2007/10/18

Congratulations!!! 恭喜恭喜!!!

In the latest worldwide press freedom index released by Paris-based watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Malaysia scored two "worsts" – the sharpest plunge of 32 spots from 92 to 124 placing, which is also Malaysia's worst ranking in the RSF annual worldwide press freedom ranking since it was started in 2002.

无疆界记者组织(Reporters Without Borders)公布《2007年度全球新闻自由指数》,马来西亚创下两项“最糟"记录,即排名暴跌32位。除了从去年的第92名跌至第124名外,这也是有关指数自2002年首次出炉以来,我国历来最差的排名。

RSF Worldwide Press Freedom Index (Malaysia)

2002 - 110 (out of 139 countries)
2003 - 104 (166)
2004 - 122 (167)
2005 - 113 (167)
2006 - 92 (168)
2007 - 124 (169)

2007/10/17

垃圾管理慎防头不到岸

(此文已在2007年10月16日《星洲日报》言论版刊登)

雪兰莪州巴生市议会于6个月前,以实验方式在一个巴生中路设立“垃圾回收及再循环中心”,据新闻报道说反应不俗。

上述中心的运作方式是市民主动将民宅垃圾送到该中心回收,每公斤垃圾(家居废料、小贩废料及可循环物品)换取10仙。

当局发现,上述中心启用后,一些路段的沿途垃圾减少、当局无需再委任承包商,每个月可节省38千令吉;对市民而言,一些“垃圾生产量”较高的市民还可以赚回门牌税。

鉴于上述种种好处,雪州行政议员拿督庄祷融于是建议在各地方政府设立回收站。

垃圾问题困扰我国政府已久,巴生市议会的实验若正如报道所言,固然可喜可贺。然而,这并不表示其它地方也适合同样的处理法。

房屋及地方部官员多年来周游列国考察各地的废料管理方法后,今年才在国会提呈两项新法案:固体废料及公共卫生管理系统法案、固体废料及公共卫生管理机构法案。

政府还将拨出10亿令吉成立一个机构,全权处理全国各地的垃圾,地方政府在处理废料上的权限将收归中央。在新法案下,有关私营化三大废料处理公司是否会依据目前市议会的方案处置垃圾?届时,市议会所设立的垃圾再循环中心会不会被废置?

若将这项巴生市议会的每公斤付10仙的概念扩大进行,意味着一些地方政府可以省下聘请垃圾承包商的费用,那么以营利为主的废料处理公司是否愿意这样,还是计划两年后继续上门收垃圾,并向市民额外征收垃圾费?

说实在,房屋地方政府部在提呈法新案以来,根本没有提出什么根本上推动民间再循环、再使用、再减少”的政策,就连是否立法再循环、是否规定以不同颜色垃圾袋将垃圾分类的具体方案也交不出来。(此段落被删)

北京政府为了应付人口稠密、迎接奥运会激增的垃圾问题,依然朝往“资源节约型、环境友好型的垃圾分类方向。反观我国政府,还频频在思衬着是否在两年后征收额外垃圾费?要从日本购买什么款式的焚化炉?一切还是以怎样从人民身上榨钱、怎样让各种各样的承包商从大大小小的工程中获益做考量。

新法案的实质内涵将如何影响民生及市议会的操作?笔者认为,有关部门必须针对新法案到各地汇报,废料管理的讨论不应只限于几个官员和大老板。

在特定地区设立垃圾回收及再循环中心的方法若可取,也可说是一种教育公众的好方法。然而,有关当局推行前宜征询市民意见,以照顾那些不良于行、没有交通工具的市民。

在损益表上,或许当局也应该算一算,每公斤10仙的垃圾是否足于补贴居民驱车倒垃圾的所耗费的燃油,还有,民众驱车前往倒垃圾所导致温室气体排放量是否超过一辆垃圾车穿行市区的排出量?最后,当局售卖可循环物品中所得的费用,是否能让市民在门牌税中获得回扣?

2007/10/10

Getting worse there... ...佛都有火!



... ... it has made a big difference when the whole world witnessed on the pictures of brutal crackdowns by the military regime on unarmed monks and protesters on the television screen.

However, after these pictures and footages had reached around the world, the security forces nowadays are making sure that this does not happen again. They closely monitor both local and foreign travelers, sometimes even stopping people on the roads and searching cameras and cell phones. International access of internet inside Burma is still shut down

There have been atrocious things happening in Burma but this time almost out of international radar for the world to witness. The detained people, monks, student leaders, and protesters inside are facing horrendous fate in detention centers, in jails and in hiding.

However, people still try to find ways to send out information. Eyewitness accounts reveal that hundreds of monks in these detention centers have been forcibly disrobed and tortured while hundreds of detainees have been transferred to distant places.

Raids and arrests continue on daily basis. At least 4 more youth activists have been arrested in Rangoon yesterday and today. About 400 people were arrested during the UN Special Envoy Mr. Gambaris visit. Large number of monks, novices and activists now are in hiding and running in fear of arrest and repercussion and we are gravely concerned of their situation.

There were also eyewitness accounts of about 80 people who were burnt during night time on September 29 at Yay-wae cemetery in a northern outskirt area of Rangoon. Most were dead bodies while a few were still-alive, including a pregnant woman. (An article in Sunday Time on this situation attached FYI).

This does not surprise me at all!!! I remember vividly that during the 1988 uprising after the September massacre, I had a chance to witness a video documentation of the same kind of situation where an unknown number of people both dead and still-alive were piled in a building under the dim light while a few men were talking to each other in this heavily-drunk voice that they were scared to burn those bodies.

Even writing this makes me feel so sick from my stomach. This is the most ruthless regime that has no hesitation at all to shoot and kill people -- be peaceful protesters in the cities or be ethnic civilians in remote frontier areas.

We would like to urge all of you to stay alert and keep up with all these tremendous actions that you have already been organizing as Burma seriously needs your support at this critical time more than ever.

A few monks and people who have just fled to the border areas retold their stories with obvious trauma in their eyes and their body gestures. As they related their stories a monk in his late 40s cried in disbelief how brutal the military regime and its thugs were.

The regime released a number of monks and demonstrators just before the UN Security Councils meeting last week usual action by the regime in order to buy time or prevent international pressure especially from the UN.

Meanwhile, it launched a major propaganda campaign in its attempts to mislead the world that the people support its sham national convention and oppose the peaceful protest movement by collecting people and holding mass rallies in some states and divisions, including Kachin State. There are reports of those who didnt want to go had to pay money to the authorities.

What is encouraging is that on October 6, about 200 Kachin youths in Maijayang, Kachin State rallied to express their discontent with the ceased-fire Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) for participating in the regime-sponsored public rally to support for the results of this sham national convention (NC).

It is apparent that people are looking for the opportunity to carry on with their movement as small defiant actions were seen in various parts of Rangoon during the past few days despite of the heavy security presence all over the city.

If the UN, ASEAN and other important players of the world are unable to intervene and the military regime continues to rule the country, social breakdown, economic meltdown and distrust among people will further be bred out and Burma will become a complete failed state.

Besides, the regime shows no intention to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from under house arrest until now.

(A letter from APPPB )