Film Your Heart Out !!!

To those who love to capture videos, I highly recommend you to join this ... Click on the picture to see a bigger picture of it.

Freedom Film Festival 2007

Be there or be square people... I'm going to be there !!

You are invited to the launch of Freedom Film Fest 2007 @ The Ricecooker (2nd Floor, Central Market Annexe) on February 3 2007!

Freedom Film Fest 2007 (FFF2007) carries the theme of "50th Merdeka: The Untold Human Rights Stories". KOMAS (Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat), the organiser of FFF2007, would like to unearth unique stories focusing on human rights situations especially in the light of the last 50 years of Malaysia's Independence. The FFF2007 is providing a venue and forum for you to share your stories through the film medium! This event will signal the opening for submission of proposals of documentaries and social films from experienced and young budding filmmakers.

The FFF is a significant event to provide a venue for the Malaysian public to use the video medium as a tool for social documentation and filmmaking. Technological advances have brought about a democratizing effect to filmmaking in recent years. With a video camera in hand, almost anyone on the street and even entire communities can share their untold human rights stories. Young budding filmmakers can now explore & express their skills and passion to produce socially relevant films.

So join us at The Ricecooker as we kick-start FFF2007 in solidarity! See you there!


FFF2007 LAUNCH DETAILS -
Date: Saturday, Feb 3, 2007
Time: 1.30pm
Venue: The Ricecooker (2nd Floor, Central Market Annexe)
RSVP before February 2nd to fffreservations@ gmail.com
More info: call KOMAS 03 79685451 / email us at fffreservations@ gmail.com

Rant

PUTRAJAYA: The Government does not plan to lower petrol prices just yet.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the Government needed to monitor the world oil prices for at least one year before making any decision.

“We will review the oil price, but a review does not automatically mean that we will reduce the price. That decision will be for the Cabinet to make,” he told reporters after chairing the National Mineral Council meeting here yesterday.

Oil prices steadied at US$54 a barrel on Tuesday. Prices have gone down 11% this year due to mild weather in the United States and fund selling, though prices have picked up from a 20-month low of US$49.90 on Jan 18.

Asked whether local carriers would cut fuel surcharges following the slide in jet fuel prices, Najib said it was up to the Transport Ministry to make its recommendation to the Cabinet.

On the council meeting, Najib said all states would standardise the rate and formula of calculating royalties for minerals.

The deputy prime minister said that due to the higher prices of minerals lately, there had been a lot of interest to explore commercially viable areas for tin ore, limestone and gold.

Najib said that around 106 tonnes of gold worth about RM3.2bil could be found in Pahang, Kelantan, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Sabah and Sarawak and some 35 million tonnes of coal in Sabah and Sarawak.

Source : The Star Publication

The people want the fuel price to drop and not listen and know about the amount of other natural riches that we have. Those are something we don't want to here. You people in the Parliment and all are to help the people. Not tell we have so and so amount of natural riches. Listen to the cries of the people. You are in office now is thanks to us for supporting you guys during the election. Please live up to the promises you made when you wanted our votes and keep it.

A leader with the people's needs in heart are exactly all of us hope for. Please do your duties in helping the people of our nation instead of building up the nation but you neglect the needs of the people. Without the people, there would be no nation. Without the nation, there is no country. Please work together to make this country a place where the people are happy with the Government. Don't separate the nation but please unite!

Calling one, calling all! Defend your right to free speech!

Blogger United Condemn Action Against Rocky Bru & Jeff Ooi & Demand Level Playing Field in All Action Against Bloggers

This is the official statement of Bloggers United. This statement is jointly drafted by Susan Loone and Sheih of Kickdefella. All those who believe in justice and right to free speech, please sign on and put this up in your blogs. Spread it around; let it grow far and wide. The fight is on! See also kickdefella.

We are a group of Malaysian bloggers who believe in justice and right to free speech. We, who endorse the Bloggers United movement , unanimously condemn the action taken by media conglomerate NST against bloggers Rocky Bru and Jeff Ooi.

The action by the newspaper against the duo is an action against all bloggers who believe in their right to free speech, freedom of expression and justice.

The recent event may seem like a grave development in the path of bloggers, but it can never and must never impede or stop us from defending our right to speak, to express, to write and to tell the truth, to be the watchdog, eyes and ears of the people, or simply to share our view, and give fair comment on any subject which involves and affects us as humans, as rightful citizens of this country.

The recent event may very well give the government owned media the opportunity to dictate the so-called ‘truth” but such actions only prove that bloggers must unite , continue to uphold the right to free speech and freedom of expression, fight for justice, even if it is not our own, be more alert, committed to the cause of free speech, relentless and persistence in the face of such persecution like the one which had befallen on the two of us.

What YOU do to any of US, is what YOU do to ALL.

As responsible bloggers, we demand and claim our space on the blogosphere for free and fair comment, where important national issues and prominent personalities are discussed.

Although it may seem as if the NSTP defamation suits will have a chilling effect on freedom of bloggers, as litigation can be expensive and may jeorpadise a blogger’s economic position, we will not be cowed or silenced by those who have no regard for free speech.

If you find our post offensive, you may refute us with correct facts and figures and fair comment, in the spirit of free speech.

The first two cases will have grave impact not only on the internet, but country as a whole as the country celebates VMY2007. The healthy, mature and democratic growth for free speech and expression in our midst is at stake.

The reputation of the nation as it strives to promote our multimedia supercorridor and love for IT will be a national joke for all the world to feast on.

We demand for a level playing field in all action meted out to bloggers and in particular in the defamation proceedings particularly in terms of financial resources and capabilities, and secondly, that the legal rights of bloggers et al are properly protected in keeping with the imperatives of an information society and knowledge economy which Malaysia aspires to become.

For further information, please contact Susan Loone at susanloone@gmail.com and my partner in crime Sheih of kickdefella at kickdefella@yahoo.com

Be a Voice of the People

Dear friends,

Greetings with a refreshed spirit!

As we welcome 2007 with great expectations and hope for a better world, we reflect on the recent joys and successes of the past years especially the struggles of the marginalized and how the student world has constantly challenged its members to be in solidarity with them. Each story takes place secluded, miles and miles away from each other across the globe which may we not come to know or learn the experience, feelings and reflections of those stories.

And hence, it is crucial that we share our experiences of life in the student movement with one another in order to be in solidarity and to further take ownership of the movement as a whole. Hence, it’s that time again where IMCS AP requests for sharing of the stories of students announcing the victories of journeying with the marginalized, while we continue denouncing the violations against humanity.

With this, we request for submission of articles for IMCS AP annual publication Announcing/Denouncing 2006-2007.

For this edition, we take a look at one of the most critical and urgent issues the world is currently facing particularly the youth/students of today with regards to the basic rights to health and growing up in a clean, safe and unpolluted environment. Among the current realities the world faces in relation to health and environment are:

* How major policy makers like the World Trade Organization (WTO) through collaboration
with governments constantly advocate the privatization of basic health care, turning it into a
commodity. Communities that would be most seriously affected from this policy would be the
poor, women, Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and specifically People Living With HIV/AIDS
(PLWHA)

* Corporate players of industry and national leaders continue to ignore signs of
degradation/reactions of our environment (i.e. pollution, global warming, tsunami, and
hurricanes) and continue to place the industrial/corporate profit making agenda ahead of
preserving Mother Nature.

And hence, in the true spirituality of action, students and youth rise to face these challenges through critical discourse and action. And through the stories, sharing, reports of students and friends of the movement in the light of facing the above challenges, it will surely stimulate the learning process of others and encourage critical thinking to further motivate others to action.

Specifically (but not exclusively), articles can focus on:

* Students’ journey and experiences in facing, understanding and responding towards the
privatization of health in campus, nationally and globally.

* How alternative education and/or sex education becomes a tool of empowerment for students
in advocating HIV/AIDS issues, understanding human relationship and ourselves.

* Current theologies in addressing and understanding the discourse about the HIV/AIDS crisis
and environmental protection.

* Actions and advocacy students have taken to help promote environmental conservation and
health awareness.

Besides the above mentioned, feel free to send in other articles felt to be related to the issues of health and ecology. The nature of submissions is proposed to be:

*Gives a local or/and global perspectives of the issues.

* Flexible in length, average 3 pages or less in the size of A - 4 paper.

* Besides written articles, formats can be in creative mediums like photos, drawings,poetry,
songs and other printed form.

We hope all articles will be submitted by 5th of March 2007 via e-mail at team@imcs-ap.org or imcsap@pldtdsl.net.

In solidarity with the marginalized,

Bipul, Theresa and Adrian
IMCS Asia Pacific

My dear readers,

do try go for it. Let your creative flair come out. Let's share experiences and learn more about these issues.... Express yourselves through writing...

SummerFairy

~ The Red Ribbon ~

Bloggers Sued ?!

Take action: Endorse statement against NSTP defamationsuits<http://cijmalaysia.org/display_story.asp?ID=465> by CIJ/WAMI, 19 January 2007*Source* :

CIJ Friends,The defamation suits against Jeff Ooi and Rocky Bru is a blatant action to curb our freedom of expression, information and thoughts. Let's lend our support and solidarity to both of them, and for those who blog. We hope to get as many endorsements (organizational and individual) as possible by Mon,22 Jan. A press conference is slated for early next week, will keep you all posted. For more info contact Sonia, 012 3260424.

We, the undersigned organisations and individuals, are deeply worried by the recent lawsuits against two prominent bloggers, Jeff Ooi and Ahiruddin Attan,who run Screenshots and Rocky Bru respectively. The defamation suits brought against the bloggers curtail freedom of expression and information. That established media organisation can engage in this action reflects how little freedom of expression and information are respected in this country, and that intolerance to criticism is prevalent.Jeff Ooi and Ahirudin are being threatened with legal action by the NewStrait Times Press (NSTP) unless they remove allegedly defamatory blogposts.

Jeff Ooi, real name Ooi Chuan Aun, said NSTP legal firm Shearn Delamore & Co informed him in an email on Jan 11 that he has been served an ex-parteinjunction by NSTP seeking to have 13 posts removed from his blog. Ahiruddinor "Rocky Bru" received on Jan 16 the notice that NSTP is suing him for libel and an injunction is taken against him to have 48 posts removed.The New Straits Times (NST), Kalimullah Hassan (NSTP deputy chairman),Hishamuddin Aun (NST group editor in-chief) and Brenden Pereira (formergroup editor) are plaintiffs claiming that the posts are defamatory.A hearing has been set on Jan 25 for Ahiruddin and Jan 30 for Jeff, should they fail to remove the posts. At the heart of the dispute are posts including on, the NST's publication of a caricature that allegedly mocks the prophet Mohammad, alleged lies by Kalimullah Hassan about a Mahathir-Abdullah Badawi meeting in Tokyo, and alleged plagiarism by Brendan Pereira in an article that bears resemblance to one by US columnist Mitch Albom.

We are concerned that Jeff and Ahiruddin are being pitted against a large corporation for expressing their views. It is worrisome that the plaintiffis an organization backed by the government, which has been vocal about taking action against bloggers. Its Malay-language sister publication has previously initiated sedition investigations against bloggers, and this action continues the trend of mass media targetting smaller commentators and websites.

We are disappointed that lawsuits continue to be used to intimidate and muzzle freedom of expression and information in this country. Should NSTP gets its way, many more powerful institutions and individuals will follow suit, and the blogger-sphere will be reigned by fear and self-censorship.We hereby call upon the;- Government to reform defamation laws so that they provide protection forthe weak against large media corporations,- NSTP and its editors to protect and uphold freedom of expression, rather than undermine it.- public, whom as no commercial organization can afford to alienate, to collectively and effectively express their disapproval of NSTP on these lawsuits.--

hwa yi xingfoi
coordinatorcentre for independent journalism malaysiawww.cijmalaysia. org
603.4023.0772

"If you need to believe in God, be sure that you find a god that believes in women." - Mark Morris

Hacked !!!!!

Help !!!! My blog got deleted !! Wa... I wanna cry already... :( Will update things later on things. Waaa....