Milestone for Olympia grads

See Toh, who accepts the Nottingham Trent University
Vice-Chancellor’s Award from Ong, hopes to do his part for
the nation.

It was a proud day for over 600 graduands of Olympia College, Raffles Education Group recently as they were bestowed awards in various disciplines by guest-of-honour Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

The occasion also saw nine graduates receiving prestigious awards named in honour of Malaysia’s founding fathers and distinguished political figures.

The recipient of the Nottingham Trent University Vice-Chancellor’s Award was See Tho Wai Keng, 36, who had pursued the MBA programme on a part-time basis.

"I had the opportunity to learn from fellow colleagues and lecturers from different industries," See Tho said of his achievement. "I came with a scientific approach in mind and ended with broader skill sets."

"My long-term plan is to serve as a part-time lecturer so that I can contribute to the younger generation. I believe how a nation progresses highly depends on its future leaders."

Ong, in his address, congratulated the graduands. "The government under the leadership of Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak aspires to attain a knowledge-based and developed society by 2020. It is the duty of institutions of higher learning such as the Raffles Education Group, in collaboration with its various international and local partners, to develop and impart the attributes, skills and knowledge to our human capital. I am confident that all of you who are graduating today will no doubt be contributing to nation-building in one way or another."

Olympia College offers quality and globally recognised qualifications at an affordable cost. The MBA offered at Olympia College is approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and is awarded by the University of Derby (UoD), UK.

The UoD MBA programme is well recognised for its strength in equipping students with key functional skills and a deeper understanding of critical business and management practices. The programme is designed to allow the student to apply what he has learnt into his actual work environment. Graduates also gain invaluable people skills and appreciate team dynamics and the various mixes needed to move forward their company’s goals

Olympia also offers such courses as Business Studies, Business Management, IT & Computing, Hotel Management, Secretarial Studies, Accounting and Finance, and English Language.

Are the authorities waiting for more lives lost to act?

It is so very, very sad that I have to speak up again on road safety matters after another tragedy that claimed numerous lives. I am referring to the double-deck tour bus crash on Cameron Highlands on Monday (Dec 20, 2010) which claimed 27 lives.

On Oct 31, 2010, I highlighted in my blog news asking what has happened to the implementation of speed limiter installation for long-haul express buses that I spearheaded last year when I was transport minister.

Is it because the idea was hatched by me, that the present minister Dato' Seri Kong Cho Ha has refused to act and implement ? If so, this is really tragic and Kong must be taken to task.

I had raised the matter of speed limiters after the express bus tragedy on the North-South Highway near the Simpang Ampat toll plaza on Oct 10, 2010, in which 13 people were killed.

I also stressed the need to act urgently, to stop wasting time, to stop wasting more lives. Unfortunately to those who perished on Monday, the transport minister and his ministry did not respond or clarify the matter.

Yesterday, Kong announced the cabinet had ordered an independent probe on the crash and that the Board of Inquiry would also look into the overall structure of commercial vehicle operations.

It is also a tragedy to Malaysians that the minister and ministry officials, particularly the Road Safety Department ( Jabatan Keselamatan Jalan Raya ) had remained recalcitrant, ignoring public calls to implement the speed limiter installation which could have prevented many cases of road crash.

I am also shocked why a double-deck bus was allowed to ply such a hilly terrain. It is indeed very illogical.

The proposed implementation of the speed limiters rule is a proactive measure to help reduce fatal road crashes involving such buses. The ministry is now duty bound to explain what has happened to the implementation.

Any further and unnecessary delay will cost lives, I had told reporters in Parliament in response to MPs clamouring for speed limiters to be fitted to express buses.

I was appointed the lead minister in charge of urban public transport under the National Key Result Area (NKRA) in 2009, and our top concern was fatal road accidents involving public transport.

The Road Transport Department (RTD) and the Road Safety Department were directed to study the matter and come up with workable and proactive measures to curb such rising fatal crashes.

We also decided to join the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) which brings together governments and governmental agencies, the private sector and civil society organisations to address road safety issues.

GRSP is a programme hosted by the Geneva-based International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
I then directed that the fitting of speed limiters on to express buses be introduced with advocacy.

Unfortunately, after I was dropped from the cabinet, nothing has been heard about it, despite constant reminders.
Speed limiters are more effective in tackling speedsters than just having the Global Positioning System (GPS).

The GPS can only be used to monitor the movement of vehicles and calculate the time used by the driver to complete his journey.
It does not solve the problem of speeding. So, the implementation of speed limiters is urgent. In the interest of public, I reiterate to the minister and the ministry to stop dilly-dallying on a matter that concerns the people’s lives.

The public has the right to know the status and progress of the implementation of speed limiters to help save lives.
Of course there is financial consideration of having to install the devices. But between financial consideration and public safety, it is obvious which is more important.

Why is the implementation delayed with no conspicuous action?

To those who prefer to harp on the same platitude of enhancing awareness on road safety as the most effective way to curb road crash, please do open your eyes to the reality that speedsters remain the main culprits in most cases of crash.

ORIGINAL POSTING : http://ongteekeat.net

Isu kepada Menteri Pertanian Dan Industri Asas Tani

Submitted by webmaster on Wed, 2010-12-22 11:16
News Date:  2010-12-22

Nov 23, 2010

Datuk Ir. Ong Tee Keat [ Pandan ] minta MENTERI PERTANIAN DAN INDUSTRI ASAS TANI menyatakan sebabnya setakat kini hasil padi dari sesuatu kawasan, umpamanya Chui Chak dan Sekinchan, masih tidak boleh dipasarkan di luar sempadan negeri yang berkenaan. Tidakkah amalan itu mengehadkan pemasaran hasil padi kaum petani yang berkenaan dan justeru menjejaskan rezeki mereka. (3. PR-1233-L40811)

Datuk Ir. Ong Tee Keat [ Pandan ] to ask the MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND AGRO-BASED INDUSTRY to state the reason paddy produce from certain areas, such as Chui Chak and Sekinchan, still cannot be sold outside of the state boundary. This practice limits the marketing of paddy produce and thus affects their livelihood.)

Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani [Datuk Seri Noh bin Haji Omar]: Terima kasih Tuan Yang di-Pertua. Pemindahan padi antara negeri-negeri di Semenanjung Malaysia adalah dikawal oleh kerajaan menerusi penguatkuasaan di bawah Peraturan 2 Peraturan-peraturan Kawalan Padi dan Beras Sekatan Pemindahan Antara Negeri 1997 (PUA 31) di mana dalam peraturan tersebut, tidak ada seorang pun boleh memindahkan apa-apa padi atau beras dari satu negeri ke satu negeri yang lain dalam Malaysia Barat melainkan dengan kebenaran secara bertulis dahulu daripada ketua pengarah atau mana-mana pegawai yang diberi kuasa.

Pemindahan padi antara negeri tidak dibenarkan atas sebab-sebab seperti berikut;

(i) boleh menjejaskan bekalan padi kepada kilang-kilang tempatan;
(ii) harga padi akan meningkat secara tidak terkawal disebabkan persaingan permintaan daripada pengilang luar; dan
(iii) kilang-kilang kecil sederhana akan berkubur kerana tidak mampu bersaing dengan kilang-kilang yang besar.

Walau bagaimanapun, kebenaran pemindahan padi boleh diberikan dalam keadaankeadaan di antaranya untuk mengelakkan berlakunya lambakan padi yang akan menyebabkan kemerosotan mutu padi apabila kapasiti sempadan padi kilang tidak mencukupi. Sehingga 30 Jun 2010, sebanyak 7,325 permit pindah padi antara negeri telah dikeluarkan oleh pihak kementerian. Terima kasih.

Dato’ Sri Ong Tee Keat [Pandan]: Terima kasih Tuan Yang di-Pertua. Saya hendak bangkitkan satu soalan tambahan. Apakah kementerian tidak bercadang untuk meminda Akta Sekatan yang dimaksudkan memandangkan bahawa ianya tidak lagi relevan.

Kiranya kita meninjau dengan teliti keadaan pasaran semasa khasnya pasaran bebas yang telah pun menjadi satu kelaziman antarabangsa. Lagi pun Yang Berhormat Menteri tadi menyentuh tentang lambakan padi, kalaulah ini yang dijadikan alasannya, saya tidak faham kenapa mekanisme kita yang sedia ada khasnya BERNAS misalnya tidak dapat memainkan fungsi ataupun peranannya untuk mencegah lambakan padi yang dimaksudkan. Sekian.

Datuk Seri Noh bin Haji Omar: Terima kasih Yang Berhormat. Memang di dalam perancangan kementerian untuk kita mungkin pinda balik peraturan ini kerana peraturan ini peraturan yang lama. Namun demikian, selagi peraturan ini ada kita kena patuhi kerana itu tadi saya nyatakan walaupun ada peraturan tetapi bagi pihak kementerian memang tidak ada apaapa halangan sekiranya mana-mana pihak yang ingin memohon untuk membawa padi mereka keluar dari satu-satu negeri. Oleh sebab itu dalam tempoh tiga bulan ini sahaja, dalam tempoh setengah tahun sehingga Jun, kita telah keluarkan sebanyak 7,325 permit. Ertinya minta sahaja automatik kita akan beri. Seperti di Chui Chak, padi daripada Chui Chak Yang Berhormat bangkitkan sebanyak 32.9% padi di Chui Chak itu kita telah benarkan pun dijual di luar daripada negeri Perak.

Kedua, lambakan ini boleh berlaku jika harga yang ditawarkan oleh pihak swasta dan pihak BERNAS ini tidak seimbang. Kerana itu seperti mana yang saya nyatakan bahawa kerajaan hanya menetapkan dasar harga minimum padi, harga maksimum padi kita open, terbuka. Jadi kalau kita tidak kawal sebelum ini, maka kesannya padi-padi seperti di Sekinchan Yang Berhormat bangkitkan. Kalau kita tidak kawal, kesannya nanti kalau harga padi dibawa ke Kedah dengan harga yang mahal, maka kilang-kilang tempatan di dalam kawasan Sekinchan tempat keluar padi itu pun akhirnya hendak dapat beras pun susah kerana daripada itu dibawa keluar. Kalau kita tidak kawal pun, kita bimbang nanti bahawa lambakan akan berlaku jika berlaku saingan antara pihak swasta. Yang BERNAS ini, selalunya orang yang jual BERNAS ini apabila kilang-kilang swasta sudah tidak mampu hendak beli.

Jadi kilang swasta ini Yang Berhormat, dia beli apabila dia tidak ada beras. Macam tahun lepas, apabila banyak kilang simpan beras di dalam andaian mereka kerajaan akan melaksanakan SUBUR, mereka simpan beras. Apabila mereka sudah cukup beras, mereka tidak mahu beli. Akhirnya BERNAS terpaksa beli, bila BERNAS terpaksa beli, dia beli dengan harga yang lebih rendah daripada pihak swasta. Jadi sebab itu dilihat BERNAS ini sebagai satu agensi yang terpaksa menjalan sesuatu obligasi untuk membeli beras dengan harga yang mungkin lebih rendah sikit daripada swasta tetapi lebih daripada harga minimum yang ditetapkan.

Dato’ Haji Ab. Halim Ab. Rahman [Pengkalan Chepa]: Soalan tambahan, bolehkah Yang Berhormat terangkan stockpile, berapa banyak stockpile bagi beras dan padi di dalam dan luar negara dan berapakah jumlah permit import yang dibenarkan bagi seluruh Malaysia untuk import beras dan padi dari luar negara, terima kasih.

Datuk Seri Noh bin Haji Omar: Jumlah stockpile kita telah pun kita tingkatkan kepada 293,000 metrik tan yang mana ini stockpile di bawah kerajaan. BERNAS pula mereka ada stockpile mereka sendiri, lebih kurang 150,000 metrik tan. Kalau kita combine kan antara BERNAS dengan stockpile kerajaan ini walaupun stockpile kerajaan masih belum kita isi, masih ada 50,000 metrik tan, masih lagi belum kita tambah. Kita kalau apa-apa juga berlaku, kita masih mampu bertahan dalam tempoh tiga bulan kalau tidak silap untuk kita bekalkan beras ini.

Untuk pengetahuan Yang Berhormat, baru-baru ini di peringkat negara-negara ASEAN pun telah bersetuju untuk tubuhkan satu stockpile di mana jika berlaku bencana alam di negaranegara ASEAN, negara-negara ASEAN ini telah bersetuju untuk memberikan sumbangan kepada stockpile membantu negara-negara ASEAN yang mengalami bencana.

Yang kedua mengenai AP, buat setakat hari ini pihak yang boleh mengimport beras ialah BERNAS sahaja. Ini adalah satu perjanjian ataupun konsesi yang telah dipersetujui di antara pihak BERNAS dengan pihak kerajaan apabila BERNAS diberikan tanggungjawab untuk menguruskan soal-soal beras dan dalam erti kata lain  hanya BERNAS sahaja yang boleh mengimport beras ke dalam negara kita, terima kasih.

Original Posting : http://ongteekeat.net

HUSBANDS FOR SALE !

A store that sells husbands has just opened in New York City , where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates.

You may visit the store ONLY ONCE!

There are six floors and the attributes of the men increase as the shopper ascends the flights. There is, however, a catch .... You may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!

So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband.

On the first floor the sign on the door reads:

Floor 1 - These men have jobs and love the Lord.

The second floor sign reads:

Floor 2 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, and love kids.

The third floor sign reads:

Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, and are extremely good looking.

'Wow,' she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going. She goes to the fourth floor and sign reads:

Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop- dead good looking and help with the housework.

'Oh, mercy me!' she exclaims, 'I can hardly stand it!' Still, she goes to the fifth floor and sign reads:

Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop- dead gorgeous, help with the housework, and have a strong romantic streak.

She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 6 - You are visitor 4,363,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.  Watch your step as you exit the building, and have a nice day!

Tee Keat says Soi Lek backed ‘ketuanan Melayu’

Malaysian Insider

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
December 09, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat accused Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today of previously supporting the concept of “ketuanan Melayu”, contradicting the party’s fiery rhetoric now against Umno.

He said Dr Chua also remained subservient to Umno.

Ong, who was ousted as MCA leader this year by Dr Chua, said he was “surprised” and “puzzled” by his rival’s recent call for a ban on terms like “ketuanan Melayu” and censuring Umno for approving government policies during its supreme council meetings.

He claimed that Dr Chua’s firebrand views now contradicted his past statements on similar issues.

Ong alleged that Dr Chua’s remarks at last week’s Barisan Nasional (BN) convention were not only a distinct U-turn from the MCA chief’s past views, they also mirrored Ong’s stand when he was party chief.

“Firstly, on the issue of ‘ketuanan Melayu” (Malay supremacy) he mentioned about the master-slave relationship. I brought this up as early as 2008 when I was interviewed by Bernama, and of course I was under fire back then.

“But at the same time I can still remember some time back he (Dr Chua) himself was supportive of ketuanan Melayu. Especially when he made a statement in a front-page report of Utusan, which was given wide coverage,” said Ong today.

The Pandan MP demanded Dr Chua explain his change of heart, saying that MCA members knew about the “real” stand of some of its top leaders regarding the matter.

“Now all of the sudden he makes such a stand, of course that has taken me by surprise. At least when I expressed my view, I did so through the proper channels. Of course I don’t mean to say that he couldn’t voice his concern but what really surprised me was on the same subject matter, not too long along you were saying something different, and you seem to have made a U-turn and that you choose to do it glaringly, in the open. Which one is your real stand? Please state.”

Dr Chua had told his Umno allies that there should not be a “big brother, small brother” system in the ruling pact.

In his speech at the BN convention, Dr Chua had made direct references to Umno as he reminded the ruling party that the MCA, and all other component parties, deserved to receive equal recognition as coalition partners.

The veteran politician even took a direct swipe at Umno by pointing out that the MCA was not in agreement with how important government policy decisions were made during Umno supreme council meetings instead in the Cabinet.

The MCA president’s remarks were not well received by many Umno leaders, with Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein saying yesterday that Dr Chua had upset a number of leaders last weekend with his remarks.

Hishammuddin had said that many had expressed their dissatisfaction that the straight-talking MCA president had used the Barisan Nasional convention over the weekend as a platform to air his grouses against Umno.

Ong also accused Dr Chua today of abandoning several proposals which Ong had pushed for during his tenure as MCA president.

“When I was MCA president, I brought up such suggestions to BN, to have multi-party participation in the BN grassroots network, especially the appointment of BN divisional chiefs.

“MCA brought up such a proposal and that was adopted by BN ... whereby if a constituency is represented by the MCA or any component party, the BN divisional chairmanship should go to the same party, and that was accepted. If the candidate won, the BN MP should himself be BN division chairman. If he lost, the chairmanship should go to the division chief of the component party,” explained the Pandan MP.

Ong claimed that the implementation of the proposal had been “watered down” when Dr Chua took over the MCA leadership, suggesting that despite the MCA president’s apparent boldness in defending the MCA’s rights, the latter was still subservient to Umno.

“Chua somehow, without the knowledge of grassroots, had overturned this decision ...and at the end of the day, the overwhelming majority of the divisional chairmanship still goes to Umno and of course that was done with his (Dr Chua’s) full knowledge, his consent as well. This could only be done at the BN supreme council level, and I was no longer in the council (when the decision was overturned),” said the one-time transport minister.

1,500 turn up for Pandan MP’s Deeparaya Open House

by Leven Woon on 25 Nov, 2010
Komunitikini

About 1,500 Pandan community leaders and residents turned up at Pandan MP Ong Tee Keat’s Deeparaya Open House at Pandan Mewah recently.

The event saw Ong handing out 100 food baskets sponsored by the women, family and community ministry to underprivileged Pandan folks.

In his keynote address, Ong said screening is important to ensure deserving targeted group receive aids from government.

“Like today, the 100 recipients’ background has been screened and they are all confirmed in the low-income or poverty group,”

He also trusted that the Satu Azam programme, which was initiated by women ministry; will help eradicate poverty in Malaysia in the long run.

The event featured a solo Indian classical dance performance and a surprise birthday cake for Ong, who turned 54 on November 22.

Ong was greeted with a Happy Birthday song and he vowed to further consolidate the local community and the country.

Mt MERAPI in Indonesia

Hands!

Hands!


 A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.
A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it's in. 


A baseball in my hands is worth about $6.
A baseball in Roger Clemens' hands is worth $475 million.
It depends on whose hands it's in.


A tennis racket is useless in my hands.
A tennis racket in Andre Agassi's hands is worth millions.
It depends whose hands it's in. 

A rod in my hands will keep away an angry dog.
A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends whose hands it's in. 


A slingshot in my hands is a kid's toy.
A slingshot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it's in.


Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in Jesus' hands will feed thousands.
It depends whose hands it's in. 

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse.
Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will
Produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it's in. 

As you see now, it depends whose hands it's in.
So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands because...
It depends whose hands it's in. 
 

This message is now in YOUR hands. 
What will YOU do with it? 

It Depends on WHOSE Hands it's in!

Ong Tee Keat MP by the Rakyat for the RAKYAT

What's this Yen Yen, a shopping trip?

What's this Yen Yen, a shopping trip?
Wed, 10 Nov 2010

Free Malaysia Today
By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP today claimed there are discrepancies in Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen's overseas trip expenses which varied from those given to Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat MPs.

DAP Youth chief and Rasah MP Anthony Loke said that the  minister's written reply to him on Monday stated that the total costs of her trips from January to October this year amounted to RM1.28 million.

This was in contrast to the figures given to former MCA president and Pandan MP Ong Tee Keat on Oct 26, where she said the ministry had spent some RM 1.58 million for the same trips.

Loke opened “fire” when he said sarcastically that he was “touched” when Ng handed a written reply personally to him yesterday, but a notice handed today said there were "errors" in yesterday's reply.

The Rasah MP then noted that based on the reply given to him, Ng’s trip to Dubai, Qatar and Kuwait from May 4 to 12 cost RM97,000 but in another reply given to Batu MP Chua Tian Chang on Oct 19, the figure was RM240,145.

“We do not know which one is the correct answer. We are directing the minister to please tell us... clarify this. This is unprofessional on the part of the minister. Please do not give us answers which are contradictory,” Loke said at a press conference at the Parliament lobby here.

Loke then zoomed in on Ng’s week-long trip to Europe, from May 25 to 31, which cost RM491,987, saying it was exorbitant and demanded an explanation.

“Half a million spent in seven days for trips to London, Munich and Milan? What is this? A shopping trip?"

On Oct 26, the tourism ministry stated that Ng spent RM3.5 million on "official" overseas mission since she was appointed minister last year.

However, a different figure was given to Ong in a written reply which stated that the ministry had spent RM1.67 million for the same official overseas trips.

The same reply also boasted higher tourist receipts and that the ministry’s efforts overseas had earned Malaysia a ninth out of 10th placing in the most popularly visited countries in 2009.

Pakatan lawmakers have accused Ng of excessive spending overseas, saying she was being more of a “tourist” than “minister”.

Ng dismissed the accusations, insisting that the ministry was on promotional activities abroad and attributed the purported expansion of the country’s tourism industry to her trips.

Tourism Ministry's travel expenses have ballooned by 40% since 2008 while its promotion budget decreased by nearly 70% in the same period.

DAP wants Ng to clarify travel expenses figures
Hemananthani Sivanandam
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 10, 2010): The DAP today urged Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen to "come clean" over the written answers on her travel expenses which were given by the ministry’s officials to Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional MPs.

Anthony Loke (DAP-Rasah) told a a press conference that according to a written answer he received, Ng’s  travel expenses from January to October amounted to RM1.28 million.

However, in a written reply to Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat (BN-Pandan), the ministry said the cost was RM1.58 million.

"There is a RM300,000 difference. Is it because the minister is jet-lagged that she mixed up the figures?" he asked.

Loke also said that in a written reply given to him by Ng, the minister’s trip to Dubai, Qatar and Kuwait from May 4 to 12 cost RM97,000, but in a written reply given to Tian Chua (PKR-Batu) on Oct 19, the ministry stated that the trip cost RM240,145.

"We do not know which is the correct answer. We are asking the minister to tell us. Do not give us answers which are contradictory," he said.

Loke also questioned the rationale for Ng’s trip to Europe from May 25 to 31 for seven days which cost RM491,987.

"Half a million spent in seven days for trips to London, Munich and Milan? I want the minister to justify why the need to spend that much money for this trip. Was this a shopping trip? Please clarify," he added.

Loke, who is also the DAP Youth chief, said he hoped that Ng and her ministry will be more professional  and diligent in performing their duties.

"We will read and compare our answers with the answers previously given, both to Pakatan MPs and BN parliamentarians, to make sure (the numbers are) consistent," he added.

Facts about “CO2 emission”

May 11th, 2009 | Posted in Energy Efficiency - news
Facts & figures about CO2 emission

Generally, the car manufacturers give the “CO2 emission” in g/km.
Other interesting figures to know is the quantity of CO2 produced per litre of fuel:
- for diesel:        2.62 kg/litre
- for gasoline:    2.39 kg/litre.

So every time you put 50 litres (or 13 gallons) in your tank, you are going to produce around 125kg of CO2.

Amazing, isn’t it?

For heating purposes, the relevant figure is the quantity of CO2 emitted per kWh of energy produced. Here are the figures for different heating sources, in kg of CO2 per kWh:
- Natural gas:    0.19
- Fuel oil:          0.27
- Coal:              0.32
- Electricity:      from 0.08 to 0.8 (0.4 is the European Union average)

By far, natural gas is the “greener” fossil fuel. Electricity is even better where it is mainly produced by hydro or nuclear power plants.

Jacques Schonek

Water & Energy

June 4th, 2009 | Posted in Energy Efficiency - news

At the time of the World Water Forum  that just occurred in Istanbul, Turkey, it is interesting to remind how water and energy are linked.

Hydropower is generating 19% of the electricity worldwide, and as much as 85 % in Brazil and 98% in Norway.

Blue, clean, and no CO2 emission!

On the other hand, providing drinkable water to the population and wastewater treatment are requesting electricity. In the US for example, 3% of the nation electricity is used for water systems :  distribution and treatment.

The average amount of energy necessary for production and delivery of drinking water is 0.5kWh par m3. 

The same amount of energy is requested for wastewater treatment.
wastewaterThis means that from source to discharge, every m3 is spending 1 kWh. Based on the European Union average, 0.4kg of CO2 is then emitted per m3. This is one additional reason to avoid water waste!

But this nothing compared to what is necessary for desalination (getting drinkable water from sea water). The most advanced technology is called “reverse osmosis” and is requesting around 4.5kWh par m3.

In other words, desalination of 1m3 of sea water is producing as much CO2 as the combustion of ¾ litre of gasoline!

Jacques  Schonek

Appreciating Ipoh's past

Saturday August 28, 2010
Navel Gazer
By ALEXANDRA WONG

A heritage walk around Ipoh’s historical section kindles our columnist’s interest in old buildings and bygone events.

I stifled a yawn as I alighted from my car and walked towards the small crowd in front of the Ipoh railway station entrance. My history teacher would surely fall off his chair if he knew why I was here.

Alex Wong — who used her thick, brick-like history books as shields for Mills & Boon romance novels and thought only crazy people would go gaga over dilapidated buildings and dead people — volunteer for a heritage walk?

Call it serendipity. At a recent assignment, I met one Mr Rajasegaran, a tourist guide who just happened to be conducting a newly-launched heritage walk around Ipoh Old Town. Since he supplied an interesting insight which I eventually used for that story — pomelo wood can be turned into spinning tops — I could hardly say no when he invited me to join him one fine Saturday.

Concubine Lane and Ipoh Railway Station (below) built between 1914 and 1917

“Good morning!” Mr Raja beamed at the motley group.

Aside from me, there were men in bermudas, sun-hatted middle-aged ladies, a schoolteacher with three sleepy-looking students and a chatty couple from Singapore who seemed more excited than us locals.

Mr Raja launched into a lively overview of the railway station. Ipoh’s most famous landmark was, naturally, the day’s first pit stop. To my surprise, instead of zeroing in on the usual Taj Mahal comparisons, he asked a curious question: “Have any of you noticed a mechanical elevator inside Majestic Hotel?”

He was referring to the lodgings attached to the railway station.

“It carries an interesting message.”

“Yes!” the teacher piped up. “It looks quirky, though I’ve never paid attention to the message. What does it say? Is it still working?”

“Yes, it is. I can’t recall the exact words, but it goes something like: ‘I am as old as a grandmother, don’t touch me suddenly or I will fall apart’,” Mr Raja replied.

The crowd chuckled at this humorous tidbit. Maybe this would not be the snoozefest I had expected . . .

On that cheerful note, we strolled towards the memorial park.

“During its heyday of the tin mines, it was like a gold rush. Ipoh had so much money. The first car in the country was driven in Ipoh by a chap named Eu Tong Sen (founder of the famous Eu Yan Sang medical hall).”

A dozen pairs of eyebrows flew up in surprise.

He smiled like a sous chef about to unveil his signature dish.

“That is why Ipoh number plates start with ‘A’, you see. The next state to have cars was Selangor. And as you know, their licence plate starts with ‘B’. Pahang was next . . .”

Pity we did not have these bits of trivia to connect the past to the present. I might have done better in history.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a middle-aged lady staring at a plaque which bore the names of the British soldiers who died during the two World Wars.

“History should never be erased,” she spoke up. “It tells you how we move along in life and how we became what we are today.”

Mr Raja nodded feelingly.

“The other day, another lady who joined the tour told me she had driven along this road for 20 years and never knew its significance. Incidentally, this road, formerly Station Road, is the oldest road in Ipoh.”

We crossed the street over to the Town Hall. I was seized by nostalgia. As a little girl, I followed my parents here to attend their friends’ wedding dinners and concerts. It is still a popular events venue, Mr Raja said.

“Rabindranath Tagore once conducted a course for English teachers here. Are you familiar with him?”

His question met with utter silence.

I volunteered, “The Indian poet?”

“That’s right. This hall has had its share of illustrious visitors. During the 70s, I had the chance to attend an Indian wedding and watch a performance by a famous Malaysian singer. His commanding voice brought the house down.” He paused for effect. “Do you want to guess who it was?”

We shook our heads.

“P. Ramlee!”

I shot Mr Raja an admiring glance as we continued on. Leading a historical walk involved a lot more than reading off a script. The guide had to engage, entertain AND inform his audience. He also had to read his audience well and improvise on the fly, never knowing for sure what would resonate and what wouldn’t. Like when Tagore’s name didn’t strike a chord. Fortunately, he had the P. Ramlee anecdote at his fingertips.

A ripple of shock seized me when a familiar narrow alley came into sight. I glanced at my watch. Two-and-a-half-hours already?

“You see that peephole up there?” Mr Raja’s voice grabbed my attention. “It’s for the house tenants to see who their visitors are.”

I squinted up at a tiny opening on the second floor of one of the houses. “Ah, my grandfather’s house had one of these, too. So it wasn’t a mistake by the builder,” I recalled with a laugh.

As I drank in the tumbledown buildings, the birdcages of mistresses past, the antiquated sliding doors of Concubine Lane — as the alley was once known — I was suffused by a new sense of appreciation.

My eyes fell on the three schoolchildren in our group. They were the only ones who didn’t seem fully engaged; their faces had registered blanks even at P. Ramlee’s name. I couldn’t blame them. Perhaps this was why I never enjoyed history in school. I was too young to grasp its nuances and appreciate its relevance to my life.

After thanking Mr Raja for a job well done, I headed back to the railway station. The walk was not quite over for me. Filled with purpose, I raced past traffic lights, honking cars and sun-soaked streets. Upon reaching the station, I headed straight for Majestic Hotel. To my dismay, only a grilled door greeted me. I peered down the elevator shaft. Nothing.

Then, another thought struck me. Silly me. A lift goes up and down between floors. I galumphed up the carpeted stairs leading to the second floor, the wooden steps creaking beneath my heavy steps.

“Do you still have the elevator with the funny message?” I blurted out to the uniformed chap at the lobby.

If he thought my question was silly, he gave no outward sign as he graciously led me to the object of my pursuit and opened its paintworn wooden door. Bingo!

Hi Dearest Girls & Boys,

I am as antique as your grand

grandpa is

I move slow and re-act slow

If you push/pull my door when

you use me

Then I will shock there & stop

there . . .

I laughed at it like the mischievous schoolgirl I was, or perhaps, still am, at heart.

Then it dawned on me that I was standing on an open balcony, where a bird’s eye view of Ipoh’s oldest section lay before me. A most fitting finale to a most enjoyable two hours.

History dry, stuffy and boring? Not anymore, thanks to Time, that most patient of teachers.

o Alexandra Wong (bunnysprints.blogspot.com) is glad she had the chance to learn why the town that tin built became known as the City of Millionaires.

The Ipoh Heritage Walk, an initiative of the Kinta Heritage Group, departs every Saturday from the main entrance of Ipoh Railway Station at 8am. For more information, e-mail kintaheritage@gmail.com

ORIGINAL POSTING http://thestar.com.my

Eight reasons why Pakatan lost

Bridget Welsh
Nov 5, 10
3:59pm
 

ANALYSIS The BN deservedly should claim and savour yesterday's victories. The combined gains in Galas and Batu Sapi show significant swings across ethnic minorities, which proved to be decisive in determining the final outcome.

This is the first major turning point in the political stalemate between the BN and Pakatan Rakyat among all of the 13 by-elections since March 2008.

From the ground, it was clear that the BN had the advantage in both seats, and I expected both wins. The results, however, are even larger than expected.

What happened?

It is important to understand that these two seats typify a particular form; they are mixed semi-rural seats, like Hulu Selangor. They represent the opposition's political periphery – places where the opposition won unexpectedly in 2008 – and, importantly, are the current battleground for national power.

The BN's double victories showcase their ability to win this type of seats and hold onto its dominant national position in government.

Allow me to elaborate some factors that shaped the results in what I have grouped under the 'semi-rural' category combined with some changes in the national political landscape.

1) Machinery and the personal touch

The BN was ready for these two battles. They had, as one party worker described, the “guns and bullets” to deliver the results. The preparation for the campaign began early and unlike the opposition which did not develop momentum until days into the campaign period, the BN was off and running from the onset.

The opposition was stretched and imported their party workers from nearby, as they lacked effective local networks. The fact that the two by-elections occurred on the same day weakened the collective Pakatan effort and points to the weakness of Pakatan nationally.

What is particular to semi-rural seats is the presence of the personal touch. BN's strong local networks provided voters in these areas with people whom they could connect to and trust. The grassroots house-to-house approach worked well in these semi-rural areas.

In contrast, the deluge of Pakatan 'outsiders' did not translate into effective machinery on the ground, particularly since most came for only a few days and campaigning lacked the needed personal touch.

2) Political infighting

What weakened the opposition further was infighting, especially in Sabah. Granted, both sides had divisions, but Umno and BN were able to manage them better. They focused on their target - victory.

Cooperation was noticeably missing in the opposition, with people staying away from supporting the team. This was most obvious in Batu Sapi, where physical violence occurred at the start of the campaign, but this occurred as well in Galas, where PAS was internally conflicted about the need to win Galas and expend resources.

The divisions in the opposition extended beyond internal component parties to the relationship among the opposition actors, as tensions simmered over the choice of contesting in Batu Sapi and dissatisfaction over the pace of the campaign in both places.

One factor in particular that overshadowed the contests was PKR's party polls. The Batu Sapi contest showed the negative impact of non-consultative decision-making. Many in PKR are still smarting from the perceived bully tactics of the West Malaysian party leaders. The failure to put aside personal ambitions and build bridges for the good of the party contributed to the losses in both places.

The electoral contest was a proxy arena for the internal party fight between an approach that is exclusionary and one that is more inclusive and decentralised. In order to win the political periphery, the opposition needs to be united. The unity in the BN made their victories decisive.

3) The role of local warlords

BN gains should also be credited to the local warlords - Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Musa Aman. These leaders reinforced the personal touch and provided the organisational base and local understanding for effective campaigns. They minimised infighting. What is striking here is the deficit of local leadership on Pakatan's part.

The BN has returned to its approach of working effectively through decentralised decision-making and it earned dividends.

4) Limited appeal of national leaders

The crucial role of local intermediaries stands in contrast to the minimised impact of national leaders.

While Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was on the ground, and should be credited for his success in the campaign, the absence of Prime Minister Najib Razak due to chicken pox was striking. He won by not going to the ground and making the campaign about the BN as a whole, not his persona or personal leadership. 

For Pakatan's national leaders, their presence did not yield the expected results. This was most obvious in Batu Sapi and for PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim, who was not able to move the party's vote share to striking distance of victory as the BN won three times more votes.

While these leaders did win support, the contests showed that they cannot do it alone. The two by-elections are a wake-up call to Pakatan leaders to move beyond focusing on their own personal successes and issues and to lay out the policies and platforms to address the needs of the electorate.

Voters are rightly concerned that for Pakatan – with the slogan 'The road to Putrajaya' – the focus is on winning personal power for themselves, as it remains unclear exactly how supporting them will benefit voters.

5) Better multi-ethnic messaging

This issue connects squarely with the need to have consistent and clear messages. The 'change' rhetoric has lost its appeal, not only in Malaysia as Tuesday's US election results show. Now it is more about the delivery and the content of the change.

One area in particular involves multi-ethnic cooperation. Pakatan's approach has been to showcase individual leaders from different ethnic groups as a symbol of their ability to work together across races. Yet, Pakatan has not laid out a clear multi-ethnic platform that addresses the concerns of all groups in areas of rights and religion.

A focus on personal relationships is not enough. In Galas, questions percolated about Malay rights, for example, and PAS was not able to effectively address the concerns of voters who are less politicised and less familiar with the debates.

In Batu Sapi, the concerns of older generations of Sabahans regarding the new citizens were not adequately addressed, and in fact the focus on winning the support of the new Filipino voters backfired in a reduction of support among Chinese and Malays.

In the racialised polity of Malaysia and in mixed seats, appeals to individual groups need overarching platforms on how groups can co-exist peacefully. BN's 1Malaysia rubric – although also limited in actual substance – provided much greater security to voters. This framework provided some traction in semi-rural areas, as it did in Hulu Selangor.

Another dimension on the messaging in these two seats is the fact that many voters in semi-rural areas do not read this article. They do not use online media and are less politicised. The BN's use of the mainstream media gave it an advantage, and allowed it to reinforce its more accessible multi-ethnic framework and slogan.

Yet, this highlights the fact that connecting to the semi-rural periphery is a challenge for Pakatan.

6) Relative economic prosperity

It is particularly a challenge given that economic conditions in many of these semi-rural areas have changed. The issues of inflation and decreased commodity prices are no longer as salient.

Palm oil, rubber and logging provided relative gains for voters in these seats, as most – except the hardcore poor – believed that conditions had improved economically and credited the BN – and Najib – with these gains. Bread and butter issues are the main concern of voters in semi-rural areas.

The Chinese swing-back to the BN, estimated at 5% in Galas, can in part be contributed to better economic conditions there. A similar swing among Batu Sapi voters did not occur, as 3% more supported alternatives in Sabah, but these votes were split and the BN won the lion's share of 42% of the Chinese vote.

The opposition faces an uphill task winning national power when economic conditions favour the incumbent government.

7) Young generation swing

This dynamic played out especially among younger voters, who did not support Pakatan to the same level as before. There was understandably lower turnout among younger voters who did not come back to vote, given that this election happened on a weekday. Yet, even among those who voted, BN support increased.

This was most obvious in Galas where an estimated 7% of younger voters moved toward BN. In Batu Sapi, younger voters moved to BN by an estimated 5%. This is an important national trend, given the large number of younger voters nationally. They want jobs and better wages. BN has capitalised on this more effectively.

8) Goodies

This brings me to my last point, intentionally placed last. There is a tendency to focus on the 'goodies', and excuse losses due to the uneven playing field in the allocation of resources.

This is always a factor in by-elections and clearly took place, although many voters are still waiting for their promised items. This support only goes only so far, and cannot exclusively explain the comparatively large gains that the BN made.

Winning the political periphery

The two by-elections show that the BN is gaining ground, and Najib's policies are having an impact. They, however, are more effective in semi-rural areas – where development concerns, comparative economic prosperity, less political engagement and information, and less machinery and connections for Pakatan are present.

The victories cannot be extended to all seats, especially in the urban areas, and they are not a national phenomenon. Yet, they do suggest that the BN's hold on national power is stronger and gaining. The momentum for the opposition has stopped as they have failed to win the political periphery of semi-rural mixed seats.

The BN was noticeably breathing easier – Batu Sapi and Galas have given them good reason to smile. But Sarawak – with its mix of seats – will provide a much better national test.
DR BRIDGET WELSH is associate professor of political science at Singapore Management University. She was in both Batu Sapi and Galas to observe the two by-elections. Welsh can be reached at bwelsh@smu.edu.sg.

POSTING FROM Malaysiakini