How safe Malaysia really is?

Reading Man robbed of car and clothes and Average of 73 vehicles stolen daily made me shudders! How safe is Malaysia, in real sense?

Our houses are grilled all-out! Turning one into a jailhouse to the owners instead.
The roads are full of road bullies, snatch thieves and day-light robbers!
Money are being lost while in the banks, siphoned by white-collared smuts!
Drain covers and sign-boards made of metals are missing!
Illegals are free to enter the country at their own whims!
Children are molested and raped, even those in supposed-to-be safe-school-hostels are not spared!
Public-money-supported institutions are being drained-off their wealths by cronies through ill-thought schemes!


Where are the enforcement officers? Where are the guardian of the masses? Sleeping on the job? On the take? Couldn't give a hoot?

What price capitalism?

The Star Online > Nation

Wednesday April 20, 2005

Man robbed of car and clothes

BY ANDREW SAGAYAM

PETALING JAYA: An IT company manager was left by the roadside only clad in his underwear after he was robbed by a group of men in Bukit Raja, Klang.

He lost his BMW 5 Series worth about RM400,000 as well as cash and valuables amounting to RM30,000.

The 47-year-old victim had to flag down several motorists along a road in Bukit Raja yesterday before one of them took him home to get his clothes.

In the 9am incident, the victim was leaving his home in PJS 11 here for work in Bandar Sunway when he was cornered by about seven men armed with parang and meat cleavers.

Subang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Fuad Talib said four men overpowered and bundled him into the back seat of his car while the other three trailed them in another car.

The armed men stopped at a secluded spot in Subang Jaya, where they assaulted the victim before forcing him to strip to his underwear.

“They forced the victim to hand over his three credit cards, an ATM card and the pin number before they drove to a bank and withdrew RM1,200,” he said.

The men also took the victim's mobile phones, laptop, jewellery and other valuables.

After abandoning him at a roadside in Bukit Raja, the armed men fled in the victim's car, ACP Mohd Fuad added.

He said police were looking for seven men aged between 20 and 40 years.

In another incident, police believe that the bogus taxi driver who had been on the prowl for over a month in Brickfields and here has struck in Subang Jaya.

ACP Mohd Fuad said yesterday that a 40-year-old clerk in Seri Kembangan was approached by a taxi driver.

On the pretext of asking for directions, the taxi driver coaxed her to follow him to his taxi, where he forced her inside.

He then drove her to a secluded spot in an industrial area in Serdang, where she was robbed and left at a roadside.

Those with information can call the police hotline at 03-8948 4822 or 03-211 5999, or SMS 32728.

---

The Star Online > Nation

Wednesday April 20, 2005

Average of 73 vehicles stolen daily

KUALA LUMPUR: An average of RM1.53mil was lost to vehicle thefts every day last year.

At the same time, insurance companies incurred claims amounting to RM557mil for vehicle thefts.

The General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) said this implied that last year an average of 73 vehicles, including cars, vans, lorries and motorcycles, were stolen nationwide every day.

PIAM chairman Anuar Mohd Hassan said between 2003 and last year, the number of stolen vehicles (which were insured) had skyrocketed by nearly 33%, with 26,566 cases last year and 19,936 cases in the previous year.

AWARENESS DRIVE:(From left)Midvalley Megamall executive director Daniel Yong, DCP Mustafa, Anuar and Malaysian Association for Shopping and Highrise Complex Management president Richard Chan holding the campaign poster at Midvalley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur.

“All of us need to play our part. We must exercise caution and employ necessary safety measures,” he said in his speech at the launching of the PIAM anti-car theft campaign by Kuala Lumpur police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mustafa Abdullah at Midvalley Megamall here yesterday.

DCP Mustafa said more than 65,000 vehicles were stolen last year, adding that the police statistics were different from PIAM's because they included non-insured vehicles.

Vehicle theft, he said, was one of the most common crimes in the country and this was a cause for concern.

---

© 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)

Introduce sandwich year instead!

Now the Higher education Ministry is considering that Undergrad courses may be lengthened by a year.

Time do flies, histories are madew, written and studied, but rotten politicians never learn!

In 1995, a graduate of Nottingham University (someone also claimed that he never really graduated!) proposed that universities shorten the undergraduate courses so that graduates can enter the employment sector faster. This chap, the current deputy Prime Minister, in his capacity as the Education Minister made local universities authorities shorten their 4-year-degree courses to 3 years and as a result, 1999 saw the introduction of half-baked local graduates to the employment! This persist for 3 donkey years!

Now that the industry is facing acute shortage of vacancies for graduates, another hair-brained idea is cooked-up. Admit it! The real reason is there are no jobs for the prospective graduates.

Universities prepare graduates to handle all sorts of jobs in the market, but, none is specific. It is the graduates themselves who are supposed to adapt the knowledges that they gathered through-out their academic years to excel in their employment.

The fact is this is not the case! Most of the local graduates are only memorisers of facts and duplicate these during university exams, securing good grades. They are merely memorising machines, not learned individuals who managed to gain knowledges that could be used as their trade-tools. Without these tools, these memorising machines failed miserably at work!

However, the root of the problem actually starts earlier on. Malaysian school system has failed to produce thinking Malaysian, generally. Thinkers that went through the same system are actually geniuses at their own making. They made themselves thinkers and not the education system. These thinkers also have their good parents or associates to thank for their achievements.

On the aspect of internship, a-year out can help the needy. Let students go for a year out if they need to prepare themselves with industrial experience. A compulsory industrial year should never be a solution, it should only be an option. The practical experience of 10 to 12 weeks (some universities insists on almost 24 weeks) should also be made an option rather than a graduation requirement. Most industries are incapable of accomodating short-terms trainee!

Overhaul the education system, right from bottom, all the way up. At the same time, overhaul the government. Elect correct politicians to power and dump all the BN stooges!


The Star Online > Nation

Wednesday April 20, 2005
Undergrad courses may be lengthened by a year

SEPANG: The Higher Education Ministry is considering extending undergraduate programmes in public universities by a year in its bid to equip students with practical skills demanded by the workforce.

The additional year will be used for a longer internship programme for students to get on-the-job training and experience before graduating.

Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh acknowledged that the existing 10- to 12-week internship was not long enough and that employers did not take the students seriously, given the short stint.

“They end up asking the students to do things like photocopying and making coffee,” he told reporters yesterday after chairing a dialogue session between his ministry and industry representatives.

He added that the matter would have to be studied and brought to National Higher Education Council as it would involve a change in policy.

“We have to find some sort of balance between training through internship programmes and university-learning,” he said, responding to a memorandum by the Malaysia International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI) presented at the meeting.

The MCCI said it supported longer corporate attachments “that can genuinely deliver some work environment experience to students rather than the notional periods so often seen at present.”

However, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Salleh Mohd Yasin, who was also at the press conference, said certain corporations had worked out programmes for the short internship stint that had benefited students.

“Some of them know it is only 10 weeks so they prepared a very intensive module for students,” he added.


© 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)

Something smells here....

While reading this achievement of another Malaysian, Work of wood carver gets international recognition, I am slightly distured to note that he has to seek approval from the cabinet! Quote, "“I have handed over the design to Dr Rais and he will present it to the Cabinet for approval,”.

If he has indeed earn the commission by merit from the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in Britain director, Dr Farhan Ahmad Nizami whom he met in Kuala Lumpur two weeks ago, why the need for the approval? Is it because the work is a government contribution ( aka bribe) to the centre?

I still remember sitting through a boring lecture on Islam by the previous Prime Minister of Malaysia at the centre in 1995 or 96! I was advised that Malaysia contributed loads to the centre.

Another thing to note, the name of the Oxford Centre, , Dr Farhan Ahmad Nizami sounds Malaysian! Is he?

The referred article:-
The Star Online > Nation

Wednesday April 20, 2005
Work of wood carver gets international recognition
BY K. SUTHAKAR

JERTEH: The work of wood carver Norhaiza Noordin has received international recognition with a commission coming from the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in Britain.

An associate institution of the Oxford University, the centre has asked the 42-year-old to design the wooden interior decoration for its new complex on the university campus.

“This is an honour for wood carvers in Besut and Malaysia,” he said after a visit by Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim to his Seni Ukir Bakavali production centre in Kampung Raja near here yesterday.

Established in 1985 to encourage the study of Islam and the Islamic world, the Oxford Centre provides a meeting point for the Western and Islamic worlds of learning.


BIRD-SHAPED CARVING:Norhaiza explaining to Rais the Petala Indera bird design on the congkak carved from angsana wood.
It is currently operating from a rented building outside the university.

Norhaiza, who has been carving wood for 19 years, said he met Oxford Centre director Dr Farhan Ahmad Nizami in Kuala Lumpur two weeks ago and they agreed to use merbau wood for the project.

The Malaysian Government had also asked him to design the wooden interior decoration of an auditorium it was planning to build in the centre complex, he added.

“I have handed over the design to Dr Rais and he will present it to the Cabinet for approval,” he said.

The minister earlier visited Balai Seni Mustafa Wansu in Kampung Raja, which is owned by Wan Su Othman, 105, believed to be the oldest wood carver in the country.

Speaking to newsmen, Dr Rais said he would propose to the Cabinet that grants be given direct to wood carvers in Terengganu and Kelantan instead of being channelled through government bodies.

He noted there were only seven wood carvers in the two states now compared with 28 in 1974.

“The future of the industry will become bleak if no special help is given to them,” he added.


© 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)

How come somebody else has to answer another person's claim?

While reading this Assurance that came to nought story, I am slightly disturbed that the complainant is asking “The onus is on the relevant authority to explain what happened because there are many undergraduates in higher learning institutions,”.

She was assured by the college that the degree was recognised when she first enrolled. Get the explaination from the same authority. Quote "She claimed that before signing up for the course, under a twinning programme with a university in Britain, the college in Petaling Jaya, had told her that the degree was recognised by the PSD".

I think she has not been looking at the real reason for her problem, and then solving it.

Is this the same reason why she has not been getting a job even after graduating?

The article refered is:-
The Star Online > Nation

Wednesday April 20, 2005
Assurance that came to nought

AFTER spending about RM34,000 and four years studying accounting at a local college, Gayethri Kulaseran, 26, was dismayed to learn that her degree is not recognised by the Public Services Department (PSD), Kosmo! reported.

She claimed that before signing up for the course, under a twinning programme with a university in Britain, the college in Petaling Jaya, had told her that the degree was recognised by the PSD.

She only learned that her degree was not recognised when her application to sit for a professional accounting examination was rejected by the Institute of Accountants Malaysia in the middle of 2003.

“I had spent about RM34,000 and worked hard for four years for a degree. Unfortunately it is not recognised,” the tabloid quoted her as saying, when met at the National Consumer Complaints Centre where she filed a complaint on Monday.

“The onus is on the relevant authority to explain what happened because there are many undergraduates in higher learning institutions,” she added.

Responding to Gayethri’s claims, NCCC investigations and complaints division manager Darshan Singh said the centre had written to the PSD Policy and Recognition Unit on March 28 regarding the case.

He added, however, that the centre had yet to receive a reply.

Berita Harian reported that the Health Ministry has given an assurance that donated blood is screened to ensure it is free from communicable diseases before it is given to patients in need.

“We do not understand why they (those infected with diseases) would want to donate blood when they know they are sick,” the daily quoted minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek as saying, during a visit to the Kuala Terengganu Hospital’s public health clinic on Monday.

The minister said the National Blood Bank does not make any mistakes when testing samples of donated blood.

But, quoting the ministry’s parliamentary secretary Lee Kah Choon in the Parliament sitting, the paper said blood tests, however, are not always 100% accurate.

Lee was quoted as admitting that some donated blood was contaminated, some even with HIV.

He also said donated blood would usually be screened to ensure it was not contaminated. “However, for HIV cases, there is a ‘window period’.” A conclusive result can only be obtained three months after exposure to the virus.


© 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)

First world government website, Malaysia NOT!

Reading an interesting jot by Fishtail on the ease of getting a driving license in the USA at the blogpage, makes me wonder how great that type of first world country operates. So unlike the experiences that I am facing daily in Malaysia, a country that I rate as a third-world class, or a worst class one if there is any. By the way, how many type of countries are there, he he he.

Anyways, that brought me about to write usa.gov on the URL box. It gets me here.	Try this link for Bigger image.
bigger image.	Guess what happened when I tried typing malaysia.gov? I got this instead! Frust man!
What about malaysia.gov.my? I got this! Almost the same thing.	Bigger image.
Bigger image.	Resigned to the fact that Malaysia is indeed a reversed-first world, I tried writing malaysia instead. You know what google brought me? THIS! Imagine? A country page represented by the tourism board page instead of a legal ruling government front page! A non-not-IE-browser-tolerant site which also needs Flash plug-in! Arghhhhhh!

Bigger image.

Is there any link on Malaysian government page. NOPE!. You're out of luck mate. However, I guess I can try the goverment ministries liks, it might bring me to the main government site? No luck again.
Bigger image.
Bigger image.

How about if I were to try the Prime Minister's website? It could lead me somewhere.
Bigger image.

Yeah, yeah. A page with a waving and smiling friendly PM. Any information of the country that could be of interest? Go somewhere else... like CIA fact-file on Malaysia. It's a good start.

Kasihan Malaysia. Perasan developed nation....... [struck off on comment by Halian] A very slow developing nation indeed!

After looking at the USA government portal, I thought of doing a similar thing search on the URL and wrote this... +"official government" +"web portal" +"malaysia". Imagine my horror? This came up!
Bigger image.

Singapore government website! Arghhhhhh. You know that I am starting to pull my hairs apart now.

Google didn't fail me though. Went to Google search page. Type the same and yeah, I got it.
Bigger image.

Singapore's government came up first, I don't really know how, but somewhere below, that's the link that I am looking for.....


Bigger image.
Hosted at American University of Michigan library. How come they seems to have all the information?

The link is an old one,
Bigger image.

But fortunately for me, it has another link linking to the current malaysian civil service portal. I HAVE REACHED MY DESTINATION!
Bigger image.

Presentation of this link is commendable, but then again, you still have to be using an M$-IE browser to enjoy it better! How come the American government portal do not have that IE-thinggy preference, even though Bill Gates is one of their richest citizen? Go figures!

Masih kesihan Malaysia......

He he he... What else can we go for?

Not sour grapes actually. But I actually scratched my head times and times again when reading these kind of achievements by Malaysian academics, Malaysia bags 46 golds in inventions exhibition. Is this really what our academicians are driving themselves to do on a daily basis?

If you google "International Exhibition of Inventions", you'll get this. Online newspaper who seems to highlight the story on the 13th of April is our own dear paper, The Star! UPM's VC, on the other hand blamed the local firms of not supporting Malaysian inventors at Our firms not keen on local inventions. The Iranians, who lose out by 3 medals, highlighted the Iranian inventors win 43 medals at Geneva International Exhibit. The Switzerland's news and information platform, swissinfo.org indicated the news of Inventors look for big break in Geneva, Deutsche Welle's The Weird and Wacky Wow Geneva as well as a Associated Press news on paid subscription of Globe and Mail's Invention fair shows ideas ranging from wild to whacky

The INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF INVENTIONS, NEW TECHNIQUES AND PRODUCTS OF GENEVA is, according to it's website, touted to be THE MOST IMPORTANT IN THE WORLD with 1000 inventions, 675 exhibitors from 42 countries, 56'225 visitors from all five continents, 650 journalists and more than US$ 30 millions' worth business negotiated. It is the 33rd series exhibition under the patronage of the Swiss Federal Government and of the State and the City of Geneva. A look at last year's winners list do not include any Malaysian though. The have not, up till just now, updated the 2005 winner. Talk about being the place where www was born! They claimed this:-"The fact you can access this information with such ease is due in part to an invention in Geneva a decade ago – the World Wide Web invented by a young British scientist at CERN.", in a paragraph at this site

About inventing the net, the un-named British scientist, Tim Berners-Lee contributed to his finding to the IP protocols and DNS instead of claiming all the rewards.A very short personal history of the World Wide Web can be read there.

The organisors were indeed happy with the 2005 participation and have even specifically commended the large delegation from Malaysia and Iran in their closing Press Release. Geneva seems to be an ideal place for this kinds of things, and they do indeed promote themselves as 'the ideal business location in the heart of europe"!

How much does it cost for an exhibit to be displayed there? You could register any of your inventions there, if you have the cash to promote your product there. The entry form is found here! If you are a privateer, it might sets you back Euro1395 (about RM6795) for the minimum package; or if you are going in your companies name, or the product is already commercialized, prepare to part with Euro1985 (that's about RM9668). You get group discout of 10% for total though! For 112 entries from 10 different Malaysian universities, most probably, these guys have donated a minimum of RM974,368 and close to RM1 million(!) to the organisers, hummmm. Will they do this annually? Imagine RM1 million low-cost projects to the poors instead, or better schools, or more books at public libraries?

I used The Universal Currency Converter ® to convert EUR to RM at 4.87126RM to EUR1! It's quite neat and free!

One guy who attracted my most attention is Mohd Dan Palil! Prof. Madya Dr. Hj Mohd Dan is a very nice guy at Kuittho, Kolej Universiti Teknologi Tun Hussein Onn. Excellent idea, he he he. I'm looking forward to more of the environmentally friendly helmets on the roads soon! Swell chap and it was indeed a pleasure to know him personally. One of my former colleague, S, seems to have something against Md. Dan, but, I guess, Md. Dan is million times better as a human than S!

However, there's one good thing about going to this place. The venue is a good start to market an invention where the networks seems to converge. But, why don't we get those people in the country and arrange for this kind of exhibition locally at lower cost! Laymen could enjoy the exhibitions as well! Duh!

If you have missed the article, why don't you read it down below?
====

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/4/14/nation/10682628&sec=nation

The Star Online > Nation

Thursday April 14, 2005
Malaysia bags 46 golds in inventions exhibition
BY GAVIN GOMEZ

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia emerged a big winner in this year’s International Exhibition of In- ventions, New Techniques and Products, bagging a record 46 gold medals and five special awards.

“This is the best we have ever done. I would like to congratulate all the participating universities and students who worked hard to make the country proud,” Higher Education Mi- nister Datuk Dr Shafie Salleh said when announcing this yesterday.

Universiti Malaya (UM) led the way with 19 gold medals, 11 silver, three bronze and three special awards.

This was followed by Uni- versiti Sains Malaysia (USM) which bagged six gold medals, two silver and one special award; and Universiti Tekno- logi Malaysia (UTM) which earned six gold medals, three silver, two bronze and one special award.

The other universities on the winners list were Universiti Teknologi Mara, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, the International Islamic University Malaysia, Kolej Uni- versiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia, and Kolej Universiti Tun Hussein Onn.

These universities submitted a total of 112 entries.

Dr also commended UM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Hashim Yaakob who won two golds and one silver medal for research conducted in collaboration with other researchers from his university.


© 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)