Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by GarubaSwey

AI GPU incoming ban in Malaysia

GarubaSwey — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:54:56 +0800

US tightens AI chip export rules, targets Southeast Asia as China's GPU smuggling hub

"The Biden Administration is expected to unveil new regulations by the end of the year, targeting China's acquisition of advanced AI chips through third-party nations. These measures aim to close loopholes and strengthen US control over sensitive technology exports. "

https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20241213PD2...heast-asia.html

got Malaysia and Singapore tags

Gambia and Tanzania outlaw child marriage

GarubaSwey — Sat, 09 Jul 2016 01:45:24 +0800

QUOTE

Gambia and Tanzania outlaw child marriage

The Gambia and Tanzania have banned child marriage, with tough penalties for those who breach the rulings.
Gambia's President Yayha Jammeh announced that anyone marrying a girl below 18 would be jailed for up to 20 years.
In Tanzania, the high court imposed a landmark ruling outlawing marriage under the age of 18 for boys and girls.
Some 30% of underage girls are married in The Gambia, while in Tanzania the rate is 37%.
Before the Tanzania ruling, girls as young as 14 could marry with parental consent.

sos http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36746174

QUOTE

Child marriages on the rise

PETALING JAYA: In Malaysia, girls under the age of 16 cannot legally drive or buy cigarettes. They can’t even watch certain movies or go clubbing. But they can marry – lawfully at that.

And many are increasingly doing so, according to statistics from the Malaysian Syariah Judiciary Department (JKSM).

In 2012, there were around 1,165 applications for marriage in which one party, usually the bride, is younger than the legal marrying age. The Syariah Courts approved 1,022 of them. This is an increase from the 2011 record, when some 900 marriages involving at least one Muslim minor were approved.

sos http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2013...to-900-in-2011/

what sick joke is this?

blur, lepak, teh tarik is Singlish not Manglish?

GarubaSwey — Fri, 13 May 2016 16:18:35 +0800

New entry to Oxford English Dictionary

QUOTE

19 'Singlish' terms have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary
SINGAPORE — If you want to roll with the locals, you should probably check out the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).

The hallowed dictionary has added 19 common Singaporean and 13 Hong Kong terms to its quarterly update.

Listed as "Singapore English" by the OED, Singlish is Singapore's creole and usually involves loanwords from Chinese dialects and Malay or English expressions that are often used by the locals.

Examples include: "shiok" (cool, great; delicious, superb); "lepak" (to loiter aimlessly or idly; to loaf, relax, hang out); and "blur" (slow in understanding; unaware, ignorant, confused).

The majority of the 13 Hong Kong terms derive from Cantonese loanwords, such as "dai pai dong" (a food stall); and "yumcha" (to drink afternoon tea; eat dimsum).

This is not the first time the OED has included Singlish words into its record. Since 2000, "sinseh" (Chinese doctor) and "kiasu" (scared to lose) have been added to the online version of the OED.

QUOTE

New Singapore English words
The OED’s March 2016 update sees the inclusion of a number of words from Singapore English. There are new senses of common English words like blur meaning ‘slow in understanding; unaware, ignorant, confused’; loanwords from Chinese, like ang moh (‘a light-skinned person, esp. of Western origin or descent; a Caucasian’) and Malay, like shiok (‘cool, great; delicious, superb’); and formations in English that are only used in Singapore, like sabo (‘to harm, inconvenience, or make trouble for (a person); to trick, play a prank on’) and HDB (‘a public housing estate’).

The terms lepak (‘to loiter aimlessly or idly; to loaf, relax, hang out’) and teh tarik (‘sweet tea with milk’), are characteristic of both Singapore and Malaysian English, while wet market (‘a market for the sale of fresh meat, fish, and produce’) is used not just in these two countries, but all over Southeast Asia.

Here is a list of all new Singapore English items in the OED. You can also click here for a visual timeline of Southeast Asian words in the OED, including words from or about Singapore, dating from 1555 to the present.

ang moh
blur
char siu
chilli crab
Chinese helicopter
hawker centre
HDB
killer litter
lepak, n.
lepak, v.
lepaking
shiok
sabo, n.
sabo, v.
sabo king
sotong
teh tarik
wah
wet market

http://mashable.com/2016/05/13/oxford-dictionary-singlish/
http://public.oed.com/the-oed-today/recent...-english-words/
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/shio...lish-dictionary

BBC reporter detained for disrespectful reporting

GarubaSwey — Mon, 09 May 2016 16:28:17 +0800

sounds familiar?

QUOTE

BBC correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, team expelled from North Korea

(CNN)British Broadcasting Corporation correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes was detained in North Korea and is being expelled for his reporting, authorities have announced at a press conference.

He will be joined on the plane by BBC producer Maria Byrne and cameraman Matthew Goddard, the British broadcaster added.
He was questioned for eight hours by North Korean officials and made to sign a statement apologizing, according to the BBC.

ll three have now been taken to the airport by their minders.

North Korean authorities said they took issue with "disrespectful" reports he filed from inside the country last week. He was detained at the airport and questioned, but has since been released.

Kim Jong Un: We'll only use nuclear weapons if sovereignty threatened

"We have decided to expel the Tokyo BBC correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes from the territory of the DPRK and we are going to never admit him again into the country for any report," O Ryong Il, Secretary General of the DPRK National Peace Committee said at the press conference, using an acronym for the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

"We think that if the BBC is a genuine, true, international media organization you should be acting in such a way as to respect the law and system in the country, and you must admit your mistakes."

Another BBC correspondent was at the press conference -- there were only a handful of news outlets present, and CNN was the only American network -- who used the word 'interrogated' and asked how the world would view the fact that North Korea had detained and punished a journalist for reporting things that they didn't agree with. The question remained unanswered and the official walked out of the room.

Officials say that Wingfield-Hayes violated local customs and acted in an aggressive manner during his trip.

"During their coverage they were not very just in terms of respecting the local custom, the system in the DPRK and even made distorted facts, the realities about the situation and they were speaking very ill of the system of the leadership of the country when they should have been reporting very fairly, objectively and very correctly."

CNN's Will Ripley, who is in Pyongyang for the Seventh Congress of the ruling Korean Workers' Party, reported the news of the crew's expulsion.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/09/asia/bbc...ed-north-korea/
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36244994
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/10/world/as...expels-bbc.html

Which school is this? Whole class beat teacher

GarubaSwey — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 15:14:04 +0800

[YOUTUBE]JT9JpTu5Znw[/YOUTUBE]

Obama reveals why Pinoy,Thai and Indon didnt join

GarubaSwey — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 09:18:53 +0800

QUOTE

The US has finally banned imported goods made by slaves and children

US president Barack Obama has signed into law a bill containing a provision that officially bans imports of goods made by forced labor.

The wide-ranging bill, called The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, is primarily about creating conditions that help US workers and businesses. But it also closes a legal loophole that has long allowed the importing of goods made by forced labor if consumer demand couldn’t be satisfied otherwise. The so-called “consumptive demand” test dates back to 1930.

“It’s an outrage this loophole persisted for so long,” Oregon senator Ron Wyden told the AP earlier this month. “No product made by people held against their will, or by children, should ever be imported to the United States.”

Some 350 common products from countries around the world are made with forced and child labor, at least in some instances, according to a list maintained by the US Department of Labor. Coffee from Colombia and garments from Bangladesh are included, as is sugarcane from Brazil and shrimp from Thailand. (An AP investigation last year revealed that shrimp peeled by slaves in Thailand had made its way into US supermarkets and restaurants, including Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, Red Lobster, and Olive Garden.)

“The mere deterrent effect of closing this loophole is a great step forward,” Gil Kerlikowske, commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection, told reporters. “We’re going to make sure that is heavily noted throughout the world.”

But as the AP reported when Congress passed the bill on Feb. 12 (it was signed by the president on Feb. 24), some critics believe the new US provision is more about image than anything else. Indeed, it looks bad to have a loophole that allows for imports of products made by slave labor; but the new rules, which take effect in March, will only be meaningful if they’re enforced, which could require more resources.

Here are some of the goods on the Labor Department list that have been linked to forced or child labor:

Not all items in these categories are made with forced or child labor, and not all of them are imported to the US. But these products may come under increased scrutiny. The bill requires annual reports on the number of instances in which merchandise was denied entry to the US, along with a description of the merchandise.

Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines included.
coincidence? or unrelated?

sos http://qz.com/624870/the-us-has-finally-ba...s-and-children/

Tesla press event *ended now, new car adds

GarubaSwey — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 12:07:37 +0800

http://www.teslamotors.com/modelx
Full Presentation Video
[YOUTUBE]RUz_EXSmp9w[/YOUTUBE]

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

new Model X car adds
huge HEPA air filter
biochemical defense
Gullwing doors/ falcon doors with clearance/avoidance sensors & only need 30 cm of space on each side to open
Full Electric 250mile/400km range
Ludicrous mode 0 to 60 mph in 3.2s
Top speed of 155mph/250kmh
Audio 560 watts and 17 speakers
17-inch touchscreen dash
All wheel drive
“is the safest SUV ever,” with five-star safety ratings
starts at US132,000

Netflix further expand in Asian high speed nation

GarubaSwey — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 13:49:00 +0800

Malaysia broadband speed too slowpoke

QUOTE

Netflix To Launch In South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong And Taiwan In Early 2016
World's Leading Internet Television Network Continues Expansion, Offering a Broad Variety of Entertainment for a Low Monthly Price

Sep 08, 2015
Los Gatos, Calif., 8 September 2015 -- Netflix, Inc. announced today it will expand into South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan in early 2016 as it moves to complete its global rollout by the end of next year.

Once launched, Internet users will be able to subscribe to Netflix and instantly watch a curated selection of popular TV shows and movies in high-definition or even Ultra HD 4K on nearly any Internet-connected screen. Netflix first became available in Asia earlier this month with the start of service in Japan.

"The combination of increasing Internet speeds and ubiquity of connected devices provides consumers with the anytime, anywhere ability to enjoy their favorite TV shows and movies on the Netflix service," said Reed Hastings, chief executive officer of Netflix. "These four markets well represent those trends."

With a constantly improving user experience, advanced personalization technology and a curated selection of TV shows and films, Netflix members are able to create their own viewing experience and can easily discover new favorites, while reconnecting with popular characters and stories.

Netflix members connected to the Internet can watch whenever, wherever they like, and on any device they choose. Members can start watching on one device, pause, and then pick up where they left off on another, at home or on the go.

Netflix will be available at launch on smart TVs, tablets and smartphones, computers and a range of Internet-capable game consoles and set-top boxes. Additional details on pricing, programming and supported devices will be available at a later date. Consumers can sign up to be alerted when Netflix is available on www.netflix.com.

About Netflix
Netflix is the world's leading Internet television network with over 65 million members in over 50 countries enjoying more than 100 million hours of TV shows and movies per day, including original series, documentaries and feature films. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

http://www.lowyat.net/2015/74074/netflix-c...ntries-in-asia/
https://pr.netflix.com/WebClient/getNewsSum....do?newsId=2553

Our haze/jerebu situation in 1 picture

GarubaSwey — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 20:03:39 +0800

QUOTE

HAZING RITUAL
Indonesia’s palm oil production is smoking out its neighbors

It’s dry season in Indonesia, which in some parts means it’s time to clear more land for palm oil plantations—with fire. In recent days, most of Sumatra (about double the size of Great Britain) was covered in a stifling layer of smoke so large it affected neighboring Singapore and parts of Malaysia, too. The fire has also led to cancelled or delayed flights and health problems.

On the ground in Sumatran cities like Palembang, many turned to social media to vent their frustration. For instance a group of cartoonists—soon joined by others—used the hashtag #masihmelawanasap on Instagram and Twitter to share comments, street-level pics, and illustrations.

Recently, Norway’s $871-billion sovereign-wealth fund removed four Asian companies from its investment portfolio, citing the environmental damage they are causing by turning rain forests in Indonesia and Malaysia into palm oil plantations.

The problem is economics. Once land is planted with oil palms, it’s about the double the value (link in Indonesian) of land that’s merely cleared by fire. And the latter is more valuable than uncleared land.

Palm oil is a widely used ingredient in processed foods and other items you find in your local grocery store. It pops up in soap, margarine, peanut butter, cookies, ice cream, lipstick, and toothpaste. It’s feedstock for biofuel, too. The world’s seemingly insatiable demand for palm oil creates economic conditions that favor the clearing of land ideal for growing oil palms.

sos http://qz.com/496410/everywhere-around-ind...cs-of-palm-oil/

PS: KL, JB, SG is hitting unhealthy level
Realtime air quality map http://waqi.info/

Thai TV ad now making me cry over security cameras

GarubaSwey — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 18:32:04 +0800

[YOUTUBE]S-fvxEq_3DA[/YOUTUBE]

other products to cry over

[YOUTUBE]DLxXgWNlQmU[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]0dtca6ENbww[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]k0KzquDdSM8[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]6LweaqDsUmo[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]uS_9wCrXpzM[/YOUTUBE]

Research that found e-cig 95% safer than cig

GarubaSwey — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 09:54:44 +0800

- Agency claimed using e-cigarettes is 95% safer than smoking tobacco
- But assertion relied on study by scientists in pay of e-cigarette industry
- Experts say conflict of interest raises questions about report's findings

The Lancet revealed that three of the 11 authors of the original study were paid advisors for the e-cigarette industry. The editors of the journal European Addiction Research even issued a warning alongside the article saying there was a ‘potential conflict of interest.’

Research by the respected Lancet medical journal reveals that the paper relies heavily on evidence produced by industry-funded scientists.

Even the industry-funded scientists were cautious about the robustness of their research, warning that there was a ‘lack of hard evidence’ for their claims. That caution did not make it into the PHE report.

QUOTE

E-cigarette industry funded experts who ruled vaping is safe: Official advice is based on research scientists in the pay of manufacturers

PHE called for electronic 'nicotine sticks' to be prescribed on the NHS
Agency claimed using e-cigarettes is 95% safer than smoking tobacco
But assertion relied on study by scientists in pay of e-cigarette industry
Experts say conflict of interest raises questions about report's findings

By Ben Spencer, Medical Correspondent For The Daily Mail

Official advice proclaiming e-cigarettes to be ‘95 per cent safe’ is based on research by industry-funded scientists, it was revealed last night.

Public Health England called last week for electronic ‘nicotine sticks’ to be prescribed on the NHS as part of a ‘game-changing’ review of medical evidence.
The agency claimed that using e-cigarettes, or ‘vaping’, is 95 per cent safer than smoking tobacco.

Now it has emerged that its assertion relied on a 2014 study conducted by scientists in the pay of the e-cigarette industry.
Experts warned last night that the conflict of interest raises serious questions about the report’s conclusions.

Research by the respected Lancet medical journal reveals that the paper relies heavily on evidence produced by industry-funded scientists.
PHE, set up in 2013 under the last government’s sweeping health reforms, is responsible for ‘protecting the nation’s health’ and ‘reducing health inequalities’.

At a press conference to launch its report last week, Professor Kevin Fenton, PHE’s director of health and wellbeing, said it was vital the public is told e-cigarettes are safe.
A press release to accompany the launch said: ‘The current best estimate is that e-cigarettes are around 95 per cent less harmful than smoking.’
When journalists asked where the findings came from, they were shown a chart showing cigarettes with a 99.6 per cent ‘harm score’, compared with 4 per cent for e-cigarettes.

The Lancet reveals that this claim – and the chart – originated from a study published in the journal European Addiction Research last year. Three of the 11 authors of that study disclosed their role advising the e-cigarette industry in the original text of their paper. The editors of the journal went even further, issuing the article with a warning of ‘potential conflict of interest’. But PHE did not repeat the declaration of interests anywhere in its 111-page review.

Even the industry-funded scientists were cautious about the robustness of their research, warning that there was a ‘lack of hard evidence’ for their claims. That caution did not make it into the PHE report.
E-cigarettes deliver a nicotine hit by heating liquids until they are vaporised, avoiding the tar and other carcinogens associated with breathing in smoke.

Around 2.6million adults in Britain have used e-cigarettes in the decade or so they have been on the market. Scientists generally agree they are far safer than tobacco, but concerns about long-term safety remain.
Last August, the World Health Organisation said e-cigarettes should be banned indoors over fears that they could harm non-users.

Last week’s PHE report was greeted with glee by the £340million e-cigarette industry, and most public health experts and medical bodies also welcomed it.
But Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer, said: ‘People need to recognise they are not risk free, and they should only be used as a means to help smokers quit and stay quit.’

In an editorial, The Lancet says PHE has based a ‘major conclusion’ on an ‘extraordinarily flimsy foundation’ and ‘has fallen short of its mission’.
The original 2014 study was led by Professor David Nutt, the controversial former government drugs adviser.

His team of 11 scientists included Italian addiction expert Riccardo Polosa, a consultant to e-cigarette distributor Arbi Group Srl, and to the pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and GSK.

Swedish scientist Karl Fagerstrom, another researcher, admitted to being a ‘consultant for most companies with an interest in tobacco dependence products’.
And Jonathan Foulds, of Pennsylvania State University in the US, has links to several manufacturers of smoking cessation products, including Pfizer, GSK and Novartis.

Public Health England insisted last night it would stand by its claims, saying a previous ‘expert review’ had already endorsed the findings.

QUOTE

WHAT HEALTH CHIEFS FAILED TO TELL US

THE CLAIM

Public Health England’s report said: ‘The current best estimate is that e-cigarettes are around 95 per cent less harmful than smoking.’ This was based on a 2014 study, published in the journal European Addiction Research, which stated: ‘[The] relative nicotine harms [are] cigarettes 99.6%; electronic nicotine delivery systems 4%.’

THE REALITY

The journal article’s researchers admitted: ‘A limitation of this study is the lack of hard evidence for the harms of most products on most of the criteria.’

An editors’ note also pointed out: ‘The editors are aware that [researcher] Karl Fagerstrom has connections with a company that is associated with one of the largest tobacco industries in the world... which produces smoking cessation products. The scientific community has to discuss the demarcation between potential conflicts of interest related to companies producing addictive drugs and companies producing therapeutics.’

THE BACKLASH

The Lancet said yesterday: ‘The reliance by PHE on work that the authors themselves accept is methodologically weak, and which is made all the more perilous by the declared conflicts of interest surrounding its funding, raises serious questions not only about the conclusions of the PHE report, but also about the quality of the agency’s peer review process.’

sos
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/sc...ncet-warns.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-...-companies.html

Windows 10 running perfectly on Xiaomi phone

GarubaSwey — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 18:39:38 +0800

Google must be in panic mode now

QUOTE

Windows 10 Coming To Xiaomi Smartphone Owners

Previously, a report was published stating that Microsoft announced its partnership with Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Xiaomi. Looks like that partnership will continue to grow in the future because according to the latest tweet from Joe Belfiore, Xiaomi smartphone owners will soon be able to experience the unified interface of Windows 10.

The latest tweet from Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore announced that the company will soon start its Insider program in China for Xiaomi smartphone owners. In short, smartphone owners living in the geographical boundaries of China will effortlessly be able to experience Windows 10. However, the executive has yet to clarify if the operating system will be able to run for individuals who are in possession of a Xiaomi handset, but are living outside of China. He did state that the platform is running smoothly on these devices, meaning that it will provide the stepping stone for something greater.

That ladies and gentlemen, could pave the way for more Android handsets featuring compatibility to run Windows 10. Belfiore had also showed off that Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mobile Build 10240 can easily run on Xiaomi Mi 4, suggesting that the operating system will also able to run comfortably on the company’s other handsets. However, the puzzling part is that why did Microsoft decided to tap Xiaomi for a partnership.

moar at source
http://wccftech.com/windows-10-coming-xiao...artphone-owners

Taylor Swift accidentally starts a war with China

GarubaSwey — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 22:00:16 +0800

Taylor Swift album = 1989 = Tiananmen Square protest year

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

QUOTE

With “1989” merchandise, Taylor Swift unknowingly becomes a critic of the Chinese government
Does Taylor Swift need to be sent away for re-education on core socialist principles?

The pop star recently announced she would launch a clothing and merchandise line just for her fans in China, in advance of her November tour of the country. Most of the clothing touted in a promotional video is relatively inoffensive, save for one minor detail.

Several of the T-shirts prominently feature the date “1989”—the name of Swift’s album and her tour. It’s also a term that most Chinese use to discreetly reference the events on June 4, 1989, when the Chinese government fired tanks against protesters in Tiananmen Square.

As a result, 1989 is more than just a date in China. The term is tracked on social media in China, as posts that feature the date often contain content the government considers subversive and aims to censor, as The Guardian points out. Other terms that get flagged are “64,” meaning June 4th, and “May 35th,” which uses some magic math to beat around the calendar.

High-profile pop stars have a habit of making blunders in China. In 2008, when Bjork chanted “Tibet! Tibet!” a the end of a concert in Shanghai, she found little sympathy among her fans there. Last year, when Kenny G published a tweet signifying support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy demonstrations, the saxophonist found himself under fire from both Chinese fans and government figures. He later deleted the tweet, which earned him no respect among activists.

Of course, for many Chinese, 1989 is just a date—much like it is for Taylor Swift and her young fans. If a group of people were to parade through Tiananmen Square donning T-shirts emblazoned with “1989,” they’d likely draw the attention of nearby police—unless, perhaps, they were on their way to a Taylor Swift concert.

http://qz.com/460720/with-1989-merchandise...ese-government/
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/...iananmen-square

Cheaper Internet end of this year as TM HSBB

GarubaSwey — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 15:54:21 +0800

Cheaper Internet end of this year as partially government funded TM HSBB network will be open for all ISP, expect 100Mbps at rm60-rm70 as soon as September 2015
- Waiting for the right regulatory environment
- Aims to offer 100Mbps at between RM60 and RM70

QUOTE

Telco Deep Dive: Singapore’s MyRepublic eyes Malaysian market

SINGAPORE-based MyRepublic is pretty much a disruptive fibre broadband player in South-East Asia, and its chief executive officer Malcolm Rodrigues (pic) loves one trend that seems to accompany any market deregulation in the telco space.

“Every time you have a deregulation event in the market, from opening up the long-distance market in the United States in the 1980s, to the local loop unbundling 15 years ago, also in the States, you can see 30% of the market leaving incumbents in virtually every country.

“This is even if you, as a new service provider, are poor at what you do and are a crappy, boring company,” he quips.

Significantly, he says “We are starting to see the same trend in Singapore.”

Naturally, as MyRepublic is neither a crappy nor a boring company. Rodrigues’ goal is to take as much of the 30% as possible in a market where it made a huge splash by offering 1Gbps at a disruptive price of S$49 (about US$36) a month, in May 2014.

Singapore rival StarHub was offering the same service at S$395.90 (US$294) then.

By February 2015, every fibre broadband player in Singapore was offering the service at prices ranging from S$49 to S$69.90 (US$52).   The good news for Malaysians who believe they are paying too much for their fibre broadband services is that Rodrigues is planning for MyRepublic to serve the Malaysian market as well.

“We want to offer 100Mbps at between RM60 and RM70 (about US$16 and US$19) a month,” says the self-professed serial entrepreneur, who launched MyRepublic after having raised S$2.5 million (US$1.9 million) from 21 investors.   Note that dominant broadband player Telekom Malaysia’s current 1Mbps + voice package stands at RM116.60 (US$32).

Small wonder that Rodrigues says, “We want to be very, very disruptive in the market.”

But the caveat to fulfilling this disruptive role is that the regulatory environment has to make sense for Rodrigues.   Specifically he is waiting for Telekom Malaysia ™ to open up its network access sometime around 2015-2016.

When it was pointed out that TM had already partnered with some telco players which were using its high-speed broadband network, Rodrigues explains that he does not believe in doing wholesale deals with incumbents. “I think they end up screwing you!”

He says he expects MyRepublic’s market entry into Malaysia towards the end of 2015 or early 2016. It is currently in Singapore and New Zealand.   To assist its Malaysian and regional expansion, the company has hired seasoned Malaysian broadband executive Michael Lai to join its team.

One big strength of MyRepublic that allows it to make a profit, even when selling broadband for a low price, is the fact that the organisation is tight.   Comparing telco giant Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) with MyRepublic, the former has almost 10,000 staff in Singapore, while MyRepublic can cover the entire island with broadband with 88 staff.

Rodrigues says he runs the company in a “very lean and mean model.” He believes this allows MyRepublic to compete with the telcos whose business models epitomise rigidity.

For instance, MyRepublic’s IT, Product, Support and Finance divisions support both New Zealand and Singapore, and will handle Australia as well when it launches there in the third or fourth quarter. He is currently raising a US$20-million round of funding to help execute the expansion there.

But for Malaysians, it is his impending launch here that is going to excite them and increase the pressure on the incumbents!

https://www.digitalnewsasia.com/mobile-telc...alaysian-market

Old news clipping about TM opening HSBB access 25 Sep 2008

QUOTE

Telekom Malaysia not to open access to HSBB until 2015; MCMC to monitor project closely
Reuters is reporting that Telekom Malaysia™ will not have to open access to its high speed broadband (HSBB) network until 2015, according to the contract posted on the Malaysian Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications’ website. ‘The implementation of full access service… shall be deferred for seven years from 16 September 2008 to 15 September 2015,’ the document said. The news comes following the announcement earlier this month that TM had won the contract to build the new high speed network, with the incumbent due to invest approximately 80% of the MYR11.31 billion (USD3.3 billion) project.

Malaysian news source Bernama is also reporting that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will closely monitor the implementation of the HSBB project, particularly the first seven years, citing the MCMC’s chief operating officer, Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi. Tarmizi claims TM should be allowed the opportunity to recover its interest in the project but denied claims that the seven-year period would allow the operator to monopolise the market, saying, ‘If there is any monopolising of network, MCMC will take action. As the regulator, we can take action if there are any wrongdoings by any licence holders who are anti-competitive.’ Additionally the MCMC will review the HSBB network every three years as part of its commitment to ensuring a competitive and efficient service.

https://www.telegeography.com/products/comm...roject-closely/

SYABAS Exec: Water disruption will be worse than

GarubaSwey — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 16:24:17 +0800

Prepare now, dont complain later not ready, didnt bath before going to work

QUOTE

Bekalan air di Lembah Klang kembali kritikal
PETALING JAYA: Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (SYABAS) memaklumkan bekalan air di Lembah Klang kembali kritikal.
Pengarah Eksekutif Hal Ehwal Korporat SYABAS, Priscilla Alfred berkata, rizab air bersih sehingga bulan ini, berada di bawah paras satu peratus.
Jelasnya, rizab air bersih itu menjadi negatif semasa permintaan pada waktu puncak.

Disebabkan masalah itu, banyak kawasan terutama di Hulu Langat mengalami gangguan bekalan air sama ada terputus bekalan dan tekanan rendah.

Katanya, keadaan kritikal itu disebabkan pembinaan Loji Rawatan Langat 2 belum siap (belum bermula) manakala pembesaran loji rawatan air dan lain-lain program dilaksanakan pada skala kecil sahaja.
“Banyak cadangan SYABAS tidak diluluskan kerana ‘tunggu penstrukturan semula’ selesai,” katanya menerusi iklan dua muka surat di akhbar Utusan Malaysia pada Jumaat.

Advertorial bertajuk Kemelut Air Selangor: Bilakah Akan Berakhir menerangkan secara terperinci masalah air di Lembah Klang.
Artikel berkenaan meletakkan kesalahan di atas bahu Kerajaan Selangor kerana sehingga kini masih gagal menyelesaikan penstrukturan semula air yang diusahakan mantan Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim sejak lapan tahun lalu.

Priscilla berkata, gangguan bekalan air dijangka lebih kerap berlaku dan lebih buruk berbanding 2014 yang mana catuan air telah dilakukan.
Pada masa sekarang, kapasiti air bersih yang mampu dibekalkan sebanyak 4,686 juta liter sehari (JLH) dan permintaan pula 4,640 JLH.
Baru-baru ini, Menteri Besar, Mohamed Azmin Ali memberi jaminan penstrukturan semula air akan selesai sebelum sambutan Ramadan.
Bagaimanapun ia dijangka akan tertangguh lagi kerana kerajaan Selangor dan Persekutuan masih gagal mencapai kata sepakat dalam menyelesai isu-isu tertangguh.

Katanya, selagi penjanjian pengambil alihan industri air oleh kerajaan Selangor belum selesai, projek-projek seperti penggantian paip lama, naik taraf kemudahan sistem bekalan air terawat dan program mengurangkan air tidak berhasil (NRW) tidak dapat dilaksanakan.
Ia akan memberi impak sekaligus mengancam pembangunan ekonomi kerana 1,038 pembangunan baharu (setakat April 2015) seperti perumahan, industri perkilangan dan projek-projek mega tidak dapat dilaksanakan.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/...mbali-kritikal/

Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism(C4) says

GarubaSwey — Mon, 18 May 2015 10:56:44 +0800

lel at C4

Najib must answer for 1MDB, Scorpene scandals, says anti-graft watchdog

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must be held responsible for his role in two scandals – 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and the Scorpene deal – in which billions of ringgit were plundered with no accountability, an anti-graft watchdog said today.

The Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) said the similarities between both controversies were "deeply worrying".

"Najib must be held responsible for these scandals," said C4 executive director Cynthia Gabriel in a statement today.

She said the RM42 billion debt raked up by 1MDB in just five years of its operations demonstrated how power play, patronage politics and corruption had taken a toll on the nation, adding that it was unsurprising that the state investment vehicle was not Najib's first financial scandal.

"The Scorpene submarine deal was another multi-billion dollar purchase, reeking of corruption that scandalised the nation just prior to the last general election. The numerous inconsistent answers dished out at Parliament finally led human rights group Suaram to file a judicial complaint in the French tribunal," she said.

In the statement, Gabriel listed four parallels between the controversial deals, including Najib’s involvement in both.

She said when the Scorpene deal was inked in 2002, Najib was defence minister and responsible for the purchase of the submarines, while in the Finance Ministry-owned 1MDB, the finance minister is the chairman of its board of advisors.

"He was well aware of the wheeling and dealing of the chief negotiators, and the elements of the deal agreed by both parties (in Scorpene)," she said.

"The buck stops with Najib on the 1MDB fiasco."

Another similarity, Gabriel said, was the fact that Najib “handpicked” his closest friends and associates to head the mega deals, with Abdul Razak Baginda for Scorpene and Low Taek Jho for 1MDB.

"Razak Baginda was not personnel of the Defence Ministry, but was handpicked by Najib to lead the negotiations. In fact, in documents confidentially shown to Suaram by French lawyers then, it was highlighted that Razak Baginda was handpicked also because of his wife’s (Mazlinda Makhzan) close relationship with Najib’s wife (Rosmah Mansor).

"Isn’t Jho Low, the man at the centre of the 1MDB controversy, also Najib’s friend and associate? What really Jho Low’s role was in the PetroSaudi deal remains a huge mystery," she said, referring to one of 1MDB's deals that recently came under much scrutiny.

These friends and associates also seemed to run the government's "treasure chest" like it was their own money to be thrown around and siphoned away, she said.

“Documents show that Razak Baginda in the Scorpene deal set up two companies specific to the French purchase. The first was Perimekar and the second – Terasasi – was formed to receive illicit funds never meant to be made public.

“Here his father and he are the controlling directors. While it was reported in Parliament that Perimekar had received close to RM550 million (€114.9 million), for coordination services, Terasasi received amounts of up to €42 million.”

This was similar to 1MDB's dealings, Gabriel said, where reports showed that RM700 million of the RM1 billion investment money from 1MDB was eventually siphoned off into a Swiss Bank account called Goldstar Ltd, owned and controlled by Low.

Gabriel also noted another similarity, namely the involvement of Tan Sri Lodin Wak Kamaruddin in both scandals.

Lodin, she said, was a director of Perimekar, the go-between company involved in the submarine purchase until 2010. He oversaw the transfer of money amounting to €114.9 million into Perimekar’s account.

Ironically, Gabriel added, Perimekar’s only client was the Malaysian government.

“Lodin incidentally is also on the board of directors and chairman of 1MDB. He is also the chief executive of the Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT), a fund for military pensioners. The LTAT owned 20% of Perimekar, hence the use of public funds was involved in the purchase of the submarines,” she said.

“We draw parallels here with how Najib directs funds contributed by tax payers with so much ease in business investments, with no clear oversight mechanisms, and no care for accountability and transparency. The LTAT, Lembaga Tabung Haji and the Pensioners Fund (KWAP) have all been thrown into controversy.”

She said that Najib had to be held accountable for these scandals and called for his immediate resignation as finance minister.

"Too much money has been plundered with zero accountability at the expense of ordinary Malaysians. His empty chest beating and pledges to combat corruption and promote people-centred governance ring hollow.

"C4 thus joins the chorus of concerned voices and demands that he relinquish his finance minister portfolio with immediate effect, to save Malaysia from further catastrophe," she said.

Calls for Malaysia's sixth prime minister to resign, including from retired statesman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, have risen since pilgrim fund Lembaga Tabung Haji confirmed buying land from 1MDB.

However, Najib remains adamant that he will not step down, saying he will remain in the job with support from Umno and trust from the people.

Suaram filed a complaint with a Paris civil court in 2012 over the multi-million ringgit Scorpene scandal. The probe on Scorpene is still in progress at the Tribunal de Grande Instance. – May 18, 2015.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysi...-graft-watchdog

MCMC: Prepaid reload will still add GST after May

GarubaSwey — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 20:03:26 +0800

PRESS RELEASE: MCMC CLARIFIES POSITION ON GST FOR PREPAID RELOADS

CYBERJAYA, Wednesday, 29 April --- Prepaid reloads will continue to be sold with the GST added to the reload amount. For example, a RM10.00 reload would cost RM10.60 with 6% GST added, clarified the Chairman of MCMC, Dato’ Sri Dr Halim Shafie.
“As we stated on 3 April 2015, a survey will be conducted by the communications providers to assess if customers prefer lower reload values on which GST will be charged. For example, a RM10.00 reload could be RM10.60 (RM10 reload plus 6% GST added) or RM10.00 (RM9.43 reload plus 6% GST added),” said Dr Halim.

“I am pleased to inform that the survey is almost completed and the results will be presented to the relevant authorities next week. The Royal Customs and Excise Department was agreeable to this survey being carried out before any further decisions are made.”
“However, there has been some confusion in the market as to whether prepaid reloads will be back to pre-GST rates from May 1. Unfortunately, it will be almost impossible for the service providers to implement the required changes in the next two days. Secondly, the results of the survey are not yet available and it may be premature to make any decisions at this point in time.”

The difficulty in reverting back to the pre-GST arrangements are due to the complexities in reconfiguring the systems, not only on the part of the service providers but also on third party agents such as financial institutions, electronic payment providers, super markets, petrol stations and all other sales agents totaling approximately 30,000 parties.
The cost of doing this will be significant on the service providers as well as the third party agents. In addition, new stocks of prepaid cards need to be produced and distributed nationwide.

“These costs should also be given careful consideration in coming to a final decision,” said Dr Halim.
“As all the relevant parties had previously agreed to wait until the survey is completed, MCMC would urge that any further decision on this matter be made only after considering the survey results as well as technical and financial implications,” he concluded.
In the meantime, prepaid reloads will continue to be sold with the GST added to the reload amount. For example, a RM10.00 reload would cost RM10.60 with 6% GST added.

End

http://www.lowyat.net/2015/04/mcmc-no-deci...pre-gst-prices/
https://www.facebook.com/SuruhanjayaKomunik...=message_bubble

Kakashi face revealed..!

GarubaSwey — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 20:17:04 +0800

Kakashi face revealed..!

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

http://kotaku.com/a-most-famous-naruto-unmasking-1700599336

DPM Muhiyiddin dotter ride helicopter shopping

GarubaSwey — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 10:33:10 +0800

DPM Muhiyiddin doughter using goverment helicopter go shopping/vacation/honeymoon

QUOTE

Heboh dimedia sosial mengenai gambar kononnya anak Muhyiddin Yassin yang baru sahaja berkahwin naik helikopter ada terpampang jalur gemilang.

Tidak dapat disahkan sama ada helikopter ini kepunyaan kerajaan ataupun persendirian.

Demi berlaku adil demi kebenaran maka perlunya pihak yang terbabit memberikan respon segera.

Lagi lama membisu lagi teguh terbentuk persespi yang tidak indah dan lunak.

http://omakkau.blogspot.com/2015/04/anak-p...iddin-naik.html

Apple to ban queue/sleep in front of their shop

GarubaSwey — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 22:20:51 +0800

same concept as Xiomi, store to test,view and try only, must go online to buy

Apple wants people to stop sleeping in front of its stores for new products

Apple may want you to come into one of its retail stores to check out and try on the Apple Watch, but you'd better not plan on actually walking out the door with one. According to Business Insider, Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts has circulated a memo to store employees telling them to encourage customers to buy the Apple Watch and the new MacBook online, where more will be in stock. "The days of waiting in line and crossing fingers for a product are over for our customers," the memo says. She later calls the shift to online sales, "a significant change in mindset."

The gist of the memo isn't simply that Apple's retail stores are going have low supplies of these two new products, it's that Ahrendts is trying to make Apple's stores into something a bit classier. Apple has long gained publicity for having people wait in lengthy lines for hours — if not days — in front of its store for new iPhones. While that's generated a nice camaraderie for the brand, it certainly doesn't leave an impression of Apple as a high-end, classy fashion company. That's what Apple has been going for while selling the Watch, and that's the world Ahrendts comes from: her former position was CEO of Burberry.

Apple may want you to come into one of its retail stores to check out and try on the Apple Watch, but you'd better not plan on actually walking out the door with one. According to Business Insider, Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts has circulated a memo to store employees telling them to encourage customers to buy the Apple Watch and the new MacBook online, where more will be in stock. "The days of waiting in line and crossing fingers for a product are over for our customers," the memo says. She later calls the shift to online sales, "a significant change in mindset."

"THE DAYS OF WAITING IN LINE AND CROSSING FINGERS FOR A PRODUCT ARE OVER FOR OUR CUSTOMERS."

The gist of the memo isn't simply that Apple's retail stores are going have low supplies of these two new products, it's that Ahrendts is trying to make Apple's stores into something a bit classier. Apple has long gained publicity for having people wait in lengthy lines for hours — if not days — in front of its store for new iPhones. While that's generated a nice camaraderie for the brand, it certainly doesn't leave an impression of Apple as a high-end, classy fashion company. That's what Apple has been going for while selling the Watch, and that's the world Ahrendts comes from: her former position was CEO of Burberry.

It's a strange shift, too, that seems to be transforming Apple Stores from actual stores into showrooms. It's unclear if this trend will continue with future product launches — we'll really see what Ahrendts is planning if this continues with the iPhone — but for now, Apple very much wants people to check out its new products in stores and then go home to buy them (and then wait for them to arrive). That could be frustrating if this practice continues months from now, when Apple's supply of the new products has stabilized, but it may make the devices' launches smoother and limit what resellers can grab. At the very least, killing lines will mean one less thing for Samsung to make fun of.

While Apple Stores in the US will carry some supply of the Apple Watch, Business Insider reports that stores in the UK may not have any stock at all during launch. Watch try-ons and preorders begin this Friday. If you want one early, it sounds like you're best off ordering then. The full text of the memo, reprinted from Business Insider, is below.

Get in line online
The days of waiting in line and crossing fingers for a product are over for our customers. The Apple Store app and our online store make it much easier to purchase Apple Watch and the new MacBook. Customers will know exactly when and where their product arrives.
This is a significant change in mindset, and we need your help to make it happen. Tell your customers we have more availability online, and show them how easy it is to order. You'll make their day.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/4/7/8360361/a...s-watch-macbook