The Truth Revealed

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Borneo activist 'possibly murdered'





Sarawak's indigenous people have faced off with timber companies over customary land rights


Police have said there are no suspects in the case of a tribal chief who mysteriously died in the jungles of Sarawak, but left open the possibility that he could have been murdered for defying the timber industry.

Kelesau Naan, 70, disappeared on October 23 while hunting alone near the remote village of Long Kerong in the east Malaysian state.

International human rights activists demanded an investigation into his death after villagers found his skeletal remains and belongings near a river in December.

On Monday Sumarno Lamundi, a police inspector, said officials have not ruled out the possibility that Naan was killed because he spearheaded anti-logging efforts by his Penan tribal community.

"We are still investigating what happened, but there are no suspects so far," he said. "Everything is still under consideration. We have not rejected any possibility."

Lamundi however refused to say whether authorities have found any evidence of murder or how long the investigations are expected to take.

Naan was on the forefront of the Penan's fight against the state's timber trade, which tribals blame for destroying their ancestral lands and snatching away of customary rights over forests.

Sarawak state authorities and timber companies reject the charges.

Key witness

Naan's death came ahead of what some villagers believe are plans by timber companies to resume logging, which has stalled in recent years in areas surrounding Long Kerong, the village that Naan led.

He was also was an initiator and key witness in an unresolved Penan land rights court case.

Local media have speculated that the Penan chief might have died in an accident, but anti-logging activists suspect that foul play was involved.

Last month Micheal Ipa, Naan's nephew, said some Penans "believe he has been killed by people involved in logging".

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders based in Geneva voiced "deep concern" about Naan's death, saying it "might be the result of his human rights activities in favour of indigenous issues".

Friday, February 8, 2008

PM: I work hard to fulfil duties

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Malaysians were aware that he works hard to fulfil his responsibilities for them.

"Some of you can say that I'm not good, you can say whatever. But don't say that I don't work. I work very hard. I really mean it and you know it. It is God’s will that I become the Prime Minister of Malaysia and I am very conscious that I have to serve the people although I personally do not benefit even one bit because of this," he said.

Boastful arrogance

''I have not benefited one sen from anyone for what I have done. Some people want to give me money, but I do not need it. The government takes good care of its Prime Minister - The Sleeping Prime Minister."

Pictures speak louder than words.




Wednesday, February 6, 2008

ON THE MENU: RAT-A-CHEWY

A 58-year-old Taiwan eatery offers rat meat as winter tonics to welcome the Year of Rat.

Rat meat, also eaten in China, became popular in rural Taiwan in the 1940s and 1950s among people who could not afford chicken or pork. Ho-la, a rural eatery at Taiwan's Chiayi county, serves 10 rat-themed dishes, including rat soup, black pepper-dipped and deep-fried rat. The diner goes through around 18 kg (40 lb) of rat meat per day.


"GONG XI FA CAI" TO ALL THE CHINESE VISITORS TO THIS BLOG


Saturday, February 2, 2008

The dumbest ever quiz answers

LONDON (Reuters): By Paul Majendie

Carol Cheng (C), presenter of the Hong Kong version of the quiz show "The Weakest
Link" stands with contestants before filming in Hong Kong August 18, 2001.

Question: What was Gandhi's first name?
Contestant's answer: Goosey Goosey.

Warning to all those know-alls who shout at the television screen when contestants offer dumb answers to blindingly obvious questions -- one day that could be you.

From regional radio shows to "Who Wants To be a Millionaire?" and "University Challenge," people make fools of themselves -- as internet site www.jumpingjacksbar.com found in collating some of the worst howlers.

Here are leading contenders for the "Dumb Down" gold medal:

Presenter: What happened in Dallas on November 22,1963?
Contestant: I don't know, I wasn't watching it then

Presenter: Which American actor is married to Nicole Kidman?
Contestant: Forrest Gump

Presenter: In which country is Mount Everest?
Contestant: Er, it's not in Scotland is it?

Presenter: Name a film starring Bob Hoskins that is also the name of a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci
Contestant: Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Presenter: In which European city was the first opera house opened in 1637?
Contestant: Sydney

Presenter: How long did the Six-Day War between Egypt and Israel last?
Contestant: (after long pause) Fourteen days

Presenter: Where did the D-Day landings take place?
Contestant: (after pause) Pearl Harbor?

Presenter: What is the currency in India
Contestant: Ramadan

Presenter: Johnny Weissmuller died on this day. Which jungle-swinging character clad only in a loin cloth did he play?
Contestant: Jesus