By now, Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra must have learned his lesson well, first thing first, not to underestimate your opponents in the future and it’s doing more harm than good to be an arrogant one.

The People’s Alliance for Democracy, a coalition of anti-Thaksin groups, have demanded that he resigned by next Sunday (March 5), else, he could be forced from office by mass protests.

"We give Thaksin until [Sunday] 5 March to resign or face the biggest show of opposition ever," Sondhi Limthongkul, a media tycoon who began the anti-Thaksin campaign, told supporters in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Earlier, the opposition parties had decided on a boycott as they believed a fair election is impossible without political reform as Thaksin controlled political institutions designed to be independent.

Thaksin, in a desperate attempt to woo the leaders of three leading opposition parties, has offered to postpone the snap election he has set for April 2. His famous last words:

"I am ready to do anything, just tell me what you want."

Ready to do anything, but not ready to resign? Oh, c’mon on.

EIC of Berita Publishing Sdn. Bhd and former NST’s Group EIC Abdul Kadir Jasin has started to blog (http://kadirjasin.blogspot.com/).

Welcome Datuk to the blogosphere!

[UPDATED VERSION] The Star SMS alert at 10:50pm.

The price of petrol and diesel will be increased by 30 sen per litre, effectively midnight while the price of LPG has been raised by 30 sen per kg.

Click here (currently inaccessible) for the official announcement from the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on the increment.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 (Bernama) — The retail price for petroleum products including diesel will be raised by another 30 sen effective Tuesday.

"The government has decided to raise the retail price of petrol and diesel by 30 sen per litre and the price of LPG by 30 sen per kilogram effective tomorrow (Tuesday)," said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office Monday night.

The increase was to tackle the impact from the increase in the price of crude petroleum in the world market and to curb the increase in subsidy which had to be borne by the government, the statement said.

However, the statement said that the government gave an assurance that there would be no further raise in the retail price of petroleum products this year.

The last time the government raised the retail price of petroleum products was on July 31, 2005 where the price of petrol went up by 10 sen per litre, diesel by 20 sen per litre and LPG by five sen per kilogram.

(SOURCE: BERNAMA, 27 February 2006, 23:14 PM)

What else can we expect if super-optimistic blogger like Wingz also "no eyes see"?

[UPDATED VERSION] A few hours ago, I received a call informing me that the poor condition of tap water in Wangsa Maju, Sri Gombak and Old Klang Road area.

"Smell like shit," he said.

Anyone in the know or staying around the affected area, please share.

* * *

Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) has released an official statement, with the unpleasant smell is due to the high ammonia content of water from Sungai Selangor which is the main water source. However, it remains safe for daily consumption and the situation will return to normal in a day or two.

Read the rest of this entry »

… the Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) cheerleader in action while unaccountable porn stars in hardcore action are roaming free?

Penang deputy CID chief Supt Razali Basri said the police were aware of this, adding that they have been instructed to seize the items. [...]

"Those caught selling such items can be jailed up to three years and possibly fined if convicted."

Stereotyping or merely popularity factor?

Apple Computer sent out invitations Tuesday to the media for a media event on February 28th, 2006 in order to introduce what it is calling "fun new products". The words are: "Come see some fun new products from Apple".

(SOURCE: Mac Observer, 21 February 2006)

Apple is notoriously tight-lipped about product announcements leading up to such events, Apple’s past invitation-only events have yielded such products as the iPod nano and the ROKR, the iTunes-enabled phone Apple launched with Motorola and Cingular.

Applemania is going to strike again.

Philippines:

(SOURCE: BBC, 24 February 2006)

Philippines President Gloria Arroyo declared emergency rule, which allows arrests without warrants and an extension of detention without charge, as protesters gathered to mark this week’s anniversary of a "people power" revolt that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986.

The immediate impact: The Philippine peso fell almost 1 percent, Manila stocks retreated more than 2 percent and the country’s dollar sovereign bonds weakened.

Thailand:

Embattled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra announced this evening that he has ordered a dissolution of the Lower House, paving the way for a new election in April.

His Majesty the King granted Mr Thaksin an audience this afternoon, after the premier apparently decided that a new election was the only way out of the current political tension. The Election Commission tentatively set the vote for Sunday, April 2. [...]

"If you are fed up with me let me know, if you want me to continue working for you, vote for me,"

Thaksin’s party Thai Rak Thai holds 377 of the 500 parliamentary seats. However, Democrat Party is optimistic that the public clamor that forced the dissolution of parliament could also translate into a solid anti-Thaksin vote in the coming election.

Last month, Thaksin sold his family’s stake of 49% stake in in Shin Corp to the Singaporean government’s investment arm, Temasek Holdings and avoided paying capital gains tax, resulted in widespread criticism and repeated rallies from public calling him to go.

The similarity between the duo, which happened to be simultaneously trapped in political turmoil, is that, they are singing the same tone: What’s next?

So what, my gut feeling is damn cun - NST got away scot-free.

I would like to re-publish what former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad said on the publication of a full comic strip regarded as mocking Prophet Muhammad in the newspaper.

Read the rest of this entry »

(SOURCE: TIME, 20 February 2006 / Vol. 167, No. 8)

A billboard that can be found on Route 101, the heavily trafficked artery that links the Valley to San Francisco.

No company logo, no recruiting pitch, just the equation.

The curious who solves it (Yep, it’s 7427466391.com) typed the answer into their browsers and went to that Web page, which offered another, harder problem (Don’t ask!) that finally led to an invitation to interview at G-o-o-g-l-e.

Congratulations.

Nice work. Well done. Mazel tov. You’ve made it to Google Labs and we’re glad you’re here.

You can find a partial of the 21 questions asked here.

The judgement is yet to be levelled upon NST, however Deputy Internal Security Minister Mohd Johari Baharom said NST’s Group EIC Hishamuddin Aun and Group Editor Brendan Pereira were summoned by the Internal Security Ministry to explain the publication of a full comic strip regarded as mocking Prophet Muhammad in the newspaper.

A report based on the editors’ explanation will be submitted to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who is also the Internal Security Minister and any action to be taken against NST would be decided by the Prime Minister.

It’s also quite unforgiveable when NST as a national English tabloid committed a foolish mistake that were previously done by Sarawak Tribune. The severity level must be understandable through the 2 weeks suspension of Guangming Daily, for publishing a picture-within-a-picture, yet NST chose to play with fire, not once, but twice!

No one is invincible in Malaysia, where the people of Malaysia has stood up and speak against the insensitivity. Let me reiterate a common sense call by blogger Aisehman: 

So if anyone in the NST would listen, let me lay it out for you: The cartoon you published need not have depicted the Prophet for it to be offensive to Islam.

Furthermore, the act of re-publishing the cartoon is a direct challenge to Muslim sensitivities, compounding what in the first instance was likely an oversight.

The NST is right. There is a difference between it, and Sarawak Tribune and Guang Ming Daily.

The Tribune and Guang Ming apologised for their mistakes. The NST hasn’t, and remains unrepentant.

As far as the Muslim in me is concerned, what is unpardonable is that the top Muslim officials in the NST seem to have no qualms in remaining defiant.

I remember my gurus taught me this: Don’t try to become a hero!