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By David Lang
The following stories may fire your imagination, pique your interest. Some say 1MDB is Malaysia's Sovereign Wealth fund; to others they asked what wealth fund when its total capitalization is just One million ringgit? But, then again, if you think you can look down on the pet idea of the Malaysian prime minister, think again. His idea has the potential of turning the now world famous - or shall we say, infamous - 1Malaysia Development Berhad into a giant corporation you can ever imagine - even bigger than Bill Gate's Microsoft! At least, it could be, if the original course is stayed. It was supposed to inspire Malaysians to think big besides advance growth, according to its slogans screaming out of giant bill boards throughout the country. 'Backed' by the finance ministry who owns it - which means money will never be the problem - it can only succeed. But..it didn't. It failed! That's why it may have piqued many people's curiosity. How can a company flush with cash and can borrow any amount (billions) anytime could fail? Well, this may be in line with your thinking. People have seen since its inception - I mean after its name was changed in 1999 from Trengganu Investment Authority (TIA) to the present - it hasn't done any business! I have used present tense deliberately. It hasn't done any business yet. I mean if you are in business you need to make profit or find ways to make profit. Or close shop. Oh, I had heard about their filings of tax returns and hiring of a couple of internationally known auditors to sign off on their balance sheets; but these concerned only the company's borrowings and interests to be paid. Two massive bonds were issued to the tune of $7 billions. To buy up power plants. Again I want to say if you are in business to make money even investing in independent Power Plants, it should be done with the view to making a profit. The decision may be long term or short term, it doesn't matter, it has to make money, or no deal. May be they have done the right thing. Maybe luck was not on their side. Still, the amount is staggering. I didn't know having or managing so much money can be a problem! But many - especially the Malays - have not given up hope yet. Yes, may be the durians are just ripening; may be they need time and may fall soon!
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!>The DRL Blog > News>Malaysia>opinion
Malaysia's Vision 2020
By:David Lang
Malaysia is supposed to be on its way to becoming a developed nation, by the year 2020. Will she make it (in less than five years -tick-tuck, tick-tuck)? There is no doubt the year 2020 is coming whether the country is ready or not, and if that will be the only requirement then Malaysia will attain that developed nation status on schedule. There is a question, though, Will Malaysia, or Malaysians, for that matter, be ready for that status as far as their affluence, quality of life's concern? Currently Malaysia's GNI per capita stood at US$10060. According to the World Bank high income economies are those with GNI per capita of US$12,745. And until Malaysians earn much more to be there, the developed nation status may not be achieved even by the year 2020. The futility of declaring a country a high income country when it's not, achieves nothing. May be even counter-productive; it lulls the country into false sense of success and premature celebration. Don't forget China reportedly overtook Japan as the world's second largest economy, but in actual fact China's citizens' ca pita income is a fraction of the incomes of the Japanese who earn $37,000. Chinese incomes range from $13,000. China's gross domestic product, taken as a whole, may beat Japan's, but in term of quality of life, and GNI per capita income, the criteria for a developed nation status, China still has a lot of catching up to do. That's why China still qualifies as recipient of Japan's economic aid meant for developing countries. Comparing with the Chinese per capita domestic product, Malaysia is even worse off. Unless the government bucks up and rushes to create more wealth for its citizens, the Vision 2020 dream may remain just that ..a dream.
Jun 29, 2013
'MCA go home' vs 'Where was DAP 13 years ago?' at Jonker Walk
What?! Gan qualified his being there as a survey, not to protest? Let alone to lead the protest? Did Mr. Gan Tian Loo realize that the MCA protest carries more weight than DAP protest many times over. The state government, being UMNO-led government, considers the DAP as the opposition working hand-in-hand with PAS and PKR to oust UMNO from power, rescinding the directive on the request from DAP leaders will make the party even more popular. I thought, at first, here come the MCA, finally to do what it's supposed to do. Then the expected happened. He got cold feet. The reporter who covered the protest reported Gan was suddenly cautious . He was like ..."I'm here to lend my support to..the .. no, wait! I am not here to support the traders - but just to do a quick survey! But I am glad to be standing here with the protesters but reporters, please put it down in black and white I am not, I repeat, am not here as part of the protest. This is the reason the MCA was shunned, I mean has been shunned by the Chinese. They do not represent the Chinese anymore. They cannot get things done anymore unlike in the old days. Gan admitted his meeting with the chief minister was fruitless, but would keep trying. Keep trying for what? He should stop embarrassing the MCA and reducing its credibility further by continuing to beg despite being rebuffed earlier. Again, this proved that the Malaysian Chinese Association has really completely lost its usefulness. If a small matter like Jonker Walk closure was beyond its power then, that 's it.
Jun 22, 2013
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How To Repair Your Own Refrigerator And Save A Bundle
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May 9, 2012
President Nicolas Sarkozy lost in second round of the presidential election
write way to riches
write way to riches › News about President Nicolas Sarkozy's loss in the just concluded French presidential election, and my two cents on the subject.
This is what I posted on MSNBC Newsvine discussion on news/topic concerning the
French president's defeat in the just concluded presidential election.
I don't know about Obama having or can continue to have a hard-on, but I want to say
this. I had been more than just hinting to these western leaders that what they had in
mind when they descended on Libya would one day return to haunt them and they would
suffer the same fate as the fate they dished out to Col. Gaddafi, but they wouldn't
listen!
As I can recall, among the loudest of calls for the toppling and even, if
necessary he said, killing of the Libyan leader, was from the former British defense
secretary Liam Fox.
Inevitably he was the first to taste a dose of his own
medicine. He was bundled out in shame. But that's not all. More will befall him soon,
undoubtedly.
According to Buddhism, we live well or like in hell in this world
due to our actions, Karma.
All my life I had been giving (to stray dogs and cats)
rather than receiving charity. My karma, believe or not, had made me indestructible. I
don't know if I could stop a bullet (like the black smith in the movie Curse Of The
Ring, who forged a sword out of an ore that one night fell from the sky and used it to
kill a dragon whose skin was supposed to be impenetrable. After, by accident, digesting and bathing in
the slain dragon's blood, he also became invincible just like the dragon; but both had
weak, vulnerable spots in their bodies which they must never reveal to anyone, or
they'd be done for) but I could stop a one-ton lorry!
I did.
My house and,
by extension, my carport was much lower than the road. The steepness of the slope was
so that gravity will pull anything that can move towards my house down below. And I
believed that gravity moved my one-ton lorry that night many years ago.
I was
too busy fumbling with the lock and was totally unaware my lorry was speeding towards
me until it was too late.
It hit my back squarely at my spinal cord, pushing me
against the solid steel gate so hard that the right frame of my solid steel gate which
was fastened to the carport's pillar, was lifted clear off the floor to become higher
than the left frame (in oder to clear the hole in which the locking iron rod was stuck
3 inches deep when the gate remained closed). My first thought was I was going to die.
I have often heard about people being killed when run over or knocked down by
cars.
But I lived. It's indeed a miracle, nothing less, to have survived to tell
this story.
Then another thought passed through my mind. An old lady, when told
that I had been feeding hundreds, if not thousands, of stray dogs and cats for years
and would not stop until I died, predicted: "A person like you would be blessed by
Allah and would never suffer from poverty, ill health or bad luck. Just look at me, I
am not rich, my house is almost ramshackled, but I cared for these eight Siamese cats
(and as if to repay her kindness, the lovely cats surrounded and grated round her
ankles).
"I believed Allah would take care of me; just like he'd take care of all
those who do good -people like you," she added while nodding at me.
Liam Fox got
a minor inconvenience due to his own actions, and knew it. But more will follow.
However, LIam Fox needn't have to be lonely anymore now that former president of France
had joined him!
And he can expect more (those who went cahoots with him to make
the late Gaddafi history) to join him.
They were in cahoots once to sow, now they
all shall go cahoots again to reap what they sowed.
It's karma.
May 4, 2012
Exotic Pets Released by Husband Returned to Wife
write way to riches
write way to riches › Article - Exotic pets released by husband before committing suicide, returned to wife.
This what I posted MSNBC Newsvine discussion of news of Exotic Pets Released by husband before he committed suicide, returned to wife.
SyriaInTurmoil
I agree one hundred percent the so-called animal rights protectors kill more than they save, many times over.
They never really try to help. They would slaughter most of the animals that their owners just turned in, soon after their owners left. Except in certain cases when the surrendered animals were high-priced, much sought-after Persian cats, which the PETA people would readily adopt them themselves or sell them for monetary gains.
Thank God the wife, Mrs.Thomson, was concerned enough to take them home.
Even if the caretaking could be better, it's still the best option for the poor animals.
May I suggest to the kind woman? Be a little kinder: make a vow to build a large enough cage to have a lily pond, or a pond filled with fresh water and large stones for the animals to perch on, and a mini jungle to attract birds and allow the animals to feel as if they are living in the wilds, and prove her critics wrong. If she really cares for those animals, and can prove it, there is no reason why a Facebook account cannot be created to appeal for donations.
It will take some convincing though.
They should be left at the zoo? Not on the animals' life! Who says the zoos care for the animals they cage?
Try asking them to utilize some of their profit and fence in a large area and have a pond with water and large stones built in it, and plant some trees, for the animals to roam and breathe some fresh air, and wait for the their ridiculous replies: lack of space, lack of funds. How about: lack of concern?
I have come across many zoos where animals clearly wish they are dead.
They are put in small cages... for a reason. Zoo visitors can have better views of the animals and their performances. The smaller cages the better for the said reason.
Some visitors are also nasty; especially young boys, mischievous boys, who will taunt the poor tigers or monkeys or bears, making them restless; or throw poisonous, harmful things like cigarettes or expired batteries at them!
Some animals die quickly and some fall sick as a result, and have to be put to sleep.
You are free to give your suggestion, but please..leave the zoos, PETA or the RSPCA or their cousin organizations out of it.
These organizations are well known for their roles - to publicly display animals to make money out of them, or for the later, to put them out of their miseries.
Don't listen to these people. I don't. When I see donation boxes put up by these organizations I ignore them.
You should...too!
!#3.8 - Fri May 4, 2012 11:34 PM EDT
May 2, 2012
Who's Responsible For the Mayhems in Egypt Today?
This is what I posted on MSNBC Newsvine discussion on the news of mayhems plaguing
Egypt today.
SyriaInTurmoil
You couldn't be more wrong, Cal USA..
The responsibilty for the chaos in Egypt rests squarely on the shoulders of Uncle Sam and, by extension, President Obama.
He said he wanted to reach out to the Muslim world (to undo what he felt was gross injustice a succession of US presidents had done to the Muslims.
Mind you, although although he seemingly directed his counselling at the Egyptians, the Egyptian youths, his intended audience was the Arab nation as a whole.
The Arab spring did not happen by accident. It's Obama's pet project.
Do you remember who shouted the loudest among world leaders .."we hear YOU!...we support YOU! Oh, brave people of Egypt!..don't give up..don't lose hope...continue until victory!" during the Egyptian youths' protests in Shahrir square? It was Obama!
And who worked hard (arm-twisting President Mubarak) to ensure the Muslim Brotherhood was given every opportunity to rise? Obama.
It's Obama who insisted the MB be allowed to be present (and perhaps seated in the front row next to Hosni Mubarak, too!) when he gave the infamous speech at the Cairo Islamic University.
Without President Obama, if Obama never became the 44th president of the US, and caused (arm-twisted the military to not standby their leader) the down fall of former Egyptian president, the Muslim Brotherhood would never rise.
Both Libya's Gadaffi and President Mubarak of Egypt meant him or the US no harm (whatsoever) except that they were perceived to be standing in the way of his Arab Spring.
Correct me if I am wrong, the same scenario is now consistent in Syria.
Sorry. But I thought you should know. That's all.
!#11 - Wed May 2, 2012 10:31 PM EDT
Do you suffer from gas reflux, heartburn, or GERD?
Do you suffer from gas reflux, or heartburn or GERD?
We burp and belch and fart many times per day; but still have gas to contend with;
gas that causes havoc to our chest region. Intestine gas or flatulence? What is that,
you may ask?
Who Was Responsible For the Killing of Osama?
.SyriaInTurmoil
Jim-3113262, I agree with you Obama has been a terrific president. I also concur with you on your score so far: Obama 2, GOP 0.
Apr 29, 2012
What had become of The American Idol?
write way to riches
write way to riches › News-Opinion
What Has Become of The American Idol?
Before, since its inception, I used to be attracted to the show and ordinarily wouldn't want to miss the show for anything. But that was in the past (when the show lived up to its billing as the most exciting show in America). Nowadays I don't care if I watch it or miss it. It's not that important any more. There is little feel-good thing to look forward to any more. Poor song choices plagued many contestants in the season 11th were the order of the days (nights), which inevitably led to poor performances. And then the fact that most, if not all, of the current crop of Idol hopefuls are not exactly eye candys adds to the problem. Now sometimes the dreariness of the show forces me to stop watching midway. For me, now the American Idol is just another show on TV.
If I have better things to do, I skip the show altogether.
The American Idol had certainly come a long way. It started eleven years ago, and it can be said that it was the best TV show ever. The interest and hype in the show never evaporated as predicted; and continued to attract talented kids for years, until after the departure of the man who so mattered to the show: the unreplaceable Simon Phillip Cowell.
Could the present malaise be due to Simon's absence?
By looking at the present strength of both sides - Cowell's when he was not with American Idol, compared with American Idol's (strength) in the good old days when they were together, most will agree that Simon added value to the show and the American Idol, to Simon Cowell. But nothing lasts forever.
It isn't easy to predict if the American Idol will continue to dominate the music TV shows or join the likes of Dallas, or the-soon-to-end-its-final-season Desperate Housewives.
But with the present malaise of poor vocals, lack of talents and concert-worthy stage presence, endless poor song choices and all, and not to mention the Idol hopefuls themselves, things don't look that rosy right now.
It's inevitable that one of the present finalists will be crowned the Season 11th Idol. But whether the eventual winner will retain or diminish the show's waning prestige remains to be seen.
I still watch the show, sometimes. I am still a fan of the American Idol, especially with Ryan Seacrest as the host. He's really unreplaceable. The guy's rare, extraoridinary, indispensable to the American Idol (like Simon Cowell was). But for the last few months the deariness of the show took its toll on me; so this week I missed the show, again.
I can't wait for this Season 11th to end; so that we can have a new show and hopefully, new and better crop of singers.
Sometimes I wonder how come the American Idol failed to attract those kinds of fresh-faced, talented, cute kids like before anymore.
I am aware that the judges have also reivented themselves completely.
Unlike during the show's season 10th, when the three judges, the same judges, notably Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson, raised the bar of excellence so high that the few who could survive to the last three were rightfully proud of their achievement.
Among the three finalists (Haley Reinhart, Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery), Haley was awesome but was hampered by too much criticism from Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson. Hardly a praise emanated from the two judges despite Haley's spectacular stage presence and prancing and Randy Jackson's comment that she really could sing.
I could only watch in helplessness, and prayed that they would cease their onslaught on the poor girl.
And they did.
Later Lopez and Jackson, to their credit, did realise they went too far, alright, and actually tried to undo the damage (by pouring praises on Haley's performance but)...it was too late. The judges's comments had been seen and noted too often and when it's time to vote, Americans used the endless criticisms from the two judges as the cue to boot out Haley from the Season 10th.
Probably due to that episode, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson nowadays couldn't be friendlier and kinder in their jobs, heaping endless praises on any contestant who could finish his or her song!
Apr 21, 2012
Egypt's election committee bars 10 from president's race
write way to riches
write way to riches › News-Opinion
This is what I just posted in a discussion on MSNBC Newsvine:
Cheryl Haque,
you seem hard on the Jews but love everything about Israel's enemies.
Don't worry, I respect your opinion. If you want to continue to expose your unrestrained bias to the world, hoping that you will land in the good book of the Muslims, like the Europeans do, by all means.
Are you originally from Europe by any chance? You sound a lot like the Swiss, Swedes, or Norwegians who regularly send activists to try to break Israel's blockade of Gaza to earn jihadists' goodwill.
All it took was a few bombings by these hard-line Muslims in these countries to cow them into submission.
Even once mighty England couldn't stand up to the Jihadists. The British have become so paranoid they dare not show Chritmas trees in public places for fear of offending the Muslims.
Wait a minute; correction. The first country that was subdued was Brittain, not Switzeland or Sweden or Norway.
You're welcome to join these English people, if you haven't already done so. I can't blame you for wanting to be on the safe side.
Last question, and you better get this one right; what have you got against the Israelis?
Haven't you heard that there was no such name as Palestine until the Roman Emperor Hadrian placed it on the country of Israel in 135 A.D? as Philistines.
The word later was transformed into Palestrina.
After the British, the Colonial Authority, chose to call the area Palestine, the Arabs adopted it and called it their homeland.It was just a myth, actually.
Even after Prophet Muhammad and his marauders came to occupy the area after the Romans left, the Arabs (who now refer to themselves as Palestinians) never really settled down there and never set up any government to, for instance, administer the areas and collect taxes until 1940 something. As there was no government , no authority, recognition was not possible.
These Palestinians who were originally Arabs from nearby areas became Palestinians only after the British allowed them.
Even Lebanon, Syria or Jordan, for example, came into being courtesy of the British Colonial Authority then.
I suggest you withdraw your statement that Israel took lands from the Palestinians. They did not. As a matter of fact they were driven away from their lands without any compensation.
I have nothing personal against you. I am doing this because I think you should know.
Have a nice day.