Touching on human rights of terrorists... why not adopt one?

Canada offers a solution...

A Canadian female libertarian wrote a lot of letters to the Canadian government, complaining about the treatment of captive insurgents (terrorists) being held in Afghanistan National Correctional System facilities. She demanded a response to her letter. She received back the following reply:

National Defense Headquarters
M Gen George R. Pearkes Bldg., 15 NT
101 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa , ON K1A 0K2
Canada


Dear Concerned Citizen,

Thank you for your recent letter expressing your profound concern of treatment of the Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists captured by Canadian Forces, who were subsequently transferred to the Afghanistan Government and are currently being held by Afghan officials in Afghanistan National Correctional System facilities.

Our administration takes these matters seriously and your opinions were heard loud and clear here in Ottawa . You will be pleased to learn, thanks to the concerns of citizens like yourself, we are creating a new department here at the Department of National Defense, to be called 'Liberals Accept Responsibility for Killers' program, or L.A.R.K. for short.

In accordance with the guidelines of this new program, we have decided, on a trial basis, to divert several terrorists  and place them in homes of concerned citizens such as yourself, around the country, under those citizens’ personal care. Your personal detainee has been selected and is scheduled for transportation under heavily armed guard to your residence in Toronto next Monday.

Ali Mohammed Ahmed bin Mahmud is your detainee, and is to be cared for pursuant to the standards you personally demanded in your letter of complaint. You will be pleased to know that we will conduct weekly inspections to ensure that your standards of care for Ahmed are commensurate with your recommendations.

Although Ahmed is a sociopath and extremely violent, we hope that your sensitivity to what you described as his 'attitudinal problem' will help him overcome those character flaws. Perhaps you are correct in describing these problems as mere cultural differences. We understand that you plan to offer counselling and home schooling, however, we strongly recommend that you hire some assistant caretakers.

Please advise any Jewish friends, neighbours or relatives about your house guest, as he might get agitated or even violent, but we are sure you can reason with him. He is also expert at making a wide variety of explosive devices from common household products, so you may wish to keep those items locked up, unless in your opinion, this might offend him. Your adopted terrorist is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat and can extinguish human life with such simple items as a pencil or nail clippers. We advise that you do not ask him to demonstrate these skills either in your home or wherever you choose to take him while helping him adjust to life in our country.

Ahmed will not wish to interact with you or your daughters except sexually, since he views females as a form of property, thereby having no rights, including refusal of his sexual demands. This is a particularly sensitive subject for him.

You also should know that he has shown violent tendencies around women who fail to comply with the dress code that he will recommend as more appropriate attire. I'm sure you will come to enjoy the anonymity offered by the burka over time. Just remember that it is all part of 'respecting his culture and religious beliefs' as described in your letter.

You take good care of Ahmed and remember that we will try to have a counsellor available to help you over any difficulties you encounter while Ahmed is adjusting to Canadian culture.

Thanks again for your concern. We truly appreciate it when folks like you keep us informed of the proper way to do our job and care for our fellow man. Good luck and God bless you.

Cordially,
Gordon O'Connor
Minister of National Defense

Link

Guan Eng's new Mercedes: only the timing sucks

"The point to be noted here is Lim was not desperate to have the Mercedes-Benz.

He could have rushed to get the latest Mercedes Benz as his official car five years ago if he had wanted to. But he didn’t, so why the fuss now?

After all, all heads of state in this country are driven in such a car, so why must Lim be an exemption?

There is nothing much to fuss over except that the timing of delivery of the car. Yes, the damning delay.

It came two months after the arrival of the fleet of 15 Camrys for the entire executive councillors. It wouldn’t have raised an eyelid had it not been the delay.

Perhaps Lim should have been more sensitive to the repercussions of being seen driven in the new car at a time when the rakyat are faced with the rising cost of living."

More:
Let Guan Eng have his Mercedes
http://manage.mmail.com.my/story/let-guan-eng-have-his-mercedes-71363
Link

What would husbands do while their wives shop till they drop?

It’s a cliché to say that men—or, if you want to be gender neutral, “non-shopping companions”—don’t do well at malls. (For example, these “miserable men of Instagram.”) And in China, nifty facilities for shopping-averse men has popped up in some malls, reports Kotaku. These “husband storage” facilities—also referred to as “husband restrooms” and “husband play areas“—act as both rest stations and meeting points for men who prefer sitting around to digging through the racks. After their lady is finished shopping, she can return to the storage room and pick up her husband, much she would a winter coat left with a coat check. Kotaku reports:

Called “laogong jicun chu” in Chinese (老公寄存处), which literally means “husband cloakroom,” the rest stations are for husbands who are either knackered from shopping or for those who would rather spend their time doing something else.

Read more: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2014/01/some-chinese-malls-have-husband-storage-facilities-for-the-shopping-averse/#ixzz2prEJdNdI 
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12!: http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv 
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter
Link

Yasmin Ahmad's Petronas CNY 2006 Ad

With reference to the above Petronas advertisement, I believe people are divided over which mother is considered the lucky one. As a family-oriented person, my choice is the one who has a son who comes often to take her out to visit places or people. I am sure this was also what the late Yasmin Ahmad had in mind when she came out with this script. When a person is old, what good is it if her children are earning lots of money when they have no time for her? As a compromise, her son or daughter should be able to find time, especially when she is already very old, because once she is gone, her children's success means nothing to her.

Middle-class families are often in a dilemma where children's education and career prospects are concerned. Once, a food stall operator mentioned about an old couple's children who do not spend time with them because they have to work away from home, either out of town or overseas. Since he has a son, I reminded him about the choice and how he would choose: between a son with a successful career which is likely to mean being away from home, and one who lives with him because of lack of career prospects.

It is natural that we, as parents, are likely to provide the best education (within our means) in the hope that our children will have better career prospects in future. Gone are the days when we are satisfied with just a job in the same town or city. For career advancement, an employee is expected to be able to travel overseas when necessary or even be based overseas. Do we choose to discourage our children from accepting such positions? Obviously not, unless it is because of parents' old age or infirmity.
Link

Apartheid in Malaysia?

When I read the article by Awang Hitam, I wish someone would refute his claim that there is apartheid in the private sector based on the definition of apartheid as 'minority rule and discrimination against the majority'. How simplistic, I thought. I am more disappointed because learned Malays still believe in the myth that the Chinese controlled the economy and there is a concerted effort by them to discriminate against the majority Malays. It is debatable that the Chinese controlled the economy, though they might be controlling certain industries over several generations. The common recipe for their success: started by illiterate pioneers serving the needs of the people, saving through thrift and investing for the future. Of course, there were those well connected to political leaders who did well as their cronies, as well as well educated professionals who started on their own or took over from their parents or grandparents, and did very well. As businessmen, their main motive is profit and how to manage it. As to who to employ, it is basically whoever can do the job efficiently. In the case of small and medium enterprises, it is likely to be family controlled and employees engaged through recommendation and word of mouth. If most of the customers are Chinese, then it would be helpful if an employee can communicate with them. Even an English-educated Chinese will fail miserably if he cannot communicate with customers. So basically, there is no concerted effort to discriminate against any race because each Chinese enterprise is independent of others and can even be jealous of each other. Furthermore, even siblings could be arch enemies, so how could they cooperate to discriminate?

Recently, I had a discussion with a car spare parts dealer and his opinion was telling: 'My present Indian employee would scold me if I close shop for a day (because daily paid)... my previous Malay employee would rather work a 3-day week!' Of course this could be a misconception, but to dispel it needs considerable effort to prove otherwise.

Anyway, I was not disappointed when Senior lecturer, Lee Hwok Aun and retired Chartered Engineer, Koon Yew Yin debated over Awang Hitam's article...

Dec 22 2013 New Straits Times: Modern day apartheid? by Awang Hitam

'IT was recently asserted that Malaysia is the only country that still embraces and pursues a policy of apartheid. The article, by one of the presenters and producers of a private business radio station, published in an English daily, further claimed that Malaysia's discriminatory racial policies generate "internal resistance that occasionally spill into violence".

If apartheid means minority rule and discrimination against the majority, then the apartheid system is alive and well in Malaysia.

Read more: Modern day apartheid? - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/modern-day-apartheid-1.441380#ixzz2pgf7F0qP

Dec 27 2013 Malaysiakini: Apartheid in Malaysia? Let's get at the truth!

'On Dec 23, 2013, the New Sunday Times published an article titled ‘Modern day apartheid?’ by Awang Hitam, in which the assertion was made that apartheid is being practised in the private commercial sector in Malaysia.

Normally, I do not take notice of commentaries found in the NST. It is a newspaper rated poorly for the depth and truthfulness of its news coverage...'

More (subscribers only):
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/news/250311

Dec 30 2013 Free Malaysia Today: Apartheid policies : Let's get at the truth by Koon Yew Yin

Normally, I do not take notice of commentaries found in the NST. It is a newspaper rated poorly for the depth and truthfulness of its news coverage. Although the newspaper has a few journalists who try to maintain a more professional neutrality in their work, the great majority of its editorial staff are political hacks, out to put the best spin on whatever the policy of the government is, as well as to demonise the opponents of the BN and Umno.

However, the recent article ‘Modern Day Apartheid’ by Awang Hitam is so blatantly bold and false in its claim on racial discrimination in Malaysia that it deserves a response.

According to its author:
If apartheid means minority rule and discrimination against the majority, then the apartheid system is alive and well in Malaysia.
For instance, the discrimination in the minority-dominated and controlled private sector is a clear manifestation of this discriminatory policy.'

More:
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/12/30/apartheid-policies-lets-get-at-the-truth/


Jan 3 2014 Rejoinder on Apartheid in the private sector by Koon Yew Yin, a retired chartered engineer, is a philanthropist.

Lee Hwok Aun’s response to my post which critiqued Awang Hitam’s New Straits Times article on apartheid in Malaysia’s private sector is disappointing.

Firstly he berates me for not sufficiently challenging the column’s attempt to compare the position of Malaysian Chinese with the white supremacy and apartheid government of South Africa.

Secondly he complains that I have simply relaunched what in his view is “misguided criticism” of his co-authored research.

Instead of focusing his ire on me, Lee Hwok Aun and his co-author should have been the first to respond to Awang Hitam for the way in which the NST columnist cited their research as the columnist’s opening salvo against Malaysian Chinese business practices.

No self-respecting scholar would have permitted his work to be presented as part of the scientific evidence in a scurrilous and mischievous article aimed at inflaming racial sentiments. The fact that the article appears in the country’s premier officially-sanctioned English newspaper makes its arguments and content more provocative since the spin and lies in it reaches influential stake players in the policy-making world.

Although the two researchers have little or no control over how their findings are used, Awang’s piece should have generated an immediate rebuttal from the two researchers. This they failed to do.

More:
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/letters/250803

Jan 6 2014 Awang Hitam using warped logic by Lee Hwok Aun, senior lecturer in development studies at Universiti Malaya.

'I am astounded by the inconsistencies and warped logic in Awang Hitam’s column in the New Straits Times of Dec 22, ‘Modern day Apartheid?’...'

'It is thus dumbfounding and appalling for the author to suggest that under-representation of Malays in the private sector, and possible bias favouring non-Malays, constitutes Apartheid. Suddenly, all the criteria deployed to dispute labelling the NEP as Apartheid vanish, and the only thing that matters is that a minority group holds some advantage.'

'Warped logic is also employed in the assertion that the NEP is not discriminatory - because it was meant to achieve inter-ethnic parity and national unity. Yes, the policy serves these loftier purposes, and Malaysians would readily agree to them.

However, this does not in any way negate the fact that under the NEP, a vast array of policies granting privileged access or exclusive rights to bumiputeras has become established, involving ethnicity-based quotas, reservations or forms of preferential selection.

In the context of the overarching objective and national aspiration, they might be termed positive discrimination. But they are indisputably discriminatory. Let us just acknowledge this without fudging or getting heated.

In the spirit of honesty, as exhorted by the columnist, I hope he will in future adhere to higher standards of consistency and veracity.'

More:
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/letters/251012
Link