Is ex-Penang Dep CM Fairus defecting to Umno?
Before I could answer this question, I received another SMS that says Fairus has already joined UMNO.
The news said:
28/2 Former Penang Deputy CM1 Mohd Fairus Khairudin quits PKR to join Umno citing loss of confidence in PKR leadership.
KUALA LUMPUR: PKR’s former Penang Deputy Chief Minister I and former Penanti assemblyman Mohd Fairus Khairuddin is with Umno leaders at a silat function to be launched by the PM fuelling speculation that he would be defecting to Umno together with another PKR member.
2010年2月28日星期日
Britain plugs visa loopholes on students
Sunday February 28, 2010
Britain plugs visa loopholes on students
By PAUL GABRIEL
paulnews@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Britain is plugging loopholes in its rigorous points-based student visa system to prevent abuse by those intending to enter and work.
Tougher rules will be enforced from Wednesday on clauses governing English Language ability, the period a student is permitted to work and on entry of dependants.
Fees for international student visas are also being increased from £145 (RM913) to £199 (RM1253).
Britain introduced its points-based visa system last March to prevent the entry of bogus students and to crack down on illegitimate institutions operating there.
The changes involving Tier 4 (student visa) are:
> A MINIMUM English Language requirement equivalent to B1 under CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) or a score of 4.5 under IELTS (International English Language Testing System) for students pursuing courses below degree level (excluding foundation degree courses);
> HALVING the amount of time a student pursuing below first degree-level course (except for foundation degree course) can work to 10 hours during term time;
> RESTRICTING lowest-level courses (A-levels and equivalent) to only “most trusted institutions” and
> BANNING dependants of students pursuing non-foundation or below undergraduate degree courses from working.
British High Commissioner to Malaysia Boyd McCleary said he expected the latest changes to have “minimal impact” on Malay- sia, saying that the measures were introduced following abuses by students in other countries.
“Malaysia is not the country we are targeting as you have been sending us good students.
“We approved 98% of your student visa applications because they followed the guidelines,” he told The Star.
Britain plugs visa loopholes on students
By PAUL GABRIEL
paulnews@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: Britain is plugging loopholes in its rigorous points-based student visa system to prevent abuse by those intending to enter and work.
Tougher rules will be enforced from Wednesday on clauses governing English Language ability, the period a student is permitted to work and on entry of dependants.
Fees for international student visas are also being increased from £145 (RM913) to £199 (RM1253).
Britain introduced its points-based visa system last March to prevent the entry of bogus students and to crack down on illegitimate institutions operating there.
The changes involving Tier 4 (student visa) are:
> A MINIMUM English Language requirement equivalent to B1 under CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) or a score of 4.5 under IELTS (International English Language Testing System) for students pursuing courses below degree level (excluding foundation degree courses);
> HALVING the amount of time a student pursuing below first degree-level course (except for foundation degree course) can work to 10 hours during term time;
> RESTRICTING lowest-level courses (A-levels and equivalent) to only “most trusted institutions” and
> BANNING dependants of students pursuing non-foundation or below undergraduate degree courses from working.
British High Commissioner to Malaysia Boyd McCleary said he expected the latest changes to have “minimal impact” on Malay- sia, saying that the measures were introduced following abuses by students in other countries.
“Malaysia is not the country we are targeting as you have been sending us good students.
“We approved 98% of your student visa applications because they followed the guidelines,” he told The Star.
2010年2月26日星期五
100歲茶王娶57歲演員
「願意做我的伴侶嗎？」
100歲茶王娶57歲演員
張天福（左）與張曉紅舉行婚禮，獲千人祝福。
（北京25日綜合電）百歲名人，有“中國茶王”之稱的張天福，日前在福建省福州迎娶比他小43歲的國家一級雜技女演員張曉紅，傳奇婚姻引起外界關注。
這也是繼諾貝爾獎得主楊振寧82歲時迎娶28歲的翁帆后，又一宗高齡名人婚姻。曠世奇緣贏千人祝福，萬人讚嘆。
“願意做我的伴侶嗎？”2008年4月的一天，在南京一個充溢茶香的坊間，98歲的張天福，向失去丈夫不久、剛走出悲痛的張曉紅，說出這句驚世駭俗的求婚語。
張天福是張曉紅病故丈夫凱亞的朋友，凱亞是中國著名茶文化學者，凱亞的父親吳覺農，更是與張天福齊名的中國十大茶葉專家之一。
對張天福的求婚，張曉紅既驚訝又悵然。想到兩人40多歲的年齡差距，想到已長大的孩子，她一度婉拒。但“茶王”絕非輕易放棄之人。
他91歲喪妻，事業未了，精神矍鑠，他耐得住孤獨，而且對世俗偏見熟視無睹。老人認定，張曉紅注定是陪伴他走人生最后一程的知己。
91歲喪妻
最終，張曉紅放棄演藝事業，告別南京，風塵僕僕趕到福州。3箱行李中有6隻刷得乾乾淨淨的鍋。張天福知道，她是真來和他過日子的。
去年12月17日，兩人在福州登記結婚；本週日上午，又攜手在福州香格里拉大酒店，舉行令人讚嘆的世紀婚禮。
“他這樣的人，值得所有人去愛。”婚禮上，新娘淡淡地對媒體說：“其實，到我們這年紀，（愛情）已與生理無關。我們追求精神的交流。這種感覺，跟年輕人是一樣的。”
100歲茶王娶57歲演員
張天福（左）與張曉紅舉行婚禮，獲千人祝福。
（北京25日綜合電）百歲名人，有“中國茶王”之稱的張天福，日前在福建省福州迎娶比他小43歲的國家一級雜技女演員張曉紅，傳奇婚姻引起外界關注。
這也是繼諾貝爾獎得主楊振寧82歲時迎娶28歲的翁帆后，又一宗高齡名人婚姻。曠世奇緣贏千人祝福，萬人讚嘆。
“願意做我的伴侶嗎？”2008年4月的一天，在南京一個充溢茶香的坊間，98歲的張天福，向失去丈夫不久、剛走出悲痛的張曉紅，說出這句驚世駭俗的求婚語。
張天福是張曉紅病故丈夫凱亞的朋友，凱亞是中國著名茶文化學者，凱亞的父親吳覺農，更是與張天福齊名的中國十大茶葉專家之一。
對張天福的求婚，張曉紅既驚訝又悵然。想到兩人40多歲的年齡差距，想到已長大的孩子，她一度婉拒。但“茶王”絕非輕易放棄之人。
他91歲喪妻，事業未了，精神矍鑠，他耐得住孤獨，而且對世俗偏見熟視無睹。老人認定，張曉紅注定是陪伴他走人生最后一程的知己。
91歲喪妻
最終，張曉紅放棄演藝事業，告別南京，風塵僕僕趕到福州。3箱行李中有6隻刷得乾乾淨淨的鍋。張天福知道，她是真來和他過日子的。
去年12月17日，兩人在福州登記結婚；本週日上午，又攜手在福州香格里拉大酒店，舉行令人讚嘆的世紀婚禮。
“他這樣的人，值得所有人去愛。”婚禮上，新娘淡淡地對媒體說：“其實，到我們這年紀，（愛情）已與生理無關。我們追求精神的交流。這種感覺，跟年輕人是一樣的。”
2010年2月17日星期三
夢醒時分 The moment when the dream is over
夢醒時分 The moment when the dream is over.
你是否和我一樣，發覺身邊的親戚和朋友，似乎少了許多。
I wonder whether do you feel the same as me, all of the sudden I realized friends and relatives around me seem to get less and less.
以往接近過年時，各種聚餐排得滿滿的，而今年，似乎沒聲沒息。
Those years when the New Year is impending, all sorts of gathering appointments almost completely filled the diaries, but this year seems so quiet.
即使是平常日子，電話少了，與大家見面也少了。
Even in normal time, phone calls become less and less, face to face meet up also become much less.
也許，大家各忙各的；或者，目前流行“宅生活”，儘量避免出門。
Perhaps, everybody is busy with their own things, or perhaps, nowadays people prefer to stay in.
也不盡然如此。再想一想，很多老友和親戚，已經不在了。嗟！大吉利是，他們都還好好的，只是離開了馬來西亞。
However, it is not entirely like this, thinking further, actually old friends and relatives are not around any more. God bless, they are still alive and well, they just left the country, Malaysia.
去了中國大陸開工廠；王子不做工程師，移民到澳洲開小食檔；阿風離開本地大學，去香港做講師；青蛙去了台灣，開展事業第二春；還有的到了美國、英國，唔，還有去印尼的……。
They have gone to China to set up factories; Ah Wang quit his engineer job and migrated to Australia to set up his little food store business, Ah Fong left the local University and went to Hong Kong to become a lecturer. 'Frog' went to Taiwan to pursue his new career. Others went to America, England, even Indonesia...
起初，以為這只是個別現象，逐漸的，旁人也有同樣發現；原來，這不是個別現象，而是社會現象；這不是少數，而是相當大的數目。
At first, I thought these are isolated cases, however, they are also revelations to other people, these are not isolated cases but a general symptom of our society. They are not small numbers but the figures are pretty big indeed.
外交部早前披露了一個數字，說明這個現象是多麼真實，多麼貼近。
Figures released by Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the situation is real.
從去年3月到今年9月，已經有30萬大馬人移民他國；其中20萬人是今年1月到8月出走的數目。
From March 2008 thru September 2009, a total of 300,000 Malaysians migrated to other countries, among them 200,000 left between Jan - Aug 2009. (in 8 months)
累積下來，已經有超過200萬大馬人移民，接近今天印尼外勞在大馬的人口。
Cumulatively, there are 2 million Malaysian migrated, this figure is close to the number of Indonesian workers in Malaysia today.
不同的是，移居他國的大馬人，多是專業人士、中產階級。
The difference are, those migrated are mostly professional and middle class.
他們有很多出走的理由，追求事業發展，為了孩子前途，尋找個人更大空間……，概括一句：對馬來西亞失望。
They have many reasons to leave: pursue career development, for the future of their children, in search of better life and environment…In a nutshell, they have lost hope of Malaysia.
50年前，大家說，馬來西亞真好，好過香港，甚至日本。
50 years ago people said: Malaysia is very good, better than Hong Kong and even Japan.
30年前，大家說，馬來西亞還不錯，比得上韓國、台灣（不提香港和日本了）。
30 years ago people said: Malaysia is not bad, comparable to S. Korea and Taiwan. (No mention of Hong Kong and Japan any more).
20年前，大家說，馬來西亞還可以，至少超越中國、泰國（不能和台、韓比了）。
20 years ago people said: Malaysia can do, at least better than China and Thailand (But cannot compare with Taiwan and Korea.)
10年前，大家說，馬來西亞再差，還不至於像越南、印尼（中國已是不同級別）。
10 years ago poeple said: No matter how bad Malaysia is, cannot be worse than Vietnam and Indonesia. (China is already in a different category).
今日，越南和印尼的經濟成長率遙遙領先大馬，社會活力和知識發展也勝過一籌；距離愈來愈近了。
Today, the growth of Vietnam and Indonesia already far exceeded Malaysia, Social activity and intellectual development of these countries are also better, the gap between us is getting close.
怕甚麼，還有菲律賓和柬埔寨、緬甸。
What do you worry? Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar are still behind us.
但是，一位經濟學家最近到菲律賓考察之後，認為再過20年，大馬可以取代菲律賓，出口馬籍女傭到全世界了。
However, according to an economist who recently made a survey to Philippines, he thinks that in 20 years, Malaysia can replace Philippines to become the World exporter of Malaysian maids.
半個世紀以來，馬來西亞是在大宅院裡，用封建方式，分配祖宗家業，消耗社會資源，浪費和逼走人才；不談競爭力，忽略生產力，討厭績效制。
Over half the century, Malaysians live in a big old imperial housing complex, closed up and survive on properties left behind by the ancestor; continue to consume social resources, wasteful, and drive away talents; they never talk about competitiveness, totally neglect productivity, and hate meritocracy.
亞洲金融風暴來襲時，大馬把門關起來，以為避過一劫，有人還自我陶醉，自以為是天才策略。
When economic storm hit Asia in 1997, Malaysia closed its door, thinking it will avoid a disaster, there are people who even think of themselves as genius, being able to handle the situation so well.
然而，其它國家面對風暴，走出風暴，進行體質改革，跨步向前，登上另一個水平；大馬卻還在原地踏步。
However, just look at other countries in our neighbourhood, they stand up, face the storm, and walk out of the storm. They overhaul the system, improve the structures and march forward, they moved up to a new level. And Malaysia is still maintaining the status quo.
馬來西亞，該醒一醒了。
Dear Malaysia, it's time to wake up! We are very late now!
你是否和我一樣，發覺身邊的親戚和朋友，似乎少了許多。
I wonder whether do you feel the same as me, all of the sudden I realized friends and relatives around me seem to get less and less.
以往接近過年時，各種聚餐排得滿滿的，而今年，似乎沒聲沒息。
Those years when the New Year is impending, all sorts of gathering appointments almost completely filled the diaries, but this year seems so quiet.
即使是平常日子，電話少了，與大家見面也少了。
Even in normal time, phone calls become less and less, face to face meet up also become much less.
也許，大家各忙各的；或者，目前流行“宅生活”，儘量避免出門。
Perhaps, everybody is busy with their own things, or perhaps, nowadays people prefer to stay in.
也不盡然如此。再想一想，很多老友和親戚，已經不在了。嗟！大吉利是，他們都還好好的，只是離開了馬來西亞。
However, it is not entirely like this, thinking further, actually old friends and relatives are not around any more. God bless, they are still alive and well, they just left the country, Malaysia.
去了中國大陸開工廠；王子不做工程師，移民到澳洲開小食檔；阿風離開本地大學，去香港做講師；青蛙去了台灣，開展事業第二春；還有的到了美國、英國，唔，還有去印尼的……。
They have gone to China to set up factories; Ah Wang quit his engineer job and migrated to Australia to set up his little food store business, Ah Fong left the local University and went to Hong Kong to become a lecturer. 'Frog' went to Taiwan to pursue his new career. Others went to America, England, even Indonesia...
起初，以為這只是個別現象，逐漸的，旁人也有同樣發現；原來，這不是個別現象，而是社會現象；這不是少數，而是相當大的數目。
At first, I thought these are isolated cases, however, they are also revelations to other people, these are not isolated cases but a general symptom of our society. They are not small numbers but the figures are pretty big indeed.
外交部早前披露了一個數字，說明這個現象是多麼真實，多麼貼近。
Figures released by Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the situation is real.
從去年3月到今年9月，已經有30萬大馬人移民他國；其中20萬人是今年1月到8月出走的數目。
From March 2008 thru September 2009, a total of 300,000 Malaysians migrated to other countries, among them 200,000 left between Jan - Aug 2009. (in 8 months)
累積下來，已經有超過200萬大馬人移民，接近今天印尼外勞在大馬的人口。
Cumulatively, there are 2 million Malaysian migrated, this figure is close to the number of Indonesian workers in Malaysia today.
不同的是，移居他國的大馬人，多是專業人士、中產階級。
The difference are, those migrated are mostly professional and middle class.
他們有很多出走的理由，追求事業發展，為了孩子前途，尋找個人更大空間……，概括一句：對馬來西亞失望。
They have many reasons to leave: pursue career development, for the future of their children, in search of better life and environment…In a nutshell, they have lost hope of Malaysia.
50年前，大家說，馬來西亞真好，好過香港，甚至日本。
50 years ago people said: Malaysia is very good, better than Hong Kong and even Japan.
30年前，大家說，馬來西亞還不錯，比得上韓國、台灣（不提香港和日本了）。
30 years ago people said: Malaysia is not bad, comparable to S. Korea and Taiwan. (No mention of Hong Kong and Japan any more).
20年前，大家說，馬來西亞還可以，至少超越中國、泰國（不能和台、韓比了）。
20 years ago people said: Malaysia can do, at least better than China and Thailand (But cannot compare with Taiwan and Korea.)
10年前，大家說，馬來西亞再差，還不至於像越南、印尼（中國已是不同級別）。
10 years ago poeple said: No matter how bad Malaysia is, cannot be worse than Vietnam and Indonesia. (China is already in a different category).
今日，越南和印尼的經濟成長率遙遙領先大馬，社會活力和知識發展也勝過一籌；距離愈來愈近了。
Today, the growth of Vietnam and Indonesia already far exceeded Malaysia, Social activity and intellectual development of these countries are also better, the gap between us is getting close.
怕甚麼，還有菲律賓和柬埔寨、緬甸。
What do you worry? Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar are still behind us.
但是，一位經濟學家最近到菲律賓考察之後，認為再過20年，大馬可以取代菲律賓，出口馬籍女傭到全世界了。
However, according to an economist who recently made a survey to Philippines, he thinks that in 20 years, Malaysia can replace Philippines to become the World exporter of Malaysian maids.
半個世紀以來，馬來西亞是在大宅院裡，用封建方式，分配祖宗家業，消耗社會資源，浪費和逼走人才；不談競爭力，忽略生產力，討厭績效制。
Over half the century, Malaysians live in a big old imperial housing complex, closed up and survive on properties left behind by the ancestor; continue to consume social resources, wasteful, and drive away talents; they never talk about competitiveness, totally neglect productivity, and hate meritocracy.
亞洲金融風暴來襲時，大馬把門關起來，以為避過一劫，有人還自我陶醉，自以為是天才策略。
When economic storm hit Asia in 1997, Malaysia closed its door, thinking it will avoid a disaster, there are people who even think of themselves as genius, being able to handle the situation so well.
然而，其它國家面對風暴，走出風暴，進行體質改革，跨步向前，登上另一個水平；大馬卻還在原地踏步。
However, just look at other countries in our neighbourhood, they stand up, face the storm, and walk out of the storm. They overhaul the system, improve the structures and march forward, they moved up to a new level. And Malaysia is still maintaining the status quo.
馬來西亞，該醒一醒了。
Dear Malaysia, it's time to wake up! We are very late now!
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