country:malaysia

Réunion des ministres de la défense des pays de l’ASEAN plus É.-U. : #MH370 qu’aurait-on pu/dû faire ?

U.S. eyes lessons learned from Malaysia jet at Asia defense talks | Reuters
▻http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/02/us-malaysia-airlines-usa-idUSBREA3106A20140402

Hagel did not direct blame at Malaysia, which has sent its defense chief to Hagel’s three-day gathering of ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). But he portrayed the search for the jetliner as a learning opportunity.

“There’s always lessons to be learned,” Hagel told reporters traveling with him.

“We’re going to go back, the Malaysians will go back, all the ASEAN nations will go back and walk through this. What could have been done? Maybe what should have been done?”

http://i.imgur.com/mRamFmw.jpg

Alas it is a fake.

For Myanmar Muslim Minority, No Escape From Brutality - NYTimes.com

▻http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/15/world/asia/trapped-between-home-and-refuge-burmese-muslims-are-brutalized.html?emc=edi

HAT YAI, Thailand — He had already endured a treacherous journey down the Bay of Bengal, squeezed in the belly of a fishing trawler, then squashed in a pickup truck as it hurtled down Thailand’s southern coast. Malaysia, his final destination, was tantalizingly close.

http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/03/15/world/15rohingya1/15rohingya1-master675-v2.jpg

But under the towering trees of a rubber plantation, the smuggler who had brought Abdul Musid, a 30-year-old from Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority, this far made a new demand: Pay more or be left behind. When Mr. Musid pleaded that he had no more money, the smuggler kicked him in the groin and left him for dead.

#birmanie #minorités #violence

Erdogan plan to curb judiciary powers slammed as “unconstitutional”
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/turkish-judiciary-slams-unconstitutional-government-plan-curb-its

http://english.al-akhbar.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/4cols/leading_images/966034-01-08.jpg

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a joint press conference at the prime minister’s office in Malaysia’s administrative capital in Putrajaya on January 10, 2014. (Photo: AFP - Mohd Rasfan)

#turkey's top judicial body hit back Friday at the government’s plans to curb its powers, adding fuel to a bitter row over a vast corruption probe engulfing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The proposed reforms, to be debated in parliament later Friday, would give the justice ministry more powers to decide who makes up the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) and strip the legal body of its powers to pass decrees. The changes were slapped down by the judicial body itself as unconstitutional, while the United States and the European Union (...)

#Top_News

Norwegian Oil Money in Dirty Business | oaklandinstitute.org
▻http://www.oaklandinstitute.org/norwegian-oil-money-dirty-business

On October 14, 2013, the Norwegian Ministry of Finance announced its decision to exclude two Malaysian logging companies, WTK Holdings Berhad and Ta Ann Holdings Berhad, from its Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) portfolio. Its decision, based on the recommendation made by the Council on Ethics in June and December, 2012 (see here also), has been hailed internationally, given the severe environmental damage caused by the two companies on the island of Borneo, Malaysia.
...
But is the Norwegian GPFG really as responsible as it is believed to be? Is it safeguarding the values of the Norwegian people?
...
What also remains unknown to many is that the GPFG owns equities in a number of companies that have been heavily criticized for unethical and environmentally unsound practices, one of them being Monsanto, where it owns $385 million worth of equities. Monsanto is internationally opposed for being at the forefront in the development and promotion of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and for its notorious practice of suing hundreds of small family farmers in the US whose fields have been contaminated by Monsanto seeds.
...
Furthermore, the GPFG invests in 90 of the 100 largest oil companies in the world, and 68 of the 100 largest coal companies. This contradicts the Norwegian government’s stated goal of fighting climate change. One such investment includes Royal Dutch Shell, a company harshly criticized by the UN for causing severe damage to the environment and the people of the Niger delta over the last 50 years.

#Norvège #éthique_en_toc #énergie signalé par @fil

US, Australia isolated in TPP negotiations
▻http://wikileaks.org/US-Australia-isolated-in-TPP.html

Throughout the text it is clear that on the contentious issues, Australia’s position is closely aligned with the US. Australia and the US are the only two countries to object to a proposal to limit Internet service providers’ liability in relation to copyright infringement, a proposal supported by the remaining countries (minus Japan which does not express its position). Malaysia and New Zealand both oppose provisions that would force ISPs to filter or block access to ’repeat infringers’ of copyright. New Zealand’s proposals have strong support from Malaysia (115) and Chile (114).

3.5 million ha of Indonesian and Malaysian forest converted for palm oil in 20 years
▻http://news.mongabay.com/2013/1112-palm-oil-data.html

Some 3.5 million hectares (8.7 million acres) of forest in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea was converted for oil palm plantations between 1990 and 2010, finds a comprehensive set of assessments released by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

– 37 percent of all plantations established during the period came at the expense of forests [...]. The share of deforestation for oil palm plantations has actually risen in recent years, from 20 percent between 2001 and 2005 to 36 percent between 2006 and 2010 (it was 48 percent in the 1990s). The finding shouldn’t be too surprising given the rise in palm oil prices since the earlier period.

– Nonetheless forest hasn’t been the primary target for expansion: a larger area of oil palm plantations was established in place of agroforests and rubber plantations, especially in Sumatra (59 percent) and Peninsular Malaysia (44 percent).

– The studies found only a relatively small area of plantations - about 15 percent - were established on peatlands , but this conversion had a disproportionate impact on greenhouse gas emissions since drainage of peat soils releases large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.

#déforestation #huile_de_palme #Indonésie #Malaisie #Papouasie_Nouvelle_Guinée

#Saudi_Arabia releases journalist jailed for „#blasphemy”
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/saudi-arabia-releases-journalist-jailed-blasphemy

A Saudi blogger jailed in 2012 for publishing an imaginary conversation with Islam’s #Prophet_Mohammad on Twitter walked free early on Tuesday, his friend and a lawyer said, though there was no comment from the government. Hamza Kashgari fled Saudi Arabia for Malaysia in February last year after his tweets enraged some conservative Muslims and triggered death threats. He was extradited back to the kingdom days later and imprisoned. “He was freed this morning,” the 24-year-old’s friend told (...)

#Top_News

Wikipedia China Becomes Front Line for Views on Language and Culture - NYTimes.com
▻http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/28/technology/wikipedia-china-becomes-front-line-for-views-on-language-and-culture.html?p

Today, the site has five settings: simplified Chinese for mainland China; orthodox Chinese for Taiwan; traditional Chinese for Hong Kong; traditional Chinese for Macau; and simplified Chinese for Singapore and Malaysia.

#Chine #Wikipedia @mb

Analysis: North Korea’s proposed special economic zones | NK News – North Korea News

▻http://www.nknews.org/2013/10/analysis-north-koreas-proposed-special-economic-zones

The DPRK convened what it called an International Conference on SEZ (Special Economic Zone) Development at the Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang from October 16 to October 17, 2013.

http://www.nknews.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/special-economic-zones-dprk.jpg

The conference, organized by the Korea Economic Development Association and which included at least one foreign organizer, Professor Park Kyung-ae of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, gathered 60 DPRK specialists along with academics from the China, India, Vietnam, the United States, Canada and Malaysia (which has a visa-free travel agreement with the DPRK).

#corée_du_nord

A Joint Appeal to Sunnis and Shias

S. Muhammad Khatami President of the Islamic Republic Of Iran (1997-2005)

Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad Prime Minister of Malaysia (1998-2003)
▻http://www.iranreview.org/content/Documents/A-Joint-Appeal-to-Sunnis-and-Shias.htm

We, the undersigned, are greatly saddened by the violence and bloodshed which have characterised Sunni-Shia relations over time. Thousands have been killed in feuds between the two, mostly in certain Muslim countries. It is tragic that many innocent women and children have been among the victims.
Sunni-Shia animosity and antagonism have clearly weakened the Muslim ummah. It has made us more vulnerable to the manipulations and machinations of outside elements determined to subvert the unity and integrity of the ummah. It has allowed those who seek to establish their hegemonic power over us to succeed in their objectives.
It is indisputable that Sunni-Shia antagonism and conflicts which have resulted in massacres have tarnished the image and dignity of the ummah in the eyes of the world. Few other occurences in recent times have had such a negative impact.
We appeal to all Sunnis and Shias, bound as we are by the same faith in Allah, guided by the same Noble Quran, honouring the same last Messenger of Allah, and facing the same Kiblah, to desist from massacring and the killing one another immediately.

Myanmar’s Muslims: Kicked in the teeth | The Economist

▻http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2013/05/myanmars-muslims?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/bl/kickedintheteeth

I AM in Malaysia for the election on May 5th, and up here in the north of the country quite a lot of the political to-and-fro is about political Islam. The opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (better known as PAS) is strong up here in states like Kedah, so the ruling coalition Barisan Nacional is trying to scare people off voting for them by claiming that, if they were to be elected nationally, they would force the opposition coalition into turning Malaysia into an extremist Muslim state. It’s a lame old tactic, but still seems to find some traction.

A fellow-member of ASEAN, Myanmar, is wrestling with its own Islamic problem, but in a much more volatile and blood-soaked manner. This week saw another nasty outbreak of violence between Burman Buddhists and Muslims in central Myanmar, this time in a village called Oakka. It was sparked off by another minor incident, when a young girl apparently bumped into a monk. This set off a chain events that left one person dead and nine injured; reports say that Buddhist mobs torched 77 houses and a couple of mosques.

#birmanie #discrimination #conflit-ethnique

Spyware used by governments poses as Firefox, and Mozilla is angry | Ars Technica
▻http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/05/spyware-used-by-governments-poses-as-firefox-and-mozilla-is-angry

The Citizen Lab research team has provided us with samples from the following three instances that demonstrate how this misuse of our brand, trademarks and public trust is a designed feature of Gamma’s spyware products and not unique to a single customer’s deployment:

A spyware attack in Bahrain aimed at pro-democracy activists;
The recent discovery of Gamma’s spyware apparently in use amidst Malaysia’s upcoming General Elections; and
A promotional demo produced by Gamma.

Un commentaire :

Good news about the Gamma/FinFisher GNU violation: The FSF will take a look at enforcing the license ;)
▻https://twitter.com/Voulnet/status/329729311210872832

Sex taboos: a brief and incomplete tour « Mind Hacks
►http://mindhacks.com/2012/11/18/sex-taboos-a-brief-and-incomplete-tour

Cultures around the world have restrictions or prohibitions on when sex is allowed which turn out to be quite amazing in their diversity.

This is a fascinating section on the wide world of sex taboos from the Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender:

In some societies, sexual activity is prohibited during certain times of day. The Cuna of Panama approve of sexual relations only at night in accordance with the laws of God. The Semang of Malaysia believe that sex during the day will cause thunderstorms and deadly lightening, leading to drowning of not only the offending couple but also of other innocent people. And the West African Bambara believe that a couple who engage in sex during the day will have an albino child.

Sometimes, sex is prohibited in certain places. The Mende of West Africa forbid sexual intercourse in the bush, while the Semang condemn sex with camp boundaries for fear that the supernatural will become angry. Among the Bambara, engaging in sexual relations out of doors will lead to the failure of crops.

...

Of course, while these may seem exotic, our own social practices regarding sex probably seem equally as unusual to outsiders.

Imagine Jivaro anthropologists, watching Nicki Minaj videos, slapping themselves, shouting “you won’t believe what the people of North America have to do to have sex!”

WashingtonPoint
#Syria opposition, rebels urge mass defections - Yahoo! News Malaysia ►http://my.news.yahoo.com/more-civilians-die-syria-russia-pushes-talks-044505748.htm

LeShaque
Protest in Malaysia in support of the Syrian Revolution: #Syria want Freedom | ►http://youtu.be/LeiJ9s1TGSg

The Southern Sudan pie
►http://farmlandgrab.org/post/view/19544

The successful South Sudan secession referendum in January 2011 and eventual independence celebration cooled the frayed nerves of many who had adopted a wait-and-see attitude over South Sudan.

However it is instructive to note that since 2005 USA, China, India, Norway, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Turkey, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa and their respective private sectors have been in the forefront seeking to secure business concessions with the new nation. To make this easier and faster all these nations have embassies and consulates in both Juba and Khartoum. Southern Sudan’s massive oil boom, tourism concessions, logging, lucrative mining and infrastructure tenders, medical supplies, education, financial services, agriculture, defense contracts and commodities supplies are a glee to many triggering what is now politically referred to as “land grab”.

#Sud-Soudan #business

farmlandgrab.org | Asian agri fund eyes Peruvian palm oil as Malaysia exhausts supply of land
►http://farmlandgrab.org/post/view/19098

Asian Agri Capital, a Singapore private-equity firm that focuses on early-stage plantations, is seeking to raise $100 million to invest in palm oil and other tropical commodities in Southeast Asia and Latin America.

#agrobusiness

Malaysia : ’Politics has become more dangerous’ (Relevé sur le net)
►http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/48117

Dr Jeyakumar Deveraj, a federal member of parliament in Malaysia, was one of 30 activists of the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) detained without trial on June 25.
The activists were arrested as they were travelling the country campaigning against the repressive and corrupt Barisan Nasional government headed by PM Najib Razak. (...)