Bro, The Star?!

Well, I'm going to talk about last Sunday event, due to my laziness to post any entry and there is always homework waiting for me. So, this story went like this. I woke up in the beautiful Sunday morning ( I doubted it ) and read the offline message from my brother. He basically said that he was in The Star for that particular day and insisted for me to check it out for him.

The usual me definitely forgot what he said and ended up recalling that there was such thing only in the evening, very near to night. Had to rush to the newspapers stand as we didn't have the habit of reading The Star. Took us at least half an hour just to get hold of that newspaper.

I had to search the article for my mum because she didn't bring her spectacles along that day. Flipped each and every pages trying to spot for my BROTHER. And at last, I failed. My mum took it from me and tried to search as well. In few minutes time, she found it! I was like, gosh, I wonder how she managed to do that. I'll post the picture and you'll understand what I mean. The article is attached below.

Beware the spin-masters

EurofileBy CHOI TUCK WO

It’s utter folly to ignore political bloggings; every effort must be made to separate the wheat from the chaff.

WITH the prospect of a general election looming in everyone’s mind, political blogs and websites have proven hugely irresistible, especially for Malaysians residing overseas.
The phenomenal hype surrounding the popularity of this new media might seem, on the surface, to be a little perplexing.
Yet most people have an obvious relish for bloggers – they like nothing more than to deflate the egos of the idle rich and puncture the pomposity of the powerful.

Plain speaking: Lee having a discussion with MCA UK Club president Eric Choo (fourth from right), secretary Dr Kew Hsein Yang (second from right) and other committee members in London. — CHOI TUCK WO

What a world away all this cyber-bashing is from the days of opposition rallies and ceramah which drew massive crowds.

After all, we do live in an age where too many fall for patently absurd or irrational conspiracy theories spun on the Internet.

It’s utter folly to ignore political bloggings; every effort must be made to separate the wheat from the chaff to grasp a wider perspective of the situation.

Datuk Lee Hwa Beng knows only too well the dangers of treating bloggers as mere garbage.

“You get lots of half-truths and three-quarter truths but never ignore them,” said the chairman of MCA’s International Affairs bureau.

Lee’s plain-speaking and blunt integrity pack a powerful punch when it comes to engaging political bloggers.

Every accusation, he feels, must be nipped in the bud; stubborn silence will only allow a whole thicket of doubts to flourish. And the retribution can be brutal. Suddenly, you’re bleeding and you never even saw the knife. But to go on overdrive, such as countering “poison with poison” will result in overkill, akin to cutting the nose to spite the face.

Phantom e-mail

Touted as the first Malaysian politician to have his own website (hwabeng.org.my) in 1995, Lee has displayed plenty of guts in dealing with phantom e-mail over the years.

Taking the bull by the horns, he not only replies to every allegation but, where necessary, posts them on his website.

He spoke of an anonymous e-mail accusing him of receiving a hefty bribe running into millions of ringgit for a project in Malaysia.

“I posted the allegation on my website and challenged the person to show proof and to lodge a report with the ACA,” he said.

Of course, the accusation could not be substantiated and the issue eventually died down.

Lee, however, expressed concern over Malaysians studying or working overseas who could be exposed to plenty of anti-government materials on the Internet.

“If in doubt, always e-mail me or the MCA to clarify the situation,” he told MCA UK Club’s newly elected president Eric Choo and his committee in London earlier this week.

Among those present were the club’s deputy president Jack Chor, secretary Dr Kew Hsein Yang, its Birmingham branch chairman Liew Jia Harng, its Cardiff branch chairman Chen Kien Lun, deputy chairman Kenneth Tiong and secretary Tie Teck How.

Membership drive

Lee said he planned to set up MCA clubs in countries that have Malaysian associations to help members keep abreast with political developments back home. “We can work together with Malaysian associations in cities like Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, Washington and Paris. “Our target is to have an MCA club working alongside every Malaysian association across the world,” he added.

Lee said they also hoped to recruit more graduates and professionals for greater continuity.

While the clubs in UK and Ukraine are mostly student-based, those in Australia and Japan have more professionals.

And for the first time, the bureau plans to organise a career fair in London focusing on job opportunities in China and the Middle East, particularly in Dubai and Qatar.

Choo said he had launched a recruitment drive as one of his major tasks to boost the club’s members from about 200 to at least 500.

“We hope to set up branches in Manchester and Warwick, which have a substantial number of Malaysian students,” he added.

Currently, the club has four regional branches in London, Cardiff, Sheffield and Birmingham.

The club is also inviting all Malaysians to attend its Chinese New Year open house at Malaysia Hall in London’s Bayswater on Feb 17.

*My Bro*

*My Cousin Bro*

P.S : Now you know why I didn't come across this article before. Won't realise that my brother is there. =P