Saturday, February 13, 2021

What to expect in the Year of the Ox

THE Chinese Zodiac consists of 12 animals that represent certain years. The year of your birth is represented by one of these animals, and according to the Chinese Zodiac, you will have particular personality traits that resemble your assigned animal.

Wondering how your zodiac sign fares during the Year of the Ox? Here’s how you can be well-prepared in 2021 with some guidance from feng shui master Lee Cheng Hoe.

RAT (1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020)

It will be a smoother year for the Rat who is in harmony with the Ox. Your interpersonal relations are greatly enhanced and influential people are happy to help you.

Scholars and academics will do well as Rats will find it easier to acquire new knowledge. Career folk seeking promotions and business owners who are scouting for new avenues must strive to win with their wisdom and wit.

Pay attention to your health and well-being, whether physical or emotional, as you will be plagued by illness stars which may hinder your progress and incur unnecessary expenditure.

OX (1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021)

Changes abound for the Ox who is in direct conflict with the presiding god, so be mentally prepared to face various obstructions and refrain from impulsive actions.

Artistic pursuits and creative ventures are favoured. Career-wise, your talents and excellent work performance get much-deserved recognition.

Remain alert while driving and be extra careful if your work requires dealing with metal objects or operating machinery. You may donate blood to resolve the bloodshed brought about by unlucky stars. Boost auspicious energies with happy events, such as wedding banquets and birthday parties. Avoid funerals and hospitals and other places with negative energies.

TIGER (1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010)

The Tiger benefits greatly from auspicious stars bringing the powerful luck of good relationships and helpful male benefactors such as male family members, relatives, friends, business partners, colleagues, customers and so on.

Those involved in sales, marketing and business development can look forward to success at work and merchants may consider expanding their businesses to overseas markets.

The lucky stars will also benefit the love life of the female Tiger, who is seeking her other half. Singles may look forward to finding a suitable companion. There are indications of happy events such as weddings and the addition of family members.

RABBIT (1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011)

This year, Rabbits have to rely on themselves and complete their tasks independently as they basically have no support from auspicious stars. There is a focus on family health so you should pay particular attention to the wellbeing of elderly family members and take speedy action if there is any indication of health problems which may require immediate medical attention.

If Rabbits wish to enhance their fortune, they may buy a house or redecorate their home or even replace their furniture. Be extra careful when going outdoors. And if you have to drive, do not speed.

DRAGON (1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012)

The Dragon’s good fortune manifests itself in the form of influential female benefactors (ie female family members, relatives, friends, business partners, colleagues, customers, etc). There is also added benefit to the love life of male Dragons who are looking for their significant other. Singles will find it helpful in the development of their relationship with their partner.

Inauspicious quarrelsome stars may amplify your argumentative tendencies, so watch your tongue. Refrain from getting overly involved in other people’s affairs.

Be conservative in wealth management and exercise caution with investments. Avoid travelling to places that are known to be dangerous.

SNAKE (1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013)

A year for the Snake to level up in their career, making it especially conducive to move up the corporate ladder. Your auspicious stars empower you to attain your goals and offer opportunities for career advancement. Your efforts receive due recognition from your bosses.

Civil servants and management personnel can look forward to promotions while scholars and academics will achieve outstanding examination results.

To counter badmouthing and backstabbing by those who are envious of your success, shine a bright light or put a red carpet in the southwest to reduce the negative impact of the inauspicious stars on your reputation.

HORSE (1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014)

It is a joyful time for the Horse, who will enjoy a very colourful social life with plenty of opportunities for merrymaking. This is especially advantageous to Horses who are working in sales and marketing.

Powerful benefactors will lend their support whenever you require help. You will be extraordinarily attractive to the opposite sex.

Singles looking for a life partner can take the opportunity to get hooked up, while those who are married have to guard against getting entangled in undesirable affairs.

Avoid high-risk investments. Pay attention to the health of male elders in your family.

GOAT (1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015)

The Goat will be presented with opportunities for relocation or home ownership. You will also be blessed with benefactors who will help to solve problems on your behalf. It will not be easy for you to accumulate wealth as financial loss is indicated.

Avoid careless or high-risk investments. Just keep your money in a safe place instead. You need to cultivate patience as your luck is not too promising so you will encounter more obstacles which will further complicate matters for you. To help dispel the disturbance caused by inauspicious stars, it is advisable to pray for good fortune.

MONKEY (1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016)

Superb fortune stars shine on the Monkey, bringing a steady rise in career development. This is indicative of a status upgrade to a prominent position, which is most rewarding to office workers and administrative personnel.

There will be ample opportunities for you to demonstrate your myriad talents and leadership abilities.

Also indicated are happy events such as getting married and having babies. Even new relationships develop more quickly.

Refrain from being boastful or showing off too much as it can easily lead to a sudden reversal of fortunes that will leave you depressed and stuck in a rut.

ROOSTER (1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017)

High time for Roosters to shine in leadership roles, particularly those in administrative or management positions. This is a prosperous year with promotions and increments in store, plus promising opportunities for further wealth gain.

Avoid extreme sports such as mountain climbing, skydiving, water skiing and other high-risk physical activities.

You may also be prone to injury due to animal bites or bloodshed caused by metal objects. Be careful on the road. You may donate blood to resolve the bloodshed brought about by unlucky stars.

There will be more ups and downs in your career and love life, so it is important to act cautiously.

DOG (1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018)

The Dog is surrounded by marvellous fortune stars so everything can be settled easily.

Both happiness and wealth are indicated, as well as great potential in your career. You do not have to work too hard as the help you require will come naturally.

Opportunities present themselves, so if you can grasp the good fortune in time and make the effort, you will achieve the recognition you deserve.

As long as you do not commit any offences, your lucky stars will help to transform all bad luck into good fortune. Try to maintain a healthy diet and regular exercise regime.

PIG (1935, 1947, 1959, 1971 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019)

It is a hectic time for the Pig who has to go out and move about frequently for good fortune to manifest.

You will be travelling further distances more often and staying away from home for longer durations.

This frequent change of environment often signifies changing jobs or relocating, studying abroad or working overseas.

Because you are always on the move, do be careful when driving and allow yourself to rest when tired.

To strengthen personal fortune, try to attend festive activities of family and friends that are filled with positive energies. Avoid funerals and hospital visits.

Auspicious acts

How to feng shui your way to success this year.

TO enhance your good fortune this year, there are some things you can do in your home or office, according to feng shui beliefs. Here are some tips from feng shui master Lee Cheng Hoe on how to make the most of the Year of the Ox.

Magnify the lucky stars

There are various auspicious locations in 2021 according to the Annual Flying Star Feng Shui Chart. You are in luck if your bedroom, main door, office or shop is located in any of them. But there are also ways to increase your good fortune.

The West is where the Number 8 White (Earth) Annual Star is located. As we are presently in Period 8, the Number 8 Star is the best of all as it is the current wealth location.

Activate it using a fan or clock to stimulate the flow of auspicious energies. Further enhance the qi with a treasure bowl full of crystals. Install a ‘moving water’ feature to energise it for added prosperity.

In the South is the Number 1 White (Water) Annual Star which is good for wealth, love and career. Activate it using a water feature. Those who wish to find a partner, enhance their sales volume or increase their wealth should utilise this sector.

The Number 6 White (Metal) Annual Star in the Centre is conducive towards career advancement and brings windfalls and other indirect wealth opportunities. Energise it using a crystal ball with Six Emperor Coins. Spend more time here if you wish to increase your chances of striking the lottery.

The Number 9 Purple (Fire) Annual Star at the Northeast brings good news or happy events such as getting married or having a baby. It is also the secondary wealth sector. Enhance your good fortune using nine pots of plants or nine bamboo plants secured with a red ribbon. Also, shine a bright light and place a red carpet there too.

Those who wish to have a baby should spend more time here and keep the area well activated. Note that the Northeast is the location for the Grand Duke (Tai Sui) as well this year, hence no renovations, knocking or breaking of walls should be done in this area.

The Number 4 Green (Wood) Annual Star in the East makes it the best place for scholastic achievement and is particularly good for brainstorming and decision-making. Utilise this sector for a better relationship among couples or to enhance potential romantic encounters. Activate it with Wen Fang Si Bao (Four Treasures of the Study) or a Wen Chang pagoda or put four bamboo plants in a vase filled with water.

Take note that the Three Killings (feng shui afflictions) is also in the East this year, but that can be remedied with three small Qi Lin (Chinese unicorn or dragon horse) to reduce the negative impact.

Suppress negative energies

Fret not if you are currently stuck in an unfavourable location. To reduce the impact of the inauspicious stars, Master Lee recommends some steps that you can take.

The Number 5 Yellow (Earth) Annual Star in the Southeast makes it the worst location and the most dangerous sector. No renovations, hammering or breaking of walls in this area should be done.

Beware of accidents and obstacles. Remedy with Fortune Water (also known as An Ren Shui or salt water cure), but be careful not to have ‘moving water’ features there. Avoid having any red-coloured objects in this area.

The Number 7 (Metal) Annual Star in the Northwest makes it a hotspot for arguments, theft, robberies and health issues. Suppress the negative energies using a glass of water with coarse salt.

The Number 2 Black (Earth) Annual Star at the North sector triggers illness and loss of wealth besides making it the place where unwanted spirits like to gather. Remedy using Fortune Water or Five Emperor Coins or a Bronze Dragon Turtle.

The Number 3 Jade (Wood) Annual Star at the Southwest sparks constant arguments, and in extreme cases, may lead to lawsuits. Remedy with a red-coloured object such as a red carpet, red light or red sofa. The Southwest is also in direct conflict with the Grand Duke, hence avoid renovations, or the hammering or breaking of walls there.

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Thursday, February 11, 2021

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CNY reunion dinner: Toss the fish for an ox-spicious start

An Ox-spicious Spring at Furama this Chinese New Year

That’s something we can do at home to welcome the Year of the Ox and still have ‘din-dining’ fun with a bit pre-recorded help.

IT’S going to be a cheap Chinese New Year. For one thing, I haven’t even gone to the bank to get new notes for ang pow. Since I won’t be visiting or expecting visitors, there’s no point in preparing the red envelopes.

Despite the amended SOP allowing 15 family members within 10km radius to attend, my reunion dinner will be kept to just seven of us – including my maid – living in the same house. My sisters will not be able to return from Sydney or Singapore this time.

I have hung up my red lanterns, traditional decorative knots, set up vases of pussy willow, silk peonies and peach blossoms and bought baskets of mandarin oranges to make the house more festive.

But there is a hollowness to it. No one has been feeling bullish ever since our infection rates spiked dramatically and the movement control order was reimposed and now extended.

As for the reunion dinner, no one feels like having the traditional steamboat which is best eaten with lots of people. So we will tapau salted egg crabs from our favourite seafood restaurant and I will add a few home-cooked dishes.

Our lou sang dish will be made with the store-bought pickled and preserved ingredients as well as freshly grated daikon, carrots, pomelo and Korean pear. Instead of raw salmon, I am going to try it with unagi, Japanese grilled eel.

This is the thing I miss most this CNY: not being able to meet friends for lunch and dinner and noisily toss the fish. In previous years, I could happily lou sang at least half a dozen times.

My sister who lives in Singapore told me the government has taken a different approach. Dining-in at restaurants is allowed but with strict instructions how it should be done.

She says diners aren’t allowed to remove their face masks except to eat and drink. They put the masks back on to chat after the eating is done.

That is actually the right thing to do. We relaxed our restrictions to allow dining and we assumed we were somehow safe to strip off the mask because we are eating and or drinking. Well, serves our ignorance right. That is probably one of the causes of infections going up and spreading into the community.

I learned of a case in Seoul involving two Covid-19 positive people sitting in a coffee outlet. They were asymptomatic and were in the shop for hours, working on their laptops, sipping their coffee with their masks off.

By doing so, they became super-spreaders to many others who were also unmasked and sharing the same enclosed space. What is interesting and telling is that none of the waiters and staff who were masked all the time got infected.

That’s why Singapore’s Health Ministry’s SOP for diners this CNY is as follows:

“Those who are dining out should make sure they wear a mask if they are not eating or drinking. We already do not allow singing (including by diners) and other live performances at F&B establishments and work-related events where food is served.

“Diners should also avoid raising their voices, at all times. This also means that face masks must be worn during the tossing of yusheng (raw fish), and that the lohei (tossing of the fish and the other ingredients in the dish) should be done without any verbalisation of the usual auspicious phrases.

“F&B establishments and enterprises serving lohei must ensure that both the staff and patrons comply with these requirements.”

That does take the joy and fun out of the lohei ritual because we loud, noisy Chinese do love “din-dining” but there is a good reason for the ban. Research already shows that when we sing or shout, our spit droplets fly much wider and further.

But an enterprising Singaporean vlogger has loaded a video on YouTube entitled Auspicious Lohei Sayings and Prosperous Wishes With One Minute of Huat Ahh! that you can play for some festive noise.

I think it’s a good idea to resort to playing the video even when we lohei at home with family members.

If you are not happy with the video’s sound effect, I suppose you can prerecord your own auspicious phrases with CNY music in the background and maybe the sound of firecrackers going off too.

Singapore’s SOP goes further: Since Jan 26, “To further mitigate the risk of large community clusters arising from infections that spread within a household and through them to all their contacts, we will impose a cap of eight distinct visitors per household per day. Individuals should also limit themselves to visiting at most two other households a day, as much as possible.”

As my sister mused, is this enforceable? Probably not. That’s why the SOP appeals to everyone to cooperate with the new measures.

That’s the best all of us, whether in Singapore, Petaling Jaya or Sydney, can do. Respect proper mask wearing, maintain physical distancing and spend as little time as possible in one place, especially if it’s an enclosed space. Avoid crowds and wash those hands frequently!

Meanwhile, like everyone else, I will breathe a sigh of relief on Friday when we see the last of the Rat and we usher in the Year of the Niu. Niu is the Chinese character that generally refers “to cows, bulls, or neutered types of the bovine family, such as common cattle or water buffalo”, says Wikipedia.

Somehow, when it comes to naming the Chinese new year, the English translation of niu is ox and not cow or bull. We don’t say “year of the cow” or “bull”.

Yet, the popular image of the niu depicted on greeting cards and ang pow envelopes, of mall decorations, is that of a bull poised to charge with mighty horns, full of power and virility.

Indeed, the bull figures in many cultures, worshipped as a god and the ancestor of kings in several ancient civilisations.

But it is the domesticated, humble cow/bull/ox that has served humankind much more. For thousands of years, as oxen, they have been harnessed to plough fields, thresh and grind grain, pull carts and other heavy loads. For that purpose, oxen are usually castrated – and therefore more docile – cattle. As cows, they provided milk and as cattle, were slaughtered for their meat and hides.

In Chinese culture, the niu is seen as good-natured, hard-working, dependable and associated with good harvests and fertility. It has been anthropomorphised to have the qualities of gentleness, loyalty and trustworthiness.

According to Jupiter Lai, a Chinese astrologer quoted by The Japan Times, 2021 is the Year of the Metal Ox with the earth element, “representing stability and nourishment” which is exactly what the world needs now.

The world was driven crazy by the devious Rat whose year was fuelled by its yang energy. The Ox will bring in much needed yin energy to calm things down. At least that’s what the fortunetellers are saying. And very carefully at that.

I actually find it quite amusing that all the feng shui and Chinese horoscope websites seem to be very cautious in predicting what’s in store in 2021. I know of none who got it right for 2020.

Even without the soothsayers telling us, we know there will be long and difficult months ahead. But for the next week or two, let’s try to uplift our spirits, give thanks for a brand new year and pray for everyone’s health.

Stay vigilant! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

By June H.L. Wong -The views expressed here are the writer’s own.

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Sunday, February 7, 2021

Changing with the times: Malaysian Chinese associations need to reinvent themselves

Countries since independence with a young history (less than 500 years) tend to have a vast number of naturalised citizens. The United States, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia are just some of the countries that gain independence from the colonial master at that time, Great Britain. Citizens by law have sworn allegiance to the country that hey live in and they have to abide by the laws of the country.

IN the blink of an eye, I turned 60 last year. I was born in 1960, just three years after Merdeka. I have been a Malaysian citizen from birth whereas my brother, who was born eight years earlier, had to go through a naturalisation process, from a red identity card to blue identity card to finally a naturalised citizen of Malaysia.

My father went through the same process even though he emigrated from China to Malaya in the 1930s. My mother was born in Jasin, Melaka, in the late 1920s and she too had to go through the process to become a naturalised citizen.

Countries since independence with a young history (less than 500 years) tend to have a vast number of naturalised citizens. The United States, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia are just some of the countries that gain independence from the colonial master at that time, Great Britain.

Nobody can force a citizen to leave the country but citizens can make personal choices should they decide to leave and emigrate to another country. Citizens leave because of economic or political reasons, and to escape domestic civil wars.

As a country that embraces democracy, Malaysian citizens above 18 years old have the right to vote.

One citizen, one vote. Voting trends in Malaysia since independence have been by race, for example, a Malay candidate for a Malay majority constituency and so forth.

If this voting trend continues, we will continue to see the same composition of politicians by race in our Parliament in the future.

Due to slower growth rate and naturalisation policies, the minority Chinese and Indians have, by percentage to population, been on a reducing trajectory – the Chinese from 37% in 1957 to 22% in 2020 and to 18% by 2040.

It is inevitable that there will be a diminishing Chinese voice in Parliament.

With a diminishing influence in the decision making of government policies, minority communities will face diminishing share of economic and educational opportunities in this country.

What then can the diminishing minority communities do to ensure a fair share of economic and educational opportunities for the next 60 years?

As a Malaysian Chinese going into my twilight years, I have no answer to this dilemma.

Perhaps the Chinese community, especially the younger generation, would like to start a conversation on this topic.

My only advice is that the conversation tone must be positive and reconciliatory and not confrontational. It must be a win-win strategy, never a zero-sum game.

The conversation should be centered on self help within the community if no help is seen coming. The dialogue must be about the Malaysian Chinese investing their loyalty into this country in the hope of a brighter future.

The discussion must focus on helping the poor of all races and to bridge the gap between rich and poor Malaysians. Only then will we have a stable and just society.

Lending a helping hand

Most immigrants from China in the early 1900s were housed, fed and given a job by their clansman upon arriving at the shores of Malaya. They were identified by their village, district, province and by their spoken dialects.

As such, in Malaya then and Malaysia until the 1990s, you can still identify the dialects with the trade and concentrated communities of the same province in particular towns.

Till today, the older generation of the same dialects share a special friendship-bond as it was with their forefathers

These individual communities then set up associations by dialect, first in townships and then grew into a national association. Leaders of the association were normally business and academic leaders of the community.

The associations helped their members (mostly uneducated) to deal with government matters, for example land matters, and offered scholarships to bright students as well as financial and welfare assistance to the poor and the elderly.

The various associations and the local rich donated to build schools and temples.

Like all associations and societies, sustainability over the long term depends on new membership enrollments.

But the younger generation has no interest in joining and now the association’s role in the community is diminishing as well.

How can these associations reinvent themselves to play the community leader role again, especially in this pandemic recession? Offering refuge to their clansman or the poor Chinese community at large like before?

Many unemployed families are having reduced or no income and have problems putting food on the the tables and paying rent for a roof over their heads.

Can the association and the immediate community distribute foodstuff to these families like the Foodbank model in the US? These people have no place to turn to.

The Chinese community leaders can play a bigger role in protecting the welfare of the Chinese community.

When no help is forthcoming, the leaders must step up, the younger generation must participate and contribute in whatever ways they can to help the community and that no clansman goes hungry and is left behind.

In my next article, I would like to discuss about education and career choices for the new generation of Chinese youth.

I would like to start a conversation about our Chinese SMEs who are suffering in silence and in clear desperation of financial assistance. I welcome all positive recommendations and ideas and you can write to starbiz@thestar.com.my. In the meantime, help your community by buying from your local SMEs and hawkers. Help the elderly and the poor by whatever means possible. Let us build a caring and supportive community.

That will be a good start. One small step towards the next 60-year journey.

by Tan Thiam Hock is an entrepreneur. Views expressed here are the writer’s own.

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Friday, February 5, 2021

26.5 million Malayians to get jab

Largest immunisation plan in nation’s history to end the war

Malaysia to start COVID-19 vaccinations by February end

We are targeting as much as 80% of the population or 26.5 million Malaysians to receive the vaccine free of charge.- Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

The country will embark on its largest ever immunisation programme, involving some 80% of Malaysians, when free Covid-19 vaccines roll out at the end of the month, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Prime Minister also warns that stricter enforcement and harsher penalties – including jail terms – will be imposed on anyone who flouts pandemic regulations.

PETALING JAYA: The country will embark on its largest ever immunisation effort when the national Covid-19 vaccination programme, targeting some 26.5 million Malaysians, rolls out at the end this month, says Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“We are targeting as much as 80% of the population or 26.5 million Malaysians to receive the vaccine free of charge,” he said in a special live address yesterday.

He said the first batch of vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech would be arriving soon, describing this as a “ray of hope” for the nation in its fight against the virus.

“The first phase of the immunisation programme will involve the vaccination of 500,000 medical and non-medical frontliners, which is expected to be completed by April,” he said.

The second phase, he added, would involve those in high-risk groups such as those 60 years and above, with heart ailments or high blood pressure, were obese or diabetic, and the disabled.

“A total of 9.4 million people (from high-risk groups) is expected to receive the vaccine under the second phase from April to August,” he added.

Muhyiddin said that the third phase would involve the rest, aged 18 and above, with vaccinations to be carried out from May this year to February next year.

“The national Covid-19 immunisation programme is the largest vaccination programme ever to be carried out in the country.

“I call on all Malaysians to mobilise available efforts and resources to ensure the success of the programme.

“We are all in this together, and only together can we win,” he said.

He stressed that the vaccination programme was crucial as it would help the country develop herd immunity, which would bring the pandemic under control.

Muhyiddin added some 600 storage and vaccination centres would be opened nationwide for the programme.

He said that authorities would rely on the Emergency Ordinance 2021 to temporarily use halls and other facilities for the vaccination rollout.

He also promised that more details on the immunisation programme such as registration, location of vaccination centres and related information, would be made known in due time.

Muhyiddin said that Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has been tasked with overseeing the programme to allow the Health Ministry to focus on healthcare services in fighting the pandemic.

On a separate matter, Muhyiddin said that private hospitals had stepped forward to contribute 1,409 beds to help treat Covid-19 patients, which would ease the pressure on government hospitals, and 1,344 of these beds would be in regular wards and 65 in intensive care units (ICUs).

He added that the Health Ministry also set RM27mil to work with 31 private hospitals to outsource the treatment of non-Covid-19 patients.

Muhyiddin also said that concerted efforts would be made among public and private medical laboratories to increase Covid-19 screening capacity.

Currently, he said 68 government and public laboratories had the capacity to carry out 76,000 Covid19 tests daily.

He added that 16 former National Servive and Kem Wawasan camps would be temporarily turned into detention and quarantine centres for illrgal immigrationys and inmates to lessen overcrowing.

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Thursday, February 4, 2021

Ex-AG says Mahathir’s monumental betrayal made way for Trump-like Muhyiddin

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Publisher to sue anyone sharing PDF copy of Tommy Thomas ...

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In new memoir, ex-AG reveals Dr M wanted him out after Malay backlash

A “monumental betrayal” by Mahathir Mohamad led to a “kakistrocracy” formed by Muhyiddin Yassin, says Tommy Thomas. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Former attorney general Tommy Thomas has harsh words for Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whose resignation as prime minister in February 2020 paved the way for Muhyddin Yassin to take power.

In an epilogue to his recently-published memoirs, Thomas described Mahathir’s resignation as “a monumental betrayal”.

In a Churchillian turn of phrase, Thomas said: “Seldom in our nation’s history have so many million voters been let down by the actions of one man.”

Mahathir resigned on Feb 24, causing the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government two years after it came to power in the 2018 general election. His resignation led the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to seek a new prime minister and cabinet from members of Parliament.

Muhyiddin was appointed five days later after the King consulted political leaders to determine who commanded a majority in the Dewan Rakyat. He formed a government of parties in the Perikatan Nasional coalition.

Thomas said the formation of the new government “by a coalition of Malay-centric parties that proudly proclaim their race and religion” had brought disastrous consequences to multi-racial Malaysia.

He compared Muhyiddin Yassin to former US president Donald Trump, saying they both represented the rise to power of those lacking credibility and principle.

Both Muhiddin and Trump represented the modern ‘”kakistocracy”, he said, using a term invented in 17th century England to mean “government by the worst; to describe the political rise of the least qualified or most unscrupulous”.

Calling it a “misgovernment for profit”, Thomas said the kakistocracy served a political agenda – the shameless pursuit of hate politics: (Trump’s) America First, or the Malay/Muslim Agenda of the PN government.

He also said that Trump displayed “dictatorial conduct” during his tenure, disregarding conventions, norms and even legal requirements. Malaysia’s opposition parties have used similar terms against Muhyiddin after his government declared a state of emergency.

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Najib threatens to sue Tommy Thomas

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Why Europe gravitates away from US to Eastern power center: Martin Jacques

What will happen to Europe? Will it continue with a broadly pro-American orientation, or will it pursue an increasingly independent position?

Either way, the consequences will be far-reaching. At the heart of the West lie the US and Europe. If Europe seeks a more autonomous role, then the West will be seriously weakened.

The end of the Cold War marked a major moment in US-Europe relations. Europe was no longer dependent on the US for its defense and ever since, slowly but remorselessly, a growing distance has opened up between them. This was accelerated by two key events ̶ the US invasion of Iraq, opposed by most Europeans, and the Donald Trump phenomenon, which most Europeans found beyond the pale.

President Joe Biden wants to mend the fences and return to something closer to the pre-Trump relationship. He may have some success because, unlike Trump, Biden will seek to befriend rather than castigate Europe. But there will be no simple return to the pre-Trump era: too much has happened, too much has changed.

A recent opinion poll by the European Council on Foreign Relations across 11 European countries reveals what can only be described as a sea-change in European attitudes in the post-Trump era. Six in 10 Europeans believe that the US political system is broken and that China will become a stronger power than the US in the next10 years. A majority now want their country to remain neutral in any conflict between the US and China.

A majority of Germans believe that, after voting for Trump in 2016, Americans can no longer be trusted; across Europe likewise more people agreed than disagreed with this statement. The survey grouped the respondents into four categories. The smallest, 9 percent of the total, believed that the EU was broken and the US would bounce back. A second group, around 20 percent of the total, believed that both the US and the EU would continue to thrive. A third group, 29 percent of the total, thought that both the US and the EU were broken and declining. A fourth group, 35 percent of the total, believed that the EU was healthy, but the US was broken. The latter two groups, almost two-thirds of the total, expected that the US would soon be displaced by China.

There has clearly been a profound shift in European attitudes consequent upon the decline of the West since the 2008 financial crisis, the Trump presidency and the rise of China. These, we must remind ourselves, are very recent developments which have happened with remarkable speed. Far from reinforcing the Atlantic alliance and the relationship with the US, their main impact on Europeans has been to weaken those bonds, elicit a growing acknowledgement that the world has changed profoundly and foster a belief that Europe needs to be more independent. Of course, these trends are still young and fluid. Many conflicting forces are at work with attitudes ebbing and flowing both within and between countries. Criticism of China has grown apace in the recent period in Europe, as it has in the US. But there is one fundamental difference. While the US is bent on defending its global primacy, Europe long ago abandoned any such pretensions, thereby greatly reducing the sources of friction and animosity between it and China in comparison with the US.

The survey reveals that by far the dominant trend is toward a more independent-minded Europe, a growing skepticism about the US and a sign of recognition that China will soon become the dominant power in the world. The European leader who most symbolizes this outlook, and has pioneered this way of thinking, is German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The recently agreed EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, very much in Merkel's image, is a powerful demonstration of the EU's willingness to pursue its own independent relationship with China rather than following the Americans.

The trend toward a growing distance between Europe and the US will be slow, tortuous, conflict-riddled, and painful. Europe has looked westward across the Atlantic ever since Christopher Columbus. It was European settlers who colonized Northeast America and subsequently established the US. The latter was a European creation which over time was to outperform its ancestral continent. If Europe colonized much of the world, the post-1945 world order was a Western creation, with the US the dominant partner and Europe very much a junior partner. In sum, an enormous historical, intellectual, political and cultural hinterland binds the US and Europe together. But we are now in new territory. American decline means that it has increasingly less to offer Europe.

The gravitational pull of China, and Asia more generally, is drawing Europe eastward. Nothing illustrates this phenomenon better than the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. Slowly but surely, bit by bit, Europe is becoming more and more involved ̶ first the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, then Portugal, Greece and Italy, and others over time will in all likelihood follow. What drew Europe westward is now drawing it eastward: the centre of gravity of the global economy, once in the west, is now in the east.

The author was until recently a Senior Fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University. He is a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua University and a Senior Fellow at the China Institute, Fudan University. Follow him on twitter @martjacques. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn

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Europe goes its own way on China

EVER since Joe Biden won the US presidency, the rhetoric from Europe’s leaders has been filled with anticipation of a new transatlantic dawn. With Donald Trump out of the White House, Europe signalled that it would again link arms with America, bound by common ideals and a firm resolve to “save the world from its bad angels”.

“The United States is back. And Europe stands ready,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had declared on Biden’s inauguration day.

But given the opportunity in recent weeks to show the Biden administration it was serious about geostrategic collaboration, Europe opted instead to “show Washington the finger”, said Politico.

According to the political journal, a consensus has emerged among transatlantic strategic thinkers in recent years that the West faces two major threats to its security: old nemesis Russia and China, the global power the US sees as the much greater challenge over the long term.

As White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: “Beijing is now challenging our security, prosperity and values in significant ways that require a new US approach.”

But Europe appears to have its own ideas, as seen in how the regional bloc has continued to pursue its own course on China in the face of American reservations.

In late December, for example, the European Union agreed to a landmark investment pact with China, ignoring objections from across the Atlantic and requests from the Biden camp to hold off until the new administration was in office.

Then at the the Davos World Economic Forum last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected calls for Europe to pick sides between the US and China, in a nod to the plea made by Chinese President Xi Jinping a day earlier.

While Biden is looking to group together democracies to contain China, Merkel was pointedly wary about the formation of factions.

“I would very much wish to avoid the building of blocs,” said Merkel. “I don’t think it would do justice to many societies if we were to say this is the United States and over there is China and we are grouping around either the one or the other. This is not my understanding of how things ought to be.”

Referring to Xi’s speech at the same forum, Merkel said: “The Chinese president spoke yesterday, and he and I agree on that. We see a need for multilateralism.”

Merkel is far from alone in Europe in not wanting to join a more robust US approach toward Beijing. Paris and Rome broadly share Merkel’s position.

On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron echoed Merkel’s statement that the EU shouldn’t gang up on China with the US, even if it stands closer to Washington by virtue of shared values.

“A situation to join all together against China, this is a scenario of the highest possible conflictuality. This one, for me, is counterproductive,” Macron said during a discussion broadcast by Washington-based think tank the Atlantic Council.

This kind of common front against China risks pushing Beijing to lower its cooperation on issues like combating climate change, added the French president.

Macron was the first European leader to make it a point to engage with China as a European bloc by including Merkel and then-EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker during a bilateral visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to France in March 2019.

Macron and European partners didn’t share the Trump administration’s outwardly aggressive stance on China, instead theorising that it was at once a “partner, competitor and systemic rival.”

And now it looks like they do not want to go back to the “old normal” either, where US led in the us-versus-them global politics.

Whether Europe’s decision to effectively de-couple from the US foreign policy agenda before Biden’s administration has really even begun is born out of a desire to achieve the dream of “strategic autonomy,” concern that Donald Trump could return in four years, or some combination thereof may not matter in the end.

As the strategic rivalry between the US and China comes into focus, Europe is adamant to stay on the sidelines and remain neutral. – Agencies

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Saturday, January 30, 2021

Block out background Zoom noise

Bothered by the background noise of Zoom calls? Here’s how to block it out

Block the background racket on Zoom calls by using noise-cancelling software instead of noise-canceling microphones. — Dreamstime/TNS

https://youtu.be/w7du4bng31I

Teachers on Zoom calls with students ages five to eight who are at home or in daycare might find this a familiar bugbear: the sounds of other children, siblings, parents and barking dogs.

The students have noise-canceling headphones that block the noise for them, but not so much the teachers.

In addition, some students use iPads that have a plug for their headphones but no plug for a noise-cancelling external microphone (headphones that include microphones are expensive).

If this is what you’re facing, block the background racket by using noise-cancelling software instead of noise-canceling microphones.

There are two types of this software: The Zoom video call app, which has controls for cancelling out background noise at the student’s end of the conversation, and third-party programs for your computer that cancel out student background noise before the sound plays through your computer’s speaker.

In order to use the Zoom noise-cancelling feature, your students must connect to the call via the Zoom app on their iPads (as opposed to connecting without the app through the Zoom website).

In addition, an adult must examine the app’s settings to make sure they aren’t set to “original sound”, which means background noise is not filtered out. Toggling off “original sound” automatically turns on background noise cancellation. (For directions, clic here.)

Unfortunately, the noise-cancellation feature in the iPad Zoom app has its limits. Unlike the computer app, the iPad app doesn’t let you adjust to block specific types of sounds. It also doesn’t allow noise cancellation to be increased or decreased.

A better solution may be to download a third-party noise-cancellation program to the PC or Mac that you use for Zoom sessions. The app most suited to your needs is probably Krisp, which can filter out student background noise before you hear it. Krisp is free to use for up to 120 minutes a week; unlimited use costs US$5 (RM20) a month. (See details here and downloads here). – Star Tribune (Minneapolis)/Tribune News Service