Historic Melaka and George Town made it...

A temple in Cambodia, two historic Malaysian trading towns and an early agricultural site from Papua New Guinea have been added to UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Honoured were the 11th century Preah Vihear temple site, perched on a mountaintop on the Thai-Cambodia border; the cities of the Straits of Malacca, Melaka and George Town in Malaysia, and the Kuk Early Agricultural Site in Papua New Guinea, marking the country's first entry on the list.
The UNESCO committee has been meeting in this oldest of Canadian cities of Quebec since Wednesday to consider adding to its coveted list of protected architectural and natural wonders.
A total of 45 new sites were vying for inclusion on the list this year at the meeting which ends on Thursday.

AU retires after 37 years ...

Bernama general manager Azman Ujang, or AU, retires from his post today after 37 years with the organisation.
He began his journalistic career as a cadet reporter at the Bernama bureau in Kuching, Sarawak, in 1971.
He later headed the Sabah bureau and seven years later, was transferred to the Bernama headquarters as editor at the Economics Desk.
During his career he had also headed the General News, Features and Foreign desks.
The 57 year-old Azman was editor-in-chief from 2004 to 2007 before being appointed general manager.

Deja vu...

Looking at the smiling, cheerful faces of the new graduates as they walked into Dewan Sri Budiman, I'm overcome with pride. My daughter is among those receiving their scroll on this day at 1.30pm.
It was here 17 years ago I received my journalism degree from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UITM), then known as ITM.
As her name was splashed on the two giant screens above the stage, I realised how proud it is for a parent to share the joy of their children on convocation day.

When a man dies ...

He would often be by himself among piles of clothes in his Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman store. At first glance, you could guess the man was no ordinary staff despite his simple look.
Talking to him, makes you humbled for he held no barrier to get into a conversation.
He would only chuckled when I told him it was a proud moment for me to meet the man behind the name.
He just smile when I joked that he would have amassed millions of ringgit from his self-name enterprise.
He was funny when tongue-in-cheek he told me he would not be able to make much if most people were of my size.
Looking back, I realised his store is among the few that could readily cater for customers whose waistline matches the number of Bernama's years of operation -- 40 and beyond.
You could easily find slacks for the big-sized guys at his outlets. They come at a reasonable price too.
So it is with a tinge of sadness to read about his death in the newspapers today.
I will cherish the memories that I had of him for I will never see him again.
Thanks to the Blackberry, I have immortalised a moment in time with M.H.Kamdar -- the founder of Kamdar. He was 81.

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count,
it's the life in your years." -- Abraham Lincoln

'Sape' takes Ulu Baram man to Paris …

Sarawak's melodious stringed instrument, the Sape, has taken a man from remote Ulu Baram to perform at the Unesco’s headquarters in Paris -- the world city of arts and culture.
Being an accomplished sape player, Mathew Ngau Jau, 56, from Long Semiang in Ulu Baram, Sarawak is all too happy to introduce the guitar-like instrument to music lovers outside the country.
"I feel very proud to present the music of my ethnic Orang Ulu Kenyah to the world.
"In my place, this instrument is an ordinary sound but here people from all over appreciate it.
"I hope my sons will continue playing this instrument so that the world continues to know about Orang Ulu, Kenyah and Malaysia," he told me after another highly-applauded performance.
Having played the instrument since childhood, Jau became a professional musician 10 years ago.
He is among musicians brought to Paris by the Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry to showcase Malaysia’s traditional music and cultural performance.
Their presence is part of Malaysia’s attempt to get Melaka and Penang listed as Unesco’s world heritage sites.

Education key to overcome racial, religious hatred...

As the Internet broadcast of an anti-Islamic video came under attack at the Unesco executive board meeting in Paris today, Malaysia says education is crucial in inoculating people against racial and religious hatred.
Making his maiden speech at the board's 179th session, Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein says the search for accommodation between many races, cultures and religions in the face of globalization and the free flow of information had become the world’s problem.
"Ignorance of others, causes people to fear one another and fearing one another leads to hate. Stereotyping and extremism of any kind is wrong," he said.
"Demonizing Islam, Muslims and the Holy Quran by the airing of the film Fitna through the Net in the name of freedom of speech and expression is not only unacceptable but outright dangerous," he said.
Globalization and the related ICT revolution have resulted in a "globalized telecommunications reality" where communication and knowledge flows in a global environment that is complex and unpredictable.
Hishammuddin says it is not only unacceptable but simply dangerous to have a deep divide between "information have and have nots" and "knowledge know and know nots".
"Nor it is acceptable and even dangerous that in this so-called global village, languages, religions, cultural and regional values and identities, be put at risk of being levelled out in a world dominated by the cultural norms of the powerful," he said.

Hishammuddin makes debut in Unesco executive board...

Having been re-appointed as Education Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein makes his maiden appearance in the 58-member executive board of Unesco which opens its 179th session in Paris today.
The minister had worked tirelessly to earn Malaysia a firmer place in the crucial United Nations agency.
He has struck a close working relationship with Unesco director-general Koichiro Matsuura, who made no secret about his happiness with Hishammuddin’s contribution.
Saying he was looking forward to future prospects of bilateral cooperation between Unesco and Malaysia, Matsuura thanked Malaysia for its unfailing support of the organisations various activities.
"I should like you to know how pleased I was to learn of your re-appointment as Minister of Education in the recently-formed Government of Malaysia," he said in a letter to Hishammuddin.
Matsuura was in Kuala Lumpur recently to attend the 43rd South-East Asia Ministers of Education (SEAMEO) Council Conference during which he signed an updated Memorandum of Understanding between Unesco and SEAMEO.

Congrats, Shabery!

The opening ceremony of an East Asia Media Forum here in Bangkok had just been over when I received an SMS on my handphone.
“TAHNIAH KAWAN SDRA SABREE CHEEK JADI MEN PENERANGAN!”
A while later came another message :“What’s Shabery no?”
Yet another, a few minutes later.
“Kawan baik hang shabery cheek jadi menteri kita.”
I could feel the excitement back home as the Prime Minister announced his Cabinet line-up following the Barisan Nasional’s fresh mandate in the just-concluded general elections.
Shabery had convincingly trounced a Parti Keadilan Rakyat hopeful to retain the Kemaman seat, paving the way for a deserving promotion as the Minister of Information.
He had been the Parliamentary Secretary to the Foreign Ministry prior to the elections.
Knowing Shabery, I’m sure he will be bringing fresh ideas and approaches to deal with the alternative media especially blogs, seen to have made a big impact in the recent polls.
Even before the day was over, another message came in:
“Bro. tlg sms hp no ahmad shabery. Tk”

Tip of an iceberg…

This gigantic iceberg had been towed away by ships from a rig in St. Johns, Newfoundland. The water was calm and the sun was almost directly overhead enabling a diver to get into the water and click this picture. The weight of the iceberg was estimated at 300,000,000 tons.

Friends...

Tried my luck to get in touch with former university mates by posting a note on our Stracomm group email. Was I happy that it prompted some response. While some said they were still at their old place, there were those looking for new job opportunities...

Making a difference...

A giant ship engine failed. The ship's owners tried one expert after
another, but none of them could figure how to fix the engine.
Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he
was young. He carried a large bag of tools with him and when he
arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very
carefully, top to bottom.
Two of the ship's owners were there, watching this man, hoping he
would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached
into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something.
Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away.
The engine was fixed!
A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars.
"What?!" the owners exclaimed.
"He hardly did anything!"
So they wrote the old man a note saying: "Please send us an itemized bill."

CAN YOU GUESS WHAT WAS THE BREAK DOWN?
The man sent a bill that read :
Tapping with a hammer............ $ 2.00
Knowing where to tap.............. $ 9,998.00

--Its ALL about knowledge! --

Effort is important but knowing where to make an effort in your life
makes all the difference.

Of being hurt...

An award-winning Malaysian film director once said during a year-end interview that she had learned a valuable lesson that year.
"If you have been belittled, humiliated or jilted by the person you love, you are the luckiest person on earth," she said.
"Why?" the reporter wondered.
"You know what hurt means...for someone who has gone through the experience, surely you would not want to hurt others," she said.
The people you meet who affect your life and the success and downfalls you experience help to create who you are and who you become.
Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.
If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious when you open your heart.
If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.
Make every day count.
Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again.

Indonesia's Antara takes over OANA presidency ...

Antara, the Indonesian national news agency, formally took over from Bernama of Malaysia the presidency of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) at its 13th general assembly which ended in Jakarta today.
The three-year term to lead the 40-member organization comes at a momentous time as Antara will be celebrating its 70th anniversary tomorrow.
Antara chief executive officer Dr Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf is the new OANA president while editor-in-chief M. Saiful Hadi has been named secretary-general.
By tradition, Bernama would fill one of the four vice-presidency slots along with Itar-Tass (Russia), IRNA (Iran) and Xinhua (China).
The assembly also re-elected Press Trust of India (PTI), Yonhap (South Korea), Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Kyodo (Japan) and newcomer Azertac (Azerbaijan) as board members.
The next Executive Board Meeting will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, next year while the 14th general assembly in 2010 will be hosted by Anadolu news agency of Turkey to coincide with its 90th anniversary.
Earlier, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), which initiated the formation of OANA in 1961, pledged to work with the organisation towards promoting a better-informed society.
Unesco South East Asia Representative Prof Hubert Gijzen said the world, more than ever, was in need of timely information, communication and mutual understanding.
"Technological advances have given communication and information professionals and practitioners like you more powerful tools, new media and wider platforms for providing timely information to the public," he said at the plenary session. The text of his speech was read out by Jakarta-based Unesco programme specialist Dr Linda Santiago Posadas.
Gijzen said rather than consider the new developments as a threat, the agencies should seize the opportunities to bring about a spirit of innovation.

Life is about ...

Life is about waking up each day to discover something new; meeting old people but making new conversations; walking through old roads but still feeling nice about it; realizing that you have grown a day older but still feeling young at heart;
meeting busy schedules but still finding time to smile; being nostalgic about 'PAST' but looking forward better days to come...

Malaysia offers places for Brunei officers....

Malaysia has offered places for officers from Brunei Darussalam to attend courses at the Tun Abdul Razak Broadcasting Institute (Iptar) in Kuala Lumpur.
Iptar will be upgraded into a university college in January next year.
Deputy Minister of Information Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the offer was made in tandem with efforts to boost bilateral cooperation in broadcasting between the two friendly neighbours.

Zahid, on a three-day visit to Brunei Darussalam, extended the offer during his meeting with the Energy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Yahya bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar, who is also the minister responsible for broadcasting.
The deputy minister said Iptar would cooperate with Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Mara and Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology to conduct the courses.
Present at the meeting were Malaysian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari, Information Ministry deputy secretary-general Dr Rothiah Omar, Director-General of the National Film Development Corporation, Malaysia (Finas), Raja Rozaimie Dalnish, and Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister's Department of Brunei Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Ismail bin Pengiran Haji Mohammad.
Zahid said he was satisfied with the bilateral cooperation of the two countries in information and broadcasting through RTM and RTB, between the information departments of Malaysia and Brunei and the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama).
He also indicated the possibility of expanding the cooperation through recently-launched Bernama-run Radio24.
Awang Yahya welcomed initiatives to enhance cooperation in information and broadcasting.
Tonight, Zahid attended the Senandung Muhibah concert, jointly staged by RTM-RTB at Jerudong Park Amphitheatre.

Of filial piety ...

While the story of Si-Tanggang has become a Malaysian folklore, as with the tale of Malin Kundang in Indonesia, Brunei too has its own legend of an unfilial son.
Not far from its famous Kampung Ayer is a small rocky island aptly named ‘Jong Batu’. Locals believe that it was a vessel which had turned into a rock.
Legend has it that a poor boy had set out to better his life, leaving behind his widowed mother. After many years, he achieved success and became the captain of a huge ship, forgetting his humble roots in the process. One day, Nakhoda Manis, who had by then married, anchored his ship near his birthplace while taking shelter from an impending storm.
On hearing news of his presence, his ageing mother rowed out in a small boat calling out to her long lost son. With his wife by his side, Nakhoda Manis was too embarrassed to acknowledge his mother and turned his back on her. He ordered his crew to shoo her away. The mother, brokenhearted and depressed, then placed a curse on her unfilial son. After a while, the sky turned dark and the wind became strong. Storm came and his ship slowly began to sink at the site where ‘Jong Batu’ is now.

For days of Auld Lang Syne …

Five years ago, on this date, some 40 motivated souls who were just starting their post-graduate stint held a Hari Raya gathering. It was to be a project for their Strategic Communication class. Being working people, it was not difficult for them to pool resources to make it a memorable night. A senior state politician who was known to one of the students even took the trouble to fly down to be with them and left for home on the last flight that night. Some wondered what magic the guy had to make the politician (who later became a deputy minister) spend time with the class.
With an amiable lecturer, whom they referred to as ‘Cefu’, the class was such fun that there was never a dull moment whenever they gathered for their once-a-week class. To make them better connected and informed of the class, a Yahoo Group was created which they aptly called stracommastersnov02. It proved to be an effective communication channel for through it they shared information not just about class assignments and projects but matters of interest concerning their classmates. Some posted anecdotes, anniversary messages and even wedding invitation! It was so special that the group of November ’02 students continued updating the site even after passing the Strategic Communication class. Some vowed to make it a lifetime communication channel. One of them posted a line yesterday and was lucky enough that it prompted a single response. Wonder where the others are…

Tribute to a man who saved my life ....

With the grace of Allah, Datuk Dr Nik Zainal Abidin Abdul Rahman had saved many lives in his illustrious career as cardiologist. I'm one of them.
When I laid in coma at the Gleneagles Hospital last November, he answered the emergency call and rushed to my aid.
He told me days later that they had initially thought I had a stroke as I was "almost breathless, gasping for air".
My face was pale and bluish.
Without wasting any time, he ran some tests on my brains, fearing it could have been severely affected by the attack.
But my brain gave a positive response.
I may have been out for two or three hours during which they finally traced the problem to my swelling water-logged lungs.
The doctors zeroed in my ailment as acute pneumonia and took steps to drain out the water from my body. I should be lucky to have survived.
Dr Nik told me that I could have been ‘gone’ if I had been half an hour late to the hospital.
"You gave us quite an excitement last night,'" his words still ringing in my ears when he saw me after I regained consciousness.
With tube placed in my mouth, I couldn't talk and could only gazed at him.
I recalled him telling the nurse that I was a strong guy to survive the ordeal.
When I finally had the chance to thanked him after they had taken the tube off my mouth several days later, he was his usual-self.
I now realise of his admirable traits -- unassuming and down-to-earth despite his high-achievement.
I remember him for his bow-tie but what would now endeared me to him is the memories of a man who had literally given me a new breath of life.
As I read the obituaries of this great man in the newspapers today, I couldn't help feeling moved by what he has done to the country.
And in my silent prayer, I am thankful to have crossed path with the man whom I will never get a chance to meet again.
For all the lives that he had saved, Dr Nik lost his when his four-wheel drive collided with a lorry near Karak Highway as he was heading towards Bentong from his house in Janda Baik on Monday, Oct 29.
In him, I found a man, a great man, who had passionately devoted his life to saving lives.
Al-Fatihah...

The road to Alhambra ...

As we travelled to Alhambra, the neatly grown trees on both sides of the highway caught the eye. Juan, our journalist friend from EFE, said they were olive trees.
"If I have to buy a gift, I would get olive oil instead of perfume," he said.

Wikipedia says the Alhambra (Arabic: literally "the red one"; the complete name is "Qal'at al-Hambra", which means "The red fortress").
It is a palace and fortress complex of the Moorish monarchs of Granada in southern Spain (known as Al-Andalus when the fortress was constructed), occupying a hilly terrace on the southeastern border of the city of Granada.

Once the residence of the Muslim kings of Granada and their court, the Alhambra is now one of Spain's major tourist attractions exhibiting the country's most famous Islamic architecture, together with Christian 16th century and later interventions in buildings and gardens that marked its image as it can be seen today.
It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Of seagulls and little, little things...

Here I am on the balcony of my hotel room looking out at the Mediterranean sea.
Seagulls fly freely as the sun began to set in this Spanish tourist area of “Costa del Sol”.
The sound of waves hitting the shores of this popular Arena beach is sweet music to the ears.
From cold Paris to this sunny town of Estepona, what more can I ask.
Another place, another experience to cherish.
Looking at the flock of seagulls, I recalled these words, so meaningful of someone so dear:
“I am the seagull – flying high, exploring the world.
Life is too short to worry about little, little things - but that's what most people do.
Happiness is appreciating and enjoying what you have while you can.
Enjoy the little, little things you do …”

Spanish 'City of Journalism' hosts news agencies summit...

Representatives of 90 news agencies from 80 countries gathered in this southern Spanish city of Estepona for the second World Congress to discuss the challenges the Internet age has brought on the media. The event was inaugurated by Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.
Access to big news events like the soccer World Cup and the Olympic Games is one the agencies' main concerns as they strive to report on such happenings in a dynamic, precise and accurate way.
Reporters' safety, piracy, the possibilities offered by the new technologies and the future trends for the agencies would also be issues discussed during the four-day World Congress of News Agencies, organized by Spain's Agencia EFE and the municipal government of Estepona. Preparations for the congress had been made in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi – host city the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Some 40 agencies have also submitted photographs for the first World Congress of News Agencies Photo Competition, which constitutes an excellent sampling of the photographic coverage of the most important events of the 21st century.

Malaysia wins UNESCO Executive Board seat...

Two years of preparation brought glory for Malaysia as the country was elected to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Executive Board with the highest votes among competing nations. Securing 147 votes to top the Asia-Pacific group, Malaysia was a clear favourite from the start to sit in the 58-member board for a four-year term until 2011. Founded in 1946 to promote international collaboration through education, science and culture, the Paris-based Unesco now has 193 members. The win capped a week of achievements for Malaysia after the successful completion of the country’s first Angkasawan mission to space two days ago. Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein will represent Malaysia on the board.
Not one to rest on his laurels, the minister has told his officers that the victory meant hard work and conviction towards achieving UNESCO's objectives.

'Real Life, Real Time' gets real from Paris...

Radio24 Bernama’s ‘Real Life, Real Time’ broadcast caught up with a Malaysian parliamentarian all the way in Paris as he spoke ‘live’ about the on-going 34th Unesco General Conference.
It was the first time for Member of Parliament for Cameron Highlands S.K.Devamany to be interviewed on-spot for the news bulletin of a Malaysian radio station, let alone across continents.
“This is fantastic…speaking live from Paris to Kuala Lumpur for the radio bulletin,” said the former teacher who is a member of the Malaysian delegation to the biennial conference which started on Tuesday.
Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, vying for a seat in Unesco’s Executive Board, is leading the Malaysian delegation drawn from various ministries linked to the roles of the 193-member organization.
Devamany said the 24-hour radio station could enable the public to hear the latest news more quickly with such ‘live’ connection.
This is made possible with up-to-date information and communication technology, an area actively pursued by Unesco, he said.
Officially launched on Sept 3, the radio transmission from Wisma Bernama in Kuala Lumpur on the 93.9fm frequency currently covers Klang Valley.
But thanks to Internet streaming, its all-news and information programmes could be heard clearly in Paris and possibly elsewhere around the globe.
Director General of Education Alimuddin Haji Mohd Dom, who was also interviewed live on the station’s news slot, commended the ‘reality’ concept of Radio24 in the growing trend of a globalised world.
“As we move forward, we need actual and current news that would keep us on track with happenings across the world,” he said.
Bernama’s correspondents throughout Malaysia and its overseas bureaus have constantly provided live reports for Radio24 as the agency strives to become a complete, multi-platform news and information provider.

Strolling along a Parisian open market...

The street markets of Paris like the one on the Boulevard De Grenelle offer visitors a glimpse of the Parisian life. It displays all kinds of food, from fresh fruits to vegetables, fish and meat to flowers, cheese to pastries – you name it. Like the ‘pasar malam’ in Kuala Lumpur, there is also a wide range of clothes and household items to bargain for. Even if you are not buying anything, the experience of strolling along the open market is worth a life-time remembrance. You will enjoy a real feast for the eyes and ears, and for a moment a precious feeling of warmth and humanity. Don’t be surprise if a cute, elderly lady grabs your hand while you are being photographed by a friend. She just wants to be in the picture too!
If you are lucky, you might even bump into some visiting ministers, here for the Unesco meeting, taking a casual Sunday walk. The Boulevard de Grenelle food market opens every Sunday and Wednesday from 8am to 1pm.

China strengthens media relations with Asean...

NANNING: Holding hands the Asean-style, media participants from the regional grouping hoarsely belted out the familiar tune of "Rasa Sayang" here tonight as they bade farewell to their Chinese host.
The "feel good" atmosphere capped a week-long programme of interviews and field studies in Guangdong and Guangxi aimed at strengthening China-Asean relations.
While the Chinese celebrated the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, a festival of family union, the Asean participants not only made new friends from China but also from among their Asean neighbours.
Hosted by People's Daily, China's largest newspaper with a daily circulation of more than two million, the Third China-Asean Media Cooperation Seminar and Interview Tour was suggested by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
He had proposed in his speech titled "Working Together to Open a New Chapter of China-Asean Relationship" at the 10th China-Asean Summit in January that China would hold the programme in an effort to enhance exchanges in the media sector among China and Asean countries.
People's Daily president Wang Chen said the strengthening China-Asean relations would need enhanced mutual understanding, exchange and cooperation.
"I believe that our practical media cooperation, as a new form in the 10+1 cooperation, will significantly expand, enrich and push forward the 10+1 cooperation relations," he said.
Last year witnessed the 15th anniversary of China-Asean dialogue relations while 2007 marked a significant year for Asean as it celebrated its 40th anniversary.
As part of broader efforts to bolster cooperation among the media organisations, the seminar participants agreed on the setting up of a China-Asean Media Cooperation Liaison Network, the details of which are to be worked out.
Participating media organisations also agreed to support the China-Asean Expo in Nanning as the event, which has been successfully held over the past three years, is a major platform to strengthen ties between China and Asean.
The fourth exposition, to be held later this month, will highlight cooperation among ports in China and Asean with the organiser expecting another large turnout.
Some 820,000 people participated as exhibitors and trade visitors in the previous three expositions.
Using football as a metaphor, I mentioned in my speech at the seminar that together we could form a formidable team.
"I believe many of us here love football. China itself has become a soccer powerhouse, having played in the 2002 World Cup. Given the chance, the 10 Asean countries would also want to qualify for the World Cup finals. But the 10 of us cannot even form a team. We need another player, a strong player. That's why we need China for this 10 plus 1 team."

Myanmar Appreciates Malaysia's No-sanction Stand...

The head of Myanmar's information agency has lauded Malaysia's stand to reject calls for economic sanctions on his country.
News and Periodicals Enterprise Managing Director Soe Win said such sanctions would not work as Myanmar has many resources.

"Most of the Western media fabricate news about us, getting information from undesirable elements," he told Bernama in Nanning, China today.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said in New York yesterday that Malaysia did not believe in imposing economic sanctions on Myanmar as they would usually hurt ordinary citizens.
The minister was commenting on calls by certain countries that economic sanctions be effected against Myanmar for alleged human rights abuses and its relatively slow process towards democracy.
Soe Win said Myanmar had worked to improve living standards of its people.
"Seeing is believing... some European groups which came to Myanmar could see that the people are okay," he said.
He is in Nanning to attend the Third China-Asean Media Cooperation Seminar and Interview Tour which began last Saturday.
The News and Periodicals Enterprise is one of the five departments under Myanmar's Information Ministry.
Besides publishing three dailies, including The New Light of Myanmar in English, it also runs two news agencies reporting news on Myanmar.

Happy 50th Anniversary Malaysia!

OANA workshop kicks off in Sabah ...

Our four-day media workshop on sustainable forest management for members of the Organisation of Asia Pacific News Agencies (OANA) kicks off in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah today. We had chosen the topic as a way of helping the region address the issue which has again come under focus. Some Western non-governmental organizations claimed that the opening of oil palm plantations has led to the destruction of rainforests and Orang Utan habitats, loss of biodiversity and caused global warming.
We wanted participants to find out about initiatives, policies and practices to balance between “development need” and the need to “preserve the environment” in the management of forest in Malaysia.
The participants will also visit the Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary.

Good old Simpang Lima days ….

Thanks to Dr Jayaraj, we finally got together for lunch to refresh our primary school bonding. Several of our teachers were able to be with us, making the event a lively affair. As we recalled the good old days of Simpang Lima (2) Primary School, we were thankful to the teachers for what we are today.
While some of us have remained in Klang, like Dr Jayaraj, Samsudin, Rauf, Arumugam, Tirath Singh and Seerajuddin, others found jobs elsewhere to settle down.
We were so happy to see our former headmaster Mr G.Jayaraman, who did not change much, while some of us boys have joined the rank of ‘extra-large waist earners’.

Sochi wins Olympic bid...

Not only the United States is in celebration mood on this Fourth of July because of its Independence Day, but Russia too. Thousands of Russians roared and jumped into the balmy Black Sea air in the resort town of Sochi as the International Olympic Committee named the southern seaside town host of the 2014 Winter Games. Sochi narrowly beat South Korea's Pyeongchang to give the Russia the right to host a second Olympics after the Summer Games staged in 1980. Hours before the final voting in Guatemala City, Russian President Vladimir Putin promised rich natural snow and no traffic jams when he addressed the IOC meeting. Speaking live for the first time in English, Putin, a keen skier himself, said with its unique climate of springlike weather at the Black Sea resort and cold temperatures in the nearby Krasnaya Polyanna mountains, Sochi was best suited to host the Olympics.

News agencies ponder about their future ....

In the face of tough challenges, news agencies worldwide will take a hard look at their future when they meet at the World Congress of News Agencies (WCNA) in the Spanish resort city of Estepona in October.
Among the growing concerns are the free content provided by Internet search engines as they compete to outdo each other and the question of corporate takeovers besetting private-run news agencies.
The safety of journalists also warrant immediate attention with the increasing number of media personnel killed in conflict areas around the world. More than 100 journalists have been killed so far this year.
The News Agencies World Council, an alliance of regional news agencies organisations, which met in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi last week, agreed on the issues to be addressed by the WCNA which last convened its meeting in Moscow three years ago.
"Nobody heard about the Internet before 1994 but today everybody is saying news is free, what then is our future? said WCNA secretary-general Uffe Sorensen. The 2nd WCNA would be held from Oct 24 to 28.
The tendency to monopolise major sports events by the ruling international body was another cause of concern.
In some instances, news agencies were not allowed to transmit photographs of a sports event until it was over, thus denying them of their obligation to provide fast service to subscribers.

View from a Moscow hotel room...

The sun is about to set as I look out of my hotel room here in Moscow at this moment. The time is 9.50pm. At another direction, the crowd at the famous Arbat Street was dwindling. The foreign ministry building with the year '1951' encypted on it stands majestically on my right. From this room 1511 of the Golden Ring Hotel, I can see clearly the big 'M' logo of the popular fast-food chain in the distant. I've seen the logo when I was in Beijing last two weeks. Globalisation! The cars on Moscow roads reflect the trend too. After six days in Russia for the News Agencies World Council Meeting, I'll be flying home tomorrow morning via Rome. Spasiva!

Olympic mood grips Russian Black Sea resort

SOCHI (Russia): From mayor to tourist guides, a feverish mood grips this Russian Black Sea resort with less than a month to go before the host city for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games is announced.
Ask any of the 400,000 people here and united they stand on why their city should have the edge over the two other contenders -- Salzburg in Austria and PyeongChang in South Korea.
"Two years ago, when we placed our bid even Russians were laughing at us wondering whether we were crazy to host the Olympic Games," said Efim Bitenev, operations director of Sochi 2014 based here.
The opinion has now changed not only in Russia but the whole world.
"We're not just going in to participate. We hope to see you in the 2014 Winter Olympics," he told representatives of international news agencies who are gathered here for the News Agencies World Council meeting.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is scheduled to elect the host city when it meets in Guatemala on July 4. Sochi, Salzburg and PyeongChang were shortlisted by the IOC executive board on June 22 last year.
Like others here, journalist Natalia Nesterova hoped that Sochi, which receives some four million visitors a year, would get the Olympic honour as it could attract more people from all over the world.
English teacher and interpreter Inna Retrun, who has on numerous occasions acted as tourist guide, said she would not mind relating the colourful history of Sochi over and over again to first-time visitors.
Using the tagline "Gateway to the Future", the bid committee says Sochi, with its unique heritage, would provide the Olympic Movement with a gateway to a new region ready to welcome the world for the first time.
With pristine snowy peaks only 40 minutes away from temperate, sun-drenched beaches, Sochi guarantees that it could offer a once-in-lifetime Winter Olympic Games experience.
The mountain ski resort in Krasnaya Polyana, or the Red Meadow, where Russian President Vladimir Putin goes for skiing, would be the primary venue for outdoor sports while sea-front Sochi would host indoor games.
To support the bid, the Russian government has approved an unprecedented US$12 billion investment package to develop the Sochi region into a year-round, world-class resort destination with state-of-the-art infrastructure and modern accommodation.
Mayor Victor Kolodyazhny summed up the feelings of the city folks when he told the media representatives that Sochi was glad to welcome visitors.
"We do hope you like our city and the prospect of a great future here," said Kolodyazhny, a member of the Sochi 2014 supervisory board.

Sweet melody to Malaysia-China ties...

Malaysian Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein is not so much into singing but that does not stop him from appreciating music.
"Life without music and culture is no life at all," he said during a visit to a music school in Beijing where he was entertained to an eight-piece performance of age-old Chinese instruments by the students.
Plucking a seven-string instrument known as "guqin" that dates back 2000 years and other treasured musical items like the pipa, yangjin, and erhu, the students skilfully performed a sweet medley of songs.
Mesmerised by their performance, Hishammuddin invited the students to perform before his Asean counterparts when Malaysia hosts the ministerial meeting in March next year.
And in a new beat to Malaysia-China cooperation, he offered the school, which celebrated its 40th anniversary recently, to help draw up the curriculum for the two arts schools which will built in Johor and Sarawak.
Such expected link-up capped a successful trip for Hishammuddin, who broke new ground as the first Education Minister from Malaysia to make an official visit to China in 10 years.

The reverberating sound of 'kompang' in Beijing...

The beatings of the kompang and songs of Siti Nurhaliza welcomed the arrival of Malaysian Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein at the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) today, further cementing Malaysia-China relations.
The visit to the university which offers courses in 36 languages, including Malay Language, is part of the minister's tightly scheduled official visit to China to strengthen bilateral cooperation in education between the two countries.
"We must continue building bridges to face the tide of globalisation," he told the audience in Bahasa Malaysia at the function to welcome him.
"Besides language, bilateral cooperation could also be enhanced through culture and sports," added Hishammuddin who arrived in Beijing on Saturday for a one-week visit.
At the function, he was impressed with the proficiency of the Chinese students taking the four-year Malay Language course and their interest in Malay songs and traditional dances. During a dialogue with the students who were clad in baju Melayu, baju kurung and kebaya, a student expressed interest in learning silat, the Malay art of self-defence.
Hishammuddin brought them good news by inviting them to Malaysia as his guests in conjunction with the country's 50th independence anniversary celebrations in August.

M'sian polar explorer's feat catches UN agency's attention...

Just as the global focus is turning to the changing climate, the amazing feat of a Malaysian polar explorer to conquer the North and South Poles has caught the attention of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The agency's spokesman, Nick Nuttal, said Sharifah Mazlina Syed Kadir's accomplishment as the first Asian woman to complete the Pole-to-Pole mission underlined the interconnectiveness of the planet in the 21st century.
"We now no longer live in boxes but truly, for the first time, as a global village. Climate change for the first time is interconnecting people on this planet because every person will be feeling the impact of it," he told Bernama on the sidelines of the inaugural Global Business Summit for the Environment hosted by the UNEP here in Singapore. Sharifah Mazlina reached the top of the world at latitude 90 degress north at 2.45pm (8.25pm Malaysian time) on Tuesday, exactly two weeks after setting off from Kuala Lumpur. The feat was the culmination of the 42-year-old lecturer's one-and-a-half years of preparation. In April 2004, she was the first Asian woman to reach the South Pole. Bangkok-based UNEP Regional Information Officer Satwant Kaur said that by achieving the feat, Sharifah Mazlina was a good model not just for Malaysians but for young Asian women and men.
"It is interesting that an Asian woman has reached such heights, particularly in the International Polar Year which started in March and lasts until March 2009. It's really a good start," she said. International Polar Year (IPY) is regarded as the largest-ever international programme of scientific research focused on the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

The three-legged chair...

In front of the UN headquarters in Geneva, stands a gigantic three-legged chair. It is a stark reminder of the destruction caused by land mines. The chair was supposed to stand until every country signed the Mine Ban Treaty or the Ottawa Treaty -- the international agreement that bans antipersonnel landmines. Officially entitled The Convention on the Prohibition, Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Antipersonnel Mines and on Their Destruction, the treaty is sometimes referred to as the Ottawa Convention. In December 1997, 122 governments signed the treaty in Ottawa, Canada. It entered into force and became binding under international law in March 1999, doing so quicker than any other previous treaty of its kind. The Treaty is still open for ratification by signatories and for accession by those who did not sign before March 1999. As of 15 August 2007, there are 157 signatories and 155 ratifications or accessions to the Ottawa Treaty. There are currently 38 countries that have not signed the treaty, but are able now to assent.

Malaysia on right track about English, says Unesco expert

Malaysia is heading in the right direction in using English to teach science and mathematics in schools, says an international expert on curriculum development in Geneva, Thursday.
International Bureau of Education (IBE) project coordinator Dakmara Ana Georgescu said the trend was happening in many other countries.

"It gives learners great opportunity to have access to materials internationally and access to the Internet," she said during a visit by Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to the institute which has been an integral part of Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation).
The IBE's main mission is to function as an international centre for the development of contents and methods of education as well as teaching strategies through curriculum development.
Georgescu, who has been working on education projects in Afghanistan since 2002, said using English as the medium of instruction did not mean neglecting the national language.
"I think you can learn science in your mother tongue as well as I had learned science in my mother tongue which is Romanian.
"But it's also a great opportunity today to be able to have access to concepts and methodologies and to practices in English which is an international language especially in the areas of science and mathematics," she said.
She said choosing English to learn the subjects was a sign of opening to international development and providing immediate access for learners to the most relevant material of worldwide quality.
"While translation takes a lot of time and money, you have to think if it is useful. From what I know , many countries admire you and want to do the same," she said.
She said even in France, a country proud of its language, there had been recommendation for English to be taught in curriculum like mathematics and some aspects of the curriculum should be addressed in English.

Language no barrier as Hishammuddin meets French Senate President...

Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein wraps up a four-day trip to Paris with a lively, warm meeting with the president of the French Senate Christian Poncelet on Wednesday.
So engrossing was their discussion that the minister was able to capture what Poncelet had to say on the various subjects without waiting for the help of the interpreter.

"When you talk on the same wavelength, language is not a barrier," he said after the hour-long meeting with Poncelet, who has been president of the Senate since 1998.
He was accompanied by Malaysia's permanent delegate to the Paris-based Unesco, Kenneth Luis, and two Members of Parliament -- Razali Ismail (Kuala Terengganu) and S.K.Devamany (Cameron Highlands).
Hishammuddin and Poncelet, who was in Malaysia last month for a visit, affirmed the excellent and long-standing bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and France.
They also noted the similar perspectives the two countries shared on global issues.
The minister informed Poncelet of Malaysia's decision to bid for a seat on the Unesco executive board at its 34th general conference this October.
Hishammuddin had met Unesco director-general Koichiro Matsura, who had praised Malaysia's education achievements, and permanent delegates of the other Unesco member countries during his Paris visit.
He also opened an exhibition on Malaysia's education accomplishments over the last 50 years since Independence. The exhibition being held at the Unesco headquarters ends Friday.
Hishammuddin later left for Geneva to visit the International Bureau of Education (IBE), another major agency of Unesco specialising in contents, methods and structures of education.

Malaysia ready for bigger role in Unesco...

Malaysia is ready to play a major role in the 192-member United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein indicated the matter to Unesco director-general Koichiro Matsuura during their meeting at the agency's headquarters in Paris on Monday.
Speaking later at a dinner with the Malaysian community based in the French capital on Monday night, he said Unesco's recognition of Malaysia's success in education would make him work even harder to address the issues.
"Since becoming Education Minister two years ago, I had nothing but problems day in, day out from leaking roofs of computer labs to issues of bullies.
"But coming to Paris and hearing the (Unesco) D-G saying how well we have done, gives me a renewed sense of commitment and drive to make our system better," said Hishammuddin who met Matsuura barely five hours after his arrival here Monday.
Matsuura had stated during an exhibition to celebrate 50 years of Malaysia's education accomplishments being held at the Unesco's headquarters that Malaysia's success provide good lessons for other countries.
Malaysia is bidding for a seat on the Unesco executive board at its 34th general conference here in October.
Consisting 58 members with a four-year term of office, the board examines the work programmes for the organisation and corresponding budget estimates.
Established in 1945, the United Nations agency's stated purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaborations through education, science and culture.
Despite the glowing tribute by Unesco, Hishammuddin said Malaysia would strive to improve its education programmes.
"Recently we launched our five-year plan from 2006 to 2010 called the National Education Blueprint because it is an on-going struggle.
"We are never satisfied with what we have achieved," said a determined Hishammuddin.
The minister, on a four-day visit to France is scheduled to visit a public elementary school, an international institute for educational planning and meet permanent delegates of Unesco member countries today.
He will leave for Geneva on Wednesday night for a one-day visit to Switzerland before returning home.

Hishammuddin Goes To School To Learn About Special Programme...

Education Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein literally went back to classroom today to learn more about integrating visually-impaired students with their normal peers in a primary school.
Seating on a classroom chair, he enquired inquisitively from teacher Valerie Rouget on the challenges faced in implementing such a programme, the tools required and the kind of flexibility needed to make the initiative a success.

"I always believe visually-impaired students should be integrated with normal children in school," he said during a visit to the Ecole Elementary -- the only public elementary school in Paris with a class for the visually- impaired.
Rouget told Hishammuddin she had eight students, aged between 6 and 12, under her care, learning subjects such as Mathematics and French.
Impressed with what he saw at the school, which was built in 1886, Hishammuddin told accompanying officials and the school principal Thierry Jallerat that he had computed in his mind what to do back home.
While the class must be small with not more than 12 students, the leadership of the school and the classroom with the teacher having an autonomy to decide on the progress of the students, were important, he said.
The school-parent relationship was also crucial for the successful implementation of the programme, said Hishammuddin who was accompanied on the visit by the ministry's Director of Educational Technology Division Yusoff Harun and deputy director of teacher-training division Asariah Mior Shaharuddin.

Also in the delegation were Member of Parliament for Kuala Terengganu Razali Ismail and Member of Parliament for Cameron Highlands S.K. Devamany, a former teacher.
The visit to the school, which had an enrolment of 360, was part of the minister's packed schedule for the day, the second of his four-day trip to Paris.
He was later scheduled to host a luncheon for permanent delegates of the 192-member Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) and visit the International Institute for Educational Planning.

Malaysia's education success good lesson for others, says UNESCO DG

Malaysia's achievements in education provide good lessons for other countries, said Unesco Director-General Koichiro Matsuura.
Describing the success since the country's independence as "great", he said progress was made in many significant areas.

He highlighted the country's primary school enrolment which was well over 90 per cent while the children enrolled had a high school life expectancy of near zero dropout rate.
"This shows the success of not only in expanding access to education but also in providing education of high quality," he said at the opening of an exhibition entitled "Celebrating 50 years of Malaysia's Education Accomplishments" with Malaysia's Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein at Unesco's headquarters in Paris.
He said the week-long exhibition would provide an opportunity for others to benefit from Malaysia's experience and progress in education.
This was in line with Unesco's efforts to raise the profile of good practices and promote the sharing of experience, he said.
"We would like to draw lessons from Malaysia's success in education," he said at the function attended by representatives of Unesco member countries.
"Malaysia now allocates over eight per cent of GNP (gross national product) to education, which is a commitment that other countries should follow," he said.
Malaysia has also been successful in emphasising the need for a holistic approach that integrates education into wider development strategies, he added.
Another major progress made by Malaysia was mobilising new technologies to improve the access and quality of education.
He said Malaysia has also shown the far-reaching advantages that information and communication technology (ICT) could bring even to remote and rural areas.
Hishammuddin, who arrived in Paris today for a six-day visit to France and Switzerland, said Malaysia had always given priority to education.
This would be further enhanced under the National Education Blueprint encompassing a five-year plan until 2010.

Glowing Eiffel Tower...

It was such a beautiful sight. Eiffel Tower, the pride of France, glowed in the dark as it sparkles with light in the cool April night.
From my Hilton balcony, I could see the tower standing tall not far from the hotel.

It's been a long time...

If not for office colleague Anwar who has been pestering me to update my blog, I would have continued to ignore it. I just cannot let him down especially when he has been smitten by the blogging bug. He reminded me that it is almost a year since my last posting. It was really a jolt. Didn't realise that it had been a long time since I last came in. So many things had came and gone. I only wish I could have the inspiration to continue blogging...

An unexpected visitor ...

I had just got into a small chat with a nurse around 4.30pm when all of a sudden, I saw a familiar face approaching me. I just couldn't believe it was Tengku Razaleigh. As he stood by my bed, he looked great in a short-sleeve tailored shirt. He told me he had to come and see me after Shabery had informed him that I was in hospital.
Shabery, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, had visited me yesterday. I didn't expect both of them to come and visit me. I even asked Ku Li to pinch my elbow to be sure that I was not dreaming.

Glut of second-hand cars....

We are told that there are some 750,000 second-hand cars unsold in the country. And we are told that anyone who can afford the car has already got one. With Proton, Perodua, Naza, Inokom and soon Cherry Alado flooding the market with the new offerings, I wonder how Malaysians are going to absorb all these. The only way out it appears is for these companies to export and for our second-hand car dealers to find new markets in lesser developed countries.

Towards building an Asean community ...

An Asean Information Seminar, aimed at promoting a regional community, took place at the Grand Seasons Hotel, Kuala Lumpur today. Managed to get Parliamentary Secretary to the Foreign Ministry Ahmad Shabery Cheek to speak on "Ten Nations, One Community: Issues and The Way Forward".
ISIS Assistant Director-General Stephen Leong touched on "Asean: Challenges and Achievement" and Prof Dr Rahmat Mohamad, Director of Centre of Asean Studies at UITM, Shah Alam elaborated on efforts towards achieving an Asean Community by 2020.

Quitting office Timor Leste style...via SMS

When Jose Ramos-Horta resigned as Timor Leste's foreign minister yesterday, he did so via a mobile phone text message. He told a news briefing in Dili that he had sent an SMS to Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri announcing his intention to quit. He received a reply in the same format from the prime minister. "I explained myself in a subsequent text message," he said. The country -- Asia's youngest nation -- has been embroiled for months in a political crisis and text messaging has emerged as the fastest and most
reliable means of communication. Thousands of protesters clamouring for Alkatiri's resignation have been mobilising themselves via SMS and news of him stepping down today spread rapidly through text messages. Alkatiri said he was giving up the post to avoid the resignation of the nation's popular president, Xanana Gusmao, who had threatened to quit himself unless the prime minister left office.

A 'world-class' aspiration...

Being the first news agency in the world to attain ISO-status is not good enough for Bernama. What it needs to do is to continously improve itself albeit in small steps. The biggest threat is complacency. So, over the last two-and-half days, senior officers converged in the seaside town of Port Dickson, some 100 kms from Kuala Lumpur, to review the organisation's overall ISO procedures. A significant aspect that was re-examined in the quality manual was to upgrade Bernama's aspiration from being a leading regional news agency to a world-class entity. The brainstorming retreat also marked the introduction of the operational procedure for the newly-created Bernama International Service. The formation of BIS had been endorsed by the management having seen the need to split the Features and Foreign News Service to make them more focussed. Features is now back under the General News Service but with an improvised approach. In terms of quality system, continuous improvement will propel an organisation towards excellence. This can be envisioned through the "Deming Cycle" named after American statistician William Edwards Deming, regarded as the Father of Modern Quality Control.

The "Deming Cycle" provides a framework for continuous improvement of business process. It can be summed up in four bold steps:

• Plan: Determine the action you intend to take as well as the steps required to achieve it. Design the new process (the "to-be" state)

• Do: Execute the plan. Implement the new process

• Check: Measure the outcome of the plan. This require identifying measurable outcomes of the new process

• Act: Decide what needs to be done to improve the process.

Deming, also a college professor, author, lecturer and consultant was widely credited with improving production in the United States during World War II. However, he was perhaps best known for his work in Japan where he developed the PDCA approach in the 1950s. He taught top Japanese management better design of products to improve service and higher level of uniform product quality. Deming made a significant contribution towards Japan becoming renowned for producing innovative high quality products. He is regarded as having had more impact upon Japanese manufacturing and business than any other individual not of Japanese heritage.

Face to face with Yvonne Ridley

I finally met her today -- the award-winning journalist who was sort of an enigma to me. Having come across her name during my research on the British media reporting of Islam in Cambridge late 2004, I had hoped to meet her. She had made international headlines in September 2001 when she was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan while on an undercover assignment for a British newspaper. Held in captivity for 10 days, she promised to read the Quran after her release and converted to Islam in August 2003. Currently the political editor of London-based Islam Channel, the first free-to-air English language, Islamic-focussed satellite channel, Yvonne Ridley is also an active Muslim peace campaigner. Known for her outspoken views and defence of Islam since she became a Muslim, Yvonne spoke on Islam and Freedom of Expression at a conference held in conjunction with the International Islamic Fair 2006 in Kuala Lumpur. She smiled when I asked her later how far she thought she had gone in her efforts to get the non-Muslims to understand Islam. “Well, I think it is a very slow drip in process because whenever I speak, they get really upset and offended and then they sit down in a quiet room and a few days later, they quell, maybe…It’s a long process,” she said. “But you know, I learn very long, even before I became a Muslim, you never kneel down in front of the enemy, otherwise they have you,” she said. “They will probably never understand us, but just respect us as individuals, as human beings. We have a right to be treated with equality and justice,” she said in obvious reference to the so-called war on terror.

Greatest show on Earth kicks off...

The greatest show on Earth kicks off today with 1.5 billion people in 200 countries expected to watch the opening match 'live' between host Germany and Costa Rica. With all 64 matches of the World Cup Finals to be shown live over television, die-hard soccer fanatics are bracing for a month-long extravaganza. As the excitement reaches feverish-level, it's a victory of sort for all as the world speaks in one language -- football (although some prefer to call it soccer!). Just as in other major sporting event, the tournament logo plays a crucial part. Instantly recognisable, the logo of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany has appeared on publications, at associated events and on merchandising. The agencies commissioned to design the logo were given an exhaustive list of criteria before they set out their work. As the host nation, Germany had to be instantly recognisable in the logo, as did the light-hearted and relaxed character of the 2006 tournament. It had to be unconventional, without being technocratic, and in keeping with the brand image of FIFA. As the event's organiser, FIFA commissioned London agency Whitestone to produce the logo. The decision to appoint Whitestone was based on their previous, outstanding design for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan logo. The goal was to convey, via a symbol, the incomparable emotions that can only be evoked by football. Dozens of meetings followed after preliminary discussions started in September 2001, even before the last World Cup. There were discussions, deliberations and sometimes arguments. The end result was "Celebrating Faces Of Football".

The Power of Love ...

The love of power could, at times, put to test the power of love. Malaysians woke up this morning to front-paged news of former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's sharp criticisms of the current administration. Between loyalty and respect, this is the day when ministers had to choose between their fondness and gratitude to Dr Mahathir and their duty of speaking up for the leader of the day. Those who had served both administrations found themselves in the most difficult situation. While Cabinet Ministers, Barisan Nasional component parties and the rakyat stood solidly behind him, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi chose not to wade into controversy. "Tun (Dr Mahathir) is free to say anything. It is not a problem for me because our country is democratic," he told reporters after handing-over keys to owners of low-cost flats in Sandakan in the state of Sabah. At a press conference in Putrajaya yesterday, Dr Mahathir poured eveything out on his relations with the government , going so far as to imply that he had picked the wrong person to lead the country.

Friends at heart...

They were supposed to be sworn political enemies, ever ready to seize the slightest opportunity to attack each other. Their once highly-publicised feud were so intense that it led to the split of the party. While one stayed on to lead the organisation, the other left to form his own party. Years have passed and both continue to lead their supporters in separate entities. Time could have probably heal the wound. When one of them sought treatment for his ailing heart, the other put aside their political differences and visited the sick man at the National Heart Institute. It would have been a front-page picture but an aide gave a big 'NO' when told of the possible storyline. Just as the heart triggers the feelings of love and hatred, it does have another important role. Ailing or not, the broken heart will have to keep the meeting between the two men a secret.

Upward sales trend for world newspapers ...

Worldwide sales of newspapers increased slightly in 2005. Their advertising revenues rose more sharply as the industry resisted competition from other media.
This is according to a report released Monday by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN). "Overall, the audience for newspapers keeps on growing, both in print and online," said Timothy Balding, chief executive officer of the Paris-based WAN. "Newspapers are increasing their reach through the exploitation of a wide range of new distribution channels, ranging from daily free newspapers to online editions. They are proving to be incredibly resilient against the onslaught of a wide range of media competition," he said. The report was released to delegates attending the 59th World Newspaper Congress and 13th World Editors Forum in Moscow, Russia. Among the main points in the report are:
- 439 million newspapers are sold every day, against 414 million in 2001, while more than one billion people read a newspaper.
- The five biggest markets for newspapers are China (96.6 million sold every day), India (78.7 million) Japan (69.7 million), the United States (53.3 million) and Germany (21.5 million).
Other highlights of the report are listed in an on-line news report World Press Trends: Newspaper Circulation, Advertising Increases .

Don't Desert Drylands!

It’s the time of the year when the world examines the state of its surroundings. Commemorated each year on 5 June, the World Environment Day stimulates global awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The theme selected for 2006 is Deserts and Desertification and the slogan is Don't Desert Drylands! The slogan emphasizes the importance of protecting drylands, which cover more than 40 per cent of the planet’s surface. This ecosystem is home to one-third of the world’s population which has surged to 6.5 billion from about 2.5 billion in 1950. The main international celebrations of the World Environment Day 2006 is being held in Algiers, the capital city of Algeria in northern Africa. The day's agenda is to give a human face to environmental issues and empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development. It is also aimed at promoting an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues and advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future. As the celebration is a people's event, colourful activities such as street rallies, bicycle parades, green concerts, essays and poster competitions in schools, tree planting as well as recycling and clean-up campaigns are held all over the world. World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Another resolution, adopted by the General Assembly the same day, led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Media moguls powwow in Moscow ...

With over 1,500 publishers, chief editors, managing directors, CEOs and senior newspaper executives from 103 countries convening in Moscow, it is billed as the world's largest gathering to chart the industry's future. The 59th World Newspaper Congress, 13th World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo which opens today in the Russian capital will run until Wednesday. The Congress will focus on the immense wave of innovation that continues to sweep through the global newspaper industry, bringing success to companies that are seizing the new opportunities and embracing change. It provides key developments in the industry, with the latest data and information on global newspaper trends. The congress will also examine new publications, new advertising and circulation strategies, new digital product development and new business practices. The Editors Forum, on the other hand, will focus on what newspapers can do to adapt to the changing habits of the "free generation" - readers who are accustomed to getting their news from free newspapers and free internet sites. The conference will look at such topics as embracing citizen journalism, offering broadband services, developing weekend editions and supplements and protecting newspaper credibility. Alongside these events, Info Services Expo 2006 will showcase the new services and technologies which are shaping the newspaper of the future. Among the registered participants is Sanjay Gupta, CEO of the Indian daily Dainak Jagran, which has the biggest readership in the world -- some 21 million. Founder of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, will attend a forum on "citizen journalism".

Love is blind, marriage an eye-opener...

The young couple looked radiant as they mingled with their guests who congratulated them on their marriage. They are among the many across the country who are taking advantage of the on-going school holidays to tie the nuptial knot. For the newly-weds, it is everyone’s hope that they have a blissful life albeit an uncertain future. The journey could be rough, at times, depending on the route they take. If both could stick to their promise during courtship to overcome the challenges together, come what may, then married life could be smooth-sailing. After all, love is what makes two people sit in the middle of a bench when there is plenty of space at both ends. Sitting among the guests, I could only admire the couple -- Linda and Kumaran, whom despite their different background, have taken the big step forward to settle down as husband and wife. I’m sure they are aware that a marriage does not mean just accepting the other as a life partner but to be part of his or her family. For their families too, it also means having to make adjustment to their lives as they open their hearts to accept a new member of the family. Love is blind and marriage is an eye-opener.

A helping hand...

A helping hand makes the heart happy. I realise how true this notion is when I got Mokh to start his blog. I had told him how exciting blogging is and this got him interested. After getting his blog up, Mokh wasted no time to post his items. The man from Pedas (literally meaning hot, as in taste) has proudly posted his photographs including that of his visit to the Pentagon. Unlike its 'hot' name, Pedas is a quiet town, 70km south of Kuala Lumpur. But Mokh would swear that the town has full of hot stuff.
I'm happy that his new-found interest is getting his adrenalin flowing in putting his thoughts to writing. I do hope he will update his blog regularly and make it 'pedas' as it would help others to know him better. There's a saying that if you wish to know the mind of a man, listen to his words.
When I was starting out in this profession, I used to read articles written by seniors and editors to learn about the trade. Even now, I continue to keep on the look-out for articles written by seasoned journalists. On this note, it is interesting to see that some former senior newspaper editors have their own blogs to voice their opinions on various subjects. While some have no qualms about making known their identity, others prefer to remain incognito.
I was fortunate to get a copy of a handbook for bloggers produced by Reporters Without Borders. It explains how to set up and make the most of a blog, to publicise it (getting it picked up efficiently by search-engines) and to establish its credibility through observing basic ethical and journalistic principles.