Jimmy Leow

International Women’s Day Message 2010 By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 8 MAC 2010

Progress for women is progress for all. No enduring solutions to society’s most pressing problems can be found without the full empowerment and participation of women.

For Penang, it is the commitment of the Pakatan Rakyat to give equal and ample opportunities to women, especially in the civil service.

The Penang state government does not only provide lip service on this but has given ample opportunities for women in Penang to hold senior positions and lead in the civil service.

In fact, Penang is the first in the peninsula to appoint a woman to head a local council. Our appointment of architect Patahiyah Ismail to helm the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) is based on her capabilities, not based on her race, religion, gender or background.

Other women who hold senior positions in the state under the PR government include:

• Rohani Hassan, who serves as the Seberang Perai Selatan district officer;
• Shamiah Bilal, who is the legal adviser for the MPPP;
• Dr Judy Shoba Naidu, who heads the urban services department of the council;
• Maimunah Mohd Sharif, who is the general manager of the World Heritage office,
• Ms. Salmah Aspari, who is the general manager of Penang International Halal Hub (PIHH) Development Sdn. Bhd, and
• Ooi Geok Ling, who is the managing director of Penang Global Tourism.

They were all appointed by the Pakatan Rakyat government.

As a people-centric government which is committed to enable, empower and enrich the people, we are steadfast on our stand for women to be given equal opportunities to prove their worth and realise their potential.

If they are not given the rightful opportunities commensurate with their qualifications and abilities, they would be most welcome to come and join us in Penang.

Penang will break the glass ceiling for women!

Happy International Women’s Day.

LIM GUAN ENG

All Penang PR Wakil Rakyats are willing to be sued by Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng for defending and upholding CAT principles. The real reason that Tan Tee Beng left PKR was his unhappiness in not being appointed for positions in PBA, and his various demands that were not CAT-compliant.

So far, Tan Tee Beng has failed to apologise to PR and Nibong Tebal voters for failing to support Penang PR Government’s CAT principles of Competency, Accountability & Transparency and instead threatened to sue Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr. P. Ramasamy & Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi.

Penang Chief Minister had explained that Tan Tee Beng was unhappy with Lim when Lim had refused Tan’s request to intervene in a shop house in Chow Thye Road. Tan had told Lim that his uncle was interested in renting the shop house but Lim had insisted that CAT principles be followed.

Until now, Tan had dared not deny his involvement in helping his uncle obtain the shop house belonging to PDC in Chow Thye Road. Tan had only challenged that reports be made against him with the MACC.

Why should a report be made when Penang CM had ensured that there is no wrongdoing by insisting a full compliance with CAT principles in renting the shop house? It is ridiculous for Tan to ask for a report to be lodged against the MACC when Tan knows that the Penang CM had taken steps to ensure that there is no wrongdoing.

It is because of such behavior that is not compliant with CAT principles that Tan Tee Beng was not appointed to any positions in the state government. Tan should realize that being in government is not about jockeying for positions but principles, not about private interests but about public interests.

For that reason, his departure is no loss to PR but reaffirmation of Penang PR to CAT principles.

A man pulled alive from the rubble of a building in Haiti’s capital this week could have been trapped since the earthquake struck more than four weeks ago, doctors have said.

The 28 year-old, identified as Evan Muncie, was found in the wreckage of a market where he sold rice, his family told staff at a University of Miami field hospital.

He was suffering from extreme dehydration and malnutrition, but did not appear to have significant crush injuries, the doctors said.

“He was emaciated. He hadn’t had anything in quite some time. He had open wounds that were festering on both of his feet,” said Dr Mike Connelly, of the university’s Project Medishare.

People who brought him to the hospital claimed that they found him while digging at the market. Mr Muncie told doctors that someone had brought him water while he was trapped, but medical staff said that he sounded confused and at times appeared to believe he was still under the rubble. “Initially, I’m sure he had his senses with him, so maybe he was able to find some kind of resources,” added Dr Connelly.

Dr Dushyantha Jayaweera, of the University of Miami field hospital, felt it was plausible that Mr Muncie had been buried since the quake. “It is unusual but not impossible,” he said.

“He was quite dehydrated and he was wasted, so there are certain things that suggest that it’s true.”

Dr Jayaweera described the man’s condition as “reasonable”. “He’s still sick, he cannot talk to anybody, but we are very optimistic with the condition of the patient.”

Mr Muncie was found nearly a month after the magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, killing more than 150,000 people and leaving 1.5 million homeless.

Haiti’s government declared search-and-rescue efforts over on January 23, but survivors still were being unearthed as late as January 27.

The Vancouver Sun

Beggars at shopping complexes in Puchong are using new tactics to get sympathy, pretending to be sick or unconscious, Sinar Harian reported.

These beggars, mainly from China, apparently earn a lot of money every day by eliciting sympathy from shoppers.

Kuan Chee Heng, special officer to the Seri Serdang assemblyman, said he was shocked at an old beggar’s actions when approached last Sunday.

“He looked like he was going to faint as I was about to approach him, but then ran towards the highway.

“Surprisingly, he was able to run as far as two kilometres although he seemed so weak when I first saw him,” he said, adding that the beggar, wearing clothes in navy blue, crossed the LDP highway and jumped over the divider.

He said he believed the beggar was used by a syndicate and advised the public not to be misled by these beggars who were “very good actors”.

Courtesy of Star

At least 88 journalists have been killed so far this year, with hundreds more media employees arrested, according to the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).

Over the past decade, more than 750 journalists have been murdered worldwide, WAN-IFRA said in a report presented today as newspaper executives meet for the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum in Hyderabad, India.

Last week’s massacre in the Philippines, in which at least 30 journalists were among 57 people murdered, made up about a third of the year’s death toll and was the deadliest single attack on media workers in history, WAN-IFRA added.

Some 35 journalists have been killed so far this year in the Philippines, making it the world’s most dangerous country for media workers.

Among the other countries figuring prominently in the WAN-IFRA report, there were eight deaths recorded in Pakistan, seven in Mexico, six in Somalia and five in Russia.

This year’s total of 88 deaths make it the bloodiest since 1998, still behind the 110 who were killed in 2006 and 95 the following year.

The report said that hundreds of media employees had been arrested in the course of their duties over the past year, with at least 170 still in jail.

It painted a picture of widespread hostility to and intimidation of the press across many different continents.

Among the many problems it cited were the imprisonment of journalists in China, Burma’s mass censorship and the intolerance of governments throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

The report also mentioned the abuse of defamation and sedition laws in Africa, attacks on investigative journalism in Latin America and prosecutions in Europe and Central Asia.

Courtesy of www.guardian.co.uk

This is not what democracy looks like. Citizen journalist Noel Hidalgo streamed live web video of protests in Tiananmen Square by activist group, Students for a Free Tibet. Hidalgo was detained by Chinese authorities and deported, along with the demonstrators.

Courtesy of Vital Voices

Chouchou Namegabe Nabintu is Honored at ICFJ’s 25th Anniversary Awards Dinner.

In the Congo, 31-year old Chouchou Namegabe Nabintu is known by many as a pioneering, fearless voice for justice and accountability. Born in Bukavu in South Kivu Province, Chouchou developed a strong interest in radio broadcasting and journalism as a young student. She saw radio as the means through which to reach the masses in Congo, the only medium of communication accessible to nearly everyone everywhere.

In 1997, Chouchou began as a trainee and presenter at Radio Maendeleo, a popular local community radio station, and after volunteering for several years, entered the permanent reporting staff in 2002.

In the late 1990s, as Eastern Congo was overcome by violence, Chouchou turned her microphone into a potent weapon against the rampant violations of women’s human rights she saw taking place in her community. She gained a reputation as a journalist with expertise in women, health, and human rights. She also courageously denounced the corruption of mismanagement by public authorities.

In 2003 Chouchou founded the South Kivu’s Association of Women Journalists (“Association des Femmes des Médias du Sud Kivu” or “AFEM”) and assumed leadership of the Association as its president two years later. Chouchou has sought to perfect her technical skills by attending field trainings and searching for mentorship from experienced professionals, including foreign journalists.

With AFEM and through her radio broadcasts, Chouchou continues to shine a spotlight on women’s issues, especially in rural areas. She has also brought the plight of Congolese women to an international stage, recently traveling to the Hague in December 2007 to plead the case of Kivu’s women at the International Court of Justice, where she denounced without fear the impunity in which some major rebel leaders thrive and flourish. There is no question that the world will be hearing more from Chouchou in the years to come.

Environmental sustainability, which means to ensure resources used today are still available to be used tomorrow, has been integrated into local and global economic growth strategies. The Penang state government is committed to protect, preserve and promote the environment for our future generation. Over the last 16 months, Penang has been focusing on several programmes which contribute to reducing carbon emission, such as waste-reduction, tree-planting, river-cleaning and integrated transportation master plan. Since last year until June 2009, the state has planted 87,939 trees.

In the effort to become the first green state in Malaysia, the state government has initiated a campaign to reduce plastic bag consumption. In July Penang became the first state to launch “No Plastic Mondays” by imposing a charge of 20 cents per plastic bag. All hyper/supermarkets have stopped giving out free plastic bags on Mondays. The state is considering to extend this campaign to many days per week over the next few months. In making Penang an international city which is the investment city of choice for investors, transforming Penang into an a preferred tourist location and Penang becoming the habitat city of choice for all residents who want a city that has sustainable development, cleanliness is one of the most important issues seriously looked into it.

One of the priorities is to clean up Sungai Pinang, to get it off the infamous listing of being one of the seven most polluted rivers in Malaysia. The state has been engaging with EM experts in Penang to design a proper system to clean up Sg. Pinang with EM technology and take Sg. Pinang out of the list of the “Infamous Seven” as soon as possible. At the same time, priority should be also be given to Sungai Juru as well.

This is in line with the state government goals to create a green environment for all of us to live in. Over the last 6 months EM technology has proven itself to be effective in cleaning up of two of our rivers namely Sg. Kelian in Tanjung Bungah and Sungai Mas in Batu Ferringhi. Taking water quality data would not be accurate at this moment because not the whole river has been treated with EM technology as yet.

But we can see with our eyes that many feet of sludge which has been accumulated over the last 20 years has disappeared, smell with our nose that the foul odor at the estuary of the river have also greatly reduced, touch with our hands that fishes are coming back again in the river. A clean river system will help Penang become the front green state in Malaysia.

To succeed, Penangites need the support from all including the private sector.

If Not For Sumatra, we will probably see the same devastation inflicted by the tsunami in Bandar Aceh and Padang on the west side of Penang island. Thousands will perish, buildings crumbled, injured by the thousands.

The whole stretch of Teluk Kumbar, Bedong Island and Balik Pulau will probably be washed away by four to ten meter high tsunami created by the recent strings of earthquake at Padang, Sumatra. From the view of Bukit Genting, half of the west coast of Penang island will be flooded.

On the east side of the island, the smaller waves invade the industry area, destroying factories at the Bayan Lepas industrial zone and not forgeting the residential areas where condominiums and shopping malls are built ridiciuosly near to the shores. One will also see the destruction of a resort at Pulau Jerejak.

The bridge which connects the mainland to Penang island will also be partly destroyed due to the massive waves created by the earthquake. Will we be able to rebuild Penang in such a short time? Will Penang survive? Will the coastal towns on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia survive such devastation?

The death toll in the Padang earthquake disaster in Indonesia rose to 603 while hundreds more are believed to be trapped in collapsed buildings in the west Sumatran city and mudslides that swept through entire villages in its outskirts.

According to official figures released by West Sumatra’s Disaster Management Agency recently, 785 people were seriously injured with some requiring surgery while those with non-life threatening injuires exceeded 3,400 people.

EnterinG the fifth day since the magnitude 7.6 quake struck on Sept 30, the stench of death overhung the city of Padang while rescuers tried in vain to find people still alive.

Clean water supply, electricity and telecommunication facilities were reported to be partially restored in Padang.

If not for Sumatra, we could have been heavily punished by mother nature twice in a time frame of 5 years. So far, Sumatra has been protecting the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia…respect her as she has been our saviour for centuries….

“The Malaysian government should drop its order to a popular news website to remove videos of a recent protest and of a government minister’s reaction, Human Rights Watch said today.”

The website Malaysiakini has refused to comply with a September 3, 2009 order by the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission to remove a video showing an incident where protesters in Selangor state marched with a severed cow’s head to oppose the building of a Hindu temple and another in which the home minister stated that the actions were legal. The minister later reversed himself and police charged some of the protesters.

According to the Communication and Multimedia Commission, the videos are in violation of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998, which prohibits “content which is indecent, obscene, false, menacing or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person.” Violations carry fines of up to RM50,000 (US$14,325) and up to a year in prison.

By Human Right Watch, Sept 22, 2009

It must be terrifying for the editors, journalists and staff members of Malaysiakini when MCMC used intimidating tactics and harassment on them. You must have a heart of steel to face the MCMC’s  ”electronic forensic” team,  just the name of the investigation team gives you the chills. You kind of feel that you have just murdered someone, to that extend.

But don’t you think that MCMC is barking at the wrong tree? Just imagine, if not for Malaysiakini, the cow head protest will have gone unnoticed by the public. If not for Malaysiakini, the world will not witness the uncivilized act of a group selfish barbarians.

When the Ministry of Information Communication and Culture  denied allegations that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission had abused its power in controlling the new media, many people must be laughing their heads off. It is so obvious that MCMC  is the “macai” of Rais Yatim.

Additional to this, how can the minister make a statement indicating such allegations clearly showed that certain quarters were attempting to tarnish the image of the commission as an independent body that regulated the Internet facilities and their contents?

Who is tarnishing who if not your own shadow.