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Study Shows M'sians Lead Comfortable And Happy Life, Says Abdullah

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- A study carried out recently showed that Malaysians enjoyed a high standard of comfortable and happy family life, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Friday.

The prime minister said the study showed the index on comfortable and happy family was at 8.2 from the highest scale of 10.

He said the study also showed the index on the people's courtesy was at 7.2 from the scale of 10.

"To have an index of more than seven is a good achievement. We must make more efforts to raise the index from time to time," he said at the Internal Security Ministry's monthly assembly here.

Abdullah, who is also Internal Security Minister, however, did not say the party which conducted the study.

Abdullah told government servants to carry out their jobs sincerely, with the intention of serving the people and making the people happy instead of enriching themselves.

He said the people were now more confident in the country's economic growth following the increase in investments, vibrant capital market and the stronger financial position.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- The Press freedom enjoyed in Indonesia since the change to democracy about 10 years ago, was a political milestone in the country's history, the Chief Editor of Tempo magazine Tariq Hadad said Monday.

"It (press freedom) was once determined and judged by the government but today by readers ... it is in fact by the man in the street," he said during a discussion with local senior editors held at the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) headquarters, here Monday.

However, he stressed that the Indonesian media had also learnt that press freedom had its limits, for instance when it came to publication of pornographic materials.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- Users of the newly opened Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) will have to pay toll of between 50 sen and RM3.90, depending on the class of vehicle, at three points along the expressway from Feb 20.

Malaysia Highway Authority Director General Datuk Mohd Noor Yaacob said the three toll plazas under the open toll system are located at Jalan Prai, Bagan Ajam and Sungai Nyior.

Mohd Noor said the 12.1-km expressway was equipped with closed circuit television cameras and "variable message sign" signboards while a rest and recreation facility is available at the Bagan Ajam toll plaza.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Monday he would seek the Cabinet's nod soon to declassify concession agreements signed by the government and concessionaires of all highways in the country.

"I raised the issue at the last Cabinet meeting and the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) has asked for a Cabinet paper on it to be submitted," he said, speaking to Bernama from London.

Good times are back again

PUTRAJAYA: The good times are back. The country’s economic growth is expected to have reached or exceeded the 5.8% target for 2006, and the Government is confident the stock market rally can be sustained as well.
“We are very confident the good times are here,” said Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop.

• Not need to pay high tolls rate, it is better no need to pay any tolls.
• Not need to pay high rate of petrol per litre.
• Not need to pay high water tariffs and not yellowish drinking water.
• Have a well managed public transportation systems in the whole nation.
• Low crime rates, secure environment to live at.
• Efficient of civil servants services, no need to wait at the departments office for ages.
• No descriminate, bias and racist remarks on certain groups of people or certain races in the nation.
• Not talks and talks, but run the talks.
• Strong anti-corruption activities.

What else?
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You fill the lists.

Zam: Ban on foreign flavour in ads stays

SUNGAI PETANI: The ban on foreign flavoured advertisements and models with Pan-Asian looks featured on private television channels, newspapers and billboards will continue to be enforced. Information Minster Datuk Zainuddin Maidin said the ban had been long imposed by RTM and it would be maintained.

He said his ministry had discussed the matter with Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim. Dr Rais had given an assurance that his ministry would follow the guidelines, said Zainuddin.

Malaysian models defend the mixed look

They are among the country's most sought-after models and show hosts because of their “international” looks. However, this group of Malaysians with Pan-Asian features may soon find themselves phased out of the small screen if an Information Ministry guideline is enforced.

“I'm a true blue Malaysian with Eurasian blood.”
“I shouldn't be discriminated against just because of my Pan-Asian looks.”
“I thought we are living in a multi-racial country with inter-racial marriages. Just because the children have Pan-Asian looks, should we be set apart from other Malaysians? That's really unfair.”

Former beauty queen, model-actress-emcee and law graduate Elaine Daly, 28, whose father is Eurasian and mother Chinese

“My mother decided to go global and marry my father who is English. Being of mixed parentage doesn’t put me in a better or worse spot.
“There is nothing wrong in having models of mixed parentage.”
“Perhaps, such models are favoured because they have an international look.”
“The (Information) Minister should not segregate us.”

TV host and actor Ashraf Sinclair, 28, who has appeared in commercials on TV. Ashraf co-hosts Astro's Beat TV

“Malaysians have all sorts of looks.”
“Look at actress Fasha Sandha, even though she is pure Malaysian, she looks more mixed than I do!”
“What's a ‘mixed’ face and where do we draw the line?”
“I have lived here in Asia all my life and consider myself truly Malaysian.”

Award-winning actress and model Maya Karin, of German-Malaysian parentage. Maya is in the midst of recording a tele-movie on Malaysia's independence

“Competition is always healthy and, anyway, trends in advertising change all the time – sometimes it’s the Pan-Asian look that is popular and at other times it may be the Chinese look, the Indian look, the Malay look, or whatever.”
“I grew up in Malaysia and I just don’t think we should turn around and start classifying people.”

Model/actress Stephanie Chai, 23, a Malaysian of Chinese-Italian parentage who is filming an upcoming series for 8TV

Land belongs to those who work hard
When I was a little girl, there was no New Economic Policy or religious fanaticism that segregated the people. Religion, we must understand is man made. We lived happily side-by-side and worked for the benefit of the nation. The nation then grew to its present state.

Pak Lah, isn't that double standard?
At the World Economic Forum which ended recently in Davos, Switzerland, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was quoted in a news report as saying: ‘... on the human rights issue, Malaysia shares Switzerland's concern that countries should not practise double standards’.

It was most astonishing to hear such words from the PM. There are only two conclusions. One, he is lying to the world, or two, he is so ignorant of what is happening around him in the country.

OSA probe a cover for gov’t incompetency
Except for the limited purpose of ascertaining the source of the leak of the LDP concession agreement, the move to investigate four opposition leaders under the Official Secrets Act 1972 (OSA) is pointless because it is unlikely to be followed up by prosecution, and even if it is, chances are that prosecution is also unlikely to succeed.

"This is confirmed by results from technical studies commissioned separately by both the Malaysian Government and the Singapore Government as part of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea dispute settlement proceedings on Singapore's land reclamation works at Pulau Tekong and Tuas View Extension."

"A coastal hydraulic study undertaken by Malaysia's Drainage and Irrigation Department in September 2002 on the impact of Singapore's reclamation works concluded that there were no appreciable changes to the water levels within the Straits of Johor."

"It also cited a separate environmental impact assessment report prepared by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia commissioned by the Malaysian Government which reported similar findings."

"Technical studies commissioned separately by the Singapore Government in 2003 also reached the same conclusions.

"In fact, based on the results of these studies, the Group of Experts which both governments appointed to study the impact of the reclamation works had recommended that it would not be necessary for the flood impact to be further assessed by the technical consultant appointed for the Joint Study. This was accepted by both governments,"

• Many snatch thefts - blame women wear expensive clothes and carry expensive handbag.
• CCTV "focus" onto the thighs of a young female journalist - blame she wear sexy in house.
• High crime rates - blame Malaysians careless to their properties.