Bukan Senang Melayu Nak Berniaga ........

The phone rang and the caller said, "@#% ^&*%$ )%#%@+~?" (in Chinese).
The telephonist answered, "Selamat pagi, boleh cakap Bahasa Melayu atau Inggeris?"
The caller responded, "Oh! Ini syarikat Melayu ke?"
The telephonist anwered, "Ya, boleh saya bantu?"
Then, "OK, tak apa" and the phone was hung-up.

The phone rang and the caller said, "Good morning, can I speak to the manager?" (sounded like a Malay).
The telephonist answered, "Selamat pagi, En. Ahmad keluar, siapa di sana?"
The caller responded, "Oh! Ini syarikat Melayu ke?"
The telephonist anwered, "Ya, boleh saya bantu?"
Then, "OK, tak apa" and the phone was hung-up.

to be continued......

E A R T H Q U A K E S

Deadly history of earthquakes
CLICK to see list of major earthquakes 1906-2006

Earthquakes have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in the last 100 years and improvements in technology have only slightly reduced the death toll.


INFORMATION
What is an earthquake?
Why Do Earthquakes Happen?
How earthquakes happen

Natural Heritage - Pulau Sipadan

FRAGILE BALANCE: Sipadan is one of the few islands in Malaysia where turtles share the reef with humans.

http://divetheworldmalaysia.com

Safety Precautions During Thunderstorms

the best among the bests

be

the best among the bests







and not

the best among the worsts





Be the best among the bests and not the best among the worsts !!!

Someone once told me a story :-

Ah Chong, a contractor was asked about his competitor, "What do you think about Ah Chai?". He answered, "His work is good, but my work is better". Then another contractor, Ah Kong was asked about Ah Chong and he answered, "His work is good, but my work is better and faster".

Ali, a contractor was asked about his competitor, "What do you think about Awang?". He answered, "His work is not so good, but my work is better". Then another contractor, Ahmad was asked about Ali and he answered, "His work is OK but a bit slow, but my work is better and a bit faster".

It is not a nice story to hear but the Malays must prove and show that this is not true.

Why Malays are 'slow' in Maths

satu, dua, tiga, empat, lima, enam, tujuh, lapan, sembilan, sepuluh
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten
ee, er, san, sek, u, liu, ci, pek, ciu, sek

It takes 22 syllables to count 1 to 10 in Malay whilst in English it takes only 11 syllables and 12 syllables in Chinese. Logically, the counting, the calculation, and the mathematics if done in Malay therefore is much slower than if it is done in English or Chinese - per se saying it out in Malay and mentally in Malay.










tu, ua, ga, pat, ma, nam, juh, pan, lan, luh - a shortened version of 1-10 in Malay
las(11), ualas(12), galas(13) ...... ualuh (20)
ualutu(21), ualuhua(22), ualuhga(23)..........lanlullan(99)
tutus(100), tutustu(101), tutusua(102)........tutuslanluhlan(199), uatus(200)
...........lantuslanluhlan(999), tubu(1000), tubutu(1001)....

ga bu pat tus pan luh nam (3486) - 7 syllables
three thousand four hundred eighty six (3486) - 9 syllables

Think about it !!!

Note:-

It typically takes 35% more words in Malay to translate English ie to translate an English phrase with 100 words, it requires 135 words in Malay.

Thus, for a Malay to think faster, think in English rather than in Malay !!! Try it and see whether there's a difference.

Singapura Dilanggar Todak

Singapura Dilanggar Todak - lagenda seorang budak cerdik bernama Hang Nadim yang telah menyelamatkan Singapura daripada serangan ikan todak. Hasutan Bendahara kepada Sultan yang menakut-nakutkan Sultan bahawa apabila budak ini besar kelak ia mungkin boleh mengambilalih tahta kerajaan, akhirnya Hang Nadim dihukum bunuh.

Lagenda ini unik kepada kaum Melayu. Malangnya ini melambangkan sifat hasad-dengki segelintir orang Melayu, sifat hasut-menghasut, tidak suka tengok orang lain senang, dan takut kepada bayang-bayang. Didalam pengurusan sifat ini sering tertunjul di kalangan kaum Melayu; ketua yang kurang 'pandai' dan tidak yakin dengan kemampuan sendiri tidak akan menunjulkan kemampuan atau potensi kakitangan bawahan yang dianggap BAHAYA kepada kedudukannya; kakitangan seperti ini sering diketepikan dan tidak diberi peluang, malah mungkin teranianya dan dianianya.



KERIS juga unik kepada kaum Melayu. Kaum Melayu juga banyak keunikannya yang positif, dari segi keseniannya, sopan-santunnya, budi-bahasanya dan kebijaksanaannya.

Jangan biarkan asal-usul nama 'Melayu' yang memberi makna 'orang yang pemalu' ini terus memberi makna 'orang yang layu'. KOTAKAN !!! dan jangan hanya katakan "tidak Melayu hilang di dunia"

"It is high time he leaves"

"How are you?"
"Alhamdulillah, sihat" I answered. "But business is too slow" I continued.
"I am an academician, I shouldn't be saying this, but things are not ........................... I think it is high time he leaves" he commented without my provocation.

Just about last week, I had a chat with a government retiree (just retired) and the comment on the subject matter sounded too familiar, "the country is going down the drain if we go on like this!!!" and continued, "He needs good people, good think tank".

These kind of remarks coming from the business people are too common already and we are fed up of it (I mean, of the business scenario). But the same talks and sentiments coming from high level government servants are worrying me.

A fake story with real moral value

Extract from the Star 21 May 2006 / chinadaily.com.cn

BEIJING: As he held a photograph of a red Ferrari two weeks ago, EU Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security Franco Frattini screamed: “Look at this car. Of this model, Ferrari has produced only six cars. This is the seventh one, produced in China.

The footage of the media conference at the European Union Commission headquarters in Brussels was flashed across the world, making us wonder whether we should celebrate the deftness and technical brilliance of our Chinese brethren for matching the best in the world or hang our heads in shame for having cheated a company and violated intellectual property rights.

Fake products are found and produced in many countries, including developed ones. However, the attention seems to be placed on China presently. Honestly, the problem is very serious in this country.

There’s no good justification for buying or wearing fakes. The only possible excuse could be that some people believe they deserve the perception of owning “luxury” products without, at times, having to pay astronomical amounts to buy the real thing.

But again, as long as fakes are available in the market, there will be buyers. It’s a vicious circle and the debate can go on. All I want to say is that fakes are giving China a bad name, something that it can certainly do without.

The developed world is already wary of China’s meteoric rise. It accuses us of undervaluing our goods and dumping them into other countries’ markets. It imposes unjustifiable fines on “made-in-China” products. It wants to save its domestic markets, but wants us to open ours fully. We are charged with wreaking havoc on the environment. In fact, we are made the scapegoat for every possible wrong.

The added burden of having to clear ourselves of the counterfeit accusations won’t make our case any better. That many of the fakes’ buyers are from the developed world is another story with maybe another moral.

But the moral of our story is simple: Help China by not making and buying fakes. - CHINAdaily.com.cn ”

...... of Fakes, Imitation, Inspiration and Replica

In early 70's the fakes were sold as original and unknowingly bought as original. In late 70's the fakes were sold as fakes, and the fake watch designs were almost the same as the original. Later in the 80's and 90's fakes were more of brands, the designs did not necessarily follow the original designs, Dunhill brand appearing in Tag Heuer design, Tag Heuer brand appearing in Rolex design and so on. Then in the late 90's and early 2000's the fakes were more specific, the brands match with the designs, Rolex brand on Rolex design, Tag brand on Tag design, and so on. And now, the fakes are more sophisticated and replicated in almost all aspects and details and with good quality movements and materials; the fakes are 99.9% similar to the original - they call it by different name now. It is not a Rolex fake, a Rolex imitation, or a Rolex inspiration anymore. NOW it is a Rolex Replica.

For me, I don't mind using a replica not because of the brand but because of its quality and price as I know if the same is branded with a popular brand, the price is much more than the price of the replica, so why pay more for that brand name?


How to know if it's a fake CLICK HERE

Proton Juara or Proton Loser ?

This BOX ain't SQUARE!
IGNORE PERCEPTIONS...

Cheers,
Aris
(Proton Juara & Town Box Fan Founder)
To Join Group CLICK HERE



Apakah pandangan anda terhadap Kereta Proton Juara?

http://www.pollwizard.com

(keputusan undian setakad 23/05/2006)

saya sangat berbangga 66
boleh tahan,le. 17
nampak macam kotak.... 39
sangat teruk 80


Note:-

I think this is the outcome of management culture whereby either the subordinates are unwilling to voice their opinions due to fear of repercussion or the couldn't care attitude of the subordinates, letting the boss be accountable - a typical senario unfortunately.

Don't listen to your friends

Listen to your heart, don't listen to your friends.

Putrajaya Streetlights

Extract from the Star Thursday 18 May 2006

Putrajaya Holdings sued

By CHELSEA L.Y. NG

KUALA LUMPUR: The beautiful streetlights in Putrajaya have become the subject of a lawsuit between a contractor, a British-based firm and developer Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd.

The contractor, Acumen Marketing Sdn Bhd, claimed that it was the registered proprietor of the Nyonya Baba-themed streetlamps, and added that Putrajaya Holdings and five other contractors infringed on the copyright of three of its designs – Tepak Sireh, Kerongsang and Hairpin.

The foreign firm – DW Windsor Ltd – is claiming ownership of the copyright for the lantern designs on the streetlamps.

Both companies say Putrajaya Holdings, which developed Putrajaya, had reproduced and installed the three prototype Nyonya & Baba design streetlamps without their consent.

Acumen Marketing claims that in early 2001, it designed the Nyonya & Baba streetlamps and proposed that they be installed in Putrajaya.

Putrajaya Holdings accepted its products and installed them at Precinct 2, Core Island.

It said that pursuant to the contract, it submitted numerous technical drawings and specifications of the streetlamps and lanterns, and added that the negotiations for the assignment and supply to five other precincts were never concluded.

The plaintiffs later found out that the five contractors – Lysaght Marketing Sdn Bhd, Potential Light Sdn Bhd, Sena Letrik Sdn Bhd, Lights Genesis Sdn Bhd and Hartasuma Sdn Bhd – had either supplied or installed the alleged infringed streetlights and lanterns.

Just about two weeks ago I was talking about the street lights at Putrajaya with a friend - joking with him on why there are so many designs installed and the decision-making in choosing the designs and imagining how much money the designer made in this project.

Well, what happened as in the news is not at all surprising to me - a good proposal being 'hijacked'. I have known a few cases of this sort and I have also personally experienced it. One is the case of a small company proposing a project using a German technology and submitted this proposal to a GLC which in turn find this project viable and good and finally the GLC decided to pursue the project without the proposer with all the excuses including that the proposer is small and not viable. Another is a proposal for labelling something submitted by a small company to the government and finally the government decided to implement it but giving the proposer only a very small portion of the contract only after much begging. Fortunately for me, my proposal was purposely simplified but seemed to them a good idea and they decided to implement it without my participation and inputs and finally abandoned; not surprising to me as they lack the inputs and understanding of the real concepts for successful implmentation. Another experience I had was with a multi-national company interested in my product design but not willing to give me the privilege to produce and supply it but to open-tender it out. Much earlier in my profession as an engieer, my design was used without being paid a single cent eventhough I was promised a professional fee.

Management and Leadership

MANAGEMENT is about coping with complexity.
Good management brings about order and stabilty by formuating plans and objectives,designing structures and procedures, monitoring results against plans, and taking corrective actions when necessary.



LEADERSHIP is about coping with change.
Leadership involves recognising and articulating the need to significantly alter the direction and operation of the organisation, aligning people to the new direction, and motivating them to work together to overcome hurdles produced by the change and to realise new objectives.

A good manager may not be a good leader and vice versa a good leader may not be a good manager. It is not often that we find both traits ie strong management and strong leadership traits in an individual. It is therefore common and wise for a good manager to be supplemented by an assistant with strong leadershp trait and a good leader to be supplemented by an assistant with strong management trait. A good combination of management and leadership in a team will definitely result in excellence.

Dr. Mahathir is one individual who is strong in both traits, really an exceptional case, thus his excellence as a Prime Minister. How about Abdullah Badawi?

When yes is no and no is yes

...... setelah menerima sumbangan, penerima berkata kepadanya "Kenapa RM100 sahaja, anak En. Ghafar beri RM1000 ?". Spontan jawapannya " Dia anak orang kaya, bapa saya hanya seorang penoreh getah !!!"

...... Bush saperti katak bawah tempurung, pening kepala apabila berbincang dengan orang Jepun; "Ya" pun angguk, "Tidak" pun angguk....

...... begitu juga Bush, ada mandat atau tiada mandat daripada PBB, tindakannya sama.

...... to the anti-Americans (anti-Bush to be specific), Bush is the terrorist !!! To Bush they are the terrorists. (To me, we should be without both)

...... talking about moral values; most fake/imitation products are produced by developing cuntries, most fake/imitation products are purchased by developed countries (morally wrong to produce fakes but morally right to buy fakes)

Realiti Duniawi Hipokrasi

Betapa senyuman tanpa kegembiraan,
Betapa tangisan tanpa kesedihan,
Betapa jeritan tanpa kesakitan,
Betapa salaman tanpa keikhlasan,
Betapa persahabatan tanpa kekariban,
Betapa pemberian tanpa balasan,
Betapa tayangan tanpa lakunan,
Betapa personaliti tanpa keperibadian,
Betapa ilmu tanpa pelajaran,
Betapa keimanan tanpa keyakinan,
Betapa penerangan tanpa penjelasan,
Betapa sumbangan tanpa imbuhan,
Betapa perpaduan tanpa ikatan,
...........
Duniawi hipokrasi, Duniawi realiti,
Betapa realiti tanpa hipokrasi,
Betapa hipokrasi tanpa realiti,

..... belum siap lagi, ada ide boleh cadang

Don't let them call you Pak Lah anymore !!!

Straight to the point (or Straight to Ampang Point as Saiful Apek says): There are a lot of hypocrites in this world; calling you by the name Pak Lah just to be 'close' to you and play psychology with you. These are people who are taking advantage of you, these are opportunists. Don't let them call you Pak Lah anymore !!! Only a privileged few should call you Pak Lah and you should know who they are. For the rest, they should call you by the title vested (and not just betowed) on you as the PM. To us who are not the privileged few, we want you to be the PM and not Pak Lah - to us PM and Pak Lah is not the same. Think wisely as I have not gone straight to Ampang Point.

Gentleman or Gentle Man ?

Eventhough the words are pronounced almost the same, Gentleman or Gentle Man, the meanings are totally different. A Gentleman is a man of good breeding and refined manners whereas a Gentle Man can be a person who is soft or docile, docile to mean easily instructed or managed. It is good to have a gentleman leader but we do not want a gentle man leader. Much has been said about our leader being a gentleman. I sincerely hope what is said is also spelt in one word and not in two words !!! You should know what I meant. Note: You must ensure what is said is also accordingly spelt; as your friends may say it and spell it correctly, but your enemies may say it correctly in front of you but spell it wrongly !!! So the arrogant Singaporeans or your enemies or your friends may say it and spell it correctly, but facing the other way, they say it and spell it in two words. (As 'rakyat' as you often use the term, we don't want this to happen. We need a Firm Man rather than a Gentleman or a Gentle Man - we need a decisive, aggressive and fearless leader - as it seems that the people surrounding you are not afraid of you due to your actions which are seen as indecisive. You have to ask them more questions and more questions and more questions until they are exhausted of answers; then only you decide affirmatively. It seems that the people surrounding you only prepare answers they expect you to ask, nothing more; they are not afraid of not having answers as they are confident that you are not going to ask unexpected questions !! In other words the people surrounding you seems couldn't be bothered to prepare more answers for you; by right they should be providing answers without you asking them).

SURE HEBOH > JOM HEBOH ; RAKAN COP > ?

Bahasa Rojak they say .... a mix of English ( Sure ) and Malay ( Heboh ). To be consistent and proper it is now JOM HEBOH, both words in Malay. Fine !!!


How about Rakan Cop .... a mix of Bahasa Malaysia ( Rakan ) and English ( Cop ). To be consistent and proper this should be changed as well to ???
But before renaming anything in the first place, it is wise to go back to basic. First, try to pronounce the words "Rakan Cop" totally in Malay as spelt totally in Malay. The word "Cop" will sound as "Chop" as pronounced and spelt in English !!! Second, The word "Cop" in English in this particular case means Police Officer; but remember, not all Malaysians know that this English slang means police officer. They may say it right because that have heard it said, otherwise they may pronounce it as "Rakan Cop" as spelt totally in Malay per se.
My opinion - just call it "RAKAN POLIS".
Note: My wish is that the Government does not do things adhoc .... right the wrong inconsistently .... taking actions only when things unfavourable appear or said in the news.

About Bullshit Unashamed Stupid Human (BUSH)

A presidential resume
george w. bush
HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Attacked and took over two countries.

Appointed radically right wing conservatives judges on Friday evenings while Congress was in recess to avoid the standard procedure

Spent the US surplus and bankrupted the US Treasury.

Shattered the record for the biggest annual deficit in history

Set an economic record for the most personal bankruptcies filed in any 12 month period.

Set all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the stock market.

The first president in decades to execute a federal prisoner.

The first president in US history to enter office with a criminal record.

Within the first year in office, set the all-time record for most days on vacation by any president in US history (it was tough to beat daddy's, but did).

After taking the entire month of August off for vacation, presided over the worst security failure in US history.

Set the record for most campaign fund raising trips by any president in US history.

In the first two years in office over 2 million Americans lost their job.

Cut unemployment benefits for more out-of-work Americans than any other president in US history.

Set the all-time record for most real estate foreclosures in a 12-month period.

Appointed more convicted criminals to administration positions than any president in US history.

Set the record for the fewest press conferences of any president, since the advent of television.

Signed more laws and executive orders amending the Constitution than any other US president in history.

Presided over the biggest energy crises in US history and refused to intervene when corruption was revealed.

Cut health care benefits for war veterans.

Set the all-time record for the most people (15 million) worldwide to simultaneously take to the streets to protest him, shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of human kind.

Dissolved more international treaties than any president in US history.

Made his presidency the most secretive and unaccountable of any in US history.

Members of his cabinet are the richest of any administration in US history. (The poorest multimillionaire, Condoleeza Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her).

The first president in US history to have all 50 states of the Union simultaneously struggle against bankruptcy.

Presided over the biggest corporate stock market fraud in any market in any country in the history of the world.

The first president in US history to order a US attack and military occupation of a sovereign nation, and I did so against the will of the
United Nations and the vast majority of the international community.

Created the largest government department bureaucracy in the history of the United States, the "Bureau of Homeland Security".

Set the all-time record for biggest annual budget spending increases, more than any other president in US history (Ronnie was tough to beat, but he did it!!).

The first president in US history to compel the United Nations remove the US from the Human Rights Commission.

The first president in US history to have the United Nations remove the US from the Elections Monitoring Board (go figure).

Removed more checks and balances, and have the least amount of congressional oversight than any presidential administration in US history.

Rendered the entire United Nations irrelevant.

Withdrew from the World Court of Law.

Refused to allow inspectors access to US prisoners of war and by default no longer abide by the Geneva Conventions.

The first president in US history to refuse United Nations election inspectors access during the 2002 US elections.

The all-time US (and world) record holder for most corporate campaign donations.

The biggest lifetime contributor to his campaign, who is also one of his best friends, presided over one of the largest corporate bankruptcy frauds
in world history (Kenneth Lay, former CEO of Enron Corporation).

Spent more money on polls and focus groups than any president in US history.

The first president to run and hide when the US came under attack (and then lied, saying the enemy had the code to Air Force 1)

The first US president to establish a secret shadow government.

Took the world's sympathy for the US after 9/11,and in less than a year made the US the most resented country in the world (possibly the biggest
diplomatic failure in US and world history).

The first US president in history to have a majority of the people of Europe (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and stability.

Change US policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.

Set the all-time record for the number of administration appointees who violated US law by not selling their huge investment in corporations bidding for government contracts.

Removed more freedoms and civil liberties for Americans than any other president in US history.

Created, in just over two years, the most divided country in decades, possibly the most divided that the country has been since the Civil War.

Entered office with the strongest economy in US history and in less than two years, turned every single economic category heading straight down.

RECORDS AND REFERENCES:

Has at least one conviction for drunk driving in Maine (Texas driving record has been erased and is not available).

Was AWOL from the National Guard and deserted the military during time of war.

Refused to take a drug test or even answer any questions about drug use.

All records of his tenure as governor of Texas have been spirited away to his fathers library, sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.

All records of any SEC investigations into his insider trading or bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.

All minutes of meetings of any public corporation for which he served on the board are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.

Any records or minutes from meetings he (or his VP) attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review.

PERSONAL REFERENCES:

Please speak to his daddy or uncle jim (James Baker) They can be reached in their offices at the Carlyle Group where they are helping to divide up the spoils of the US-Iraq war and plan for the next one.
(Note: this information should be useful to voters in the 2004 election. Send this link to as many citizens you think would be helped to be
reminded about his record.)

There is a village in Texas missing its idiot!

Defining corporate social responsibility

Personal Money: Defining corporate social responsibility
06 May 2006 New Straits Times
Intan Maizura
________________________________________
Corporate social responsibility? It’s a definite mouthful. But what exactly is it? APCO Worldwide's senior vice-president, Nancy Murphy, explains.

Murphy’s task is to help bridge the private and public sector

Do companies who are making bucket loads of money necessarily owe society something? This, it seems, is a most pertinent question especially when you are talking about corporate social responsibility or CSR.


But what exactly is CSR to begin with? According to American Nancy Murphy, the senior vice-president of APCO Worldwide, a global communication consultancy specialising in building relationships with an organisation’s key stakeholders, trying to give a standard definition for CSR is no easy feat.

Says the amiable Murphy, at APCO, they describe CSR as HOW companies make their profit,"… i.e. the way they engage with communities, the way they treat their employees, the way they manage their impact on the environment, and the way they interact with governments."

She continues: "Some people would define it more narrowly, for example, they might think only about the community part of the impact, or the volunteerism part or the partnerships they have with NGOs. They might not include components like the environment, human rights or labour rights or even how they influence government from lobbying or how they govern their own company."

It seems in Europe, companies are more inclined towards the environmental aspect of it, while in Asia, particularly China, it’s the community.

I ask the 38-year-old, Ohio-born Murphy whether there has actually been a forerunner for CSR. Would it have been something like corporate citizenship or perhaps community service?

She nods: "A lot of people will use the term corporate citizenship to mean the same thing. Other places call it sustainability because if you want your company to thrive over the long term and to be successful, you really can’t deplete the natural resources, you can’t treat your employees poorly, you can’t not enable the communities around you to be successful."

According to Murphy, the term corporate social responsibility has also been shortened somewhat. "We’ve taken the word ‘Social’ out of the whole thing as some people might interpret that too narrowly and subsequently not see the environmental aspect in it.

In the US, the term now is much more corporate responsibility. In China, they say community investment or community engagement while in Europe, sustainability is a very common concept."

But what’s all the brouhaha about, I ask Murphy, playing the devil’s advocate. Why should companies be pressured to play a role in social issues?

She acknowledges my question, her smile suddenly wavering: "Actually, there’s been a debate in both the US and Europe for the past two years about this. Some people believe that the business of business is business. Period. Why should they be concerned about all these other social problems or the impact on the environment or whatever?

"But I like to say that you can’t have a successful company in a failed world. For example, how is a company like UPS (United Parcel Service) going to grow its business in Malaysia if it doesn’t have employees who are educated enough to perform the job they need done or if there aren’t strong businesses here that can be their customers?

"If say, you are a natural resource based kind of business and you completely deplete the rubber source, how are you going to maintain your business if you’ve no longer got supply for your product? I think you can make an economic case for why businesses should do these things."

Maybe Malaysian companies aren’t either ready or don’t have the resources, or there is not that same kind of expectation for them to do certain things but certainly for multinationals operating here. They would do these things in their home countries so they should have the same principles and practices here.

So if a company like UPS is working with community groups in the US and they also happen to have a strong business presence here, they should also be working with community groups here, providing grants to them and providing volunteers from their employee base."

Does she expect Malaysian companies to follow suit? I prod. Surely different countries will have different priorities and values that will shape how businesses act there. Like Malaysia for example, should it do things the "American way"?

"No, no, there is certainly no need to put all countries under one hat, or one model," replies Murphy.

She continues: "I have to find out what role typically has the private sector played in addressing social issues or environmental issues. In some places it’s definitely the role of the Government and people wouldn’t expect or want the private sector to get involved.

"Other times, it’s really the role of the family to take care of the elderly or poor children and they wouldn’t want businesses to get involved in that. In the US, it's a little different. There is an expectation that the private sector plays a role in some of those things.

Her job of nine years sounds very challenging, I pose to Murphy.

She nods: "Definitely, because corporate responsibility encompasses so many different things.

"Another challenge is helping people to communicate with each other as so much of my work is helping bridge the private and the public sector."

According to Murphy, who was actually part of the Presidential Management Intern Programme in Washington prior to her present role with APCO, an important skill to have on the job is definitely patience. "And intellectual curiosity, being a great listener, and strategic thinking — being able to help your client see the big picture or connect different pieces of their business with different opportunities is very important too otherwise you’re just an expensive adviser," she discloses with a smile.

The dumb side to dumpsites

Comment: The dumb side to dumpsites
07 May 2006 New Straits Times
Dzulkifli Razak
________________________________________
IT seems like only yesterday that news about the many mega projects in the country filled the media. Nowadays, mega projects are hardly in the news, except the one about a bridge that is not to be.

Today’s headlines tend to be more on the mega-mess of sorts, viz environmental degradation, polluted air and rivers, smelly water and, more recently, poorly managed dumpsites.

These give the impression that our development thus far has not been balanced and, less still, sustainable.

Take the case of the Sungai Kembong open dumpsite near Semenyih, for example.

This is a pre-Independence dumpsite, over 50 years old, built at a time when there were no laws to govern its construction and maintenance.

The bund surrounding it collapsed recently because of heavy rain, resulting in leachate leaking into the river and contaminating the water.

Consequently, water supply to thousands of households in Selangor had to be cut off for several hours due to the high ammonia level.

There is still the danger the bund may break again if there is heavy rain, said the Department of Environment’s director-general.

This is in view of the huge volume of rubbish being dumped every day, adding to the stress on the embankment.

The walls therefore need reinforcing — but the question is how long it will last if a huge volume of rubbish continues to be dumped at the site every day.

The Dewan Rakyat was told that all the 155 open sites nationwide would be closed. These will be replaced by "sanitary landfills".

But this method is by no means problem-free and not without negative effects unless stringent technical requirements for waste and landfills are introduced and enforced.

There is also a need to cater to the different categories of waste — municipal waste, hazardous waste, non-hazardous waste and inert waste to name a few.

In developed countries, the landfills are regulated through guidelines for design, construction and use, depending on the type of waste present within the landfill, to prevent any danger.

The guidelines cover physical barriers such as liners and collection systems to control releases of leachate, to the underground soil bed or aquifers, as well as soil contamination.



Procedures to protect the public from exposure to the disposed waste, be it in the form of debris, dust, odour and noise pollution, must be in place.

A well-run landfill should not only be hygienic but also cost-effective.

Certain waste, for instance, may not be suited for a landfill, namely flammable and explosive waste, as well as potentially infectious hospital and other clinical waste.



Many landfills tend to be publicly operated and paid for through taxes, although some authorities charge a "fee" to reduce or recover the cost of site operations.

For this reason, typically, in non-hazardous waste landfills, the waste is confined to a small area and compacted to reduce its volume.

Otherwise, the area will expand, at times to the edge of rivers, as in the case of Sungai Chembong and Sungai Kundang.







In the 1990s, alternative methods of waste disposal were introduced, including recycling, converting the waste to more useful items, or biodegradable ones.


Some countries, such as Germany, banned the disposal of untreated waste in landfills a few years ago.

Other alternatives such as incineration are viewed with suspicion and often are the centre of controversy.

What these translate to is that it is more important to tackle the problem at source — meaning generate "zero- waste", or at least as little waste as possible.

This is indeed an important long-term solution and a vital initiative towards sustainable development where resources are conserved as much as possible.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi alluded to this when he gave a talk recently at the Kuala Lumpur Business Club:

"If my economic policy is only about tax and spend without any thought given to structural changes, what will I leave for future generations?

"I don’t want to leave a debt burden or contingent liabilities. I don’t want to succeed today so that the future generations have to pick up the tab."


The PM was being cautious about living beyond the regenerative and absorptive capacity of the country’s sustainability.


This is one aspect of human capital that has been sorely missing when we narrowly interpret success in economic terms alone.


So it is incumbent on us to clean up the mega-mess as soon as possible or the next generation will be left with a dirty, stinking and destroyed environment.

It has been estimated that it will take about 15 years to treat a dumpsite once it is closed and it will cost the taxpayer a lot of money.

Whether we realise it or not this is the dumb side to dumpsites.



* The writer is Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia. He can be contacted at vc@usm.com.my.

Why Shouldn't Iran Have Nuclear Weapons?

Published on Sunday, April 30, 2006 by the Independent

Why Shouldn't Iran Have Nuclear Weapons? Israel Has American Warheads Ready to Fire
Iranians see only hypocrisy from the world's nuclear powers

by James C. Moore

As international political powers seek Iran's capitulation on nuclear weapons development, little notice is given to what the Americans and the British have done to create this crisis nor what steps the Israelis might eventually take to make it profoundly more complicated.
Iran's antipathy toward the West did not spontaneously generate out of the crazed rhetoric of radical mullahs. It has been spurred by what Iranians see as hypocrisy on the part of members of the world's nuclear community, and the bumbled meddling of the US and UK in Iranian affairs for more than a half century.
Iran is dangerous, but the British and the Americans have helped to make it that way. And the situation is even more precarious than it appears.
Shortly after the Gulf War in 1991, Germany gave Israel two of its diesel-powered Dolphin-class submarines. The Israelis agreed to purchase a third at a greatly reduced price. In November 2005, Germany announced that it was selling two more subs to Israel for $1.2bn (£660m).
Defense analysts have suggested the Dolphin-class boats are a means for Israel to have a second-strike capability from the sea if any of its land-based defence systems are hit by enemy nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, the Bush doctrine of pre-emptive war is geopolitically afoot: Israel and the American president might not be willing to wait until after the first shot is fired.
Initially, Israel was expected to arm its submarine fleet with its own short-range Popeye missiles carrying conventional warheads. At least three mainstream publications in the US and Germany, however, have confirmed the vessels have been fitted with US-made Harpoon missiles with nuclear tips. Each Dolphin-class boat can carry 24 missiles.
Although Israel has not yet taken delivery of the two new submarines, the three presently in its fleet have the potential to launch 72 Harpoons. Stratfor, a Texas intelligence business, claims the Harpoons are designed to seek out ship-sized targets on the sea but could be retrofitted with a different guidance system.
According to independent military journalist Gordon Thomas, that has already happened. He has reported the Harpoons were equipped with "over the horizon" software from a US manufacturer to make them suitable for attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. Because the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf make the Israeli subs easily detectable, two of them are reported to be patrolling the deeper reaches of the Gulf of Oman, well within range of Iranian targets.
If Israel has US nuclear weaponry pointed at Iran, the position of the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, becomes more politically supportable by his people. Despite the fact that Israel has been developing nuclear material since 1958, the country has never formally acknowledged it has a nuclear arsenal. Analysts have estimated, however, that Israel is the fifth-largest nuclear power on the planet with much of its delivery systems technology funded by US taxpayers. To complicate current diplomatic efforts, Israel, like Pakistan and India, has refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty even as it insists in the international discourse that Iran be stopped from acquiring what Israel already has.
Before Ariel Sharon's health failed, Der Speigel reported that the then Israeli prime minister had ordered his country's Mossad intelligence service to go into Iran and identify nuclear facilities to be destroyed. Journalist Seymour Hersh has also written that the US military already has teams inside Iran picking targets and working to facilitate political unrest. It is precisely this same type of tactic by the US and the UK, used more than a half century ago, which has led us to the contemporary nuclear precipice.
In 1953, Kermit Roosevelt led the CIA overthrow of Mohamed Mossadeq, Iran's democratic- ally elected prime minister. Responding to a populace that had grown restive under imperialist British influence, Mossadeq had plans to nationalise the vast oil fields of his country.
At the prompting of British intelligence, the CIA executed strategic bombings and political harassments of religious leaders, which became the foundation of Mossadeq's overthrow. Shah Reza Pahlevi, whose strings were pulled from Downing Street and Washington, became a brutal dictator who gave the multinational oil companies access to Iranian reserves. Over a quarter of a century later, the Iranian masses revolted, tossed out the Shah, and empowered the radical Ayatollah Khomeini.
Iran has the strength needed to create its current stalemate with the West. Including reserves, the Iranian army has 850,000 troops - enough to deal with strained American forces in Iraq, even if US reserves were to be deployed. The Iranians also have North Korean surface-to-air missiles with a 1,550-mile range and able to carry a nuclear warhead.
America cannot invade and occupy. Iran's response would likely be an invasion of southern Iraq, populated, as is Iran, with Shias who could be enlisted to further destabilise Iraq. There are also reported to be thousands of underground nuclear facilities and uranium gas centrifuges in Iran, and it is impossible for all of them to be eliminated. But the Israelis might be willing to try. An Israeli attack on Iran would give Bush some political cover at home. The president could continue to argue that Israel has a right to protect itself.
But what if Israeli actions endanger America? Israel cannot attack without the US being complicit. Israeli jets would have to fly through Iraqi air space, which would require US permission. And America's Harpoon missiles would be delivering the warheads. These would blow up Iranian nuclear facilities and also launch an army of Iranian terrorists into the Western world.
But George Bush is still without a respectable presidential legacy. He might be willing to risk everything to mark his place in history as the man who stopped Iran from getting nukes. The greater fear, though, is that he becomes the first person to pull the nuclear trigger since Hiroshima and Nagasaki - and then his place in the history books will be assured.
James Moore is the author of three books about the Bush administration. His latest, 'The Architect', will be published in September by Random House of New York.
© 2006 The Independent