Imminent threat of nuclear catastrophe...

As world leaders prepare to fly to Washington for the Nuclear Security Summit, I had the chance of meeting former Australian Foreign Minister Prof Gareth Evans, an expert on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. He co-chairs the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND), which has produced a 230-page report described as the most comprehensive ever produced on the issue.

As we sat for the interview on level 33 of Hilton KL overlooking the Lake Gardens and Parliament House, Evans spoke about the commission's work, his passionate commitment to a world completely-free of nuclear weapon and the imminent danger of nuclear catastrophe.
Drawing his attention to Malaysia, I asked him what role could Malaysia provide at the two-day summit, called by US President Barrack Obama, starting tomorrow.
"Malaysia has been traditionally a very important voice for disarmament, non-proliferation (of nuclear weapons)...very powerful, very articulate voice within the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
He said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's presence at the summit is important as a demonstration of Malaysia's commitment.
"It is crucial that Malaysia play a positive role as there are a number of issues on which some Non-Aligned Movement countries are going to be very difficult".
"People will be looking to Malaysia for guidance on these issues and it's important for Malaysia to play that constructive role.
"I know it's not a big issue in the Malaysian public consciousness at the moment, but the point is, Malaysia has a well-known voice and well-established track record," said Evans who will be part of the Australian delegation at the summit.
"What we have to ensure is, we get the best possible results on disarmament, best possible results on moving ahead on the Middle-East Nuclear Weapons Free Zone which is another big issue at the conference and the strengthening of the non-proliferation treaty regime."
The summit, to be attended by leaders from more than 40 countries, is part of Obama's ambitious goal of creating a new system to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear material, particularly highly-enriched uranium.
Evans was in Malaysia last week as part of his visit to the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT) party countries to promote the work of the ICNND and advocate a practical agenda for global policy makers in eliminating nuclear threats.
In its report, the commission had recommended that nuclear disarmament should be pursued as a step-by-step process with "minimisation" to be achieved, no later than 2025 and "elimination" as soon as possible, thereafter.

Asked why the public should be more concerned of the issue, Evans said "because there is a very real danger of the world blowing itself up".
"There are 23,000 nuclear warheads out there at the moment, of which 2,000 are on high alert even 20 years after the Cold War," he noted.
The number of nuclear warheads could translate into "150,000 Hiroshima-bomb size, capable of destroying the world, many times over", he cautioned.
"We know now, how often that even with the supposedly sophisticated command and control system, often we came close to catastrophic danger, either through human or machine error or just sheer stupidity, miscalculation.
"I've got plenty of such stories," said Evans, who was Australian foreign minister from 1988 to 1996.
He said the world was facing an even bigger danger than it was during the Cold War days because more nuclear states were coming into the game with less sophisticated control and command system.
It was also faced with "unknown realities" of terrorists willing to cause maximum destruction if they could get their hands on the weapons.
"What we are saying, in terms of global issue, this one is right up there alongside climate change because the world could be destroyed by something going wrong," he said.

'Pak Lah'...

After much sweat and toil, Bernama’s coffee table book titled "Pak Lah" was launched today. Featuring 400 photographs of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, it commemorates his tenure as the fifth prime minister and sixth president of Umno.
Information Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim hailed the publication of the book, saying it was a labour of love for the agency.
"As a photography buff myself, I find that the photographs, all 400 of them, are momentous, compelling and crisp, and accompanied by a nice narrative and accurate description," he said at the launching at Auditorium Perdana, Angkasapuri.
Abdullah was present with his wife Jeanne Abdullah.
The book, priced at RM200 each, can be obtained from 7th Floor, Photo Marketing Division, Wisma Bernama in Jalan Tun Razak.
It covers topics such as constitutional monarchy, administration, perception about Abdullah family, political struggle, interactions with the media, international relations as well as social activities.
Speaking at a news conference after the launching, Abdullah said he was touched by the publication of the pictorial book.
"I felt moved when told that what Bernama and Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim had been working on has now become a reality.

"Although I've not seen all of the pictures, I believe that they have been carefully selected,"said Abdullah, who stepped down as prime minister in April last year.

New Media Freshens China-Asean Diplomacy

A billboard-size screen of its website greets visitors to the People's Daily Online (PD Online) centre here as it flashes up-to-the minute reports of China and the world.

Launched on Jan 1, 1997 by People's Daily -- one of the world's top 10 newspapers -- the website has transformed into one of the largest comprehensive media on the Internet.
People's Daily Online -- http://www.people.com.cn -- releases news, covering various fields including politics, economy, society and culture, in real time and round-the-clock with the support of the newspaper's more than 70 branches home and abroad.
Apart from pictures and text numbering up to 10,000 news items per day, the website uses animation, audio and video clips, the BBS forum, blog, podcast and webcast that has boosted its daily page-view to chart as much as 200 million.

To appeal to the young audience who surf the internet by cellphones, it has also combined news releases with games and working with businesses to offer 'trendies' like E-book.
Besides the Chinese version (traditional and modern Chinese), the website offers six foreign languages -- English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic.
More could be added over time as PD Online president He Jiazheng said it hoped to have more languages, when asked if the website would consider having Bahasa Melayu.
"We will need time but we hope one day, we will have this language," he told participants of the just-concluded China-Asean Media Cooperation Seminar, the fourth since its launch in 2002, and hosted by People's Daily.
We had the chance to visit the place last Thursday, Narch 25.


After a decade of existence, the website has become an important window to enable international readers to understand and take a glimpse of China.
But, what's more crucial is that its success story has provided lessons on how new and traditional media could co-exist and supplement one another.
He said the rapid growth of new media had put tremendous pressure on, and poses great challenges to, the traditional media.
"Statistics from the World Association of Newspapers show, in 2009, 507 newspapers in the US saw drastic decreases in circulation.
"The Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun, the world's second biggest newspaper, was suffering from its first deficit in 130 years since the start of publication.
"And in France, 154 out of every 1,000 French citizens buy newspapers regularly.
"The total revenue of The New York Times dipped 11.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2009 to US$680 million," he said.
Meanwhile, its Internet advertisement revenue rose 10.6 per cent to US$90.6 million, accounting for 23 per cent of all its advertisement revenue, he said.
This, he said, showed that along with the challenges, the media found even more opportunities and new sources of revenue.
With publication having begun in June 1948 and a current circulation of three million, People's Daily is among the most influential and authoritative newspapers in China. According to UNESCO, it takes its place among the world's top 10.
He said, while the 14-year-old website depended on the People's Daily group financial support in its early years, it had recorded profit over the last two years and "made some contribution to the group" .
Its well-equipped audio-visual studio for live internet coverage was built, using its own revenue.
"From this year, we expect business to be better," he said.
Much of the success hinged on the dedication of its 600-odd staff, most of whom are young and versatile for multi-tasking.

Mugshot photographs of the staff, with the words: "Why Can't We Be Number 1?" adorned one of the hallway walls of the old printing press building which was refurbished into a digitalised news operation centre.
On another strategic point was a picture of Chinese President Hu Jintao communicating with netizens when he went to PD Online on June 20, 2008.
The website is a perfect model for the theme, 'New Media Development', chosen for the seminar which is held every two years.
Asean Secretariat assistant director Linda Lee said, with new technology for mobile phones and the internet, the spread of new media was likely to increase, enhancing greater interactivity.
"In Asean, we have a relatively young population - about half of the 580 million people. The new media -- blogging, social networks, video sharing, podcasting etc -- may appeal more to them than traditional media," she said.
It was good news for the Asean delegates when a senior official in charge of the country's press policy assured them that China was prepared to discuss viable media projects to strengthen cooperation with the 10 member-grouping.
Liu Yunshan, head of publicity department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the mechanism for such ventures were institutionalised through the China-Asean Media Cooperation Seminar.
"There is big potential for us to strengthen cooperation, particularly in media technology. What is important is to identify good projects and ensure their efficiency," he said.

'Lempeng' breakfast in Beijing...

It's fascinating that simple things like 'lempeng' or pancakes could turned out to be a source of income.
The closest to describe an everyday lempeng in Malaysia is probably the tosai easily found in restaurants all over the country. But 'Lempeng' sold on carts for breakfast is rare in Malaysia.
So it was delightful to see a husband-and-wife selling them on the road pavement not far from the Shangri-La Kerry Centre in Beijing.
Getting a freshly-cooked lempeng in this cold weather is nice.
When we touched down on Tuesday morning, the temperature was zero degree.

But Alhamdullillah, we were spared of the sandstorm which swamped the Chinese capital a few days earlier.
The warm clothing and birthday wishes from friends as I turned 49 in Beijing yesterday kept my spirits high.

The hotel surprised me when it brought a piece of cake to my room.
Thank you all.

Beijing's Oldest Mosque Attracts Worldwide Visitors...

Wearing a songkok from Malaysia, the imam of Beijing's oldest and largest mosque happily ushered visitors into the mosque compound.

Sixty-two-year-old Taudin Baiyuchin said Muslims from all over the world visit the mosque which covers 10,000 sq metres and represents a mixture of Islamic and Chinese cultures.
Halal food eateries and supermarket are easily available in the area.
"I'm very happy to see Muslims from all over the world coming to this mosque. All Muslims are brothers," he said as he held an A-4 size note book containing comments from visitors from all over.
"This songkok is a gift from a visitor from Malaysia," he said smiling.
Built in 996, the Niujie Mosque is located in Beijing's Xuanwu district, the largest area inhabited by Muslims in this capital which has transformed itself into a modern, vibrant city.

Taudin, who has been an imam at the mosque for 10 years, said he remembered former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, before he became prime minister, visiting the mosque.
"Malaysians are warm-hearted people, friendly, and the country is beautiful...I've seen this from photos but I would want to go there if I have the chance," he said.
The Chinese government has funded several projects for the refurbishment of the mosque, described as one of the most famous mosques in the world, since 1949.

In 2005, the Government provided 25 million Yuan for its expansion and refurbishment -- the largest construction project so far -- including rebuilding of the Women's Hall.
The imam of Ningxia Province, Ding Guobao, 42, who was at the mosque last Friday, said Muslim visitors to China would be interested to visit his northwest province which had among the largest Muslim populations in the country.
"We have a population of over two million Muslims, a lot of mosques and halal food restaurants.

"We are also known for our sinseh and calligraphy," said Ding, who was on his way to an Islamic meeting in Egypt.
A group of Malaysian students taking Mandarin at the Beijing Foreign Studies University and a visiting group of airport staff from Penang were among those who performed Friday prayers at the mosque yesterday.

Taking up the challenge...

When a group of 54 Malaysian students took up the challenge to learn Mandarin here five months ago, they knew very little of the language, if at all.
Today, they overcome their initial apprehension and adapted themselves to the challenge, and the cold weather.

"We were quite apprehensive initially when offered to learn Mandarin here but we managed to adapt to the curriculum and the environment," said Syazwan Shamim, 19, of Melaka.
He is among 54 students who accepted the Education Ministry's offer to learn Mandarin at the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), a world renowned language institution here.
"I am determined to master the language; this is in line with the 1Malaysia concept in which the people should understand one another," he said when met after performing the Friday prayers at Niujie Mosque, the oldest and biggest mosque in this Chinese capital city.
Muhaimi Razali, 21, from Kelantan said although difficult, he was determined to learn the language.
"I'm all prepared to face the challenge and that is why I agreed to sign an eight-year contract with the education ministry before coming here," he said.
The course will run for five years.

About 100 Malaysian students are taking up Mandarin at the university.
The move to send Malaysian students at the BFSU, which offers 36 language courses including Malay, is a follow up to the effort to internationalise the Malaysian education system.
Hishammuddin Hussein, who was then the education minister, visited the university on May 21, 2007, resulting in the signing of a memorandum on the exchange of students between the ministry's teachers' education division and the BFSU.
I remember the event all too well as I was part of his delegation.
Hishammuddin broke new ground being the first Malaysian Education Minister to visit China after 10 years.

China's extends 'media diplomacy' to Asean...

China is prepared to discuss viable media projects to strengthen ties with Asean, says a senior official in charge of the country's press policy.
Liu Yunshan, head of the publicity department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said the mechanism for such ventures had been set through the China-Asean Media Cooperation Seminar, held every two years.

"As I see it, there is big potential for us to strengthen cooperation, particularly in media technology.
"What is important is to identify good projects and ensure their efficiency," he told participants of the seminar -- the fourth in its series -- who called on him at the Great Hall of the People.
Coincidently, visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai was meeting his Chinese host at another wing of the building at the same time.
Liu says media cooperation would be a significant component of China-Asean relationship, which had been boosted with the launch of the China-Asean Free Trade Area on January 1.
"We always believe that Asean countries are our neighbours, good friends and trustworthy partners," said Liu, a member of the political bureau of CPC Central Committee.
Describing the seminar as a success, he said the theme chosen on the challenges of new media was timely.
"The China-Asean Media Cooperation Seminar has increasingly been institutionalised...that's good because it has established a platform for media cooperation between China and Asean," he said.
He invited the Asean media organisations to send their reporters and photographers to cover the World Expo in Shanghai from May 1 to October and the Asian Games and Asian Paralympic Games in Guangzhou in October.

New Media To Enhance Asean-China Cooperation...

Media officials and editors from around the region exchanged notes on new media with their Chinese host as they sought ways to harness the technology at the fourth Asean-China Media Cooperation Seminar in Beijing today.

Hosted by the People's Daily, the three-day seminar focused on the current development of new websites, trends and applications of new media technology.
In his address, People's Daily President Zhang Yannong described the relationship between traditional media and new media as "interwoven partners".
"Although new media has changed the pattern of information dissemination and the situation of the media industry, the content is of the highest priority and is still the nature of information transmission.

"In fact, traditional media remains the "content providers" for many news websites, which is the advantage that we live by.
"New media should not be opponents to traditional media, but our partners to create a win-win situation.
"New media will bring new vigour and vitality to traditional media, and it will make us even more influential than ever before through multimedia and other new technologies."
Vice Minister at the State Council Information Office Qian Xiaoqian said China's Internet users had reached 384 million, with an Internet penetration rate of around 29 per cent, exceeding the world average. China began to have access to Internet in 1994.

He said that at the current pace of development, in the next two to three years, the number of Chinese Internet users was expected to be more than 500 million in the next two to three years.
Among new Internet users in China, 75 per cent were in rural areas, which indicated that China was rapidly bridging the digital divide urban and rural areas.

China-Malaysia trade expansion top priority ...

China's Ambassador to Malaysia, Liu Jian, has placed expansion of trade and investment between Malaysia and China as his top priority for this year.
He expressed confidence that the full implementation of the China-Asean Free Trade Area (FTA) this year would accelerate economic development between China and Malaysia.

He spoke about the optimism to the Malaysian media at a luncheon at his residence in Kuala Lumpur.
Liu said he expected trade exchanges between Malaysian and Chinese businessmen to reach new heights this year especially with the implementation of the agreements and in tandem with the global economic recovery.
"Our businesses are already actively pursuing their trade links with their Malaysian counterparts, and we would like to welcome Malaysian companies to continue investing in China,” he said.
In 2009, the bilateral trade volume reached US$50 billion (about RM170.1 billion).
Liu said bilateral ties between Malaysia and China entered a new chapter following visits by both national leaders to each other's country last year.
Both countries formalised three agreements and one memorandum of understanding (MoU) when Prime Minister Najib Razak made his first official visit to China in June 2009.
The first agreement signed between Malaysia and China witnessed by Najib and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao was the Malaysia-China Joint Action Plan on Strategic Cooperation.

The second agreement was the Abolition of Visa Agreement which covered regulations on the travel of holders of diplomatic and official or service passports.
These personnel will no longer be required to get visas for travel to China or Malaysia.
The third document signed between the two countries was the Marine Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement.
The MoU signed was the Malaysia-China Postal Cooperation MoU.
On education, Liu also expressed hope that there would be closer collaboration between Malaysia and China.
He said there were about one million Chinese students studying in Malaysia.
At the same time, there were also about 2,000 Malaysian students doing their courses in China, he added.
The ambassador hoped more non-Chinese students from Malaysia would study in the republic.
On tourism, Liu said China was currently expanding its tourism market and would encourage more of its citizens to visit Malaysia.
He said an estimated one million Malaysians visited China last year.
Similarly, he added, some one million Chinese nationals visited Malaysia last year, with more expected to come, especially parents of students pursuing their studies in Malaysia.
BERNAMA

'1Malaysia' impresses French ambassador...

As France debates on a national identity, the '1Malaysia' concept has drawn the interest of its ambassador in Kuala Lumpur, Dr Marc Barety.
"How you manage when you are a diverse country with many different communites and how everybody is working together towards the same goal is interesting," he told Bernama in an interview at the embassy in busy Jalan Ampang.
Noting that France was also a diverse country, he said the French Government had launched a debate on national identity, calling on citizens to express their views about what being French means.
"So, the answers are, of course, very diverse...we are not at the end of the process.
"For us, to see that Malaysia is also thinking of 1Malaysia and what it means to be one country when you have various communities is, of course, very interesting," noted Dr Barety.
According to a media report, the French Government launched a website last November for the people to give input in the project carried out by its ministry of immigration and national identity.
In the interview on France-Malaysia relations, Dr Barety said the increasing number of reciprocal visits by ministers of both countries was a step forward in bilateral relations.
"We have had more French ministers visiting Malaysia in the past year than we had before," he said.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi visited Paris for talks with French leaders and counterparts.
"Of course, the prime minister met with our president (Nicolas Sarkozy) but more important than that, they decided to engage in strategic partnership which is really an upgrade...it means a lot for the future," he said.
The ambassador, who met representatives of top French companies here last week, said Malaysia was a very attractive place for them.
"They told me they are happy here and they want to develop their business here...For me, this is very positive, when you compare this with what you read in some newspapers and talk to the people who know the business, it is very satisfying," added Dr Barety.
According to him, there are now 200 French companies in Malaysia while the number of French living in the country has grown to 2,300.
He said France was also keen to tap on Malaysia's expertise in Islamic finance and halal food.
"Malaysia is becoming (a) hub for (the) halal industry and we are trying to develop this.
"We have the French Muslim community who are already producing halal food," he said.

Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar!

After such a long break, thought I should share the following email which I received today:

"No one can make you serve customers well. That's because great service is a choice. Harvey Mackay (who ever he is), tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.
He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey .
He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'
Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said:
Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean! As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'
My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink'.
Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.'
Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke'.
Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today'.
As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio. And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.
'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'
Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called 'You'll See It When You Believe It'. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd. That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more'.
'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.
'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action'.
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles. How about us?
A man reaps what he sows. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar"

Australian envoy bids farewell with fond memories...

With her tour of duty in Malaysia coming to an end, Australian High Commissioner Penny Williams can reflect with satisfaction on the strong, blossoming ties between the two countries.
Spanning trade, investment, education, defence and the socio-cultural spectrum, the bilateral bond had taken a new dimension to even benefit a third country.
"I'm extremely happy with what the two governments have achieved...happy with what we've done with Afghanistan and I think the ground is set for us to do more cooperation," said Williams who returns to Canberra at the end of March after a three-year stint.
Propelled by their long-standing relations in education, particularly in teacher training, Australia and Malaysia jointly brought some 30 teachers from Afghanistan for training here. Another 30 will be trained in the second round of the Malaysia-Australia Education Project for Afghanistan (MAEPA).
"I'm also very pleased that we have expanded the education relationship to include schools, not just universities," Williams said in an interview at the high commission in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, a stone's throw away from the iconic Petronas Twin Towers.
Twelve Malaysian and Australian schools have been chosen for a sister school arrangement with the number expected to increase to 24.
She spoke passionately about her desire to see more Australians studying in Malaysia while encouraging Malaysians to study in Australia.
Just two days ago, Williams hosted a reception for a group of 17 Malaysian scholars and professionals who received scholarships to pursue study and professional development in Australia this year.
"Education has always been at the heart of the Australia-Malaysia bilateral relationship.
"Through education, Malaysians and Australians have come to know each other better and have created binding ties between our two communities," she added.

A 'high' Hari Raya-do...

We literally had a 'high' Hari Raya 'open house' on the 13th floor of Wisma Bernama.

Unlike the previous year, when celebration was held at the area around the building's entrance, we decided to have it indoor this time as the floor was available.
It used to be occupied by the Information Department which has moved to Wisma Sime Darby at Jalan Raja Laut.
Thanks to Baki, who proposed the idea of having the 'open house' on the 13th floor, it turned out to be a happy occasion.

Apart from minimising cost as we did not have to rent canopies like we did last year, the 'venue' provided a good view of the city.
More importantly, we were spared from the rain.
It was a wash-out the last time we had the celebration at the open space outside the building when it rained heavily.
It did rain this time too but the impact was minimal.

The turn-out was good with contacts and clients of the various sections making their way to share the joy with us.
Selamat Hari Raya! Maaf Zahir dan Batin.


(Photographs by Zuber Nordin)

Instilling the spirit of patriotism ...

Busy Jalan Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur was 'rocked' by the presence of red-shirted teams distributing the national flag -- Jalur Gemilang.
It was among five locations in the city where the flags were distributed to business premises and shoppers to celebrate the 52nd National Day.

The other places were Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Brickfields, Jalan Petaling and Kampung Baru.
Heading the programme at Jalan Bukit Bintang was the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry Secretary-General Kamaruddin Siaraf.
Accompanying him were Bernama officers and staff led by Bernama General Manager Hasnul Hassan.About 1,200 large and hand-waving flags were given away.
Kamaruddin, who was very satisfied by the encouraging response from the people, hoped the initiative would raise awareness of the people to understand and appreciate the country's independence.
"I wish to thank (the) Pavilion (shopping centre) for contributing 1,000 flags to make the campaign a success.
"This is good cooperation between the government and the private sector," he said.

A Malaysian icon in unity …

He's a hero to many Malaysians. Long before the talk of 1Malaysia, he was 1Malaysia.
What impress people most is the fact that he can convey a message – simple yet strong and in a fun way too.

His work inspires Malaysians to look beyond race, creed and religion in fostering unity.
He’s been described a legend, brilliant and an icon in depicting Malaysians as we are.
Those who have been featured in his caricatures have a common thing to say in that it was an honour to be drawn by him.
He is Lat or Mohammad Noor Khalid -- Malaysia’s most lovable cartoonist.
"1Malaysia has always been with us. We’ve been living the 1Malaysia way as far as I can remember. We’ve always mixed with each other. Friendship was always on our minds. I remember cycling all the way to town every Saturday when I was a youngster to meet up with my friends of various races. Each could play a musical instrument and we got together to play as a band. Music and sports can bring people together. I’ll use that as a guide to continue my work," said Lat.
A collection of 60 of Lat’s original sketches, dating from 1974 up to now, showing some of the funny and quirky moments in Malaysian politics, sports, economy and life in general is being exhibited at a shopping centre in Kuala Lumpur.
Titled "Lat’s 1Malaysia Exhibition", it is on until August 31 at the east wing concourse of Bangsar Shopping Centre.
Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad opened the exhibition, saying it is timely as Malaysia celebrates its 52nd Independence Day.

"Lat has the talent to make fun of people and situations without annoying anyone. When he picks a character to draw, he draws the unique feature of the person. When Lat draws me, I immediately recognise it because of the big nose. Really, it’s not that big," he said to the roar of laughter from the guests.

*Pictures and text from New Straits Times

Some people ...

Unearthing the roots...

Root crops are the second most important source of carbohydrate in the world's food supply -- the most important being cereals. In the Tropics, however, root crops are more important. In fact, in many tropical countries which do not grow rice, root crops are the staple diet.
In an effort to 'introduce' the root crops, Pos Malaysia today issued stamps and first day covers with the tuber theme.
The stamps come in four designs -- Ubi Keledek and Ubi Kayu, both in 30 sen denomination as well as Sengkuang and Ubi Badak, both in 50 sen denomination.
A mini sheet with the 'Ubi Keladi' design in RM3 denomination completes the latest collection.

Pos Malaysia says the term 'root crops' or 'tuber plants'is applied to plants which produce subterranean structures that are used as human or animal food. These perennial plants have organs which store plant nutrients.

Minggu ready to step down ...

After four years of leading the Bernama staff union, my good friend Minggu Simon Lhasa is ready to pass the baton.
"I don’t intend to hold the position much longer…it’s time to give way to young blood," said the 41 year-old Minggu.
The union is due to elect new office-bearers at its biennial general meeting on Saturday, 8 August .
Saying he was “forced” to take up the post of union president when there was no taker, Minggu was lost for words when asked what he thought was his achievement as the union ‘chief’.
"I wouldn’t want to be seen as blowing my own trumpet but I have discharged my responsibilities to the best of my ability".
"For me, no issue is petty because if you don’t tackle them, the problem will become big," said the assistant editor of Bernama Economic Service.
Now that he will have more time for himself, will the bachelor Minggu seriously think about settling down?
To this, he chuckled and said: "I don’t think I will have to look for a life partner, if there is someone for me, she will come".

Safe and secure ...

A new integrated security management system that incorporates a flash ID-card for staff is set to be activated at Wisma Bernama.
Our security chief Zainal Razali – or KP to his subordinates, has been busy over the past two weeks getting staff to collect their ID cards that were issued by the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry.
Being an agency under the ministry, we are fortunate that the new security system has been put in place with their support.

“We’ve given out 622 cards and a handful more still not collected.
“It’s important that everyone has the card, otherwise they may not gain access once the system is on,” said Zainal who heads a 22-strong unit.
A veteran of 29 years in Bernama, he said the task of keeping Wisma Bernama ‘safe and secure’ was even crucial now.
“With Bernama radio and Bernama TV operating from the building, other than our other services, we cannot take things easy,” he said.
He recalled an incident when a woman claimed that she had an appointment to see a guest who was being interviewed on radio and wanted to go up to see him.
“I managed to talk her out when I sense that she was just trying her luck after hearing the interview live on radio,” he said.

Apart from the building, Zainal and his team handles parking – a ‘tough’ problem until the management decided to rent the adjacent land and convert it into a parking area three months back.

A day of reflection ….

As Muslims mark the 27th of Rejab -- a historic date in the Islamic calendar, a ‘ceramah’ on Israk and Mikraj was held at the Wisma Bernama surau.
The talk touched on the significance of Israk and Mikraj to Muslims and the lessons that could be derived from them.
Israk and Mikraj, refer to the one-night journey of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. from Masjidil Haram in Makkah to Masjidil Aqsa in Baitulmaqdis and subsequently, to the heavens – Sidratil Muntaha and back to Makkah.

It was during the journey that the five prayer times were ordered for Muslims.
Assistant secretary of the surau committee Hanafiah Omar said the ‘ceramah’ was to enhance understanding of Israk and Mikraj among Muslim staff.

“It is an opportunity to reflect on the many important lessons from the sacred journey such as the five obligatory prayers,” he said.
The committee plans to hold more ‘ceramah’ in the coming fasting month of Ramadan.