Farewell to Rich Cronin of LFO

Rich Cronin of '90s boy band LFO died on Wednesday, 8th September 2010 at age 35, CNN confirms.

He passed away in a Massachusetts hospital, according to bandmate Brad Fischetti.

Cronin, who wrote and sang the number one smash "Summer Girls," was diagnosed with leukemia in 2005; despite chemotherapy, the disease returned in 2007 and 2008.

The singer-songwriter then underwent a stem cell transplant -- which, according to Fischetti, led to a stroke and severe leg pain.

Even with his medical battles, Cronin reunited with LFO pals Fischetti and Devin Lima for a summer 2009 tour.

His bandmates gave him a large back bedroom on the bus so he could rest in between gigs.

"We had the best time ever," Fischetti said. "He never thought he'd be on stage again."

Fellow boy band star Lance Bass of N Sync paid tribute to Cronin on Twitter late Wednesday. "Sad sad day that Rich Cronin died- was a amazing guy :(" Bass wrote.

Gladys Tan Yee Kim - Malaysia's best student SPM 2009

Sarawakian lass, Gladys Tan Yee Kim was named the top Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, SPM examination, student in Malaysia in 2009.

She not only passed with flying colours but also nobody can beat her super extra-ordinary results of 10A+’s.

The SMK Green Road student said she was very happy and proud with her results, which exceeded her expectations.

“All I hoped for was straight As and anything better than that would be a bonus. I never dreamed of getting A+ for all my subjects, and becoming the top student was definitely unexpected.

“In fact, it still hasn’t sunk in,” she told The Star - the local Malaysian daily.

Gladys obtained A+ in Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, History, Moral, Science, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

“I want to thank God for His blessing and also my parents and teachers,” she said, adding that she planned to apply for a scholarship to further her studies in a science-related field.

Asked for her advice to fellow students, she said it was important to pay attention in class, listen to the teachers and do homework.

Her advice and recipe for success is simple - “Just be a good student and do your best,”..

In April 2010, Gladys and 29 other students who excelled in their studies, was announced as one of the recipients of the inaugural 2010 national scholarship.

She and the 29 others who scored ‘A+’ in all subjects will pursue studies in the disciplines of their choice at leading universities of the world recognised by the government, said a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The scholarship was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when he tabled the 2010 Budget in Parliament in October last year to reward students who excelled in their studies.

The 30 students who received the scholarship are described as the 30 creme de la creme students.

Selection was strictly based on merit to enable them to further their education in world-renowned universities.

As of 2010, the government had decided to sponsor most outstanding SPM students to pursue education for their first degree at leading universities in the country and abroad.

This sponsorship programme is aimed at providing prestigious scholarships for outstanding SPM students in the effort to produce quality human capital to ensure the nation’s continuity capabilities in the future.

Controversial breast cancer awareness campaign in Singapore

The controversial cartoon character


The Singapore Breast Cancer Foundation (BCF) is a non-profit charity organisation, established in October 1997. BCF’s mission is to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease

According to BCF, breast cancer is curable if detected early. BCF hopes that by raising awareness of breast cancer and encouraging women to screen themselves regularly, breast cancer will be detected earlier and the chances of surviving the disease will be greatly enhanced.

The mission is noble - but BCF's recent campaign to prevent breast cancer, creates controversy.

This is beacuase A CARTOON character used in that campaign shows the character squeezing a nipple and painted with breasts as its head.

Media reported that the campaign with the tagline “Are you obsessed with the right things?”, was launched by the Breast Cancer Foundation in order for women not to take their health for granted.

Besides the cartoon characters, it also featured the buttocks of a woman painted on bare breasts.

Foundation general manager Christine Ang said it was satisfied with the advertisements as these had clearly sent out the message to women.

The advertisments’ creative director, Thomas Yang, said its team found that many women were obsessed with their appearance, such as their hair, pimples or weight.

“So our team decided to use the naked female body as a canvas to capture public attention and focus on the right part of their body,” he added.

Media given the runaround over Sosilawati’s case

Picture of Sosilawati wedding day - with husband - Nash, the lead singer of the evergreen Malaysian rock band - Lefthanded.








Missing since August 30th, 2010 - Malaysia's famous beauty product millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya, 47, her driver Kamaruddin Shamsudin, 44, CIMB Bank officer Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, and her personal lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, were reported missing while on a business trip to Banting, Selangor, purportedly to conclude a land deal on August 30, 2010, a day before Malaysia's Independence Day.

Sosilawati’s luxurious BMW X5 sports utility vehicle was found near the Angsana Flats along USJ1 in Subang Jaya on Monday night, 6th September 2010 while her lawyer’s car, a BMW 525i was found at SS15 near the Grand Dorsett Hotel.

The whereabouts of Datuk Sosilawati Lawia remains a mystery as Malaysians celebrate Hari Raya Aidil Fitri.

As of today, 10th September 2010, the day Malaysians celebrate the arrival of 1 Syawal, Sosilawati and the three persons, are still nowhere to be found.

We hope that she is alive and well.

The news here as reported by the Star on 10th September 2010.


Being a celebrity and cosmetic millionaire, Datuk Sosilawati was always being interviewed on Malaysian TV.

PETALING JAYA, Selangor, Malaysia : Speculation of three people being arrested in Banting in connection with the disappearance of beauty product millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya sent the media on a wild goose chase who travelled nearly 100km but returned empty-handed.

Getting wind of the arrests, members of the various print and electronic media rushed from Banting to Morib and later to Tanjung Sepat.

On the way there they heard that the three suspects had led the police forensics team to a few bodies buried at an oil palm plantation.

After several hours scouring the said area and making calls to Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar and Federal CID deputy director Deputy Comm Hadi Ho Abdullah among various other high-ranking officers for details, a source later revealed that the three arrested were foreigners without valid travel documents and had no connection with Sosilawati’s case.

It was also learnt that the police team came out empty-handed as they did not find any body at the plantation.

Police continued to remain tight-lipped on the development of the case as Sosilawati and the three men’s disappearance entered its 12th day today.

Sosilawati, 47, her driver Kamaruddin Shamsudin, 44, CIMB Bank officer Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, and her personal lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, were reported missing while on a business trip to Banting, Selangor, purportedly to conclude a land deal.

Sosilawati’s BMW X5 sports utility vehicle was found near the Angsana Flats along USJ1 in Subang Jaya on Monday night while her lawyer’s car, a BMW 525i was found at SS15 near the Grand Dorsett Hotel.

A visit to Sosilawati’s family residence in Gombak revealed that the family was unaware of the developments that caused a furore with the media.

“No, we did not hear anything,” said Sosilawati’s third child Md Erwan Nasri, 22.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan urged the public to stop speculating on the four people’s disappearance.

“As for rumours that she (Sosilawati) was murdered, we have absolutely not heard anything. Let the police investigate first, do not speculate,” he told Bernama.

Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said they had forwarded all information from witnesses to the Kuala Lumpur police.

Sources have revealed that a lawyer who carries the title of Datuk is among those believed to be involved in the disappearance of Sosilawati.

They lawyer is said to have previous allegations of being involved in land scams and several people dealing with him had gone missing in the past.

Girl, 15 shot dead by boyfriend, using home made shot gun - Bakakuk

Have you ever heard of the word - Bakakuk???

Well "Bakakuk" is a type of home made shot gun, found in Sabah, Malaysia, generally used for hunting wild animals, as well as to protect traditional farms by the local natives people.

Some village people are experts in manufacturing Bakakuks because some Bakakuks models turn out to be like real US-made Shot guns.!!

These Bakakuks use real bullets or pellets, readily available in the market.

Bakakuks are however illegal as one needs to posses valid gun licence or licences to become legal gun-user/s.

There had been many bad incidents, involving Bakakuks.

There were instances where hunter or hunters were wounded or critically and even fatally shot by their own fellow hunters, while hunting deep in the tropical jungles of Sabah.

The hunter/s often mistakes their hunting buddy/buddies as wild animal/s.

These cases of mistaken identities, happened many times, either at night or during broad daylights.

Sometimes, certain village people become "outlaws" or become "Jesse James", during "uncontrolled" drinking sessions.

Reports of drunken people, shooting at fellow drinking buddies, while armed with Bakakuk/s have been published in the local media in Sabah.

One such story was published by the Daily Express on September 8, 2010.

A 15-year-old girl (still a student during that material time) was shot dead with a single gunshot in a house at a village known as Kampung Nabutan, about 30 kilometres from the township of Ranau, Monday night, 6 September 2010.

Ranau itself is 100 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah.

The local girl identified only as Avita, from Kg Marakau Dambalangan, was shot point blank with a home-made shotgun, locally known as Bakakuk.

The gun's pellets hit her arm first before fatally penetrating her chest.

Prior to the incident, the victim and her 19-year-old cousin had followed their boyfriends to the house for a drinking session with several others.

District Police Chief, Deputy Superitendent of Police, Suhaimy Hashim said the house was used as accommodation for oil palm plantation workers and that both the girls' boyfriends, in their 20s, worked in plantations.

"After the drinking session, the two men brought the girls to separate rooms on the upper floor. All of them were drunk."

"We don't know yet what had happened in the room where the victim was but her cousin who was with her boyfriend in another room heard a gunshot at about 8.30pm."

"Both of them ran out of the house," he said, adding that the two men are locals.

Suhaimy said the house owner discovered Avita's lifeless body on the upper floor with a bullet wound on her chest at 10.20am, Tuesday, about 14 hours after the incident.

"We believe the victim's boyfriend had shot her with a bakakuk.

She was shot on her right arm and the bullet penetrated her chest."

Police have since managed to arrest the two men for investigations. Avita's cousin was also picked up to facilitate the probe.

Avita's body was taken to the Ranau district hospital for post-mortem and the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

Below is a video of a home made shot gun - quite similar to the Bakakuks..

Where are the original supermodels? I mean Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington and Elle Macpherson.

From left to right - Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington and Elle Macpherson.

Where are them now???

Firstly we look at Elle Mc Pherson - these 5 pictures below:

Elle 'The Body' Macpherson, the Australian model, actress, and businesswoman first became famous for her record 5 cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s.

She is also known as the founder and primary model for a series of business ventures including Elle Macpherson Intimates, a lingerie line, and "The Body", a line of skin care products.

According to Forbes, Macpherson possesses assets around £60 million. In 2010, she became the host and executive producer of Britain's Next Top Model.
















And how about Christy Turlington??

The hot-shot American model is best known for representing Calvin Klein from 1987 to 2007 and has worked on dozens of modeling contracts with companies including Maybelline Cosmetics and Versace.

Turlington starred in her fashion documentary Catwalk and Isaac Mizrahi's Unzipped. She was added on as the fourth model investor, after Elle Macpherson, Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer of the now defunct Fashion Cafes.

As of 2009, Turlington was studying for a master's degree in public health at Columbia University.

In 2010, Turlington's documentary No Woman No Cry earned her a nomination for the Do Something With Style Award from the VH1 Do Something Awards. The awards show, produced by Vh1, is dedicated to honoring people who do good and is powered by Do Something, an organization that aims to empower, celebrate, and inspire young people.

Pictures of Christy Turlington below :















And the German supermodel Claudia Schiffer? Where is she now??

Claudia Schiffer reached the peak of her popularity during the 1990s, initially due to her resemblance to Brigitte Bardot. She is one of the world's most successful models, having appeared on over 500 magazine covers. Forbes estimated her net worth at about USD $55million (£38 million pound sterling). Guess what? Schiffer, now 40 years old, is still very actively doing what she likes most - modelling. She also frequently graces magazines covers. She is still in hot demand.!!!

In case you forgot - below are Claudia Schiffer pictures :
















And what is Naomi Campbell doing now??

The British model was "discovered" while shopping in London. From then on, Ms Campbell started her career in the 1980s and soon appeared on the catwalks of Milan and Paris as well as on the cover pages of internationally renowned fashion magazines. She is also known for perfumes associated with her name, and for a series of legal issues and controversies of course.

Among them :

In 2008, when talking about the term "supermodel", Naomi Campbell reportedly said: "Models need to earn their stripes - I just think the term is used a little too loosely. Kate Moss is obviously a supermodel but, after Gisele [Bündchen], I don’t think there’s been one."

In 2009, Campbell gained a lot of attention when she spoke of the "racist" fashion industry. In an interview with Glamour magazine, Campbell was quoted as saying "You know, the American president may be black, but as a black woman, I am still an exception in this business. I always have to work harder to be treated equally." Campbell has often cited model Iman as one of her primary inspirations.

In 2010 Campbell signed up to host season 6 of Britain's Next Top Model but pulled out six weeks before filming because of reportedly, time commitment issues.

Campbell, now 40 years old is still very much in demand in the fashion industry, currently signed to IMG Models (New York City), Storm Model Management (London), Marilyn Agency (Paris), and D'management Group (Milan).

Below are famous images of Naomi Campbell...















Thanks for reading folks..

1 Syawal 1431 Hijrah jatuh pada Jumaat 10 September 2010

Penyimpan Mohor Besar Raja Raja sebentar tadi mengumumkan tarikh Hari Raya Aidil Fitri 2010, 1 Syawal 1431 Hijrah, jatuh pada Jumaat bersamaan 10 September 2010.

Pengumuman itu disiarkan di semua stesen televisyen di Malaysia sebentar tadi jam 8.10 malam.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri diucapkan kepada semua pembaca blog Easy Comes Easy Goes.

Maaf Zahir Batin.

Malaysia, Indonesia bid to ease tensions after maritime spat

Malaysian Foreign Minister - Datuk Seri Anifah Aman (right) shaking hands with the Indonesian Foreign Minister Dr Marty Natalegawa (left) after the 6th September 2010 meeting in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia to resolve the maritime dispute.








KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia, 6th September, 2010 — Malaysia and Indonesia on Monday, 6th September 2010, moved to calm a maritime border dispute that has sparked angry protests, with their foreign ministers agreeing to take action to prevent a repeat incident.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman met his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa in eastern Sabah state after last month's flare-up triggered by the detention of Malaysian fishermen and Indonesian officials in disputed waters.

In the ensuing protest, human faeces were flung at the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta, forcing security at the Malaysian mission to be stepped up.

"Both nations agreed that preventive measures will be required to prevent a recurrence of the August 13 incident, and appropriate action will be taken to resolve various maritime border issues," the two ministers said.

"Two technical meetings will be held before the end of the year," they said in a joint statement after the meeting held in Sabah in the Malaysian part of Borneo, a vast island shared with Indonesia.

In an initial step, fishing vessels from both countries will be required to install a tracking system which will enable enforcement authorities to monitor their positions and issue warning notices in the case of encroachment.

Seven Malaysian fishermen were detained in disputed waters off southern Malaysia last month, by Indonesian authorities who accused them of straying into their territory.

Three of the Indonesian officials were detained by Malaysian maritime authorities who intercepted the group as they were being taken back to Indonesia.

All those involved have been released but the spat saw both countries send protest notes to the other.

Anifah said the whole incident was regrettable but insisted that the detention of the Indonesian fisheries enforcement officials was in line with Malaysian standard operating procedure.

"I want to make it clear that the treatment meted out to the three officials was not as bad as what was reported by sections of the Indonesian media," he told a press conference.

"However, in the aftermath of the incident, Malaysian enforcement officials will no longer handcuff Indonesian enforcement officials nor make them wear ?detainee uniforms?, if and when they are detained," he said.

Natalegawa said both sides agreed that intensifying negotiations -- which have already dragged on for 16 rounds with no resolution -- was the best way to avoid a recurrence of the problem.

"These meetings will come out with one standard operating procedure and rule of engagement for the enforcement units of both countries to engage when faced with a similar situation," he said.

The meetings aimed at resolving the maritime border issue will be held in Kuala Lumpur in October 11 and 12 and in Jakarta on November 23-24.

Anifah said discussions would cover zones in the Sulawesi Sea, the southernmost part of the Straits of Malacca, the South China Sea, and possibly the Singapore Straits.

Malaysia said last week that if there was no resolution, the border dispute could end up in the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

New Zealand 7.1 Earthquake

New Zealand continues to be shaken by big aftershock following the 7.1 magnitude earth quake that shook the nation, on the early morning of Saturday, 4th September 2010.

In and around CHRISTCHURCH, a magnitude-5.1 aftershock that hammered New Zealand's earthquake-hit city of Christchurch on Wednesday morning, 8 September 2010, sparked evacuations and fresh damage to buildings, causing authorities to extend a state of emergency for another week.

The latest quake, just four miles (6.4 kilometers) below the surface and centered six miles (10 kilometers) southeast of the city, was felt by residents as the strongest aftershock in Christchurch since Saturday's 7.1 magnitude earthquake wrecked hundreds of buildings.

The Associated Press, AP reported that fortunately, nobody was reported injured by the latest temblor.

"My guts is just churning up here. When will this thing end? It is like living in a maelstrom," Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said.

"We have got staff in tears, we have got fire engines going through the middle of the city, power is out and a lot of people are very, very churned up by that," he told the NewstalkZB radio station. "It was a devastatingly, vicious sharp blow to the city."

Initial reports from geological agency GNS Science that the Wednesday morning temblor was magnitude-6.1 were quickly corrected downward.

Officials closed the city's main road tunnel for inspection due to concerns that the aftershock may have caused cracking to the tunnel and retaining walls leading to it, New Zealand Transport Agency local spokesman Peter Connors said.

The tunnel, built in the 1960s, links Christchurch city to the port of Lyttelton.

More than 140 aftershocks have rattled the region since Saturday, and earthquake experts warned Tuesday that another strong temblor might hammer the region in coming days.

The weekend's powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake smashed buildings and homes, wrecked roads and disrupted the central city, though nobody was killed and only two people were seriously injured - which authorities attributed to good building codes and the quake's early morning timing.

"It was as strong as the earthquake in Haiti earlier this year, which caused widespread devastation and is estimated to have killed approximately 230,000 people," Prime Minister John Key said. "Although no one lost their life ... families have been traumatized and lost their valued possessions."

On Wednesday, Key traveled north of the city to inspect houses in the town of Kaiapoi that had been torn from their foundations by the quake.

"It shows you how well the building code works in New Zealand as they had been picked up, ripped apart and yet the structure has survived enough that people could escape," Key said after looking through one wrecked house.

"As this disaster unfolds what we're seeing is some areas are much more badly affected than we thought they were, and, in fact, the damage is much greater than we thought it was," Key told reporters.

The city center remained cordoned off by troops, as authorities extended a state of civil emergency for another seven days.

Only building owners and workers are allowed into the central city to begin clearing up the mess - with much of the center taking on the mantle of a ghost town Quake experts said aftershocks likely will continue for several weeks - and the worst of them may be yet to come.

"It is still possible that we'll have a magnitude-6 in the next week, and people ought to be aware of that, particularly if they are around structures which are already damaged," said Ken Gledhill, a monitor at GNS Science. "For a shallow earthquake like this, they will go on for weeks."

Key called off a planned nine-day trip to Britain and France, citing what he called the quake zone's continuing "instability."

The New Zealand government has said it plans to pay at least 90 percent of the hundreds of millions of dollars needed to rebuild Christchurch's water, waste water and road infrastructure.

In a statement to Parliament on Tuesday 7th September 2010, Key pledged to remove bottlenecks to reconstruction and said the government "is prepared to step up financially to rebuild the region."

The main quake struck at 4:35 a.m. Saturday, 4th September, 2010 near the South Island city of 400,000 people, ripping open a new fault line in the earth's surface, destroying hundreds of buildings and cutting power, which has been gradually restored in recent days.

The government has said that at least 100,000 of the region's 160,000 homes sustained some damage.

New Zealand sits above an area where two tectonic plates collide. The country records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year - but only about 150 are felt by residents. Fewer than 10 a year do any damage.

New Zealand's last major earthquake registered magnitude 7.8 and hit South Island's Fiordland region on July 16, 2009, moving the southern tip of the country 12 inches (30 centimeters) closer to Australia.

Malaysian Airlines, MAS set to receive 35 new Boeing 737-800 in October 2010 to October 2011

The Malaysian media reported on the 23rd August 2010 that Malaysia Airlines, MAS will be operationally more efficient to handle faster turnaround when it takes delivery of 35 new generation Boeing 737-800 within one year.

Well this is great news for MAS as well as Malaysians and also tourists from around the world.

Malaysia's Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri said the first three aircraft would be delivered this year, with the first one to arrive in October 2010 while the rest in stages until October next year that is 2011.

The fuel efficient 737-800 with the capacity of 150 seats is bigger than B737-400 and is set to replace MAS' ageing fleet and expand its operations, he said.

Currently, MAS has a fleet of 37 Boeing 737-400 with a seating capacity of 144 passengers.

"I believe the arrival of the new aircraft will enable MAS to provide better and more efficient domestic service, especially in the Sabah and Sarawak sectors.

"I am confident that the flight's on-time performance rate will improve to around 80 per cent with the new aircraft in service," he said when commenting on passenger complaints on flight delay.

"The purchase of a younger fleet is justified due to growing number of passengers and tourists if we want MAS to continue to be the airline of choice," he added.

Abdul Rahim urged consumers to plan their air travel to take advantage of the MAS "all-time low fares" campaign.

The airline holds a lengthy record of service and best practices excellence, having received more than 100 awards in the last 10 years.

The most notable ones include being the first airline with the "World's Best Cabin Crew" by Skytrax UK consecutively from 2001 until 2004, "5-star Airline" in 2005 and 2006, as well as No.1 for "Economy Class Onboard Excellence 2006" – also by Skytrax UK.

Malaysia's Wildlife trafficking King - Anson Wong !!!

In Malaysia, the authorities are not only arresting Human Traffickers but also Wildlife traffickers as well!!!

One person in Malaysia is known as the "Lizard King" and also known as "the Wildlife Trafficking King of Malaysia" for he is the undisputed trafficker of wildlife species.

He is Anson Wong, whose full name is Wong Keng Liang, 52 years old.

His exotic collection includes snakes, frogs, lizards and tarantula spiders.

His "wildlife trading business" spans across the globe - from Kuala Lumpur to Thailand to Jakarta to Maxico and to the United States of America.

He may be jet-setting around the world, earning millions of dollars but he is being constantly monitored by the international laws including the FBI and Interpol.

The "Lizard King" from the northern Malaysian state of Penang, was eventually caught in his native country in Malaysia.

On the 2nd of September 2010, Anson Wong or also known as the "Pablo Escobar of the Wildlife trade", pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court in Sepang, Selangor to charges of exporting 95 snakes without a permit.

Pablo Escobar was one of the world's biggest drug traffickers!!!

The Lizard King admitted to exporting 95 boa constrictors — which are an endangered species — without a permit at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 8.50pm on Aug 26 2010.

It had been reported in The Star newspaper that Wong was linked to a December 15th, 2009 seizure in the United States of America, of various types of animals from an exotic animal outlet.

Two of the trader’s companies were found to have been supplying animals to the outlet.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) claimed that CBS Wildlife and Sungai Rusa Wildlife, both owned by Wong, were supplying various types of animals and wildlife.

On Monday 6th September 2010, Wong was jailed six months and fined a total of RM190,000 for smuggling 95 snakes without a permit by the Sepang Session Court in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's Natural Resources and Envi­ronment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas said his ministry would appeal and seek a tougher penalty against Wong as he believed the wildlife trafficker got off lightly.

In a related development, The Attorney-General's Chambers of Malaysia has filed an appeal against the sentenced meted out to the so called "Lizard King" for smuggling snakes.

The appeal is for a heavier sentence against Wong, who was only jailed six months and fined a total of RM190,000 by the Sepang Sessions Court for smuggling 95 snakes without a permit.

Wong’s lawyer, M. Sivam, said he had yet to receive instructions from his client to appeal against his sentence.

This is the first time that the "Lizard King" has been sentenced in Malaysia.

Various conservation groups had expressed disappointment with the sentence, saying that Malaysia should show that it was serious in tackling wildlife trafficking, in the same way as tackling Human Trafficking.

Wong pleaded guilty to trafficking wildlife in the United States in 2000 and sentenced to 71 months’ jail.

The chapter Book "Fortress Malay-sia" tells of Wong's dealings with an undercover agent that leads to his arrest in Mexico City in 1998, prior to his conviction in a United States court in 2000.

Wong was subsequently extradited to the US and sentenced in a US federal court in San Francisco to 71 months in prison for trafficking in rare and endangered wildlife.

It was dubbed one of the largest cases of illegal trade ever prosecuted in the US .

Drawing from legal documents, official investigation reports and interviews, the chapter describes how Wong had laundered protected star tortoises by the hundreds though Malaysia and the Middle East .

Frilled dragons, native to New Guinea and Australia , turned up at the Miami International Airport accompanied by Malaysian paperwork.

Wong boasts about working things out with a high-level government official, but now his time may be over.

Source - The Star/WildAsia

TV3 mohon maaf atas penyiaran iklan Hari Raya 2010

Stesen penyiaran nombor satu negara, TV3 baru baru ini dilaporkan memohon maaf di atas penyiaran sebuah iklan Hari Raya Aidil Fitri 2010 yang dikatakan menimbulkan kontroversi.

Iklan terbabit disiarkan sejak awal September 2010 untuk memeriahkan sambutan Aidil Fitri. Sebenarnya, setiap tahun TV3 dan juga stesen TV lain serta juga syarikat korporat terkemuka negara seperti Petronas, Proton, Telekom, Penerbangan Malaysia dan juga syarikat lain, sentiasa menyiarkan iklan Hari Raya terbaru untuk penonton dan pelanggan dan juga orang ramai, sejak tahun 1980an lagi.

Namun kali ini, iklan TV3 itu dilaporkan menimbulkan kontroversi. Mengapa? Ada menyatakan iklan terbabit seolah olah menyerupai iklan perayaan Krismas - khususnya babak kanak kanak menaiki beca yang dipandu seornag warga emas bersongkok yang boleh terbang ke udara. Hmmm... anda nilailah sendiri.

Dalam negara berbilang kaum seperti Malaysia, isu melibatkan kaum dan agama sememangnya agak sensitif. Apatah lagi kebelakangan ini ada juga pihak yang menyiarkan video dalam YouTube yang dilaporkan bersifat perkauman khususnya kes melibatkan seorang pemuda dari Johor - Wee Meng Chee atau lebih dikenali Namwee.

Namwee sudah disiasat Polis dan juga Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multi Media mengenai videonya bertajuk "Nah" yang dilaporkan sebagai menanda kan rasa tidak puas hatinya ekoran insiden seorang Guru Besar meluahkan kenyataan bersifat perkauman di Johor.

Berbalik kepada iklan TV3 tu, inikah iklan dimaksudkan.


Inilah iklan Hari Raya Aidil Fitri 2010 di TV3 yang menimbulkan kontroversi itu.



Dan ini pula permohonan maaf TV3 yang disiarkan Buletin Utama.


TV3 sebenarnya sudah banyak kali menyiarkan iklan perayaan utama di negara ini, namun tujuannya murni - untuk perpaduan dan keharmonian kaum masyarakat majmuk di Malaysia.

Iklan itu bukan sahaja ketika Aidil Fitri, malahan juga Krismas, Deepavali dan juga Tahun Baru Cina atau Kong Hee Fatt Choy serta juga sempena Ulang tahun kemerdekaan negara yang jatuh pada 31 Ogos setiap tahun.

Begitu juga iklan khas jika Hari Raya dan Tahun Baru Cina kebetulan jatuh pada hari yang hampir sama dikenali Kongsi Raya.

Di bawah beberapa iklan menarik yang pernah disiarkan TV3.

Datuk Peter Pang resigned from LDP but will stay loyal to the Barisan Nasional

Datuk Peter Pang En Yin - Sabah's Deputy Chief Minister cum Liberal Democratic Party Vice President






At 11 am today on 1st September 2010, Sabah's Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Peter Pang En Yin, 50, called for an unexpected Press Conference at his office at the 10th floor, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Wisma MUIS, Kota Kinabalu.

They were more than 20 media personells from the print and electronic media, waiting for him.

Peter Pang joked "wahhh... so many people".. and calmy walked to his chair.

Then at approximately 11.08 am, he started his press conference, reading from a prepared statement with a sad voice and sad facial expressions.

The statement reads :

"This is to inform all of you that i have resigned from Liberal Democratic Party with immediate effect. My letter addresses to the President, Datuk V.K. Liew was delivered to the Party's Headquarters by my political secretary this morning.

This is all about the political development in regards to publicly declared that they can no longer work with the Chief Minister of Sabah who is also the Sabah Barisan Nasional Chairman. The only thing left is to gracefully leave the party.

I understand that my departure from LDP may reset my position in the Government, what i will certainly do is to offer to step down from it and shall continue to serve under Sabah Barisan Nasional Chairman, YAB Datuk Seri Musa Aman's leadership as a Barisan Nasional Wakil Rakyat.

As my ultimate political intention is to serve the rakyat, i shall request YAB Datuk Seri Musa Man to guide me accordingly.

This decision to resign from LDP is no doubt painful but at least will keep the little sanity that i have."

After finishing reading the statement, Peter Pang En Yin had to endure a barrage of questions from the media. Among the questions asked were have you inform the Chief Minister, The LDP President and your supporters about this.?? Also, are you joining any political parties?? What is your feeling now??

Peter Pang answers were brief - he said he felt sad but relieved of having to leave LDP, which he joined actively in 2005 and he has not decided which political parties that he is joining after leaving LDP.

Peter Pang contested for the first time ever in an election during the March 2008 general Election and he won the state seat for Karamunting, near Sandakan, in the east coast of Sabah. Coincidently Sandakan's Member of Parliament is Peter Pang's boss - the LDP President, Datuk VK Liew who is also Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

According to Peter, he will meet with the Chief Minister later this afternoon pertaining to his decision to leave LDP.

LDP - a Sabah based Barisan Nasional components party was on the news after the controversial statement by the party's Deputy President Datuk Chin Su Phin that the party can no longer work with the Sabah Chief Minister who is also the Sabah Barisan Nasional Chairman.

This follows after the Sabah BN meeting at the Pan Pacific Sutera on 24 August 2010, attended by all 8 of Sabah BN component parties.

The meeting, held closed door was also attended by LDP's Deputy President Datuk Chin Su Phin as well as LDP's Secretary General - YB Teo Chee Kang - the Tanjung Kapor assemblyman.

In that meeting, Datuk Chin reportedly raised the controversial Mazu issue in Kudat which was issued a stop-work order by the Kudat District Council sometimes in 2006. This has led to the resignation of then LDP President and then Deputy Chief Minister - Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat in early 2007.

Datuk Seri Musa Aman explained the issue including the Federal Court decision on that matter to Datuk Chin during that meeting, but the LDP leaders present were reportedly not satisfied and all of them left during the press conference at the end of the meeting.

Several days later, Datuk Chin issued a shocking announcement, Chin was quoted as saying that the party could no longer work with Musa but would continue to support and work together with Umno in the ruling coalition, and expressed full support for the Prime Minister and his 1Malaysia vision.

That statement by Chin prompted fiery responses from other Sabah BN leaders including UMNO leaders.


Datuk Seri Salleh Tun Said Keruak

On Sunday, 29th August 2010, it was reported in the media that Sabah Umno Deputy Chairman Datuk Salleh Tun Said claimed certain Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leaders are in cahoots with certain quarters to topple Chief Minister and State Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

He warned that Sabah BN would not be intimidated by any attempt to hold the coalition at ransom by mounting a veiled threat on its Chairman-cum-Chief Minister.

"We are prepared to face the worst challenge," he said in a statement, Saturday.

Salleh, a former Chief Minister, also questioned the rationale behind LDP Deputy President Datuk Chin Su Phin's outrage on Tuesday, claiming that it was part of an ongoing plot to oust Musa.

He was also convinced that there were "hidden hands" behind it.

"We believe there are people behind it and we know what they are up to, but we in Sabah BN will not allow them to achieve their selfish agenda by mounting a personal attack on Musa.

"I have reliably learnt that certain LDP leaders are in cahoots with certain quarters to topple Musa, and that they even plan to request Prime Minister-cum-BN Chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to have Musa removed," he said.

However, Salleh believed not all LDP leaders concurred with Chin's statement that LDP could no longer work with Musa.

"We believe the majority of LDP leaders are rational and wise enough to differentiate what is right and what is not, especially when the issues raised by Chin concerned other people's personal interest.

"It would be a different case if the issues raised were of public interest," Salleh said.

As such, he advised LDP leaders not to be easily manipulated by others for their selfish agenda.

Salleh is also confident that all other State BN component parties will continue to rally behind Musa, saying the latter had proven his leadership in steering the State since he became Chief Minister in 2003.



Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak

Meanwhile in Putrajaya today, 1st September 2010, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Peter Pang En Yin, who quit the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has expressed his interest to join Gerakan.

“I was informed that he intends to apply to become a Gerakan member. I am discussing this matter with LDP president (Datuk Liew Vui Keong) and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

“He did not mean to go against Barisan Nasional (BN). He is still within the BN family,” he told a press conference at his office today after receiving a hand-made Merdeka Day message book from schoolchildren of SK Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.



Sabah Chief Minister / Sabah BN Chairman Datuk Seri Musa Aman

Meanwhile in Kota Kinabalu today 1st September 2010, Sabah's Chief Minister and Sabah BN Chairman Datuk Seri Musa Aman said in a statement that he has already informed the Prime Minister on this new development.

Musa said it is truly unfortunate that Datuk Peter has to resort to resigning from his own party. Musa described Peter Pang as a loyal supporter of the BN all this while and has been a dedicated and hardworking state cabinet minister.

Musa stated that Peter has on numerous occasions expressed his dissatisfaction over certain developments within the LDP.

However Musa advised him no to leave the party in the hopes that certain quarters in the LDP would realize that they need to work together and have mutual respect for the Sabah BN.

Musa said he will consult with the BN component parties on the next course of action.

Thanks for reading.

Drunkard guy sued for losing US1.35 million painting..!!!

'Portrait of a Girl,' the missing painting worth $1.35 million. Luckily it is not the Mona Lisa - worth Billions of Dollars!!



Kristyn Trudgeon is suing over the loss of her painting.


If you are responsible for a prized painting worth USD $1.35 million dollars, will you go on a drunken spree and lose the painting?? The answer to most of us is no.

But to one Manhattan man, James Haggerty, the booze is more important than the painting. And for that stupid act, he is now being sued for losing the USD $1.35 million painting.

He blames the booze - for losing the Jean Baptiste Camille Corot masterpiece, "Portrait of a Girl,".

It vanished following a booze session at The Mark hotel, downtown Manhattan, New York, USA.

The artwork's co-owner, Kristyn Trudgeon, is of course super furious and isn't buying Mr Haggerty's tale.

"I think he's a complete fumbling idiot," a visibly annoyed Trudgeon said outside her West Side apartment. "He's just a complete a--hole."

Trudgeon and Tom Doyle, who co-own the painting, had hired Haggerty, an old pal, to assist with a possible sale of "Portrait of a Girl" to London gallery owner Offer Waterman.

A July 28th 2010, afternoon appointment in Doyle's Empire State Building office fell apart when the Brit wanted a closer look at the painting.

The men agreed to meet later at midtown bistro Rue 57 with Doyle,who then ordered Haggerty to take the painting to The Mark, which is on the upper East Side, for further inspection by Waterman.

What happened next remains a boozy blur.

The suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, says hotel security footage at 10:54 p.m. shows Haggerty sitting at a table with the painting.

Six minutes later, he left the painting at the hotel's front desk and entered its bar with Waterman, who yesterday told the Daily News he was annoyed that Haggerty showed up without an appointment.

"That struck me as wrong," he said in a phone interview from London.

At 11:30 p.m., the two men left the bar, retrieved the painting and had a conversation in the hotel lobby, court papers say.

"Something just didn't feel right and I didn't want to be involved," Waterman said. "So I said no, and I said goodbye."

Haggerty went back to the hotel bar at 11:34 p.m. and once more deposited the painting at the front desk.

He resurfaced some 90 minutes later, the suit says, when he stumbled out with the painting and a doorman asked if he needed a taxi. "No," Haggerty allegedly slurred. "I have a car."

At 2:30 a.m., he finally returned home to his Trump Place apartment, minus the painting. Later that morning, the suit says, he informed Doyle that he couldn't recall its whereabouts because of his boozy blowout.

"We're skeptical as to the explanation," said Max DiFabio, a lawyer for Trudgeon.

The painting was part of a collection that made the rounds of museums in Paris, Beijing, San Francisco, Tokyo and Buffalo.

Doyle, an executive with Imperial Jets, did not return calls, and Haggerty, who also works at the company, was missing in action at his homes in Manhattan and Long Island.

"Until we are able to account for that one hour and 40 minutes, we suspect anything," DiFabio said.

Sometimes a booze can cost you millions of dollars!!

A Game of Golf turns into inferno!!

What is the normal golf terms ? Well they are birdie, bogey, eagle, albatross and Hole in One.

So what is the golf terms for causing fire? I guess it is Firey!!!

Yes.. it happened, an innocent golfer's routine swing turned out to be the fire starter that burned an area as big as 25 acres..!!

Can the golfer be charged for arson?? I don't know.

This bizzare happenings happened over the weekend, at the Shady Canyon Golf Course in Irvine, California, USA.

The golf ball first went off the green and struck a rock.

The impact caused a spark, and the spark set off a blaze that eventually covered 25 acres, according to the Steven Buck, General Manager of Shady Canyon Golf Course.

Some 150 Orange County firefighters including helicopters, were scrambled to put out the wild fire caused by a wild shot!!

To avoid untowards incident, the poor golfer's name is being withheld by authorities.

As of today, no charges were filed against the golfer.

The hot weather was partly to blame for the conditions were ripe for a blaze, with dry brush from a recent heat wave just waiting for the right spark.

This is going to inspire a raft of bad Sportscenter-esque "When we say he set the course on fire, he really set the course on fire!" jokes..!!!

Thanks for reading folks...