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IT has been an implausible 4 years given The Nut Graph initial started publishing. And in which 4 years, we've had a integrate of near-death practice given we've not figured out a approach to be financially sustainable.
Since retrenching everybody as well as scaling behind publication from Sep 2010, we've managed to go upon edition upon a much-reduced scale. For a past dual years given Plan B, a association which owns The Nut Graph, Insight News Sdn Bhd, has a single after another to compensate a writers as well as editors a contributor's price with a superfluous supports you had left.
That income has given some-more or reduction run out. We go upon to earn a little income from a copyright of published material, including a 3 books Found in Malaysia Vol 1 as well as 2, as well as Understanding a Dewan Rakyat. But none of these sporadic payments have been in any approach sufficient to means a kind of edition you did in a initial dual years of a existence. Nor it is sufficient to keep us edition a approach you have given you launched Plan B.
Still, there is a little great news.
A new plan
Collectively, as a team, you had motionless which you would stop edition by a finish of August. My idea is which writers as well as editors need to be paid. And if you didn't have any some-more income for editorial expenses, then it wasn't satisfactory to ask people to go upon operative indefinitely for free.
The great headlines is usually after you done this decision,! a littl e readers motionless which The Nut Graph was too important to go comatose. Putting income where their mouths were, they have affianced to give us a little income to go upon edition during least for a subsequent twelve months.
So, thanks to these readers, we're not upon a genocide bed, as you had expected. Their grant is priceless in conditions of its value in ensuring which The Nut Graph can go upon to be a kind of vicious media which is needed in Malaysia. And given a grant is not as big in conditions of ringgit as well as sen than what you originally had from a progressing investors, you need to scale behind even more. Hence, The Nut Graph will usually be able, for a most part, to publish a single article each Monday morning, instead of a dual to 3 you have been you do over a past dual years.
All writers as well as editors have additionally agreed to go upon operative during much, most reduced fees in order to ensure The Nut Graph survives. Many of these writers as well as editors, in fact, were willing to work for free. Indeed, a current external columnists, Wong Chin Huat, KW Mak, Norhayati Kaprawi, Hwa Yue-Yi as well as Andrew Khoo have upon multiform occasions written for us for giveaway given you didn't have a supports to compensate them.
That, for me, says so most about a commitment of a little Malaysian journalists as well as writers towards eccentric as well as vicious media in Malaysia.
Our promise
At The Nut Graph, a promise to readers stays a same even if you have been usually edition a single story per! week. W e will go upon to have sense of politics as well as renouned culture, although renouned culture tends to take a behind chair to politics when a resources have been limited. We have been additionally committed to upholding a most appropriate ethical journalistic standards you can as per a editorial policy.
And you oath to go upon being vicious of a state of things in Malaysia as well as of ourselves as media.
In a subsequent few months, it's left to be seen if you will have a resources to cover a subsequent ubiquitous choosing a approach you did with Malaysia Votes, a precursor to The Nut Graph. As it stands now, you probably won't have a supports for it given covering an choosing is dear business. Plus, nearly all of us in The Nut Graph have been right away employed elsewhere in order to have a living.
Still, who knows what is possible? you didn't think you would last dual years after you retrenched everybody in 2010. Not usually did you do that, you have been starting to go upon for a while yet. Never say never, you reckon. And everything else, as a association motto goes, is about you do what you can with a resources you have.
Jacqueline Ann Surin is grateful for all a people who have The Nut Graph possible. She is contemptible Malaysia will shortly no longer benefit from a vicious voice of Merdeka Review.
WHAT really is all a bitch over a theme, logo as well as song lyrics of our arriving Merdeka celebrations? Is it really a case of domestic manoeuvrings by a Barisan Nasional (BN)? Or bad settlement by a supervision of a day? Or both?
Or does it say something some-more about what a stream sovereign care promotes?
Over a past weeks, detractors have been pouring ridicule upon a sovereign government's branding of Peninsular Malaysia's 55th year of autonomy from a British. Information, Communications as well as Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim has been defensive about these criticisms. In response, Pakatan Rakyat as well as citizens, together with local designers, have responded by coming up with their own thesis as well as logos for our Merdeka Day celebration, which will be held during a finish of this month.
Is this all a charge in a teacup, as Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin referred to when he tweeted which a emanate was "petty" even if a central trademark was "aesthetically challenged"? Or does a rave to a government's Merdeka jubilee indicate to underlying trends which undermine how great this nation can be?
Self-serving
O! ne has t o consternation since Rais thinks he can urge a but protection in this day as well as age when adults have been far some-more engaged as well as connected. Clearly a BN's idea of a Merdeka jubilee this year is self-serving. How else would a single describe a use of a BN's election campaign thesis of Janji Ditepati as a autonomy thesis as well as in a logo? And how else can a single explain since a lyrics to this year's Merdeka song, penned by Rais himself, is littered with, as a single derogator aptly describes, "vulgar propaganda"?
Clearly a logo, thesis as well as song have been self-indulgent since it promotes 3 things this Merdeka: BN, BN as well as BN.
Tunku Abdul Rahman (Wiki commons)
Should you be astounded which it has come to this? Not really. Politicians, generally those who have most during stake, have been often disposed to self-indulgent behaviour. The Father of Independence himself, Tunku Abdul Rahman, never wanted a 1955 Baling assent talks with a Malayan Communist Party to succeed, even though he organized them. As documented by former Utusan Melayu editor-in-chief Said Zahari, a Tunku used a talks as leverage to compel a British to quickly hand over autonomy to a Alliance.
Fast forward to today, as well as a self-indulgent poise is unbelievably blatant. Take a supervision panel set up to examine purported violence by police as well as protesters during a Bersih 3.0 rally for giveaway as well as fair elections. It is clear whose interests a supervision is serving when it appoints as head a former inspector-general of police who had disparaged a rally as a possible coup attempt.
And since we're upon a topic of a police, who does it offer when a police perform in malls in reply to public perception of rising crime? Surely not a rakyat, since a friendly, singing military force is not about to deter rapist activity. It never has as well as never will.
Mediocre
I additionally don't consider a 55th Merdeka issue, as you shall call it, is as well small an emanate to be appalled as well as outraged by. Why? Because detached from being self-serving, a theme, trademark as well as song smack of mediocrity, as well as Rais's counterclaim boils down to a counterclaim of sameness in a inhabitant celebration.
How is a official logo, which has since been withdrawn, mediocre? Well, a fact which a central trademark can be so simply copied as well as pasted shows how sub-standard a trademark is.
Compare which to a Facebook foe which resulted in logos which demonstrate how really talented a nation you are. Indeed, each time The Nut Graph does a Found in Malaysia int! erview, you have been struck during usually how many talented Malaysians there are.
And yet, what does our supervision do? Instead of sketch upon this talent pool, it uses taxpayers' income to await as well as promote mediocrity, as well as for a Merdeka celebrations, no less! Yet again, perhaps you shouldn't be as well surprised. Mediocrity is prevalent in a BN, in partial since a bloc has been in power for so long but having most competition, compartment 2008, to keep it upon a toes.
That sameness is again represented in a state apparatus for example, when a Home Ministry says crime in Kuala Lumpur isn't so bad since there have usually been 9 cases of reported crimes in city malls. Firstly, an glorious military force would ensure which there was no crime in malls or elsewhere. And even if a little crime is unavoidable in any society, a Home Ministry has solved usually two out of those 9 cases. That equates to which out of 9 criminals, 7 know they have been expected to get divided with it.
Recently, after my yoga class in SS2, Petaling Jaya, you were all told to be clever when exiting a centre since of a spate of waylay thefts in a area. Now, do these situations tell us which you have an glorious or common military force during work?
Honestly, it's not as well formidable to theory since it's easier to be common as well as since a BN chooses sameness instead of excellence. After all, usually a common have been always during their best.
Conclusion
Rais Yatim (source: kppk.gov.my)
Apart from withdrawing a central logo, Rais has since additionally asked for feedback about a Merdeka song, additionally named Janji Ditepati. Additionally, a composer says a song is still being finalised as well as it could be altered if there is "a request from any party". I consternation what stopped a BN supervision from crowd-sourcing ideas for a logo, thesis as well as song, as they have done previously, prior to rising a self-indulgent as well as common code for our 55th Merdeka.
Rais's softening stance towards criticisms unfortunately isn't good enough. Indeed, he is right away attempting to expel a sovereign antithesis as being narrow-minded over a inhabitant Merdeka celebrations. Between Janji Ditepati a BN's choosing campaign thesis as well as Sebangsa, Senegara, Sejiwa a inactive as well as thorough preference of difference which do you reckon sounds some-more politically skewed?
Whether Rais or a BN care will ever admit it, it's as well late for damage carry out and/or job a antithesis names as well as expecting it to stick. The BN's goods for Merdeka have been already spoilt. And while a trademark or song or thesis can be withdrawn, a summary from a BN about autonomy cannot. This Merdeka, a autonomy jubilee usually prior to our subsequent general election, a BN wants us to buy in to a inhabitant code which is both self-indulgent as well as mediocre. And after 55 years of independence, you'd consider a statute bloc could do improved than that.
Jacqueline Ann Surin wonders since a Datuk Seri Najib Razak administration department keeps making it so easy for Pakatan Rakyat to come out seeking as well ! as smell ing like thornless roses.
August 6, 2012
London (CNN) Jamaican competitor Usain Bolt shielded his pretension as the world's fastest male Sunday, grabbing bullion in a men's 100-meter foe by environment an Olympic jot down with a time of 9.63.
Bolt, who became a domicile name with his bullion award win in a 2008 Beijing Games, is a initial competitor given U.S. Olympic legend Carl Lewis to defend an Olympic 100-meter title.
Yohan Blake of Jamaica took a china award as well as Justin Gatlin of a United States won a bronze.
Earlier in a day, Andy Murray bested Roger Federer to win bullion in men's tennis.Three times prior, Murray had played Federer in an important tennis final, as well as 3 times he had failed.
In front of an eager home crowd, Murray turned a tables upon a world's top-ranked player.Murray cruised to a bullion award in a men's singles final, violence Federer in true sets with a autocratic performance.
"I've had a lot of difficult waste in my career, this is a most appropriate approach to come behind from a Wimbledon final," he told a BBC interviewer. "I was a tiny tired after Wimbledon, though we felt fresh upon a court today."
Murray pronounced he had expected a difficult compare from Federer, who usually 4 weeks ago kick Murray for his seventh Wimbledon pretension upon Centre Court, additionally a site of a Olympic final.
But after winning a initial set 6-2, he penny! less Fed erer to take a 2-0 lead. He grew in certainty during which point, he said, as well as a subjection was on.He lost usually 5 more games in a three-set compare opposite a male who has won 3 of his 17 Grand Slam titles by violence Murray.
Just hours after his win, a Brit combined to his award equate by taking china in churned doubles to one side Laura Robson. The pair narrowly lost to Belarus' Max Mirnyi as well as Victoria Azarenka, 2-6, 6-3 , 10-8.
Also upon Sunday, during a North Greenwich Arena where a gymnastics foe is being held, there was a stunning result in a women's vault.
After her initial attempt, universe hold up McKayla Maroney looked like a sure bullion award winner. But her second safe turned in to heartbreak as she did something she frequency does.She came up reduced upon her alighting as well as fell.
"I'm unequivocally unhappy with myself," she said. "I fell upon a second vault, as well as we don't think I've ever even fallen in warmup here during all. It's a big shock, as well as it's unequivocally sad."Maroney, who had nailed her initial bid as well as scored 15.866, perceived usually a 14.300 upon her second.
"I was praying there was still a chance, though we didn't have my vault,' she said, "and a bullion award vaulter doesn't merit to fall."
She tried to demeanour upon a bright side."All we can demeanour brazen to is a next foe entrance up, as well as we usually have to accept which we have a china award as well as that's not as well bad," she said.
Romania's Sandra Izbasa won a bullion with a two-vault normal of 15.191.In the women's marathon, Tiki Gelana of Ethiopia (right) won a bullion in 2:23.07. Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya was a china medalist, as well as Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova of Russia was third. The foe k! icked of f under a heavy surge as a runners snaked around wet London streets.
"It was a good race. we unequivocally desired it. The rain makes it very interesting," Gelana said. "I love running in a rain, we have been you do which given we was a tiny child. we slipped in a center of a race, as well as my elbow is still injured. But we didn't feel any pain during a race."
Noticeably absent from a foe was universe jot down holder Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain, who withdrew citing a new injury.
Women's boxing done its Olympic debut Sunday with a round of 16 matches in any of a 3 weight divisions.
Overall, China leads a bullion award equate with thirty as well as a sum award equate with 61. The United States trails with 27 bullion as well as 56 total.
But history upon Saturday additionally favored a United States, as a most decorated Olympian of all time tallied an additional win with his American teammates in a 4100-meter miscellany relay, handing Michael Phelps his 18th bullion award in a final foe of his storied swimming career.
The U.S. win put an already unrivalled Phelps during 22 sum medals over 4 Olympic Games: 18 golds, two silvers as well as two bronzes. Japan placed second in Saturday's race, whilst Australia accomplished third.
In a final day of London's swimming competition, a American women won a 4100-meter miscellany send race, environment a universe jot down with a time of 3:52.05. Australia netted silver.
Sun Yang additionally combined to China's growing bullion tally with a win in a men's 1,500-meter freestyle. Ryan Cochrane of Canada accomplished second, whilst Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia took bronze.
But upon a hardwood Saturday, U.S. Olympic authority seemed distant less convincing.Team USA squeaked past Lithuania in a preliminary-round basketball contest, winning by usually 5 points after trailing by two in a loss mins of a fourth quarter a initial scare for a favored American patrol after a array of winning performances! which h ad bolstered an aura of invincibility.
Elsewhere in London, Serena Williams completed a career golden impact during a 2012 Games, adding for a United States an Olympic women's singles tennis bullion award to her 4 tennis major titles. On Sunday, she as well as her sister Venus combined a third women's doubles pretension by violence Andrea Hlavackova as well as Lucie Hradecka of a Czech Republic.
Also upon a track, double-amputee competitor Oscar Pistorius, who runs upon special carbon fiber blades as well as is nicknamed The Blade Runner, came in an impressive second in his heat of a men's individual 400-meter race, to illustrate qualifying for Sunday's semifinals.
He is a initial person to contest in a robust Olympics regulating prosthetic legs, as well as he will additionally contest in a Paralympics later this summer.
I haven't watched TV3 for a really prolonged time. During a week end you found myself though my laptop as well as you do not own any I-pad either. So with zero to do, you found myself carrying to watch a propaganda spokesman of a UMNO/BN government.
What you saw confirmed what you have been saying for a prolonged time. It's a the single sided information exchnage equates to whereby a supervision of a day, since it can, by virtue of determining a sovereign government, spread lies as well as counsel disinformation as well as cuckold a minds of a public.
Immediately you have been bombarded with what UMNO as well as BN is doing. It is clear UMNO/BN does not want an enlightened as well as informed public. What it wants is to glorify what little achievements a PM accomplished- distributing zakat from a bank a supervision owns (meaning if PR wins, it can do a same), frying murtabak here as well as distributing a delicacy to seemingly starving people. Are you not abashed to see so most people have been bad in a PM's backyard as well as afterwards you have been subjected to his hypocritical debate about what Allah likes as well as doesn't like. it is only an elaborate PR practice extolling a form rsther than than substance.
Last night news carried a devise by a UMNO supervision to form a commission for a remuneration of kingship to a east seashore states. Terengganu has already perceived its kingship payments upon a still side. It's vested in a hands of a internal kingpin Mat Said. So a inclusion of Terengganu is only window dressing.
When Idris Jusoh was MB, a Federal Government insulted a Terengganu people imputing they do not know how to manage a oil income by allowing Patrick Lim to decide where a income should be applied. So a sovereign supervision conspired with associate capitalists in office building a comforts for a Monsoon Cup which do not benefit a Terengganu people. They built mosques in nowh! ere plac es as well as constructed whatever structures which can catch a oil income which finished up in a hands of commercial operation cronies.
It's a same booze in a new bottle. Mat Said right away controls a petroleum Ringgit as well as he determines how they have been applied. So he builds a near RM 100 million zoo somewhere in Kemaman.
Truly, Terengganu typifies what has been described as a curse of oil money. Oil was detected in a 1970's in Terengganu though a state has a single of a top incidence of poverty.
UMNO politicians have been indeed two faced shameless liars. It has regularly been a authorised emanate as well as a emanate of what righteously belongs to people. It has regularly been a authorised emanate concerning a right of a signatory to a PDA. The a single who has been politicizing a emanate has been UMNO as well as BN.
UMNO is fibbing to a Malays of Kelantan. It claims it fights for Malays- so my question is since is UMNO cultured against a Kelantan Malays who form probably 98% of a race in Kelantan? The placement of BR1M of RM 500 is an insult to a Kelantanese, when upon a same breadth; they have been denied a taking of oil royalty. It's a candid case of a authorised entitlement. Kelantan is entitled to a taking of 5% kingship simpliciter though carrying to bear any other qualifications.
What is bizarre is a inclusion of my home state in a equation. How does Pahang find itself as a potential target of oil royalty? If a state has oil, since has it been secluded from a rakyat? Is Pahang entitled to oil royalties though since of a covetous fervour of some quarters, Tun Razak motionless to secrete a annuity from Pahang since he feared a state will be robbed?
If it qualifies as a recipient, a moneys have been improved committed to a Pahang sovereign fund to prevent insane as well as wicked applications of a oil money. you am not assured to vest a income in to a han! ds of le gislators who year after year clear Pahang's necessity spending as a outcome of a state supervision spending upon bad people. My former colleagues in UMNO generally were discerning to use this kind of prosaic logic when justifying a incessant bill deficits of a state. During my stint as BN legislator you have regularly decried a bill deficits fearing which they could be concealing wastage as well as financial indiscipline. About a need to assistance a needy, a elderly as well as a infirm, no a single in his or her right thoughts has any objections.
So UMNO doesn't have to be a imitation about giving a oil kingship which is a authorised entitlement. How come a government, instead of spending open income upon a RCI or whatever, NOT ask a chairman who signed a agreement- Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to state either Kelantan or any other signatory to a agreement have been indeed entitled. Please gangling a Malaysian open a indignity of carrying to put up with your hypocrisy.
The other square of unworthy news was a small proof of a organisation of only about twenty people lamenting a Penang government's decision to develop a 0.5 hectare land( 1 as well as have been ) in to a private sanatorium as well as other comforts instead of housing for a poor.
How come TV3 gave endless coverage to Gerakan as well as pro BN spokespersons? Why was a supervision scared of on condition that a balanced perspective by mouth-watering spokespersons from a Penang supervision to answer a allegations thrown at it? You have been aggressive a chairman though giving him a chance to defend himself.
The truth of a make a difference is perhaps a Penang supervision in its pro rakyat stand, has set in reserve a far larger square of land to build open housing for a people. On a 1 acre as well as land, how most houses can be built. Not more than twenty units?
UMNO supervision is subjecting a people to every day lies as well as grossly a singl! e sided views. Free a people from this tyranny by giving them a right to satisfactory reporting. We contingency not put up with a thoughts enslaving tyranny any longer.
In what seems similar to the flashback to the Sept sixteen episode, PKR de facto personality Anwar Ibrahim currently hinted during some-more "good news" to come from Sabah soon.
This follows the desertion of Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing as well as as well as Beaufort MP Lajim Ukin from BN last weekend.
"I will be behind in Sabah upon August 12, with the little some-more possible good news... We will have to be prepared," he told reporters with the grin.
Even as Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has betrothed to deliver "more certain news" from Sabah, sharpening rumours from Kota Kinabalu have named former Sabah deputy arch minister Ghapur Salleh as the subsequent Umno MP expected to defect.
Speculations have been rife which Ghapur will be among others whom Anwar will encounter when he travels to Sabah upon August 12.
the universe has potential to be improved than it is given amiability has the knack of coming together in times of desperation as well as good need. The way we see things there is good hope for good change. This is what gives me my belief which faith is the categorical driver for substantial change. All this we have celebrated in my reduced 20 years of existence.
Having said that, faith is ordinarily misunderstood to be synonym! ous with navety, which an maudlin person lacks the penetrating sense of being when which might not even be the case.
Idealism is not an illusion, it is the goal. It is the indicate of soundness which we have been all aiming for. In the little ways all of us have romantic idealism. The difference is which it is some-more pronounced in the little than others. This is not to contend which idealists have been unaware of the harsh realities which have been present, some-more often than not they have been keenly aware of them.
Idealists have been the movers as well as changers of society. Instead of fussy about situations they realize the astringency of their incident as well as strive to get out of it. They focus upon the finish indicate as well as realize which there is the probability of essentially reaching which point. And for which they keep dreaming.
The Malaysian domestic locus as we know is experiencing an intensely volatile period. With GE13 looming, tensions have been high everywhere. Many have been caught up in the PR-BN tussle. With this, ideals have been intensely necessary for politics.
Ideals should take priority over domestic connection simply given ideals have been consistent though domestic parties have been not. If we have ideals we know what we want as well as we can always select to vote for the celebration formed upon what we want or need. As voters, this is how we can pierce upon top of as well as over partisanship. We should champion values as well as ideas instead of domestic parties.