Penang to have water taxis

Wednesday July 15, 2009

By MANJIT KAUR

GEORGE TOWN: The public can travel faster between various places on Penang island and Seberang Prai with the introduction of water taxis which is expected to take-off by the end of next year.

Penang Port Commission (PPC) chairman Tan Cheng Liang said the project was approved by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) council meeting recently.

She said the PPC, which mooted the idea, had identified 10 proposed coastal points for the service.

She said the sites on the mainland are Butterworth, Bagan Ajam, Pulau Aman and Nibong Tebal, and Weld Quay, Tanjung Bunga, Teluk Bahang, Tanjung Tokong, Pantai Jerejak and Batu Maung on the island.

Tan said the water taxis will greatly help to reduce travelling time between various places in the state.

“For example, it will take more than two hours for the public to travel from Bagan Ajam in Butterworth to Batu Ferringhi on Penang island as they will have to take a ferry and then a bus.

“But with the water taxis, it will only take them about 30 minutes,” she said at a press conference here yesterday.

Tan said the service would be useful for those staying in Seberang Prai but working in Bayan Lepas factories or Batu Ferringhi hotels.

“It will also ease traffic congestion on the island and be an alternative mode of transport when there are traffic snarls on Penang Bridge.

“The service will provide new job opportunities and spur the tourism industry,” she said.

Tan said the service would be implemented by the Northern Corridor Implementation Agency (NCIA) under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

“The Federal Government has allocated RM50mil for the state water transportation services,” she said.

She said a consultant would be engaged to carry out a study on the project feasibility, the popularity of the routes and geographical impact.

“The consultant will take about three to four months to conduct the study,” she added.

NCIA senior vice-president Christopher Tan Chie Kiong said the final cost of the project could not be determined prior to the study.

“NCIA is expected to appoint a consultant by next month to commission the study but while waiting for it to be completed, we want to identify opportunities for pilot services with the existing infrastructure,” he said.

纳吉百日施政演讲走民粹路线

纳吉百日施政演讲走民粹路线 宣布6关键领域及11利民措施

杨凯斌 7月11日 下午 1点56分

首相纳吉在今早的上任100天集会上，发表百日施政演讲时，宣布未来施政重点的6个关键领域（Key Result Area，简称KRA）以及11项利民措施。

防范罪案肃贪列关键领域

6个关键领域分别是：
1）防范罪案
2）肃贪
3）提升人民接受高等教育的便利
4）提升中低收入人民的生活水平
5）改善乡村及内陆地区人民生活
6）改善国内公共交通系统

使用大道逾80次获20%折扣

至于11项利民措施则包括：

1）从9月1日起，在一个月内使用大道超过80次，可享有20%折扣。纳吉宣布这是政府检讨大道收费，减轻使用者负担的暂时措施。

2）让人民租屋租户有其屋。直辖区内正在租用政府组屋者，可选择购买政府组屋，政府将提供4万4千户房子供购买。

3）联邦直辖区小贩商执照申请和更新费用减少50%。政府也为土著企业家经济基金（Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usaha Niaga，简称TEKUN）拨款150万，印裔青年企业家基金15万，以协助创业。

4）3个月内新分发3000张个人德士执照，之前政府已经批准发出7千张个人德士执照。

5）月底公布打击罪案和反贪污的措施。

6）短期内处理完那些迟申请出生登记的申请，特别是是东马两州

7）年底前处理完被搁置的公民权申请

8）专注城外地区发展，特别是东马在第十大马计划增加1500公里的道路

9）月底公布提升东马电力和自来水供应措施

10）小型电单车学费从现有的500至700令吉，减低到200令吉。

11）近期内推介发售价值100亿令吉的“一个马来西亚”信托基金，供18岁以上国民购买

在4月3日宣誓就任我国第六任首相的纳吉，今日正好届满上任100天。他今早是在吉隆坡国际会展中心，在这场充斥内阁部长、商界人士以及学生，并获得国营电视台直播的“纳吉与民同在100天”集会上，做出这些宣布。

【点击阅读纳吉演词】

办集会演讲彰显亲民精神

纳吉声称，他之所以选择这场民众集会发表百日施政演讲，而并非如同他上任时般在首相署进行电视直播，是为了要彰显“一个大马”与民同在的精神。

点名称赞四部长席地而坐

他也强调这项集会，是不区分高官或贩夫走卒的座位，没有复杂的官方仪式，更点名称赞四名部长，包括负责关键指标的首相署部长许子根、内长希山慕丁、外长哈尼发及妇女部长莎丽扎与学生一起席地而坐，尽显亲民精神。

分享微服出巡访民情经验

身 穿白色短袖衣的纳吉，也在施政演讲中，耗费长篇大论分享本身在上任隔日微服出巡，吉隆坡象征大马三大民族的地标即茨厂街、十五碑、克林芝的经验，以及在上 任3周内就3度寻访东马的所见所闻，极力宣示他勤于实地探访民情的施政作风，而并非选择在冷气房内，阅读未必反映地方实情的报告。

纳吉承认，宣布施政关键领域也是一个双面刃，若无法落实目标将会遭到千夫所指，但是他强调，这是加强政府公信力不可或缺的一环。

针对直辖区东马及年轻票

从纳吉宣布的施政关键领域一窥，可以明显看到利民措施的重点皆是放在直辖区的中下阶层人民及东马，特别是针对中下层人民及年轻人，充斥着为选票及选战备战的意味浓厚。

值得一提的是，当纳吉在宣布小型电单车学费剧降时，获得会场内多是学生的年轻一群，给予最热烈的鼓掌。

国阵在308大选中，在直辖区兵败如山倒，在共12个国会议席中，只赢得1席，其他的11席皆被民联所胜出。不过国阵最终却凭着在东马两州囊括多数的议席，才保住了政权。

最新的独立民调指出，纳吉的支持率在上任即将届满100天内，已经从就任时的46%，飙升至65%，增加了大约19%。

施政满意度的飙升，显然使到在308大选之后欲振无力的国阵，以及上任前备受蒙古女郎炸尸案疑云纠缠的纳吉，注入了一剂强心针，看到了逆转民联主导政局的机会。

世界十大医学奇迹 (Y2009)

世界十大医学奇迹 无心女生存118天

二零零九年七月十日 下午四时四十一分

相关照片

■ 1）美国无心女

■ 2）男子47楼坠下生还

■ 3）盲人重见光明

■ 4）宫内激光手术拯救双胞胎

■ 5）美国“换脸”女获新生

■ 6）“斩首”男童奇迹存活

■ 7）模特身体靠11根钛棒支撑

■ 8）鲨鱼咬断手成功接上

■ 9）被蜘蛛咬截瘫患者能行走

■ 10）电击刺激植物人康复

随着科技的不断发展，医学界创造的奇迹会越来越多……

1）美国无心女

那 天对美国女孩西蒙斯来说是个重要的日子，患有扩张心肌症的她接受了心脏移植手术，但是，这个新心脏的功能失效，她的美梦变成了噩梦。医生们只好摘除这个新 器官，但是因为没有可替换的心脏，加之西蒙斯手术后身体虚弱，无奈之下他们想出一个权宜之策：使用两个人工泵血仪器维持近4个月。最后，10月29日，西 蒙斯接受了另外一次心脏移植手术，这一次非常成功，以致第二天她又接受了一次肾移植手术。

2）男子47楼坠下生还

37 岁埃尔柯德斯·莫雷诺和兄弟都是窗户清洁工，一次在工作期间由于脚手架倒塌，两人不幸从纽约一家摩天楼坠落。兄弟死亡，而他满身血污，一直昏迷不醒，医生 甚至不敢把他送到手术室，他们在急救室对他进行紧急抢救，莫雷诺昏迷了近3周。后来，在圣诞节的时候，他开始显现知觉，并开始讲话。不到一个月他就出院 了，医生预言他不到一年就可再次正常行走。一般来说，从4楼坠落的死亡率为50%。

3）盲人重见光明

42岁的建筑工人人马丁·琼斯10多年前在一次工伤中失明。但是，一次牙齿植入眼睛的手术让他告别黑暗世界，重见光明。这种手术之前在英国已进行不足50次，是使用牙齿的一部分作为人工角膜支撑物。人工角膜来自患者的皮肤。

10 多年前，身为建筑工人的琼斯在施工时发生意外，一桶热铝液在他面前爆炸。他全身烧伤面积达37%，必须一天23小时佩戴特殊的连身袜。双眼严重受损，左眼 球被摘除，右眼虽然得以保住，却不能视物。诺丁汉的眼科专家曾使用捐献者提供的干细胞，试图恢复他的右眼视力，但没能成功。在布赖顿萨塞克斯眼科医院开创 革命性新手术“骨齿人工角膜”后，他才有机会重见光明。

4）宫内激光手术拯救双胞胎

准妈 妈和准爸爸肖侬和迈克面临一次揪心抉择。医生告诉他们必须终结腹中双胞胎其中一个胎儿的生命，否则两个胎儿都会死。瑞典医学中心的医生经诊断发现吉姆贝尔 腹中的双胞胎患有双胎输血综合症，或者TTTS，在这种病症中，双胞胎的血管相连。双胞胎一方向另外一方供血。如果不治疗的话，一个胎儿或者两个胎儿死亡 的概率为80%到90%。

在肖侬和迈克正难以作出终结其中一个胎儿生命的艰难时刻，瑞典医生海波恩给他们提出了另一种选择。海波恩和犹他州 盐湖城圣马克医院的贝尔和贝福特取得联系商量对策后，犹他州的医生和瑞典的医生们在肖侬子宫里进行了激光手术，烧灼封死他们彼此间相连的血管。肖侬称，当 手术后护士使用超声波听胎儿心跳时，她屏住了呼吸。两个月后，两个小天使里斯和麦肯纳在瑞典出生。

5）美国“换脸”女获新生

俄亥俄州的46岁康妮·卡普尔是美国第一个换脸女患者。2004年，卡普尔与丈夫发生争执后，丈夫用散弹枪朝她的脸部开枪，致使她的面部毁容，口歪眼斜，鼻子塌陷，很多孩子把她视为怪物。现在，她的新脸看起来好多了。

6）“斩首”男童奇迹存活

乔 丹·泰勒遭遇一场严重的汽车事故，剧烈的撞击力导致乔丹当场“头颈分家”，他的头骨和椎骨被撞得分离了开来。颈骨和头骨之间不再连接。医生们称这次受伤为 “外科斩首”， 能够存活下来的概率仅为1%左右。尽管组织可能已经遭致破坏，但是，乔丹家人却抱着坚定的信念。乔丹的故事传遍了美国教堂，乔丹的妈妈曾说，她知道至少有 20个教堂在为她的儿子祈祷。罗伯茨医生使用一块金属板、一些螺钉和钛杆将乔丹的脑袋和脖子重新连接在一起。3个月后，乔丹离开了医院，现在他已经重返校 园。

7）模特身体靠11根钛棒支撑

17岁的卡特莉娜·伯吉斯在遭遇车祸后，脖子、背部骨折以及其他多处受伤，在初步检查了她的伤情之后，医生警告她说也许再也无法正常行走。

在救治过程中，医生在卡特莉娜的体内总共植入了11根钛棒以及数十根螺钉和别针，用于固定碎裂的骨头。几个月后，这位“女金刚”奇迹般康复。

令人欣慰的是，伦敦顶尖模特经纪公司在从网上获悉卡特莉娜车祸后坚强不息、奇迹康复的消息后，主动找上门来与她签约。

8）鲨鱼咬断手成功接上

33 岁的格伦·奥格斯在悉尼伯迪海岸冲浪时被一只大白鲨袭击。在被送到圣文森医院后，他的手和皮肤只连着3厘米。就连外科医生凯文·霍看了也对他手的成功接驳 不抱希望。但是鉴于这名患者的整体健康状况和被及时送往手术室，他的手被成功接驳还是有可能的。霍博士称，他们在恢复患者手部血流的时候还用到了水蛭，他 希望奥格斯重驳的手能恢复功能。

9）被蜘蛛咬截瘫患者能行走

21年前一次摩托车事故差点 要了大卫·布伦卡特的命。后来性命虽然保住了，但是，双腿却不能再动了。此后他轮椅代步长达20年。两年前，他被一只棕色遁蛛所咬，之后被送到医院接受8 个月的物理疗法。在治疗中，护士注意到了布伦卡特的一条腿在抽搐，于是就对他的腿进行了一些试验性治疗。5天后，大卫竟然又可以迈步行走了。

10）电击刺激植物人康复

一名因一次致命袭击导致处于近植物状态的男子能再次说话和吃东西了。这名患者今年38岁， 他的脑部严重受损，长达6年的时间不能说话、吞咽或者做一些协调动作。

医 生在他的头颅内植入电极以刺激大脑的深层部分和大脑中未受损的部分，现在，他的状况已经明显好转，他能自己吃东西，梳头、能认出父母和医生，并与他们交 谈。帮他实现这一变化的是深层大脑刺激技术，目前，这种技术已被用来治疗帕金森疾病和某类精神病，它为很多有着类似脑损伤问题的人恢复意识带来了希望。

Datuk A.K. Nathan (Eversendai Corp) -- Malaysian Entrepreneur Of The Year.

Saturday July 11, 2009

The Star online

Eversendai Corp Sdn Bhd MD Datuk A.K. Nathan fields the 10 questions posed to him by our readers.

How did you get started in the structural steel industry? William Lee, Seremban

I started by selling insurance and later got involved in a printing business, which was what I had wanted for a career. By chance, I went into the construction business in 1982 with the Dayabumi project.

‘Man of steel’ is a good monicker for Datuk A.K. Nathan. Starting from scratch, he has built Eversendai Corp Sdn Bhd, a structural steel contractor, into an international player that has been involved in highprofile projects such as the Petronas Twin Towers and the Burj Al Arab hotel. Last November, he was named the Ernst & Young Malaysian Entrepreneur Of The Year.

I built Eversendai Corp from zero, entering the business with no knowledge and experience. I am not an engineer. I have no degree. I spent most of my time on the jobsite, working alongside my workers and Japanese engineers to learn the trade and develop myself.

In 1983, I met one Tameshi Yamaki of Nippon Steel Corp for the Proton factory steel erection works. During the interview, he looked straight into my eyes and I did the same while talking.

A few days later, Mr Yamaki came to my office and awarded the contract to me. I was surprised as I did not have an established track record and he did not know me well. I was young then, only 27. I was left wondering. After the project started a month later, I accompanied him to the airport as he was leaving for Tokyo on business. After he had checked in, we sat together for a drink. I asked why he had offered me the job. He said: “Nathan, do you remember when I first met you? I looked straight into your eyes and you looked back into mine and your eyes did not run. From there, I knew I can trust you.” I was stunned.

Through sheer perseverance, I tackled the intricacies of the business to a level where I astounded engineers and professionals with my innovative construction methodology, using my common sense.

It’s clear that you worked very hard to get Eversendai to where it is now. What do you do when you’re not working? Samad Mohd Ariff, KL

Nowadays, I am busy either with social work or spending long hours preparing training or presentation materials for my talks, which I deliver frequently. I spend about 70% of my time away from home on business.

I am a visionary and do a lot of thinking to map out my plans for Eversendai. I enjoy the calmness of my home with my Japanese koi. I do play golf, which I enjoy very much, and I also spend time with my very close friends.

What’s the story behind your company’s Japanese-sounding name, Eversendai? Kelly, Taiping

In 1984, in a conversation with Mr Yamaki, who had given me the opportunity to work on the Proton factory, I asked him where in Japan he came from. He said Sendai. I liked the sound of the name and asked about the meaning. He said it meant “thousands of generations”. I liked that, and I added the word ‘ever’ to make it Eversendai. Today Eversendai is a very well known brandname in the construction industry, locally and internationally.

Of the many projects your company have taken part in, which one had the most impact on your business? T C Goh

The Proton factory project was my biggest breakthrough. It was when I learned about the Japanese work culture, which I have incorporated into my management system.

The Singapore indoor stadium project in 1988 was technically very challenging and that was the second turning point in my life. Our work on the Petronas Twin Towers was my showcase to win projects like the Kingdom Trade Centre project in Saudi Arabia and the Burj Dubai.

The Burj Al Arab hotel is Eversendai’s signature project and has paved the way for Eversendai’s entry into the Middle East’s booming construction market as a specialist structural steel contractor. One good project leads to another and all my executed projects have their own merits.

Why did you sell a 30% stake in Shin Eversendai Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd to IJM Corp Bhd in 2004, and how did the deal come about? M. Bala, Alor Star

Dubai was experiencing unprecedented growth and Eversendai had a presence in this market since 1996. At the time, IJM was looking at the Middle East market, which had immense opportunities for mega-projects. Selling 30% to IJM was a strategic move because Eversendai’s growth was constrained at that point. I envisaged that Eversendai needed a big brother to support its growth. As such, it was agreed that IJM would participate as a preferential shareholder. We did tender for some projects but these did not materialise as both companies were busy with their own projects and independent visions. Eversendai decided to buy back the 30% preferential shares from IJM in 2007 by mutual agreement.

Do you believe that it’s harder for Indian entrepreneurs to make it big in Malaysia, and what’s your advice to them? K.T. Samy, PJ

In general, it is hard for any emerging entrepreneur to make it big in any country. However, if you set your mind to it, nothing is impossible. You must have, among other things, a positive attitude, inspiration, self-confidence, determination, focus, passion, discipline and initiative. You must work hard, keep your promises, provide good service, stop giving excuses, be punctual and develop personal relationship at all levels. Do it right the first time to make it happen. Never give up and always use your common sense. You must keep to your commitments to win the trust and confidence of the clients. This is very tough to practise, but it can be done if you want to. Above all, you must maintain this always.

Your company has a reputation for winning major jobs in the Middle East. Why is that so? Alan Seow, Kepong

In fact, all the countries I have ventured into are by invitation. I have built a very good reputation and a good brand name for Eversendai. I always get the projects completed on time without compromising on delivery date, quality and safety. Clients in the Middle East do not compromise on their requirements and specifications, and Eversendai has been able to fulfil their needs. Nowadays, we get invited to bid for contracts solely based on our good reputation, without any marketing in the Middle East.

As far back as 1999, you spoke about listing your business. Has that changed? A. Selvamuthu, Johor Baru

I wanted to list Eversendai in 1999 but by the time I was ready, the Asian financial crisis hit. Now I am pondering if I should I go in that direction. Looking at what has happened, I feel it is far better to be a private company than a listed entity, but I am not writing it off completely. I will look at it when the time is right.

In the message in the company website, you say Eversendai is “growing beyond expectations”. What had you hoped for when you started the business, and what is your goal now? Kamala Devi, Shah Alam

When I started my journey towards success, I did not envisage this level of growth. I did not even dream of establishing fabrication factories, as my concentration was more on construction. But today, I have factories in Dubai, Sharjah, Qatar and Malaysia.

My strategy is to capitalise on the labour capacity, available skills and proximity to the Middle East by establishing a fabrication factory in India as well as venturing into the Indian and African construction sectors. In the long term, as part of my portfolio and diversification management strategy, I plan to venture into oil and gas-related projects and export fabricated steel to Japan, Europe and America.

Najib’s 100 Days commenting speech - by Tk. Razaleigh's

Tengku Razaleigh's Speech

Najib’s 100 Days

Public Relations Consultants Malaysia

“StraightTalk”

8pm July 10, 2009

At HELP University College

by Tengku Razaleigh


1. Thank you for inviting me to address you. It’s a pleasure to be here, and to learn from you. You have asked me to talk about Najib’s First 100 Days, and this lecture is in a series called Straight Talk. I shall indeed speak plainly and directly.

2. Let me begin by disappointing you. I am not going to talk about Najib’s First 100 Days because it makes little sense to do so.

3. Our governments are brought to power for five year terms through general elections. The present government was constituted after March 8, 2008 and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s tenure as Prime Minister resulted from a so-called “smooth transfer of power” between the previous Prime Minister and himself that took a somewhat unsmooth twelve months to carry out. During those months, Najib took on the de facto leadership role domestically while Abdullah warmed our international ties. The first 100 days of this government went by unremarked sometime in June last year.

4. Not only is it somewhat meaningless to talk about Najib’s First 100 days, such talk buys into a kind of political silliness that we are already too prone to. It has us imagine that the present government started work on April 2 and forget that it commenced work on March 8 last year and must be accountable for all that has been done or not done since then. It has us forget that in our system of parliamentary, constitutional democracy, governments are brought to power at general elections and must be held accountable for promises made at these elections. It leads us to forget that these promises, set out in election manifestos, are undertaken by political parties, not individuals, and are not trifles to be forgotten when there is a change of individual.

5. It is important that we remember these things, cultivate a more critical recollection of them, and learn to hold our leaders accountable to them, so that we are not perpetually chasing the slogan of the day, whether this be Vision 2020, Islam Hadhari or 1Malaysia. As PR Professionals, you would see my point immediately. Slogans without substance undermine trust. That substance is made up of policies that have been thought through and are followed through. That substance is concrete and provided by results we can measure.

6. Whether or not some of our leaders are ready for it, we are maturing as a democracy. We are beginning to evaluate our governments more by the results they deliver over time than by their rhetoric. As our increasingly well-educated and well-travelled citizens apply this standard, they force our politicians to think before they speak, and deliver before they speak again. As thinking Malaysians we should look for the policies, if any, behind the slogans. What policies are still in place and which have we abandoned? What counts as policy and who is consulted when it is made? How is a proposal formulated and specified and approved before it becomes policy, and by whom? What are the roles of party, cabinet, King and Parliament in this process? Must we know what it means before it is instituted or do we have to piece it together with guesswork? Do we even have a policy process?

7. The mandate Najib has taken up is the one given to Barisan Nasional under Abdullah Badawi’s leadership. BN was returned to power in the 12th General Elections on a manifesto promising Security, Peace and Prosperity. It is this manifesto against which the present administration undertook to be judged. The present government inherits projects and policies such as Islam Hadhari and Vision 2020. If these are still in place, how do they relate to each other and to 1 Malaysia? How do we evaluate the latest slogan against the fact of constitutional failure in Perak, the stench of corruption in the PKFZ project and reports of declining media freedom? What do we make of cynical political plays on racial unity against assurances that national unity is the priority?

8. It is not amiss to ask about continuity. We were told that the reason why we had to have a yearlong ‘transfer of power’ to replace the previous Prime Minster was so that we could have such policy continuity. The issues before the present BN government are not transformed overnight with a change of the man at the top.

9. Let me touch on one issue every Malaysian is concerned with: security. The present government made the right move in supporting the establishment of the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operations and Management of the Police in 2004. Responding to the recommendations of the Royal Commission, the government allocated the PDRM RM8 billion to upgrade itself under the 9th Malaysia Plan, a tripling of their allocation under the 8th Malaysia Plan.

10. Despite the huge extra amounts we are spending on policing, there has been no dent on our crime problem, especially in the Johor Bahru area, where it continues to make a mockery of our attempts to develop Iskandar as a destination for talent and investment. Despite spending all this money, we have just been identified as a major destination for human trafficking by the US State Department’s 2008 Human Rights Watch. We are now in the peer group of Sudan, Saudi Arabia and North Korea for human trafficking. All over the world the organized cross-border activity of human trafficking feeds on the collusion of crime syndicates and corrupt law enforcement and border security officials. Security is about more than just catching the criminals out there. It is also about the integrity of our own people and processes. It is above all about uprooting corruption and malpractice in government agencies, especially in law enforcement agencies. I wish the government were as eager to face the painful challenge of reform as to spend money. The key recommendation of the Royal Commission was the formation of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission. That has been shelved.

11. Royal Commissions and their findings are not to be trifled with and applied selectively. Their findings and recommendations are conveyed in a report submitted to the King, who then transmits them to the Government. Their recommendations have the status of instructions from the King. The recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Police have not been properly implemented. The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Video clip might as well not have been conducted, because its findings have been completely ignored. Both Commissions investigated matters fundamental to law and order in this country: the capability and integrity of the police and of the judiciary. No amount of money thrown at the PDRM or on installing CCTV’s can make up for what happens to our security when our law enforcers and our judges are compromised.

12. Two Royal Commissions undertaken under the present government unearthed deep issues in the police and the judiciary and made recommendations with the King’s authority behind them, and they have been ignored. The public may wonder if the government is committed to peace and security if it cannot or will not address institutional rot in law enforcement and the rule of law.

13. The reform of the police and the judiciary has been on the present government’s To Do list for more than five years.

14. I want to reflect now upon where we stand today and how we might move forward. We are truly at a turning point in our history. Our political landscape is marked with unprecedented uncertainty. Nobody knows what the immediate future holds for us politically. This is something very new for Malaysians. The inevitability of a strong BN government figured into all political and economic calculations and provided a kind of stability to our expectations. Now that this is gone, and perhaps gone for good, we need a new basis for long-term confidence. No matter who wins the next General Election, it is likely to be with a slim majority. Whatever uncertainty we now face is likely to persist unless some sort of tiebreaker is found which gathers the overwhelming support of the people.

15. We need to trust less in personalities and more in policies, look less to politics and more to principle, less to rhetoric and more to tangible outcomes, less to the government of the day and more to enduring institutions, first among which must be the Federal Constitution.

16. We need an unprecedented degree of openness and honesty about what our issues are and what can be done; about who we are, and where we want to go. We need straight talk rather than slogans. We need to be looking the long horizon rather than occupying ourselves with media-generated milestones.

17. Those of us who think about the future of Malaysia have never been so restless. The mould of our past is broken, and there is no putting it back together again, but a new mould into which to pour our efforts is not yet cast. This is a time to think new thoughts, and to be courageous in articulating them.

18. Such is the case not just in politics but also in how the government manages the economy. In a previous speech I argued that for our economy to escape the “middle income trap” we need to make a developmental leap involving transformative improvements in governance and a successful reform of our political system. I said the world recession is a critical opportunity for us to re-gear and re-tool the Malaysian economy because it is a challenge to take bold, imaginative measures. We must make that leap or remain stuck as low achievers who were once promising.

19. We are in a foundational crisis both of our politics and of our economy. In both dimensions, the set plays of the past have taken us as far as they can, and can take us no further. Politically and economically, we have arrived at the end of the road for an old way of managing things. The next step facing us is not a step but a leap, not an addition to what we have but a shift that changes the very ground we play on.

20. This is not the first time in our brief history as an independent nation that we have found ourselves at an impasse and come up with a ground-setting policy, a new framework, a leap into the future. The race riots of 1969 ended the political accommodation and style of the first era of our independence. Parliament was suspended and a National Operations Council put in place under the leadership of the late Tun Razak. He formed a National Consultative Council to study what needed to be done. The NCC was a non-partisan body which included everyone. It was the NCC that drafted and recommended the New Economic Policy. This was approved and implemented by the Government.

21. The NEP was a twenty year programme. It had a national, and not a racial agenda to eradicate poverty and address structural inequality in the form of the identification of race with occupation. It aimed to remove a colonial era distribution of economic roles in our economy. Nowhere in its terms is any race specified, nor does it privilege one race over another. Its aim was unity.

22. The NEP’s redistributive measures drew on principles of social justice, not claims of racial privilege. This is an important point. The NEP was acceptable to all Malaysians because its justification was universal rather than sectarian, ethical rather than opportunistic. It appealed to Malaysians’ sense of social justice and not to any notion of racial privilege.

23. We were devising a time-limited policy for the day, in pursuit of a set of measurable outcomes. We were not devising a doctrine for an eternal socio-economic arrangement. Like all policies, it was formulated to solve a finite set of problems, but through an enduring concern with principles such as equity and justice. I happen to think it was the right thing for the time, and it worked in large measure.

24. Curiously, although the policy was formulated within the broad consensus of the NCC for a finite period, in our political consciousness it has grown into an all-encompassing and permanent framework that defines who we are. We continue to act and talk as if it is still in place. The NEP ended in 1991 when it was terminated and replaced by the New Development Policy, but eighteen years on, we are still in its hangover and speak confusingly about liberalizing it. The NEP was necessary and even visionary in 1971, but it is a crushing indictment of our lack of imagination, of the mediocrity of our leadership, that two decades after its expiry, we talk as if it is the sacrosanct centre of our socio-political arrangement, and that departures from it are big strides. The NEP is over, and we have not had the courage to tell people this. The real issue is not whether the NEP is to be continued or not, but whether we have the imagination to come up with something which better serves our values and objectives, for our own time.

25. Policies are limited mechanisms for solving problems. They become vehicles for abuse when they stay on past their useful life. Like political or corporate leaders who have stayed too long, policies that overrun their scope or time become entrenched in abuse, and confuse the means that they are with the ends that they were meant to serve. The NEP was formulated to serve the objective of unity. That objective is enduring, but its instrument can come up for renewal or replacement. Any organisation, let alone a country, that fails to renew a key policy over forty years in a fast-moving world is out of touch and in trouble.

26. There is a broad consensus in our society that while the NEP has had important successes, it has now degenerated into a vehicle for abuse and inefficiency. Neither the Malays nor the non-Malays approve of the way it now works, although there would be multiracial support for the objectives of the NEP, as originally understood. The enthusiasm with which recent reforms have been greeted in the business and international communities suggests that the NEP is viewed as an obstacle to growth. This was not what it was meant to be.

27. It was designed to promote a more equitable and therefore a more harmonious society. Far from obstructing growth, the stability and harmony envisaged by the NEP would were to be the basis for long term prosperity.

28. Over the years, however, and alongside its successes, the NEP has been systematically appropriated by a small political and business class to enrich itself and perpetuate its power. This process has corrupted our society and our politics. It has corrupted our political parties. Rent-seeking practices have choked the NEP’s original intention of seeking a more just and equitable society, and have discredited the broad nation-building enterprise which this policy was meant to serve.

29. Thus, while the NEP itself has expired, we live under the hangover of a policy which has been skewed from its intent. Instead of coming up with better policy tools in pursuit of the aims behind the NEP, a set of vested interests rallies to defend the mere form of the NEP and to extend its bureaucratic sway through a huge apparatus of commissions, agencies, licenses and permits while its spirit has been evacuated. In doing so they have clouded the noble aims of the NEP and racialized its originally national and universal concerns.

30. We must break the stranglehold of communal politics and racial policy if we want to be a place where an economy driven by ideas and skills can flourish. This is where our daunting economic and political challenges can be addressed in one stroke. We can do much better than cling to the bright ideas of forty years ago as if they were dogma, and forget our duty to come up with the bright ideas for our own time. The NEP, together with the Barisan coalition, was a workable solution for Malaysia forty years ago. But forty years ago, our population was about a third of what it is today, our economy was a fraction the size and complexity that it is now, and structured around the export of tin and rubber rather than around manufacturing, services and oil and gas. Forty years ago we were in the midst of the Cold War, and the Vietnam War raged to the north. Need I say we live in a very different world today. We need to talk to the facebook generation of young Malaysians connected to global styles and currents of thought. We face global epidemics, economic downturns and planetary climate change.

31. We can do much better than to cling to the outer form of an old policy. Thinking in these terms only gives us the negative policy lever of “relaxing” certain rules, when what we need is a new policy framework, with 21st century policy instruments. We have relaxed some quotas. We have left Approved Permits and our taxi licensing system intact. We have left the apparatus of the NEP, and a divisive mindset that has grown up around it, in place. Wary of well-intentioned statements with no follow-through, the business community has greeted these reforms cautiously, noting that a mountain of other reforms are needed. One banker was quoted in a recent news article as saying: "All the reforms need to go hand in hand..Why is there an exodus of talent and wealth? It is because people do not feel confident with the investment climate, security conditions and the government in Malaysia. Right now, many have lost faith in the system."

32. The issues are intertwined. Our problems are systemic and rooted in the capability of the government to deliver, and the integrity of our institutions. It is clear that piecemeal “liberalization” and measure by measure reform on a politicized timetable is not going to do the job.

33. What we need is a whole new policy framework, based on a comprehensive vision that addresses root problems in security, institutional integrity, education and government capability. What we need to do is address our crisis with the bold statecraft from which the NEP itself originated, not cling to a problematic framework that does little justice to our high aspirations. The challenge of leadership is to tell the truth about our situation, no matter how unpalatable, to bring people together around that solution, and to move them to act together on that solution.

34. If the problem is really that we face a foundational crisis, then it is not liberalization of the NEP, or even liberalization per se that we need. From the depths of the global economic slowdown it is abundantly clear that the autonomous free market is neither equitable nor even sustainable. There is no substitute for putting our heads together and coming up with wise policy. We need a Malaysian New Deal based on the same universal concerns on which the NEP was originally formulated but designed for a new era: we must continue to eradicate poverty without regard for race or religion, and ensure that markets serve the people rather than the other way around.

35. Building on the desire for unity based social justice that motivated the NEP in 1971, let us assist 100% of Malaysians who need help in improving their livelihoods and educating their children. We want the full participation of all stakeholders in our economy. A fair and equitable political and economic order, founded on equal citizenship as guaranteed in our Constitution, is the only possible basis for a united Malaysia and a prerequisite of the competitive, talent-driven economy we must create if we are to make our economic leap.

36. If we could do this, we would restore national confidence, we would bring Malaysians together in common cause to build a country that all feel a deep sense of belonging to. We would unleash the kind of investment we need, not just of foreign capital but of the loyalty, effort and commitment of all Malaysians.

37. I don't know about you. I am embarrassed that after fifty years of independence we are still talking about bringing Malaysians together. I would have wished that by now, and here tonight, we could be talking about how we can conquer new challenges together.

马来西亚的交通

http://cmchee1983.spaces.live.com

【作者／cmchee】 Jul 09, 2009 11:31:38 am

我的意见是回应: 不像交通部长的交通部长

笔者曾经留学中国，身居华中九省通衢的武汉，每逢寒暑假都背包各地旅游观光，东抵江南一隅，西及至乌鲁木齐，北达哈尔滨，南临东方之珠香港，托中国铁路之 鸿福横贯东西、直穿南北。每当到达一个新的地方，又有当地的交通服务把我送到各个游区景点，轻易随心地进行自助旅游。一直以来身为无车阶级的我当时倍感温 馨舒服，打从心里羡慕中国的无车阶级，至少交通不是他们日常生活上的主要障碍。

虽 然该国有些城市的交通并不是那么多元化，就单纯的只有巴士和计程车，不像我们繁华的吉隆坡还有两种轻快铁、单轨快铁、电动火车、机场快车。可贵的是他们的 巴士确实做到“无远弗届”，无论大城还是小镇，不管白天或夜晚都可以通过乘搭这种“普及化”的公共交通，以最廉宜的方式抵达目的地。我并不是搞城市策划 的，也非社会研究学者，我只能从一个旅客、一个乘客乃至一个消费者的角度给予评价，我觉得一个发展中国家能有这样的交通系统，已经嘉奖有余了。

在 中国的两年，我也终于知道了什么是巴士路线指示牌，那是一张贴在每一个巴士站，告诉着乘客哪一号巴士将会在本站上客卸客，以及他们的全程路线的表。凭着这 一张简单的表，除非是文盲，否则乘客们都能自助搭车。我当时在想，这也不是什么难办的事，我国政府每年派那么多人出国考察，难道连这一些基本建设都能忽 略？

笔者是地地道道的吉隆坡人，在这一个居住了悠悠二十余载的家乡，从来只知道围绕着大家购物中心（Kotaraya）的各个车站有巴士 可以到市内市外许多站点，但却从来不清楚在哪一个站，哪一号巴士才是我要的。每一次都得“沦落街头”，逐辆巴士去询问，幸运的话，问了三两辆便如愿找到我 要的巴士。倒霉的时候则要像盲头苍蝇般碰了好几次壁后才找得到。从这里，大家应该可以想象为什么在吉隆坡的巴士上永远看不到游客的身影。我猜想这也许是政 府秉承了一贯体恤中下阶层人民的作风，故意“自残”我们的公巴服务，好让游客和中上阶层的人民却步，把公车的福利相让给更需要的一群。

两 年后毕业，载着满满的期待回国，希望本国的交通系统有所改善。首次乘搭公巴才知道在短短的两年里，从家里到吉隆坡的车费已从1.20元飙升到2元（约涨了 70% ），汽油起价，这原本也是无可厚非。只是巴士服务并没有随着价钱的上涨而改进，依旧停留在原地。除此，各处的巴士站也还是贴满了广告传单，可惜巴士路线指 示牌却依然与本国无缘。

接着我又再痴痴地盼等了两年，家门口的巴士站已几经翻新，车站的设计也愈趋新颖，还挂上了引人注目的时髦广告，美中不足的还是不见那一份简单的巴士路线指示牌的踪影。

记得在中学时期，有一次放学后等了两个小时巴士才姗姗来迟。其实学校离我家不远，走路也只需半个多小时。那次以后，我就不再等公共巴士了，每天在烈日底下漫步回家。不久之后，那一路的巴士也被取消了。

最 近，一位大学刚毕业的朋友找我来诉苦。这一名现实社会的初来乍到者原本满怀希望，以为找了一份安稳的工作，从此便可以扶摇直上青云，开拓自己的前程。怎么 第一天上班以后，便疲累得像只战败了的公鸡。原来他的家在士拉央大巴刹附近，虽然离位于Kota Damansara的工作地点不远，但却受交通系统欠佳、巴士司机失责的“双重打击”。早在傍晚五点半便下了班的他，竟然要到晚上九点才抵达家门，这教他 怎么不心力交瘁？

如许多人年轻一样，没多久这一位国家的准主人翁便降贵为车奴一族，虽然他成功巴上下班的时间缩短为一小时，却背负着三五 七年不等的“国债”，默默地为本地重型工业做出贡献。悲乎，当香港、新加坡、欧美国家等世界各地的青年才俊在把赚来的钱用来学习投资、升学或到各地观光增 长见闻之际，马来西亚的后生们却只能把每个月用血汗换来的一千多元用来养车、偿还高教基金贷款，这又教国人的生活怎能不压抑？

作为首善之 区的吉隆坡，即使拥有再高的世界级的双峰塔怎样也遮挡不了国耻级的交通丑相。堵塞、公交没有效率、司机的态度恶劣…….这一些都是老生常谈的了。每次乘搭 巴士，妈妈、舅舅等长辈们还要再三叮嘱注意扒手，就如巴士上的提醒贴告——“小心扒手集团”。谁不知道在马来西亚乘搭巴士的都是一穷二白的升斗小市民，生 活上受尽剥削之余，想不到搭公车还要提心吊胆地，这无疑是抢劫贫民窟之所为，可惜执法者坐视不理、漠不关心，再一次教大马的中下阶层情何以堪？

前首相阿都拉在卸任前纡尊降贵，亲身体验了在电动火车和轻快铁上被挤的滋味。然后隆重地宣布要大力改善。只可惜当他卸任以后，茶也跟着凉了。市内交通的问题一举被巴生港口丑闻、新柔新桥等“更重要”的课题推挤至墙角，使人民空欢喜一场。

其实电动火车和轻快铁与公巴服务是相辅相成的。空有各种快铁火车，却没有良好的巴士服务，就好像只见其屋，不见其门。须知快铁的站点都在繁华的商业区，和平民的住宅区还是有一定的距离的，之间还要靠公巴往来接载。

只可惜英明的领导们好像都不知道这一点，就好像还不明白308反风是如何吹起的？告诉你们，这是官逼民反。如果为政者连这一点都勘察不出，自欺欺人地推出“感恩论”、“一个马来西亚”这些愚民掩误的空洞口号，人民在下一次的大选肯定会做出更强烈的回应。

或许新加坡人可以批评中国的公共交通没有时间观念；日本人也可以埋怨上海磁浮列车的涵盖范围不够广。每当我听到这一些，却只会暗自悄然地独自在一角沉默，就连屁都不敢放一个。做人这一点自知之明总该有的，又怎敢以逾百步笑百步呢？

说真的，那么多年以后，我还是怀念小时候60仙一趟的迷你巴士。

MICHAEL JACKSON’S MEMORIAL WATCHED BY MILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD

MICHAEL JACKSON’S MEMORIAL WATCHED BY MILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD

Filed under: ARTICLE (LATEST) 08/07/2009, general, love — sjsandteam @ 09:13
Tags: MICHAEL JACKSON’S MEMORIAL WATCHED BY MILLIONS AROUND THE WORLD

LOS ANGELES 08/07/2009- Michael Jackson’s public memorial, watched by millions around the world, struck a tone more spiritual than spectacular on Tuesday, opening with a church choir serenading his golden casket and continuing with somber speeches and gospel-themed musical performances. Pastor Lucious W Smith of the Friendship Baptist Church in Pasadena gave the invocation, followed by Mariah Carey singing the opening performance with a sweet rendition of the Jackson 5 ballad ‘I’ll Be There,’ a duet with Trey Lorenz.

‘We come together and we remember the time,’ said Mr Smith, riffing off one of Jackson’s lyrics. ‘As long as we remember him, he will always be there to comfort us.’

Among those who saluted Jackson were music mogul Barry Gordy, the Rev Al Sharpton and basketball greats Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant. Jennifer Hudson sang Jackson’s hit ‘Will You Be There’ and John Mayer played guitar on a whisper-light rendition of ‘Human Nature.’

‘This is a moment that I wished I didn’t live to see,’ Stevie Wonder said before his performance. The singer Smokey Robinson began the service by reading statements from Jackson’s close friends Diana Ross and Nelson Mandela. The South African leader’s statement ended with a poignant admonition: ‘Be strong.’

After a long period of silence punctuated only by camera flashes, the tension broke with the organ strains of a black spiritual, ‘Hallelujah, hallelujah, going to see the King.’ Lionel Richie gave a gospel-infused performance in front of a shaft of light evoking a cross.

An estimated 20,000 people were in the Staples Centre as Jackson’s flower-draped casket was brought to the venue in a motorcade under law enforcement escort. – AP

MJ’s daughter speaks: Michel Jackson’s young daughter has told a public memorial service in Los Angeles that she loves her father. Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson gave a short but emotional statement to the audience of thousands in the downtown Staples Center arena Tuesday. Paris said that ever since she was born, her ‘daddy’ was the best father one could imagine. She ended by saying, ‘I just wanted to say I love him so much.’ – AP

COMMENTS on Michael Jackson on the day of his memorial service:

‘I just wanted to say, ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine! I just wanted to say I love him so much.’ – Jackson’s daughter, Paris, who broke down in tears.

‘Michael, when you left us, a part of me went with you. … I will treasure the good times, singing, dancing, laughing. … We will never understand what he endured … being judged, ridiculed. How much pain can one take? Maybe, now, Michael, they will leave you alone.’ – Marlon Jackson.

‘Michael always knew he could count on me to support him or be his date. … We had a bond and maybe it was because we both understood what it was like to be in the spotlight from a very, very young age. I used to tease him and say, ‘I started when I was 11 months old. You’re a slacker. You were like 5?’ Both of us needed to be adults very early, but when we were together, we were two little kids having fun. … M.J.’s laugh was the sweetest and purest of anyone I’ve known.’ – Brooke Shields.

‘He created a comfort level, where people that felt they were separate became interconnected with his music. … Those young kids grew up from being teenage, comfortable fans of Michael’s to being 40 years old and being comfortable to vote for a person of color to be the president of the United States of America. Michael did that. Michael made us love each other. Michael taught us to stand with each other.’ – The Rev. Al Sharpton.

‘I’m here representing millions of fans around the world who grew up listening to Michael, being inspired and loving Michael from a distance. … Somehow when Michael Jackson sang and when he danced … we felt he was right there. … He made you believe in yourself.’ – Queen Latifah.

‘When he did his iconic moonwalk, I was shocked. It was magic. Michael Jackson went into orbit and never came down. Though it ended way too soon, Michael’s life was beautiful.’ – Motown Records founder Berry Gordy.

‘This is a moment that I wish that I didn’t live to see come. But as much as I can say that and mean it, I do know that God is good and I do know that as much as we may feel – and we do – that we need Michael here with us, God must have needed him far more.’ – Stevie Wonder.

‘Michael was a personal love of mine. A treasured part of my world … ‘ – Smokey Robinson, reading a note from longtime Jackson friend Diana Ross at Tuesday’s memorial service in Los Angeles. ‘You don’t think you’ll live to see them gone. … He is going to live forever and ever and ever and ever.’ – Smokey Robinson.

‘We miss you, Michael.’ – Mariah Carey, after singing ‘I’ll Be There’ at Jackson’s memorial service.

‘There are certain people in our popular culture that just capture people’s imaginations. And in death, they become even larger. Now, I have to admit that it’s also fed by a 24/7 media that is insatiable.’ – President Barack Obama, who was asked about the outpouring of emotion related to Michael Jackson’s death during an interview with CBS while he was in Moscow.

‘They’re holding up well in part because they’re a strong family … a big family, religiously devout family. Therefore, they have a sense of insulation of their faith.’ – The Rev. Jesse Jackson, on how Michael Jackson’s family is coping.

‘He was a true gift and there are very few that have come to the magnitude of influence that he had on the world.’ – Neil Portnow, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. — AP

全球送别麦可

二零零九年七月八日 下午五时二十八分

（洛杉矶8日综合电）麦可杰逊告别式尾声中，这位男星的11岁女儿芭莉丝杰克森，哽咽真情流露的追思告白令全场动容。制作单位指出，事先并没预期到会有芭莉丝的这段讲话。

流行天王麦可杰逊告别式，今天上午在洛杉矶大型体育馆“史戴普斯中心”（Staples Center）举行，台下观众估计有两万人。透过各大电视网实况转播，全球各地观众也都可同步收看这场历时近3小时的告别式。

这位男星的11岁女儿芭莉丝杰克森在告别式尾声中，哽咽着对着麦克风说：“自从我出生以来，他一直都是最棒的父亲，我非常爱你”。语毕大哭，转身投入姑姑珍娜杰逊怀抱，小女孩真情流露的谈话，全场动容。

这 场告别式是由原本要为麦可杰逊举办伦敦演唱会的AEG Live娱乐公司主办，制作人艾立克接受美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）专访时说，制作单位只知道麦可杰逊的兄弟姊妹会在活动尾声上台，对麦可杰逊歌迷与支 持者表达谢意，但制作单位事前完全不知道麦可杰逊的子女也会一起上台，更不知道芭莉丝杰克森会发表这段谈话。

艾立克进一步表示，芭莉丝杰克森的谈话并不在制作单位原本的安排之内，制作单位只安排了整场告别式里音乐演出的部分，至于演说与致词的内容则都是完全未经事先规划，每位演说者都是说出“真正发自内心的话语”。

他指出，许多上台致词的贵宾在演说中，都点出身为天王巨星的麦可杰逊“人性化的一面”，强调这位男星也有脆弱、有低潮、有缺点。

艾立克表示，在筹备这场告别式的过程中，杰克森家族不断沟通，希望主办单位不要让这场活动沦于“电视节目”的格调，“我们要的是一场追悼会”。

历时近3小时的这场告别式尾声，众多明星、贵宾以及麦可杰逊的子女、家人上台合唱这位男星生前知名歌曲We are the world与Heal the world。

艾立克指出，这两首歌曲搭配演出本来是麦可杰逊敲定要在伦敦演唱会表演的，制作单位决定以此作为整场告别式的句点。

姊姊悼词载场刊：我深爱着你

麦 可，我深爱着你。出席追思会的每一个人，都获发一本题为“纪念麦可杰逊一生”的场刊，封面是麦可伸开双手大笑的照片，封底印了两张照片，上面一张是麦可与 四位兄长以 Jackson 5名义赢了才艺比赛的剪报照，下面那张是上月 23日、即死前两天，他为复出演唱会彩排的情景照。

场刊共 6页，刊登了家人、朋友和歌迷的悼词，其中麦可的姊姊 La Toya写道：“麦可，你娱乐了大家几十年……你教我们怎样欢笑、怎样爱人和如何相信。麦可，我深爱着你，我急不及待想再看到你表演。”

另一篇以“你的梦幻乐园家族”的悼文写道：“因为你，孩子的欢笑声、蒸汽火车的汽笛声、旋转木马的转动，都永远为我们带来会心微笑。感谢你让我们成为你梦想的一部份。”最后以积逊家族名义用“多谢”一词作结。

由于这本场刊只发给在场人士，极具收藏价值，因此大会职员着每人只能拿一本。

或无脑入棺 麦可长眠L.A.

“流行乐之王”麦可杰逊上月25日骤逝，留下3名遗孤和近5亿美元资产（约17亿7000万令吉），洛杉矶高等法院遵照他遗嘱，昨裁定由他生前委任的律师布兰卡及好友麦克林代管，麦可家人暂时拿不到钱，3名子女则由麦可母亲凯萨琳代为照料。

黑影为工作人员影子

麦可的丧礼除了可能无脑入棺外，梦幻庄园传出2秒诡异黑影，网友认为影子神似麦可，直呼是偶像显灵，但“美国有线电视新闻网”（CNN）澄清是工作人员的影子。

麦可家属和他的巡演主办单位AEG于大马时间今凌晨1时，在洛杉矶“史戴普斯中心”举办世纪追思会，邀来“花蝴蝶”玛丽亚凯莉、盲人歌手史提夫汪达等巨星献唱，和现场2万名歌迷一同追悼。

160万歌迷上网登录

麦可的追思会采网路报名，吸引全球逾160万名歌迷上网登录，前天开奖仅8750人幸运中奖，中签率约0.5％，每人可获2张门票。这8千多名幸运儿昨到史戴普斯中心领票，瘫痪周遭交通。

50家戏院直播追思会

洛 城警方呼吁没票的歌迷，留在家看电视转播；全美50家戏院直播追思会，邀向隅歌迷进戏院送别偶像。花蝴蝶、亚瑟小子等受邀献唱，但麦可恩师昆西琼斯和“玉 婆”伊丽莎白泰勒都拒绝出席，玉婆透过微型网志“Twitter.com/dameelizabeth”表示：“我不相信麦可会希望我跟几百万人分享我的 悲痛。”

麦可家属原属意让他长眠昔日爱巢“梦幻庄园”，碍于繁复法规作罢。外传麦可将安葬洛杉矶“森林草地墓园”，女儿佩莉丝、姊姊拉托雅等家属前晚齐聚瞻仰麦可遗容。

CNN也称麦可家属于大马时间昨晚11时在当地举办私人丧礼，据传他将“无脑”入殓，但未获证实。

美 国娱乐网站“TMZ.com”则指出，麦可棺木被运往史戴普斯中心，供歌迷追悼。他的三哥杰曼日前接受CNN主持人赖瑞金专访，麦可辞世刚满1周，梦幻庄 园现场出现2秒诡异黑影，网友认为影子神似麦可，直呼是偶像显灵。这段影像被上传网路(tinyurl.com/oqfcc5)，吸引3百多万人次点阅。

麦可猝死结束争议人生，媒体大篇幅报导，纽约共和党众议员金恩不以为然地表示：“麦可猥亵男童，媒体却把他当英雄，他根本是个变态。”言论引发争议。

特别广告

相关照片

■ 麦可杰逊追思会中途，麦可的棺木被抬出场。(美联社照片)

■ 麦可女儿Paris在追思会上致哀悼词时突然情绪崩溃，失控大哭起来。(美联社照片)

■ “自从我出生以来，他一直都是最棒的父亲，我非常爱你。”——女儿芭莉丝

■ 哥哥Marlon Jackson在家人陪同下在洛杉矶斯台普斯中心麦可杰逊的追思会上致悼词。(美联社照片)

■ 杰逊家族在追悼会上缅怀麦可。

■ 麦可的家人与朋友在追思会结束时互相拥抱，以慰藉失去麦可的痛苦。(美联社照片)

■ 麦可的3名子女Paris、Prince Michael Jackson II以及Prince Michael Jackson I在父亲的追思会结束时向到场的观众挥手告别。(美联社照片)

■ 追悼会上，麦可杰逊的棺木上虽然铺满了红色玫瑰花，但场面庄严。（美联社照片）

世界第二最高“巨人” 抵槟筹募手术费

二零零九年七月八日 凌晨十二时五十六分

（槟城7日讯）身高2.56米、号称世界第二最高男子依查阿末（26岁），抵槟筹募手术费。

这位来自巴基斯坦的“巨人”，因个子过高引起诸多不便，以至被迫进行脚部手术。

不过，由于手术费高达5万美元（约18万令吉），依查唯有周游列国筹募资金。

他今日在其监护人查米尔的陪同下，现身旧关仔角Medan Renong饮食中心时，引起瞩目。

查米尔对《马新社》说：“我们设法筹募资金。我们希望通过让公众与依查拍照留念，可以筹获所需资金。”

他说：“我们于6月4日抵达大马，过后将到菲律宾、印尼及沙地阿拉伯筹募资金，以在稍后进行手术。”

查米尔说：“与依查合照收费10令吉。迄今我们已筹获2万5735美元，希望在这里能够筹到更多。”

他表示，公众可在周五及周六下午3时至5时，在武吉占姆购物中心与依查见面。

相关照片

■ 小女孩与世界第二最高男子依查阿末握手，相映成趣。

国阵前雪大臣基尔2400万豪宅曝光

价值2400万面积五万平方尺
国阵前雪大臣基尔豪宅曝光

作者／本刊张天聪 Jul 06, 2009 02:04:24 pm

【本刊张天聪撰述／苏晓枫摄影】国阵前雪兰莪州务大臣基尔多益被爆在莎亚南坐拥一所价值约马币2400万元的豪宅，民主行动党适耕庄州议员黄瑞林指控，基尔多益担任州务大臣八年的总收入仅马币470万元，为何有钱自行购地及兴建比行政议员官邸还贵的“基尔皇宫”？

这座“基尔皇宫”坐落在莎亚南第七区，豪宅由两个地段，即HSD 22904 PT 62及HSD 22905 PT 65所组成；PT 62地段面积3万1794平方尺，PT 65地段面积有2万427平方尺。

根据黄瑞林从雪州土地局获得的资料，基尔多益分别以马币290万元买下PT 62地段及以90万元买下PT 65地段。这两个地段皆属同一地主，即Ditamas有限公司，这家公司的业主是山苏丁海罗尼（Shamsuddin Hayroni），据说是基尔多益的好朋友。

黄瑞林：大门就值29万

这所豪宅已经竣工，基尔一家也已经迁入；黄瑞林今早率领媒体前往这所豪宅观察，只看见豪宅“城门深锁”，并无法窥探内里情况；但黄瑞林爆料说，仅是豪宅的大门便已价值29万元。

据记者观察，大门的材料是深褐色的高级木，而门上更有豪华雕刻。此外，虽然无法得知豪宅是由多少栋建筑物组成，不过已知的是里面设有泳池及游乐场。

黄瑞林透露，基尔的豪宅兴建费约马币2000万元，加上两个地段购价近400万元，因此这座“基尔皇宫”价值为2400万元。

黄瑞林以现任雪州大臣卡立依布拉欣公布的收入，即每月薪金加津贴共4万8000元计算，基尔担任大臣八年的收入共460万元（4万8000乘12个月乘8年）。

黄瑞林质疑：“基尔多益在担任雪州大臣前是牙医，并不富裕，他如何在担任大臣的8年后就变得富有？460万元的收入如何购买2400万元的豪宅？”

他说，即使是8年的460万净收入也是排除了吃、喝等其他费用，而大臣、雪州议长及行政议员并不被允许拥有自己的生意，基尔多益的兴建豪宅的收入是如何购买2400万元的豪宅？”

他说，即使是8年的460万净收入也是排除了吃、喝等其他费用，而大臣、雪州议长及行政议员并不被允许拥有自己的生意，基尔多益的兴建豪宅的收入是从何而来？

“反贪委应主动调查”

此外，黄瑞林也对何以两个地段属于同一个地主，但却各自以不同的价格售卖给基尔多益感到不解。基尔多益以每平方尺93元购买PT 62地段，另外以每平方尺40元购买PT 65地段，两者价格相差甚远。

黄瑞林表示，他目前无意向反贪委员会投报基尔多益拥有豪宅的事件，因为他已经对该委员会失去信心，但他认为，反贪委员会应该主动调查。

“就看反贪委员会要不要调查吧，关于基尔购地的文件都可在土地局找到，但人民自会对反贪委员会的效率作出评估。”

相关照片

■ 摄记从小山丘上，尝试拍摄该座“基尔皇宫”，照片上可见游泳池及游乐场等设备。

■ 基尔的豪宅外观！

■ 民主行动党雪州适耕庄州议员黄瑞林周一揭露，前雪州大臣莫哈末基尔拥有一座价值约2400万令吉的超级豪宅。

Khir in a pickle over palatial mansion

A partial view of the mansion which former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo is allegedly building. — Picture by Jack Ooi

UPDATE 2

By Neville Spykerman

SHAH ALAM, July 6 — Selangor’s opposition leader is under the spotlight again, this time for allegedly building a palatial mansion which dwarfs the infamous Istana Zakaria built by the late Port Klang assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Md Deros, but in an immediate reaction Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo denied he had spent more than RM20 million on the house.

DAP’s Ng See Lim today revealed documents which allegedly confirms allegations which first surfaced over the Internet months ago that Dr Khir owns the mansion on Jalan Suasa 7/1L in Shah Alam.

The Sekinchan assemblyman said the resort-like home of the former mentri besar had been built on two plots of land measuring over 50,000 sq ft or 1.17acres.

In comparison, Istana Zakaria which brought about the political downfall of the infamous Port Klang assemblyman had 16 bedrooms, 21 bathrooms and built on 43,000 sq feet of land in Kampung Idaman, Klang.

Ng, who produced documents from the State Land Department, said Dr Khir had purchased one lot measuring of 31,794 sq feet for RM2.9 million while another lot measuring 20,427 sq feet was purchased for RM900,000.

He further alleges that the mansion, which sits behind high walls, was built at a further cost of RM20 million.

Speaking to reporters later, Dr Khir said he had bought the home for only RM3.5 million with a loan from HSBC.

“I have nothing to hide. Everything is above board,” he said.

Earlier, Ng had taken reporters to visit the house and alleged that Dr Khir could not have been able to afford the house on his income as a mentri besar.

“The house was built according to Balinese architecture with furniture from Bail, and it also has a pool.”

“I would like Dr Mohd Khir, who was a dentist before becoming mentri besar for eight years, to explain how he accumulated so much wealth that he could afford to build the house that cost at least RM24 million.”

Based on the public income declaration of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, Ng worked out that Dr Khir’s income to be no more than RM48,000 a month while he was mentri besar.

This would come to RM576,000 a year or RM4.6 million while he was mentri besar between August 2000 and March 2008. As mentri besar, Dr Khir would have been barred from engaging in business.

Ng said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) must act and investigate how Dr Khir could afford the house.

He said the MACC could obtain all the necessary documents from the land office and did not have to interview him or wait for a report to be lodged.

According to documents given to the press, Dr Khir and his wife Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik had obtained the land from Ditamas Sdn Bhd in 2007 while construction of the house was completed some time this year.

Photographs of the property which show a swimming pool and several buildings first surfaced on the antikhirtoyo.blogspot website on March 20, just before the Umno elections.

Asked about it then, Dr Khir said it was the work of his enemies in Umno.

Dr Khir, who had been a frontrunner in the contest for the Umno Youth chief's post, eventually lost the election to Khairy Jamaluddin.

Akamomiji - The Latest Japanese Restaurant in Ipoh?

Sunday, February 22, 2009

http://j2kfm.blogspot.com/2009/02/akamomiji-latest-japanese-restaurant-in.html

Akamomiji has piqued my interest since its renovation period sometime during the Chinese New Year. Located in Medan Ipoh Bistari (yup, don't you get that sense of deja vu ....), this latest addition to Ipoh's line up of Japanese restaurants opened few days ago to much fanfare, almost fully booked every evening, and prior reservation seems to be the norm, lest you decide to casually waltz in and capitalize on the furore/chaos that is surrounding almost all newly-opened outlets. Josephine Cafe and David's Diner come to mind, naturally.

Occupying 2 shoplots of space, the restaurant is brighter than its counterpart, Kizuna, and a tad more spacious. With a sushi bar that can seat about 5 guests

Service was far from satisfactory however, let alone impeccable. But given the fact that the place is rather new; the new staff and new management deserve a second chance (least in my humble opinion) and time to improve before being put on the gallows. I mean, before passing any judgmental opinions. Some may disagree on this, I'm sure, as discerning diners may categorize first impression as a make-or-break experience, and the proprietor's better impressed, or else.

But seriously, this IS Ipoh after all, whereby quality and quantity of the food comes first, while dining experience comes a close (or distant) second. And credits to be given where credits are due, all the staff were in fact, rather friendly and approachable. Just lacking in terms of training, and more vitally, hands-on experience. Imagine to be seated and without any menu nor attention for a good 5 minutes. But with that said, the waitress was rather accomodating, topping up our cups of green tea every now and then.

Chuka Wakame @ RM4.80

OK, let's move on to the food. Before that, Ipohans must have heard about Kizuna japanese restaurant? Situated a stone's throw away from Kizuna, the owner of Akamomiji is in fact, from the management of Kizuna. Still on good terms or not, I don't know. But for sure this is a strong contender to Kizuna (and even Waraku, to some extent), business-wise, as all of them are located within the same area.

Chuka Idako @ RM4.80

Our orders got mixed up somehow, and we were served more dishes than we initially ordered. But we relented and gobbled up everything that was put in front of us. Such hungry souls eh?

The appetizers of marinated seaweed (Chuka Wakame) and marinated baby octopus (Chuka Idako) came in dainty portions, but served their functions as appetizers well. Sweet, slightly tangy, and spicy (for the seaweed), the appetizers teased the palate for more to come. The baby octopus were crunchy to the bite, served on a bed of julienned cucumbers. Refreshing.

Unagi and Tamago Sushi

Kyushu Nigiri Sushi (Platter of 9 pcs) @ RM25.80

The staff explained that the fishes are freshly flown in from Japan every Tuesdays and Fridays. Hmm, Waraku (yet to blog, later) seems to import their supplies on the same days as well. Suspicious?

It's already Sunday, (meaning we could be savouring on Friday's supplies) the slices of fish remained fresh, sweet and succulent. Especially tempting was the roes (tobiko?), VERY 'crunchy' and QQ, every bite released squirts of juices. A far cry from Sushi King's, believe me.

Ebi Kisu Tenpura @ RM16.80

The prawns and fish tenpura was disappointing though. Not exactly LARGE prawns, the platter consisted of 2 prawns, a slice of fish, and a piece or two of vege only. And the batter was nothing to shout about, nor was the accompanying generic tenpura sauce.

Una Jyu @ RM23.80

We were served with the Una Jyu (grilled eel with sweet teriyaki sauce on rice), something none of us ordered. And we digged in before realizing it was not in our order list. Oh, but what the heck, the thick, juicy and well-marinated slabs of eel were perfectly grilled, with its juice retained, and none of the cold, fishy taste. Thumbs up to the unagi!!! With complementary miso soup.

Chicken Teriyaki Jyu @ RM11.80

The chicken was succulent, and tender. Simply served with strips of seaweed, and sprinkling of sesame seeds. Sufficient to be a complete meal, or a light lunch. Also came with a bowl of miso soup.

Ninmiku Chahan @ RM3.80

And ultra-light eaters can order any of their variety of fried rice, from garlic to crab fried rice and silver anchovies fried rice. The garlic fried rice was good; fluffy and fragrant from the garlic cloves, perfect as an ala carte order to complement your salads, grilled meats, hot pots, or even the kushiyaki (which sadly, was not available this particular evening). They serve okono-miyaki (japanese omelettes) as well, but unfortunately was not available for orders on this visit.

On the whole, the meal was above average, with rather reasonable prices to boot. The meal costed less than RM100 for the four of us. But of course, we did not go crazy with the orders nor order any sashimi, given the fact that it's 2 days too late to sample their freshly flown supplies from Japan. But there's always another visit, when the craving comes, ya? :)

Location : AKAMOMIJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT @ 36-38, Medan Ipoh 1E, Medan Ipoh Bistari, 31400 Ipoh, Perak. Tel : 605-546 8368. It's directly opposite the row of shops with SSTC Italian Cafe, Kafe Tim Curry Mee, and Serai Sate Kajang. Visit any of those links for directions.

#Updated 24/3/2009 : Here's The Star Online's compiled version of this article #