'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.

Smooth driving the radio way ….

Traffic jams not only waste time of motorists and passengers but can cause mental stress to them. Delays may result in late arrival for employment, meetings and education, resulting in lost business, disciplinary action or other personal losses.
Jams also pave way for wastage of fuel and wear and tear of vehicle parts which ultimately waste the money of the motorists.

Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat said motorists could plan their journey better to avoid traffic jams if they have information on the traffic situations.
He drove home the point when launching Bernama Radio24 "Info Trafik KL" at Wisma Bernama this morning.

Ong also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Bernama Radio24, Sunlight Radio Taxi Sdn Bhd and Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) on creating the new programme.
He described the tie-up as “permuafakatan tiga sekawan (a three-friend collaboration)”
Sunlight taxi drivers will directly share information on the traffic situation in the Klang Valley with listeners of Radio24 from 6am to 10am and from 4pm to 8pm, Monday to Friday.
At the same function, Ong launched a road safety campaign themed "Smart Driving" in which 1,000 Sunlight taxis operating in the Klang Valley will display the campaign stickers with tips on courteous driving.

A Nielsen study concluded that 60 per cent of radio listeners in Malaysia listened to the radio while driving. This indicates the importance of providing information on traffic situations for the convenience of road users.

United... for Malaysia!

While browsing the newspaper during breakfast with my teenage son, he pointed to me a photo of the spectators at the Malaysia-Manchester United match yesterday.

"Pa, look at that, just one guy in Malaysian jersey amongst Manchester United supporters,” he said of the photo on the back page of the Sunday Times. The man in the yellow-and-black Malaysian jersey appeared lost being surrounded by cheering red-shirted MU fans.
The Sunday Star, which also had a similar photo, reported that die-hard MU fans turned the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil into a sea of red. The fans, of all ages, came out in full force clad in red – jerseys, shorts, caps, scarfs, bandanas – to welcome English Premier League champions Manchester United.

This is the Red Devils’ fifth visit to Malaysia since 1980. The last time United were here, in 2001, some 70,000 fans turned up to see them trounce the national team 6-0.This time, nearly 85,000 fans were packed into the stadium.
“Not surprisingly, 95% of the spectators were dressed in red although this is supposed to be a home game for Malaysia!,” says the report.

Footnote: The young Malaysian side held the visitors 2-2 for 84 minutes before new signing Michael Owen scored the winner for the Red Devils.

Of artwork and ‘Laman Santai’ ….

When the National Art Gallery offered visuals of artwork that were being exhibited as backdrop for Bernama TV bulletins, I thought it was a brilliant idea.
Not only was it good for inter-agency cooperation but helps promote arts to a wider audience.
“You can show the different paintings every day,” said its director-general Dr Mohamed Najib Ahmad Dawa, himself a famed batik artist.
He was referring to the ‘Mosaics of Malaysia’ exhibition that showcases the wide-ranging work of China’s renowed artist Zhang Zhou.
The exhibition to commemorate 35 years of friendly relations between Malaysia and China opened on June 13 and will run until Aug 31. Commissioned by a Malaysian collector, the artist took six years to produce the 100 paintings on display.


Although the visuals could not be projected as the bulletin backdrop because of technicalities, they were prominently displayed during credit line at the end of the bulletins of all four languages – Malay, English, Mandarin and Tamil.
More than being agencies under the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry, the National Art Gallery and Bernama are “neighbours” along Jalan Tun Razak -- the road becoming even more prominent as it is named after the second prime minister and father of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.
Another ‘family’ agency in the neighbourhood is Istana Budaya which organizes the 'Laman Santai' programme on Saturday nights like this.
I discovered tonight that the programme, based on the concept of relaxing while being entertained, is quite a happening.





Family and friends gathered in a picnic-like atmosphere with a familiar face on Bernama TV commercials Ezlyn among the entertainers for this week.
A favourite conversation topic for the night was no doubt the slim 3-2 win of visiting Manchester United over Malaysia a few hours earlier.


Footnote: After cancelling their trip to Jakarta, Manchester United will play another match against the Malaysian selection on Monday

In the thick of action ...

My Jakarta-based colleague Nasir Yusof had his hands full covering the bomb explosions at two luxury hotels in the Indonesian capital this morning.
Eight people were killed in the explosions at the JW Marriott Hotel and Ritz Carlton Hotel in the Mega Kuning commercial area.
The explosions within two minutes of each other, happened at 7.45am and 7.47am.
Having a bureau in Jakarta helps because it enables Bernama to get the news fast and first-hand.
As correspondent with multi-tasking responsibilities, Nasir not only provided the news for our wire service but gave voice reports for Bernama Radio24. His reports were picked up by Bernama TV as well.
Even RTM sought Nasir to provide situational reports for their bulletins.
As news agency, Bernama need to update such stories from time-to-time. For this, Nasir has to keep on his toes, constantly checking with his sources on the development. At one stage, he sms to alert me that he had updated the death toll to nine from four in his earlier report.
Yet before midnight, Nasir sent his last update with the confirmed number of eight dead, including two suicide bombers, in his story of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono condemning the attacks.

Footnote: The touring Manchester United team, who arrived in Kuala Lumpur today, was supposed to stay at the Jakarta Ritz Carlton after their Malaysian stop.

From typewriter to computer ...

For the man who took Bernama from “typewriter-to-computer”, former general manager Ahmad Mustapha Hassan can take pride of Bernama’s transformation.
“Now Bernama is a real conglomerate, I wouldn’t know how to manage it,” he said at a talk to share his experience with past and present staff at Wisma Bernama today.
He took up the post in October 1981 when Bernama was operating from the MCOBA Building at what was then known as Jalan Lornie (now Jalan Syed Putra).
The operation was small but ‘noisy’, he said.
“The noise in the office was terrible, you can hear all sorts of noise…the teleprinters, typewriters…we had to change.
“We have to get computers to make it easier to disseminate news, easier to work,” he recalled.
Of course he had to face opposition, “some argued that it would affect pregnant staff”.
“It took me some time to convince them that it would not affect the baby,” he said.
But it was not until Bernama moved to the present Wisma Bernama in 1984 that the computerization plans were put into place.

Along with computerization, he saw opportunities for Bernama to generate its own money.
He was instrumental in getting the Bernama Act to be ammended in 1985 to enable the agency to venture into commercial activities.

“I wanted Bernama to be less dependent on the government,” he said and spoke about the partnership deals which Bernama clinched with some major news agencies and the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange.
He recalled the time when Bernama headed the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) from 1981 to 1985.
It was the time when Unesco under the leadership of Amadou-Mahtar M'bow, a Senegalese, wanted to break the dominance of the “Big 4” in international news flow.
The Paris-based UN agency published the McBride Commission report in 1980 with the theme “Many Voices One World”. Among the problems the report identified were concentration of the media, commercialization of the media, and unequal access to information and communication.
News of the Third World reported by the major international news agencies were mostly about disasters and misfortune. The Third World were convinced that they and their interests were largely ignored and, when covered at all, subjected to ridicule, cynicism, and abuse.

Ahmad Mustapha said M’Bow was helpful to Bernama in the operation of OANA, which was set-up with Unesco's backing in 1961.
“The Unesco regional communication adviser S.M.Ali, a Bangladeshi, was based in KL…he too helped us a lot,” he said.
“We managed to get fund from Unesco to organize various workshops and seminars to help upgrade reporting in Asia Pacific," said Ahmad Mustapha, who ended his stint as GM on November 30, 1987.
For all that his done, it’s a wonder that he is still without a ‘Datukship’ to his name. When asked about this, the 73 year-old replied in jest:
“Well, I’m a datuk with eight grandchildren.”

NNN -- Malaysia's commitment to NAM ...

While Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak makes his debut at the on-going Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Egypt, Malaysia can take pride that it is home to a practical, NAM-related working entity – the NAM News Network (NNN).
It is more gratifying for Bernama as the NNN Secretariat is located on the 15th floor of Wisma Bernama since its inception in 2006.
The Secretariat is administered by a director who supervises an eight-member editorial team working 12 hours daily, seven days a week.
With its tagline "The NNN is about NAM, by NAM, for NAM and the world", NNN transmits more than 100 news items a day covering Asia, Africa, Middle East, Latin America & Carribbean and Europe.
Besides English, the news items are sent out in Spanish.
It was great to see my former news editor Musa Scully, 67, back at Wisma Bernama as subs-editor with NNN.

“I still go to the gym, play tennis and go dancing,” he quipped.
As a newsman, Musa was much-respected and taught us -- cadet reporters in the early 1980’s – the journalism trade.
"Stick to the 5Ws and 1H," he said.

Surge in Bernama portal hits...

The Bernama website registers some 95 million hits a month. The figure has more than double since the website located at www.bernama.com was revamped in August last year. It had a monthly hits of 40 million at that time.
With internet usage on the rise, the Bernama "on-line electronic newspaper" is expected to chart an even higher figure by year's end.
Internet users in Asia have jumped to 657 million as of March 31, 2009, according to a report by the European Travel Commission's New Media Trend Watch.
Quoting statistics from the Internet World Stats, an international website that features up-to-date world Internet usage, the report said that this latest figure is an increase of 474.9 percent compared to 2000.
Among the top Internet users in Asia as of April 2009 are China with 298 million (or 22.4 percent of the country's population), Japan with 94 million (73.8 percent), India with 81 million (7.1 percent), and South Korea with 36.8 million (76.1 percent).
Indonesia leads the south-east Asian countries with 25 million (10.5 percent) and followed by Vietnam with 20.9 million (24.4 percent) and the Philippines with 20.6 million (21.5 percent).
In May 2007, there were nearly 284 million people aged 15 or older who accessed the Internet from either a home or work computer in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the report.
"The average person in the Asia-Pacific region visited the Internet on 13.8 days in the month and spent 20.2 hours viewing 2,171 pages," it added.
Compared to the global average of 17.1 usage days per month, 25.2 hours per month, and 2,519 pages per month, Asia-Pacific Internet usage is considered to be "somewhat lower than the rest of the world".
Asia top 10 countries:
1. China: 298,000,000 (22.4% of the population in the country)
2. Japan: 94,000,000 (73.8%)
3. India: 81,000,000 (7.1%)
4. South Korea: 36,794,800 (76.1%)
5. Indonesia: 25,000,000 (10.5%)
6. Vietnam: 20,993,374 (24.4%)
7. Philippines: 20,650,000 (21.5%)
8. Pakistan: 17,500,000 (10.1%)
9. Malaysia: 15,868,000 (62.8%)
10 Taiwan: 15,140,000 (66.1%)
(Internet World Stats, April 2009)

What you are doesn't matter ...

A friend, who until recently held an influential post working for a political VIP, is out-of-job but he is taking things in his stride.
“Don’t worry, I’ll survive with the little things I do here and there,” he told me over the phone yesterday.
He went on to tell me about his situation after being sidelined by his ‘boss’.
What touched me was when he asked if I still consider him a friend.
“Of course… you’re my friend because of who you are, not what you are,” I said.

I admire his character and determination to take on whatever jobs to support his family.
“I even work at construction site… mixing cement and lay bricks during weekends…at least I can get RM150 a day, life has to go on,” he said.
His self-esteem reminded me of two guys who were basking at a food court near the KL Hospital.
Their rendition of local hits made my breakfast of tosai and ‘teh halia’ even tastier.
"I respect them...it's a better way to earn money than begging," said a hospital staff who shared the table with me.

A memorable day for Fairuz ...

Muhammad Fairuz Syuhaimi and his university-mates were among thousands who made their way to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Saturday for the PM's "100 days in office" public gathering. They got to see not just Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak but former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as well.
When I met him later at a fast-food restaurant, the 19 year-old Fairuz, who is doing Physics at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, was excited about meeting Dr Mahathir.
As proof, the Taiping lad took out his handphone and showed me the photo of him with Dr Mahathir.
I asked him if he could forward me the photo so I could post it on this blog.
"I can do it now if there's wi-fi here," he said and remarked that he had his laptop in his knapsack.
"Well you guys are so IT-savvy...I had to depend on the typewriter when I first joined Bernama," I replied.
As the place was crowded, he said he would emailed me the photo.
So, in keeping to my promise, I'm posting the photo which Fairuz sent to me this morning.
He may not realize it but thanks to Dr Mahathir's foresight, ICT is now part of our daily life.

(It's not difficult to identify Fairuz -- the guy with the knapsack, of course, on the extreme left)