Judge Zulhelmy Hasan who ordered the accused, Wong Keng Liang, 52, to serve his sentence starting today, imposed a fine of RM2,000 for each of the 95 snakes.

On Sept, Wong had pleaded guilty to exporting 95 boa constrictors, an endangered species of snake, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at about 8.50pm on Aug 26.

Wong was detained during transit from Penang to Jakarta when staff at KLIA were alerted to a bag that had broken while on a conveyor belt, and upon inspection found the snakes inside the bag.

The offence carries a penalty of up to seven years and a fine of up to RM100,000 for each snake or both.

- Bernama

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman met his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa here after last month's flare-up triggered by the detention of Malaysian fishermen and Indonesian officials in disputed waters.

In the ensuing protest, human faeces were flung at the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta, forcing security at the Malaysian mission to be stepped up.

"Both nations agreed that preventive measures will be required to prevent a recurrence of the Aug 13 incident, and appropriate action will be taken to resolve various maritime border issues," the two ministers said.

"Two technical meetings will be held before the end of the year," they said in a joint statement after the meeting held in Sabah in the Malaysian part of Borneo, a vast island shared with Indonesia.

In an initial step, fishing vessels from both countries will be required to install a tracking system which will enable enforcement authorities to monitor their positions and issue warning notices in the case of encroachment.

Seven Malaysian fishermen were detained in disputed waters off southern Malaysia last month, by Indonesian authorities who accused them of straying into their territory.

Three of the Indonesian officials were detained by Malaysian maritime authorities who intercepted the group as they were being taken back to Indonesia.

All those involved have been released but the spat saw both countries send protest notes to the other.

No more handcuffs

Anifah said the whole incident was regrettable but insisted that the detention of the Indonesian fisheries enforcement officials was in line with Malaysian standard operating procedure.

"I want to make it clear that the treatment meted out to the three officials was not as bad as what was reported by sections of the Indonesian media," he told a press conference.

"However, in the aftermath of the incident, Malaysian enforcement officials will no longer handcuff Indonesian enforcement officials nor make them wear ‘detainee uniforms’, if and when they are detained," he said.

Natalegawa said both sides agreed that intensifying negotiations -- which have already dragged on for 16 rounds with no resolution -- was the best way to avoid a recurrence of the problem.

"These meetings will come out with one standard operating procedure and rule of engagement for the enforcement units of both countries to engage when faced with a similar situation," he said.

The meetings aimed at resolving the maritime border issue will be held in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 11 and 12 and in Jakarta on Nov 23-24.

Anifah said discussions would cover zones in the Sulawesi Sea, the southernmost part of the Straits of Malacca, the South China Sea, and possibly the Singapore Straits.

Malaysia said last week that if there was no resolution, the border dispute could end up in the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

- AFP

PARIS: French teachers went on strike today on the eve of a nationwide general stoppage called by trade unions opposed to President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans to raise the minimum retirement age from 60 to 62.

A third of secondary school teachers did not turn up for work, unions said, but officials said only 6% of them went on strike to protest the slashing of 7,000 jobs in education and other reform plans in the sector.

Teachers and other private and public sector workers were to join protests tomorrow that unions said would see hundreds of thousands take to the streets to fight pension plans that are a cornerstone of Sarkozy's reforms.

The demonstrations come as the right-wing president limps into the last two years of his first term weakened by scandal and dismal opinion poll ratings.

They are timed to fall on the same day that the French Parliament begins debate on a draft pension reform law, which is to be presented by Sarkozy's embattled labour minister Eric Woerth.

The bill would increase France's minimum retirement age from 60 to 62 by 2018, which would still leave it low by international standards but would reverse a cherished and emblematic Socialist reform.

"If this week is decisive, it is because Sarkozy, by attacking one of the biggest totems of the left, is also attacking a bygone era when governments thought they could spend without counting," said Le Figaro daily.

CGT union leader Bernard Thibault said he believed that even more people would turn out for the 190 marches planned in cities across France than in June, when more than 800,000 took part in demonstrations.

"We may have an exceptional day and, if it is exceptional, we will perhaps be at a turning point," he told France Inter radio.

Widespread disruption was expected in transport, government, industry, banks and postal services.

Just two out of five TGV high-speed trains were expected to run, with reduced service on many other lines, state railway operator SNCF said. But Eurostar trains between Paris and London were expected to run normally.

Key measure

An Obea/Infra Forces opinion poll said 73% of French approved of the protest marches. But the poll also showed 65% thought the government would not change course.

Sarkozy hopes to make pension reform the key measure of the final two years of his first mandate and the start of an electoral fightback, but it comes after a politically disastrous summer.

Woerth, the minister tasked with pushing the bill through Parliament, has been weakened by a series of allegations surrounding his links to France's richest woman, L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt.

The president has stood by him publicly, and the minister denies any wrongdoing or conflict of interest in his role as ruling party fundraiser, but the scandal rumbles on and several judicial probes are under way.

Sarkozy has also sparked international outrage and incensed the French left and human rights groups with a crackdown on Roma immigrants and threats to strip foreign-born criminals of French citizenship.

Voters tell pollsters they approve of the crackdown, but this has failed to translate into a fillip for Sarkozy's own ratings.

Likewise most voters say they believe pension reform is necessary, but again this fails to translate into improved ratings for the president.

There is little sign Sarkozy is ready to back down, even if his chief of staff Claude Gueant said Sunday the government would propose amendments to the law this week.

France is running a huge public deficit and government thinks raising the retirement age could save 70 billion euros (RM281 billion) by 2030.

A minimum retirement age of 60 is well under the average of 64 in the OECD group of wealthy industrialised democracies, despite France having one of the world's longest life expectancies.

- AFP

Judge Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz made the decision after hearing submissions from Tharmendran's lawyer N Surendran and deputy public prosecutor Syed Feisal Syed Hamid who led the prosecution.

In her decision, Hayatul Akmal said the court agreed with prosecution that the documents requested by the accused were "privilege documents" and that there was no provision in the law to allow such a request.

"The court is satisfied that the prosecution had adhered to procedures in accordance with Section 51A of the Criminal Procedure Code and the prosecution need only provide documents related to the case.

"The court deems that the case has no merit and reject the application made by the defendant," said Hayatul Akmal.

The defence counsel had called for the court to order the prosecution to furnish the correspondence between the RMAF and Defence Minister plus log books that involved the entry and exit documents related to the engines.

On Jan 6, Tharmendran, 42, was charged under Section 380, read together with Section 109 of the Penal Code, with theft while former company director K Rajandra Prasad, 38, was also charged.

He was charged with stealing the jet engines in December 2007 at the air movement section of the RMAF base in Subang.

Tharmendran was also charged with conspiring in the theft of the two engines with senior serviceman Mohamad Shukri Mohamad Yusop at the material processing shed (Matra 1) of the RMAF base in Sungai Besi.

Meanwhile, Rajandra was charged on the same day as Tharmendran with disposing of stolen properties (the two jet engines) under Section 414 of the Penal Code.

He allegedly committed the offence on April 30, 2008 at No 49, Jalan TS 6/6, Taman Industry Subang.

Hayatul Akmal fixed the case for mention on Oct 11.

- Bernama

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (FBM KLCI) lost 0.99 of a point to 1,434.68 after opening 0.44 of a point higher at 1,436.11.

Dealers said the market lost its momentum after the strong run-up over the past few weeks, as investors are reluctant to take any long positions and are unwinding.

However, sustained buying interest in selected banking stocks such as CIMB, AMMB and RHB Capital helped boost the finance index and narrow overall losses.

The Finance Index, however, gained 63.63 points to 13,021.3, but the Plantation Index was 15.2 points down to 6,645.91 and the Industrial Index declined 14.07 points to 2,752.27.

The FBM Emas, meanwhile, lost 11.10 points to 9,573.69 and the FBM 70 Index declined 31.38 points to 9,345.80 and the FBM Ace Index was up 5.17 points to 3,754.53.

Turnover decreased to 743.74 million shares worth RM1.42 billion from the 922.06 million shares worth RM1.718 billion last Friday.

For the actives, Talam Corporation gained half a sen to 9.5 sen, KNM Group declined one sen to 40.5 sen, SAAG Consolidated flat at 6.5 sen and Sinotop Holdings rose one sen to 14 sen.

RHB Capital rose to a near 13-year high to close at RM7.13, surging 29 sen from last Friday's closing price, on speculation of potential merger plans.

RHB Capital was also among the top three major gainers.

Among heavyweights, Maybank declined three sen to RM8.42, CIMB gained 11 sen to RM8.00, Genting advanced seven sen to RM9.29 and AMMB rose seven sen to RM5.96.

The Main Market volume decreased to 621.682 million shares worth RM1.4 billion from 780.990 million shares worth RM1.695 billion last Friday.

Warrants decreased to 59.139 million units valued at RM8.663 million from the 86.233 million units valued at RM11.108 million previously.

Turnover on the ACE Market increased to 58.135 million shares worth RM8.534 million from the 48.624 million shares worth RM7.457 million last Friday.

Consumer products accounted for 54.4 million shares traded on the Main Market, industrial products 111.9 million, construction 62.2 million, trade and services 139.8 million, technology 29.1 million, infrastructure 16.3 million, finance 49.5 million, hotels 2.6 million, properties 76.8 million,

plantations 17.1 million, mining 10,000, REITs 7.6 million and closed/fund 52,100.

- Bernama

The three "kingmaker" independent MPs who hold the balance of power went into talks with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and conservative opposition leader Tony Abbott, saying they were hopeful of a decision tomorrow.

"My guess is that... we'll make a determination probably tomorrow morning," Tony Windsor, one of the three, told public broadcaster ABC.

Windsor, Rob Oakeshott and maverick Queenslander Bob Katter have been wooed assiduously by Gillard and Abbott since Aug 21 polls failed to give either side a majority, sparking the worst political paralysis in decades.

Gillard's Labor party currently has 74 seats, two short of a lower-house majority, while Abbott's Liberal/National alliance is one behind on 73, making the three independents' votes crucial.

The deadlock caps an unusually dramatic period for Australian politics after Gillard ousted elected prime minister Kevin Rudd in June, becoming the country's first woman leader, and called elections just three weeks later.

Signs of a split emerged today between the three kingmakers, who have been negotiating as a bloc, raising the possibility of a 75-seat dead heat between Gillard and Abbott which would trigger fresh polls.

"There's three of us with a full spread of political views and policy views," Oakeshott told reporters in Canberra.

"It does look like we may have to make some choices about whether we stick together to get stable government or not," he said.

But the trio did succeed in forging a deal with both major parties on parliamentary reform following their meetings with Gillard and Abbott.

Greater say

The reforms include an independent speaker of the lower house -- a position now filled by a member of the ruling party -- and changes to prime ministerial questions which will limit queries to 45 seconds and responses to four minutes.

At the beginning of each sitting day, and prior to prayers, the speaker will also make an "acknowledgement of country" -- a recognition of the historical Aboriginal ownership of the land.

Oakeshott said the reforms were designed to give the 150 lower-house representatives a greater say, reducing the dominance of the prime minister and key Cabinet ministers in parliament.

"I think that is a positive change for parliamentary democracy in Australia," he told a press conference.

Analysts say even a government with a tiny minority will be vulnerable to collapse, threatening the reputation for stability that has helped Australia's mining-driven economy become the "wonder from Down Under".

Gillard's dismissal of Rudd and poor campaigning were blamed for her reverse at the election, where the environment-focused Greens party won a record share of the ballot.

- AFP

Karpal: Enact Race Relations Act

Activists Nicholas Mujah and Numpang Anan Suntai who are helming the group said the department was refusing to suspend the license issued to logging company, Quality Concrete Holding to stop harvesting of timber in their ‘pulau galau’ (communal forest).

“The department has been informed by the land and survey department through a letter that the area is confirmed to be native customary rights land.

“Yet the department does not want to take action against Quality Concrete Holdings, which continues to log trees in the communal forest,” said Mujah, who is the secretary general of Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) in a letter of complaint to Suhakam.

“The logging activities have destroyed a large number of our rubber and fruit trees and cash crops,” he said, pointing out that such activities will also disturb their shrines, graveyards and their sources of incomes.

He added that the the logging activities was also polluting the people’s source of drinking water as well as disturbing the habitat of some of the protected animals such as the proboscis monkeys, orang utan, hornbills, deer and peacock.

The area is also the home of some of the rarest species of timber such as belian (iron wood) and selangan batu which fetches up to RM4,000 a tonne.

Five longhouses namely Kampung Entangor, Kg Sungai Ijok, Kg Arus, Kg Tungkah Dayak and Kg Ensika are directly affected by the logging activities.

“All these are clear violations of the rights of the villagers and environmental hazards,” he said, calling on Suhakam to carry out an immediate investigation into the violation of human rights by the forest department and the company.

Longhouse chiefs getting 'kickbacks'

Meanwhile, Sadia has also received complaints that certain Penghulu and longhouse chiefs had allegedly received 'kickbacks' from the company for their cooperation.

“If this is true, then both the company and longhouse chiefs have committed corruption,” he said and urged the resident office of Kota Samarahan to investigate the claim.

His group, he said, would lodge a report with the MACC over the 'kickbacks' as well as against the forest department for refusing to suspend the licence it issued to the company.

The trouble between Quality Concrete Holdings and the natives began in April this year when the company received a licence from the forest department.

It allowed them to log timber in 3,305 ha of communal forests in Bukit Salbu, Bukit Birut, Bukit Bederi, Bukit Bekutu, Bukit Ijok and Bukit Sandong.

Despite their protests and blockades, the company and the forest department continue to bulldoze their way to the communal forest.

The licence is expected to expire by the end of the year.

PETALING JAYA: Hours after a press conference was held to express support for Azmin Ali to be the next PKR deputy president, a few party MPs have come out to paint a different picture.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the MPs present said he was not briefed on the agenda and expressed disappointment with such tactics.

"I was not aware that it was a press conference to back Azmin," he told FMT.

The MP claimed that it was "misleading" for PKR supreme council member Kamarul Bahrin Abbas to tell reporters that the MPs present were in favour of Azmin becoming the next deputy president.

Taking a swipe at Azmin, the MP said the vice-president should not be resorting to such tactics to win in the upcoming party polls.

"Rather than pulling such stunts, why doesn't this ambitious person just focus on performing. I am sure if he performs, he can win without having to resort to these kind of charades," he told FMT.

He said PKR was now in need of a leader with a vision who could take the party to greater heights.

"We should not only be talking about grabbing power. We should focus on how to address the problems plaguing the nation and how to take the country forward," he added.

Sivarasa in the dark as well

Meanwhile, an online news report had quoted vice-president R Sivarasa as also being in the dark about the agenda of the press conference.

The Subang MP was also not aware that his name was listed among the 18 out of PKR's 24 MPs and two senators said to be backing Azmin.

He also said it was not appropriate to make the list public now since the election is only in November.

Batu MP Tian Chua said that he was told that the press conference was to pledge support for any MP wanting to vie for top positions.

"I support that an MP should take a prominent position in the party but it is better to let the democratic process decide the respective posts," he told Malaysiakini.

Apart from Azmin, other names missing from the list were Anwar Ibrahim (Permatang Pauh), Nurul Izzah (Lembah Pantai), Saifuddin Nasution (Machang), Khalid Ibrahim (Bandar Tun Razak) and N Gobalakrishnan (Padang Serai).

While Azmin, who has yet to announce his candidacy, is said to have the full backing of Anwar, the latter's daughter Nurul, however, is said to be aligned to another aspirant, Zaid Ibrahim.

Malaysiakini also reported that other MPs named, but who were absent from the press conference, had confirmed their support.

Also present at the press conference were MPs Zuraida Kamaruddin (Ampang), S Manikavasagam (Kapar), Loh Gwo Burne (Kelana Jaya), Johari Abdul (Sungai Petani) and Amran Abdul Ghani (Tanah Merah).

'I knew it was about Azmin'

Manikavasagam told FMT that he was aware that the press conference was related to Azmin's bid for the number two slot.

"When I received the text message, I checked with Zuraida and Kamarul Bahrin and they told me of their intention to show support for Azmin," he added.

However, he pointed out that despite their support, it was up to the members to decide who they wanted as deputy president.

"The PKR leadership will be determined by its members, unlike delegates before," he said, referring to the implementation of the direct election process.

"Therefore even if MPs support a particular candidate, it will be hard to predict who the members will vote for in the polls," he added.

FULL REPORT PETALING JAYA: PKK vice-president Azmin Ali has yet to throw his hat into the ring for the deputy president post, but party leaders have already come out to express support for him.

According to them, Azmin is the right choice for the job and will form a great team with president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Speaking to reporters at the PKR headquarters here this morning, supreme council member Kamarul Bahrin Abbas said Azmin had gone through many rough patches since the reformasi days.

He said 20 MPs and senators were backing Azmin, who is also Gombak MP, for the number two slot.

"Azmin is a senior leader who had gone through rough patches, including being humiliated by his own family in order to fight for justice.

"Unlike other party colleagues who have left this battle for materialism and positions, he remained humble and resilient to defend the rights of the people," said Kamarul Bahrin, who is also Teluk Kemang MP.

Also present at the press conference were MPs Zuraida Kamaruddin (Ampang), Loh Gwo Burne (Kelana Jaya), S Manikavasagam (Kapar), Johari Abdul (Sungai Petani), Amran Abdul Ghani (Tanah Merah) and senator Mustapa Kamal (Pulau Pinang).

Those who have expressed support but did not attend the conference were: Abdullah Sani (Kuala Langat), Fuziah Salleh (Kuantan), Azan Ismail (Indera Mahkota), Hee Loy Sian (Petaling Jaya Selatan), Dr Lee Boon Chye (Gopeng), A Aziz A Kadir (Ketereh), Yusmadi Yusoff (Balik Pulau), Rashid Din (Merbok), Tian Chua (Batu), William Leong (Selayang), Sivarasa Rasiah (Subang), Ahmad Kasim (Kuala Kedah) and Senator Zamri Yusof (Kedah).

Five MPs who have not stated their stand are PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim (Permatang Pauh), Nurul Izzah (Lembah Pantai), Khalid Ibrahim (Bandar Tun Razak), secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution (Machang) and N Gobalakrishnan (Padang Serai).

Azmin has more grassroots support

Kamarul Bahrin said that as an elected MP, Azmin has the upper hand as he has more grassroots support (than the other contestant).

Although he did not name the individual who could be up against Azmin for the post, he was apparently referering to Zaid Ibrahim, who joined PKR from Umno a year ago.

However, Zaid has made known his intention to contest for the number two spot yesterday despite not holding any post in the party.

Said Zuraida: "Our stand is to support any leader elected by the people. This means that the grassroots members need to support someone who could represent them."

Asked whether public support was premature as Azmin has yet to announce his intention to contest, Zuraida said Azmin may want to respect incumbent deputy presindet Syed Husin Ali, who has still not indicated whether he would defend his post.

"Maybe Azmin does not want to make an announcement yet because the incumbent has not said anything. But if Azmin offers himself to contest, we will back him," Zuraida said.

Kamarul Bahrin, however, gave the assurance that Azmin would announce his candidacy, saying, "We were given the guarantee that he will contest. Hence, our support for him".

If the contest takes place, this would create a tough fight between Azmin and Zaid, who are both sitting on opposite ends of the pole.

No one's out to topple Zaid

Kamarul Bahrin also denied that his faction had anything to do with the “attack” on Zaid since the latter announced his intention to go for the number two post.

"Attack, in what form? I don't think there's anything of that sort," he said.

He also denied that there was an attempt to topple Zaid, saying it was mere "allegation".

"How could there be an attempt to topple him if he does not even have a position in the party in the first place?" he asked.

He, however, said that Zaid still has a fair chance to win as “anyone can contest".

"If he thinks he is qualified and capable, he can contest and let the party members decide," Kamarul Bahrin said.

Meanwhile, Johari said Azmin should be given a chance to lead the party because "he has done a great job as chief whip and MP.

"Zaid, on the other hand, is new. We don't know his leadership style. I think Zaid is young in the party and he should give himself more time to understand how the party works," he said, adding that Zaid should know the "struggles of the party and grassroots members".

"Zaid should also know why some of us have not taken up 'opportunities' outside but chose to remain with this poor party. Azmin has stayed long and has given his commitment to the party," he said.

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Suara Rakyat Malaysia coordinator Tah Moon Hui said Ismail must train members of the police force to implement codes of conduct during interrogation of detainees as stipulated under the Lock-Up Facilities Act and the Criminal Procedure Code.

He said this was the only way to ensure that cases of death due to police negligence in lock-ups are reduced.

"The IGP must prioritise this issue. He must make sure that they carry out investigations before making any form of arrests. This is most important.

“If the police completed their investigations and then made the arrests, then they can immediately charge the suspect in court. Let the court decide if he should be detained or not.

“In many cases the detainees who died in police lock-ups were people held to help police investigations.  He should stop the detain first investigate later practice, ” said Tah, adding that to date 141 cases of deaths in police lock-ups have been reported since 2000, the latest being a youth named R Gunasegaran.

No concrete proof

Tah said many suggestions have been forwarded to the police to help reduce  incidents of deaths in detention but the police apparently weren't interested or did not believe the suggestions were necessary.

"We have carried out strategic investigations and monitored the cases of deaths in police lock-ups in recent years.

“There is no concrete proof that the police have take sufficient action to avoid or reduce deaths while in detention,” said Tah.

He added that the Acts, which had been amended decades ago, still had room for improvements such as affirming the rights of detainees, such as the right to legal representation and right to know why they were being detained.

Citing an example, he said they had suggested that close-circuit televisions (CCTV) be fitted in all interrogation rooms so that the recordings could be used, but until now there had been no moves to do so.

“Some police investigation rooms have installed CCTVs but it either does not work or is directed elsewhere, ” he said, adding that in most cases interrogations did not adhere to the conditions stipulated under the Lock-Up Act.

The Act details the duration of each interrogation session, the rights and safety of the detainees.

Taking a leaf from shadow puppetry, we harp about Malaysia being a successful multi-racial country as proof of racial tolerance, is all ‘wayang kulit’.

We sort of have an unwritten understanding between the two major races, namely the Malays and Chinese (with the Indians caught in between) that with Institutionalised affirmative action policies being tolerated by the Chinese, then non institutionalised economic discrimination by the Chinese in turn, is tolerated by the Malays.

That was fine whilst we had very strong autocratic leadership in place; one that’s permissive of this strange relationship to persist. The rationale being that it’s an interim arrangement until the Malays can gain some economic balance when non-institutionalised Chinese (or be it Indian) economic discriminatory practices can be neutralised instead by a similar Malay version. What a pickle we are in!

With the handing of baton to a more open form of BN leadership over this past decade, the Malays themselves began to question the hegemony of institutionalised affirmative action implementation, in time the whole of Malaysia including the Chinese and Indians, joined the fray.

When it comes to institutionalised discrimination, it touches every citizen rights regardless of race where else  the so called socially accepted contract  with the non institutionalised discriminatory practices by ethnic Chinese, still goes strong and unscathed, due to the nature of  non institutionalised discrimination. Unwritten, it’s there like the air we breathe, we know its true but nebulous.

Mind you, where the Malays are taking arms up against the hegemony is not for the dismantling of
the  affirmative action plan in itself. It's two-fold, one is a political dominance struggle between differing Malay camps and another is the implementation of the affirmative action plans being biased even amongst Malays.

That the non Malays are joining the band wagon of descent against affirmative action is perfectly understandable because as citizens of a sovereign nation,  everyone deserves to be treated equally, however, do not confuse the Malay and non-Malay struggles to be the same, they’re  merely complementary for the moment (emphasis on the moment).

Now that the cat’s out of the bag, let us not mull over it  to death! What is it going to be, the persistence of an affirmative action plan that's past its shelf life and what about this economic discriminatory dominance by ethnic Chinese Malaysian, who is going to give way. As Mahathir poignantly points out, meritocratism in itself bares  the sinister smell of domination.

We are now at an important crossroad, as the Malays themselves are psyching up to the new order of meritocratic society, the non-Malays also have to be introspective, asking the difficult questions of their state of being,  of can we remove our superiority complex, this middle kingdom siege mentality. Not an easy ask, for even the Statesman Lee Kuan Yew did not manage to escape his 'sinistic' make-up.

Maybe the solution lies within our constitution and legal system. Time will be, to consider the comprehensive outlawing of all forms of discrimination, be it direct or indirect.

Removing the rights to pass on unbridled wealth, or power within creed and across  generations; recognising that we humans are fragile and susceptible to bias, and that it is the duty of the state to provide an environment that checks and balances this human frailty.

Read:

'Malay by heritage' Zaid slams Dr M

Aedes 513: Better to err on the side of caution

Don't reject GM Aedes mosquitos just yet

When it comes to an unflavored statement from Namewee, the response was swift and serious. But when it comes to dealing with government servants, paid by rakyat for educating the young Malaysians, detailed investigations on the allegations are needed!

What a load of crap! Sound very familiar, right? When are we going to wake up from such a bad dream?

Read:

NGO hits out at racist 'venomous' principal

ANALYSIS BANGKOK: From its business district to leafy suburbs, new condominiums are sprouting almost daily across Bangkok, but developers and investors alike seem little concerned about a property bubble developing.

The country's real-estate stocks have been on the boil with the index of property stocks up 28% in the last three months and many listed companies have raised profit forecasts, confident of capitalising on what they say is insatiable local demand.

Other Asian governments, worried about asset bubbles and housing affordability have tried to yank back their respective markets, with Thailand's nearby Southeast Asian neighbour, Singapore, the latest to unveil a slate of tightening measures.

But Thailand is unlikely to follow suit, analysts said.

"Interest rates are still low. There's still huge demand, particularly with units from listed companies. Growth in the property market tends to move in tandem with GDP and the economic fundamentals are more sound now," said Sorapong Jakteerungkul, a property analyst at Kasikorn Securities.

He pointed out that the government's only move has been to raise its key policy rate from a record low of 1.25% by half a percentage point, a rate still low amid rebounding consumer spending.

"Lifestyles are changing and there's not been many obstacles for young workers and first-time buyers with low purchasing power to get credit," Sorapong said.

This time it's different

The number of new condominium units in Bangkok more than tripled to 13,028 in the first quarter, compared with only 3,389 in the second quarter of 2009, when Thailand emerged from its first recession in 11 years, according to Bank of Thailand data.

The resurgence of the Thai market revives memories of a 1997 bubble that touched off an economic storm in Asia, whipping Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines as credit dried up even to reputable developers with fully-booked projects.

Across Bangkok, buildings were abandoned midway through construction. Asian banks struggled for years to shed bad loans.

Fast-forward to 2010. Construction is surging. But economists and equity strategists say Thailand's economy is healthier, boasting a large trade surplus instead of its deficit of the 1990s, large foreign exchange reserves, robust financial markets, low corporate debt and nearly record low interest rates.

Thais also have 6.4 trillion baht (RM639 billion) in deposits, which pay a low interest of about 1% to 2% at major banks and need a place to park their funds.

The central bank has forecast economic growth of 6.5% to 7.5% for 2010 while the International Monetary Fund predicts growth of as much as 8%, the best in 15 years and one of the highest in Southeast Asia.

And, crucially, there's a lot less hot money from foreign fund inflows.

Lertchai Kochareonrattanakul, a Fitch Ratings analyst whose specialist areas include property, sees more room for growth because of high demand.

"The speculation we see is different from in the past. It's less than before and it's Thais with a lot of liquidity, buying and looking for asset prices to appreciate," he said.

LPN Development , which specialises in small units close to rail links with starting prices of around 1 million baht was the frontrunner in tapping that demand.

It said two projects launched in March sold out in the first day, with sales of 4.7 billion baht. It launched two more projects and will start work this month on a riverside condominium. LPN shares are up 33% this year.

Part of the reason is the new type of home buyer: young professionals with unprecedented access to long-term credit at local banks. Developers say they outnumber speculators hunting for quick profits in sharp contrast to 1997's meltdown when property buyers borrowed short term from nervous foreign banks.

Central bank watchful

Still the central bank remains watchful.

Bank of Thailand Governor Tarisa Watanagase said last month the central bank was keeping an eye on possible oversupply in the condominium projects.

"Although there is no sign of bubbles, condominium projects have risen steadily since 2007, unlike detached houses."

She said it was difficult to tell if there was speculation, but purchases for non-living purposes were 25% of the total. "The 25% bears watching because if it's not real demand, when the economy turns in a different direction while interest rates are moving higher, it could affect buyers."

There are also concerns about the higher end of the Bangkok housing market, where analysts say there are more new units that are not owner-occupied, suggesting purchases were intended as second homes, or speculation.

CB Richard Ellis (CBRE), one of the largest real-estate brokers operating in Thailand, expects a limited number of new launches in prime areas. Like CBRE, Lertchai, of Fitch Ratings, said developers would hold back on new developments in the luxury end. "There needs to be demand before there's a supply," he said.

Thai property stocks such as developer Pruksa Real Estate Pcl, where pre-sales have hit record high for six straight quarters have seen strong demand. The stock is up 32% this year -- and 60% in the last three months alone.

Yet like many Thai stocks, the shares are still relatively cheap. Pruksa trades at 10.9 times 2010 earnings, compared with Singapore developer City Developments Ltd , which also focuses on the residential market and trades at 16.2 times.

Other big Thai real-estate firms include Supalai Pcl, whose shares are up 97% to trade at 6.9 times estimated 2010 earnings. Supalai remains a top pick along with market leader Land & Houses Pcl , LPN and Pruksa due to their earnings prospects.

- Reuters

Only four in every hundred new IT jobs are being created in the public sector, down from about 30 out of 100 at the start of the year, according to research by business and technology staffing firm Rethink Recruitment.

Britain's coalition Conservative-Liberal Democrat government has announced spending cuts of around 25% across most departments to all but eliminate a record budget deficit before the next parliamentary election scheduled for 2015.

"Since the coalition came to power in May this year, public sector recruitment freezes have really taken hold. IT projects have been abolished, and consequently demand for IT skills has been very subdued," said Rethink director Michael Bennett.

"The cancellation of projects, coupled with worries over further cuts to come, has meant public sector IT recruitment has gone through a period of shock."

Britain's public sector employs about six million people which works out as roughly a fifth of the entire labour market.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility -- created by finance minister George Osborne after the coalition came to power in May -- estimates about 600,000 jobs will be lost from general government employment during the austerity drive.

The coalition says a strong recovery in the private sector will more than make up for the public sector job cuts although there are signs that Britain's recovery from an 18-month recession is slowing down.

- Reuters

Wild storms lashed Victoria state over the weekend, triggering landslides, knocking out power supplies and forcing hundreds of people out of their houses, with many rivers yet to reach their peak.

At least 53,000 people had been put on evacuation alert across the state since the emergency began, officials said, with around 4,000 calls for help from people stranded in their homes or hit by the surging waters.

"We've had around 300 homes that have been affected by floods over the weekend," a State Emergency Service (SES) spokeswoman said.

Residents had been forced to flee in 11 towns, including some which were hit by a devastating firestorm last year, and the SES said more than 100 homes were under direct threat of flooding Monday.

Anthony Griffiths, mayor of the northern Victoria town of Wangaratta, said it was the area's worst flooding since 1998 and it could rival record floods in 1993.

"There are a few variables. The amount of snow melt, and extra rain obviously too, could make things a bit more interesting," Griffiths told ABC radio.

Raging rivers

Soldiers joined relief efforts in the worst-hit areas and the SES said emergency crews had come from neighbouring states to boost rescue team numbers.

"We'd hope after tomorrow it should be very much going into recovery mode, but it will depend on the weather for the rest of the week," the SES spokeswoman said.

Officials have warned that it could take several days for raging rivers in the state's northeast to empty, threatening towns further south.

"Where the water has been there is a certainly a massive clean-up for people," said SES chief Stephen Warren.

"As the water travels down into other communities, they are bracing themselves for the impact of that water," he told ABC.

Gale-force winds also lashed the neighbouring states of South Australia and New South Wales over the weekend, felling trees, tearing roofs off homes, and cutting power to tens of thousands of people.

- AFP

Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre, said the Japanese-owned chemical tanker was travelling from Singapore to China when it was targeted off Indonesia's Mangkai island.

"The 3am attack yesterday saw the pirates board the tanker and rob the 23 crew on board before the pirates escaped," he said, adding that it was the 27th incident in the region since February.

"We have informed the Indonesian authorities and we have also alerted ships in the area to mount anti-piracy watches as these pirates normally abort attacks once they are spotted."

Mangkai island lies on a busy sea passage running along the east coast of the Malaysian peninsula. It is a major route for ships heading between East Asian nations and the Pacific Ocean.

Choong said there was growing concern over piracy in the area, with the IMB receiving reports of 10 attacks in the past 20 days.

"There is a need for more patrols in these waters as the attacks have increased, he said, adding that the IMB has issued a warning that one or more pirate groups are operating in the area, armed with guns and machetes.

- AFP

Obama will use a speech in Cleveland on Wednesday to launch what administration officials said was a new policy push, it said.

The proposal would increase and permanently extend research and development tax credits for businesses, rewarding companies that develop new technologies domestically and preserve American jobs, the report said.

It would be paid for by closing other corporate tax loopholes, the paper noted, citing an unnamed administration official.

Obama's economic team is considering a raft of new measures to revive the economy.

But with little appetite in Washington for a massive new round of government stimulus spending, with congressional elections looming in November, the White House said there would be no repeat of massive US$814-billion 2009 Recovery Act.

Obama will visit two states, Wisconsin and Ohio this week, which have both been hit hard by the recession, and include crucial political races as Democrats battle to cling onto their majorities in Congress.

The reported proposals come after a new Labor Department report released on Friday showed the economy lost 54,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate edged up to 9.6 percent.

Although the job losses were much less than the 120,000 slump expected by Wall Street economists, hiring was not substantial enough to help millions of crisis-hit Americans to return to work.

- AFP

China must make it a top priority to develop fuel-efficient and alternative energy cars, the China Securities Journal said, citing Wang Fuchang, vice-minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

China's auto sales hit 13.64 million units last year, overtaking the United States as the world's top car market, while sales this year are forecast to hit 15 million units.

As of the end of 2009, there were 76.2 million vehicles in the country, according to government figures.

China's auto sales have slowed in recent months, partially due to seasonal factors, but August saw a surprising 55.7% year on year jump, boosted by Beijing's new subsidies for energy-saving vehicles.

The surging car use has brought mounting concerns over pollution, soaring energy demand, and traffic gridlock.

A top official with the country's environment minister, Liu Ziquan, was quoted Monday as saying vehicle exhausts had overtaken other major sources as the top cause of air pollution in cities.

Road congestion has also worsened, highlighted by a recurring traffic jam dozens of kilometres (miles) long on a major highway leading into Beijing from the northwest.

- AFP

Some 200 ex-soldiers will on Thursday launch the NK People's Liberation Front, Jang Ce-Yul, the group's secretary general, said.

"We still stay in touch with many of our former colleagues in the military, and many of them are fully aware they can't survive long under Kim Jong-Il's regime," said Jang, who defected two years ago.

"We will provide aid to help them bring down the North's regime at the hands of the North Korean people and military."

He said the group would help smuggle publications, videos and other material into the tightly-controlled country and circulate them among the North's soldiers.

Jang said Hwang Jang-Yop, a former top official who defected to the South in 1997, will be an adviser.

The group plans several projects with current members of the North's military and anti-regime groups to "weaken the military's loyalty" to Kim, said Jang.

He refused to give details, citing concerns about the security of former military colleagues still in the communist state.

The group said on its website (http://www.nkplf.com) it will also release on Thursday a recently recorded phone conversation with a senior North Korean army officer to demonstrate its links to the military there.

Its members at the inauguration ceremony on Thursday -- the anniversary of the founding of North Korea -- will also stage a performance simulating the assassination of leader Kim, the website said.

South Korea has numerous organisations representing refugees from the North or campaigning against the regime, but this will be the first to link former soldiers.

Around 19,000 North Koreans have fled the North for the South since the end of the 1950-53 war, the vast majority in recent years.

Despite its ailing economy and severe food shortages, the North's military totals almost 1.2 million members.

- AFP