…probably not available in the Guinness Book of World Records or Ripley’s Believe It or Not
Devenna Jaikob was Miss Sabah / World 2008 in April. She was also the 2006 Unduk Ngadau. She went on to represent Sabah at recent Miss Malaysia / World 2008 pageant, but went out in the earlier rounds. Frankly, I thought she looked prettier than the winner.
The following photo was taken during the rehearsals of Miss Sabah / World 2008, sans make up:
…and the following photo was taken during the pageant:
Does she look like she needs an Orovo drink?
UPDATED 16th July 2008, 11:05pm
The topic could also read: the most-blogged topic in the history of the Malaysian blogosphere.
On one corner: Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, 50
On the other corner: PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, 61
Moderator: former Utusan Malaysia editor-in-chief, NST columnist and Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka chairperson Datuk Johan Jaafar
Other panelists: Current affairs weekly Siasah editor Zulkifli Sulong & Universiti Utara Malaysia vice-chancellor Nordin Kardi.
Topic: “Form a government today, fuel prices will decrease tomorrow”
Format: Both debaters stood on a stage, similar set-up to the US presidential debate, started session with each presenting a 4-minute opening statement, which was then followed by questions from the 3-member panel (moderator & the 2 panelists). Then, both debaters were given the chance to ask each other one question. Debate ends with 90-second wrap-up speech.
Date: 15th July 2008 (Tuesday)
Place: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur
Time: 9pm
Duration: 1 hour
Live airing: 3 TV channels on Astro (TV9 - ASTRO Channel 119, Astro Awani - ASTRO Ch 501 & Bernama TV - ASTRO Ch 502), IP Global TV, countless blogs, none from RTM or TV3.
Official results: The organisers did not declare a winner.
Youtube video: (55 minutes, 8 parts)
Transcript: by Anil Netto, by 5xmom
But what does the blogosphere think?
In the hours following the debate, there were many opinions and polls posted online
Blog opinions
There is the win-win notion that the winner is “the people”, but for purists like me, I still want the old “win-lose”:
…saying Anwar won
Peter Tan
Marina Mahathir
Mindful Mariner
5xmom
Anak Merdeka
Rohaizad
The Flaccid Mind
Alam Kekal
Jacksonlim.com
Gnome’s Place
Lionel
Limadang
Walking in a circle
Stocktube
Cinematic Concerns
Kecek-Kecek Tok Mudin 3.0
A Particle of Boredom
Psittacula
Merah Tinta MSO
Jahilgoblog
Kerajaan Rakyat
Kembara pencinta buku
Kembara minda
jelas.info
Roti Kacang Merah
…saying Shabery won
A comment at malaysiakini by A Star Is Born:
Cringe did I when I first heard news of the Anwar vs Shabery debate. I pictured either a massive reaming for the BN speaker or a repeat Syed Hamid’s fumbling buffoonery a la ‘Hard Talk’. In fact I didn’t want to watch but was dragged in front of the telly. All day the general feeling was that Shabery was going to get creamed because Anwar is probably the best and most charismatic speaker in Malaysian politics today. Sort of like watching David vs. Goliath.
My frown though, soon turned into a smile as Shabery began his rebuttal and by the end of the debate I was clapping enthusiastically at the TV. He wasn’t as eloquent as Anwar but he was confident, calm, concise and even managed to crack a joke or two. Most importantly, he was never rattled and could deliver his points (though I would suggest a glass of water or a tissue for him the next time).
Honestly, Anwar won as far as public speaking and showmanship went. That, after all, is his strong point. But on facts and actual answers to the questions put forward, Shabery came out on top. I’m sure by populist vote Anwar would be the winner but even in that event, his supporters have to admit that it was far from a landslide victory.
…saying it’s a draw
… was not conclusive
Paul Tan
Blood-Suckers
Drill & Grill
Still, my favourite review is this one by Chan Kok Leong at malaysiakini:
As for the debate itself, it was not quite a walkover by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim. Shabery, who is younger by 11 years, managed to hold his ground against the 61-year-old seasoned politician known for his fiery oratory skills. Looking sharp in an all-black suit with gold buttons, the minister cut a picture of confidence as he fielded questions from the former deputy premier and the panel.
However, many felt Anwar emerged victorious in the debate while others pointed out that the duo had merely skimmed the surface of such a complex subject within the allocated one hour.
While Anwar stuck to his guns by promising immediate slashing of the fuel price by 50 sen and the failure of the Barisan Nasional government to address leakages and corruption, Shabery defended the hike with the “world phenomenon” argument.
At times, Shabery even resorted to personal attacks, recounting the days when Anwar was in government. The Terengganu-born minister used up precious minutes in the hour-long debate to question Anwar’s record as finance minister, especially the lopsided independent power producer (IPP) agreements and the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis during his watch.
One particular failure of the minister was his inability to answer Anwar’s appointed panelist, Siasah editor Zukifli Sulong’s question on why the government has not improved public transportation after the 2006 petrol hike as promised.
But Anwar himself also fell a bit short in some areas. His main point of re-negotiating IPP agreements to recover RM2 billion and to use that to subsidise fuel cannot be considered as a long-term solution.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shahrir Samad, who was part of the audience, questioned the argument. “Even if the IPP agreements were re-negotiated, the additional income is Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s, not the government’s,” he said after the debate.
“It still doesn’t solve the issue of higher fuel prices and the higher subsidies which the government has to bear,” he added.
Despite their different political affiliations, both debaters behaved well, though the same could not be said about their respective supporters in the hall, who shouted and booed during the debate.
However, outside Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, some 200 PKR supporters kept their cool under the watchful eyes of police personnel.
There may have been no winners tonight but there were 25 million Malaysians who no doubt would have taken a liking to a new phenomenon - live political debates on TV.
Poll results
Anil Netto’s poll: as of 16th July, 12:34am, Anwar leads 369-12.
Malaysiakini polls results: the poll went live right after the debate ended, lasted for 12 hours and ended at 10am on 16th July. At 12:40pm, the results were published: almost 96 percent said that Anwar won: 17,240-1,444.
Blood-Suckers: as of 16th July, 12:43am, Anwar leads 3-0.
Drill & Grill: as at 16th July, 1:10am, 2-2.
Penang & Malaysia: as at 16th July, 1:23am, Anwar leads 243-6.
Quotable quotes
Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, on reports that he personally attacked Anwar:
I did not attack him personally. I only talked about his policies and his leadership so as to question his credibility. It wasn’t a personal attack, but when he was a deputy finance minister, his methods were not even humanist. Now he is talking about humanism. I just wanted to show people his leadership record. Do not get me wrong on this one. When he said I was in Semangat 46, it was a personal attack.
The purpose of the debate was not to show who was better between [us], but to raise politics to another level. It showed that both of us could deliver our messages on the matter. Most importantly, we proved that we can debate in a cordial manner and are not afraid to do so.
Sources
NST
The Star
Malaysiakini (subscription based)
Starbucks Corporation, the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with more than 15,000 stores in more than 40 countries, 172,000 employees and billion-dollar revenues also has probably the world’s most controversial corporate logo.
The present logo which we all know is:
The original logo when Starbucks first started out in 1971: the Starbucks siren topless and had a fully-visible double fish tail:
You might say bygones be bygones, but in early April 2008, Starbucks recalled the original logo, albeit modified: hair covers the nipples of the siren:
What else but the blog post on 19th May 2008 by Tun Dr Mahathir?
Anybody else informing the world via a blog posting that he’s quitting a political party might not be worth a second look, but this man is different:
Apparently he typed in the blog post himself, or at least dictated it.
He has been a member of Umno since its inception i.e. 1946. In 1946, most of us are not even born yet. In fact, some of the leaders of the other BN componenet were not even born then. Heck, the King of Malaysia was not even born yet.
He’s the number one member of Umno. His wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah is number 2. She has also quit Umno.
He’s a life member of Umno.
Umno is the mainstay of Barisan Nasional, the coalition that is ruling Malaysia.
He was the Prime Minister of Malaysia for 22 years, from 1981 to 2003.
Does any other Malaysian blog post, not just in the short history of the blogosphere, but rather the whole history of the World Wide Web, can even come close?
In April 2008, Sabine Hilschenz, 42, a German woman, was sentenced by a Frankfurt court to 15 years in prison for killing 8 of her own newborn children between 1992 and 1998.
In fact, she killed a 9th child, also her own, but “the time in which she could be charged for that crime had lapsed since 1988.”
Ms Hilschenz is a divorced unemployed dental assistant in the eastern German state of Brandenburg. She and her her former husband were members, under the communist regime, of the Stasi (East German secret police).
Such was the nature of the crimethat it raised questions about the long-term social effects of communism.
She had been found guilty 2 years earlier (2006).
She said she had been too drunk to remember either their births or their deaths. . In most of the births, she was drunk when she went into labour.
Consider the following:
Detectives feared that as Elisabeth aged, Kerstin may have become Fritzl’s next victim. That would be an even more unthinkable crime: having sex with your own daughter who at the same time is also your granddaughter, her offspring (if it’s a she) would be your daughter, granddaughter and your great-granddaughter all at the same time. That’s revolting beyond words.
Joseph Fritzl started making the dungeon in 1978, when Elisabeth was only 12, 6 years before he forced Elisabeth to a quarter-century of subterranean hell.
Joseph had a previous rape conviction in the 60s.
Elisabeth was his favourite child because she was the prettiest. Joseph allegedly started abusing her in 1977 when she was 11.
Elisabeth as a teenager
Image of Elisabeth as a child and a younger Joseph [pic source: Daily Mail UK]
Joseph fathered 7 children with his own daughter.
The 7th child died at 3 days old in 1996 and Joseph threw his body was thrown down an incinerator.
Joseph went on extended holidays in Thailand, weeks at a stretch, without his wife, knowing full well that his daughter and his incestuous offspring were being locked in air so stifling one could almost suffocate in it. Investigators have had get holes drilled through the walls. Inner chambers appear to be solitary confinement cells with bare walls and floors used to terrify Elisabeth and the 3 kids if they misbehaved.
Joseph enjoying himself on holiday. Does he look like he just came out of drug rehab to you?
Joseph chained Elisabeth to the wall with a dog-lead for the first 9 months of her captivity.
Detective Franz Polzer, head of criminal investigations in Lower Austria, said: “The man is evil beyond words. The misery he has inflicted on his family is unimaginable.”
Joseph’s motive was to “recreate once again the situation he had with his first family, the legal family, but this time with a good looking young daughter.” But by the time Elisabeth, now 42, was rescued, she looked more like a sister to her mother, Rosemarie, 68. Her hair had turned grey and she had aged beyond her years.
Elisabeth Fritzl was imprisoned behind not one but eight doors, one of them weighing half a ton. Another 3 doors needed electronic codes, and they were secured with conventional locks as well.
Elisabeth had tried to run away from home in 1982, when she was 16, but was dragged back.
If his eldest incestuous child, Kirsten, 19 had not been very sick, the ordeal would not have stopped. She had spent all her life underground, never seeing sunlight. Kerstin is in a coma due to multiple organ failure, and is likely to die.
Joseph is planning to plead insanity to escape jail.
Even other inmates in the jail hates him and threatens to kill, making Fritzl refuse to come out of his cell.
Joseph had forced Elisabeth to help him build the dungeon.
From 1984, when she was first incarcerated, until 1992, that’s a full 8 years, Elisabeth was in a single room underground. The dungeon was only expanded after she had given birth twice. When she then begged him for more room, he made her help him scrape out another room by hand.
Even awaiting trial, Joseph is obsessed with media coverage. He enjoys watching TV news and reading every newspaper story about himself.
Which father could be worse than this?
Source
Daily Telegraph (UK)
Vernon Kedit Jolly, the manager of top local vocalist Ning Baizura mentioned in his blog that on 30th April 2008 they were on the same KL-Penang flight with the current Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng.
They first met during the check-in queue. Vernon and Ning were settling down in first class, couldn’t locate Lim there and when they looked beyond the curtain, saw him seated on the front row of economy class.
Hopefully he doesn’t take frugality too far as to wear disposable gloves…
I am still on about Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, The French First Lady, the wife of the President of France here.
On 26th of March 2008, the French First Couple went on an official visit to Britain. When Carla walked over to the Queen, she performed what could very well be the world’s most over-analysed curtsey:
Image source: dailymail.co.uk
Amanda Platell of the Daily Mail (UK) wrote that:
Not since Anne Boleyn has a woman curtseyed so deeply, so demurely or so calculatedly before a British monarch. When Carla Bruni-Sarkozy swept in to London to meet the Queen yesterday on her very new husband’s presidential jet, she was part Grace Kelly, part Jackie Kennedy, part Princess Diana.
Anne Boleyn was apparently a woman who lived 500 years ago.
France’s first lady, Carla Bruni, 40 was a model before she married Nicolas Sarkozy in February 2008, less than 4 months after his divorce from his wife of 11 years, Cecilia Ciganer-Albeniz.
On the eve of their official visit to Britain at end of March 2008, interest in a nude photo of her has been fanned. The photo taken by Michel Comte in 1993 and was due to be auctioned in the month after.
Pic of Ms Sarkozy at a banquet during the visit to Britain [source: dailymail.co.uk]
Then the BBC reported on 11th April 2008 that the photo has been auctioned for USD91,000, more than 20 times the expected price. The office of the French President declined to comment.
This is the first time in history that a nude photo of a serving first lady has been sold for profit.
To add more spice to the whole saga, Comte, 53 the photographer added that:
- he took hundreds of photos of Bruni over 10 years
- he has photos of her that are even more explicit
- “But she need not worry as I would never put them on sale.”
What can be worse than a recycled April Fools’ Day hoax, not once, but for several consecutive years, in a dictatorship no less.
I was surprised to read that the late Saddam Hussein and his sons liked to play tricks on the people of Iraq come April Fools’ Day.
On 1st April 1 1998, Uday Hussein’s newspaper, the Babil, announced that US President Clinton had decided to lift sanctions against the country. Later, it admitted that it was only joking.
Exactly a year later, via the same newspaper, it was announced that the monthly food rations (I suppose this had to be done because of the ongoing sanctions) would be supplemented to include bananas, Pepsi, and chocolate. Then, like the year before, this was later revealed to be a joke.
By the same date in 2000, any sane person would be able to guess what April Fools’ joke was in store. However, amazingly, the SAME gag was pulled.
Come 2001, guess what: yes, the same one again.
It’s so bad, it’s not even funny anymore, and has a somewhat surreal quality to it.
You could almost sympathize with Saudi Arabia’s chief cleric, the Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al al-Sheikh, who in 2001 decreed that the celebration of April Fool’s Day should be banned altogether.
It is not known whether the Husseins’ antics had anything to do with this.
