All Blogs forum on Digital Democracy and Governments

All Blogs Protem Committee with David Sasaki after the forum at KLGCC

UPDATE: 5th October; And so after a good three days with David, in his capacity of Head for the Outreach programme
the hard work begins. David is off to Indonesia and from there to another country to trumpet GVO and their many programmes. Interesting, at least for me. I am not sure about the others, but I do think that we have the right people and support to make it work. Viva la all-blogs!
Thanks to Jeff Ooi for his efforts to make this forum work! Jeff has more pictures and a brief description where as Howsy plays down his possible last 'hands on' coverage before his imminent departure to the land of the free, and home of the brave.

Jeff Ooi providing the opening and introduction of All Blogs, People's Parliament and CTT

UPDATE:3rd October 2007. All-Blogs Protem Exco, together with People's Parliament and Citizen Think Tank hosted David Sasaki of Global Voices Online to a buka puasa at Blog House yesterday. David gave those present an insight into the initiative called Rising Voices. In light of the censorship of Internet in Myanmar recently, this kind of information will be useful for the many bloggers that we hope to reach. Which is why todays forum is the start of many to come, to empower bloggers, so that we start embracing and engaging.
Read screenshots for more details, and who is the most famous blogger in Cambodia!

Are you a blogger or blog reader? Either or, this forum should interest you.
The role of Digital Technology in todays democracy.
Come October 3rd, a forum will be hosted by All Blogs, with the kind support of Global Voices Online. David Sasaki in his capacity as head of Global Voices Online, which is a project of Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard Law school, will speak.
For now, it is by invitation only as places are limited, and we would like to make sure that invitees make full use of this session with GOV.

To get more details, Read screenshots.
Find out more about what you can do or what others have already done.

Justice! We want Justice!

UPDATE: 26 September 2007
'When Lawyers walk, there is something wrong' Ambiga S, President of the Malaysian BAR Council said to great applause from the 3000 odd people gathered at the steps of the Palace of Justice, in Putrajaya. The gathering was organised by the Bar council, to show that the Legal profession is greatly disturbed by the state of affairs in their profession. This is especially so , with the emergence of a video which implicated the current Chief Justice, on the apparent appointment of certain individuals to the judiciary. The march from Palace of Justice to the Prime Ministers office was about 1.5kms in distance, and it took the crowd some 20mins to reach reach the office of the PM. What was more worrying was the presence of the Police force in big numbers, ranging from the Special Branch (and their high tech cameras) as well as the Federal Reserve Unit (Crowd control and dispersal, along with their water cannons and tear gas equipment) , K9 units, Air Wing, Patrol cars as well as Highway Patrol! We couldn't have felt 'safer'!
Credit to the Police for not aggravating the marchers, but one blogger did overhear a senior officer speaking loudly to his colleagues that it was okay to open fire (tembak!) as the gathering was illegal. This I am not sure, but what I am certain is that when Lawyers walk, we have no fear! It poured some 10 minutes after we arrived at the PM's office, after the delegation of Committee members of the BAR were allowed in. The rest of us, well we just soaked up the rain. The persistence of the organisers were more evident when they stood soaked to thier skin urging on the crowd with chants 'we are the Malaysian Bar', 'We want justice', 'Siasat, siasat'.
30 minutes under the rain was enough for me, when the delegation came out and provided to brief the crowd. The crowd dispersed without any untoward incident, and that itself was a good thing! The forming of a panel to make an official investigation by the Government is timely, but the question remains, why does it take so long? And what does the government hope to do by coming out in full force, and stopping the entourage of 7 buses to deliver the marchers?
Kudos, to those in the bus, it was a 5km walk that was worth it!
I will walk with you. (so will All-Blogs)

Read:SCREENSHOTS , and here
Read:People's Parliament
Read:Rocky's Bru, and here , and here
Read: Niamah!
Read: Shanghai Fish
Read: X-eyedvision
Read: polytikus
Read: Zorro's
Read: Elviza's Write Away
Read: 3540 Jalan Sudin
Read: AFP Associated Free Press
Read: and more to come (will update as soon as I get a heads up on their post)

- - - - - - - -
(Original posting)
Its not easy, wanting justice. Audra and I want that, and we are leaving it to the good hands of the Industrial Court chairwoman who heard her case on Sept 5th 2007.

Recently, a video surfaced, providing information that there are indeed unseen hands 'steering' the judiciary. As citizens, we should demand a thorough investigation. Something that we have been denied long enough. So what can we do to make ourselves heard?

1. On 26/9/2007, at 11.00 a.m., lawyers will march from the Palace of Justice to the PM’s office in Putrajaya to submit a memorandum to the cabinet calling for the setting up of a Royal Commission to investigate the rot that has set into the judiciary since 1988.

2.The People’s Parliament will be launching a petition to His Majesty the Yang Dipertuan Agung to urge His Royal Highness to take all steps to clean up the judiciary and to return this constitutional institution back to the rakyat.

Read Here for more from Haris Ibrahim. People's Parliament has already convinced a certain member of Parliament to commit by writing. What she does next is anyone's guess.

See you there?

Ramadhan Charity - Anyone? Please?

Zorro and Mdm Mangelai who was standing in as caretaker
She was not able to provide more details but promised to get the
caretaker to contact this writer for more details of the shelter

Update: 23rd Sept 2007
Thanks to your contributions, the Agathian Shelter has enough foodstuff for another 2 weeks.
Both Zorro and I managed to get the supplies to the shelter in Section 8, PJ at 1.30pm.
The boys were out on a field trip to a futsal centre. Thats a good thing, having an afternoon out especially if there are 30 of them cramped in a single story terraced home. I do not know much about their background, but a kind gentleman, called me to find out more about the condition and the supplies of the shelter. I did not have the opportunity to meet the caretaker of the shelter as well, and left my contact to gather more information. The good news is that the home has internet for the children, the not so good news, the website that they have www.agathians.org is not updated. Perhaps, one of them can blog about his experience, just perhaps. Tomorrow, I will deliver the balance of the items that is still required, and hopefully, you too may drop in at this site to get more details.
Shyamala, Aurelia, Zorro and anonymous! Thanks!

I got an sms the other day, forwarded to me by Audra. It was from an ex colleague of hers who was displaced due expiry of her contract. She is now working for an NGO which focuses on mothers and their needs. Naturally, this NGO is also in contact with children homes for displaced children, etc. The loss of Nurin is indeed a tragic story, perhaps we can have her in mind when we channel some help to the young in need.
The sms sounded the urgent need of a boys shelter, name Agathian Shelter, requesting for basic foodstuff. Not fancy food. BASIC food. I know how it is when you cannot get the basic stuff.
An acquaintance of mine through his family's charity foundation immediately came to mind. But red tape is also in the way. That was when I passed this message to Rocky, and he said take the lead.
So this is an appeal, if you can, please help. We will deliver the items on Sunday 24th September 2007, directly to the home. It will be good if we can meet up at blog house, and from there proceed with the items to the home.
Below are the required items;

11 packets of Jati Rice
1 Carton of sardines,
3 bottles cooking oil,
1 box of condensed milk,
1 box of bee hoon, 30kg of sugar,
2 tins of ghee,
1 box of maggi curry noodles,
10 packets of Baba's chicken/mutton/fish curry powder,
10 bottles of chilli sauce, and
2 tins of planta

We will push off from Blog House at 1.00pm, so hopefully you will be able to come along too.
To avoid misconceived notions, no cash pledges will be entertained.
please email alliedmartster@gmail.com if you wish to contribute any of the items above in anonymity. Otherwise, feel free to confirm by posting comments.

for more information about the shelter: http://www.agathians.org/
for more information about the family resource centre: http://www.ibufamily.org
contact person: Allison from Ibufamily for verification.

Empowering your Children

A sick mind indeed. Despicable violent act of a twisted mind that took a young life.
May her soul rest in peace.
I read that a senior police officer said that everyone should be a busy body from now on so that you will know what happens in your neighbourhood. I beg to differ.
This will encourage voyeurism instead.
Rather then lock up our children, and keeping a watchful eye, we should instead be teaching them about dangers. To do the former, how long can you stay vigilant? And if you are not? Who pays for that? Ultimately, its our children.
To teach them about the dangers, to be weary of what kind of tricks, to empower them to be able to judge, and to teach them to put up their own safety net. All this will help.

I think back to my own childhood, and not that the dangers were not there then, but perhaps, news travelled much slower then. Still Mum and Dad did always give good advice, and nevertheless, we still respected the elders, albeit strangers.
These days, you don't see that no more. And perhaps, just perhaps, these twisted minds are also aware of that, and are luring in our midst to snatch away their next prey.

Empower your young, teach them from right and wrong, show them unity in diversity, and for sure they will be better of.

May the soul of Nurin and those other young ones whose lives has been tragically ended rest in peace.

Will the real 'Ahirudin Attan' please stand up?

Please will the real 'Ahirudin Attan' better known as 'Rocky', my ole snooker, now darts sparring partner, ex-journo, current advisor to The National Press Club and Pro Tem President of All Blogs, please stand up?
Don't know what this post is all about? Ask the Electoral Commission! Yes, ask SPR!
Go visit Rocky's bru to find out more!
If you don't know anything about Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya, read this.
To be sure, why don't you check your details too?

How to thwart young minds? Campus Security 101

Politics 101 or Campus Security 101? use all available means to stop young minds from opposing.
How else can one explain this? So what rights does campus security has?
I am no English professor, but I can tell you that in the US, there is real Campus Policing, with professionals running it. Which is why they call it Campus Police.
So, since when Security (UPM web site) is even part of this campus? Sorry, unless I am blind, can you care to point out where in their official web site does it say Campus Policing, or for the matter campus security? (This writer apologises, and would like to point out that Campus Security is listed under Divisions - sub menu but its description is only available in Bahasa Malaysia which gives me the impression that the guys and gals in Security could not translate their mission into the English Language!) My take is they started this security outfit to nab close proximity offenders! In Malaysia, we all take things for granted. Yes, like we take it for granted that these Security officers actually do look out for our safety. Where does it give them the rights to interrogate? To look for suspicious contents? What next, accuse the poor student for indecent behaviour? If it was true that he was indeed passing out some documents for the upcoming student election, then they will have to charge him with the outdated 'students cannot be involved in politics' ruling. So if that is the case, what about the pro 'Aspirasi' students?

I smell a rat, and a darn smelly one too. If these young minds are being harassed for these very reasons, then I believe we have failed all together. Having inquisitive minds and being brave enough to walk against the one way traffic itself says a lot about our next generation. Funny that only certain people can see it. After all if you have Deputy Ministers saying 'The opposition have to oppose 'these' kinds of projects, how are we going to develop?', you see Mr Deputy Minister, we are not opposing development, we just want you to be more transparent.

Where is the transparency here? Confiscating Yang's personal belongings without reason?
Does it mean that as long as he stays in Campus, and if the security guards entered his room, they have every right to? WTF? This is what Poice state is all about, and we are showing it to our young!
I say Yang should sue the Universiti for intruding his privacy!

Footnote: I took the liberty of translating the Vision and Mission of the Security department for your understanding:

VISION:
The Vision of the Office of Registrar is to become an entity of excellence which provides Human resource services, safety, medical and dental, spiritual and religous with cultural and arts in line with the UPM's vision

MISSION:
The Mission of the Office of Registrar is to provide Human resource services, safety, medical and dental, spiritual and religous with cultural and arts in line with the UPM's vision

So, how professional were they when they set out to publish their web site? If you notice;
1. It's the Office of the Registrar and not Security Department (official web site here)
2.Unit Khas 'Special Unit'. This is worrying, I wouldn't want 'membuat intipan ke atas orang yang disyaki' as a precondition for security!
Please give me your take on this. Since when did we need others to spy on our children???

Happy Malaysia Day!

Well it seems that a simple thing like Malaysia Day can ruffle the feathers of some.
But why so? If the Government of that time declared it so, that this was the day that Sabah and Sarawak, our Eastern brothers and sisters formally joined our nation, then why not celebrate it? Read here for a true Sabahan's take on this.
But of course, some will argue that its not the same as Merdeka, blah blah blah.
I suppose its no different than some people arguing that it is a GLC's right to curtail the rights of a woman!

Selamat menunaikan Ibadat Puasa...

To all my Muslim friends, selamat menunaikan Ibadat Puasa...

Sept 5th 2007. Audra Atkinson V Malaysia Airlines System Berhad

It started on 31st October 2003. Audra was terminated for having our third child, Allyson Jade Yew Lyn. Thats when we started this battle with them. It took some two years before the Minister of Human Resources decided to refer the case to the Industrial Court.
Today, in the Industrial Court no 19 presided by Chairwoman Datuk Paduka Badariah Hassan, Malaysia Airlines System Berhad (MAS) reiterated its right to terminate Audra based on her breaching of clause 27 (j) of the Collective Agreement that was valid at her time of service. Represented by Shearn Delamore, a big a** law firm who seem to thrive on cases like NSTP & 3, as well as 4 others V Rocky and Jeff separately (however, Shearn no longer represents NSTP as that case is now handled by another lawfirm) But Shearn still represents MAS. We are lucky indeed, having such competent lawyers for our opponent. (The Malay Mail, 6th Sept , page 10 carried the news'Ex-stewardess admits to breach of Contract')

If you have followed this blog, you might have known that I was asked by the Court Chairwoman to remove my blog due to the nature of it being severely critical of this case. I was further told that my blog is subjudiced to the case, and if I do so, run the risk of being charged in contempt of court and could be jailed! That was in early 2007.

After consulting a lawyer, I am told that since the case has already been mentioned, I am allowed to report the proceedings. It is no different from what you may have read in the Malay Mail. However I am not allowed to share my opinion. What I can tell you is that its true, if you look at the Collective Agreement in effect at the time in question, only 2 children were allowed. Also in effect at that time and also still in effect is the employment act, which does not restrict the number of children!
The big question then remains, is the CA within the act? In the hearing, Audra was cross examined by MAS's lawyer on whether she admits to breaching clause 27J of the collective agreement enforced in 2007. Yes, she did. What they did not ask was if this clause was well within the employment act, for that matter even constitutional.
MAS produced a witness, Mr Melvyn Rajoo (HR Manager for Discipline, previously HR Controller for Discipline, whose son is a Trainee Aircraft Maintenance Engineer for MAS works in the Engineering Dept) provided a witness statement that cites among others, the right for Malaysia Airlines to exercise discretion in terminating a stewardess who breaches clause 27J.

On being cross examined by Audra'a lawyer, Mr Melvin Rajoo admitted that the discretion that was used was entirely MAS's call, and in Audra's case, they used her letter that she wrote requesting for a transfer to ground position, admitting her pregnancy as 'Due Inquiry'. Audra's lawyer further asked Melvyn do define the word discretion but was objected by the opposing lawyer despite it being recorded in MAS's witness statement of reply. Without having defined 'discretion' and even so, with MAS admitting that the only 'due inquiry' that was extended to Audra was itself her letter of application for ground duties, there was no other points that was raised by Audra's counsel. In fact the introduction of an email from Idris Jala (Current CEO of MAS) was accepted by MAS, as evidence for Audra. The email contained Mr Idris's statement 'I hope you will accept the position of Customer Services Assistant' and 'Your previous experience as a cabin crew would be beneficial in helping you to carry out the duties'. This evidence was later accepted by the court, and prompted the Chairwoman to add that she finds no support from this evidence that it was referring to the issue of termination. She also pointed out the timeline, where Audra was terminated in Oct 2003 and the email dated Mar 2006. The issue of MAS writing to the Industrial Relations Department in January 2004 asking for the closure of Audra's complaint for wrongful termination was not brought up despite them reassuring the IR Dept that a job offer will be made to Audra.

Perhaps the most striking statement would have to be from Shearn's Lawyer 'Its late , its 4.10pm and a decision has to be made. I am expensive. Can you afford to pay my cost?', this was made when the email evidence was contested by Audra's lawyer that it was indeed an email to Idris Jala informing him to make a decision on Audra's reinstatement. The hearing adjourned at about 4.30pm with the chairwoman providing 5th October as the dateline for Claimant's written submission, and 5th November for company's written submission before replies from either parties on the 23rd of November.

Audra has now requested that her lawyer provide her a final draft of the submission as well as notes from the court, as well as her counsel before detailing her views.
I will share with you if the law permits.

Audra and I would like to thank those who showed up and supported her, namely, Farida (despite them not knowing each other), Zorro - for his undividing loyalty and opposing to anything against God's laws, Shanghai Stephen - who despite having an irritated throat still made it, Harris Ibrahim - a friend indeed for a friend in need, Rocky - despite missing our lunch , and not being able to hold off Zorro any more, he left before being cited for contempt, and Yushaimi/Nora/Mus(yes you too for following up on this long running case!)

Mother's Choice, ain't that nice?

Good move. Win over the mothers. Good move. Read here about the latest privileges that working mothers in the government sector can get by choice.
I guess you will win some and you lose some.
Tomorrow, we will know if one mother of three will get her job back, one that she has been doing for 14 years of her life. We continue to pray that those involved will have the wisdom to do the right thing.

Zam 'Goblok' Maidin....the Blogs (and the Sun too)Slayer!

Perhaps we are missing something here. Minister Of Information Zainuddin Maidin said this during the launch of Radio 24 "Saya akan memastikan bahawa stesen Radio ini tidak akan menjadi Goblok!". So let's just pause and analyse this statement.
In his past statements, he used the phrase "a small group of bloggers", yet at another, he said "those who read blogs are Intellectuals". Yet he refers to Bloggers as stupid (now, I won't insult you by having to explain what Goblok is).
It seems, Zam is more interested in reassuring the wider public "who chooses to get Real News from Real Sources, meaning Main stream media that are accurate and correct"
and would want to refer to bloggers as created news, or at least this is what he is portraying, each time he refers to news from bloggers.
So take a look at the news clip from the Sun above and let's analyse this again, shall we? First he says take the news from MSM, then he says no don't read the Sun, because it is a mouth piece of the Opposition. Why? You'll have to ask him, but to my best , I am interpreting it as because the Sun has been brave enough to highlight the many issues we do not read elsewhere in the other papers. The Blogs? Well you might have probably read about the Port Klang Free Zone, which has continuously made headlines in another newspaper south of our border. Oh yes, there was also a certain Minister (or was it deputy) from Bintulu who says that Bloggers are out to sabotage the development of the country.
I leave you this, here for the soundbite of Zam during his speech to launch Radio 24.
None of which you can read from any newspapers! (I did not read creative writing, here creative writing means a certain research agency which gave RTM a 'lower' listener audience than what he perceives it to be or even Goblok anywhere in the newspapers!)

You decide. Go blogs or Gobloks?

But it wouldn't be fair for me not to comment on Malaysia's newest Radio station. The notion of talk and news-centric radio is not new, and as proven many times over in other countries, it can be very lucrative, what more with Bernama's unlimited resources. Given my experience in the industry, I am certain that Radio24 will go on to achieve greater heights. But they must focus on content and network. essential news, wheras trivial matters should take a back seat. one more thing, the presentation styles? It should be more professional.
P.S YB Zam, are we really that unreliable or are we too able?

Sept 5th. walk with us (and Rocky too)

Sept 5th. some time back, I informed that Audra's case was postponed to the 5th of Sept.
The time has come, 4 more days, and we have already been told to prepare to lose.
What will you do if you were in our shoes?
Fortunately, we have friends who are in the know of the law.
So, we shall wait for the finding, if its ok for a GLC to terminate some of thier pregnant employees
or not. Two have failed, and yet the third has not given up hope.
Whichever way it goes, I hope women who fly with this carrier will remember this rights violation.