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

Government fed by the people

Government fed by the people

Career options

Career options
I suggest government... because nobody has ever been caught.

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?
Corruption is so prevalent it affects English language?

When there's too much dirt...

When there's too much dirt...
We need better tools... to cover up mega corruptions.

Prevent bullying now!

Prevent bullying now!
If you're not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist? “Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit, tapi selama ia tidak menulis, ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah.” - Ananta Prameodya Toer (Your intellect may soar to the sky but if you do not write, you will be lost from society and to history.)

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Azmi Sharom: What do the professionals want?

Excerpt:

"EARLIER this week I was asked by a reporter if there is anything that can be added to the demands made by Bersih for their fifth rally planned for Nov 19, in order to attract the professional classes.
I replied rather tersely with the question, “What else do people want”? Seriously, the demands are pretty comprehensive, and they are all aimed at making the country more democratic and better governed.
The demand for clean elections is still the number one priority. This is as it should be, because without clean and fair elections then we are moving towards disaster. The way things are, the constituencies are so disproportionate that the concept of one-person, one-vote has gone out of the window.
This is why in the last elections, the coalition with fewer votes actually formed the Government. It has been suggested by some analysts that in the current situation, it is possible for the ruling coalition to win only 40% of the popular vote and still maintain a majority in Parliament.
This just cannot be allowed to go on. If people feel their vote is useless, that is when they will be compelled to take other measures.
Doesn’t the Election Commission understand that by not ensuring that we get as close as possible to one-person, one-vote they are actively helping to lay the foundations for chaos in this country? Or don’t they care?"
Link

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Property Insight: FIVE THINGS EVERY LANDLORD SHOULD STATE IN THE TENANCY AGREEMENT

Having been involved in a long drawn tenancy case (over 5 years) against some long-time tenants (so-called old friends) who refused to move out of our family land (it went all the way to then Supreme Court), I can feel the need for a well-covered tenancy agreement.

Potential landlords should never take potential tenants' promises for granted. It is wise to make sure all the important issues are covered in the tenancy agreement.

Excerpt from Property Insight's article:

"David has received his key for his newly-completed condominium and found a potential tenant, Ah Cai, who was interested to rent the unit as soon as possible. In order to save time and money, David and Ah Cai signed a tenancy agreement downloaded by the former from http://www.never.trust.lawyers.com.
Five months later, David received several calls from the condominium’s management requesting him to settle the outstanding water charges that amounted to RM888. David visited his to remind Ah Cai to pay the utility bills. To the shocking of his conscience, he discovered that his unit was being used as a childcare centre and the walls were filled with the children’s ‘artistic’ scribbles.  
After vomiting two pails of blood, David confronted Ah Cai, “How can you use my unit as a childcare centre?!?” Ah Cai responded with an innocent look, “What’s wrong with that? There is nothing in the agreement which states that I am not allowed to use your property to run a childcare business.”
David yelled, “I don’t care! I want you to pay all the outstanding utility charges, restore the unit to its original condition and get out of my unit as soon as possible!” He then slams the door and left. He returned home and immediately checked the tenancy agreement, hoping to find some clauses to support his demand.
He was shocked when he realised that the agreement is silent on how Ah Cai can use the unit. David was even more depressed when he found that, according to the agreement, the landlord (meaning David himself) is responsible for paying all utility charges and maintaining the good condition of the unit.
So what can we do to avoid becoming a victim like David when we are renting out our units? Here are some important clauses which your tenancy agreement should provide for:
(1) Specify the purpose/use of the property
If you are renting out a residential property, make sure you state clearly in the tenancy agreement that the property can only be used for residential purposes
You should also insert a clause to restrict your tenant from sub-letting the property without your written approval, so that you can filter and manage the people who may be staying in your unit
(2) Who pays the bills
It is common practice for the tenant to pay for the utility charges (i.e. water, electricity, sewerage charges) while the landlord will bear the management fees
To avoid any confusion/dispute, it is prudent for you to state clearly that your tenant should promptly pay the utility charges within a certain period (usually 14 days) upon receiving the relevant bills
(3) Maintenance of the property
The tenant is usually responsible for maintaining the fixtures and fittings of the property (subject to fair wear and tear), while the landlord will maintain the structure (i.e. walls, drains, roof) of the property in reasonable and tenantable condition
You should list down the furniture, household appliances and all other items which you have provided in the property and ask the tenant to confirm the good condition of these items
Make it clear in the tenancy agreement that the tenant is responsible for maintaining the good condition of these items (subject to fair wear and tear)
(4) Restore and return the property
You should ensure that it is written in the agreement the tenant shall restore the property to its original good and tenantable condition and return the keys of the property to you upon the expiry/early termination of the agreement
(5) Empower yourself with self-help remedy
You can state in the agreement that if your tenant fails to perform his obligations within a reasonable period, you are entitled to carry out his obligations at his cost and expense
As such, you shall be entitled to fix the damages, restore the unit, pay the outstanding bills and deduct the same from security/utility deposits
Last but not least, you should take photos and record the original condition of your property and furniture before handing over your unit to the tenant. In the event of a dispute, you may use these photos as proof and justification in your favour.
Be smart, don’t be like David. Stop downloading sample agreements from http://www.never.trust.lawyers.com "
Link

The case of the uncanny murder of Canny Ong

For those interested in knowing more about this gruesome murder and its legal case...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyAl6Ppw0yo
Link

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Beware of Facebook Posts Asking Users to Type "Amen" to Help or Support Children, Adults or Animals

From onlinethreatsalert.com:

'Beware of deceitful Facebook users who are posting pictures of sick, starving, dead and injured children, adults or animals on Facebook, to trick other Facebook users into commenting on them by typing "Amen," in order to make them popular. This type of activity is another Like-Farming scam. The heartless and deceitful people who are tricking Facebook users into typing "Amen" are only taking advantage of caring Facebook users, who think they are helping out, by playing with their consciences. The scam may also ask Facebook users to compliment a child, an adult or an animal, or type "Amen" to be grateful for something.

Scammers use the posts to gather up potential victims. Once they have enought Facebook users, they will start sending them spam (unsolicited messages) with links that will take potential victims to phishing websites that will steal their information, or malicious links that will take them to dangerous websites that will infect their computers with Spyware or Trojan horse. The scammers may also send fraudulent messages claiming that their potential victims are so-called lottery winners and they need to send money in order to claim their prizes.
The messages below are just some of the few examples used by deceitful Facebook users to trick other Facebook users into commenting on their fake posts:
  • “don’t scroll without typing amen.”
  • “if you woke up this morning and your thankful every day while being bless scroll down and type amen”
  • “how many likes can she get?”
  • “this baby still cute, scroll if your heartless”
  • “ignore if your heartless”
  • “keep scrolling if your heartless”
  • "Ignore If You Have No Heart"
  • "PLEASE DONT IGNORE"
  • "Don't scroll without saying R.I.P"
  • "This is so sad type AMEN and lets see how many amen's and likes he can get"
  • "Don't scroll without showing respect"
  • "Please don't scroll down without saying "Amen"
  • "Don't Press Watch Without Typing Amen"
  • "1 like = 1000 prayers Don't scroll without typing amen"
  • "Would You Save Your Mother? Type Yes Ignore NO"
  • "Do you trust in prayers? If yes so please pray for this baby take a minute and type "Amen" your one amen is one pray if you don't love children so you can skip this"
Also, if you have received a message stating Facebook will donate money to a child if you like, share or comment on some content, please do not follow the instructions in the message, instead, report it to Facebook. And, if you have already commented on Facebook posts with sick, starving and injured children, adults or animals that you are not able to determine the legitimacy of, please click here for instructions on how to remove those posts from your Facebook Wall and Timeline.'


Link

Thursday, September 22, 2016

How we wish our Senators can question people like her!

When we think of democracy, USA is one of the western countries which come to mind. Their senators are outspoken and powerful, unlike our rubber-stamp counterparts. I can still remember how a former politician described his profession as Senator in his passport, simply because it is international known, unlike our Tan Sris and Datos. Even Justices of the Peace have better recognition internationally than them.

Elizabeth Warren's brutal takedown of Wells Fargo's CEO is something out of a horror movie!

https://www.facebook.com/AlterNetNews/videos/10153973543877507/


Link

Why China is ignoring the verdict on South China Sea...

This video clip could have been China's propaganda, but it is worth viewing it to get alternate views on the matter. I think it is best to avoid any military conflict wherever possible. If we could accept USA as Big Brother before, why not accept China now? Let there be bilateral negotiations for win-win solutions, without involvement of USA. I wish China could jointly develop the region for the benefit of all.


Link

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Koon Yew Yin: Why the BN Government Will Lose in the Next GE

Seems like a rather optimistic forecast, especially with all the proposed gerrymandering and malapportionment by the Election Commission. But why not enjoy something, even if it is unlikely to come true?

"The latest hot news in town is whether Najib and BN are going for early elections, Various UMNO ministers have been calling on their constituency members to be prepared with some UMNO leaders claiming that this is the best time to take advantage of the wins in the two recent by elections in Perak and Selangor and the state elections in Sarawak.
On the other hand, PM Najib has not dropped any hints. But the Deputy PM has discounted early elections. According to Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the claim that the general election could be held as early as next March was based on speculation. He also stated the conclusion was reached using the predictions of unnamed Umno leaders polled by the media outlet. “That is a prediction based on structured sampling which they did. But the reality is that we must keep our feet firmly planted on the ground and while the leaders in the government, BN and Umno don’t deny that the survey was done academically, but the reality is different”.
Whatever the truth is on this matter, I hope it is true that an early election will come about. In my previous posting, I had noted that we have had a lifetime of UMNO/Aliance and UMNO/BN rule in the country.
One lifetime is bad enough.
An early election will give us the opportunity to get rid of what an MCA leader has referred to as “jaguh kampung” – that is UMNO leaders – who have enriched themselves and their cronies but let the Malays and all Malaysians down badly.
I am sure that this coming election will be different in its outcome for the following reasons.
1. Not many Malaysians are aware that the last election was stolen by the BN. At the last GE, BN polled 5,237,699 votes, or 47.4% of the vote. The opposition PR polled 5,623,984 votes, or 50.9% of the vote. Yet the BN won the election in terms of seats. The PR increased their vote by 2.9%, while the BN vote fell by 3.9%, yet the PR made a net gain of only 7 seats. BN pulled off this “remarkable feat” – 60% of the seats with 47% of the vote, leaving the opposition with 51% of the vote but only 40% of the seats by electoral cheating. In the coming election, I expect the opposition parties to go all out to expose the electoral tricks and deceit of the BN which gave the BN victory in the last election. This will ensure that the voting public delivers a clear cut and decisive victory for the opposition despite the BN’s electoral manipulation.
2. Most Important Factor: At the last GE, the opposition won more votes but less seats because UMNO won more seats in the rural areas. Now there are 3 Malay opposition parties (PAS, AMANAH and Pribumi) and chances are that they can win more seats in the rural areas if they get their act together. 4-5 years since the last election is a long time. Rural voters know the bad economic situation facing them today is entirely the work of UMNO. The FELDA Global Ventures listing, for example, has benefited UMNO’s cronies but impoverished thousands of settlers and their families.
3. Today Malays and Malaysians are not only better educated but also better informed about what is taking place and what is good and bad for the country. Everybody knows how 1MO and 1MDB have not only cost the country billions of ringgit but have also brought us great shame and humiliation. Till today, we have not had a honest and full account of what has happened in the twin scandals of 1MDB and the massive donation into the PM’s personal account. Nobody in the voting booth in the next GE in Peninsular Malaysia will cast his or her vote without taking into consideration these two mother-of-all political scandals. Dr. Mahathir and Muhyiddin will make sure of this.
4. Today too, we are seeing signs of the BN breaking up. Some MCA, Gerakan and MIC leaders are finally realizing that they have been played out by UMNO’s extremist policies and politics and are speaking out. We can expect that they and their supporters in the BN will take silent revenge against UMNO at the next poll. I also expect to see a few political parties from Sabah and Sarawak joining up with the opposition to cut UMNO down to size at the federal level.
5. On a personal note too, I hope Tunku Razaleigh and other UMNO dissidents can leave UMNO to join the opposition. They must realize that there is no future for them in a Najib-controlled UMNO – only a sinking ship and the loss of whatever name and honour they have still.
To the PM and BN leaders – please have an early 14 GE so that Malaysians have an early opportunity to say: “good riddance to bad rubbish”!
Link

Monday, September 19, 2016

EC seems to be hard at work in gerrymandering and malapportionment in BN's favour for the next GE

This is the best graphic to explain the effects of gerrymandering:




















As to malapportionment in an electoral system, it is defined as 'poorly apportioned, especially divided, organized, or structured in a manner that prevents large sections of a population from having equitable representation in a legislative body'. Put simply, it is unfair to have a constituency having 150,000 voters and another with only 15,000 voters. In other words, the voters in the big constituency has only 1/10 of voting power of the small one. Instead of correcting the unfair distribution of voters, EC seems unconcern about it.

'The Election Commission (EC), after 13 years and three election cycles, on Thursday announced the commencement of a nationwide redelineation exercise.
Within hours, the opposition rained a torrent of criticism against the EC, accusing the commission of trying to engineer the redelineation in BN's favour.
Much of these criticisms were focused on Selangor, where the number of voters in the parliamentary seats were dramatically altered.
Malaysiakini looked at the patterns to see if there were any merits to claims that the EC was up to no good.
We first listed all parliamentary seats in Selangor based on the majorities won by BN or the federal opposition, in an ascending order.
This was then compared with how much the respective seats were enlarged, or shrunk, in terms of voters under the latest redelineation exercise.
From the simple analysis, it was found that parliamentary seats in Selangor that were won by the opposition by more than 60 percent of the votes cast, with the exception of Puchong, were all enlarged.'


Read more: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/355963#ixzz4Kf0gDFIk


The Malay Mail: Election Commission changes names for 12 parliamentary, 34 state seats - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/election-commission-changes-names-for-12-parliamentary-34-state-seats#sthash.xTOHT1Ux.dpuf


Malaysiakini: 

MP: Bukit Aman voters moved in to cause Nurul Izzah's defeat


Haris Ibrahim's take on this vital issue:

Let this redelineation thru and we’re stuck with these robbers and thieves another 50 years


Kim Quek's comment in Facebook on Tony Pua's

Pua livid over EC proposal despite possibility of increasing majority


'Such ugly re-delineation exercise is akin to outright daylight robbery – robbing seats from the opposition to pass them on to the ruling coalition by shifting voters around from one constituency to another so as to maximise BN’s chances of winning.
Has our EC degraded to such a wretched state that it feels no shame to perform such bare-faced perverted acts as henchmen for BN?
All Malaysians who love this country must strongly oppose such abominable subversion of democracy and flagrant violation of the letter and spirit of our democratic constitution, and fight every inch of the way – both inside and outside the court room – to prevent the EC and BN from succeeding in their evil design.'

For a more comprehensive report from Malaysiakini:

Boundary changes proposed for all KL, T'ganu parliamentary seats

Link

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Cilisos: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO TREAT CANCER IN MALAYSIA? WE *TRY* TO BREAK IT DOWN :(

As some people used to say: "If the cancer does not kill you, the medical bills will." 

infographic from learnmyprotection.com

Excerpt:

'Cancer uproots people’s lives, and it’s not just the patient, but those around them – signalling the start of an ugly cycle of pain – physical, mental and unfortunately financial.
Since we can’t even begin to address the first two factors, we teamed up with our friends at AXA to at least TRY to assess the last one – the financial burden on cancer cost in Malaysia, broken down into costs per aspect of your treatments – e.g. chemo, radiotherapy, consultations, x-rays etc. But first…

How can you ease the burden of Cancer?

Insurance plans are of course a good way of doing this, but they CAN get pretty complicated. Also, people often don’t have the time to get a health check, or sometimes just can’t afford an RM300 a month type policy. Others don’t like being told the specifics of HOW to spend their money, e.g. no alternative treatments etc.'




Rest of article: http://cilisos.my/how-much-does-it-cost-to-treat-cancer-in-malaysia-we-try-to-break-it-down/

Link

Tuesday, September 06, 2016

Zika virus not directly linked to microcephaly?

Excerpt:

'All along I’ve felt somewhat suspect that the Zika virus is linked to microcephaly.  The US Centers for Disease Control and the New England Journal of Medicine both concluded the link is there.  Both are heavy hitters in the realm of research, however, they admit there’s no studied verification.'

'The New England Complex Systems Institute has shed new light on the situation and opened the possibility that the declared Zika link may be premature. The study is expansive and so credible that the New England Journal of Medicine published the preliminary results in spite of already concluding Zika was the problem.
The study looked at nearly 12,000 pregnant Colombian women infected with Zika. None of them had a baby with microcephaly.
Four cases of microcephaly were reported with women who didn’t have Zika symptoms and were not part of the study, which is consistent with the normal expected number of cases.
Based on estimated numbers there should be about 60,000 pregnant women in Colombia with the Zika virus, yet there are hardly any cases of microcephaly. If the link to Zika is legitimate, there should have been a dramatic increase in the number of babies with microcephaly.
So what is the culprit?
Some scientists believe pesticides may be the source, specifically pyriproxyfen. It’s effective in controlling mosquitoes by acting as a larvicide. It interferes, the researchers say, with the development of mosquito larvae.
Do you recognize the possible link?
Pyriproxyfen may also have a detrimental effect on developing unborn babies.
More detailed information is available that explains the interactions between hormones and molecules.
Here’s why American researchers may be so interested in this study.
Pyriproxyfen was sprayed in areas with a high rate of microcephaly. Even more noteworthy is that they put this chemical in the drinking water in Pernambuco, a state in Brazil at ground zero in the Zika epidemic. The chemical was sprayed and added to the water just before the outbreak of microcephaly.
These early findings aren’t conclusive, but they do open the distinct possibility that Zika may not be the cause of the increase in microcephaly cases. We must follow the research to see where it leads and respond effectively while we protect pregnant women and their unborn babies regardless of the child’s disability.'
Link

NY Times: How China is changing your internet



WeChat's all-in-one features will be emulated by others.
Link

Monday, September 05, 2016

Chang Kim Loong: Affordable housing: How to own it?

Excerpt:

'HBA has consistently called for government intervention to prevent a “homeless generation of young adult Malaysians” from emerging, especially in urban and sub-urban areas, who, if not for wild speculation, would have been able to buy their own houses.
In the Government’s drive for home ownership, low stamp duties have been imposed to encourage first-time house buyers. But speculators have taken advantage of this to accumulate multiple properties and manipulate prices with housing developers.
There are three types of purchasers, namely:
• Necessity: Those who buy out of need (owner-occupied),
• Precautionary: Those who buy to hedge against inflation and for long-term investment, and
• Speculative: Those who buy to “flip” and make money against everyone’s interest except their own.
The less affluent, who constitute the majority of the population, have been marginalised, with those having more than others accumulating property far in excess of what they need.'
'DIBS
HBA says: We want our children to inherit our houses, not our housing loans
It’s naivety to accept the developers’ arguments to re-introduce the DIBS gimmick. It should be noted that Bank Negara had prohibited “any form of interest capitalisation scheme”.
The economic downturn is seen as a fresh opportunity for DIBS to be reconsidered and mooted by none other than Rehda, the trade organisation that represents developers. This time around, it says it’s only for “first time house buyers”
DIBS or any other permutation similarly “schemed” cannot be allowed to continue for the betterment of the housing industry as it risks creating a property bubble as property prices have been artificially increased and they create a snowball effect. This is especially so when the young, unwary and first time house buyers come on stream. They need more protection compared with seasoned players.
DIBS prohibition announced in Budget 2014 had been effective in curbing the unbridled escalation of house prices. DIBS must continue to be prohibited and outlawed and should not be re-instated in any form or substance.
Pay nothing to own a house?
DIBS is popular with speculators as they pay nothing to make a profit. The argument that purchasers don’t have to pay for anything during construction is specious: attractive to the naive buyers.
The expenses, in any form, incurred by the developer will eventually have to be paid back, by the purchaser with a “premium”. The increased amount ranging from 10% to 20% and some even as high as 25%, will have to be paid by purchasers in exorbitant instalments.'
Link

Friday, September 02, 2016

Koon Yew Yin: Dangers of passing Hudud Law

Excerpt:

'In two months from now, Parliament will be sitting again. What is at stake for the nation is nothing less than our way of life and our Malaysian dream.
This is because a private member’s bill to amend the Shariah Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 will be tabled and debated at that sitting.
Pas president Hadi Awang has been going around to claim that this bill is only to upgrade the Syariah Courts and that it has nothing to do with non-Muslims.
PAS oriented analysts and ulama leaders have also commented that it is not really a “hudud Bill” and that it’s passage is only intended to pave the way for PAS to enforce its version of Islamic penal laws in Kelantan. Hence they argue that its effect will be limited.
However Hadi and his supporters are only trying to fool the public.
Here are my reasons for why all Malaysians – Muslims and non-Muslims – should oppose the bill which unexpectedly was allowed by UMNO to “potong jalan” or jump the queue during the last parliamentary sitting.
Negative Impact of Hudud Bill Enactment
Here is a summary of its negative impact.
Firstly, the passage of the bill is against the Federal Constitution, the country’s supreme law which calls for equality before the law. The proposed bill will destroy this key provision by allowing more criminal offences seen to be against the “precepts of Islam” to be dealt by the Syariah courts and result in two sets of criminal laws for Muslims – the Shariah and the civil law system; as well as two sets of laws for Muslims and non-Muslims.
Secondly, the passing of this bill could pave the way towards further constitutional amendments that could result in Syariah courts superseding civil courts and for the full imposition of hudud which includes limb amputation for thieves and flogging in public for adulterers, according to the Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar, Mohd Amar Abdullah.
Thirdly if non-Muslims think they will not be affected by the proposed bill, they are sadly mistaken. Already some prominent ulama such as Perlis Mufti Asri Zainal Abidin have gone on public record to say that non-Muslims should not be exempted from hudud. We have seen unilateral conversions of children from divorces and body snatching by Islamic religious departments. As pointed out by the columnist, Farouk Peru, in his article, “Hudud: Non-Muslims Beware”
“What would happen when a Muslim is convicted for stealing and his non-Muslim partner is caught alongside him? Will he stand by and lose his limb while his partner with great relief goes to jail? Highly unlikely.”
To me, this is more than just the camel in the tent scenario. There is good reason to believe that the passing of this bill will embolden the radical Muslim lobby to push for more. It will not stop with the present bill.'
Link