Petronas bankrupt by 2018, says Hassan Marican

Petronas president and chief executive officer Tan Sri Hassan Marican said Petronas will go bust within 10 years if all its profits are handed to the Government to continue subsidising fuel.

He warned that many national petroleum companies in the world have ceased to exist or were in financial trouble today because all their profits were taken away from them.

Hassan said that in the oil business it was important to reinvest profits in search of new technologies, reserves and continued revenue. Petronas has so far reinvested RM178.9bil of its profits.

“Petronas has played a major role by giving back a substantial amount of its profits to the Government,” he added.

At the close of its financial year in March last year, the national petroleum company had given the Government RM52.3bil in taxes, royalties and dividends which worked out to be 32% of the Federal Government’s revenue.

“Since the formation of Petronas in 1974 to last year, the company gave the Government RM335.7bil out of a total profit of RM570bil,” Hassan said.

Commenting on the fuel price increase, the Petronas boss said the corporation did not make a sen from the increase.

“All the oil companies get full market price for the petrol and diesel that they sell and the Government pay them the difference from the fixed price. This is where the subsidy comes into play,” he added.

Hassan said Exxon Mobil made about US$40bil (RM130.31bil) last year, an increase of only US$1bil (RM3.26bil) from 2006, in an environment of higher crude oil prices.

“That is the world’s biggest, most efficient and most well-run oil company. Margins have eroded,” he said.

Hassan said Petronas was now “ scraping the bottom of the barrel” as far as finding and extracting oil was concerned.

Asked about criticisms that Petronas' accounts and profits were not transparent, Hassan said the corporation published a very detailed annual report which was deposited in the Parliament library.

“For all intents and purposes, Petronas is a public-listed company because we are rated by agencies like Standard and Poors, and Moody. We do not hide anything,” he added.

Source: Petronas could go bust by 2018

Will Petronas go bust by 2018? You bet! By then equality will prevail; everyone will be poor and destitute.

Meanwhile, the effects of the increase in fuel price and electricity tariffs have started to kick in.

Just a day after the announcement of the increases, the following developments have taken place:

> Bus and lorry companies announced that they are increasing charges or will be forced to stop services;

> The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers said its members will pass on any increase in costs to consumers;

> Hawkers and other food operators will wait and see before raising prices; and

Lorry transportation charges have increased between 40% and 60% effective yesterday. Johor Lorry Operators Association president Leow Hock Tiap said the new rates complied with the Road Transport Act 1987 allowing lorry operators to charge a maximum of 15 sen for every kilometre.

Stage and express buses may stop running in the last week of every month if operators do not receive more subsidised diesel supply under the fleet card system. Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association president Datuk Ashfar Ali said although the system entitled them to diesel at RM1.43 a litre, supply was not enough.

“The amount we get is enough for about 70% of our operations. Unless we get at least 30% more, we are in trouble,” he told The Star.

Ashfar said operators used to absorb the price difference when the pump price was RM1.58 a litre but could not manage now that the price was increased to RM2.58 yesterday.

“My members are saying that when they run out of the diesel quota, they will stop operating until they receive the quota for the following month,” he said.


Save Energy Ma's Way

In Taiwan, President Ma Ying-jeou uses stairs instead of the life and addresses conferences in short sleeve shirts.

Chauffeur-driven ministers ride compact sedans to work, while rank-and-file officials pedal bicycles.

Taiwan's Ministry of Defence vowed to cut down on warplanes and training cruises and promised to cut oil consumption.

This is Ma's sweeping energy and cost saving drive to deal with soaring fuel, food and inflationary pressures.

(Source: NST, page 30, World, Friday June 6, 2008)

Mulling space capsule buy

Meanwhile, Malaysia is working hard to find the monies to purchase the Soyuz capsule which would likely cost $65mil for the shell and probably another $60mil for refurbishments so that it can be placed in a location that will attract tourists.

With the savings from the reducing of subsidies it should no more be a problem to allocate the funds for the capsule and also to pay for the next mission for our next space participants for a trip to ISS. The mission to the Mars is still under design stage at the ministry.

As to the rising cost of living, the govt advice the people to cut their cost of living. The programme "Ubah Gaya Hidup" will be launched soon by the various ministries and probably the govt had to allocate a few hundred millions to fund the programme.

The ministers are very excited of the programme and many of them have started lobbying for a stake in the initiatives.

At the same time, Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the government is concern and wish to advise all the people not to participate in any kind of demonstrations which would affect the peace of the people and cause disturbances to the silent majority of the public at large. Such acts would also adversely affect the economy and cause traffic problems. Yesterday's demonstration by DAP had caused the KLCI to drop 30 points which translates to a loss of some $3b market value.

DAMAI, the group that had called themselves the "Silent Majority" may be asked to show their patriotism again.

Lee Chong Meng is now busy preparing for DAMAI's next assignment.

Malay Regiment 'Invades' England's Palaces

Malaysians can hold their heads high!

Our soldiers have the distinguish role to perform the public duties as guards for the Queen of England at Windsor Palace and Buckingham which has a ceremonial and historic significance.

Basically, Public Duties are divided into two tasks. The first is the “Queen’s Guard” where the regiment will guard the Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace and Tower of London. The second is “Windsor Castle Guard,” where the regiment will guard Windsor Castle, one of the Queen Elizabeth II residences.


It is some kind of pride of place and an honour of sort of which the government of Malaysia holds in high esteem.

Today NST proudly declared:

"Malay Regiment 'INVADES' the Palace"

It is the first time in history that our decorated soldiers are invited for public duties as guards for the Queen and her other palaces of her children and grand children.

Tourists in London will now be able to view our smart soldiers at the gate of the palace standing upright and unmovable.

The Americans and Europeans will never had a chance to do that.

Malaysia Boleh!

Read more here and here and here

Royal Malay Regiment now guards Buckingham Palaces

The Royal Malay Regiment will now be sent to England to provide protection services and to perform what was classified as the prestigious "London Public Duties for her Majesty the Queen of England.

Army director Kol Fadzlette Othman Merican said 122 personnel from the royal ceremonial team had been selected for the assignment.

Basically, Public Duties are divided into two tasks. The first is the “Queen’s Guard” where the regiment will guard the Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace and Tower of London.

The second is “Windsor Castle Guard,” where the regiment will guard Windsor Castle, one of the Queen Elizabeth II residences.

Kol Fadzlette said the regiment would be involved in regimental tasks with other battalions in the Household division along their placement in Buckingham Palace.

The team will depart for London on April 16 and are expected to start their duty on April 18 and end on June 12. – Bernama

Source: Royal Malay Regiment to guard Queen Elizabeth II

It can be observed that Malaysia had no more use for its army. It probably stems from the fact that the cost of maintaining the soldiers are running high and to par down the cost one of the solution is to second these soldiers to work in London as security guards for palaces.

We are not sure whether the government is trying to reduce the number of Istana guards and whether this is due to any other reasons but we sure have Malaysian soldiers standing at the gate of Buckingham Palace and other minor palaces in United Kingdom. Malaysian soldiers can now look forward to work in London and earn British Pounds.

Korean Woman Cosmonaut

Koread girl, Yi So-yeon, 29-year-old who had just finished her PhD will become the first South Korean woman cosmonaut. She would fly on a Russian Soyuz to the International Space Station early next month.

So-yeon will serve as a payload specialist with two Russian cosmonauts for a 8-day mission to the ISS.

Similar to Dr Sheikh Muszaphar of Malaysia, she was classified as a Spaceflight Participant by NASA.

The Americans do not give titles or accreditations to anyone who do not have the competency in the relevant profession. The Russians are commercialized and they would give you any title to suit your ego as long as you are willing to pay for the title. So, they are willing to confer the title of Cosmonaut on anyone who would pay US$20 million.

But Malaysia is very different. Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Zaharudin Idrus, former science advisor to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and who was also science advisor to former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said you can carry a title of Astronaut or Cosmonaut if you are traveling in the space rocket. Equally, Dr Ahmad said Sheikh Muszaphar was also classified as a Space Scientist because he has taken with him a few kueh to the space station and have tasted it in zero gravity to confirm its still eatable.

I used to be flying on a MAS airplane everywhere and had been eating the food provided by the aircraft. I must also be called a Pilot as I had traveled in an airplane and have read some books on how to fly an airplane. I should also be called a Scientist because I had experimented with the food provided by the aircraft and shitted a few times in the toilet of the airplane. I know what the food taste like and I know whether its eatable or "lou sai" (diarrhea) ; so I too am a Scientist by Dr Ahmad's definition.

We can now understand why we Malaysians are unemployable. We have professional science adviser who gave us such illogical explanation. We wonder whether such are the competencies of our professionals in the government.

Soyuz or Sor Chai?

TheStar: ‘Priceless’ space capsule raises heckles

TECHNOLOGY and Innovations Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Dr Mohd Ruddin Abdul Ghani could not put a price on a Soyuz capsule "Piloted" by our first AngkasaOne.

Dr Mohd Ruddin told Fong Po Kuan (DAP–Batu Gajah) that a price tag could not be placed on gaining knowledge and technology.

“When you study for your degree or Master's and spend RM1mil, the price is nothing compared to the knowledge you get,” he said. Dissatisfied, Fong asked how did buying a Soyuz capsule benefit the country when the money could be used to help the poor.

Dr Mohd Ruddin then retorted:

“Have you not heard of reverse engineering? You are not a scientist so you do not know. “Reverse engineering means you buy a product like the capsule or car and open it up and learn how to make your own. Surely we want our Angkasawan to fly in a local capsule. “Whether you agree or not, it is the Government’s decision,” he added.

Hahaha... I just love this piece of answer given. Reverse engineering? Dr Ruddin, I respect that you had a PhD, but I do understand reverse engineering, maybe, better than you do. First and foremost, we don't buy a USD65 million (rocket to open it up and learn how to make our own. That's not reverse engineering; that's Otak Udang! You don't spent RM220 million to bring a used & second-hand rocket to learn how to make your own. You can sent engineers to Russia and learn. For China, the rocket scientists were trained at NASA and they go back to help their country to built rockets. They brought home with them the drawings and manuals, and together with their knowledge, they built a new team of scientists at their space agency.

The only factual and accurate statement you made that is true and uncontested is that the decision is the government decision, whether we agree or not. What you have said is right; we had a government who made decisions without the need to consider the rakyat's opinion. And it doesn't matter whether we spent billions or millions for something that only you understand and publicly denied the wastes. Wastage and pilferage is our culture, a culture developed and engineered by the Barisan government of which Dr Ruddin is a party to it.

MPs & Excos - Go buy a Degree

Mentri Besar Mohd Tajol Rosli Ghazali said he will force his State Exco members to get a degree.

"Without a degree, it will be very difficult for them in politics."

"It is not a question of merely serving the people anymore. Those days are gone."

"If these assemblymen want to be somebody in politics one day and be appointed an executive council member or become a member of parliament, they have to further their studies."

At a certain point, I do agree with Tajol Rosli. Lack of educational qualification is a disadvantage and often can be equated to lack of knowledge and competencies. Knowledge of philosophy, psychology and sociology, including political science and jurisprudence, are a necessary elements for good management and governing. Parliamentarians and State Assemblymen are law-makers, and they have a fiduciary duty to perform, to serve the people, the society and the whole spectrum of the community they represent. At such, lacking in theories and applications of the knowledge areas can be detrimental and often led to discriminative thoughts and myopic discernments, leading to racial and religious segmentation and disintegration.

However, having a degree means nothing if the knowledge is not inculcated and ingrained within the thoughts spectrum. Far worse is the fact that we can "PURCHASE or NEGOTIATE" a degree quite easily in Malaysia. If you can research and observe our Malaysian universities, you may realize that the system is made to generate and mass produce graduates without the basic and fundamental knowledge. The universities basically rush out the production line, passing everyone, making every students happy. We manufacture graduates; they need not necessary have the knowledge. The classes are conducted mechanically; we generate automatons.

This statement seems harsh and "Unbecoming". But the truth is always painful and "degrading". However, a truth is a truth, and as long as our torpid mentality continues to rules our system, our obtuseness will lead us to a moronic state and ultimately, calcified oxymoronicism.

We may have a man in space, and will be landing in moon soon, with a hypervision to land in Mars. But we have only darkness that had prevailed within a dysfunctional system. The saying goes - Only Malaysian believed that we will be the first to land on the Sun, albeit at night.

Oral Sex-Sodomy Paradox

Is there no difference between Sodomy and oral sex?

A woman made a police report that her 6-year-old son was forced to have oral sex with girls at a welfare home. In her report she claimed that several teenage girls at the welfare home had sexually abused her son by making him perform oral sex for them.

A team of police investigators then went to the Seberang Jaya hospital in Penang (where her son was warded for observation and test) and are ascertaining his anus to validate signs of physical abuses in order to press charges of sodomy.

I love it! Just to show how great our police investigators are! She reported oral sex abuse and they investigated his backside for anal penetration! We are going to the moon and are further planning to go to Mars. We have astronauts programme and wants to be compatible, if not better, than develop countries. But we still can't differentiate oral sex and anal sex...

So, if you want to make a police report on theft, you must state it is rape; if it is rape, you must report murder; if it is murder, you have to report sodomy...if it is sodomy, you must report abuse of power; and if it is abuse of power, you don't report; otherwise you get a black eye.

Oh, if it is judicial conspiracy and corruption, report what? Nothing to report; it's culture, its traditional... its part of the crony system which we had thrived - ask Zam!

Roti News in SpindLier

Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said Malaysians should ignore the press freedom ratings made by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) as the body is not a judge on local values.

He said the rating were based on Western values of press freedom, which were mainly driven by the market and money. Malaysia was rated 124th out of 169 countries.

I am surprise that he referred to Western values being based on market and money as if Eastern values isn't.




I remembered he had said that UMNO thrives on "Kautim culture" and needed the handouts and rent seeking system.

All economic system is driven by money and most of all, the market dictates the momentum.

Petronas is doing great business with the Junta. Pak Lah's family is doing great business with the "oil for Food" programmes with Saddam's government. Altantunya and Razak were having strategic alliances with the Sukhoi deal. Zakaria don't have to manning the railway gates. Cops are having net worth of multi-millions. Kamaladdin did not have to sell condoms anymore. Khairy is a jobless billionaire and is still not considering a needed vocation.

What's your problem? Ignore the RSF press rating. Zam will soon introduce another set of ratings. This is the new privatisation contract to be awarded and is worth billions. So, join the gravy train, okay...

Oh, BTW, Superman Muszaphar misses the teh tarik and roti canai. Can any of you emial or courier it to him at ISS?

He also said that he spent less than 10 minutes to change his clothes in space.

Superman said those who criticise the national space project should look at the larger picture and take note of the proven benefits such missions have brought to other countries. Muszaphar said cynics who said the programme was not worthwhile were wrong.

“They should look at the various benefits space programmes have produced for the medical and scientific fields as well as spin-offs which benefited the world.”

Muszapharsaid that Malaysia’s space venture would also place it in the same ranking as other developed countries in terms of science.

I don't know what science is he referring to... main gasing? Makan rendang, briyani and kuih bangkit, dried mango and banana cake in space? Prove to us empirically what scientific experiments you had conducted that would benefit the world and placed us in the same ranking as USA or Europe. We just can't thrive in this world by mere boosting and spinning. We are falling behind economically and decaying, if we are bold enough to admit. Progressive society requires us to be realistic and pragmatic. Rhetorics, rituals and forms are useless... substance and structures are the fundamentals.

Going to space and building rockets will not eradicate poverty and social ills. Oxymoronic parliamentarians will make monkeys out of us. Sleephead can only hibernate the nation.

Tale of a Scientist

Once upon a time a young boy attended an interview at a private hospital for a vacancy of a medical doctor post.

Interviewer: "Can I see your medical degree certificate."

Boy: "I don't have one."

Interviewer: "Then how is it that you are applying for the post of medical doctor?"

Boy: "I read a lot medical books, maybe more than many doctors, and I had worked in a clinic helping out to dispense drugs and taking temperatures and assisting the doctor in his works. In fact I have given good medical advices to many people who came to me for help and they later came back to thank me for curing them."

Interviewer: "But that doesn't make you a qualified medical doctor..."

Boy: "Since my grandfather was a medical doctor, my father is a medical doctor and my mother is also a medical doctor, and by virtue of me that has been born in a family of doctors, therefore I am inherently a born doctor by birth."

Interviewer: "Son, that wouldn't make you a doctor too."

Boy: "But Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Zaharudin Idrus, the former science advisor to Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Dr Sheikh Muszaphar is called an astronaut because he has traveled into outer space but we must not forget that he is also a scientist because he is trained to conduct scientific research in space. Therefore, based on this qualified policy statement I should be a medical doctor by virtue of me having being train to conduct medical examinations on my patients at my family's medical clinic."

Interviewer: "Oh, I see! I think you may be right. Ok, please go put on the dress as you will be required to perform a surgery on an important patient who need a heart-bypass."

Boy: "Is that important person Dr Ahmad Zaharudin Idrus or Abdullah ?"

Interviewer: "I hope it is, but sadly, he isn't..."

References:

Bernama News: Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Entitled To Be Called A Scientist

October 16, 2007 18:16 PM

Spinning Tops in Space

NST Prime News, page 10, Oct 16, 2007

"Some may think we are simply main gasing but it's physics demonstration to show the effects of microgravity," said National Space Agency (Angkasa) acting director Dr Mustafa Din Subari.

Col Dr Zulkeffeli Mat Jusoh, Angkasawan programme director said due to the effects of space, the top would never stop revolving.

After spending $90million, and over and above the $3.5bil spent on Sukhoi fighters, we are pleased to announced that we have discovered that a top would not stop spinning in space due to microgravity. We have tested it ourselves through the efforts of Dr Muszaphar. We now believe it is true. We have also discovered that a man will float in space due to microgravity as pictured. Dr Muszaphar has shown us it was true... now, we should believe that there is no gravity in space up there.

Malaysia has also set a new world record. For the first time ever, rendang, briyani and kuih bangkit were served at the International Space Station. Dried mango and banana cake from Malaysia was also served to the other cosmonauts. The cosmonauts were so delighted as they never had such food at the ISS ever. It had never being done before and may never be in the coming futures unless it is another Malaysian in space. By the way, teh tarik was not served. Roti canai was also not served. Maybe, the roti sudah bau as they forget to add additives and preservatives.

It was a great feet, a great achievement and we Malaysians can be proud that we had done it as no one had done it before us, no one had spin a top in space, no one had brought rendang and briyani to space so successfully, and that itself would justify more investments and purchase of Sukhois. In fact, it gives the government the impetus to continue with the programme to sent more people to Space and possibly to land in the Moon as well as Mars.

The National Space Agency will also be studying the possibility to sent our Prime Ministers and his cabinet members to the Sun in the near term. The directors at Angkasa have taken into consideration the heat and humidity aspects and are studying the possibility of landing on the Sun at night so that it is not so hot and humid.

Angkasa also make available a radio chat for 24 school childrens. "The radio chat with Dr Muszaphar was a success," Dr Mazlan Othman said.

The school children were so motivated. "We also want to be angkasawan, too, just like Dr Muszaphar!" the children cried.

14-year-old Michele Fernandez was so ecstatic, saying that her interest in science, especially astronomy, had deepened.

17-year-old Mohd Danial Faiz said he has learn a lot about space technology and astronomy.

Almost all the children felt that they have gain a lot of knowledge about astronomy. They are all ready to be astrologers...(hehehehe)

Observing the achievements, we can conclude that Angkasa felt they had derived value for the money spent and should be asking for more for the new programmes.

By the way, Dr Muszaphar also had some symbolic items with him. "He has with him a Malaysian flag, a scroll with the Rukun Negara and cloth patches of the Angkasawan programme. These items will be stamped on the ISS and will be exhibited at the National Planetarium when he gets back," Dr Zulkeffeli said.

At least, we have some souveniors from space... at least we have a Malaysian flag stamped on the ISS.

At least we had a Rukun Negara scroll stamped in space. My son asked: "But we don't practice the Rukun Negara in totality?" I answered: "It was intended to be symbolic" ... that's what Dr Zulkeffeli said.

The Paradox of Doing Great & Doing okay?

Jim Collins wrote the book, "Good To Great" to illustrate the management hype - the cult of the superhuman CEO.

His research explains how a good company, mediocre companies, and even bad companies are able to achieve enduring greatness.

Jim started his writing with the caption: 'Good is the Enemy of Great'.

This is some of what he wrote:

We expect that good-to-great leaders would begin by setting a new vision and strategy. We found instead that "they first got the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats - and then they figured out where to drive it."

The old adage "People are your most important asset" turns out to be wrong. People are not your most important asset 'if you got the wrong people' (emphasis added). The right people are.

Few people have the culture of discipline.. and... when you combine a culture of discipline with an ethic of entrepreneurship, you get the magical alchemy of great performance.

Good-to-great companies never use technology as the primary means of igniting transformation. Paradoxically, they pioneers the application of carefully selected technologies.

Good-to-great CEOs didn't talk about themselves. They'd talk about the company and the contributions of their executives and would deflect discussion about their own contribution.

""The comparison leaders did just the opposite. They'd look out of the window for something or someone outside themselves to blame for poor results, but would preen in front of the mirror and credit themselves when things went right.""

Does this statement sounds familiar to you? How often did you read this statement in our daily press and news? It is just unshockingly believable in our society and governmental system.

Jim continued: 'The great irony is that the animus and personal ambition that often drive people to positions of power stands at odds with the humility required for Level 5 Leadership. The term Level 5 refers to the highest level in a hierarchy of executive capabilities that was identified in the research. Level 5 Leaders are modest and willful, humble and fearless. They are ambitious to be sure, but ambitious first and foremost for the company, not themselves."

Jim conclusively summarized up his research of the Good-to-Great companies:

• To go from good to great requires transcending the curse of competence.
• Those who launch radical change programs and wrenching restructuring will almost certainly fail to make the leap.

"Some of the key concepts discerned in the study will fly in the face of our modern business culture and will upset some people," Jim commented.

The book is a good read. But I would suggest that, for those who had not read his earlier book, 'Built To Last', it would be better to read that first.

Built To Last is a fantastic research project for Stanford University Graduate School of Business by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras who took 18 exceptional top companies and studied each in direct comparison to one of its top competitors.

In the Author's note (2002 Edition), they wrote: "Creativity often sprouts from frustration. Built to Last is not fundamentally about building to last. It is about building something that is worthy of lasting - about building a company of such intrinsic excellence that the world would lose something important if that organization cease to exist. It's about a Global Visionary Company with timeless core values and purpose beyond just making money.

Those who built the visionary companies wisely understood that it is better to understand "who you are" then "where you are going" - for where you are going will almost certainly change. It is a lesson as relevant to our individual lives as to aspiring visionary companies and most of all, relevant to our governmental system of administration.

I would like to relate the learning points of these two books to a piece of article I read in today's newspaper.

In the NST page 4, Prime News, Anis Ibrahim wrote:

"Muszaphar doing great in space station".

This caption title caught my eyes and caused me to ponder...

• "What does she mean when she said 'Doing Great' in space?
• What was done that had been great?
• Is it the same Good-to-Great thing?
• Is there something great that had already being done in space, or,
• Is landing on the space station itself a great feat that is classified great?

But, that space-craft was a Russian and Nasa piloted creature. The traveler was a passengers.

Reading down the article, I realized she was emphasizing the fact that it is Malaysia's first man in space and that is already a great feeling. This, I agree - the feeling is great, not the doing...

But paradoxically, we spent $90 million to have such good feelings. Jeff Ooi calculated that the same amount of money would have been enough to sponsor some 180 students to Russian top medical university and help reduce the current shortages of medical doctors at our government hospitals.

However, we can't evaluate this way... otherwise, we individuals shouldn't be buying cosmetics, smoke cigarettes, drink todi or VSOP, or even consider buying and wearing the new Datuk K Tudong. We can't make such comparative analysis...

But then, what about the $4.5bil bailout of the PKFZ project? $4.5b is 50 times the space trip and would mathematically sent 9,000 students to medical universities and that would suffice to bridge the shortages at all our government hospitals! Oh, I forget, that space trip was a "free" gift complimentary for spending $3.5b on Sukhoi fighter jets. That's another 7,500 medical doctors.

What do you think if we had used that money to send 16,750 students to Russian top medical universities? Wouldn't the Russian government grant a distinguish Medal of the Highest order to our PM and DPM? Wouldn't we be proud to boasts of our PM and DPM to the western world?

Are we proud now with this space mission? Will there be tangible future benefits that can be derived from the mission?

Postscript:

The scheduled 10-minutes window for communciation between PM and Dr Muszaphar did not materialise due to technical glitch. Pak Lah and Jeanne were seated and prepared for the video conference but instead made an impromptu interview with RTM.

Pak Lah said he wanted to ask Muszaphar how the scientific experiments were going. "I wanted to ask him if he had started the experiments. he is not in space to enjoy the view of Earth below but has duties to fulfill while at the ISS."

On the space programme, Pak Lah explained: "...we will be a developed country in 2020 and we have to take this step now and not wait for 10 years or it will be too late."

I'm not sure what he means by too late. Singapore hasn't sent anyone to the ISS or the moon. Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan did not. Britain, Germany, Italy and France, they too did not. So, what is too late?

Soyuz Docked!

We saw him!!!

Boleh!

We, sochai also docked? $80mil docked!





Next $80mil to be docked!

or more???

Spend Like China, if we could!

Datuk Dr Mazlan Othman, the director-general of National Space Agency said we can built our own rockets and go to space very fast if we would spend like China and India.

Spent like China? Do you know what it means?

China's economic growth is 12% (GDP), has a trade surplus of USD$27bil (RM95bil) for the month of June 2007 and a forecasted yearly surplus of some USD$200bil (RM700bil).

In 2005, China's foreign currency reserve is about USD818bil and by October 2006, China's foreign exchange reserves exceeded USD1 trillion for the first time. By mid-2007, the reserves had reached USD1,000 per head for the entire population of China (Source).

Malaysia's foreign currency reserves stands at approx USD$91.5bil (as at August 2007) and the forecast GDP growth is 5.5%. We are hardly a fraction of the economic power of China. Added to our financial dilemma is the fact that we had behemoth foreign debts that will take many centuries to payback, if ever we could. And to top it all, we have one of the most corrupt system. A railway man can become a billionaire with just the "NEP" and UMNOmania. Our economic policies are kleptocratic and nepotistic. Our core value system is not about meritocracy. It derives its ability by way of handouts, rent-seeking and enacting policies resembling daylight robberies. The nation is sucked unto its core. The PKA scandal is only one of the case. The Lingham video denotes how the system is being run and managed. The corridors of projects are the newly creative idealistic creature that watered the mouth of the political affiliates and drive their bulimic desires to the highest. We aren't seeing the worse yet. More would be uncovered. The Pandora boxes are aplenty and the worms are creeping out in avalanche.

Indecency or Impudence?

Look at the photo - is this indecent?

Mum stops wearing sleeveless tops to daughter's school

This woman, who declined to be named, had been wearing tank tops when she took her 8-year-old daughter to school daily.

Her child is studying in a primary school in Sungei Petani, Kedah, reported China Press.

This young mother, a beautician, recently received two warning SMSes from the principal, prohibiting her from wearing such 'sexy and revealing' clothes in the school.

The mother said: 'My usual attire is spaghetti-strap tops and the school never had any problems with it previously.

'But after the new principal took over, I was barred from wearing such clothes if I wanted to enter the school.'

She said he warned her to 'dress appropriately'.

'The principal also told my daughter to tell me not to wear clothes that are too sexy.

'I should be free to wear what I want. How can the school tell me what to wear? I do not think my clothes are revealing.'

But to prevent the principal from harassing her daughter, the mother said she would comply with the request.

She said: 'Now, when I send my daughter to school, I wear clothes with sleeves.'

The mother alleged that just last week, her daughter was slapped on the hand by her form teacher because she forgot her textbook.

'My daughter's hand was swollen and red, and she was crying,' she said.

When approached by China Press, the principal declined to comment and would only say that the matter had been settled.

Is this what Najib referred to as "Standing few inches taller?"

Is the nation suffering from womanmania or phobiamaniacism?

What is the code of conduct for mothers' dresses when they sent their children to school? Has religion or moral decayed to a state of impotence?

I don't know but I know that "few inches do stand".

(Note: Thanks to Hasilox the news and the link)

Few inches Taller since Soyuz launched

Najib said: “Malaysians now ‘stand a few inches taller’. He said this after the ISS lifted off yesterday.

“We are a small country but with a big ambitions”, Najib replied when he was asked if the government was planning to send a Malaysian to the moon.

As a Malaysian I am proud of what Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor had achieved. It was no small feat and he has sacrificed much to get where he is now, in the orbit, circling the earth and moon.

But we must also not forget that the nation had sacrifice $80mil to get him there, while tens of thousands of Muslims in Kelantan and Trengganu are struggling to find food and clothings for their children in preparation of the Hari Raya. And there are also many hundreds of thousands of poors in the 13 States struggling to feed their children. Not to forget that the nation spent $3bil to acquire Russian jetfighters in order to procure this opportunity. Of course, we also must add the cost of managing the Space Agency and JJ and his entourages trips to Russia to ensure Mustaphar is doing fine.

That aside, I wonder whether it is true that we can stand a few inches taller with this feat achieved. The nation had big ambitions, said Najib. But is the ambition about going to the Moon and Mars while the nation is plunging into the dark ages?

Nurin was sexually molested and raped.

A Mongolian, Altantunya, was murdered in our country and the weapon used is a C4 bomb.

Ang Chin Peng and Wong Tan Yong was murdered. Chung Eng Wah was murdered. UTAR student Tan Lai Meng was murdered. K.Sujata was murdered. Ooi Choo Lee was murdered. And many, many more. All these are cases happening over the last 2 months only.

Is there anything to cheer at this moment?

The Judiciary is in shambles plagued by scandals of the highest order and involving the chief justice and various judges alleged to have being elevated via kleptomaniac-ism.

There is a Court of Appeal Judge whose competency is in the mould of Lord Denning, but had remain in the court of appeal for more than 20 years without any chance of being promoted while his juniors and students had being elevated to the highest office as federal court judges.

We also faces crisis of confidence regarding the integrity and truthfulness of the police department, the Anti-Corruption Agency, the Customs department, the Transport Ministry, and the treasury. And what is bemusing is that the allegation of dishonesty involves the CEO and chiefs of all these departments.

Added to these anxieties and dilemmas, we have our prime minister who believes that racial issues is the truth and alarmingly burgeoning.

"We do not want to pretend and say that everything is okay. We do not want to be in a state of denial. Tell the truth even if it is painful," Pak Lah said.

But the irony is that those who told the truth were being arrested and detained and being questioned for spreading lies. Truth becomes lies and lies becomes truth. Which is which?

Raja Petra revealed much on organized crime cases and conspiracies in the police force. He was questioned by the police.

Nathaniel Tan was also detained in relation to the Internal Security Deputy Minister's role on the release of gangsters.

Information Minister called bloggers Goblok and Karaoke Singers, Khairy called bloggers Monkeys; Minister without Portfolio in the PM's department called lawyers "unbecoming".

So, the painful truth is not wanted; those who dare tell the truth are paranoid and suffering from phobias... they may end up being investigated and indicted. What does the nation wants? What does the PM wants? What does the Ministers want? What do we want?

Sick and Sad but we have one thing to cheer - our man is in the orbit, circling the earth and will be circling the moon. There won't be roti canai and batu sembilan or teh tarik up there. Our man is suppose to perform experiments involving diseases and the effects of microgravity and space radiation on cells and genes (that's what was reported). I hope the dentist could do it as it may be outside the sphere of his academic and professional training and expertise. But the ministers said he can.

We hope! We have hope! We will hope!

But can we also hope that the government will clean up the messes and the corruptivism of the dysfunctional system of administration? Is there any hope? We only can pray that it is and will be.

Oh sera sera, whatever will be will be, ...

Soyuz Up, Beyonce & Taxi Socks

Soyuz rocket Up there

Reported by USA Today

The Soyuz-FG rocket lifted off on schedule. It was topped by a spacecraft that is to deliver U.S. astronaut Peggy Whitson, veteran Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, a Malaysian physician, to the space station Friday.

What Naut or Not? They called him physician only?

Sheikh Muszaphar, a 35-year-old orthopedic surgeon, is to spend about 10 days on the station, performing experiments involving diseases and the effects of microgravity and space radiation on cells and genes.

Sheikh Muszaphar will be the ninth Muslim in space and Malaysian newspapers on Wednesday devoted several pages and published special pullouts about the mission, which coincides with the last days of Ramadan, the holy month when Muslims fast from dawn until sundown.

On Tuesday, he told reporters at Baikonur that his trip will be an inspiration for his southeast Asian nation as well as to other Muslims all over the world.

"It's a small step for me, but a great leap for the Malaysian people," he said, rephrasing Neil Armstrong's famous words after the 1969 Apollo landing on the Moon.

The US$25 million (euro18 million) agreement for a Malaysian astronaut to fly to space was negotiated in 2003 along with a US$900 million (euro635 million) deal for Malaysia to buy 18 Russian fighter jets.

There was also an article on Beyonce.

Beyoncé cancels Kuala Lumpur show

Beyonce Knowles has scrapped plans to stage her first concert in Malaysia and will instead perform in neighboring Indonesia, which has less stringent rules about how performers should dress and behave.

Knowles — who is famous for her sexy image and skimpy outfits — was reluctant to fulfill the Malaysian government's demand for female performers to cover up from the top of their chests to their knees, including their shoulders.

Pineapple Concerts Chairman Razlan Ahmad Razali said his company, which has brought Western acts such as Kanye West and Earth, Wind and Fire to Malaysia, was "disappointed and frustrated."

"Though Indonesia is also a Muslim country, it doesn't have all these issues that we have," Razlan told The Associated Press. "She can perform as she likes there."

Is it true that Indonesia, being the largest Muslim populated nation don't have the same problem that we have?

In another article, Malaysian cabbies told to wear socks

Before you read that article, watch the picture on the right. Why was it so coincidental that the boy is holding on to his shoes? Is he also checking his socks?

Back to the news...

Authorities are warning taxi drivers of hefty fines if they are caught without socks, shoes and the other proper attire prescribed by a licensing board, an official said Monday.

The dress code requires taxi drivers to tuck in their shirts -- which have to be white, not the beige that many have been wearing.

Pants must be dark, no sandals are allowed, and shoes must be leather ones worn with socks, said Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board chairman Markiman Kobiran.

"Even though it's trivial, it reflects the entire profession," Markiman told The Associated Press.

He said the board can fine drivers who do not dress properly up to $87.

Richard Leow, secretary of a local taxi drivers' association, said the fine was too high given that taxi drivers only earn about $20 a day.

Leow said one of his drivers received the maximum fine last week for wearing jeans.

"This is too much. I saw him, and he was dressed very neatly. The passenger cannot even see the drivers' pants," he said. "(The board) is really harassing all the drivers. This is unreasonable."

We have judiciary conspiracy; the authorities are busy interrogating the whistleblowers. We have the murder of Nurin and Altantunya. We have rape cases unresolved and many more of others as reported in Raja Petra Kamaruddin's blog Malaysia Today. The government seems having difficulty in their priorities.

Now, they are harassing taxi drivers? What the F????

"Fasting" in Space

Meanwhile, Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) has issued the religious guidelines for our Malaysian space participant cum cosmonaut. This is to guide Dr Sheikh Muszaphar who will be in space during Ramadan to ensure that he would still honour his religious undertakings.

Jakim had issued the guidelines in a booklet "Pelaksanaan Ibadah Di International Space Station ISS. The guidelines were approved by the National Fatwa Council, says Jakim director Anan C. Mohd.

"The angkasawan need only pray 5-times a day even though the ISS will be orbiting the Earth 16-times a day," Anan said. "On the direction for praying, he should be facing Mecca. However, under the circumstances that do not permit him to do so, he should face the direction of Mecca or Earth or any direction, in that order." "When it comes to ritual cleansing, owing to the limited supply of water and the absence of dust in the ISS, the angkasawan only need to rub both his palms on the wall, glass or seat."

It will be a challenging task...

Soon, in a few hours time, we will be able to see this on TV



And, after this feet, our government will be embarking on the next assignment ...

Malaysia Boleh!

Rasa Sayang Dilemma gets Insidious

No, it isn't because of Rasa Sayang.

It is the issue of inability, not being able to discern, a card such as one issued by Wisma Putra, and an illegal immigrant.

The envoy's wife did not carry her passport with her; that's the reason given by the director-general of Rela, Zaidon Asmuni.

She was already lucky that day. She did not carry her marriage certificate with her. If she had her handsome bodyguard besides her, the enforcers may even consider charging her for khalwat -shopping with another man who stands so close besides her - that what they called "Close Proximity".

She only carry a card issued by Wisma Putra which the Rela members had never seen one before. In fact the Rela members were suspicious of that kind of identity card ...

You can't blame them (Relawans) as there's just too many of such cards issued everywhere, anywhere, by someone working somewhere. You can find them issued in large quantity in Sabah. In fact, most Indonesian workers have Red Identity Card and quite many have Blue Cards.

Of course, Relas were trained to be suspicious, nosey and be pokimen. There are 400,000 of them nationwide. They also want to cari makan.

"This entire incident was blown out of proportion by the Indonesian media," Zaidon Asmuni said.

How is it that it could happen? What was always being wrong? Why is it that Relas always were accused? Where had we gone wrong, or, not right? When can we stop the system dysfunctions? Which of the system administrators were the cause?

But we are going to the moon, in fact, tonight!

And they still can't discern what a Wisma Putra card looks like?

Did you see the rocket up there?

Is it the Russian Soyuz TMA-11, or

Is it the DAP Rocket?

Certified Not or Qualified Naut?

TheStar reported that they are Certified as Cosmonauts.

Was there any document issued by the Russian Space Agency (Roskosmos) that certify them?

Or, Certified means mere acceptance or acknowledgment?

NST said they were Qualified Cosmonauts as verified by Jamaluddin Jarjis.

Is Qualified same as Certified?

Wasn't there a standard procedure, rules and regulation to verify a Qualification?

Reggie asked: Can or Not?

The Mission in Space?

To make teh tarik (seriously)?

Seriously?

SeBelum Moon, Sudah Mars!

Oh my God! Malaysian Government is preparing to send an astronaut to Mars!!!

WE still haven’t got our astronaut to the moon but already dreaming of putting a man on Mars!

Dr Mohd Ruddin Abdul Ghani, the Parliamentary Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, said:

“If the Russians and Americans can do it, I’m sure we are capable of sending a Malaysian astronaut in space.”

This time I don’t know how much they are paying the Russians or how much more “Top-up” the government will be paying to buy millitary aircraft.

Is this related to the replacement of Nuri helicopter? Em…

God, save us please!

Allah, save us please!

Tuhan, save us please!