Author: Hafiz Noor Shams

For more about me, please read this.

Categories
Environment Photography Travels

[799] Of Sultan Abdul Jalil Bridge, Kuala Kangsar

While at Kuala Kangsar , I and a few friends spent two nights at a resthouse by the Perak River. Roughly 200 meters away from our balcony was Sultan Abdul Jalil Bridge.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

The concrete bridge is different from those modern bridges of stainless steels and wires that are so prevalent nowadays. It’s a breath of fresh air.Kuala Kangsar has another bridge farther upstream. The name is Sultan Iskandar Bridge and it’s made out of steel. If I got my fact right, the concrete bridge was built because the locals complained that the steel bridge was too far away from the town.

Across the river is a village called Sayong. Before the newer bridge was constructed, those that planned to travel by land from Kuala Kangsar to Sayong, or Sayong to the town or to and fro had to suffer one huge U-turn with kilometer as the proper unit of measurement. Walking was simply not a good idea. Therefore as late as year 2000, boats still played an important mean of transportation between Kuala Kangsar and Sayong.

With the concrete bridge, I observed that the river’s role as a mean of transportation has diminished. Not completely though.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

p/s – last year, I said I expect Malaysia to see another bout of haze in 2006. Well, Indonesia promises that we won’t:

Indonesia promises this year will be less hazy

Sat May 27, 11:36 PM ET

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Indonesia has said the choking haze that annually blankets parts of Southeast Asia will be reduced this year as it cracks down on oil palm plantations that clear land by burning.

Indonesia’s Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said authorities would enforce a 2004 law that imposes stiff penalties on plantations that burn land, a practice largely blamed for contributing to the haze.

I’m skeptical. Especially that enforcement part. But if Indonesia needs Malaysia’s help, by all means, please ask. I don’t want another “no thank you but we can handle this by ourselves” again.

Categories
ASEAN Conflict & disaster

[798] Of ASEAN fails East Timor

East Timor is deep in crisis and they’re in need of help. I’m glad to hear that East Timor has requested assistance from Malaysia and even happier to know that Malaysia is responding to the request. My only regret is that Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) has neither been proactive nor responsive to the conflict. What’s more embarassing is to see Australia leading the expedition instead of ASEAN .

Those that have been reading my blog long enough would know that I advocate a stronger ASEAN. Since East Timor is part of Southeast Asia, I strongly feel that East Timor is part of ASEAN, regardless the fact that the country has yet to be granted an observer status, much less a membership. Therefore, I see the conflict as a trouble in ASEAN’s backyard. So, it’s only logical for me to want to see ASEAN to assist East Timor. Unfortunately, ASEAN has not and because of this, I believe ASEAN has failed East Timor.

I do understand that ASEAN is primarily an organization concerned with economic, political and cultural cooperation. It’s not a military alliance and ASEAN has no peacekeeping force of its own. However, I have no desire to see a failed state within Southeast Asia; ASEAN should feel the same way too. If ASEAN does feel the same way, then it should have the means to prevent states from falling into anarchy. That means must include a way to maintain law and order.

Perhaps, it’s time for ASEAN to have a formal body that could take police actions in time of crisis. If ASEAN had such body, it could have taken the lead in assisting East Timor and indirectly telling the world that we are capable of caring for our own welfare. More importantly, ASEAN wouldn’t have failed its small neighbor.

Categories
Photography Travels

[797] Of Overfloor, Malay College

Like what I’ve said yesterday, I didn’t get too much time to roam with my old trusty camera at the Malay College. But here’s another one that I managed.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

This building is called the Overfloor. Most Malaysians – well, even those that attended the Malay College I suppose – strongly relate the structure with the School . And a few other ideals too. But, this is supposed to be an entry with a light subject. So, I won’t touch on that.Concerning the photo, this is the first time I’ve ever posted a black and white. I feel the raw picture isn’t as good as I had expected it to be. So, I turned it into black and white instead. I’m not quite satisfied with the final product but I do like it better than the raw version.

The photo underwent two stages. I first lightened up the facade. Nextm I stripped the photo of its colors.

This is the “lightened up” version with its colors intact:

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

This is the raw version:

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

Finally, haha, go Leman!

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

This is the first time I see my house grabbing the first overall spot since I first set my foot in the School. And in sports! Eat dust Mohd Shah! With Vengeance. Capital V!But it seems that Leman has problem with discipline. Notice that Sulaiman’s Sahsiah points is the lowest among the Houses. LOL!

Categories
Photography Travels

[796] Of clock tower at the Malay College

Just got back from Kuala Kangsar and boy, lots have changed.

I was in Kuala Kangsar, Perak for the past two days. This is my first visit to the town in roughly five years. And the state of Perak for that matter. Despite that, unfortunately, I didn’t get much chance to walk around and take some shots. I did manage a few however; nothing spectacular though. This is one of those snaps:

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

It’s a clock tower at the Malay College. I pretty much regretted for being unable to dedicate more time to photography. I failed to take a complete shot of the Big Schools – especially the Overfloor – for Wikipedia’s article.Anyway, Japanese monarch, Emperor Akihito is coming to the Malay College this June. And, heh, the Malay College now has two inter-ASEAN rivals. The Vajiravudh College of Thailand has always been a traditional rival since 1960s. Now, we have Raffles Institution of Singapore. Well, not a real rival yet. I was informed that the two schools started to exchange visits only last year. So, this will be a second meeting.

Heh. And they are going to live in the Pavilion. Those Singaporeans are in for big culture shock. LOL!

Categories
Economics Politics & government

[795] Of gold standard in Kelantan

One week ago, I blogged on why conservative Muslims would prefer gold standard to fiat currency. Today, I found out that Kelantan, a state ruled by PAS, an Islamic party, plans to introduce gold dinar and silver dirham in three months time . Gold dinar and silver dirham are gold and silver standards respectively. More at Bernama:

Kelantan Plans To Use Gold Dinar As Currency

KOTA BAHARU, May 21 (Bernama) — The Kelantan government will introduce the gold dinar and silver dirham as currencies in three months time and even plans to pay state public servants with the currency.

State Public Administration, Economic Planning, Finance and Community Development Committee Chairman Datuk Husam Musa said the dinar and dirham currencies would first be implemented in the Islamic system of pawnbroking, the Ar-Rahnu.

…

Husam said when implemented, the public could buy the dinar and then exchange it for cash at the Ar-Rahnu pawnshops.

Talk about economic crystal ball…

However, I’m not interested in the predictive power of economics in this entry. I’m questioning the legality of such move instead.

Under item 7(a) within the Ninth Schedule of Constitution of Malaysia, finance, more specifically, “currency, legal tender and coinage” fall under the Federal List. It doesn’t fall under the State List or Concurrent List but instead – I stress – in the Federal List. This means only the central government has the exclusive right on matters pertaining to issuance of currency. Therefore, I suspect Kelantan’s move is illegitimate.

The existence of two standards is detrimental to intrastate trade and the need to exchange currencies – ringgit to dinar and vice versa – acts as a trade barrier. Furthermore, the introduction of gold dinar just in Kelantan – instead of countrywide – will undermine the authority of Malaysian central bank, Bank Negara. The introduction will indirectly hurt the country’s economy as there will be no congruent monetary policies.

This move is unneeded especially when Southeast Asia is contemplating on monetary union. The region as ASEAN plans to increase regional trade instead of reducing it. Introduction of a new standard will take the dream of an ASEAN-wide monetary union a step backward. In short, the introduction is counter-productive towards the ultimate ideal of ASEAN.

Finally, who will manage the gold standard? The central bank of Kelantan? What a ridiculous notion! Revolting!

Unless Kelantan plans to secede from the Federation, this move must be stopped. Bank Negera, which is responsible to Malaysian monetary policies must come forward and knock some sense into the state government of Kelantan.

I’m vehemently against Kelantan’s move and the existence of two separate standards within the Federation. There can be either one currency or the other. Not both.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

p/s – I’m right. Introduction of a different standard within the Federation is illegal. From The Star:

Kelantan plans new currencies

By IAN MCINTYRE

KOTA BARU: The Kelantan government plans to introduce the gold dinar and silver dirham as currencies in three months, saying that it also hopes to pay state public servants with the currency.

However, Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi shot the idea down.

State governments were not allowed to issue their own currency, he told reporters covering the World Economic Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt when asked to comment on the statement by Kelantan Public Administration, Economic Planning, Finance and Community Development committee chairman Datuk Husam Musa

This makes me wonder, do PAS politicians ever read the Constitution?