Category: Sports

[773] Of CCTV in Kuala Lumpur

Post author By Hafiz Noor Shams
Post date Thursday, April 20 2006
5 Comments on [773] Of CCTV in Kuala Lumpur

This is an old news but its effect is of no little consequence. Hugging and kissing in public are deemed as indecent acts:

No kissing please, we are Malaysians!

PUTRAJAYA: The local government has the power to establish by-laws to prosecute citizens who behave disorderly in public, the Federal Court ruled yesterday.

Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, together with Federal Court judges Datuk Alauddin Sheriff and Datuk Richard Malanjum, unanimously held that the Datuk Bandar of Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) was correct to charge two students for behaving indecently by hugging and kissing at Kuala Lumpur City Centre Park.

With that in mind, perhaps it’s time we all give the mushrooming closed-circuit TV in Kuala Lumpur a more serious consideration? (tag)

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

The photo was taken near Dayabumi. Just across the street from the post office headquarters to be precise.With the moral police winning that case, imagine how they could utilize all those CCTVs in the city. We could be kissing our civil liberties goodbye.

Oh, wait. It’s unlawful to kiss.

As a self-proclaimed libertarian, I have this to say: what’s going in our bedroom is none of the government’s concern.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

p/s – first playoff. Ajax 3 – 0 Feyenoord. w00t! Hail Rosales, Heitinga and Huntelaar! As written in a forum, helemaal niets voor Feijenoord!

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

pp/s – Bloomberg was talking about election in Singapore just now. The host roughly said: “We don’t know who will win in Singapore. Or do we?”

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

ppp/s – from Foreign Policy:

A survey published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives found that 77 percent of the doctoral candidates in the leading departments in the United States believe that “economics is the most scientific of the social sciences.” It turns out, however, that this certitude does not stem from how well they regard their own discipline but rather from their contempt for the other social sciences.

Heh.

Kitchen sink Photography Sports

[772] Of Dayabumi, Kuala Lumpur

Post author By Hafiz Noor Shams
Post date Wednesday, April 19 2006
1 Comment on [772] Of Dayabumi, Kuala Lumpur

I’m in no mood to blog. So, another photo but this time, let’s be more modern.

In the picture is Dayabumi, one of the more recognizable structures in Kuala Lumpur. To the locals at least (tag).Of anything else, Dayabumi needs a good shower. I don’t know when was the last time Dayabumi received a good cleanup. I doubt the building knows too, if it were alive.

If you’ve been following my posts, this building is the one in the background of the second photo in my post labelled [771] Of Malayan Railway HQ, Kuala Lumpur.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

p/s – yeah. Malaysia lost to New Zealand. Sayonara World Cup.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

pp/s – yeah! Ajax versus Feyenoord on the 20th!

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

ppp/s – I don’t know why but I’m attracted to Tak Dengar, an article in Malay. Tak dengar means “not hearing” or “not listening”. The latter is more accurate in term of context. I’m sorry if you’re unable to read Malay. Well, if you want to read it, now is a good time to learn Malay, isn’t it? =)

p4/s – Spiderman, with robots! In Japanese! In 1978! Goooooddddd!

History & heritage Personal Photography Sports

[771] Of Malayan Railway HQ, Kuala Lumpur

Post author By Hafiz Noor Shams
Post date Tuesday, April 18 2006
2 Comments on [771] Of Malayan Railway HQ, Kuala Lumpur

More photos!

This onion-shaped dome belongs to the Malayan Railway Headquarters building. It’s just across the street from the old railway station of Kuala Lumpur (tag). I’ll show you:

The dome in the first picture is the farther one of the latter photo, close to the national mosque. Sorry for the street lights. Such ugly structures are creatures of omnipresence in Kuala Lumpur. Even the gods, possibly, are jealous of it.God asides, that road is Jalan Hishamuddin. If a person drives or walks straight for a good kilometer or so, that person will hit the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Trust me, there are street lights over there too!

A piece of history; the headquarters which is the darker structure in front of the lighter colored old railway station was designed in 1913 by A.B. Hubback. Hubback was also the architect of Jamek Mosque in downtown Kuala Lumpur. Constrcution began in the following year only to be interrupted by the First World War. With the cost of $780,422, it was completed in November 1917. During the Second World War, unlike its cousin the old railway station, it suffered heavy damage though without further need of explanation, you can see that it still stands proudly today.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

p/s – Malaysia won’t make it to the Hockey World Cup. Today, Malaysia lost to France 4 – 1. France! What an embarrassment this is since France isn’t a proper hockey nation to start with. The score line makes the loss harder to swallow. This failed outing is all the more disappointing especially because Malaysia managed to grab bronze at the Commonwealth Games only several weeks back.

Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams. Some rights reserved

pp/s – Mike Ng, a fellow Malaysian and a friend of mine at Michigan got his first solo exhibit. Go pay him a visit and shout congratulations now!

Humor Sports

[769] Of Ajax is off to the playoff!

Post author By Hafiz Noor Shams
Post date Sunday, April 16 2006
No Comments on [769] Of Ajax is off to the playoff!

Ajax Amsterdam (tag) has confirmed a place in the playoff for the second Dutch slot for next season’s Champions’ League. In last league game against RKC Waalwijk Ajax won 4 to 2, hence guaranteeing fourth place.

I’m still unclear whether Ajax will face Feyenoord or AZ but either way, Ajax will be facing a rival. Yes. You heard that right. For ages, there were the Big Three – Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV. With AZ, it’s becoming a Big Four instead and AZ has a real grudge against Ajax. Well, just it’s Chairman Dirk Schering. But he does really hates Ajax. And that rivalry has gone off the pitch.

Ajax’s Technical Director Martin van Geel has been handed a 5-year stadium ban. That means van Geel can’t be at AZ’s homeground. It’s ridiculous – even the Dutch soccer association, the KNVB commented on it:

KNVB director Henk Kesler has made crystal clear how he feels about the incident in today’s issue of De Telegraaf: “I was in my car when I heard about the stadium ban for Van Geel and I laughed so loud I almost crashed into a lamppost. For a second I thought it was an April Fool’s Day joke, but it’s a bit late for that. It is pretty absurd for a football club to hand a stadium ban to the technical director of another club. Was Martin van Geel involved in criminal activities for which a ban would normally be appropriate? This makes no sense whatsoever and Mr Scheringa is making a complete fool out of himself. Perhaps we should hand him a stadium ban for the remaining 37 stadiums in Dutch professional football.”

Regardless, it shows that this little rivalry is brewing up.

For the record, van Geel was AZ’s TD before he joins Ajax. To spice it up further, AZ’s current coach, Louis van Gaal was Ajax’s former TD. Sweet, eh?

Whatever it is, I feel it’s better for Ajax to kick Feyenoord’s ass instead. I don’t hate AZ as much as I hate Feyenoord or PSV, yet. Hence, the sweetness of kicking Feyenoord’s ass is greater than the sweetness of kicking AZ’s.

Politics & government Sports

[767] Of differing point of view and non-existing NPOV

Post author By Hafiz Noor Shams
Post date Thursday, April 13 2006
1 Comment on [767] Of differing point of view and non-existing NPOV

In Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Obi Wan Kenobi says “So what I have told you was true… from a certain point of view.” That scene along with the quote is a tribute to relativism.

The truth in that is undeniable (at risk of committing circular reasoning), especially when it concerns Parti Sosialis Malaysia‘s current case in the Court of Appeal of Malaysia. Utusan Malaysia says:

‘ROS wajar tolak permohonan PSM’

Oleh NORZAINAH NORDIN

PUTRAJAYA 12 April – Mahkamah Rayuan hari ini diberitahu bahawa Pendaftar Pertuduhan (ROS) bertindak wajar ketika menolak permohonan Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) untuk didaftarkan sebagai parti politik peringkat kebangsaan atas alasan PSM gagal mengemukakan dokumen dan maklumat yang lengkap.

It practically means Registrar of Societies is right to reject PSM’s application because the party didn’t have representative from at least seven states. The title of the article itself roughly translates into “ROS is right to reject PSM’s application”.

In The Star however:

ROS policy on party invalid, court hears

PUTRAJAYA: The Registrar of Societies’ policy requiring Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) to have representatives in seven states before it could be registered as a national political party was an invalid criterion, the Court of Appeal heard yesterday.

I first read The Star’s version. When I saw Utusan’s, I was about to shout “liar!” Only after I read both articles carefully did I realized that The Star was quoting PSM’s counsel while Utusan was quoting ROS’ instead. Neither are lying but both are telling half of the truth.

Because both are not reporting from a neutral point of view, this makes me wonder – does Utusan suffer from phobia of socialism? Is The Star a commiephone? Stretching it further, is UMNO still stuck in Malayan Emergency worldview? Is MCA a commie wannabe?

Ridiculous questions but what else is there to conclude from the two radically differing pieces that report on the same subject?

p/s – w00t! Ajax won against Vitesse while Utrecht lost to Groningen! This enables Ajax to climb up to fourth and force Utrecht to go down to fifth. Ajax needs fourth placing in order to qualify for UEFA Champions Leauge playoff. One more game to go and all Ajax needs is a draw against Willem II Tilburg to secure a spot in the playoff. Sweet!