anilnetto.comanilnetto.comThe journalism and other writings of Anil Netto - featuring real journalism in the cause of justice, freedom and solidarity Articles
Urban planning gone crazy
2008-06-01 16:38:00 This is an example of urban planning without a thought to pedestrians. It is a world in which cars reign supreme and pedestrians are just above cockroaches in the “food chain”. It is a world in which pedestrians - what more people with disabilities - seem to be completely forgotten. Thanks to the blog reader who ... More About: Planning , Urban , Crazy
RSS feed addresses
2008-06-01 08:07:00 As you can see, I have been tinkering around with this site. Thanks to N4M for his suggestion to make the URLs search-engine friendly. I have done that, and now you can use any one of the following URLs for the feed: http://anilnetto.com/feed/rss/ http://anilnetto.com/feed/ http://feeds.feedburner.com/Anilnettocom More About: Feed
Blogger Power drives Penangites for Trams Campaign
2008-05-31 09:19:00 The campaign to bring back the trams to Penang is picking up momentum as more bloggers join in the action. So far 22 bloggers have joined in the campaign. That’s brilliant! Click here to see the full list. If you are a blogger and you want to join in the campaign, just add one of the ... More About: Power , Blogger , Campaign , Public Transport , Civil society
The Ghost of Penang Future: State govt should establish ?green? credentials
2008-05-26 17:54:00 Cover-up job: The rape of hill-slopes continues (Photo credit: Rhino) Last Friday, another mud slide struck Penang on the stretch of road between Tanjong Bunga and Batu Ferringhi. It was not surprising given the sort of hill-slope development taking place. This one occurred in the vicinity of the Ivory building project. You can see from this ... More About: Environment , Ghost , Future , Green
Zaid Ibrahim to address media freedom activists
2008-05-25 08:24:00 On Sunday, 1 June, journalists and concerned citizens are planning to taking a symbolic Walk at Dataran Merdeka to promote the cause of media freedom. The organisers stress that it is not a public gathering but a walk. They expect Zaid Ibrahim to deliver a keynote address. According to the organisers, Zaid has made two requests - ... More About: Freedom , Media , Democracy , Address , Civil society
Penang Turf Club members sue committee over sale of land
2008-05-23 21:01:00 Two Penang Turf Club members, Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping and Dato’ Lee Ah Hoe, on behalf of the other members, are suing the Club’s 12-person committee for substantial damages over various issues pertaining to the sale of the Batu Gantong land. The civil suit summons comes up to over 30 pages so I will ... More About: Sale , Accountability , Land
Singapore gets the Island; Malaysia on the Rocks
2008-05-23 11:44:00 Well, there you have it. The ICJ has declared that the jurisdiction of Pedra Branca falls to Singapore by a 12-4 majority. The other territory - Middle Rock and Southern Ledge - fall to Malaysia by a 15-1 majority. A glum-looking RTM presentator says Malaysia has “kehilangan kedaulatan over Pulau Batu Puteh” - and then goes on ... More About: Politics , Island , Asean
Penang Turf Club member to move for EGM to reclassify land back to ?recreat
2008-05-22 11:01:00 In a surprise development, a prominent Penang Turf Club member, Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping, said he will, together with a group of members, “requisite for for an EGM to be convened as soon as possible to pass a resolution mandating the Turf Club committee to take immediate steps to submit application to the authorities ... More About: Environment , Back , Accountability
Mokhzani follows Dad out of Umno: Mahathir?s multi-prong strategy
2008-05-21 05:21:00 So Harakahdaily reports that Mokhzani is following his Dad out of Umno. He reportedly made the announcement this morning. The shrewd politician that he is, Mahathir probably has a few tricks up his sleeve. Scheming and scheming all the time… I believe he is opting for a multi-prong strategy in his battle to unseat Abdullah and put ... More About: Strategy , Multi , Prong
Ku Li tells 1,000-strong crowd he is going for top post after Mahathir quit
2008-05-19 08:33:00 5.30pm - Ku Li has addressed a crowd of over 1,000 people at the ballroom of another hotel in Alor Star. Commenting on Dr Mahathir’s shock decision to quit, he said that the former premier had wanted to send a strong message to Umno. Tengku Razeleigh also said he would be challenging for the top post ... More About: Post , Democracy , Quit , Strong , Tells
Mahathir quits Umno: What?s next - Umno Baru Baru?
2008-05-19 08:01:00 So the man who established Umno Baru in 1988 quits the party he founded in a huff. Now this comes just a few days after he and a string of his cronies were accused of involvement in the fixing of appointments of judges. Over the last few months, Mahathir has watched from the sidelines as his house ... More About: Judiciary , Malaysian politics
How did Abad Naluri get over 1,000 acres of Batu Kawan land?
2008-05-16 19:47:00 When discussing the RM1.5 billion PGCC scandal along with the scandalous rezoning from “recreational” land to “new development”, we cannot afford to ignore what was going on in Batu Kawan, which is closely connected to the PGCC saga. The PGCC and Batu Kawan deals reveal some highly questionable circumstances. During a meeting between Chief Minister Lim Guan ... More About: Environment , Accountability , Land , Acres
How to stop any development of Penang Turf Club for now
2008-05-15 06:41:00 The dream of a Penang People’s Park lives on. But Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng seems concerned that if he rezones the Penang Turf Club land back from “development” status to “recreational”, it could expose the state government to claims of compensation. But he needn’t have to worry too much. For the Penang state government holds ... More About: Environment , Development , Accountability
Bloggers launch ?Penangites for Trams? campaign
2008-05-14 08:59:00 Today, several Penang-based bloggers and websites are due to simultaneously launch a “Penangites for Trams” campaign. We hope more and more bloggers and webmasters - especially all those who care for Penang - will join in the campaign by placing the graphics here on their blogs or websites. You can link the graphic to the ... More About: Environment , Campaign , Bloggers , Launch , Civil society
Suaram activists released on police bail, complain of ?mala fide?
2008-05-12 06:10:00 This morning, Suaram Penang coordinator Lau Shu Shi, who is also Penang coordinator for the Abolish ISA Movement (GMI), and Teh Chun Hong were released on police bail. Shu Shi told me she is required to report to the police on 21 May to find out about a possible charge under Section 90 of the Police ... More About: Human Rights , Released , Civil society , Malaysian politics
PGCC the biggest land scam: Guan Eng slams Koh and Teng
2008-05-11 09:17:00 The PGCC project has been the biggest land scam in Penang, Penang Chief Minister Guan Eng said today, adding there were a couple of other large scams still under investigation. He was responding to a statement by Teng Hock Nan yesterday (see full statement below). The Penang state government had converted the Turf Club land from ... More About: Environment , Accountability , Land , Scam , Civil society
B K Ong, Suaram activists, Hindraf supporters detained after Hindraf demons
2008-05-11 07:53:00 5.30pm - Three more Hindraf activists or supporters are also said to be held by police: Vimal, Hindraf activist Selvam and press freedom activist Stanley, who had earlier campaigned for a boycott of The Star. This brings the total to seven detained. 3.15pm - About 10-15 people are at the police station. B K Ong, Satish, ... More About: Media , Health Care , Poverty , Democracy , Accountability
Who?s profiting from higher food prices? Certainly not the rice farmers
2008-05-09 08:33:00 Some people are making big bucks from the higher prices of food, including rice. But not the farmers. The Star (8 May) carried this tiny report on page 32 - it should have been front page headlines, Chun Wai! - telling of how over 2,000 rice farmers in the country’s “rice bowl” state of Kedah are ... More About: Food , Workers , Rice , Poverty , Higher
Candlelight vigil for Raja Petra at Dataran last night
2008-05-09 05:36:00 Looks like another ‘happening’ night at Dataran Merdeka yesterday. A candelight vigil for Raja Petra . Check out Teoh Jit Khiam’s photoblog here. Great pictures and witty write-up. Nice to see more creative people emerging in Malaysia. And delighted to hear Raja Petra is out on bail. Welcome back, Pete! More About: Human Rights , Night , Democracy
Two hot potatoes in PGCC/Penang Turf Club deal
2008-05-08 04:19:00 It looks like we are going to hear more about the Penang Turf Club in the news. The controversy is simply not going away. Here are two more hot potatoes: First hot potato: No conversion fee charged When the status of the Penang Turf Club land was converted from open recreational to mixed development land, by right the state ... More About: Environment , Potatoes , Deal , Accountability
Utter fiasco! Here?s why CCTV cameras won?t work in Penang
2008-05-07 12:49:00 Now this is why the Penang state government should not go ahead with its plan to install CCTV cameras in crime-prone areas. The only people to benefit will be the camera and equipment suppliers. The UK has the most CCTV cameras - but it has been an utter fiasco as this report from This is London: ... More About: Health Care , Work , Human Rights , Democracy
Malaysia?s folk hero Raja Petra opts for jail to prove a point
2008-05-06 16:52:00 Spent the evening working with Mus on a press statement in response to the action taken against Raja Petra. It is just three days after we marked World Press Freedom Day. Not good. And downright depressing. But mind you, this move could backfire. It is high stakes poker, and I guess they didn’t anticipate that Raja Petra would ... More About: Media , Malaysia , Human Rights , Folk , Democracy
Farewell, blogger Rustam; welcome, blogger Mustafa
2008-05-04 19:00:00 And so the baton is passed in the relay of life. From one true Malaysian and leading public intellectual, Rustam, and his blog… …. to another, as Mustafa K Anuar, the asst secretary of Aliran, kicks off his blog with his first full entry on World Press Freedom Day. When Mus told me he was starting a blog, ... More About: Blogger , Farewell
Odds and ends on World Press Freedom Day
2008-05-03 11:20:00 I was about to wish you Happy World Press Freedom Day, but… …they are at it again. Harassing Raja Petra, that is, over his posting on Altantuya. What exquisite timing. Come on, give the guy a break. And give him back his laptop. Anyway my choice for quote of the day has got to be from ... More About: Media , Environment
Bridge near Shanghai works out cheaper per km than second Penang bridge
2008-05-02 18:19:00 Is the cost of the second Penang bridge way too high? China yesterday inaugurated one of the longest sea bridges in the world - a six-lane 36km link (27km over sea) to connect Jiaxing city near Shanghai with Ningbo in the province of Zhejiang. And what is the cost? 11.8 billion yuan, which is RM5.3 billion ... More About: Public Transport , Works , Bridge
Penang Turf Club: Here come the vultures
2008-05-01 05:41:00 As expected, barely has the dust settled from Abad Naluri’s failed attempt to get the PGCC moving than renewed interest has been shown in the Turf Club land in Batu Gantung. The talk in the market is that a major property player involved in the building of shopping malls in KL has been showing interest in ... More About: Environment , Penang , Accountability , Vultures
Banana-leaf lunch with cartoonist extraordinaire Zunar and blogger Fazlina
2008-04-29 20:21:00 One of the most rewarding aspects of my line of work is that I get to meet some outstanding Malaysians. Really cool people. Like Malaysia’s most famous political cartoonist, Zunar, and his wife Fazlina, who runs the Roti Kacang Merah blog. A couple of colleagues - Ramakrishnan of Aliran and Kris, a human rights activist - and ... More About: Media , Blogger , Banana , Lunch , Leaf
How different will the Pakatan?s economic policies be?
2008-04-28 18:18:00 Everyone knows that the Pakatan is trying to promote greater accountability and transparency. In terms of its Malaysian Economic Agenda, it wants to help those in need. But beyond that, we know little about its economic orientation. How much will it rely on the open market and how much on state intervention. What kind of mix? ... More About: Accountability , Policies
Thank God for the ?mega setback? to Penang infrastructure projects
2008-04-27 17:53:00 Today, I just want to thank God for confounding the proponents of the mega transport projects in Penang and delaying them (just like he confounded those pushing for the PGCC project). The bridge partners are now arguing about cost apportioning and design costs - and the project hasn’t even started! Porr, on the other hand, ... More About: Environment , Projects , Infrastructure , Public Transport
Abdullah?s last stand
More articles from this author:2008-04-25 17:05:00 In the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, a hopelessly outnumbered General Custer, along with his Seventh Cavalry of the United States Army, was defeated by a combined Lakota-Northern Cheyenne force. Custer and his forces were outnumbered at least three to one. When the end came, it was swift, the final battle lasting only ... More About: Human Rights , Democracy , Accountability , Judiciary , Stand 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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