Monday, December 14, 2009

Nazri's Criticism Of Dr. Mahathir - Considered As Fair Comment


Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz

The statements that Nazri made against Dr. Mahathir can be considered as fair comment. Although critical, it is referring only to action done by Dr Mahathir and not on his person. It is not character assasination. In fact it
is putting Mahathir's policy and philosophy when he was the leader of the government and UMNO respectively under the microscope.

And Nazri has put it rightly that there are defects in what Dr Mahathir espoused now and then. For example, during Mahathir's time, all Barisan parties and politicians have to toe the line. So there is very little criticism on wrong doings. Everything is suppressed. And on the surface it looks good. Underneath, it's simmering and waiting to explode.

The first principle a leader must learnt, he is not above the law. Whenever a leader act with this in mind, he is applying a voluntary self discipline so as not to break the laws of the country including those connected with morality. A leader's legacy is judged by its consistency. In other words, there shouldn't be any difference in what he believes. It should be the same for today, yesterday and tomorrow. There is no wavering.

When a leader is inconsistent, there is a danger that decisions, he made may be emotional rather than rational or realistic. Nazri has correctly pointed out that leaders are human. They are not divine. Criticisms are part and parcel of a politician life. They must be accepted as a form of feedback and changes be made accordingly to rectify the defect whether spiritual or physical. And that is the challenge every politician must face.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Saints - Their Bodies, Well Preserved. Is It An Act Of Divine Intervention ?

With appreciation to my brother, John M. for this article. It is published for information only with no affirmation given to its truth.

Beyond explanation, some christian saints have been dead for centuries, but their bodies have been well preserved and have not been corrupted by time. Is this an act of Divine intervention?


St Maria Goretti (died 1902)








St Rita of Cascia (died 1457)


St Pio of Pietrelcina (died 1968)
St Bernadette of Lourdes (died 1879)


St Francis Xavier (died 1552)

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Solar Power, The Best Choice For Power Generation Programme In Sabah

More organisations are joining in to support the ' Anti-Coal Powered Generation Protest '. The latest is the Sabah Women's Association ( SAWO ).

And it seems from feedback, more NGOs and individuals are convinced that Solar Power is the best alternative. Sabah is a land of plentiful sunshine. So it is an appropriate step if this source were to be used. Instead of coal which will create pollution and cause fatal toxic effect on human beings and the environment.

Portion of the statements below were taken from the BBC News of 20.11.2009 entitled ' Solar power technology takes its next step ' Its website address is http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/default.stm Maybe this approach as mentioned below could be used in order to prevent massive destruction of salt water biodiversity ( which took million of years to evolve ), flora and fauna including climate change.

The question that Coal Powered Generator is the only way does not hold water because the BBC article as shown here proves that Solar power is the best choice.

The authority concerned should therefore switch from Coal to Solar for its Power Plant Programme in Sabah due to the evidence given technical or otherwise by NGOs and interested parties.



This Spanish solar farm uses the heat from mirrors to create electricity Heat power


' Just outside Seville, hundreds of mirrors track the sun as it crosses the sky and reflect their beams to a single point at the top of a tower.

This Spanish solar farm uses the heat from mirrors to create electricity The intense heat is used to boil water and create steam to power a turbine - which creates electricity.

Engineer Valerio Fernandez, at Abengoa which runs the solar farm, says the resulting heat is the equivalent of 4,000 times the power of direct sunlight.

"With this amount of energy we can generates very high temperatures, about 2,000 degrees Celsius," he said..................'

Monday, October 12, 2009

Comment - On Articulations' One Story


Kota Damansara

Very sad indeed for victims of criminals like this lady and her family (staying in Kota Damansara, KL ). And other residents living in the same area.

The police are suppose to be the guardian of the people to protect them from harm and injury. Instead robbers are ruling the streets.

It reflects badly on the image of the police. The reason why they have much to do is because they failed to catch these criminals. That is why they are recieving many reports. Thus more work !

What they should have done is to set up a special task force assigned to deal with this sudden increase of felons roaming freely in the residential and shopping places.

The police should also have a profile of these offenders and the way they operate. This would greatly help to identify potential suspect even before they commit these crimes.

As public safety and security is the concern of every Malaysian, the police should therefore give it their highest priority.

MCA - Needs Fresh Leadership


Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat

The ouster of both Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, president and Dato Choi Soi Lek, deputy president indicates the majority of MCA party members wanted someone who is untainted to lead the party. This is a good sign because it shows that it is serious in its aim to clean the party. And to be in line with the wishes of the grassroot.

There is a saying that when the leadership is right, it is moving in tandem with the aspiration of the people. Politic is the art of the possible and as long as political leaders listened to the people, their decision cannot be wrong. Whether MCA have experienced leaders should not be an issue, the question is whether the leader elected has the qualities to be able to lead the party.

And in this regard it must be a person who is farsighted, accomodating but not to the point that it must sacrifice the party's objectives and aims in so far as it relates to its position in BN. A party's objectives is sacrosact. It is the reason for its existence.

No doubt MCA has got a lot of fresh leaders and anyone of them can become the next president of the MCA as long as they have the right qualities.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Plan To Build A Controversial Coal Fired Power Plant At Kg. Sinakut, Lahad Datu, Sabah


Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan
Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah

Deputy Chief Minister,Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan made a statement today ( Daily Express issue of 10 October 2009)that the State Government wants to discuss the proposed controversial power plant with Tenaga Nasional Bhd. ( TNB ).

It shows that the authority are taking the question of pollution by such generator very seriously. And as Mr. Wong Tac, the President of the Sabah Evironmental Protection Society in his press conference pointed out that the implication to the country especially Sabah would be very serious. The destruction of its fauna and flora including its marine biodiversity would have repercussions on Sabah's ability to survive.

Datuk Wilfred Lingham, the State's former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Environment was also of the same opinion. Nature had taken many million of years to create this system but man it seems can destroy them in a twinkle of an eye. Japan being a leader in creating and inventing green and environmental friendly technique for power generation etc. is a good source of assistance in this type of situation. And Malaysia should take the initiative to get Japanese help in looking for alternatives.

Sabah is a very sunny and windy land. It also has many rivers. Why are these not use in producing energy generation? If it is a question of expertise, then help should be obtained from countries who are already advance in green technology like Japan and others.

It is heartening that the State Government is taking a firm stand on this matter which shows it is serious in its policy of greening the state.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Sabah Should Rely More On Solar, Wind And Hydro Power Rather Than On Coal


Coal fired power plant.

Mr. Wong Tac, the president of the Sabah Environmental Protection Society ( SEPA ) has strongly objected to the construction of the controversial coal-fired power plant at kampung Sinakut, a kilometre away from Sahabat Resort in the Dent peninsula within the District of Lahad Datu. In this beautiful and unspoilt location where the sea is teeming with corals and marine life, Mr. Wong said that if this project proceeds, then the fishes and other living organisms, corals, etc. would be destroyed ( Daily Express issue of 1 October 2009 ).

This vast salt water biodiversity which took million of years to evolve would forever be gone in a matter of moments. Imagine the huge amount of chlorine pumped everyday into the sea by an injection process to prevent barnacles from affecting the function of the plant's condenser pipe network submerged undersea which are used to cool it. Also affected are animal and plant life on land as this power generator would be discharging powdery ash like substances that can kill and destroy such fauna and flora.

It would be foolhardy and suicidal to implement such a venture which might even bring about climate change in Sabah. Thus causing diseases connected with cancer of the lung, skin, etc. Just think, the quantity of this powdery substance that would be suspended in the air and falling on trees, plants, vegetables and fruits. Polluting them. And causing death or seriously damaging the organs of the body when eaten.

The alternative is to use solar, wind or hydro power which are evironmental friendly rather than coal. Every Malaysian has the utmost responsibility in ensuring that all power generation used must be non-polluting. Otherwise, we would have failed in our social duty of keeping our country permanently green and helping her to survive into the next century.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Michael Jackson Returns - To Settle Unfinished Business



Well, Michael Jackson needs to return because he has so many unfinished business to settle. He has also got to put right all the things said about him. Some are just pure speculation without an iota of truth.

One thing though, he will come back a stronger person. No need for drugs, pills, etc.. And best of all, his dances will be heavenly. More divine......so to speak.

Finally it seems that Michael is much more valuable dead than alive. Just by looking at all the books, pictures, videos and television programmes which has been produced currently.

Some people, like Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson never die. They remained a star even in death - this indeed is real star power !

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

He Died, He Rose Again - Stanley Villavicencio's Testimony On The Mercy Of God Almighty

Appreciation to my friend, John P. for this article



Stanley Villavicencio was born in Bais, Negros Oriental in the Philippines. He was raised a Roman Catholic and had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart (Divine Love) of Jesus Christ. It is a devotion that started when he was in grade school at the Sacred Heart Academy in Bais, Negro Oriental. He married a nurse, Melissa Gantuangco Villar and moved to Cebu in Mambaling. Close to his house was a chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This had a great bearing on his decision to buy the house. Unfortunately, after moving, it was discovered that the chapel was portable, erected only during the fiesta celebration and was dismantled afterwards. In 1983, Stanley became Chapel President. A neighbor donated some land close by in order for a permanent chapel to be built for the Christian Community. Stanley was basically an ordinary man. In 1993, he was an employee of AVSECOM (The Aviation Security Command). He also became a member of the Perpetual Dawn
Rosary Association in Cebu.

In the Cebu Roman Catholic Community, there is a tradition that whenever a special family occasion occurs in a household, the head of the family receives into the home a large statue of the Virgin Mary. March 2, 1993, is the birthday of one of Stanley's children, therefore, that morning, he was to receive the statue. However, when the statue arrived just before eight o'clock in the morning, Stanley was not up and so his mother-in-law received it. Being concerned, she entered Stanley's bedroom.
Stanley, the night before he retired, was perfectly healthy. But this particular morning his mother-in-law found him convulsing. Blood was spurting from his mouth with incredible force. She felt his pulse which was too weak to detect. When she forced open his eyes, they were white. An ambulance was called and Stanley was taken to Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu. He was rushed to the Emergency Room. There, still bleeding profusely from his mouth and convulsing, he was injected with the maximum dose of Valium to try to stop the convulsions and slow down the huge quantity of blood pouring out from his mouth. The doctors ran all sorts of tests. They could not locate the source of the bleeding, nor any kind of illness. They took a blood test with the view of giving him a blood transfusion, but his blood count was normal which was medically impossible. It meant that his body was not short of blood, despite the fact he had lost so much blood. Stanley then slipped
into a coma. His heartbeat became slower, his skin color turned gray and then he stopped breathing. He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit, where a specialist inserted an Ambue Bag, the end - tracheal tube being placed through his nose, going down to his stomach. This was the only form of life support that the hospital had available. An I.V. drip was placed into a vein in his hand, running dextrose fluid into his system.

However, very quickly, Stanley's organs shut down. He was declared 'brain dead'. His family at first did not believe this. Mainly because Stanley had shown no previous signs of being ill and the doctors were unable to determine what was wrong. However, by the second day, the family prepared for Stanley's funeral. His coffin was arranged, a burial plot, and a burial gown. By the third day Stanley's blood had congealed at the bottom of his legs and feet and rigor mortis begun to set in.

Early in the morning on the third day, Stanley's wife brought the burial gown to the hospital to prepare her husband. Neighbors gathered outside of the chapel to receive Stanley's coffin. Flowers were laid out for the wake.. A death certificate was already signed.. But Stanley came back from the dead, perfectly healthy, as if nothing had happened. While his heart was flat line and his brain dead, Stanley had in spirit met for the first time 'Jesus Christ of the Divine Mercy'.

Now, the fact is, that all of Stanley's medical records show that this had happened. He was first in a coma and then dead. Every sequence of his medical attention was, as is the custom, really documented. On investigation, these records were examined and all medical staff involved, questioned.

Stanley came to England in the year 2001. Here, he very kindly gave an interview, in which he described the events and his experience during death, and how after he was sent back with a mission. This is his testimony. No attempt has been made to edit Stanley's account or accent: the way he speaks the English language.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -----

Stanley's words:

'Before I will give my testimony, I just want to inform you that after what happened to me, I was just going around giving my testimony in my own dialect. You see, the Philippines is composed of more than seven thousand islands and almost every island has different dialect. The Philippines is divided into three major parts; Luzon, Mindanao and Visayas. I belong to Visayas because I am living in Cebu. So I was giving my testimony in Visayas only, until one time Father Seraphim Mekalanco, the Spiritual Director of the Divine Mercy nationwide invited me to give a talk in Manila. At first, I am happy because I can go to Manila, but then a day before I was so worried because I do not know how to speak the dialect, because in Manila the dialect is Tagalog and I do not know how to speak Tagalog. I was worried and so I asked the Lord 'What shall I do?' Then the following day, early in the morning Jesus appeared to me, to my dream and said: 'Do not worry. Just
do your best and I shall do the rest'. So I went to Manila and when I am holding the microphone to give my testimony, I am thinking my testimony in my own local dialect, and it came out in Tagalog. So they understand me.

'And now comes Father Seraphim, the Head of the Divine Mercy International based in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. He invited me to give a series of talks in the United States, Canada and Mexico and the problem is, I do not know how to speak the English. So again I was worried and because in Cebu, the owner of the University is a Divine Mercy devotee, so he instructed the English Department to translate my testimony from our local dialect to English and after several months they finished the translation.

'They give it to me and it is as thick as this! And they said to me, 'Stanley you memorize that'. And, I said 'No. I cannot memorize it anymore'. Then they said 'Ok you just read it' and I said, 'I cannot read it also because it is my testimony, if I will read it, it will be lifeless.' So I went to America leaving behind the translation and upon reaching the States I confided to Father Seraphim everything, so Father Seraphim was so worried because my first testimony will be at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. And I will be speaking together with Mother Angelica, the audience is almost seven thousand. Father Seraphim was so worried, so I told him, 'Father don't worry. Anyway, I did not come to America to proclaim my mercy, I am here to proclaim God's Mercy'. So when I was holding the microphone, I am thinking of my own local dialect, but then it came out English and after that I already know how to speak English.

'What I am going to tell you is what happened to me. About my own personal encounter with Jesus Christ of the Divine Mercy. When you hear my testimony, I hope it will increase your faith, and that you know that there really is a God and that God is a living God.... What happened to me, happened on March 2, 1993. That was a Tuesday and a birthday of one of my children.. By the way, I had ten children, but now I have thirteen. And by the way, I am a member of the Perpetual Dawn Rosary.

'It is our practice that whenever there is an occasion at our house, we invite the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and it is also our practice that whenever the Virgin comes into our house it is I who has to receive the Virgin. But on that day, when the Virgin is already in our house, whatever they do to wake me up, I cannot be awaken, so it is my mother-in-law who received the Virgin.

'At eight o'clock that morning, my mother-in-law said, she heard me moaning and moaning. So she tried to look at me in my room and she found me lying in bed. Trembling vigorously. Blood coming out of my mouth forcefully. And it was the sister of my father-in-law, who is a nurse, was present, so attended to me immediately. And as she touches my pulse, she cannot find any pulse anymore - and as she touches my chest, my heart beat is already very slow. And when they open my eyes, both eyes are already in white, so they asked help from our neighbors and they brought me to Chong Hua Hospital. At Chong Hua Hospital, we have four specialist doctors and the doctor said that my chance of survival is one in a million, because my heart beat is already slow.'

As I enter the Emergency Room I cannot breathe anymore, even with the help of oxygen, so they transferred me to I.C.U. or the Intensive Care Unit, so my breathing can be aided, or forcing oxygen inside. At the I.C.U. my trembling did not stop and the blood was still coming out from my mouth, so the doctor injected me with Valium to control everything.

'Because Negros Island and Cebu are just very near, so that day my relatives arrive. Among them is my father who is a doctor and my sister who is also a doctor and the cousin of my wife were already present. By the way, my wife is also a nurse.

'The following day, the doctors called up my wife and asked her permission to take me off of all the life support apparatus. So my wife called up our house and asked that my long sleeve shirt, for my burial be prepared. And my mother-in- law says she has a memorial plan and that her memorial plan is transferable. So she had it transferred to my name. Meaning, I will be the one using her coffin. And it also happened we had a reservation at the Queen City Garden Cemetery in Cebu, because when my father-in-law died in 1987, we bought three lots, so they process all the papers so they can bring me to the Queen City Garden. Meaning, everything is ready. I have the long shirt to wear for my burial, I have already a coffin to sleep in, I have already a cemetery to live in.

'But God had a different plan, because my wife did not agree to remove the life support apparatus attached to my body. In fact my relatives, they take in turns to watch over me. But it is only my body present at Chong Hua Hospital, because I saw a light, a very big bright light, but not glaring. You can stare at it. It is like a fountain. It is like a fog as it slowly evaporates, until I notice someone is standing in front of me. And when I look at His face, I recognize Him as Jesus.

'As we are looking at each other, He raised His left hand and when He raised His left hand, the clouds above were sucked downwards and when they reach just above us, the clouds keep on turning and changes in color and when it stops it becomes like a video screen. And He showed me the film of my life, from my childhood up to my present. And I notice that every time I do good, it just goes on normally and I also notice that every time I commit a sin, suddenly it would go into slow motion as if He wants to show us that what we have done is wrong, as if He wants to show us that what we have done is a sin.. And because I have also committed bigger sins, sins like what we call the mortal sin.

'Every time it shows up, suddenly it would stop, came closer and enlarged it... Then I said to myself: 'Why should this be included? There must be no word of sin saw in Heaven, because it is just too bad to look at, but even if I closed my eyes I could still see it.

'Also I notice that every time I commit a sin, I could feel the heaviness. I could feel the weight. The more I commit a sin, the more the heaviness, the more the weight. And I also notice that every time I do good, for example, if I give something to the poor, I could feel as if I were floating. So it is really true what is written in the Bible, 'That what so every you do to the less of your brethren, that you do unto Me.' 'And I also notice that the sins I did not confess to a Priest it is too heavy, and also I notice that the sins that I confessed to a Priest, it is lighter. And we cannot deny anything because the screen is so big and very clear and also the pictures are also big and below the pictures are written the day, the month, the date and the year. And below that it is also written the hour, the minutes and the seconds. So, we cannot deny anything, even the seconds are recorded. In fact, He reviewed my film three times and after our long
conversation, He tapped my shoulder and as He was tapping my shoulder, He said to me, 'You go back now, because you still have so many things to do. You still have so many things to finish. If I have something for you or if I have a message for you, I will just appear to you in your dream.'

'After He say that, I was at the I..C.U. of the Chong Hua Hospital. Suddenly I got up. I could feel my body so light and my head suppressed. That when I got up, I removed the oxygen from my nose. After removing the oxygen, there is a tube going down into my intestine, so I slowly remove the tube because it tickles me. And after removing the tube, I slowly remove the I.V. from my hand and because there is a nurse who saw everything, and that she was so afraid that she ran away. In fact, she said, one of the heels of her shoes was broken. 'When the nurse returns she has other nurses, doctors and the technicians, they are all running and when they reach me, they put me to bed again. And one of the doctors put on his telescope and examined me and after a short examination, the doctor put off his telescope, put it beside him and he asked for another. Meaning, he did not believe his telescope. He was given another telescope and he put it on and re-examined me
again and after a long examination, the doctor looked at my E.C.G. because every bed in the ICU has its own ECG. And he said, since I was admitted at the ICU my E.C.G. was just a straight line, but now they were so surprised because my ECG was working normally and because the technicians were already present, so they subjected me to X-rays, laboratory tests and brain scan. And now, all the results are in negative, meaning, I am not sick.

'The doctors were all surprised and they asked permission to have another set of examinations, because they said there might be something wrong with the apparatus.. We consented, and they subjected me again to another ultra sound, laboratory tests and brain scan, all except the X-ray. And again, all the results were in negative: meaning, I am not really sick. So the doctors said 'There is nothing now that we can really do, it is really a miracle.'

When I woke up, I woke up at eight o'clock in the morning of Friday. If you will count from eight 'clock in the morning of Tuesday, to eight o'clock in the morning to Friday, that is exactly three days. And because of that, the media was alerted. The television, the radio and newspaper And because our Church, the Roman Catholic Church do not easily believe in miracles, so it has to be investigated and the investigation was led by Cardinal Vidal of Cebu.

'Cardinal Vidal leads the investigation in March. At the middle of September, Cardinal Vidal released a letter confirming what happened to me. And he gives me an endorsement letter, so that I could give testimony around the world.

'One of the doctors who was assigned to me at the I.C.U., he is not just an ordinary doctor because when he took his medical examinations, he got the highest score all over the country and when he entered the Chong Hua Hospital, he was awarded as the most outstanding P.G.I. doctor. He was assigned to me at the I.C.U. from the very beginning, until I woke up. And because he cannot sleep anymore, so he entered the Seminary to become a Priest, and now he is already a Priest.

'From March 1993 up to now, Jesus keeps appearing to me to my dream. That is also accepted by our local Church. Because my Spiritual Director is Msgr Chris Garcia. He is one of the most holiest Priests in Cebu and he is also gifted.. He has the gift of inner locution (inner telepathic voice), meaning he can also talk to Jesus. But he cannot see Jesus. But Jesus appears to me, to my dream, where I can see Him, where I can talk to Him, where I can touch Him, where I can even embrace Him. And what is best for us! Every time Jesus appears to me, He also tells my Spiritual Director, so there is a confirmation. That is why, wherever I go, it is embraced by the Church.

'Also during my investigation, the doctors asked the Priest, 'Where does all that blood come from?' The blood coming out from my mouth is with force and continuously for several hours and why there was no blood transfusion. (Blood count showed no reduced level of blood). So the Priest prayed and after praying the answer that this blood coming out from my mouth is for cleansing. I have to be cleansed because I have to face the Lord - and they also said that is it also said in the Bible, that whoever sees the Lord will have to die, so I have to die. But because I have a mission, so I have to live again.

'Also they ask me: 'Why you? Why did Jesus choose you?' So I answered them. 'Maybe because I am nothing. May because I have nothing to be proud of except for my sins...' So, when I have a chance to talk with Jesus, I ask the Lord, 'My Lord, my God, why me? I am a sinner. I am a sinful man.' And Jesus answered, 'You cannot appreciate the beauty of My mercy unless you experience the misery of sin.' And so I accepted my mission.

'Also so many are coming to me, so I ask the Lord: 'My Lord, my God! So many are coming to me and entrust their problems to me, what shall I do?' And Jesus answered: Just let them pray the chaplet unceasingly and they will be guided....'

'That is why now, in the Philippines, the chaplet is very popular, not only among the Catholics but also the other Church dominions because there are so many miracles that have been attributed to the chaplet. For example: Several months ago, my Spiritual Director, Msgr. Chris Garcia, he had a slight stroke. So he was admitted at the Hospital, and the doctor said that he had a brain tumor and that there is a virus in his brain and that he cannot open his eyes because it is too painful. We went to the Hospital and we prayed the chaplet of Divine Mercy, together with Msgr. Chris, and after we prayed the chaplet, several minutes later, he asked for his laptop computer. So you see the power of the chaplet. The miracle of the chaplet.
'The following day, we prayed again the chaplet. The doctors re-examined him and found him negative of everything. So on the third day he checked out of the Hospital as if nothing had happened. Do you see the power of the chaplet?

'Also, one of our Divine Mercy leaders in the Philippines, his wife was ill early in the morning. So they brought his wife to Hospital. The doctors gave him a prescription to buy the medicine and because he has no money, so he has to sell his pig. And the buyer paid him for the pig, but the buyer said that he would get the pig the following day.

'But that afternoon of that very day, the pig refused to stand up and refused to eat. So, he was so worried, because if something happens to the pig, they will be in trouble because, they buy the medicine. So he called all his children and explained to them everything; that they have to pray the chaplet for the pig. So they prayed the chaplet for the pig. But at the middle of praying the chaplet the children were laughing. They were all laughing because they said it was better to pray the chaplet for a human being, but not for a pig.

'He explained it again to them. He explained it again and again. And on the third time that they prayed the chaplet, the children prayed intensely and they finished praying the chaplet. After they finished praying the chaplet, the pig suddenly stood up and one of the children ran and got some food for the pig and the pig consumed everything. And the lesson is, if Jesus answered our prayers for a pig, how much more if we pray the chaplet for a human being.

'We have another leader of the Divine Mercy in the Philippines. He has several acres of rice fields and because he is poor he cannot afford to buy fertilizer, he cannot afford to buy insecticide. So, what he did every morning, he would roam around his rice field and pray the chaplet of Divine Mercy, everyday! Every morning! And also every afternoon. During the harvest time, his neighbors were all surprised, because during harvest time his harvest is much more than those using fertilizer and insecticide. So you see the miracle of the chaplet!

'Where ever I go, so many would ask me how soon is Jesus coming back? Or is the three days of darkness really true? Is the chastisement really true? So I answered them. Jesus said to me 'Don't be afraid'. Jesus said to me, 'Don't be afraid because I will take care of your future. Blessed are those taking advantage of My mercy while it is still the day of mercy but beware, because the day of Judgment is nearer than everyone thinks.'

'I asked the Lord, 'What are the sins that You cannot forgive?' Jesus said, 'All sins can be forgiven except if you refuse to believe that your sin can be forgiven.' That is the sin He cannot forgive, because Jesus said by refusing His mercy you are also refusing to believe that He is a God. (That is a sin against the Holy Spirit). That is why Jesus said, 'Before I come as Just Judge I will open wide the doors of My mercy'. But Jesus continued that it is also written in the Diary of St. Faustina, that 'he that refuses to pass through the doors of My mercy will have to pass through the doors of My Justice.'

'Now, after a long while that Jesus is opening this door of mercy and after a long while He will close that door of mercy. Then He will open that door of Justice. And if He will open the door of His Justice who can enter Heaven? When Heaven is only for the pure, when Heaven is only for the clean. And who are the clean? And who are the pure? All of us are sinners. All of us are unclean. We can only enter Heaven through His mercy, through His love. Without God's mercy, without His love, it is too difficult to enter Heaven.. That is why Jesus now is begging us to go out now and proclaim His mercy. Jesus also said, 'Proclaiming My mercy is not enough, you have to put mercy into action, by living as an example of My mercy.' He said, 'He who will save a soul will save his own.'

'I am not allowed by the Church to pray or to do healing or lay hands on anybody because Cardinal Vidal said I would just do my evangelization, (tell people what happened to me), because he said, 'there are some who are given the gift of healing, they will also continue their healing..' But then it cannot be avoided that during my talk so many sick people are attending, so Cardinal Vidal arranged a veneration to the image of Divine Mercy, so the sick people will ask directly to Jesus their healing, not through me because I am only a human being. After that, this image becomes a miraculous image, because there are so many instant healings and also sometimes when I give my testimony, people see lights. Lights coming out from His body. That is why there are some ripples in His body (of the image). The light has a heat and the heat destroyed the plastic. Because so many people will say Jesus is emanating lights and sometimes they say that Jesus gets out
from the frame, and He will transfer right behind me and they say He is taller than me... And they said each time Jesus gets out from the frame, the frame is empty.. And it not only happens in the Philippines. It also happened in Hong Kong, China, in Rome, in New York, New Jersey, all over the States and in Canada and Mexico. So it also happened in Ireland and so during veneration, (showing respect and appreciation) , you have to ask Jesus what favor you want. Because, if what you are asking for is not against His will, He will give it to you. Especially, if what you are asking for comes from the depth of your heart.'

End of Stanley's words.


It is an amazing testimony. But did it happen? If so, was it a miracle? There is no doubt that medically what happened to Stanley took place. This part of his story is true. He was convulsing, pouring blood, went into a coma and then died. No doctor wants to take a very ill person off of life support equipment. The thing is, medical treatment is not free in the Philippines and law determines that no doctor can remove medical equipment without permission from the next of kin. Stanley's medical records were examined, all hospital reports regarding him, and all staff involved in his care, questioned over and over again. The investigation first began when peoples talk was picked up by the media. It was given more credence, when a well known doctor resigned to become a Priest, because of what he saw medically, which he deemed as 'Impossible, a miracle, an act of God'.

A person from the Philippines sent a telegram to Father Seraphim Mekalanco - who is the Director of the John Paul Institute for the study of Divine Mercy, appointed by Pope John 11. Father Seraphim received the telegram in Rome. He launched an investigation. Medical records were studied by Cardinal Vidal, Cardinal Sin, and twelve Bishops. Another person who independently examined the medical records was Paul Regan from Malden, who is the founder of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the Sick and Dying Institute, in America. The fact that Stanley had died, and woke in full health, with no brain damage is against all the science of nature. So, yes, this part can be termed a miracle. Certainly one that had the main doctor leave his profession and become a Priest. Certainly enough to have a whole nation's television studios and radio stations, halt every day at three o'clock in the afternoon, to pray the chaplet publicly. To have people of all faiths stop in
the street at this time to pray the chaplet.

Now, what we have to look at is whether Stanley is being honest about his spiritual encounter. What is convincing is that Stanley described both rays coming from Jesus as white, and not one red and one white as is in the image. The white ray is described as a washing of sin, as in baptism. But Stanley's account would have been obviously more convincing if he described the rays as they are shown in the image and as seen by St. Faustina, but, I think the fact he described seeing the rays differently makes his account more authentic; who would deliberately want to complicate a con?

The other thing than makes Stanley's account believable is that he describes some of the sins he committed and saw. He was President of the Chapel to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He saw himself pass the chapel seeing people inside gambling. He saw another time his neighbors in the chapel drinking and gambling and did not stop them. Another time, he saw himself inside the chapel drinking with them. This is not someone trying to show a 'holier than thou' image. Quite the opposite.

Stanley himself received a request sent on behalf of Pope John Paul II to go to Rome. When asked what language he spoke to the Archbishops, Cardinals and Bishops, given that they were from all over the world, but each would speak Italian, Stanley was very firm that he spoke in English, not a mystical Italian that rose from the Spirit of God.

The profound effect that Stanley's experience has had on a whole country is the largest mark of authenticity. . In the conversation he said he had with Jesus, he was told that the chapel was not to be used for any other purpose other than that for which it was built. Jesus requested, that the chapel be extended, and a new door was to be placed on it, in the shape of a large heart, representing His Sacred Heart. All the people of Cebu and surrounding areas, contributed material and labor to comply with this request. People of many religious dominions joined together to fulfill this task.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -----

INTERVIEW
While in England, Stanley offered to answer any questions asked of him.

(Q) 'When Our Lord appeared to you, did He appear to you just as in the Divine Mercy Image... How did He look?'

(A) 'When you are in front of Jesus, you cannot just totally describe Him, because He is everything. When you are looking at Him, you cannot describe your happiness, your satisfaction, the peace and everything. In fact, you forget your family when you are in front of Him. All of the pictures of Jesus, there is likeness, but not totally, not exactly, but there is likeness, but you cannot just totally describe Him when you are in front of Him.'

(Q) 'How would Jesus like our future? What would He like us to be, a part from the Commandments? How would He like our future to progress as years go on? What does He want us to do with our lives?'

(A) 'That is why He said that now is the time for mercy'.

(Q) 'Yes, but with all the problems we have had in Society, with contraception and abortion?'

(A) 'Contraception and abortion! All that is a sin. That is why Mary is crying with blood already. That's a sin. That's why for example, last night, four ladies approached me and they said after my testimony, they said they are planning for an abortion, but after hearing my testimony, they changed their mind, because they said they do not want to see their films, that the other one killing their own child.'

(Q) 'Could I ask you, did you actually see Jesus at the gates of Heaven or did you actually see Heaven?'

(A) Cardinal Vidal said that it is the Garden of Eden, because, it's a garden and in it all beautiful flowers. That is why Cardinal Vidal described it as the Garden of Eden.'

(Q) 'Did you actually see that yourself, or just the clouds and the light?'

(A) 'I see it yes. It is the Garden of Eden. By the way, Jesus said to me that we have to pray for His beloved Priests, because He said: 'They are My precious jewels and some of them cause My Heart to bleed.. But I will bless them abundantly, in time, and in eternity; much more if they will stay longer in the Confessional, because it is in the Confessional that My mercy flows greater than all the sins committed by any living creature''.

(Q) 'How do we ask our Priest to promote the Divine Mercy? Should we do it very quietly or should we implore him to promote Divine Mercy?'

(A) 'Give the Priest some real stuff he can learn, because some of the Priests do not promote Divine Mercy because they do not understand Divine Mercy. You have to inform them, and give them some literature that will guide them. And, you have to pray and ask Our Lord's assistance because we cannot change a person, only God can change a person, so we have to pray'.

(Q) 'Stanley, because of this Divine Mercy, especially in the Islands of the Philippines, is there a great change in the Philippines? Do they now keep the Sabbath holy?'

(A) 'In the Philippines, at three o'clock in the afternoon, all the television stations, pray the three o'clock prayer, and also all the radio stations. And, not only the Catholics are ringing their bells, but also the other Church dominions, because I have also given my testimony to other Church dominions, so at three o'clock every body is ringing their bells and also I find it surprising that the Malls especially in Cebu and Manila, at three o'clock, they would stop and pray that three o'clock prayer. The Feast of Mercy will be celebrated throughout the universal Church. Jesus promised that the souls who are in a state of grace (been to Confession) who receive Holy Communion on that day, at the Feast of His Mercy, will be granted complete forgiveness of sins including their punishment, meaning after the Feast of Mercy, whatever happens to you, you will go straight to Heaven. Because even the punishment is forgiven. Because, when we go to Confession,
when we go to a Priest, our sins are forgiven, but the punishment remains. That is why when we die we cannot go straight to Heaven, we have to pass through Purgatory to pay for the punishments of our sins. But during the Feast of Mercy, all the sins and the punishments are forgiven, so that's a very wonderful grace.'

(Q) 'Stanley, what does Jesus think about other religions and other non-Christian religions? Hindu's and all different religions?'

(A) 'Well, God's mercy is for everybody, not only for Catholics - because if Jesus is given the choice, He wants all mankind to enter Heaven. But only man loves so much the world that he does not want to accept God's mercy... He does not want to return to the Lord. In fact, they are just denying their sins.'

(Q) 'Does Jesus want us to approach people in our work places; strangers, non Christians, to tell them about Divine Mercy? If so, how does He want us to do it? Because it is very difficult to go up to a stranger who does not believe in God or does not know Jesus and try to tell him about Divine Mercy.'

(A) 'We can do it. We can do it by being an example. We have to show them, that's why Jesus said: Put mercy into action. For example, you visit the prisoners and you explain to them God's mercy. And also at hospital, tell them and you give them the chaplet and you teach them how to pray the chaplet of Divine Mercy.. You can do it, because the chaplet is welcomed by other religions, because God's mercy is for everybody, not only for Catholics. That's why Jesus said that we have to multiply our prayer for the sinners because Jesus said that the sinners do not pray for themselves anymore. So we have to increase our prayer for the sinners because their salvation depends on us..'

(Q) 'If those of us who have celebrated the Divine Mercy Sunday, in a state of grace, if our video is shown to us when we die, would it go back earlier or would it begin at the last Divine Mercy Sunday?'

(A) 'Others would also ask me, if your sins are forgiven, it is also forgotten with the Lord, that is true! But during the shooting of the film, you will see everything, because Jesus wants us to see how sinful we are. But then He will forgive us and that is a sign of mercy and it is mercy itself, shooting our film, showing us how sinful we are, then forgiving us. That it mercy itself!'

(Q) 'Does Jesus speak to you about His Mother?'

(A) 'Yes! He always do. That's why He said we have to pray the chaplet and the rosary unceasingly, as our last weapon against the enemies'.

(Q) 'One of the problems is the difference between the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and having the image over our fire places, and Our Lord asking for the image of Divine Mercy. Sometimes, the two seem to be in conflict and some prefer the Sacred Heart and some prefer the Divine Mercy?'

(A) 'For me it is not conflict.. Before what happened to me, since I was a kid I am already a devotee to the Sacred Heart, until I grew up, until I got married. In fact I built Sacred Heart Chapel, just in front of our house. That's why Jesus said, because I ask Him the difference: Love: Love is the Sacred Heart. Love is the flower. Mercy is the fruit. Because you do not have mercy if you do not have love. So love and mercy go together.'

(Q) 'You talked about the time of mercy and there is obviously a time table, because seventy-years ago on February 22, this image was seen for the first time by Saint Faustina. The Holy Father himself is special because his mission on life is to bring in the time of mercy. Is there a time table that Jesus has for mankind? Because I have heard from radio shows in America, that's not to say prediction, because the time and the place is known only to God, but we are obviously in these final times. What is expected of society when the Holy Father decreed Divine Mercy Sunday in the year 2000, and the Bishops are indifferent to it, because the decree has gone out to the Bishops and therefore they are the ones to instruct the Priests and they won’t. We people are basically having to listen to the Bishops and the Priests, but if they don't speak of Divine Mercy or follow the Feast for us to celebrate, how do we raise that up?'

(A) 'We raise it up by giving more information to the Priests. Because some of the Priests do not understand Divine Mercy because they have not read about Divine Mercy, so we have to inform them. We can give them some leaflets, but before giving them information, we have to pray for them, that they will accept it, because, as I said, we cannot change a person. That's why we have to pray harder. And also, you see, Divine Mercy devotion is for salvation, saving life, saving souls. That is why the other side is also working the wolf.. The other side will also work double time because what you are doing is saving souls.'

(Q) 'Does Jesus say anything about the Scriptures?'

(A) 'He did not mention it to me..'

(Q) 'Stanley, how long were you dead?'

(A) 'I was clinically dead for three days.. 'By the way, because I am often asked about that three o'clock prayer in the morning and the three o'clock prayer in the afternoon. Because last year, when I give my testimony at the Vatican in front of all the Cardinals and Bishops, there were twenty-six Cardinals and fifty odd Bishops. One of the Cardinals asked me, 'What is the significance of the three o'clock prayer in the morning. Because there are so many answered prayers at three o'clock in the morning.' And I answered, 'That is the time of His Resurrection. ' And the Cardinal stood up and said that this was true, that in the Book, Jesus and Mary met at four o'clock in the morning. So they said, He must have resurrected at three o'clock.'

(Q) 'Can you tell me, what was your illness? What did it consist of?'

(A) 'Before what happened to me, I am just going good. I have no illness. I am very strong. This is why, after what happened to me, when I woke up, my wife was so stunned. She cannot believe it.. So I went down to the billing section and paid the bill. Then I drive the car in going home. That's why one of the Bishops in the Philippines commented that what happened to me was just an emergency meeting with the Lord.'

(Q) ' Stanley, when you were at the Vatican talking to the Bishops and Cardinals, was the Holy Father there as well?'

(A) 'No! He was scheduled to attend, but he was so tired and ill at the time.'

(Q) 'With the Cardinals and Bishops from all over the world, what language did you speak in? Italian?

(A) 'English'.

(Q) 'Italian?'

(A) 'No! I said English'.

(Q) 'When Jesus was preparing you for this trip to England, did He say anything to you about the people of England?'

(A) 'Yes. People of England are very dear to Him, but then much of them cause His Heart to bleed, because England is losing faith. That is why I am here, to increase faith. And now you heard from me. Do not keep to yourself, you have to multiply. Jesus said that if you save a soul, you save your own.'

Stanley continues to travel around the world, telling of the amazing event that happened to him and fulfilling the mission that Jesus sent him back to earth to complete, That is, to teach the message of Divine Mercy.

To His apostle, Saint Marie Faustina, Jesus made a promise in regard to both the image and the praying of the Divine Mercy chaplet.. He gave conditions. What is prayed for is prayed with a contrite heart. That it is not against His Will, in other words, it is doubtful this promise could be used to gain power and riches, which would be an abuse of His gift. He tells us that when the chaplet is prayed for a dying soul, that soul will receive His mercy and not His Justice. In away, when a promise is given to us from Heaven, then God because He is Just, is obliged to keep it.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Foetus ( Human Embryo ) - Exotic Delicacy Whether Truth Or Fiction

With appreciation to my friend, Janet H. for this article



Monday, September 21, 2009

What Malaysia's Independence Meant To Me - Sharyn Lisa Shufiyan * Tunku Abdul Rahman's Great Granddaughter


Formation of Malaysia, 16th September 1963,with Tun Fuad Stephens ( formerly Donald Stephens ) first Chief Minister of Sabah reading the proclamation of independence with Tun Datu Mustapha bin Datu Harun first Yang DiPertua Negara Sabah witnessing the ceremony held at the Town Padang Kota Kinabalu ( formerly Jesselton ).

' Both my parents are Malay. My mum's heritage includes Chinese, Thai and Arab, while my dad is Minangkabau. Due to my skin colour, I am often mistaken for a chinese.
I'm happy that I don’t have the typical Malay look but I do get annoyed when people call me Ah Moi or ask me straight up "Are you Chinese or Malay"
Like, why does it matter? Before I used to answer "Malay" but now I'm trying to consciously answer Malaysian instead.
There's this incident from primary school that I remember till today. Someone told me that I will be called last during Judgement Day because I don’t have a Muslim name. Of course, I was scared then but now that I'm older, I realise that a name is just a name. It doesn’t define you as a good or bad person and there is definitely no such thing as a Muslim name. You can be named Rashid or ALI and still be a Christian.
I’ve heard of the 1Malaysia concept, but I think we don’t need to be told to be united. We've come such a long way that it should already be embedded in our hearts and minds that we are united. Unfortunately, you can still see racial discrimination and polarisation. There is still this ethno-centric view that the Malays are the dominant group and their rights must be protected, and non Malays are forever the outsiders.
For the concept to succeed, I think the government should stop with the race politics. It's tiring, really. We grew up with application forms asking us to tick our race. We should stop painting a negative image of the other races, stop thinking about 'us' and 'them' and focus on 'we', 'our' and 'Malaysians'.
No one should be made uncomfortable in their own home. A dear Chinese friend of mine said to me once, "I don’t feel patriotic because I am not made to feel like Malaysia is my home, and I don’t feel an affinity to China because I have never lived there.
I know some baby Nyonya friends who can trace their lineage back hundreds of years. I'm a fourth generation Malaysian. If I am Bumiputra, why can’t they be, too? Clearly I have issues with the term.
I think the main reason why we still can’t achieve total unity is because of this 'Malay rights' concept. I'd rather 'Malay rights' be replaced by human rights. So unless we get rid of this Bumiputra status, or reform our views and policies on rights, we will never achieve unity.
For my merdeka wish, I'd like for Malaysians to have more voice, to be respected and heard. I wish that the government would uphold the true essence of parliamentary democracy. I wish for the people to no longer fear and discriminate against each other, to see that we are one and the same.
I wish that Malaysia would truly live up to the tourism spin of Malaysia truly Asia. Malaysians to lead - whatever their ethnic background. Only ONE NATIONALITY -MALAYSIAN. No Malays, No Chinese, No Indians - ONLY MALAYSIANS. Choose whatever religion one is comfortable with. "

Sharyn has put lucidly, the Merdeka wish of every Malaysian as citizen of this country.

Amde Sidik
And in this respect it would also be an appropriate reminder to Malays that we are one race Malaysian as quoted by Amde Sidik in his column, Group Should Know Better Than To Tarnish Islam appearing in Daily Express issue of 20th (Sunday ) September 2009.


Thursday, August 27, 2009

Comments On Article - Stumbling Blocks To Nation's Progress (Mkini) By Khoo Kay Peng



You have put beautifully what are the problems besetting Malaysia's progress in view of the current economic recession? And how they can be overcame? The difficulty is that, there is a blockage in the form of personal or vested interest. Connected with money and which has became a permanent feature of political life in the country.

Such entrenchment is not easy to remove. Considering, it is a part of the fabric of politic. It requires a general overhaul of all aspect of Malaysian Society's infrastructures. A gargantuan task indeed! It will need intense concentration and stamina as at every turn and corner it will be met by very strong resistance.

From those who are involved in such a lifestyle. To give up would mean like losing a gold mine. Nevertheless it has to be done. Othewise, like cancer, it will kill investment and the economic life of Malaysia. To the detriment of workers in which case, thousands will lose their jobs.

Money itself is not the root of evil. It is how it's used, like bribing in order to obtain favours from people holding political offices. With both parties having vested interest in the transaction concerned, it is not easy to pin down the culprits. As both sides will be protective of each other.

The difficulty is enormous but it can be done with a strong and determined political will.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Comments On The Article - ABC of Corporate Corruption By SAKMONGKOL AK47



Agreed with Dato's observation, it is not the degree qualification of a person which will make him a good business manager. As has been proven, atitude and experience are the deciding factors. No doubt, having acquired knowledge from colleges and other learning institutions would be a plus factor for the individual.

It is not enough to make him a successful manager. Because to be familiar with the way a business is run, its philosophy and its culture, it is best to start at the bottom of the company's ladder. The grass-roots level where the actual action accurs. The heart of the company, its labour line so to speak.

This is where things get done. The production division. Knowledge of what is happening here is important as it will give a picture of the health of its physical asset, the workers. Are they happy? Are their morale high? These would be reliable indicators of what the workers are feeling? And whether necessary action is required to rectify any problematic issues.

The individual should also repeat the same process with other sections of the company like procurement,finance, human resource, etc. and finally top management. But before sitting on the apex, he must truly be tested by giving him real assigment to determine his capability or otherwise.

This would be appropriately applied on trainee managers with good academic results yet untested in discharging company's responsibilities. More like an apprentice system. However it really help newcomers to have a hands-down experience, bottom-up view of how the establishment function in its totality.

Of course the best would be, those who were involved in creating their own companies. As this will allow them to go through a similar process as noted earlier. This will enrich their actual understanding of how they should administer their respective companies. Learning the dos and don'ts as they progress.

It is through this method that they acquired a storehouse of business wisdom which they could use with their current or future ventures. It would appear that the creator of a business establishment would eventually become a good business manager because of the expertise obtained through this practical learning process.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Comments On Dr. Azly Rahman's Article - Rethinking The Malay Problem

Dr. Azly Rahman's article on Rethinking the Malay Problem gave a fresh insight into this issue. And in this regard considering the position of the Malays in Singapore, they are doing very well regardless of the fact that they are given the same treatment just like other Singaporeans.

Also look at the situation in the United States of America today. For the first time in its history, it has got a Black president, Barack Obama. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for the Blacks to be given equal opportunities. His dream was for Blacks to enjoy the same prospects like ordinary Americans.

In Malaysia the context is different and as mentioned by Dr. Azly,this might be due to historical, political and cultural influences. However, it appears that the concept applied in Singapore and the United States are working effectively for the Malays and Blacks respectively.

So the question, what is it? The answer is equal opportunities and the human spirit. The Malay Dilemma by Tun Mahathir disproves the myth that Malays are not smart or intelligent people. What they required is to have equal opportunities in terms of facilities, etc. so that they will be able to compete fairly.

The other point is the human spirit. The indomitable desire to succeed. It is race blind and is part of every man and woman. This spirit will only blossom if it is nurtured positively. Otherwise it will just lay dormant. And serve no useful purpose at all. The Malays need to be given the right motivation and their leaders must play a role in this.

Dr King had a dream that the Blacks would one day be a great race and play important roles in the corridors of power. That dream had already been realised in this century.

All Malaysians too had a wish - to see their Malay brothers stand on their own feet not because of helping hands. But because of their belief in themselves, that they have the capability to succeed in whatever they wanted to achieve.

And as Dr. Azly put it - Rethinking the Malay Problem may be necessary to enable the Malays to meet local and global challenges. And also to put to rest Hang Tuah's fear "takkan Melayu hilang di dunia".

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Fantasy On A Hot And Slow Day

Salute to Blogger Articulations for his breezy style which still manage to convey the messages intended whether in pun or otherwise. That's important because we need to have a fair picture of what is happening around us.

Especially in Malaysia! Surreal can become real. What is true can become untrue. It's not easy to live in a country with everything on a go-go mode. So much so that we need to be stretchless. Or else we will end in a stress. But don't be distress cause this is not a game but a race. And progress is not resting but racing.

That is why, Malaysians can now act like a computer. And this show that our brain has advanced to such a level, we need to use 'mode' or else, the rest of the world would have a hard time catching up with us. And to do that, they need to learn our 'modus operandi'. Sounds like spanish and romantic but be careful.

Born of that is the 'swing fever' Because some prefer to make the fever more action oriented. With the 'e' it would just be a fouled smelling word. The end is near but the mighty Karpal have to sink first. A formula have to be found. H1 N1 is not powerful enough for the job. Ultra Virus was the answer - a concortion produced by a computer generated mind.

They forgot that Karpal was sharp and fast. They were in such a hurry that they missed one ingredient. But Karpal like a lightning striker put one and one together. He managed to get that important component. It was 'e'. The secret formula is 'ultra vires' and not 'ultra virus'. So Mr. K is still upstanding because the ace is in his hands.

Well like you say, it's just fantasy on a hot and slow day.

Bahasa Malaysia Yes, English No - Minister Told Journalist Bluntly, To Put His Questions In Bahasa Malaysia



It is improper for the Minister of Culture, Datuk Rais Yatim to humiliate a journalist or for that matter anybody whether a Malaysian or a foreigner as shown in the You Tube. The Malays have a saying which goes something like this " Pantang menjatuhkan airmuka orang lain." If he claims to be a gentleman and a cultured person, he shouldn't have spoken in such a way to this particular journalist.



What is his motive in insulting this reporter? What is he trying to prove? Is his message also aimed at the English speaking businessmen and tourists who came to this country to do business or holiday here respectively. I assumed, the reporter had to speak English because his paper, the Star is an English tabloid. That being the case, it was therefore natural for him to speak English.



It was not criminal to do so. And furthermore, the minister, is himself an English speaker. He did his law in English. Another Malay saying is just appropriate for this situation "Kacang lupakan kulit." It would be a different matter if he was ignorant of the English Language. It would be excusable. But then, he should have put his request and explanation in a more polite manner. Shouldn't have done it, in an abrupt, haughty and abusive style?



For the minister to calm this storm in a teacup, he should apologise to the journalist concerned. That would indeed be a gentlemanly act and maybe a dinner treat too.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Demonstration - A Form Of Criticism


The dictionary definition of the word, demonstration is a public exhibition of the attitude of a group of persons toward a controversial issue, or other matter, made by picketing, parading, etc.. In other words, it is another form of criticism.

The recent protest on the controversial ISA is a case in point. How nice it would be if both the government and the demonstrators could come to an agreement that it could be held in a public place with the organisers of the demonstrations guaranteeing, it would be held peacefully.

What better venue to hold it than in a stadium? It would ensure that the public would not be inconvenienced by traffic jams, etc.. In such a controlled condition, the duty of the police is only to stand guard. To watch that everything is proceeding in an orderly manner without any chaos.

This would avoid direct confrontation between the police and demonstrators unnecessarily. In addition, both parties would have fulfilled their responsibilities though each in a different mode. Nonetheless the burden has been discharged by both sides the police and demonstrators respectively.

Not forgetting its therapeutic effect on the picketers. For this has enabled them to release their anger and pent up emotion on the issue. Thus cutting down the number of heart attacks in the country ( just joking ).

On the part of the government, it must take the issue(s) raised by the demonstrators seriously and positively. And to immediately attend to the matter with a view to rectifying it. This is the secret antidote to lessening dissatisfactions in the country.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Determination And The Right Atitude - Keys To Success

Education play an important role in preparing an individual to earn a living whether on his own or working for others. Therefore it is important that he recieved as much lesson on the information that would help him in this regard. In other words, to ready him for the working world.



Subjects taught should be related to this objective. And if in the end he should decide to start his own enterprise, the information he has obtained through education including online via computer would become handy and useful. It will become the basis of guiding him in running his business.



However the ultimate insurance for success is his own person. Not all that he has learnt. Because it is determination and hard work which will become the factor that will make the business rise or fall. Therefore having the spirit of wanting to achieve the goal set, whatever the challenges or obstacles, will be a very important asset to the individual concerned.



After-all, education is only a means. A bridge if you will, to help a person achieve his ambition in life. As mentioned above, success in any venture is a matter of sweat and toil. A working experience. And therefore, it is important for a Bumiputra to go through a similar process. Not to rely on a handout or government project.



By undergoing this exercise, he will have created a resilient spirit within himself, giving him the ability to overcome failures and to rise again until finally achieving success.



Every race whether Chinese, Indian or Bumiputra can be successful. Education can help but the most crucial components are determination and an atitude or spirit of not being afraid of hardwork and failures.

These are the tools of success which had been proven effective since time immemorial.

Government should rethink its policy on creating a rugged Bumiputra society which can stand on its own economically by applying the above-mentioned techniques.

Instead of helping just a few selected ones, this can be applied to all Bumiputras by inculcating in them the right atitude and spirit as mentioned above.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Critics Are Not To Be Feared - They Are To Be Listened

Critics should not be viewed as negative. They should be looked at as people who are responsible, who love and want the best for their country and its citizens.

Loving and wanting the country to progress and be free from corruption, racialism, segregation etc. are just being patriotic and loyal to their motherland, Malaysia.

The authority should appreciate that they are Malaysians like Mr. Khoo Kay Peng and others who are very concerned about what is happening in this country. Have given their frank opinions as to what should be done to improve the political setting, governance and other related matters.

These are constructive suggestions and are the result of feelings and unhappiness of Malaysians over government policies and practices.

Critics can also be described as barometers for development of events in the country whether good or bad. It would be sound advice therefore, to take note of their readings.

Lastly, the most effective method to lessen criticisms is for the government to right the wrongs which have already occurred and to prevent those yet to be implemented.

By doing this, the government will win the respect of Malaysians and prove that it is truly serious in wanting to make its governance of Malaysia a transparent and people oriented one.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Introduce Better Techniques In Investigation



With the death of Teoh Beng Hock, the authority should introduce better investigation techiques to be used by all investigative bodies including police, MACC and others. One important point to remember is, it does not mean that all investigations should end in prosecution of the person. There are times in the course of investigation, when it is found, there is not enough evidence to do so. In such a situation the case therefore cannot proceed to court.


Witnesses may have been interviewed or interrogated. Still there is a missing link. When this link cannot be established even after making all efforts, then the suspect should be freed. High profile cases in other countries are let go because of similar grounds. But it does not mean that the individual cannot be investigated for the same offence later. What is needed is for the evidence to be corroborated by documents etc. or by witnesses. Once this has been done, meaning jigsaw puzzle is in order, the next step is to prepare for court hearing.


There are instances during investigation when witnesses have been intimidated, threatened, blackmailed, put under duress etc. with a view to implicate the suspected party. This is wrong. Confessions made under such conditions in law are considered invalid or inadmissible ( legal term ) as they are not made voluntarily.


Of course it would be best if government could make it a law that when an individual is being interviewed or interrogated by an investigative body, he can have recourse to the sevice of a lawyer to protect his right or interest if he so wishes. This will ensure that the investigation will not deviate from its original course to the extent that physical intimidation real or otherwise can be made to the person concerned.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Be Careful When You Drive To The Bank

With appreciation to my friend, John P. for this article - what can happen to your vehicle if you drive to the bank. Take extra precaution when you do so.



I drove to Maybank Seapark branch PJ last Friday evening at about 5.30pm, 29 May 09. I was pleased to find a vacant bay just outside the bank. I parked my car and went to do some banking at the machines, then I walked cross to Watson to get some toiletries. I came back to my car and noticed that the front right tyre was almost flat. Immediately I drove to the tyre shop nearby, which is about 100m away. I told the shop keeper I had a flat tyre. His prompt response: "Did you go to the bank?" He told me a few similar cases happened. It was a clean cut on the side of the tyre, about 1 cm long. I guess these evil-doers' tactic was to follow my car (if I had not noticed the flat tyre) until I could not go further with the flat tyre. Then they would either rob me on the spot or force me to go back to the bank to withdraw money for them. This reminded me of another time when I also parked in front of a bank in Uptown, Damansara Utama.. I did not go to the bank that day. I had lunch with a friend near the bank. I sent her back to Taman Tun and came back home. One of the tyres was flat. There was brand new nail stuck to the tyre. I suppose that evil person did not follow us as he noticed we did not go to the bank. Please be extremely careful when you go to the bank. DON'T PARK NEAR THE BANK YOU ARE GOING TO!!! You don't know who is watching you!!!

I thank God for His protection.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Eat Less Rice

With appreciation to my friend, John P. for sharing this article

Though its veracity is not confirmed, it makes sense to take food in moderation including rice for health reason.































Above, left, illustrations of rice plant and right picture of a rice farmer. Bottom, left, picture of rice plants and right, picture of its seeds which are the edible part of the rice plant.



Eat Less Rice! The human body was never meant to consume rice! You see, our genes have hardly changed in more than 30,000 years. However, our food choices and lifestyle have changed dramatically. The caveman would hardly recognise our food or way of life. Caveman food was never cooked as fire was not yet tamed.



Thus, he ate only those foods that you can eat without treatment with or by fire. He ate fruits, vegetables, fish (sushi anyone?), eggs, nuts and meat. Yes, even meat! You can even eat meat raw if you were starving in the forest. You have the necessary enzymes to digest meat. However, rice, like wheat and corn, cannot be eaten raw. It must be cooked. Even if you were starving in the desert, you cannot eat rice in the raw form. This is because we do not have the system of enzymes to break rice down. You were never meant to eat rice. To make matters worse, you not only eat rice, but also make it the bulk of your food. In some parts of Asia , rice forms up to 85% of the plate. Even if you take rice, keep it to a minimum. Remember, it is only for your tongue - not your body. Actually, rice and other grains like wheat and corn are actually worse than sugar. There are many reasons: Rice becomes sugar - lots of it! This is a fact that no nutritionist can deny: rice is chemically no different from sugar. One bowl of cooked rice is the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar.



This does not matter whether it is white, brown or herbal rice. Brown rice is richer in fibre, some B vitamins and minerals but it is still the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar. To get the same 10 teaspoons of sugar, you need to consume lots of kangkong-10 bowls of it. Rice is digested to become sugar. Rice cannot be digested before it is thoroughly cooked. However, when thoroughly cooked, it becomes sugar and spikes circulating blood sugar within half an hour-almost as quickly as it would if you took a sugar candy. Rice is very low in the 'rainbow of anti-oxidants. ' This complete anti-oxidant rainbow is necessary for the effective and safe utilisation of sugar. Fruits come with a sugar called fructose. However, they are not empty calories as the fruit is packed with a whole host of other nutrients that help its proper assimilation and digestion. Rice has no fibre. The fibre of the kangkong fills you up long before your blood sugar spikes. This is because the fibre bulks and fills up your stomach. Since white rice has no fibre, you end up eating lots of 'calorie dense' food before you get filled up. Brown rice has more fibre but still the same amount of sugar. Rice is tasteless-sugar is sweet. There is only so much that you can eat at one sitting. How many teaspoons of sugar can you eat before you feel like throwing up? Could you imagine eating 10 teaspoons of sugar in one seating? Rice is always the main part of the meal. While sugar may fill your dessert or sweeten your coffee, it will never be the main part of any meal. You could eat maybe two to three teaspoons of sugar at one meal.
However, you could easily eat the equal value of two to three bowls (20-30 teaspoons) of sugar in one meal. I
am always amused when I see someone eat sometimes five bowls of rice (equals 50 teaspoons of sugar) and then asks for tea tarik kurang manis! There is no real 'built in' mechanism for us to prevent overeating of rice: How much kangkong can you eat? How much fried chicken can you eat? How much steamed fish can you eat? Think about that! In one seating, you cannot take lots of chicken, fish or cucumber, but you can take lots of rice. Eating rice causes you to eat more salt. As rice is tasteless, you tend to consume more salt-another villain when it comes to high blood pressure. You tend to take more curry that has salt to help flavor rice. We also tend to consume more ketchup and soy sauce which are also rich in salt. Eating rice causes you to drink less water. The more rice you eat, the less water you will drink as there is no mechanism to prevent the overeating of rice. Rice, wheat and corn come hidden in our daily food. As rice is tasteless, it tends to end up in other foods that substitute rice like rice flour, noodles and bread. We tend to eat the hidden forms which still get digested into sugar.


Rice, even when cooked, is difficult to digest.Can't eat raw rice? Try eating rice half cooked. Contrary to popular belief, rice is very difficult to digest. It is 'heavy stuff'. If you have problems with digestion, try skipping rice for a few days. You will be amazed at how the problem will just go away. Rice prevents the absorption of several vitamins and minerals.Rice when taken in bulk will reduce the absorption of vital nutrients like zinc, iron and the B vitamins. Are you a rice addict? Going rice-less may not be easy but you can go rice-less. Eating less rice could be lot easier than you think. Here are some strategies that you can pursue in your quest to eat less rice:



Eat less rice-cut your rice by half.Barry Sears, author of the Zone Diet, advises 'eating rice like spice'. Instead, increase your fruits and vegetables. Take more lean meats and fish. You can even take more eggs and nuts. Have 'riceless' meals. Take no rice or wheat at say, breakfast. Go for eggs instead. Go on 'riceless' days. Go 'western' once a week. Take no rice and breads for one day every week. That can't be too difficult. Appreciate the richness of your food. Go for taste, colours and smells. Make eating a culinary delight. Enjoy your food in the original flavours. Avoid the salt shaker or ketchup. You will automatically eat less rice. Eat your fruit dessert before (Yes! No printing error) your meals.The fibre rich fruits will 'bulk up' in your stomach. Thus, you will eat less rice and more fruits. It's your life. Decide what you want to eat! But eat less rice!

Monday, June 29, 2009

A Tribute To Michael Jackson

The death of Michael Jackson shocked the world. Never did it appear for a moment that with all the preparations and rehearsals for the grand concert in London, such a thing could happen. Something unexpected. But it did happen. Man can plan, God disposes. It simply means, we are not in control of our lives.

Michael Jackson came from a singing family, The Jackson Five, well known for their TV series in the late sixties and seventies. And naturally, the young Michael Jackson would become a full time entertainer, there was no doubt about it. The one thing which amazed everyone was, He not only did that. But he became a sensational singer and a pop icon to boot ! At a young age - when most performers would take nearly a lifetime to reach the top.

With his trademark dance style, he wowed the world from America to Malaysia. Nothing could stop the tsunami, everyone was doing The Moonwalk. With seven hundred million records sold, Jackson was a mighty big man. The one weakness, he was a great spender. Never counting the cost. Never Land Ranch was one of them. And stigmatized by accusations of being a paedophile which was later overturned by the court. Nevertheless, it affected his career.

Including his fanance were on a downslide. And these series of concerts, starting in London were designed for his comeback. To conquer the world once again with his exceptional singing and dancing. Unfortunately it was not meant to be. And Michael Jackson is now just a memory. Though a unique one at that ! R I P