Micro blog leads revolution in China

By Zhang Jing, Yang Yang and Meng Jing (China Daily European Weekly)

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Weibo may reshape Internet behavior in China over next few years

It is the new kid on the block and growing leaps and bounds. Soon it may tower like a goliath over other better known peers in the Web world as suitors from the government, public and corporate sector jostle for attention on its platform.

Weibo, or micro blog, the sending of brief text, audio or video to select groups, is making rapid strides in China and reshaping the way information flows with their multiple sources and diversified, authentic content. It is also becoming an attractive platform for companies to showcase their products and reach out to more consumers.

Related readings:  Huge attraction for business  Information flow draws more people to weibo  Tapping into micro blogs is the new Marketing 101  Handle platform with kid gloves

Unlike Twitter, micro blog is relatively new to China and just two years old. Despite being a late entrant, the weibo has already started to reshape people's lives in China, thereby indicating its growing prowess.

A typical weibo starts with an "@" before the user's nickname, and like Twitter, has a word limit of 140 words. There is, however, one exception. Internet company Tom.com has set the weibo limit at 163 words to match with its parent company name 163.com. Unlike Twitter, a weibo can also be a picture, a voice message, a song and a video.

In February this year, Beijing rock singer He Yong posted a short message on his micro blog styled, "Weibo the Almighty, please save my child!" It was a request for help to cure his 30-month-old daughter as she refused to take any food or water for five days in a row. In the same month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs saved over 900 stranded Chinese workers in Libya as they were able to locate them through their weibo messages for help.

The weibo power came to the fore in March, when irate netizens in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, led a campaign to stop the felling of the city's famed parasol trees for a subway construction. Netizens urged micro blog followers to hold protest meetings in front of a local library until the authorities agreed to their demands.

Nothing personifies the growing popularity of weibos than the example of a 12-year old boy in remote Fujian province who has a weibo account with all the four major providers - Sina, Tom, Tencent and Sohu.

Tencent, the world's third-largest Internet company by market capitalization, said in February this year that its number of registered weibo users has risen to nearly 100 million. Sina also claims that its numbers have swelled considerably and it has started making profits from the weibo services. That is indeed impressive, considering that the feat was achieved in less than two years, whereas it took Twitter nearly four years to build a network of 195 million users since inception in 2006.

Though Tencent and Sina are the biggest players among Chinese weibos, there is also a sea change when it comes to the customer profile on the two platforms. Tencent Weibo users are mostly teenagers who use the company's instant messaging service QQ, which has nearly 630 million active accounts. Users of the Sina services are in contrast aged between 30 and 40 and better educated.

With a big surge in user numbers expected by the end of this year, both the companies are leaving no stone unturned to boost market share. The Data Center of China Internet (DCCI) says that by the end of 2011, independent weibo users will reach 100 million and grow to 253 million by 2013. The weibo market is expected to take off from 2013, it says.

"Though the data differs from company to company, there is no doubt that micro blog is poised for explosive growth," says Liu Yan, director of Digital Influence with Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.

"Micro-blogging has a real-time news function," says Yang Guobin, author of The Power of the Internet in China: Citizen Activism Online and associate professor at the Barnard College of Columbia University in the United States.

"Its basic follower function gives a clearer structure to the increasing expansive and formless flow of information in cyberspace.

"By following another weibo user, I automatically receive his or her messages. Popular weibos can have large following. A person with a large following has enormous broadcasting power," says Yang.

By Jan 12 this year, the number of Tencent followers on Liu Xiang, China's 2004 Olympic 110-meter hurdle champion, crossed 10 million, well surpassing that of Lady Gaga on Twitter. Since then, Liu has become the most popular micro-blogger in the world.

Entrepreneur Lee Kai-fu, the former China head of Google, is another leading light in the weibo world and has more than 3 million followers. Lee admits that his entry into the weibo world was by chance. In June 2009, his friends told him that someone with the name of @kaifulee had been publishing news concerning Google and responding to fans' comments on Twitter. This made Lee aware of the power of Twitter.

Lee Kai-fu at the release of his book Weibo Changes Everything in Beijing in February. Gao Zhixing / For China Daily

"If a fake Kaifulee could enjoy such popularity, I thought that I should micro blog myself for more influence," says Lee, who later verified his account and posted a message saying "Dear impostor Kaifulee, you pretended to be me for three months. You've been reasonable, but with the Reuters' coverage, I had to get my name back."

An experienced micro-blogger now, Lee was invited to give a speech at the first China Weibo Developer Conference 2010. Lee named his latest book, Weibo Changes Everything, in which he has predicted the end of WAP era, and the coming of the new age of Mobile Internet, embodied by weibo.

"Weibo's social networking function is further enhanced by external applications, like those found on compatible mobile phones that can read, receive and send micro blogs," says Yang Guobin.

A recent report by Sina shows that nearly 36.6 percent of their weibo users log onto the service with their mobile phones. Over 43 percent of such users are women and they account for nearly 65 percent of the active weibo accounts.

Liu Xiang, the 2004 Olympic 110-meter hurdle champion, meets with his followers at Tencent Weibo on Jan 22 in Shanghai. Guan Kaiji / For China Daily

"The level of stickiness and salience on the micro blog sphere is beyond any other forms of media," says Liu from Ogilvy.

"With the advent of weibo, one can immediately feel that social network sites like Kaixin001.com are losing their sheen. I used to visit Kaixin every day, but now I visit the site only once or twice a week. But for weibo, it's a different story. I can publish a microblog in a restaurant, at bedside, on the subway... It can be anywhere, any time. It is said some real fans would publish a micro blog even when they go to the toilet."

"They (weibo) can help us find those with similar interests instantly and build a network through information sharing," says Elli Li, a business development representative with Bianfeng.com, a leading online gaming company in China.

"In the social network system (SNS) of weibo, the clearer one is about what his or her interests are, the more effective the process of information gathering will be. For example, once I wanted to buy certain cosmetics products online and my followers immediately told me to go to a global purchasing website. That helped me save nearly $80 (56 euros).

"Nowadays, I don't read newspapers nor do I watch TV. Most of my

information feed is from weibo. The speed of weibo SNS information sharing and the vastness of its spread are also beyond reach for blogs or forums, which, in a way, has brought about the decline of the latter. MSN blogs closed on March 17 after a five-year existence," says Li.

According to the Internet Real-time Public Opinion Index Annual Report 2010 released by the Communication University of China in Beijing, weibo has become the third-favorite online source of information for public opinion, after news portals and online forums.

"At the moment, weibo serves more as a content provider and disseminator than a social networking platform," says Zheng Yingqin, a PhD from Cambridge University and a senior lecturer with the De Montfort University in UK, who specializes in information & communication technology (ICT) and social development.

"According to research, the main content providers on Twitter largely fall into four categories - celebrities, media, individual bloggers and enterprises/organizations. The first two are mostly interested in their own networks, i.e. they follow weibo accounts in the same category, while the other two have broader interests and may pay more attention to other groups. It is likely that the same applies to weibo," says Zheng.

"People log onto weibo for a variety of reasons, and social networking is only one of them. Weibo differs from existing social networking services such as QQ or Facebook in that its connections can be unidirectional. One can follow other people without their permission or reciprocal attention and nor does one necessarily need any fans (followers) to enjoy a fulfilling weibo experience. It also provides minimal tools to support one to one interactions, unlike QQ or Facebook."

"Weibo may evolve to incorporate stronger social networking functions in the future, as there seems to be such a demand from some users. More importantly, it is changing the way we perceive the world and the way we connect to each other. Potential opportunities of open innovations, for example, user-led product development and network-based business models, are yet to be explored," says Zheng.

The huge population base of weibo has greatly enhanced its potential in social commerce and influence. By the end of August 2010, a total of 466 major media companies, including TV, radio, print and magazines, have registered with Sina Weibo. The latter has also verified some 2,500 companies as its weibo users, covering over 30 industries such as automobiles, food, film and entertainment.

Sina chief executive Cao Guowei says that his company's advertising revenue grew 28 percent in 2010 thanks to the weibo platform. "There is still enough room for Sina Weibo's growth," says Cao.

Other companies are also taking advantage of weibo, but in more creative ways. Sohu is providing weibo dating services, while several companies are using it for recruitment by asking potential employees or interns to describe themselves on weibo in whatever way they like. Prominent include French advertising company Publicis Groupe, Taobao.com, and Hangzhou City Express, a local newspaper in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, that attracted some 500 million yuan (53.7 million euros) advertising revenue in 2010.

Many European companies and organizations in China have also followed the trend of creating weibo accounts in China. These include the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions and the British Tourist Authority. The Delegation of the European Union to China officially launched its "EU in China" blog and micro blog service in Beijing on March 28.

"Blog and micro blog are a promising way to reach out to different types of people whom we don't meet in our daily work," says Markus Ederer, ambassador of the EU Delegation to China.

The EU Delegation blogs on four major Chinese portals - Sina, Tencent, Tom and Sohu. Most topics are on European lifestyle and pertain to films and travel. "Hopefully the interactiveness of blogging will help Chinese understand why we are the way we are," says Ederer.

William Fingleton, press officer with the EU Delegation, says blogging the EU in China "is perhaps the best way to reach out to young people who spend a lot of time indoors and in front of their computers."

The EU delegation has chosen food as its first blogging theme, to coincide with the recent visit of the EU Agricultural Commission and the introduction of its geographic identification system in China. Special guests to the ceremony included Chinese food bloggers like Great Chef Bai Du and Transparent Purple, who showcased their self-made favorite European dishes to the audience.

"Weibo has made understanding our customers easier, and them us," says Ogilvy's Liu. She says her team addresses questions to followers of their clients, sometimes trivial questions like the duration of time taken to apply cosmetics. Feedback from the followers also helps us understand their interests and also whether they are more interested in brand history and culture, or whether they are more interested in sales and discounts.

"Weibo is an integral platform for companies to communicate with their customers or potential clients. What you get is first-hand material. It is fast and effective and without the participation of any third parties. Previously, we may have to physically go to 10 cities to collect samples, which are time consuming, and the samples are limited. But within two days, an online survey on weibo may get more than 100 feedbacks from across the county," she says.

Each company approaches micro blogs differently and their styles vary. Dell China has set up several micro blogs, intended for differentiated customers, like one for medium- and small-sized companies, and one for after-sales. L'Oreal decides on the next city for its road show by fans' votes on its micro blog.

"When the fans' wishes are answered, they feel they are respected," says Liu. "And once an emotional bond is connected, it will last for a long time. Eventually it may lead to sales."

"But everything is still in the early stages of trial and error. A business model with weibo is yet to be set up," says Liu.

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Malaysia just cannot have it both ways

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COMMENT By BARADAN KUPPUSAMY

The Chinese demand equality and meritocracy and, for these reasons, are willing to back the DAP despite its alliance with the Islamic PAS and the scandal-ridden PKR. 

THE recent Sarawak election, which saw urban Chinese voters supporting the DAP and voters in the rural heartland – mostly Malays, Melanaus and Dayaks – backing the Barisan Nasional, has sparked renewed debate over how race, ethnicity and, perhaps, religion are colouring the political divide.

Having a two-party system is a healthy trend in an emerging democracy like ours, but it would be unhealthy – and even dangerous – if the political divide is widening on account of race and religion. The mostly Chinese DAP representatives will be occupying the Opposition bench in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly while on the government side, the one that controls the state purse, is overwhelmingly Malay/Melanau and Dayak.

The DAP, by dominating the Opposition bench, can raise a ruckus, but cannot deliver the goods.
Meanwhile, the SUPP, the party that took the biggest hit, is divided over the issue of representation without popular support.

Writing is on the wall: The results may give the Chinese community something to shout about but not necessarily in the long run.

 

The SUPP instructed Miri strongman Datuk Wong Soon Koh, who retained his Bawang Assan seat, to decline being in the Cabinet but he accepted, sparking internal turmoil and raising the possibility of a breakaway faction.

Most SUPP leaders want the party to stay out of the Government but a minority said, if unrepresented, the Chinese community that is heavily reliant on business and dependent on friendly government decision and patronage, would lose out.

The MCA, too, has asked the SUPP not to accept any government posts. The Sarawak political development poses a serious paradox for the larger and economically-vibrant Chinese community in the country.

While the Malays, Chinese and Indians – in different capacities and numbers – voted for the Pakatan Rakyat in the 2008 political tsunami and gave the Barisan Nasional its biggest setback since the 1969 disturbances, three years on, the political mood is decidedly changing.

The political reality today is that while the Malays are with Umno and the Indian voters are gradually returning to the Barisan fold, the Chinese voters, who form about 25% of the electorate of about 14 million, are holding out and throwing their weight behind the Opposition DAP.

Their vote is really for a fair and just governance and for equal treatment of all citizens. They have long searched for and demanded equality and meritocracy. These ideals continuously move the Chinese community and are reasons why they back the DAP despite its alliance with the Islamic PAS or the scandal-ridden PKR.



Post 2008, the DAP emerged as the winner among the three Pakatan allies but the question remains; how much can it deliver on its own and outside of DAP-run Penang?

Arguably, the DAP has run the state well but the same cannot be said of Selangor, where the PKR-led government is at best rickety in comparison with Penang. The PAS-run state governments – Kelantan and Kedah – are in a world of their own.

For a new generation of trend-setting and upwardly mobile Chinese enjoying a world view dominated by meritocracy and business survival, the Barisan coalition is not transforming well enough or fast enough.

This perception is deep colouring their political choices and since the DAP has a showcase in Penang and makes the right noises, the party continues to get their support.

The fact remains, however, the DAP is king in a small pond. In the national sea, it is a backwater entity despite the sound and fury it generates.

Unless PAS and PKR also deliver (which did not clearly show in Sarawak), the voter support for the DAP alone will not get the Pakatan alliance into Putrajaya.

Instead, the support would fill the Opposition ranks everywhere with Chinese DAP representatives and, over the long haul, seriously mute the community’s voice in the government and limit their capacity to influence policies friendly to their business and economic needs.

With bumiputra birth rates far higher than others and with rural-urban migration ongoing, political power is gravitating to the rural elite.

Rural constituencies, where the Chinese population is thin, decide who ultimately wields political power, as the Sarawak vote shows.

Reversely the rural-urban migration is also diluting Chinese political power in the urban centres by eventually reducing the number of Chinese-majority constituencies in the country to a handful.

The process is irreversible, experts say, giving Penang as an example. The DAP-ruled Penang actually has a Malay-majority of about 170,000 as at July 2010.

Like in Sarawak, the Chinese community here might buy themselves a right to raise a ruckus by going the DAP way, but end up losing their share of government power and the right to determine how the national purse is deployed.

The fact is, the Chinese community cannot have it both ways.

1Malaysia e-mail provider, Tricubes

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1Malaysia e-mail accounts for Malaysians over 18

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians aged 18 and above will be assigned an e-mail account each to receive statements, bills and notices from the Government.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who announced this yesterday, said the 1MY E-mail initiative would allow “direct and secure” communication between citizens and the Government while enhancing the delivery of government services to consumers and businesses alike.

Tricubes Bhd is collaborating with Microsoft to develop the 1Malaysia E-mail project.

The company will spearhead the private RM50mil investment that also includes the development of a web portal as a one-stop centre for government services providing value-added services such as social networking, checking of bills online and payments.

Tricubes chief executive officer Khairun Zainal Mokhtar said the company was still conducting stress tests for the website.

“Hopefully, we can get it ready by July,” he told a press conference at the fifth progress update of the Economic Transformation Programme here yesterday.

Khairun said the portal was different from the MyEG website, which focused on the payment of bills and summonses, as it would allow interaction between people and the Government.

The Performance Management and Delivery Unit, responding to queries said the 1Malaysia E-mail would not be made compulsory.
Source : The Star

Tricubes to bank on govt project

By ERROL OH errol@thestar.com.my

Technology firm to tap on 1Malaysia Email for revenue

PETALING JAYA: Tricubes Bhd plans to generate revenue from the 1Malaysia Email project via advertising, an online marketplace, and the online delivery of government bills and notices.

The financially troubled technology company also sees income potential in facilitating government agencies' recruitment and registration processes.

These services will be available on the web portal that Tricubes is developing under the project. The portal's main feature is an email account, dubbed the MyEmail account, which will be offered to all Malaysians aged 18 and above for free.

In a media statement issued yesterday amid much scepticism about the project, Tricubes chief executive Khairun Zainal Mokhtar said: “With the decline of physical mail traffic, there is substantial growth in digital mail. Our base service will be the email services at no cost to users, while our revenue sources will come from the value-added services, which will be introduced in phases.” Such services include bill and notice presentment; job boards and online registration to government agencies that currently use electronic forms; advertising; and an online marketplace.

He added that by sending bills and notices digitally, the Government was expected to save up to 50% in postal and printing costs.

Interestingly, it has been reported that Tricubes was among those bidding for Khazanah Nasional Bhd's 32% stake in Pos Malaysia Bhd, although it is widely believed that it is no longer in the running.

In response to questions over the company's capacity to implement the project, given that it is a GN3 company (a Bursa Malaysia label for Ace Market companies that are in financial distress) and that the project is a private finance initiative (PFI), Khairun said the company had shown to the Government's evaluation team its ability to generate funding for the project.

Tricubes will be investing about RM50mil in the project over the next 10 years. He added: “Our initial investment is estimated to be RM5.3mil. This includes infrastructure costs for hardware and software, maintenance and raising awareness of the project. We have secured initial financing through a combination of internally generated funds and borrowings. We expect to reinvest revenue received from the project to ensure sustainability.”

Tricubes was classified as a GN3 company in October last year after its auditors had drawn attention to certain aspects of the company's financial affairs that may cast doubt on its ability to continue as a going concern. Another trigger was the fact that its shareholders' equity had sunk to less than half of its paid-up capital. Tricubes will be delisted if it fails to implement a regularisation plan within a specified timeframe.
“A GN3 company is allowed by Bursa Malaysia to continue carrying out its business activities. In order to remain listed, the GN3 company has to regularise its financial standing. Tricubes has achieved its first milestone in its regularisation plan set by Bursa Malaysia, with the appointment of its sponsor, M&A Securities Sdn Bhd in January 2011. The sponsor is expected to submit the company's regularisation plan to Bursa Malaysia and obtain its approval no later than Oct 29, 2011,” said Khairun.

On why the company had sunk into GN3 status, he explained: “Tricubes had invested heavily in research and development, which has a long gestation period, and is well on the way to generate returns to recoup its investment.”

He added that Tricubes was selected to handle the project because it had “a full suite of enterprise offerings as well as expertise in identity management”. He said: “We understand Tricubes' proposal met or surpassed the benchmarks set by the EPP (Entry Point Project) team. It also did not require any funding or financial guarantees from the government.” EPP is a term for a key initiative under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).

Yesterday, there was a jarring disconnect between public opinion and investor sentiments. Despite the outcry against the 1Malaysia Email project, Tricube's shares were among the top performers on Bursa Malaysia yesterday.

The penny stock recorded the fourth largest percentage gain on the exchange after ending trading at 16 sen, up 6.5 sen or 68% from Tuesday's close. It was also the 18th most active counter, with 11.7 million shares changing hands.

Before this, the last time Tricubes had closed at 16 sen or more was in July 2007. In the last six month, the stock's average price and daily volume were 5.7 sen and 161,444 shares.

It appears that investors were responding to the fact that the project had been among the seven new ETP initiatives unveiled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Tuesday.

According to the Government, the project is an initiative to provide a “unique and official email account and ID for Malaysian citizens”. It added: “The web portal will serve as a one-stop centre for government services, providing value-added services such as social networking, online bill checking and payment as well as web development toolkits for citizens and businesses organisations to creatively develop applications.”

In fact, Tricubes had already announced on April 4 that it had been awarded the project. However, there was little market reaction then, probably because the Ace Market company had not provided other details.

The ETP update on Tuesday had an impact on Tricubes in more ways than one. The public's response to the project was in stark contrast to the stock market's bullishness. There was plenty of buzz in cyberspace, most of it critical and wary of the project.

Tricubes: 1Malaysia E-mail ensures secure communication

KUALA LUMPUR: The 1Malaysia E-mail is meant for Malaysians to receive “sensitive personal information” without compromising security, Tricubes Bhd chief executive officer Khairun Zainal Mokhtar said.

Asked why anyone would need a specific e-mail to communicate with the Government, he said: “Users will be receiving sensitive personal information contained in their income tax returns, Employee Provident Fund statements, notices of summons and driving licence renewals as well as quit rent payments.

“The e-mail, which includes a MyKad-based authentication service layer, ensures that government notices reach the correct recipients and reduces incidence of compromised personal information.”
In a statement yesterday, Khairun said the e-mail was private and not monitored by the Government.
“MyEmail will provide you with the option to enhance the security of your entire session with data encryption.

“Tricubes and Microsoft are working closely to make sure the integrity and confidentiality of the users are ensured.”

Khairun said the venture would generate revenue through value-added services such as advertising, online marketplace, bill and notice presentment.

The company will invest almost RM50mil over the next 10 years with an initial investment of around RM5.3mil.

Corruption: The biggest threat to developing economies

By Geoff Colvin, senior editor at large

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FORTUNE -- "We're thinking of pulling out of Brazil," the CEO of a large American corporation told me a week ago. The company has been operating there for a few years, doing several million dollars of business. The problem? A series of court judgments so inexplicable, and so crushingly expensive, that the CEO doubts his ability to manage the business. He doesn't see how the rulings can be honest -- even former President Luiz Lula da Silva called Brazil's judiciary a "black box" that's "untouchable" -- and if the system doesn't work, this CEO is bailing out.



This is corruption, a problem we'd rather not think about that now threatens the ascension of developing countries into the top tier of world economies. Given its history, optimism on the subject would be foolish. But while the media and Wall Street focus on more tractable issues like inflation and exchange rates, world leaders seem perfectly clear on the greatest threat to the future of the BRICs and other emerging economies. Corruption is the "biggest threat to China," Premier Wen Jiabao told the National People's Congress in March. When U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Russia recently, he cited corruption as the No. 1 impediment to better economic relations and pointedly mentioned Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in custody in 2009 after accusing the police of corruption.

The Rakyat knows the truth:


Selepas Tsunami (After the Tsunami) from Pusat KOMAS on Vimeo.

http://www.africaeconomicanalysis.org/articles/gen/corruptiondikehtm.html
A warning to us in Malaysia!

The problem is not just the petty palm greasing that's common worldwide, though that has its own corrosive effects. Developing-market corruption has reached staggering dimensions. India's telecom ministry apparently siphoned $30 billion from various projects over the past few years. A Russian activist posted online documents apparently showing a $4 billion fraud in a state-run company's trans-Siberian pipeline project. In China a minister overseeing the new high-speed-rail network is accused of skimming $152 million (and maintaining 18 mistresses). The threat is broader than it may seem: Corruption discourages the investments needed for economic progress. In India "high-level corruption and scams are now threatening to derail the country's credibility and [its] economic boom," says a report from KPMG.

The societal effects are subtler and arguably worse. Initiative and ambition shrivel: Why try hard when effort isn't the source of success? Respect for authority evaporates. Anger and resentment build, especially as a society becomes richer and the gulf between ordinary citizens and the officially tolerated crooks grows wider. When Premier Wen declared corruption the biggest threat to China, he wasn't talking about its effect on foreign investors; he's worried about "social stability." He knows that while massive corruption isn't the only grievance of the revolutionaries in North Africa and the Middle East, it's a big one.

Many people shrug at corruption because they figure it's eternal and incurable. Not so. England was deeply corrupt in the 17th century, Sweden in the 19th, notes professor Michael Johnston of Colgate University, a corruption expert. Singapore and Hong Kong virtually eradicated corruption in a generation. Still, reform is extraordinarily hard, he says, especially in big economies where "huge stakes are on the table." Reform "can degenerate into political payback" by the reformers. Where to begin? "One of the best predictors of whether a society will do well on corruption is the strength of property rights," Johnston says. "That's not a bad place to start."

An insidious feature of corruption is that it's hard to talk about. I can't identify the CEO who's thinking of leaving Brazil because doing so could imperil his company's ability to operate there. More generally, accusing people in power is inherently dangerous. Graft operates in the dark. So, like the man looking for his keys under a lamppost not because he lost them there but because the light is better, we focus on economic issues that are rich with statistics and susceptible to math. But we're missing a giant danger. It's naive to think the recent official attention to corruption will amount to much. If it doesn't, the progress of the emerging economies could turn ugly.  

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Biting demand over dog attack; keep stray dogs off the street!

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Victim’s hubby wants RM88,000 paid to SPCA as ‘compensation’

By S. ARULLDAS north@thestar.com.my

NIBONG TEBAL: The husband of the dog bite victim has demanded that RM88,000 be donated to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

Dr Lim Ching Syong, 51, through mediators had told the German Shep-herd owner to pay the amount, which signifies fortune and good luck to the Chinese, to the SPCA or face legal action.

“I do not want to accept the dog owner’s offer to settle my 43-year-old wife’s hospital bill, but I want the money to be paid to the SPCA so that abandoned and stray animals could be taken care of.

“I will not compromise with the dog owner as he had been told many times to chain up his pets,” he told reporters at a press conference after his wife Lee Boon Chen lodged a report at the Simpang Ampat police station yesterday.

Also present was Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) councillor Francis Ong Koon Liak.

The 16-month-old black German Shepherd had allegedly attacked the housewife when she took her pet Shih Tzu to a playground near her house in Taman Bukit Tambun here.



Lee, who was admitted to a private hospital in Bukit Mertajam following the incident on Friday, was discharged on Monday with a bill of RM6,500. She received 12 stitches to close the wounds on her chest.

She said she was still traumatised by the attack, adding that this would take her a long time to recover.
“The owner was accompanying two German Shepherds when one of them attacked me.

“Fortunately, two women with sticks came to my rescue and managed to chase the dog away. I do not blame the dog at all, it is the owner who should be held responsible,” she said in between tears.

Ong, who advised pet owners to obtain licences for their dogs from the MPSP, said pet dogs should always be chained up and not allowed to run free to prevent such incident from recurring.

The German Shepherd has since been taken into custody by the state Veterinary Department for observation. Its behaviour would be noted and the dog also checked for symptoms of rabies such as foaming at the mouth.

The dog will be returned to the owner after 10 days if there’s no sign of the disease.

Council: Keep your pet stray dogs off the streets

By CHRISTOPHER TAN christan@thestar.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: People who take in stray dogs as pets should confine them or face the possibility of the animals being shot or put to sleep.

A spokesperson from the Urban Services, Public Health and Licensing Department said that under the council’s dog licensing by-laws, the council could take action by shooting stray dogs or putting them to sleep if they were found roaming the streets and if there were complaints from residents.

“It is not a problem if people want to take in stray dogs as pets, but these dogs should be confined to the house compound and not cause a nuisance in the neighbourhood,” the spokesperson said.

She was commenting on a complaint to The Star by a college student who was unhappy with several council workers who had removed a six-year-old stray dog and her puppy from his home in Jalan Sungai Emas, Batu Ferringhi, on April 11.

K. Keshure, 19, said both dogs were outside his house when the workers took them away.
He claimed that he had gone to the council to lodge a complaint but was told the dog and the puppy, believed to be three months old, were causing a nuisance in the neighbourhood.

“How can the council take action based on this because I cannot believe that a three-month-old puppy could harm anyone?” he asked.

The council spokesperson said the council workers had gone to the house following complaints that the dogs were chasing motorists in the neighbourhood.

Upon checking, the spokesperson confirmed that both dogs were put to sleep on the same day.

“We are also sure that the puppy was more than three months old as the workers had tried to fit it into a cage made for puppies that age but it was much bigger.

“We would have definitely not put the puppy to sleep if it was three months old or less but sent it to the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals),” the spokesperson said.

SPCA administrator Lily Leng when contacted said dogs which are three months old and above should have a licence.

“The authorities have the right to act if there are any complaints of stray dogs roaming the streets,” she said.

Malaysians of differing global views

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CERITALAH By KARIM RASLAN newsdesk@thestar.com.my



Many Malaysian Chinese have aligned themselves with international trends and developments, especially as Mandarin has been transformed into a global standard challenging the English language.

AS the results of the Sarawak election trickled in on Saturday evening, it became clearer that nothing much was going to change. A solid Barisan Nasional government was returned, with Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud still in control.

Despite the early tweets and SMSes which flew around town implying Pakatan Rakyat was en route to forming the government, Barisan held on to its two-thirds majority, charging in over the last week, thanks to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak leading the campaign on the ground.

However, the victory confirmed one trend – racial polarisation, especially in the political sphere, is on the rise. Support for Sarawak’s Chinese party, SUPP, collapsed as the DAP made a near total sweep of the urban seats.

Of course, Malaysia has always been more an amalgam of tribes and peoples rather than a unified citizenry. We’ve retained our various ethnicities while also being Malaysian.

However, now the differences – especially across the racial divide – are becoming more pronounced, and there is a growing reluctance of the non-Malays to live with and accept Barisan’s version of the “social contract”.

Whether we realise it or not, the gap between us – especially the Malays and the Chinese – is steadily widening, despite our ability to still sit down and talk with one another over lunch or dinner, discussing heated issues such as education and corruption.

However, the common ground is fast disappearing, so much so that when we do talk – and I mean heart-to-heart – many in the Malay community are bewildered and exasperated by the seeming recalcitrance of the Chinese community.

Indeed, I’ve been asked many, many times: “What do the Chinese really want?”

Normally, I find myself answering by saying that I think it’s about dignity, equality and belonging.

Generally, I’ll add that the issues of language and religion will become less heated when we all share the same level of rights.



However, this is not a popular message and I can assure you that it’s difficult for many in the Malay community to accept such a proposition. Luckily, I’m not a politician.

More often than not, I find myself citing the example of the Indonesian Chinese and how, since having been given equal rights, they’ve become extremely proud of being Indonesian.

So what’s behind the hardening of the lines? Why are we drifting apart? Is there a way of bringing the communities back together once again?

First off, we need to acknowledge the extent of the gap between our different world views.

On the one hand, there is the conventional Malaysian Malay perspective which has been shaped by recent political history.

May 13 and the NEP are its totems, and these views have hardened over the years.

On the other hand, many Malaysian Chinese have aligned themselves with international trends and developments.

Mandarin has been transformed into a global standard – arguably challenging the English language’s hegemony, which has made the Chinese community far less isolated and more connected globally.

To my mind, there are parallels between the Malaysian Chinese’s retreat from Barisan and these differing mindsets.

They also suggest a fundamental shift in mood within the community – a shift which has been prompted by global events and sense of confidence arising out of the same events.

In the past, there was a sense of having no options and no alternatives – Malaysia, for better or for worse was stable, secure and safe.

However, times have changed and so have perceptions. It’s not that Malaysia is any less attractive, it’s just that there are now more alternatives.

Separately, the same story also applies for Malaysia as an investment destination – investors can afford to give Malaysia a miss, since there are now other alternatives.

We have to work so much harder to earn the returns we managed back in the 90s. Furthermore, the 2008 global financial crisis has shaken up the global balance of power between the East and West.

China is now the rising power, challenging the post-Cold War dominance of the US. Twenty years ago, Beijing and Shanghai were dingy backwaters.

Now, we are exhorting our children to learn Mandarin, and these two cosmopolitan cities are thriving with powerhouse banks and corporations.

Indeed, Malaysia is not separate and distinct from global trends. China’s extraordinary economic might and increasing global prominence is having an impact not just on our domestic economy but our socio-dynamics too. Similarly, with India.

Therefore, we need to embrace the change and the opportunities instead of rejecting them. Besides, we may have no choice.

Many fall for Aussie job scam

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 Women swindle RM25,350 from 19 victims by promising highly paid work


By Ivan Loh, The Star/Asia News Network

BATU GAJAH: A chance to work in Australia and earn about RM9,000 monthly seemed too good a deal for a labourer to ignore.

It was, however, all a scam as a 26-year-old man from Batu Gajah, who only wanted to be known as Heng, found out when he was cheated of his money by two women.

Fong holding up the police report made by one of the victims of the scam at the Batu Gajah police station
 

Heng said he was introduced to the women who promised him a job as a sheep wool collector in Australia last month.

“One of the them, known as Ann, told me that I only had to pay RM1,650 as deposit for the airfare and they would find me a job there,” he said.

“As they were introduced to me by a friend, I trusted them and paid the money,” he told reporters after lodging a police report on Sunday.

Heng said that Ann later confirmed his flight on April 30. However, she subsequently informed Heng that his flight had been postponed to another date and he was told to wait.


Heng, a renovation worker, said he was later contacted by Ann, saying that the deal was off and his money would be refunded.


“I tried calling her again to enquire when I could get back my money but the calls went unanswered,” he said.

Heng said he hoped the police would look into the matter and pick up the two women for questioning.


“I only want justice to be served on these unscrupulous people. If I can’t get back my money, so be it,” he said.

Heng was among six people, accompanied by Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan, who lodged a report.

Fong said she believed there could be more people who had fallen victim to the two women.

“I was told that 13 others had lodged similar reports earlier this month,” she said, adding that the two women had swindled about RM25,350 from the 19 victims.

“Most of them were promised jobs to work in factories, orchards and farms in Australia.”

Some of the victims were from Sungai Siput, Menglembu, Gopeng, Sitiawan and Chenderong, she added.

When in trouble, tap family power

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I REFER to “Ruthless Ah Long ‘hunting down’ families of defaulters” (The Star, Apr 13). My sympathies to the victim harassed by the Ah Long. She’s already 65 years old and still trying to earn a living selling vegetables.

Her adopted daughter owed the Ah Long around RM100,000. We have all heard how ruthless the Ah Long can be.

I remember the police ran a “Say No to Ah Long” campaign not long ago.

The various municipal councils have also acted by taking down illegal advertising banners and posters put up by Ah Long.

MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong has warned the public many times. I sincerely hope one will think thrice before taking a loan from an Ah Long.

During bad times like the current economic meltdown, financial difficulties arise and affect many.

It’s time to go home. Never underestimate the power of home. As one opens the home door, gradually one can see and feel the power of family.

One’s family members are pillars of support and strength. Family bonds cannot be broken. It runs in our blood forever from generation to generation.



Discuss things with them. Be open. Don’t keep them in the dark. They may be able to help.

Let’s go down the family tree. We see immediate and close relatives. They, too, may be able to assist. Another avenue will be approaching close friends.

Pride, ego and face are not important. Financial problem solving is.

One should never think negatively, that one will lose face or will be looked down on if one needs to borrow money from family members, close relatives and close friends.

Just be grateful if they are willing to help. It’s a crucial option.


One should never take the risk of borrowing from Ah Longs. What if one fails to pay? One can hide forever but what about one’s loved ones?

I recall the song You Are Not Alone. More heads are better than one. Being alone invites hopelessness and helplessness.

EDWARD WONG,
Ipoh.