Wanted: New Image of Ipoh

By Victor Chew

Friday August 1, 2008

I READ with interest the news that Ipoh may appoint a Deputy Mayor. Here we go again; political interest is being placed ahead of the needs of the people.

Ipoh does not need another office-bearer. It needs a new image. It does not need to be another Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru, George Town or Kuantan. We do not want and cannot hope for rapid economic development within the city limits.

As a resident here for over 50 years, I want Ipoh to project an image that other cities in Malaysia and maybe even in Asia cannot duplicate.

This will put us in a unique position to compete with other cities by being successful yet not following the pathway set by economically industrialised cities.

If one takes a good look at Ipoh, one will realise that it has great intrinsic beauty.

It is surrounded by highlands and dotted with amazing limestone hills filled with caves, tunnels, subterranean caverns, underground rivers, mining pools, streams, rivers, hot springs, equatorial forests boasting flora and fauna that can equal any national park in the world.

It is time the authorities clean up our city which used to be the cleanest in Malaysia. The first and most important step that must be taken is to move polluting industries out of the city limits.

I want Ipoh to have air that everyone in the world will envy. After all, many entrepreneurs have already written off Ipoh as having potential for industrial growth. So why try to compete with industrialised cities?

We may as well aim for something unique.

Have only clean industries in Ipoh.

Remove every industry that emits smoke and air pollutants.

Clean industries are factories using electrical power, especially those using hydroelectric power, that Ipoh has from nearby sources like those generated in Temenggor and Hulu Perak.

If this is not enough, we have other untapped hydroelectric power sources just outside our city.

Another source of clean electricity is wind-generated. Ipoh being in a valley gets lots of wind blowing up and down the mountainsides.

The large population of Ipoh can also be tapped to produce products at home.

Outsourcing of piece work to housewives is the surest way of sending money to homes so that housewives can shop at the shopping complexes.

To keep the city clean, reduce the number of vehicles using the roads.

We should embark on a clean public transport system, using electric light railway transport or trams and convert all buses and taxis into either electrical, or liquid gas engine ones.

We have beautiful rivers running through this city, so clean them up, increase the volume of water in them and use them for water sports and transportation.

Once we achieve the cleanest air status, tourists and expatriates will come automatically.

Then we go to the next step – develop our medical tourism business.

With clean air, Ipoh should attract private hospitals to set up here to give medical care to foreigners.

Also with a large elderly population of local pensioners and expatriates who retire here, this business will be very lucrative.

We can make Ipoh the centre for healthcare and recuperation.

Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Resigned from Her Parliamentary seat of Permatang Pauh

— PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE —
31 JULY 2008, PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA

After deliberating with my family, the Keadilan party leadership and our partners in the Pakatan Rakyat, I have officially submitted my resignation as Member of Parliament of Permatang Pauh to the Speaker of Parliament YB Tan Sri Datuk Pandikar Amin Bin Hj. Mulia today to make way for my husband, Anwar Ibrahim, to contest as a candidate for Pakatan Rakyat in a by-election as soon
as possible.

This is consistent with our goals towards securing a Parliamentary majority and forming a new government within this year.

This decision is the right decision for Malaysia.

The nation now faces some of the greatest challenges it has encountered since gaining independence. The UMNO-led Barisan Nasional government has mismanaged the economy and steered the nation towards a catastrophe. It has allowed the integrity of the justice system to fall into deeper infamy. It has stroked the flames of racism and driven a wedge of mistrust between Malays, Chinese and Indians, while thoroughly neglecting the needs of the indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak.

Anwar Ibrahim has articulated a vision for Malaysia that has brought hope to the people. He has the experience and intelligence to reinvigorate our economy, and the charisma and integrity to unite the Malaysian people and restore credibility to our institutions of governance. I will continue to serve as president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and as chairperson of the Yayasan
Aman (Peace Foundation).

I whole-heartedly thank my supporters in Permatang Pauh who have stood by me in the most difficult of times since September 1998 and have shared in the joy of victory we all experienced on March 8th. The future of our nation lies in the dedication and commitment to justice and freedom that I have experienced as your representative in Parliament and I look forward to many more years of serving you with sincerity and with humility.

DATUK SERI WAN AZIZAH WAN ISMAIL
President
Parti Keadilan Rakyat

Child sex clip shocker for parents and me!

By Harian Metro
Thursday July 31, 2008

A WIDESPEAD videoclip, purportedly showing two children engaging in sexual acts, has caused shock and concern among parents, reported Harian Metro.

The 30-minute clip titled “Budak-Budak Pun Dah Pandai Sekarang (Even Children Are Well Informed Now)” has been circulating on the Internet and via mobile phones.

A boy and a girl – believed to be around eight years of age – are seen in the clip stripping off their clothes and kissing each other, the paper reported.

Their acts are believed to have taken place on top of an abandoned building, where it was filmed.

The Malay daily in its front-page story, however, said it could not be ascertained if the children were locals.

The clip was made known after several concerned parents called the newspaper expressing their worries.

Tok Kadi Menikah Dirinya Sendiri

Oleh Harian Metro
Khamis, 31 Julai 2008

DENGAN hanya bermodalkan sebuah kitab dan mas kahwin RM50, seorang ustaz menjerat seorang ibu tunggal sebelum mengahwininya menerusi upacara akad nikah pelik menggunakan wali dan saksi ghaib.

Sebelum proses pernikahan dijalankan, ustaz berusia 60-an itu berperanan 'dua dalam satu' kerana beliau bukan saja melakonkan watak sebagai 'tok kadi', malah turut 'mengakadkan' dirinya sendiri.

Selaku tok kadi merangkap pengantin lelaki, ustaz terbabit kemudian menikahkan dirinya sendiri dengan lafaz 'Aku nikahkan diriku dengan 'si polan binti si polan' dengan mas kahwinnya RM50 tunai' kepada pasangannya.

Ini dibalas pasangannya itu dengan lafaz 'Aku terima nikahnya'.

Bagi meyakinkan pasangannya bahawa akad nikah tersebut sah, ustaz itu kemudian menunjukkan sebuah kitab yang tidak diketahui asal usulnya, sekali gus mendakwa pernikahan itu sah mengikut hukum Islam.

Mangsa yang hanya ingin dikenali sebagai Maimun itu berkata perkenalannya dengan ustaz terbabit berlaku secara tidak disengajakan ketika ingin mendapatkan khidmat kaunseling berhubung kes cerai fasakh terhadap bekas suaminya.

'Ketika itu saya menghadapi masalah rumah tangga dengan bekas suami pertama. Kes itu dirujuk kepada ustaz berkenaan dan dari situlah dia memberikan pandangan serta khidmat nasihat yang diperlukan,' katanya.

Menurutnya, pernikahan pelik itu berlaku pada 12 Mac 2003 dan beliau berpisah dengan ustaz terbabit pada 12 Jun lalu apabila lelaki itu 'menceraikannya' dengan talak satu.

Katanya, beliau terterkejut sebaik saja mendapat tahu pernikahannya dengan ustaz itu tidak sah mengikut hukum syarak, sebelum membuat laporan di Balai Polis Petaling pada 25 Julai lalu.

Saiful to swear on Quran

By Audrey Edwards
Thursday July 31, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan is determined to swear on the Quran to prove he is telling the truth of being sodomised by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“Saiful is willing to swear on the Quran. If the ulama says he has to use the Quran, we will use it,” said Mohd Saiful’s lawyer Zamri Idrus yesterday.

Zamri said his client would take the holy oath after police completed investigations into the allegations made by him against the PKR de facto leader.

“We will set the time and date later,” he said.

Zamri added that his client continued his challenge to Anwar to swear on the Quran that he had not sodomised Mohd Saiful.

He also said Mohd Saiful wanted police to expedite their investigations on his sodomy allegations against Anwar.

“He is also standing by the police report that he made against Anwar. He has full trust that the police will carry out a thorough investigation,” he added.

Zamri also provided the press with a handwritten statement made by Mohd Saiful, 23, who is a former aide of Anwar.

“I want to say that there is no reason for me to slander and frame Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in this case,” Mohd Saiful stated in his signed statement.

“I leave it to the police to carry out investigations on my police report. I am now waiting for the outcome of the police to bring the individual involved to justice,” he added.

He also urged Anwar not to “twist and turn” the facts.

Asked to comment on reports which have appeared on several online news portals about the supposed medical report on Mohd Saiful by Hospital Pusrawi, Zamri said the only people who would know whether it was genuine were the hospital authorities.

“Let the police investigate the so-called medical report,” he said.

He also did not rule out pursuing legal action against blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin.

“There are so many things that have been said about Saiful. He just wants everyone to allow the police to do and complete the investigations,” he said.

10 Habits that Bosses Love

by Margaret Steen, for Yahoo! HotJobs

Every boss wants employees who do their jobs well. But even among highly competent employees, there are distinctions. Here are 10 tips for making sure you're on the boss's A-list:

1. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Especially at the beginning of your relationship -- that is, when either you or the boss is new to the job -- err on the side of giving your boss too much information and asking too many questions.

"There's no such thing as a dumb question," says Marianne Adoradio, a Silicon Valley recruiter and career counselor. "Look at it as information gathering."

Don't keep up the constant stream of communication unless your boss likes it, though. It's best to ask directly whether you're giving the boss enough information or too much.

2. Acknowledge what the boss says. Bosses appreciate "responsive listening," says John Farner, principal of Russell Employee Management Consulting. When your boss asks you to do something or suggests ways for you to improve your work, let her know you heard.

3. Collaborate. When your boss has a new idea, respond to it in a constructive way instead of throwing up roadblocks.

"Be willing to brainstorm ways to get something done," says Michael Beasley, principal of Career-Crossings and a leadership and career development coach.

4. Build relationships. You'll make your boss look good if you establish a good rapport with your department's customers, whether they're inside the company or outside. Bring back what you learn -- about ways to offer better customer service, for example -- to your boss. This is also helpful for your own career development.

"Everybody wins in the long run," Adoradio says.

5. Understand how you fit in. Is your boss detail-oriented, or someone who keeps his head in the clouds?

"The boss's personality is just incredibly important," says Norm Meshriy, a career counselor and principal of Career Insights.

Equally important is understanding what your boss wants in an employee. It may be, for example, that a boss who is detail-oriented will expect his employees to be as well. But a boss who has no time for details may actually appreciate an employee who does.

6. Learn the boss's pet peeves. If your manager has said repeatedly that she hates being interrupted first thing in the morning, don't run to her office to give her a project update when you first get in.

7. Anticipate the boss's needs. Once you have worked with your boss for a while, you should be able to guess what information he will want before approving your purchase order, for example.

If you provide it ahead of time, "that's a gold star," Farner adds.

8. Think one level up. You still need to do your own job, of course. But when managers consider who deserves a promotion, they look for people who understand the issues that their bosses face.

9. Open yourself to new ways of doing things. When your boss comes to you with a new idea, don't simply dismiss it. If you don't think it will work, offer to discuss it further in "a mature, responsible, adult-like way," Beasley says.

10. Be engaged in your work. Arguing with your boss over every request is not a good strategy, but neither is simply shrugging your shoulders and agreeing with everything your boss says. "The manager would like to see an engaged individual," Beasley says. That means both showing enthusiasm for your work and speaking up when you see room for improvement.

Student arrested for dumping newborn baby

By Sylvia Looi, The Star
Wednesday July 30, 2008

IPOH: An 18-year-old student was detained for allegedly dumping her newborn baby.

State CID chief Senior Asst Comm (II) Ismail Yatim said a cleaning lady found the baby boy’s body in a hostel room of the institution of higher learning near here Wednesday.

“A roll call was then called by the hostel warden at noon to determine the baby’s mother,” he said.

The student gave herself away when the policemen, who were sent to the scene to investigate, noticed her pale face, said SAC (II) Ismail,

The student admitted to being the mother of the baby when the police questioned her, he said.

The baby’s remains were sent to Changkat Melintang Hospital for post-mortem, he added.

The girl has been released on police bail.

Malaysia Ditewaskan Chelsea, 2-0

Oleh AFP, Bernama
Rabu, 30 Julai 2008

SA: Kelab gergasi Liga Perdana Inggeris (EPL) Chelsea mengekalkan rekod tanpa kalah pada pusingan akhir Jelajah Asia apabila menumpaskan pasukan Malaysia XI 2-0 di Stadium Shah Alam di sini malam Selasa.

Walaupun berdepan dengan pasukan mantap dan terkemuka dari England itu, namun Malaysia tidak gentar dan mampu mengegarkan barisan pertahanan Chelsea sebaik sahaja wisel sepak mula ditiupkan.

Pemain negara Mohd Amirulhadi Zainal berjaya melepasi barisan pertahanan Chelsea dan melepaskan rembatan rendah seawal minit kelima tetapi tersasar.

Bermain di depan lebih 40,000 peminat termasuk ramai penyokong kelab Inggeris itu berpakaian jersi biru, Chelsea kemudian menguasai perlawanan dengan mempamerkan corak serangan.

Rentak perlawanan yang menghiburkan itu akhirnya membawa gol pembukaan pada minit ke-30 menerusi pemain Nicolas Anelka yang menyambut hantaran Frank Lampard sebelum melepaskan tendangan rendah, melepasi jangkauan penjaga gol negara Mohd Helmi Eliza Elias.

Selepas waktu rehat, persembahan Chelsea semakin menonjolkan dengan rentak pantas serta taktikal dengan jurulatih Felipe Scolari menurunkan pemain Ashley Cole.

Pada minit ke-52, Cole menyudahkan gol kedua Chelsea apabila beliau mengutip bola dari gerakan "set-piece" yang dilakukan oleh Lampard dan Florent Malouda untuk menewaskan Mohd Helmi.

Walaupun ketinggalan dua gol, pilihan Malaysia tidak kecewa dan mampu memberi saingan dengan beberapa serangan ke pintu gol Chelsea.

Malaysia memperoleh peluang terbaik pada minit ke-61 apabila penyerang Mohd Zaquan Adha Abdul Razak bersemuka dengan penjaga gol Petr Cech tetapi gagal menembusi gawang gol lawan.

Lampard, pemain tengah, dicalonkan sebagai pemain terbaik perlawanan.

Dalam Jelajah Asia, Chelsea menewaskan pasukan Guangzhou Pharmaceutical 4-0 di China Rabu lepas dan membelasah Chengdu Blades 7-0 di Macau Sabtu lepas.

Selepas ini, Chelsea akan berlepas ke Moscow untuk menentang kelab Russia Lokomotiv Moscow pada perlawanan persahabatan Jumaat ini.

Jurulatih pasukan Malaysia XI, B. Sathianathan, berpuas hati dengan persembahan anak buahnya yang menunjukkan semangat kental dan bersemangat menentang pasukan dari England itu.

Harga Minyak Singapura turun lagi, Malaysia bila lagi?

Oleh BHS
Selasa, 29 Julai 2008

HARGA minyak petrol turun lagi semalam, sebanyak 10 sen setiap liter - penurunan terbesar sejak Ogos 2003. Ini kali kelima harga minyak petrol turun dalam masa 20 hari.

Langkah mengurangkan harga minyak petrol semalam dimulakan Shell, yang kemudian diikuti Caltex, Singapore Petroleum Company (SPC) dan Mobil.

Dengan penurunan harga itu, harga minyak petrol sebelum ditolak diskaun di kedai minyak sekarang adalah $2.110 seliter bagi petrol oktana 98, $2.036 seliter bagi petrol oktana 95 dan $2.003 seliter bagi petrol oktana 92.

Harga minyak petrol premium sebelum ditolak diskaun pula adalah $2.239 seliter bagi Shell V-Power dan $2.236 seliter bagi Caltex Platinum.

Menurut para penganalisis, harga minyak petrol turun kebelakangan ini kerana kebimbangan tentang permintaan minyak semakin reda.

Harga minyak mentah mencecah paras AS$100 setong pada awal tahun ini, sebelum meningkat ke beberapa paras rekod akibat kebimbangan mengenai permintaan minyak yang terus bertambah ekoran ketegangan antara Barat dengan Iran mengenai program nuklear Teheran.

Ketidakstabilan di Nigeria, salah sebuah negara pengeluar minyak Afrika utama, turut menjadi faktor, kata para pengamat.

Harga minyak boleh jatuh ke paras AS$70 dan AS$80 setong jika dolar Amerika terus kukuh dan kebimbangan mengenai Iran berkurangan, kata ketua Pertubuhan Negara-Negara Pengeksport Minyak (Opec), Chakib Khelil, Sabtu lalu.

Berita penurunan harga minyak petrol semalam melegakan para pemandu, terutama seperti Muhd Fuzail, yang perbelanjaan kereta beliau mencecah sekitar $500 sebulan.

'Oleh kerana saya perlu menggunakan kereta untuk ke sana sini dalam menjalankan tugas saya, tentunya penurunan harga minyak menggembirakan saya.

'Saya harap harga minyak akan terus berkurangan,' kata pegawai teknikal berumur 32 tahun itu.

Pemimpin Politik di IPTA

Oleh Mohamed Farid Noh
mfarid@bharian. com.my

BANGI: Pemimpin parti politik, termasuk pembangkang boleh memberi ceramah kepada mahasiswa di institusi pengajian tinggi awam (IPTA) apabila Pindaan Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti 1971 (AUKU) yang dalam proses bacaan kali kedua di Dewan Rakyat Ogos ini, diluluskan.

Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, berkata mereka dibenarkan berbuat demikian dengan syarat memberi ceramah mengenai isu yang ada kaitan dengan pengajian dan akademik mahasiswa.


Beliau berkata, pindaan yang sudah diluluskan Kabinet itu, masih tidak membenarkan mahasiswa menganggotai atau terbabit dengan mana-mana organisasi atau parti politik, tetapi mereka boleh menganggotai persatuan atau pertubuhan tidak bertunjangkan politik.

Katanya, pindaan itu dibuat bagi memberi mahasiswa dan universiti persekitaran lebih kondusif dan kebebasan dalam mencapai tahap kecemerlangan.

"Terserah kepada mahasiswa atau pihak universiti jika hendak menjemput pemimpin pembangkang. Apakah maknanya seorang pelajar universiti jika mereka hanya dibenarkan jemput satu pihak saja.

"Kalau tidak dibenarkan pun mahasiswa boleh mengakses laman web, jadi lebih baik kerajaan benarkan dalam keadaan terpelihara, terkawal. Kita berada dalam dunia maklumat, setakat penguasaan ilmu saja tidak cukup kerana mahasiswa mesti ada 'talent' serta pemikiran yang tajam.

"Soalnya bukan hendak jemput parti politik kerajaan saja. Misalnya, jika mahasiswa mahu mendapatkan pandangan mengenai krisis minyak dunia dan kebetulan penceramah yang dijemput adalah daripada parti politik termasuk pembangkang, pindaan AUKU itu akan membenarkannya, " katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian selepas melancarkan Konvensyen Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar IPTA 2008 serta pelancaran buku Majlis Kepimpinan Latihan Universiti-Universi ti Malaysia (Maklum), dekat sini, semalam.

Minggu lalu, beliau dilaporkan berkata, pindaan AUKU itu dibuat bagi membolehkan mahasiswa membuat keputusan dan menentukan sendiri perkara yang baik dan buruk untuk mereka.

Mohamed Khaled berkata, melalui pindaan AUKU itu juga, mahasiswa yang melakukan kesalahan mengikut AUKU tidak lagi akan dihadapkan ke mahkamah.

"Jika dulu kesalahan mengikut AUKU boleh diambil tindakan mahkamah tetapi dengan pindaan ini semua penguatkuasaan kesalahan mahasiswa akan dipertanggungjawabk an sepenuhnya kepada universiti.

"Tetapi tidak bermakna seseorang pelajar itu tidak tertakluk pada undang-undang negara. Jika mereka buat kesalahan mengikut Kanun Keseksaan mereka masih lagi tertakluk di bawah undang-undang negara. Contohnya, jika seseorang mahasiswa terbabit dalam demonstrasi tanpa permit, maknanya tindakan akan diambil oleh pihak berkuasa," katanya.

Beliau berkata, pindaan baru AUKU juga membolehkan pelajar yang dikenakan tindakan disiplin termasuk digantung oleh pihak universiti untuk mengambil peperiksaan.

'Goyang gerudi' batal lagi, RM500 ribu rugi

Oleh Murai.com.my
Sabtu, 26 Julai 2008

KL: Penganjur IMS Prima Sdn Bhd bukan sahaja terus menanggung malu malah terpaksa menampung kerugian berjumlah setengah juta ringgit akibat pembatalan konsert Inul Daratista buat kali kedua di Malaysia.

Konsert kali kedua Inul itu dijadual berlangsung di Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil, Ahad ini selepas selepas konsert pertama Inul Live In JB dibatalkan.



Pengurus Besar IMS, Nasir Abu Bakar, memberitahu murai.com.my petang tadi, mereka mendapat tahu mengenai pembatalan konsert di Bukit Jalil, pagi tadi.

Katanya, kertas cadangan ini ditolak oleh Jawatankuasa Agensi Permohanan Penggambaran Filem dan Persembahan Artis Luar Negara (PUSPAL).

"Ya, kami malu, sedih dan kecewa dengan apa yang terjadi. Kami juga malu untuk berhadapan dengan Inul di atas pembatalan ini.

Kami sudah menghubungi Inul di Surabaya untuk memaklumlah pembatalan kedua ini dan Inul nampaknya tenang dan akur walaupun kecewa.

"Pihak kami terpaksa menanggung kerugian hampir RM500,000 termasuk kos pengangkutan, logistik dan promosi.

"Saya juga difahamkan oleh pihak DBKL dan polis bahawa konsert ini ditolak atas sebab keselamatan negara dan bukannya personaliti atau persembahan Inul.

PUSPAL diwakili oleh 20 agensi kerajaan termasuk Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM), Jabatan Agama Islam dan Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia.

TIADA KHUSYUK TAWADUK MEWAJIBKAN SEKSA

Kata Imam Ghazali rahimahullah taala maksudnya dibandingkan orang sembahyang dengan kaifiat sembahyang zahir jua, bermakna sempurnakan syarat rukun sunat-sunat jua, dan lalai daripada sembahyang batin bermakna tidak khusyuk tawaduk dan lain, seperti seseorang hadiah kepada raja besar satu perempuan yang sangat molek daripadanya, tetapi mati tiada roh baginya.


Dan dibandingkan orang tidak sempurna sembahyang zahir bermakna tidak sempurna dan tidak elok rukun dan sunat-sunat, seperti seseorang hadiah kepada raja besar satu perempuan tetapi tiada kepala kaki tangan dan dua mata telinganya.

Maka apabila balasan raja dua orang itu, tentu dibalas akan seksaan serta merta. Lebih lagi orang menghadiahkan sembahyangnya kepada tuhan raja sekalian raja, dengan tidak sempurna sembahyang zahir, atau sempurna sembahyang zahir tapi sembahyang batin tidak sempurna. Maka lebih lagi tuhan membalas di atas mereka itu, iaitu mewajibkan seksa, maka takutlah mu kepadanya daripada mati mu.

Playstation 2 component incites African war

By Ben Silverman


Has the video game industry dug up its very own blood diamond?

According to a report by activist site Toward Freedom, for the past decade the search for a rare metal necessary in the manufacturing of Sony's Playstation 2 game console has fueled a brutal conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

At the center of the conflict is the unrefined metallic ore, coltan. After processing, coltan turns into a powder called tantalum, which is used extensively in a wealth of western electronic devices including cell phones, computers and, of course, game consoles.



Allegedly, the demand for coltan prompted Rwandan military groups and western mining companies to plunder hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the rare metal, often by forcing prisoners-of-war and even children to work in the country's coltan mines.

"Kids in Congo were being sent down mines to die so that kids in Europe and America could kill imaginary aliens in their living rooms," said Ex-British Parliament Member Oona King.


So where's the connection to Sony? According to Toward Freedom, during the 2000 launch of the PS2, the electronics giant was having trouble meeting consumer demand. To pump out more units, Sony required a significant increase in the production of electric capacitors, which are primarily made with tantalum. This helped drive the world price of the powder from $49/pound to a whopping $275/pound, resulting in the frenzied scouring of the Congolese hills known for being ripe with coltan.

Sony has since sworn off using tantalum acquired from the Congo, claiming that current builds of the PS2, PSP and PS3 consoles are sourced from a variety of mines in several different countries.

But according to researcher David Barouski, they're hardly off the hook.

"SONY's PlayStation 2 launch...was a big part of the huge increase in demand for coltan that began in early 1999," he explained. "SONY and other companies like it, have the benefit of plausible deniability, because the coltan ore trades hands so many times from when it is mined to when SONY gets a processed product, that a company often has no idea where the original coltan ore came from, and frankly don't care to know. But statistical analysis shows it to be nearly inconceivable that SONY made all its PlayStations without using Congolese coltan."

Currently, the Playstation 2 is the best-selling video game console of all-time, having sold through over 140 million units.

What I Learn Today?

This blog happened to be existed due to a call from my dearest friend, Haniff

To keep it short and precise, here is my resolve:

"The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement"
-Mr Hadi-

P/S: for more information go to his blog at http://www.ibnuinsan.blogspot.com