Heritage
behind
museum
p 18
community
MyKad solution
By Neville Spykerman
SHAH ALAM: MyKad recognition of
underage patrons at cybercafes is  among
some of the proposals being considered by
the State to regulate the multi-million ring-
git industry.
The idea mooted by the Selangor Cyber
Cafes Operators Association is aimed at
reducing truancy and online gambling while
helping authorities distinguish between
legitimate businesses and illegal operators.
“We have developed a programme that
recognises the age of users through their
MyKad and which will automatically shut
down computers used by children at 10pm
on weekdays or 12am on weekends,”
said association president Bronson Chuah to
Selangor Times.
The association has spent RM50,000
to develop the software which has undergone
trials for the past one year.
If accepted by the State, all users will be
required to swipe their MyKad in order to use
Freedom of 1Malaysia
Expression
& 8G
Heroes lauded
p 12 – 13 p 16
DECEMBER 10 – 12, 2010/ issue 3
the computers at cybercafes. “With the new measures measures proposed will not be able to totally
In addition, the we hope the state will lift eradicate the problem of illegal operators, nor
association is suggesting that the freeze so our members was it within the powers of the association to
all cybercafes adopt an open can expand their enforce the regulations.
layout which will ensure that businesses.” “ That’s the responsibility of local
there are no hidden corners The association is also governments who was must step up their
for patrons to surf for porn s u g g e s ti n g that o n l y enforcement,” he said.
or gamble online. Chuah said operators with a minimum Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liu
the move is aimed at safe- of 40 computers be allowed said the state was  considering the recom-
guarding the industry which to apply for new licenses as mendations proposed by the association.
is estimated to be worth some the costs involved will “We wanted a mechanism to regulate
RM200 million annually in compel owners to operate cybercafes and we thank the association for
the Klang Valley. within the law. taking up the initiative,” said Liu, whose
“Through our surveys we “ Cu r r e n t l y i l l e g a l portfolio includes Local Government.
estimate that cybercafes here operators can just pay a fine He said the open layout and design plan
get 40 million visitors a Chuah: New measures and reclaim seized submitted by the association was a good way
year  but illegal cybercafes computers before of ensuring that cybercafes operate in a
outnumber legitimate ones by three to one.” reopening at a different location.” transparent and open manner.
He pointed out that the 650 legal operators As a means to provide further services to “We believe this will deter online gambling
were being maligned because of the illegal the public, the association is also seeking the and prevent patrons, especially the youths
ones. Chuah said the situation would only get State’s approval to allow cybercafes to be from watching pornography, gambling and
worse because the current freeze on licenses upgraded into one-stop centres for postal loitering in the premises.”
for new outlets is causing illegal ones to services and bill payments. He said a decision on the proposals will be
mushroom. However, Chuah acknowledged the made soon.
2
news
DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010

Selangor WEATHER Selangor to make third offer by month’s end

Friday Saturday Sunday SHAH ALAM: Selangor will make yet another bid to
take over the four water concessionaires this month.
Morning “Documents pertaining to the acquisition will be pre-
pared first and it will take about two weeks,” said Selangor
Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim on Wednesday.
Two previous offers of RM5.7 billion and RM9.3 bil-
Afternoon lion were rejected by the companies last year.
Khalid said the state was still finalising the offer and
could not reveal the figures for the latest offer.
He  added that the state executive council needed to
Night discuss the offer before it was made to the four companies.
They include Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas),
Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd (PNSB), Syarikat Pengeluaran Air
Sungai (Splash) and Konsortium Abass Sdn Bhd.
Shah Alam and Putrajaya have been deadlocked over
who should have control over the supply and distribution
of the natural resource.
In line with the Water Services Industry Act (WSIA)
- Selangor intends to take over and manage the industry
more efficiently and reduce tariffs.
However the Federal Government has been adamant
on handing back the concession to Syabas despite numer-
ous breaches of contract and its poor record.
The move will also result in an increse of water tariffs
for 7.5 million consumers Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and
Putrajaya.
Last month the state launched the “Return water rights
to the people” campaign.
This culminated with a petition seeking the interven-
tion of the King which was sent to the palace on Sunday.

Events End to grant woes

Musical – Mahim Junction
This musical team is coming all the way from India with
the support of Maxis Bhd. It is an entertaining mix of
nostalgia and cinema, a snapshot of Bollywood film in
the 1970’s. It has run shows to full houses in London
and India. It will on from today to Sunday.  Tickets
are priced at RM50 per adult for the centre, RM40 for
the sides and RM30 for students and the disabled.
Venue:  Pentas 1, The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts
Centre (KLPAC), Sentul Park, off Jalan Ipoh. The box
office is reachable at 03-4047 9000.
International Motor Show
The Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show will
only be on till Sunday and showcases some of the
world’s automotive wonders, as well as sought after
car accessories with goodies. Admission prices are
RM15 per adult on weekdays and RM20 on weekends.
Special rates for families, students and children are
available on their website http://www.klims10.com/.
Visiting hours are from 11 am to 10 pm. Venue: Putra
World Trade Centre (PWTC).
Free Classes
Compassion Buddhist Mediation Society is offering
classes on Buddhism for Modern People from  Dec
12-26. Classes are from 10.30am to noon. Admission
is free. Venue: Journey Within Sdn Bhd, 30-2, Block B,
Jalan PJU 5/21, The Strand Kota, Damansara, Petaling
Jaya. For more details, call 012-222 9201 (Doreen)
or 016-620 3565 (Sean), or email at info.mkms@
mediateinkl.org.
Women Role in Environment Protection
The Department of Environment Selangor will be
holding a workshop on the Role of Women in the
Preservation of the Ozone Layer. The workshop is in
conjunction with the wider Ozone Layer Protection
and Awareness Campaign. It will be held on Dec 14 at
9am. Venue: Ballroom, De Palma Hotel, Shah Alam. For
more details, please call 03-44214115/128.
phone (603) 5523 2288
fax (603) 5523 1188
email editor@selangortimes.com
EDITORIAL
CHIEF EDITOR KL Chan
COMMUNITY EDITOR Neville Spykerman
WRITERS Tang Hui Koon, Chong Loo Wah, Gan Pei Ling,
Alvin Chin, Lee Choon Fai, William Tan
COPY EDITORS James Ang, Deborah Loh
DESIGNER Jimmy C. S. Lim
PHOTOGRAPHER Victor Chong
ADVERTISING Evelyne Low
ADVISORS Faekah Husin, Arfa’esa Abdul Aziz
for Pakatan reps
By Neville Spykerman Road Grants which Selangor receives act but there have been complaints
annually from the Federal Government. about delays,” said the Executive
S H A H A L A M : Pa katan These grants are channelled to local Councillor whose portfolio includes
Rakyat  assemblymen will for the first governments. local government.
time have a bigger say on how grants “There will be nothing different He pointed out that Federal Grants
are used in their constituencies from except state lawmakers will have the are also allocated to the Drainage and
next year. right on how some of the money Irrigation Department and Public
“RM1million will be allocated to money is utilised within their Works Department.
each of the 56 constituencies but the constituencies,” said the Selangor Opposition assemblyman Yap Ee
money can only be used to upgrade Legislative Speaker. Wah said the state should also give the
roads and drains,” Teng Chang Khim Powers to determine how the funds same powers across the board.
told Selangor Times. are used will also be g iven to The Sungai Pelek lawmaker from
The Sungai Pinang assemblyman coordinators overseeing the 21 MCA pointed out that all assemblymen
s a i d th e i d e a wa s m o o te d by constituencies held by the Opposition. were elected and knew what was best
backbenchers two months ago and the Pandamaran Assemblyman Ronnie for their constituency.
state had agreed to the proposal. Liu said the move would help reduce However, Selangor had previously
He said no additional funds will red tape, especially if the funds were declared that it was willing to give the
need to be allocated or budgeted for needed urgently. Opposition state funds provided
the shift in policy. “Currently lawmakers need to wait Putrajaya was willing to do the same
The money will come from State for municipalities and authorities to
for Pakatan Rakyat MPs.
Fan Yew Teng – A loss
to civil society
SHAH ALAM: Former Petaling Jaya Assemblyman and
DAP stalwart Fan Yew Teng (pix) passed away in Bangkok
on Tuesday, after a six-month battle with cancer.
The former DAP deputy secretary-general was elected
concurrently for the state seat as well as the Menglembu
(Perak) Parliamentary seat in 1974. Previously he had served
as the MP for Kampar in 1969.
But he was disqualified as a lawmaker in 1975 after being
fined RM2,000 for publishing a seditious article, based on
a speech by the then Penang party chairman, Dr Ooi Kee
Saik, in DAP’s newsletter, The Rocket.
The 68-year-old who was the oldest in a family of nine
siblings, is survived by his wife Noeleen Heyzer and twin
daughters Lilianne and Pauline.
His funeral will be held at the Holy Redeemer Church
in Bangkok next Thursday. Parliamentarians observed a
minute’s silence in Parliament on Wednesday.
In Shah Alam, Executive Councillor Teresa Kok was
among politicians who paid tribute to the former DAP
leader. pion human rights and social justice.
Kok said Fan held the party together, as acting secretary- “Although temperamental , his heart was in the right
general, while Lim Kit Siang was detained under the Inter- place. He had a lot of love and passion and always stood up
nal Security Act in 1969. for the weak, oppressed and marginalised,
Fan subsequently left the party for two decades due to “I will always remember him with fondness and admira-
internal disputes before returning in 1998. tion for this,” said Kok.
During the 1999 general election, Fan contested the She said his passing is a great loss to civil society in Ma-
Tebing Tinggi state seat and lost but he continued to cham- laysia but he will continue to live on in their memory.
SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ DECEMBER 10 – 12, 2010 ⁄ 3
4
news
DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010
Klang residents
lash out over
flood woes
By William Tan
KLANG: Victims of frequent flash floods at three housing
estates here are pointing fingers at both the Klang Municipal
Council (MPK) and Drainage and Irrigation Department
( JPS) for their woes.
The residents from Taman Chi Lung, Taman Palm Grove
and Southern Park said it was not uncommon for them to face
floods up to two or even three feet high.
But having suffered for over 12 years, they now say the
situation had become worse due to new developments along
irrigation channels all along Persiaran Tengku Ampuan Rahi-
mah.
“We see new houses, schools, and even graveyards being
built but all their water still flows down to one main irrigation
channel in our area” said R Selvaraju.
The resident of Taman Palm Grove also blamed a develop-
ment near a hotel in Persiaran Raja Muda Musa as another
major cause for the flooding.
He said the development had narrowed an existing irriga-
tion drain which was badly built to begin with. This has caused
a backflow of water which led to flooding every time it rained.
Selvaraju said water retention ponds and widening of irriga-
tion ditches have so far been ineffective.
He pointed out that the response from the authorities to
residents’ complaints has not been encouraging.
“The MPK says they have no
money and the JPS calls it an act of
God,” said Selvaraju.
“It has being going on for a long
time but only in the past few months
has the problem really gotten worse” BAD FOR BUSINESS: A hairdresser looks at his flooded shop on Nov 29 after
said another resident Liaw Poh Chee. a heavy downpour.
He said while the damage from me. I saw a flower pot with the soil and plant still in it, sitting
flooding may be minimal, the recurring situation had affected in the middle of a drain,” he said, referring to the actions of
the value of property at his housing estate. some people who threw unwanted items into the drains.
Residents met Klang Member of Parliament Charles San-   He added that MPK needed to be more proactive and
tiago and Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M Manoharan re- investigate the matter thoroughly. Rosli Adidin, who repre-
cently, and said they want a permanent solution to the prob- sented Selangor Exco Iskandar Abdul Samad at the meeting,
lem. said JPS would be asked for an explanation within a week.
Also at the meeting was a representative from MPK’s En- ‘”We will bring the matter to the Menteri Besar of Selangor”
gineering Department, Mohammad Zaidi Zainal. he said.
Mohammad Zaidi said the Council estimated that it would During a subsequent closed door meeting at MPK on
cost RM50 million to solve the problem and the money should Wednesday,   JPS representative Jamaluddin Sarib assured
come from JPS. The money would be used to build more residents that they were developing a plan to solve the flood
pumps and flood water catchments in the area. problem.
But to the ire of residents and lawmakers, no representatives He estimated that it would cost RM57 million and take up
from JPS showed up for the pre-arranged meeting. to a decade to rectify the problem.
“I will make a formal complaint on this issue,” said Mano- According to MPK councillour Lim Lip Suan, JPS was still
haran. However Santiago called on all parties to share the needed to raise the funds and the issue that will be brought
responsibility for the situation. up to state this Friday.
“I visited the site about a week ago and what I saw shocked But residents from the affected areas remain sceptical.
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ DECEMBER 10 – 12, 2010 ⁄ 5

With Utmost Sincerity

From the Management and Staff of

Yayasan Selangor
6
news
DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010

Farmers upset

✂
over price drop
SEKINCHAN: Local farmers will
lose millions as a result of the drop
in selling price of rice seeds and rice
grains recently.
The Agriculture and Agro-based
Industry Ministry slashed the selling
price of rice seeds from RM1,400
per tonne to RM1,300 and rice
Take 5 minutes to fill this form up and drop it off at grains from RM1,250 to RM1,150
the nearest police station to have regular checks recently.
at your house while you are away. Sekinchan assemblyman Ng
Swee Lim said that there are around
Ibu pejabat Polis Daerah Subang Jaya 29,000 acres (11,736 ha) of paddy
fields from Tanjung Karang to Sek-
Tel: 02-5637 3722 Fax: 03-5631 9815 inchan.
Borang maklumat He said on average three acres of
Memaklumkan tentang meningalkan rumah kediaman untuk land can produce 10 tonnes of rice
bercuti. every season. Hence, a farmer will
lose around RM1,000 for every Farmers concerned with lower price of rice seeds and grains.
Kepada Kawasan Pentadbiran Balai Polis three acres of land.
“This would amount to losses in most paddy farmers in Sekinchan The farmers are also worried that
.............................................................................................. the millions for the paddy farmers are rice seed producers. they will not be able to harvest in
in Selangor,” said Ng, who led the They supply rice seeds to 80% of time and the rainy season would
Butiran penduduk: protest by around 40 farmers in the farmers in the country for culti- further reduce yield.
Sekinchan against the price cut. vation. They are also concerned that
Nama: .................................................................................. Ng also questioned if the lower However, under the ministry’s their crops will suffer a drop in qual-
selling price would translate into rice seed verification scheme, the ity from rice seeds to rice grains due
Alamat: ................................................................................. lower buying price for local consum- farmers can only harvest their paddy to late harvests.
ers. after the Agricultural Department Former Menteri Besar Datuk Seri
.............................................................................................. Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) has inspected their fields. Dr Mohd Khir Toyo also visited
did not respond to Selangor Times’ Sin Chew Daily reported that Sekinchan last week during which
.............................................................................................. query on the reason for the price cut farmers are also unhappy with the he urged the Agricultural Depart-
at press time. Agricultural Department’s speed in ment to speed up the pre-harvest
Nombor telefon bimbit/kediaman: ........................................ In addition, as rice seeds are sold pre-harvest inspections due to the inspections to minimise the farmers’
at a better price than rice grains, shortage of manpower. losses.
Nombor telefon yang boleh dihubungi: ................................

.............................................................................................. Selangor denies discrimination

Tarikh meninggalkan rumah: ................................................ By William Tan
Tarikh dijangka balik ke rumah: ........................................... SHAH ALAM: Selangor has
denied it discriminates against
Kenderaan yang ditinggalkan (jenis model & nombor daftar minorities wben awarding tertiary
kenderaan). loans, saying that no quotas   are
imposed.
1. .......................................................................................... “I want it to be made known that
the Selangor government’s main
2. .......................................................................................... criteria are poverty and hardship.
Race has nothing to do with it,”
3. .......................................................................................... said executive councillor for
education Dr Halimah Ali on
Lain-lain maklumat: Wednesday.
Priority is given to Selangor-
.............................................................................................. born students with excellent results
and who come from families
earning less than RM2,000 a month,
she said.
She lashed out at the Opposition
for trying to gain political mileage
from the issue.
However, she said the state was
aware that not many non-Malays
know about the loans, and there
were fewer applications from
Indians and Chinese because of
poor publicity.
This year’s 505 applicants
included 20 Indians and two
Chinese students while the rest were
Malays. Last year, only two Indians
received loans out of  504, with the
rest being Malays.
“According to our records, the
number of non-Malays receiving
loans has not changed much since
2000, especially among the Chinese
community which never exceed 10
recipients annually.” said Dr
Halimah.
She added that 874 applicants,
including three Chinese and two
Indians, also received Yayasan
Selangor scholarships this year.
Dr Ha lima h sa id Yayasan
Selangor scholarships are offered
only to students enrolled in the
foundation’s special education
programme.
Next year, the state will advertise
loan applications and Yayasan
Selangor scholarships in more
vernacular newspapers.

...............................................
Tandatangan
.......................................
Tarikh
Chi Liung hawkers gather support to stay
By Alvin Chin and were initiated by Kota Alam Shah Assemblyman
Have you checked KLANG: Despite complaints of traffic congestion and
M. Manoharan.
However, the planned relocation to Southern Park
your electrical cleanliness, some residents at Taman Chi Liung still
want hawkers at the morning market here to stay put.
on Dec 1 was put on hold following protests from resi-
dents there, as well as resistance from the hawkers
switches before “We have a total of 1,500 signatures from the resi-
dents who want the hawkers to remain where they are”
themselves.
A meeting at the Klang Municipal Council will be
leaving home? said Yap Kim Huat.
Yap, the president of the Klang Hawkers Association,
held at the end of the month to reassess the situation.
Santiago has pointed out that relocating the hawkers
said 1,000 signatures were obtained from Taman Chi would be a no-win situation for any party.
Before ieaving your home for a holoday, have you Liung residents and another 500 from residents of Relocation would adversely affect the livelihood of
checked all your electrical switches and turned off Southern Park. the hawkers, some of whom have been operating in the
your gas tanks? Yap said the signatures were obtained at the Taman area for the past 30 years, as well as residents from both
Chi Liung market on Sunday. They will hand over the Taman Chi Liung and Southern Park.
Call the SS17 Bomba for advise at signatures to Klang Member of Parliament Charles Santiago has also called for a compromise so that
Santiago. hawkers can remain where they are, provided problems
03-5634 9444 Calls for the hawkers to relocate follow long-stand-
ing complaints by some residents in Taman Chi Liung
regarding cleanliness and traffic congestion are ad-
dressed.
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ DECEMBER 10 – 12, 2010 ⁄ 7

With Utmost Sincerity

From The Chairman, Board of Directors, Management and Staff of

8
news
DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010

MyKad use at cybercafés

may hit schoolchildren
By Alvin Chin
SOME licensed cybercafé operators
interviewed by Selangor Times are
open to the idea of using MyKads to
regulate when schoolchildren are
allowed to use computers at these
outlets. However, their location was
also a factor, as it determined wheth-
er children formed the bulk of their
customers.
“It will not affect our business at
all because our current location fa-
vours university students. They are
the regular customers here,” M Vee-
jay said.
The 18-year-old, who works at
DotCom8, added that if the MyKad
system was implemented, secondary
school students would not loiter as
much at cybercafés.
He added that replacing the
tinted windows of cybercafés with
see-through glass would be a boost,
especially for parents who want to
see what their children were doing
inside.
Liew Jian Qi, 18, said the MyKad
system would not affect the cyber-
cafe business too adversely. Liew
said the main customers at his outlet
were adults between the ages of 20
and 40.
“I think all cybercafés should
follow rules and regulations set by
the government. Illegal gambling is
ruining the cybercafe business
around Selangor” said Liew, who
added that the cybercafé he works
in follows regulations.
Illegal outlets can be easily rec-
ognised as they usually have heavily
tinted windows, he added.
However, operators of cybercafés
located near schools may feel differ-
ently about the possible new regula-
tions.
Operator Wong Liang Be said
that implementing the MyKad sys-
tem could slow down business as his
regular customers are school stu-
dents.
“Our shop is located behind a
school and students usually come in
after school hours. Currently, they
are having their school holidays so
our business is a little bit slow” said
Wong, 26.
But Wong supported the pro-
posal to have transparent glass
windows instead of tinted ones.
“This should not affect business if
you are not doing anything illegal,” Wong: Implementing the MyKad system could Veejay: New system will not affect business as
he said. slow down business. most clients are university students.

Free spay and neuter to reduce strays

AMPANG: Pet owners here will
have an opportunity to spay or neu-
ter their pets for free under a pro-
gramme to prevent them from being
abandoned.
The offer by the Ampang Jaya
Municipality Council (MPAJ), the
office of the Teratai Assemblyman
and Save a Stray will be on a first-
come-first-served basis on Dec 19.
Owners will be required to reg-
ister their pets and pay RM15 to
obtain licences for animals. The progamme will also include
“This programme is to encourage
residents to spay their female
dogs and cats to prevent dumping
of unwanted puppies and kittens,”
said Teratai assemblywoman Jenice
Lee.
She said organisers hoped to
change the mindset of pet owners.
Twelve veterinarians will be on a
field near the Meranti Apartments
in Jalan Cheras Hartamas, Kuala
Lumpur, to spay the animals be-
tween 7.30am and 5pm.
The success of the pilot project
will determine if it will be extended
to other areas.
Pet owners will also be educated
on caring for their animals.
free obedience training and vaccina-
tion and 50 per cent discount to
treat blood parasites.
For more information, call 03-
4295 2354, 012-223 8176 or email
scopeevent@yahoo.com.

Khir resigns as Opposition Leader

SHAH ALAM: Datuk Seri Dr
Khir Toyo has stepped down as
Opposition Leader following graft
charges against him in relation to
his bungalow in the city.
The former Menteri Besar’s
resignation was faxed to the Speak-
er of the Selangor State Assembly
and Umno Selangor the same
morning.
Dr Khir said he resigned for
the sake of his party and to
Stray dogs face being spayed or neutered at a shelter in Petaling Jaya. prevent Pakatan Rakyat from ex-
ploiting the issue. However, he
remains the Sungai Panjang as-
semblyman.
He faces two years’ imprison-
ment and fine if he’s convicted of
obtaining two plots of land and a
house in Jalan 7/1L at half the
market value price of RM6.5 mil-
lion, for himself and his wife, Da-
tin Seri Zahrah Kechik.
Dr Khir was charged on Mon-
day at the Shah Alam Sessions
Court.
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ DECEMBER 10 – 12, 2010 ⁄ 9

With Utmost Sincerity

From Dato & Datin Ng Bee Chai

NBC Group of Companies

10
FEATURE
DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010
FAVOURITE HAUNT: Young and old urbanites are flocking to the new kopitiams to catch up and have a quick meal.
Kopitiams Everywhere
By Lee Choon Fai
W
hile traditional kopitiams
have been in steady de-
cline for a while,
new style kopitiams are mush-
rooming.
“There are definitely more of
these shops nowadays; it is good
business it seems.” B. Priya said
while taking a slurp of coffee from
his cup. Priya works in a nearby of-
fice in Damansara Utama, just a few
blocks away from Old Town White
Coffee.
“I think that for kopitiams like
this to thrive in business is to find a
really good location. Like this shop
for example, it is a good place to
meet up,” said the 32 year old.
At lunch and dinner hours in
particular, these kopitiams usually
have a lot of business. For places
with a brand name like Old Town
White Coffee and Pappa Rich, there
is often not enough seats for hot-
spots.
“I’m not here just for
the food. Not to say that
its bad but I can find better
food elsewhere.” Andy
Chong (pix) commented.
“Overall I would prefer
the old, traditional kopi-
tiams. But these places are
often very well situated, making it
convenient for costumers.”
Chong works at the office just
above the outlet of Old Town White
Coffee he is having his lunch in. He
also added that the environment is
comfortable and with wifi available,
it makes customers want to stay
longer and take their time.
New style kopitiams usually stay
open much longer than classic ko-
pitiams. Most traditional  kopitiams
are only open during the usual work
hours. They are usually open from
10am to varying times at
night and some even till
midnight.
The night scene is not all
that different compared to
lunch time; young working
adults can be seen looking
through files on their laptop
or chit-chatting with their
colleagues.
“I think it is quite obvious that
people like the cleanliness of these
shops and the customer service of-
fered.” Chan Wei An said while
taking a puff from his cigarette in
the smoking section of Pappa Rich.
He also stated that while these
restaurants are popular, he much
prefers the traditional   kopitiams.
“They have an old, authentic taste.
NEW TREND:
New shops
like this are
replacing
the classic
kopitiams.
The environment of classic kopi-
tiams are also usually more relaxed
and comfy,” he said.
New styled kopitiams are in fact
more popular within young work-
ing adults than university students
and teenagers.
“Actually most of our customers
are working people, business peo-
ple.” Hazry Nazaruddin stated. The
manager of The Curve’s Pappa Rich
branch added that students and
youths in general don’t really go to
such places.
“I think the main reason these
kopitiams are becoming so popular
is because of good location and af-
fordable prices. Pappa Rich also
have the advantage of better tasting
food.” He explained.
While franchises already have a
brand name to ensure their busi-
ness, The Straits Café is an inde-
pendent restaurant. Located in
Centrepoint, Petaling Jaya, the
restaurant is also enjoying a good
amount of business.
“I think we are lucky to have
acquired such a good location to
start our restaurant, we’re basically
in the middle of a bunch of offices,”
the manager of The Straits Café
Terrence Kok said. He added that
they have been in business for about
seven years and that staffing is one
of the major problems in setting up
the restaurant.
“We wanted to emphasise on
customer service, and to achieve
that we need to hire locals who can
communicate with our customers.
That way, if you want extra chili or
kerang in your char kuey teow we
can do it for you. The franchises
cannot do that because they take the
customers’ orders on little pieces of
paper. But not many locals are look-
ing for this kind of job.” Terrence
explained.
An interview with some youths
also reveal that the popularity of
new kopitiams have more to do
with their location rather than their
quality of food. Matthew Tan, 21,
gives his two cents on the booming
business, “I think it is mainly be-
cause they are in convenient loca-
tions, and traditional ones are hard
to find these days.” The university
student also added that it is a good
place to hang out with friends be-
cause of the location.
“It is clean, and has more variety
in food. You can get almost any-
thing in there,” Chen Yoon Yi said.
When asked what she thinks about
the location factor, she stated that
the shops are very common.
“They are everywhere, so I guess
you could say that they have good
location.”
Once upon a time classic kopi-
tiams used to line every street. But
now these oldtimers are being
phased out by new ones doing a
booming business.
But like all trends of a bygone
era, sooner or later these new style-
kopitiams will get outdated.
But for now, franchises and en-
trepreneurs are just content to
profit, by providing a service sought
by much of the young working adult
class.
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ DECEMBER 10 – 12, 2010 ⁄ 11

With Utmost Sincerity

From The Management and Staff of

Sungai Long Industries Sdn Bhd
12
insight
DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010

By Gan Pei Ling

T
he right to freedom of expression is an under-appreciated right and many Ma-
laysians may still be unaware that it is a guaranteed right under Article 10 of
the Federal Constitution. Many may fear that to exercise this right is to invite
negative repercussions.
The Annexe Gallery at Central Market, for the third year running, will honour those
who have spoken out and continue to do so fearlessly with its Freedom of Expression
Award tomorrow.
Selangor Times speaks to the five recipients of this year’s award to find out what
motivates them to express themselves and their work boldly:
 
Edmund Bon
The lawyer is part of the collective behind the MyConstitution Campaign, Loyar-
Burok blog, and is also the Bar Council’s Constitutional Law Committee chairperson.
Via various creative means, Bon and the collective have helped to popularise the
Federal Constitution and empowered Malaysians to understand and defend their rights.
“This award should go to the hundreds of people working in the Bar Council, on
the MyConstitution Campaign and LoyarBurok.
“I’m only a figurehead representing them. They are the ones who have moved these
rights initiatives.
“Many Malaysians are unaware of their rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
By reaching out, we hope we give people the courage to speak out, stand up and exert
their constitutional rights fearlessly.”

Dr Farish A. Noor
The historian and writer often presents Malaysians with a different version of his-
tory, the people’s version instead of the elites’, through his books and lectures.
His books include “The Other Malaysia” (2004), “From Majapahit to Putrajaya”
(2005), “Quran and Cricket” (2009) and “What Your Teacher didn’t Tell You” (2009).
“From Majapahit to Putrajaya”, a collection of essays about contemporary Malaysia,
was seized by the Home Ministry in late 2008 for not containing the publisher’s ad-
dress.
Farish is currently a Senior Fellow at the Rajaratnam School of International Stud-
ies at Nanyang Technical University in Singapore.
“It feels rather nice to know that my work has been appreciated by some people at
least after ten years as I had almost given up and concluded that academic work is
unappreciated in Malaysia.
“This award is important as it recognises the need for open rational debate and how
that is conducive to a matured thinking society.”
 
Fahmi Reza
Fahmi has been highlighting the little known yet inspiring history of the 1960s
student movement in Malaysia via his interactive Student Power lecture to empower
the current generation of youth.
Although his lecture has been banned in Universiti Teknologi Mara and Univer-
siti Malaya, Fahmi is still determined to present his findings to the students.
In addition, he is also the director of short films “10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka” and
“Revolusi ‘48”, which exposed another side of history of our independence and the
emergency period.
“I don’t really care about getting awards. I’m glad people acknowledge and recognise

Why
my work, but I will continue to do what I do even without any award.

freedom of
expression
matters
 I believe freedom of expression
is a fundamental right and it’s the
Dreaming aloud:
only way for the public to keep the
government in check.” Awarding freedom
of expression
Malaysians understand our
life and society better,” Pang
explained in a phone interview.
He said the recipients must
have helped broaden the space
for people to think and express
themselves.
“I believe what is often
Pang censored or perceived as
Khee Teik controversial is merely people
dreaming aloud for the sort
Farish Noor of country they want, a better
By Gan Pei Ling Malaysia.
“Sometimes people don’t
The Annexe Gallery at Central like our dreams, so they try
Market is giving out its Freedom to intimidate us…because of
of Expression Awards to five various constraints, we’re afraid
distinguished individuals to dream.
tomorrow. “I think it’s very important for
The recipients are law us to reclaim that space. We
lecturer Dr Azmi Sharom, lawyer should not be afraid to dream
Edmund Bon, artist Fahmi Reza, aloud,” said Pang.
academic Dr Farish Noor and He said the heroes were
actor Edwin Sumun. nominated online by the
“We felt too many awards are Annexe Gallery Facebook group
given to people who are either members. From there, Pang
in the entertainment industry or selected 10 individuals or groups
cronies of some big shots. and last year’s award recipients
“There’s a lack of recognition voted for the final five.
of unsung heroes, people Last year’s heroes
who are doing the real work include Malaysiakini founder
to empower people to think Steven Gan, filmmaker
for themselves,” said Annexe Amir Muhammad, online TV
Gallery arts programme director PopTeeVee, women’s group
Pang Khee Teik. Sisters in Islam, and political
The Annexe Gallery gave scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat.
their first Freedom of Expression This year the recipients will
Award in 2008 to singer receive a military-style dog tag
songwriter Shanon Shah, engraved with their names.
women’s rights activists Irene “We don’t have the budget to
Fernandez and Yati Kaprawi, make pewter for them, so it’s a
writer Kee Thuan Chye and token for the battles they have
Hafidz Baharom. fought to open up spaces in
Pang said the selection Malaysia,” he said.
criteria was simple. The award ceremony will
“They must have encouraged begin at 12pm at the Annexe
people to speak up, and their Gallery on 11 Dec.
work must address pressing The recipients will share
issues in Malaysia. what they think about the state
“A lot of people prefer to of freedom of expression in
donate money or click ‘Like’ Malaysia and their own freedom
on Facebook. But to speak out of expression role models with
and empower people to think the audience.
for themselves and to dream of “It will be like a talk show,”
a better future, that’s a much said Pang, who will host the
harder job. awards.
“Their work can be *The Annexe Heroes Freedom
Shelah... Sumon’s alter ego controversial or may have of Expression Awards is part
even been banned, but it must of the Art for Grabs festival at the
“Freedom of speech is especially important for our have made us think, and help Annexe Gallery this weekend.
youth to combat ignorance, apathy, prejudice and
intolerance that have been planted in our mind since
We the
we were young. younger
“We the younger generation need to establish a generation Shelah
new progressive culture of open dialogue, discussion need to Shelah is actor Edwin Sumon’s alter ego. The drag
and deliberation without restrictions and without fear establish queen has performed at fashion shows, theatre per-
of the authorities. a new formances and Seksualiti Merdeka’s concert Rainbow
“Political power rests ultimately with the rakyat. Massacre.
Those in power can only rule as long as they have the progressive Edwin told Selangor Times he started performing
rakyat’s consent. Jadi lu mau takut apa? They are the culture of as Shelah 15 years ago and decided to bring her back
ones yang patut takut sama kita!” open dialogue, last year.
  discussion Shelah celebrates gender diversity proudly and is
Dr Azmi Sharom and not afraid to be who she is and wants to be. She will
The Universiti Malaya law lecturer regularly speaks be running her first drag queen workshop at the An-
about students’ and constitutional rights through his
deliberation nexe Gallery this Sunday.
talks and writings. without “I think it’s important to remind everybody to live
Azmi dares to criticize the institutions he is a part restrictions the best that they can live.
of and has inspired his students and readers to deal and without “There’s enough fear in this world, but don’t let
with the complexity of being a Malaysian. fear of the those fears stop you from being who you are and who
“I’m amused to receive this award considering what authorities.” you could be.”
I’ve been doing is not particularly heroic. The public is welcome to join the award ceremony
“I believe freedom of expression is a fundamental at the Annexe Gallery, Central Market tomorrow at
right and it’s the only way for the public to keep the 12pm. The five recipients will be there to receive their
government in check.” awards. Sumon
 
 14
NEWSDECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010

Getting to know
By Gan Pei Ling
the Constitution better
Constitution and citizenship,” said ties. Lim Ka Ea told Selangor Times this videos, Syahredzan said the council
Syahredzan Johan, Bar Council In conjunction with Interna- was the first time the council was has also been organising workshops

I
n the first-of-its-kind national
campaign to educate the public
about our Constitution, the Bar
Council’s MyConstitution cam-
paign will launch its second-last
phase today. “This phase is about the
people’s rights guaranteed under the
MALAYSIA
JL
MA
Constitutional Law Committee tional Human Rights Day, the
co-deputy chairman. council is launching this phase
He said this was one of the most jointly with the Malaysian Human
important topics in the Constitu- Rights Commission (Suhakam) at
tion as it touched on equality, free- the Bar Council auditorium at
dom of religion, freedom of expres- 10am.
sion and other fundamental liber- Bar Council executive officer
Circular No 281/2010 Dated 30 Nov 2010
i s s i o n i s Free
Adm
working together with Suhakam on
an International Human Rights Day
event.
She added that Suhakam chair-
person Hasmy Agam would give a
keynote speech and the eighth
Rakyat Guide on civil liberties and
citizenship will be given out at the
launch. She said the public are wel-
come to attend.
The My Constitution campaign
is divided into nine parts, focusing
on different aspects in the Constitu-
tion such as parliament, executive
and judiciary.
in colleges to reach out to young
people.
“In one of the sessions, they were
asked to select six people to bring to
a new planet. From there, we could
examine their selection criteria, for
example, whether race could be a
factor?” said Syahredzan.
He said the six would have to
come out with a system of govern-
ance for the new planet subse-
quently.
“They must come out with a
system by consensus, which means
everyone must be comfortable with

CI
L

IS
PE UN
G UA CO
M BA R
Each part is accompanied by a it, there will be no voting and eve-
An invitation by the pocket-sized Rakyat Guide and a ryone must try to reach a middle
Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee Rakyat Service advertisement. ground,” he explained.
The Rakyat Guides are a series of He said the process would help
to booklets that simplify complex students realise how our constitu-
concepts in the Constitution while tion came into being and it was the
THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE 8TH PHASE OF THE the Rakyat Service advertisements first time the students were exposed
comprise short videos on the se- to such training.
MYCONSTITUTION CAMPAIGN, ENTITLED lected concepts. “In the process of nation-build-
“THE RAKYAT & FUNDAMENTAL LIBERTIES” Lim said all these resources are
available online at MyConstitution’s
ing, we must find ways to reach
consensus on different matters, but
by website www.perlembagaanku.com. this important process is not
Tan Sri Hasmy Agam “The last phase will focus on elec- taught in our education system,” he
tions and democracy,” said Lim, said.
Chairperson adding that it would be launched Syahredzan said students could
Human Rights Commission of Malaysia around end February or early March invite the Bar Council to conduct
(Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia, “SUHAKAM”) 2011 in Penang. workshops in their colleges or uni-
Apart from the booklets and versities.
Friday 10 Dec 2010 | 10:00 am
Bar Council Auditorium (1st Floor), No 15, Leboh Pasar Besar, 50050 Kuala Lumpur

Itinerary I/ We would like to register for the official launch:

Taman Murni's
MyConsti goes land title limbo
10:00 am Arrival of Guests
Name : _______________________________________________
10:15 am Welcome Speech by
Ragunath Kesavan, President, Malaysian Bar
Email : _______________________________________________
By Lee Choon Fai pointed out that all their previous

to ATC College
10:35 am “MyConstitution Campaign” PowerPoint
presentation by Name : _______________________________________________ efforts to apply for individual ti-
Syahredzan Johan, Co-Deputy Chairperson, SEPANG: Some 400 house- tles had failed because of the ar-
Constitutional Law Committee, Bar Council Email : _______________________________________________ holds in Taman Murni, who col- rears in land assessment.
lectively owe the Land Office an Another resident, who only
10:50 am “MyConstitution Journey” video presentation by
Lingswaran Singh, Member, Constitutional Law
Name : _______________________________________________ estimated RM200,000 in assess- wanted to be identified as Kurun-
By the Bar Council
Committee, Bar CouncilConstitutional Law Committee ments, are appealing for a reduc- adhan, said they had previously
Email : _______________________________________________ tion so that they can get indi- called on the developer to solve
11:10 am FOLLOWING
Phase 8 Launch ourSpeech
successful
by launch and workshop choose six people from the existing earth to be sent to vidual land titles. the issue but their effort was fruit-
at KDU TanUniversity
Sri Hasmy Agam, Chairperson,
College on Nov 16, the MyCon-Nameaof
SUHAKAM Firm/Organisation : _____________________________
new earth. Most groups had similar choices, selecting "They are tired of all this wait- less.
stitution team stepped into the busy streets
Screening of Rakyat Service Advertisement 8
of China- people like a single mother with two children, an old ing and want the state to inter- “They do not want to bear the
_____________________________________________________
town to visit renowned law college, ATC College at Indian farmer and a Chinese traditional sinseh to the vene,” said Tai Seng Sin on Mon- responsibility because they think
11:40 am Bangunan Tunas Utama, Jalan Petaling, on Nov 27.Address
Tea Break new world. Most groups emphasised that the new
: _____________________________________________
day. that we own the houses now and
We were greeted with a speech by the Chief Execu- world should be free of the elements that “destroyed” The personal assistant to Sun- so it is not their problem,” said
Press Conference
tive Officer of ATC College, Datuk Ghani Yunus, who the old earth, and wanted to start afresh. gai Pelek Assemblyman Yap Ee the 53-year-old, who was   for-
_____________________________________________________
Noon
welcomedClose
the MyConstitution campaign to the insti- Students were also taught about the differences Wah explained that the devel- merly the Taman Murni Resident
tution. He emphasised the importance of knowing the_____________________________________________________
between positive and negative rights during the second oper of Taman Murni had failed Association treasurer.
Constitution as it is the supreme law of the land. part of the workshop which was the drafting of a pre- to apply for the land titles when “The outstanding amount was
Following that, Bar Council Constitutional Law Com-Telephone
RSVP by Monday, 6 Dec 2010, 5:00 pm. Completed forms are to
amble: __________________
of a constitution. Fax : ____________________ the homes were built almost two RM180,000 on May 31 but it
mittee
be forwarded to: deputy chairperson, Maha Balakrishnan took Emphasis was placed on rights such as the right to decades ago and this had left should be around RM200,000
on the rostrum and thanked ATC College for inviting life, right to a fair trial and right to privacy. One stu- residents in a lurch. now,” added Ngan Pan Kui.
the team for theBarlaunch Counciland workshop. She had also dent stood up and said that they were thankful that The homes, located 10 km The 56-year-old livestock
No 15, Leboh Pasar Besar, 50050 Kuala Lumpur
briefly introduced the campaign alongside the Rakyat the MyConstitution team had “come to empower us from the Kuala Lumpur Interna- farmer, who has living in Taman
Tel: 03 - 2031 3003
Guides and Rakyat Service
Fax: 03- 2026 1313 Advertisements. on the knowledge of the Federal Constitution and tional Airport (KLIA), are under Murni for a decade, said it was
One highlight of the day was the brisk sale of theDate rights”. : ______________ Signature : ________________________ a single master title and the ar- unfair to impose such a high
MyConstitution Article
For more details 5 and
or to Article 10 t-shirts. The
register The day ended with the presentation of the pream- rears in assessment has been ac- amount on the residents.
call Lim Ka Ea at 03-2031 7103 or email kaea@malaysianbar.org.my
t-shirts sold like hot cakes, especially the popular size bles of the constitution that the groups had drafted cumulated over the last 18 years. R e s i d e n t A b d u l Ja m i l ,
M, which went out of stock. Students and lecturers for their new world, and a short presentation on the “We don’t actually own our 44,  who has been living in Taman
Issued by: came in groups
Constitutional to the campaign
Law Committee, Bar Council merchandise booth fundamental liberties contained in the Federal Con- houses yet as they’re still under a Murni since 1996, said many
at the entrance of ATC College to shop during the stitution and the Universal Declaration of Human master title because the devel- residents had completed paying
lunch break. Rights. oper did not help us apply for it,” for their homes yet they could
Following the launch of the campaign was the Most students said they felt empowered and said resident Nam Hock Moi. not live in peace because they do
workshop entitled “Reconstituting Earth v2.0”. A wanted more of such workshops to be held as they The 47-year-old businessman not have individual land titles.
total of six groups were entrusted with the mission to found it helpful for their studies.
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ DECEMBER 10 – 12, 2010 ⁄ 15

With Utmost Sincerity

From The Staff and Management of

16
news
DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010

D 1Malaysia & 8G
ear Lord Bobo, what is 1Malay-
sia? @syahredzan, via Twitter

1Malaysia reminds Lord Bobo of a

planet which His Supreme Eminenceness

encountered on an intergalactic stroll in
2100 A.D. The planet was inhabited by an
advanced colony of apes, who, despite all
their initial excellence, eventually found
themselves overtaken by neighbouring
planets, as their rulers were keen to oppress
the apes, and constantly violated basic con-
cepts such as meritocracy, justice, the rule
of law, fair elections, and the ideals of the
founding apes.
All these rulers had in mind was how to
control the banana plantations and to line
their massive ape bellies.
They too attempted to mind-control the
apes with catchy slogans, multi-coloured
bananas, and the occasional feel-good ba-
nana smoothie.
Back to the question though, 1Malaysia
is an expensive branding and marketing ex-
ercise by the government known as Malaysia
concocted by non-Malaysians.
It is not a policy, but a slogan. It is the
Mobile Internet!
your ISP, or try again later.***
Although Lord Bobo already knows
your question before you even knew you
had a question, as a practical display of your
true desire to have your query answered,
His Supreme Eminenceness has graciously
allowed you to communicate your questions
by –
• emailing asklordbobo@loyarburok.
com, stating your full name, and a pseu-
donym if you wish the question to be
published anonymously (and a good reason
for anonymity).
• tweeting your questions by mention-
ing @LoyarBurok and using the hashtag
#asklordbobo.
The first 100 questions published will
receive LoyarBurok’s ONLY merchandise
you ever need (worth a lot for humankind)
courtesy of Selangor Times. Now, what the
hell are you waiting for? Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by
Hear This and Tremblingly Obey (al- LoyarBurok (www.loyarburok.com)
though trembling is optional if you are where all your profound,
somewhere very warm)! abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite,
sagacious, and other thesaurus-
Liberavi Animam Meam! I Have Freed described queries are answered!
My Spirit!

Perak: A State of Crisis

song and dance show by the powers that
be put on for the rakyat to entertain them
whilst the plunder of Malaysia goes on
backstage.
The “1” does not refer to unity. 1Ma-
laysia is code for “Looking Out for No. 1
using the resources of Malaysia”. 1Malaysia
is the new Islam Hadhari. That means when
a new Prime Minister comes in, it will be
forgotten and overtaken, as it should have
been right from the start.
Will Malaysia ever have a better, faster,
more efficient internet network? @no-
reenlynn, via Twitter
Matters concerning the World Wide
Web are indeed very close to the Lord’s
heart. Especially when the miraculous
power of His Supreme Eminenceness works
through the online platform of the Blawg,
in its quest for world domination.
To give you a rough idea of how Internet
connectivity works in Malaysia, all the data
lines are actually owned by a select few
service providers.
These lines are then ‘leased out’ to other
third party service providers and rebranded
as their own, in the name of market liberali-
sation, to create an illusion of competitive
pricing between the service providers.
In order for the original service provid-
ers to preserve their own monopoly over
the market, they will then hold back on
allowing access of the infrastructure to the
other third party service providers.
Even though, in theory, the infrastruc-
tures can provide up to a certain speed, as
claimed by some Internet service providers,
in reality, consumers will not be able to get
access to the full speed because it is simply
held back from them, and the available in-
frastructure is just not enough to withstand
all the consumers’ demands.
Unfortunately, no action is taken against
internet service providers who constantly
break their promises – and hide behind a
“best efforts basis” connection speed.
Recently, there was a launch of a 4G
product, which is not even 4G (in fact,
4G does not even officially exist). Yet, the
authorities allowed it to be marketed as 4G.
All this results in the organised, licensed
deception of Malaysian consumers.
Since complete fiction is apparently
allowed, perhaps a service provider should
next roll out 8G – why bother with 5, 6,
and 7? Malaysia can then boast the most
highly-numbered mobile internet service.
So, regarding your question whether
Malaysia will ever have a better, faster,
more efficient Internet network? The Lord’s
answer is th--- ***Transmission lost. No in-
ternet connection detected. Please contact
Book Review by Adrian L. Chew
AS time passes, some will cite Winston
Churchill’s famous maxim about democracy
being “the worst form of government except
all those other forms that have been tried” as
apologia for the events that unfolded in the
Perak Legislative Assembly in early 2009.
It is the ugly truth about politics that
battles are won not only through ballot
boxes but also legitimately through back-
room manoeuvring and bargaining.
All is fair as the nether creatures of real-
politik – party-hopping and money politics
– are set loose on democratic principles and
idealism. It is after all an eternal fight born of
our flawed human condition to lust for
power and wealth, and as a consequence of
that, our necessary resistance to the tyranny
and despotism such lust breeds.
And it is somewhere between the rocky
terrain of these two opposing ends, in the
domain of our laws and philosophies that the
constitutional crisis of Perak was sparked
following the dramatic resignation of three
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers.
It plunged the state’s political system into
paralysis as the Sultan of Perak became em-
broiled in the impasse, leading subsequently
to his controversial decisions to dismiss the
PR Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamalud-
din and appointing in his stead Datuk Seri
Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir of the Barisan Na-
sional (BN).
What came next was a litany of battles,
some played out in the media and some, the
pivotal parts, in the highest courts. As ordi-
nary Malaysians struggled to make sense of
the complex legal issues, lawyers and jurists
began writing their takes on the crisis.
Perak: A State of Crisis is a collection of
20 of these insightful essays that were first
published on LoyarBurok.com by well-
known lawyers such as Amer Hamzah Ar-
shad, Art Harun, Cheang Lek Choy, Ed-
mund Bon and K. Shanmuga, a few of whom
were part of the legal team representing
Nizar.
Other writers are eminent jurists such as
retired Court of Appeal justice, Datuk N.H.
Chan and law academicians Drs Shad Saleem
Faruqi, Andrew Harding and Kevin YL Tan.
The bulk of the essays were written con-
temporaneously with the unfolding of events
in 2009, giving a ringside blow by blow run-
ning legal commentary of what was happen-
ing inside the Perak Legislative Assembly,
court rooms, and even the Royal Palace.
The perspectives and sentiments of
the writers run the gamut. There is Lo-
yarBurok’s trademark measured irrever-
ence in Amer Hamzah’s piece, “Wake
Up and Smell the Carcass” on the Court
of Appeal’s perceived bias and determi-
nation in returning Zambry to the seat
of power.
Art writes an elegant riposte to a
scathing email sent by an attachment
student of Hafarizam Harun (one of the
Counsel for the BN), in “The Perak
Crisis – my rebuttal to Lord Lester’s
Opinion” where he (Art) methodically
dismantles Hafarizam’s legal opinion on
Nizar’s dismissal but not before pum-
melling the attachment student down
to size.
In Chan’s two-parter “Gobblede-
gook and Regurgitation Galore in the
Written Judgments of the Court of
Appeal in Zambry v Nizar”, the reader is in-
vited to sit on the tiered stands of a dissection
theatre as the judgments of the three Court
of Appeal judges are presented, still warm and
alive, but slowly cut open in an elaborate
vivisection performed to study the anatomy
of the judges’ minds.
The separate essays by Shad, Harding and
Tan delve deeper into the relevant provisions
of the Perak Constitution and examine the
various legal arguments surrounding the
crisis.
For example, Shad in his “The 2009
Constitutional Turmoil in Perak”, looks at
the apparent lacuna in the State Constitution
posed by the absence of any sanction against
an MB who refuses to tender the resignation
of the Executive Council after losing the
confidence of the majority in the Legislative
Assembly, and after having his request for
dissolution refused by the Sultan. Shad argues
that Sultan Azlan Shah had, despite wide-
spread criticism of His Royal Highness’ deci-
sion to dismiss Nizar, acted correctly within
his constitutional powers to end the impasse.
These opinions cover not only the episode
surrounding Nizar’s dismissal but also the
legality of then Speaker V. Sivakumar’s ac-
tions in both the Assembly and the Privi-
leges Committee in accepting the purported
resignation letters of the three PR lawmakers
and later suspending the newly appointed
MB, Zambry, and his Executive Council.
What happened in Perak in 2009 was not
the first time that a state leader’s dismissal
sparked a constitutional crisis. It has hap-
pened before: The 1966 Sarawak Constitu-
tional Crisis involving then Chief Minister
Stephen Kalong Ningkan’s ouster by the
Governor assisted by the Federal Govern-
ment’s Proclamation of State of Emergency
in Sarawak under the Federal Constitution.
Kelantan in 1977 also faced a constitutional
crisis involving the then MB Mohamad Nasir.
What is unique in Perak is the effort of
so many legal commentators to record and
analyse the many facets of the crisis. This
book stands at the forefront of those efforts,
excellently summarising a very complex sub-
ject and providing a fascinating read. It is not
only for lawyers and law students but also to
anyone who has ever worried about the state
of our country especially in the aftermath of
the 2008 general elections. It is without
doubt the definitive textbook and research
primer on the 2009 Perak Constitutional
Crisis.
But more than that, every page of this
book is a candle-light vigil to Democracy and
the events in Perak; a constant reminder that
nothing about democracy is timeless. Noth-
ing about it is set in stone.
What we forget and what we choose to
remember will determine how democracy
develops in our country.
Perak: A State of Crisis will be launched by
Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin, this Sunday,
12 Dec, 4.00 pm, at the Annexe Gallery @
Central Market Annexe. The event is open to
the public.
Advertorial SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ DECEMBER 10 – 12, 2010 ⁄ 17

Memorandum
Restructuring of the Water Services Industry in Selangor Darul Ehsan

From:

The People and The Selangor State Government

To:

Duli Yang Maha Mulia

Tuanku Al-Wathiqu Billah Al-Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin
Ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Al Muktafi Billah Shah
Yang Dipertuan Agong, Malaysia

2010
Dengan nama Allah s.w.t., Tuhan Yang Maha Pengasih dan Maha Penyayang.
Selawat dan salam buat junjungan besar Nabi Muhammad s.a.w.,
pesuruh Allah s.w.t. yang sangat mencintai dan menggesa umatnya berlaku adil.

Assalamu’alaikum w.b.t.
Ampun Tuanku beribu ampun, sembah rakyat harap diampun.
i. With the knowledge that basic human living is dependent upon access
to clean and affordable water,
ii. With the realisation that people’s expanding costs of living are steadily
increasing in comparison with their incomes,
iii. With a firm opposition to misappropriation, abuse and mismanage-
ment of power,
iv. With a commitment towards building a leadership that is transparent,
responsible, efficient and respectful of the spirit and practice of Feder-
alism;
We, the People and the Selangor State Government, hereby gather to-
gether seeking the humble permission of Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tuanku
to deliver our concerns towards the issue of Restructuring of the Water
Services Industry in Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Ampun Tuanku beribu ampun, sembah rakyat harap diampun.
1) Return the Rights of Water to the People
We, on behalf of 150,000 people of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Pu-
trajaya, plead that justice is given to us by correcting the past mistakes
of water privatisation, resulting in poor quality of water and water
services, and with water tariff increases at unreasonable rates. We
hereby seek clean and good quality of water and water services at
reasonable and affordable prices, taking into consideration the poor
and low-income groups of Selangor. We call upon Tuanku to return the
rights of water to the people.
2) Uphold the Water Services Industry Act 2006
We humbly request for Tuanku to uphold the spirit and aim of the Wa-
ter Services Industry Act 2006, that is to restructure the water services
industry into one that is holistic and managed by the Selangor State
Government. The WSIA 2006 was originally enacted for the purpose
of reversing the errors made in privatising the water industry. We call
upon Tuanku to remind the Federal Government of this.
20%, 10% and 5% in 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2021). The agreement
should have been discussed with the people originally as it affects them
primarily. We call upon Tuanku to empower the people by ensuring
that any new agreement must be discussed with the people before it is
finalised.
4) Restore State Government’s Powers
Water services falls under the “Concurrent List” in the Federal Constitu-
tion 1957, giving both the Federal Government and State Government
shared jurisdiction over the matter. We urge the Federal Government to
uphold the spirit of Federalism and the powers of the State in the issue
of water services, instead of using coercion tactics against the Selan-
gor government. We call upon Tuanku to restore the state government’s
powers.
5) End Cronyism
It is the perception of the people that the Federal Government sides
with the private sector, in this case a particular company, which is
equivalent to cronyism. It is evident that to ensure concessionaires’ prof-
itability, they were allowed high tariff rates and more than adequate
Federal Government guarantees to loans that the rakyat has to ultimate-
ly pay for. The rakyat has to now pay high water rates, and Malaysian
taxpayers are forced to underwrite the risk of SYABAS’ business. We
call upon Tuanku to remind the Federal Government of their promise to
end cronyism.
With the mandate that is given by the people, the Selangor State Govern-
ment is committed to ensure their interests are protected. The Selangor
State Government ensures that the water services industry will be managed
in the best manner possible for the benefit of the people through its taking
over of the water services industry.
Thus the Selangor State Government together with the people have placed
their hopes in supporting this important motion.
It is the people’s hope that this issue will be given serious attention by Duli
Yang Maha Mulia Tuanku. The people thank Duli Yang Maha Mulia Tu-
anku for the attention that has been given.

3) Empower the People Thank You.

The concession agreement signed in 2004 between Syarikat Beka-
lan Air Selangor Sdn. Bhd. (“SYABAS”), the Federal Government and Daulat Tuanku.
the Selangor State Government contains a number of ambiguities that
show SYABAS is not concerned with the people’s welfare, namely the
water tariff increases at alarmingly high rates (37% in 2009, and 25%, 5 December 2010.
18
TRAVEL
DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010
Selangor’s heritage behind
museum doors
There are portals through which we can discover
our past and present. These gateways pave the way
as to how we will shape our future. LIN ZHENYUAN
goes back to the past to glimpse the future
RAJA BROOKE: A collection of this famous specie of butterfly.
I
n almost every country around
the world, there is at least one
museum to inform and educate
citizens and outsiders as well as to
illuminate less known subjects
which are no less important to the
State.
In Selangor, there are five other
museums besides the main one
known as the Sultan Alam Shah
Museum. Located in the heart of
Bandar Shah Alam, this museum
opened its doors officially on Sept
2, 1989.
It was named after the seventh
Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sir
Hisamuddin Alam Shah Al-Haj.
A first time visitor may bypass
this museum quite easily because
the Minangkabau-style museum
also houses the State library.
After a 40-minute drive from
Damansara along the NKVE
(North Klang Expressway), the
museum slowly looms into view if
you don’t make a wrong turn.
On a week day recently when
rain was absent for more than a
week, the Sultan Alam Shah Mu-
seum played host to very few visi-
tors. Our planned visit found only
five guests. They were us, a party of
five, comprising two locals and
three from England.
From the huge, impressive doors
to the beautifully lit interior with
its ceiling panels decorated with
motifs, the museum guards were
courteous in extending greetings to
its guests.
Unfortunately, there was also a
sign that indicated that the air-
conditioning had broken down for
some time.
Thus, beads of sweat accompa-
nied every step we took. Within the
curves and corners of the museum,
pictures and artefacts of Selangor’s
rich cultural heritage were in full
display.
The museum is neatly divided
into five galleries. They are the his-
tory, cultural, sport, natural history
and Islamic. If not for the slightly
stifling atmosphere, the visit would
have been a very comfortable and
enjoyable tour. But still, it was a
heritage journey that needed more
BLAST FROM THE PAST: A locomotive from the past greets visitors in the Sultan Alam Shah
Museum.
than an hour.
The sport gallery displays pic-
tures of some of the State’s most
notable sportsmen who have con-
tributed significantly to the glory of
Selangor sports.
Some of these prominent sports-
men were footballer Mohktar Da-
hari, goalkeeper Arumugum Pillai,
and badminton’s famous Sidek
brothers.
The cultural section has a fine
display of the various Malay “baju”
and the history of the various Malay
communities like the Javanese,
Banjar, Mandailing and the Boyan.
Schoolchildren who need an
insight into the customs and musi-
cal instruments are advised to pay
close attention to the artefacts
ondisplay in this gallery.
The Natural History Gallery has
a detailed series of exhibits that
TRIBUTE:
Dedicated to one
of Malaysia’s
most-loved
singers, SM
Salim.
cover the geology, wildlife, natural
environment and forestry of the
land.
There’s even a life-sized crocodile
that died some years ago in Malacca.
At nearly six metres from tail to its
massive jaws, it was an impressive
tropical reptile. Of course, it wasn’t
the grand-daddy of them all but it
just proves that there are some gi-
gantic creatures lurking beneath our
murky swamp waters.
Each gallery holds a fascination
of its own. There is even a detailed
account of the Sultanate institution
of Selangor Darul Ehsan.
It began about 237 years ago
with Raja Lumu or the prince of
Opu Daeng Chelak. The rest of the
story you will personally have to
discover for yourself at this muse-
um.
In case you are a history buff who
seeks a deeper insight into the ge-
nealogy of the Selangor Sultanate,
Riau Sultanate, Johor, Brunei and
Bugis-Makassar, the information is
on display at a specific corner of the
well organised museum.
For the majority of recent and
long-time residents of Selangor,
who have drifted to this land for
pecuniary reasons, it would be good
to know that this prosperous State
comprised nine districts.
For the sake of knowledge, the
districts are Petaling, Gombak,
Sepang, Kuala Selangor, Hulu Sel-
angor, Klang, Kuala Langat, Ulu
Langat and Sabak Bernam.
An impromptu visit to the Sul-
tan Alam Shah Museum will quick-
ly prove that it is never too late to
learn.
However, the main feature at the
museum during our recent visit was
an exhibition on the life of the Tan
Sri S.M. Salim. He was undisput-
edly the King of Malay Traditional
Songs.
According to many experts in the
local music industry, S.M. Salim is
only second to P. Ramlee, the leg-
end in the Malaysian world of mu-
sic, past and present.
It was all about his life, his
achievements and awards (19 alto-
gether) and his evergreen songs.
Truly, the Sultan Alam Shah Mu-
seum has paid a fitting tribute to
one of Malaysia’s most popular
musicians.
The museum’s opening hours are
from 10am to 5pm Tuesday to
Thursday. On Friday, the hours are
10 to noon & 2.45pm to 5.30pm.
The Sultan Alam Shah Museum
is closed on Monday, weekends and
public holidays. Admission is free.
In case, museums are right up
your street, there are five more mu-
seums in Selangor. Check them out
if you have the time and the inclina-
tion.
They are the Kuala Selangor
District History Museum, Jugra
Museum (Kuala Langat), Museum
of Traditional Folk Games (Kuala
Selangor), Tin Museum, Gedung
Raja Abdullah (Klang ) and the
Sabak Bernam District Agricul-
tural and Fishery Museum.

HAPPY TEARS: Azimah Hamid (centre) cries upon seeing her friends S Arulmacar (left) and Rubiah
Learning from
Ahmad during the Kirkby reunion.
Kirkby Teachers
By William Tan
 
KUALA LUMPUR: Laughter
and shouts of joy were heard all
around last Saturday as 130 seniors
in their late 60s and early 70s met
for the 50th anniversary of the
Kirkby Teachers, at the Sime Darby
Convention Centre.
 All are graduates of the Malayan
Teachers Training from Kirkby,
Liverpool, UK, who were educated
on government scholarships.
 Coming from all races and walks
of life, these Kirkby old schoolers
have plenty to teach others. For one,
they simply practiced a national
identity.
 “Back than we did not discrimi-
Affordable Artista
By Gan Pei Ling
I
f you’re looking for a place with
reasonably-priced food and live
music to chill with friends in
Petaling Jaya, Artista Bar & Restau-
rant may be the place for you.
 The restaurant cum bar offers set
lunches at RM10 excluding tax.
 You can also enjoy a three-course
dinner set at RM26, excluding 15%
tax, from 6pm to 11pm with live
band performances on weekend
nights and certain weekday nights.
 The dinner set’s starter and des-
sert are fixed but you can choose
between a roasted herb chicken or
a prawn and slipper lobster pasta for
the main course.
 For drinks, there is a choice of
coffee, tea and juices (unfortunately
they do not offer fresh juices).
  My best friend and I visited
Artista on a Sunday night. We or-
dered a dinner set and a separate
starter, main course and dessert.
 We wanted to try the Mushroom
Ragout (RM16), a starter which
nate by community, we were simply
Malaysian, nothing else mattered,”
said current President of Aliran and
Kirkbyite, P Ramakrishnan.
  He feels unhappy now that
schools these days are polarised, and
feels that a public school might as
well be called a Malay school. He
says there is no longer any space to
develop the Kirby spirit.
 Just what is the Kirkby Spirit?
  “It is simply togetherness. We
just did everything together, and we
were family regardless of race or
background. That is the Kirkby
spirit,” smiled T Balasubramaniam.
 The founder of MECA Employ-
ers Consulting Agency fondly re-
calls the time that Kirkby trainees
Bouilabaisse
we’ve heard is worth dying for. In-
deed, the crispy bread topped with
fresh mushrooms left us craving for
more.
  The dinner set’s course starter
Bouilabaisse also did not disap-
point. The creamy fish soup coupled
with cheese croutons was thick and
addictive.
 Expectations ran high with such
great starters, but the roasted herb
chicken was ordinary and only met
our minimum expectations.
 We were more impressed by the
baked potato that comes with it
than the meat itself.
would go hitchhiking all over Eu-
rope in groups of two or three. They
would sleep in barns and hostels.
Such experiences forged unbreaka-
ble bonds.
  Kirkby trainees also learnt to
appreciate things that many take for
granted these days.
 “Most of us could not afford to
enter university at the time, so we
jumped at this alternative to study
abroad.” said Vimala Kandiah.
 Ahmad Sobri recalls that enter-
ing Kirkby allowed him to escape
the communist threat at Sik, Kedah
in 1960. He is now a partner of
Hisham, Sobri and Kadir.   “Oh I loved it, did it for 42 years.
For Ramakrishnan, memories of
Kirkby make him laugh as he recalls
  Another main course – beef
pepperoni pizza (RM20) – also
failed to generate further excite-
ment.
 The taste of onion overwhelmed
the taste of cheese in the pizza. It
may have worked well for onion
lovers but not for us.
 My friend asked for extra parme-
san cheese powder from the staff and
we were glad that they attended to
our request swiftly.
  As the night progressed, more
customers started streaming in and
the restaurant was packed by around
8.30pm. The live band began play-
ing around 9pm.
 By then, Artista ran out of peach
crumble - its fixed dessert for the
dinner set - and replaced ours with
a chocolate brownie topped with
ice-cream. It was a disappointment
as we found the brownie too sweet
and dry.
 Fortunately, the vanilla panna-
cotta we ordered separately saved
the evening.
 Overall, Artista’s food presenta-
HAPPY REUNION: Wong Ho Ying (left) hugs Tam Kam Moon after
meeting up at the Kirkby reunion last Saturday.
having to stretch 10 pounds on ex-
penses for a month.
  Perhaps it’s a combination of
these factors that make the Kirkby
teachers among the best in the field,
a fact many still believe today.
 “I rode a taxi on the way here,
and the driver spoke excellent Eng-
lish, and he told me when he was
young, he had this teacher who
graduated from England, a teacher
from a place called Kirkby” boasted
Ramakrishnan.
 Their dedication to teaching was
so strong that many never left it,
such as Goh Meow Lan.
[From] time to time [now], I trained
up new teachers” she said.
Mushroom Ragout
tion was simple yet attractive, not-
withstanding the food’s actual taste.
  The atmosphere was relaxed,
with occasional cheers from the
crowd once the band started per-
forming.   en recipe.
 In addition, the staff were polite
and helpful. Despite the mixed re-
view on its food, we thought Ar-
NEWS 19
DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010
 Choong Chong Suee is also pas-
sionate about teaching, but how-
ever, does not think of it as a profes-
sion for his children to take up.
 “Teachers have a tough life, they
are occasionally bullied. We can be
unsung heroes,” Choong said.
  Ramakrishnan thinks teachers
teach less these days, no thanks to
the education system.
“The system these days is such a
mess, teachers are just overburdened
and spend more time on paperwork
or redundant duties than teaching,”
he added.
 It’s sobering to realise that one
day, the legacy of Kirkby graduates
will fade when the last of them leave
us.
tista was definitely worth another
visit.
Hopefully, they’ll prepare
enough peach crumble in advance
and tweak their roasted herb chick-
Artista Bar & Restaurant is lo-
cated at Tropicana City Mall, Jalan
SS20/27, 47400 Petaling Jaya.
20
FEATURE
DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010

Case for openness, rationality

Review by Sheridan Mahavera Shafie mazhab (school of jurisprudence) while There are also eye-opening
denying the teachings of the three other main critiques of Malaysian laws

W
hen rumours started that outspoken
Islamic scholar Associate Professor
Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin was
joining Umno in June, many of his fans were
disheartened.
Here was a voice that challenged the con-
ventions of Malaysian Islam created by a
government-approved theocracy. The former
mufti also criticised the conservatism in the
practice and attitude of Malaysian Muslims.
So if he joined Umno, many felt that he
would lose the intelligence, independence,
sincerity and persuasive logic that fuelled
much of his writing.
The Universiti Sains Malaysia lecturer is a
breath of fresh air when it comes to discussing
Islam’s role in politics, economics, race rela-
tions and daily life in Malaysia.
Most importantly, Asri is at the forefront
of re-claiming the right for Muslims (and
non-Muslims) to participate in that process
of figuring out what Islam demands of its
believers and how they should live in the 21st
century.
This is essentially the theme that underlies
all 47 articles in “Islam in Malaysia: Percep-
tions and Facts” published by Matahari books.
The articles were written between 2006 and
2008 when he was mufti of Perlis.
The collection is a significant contribution
to freeing up discourse about the faith by the
faithful without their need to become or be
cowed by an ustaz, ulama or mufti.
The first lines put it succinctly: “Islam is a
religion established by reason and evidence
and the supreme bases of its teachings are the
Quran and Sunnah.
“... If an opinion produced in the name of
Islam fails the test of reason and evidence es-
tablished in the Quran and Sunnah, then such
an opinion cannot be said to derive from the
teachings of Islam even though the one who
makes that opinion assumes a religious title
or dresses in a manner that reflects piety.”
Too often, Malaysian Muslims are intimi-
dated into blindly following the tenets of the
mazhab.
The first few articles are devoted to making
the case for the return of rationality and open-
ness towards the opinions of other ulama.
Most importantly that Muslims should not
feel forced to shackle themselves to only one
mazhab or the opinion of one ulama.
“... our tendency towards attaching or
limiting ourselves to a particular opinion
without considering evidence or logic ... not
only dulls our minds, it contradicts the basic
tenets of Islam that seeks not to burden its
believers.”
Besides quoting extensively from the
Quran and Hadith (the Prophetic tradition),
the author’s points are amply backed up with
the opinions of other famous ulama such as
Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Dr Wahbah al-Zuhai-
li and Sheikh Nasir al-Din al-Albani.
Another key theme is Asri's criticism of the
Malay Muslim obsession with religious talis-
mans and superstitious rituals that have now
become de rigueur.
He points out how the increasing compli-
catedness of practice follows the narrowing of
the collective and individual Malay Muslim
mindset. Just as they are deceived into buying
koka wood thinking that it is sacred, they
become more and more suspicious and intol-
erant of non-Muslims.
It’s unsurprising that many of his detractors
are in the bureaucratic establishment tasked
with managing and administering Islam. The
author repeatedly blames them for the sad
state of Malaysian Islam.
Since the articles are written for a newspa-
per column, the specific subjects don't follow
a particular order. They are either in response
to a hot topic of the time or meant to coincide
with a holy festival such as Ramadan.
There are outstanding chapters on enter-
tainment, women's rights, balancing worship
and worldly affairs. Quite a few of the later
pieces deal with how Muslims should get in-
volved in politics and why much of ‘Islamist’
politics of today is not Islamic.
barring non-Muslims from
entering suraus and mosques
and of forcing them to change
their names after converting
to Islam.
Equally persuasive is a
piece on why Muslims ought
to be staunch environmental-
ists. Though the articles go far
in opening up the discourse
on Islam in Malaysia, the
scope of that space is limited
by the fact that Asri is also
preacher.
The pieces often start out
as sermons to Muslims rather
than as an invitation to the
reader, of any faith, to come
sit down, ponder and discuss.
Though the arguments are
structured systematically and
academically, there are arti-
cles where the discussion
takes an evangelistic bent.
So while one article argues
for non-Muslims to be given
a certain right (Chapter 10)
another pieces attempts to
invalidate their faith (Chap-
ter 35).
Which brings us to the point of who tradition.
should get the collection. Though the articles were written in Malay,
Critical readers and non-Muslims would translator U-En Ng manages to bring out the
find that the collection does not delve deeply nuance and humour of the original. Asri is not
enough into questions of how Islam is sup- just appealing because of his intelligence but
posed to govern a society where almost half because he also pokes fun at his subjects.
the population is non-Muslim. The collection has extensive footnotes and
Issues such as equal treatment before the a glossary for Arabic and Islamic terms to fill
law – enshrined in the Constitution – for in context.
both non-believers and believers and women's Overall Islam in “Malaysia : Perception and
roles as leaders and decision-makers are not Facts” makes a strident case for throwing off
discussed. the shackles of blind adherence (buta taklid).
For Malaysian Muslims, it is an invaluable It is a call for Muslims to actively engage with
contribution to opening up discourse of the and interpret the Quran and the Hadith to
faith and reviving the spirit of reason and better navigate through the travails of the 21st
evidence that is at the heart of its intellectual century.

Fiction by Yusuf Martin

Story of A Thin Man
In the darkness of his bedroom, Should, by any mischance, the laugh, devoid of any resonance of gressed, his tendency for isolation
nightmares returned the full horror count be wrong, Pak Ri would re- humour. was put aside, while he tutored

A
hunched, thin, Pak Ri edged
steadily towards the old
shop. He was dressed in blue
billowingly loose trousers, tied
clumsily at the waist, a soiled white
shirt and an old school tie.
His years worn, frayed, as his
shirt, stained, burnt by many restless
nights – tobacco dropping from
loosely rolled cigarettes. The shirt
flapped about his wiry body as he
loped down the lane, moving to-
wards Pa Yusop’s corner shop.
Old Pak Ri – a familiar sight
wandering about the kampong,
muttered to himself, talking to the
ghosts of war and invasion which
continued to haunt him. Lost, he
all too rarely acknowledged the
presence of others, keeping mostly
to himself. Others stared, talked at
him. Pak Ri chose his own time to
respond.
Pak Ri, only fractionally present,
was constantly distracted by persis-
tent, recurring memories of policing
duties under the Japanese. War and
insurrection never totally left him.
of conflict in vivid widescreen, flat
screen HD – with inglorious sound-
surround.
He awoke, sweating cold sweat in
the heat of the equatorial dark,
called out in the middle of the night
to the wife no longer there. She had
long since left – taking the children
who should have been there to assist
him, with her.
Pak Ri sat bolt upright, alone in
the darkness, his frail body shaking,
his sarong drenched with moisture,
trembling until the night’s horrors
finally subsided. He drank warm
water from a white, chipped, enam-
el mug to ease his dry throat and
tried once again to escape waking
torture by escaping into sleeping
nightmare.
In the morning as he walked to-
wards Pa Yusop’s shop, Pak Ri
counted the steps from his run-
down wooden shack. ‘Eighty one,
eighty two...ninety four, ninety six’
He hoped that remembering the
steps would help him forget his
personal horrors.
trace his steps and correct the count,
touching the telephone pole outside
the primary school in compensa-
tion, only then was he free to ap-
proach the kedai kopi once again,
trapped in his recurrent compulsive
obsession.
Steadily counting, Pak Ri would
reach Pa’s shop. He would touch the
wooden door frame, giving him
tacit permission to enter. He would
step down onto the hardened earth
shop floor.
He would walk to one of the long
wooden benches, filled with the
smoking men whose eyes would
suddenly drop to their teas.
Once he was settled they might
whisper and joke at his expense,
spilling tiny amounts of their drinks
in their eagerness to deride him,
relieved it wasn’t them. The smok-
ing men would look expectantly at
Pak Ri, waiting for the entertain-
ment to begin, waiting for the per-
formance – to confirm their preju-
dices.
Ha,ha,ha,ha, haa – a hollow
But it was what they expected as
he performed on cue. Later, Pak Ri
might have badly sung a poorly re-
membered Japanese song – etched
into his brain by the war invaders
forever leaving their scar.
That day it all sounded wrong;
his audience wasn’t amused, only
guilty, as they were reminded of the
fragile, mad man sitting, waiting to
drink his tea.
They knew that there had always
been a part of Pak Ri’s mind which
was hidden, even in his youth. They
understood that Pak Ri had not
been like other kampong children,
he had always been an outcast, an
object of derision.
The drinking , smoking men
knew that as he grew up, there was
part of Pak Ri which had become
more insular.
They witnessed that over time
Pak Ri was revealed to have a stun-
ning capacity for math, jumping
ahead of other students with little
effort. He was an unnerving, yet
special child. As his school life pro-
other children in math.
Yet the years passed quickly and
loneliness in his mind shrouded his
dark brilliance, his startling ability
revealed only on rare occasions. The
war and the Emergency took their
toll, hollowing out an already thin
man and part of Pak Ri journeyed
inward, never to return.
Tomorrow, the smoking – drink-
ing men expect Pak Ri to be walking
the lanes of the kampong, heading
only he knows where until, limit
reached, he re-traces his steps to his
own purpose.
Tomorrow, the smoking - drink-
ing men imagine that Pak Ri will
brave the proximity of Pa Yusop’s
shop, once again performing for
them – waiting to mock the lonely
crazed old man and his ‘ha, ha, ha,
ha, haa.
The smoking drinking men will
wait and, tired, they will quietly
leave, a little disappointed, unaware
that Pak Ri’s heart had finally sur-
rendered, bringing the peace which
he had, for so long, longed for.
 TECHNOLOGY 21 DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010

By Edwin Yapp CHOICES:

HTC’s series of

T
his buzzword has been ban- smartphones.
died about for some time
now. But only recently, the
buzz got a lot louder. Led by the
sell-out Apple iPhone, which was
first launched in the US in 2007,
smartphones today are no longer a
a luxury item coveted by many but
it has become pretty much a stand-
ard item seen even on tables of
mamak stalls.
But what is a smartphone? Why
is it smart? And what exactly can it
do for the average mobile user?
A smartphone amalgamates two
basic functions that have already
been known to the marketplace for
over 50 years – the phone and the
computer. One way to think of the
smartphone is that it’s essentially a
computer in a phone.
This means that smartphones
can do a host of things, including
schedule appointments, store con-
tacts, phone numbers and address-
es, make written or voice notes, set
alarms and reminders, playback
various media, including video and
audio, take pictures and view and
edit documents, presentations, and
spreadsheets.
All of these functionalities are
doable using a laptop/netbook, but
you can’t bring them along with you

Welcome to the world

wherever you go. Because these
functions are integrated with the
phone, you can also access the In-
ternet, and consequently, the pow-
er of the smartphone becomes evi-

dent as you can extend the comput-
ing functions to include wi-fi and
cellular data connectivity, receiving
and sending e-mail, surfing the web,
downloading applications and us-
ing mobile services.
This is why smartphones are
what they are – because of their
ability to have a computer in your
hand and still connect to the Inter-
net while on the move.
Smartphones to the fore
So why has the smartphone
become so popular? What is so
special about the smartphone that
makes it different from the rest of
the other consumer devices?
Firstly, the rise of smartphones
is inevitable as the hardware and
software become more and more
powerful, and as the world becomes
more dependent on the Internet.
For example, today’s screen tech-
nology is able to display some of the
best and brightest images through
new technology such as AMOLED
(active matrix org anic L ED
screens).
Software has also come very far
USER
CONNECTION:
HTCSense.com
allows users to
manage their
mobile phone
experience from
their computers.
of smartphones
with new players such as Google’s
Android operating system in addi-
tion to Apple’s iPhone, BlackBerry,
and Windows 7 Mobile.
Secondly, high-speed mobile
broadband, which these band-
width-hungry smartphones depend
on, has been soaring in the past few
years. Five years ago, access to the
Internet for most people was large-
ly confined to desktops and fixed-
line modems. Today, this is no
longer true, because with smart-
phones, you have essentially a com-
puter in your hand and an always-
on wireless network on tap to keep
you constantly connected.
Finally, arguably the biggest
catalyst in the smartphone realm
today is the rise of rich content and
applications that have been made
available in a fuss-free manner to
consumers.
This is what truly makes the
smartphone stand out from the rest
of the consumer electronic devices
as the smartphone is no longer a
static piece of electronic equipment,
which is bought and used for only
a set number of purposes, but one
that is able to adapt and evolve its
functions based on software appli-
cations and services.
Three to choose from
The latest smartphones to hit the
street are HTC Desire HD, HTC
Desire Z and the HTC Windows 7
phone, also known as HTC HD7.
Sporting a large 4.3-inch touch
screen, Dolby Mobile and SRS sur-
round sound and a 1GHz processor,
the HTC Desire HD can record
and playback high-definition (HD)
video. HD video is sharper to look
at, has brilliant colours and is in-
credibly lively to experience. The
HTC Desire HD also comes with
an 8-megapixel camera with dual
flash, a GPS, a micro SD expansion
slot that caters up to 32GB of
memory while weighing164 grams.
The HTC Desire Z is a must for
those who prefer a full QWERTY
keyboard layout in a smartphone,
and comes equipped with a 3.7-inch
screen, a GPS, a 5.0-megapixel
camera with auto focus and flash,
HD recording, and a micro SD
expansion slot that caters up to
32GB of memory.
Both the HTCs have value-
added features, some of which are
pretty nifty. The first is HTC Loca-
tions, a new way of looking at maps
in an offline mode, without having
to download map data or incur
mobile roaming charges. The sec-
ond is HTCSense.com, a new
portal in which people can manage
their mobile phone experience from
a HTC phone or personal com-
puter.
For example, a user can easily
locate a missing phone by triggering
the handset to ring loudly even if it
has been set to silent mode, or to
flag its location on a map. If the
phone is lost or stolen, users can
remotely lock the phone, forward
calls and text to another phone,
send a message to the phone to re-
motely wipe out all the data. Lastly,
users can also customise their
phones with exclusive HTC con-
tent such as wallpapers, sounds and
plug-ins.
Last by not least is the HTC
HD7, one of the first of many of the
Windows Phone 7 powered devices
to hit the market. The HD7 also
sports a wide 4.3-inch touch screen
and has 16GB of internal memory.
It differs from the Android in that
it’s the only phone with “Live Tiles,”
so you can quickly see everything
you care about on your “Start”
screen. The phone is also customis-
able according to your needs: pin
people, apps, playlists, pictures and
other favourites so they’re always at
your fingertips.
What’s more, the unique HTC
Hub provides an exclusive series of
applications and utilities including
a new weather and stocks applica-
tion – and new photo enhancer to
apply special effects to photos you
share with friends from the Picture
Hub.
The HTC Desire Z and HTC
HD7 is only available exclusively
through Maxis Communications.
Their suggested recommended re-
ta il price are R M2,299 and
RM2,399 respectively without any
mobile data plans. However, the
phones are available at subsidised
rates through various Maxis plans.
For more, surf to www.maxis.com.
my
The HTC Desire HD will be
available at HTC resellers begin-
ning December at DiGi Centres
and Specialised Stores at RM2,299.
22
Gallery
DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010

WET, WET, WET: A resident taking the flood problem in Taman Palm Grove, Klang with a smile on Nov, 29. Residents blame a development near a hotel in
Persiaran Raja Muda Musa as a cause for the flooding.

A group of teenagers
using the long school
holidays to learn how
to rock climb near
Batu Caves.

From left: Ex-Kirkby teachers Chong Cheng Swee, P Ramakrishnan, Amy Grace, Cheah
Lean Aing and Amrit Kaur Gill reading SelangorTimes during their reunion last Saturday.

Director of Symposium Prof (E) Datuk Dr

Abdul Latif Ibrahim (left) celebrates an early
birthday with Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri
Khalid Ibrahim on the sidelines of the Islamic
World Academy of Sciences and
Bio-Technology International Symposium
2010 on Wednesday. Together with Khalid
were Exco members Ronnie Liew and Dr
Halimah Ali.

Residents attend the “Dialog

Banjir di Zon48C” to know more
information last Sunday.
22
Gallery
DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010

WET, WET, WET: A resident taking the flood problem in Taman Palm Grove, Klang with a smile on Nov, 29. Residents blame a development near a hotel in
Persiaran Raja Muda Musa as a cause of the flooding.

A group of teenagers
using the long school
holidays to learn how
to rock climb near
Batu Caves.

From left: Selangor Excos Teresa Kok, Elizabeth Wong, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri
Khalid Ibrahim, Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman Azmin Ali and Dr Xavier Jeyakumar
handing over the Water Memorandum to Istana Negara press officer Khairi Abdul Rahman
as Dr Yaakob Sapari looks on last Sunday. The Selangor state government handed over the
memorandum on the restructuring of the Water Services Industry in Selangor.

Some of
the water
protestors and
Pakatan Rakyat
leaders Gobind
Singh, Elizabeth
Wong, S
Manikavasagam
and Dr Siti
Mariah
Mahmud
gathered in
downtown
Kuala Lumpur
before their
march to Istana
Negara last
Sunday.
 Culture 23
DECEMBER 10 — 12, 2010

PLAYS Art For Grabs: A

Justice For Sisters
Campaign Launch &
Fundraising Concert;
The Annexe Gallery;
Central Market Annexe;
11 December 2010; RM15
donation; 03-2070 1137;
angela@kryss.org
Another ancillary event to
Art For Grabs, this concert
is subtitled “Helping the
Mak Nyah Community
Fight Against Violence
& Persecution”. It’s the
launch of a campaign to
raise awareness for, and
condemn, mistreatment
against transgender
Malaysians. Just to illustrate
how horrible things can get,
here’s an excerpt from the
Mak Nyah Community of
Malaysia statement: “We
are sexually molested or
our breasts are groped
when the religious officers
insist on checking if we
are wearing brassieres.
We are sometimes made
to change our clothes in
full view of the officers.”
Come on: that’s not cool!
The campaign aims to raise
RM50,000 to finance court
cases brought against Mak
Nyahs. Featuring performers
like Azmyl Yunor, Elvira Arul,
Janet Lee, Jerome Kugan,
and Liyana Fizi. With Nell Ng
as emcee.
33rpm Live
Music Gig; BFM; Little
Havana, Changkat Bukit
Bintang; 11 December 2010;
www.bfm.my
The English-language
radio stations that fill our
airwaves tend to broadcast
bland, mass-produced hits
and airheaded DJ chatter.
An exception is BFM
89.9, which gets relatively
interesting guests and music
-- the latter through 33rpm,
its 30-minute weekday
romp through pop history.
Host and musician Zack
Yusof takes his show live
this weekend, with local
star acts like Tenderfist and
Kyoto Protocol helping out,
playing a selection of their
own songs as well as covers
of Joy Division and Jesus
and Mary Chain!
Editor’s
Pick
Art Bazaar & Festival;
The Annexe Gallery; Central
Market Annexe;
11 & 12 Dec;
Free admission;
03-2070 1137;
www.annexegallery.com
SMS From An Angel
Experimental Performance;
KL Performing Arts Centre;
9 - 12 December 2010;
RM15 donation;
03-4047 9038;
www.klpac.com
Abstract navel-gazing into
the mores and pangs of
contemporary life is the
preferred mode of cutting-
edge Malaysian Chinese-
language theatre. One
wonders why alienation is
such a fecund subject for
this community; still, it can’t
be denied that they turn out
some sublime shows. In that
Human Rights &
Xmas Special
The Annexe Gallery has been
a hotbed of exciting art and
events since its beginning in
2007; curator Pang Khee Teik
and his team are also fearless
in tackling thorny subjects such
as human rights, religion, and
sexuality. They were recently
in the papers for Seksualiti
Merdeka 2010, their annual
“sexuality rights festival”, which
celebrates the gamut of ways
human beings love and relate
to each other.
Art For Grabs is another
Annexe Gallery flagship event.
A bazaar of stalls selling cool
knick-knacks and artwork
under RM100, it traditionally
runs alongside book fairs,
REVIEW
performances, and fora of all FORUM Fest
sorts. This year-end instalment
will include the launch of Perak: (12 December 2010. MAP KL, Solaris Dutamas. Free
A State of Crisis, an anthology admission.)
of analyses of the Perak state
government coup in 2009; There’s a lot of human-rights stuff going on -- and
a performance reading of for good reason: 10 December is Human Rights Day
Unimagined, Imran Ahmad’s worldwide, the annual commemoration of the UN’s
memoir about growing up as
a Muslim in the West; a lecture
adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
signed in 1948. But good causes are a hard sell: people
by academic Farish Noor
entitled “From Totem to Bling-
complain about paying extra for their plastic bags; the
moral police come out against sexuality rights; and you
bling: Megaprojects & Other get water-cannon-ed if you rally for a citizen’s right to
Follies in Southeast Asia”; a cheap, clean water. What’s needed is a creative way to
mime showcase by the Perak get people interested.
Tronoh Theatre Shop; and a Enter FORUM, a month-long series of workshops,
drag workshop by drag queen discussions, and performances, designed to introduce
par excellence Shelah! artists and activists to Brazilian director Augusto Boal’s
Also featuring the third methods of interactive, socially-conscious theatre.
Annexe Heroes Freedom Ongoing since mid-November at MAP KL, FORUM
of Expression Awards, with is hosted by Fallen Leaves Theatre, a company that
recipients like Edmund Bon, started from drama therapy sessions for recovering
Fahmi Reza and Azmi Sharon drug addicts. To date, the group has worked with the
talking about their work at Malaysian AIDS Council and Amnesty International,
making Malaysia a better, freer raising awareness about various social issues through
place. stagecraft.
The programme culminates this weekend in the
FORUM Fest, a showcase of “interactive art and
dialogue creation techniques”. Definitely something for
those who want to have fun and think at the same time!
fine tradition comes SMS
From An Angel, a devised,
experimental performance.
A series of SMSes --
recording a person’s day-
to-day feelings about life
-- forms the basis for this
multi-sensory experience,
which fuses soundscapes,
physical movement, and
video art. Directed by
Kimmy Kiew, featuring
music design by Goh Lee
Kwang, lighting by Lim Ang
Swee, and video work by
Alison K. Performed by
Kimmy, Leng Poh Gee and
Angel Chang.

REVIEW
Pekan Frinjan 16: Hak Asasi Manusia
i-City, Shah Alam’s hottest new mega-development,
is a weird place. Tricked out with neon-lit, fake trees
and effigies, it’s an energy-intensive wonderland
– but one of strikingly icky aesthetics, above the
usual standard for wonderlands. Billed as the “No.
1 Technology City”, parking tickets are handed out
manually, by attendants standing out in the rain.
“You have to pay RM10 to get into i-City,”
explained Zulhabri Supian, prime coordinator of
the Pekan Frinjan monthly street festival. “It used
to be free. They started charging people to control
the crowd.” Indeed, on 4 December, during Pekan
Frinjan’s 16th instalment, the place was packed
with wandering children, aunties and uncles –
even though it was a monsoon-drenched night.
Malaysians may have bad tastes, but at least
they are out and about; the neon extravaganza is
endearing, after a while. i-City demonstrates the
need – and economic viability; just ask anyone from
the many stalls peddling food and gadgets – for
open, more-or-less public space.
Pekan Frinjan is traditionally held at Laman
Menara Jam, in Shah Alam’s city centre, but
Zulhabri said that they were following the crowd.
“If not it will be just our friends who come, and
you can’t depend on them.” The festival is overtly
designed to introduce people to art and ideas, via
the medium of music and quizzical performance art
– and it was a success.
The audience (hipster youth and families)
grooved to the tune of nu-jazz band Tilu’s “Diam,
Diam”. They looked on as artist Rahmat Haron
wrote “HAK” in the gravel with his umbrella; later,
they were more than willing to participate when
invited to extract a toothpick from his mouth and
stick it into his beehive of dreadlocks.
“I think it was a case of ‘aneh’,” Rahmat told
me. “Or, if they are polite, people would say: ‘unik’.”
But, for a tattoo-ed Muslim in the supposedly
conservative Malay heartland, he was surprisingly
well received. You’d expect heckling. Instead,
by the end of the evening, a young boy was also
drawing the letters “H”, “A” and “K” in the ground
with a stick.
 SELANGOR TIMES ⁄ DECEMBER 10 – 12, 2010 ⁄ 24

Published by Selangor State Government and printed by Ultimate Print Sdn Bhd Lot 2, Jalan Sepana 15/3 Off Persiaran Selangor, Seksyen 15, 40200, Shah Alam, Selangor