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.

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.