Hello, Spain and America!

1. You know what's surprising? This is surprising:

That's right. Malaysians only rank 4th in terms of who reads this blog. First come the Americans, then come the Spanish. I think this next one puts it all in context:

Firstly, I think I should highlight that the most visited blog entry is Blackle not Energy Saver, but an Energy User?, which is a referral from the Official Google Blog entry. It seems that everyone's a little bit environmental nowadays, and perhaps with the recent jumps in the Google stock and exciting Google news items, people might also be a bit Google-eyed. This might also explain the 14% viewing from the google.com IP address.

As for Spain, the 5% from uclm.es leads me to think that the university has just given out an assignment on the environmental impact of computers, or some sort of thing like that. Either way, this leads me to say things like:

Hello, Spain! Hello, Google staffers! :D

Thanks to SiteMeter for the statistics. It's amazing what computers can do.

2. You know what's not surprising? This is not surprising:

2007/11/09
NST: Malaysian varsities fail to make top 200 ranking
By : Chok Suat Ling and June Ramli

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian universities are on a slippery slope. None of them made it to the top 200 placing in the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES)-Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings this year.

This poor showing comes on the back of a recent government survey of local public universities which found that none deserved a place in the outstanding category.

Last year, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Malaya made it to the top 200 in the THES-QS rankings. UKM ranked 185th, up from the 289th spot in 2005, beating well-known universities like University of Minnesota in the United States and University of Reading, Britain. This year, it has fallen to 309th.

Similarly UM, which was ranked among the world's top 100 universities three years ago, was in 169th position in 2005 and tied with University of Reading in the 192nd spot last year. It has dropped to the 246th spot.

Universiti Sains Malaysia has fallen to 307 from 277 last year. UKM and UM vice-chancellors attributed their fall to the new methodology used to calculate rankings this year.

"Even the National University of Singapore (NUS) has dropped to the 33rd spot when it was always within the top 10," Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Datuk Rafiah Salim said.

"The way I look at it, smaller countries like Malaysia are bound to lose out as THES has introduced new criteria which is peer review and has changed the citation and list of publications."

Rafiah said with more than 3,000 universities getting ranked by THES annually, Malaysian universities had to improve if they wanted to remain on top of the list.

"If we want to compete with some of the top universities in the world, first we have to be in the same league. "Right now, we are not. One way to overcome that is through adequate funding."

She said NUS received an annual funding of S$1.2 billion (RM2.7 billion) a year compared to UM's RM400 million annual budget. University Kebangsaan Ma-laysia vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hassan Shahabuddin said: "We need to improve but we are not doing that fast enough.

"As for international institutions, American and British universities dominate the rankings for the top 100 universities in the world.

In fact, all 10 top universities are from the two countries. Harvard University (US) leads the pack, followed by University of Cambridge (UK), Yale University (US) and Oxford University (UK).

The highest-ranking Asian university is Japan's University of Tokyo.

Besides the NUS in 33rd place, Singapore's Nanyang Technological University is in 69th spot.

The THES-QS rankings began in 2004 and have since attracted a great deal of comment, reaction and feedback. Calculations for the rankings are based on data gathered through peer and recruiter reviews, international faculty ratio, international students ratio, student faculty ratio and citations per faculty.

THES is a newspaper based in London that reports specifically on issues related to higher education while QS, or Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd, is an international careers and education specialist.

Meanwhile, the Higher Education Ministry has instructed the vice-chancellors of all public universities to focus on academic reputation as the main strategy to improve.

Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said it was clear that academic reputation based on publications, working paper presentations and academic networking at high impact conventions were the main factors that could help to propel efforts to enhance the quality of Malaysia's higher education system.

"For the past two years, the vice-chancellors have given special attention to the THES rankings and have begun efforts to upgrade local higher learning institutions," he said in response to the THES report.

The THES-QS ranking is available at http://www.topuniversities.com/.

Nope. Not surprising at all.

Way to go, Arnie

Last Updated: Friday, 9 November 2007, 01:00 GMT
BBC: California sues US over car fumes

California is suing the US federal government over its failure to back the state's tough new anti-pollution laws regulating greenhouse gas emissions.

Two years ago, California passed legislation requiring car-makers to cut vehicle emissions by 30% by 2016.

But for the measure to take effect, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must give its approval.

State governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said there was no legal basis for the EPA to stand in California's way.

An EPA spokeswoman said the agency planned to make a decision on the legislation by the end of December.

If the legal action is successful, 11 other US states have said they will follow California's lead on emissions levels, and five more are considering the move.

'Our future'

California needs the EPA to grant a waiver because the state's legislation seeks to implement stricter standards than imposed those under national law.

Speaking at a news conference, Mr Schwarzenegger accused the federal government of "ignoring the will of tens of millions of people" by failing to approve the legislation.

He said: "Our future depends on us taking action on global warming right now.

"There's no legal basis for Washington to stand in our way."

The 16-page lawsuit filed by the state attorney general's office warns that greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles are rising more quickly than from any other source.

"The longer the delay in reducing these emissions, the more costly and harmful will be the impact on California," it said.

US car-makers are fighting California's plans to cut emissions levels in the courts.

Industry groups say the proposed standards would raise the cost of vehicles and could force America's embattled car makers into further difficulties.

In April, the US Supreme Court ruled that the EPA, which had challenged the California law, was wrong to say that it did not have the power to regulate exhaust gases from new cars and trucks.

In a separate move, Mr Schwarzenegger last year signed a bill making California the first US state to impose limits on the state's greenhouse gas emissions, with a target of 25% by 2020.

Way to go, Arnold. You know what should have been the title of this new article? "The Terminator terminates pollution". That's what it should have been. Get your act together, BBC. Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe...


Last Updated: Wednesday, 7 November 2007, 17:50 GMT
BBC: Vietnam 'thugs' advertised on web
By Nga Pham
BBC Vietnamese service

A group of youngsters who allegedly used a website to offer services including violence and intimidation has been arrested in Vietnam, reports say.

Police in the city of Buon Ma Thuot suspect the gang of several attacks, the Lao Dong
newspaper reported.

The gang apparently offered to "threaten with violence, beat up or even maim people for a negotiable price", the paper claimed.

The police closed the website down and reportedly arrested four people.

The paper said the ringleader and three gang members were caught with knives and
machetes.

Police discovered and promptly shut the gang's website, where "potential customers" were invited to place their orders online.

Lao Dong's reporter, Dang Ba Tien, told the BBC from Buon Ma Thuot that there were 30 youngsters in the gang.

He said: "The internet is becoming more and more popular in Vietnam, but this is the first time it's being used by criminals like a marketing tool.

"Luckily their website was closed down just days after it was launched."

He added that he believed the gang had been active for only a few months.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the introduction of the internet into Vietnam.

Since then, web usage has grown at an average annual rate of 30% and almost 16 million Vietnamese are currently connected.

Awesome. I've always said that you could find anything on the internet. I haven't? Well I meant to.

What goes on in Melbourne, stays in Melbourne

A couple of days ago, I again received calls from the British empire. It seems that two "people" "forgot" my birthday and were reminded. Quite coincidentally on the same day, and within an hour of each other, the calls came. Is Melbourne behind by 4 days, I wondered?

For those of you in the know, yes, she called me. Yes, I answered. Yes, I was amicable and friendly and a decent human being. No, I still don't trust her. No, I'm not sure there ever will be again. Why? Most of you have been (and still are) in the same position. Don't judge me.

During the sudden flurry of calls (I don't get many calls. 2 is a flurry), The Massager decided to tell me what our friend Kelly got her for her birthday. If you remember what she got Kelly for her birthday last year, it's basically something like that. Which prompted me to come up with a new slogan:

"What goes on in Melbourne, stays in Melbourne."

I don't really think I need to put this to vote with the home team. I think it's quite unanimous.

By the way,

em·pire –noun
1. a group of nations or peoples ruled over by an emperor, empress, or other powerful sovereign or government: usually a territory of greater extent than a kingdom, as the former British Empire, French Empire, Russian Empire, Byzantine Empire, or Roman
Empire.
2. a government under an emperor or empress.

Source: www.dictionary.com

Humorous News Items

What with all the landslides, floods, suicide bombings and people dying in general, I figured I'd try to lighten your day with some humorous news items such as these:

BBC: UK chooses 'most ludicrous laws'

A little-known law which prohibits people dying while in the Houses of Parliament has been voted the UK's most ludicrous piece of legislation.

Another law which states it is treason to use a postage stamp upside down was placed in second place by those polled by UKTV Gold.

The most absurd international law was judged to be in the US state of Ohio, where it is illegal to get fish drunk.

The 3,931 people asked selected the laws from a shortlist of bizarre rules.

A total of 27% of those questioned thought the law against dying in the Houses of Parliament was the most absurd, while 7% voted for the legislation banning placing postage stamps upside down.

In third place, with 6%, came a law stating that only a clerk in a tropical fish store has permission to be topless in public in Liverpool.

Driving blindfolded Other lesser-known laws making the top 10 included one banning eating mince pies on Christmas Day and another stating it is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament wearing a suit of armour.

Almost half of those asked confessed to breaking the mince pie law, which was brought in by Oliver Cromwell in the 17th Century.

The unusual international laws on the list included legislation against naming a pig Napoleon in France, driving while wearing a blindfold in Alabama and unmarried women parachuting on a Sunday.

The Law Society last year revealed other bizarre UK laws still in existence on the statute book.

They included a ban on firing a cannon close to a dwelling house (Met Police Act 1839); a ban on the use of any slide upon ice or snow (Town Police Clauses Act 1847); and the prohibition of driving cattle through the streets of London (Metropolitan Streets Act 1867).

The UK's top 10 most ridiculous British laws were listed as:

1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament (27%)
2. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British king or queen's image upside-down (7%)
3. It is illegal for a woman to be topless in Liverpool except as a clerk in a tropical fish store (6%)
4. Eating mince pies on Christmas Day is banned (5%)
5. If someone knocks on your door in Scotland and requires the use of your toilet, you are required to let them enter (4%)
6. In the UK a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet (4%)
7. The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the King, and the tail of the Queen (3.5%)
8. It is illegal not to tell the tax man anything you do not want him to know, but legal not to tell him information you do not mind him knowing (3%)
9. It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament wearing a suit of armour (3%)
10. It is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls of York, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow (2%)

Other bizarre foreign laws voted by those polled included:

• In Ohio, it is illegal to get a fish drunk (9%)
• In Indonesia, the penalty for masturbation is decapitation (8%)
• A male doctor in Bahrain can only examine the genitals of a woman in the reflection of a mirror (7%)
• In Switzerland, a man may not relieve himself standing up after 10pm (6%)
• It is illegal to be blindfolded while driving a vehicle in Alabama (6%)
• In Florida, unmarried women who parachute on a Sunday could be jailed (6%)
• Women in Vermont must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth (6%)
• In Milan, it is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except during funerals or hospital visits (5%)
• In France, it is illegal to name a pig Napoleon (4%)

I foresee a sudden rise in the number of tropical fish stores in Liverpool, and a corresponding rise in the number of employed women in tropical fish stores in Liverpool.

Tuesday November 6, 2007
The Star: Ex-Jais officer denies asking for ‘sexual’ bribe

KUALA LUMPUR: A former investigating officer of the Selangor Religious Department (Jais) was charged in a Sessions Court with trying to get a bribe in the form of sexual gratification from a salon worker.

Amiruddin Hassan, 34, who was then Jais Islamic affairs assistant, was said to have attempted to get such a bribe from Hazlin Sulaiman, 43, as an inducement to settle her case.

Hazlin was alleged to have committed an offence under Section 10(a) of the Selangor Syariah Criminal Enactment 1995 for causing disgrace to the Islamic religion.

Hazlin was found in a massage parlour’s kitchen in Petaling Jaya during a raid by a Jais enforcement team at 4pm on April 19.

At that time, a 29-year-old woman and a Bangladeshi were also found in the same kitchen.

Hazlin, a single mother, was handed over to Amiruddin, who was the investigating officer handling her case.

Amiruddin was accused of committing the offence at a hotel in Jalan Tambi Pillay at 9.15pm on May 8.

Hazlin, of Kelana Jaya, had lodged a complaint over the matter later that night.

Upon hearing the charge yesterday, Amiruddin, of Klang, uttered “no” and claimed trial.

Under Section 16 of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997, a person who is convicted can be sentenced up to 20 years’ jail and fined five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

Sessions Court judge Zamri Ibrahim granted bail of RM3,000 in one surety. Amiruddin was unable to post bail.

The judge set Dec 10 for mention pending the appointment of a lawyer for him.

John 8:7 "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone"

Reuters: Court orders goat thief to say sorry
Tue Nov 6, 2007 9:14am EST

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian woman who stole a pet goat and was involved in slaughtering it in a mock Satanic ritual in a church, was ordered by a court on Monday to apologize to the church and the dead goat's owners.

Tracey Arnold, 26, was drinking with friends at a Friday the 13th party in 2006 when she decided to steal the pet goat named "Maddie" from the front garden of a house in the northern city of Brisbane, local media reported from the court.

The partygoers then broke into a local church, dragging the goat onto a raised platform and killed it in a mock Satanic ritual, reported Brisbane's Courier Mail newspaper.

The goat's head was later found by police in the freezer of Arnold's home, along with a camera containing photos of members of the group with the head.

Arnold's lawyer told the Brisbane Magistrates Court that his client did not have a "macabre disposition" but that when she drank alcohol she made poor decisions.

Magistrate John Costello ordered Arnold to apologize in person to the goat's owners and the Bellbowrie Community Church and undergo psychiatric treatment.

Arnold was also ordered to pay A$70 (US$64) in compensation to the goat's owners and $1,535 for damage caused to the church.

Australians. Pfft.

The Star: PM: All to get fair treatment

KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia’s diverse communities will continue to be treated fairly via Barisan Nasional's unique power sharing system and by paying attention to the people’s needs, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

“The bottom line is that we will ensure no one community is left behind in the mainstream of development,” the Prime Minister said in his message in conjunction with Parti Bersatu Sabah’s 22nd annual general meeting here this Sunday.

He said PBS members should focus on making the party more progressive so as to further Barisan’s struggles.

He said Malaysians should appreciate the fact that they were able to benefit from the nation’s progress amid peace and stability.

“Our diversity has become one of our strengths and we will become even more successful,” he added.

Abdullah is scheduled to launch the AGM at the Hongkod Koisaan here and later declare open the meeting of the Liberal Democratic Party at the Menara Tun Mustapha during his one-day visit to the state on Sunday.

Love it. "Unique" is right. There's a reason the Chinese are leaving the country in droves, and the Malays aren't staying either. I suspect the only reason the Indians and "dan lain-lain"s haven't left is the lack of funds to do so.

Customer Service Review: Oriental Pearl Restaurant

Business: Restaurant
Location: Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort
Website: http://www.berjayaclubs.com/kiara/food/orientalpearl.cfm

So I went there twice last week, first to order the dim sum for my party, and second to pick up the dim sum for my party.

My first experience was quick, painless and easy, just as it should be. I walked in, told her the situation, and even though the manager that I spoke to was busy, the waitress handled me all by herself. Later on, I realised this was quite a feat, because she didn't speak English very well, and yet still managed to understand me. We reverted to Malay later, but still. The number of times people have pissed me off because they refused to do anything the second I speak English... Anyway, she took my order with a smile and a hot cup of chinese tea for me.

The second experience was even quicker and painlesser. The waitress even called me about 20 minutes before the scheduled pick-up to remind me. Impressive! When I got there, my humongous order was packed and ready to go. I was out of there in five minutes flat, with a waiter out to help me.

Verdict: I was so happy with the service that I gave them a RM20 tip, even though it was take away. People loved the dim sum too, so that didn't hurt.

Where to Recycle Almost Everything in Malaysia

I've decided that people need help in knowing what and where to recycle things. This is mainly because I need help in knowing what and where to recycle things. My friends knowing me the way they do, know that I like to research almost everything before I do it to make sure I'm doing it right. I figured this research would be beneficial for anyone who wants to know about it, and there should be a record of it somewhere.

As such, here's my continuously updated blog entry on How and Where to Recycle Almost Everything in Malaysia [applause]. Bear with me. It may not be the most complete and may be centred around KL, but I will do my best to update it with more information for other states.

What can I recycle?

Almost everything. Recycling doesn't necessarily mean that you have to drop it off at a recycling bin. It also means reusing things so that they don't go to waste. There is also the issue of what you should recycle or dispose of properly because they contain toxic materials (e.g. batteries). My theory is that you can recycle almost anything and everything. The trouble is finding out where.

Where can I recycle?

[This entry has been edited on 16th May 2008, deleted in favor of my new blog at http://myrecyclingdirectory.blogspot.com. This blog is the complete listings of the Recycling Directory produced by Yellow Pages and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government 2006/2007]

Where can I recycle specialised items?
What I mean by specialised items, are those that don't fall under the usual Paper, Plastic and Glass categories.

Normal batteries: Apparently IKEA takes used batteries. TBC.

Lightbulbs: Apparently IKEA takes old lightbulbs. TBC.

Phone batteries: Most phone manufacturers' shops (e.g. Nokia, Motorola) have a bin to collect. Nokia Care point and Motorola Authorised Service Centres collect old phones and accessories for recycling.

Books: First, please consider donating the book to your local library or a local school.

Computers and Computer Equipment: Dell has an Asset Recovery Program where they even give you cash back for your equipment. Call 1-800-88-0640. It has been advised not to donated computers to schools, because compatibility issues could make it more trouble than it's worth.

Printer Cartridges: Canon has a Canon Cartridge Recycling Programme where you can drop off Canon Cartridges at one of their locations: [Link]. You can also reuse your cartridge by refilling it with ink at Cartridge World. It's cheaper than buying a new cartridge.

Tyres: I haven't found anything yet, but reports seem to indicate that's because we don't have a local tyre recycling plant. There is one in the works targeted to be ready by the end of 2008. Ref: [Link].

When you want to move to a third world country...

You know that you've been disillusioned when you start to think that life in a third world country (in this case, Indonesia), may be better than life in a not-third world country (in this case, Malaysia).

The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Aziz has been quoted as saying the following in answer to the question of whether he reads blogs:

" I don’t. I don’t waste my time. The few pieces that people print for me are just rubbish.

I’d rather spend my time to do things that are constructive; that go down directly to the people who are really in need of the help of the government.

Our bloggers are really not up to standard. When they put up something, it’s not something that they want to discuss in a very intellectual way.

It’s more because of their anger - the language they use. Why should I read all this rubbish? "

On the other hand, the Information and Communications Minister of Indonesia, Muhammed Nuh, on National Bloggers' Day at Pesta Blogger declared the following:

“I can see today the Indonesian blogger community is developing the use of IT facilities and filling information gaps in the country with blogging,” the former rector of East Java’s November 10 Institute of Technology said.

He said the gathering and blogging were both “revolutionary” and deserved support.
“Blogs can be educational, empowering and enlightening. That’s why I can guarantee you curbing blogs will never happen in this country,” said Nuh.

References: MageP, Unspun, Asiamedia.

FYI: The Prime Minister's Department is actually a ministry. It's called the Prime Minister's Department because it was decided that "the Prime Minister's Ministry" and "the Minister of the Prime Minister's Ministry" would sound dumb.

Need For Speed Pt 1: Is the Speed Camera really effective?

While governments have insisted that speed cameras are effective ever since they started implementing them. However, studies have concluded that while the presence of speed cameras reduces speeds, it also results in a whole plethora of other dangerous side effects which could potentially cost more lives than they save.

Am I talking out of my ass? Judge for yourself:


Safe Speed is a website started by Paul Smith, who has been campaigning for road safety for years through the abolishment of the speed camera. He has spent 5,000 hours researching the absence of a correlation between the number of cameras and the reduction of fatalities. The conclusion is that "far from acting as a deterrent, speed cameras take responsibility for safe speed away from drivers, and their concentration from the road. Cameras are as likely to cause an accident as to prevent one."

The study: [Link]
More statistics: [Link]

Various studies have also suggested that there is a very tenuous link between reductions in road fatalities and the introduction of speed cameras.

In Australia: [Link]

There is also proof that speed cameras aren't very accurate at all.

Statistics: [Link]
Real Life: [Link]

Even the cops seem to think that it's alright: [Link]

Weekend Surprises

I like lists. Don't judge me.

I had a number of surprises over my ridiculously eventful weekend. Some good, some bad, some really unexpected.

1. Lake Gardens is a very clean, well maintained and well designed park.
2. The portaloo provided at the Terry Fox run in Lake Gardens was not smelly (had no smell at all), had toilet paper, and was clean. Really. I'm not kidding.
3. Some people (who live 30 seconds away from me and 4 minutes away from the office, no names or anything) can be so ridiculously inconsiderate and disrespectful as to keep 5 people and a whole event waiting for 45 minutes, still want to fill petrol first, and not apologize for being late.
4. How well we did in recycling at my party.
5. Flowers from my sister and "Hariz" at work.
6. How much I can push myself on 3-4 hours sleep.
7. How considerate my friends are and how much they are willing to do for me (much love, k & w, GNN, Pher and YY).
8. How much I'd demonized my sister in my head.
9. How well my party turned out.

Fun.

Debriefing: Monochrome Party

Even though about 20 people didn't show up like they were supposed to and there were bottles and bottles of drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) leftover, I think the party was quite a success. Well, I had fun anyway.

I got drunk, somehow ended up in the pool (I don't know it was all a blur), got my cake (much love, kuntum and whoren), collected over RM800 and SGD8 in total (yay), found three lighters after people left, had fun. My badges were a hit, people loved the food, and that's all I need.

FYI, I was still drunk when I woke up at 6.30am the next day. But that's another story for a different day.

Thanks, guys, for another memorable birthday and some me-style fun.

EDIT: Sorry, I also forgot to mention how loved I felt the whole weekend because I was getting SMSes and calls from all over the world. Okay, I lie. Just from the British empire. But I love it anyway. Love, love.

In the Local News Today...

Monday November 5, 2007
The Star: Singaporean found dead, raped and killed in condo
Full link here

KUALA LUMPUR: A 50-year-old Singaporean woman who was on holiday here was found raped and stabbed in a condominium in Bangsar.

Mahani Abdullah, was found naked with multiple stab wounds on her head, body and feet in the Bangsar Indah condominium in Lorong Maarof yesterday. There were also bruises on her body.

The victim arrived here on Friday and had rented the condominium as she was a regular visitor to this country.

Police arrested an unemployed 35-year-old Algerian man soon after the body was found.

He has an apartment on another floor.

The security guard had told police that the woman was last seen walking with the man in the condominium compound at 10pm on Saturday.

City CID chief Senior Asst Comm II Ku Chin Wah said the victim was found sprawled in the hall and covered in a blanket.

The condominium owner called the police when she found Mahani whom she had come visit at 3am on Sunday.

3am on Sunday. An awesome time to visit people. What was this Singaporean woman doing man. Unemployed Algerian man... condominium owner... how very suspect.

The Star: Cops: Girl fell into river by accident
Full link here

IPOH: A 12-year-old girl whose half-naked body was found floating in Sungai Kampar in Gopeng was not sexually assaulted.

Kampar OCPD Superintendent Nordin Manan said initial investigations showed that Chia Kha Man (pic) had drowned.

He said the case remained classified as sudden death.

Kha Man, a Year Six pupil of SJK (C) Man Ming in Gopeng, went missing last Thursday.

On Saturday, two river guides found her body on a rock in the river while kayaking in Kampung Jahang.

When Kha Man went missing, there was speculation she and a friend had followed a middle-aged man to the river.

Supt Nordin said her friend, an 11-year-old, later told police that she and Kha Man had asked the man to take them to the river.

“Along the way, both the girls fell into the river but the man could only save the other girl.”

He said both were afraid to reveal that Kha Man was missing in the river and kept the incident a secret.

A relative who claimed Kha Man’s body at the Ipoh Hospital mortuary here yesterday said the family was upset with the man's irresponsible attitude.

Kha Man’s remains will be cremated at the Sam Poh Tong temple here at 11am today.

And they just accepted that explanation? Half naked... just "fell into the river"... what the hell?

2007/11/04
NST: Hospital staff flushes boy's fingertip down toilet
By: Adib Povera
Full link here

SUNGAI PETANI: A woman carefully packed her son's severed fingertip in ice and rushed it to the hospital hoping that doctors would be able to re-attach it.

However, a hospital staff took one look at it and decided it could not be re-attached.

He then flushed the digit down the toilet.

A flabbergasted Zuraiza Omar has lodged a police report on the incident and is claiming that Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital was negligent.

Zuraiza's son, Muhamad Shaeidil Amir, 11, was injured on Friday when he accidentally sliced off the tip of his left forefinger while cutting off the top of a coconut with a parang at his home in Kampung Batu Menunggul, Air Putih, Pendang.

"My son was referred to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital at 11am, on Friday. I also took the fingertip, which I packed in ice," said the 35-year-old housewife.

She said her son was treated at the hospital's emergency department, and a staff there asked her for the finger tip.

"He looked at it and said it could not be re-attached. He went out of the room and returned a few minutes later."

The other staff asked for the fingertip and the man nonchalantly replied that he had flushed it down the toilet. I could sense that his colleagues were shocked by their expression."

Zuraiza said the doctor was also taken aback when she informed him of what had happened.

She then lodged a report at the Alor Star police station.

State health director Dr Hasnah Ismail said the incident was being investigated.

Genius! No, it's not a biohazardous material. Not at all. Whoren, do you think this "doctor" might be the brother of KM's housemate?

Girl, 9, beaten, raped, sodomised and killed
By : Lee Shi-Ian, Sonia Ramachandran and K. Harinderan
Full link here

KUALA LUMPUR: Another young child was sexually ravaged and murdered leaving her grief-stricken parents crying for justice.

Preeshena Varshiny, 9, was believed to have been raped, sodomised and thrown down from the balcony of one of the units at the up-market Casa Mila Tower Condominium in Jalan Bukit Idaman 3/1, Selayang, on Thursday.

Her body was found sprawled on the ground by a security guard about 4pm on Thursday. She was clad in a blue T-shirt and shorts and the keys to her condominium were found next to her body.

Her father who is a marketing and technical manager and her mother, who works in a human resource department, suspect that Preeshena was abducted from their unit on the ninth floor.

Her 40-year-old father, who declined to be named, said his daughter called him on Wednesday afternoon claiming someone was knocking loudly on the front door.

Preeshena was alone at home. Her elder brother was away at a boarding school while her younger sister was sent to a baby-sitter.

"I told her not to open the door. I reminded her that we have the keys to the unit and we would open and let ourselves in after work," he told the New Straits Times at his condo last night.

Her father's nightmare came true on Thursday afternoon when he got a call from police. He rushed to the condominium and saw his daughter's broken body.

The parents suspect that Preeshena was forcibly taken when she opened the door to the assailant on Thursday.

"She never leaves her house without her slippers. Her slippers are still here.

"The condominium keys were also found next to her body."

Preeshena's mother looked dazed.

"Her body looked peaceful. I am sure she is in heaven.

"I promised her that I will fight till the end to find her killer."

Her mother said it was so sad that this had to happen right after Nurin Jazlin Jazimin's case.

Preeshena is a Year Three pupil of Sekolah Kebangsaan St Marie in Selayang. Neighbours described her as a bubbly and friendly child.

The family stays in a posh, gated community with 24-hour security.

Police investigations revealed that the victim's condominium unit was locked and there were no signs of forced entry.

They were looking at the possibility that Preeshena was taken to a vacant unit on the second floor where she was attacked and murdered. The back window of the unit was open when police checked the premises.

The post-mortem report revealed she had been raped and sodomised. There were bruises on her chest, back and private parts. Her right arm was also broken. The body, which was sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem, was claimed at 1am yesterday by her family and cremated at the City Hall crematorium in Jalan Kuari later in the morning.

Gombak police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Abdullah appealed to members of the public who have information to assist the police.

This is the most brutal child murder since the Nurin case on Aug 20. In Nurin's case, she was held captive for almost a month before her body was stuffed in a sports bag and left at the foot of a staircase at a building in PJS1/48.

Eight-year-old Nurin, who went missing after going to a night market near her house in Wangsa Maju, was also sexually assaulted. To date, no one has been charged for her murder.

Just another "what the hell is wrong with the world?" article.

The Star: Jazeman makes racing history
By LIM TEIK HUAT
Full link here

ZHUHAI: Jazeman Jaafar secured his place in history as the first Malaysian and the youngest winner of the Formula BMW Asia Series in wonderful fashion by winning the last two races in the season finale at the Zhuhai International Circuit yesterday.

The 14-year-old showed great determination in winning Race 21 from eighth on the starting grid earlier in the day. Jazeman drove brilliantly from the start and passed four cars in quick succession after the first few laps.

The CIMB Team Qi-Meritus driver never looked back after passing Kyle Mitchell of Eurasia Motorsports and went on to win the 12-lap race by nearly six seconds.

Mitchell’s brakes failed and he eventually dropped to third behind Colombian Sebastian Saavedra of AO’s Racing.

The gutsy drive was the turning point, as Jazeman opened up a 45-point gap at the top between him and Indonesian Zahir Ali with one race to go.

Jazeman then needed just one solitary point to be confirmed as the overall winner of the Series but true to his character, went all out to hand his father Datuk Jaafar Abdul Hamid the perfect birthday present. Jaafar celebrated his 54th birthday yesterday and the whole family was present at the track to witness the historic occasion.

And Jazeman did not disappoint his family members and supporters with a lights-to-flag victory in Race 22. It was his 10th win of the season out of a total of 22 races.

The proceedings of the second race came to a halt after the car of Jazeman’s team-mate James Grunwell flipped in mid air and landed upside-down after a crash.

But it was not enough to shake Jazeman’s resolve.

“I had a good start but then I saw on my rear-view mirror one of our team cars flying from my left side to the right. I was curious to find out who it was but I had a mission to finish. I just went all out and pushed hard until the last lap.

“I made mistakes yesterday (Saturday) but I cleared it off my mind and told myself that today (yesterday) was another day,” said a delighted Jazeman, who had struggled on the first two days.

Jazeman only managed to qualify ninth fastest and ended out of the podium in the first two races on Saturday.

For Jazeman, winning the overall title in his first year of participation, was something he never expected when he entered for the championship.

Jazeman had to apply for a special exemption from the organisers because he was below the minimum age of participation – 16. However, he applied for it and was given an international C racing licence from FIA – to race.

“I have to thank the team Meritus and my sponsors for giving me the break. Also my dad and my mum for being there with me all this while.”

Malaysia also had another winner yesterday in Farique Hairuman from the BMW-powered Petronas Synthium Team. He managed to win the Asian Touring Car Series overall title despite failing to finish Race 10.

Although Farique spun out after seven laps, he was declared overall champion with 115 points. Farique had won six out of the 10 races in the championship.

That's right, baby. This is how we do it.