A diplomat and a friend ...

A Malaysia-born daughter and a Masters in Law degree from a Malaysian university. These are just two of the many sweet memories that Jafar M.Jafar, Charge d'affaires at the Jordanian embassy in Kuala Lumpur, will bring home after a four-year stint in Malaysia next month. As his countrymen celebrate the kingdom's 59th National Day today, Jafar recalled the day daughter Nooran, three and a half, was born as among the nicest memories about Malaysia.
"Malaysia to me is like a second country, my second home...I have so many nice memories here, never felt like a stranger," he told me at the embassy during an interview to mark Jordan's National Day. The many photographs he had taken of Nooran, his elder daughter Dania, six and a half, and wife Rana would also remind them of their stay in Malaysia.
"Frankly, I didn't know much about Malaysia's multicultural society before I came but to experience it in person is wonderful.
"You can see so many things about the world in one place," said 36 year-old Jafar, wearing an olive green batik shirt.
I will forever remember him as a friend.

Spreading its wings abroad...

The Malaysian national news agency, Bernama, which turns 37 today is set for global presence. It will open six overseas bureaus this year and in 2006 to widen its international news coverage. Information Minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir announced today the bureaus will be in Bangkok, Beijing, Dubai, London, Washington and New Delhi. The Bangkok bureau will be opened this year to be followed by the rest next year. Abdul Kadir said the Bangkok bureau would help enhance bilateral ties between Malaysia and Thailand, through wider dissemination and exchange of information especially in the economic and social fields. He also described as timely the opening of Bernama's offices in Beijing and New Delhi as both countries were now emerging as one of the world's most powerful economic players. Prior to this, Bernama news coverage from Washington and London were handled by retainers but the opening of the bureaus in the two major cities, would help the news agency despatch full-time correspondents. With the setting up of the bureaus, Bernama will have eight foreign bureaus, in addition to existing offices in Singapore and Jakarta.

Blogs have not displaced media

Weblogs, or blogs, may be a powerful new force in US politics but they have not displaced traditional media in terms of information and influence. This is according to a study conducted during the 2004 US presidential campaign. The study released Monday in New York found political blogs -- online opinion and information sites -- played a similar, but not greater role, as did the mainstream media and the candidates campaigns. The study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project dispels the notion that blogs are replacing traditional media as the public's primary source of information.

Return of the birds ..........

After almost two decades, the days of local fruits like rambutan, pineapple, durian and mangosteen appearing on Malaysian stamps have come to an end. So do starfruit, banana, mango and papaya which made up the fruit series of the national definitive stamps, first issued on June 5, 1986.
In their place, Pos Malaysia has opted for the exotic images of the country's feathered flying creatures -- spotted dove, bilbus, long-tailed parakeets, white-rumped shamas and olive-backed sunbirds.
Together with green-winged pigeons, banded pittas and imperial pegions, these birds would be featured on the new Malaysian stamps as the postal agency strives to keep the letters going in the face of the growing threat from the ultra fast e-mails.
The new definitive series -- Birds of Malaysia -- will go on sale throughout the country from tomorrow, May 14. They would come in eight denominations: 20 sen, 30 sen, 40 sen, 50 sen, 75 sen, RM1, RM2 and RM5.
Definitive stamps are the 'common' stamps intended for normal everyday postage use, issued in a large indefinite quantities and available for several years or more.
Birds had been featured in the first national definitive series in 1965.
As for the state series, a Pos Malaysia spokesman said the current agro-based theme which has been in circulation since 1986, would likely be replaced next year.

Typewriter...a forgotten trusted machine

Covering the recent Boao Forum in China was a real eye-opener. It was actually the first time that I literally got my hands on a wireless lap top. No clumsy wires except for the electricity connection. But once the batteries were fully charged, I could work anywhere I like and transmit the stories at ease within the room. To think I was filing the stories from one corner of huge China was incredible. Coming from the days of typewriters where we used to send stories through fax, telephone and telex whenever we were overseas, this new speedy way of filing news reports is most helpful.