Malaysia Today Subscription

Today I attempted to subscribe to Malaysia Today. I respect RPK for
his braveness in fighting for justice in the real sense. And he needs
contributions so that he can continue fighting for just causes. If you
read this article, you shall notice that Malaysia Today has
contributors who attack all parties and even Anwar himself which is a
good sign, unlike Malaysia Kini that tends to be the view of the
opposition only.

Yesterday, Friday the 13th of August 2010, was Malaysia Today's
birthday. Malaysia Today was launched six years ago on the 13th of
August 2004, which happened to also be a Friday. As my 'birthday
article' I would like to rehash what I wrote back in 2004 soon after
Malaysia Today hit the scene. I have not made any changes or
amendments to what can be considered my 'mission and vision
statement'.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Malaysia Today: the Free Malaysia Campaign

On 2nd September 2004, the day Anwar Ibrahim was freed from jail, many
came up to ask me what I would now do with my time. Since Anwar was
now free, they reckoned, there would no longer be any need for a Free
Anwar Campaign.

True, Anwar is now free, and it took us six years of blood, sweat and
tears to achieve this, and true, now there is no longer any need for a
Free Anwar Campaign, but that was only the first stage of the fight
which started in 1998, I explained.

Now that Stage One is finished, we need to move into Stage Two. Anwar
is now free so we no longer need a Free Anwar Campaign. But Malaysia
is not yet free so we need to now launch a Free Malaysia Campaign. And
that would take longer than the six years it took to free Anwar. It
could easily take 60 years, or longer, a campaign that would go on
long after we are all dead and gone from this world.

Shouting 'Free Malaysia' slogans or to say we have launched a Free
Malaysia Campaign is fine but pointless if it is mere rhetoric. We
need to put theory into practice, put our money where our mouth is. A
free Malaysia would never be achieved until and unless we have the
fundamentals of a free Malaysia, the aqidah (foundation) of a free
society if you wish, and that would be the freedom to say and write
what you believe in without fear or favour -- in other words, a free
media.

And, with that in mind, I launched 'Malaysia Today: your source of
independent news' -- which I actually launched on Friday 13th of
August 2004, around two weeks before Anwar walked free. For all
intents and purposes, Malaysia Today is a Free Malaysia Campaign that
took off where the Free Anwar Campaign ended.

Malaysia Today, if you wish, is pushing the envelope. It is testing
how far Malaysia under its new Prime Minister can honour, respect and
tolerate free speech. Malaysia Today stands on the invisible boundary
of the Sedition Act and the Internal Security Act, two laws that were
created merely to stifle free speech and dissent.

I, as the Editor and owner of Malaysia Today, face the risk of
prosecution under the many laws available to the government to clamp
down on dissent, or even detention without trial in the event they
fail to find a suitable law to get you under. But I am prepared to
face that risk and suffer the consequences of my actions if what we
gain in return is more freedom of expression.

When I launched Malaysia Today I promised no censorship. No one, how
unreasonable or stupid his or her comments may be, will be barred from
sounding out in Malaysia Today. And there will be no editing, and to
ensure we achieve all this, we started a blog where readers can post
their comments directly, bypassing the editor or webmaster, and where
they will be free to say whatever they want, the way they want to.

I also invited some columnists to write fulltime for Malaysia Today --
maybe an article or two a week -- and I promised them they would be
free to write whatever they felt like and that I would not dictate
what they can and cannot do. They, in fact, blog their pieces direct.

Kirdatun Borhan is one of our more vocal columnists who attacks
anything that walks and talks. Lately, Anwar Ibrahim became the brunt
of her attacks. When she attacked Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, or the PM's son-in-
law, Khairy Jamaluddin, everyone applauded. But when her attacks
shifted to Anwar many became upset.

I knew this would happen but I just stood by and let it pass for many
reasons. First, of course, was as explained above -- the reason why I
gave birth to Malaysia Today. The second being I wanted the opposition
supporters and leaders to feel what the ruling party has endured these
last six years.

The main argument to oppose Kirdatun's attacks on Anwar is that she
can attack Anwar if she wants to but only if she reveals her real
identity and not hide behind her purdah (veil). Since 1998 we have had
more than 100 anonymous 'Reformasi' websites mushrooming (and closing
down after awhile) whose only purpose was to attack ex-PM Dr Mahathir
Mohamad, Umno and Barisan Nasional. None of these webmasters revealed
who they are. They all hid behind 'veils'.

Did we scream and shout that they can only attack Dr Mahathir if they
reveal themselves and not hide behind their computer screens? Why the
double standards?

We must be able to take the medicine we dish out. We attack Dr
Mahathir, Pak Lah, and anything related to the ruling party even if
they do the right thing, but we cannot accept anyone criticising us
and give all sorts of excuses such as because we don't know who they
are.

Who are the webmasters of the more than 100 Reformasi websites and the
hundreds of 'ghost' writers who contribute 'hot news' to these
websites? Why are they also not brave enough to reveal themselves? Is
it because they are scared of getting detained under the Internal
Security Act? Was it not Anwar who said if you are scared of the risks
then do not talk about the struggle?

It is time the opposition got a taste of its own medicine. It is time
the opposition feels what the ruling party has endured these last six
years. It is time the opposition realised it is not that perfect after
all, and in many instances may not really be that better than the
ruling party. It is time we made the opposition realise that compared
to the ruling party it acts like spoilt schoolchildren.

A free Malaysia will only be realised when there is freedom of
expression. Before we achieve freedom in other areas we must first
achieve freedom of speech. If not, then true freedom will never be
realised. And not only the ruling party but the opposition too must be
knocked on the head until they understand, respect and honour this.

Kirdatun wrote her final article last week. She has asked me, in no
uncertain terms, to close down her column this week. But I refuse to
do so. If she refuses to write anymore then I will just leave her
column blank. The blog will still be there for anyone who wishes to
comment and debate.

Incidentally, I met Anwar Ibrahim at a Hari Raya open house on
Saturday afternoon and he expressed his sadness at Kirdatun's column
being retired. He felt we can never have the moral right to accuse the
government of not respecting the right to free speech if we cannot
first tolerate minor criticisms and comments against us.

So, Kirdatun, the ball is at your feet. Let us separate the trees from
the forest. The issue is no longer about Anwar. Anwar, for all intents
and purposes, was just the symbol of the need for reforms. Now that
Anwar is free we need to move on to a bigger agenda, the freeing of
Malaysia. If, in the fight to free Malaysia, we need to step on
everyone's toes, then so be it.

Umno supporters hate Malaysia Today. The Democratic Action Party (DAP)
supporters hate Malaysia Today. The Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS)
supporters hate Malaysia Today. The Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)
supporters hate Malaysia Today. The Anwarists hate Malaysia Today. The
Islamists hate Malaysia Today. The Malay Supremacists hate Malaysia
Today. (I hope all the other websites hate Malaysia Today as well).

That shows we are doing the right thing. So let us not stop here.
There are still many segments of Malaysian society who are yet to hate
us so much work still needs to be done. Please stay with us until we
can get all 24 million Malaysians to hate us. Then you and I can
happily retire for we would have completed the task of shaking the
very foundation of free speech.

Set as favorite
Comments (56)Add Comment
...
written by Semuaok, August 15, 2010 12:44:40
It take UMNO 50+ years to grow into a monster and it take you 6 years
to tear them apart.

You go Pet

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...
written by mikewang, August 15, 2010 11:46:26
Happy Birthday Malaysia today.

Even with the said 60% truth in the news and gossips you gave us, it's
100% better than the deliberate lies of the main stream media.

May you continue to keep Malaysia informed.

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...
written by SoundMan, August 15, 2010 11:18:28
Heartiest Congratulations MalaysiaToday ! Great site and how it makes
the gomen trembles !

Great work Raja Petra Kamarudin & of course Marina your blessed better
half.. smilies/kiss.gif

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written by ibabonma, August 15, 2010 10:44:25
The last time Malaysians had their freedoms to express their
dissatisfaction with our government and Umno was during the various
public rallies held by the oppositions during Election Days. They were
held mostly in the open spaces or the public field without any
restriction. Police permits were mere formalities then.

However, just before the 1978 general election, such freedom was
withdrawn and public rallies were to be held only at close doors, in
the community halls depending on its availabilities, however only at
the pleasure of the police. Unlike earlier, where a section of the
national newspapers were reserved for the opposition, Umno/BN then
controlled the media and the oppositions were left mute.

Now we have IT and, most particularly, we have Malaysia Today that not
only allows us to undress those bastards and idiots in Umno but also
to make them listen to us and/or the rakyat. Sad indeed, since most of
the while we cannot talk to Umno/BN with much brains, we resorted to
rattling them with our curses and fcuking damnations but who's to be
blamed? The result is obvious, that enables us to chunk a huge opening
in its membership listing for the opposition's consumption. Behold! …
Anwar is going to Putra Jaya after the 13th general election while I
and many others are going to the airports to stop those Umno/BN goons
from leaving this country.

RPK, within this context you are a new born Malaysian wira/hero and
Happy Birthday Malaysia Today.

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written by Middle Path, August 15, 2010 09:12:16
Happy Birthday to all.
Malaysia Today is Peoples Blog so everyone is celebrating their
birthday.

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...
written by SadMalaysian101, August 15, 2010 04:36:03
Dear RPK

Thanks for your speedy response. Much appreciated. RM 20 a month
sounds reasonable to me as an investment for a better Malaysia.

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...
written by Prince of India, August 15, 2010 01:36:53
BRO. Take care THE TRUTH MUST PREVAIL ,PERJUANGAN KITA
DILANJUTKAN .YOUR WORD TO ME.

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written by pixieface, August 15, 2010 01:33:53
Happy bday, MT. God bless you and your dear family, RPK.. Ever since I
log onto MT, it has been my daily
ritual for some years now. MT is the eyes and ears for us in malaysia.

RPK, I WISH YOU LIVE A LONG AND PROSPEROUS LIFE, IN ORDER FOR MALAYSIA
TO BE RESTORED
TO ITS FORMER GLORY.
THANK YOU MT AND RPK, YOU ARE OUR HERO.

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written by panca, August 14, 2010 23:56:18
Happy Belated Birthday Malaysia-TODAY yesterday!!! Nothing stops the
truth and right to speak against distorted news in this open world,
making it the most important alternative media in a country where not
only the right to speak becomes illegal, even the right to assemble is
prohibited by the tyrannical law of her country.

Happy Malaysia-TODAY!b

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written by onnetline, August 14, 2010 23:56:05
All Malaysians should be proud to have Malaysia Today and more
especially you, RPK.
On my family's behalf, we thank you both greatly !
Happy belated Birthday ............. Malaysia Today !

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...
written by Motherchell, August 14, 2010 23:28:19
Yes Pete, 2nd stage it is!! --The Freedom you gave all in the MT space
and with the price your family pays everyday-- we are ignited with the
resolve to bring about the change that has long never been ventured
into .You secured respect and the right to freedom of expression. You
have inculcated fear into the Malaysian tyrants who masqueraded as
white pigeons with the truth of what they are really worth ! Thank you
and God Bless you both always Pete and Marina!

Social Welfare started in USA

This is a very interesting article on Social Welfare. Go to the link
below to read more comments on Social Welfare in USA.

Social Welfare may be socialism but it is certainly not communist. The
communists do not have social welfare and social welfare is not free.
You have to pay for it.

It is interesting to note that Malaysian NEM mentions the importance
of social safety net in order to encourage entrepreneurs to take more
risks. Taking risks is an important part of innovation. You must try
new things before you can innovate, and we can never tell if a new
thing will be successful or not, for certain. You just have to try
them out despite all the risks.

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/09/2945811/social-security-nears-75th-anniversary.html?pageNum=3&&mi_pluck_action=page_nav#Comments_Container

sacbee.com

This story is taken from Sacbee / Living Here / Seniors

Social Security nears 75th anniversary
acreamer@sacbee.com
Published Monday, Aug. 09, 2010

Evelyn Sekula's widowed grandmother struggled to survive during the
Depression. Like millions of other elderly people, she had no pension
and no savings.

"She had no income at all except for what my father gave her," said
Sekula, 90, who lives at the Atria El Camino Gardens senior residence
in Carmichael. "She was always looking for a way to make money. My
father probably gave her $10 a month."

Today's older adults were children and teenagers when President
Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the face of aging on Aug. 14, 1935, when
he signed the Social Security Act into law.

They remember the difficult years when old age took place in a bleak,
Dickensian landscape of need dotted with poor houses for those whose
families couldn't support them. And they remember the difference that
Social Security made in ordinary people's lives.

They also remember their parents' fears that Social Security amounted
to socialism. Yet on the edge of the program's 75th anniversary, most
of them can't imagine retirement without the small cushion of funds
and dignity that Social Security provides.

As California Budget Project executive director Jean Ross says, Social
Security lifted the elderly out of poverty – and as the most important
source of income for most older Americans, it continues to do so.

But the recession has had a negative impact on Social Security,
according to a trustees' report released Thursday: Reduced payroll
taxes have resulted in Social Security's first projected annual
deficit since 1983. Despite that, both the trustees and the
Congressional Budget Office say that the program will remain solvent
until 2037.

The huge demographic bubble of baby boomer retirees will take a toll
on Social Security, as well. While there currently are 3.2 workers for
each recipient, that number will drop to 2.1 by 2034, according to the
Social Security Administration.

The 2010 trustees' report suggests that gradual increases in
employment numbers, along with a new health insurance tax later this
decade, will improve the program's financial picture.

Research consistently shows deep public support for Social Security,
not only among the elderly but also among younger generations.

But without significant change – either through privatization into
investment accounts, as some advocates say; or by raising the minimum
age for full benefits and lifting the payroll tax cap on income above
$106,800, as others suggest – the public remains plagued with concerns
about Social Security's long-term viability.

Earlier this summer, House Republican Leader John Boehner questioned
whether the federal government should be giving Social Security
benefits to the wealthy. "If you have substantial, non-Social Security
income while you're retired, why are we paying you?" he said in an
interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The Ohio Republican also suggested raising the retirement age to 70.

"Our view is that Social Security is not perfect, but it's not
broken," said AARP California's Ernie Powell. "The folks who want to
do radical reform want to create doubts that Social Security will be
there.

"It's important to give people a sense of its future. It's not in
crisis, but there are reforms that we need to make to make sure its
solvency continues beyond the 2040s."

For more than 51 million Americans – including disabled workers and
children receiving survivor benefits – Social Security isn't a hot-
button political talking point. It's survival.

The average benefit isn't much: only $1,100 a month. According to
Social Security figures, half of elderly married couples receive 52
percent of their income from the program, as do almost 75 percent of
elderly single people.

Without Social Security, 40 percent of Californians aged 65 and older
would live in poverty.

"If it wasn't for Social Security, I'd be living under a bridge," said
Jeneva Hammonds, 84, who worked seasonally as a Blue Diamond
mechanic's helper.

Her $714 monthly Social Security check, along with her late husband's
small railroad pension, helps pay for the room she occupies at Atria
El Camino Gardens. Even so, she has to tap into her savings to pay for
her rent, phone bill and heart medications.

Retirement these days can be tough enough with Social Security.
Without it, would retirement even exist? For most people, probably
not.

"Social Security was the first government program instituting the
concept that we have a collective responsibility for each other," said
American River College gerontology department Chairman Barbara
Gillogly. "Before that, there was no real concept of retirement.

"Most people worked until they died or were too ill, and then they
were at the mercy of their family and friends."

In the desperate 1930s, the elderly often ended up begging on the
streets.

"A lot of older people in the Depression were starving to death," she
said. "People with no other means of survival could go to poor farms.
There were alms houses next to churches. It was demeaning."

For many decades, Sacramento County's poor farm and indigent cemetery
were on the sprawling grounds of the county hospital, the site of
today's UC Davis Medical Center on Stockton Boulevard.

The county home for aging indigent women was a large Victorian house
nestled on the same acreage, remembers Sacramento native and longtime
florist Al Balshor, 87, while the home for aging indigent men occupied
a rambling brick estate on Franklin Boulevard near Florin.

"Mostly, people took care of their own," he said.

For those who couldn't, going to the county poor house was, as Sekula
puts it, a sign of disgrace. Yet census records from the 1930s show
that poor houses across the country were filled with people in their
60s, 70s and 80s.

"You went to the poor house if you were absolutely destitute," Sekula
said. "Nobody wanted to go there."

Of the 6.5 million elderly Americans alive in 1935, only 350,000 had
any sort of pension. The new Social Security Administration
arbitrarily fixed retirement age at 65, based on European pension
models from the 1880s that were predicated on a low life expectancy.

The government also hoped Social Security payments would stimulate the
dismal late Depression economy by getting more money into circulation,
says Gillogly.

Olivia Sparrevohn, 83, remembers that Social Security made a
difference in her grandmother's life. Carrie King Cralle was 68 in
1935, a widow who worked as a secretary and cared for an invalid
daughter.

Monthly Social Security payments didn't begin until 1940. Before that,
recipients were paid a lump sum. Even so, by 1940, 1 million older
Americans had received money from the program.

"Suddenly, my granny got this check," said Sparrevohn, a retired
technical illustrator who lives in Elk Grove. "She was very frugal. I
know that check was small, but I know it made a difference in her
life.

"I can remember clearly that it was a big thing to her."

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

Iran builds its own submarines

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/International/2010/08/08/Iran-welcomes-four-new-subs/UPI-46781281280661/

TEHRAN, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Iran's top defense officials attended a
ceremony welcoming four new submarines fitted out with state of the
art technology, officials said.

Iranian state media outlets reported Sunday the locally made Ghadir
submarines have the ability to fire missiles and torpedoes
simultaneously, and are fitted with the latest sonar technology. The
submarines are able to operate in the shallow waters of the Persian
Gulf, the reports said.

Fars and IRNA state news agencies said Defense Minister General Ahmad
Vahidi and Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari, the commander of Iran's Navy,
attended the ceremony along with senior military officials.

The reports said the submarines are an integral part of Iran's goal to
become self-sufficient by manufacturing and producing its own fighter
jets, armored vehicles and radar evading missiles as well as other
superior weapons, for its air, naval and ground forces.

Malaysia is a Failure: Forum concludes

P)lease note that Malaya is not Malaysia. Malaysia is an agreement
between Malaya and Borneon states. Without Borneo, there is no
Malaysia.

It is very clear that the objective of Malaysia had not been achieved.
The main reason is that, all along Malaysia had been interpreted as
just a renamed Malaya, contrary to all written documents and
agreements.

But then, what do you expect from a Janji Melayu.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/sabah-and-sarawak/8705-tunkus-malaysia-project-a-failure-forum-concludes

By Luke Rintod

KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysia Project envisaged by the former premier
Tunku Abdul Rahman and Borneo leaders, Donald Stephens and Temenggong
Jugah 47 years ago is a failure, according to a wide spectrum of the
intelligentsia.

In a series of papers submitted at a one-day forum on the 'Formation
of Malaysia Revisited and The Way Forward', presenters concluded that
what had been conceived by the trio and what eventually transpired in
the intervening years was similar to a pendulum swing.

All the five papers presented and deliberated at Saturday's landmark
forum to discuss the birth of the Federation of Malaysia and the
effects on Sabah and Sarawak 40 years after noted how state rights had
taken a backseat to political convenience.

Kanul Gindol, secretary-general of CigMa, said the forum managed to
achieve an intellectual discussion of the pros and cons of the
formation of Malaysia.

"It was lively (discussion) and managed to attract people from all
walks of life including past and present public figures like Ayub
Aman, an elder brother of Sabah Chief Minister, Amirkahar Tun
Mustapha, PKR leaders like Christina Liew and Baru Bian, retired civil
servants, academicians, lawyers, teachers, politicians, students and
laymen," he said.

Kitingan, the younger brother of Sabah deputy Chief Minister Joseph
Pairin Kitingan, in his paper highlighted facts and 'secrets', notably
how the federal powers had subdued the state through many manoeuvres
since 1963, and how Sabah leaders were duped into believing in
whatever Peninsular Malaysian leaders pledged and promised them.

Using figures, he demonstrated how the Kadazandusuns, who were once
the majority and dominant in North Borneo/Sabah were being
disenfranchised.

He spoke about the emergence of a new group called Melayu in Sabah
which today stands at more than 300,000 but was only 18,000 in 1970's.

Split Sabah into five state

The Harvard graduate also cited how Malayan subsequent leaders managed
to tilt the equation of power to the peninsula ever since the
inception of the federation in 1963.

"In 1963, we had a 50-50 equation in Parliament representation vis-a-
vis the 11-states in Malaya and the group of Sabah, Sarawak and
Singapore.

"When Singapore left or was kicked-out of the federation in 1965,
their 15 seats should have been distributed to Sabah and Sarawak but
what happen was Malaya took seven seats and the remaining eight were
distributed to the Borneo states.

"Then in 1972/73, 73 new Parliament constituencies were created, and
all of them were in Malaya. From here on, Sabah and Sarawak lost its
power to block any passing of laws in Parliament, so peninsular
leaders can do whatever they want to the federation," he said.

Kitingan, a PKR vice president, in his paper proposed that Sabah be
split into five states and Sarawak into seven and that Parliament
representation in the Borneo states should be balanced with that in
the peninsular.

He noted that the Cobbold Commission Report had forewarned that: "If
the idea of Malaysia was a 'take over' of Sabah and Sarawak and the
submersion of the individualities of Sabah/Sarawak, Malaysia would not
be acceptable or successful."

Scepticism of sincerity

Veteran Malaysian leader and founding father of the Sarawak National
Party or SNAP, James Wong, whose paper was presented by lawyer and the
Sarawak PKR Head Baru Bian, said that selling the idea of Malaysia had
not been easy.

He revealed the prevailing scepticism of sincerity during the period
and these were typified by Temenggong Jugah when he said in Iban:
"Anang Malaysia sebaka tebu, manis di pohon, tawal diujung" which
literally means 'Malaysia should not be like the sugar cane, sweet at
the head and getting less and less sweet towards the end'.

It was a conjecture that proved true as Sabah and Sarawak now sit at
the bottom list of many progress indices in Malaysia, he said.

Wong pointed out that initially in the 1950s there was already an
effort to federate North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei but North Borneo
leaders then were reluctant because Sarawak had communist threats
unlike North Borneo.

In the soon to follow Cobbold Commission Report, the merger concept of
the Federation of Malaysia detailed that the central government would
be strong and provide security but local aspirations and needs would
also have to be recognised and safeguarded.

The report clearly states that: "It is a necessary condition that,
from the outset, Malaysia should be regarded by all concerned, as an
association of partners, combined in the common interest to create a
new nation but retaining their own individualities," Wong pointed out.

Karim Ghani, who was instrumental in bringing in Umno to Sabah, in his
paper reminded that Sabahans can no longer count on taking control of
their state without the aid of the hundreds of thousands of immigrants
who reside there.

Shouts of tipu

However the discussion became more heated when Ayub Aman, the elder
brother of Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman claimed that all Malaysians
were treated equally in response to John Brian of the Sarawak Dayak
National Union (SDNU) who complained of marginalisation in
opportunities.

The ageing former Culture, Youth and Sports Minister during Berjaya
party era was visibly shocked and appeared to be in a daze after his
remarks were met with boos and shouts of "tipu" and "no same treatment
to Kadazandusuns and Dayaks".

Ayub also blamed complaints of rampant corruption in Sabah politics as
the outcome of a corrupt rakyat.

SLA's S Venugopal also presented a paper detailing breaches in the
political equation and merger partnership.

The one-day forum was jointly organised by two KK-based NGOs - the
Borneo Heritage Foundation (BHF) and CigMa or Common Interest Group
Malaysia.

The Politics of Science: Global Warming report

Science is so dependent on the government for data and funds. It is
not surprising that it must view the opinions of its political master.

This global warming data may appear to be reasonable, but it comes
after Obama became President. Earlier, under Bush, the study by
similar US departments conclude that Global Warming is not conclusive.

Now similar departments conclude otherwise.

I can bet that when a Republican becomes President, the report will be
reversed.

For me, global warming is a certainty despite insufficient data to
prove conclusively. My policy is simple. It is better to err on the
safer side than to err on the dangerous side.

It is just a waste of money trying to prove the inevitable. The money
and intellectual resources should better be spent on preventing Global
warming by going hydro, solar, wind and nuclear.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/07/100728-global-warming-noaa-climate-hottest-decade-science-environment/

Christine Dell'Amore

National Geographic News

Published July 28, 2010

"Global warming is undeniable," and it's happening fast, a new U.S.
government report says.

An in-depth analysis of ten climate indicators all point to a marked
warming over the past three decades, with the most recent decade being
the hottest on record, according to the latest of the U.S. National
Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration's annual "State of the Climate"
reports, which was released Wednesday. Reliable global climate record-
keeping began in the 1880s.

The report focused on climate changes measured in 2009 in the context
of newly available data on long-term developments.

(See "Heat Wave: 2010 to Be One of Hottest Years on Record.") For
instance, surface air temperatures recorded from more than 7,000
weather stations around the world over the past few decades confirm an
"unmistakable upward trend," the study says.

And for the first time, scientists put data from climate indicators—
such as ocean temperature and sea-ice cover—together in one place.
Their consistency "jumps off the page at you," report co-author Derek
Arndt said.

"This is like going to the doctor and getting your respiratory test
and circulatory test and your neurosystem test," said Arndt, head of
the Climate Monitoring Branch of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center.

"It's testing all the parts, and they're all in agreement that the
same thing's going on."

Global Warming Sparked Extreme Weather in 2009?

Three hundred scientists analyzed data on 37 climate indicators, but
homed in on 10 that the study says are especially revealing.

Those indicators include:

* humidity,
* sea-surface temperature,
* sea ice cover,
* snow cover,
* ocean heat content,
* glacier cover,
* air temperature in the lower atmosphere,
* sea level,
* temperature over land,
* and temperature over oceans.

As scientists would predict in a hotter world, some of the indicators—
such as ocean heat content and temperature over land—are increasing.
Others, such as sea ice cover and snow cover, are decreasing.

The influx of greenhouses gases into the atmosphere has also hit
oceans particularly hard, the NOAA report says. (See an interactive on
the greenhouse effect and global warming.)

New evidence suggests that more than 90 percent of that heat trapped
by greenhouses gases over the past 50 years has been absorbed into the
oceans.

Because water expands as it warms, the added ocean heat is
contributing to sea level rise as well as to the rapid melting of
Arctic summer sea ice. That melting in 2010 is on track to be worse
than 2007, when Arctic ice cover reached its lowest point on record.

Such climatic shifts are already ushering in extreme weather, which
plagued much of the globe in 2009, according to the report. (See a
world map of potential global warming impacts.) For instance,
Australia experienced its third hottest year on record.

On one February 2009 day—labeled "Black Saturday"—in Australia, 400
wildfires swept across the state of Victoria, killing 173 people and
destroying 3,500 buildings. (See pictures of the Australian fires.)

NOAA Climate Report Offers Real-World Data

The NOAA report—published in the Bulletin of the American
Meteorological Society—is different from other climate publications,
because it's based on observed data, not computer models, making it
the "climate system's annual scorecard," the authors wrote. (Test your
global warming knowledge.)

"It's telling us what's going on in the real world, rather than the
imaginary world," said Kevin Trenberth, a senior scientist at the
Boulder, Colorado-based National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Even so, the report "does not carry the authority of the IPCC
[Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] by any means," Trenberth
noted.

That's partially because IPCC reports—the latest of which came out in
2007 with a similar claim that warming is "unequivocal"—are produced
on longer time scales, with more time for review.

And even with real-world data, "the theory with regard to global
warming is still incomplete"—especially since the atmosphere is so
complex, Trenberth cautioned.

This "can be seen at a glance," for example, "by looking out of the
window at the wondrous, great variety in clouds."

UFO: Malaysia or Malaya?

This is the usual error among Malayans calling Malaya as Malaysia.
Even the fierce looking Immigration Director of Malaysia, indicated
that Malaysia does not include Sabah and Sarawak in his statistics
which nobody seem to comment on.
The detected illegal immigrants does not appear to be from Indonesia
and Philippines which is the case for Sabah, but certainly not much in
West Malaysia, so the statistics is only for Malaya, not Malaysia.

And this author for this article, only refer to Malaysia in the 1950s.
Malaysia does not exist in the 1950s. It was only Malaya, or Federated
Malay States.

As for the UFO, with so many cameras around, it is just inconceivable
that these aliens can hide themselves and yet they are able to do it
still showing its technology. All our Air Defence Systems appear
useless against them. So even if these UFOs exist, what can we do
about it? Nothing.
One thing is certain. UFO had been very peaceful despite their
technology so we should be thankful.

http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/138543

Recently, the local media and the local and foreign internet community
were abuzz with the news of an UFO (unidentified flying object)
sighting at a serene beach resort near the city of Kota Kinabalu in
Sabah.

According to the press reports, the sightings of the round blue silent
flying object in the sky were witnessed by many locals and tourists.
Apparently some of the people who witnessed this UFO even claimed that
their handphone 'went dead' mysteriously when they tried to record the
moments of the UFO with their device.

Ufologists (researchers studying on UFOs) describe UFO as sightings of
an object or light seen in the sky or land whose appearance,
trajectory, actions, motions, lights and colors do not have a logical,
conventional or natural explanation.

Sightings of UFOs in Malaysia have been reported by the local media on
and off over many years. The first recorded sighting of an UFO
apparently took place in 1950s in Malaysia. Subsequently there have
been many reports emerging in the press around the Asian region.
However all these sightings remain just as another newspaper report
and I have not heard of the authorities making any attempt to
investigate these sightings to validate the claims.

In the recent UFO sighting at the Tuaran Beach Resort in Sabah, the
police according to press reports, did not undertake any
investigations over the incident which created somewhat of a stir in
the community. It was also reported in the press that police did not
conduct any investigations on the UFO sighting as there were no police
reports on the matter. Is a police report a necessity for an
investigation of this nature?

In my opinion, we should not brush aside or scoff at UFO sightings of
this nature. The authorities, especially those involved in the
national security sector, should conduct an investigation on such
credible sightings immediately. We should not leave reports of UFO
sightings of such nature for granted or unattended .

Whatever it is the authorities should undertake an investigation to
ascertain the validity of the report. A proper investigation should be
carried out and situation should be explained to the public. Otherwise
this will only create opportunities for the naive public and the media
to speculate on the incident further.

The authorities have an obligation to explain to the public what was
that the people witnessed hovering in the Sabah sky that day. We need
to determine wether it was actually a UFO or IFO (Identified Flying
Object). If we don't have UFO expertise locally we can always seek the
assistance of renown ufologist in USA and Europe

According to overseas reports, 90% to 95% UFO sighting investigations
were proven to be IFOs and not UFOs. Many a time it has been
attributed to a natural phenomenon (unusual environmental conditions)
or man-made objects. In some instances during certain times of the
year due to atmospheric turbulence and unusual weather conditions, the
stars near the horizon tend to twinkle rapidly in red and blue colours
darting back and forth which people take as an UFO

Nevertheless, all UFO sightings should be investigated by the relevant
authorities to distinguish between UFOs and IFOs. It must be pointed
out that of late there have been reports of UFO sighting incidents
around the world that have somewhat got national security authorities
worried.

Prior to our latest UFO sighting in Sabah another UFO was sighted at
Hangzhou, China on July 7. The sighting of this UFO practically forced
the Chinese aviation security authorities to cease all airport
operations for an hour. If this is a natural phenomenon or man made
object will the Chinese authorities cease all operations at the
airport for an hour?

This latest UFO sighting in China created a stir among the Chinese
media circles and apparently sparked a firestorm of speculations on
the UFOs identity.

Several UFO sighting reports in the past in the USA closer to nuclear
missile facilities apparently created a panic among USA security
chiefs when the missile panel electronics malfunctioned for no
apparent reasons. Although the USA authorities have denied this
incident independent UFO expert (J.Allen Hynek) reports suggest
otherwise.

It's time we review our perceptions of UFO sightings in the country.
Evidence is emerging in bit and pieces that we are been watched by
some terrestrial beings. We need to scrutinize all UFOs sightings in
view of the security implications. Perhaps we should encourage our
scientists, police and national aviation security personals to
familiarise on the subject of UFOs.

We should train them to conduct a systematic critical analysis of all
UFO sightings in the country instead of brushing it off. If need be,
we should consider setting up a special investigation unit perhaps
under the national security council to investigate all UFO sightings.

It is so easy to repair and make Aluminium parts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-cv3R4fWZc&feature=related

Watch this video. It is also true for other Aluminium brazing rods
such as durafix:

Watch this youtube of a person demonstrating durafix.
Durafix_Aluminum_Welding_Rods

From his description, he does not seem to represnt Durafix. He
mentions some of weaknesses of this such as its inability to stick to
non-magnetic materials such as stainless steel except cast iron.

It is so easy to create our own threads and ears such as during
repair. These threads are as strong as the bolts. Even holes as wide
as 1 inch can be repaired. It is even stronger than the original
Aluminium.

I just discovered that my cheap butane burner costing RM30 can melt
aluminium cans. So is my butane lighter. As these HTS2000 and other
aluminium repair rods has a lower melting temperature than Aluminium,
it is no problem in using cigerate lighters to repair Aluminium parts
provided we have these Aluminium rods.

Unfortunately it is not easy to find it in Kota Kinabalu. I can order
from ebay for more than RM50 for 14 pieces of rods but I don't need
this much. I'd rather look for it in Kota Kinabalu. With such an
incredible versatility. I'm surprised that even Malaysian Airlines
technicians are not aware of this techniques when Aluminium parts are
so common in Aviation.

I'm certainly excited by this development. It means that I can forge
Aluminium parts of model Aeroplanes using Aluminium. I had built
Aeroplanes using polystyrene but it is not strong enough support
engine and control parts. So far I only have epoxy glue techniques to
fix aluminium parts together but glue is too heavy and not that strong.