It is the large amount of content, either songs or applications that made Apple products so powerful. Similarly for Microsoft products. Unfortunately, Microsoft has forgotten how it managed to be so successful when it abandoned its content publishers.

 For a worst disaster, is the OLPC program. It tried to develop a program to help publishers publish ebooks for this book but it was shot down. It is a pity indeed. Without any education available, OLPC will be useless an an educational tool. You can equip it with fancy emails, browsers and brilliant educational tools and software, but without any content, they are useless indeed.

 Teachers are asked to scan their own notes and then learn how to use these educational software in order to present these lectures. I had an experience in one such software at UMS.  I still have the manual for it but now I can't even remember its name. It is simpler to just use emails for interactive e-learning. I believe it is based on Mundus but had been renamed because it was modified for UMS.

The way to solve this problem is actually very simple but people just don't believe what I say. Suffice to say that, you can solve it by copying Apple. Do what Apple has done. Apple didn't solve it by providing the tools for conversion. They simply make it available to publishers and documenting it well. Of course they improve it, but these improvements are very subjective. Most of the tools are already available. Just package them together and made available as a one stop methodology to create software for Apple in a fixed standard way.

But Apple made them available in a central store that everyone can access. Even now, I can download any song that I want but I have to search for them. Most people don't have the expertise and time to search for these songs.

The hackers that use the Windows, Androids and OLPCs, may be good at looking for songs and ebooks, but for the majority of users, they don't have the time and willingness to do it the hard way. Apple solved it for them. Does Apple use any special tool?  No. They just choose proven and tested tools, and package and document them to be a standard for everyone to follow.

 http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2012/01/apple-digital-destroy-textbook/

Apple To Announce Tools, Platform To ‘Digitally Destroy’ Textbook Publishing

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• By Chris Foresman, Ars Technica
• Email Author
• January 17, 2012 | 
• 7:14 am | 
• Categories: Books, Media

Apple is slated to announce the fruits of its labor on improving the use of technology in education at its special media event on Thursday, January 19. While speculation has so far centered on digital textbooks, sources close to the matter have confirmed to Ars that Apple will announce tools to help create interactive e-books—the “GarageBand for e-books,” so to speak—and expand its current platform to distribute them to iPhone and iPad users.

Along with the details we were able to gather from our sources, we also spoke to two experts in the field of digital publishing to get a clearer picture of the significance of what Apple is planning to announce. So far, Apple has largely embraced the ePub 2 standard for its iBooks platform, though it has added a number of HTML5-based extensions to enable the inclusion of video and audio for some limited interaction. The recently-updated ePub 3 standard obviates the need for these proprietary extensions, which in some cases make iBook-formatted e-books incompatible with other e-reader platforms. Apple is expected to announce support for the ePub 3 standard for iBooks going forward.

GarageBand for e-books

At the same time, however, authoring standards-compliant e-books (despite some promises to the contrary) is not as simple as running a Word document of a manuscript through a filter. The current state of software tools continues to frustrate authors and publishers alike, with several authors telling Ars that they wish Apple or some other vendor would make a simple app that makes the process as easy as creating a song in GarageBand.
Our sources say Apple will announce such a tool on Thursday.
And Inkling CEO Matt MacInnis agrees that such a move would be very likely. MacInnis previously worked on education projects at Apple before leaving the company in 2009 to pursue his own ideas about creating interactive digital books. Inkling currently offers a variety of digital textbooks with interactive features, including the ability to share notes with classmates and instructors, via an iPad app.
“When you think about what Apple is doing… they are selling tens of thousands of iPads into K-12 institutions,” MacInnis told Ars. “What are they doing with those iPads? They don’t really replace textbooks, because there’s not very much content on offer,” he said.
Don’t expect that content to come directly from Apple, however. “Practically speaking, Apple does not want to get into the content publishing business,” MacInnis said. Like the music and movie industries, Apple has instead built a distribution platform as well as hardware to consume it—but Apple isn’t a record label or production studio.
But what Apple does provide is industry-leading tools for content production, such as Logic or Final Cut Pro, to help create content. The company also produces tools like GarageBand or iMovie that make such production accessible to a much wider audience.
Will Apple launch a sort of GarageBand for e-books? “That’s what we believe you’re about to see,” MacInnis told Ars (and our other sources agree). “Publishing something to ePub is very similar to publishing web content. Remember iWeb? That iWeb code didn’t just get flushed down the toilet—I think you’ll see some of [that code] repurposed.”

Mobile, social learning

Technology-in-education expert Dr. William Rankin also believes digital books will expand with tools that will enable social interactions among textbook users. Rankin, who serves as Director of Educational Innovation of Abilene Christian University and has extensively researched the use of mobile devices in the classroom, was one of three authors of a white paper on the effects of digital convergence on learning titled “Code/X,” published in 2009.
In that document, Rankin and his colleagues laid out their vision for the future of learning, which included an always-on, always-networked digital device called a “Talos.” That device turned out to be very similar to the iPad that Apple announced just six months later.
“What we saw coming was a change in the kinds of places that learning would happen,” Rankin told Ars. Since the device would always be with the student, it would give her access to information anytime and anywhere. “For that, you need a different kind of book.”
Such digital texts would let students interact with information in visual ways, such as 3D models, graphs, and videos. They would also allow students to create links to additional texts, audio, and other supporting materials. Furthermore, students could share those connections with classmates and colleagues.
“What we really believe is important is the role of social networking in a converged learning environment,” Rankin told Ars. “We’re already seeing that in Inkling’s platform, and Kno‘s journaling feature. Future digital texts should allow students to layer all kind of other data, such as pictures, and notes, and then share that with the class or, ideally, anyone.”
Exactly how what Apple announces on Thursday will impact digital publishing isn’t certain, however.
“Think about how meaningful simply authoring and publishing to an iPad will be for K-12,” MacInnis said. “However, it might not be great for molecular biology.”
MacInnis sees Apple as possibly up-ending the traditional print publishing model for the low-end, where basic information has for many years remained locked behind high textbook prices. Apple can “kick up dust with the education market,” which could then create visibility for platforms like Inkling. This could then serve as a sort of professional Logic-type tool for interactive textbook creation complement to Apple’s “GarageBand for e-books.”
“There will be a spectrum of tools and consumers, and we will continue to fit on that spectrum,” MacInnis opined. “I don’t know if the publishing industry will react to it with fear or enthusiasm.”

Steve Jobs’ pet project

We know that former Apple CEO Steve Jobs was working on addressing learning and digital textbooks for some time, according to Walter Issacson’s biography. Jobs believed that textbook publishing was an “$8 billion a year industry ripe for digital destruction.”
According to our sources close to his efforts, however, Jobs’ personal involvement was perhaps more significant that even his biography purports. Jobs worked on this project for several years, and our understanding is that the final outcome was slated to be announced in October 2011 in conjunction with the iPhone 4S. Those plans were postponed at the last minute, perhaps due to Jobs’ imminent death.
Despite the delay, however, ACU’s Rankin believes the time is right for a change to happen in the field. “We’re headed toward a completely digital future at ACU,” he told Ars. “A recent study showed that 82 percent of all higher education students nationwide will come to campus with a smartphone. We need to have resources and tools ready for these mobile, connected students.”
Photograph by Casey Fleser

Anwar's view on gay is the true Islamic view

What was Anwar's view on gay?
Anwar never condon gay rights. What he said was that the punishment
for gay should not be draconian. How can having anal intercourse be
punished more than adultery, corruption and murder altogether?

It is just so absurd when a murderer is jailed for only 8 years
whereas a gay is jailed for 24 years????

Hassan's views is typical of the extermist muslims represented by
Taliban and others. They used to dominate PAS but not any more.

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v6/newsbusiness.php?id=640414

"Anwar's " view on gay rights is why I can't work with him" - Hasan
0 comments
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Hasan Ali said
Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's stand regarding gay
rights has been among the reasons why he (Hasan) cannot work with him.

He said that the stand was not only evident from Anwar's recent
interview with BBC, but had also been Anwar's "personal view."

Hasan said it was for that reason that Malaysians should reject
Anwar's struggle, in particular his quest for Putrajaya.

"Because if gays, lesbians, homosexuals and transsexuals are legalised
in Malaysia, God forbid, I think Malaysia will be in disarray and
chaos.

"Anwar's views are not only (reflected) in the BBC interview; if we
look back, that has been the view held by Anwar," he said.

In the interview with BBC, Anwar was asked whether he was prepared to
take "the idea of anti-discrimination as far as gay rights" were
concerned. Anwar replied that "we will have to review some of our
archaic laws".

"We Muslims and non-Muslims in Malaysia generally believe and are
committed to support the sanctity of marriage between man and woman,
but we should not be seen to be punitive and consider the archaic law
as relevant," Anwar said, adding, "we do not promote homosexuality
within the public sphere or domain."

Hasan said: "That is the one reason why I should not be together with
Anwar Ibrahim, I think my stance is very legitimate," he said.

On Anwar's labelling of him as "power hungry," Hasan, who is Gombak
Setia assemblyman said: "Who is more power hungry? You know better the
person who went around gathering people including from Sabah and
Sarawak (to defect to Pakatan) to seize Putrajaya.

"...and said that he can still be prime minister even if he was
jailed," he said.

Anwar, commenting on the recent sacking of Hasan from PAS, was quoted
as saying that it was better to clean up Pakatan from those who are
greedy in terms of power and money, and not those with contradicting
ideologies. - Bernama

Read more: "Anwar's " view on gay rights is why I can't work with him"
- Hasan - Latest - New Straits Times
http://www.nst.com.my/latest/anwar-s-view-on-gay-rights-is-why-i-can-t-work-with-him-hasan-1.33054#ixzz1jdPjCBte

SBPA: 10 % increase, after that ZERO?

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/244797

If your mark is less than 70%, you have the option to retire early. In
TM and Petronas, it is called redundancy.

This forced signing or signing without being given time and
information to consider, reminds me of the Jabatan Telekom. It was a
mistake for us to sign to remain with TM. We should all opt for early
retirement. Then we can get all our pension immediately. When you join
TM instead of opting for retirement, you can only get your pension
after the age of 50.

In this SBPA, your salary may increase by up to 13%, but after that
your salary may not increase at all. It may be based on your work
performance, but as is practised in TM, there is a practise of forced
ranking, where there must be about 10% of those whose salary cannot
increase, no matter what your performance is.

You may pity those whose salary is low, but if your volunteer for the
10%, you will be deemed as a deadwood, and will not be considered
worthwhile. Worst, there are many people who will deliberately ask for
such ranking so that they will be removed. This usually happens to the
best and most hard working. Simply because they deem themselves
capable of surviving outside the company.

Also it happens to the most experienced workers. Their salaries are
already high that they don't need any increment. What kind of people
do you think these are?

The result is that, the best workers, because they can survive better
outside, and the most experienced, because they already have enough
money to be independent, will opt out. As more and more of this kind
of people leave, what is left are just hard working idiots, who do not
take no for an answer. What do you think will happen to the
intelligent workers? Do you think they want to work for this company,
especially in Malaysia? When salaries are much higher outside
Malaysia.

Here we are complaining about Malaysians not wanting to work in
Malaysia, and yet the environment in Malaysia is what it is now. Only
the most stupid ones will want to return to Malaysia. They may be
idiots but they want to serve their country and family.

You may argue that these performance appraisals will be fair and if
not fair, can be contested in court. With all the forced ranking in
TM, there is not a single court case that I have heard. The easiest
and most cost effective is just to leave TM. In the current court
environment, it is not wise to go against the government.

Advanced salary payment is compulsory in Islam

It may be controversial and not practised in many muslim nations but
this hadith shows that advanced payment is what is required in Islam.

The interpretation that it is allowed to pay at the end of a month is
against the spirit of this hadith.
The basic idea is that it has to be done minutes after the work is
done, and any work, even in the middle of the day.
The only way to achieve this is to pay the workers in advance. It is
not practical to wait until the job is finished completely as a job
can be made up of many steps.

Even if we agree to accept monthly wages that are paid at the end of
the month, it does not mean that we have obeyed the teaching of
Prophet Muhammad i.e. Islam.
To be paid weekly wages as is common in western societies is better,
because the delay is only for 1 week, but still not compliant fully
with the true Islamic way of doing things.

To comply exactly with minimal loss is to pay daily, which is too time
consuming. The better way is to pay in advance. I start doing it with
my work. Usually to pay for any spare part that may be required. We
all can contribute to helping our workers by showing our appreciation
by paying them in advance.

You may argue that we will lose if they don't work properly, but even
if we delay payment, there is no guarantee that the work will be
perfect, in fact there is more chance that the work will not be good.
The chance that the work will not be complete is always there, but you
know that this kind of workers cannot be trusted. It is better for us
to lose some money than allow them work for us.

In permanent workers, there is no justification of us not paying them
in advance. If they run away, we can always sue them, and demand
payment back for the advance wages since we have all the details of
these workers. They are indebted to the employers which is even better
for the employers in tying the loyalty of the workers. It also
encourages them to work to their best.

Delaying payments as is the normal practise in Malaysia, the delay can
be more than 3 months nowadays, is just unfair and unIslamic. So much
for a government that claims to be Islamic. Similarly for all Muslim
nations in the world. The nations that practise the Islamic way of
paying wages as the advanced non-Islamic nations, that way wages
weekly.

The oppostion parties that claim to follow the Islamic teaching should
start by paying wages in advance instead of at the end of the month.
There is no loss of revenue at all. Just one month advance payment.
PAS led states in Kelantan and Kedah, as well as PKR states in
Selangor should start. Penang's DAP should follow.

BN's performance in paying workers salaries is very poor. Not only
workers, suppliers are also so badly treated. This is one reason for
the inflated prices of government contracts. I just hope that they
should strive to resolve the late payment of workers with honesty
instead of giving excuses. If the British colonial masters were able
to pay promptly, why can't independent Malaysia?

This delay of payment to suppliers and workers, especially part time
workers is just troubling and has become endemic in the Malaysian
government service. We have lost a lot of talent and opportunities
this way, as well as incurring extra costs when they charge more
because of the certainly in the delay of payment.

http://my.opera.com/40%20HADITH/blog/index.dml/tag/Hadith%20Qudsi%2021

Ibn Maajah (2443) narrated that 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Umar (may ALLAH be
pleased with him) said: The Messenger of ALLAH (peace and blessings of
ALLAH be upon him) said: "Give the worker his wages before his sweat
dries." Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah.
What this means to hastening to give him his dues as soon as the work
is done. Similarly, when the agreed-upon period ends (which is one
month in the case of most employees nowadays), then it is obligatory
to hasten to give him his dues.

Competing for perfection

It is human nature to compete. I also like to compete but in
competitions, someone is bound to lose. It is painful to see your
acquaintances lose. It is also painful for us to lose. Now I realise
that I console myself in my losses by not competing with my opponents
but rather with perfection, the imagined opponent. I use my human
opponents as a sparring partner.

It may be a lousy excuse for losing but it certainly reduces stresses
somehow. However, when you compete, the stress of competition is what
you are looking for. The high of winning is something that we enjoy,
but there are bound to be lows when we lose. I think I use perfection
as a good scapegoat and excuse.

I used not to believe so much in talent, believing that hard work will
overcome all. Now I no longer believe this. Hard work alone will not
make anyone excellent. There must be talent supported by interest. You
may have the talent, but without any interest in exploiting the
talent, the talent will be wasted.

One of my obvious talent was in studying. I had been the top of my
class since primary 2. In my secondary school at Sung Siew Secondary
School, Sandakan, I was even consistently the top of the school
because our marks are compared across the whole school. Contrary to
what other students say, I do not consider myself as a hard working
student. I see other students who work much harder and yet fail. It
could be due to their lack of talent. My techniques of competing for
perfection as a helper.

It may appear that working for perfection means that you have to work
harder but I don't feel the pressure. In order to achieve 100%, you
should work for more than 100%. Even if you fail, you still get close
to 100%. You may think that it is impossible to achieve more than 100%
but in school, it is possible because each examination is constrained
by a syllabus. What you have to do is to study for more than 100% by
covering a wider syllabus using different text books or books. If you
rely on just one textbook, then your options will be limited.
Examination questions may come from other books or sources.

I notice that students who work hard and fail, tend to concentrate on
working on the same source of information. Spending a lot of time
doing the same thing over and over again, hoping to memorise the
information. I don't think it will work. It is like aiming for 100%
coverage. The chance of failure to achieve 100% is much higher, than
if you aim for 200% coverage in different topics and points of view.

I used to employ this technique for Telekom Malaysia projects.
Unfortunately it was deemed as illegal. They stick to 100% target, and
always failing to reach 100%, because perfection is actually
impossible. If you aim and prepare for 200%, your chance of achieving
100% of the target will be very high. Failure to achieve 100% of the
target may be disastrous for the company, and yet, they keep on making
the same mistakes. Working very hard to reduce these mistakes, in
order to achieve a higher performance. The aim may be noble, but the
cost in terms of human resource will be high and worse, no matter how
hard you work, you will never achieve perfection. Do we lose more than
what we hope to achieve by bending the rules?

It is just like buying 2 cars instead of 1. The cost may be high, but
the chance of failure is extremely low. The cost may appear to be
high, but these cars belong to you. Where is the loss if both cars
still belong to you? Some planners will consider it as a waste because
they believe that they can still achieve zero downtime with just one
car if only we look after the car well enough. This is despite facts
pointing out that failures of this technique. Cars need to be sent for
repair, may involve in accidents etc. They would rather ask people to
reduce maintenance time rather than invest in more cars. the bottom
line is that, they are not willing to aim for perfection despite all
their promises.

If you really want something, you will try all means. Otherwise,
you'll give all sorts of excuses. The rewards of failures to
attempting the impossible perfection can be satisfying. We may fail to
be the best in Malaysia, but Sung Siew was the best in Sabah in 1974,
the first time that the school was top ranked. My classmates also got
high ranking because we help each other instead of destroy each other.
And that was not the first time it happened. It happened in my primary
school. Prior to my time, the highest state wide score was 63%. In my
time, the 63% was achieved by the 10th student. The highest was 88%.
The presence of that 88% student managed to encourage the others to
achieve higher.

You can argue that it was just coincidental that there was a bunch of
good students that year. It just does not make sense because the
previous years, the same batch of students from a small community
sharing the same livelihood, i.e. inside the police barracks, can
suddenly produce brilliant students in that particular year. The only
sensible explanation was that there was a sudden urge for students to
maximise their talent for studying.

I don't recall cooperating with my classmates, but my willingness to
ask lots of questions could be one factor why my classmates also
improve. During the secondary school, I discuss with a few close
friends, which became among the top students. He wasn't such a good
student before I met him. These friends are mostly chinese.

A few years before, I was doing my bridge class at Kudat town. My
father wanted to send me to a missionary school but I ended up in a
class with almost all chinese except I and another native. We became
close friends. He wasn't such a good student, but I was the top of the
class defeating all the chinese. Natives are not well known for
beating chinese students in studies, but my example probably inspired
him to improve himself. He wanted to become a doctor and he actually
achieved in. I heard, he was the top student in the school when I left
for Sandakan.

He certainly has the vision. My other even closer friends are not so
ambitious but they are aware of my achievements from a distance. By
making myself as an example who can achieve the seemingly impossible
perfection, many students have risen much higher than their normal
self, fulfilling their potentials. I didn't brag about my school
results probably because of the need for humility. It is probably a
mistake. I didn't do it because in a working environment, it is not
important to be such a good student and I thought people already know
from my CVs and the broadcast announcements.

I realise that it may be a mistake. One colleague who had worked for
me for years and nearing retirement, suddenly became brave and pointed
out that I was proud because I was the best student in my school. I
never bragged about it, but I was not just the best in school but the
whole State of Sabah. When I left TM, I started telling my other close
colleagues about my prowess as as student. Nothing for me to gain any
more so I won't be accused of snobbery.

How about success in real life. Just because you are successful in
school does not mean that you'll be successful in the working
environment. Others may have the talent for being successful in their
careers but it should not stop them from aiming for perfection.
Unfortunately, I don't have the vision to achieve higher because I am
not prepared to make the sacrifices to achieve it. Maybe my pursuit of
perfection has failed me.

I may have failed but others should try to achieve perfection as well.
Many will fail, as shown by my example, but a few is bound to succeed.
If nobody tries to be perfect, we will never be progressive enough. At
least people don't destroy each other. They all seek the perfection
competitor instead of their colleagues.

Targeting US15,000 per capita income

http://www.nst.com.my/local/general/psd-to-review-civil-servants-salary-1.20399

This is a good move by the government that even opposition parties
never wanted to make. This is the first concrete news but alas, this
may just be a target, like vision 2020. Instead of getting nearer to a
developed status, Malaysia is going down the drain when states like
the Indonesian Kalimantan has a per capita income of 100% higher than
Sabah, one of the Malaysian state, the 2nd largest state with lots of
resources in timber, oil palm, petroleum and cocoa.

It is not clear how much is the increase. The basic may appear to
increase by RM225 per month, for one particular salary sacale, but
most of the government salary comes from allowances. It is not clear
if these allowances are reduced or even removed completely. After all,
it was just an allowance, that can be taken away at any time.

Why the lack of transparency now? Is this just an election promise of
nothing? When the BN wins the election, their most important backers,
the employers and businessmen will revert to their mantra that NO
SALARY INCREASE WITHOUT ANY INCREASE OF SKILL AND PRODUCTIVITY!!!

The ass-licking economists will also want us to believe that
Kalimantan Indonesians just increase their skill and productivity
overnight by 100% over Sabahans. As long as Malaysian still respect
these idiotic economists and managers, Singapore and Brunei will
continue increasing their bank accounts while Malaysians will continue
to have their bank accounts decreasing.

There are many cases where you just don't trust your intuition and
common senses, but rely more on facts and real examples, such as the
case of Singapore and Brunei, and even historical Malaysia, especially
Sabah. Sabahans, from the richest in the world under the British
colonial masters, to become among the poorest in the world under
Malaysia.

17 December 2011 | Last updated at 12:49PM
PSD to review civil servants' salary
By KOI KYE LEE
PUTRAJAYA
kklee@nst.com.my | 0 comments
Allowances and salary adjustments will be done in stages

A review of civil servants' allowances and salary adjustments is
expected following the Jan 1 implementation of the New Civil Service
Remuneration Scheme (SBPA).

Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Tan Sri Abu Bakar
Abdullah said this was an "ongoing process" to keep the structure
"current with the times".

"However, that is for the future as what we are concentrating on right
now is the SBPA."

He said the study would depend on the government's finances.

He added that the department took the first step -- implementing the
new remuneration scheme -- given the government's favourable state of
finances.

A per capita income of US$15,000 (RM47,550) is expected by 2020 when
Malaysia reaches the status of a developed nation.

"Since the nation is moving on track towards the vision, this is the
master plan of the government for the civil servants with regards to
their income, so that they will be able to live comfortably."

Earlier, Abu Bakar was quoted in an online news portal as saying that
it had been confirmed that the department would be reviewing the
allowances and salary adjustments in stages starting from next year,
following the implementation of the SBPA.

The new system, part of the 2012 Budget, has created four hierarchies
in the civil service: the premier, top management, management and
professional, as well as the implementation groups.

Meanwhile, the government will introduce a new scheme for pharmacology
lecturers in public higher learning institutions under the SBPA next
month.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said under
the Pharmacology Lecturer Service Scheme (DUF), all pharmacology
lecturers would be given a starting salary equivalent to the
University Lecturer Service Scheme (DS).

He said the same criteria to assess university lecturers would be used
for the promotion of pharmacology lecturers right up to First-Level
Special Grade (Gred Khas Turus Satu). "Previously, through the
Malaysian Remuneration System (SSM), there was no special service
scheme for pharmacology lecturers as they are only appointed under the
DS scheme.

For this reason, he said it was difficult for the public higher
learning institutions to conduct assessments for promotions for
pharmacology lecturers based on pharmacist career path under the
Health Ministry, as it involved a different scheme.

Khaled said this in his speech before launching the Potential Centres
of Excellence 2011 and presenting a mock cheque of RM260 million of
the RM200 book voucher to student representatives.

Read more: PSD to review civil servants' salary - General - New
Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/local/general/psd-to-review-civil-servants-salary-1.20399#ixzz1gnJnC7C6

Stealing from the public if you devalue

According to the Nero: Ancients Behaving Badly, Discovery History
program, the Romans would have lynced their emperor if they find him
devaluing their currency by diluting the silver coins. Actually Nero
did devalue the Roman currency by using a core that is only 80% pure
silver. This devaluing of currencies is much easier when paper
currencies are used. Only the strongest economies such as Germany and
Singapore defends their currencies. Brunei, by tying with Singapore,
also enjoy the benefits of a currency that does not devalue. Most
other nations devalue their currencies as a financial planning move,
supported by many economists. I agree with the ancient Romans. It is
just bloody theft of public money if you devalue the national
currency. It has never led to prosperity to the nation. Only miseries
and poverty as shown by Malaysia and Indonesia.