The sun and the moon @ Kool

my eastern sky at 7.30 am

This is the sky that greets me

 as I reach the top of the hill

before turning left

to get to work in the morning

And this is the sky that greets me

as I turn right

and come down the hill

when I come back from work

I am clueless 

as to what caused that thick line

in the middle of my purple sky

My western horizon at 7.30 pm

waxing gibbous 98% full

This is the waxing gibbous moon 

at 98% full

seen on my eastern horizon

on 17 Feb at 7.41pm

This was taken in 2008, October 15

I posted this photo here in an earlier blog entry

along with few other favourites

which I snapped at almost midnight

full moon at midnight

Guess what this is

SHAMSUL AKMAR: Get Your Facts Right, Malott

Another response to John Malott's Malaysia's Racism.


FORMER United States ambassador to Malaysia John R. Malott must be over himself with the attention given to his recent article in the Wall Street Journal titled the "The price of Malaysia's racism".
A shallow article from a less-than-average diplomat should not have made Malaysians excited but instead, make them realise that amid the powerful nation's diplomatic corps, mediocrity does exist.

At the same time, there are, of course, the "anglophile" Malaysians who will take the opinion of a racist white man as gospel. This is apart from those who have decided that Malaysia is a failed state, adding to the crowd of naysayers.

Since there are many "Uncle Toms" in the our midst, Malott's piece needs some scrutiny so as not to allow his brand of racism and propaganda to get away with impunity.
First, all the issues he raised had gone through the processes of political debates and the law and put to rest.

They were the "cow head" procession, removal of crosses and claims of unpatriotic non-Malays with regard to the armed forces. Those involved had either been punished or apologised.

The other issues are political posturing, perceptions and minority rights viz. affirmative action at the expense of the country's minorities.

Herein lies Malott's confusion and distorted logic.

Coming from a country claiming to be the purveyor of democracy, Malott forgets that he is dealing with a much younger nation, whose democratic practices may not be as "mature" as the Americans'.

Malott may not realise that all Malaysians, or then citizens of Tanah Melayu, had the right to vote from the day the country gained independence in 1957 unlike the US where African-Americans only enjoyed such rights after the 1965 Voting Rights Act was passed.

In the American context of discrimination against minorities, Malott would have to understand that such a thing does not exist in Malaysia.

The Jim Crow laws, which upheld the segregation between "whites and Negroes", were repealed only in the 1960s.

These laws barred African-Americans from mingling with the whites, be it in schools, universities, the military, buses, toilets and even drinking fountains.

Such segregation has never existed in Malaysia and is not about to start nor will it be allowed to take root.

In fact, it is the reverse, especially in the case of Malaysian schools where the minority chooses to remain in vernacular schools, spurning calls by the government to embrace national schools.

Of course, it can be argued that many feel vernacular schools offer a better education than national schools but the fact remains -- there is no segregation.

Not to be ignored is affirmative action, which Malott attempted to pin as the factor for the bad blood between the races.

Again, Malott exposes his lack of intellect or ignorance because the affirmative action here is a direct opposite to that of the US.

The affirmative action in Malaysia is targeted at the majority while in the US, it is for the minority.

In other words, it is accepted that the minority, as a collective entity, is economically superior to the majority. Even then, the affirmative action target is 30 per cent equity of national wealth for more than 60 per cent of the population.

Simply put, it is an attempt to allow more than 60 per cent of the population just about one-third of the nation's wealth. The target had not been achieved and the policy had been criticised, not for its objectives, but for its implementation.

Compare this with the American affirmative action, which is targeted at improving the less than 15 per cent African-American population. Despite the small target, the minority is still the most disadvantaged with an economic equity of about seven per cent.

In short, it is the majority in Malaysia which is economically displaced and the minorities hold an equity larger than their population (again this is stated within the context of a collective entity just in case some Malaysians who think like Malott start arguing the minority groups also have their share of the poor).

The best joke is Malott's attempt at discussing Malaysia's economic standing and claiming it was worse than the racial tensions of 1969.

He should then be more concerned with the state of affairs in America, where those living below the poverty line comprise more than 12 per cent (2004 estimates, long before the sub-prime crisis, junk bonds and collapse of its financial institutions) and almost double-digit unemployment rate with growth of less than three per cent.

By comparison, Malaysia's standing is healthy if the US is the yardstick, with about five per cent of the population living under the poverty line, unemployment at 3.5 per cent and growth steadily rising to above seven per cent.

In short, Malott should have urged Washington to use Malaysia as a case study.

That being the case, what was the rationale behind Malott's piece?

As pointed out earlier, it was an attempt to redeem himself for his shortcomings in 1995-1998 when he had wrongly advised Washington on the situation in Malaysia, apart from failing to ensure that his predictions came true.

He had then equated Malaysia to Indonesia, of turning to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, the ascension of a leader of Washington's choice and the end of opposition to American hegemony.

But Malott is not about to give up.

The "Uncle Toms" here are ready to jump when he commands them


Read more: SHAMSUL AKMAR: Get your facts right, Malott http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/22lott/Article/#ixzz1DprRmM7M

Melting pot?

Update.
Malaysian Insider ran a response by Umar Mukhtar to John Malott 's article. [read here] MI also ran a response by DPM but I will not bother to link it here for embarassment.


Well, what do you know ... thestar today run Ms Mote's counter arguments to John Malott's article.  Azmi Anshar responded on nst online earlier. I commented about it here.


Yeah! Where else in this world that the ethnic celebrations are honoured as state holidays?


Where else in this world you will find the citizens who cannot speak the tongue of the soil and insist on keeping their vernacular schools ... not even in the PERFECT Singapore.


However, Ms Mote's observation is counter to the opinion of an American who resides in Kuala Lumpur and heads an international company. He opined that Mr Malott's piece is current and well aligned with reality. He observed that our economy is slipping against all of the regional competitors and that without a higher growth, there is risks of social pressures. He went on to note that the government is hinting the protest in Egypt is building up pressures here.


Hmmm ... by the look of things, perhaps one should consider stocking up on canned food and drinks. The way things are between two dinosaurs [LKY and TDM] maybe it is a good time to start piling up gold dinar too???

Embedded lies

Rachel Mote wrote a response to Malott's criticism about Malaysia's racism. Ms Mote contended that Malaysia is a true melting pot in opposition to Malott's claim of a cracked salad bowl.


Look at the comparison of GDP growth.


"Counter to Malott’s claim, Malaysia’s economy has been a burgeoning one. Its GDP has had positive growth for each of the years between 2000 and 2008, only dipping into negative territory in 2009, a year that saw the entire world’s economy in decline. Malaysia enjoyed a GDP growth rate of 8.9% at one point in the last decade. That’s hardly “underperforming.” By comparison, the best year of GDP growth in the United States over that same period never exceeded 4.9%. By that measure, Malott’s assessment of Malaysia economy is entirely unfair and inaccurate."


Ms Mote than adressed the question that have been buggng me all day long.


Now the question must be asked, why Malott chose to advance a negative and inaccurate picture of the country where he once served as Ambassador. The answer is a simple one that can be seen in his own hand. John Malott is a pet of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. A long defender of Ibrahim, Malott has taken to the press before in defense of a man who has been charged twice with sodomy, a serious crime in Malaysia, and who was convicted of corruption.


To cap off the week, here's a link that I cannot not love ... hehehe

Superman lily

One of my all time favourite movies is Superman starring the late Christopher Reeve. Of all the scenes, the one that struck me the most was when Superman flew across the globe to get Lois a flower for their date [or was it dinner?]. The flower was the peach lily. Ever since then, I became rather obsessed with lilies.

I have not been blessed with green fingers. The joke has always been that I could kill off plants simply by watering them. However, since moving into my own abode in 2003, I have been trying to 'cool' off my fiery fingers. I tried roses with some success until I left them without water for weeks when I had to go outstation. So were the orchids. Spent half k getting the 'orchid house' but I could hardly get them to bloom.

I first saw this pink lily at my brother's place in Klang. I asked for some of the bulbs to be planted at my house. 

About five years ago, I planted some bulbs in two flower pots. The leaves sprouted and shriveled again and again over the years. I used special fertilizers in the hope of seeing the beautiful flowers under my purple sky but to no avail. 

After tending them all these years, I was ready to give up. I left them alone. Not even bothered to water the pots. Mimosa began to take residence in the pots. With the end of year mad rush, they were totally totally abandoned. I gave them up for dead.

The rainy season past few months gave them some life but I ignored the sprouting leaves shrouded in the dark green mimosa foliage and its fragile pink round flowers. I just didn't have any hope to ever see the pink lily.

Last week I noticed the tip-of-the-flower-thingy but I was too occupied with Hikmah. Coming back from school on Monday in the evening, I was greeted by this three beautiful pink blooms on a single stalk. With the fourth still in bud.

Mesmerizing! Subhanallah! They are so beautiful. 

So is this life giving rain I snapped using my phone cam. I love watching the rain drops like big shiny pearls dropping down from the sky. I could spend hours watching them.

Over the years I have had some blooms around the house at different times. I didn't get to take any photos of my lovely roses and orchids before they died out [of neglect and termites]. 



Superman Lilies in June



Heliconia with leaves

Heliconia in vase

bougainvilla

Periwinkles

I have no idea what this one is called

MarginS

A former US Ambassador to Malaysia wrote an article on Wall Street Journal "The Price of Malaysia's Racism" .

Almost 500,000 Malaysians left the country between 2007 and 2009, more than doubling the number of Malaysian professionals who live overseas. It appears that most were skilled ethnic Chinese and Indian Malaysians, tired of being treated as second-class citizens in their own country and denied the opportunity to compete on a level playing field, whether in education, business, or government. Many of these emigrants, as well as the many Malaysian students who study overseas and never return (again, most of whom are ethnic Chinese and Indian), have the business, engineering, and scientific skills that Malaysia needs for its future. They also have the cultural and linguistic savvy to enhance Malaysia's economic ties with Asia's two biggest growing markets, China and India.

Of course, one could argue that discrimination isn't new for these Chinese and Indians. Malaysia's affirmative action policies for its Malay majority—which give them preference in everything from stock allocation to housing discounts—have been in place for decades. So what is driving the ethnic minorities away now?

I kept thinking of apartheid in South Africa. 


I strongly believe that these world policemen are looking at us through apartheid lenses.


That the non-Malays are marginalised on this soil.


They swallowed the Ketuanan Melayu [Malay Supremacy] lies hook line and sinkers tossed by DAP and Hindraf.


"... right-wing militant Malay groups such as Perkasa ..."


"... Chinese and Indian political parties in the ruling coalition are supposed to protect the interests of their communities, but over the past few years, they have been neutered. They stand largely silent in the face of the growing racial insults hurled by their Malay political partners..."


"... Utusan, which is owned by Mr. Najib's political party, has claimed that the opposition would make Malaysia a colony of China and abolish the Malay monarchy. It regularly attacks Chinese Malaysian politicians, and even suggested that one of them, parliamentarian Teresa Kok, should be killed..."


Their opinions and arguments conveniently overlook the statistics. 


And most of all, they conveniently forget that we are not U S of A.


That the Malays did not bring those non-Malays onto this soil.


That we honestly believe they wanted to go home because they insisted on keeping their vernacular schools. Otherwise why in the U S of A or anywhere else in the whole wide world do we NOT find a vernacular school? If one go to Nottingham, England, one will find Bank of India in Lenton Boulevard but no Primary/Junior/High School (India)?


That after 53 years, the non-Malays cannot speak the NATIONAL LANGUAGE of this soil.

I wonder if any of those in office read what this learned gentleman spewed.

Am I making a mountain out of a molehill?

In apartheid Africa, the white people became the master and the blacks became aliens in their own country.

Once, under TDM we were a nation well on the way of shedding our underdeveloped-country cloak. 

TDM was branded as a dictator by the west.

LKY brandished his designer democracy and is applauded for his success.

And suddenly everything chinese is  magically correct. 

"... Chinese parents can get away with things that Western parents can't..."

No more French, many would choose Mandarin as a second language. That's the language of the biggest economic power now.

Exercise in older adults improves memory

One year of moderate physical exercise can increase the size of the brain's hippocampus in adults aged 55 and more, leading to an improvement in spatial memory, a new study showed.

The hippocampus is a brain structure involved in all forms of memory formation.

The study -- conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, University of Illinois, Rice University, and Ohio State University -- appears in the January 31 issue of "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."

"The results of our study are particularly interesting in that they suggest that even modest amounts of exercise by sedentary older adults can lead to substantial improvements in memory and brain health," said Art Kramer, director of the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois and the senior author.

"Such improvements have important implications for the health of our citizens and the expanding population of older adults worldwide."

For their project, scientists recruited 120 sedentary older people without dementia and randomly placed them in one of two groups -- those who began an exercise regimen of walking around a track for 40 minutes a day, three days a week, or those limited to stretching and toning exercises.

The results showed that the aerobic exercise group demonstrated an increase in volume of the left and right hippocampus of 2.12 percent and 1.97 percent, respectively.

The same regions of the brain in those who did stretching exercises decreased in volume by 1.40 and 1.43 percent, respectively.

"We think of the atrophy of the hippocampus in later life as almost inevitable," said Kirk Erickson, professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and the paper's lead author. "But we've shown that even moderate exercise for one year can increase the size of that structure. The brain at that stage remains modifiable."

[from here]

In the name of democracy - Public Farting

When Malawi was under the rule of a dictator, people were afraid to fart in public. Since the last dictator was removed 16 years ago, the people thoroughly revel in their newfound freedom brought by democracy. 


A Malawi cabinet minister said democracy in the country has encouraged PUBLIC FARTING. It is becoming such a nuisance that the lawmakers will next week debate a law to CRIMINALISE public farting.


In 1929, a law was introduced which states "Any person who voluntarily vitiates the atmosphere in any place so as to make it noxious to the health of persons in general dwelling or carrying on business in the neighbourhood or passing along a public way, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour"


Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister, George Chaponda said, "The government has a right to ensure public decency. We are entitled to introduce order in the country"


Hence the amendment to the existing law is proposed which will make farting in public an offence.


The democratic government also ban long hair for men and trouser wearing for women. [from here]


Singapore is a democratic country. It is so successful that the people only need one party. Opposition has no place there because the government is so very efficient and and its people are all so happy and contented.


We succumbed to pressure. We were TOLD we were not democratic enough. We marginalised the Chinese and the Indian.


Now, who said all that? 

HIKMAH

A long long time ago when I was 14 years old, a teacher put me in charge of the school magazine. Got myself a few friends to help me cut out prints using scissors (our own) and pasting each piece painstakingly to the 'typing' paper. The teacher gave me an old portable typewriter [can't remember the name -very popular brand then]. We had to buy our own glue. I didn't see the teacher until the day I hand in the final draft. It was left to me to get all materials including the foreword from the Principal and other education officers concerned.


Last year, I was made the secretary to the committee. I thought it would be a breeze because we have all the hardware and software needed to produce a school magazine.


I prepared a schedule and appointed students ... the way my teacher did. 


Then I had that bout with shingles followed by the great sail. I was missing from school until May.


All the while I took it for granted that the 'work' for the mag was undergoing.


Turned out I was misinformed.


When the final meeting was called, the mag was far from ready. Even the design for the cover was not in sight.


Deadline came and went and no mag in sight.


School ended and began for the new year and still the mag was not making any appearance.


I have never worked with MS Publisher before but I needed to come out with a mag.


After three sleepless weeks, I came up with a whole mag.

Phewwww!

Finally.

After struggling for the whole month, today I managed to hand Hikmah to the publisher. Hopefully, it will be ready before SPM result is announced at the end of this month otherwise it will be another headache.

Moral of the story, it helps a lot to know how to use MS Publisher. 

Batu Api

Is this next after Tunisia and Egypt?


What is these old men doing?

Malaysia’s former premier Mahathir Mohamad has publicly denounced Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew for his remarks on Muslims in his recently published book, “Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths To Keep Singapore Going”.

Dr Mahathir accused Mr Lee of not being respectful of religion and blamed him for Singapore and Malaysia’s separation in 1965. The elder statesman of Malaysian politics also accused Mr Lee for recent remarks linking Singapore Muslims’ beliefs and racial integration in the island-nation.

“I’m not surprised by his statement because to him religion is not important,”  Dr Mahathir told Malaysian paper, Utusan Malaysia’s Sunday edition, Mingguan Malaysia.

“For him, the end justifies the means, so if he wants racial integration in Singapore, he won’t let Islam stand in the way of his goals. That is Kuan Yew. He totally does not respect religion and the sensitivities of other races.”

Dr Mahathir’s criticisms have added to the firestorm of debate within the Muslim community in Singapore and Malaysia, which first started when MM Lee said Muslims were “distinct” and “separate” and that they don’t do enough to integrate with the rest of society, such as having meals together.

Malay-language dailies in Malaysia including Utusan and Berita Harian, have lashed out at Mr Lee through various articles and commentaries, saying Mr Lee was trying to sow discord among the two neighbouring countries.

They also add that Mr Lee should learn more about Islam before making statements about Muslims. Dr Mahathir also claimed that Malays in Singapore had no choice but to compromise their beliefs.

“They are afraid of the Government,” he said. “I also feel that the Malays are careful when they speak up because they are worried they would be victimised. That is the attitude of the Malays in Singapore.”

In the interview, Dr Mahathir also fired back that while Malaysia ensured equal opportunities for all races, Singapore’s Malays were “weak” and marginalised.

He also blamed Mr Lee for breaking a promise not to contest in east Malaysia in the 1964 elections, saying it was his actions that led to the separation of Singapore from Malaysia.

Dr Mahathir added that other countries might have responded to such a situation “using force”, but Malaysia’s then Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, “chose to separate Singapore and give independence to the country”.

“That’s why it is not true when Singapore accuses us of having malice towards them,” he said.

In Singapore, Mr Lee’s comments have also sparked outrage from various Muslim groups, including the local association of Muslim scholars, PERDAUS  and Jamiyah, a member of the Inter-Religious Organisation.

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has since tried to distance his father’s comments from the government and said, ”My own perspective on how things are in Singapore is not quite the same as MM Lee’s,” adding that his own view is shared by the Government.

During a community event on Sunday, PM Lee also paid tribute to the way the Muslim community in Singapore “has made great efforts to integrate with the other communities and with Singapore society to join the mainstream.”