Precious sleep

Sunday March 27, 2011

By Dr RAYMOND TAN SUAN-KUO

http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2011/3/27/health/8350901&sec=health

There is still a lot that we don’t know about sleep.

THERE is a rare disease called Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI). Patients are unable to sleep, and they ultimately die, usually in their 50s.

In FFI, the thalamus gland in our brains, which plays an important part in blocking input from our senses whilst asleep, is damaged by proteins called prions in FFI. We still don’t know why it happens, nor how to treat or stop this rare disease.

Sleep is so important. Experiments depriving rats of sleep for two weeks result in their deaths.

A recent study looking at people who sleep an average of five hours a day versus those who sleep an average of seven hours a day showed a much higher incidence of hypertension, heart disease, depression and even suicides in the group with less sleep.

What a difference two hours makes.

Different parts of our brain play different roles in maintaining sleep. These include:

·Hypothalamus – governs circadian rhythms, which promote sleep and arousal.

·Pineal gland – produces melatonin, sensing darkness, and prepares brain to sleep.

·Hippocampus – involved in dreams.

·Pons – has a part in arousal and activation of dreams in Rapid Eye Movement (REM).

·Retina of the eye – arousal signal to brain, senses light.

We still don’t know why we need to sleep. We do know of the severe consequences if we don’t get enough sleep. Is sleep a period where the brain’s activity goes very quiet, and it gets its “rest”?

The answer is an emphatic no. Sleep is NOT being unconscious. It is a dynamic state with shifting levels of electricity, and ebbing and flowing of chemicals in the brain.

At night, we cycle several times through ever deeper phases of sleep. In stage 1 (light sleep), we drift in and out of wakefulness. Brain waves then slow down in stage 2, and become extremely slow in stage 3. Dreams then occur in the REM, where heart rate and breathing grow more rapid.

The Spanish are famous for their siestas (cat naps). The timing of the traditional siesta corresponds to a natural post-lunch dip in our circadian rhythms, and studies have shown that people who catnap are generally more productive and may even enjoy lower risk of death from heart disease.

Babies sleep between 12 and 18 hours a day. Interestingly, 50% of their sleep time is in REM dream sleep.

Children usually sleep from 8pm to 6am, averaging about 11 to 13 hours. About 25% of their sleep is in REM sleep. Studies have shown that children who sleep less are more prone to gaining weight, and also have poorer school grades and lower IQs.

Adolescents usually sleep from 1am to 10am, and they require about nine hours of sleep. Less sleep has again been implicated in poorer school grades. Also, early school hours often clash with their natural sleeping times.

Adults typically require 6.5 to 7.5 hours of sleep a night, and their sleeping times are usually between 11pm to 6am. Again, both sleeping shorter or longer than these normal seven hours results in higher morbidity, depression, and obesity.

Short, poor sleep are also novel risk factors for obesity and for type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that sleep restriction damages the body’s ability to regulate eating by lowering levels of leptin, the hormone that tells the body when it has had enough food, resulting in overeating.

Sleep disruption also causes an increase in insulin resistance in humans (thus causing the body to need higher levels of insulin).

There are, to date, 86 known sleep disorders, the most common of which is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). Typically, these patients are either overweight or obese, and most are men. They snore loudly during sleep and have episodes of choking, gasping, and breathing stoppages (apnoeas), usually witnessed by their sleeping partners.

During sleep, their airways collapse and they suffer from oxygen deprivation, resulting in hypertension, and heart attacks. They also experience higher incidences of road traffic accidents due to excessive daytime sleepiness. A recent horrific bus accident in Malaysia involved an overweight bus driver who admitted he was sleepy when the accident occurred. We can only wonder whether he suffers from OSA.

In the UK, the Department of Vehicle Licensing (our JPJ) makes it mandatory for all drivers of commercial vehicles with OSA to undergo treatment for their OSA before their licences are renewed annually.

Insomnia is when somebody cannot sleep or has difficulty falling asleep.

Narcolepsy is the entire opposite. Here, patients sleep at the drop of a hat, anytime throughout the day.

Sleepwalking or somnambulism is when a patient engages in activities that are normally associated with wakefulness (such as eating or dressing), which may include walking, without the conscious knowledge of the subject.

We must recognise the fact that sleep is a valuable commodity. Guard it religiously. Sleep at the recommended hours, for the recommended hours. Keep computers/TVs/CD players/radios out of the bedroom – these are potential sleep distracters.

Keep the bedroom comfortable, neat, clean and quiet. Remember to “cool down” to sleep. Relax for half an hour before sleeping by soaking in a warm tub, listening to some slow, easy music.

We cannot just switch off the computer and jump into beds. Our minds would still be a beehive of activity and many would find it hard to sleep.

Do not take substances like teas, coffees, carbonated drinks, chocolates just before sleeping. They are stimulants because they contain caffeine, which prevents us from falling asleep.

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in the brain, and light directly inhibits the release of melatonin. That is why melatonin is sometimes called the “Dracula of hormones” – it only comes out in the dark.

Overall, research indicates improved sleep when melatonin is taken at the appropriate time for jet lag and shift work. However, more research needs to be done to see whether melatonin helps in the treatment of insomnia.

In conclusion, I would say that there is still so much we need to find out about sleep. What we do know is that sleep is very important and I wish you all a good night’s sleep!

Dr Raymond Tan Suan-Kuo is a consultant ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) surgeon, and snoring and sleep medicine specialist, at the Pantai Ampang Hospital.

Lady Gaga criticizes Malaysia gay lyric censorship

2011-03-27 10:40:00


http://www.sify.com/movies/lady-gaga-flays-malaysia-gay-lyric-censorship-news-hollywood-ld1k4Fafjid.html


Lady Gaga has urged young Malaysians to protest the censorship of lyrics in her hit song that encourage acceptance of gays.

The Associated Press reported last week that radio stations in Muslim-majority Malaysia were playing edited versions of "Born This Way" that use garble to replace the lyrics: "No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian, transgendered life, I'm on the right track, baby."

Lady Gaga criticized the censorship during a visit Tuesday to Google company headquarters in Mountain View, California.

"What I would say is for all the young people in Malaysia that want those words to be played on the radio, it is your job and it is your duty as young people to have your voices heard," the pop star said in an interview that was posted on YouTube.

"You must do everything that you can if you want to be liberated by your society. You must call, you must not stop, you must protest peaceably," she added.

Broadcasters have said they are being cautious with Lady Gaga's song because Malaysia's government forbids offensive content. They risk fines of up to 50,000 ringgit ($16,000) and other penalties for breaking the rules.

Malaysian gay rights advocates complain that the censorship is part of discrimination they face in everyday life.

Arab Trade Unions: A New Force

TIMOTHY CRAMTON

ARCHIVE    |    LATEST    |    LOG IN

MARCH 15, 2011 4:00 A.M. http://www.nationalreview.com Trade unions have played a surprising role in the Middle Eastern uprisings. Where will they turn next? The revolutions that have swept throughout the Middle East caught not only American policymakers and regional governments by surprise, but also opposition groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. One group that was not caught off guard, however, was the region’s independent trade unions. While Arab states have long sought to regulate, or indeed to run, their countries’ trade unions, in recent years these groups have increasingly asserted their independence from government control. The wave of Arab protests started with the suicide of Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old Tunisian fruit vendor. Bouazizi’s death might have been just one more forgotten tragedy had it not been for the Tunisian General Union of Labor, which, while nominally “independent,” was until then controlled by the Ben Ali government. During the protests following Bouazizi’s death, the union cut its ties with the government and embraced true independence, organizing its half-million members to join the protests. Not only did the Tunisian General Union of Labor play a lead role in ousting Ben Ali, but its continued agitation led to the resignation of the prime minister and senior Ben Ali aides earlier this month. Egypt proved the pattern to be the rule rather than the exception. Between 2004 and 2008, 1.7 million Egyptian workers had already launched almost 2,000 strikes. As protesters gathered on Tahrir Sqaure, Egyptian workers united to form the Egyptian Federation for Independent Unions, effectively destroying the state-controlled Egyptian Trade Union Federation. Whereas the state-controlled union ordered workers to stay on their jobs, the new Federation led them to strike and to join the protests that ultimately brought about Mubarak’s downfall. In both Tunisia and Egypt, the newly independent trade unions seek democracy, economic stability, and more liberal — rather than religious — government. But Washington should be wary. Historically, Arab trade unions have failed to find a compromise between repression and political co-optation. Not only in Tunisia and Egypt, but also in Algeria and Syria, governments have used unions as mechanisms of authoritarian control. In Lebanon, where trade unions have remained nominally free, they act as extensions of political parties and, in Lebanon’s chaotic politics, major sources of instability. The new unions are no panacea. For example, the Egyptian Federation for Independent Unions calls for wage reform, education, and a more rigorous fight against corruption, all which appear positive; but it also seeks guaranteed employment and wealth redistribution, the first unrealistic and the second an infringement on liberty. The Tunisian General Union of Labor likewise seeks Communist-style wealth redistribution. Arab unions have traditionally also embraced reactionary foreign policies. The International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions, the flagship labor organization in the Middle East, has never been friendly to America. The ICATU’s members embraced Saddam Hussein in his conflict with the United States, and they have pledged assistance for the most militant Palestinian factions. Trade unions might be a valuable tool in the fight against autocracy, but bringing down a dictator is not the end of the process of democratization. Not every union professing to fight tyranny will be like Lech Walesa’s Solidarity in Poland. In Arab states, trade unions could force would-be dictators to remain accountable to the people. But if foreign powers embrace them unconditionally, the new Arab unions might substitute tyranny of the majority for true democracy. Over the past decades, American administrations have looked the other way while governments in various parts of the world have created Potemkin civil institutions. No longer should the White House accept this fiction. It should not recognize nor should Congress allow American aid to go to unions that are mere extensions of political parties. The United States provides nearly $2 billion a year to Egypt, hundreds of millions to Lebanon, and tens of millions to Tunisia. Congress should condition its aid on true independence of those countries’ unions. America need not be an enemy to independent Arab unions. In Egypt and Tunisia, the unions are at their most influential position in decades, and are a bulwark against the ambitions of Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. However, should the Obama administration become complacent now, it might help substitute one engine of dictatorship for another. — Timothy Cramton, a junior at Cornell University, is an intern at the American Enterprise Institute

EDITORIAL: Foreign interventions in Bahrain and Libya

Although Bahrain’s monarch had requested the Gulf Cooperation Council, comprising six Gulf countries, to send their forces to contain the protests in Bahrain, it is nonetheless a foreign intervention. The 1000-strong contingent sent by five neighbouring countries of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait, will be used to suppress Shia protesters, who are demanding political and economic rights in a country ruled by a minority Sunni elite. Arguably, Saudi Arabia was more worried than the rest of the Gulf countries because its oil-rich, Shia-dominated eastern area borders Bahrain and if the Bahraini Shias manage to gain the upper hand, it might spell disaster for the Saudi monarchy’s own existence, which has kept its Shia population backward and deprived for decades. It is in the interest of all reactionary monarchs of the Gulf to not let things get out of hand, hence this collaboration. There is no reason to open fire on unarmed protesters, but when an insecure minority is ruling over a restless majority as in Bahrain, perhaps this is inevitable. It would be pertinent to mention that Pakistan’s retired military officers and civilians are being rapidly hired by Bahrain because they are reputed to be most aggressive. It is not certain if the Bahrainis, who have been out on the streets for a month, would be able to sustain their struggle in the face of a brutal crackdown that now seems on the cards.

When the wave of insurgency started from Tunisia and spread to Egypt, in both cases yielding results quickly and relatively peacefully, an optimistic illusion was created that this would be replicated in all Arab countries where the public had risen. It has turned out that all Gulf countries are not at the same juncture of history where their regimes had been hollowed out from within and needed just the kind of push that the people in Egypt and Tunisia provided. Yemen’s long-serving dictator is not yielding to the protesters’ demands to relinquish the office of president, which he has been holding for the last 32 years. There have been protests in Oman as well without much hope for success. In Libya, there are reports that the tables have been turned by Gaddafi’s use of military force and a vow to fight till the last drop of blood. The rebel forces in Libya that had taken over eastern towns are now being pushed back through the use of navy, air force and artillery bombardments. The imbalance of power between the two sides is so great that an untrained, lightly armed, scattered guerrilla force cannot win over a conventional military force in set-piece battles. Being largely a desert excepting the northern periphery, it will not be easy for the rebels to sustain guerrilla warfare against Gaddafi’s air power. It seems that Gaddafi still has the backing of his military and certain tribes who are aiding him.

In this scenario, saner heads in the West are advising the hawks led by France against military intervention in the name of ‘humanitarian’ action. It has been proved in recent years that such intrusions are, after all, not entirely altruistic and are driven by vested interests. The UN Security Council is unlikely to yield to the proposal of imposing a no-fly zone over Libya. It is dangerous thinking, this talk of military intervention and will lead to the expansion of war in Libya and the region. A fig leaf has been created in the shape of the Arab League’s endorsement of a no-fly zone, but this is unlikely to impress anyone. The Arab League has lost credibility over the years and cannot necessarily be taken as representing the interests of the Arab people. Gaddafi may have resiled from anti-imperialist Arab nationalism and may be cracking down on his people, but this should not be used an excuse to call for a foreign intervention. The Arab people must be given the opportunity to settle their affairs themselves. *

Publisher: Salmaan Taseer

Editor: Rashed Rahman 
editor@dailytimes.com.pk

Daily Times

41-N, Industrial Area
Gulberg II, Lahore
Pakistan

Fruit seller ignites a revolution

Reports by Shahanaaz Habib
Photos by Glenn Guan

The Star visits the family and village of Mohamed Bouazizi, a poor fruit seller who set himself on fire to protest against official harassment. The incident triggered a revolution in Tunisia and also sparked off protests against autocratic governments in several Arab countries.

IT was early Friday, just before 8am. After picking olives from a farm, Manuobya looked in on her 26-year-old son Mohamed Bouazizi, who was still asleep and something stirred inside her.

“I felt a kind of love and affection that I never felt before. I said to myself: ‘Mohamed, you are so tired. May God give you a car and another job,’” she tells Sunday Star during an interview at her home in a village near Sidi Bouzid.

Just the night before, Manuobya recounts, Mohamed Bouazizi, who sold fruits from a push cart, was talking about working harder to earn enough to buy a pick-up truck which would make it easier for him to transport his produce. And that night, he gave his mother quite a lot of cash.

“He told me: ‘You know, mother, I’ve never got so much money as I have this week.’

Painful reminder: Manuobya caressing a giant poster of her late son Mohamed Bouazizi who has become a hero in his country and the Arab world.

“He told his sister Leila: ‘If you succeed in school, I will pay for your education.’

“He said to his brothers: ‘If you do well, I will buy you what you want,’” Manuobya relates, looking both sad and proud at the same time as she talks about Mohamed Bouazizi.

Her son, she remembers, was in such good spirits that Thursday night.

And he was teasing, playing and laughing with his eight-year-old half-brother Ziyad a lot more than usual before they went to sleep.

Manuobya says she even ticked them off for making “so much noise” for fear it might disturb the neighbours.

Before he went to bed, Mohamed Bouazizi told his mother of his plans for the next few days.

Where it all started: A view of the Government building in Sidi Bouzid where Mohamed Bouazizi set himself alight on Dec 17.

He said he was getting nicer fruits and would work on Friday and Saturday, and rest on Sunday to go to Sfax (a town in Tunisia) to see his elder brother Salem.

But a few hours later, things changed forever for Mohamed Bouazizi, his family and Tunisia.

On that fateful Friday of Dec 17, after Mohamed Bouazizi had woken up, dressed and gone to his usual spot in the small of town of Sidi Bouzid to sell fruits from his cart, a municipal inspector, Faida Hamdi, and her three aides came after him.

Manuobya says Mohamed Bouazizi was the happy sort but the “police and the government always want money from him and won’t let him do his job”.

“They say he is selling fruits illegally. They want a rasuah (bribe) from him, so he is always fighting to do his job,” Manoubya elaborates.

When Mohamed Bouazizi refused to pay the bribe, Faida and her aides tried to seize the fruits. He then phoned his uncle, who is also his stepfather, for help.

But this angered the municipal officers even more.

“Faida told him that she would leave the other fruit sellers alone but not him and that she would come after him every day.

“She grabbed the fruits but when she wanted to remove the weighing scales, Mohamed Bouazizi wouldn’t let her because the scales were not his.

“That was when Faiza slapped him on the face, spat at him and said terrible things about his dead father,” relates Manuobya, who heard details of the incident from eye witnesses, including her son’s friends.

She believes the public humiliation – being slapped and spat on by a woman who also insulted his late father – was too much for her son to bear.

“He was so shocked and utterly humiliated. It was so shameful and, to him, a loss of dignity.”

When Mohamed Bouazizi, who wanted to seek justice, knocked on the municipal office door, the people there would not entertain him.

“Nobody would listen,” his grief-stricken mother says.

That was when Mohamed Bouazizi made his desperate and last cry for help.

He drenched himself with petrol and then lit himself up – right in front of the government building.

People rushed to douse the flames with their jackets, and someone even grabbed a fire hydrant but found it empty.

It was too late. Within seconds, Mohamed Bouazizi was charred but still alive. And that was how his stepfather Omar found him.

“I couldn’t recognise him because he was totally burnt. Then he uttered the Kalimah Shahadah (a Muslim declaration of faith).

“And I knew from the voice that it was Mohamed Bouazizi. Those were the last words he spoke,” says Omar, adding that both of them were supposed to have gone for Friday prayers that day.

Mohamed Bouazizi was rushed from one hospital to another because they could not treat the severe burns. He lived on for another 18 days and died on Jan 4.

By this time, news of what had happened to the poor fruit seller who just wanted to make a living spread through Tunisia like wildfire. His town, Sidi Bouzid, was the first to rise up.

Noha Farah left her children at home and went to the government building every day to protest and shout for change and for the president to quit.

She says she knew Mohamed Bouazizi personally.

“I always bought fruits from him. He was a very nice person. I cried when I saw what had happened,” she shares.

Through Facebook and Twitter, word spread and the protests grew all over Tunisia, shocking the world.

Here was Tunisia– an educated, moderate and stable country.

Yet its people, fed up with poverty, unemployment and a rotten corrupt system, spontaneously rose up to kick out their leader of 23 years, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

They wanted to reform their government which made it tough for people like Mohamed Bouazizi to make a living.

And soon, the Tunisian revolution caught on in other Arab countries.

Egypt managed to chuck out its strongman Hosni Mubarak who ruled the country with an iron fist for 30 years.

Libya is still in the process of trying to oust its leader of 41 years, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

The spark for change has also been lit in Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan, Iraq and even Saudi Arabia. And although Manuobya wishes every night that Mohamed Bouazizi’s death is just a bad dream because she misses him dreadfully, she believes what he did was for a greater good.

“It is unbelievable what has happened. I thank God that things are better for all of Tunisia. I’m happy that He has opened the door for a lot of Arab countries. Freedom is a good thing,” she adds.

Manuobya followed the events in Egypt closely until Mubarak fell and her focus now is on what is happening in neighbouring Libya.

She wants the “evil” Gaddafi who has killed too many of his people to be replaced.

“God help Libya,” she says.

A neighbour, Alfiyah, tells how women, including strangers, drop by to visit Manuobya from time to time and offer words of comfort because they know how painful it is to lose a child.

“The women say ‘thank you for your son and for changing Tunisia’. The situation in Tunisia is still not all that we have hoped for but it is still early days yet,” she adds.

Noha Farah, however, feels something is still missing.

“We are happy but our happiness will not be complete until the Libyan revolution ends and the people there are also free,” she says.

Overnight, Mohamed Bouazizi has become a hero in his town, country and the Arab world.

Muhammad Han Zuli, 31, who speaks flawless English and lives in Sidi Bouzid, has tremendous respect for the fruit seller who triggered off a revolution.

“He gave us the best things in the world – freedom and democracy.”

http://thestar.com.my

It started in Tunisia

Monday, March 14, 2011 By Arjun Gupta

It started in Tunisia. A man named Mohammed Bouazizi, a typical Arab youth, was struggling to provide for his mother, uncle and several siblings in harsh economic times. A female officer confiscated his vegetable cart (his only way of making money) then proceeded to publicly humiliate him because he did not have a permit to sell his wares. Bouazizi was angered by the confrontation and went to the governor’s office to complain. After the local governor refused to see or listen to him, Bouazizi said if his complaint wasn’t heard, he would set himself on fire. He was not taken seriously. Then Bouazizi promptly bought two bottles of paint thinner then set himself on fire in front of a local government building.*

   That literal ignition was what the youth of the Arab world needed to light the candle to their revolution, the most dramatic change that the region has seen in decades. Tunisia was the first to push for change. After Bouazizi, thousands took to the streets in largely peaceful protests across the country. For some time, the people and the government had an implied social contract. As long as there was relative prosperity (jobs, food and a strong economy), the people would comply with brutally repressive governments and limited freedoms. But once the government wasn’t able to provide those jobs and the economy wasn’t doing well, the system broke down. The Arab youth realized the government wasn’t holding its end of the bargain and the people weren’t allowed to speak about it freely.*

   That’s when the people really started to get angry. For a solid month and half, Tunisians took to the streets and protested against their brutally oppressive government. On January 14, ousted President Ben Ali and family fled to Saudi Arabia.

   If the Jasmine Revolution of Tunisia was the match, Egypt was a large tank of oil. Inspired by their North African counterparts for most of the same reasons, Egyptians held a protest in Tahrir Square against then-President Hosni Mubarak, dubbed the "Day of Rage." The ruling party’s building was burned to the ground. Anti-Mubarak forces used Twitter and Facebook heavily to organize their resistance. This prompted the Egyptian administration to shut down all internet service in the country for five days, though protests continued. Curfews were instigated and routinely broken by the thousands. Hosni Mubarak made several speeches during the unrest. First he fired his entire cabinet, then appointed Omar Suleiman as Vice president, Egypt’s first in 30 years. Then he announced that he would not be running for re-election for his sixth term of office in September, and that the constitution would be reformed to allow independent candidates to run. After 18 days of protests and the center of the country shut down (imagine Times Square being clogged with protesters for over two weeks) Mubarak finally stepped down as President of Egypt and transferred power to the Egyptian military. The military vowed to control the country for six months and then transfer power to a civilian-elected government.*

   Why does this matter? Several reasons:

• Spurred on by Egypt and Tunisia, protests have broken out in Bahrain, Yemen, Algeria, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Libya and Iran. Revolutionary fever is spreading across the Arab world to very important countries.

• Israel is very nervous about what the new Egyptian government will be like. Being Israel’s main ally, the Egyptian elections also matter to America. In the 70’s Egypt was the first (and one of the only) Arab countries to sign a peace treaty with Israel. Mubarak honored this during his three decades in office. Egypt was Israel’s only ally in the region. The new government, however, may not be as friendly.

• Egypt and other Arabian countries experiencing revolt are among the world’s biggest exporters of oil. With all the chaos, moving oil from the field to the gas pump will be much more difficult. Riots in Libya and Algeria have direct effects on the gas prices in Charlotte.

• The War on Terror: One of the main points that Al-Qaeda has based their terrorism on is that the Arab world needs is fundamental Islam. They feel religion should be the basis of all government. However if the Egyptian and other Arab people choose secular democracies for governments, their choice would be a heavy blow to Al-Qaeda. The success of democratic revolutions would show to terrorist groups that the mainstream Arab world does not follow such extremist thinking.

• Depending on the outcome of the protests in all the different countries, the U.S. may have a ton of new governments to become friends with.

• The Suez Canal is a link between the Mediteranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. Much Saudi Arabian oil and other Asian goods flow through that narrow sliver of water, which Egypt controls. Depending on the policies of the new Egyptian government, prices on Saudi Arabian oil and many Asian products going to Europe or the U.S. could become more costly.

• Need a revolution? Get Facebook. Much of the protests were organized through social media sites, especially after Egyptians were banned from having more than three people at a meeting. Many violated this law of course, but others who didn’t or couldn’t used social media to connect and keep the resistance alive.*

*This article was written using information from Time Magazine, Al-Jazeera English, the Charlotte Observer, "10 Reasons Americans Should Care About the Egyptian Revolution" by Stephen M. Walt and PHS senior Wesley Jacobs, a Model UN Veteran and AP Comparative 

http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/articleid/422936/newspaperid/735/Middle_Eastern_nations_Tunisia_Egypt_suffer_growing_conflictGovernment studen

Election mood looms in Sarawak

Wednesday March 16, 2011

Comment by JOCELINE TAN

http://thestar.com.my/

The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly is likely to be dissolved on March 26 with nominations on April 8 and polling on April 16 – and the Chief Minister is upbeat about it all.

OF late, Tan Sri Taib Mahmud’s official website has a video charting his years as Sarawak Chief Minister.

The rather unimaginative video is played to the theme song from the musical Cats and the most interesting part of it is how well Taib has aged. He looked as slim and stylish now as he did then, and there is always that winning smile.

The video hails him as “a guiding star” and “a true leader who knows the way of the people, shows the way to the people but more important goes all the way for the people.”

On March 28, Taib will mark his 30th year as Sarawak’s “guiding star”.

But Taib, now 74, may not have the satisfaction of celebrating 30 years as Chief Minister because the State Legislative Assembly is likely to be dissolved on March 26 – two days short of the date.

Highly-placed sources in the state government said the top guns of the four Barisan Nasional component parties had reached a consensus on the date for the state election.

Nomination is said to be on April 8, and polling on April 16.

Sarawakians will go to the polls on a Saturday as Taib had promised several months ago.

Taib is also scheduled to perform the umrah on March 20, which means he will probably seek an audience with the Governor a day or two after his return from Mecca.

He had spoken about finding inspiration for the polls last November, upon returning from the Haj. It looks like the umrah will be his final inspirational journey before he seeks a new mandate from the people.

In that sense, the joint visit of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister this Saturday will be a sort of pre-election rally, a signal that the Federal Government wants Sarawak on board.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is confident of his support in Sarawak. His 1Malaysia concept is going down well in Sarawak because its multi-culturalism is more real than anywhere else in the country. And Taib deserves much of the credit for that.

Najib’s roadshow will be coming to town. He and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will arrive in Kuching on Friday evening in preparation for a packed programme on Saturday.

The last few months of preparation is about to come down to the wire.

Those around Taib insist that he has been in good spirits, confident and calm about the battle ahead. But the coming polls will be the most challenging of his career.

The DAP is poised to make more gains in the urban areas and among some natives discontented with land and cost of living issues. These mean that Taib cannot take anything for granted. The forces against him have never been more organised, be it the relentless attacks in the explosive Sarawak Report website or the ambitious Opposition front.

Last week, DAP leaders from the peninsula were attending political dinners in most of the major towns and tweeting about the robust attendance. The focus of the Sarawak polls will be the battle for the Chinese vote. The future of SUPP, the Chinese component of Sarawak Barisan, is on the line.

There has been much talk that Taib will outline a succession plan in order to defuse the Opposition campaign line that he has overstayed.

But political insiders have dismissed the speculation, saying that it is simply not Taib’s style to succumb to that kind of pressure.

They say his pride would not allow that and besides, he has done his groundwork and he knows he is going to win, plus or minus a few seats.

But insiders suggest that Taib has indicated to the Prime Minister that this will be his last term. He is after all 74 and a cancer survivor. The tacit understanding is that it is Taib’s prerogative to decide on his exit plan after the polls and his Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) party will decide on the choice of a successor. Nobody is going to push him off the stage because he still holds all the cards.

But Taib’s status in the Barisan set-up is quite unique because of his stature and delivery record.

Putrajaya wants to see political renewal in Sarawak but it is also depending on Taib’s prestige to maintain Sarawak as Barisan’s fixed deposit.

Taib’s elder son Sulaiman Abdul Rahman, who is Kota Samarahan MP, appears to have fallen out of favour. Sulaiman has not been seen in Kuching for months and was apparently not present when his father remarried earlier this year.

It is said that Taib was not exactly averse to the idea of his younger son Mahmud Abu Bekir contesting in the polls. If he is thinking of retirement, he would want a linkman in the government whom he can trust implicitly.

But Mahmud’s prospect was das-hed last week after his first wife Shanaz Majid filed for divorce, claiming RM400mil in assets.

Taib is at the crossroads of his political career. He has a lot of baggage after so many years but he remains a very powerful warlord even if he is going into his last battle.

Bahrain in state of emergency as crowd marches on Saudi embassy

By Patrick Cockburn
Wednesday, 16 March 2011

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/

The King of Bahrain has declared martial law, giving the military authority to end pro-democracy protests with the backing of 2,000 troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Some 10,000 Bahraini demonstrators marched on the Saudi embassy in the capital, Manama, yesterday to protest against the Saudi intervention, which an opposition statement said amounted to an occupation.

Significant parts of the island kingdom, which has a population of 600,000, remain in the hands of protesters, one of whom was reported to have been killed yesterday by the security services.

Iran has denounced the entry of foreign troops into Bahrain as unacceptable and says that the United States is responsible for Saudi actions, which will have "dangerous consequences".

As the main Shia power of the Gulf, Iran is sympathetic to the Shia of Bahrain, who make up 70 per cent of the kingdom's population and have been traditionally discriminated against by the Sunni ruling class. "The presence of foreign forces and interference in Bahrain's internal affairs is unacceptable and will further complicate the issue," Ramin Mehmanparast, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said.

Iran denies any involvement in the month-long protests and US embassy cables released by WikiLeaks say that there is no evidence for long-standing Bahraini government claims that the Shia opposition receives support and weapons from Iran. Bahrain has withdrawn its ambassador to Iran for consultations.

Iran claims that the US dragged Saudi Arabia into invading while the Pentagon denies that it had any advance warning of Saudi military intervention. But Bahrain is a vital US ally because it is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and the US has been far more supportive of the ruling al-Khalifa family than it was of President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt or President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia. The White House has publicly called on the government of Bahrain to enter a dialogue with the opposition.

The three-month state of emergency hands significant powers to the Bahraini security forces, which are dominated by the Sunni minority. One of the protesters' complaints is that important jobs go to Sunnis, and that Sunnis from Middle East and South Asian countries are brought in as security men and given citizenship to keep the Shia as second-class citizens. The actual imposition of martial law may not make much difference to the security forces' powers since Bahrain is an absolute monarchy. But it is probably a sign of action to come, such as driving protesters from the streets by imposing a curfew, banning public meetings and clamping down on the press.

Despite some reports that the protesters planned to reopen a main road to Bahrain's financial district, metal barricades and piles of sand and rocks still blocked it. At checkpoints near the roundabout, activists, some wearing yellow vests, checked identities and waved cars through. Otherwise the streets were largely empty and shops closed. "We are staying peacefully. Even if they attack," Ali Mansoor, an activist at the Pearl roundabout, told Reuters. "Saudi Arabia has no right to come to Bahrain. Our problem is with the government not Saudi Arabia."

In the first sign of resistance to the Saudi force a security official in Saudi Arabia said a Saudi sergeant was shot and killed by a protester yesterday in Manama. No other details were immediately provided about the soldier, identified as Sgt Ahmed al-Raddadi.

There are growing signs of division between Shia and Sunni. People were placing rocks, skips, bins and pieces of metal on the road to prevent strangers from entering their neighbourhoods. Sectarian clashes between young men hurling rocks and using knives and clubs have become common. Such fighting broke out in different parts of Bahrain overnight Monday, with Sunnis and Shias trading accusations in the media.

Bahrain University and many schools have closed. An armed gang stormed the printing press of Bahrain's only opposition newspaper Al Wasat and tried to smash its presses and stop its publication. It was later published using machinery from other papers.

The opposition had begun by demanding civil, legal and political rights, but the rejection of compromise by the royal family and the violence of the security forces has led to an escalation of their demands. On 17 February the police attacked sleeping protesters at the Pearl roundabout and killed at least four of them. Opposition demands became more radical, seeking a constitutional monarchy or even the removal of the King.

A further miscalculation by the authorities on Sunday resulted in riot police attacking protesters near the financial district, provoking a counter-attack by thousands of protesters who drove the police from the streets. That led the royal family to ask Saudi Arabia for help as a member of the Gulf Co-operation Council to which Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman also belong. Bahrain's crisis now involves all of the Gulf countries.

What is the Gulf co-operation council?

The Gulf Co-operation Council is rather an odd organisation to be deploying troops for the benefit of one of its members. The sight of tanks and armoured personnel carriers crossing the causeway to support the Bahraini government's state of emergency is a departure from the GCC's regular work of greasing the Gulf's oil-rich economies.

The confusion is only compounded by a GCC foreign ministers' statement just a week ago, which described Colonel Gaddafi as "illegitimate" for using force against his own people in Libya.

Established in 1981 by Saudi Arabia and the governments of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE, the aim of these oil and gas rich kingdoms was to effect "inter-connection between member states in all fields in order to achieve unity between them", the GCC charter says. Economic and commercial links feature high on its objectives. Sending in troops to quell demonstrations by repressed minorities does not, although its "Peninsula Shield Force" has always allowed for the possibility. Like the EU, which began life as an economic bloc designed to stop Europe's industrial powers standing on each other's toes, the GCC's purpose was to ensure that some of the world's biggest oil and gas producers did nothing to upset the balance in the region. Like the EU, the region's laggards – in this case Iraq and Yemen – were not initially invited to the party.

Huge oil revenues, and until the last decade, massive returns from the financial services and property sectors, have ensured the GCC's importance and relevance, even if the global financial crisis dented the reputations of a number of its members. A GCC military campaign is, however, a venture into the unknown.

^{Alistair Dawber}

Chinese independent school scholars can enrol to become teachers

KUALA LUMPUR: Unified Exa­mination Certificate (UEC) graduates from Chinese independent schools, along with SPM qualifiers, can enrol in government teachers’ training colleges.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak agreed to this after a meeting with MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and party Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, who is also a Deputy Education Minister.

“With Najib’s timely and swift intervention, all misunderstandings (on the issue) have been ironed out,” Dr Chua told a press conference at Parliament House yesterday.

The UEC examination, an equivalent to the national schools’ STPM, is for students who complete six years of education in Chinese independent high schools.

A total of 60,481 students en­­rolled in 60 Chinese independent schools in the country last year.

The issue of UEC holders entering government teachers’ training colleges surfaced on Monday when the Education Ministry, on its website, advertised the enrolment to these colleges and opened applications to those with a minimum four credit passes in the SPM.

The ministry decided last De­­cember to also allow candidates with­­­­ a minimum of four credit passes in the UEC, including a mandatory pass in Mandarin and SPM-level Bahasa Malaysia, to enter these colleges.

“The Government stands by the decision in December and the notice on the ministry’s web­­­site has been corrected,” Dr Chua added.

Wednesday March 16, 2011 / http://thestar.com.my