Arak Zaman Pencerahan

Arak di era yang dikenali Zaman Pencerahan setakat ini dijual paling mahal dalam satu lelongan pada 1985.

The most expensive bottle of wine ever sold at auction was offered at Christie’s in London, on December 5, 1985. The bottle was handblown dark-green glass and capped with a nubby seal of thick black wax. It had no label, but etched into the glass in a spindly hand was the year 1787, the word “Lafitte,” and the letters “Th.J.”

>>> Baca lagi di sini The Jefferson Bottles: How could one collector find so much rare fine wine?

1,000

Seribu lukisan yang mesti anda lihat sebelum anda mati ...

>>> di sini A Dilettante's Guide to Art

Nokia

Nokia warns of possible faulty handset battery

HELSINKI, Finland (AP) - Nokia Corp. warned Tuesday that up to 46 million batteries used in some of the company's handsets could be faulty and pose a risk of overheating.

The advisory applies "only to the 46 million batteries manufactured by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006,'' the world's largest mobile phone maker said.

Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd. of Japan is one of several suppliers that have together made some 300 million BL-5C batteries.

Nokia said 100 incidents of overheating of the Matsushita-made BL-5C batteries have been reported worldwide, but added that "no serious injuries or property damage have been reported.''

"Consumers with a BL-5C battery subject to this advisory should note that all of the approximately 100 incidents have occurred while charging the battery,'' the Finnish company said.

"According to Nokia's knowledge this issue does not affect any other use of the mobile device.''

Nokia said it will change all batteries subject to the advisory.

Nokia sells products in 130 countries and employs 110,000 people worldwide. In the second quarter, it sold 100 million mobile devices, claiming a 38 percent share of the global market.-AP

>>> Source: Star Online (14 Aug 2007)

Product Advisory: Nokia BL-5C battery

Dear Nokia Customer,

This is a product advisory for the Nokia-branded BL-5C battery manufactured by Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd. of Japan between December 2005 and November 2006.

This product advisory does not apply to any other Nokia battery.

Nokia has identified that in very rare cases the affected batteries could potentially experience over heating initiated by a short circuit while charging, causing the battery to dislodge.

Nokia is working closely with relevant local authorities to investigate this situation. Nokia has several suppliers for BL-5C batteries that have collectively produced more than 300 million BL-5C batteries.

This advisory applies only to the 46 million batteries manufactured by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006.

There have been approximately 100 incidents of over heating reported globally.

No serious injuries or property damage have been reported. Consumers with a BL-5C battery subject to this advisory should note that all of the approximately 100 incidents have occurred while charging the battery.

According to Nokia's knowledge this issue does not affect any other use of the mobile device.

Concerned consumers may want to monitor a mobile device while charging that contains a BL-5C battery subject to this product advisory.

While the occurence in the BL-5C batteries produced by Matsushita in the time-period specified is very rare, for consumers wishing to do so, Nokia and Matsushita offer to replace for free any BL-5C battery subject to this product advisory.

The BL-5C batteries which are subject to the product advisory were used with the following Nokia models or separately as accessories:

Nokia 1100, Nokia 1100c, Nokia 1101, Nokia 1108, Nokia 1110, Nokia 1112, Nokia 1255, Nokia 1315, Nokia 1600, Nokia 2112, Nokia 2118, Nokia 2255, Nokia 2272, Nokia 2275, Nokia 2300, Nokia 2300c, Nokia 2310, Nokia 2355, Nokia 2600, Nokia 2610, Nokia 2610b, Nokia 2626, Nokia 3100, Nokia 3105, Nokia 3120, Nokia 3125, Nokia 6030, Nokia 6085, Nokia 6086, Nokia 6108, Nokia 6175i, Nokia 6178i, Nokia 6230, Nokia 6230i, Nokia 6270, Nokia 6600, Nokia 6620, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6631, Nokia 6670, Nokia 6680, Nokia 6681, Nokia 6682, Nokia 6820, Nokia 6822, Nokia 7610, Nokia N70, Nokia N71, Nokia N72, Nokia N91, Nokia E50, Nokia E60

“Nokia” and “BL-5C” are printed on the front of the battery.

On the back of the battery, the Nokia mark appears at the top, and the battery identification number (consisting of 26 characters) is found at the bottom. If the battery identification number does not contain 26 characters, it is not subject to this product advisory.

>>> Source: Product Advisory: Nokia BL-5C battery


Nokia phone users heed this call

PETALING JAYA: If you are using a Nokia cellphone, check its battery to see if it is the BL-5C type unit.

Nokia said a batch of BL-5C batteries was prone to overheating when the phone is being recharged.

Those affected should go to the webpage www.nokia.com/batteryreplacement for instructions on how to check if their battery is from the troublesome batch.

The webpage provides pointers on how to get a replacement battery.

Nokia said the replacements would be free of charge and that the new battery would be couriered to affected users.

According to Nokia, there have been about 100 reported incidents worldwide of the battery overheating, with no instances of serious injury or property damage.

Nokia has several suppliers for BL-5C batteries and these who have collectively produced more than 300 million units.

However, the company said the advisory only applied to 46 million batteries manufactured by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006.

>>> Source: mStar Online (14 Aug 2007)

Negarakuku

Anak muda dari Muar ini, khabarnya sedang belajar di Taiwan, mencipta sebuah lagu rap yang menarik, dengan judul 'Negarakuku'.

Kalau tidak faham, sebab lagunya berbahasa Cina, boleh lihat terjemahan lebih kurang di sini. Blognya di sini.

Tetapi kerajaan Malaysia berasa tersinggung dan mungkin mengambil tindakan kepadanya selepas siasatan. Baca kenyataan setiausaha parlimen kementerian di sini.

>>> Untuk baca reaksi-reaksi penulis-penulis blog tentang penyanyi rap Negarakuku, klik di sini.

The Star pernah melaporkan anak muda ini Wee Meng Chee, 24, dalam artikel "Muar boy's sleeper hit" (24 Julai 2007). Antaranya:

He produced the satirical but frank music video, which took digs at people who were ashamed of speaking their own dialect, KL-ites, as well as Chinese and foreign workers, when he went back to Muar for his holiday in February.

"It is just my feelings towards my hometown and it came straight from my heart," he said in a phone interview from Taipei recently.

The video, which was initially circulated among his friends on MSN for fun, was posted on YouTube after he received complaints from his friends that they could not easily download the file because of its large size.

"So I uploaded it on YouTube before I went to sleep so that it could be easily accessed by my friends," he said.

What he did not expect was that during the seven or eight hours he was sleeping, the video was viewed almost 5,000 times.

"My MSN account was also full of messages from my friends who told me that they liked the video very much," he said.

After three days, the hits on the video reached 80,000.

His parents and siblings, who knew nothing about the video before it shot to fame, were told of their son's and brother's instant popularity by their friends.

"I had done several other videos before so I found no reason to tell them about this particular one.

Moreover, I do not use vulgar words at home like I do in the video," he said.

With much hesitation, he said, he then called up his family to ask if he had shamed them with the video.

There has been criticism from Internet surfers that Wee sounds offensive in some parts of his rap songs, saying that there was no need for him to emulate certain US rappers.

Many also posted comments criticising his views in his song.

But instead of being scolded by his family, Wong's mother told him that it is a nice video and that it has brought to light some realities that were previously unnoticed by even those who had lived in Muar for decades.

However, he has received negative criticism from viewers who said they despised the video; they accused him of using questionable methods to further his own objectives.

"I did not mean to offend anyone and I did not upload it to make myself famous," said Wee.

>>> Jadi, apa pandangan anda?

Aziz

Journalist-turned-politician Abdul Aziz Ishak was an avowed socialist who played a role in the struggle for independence but remains largely unappreciated.

ABDUL Aziz Ishak (1922-1999) was a controversial figure, whether as colonial civil servant, journalist or politician. He remains an enigma unlike his brother Yusof who was well known both as a journalist and the founder of Utusan Melayu and as the first President of Singapore after the separation with Malaysia in 1965.

Aziz was, in fact, the only member of the pre-war Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM) to have served in the 1955 and post-Merdeka Cabinets under Tunku Abdul Rahman. Be-tween 1955 and 1963, he was the Minister for Agriculture and Co-operatives. He resigned from the Cabinet due to irreconcilable differences with the Tunku and other Cabinet colleagues.

As Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives, his efforts in rural development to improve the lives of padi farmers and fishermen were important although less known compared with similar efforts undertaken by the Rural Development Ministry.

Another equally important aspect of his political career was his detention between 1965 and 1966 under the Internal Security Act during the Indonesian confrontation.

He was accused of being a traitor and collaborating with Indonesian agents to form a government-in-exile, a charge that he denied.

In his book Special Guest: The Detention in Malaysia of an Ex-Cabinet Minister he describes in detail the irreconcilable differences with the Tunku and the events that led to his resignation, subsequent detention and release. The book was banned and only allowed restricted access in university libraries.

His earlier biographical account Katak Keluar dari Bawah Tempurong stopped at 1955 and his subsequent appointment as minister.

As a result, not much is known about Aziz Ishak and his role in the struggle for independence through the newspaper Utusan Melayu and in the political arena when he was head of Selangor Umno and Selangor Alliance in the mid-1950s when the political bargaining among the Alliance partners were struck.

It was through journalism that Aziz became widely known in Malaya. He wrote feature articles on Umno, on the state and federal administrations and occasionally editorials.

Aziz was a member of the KMM while he was a fisheries officer in Kuala Kurau. In 1946, he and Abdul Samad Ismail formed Gerakan Angkatan Melayu Sedar (Geram), which was refused registration by the colonial authority. It was closely watched by the Special Branch.

Geram was critical of the Malayan Union; it was also critical of Umno because of the prominent role of the feudal aristocracy within the movement. Geram died a natural death when Aziz moved to Kuala Lumpur in 1948 as Utusan Melayu correspondent in the central region.

Aziz was the only journalist who was appointed a member of the Federal Legislative Council and he played an active role in its proceedings.

In September 1951, he urged the government to declare an end to the Emergency.

His political involvement was varied. Before 1942, Aziz was a member of the KMM and after 1945 sympathized with the PKMM. However in 1950 he joined Umno when it was still led by Datuk Onn Jaafar although his idea of full independence for Malaya at this time was neither acceptable to Onn nor the Tunku.

When the Independence of Malaya Party was formed in 1951 by Onn, Aziz became deputy chairman of the IMP’s Kuala Lumpur branch and contested the 1952 elections in Sentul but lost to the Alliance candidate.

In the same year, he left the IMP due to personal differences with Onn. Upon the Tunku’s encouragement, he rejoined Umno in April 1953.

Aziz then held important positions within Umno and the Alliance. In 1953, he was appointed to the Alliance Round Table Conference that called for an early general election in Malaya.

In 1955, he was appointed head of Selangor Umno and chairman of the Selangor Alliance. He was very much involved in drafting the 1955 Alliance manifesto for the general election held that year; the manifesto covered issues such as Malay language, agriculture, economy, education, and finance.

In the elections, he stood on the Alliance ticket and won in Kuala Langat. He faced a Parti Negara candidate, a former schoolmate.

Despite official backing for Parti Negara, including from the colonial police force, the Alliance went on to win the first national elections, taking 51 of the 52 seats.

Earlier in September 1954, Aziz had campaigned actively with the Tunku in the Terengganu election which was won by the Alliance despite open support for Parti Negara by the British.

Aziz was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives, a post he kept until 1963. Tun Abdul Razak took note of Aziz’s useful work among the rural folk, especially the setting up of co-operatives to eliminate the exploitation by middlemen.

The year 1955 saw a growing rift between Aziz with his Cabinet colleagues, notably the Tunku and Abdul Razak who was overall in charge of rural development.

Aziz’s blunt criticisms of ministers, such as the wearing of uniforms, did not endear him well with the Tunku.

He was also unhappy at the Alliance’s neglect of the 1955 manifesto due to the exuberant push for political independence.

In his memoirs, Aziz claimed that the 1955 Cabinet was beset with policy differences on various issues, including the replacement of expatriate British officers with Malayans or Malayanisation.

Aziz was equally passionate on press freedom that he claimed had been eroded after 1955.

Aziz resigned from the Cabinet in 1963 after he was transferred to the Health Ministry. Soon after, he was expelled from Umno.

Perhaps there was no place for a socialist in a Cabinet that was pursuing capitalistic policies and firmly committed to upholding a free-market economy.

He turned down all subsequent offers of state and federal awards. Yet one cannot deny his contributions in the struggle for independence.

Abu Talib Ahmad is Professor of History at Universiti Sains Malaysia and author of Malay-Muslims, Islam and the Rising Sun: 1941-4.

Original source: The ‘unknown’ Aziz Ishak by Abu Talib Ahmad, The Star (Aug 6, 2007)

16 Julai

Hari ini 4 Ogos 2007. Pada 31 Ogos 1957, negara mencapai kemerdekaan. Maka tahun ini dihebahkan sambutan 50 tahun kemerdekaan.

Tetapi masih ingatkan kita tanggal 16 Julai 1981? Masih ingatkan kita tarikh 31 Oktober 2003?

Selama 22 tahun dan 3 bulan se**** manusia ini memerintah Malaysia yang baru berusia 50 tahun pada 31 Ogos 2007.

Kira-kira 44% usia Malaysia dihabiskan di dalam genggaman tangan diktator ini.

Jangan lupa! Banyak dosa-dosanya kepada kita, antaranya, melepaskan jawatannya dengan menaikkan .... !

Kita harus menuntutnya, dan mengingatkan bangsa ini tentang dosa-dosanya, sampai kita mati.

Jika kau orang semua tidak mahu mengingatnya, biarkan aku seorang melaungkannya!

>>> Laporan Human Rights Undermined: Restrictive Laws in a Parliamentary Democracy (format PDF)

Keju

Tolong saya, teman-teman, saya tidak faham membaca dua berita di bawah:

Berita 1

KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Ogos (Bernama) Mahkamah Majistret di sini hari ini menjatuhkan hukuman penjara dua tahun ke atas seorang pemasang kabel elektrik selepas mengaku bersalah mencuri dua kotak minyak wangi berharga RM27.80 dari sebuah pasar raya di sini, Mei lepas.

Majistret Manira Mohd Noor memerintahkan Johari Ishak menjalani hukuman itu mulai daripada tarikh tangkapan iaitu 24 Mei lepas.

Johari, 33, dari Raub, Pahang mengaku melakukan perbuatan itu di pasar raya UDA Ocean, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman di sini, pada pukul 11.20 pagi, 24 Mei.

Tertuduh didakwa mengikut Seksyen 380 Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara maksimum 10 tahun dan denda.

Mengikut fakta kes, seorang pengawal keselamatan pasar raya itu nampak tertuduh menyorok dua kotak minyak wangi dalam seluarnya dan meninggalkan premis itu tanpa membayarnya di kaunter.

Terdahulu, Johari, yang tidak diwakili peguam, memohon mahkamah meringankan hukuman dengan alasan beliau menghidap penyakit lelah dan mempunyai dua orang anak kecil berusia dua dan tujuh tahun.

Pendakwaan dijalankan oleh Cif Inspektor Alif Charles Belon. BERNAMA


Berita 2

KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Ogos (Bernama) Mahkamah Majistret di sini hari ini menjatuhkan hukuman penjara dua bulan ke atas seorang pemasang mozek atas tuduhan mencuri tiga bungkus keju tiga bulan lepas.

Majistret Manira Mohd Noor memerintahkan Lim Kok Boon, 40, menjalani hukuman penjara bermula dari tarikh ia ditangkap iaitu pada hari kejadian.

Manira juga mengarahkan Lim menjalani hukuman penjara 20 hari setelah mengaku bersalah gagal menunjukkan kad pengenalan ketika diperiksa oleh pihak berkuasa. Kedua-dua hukuman berjalan serentak.

Lim, dari Taiping, Perak mengaku bersalah melakukan perbuatan itu di 7-Eleven Time Square, Jalan Imbi di sini pada 6.40 petang, 23 Mei lalu.

Tertuduh didakwa mengikut Seksyen 380 Kanun Keseksaan yang membawa hukuman penjara maksimum 10 tahun dan denda.

Tertuduh yang berpendapatan RM60 sehari mengaku terdesak melakukan perbuatan tersebut.

Lim yang tidak diwakili peguam memohon mahkamah meringankan hukuman ke atasnya dengan alasan perlu menanggung sewa rumah serta menjaga bapanya yang menghidap sakit jantung yang memerlukan rawatan setiap bulan.

Mengikut fakta kes, seorang jurujual yang bertugas melihat tertuduh dalam keadaan mencurigakan dan semasa ditahan dengan bantuan pengawal keselamatan mendapati tertuduh mengambil tiga keju bernilai RM24.60 milik 7-Eleven Sdn Bhd tanpa membayarnya di kaunter.

Pendakwaan dijalankan Cif Ins Alif Charles Belon. BERNAMA

Seorang dikenakan hukuman penjara dua bulan kerana mencuri keju bernilai RM24.60, sementara seorang lagi dipenjara dua tahun akibat mencuri minyak wangi berharga RM27.80. Majistretnya orang yang sama. Macam mana?

Bolehkah kita buat kesimpulan: Lebih baik mencuri keju daripada mencuri minyak wangi? Atau, Lebih baik mencuri di 7-Eleven daripada mencuri di UDA Ocean?