear work was worth pursuing, despite the reticence so far from Tehran.

My Comment: Oops! Wrong Gates…eh? Luckily no recent eye-catching news about Bill Gates!

Obama in hot soup

An article in a newspaper:

Obama says police acted 'stupidly' in arrest

By ANNE GEARAN, Associated Press Writer

Wed Jul 22, 10:09 pm ET

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said Wednesday that police acted "stupidly" in the arrest of prominent black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and that despite racial progress blacks and Hispanics are still singled out unfairly for arrest.

…………………

"Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof he was in own home," Obama said during a prime-time news conference that otherwise focused on the health care debate.

Well, President Obama seems to have got himself into a problem that he didn’t want, by using the adjective ‘stupid’ to describe the action of Cambridge police.

Though all the while I have been saying I was a great admirer of President Obama, I do have to say that President Obama should not have said the word that he said. He himself seemed to have 'acted stupidly’ by saying that the police ‘acted stupidly’ in arresting Harvard scholar, Gates. One may be forgiven for saying that success has gone into Obama’s head, incapacitating him to act or say things with detachment, without prejudice. In the first place, he could have at least said words like ‘the Cambridge police were wrong in this case’ or better still, ‘the sergeant was wrong’. Unfortunately, due to his ignorance of the consequences, he had implicated the police force by saying that the Cambridge ‘police’ had acted ‘stupidly’. Now the police forces of the world will be eagerly watching the outcome of this ‘stupid’ utterance, not to mention the expectation of the police force of USA, of an act of penance from their president.

The only honourable way out for the President Obama is to say sorry to Sgt James Crawley, the Cambridge police and the general police force of USA, and that too, immediately. Any delay by explanations and excuses will only aggravate the situation, what with his popularity poll already going on the downside with the economy still not on the recovery road. Already, it has been said that in Cambridge, police union members have held a news conference in solidarity behind Sgt Crawley and are requesting a formal apology from Obama for his emotional outburst.

Unifying Through Soccer

About 85,000 Malaysian soccer fans watched the first game between Manchester United and Malaysia on July 18, 2009. What a huge crowd! This, clearly, shows that Malaysians are, indeed, passionate about football. A sea of red - the Manchester United FC colour - was seen markedly around the Bukit Jalil Stadium. According to a news article printed in a Malaysian daily, one jersey itself costs RM259. Only a devoted soccer fan will come forward with that amount of money, to purchase a jersey, that he was going to wear for only a few hours in a year.

Football has that much hold on the people of Malaysia, attracting huge crowds whenever a good game is in store; crowds of all races, religion and creed. Now, this game can be used to promote unity amongst the Malaysians. 

Actually, true sports does not recognize human colour. One who is capable and is wiling to strive for excellence, excels in his sport. And one who excels in the sport that he has chosen, will be, in turn, chosen by the officials of authority of that sports to represent the country. That’s fine, and that’s the way it should be. And that is exactly what has been done by the sports authorities in Malaysia. Congratulations to them. However, sadly, that is where the predicament of displaying unity in sports lies. Take that game of Manchester United and Malaysia, for instance. Malaysia, being comprised of various races, it was very conspicuous. We could only see the Malay and Indian players on the field, that day. Sadly, not even one Chinese player was on the field, let alone on the bench. Agreed that the managers and the coaches chose only the best players around, but in Malaysia, where, we are aiming for unity of the races, through the 1Malaysia concept, they should have chosen at least one Chinese player to represent the nation. Just imagine, what good that should have done to uplift the spirit of the Malaysian citizens of Chinese roots!

Good Chinese players are abound in Malaysia. One could see them enjoying football in the fields around the nation. They have their clubs. They are not strangers to football. We have seen the likes of Soh Chin Aun, James Wong, Ong Yu Tiang, Kang Hung Meng, just to mention a few of the football greats of the past. Therefore, to say that there aren’t any good Chinese players to pick would be an understatement.

Currently, there are Chinese players playing for the states. If they can play for the states, they should be good enough to play for the nation, after having given the necessary training and coaching. Surely, we can choose at least one of them and expose him to international football, develop him and utilize him for the holistic purpose of instilling the feeling of pride and oneness of all Malaysians. He may not be on par with the others in the team, but this is where flexibility and a bit of backwards bending are called for, in support of the nation’s vision of 1Malaysia. 

Who knows, after regular exposure to vigorous and quality football we may yet see another Soh Chin Aun or Ong Yu Tiang.