Unconstitutional

22nd December 2005 source: The Sun 22nd Dec 2005 source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:1in_god_we_trust.jpg source: http://www.helplinelaw.com/law/constitution/malaysia/malaysia01.php How do you justify that the Article 3.1 does not contradict with Article 4.1?

Don't Let The Machine Takes Your Life

KOREAN CASE 10th October 2002 source: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/10/10/1034061260831.html 8th August 2005 source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6448213/did/8888579 9th December 2005 source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051209/tc_afp/skoreacomputerdeath_051209110606 MALAYSIAN CASE 15th December 2005 source: The Sun 16th December 2005 Source: The Sun

To stop the rot, start from the top

TheSun 15Nov2005 To stop the rot, start from the top THE slip in Universiti Malaya's ranking to 169 in 2005 from 89 previously in The Times Higher Education Survey is welcome ­ yes, welcome ­ because it may finally galvanise action to turn our universities around. Everyone but the university authorities knows that standards have been sliding inexorably over the years. There may be reasons for the latest slide, for instance, mistakenly classifying Chinese and Indian students as international ones in the last survey, which would have ranked not just Universiti Malaya but Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) higher on the degree of internationalisation. The point is we have only one university in the top 200 ­ USM dropped out of the rankings completely this year. But let's not be too obsessed with the ranking, it is just one ranking after all, but let's be very focused on how to improve the quality of our deteriorating universities. There are definite steps that can be taken to improve the quality of universities, and very importantly, the quality of its graduates. It is frightening to think that 60,000 local graduates are still unemployed, a clear indication that our local universities are not doing their job well. Any improvement must start from the quality of its academic staff and the will to promote excellence above all in academia. That would mean employing those who can teach and those who can do cutting-edge research without consideration of other factors. That kind of change must come from the top down. If vice-chancellors are not good enough, if they serve political interests rather than academic ones, the battle is already lost. We need vice-chancellors who care, who are independent and are genuinely interested in improving academic standards. The likes of Professor Ungku Aziz at Universiti Malaya and Professor Hamzah Sendut at USM come into mind. They brought respect to the institutions they headed. If the VCs are not up to mark and are more interested in shamelessly promoting themselves and playing to the political gallery and political parties, then they should be replaced by those who can make a real contribution to the university. Here's where the first change should take place. Then there must be the commitment by the government to shelter the vicechancellors from the politicians who lobby for this and that at the expense of the university and its academic excellence. Lobby groups must be kept firmly out. Finally, it must be realised that producing graduates of the right type with the right skills is much more important than producing an abundance of graduates. Quality is all important. That starts from the entry of students and depends on best teaching and assessment practices. Being sad about the deterioration in university standards is not enough ­ we must be prodded and pushed into doing something positive about it. The rot must be stopped now.

Make academics earn their posts

TheSun 15Nov2005 Make academics earn their posts THE current controversy over the fall in ranking for two local public universities in the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) survey shows the need for the nation to review the status of our universities, and in particular their academics. In the late 1980s, there was a similar controversy when a local daily published revelations about mediocrity in the academia. Back then, there was already a realisation that the quality of some of our academics was questionable. Having followed this controversy closely since then and also having first hand experience with some of these academics, I would say that the situation now has worsened. It is no secret that many of the professors and associate professors in the local public universities got their posts not for their academic ability or international recognition but due to their seniority. Some, especially those in science and engineering, got their posts even earlier when they were offered them by their vice- chancellors (VCs) in order to stop them from leaving for one of the newer universities or for the private sector. This has led to some talented young lecturers leaving the teaching field since they do not wish to play along with the unethical crowd. In some universities, a lecturer can obtain the post of associate professor if he has published a set number of papers in local or foreign journals. To obtain the post of professor, he only needs to double the number of published papers or write a book that is published. In most cases, it really does not matter whether the lecturer's work has broken new ground or his papers have been cited by others. As a result, these universities now have professors whose intellectual ability is highly questionable by international standards. Having surfed the websites of leading western universities, I often come across the resumes of their academics. These resumes are usually accompanied by a list of published works and some include the membership of international organisations, where their expertise is recognised. Some of these professors also do not have doctoral degrees but they are recognised as authorities in their fields from the citations they have accumulated. Often, I could see that some senior lecturers have a long list of published papers but they have not even been promoted to the rank of associate professors. This is because at these universities, these higher ranks are reserved only for those whose works have been recognised through peer citations. Hence, a professor in a leading western university is usually an academic who is already recognised as an authority in his field of study, not someone who has been in service longer than others or who has published papers that are often neglected by his peers. In order to arrest the decline in the quality of local academics, the Ministry of Higher Education should ensure that all universities and colleges post the resumes of their academics on their respective websites. The resumes should include all the papers that the academics have published in local and foreign journals and conferences. There is no problem for universities to publish all these resumes since their websites often display non-academic information that use memory intensive graphics. A few years ago, some of the local universities did post the resumes of their academics but these have been withdrawn when a regional magazine pointed out their low publication rate. The ministry should also set a minimum standard for the post of professors and associate professors so that VCs will only promote those well qualified. Besides the papers that they have published, these academics must also provide the list of citations that proved that they are worthy of being called a professor or an associate professor. This is to ensure that those who already hold the posts are really qualified for the post, otherwise they should be redesignated to the appropriate rank until they make the grade. If the ministry is serious about the quality of the public universities, then it should ensure that only deserving academics of international standing hold the rank of professors and associate professors. This will ensure that the younger generation of lecturers will strive to become professors through intellectual abilities rather than by other means. Zahar Kuala Lumpur

Chinese brides in demand

TheSun 15Nov2005 Chinese brides in demand MALAYSIAN Chinese men like to take Chinese nationals as their brides mainly because of similarities in their language and culture, the Chinese press reported yesterday. Deputy Home Minister Datuk Tan Chai Ho said statistics showed that more than 6,000 Chinese women have married Malaysians. Of all foreign women, Chinese nationals are the top choice of Malaysian Chinese men as they share the same language and culture, mak ing it easy for them to communicate and foster mutual understanding. He said in jest that Malaysian women should not set too many conditions for their prospective Mr Right as "there is a trend that local men are going for China brides". After marrying, these Chinese nationals have settled down in Malaysia, Tan said after officiating at a Chinese primary school storytelling competition organised by the Federation of Kwong Tung Association of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. However, he said the government has not relaxed its immigration rules to allow these Chinese nationals to apply for permanent resident status. As such, they have to renew their social visit pass every year. Asked about the allegation by a Chinese national, who is married to a Malaysian, that she was manhandled by the police recently, Tan said the incident, although an isolated case, may affect the tourism industry. He also said some Chinese tourists who are not happy with the treatment they get in Malaysia would spread negative stories on the internet when they returned home. For example, some young Chinese women may encounter problems with the immigration because of the language barrier, and are refused entry. Foreign women who arrive with too little money would raise the sus picions of immigration officers, and the problem is compounded by the language barrier. If these women can produce their credit cards or give contacts of their relatives and friends in Malaysia to show they are here for visits, they would be cleared for entry. Tan believed that such incidents would be reduced when the first batch of 20 Mandarin-speaking airport officers are stationed at KL International Airport next month.

Oral sex victim deflates robber's pride

TheSun 15Nov2005 Oral sex victim deflates robber's pride by Charles Ramendran PETALING JAYA: A robber nearly lost his manhood when his victim, whom he had forced to perform oral sex on him, sunk her teeth into his genitals instead. For her act, however, she suffered serious injuries after the infuriated robber battered and repeatedly kicked her before escaping. The 30-year-old woman, who lives alone, had been awakened by the robber who had broken into her doublestorey house at Seri Puchong at about 6am. He held her at knife-point and demanded that she hand over her cash and valuables but was disappointed by the poor loot. He grabbed her and tried to undress her, but she pleaded with him not to rape her. The robber then ordered her to perform oral sex on him. After being forced to per form the act, the woman locked her jaw on the robber's penis. Gripping his crotch and howling in pain, he began punching and pulling the woman's hair, but the gutsy victim kept her teeth firmly sunk into his genitals. She only let go of it after she was unable to bear the repeated blows from the robber. Her ordeal continued when the injured robber vented his anger by kicking the victim who was on the floor. It is learnt that a neighbour who heard the commotion called the police who arrived soon after, but the robber managed to escape in the nick of time. The woman, who was warded at a private hospital here, is reportedly in stable condition. Police urged medical practitioners to contact them if they are approached by a man seeking treatment for bite injury on his genitals.

Group in drive against tobacco

TheSun 15Nov2005 Group in drive against tobacco PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Women's Action for Tobacco Control and Health (MYWatch) has vouched to create awareness of the dangers of tobacco, in the face of the Emerging Tobacco Markets 2005 trade fair which is being held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre till tomorrow. MYWatch president Datin Hatijah Ayob, when contacted yesterday, said she was courteously denied a police permit for fear it would create unnecessary tension. "I represented MYWatch and was accompanied by two other individuals and a Canadian activist who are also promoting the dangers of tobacco. "We were not looking to protest or raise a commotion but only wanted to create awareness among the people," she said. "The police said the permit could be granted after the fair but if it is given then, the effectiveness will not be there."

Apprenticeship for jobless graduates

TheSun 14Dec2005 Apprenticeship for jobless graduates THE issues pertaining to unemployed graduates continue to dominate social and political discussions. Essentially we could talk till the cows come home. Let us look instead at an immediate solution that would address inherent weaknesses in our system. We should initiate a systematic programme to encourage companies (large and medium) to accept unemployed graduates for their Industrial Training. The graduates themselves should ask "How could I add value to myself and to this company during my Industrial Training here", as opposed to the perennial question "How much is my salary?" As the undergraduate adapts to the adoptive companies (very much like the Industrial Training programme undertaken in Europe, without pay, only travel and meal allowances), they could acquire new skills, strategies and tools, as well as interaction with a working peer group that is substantially better than the unemployed peer group. When the economy picks up, the companies that provided this Industrial Training could absorb these undergraduates by offering permanent employment. On the other, the graduate could also realise his/her own weakness and strengths in a real working environment and not just textbook acquired skills. Sanjay Veloo Kuala Lumpur

Don't enforce dress code on women undergrads

TheSun 14Nov2005 Don't enforce dress code on women undergrads SISTERS in Islam (SIS) is concerned about conflicting reports re garding the imposition of tudung upon Malaysian undergraduates. The New Straits Times (Nov 10) reported Datuk Maximus Ongkili as saying: "It is agreed that wearing of tudung be made optional for students in all universities and higher learning institutions in the country," without differentiating between Muslims and nonMuslims. However, The Star (Nov 10) quoted Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh as saying that although non-Muslim students from the International Islamic University (IIUM) are not compelled to wear tudung to lectures, they must "respect Islam and adhere to the university's dress code," which explicitly states that non-Muslim women students have to wear headscarves. Further more, the IIUM Students' Discipline Rules 2004 guidebook also compels all Muslim women students to wear tudung at all times, and compels all women students regardless of faith to wear tudung during convocation as part of the convocation dress code. Sisters in Islam firmly believes that no government or public institution should legislate on dress where women are forced either to cover or uncover their heads. We understand that the IIUM authorities have said that its dress code is not a religious issue but remains a right of the university to decide on. We find this justification flawed for many reasons. Firstly, the claim that this dress code is not a religious issue is problematic. In fact, the act of covering one's hair is certainly an act of religious observation for many Muslim women. Sisters in Islam maintains that there can be no compulsion in matters of religion. Thus, by instating the tudung as a dress code for Muslims and headscarves for non-Muslims while claiming it is not a religious issue is tantamount to ignoring the context of covering one's hair, which is very much an issue of politics, identity and faith. It follows that the enforcement of this style of dressing for both Muslims and non-Muslims is an act that disrespects an individual's right to express her own identity and belief, a right that is upheld by the Quran and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Secondly, we would like to draw attention to the parallels between the current situation with undergraduates in Malaysia to the situation in France not too long ago, where the wearing of hijab by Muslim women was banned in public institutions. In this case, Sisters in Islam also opposed the ban imposed by the French government because it violated the religious freedom and rights of French Muslim women. The point here is that to cover or not cover one's head remains the sovereign choice of the individual, not any external human authority under any pretext. We understand that certain institutions may want to impose a certain uniformity of dress either for symbolic or practical purposes, but such dress codes must not exploit religious and cultural symbols that are best left to the individual's personal conscience. Thirdly, it is merely a matter of semantics to say that non-Muslims do not need to wear tudung but have to observe IIUM's dress code, which states that non-Muslim women have to wear headscarves. Even amongst Muslims, the style of wearing tudung varies and this distinction between tudung for Muslims and headscarves for non-Muslims ignores the underlying grievances of women who do not wish to have their dressing dictated by any external human authorities. Furthermore, in the history of Islamic jurisprudence and scholarship, there has been no consensus regarding the "right" form of women's dress. Even the several verses in the Quran that talk about women's dress do not explicitly espouse a specific type of dress. In fact, the Quran infers that modesty can be achieved in different forms of dress suitable to dif ferent cultures, times and places. Thus, to legislate on women's dress based on a perceived single "Islamic" standard is a misguided attempt at representing the breadth of thought and scholarship in Islam. Fourthly, IIUM also states that its dress code for non-Muslims has never been challenged before this. We question the veracity of and underlying assumption behind IIUM's assertion. IIUM's dress code has been challenged by non-Muslims before. In fact in 2003, the Member of Parliament for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan, called on then-Education Minister Tan Sri Musa Mohamad to address the issue of the requirement imposed on non-Muslim students at the International Islamic University (IIU) to wear the tudung. Furthermore, the climate of discussion on Islam in this country has left non-Muslim minorities with very few options. Many non-Muslim Malaysians therefore defer to the coercive will of the Muslim majority, while those who challenge this coercive will usually face varying levels of ostracism and public humiliation. Either way, it is not becoming of a self-proclaimed multi-ethnic and multi-religious society to dismiss the views of ethnic or religious minorities, or even differing views among the Muslim majority. The key point here is that we must respect and embrace the diversity of our plural society. Fifthly, Sisters in Islam also hopes that the authorities do not ignore the impact of peer pressure in universities and higher learning institutions in the country. Policies that defend the rights of women undergraduates become useless if there is rampant and unchecked peer pressure by various groups to force women to either cover or uncover their heads. Sisters in Islam Petaling Jaya

Man with eggy underpants nabbed

TheSun 14Dec2005 Man with eggy underpants nabbed SYDNEY: An Australian man about to board a flight to Bangkok was found to have six galah eggs in his underpants, news reports said. The 56-year-old has been charged with attempting to smuggle native wildlife without a permit and will appear in court next month. Customs officers seized the eggs and put them in an incubator at Sydney airport, the Sun Herald newspaper reported yesterday. The offence carries a maximum sentence of 10 years' jail. The galah is a species of cockatoo native to Australia. ­ dpa

Stolen laptop shows Iranian nuke designs

TheSun 14Dec2005 Stolen laptop shows Iranian nuke designs WASHINGTON: US intelligence officials have shown leaders of the International Atomic Energy Agency a stolen Iranian laptop computer containing nuclear designs as proof the country is secretly pursuing a nuclear weapons programme, The New York Times reported on Saturday. The newspaper said during the demonstration, which took place in Vienna in mid-July, officials displayed selections from more than a thousand pages of Iranian computer simulations and accounts of experiments, saying they showed a long effort to design a nuclear warhead. The Americans acknowledged that the documents do not prove that Iran has an atomic bomb but they presented them as the strongest evidence yet that the country is trying to develop a compact warhead to fit atop its Shahab missile, which can reach Israel and other countries in the Middle East, the report said. The briefing for officials of the IAEA, including its director Mohamed ElBaradei, was a secret part of a US campaign to increase international pressure on Iran, the Times said. But while the intelligence has sold well among countries like Britain, France and Germany, which reviewed the documents as long as a year ago, it has been a tougher sell with countries outside the inner circle. The computer contained studies for crucial features of a nuclear warhead, according to European and US officials who had examined the material, including a telltale sphere of detonators to trigger an atomic explosion, the paper said. Nonetheless, doubts about the intelligence persist among some foreign analysts because US officials, citing the need to protect their source, have largely refused to provide details of the origins of the laptop computer beyond saying that they obtained it in the middle of last year from a longtime contact in Iran, it said. "I can fabricate that data," the paper quotes an unnamed senior European diplomat as saying of the documents. "It looks beautiful, but is open to doubt." Iran is facing referral to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions after failing to convince the international community its nuclear ambitions are entirely peaceful. ­ Agencies

Good scholars born early: Norway

TheSun 14Dec2005 Good scholars born early: Norway OSLO: Children born during the first three months of the year are more likely to make good grades than children born towards the end of the year, newspapers said yesterday quoting a new Norwegian study. Students with birthdays in January, February and March tend to have far better grades than those born in the last three months of the year, a University of Oslo survey of 6,752 14 and 15-year-olds showed. "I was surprised by how great the diffe rences actually were," Lars Lien, a researcher at the University's Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine and one of the authors of the report, told Norwegian daily Dagbladet. The report, which also showed that boys born late in the year were more likely to have problems making friends, did not delve into the reasons for the differences. "I think that more research in this area is needed," Lien said. ­ AFP

Survey: More women in Singapore hitting the bottle

TheSun 15Dec2005 Survey: More women in Singapore hitting the bottle SINGAPORE: A growing number of Singapore's youth are going on drinking binges with the sharpest increase among young women, a survey said yesterday. The rise in the number of female drinkers is the reason Singapore has more drinkers than non-drinkers for the first time, the study authors noted. The percentage of teetotallers has dropped from 59.5% in1998 to 49.2% in 2004, according to a national health survey published in The Sunday Times. Twice as many women under 30 are drinking at least five days a week. The proportion of women who binge ­ downing at least five drinks in one sitting ­ has tripled in the last six years. Those who binge tend to be between 18 and 29 years old, forming two in 10 of the heavy-drinking men and one in 10 among the women. The Health Promotion Board expressed concern. "People who drink large amounts of alcohol are more likely to develop alcoholrelated diseases, such as hypertension, liver disorders and cancer of the mouth, throat, oesophagus and larynx," it warned. People who binge are likely to have impaired judgment, said Dr. Ang Yong Guan, a psychiatrist. He cited the case of a man who molested a woman while inebriated. "It is the clearest example of when someone stops thinking and only feels," Ang was quoted as saying. Since 2000, the number of motorists charged with driving while intoxicated has doubled from 1,470 a year to 2,929. Patrons queried by the newspaper had no regrets and sentimentally recalled such escapades as washing hair in a public urinal, getting lost and sleeping in a park, and vomiting on themselves. Investment banker Charles Tank said that he once got so drunk he mistook his study for a toilet. ­ dpa

Whirling Dervishes a money-spinner

TheSun 15Dec2005 Whirling Dervishes a money-spinner by Gareth Jones KONYA (Turkey): Irina and her friends have no regrets about travelling thousands of kilometres from their native Latvia to this grey Anatolian town in mid-December. But then they have not come for the weather or the scenery. They are converts to the mystical Sufi branch of Islam and are among tens of thousands of people converging here for an annual festival marking the death in 1273 of Jalaladdin Mevlana Rumi, poet, guru and founder of Turkey's whirling dervishes. "Distance does not exist where the heart is concerned," said Irina, who did not want to give her last name. "We have come to Konya to know ourselves, to understand why we, why all of us, are here in this world," she said as her 30 fellow ethnic Russians nodded in agreement. They have just taken part in an evening of music, chanting, prayer and "whirling" at a Sufi lodge and their excitement, as they head back to their hotel, chatting in Russian, is palpable. English, Italian, Dutch, Bulgarian and Farsi are among other languages echoing in the narrow streets around the lodge this frosty night, testifying to the inter national appeal of Rumi's inclusive brand of Islam. Rumi's teachings were once considered dangerous. In the 1920s, the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, closed down the Sufi lodges, along with other religious orders which had wielded great influence in the old Ottoman Empire. But Sufism, which has deep roots in Turkish culture and is essentially apolitical, has staged a steady comeback since the 1950s, not least because of the tourist dollars its most famous adherents, the whirling dervishes, have helped bring to Turkey. The government of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, which has roots in political Islam, now actively supports the dervishes. Across town from Irina's lodge, 3,000 people have packed into the huge Mevlana Culture Centre, completed two years ago with government money and resembling a huge sports stadium, for a performance by Turkey's only state-funded troupe of dervishes. Pious headscarved Turkish matrons clutching rosary beads and Australian backpackers sit side by side watching the 11 male dancers, dressed in white robes and tall conical hats, turning gracefully from right to left, like the planets around the sun. "The whirling, or `Sema', is a vehicle to reach God, to reach happiness. It is a kind of therapy that cleanses us of pain and stress," Fahri Ozcakil, the most senior dancer, said before going on stage for the hour long performance. "We don't feel giddy when whirling. We have been trained for it. But we do feel tired afterwards, we are covered in sweat and breathe heavily. We have to be physically fit. Every day we do gymnastic exercises to help prepare us," he said. An economics graduate and father of three, Ozcakil has been practising Sema for 32 years but he only became a full-time whirling dervish when the government in Ankara set up the troupe in 1991 and started paying them a regular salary. "We have visited more than 20 countries. Interest in the Mevlana philosophy and culture is definitely increasing worldwide," said the gently-spoken former accountant. Rumi's poetry has become a surprise bestseller in the United States and Europe over the past decade or so, presenting a picture of Islam as a religion of love and compassion ­ an image that is sharply at odds with some of the crude stereotypes sometimes found in Western media. "We know some people sadly associate Islam with terrorism, but we have never encountered hostility abroad. When people watch us, they think such a culture cannot possibly have any link with terrorism. This makes us very happy," said Ozcakil. Last month, Unesco, the United Nations' cultural body, added the whirling dervishes to its list of world heritage treasures ­ a move many Turks saw as an overdue mark of recognition for an ancient institution espousing the United Nations' ideals of peace and fraternity. "Rumi welcomed all men and women, irrespective of religion, race or creed, teaching that God is One," said Omer Faruk Belviranli, an of ficial at Turkey's Culture Ministry who used to sing at performances by dervishes. "We hope this new status will help more people to find out about and understand the Mevlana," he said. The Mevlana Museum in Konya, which houses the tomb of Rumi and other Sufi masters, is Turkey's second most visited museum, after the Topkapi palace of the Ottoman Sultans in Istanbul, and draws two million people a year. About 35,000 people ­ including Erdogan ­ will watch performances by the whirling dervishes during the 11-day Konya festival which ends on Saturday, the date of Rumi's death which is known as the Sheb-i Arus, or Wedding Night. ­ Reuters

Secret of Mona Lisa's smile revealed

TheSun 15Dec2005 Secret of Mona Lisa's smile revealed PARIS: Now it's official: Mona Lisa was 83% happy, 9% disgusted, 6% fearful and 2% angry. That's the conclusion of a University of Amsterdam computer that applied "emotion-recognition software" to Leonardo da Vinci's work, the British weekly New Scientist reports. The algorithm, developed in conjunction with the University of Illinois, tries to assess the human mood by examining key features such as the curvature of the lips and crinkles around the eyes, then makes a score with respect to six basic emotions. ­ AFP

Nude prank turns into whodunit

TheSun 15Dec2005 Nude prank turns into whodunit NICOSIA: A raunchy picture of a Cypriot teacher in a state of undress was surreptitiously downloaded from her mobile telephone and sent to hundreds of pupils. The picture made the rounds at the school in the port town of Limassol on the Mediterranean island on Tuesday after the teacher left her phone unattended by her desk. But the prank was not appreciated by parents or teachers, and police have launched an investigation. "There is a (police) patrol car at the school and the crime department are here to take fingerprints off the mobile phone," the head of the parents' association said. ­ Reuters

Researchers seek brain wave access to bank accounts, homes

TheSun 15Dec2005 Researchers seek brain wave access to bank accounts, homes OTTAWA: Canadian researchers hope to soon be able to use brain waves to unlock doors and get access to bank accounts. Some companies are already offering iris recognition systems that many countries want to put into biometric passports. But Julie Thorpe of Carleton University in Ottawa wants to take the idea much much further. She says it is possible to do away with key cards, pin num bers and a litany of other security tools that allow people to retrieve bank money, access computer data or enter restricted buildings. "A user would simply think their password," said Thorpe, who hopes to develop the first biometric security device to read your mind to authenticate users. Her idea, yet to be proven viable for commercial application, assumes that brainwave signals, like fingerprints, vary slight ly from person to person, even when they think alike. "Everyone's brainwave signal is a bit different even when they think about the same thing. They're unique like fingerprints." While people may be tricked into giving up their passwords, smartcards may be lost or stolen, as can biometric templates stored on computers for comparing eye or fingerprint scans, so-called "passthoughts" are unique. A user would only have to think up a different password and save it on a computer, Thorpe said. "You could use a sound or music or childhood memory as your pass. You could even flash someone an image to help them remember their passthought." The doctoral student is working with leading Canadian security technology researcher Paul Van Oorschot in Ottawa to turn her idea into reality. ­ AFP

Woman shows face at inquiry

TheSun 15Dec2005 Woman shows face at inquiry by S. Tamarai Chelvi and Maria J. Dass KUALA LUMPUR: The young woman in the nude ear-squat video clip was recalled by the commission of inquiry yesterday and asked to reveal her face to those at the hearing. This was done at the request of lawyer S.N. Nair, representing four Chinese nationals listed as witnesses, who said the woman had to be positively identified. Dressed in a pink baju kurung and black tudung, the woman entered the courtroom at the Federal Courthouse at 5.05pm from the back door with her face covered with a black blazer. She was accompanied by a woman investigating officer, S. Thilagavathy. At 5.10pm, the inquiry reconvened and commission chair man Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah reminded the press about the order prohibiting them from publishing her name, photograph and personal particulars. DPP Suhaimi Ibrahim then informed the inquiry that the clearest-possible static image taken from the video clip of the woman was being displayed on the projector. (Her breasts in the image were covered.) The projector, positioned earlier in front of the commission members exclusively for their viewing, was placed facing the commission members, the media, and those in the public gallery for them to compare the image on the screen with her face. Suhaimi asked her "whose picture is being displayed?" and she replied "mine". Dzaiddin asked her to remove her headscarf to allow Nair to look at her. Nair, who was seated behind her, got up and took two steps forward to look. He looked at the image on the projector and nodded. Suhaimi then asked the woman to face the gallery. She did so for about 10 seconds. Her face matched the still image on the screen. Nair then got up and told the commission the woman was "positively identified". The woman was also shown her black-and-white hair band, which she identified as hers. Her hair band could also be seen on the video clip. Earlier, Nair told the commission the woman should be recalled for positive identification. He said nobody saw her face when she appeared on Tuesday, except for the commission members. Nair said the woman's hair band was also not produced or shown to her for identification. Asked by Dzaiddin why he did not raise the matter when she testified, Nair said he had expected the handphone used to record the video clip to show the particular time the recording was made as this will prove the timeframe given by the woman matched the details in the handphone recording. The Chinese nationals represented by Nair were not called to testify. Sixteen of the 21 witnesses appeared before the inquiry during the three days of hearing. The inquiry reconvenes tomorrow to hear the closing submissions.

Video game addiction ends in tragedy

TheSUn 15Dec2005 Video game addiction ends in tragedy by Charles Ramendran PETALING JAYA: For the past three years, 16-year-old Yap Wui Chung's life revolved around the video games he played on his computer. Sadly, it also led to his death. Wui Chung (pix) would shut out the rest of the world, sit for hours in front of his PC, often missing his meals and sleep. Being the only child and seeing how much his hobby meant to him, his parents indulged his passion for the latest computer gadgetry. They obliged because seeing him spend time at home meant that he was not mingling with wrong company. But yesterday, all that joy of seeing his smiles and laughter ended when the Sultan Abdul Samad secondary schoolboy was found electrocuted in his room at his Section 4, PJ Old Town, home with power cables coiled around his hand. Beside him was a note which read: "When I die, please give my computer to my friends." Wui Chung was found sprawled on the floor by his parents at 3am after they rushed into his room on hearing his screams. The power supply circuit breakers in the house had also tripped, causing a blackout. Wui Chung had brought the cables home a day earlier and told his parents that it was for a school project. His parents sent him to the University Malaya Medical Centre but the teenager was pronounced dead on arrival. Wui Chung's family and friends are puzzled by his death. They describe him as quiet and reserved. He was not known to have any personal problems and appeared nor mal when his parents last saw him watching TV an hour before his death. Deputy OCPD Supt Abdul Rahman Ibrahim said police initially classified the case as sudden death, but are keeping the probe open. When met at the SS1 Kampung Tunku Crematorium, Wui Chung's father, a businessman aged 57, who did not want to be named said: "I blame myself and the computer for my son's death. "My wife and I were lenient with his long hours on the computer which led to his death. We got him the computer after he begged his mother for it. "We were afraid that he may mix with wrong company if he went out to play video games, so we bought it for him. Had I been more strict ... had I spent more time with him ... it's too late for regrets. "It's over, my only child is gone. His addiction for video games and computers led him to do this," said Yap who was still in a state of shock. He said his wife, who was very close to Wui Chung, had to regularly force the boy to leave his computer to have his meals. "Even then, he would take his plate to his room and eat with one hand while operating the computer with the other," Yap said, adding that Wui Chung had been pestering him to upgrade his computer. "A technician was supposed to replace it with a new system this evening (Wednesday)," he added. Yap said he agreed to upgrade the system on condition that Wui Chung spent no more than seven hours surfing the Internet and playing computers. "He agreed." He described his son as an average student in school but excelled in science and English. "Although he spent his primary years in a Chinese school and spoke Chinese at home, his English was suprisingly very good. Even the note that he left was in English," he said. Asked about the note's contents, Yap said Wui Chung named two friends whom he wanted to bequeath his computer and accessories. Among the Taoist funeral parapher nalia which will be burnt during the cremation at 10am today is a cardboard replica of a computer.

Any majority is usually enough

TheSun 16Dec2005 Any majority is usually enough Scene: Tanglin Food Court, KL. MOHAN: So PAS rules Kelantan with a one seat majority. After failing to retain Pengkalan Pasir its majority is really paper thin now. Why doesn't it just resign? Azman: That's what the Barisan Nasional leaders campaigning in the just concluded Pengkalan Pasir byelection had been saying. Lose Pengkalan Pasir, resign. Chong: What do you think, Cikgu? Do you think the PAS government should just resign and go to the people again for a new mandate? Zain: I don't understand this obsession. PAS has been given the mandate to rule. A small mandate maybe, but a mandate nevertheless. Everyone should respect that mandate. It is the people's mandate. It would be very irresponsible of PAS to resign. Tax payers will have to pay, don't forget that. Chong: I agree with you. Elsewhere, a majority of one is good enough. It is credible enough. In fact there have been occasions when a party without a majority but won the most seats in the legislature have been invited to form the government. That is really precarious. But they managed to rule ­ and sometimes remarkably well, too. But here we seem to think a government is not good enough if it does not control two-thirds of the seats in the legislature. Too much obsession with two-thirds. What for? A majority of one is enough for the government to run the state. You need the two-thirds when you want to amend the constitution. But there is no need to amend it all the time. Zain: Well done, Chong. I am really proud of you. Azman: I think many people have forgotten the situation in 1969 when the Alliance, the forerunner of the BN, suffered huge reverses in many states. In Selangor, for instance, it won only 14 seats in the then 28-seat legislative assembly. DAP won nine, Gerakan four and independent one. Of course, you know what happened lah. Mohan: So what you are saying is that the PAS gover nment in Kelantan should just go on with the business of ruling the state? Zain: Yes. And uninterrupted. It now has 23 seats to BN's 22. In terms of administering the state, it is not incapacitated in any way. Mohan: So the BN will just have to wait. Zain: Yes. All its elected representatives have to perform remarkably well so that those in the PAS constituencies will tell each other how good the BN reps are and in the next general election let us return the BN candidates. Chong: But some BN guys are talking about two PAS assemblymen who are in a bad shape health wise. They are talking about another byelection soon or two by-elections. So maybe the BN may not have to wait until the next general election to rule the state. People are saying anytime now. Azman: Wishful thinking. They are talking about "anytime now" ever since last year's general election. Those two gentlemen had been sick even before then. They were expected to provide the by-elections. And the BN guys were already boasting that they will win the two seats whenever they become vacant. Mohan: Not sure yet the BN will win both seats to force a state election. After all while they were expected to provide the elections, it was another person who quite unexpectedly provided the by-election in Pengkalan Pasir. And again, who knows? The PAS government may just survive up to the next the general election. Azman: Also remember that even though they are sickly, they may even survive many people including leaders of the BN. Zain: I think it is not nice to talk about sick people like that or in those terms. Where is our morality? Mohan: But I heard BN guys were talking about them in the north Kelantan town of Pasir Mas, which is in the Pengkalan Pasir constituency during the by-election. Zain: I know. I was there with Azman. Azman was there to report on the by-election while I was there to visit relatives and gape. Anyway I met a few old friends there. I also met a cousin of sorts ­ a teacher in one of the pondok schools near Alor Setar. He was in Pasir Mas to cam paign for PAS. Chong: Since you were there Cikgu why do you think PAS lost? BN had a lot of problems ­ disunity, PAS' personal attacks on Kelantan Umno chief Datuk Annuar Musa, too many cooks ­ and so should have lost. Yet it won. Zain: Everybody talks about BN's problems but few talk about PAS's problems. Mohan: PAS has problems too? Azman: Everyone has problems. You know that Mohan. Zain: PAS' main problem is its candidate, Hanifah Ahmad. This was what PAS members in Pasir Mas told me. They said they recommended the names of a few young ones with strong religious background. Young people have no baggage they said. When Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat vetoed them and chose Hanifah, they were quite disappointed. They said the guy was CEO of the State Economic Development Corporation. Naturally he had some baggage. But Nik Aziz refused to listen to them. So from the beginning the PAS leaders responsible for the election had to fight two things ­ BN and those in PAS who did not like Hanifah. Mohan: How do you know all this, Cikgu? Zain: It was talked about in the foodstalls in Pasir Mas. Open knowledge among PAS members in the town. And as I said, I have relatives and friends there. And after the vote they pointed to me the number of spoilt votes ­ 160. People don't know how to vote? Surely not, they say. BN and PAS conducted several courses on how to mark the ballot papers before the election. They said the voters purposely spoilt the ballots. Mohan: Why did they go to the polling station if they did not want to vote? Why take the trouble to go and then not to give their vote to anybody? Zain: Well. Let's say it was the PAS voters who spoilt their votes. They had to go as they were taken to the polling stations. So they could not refuse even though they did not like the candidate. So they spoilt their vote. Even though they protested against the selection of the candidate, they would not vote for BN's Hanafi Mamat or independent candidate Datuk Ibrahim Ali. Azman: Among the spoilt votes could be those who did not like Hanafi but would not give his vote to Hanifah. Zain: Could be. Chong: What are the other factors that helped the BN in Pasir Mas? Zain: Besides fewerpeople voting for Ibrahim, BN had Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib, an organisational man. He did his best to keep the campaign organisation going. He and his Selangor boys deserve a lot to credit. Also like in Kuala Brang, the first by-election since the massive general election victory last year, it was the relentless house-tohouse campaigning by members of Puteri Umno that helped. They say the best form of flattery is copying. Thus Parti Keadilan Rakyat has its puteri brigade and PAS has Sri Kandi. But in Pasir Mas they were no match for Puteri Umno.

Culture clash Down Under

TheSUn 16Dec2005 Culture clash Down Under CRONULLA BEACH: The barebreasted woman stepping into the surf is tanned golden brown. The face of the woman on the street, under her headscarf, is pale ivory. In the topsy-turvy language of race forced on anyone trying to make sense of Australia's riots this week, however, the brown woman is white and the pale woman is not. But beyond their skin colours, and their religion or lack of it, a clash of lifestyles played a large part in Australia's worst racial violence in living memory, commentators say. Cronulla beach, where race riots erupted on Sunday, and the streets of the mainly-Muslim suburb of Lakemba, are a short drive apart in Sydney, but they could be different worlds. To the government they reflect multicultural proof that the country has moved on from its despised "White Australia" policy and is worthy of acceptance by its Asian neighbours at forums such as this week's East Asia summit. To the white supremacists and neo-Nazis spotted by police at the riots at Cronulla beach, in which ethnic Lebanese from suburbs such as Lakemba were attacked by white mobs, the differences are intolerable. But somewhere between the flat denial of racism by Prime Minister John Howard, and the hatred on the faces of the drunken white youths attacking fellow Australians while draped in the national flag, lies the truth. The fact that many other countries, most recently France, experience racial unrest has been a constant point of reference in remarks by politicians here and in media coverage of the riots. And few would quibble with the government's claim that Australia has moved far beyond the days when this former British colony was viewed as home to "Asia's white tribe". Sydney is a cosmopolitan city where the racial violence has come as a shock simply because it is unprecedented. John Saleh, 23, a Palestinianbor n store manager, agreed, saying he had not experienced racism in his adopted country. "It's beautiful, friendly, I get along with everybody," he said. "Those who made the problems should be arrested." At Cronulla beach, the question of who "made the problems" usually elicits the answer: "Lebanese gangs." Some politicians have suggested that the violence was partly fuelled by anger over militants, but young "white" workers at the Alley Break beachfront cafe don't mention religion in their assessment of the riots. Scott Veltmeijer, an ethnicDutchman born in Australia, and Melanie Campbell, 21, say large gangs of ethnic-Lebanese men descend on the beach at the weekends and spoil it for others through boorish behaviour. "They play soccer and kick sand all over people, they make rude remarks to women, they intimidate everybody," said Campbell. Girls in bikinis are called sluts and whores, the gangs play loud music and leave rubbish on the beach, local residents say. While the clashes have been described as being between whites and people of "Middle Eastern appearance", it is the Lebanese community that is singled out for criticism. "The Lebanese have been left behind compared with other g roups such as the Chinese, Vietnamese, Greeks and Jews," said James Jupp, director of the Centre for Immig ration and Multicultural Studies at the Australian National University. "Their level of education and therefore their level of employment and employability are lower than average. "So there is a lot of resentment there: they haven't done terribly well and they feel that they are not being treated like Australians and that they are being picked on." ­ AFP

Computer able to spot blockbusters

TheSun 16Dec2005 Computer able to spot blockbusters LONDON: Hollywood producers fretting over this year's box office downturn should take heart. A scientist in the US says he has come up with a computer programme that helps predict whether a film will be a hit or a miss at the box office long before it is even made. "Our goal is to try to find oil in a way," said Professor Ramesh Sharda of the Oklahoma State University on Wednesday. "We are trying to forecast the success of a movie based on things that are decided before a movie has been made," he told Reuters by telephone. Sharda, an expert in information systems, has been working on the model for seven years and analysed more than 800 films before publishing a paper which appears in Expert Systems With Applications journal early next year. Sharda applied seven criteria to each movie: its rating by censors, competition from other films at the time of release, strength of the cast, genre, special effects, whether it is a sequel and the number of theatres it opens in. Using a neural network to process the results, the films are placed in one of nine categories, ranging from "flop", meaning less than US$1 million (RM3.76 million) at the box office, to "blockbuster", meaning more than US$200 million (RM750 million). The results of the study showed that 37% of the time the network accurately predicted which category the film fell into, and 75% of the time was within one category of the correct answer. Sharda said he was in discussions with a "major" Hollywood studio about further developing the system to make it more accurate. Sharda may have picked the ideal moment to publish his findings. As of mid-November, North American ticket receipts for the year so far stood at US$7.6 billion (RM28.5 billion), around 7% down on the same stage in 2004, although that was before the release of three big films ­ Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and King Kong. ­ Reuters

Iraqis vote in landmark election

TheSun 16Dec2005 Iraqis vote in landmark election BAGHDAD: Undeterred by scattered violence, Iraqis voted in large numbers in an election yesterday, with minority Sunni Arabs who boycotted the last poll determined not to miss out on power again. The demand to vote was so strong that polling stations were kept open for an extra hour in some areas to allow those lining up outside to cast their ballots. The largely peaceful election, which will raise US hopes that a stable government can pave the way for American troops to pull out of Iraq, was in sharp contrast to January's vote for an interim assembly, when 40 people died. Sunni Arabs mostly boycotted that poll but took part with enthusiasm on yesterday, backed by nationalist rebels who vowed to protect those who voted. "I'm delighted to be voting for the first time because this election will lead to the American occupation forces leaving," Jamal Mahmoud, 21, said in the battle-scarred city of Ramadi. Turnout in 10 hours of voting was at least 10 million, or 67%, election commission chief Hussein Hendawi said, much higher than the 58%on Jan 30. In Saddam Hussein's home province around Tikrit, once a heartland of Sunni opposition, turnout was 83%, an election official said. Some provisional results may be known today, but definitive tallies could take two weeks or more, officials say. United Nations envoy Ashraf Qazi was pleased: "All in all it was a good day and a historic day". A White House spokesman also called it a historic day. Informal polling by Reuters around the country showed the ruling Shiite Islamist Alliance and their Kurdish allies still dominant in their southern and northern bases respectively. But there also seemed to be a strong turnout in favour of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who heads a secular slate with candidates from across Iraq's sectarian and ethnic divides. While voting went well generally, two people were killed in mortar attacks in Mosul and Tal Afar in the north and three, including a US Marine, were wounded when a mortar round landed in Baghdad's Green Zone. A nationwide three-day traffic ban, and the presence of 200,000 Iraqi soldiers and police backed up by US troops, appeared to succeed in protecting 6,000 polling stations. A suicide car bomber was shot dead in Baghdad and police said they arrested another east of the capital. US diplomats hope that if Sunnis are drawn into the political process, the revolt will be undermined, letting Iraqis gradually take over security without provoking a civil war. "Ballot boxes are a victory of democracy over dictatorship," Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said after voting, his finger purple with the dye that prevents double voting and is a symbol of Iraqi democracy. "They've chosen voting over bombs." ­ Reuters

Real life 3D gizmo comes closer home

TheSun 16Dec2005 Real life 3D gizmo comes closer home by Emily Tan KUALA LUMPUR: Imagine playing God and watching a perfect miniature world evolving and developing under your nose, enclosed in a glass dome. Or think of manipulating a spaceship through a 3D universe you can stroll around and study from all angles. Thanks to a project by University College Sedaya International's (UCSI) Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) all this may be possible in the near future. The project entitled "Volumetric Display Using Light Emitting Diodes (LED)" aims to produce an affordable 3D holographic display unit that produces high quality 3D images in real life. Earlier this year, CRE received a grant of almost RM1 million for the project from the Multimedia Development Corporation. Called Volex, the project is headed by CRE manager Andres Trianon, 25, and five researchers. Trianon, a UCSI computer graduate, plans to create the 3D display using LEDs. The secret behind Volex are rapidly spinning LEDs creating the illusion of a 3D image. "The speed at which the LEDs spin tricks the human eye into seeing a continuous, 3D image," explains Trianon. Trianon demonstrated that because the LEDs rotate, the centre, or "central axis" around which they spin remains blank. However, Trianon is confident that the problem can be solved. For now, one of the most advanced 3D displays is Perspecta by Actuality Systems. Not available commercially, costing USD$40,000 (RM152,000) per unit, Perspecta works by projecting detailed image slices onto a rotating screen. "Perspecta is flawed. It requires a huge amount of processing power, makes a loud whirring sound, and produces an image that has a blank centre,"he said. He admits the technology that Volex is based on is not really new. Back in 1979, a researcher in the United States, Berlin Junior, developed the idea for a basic 3D image display using LEDs. "I contacted him in the early stages of the project, and asked him why he did not develop the device. He said at that time, the required bandwidth and technology to produce the imagery for 3D display was either too expensive, or just didn't exist. "However, with advances made new, I believe it is the perfect time to develop Volex," said Trianon. The marketing potential for a product like Volex is tremendous. With the market primed by science shows like Star Trek, The Matrix, and Star Wars, the mere idea of a holographic display fires the imagination. "Not only home-users, but shops, restaurants, hotels, and advertising agencies will find a use for Volex. Leave it to them, they'll figure out how best to use it!" laughed Trianon. A software engine to create 3D images that can be projected by Volex will be developed along with the display unit. The team hopes to have a working prototype ready by Dec 2006.

`We don't want his computer'

TheSun 16Dec2005 `We don't want his computer' It took our friend's life, say three classmates by Charles Ramendran PETALING JAYA: The three friends of 16-yearold Yap Wui Chung who were left his computer after the teenager killed himself on Wednesday have refused to accept the machine. None of them, who were Wui Chung's classmates at Sultan Abdul Samad secondary school in Section 14, want the computer that robbed their friend of his life. Wui Chung, who was said to have been obsessed with computer games and the Inter net, had electrocuted himself when his father refused to upgrade the computer. He willed his three friends as the recipients of his computer and accessories. He had typed their names down in a note and instructed his parents to hand them the machine. "I did as my son wanted me to do. But the boys declined the offer," said Wui Chung's father, who only wanted to be identified as Yap. "Since they refused, I will donate the items to an orphanage or charitable organisation. At least it will be put to good use." Yap had approached the boys when they turned up for his son's funeral at the Kampung Tunku crematorium yesterday. Some 20 classmates had turned up for the ceremony. A classmate said Wui Chung was worried about his academic performance and the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination he would be taking next year and this could have led to his death. "We believe he could control his passion (for computer games). We think he was worried about his studies and that drove him to commit suicide," the classmate said. But Yap thinks otherwise. He maintains that his son's obsession with computer games and the Internet had killed him. "We never pressured him about anything, including his studies. He was our only child and we wanted the best for him," he said. "We believe he could not control himself. He was a computer junkie and that drove him to kill himself."

Investing into the lives of others

TheSUn 17Dec2005 Investing into the lives of others BY LAUREN LIM I RECEIVED A new diary a few days ago and the reality of it sank in ­ 2005 is indeed coming to an end in two weeks. Maybe I say this at the end of every year but time does seem to pass us by quicker than before. Of course the Earth is not rotating any faster and 24 hours is still many hours. The fact is that a large chunk of my time has been occupied with a myriad of activities in the course of the year that I have not noticed the the clock ticking away. Seconds ­ they don't seem to mean anything anymore except to athletes who are bent on breaking more records. Minutes ­ what are they except that which are kept at every meeting and read by no one after that. Hours ­ we could spend them to surf the Internet or read a book ... or make a difference in someone's life. As I pen down my particulars on the front page of the diary, a picture of an old woman came to mind. She lies in a hospital bed with tubes attached to her frail body. What is time to her as she drifts between sleep and awakening the whole day long? As a midwife she spent a big part of her life in the hospital caring for newborns. She was a dedicated nurse who often worked the graveyard shift so much so that upon her retirement, her services were still requested by the hospital. On the home front, she was aunt to many nephews and nieces. She played host to many of them who came to the city to study and in her later years, baby sat the grand-nephews. In doing that, she invested into the lives of the younger generation. She lived a simple life herself and was never a burden to anyone. Her quiet and gentle demeanour made her a great friend and companion. She was always ready to lend a helping hand to those who needed it and often did what she could quietly and without any fanfare. Such was her character that till the time she had a fall, she would still insist on washing the dishes after a meal even though the maid was on hand to help. Later on in life, she spent her days "reading" newspapers ­ often holding them upside down. I have noticed the way she watches those around her with a far away look. What is on her mind? I have no way of knowing because her answer to my question is always "Nothing" accompanied by a smile. When I first met her, she often asked where I live and how many "miles" it was from her home. A few minutes later, she would ask me the same question and then again ... and then again. Nowadays, she would ask me about the "two boys" ­ her grand-nephews whom she babysat some years back. Initially, I used to tell her that they were in school no matter what time or day it was. After all, what difference is it to her where they were? While the truth has no direct consequence on her, still, every person ought to be treated with dignity. I have since repented from giving her the usual mundane answers. While I do not always have the answers to her questions, telling her the day of the week and what they "might" be doing makes it more meaningful for me because I believe that every living being would appreciate a sense of decency and selfesteem when spoken to. Also, why should anyone behave in a lowly fashion just because the other is feeble? Yes, she has Alzheimer's but that does not change the fact that she is alive. I looked at my diary again and it seems that I have 365 days to do a whole slew of things! How should I spend the New Year and Chinese New Year and Christmas in 2006? How would she spend them? It dawned upon me then that she does not have much choice because of her infirmity. But I do. I can spend my time learning to cook or improving my IT skills; I could teach my daughter how to read or take up ballroom dancing. We are bombarded by so many choices from the media that we often "think" we do not have enough time. It is a matter of choice really, what we choose to do with our time. Prioritising seems to be an alien concept to many nowadays because we are told that we "need" this and we "have to" do this in order for us to be cool, hot, techno-savvy and beautiful. Lacking one or the other would deem us geeks and nerds. I suppose that is where the danger lies. One never knows when to stop doing ... and start being. I think of her again. She taught me a lesson of great worth ­ invest into the lives of others, for then, one's labour will overflow into the generations to come. What better way to protract one's investment of time! Lauren Lim is a homemaker, a rusty musician and a life observer.

Police force deserves better

TheSun 17Dec2005 Police force deserves better "... the worst thing of all is to have an irresponsible police force, and the next worst is to have one that is responsible only to the executive..." ­ Lord Devlin, 1957. THE COUNTRY WAS still digesting the Royal Commission Report on enhancing the operation and management of the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) when the ear-squat pictures were revealed last month. I share the view of Tan Sri Musa Hitam, our former deputy prime minister cum home minister, that the public response to it had been overblown ­ the government's response to the pictures, the appointment of yet another commission, a visit to China by the home minister and apologies galore. Looks to me like knee jerk responses to the media build-up and as many commentators noted, a recognition of the vast influence of the New China. Lots of tourists, students and investment income to be lost during this slow growth economy. Let us view the squat pictures with some perspective. Taken at its worst, the pictures do not display torture or physical harm. Breaches of lock-up and body search rules are another matter. There had been far more serious transgressions which deserve public and gove nment attention. The deaths and injuries alleged in lock-ups, the shooting of a van in Pengkalan Kubor involving innocents sometime back, the loss of crucial drug evidence to be used in court, the escape of powerful criminals from detention ­ all these issues deserve greater attention. One of the benefits of studying at the University of Buckingham two decades back was the exposure to police officers, both serving officers and those that had left the force. I g athered from my interactions that police work is indeed hard and stressful. Officers are subject to frequent relocations and 24-hour calls. The stressful nature of the work frequently resulted in family break-ups and health problems. Work procedures are ridden with rules and regulations and with much paperwork. Then there is the constant danger to life and limb for officers handling violent crimes and other dangerous duties. While focusing on weaknesses in the police force one must not forget the sacrifices put up by the officers and men as well as the constraints they have to face in their daily tasks. The police need the active cooperation and support of the public in carrying out its duties. Let not the undergoing negative publicity deter the public from providing the necessary support and encouragement. The Royal Commission Report on the whole had been well received by the nation. Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's readiness to set up the commission speaks well of his administration. We have to reco gnise and to face up to weaknesses. Of course one must not believe that problems only exist in the RMP. Similar critical examinations of other organisations such as the military, immigration, local councils, Economic Planning Unit and more would also reveal surprising, even shocking results. If one calls for complaints, one will get loads. The Royal Commission, given the time available to it, had attempted to familiarise itself with the current state of policing and had confronted head-on sensitive issues such as corruption in the force. The public were allowed to air their numerous grievances. Owing no doubt to its terms of reference, the report is somewhat lacking in several areas. First, there is little by way of assessing the demand for policing, both current and in the future. In my article, "Policing in the 21st Century" (The Edge Dec 23, 2002), I noted that, "Rapid changes in the socio-economy, notably urbanisation and excessive population growth have resulted in increased problems for the police". Factors resulting in greater demands on policing include illegal immigration, dislocation of estate labour, urban unemploy ment, increase in number of vehicles, access to mobile phones and g reater availability of firearms. Second, the inadequate resources made available for policing. In my article I gave the example of police patrols. "There is just not enough police patrolling done, particularly during the wee hours. The deputy IGP had pointed out that financial allocations for police vehicles are just not sufficient ... "The civilian population is laden with the latest sports utility vehicles and luxurious four-wheel drives while the police force has to make do with Land Rovers that have seen better days". And of course the most important resource is manpower. My comment here, "Sad to say, gone are the days when head prefects, house captains and top athletes at our premier schools were the prime candidates for the nation's police force. We must do more to ensure that our police force attracts the country's cream of the crop". Third, management concepts and strategies. The RMP, from its inception more than a century ago had been expanding and expanding. Arising from our history, principally the Emergency (194860), continuing communist insurrection till late 80's and the May 1969 riots, para-military and anti-terrorism responsibilities had been assigned to the RMP. Its centralised management structure had continued to this day. Contrast this with the separate constabularies of Great Britain and the separate state, county and city police forces in the United States. We do need to review the management structure to deter mine if cer tain RMP functions could be better placed under other agencies, to consider the for mation of regional contingents to take up certain Bukit Aman functions and so on. Fourth, supervision of the police. There is nothing unusual or untoward in seeking better supervision of the police. Public listed companies have exter nal auditors, audit committees of the board, general meetings of shareholders and the purview of regulators (Companies Commission, Securities Commission and Bursa Malaysia). The police have enormous powers which are exercised by men and these powers and men need to be closely supervised. There is nothing I hate more than to see two policemen on a motorcycle stopping a "foreign worker-looking" man in a back lane. Apart from the unhealthy image it conveys, it reflects poor supervision. The policemen are not being supervised by any officer and would appear to be on a frolic of their own. Like it or not, the key word in policing is proper supervision ­ the constables by junior officers, juniors by seniors, right up to the top. Who supervises the top police officers? The answer is the Home Ministry and the Police Force Commission. The Federal Constitution Article 140 provides, "There shall be a Police Force Commission whose jurisdiction shall extend to all persons who are members of the police force and ... shall be responsible for the appointment, confirmation ... promotion, transfer and exercise of disciplinary control ..." The Article also provides for the Police Force Commission to delegate its duties, to consult outside persons to carry out other matters it considers necessary or expedient to better perform its functions. Through all the recent travails faced by RMP, it is surprising that we have not heard more from or about the Police Force Commission. This commission is the body primarily responsible, under the Constitution, to supervise the police force. The supervision is not only by way of selection/ promotion/emplacement but also the exercise of disciplinary control. The Royal Commission Report did not address the issue of the function of the Police Force Commission. Perhaps the Police Force Commission staffing and resources can be suitably expan-ded so that we do not need to set up separate bodies to hear police complaints or ad hoc commissions every time there is a major public uproar. Fifth, addressing the future. The Royal Commission, in line with its terms of reference, did not directly tackle this area. However it did look at modernisation aspects which are relevant here. Here are some "future" issues which the authorities should look at. · I have mentioned how urbanisation, illegal immigration, motor vehicle "explosion", etc had affected the demand for policing. This trend is likely to continue. The police would not only need additional resources but would also have to change their policing and investigation methods. · Related to the above is the growth of urban conurbations outside the Klang Valley. From newspaper and anecdotal reports, crime rates in fast-growing areas such as Penang and Johor Baru are worrying. Existing policing resources and organisational set-ups for large urban centres should be reviewed. · Rise of organised crime. As a country gets richer and more urbanised, the scourge of organised crime appears. Syndicates prosper from the rise of drug trafficking, illegal bookmaking, prostitution and extortion. Organised crime must be clearly distinguished from crimes like purse-snatching and burglaries. In some less fortunate countries, crime overlords even take over towns and small states. We need American-style racketeering, postal fraud (including wire, wireless and electronic communication) and money laundering statutes and enforcement. RMP would need to gear itself organisationally and resourcewise to tackle organised crime. Left untended organised crime can even take over the police and government itself. · Surveillance equipment. It is shocking when a jewellery shop located deep within a major shopping mall could be robbed and we had no closed-circuit photos of the perpetrators. And motorists entering and leaving the toll highways are not photo-recorded as in most countries. No wonder criminals are able to travel far and wide undetected. And market areas like Section 14, Petaling Jaya; and Jalan Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur; should certainly be under camera surveillance. The authorities, in particular RMP, and the private sector should work together on electronic surveillance to cut down waste and promote effectiveness. · Self-help security services. Companies and organisations having property and people to protect should be encouraged to provide more of their own resources for protection purposes. Such private guards, vehicles and surveillance equipment can help reduce the taxpayer burden. RMP should ensure private guards are vetted and supervised. While I support more self-help efforts, I am not in favour of g ated communities. The authorities should study this issue carefully in relation to the country's image and its effect on race-relations. Malaysians, under the present administration, are justifiably enjoying their greater opportunity to expose and to criticise wrongdoings. Although most government bodies are also ridden with weaknesses, to a large extent RMP had taken the brunt because its involvement with the public is so great. In my view, exposes and criticisms are fine. But issues have to be seen in their proper perspective. We, the present Malaysian public, owe a great deal to the police force for its courage and sacrifices during the Emergency, Confrontation and public disorders. Do not paint with too broad a brush. Weaknesses in the force are not only due to internal factors but are also the result of lack of resources and policy failures on the part of the government. The police force is imbued with super-enormous powers. For this reason it, from top to bottom, has to be properly supervised and be made accountable. This is the major issue which we must all address. At the same time we must be mindful of the new, difficult challenges of policing work in the future. Finally, let us consider another thought from Lord Devlin, " ... policemen are not by origin or by training simply creatures of the executive. They are not men in barracks but citizens living and working among the communities they serve". Radzuan Halim, a former banker, teaches MBA and law students.

An Interview With Nazri Aziz

the SUN: Why are you in politics? What drove you to enter politics? I am in politics by accident. When I came back from UK (after completing his law studies), the person who moved my call to the Bar was Haji Suhaimi (former Umno Youth chief Datuk Suhaimi Kamaruddin). At that time, he was the Umno Youth chief and under the Umno Youth constitution at that time, he had the power to appoint to the executive committee two people under the age of 30. At that time I was 24 years old, and so Haji Suhaimi after he moved my call (to the Bar) and after having had dinner with me, said he was appointing me (to the committee). I did not immediately say yes, and I told him that I would think about it. After a week, my uncle who was also my master, said Suhaimi was his friend and would really like me to accept it (the appointment). After a week of being advised by my uncle, I accepted. Some people say that once you enter politics, it's difficult to let go. Do you think it is true? Have you any regrets joining politics? Ya ... once you enter politics, it is difficult to get out, because you are used to the life and you know in politics you have people around you, and once you leave politics, you feel lonely, you feel you are useless and that is why I think they want to come back. I have no re g rets joining politics. I have enjoyed every moment of it. Your first cabinet portfolio was entrepreneur development minister. It was here that you had some kind of altercation with the Anti-Corruption Agency and it became quite controversial. What actually transpired? The altercation with ACA was because it was taking a long time to investigate something which was not even about me. It was about the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board. When it came out in the papers, and as CVLB was under me, suddenly the focus was on me. The election (General Election 2004) was drawing near, the delay would certainly be a question mark over me. And I was worried that if it went on till election day, I would probably be dropped just because the ACA was looking at the CVLB. I knew all along that the allegation by that chap was not true. It (the probe) was taking too long. All I did was to tell the ACA to proceed quickly (with the investigation). And because of that, some people took offence and suddenly I got to know that they wanted to arrest me, put me in a hotel and question me. And also because of ... orang kata apa? ... trying to blow up their investigation ... which is not the case. I asked the ACA to hurry up. As you know, the AttorneyGeneral announced there was no case against me. Not because I asked them to cover up the case or slow down or otherwise. I did what I thought was right. When you were told you were going to be in charge of parliamentary affairs, how did you define your role and was there any model that you followed? I was surprised when the prime minister reminded me of a conversation I had in 1999 with Tun Daim (Zainuddin) in which I asked whether I could go to the Prime Minister's Department to take charge of Parliament. I was surprised that Pak Lah remembered it (the conversation in 1999). He knew that I would like to be in charge of Parliament. When I became minister in charge of Parliament, the prime minister reminded me (that) he wanted me to ensure Parliament functioned (properly). Because he said our majority was really big, which was 92%. The prime minister does not want Parliament to be a rubber-stamp. The prime minister wants a Parliament where we debate everything. He told me because our majority is big, we must be seen to be listening. I understood what he meant. I did not look at any par ticular model, such as Westminster, which we should follow. I think we have to build our own model, through trial and error and then we just have to move on in accordance with the needs in Malaysia. We don't have to copy any other model. I saw the need to have a select committee, and I talked to the PM and he agreed to it. That is why now you see a lot of select committees. There are two now and soon a third ­ parliamentary select committees on Criminal Procedure Code and Penal Code, National Unity and National Integrity. I also always thought that we should move beyond partisan politics. We must recognise the f act that we are all elected members, and it does not depend on your position or otherwise. So in a move to go beyond partisan politics, we should have a caucus ... where we can look into issues which are close to the heart of the public, such as human rights. I thought about all these, such as the setting up of the Myanmar Caucus. I think Malaysia should be confident of itself. For example, if democracy is good for Malaysia, it should also be good for neighbouring countries. A point in case being Myanmar. So that is why I thought why not push for a caucus to promote democracy in Myanmar. Also it was urgent this year, because Myanmar was about to take over as chairman (of Asean). It would be very embarrassing for us. So this was one issue which we took up and succeeded. In fact, we were the ones who star ted and now there are Myanmar caucuses in all the other Parliaments in South East Asia. And then, of course, there is human rights. This is important because it cuts across party politics. We are elected members and despite having different political leanings, there are issues which are common to us. One example is the issue on ear-squat. I defended Teresa Kok (DAP member for Seputeh). It is not a question of being pro-DAP or pro-BN. We are pro-people. These are the people's problems. If they can't get redress from somewhere, where else do they go? They come to Parliament or go to their elected representatives. That is why we have to be pro-people and besides, this (Dewan Rakyat) is the House of the People. So, when you asked what model I used, it would be to run it (Parliament) in a way where it would assist ordinary people. Did you bring in the Head of Administration because you were dissatisfied with the way things were being run? When I became minister in charge of Parliament, the prime minister clearly said that I must look into all matters involving Parliament ­ everything from the physical building to the needs of MPs. What I found was the Secretary of the Dewan Rakyat also acted as general secretary of the whole Parliament. He is burdened with everything. Not with just the work in the Dewan but also when it comes to such things as parking, toilets, Speaker punya rumah and other things which rosak. I think it is not fair to him, to be burdened with all these. When I attend cabinet meetings, there are instructions with regards to Parliament. Then I have to bring this to the Dewan secretary. But he has got so much on his plate that some times cabinet decisions are not implemented. Because of that, I discussed it with the Chief Secretary to the Government and asked him how to go about this. He said we could probably have an officer here (in Parliament) with the responsibility to solve problems that have nothing to do with the Dewan affairs. So we can free the secretary. That is how we came up with the decision and it was approved by cabinet. So what I did was to improve Parliament, not to form another power base. I am a Member of Parliament, and I do not want to set up something which would rival Parliament. With the administration head in place, will the MPs be getting what they have been seeking, such as research assistants and better facilities? Yes. Definitely they will. Because the head of administration is always in contact with me and will follow up on matters; such as claims which have to be settled in two weeks. All these have been conveyed to the head of administration and he keeps tabs on the progress, position and the status (of issues). Sometimes you take your job as an executive too seriously. When provoked, you shout MPs down. You are seen as scolding them. Some people are actually scared of being verbally abused. They call you a bully. I am very passionate about my job. I am a lawyer by training and I believe in freedom of association and freedom of speech. If I answer passionately, don't blame me, because that's how passionate I am in defending the government and my position. You will find people like Lim Kit Siang (Parliamentary Opposition Leader) going berserk and shouting. I don' t feel of fended because he is passionate about his job. So it is the same with me. If I am seen as being very hard and go strongly at a particular person at a particular time, that is because I am passionate about my job. Don't be angry or blame me for that. I don't look at it as vengeance (on his part). It's all in a day's work. Outside Parliament, it is different. I know you have a job to do, and I have a job to do, it's just who is better. For example, I remember one occasion (when) I was angry with Kula (DAP Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran). He was trying to show that the government is racist, in the sense that we don't recognise CSMU (Crimea State Medical University) degrees. He was implying that two years ago the then minister of education said there were too many Indians there, and was trying to relate it to the issue of non-recognition of CSMU. Many people say that our MPs cannot be referred as law- makers, as they do not make the laws. Mostly, they approve that which has already been decided. What's your take on this? You know that in any country when they have a Westminsterstyle Parliament, there is also this system of the Whip. You even have this in the UK. The Whip means that once the government decides on something, everybody must support. And you know, we have a big majority and naturally when it comes to voting on a Bill, we will use the Whip. But this is something which you have to live with. We allow some latitude for MPs to criticise but when it comes to making a decision, we use the Whip. If you call this r ubber stamping, then even in the UK it is rubber stamping. Is a Unicameral (single House) not efficient, when compared to the present system of a Upper House and Lower House? This Bicameral is more of a window dressing, rather as a check and balance. But we all know that appointments to the senate are done by the government. Even if you do it through the Unicameral way, there is still only one Parliament. So it makes no difference whether we are Unicameral or Bicameral. When the government is strong, that is what you are going to see, that all Bills come from the executive and 100% it is going to get through. You can't run away (from it). This is a fact of life. Let's not kid ourselves. This is the system and it has been there for more than 40 years and we will continue to be like this. If the public somehow one day decide this is not a good system, then it is entirely up to them.