Nominated for Manya Bloggers Awards by MIC

/* June 6th, 2008 by poobalan | View blog reactions 13 comments »
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Well, this is indeed surprising! Got a call yesterday that yours truly (ehem…) is one of the nominees. In two categories pulak! Hmmm…so paisye…shy le. Me…popular??? 🙂

The organisers did inquire cautiously if I don’t mind being part of the contest (well, that what it looks like to me) organised by MIC. You know, being a blogger means you are either one or all of the following – jobless, stupid, a primate, housewives, or anti-everything. Well, I’m always supportive of any activities that is for the good of the community. I hope this even is not misused or misinterpreted in the future to say youths or bloggers support MIC. I’m sure the organisers know better than to cross swords with bloggers 🙂 So, with the noble intentions (“We want to encourage more Malaysian Indians to blog and share information on the Internet”) outlined by Putera MIC chief in mind, I graciously accept my nomination, even though I’m pretty sure popular is not the word to describe this blog 🙂

Anyway, I disagree with Kamalanathan that bloggers only focus on sensitive issues only because “news sells”. I actually think that the reason for talking about sensitive issues is because there’s not many avenues to discuss it openly and properly. The media does not do the job, public are threatened not to talk in the name of “national security”, and also because many of the “sensitive issues” have elements of crime, discrimination, infringement of human rights, perversion of natural justice or plain lies. » Read more: Nominated for Manya Bloggers Awards by MIC

Olaichuvadi Blogger Satish needs help for operation

/* June 5th, 2008 by poobalan | View blog reactions No comments »
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If you notice my Links list on the sidebar, there’s a link to Olaichuvadi, a blog in Tamil. The blogger, Mr.Satish got involved in an accident in Johor few days back. His blog has a donation appeal in Tamil, while MakkalVoice and Raajarox also carry the appeal with details of the donation procedure.

He had undergone operation at Kluang Specialist Centre after a serious accident. The operation cost Rm7000 and he needs help to pay the bills and to continue treatment. To donate, bank in to:

Name : Satish Kumar
Account No : 108114004851
Bank : Maybank

For any info pls contact Ms. Saras at 012-7162884

only 5 percent SME loans approved

/* June 5th, 2008 by poobalan | View blog reactions No comments »
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Wow! if RM479.2 million is just 5%, then the total loan approved is about RM9.584 billion! Perhaps the parties concerned should provide more statistics such as number of applicants, total value of application, reasons for rejection etc. To say that just 5% approved is very bad. Does it mean lack of applications from the normal Malaysian SME businesses?

RM479.2 million/217 = average RM2.2 million per enterprise


 

THE SME Bank has approved loans, totalling RM479.2 milion, to 217 non-Bumiputera small- and medium-sized enterprises up to April. Deputy Entrepreneurial Development and Cooperative Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the amount, however, accounted for only five per cent of the bank’s total loans to SMEs.

Saifuddin, in his reply to Senator Datuk Wong Siong Hwee, said SME Bank had been a pioneer in providing financial assistance to small and medium businesses since October 2005. He said his ministry was also helping the bank to iron out several issues which were causing delays in approving loans. » Read more: only 5 percent SME loans approved

PM website hacked

/* June 5th, 2008 by poobalan | View blog reactions 3 comments »
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Got this from security.org.my. Screen capture of the hacked site is here.

At the moment (7.50pm local time), the site is “under maintenance”.

PMO website under maintenance after hacked

Tamil programmes in RTM2

/* June 5th, 2008 by poobalan | View blog reactions 4 comments »
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After MIC raised the purported ban of foreign Tamil dramas on RTM2, RTM clarified that no such ban exists. While I disagree with the issue raised by MIC in the cabinet nonetheless, I am interested in the amount of airtime mentioned by RTM. Its reported that the Tamil  (not Indian?) programmes constitute 8.63% or 14.5 hours per week. After checking RTM2‘s weekly schedule, I discovered the following:

Tamil News – 30 mins x 7 = 3.5 hours

Tamil Movie – 2.5 hours x 2 = 5 hours (but i think one of the slot alternates with other languages)

Tamil Drama – 30 mins x 5 = 2.5 hours

Karuthu Kalam Forum – 60 mins x 2 = 2 hours

Musical shows = 3.5 hours

Islamic talk = 0.5 hours

Total is 17 hours, so I’ll count the movie slot as one only to make it 14.5 hours.

News and musicals each take up 24.13%, movie and drama slots each take up 17.24%, forum is 13.79% and the balance 1.7% is the Islamic talk. The drama is aired at 1.30am on weekdays, while one of the tamil movies is on Sunday late night (Monday early morning). Thus 34.48% of the airtime is after midnight!

News is at prime time (8.30pm) and the other programmes are between 6 and 7pm. » Read more: Tamil programmes in RTM2