What is happening here Slap and slap

Former RMAF major says no need for police report after being slapped

By Looi Sue-Chern

Former RMAF major says no need for police report after being slapped
Former military man Major Zaidi Ahmad says he will not be lodging a police report over a scuffle outside a mosque today, which occurred when he confronted protesters against the Penang government. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, May 26, 2017.

FORMER Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Major Zaidi Ahmad, who was slapped at a demonstration outside a mosque earlier today, said he only wanted to ask the leader of the protest to explain his accusation against the Penang government.

Zaidi, who is Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's information officer, said the protest leader had accused the state government of meddling in fatwa matters during the demonstration.

So he approached the leader, Jalinan Muslimin Pulau Pinang chairman Mohamed Hafiz Mohamed Nordin, and asked which fatwa (Islamic edict) the state had allegedly meddled with.

"He was giving a ceramah, accused the state of 'menghalang fatwa' (blocking the edicts). I asked him which edict he meant. He could not answer.

Next if see the idiot below who slap the honorable Mejar Zaidi, please free to slap him as he needs to know that he too can be slapped

Jalinan Muslimin Pulau Pinang chairman Mohamed Hafiz Mohamed Nordin

"His supporter immediately slapped me," he told The Malaysian Insight.

Relating the incident that happened outside the Simpang Enam mosque near Komtar after Friday prayers today, Zaidi said the police, including some special branch officers, stepped in to prevent the incident from escalating.

He said he was asked to leave but he wanted to stay on to listen to the ceramah.

"There was only a handful of supporters. The rest were mostly members of the public, who stood and watched.

"The protesters brought placards with anti-DAP messages. They called for the fall of DAP," he said.

DAP leads the Pakatan Harapan administration in Penang. Lim, who is DAP secretary-general, was also the target of the protest.

"They said the chief minister cannot be allowed to attend buka puasa events, unless he converts to Islam. That is not right," he said.

Zaidi said he waited until the protest ended to confront Hafiz again to repeat his question.

"He still refused to answer. Whatever issue he had with the state, he could always contact the state government to talk.

"We can always discuss in a civil manner," said the former fighter jet pilot, who became famous and lauded a hero after he lodged a police report over the indelible ink used in the last general election.

Zaidi said he had no plan to lodge a police report against the protestor who slapped him.

"There is no need. He is a senior citizen past 60," he said.

Asked how he felt and if the assault, which happened a day before the holy month of Ramadan began, had shocked him, he replied: "Biasa la (used to it)."

Hafiz – a personality often featured in Muslim agenda protests – reportedly said Zaidi had provoked his group.

“He touched me, resulting in the others shoving him aside. No one knows what he will do to me if they didn't do so. Anyway, we are looking at lodging a police report over this incident.”

Zaidi's incident today was the latest where people were slapped over disagreements.

Comedian Sulaiman Yassin, known as Mat Over, slapped film producer David Teo during a TN50 dialogue with artists on May 17 which was attended by Prime Minister Najib Razak. – May 26, 2017.

Not Malaysia Boleh but Malaysia Tak Boleh - The Great industrial Leap was a backward leap to nowhere. Farmers will remain farmers - Period

FINANCIAL CENTER, CANNOT. AGRICULTURE, CANNOT. NOW HEAVY INDUSTRIALISATION ALSO CANNOT: PROTON – THE END OF AN ERA

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HOWEVER you look at it, it was inevitable that national carmaker Proton Holdings had to find a foreign partner, and sell a stake in itself. Not that it hasn't tried over the years, but it finally succeeded.

The 49.9% stake sale to China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co this week caps the long search for a partner over the years – from established Western carmakers such as Germany's Volkswagen to France's PSA Group.

But the stake sale has obviously generated mixed feelings with the man who thought up of Malaysia's heavy industrialisation push – Dr Mahathir Mohamad  -- calling it "the great sell-out".

Yet, others see the publicly-listed company's move as unavoidable in order to keep it alive and, inevitably, also the end of an era in Malaysia.

Prime Minister Najib Razak gives a thumbs up as he poses for pictures during the launch of the new 4th generation Perdana in Putrajaya on June 14, 2016. The sale of Proton to Chinese's Zhejian Geely marks the end of Malaysia's heavy industrialisation endeavour. – AFP pic, May 26, 2017.

Heavy industrialisation

For Dr Mahathir, the last piece of his heavy industrialisation edifice is being dismantled. Perwaja Steel failed. And now Proton.

The politician took power in 1981 and by 1983 had made heavy industrialisation a cornerstone of his economic policy. Steel and later, making cars from that steel, would vault Malaysia from an agrarian and assembly economy to the bigger industrialised economies.

It was also a way to cut imports and sell cars cheaply to Malaysians. Launched in 1985, the first model Proton Saga sold at under RM18,000 and proudly became the first car to cross Dr Mahathir's other great project, the Penang Bridge that same year.

Yet, foreign technology played a big part in the national car. The Proton Saga was based on the Mitsubishi Motors’ Lancer Fiore chassis, and the Japanese company provided major components for many of Proton’s later models.

Only in the late 1990s was Proton able to develop new cars completely on its own.

Vendors
One aspect of Malaysia's heavy industrialisation push and Proton's business was to develop local vendors. Many third-party accessories and other car components were made in Malaysia although quality was suspect and led to many complaints.

Some continued to be part of the vendor network but piled up debts as stocks gathered dust. The same could be said as Proton cars piled in stockyards when sales declined following the establishment of a second carmarker Perodua in the 1990s.

Will the vendors get a lift from the Geely acquisition? Or will they also cry like Dr Mahathir in describing the sale of his "child" to foreigners as not benefitting Malaysians?

The fact is Malaysia still holds a majority stake in Proton and some vendors will finally get paid but they should not expect sweetheart deals.

Only the strongest and fittest will survive. One cannot expect mercy from the new shareholders who have built their business after Proton was set up but have done better than the Malaysian automaker.

The Malaysian car industry

Proton was always a risk, and seen as a vanity project. Malaysia's passenger car sales is easily the biggest in Southeast Asia with some 600,000 in total industry volume sold annually.

As Bloomberg put it, for most of its history, Proton cars benefited from tariffs of as much as 300% on imported cars. It also benefitted from as much as US$3 billion in research and development grants given by Putrajaya.

But Proton's share has been shrinking over the years – peaking in1993 with 74% of new cars sold in Malaysia but in 2016, a decade after the government slashed tariffs on foreign-made vehicles in a regional pact, it was just 12.5%.

Also, second national automaker Perodua has been taking over the market share. And Perodua is essentially seen as an assembler rather than an automaker.
That is the market reality. But Dr Mahathir has always seen it differently.
“It is a national car industry. It’s not just about a car. It’s about engineering. A country without engineering skill and knowledge will never become a developed country,” he told the Bloomberg news service in 2012.

Just a business

For all of that, Putrajaya sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad sold Proton in 2012 to DRB-Hicom, a conglomerate controlled by billionaire Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary.

Even the serial and over-leveraged entrepreneur had to find a partner as Proton was essentially a business to him. Putrajaya loaned RM1.5 billion last year to prevent Proton from going under from defaults as sales still flagged.

That loan came with a caveat: Proton must get a major new investor to ensure the business was sustainable.

There is nothing in Proton now about heavy engineering or a developed nation. It is a business that supports jobs and vendors while struggling for a significant and profitable market share.

Dr Mahathir's dream of a developed nation with steel plants, automakers and other manufacturing businesses supplying to the world has come to an end. – May 26, 2017.

The clown Jamal is back and nobody missed him yet

Jamal makes ‘spooky’ claim of phantom voters in Selangor Umno man shows up with a group of 'ghouls' at Election Commission office and accuses DAP's Ng Suee Lim of using phantom voters since the 11th general election.


SHAH ALAM: First it was showing up in nothing but a bath towel to protest water cuts in Selangor. Then he protested the mushrooming of massage parlours by parking 10 beds outside the Selangor secretariat building.

His last gimmick involved a trail of caskets as he alleged the misuse of a senior citizens’ fund. Today, Umno Sungai Besar division chief Jamal Yunos showed he had no shortage of creative ideas when he presented himself at the office of the Election Commission along with a fright of “ghosts” to protest the existence of alleged phantom voters in the state constituency of Sekinchan. According to Jamal, phantom voters were supposedly brought in by Ng Suee Lim, the DAP assemblyman for the said constituency to ensure he won with a bigger majority. Truth be told, Jamal’s “phantoms” made a rather comedic lot with a dash of the macabre as most were decked in “blood-spattered” white shrouds, with some wearing garish, ghoulish masks.

The spooky group was shuttled to the Election Commission office in a bus. At a press conference, Jamal alleged that the ferrying of phantom voters to several parts in Selangor – currently under the Pakatan Harapan – were a common occurrence since the country’s 11th general election.

Jamal, who i

s the leader of the infamous Red Shirts, claimed that Ng, a three-term assemblyman, had roped in phantom voters to increase the majority of votes he garnered so as to retain his seat. “In the 11th GE, Ng won Sekinchan after obtaining a majority of several hundred votes. In the 12th GE he won with a majority of over three hundred votes. “Then in the 13th GE he obtained a majority of over 2,200,” Jamal said.

Jamal later handed over a memorandum to protest Ng’s alleged use of phantom voters. In 2004, Ng defeated MCA’s Chia Chim Lem by 344 votes, while in the 12th GE in 2008 he retained Sekinchan after defeating MCA’s Puah Boon Choon with a 190 majority. In the 2013 elections however, Ng garnered 8,107 votes, while his opponent, MCA’s Kek Seng Hooi received 5,868 votes. -FMT

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Public announcement - HELP : 19-Year-Old Girl Goes Missing In Shah Alam

A 19-year-old girl has been missing since last Tuesday after she left her house to pick her sister up from school in Section 17 here.

It is learnt that Aainaa Sakinah Mohd Noor Azmi left the house at about 12.30pm on Tuesday to pick her younger sister and cousin from SK Section 17.

Her father, Mohd Noor Azmi Ismungin, said it was about 1.30pm when he realised that Aainaa had not returned home although the younger sister and cousin had reached the house.

“I asked them where Aainaa was, but they said they didn’t know,” he said.

He said he called Aainaa’s friends but all of them did not know where she was. He lodged a police report on thae same night.

Noor Azmi said he believed Aainaa had run away. Earlier in the month, he said, he and his wife had reprimanded Aainaa over her friendship with a male friend.

“We hope that she will come home soon,” he said.

This Is Insane! – Taiwanese Man Breaks Up With His 3-Years Girlfriend After Finally Getting A Peek Of Her Bedroom!

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A Taiwanese man broke up with his 3-years girlfriend after ‘traumatised’ seeing his girlfriend’s bedroom. You will definitely wonder why did they break off just because of a room, right? In our perception, girls usually will have neat and tidy bedroom with sweet and pinky decoration. However, this doesn’t apply to his girlfriend.

According to the status he posted in the Facebook community group, he was never allowed to enter her bedroom and he was only allowed to stay in the living room and watch TV whenever he visited her and her mother. The girlfriend even set a “rule” with him saying that if he ever step into her room, she will break up with him.

Several days ago, her mother asked him to place his girlfriend’s clean clothes back to her room while she was having her shower. The moment he stepped in his girlfriend’s bedroom, he was left utterly speechless!

Her bedroom not only was in a messy state, the smell that “welcomed” him was a stink bomb that he could never explain. He later found out that there were soiled underwear and used sanitary pads laying on the floor. Apparently, he felt like – You don’t even think you want to move around in her room. Now, he finally knows why her room is always forbidden for him to enter.



He could not stand to stay in the room any longer and he quickly went out. His girlfriend who was mad at him for entering her room without permission, broke off their relationship on the same day. Girl…I bet he would have wanted the break off in the first place with your disgusting habits!

Netizens also sarcastically commented that he is lucky that the filthy and lazy girlfriend decided to call off their relationship or else he will “suffer” a lot more after-marriage life.

MUST READ  There's Nothing Wrong With A Rape Victim Marrying The Rapist, Says Umno MP
God please bless this girl to find a new boyfriend who can stand her laziness and filthiness. *facepalm*

HA! A Group Of Immigrant Workers In Malaysia Caught After Failing To Sing “Negaraku”

Okay, this one is quite hilarious.

According to Coconuts KL, recently a group of illegal foreign workers were caught by an Immigration officer, after having tried to convince him that they were Malaysian. These workers included Bangladeshi, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Indian nationals.

Apparently, they told the officer that there was a confusion and they were actually Malaysians. The smart officer told those men that if they were really Malaysian, then they should sing the Negaraku (national anthem). Fair enough?

Obviously, those workers failed so badly, so they were told to join the other detained individuals. HA! That’s one smart move! Kudos to the officer!



The raid, which was covered by local media, saw a round-up of 25 foreign workers in Penang, who were all employed at the same entertainment center at an island shopping mall. 

Well honestly, I do know some Malaysians who can’t sing “Negaraku”. Hmm…

So if you are feeling guilty right now, here’s a video for you. Start memorizing right now! You wouldn’t want to be behind the bars, do you? :O

Satellite Images Reveal Mysterious, Ancient Superstructures Built In Kazakhstan Thousands Of Years Before The Egyptian Pyramids

A few years ago, an amateur archaeologist named Dmitriy Dey was searching for pyramids on Google Earth when he discovered over 200 ancient earthworks that have gone unnoticed for 8,000 years. Located near the former Soviet territory of Kazakhstan, these colossal geometric figures appear in the shape of squares, crosses, lines and rings, measuring hundreds of yards across.

The largest is a square consisting of 101 raised mounds, with its opposite corners connected by a giant diagonal cross, covering more terrain than the largest pyramid in Egypt.

Turgai square kazakhstan petroglyph

Another fascinating figure resembles a 300-foot triradial swastika. Swastikas have been one of the most popular graphic designs throughout history until it was appropriated by the Nazis and became associated with terror and mass murder.

Nepalese Tribesmen Risk Their Lives To Harvest Hallucinogenic Honey Made By Giant Bees

Twice a year, members of a tribe located in Nepal risk their lives climbing the steep peaks of the Himalayan Mountains to harvest what’s called “mad honey.” The Gurung people migrated from Tibet in the sixth century to the central region of Nepal where they practice Tibetan Buddhism and Bön or shamanism.

One of the tribe’s most sacred and important rituals involves the dangerous task of collecting honey made by the Himalayan cliff bee, the world’s largest bee, measuring just over three centimeters long.

Nepal Mountain Dwellers steal from Giant Honey Bees - Insect Worlds - Episode 1 Preview - BBC Four

Mad honey, also known as “red honey,” is an essential commodity among the Gurung people, providing a range of interesting uses, including psychedelic, mind-altering effects, as well as medicinal benefits. It also serves an economic purpose as left over honey is often sold in village markets for a high price.

Interestingly, the honey’s toxicity varies according to the season. During the spring it’s believed to be much more potent as the oversized bees produce honey made from the nectar of the poisonous Rhododendron flowers.

Credit: Andrew Newey Photography
Hallucinogenic honey creates feelings of pleasure and relaxation, but can also take your life

In small doses, red honey serves as a recreational drug through its powerful hallucinogenic properties, causing intense feelings of pleasure, relaxation, tingling sensations and dizziness. But if too much is consumed, the red honey can be fatal; however, its medical benefits are far and wide.

The village people use the exotic honey to treat a variety of ailments, including hypertension, diabetes and low libido. They also believe a spoonful a day boosts their immune systems.

A fascinating documentary directed by Raphael Treza captures the trek the Gurung people must make in order to harvest the precious honey that exists in enormous nests embedded in the overhanging rocks of the steep and isolated Himalayan cliffs. The huge nests sometimes grow up to five feet in diameter, containing roughly 60 kilograms of honey each.



In order to reach the hives, the Gurung people (also called the “honey hunters”) embark on a three-hour hike equipped with honey-harvesting tools, including a thick rope that’s used to make a ladder.

Also in tow are large woven baskets for carting the honey back home. The Gurung people bring a live chicken with them to be used as a ritualistic sacrifice that’s believed to summon the gods for protection, ensuring nothing goes awry.

Once they reach the honey-baring Himalayan cliffs, the Gurung people set up camp, building a fire that will create smoke to drive the bees out during harvesting, as well as to protect the hunters from being attacked.

As the Gurung people approach the bees, they begin to display a very specific behavior called “defense waves,” raising their wings and in turn creating a flashing wave around the hive, signaling a visual alarm to predators that they’re ready to strike.

Before the bees launch an attack, one of the tribe members lights a fire at the base of the cliff, eventually forcing the bees out with smoke. Yet they still act aggressively, trying to enter the clothes of the tribesmen. The camera crew is warned not to move, as even the slightest bit of motion provokes the bees.

Several honey hunters have died trying to harvest the lucrative honey

Amazingly, one of the veteran tribesmen who has carried out the dangerous task of harvesting the honey for more than 40 years, confidently climbs the flimsy looking ladder as it swings back and forth in the air. He’s known for his mystical relationship with the bees, as they seem to refrain from attacking him.

Reaching altitudes of 2500 meters, the steep Himalayan cliff side exudes a mysterious and rather magical energy, one that’s viewed as holy and gift-giving, yet looming and dangerous. Several men have died there, honored by their names carved into the rock.

Another tribesman lowers a woven basket from above, letting it hang next to the man on the rope ladder as he carefully slices chunks of the hive, dropping them into the basket. A well-coordinated team effort is crucial for their survival.

Miraculously, the veteran honey harvester completes his mission without being stung. Finally, the team relaxes at the base, carefully sampling the honey, including the cameraman who says he feels the effects immediately. The hunters recommend he sample just three teaspoons.

Left over honey wax is used to the feed the animals, while the rest is packed up and brought back to the village.

Wikileaks: Newly released top secret CIA docs reveal that agency can use smart TVs to spy

Global intelligence clearing house WikiLeaks on Friday released its latest batch of hacked CIA documents which reveal the agency has developed the capability to turn some “smart” TVs into electronic surveillance devices.

As reported by CBS News, the website released a 31-page “users guide” for a spy program known as “Weeping Angel,” which can purportedly transform some Samsung televisions into tools of surveillance by hijacking the TV’s built-in mic to record audio.


The documents posted over the weekend are the latest in a series of classified data stolen from the U.S. government’s spy agencies, primarily the CIA and the NSA. Earlier document troves were provided by former Army soldier Chelsea Manning (a.k.a. Bradley Manning) and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

Manning was sentenced to prison for her role in obtaining top secret documents; Snowden was provided asylum by Russia.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is currently living at the Ecuadorean embassy in London has defied U.S. efforts to hold him accountable for publishing the classified information. The Obama administration examined ways to prosecute him, but ultimately decided against doing so. However, the Trump administration, under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, has reopened the case and is reportedly considering charges.

“We’ve seen too many breaches, and hopefully we’ll be able to strike back against those who violate our systems,” Sessions said recently, CBS News reported. (RELATED: Read  Assange: Russia did NOT give WikiLeaks DNC, Clinton data; Obama trying to “de-legitimize” election.)

But prosecuting Assange will be legally and politically tricky. The government says it has information suggesting that Assange coordinated with Snowden, and possibly others, to obtain sensitive U.S. intelligence data. Also, the Trump administration has accused Assange of colluding with Russian intelligence.

For his part, Assange has denied that WikiLeaks is anything but an information clearing house, and that he is given sensitive data by others who have already stolen it. And he has repeatedly stated he has not been given any sensitive information about U.S. intelligence operations by Russia.

And in fact, as CBS News noted, the CIA and FBI believe the latest theft of data was also an inside job:

Investigators say the materials were stolen from a highly secure section of the intelligence agency where it takes two people to access information. But even that security measure was apparently not enough to stop the leaks.

“We can’t keep all of the information in one place. We need to spread it out,” said Michael Morrell, former acting director of the CIA. “We have to have better rules about need-to-know, and if you don’t have a need to know you don’t get access to the information.”

CBS News said that a former top Justice Department official it did not name said that Assange could be prosecuted under several statutes, but that any prosecution would be “messy.”

That’s because Assange, most likely, isn’t doing anything differently than the Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN, The Guardian and others whose reporters have all received and then publicized highly classified intelligence information, ostensibly under the protection of the First Amendment.

WikiLeaks has argued that it, too, is just a media organization as well, whose activities are also protected by the U.S. Constitution. (RELATED: Read Encrypted Apps Not As Secure As You Think: CIA Can Bypass Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp And Confide, Reveal Bombshell Leaked Documents.)

Whether it is or it isn’t may not be the real question, however. If Assange is merely publishing what he is given – and is not in cahoots with anyone to actually steal the information – then there doesn’t appear to be much the U.S. can do, legally, to him.

After all, even if Assange has had assistance from the Russian government, how, exactly, is the Justice Department going to hold the Kremlin accountable?

And while justice should not depend on polling data, clearly there are many Americans who are heartened by the publishing of information showing that the U.S. intelligence community has, for years, been conducting illegal domestic spying operations, including mass collection of electronic data, The National Sentinel reported.

Still, Assange appears to have finally pushed the U.S. government to action. Whether it can hold him accountable legally – or somehow “get to him” behind the scenes – remains a mystery.

Learn more at NationalSecurity.News.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Massive, strange anomaly discovered under the frozen ice of Antarctica

 
By: David Gutierrez

Image: Massive, strange anomaly discovered under the frozen ice of Antarctica
A “gravitational anomaly” buried beneath the ice of Antarctica recently sent the Internet into a buzz of speculation, with suggested explanations including everything from UFOs to a gateway to the hollow center of the planet.

But the explanation suggested by scientists is perhaps more remarkable still: that the anomaly, known as the Wilkes Land mass crater, is a type of fingerprint indicating the impact of an asteroid four to five times larger than the one that wiped out the dinosaurs.


The scientists who discovered the anomaly have suggested that this asteroid could be responsible for the worst mass extinction in our planet’s history, and may also have initiated the breakup of the supercontinent, Gondwana.

Signs of asteroid impact

In 2006, researchers from Ohio State University were studying gravity fluctuations measured by NASA’s GRACE satellites, and discovered a 200-mile wide section of land that appeared to be made of high-density material from earth’s mantle, rather than the typical crust material that makes up most of the planet’s surface. These mass concentrations (“mascons”) occur when large amounts of matter rise up from beneath the crust, and often indicate an impact from a large object.

“If I saw this same mascon signal on the moon, I’d expect to see a crater around it,” researcher Ralph von Frese said. “When we looked at the ice-probing airborne radar, there it was.”

The researchers discovered that the mascon was sitting in the exact center of a circular ridge about 300 miles across. And while many factors could produce such geological formations, the combination of the ridge and the mascon is highly suggestive of an impact crater.

“There are at least 20 impact craters this size or larger on the moon, so it is not surprising to find one here,” he said. “The active geology of the Earth likely scrubbed its surface clean of many more.”

Because the earth is geologically active, mascons eventually get cleared away, even before the craters that house them disappear. This property of the earth’s geology allowed the researchers to estimate the time of the impact at about 250 million years ago. In another 500 million years, they said, the mascon will have disappeared entirely.

The researchers became excited when they realized that 250 million years ago is the time at which the Permian-Triassic (P-T) mass extinction event occurred, wiping out 96 percent of ocean life and 70 percent of land vertebrates.

Dwarfs asteroid that killed the dinosaurs

Scientists believe that the Cretacious-Tertiary (K-T) extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs was caused by an asteroid, dubbed Chicxulub, that struck the earth at what is now Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Based on analyses of craters size, Chicxulub was probably about six miles wide — compared to a 30-mile wide asteroid that likely creates the Wilkes Land mass crater.

“This Wilkes Land impact is much bigger than the impact that killed the dinosaurs, and probably would have caused catastrophic damage at the time,” von Frese said.

“All the environmental changes that would have resulted from the impact would have created a highly caustic environment that was really hard to endure. So it makes sense that a lot of life went extinct at that time.”

The scientists also noticed that the crater is bisected by a rift valley that extends into the Indian Ocean. It was the expansion of this rift that, 100 million years ago, caused Antarctica to separate from the Gondwana supercontinent. This led the researchers to suggest that perhaps the asteroid that produced the Wilkes Land mass crater actually created this rift in the first place, thus beginning the eventual breakup of Gondwana.

The researchers’ theory is not universally accepted. Other potential craters have been suggested for a P-T asteroid, such as Bedout off the northwest coast of Australia. Other scientists believe that the P-T extinction was caused not by an asteroid, but by volcanic activity.

A system meant to keep weapons sales from undermining U.S. national security has become a sham.

The Trump administration made headlines last week when it announced a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, signed with pomp and circumstance during the president’s first international trip. But even though Donald Trump’s team was thrilled, this record-setting deal is in fact another sign that the American arms sales process is broken.

At the most fundamental level, the process by which the executive branch determines the security implications of arms sales has become a sham. The process, led by the Pentagon and dictated by the Arms Export Control Act, is designed to ensure that every arms deal furthers U.S. national security and does not amplify conflicts, instability, or human rights abuses elsewhere. But increasingly since the end of the Cold War, and especially since 9/11, U.S. arms sales have upset regional balances of power, provided our adversaries with weapons, enabled violence, and contributed to ongoing human rights abuses.

In the case of Saudi Arabia, even a cursory geostrategic review should have led the Pentagon to advise against Trump’s deal. Most obviously, the deal will provide Saudi Arabia with advanced weapons to use in its war in Yemen, where it has been accused of deliberately bombing civilian areas and committing other war crimes, helping to create what the United Nations calls the “largest humanitarian crisis” in the world. Beyond that, any major weapons sale to the Middle East – already in turmoil and driven by civil and sectarian conflict – risks further destabilizing the region. This deal may encourage the Kingdom to favor military solutions to its problems, will almost certainly heighten tensions with Israel, and poses a real risk of igniting an arms race with Iran. These are precisely the conditions that the Arms Export Control Act identifies as reasons to reject arms sales requests.


Unfortunately, the Saudi deal is simply one instance in a long historical pattern of failures to realistically assess the risks. As a result, many such deals have created serious downstream problems. Under President George W. Bush, for example, the United States transferred vast quantities of infantry weapons to Iraq, most of which went missing and many of which wound up in the hands of the Islamic State. President Obama’s plan to train and equip Syrian rebels not only failed to produce meaningful results but similarly ended up with the Islamic State getting its hands on those weapons too. And even before the Saudi deal, the Trump administration announced plans to sell attack aircraft to Nigeria and machine guns to Tunisia, despite the chaotic conditions in both countries and the obvious potential for those weapons to be misused by governments with terrible human-rights records. This track record makes it difficult to believe that the Pentagon conducts any serious review of these deals whatsoever.

In theory, the Arms Export Control Act gives Congress the power to restrain an imprudent executive branch from making bad arms deals. In reality, however, lawmakers have rarely proven willing or able to stop even the most dangerous sales. To his credit, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, will soon offer legislation in an attempt to block the Saudi deal, and others like Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, have blasted it publicly. But history suggests that their efforts will be fruitless. Last November, a resolution by Sens. Murphy; Paul; Mike Lee, R-Utah; and Al Franken, D-Minn., to block the sale of Abrams tanks to Saudi Arabia was defeated, 71-27. The last time Congress actually stopped a sale of any kind, in fact, was in the early 1990s.

Today we have a White House obsessed with making deals, a Pentagon that doesn’t provide wise counsel to its political masters, and a Congress that has abdicated responsibility for checking the executive branch. Leaders in Washington must recommit themselves to a more honest and realistic process for assessing the implications of Trump’s arms deals. America’s interest in global security far outweighs its interest in making a few billion dollars.

A. Trevor Thrall is a senior fellow in defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute and associate professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason Universit

Quote from a World War 2 Veteran on Defeating ISIS

Egypt attack: Gunfire on bus carrying Coptic Christians kills at least 26

Egypt Gunmen Kills 23 Coptic Christians In Bus Attack (26 May 2017)

A team of gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying Coptic Christians south of Cairo Friday, killing at least 26 people, including children, and wounding 25 other people, Egyptian officials confirmed.

As many as 10 attackers stormed the bus dressed in military uniforms and wearing masks, according to witnesses. The victims were on their way to visit a monastery.

Gunmen in Egypt attacks bus filled with Coptic Christians

Only three children survived the attack, the Copts United news portal reported. Arab TV stations showed images of a badly damaged bus along a roadside, many of its windows shattered. Ambulances parked around it as bodies lay on the ground, covered with black plastic sheets.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Egypt’s Coptic Christians have become the preferred target of the Islamic State in the region. Egypt's Copts, the Middle East's largest Christian community, have repeatedly cried out for help from discrimination, as well as outright attacks, at the hands of the country's majority Muslim population. Coptic Christians account for about 10 percent of Egypt's 93 million people.

Gunmen kill scores of Coptic Christians in Egypt

ISIS RIGGED EXPLOSIVES TO HOME WHERE 100 CIVILIANS DIED IN U.S.-LED AIRSTRIKE, MILITARY SAYS

At Least 105 Civilians Killed By US Airstrike in Iraq 

Among the wave of recent attacks on Egypt's Christians: twin suicide bombings in April and another attack in December on a Cairo church that left over 75 people dead and dozens more wounded. ISIS in Egypt claimed responsibility for them and vowed more attacks.

Many of Egypt's Christians rallied behind the general-turned-president, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, in 2013 when he ousted his Islamist predecessor Mohammed Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood group. Attacks on Christian homes, businesses and churches have surged in the ensuing years, especially in the country's south.

In February, members of an ISIS affiliate released a video saying that Egyptian Christians were their "favorite prey." The video showed images of a suicide bomber who killed nearly 30 people inside a packed Cairo church in December.

COALITION AIRSTRIKES IN EASTERN SYRIAN TOWN KILL 35

US-led air strikes kill 35 civilians in eastern Syria

"God gave orders to kill every infidel," one of the militants carrying an AK-47 assault rifle said in the 20-minute video.

The latest deadly attack came on the eve of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. The bus was traveling on the road to the St. Samuel Monastery in the Minya governorate, about 140 miles south of Cairo, the health ministry said.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo issued a security message, stating that it was aware of a potential threat posted on a website by the Hassm Group, a known terrorist organization, suggesting some kind of unspecified action that evening.

Pope Francis visited Egypt late last month, in part to show his support for Christians in this Muslim majority Arab nation who have been increasingly targeted by Islamic militants. During the trip, Francis paid tribute to the victims of the December bombing at Cairo's St. Peter's church, located in close proximity to Cairo's St. Mark's cathedral, the seat of the Coptic Orthodox Church.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Nor Ashman Received RM200,000 From Dad Courtesy of 1MDB EXCLUSIVE!

26 May 2017 2

Documents showing the transactions from Prime Minister Najib’s AmBank account 211202211906 reveal that one of the beneficiaries of this money, which came from 1MDB subsidiary SRC International, was his son.

On 4th July 2014 RM200,000 was cashed out to Nor Ashman Razak.

The signatory on the account was Najib and the payee Nor Ashman

It is notable that another recipient of money stolen from SRC at around the same time was an entity named Habib Jewels Sdn Bhd, which received RM100,000.

Najib through the Attorney General Apandi Ali has now admitted the money held in these accounts was stolen from SRC. After all, Apandi himself held up the documentation showing the money trails, which were then caught on camera. The 906 account from which these particular payments were made was clearly shown.

Apandi’s blunder on the day he ‘cleared’ Najib

However, the PM through Apandi has explained he didn’t know the money came from SRC because he had thought it came from the ‘Saudi Royal Donation’, which was supposed  to fund his (illegal) vote buying at the last election. This excuse apparently provides the reason why Malaysia’s chief law enforcer, Apandi, has made no moves to demand this money back.

SRC stolen money trail – circled is account 906 from which Nor Ashman was paid

‘Not for personal use’
However, there are several glaring problems with these excuses about the account from which Najib generously paid his son this hefty amount of pocket money.  The first is that the payment was in July 2014, which is a full year after Najib had claimed he had sent back what he hadn’t used of the ‘donation’ money!

Sarawak Report had revealed that the original AmBank account 2112022009694, which Najib had used to fund the election was hastily closed in August 2013.  The money was cleared back out to the Tanore Finance Corporation account at Falcon Bank in Singapore, now known to have been controlled by an alias of Jho Low named Eric Tan. Falcon has now been closed down in Singapore and several of its staff prosecuted – its Swiss boss was jailed as a result of these and related transactions.

After Sarawak Report had revealed this transfer back to Tanore in 2015 Najib responded that this was because he was returning the unused ‘election’ money to his phantom “donor”.

Now subsequent events have poved the account was owned by ‘Eric Tan’/ Jho Low.  Furthermore, there is no record of transfers from Tanore on to any Saudis… just of massive purchases made shortly after of major artworks in New York, which have been classed by the Department of Justice as money laundering. Those artworks have now been confiscated.

Documentation confirms the mass transfers back to Tanore Finance in August 2013

The second problem with Najib’s story is that early on (before too many details had emerged) the PM had claimed that none of this ‘donation’ money was employed for his own personal use.  However, one assumes that a RM200,000 payment to one’s unemployed son (who apparently aspires to be a DJ) counts as a personal usage.

Older step-son Riza (2nd left) received even more - hundreds of millions in fact, in order to fund movies.  The two boys have spent the past months kicking their heels round KL enjoying a luxury jetset existance and attending global government meetings with their Dad.
Older step-son Riza (2nd left) also received hundreds of millions from 1MDB to fund movies. The two boys (Nor Ashmas 2nd right) have spent the past months kicking their heels round KL enjoying a luxury jetset existance, according to Facebook and attending global government meetings with their Dad.

There is more personal usage recorded in these various payments from accounts funded by stolen public money from 1MDB and SRC.  For example, millions of ringgit appear to have been spent at various luxury car outlets and garages.

These include RM167,959.50 spent at Signature Exotic Cars Sdn Bhd on 28th June 2011; RM947,178.70 at Angkatan Hebat Motor Sdn Bhd 9th October 2012; RM105,000 at Naza Quest Auto Sdn Bhd 17th December 2012; a staggering RM2,496,000.00 at Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd on 27th February 2013 and another RM146,801.30 and RM155,779.00 also spent at Edaran Tan Chong on 7th February 2014 and 23rd September 2014 respectively.


No personal use?

Likewise, on 28th August 2013 RM114,650.00 was paid to K.A. Mohamed Shariff & Co, which turns out to be a wedding planner in Pahang.

Again and again it seems that Najib Razak’s frankly unbelievable excuses have been torn apart by the evidence as it has emerged.

He may have proved himself a very loving and indulgent father by dishing out so much cash to his off-spring.

However, when the money concerned belonged to other Malaysians, who had put their trust in him to manage it wisely for the greater good, there really can be no other judgment than that of grand theft and criminal behaviour.

Malaysia’s limpit PM makes America’s embattled Donald Trump look like a paragon of truth and the most competent and consistent man on earth.

So much money to produce a DJ?

Is aspiring DJ Nor Ashman worth so much public money?

Mud Crab Farming - Big money but hard work

Mud crab farming is very popular in some Asian countries like Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Philippine etc. Mud crab has huge demand and price in international market. Crab is very tasty and many countries of the world import huge amount of crabs for consumption every year. As a result, there are huge possibilities of earning foreign currencies by exporting crabs.

The main benefits of crab farming are, labor cost is very low, production cost is comparatively lower and they grow very fast. Commercial crab farming business is developing the lifestyle of the people of coastal areas. By proper care and management we can earn more from crab farming business than shrimp farming. And small scale crab farming is gaining popularity day by day. Mud crab farming systems in coastal areas are described below.

Types of Mud Crabs
Mud crab can be found on estuaries, backwaters and coastal ares. They are member of Scylla genus. There are two species of crabs available that are suitable for commercial production. Two species of crabs are red claw and green mud crab.

Green Mud Crab

Green mud crabs are larger in size.

A green mud crab can grow to a maximum size of 22 centimeter carapace width. And it can weights about 2 kg.
These are free living and distinguished by the polygonal markings present on all appendages.
Red Claw

Generally red claws are smaller in size than green mud crab.
A red claw can grow to a maximum size of 12.7 centimeter carapace width. And it can weights about 1.2 kg.
It has a burrowing habit and there are no polygonal markings on it.

Both species are suitable for commercial crab farming business. And both have good value and huge demand in the foreign market.
crab farming, mud crab farming, commercial crab farming, commercial mud crab farming, crab farming business, mud crab farming business, commercial crab farming business, commercial mud crab farming business

Mud Crab Farming Methods

You can raise mud crabs in two systems. Grow out farming and fattening systems. The systems of farming in this two methods are shortly described below.

Grow Out System

In grow out farming system, young crabs are raised and grown for a certain period of 5 to 6 months till they reach marketing size and weight. This type of crab farming system is generally pond based. The pond size depends on the production type. Generally ponds for crab farming sized between 0.5 to 2 hectors. Proper bunds and tidal water exchange is a must. Small sized ponds are very suitable for crab farming. Because they are easily maintained. Make a suitable fence if the size of pond become small. In larger sized ponds where natural conditions are prevailing, strengthening is necessary along the outlet area. You can stock wild collected juvenile crabs that weights around 10 to 100 grams. Depending on the size of crabs and available facilities the duration of production may varies between 3 to 6 months. In commercial production with supplementary feeding you can stock 1-3 crabs per square meter. You can feed your crabs low cost fish, shrimps, small sized crabs etc. You can visit your nearest local market and collect rotted fish and innards of birds and animals from slaughter house. Provide the crabs 5% feed daily of their total body weight. For example, if there are 100 kg crabs in the pond then feed 5 kg food daily. Collect some crabs and try to determine an average weight. Regular sampling is very necessary for monitoring the growth and general health, and to adjust the feeding rate. Keep some pipes in the pond for shelter and the purpose of reducing mutual attacks and cannibalism. Within 3 to 5 months they will reach marketing weight and become suitable for selling.

Read more here

Fattening System

Raising soft shelled crabs for a certain period until their exoskeleton gets hardened is known as crab fattening system. Hard shelled crabs has four to five times more value in the market than soft shelled crabs. Farming crabs in this system take less time and the process is very profitable. You can do crab fattening business in two systems that are described below.

Fattening in Pond: Fattening can be done in any types of ponds between 0.025 to 0.2 hector size. Small tidal ponds with a depth of 1 to 1.5 meter is very suitable for crab farming. Prepare the pond perfectly before stocking crabs in the pond. Pond preparation can be done by draining the pond water, sun-drying and adding sufficient quantity of lime. Make a fence around the pond for fattening purpose. Because the crabs have a tendency to escape by making hole and digging the soil. Reinforce the inlet areas with bamboo matting inside the bund. For stocking, collect soft crabs from local fisherman or crab merchants. Collect the crabs in morning. 1-2 per squire meter stocking density is ideal for crab fattening purpose. Divide the pond into different compartments according to the size of crabs if it is big sized. Keeping male and female crabs separated from each other will make good results and reduce mutual attacks and cannibalism. Depending on your location and crabs availability 8 to 12 fattening cycles can be done in a year. Generally, crabs weight between 300 grams to 500 grams have high demand and value in the market. Collect and sell all the crabs when they reach the marketing weight. Always try to sell the crabs when they are in hard shelled condition. This will ensure high profit form crab farming business.
Fattening in Pens or Cages: Crab fattening can also be done in pens, floating net cages, bamboo cages in shallow estuarine waterways and inside large shrimp ponds with good tidal water influx and in tanks. You can use bamboo splits, netlon or HDPE as netting material. 3 m * 2 m *1 m (3 m long, 2 m wide and 1 m height) is ideal cage size for crab fattening. Arrange the cages in a row so that you can easily feed and monitor the crabs. Stocking density of 10 crabs per squire meter in cage and 5 crabs per squire meter in pens is ideal. Maximum stocking density can result mutual attacks and cannibalism. Fattening in cages or pens in only used in small sale production. For commercial production fattening in ponds is perfect and more profitable.
Between these two crab farming methods, fattening system is more profitable than grow out system and has many advantages. Grow out crab farming system takes more time than fattening system. But fattening system is very popular to the farmer as it take less time and highly profitable.

Water Quality

Water quality plays an important role in the production of crabs. Change water occasionally if possible or apply proper medicines or chemicals. See the following chart.
water quality for crabs, water quality for crab farming

Feeding

For commercial purpose, crabs need 5-8% food of their body weight. You can feed your crabs low cost trash fish, chicken waste, animal innards collected form slaughter house, brackish water clams etc. Don’t served all the feed at once. Instead give it twice a day. Give major part of the total feeds during evening hours.

Marketing

After a certain period check the crabs for their hardening. In grow out crab farming system they become suitable for marketing purpose within their 3 to 6 months of age. And in fattening system the time depends on crab’s size. However, collect the crabs when they reach proper weight and when their price remain high. Collect the crabs in the early morning hours or evening hours. You can collect crabs from pond by using scoop net or by using alluring bait. Wash the collected crabs with good brackish water and remove all types of dirt and mud. And then carefully tie the crabs very carefully without breaking its legs. Then try to keep those crabs in moist conditions. Keep them away from sunlight. Because direct sunlight has a negative effect on their survival. After that send them to the market.

Commercial crab farming business is gaining popularity day by day in many coastal areas around the world. Because it is a very easy, profitable and takes less time. Mud crabs have huge demand and high value in international market. So, you can earn some extra money and make an employment opportunity by doing commercial crab farming business. Have a good day!

Jewish History - It should say the 2nd Jewish Temple was built in 532 BC, not 352.

Enabling Murder by Jihadist in Western countries

Enabling MurderWestern politicians worry more about being called “Islamophobic” than they do about stopping jihadist slaughter.

Bruce Bawer



Damn these jihadist murderers of children. And damn the politicians who have, in many cases, helped make these murders possible but who are quick, this time and every time, to serve up empty declarations of “solidarity”even as the bodies of innocents are still being counted.

London mayor Sadiq Khan (who recently dismissed terrorist attacks as “part and parcel of living in a big city”): “London stands with Manchester.” Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer (who, in the wake of the Pulse nightclub massacre, proclaimed a CAIR-backed “Muslim Women’s Day”—you know, the kind of event that proclaims hijabs “empowering”): Orlando “stands in solidarity with the people of the UK.” L.A. mayor Eric Garcetti (who went berserk when Trump tried to impose that temporary travel ban from a half-dozen Muslim countries): “Los Angeles stands with the people of Manchester.”

Meaningless words, all of them. But Angela Merkel takes the cake: “People in the UK can rest assured that Germany stands shoulder to shoulder with them.” Well, isn’t that . . . reassuring. In what way do such words help anybody to “rest assured” of anything? In any case, how dare she? This, after all, is the woman who opened the floodgates—the woman who, out of some twisted sense of German historical guilt, put European children in danger by inviting into the continent masses of unvetted people from the very part of the world where this monstrous evil has its roots.

Then there was this from European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker: “Once again, terrorism has sought to instill fear where there should be joy, to sow division where young people and families should be coming together in celebration.” Beneath the innocuous-seeming surface of this statement is a slick rhetorical ruse: Juncker to the contrary, these savages aren’t out to “sow division”—they’re out to kill infidels. By introducing the concept of “division,” Juncker, like so many others, is implying that the important message here is: Hey, whatever you do, don’t let this little episode put any bad thoughts about Islam into your head!

Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese also spoke of “fear” and “division”: “Manchester is a proud, strong city and we will not allow terrorists who seek to sow fear and division to achieve their aims.” Guess what, pal? They did achieve their aims: they killed 22 people, including children, and injured several dozen. Dead infidels: that’s their objective, period. (Or, as you would say, full stop.)

Naturally, Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, put out a statement. Burnham, as it happens, is a radical socialist who has wrung his hands for years about Islamophobia and has fought tooth and nail against a nationwide “anti-extremism” program called Prevent on the grounds that it “singles out one community for different treatment.” After yesterday’s atrocity, Burnham said: “We are grieving today, but we are strong.”

Strong? No, Mr. Burnham, you are anything but strong. You are cowards, all of you. You are more scared of being called bigots than of the prospect of children under your official protection being slaughtered by jihadists.

Three-quarters of a century ago, Britain stood shoulder to shoulder in true solidarity while under violent assault by the diabolical ideology of Nazism. Today, its leaders speak of the same kind of solidarity—but it’s nothing but talk. In Rotherham, gangs of Muslim men sexually abused 1,400 girls—and police and other officials who knew about it did nothing for years lest they be accused of racism or Islamophobia. Almost certainly, similar mass-scale rapes are still occurring right now in other British cities, with similar silence and inaction on the part of pusillanimous authorities. Today, British leaders refuse to deport imams who preach murder but ban from their shores respected writers and knowledgeable critics of Islam who dare to take on those imams and their theology.
Strength? Don’t you dare speak of strength. You have the blood of innocent children on your hands.
Bruce Bawer is the author of The Victims’ Revolution: The Rise of Identity Studies and the Closing of the Liberal Mind.

Military Loyalty is to King and Country, not UMNO

It is elementary, military loyalty is  to King and Country, not UMNO

by S. Thayaparan@www.malaysiakini.com

King of Malaysia 2017

If you feel that strongly about something, you have an obligation to try and change my mind.”

– Aaron Sorkin

While some armed forces personnel – active and retired – have nothing but vitriol for my writings for Malaysiakini, I am glad to report on an anecdotal level at least, there has been far more support – most often qualified – for what I write amongst serving and retired members of our security services.

Malaysian Forces--Loyalty is to King and Country

Loyalty to King and Country

Anecdotal levels are of course cold comfort when the reality is that most people would rather not say anything unless cloaked in anonymity and people often confuse the echo chambers they live in as the “real world”, which is unfortunately far more complicated and diverse than what they read online.

I have always disliked the propagandising of the security services and while I believe that there are many people who do the hard work of keeping our country safe, they are hampered by the petty fiefdoms of their immediate superiors and hobbled by a self-serving political apparatus. The latter is more interested in maintaining political hegemony than by ensuring that these institutions are independent and serve the people of Malaysia.

The former meanwhile hampers the legitimacy of these institutions by eroding public confidence by its official statements, but more damagingly by engaging in practices that apes the accepted political culture that has resulted in our country being categorised as a kleptocracy.

Malaysian Armed Forces Veterans Association (PVATM) Deputy President Sharuddin Omar’s rejoinder to old soldiers, or in my case old sailors, “to the principle that we are always loyal to the current government” misses the point about loyalty, obligation and serving the country.

On a professional level, while I have always observed the chain of command, truth be told my duty – however, you define it – was always to the men and women under my charge. This of course is old school military thinking but one shared by many old timers who put the welfare of the men and women under their charge ahead of politics, racial or religious. Times have changed, of course.

While many would dismiss this veteran’s association as just another government appendage, I was impressed that they disavowed former soldier Mohd Ali Baharom’s (aka Ali Tinju) racist actions in the strongest possible terms. As reported in the media – “His actions are contradictory and incompatible with the principles and practices of all armed forces veterans in the country.

“In the future, we also hope that the media will only relate the actions of Ali Tinju as that of an individual and a Malaysian civilian, and not that of a Malaysian armed forces veteran,” said the association.

Quoting the Malay proverb “kerana nila setitik, rosak susu sebelanga” (one bad apple spoils the whole barrel), the association expressed hope that its reputation and that of all armed forces veterans would not be ruined by the actions of one man.

The Corrupt Najib Razak

Many retired armed forces veterans make a distinction between loyalty to the institution and the people who make up those institutions. While I get that principle, I have never been unable to separate the office from the individual. To me, if the person in the office is corrupt then why bother defending the institution? I would much rather channel my energies in advocating change rather than spend my time defending the institution.

Honestly, what really bothers me is not that the “gomen is corrupt” but rather that our security apparatus is riddled with the kind of scandals that should make every retired armed forces personnel hang their heads in shame. To list the numerous corruption scandals perpetrated by service people is disheartening and we cannot solely blame the hegemon for that.

But what does loyalty to the government mean?
Compromised institutions

Does it extend to postal vote fraud? Remember in 2011, when four retired military personnel admitted they were marking postal ballots on order from higher up? To recap – “The four – Major (Rtd) Risman Mastor, Kamarulzaman Ibrahim, Mohamed Nasir Ahmad and Mohd Kamil Omar – said they were ordered by their commanding officers to mark postal votes for the hundreds and thousands of personnel who were out in the field.

“Their expose today is the second after an ex-army man came forward earlier this month, making a similar claim that he was ordered to mark postal votes for other personnel.”

The problem with advocating loyalty to compromised institutions is that armed forces personnel who have served with distinction and honour are tarnished by those who would dishonour the codes they claim to hold in service of their political masters. Besides the existential threat that a certain religion poses, this has been one of my main themes that I have revisited – unfortunately – over the years.

I wrote about how the armed forces was sinking in UMNO’s quagmire – “(Navy chief) Abdul Aziz (Jaafar), if you remember was one of the service chiefs lined up behind (looking rather sheepish) Armed Forces chief General Zulkifeli Mohd Zin when he made an emotional appeal, which also included subtle threats and comments which were unacceptable, not to mention unprofessional, for an officer holding the highest rank in the military to make. He made this appeal when confronted with accusations by retired service personnel of vote/voter manipulation in the armed forces.”

Another example is when the current Prime Minister had a sit down with retired personnel to discuss the Lahad Datu incident.

As reported to me by concerned retired service personnel – “The whole atmosphere seemed surreal to some who attended. When the Prime Minister walked in, ‘Negaraku’ was sung and the armed forces marching song ‘Barisan Kita’ (which one general quipped ‘Has the song been annexed by Barisan National?’) also got an airing. Apparently, it got quite comical when one retired air force general was frothing at the mouth that stern disciplinary action should be taken against generals who showed support for the opposition, the PM was chuffed up of and reminded those who attended that ‘spirit of this general’ was what was needed.”

These days many young people are speaking up. I am not talking about mainstream oppositional politics. I am talking about young people who rightly feel that current establishment politics is nothing but the same manure but with a different shovel.

What veterans should be doing, and this applies to anyone who has worked in the civil or security services, is to encourage these young people in their efforts to change the paradigm. We had it our way and we should encourage and support those people who truly believe in what this country could be.

Ultimately when we pledged to serve the King and country, our oath goes far beyond loyalty to the government. We are really serving the people of this country and our loyalty is with them. It does not matter if you support the establishment or the opposition, your loyalty should be with the people and not with political elites, especially when they dishonour the institutions you pledged to serve and protect.

S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

Malaysia’s Human Trafficking Problem: Corruption hinders Decisive Action against Traffickers

by Rebecca Schectman

http://www.newmandala.org/malaysia-must-wake-human-trafficking-problem/

 aung san suu kyi quotes fear

This is pure and unadulterated bullshit, coming from Myanmar’s Nobel Peace Laureate.  The Rohingyas are powerless and stateless. But push them in a corner, they will fight back in order to survive. Malaysia is equally to blame for lacking the political will to deal with human trafficking. Our Police Force is incorrigibly corrupt.

On Sunday, 21 May, Rohingya community members, local leaders, and NGOs working on human trafficking gathered at a Rohingya graveyard near Alor Setar, Kedah to commemorate the second anniversary of the discovery of mass graves and trafficking camps at Wang Kelian. I attended the event representing Tenaganita, an organisation that has worked on migrant rights and human trafficking issues in Malaysia since 1991.

Wang Kelian rohingya cemetery

After prayers were said for those who did not survive Wang Kelian, community leaders spoke of the challenges the Rohingya community faces today. In a mixture of Malay, English, and Rohingya, trafficking survivors described their experiences coming to Malaysia. One survivor had seen three men from his village die at the hands of a trafficker and another described being sold seven times while on his journey to Malaysia. NGO representatives spoke passionately about fighting the corruption that allows traffickers to operate with impunity in Malaysia.
Two years after the discovery of 28 human trafficking camps and mass graves containing 106 human skeletal remains near the Malaysia-Thailand border, traffickers and complicit authorities have not been held accountable. In March 2017, twelve Malaysian police officers investigated for their involvement in human trafficking camps and mass graves were released due to the lack of ‘strong evidence’. While Thai and Myanmar authorities have been prosecuted, all Malaysian officers alleged to have known about the camps have received impunity, despite allegations that officers were complicit in trafficking of Myanmar, Rohingya, and Bangladeshi migrants and asylum seekers across the border into Malaysia.

 Wang Kelian rohingya cemetery

 Some 300 Rohingya gathered at Kampung Kepala Bendang near here today(May 21, 2017)  to pay tribute to the discovery of several mass graves in Perlis, thought to contain bodies of fellow migrants.

Penang Stop Human Trafficking Campaign and Tenaganita have called on Malaysian authorities to address the corruption that allows Malaysia to be a trafficking hub in the region. At the Wang Kelian memorial, Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid of MAPIM, the Malaysian Consul­tative Council of Islamic Organisation, stated that authorities should work with trafficking survivors to identify the ‘big fish’, the leaders of trafficking syndicates and the corrupt Malaysian officials who allow them to operate. Tenaganita recognises that the camps and bodies found at Wang Kelian are just the tip of the iceberg—currently, the Global Slavery Index estimates 128,800 individuals are trapped in modern day slavery in Malaysia. That’s about 0.4% of Malaysia’s total population, putting Malaysia among some of the least responsive countries to combat human trafficking.

While the trafficking camps and mass graves found two years ago are potent reminders of the deadliness of trafficking, it is also important to note that there are multiple trafficking schemes seen in Malaysia. Beyond forced labour and sex trafficking, Tenaganita has uncovered cases of marriage trafficking, the sale of babies, organ harvesting, child prostitution, and child marriage. Not all trafficking happens across the Malaysia-Thai border. Traffickers often use budget flights to bring men, women, and children into Malaysia for exploitation. Many of Tenaganita’s cases involve women trafficked to Malaysia for forced labour as domestic workers, which counters the stereotype of trafficked women only being victims of sex trafficking. Like refugees and migrant workers, domestic workers are not adequately protected under Malaysian law. Traffickers know this and often exploit people who are eager to come to Malaysia, such as asylum seekers fleeing their countries or women desperate to support their families.

Corruption, inadequate training of enforcement officers, and limited awareness of trafficking dynamics all contribute to the lack of enforcement of Malaysia’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Act (ATIPSOM). Only a fraction of all prosecutions for trafficking crimes result in convictions according to the 2016 US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report, which states, ‘accountability for traffickers remained disproportionately low compared to the scale of the human trafficking problem in the country’.

Trafficking prevention has not been adequately addressed at the national or regional level. For example, there are no mechanisms for safe repatriation, or the protection of trafficking survivors upon return to their country of origin to ensure they are not re-trafficked. Traffickers nimbly operate across borders—governments and enforcement agencies must also work closely together when prosecuting traffickers, protecting survivors, and preventing trafficking crimes. The newly ratified ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP) takes steps in the right direction, but does not incorporate cooperation by civil society organisations like Tenaganita who have been fighting human trafficking for decades.



At the graveside memorial, I saw that the lives lost at Wang Kelian had not been forgotten, at least by the Rohingya community and organisations working on the issue. But despite some efforts to enact legislation, the Malaysian government still lacks the political will to address issues that mostly affect non-Malaysian workers, migrants, and refugees, all of whom are acutely vulnerable to trafficking, forced labour, and debt bondage. It is now time for Malaysia to get serious about enforcing existing legislation and especially going after the collusion between authorities at all levels and trafficking syndicates. The horrors of Wang Kelian must not be allowed to continue, whether through the trafficking of refugees across the Thai border or the trafficking of young women into domestic servitude within Malaysian homes. Unless there is a concerted effort to tackle the human trafficking business in the country, Malaysia will continue to be a trafficking destination.

Rebecca Schectman has worked with UNHCR and Tenaganita in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as a 2016-17 Luce Scholar. She graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2016 with a degree in International Relations and Latin American Studies. She has worked on issues ranging from preserving memory of human rights abuses in Argentina to studying citizen feedback platforms in Uganda. Her research interests include migration, forced displacement, development, and human rights.

Is There a Link Between Terrorist Attacks and the 22nd Day of the Month?

Theories that terrorist attacks are more likely on the 22nd use faulty data and completely miss the point about "anniversary" attacks.

CLAIM

There is a meaningful link between terrorist attacks and the 22nd day of the month

 MOSTLY FALSE
WHAT'S TRUE

Certain terrorist attacks on the 22nd day of a month may have been commemorations of previous attacks on the 22nd day of the same month in previous years.

WHAT'S FALSE

The 22nd day of the month is statistically no more prone to attacks than any other day -- and even when terrorists do pick specific dates for "anniversary" attacks, what matters is the full date - a particular day in a particular month - and not just a particular day in any month.

ORIGIN

By our nature, humans look for patterns to help us understand and explain seemingly random and chaotic events and phenomena. Consider, for example, the old superstition that “deaths come in threes.” Faced with horrific and seemingly incomprehensible events like the slaughter of children in a suicide bombing at a pop concert, the impulse to find patterns becomes even stronger.

On 23 May 2017, a number of memes pointing out that a handful of high-profile terrorist attacks had taken place on the 22nd day of certain months gained popularity on social media. The latest of these was the suicide bomb attack in Manchester, England, on 22 May 2017.

BREAKING: Why 22nd?

22-05-13 Lee Rigby
22-03-16 Brussels Bombing
22-07-16 Munich Massacre
22-03-17 Westminster Attack
22-05-17 #Manchester


The terrorist murder of British soldier Lee Rigby took place in London on 22 May 2013.
Three bombings at an airport and metro station in Brussels, Belgium, occured on 22 March 2016, killing 32 people.

A shooting rampage left nine people dead in Munich, Germany, on 22 July 2016.
A car and knife attack near the British Houses of Parliament in Westminster killed four people on 22 March 2017.

On 23 May 2017, the Daily Mail joined the chorus, publishing an article whose lengthy headline begins “Another jihadist attack on the 22nd.” The article, like many tweets and Facebook posts in the days following the Manchester bombing, outlines some significant recent attacks on the 22nd day of various months.

The story claimed that “Security agencies are understood to be examining the possibility that the date – the 22nd of the month – is significant,” before adding, “Initial indications suggest there is no link.”

The next day, the Men’sXP web site also published an article pointing to a “dark and scary theory” about the timing of terrorist attacks:

For some reason, the number 22 holds a lot of significance and seems to have a rather sinister link to the events of previous attacks…

Others accurately pointed out that the Utoya massacre, in which Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in a bomb attack and shooting rampage in and near Oslo, Norway, took place on 22 July 2011, and that a suicide bomb attack on a Christian church killed more than 120 people in Peshawar, Pakistan on 22 September 2013.

Is there a pattern here? Sure – all these events took place on the 22nd day of a month. But there are patterns everywhere, if you look for them.

For example, here’s a selective list of prominent transport disasters and crashes that took place on the 23rd day of the month:

23 January 1909: The RMS Republic ocean liner collides with the SS Florida, and sinks

23 March 1994: A mid-air collision at Pope Air Force Base in Fayettefille, North Carolina kills 23 Air Force members

23 March 1994: Aeroflot Flight 593 crashed into a mountainside on its way from Moscow to Hong Kong, killing all 75 people on board

23 August 1944: A US Air Force Liberator bomber aircraft crashed in the village of Freckleton, in the north of England, killing 61 people in total

23 August 2000: Gulf Air Flight 072 from Egypt to Bahrain crashed after a failed attempt to land, killing all 143 people on board

23 August 2012: A hot-air balloon crash near Ljubljana, Slovenia kills four passengers.
This is just a small selection of similar events that have taken place on the same day of different months, in different years. Some even took place on the same day of the same month (the final three in our list), and two took place on the same day of the same month in the same year.

Spooky, right? Not really. All this list illustrates is that patterns can be found almost anywhere, if you go looking for them. Whether a pattern has any greater meaning, or a common factor that is anything more than coincidental, is the real question.

Choice vs Coincidence

Plane crashes are not like terrorist attacks, however. They are (generally) accidental, and therefore the date on which they occur is not chosen in advance. Are terrorists choosing their attacks for the 22nd day of various months, because it’s the 22nd day of the month? Not exactly.

We know that some terrorist attacks are timed for specific dates because they mark the anniversary of another attack or significant event.

For example, Timothy McVeigh planned the Oklahoma City bombing for 19 April 1995 because it marked the second anniversary of the violent end of the FBI’s siege at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas – which McVeigh had witnessed firsthand.

And in December 2015, Mohammed Rehman and Sana Ahmed Khan were convicted of planning a thwarted bomb attack in London on 7 July that year, specifically to mark the 10th anniversary of the 7 July 2005 “7/7” attacks, which killed 52 people.

We don’t often get such clear confirmation of “anniversary” plots, though.

German police suggested Ali David Sonboly‘s 22 July 2016 shooting rampage in Munich may have been inspired by Anders Behring Breivik’s Utoya massacre, exactly five years earlier. The country’s Interior Minister said investigators had discovered that the 18-year-old had been researching Breivik’s attacks.

However, Sonboly killed himself after the attack and so did not face police questioning or a trial, during which the reasoning behind the date might have emerged more definitively.

Similarly, Khalid Masood was shot dead by police after killing four people at Westminster in London on 22 March 2017, a year to the day after three terrorist bombings in Brussels.

Julian King, the European Union’s Security Commissioner, told a European Parliament committee: “I don’t think it was a complete accident that this attack took place on the first anniversary of the Brussels attacks…”

It is also possible that Salman Abedi, the suspected Manchester Arena attacker, timed the bombing to mark the fourth anniversary of the death of British soldier Lee Rigby, who was brutally murdered in an Islamic extremist attack in London on 22 May 2013.

But Abedi was killed in the suicide bombing on 22 May 2017, and so far, such a motive for the date of the attack hasn’t been established, and may not have been present at all.

Conclusion

There are three essential points to bear in mind if you see a meme highlighting terrorist attacks that took place on the 22nd of the month:

The whole date matters: When a terrorist attack is planned for a symbolically significant date, it’s for a specific day in a specific month. It wasn’t the number “7” that was important to Mohammed Rehman and Sana Ahmed Khan, in their 2015 bomb plot, it was the full date – 7 July, the 10-year-anniversary of the 2005 London bomb attacks. Likewise, Timothy McVeigh didn’t invest huge symbolic weight in the 19th day of every month, just the 19th day of April. It’s possible the Manchester Arena attack was timed to mark the anniversary of Lee Rigby’s death, but even if it was, it wouldn’t have been the number “22” that mattered to the bomber, but rather the specific date – 22 May.So focusing on the day of the month – whether it’s the 22nd or not – entirely misses the point about “anniversary” attacks, which are a real, though far from ubiquitous, part of global terrorism.
Terrorists consider a variety of factors when planning an attack: Sometimes terrorists target specific events (for example, the Bastille Day truck attack that killed 86 people in Nice, France on 14 July 2016). Sometimes they target days of the week when public places are likely to be busy (for example, the 8 April 2017 truck attack on a shopping street in Stockholm, Sweden, which took place on a Friday afternoon). Sometimes their attacks are brought forward or pushed back for logistical reasons, or because law enforcement investigators are perceived to be “closing in” on them.

Terrorists are no more likely to attack on the 22nd than any other day: We analyzed the dates of 1,327 confirmed or suspected terrorist incidents in Western Europe and North America between 2010 and 2015, drawn from the University of Maryland’s Global Terrorism Database and found that the 22nd does not appear statistically more prone to incidents than any other day.In other words, the attacks listed in the May 2017 memes are blatantly cherry-picked from the hundreds of terrorist incidents that have taken place over the past four years.In the six years between 2010 and 2015, 31 incidents took place on the 22nd day of the month, which was actually the lowest number of any day (not that you should attach any particular significance to that). You can check out the data for yourself by downloading this spreadsheet.

It’s true that terrorists do sometimes choose the date of their attack to commemorate an event that’s important to them — often a previous attack. So as time passes, it could become more likely that certain dates might see an exponential growth in the number of incidents planned or carried out.

Of course, police and security agencies around the world are also very aware of these dates, and so the increased prevention and enforcement that comes on dates like 7 July and 11 September may mean such plots are more likely to be thwarted before being executed.

But where a date has significance, it is the full date that matters – not the day of the month. There is no symbolic significance, mystical power, or terrorist conspiracy surrounding the number 22.