Between Cairo and London...

When I was leaving for Cairo late July for a meeting, family and a few friends were a bit concerned. Their worries were triggered by the bomb blasts at the Egyptian resort town of Sharm-el-Sheikh which left scores of holiday-makers dead. They were relieved when I came back in one piece. The only thing which shattered me, though, was the thought that the world may not be a safe place anymore. Terrorists could just strike anywhere they want to, be it in Egypt, the United States or Europe. To think that the places affected by the bombings in London on July 7, were among those I had passed through during my stay in Cambridge was enough to make me feeling apprehensive. I enjoyed my stay in England, Egypt and all the other places that I had been fortunate enough to visit in the course of my work as a journalist. Moscow, Pyongyang, Buenos Aires, Washington, Almaty, Dombei in the Russian Caucusus, Karachi and Hydrebad, to name a few. As I get on with my new responsibility of building bilateral and multilateral news exchange agreements with others, I could surely expect to travel more, even to the remotest places on earth. Of course, I would want to travel in peace and be assured that the world is safe.

An international news exchange mechanism in the making

The possibility of setting up a Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) news organisation or exchange will be one of the highlights of the Sixth Conference of the Ministers of Information of Non-Aligned Countries (Cominac) to be held in Kuala Lumpur this November. Giving the hint today, Information Minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir said such a cooperation would enable the NAM member countries to have an effective exchange of news and information as many of the news sources they were getting now were from Western countries. He said Malaysia, the current NAM chairman, is prepared to be the centre for the network.
The minister's announcement has put the proposal into a higher gear. Over the past two weeks, I've been fortunate to actively participate in the discussion to craft the proposal. The NAM News Network (NNN), as we envisaged, would take over the role of the Non-Aligned News Agencies Pool (NANAP), which has been inactive over the years. Malaysia, through Bernama, has some experience in handling such multilateral news exchange arrangement. Bernama is now the secretariat for the Organisation of Asia Pacific News Agencies (OANA) newswire as well as the Smart News Network International (SNNi), both operated via the Internet. OANA represents 37 news agencies of 33 countries while SNNi groups 10 African news agencies and newspapers with Malaysia's national news agency Bernama and The Star, New Straits Times and Utusan newspapers.

Making friends with Indian journalists

Had lots of reasons to be happy about with the completion of a four-day visit to Malaysia by a group of 10 senior journalists from India two weeks ago. I was tasked with drawing up the visit programme held under the Asean-India Media Exchange Programme from Aug 21 to 24. It was the first time that I had actually put my hands into such thing, having been appointed to head the Features and Foreign News Service. Weeks before they arrived, made a number of phone calls and emails to the relevant people in drawing up the itinerary. Apart from hotel accommodation, we contacted aides to several ministers to arrange for them to meet the journalists. When they arrived at the KLIA, got them on the super-fast KLIA express train which took only 28 minutes from the airport in Sepang to the capital city. Over the next two days, the participants called on Works Minister S.Samy Vellu, Tourism Minister Dr Leo Michael Toyad, Deputy Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis. They also visited places such as Putrajaya, the new Federal administrative capital, Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower.

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.

What a friend can do ...

It has indeed been a while since I last posted my jottings. It would have stayed idle if not for Halim, a friend from my primary school days. We had lunch with another primary school-mate yesterday in one of KL's busiest shopping complex. Halim recalled that I was an elegant footballer which made me blushed. I told him that the only thing that I would want to be elegant now is my writing. He then wrote down a blogspot address to which I told him I too had registered as a blogger. This morning I received a SMS from him suggesting that I continue with the blog. Alas, this is what a friend can do. I hope I can keep my promise with my professor at Wolfson....

Putting technology to good use

The short message service (SMS) via mobile phones is seen as the technology that has left a profound mark in Malaysia this year. The use of SMS escalated when local television stations organised reality shows, calling for viewers to pick their favourite contestants. The service providers have captured on the growing interest by offering numerous SMS services. But as such technology influence the life of the people especially the young, experts are beginning to raise the alarm. They say it can be a backlash to being hyper-accesible by e-mail, instant message, cell phone calls and text-messaging. People are spending more and more time in front of the computer screen or fritzing with techonological devices. Experts say the key is using technology to enhance life and taking a step back when it doesn't. "You need to have it rather than it having you", says Michelle Weil, co-author of Technostress: Coping with Technology@Work@Home@Play.

Who wants to be a millionaire

A 24 year-old lad became instant millionaire when he won the grand prize of RM1 million in a Malaysian television quiz show in 1991. Up till now, Ahmad Samerin Dzulkifli remains the country's only game show millionaire even after seven seasons of the local version of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'. He still owns the bicycle-repair shop but has added an electrical appliance shop and several other businesses. But he remains elusive and publicity-shy, prefering to live a normal life. This is understandable as he was beset by callers -- women offering to marry him, others seeking financial help after his windfall win. If his one-off wealthy feat has attracted interest, what more for Malaysia's multi-millionaire songbird who admitted how difficult it is to maintain the 'Siti Nurhaliza' brand name. After winning a television singing contest more than 10 years ago, Siti continued to prove her talent and worked hard to be where she is today as Malaysia's number one singer. Just as Samerin has put his money to good use into business, Siti too has ventured into business including promoting her own tea aptly named CTea.
So what has the two in common apart from the capital 'S' in their names and hard work. Both are from the state of Pahang and the product of television discoveries.

Malaysia's CEO of the year

To Mohamed Nazir Abdul Razak, a good executive officer (CEO) is someone who can change with the demands of the organisation and the environment. Named Malaysia's CEO of the Year 2004 Award , he has proven his capabilities in steering Commerce International Merchant Bankers Berhad (CIMB) to greater heights. The changes are necessitated by the fact that the investment bank operates in an industry that is furiously evolving as a result of globalisation and liberalisation. Using the English Premier League as an analogy, Nazir said: "Like Manchester United, year in and year out, we have strong and weak competitors. Some may do better in certain years, but over the long-term, we like to think that CIMB will remain number one."
At 37, he is the youngest CEO to have won the award.

Love thy neighbour...

With the last remaining days of a typical month-long Eid celebration in the country, residents of a Kuala Lumpur housing area got together last night to re-new their neighbourhood bond. For residents of Jalan AU1C/3K of Taman Keramat Permai, the occasion helped to keep themselves stay in touch with one another especially those who are new in the area. This is common all over the country. Fresh from recharging my neighbourhood network, I decided to have breakfast this morning at an eating place frequented mostly by those from Kelantan in Pantai Dalam, which used to be on the city's fringe. Apart from sampling some of the favourite morning meal of the east coast state in the peninsular, the eatery keeps patrons to stay in touch in their Kelantanese dialect of goings-on from work to politics and the current flood hitting the state. Some of them came all the way from other areas in the city in search of their favourite Kelantanese food. While they tucked in their food, they could easily see how far the place had developed over the years from a squatter colony to a low-cost housing area. What used to be their 'kampung', is now taken up by the newly-opened New Pantai Expressway linking the city to Subang Jaya.
On the regional scale, Malaysia's 'Prosper-thy-Neighbour' policy is widely recognised including by Indonesia.

Flying high with the world's best cabin crew

A 12-hour flight from London to Kuala Lumpur is less tiring when you're in the company of the world's best cabin crew . Their ever-smiling faces despite the tough task at hand made travelling on Malaysia Airlines a joy. The 747-400 was full when it took off from Heathrow at 10pm on Wednesday December 8. It was carrying 362 passengers with a 22-member crew on board. An hour earlier flight to Kuala Lumpur via Langkawi was also full as in the normal case of the other national carrier daily flights from London. It was not the first time that the Malaysia Airlines cabin crew was voted the best in the world. It was achieved as a result of Skytrax's annual survey of some 130 worldwide airlines. Malaysia Airlines holds the the honour for the fifth time in six years from 1999 except for a momentarily lapse last year.

Pictures on the wall

Malaysia’s artist and marine conservationist Ajis Mohamad must be a happy man. His paintings on coral reefs will don the wall of many homes and offices as Shell 2005 corporate calendar. This is the time of the year when calendars are hot items to herald in the new year. Since it started producing its calendars in the early 1970s, Shell has attempted to communicate specific messages to the Malaysian community through the channel. Over the years the themes have ranged from Malaysia's rare flora and endangered fauna, traditional crafts, architecture, indigenous costumes and ethnic folklore. For its 2005 timepiece, Shell worked with Ajis who is acknowledged as Malaysia's first underwater artist, to focus on coral reef conservation. Ajis paints his subjects underwater - a painstaking technique and a medium he has mastered - while on his scuba diving expeditions as the president of the Malaysian Coral Reef Conservation Society.

Thanks for the memories...

A group photograph and a certificate of attendance at Wolfson College in Cambridge would be among the precious memorablia the four press fellows for the Michaelmas Term 2004 would be taking home as the programme comes to an end. They reflected upon their study projects over a farewell breakfast with the Wolfson Press Fellowship programme director John Naughton and his assistant Richard Synge. Present were Bill Kirkman, the founding director of the press fellowship and Hilary Pennington, the programme administrator. Over the last 25 years, the fellowship has given journalists from all over the world a chance to stand back from their daily work to concentrate on undertaking a study of their interest. An important aspect of the programme is the opportunity to be integrated into the life of the College which is the most cosmopolitan in Cambridge.

The man with a mission...

Soft spoken but firm in his work. The new director of the Malaysian Students Department in London has outlined what he aims to achieve in the coming months. Dr Syed Raisudin Syed Abdullah wasted no time as he embarks on his mission to face the new challenges.

As Time Goes By

With the cool afternoon wind blowing softly against my face and the picturesque King's College in the background, I am cherishing my final moments in Cambridge. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was belting out 'As Time Goes By' from my CD player as I reflect upon the past three months I've been here. Cambridge is a beautiful city made famous by its academic excellence. It is also a cultural melting pot with students coming from all over the world for their academic pursuit in Cambridge University, one of the greatest centres of learning. King's is one of the oldest of the 33 colleges in Cambridge. It was founded in 1441 by Henry VI and has since become a premier tourist attraction.

Waking up to 'nasi lemak' and 'teh tarik' in central London

'Nasi lemak' and 'teh tarik' are Malaysians favourite food. While they are easily found everywhere across the country especially for breakfast, getting anywhere near the aroma of the coconut-milked cooked rice in London is hard unless of course you are at the Malaysia Hall in Queensborough Terrace. The canteen serves great nasi lemak which comes with your choice or beef or chicken, 'sambal sotong' or 'ikan bilis'. For Malaysians, who miss home, getting a taste of 'nasi lemak' and 'teh tarik' at the Malaysia Hall canteen, which opens daily, is a relief. Incidentally, 'roti canai', another Malaysian favourite, is also on its menu.

The little kebab shop in Notting Hill

Notting Hill in London is a popular place. It was even made into a delightful Hollywood movie by the same name starring Hugh Grant and 'Pretty Woman' Julia Roberts. Grant took on the role as William Thacker, a travel bookstore owner, who was all out to win the heart of American movie star Anna Scott, played by Roberts in the 1999 hit comedy. There is another special thing about Notting Hill although not on the scale of the gliterring movie stars. It is a little kebab shop on its main road which opened for business just about the time the movie was made. Apart from kebab sandwiches, it serves chicken, beef and fish burgers, continental and Lebanese cuisine almost similar to the 'halal' delicacies offered at other such shops in the vicinity of Marble Arch. The owner would not go into details about the business except to say that he has no complaints. From the look of it, business is brisk with its customers from all over like the Italian couple, a group of international youths and a lone Malaysian traveller who had supper at the place tonight. Just like the others, I did not have any complaint about the food although I miss satay.