Jottings

The Star reports:

The Home Ministry has “declared war” on Ah Long who charge extremely high interests and use violent methods to collect their debts.

Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said all departments under his ministry have been instructed to work together to tackle the loan sharks.

[…]

“I met seven victims of loan sharks and was shocked when they narrated their experiences,” he said. One of the victims claimed he had borrowed RM3,000 from a loan shark but the amount ballooned to RM35,000, rendering him unable to pay the debt.

Syafique says: Great, the government is finally doing something about this issue. It really is very sad to see what these borrowers have to go through because they could not afford to pay these loan sharks. 

By the way, any of you guys seen the loan advertisement on taxis? I was driving around Bangsar area and spotted a taxi that’s covered by a beautifully-designed advertisement offering loan services. The operator apparently is a registered loan operator (just like any Ah Long’s print advertisement pasted on road signs). At the back of taxi, there’s even a quick calculation on how much the loan should be paid back and the time frame. Should have saved the website and phone number for a personal investigation.

Is the advertiser an Ah Long?

AFP (via Yahoo! News) reports:

JAKARTA (AFP) – A medical examination of a teenage US-Indonesian model [Manohara Odelia Pinot] who claimed she was raped and tortured by her Malaysian prince husband, has confirmed she was physically abused, a forensic expert said on Tuesday.

[...]

“There are slash wounds on many parts of her body, especially on her chest. Some are still fresh,” forensic doctor Mun’im Idries told AFP.

“We are still examining her blood and urine samples because she said she had been given jabs,” he said adding that he also found an injection mark on her back.

Another update on the Malaysian Prince and the Indonesian teenage socialite that was reported from an international newswire. On the other hand, Malaysia newspaper reports on one thing, while the Indonesian media reports on another. Two opposing views and extremes. The Star reports:

Daisy Farajina, the 44-year-old mother of Manohara Odelia Pinot, denied accusation a day after it was reported that she was on the Interpol list of fugitives wanted by the French authorities. She claimed that the matter cropped up after she became “famous” because of her daughter’s predicament and that it was “pure slander”.

Ah, what’s really happening? So many stories. For me, it is better to focus on the abuse accusations than anything else. The medical report has been released so are we one step closer towards finding the real truth?

? Grab this Headline Animator

Education Minister, who is also the country’s Deputy Premier, says that there are more positives for limiting the number of SPM subjects to just ten.

He was quoted in The Star, “It all comes down to how we want to manage our education system so that we can produce students who are capable and not only in exams […]There are 111 electives, and some of these are not taught in school but require tuition outside of school. This means only those who can afford the tuition will benefit”

I did a piece for Global Voices on this issue and the blogosphere in Malaysia have mixed reactions for the government’s recent move. One main concern has to do with awarding scholarships.

Every year, as I read the mainstream newspapers, I see it as a record-breaking event. People are often curious, who has the most A’s? Who beat the previous record? Is he/she going to come out with a motivational book on “How to Get Straight A’s” or “Do’s and Don’ts Routine”. As these record holders are seen as prime examples, students then are ‘motivated’ to achieve the same level of success. Then parents will send their kids to tuition as they are led to believe that the more A’s you have, the better of you will be.

I agree with the government’s decision as I think there are more to life than just studying. These youngsters should experience life. As much as studying is important, getting ‘life’ experiences is important so that they can be a dynamic person. From there, they can develop their interests and what they really want to do in life, other than getting a lot of A’s. It’s a great way for them to know what they want to study at tertiary level and the career path they want to choose. Scholarships should not be awarded solely based on the number of A’s but also based on the candidate’s personality as well as their interest in the course of choice they are taking in pre-university and university.

What do you think?

• THE STAR: A 43-year-old employer has turned himself in at the Sungai Siput police station after being alleged of beating three of his Indonesian helpers for refusing to have sex with him in exchange for their rightful salary.
• CNN.COM: Interview with Zee Avi, US-based Malaysian singer-songwriter. Her YouTube videos made her an internet sensation. Her debut album, Zee Avi, is produced by Brushfire Records.    
• THE STAR: Days after the collapse of Jaya Supermarket, Malaysians were in for another shock when the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Kuala Terengganu collapsed. It was the venue for last year’s Malaysian Games and has been declared unsafe.
• THE STAR: A Malaysian actor was caught for khalwat (close proximity) with his fiancee by the Selangor Religious Department. In Malaysia, non-married Muslim couples are not allowed to be together alone. Obviously, this definition is subjective. Most of the khalwat cases reported in the media involve celebrities because their neighbours would complain and report to the religious department.   Since they are public figures, it will be the top story on most of the tabloid frontpage and online.
• NEW STRAITS TIMES: Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop says that the police will be using the Money Laundering Act 2001 to charge illegal moneylenders. Those found guilty will be be jailed or fined RM 5 million. This comes after some Malaysians, who had borrow money from loan sharks, were ‘jailed’ by the moneylenders for not being able to pay their debt.
• THE NUT GRAPH: The Economist Intelligence Unit ranks Malaysia on the 26th spot in the Global Peace Index. “Peace does have an economic value apart form the very real humanitarian values associated with it,” says GPI founder Steve Killelea.