Wannabee Pakatan Street Demonstrators disguised as BERSIH2.0...you have been warned

It is clear as light of day that the BERSIH 2.0 street demo planned on 9th July 2011 is just a ruse, an excuse to rally the diehard supporters and a show of "strength" of the  politically depleted Pakatan loose coalition of PKR, PAS and the DAP after the loses in  by-elections and the wallopping PKR and PAS got in the last Sarawak State Elections. 


It is also perhaps a rear guard action by Anwar Ibrahim and his supporters to regain lost political fortune coming at the back of the damaging  Anwar lookalike sex video and Anwar's ongoing sodomy trial revealing details that would surely make even Anwar's staunchest supporters in PKR,PAS and DAP think twice about who is telling the truth. Read what MP Wee Choo Keong has to say about Ambiga the woman behind the BERSIH2.0 demo here.


Surely BERSIH 2.0  cannot be a protest against unfair election practices against the Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya when the loose coalition captured 5 state Government and winning almost all the Parliamentary seats in Wilayah Persekutuan in the last PRU12 in March 2008. Read also Mr. Baradan Kuppusamy's comment here.


Many police reports against the street demo has been lodged against it, read Bernama's report here. 


I think in a democracy one should be allowed to demonstrate in public so long as it would not disturb the peace and infringe the rights of other citizens to go about on their daily life, we are not like Singapore ruled by the freedom stifling PAP Gomen.


If the people behind BERSIH2.0 namely Anwar, Ambiga and the Pakatan leaders are adamant in having their demo then by all means do it in a Stadium, why not use the Shah Alam Stadium:

...I am sure the YAB MB Selangor would not mind, as there are ample parking and  space for traders to sell food and drinks to the I am sure very hungry demonstrators, and above all the safety of everybody involved and those who do not bother about the demo would be better secured. For the really stubborn leaders here is a warning from the Deputy IGP of PDRM, I believe he means business:

Deputy IGP: No permit to be issued for Bersih rally

Demonstrators who refused to heed the PDRM will have to face the FRU, do not blame the PDRM if you refuse to obey the LAW:

You have been warned!

A visit to the Chittagong War Cemetery - 10th June 2011

Finally some free time in between my work schedule here. I took this opportunity to  visit the Chittagong War Cemetery today Friday 10th June 2011. 


The Chittagong War Cemetery is one of the many cemeteries around the world still being maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 

Sign before Entry

Just at the entrance

Well kept grounds

Fallen Muslims, Christians and Jews who fought together for the British Empire..Remembered

The Chittagong port was the major staging area for the Burma Campaign during World War 2. Some of the fallen soldiers and civillians who were involved in the Burma Campaign were laid to rest here at the Chittagong War Cemetery.

9th June 2011 - The Senai-Desaru Expressway is finally open..Desaru here I come...

One of the best kept secret in Malaysia will be finally accessible by just an hour's express-way drive from Johor Bahru. Call me bias, let me tell you that the sandy white sand of the Desaru Beach can rival or are better than the beaches in Phuket and Bali. 


News of the opening of the Senai-Desaru Expressway:

75km Senai-Desaru Expressway opens today

The 27km portion of the Senai-Desaru Expressway which links

 Cahaya Baru in Pasir Gudang, to Penawar in Desaru,

 includes a 4km bridge spanning Sungai Johor.

[courtesy NST]

Aerial view of the white sandy beach of Desaru

Calm waves but not during the Monsoon season (Nov-Feb)

Enjoy the waves of the South China Sea in all its glory

Information on Desaru:

Welcome to Desaru

Desaru: Reference

PAS Muktamar 2011...and the biggest winner is.....

Despite the brave religious  rhetoric in Hj. Hadi Awang's speech which formally signal PAS ditching  its Islamic State core founding principle for a  Negara Kebajikan political campaign theme  in keeping with the loose Pakatan coalition demands, I am in no doubt that many hardcore PAS supporters who were given doses of hope and prayers on the formation of an Islamic State over the decades, will be greatly disappointed at the direction that PAS is now taking.


From the person who best understands PAS through the decades, Tun Dr. Mahathir's latest comment in his Blog on the recent PAS Muktamar:

SIAPA MENANG SIAPA KALAH

I wholeheartedly agree, the biggest winner in PAS's recent muktamar is no other than DAP Chairman "Islamic State? over my dead body" Karpal Singh.

And the poor losers, are the ordinary PAS supporters who have given their their utmost support to PAS's core foundation to form an Islamic State:

With PAS's 1000 odd delegates having elected a Deputy President, Mat Sabu, who is a non-ulama with a chequered past whose only credentials  was his coining of the word Anwar "Al-Juburi", I believe PAS is surely going from somewhere to I don't know where really.

In the Muktamar, in their haste to augment the waning political fortune of the  Pakatan Coalition, weakened by Anwar Ibrahim's sex scandal/sodomy trial and harmed by DAP's Anti malay, Anti Islam  stance, PAS have shot themselves in the foot, and its Leaders will surely be punished by their own core supporters in the next PRU13 for abandoning their Islamic State founding principle. 

Yang diKejar Tak Dapat, Yang diKendung Tercicir.


posted in Chittagong, Bangladesh

In casting one's vote in an election, one cannot eat the cake and have it too

Since March 2008 many political analysts have tried to explain the massive Chinese swings towards the Opposition DAP  but some have also criticised the Chinese for the big swing which decimated the Gerakan and almost made the MCA an irrelevant Chinese Party, I would like to share these article with friends both written by Chinese Malaysians, I am not making any judgements of its of its contents, readers have to form their own opinions:

Reading the Chinese mindset by Joceline Tan

And,

Orang Cina Di Malaysia an article by Dr. Ridhuan Tee originally titled "Apakah kita maseh buta?"

Whatever it is the Chinese will never be short of representatives for making complaints and making demands they have the Dong Zong,  Hua Zong (7000 registered Clan, guild and business groups) besides having Six Chinese papers in the Semenanjung and Eight papers in Sabah and Sarawak) also the MCA and the DAP and perhaps Gerakan.


This is an interesting comment from DAH Ikhwan's blog:
excerpts: 

"His (MCA Chua Soi Lek) political strategy in facing the  DAP is simple but not without risk, just as his personality suggests. His message to the Chinese community is clear, ie. vote MCA or else you will not see any Chinese representation in the Cabinet. This set the Chinese mind into some kind of dilemma, akin to Dr. Mahathir’s ‘The Malay Dilemma’, though only on a lesser scale.

The Chinese community is really on the cross road now. They have gone through decades of frustration looking at MCA playing second fiddle to UMNO. But, isn’t this a reasonable position for a Chinese political party, given that they only form 30% (23.7% actually) of the Malaysian population. Is it fair for the Chinese to expect more than that, given that they already control almost every(most not all) sector of business in the country?

On the other hand, their action only demonstrates their natural instinct. Unlike the Malays and the Indians who tend to be more loyal to BN though emotional in nature, the Chinese  are a naturally calculative community of voters. Their votes go to the party that serves their interest best,  just as in doing business.

The Chinese community has been consistent  supporters of MCA since Merdeka except in the 1969 and the recent 2008 general election. The recent voting trend away from BN only happened in the face of a split in Malay votes, which for the first time presented a chance for a  Chinese based party to play a pivotal role in the Federal Government.

Such a strategy was attempted in Sarawak with the hope that their smaller Pakatan partners PKR and PAS would fare well  enough to topple the BN state government. But, alas it was not to be. The Malays/Melanaus  instinctively reacted decisively  to DAP’s challenge and the Dayak Bumiputera  communities stick to BN, the party they can trust and are comfortable with since independence.

With the national voting trend and results of popularity surveys now shifting toward Barisan Nasional, the pre-election warnings, my blog articles included, to the Chinese not to elect themselves out of the government has come true in Sarawak. There are now only two Chinese  BN representatives in  Sarawak DUN, thanks to the Malay and Dayak voters in their constituencies.

The Chinese has been used to the situation to keep the cake and eat it too. In this way they gained important positions in the Cabinet even by voting against BN,   and no amount of persuasion by PM seems to change their heart. It may not be too extreme to say that the Chinese only want to win and not willing to compromise willingly.

But Sarawak is only a state in the country. It is not a national problem to stay out of the government for a term. However, for the whole community to opt for the opposition  and to deliberately remain outside of the National Government may be viewed as a direct challenge to the Malay political dominance. We can only imagine where this will lead to and its long term impact in fermenting interracial prejudice and tension between the Chinese and the rest in the country." Source here.

It will soon be PRU13, for the ethnic Chinese it will be decision time, in this situation I can only say "Tepuk Dada Tanya Selera" and remember what Dr. Chua Soi Lek had said about the consequences not voting for the MCA. I don't think its a threat though, its a reality that one will have to face if they turn the other cheek on the MCA.

posted in Chittagong, Bangladesh

After the 57th PAS Muktamar 2011, I can safely say a vote for PAS is just a vote for the DAP

The unexpected defeat of many pro-Ulama candidates in the just ended PAS Muktamar marks a watershed in PAS's chequered history,  the victory of the liberals and professionals candidates  marks the end of PAS struggle for an Islamic State and a victory for their allies, the DAP and Anwar Ibrahim:


Kemenangan bagi Anwar, DAP

KUALA LUMPUR 4 Jun - Kekalahan calon ulama dalam pemilihan Pas hari ini melengkapkan penguasaan DAP terhadap parti berasaskan Melayu dan Islam dalam pakatan pembangkang.

Ahli Parlimen Kulim-Bandar Baru, Datuk Zulkifli Nordin berkata, kemenangan besar calon-calon profesional itu juga membuktikan kejayaan Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim meletakkan calon-calonnya atau kumpulan Anwarinas di dalam Pas.

"Maka bukanlah sesuatu yang menghairankan apabila Pas selepas ini tidak ubah seperti buah catur kepada Anwar," katanya kepada Mingguan Malaysia di sini, hari ini.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika mengulas mengenai kejayaan kumpulan profesional menguasai jawatan tertinggi di dalam Pas menewaskan calon pro ulama pada pemilihan sempena Muktamar Tahunan Pas Ke-57 semalam. Read more here.

Some are more blunt:

PAS tersungkur di pintu syurga

Dengan kemaraan geng Erdogan ,ejen DAP dan anwarinas dalam PAS,telah membuka satu lembaran baru dalam sejarah perjuangan sebuah parti antara yang tertua selepas UMNO ditubuhkan pada tahun 1946.PAS yang dahulunya dengan terkenal dengan Negara Islam, Hudud dan pelbagai unsur keislaman yang cuba diperkenalkan oleh PAS kepada rakyat.Tapi lihat selepas muktamar PAS , apa dah jadi???

Kini PAS sedar agenda mereka tidak sampai kepada rakyat dan tidak diterima pakai khususnya oleh golongan bukan islam . Golongan bukan islam tidak faham konsep yang cuba dibawa oleh PAS satu ketika dahulu yg begitu hebat dengan pendirian mereka terhadap islam.

Tapi kini, PAS sudah berubah corak dengan cuba menarik sokongan melayu dan bukan islam melalui apa yang diucapkan oleh Hj Hadi pada muktamar baru-baru ini .

“Apa yang penting adalah pelaksanaan. Kalau letak jenama saja tak laksana tak ada faedah. Kita mulakan dengan pelaksanaan negara berkebajikan, itu ada dalam Al-Quran, Dia tak sebut negara Islam, Dia sebut negara berkebajikan”.

Tema Negara Kebajikan pula yang dicetuskan oleh Hj Hadi, mana perginya "Daulah Islamiyyah" yang dulunya kuat dilaungkan oleh Pemimpin PAS???? Takkan sampai disini sahaja perjuangan islam PAS, negara kebajikan yang macam mana PAS cuba nak ketengahkan. Kerajaan sekarang bukan negara kebajikan ka??

Saya ingin memetik kata-kata Mufi Perlis, Datuk Juanda Jaya yang menganggap muktamar PAS kali ini secara rasminya memperlihatkan retorik negara islam yang diperjuangkan parti itu selama 30 tahun lalu ditinggalkan sahaja. 

PAS kini yang diterajui oleh Barisan Kepimpinan Tertinggi yg baru dijangka  bakal menerima tempias menjelang PRU-13 ini . Akar umbi PAS sudah banyak bercakap dan kedengaran ketidakpuasan hati mengenai kemenangan Mat Sabu dan konco-konconya yang menewaskan golongan Ulama dalam pemilihan kali ini. Sokongan Melayu dijangka akan meleset buat PAS dan pengundi atas pagar banyak akan memilih BN sebagai platform menyuarakan suara mereka. Mereka merasa perjuangan PAS sama seperti perjuangan PKR hanya untuk menaikkan Anwar Pandikutty sebagai PM selepas melihat barisan kepimpinan PAS baru yang banyak dimenangi oleh peyokong kuat anwar dan DAP.

PAS ibarat sudah tersungkur dipintu syurga yang mereka janjikan buat ahli-ahli  dan penyokong mereka dengan keputusan yang mengecewakan akar umbi PAS sendiri dan amnya pengundi diluar sana . Read more from the blogger Pejuang Bangsa here.

I will be more blunt, after the PAS 57th Muktamar 2011, I can safely say that PAS leadership has thrown its founding principles out of the window for political expediency. 

PAS leaders even find it acceptable to be on the side of a convict jailed for abuse of power and now facing a charge of sodomy and who was ordered by the trial Judge to enter his defence.

I say a vote for PAS is just another vote for the DAP.

Posted in Chittagong, Bangladesh

Obedient Wife's Club, please note that a good marriage is not just about sex

Controversial comment from "The Obedient Wives's Club":

"A wife who obeys and fulfils her husband’s sexual needs will deter him from infidelity or going to prostitutes — that is the Obedient Wives Club’s (OWC) solution to curb social ills across the globe"

"A good wife is a good sex worker to the husband, what is wrong being a good whore in bed to your husband"

Source Here

Obviously this kind of comments would get rights group people all worked up, and this is only the beginning, I just hope it is not politicised:

FB group counters ‘sexist’ wives club

Me?

I am all for the Institution of Marriage, for me when two people of the opposite sex decides to tie the knot, they commit to be together through the good or the bad times. I love my wife and our son and I have never  look at my wife as a sex object and  worse a whore. To have some group of women tell my wife that she has to be a good whore in bed so that I do not go to prostitutes is an insult to my family and our intelligence.

Why blame the wife if the husband go to prostitutes? I think  if the husband cannot keep his dick inside his pants when he goes out of the house, I think the husband needs help not the wife. 

I would like to share this article with friends:

On Marriage in Islam

by Dr. Sherif Mohammed

By getting married you are not just getting a wife, you are getting your whole world. From now until the rest of your days your wife will be your partner, your companion, and your best friend.

She will share your moments, your days, and your years. She will share your joys and sorrows, your successes and failures, your dreams and your fears. When you are ill, she will take the best care of you; when you need help, she will do all she can for you;

When you have a secret, she will keep it; when you need advice, she will give you the best advice. She will always be with you: when you wake up in the morning the first thing your eyes will see will be hers; during the day, she will be with you, if for a moment she is not with you by her physical body, she will be thinking of you, praying for you with all her heart, mind, and soul; when you go to sleep at night, the last thing your eyes will see will be her; and when you are asleep you will still see her in your dreams. In short, she will be your whole world and you will be her whole world.

The best description that I personally have ever read describing the closeness of the spouses to each other is the Qur'anic verse which says: "they are your garments and you are their garments" (Surah Al Baqarah 2:187).

Indeed, spouses are like garments to each other because they provide one another with the protection, the comfort, the cover, the support, and the adornment that garments provide to humans. Just imagine a journey in the winter of Alaska without garments! Our spouses provide us with the same level of comfort, protection, cover, and support in the journey of our lives on this earth as garments would do in the Alaskan journey.

The relationship between the spouses is the most amazing of all human relations: the amount of love and affection, intimacy and closeness, mercy and compassion, peace and tranquillity that fills the hearts of the spouses is simply inexplicable. The only rational explanation for these most amazing of all human feelings is that: it is an act of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, "And Allah has made for you Mates (and Companions) of your own nature ..." (Surah Al Nahl 16:72) Only our Almighty Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala in His Infinite Power, Boundless Mercy, and Great Wisdom can create and ingrain these amazing and blessed feelings in the hearts of the spouses. 

In fact Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala is reminding those who search for His signs in the universe that these feelings in the hearts of the spouses are among the signs that should guide humans to His existence as He says in the Qur'an, "And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves that you may dwell in tranquillity with them and He has put love and mercy between your hearts: verily in that are signs for those who reflect." (Surah Al Rum 30:21)

But Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala knows that the human heart is not a static entity, it is sometimes weak and at times dynamic. Feelings can and do change with time. Love may wither and fade away. The marital bond might weaken if not properly cared for. Happiness in marriage cannot be taken for granted; continuous happiness requires constant giving from both sides. For the tree of marital love to remain alive and keep growing, the soil has to be sustained, maintained, watered and nurtured.

Remember that our Prophet Muhammad Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam had found the time to go out to the desert and race with his wife Aisha. She out ran him but later after she had gained some weight, he out ran her.

Remember that the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam took his wife to watch the young Ethiopians playing and dancing their folk dances. The show of emotions is necessary to keep the marital bond away from rusting and disintegrating.

Remember that you will be rewarded by Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala for any emotions you show to your wife as the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam said "one would be rewarded for anything that he does seeking the pleasure of Allah even the food that he puts in the mouth of his wife."

Never underestimate the importance of seemingly little things as putting food in your wife's mouth, opening the car's door for her, etc. Remember that the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam used to extend his knee to his wife to assist her up to ride the camel.

Try to always find some time for both of you to pray together. Strengthening the bond between you and Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala is the best guarantee that your own marital bond would always remain strong. Having peace with Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala will always result in having more peace at home.

Remember that the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam gave glad tidings for those couples who wake up at night to pray together. The Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam even urged the spouse who rises up first to wake the other spouse up even by throwing cold water on his/her face.

Always try your best to be good to your wife by words and by deeds. Talk to her, smile to her, seek her advice, ask for her opinion, spend quality time with her and always remember that the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam said "the best of you are those who are best to their wives."

Finally, it is common that spouses vow to love and honor their spouses until death do them part.

 I do believe that this vow is good or even great, but not enough! It is not enough that you love your wife. You have to love what she loves as well. Her family, her loved ones must also become your loved ones. Don't be like my colleague who was unhappy about his wife's parents coming to visit for few weeks. He candidly said to her "I don't like your parents." Naturally, she angrily looked at him straight in the eye and said " I don't like yours either"... Also, it is not enough that you love her until death do you part. Love should never end and we do believe there is life after death where those who did righteousness in this world will be joined by their spouses (Surah Al Zukhruf 43:70) and offsprings.

The best example in this regard is the Prophet Salallaahu 'aliahi wa'sallaam whose love for Khadija, his wife of 25 years extended to include all those she loved and continued even after her death. It was many years after her death and he never forgot her and whenever a goat was slaughtered in his house he would send portions of it to Khadija's family and friends and whenever he felt that the visitor at the door might be Khadija's sister Hala, he would pray saying "O Allah let it be Hala." Source here.

A good marriage is not just about the sex obviously.

Posted in Chittagong, Bangladesh.

The reinstatement of PPSMI will make the Sekolah Kebangsaan a better alternative than the Vernacular Schools

The great  debate about how badly polarised we are as a multiracial nation is still continuing and for all practical purposes many have come up with the idea of a Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua system which will ensure that our children will not be segregated when they are still young. 


Segregating our young from primary school is a sure fire way to ensure polarisation when they are adults, because people who grow up without knowing each others' culture and religion even the official language Bahasa Melayu are cursed to grow up feeling alien to each other.

I like to quote from Dr. Farish Noor:
"The fact that there remain Malaysians who are nominal citizens, who don’t even speak a word of the national language, is a glaring anomaly that would not be tolerated anywhere else.

Even in countries like Australia, New Zealand or Canada, migrants are expected to learn the language of the nation in order to be part of it. And as the linguist’s joke goes: even if we hate and curse each other, let us curse each other in the same language at least!

The problem for Malaysia, however, is that for a long time linguistic diversity has been elevated to the status of a near-sacred taboo that cannot be touched. 

To even question the need for vernacular education leads one to being accused of political incorrectness of the highest order.

Conversely, there are also those who insist that the national language ought to be claimed as the language of one, and only one community, and referred to as Bahasa Melayu instead. 

But this denies the reality that it is the national language — Bahasa Malaysia — and ought to be claimed by all Malaysian citizens, regardless of their ethnic origins.

Unless and until the policy-makers have the political will to impress upon the nation the fact that Bahasa Malaysia is the language of all Malaysians, and that we need to have one education system that accommodates, represents and includes all communities, we will remain a nation divided into linguistic ghettos of our own making.

That path leads not to peace, but only mutual ignorance of each other; and the fact that we — as a nation — will sink or swim together, even if we cannot communicate with our neighbours next door." Source here.

Many especially the Chinese from political parties to their NGOs has spoken up for vernacular schools even the Prime Minister has spoken but to me it will not help with Malaysia's unity if our young study in different schools and never meet each other until they are adults by which time it would be close to impossible to change the way we look at each other through racially prejudiced eyes. The sense of trust and common bonding will not be there if at all.


Here is another article by a lawyer presumably due to its long winded write, but the article actually boils down to the core matter of defending the vernacular school for its supposedly higher quality education and treating the Sekolah Kebangsaan education with contempt with no statistics to prove that the vernacular schools are of better quality.


Read: Vernacular education in Malaysia — Zhi Wei Lee (www.loyarburok.com)

I have an alternate view of  Zhi Wei Lee's essay though, I think his is a good challenge  for the Kementerian Pelajaran to show that the Sekolah Kebangsaan are equal if not better than the vernacular schools. Good grades are not everything.


It must be remembered however that unlike vernacular schools with its inherent biased emphasis on teaching/exam oriented subjects, the Sekolah Kebangsaan has come up with a balanced approach i.e emphasis on  Studies plus  Sports plus Co Curriculum, so that it will produce students who are more balanced and equipped to face the adult world and help in nation building.


To make the Sekolah Kebangsaan more attractive to all Malaysians I believe it is best that the BN Gomen make another thorough review of the cancellation of the teaching of Maths and Science in English (PPSMI) and revert to what would be the final puzzle to Malaysia's holistic education need without of course compromising on the official position of our  Bahasa Melayu. 


Gomen no need to worry about making a flip flop decision on the PPSMI as this is one flip flop which the majority rakyat will support. Once the Sekolah Kebangsaan position is strengthened by the PPSMI, the transition to a Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua system will be met with a lot less resistance. Thank You.

The opening of the Rafah border crossing by Egypt is a slap to Netanyahu

The re-opening of the Rafah Border Crossing by the Egyptian Government despite objections by the Israeli Government marks a milestone for the Palestinians residing in Gaza. For the Palestinians it is the first time its border was opened without Israel's permission.

Rafah Crossing Opening Spurs Hamas Welcome, Israeli Concern

The opening of the Rafah Border will be a game changer in the Palestinian - Israeli Conflict:

Leading article: Israel has to accept that the Arab Spring changes the game

Monday, 30 May 2011

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt has had a chequered history since its official inauguration in 2005. During its first two years of operation security periodically broke down in the face of angry and desperate Palestinians. The EU supervisory mission had neither the mandate nor the manpower to keep order. After 2007, when Hamas topped the poll in Palestinian elections and seized control of Gaza, the crossing was mostly kept sealed by Egypt in response to Israel's security concerns.

This history alone would be sufficient reason to welcome the reopening of the crossing this weekend. But Rafah is not just another border crossing, and its reopening is a development of far greater significance than the mercifully restrained response it has provoked so far would suggest. Situated on Gaza's only external border with a country other than Israel, it provides a needed safety-valve for Palestinians cooped up in one of the most densely populated territories anywhere in the world. For a country to be able to manage its external borders is also a necessary precursor to statehood. A state that cannot control its borders, or is not allowed to, can hardly be said to exercise sovereignty. The opening of the border is additionally to be welcomed for both those reasons.

But there is also a signal that the opening of the Rafah crossing does not send. In the past, the functioning of the crossing was a barometer for the state of the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. It was first opened amid the optimism that accompanied Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, and it was closed for fear that Hamas and its supporters would bring in weapons. This latest opening is different. It is the first time this border has been opened without Israel's express say-so.

As such, it is a gauge less of the peace process – which is moribund – than of the wider geopolitics and the repercussions of the Arab uprisings. It was the interim government of post-Mubarak Egypt which decided to open the border, for reasons largely of its own self-interest. Politically, Egypt is looking ahead to elections, and opening the border will be popular with a voting public sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. Even though the border will remain closed to trade for the time being, the increase in traffic is expected to boost the frail economies on either side.

At the same time, the opening of theborder sends a clear message to Israel: that, while Cairo will keep its promise to uphold bilateral treaties, it will no longer permit Israel to dictate its policy towards the Palestinians. The opening of the Rafah crossing was always going to be opposed by Israel, which is used to dictating its terms and has serious qualms about the recent changes in the region. But – tellingly perhaps – it has not acted to stop it.

And while the possible implications of the Arab Spring may alarm Israel, there is reason to take a more measured view. With co-operation from Israel and support from outside, security in the West Bank has improved in recent years, even as the situation in Gaza has worsened. If there is to be a Palestinian state worthy of the name, it must, at a very minimum, have its own borders and be able to enjoy normal economic relations with its neighbours.

The opening of the Rafah crossing can be seen as a trial run for the sort of responsible security that a future state of Palestine will need if it is to take its rightful place in the region. For years, Israel has tried to set the terms and the pace for Palestinian statehood. But it has moved too slowly and is now being overtaken by events. In opening the Rafah crossing with Gaza, Egypt has underlined the truth of the new reality to which Israel will have little choice but to adapt. 

Source Here.

The Rafah Border crossing is regarded as a failure of the Netanyahu Government and is a big let down for Netanyahu after his supposedly "triumphant" speech in Israeli Occupied Territory, The American Congress:

Kadima: Rafah Crossing’s opening a Netanyahu failure

I have a sneaky feeling that President Obama will be very pleased.

Caution: Hand/Cell phone could increase chances of brain cancer

Over the years, I have been reading and hearing reports of the dangers of prolonged cellular/hand phone use to the human body especially the head area. I would like to share this news report:

Thermo-graphic image of a person's head before
and after a 15 minuted phone call.
Yellow and red areas indicate thermal heating.

31 May 2011: The World Health Organization (WHO) cited a review of studies today stating radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from mobile phones may cause cancer in humans. They have issued a warning that radiation emissions from cell phones could be as dangererous as lead and engine exhaust.

The statement was issued in Lyon, France, on Tuesday by the International Agency for Research on Cancer after a weeklong meeting of experts. They reviewed possible links between cancer and the type of electromagnetic radiation found in cell phones, microwaves and radar.

The WHO group classified cell phones in category 2B, which is the same category as the pesticide DDT and gasoline engine exhaust.

Further long term studies might be needed for conclusive evidence. Cancerous tumors take decades to develop; therefore, experts say it's impossible to conclude cell phones have no long-term health risks. The studies conducted so far haven't tracked people for longer than about a decade.

Concerns have existed since the late 1990s that cell phones might be harmful to consumers’ health, the WHO agency said. The U.S. Federal Communication Commission has said devices with a specific absorption rate, the amount of radio frequency energy absorbed by the body, within a set limit are safe.

“If you use it for texting(sms), or if you use a hands-free set for your voice calls, this is lowering exposure by at least an order of magnitude,” said Kurt Straif, head of the IARC Monographs Program. For regular use there is some evidence there is increased risk for brain cancer. Source here.

The hand phone is now an accepted part of life and we, especially people in Asia can't leave home without it. I guess the next best thing is to use the speaker mode when receiving or making a call OR else if you want to ensure privacy with your calls just use the old fashioned ear/microphone connection. Do not place the hand phone to your ears if at all possible.

Friends, you have been informed. Thank You.