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Sunday, September 28, 2014

Eight Umno Sabah rebels were loners

 
KOTA KINABALU: A pro-Barisan Nasional (BN) NGO has dismissed the meeting between eight Umno Sabah divisional chiefs and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in Putrajaya on July 10 as the work of loners. The eight reportedly proposed a transition plan for the top leadership in the Sabah government.
“It’s their personal view,” said Pakatan NGO pro-BN President Zulkarnain Mahdar.

“It’s not necessarily the view of the members in their divisions and that of BN members in their respective constituencies.”

He believes that, on the other hand, the transition plan proposed could be taken as an indication of the desire to facilitate a smooth transition of leadership “when the time comes”.

“In that case, the views reflect that democracy is being truly practised in Umno and there’s freedom of speech,” he added. “No one can be free of criticism.”

He noted that even Najib has been asked to step down in the wake of criticisms levelled at him by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

“Even Mahathir literally asking Najib to resign is not a view held by the majority in Malaysia,” said Zulkarnain in making a comparison with Sabah.

Zulkarnain did not comment on two of the divisional leaders, Bolkiah Ismail of Kudat and James Ratib of Beluran, denying recently that they had anything to do with the transition plan. They conceded however that they were present during the meeting with Najib.

Jumat Idris of Sepanggar, one of the divisional leaders who met Najib, has explained, “…it’s normal in any organisation to pave the way for a smooth transition”. He denied that he was part of a plot seeking to overthrow Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman.

It’s known that four of the other five divisional leaders are Rubin Balang (Tenom); Ghani Yassin (Pensiangan); Sairin Karno (Keningau); and John Ambrose (Penampang). Except for probably Ghani Yassin, the other three are defectors from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS).

The identity of another divisional leader could not be immediately confirmed.

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Lin shatters Lee’s golden dreams at Asian Games

 
INCHEON: China’s Olympic champion Lin Dan shattered world number one Lee Chong Wei’s dreams of Asian Games gold on Sunday with a 22-20, 12-21, 21-9 in the semi-finals.

The Malaysian’s final Asian Games ended in heartbreak as he pulled back from a game down against his long-time nemesis but faded in the decider.

In the final, defending champion Lin is likely to face China’s world title-holder Chen Long, who takes on Hong Kong’s Wei Nan in the other semi.

But Lee, 31, will be left to ponder the ruins of what was undoubtedly one of his last chances to outclass Lin on one of the sport’s big stages.

The first game already had the hallmarks of a classic as both players punched back fast returns and forced each other to dive for long shots.

Lee started stronger, going into the break 11-5 up, but Lin quickly battled back with smashes and deft net shots, suddenly turning on the power for 13-13.

Lee pulled ahead again with a three-point lead only to be brought back to 20-20 and lose it 22-20 as Lin unleashed cross-court drives which left the Malaysian sprawling.

The second saw Lee pull ahead 11-7 and this time he managed to fend off an attempted Lin comeback with delicately angled net play and a determination to get back every shot, lunging to whatever Lin threw at him to take the game 21-12.

But the Chinese superstar turned the tables in the third, romping to an 8-2 lead which Lee could not close. Both players used everything in their armoury with powerful Lin firing pistol shots that bounced of Lee’s racquet.

Despite some flashes of brilliance from a scampering Lee, who flicked one lightning-fast backhand return from the net which Lin hardly saw, it was not enough and he lost the third by a yawning 12 points.

It was the latest in a string of high-profile Lin victories in badminton’s best rivalry, including in the 2010 Asian Games final in Guangzhou.


- AFP

Azmin must choose to be PR’s MB

 
With Azmin Ali now installed as Selangor’s Menteri Besar, numerous suggestions have been made on what he should do and how he should discharge his responsibilities. We have analysts, commentators and politicians all asking and even directing him to do the “right” things for the state and its people.

When Khalid Ibrahim first became MB, there were similar expectations. The people were generally supportive of him for trying to do the “right” things. He complained in Parliament that BN’s rule of Selangor saw the signing of an irrational water privatisation deal and said he was going to do something about it.

Something unfortunate must have happened after that. The PR leadership was not happy with him and neither were many people in Selangor. Many of the decisions made by Khalid did not seem to make logical sense or be in line with PR’s overarching policies.

Now we have Azmin helming the state. Like previous MBs, he is entrusted to deal with other institutions of government in the state, such as the monarchy, the civil service and the Islamic authority.

Instead of PR leaders making public statements on what he should do, Azmin must be made to articulate and commit to policies and decisions as enunciated by PR. This is a better way to hold him accountable and for him to defend policies and decisions.

It is better for PR leaders to advise him in private. A proper and mandatory mechanism must be established for the MB and the PR leadership to consult to prevent any policy mismatch or disagreement.

Sometimes we are misled by initial euphoria. Azmin is a new broom, PR has a new hope and the people have a fresh aspiration. But how long will this good feeling last?

There is nothing like setting up a proper mechanism to allow the state government and the political parties to consult, provide feedback and monitor major decisions. This should be done as soon as possible.

Ultimately, the government of the day must listen to the parties that control it. Azmin must choose to be PR’s MB, unlike Khalid Ibrahim.


-T K Chua is an FMT reader.

Khalid : Go ahead, investigate me

 
PETALING JAYA: Khalid Ibrahim said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was more than welcome to investigate any agreement he signed during his tenure as Selangor Menteri Besar.

Among those he said MACC could have a go at, were the Selangor water restructuring deal and the Canal City development agreement.

“I welcome all parties, including the MACC to review and investigate all the agreements signed when I was Menteri Besar of Selangor.

“My lawyer will prepare a full statement on this matter,“ Khalid posted on his Facebook page.

This retort from Khalid came in the heels of a new directive from PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim who has instructed Menteri Besar Azmin Ali to expose every company and individual who benefitted from the water deal signed by Khalid while he was Menteri Besar.

Anwar said, “I do not care if people are profiting from it. I do care that it is the people of Selangor who are having to pay for it.”

He added that someone had to answer to the people for having to bear the burden of others earning billions from dubious deals that could very likely raise water tariffs.

Anwar also accused Khalid of not following procedure as the contracts did not go through a proper tender exercise. He lamented over the lack of transparency and expressed his unhappiness that many of these contracts were signed in a hurry by Khalid just before leaving office.

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Rooney scores but sees red in United

 
MANCHESTER: Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney scored but was then sent off as his side beat West Ham United 2-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday to record just their second Premier League victory this season.

Rooney, one day short of celebrating his tenth anniversary with United, took his goal well but was shown a straight red card just before the hour by referee Lee Mason after halting a West Ham counter-attack with a reckless high challenge from behind on Stewart Downing.

The contest was already finely poised as Diafra Sakho had responded to goals by Rooney and Robin van Persie and the fact United were required to negotiate the final half hour with only 10 men simply added to manager Louis van Gaal’s rude introduction to life in English football.

United appeared to have the game well under control with two goals inside the opening quarter of the contest although, given events at Leicester a week earlier where they had squandered a two-goal cushion in losing 5-3, even die-hard supporters will have taken nothing for granted.

The quality of the two United goals was impressive however as, first, Rafael broke goalwards from the halfway line after five minutes, eventually crossing from the right wing for Rooney who steered in a magnificent right-foot finish from around the penalty spot.

It was England striker Rooney’s 176th Premier League goal, leaving him in solitary possession of third place in the division’s all-time scoring charts ahead of Thierry Henry and behind only Alan Shearer and Andy Cole.

At this stage, Rooney, made club captain by Dutch boss van Gaal, certainly seemed inspired by the landmark and the occasion, although United’s goal owed more to poor decision-making from the visitors than anything else.

After 22 minutes, goalkeeper Adrian chased a loose ball to the corner flag and attempted a clearance which only reached team-mate Alex Song midway inside the London club’s half of the field.

Song was quickly dispossessed by Ander Herrera whose pass to Radamel Falcao presented the forward with the choice of feeding the ball through to either Rooney or van Persie.

Falcao opted for the latter, with Dutch striker van Persie eluding Winston Reid before driving the ball beyond the dive of the Hammers’ keeper.

De Gea hands Hammers a goal

But, as has been evident throughout the fledgling Premier League season, United’s defensive problems are not just limited to a long injury list which obliged van Gaal to hand a debut to Northern Ireland teenager Paddy McNair at centre-half.

The home side looked susceptible at the back and unforced individual errors compounded matters.

United were fortunate to survive a penalty appeal in the 36th minute after Falcao appeared to handle before, one minute later, West Ham reduced the arrears.

Downing’s corner drew an unconvincing attempted clearance from United keeper David de Gea, with Enner Valencia given the opportunity to head against the crossbar before the rebound fell kindly for Sakho to nod home from six yards out.

United’s anxiety might have been eased soon after the restart when Falcao’s deflected 18-yard volley was kept out only by an acrobatic dive from Adrian.
However it was Sakho who responded with a far-post volley which was well saved by the unsighted de Gea and the dismissal of Rooney moments later breathed new belief into the visitors.

Sakho, again, threatened as his far-post header landed in the side-netting although clear-cut openings for West Ham were limited in the closing stages, aside from an 88th-minute attack when substitutes Carl Jenkinson and Kevin Nolan combined for an ‘equaliser’ which was ruled out for offside.

- AFP

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Damage to Sabah irreversible

 
KOTA KINABALU: Bingkor Assemblyman Jeffrey Kitingan said Putrajaya was refusing to accept the reality that Sabah lost more than it gained from the Federation of Malaysia and that the damage done was almost irreversible.
Kitingan said Brunei and Singapore were examples for Sabah and Sarawak to move forward.

“It is as though Sabah has never had it so good or any better and that if the state had not joined Malaysia there would be no progress and development, ” said Kitingan, who is also the Star Sabah Chief.

He said these arguments were weak because Sabah was now the second poorest in the Federation, relegating Sarawak to being the poorest.

He also took exception to statements that an independent Sabah would be eaten up by its neighbours or infiltrated by Islamic State (IS) militants bent on taking over the state and creating an Islamic caliphate.

“Putrajaya is in a state of denial. They just refuse to accept the stark reality that Sabah lost more than it gained from the Federation of Malaysia,” he said.

Kitingan said the damage suffered by Sabah and Sabahans was almost irreversible and probably beyond repair.

“The demography has been totally changed with population re-engineering and reverse ethnic-cleansing through Project IC/Mahathir.

“We have lost our political franchise to the illegals on the electoral rolls.

“Is it any wonder that the MNLF and Abu Sayyaf in the southern Philippines are supporting IS militants when our own Prime Minister has called for Umno members to follow the example of the IS militants?” he asked.

Kitingan said the security nightmare in Sabah was a monster created by the Federal government’s covert operations in southern Philippines to train and arm Muslim insurgents, including the MNLF and Abu Sayyaf.

He said all this would be evident if the Royal Commission of Inquiry report was released.

He added that the Federal government could not be trusted with the security of Sabah.

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A grave situation indeed for PAS

 
TUMPAT: Results for the Pengkalan Kubor by-election reveal that PAS has lost a sizeable number of its Kelantan supporters to Barisan Nasional (BN), specifically to Umno.

The voter turnout was lower than in last year’s general election, but Umno came away with a bigger majority. Its majority percentage was 15.2% yesterday compared with 9.1% in GE13.

When it comes to a by-election, the usual reason given for a low voter turnout is that registered voters living out of state often do not return to cast their ballots. However, the ripple effects of the recent Selangor MB crisis probably contributed to the significant blow to PAS.

PAS said today it had expected to lose in the by-election when it became clear that the turnout percentage had dropped.

The electoral roll for GE13 showed that there were 24,140 registered voters in Pengkalan Kubor, but the roll for the by-election showed 24,039 voters. The number who cast their ballots was 19,021 in GE13 as opposed to 17,558 voters in the by-election.

There was a reduction in the number of spoilt votes – from 344 in GE13 to 233 yesterday.

Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who directed PAS’ operations for the by-election, noted that the turnout was 72.8% yesterday, whereas it was 78.8% in the general election.

“As we expected, it had an effect on the by-election,” Bernama quoted him as saying. “We accept the loss with an open heart.”

He said one reason for the lower turnout was that polling was held on a working day, ensuring that some voters working in faraway towns could not return to vote.

“We congratulate the BN candidate and hope he will carry out his responsibilities well,” said Tuan Ibrahim.

PAS candidate Wan Rosdi Wan Ibrahim received 7,326 votes and Umno’s Mat Razi Mat Ail received 9,961.

Independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary lost his deposit but said he was not disappointed. He only obtained 38 votes.

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Investigate Mahathir and

 
PKR’s Sungai Petani MP, Johari Abdul, is challenging the Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate complaints made against the former Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that they have committed sedition.

Citing Keadilan Daily, Johari said that no individual is above the law, regardless of their rank or status.

“No matter who they are, whether the former Prime Minister or even the Prime Minister, the investigation should be done on a consistent basis and all decisions should be determined by the courts,” he said.

Yesterday DAP MP, Lim Lip Eng lodged two police reports at the Sentul district police headquarters, that both leaders have been seditious.

The report was in relation to Mahathir’s claims against DAP’s Lim Kit Siang during the general election last year.

Lim also claimed that Najib had made seditious statements during the Umno General Assembly in 2010.

A police report was made because of the pledge by Home Minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that the police will investigate any cases of sedition within 24 hours of it being reported, to assure the public of equal treatment by the police.

Johari said that the ministry should now be responsible and act quickly, and transparently.

He added that the investigation against Mahathir and Najib should be done if the allegations prove true, and breaches the law.

“If no investigation is done, then this clearly shows that the government is guilty of ‘double standards’,” he said.

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Thursday, September 25, 2014

The iPhone 6 Plus Really Does Have A Bending Problem

 
On Tuesday the iPhone 6 Plus was forced to confront a question near the hearts of many new owners: will it bend?
In a word: Yes.

After photos of slightly bent iPhones began cropping up on social media, the folks at Unbox Therapy took to YouTube to decide once and for all if the iPhone 6 Plus really has a bending problem.

The video shows a man take out his iPhone 6 Plus, which he apparently purchased last Friday, and try to break it in half.

At one point the iPhone looked like it would snap in half, but after exerting ample force on the phone the tester was able to do no more than bend the aluminum shell.

Still, it’s unclear how or why iPhones are bending in people’s pockets. It looks like you need to apply a lot of force. Other tech journalists have said iPhone 6 Plus users should wear looser jeans, but you can chalk this up as a victory for the smaller, more practical 4.7-inch iPhone 6.

-technostorm

Guan Eng sues NST over reports on PPS

 
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is suing the New Straits Times (NST) over its reports on the controversial Penang voluntary patrol unit (PPS) issue published early this month

The Penang lawmaker said he had already issued a legal notice and given them ample time to comply to his demands to publish a front-page apology, but the English daily had failed to do so.

“They failed to retract or apologise for publishing defamatory statements against the Penang state government, so I am proceeding with this legal suit against them,” he announced in a press conference at his office today.

He was referring to a report published on September 7 entitled “Zahid urges Penangites to reject patrol unit” where it reported that “Lim, at a function in Butterworth yesterday, denied that his administration spent RM1.5 million on PPS. It’s impossible for the state government to fork out such a big sum of money when Penang’s reserves stand at about RM1.5million”.

Lim, in his notice of demand issued to NST, said he had denied the state government spent RM1.5 billion on PPS and that the state’s reserve fund was RM1.2 billion and not the RM1.5 million reported.

He claimed the Barisan Nasional-owned newspaper published the article along with another article on September 8 titled “Guan Eng riled up over small matter” with the intention to project him in a negative light.

In his notice, he said the articles implied that he, in his capacity as chief minister, had sanctioned the utilisation of the state’s entire reserve for the benefit of PPS and that he had abused his position to channel state funds to PPS.

He added that despite the state government issuing a press statement on September 8 where it disclosed the actual amount spent on PPS for 2011 to 2013, NST refused to publish the actual amount the state spent on PPS and also refused to retract its article or apologise

He is demanding a front page apology from NST and a clarification on the actual amount of the state reserve fund.

-themalaymail

Only Utusan has total freedom, says Marina Mahathir

 
Activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir today took a dig at Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia, saying that the daily enjoys absolute freedom unlike other newspapers which do not have such a privilege.

"Utusan has the freedom to stir up things," said the eldest daughter of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in her speech at the International Malaysia Law Conference in Kuala Lumpur.

She was speaking at a session titled “Freedom from Fear – Is it a Basic Human Right?” when she made the reference to Utusan Malaysia, which had been slapped with numerous suits for its reports.

Marina said this in response to a question by moderator, former Bar Council chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, who asked panel members whether the Sedition Act 1948 must be repealed.

Many, including opposition members, have asked why the newspaper was not prosecuted for carrying inflammatory articles that touched on race and religion.

Marina said Putrajaya was wrong in using the law on the pretext of stopping chaos from happening.

"Are they talking about a pre-emptive strike, and did it work?" she said.
She said she had complete faith in the public who would not react when provoked.

"Some people wanted to burn churches, but Malaysians did not buckle," she said, adding the event could have been manufactured to create fear.

She said it was Putrajaya who was in fear, and not the people, in using the law to stifle freedom of speech and expression.

"Young people are not scared and the law will not deter them."

She also said Malay rights group Perkasa enjoyed special treatment and obtained space to have its views heard on the media compared to others.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan, who was in the panel, said the law was there to preserve peace and harmony in a multi-racial society.

"Some are insecure while others are aggressive. How do you maintain harmony?" he said.

Low said Putrajaya was not trying to instil fear or prevent the people from being critical of the establishment but only to stop remarks that incited violence and hatred.

But, he told the audience that there should not be political interference when the Attorney-General (A-G) decides to charge someone with sedition.
"The A-G must be free to decide and for the court to mete out appropriate punishment."

Centre for Better Tomorrow co-president Gan Peng Sieu said there must some form of amnesty from prosecution under the law until a replacement was introduced.

"However, provisions in the Penal Code can be used against anyone for causing disharmony and unrest."

He said there was no point for anyone to "to dig old wounds as the country need to move forward".

Lawyer Tommy Thomas said the sedition law was introduced by the British without much debate, and intended to protect a select few, including the Malay Rulers.

"The law is now being used because Umno is paranoid," he said in reference to Seri Delima assemblyman R. S. N. Rayer who was charged for uttering "celaka Umno".

He said no political parties were protected under the law.
The Malaysian Insider editor and chief executive officer Jahabar Sadiq said the current climate of investigation and prosecution under the law had not jolted journalists.

"I wonder why the prime minister who won the general election, and who is in a comfortable position, is taking this path." –TMI

Hadi has handed list of PAS’s exco choices to Azmin

 
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has given the names of the party’s choice for state executive councillors to Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamad Azmin Ali.

Secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali said the selection of the exco members was done by Hadi.

"The party president handed the list of names to Azmin last night," Mustafa was quoted as saying by Harakahdaily.

According to the Islamist party’s news portal, Mustafa declined to reveal the total number of candidates involved or their names.

However, he told Harakahdaily that he was confident there would be no major changes.

"I do not have an issue if the four previous exco members are retained," he said.

Mustafa's comments have strengthened speculation that the four PAS exco members, labelled as "traitors" to Pakatan Rakyat by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, would be retained.

The four are Iskandar Abdul Samad, Dr Halimah Ali, Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi dan Sallehen Mukhyi. –TMI

Barisan winning Pengkalan Kubor

 
Barisan Nasional (BN) is expected to win the Pengkalan Kubor by-election, as the unofficial results indicate that the ruling coalition's candidate, Mat Razi Mat Ail, has managed to reclaim the state assembly seat.

Cheers could be heard from within the sealed-off BN command centre in Pengkalan Kubor as workers tallied the unofficial results, while Umno members were seen congratulating one another.

"We are leading," one member said when approached by The Malaysian Insider.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin‎ and Umno Information Chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan could also be seen in the area.

Voting at the 11 polling centres ‎ended today at 5pm, with the unofficial voter turnout pegged at 73%. There are 24,097 voters in Pengkalan Kubor.

Mat Razi is up against PAS's Wan Rosdi Wan Ibrahim and independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary.

According to BN's unofficial results, PAS has garnered 7,326 votes while BN won 9,961. Izat Bukhary managed only 41 votes.

But, no announcement was made by any of the BN leaders, who are expected to wait until the official results are out at 9pm before making any statements.

At the BN command centre, members were in a celebratory mood as Muhyiddin, Ahmad, and Kelantan BN chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed sliced a cake before the crowd.

"Tonight, we are celebrating two things," said an announcer, as the crowd gathered around the BN leaders.

"God willing, Mat Razi Mat Ail will be made a YB (Yang Berhormat). And, secondly, the top Umno leader in Kelantan, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, celebrates his 64th birthday."

Later, the crowd jostled to take photographs with Mat Razi, who could be seen beaming before disappearing into the BN vote-tallying room.
He later left with the Muhyiddin, Maslan and Mustapa for the vote tallying centre at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato' Biji Wangsa.

-TMI

Clarity is the real issue in Borneo

 
The most telling take so far from Borneo on Malaysia has come from Jeffrey Kitingan.

In pointing out the obvious that Putrajaya has presided over the degeneration of the Federation into a unitary state, Jeffrey is taking the dismissive view that “Malaysia has become a meaningless partnership for Borneo.” This is like looking at a person and saying, “Tiada guna punya orang” (Useless fellow). We know that. We need to move forward.

Instead of continuing to beat around the bush on the issue of their unhappiness with the peninsular, rights activists in Borneo should make the following two points in confronting Putrajaya:

Malaysia in Borneo is the unfinished chapter of the British Empire in this region; and

There must be self-determination in Borneo now that British intentions are irrelevant.

On Sept 16 1963, the Malayan and British governments dragged North Borneo and Sarawak into the Malayan Federation, renamed the Malaysian Federation, to facilitate the merger of Chinese-majority Singapore with the multiracial peninsular.

The British intention, hatched after World War II, was to shed its defence burden in Borneo and Singapore by transferring it to the Malayan government and to bring British commercial interests and empire in Borneo, Singapore and the peninsular under one administrative framework presided over by the Malayan government, renamed the Malaysian government. The rest is even more history and not very relevant in moving forward.

Still, it’s okay to discuss history for academic purposes. But the real issue in Borneo is the lack of clarity.

The more Sabahans and Sarawakians articulate the issues, the more confused Putrajaya becomes and, in response, it can only pledge more funds to step up the development agenda even as it issues all manner of dire threats against the so-called secessionists in Borneo.

Putrajaya belabours under the delusion that stripping Borneo of the right to free speech would help sweep the problem under the carpet.

Whose money is it anyway?

Looking at Singapore and Brunei, there’s no way that Putrajaya can develop Sabah and Sarawak. Besides, they have lost the last 50 years. Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman threw in the development bait in 1963 and denied any intention of colonising Borneo after the British left.

We can better drive the development agenda if they don’t take our money.
People’s Petition

But we distract too much on the issue of Malaysia.

As the former Sabah State Secretary Simon Sipaun had articulated in recalling that life in Sabah was better before 1963, man does not live by bread alone.

We need to focus for starters on the British intentions behind Malaysia. That’s relevant in moving forward.

Also relevant, and also a great mystery given the British intentions behind Malaysia, was why the former colonial power did not allow for full autonomy for North Borneo and Sarawak in Malaysia. The Federal government should have confined itself to defence, foreign affairs and national economic planning with reference to the common market. It’s important to keep this in mind in moving forward.

There’s a second People’s Petition before the United Nations on self-determination. It takes off from the People’s Petition of 1962, which was derailed by the Brunei Rebellion in that year.

Putrajaya meanwhile could have a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Malaysia in Borneo. Various issues could be explored: the definition of “Federation” in Article 160 of the Federal Constitution, the argument that North Borneo and Sarawak were supposed to be equal partners with the peninsular and not the Federation’s 12th and 13th states, the Malaysia Agreement 1963, the 20/18 Points, and Batu Sumpah, among others.

The RCI can come up with the necessary recommendations and options given the various scenarios: Constitutional Reform Commission, decolonisation either because Malaysia was not set up properly or because of internal colonisation, and self-determination which may take the form of full autonomy or independence through decolonisation.

Full autonomy may be a case of too little too late.

Borneo is too far away from the peninsular, its history is different and the people are very different.

To choose the option of Borneo continuing to stay in Malaysia is to risk the continuing influx of illegal immigrants as Putrajaya continues to look the other way, the continuing loss of political franchise and the polarisation in the peninsular stalking Borneo as the Federal government uses the courts to rewrite the Federal Constitution to indulge in creeping desecularisation and creeping Islamisation.


Joe Fernandez is a longtime Borneo watcher

-FMT

PAS must go beyond eloquence

 
PAS leaders are good at giving eloquent speeches. On Tuesday night, we heard plenty of those at a campaign rally in Pengkalan Kubor. We heard Umno being condemned as un-Islamic because of its love for material wealth, among other things.

When something is un-Islamic, it is probably bad. I think most can agree with that. We can also probably agree that anything un-Christian, un-Hindu and un-Buddhist is bad too.

But can PAS tell us what exactly is Islamic and how much of it is being internalised and practised by its leaders, members and followers? In what significant ways has PAS shown it is a political party with a difference in terms of principle, governance, morality beyond forms, treatment of minorities and care for the environment?

Amassing wealth is of course bad when it is done abusively and in corrupt ways. But what about people who accumulate wealth ethically and then give away the bulk of what they make?

It’s easy to criticise Umno and BN for the way they amass wealth. But I think PAS and all other political parties must do more than condemn from now on. They must show their own tenacity to adhere to morality, principle and comradeship.

Seriously, I yearn to see what difference it would make if our country were to be governed according to Islamic principles. So I have looked to Kelantan and, for a short while, Kedah.

PAS’ rule in Kedah was too brief to allow me to pass a judgement. But what about Kelantan? What has Kelantan got to show morally, spiritually, behaviourally, economically, environmentally and administratively? In what significant ways has it been different from the rest of Malaysia?

Prayer is important to most religions. Pray not just for others to be good and God fearing. Pray for ourselves first and foremost. Pray that we are acutely aware of our own shortcomings and sins. Pray that God will change our hearts – to be less selfish, less abusive, less corrupt and less evil while here on this earth.

For a long time now, Umno and BN have found it difficult to condemn corruption and abuse of power because it may sound ironic and self-incriminating. I think the same standard must now be applied to PR parties, particularly PAS.

Before PAS talks about the sins of others, it must look at itself. It must make an assessment of itself before it brings up immorality, lack of integrity, treachery, selfishness, politicking, incompetence and poor governance.

T K Chua is an FMT reader

-FMT

Sex blogger in US to escape “tyranny of Umno”

 
PETALING JAYA: Infamous sex blogger Alvin Tan claims he has taken off to the US to escape criminal charges under Malaysia’s Sedition Act and Film Censorship Act.

According to a news report on CNA, Tan blamed the “tyranny of Umno” as the main reason he has fled to begin a new life in the US.

Claiming “political persecution” from Malaysian authorities, Tan said he was awaiting his final asylum hearing in the US, and if that failed, he intended to publish even more seditious material online to “taunt” the authorities back home.

He reasoned this would get the authorities “hot” on his pursuit once again, “therefore creating an even more well-founded fear of political persecution to bolster my asylum claim.”

Tan, 26, and his partner Vivian May Ling, 25, who called themselves Alvivi, were jointly accused of posting seditious material on their Facebook page where both were photographed tucking into a well-known but non-halal dish called bak kut teh, made with pork, with a caption wishing Muslims “Selamat Berbuka Puasa”.

Earlier the pair gained notoriety by posting sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves and their genitals on a blog.

Interpol has been reportedly on the lookout for Alvin Tan since late August this year in efforts to get him back to the country to face the criminal charges levelled against him.

Tan was a former National University of Singapore scholarship holder, who has since been expelled from the university and stripped of his scholarship while Lee has been disowned by her family.
The couple has reportedly also split up.

-FMT

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Samsung has a bigger problem than Apple

 
With Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL - News)'s iPhone release, pundits have been debating the impact of the new iPhone on Samsung's fortunes. It's an understandable debate as Samsung is the largest and most capable competitor to Apple in terms of capturing market share. But Samsung has a bigger problem that is not easily overcome.

You might be surprised to learn that Google is a significant problem for Samsung given that Samsung uses the Android operating system in its smart phones.

But here's the problem for Samsung: Google regularly undercuts Samsung's offerings by selling unlocked devices (without so-called bloatware) often directly to consumers. They just did it again and released the Nexus X - it must be driving Samsung crazy.

While Samsung attempts to layer on their own operating-system cosmetics through a system called TouchWiz, it's essentially Android. If the Galaxy S5 sells for $700 and a similar product is released by Google for $500 direct to consumers, where is the long-term experience differentiation for Samsung? Hardware certainly can provide a difference as indicated by the larger Note phone, but the core operating system is what you are experiencing on a regular basis as you utilize the device. So, from an operating system perspective, the devices are essentially similar. Except Google's device cost $200 less and you are not on a contract with the particular wireless provider.

Competitive moats are important for businesses if they wish to maintain margins. A moat is a differentiation that is not easily replicated that allows a company to charge higher prices and maintain market share.

Apple is a perfect example of a moat company and they use their differentiation to charge higher margins on their products. Samsung is desperately trying to increase the width of the remote but Google isn't making their life any easier as they seek to differentiate into their brand.

This is exactly why Samsung is attempting to develop their own operating system called Tizen that will supposedly be released as a competitive operating system to Android and iOS. Unfortunately for Samsung, Tizen continues to be delayed and all indications are that the operating system is not ready for prime time. This is understandable given the challenges that companies face in launching new operating systems. It is not easy creating a new ecosystem.

Remember Symbian? How about BlackBerry (Toronto Stock Exchange: BB-CA)? Both of these operating systems struggled in part because of a lack of significant applications available in their respective app stores. The Windows operating system is finally gaining momentum in terms of apps but at one point did not even include Skype which is owned by Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - News)! You can see the problem.

So, as Samsung struggles to develop their own operating system, they flood the market with new products. Half a dozen watches, two versions of the Samsung Note, two versions of the Galaxy S5, Samsung Alpha, Samsung Galaxy Mini, etc. etc. Throwing hardware to capture market share is a costly strategy but Samsung is forced to do their best to innovate on hardware because they have no operating system differentiation. It's a difficult position to be in when you are chasing a strong competitor in Apple and forced to utilize the same core operating system as a competitor who consistently undercuts you on hardware price (Google).

-cnbc

Rosmah gets Hero award for her contributions to Permata

 
NEW YORK: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor added another feather to her cap for a subject close to her heart when she received an award for her contributions to early childhood education and development in Malaysia.

After only a few years since its establishment, the Permata programme she spearheads is already getting the recognition it deserves from other countries.

The Prime Minister’s wife received the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Hero Award during the launch of the Global STEM Alliance at the United Nations headquarters here on Monday.

Rosmah, who was accompanied by some of the Permata students on the two-week educational visit here, credited everyone involved in Permata.

“It is unexpected really,” she said. “It is an award not just for me, but for everyone involved,” she told the media here.

“This is a step towards Malaysia producing great scientists and perhaps, future Nobel laureates.”

The Hero award was presented by the Chancellor of State University of New York Dr Nancy Zimpher and witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and their daughter Nooryana Najwa.

Asked if her husband had anything to say of her receiving the award, Rosmah smiled and disclosed: “Congratulations, I am proud of you.”

The Global STEM Alliance is designed to connect students through a collaborative digital platform and social learning network.

-Thestar

Anwar to be probed for seditious remarks during 2011 rally

 
PETALING JAYA: De facto Pakatan Rakyat leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is the latest among a growing number politicians and activists who are hauled up for alleged sedition.

In a short statement released by PKR, it was learned that Anwar will be questioned at the party's headquarters by officers from the Ampang Police District Headquarters (IPD Ampang) on September 26 at 3pm.

He is being probed under Section 4 of the Sedition Act for remarks made in a speech during a political rally in Gombak in 2011.

Anwar's lawyer PKR vice-president and Padang Serai MP N. Surendran, who himself is facing two Sedition charges, will be accompanying Anwar during the questioning.

-thesundaily

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Is democracy dead in messy ol’ Selangor?

 
More than four months (nine, if you want to be exact) now, and the Selangor MB crisis has finally settled… But settled with a lot of baggage and breakage, too.

If you’ve been following the news, you’d know that the whole Selangor MB crisis has left the state in yet another hot mess. Here’s lowdown #1 to give you a background story, and lowdown #2 to bring you up to speed:

His Royal Highness Sultan of Selangor was given three names – Wan Azizah of PKR and Iskandar Samad and Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi of PAS. After a few days of suspense, the palace announced their shortlisted candidates, swapping Wan Azizah for Azmin Ali and surprising everyone while at it. Yesterday, Azmin Ali was announced the chosen candidate MB to take over Khalid Ibrahim’s position.

In our first point, we said that the crisis is settled but not with problems. Arguably handled in a less-than-mature way, the crisis has revealed so much weakness in the young coalition, where leaders and their supporters fight against each other in public like children kicking and punching in stark nakedness, oblivious to just how ridiculous they seem. With the party in its volatile state today, it begs the question - how the heck did we get into this mess??

There were too many plot twists…

Think your TVB and telenovelas were dramatic? No evil mother-in-law or jealous ex-lover could fight this. Where movies and soap operas usually introduce one or two plot-thickening conflicts before reaching the climax, falling action and the end, this crisis saw waaay too many twists which snowballed in complexity and fragility:

1. PR first sacked Khalid in July 2014 because they weren’t happy with the way he ran the state. There were many, many, many things involved, including Khalid’s alleged financial aid from the federal gomen and his no-shows at meetings.

2. PR were so mad they even wrote a 40-pg report complaining about his conducts. The report, more like a listicle, had 6 points against Khalid. It includes the RM66.7 million debt settlement with Bank Islam, endorsement of Kidex highway and signing of MoUs between the state and fed. gomen.

3. Khalid spoke to the Sultan about the matter, who then overruled PR’s actions and reinstated his powers to govern the state.

4. In Khalid’s next move, he fired 5 exco members on the account that they were uncooperative. Having signed a letter to form a block aimed at reducing the effectiveness of the state government administration, Khalid sought the Sultan’s consent to terminate the service of the exco members.

5. Anwar then wrote in to see the Sultan, but HRH declined.

6. In the meantime, Wan Azizah gathered supported from the majority. 30 PKR and DAP exco members stood on her side, supporting her in taking Khalid’s place.

6. Khalid, who initially didn’t want to let go of the position, finally decided to step down. The palace then asked PR to submit names of candidates for the next position, and the names were: Wan Azizah (from PKR and DAP) as well as Iskandar Samad and Dr Ahmad Yusuf Hairi (from PAS).

7. After that, the palace issued a statement calling PKR and DAP ‘derhaka’ for providing only one name when they requested for two.

9. The palace then announced their three candidates for the MB position. Instead of seeing Wan Azizah’s name in the list, they saw Azmin Ali’s name instead. (And mind you, although in the same party, sources tell us that the both of them have are of different camps, always against each other.)

10. Pro-Azizah supporters were aghast with the palace’s decision, calling democracy being dead in Selangor and that there was no better candidate than Azizah.

Azmin at his swearing-in ceremony today. Photo from themalaysiantimes.com.my

11. After long last, the new MB was finally revealed. Azmin Ali got sworn in as the new Selangor MB this morning!

Wah lau… Korean drama also cannot fight right? Well, now that you know the backstory, there are other questions to ponder over.

If Wan Azizah had the majority, why isn’t she on the Sultan’s shortlist?

She tried so hard and go so far, but in the end it didn’t even matter. Photo from beliabangkit.blogspot.com

That’s the first question we asked. She’s got the support of the party (except PAS, who has publicly declared their stand against Anwar and his wife) so she’s automatically a front runner. But news outlets have noted that the palace sees her as a puppet for Anwar, not exactly MB-material. Besides, both Anwar and his wife have been given subtle hints by the palace that they’re not favoured.

Like how Anwar/Wan Azizah’s attempts to have an audience with the sultan was turned down.

Like how PKR got called ‘derhaka’ for sending in one name instead of what was requested. PUBLICLY.

Like how all three candidates have had an audience with the Sultan, except Wan Azizah… Ouch, you guys.

And guys, at this point, it’s no longer #teamAzizah (or #teamAnwar?) or #teamKhalid – it’s #teamAzizah and #teamSultan… And it’s a line best treaded with care.

Does it mean that democracy is dead, tho?

While sites roared about the death of democracy, local observer and friend to CILISOS, Jon Freeman reminded us that we’re run by a constitutional monarchy. That, on its own, is very different from democracy. The palace has privileges and rights of their own, albeit reduced since Mahathir’s time. So even if politicians suggest names, or rather a name, it doesn’t mean that the Sultan would be forced to accept it.

Yes, we do practice parliamentary democracy, hence why Wan Azizah was PKR’s solo nominee for the post. But at the same time, under a constitutional monarchy, the sultan has the power to decide if the MB is fit for the position. PKR and DAP may submit only one name, and the name which they have utmost confidence in, but it really means squat if said name is not in the palace’s good books.

So who’s this Azmin Ali guy and what’s in store for him?

That’s Azmin, if you needed a clearer pic from the one above. Photo from says.com

What you need to know about Azmin in a few points:

1. Deputy President of PKR so he’s right below Wan Azizah in the party’s organisation chart.

2. Full-on political guy, nothing like Khalid Ibrahim who came from a corporate background.

3. A strong critic against Khalid’s administration, calling it ‘weak’ and ‘inefficient’.

4. Has a celeb brother by the name of Azwan Ali. This was circulated around Fesbuk yesterday, probably in an attempt to poke fun at Azmin:

Azwan Ali, the creative one.

5. He’s not against non-Muslims using the word ‘Allah’.
6. A super dodgy video of a guy who looked like Azmin and a girl getting in on in a toilet was circulated in 2012. He rebuked it, while his party said that it was an attempt to frame him.

7. He’s got a huuuuge load to carry. Seriously, he does.

In an open letter by The Malaysian Insider, Azmin was reminded that after nine turbulent months, and even during Pakatan’s second term as the state gomen, he’d have to step up and show that Sultan has chosen well. The letter stated that there is no honeymoon period and that he had to do well from Day 1, regardless if he thinks it’s fair or not.

He also needs to remember this is PR’s one last shot “to show Malaysians that it has the ideas and policies to run not just the wealthiest state in Malaysia, but the country also”. With a whopping RM3 billion fund in the state’s coffer, he is also reminded that the money belonged to the rakyat, not PR. Read more here.

If you were Azmin, you’d be gutted to read all that too. The position is a strongly coveted one, and one that will need much support from the people, the federal government and the party (which very clearly didn’t want him as MB from Day 1) in order to effectively run the country’s wealthiest state.

-cilisos  / yahoo news

The iPhone 6 Display Is Amazing, But Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 Is Still Better

 
One of the first things you’ll notice about the iPhone 6 is its display — not only is it much larger than that of the iPhone 5s (4.7 inches vs. 4 inches), but it’s also significantly sharper.

Dr. Raymond Soneira of DisplayMate conducted a test to see just how much Apple has improved its smartphone display since the iPhone 5 was released in 2012. According to Soneira’s iPhone 6 Display Technology Shootout, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have the best LCD displays of any smartphone on the market.

The iPhone 6 Plus is the second smartphone ever to score all green, which falls in the “very good” to “excellent” ratings, in most test measurement categories since DisplayMate started its testing in 2006.

These categories include display resolution, display sharpness at typical viewing distances, pixels per inch, and color depth, among

The Galaxy Note 4

While Soneira noted that the iPhone 6′s display is still very good and consumers will be happy with it, he did say that text and re-scaled images looked better on the iPhone 6 Plus.

The iPhone 6 features a 1334 x 750 resolution display compared to the iPhone 6 Plus’ 1920 x 1080 resolution screen. That’s 326 pixels per inch on the iPhone 6′s display versus 401 pixels per inch on the iPhone 6 Plus.

Soneira praised the iPhone 6′s display after his testing, but it wasn’t enough to steal the title of “Best Overall Smartphone Display” from Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4.

The Note 4 uses a different type of display than Apple’s new iPhones — Samsung’s handset features an OLED screen while Apple’s uses LCD. The Note 4′s 5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 screen is also a bit larger than the iPhone 6 Plus and has a higher resolution.

Soneira says the Galaxy Note 4 matches or breaks records in smartphone display performance in categories such as highest absolute color accuracy, highest screen resolution, and highest peak brightness, among other areas. Although Apple’s new smartphones come with the best displays of their kind, Soneira believes the Galaxy Note 4′s display is generally better.

-technostorm

Pakatan’s strength does not rely on Azmin?

 
Mohamed Azmin Ali’s appointment as the Selangor menteri besar (MB) today does not guarantee that conflict in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will end, said Datuk Husam Musa.

The PAS vice-president said PR’s true strength lay not in individuals, but in fighting Barisan Nasional’s (BN) continued culture of corruption and cronyism.

“PR does not depend on anyone (whether) Azmin or Datin Seri (Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail). It depends on PR’s agenda.

“As long as BN practises nepotism, cronyism and corruption, and lacks good governance, PR will continue to be strong. Azmin or Datin Seri are not major problems,” he told reporters at the PKR Ketil headquarters in Pengkalan Kubor, last night.

Yesterday, the Selangor palace named Azmin, who is PKR deputy president and Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman, as the new Selangor MB.

He took the oath of office before the Sultan of Selangor at the Istana Alam Shah, Klang, earlier today.

Husam last night also played down the friction between the clerics and the professionals in PAS, saying that it was normal and the party was still looking for a balance.

“In PAS, I don’t call it a struggle. It’s positive and negative atoms trying to strike a balance.

“Even the earth experiences quakes before it rights itself. We have always had earthquakes. It will never stop,” he said.

Asked to comment on president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s closing speech at the PAS muktamar, Husam said it showed that the party was firm and had its own direction.

“I was happy to see him firm as his firmness is important to show PAS is a party with its own stance.”

Meanwhile, in his ceramah in Pengkalan Kubor last night, Husam challenged either Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin or Umno Kelantan liaison chief Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamad to a debate over the oil royalty issue.

He said such a debate would help locals understand why Kelantan had a right to demand the royalty from Petronas.

“I would like to debate with the DPM (Muhyiddin) tomorrow or the day after. Tok Pa can also debate with me. I am waiting.

“We can hold the debate anywhere. We can even hold it in a BN area, I will go there. If they are afraid many people will cheer, we can do it at a live studio tomorrow night,” he told 200 villagers last night.

The Salor assemblyman also slammed Muhyiddin’s statement that PAS should form a special committee to study Petronas’s accounts.

He said PAS had no power to do that as it was the responsibility of the auditor-general, who acted on the orders of the federal government.
“Section 5(d) of the Audit Act 1957 states that the auditor-general can audit the accounts of the government, statutory bodies and companies formed by the government.

“Petronas is registered under the Companies Act 1965 but the federal government owns 100% of its shares. Hence, the auditor-general can examine Petronas’ accounts whenever he wishes.

“I would like to tell Muhyiddin, you are a deputy prime minister with the authority to write a letter to the auditor-general. It’s not that difficult. It can be debated in parliament,” he said. – TMI

Nicol bags Asian Games squash gold

 
INCHEON: South Korea: Malaysia’s world number one Nicol David fought back from a game down to overcome compatriot Low Wee Wern and take the Asian Games women’s squash gold on Tuesday.

David eventually outclassed her young opponent 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 12-10, but had to work to defend her Asian Games title after losing the first game.
David, 31, now has three Asian Games singles golds to add to her seven World Open titles.

Low, facing her idol in a major final for the first time, was far from overawed and put in a spirited performance with some flashes of brilliance.
David’s experience shone through as she fought back from game ball down in the fourth set to claim the gold. - AFP

Parliaments for Sabah, Sarawak

 
KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu MP Jimmy Wong Sze Phin has called on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, in the wake of a Referendum in Scotland, to emulate his British counterpart David Cameron in handling differences in a civilised and democratic way.

There was no resort in Britain, as in Malaysia, to archaic laws like the Sedition Act to stamp out dissent.

“Scotland should be taken as an example to honour the federal system for Sabah and Sarawak,” said Wong who is also the DAP Sabah chairman in a statement. “Let’s debate federalism in Malaysia and the future of Sabah and Sarawak during the coming parliament session.”

The lessons for Najib and Malaysia in the wake of the no vote in Scotland, he noted, was devolution; the democratic process of Referendum; and restructuring of the system.

“Although the ‘No’ votes won the Referendum, the deeply divided electorate showed that the current Westminster system had failed to comprehend the needs of Scotland,” said Wong. “This is the same as in Sabah and Sarawak.”
“Many observers and experts have said that the UK institutions and system will no longer be the same in the future.”

He pointed out that Cameron had to make concessions and promise greater decentralisation and devolution of powers to stave off the “Yes” votes during the Referendum and keep Scotland within the United Kingdom.

As with Sabah and Sarawak, the Scots felt that Westminster was very centralised while equal partners like Scotland and Wales had very little power. Hence, the separatist movement and fight for independence in Scotland.

“Najib needs to listen to the people of Sabah and Sarawak,” said Wong. “Sabahans and Sarawakians certainly feel unhappy over injustices, imbalances in the distribution of wealth and development.”

He urged that just like the Scottish Parliament since 1998, the Sabah and Sarawak Assemblies should be upgraded to become Parliaments for the region and both nations recognised as equal partners in the federation.

The two Borneo nations, as outlined in the opposition manifesto, should also be given more powers to decide on taxation, welfare, education, health and other matters as outlined in the 20 Points (Sabah)/18 Points (Sarawak) and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and all constitutional documents on the formation of Malaysia, he added.

-fmt

Hadi supports MB Azmin as new MB

 
KUALA TERENGGANU: PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has conveyed his congratulations to Azmin Ali on his appointment as the new Menteri Besar (MB) of Selangor today.

He said he hoped that the Bukit Antarabangsa state assemblyman would discharge his duties well in keeping with the confidence placed in him by the Sultan of Selangor.

“Congratulations to Azmin who has been appointed the MB of Selangor. The political crisis in Selangor has been resolved amicably,” he told reporters when approached after the meeting of the Terengganu state legislative assembly here.

Abdul Hadi said PAS would remain in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact, which also includes PKR and DAP, and that the party was not disappointed with the rejection of its nominees for the post of MB as PAS did not desire the post in the first place.

Asked about the majority of the PR assemblymen who had wanted PKR president Datuk Seri Dr.Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to be the MB, he said the Sultan’s decision took precedence in the matter.

Azmin, 50, was sworn in as the 15th MB of Selangor before the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, at the Istana Alam Shah in Klang today.

He succeeds Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim who had held the post since 2008. - Bernama

New Selangor Exco line-up on Friday

 
KLANG: Newly appointed Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali said the new line-up of the state executive councillors (Exco) will be announced on Friday.

Speaking to reporters after the swearing-in ceremony at the Alam Shah Palace, the Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman said the matter would be discussed in the next two days.

When asked whether the former state Exco members would be included, he said he needs to seek consultation with Pakatan Rakyat first.

This also includes the possibility of appointing PKR president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also the Kajang assemblywoman, as one of the Exco members.

“It all depends on the outcome of our discussion,” he said.

-fmt

Monday, September 22, 2014

M'sian man, 36, dies after taking recently banned 'sex performance' coffee

 
It was his favourite "traditional" coffee and he insisted on drinking it despite his wife warning him about the ban on the brand in Malaysia because it also contained sex performance drugs.

Last Sunday, at about 4am in the morning, the 36-year-old man died after taking the RM5 (S$1.95) drink, Harian Metro reported, according to a translation by The Star.

Earlier this month, the daily reported that 17 traditional blended coffee brands were banned by the Health Ministry for containing sildenafil and tadanafil, which are ingredients of drugs used for erectile dysfunction.

Sildenafil is the active agent in Viagra, while tadanafil is also branded as Cialis,

His wife, known only as Ella, 31, said she recently read about a ban and had told her husband about it when he asked for his usual fix.

"He knew it was dangerous. But, he did not listen to me and forced me to make the coffee," Ella told Harian Metro..

"Two hours later, he complained of a headache, breathing difficulties and chest pain. He also vomited many times and began sweating," said Ella, who assured her husband was fine when the two of them and their two kids went for dinner earlier that day.

"I called for an ambulance but (by the time paramedics arrived) my husband was pronounced dead," she said.

-yourhealth asiaone

Microsoft delays Xbox One launch in China

 
Microsoft is delaying the launch of its Xbox One console in China — a launch that was supposed to take place this Tuesday but will now happen sometime before the end of the year.

The company didn’t give a reason for the delay but issued the following statement:

Despite strong and steady progress, we are going to need a bit more time to deliver the best experiences possible for our fans in China. At Xbox, we pride ourselves on delivering first-rate gaming and entertainment experiences, and to allow us to deliver on that promise, we need to reschedule the launch of Xbox One. Working with our partner, BesTV, we look forward to launching in China by the end of this year. We’re looking forward to hosting our fans and partners in China on Sept. 22 at the Oriental Pearl Tower as planned, and will have hands-on gameplay, entertainment and Xbox One giveaways.

Microsoft had been set to launch its newest gaming console this week, following the lifting earlier this year of a 13-year ban by the Chinese government on the sale of foreign consoles.

Microsoft, which has partnered with China-based BesTV, for the venture, is selling the console starting at ¥3,699 CNY (about $603 USD), are already being taken.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is set to visit China, along with Japan, Korea and India, on a trip this month. The trip comes amidst an antitrust investigation of Microsoft conducted by the Chinese government — one of several such probes the government has launched against foreign companies. Antitrust authorities there have raised questions about compatibility issues related to Windows and Office, as well as Microsoft’s use of verification codes.

Microsoft has not said whether Nadella will be meeting with Chinese officials about the investigation, or whether Xbox One issues are on his trip agenda.

-the siattle times

Qatar 'won't host 2022 World Cup' says FIFA's Zwanziger

 
"I think that at the end of the day the 2022 World Cup will not take place in Qatar," Zwanziger said in an interview with Sport Bild Plus.

The former head of the German football federation (DFB) cited high summer temperatures as the reason Qatar would lose the right to host football's global showpiece.



"As Mr Zwanziger himself says, it's his personal opinion," a FIFA spokesman responded to AFP subsidiary SID when asked about the German's statement.

Zwanziger said: "Doctors say, and I had insisted on this point in the protocol, that they cannot guarantee that a World Cup can be held in summer in these conditions."

While Qatar has reportedly developed stadium cooling systems, Zwanziger said "the World Cup involves not only stadiums. There are fans coming from the four corners of the world who will be concerned by the heat".

"The first incident putting a life in danger will be subject to an investigation. And that, nobody in the FIFA Executive Committee would want to reply to."

But in an interview with Die Welt newspaper, Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary-general of the Qatar 2022 organising committee, declared himself "sure that the 2022 World Cup would take place in Qatar".

"No, I'm not worried," he said. "Firstly because there's no basis to lose the World Cup.

"And secondly because it's the first World Cup in the Middle East.

"When people think of this region, it's rather in terms of conflict. The World Cup will be an occasion to unite peoples. It will leave a positive heritage."

Controversy has plagued FIFA's awarding of the World Cup to Qatar in 2010, with summer temperatures in the Gulf emirate reaching the upper-40s Celsius.

The idea of switching the World Cup to cooler winter months does not sit comfortably with all officials of Europe's big leagues.

Gas-rich Qatar has also come under the spotlight over foreign workers' rights as well as accusations that corruption played a part in winning the right to host the World Cup.

Britain's Sunday Times newspaper has alleged that former Qatari football boss Mohamed Bin Hammam paid more than $5 million (3.7m euros) to gain support for the emirate ahead of the vote.

Qatar has strongly denied the allegations.

FIFA's ethic committee is to announce in early 2015 the results of its investigation into the attribution of not only the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, but also the 2018 edition to Russia.

-msn news

Apple Sells 10 Million iPhones Over the Weekend

 
Apple sold over 10 million of its new iPhones over the weekend. This is the biggest opening weekend for iPhones in the company’s history, which was to be expected.

But that’s basically all we know. Apple didn’t give many other details, which means we don’t know how many people opted to buy the larger iPhone 6 Plus or how much storage they bought, which is important because phones with more memory mean larger profit margins. Another unanswered question is which wireless carriers were able to use the new phones to lure customers away from their competitors.

While Apple’s opening weekends for iPhones get lots of attention, the sales number isn’t just a measure of how popular the phones are going to be. For Apple, changing a global manufacturing operation over from making the old model of iPhones to the new models takes some time.

Walter Piecyk of BTIG wrote in a note last week that the opening day numbers are best seen as a measure of Apple’s ability to ramp up manufacturing. Comparing this year’s launch to last year’s isn’t straightforward because the circumstances are different. That said, the company sold more, more expensive phones this year (no analogue to the inexpensive 5c), and it did so without launching in China (as it did last year).

We’ll learn more in the weeks and months ahead. The new iPhones will go on sale in more than 20 more countries on September 26 (China’s still not one of them). By the end of the year, that list will grow to 115 countries. A more straightforward comparison will come once Apple is reporting quarterly sales numbers. In the meantime, by announcing a number that was pretty much right in the center of analyst expectations, Apple is showing that nothing particularly unusual happened over the weekend.

-blomberg business week

Math and Tamil exams cancelled, new date Oct 9

 
PUTRAJAYA: The Mathematics 015/1 examination (for National Type Schools), 025/1 (Chinese ), 035/1 (Tamil Vernacular Schools), and the Tamil 036, 037 for the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination which was held on Sept 10 has been declared void as the papers were confirmed to have been leaked.

Bernama reported Education Ministry DIrector General Khair Mohamad Yusof as saying that the new date set in respect of these subjects will be Oct 9 after taking into consideration the Aidiladha public holiday and the logistics of getting the new set of papers printed and distributed.

“The examinations will be conducted again to ensure the process abides by the Standard Operating Procedure for public examinations while ensuring that the examinations have integrity and credibility,” he said at a press conference today.

As an immediate measure he said the ministry was in the process of transferring many of its officers from the Examination Syndicate internally to ensure the public examination process is better handled this time round.

He said all security measures in the administration of the examination papers from the Examination Syndicate up to the schools’ halls have been tightened.

Khair said he has taken over personally the entire administrative process of the public examination since the papers were first reported to have been leaked on Sept 12.

“I understand the frustration and hardship faced by all involved, As the ministry’s director general I wish to convey my apologies to the pupils, parents, teachers and others following the incident”.

“I have issued a directive to headmasters and teachers to ascertain and counsel those children who require such assistance”.

“I offer my guarantee and commitment that such incidences of papers being leaked will not happen again,” he said.

On whether any other UPSR examination paper had been leaked, Khair said that he was told by the Education Ministry that there were none.

“Up until yesterday leaks had occurred only in the Science, English, Mathematics and Tamil UPSR papers,” he said.

-FMT

Pellegrini blasts ‘small’ Chelsea, hails Lampard

 
MANCHESTER: Manuel Pellegrini blasted Chelsea as a “small” team and predicted more to come from Frank Lampard who scored against his former club in a tense 1-1 Premier League draw.

Lampard, 36, has joined City on loan from MLS side New York City until the new year after ending his 13-year stay at Chelsea in pre-season.

The midfielder, who called time on his England career last month, was a substitute at half-time as he made his debut in the 2-2 draw at Arsenal last week.

But after he scored a goal that prevented City from falling eight points behind in the title race, Pellegrini was expecting more of the same in the next three months.

“When I spoke with Lampard, it was not to make him a favourite to stay at Manchester City, it was because I was absolutely sure he will be a very useful player for our team,” the manager explained.

“He has nothing to do in New York until January when they start the season there.

“It was very important for him to continue working every day and playing in our team but also it was very important for our team to have a player with the experience and quality of Frank Lampard.”

Chelsea looked set to pick up an important win when substitute Andre Schurrle turned in from Eden Hazard’s cross shortly after City’s Pablo Zabaleta had been sent off at Eastlands on Sunday.

But seven minutes after coming off the bench, Lampard scored with a typical late run into the box as he turned in James Milner’s cross to earn a point.
Pellegrini was critical of Chelsea’s approach, describing them as playing like a “small team” and comparing them to Stoke.

“It think we played 90 minutes against a small team trying to defend, trying to keep 10 players in front of their goal, and (we were) a team that wanted to win from the beginning,” he said.

“I think we played against exactly the same team we played against Stoke here.”

Mourinho not taking bait Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho refused to rise to the bait and, after seeing his team drop points for the first time this season, declared himself happy with his team’s position at the top of the table.

“It’s one point won because we arrived here leaders with two points more than second and we leave the stadium with a three-point lead.

“I don’t look to direct opponents, I don’t look to other clubs in a special way. I look to the table and we are leaders by three points,” the Portuguese manager added.

“We come here to a super-difficult stadium and a super-difficult opponent and we leave to better conditions than we arrived, so good.”

Mourinho has regularly criticised Pellegrini since taking over from the Chilean at Real Madrid in 2010 and, as well as mispronouncing his name on two occasions, he hit back at the City manager.

“Pellegrino, many times he says he never speaks about me and my team but he keeps doing the same thing. I am the one that does as he says.
“I don’t comment on his words. Don’t ask me about his words, I am not interested in that.”

Pellegrini added he has no concerns about City’s start to the season despite the club going four games without a win for the first time in four-and-a-half years.

The Premier League champions are five points behind Chelsea.

City, who were beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich in their opening match of this season’s Champions League match last week, have lost ground in the English title race with a 1-0 defeat by Stoke and a 2-2 draw with Arsenal preceding their point against Mourinho’s table-toppers.

“I think that in the way we played (against Chelsea), maybe we are not taking the points that we deserved but I am not concerned about the way we played,” said Pellegrini. – AFP

No need for referendum in Sabah, S’wak

 
KOTA KINABALU: There is no need for a referendum to determine whether Sabah and Sarawak want out of the Malaysian Federation, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri said today.

She said the people of Malaysia, including those in Sabah and Sarawak, had worked as a team to develop the country and it was unfair to neglect those who helped Sabah and Sarawak achieve “what they have today”.

“I don’t think there is a need for that yet. There is no need for a referendum because there are more people talking about being in Malaysia, rather than out.

“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t fight for development to be on par with our counterparts in Peninsular Malaysia,” said Shukri after launching the Seminar on Rights and Issues of Women and Children at Wisma Wanita today.

The seminar was organised by the Judicial and Legal Training Institute (Ilkap), an agency under the Prime Minister’s Department, in collaboration with the Sabah Women Advisory Council. Also present was Sabah attorney-general and council chairman Mariati Robert.

She was asked on whether there was a need for a referendum in Sabah and Sarawak, as was enacted by the United Kingdom government in Scotland.

Nancy, who is also the Batang Sadong MP, said the people of Sabah and Sarawak enjoyed development under Malaysia, including education, security and infrastructure, and were accorded some of the special rights.

She also reiterated that the Sedition Act 1948 was essential in safeguarding security, harmony and unity in the country. – Bernama

Azmin is new Selangor MB

 
SHAH ALAM: PKR Deputy President Azmin Ali has been appointed Selangor Menteri Besar to replace Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
A letter sent to Azmin by the Selangor Palace this afternoon said the appointment is effective tomorrow.

The brief letter, signed by the Selangor Sultan’s private secretary Mohamad Munir Bani, asked Azmin to attend a swearing-in ceremony at the Istana Alam Shah in Klang at 10.30am.

Azmin represents Bukit Antarabangsa in the Selangor State Assembly.
His path to the MB’s post may well have been paved during a much publicised fallout with the outgoing MB, when he was unceremoniously sacked from the board of the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) in January 2014.

Amid rumours of intense rivalry between the two, Azmin proposed the removal of Khalid as the Selangor MB during a PKR Central Leadership Council meeting, but the proposal was snubbed by the party’s de-facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim.

However, a real possibility of his taking over the job became apparent after the unforeseen failure of the infamous Kajang Move.

Azmin seemed supportive of the party’s president and candidate for the MB post, Wan Azizah Ismail, and even withdrew from the running after PAS proposed his name along with Wan Azizah’s.

While the selection of Wan Azizah as a sole choice for the post was decided by PKR and unequivocally supported by DAP, the matter became slightly more complex when the Sultan of Selangor insisted on using his own discretion.

After weeks of intense speculation and deliberations, the Selangor MB saga has possibly reached its denouement. But there remains an element of uncertainty. It is yet to be seen whether the 30 assemblymen who have pledged their support for Wan Azizah will accept Azmin.

The Singapore-born Azmin graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Economic and Mathematics and completed his graduate studies in Education in 1986.

He is one of the founding members of PKR.

-FMT

Apple’s dangerous game

 
Apple has announced that it has designed its new operating system, iOS8, to thwart lawful search warrants. Under Apple’s old operating system, if an iPhone is protected by a passcode that the government can’t bypass, the government has to send the phone to Apple together with a search warrant. Apple will unlock at least some of the contents of the phone pursuant to the warrant.

Under the new operating system, however, Apple has devised a way to defeat lawful search warrants. “Unlike our competitors,” Apple’s new privacy policy boasts, “Apple cannot bypass your passcode and therefore cannot access this data.” Warrants will go nowhere, as “it’s not technically feasible for [Apple] to respond to government warrants for the extraction of this data from devices in their possession running iOS 8.” Anyone with any iPhone can download the new warrant-thwarting operating system for free, and it comes automatically with the new iPhone 6.

I find Apple’s new design very troubling. In this post, I’ll explain why I’m troubled by Apple’s new approach coded into iOS8. I’ll then turn to some important legal issues raised by Apple’s announcement, and conclude by thinking ahead to what Congress might do in response.

Let’s begin with a really important point: In general, cryptography is an awesome thing. Cryptography protects our data from hackers, trespassers, and all sorts of wrongdoers. That’s hugely important. And under Apple’s old operating system, cryptography protects iPhones from rogue police officers, too. Thanks to the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Riley v. California, the Fourth Amendment requires a warrant to search a cell phone. Apple’s old operating system effectively enforced the warrant requirement technologically by requiring the government to serve a warrant on Apple to decrypt the phone.

Up to that point, I think it’s all good. But the design of Apple’s new operating system does something really different.

If I understand how it works, the only time the new design matters is when the government has a search warrant, signed by a judge, based on a finding of probable cause. Under the old operating system, Apple could execute a lawful warrant and give law enforcement the data on the phone. Under the new operating system, that warrant is a nullity. It’s just a nice piece of paper with a judge’s signature. Because Apple demands a warrant to decrypt a phone when it is capable of doing so, the only time Apple’s inability to do that makes a difference is when the government has a valid warrant. The policy switch doesn’t stop hackers, trespassers, or rogue agents. It only stops lawful investigations with lawful warrants.

Apple’s design change one it is legally authorized to make, to be clear. Apple can’t intentionally obstruct justice in a specific case, but it is generally up to Apple to design its operating system as it pleases. So it’s lawful on Apple’s part. But here’s the question to consider: How is the public interest served by a policy that only thwarts lawful search warrants?


The civil libertarian tradition of American privacy law, enshrined in the Fourth Amendment, has been to see the warrant protection as the Gold Standard of privacy protections. The government can’t invade our private spaces without a showing that the invasion is justified by the expectation that the search will recover evidence. And the government must go to a neutral magistrate and make that case before it conducts the search. When the government can’t make the showing to a neutral judge, the thinking runs, the public interest in privacy outweighs the public interest in solving crime. But when the government does make that showing, on the other hand, the public interest in solving crime outweighs the privacy interest. That’s the basic balance of the Fourth Amendment, most recently found in the stirring civil libertarian language in Riley just a few months ago.

Apple’s new policy seems to thumb its nose at that great tradition. It stops the government from being able to access the phone precisely when it has a lawful warrant signed by a judge. What’s the public interest in that?

One counterargument I have heard is that there are other ways the government can access the data at least some of the time. With the warrant required under Riley, agents could take a stab at guessing the passcode. Perhaps the phone’s owner used one of the popular passwords; according to one study, the top 10 most often-used passcodes will unlock about 15% of phones. Alternatively, if the phone’s owner has backed up his files using iCloud, Apple will turn over whatever has been backed up pursuant to a lawful warrant.

These possibilities may somewhat limit the impact of Apple’s new policy. But I don’t see how they answer the key question of what’s the public interest in thwarting valid warrants. After all, these options also exist under the old operating system when Apple can comply with a warrant to unlock the phone. And while the alternatives may work in some cases, they won’t work in other cases. And that brings us back to how it’s in the public interest to thwart search warrants in those cases when the alternatives won’t work. I’d be very interested in the answer to that question from defenders of Apple’s policy. And I’d especially like to hear an answer from Apple’s General Counsel, Bruce Sewell.

Let me conclude with two important legal questions raised by Apple’s new policy, together with some speculation about how Congress might respond to Apple’s change.

The first question is whether the government can lawfully compel the telephone’s owner to divulge the passcode. I believe the answer is that yes, a person can in fact face punishment for refusal to enter in the password to decrypt his own phone. If the government obtains a subpoena ordering the person to enter in the passcode, and the person refuses or falsely claims not to know the passcode, a person can be held in contempt for failure to comply.


Some may think that the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination prohibits such punishment. But I think that’s wrong because of the specific circumstances in which the issue arises. Because people must know their passcodes to use their own phones, the testimonial aspect of decrypting a person’s own phone — admitting that the phone belongs to them and they know the password — will be a “foregone conclusion” whenever the government can show that the phone belongs to that person. If the phone’s in the suspect’s hand or in his pocket when the government finds it, that’s not going to be hard to show.Under the relevant caselaw, that makes all the difference: Entering in the password no longer raises a Fifth Amemdment problem. See, e.g, In re Boucher, 2009 WL 424718 (D.Vt. 2009).

A second question is how the new policy changes the rules for searching a cell phone incident to arrest. Under the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Riley, the government needs a warrant to search the phone. But under the new Apple policy, warrants to search the phone won’t work if the passcode is in place. If officers lawfully come into possession of a target’s unlocked phone, the data may effectively disappear as soon as the phone locks. It’s kind of the digital equivalent of flushing the drugs down the toilet, but it happens by default and automatically. This will create interesting questions under the exigent circumstances exception.

 If officers make an arrest and the phone hasn’t yet locked, does the exigent circumstances exception now allow the police to search the phone without a warrant because the delay of waiting for a warrant will mean a locked phone that can’t be unlocked even with a warrant? At least in some circumstances, such as when the government has probable cause and the screensaver suggests a later iOS operating system, I suspect the answer may be yes. (Incidentally, I have long argued that the Supreme Court should wait until a technology stabilizes before applying the Fourth Amendment to it to avoid the problem of announcing a rule that doesn’t make sense over time. In light of Apple’s new iOS8, Riley may be an interesting example.)

I’ll conclude with the interesting question of Congressional reaction. It may turn out that the government can get access to the data most of the time despite this new policy using a combination of unlocked phones, data from backups in the cloud, password-guessing, or compelling targets to unlock their phones. If the government can get to the data in other ways, then the Apple policy may not cause much outrage. The government will muddle through. Perhaps.

But imagine that the Apple policy thwarts a lot of important cases. Think of a homicide case in which the government wants to search the victim’s phone for evidence of who was behind the killing. Maybe the victim received a text message that provides the key to the case, and the cellular provider hasn’t stored the messages. Because the victim isn’t alive to share his password, and the phone will have locked before the body was found, the government won’t be able to search the phone to find the messages. Apple’s policy will keep the police from finding the killer. That seems bad.

If we get a lot of cases like that, I suspect Congress may look to legislation to try to restore the privacy/security balance more in the direction of the traditional Fourth Amendment warrant requirement. I can think of three paths Congress might take. To be clear, I’m not endorsing any approach, at least yet. I’m just covering the major options. They look like this:

1) The most obvious option would be follow the example of CALEA and E911 regulations by requiring cellular phone manufacturers to have a technical means to bypass passcodes on cellular phones. In effect, Congress could reverse Apple’s policy change by mandating that phones be designed to have this functionality. That would restore the traditional warrant requirement.

-the Washington Post
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