"Dear Mr. President" - Pink
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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Mercedes Is Cheaper Than Proton
Some "high level" people claimed that it is cheaper to own a Mercedes-Benz than a Proton because MBs cost less to maintain and they are more reliable. In that case, the police should seriously consider replacing their fleet with Mercedes-Benzes.
They said most people think that Mercedes-Benzes are expensive but they are actually cheaper than Protons if it is analysed closely. Initially, a Mercedes-Benz may cost many times more than a Proton, but in the long-run, owning a Mercedes can actually save tons of money. MB's gear boxes are said to be more reliable than Proton's. Therefore, they cost a lot less to maintain, resulting in Big Savings. Make sense?
Brabus Rocket - Mercedes-Benz CLS
They said most people think that Mercedes-Benzes are expensive but they are actually cheaper than Protons if it is analysed closely. Initially, a Mercedes-Benz may cost many times more than a Proton, but in the long-run, owning a Mercedes can actually save tons of money. MB's gear boxes are said to be more reliable than Proton's. Therefore, they cost a lot less to maintain, resulting in Big Savings. Make sense?
Brabus Rocket - Mercedes-Benz CLS
Monday, July 28, 2008
Pak Lah... ? Who the hell is he?
Sunday July 27, 2008
Exco men use Merc despite Cabinet order
By GLADYS TAY
JOHOR BARU: At least four of Terengganu's eight state executive council members are using newly purchased Mercedes-Benz E200 Kompressor cars despite a Cabinet directive against doing so.
Several of them were seen travelling in the cars to official functions and meetings.
Those who were seen taking rides in the car said they were waiting for Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said to make an announcement at Wednesday's state executive council meeting on when to give up the cars.
Terengganu Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Za’abar Mohd Adib attended the Malaysian Flora Fest here yesterday in his gleaming new black Mercedes-Benz....
(full story at The Star)
Friday, July 25, 2008
Speaking of Sodo Mee, ...
Coming out of the closet
A young man, in the course of his college life, came to terms with his Homosexuality and decided to "come out of the closet." His plan was to tell his mother first; so on his next home visit, he went to the kitchen, where his mother was busying herself stirring stew with a wooden spoon.
Rather nervously, he explained to her that he had realized he was gay.
Without looking up from her stew, his mother said, "You mean, homosexual?"
"Well...yes."
Still without looking up: "Does that mean you suck men's penises?"
Caught off guard, the young man eventually managed to stammer an embarrassed affirmative; whereupon his mother turned to him and, brandishing the wooden spoon threateningly under his nose, snapped:
"Don't you EVER complain about my cooking again!"
Cremation
Three gay men died, and were going to be cremated. Their lovers happened to be at the funeral home at the same time, and were discussing what they planned to do with the ashes.
The first man said, "My Benny loved to fly, so I'm going up in a plane and scatter his ashes in the sky."
The second man said, "My Carl was a good fisherman, so I'm going to scatter his ashes in our favorite lake."
The third man said, "My Jim was such a good lover, I think I'm going to dump his ashes in a pot of chili, so he can tear my ass up just one more time."
Between the fence
Two cowboys are out rounding up cattle when all of a sudden a heifer takes off and goes wild, the heifer runs into a fence and get's her head stuck. The two cowboys get over to the fence and the one says to the other: "This is too good to pass up," gets off his horse, unzips his pants and begins wildly copulating with the heifer for at least ten minutes. When he finally finished he looked up to his partner and asked him if he wants some of it. His partner replied "hell yes that looks pretty good", climbs down off his horse drops his pants and sticks his head in the fence.
Whorehouse
A guy goes into a whore house and asks what he can get the five dollars. The headwoman doesn't think much of his request but doesn't want to lose a customer, so she leads him back to a special room. This room has mirrors everywhere, on the ceiling, the floors, the walls, and the door. On top of this all, there's a chicken in the room. He's a little confused but doesn't want to waste his money so he has intercourse with the chicken.
A week later, the same guy comes back and this time he asks the woman what he can get for 10 dollars. This time she leads him back to a large room with a group of people sitting there watching a woman having sex with a pig in a 2 way mirror. He's laughing uncontrollably at the bizarre spectacle and the whole group is enjoying the show. The guy next to him notices his amusement and tells him "That's nothing - last week we saw a guy screwing a chicken!"
Lawyers
A woman went to her doctor for advice. She told the physician that her husband had developed a penchant for anal sex, and she wasn't sure it was such a good idea. The Doctor asked, "Do you enjoy it?"
She said that she did.
He asked, "Does it hurt you?" She said no.
The Doctor then told her, "Well, then, there's no reason that you shouldn't practice anal sex, if that's what you like, so long as you take care not to get pregnant."
The woman was mystified. She asked, "You can get pregnant from anal sex?" The Doctor replied, "Of course. Where do you think lawyers come from?"
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A young man, in the course of his college life, came to terms with his Homosexuality and decided to "come out of the closet." His plan was to tell his mother first; so on his next home visit, he went to the kitchen, where his mother was busying herself stirring stew with a wooden spoon.
Rather nervously, he explained to her that he had realized he was gay.
Without looking up from her stew, his mother said, "You mean, homosexual?"
"Well...yes."
Still without looking up: "Does that mean you suck men's penises?"
Caught off guard, the young man eventually managed to stammer an embarrassed affirmative; whereupon his mother turned to him and, brandishing the wooden spoon threateningly under his nose, snapped:
"Don't you EVER complain about my cooking again!"
Cremation
Three gay men died, and were going to be cremated. Their lovers happened to be at the funeral home at the same time, and were discussing what they planned to do with the ashes.
The first man said, "My Benny loved to fly, so I'm going up in a plane and scatter his ashes in the sky."
The second man said, "My Carl was a good fisherman, so I'm going to scatter his ashes in our favorite lake."
The third man said, "My Jim was such a good lover, I think I'm going to dump his ashes in a pot of chili, so he can tear my ass up just one more time."
Between the fence
Two cowboys are out rounding up cattle when all of a sudden a heifer takes off and goes wild, the heifer runs into a fence and get's her head stuck. The two cowboys get over to the fence and the one says to the other: "This is too good to pass up," gets off his horse, unzips his pants and begins wildly copulating with the heifer for at least ten minutes. When he finally finished he looked up to his partner and asked him if he wants some of it. His partner replied "hell yes that looks pretty good", climbs down off his horse drops his pants and sticks his head in the fence.
Whorehouse
A guy goes into a whore house and asks what he can get the five dollars. The headwoman doesn't think much of his request but doesn't want to lose a customer, so she leads him back to a special room. This room has mirrors everywhere, on the ceiling, the floors, the walls, and the door. On top of this all, there's a chicken in the room. He's a little confused but doesn't want to waste his money so he has intercourse with the chicken.
A week later, the same guy comes back and this time he asks the woman what he can get for 10 dollars. This time she leads him back to a large room with a group of people sitting there watching a woman having sex with a pig in a 2 way mirror. He's laughing uncontrollably at the bizarre spectacle and the whole group is enjoying the show. The guy next to him notices his amusement and tells him "That's nothing - last week we saw a guy screwing a chicken!"
Lawyers
A woman went to her doctor for advice. She told the physician that her husband had developed a penchant for anal sex, and she wasn't sure it was such a good idea. The Doctor asked, "Do you enjoy it?"
She said that she did.
He asked, "Does it hurt you?" She said no.
The Doctor then told her, "Well, then, there's no reason that you shouldn't practice anal sex, if that's what you like, so long as you take care not to get pregnant."
The woman was mystified. She asked, "You can get pregnant from anal sex?" The Doctor replied, "Of course. Where do you think lawyers come from?"
====================================
Raw Deal
Singaporean 3, Malaysian 0.
Wa! Pump price down another 3 cents in Singapore!
4cents + 4cents + 3cents = 11cents! Singapore had slashed petrol price by 11 cents in the last 2 weeks because world oil price has fallen by $22 a barrel.
Isn't Malaysia suppose to follow world price too? How come the pump price in Malaysia did not go down? Not fair lah like this!
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Pump prices down 3 cents just days after a cut
Posted: 24 July 2008
SINGAPORE - After constant price hikes at fuel stations, motorists have cause to smile these days. Just days after adjusting their pump prices downwards, fuel stations are offering 3 cents a litre less for all grades of petrol as well as diesel.
SPC was the last to adjust its prices at noon on Thursday, a move it said was to reflect current conditions on world oil markets.
The 92-octane unleaded petrol now costs S$2.103 per litre, the 95-octane unleaded S$2.136 a litre and the 98-octane grade petrol is priced at S$2.21 a litre. The diesel price stands at S$1.963 per litre.
Since 2002, world oil prices have seen a sixfold rise, causing consumers to feel the pinch as fuel prices spiralled along with the cost of living.
Singapore's consumer inflation in June was 7.5 percent higher compared with a year ago due mainly to higher costs in items like transport.
The rise reflects the precarious climb of oil prices over the past few months, with anticipated demand and speculators being blamed.
But just as concerns were being raised, oil prices began to reverse direction.
On Thursday, crude oil prices drifted down to US$124.28 a barrel - that's more than US$22 below the all-time high hit just two weeks ago…
(source: Channelnewsasia)
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Wa! Pump price down another 3 cents in Singapore!
4cents + 4cents + 3cents = 11cents! Singapore had slashed petrol price by 11 cents in the last 2 weeks because world oil price has fallen by $22 a barrel.
Isn't Malaysia suppose to follow world price too? How come the pump price in Malaysia did not go down? Not fair lah like this!
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Pump prices down 3 cents just days after a cut
Posted: 24 July 2008
SINGAPORE - After constant price hikes at fuel stations, motorists have cause to smile these days. Just days after adjusting their pump prices downwards, fuel stations are offering 3 cents a litre less for all grades of petrol as well as diesel.
SPC was the last to adjust its prices at noon on Thursday, a move it said was to reflect current conditions on world oil markets.
The 92-octane unleaded petrol now costs S$2.103 per litre, the 95-octane unleaded S$2.136 a litre and the 98-octane grade petrol is priced at S$2.21 a litre. The diesel price stands at S$1.963 per litre.
Since 2002, world oil prices have seen a sixfold rise, causing consumers to feel the pinch as fuel prices spiralled along with the cost of living.
Singapore's consumer inflation in June was 7.5 percent higher compared with a year ago due mainly to higher costs in items like transport.
The rise reflects the precarious climb of oil prices over the past few months, with anticipated demand and speculators being blamed.
But just as concerns were being raised, oil prices began to reverse direction.
On Thursday, crude oil prices drifted down to US$124.28 a barrel - that's more than US$22 below the all-time high hit just two weeks ago…
(source: Channelnewsasia)
==================================================
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Road to Becoming an Optional Market
At the rate those shit slingging is going, Malaysia will soon disappear from every fund manager's radar screen. Goodbye MSCI!
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Sodomy, Murder, DNA Tests Make `CSI Malaysia'
Commentary by William Pesek
July 21 (Bloomberg) -- It's becoming the highest-rating program in Asia: Malaysia's crime scene investigations.
Just like its wildly popular American counterparts, this crime drama -- call it ``CSI Malaysia'' -- features sex, murder, DNA samples, cover-ups and a colorful cast of characters wondering who's guilty of this or that.
At the center of Malaysia's CSI franchise is Anwar Ibrahim, a former deputy prime minister who did time on corruption and sodomy charges. Last week, Anwar was arrested on new sodomy claims. He accuses Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak -- who denies sexual-misconduct allegations related to a 28-year-old Mongolian woman killed two years ago -- of manufacturing the charges to discredit him.
The storyline is …
… It was impossible to avoid this issue at a Bloomberg panel discussion on July 17, the day after Anwar was arrested (and the day on which he was released). On the panel were bigwigs from the likes of Malaysia Airline System Bhd., Maxis Communications Bhd. and CIMB Investment Bank. You could see them shifting nervously in their seats as the issue of sodomy came up.
If Malaysians don't know what to make of Anwar's plight, you can imagine what foreign investors think. ``Summer of Discontent,'' is how Deutsche Bank AG analyst Teoh Su-Yin titled a recent report on Malaysian stocks.
Last week, it was hard to find an analyst predicting a quick resolution to Malaysia's fragile political backdrop. Nor could I find anyone in Kuala Lumpur who felt markets had fully priced in the negative impact of higher inflation on the economy and corporate earnings.
Changing World
What's so frustrating about Malaysia is the obvious potential. Its natural-resource-rich economy has achieved great things in the 50 years since independence from Britain. Twenty- five years ago, this was a tropical backwater. Today, Malaysia's modern, skyscraper-filled capital is home to the world's tallest twin buildings: the Petronas Towers.
Yet the world is moving ahead at a rapid pace, hastened by the rise of China and India. It won't wait for Malaysia, and the current scandals preoccupying the government are coming at the worst possible time. Malaysia should be acting boldly to increase its global competitiveness.
Nations as diverse as China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are working to raise their global influence. Five years from now, any of these economies might harness specific advantages, from low costs to human capital to technology, to challenge Malaysia's growth prospects.
Leadership Vacuum
Malaysia should start by fixing a key weakness: a four- decade-old affirmative-action program favoring the predominant Malay community. It limits investment, stifles competition and keeps the economy from becoming a meritocracy. It's a third-rail issue and isn't discussed seriously.
The leadership vacuum in Kuala Lumpur means Malaysia is squandering time its economy doesn't have. Its $151 billion economy is becoming a smaller blip on investors' radar screens, and politics deserve much of the blame…
Unstable Situation
Malaysia, it seems, is being run for the sole benefit of those in charge. The nation has become more about Abdullah's party, the United Malays National Organization, than the welfare of its people. That's not being lost on overseas observers.
``Investors are already considering the situation as unstable,'' says Tricia Yeoh, director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies in Kuala Lumpur. ``They are already reconsidering their options in the country. The new investors are possibly not looking at Malaysia as a viable option and previous investors would be thinking of extracting their funds to be put in more stable and viable locations.''
Financiers may be perfectly happy to watch CSI at home. They are far less keen on exposing their money to a whodunit playing out on Malaysia's national stage.
(source: Bloomberg)
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----------------------
Sodomy, Murder, DNA Tests Make `CSI Malaysia'
Commentary by William Pesek
July 21 (Bloomberg) -- It's becoming the highest-rating program in Asia: Malaysia's crime scene investigations.
Just like its wildly popular American counterparts, this crime drama -- call it ``CSI Malaysia'' -- features sex, murder, DNA samples, cover-ups and a colorful cast of characters wondering who's guilty of this or that.
At the center of Malaysia's CSI franchise is Anwar Ibrahim, a former deputy prime minister who did time on corruption and sodomy charges. Last week, Anwar was arrested on new sodomy claims. He accuses Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak -- who denies sexual-misconduct allegations related to a 28-year-old Mongolian woman killed two years ago -- of manufacturing the charges to discredit him.
The storyline is …
… It was impossible to avoid this issue at a Bloomberg panel discussion on July 17, the day after Anwar was arrested (and the day on which he was released). On the panel were bigwigs from the likes of Malaysia Airline System Bhd., Maxis Communications Bhd. and CIMB Investment Bank. You could see them shifting nervously in their seats as the issue of sodomy came up.
If Malaysians don't know what to make of Anwar's plight, you can imagine what foreign investors think. ``Summer of Discontent,'' is how Deutsche Bank AG analyst Teoh Su-Yin titled a recent report on Malaysian stocks.
Last week, it was hard to find an analyst predicting a quick resolution to Malaysia's fragile political backdrop. Nor could I find anyone in Kuala Lumpur who felt markets had fully priced in the negative impact of higher inflation on the economy and corporate earnings.
Changing World
What's so frustrating about Malaysia is the obvious potential. Its natural-resource-rich economy has achieved great things in the 50 years since independence from Britain. Twenty- five years ago, this was a tropical backwater. Today, Malaysia's modern, skyscraper-filled capital is home to the world's tallest twin buildings: the Petronas Towers.
Yet the world is moving ahead at a rapid pace, hastened by the rise of China and India. It won't wait for Malaysia, and the current scandals preoccupying the government are coming at the worst possible time. Malaysia should be acting boldly to increase its global competitiveness.
Nations as diverse as China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are working to raise their global influence. Five years from now, any of these economies might harness specific advantages, from low costs to human capital to technology, to challenge Malaysia's growth prospects.
Leadership Vacuum
Malaysia should start by fixing a key weakness: a four- decade-old affirmative-action program favoring the predominant Malay community. It limits investment, stifles competition and keeps the economy from becoming a meritocracy. It's a third-rail issue and isn't discussed seriously.
The leadership vacuum in Kuala Lumpur means Malaysia is squandering time its economy doesn't have. Its $151 billion economy is becoming a smaller blip on investors' radar screens, and politics deserve much of the blame…
Unstable Situation
Malaysia, it seems, is being run for the sole benefit of those in charge. The nation has become more about Abdullah's party, the United Malays National Organization, than the welfare of its people. That's not being lost on overseas observers.
``Investors are already considering the situation as unstable,'' says Tricia Yeoh, director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies in Kuala Lumpur. ``They are already reconsidering their options in the country. The new investors are possibly not looking at Malaysia as a viable option and previous investors would be thinking of extracting their funds to be put in more stable and viable locations.''
Financiers may be perfectly happy to watch CSI at home. They are far less keen on exposing their money to a whodunit playing out on Malaysia's national stage.
(source: Bloomberg)
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Who Wants to be a Billionaire?
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It's easy... Just move to Zimbabwe!
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50 billion Zimbabwe dollars for a burger
The economy is getting worse in Zimbabwe and the recent one-sided election hasn’t helped a bit. The country’s bank only issues billion-dollar Zimbabwean currency notes but they are hardly worth one U.S. dollar.
Newsweek reports that Zimbabwe residents are going through severe hardships yet surviving it with humor. The reporter found a fast-food joint was selling burgers and fried chicken, and a double cheeseburger cost 50 billion Zimbabwean dollars. And if you order a full meal with fries and a Coke, it cost 80 billion Zimbabwean dollars.
The Zimbabwean dollar is taking a nose dive day by day. The current value of a 25 billion Zimbabwean dollar note is worth only one US dollar. Zimbabwe only has two bank notes in circulation: 25 billion dollar bills and 50 billion dollar bills.
A Zimbabwean man holds on May 16, 2008 a new five hundred million dollar note in Harare
Residents are only allowed to withdraw 25 billion Zimbabwean dollars per day from their bank accounts. And with that limit, it makes it extremely difficult to buy food and other items, which also sell at a very high price.
While the country is in turmoil, Mugabe is currently in Sharm el-Sheikh and attending the African Union (AU) summit with other African countries. The AU wants Mugabe and Moran Tsvangirai, opposition candidate for the president, to negotiate further to improve the political climate in Zimbabwe. The leaders in AU have no real influence in this because most of them are dictators themselves.
Morgan Tsvangirai left his self-imposed refuge at the Dutch embassy and returned to his home in Harare today. But he will have minimal impact with the country’s economy as long as Mugabe is in power.
If Mugabe still rules for another few years, we can expect a trillion dollar burger soon.
(source: digitaljournal.com)
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It's easy... Just move to Zimbabwe!
========================
50 billion Zimbabwe dollars for a burger
The economy is getting worse in Zimbabwe and the recent one-sided election hasn’t helped a bit. The country’s bank only issues billion-dollar Zimbabwean currency notes but they are hardly worth one U.S. dollar.
Newsweek reports that Zimbabwe residents are going through severe hardships yet surviving it with humor. The reporter found a fast-food joint was selling burgers and fried chicken, and a double cheeseburger cost 50 billion Zimbabwean dollars. And if you order a full meal with fries and a Coke, it cost 80 billion Zimbabwean dollars.
The Zimbabwean dollar is taking a nose dive day by day. The current value of a 25 billion Zimbabwean dollar note is worth only one US dollar. Zimbabwe only has two bank notes in circulation: 25 billion dollar bills and 50 billion dollar bills.
A Zimbabwean man holds on May 16, 2008 a new five hundred million dollar note in HarareResidents are only allowed to withdraw 25 billion Zimbabwean dollars per day from their bank accounts. And with that limit, it makes it extremely difficult to buy food and other items, which also sell at a very high price.
While the country is in turmoil, Mugabe is currently in Sharm el-Sheikh and attending the African Union (AU) summit with other African countries. The AU wants Mugabe and Moran Tsvangirai, opposition candidate for the president, to negotiate further to improve the political climate in Zimbabwe. The leaders in AU have no real influence in this because most of them are dictators themselves.
Morgan Tsvangirai left his self-imposed refuge at the Dutch embassy and returned to his home in Harare today. But he will have minimal impact with the country’s economy as long as Mugabe is in power.
If Mugabe still rules for another few years, we can expect a trillion dollar burger soon.
(source: digitaljournal.com)
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Saturday, July 19, 2008
Attention Please!
If you can't figure this out after the first read, don't give up. Try again, and again..., and again...
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... Surrender?
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Thursday, July 17, 2008
Fuel price down again!
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In Singapore... ( &~%! $~#@*!!! )
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Pump prices down again
Posted: 17 July 2008 1453 hrs
SINGAPORE - Pump prices at service stations across Singapore have been adjusted downwards for both petrol and diesel.
The prices for all grades of petrol are down another four cents a litre, with top-end 98 unleaded selling at S$2.28 per litre, while the cheapest is unleaded 92 which is tagged at S$2.173.
The move by Shell, SPC, ExxonMobil and Caltex comes a week after the fuel companies made a similar 4-cent price cut, the first after 13 consecutive price rises earlier.
While diesel was unchanged during last week's pump price adjustments, this time the cuts included a 2-cent reduction for diesel. This brings the price down to S$2.013 a litre, which is still much higher than in the past.
The price of crude oil, which petrol and diesel are derived from, dropped four dollars in trading on Wednesday after staging its biggest fall in 17 years a day earlier. - CNA/sf
(source: Channelnewsaia)
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In Singapore... ( &~%! $~#@*!!! )
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Pump prices down again
Posted: 17 July 2008 1453 hrs
SINGAPORE - Pump prices at service stations across Singapore have been adjusted downwards for both petrol and diesel.The prices for all grades of petrol are down another four cents a litre, with top-end 98 unleaded selling at S$2.28 per litre, while the cheapest is unleaded 92 which is tagged at S$2.173.
The move by Shell, SPC, ExxonMobil and Caltex comes a week after the fuel companies made a similar 4-cent price cut, the first after 13 consecutive price rises earlier.
While diesel was unchanged during last week's pump price adjustments, this time the cuts included a 2-cent reduction for diesel. This brings the price down to S$2.013 a litre, which is still much higher than in the past.
The price of crude oil, which petrol and diesel are derived from, dropped four dollars in trading on Wednesday after staging its biggest fall in 17 years a day earlier. - CNA/sf
(source: Channelnewsaia)
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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Review of CPI
There's nothing wrong with our calculation, but we'll review the CPI anyway!
The PM had announced that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is beign reviewed to reflect real situation on the ground and to make the CPI more helpful and relevant (whatever that means).
(source: The Star)
Can the people take this announcement as an indirect admission that the CPI has not been accurately calculated before and the figures published were “unreal”? How can this be? The boss from the Department of Statistics had only recently told the press that “Our inflation rate calculation is correct and so are our economic growth figures” (funny! No one even asked him the question about “economic growth figures”. Why is he saying it?).
This is really screwed-up! Perhaps the aunty selling fish at the market was right all this while. Inflation rate is actually higher that what they said. It makes you wonder if the other key figures published are accurate or not? Those vital economics figures, those population statistics, population distribution, income distribution…… Wow! It's scary when one starts to think about it.
Curious to find out who will be those involved in the reviewing exercise ? Do you think it’s going be the same bunch of geniuses from the Department of Statistics that told the public confidently that they were correct before? Hmmm...
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NST Online » Local News
2008/06/08
Inflation rate: Calculations are correct
The PM had announced that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is beign reviewed to reflect real situation on the ground and to make the CPI more helpful and relevant (whatever that means).
(source: The Star)
Can the people take this announcement as an indirect admission that the CPI has not been accurately calculated before and the figures published were “unreal”? How can this be? The boss from the Department of Statistics had only recently told the press that “Our inflation rate calculation is correct and so are our economic growth figures” (funny! No one even asked him the question about “economic growth figures”. Why is he saying it?).
This is really screwed-up! Perhaps the aunty selling fish at the market was right all this while. Inflation rate is actually higher that what they said. It makes you wonder if the other key figures published are accurate or not? Those vital economics figures, those population statistics, population distribution, income distribution…… Wow! It's scary when one starts to think about it.
Curious to find out who will be those involved in the reviewing exercise ? Do you think it’s going be the same bunch of geniuses from the Department of Statistics that told the public confidently that they were correct before? Hmmm...
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NST Online » Local News
2008/06/08
Inflation rate: Calculations are correct
BEING the Department of Statistics' senior director of the prices, income and expenditure division, Kamarudin is the man of the moment.
With escalating prices in the market place and doubts as to the CPI figures, he takes time off his busy schedule to explain why the figures are as accurate as can be.
(The consumer price index (CPI) is a measurement of the average price of consumer goods and services purchased by households. It is obtained by calculating, monthly, the cost of a fixed basket of commodities purchased by a typical consumer during a given month. The percentage change in the CPI is a measure of inflation.)
Q: There are claims that the way the inflation rate is calculated is wrong. What do you say?
A: Our inflation rate calculation is correct and so are our economic growth figures.
In 2007, the rate of inflation increased by two per cent over 2006's CPI of 103.5. But compared with 2005, there was an increase of 5.7 per cent.
In the first four months of this year itself, there was a 2.7 per cent increase compared with the first four months of last year.
Just for food and non-alcoholic beverages, the index increased by 4.7 per cent in the first four months of the year compared with 2007. The highest increase was seen for milk, cheese and eggs.
Overall, 31.4 per cent of the composition of the basket is for food and non-alcoholic beverages, while 21.4 per cent is for household expenditure and 15.9 per cent is for transport and fuel expenditure.
Some of the other items in the basket include health, education and entertainment.
Q: So are the weights allocated for the categories in the basket proportionate?
A: Yes, they are. We collect 460 main items and 920 sub-items. Using the fish example mentioned, we collect 34 types of fish. I don't understand what other types of fish you want us to collect.
Even for milk, we collect 13 types, including two infant formulas.
We conduct the Household Expenditure Survey (HES) every five years to know what Malaysians are spending on.
The weights used in the calculation of the CPI are obtained from the HES.
There are 12 categories of items in the basket based on the United Nations' "Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose".
Q: How do you decide on the weights?
A: We obtain this from the HES. The last one was in 2005 and we surveyed 25,000 households nationwide from all income brackets over a period of a year.
From the data collected, we found that 31.4 per cent of household expenditure was on food. So these weights decided upon are from the people.
Q: Should the HES be conducted more frequently? Isn't five years too long a period?
A: Yes it should, but it costs RM15 million to conduct just one survey. So it is too expensive to conduct one annually and it also involves government policy.
Q: Do the weights change much every five years?
A: Yes they do for certain categories.
In 2000, the weight for food and non-alcoholic beverages was 34.9 per cent, while for the current basket, it is 31.4 per cent.
For transport, it was 13.9 per cent in 2000 and it increased to 15.9 per cent in 2005.
For restaurants and hotels, the figure was 1.9 per cent in 2000, while for 2005 it increased to three per cent.
As people become more affluent, they spend less on food and more on other items.
Q: Malaysia's closest neighbours record much higher inflation rates. Why does it seem that we are isolated from the true scenario?
A: Among the Asean countries, we do have one of the lowest inflation rates. This is without taking into account the recent fuel price hike.
Singapore and Thailand have different scenarios.
When the price of petrol goes up, their governments do not subsidise the rates, so transport costs there are determined by market prices.
Therefore, the rate of inflation rises. But for us, the government subsidises petrol costs up to a limit...
(full story at NST)
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Saturday, July 12, 2008
Back to the Future - 1998
Shocking revelation of gay sex from Part 4... It's really crazy!
Too bad you can't see Azizan's face at the end.
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Anwar Ibrahim - Foreign Correspondent [Part 1 of 6]
[Part 2 of 6]
[Part 3 of 6]
[Part 4 of 6]
[Part 5 of 6]
[Part 6 of 6]
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Too bad you can't see Azizan's face at the end.
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Anwar Ibrahim - Foreign Correspondent [Part 1 of 6]
[Part 2 of 6]
[Part 3 of 6]
[Part 4 of 6]
[Part 5 of 6]
[Part 6 of 6]
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You're the Man...
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... Sucker!
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... Sucker!
Touched eh! Try showing a bit of sincerity in that smile. People are watching lah!
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Najib touched by Pak Lah’s open declaration
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is touched and grateful that the Prime Minister has openly named him as his successor.
“The Prime Minister had expressed his stance to several Cabinet members and I behind closed doors before, but yesterday was the first time he expressed it openly.
“I truly appreciate the confidence the Prime Minister has in me,” he said after opening the...
[source: The Star]
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Nazir: What Kok You Tok Bro?
Boss, you are too deep lah! No one seems to understand you.
Please don't be the Finance Minister one day.
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11-07-2008:
Nazir disagrees with DPM's claim
by Racheal Lee Mei Nyee
KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB Group Sdn Bhd's chief executive Datuk Seri Nazir Razak disagreed with the government which said that international investor confidence is not swayed by the current cloudy political outlook.
"It is very important for the political situation to settle down. I’m sorry but I disagree with the deputy prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) saying that international investor confidence is not affected,” the younger brother of the DPM told reporters on July 11.
Last Tuesday, Najib said that the global economic outlook was the factor that caused investors to think twice about investing in Malaysia, not the current local political situation.
The Edge Financial Daily reported last Monday that the combination of political uncertainties, soaring inflation and weaker economic growth had led to a downward revision on the outlook of the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) for the second half of the year. The confluence of negative news has prompted at least one foreign research house to forecast a year-end target for the KLCI at below the psychologically 1,000-point mark...
[Full story: The Edge]
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Please don't be the Finance Minister one day.
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11-07-2008:
Nazir disagrees with DPM's claim
by Racheal Lee Mei Nyee
KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB Group Sdn Bhd's chief executive Datuk Seri Nazir Razak disagreed with the government which said that international investor confidence is not swayed by the current cloudy political outlook.
"It is very important for the political situation to settle down. I’m sorry but I disagree with the deputy prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) saying that international investor confidence is not affected,” the younger brother of the DPM told reporters on July 11.
Last Tuesday, Najib said that the global economic outlook was the factor that caused investors to think twice about investing in Malaysia, not the current local political situation.
The Edge Financial Daily reported last Monday that the combination of political uncertainties, soaring inflation and weaker economic growth had led to a downward revision on the outlook of the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) for the second half of the year. The confluence of negative news has prompted at least one foreign research house to forecast a year-end target for the KLCI at below the psychologically 1,000-point mark...
[Full story: The Edge]
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Thursday, July 10, 2008
Lower Fuel Price...
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...in Singapore.
Will Malaysia get it too? World price has gone down, so the price at the pump in Malaysia should also be adjusted, right?
Well, maybe if oil goes back to $100/barrel, they'll re-adjust it back to RM1.92/ltr at the pump... dream on!
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2008/07/09
Singapore cuts fuel prices
SINGAPORE, WED:
Petrol companies in Singapore have lowered their pump prices by four cents a litre for petrol to reflect current market conditions.
Singapore Petroleum Company Limited (SPC) announced today the pump prices for its motor gasoline across all three grades at all its service stations had been reduced by four cents per litre from 3 p.m. today.
Earlier, other petrol companies, Shell, Exxon-Mobile and Caltex started to reduce their pump prices one after another from this morning.
The new pump prices without discounts are $2.32 per litre for the 98-octane grade petrol, $2.246 per litre for the 95-octane unleaded petrol and $2.213 per litre for the 92-octane unleaded petrol.
The pump price for diesel which is currently at $2.033 per litre however is not affected by the changes.
Last Saturday, the four petrol companies had just increased their pump prices for both petrol and diesel by five cents a litre.
It was reported that the impact of a global economic slowdown on demand for oil has caused prices to fall by more than US$5 to US$136 per barrel yesterday.
[source: NST]
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...in Singapore.
Will Malaysia get it too? World price has gone down, so the price at the pump in Malaysia should also be adjusted, right?
Well, maybe if oil goes back to $100/barrel, they'll re-adjust it back to RM1.92/ltr at the pump... dream on!
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2008/07/09
Singapore cuts fuel prices
SINGAPORE, WED:
Petrol companies in Singapore have lowered their pump prices by four cents a litre for petrol to reflect current market conditions.
Singapore Petroleum Company Limited (SPC) announced today the pump prices for its motor gasoline across all three grades at all its service stations had been reduced by four cents per litre from 3 p.m. today.
Earlier, other petrol companies, Shell, Exxon-Mobile and Caltex started to reduce their pump prices one after another from this morning.
The new pump prices without discounts are $2.32 per litre for the 98-octane grade petrol, $2.246 per litre for the 95-octane unleaded petrol and $2.213 per litre for the 92-octane unleaded petrol.
The pump price for diesel which is currently at $2.033 per litre however is not affected by the changes.
Last Saturday, the four petrol companies had just increased their pump prices for both petrol and diesel by five cents a litre.
It was reported that the impact of a global economic slowdown on demand for oil has caused prices to fall by more than US$5 to US$136 per barrel yesterday.
[source: NST]
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What Kok You Tok?
When money is on the line, whose lead do you think investors would follow? "The Boss" or finncial advisers?
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Wednesday July 9, 2008
Najib: Investors not swayed by politics
KUALA LUMPUR: The global economic outlook and not the current local political scenario may be causing investors to think twice about coming to Malaysia, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
“There might be some apprehension but it is a question of perception,” he told reporters yesterday after chairing a Cabinet committee meeting on cleanliness and health.
“The reality is that our fundamentals are still strong but there is a worldwide concern about a possible global recession. Whatever it is, we will intensify our efforts to assuage investors concerned about investing in Malaysia,” he said, when asked to comment on whether the current political situation in Malaysia had affected investor confidence.
When pressed further about the drop in the local stock market, he said: “This is a worldwide phenomenon, not only in Malaysia.”
The KL Composite Index yesterday closed at 1,121.25 points - down 6.01 points from Monday when it closed at 1,127.26.
[source: The Star]
===========================
CLSA lowers Malaysia equities rating
Published: 2008/07/08
The research house says the political bickering gives a negative perception to foreigners that will cause further de-rating, and cuts its year-end target for KLCI to 980 points
CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets has cut its year-end target for the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) by 15 per cent to 980 points, believed to be the lowest estimate in the market.
The foreign research house also downgraded its rating on the Malaysian market to "underweight" from "neutral".
It cited political uncertanities, inflationary pressures and an economic slowdown as major drags on market sentiment in the medium term.
"Investors have always viewed Malaysia as a politically stable country and a defensive market.
"However, the current political bickering portrays a negative perception to foreigners that will cause further de-rating," CLSA said in its report on strategy outlook yesterday.
In March, it had a year-end target of 1,150 points.
The KLCI closed at 1,127.26 points yesterday.
Some research firms recently cut their year-end targets as well, but none had set them below 1,000 points.
TA Securities cut its target by 200 points to 1,210 last month, while RHB Research slashed 257 points to 1,128 last week.
CLSA said it lowered its earnings forecasts and target prices for selected stocks to reflect a higher earnings risk. Its top "sell" calls include AMMB, Bursa Malaysia and SP Setia.
"Banks, construction, property and consumer-related companies are the worst hit by rising operation and material costs, weaker sales and higher default rates.
"Independent power producers will be hit severely by the windfall tax," it said.
It recommended buying gaming, telecommunications and plantation stocks since the former two have relatively defensive earnings.
CLSA also expects high crude palm oil prices to sustain plantation companies' earnings growth.
Its top "buys" are DiGi, Kuala Lumpur Kepong and Resorts World.
CLSA said that while Malaysia's move to cut fuel subsidies will lead to short-term pain from higher inflation, in the long term, it will enhance productivity and energy efficiency.
It expects Malaysia's economic growth to slow to 3.3 per cent in 2009 from 5.3 per cent this year.
[source: Business Times]
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Wednesday July 9, 2008
Najib: Investors not swayed by politics
KUALA LUMPUR: The global economic outlook and not the current local political scenario may be causing investors to think twice about coming to Malaysia, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
“There might be some apprehension but it is a question of perception,” he told reporters yesterday after chairing a Cabinet committee meeting on cleanliness and health.
“The reality is that our fundamentals are still strong but there is a worldwide concern about a possible global recession. Whatever it is, we will intensify our efforts to assuage investors concerned about investing in Malaysia,” he said, when asked to comment on whether the current political situation in Malaysia had affected investor confidence.
When pressed further about the drop in the local stock market, he said: “This is a worldwide phenomenon, not only in Malaysia.”
The KL Composite Index yesterday closed at 1,121.25 points - down 6.01 points from Monday when it closed at 1,127.26.
[source: The Star]
===========================
CLSA lowers Malaysia equities rating
Published: 2008/07/08
The research house says the political bickering gives a negative perception to foreigners that will cause further de-rating, and cuts its year-end target for KLCI to 980 points
CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets has cut its year-end target for the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) by 15 per cent to 980 points, believed to be the lowest estimate in the market.
The foreign research house also downgraded its rating on the Malaysian market to "underweight" from "neutral".
It cited political uncertanities, inflationary pressures and an economic slowdown as major drags on market sentiment in the medium term.
"Investors have always viewed Malaysia as a politically stable country and a defensive market.
"However, the current political bickering portrays a negative perception to foreigners that will cause further de-rating," CLSA said in its report on strategy outlook yesterday.
In March, it had a year-end target of 1,150 points.
The KLCI closed at 1,127.26 points yesterday.
Some research firms recently cut their year-end targets as well, but none had set them below 1,000 points.
TA Securities cut its target by 200 points to 1,210 last month, while RHB Research slashed 257 points to 1,128 last week.
CLSA said it lowered its earnings forecasts and target prices for selected stocks to reflect a higher earnings risk. Its top "sell" calls include AMMB, Bursa Malaysia and SP Setia.
"Banks, construction, property and consumer-related companies are the worst hit by rising operation and material costs, weaker sales and higher default rates.
"Independent power producers will be hit severely by the windfall tax," it said.
It recommended buying gaming, telecommunications and plantation stocks since the former two have relatively defensive earnings.
CLSA also expects high crude palm oil prices to sustain plantation companies' earnings growth.
Its top "buys" are DiGi, Kuala Lumpur Kepong and Resorts World.
CLSA said that while Malaysia's move to cut fuel subsidies will lead to short-term pain from higher inflation, in the long term, it will enhance productivity and energy efficiency.
It expects Malaysia's economic growth to slow to 3.3 per cent in 2009 from 5.3 per cent this year.
[source: Business Times]
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Wildman Tokkok
Watch the video for actual footage of what the Wildman from Borneo did.
Camera doesn't lie but people sometimes lie with stoneface.
=================
Viewers shocked by MP Bung Mokhtar's lewd gesture in Dewan Rakyat
MP of Kinabatangan Datuk Bung
Mokhtar Radin said that "It was not a
bad sign- i was just showing like this
only" during Dewan Rakyat sitting at
Parliament House
KUALA LUMPUR, (July 8, 2008) : Those who caught RTM1's live telecast of the Dewan Rakyat question-and-answer session this morning were shocked over a lewd gesture made by Kinabatangan MP and Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) deputy chairman Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin during a shouting match.
The RTM1 camera was trained on Bung Mokhtar who was standing up to engage in a verbal tirade with the opposition camp, with each calling the other bodoh! (stupid).
As he was sitting down, the camera caught the MP, who is no stranger to controversy, making the lewd gesture of slapping one hand over a clenched fist.
Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng said she did not notice the gesture in the Dewan but said she received a few calls from her constituents asking her why an MP had behaved in such a manner.
When approached at the lobby later, Bung Mokhtar denied it was a lewd gesture, and demonstrated to the reporter what he claimed he did -- slapped the back of one hand with the palm of the other. (photo).
Bung Mokhtar admitted he was angry when the opposition members provoked him by calling him bodoh...
[source: Sun2Surf]
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Camera doesn't lie but people sometimes lie with stoneface.
=================
Viewers shocked by MP Bung Mokhtar's lewd gesture in Dewan Rakyat
MP of Kinabatangan Datuk Bung
Mokhtar Radin said that "It was not a
bad sign- i was just showing like this
only" during Dewan Rakyat sitting at
Parliament House
KUALA LUMPUR, (July 8, 2008) : Those who caught RTM1's live telecast of the Dewan Rakyat question-and-answer session this morning were shocked over a lewd gesture made by Kinabatangan MP and Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) deputy chairman Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin during a shouting match.
The RTM1 camera was trained on Bung Mokhtar who was standing up to engage in a verbal tirade with the opposition camp, with each calling the other bodoh! (stupid).
As he was sitting down, the camera caught the MP, who is no stranger to controversy, making the lewd gesture of slapping one hand over a clenched fist.
Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng said she did not notice the gesture in the Dewan but said she received a few calls from her constituents asking her why an MP had behaved in such a manner.
When approached at the lobby later, Bung Mokhtar denied it was a lewd gesture, and demonstrated to the reporter what he claimed he did -- slapped the back of one hand with the palm of the other. (photo).
Bung Mokhtar admitted he was angry when the opposition members provoked him by calling him bodoh...
[source: Sun2Surf]
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Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Great Ad
This awards winning ad was shot real time. It was completed after 606 takes and re-takes. It cost $6 million to shoot and took 3 months to complete.
Great precision eh?
World's Costliest Ad
Great precision eh?
World's Costliest Ad
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Mid Year Review - 2008 Forecast
Chinese Horoscope - Year of The RatCelebrities' Fortune
The RatRats are charming, elegant and clever. They can be a bit gossipy and prone to being distracted. They’re also thrifty and very good with handling money. Family and close friends are exceptionally important to them. The Rat is charming beyond words and throughout his undoubtedly long life he will always be popular and will have many friends.
Forecast for 2008 In their own year, Rats need to make future plans, remain persistent, vigilant and above all, enjoy a brightening of prospects all around. In their work situation, excellent opportunities should arrive with an accompanying rise in salary. If, however, the Rat feels stuck, bored and unable to progress, he needs to follow through his ideas in order to move onwards and upwards – action will be a keyword this year for all Rats – it’s no time to sit idly by, waiting for good things to happen. There will be celebrations, social events and travel to also look forward to in 2008. Also, hobbies or interests that may have been put to one side, should be looked at with fresh eyes as they could prove both beneficial and lucrative to the Rat this year. All in all, this will be an enjoyable and prosperous year for those Rats who pursue their dreams. May and August will be particularly auspicious times for making new and close friends and alliances.
The TigerMagnetic, passionate and grand! When the Tiger does anything, it’s noticed! Indecisiveness and stubbornness can mar the sparkle of the Tiger personality. On the one hand generous, on the other hand a little mean, it’s sometimes hard to know where one stands with the Tiger. Flexible, honest and truly entertaining, one has a friend for life with a Tiger.
Forecast for 2008 The final months of 2007 could prove frustrating to the Tiger if he has taken on too many projects or ideas. It’s important for him to tread carefully and purposefully at the start of the Year of the Rat in order to set a firm, strong foundation for the year. Otherwise, disappointment and frustration may follow. Many Tigers are extremely creative and imaginative and this is the year to use their talents. For those Tigers who are unfulfilled in their career, they may find it difficult to move. However, an unexpected and lucky opportunity will arise during the year for all Tigers – but beware – blink and you’ll miss it! The Tiger’s impulsiveness needs to rein in quite a bit during 2008 and if this is done, the year could prove highly enjoyable, lucky and satisfying. July to October will be the best time for new and exciting romantic opportunities.
The PigThe Pig is an innocent, sweet and lovable personality. They can also be quite melancholy and over-sensitive. The Pig loves the company of others, and adores parties, gossip and chit chat. They are highly intelligent, but prefer to keep this side of their nature under wraps. The Pig does not care that much for money, but is one of the zodiac signs that is very lucky.
Forecast for 2008 At the end of 2007, the end of his own Pig year, there will be much fun and happiness with increased social contact and romance. On the other hand, the Year of the Rat signifies a new cycle for the whole Zodiac, which the Pig may find highly unsettling – they are not partial to change. However, by taking a deep breath and going with the flow, 2008 can be a successful and interesting year for all Pigs. Much attention needs to be paid to legal matters, financial details and any paperwork – be vigilant and careful in all dealings to avoid upset. Also, the Pig needs to be extremely selective in who he confides in. A lot of personal soul searching and decisions will also be made this year, with support of family and friends proving valuable and helpful. May and August will be important months for career advancement.
The SnakeIntelligent and highly intuitive are two of the Snake’s many fine qualities. He makes an amusing and romantic friend with a definite flirtatious streak. When challenged or criticised he can be a sore loser. The Snake is very lucky with money and is fond of the odd bet or two. He is quick-witted and enjoys reading, music and occasionally the paranormal side of life.
Forecast for 2008 The last couple of months of 2007 could have seen a real upswing in social activities for the Snake, leaving him feeling drained and just a little out of sorts. But all Snakes should take heart for the Year of the Rat will prove a very rewarding and creative year for them – provided they think things through and take note of all possible opportunities that come along. In 2008 the Snake should take extra care in financial matters. Although very prudent and careful with money normally, this year the Snake needs to be extra vigilant. Regarding their career, a degree of flexibility will need to be shown, if looking to advance their career or change direction. This will come to the notice of those in a position to help. Many happy times will happen at home this year for Snakes, with both family and friend providing much joy. July to November will be fantastic for socialising.
The RabbitCuddly, warm and affectionate are the attributes of the Rabbit. Mysterious and a great party-giver and host, the Rabbit enjoys being the centre of attention once in a while. The Rabbit is occasionally over cautious and can be a bit boring. He is also one of the luckiest signs in the Chinese Astrology chart.
Forecast for 2008 During the final couple of months of 2007, the Rabbit will need to keep a close eye on his finances in order to avoid hardship during the Year of the Rat. 2008 will prove to be a very social and fun year, with a highlight on romance and special get-togethers with friends. For the unattached Rabbit, this could well be the year to meet their soul mate. It will be important for Rabbits to be careful and avoid risk-taking during the Year of the Rat. Also, he needs to be aware that gossip and rumours may abound during the middle months of the year and that joining in with the whispers should be avoided – it could ultimately damage the Rabbit’s reputation. Home and hearth will be especially important this year – providing a safe and cozy sanctuary from a busy and eventful year. April and October will provide particular opportunities to travel and socialise.
How is your fortune for this year? (Chinese zodiac)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Scooby-Doo Where are You!
We Need Some Help from You Now.
===============
Saturday July 5, 2008
Eerie sight stops hunt for illegals
THE Immigration Department enforcement unit went hunting for illegal immigrants at a logging area, near Tasik Kenyir. They found something far more sinister.
They had to call off the operation after frightened officers claimed they saw a “female vampire,” reported Harian Metro.
It was about 3.30am, when a sound of a woman screaming was heard through a walkie-talkie held by one of the officers.
The operation had been carried out since 11pm at the interior logging area in Sungai Ketiar, Tasik Kenyir near Hulu Terengganu, but when the incident occurred, the operation had to be cancelled, the newspaper reported.
The department’s state enforcement chief Norazman Abd Ghani, who led the team of 40 officers, admitted to seeing a “figure with long hair and red eyes” sitting on top of a tree near where he was standing.
“I did not tell any of the officers and quickly told everyone to get back into their vehicles parked some 200m away.
“We could not carry on with the operation as some of the officers were trembling,” he added...
(source: The Star)
Scooby-Doo Where are You?
---------------------------------------------------------
===============
Saturday July 5, 2008
Eerie sight stops hunt for illegals
THE Immigration Department enforcement unit went hunting for illegal immigrants at a logging area, near Tasik Kenyir. They found something far more sinister.
They had to call off the operation after frightened officers claimed they saw a “female vampire,” reported Harian Metro.
It was about 3.30am, when a sound of a woman screaming was heard through a walkie-talkie held by one of the officers.
The operation had been carried out since 11pm at the interior logging area in Sungai Ketiar, Tasik Kenyir near Hulu Terengganu, but when the incident occurred, the operation had to be cancelled, the newspaper reported.
The department’s state enforcement chief Norazman Abd Ghani, who led the team of 40 officers, admitted to seeing a “figure with long hair and red eyes” sitting on top of a tree near where he was standing.
“I did not tell any of the officers and quickly told everyone to get back into their vehicles parked some 200m away.
“We could not carry on with the operation as some of the officers were trembling,” he added...
(source: The Star)
Scooby-Doo Where are You?
---------------------------------------------------------
What a Difference a Day Makes...
..La la lala la.... la..
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Friday, July 4, 2008
Bala Tokkok
Dey! You really know how to "potong stim" lah!
Hmmm... one would tend think that a Stat-dec done within 24 hours is more "under duress" than one that has more time to prepare. It must be a real challenge getting a new lawyer in such a short time, finding a commissioner for oath and preparing for press conference overnight. Oh well... what do we know anyway?
===============
Friday July 4, 2008 MYT 2:10:17 PM
PI retracts declaration
KUALA LUMPUR: Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda's private investigator P. Balasubramaniam on Friday retracted the statutory declaration which he made less than 24 hours ago.
In a startling turn of events Balasubramaniam revealed in a second statutory declaration that he wished "to retract the entire contents of my statutory declaration dated July 1 2008. I was compelled to affirm the said statutory declaration under duress".
The document also read that all statements made were inaccurate and not the truth.
A visibly perturbed Balasubramaniam remained mum on Friday when met by pressmen who had rushed to a hotel here where his new lawyer Arulampalam Mariam Pillai accompanied him for the brief press conference.
Dressed in a cap and T-shirt Balasubramaniam refused to answer questions posed to him and left quickly after his lawyer distributed the second statutory declaration to reporters…
…The new statutory declaration withdrew all statements that Balasubramaniam had revealed to a packed press conference organised by PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at party headquarters on Thursday.
This included the fact that he had informed police what political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda had purportedly told him prior to Altantuya's murder.
The 10 statements highlighted in the second statutory declaration dated July 4 were:
* At no material time did Razak inform him (Balasubramaniam) that the former was introduced to Altantuya Shaariibuu by a VIP;
* At no material time did Razak inform him that Najib had a sexual relationship with Altantuya and that she was "susceptible to anal intercourse";
* At no material time did Razak inform him that Najib instructed Razak to look after Altantuya as he did not want her to harass him since he (Najib) was the Deputy Prime Minister;
* At no material time did Razak and/or Altantuya inform him that Najib, together with Razak and Altantuya had met and all been together at a dinner in Paris;
* At no material time did Altantuya inform him that she wanted money in the sum of US$500,000 as a commission for a submarine deal she "assisted" with in Paris;…
(Source: The Star)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hmmm... one would tend think that a Stat-dec done within 24 hours is more "under duress" than one that has more time to prepare. It must be a real challenge getting a new lawyer in such a short time, finding a commissioner for oath and preparing for press conference overnight. Oh well... what do we know anyway?Guess we'll never find out who's the real Buttman then. Will we?
===============
Friday July 4, 2008 MYT 2:10:17 PM
PI retracts declaration
KUALA LUMPUR: Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda's private investigator P. Balasubramaniam on Friday retracted the statutory declaration which he made less than 24 hours ago.
In a startling turn of events Balasubramaniam revealed in a second statutory declaration that he wished "to retract the entire contents of my statutory declaration dated July 1 2008. I was compelled to affirm the said statutory declaration under duress".
The document also read that all statements made were inaccurate and not the truth.
A visibly perturbed Balasubramaniam remained mum on Friday when met by pressmen who had rushed to a hotel here where his new lawyer Arulampalam Mariam Pillai accompanied him for the brief press conference.
Dressed in a cap and T-shirt Balasubramaniam refused to answer questions posed to him and left quickly after his lawyer distributed the second statutory declaration to reporters…
…The new statutory declaration withdrew all statements that Balasubramaniam had revealed to a packed press conference organised by PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at party headquarters on Thursday.
This included the fact that he had informed police what political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda had purportedly told him prior to Altantuya's murder.
The 10 statements highlighted in the second statutory declaration dated July 4 were:
* At no material time did Razak inform him (Balasubramaniam) that the former was introduced to Altantuya Shaariibuu by a VIP;
* At no material time did Razak inform him that Najib had a sexual relationship with Altantuya and that she was "susceptible to anal intercourse";
* At no material time did Razak inform him that Najib instructed Razak to look after Altantuya as he did not want her to harass him since he (Najib) was the Deputy Prime Minister;
* At no material time did Razak and/or Altantuya inform him that Najib, together with Razak and Altantuya had met and all been together at a dinner in Paris;
* At no material time did Altantuya inform him that she wanted money in the sum of US$500,000 as a commission for a submarine deal she "assisted" with in Paris;…
(Source: The Star)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jib the Buttman?
The private investigator that worked for Baginda dropped a bombshell yesterday.
Some of the things that Bala said in his statutory declaration are seriously crazy! Take a look at the part that is highlighted. Unfucking believable!
Some of the things that Bala said in his statutory declaration are seriously crazy! Take a look at the part that is highlighted. Unfucking believable!
Shortly after Bala's announcement, the DPM quickly denied everything that Bala said. From his appearance in the video, it's tough to ascertain if he's the real Buttman or not. We'll need to examine Rosmah's behind to be sure.
==============
25. During this discussion and in an attempt to persuade me to continue my employment with him, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that :-
25.1 He had been introduced to Aminah by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a diamond exhibition in Singapore.
25.2 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak informed Abdul Razak Baginda that he had a sexual relationship with Aminah and that she was susceptible to anal intercourse.
25.3 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wanted Abdul Razak Baginda to look after Aminah as he did not want her to harass him since he was now the Deputy Prime Minister.
25.4 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had all been together at a dinner in Paris.
25.5 Aminah wanted money from him as she felt she was entitled to a USD$500,000.00 commission on a submarine deal she assisted with in Paris.
(source)
It Ain't Me
-----------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Yusli Tokkok
What do you get when you cross first world infrastructure with third world management? The Malaysian Stock Exchange!
The trading suspension today is a real disgrace to the country. How can a world class exchange not prepared for glitches like what happened today. Other exchanges that handle bigger business volume everyday managed situations like this without any problem.
What happened to Bursa’s back-up and disaster recovery systems? They have spent millions of RM maintaining them all these years. Why aren’t they cranked-up today? This is like spending millions of dollars on military equipment but when war comes, those equipment fail to work.
Maybe the CEO of Bursa and his senior managers should consider committing “Hara-kiri” for bringing humiliation to their country.
=============
Computer glitch shuts Malaysia stock market
Reuters - Soo Ai Peng
KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 - Share trading on the Malaysian stock exchange was suspended on Thursday following an early morning computer glitch, but the market's operator said it was confident it will resume the following day.
Dealers warned the country's benchmark index could fall sharply when trade resumed.
Bursa Malaysia Chief Executive Yusli Mohamed Yusoff told reporters that the day-long closure, which resulted from the failure of a computer hard disk, was the worst in the exchange's history… (Oni: Yeah! Worst is correct. Funny how it was running beautifully before you came.)
… Yusli said he was confident trading will resume on Friday, adding a technical error caused the shut down, and not higher trading volumes. (Oni: Your confidence doesn’t carry any weight any more Yus. Remember your prediction on KLCI previously? You were damn confident also.)
"This will happen from time to time, its part of the business,' he said. (Oni: speechless... )
"Its a normal issue for all markets... I am sure our system can handle large volumes." (Oni: Sure, but the problem is… you will not get see large volume before retirement the way things are running.)
NEGATIVE IMPRESSIONS
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the technical glitch gave a bad impression to foreign investors but denied that the stock exchange was suspended due to current political uncertainties. (Oni: What else if it is not bad impression. What about locals? Have you forgotten about your own people? Soon your market will be off everyone's radar screen.)
"This incident will reflect negatively on us. It is very important for Bursa Malaysia to make sure the technical glitches will not recur," Abdullah was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama. (Oni: Are you gonna let those Bursa boys off the hook just like that? Surely someone’s head has to roll right? Those same monkeys will surely screw you again next time. You just watch.)
"What I want to explain here is that the country's peace and security are under control," he added.
The benchmark Kuala Lumpur Composite Index has already lost more than 3 percent so far this week following sodomy charges against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
The index lost 4.9 percent in the second quarter of 2008 and is 24 percent off the January peak of 1,524.69 points.
"People who wanted to sell stocks today but couldn't, will just sell tomorrow," a dealer at a foreign brokerage said.
Asian markets slumped on Thursday following steep losses on Wall Street overnight with the Dow Jones Industrial Average <.DJI> officially sinking in the bear territory.
"People are shorting the futures contracts now. Judging from the futures market's performance, I think the spot index could easily drop 5 percent when the market reopens tomorrow," another dealer said.
Stock index futures and crude palm oil futures on the derivatives exchange had not been affected by the glitches, Bursa said.
The three-month futures contract for the benchmark share indexclosed 2.4 percent lower at 11,00.5 points.
"I think it affects confidence, especially among foreign investors," said Ang Kok Heng, chief investment officer of Phillip Capital Management in Kuala Lumpur...
(Source: Yahoo
We Cannot Konek
---------------------------------------------------------
The trading suspension today is a real disgrace to the country. How can a world class exchange not prepared for glitches like what happened today. Other exchanges that handle bigger business volume everyday managed situations like this without any problem.What happened to Bursa’s back-up and disaster recovery systems? They have spent millions of RM maintaining them all these years. Why aren’t they cranked-up today? This is like spending millions of dollars on military equipment but when war comes, those equipment fail to work.
Maybe the CEO of Bursa and his senior managers should consider committing “Hara-kiri” for bringing humiliation to their country.
=============
Computer glitch shuts Malaysia stock market
Reuters - Soo Ai Peng
KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 - Share trading on the Malaysian stock exchange was suspended on Thursday following an early morning computer glitch, but the market's operator said it was confident it will resume the following day.
Dealers warned the country's benchmark index could fall sharply when trade resumed.
Bursa Malaysia Chief Executive Yusli Mohamed Yusoff told reporters that the day-long closure, which resulted from the failure of a computer hard disk, was the worst in the exchange's history… (Oni: Yeah! Worst is correct. Funny how it was running beautifully before you came.)
… Yusli said he was confident trading will resume on Friday, adding a technical error caused the shut down, and not higher trading volumes. (Oni: Your confidence doesn’t carry any weight any more Yus. Remember your prediction on KLCI previously? You were damn confident also.)
"This will happen from time to time, its part of the business,' he said. (Oni: speechless... )
"Its a normal issue for all markets... I am sure our system can handle large volumes." (Oni: Sure, but the problem is… you will not get see large volume before retirement the way things are running.)
NEGATIVE IMPRESSIONS
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the technical glitch gave a bad impression to foreign investors but denied that the stock exchange was suspended due to current political uncertainties. (Oni: What else if it is not bad impression. What about locals? Have you forgotten about your own people? Soon your market will be off everyone's radar screen.)
"This incident will reflect negatively on us. It is very important for Bursa Malaysia to make sure the technical glitches will not recur," Abdullah was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama. (Oni: Are you gonna let those Bursa boys off the hook just like that? Surely someone’s head has to roll right? Those same monkeys will surely screw you again next time. You just watch.)
"What I want to explain here is that the country's peace and security are under control," he added.
The benchmark Kuala Lumpur Composite Index has already lost more than 3 percent so far this week following sodomy charges against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
The index lost 4.9 percent in the second quarter of 2008 and is 24 percent off the January peak of 1,524.69 points.
"People who wanted to sell stocks today but couldn't, will just sell tomorrow," a dealer at a foreign brokerage said.
Asian markets slumped on Thursday following steep losses on Wall Street overnight with the Dow Jones Industrial Average <.DJI> officially sinking in the bear territory.
"People are shorting the futures contracts now. Judging from the futures market's performance, I think the spot index could easily drop 5 percent when the market reopens tomorrow," another dealer said.
Stock index futures and crude palm oil futures on the derivatives exchange had not been affected by the glitches, Bursa said.
The three-month futures contract for the benchmark share index
"I think it affects confidence, especially among foreign investors," said Ang Kok Heng, chief investment officer of Phillip Capital Management in Kuala Lumpur...
(Source: Yahoo
We Cannot Konek
---------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
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