Happy New Year 2012

Happy New Year to all the readers of this Blog. Thank you for visiting my Blog and thank you for all the comments that you have sent. A very big thank you and a huge amount of appreciation to those of who are regular visitors to my Blog and to those of you who have sent me articles and information which I have used in this Blog.

Another year has gone by in the blink of an eye and another year is upon us. Plan ahead for the coming year (immediate goals), plan for three years (medium term goals), plan five years ahead (long term goals). But live life one day at a time.

Every day that we are alive and well is a blessing and a great gift. Do not even take the sunshine for granted. Or the wind or the rain. Or clean water. One has to live for five months without sunlight to fully appreciate the sun that shines everyday in our country.

We lost some people around the world the past year. Steve Jobs died. He made such a huge contribution to the way we conduct our life in today's world.

Joe Frazier (thanks Anon for the heads up) proved the unstoppable capability of the human spirit when he defeated Muhammad Ali for the World Boxing Championship - another great athlete and achiever. Frazier died of cancer this year at age 67.

Elizabeth Taylor died in 2011 as well. An actress whose looks were perhaps exceeded by her touch of class which she was able to project through her acting. Her acting and her roles certainly influenced millions of people who enjoyed her films.

Happy New Year 2012.

p.s. The world will not end in 2012. Trust me - I have inside information. Go forth, prosper and be kind to your fellow human beings.

A Protest In TTDI.

Early this morning I received an angry sms from Nik Tuan Padang. Here it is :

"Tmn Tun Dr Ismail residents up in arms against KL Mayor over propsed demolition of TTDI market to build luxury condos. Gathering at market at 10 am today. Stallholders are Malaysians to be replaced by foreign (S'porean, Iranian etc) condo dwellers. Potentially damaging to BN govt. Mayor must be a n*t, is he paid by UMNO pirates or PKR s*d*mites."

Well Nik is certainly colourful with his language. Here are some pictures that he sent about the protest this morning - the wonders of MMS and the Net. Do read on.

I did some checking. Apparently this condo project is still at proposal stage. The DBKL has not made a decision yet.

Other than just a condo, the project will also have the following :

i. The project is a larger urban regeneration of the area. It will have an MRT station link. That is the new Sungei Buloh MRT line. So it is not just a condo project but also an MRT station hook up. Presently there is no MRT in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. I think property owners' home values will shoot up.

ii. Create additional 200 parking bays, above and beyond the formal requirement for the project. Extra parking bays are always welcome. I dont think the MRT is going to reduce the number of cars on the road.

iii. The fish, vegetable and meat traders at the Pasar TTDI will be relocated. Currently the traders only pay RM10.00 rental per month to DBKL for their stalls at the pasar. The vegetable, fish and meat sellers will be relocated to a new "pasar" site about 500 metres away. So the people at TTDI will still be able to buy their fish and vegetables every morning.

If the project is just at the proposal stage there is still time to voice all views and hear each other. May I suggest that the DBKL engage with the residents and conduct Town Hall meetings. The peoples' interests and welfare is paramount. Sharing information about the project, its implementation schedule, mitigation measures, relocation plans and a general frankness about the whole thing will help allay peoples' fears.

Face to face meetings accompanied with honest discussions do wonders for people to people understanding. I have learnt this myself.

Reason For Freaky Weather?

Here is some news about the Sun.

2011 Was the Year of the Restless Sun

After five years of surprising quiet, the sun roared to life in 2011.

Our star erupted with numerous strong flares and waves of charged particles. Many researchers predict the surge will culminate in a peak in the sun's 11-year activity cycle in 2013.

Here are some of the solar highlights of 2011:

Solar flares and CMEs

Having been relatively quiet since 2005, the sun spouted off a number of powerful flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) this year.

CMEs are made up of massive clouds of plasma that are sent streaking through space in any direction at several million mph. When these clouds are aimed at Earth, they can spawn geomagnetic storms that wreak havoc with GPS signals, radio communications and power grids.

"We are getting more CMEs and starting to get some more-energetic CME/flare combinations," Terry Kucera, deputy project scientist with NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft, told SPACE.com via email.

The largest solar flare in more than four years exploded from the sun in August. The blast wasn't directed at Earth, instead jettisoning into space.

Our planet had not been as lucky on Valentine's Day. The first wave of radiation reached Earth eight minutes after a big flare and CME, disrupting radio communications and GPS systems.

The particles from the ejection arrived a day or so later, triggering dramatic northern lights displays and spawning a geomagnetic storm that caused further radio interruptions.

In March, a solar storm created the fastest-traveling CME seen in six years. A wave of particles racing at 5 million mph (8 million kph) shot into space away from Earth.

Similarly, around Labor Day in September, the sun erupted with several CMEs and solar flares, including an X-class outburst Sept. 6.

Salafis And Muslim Brotherhood Start Fighting In Egypt

Egypt's Islamists say no to Christmas greetings

AP – Wed, Dec 28, 2011

CAIRO (AP) — An ultraconservative Egyptian Islamist group says sending Christmas greetings to Christians is "against our beliefs."

Nadar Bakar, spokesman of the hard-line Al-Nour party, told The Associated Press Wednesday that Muslims should only give greetings to Christians on "personal occasions," not religious ones.

Al-Nour represents the ultraconservative Salafi movement, which wants to strictly impose Islamic law in Egypt. Al-Nour has won a surprisingly strong 20 percent of the vote so far in Egypt's staggered parliamentary elections.

The remarks prompted Egypt's Al Azhar, the most eminent religious institution, to issue a religious edict approving Christmas greetings. The country's most influential Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood, responded by sending "its best Christmas wishes to our brotherly Christians and Muslims as well."

My comments : Obviously the village idiots have nothing better to do with their lives. Here the Salafi Nour Party which has won 20% of the vote says 'dont say Merry Xmas'.

The Muslim Brotherhood which has won 40% of the vote says 'yes you can say Merry X'mas.'

This is the first salvo. Lets see how long it takes before the Salafis and the Muslim Brotherhood start real street fighting in Egypt. They have nothing better to do. Muslims, remember?

Development Corridors - Jackpot In Johor

We were nosing around Johor yesterday at the Johor Premium Outlet (JPO) at Kulaijaya, JB and also Danga Bay. From the Sungei Besi Toll to JB is just under three hours driving time, on the Mahathir Mohamed Expressway. Thank you Ayahanda Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed.

The JPO is located in Kulaijaya - you drive through kilometres of oil palm plantations which have the 'Genting Plantations' markers on them. Then suddenly you come to the Johor Premium Outlet complex - an American style strip mall with 330,000 sf of space built on 17.8 ha of formerly oil palm plantation. There are four long buildings or strip malls built one behind the other. It is a bit of walking to see everything.

The Johor Premium Outlet. Io sono qui.

This is a 50:50 JV between the Genting Group and a US retail giant which specialises in premium brands. Considering that ground breaking only took place in August, 2010 the 330,000 sf retail complex is up and running in just over 12 months - a fantastic achievement.

The Genting Group have plenty of experience in developing out of the way places from jungle to casinos. Or from oil palm plantations to premier retail malls.

Thus far the JPO is a runaway success. Many of the major brand names have opened up shop at the JPO. Salvatore Ferragamo, Nike, Canali, Guess, Burberry's, Timberland, Samsonite and many more. They opened in time for the Christmas shopping season. Locals and Singaporeans have been coming to the JPO in droves. Some of the shops are actually sold out - their shelves were empty. The staff said they restock once a week every Thursday. If you are a retailer, this is real 'show off' talk. The business is great. The JPO is a Jackpot in Johor.

The prices are cheap for branded goods. Raoul shirt's were on sale for RM230. My son told me the same shirt is on sale in Bangsar for about RM500. (I bought a RM50 shirt from another outlet). Clark shoes are available for RM200+.

However, one shop selling ladies accessories (also found in Mid Valley Mega Mall) had doubled their KL prices and then given a 50% discount. So that was not very honest lah - if you ask me.

Here is the main reason the JPO will continue to be a success. The picture here shows Singapore registered cars in the parking lot. All the five cars in this picture were Singapore cars. There were hundreds of them. The Singapore Dollar is now worth RM2.45. So an RM230 Raoul shirt is less than S$94.00.

Plus Kulaijaya is about 30 mins from the Second Link to Tuas in Singapore. Malaysians used to travel to Orchard Road in Singapore to shop. Now Singaporeans are driving to Johor to shop. They also drive to Malacca to stock up on toilet paper and other groceries.

This is going to be quite inevitable. Being so close to Singapore. There is no way we can avoid the spillover business from Singapore to Malaysia. This means that property prices will shoot up even higher in Johor. This is where the Genting Group is sitting on a huge goldmine as well - thousands of acres of land within minutes of Singapore. They must have bought this land ages ago at a few hundred Ringgit or a few thousand Ringit per acre. The land around the JPO is now possibly priced and sold by the square feet (not in acres).

It also means better business opportunities and more job opportunities. We have to be sensible about this and open up more space for such business. Throughout the JPO the shop staff (local girls and boys) spoke good English and were 'on the ball' - they seemed to know their jobs well. To me this is quite unusual. Big Dog who hails from Johor always says the Johor people are more sophisticated. Good for the Johoreans.

The JPO project cost about RM150 million. It is projected to bring in about 4.0 million shoppers a year - mostly from Singapore. Many of these 4.0 million visitors will be repeat customers, who will come here to spend money in our country (as opposed to say spending it in Orchard Road). If each one of them spends RM300.0 at the JPO that works out to RM1.2 Billion a year. They may still eat seafood in JB, fill up their tanks at the gas stations and maybe even buy toilet paper in Malacca. So bringing in 4.0 million visitors at an investment cost of RM150.0 million is none too shabby at all.

Someday I will talk a little bit more about "value economics" - an idea I first mentioned in my first book 'To Digress A Little'. (I am not trained in Economics). It basically means "usefulness" - is it of ultimate good use for mankind. There is some subjectivity involved. And it also means dont hang out with the riff raff. Activity which cannot create new wealth that is beneficial to mankind is riff raff too. Making bombs may generate wealth but it is of no beneficial use to mankind.

We also went by Danga Bay. Danga Bay has huge development plans spread over 450 acres (25 km of sea front). This is the cornerstone of the Iskandar Development Region.

The marina at Danga Bay is operational. The shop offices at Danga Walk are well occupied. An apartment block has been built and some houses have also been constructed. But filling up 450 acres with skyscrapers in the blink of an eye is going to take some effort (I am referring to the larger Danga Bay development concept). Not that it cannot be done. It can be done and it should be done. Then Danga Bay can even rival Singapore for commerce. This is Danga Walk here. Shops and shop offices.

Some Minister with Arab connections (the "hoods" from the Islamic brotherhood) wanted to bring in tons of Arab money into the country - which is sometimes ill gotten as well. They even invited the Iranians to invest. Well the Arab money is not coming into Danga Bay (and maybe also into 1MDB in Sungei Besi). I actually consider that good news. With all the mess going on in the Arab countries, all the Oos of the Oo Ba Doos are holding their money closer to their chests.

These folks were never reliable in the first place. With things going the way they are in the Arab countries, it is doubtful if these "in the money" people will still be around tomorrow. Sooner or later the Arab Spring is bound to spring onto the remaining feudal oil kingdoms as well. Just wait and see. If your billions are gained unjustly by oppressing your own people, your head will not last long on your shoulders. You are riff raff. And these are the type of investors that you have been courting?

Anyway folks, here is some news from May 2010 : "Abdullah (Badawi) said the government had spent RM244.3 billion on the development in five corridors concerned and expected funds for the remaining 25 per cent of its commitment for the development to be spent under the 10th Malaysia Plan."

Tun Dr Mahathir has always asked what happened to over RM200.0 billion that disappeared under the Badawi regime. Well Badawi says his gomen spent over RM244 billion already just in the five corridors.

So how was the money spent? Here is some indication from the front page of today's Star.

1. Duo to be charged in graft probe of Iskandar company’s RM2bil package

KUALA LUMPUR: Two former directors of Iskandar Investment Berhad have been arrested for alleged graft as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission stepped up its investigation of the company's RM2bil package.

The duo, in their 40s, are expected to be charged in the Johor Baru magistrate's court today with corruption involving about RM5mil in connection with the construction of a highway and a boarding school in the Iskandar region.

The RM124mil highway and RM40.8mil school are part of the 3B package and the two were chief executive officers of IIB subsidiaries involved in the projects.

2. Ex-senior VP of Iskandar subsidiary pleads guilty to graft charge

JOHOR BARU: A former senior vice-president of an Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB) subsidiary was fined RM20,000, in default two months' jail, after he pleaded guilty to a charge of corruption at a Sessions court here Wednesday.

The 51-year-old man's identity has been withheld as he is assisting the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in several other cases involving the IIB.

So that is where some of the money went. Folks, I think these guys are the ikan bilis, they behaved like monkeys and got peanuts. The gorrillas managed to get away with the entire banana plantation. Strangely they are still in power - although feeling strangely itchier around their necks.

Just how much business has been generated since the Gomen spent RM244 billion in the five development corridors? The JPO was built in the middle of oil palm plantations at a cost of RM150 million and it is already a sell out business. They expect 4.0 million shoppers to come by every year. Badawi spent RM244.0 billion and what has he got to show?

I would like "to digress a little". The development corridors were launched by the Abdullah Badawi regime in 2006 : "The first to be launched, in 2006, was the South Johor Development Region, otherwise known as Iskandar Development Region or IDR, in the state of Johor."

Well folks, even before 2006 a book was already published (in 2005) by a local author which detailed the idea for the economic development corridors. The author's ideas and suggestions were quite sound. In Chapter 9 titled "Here Is One Grand Economic Plan" (pg 166) the author says,

"We also need to increase growth corridors throughout the country. Todate there is only the Klang Valley growth corridor which generates much of the business, commerce and industry for the country.

The Penang Island, Seberang Jaya - Kulim growth area has been stunted. The Johor Bharu growth area is also not reaching its full potential. We need to create wealthy pockets of growth throughout the country with large population centers in excess of 2.0 million people each that can sustain growth'.

If we can create a few more Klang Valley type urban sprawls throughout Malaysia then our growth will be phenomenal and not subject to the ups and downs of the world economy or commodity markets"

The author then proceeded to identify possible growth corridors :

i. The Ipoh - Sungai Siput area already has over 750,000 people

ii. There is potential to develop further the Melaka - Air Keroh area or a new Melaka - Sungai Udang growth corridor along the beautiful Melaka coastline. Imagine public piers, yacht clubs and marina coves dotting the Melaka coastline.

iii. The Kuantan-Gambang area as well as a Johor Bharu corridor hold much potential.

The main focus should be on population growth first to populate each of these areas with at least 2.0 million people.

Here are two pictures of a marina at Danga Bay. This is what the author envisioned in his book.

However in his book the author forgot to mention two prerequsites to make the development corridors succesful - the first is honesty (meaning no corruption). And saya malas nak sebut the second requirement (maybe you can fill in the blank).

Here is a picture of the book's cover and author's name.

They never even sent me a thank you note for my ideas. Kurang asam betul.

Burqa In Israel !!

There is a growing ultra-orthodox Jewish group called the Haredis in Israel. They form about 10% of the Israeli population but are growing fast in their influence.

These ultra-orthodox Jews are the remnants of the people who caused much of the problems in the Middle East a long time ago. They died out among the Jews after they dispersed in the Jewish Diaspora throughout Europe and the world. But since the Jews now have their own country Israel and have some wealth at their disposal, some of their old habits are surfacing again.

The ultra orthodox Haredi Jews say that women must not appear in public, that women must be covered - if possible from head to toe - Taliban style. Lately they have been in the news again in Israel for aggressive bullying and even assaulting Israeli women who "do not dress modestly".

Here is a news story:

• "JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepped up pledges to curb Jewish zealotry in Israel on Sunday after an 8-year-old girl complained of being menaced by ultra-Orthodox men who deemed her dress immodest.
• .. to crack down on "whoever spits, whoever lifts a hand (in violence), whoever harasses" and to remove street signs segregating men from women in some ultra-Orthodox districts.
• Naama Margolese, 8, was terrified of walking to her .. school because of passersby who want her "to dress like a Haredi" - the Hebrew term for the ascetic, black-coated Jews who are in "awe" of God.
• Margolese's mother Hadassa, who wore a headscarf and skirt in deference to religious Jewish tradition, said the sidewalk abuse could include spitting, curses like "whores" and "bastards" and calls to "clear out of here."
• police said they had arrested a Beit Shemesh man for spitting at a woman..
• Channel Two showed a Beit Shemesh street sign instructing women to keep to one side, away from a synagogue.
• Israeli media have debated the impact of religious gender segregation on public transport
• The ultra-Orthodox make up only about 10 percent of Israel's population of 7.7 million. But their high birthrates and bloc voting patterns have helped them secure . wider influence. ..biggest partners in the coalition government, Shas, is a party run by rabbis."

Here are some pictures of these ultra orthodox Jews. Again women are forbidden. Men Only. Sounds familiar?

The picture below shows an advertising poster with the face of a woman that has been defaced. The sign at the top right indicates 'No women' in Hebrew. One State in Malaysia has done the same thing. They dont allow women's faces on public advertisements.

In the next picture a married Haredi woman is wearing ankle length skirt, long sleeved dress and a head cover. That is the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem in the background.

Here is an old picture of orthodox Jews at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Look familiar?

And here is a picture of an ultra orthodox Haredi Jewish woman in the Israeli town of Beit Shemesh, wearing the Taliban type burka. This is a recent picture.

This picture of the Israeli woman wearing the burka was taken from this article : The whole of a woman is genitalia (or, Jewish women in burkas). Here is an excerpt :

"The latest news, as I have read in Israel’s Ha’Aretz, tells of a strange, Jewish women’s cult that has popped up in rural Israel. This cult is led by a Rabanit (=A female Rabi. In Hebrew the term means a wife of a Rabi, and doesn’t indicate the woman is a Rabi or schooler, herself), Bruria Keren, and abides by an extremely strict dress code of chastity, reminiscent of Muslim women. A religious woman must dress chastely, with shirt sleeves covering her elbows and a skirt down to her ankles. An extremely religious woman may sport a wig over her real hair, as her hair is “an instrument of seduction”. Keren’s women must cover their faces completely, with a shawl. “The whole of a woman is genitalia. It is forbidden for a man, other than your husband to see you.” Says one of Keren’s earnest students and assistant."

Some ultra orthodox Jews say the woman is deemed as "genitalia" - hence they must cover up. So this is what is going on among the ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel. Sudah dapat tanah, sudah jadi kaya sekarang mahu jadi bodoh sekali lagi.

The Salafis in Egypt have said the same thing. Please read this short article Egyptian Sheikh: A woman's face is like a vagina. Here is an excerpt :

“What is a veil? A veil is what covers the woman’s face. Therefore the woman’s face is like her vagina,” Sheik Abou Ishak al-Houwayni was quoted on the Elaph news website as saying."

Here is another article reference on the same subject : Jewish Ultra-Orthodox groups are creating a new Taliban in Jerusalem. An excerpt :

"Jerusalem: Jewish Ultra-Orthodox groups are creating a new Taliban in Jerusalem, who have issued a religious edict calling upon women to cover their bodies and hair in order to be cleared of their sins. Posters promoting the new dress code were spotted in the areas of Jerusalem pre-dominantly inhabited by the Haredim community, the Israeli daily Maariv reported.

Women, the posters said, have to wear clothes that are neither tight nor transparent. The clothes have to be black in order to preserve women's modesty and allow them to be cleared of sins. The hair has to be covered as well. Violating those orders, the posters warned, is bound to have grave consequences since this means disobeying the teachings of the Torah."

.

.

Nowhere does the Quran say that a woman is like genitalia. As I have said before, it is the Jews who started all this Jewish nonsense. All these strange and funny ideas came from them. They are also the ones who began this 'This is what God commanded us to do' rubbish. What does the Quran say about the Jews and the Ahli Kitab ?

3:100

O you who believe, if you obey some of those who received the scripture, they will revert you, after having believed, into disbelievers.

3:101

How can you disbelieve, when these revelations of GOD have been recited to you, and His messenger has come to you? Whoever holds fast to GOD will be guided in the right path.

If Muslims obey some of these Ahli Kitab, they will revert back to being disbelievers. This is what the Quran says. But long before that life will become difficult and a hell on earth. Club of Doom.

2:120

Neither the Jews, nor the Nasarenes, will accept you, unless you follow their religion. Say, "GOD's guidance is the true guidance." If you acquiesce to their wishes, despite the knowledge you have received, you will find no ally or supporter to help you against GOD.

So who shall we obey? The Quran which was revealed by Allah to the Messenger or the Jews?

Islamists kill dozens in Nigeria Christmas bombs

ABUJA (Reuters) - Islamist militants set off bombs across Nigeriaon Christmas Day - three targeting churches including one that killed at least 27 people - raising fears that they are trying to ignite sectarian civil war.

The Boko Haram Islamist sect, which aims to impose sharia law across the country, claimed responsibility for the three church bombs, the second Christmas in a row the group has caused mass carnage with deadly bombings of churches. Security forces also blamed the sect for two other blasts in the north.

My question is : Why? They have killed 27 Christians. Ok. And then what? Does the GDP of Nigeria increase by 5%? Will they find more oil deposits in Nigeria now that 27 Christians have been blown up?

Folks there is a new devil on the horizon in Nigeria and Chad. It is called Boko Haram. Literally 'Boko Haram' means 'Books are forbidden'. So this is not your regular bunch of "club of doom" dunggus. These are the super dunggus.

This is not an African phenomenon. We have our own versions as well. Ridhuan Tee Abdullah may know some of them.

All Is Bright

Io sono qui

Some Old Photos

Conehead 1 : Its coming. Its coming.

Conehead 2 : I'll catch it. I'll catch it.

Conehead 3 : You will love it. Arghhh!!

We can raise the hemline. Its ok till about the knees. Do you have your airsickness bags?

This picture is fake.

Om, Sri Satya Sai Ke Om. Om Satkal. Am I the only one still chanting?

I have a vision. It should be round like this - with a hole in the middle.

The turf is green. You know what that means - HALAL.

Emak, Emak its him. Its him. This is the man I was telling you about. He looks different when he pakai baju.

Looks like him, smells like him, twitches like him. Naah. Its not him.

Democracy Dead In DAP

Folks, Merry X-Mas. Here is some light reading. I have repeated many times that democracy is dead among the All Buggered Up parties. Here is this morning's news :

"GEORGE TOWN: The spat between DAP chairman Karpal Singh and Dr P. Ramasamy has reignited with the veteran leader demanding that the Penang Deputy Chief Minister II resign from his post for making allegations against party leaders. Karpal said Dr Ramasamy's position was no longer tenable in the state government because he had defied a directive from the party's three-member committee not to talk about their spat to the press."

Why does Karpal want Ramasamy to resign? "..because he had defied a directive from the party's three-member committee not to talk about their spat to the press.."

Ramasamy had defied a party gag order. This is the fourth time I think the DAP is issuing a gag order. If they want their own people to resign just for voicing their opinions, imagine what will happen if they come to power? Do you think you will still be able to read OutSyed The Box? Think carefully. This is DAP style democracy.

Those of you living in KL just be ready for trouble in January. Liwat's case is coming to a conclusion. They are planning chaos if the verdict is not to their liking. They have already said they will tear down the prison walls.

The Court has ordered Utusan Malaysia to pay Guan Eng RM200,000 libel damages. The UMNO boys accept the decision. Khir Toyo has been found guilty and sentenced to jail. His supporters all accept the Court decision. No chaos. This is a democracy and we respect the law of the land.

Over the past few days I met two senior Government people whom I have written about in my Blog (kena ketuk juga). They were both cool. They explained their positions. No threats, no gag orders. May be having teh tarik with one of them.

''Karpal said Dr Ramasamy's position was no longer tenable in the state government because he had defied a directive from the party's three-member committee not to talk about their spat to the press.''

Pi dah mabuk !

Campaign Note From JUST

Dear Friends,

 

Peace!

 

Attached is a campaign note from JUST.  If you agree with its contents, please endorse it through the JUST website www.just-international.org via the petition link http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/no-to-military-intervention-in-syria-no-to-military-strikes-against-iran/.

 

Get as many friends as possible to also sign the petition.  

 

Thank you very much.

 

-JUST-

NO TO MILITARY INTERVENTION IN SYRIA; NO TO MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRAN

The International Movement for a Just World (JUST) invites citizens of the world to join a

global campaign aimed at averting a colossal catastrophe in West Asia.

The campaign themed, NO TO MILITARY INTERVENTION IN SYRIA; NO TO MILITARY

STRIKES AGAINST IRAN will mobilise signatures from people in every continent to

demonstrate to the centres of power in the West and their allies and proxies in West Asia

and North Africa (WANA) that any military action by them against Syria and Iran in

whatever form or guise is totally unacceptable.

Foreign military intervention in Syria could de-stabilise the entire region. Given Basar al-

Assad’s opposition to the Israeli occupation of both the Golan Heights in his own country

and Palestine, and to US helmed hegemony over WANA, any attempt to topple his

government through external military force will provoke a strong reaction from groups and

governments in a number of neighbouring countries, apart from Syria itself. It is quite

conceivable that their response will elicit a counter response from Israel and pro-US regimes

in WANA. The resulting conflict may accentuate the Sunni-Shia fault-line which runs through

a number of countries in WANA and exacerbate the unfolding tussle for regional supremacy

among certain states in the region.

The push for regime change in Syria is closely linked to a larger US-Israel agenda that seeks

to cripple the Iranian government and its nuclear energy programme. The manipulation of

the IAEA’s report on Iran’s nuclear programme which offers no evidence at all of any

clandestine attempt to manufacture nuclear weapons and the expansion and intensification

of wide-ranging financial and economic sanctions by the US and the European Union (EU)

against Iran, are directed at this goal. Analysts are convinced that the momentum is being

built for a military attack against Iran. The consequences of such an attack for the region

and the world will be simply horrendous.

Our opposition to foreign military intervention in Syria goes hand in hand with our

commitment to change through peaceful means. We renew our call to President Assad

made on a number of occasions to expedite the implementation of democratic reforms in

Syria. The President should dialogue with all advocates of change who eschew violence. The

killing of peaceful protesters is abhorrent and should be strongly condemned.

In the case of Iran, it should be totally transparent about its nuclear programme and remove

any suspicion that it is developing nuclear weapons. The whole of WANA should be a

nuclear weapons free zone. This means that Israel should immediately eliminate its huge

nuclear arsenal. It would be a positive step towards peace in the region.

It is because we choose peace that we reject military intervention in Syria and military

strikes against Iran. They will only increase the violence and the carnage that has blighted

and blood stained the region for decades. Thousands and thousands of innocent children,

women and men are going to die.

In the name of PEACE we urge you to join this campaign. Visit the JUST website www.justinternational.org to sign the online petition. Persuade your friends and relatives to endorse this call ----- 

NO TO MILITARY INTERVENTION IN SYRIA; NO TO MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST

IRAN.

INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT FOR A JUST WORLD.

Ghazali Abdullah Articulates & Steers On NFC

The following is from Ghazali Abdullah, exactly as I received it.

begin quote :

Ghazalie Abdullah ghazalie@gra-pr.com to Corporate

show details 8:16 PM (3 hours ago)

Good evening Bloggers

The following statement is prepared and issued on behalf of the National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd. Your kind media coverage is very much appreciated. Thank you so very much.

As part of the ongoing investigations, Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) officers visited National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd today.

The management and staff welcomed the visit and extended their full cooperation. 

It is the view of the National Feedlot Corporation that this afternoon's visit by the MACC was not a raid as reported.

The company regrets that it is improper to comment any further as investigations are ongoing.

Thank you so very much.

With warmest regards

Ghazalie Abdullah - IABC, PRCAM, FPRCA, IPRM, APR, 9M2GH

Chief Executive

GRA Communications Sdn Bhd

Tel        03 77259050

Tel/Fax        03 77254080

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Ghazalie Abdullah counsels, writes, speaks, designs, articulates and steers corporations on using public relations to achieve their corporate, financial and marketing goals. His clients include Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC), KL-Kuala Selangor Expressway Berhad (LATAR Expressway), Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Kwasa Land Sdn Bhd, Affin Fund Management Berhad, to name a few. Among his other clients are the RUSD Investment Bank Inc, and Jom Makan Restaurants UK. Ghazalie is currently Vice President and an earlier Past President of the Malaysia Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), an Accredited Member of the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia (IPRM), and a Fellow of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Malaysia (PRCAM). 

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They Thought They Were OK.

1. IRAQ :

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A rash of bombings hit Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 57 people in the first big attack on Iraq's capital since a crisis between its Shi'ite Muslim-led government and Sunni rivals erupted days after the U.S. troop withdrawal.

U.S. TROOPS OUT ONLY DAYS AGO

The last few thousand American troops pulled out of Iraq over the weekend, nearly nine years after the invasion that toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein. Many Iraqis had said they feared a return to sectarian violence without a U.S. military buffer.

Just days after the withdrawal, Iraq's fragile power-sharing government is grappling with its worst turmoil since its formation a year ago. Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish blocs share out government posts in a unwieldy system that has been impaired by political infighting since it began.

2. EGYPT 

Egypt Islamists reject earlier end to army rule

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's powerful Muslim Brotherhood, which is leading in parliament elections that continued Wednesday, refused to join calls by secular and liberal activists for the ruling military to move up its handover of power to civilians.

The Muslim Brotherhood has refused to participate in the protests and on Tuesday it rejected proposals for moving up the handover of power by the military — wary of disrupting the ongoing parliament elections that the group is winning.

In a statement, the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party said the proposals were unconstitutional and "will not solve the current crisis." Instead, it called for "full-throttle efforts to complete the legislative elections."

3. SYRIA

Gulf Arab states on Tuesday urged Syria's government to immediately halt its "killing machine", and called on arch rival Iran to stop interfering in their internal affairs.

My comments :  Iraq is heading towards violence - civil war from within. And guess what folks, the news media is going to  be arguing whether  it is civil war, civil unrest,  resistance,  opposition or whatever. Bottom line : people will die.  This is what is going to happen to Iraq. 

The Shiahs are the majority in Iraq. The Sunnis however are the better organised from the time when they were in power under Saddam Hussein.  The Americans came in, killed a million people, tore up the country and now they are leaving with their tail between their legs. This is another war the Americans have lost - just like Vietnam.

In Egypt, the corrupt Egyptian Army wants to keep its share of the cake. The Army's dreams have come true. After throwing out Hosni Mubarak, the people voted for the Muslim Brotherhood's Justice Party  and the other Wahhabi  Party. Together these religious extremists have achieved 60% of the vote.  But the Brotherhood only has 40%. They need the Wahabi / Salafi's 20% vote bloc. The Wahabis will not fully support them. This means the Muslim Brotherhood (also Wahhabi) are on shaky ground.

The people supported by the liberals and the young people (who actually demonstrated, and got shot and killed) have secured only 40% of the vote - and are divided into many groups.

So the Muslim Brotherhood has the biggest chunk of votes but they are not fully strong. This is where they ar cutting a deal with the Army. The Army can stay but the Army has to play shotgun to support the Brotherhood.  This is what is happening in Egypt.


Syria is a gone case. It is just a matter of time. Bashar Assad refuses to leave his perch. Worse, he made a huge bungle recently  when he said that he never gave any orders to the military to shoot anyone.  This means that he is placing the blame on the military for reckless behaviour that has resulted in 5000 deaths so far.


The military is therefore a little confused, causing even more soldiers to cross over to the side of the people. 


I thank our Creator Allah that our country is peaceful and with the exception of the undemocratic forces that inhabit this land, a large majority of our people still obey the Laws of the land. You disrespect the Law and then see what happens to the country.  Have you seen a house burn? It is terrible thing to happen.

MACC's First Big Fish?

By coincidence I was attending an MACC related function this morning when news came through that the former MB of Selangor Dr Khir Toyo had been found guilty of corruption. Here is the news :

"Khir Toyo gets 1 year jail for graft

SHAH ALAM: Former Selangor Mentri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo was found guilty by the High Court here Friday of knowingly purchasing two pieces of land and a bungalow in Section 7 at a much lower price than its original value from Ditamas Sdn Bhd director Shamsuddin Hayroni in 2007.

He was sentenced to one year in jail from Friday and Justice Mohtarudin Baki ordered his land and bungalow be forfeited.

However, the judge granted him him a stay of execution of jail time and forfeiture of the properties pending an appeal after his lawyer M. Athimulan made the request.

The properties involved were purchased at RM3.5mil although Ditamas had bought it for RM6.5mil on Dec 23, 2004."

First of all, the Judiciary certainly seems to be independent. The Court has convicted Khir Toyo a former Menteri Besar and still influential UMNO politician. Recently, the Court also ruled a libel suit in favour of Opposition Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and ordered UMNO owned Utusan Malaysia to pay Lim RM200,000 in damages.  I dont think Khir Toyo and his many supporters or Utusan Malaysia will be demonstrating in the streets against the Court rulings. Lets learn to obey the Law.

I also hope that this conviction is a herald of more actions that will be successfully undertaken by the MACC against corrupt people  where ever and who ever they are.  We have to go after the Big Fish.

Knowing more now about how the law really works, this is also easier said than done. Investigating corruption and gathering evidence is one thing, assembling the evidence to make it cogent (for presentation in Court) is another thing. Then having the defense lawyers tear the evidence to pieces is something else. Finally the Judge must be convinced enough to convict the accused.  So there are many milestones.  

The record of successful convictions of corruption cases should be a lot better. Do you know that statistically there are some judges who have acquitted corruption cases more often than convicted them? Obviously their standards of proof are much stricter.  I have heard that  the Singapore Courts for example have a higher record of convictions   of corruption cases based on levels of evidence that would not be dissimilar to that  presented in our Malaysian Court.  If so, we have to ask why that is the case? 

Anyway congratulations and more encouragement are due to the MACC officers who handled the Khir Toyo case successfully.

It is also a lesson and a warning to all Big Fish politicians, office bearers, cronies and corporate thieves - if you do wrong, the Law will visit itself upon you. It may take a while, but eventually it will come around to you. And here is the more painful lesson from the Khir Toyo case :

"He was sentenced to one year in jail from Friday and Justice Mohtarudin Baki ordered his land and bungalow be forfeited."

Not only is there a jail sentence but his land and bungalow will be forfeited. So your money, your assets, properties that were ill gotten can be forfeited. Even if you have transferred it to your wives, children, siblings, cousins, in laws etc - if at the material time the asset was acquired criminally or using ill gotten means - then it can still be forfeited. So it makes no difference whether you transfer the property into your wives name, childrens name, nana's name or whoever.  If you did the crime, you will do the time. Plus you will lose the property. And you will suffer shame. 

I also hope that this Khir Toyo conviction will help improve our standing in the corruption indices  where we have recently slipped a notch or two. What the public really wants to see is more blood - we need to see more Big Fish or 'Big Lembu' brought to Court and convicted for their wrong doing. Well folks its lunch time. No 'lembu' today - I am having egg, tomato and wheat bread sandwich.