STILL FIGHTING FOR PPSMI

Give option to learn in English, say parents
by Karen Arukesamy

KUALA LUMPUR (July 28, 2009): A group of parents have initiated a signature campaign to urge the Education Ministry to give the option to schools to teach science and mathematics in English.

A joint statement issued by the parents said: "Malaysia has a large number of families whose mother tongue is English. Let them have the choice to teach their children in their mother tongue."

At a press conference held at Sekolah Seri Suria, a private school in Hulu Langat, a spokesman for the group, Shariran Shaari , said: "We are not against the government’s plan to revert the teaching of science and mathematics to Bahasa Malaysia but we are urging the government to at least give the option to the students to choose whether they want to learn the subjects in English or Bahasa Malaysia."

He said there are 1,500 students studying in the school and a majority of them speaks English.

"Bahasa Malaysia is our national language whereas English is the global and cyberspace language and at Seri Suria, we place equal importance on both the languages," Shariran said.

He said that initially, he was upset when the government announced that the subjects will be taught in Bahasa Malaysia again in 2012, but after reading various reports and opinions online, he "realised the difficulties faced by the schools in the rural areas".

"However, there are several schools that have adapted well in learning both the subjects in English. Likewise, many of the students here (at Seri Suria) are doing well in both the subjects in English," he said.

The school has sufficient resources and teachers who can teach the subjects in English and the students have shown good progress in their examination results.

The parents have obtained more than 450 signatures from parents, whose children are studying in Seri Suria, and they will be sending a memorandum to urge the ministry to allow the students to continue learning science and mathematics in English.

Another parent, Elizabeth George, said they are also concerned about their children’s future.

"When you talk to people in the jobs market or employers, they say that those who cannot communicate in English are completely left out. Although they possess professional skills, they are not compatible with those who possess both skills and language proficiency.

"Thus, the future of our children is at stake."

source:SUN2SURF

DAVID CARRADINE 'S STORY CONTINUES

Published: Saturday June 6, 2009 MYT 9:49:00 AM

Thai police: Carradine death may be accidental

BANGKOK (AP): Police are speculating that accidental suffocation, not suicide, may have caused the death of American cult actor David Carradine, whose body was found in a hotel closet in the Thai capital with a rope tied to his neck, wrist and genitals.

Celebrity blogs and social networking Web sites were abuzz with news of the death of Carradine - best known for the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu." The circumstances under which he died have led to speculation that the 72-year-old actor may have been engaged in a dangerous form of sex play known as auto-erotic asphyxiation.

The practice involves temporarily cutting off the supply of oxygen to the brain to heighten the effects of a sexual climax.

Carradine's body was discovered Thursday morning in his luxury suite by a chambermaid at Bangkok's Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel, said its general manager, Aurelio Giraudo. Police embassy representatives while preparations were being made for its repatriation to the United States, expected to be in the next few days. Under U.S. privacy laws, the embassy is not allowed to release further details without permission of the family of the deceased.

Dr. Nanthana Sirisap, director of Chulalongkorn Hospital's Autopsy Center, told reporters that the autopsy was conducted because of the "unusual circumstances surrounding Carradine's death," but did not elaborate.

Police Lt. Teerapop Luanseng had said Thursday that Carradine's body was found "naked, hanging in a closet," and police at that time suspected suicide. However, no suicide note has been found.

Carradine's friends and associates insisted he would not kill himself.

"All we can say is, we know David would never have committed suicide," said Tiffany Smith of Binder & Associates, his management company. "We're just waiting for them to finish the investigation and find out what really happened. He really appreciated everything life has to give ... and that's not something David would ever do to himself."

Pornthip Rojanasunand, director of Thailand's Central Institute of Forensic Science, said the circumstances suggested that Carradine may have died performing auto-erotic asphyxiation, which is said to result in a form of giddiness and euphoria - similar to alcohol or drug intoxication - that enhances the sexual experience.

"In some cases it can suggest murder, too. But sometimes when the victim is naked and in bondage, it can suggest that the victim is doing it to himself," said Pornthip, who is considered the country's top criminal forensics expert but who did not take part in the autopsy. "If you hang yourself by the neck, you don't need so much pressure to kill yourself. Those who get highly sexually aroused tend to forget this fact."

Carradine had flown to Thailand last week and began work on a film titled "Stretch" two days before his death, Smith said. He had several other projects lined up after the action film, which was being directed by Charles de Meaux.

Carradine was in good spirits when he left the U.S. for Thailand on May 29 to work on "Stretch," his manager Smith said by phone from Beverly Hills.

Monica Donati, a spokesman for the French film company MK2, which was making "Stretch," said in statement from Paris that the film crew in Bangkok was "clearly shocked" by Carradine's death but would finish shooting. Carradine only had three more days of filming left in Bangkok, she said.

"David was apparently very happy about this new role and about filming again," she said.

Hotel manager Giraudo described Carradine as "very much a person full of life" who chatted with the staff.

"He was a great piano player and played a few nights in the hotel lobby," he said, "He also played the flute and the guests really enjoyed it. I mentioned to him that I had seen (the movie) 'Crank' with my family and that was the last smile he gave me."

Carradine, a martial arts practitioner himself, was best known for the U.S. TV series "Kung Fu," which aired in 1972-75. He played Kwai Chang Caine, an orphan who was raised by Shaolin monks and fled China after killing the emperor's nephew in retaliation for the murder of his kung fu master.

Carradine also appeared in more than 100 feature films with such directors as Martin Scorsese, Ingmar Bergman and Hal Ashby.

He returned to the top in recent years as the title character in Quentin Tarantino's two-part saga "Kill Bill." Bill, the worldly father figure of a pack of crack assassins, was a shadowy presence in 2003's "Kill Bill - Vol. 1." In that film, one of Bill's former assassins (Uma Thurman) begins a vengeful rampage against her old associates, including Bill.

SOURCE:The Star

Police raid DAP headquarters

By N Shashi Kala
shashikala@thenutgraph.com

PETALING JAYA, 23 May 2009: Police this evening raided the DAP national headquarters here and confiscated computer equipment, leaflets and DVDs.

The 6.30pm raid, which was done under Section 11 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act, was carried out without a search warrant.

In a blog posting, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang said it was the first time in the party's 42 year history that its HQ had been raided. He said party leaders, Tan Kok Wai, Fong Kui Lun, Gobind Singh and Lim Lip Eng, who were alerted of the raid, managed to reached the HQ before the police left, which was about an hour later.

According to a statement from DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy) national secretary Loh Chee Heng, police brought Dapsy political education bureau director Ooi Leng Hang, to the scene and it is believed he unlocked the door for them.

Ooi, who was handcuffed, had been in police detention since 21 May for taking part in a candlelight vigil in Taman Muda

The Hulu Selangor councillor's office computer and some documents were confiscated. Watch a video of the raid here.

Terming the police raid as an "anti-democracy crackdown", Dapsy in the statement said the move to charge Ooi, Dapsy deputy chairperson Jenice Lee and the other 14 Dapsy members and supporters under the 1984 Printing Presses and Publications Act "is extremely regrettable".

The statement also demanded the immediate unconditional release of those who were arrested at the vigil on 21 May.

A SWINGING CLUB OR A GOLF CLUB?

KHIR TOYO SHUT UP