KoSong: Don't rely on Wikipedia for information

How should we judge a government?

In Malaysia, if you don't watch television or read newspapers, you are uninformed; but if you do, you are misinformed!

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience - Mark Twain

Why we should be against censorship in a court of law: Publicity is the very soul of justice … it keeps the judge himself, while trying, under trial. - Jeremy Bentham

"Our government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no

responsibility at the other. " - Ronald Reagan

Friday, February 17, 2012

Don't rely on Wikipedia for information

At breakfast yesterday morning, someone mentioned about our so-called First Couple. A friend mentioned about the recent wedding of Najib's daughter, and I said she is Rosmah's, especially having read about the controversies concerning whether it was private or official. But another friend said, no, she is Najib's first wife's daughter. I said I can easily check to see who is right. I didn't mean to be nosey but more out of curiosity and to test my memory, so I searched online just to get the facts right.

According to Wikipedia:

On Rosmah Mansor:

"She married Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak in 1987 and the couple has two children - Nooryana Najwa and Norashman Razak. In addition to them, Rosmah also has three other children - Azrene Soraya (first marriage), and two other children from her second marriage with Abdul Aziz Nong Chik."

On Najib Tun Razak:

"In 1976 Najib married Tengku Puteri Zainah Tengku Eskandar ('Kui Yie') with whom he has three children: Mohd Nizar Najib (born 1978), Mohd Nazifuddin Najib and Puteri Norlisa Najib. In 1987 he divorced Ku Yie and married Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor with whom he has two children: Mohd Norashman Najib and Nooryana Najwa Najib. This is Rosmah's second marriage as well. She has two children from her previous marriage to Farid Ismeth Emir who was a former TV news presenter and currently a general manager in a trading company."

According to an article on Stress Control, among the items on the list, the following caught my attention:

"5. If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

I wonder if the above rule applies in the surprising vagueness of details (especially numbers do not add up) concerning our First Couple. I am surprised nobody in our PM's overstaffed office bothered to correct the misinformation.

By the way, my sister-in-law just mentioned about her husband's complaint that some of his medical students treat Wikipedia as if it is an authoritative source for medical information!