An environment where all people who are proud to call themselves Malaysian and as long as it provide freedom for all without encroaching the freedom of others. Malaysiafirst
Since 1896, our nation had adopted the tiger in its emblems, crests and coat-of-arms. The king of our jungle. The symbol of courage, strength, bravery, agility and beauty. So majestic that they grace the crests of the government, universities, and private corporations. The national animal without a doubt. OUR HERITAGE.
But what have we done with our national icon. We have already killed more than 80% of them. By clearing forests without proper planning, we have deprived them of their homes. Hunting has decimated many (please watch this video of how cruel hunters are). Now there are less than 500 tigers left in the wild. And if the current rate of habitat destruction and poaching continue, these remaining tigers will be wiped out rather soon (perhaps by year 2020 when we all can be proud and call ourselves a developed nation).
We will look silly having the tiger gracing our coat-of-arms without any of them being alive. A nation that destroys its own chosen symbol surely cannot be called developed, can it ?. We owe it to our children and their children to protect our tigers in the wild. Much needs to be learnt and much more needs to be done to protect them. The current apathy cannot continue.
There are many organizations and dedicated individuals who are working very hard to raise awareness about the tiger, protect their habitats and to reduce poaching. But it is not enough. We need to reach out to more Malaysians.
The Tiger Blogfest 2010 [19 – 23 April 2010] is an avenue for the blogging community to contribute towards protecting our national heritage. All that is asked of you is to do what you are already doing so well… blog, blog and blog. Tell a story, write a poem, post a technical paper, draw cartoons, compose a song, relate your personal experience – anything as long as it convey the message of the need to protect our tigers. [preliminary details given below]
I know you will all rise to the occasion. At the same, efforts are being made with the media and NGOs to give this event publicity and the conservation community to leverage on the heightened awareness.
Regards
Planet of the Monyets
Coordinating blog
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Tiger Blogfest 2010 – Preliminary Instructions
Period
19 – 23 April 2010 [Why ? Because 22 April is Earth Day]
What to do
Post at least one piece in your blog about the need to protect the tiger. You can plan and prepare ahead of time. Your first posting must be made on 19th April, preferably before 9.00 a.m.
You are encouraged to post additional articles during that week. But you can just stick to one post if you cannot spare the time. It would however be nice if everyone can post two pieces, one on the 19th April and the other towards end of that week.
What to write
Post anything that you are comfortable with as long as it carries a message about the need to protect our tigers. You can choose to write a story about the tiger, post a technical paper, compose a song or a poem, draw cartoons, etc. etc. Preferably in English or Bahasa Malaysia.
Comradeship
All participating blogs should carry (1) the Tiger Blogfest 2010 logo; and (2) a common message about protecting the tiger. Both these items will be provided to all participating bloggers.
List of participating blogs
The list of participating blogs will be displayed at several tiger and nature-related websites. We are targeting 100 blogs for this inaugural Tiger Blogfest. [we already have unofficial confirmations from 22 blogs]
Other activities
Still being considered :
Link to a petition, urging the Government to expedite the implementation of the National Tiger Action Plan
A talk on tiger conservation – all participating bloggers will be invited
Note : The final instructions will be emailed to all particpating blogs (i.e. those who register)
Interested ?
If you are interested in doing your bit to help protect our tiger and participate in this blogfest, please contact Planet of the Monyets at gbm.ere@gmail.com to register your blog. [and if you want help beyond just writing about the tiger, do let me know too... tiger conservation could do with plenty of help]
Oh yes.... do let all your blogging friends know about this event.
Finally Lee Chong Wei made it. Congratulation to our Malaysian hero including the Coach Misbun Sidek. As for Misbun, this is his second charge after coaching Hafis Hashim who won the title in 2003. He himself was once a runner in this competion way back in the eighties.
Well it was a worthwhile wait, considering the Rubber game during the mixed doubles (China bt Indonesia) and ladies singles (Denmark bt China). As for the ladies doubles it was a Chinese affair, while the men's doubles was a Danish one. The latest News.
It was a good competition that most player will not one to miss, but like it or not the next question is are we ready for the Thomas Cup comes this May in Kuala lumpur.
Setelah ramai yang mewakili Malaysia kecundang semas pusingan pertama dalam usaha membawa balik Kejuaraan All England setelah tidak berjaya di German Open. Lee Chong Wei yang tidak ke German, maju setapak lagi mengalahkan seterunya Sony Dwi Kuncoro untuk berjaya ke suku akhir.
Harapan kita, Chong Wei dan beregu (bekas pelatih beregu kebangsaan) Gan Teik Chai & Tan Bin Shen akan berjaya melepasi peringkat separuh akhir.
Ada harapan lagi ... 2010 All England kita punya !!!
Reader's Digest in their latest issue (March 2010), had a special report, and as they reveal the exclusive results of the first ever Asian Trust Poll, we wonder ???
The question they asked people to rate were of professions and local personalities on a scale of ten("Trust completely") to one ("Not trusted at all")
Of the most trusted professions, fire fighters, doctors and teachers. In the Philippines, farmers were rated highly, while the medical profession were rated highly in Hong Kong. Real estate agents, fortune-tellers and politicians rated poorly. Thailand rated taxi driver poorly while those in the finance industry are rated poorly in Singapore.
When it comes to individuals people polled consider an array of personalities across the board - from forensic experts to actors and spiritual leaders. Lets look at the Top Five from the countries polled in alphabetical order :
HONG KONG 1. Josephine Siao - Philantrophist, Founder of End Child Abuse Foundation 2. Professor Joseph Sung - Medical Researcher 3. Dr Rebecca Lee - Explorer and Enviromentalist 4. Andrew Li - Chief Justice, Court of Final Appeal 5. Lee Sai Shan - Windsurfer, Olympic Gold Medalist
MALAYSIA 1. Nicol David - Squash World Champion 2. Dr Jemilah Mahmood - Founder of Mercy Malaysia 3. Lee Chong Wei - Silver Medallist Olympic Beijing 2008 4. Lat aka Mohd Nor Khalid - Cartoonist 5. Jimmy Choo - Shoe Designer
PHILIPPINES 1. Rosa Rosal - Actress and Philantrophist 2. Lea Salonga - Singer and Actress 3. Jessica Soho - Journalist and Vice President of GMA News 4. Tony Meloto - Philantrophist, Founder of Gawad Kalinga 5. Beningno "Noynoy" Aquino III - Senator
SINGAPORE 1. Chan Sek Keong - High Court Chief Justice 2. Dr William Tan - Wheelchair Athlete and Charity Fundraiser 3. Tommy Koh - Ambassador-at-large 4. Khoo Boon Hui - former Commissioner of Singapore Police Force 5. Prof Lee Wei Ling - Director & Senior Consultant of the National Neuroscience Institute
TAIWAN 1. Master Cheng Yen - Religious Leader, Founder of Tzu Chi Foundation 2. Li Chang Yu - Forensic Expert 3. Ang Lee - Film Director 4. Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi 5. Lin Hwai-Min - Founder Cloud Gate Theater
THAILAND 1. Dr Pornthip Rojanasunan - Forensic Parthologist 2. Phra Ajarn Alongkot Dikkapanyo - Head Monk at Wat Phra Bath Nam Phu 3. Dr Sumet Tantivechakul - Secretary General - Chaipattana Foundation 4. Phra Prokunaporn (Prayut Payutto) - Spiritual Leader 5. Phanya Nirunkul - CEO Workpoint Entertainment PLC
I am quite happy of the Top 5 in Malaysia, however, the list of 50 chosen in the Malaysian group are actually "Safe List", and when compared to the other countries in the study Malaysian in Politics or the Civil Service (Judges, Police Officers etc..) are not included. Even Corporate players are left out.
To be fair when making comparison, it would be better that same group and category are acorded to every country (eg. 5 or 10 for each group, common or professional)
*** The Trust Survey was conducted by independent market research company, The Digital Edge on behalf of Reader's Digest in October 2009.
See how time flies, the so called Malaysian Political Tsunami.
Still so much has happen ... and whether which ever political divide you support, I still believe that any sane individual would love to live in a country where they are confident that they and their family are in a 'safe' & 'just' environment.
Now ... again what I say and what you think is of no relevance, we shall always learn to accept the fact that one need to 'AGREE' to 'DISAGREE'.
And I like this article ... by Kee Thuan Chye.
Not a time to lose March 8 spirit
There was a lot of optimism right after March 8, 2008. There was a sense that things would get better. But has there been much change two years since that day?
Instead of seeing multi-racialism being freely accepted and manifested in government policies, we find ourselves becoming more divided along racial lines. Right after March 8, Umno embarked on its campaign to warn the Malays that they were under threat and to rise up against this.
The government has assumed a schizophrenic personality – the prime minister talks about 1Malaysia while his deputy says things that are completely contradictory. The PM talks about multi-racial unity while his own party campaigns for Malay unity.
Many of us had hoped that, after the elections, both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat would set aside their political differences and get down to the business of working for the national interest, of saving this country.
Instead, they have been doing their darnedest to do the dirty on each other. BN is coming out tops in that effort because it has the media under its control. Both seem to be doing their worst to win the next general election.
We hoped for leaders who would be honest, clean and respectful of us the people, who would not think we were stupid or immature. Quite soon after Najib Abdul Razak took over as prime minister, he told a gathering of senior mainstream media editors: “I have no baggage.”
The editors nearly fell off their chairs. If the No. 1 leader of this country can say something like that, what can we expect of the rest?
No wonder then Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar could say that Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng had been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) “for her own protection”. And current Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein (right) could come out to defend the cow-head protestors and actually say “they felt victimised”.
But the ‘best’ comment on that incident came from Dr Mohd Khir Toyo: “There was no religious significance in bringing the head. The cow is a stupid creature and (the protestors) wanted to point out that the (Selangor) state government was being stupid.”
How did such a person become menteri besar of Selangor?
Instead of being a formidable force providing a strong opposition in Parliament, Pakatan is now fighting to salvage its image. The number of elected representatives who have quit PKR is distressing, and Pakatan can’t blame the mainstream media for this. Neither can Pakatan blame anyone for its ability to produce ‘frogs’.
Anwar Ibrahim promised us defections from BN to Pakatan on Sept 16, 2008, but it never happened. Now it’s happening – but the defectors are from Pakatan. In any case, Anwar’s attempt to take over the federal government on Sept 16 was misguided and merely exposed his true ambition – to be prime minister, above all else.
We now see infighting among Pakatan’s elected representatives. We hear allegations of corruption in their ranks. We realise that many of them are in public service not to serve the public but to serve their own interests. All these negative developments threaten to erode our faith in Pakatan. Can they put their act together? Can they form a viable government?
After March 8, we hoped the government would undo the damage that had been inflicted on our country by the man who screwed up our institutions, created a culture of fear, fostered the negotiated contract, invested our money in white elephants – and still doesn’t know when to shut up. The Americans could only make ‘Avatar’; he managed to lead a country to the dogs. And yet the government has not dismantled the culture he created in order to restore our faith in the country’s institutions.
On the issue of race, Najib’s 1Malaysia project is mere window-dressing. It’s old wine in a new bottle. And I’m not apologising for the non-halal reference. I leave that sort of apologising to Star.
What 1Malaysia is there when Najib says one thing and his deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, says the direct opposite? The very day Najib publicly unveiled the 1Malaysia logo, Muhyiddin said Umno would fight to the last drop of blood to protect Malay rights. He has also said the BTN courses are uniting Malaysians in line with the 1Malaysia concept. How? Pray tell.
What 1Malaysia is there when Najib says one thing and his aide Nasir Safar says the Indians came to this country as beggars and the Chinese as prostitutes? And that “We can anytime revoke the citizenship of the Indians in Malaysia”?
Media failures
More insidious is the rise of the right-wing movement that the government has done nothing to discourage. Only last week, the Home Ministry granted its most prominent group, Perkasa, a permit to publish a fortnightly newspaper. Meanwhile, Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian continue to pour poison into the ears of the Malays by spinning that they are losing their land and privileges.
Surely, Najib could put a stop to such spin since the newspapers are owned by Umno? Why doesn’t he? Is it because he encourages media freedom? If so, why do we still have the Printing Presses and Publications Act, which requires media organisations to renew their licences every year at the pleasure of the home minister? Why is it still there to turn media owners and editors into eunuchs?
Star recently published an article which critiqued the caning of the three Muslim women for illicit sex, and public caning in general. When a few Muslim NGOs complained, the Home Ministry promptly issued the newspaper a show-cause letter. The ministry also insisted on an apology. So the paper dutifully apologised. No doubt all this is meant to intimidate Star so it won’t dare to run such articles again.
Should it be frightened? How do we push the parameters if we continue to be frightened? How do we encourage healthy public debate? I personally doubt the ministry would close down Star. The public repercussions would be negative for the government. More importantly, BN would cease to have an important organ for the dissemination of its propaganda. Star reaches out to a wide non-Malay, mainly middle-class readership. BN can’t afford not to reach out to these people.
Even after March 8, the mainstream media is failing us. Remember how relatively balanced they were in the months after March 8? Their owners realised that for the sake of public acceptance, they had to temper their pro-government bias and so they opened the window of objectivity by a few degrees. Besides, they had to hedge their bets in case Anwar did manage to take over the government.
But then when Sept 16 didn’t happen, there was no need to consider that any more. So the mainstream media stopped being balanced. Months later, Najib took over as PM. He tightened the screws. Thereafter, the mainstream media went back to bashing Pakatan.
Selective change
To be fair to Najib, he has shown that he’s serious about economic reform and he’s trying to make Malaysia more competitive and to lure foreign investors. He has also come up with the Government’s Transformation Programme that identifies six key areas in which the government intends to improve its service to the public.
The effects of all these, however, are not conspicuous yet. He did try to table three laws in Parliament to settle the touchy issue of religious conversion but this was forestalled at the last minute by the Conference of Rulers. But meanwhile, where are the institutional reforms?
When he became PM, he released numerous ISA detainees, among them the Hindraf leaders. But wasn’t that done with the next general election in mind – to win back the Indians? What about the more important issue – the ISA itself? What is being done about that? And what about the Universities and University Colleges Act, which denies student participation in not just political activities but also social activities that are not approved by the vice-chancellor?
Recently, the Universiti Malaya Speaker’s Corner was reactivated and a deputy minister who was somehow present at the event called it a clear example of the government’s open approach. Someone should test what can’t be said at that Speaker’s Corner.
What about the law enforcement institutions? We have yet to see the setting-up of the IPCMC which could help reduce crime and police corruption, and promote better observance of human rights by the police.
The ACA was reformed to become the MACC to battle corruption more effectively. Look at what it’s doing these days – mostly picking on opposition politicians to bring them to shame. Almost every opposition leader worth his salt is being investigated by the MACC. If you are not being investigated, you haven’t arrived.
We could also go into the attorney-general’s office and ask what has happened to the Lingam case, the PKFZ case, the RMAF case, the Hasbie Safar case, and whether the people who placed wild-boar’s heads in the two mosques have been arrested. What do you think we might discover?
Shaking off fear
So, what good has March 8 brought us after all?
Fundamentally, I think Malaysians are becoming more courageous. More and more are speaking up. Fewer and fewer are kowtowing to the people in high places. We are struggling to shake off the culture of fear – and I think we are succeeding. Look at the turnout at candlelight vigils and protest marches.
At the protests against the ISA detention of Tan Hoon Cheng, Raja Petra Kamarudin and Teresa Kok, people whom you’d never expected to see at such gatherings actually showed up. Three years ago, such people would not have dared come near such activities.
There is a new spirit of defiance now, and we have models of defiance to show us the way – among them Anwar Ibrahim since the reformasi days, Raja Petra, P Uthayakumar, Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and his Perak band, and Malaysiakini. Instead of giving in to authoritative pressure, they stood tall. And that’s how it should be.
Malaysians are no longer so afraid of another May 13. Sure, there is always the possibility of racial riots flaring up but people are generally more sensible now. Besides, no responsible government would want racial riots to erupt and frighten away investors. The recent ‘Allah’ issue reinforces that. Despite the puny efforts of a few to create an incident by fire-bombing churches, attacking a surau and depositing wild-boar heads in mosques, the opportunity for riots fizzled out.
The political battlefields of Malaysia are no longer so clear-cut and marked by Malays versus non-Malays. From the time of reformasi in the late 1990s, the split within the Malay community has been evident.
In the 1999 general election (GE), it was the non-Malay voters who saved BN from possibly losing its two-thirds majority. Compared to the 1995 GE, Umno’s votes in 1999 dropped by 8 percent. Najib nearly got voted out of the Pekan constituency. He scraped through with a majority of only 241 votes.
In fact, as long ago as the mid-70s, it had already been predicted that a time would come when the major political strife would be between the Malays. The failure of the NEP to evenly redistribute wealth among the Malays has accelerated this. A class fight is settling in between the Malays who have not and the Malays who have a lot.
The real issue now is corruption. Many Malays have come to realise that the people who join Umno these days are largely doing so not because they believe in helping their own community but because they want to get rich.
Umno still tries to sell the idea of ketuanan Melayu but to the Malay have-nots, what is the meaning of that ketuanan? Even so, when push comes to shove, anything can happen. Much will depend on how effectively Umno plays the racial game. While it is unwise to look at the Malays as a monolith, it is equally unwise to ignore the tribal instincts of a community. Especially when it’s constantly being told that it’s under siege.
Looking forward on a more optimistic note, however, we have to acknowledge that March 8 has given us something precious for the next GE, and hopefully for longer into the future – choice. Now we have two coalitions to offer us their idea of a better deal. If we want to retain this duopoly that should work to our benefit, we have to nurture it. It sure beats having a monopoly.
The next GE will be crucial. It will determine whether we’ll get more of the same old, same old or whether we will get real change. Whether we will continue to be a nation divided along racial lines or be hopeful of being a truly Malaysian nation. If we are to keep the March 8 spirit alive and make irreversible the trend to take Malaysia out of the dark ages, we have to do our part. Those who have not yet registered as voters should do so as soon as possible.
It’s going to be a tough GE. Najib will want to prove himself worthy of being PM by winning it. He hasn’t won one yet. He’s PM now by default. He’s PM because of 2,600 Umno delegates. That’s the number that actually decided who would become prime minister. Only 2,600. We have seen in his handling of Perak how ruthless he can be when it comes to such things. So we need to be vigilant.
One of the tactics BN will resort to is gerrymandering. This might explain the recent PKR defections. BN will need a two-thirds majority to push through a Bill in Parliament calling for a redelineation of parliamentary constituencies. If it succeeds, redelineation will be really bad news for Pakatan. The opposition will have to strive even harder to win constituencies re-drawn to favour BN.
As it stands, Sabah and Sarawak seem secure for BN. To ensure that, Najib has been pumping more and more money into those states. In the peninsula, 70 percent of the current parliamentary seats are Malay-majority seats. That’s where PAS and PKR have to work really hard to deliver the votes. If they lose the battle for the Malay votes and Sabah and Sarawak remain loyal to BN, not only will Pakatan not make it to Putrajaya; BN might get back its two-thirds majority.
Whatever it is, when the next general election comes around, it might be appropriate to recall the words of Franklin Roosevelt: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Choice is what we have now. That has been the gift of March 8. We should exercise that choice – for the betterment of our country. And exercise it without fear.
Yes ... CHOICE is what we have now, and for all its worth, as we strive for the best, we hope those who are making the offer shall respect our decision.
PM says the economy is better or is it getting better? Well lets hope for the best. However with the new ruling by LKIM (Lembaga Kemajuan Ikan Malaysia), with regards to the boxes for the fish, we might be in trouble with higher cost of fish. This way relayed to me yesterday by my fish monger at the Klang Market. FOMCA says lets boikot from buying fish if the price goes way up.
Other than fish, did anyone realised that prices of drinks had gone up. Two insident that occured to me personally, a 'Teh Tarik' that usually cost RM1.50 is supposed to have gone up to RM1.70 at a Mamak Restauran in Shah Alam t while a 'Teh Ais Limau' is supposed to be RM1.20 up from RM1.00 at the stall in Klang Market. After complaining, they let me pay the old price for that order, not sure if it stays up or unlucky to unsuspecting customers.
Now ... with sugar up 20 sen per kg, an increase of that amount per RM is equivalent to 20% increase. If that is the quantum, I'll start to not drink outside and bring refreshment from home. If all Malaysian does the same, its good for the health anyway, and you save money anyway.
What will it do to the economy ... the multiplier effect could be devastating. Than again what is 20 sen isn't it???
The Tiger Blogfest 2010 [19 – 23 April 2010] is an avenue for the blogging community to contribute towards protecting our national heritage. All that is asked of you is to do what you are already doing so well… blog, blog and blog. Tell a story, write a poem, post a technical paper, draw cartoons, compose a song, relate your personal experience – anything as long as it convey the message of the need to protect our tigers. [preliminary details given below]
