Blair embarks on inter-faith understanding ...

The war on Iraq must have been traumatic for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who is now busy promoting inter-faith dialogue.
He says the dialogue does address the root causes of terrorism for it lessens ignorance and promotes greater understanding among people of different religions.
We had asked him if inter-faith dialogue could address the root causes of terrorism since Western governments had failed to do so despite repeated calls by the Islamic world since the 9/11 terror attacks.
Blair was the British prime minister when the US-British coalition force invaded Iraq in 2003. He retired in June last year after 10 years in office.
Blair, who is on his first visit to Malaysia to give a lecture on the Rule of Law at the 22nd Sultan Azlan Shah Law Lecture today, said he was actually disappointed that he had just discovered the country.
"After some days (in Malaysia), I find it's a wonderful country, really beautiful country, (with) very warm people. Very lively, actually.
"In cultural terms and every other sense and there is a lot going on which you can rightly be proud. This is my first visit, I hope it won't be my last, I'm sure it won't be," said the casually-dressed Blair.
He admitted during the interview that he was a fan of Newcastle United FC.
"I know many people out here who are either Manchester United or Arsenal fans," he said.

Opening up to a wireless world ....

Since his appointment as Information Minister in the Cabinet formed after last March General Elections, Shabery Cheek has brought much improvement. He is bold to open up even in areas considered 'taboo' before the election.
Two days after holding office, he directed officials to installed 'Wi-Fi' within the ministry's vast Angkasapuri complex.
"It's illogical to block anyone from accessing the Internet when Kuala Lumpur is moving towards becoming a wireless city," he said last night at a forum to discuss ways of improving RTM's news bulletins.
In line with his 'openness', Shabery has invited bloggers -- previously regarded as 'nuisance' to appear on prime-time weekly slot to talk about their blogs.
Even known government and BN critics have had their fair share of glamour appearing live on the 20-minute show that could be extended in view of its growing popularity.
Despite reservations from several colleagues on live TV coverage of parliamentary sessions, Shabery managed to convince them on the need to allow public viewing access to matters that concern them.
More changes are in store as Shabery keeps his heart and mind open to views on how the ministry could deliver effectively.

Not just coffee brewing at Starbucks ...

A news report today says Starbucks Corp will concentrate more of its growth in China and Japan as the company braces with slumping sales in the US and Australia. Starbucks founder and CEO Howard Schultz had earlier this month announced plans to close 600 stores in the US and eliminate as many as 12,000 jobs or 7 percent of the workforce. The coffeeshop chain employed about 172,000 as at last September. According to the report, Starbucks would shut three-fourths of its 84 stores in Australia within the next few days, backing away from a market it entered eight years ago.

During a trip to Beijing last year, the Starbucks logo at a particular outlet caught my attention as it blended with the local surrounding.

The kind of friend ...

Flipping through the pages of an old note-book, I came across the following writing:

"A fairly good friend will tell u not to worry and that it will all come right.
A perfect friend helps u face the truth and stays beside u, whatever comes"

It took me a while to recall why I had made those notes.
I then realised that it was an SMS I received from someone.
Between good and perfect, a friend in need is a friend indeed.

Never too late ...

In this new media age, it’s never too late to become a blogger.
I’m happy that my colleague Salbiah Said, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Bernama Economic Service, has entered blogosphere -- salbiahs.blogspot.com.

With her vast experience and high-profile position, I’m sure her jottings would benefit readers.
As blogging becomes trendy, I recalled writing an e-mail to my then editor-in-chief while on a press fellowship in Cambridge in November 2004.

“Our competitors are emerging in new forms as a result of advancement in the information age. Online diarists or "bloggers", for instance, are coming to the fore in such a tremendous speed that even their existence have often been misrepresented. What began as a hobby is turning into serious business and changing the face of journalism. Blogs (short for weblogs) have become common feature in providing accounts such as the US-led invasion on Iraq and the recent US presidential election, prompting big-timers like CNN and BBC, to venture into this new field. Back home, blogger Jeff Ooi is riding high on the global wave of this web influence, giving an alternative 'no holds bar' information channel for free. The big question for us is how do we deal with this new competition while struggling to keep pace with our traditional competitors (subcribers???)”

It’s been more than three years since and blogs are posing an even greater threat to the mainstream media, capturing a bigger slice of readership especially among the younger generation.
While the editor-in-chief has retired, Jeff Ooi has enhanced his profile having been elected as a member of parliament in the March 2008 General Election.

Memories of you ...

Wouldn't miss at all the date of a friend's birthday today. But as we are far apart, here's a dedication:

"Memories of you
alive
Like corpuscles in blood
flow and flow on
Through arteries and veins
through glories and pains".

Between Xango and kopi-tiam...

An office-mate suffering from brain tumor claimed she managed to put off surgery just by taking Xango -- a mangosteen-extract juice. The US-formulated drink is said to have the right remedy to tackle cancer and many other illnesses.
Testimonials about the positive effect of Xango could be viewed from a number of its-related website.
Just as Xango is emerging steadily in the Malaysian market, coffee remains a favourite beverage. This could be seen with the growing number of 'Kopi-tiam' cafes operating under various brand chain in the country. Because of the wide interest in such outlets, the typical floral-designed kopi-tiam cup and saucer of yesteryears are making a comeback, perhaps as strong as coffee.

Aziz takes charge at Utusan ....

Utusan Malaysia reported today the appointment of Aziz Ishak as acting group editor-in-chief with Khalid Mohd going on a three-month leave tomorrow prior to retirement.
Forty-four year old Aziz has been with the newspaper for 24 years and made a big impact as a defence writer in his days of reporting.
We go a long way covering the political beat and the prime minister when Dr Mahathir was in office.

Despite his high position, Aziz remains down-to-earth.
When I phoned to congratulate him of his appointment, he told me that it was a temporary slot.
Well, I don't think so, bro. You're the man who's going to lead Utusan for years to come.

Stamping a passion .....

Once acclaimed as "King of hobbies" and "Hobby of kings", wonder if stamp-collecting still appeals to the public especially the young. With e-mails being fast, cheap and easy mode of modern correspondence, posting letters in stamp-affixed envelopes is something of the past for many. While stamp-collecting has taken a backseat, my interest in first-day covers (FDC) remains strong. Having spent time and money on them, its not just a past-time hobby for me but a passion.


This set of stamps issued on 5th May 1957 reflected the economy of the country as it braces for Independence on 31st August 1957.


Among my treasured collection is this set of bird stamps which cost me a bomb.

Away from the maddening crowd ...

A trip to Hulu Langat could provide some peace of mind for KL city folks. Many have in fact invested in properties in the area and settling down in new townships in its vicinity. It is interesting that Wikipaedia has provided information about Hulu Langat town, saying it is famous for its durians. The town is also popular for its recreational activities and natural surroundings. Among the popular spots of eco-tourism are the Sungai Gabai Waterfalls, the Semenyih Water Reservoir and the Sungai Congkak Forest Recreational Centre.


Enterprising residents are taking advantage of the many visitors to the area to sell fruits such as durians, rambutans and mangosteens or set-up small business like Restoren Pohon Bambu, offering kampung food.
Like many 'kampung-less' city dwellers, I had dreamed of owning a small plot somewhere in Hulu Langat to build a weekend home. After scanning some newspaper advertisements, I found a tempting offer and contacted the seller who took me to view the place. With a small stream passing through the land, I had visualised it to be an ideal place to refresh the mind. I utilised whatever savings I had to pay the booking fee but kept it a secret from my family. I had wanted to surprise them with a 'kampung house' -- a place to go to on weekends.
It's been two years since and I'm still wondering if I could finally own that small piece of land as the seller had run into problems.

The true measure of friendship ...

True friends are hard to come by, truthful friends even harder.
In real life, most friends are mere acquaintances -- they are there because they are part of the social construct.
You have to interact with them and, so as not to become an island, engage them.
The true measure of friendship will be judged when we are left on our own while the world moves on around us.

Of friendship....

Someone I considered a friend must have felt guilty when he emailed me something to ponder about. I thought its best if I post it here so I could continue pondering about it.

Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument; and one friend slapped the other in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand:
"Today, my best friend slapped me in the face"

They kept on walking until they found an oasis where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.
After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone:
"Today, my best friend saved my life"

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him: "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"

The friend replied:
"When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away, but when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it".

Is there a "Spielberg" somewhere in Malaysia?

In 1964, Steven Spielberg, then a 16-year-old, directed his first full-length movie "Firelight".
With a budget of US$600, the science fiction film about aliens abducting earthlings, made a profit of US$100.
"Firelight" had been a point of no return for Spielberg, who is now among the most recognisable names in the global filmmaking industry.
Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek believes there is a Spielberg somewhere in Malaysia, if only he or she could be unearthed early.
"The important thing is, in the creative industry, one has to start early," he said.
In fact, one has to start early in any field, including sports, the minister said.
An athlete who wants to be world champion should start honing his or her skills early and take part in major competitions, he said.
"Raphael Nadal is only 22 years old but he is already a Wimbledon champion," said Ahmad Shabery, referring to the Spanish tennis player who won the prestigious championship after beating defending champion Roger Federer on July 2.
As a minister in charge of the media and creative industry, Ahmad Shabery is aware that the ministry should provide a platform to encourage such activity, as well as to support institutions which offer courses related to the industry.
"These young people are taught to create content but where do they go to air their works? Which cinema is willing to show a short film of 10-minute?
"In the end, the assignments are just handed over to the lecturer for marking purposes, and after that they will be stored away," he said.
But things are changing thanks to a programme that promotes creativity among the young people, aptly called the Young Artiste Programme.
"I believe among the assignments given, there will be some which are better than those produced by television stations.
"Sometimes, making a 10-minute film is much more difficult than a long-winding drama," he said when launching the Young Artiste Programme aimed at spurring the development of the local content industry.
The programme, targeted at those aged 30 and below, is jointly organised by Filem Negara and Radio Television Malaysia (RTM).
It covers four categories namely comedy, documentary, experimental and animation, each with a length of between five to 10 minutes.
The programme will be aired on Saturdays and Sundays on RTM for 30 minutes, starting tommorow.
Ahmad Shabery hoped the programme would help the development of the local content industry, thus meeting the demand from television channels, which are on the increase lately.
He said industry players should not think merely of getting air time over RTM and other local stations but also at the international level.
"When the (Korean drama series) Winter Sonata was aired here, the people are beginning to talk about South Korea and no just India or Hong Kong," said Ahmad Shabery, who hoped that one day local series, such as the "Gerak Khas" police drama, would be aired on television stations in that country.
He was confident that Malaysia's creative industry would be successful if it
was spearheaded by young people.
Apart from having high creativity, they understand their contemporary better.
"Look at Yahoo! and Google which are started by the young people... they are now becoming part of our daily lives in this multimedia era," he said.

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.