MalaysiaKini SMS 29/11/08 (2)

29/11: Ex-minister Zaid Ibrahim and Sapp president Yong Teck Lee were among more than 4,000 people at the opening of the PKR annual congress/MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 29/11/08

29/11: PKR Congress: Anwar Ibrahim did not offer any explanation over his aborted plan to topple the govt in his much-awaited speech today./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 28/11/08 (3)

28/11: Sessions Court has let the High Court decide which court - sessions or magistrate's - RPK's criminal defamation case should be heard./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 28/11/08 (2)

28/11: Yim Pek Ha, 40, who was found guilty of inflicting grievous hurt on maid Nirmala Bonat, is freed on RM200,000 bail pending appeal./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 28/11/08

28/11: MAS, which cancelled all flights to and from Bangkok since Wed, has restored partial flights from U-Tapao airport 190km from Bangkok./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 27/11/08 (Delayed 3)

27/11: Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who accused Anwar Ibrahim of sodomising him, has expressed his disappointment with delay in sodomy trial./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 27/11/08 (Delayed 2)

27/11: Ex-air stewardess Yim Pek Ha, who was found guilty of grievously hurting maid Nirmala Bonat, has been sentenced to 18 years' jail./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 27/11/08 (Delayed)

27/11: Sessions Court found housewife Yim Pek Ha, 40, guilty on 3 counts of grievously hurting Indonesian maid Nirmala Bonat./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 26/11/08

26/11: MAS and AirAsia have cancelled flights into and out of Bangkok after Suvarnabhumi airport closed for 2nd day by anti-govt protestors./MKINI

Bernama SMS 25/11/08 (2)

25/11: AirAsia X's London Stansted-KL service to take off on March 11, 2009, with fares starting from as low as 99 pounds (RM499)/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 25/11/08 (3)

25/11: Hindraf has criticised the police for warning Hindus not to join tonight's prayers to commemorate last year's Nov 25 rally./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 25/11/08 (2)

25/11: The KL Sessions Court will decide on Friday whether it has jurisdiction to hear Raja Petra Kamarudin's criminal defamation./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 25/11/08

25/11: Minister Nazri will not be referred to the privileges committee as he had no intention to lie to the House, rules deputy speaker./MKINI

Bernama SMS 25/11/08

25/11: Inflation will dip to 7 pct or below this month or Dec based on decline in prices of raw materials and basic commodities, says Shahrir/BERNAMA

Bernama SMS 24/11/08 (2)

24/11: Bank Negara reduces overnight policy rates to 3.25 pct. Ceiling and floor rates reduced to 3.50 pct and 3.00 pct/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 24/11/08 (4)

24/11: Unesco warned Penang could lose its newly-acquired world heritage status because of a row over plans for four high-rise hotels./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 24/11/08 (3)

24/11: Parliament deputy speaker denied Anwar Ibrahim's motion to discuss the problem of negative foreign investment inflow into Malaysia./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 24/11/08 (2)

24/11: Police bail on 24 people arrested at Nov 9 candlelight vigil in PJ has been cancelled - an indication that no action will be taken./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 24/11/08

24/11: High Court acquitted Irene Fernandez for maliciously publishing false news on deaths of illegal immigrants in detention camps in 1995/MKINI

Bernama SMS 24/11/08

24/11: ASN declares 7 sen income distribution for asn 3 for financial year ending Nov 30, 2008. It have 10,511 unitholders/BERNAMA

Bernama SMS 21/11/08 (2)

21/11: M'sia inflation retreated to 7.6 pct in Oct from 8.2 pct in Sept with cut in fuel prices among the contributor to downtrend/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 21/11/08 (3)

21/11: Rafidah pens her disappointment with Shahrizat for turning her back on the transition plan in a 10-page handwritten statement./MKINI

Bernama SMS 21/11/08

21/11:Bank Negara Malaysia's international reserves stands at RM343.8 bil (US$99.7 bil) as at Nov 14, 2008/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 21/11/08 (2)

21/11: Wanita UMNO chief Rafidah has accepted the challenge from Shahrizat and said she would stay on for another three years if successful./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 21/11/08

21/11: Videotape recording of the Nov 9 candlelight vigil in Petaling Jaya which wasseized by police has been found to have been tampered./MKINI

Mobile Evolution And Beyond!

I was scanning through the Nut Graph and came across this piece. This piece also included a video about the evolution of the mobile phone. I got a kick watching it especially the cool bad-assed looking ATUR models! It certainly brought back memories.

Anyway, have fun going down memory lane... you might see yourselves in this chronology of mobile events.

Have a great weekend everybody!

MalaysiaKini SMS 20/11/08 (4)

20/11: Wanita Umno deputy chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil announces that she will contest against incumbent Rafidah Aziz in March party polls./MKINI

Bernama SMS 20/11/08 (2)

20/11: Sabah aims to be largest aquaculture producer in the country by 2010 with production of 207,292 tonnes, or 26 pct of the total/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 20/11/08 (3)

20/11: Shahrir: Govt justified in earning revenue from recent drop of global oil prices as it had given out subsidies when prices were high./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 20/11/08 (2)

20/11: The Kuala Lumpur High Court today fixed Feb 5 and 6 to review a Sessions' Court decision to hear Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy case./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 20/11/08

20/11: DPM Najib Abdul Razak is not involved in the Altantuya murder case at all, claimed former political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda./MKINI

Bernama SMS 20/11/08

Lima(Peru)20/11: APEC countries call for quick conclusion of the World Trade Organisation Doha Round negotiations amid global economic turmoil/BERNAMA

Bernama SMS 19/11/08 (2)

18/11: Sime Darby in JV with Dongguan Sinograin Oils & Grains Company Limited of China in downstream palm oil business in China/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 19/11/08 (3)

19/11: Wanita dep chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil is expected to announce tomorrow that she is challenging Rafidah Aziz for the wing's No 1 post/MKINI

MalaysiaKin SMS 19/11/08 (2)

19/11: MCA chief Ong Tee Keat today refused to confirm or deny rumours that defeated party candidate Ong Ka Chuan has resigned as minister./MKINI

Bernama SMS 19/11/08

19/11: Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop says unemployment rate at managebale rate 4 pct or below this year and next year/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 19/11/08

19/11: Govt may dump petrol subsidy scheme altogether as consumers already pay more than full cost at the pumps at current global oil price./MKINI

Bernama SMS 18/11/08 (3)

18/11: Govt may fix floor price for petrol and do away with subsidy if crude oil price dip way below US$65 per barrel/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 18/11/08 (3)

18/11: Shahrir Samad: The govt has ceased petrol subsidies since beginning of Nov as global crude oil price dipped below US¿65 per barrel./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 18/11/08 (2)

18/11: Axed UM VC Rafiah Salim said she had to put up with political interferences when she was in charge of country's premier university./MKINI

Bernama SMS 18/11/08 (2)

18/11: M'sia will continue FTA talks with US to bilateral expand trade and investment, says Dep MITI Dtl Jacob/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 18/11/08

18/11: The govt may introduce more measures to stimulate economic growth and counter the worsening global financial crisis: DPM Najib Razak./MKINI

Bernama SMS 18/11/08

18/11: Govt will decide on price mechanism for petrol in upcoming Economic Council meeting as early as this month, says Shahrir/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 17/11/08 (3)

17/11: Deputy House Speaker Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar has denied an email allegation that he had obtained a 'fake' doctoral degree./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 17/11/08 (2)

17/11: Govt announced another 15 sen cut in petrol prices. Effective tomorrow - new price for RON97 is RM2, RON 92 RM1.90, diesel RM1.90./MKINI

Bernama SMS 17/11/08

KL 17/11: Petrol price reduced by 15 sen a litre effective Nov 18. New price for RON97 at RM2.00 per litre, RON92 at RM1.90 and diesel at RM1.90/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 17/11/08

17/11: Ronnie Liu was charged with abettment in obstructing a MPSJ enforcement officer in closing down a hotel last year. He claimed trial./MKINI

Who Is Tun?

..our PM asked the other day. Many may not be aware of this but Tun Dr M clearly demonstrated his sharp mind not long ago when Anwar Ibrahim himself decided to send Pak Lah a letter, in his own handwriting, to let Pak Lah know he was still a major player in the political game. Pak Lah opened the letter and it appeared to contain a single line of coded message: 370HSSV - 0773H

Pak Lah was baffled. So, he e-mailed to KJ. KJ and his sidekicks had no clue either. Pak Lah then sent it to MCA, MIC, Gerakan. No one could solve it.

With no clue to the meaning, Pak Lah eventually turned to Tun Dr M for help. Within seconds Tun Dr M answered: "You are holding Anwar's message upside down!"

Political Jokes

General Musharraf, Dr Mahathir, Gloria Arroyo & Lee Kuan Yew were sitting in a train. The train goes through a tunnel and it gets completely dark for the next 8 seconds.Suddenly there is a loud kissing sound and then a slap !The train comes out of the tunnel.

Arroyo and Musharraf are seated across each other, both looking perplexed. 
Mahathir, seated across LKY, is bent over holding his face, which is very red from an apparent big slap.

All of them remain diplomatic and nobody says anything. 
Musharraf is thinking : ‘ These Malaysians are all crazy after Arroyo. Mahathir must have tried to kiss her in the tunnel. Very proper that she slapped him ! ‘

Arroyo is thinking : ‘ Mahathir must have moved to kiss me, 
but kissed Musharraf instead and got slapped. ‘

Mahathir is thinking : ‘ Damn it, Musharraf must have tried to kiss Arroyo ; 
she thought it was me and slapped me instead. Shit !! ‘

Lee Kuan Yew is thinking : ‘ If this train goes through one more tunnel, 
I could make another kissing sound and slap Mahathir again !! ‘

Bernama SMS 16/11/08

16/11 KL: Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti appointed to U.N. task force to examine possible reform of IMF & World Bank/BERNAMA

Clearing The Air Over Sabah Gas

I found this piece over at Malaysia Today. I wonder if this explanation is enough for Sabah. Whatever it is, I am glad in a way that now Sabahan leaders from various parties are making a strong stance against this project. 

Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican's views in this interview has a sprinkle of  arrogance especially on his last comment about Sabahans were given scholarships when asked about directorships. In this industry, to train Sabahans as a workforce is necessary because 1) Petronas has to give way to natives and 2) Sabahans can be trained to do the grunt-work. Its the situation of masters training their slaves to expertly perform their duties so to increase their own net value. The funny thing here in Sabah is that the masters are the now slaves.

Anyway that is my own opinion as usual. Everybody's entitled to theirs. However if everyone's opinions are the same, well that would already become the law...

Read on, read on...

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Controversies have surfaced on the oil and gas development in Sabah, especially with regards to the RM1.6 billion Kimanis-Bintulu gas pipeline project. Certain Sabah politicians are in no mood to share the gas with Sarawak, even though there may be an excess. There have also been questions raised over the role of the state government. There are even voices that since the gas belongs to Sabah and if the state cannot use it right away, it should be kept for future generations. Questions have also been thrown at Petronas on how the oil and gas industry in Sabah will benefit the local people. Petronas president and chief executive officerCEO Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican speaks to gives his view and explanation in this exclusive interview with JONISTON BANGKUAI of the New Sunday Times and Sabah-based Daily Express chief editor JAMES SARDA. The following are excerpts of from the interview. are as follows:

Q: There have been numerous questions raised about the oil and gas industries in Sabah, particularly the 500km multi-billion ringgit Kimanis-Bintulu gas pipeline project and the setting up of a petrochemical complex in Sabah. How do you deal with this? 

A: We have to put this in perspective. I am only going to deal with facts because I am a technocrat. You have to go back to history. The oil and gas industry in Sabah started many years ago, even before the incorporation of Petronas. But Sabah has small resources and therefore small production. But it has been a producer for a long time. The oil and gas industry in Sabah was based in Labuan and this included the Labuan Crude Oil Terminal, Asian Supply Base and methanol plant. Labuan became a federal territory in 1984. But the development of oil and gas continued. The first methanol plant was developed by the Sabah Gas Industries which was bailed out by Petronas in 1992. Even though Labuan became a federal territory, Sabah continued to enjoy royalty from the production of oil and gas offshore Sabah. In the last six years, there have been discoveries of oil and gas, particularly in the deepwaters off Sabah. The first major development of this new discovery of oil is Kikeh which came into production in August last year. With that production, Sabah's royalty value went up. The reserves of gas offshore Sabah are small, about 10 trillion cubic feet, and they are scattered in reservoirs that are not very large. This is different from the reservoirs in Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia which contain huge reserves. Because they are small and scattered, the viability of developing the oil and gas is quite limited until such time when we discover sufficient volume to develop. So what we came up with is this: The development of offshore Sabah gas is going to be undertaken in two clusters -- the northern and southern clusters. What the clusters mean is that there will be a central facility which will gather the gas from various reservoirs and it will be brought to Sabah. So you have two big pipelines coming in from the north and south. And they will end up in Kimanis at the Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT). That is for gas. The future development of oil that has been discovered, starting with the Gumusut development, which is ultra deep, will also be landed in Kimanis. There will be crude oil tanks with a capacity for three billion barrels and the oil will be exported from there. Hence, the combined Kimanis facility will be called the SOGT. It took us 30 years to develop Bintulu which is today one of the single largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) complexes in the world. It has taken us 35 years to develop Kerteh. In order for gas to be developed, there has to be a base load to make it commercially viable. In the case of Peninsular Malaysia, the base load was provided by the export to Singapore. Only when you have this base load can downstream gas industries proceed. We are bringing gas from offshore Sabah to onshore Sabah. A portion of it, as we design this, will be piped to Bintulu. That gives us the base to provide the economic viability to develop the gas offshore Sabah. Bear in mind that the gas reserves are not all Petronas' but they also belong to production-sharing contractors who would only develop it if there is economic return.

Q: When did discussion with the Sabah government on the petrochemical plant begin?

A: The first discussion was in 2006 when the whole concept was deliberated. At that discussion, we (Petronas) said we will embark on a masterplan for downstream gas industries which would include petrochemicals. In fact, we conducted a joint feasibility study with Yayasan Sabah for a world-scale fertiliser plant or urea plant. But it was not commercially viable because the cost of construction was very high. We have not given up and we will revisit the proposed project when the cost and market environment changes. In the meantime, we are in the process of completing the integrated petrochemical masterplan which will then be presented to the state government when it is ready. To have a downstream integrated petrochemical complex also requires a lot of other things such as infrastructure -- meaning not only roads but also marine facilities and water. For example, in Kerteh, we use 30 million gallons of water every day. We also need power and human resources. All these need to be taken into account if we are going to attract world-class companies. This is a global business. We need to attract and bring in the "big boys" as partners. We have not been keeping quiet. We have held discussions with key petrochemical companies and identified potential sites. We have been very quiet about this because we don't want any speculation, especially where land is concerned. We are in a competitive global business environment. If you make an announcement prematurely about what project you want to embark on, you will be alerting the competitors who can then be ahead of you. The industry is such that you cannot build little plants here and there. It is not viable. That is why all the facilities we have built are of world-scale capacities.

Q: Can you elaborate on what the SOGT entails?

A: As part of the development of the SOGT, the immediate thing that has happened is the joint venture between the state government and Wah Seong Corp Bhd which is a listed company operating pipe welding and coating plant in KKIP (Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park) which employs 250 Sabahans. The plant is not built just for the SOGT but also for other projects in Malaysia and outside Malaysia. We are also training close to 500 Sabahans in various skills and not just for this development. But again, the expectation of the oil and gas industry as a large provider of jobs is also not correct. It is a highly skilled, highly technical job with few vacancies. But the spillover effect for small-and medium-size industries to provide services is huge. We have been in communication with the state government to encourage Sabahans in this. What is important is that this is a long-term industry and we have to look at the success of the Sarawak service providers because they have been very focused. They have been able to look at the long-term to the extent that they have been able to export their services. If the expectation is for all this to happen overnight, it is wrong. Another key consideration is when we talk about having a gas-based industry, any investor who wants to invest in a petrochemical facility will want to see the sustainability of production and reserves for at least 20 years. You do not invest billions of dollars and find that there is no gas after six or seven years. As the gas owner, you have to give that commitment that you will be able to provide the resource for at least 20 years.

Q: How long will Sabah be able to produce gas?

A: The offshore Sabah resources compared with Sarawak and the peninsula is very small. Sarawak's gas reserve is 45 trillion cubic feet and in the peninsula, it is about 39 trillion. Sabah has about 10 trillion to 12 trillion, if you include associated gas, and it is scattered and in small reservoirs making it expensive to develop. The important thing is developing the gas the way we have conceptualised and planned to help maximise value to the state government because the state will receive royalty from the gas production.

Q: Is the setting up of the proposed petrochemical plant in Sabah something new?

A: It has been ongoing and the methanol plant in Labuan is also a petrochemical plant. Many competent and capable Sabahans are actually located in Labuan where they are the service providers. The chief minister (Datuk Seri Musa Aman) and some state officials visited Kerteh in 2006 to see the operation there.

Q: Some Sabah leaders want a gas plant to be set up in the state, instead of spending RM1.6 billion to build the gas pipeline to Bintulu.

A: The proposal was considered but it was not viable because we cannot sustain it for 30 years. In the end, if you look at it in the national context, we will be wasting resources because we already have a complex in Bintulu. The reason we are sending the gas to Bintulu is because of the base. The cost of an LNG plant today is about US$1,200 (RM4,224) per tonne. The third plant in Bintulu which was completed in 2002 cost US$200 a tonne.

Q: Does this mean that the only option is to send the gas to Bintulu?

A: Yes, but we will still pay Sabah the royalty. We don't plan to take everything to Bintulu. We keep a certain amount to support the downstream gas industry in Sabah. This will provide the base to develop the resources.

Q: When do you expect the masterplan on the proposed petrochemical complex in Sabah and the urea plant to be completed?

A: By early next year we will be able to complete the petrochemical masterplan. As for now, the urea plant is out because the cost is too high.

Q: What about the proposed gas-powered plant that is to be built in Sabah?

A: Petronas Gas Bhd has already entered into a joint venture with Yayasan Sabah for a 300 megawatt combined cycle power plant in Kimanis. It should be fully on stream in early 2011, which is when the gas is expected to land. We have a joint committee chaired by the state secretary to oversee this.

Q: The public has the impression that the state government had not been playing an active or participatory role in the project.

A: Like I said, you cannot make a premature announcement on a project like this.

Q: What is the overall investment required for the petrochemical complex in Sabah?

A: Kertih's was RM70 billion. As for Sabah, developing the two gas clusters and the Gumusut field has already exceeded RM10 billion. Gumusut, which is being developed by Petronas, Shell Production Sharing Contractors and Conoco, is expected to start producing in 2011. We are working with the various training institutions in Sabah to train Sabahans.

Q: Some Sabah politicians are saying the gas belongs to Sabah and as such it must benefit the state.

A: I think this is a national resource. You cannot look at it in a parochial way. The focus should be on all the supporting industries. We have explained to the trade and business chambers in Sabah on many occasions that there will be many opportunities for them. When we talk of certain packages of contracts, we restrict it to Sabah contractors. For example, the site preparation work for the SOGT in Kimanis involves two Sabah Bumiputera contractors and the value of the contract is RM100 million. One consortium gets RM60 million and the other RM40 million. The first consortium is led by Montis and the other is Ribuan Gaya. The supply and coating of pipes is worth RM400 million, and it is a 60 per cent joint venture with the state government. The company is Petropaip Sabah Sdn Bhd.

Q: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok had said that he was disappointed that the state government was not supporting his objection to the pipeline on grounds that the gas was most needed in Sabah. What is your view on this?

A: To be fair to the state, they know more about what had transpired. But we did not want to have a premature announcement. We are only a small reserve holder compared with Iran, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. If we make too much noise, what happens if the Saudis say they want to do the plant first? You are in competition as a resource holder to attract the right investor to come into a joint venture with you. The competition from Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore that I went through to get Dow and BASF to come to Kertih and Kuantan was tremendous. We were on the same flight to New York with the chairman of EDB (Economic Development Board of Singapore) and we were going to see the same investor.

Q: Are you saying it is unfair for certain quarters to say the state government was hardly involved in the project?

A: What I can say is that they have been fully involved since 2006 when we presented and discussed the concept with them. Like I said, I am not a politician but a technocrat. I can give you facts, the history and how we've done it.

Q: Is it fair to say then that in the case of the state government, the chief minister was aggressively involved in the petrochemical plant project, contrary to the perception that has been created?

A: Yes. I think it is fair comment. And also together with him we even discussed this with the national leaders, both the prime minister and his deputy since 2006.

Q: In the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC), one of the core focus is the development of an oil and gas industry in Sabah. Can you elaborate?

A: That is how it got lifted and included as part of the corridor's development. Not the other way around. Even before 1995, when we landed gas in Kg Gayang (Tuaran), for many years nobody used the gas. The independent power producer only used 20 per cent of the capacity that we landed.

Q: Sabah is facing an energy shortage and following the proposal to build a coal-fired power plant in the east coast, there is talk of using gas to produce electricity.

A: This (gas-powered electricity plant) is in our discussions with Tenaga Nasional. You cannot just land (the gas) here, there and everywhere. We are continuously discussing with Tenaga Nasional their requirements. I have always believed that Borneo should have its own power grid instead of having small power plants here and there. It makes economic sense.

Q: The published cost for the gas pipeline is RM1.6 billion but some politicians in Sabah think it will be RM3 billion.

A: The EPCC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning) cost of the gas pipeline is RM1.6 billion. One of the members of the consortium is a Yayasan Sabah company, Petrosab. The others are India-based Punj Lloyd and Dialog E&C Sdn Bhd.

Q: Although you have outlined the reasons, the lingering feeling will still be why not a LNG plant in Sabah?

A: The Kertih plant was not cheap because you are talking about reactors. An urea plant today will cost a fortune. And all these products have a global market and the price will be determined accordingly. So when you do a feasibility study you are not only doing the technical feasibility study but also looking at the market, the future price.

Q: It is left to Sabah then to get a better deal in some other way, perhaps higher royalty?

A: That is not for me to comment.

Q: Another grouse of Sabah leaders is that Petronas has hundreds of subsidiaries and yet Sabahans are not benefiting in the form of directorships, etc.

A: Sabahans have got quite a number of our scholarships. And all these training is funded by us.

- nst

Watchmen 2009

The best graphic novel to be alive in 2009! When growing up I was hooked on this epic by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. I couldn't remember which came first for me either it was  Frank Miller's  Batman : The Dark Knight Returns or Watchmen. It was such an exciting time for me as a teenager when I kept re-reading these classics (to this day, mind you!). I even had aspirations in writing and drawing comic books. However, like dreaming to become an astronaut, that dream has now passed its time.

I might however attempt to create a graphic novel as part of my 'things-to-do-before-I-die list.'

Anyway coming back to the Watchmen 2nd movie trailer, I find myself now being impatient as I eagerly await for this movie to be released next year. 

 

Bernama SMS 14/11/08 (2)

14/11 KL: MITI: Automatic issuance for manufacturing licenses from Dec 1; full import duty exemption on raw materials & intermediate goods/BERNAMA

Bernama SMS 14/11/08

14/11: Pos M'sia to reduce surcharge for PosLaju items to 23-25 pct from tomorrow in line with reduction in fuel prices/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 13/11/08 (2)

13/11: Home Ministry has filed an appeal against Shah Alam High Court's decision to release blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin from ISA detention./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 13/11/08

13/11: Nazri Abdul Aziz conceded his error in saying the six judges in the '88 judicial crisis were not sacked since they received pension./MKINI

Power Blackout 8

Power-cut started at 6:33pm. Called SESB. Again they tell me that their electricians are elsewhere anywhere but here. Must be because of the rain...

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UPDATE

The power came back at 9:30PM.

MalaysiaKini SMS 13/11/08

13/11: Sidelined MCA No 2 Dr Chua Soi Lek is predicting that new party boss Ong Tee Keat will not submit his name to PM for a cabinet post./MKINI

Bernama SMS 13/11/08 (2)

13/11 KL: Borrowers of CIMB car loans & housing mortgages facing cash flow problems can restructure their loans by extending repayment period/BERNAMA

Bernama SMS 13/11/08

13/11 KL: Government to use open tenders to offer the private sector to develop government-owned land, says Nor Md Takcop/BERNAMA

Regarding Power Blackout 7

We're still in the dark anxiously waiting for the electrcity to return. The house is warm without the fans and the children are restless. As you can see that this has already been 3 days in a row.

We are no longer bothered to call and lodge a complain with SESB...what's the point? They cannot do much anyway. They'd just tell us to switch off the power points and lights in the house. (We've done that; nada and zilch still pitch black)

So what are we doing now?

Wait lor...

Power Blackout 7

The blackout started at 7:08 PM. This is getting ridiculous.

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UPDATE

The power came back on at 11:35 PM. SESB called at around 1 AM. I told him that the power's back on but it would be great if they can check on it the next day.

MalaysiaKini SMS 12/11/08 (3)

12/11: Dewan Rakyat speaker has rejected opposition MP Karpal Singh's emergency motion on the chief justice for the second time in 24 hours./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 12/11/08 (2)

12/11: Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim announced the formation of a parliamentary caucus on the integrity and independence of the judiciary./MKINI

Bernama SMS 12/11/08

President Clinton to make first visit to Malaysia to receive BC Sekhar medal/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 12/11/08

12/11: Lim Kit Siang has issued an ultimatum to Public Accounts Committee chief Azmi Khalid to table Eurocopter report in Parliament by Mon./MKINI

Power Blackout 6

The blackout occurred at 10:08 PM. Go figure. Hope it'll return soon after 30 minutes.

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Update:

The power came back on at 11:35 PM

MalaysiaKini SMS 11/11/08 (2)

11/11: At the first MCA central committee meeting, party boss Ong Tee Keat did not give his deputy, Chua Soi Lek, a key party post./MKINI

SMS Joke Just In...

An Arab national interviewed at US Embassy...
CONSUL: Ur name, please?
ARAB: Abdul Aziz.
CONSUL: Sex?
ARAB: 3 times a day.
CONSUL: I mean, male or female?
ARAB: Both male n female.Sometimes even with camel.
CONSUL: Holy cow!
ARAB: Yes, cows n dogs, too.
CONSUL: Man, isn't dat hostile?
ARAB: Horse style, dog style, any style!
CONSUL: Oh dear!
ARAB: Deer? No deer! They run very fast !

MalaysiaKini SMS 11/11/08

11/11: EC head Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman will be replaced by Home Ministry secretary-general Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof effective this Dec 31./MKINI

Recent SMS Just In...

A friend sent this sms to me that's regarding the recent arrest of a Candle Light rally leader denouncing the ISA.

I wonder what would they think of next?
........................................................................
Doakan keadilan dan pembebasan bagi REV. FR. PAULINO MIRANDA, PADERI PAROKI GEREJA DIVINE MERCY SHAH ALAM, yg DI TANGKAP oleh Polis sebentar tadi dlm perarakan Candle Light menentang ISA, di Padang Amcorp Mall PJ. Sebarkan pada warga Katolik. Thanks.

MalaysiaKini SMS 10/11/08 (4)

10/11: 22 of 23 people detained during a candlelight vigil in front of the Petaling Jaya City Council last night were freed on police bail./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 10/11/08 (3)

10/11: DAP MP Tony Pua and state rep Lau Weng San alleged police roughed them up when dispersing participants at a vigil in PJ last night./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 10/11/08 (2)

10/11: Zaid Ibrahim has been issued with a show cause letter by Umno last week for his open letter to the PM on the ISA./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 10/11/08

10/11: The Altantuya murder trial has been postponed to Jan 15 to give time for the defence lawyers to interview witnesses./MKINI

Power Blackout 5

The electricity went out again approximately at 10 PM. The worst thing about this is watching my kids trying to get to sleep. (Watching? Wait a minute... I can't even see anything since it so dark here right now!)

Thank goodness with my Nokia E71 that I can still blog.
........................................

The power came back on at 10:45 PM
Yahoo? Maybe. Anyway

Petrochemical Plant- Sabah State Cabinet Agrees

It is interesting to note that after the Minister of the PM Department Bernard Dompok voiced out his discontentment about the pipeline project at the Federal Cabinet Meeting and achieved (in spite of Jeffery Kitingan's claim) the Federal Cabinet's agreement in setting up a full-fledge petrochemical plant in Sabah , everybody wants a piece of the action. Who can blame them?

Though I am quite surprise that the entire Sabah State Cabinet sat down when Dompok stood up, alone, to voice out against Pak Lah's reversal in his decision of scrapping to Federal Cabinet. 

And because of one man's courage, everybody is suddenly speaking up!

If you can't call Bernard Dompok a true Sabahan leader then I don't know what else there is to say...

In line with Sabah's wishes: CM Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman hailed the decision of the Federal Government to set up a petrochemical industry in the State, saying it augurs well for the Sabah Development Corridor plan. "We are happy that the Federal Government has taken into account the views and interests of the people of Sabah by coming up with a plan that meets our aspirations as well," he said, Saturday. He said the Sabah Cabinet had also been pursuing other downstream oil and gas related activities. A study on the viability of these projects was actually supposed to have been completed by December. "But the fact that the Federal Cabinet had speeded up on making a decision showed that it is responsive to the wishes of Sabah," he said. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin welcomed the Federal Cabinet's decision to create a petrochemical industry in Sabah, saying it is a privilege the people in Sabah should enjoy given its natural resources. "The people in Sabah should have the privilege because we in the State also have problems like unemployment and so on," he said. "We do not want to just lose out on every natural resource we have in Sabah, without getting a bigger share," he said, after opening a course on swiftlet breeding at Tang Dynasty Hotel, Saturday. Yahya who is also Agriculture and Food Industry Minister is confident the oil and gas downstream industries that will come up alongside the petrochemical industry will provide more employment opportunities and income to the people of Sabah. He refuted claims by certain quarters that the State Government had not been wholeheartedly pursuing the creation of the petrochemical industry, saying State leaders have always tried their best like, for instance, meeting the country's supreme leaders and presenting views for consideration. "To me, presenting views or suggestions to our country's supreme leadership is not only through the media, which may be suitable for certain quarters ... we prefer to use the more formal and cordial method like through meetings, discussions and so on," he said.

Story Twisters

At the risk of making the blog-site more popular, I have to say to the owners to stop picking on the ministers' kids. They are just being boys. I'm sure they'll grow out of it. (They will once their parents caught hold of the pictures!)

Anyway, if anyone wishes to criticize, they should just stick with the issues instead of going personal by attacking the ministers' children. They're just kids; what do they know?

You want to attack anyone just go for the parents la... 

Don't tell me that the website owners never had fun before?

Talk about being self-righteous...sheesh.

This so sad.

The Might of the Pen (1)  

The Might of the Pen (2)

PKR's Displeasure Of Pipeline Project Decision

In my opinion...

The construction of the gas pipeline has already begun even before Pak Lah announced it being scrapped in May. Millions already have been spent. Nobody wanted to lose.

Therefore given the situation, a compromise has been agreed upon. I am sure a carefully laid out plan will be in the pipeline, :), to ensure that Sabah will be assured of her share and control of the petrochemical industry. The export of gas is also another source of revenue by the way. Nobody is stupid enough to give it away for free...

Wait a minute... heh, I nearly forgotten that we're Sabahans...

Anyway,

Because ultimately, it is all about providing jobs for Sabahans and boosting Sabah's sources of revenue apart from palm oil and tourism.

When will Sabah ever come across this opportunity again? From a PKR-led Sabah State Government? I seriously doubt it because Sabah's Opposition parties are not in tandem with one another. From observing the recent elections, PR Sabah were too busy fighting with each other which had caused them their certain victory. (No,no I haven't forgotten about the phantom voters and money politics factors)

Finally, I pray that the processes of the petrochemical industry set up shall be done properly and not leaving us open to another rip-off that we are famous of receiving whenever dealing with the Federal Government.

I hope Bernard Dompok won't waste this golden opportunity and will really bring this development home for Sabah.

PKR claims Dompok achieved nothing Kota Kinabalu: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) does not see any sense in the Federal Government proceeding with the 500km Kimanis-Bintulu gas pipeline while at the same time wanting to build a full-fledged petrochemical plant in the State. Vice President Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said it should scrap plans for the 500km pipeline and, instead, use the billions of ringgit to set up a real full-fledged petrochemical plant in Kimanis, and not have both. "How do you know there is an excess of gas? What is the use of a full-fledged petrochemical plant in Kimanis when at the same time you export the same raw material for this plant? It is illogical and a wastage," he said in a statement, Saturday. He was commenting on Tan Sri Bernard Dompok's statement that he had now agreed to the 500km gas pipeline project after the Federal Cabinet convinced him that a full-fledged petrochemical plant would also be built in Kimanis, and that only excess gas would be exported to Bintulu. Jeffrey, who is also PKR State Steering Committee Chairman, said it is unfortunate that Dompok is satisfied so easily and quickly with the new raw deal or promise by the Federal Government. "While it looks good to say that finally the Federal Government has agreed to build a petrochemical plant in Sabah, it is appalling and raises eyebrows because here at the same time you are killing the plant by building the pipeline to export Sabah's gas. "The idea is to scrap the 500km pipeline and build a full-fledged petrochemical plant here. Dompok now allowed the building of the pipeline. Dompok achieved nothing. The full-fledged plant may never take offÉ," he said. He also said Sabah leaders must examine why Barisan Nasional MPs like Datuk Ghapur Salleh are sceptical about pledges from the Federal Government to Sabah. "I still oppose this 500km gas pipeline project. To me it is tantamount to bullying Sabah and sabotaging her economy. "We want to create downstream industries in Sabah. Why must we export these opportunities to Sarawak, which has its own? Sabah is in dire need of this opportunity as this State is the poorest among the 13 states," Jeffrey said. News Source : Daily Express

MalaysiaKini SMS 09/11/08

9/11: It is a 3-cornered fight for the Umno deputy post with Muhd Muhd Taib checking in today. Others are Muhyiddin Yassin and Ali Rustam/MKINI

Full-Fledge Petrochemical Industry For Sabah (Finally!)

After deliberating upon the Kimanis-Bintulu pipeline project, Minister of Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok succeeded in getting the Federal Cabinet's endorsement of setting up a full-fledge petrochemical industry in Sabah. This means that Sabah can now, along with tourism and palm oil, add oil and gas as one of its main economic sources.

The Kimanis-Bintulu pipeline project will still continue however in this new scenario only Sabah's excess gas will be channeled to Sarawak.

This will definitely contribute to the economic welfare of Sabah.

Well done Tan Sri!

Other news source;

Sabah Gets Its Own Petrochemical Industry 

Compromise Decision

MalaysiaKini SMS 07/11/08 (4)

7/11: The KL Sessions Court ruled in favour of Opposition Leader Anwar and decided that his sodomy trial would be heard in the same court./MKINI

RPK: Free At 4PM Today!

What more to say? 2 days after President-elect Barack Obama's historic win, Raja Petra will be soon be free at 4PM today. RPK has been detained for the past 56 days. 

He is finally back and his perspective is badly needed.

Welcome back RPK!

MalaysiaKini SMS 07/11/08 (3)

7/11: Shah Alam High Court judge orders Raja Petra to be produced in court by 4pm today after which he should be immediately released./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 07/11/08 (2)

7/11: Shah Alam High Court ruled that the detention of Raja Petra Kamarudin under the ISA was illegal and ordered his immediate release./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 07/11/08

7/11: The Shah Alam High Court ruled that the detention of blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin under the ISA was illegal and ordered his release./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 06/11/08 (3)

6/11: DAP sought action against Tajuddin A Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) for calling M Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat) a 'bloody bastard' in Dewan./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 06/11/08 (2)

6/11: Parliament: Khairy Jamaluddin (Rembau) invited PAS Youth's Salahuddin Ayub (Kubang Kerian) to discuss possible alternatives to ISA./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 06/11/08

6/11: Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda's press conference has been called off today at the last minute, said daughter Rowena./MKINI

Self-Sacrifice Is Needed For Change

So Barack Obama is now President-elect of the United States of America. Today is indeed a historic moment not only to Americans but also to the entire world. For today is the day that we celebrate the victory of a African-American President.

Everybody seems to be proud of him even here in Malaysia. Some bloggers are jubilated of the fact that the US President-elect is a Muslim.

Muslim? Really? I don't think so.

According to Wikipedia, Barack Obama is actually a Protestant Christian (United Church of Christ). It also says that it was Obama's grandfather who was Muslim. Anyway, that's not the sole reason why everybody is happy with the landslide(?) victory. It is also because that he was brought up in Indonesia which exposed him to Asian values. This means that we have a world leader of whom everyone can relate themselves to and who has a better understanding of how this part of the world operates. 

As America looks forward to a promising and better tomorrow meanwhile in this part of the world, we are still struggling with our favourite flip-flopping premier, Pak Lah. 

Talking about flip-flops, the recent reversal of the scrapping of gas pipeline project is met with disappointment from UPKO President Bernard Dompok. The worst thing is that the Sabah State Government meekly accepted the decision reversal and pooh-pooed the whole thing as crying over spilled milk. I can understand Dompok's frustration. How can one fight for and defend his state when the state government allowed themselves to bend over to this flip-flopping moron? Sad to say that we are so far behind in attaining visionary status. How can we even dream of change when everyone is happily swimming in corruption?

This leads us back to President-elect Obama. The possibility of producing a black president happened 45 years ago, when a brave leader, Martin Luther King Jr delivered his inspirational speech, " I Have A Dream". He was assassinated in 1968 and Obama became President-elect in 2008. King had to fall in order for Obama to rise. King paid with his life in serving his community.

In order to hope for change, we need to make sacrifice. Dare we hope for change? Or are we too scared? To me, Dompok is courageous in voicing out his discontentment. My fear is that he might step on too many toes and might back-fire upon him. After reading what the government is capable of doing in dealing with dissent, I grow worrisome. They might even consider assassination. Even from prison, RPK is still blogging and that is an indication of him not shutting up for anyone or anything.

My point?

Self-sacrifice is needed for change. 

Is anybody gamed?

MalaysiaKini SMS 05/11/08 (5)

5/11: Anwar Ibrahim's emergency motion to debate 3 key 'mega projects' was rejected by deputy speaker on grounds that it was not urgent./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 05/11/08 (4)

5/11: Parliament proceedings suspended 2 hours after protests by opposition MPs over new figures tabled by finance minister in Budget 2009./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 05/11/08 (4)

5/11: Barack Obama becomes the first black American to become US president. Challenger John McCain has officially conceded defeat./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 05/11/08 (3)

5/11 KL: RM7 bln stimulus package will boost economic growth & avert Malaysia from slipping into a technical recession, says Najib/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 05/11/08 (2)

CNN is reporting that Barack Obama has won the US presidential election./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 05/11/08

5/11: US president race: Barack Obama leads John McCain 200 to 118 in electoral college votes. To win Obama needs 270 out of 538 votes./MKINI

Catalyst For Change

Again RPK writes from prison. 

I think Sabah and Sarawak are also getting pissed. So pissed off that the emergence of a Pakatan Rakyat Prime Minister is inevitable. Sarawak's recent 'PBB bully' claim by Beginda Minda who with this gotten removed from his post as PRS Baleh division publicity chief. He is however still an ordinary party member. Meanwhile, over at Sabah, Pak Lah performed another of his flip-flop act when he reversed his decision on the RM3 billion, 500 km Kimanis-Bintulu gas pipeline where he once said was off, now on.

Hoookay...

With this interesting development happening, I won't be surprised if we see any changes sooner or later.  I agree with RPK when he said most Malaysians won't be enthusiastic anymore about the reality of having a PR Prime Minister. We shall see what will happen next. Btw, about that Pak Lah Kimanis-Shuffle? Well, sparks are gonna fly from that incident.

Watch the skies, people, wait for the fireworks...

*Do you think somebody slipped RPK a mobile phone that enables him to post from his cell?

Amazing guy, that RPK!

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

There are two types of changes: evolution and revolution.  Evolution is the slow change. It normally takes years or generations. Revolutions are immediate, sometimes overnight or abrupt.

They say Malaysia can never see a revolution. This, they say, is because Malaysians are not revolutionary or violent. Well, yes and no. Malaysians may not be violent, at least the majority of Malaysians, but they can be revolutionary when they want to. 

Revolutions should not be equated with killings and blood on the streets. You can have a paradigm shift, which is a revolution if done overnight, or a change of mentality, which would be a mental revolution.  

Malaysia saw its revolution on 8^th March, 2008. It is a revolution and nothing short of that. You can’t really call it anything else. 

Revolutions are good, if it can be un-bloody. Bloody revolutions normally never end because there will always be the tendency for revenge. But when there is no other avenue and if a bloody revolution is needed then a bloody revolution it would have to be like in Indonesia and the Philippines who fought against the Dutch and Spanish respectively. 

Malaysian at first were quite prepared to allow for an evolutionary change. In fact, they waited 50 years. Then, on the 51^st year, they decided that the situation is getting from bad to worse and they can’t expect any improvements so they decided to go for a revolutionary change. And that is why Barisan Nasional did so badly on 8^th March 2008. 

This triggered other events. The Barisan Nasional component members realized that they too need to change or else suffer death and we began to see dissent in the ranks of MCA, Gerakan, and so on. Umno too is going through change, at least a change of leadership. 

But Umno needs more than just a change of leadership. It also needs a change of attitude. It can no longer threaten “another May 13” or ask the “immigrants” to “go back to their own country” whenever they raise “sensitive issues”. Umno must realize that the Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Dayaks, Kadazan, Portuguese, Thai, etc. have as much rights as the Malays. They too have a stake in Malaysia. Did not Tun Dr. Mahathir say that 90% of the income tax is paid by the Chinese? 

The fear is that Umno’s leadership change is just that and nothing more; Umno is not going to change its attitude or policies. And why should it? After all, it is not 26 million Malaysians or 11 million voters who decide the Umno presidency. It is 191 division leaders. 191 Malay Umno leaders decide who becomes the President of Umno and ultimately the Prime Minister of Malaysia. 

So 26 million Malaysians do not matter. 11 million voters do not matter either. Only 191 division leaders matter. And what matters to these 191 division leaders is what counts. 

And what do these 191 Umno division leaders want? They want Umno to continue to uphold Malay rights and special privileges and to defend the New Economic Policy “with the last drop of their blood”. And this is what the Umno President cum Malaysian Prime Minister will have to do if he wants to keep his job. If not then he will be pressured into resigning like what happened to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.  

The Prime Minister normally forgets that he is a prime minister of all Malaysians. Most times he thinks that he is the prime minister of just the Umno members – not even the prime minister of all Malays. And this is not going to change when Najib takes over from Pak Lah.  

It is not that Najib does not know. It is just that he has no choice. It is not 26 million Malaysians or 11 million voters who gave him his job. It is the 191 division leaders. The 191 division leaders who nominated him and gave Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah only a single nomination. So he has to cater to their needs and not the needs of non-Umno Malays or the 11 million voters or 26 million Malaysians. 

And this is why we need a prime minister from Pakatan Rakyat. We need a Malaysian prime minister, not an Umno division prime minister. And until Pakatan Rakyat takes over and as long as the prime minister is a man nominated by 191 Umno division that would be how long the prime minister will be an Umno prime minister and not a Malaysian prime minister. 

But is this going to happen? Will we see a Pakatan Rakyat prime minister? And when will that be? 

Yes, I think it will happen. And it may not be too long away, probably even before Christmas. The 8^th March 2008 revolution has not ended. It is still continuing. It continued into the Permatang Pauh by-election. It will continue into the Kulim by-election if they dare declare that seat vacant – which was why they dropped the case. And the revolution will only end once the Umno prime minister has been kicked out of office.  

The incoming Umno leadership is a Mathathir leadership. Mahathir announced at Hotel Singgahsana in Petaling Jaya that the new prime minister will be guided by a Presidential Council. Who will head this newly set up Presidential Council? Can the people accept the fact that Mahathir will be back in power and will be ruling by proxy? This will be the issue debated these next couple of weeks and which will have a bearing on a Pakatan Rakyat prime minister taking over. 

I know many are no longer holding their breath. Most Malaysians have given up hope for Pakatan Rakyat taking over the federal government. Well, it may be too early to give up hope. If by Christmas it has not happened then maybe it’s time to get worried. Until then keep hoping and plan for this year’s Christmas to be the best Christmas in 51 years since Merdeka. 

MalaysiaKini SMS 04/11/08

4/11: Finance Minister Najib Razak announced a RM7 bil stimulus package to bolster the economy in face of a global financial crisis./MKINI

Bernama SMS 04/11/08

4/11: Inflation in 2009 expected to be at 3-4 pct if the downtrend in the global oil prices continue/BERNAMA

Bernama SMS 03/11/08

Kl3/11: Asian Retail Mall Fund is investing RM1.1 billion in four malls in Malaysia/BERNAMA

MalaysiaKini SMS 03/11/08 (3)

3/11: Gerakan VP S Vijayaratnam's death: Party said he died from a heart attack. Police have ruled out suicide or foul play./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 03/11/08 (2)

3/11: Gerakan vice-president Dr S Vijayaratnam was found dead outside his medical clinic in Seremban this morning. The ex-senator was 58./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 03/11/08

3/11: PRS has issued show-cause letter to ex-party leader Beginda Minda who called on Sarawak CM Taib Mahmud and DCM Alfred Jabu to resign./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 02/11/08

2/11: DPM Najib Razak picked up his 133rd nomination for Umno president, ensuring Razaleigh Hamzah unable to get the 58 needed to qualify./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 01/11/08 (2)

1/11: Gua Musang Umno div nominated Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for president but pulled a surprise by nominationg Shahrir Samad for No 2./MKINI

MalaysiaKini SMS 01/11/08

1/11: PRS' Beginda Minda has called on PBB chief Abdul Taib Mahmud to step down as Sarawak CM 'gracefully' before he is forced from office./MKINI