PETALING JAYA: Petrol and diesel prices have been slashed by another 10 sen effective today. The price of RON97 petrol is now RM1.80, while RON92 is selling at RM1.70 a litre. The pump price of diesel is now RM1.70 a litre.
In a statement, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the reduction was in line with the drop in global crude oil prices.
The retail prices of petrol and diesel have been gradually lowered from their highs of RM2.70 and RM2.58 respectively in June.
Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association president Datuk Ashfar Ali said the drop would hardly impact his operational costs.
“The damage is already done. The price of daily necessities and foodstuff have gone up and nobody will reduce their prices.
“Spare parts are still expensive – their prices have not gone down either. And the bulk of the diesel used for our operations is under the fleet card system, where it costs RM1.43 a litre.”
Ashfar suggested that the subsidised diesel enjoyed by bus operators could be reduced by a further 13 sen to RM1.30.
“With the lower global crude oil price, I feel the Government can afford it.”
Pan Malaysian Lorry Owners Association president Er Sui See said with cheaper diesel, lorry operators could consider maintaining transport prices.
“At RM1.70, I think we can sustain the price. Diesel accounts for 35% of our operational costs, and only about half of the operators benefit from the fleet card system.”
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Dynamite found at Paris department store
PARIS, France (CNN) -- Police evacuated a major department store in central Paris Tuesday after finding five sticks of dynamite inside, French police told CNN
CNN affiliate BFM-TV reported the dynamite was not rigged to explode, but police did not immediately confirm the report.
French news agency AFP said it received a letter in the mail Tuesday morning, claiming to be from an Afghan revolutionary group and saying that a bomb was at the renowned Printemps department store. The news agency alerted the police, who evacuated the store, AFP told CNN.
The letter specified three locations where explosives had been placed, and urged the news agency to contact the police "quickly or you will have blood on your hands," according to a copy of the letter obtained by CNN which AFP confirmed was accurate. "I assure you that this is not a prank," the letter said.
The bomb squad found the dynamite around 11 a.m. (5 a.m. ET) and were still investigating nearly two hours later, police said. It is not clear if the explosives were found where the letter said they would be. The store remained evacuated
AFP said the letter was signed by a group called "Front Revolutionaires Afghan," or Afghan Revolutionary Front. BFM-TV reported the group is calling for the withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan by the end of February 2009
"Make sure the message is relayed to your president of the republic that he withdraw his troops from our country (Afghanistan) before the end of February 2009 or we will strike again your capitalist department stores but without warning," the letter said.
It is the second time in a week that AFP has received a warning about the store. The agency said it received a phone call from a similar Afghan group a few days ago regarding the store, but at the time, police chose not to evacuate.
Printemps, one of France's most renowned stores, is popular with tourists and locals alike and located on the Boulevard Haussman.
Jim Bittermann, CNN's senior European correspondent based in Paris, said: "These kind of stores at this time of year are absolutely packed with shoppers."
He added that France has a considerable number of troops in Afghanistan. In August, 10 French soldiers were killed in fighting near the Afghan capital Kabul.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said earlier this year that his government was willing to commit more troops to the war in Afghanistan.
"We cannot afford to see the Taliban and al Qaeda returning to Kabul," Sarkozy said during a state visit to the UK in March. "Whatever the cost, however difficult the victory, we cannot afford it. We must win."
Paula Newton, CNN's international security correspondent, said that the group involved was previously unheard of. "This may be termed a hoax attack but it will cause real anxiety on the ground."
CNN affiliate BFM-TV reported the dynamite was not rigged to explode, but police did not immediately confirm the report.
French news agency AFP said it received a letter in the mail Tuesday morning, claiming to be from an Afghan revolutionary group and saying that a bomb was at the renowned Printemps department store. The news agency alerted the police, who evacuated the store, AFP told CNN.
The letter specified three locations where explosives had been placed, and urged the news agency to contact the police "quickly or you will have blood on your hands," according to a copy of the letter obtained by CNN which AFP confirmed was accurate. "I assure you that this is not a prank," the letter said.
The bomb squad found the dynamite around 11 a.m. (5 a.m. ET) and were still investigating nearly two hours later, police said. It is not clear if the explosives were found where the letter said they would be. The store remained evacuated
AFP said the letter was signed by a group called "Front Revolutionaires Afghan," or Afghan Revolutionary Front. BFM-TV reported the group is calling for the withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan by the end of February 2009
"Make sure the message is relayed to your president of the republic that he withdraw his troops from our country (Afghanistan) before the end of February 2009 or we will strike again your capitalist department stores but without warning," the letter said.
It is the second time in a week that AFP has received a warning about the store. The agency said it received a phone call from a similar Afghan group a few days ago regarding the store, but at the time, police chose not to evacuate.
Printemps, one of France's most renowned stores, is popular with tourists and locals alike and located on the Boulevard Haussman.
Jim Bittermann, CNN's senior European correspondent based in Paris, said: "These kind of stores at this time of year are absolutely packed with shoppers."
He added that France has a considerable number of troops in Afghanistan. In August, 10 French soldiers were killed in fighting near the Afghan capital Kabul.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said earlier this year that his government was willing to commit more troops to the war in Afghanistan.
"We cannot afford to see the Taliban and al Qaeda returning to Kabul," Sarkozy said during a state visit to the UK in March. "Whatever the cost, however difficult the victory, we cannot afford it. We must win."
Paula Newton, CNN's international security correspondent, said that the group involved was previously unheard of. "This may be termed a hoax attack but it will cause real anxiety on the ground."
Bye-bye Causeway checkpoint, hello CIQ
JOHOR BARU: After 41 years of being in operation, the Malaysia-Singapore Causeway checkpoint finally closed its doors at 12.01am on Tuesday.
Johor Immigrations Department director Mohd Nasri Ishak said that the checkpoint, which started operations in 1967, would cease all activities and its operations moved to the new Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.
He said there was minor congestion at the new complex as road users were still adapting to the new route.
“Traffic was at a slight crawl as there were some technical difficulties.
“All immigration personnel have been moved to the new complex, and we expect the new complex will reduce traffic congestion,” he said.
Johor Immigrations Department director Mohd Nasri Ishak said that the checkpoint, which started operations in 1967, would cease all activities and its operations moved to the new Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.
He said there was minor congestion at the new complex as road users were still adapting to the new route.
“Traffic was at a slight crawl as there were some technical difficulties.
“All immigration personnel have been moved to the new complex, and we expect the new complex will reduce traffic congestion,” he said.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
India identifies Mumbai attackers
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Indian authorities in Mumbai have released the identities of the 10 gunmen responsible for the three-day siege in India's financial capital that killed more than 160 people, according to CNN's partner network CNN-IBN.
According to CNN-IBN, the Mumbai Crime Branch detailed the attackers' names, where they lived in Pakistan, and the locations of where authorities believe they carried out their assault.
They also released images of the men who investigators say were all in their 20s.
Here is the list of the alleged gunmen and the locations in Mumbai that Indian investigators say they attacked, according to CNN-IBN:
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST)/Victoria Terminus train station
1. Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab alias "Abu Mujahid" of Okara village, Punjab Province, Pakistan. Kasab, 21, has been previously identified by Mumbai's police chief. He is the only surviving attacker and is in government custody.
2. Ismail Khan alias "Abu Ismail" from Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan
Taj Hotel
3. Hafeez Arshad alias "Abdul Rehman Bada" from Multan, Pakistan
4. Javed alias "Abu Ali," also from Okara
5. Shoaib alias "Soaib" from Narowal Sialkot, Pakistan
6. Nazeer alias "Abu Umera" from Faizalabad, Pakistan
Chabad House/Nariman House
7. Nasir alias "Abu Umar" also from Faizalabad
8. Babbar Imran alias "Abu Aqasha" also from Multan
Hotel Oberoi-Trident
9. Abdul Rehman alias "Abdul Rehman Chota" of Arafwala, Multan Road, Pakistan
May god burn their soul in hell....
Pak Lah: PPP free to leave Barisan
KUALA LUMPUR: The PPP is free to leave Barisan Nasional if it continues to insist that it will do so if the Internal Security Act (ISA) is not amended, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.
The Government, he said, had no plan to amend the ISA. Recently, PPP president Datuk M. Kayveas said the party would pull out of the Barisan if the ISA was not amended before the next elections.
Kayveas said he had to follow what the Youth and Wanita divisions had proposed to the party and they wanted the ISA abolished. Kayveas also said Barisan had to make changes before the next general election, and it would be suicidal if it did not.
Asked if this meant that the PPP was free to leave Barisan, Abdullah said: “If that is their choice, what can we do?”
The Government, he said, had no plan to amend the ISA. Recently, PPP president Datuk M. Kayveas said the party would pull out of the Barisan if the ISA was not amended before the next elections.
Kayveas said he had to follow what the Youth and Wanita divisions had proposed to the party and they wanted the ISA abolished. Kayveas also said Barisan had to make changes before the next general election, and it would be suicidal if it did not.
Asked if this meant that the PPP was free to leave Barisan, Abdullah said: “If that is their choice, what can we do?”
Irish dioxin scare spreads to beef
LONDON, England (CNN) -- The Republic of Ireland has put 45 cattle farms under restrictions amid concerns that dangerous chemicals could have contaminated beef in addition to pork. The farms "received potentially contaminated feed," the country's Department of Agriculture said in a statement Tuesday.
Officials carried out tests on 11 herds and found three had unacceptably high levels of PCBs, a type of chemical that can cause cancer.
The department insists there is "no public health concern," though it admitted the samples were "technically non-compliant." The other eight herds tested clear, the government said.
Dublin has recalled pork products from all pigs slaughtered in Ireland following the discovery of dioxins this weekend. The government is not naming the beef farms
Officials carried out tests on 11 herds and found three had unacceptably high levels of PCBs, a type of chemical that can cause cancer.
The department insists there is "no public health concern," though it admitted the samples were "technically non-compliant." The other eight herds tested clear, the government said.
Dublin has recalled pork products from all pigs slaughtered in Ireland following the discovery of dioxins this weekend. The government is not naming the beef farms
Clashes hit Athens as shot boy buried
ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- Clashes broke out in the Greek capital Tuesday as the funeral was held of a 15-year-old whose fatal shooting by police sparked days of rioting across the country.
Riot police were deployed across the city. They fired tear gas and were being pelted with debris. Police told CNN they feared a repeat Tuesday of the previous night's violence, which they said was out of control and the worst since the riots began.
Greek broadcasters reported further unrest after the funeral of Alexandros Grigoropoulos -- whose shooting on Saturday night triggered the violence -- in Paleo Faliro, a southern Athens suburb.
The events have exacerbated the unpopularity of the ruling party and left Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis scrambling to shore up support.
Karamanlis met with President Karolos Papoulias and cabinet members before briefing political leaders on the country's security situation. Some 10,000 people marched on the country's parliament Tuesday to express anger over the teenager's death and vent frustrations over the state of the economy, unemployment and allegations of corruption.
Crowds of youths scuffled and threw rocks at police outside parliament before tightly banded ranks of riot officers pushed back the protesters.
Security officials have warned they a preparing for what could be worst night of rioting after the funeral.
Riot police were deployed across the city. They fired tear gas and were being pelted with debris. Police told CNN they feared a repeat Tuesday of the previous night's violence, which they said was out of control and the worst since the riots began.
Greek broadcasters reported further unrest after the funeral of Alexandros Grigoropoulos -- whose shooting on Saturday night triggered the violence -- in Paleo Faliro, a southern Athens suburb.
The events have exacerbated the unpopularity of the ruling party and left Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis scrambling to shore up support.
Karamanlis met with President Karolos Papoulias and cabinet members before briefing political leaders on the country's security situation. Some 10,000 people marched on the country's parliament Tuesday to express anger over the teenager's death and vent frustrations over the state of the economy, unemployment and allegations of corruption.
Crowds of youths scuffled and threw rocks at police outside parliament before tightly banded ranks of riot officers pushed back the protesters.
Security officials have warned they a preparing for what could be worst night of rioting after the funeral.
Bukit Antarabangsa Tragedy: Alarm bells unheeded for years
KUALA LUMPUR: "We told you so." Among engineers, the fragility of the slopes in Hulu Kelang, has been ringing alarm bells for years. In conference after conference, paper after academic paper, they had warned that the instability of the soil on the hillsides of one of the most sought-after residential areas in the Klang Valley was a catastrophe waiting to happen.
Repeatedly pointed out, the lessons of the Dec 11, 1993 collapse of one of the three blocks of the Highland Towers condomimium in Bukit Antarabangsa, which claimed 48 lives and left hundreds injured, have not been learnt.
All in, 13 landslides have occurred in and around Bukit Antarabangsa since then.
The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) blamed the lack of systematic regulatory measures on the safety of hillside development as a root cause of landslides.
IEM vice-president Tan Yean Chim said it had in 2001 forwarded recommendations outlined in a position paper titled "Mitigating the Risk of Landslides on Hill-Site Development" to the government.
"We hope the government can take note of the paper's contents and seriously look at adopting the recommendations, especially on the 'Dangerous Hillside Order' on existing slopes.
"IEM is also ever ready to offer the services of its 22,000 mem-bership to allay the growing pub-lic fear for the safety of lives and properties on hillslopes," Tan said.
In the paper, IEM said among the chief causes of landslides were ineffective legislation and guidelines on slope failure mitigation, poor engineering practice, lack of maintenance, and inadequate enforcement and monitoring by regulatory agencies and authorities.
Expressing the standard response to what has been common knowledge in the profession for some time, geotechnical engineer Datuk Dr Ramli Mohamad said "people got excited for a while and then forgot the whole thing".
"In the past, I, like many others, had offered solutions. No one heeded them.
"As long as there is gravity there will be landslides. It will pull down earth. Water will make it worse as the ground becomes heavier and the soil weakens. We live in the tropics where rainfall is high.
"We must be very careful when we encroach into hillslopes. We cannot blame mother nature."
Ramli said the planning and designing of projects, not only at hilltops but the bottom as well, were critical.
"What we do at the top of hillslopes affects what is at the foot. Sometimes, the issue becomes complex owing to land ownership. Who is responsible for which area of land?
"It costs money to do anything. The government has to take responsiblility by enforcing regulations and legislation."
Ramli had six years ago proposed that subsurface drainage be considered as a means to maintain the stability of slopes, particularly in the Bukit Antarabangsa area. Among his proposals were the building of strong foundations, retaining walls and proper drainage Periodic soil tests should be carried out and "unscrupulous devegetation" prevented.
On Nov 16, the New Sunday Times reported that a study of slopes in Hulu Kelang found over a hundred landslide scars, with most of them unremedied and having the potential of slipping again.
The study, commissioned by the Public Works Department's Slope Engineering Branch, found a high likelihood of "fatal slope failures" in its mapping of the Ampang district.
With so much evidence of slope instability, civil engineer Sheikh Abdul Wahed Rahim of Jurutera Perunding GEA (M) Sdn Bhd did not mince words.
"Everybody is just talking and not doing anything about it. We are not doing the right things with the rules and regulations.
"Slopes are becoming too high-tech and it appears developers don't seem to have any idea about landslide prevention.
"The basics are not adhered to and a proper survey is not done before an area is developed."
He called on all concerned to pay attention to the design, construction and maintenance aspects of hillslope development. Plastic surgeon Dr Benjamin George, 80, who survived the Highland Towers tragedy, believed that landslides would continue to happen as long as the authorities did not have the will to stop them.
Dr George is the Highland Towers owners and residents committee chairman.
Repeatedly pointed out, the lessons of the Dec 11, 1993 collapse of one of the three blocks of the Highland Towers condomimium in Bukit Antarabangsa, which claimed 48 lives and left hundreds injured, have not been learnt.
All in, 13 landslides have occurred in and around Bukit Antarabangsa since then.
The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) blamed the lack of systematic regulatory measures on the safety of hillside development as a root cause of landslides.
IEM vice-president Tan Yean Chim said it had in 2001 forwarded recommendations outlined in a position paper titled "Mitigating the Risk of Landslides on Hill-Site Development" to the government.
"We hope the government can take note of the paper's contents and seriously look at adopting the recommendations, especially on the 'Dangerous Hillside Order' on existing slopes.
"IEM is also ever ready to offer the services of its 22,000 mem-bership to allay the growing pub-lic fear for the safety of lives and properties on hillslopes," Tan said.
In the paper, IEM said among the chief causes of landslides were ineffective legislation and guidelines on slope failure mitigation, poor engineering practice, lack of maintenance, and inadequate enforcement and monitoring by regulatory agencies and authorities.
Expressing the standard response to what has been common knowledge in the profession for some time, geotechnical engineer Datuk Dr Ramli Mohamad said "people got excited for a while and then forgot the whole thing".
"In the past, I, like many others, had offered solutions. No one heeded them.
"As long as there is gravity there will be landslides. It will pull down earth. Water will make it worse as the ground becomes heavier and the soil weakens. We live in the tropics where rainfall is high.
"We must be very careful when we encroach into hillslopes. We cannot blame mother nature."
Ramli said the planning and designing of projects, not only at hilltops but the bottom as well, were critical.
"What we do at the top of hillslopes affects what is at the foot. Sometimes, the issue becomes complex owing to land ownership. Who is responsible for which area of land?
"It costs money to do anything. The government has to take responsiblility by enforcing regulations and legislation."
Ramli had six years ago proposed that subsurface drainage be considered as a means to maintain the stability of slopes, particularly in the Bukit Antarabangsa area. Among his proposals were the building of strong foundations, retaining walls and proper drainage Periodic soil tests should be carried out and "unscrupulous devegetation" prevented.
On Nov 16, the New Sunday Times reported that a study of slopes in Hulu Kelang found over a hundred landslide scars, with most of them unremedied and having the potential of slipping again.
The study, commissioned by the Public Works Department's Slope Engineering Branch, found a high likelihood of "fatal slope failures" in its mapping of the Ampang district.
With so much evidence of slope instability, civil engineer Sheikh Abdul Wahed Rahim of Jurutera Perunding GEA (M) Sdn Bhd did not mince words.
"Everybody is just talking and not doing anything about it. We are not doing the right things with the rules and regulations.
"Slopes are becoming too high-tech and it appears developers don't seem to have any idea about landslide prevention.
"The basics are not adhered to and a proper survey is not done before an area is developed."
He called on all concerned to pay attention to the design, construction and maintenance aspects of hillslope development. Plastic surgeon Dr Benjamin George, 80, who survived the Highland Towers tragedy, believed that landslides would continue to happen as long as the authorities did not have the will to stop them.
Dr George is the Highland Towers owners and residents committee chairman.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Bill Clinton says he'll stay out of the way
HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Former President Bill Clinton said Wednesday he will have very little to do with Hillary Clinton's decisions in her role as secretary of state in the Obama administration. "I'll just try to be a helpful sounding board to her, but I don't think I'll do any more than that," Clinton told CNN during a trip to Hong Kong.
President-elect Barack Obama announced Monday that Hillary Clinton, the senator from New York, was his choice for secretary of state.
The former president said he and Sen. Clinton have always talked "about everything," and he called her advice "invaluable" throughout his career. Video
I really care about all these profound challenges that our country and the world are facing," he said. "But the decisions will have to be ultimately President-elect Obama's decisions to make about what we are going to do, what our policies are going to be."
Bill Clinton said Sen. Clinton learned she was being considered for the Cabinet post by reading it in the newspaper. Video
"I think she made the right decision, but for her it was hard. She adored being in the Senate," he said.
He said he would remain in the background unless Obama "asks me to do something specific, which I'm neither looking for nor closed to."
Bill Clinton was in Hong Kong to open a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, the nonprofit foundation he started after leaving office. The organization, which is aimed at tackling international problems such as poverty and disease, came under scrutiny while his wife was being vetted for the job.
Clinton said he has agreed to disclose his donors in order to eliminate concerns that supporters were trying to influence U.S. international policy, a move he called "over and above what the law requires."
"If she is going to be secretary of state and I operate globally and I have people who contribute to these efforts globally, I think that it's important to make it totally transparent," he said
Mumbai police chief: No warning given of impending attack
MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- Mumbai's police chief said Tuesday that he never received a warning of an impending seaborne attack on his city. "[The warning] that terrorists could arrive by sea was from an intelligence report of last year that only said terrorists could attack Gujarat or industries in the south," Hasan Gafoor said.
Mumbai is in Maharashtra state, which borders Gujarat state.
Indian security forces have told CNN that U.S. officials warned the Indian government in New Delhi on two occasions about a waterborne attack in Mumbai. And according to a U.S. counterterrorism official, New Delhi was warned about a potential maritime attack on Mumbai at least a month before last week's massacre, in which at least 179 people were killed.
The area entered a higher state of alert for a week, including tightened security measures at hotels, but those efforts were eventually reduced, Indian officials said.
Gafoor said security was recently boosted at the city's hotels, but it was a precautionary move after a September attack on a Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan.
In his first news conference since the attack, Gafoor said the 10 gunmen came to Mumbai after hijacking a vessel in the Pakistani city of Karachi to "create a sensation and kill as many people as possible."
He also said the attackers were on a suicide mission when they staged the coordinated attacks on several targets.
The band of gunmen attacked 10 targets in Mumbai on Wednesday night, sparking three days of battles with police and Indian troops in the heart of the city, which is the hub of India's financial and entertainment industries. Most of the 179 deaths occurred at the city's top two hotels: the Oberoi and the Taj Mahal.
There is a rising tide of anger among Indians about the perceived lax security in Mumbai before the attacks, particularly in light of the reports that the government in New Delhi had been warned.
Surveillance video taken at Mumbai's Victoria Terminus train station -- one of the first targets -- shows a couple of local police cowering behind pillars as the attackers approach. Indian police constables are not armed, under Indian law, and CNN's sister station in India, CNN-IBN, reported that police retreated at the train station to call for backup.
Nine of the 10 attackers were killed by Indian forces, and Gafoor said none of the gunmen had any intention of surviving the onslaught. The only suspected attacker who survived was photographed at the train station holding what appeared to be an assault rifle.
That suspect is in police custody and "cooperating very well," Gafoor said. He has told police he is a Pakistani national. Indian intelligence sources have told CNN-IBN that police believe all the attackers were Pakistanis.
Gafoor said the attackers had "very detailed maps" of the city and used several taxicabs to get around Mumbai.
The attackers planted bombs in two of the taxis, resulting in explosions at two sites -- including Santa Cruz Domestic Airport -- in an attempt to divert attention from their main targets, the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels.
Ratan Tata, the chairman of the company that owns the the Taj Mahal hotel, told CNN that his company had been warned about the possibility of a terrorist attack before the massacre, but he did not say when.
He said the terrorists most likely waited until the security measures were relaxed at the hotel before carrying out their "very well-planned" attack.
Tata said the extra security measures would not have stopped the attackers from entering the building because they went through a kitchen door that was not monitored by a metal detector.
Gafoor said all of the attackers were trained by former army officers, but he would not elaborate on where they prepared for the attack.
"Some of them trained for a year, some of them for more than a year," he said.
Gafoor said other suspects linked to the attack have been questioned by investigators, but none is in police custody.
According to the foreign minister, the 10 attackers hijacked a trawler in the Pakistani port city of Karachi -- about 575 miles (925 kilometers) north of Mumbai -- and came ashore at Mumbai in dinghies. Gafoor said a Global Positioning System, or GPS, found with the attackers showed they had come from Pakistan.
Intelligence officials told CNN-IBN that the captain of the trawler was found dead, lying face-down with his hands bound behind his back. Four crew members who had been on board were missing, they said.
Gafoor said Indian officials will provide evidence backing their conclusions "once the investigation is complete."
India's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday briefed diplomats representing the countries that lost nationals in the attack -- including the United States and Britain -- about the ongoing investigation and the details of the attack, the ministry said.
India is calling on Pakistan's government to hand over a group of wanted militant leaders suspected of plotting the Mumbai attacks.
Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said his country made the request in a demarche, or protest note, to Pakistan's top diplomat in India, according to the Press Trust of India.
"We will await the response of Pakistan," the foreign minister said.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday proposed a joint investigation into the attacks and said, "This is not the time to point fingers."
"We are ready to help India," he said. "We need to make a common strategy to fight with a common enemy. We need to show we're serious."
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told CNN on Monday that his government will provide "full cooperation" with Indian authorities investigating the attacks. But he said Indian officials have yet to present Pakistan with evidence regarding the massacre.
India summoned Pakistan's high commissioner, the top-ranking Pakistani diplomat in New Delhi, to Mukherjee's office Monday to inform him that last week's massacre in Mumbai "was carried out by elements from Pakistan." It has been demanding the extradition of some of those militant leaders since a 2001 attack on India's Parliament that brought the South Asian nuclear rivals to the brink of war.
"The government expects that strong action would be taken against those elements, whosoever they may be, responsible for this outrage," a statement from India's Foreign Ministry said. "It was conveyed to the Pakistan high commissioner that Pakistan's actions needed to match the sentiments expressed by its leadership that it wishes to have a qualitatively new relationship with India."
The list reportedly includes Hafiz Mohammed, the head of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, a now-banned Islamic militant group also blamed for the 2001 Parliament attack. Indian authorities said the lone remaining suspect in last week's attack was trained by Lashkar-e-Tayyiba.
Topping India's most-wanted list is Dawood Ibrahim, who allegedly masterminded the 1993 Mumbai bombings that killed nearly 250 people. India is also asking Pakistan to hand over suspected terrorist Masood Azhar, who was released from an Indian prison in 1999 in exchange for hostages aboard a hijacked Indian airliner
Mumbai is in Maharashtra state, which borders Gujarat state.
Indian security forces have told CNN that U.S. officials warned the Indian government in New Delhi on two occasions about a waterborne attack in Mumbai. And according to a U.S. counterterrorism official, New Delhi was warned about a potential maritime attack on Mumbai at least a month before last week's massacre, in which at least 179 people were killed.
The area entered a higher state of alert for a week, including tightened security measures at hotels, but those efforts were eventually reduced, Indian officials said.
Gafoor said security was recently boosted at the city's hotels, but it was a precautionary move after a September attack on a Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan.
In his first news conference since the attack, Gafoor said the 10 gunmen came to Mumbai after hijacking a vessel in the Pakistani city of Karachi to "create a sensation and kill as many people as possible."
He also said the attackers were on a suicide mission when they staged the coordinated attacks on several targets.
The band of gunmen attacked 10 targets in Mumbai on Wednesday night, sparking three days of battles with police and Indian troops in the heart of the city, which is the hub of India's financial and entertainment industries. Most of the 179 deaths occurred at the city's top two hotels: the Oberoi and the Taj Mahal.
There is a rising tide of anger among Indians about the perceived lax security in Mumbai before the attacks, particularly in light of the reports that the government in New Delhi had been warned.
Surveillance video taken at Mumbai's Victoria Terminus train station -- one of the first targets -- shows a couple of local police cowering behind pillars as the attackers approach. Indian police constables are not armed, under Indian law, and CNN's sister station in India, CNN-IBN, reported that police retreated at the train station to call for backup.
Nine of the 10 attackers were killed by Indian forces, and Gafoor said none of the gunmen had any intention of surviving the onslaught. The only suspected attacker who survived was photographed at the train station holding what appeared to be an assault rifle.
That suspect is in police custody and "cooperating very well," Gafoor said. He has told police he is a Pakistani national. Indian intelligence sources have told CNN-IBN that police believe all the attackers were Pakistanis.
Gafoor said the attackers had "very detailed maps" of the city and used several taxicabs to get around Mumbai.
The attackers planted bombs in two of the taxis, resulting in explosions at two sites -- including Santa Cruz Domestic Airport -- in an attempt to divert attention from their main targets, the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels.
Ratan Tata, the chairman of the company that owns the the Taj Mahal hotel, told CNN that his company had been warned about the possibility of a terrorist attack before the massacre, but he did not say when.
He said the terrorists most likely waited until the security measures were relaxed at the hotel before carrying out their "very well-planned" attack.
Tata said the extra security measures would not have stopped the attackers from entering the building because they went through a kitchen door that was not monitored by a metal detector.
Gafoor said all of the attackers were trained by former army officers, but he would not elaborate on where they prepared for the attack.
"Some of them trained for a year, some of them for more than a year," he said.
Gafoor said other suspects linked to the attack have been questioned by investigators, but none is in police custody.
According to the foreign minister, the 10 attackers hijacked a trawler in the Pakistani port city of Karachi -- about 575 miles (925 kilometers) north of Mumbai -- and came ashore at Mumbai in dinghies. Gafoor said a Global Positioning System, or GPS, found with the attackers showed they had come from Pakistan.
Intelligence officials told CNN-IBN that the captain of the trawler was found dead, lying face-down with his hands bound behind his back. Four crew members who had been on board were missing, they said.
Gafoor said Indian officials will provide evidence backing their conclusions "once the investigation is complete."
India's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday briefed diplomats representing the countries that lost nationals in the attack -- including the United States and Britain -- about the ongoing investigation and the details of the attack, the ministry said.
India is calling on Pakistan's government to hand over a group of wanted militant leaders suspected of plotting the Mumbai attacks.
Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said his country made the request in a demarche, or protest note, to Pakistan's top diplomat in India, according to the Press Trust of India.
"We will await the response of Pakistan," the foreign minister said.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday proposed a joint investigation into the attacks and said, "This is not the time to point fingers."
"We are ready to help India," he said. "We need to make a common strategy to fight with a common enemy. We need to show we're serious."
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told CNN on Monday that his government will provide "full cooperation" with Indian authorities investigating the attacks. But he said Indian officials have yet to present Pakistan with evidence regarding the massacre.
India summoned Pakistan's high commissioner, the top-ranking Pakistani diplomat in New Delhi, to Mukherjee's office Monday to inform him that last week's massacre in Mumbai "was carried out by elements from Pakistan." It has been demanding the extradition of some of those militant leaders since a 2001 attack on India's Parliament that brought the South Asian nuclear rivals to the brink of war.
"The government expects that strong action would be taken against those elements, whosoever they may be, responsible for this outrage," a statement from India's Foreign Ministry said. "It was conveyed to the Pakistan high commissioner that Pakistan's actions needed to match the sentiments expressed by its leadership that it wishes to have a qualitatively new relationship with India."
The list reportedly includes Hafiz Mohammed, the head of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, a now-banned Islamic militant group also blamed for the 2001 Parliament attack. Indian authorities said the lone remaining suspect in last week's attack was trained by Lashkar-e-Tayyiba.
Topping India's most-wanted list is Dawood Ibrahim, who allegedly masterminded the 1993 Mumbai bombings that killed nearly 250 people. India is also asking Pakistan to hand over suspected terrorist Masood Azhar, who was released from an Indian prison in 1999 in exchange for hostages aboard a hijacked Indian airliner
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Russia: We did not fire on presidential motorcade
(CNN) -- Russia and South Ossetia have strongly denied news reports that a motorcade carrying the presidents of Georgia and Poland came under fire, calling the claims "a provocation" meant to destabilize the region.
"This is a real provocation," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists on Monday. "It is not the first time that such things have happened: First they mastermind everything themselves and then accuse the Russian or the Ossetian side."
Eduard Kokoity, president of the breakaway region of South Ossetia, added: "Today's event was a deliberate provocative act of the Georgian and Polish presidents targeted at regional destabilization."
Kokoity made his comments to the Russian news agency, Interfax.
The motorcade, carrying Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and Polish President Lech Kaczynski, was passing a checkpoint near Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region -- site of intense conflict between Russian and Georgian troops in August -- when shots were fired Sunday, according to the Georgian Interior Ministry.
The motorcade was not hit and there were no injuries, the Georgian Interior Ministry said. No other shooting was reported in the area.
The shots were fired from Russian-controlled territory as the motorcade passed, the ministry said
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin denied the gunfire came from its army positions.
"This is one more instance of wishful thinking on the part of Georgia," he told reporters.
After the incident, Saakashvili told reporters he would not have taken his Polish counterpart into danger intentionally and that the incident showed "you are dealing with unpredictable people" in the disputed area.
Kokoity, the South Ossetian president, countered that the Polish and Georgian presidents need to answer questions whether they informed European Union monitors of their trip.
Tensions have remained high in the area since fighting between Russian and Georgian troops broke out in August.
Georgia launched a campaign against South Ossetia, a Russian-backed separatist territory, on August 7. The following day, Russian tanks, troops and armored vehicles poured into South Ossetia and another breakaway Georgian territory, Abkhazia, advancing into Georgian cities outside the rebel regions.
The two sides blamed each other for starting the conflict and have accused each other of a variety of offenses leading up to and during the fighting, including ethnic cleansingWorld markets mixed after Wall Street rallyWorld markets mixed after Wall Street rally
(CNN) -- World markets were mixed Tuesday following rallies the previous day on European and U.S. exchanges in the wake of the U.S. government bailout of banking giant Citigroup
In mid-morning trading, the major European indices in London and Paris were hovering above the break-even point, while Frankfurt was down by around 0.75 percent.
Most major Asia-Pacific markets rose Tuesday, with Japanese and Australian markets up more than 5 percent.
Tokyo's Nikkei index finished the trading day up 413 points, or 5.1 percent, while Australia's All Ordinaries index closed up 5.5 percent with a gain of nearly 187 points and Seoul's Kospi closed up nearly 1.4 percent.
Elsewhere, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index closed up 3 percent, while the Straits Times index in Singapore was up about 2 percent in late trading.
The increases followed Monday's broad rally on American markets, which was fueled by a massive U.S. rescue package for shaky financial giant Citigroup and President-elect Barack Obama's announcement of the economic team for his incoming administration.
The benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 397 points, or 4.9 percent, while the S&P 500 gained 6.4 percent and the Nasdaq composite gained more than 6 percent.
Stephen Leeb, president at Leeb Capital Management, said concerns about the global financial crisis and the weakness of institutions like Citigroup have kept "a massive amount of liquidity on the sidelines," and announcements like Obama's pick of New York Federal Reserve chief Timothy Geithner for treasury secretary helped ease those fears.
"Geithner assures a smooth transition between the Bush Administration and that of Obama, because he's already co-managing what's happening now," Leeb said.
Shots fired as contending Thai factions fight
BANGKOK, Thailand - Thai anti-government demonstrators fired shots at government supporters as the rival sides battled on a major highway in the Thai capital of Bangkok on Tuesday.
The fighting began when the government supporters began throwing rocks at a truck carrying members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) as it was returning from Bangkok's old airport, where the group had been holding a rally.
The airport has served as temporary government headquarters since the alliance occupied the prime minister's office in late August.
The anti-government group responded by firing slingshots and at least two pistols from their truck, and then gave chase to the attackers, who appeared to number several dozen, according to footage shown on Thai PBS television.
Police Col. Piyapong Ponvanich said 11 people were wounded in the clash, most of them government supporters, some with gunshot wounds.
'Fully functional' government
The Thai government insisted it was "fully functional" but refused to disclose where officials were working to avoid provoking more protests with anti-government activists who have vowed to bring the administration to a standstill.
Spokesman Nattawut Saikau indicated the Thai government had effectively gone into hiding to avoid thousands of protesters who surrounded the prime minister's temporary headquarters at Bangkok's domestic airport and embarked on a cat-and-mouse chase to block their meetings.
Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was in Peru for a summit of Pacific Rim leaders and not expected back until Wednesday. But when he returns he will confront the latest twist in Thailand's political crisis — and the need to find a new office space.
Protesters seeking Somchai's resignation have occupied his Bangkok headquarters, known as Government House, since Aug. 26, forcing him to relocate to a makeshift office in the VIP area of the former international airport.
Protest leaders said their goal is to block the government from meeting — whenever and wherever that may be.
"We'll protest until there is no Cabinet meeting," said a protest leader, Somsak Kosaisuk. "We'll interrupt their every attempt to ruin the country further."
The weekly Cabinet meeting is usually held Tuesdays but was changed to Wednesday because of Somchai's absence.
A few thousands protesters marched later Tuesday from the airport to the nearby Thai army headquarters, where they believed a government meeting was taking place.
Nattawut said he would not confirm where the government was meeting.
"The government is fully functional and continues to work as usual but we cannot disclose where the government is working right now because it will provoke PAD and might cause a lot of trouble," he said, speaking by telephone.
He added that the government "intends to negotiate with PAD to get the temporary government house back in a few days."
Corruption?
The protesters, seeking the resignation of what they allege is a corrupt government, camped overnight at Don Muang airport.
Nattawut said more than 1,000 government employees evacuated the offices at Don Muang airport Monday afternoon.
The airport's VIP section was about half a mile from the main passenger terminal and protesters showed no immediate sign of trying to disrupt travel.
However, travelers were advised to arrive early for flights, and traffic was expected to be heavier than usual because of the protest, the airport's deputy director, Viroj Ewcharoen, said in a statement.
Tuesday's activities marked the second day of what PAD calls its "final showdown" with the government.
Thousands of protesters blockaded Parliament on Monday and forced it to postpone a special joint session of both houses. Smaller rallies were held at the Finance Ministry and other government offices.
Military coup
Thailand's political crisis began in 2006, when a similar campaign against then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra led to a him being deposed by a military coup for alleged corruption and abuse of power. But further efforts to cripple Thaksin's political machine failed, and his political allies won a December 2007 election.
The alliance then resumed its street protests and finally stormed Government House on Aug. 26, vowing not to leave until they have forced Thaksin's allies from power. They accuse Somchai of acting as a proxy for Thaksin, who is his brother-in-law.
Police, under strict orders to avoid the use of force, exercised restraint Monday as demonstrators pushed past them, sometimes showering them with expletives in an apparent effort to provoke a violent response that might discredit the authorities. There were only minor scuffles Monday with protesters at Parliament.
Thailand's economy, already struggling amid the global downturn, has been hit hard by the political turmoil. The state planning agency said Monday it grew at its slowest pace in more than three years this past quarter.
Latest Dewan Rakyat: Two-day suspension for Gobind
A decision not to refer a Minister to the Rights and Privileges committee culminated in an opposition member being suspended from the House for two days.
"He (Nazri) makes the mistake and you are punishing me," he told Wan Junaidi after the deputy speaker and Gobind got into an arguement over the merits of his decision not to refer Nazri to the rights and privileges committee.
The drama which resulted in Gobind being thrown out began after Question Time ended when Wan Junaidi started ruling on Karpal's claim that Nazri had misled the House two week ago when replying to points raised on the Judicial sackings of 1988.
Nazri had told the House at that time that three judges were never sacked but were told to take early retirement. Subsequently, he clarified, that the three judges were sacked but were given a pension after the then Yang diPertuan Agung appealed to the chief secretary of the government for them to be paid a pension.
Yesterday, in ruling on the case, Wan Junaidi told the House that Nazri had not deliberately "mislead" the House as claimed by Karpal.
"At that time, he base his statment on the facts of the case. He did not deliberately make the statement. He subsequently clarified. I therefore rule that he does not have to be referred to the rights and privileges committee," he said.
This then saw an exchange of words between Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) and Wan Junaidi which saw several opposition members taking part.
The exchange lasted a good 30 minutes and it reached a culmination when Gobind demanded to know how Wan Junaidi had reached his decision without asking Nazri Aziz to explain himself.
He declared that Wan Junaidi was making a mockery of parliament.
At his point, Wan Junaidi lost his temper and called for Gobind to be removed for two days.
Yoga fatwa on hold
PETALING JAYA: The implementation of the fatwa (edict) banning the practice of yoga by Muslims has been put on hold in two states.
> The Sultan of Selangor said the fatwa could not be implemented in the state yet as it had not been presented to the state Fatwa Committee,
> Perak Islamic Religious Department director Datuk Jamry Sury withdrew his earlier statement that Perak would adopt the fatwa, saying that several procedures including seeking the consent of the Sultan, had to be carried out first,
> Perlis Mufti Dr Asri Zainal Abidin spoke out against the edict, saying yoga with the non-Muslim elements removed should be allowed,
> Most other states said they would take the necessary steps to enable the edict to be implemented,
> However, Sisters in Islam said the fact that the states had differing views on the matter seemed to suggest that there was no consensus on the ban.
Angkasawan did the right thing
RECENTLY, our first astronaut made the news again, “Angkasawan admits accepting contributions, denies demanding payment,” (The Star, Nov 17).
Firstly, if it is true that Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha did accept payment, I think he is justified in receiving it and in keeping every cent of it.
Secondly, I may be in the minority but my reservations in 2006 about the Government’s decision to send a Malaysian into space still holds. Malaysia may be a rich country compared to some of its neighbours, but it can ill-afford spending several million ringgit for this purpose.
It was stated in 2006, by the Science, Technology and Innovations Ministry that sending a man into space would further motivate our school childrens’ interest in science and technology.
We do not need to send someone into space to motivate and interest our children in the sciences.
What we could and should have done was to spend the millions on our education system and policies.
When a child enters primary school, he should be introduced to the sciences in an engaging and lively manner.
He then sees how science plays an enormous part in our daily lives, on earth as well as in outer space.
Simultaneously, extra-curricular subjects could include astronomy activities led by teachers or volunteers from knowledgeable parents or the general public.
Then, with access to high powered binoculars or telescopes, they can organise supervised viewing of the night sky to look at the various constellations.
At secondary school and university level, students should be encouraged to read sciences or science/engineering-based courses rather than doing the so-called soft subjects.
Thus the Education Ministry must set aside an enhanced and dedicated budget, supplemented by money that could have been sidelined from the space programme.
In 2006 it was touted that the space training programme would not cost the Treasury a single sen. Furthermore, the programme was provided free of charge as part of an offset programme for the purchase pf Sukhoi fighter aircraft from Russia.
It is naive for the Government to think that there is such a thing as a free lunch.
Everything has its strings and conditions and it is obvious that the purchase of the fighter jets is revealing as it is contentious.
It might have been a cheaper option to send a Malaysian as a space tourist than be tied down by agreements which form part of a defence contract.
Dr Sheikh Muszaphar has fulfilled his obligations in going to space.
He has undergone countless psychometric tests, rigorous physical training and been subjected to G-forces that most of us wouldn’t even dare think of and fewer still would want to endure.
He has put Malaysia on the map and continues to spread the interest in space to our schoolchildren.
And why should he not reap the benefits of his expertise and experience?
He has spotted a niche in the market. He satisfies the need of those who hunger for his exploits in space.
He is enlightening the minds of our children and youth to the limitless horizon of the universe and the competitive and exciting world of space exploration.
If other Nasa astronauts have travelled the earth to give similar lectures, who are we to deny him the same? I wish him good luck and may he inspire more of us in the study of the cosmos.
MARIAM MOKHTAR,
Ipoh.
Firstly, if it is true that Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha did accept payment, I think he is justified in receiving it and in keeping every cent of it.
Secondly, I may be in the minority but my reservations in 2006 about the Government’s decision to send a Malaysian into space still holds. Malaysia may be a rich country compared to some of its neighbours, but it can ill-afford spending several million ringgit for this purpose.
It was stated in 2006, by the Science, Technology and Innovations Ministry that sending a man into space would further motivate our school childrens’ interest in science and technology.
We do not need to send someone into space to motivate and interest our children in the sciences.
What we could and should have done was to spend the millions on our education system and policies.
When a child enters primary school, he should be introduced to the sciences in an engaging and lively manner.
He then sees how science plays an enormous part in our daily lives, on earth as well as in outer space.
Simultaneously, extra-curricular subjects could include astronomy activities led by teachers or volunteers from knowledgeable parents or the general public.
Then, with access to high powered binoculars or telescopes, they can organise supervised viewing of the night sky to look at the various constellations.
At secondary school and university level, students should be encouraged to read sciences or science/engineering-based courses rather than doing the so-called soft subjects.
Thus the Education Ministry must set aside an enhanced and dedicated budget, supplemented by money that could have been sidelined from the space programme.
In 2006 it was touted that the space training programme would not cost the Treasury a single sen. Furthermore, the programme was provided free of charge as part of an offset programme for the purchase pf Sukhoi fighter aircraft from Russia.
It is naive for the Government to think that there is such a thing as a free lunch.
Everything has its strings and conditions and it is obvious that the purchase of the fighter jets is revealing as it is contentious.
It might have been a cheaper option to send a Malaysian as a space tourist than be tied down by agreements which form part of a defence contract.
Dr Sheikh Muszaphar has fulfilled his obligations in going to space.
He has undergone countless psychometric tests, rigorous physical training and been subjected to G-forces that most of us wouldn’t even dare think of and fewer still would want to endure.
He has put Malaysia on the map and continues to spread the interest in space to our schoolchildren.
And why should he not reap the benefits of his expertise and experience?
He has spotted a niche in the market. He satisfies the need of those who hunger for his exploits in space.
He is enlightening the minds of our children and youth to the limitless horizon of the universe and the competitive and exciting world of space exploration.
If other Nasa astronauts have travelled the earth to give similar lectures, who are we to deny him the same? I wish him good luck and may he inspire more of us in the study of the cosmos.
MARIAM MOKHTAR,
Ipoh.
Former Miss Hong Kong Reis marries boyfriend
NEWS of former Miss Hong Kong Michelle Reis marrying her businessman boyfriend Julian Hui, grabbed the headlines in all major Chinese dailies.
China Press reported yesterday that 50 members of the groom’s family, plus Reis’ mother and sister, attended the couple’s wedding at Hui’s family home in Hong Kong on Saturday.
In a recent interview with a Hong Kong tabloid, the 38-year-old Reis said Hui proposed to her last June during a holiday in Rome.
It had been reported that Hui, 46, was once engaged to actress Carina Lau. He married Pansy Ho, daughter of casino king Stanley Ho, in 1991. They separated after nine years.
Reis, who is Miss Hong Kong 1988, was formerly romantically linked to tycoon Joseph Lau before her new love with Hui became frontpage news.
>Nanyang Siang Pau quoted Immigration enforcement director Datuk Ishak Mohamad as saying that employers who failed to send their foreign workers home within a week after they had been retrenched would be jailed.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Court orders Raja Petra's release from ISA detention
2008.08.11
SHAH ALAM: Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin, editor of popular news portal Malaysia Today, was freed after the High Court here allowed his application for a writ of habeas corpus seeking his release.
- High Court judge Justice Syed Ahmad Helmy Syed Ahmad found his two-year detention order under the Internal Security Act unlawful.
- The Bar Council welcomed the decision, saying “it gives us hope that the judiciary will act with courage, integrity and independence when the liberty of an individual is threatened by the arbitrary use of power under the ISA”.
- Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abd Aziz said the Government may appeal against the court decision.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Malaysians in recession-hit Singapore face retrenchment
Wednesday October 22, 2008
JOHOR BARU: Tens of thousands of Malaysian workers from the services and manufacturing sectors in Singapore will be retrenched when employers, hit by the recession, start downsizing in the island republic.
Though the recession has not translated to retrenchment, Malay-sian workers in Singapore are starting to feel jittery over the prospect of losing their jobs if the country’s economy takes a turn for the worse.
At the same time, Johor is taking early steps, including playing job matchmaker, to ensure those retren-ched can quickly be matched with jobs available locally.
For many Malaysians working in Singapore, the main concern is how to continue supporting their families if they are retrenched. Some said they were willing to take a pay cut and return to Malaysia. Others were even prepared take up two jobs back home to supplement their income.
Single mother Karen Lee is worried she may not be able to support her only daughter through college if she loses her job.
“My daughter is taking her SPM this year and plans to further her studies in Taiwan,” said the factory operator, adding that she was willing to take up a job in Malaysia at a lower salary if she were retrenched.
Lee, who earns S$1,500 (RM3,600) a month, stays in a rented room in Woodlands, Singapore while her daughter lives with her mother in Johor Baru.
Technician N. Soomu, 34, who was retrenched in 2002, said the experience was a nightmare.
This time around, he is taking steps to safeguard his job including taking up a technical course.
Soomu has been working in Singapore for the past 10 years and earns about S$1,200. He travels daily to Singapore from Johor Baru as it is cheaper to live in Johor.
Johor Unity, Human Resource, Science, Technology and Innovation committee chairman M. Asojan said there were many job opportunities within Iskandar Malaysia.
“We need 4,000 people for the oil and gas sector alone,” he said.
Johor Labour Department deputy director Ruzita Bahari advised locals to visit its website at jobsmalaysia.gov.my or contact the department at 07-2275080 for job opportunities.
According to Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, some 300,000 Malaysians are working in Singapore.
JOHOR BARU: Tens of thousands of Malaysian workers from the services and manufacturing sectors in Singapore will be retrenched when employers, hit by the recession, start downsizing in the island republic.
Though the recession has not translated to retrenchment, Malay-sian workers in Singapore are starting to feel jittery over the prospect of losing their jobs if the country’s economy takes a turn for the worse.
At the same time, Johor is taking early steps, including playing job matchmaker, to ensure those retren-ched can quickly be matched with jobs available locally.
For many Malaysians working in Singapore, the main concern is how to continue supporting their families if they are retrenched. Some said they were willing to take a pay cut and return to Malaysia. Others were even prepared take up two jobs back home to supplement their income.
Single mother Karen Lee is worried she may not be able to support her only daughter through college if she loses her job.
“My daughter is taking her SPM this year and plans to further her studies in Taiwan,” said the factory operator, adding that she was willing to take up a job in Malaysia at a lower salary if she were retrenched.
Lee, who earns S$1,500 (RM3,600) a month, stays in a rented room in Woodlands, Singapore while her daughter lives with her mother in Johor Baru.
Technician N. Soomu, 34, who was retrenched in 2002, said the experience was a nightmare.
This time around, he is taking steps to safeguard his job including taking up a technical course.
Soomu has been working in Singapore for the past 10 years and earns about S$1,200. He travels daily to Singapore from Johor Baru as it is cheaper to live in Johor.
Johor Unity, Human Resource, Science, Technology and Innovation committee chairman M. Asojan said there were many job opportunities within Iskandar Malaysia.
“We need 4,000 people for the oil and gas sector alone,” he said.
Johor Labour Department deputy director Ruzita Bahari advised locals to visit its website at jobsmalaysia.gov.my or contact the department at 07-2275080 for job opportunities.
According to Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, some 300,000 Malaysians are working in Singapore.
Najib: Country not in financial crisis
Published: Monday October 20, 2008 MYT 11:01:00 AM
Updated: Monday October 20, 2008 MYT 9:44:29 PM
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is not in financial crisis and “we should not talk ourselves into one,” said Finance Minister Datuk Najib Tun Razak.
However, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for 2009 would be reviewed downwards from the projected 5.4% in the view of the worsening global financial crisis, Najib said on Monday.
"While we are confident of the resilience of our financial sector, we are mindful that the financial turmoil in markets elsewhere will bear consequences on the real economies there as well as globally.
“As a result, the Malaysian real economy will inevitable be negatively impacted,” he said during his keynote address at the Khazanah Megatrends Forum on Monday.
The Government would also inject RM5bil to double the size of ValueCap Sdn Bhd set up in 2003 to invest in undervalued companies.
Foreign Investment Committee (FIC) guidelines would also be reviewed to attract more foreign investors especially in property and commercial sectors, said Najib, giving a preview of the measures to be put in place to cushion the Malaysia from the impact of external developments.
The details of a financial stabilisation plan would be presented during the winding up speech in Parliament on Nov 4 as the global markets were still volatile and the Government and Bank Negara needed time to study the developments carefully before finalising the plan, he said.
Other measures include Bank Negara’s announcement to guarantee all deposits up to December 2010 and the strengthening of Small and Medium Enterprises and related financial institutions.
“Part of the government policy response to manage the global and financial crisis is to ensure that our global competitiveness in attracting foreign and domestic investment is in-tact.”
He said the liberalisation of the service sector, which was the main GDP contributor, would be detailed and based on a proposal by the International Trade and Industry Ministry to be proposed soon in Cabinet. Najib expressed confidence that domestic consumption would remain robust but added that short-term measures to tackle external financial turmoil, should not come at the expense the country’s long-term development imperatives and competitiveness.
“We are mindful that we have to take steps to ensure long term competitiveness whilst managing short term crisis, but we must not forget our long term position as a nation that is able to compete much more effectively,” he told reporters.
Updated: Monday October 20, 2008 MYT 9:44:29 PM
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is not in financial crisis and “we should not talk ourselves into one,” said Finance Minister Datuk Najib Tun Razak.
However, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for 2009 would be reviewed downwards from the projected 5.4% in the view of the worsening global financial crisis, Najib said on Monday.
"While we are confident of the resilience of our financial sector, we are mindful that the financial turmoil in markets elsewhere will bear consequences on the real economies there as well as globally.
“As a result, the Malaysian real economy will inevitable be negatively impacted,” he said during his keynote address at the Khazanah Megatrends Forum on Monday.
The Government would also inject RM5bil to double the size of ValueCap Sdn Bhd set up in 2003 to invest in undervalued companies.
Foreign Investment Committee (FIC) guidelines would also be reviewed to attract more foreign investors especially in property and commercial sectors, said Najib, giving a preview of the measures to be put in place to cushion the Malaysia from the impact of external developments.
The details of a financial stabilisation plan would be presented during the winding up speech in Parliament on Nov 4 as the global markets were still volatile and the Government and Bank Negara needed time to study the developments carefully before finalising the plan, he said.
Other measures include Bank Negara’s announcement to guarantee all deposits up to December 2010 and the strengthening of Small and Medium Enterprises and related financial institutions.
“Part of the government policy response to manage the global and financial crisis is to ensure that our global competitiveness in attracting foreign and domestic investment is in-tact.”
He said the liberalisation of the service sector, which was the main GDP contributor, would be detailed and based on a proposal by the International Trade and Industry Ministry to be proposed soon in Cabinet. Najib expressed confidence that domestic consumption would remain robust but added that short-term measures to tackle external financial turmoil, should not come at the expense the country’s long-term development imperatives and competitiveness.
“We are mindful that we have to take steps to ensure long term competitiveness whilst managing short term crisis, but we must not forget our long term position as a nation that is able to compete much more effectively,” he told reporters.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Many dead in Tibet earthquake
At least 30 people are said to have been killed in two earthquakes that struck Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, and surrounding areas, Chinese state media reports.
According to the US Geological Survey, the first earthquake on Monday measured 6.6 on the Richter Scale and struck at 4.30pm (0830 GMT), 80km west of Lhasa.
The second tremor, measuring 5.1, hit about 15 minutes later, approximately 96km west of Lhasa.
The Xinhua news agency said that 30 people had died after the first quake struck, and that houses had collapsed near the epicentre.
China's state Seismological Bureau said the initial earthquake occurred in Dangxiong county, which has a population of about 42,000 people, mostly herdsmen.
"I felt the building shaking a little bit and saw a bench overturn," said Ge San, an employee at the Baima Hotel in Dangxiong, who was sitting in a room with about five other employees.
"The shaking was not heavy. We stayed in the room and were not frightened."
CPO futures hit limit-down
KUALA LUMPUR: Crude palm oil (CPO) futures hit limit-down briefly in morning trade on Monday, putting pressure on plantation stocks, as investors worried about the possible fallout from a global economic slowdown.
CPO for third-month delivery fell the 10% limit, down RM200 to RM1,800 a tonne as investors worried about the impact of a slowdown on commodities. It was down RM184 to RM1,816 at midday.
At 12.30pm, the KL Composite Index was down 8.48 points to 1,008.22. Turnover was 148.19 million shares valued at RM312.32mil. There were 92 gainers, 342 losers while 166 counters were unchanged.
Asian markets fell, with Hong Kong’s hang Seng Index down 3.31% or 585.69 points to 17,096.71, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 4.25% to 10,473.17 and Singapore’s Straits Times Index 3.28% to 2,221.82.
Taiwan’s Weighted Index fell 3.5% to 5,541.22 while Shanghai’s A Share Index, which resumed trading after one-week closure, fell 3.52% to 2,324.17. Thailand’s SET slid 3.61% to 568.75
Light crude oil lost US$1.76 to US$92.12 as concerns about the fallout from the global financial crisis and the impact on commodities.
KL Kepong fell 45 sen to RM8.60, Asiatic and United Plantations 20 sen each to RM4.28 and RM11 while Chin Teck gave up 15 sen to RM6.10. IOI Corp fell eight sen to RM4.02 in active trade.
Among the heavyweights, Sime Darby rose 10 sen to RM6.70 while Telekom added two sen to RM3.42 and Maybank unchanged at RM6.60.
Other decliners were MSC, down 34 sen to RM4.20, Petronas Dagangan 25 sen to RM6.60 and Heitech Padu 24 sen to 90 sen.
Kim Loong-WA was the top gainer, up 11 sen to RM88 sen while Selangor Properties added six sen to RM2.88, Southern Acids and YTL five sen each to RM1.67 and RM6.20.
PM to announce decision on Tues or Wed
KUALA LUMPUR: KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will announce his decision on whether he would defend the Umno presidency either tomorrow or by Wednesday.
The Prime Minister also hopes to hold a Barisan Nasional supreme council meeting on Wednesday to brief component party leaders on the revised leadership transition plan.
Abdullah, who is also Umno president, said Barisan leaders had indicated their wish to be briefed on the plan and what to expect since the Umno president would also become the coalition’s chairman and the nation’s prime minister.
Some Barisan leaders had voiced their unhappiness over the lack of consultation within Barisan over the change in the transition plan.
Abdullah and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had earlier agreed to a handing over of power in 2010, but the plan was brought forward with no date specified.
Umno’s general assembly and elections of top party posts has been moved from December this year to March 2009 to facilitate an early transfer of power.
The Prime Minister declined to reveal if he would also announce on Wednesday his decision on whether to defend his Umno presidency. He has said he will do so by Oct 9, when Umno divisions start their meetings.
“I will decide that by tomorrow (Tuesday) or Wednesday, you wait lah ... why so impatient?” he told reporters after chairing the third meeting of the Biotech International Advisory Panel at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Monday.
When pressed further on whether he had actually already made his decision, he said: “If I tell you, then I am announcing it now. I am not intending to announce it now, right? You wait. After all, two, three or fours days is not too long, right?”
Asked if the Umno members who had offered themselves for the No 2 post had jumped he gun, he said it was their choice on when to announce their intention.
“Whether they want to announce early or whether they want to wait, it is entirely up to them,” he said.
Asked if the offers for candidacy was healthy for the party, he replied: “Believe me, after a while some of them will drop out, and in the end there may be only two, maybe even only one left.” On his key focus for his remaining time as Prime Minister, he said he still had work to do and he intended to fulfil the pledge on reforms he had made in the Barisan 2004 election manifesto.
“I know Datuk Zaid Ibrahim is not there anymore (referring to the de facto law minister who had resigned), but it does not mean that everything must stop.
“It was not his idea in the first place, it was mine, it was the 2004 manifesto, remember,” he said on judicial reforms that Zaid had been undertaking.
“What I promised, I must deliver,” Abdullah added.
ISA taint To a question on whether the recent Internal Security Act (ISA) detention of a journalist and an opposition Member of Parliament had tainted Malaysia’s image, he said the Home Minister was empowered to decided on such matters and had his reasons.
He said that it was unfortunate if this caused others to view Malaysia negatively, but every country had its own security measures, some even tougher than the ISA.
When pointed out that it was the ISA arrests that had caused Zaid to resign, Abdullah said: “The law minister is not involved (in the ISA decision) and it is the exclusivity of the Home Minister.”
Oil falls below $90 a barrel
- STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Light, sweet crude for November delivery was down $4.69 to $89.19 a barrel
- Oil prices have tumbled nearly 40 percent since peaking in July
- Drop came amid growing anxiety that bad debt crisis is enveloping Europe
- Investors will be watching if OPEC Countries move to cut output
Simpson jury: We relied on tapes, not witnesses
(CNN) -- The jury that convicted O.J. Simpson of robbery and other charges relied mostly on audio and video evidence -- and very little on testimony from prosecution witnesses -- jury members said Sunday.
"We honestly felt we could not rely on that witness testimony," said Michelle R. Lyons, one of seven jurors who spoke to reporters in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday. "There was not one decision we made that was based only on witness testimony."
Jury foreman Paul Connelly said some of the prosecution's witnesses didn't seem trustworthy. At least three former Simpson co-defendants who cut deals to testify in the case had criminal records.
Asked whether the jury trusted the witnesses, Connelly answered: "Not entirely, no."
Prosecutors produced an audiotape of the confrontation in which authorities said Simpson and five men burst into a Las Vegas, Nevada, hotel on September 13, 2007. The men allegedly made off with pillowcases containing Simpson sports memorabilia.
Several jurors said audiotapes of the incident and conversations between Simpson and others that were recorded surreptitiously before, during and after the heist made the prosecution's case.
"It would have been a weak case" without the tapes, juror Dora Pettit said.
The jury of nine women and three men found Simpson and co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart guilty Friday of 12 charges, including conspiracy to commit a crime, robbery, assault and kidnapping with a deadly weapon.
Simpson, 61, could get life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for December 5 in Las Vegas.
Prosecutors alleged that Simpson, a former football star, led a group of men who used threats, guns and force to take the memorabilia and other items from memorabilia dealers Bruce Fromong and Al Beardsley.
Four men who had been charged with Simpson cut deals with the prosecution and testified against him. One testified that Simpson instructed him to bring a gun to the hotel encounter.
"Everything was based on the recordings," juror Dora Pettit said of the panel's decisions.
Simpson, who did not testify during the trial, told police he didn't know the people with him were armed. He also claimed the items had been stolen from him, and the hotel encounter was just about him retrieving his items.
Simpson's lawyer has indicated he plans to appeal the conviction, partly because some of the jurors had indicated during jury selection that they disagreed with a 1995 verdict in which he was acquitted of killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Teresa Owens, one of the jurors in the Simpson robbery case, said any suggestion that the jury found Simpson guilty because of the verdict 13 years ago is "terrible."
"There's reports right now that we've had some kind of vendetta against Mr. Simpson for ... 13 years ago," she said. "That in no way had anything to do with this case whatsoever."
Connelly said the murder trial "never came up."
"I don't think it was on anybody's minds. For that, I can say I'm proud of the jury," he said.
Before the robbery and kidnapping trial, the jurors promised they could disregard Simpson's past and solely consider the evidence against him and Stewart, 54.
Owens also said it would be "preposterous" for anyone suggest that the makeup of the jury -- 11 jurors were white, and one said she was Hispanic, while Simpson is black -- hurt the defense's chances.
"They chose us. Five hundred people ... filled out these questionnaires," Owens said. "They had the [opportunity] to pass us."
Pettit said the jury has been painted by some "as an all-white jury that hates O.J."
"That's just not true," she said. "It couldn't be further from the truth."
Asked whether they felt the crime was bad enough to warrant life sentences, Connelly said that was up for the court to decide.
Pettit said that "if he walked out tomorrow, I'd be fine with that."
However, she said Simpson had to be found guilty and that his argument about just wanting to recover his own things didn't work.
"Under Nevada law ... even if you're recovering your own stuff, you can't do it in the manner that they all went in and did it," Pettit said
Dow Jones hits four-year low as markets dive
(CNN) -- The Dow Jones on Monday fell below 10,000 points for the first time since 2004 as U.S. stocks followed Europe and Asia with heavy losses after government bank bailouts on both sides of the Atlantic failed to stem slowdown fears.
The index was hovering above the 9,800 mark as a 4.8 percent drop added to days of losses amid unrelenting financial turmoil.
London's FTSE 100, Germany's Dax France's CAC all saw significant drops with indexes falling several percentage points.
The declines were led by the banking industry, with the mining and oil industries also suffering drops. Troubled bank HBOS's share price dropped 13.4 percent, while the Royal Bank of Scotland fell 14.6 percent.
In Russia, trading in shares was suspended after the RTS stock index fell more than 15 percent. Iceland's exchange was also closed while the government rushed to draft a plan to deal with the financial turmoil's impact on its over-leveraged banking sector.
The slump followed a weekend in which Germany's private financial sector promised to put up an additional €15 billion ($20.3 billion), in addition to the €35 billion already pledged, to help shore up Hypo Real Estate bank, the nation's Finance Ministry said Sunday. 
Watch more about the growing chaos »
In France, BNP Paribas committed to taking a 75-percent stake in troubled European bank Fortis NV, and Sweden and Denmark followed Ireland and Britain in raising the amount of savers' deposits guaranteed by the government.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Candy containing melanine has appeared on in Connecticut stores
HARTFORD, Conn. - A chemical blamed for sickening infants in China has been found in candy on American shelves.
Connecticut consumer protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr. said Wednesday that tests on White Rabbit Creamy Candy found melamine.
The candy has been found in stores in Connecticut. It was imported from China and sold primarily at Asian markets.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended last week that consumers not eat White Rabbit candy and that retailers remove it. Queensway Foods Company Inc. of California distributed the candy and says it is recalling it.
Melamine is used in plastics manufacturing and has been associated with contaminated infant formula and other Chinese products containing milk protein
Connecticut consumer protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr. said Wednesday that tests on White Rabbit Creamy Candy found melamine.
The candy has been found in stores in Connecticut. It was imported from China and sold primarily at Asian markets.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended last week that consumers not eat White Rabbit candy and that retailers remove it. Queensway Foods Company Inc. of California distributed the candy and says it is recalling it.
Melamine is used in plastics manufacturing and has been associated with contaminated infant formula and other Chinese products containing milk protein
Parents file lawsuit in China against dairy firm
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Lawyer will know next week whether or not Henan court will take the case
- One of the sick child's parents seeks $22,000 in compensation from Sanlu
- China: 15 more companies accused of selling tainted products
- Tainted milk formula has killed 4 infants and sickened 50,000 others
Palin, Biden ready to face off in St. Louis debate
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Joe Biden and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will face off for their first and only debate in the presidential race Thursday night, an event pitting a political veteran against a political newcomer.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been preparing since last week for Thursday's debate.
1 of 2
Both candidates have recently tried to lower expectations leading into the debate, where topics will range from domestic to foreign policy.
The debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, will start at 9 p.m. ET and be moderated by PBS's Gwen Ifill.
For Palin, the stakes are high. After skyrocketing onto the national stage and energizing the Republican faithful, the first-term Alaskan governor has struggled recently to regain her footing after several shaky network TV interviews with ABC's Charlie Gibson and CBS's Katie Couric. View memorable moments from other debates »
Palin said Tuesday that she's different.
"I think they're just not used to someone coming in from the outside saying, 'You know what? It's time that normal Joe Six-Pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency,' and I think that that's kind of taken some people off-guard," she said in a radio interview with conservative host Hugh Hewitt.
Palin's interview gave the vice presidential candidate a chance to showcase elements of her life story and demonstrate some of the folksiness that's been central to her political success.
Don't Miss
Election Center 2008
Biden, Palin have different missions in debate
It's exactly the kind of interview that voters can expect to see from the governor in the coming weeks, according to a Palin adviser, who recognized that there is hunger in Republican circles and among the public at large to see a less-scripted, more authentic candidate.
"We're going to be continue to put her in settings where she has an opportunity to shine, to be on offense," the adviser said. "We've gotten very good feedback from the public from Hugh Hewitt interview."
The adviser suggested that the campaign's efforts at damage control after Palin's interview with Couric may have been hampered by the fact that the governor wasn't doing more friendly interviews to counter her flubs on Russia and the congressional bailout bill, which have reverberated throughout the blogosphere and even turned Palin into a punch line on "Saturday Night Live."
"We acknowledge that perhaps she should have been out there doing more," the adviser said, arguing that "it's not fair to judge her off one or two sound bites" from the network interviews.
Palin is apparently eager to take on a more outspoken role, both in interviews and in her stump speech, after Thursday's vice presidential debate in order to remind voters of what it is they like about her.
"She connects really well, and she's good at it, and she wants to be doing more of it, and she will do more of it," the adviser said.
For the Democrats, Biden has served in the Senate for 35 years. His biggest challenge will be to stick to the script. He's known for making off-the-cuff remarks, including some gaffes. Watch analysts weigh in on Thursday's debate »
A Biden aide said the senator is ready. He left Wednesday's debate preparation in Delaware to vote on the economic recovery bill in Congress.
"I haven't read the package yet, but my anticipation is I'm going to vote 'yes.' But I want to see. That's why I'm going home now to get briefed on the details," Biden said.
Biden campaign aides are actively playing up Palin's debating skills. His spokesman called Palin "a leviathan of forensics," a classic example of the campaign tactic of raising the expectations of their opponent and lowering their own.
"She's very skilled, and she'll be well-prepared," Barack Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, said Sunday night while flying with Biden back to Delaware to help him get ready.
"As you saw at the convention, she can be very good. So, I think it would be foolish to assume that this isn't going to be a really challenging debate. We're preparing for that, on that assumption."
Taking it one step further, Biden spokesman David Wade added, "he's going in here to debate a leviathan of forensics who has debated five times, and she's undefeated."
Biden has a difficult task on his hand: not coming across as condescending with his decades of experience and not adopting a tone that could appear as though he's treating Palin differently because she's a woman.
"I think Gov. Palin is a skilled politician," Axelrod said. "She got elected in a very tough political arena against tough opponents, and we're going to treat her with the respect that she deserves. And I think that she would expect that; I think voters should expect that."
Axelrod argued that at the end of the day, the choice voters make is between the candidates at the top of the ticket and not the vice presidential candidates.
However, he said vice presidential nominees have a harder time preparing because they need to not only defend their own positions but those of their running mates, as well as knowing where both candidates on the opposing ticket stand.
Obama and John McCain, meanwhile, have two more debates before the November 4 general election: a second debate October 7 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, and a final debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on October 15.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been preparing since last week for Thursday's debate.
1 of 2
Both candidates have recently tried to lower expectations leading into the debate, where topics will range from domestic to foreign policy.
The debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, will start at 9 p.m. ET and be moderated by PBS's Gwen Ifill.
For Palin, the stakes are high. After skyrocketing onto the national stage and energizing the Republican faithful, the first-term Alaskan governor has struggled recently to regain her footing after several shaky network TV interviews with ABC's Charlie Gibson and CBS's Katie Couric. View memorable moments from other debates »
Palin said Tuesday that she's different.
"I think they're just not used to someone coming in from the outside saying, 'You know what? It's time that normal Joe Six-Pack American is finally represented in the position of vice presidency,' and I think that that's kind of taken some people off-guard," she said in a radio interview with conservative host Hugh Hewitt.
Palin's interview gave the vice presidential candidate a chance to showcase elements of her life story and demonstrate some of the folksiness that's been central to her political success.
Don't Miss
Election Center 2008
Biden, Palin have different missions in debate
It's exactly the kind of interview that voters can expect to see from the governor in the coming weeks, according to a Palin adviser, who recognized that there is hunger in Republican circles and among the public at large to see a less-scripted, more authentic candidate.
"We're going to be continue to put her in settings where she has an opportunity to shine, to be on offense," the adviser said. "We've gotten very good feedback from the public from Hugh Hewitt interview."
The adviser suggested that the campaign's efforts at damage control after Palin's interview with Couric may have been hampered by the fact that the governor wasn't doing more friendly interviews to counter her flubs on Russia and the congressional bailout bill, which have reverberated throughout the blogosphere and even turned Palin into a punch line on "Saturday Night Live."
"We acknowledge that perhaps she should have been out there doing more," the adviser said, arguing that "it's not fair to judge her off one or two sound bites" from the network interviews.
Palin is apparently eager to take on a more outspoken role, both in interviews and in her stump speech, after Thursday's vice presidential debate in order to remind voters of what it is they like about her.
"She connects really well, and she's good at it, and she wants to be doing more of it, and she will do more of it," the adviser said.
For the Democrats, Biden has served in the Senate for 35 years. His biggest challenge will be to stick to the script. He's known for making off-the-cuff remarks, including some gaffes. Watch analysts weigh in on Thursday's debate »
A Biden aide said the senator is ready. He left Wednesday's debate preparation in Delaware to vote on the economic recovery bill in Congress.
"I haven't read the package yet, but my anticipation is I'm going to vote 'yes.' But I want to see. That's why I'm going home now to get briefed on the details," Biden said.
Biden campaign aides are actively playing up Palin's debating skills. His spokesman called Palin "a leviathan of forensics," a classic example of the campaign tactic of raising the expectations of their opponent and lowering their own.
"She's very skilled, and she'll be well-prepared," Barack Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, said Sunday night while flying with Biden back to Delaware to help him get ready.
"As you saw at the convention, she can be very good. So, I think it would be foolish to assume that this isn't going to be a really challenging debate. We're preparing for that, on that assumption."
Taking it one step further, Biden spokesman David Wade added, "he's going in here to debate a leviathan of forensics who has debated five times, and she's undefeated."
Biden has a difficult task on his hand: not coming across as condescending with his decades of experience and not adopting a tone that could appear as though he's treating Palin differently because she's a woman.
"I think Gov. Palin is a skilled politician," Axelrod said. "She got elected in a very tough political arena against tough opponents, and we're going to treat her with the respect that she deserves. And I think that she would expect that; I think voters should expect that."
Axelrod argued that at the end of the day, the choice voters make is between the candidates at the top of the ticket and not the vice presidential candidates.
However, he said vice presidential nominees have a harder time preparing because they need to not only defend their own positions but those of their running mates, as well as knowing where both candidates on the opposing ticket stand.
Obama and John McCain, meanwhile, have two more debates before the November 4 general election: a second debate October 7 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, and a final debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on October 15.
20 road fatalities on first day of Raya
PETALING JAYA: Another 20 road fatalities were recorded on the first day of Hari Raya, bringing the death toll to 125 by the ninth day of Ops Sikap XXVII.
According to a statement from the police, a total of 881 accident cases were recorded, with the bulk of it occurring on federal (246), state (171) and municipal roads (295).
Out of the 20 fatalities, eight were motorcyclists while nine were motorists. Three pedestrians also died on the roads on Oct 1.
A total of 3,511 traffic summonses were issued on the same day.
Ops Sikap XXVII started on Sept 24 and ends on Oct 8.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Send greeting cards to ISA detainees in Kamunting
Y.M. Raja Petra Kamarudin
Tempat Tahanan Perlindungan,
34600 Kamunting,
Taiping.
Perak
Malaysia
Tempat Tahanan Perlindungan,
34600 Kamunting,
Taiping.
Perak
Malaysia
Obama blasts Congress for failing to pass bailout bill
(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama blasted Congress for not passing a financial rescue package Monday, while Sen. John McCain's campaign accused Obama and Democrats of putting "politics ahead of country."
The House of Representatives rejected a $700 billion plan to bail out the financial system, putting a roadblock in front of the largest government intervention in the market since the Great Depression.
The bill failed by a vote of 205 to 228, with 140 Democrats and 65 Republicans voting in favor and 95 Democrats joining 133 Republicans against.
"This is a moment of national crisis, and today's inaction in Congress as well as the angry and hyper-partisan statement released by the McCain campaign are exactly why the American people are disgusted with Washington," the Obama-Biden campaign said in a statement released shortly after the vote.
The statement went on to say that every American "should be outraged that an era of greed and irresponsibility on Wall Street and Washington has led us to this point."
J B Jeyaretnam meninggal dunia
SINGAPURA: Stesen televisyen Singapura pagi ini melaporkan bekas pemimpin pembangkang, J B Jeyaretnam meninggal dunia dipercayai akibat sakit jantung.
Beliau adalah pembangkang pertama menduduki Parlimen Singapura, memecah penguasaan parti pemerintah pada 1981.
Jeyaretnam, 82, adalah tokoh politik yang lantang mengkritik kerajaan Singapura dan beberapa kali disaman atas sebab fitnah oleh pemimpin kerajaan pimpinan Parti Tindakan Rakyat (PAP) yang memerintah sejak 1965.
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