The Last Post.

Assignment 1 – Sketch a portrait of yourself as a consumer of news(500 words). This assignment will be graded. To be handed in (typed/ please keep soft copy) on Monday the 17^th.

         My name is Nur Hanani Bt Azman . I was born on February, 4^th 1992 and live in Kuala Lumpur for 18 years. I am the eldest sister towards a brother and sister. I start to read newspaper since I was in my primary school. My school had subscribed it to help us for UPSR. I also start to watch news “Buletin Utama” on TV3 to get know current issue as a preparation to score essay question.

        

         During my first year in high school, I had became a junior of librarian. I was in charge of part cutting the top news and paste at board of bulletin in front of library. I am so excited when other students look at the board and discuss with their friend about the news. It seems like my work makes other people as a news consumer. I cannot simply put any news at the board. So, I do ask the teacher and other librarian whether the news I wanted to paste are relevant or not. Some issue cannot be understand by 13 years old student. So, do me.

         After a year later which is on 2006, its become a year when I start to know about internet. Google and You-Tube become an addiction at that moment. Later on,  I got my facebook account. Almost my entire school friend had it too. It became annoying sometime when people use a facebook as a place to fight, talk bad about others and everything.

         Maybe because of that, I start being a blogger. I start to write blog about the happy moments with my high school friends. What ever happen in and outside class, I’ll blog on it. However, time fly and I’m not a high school student. I was so blur at home everyday thinking what should I do with my blog. Should I just close it? No longer after that, I become a Korean drama and music fan. So, I start do a research and blog about that. I noticed that it give an impact to other peoples. Based on the gadget that I put on my blog which is use to see who are the visitor, it give a good response. But still, I feel sick with it sometimes. So, I decided to continue become a relevant and optimistic blogger. There are variant stuff on it now.

Top News ( 0702 - 1102 )

Local

Caution! Valentine’s Day trap

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 10 — The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) will launch an anti-Valentine’s Day campaign tomorrow in a bid to curb youths from celebrating the occasion next Monday.

Campaign director Saimah Mokhtar told that the campaign aims to remind youths of the danger in celebrating Valentine’s Day, a commercial festival that has its origins in the martyrdom of St Valentine, the Christian patron saint associated with lovers.

“We want the youths to not go, even remember or bother to take part in Valentine’s Day. It is not in the Malay or Muslim culture. It is against the teachings of Islam,” she said.

Source - The Malaysian Insider

Wow! I’m shock. I never thought JAKIM will come out with this. However, in my opinion I think I should agree with the campaign. It’s not because I envy those lovely couples out there. But it’s for good sake as a Muslim in this world. In a reality, most of the teenage couple with a high curiosity will celebrate the special day with the wrong way. As a result, the youth id a big mistake and none of them will take a responsible on what they did. But for those who celebrate it with a romantic candle light dinner with full of appreciation towards your partner, keep up the good work!

International

Mubarak refuses to quit till September

CAIRO (AP): Egypt's Hosni Mubarak refused to step down or leave the country and instead handed his powers to his vice president Thursday, remaining president and ensuring regime control over the reform process. Stunned protesters in central Cairo who demand his ouster waved their shoes in contempt and shouted, "Leave, leave, leave."

The crowd in Tahrir Square had swollen to several hundred thousand in expectation that Mubarak would announce is resignation in the nighttime address to the nation. Instead, they watched in shocked silence, slapping their foreheads in anger and disbelief. Some broke into tears.

Source - The Star

Info on Hosni Mubarak

• Born to a lower middle class rural family in the Nile Delta
• He graduated from the military academy in 1949, then trained as a fighter pilot, a career move that was to form the foundation of his political career.
• He commanded the reconstruction of the air force after the destructive 1967 Middle East war. It was during the 1973 war with Israel that he distinguished himself.
• He became one of the heroes of the conflict ahead of the peace negotiations and the return of the occupied Sinai to Egypt. He was named vice-president two years later.
• The 82-year-old Egyptian leader is well known for his obstinacy and aversion to risk, attributes which might have served him well in what he has long seen as his country’s paramount interest – protecting it from Middle Eastern wars and turmoil.

Source - FT 

Top News ( 3101 - 0402 )

Local

MAS, Air Asia start rescue operations

CAIRO, Feb 4 : Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia started evacuating Malaysian students from strife-torn Egypt to Jeddah on Thursday.

Deputy Foreign Minister A. Kohilan Pillay said 345 students were flown out of Egypt by MAS at 3pm local time while the second batch of 300 students would be flown out by AirAsia shortly.

In Abu Dhabi, the Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) had yet to obtain permission from the Saudi Arabian aviation authority for its C130 Hercules aircraft to land in Jeddah.

Besides bringing food for the students, the aircraft will also be used to fly out Malaysian students from Cairo to Jeddah.

Source : Bernama

Don’t you think that this news absolutely had dominated all over the media? Because I think that way. It start when my best friend share her sadness on facebook about her sister who have to lock herself in the room at Egypt. After made a last call, her sister cant go through Malaysia already because they lost the connection. However, thanks to reporter, media and news, Malaysian student`s family can take a deep breath knowing that their child are safe. Lets pray for all of them will reach Malaysia safely.


International

Global food inflation is a mounting worry for world leaders

(Reuters) - Global food prices tracked by a U.N. agency hit their highest level on record in January, a problem set to worsen after a massive snowstorm in the United States and floods in Australia.

It has contributed to political unrest in countries with high poverty rates and unemployment, as evidenced in the toppling of Tunisia's president in January. That unrest has spilled into Egypt, Yemen and Jordan.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick in a Reuters interview urged world leaders to "wake up" to the dangers of rising food inflation, a problem said he sees no relief from.

Source : Reuters

Besides the thing that happened at Egypt, this news can be said one of the top news or the most viewed by public. Does it affect you readers? To be honest, Im not really sure it give a big impact towards me who was still a student and do a part time job to get a pocket money. Hope my beloved country, Malaysia will survive. We trust our leader.

Top News ( 2401 - 2801 )

Local

No one can control online media

PETALING JAYA , 26 Jan : The Malaysian National Union of Journalists (NUJ) told the government today to halt all efforts to control online media content.

The Government's sudden move to amend the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA) to bring online media under its scrutiny is "a step backwards, (NUJ) Malaysia president Hata Wahari said Wednesday. He add this would turn Malaysia into an "outdated" country in terms of free flow of information.

"The NUJ has (long demanded) that the Home Ministry amend the Act to provide print publications the space to operate with more freedom, and to eliminate the need to renew the printing and publishing permits every year," he said in a statement.

Source - The Star

I choose this as a top news for this week because it not only affect to those journalist out there. It affected me and all of us as a consumer of news. Online media law its not something new. Government just want to make it easier for people to understand. At the moment, perhaps these guidelines are to make it easier for some people who do not understand these acts. So, as a Malaysian who can think well, we should think first before post any information in online news at any website likes blog and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

International

Egyptian protest turn violent

CAIRO , 28 JAN : In the Egyptian city of Suez, police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators calling for an end to Mubarak’s rule. Protesters chucked rocks and petrol bombs at police lines.

Egyptian security forces are on high alert, with thousands of people expected to join anti-government rallies after Friday prayers. The government says it is open to dialogue but also warned of "decisive measures" as the fourth day of violent protests loomed.

On Thursday, Egyptian opposition figure and Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei returned to Cairo, promising to join the street protests.

Source - BBC

Egypt is not Tunisia. It's much bigger. Eighty million people, compared with 10 million. Geographically, politically, strategically, it's in a different league – the Arab world's natural leader and its most populous nation. But many of the grievances on the street are the same. Tunis and Cairo differ only in size. If Egypt explodes, the explosion will be much bigger, too.

Source - guardian.co.uk

In my conclusion, protest was happening everywhere. This activity doesn't have any solution but it just make thing becomes worst once it involve violence, bomb and even death. In this situation, everyone are urged to remain calm and allow the legal processes that are in place to come to completion.

Top News ( 1701 - 2101 )

Local

Interlok – The word `Pariah’ made a controversy

Kuala Lumpur,Jan 21 - After a month of debates, no clear solution has surfaced over the “Interlok” controversy despite a meeting between Deputy Education Minister Puad Zarkashi and representatives of the Indian community yesterday.

“Interlok”, written by National Laureate Datuk Abdullah Hussein, is currently used as a literature textbook for Form Five, beginning this year.

Academics and writers, including this writer, have argued the book should not be banned or defaced, but read and understood to obtain the context in which the word is used. However, there has been an overwhelming reaction from the Indian community against the book.

Source - The Malaysian Insider

In my view :

Based on what I heard from my sister who read this novel, “Interlok” tells the story of the three races at the turn of the century through Seman, Chin Huat and Maniam and their families which are the main characters in this novel for  three chapters. However,after read it myself for a few  pages,  I found that the book actually tell us something about their time. They are representative of the vernacular and social attitudes. They are crucial in establishing our identity. About not forgetting where we came from. Lest we be doomed to repeat the same mistakes.

International

Peddler's martyrdom launched Tunisia's revolution

Reuters -TUNIS, Jan 21 -  It began with a slap and an insult hurled at a vegetable seller in a small town surrounded by scrub and cactus. It ended with a revolution that has shaken authoritarian leaders across the Arab world.

The chronicle :-

Jan 18 

•    Tunisia’s prime minister has appointed a new unity government. Three opposition ministers quit Tunisia’s new coalition government in protest against the presence of members of the party of ousted leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

Jan 19

•  Tunisia’s new national unity government ran into trouble yesterday when four ministers quit and an opposition party threatened to walk out, undermining efforts to restore stability and end unrest on the streets.

Jan 20

• The prime minister and president left the party this week.

Source - REUTERS

According to The New York Times, an effort to appease the protesters by firing the country's interior minister was unsuccessful, as the frustrated demonstrators demanded the removal of the president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. Blogger Ethan Zuckerman thinks that, despite government efforts to quell protesters, there is a good chance the Ben Ali government will fall anyway. In my conclusion, the government is attempting to take action as Tunisian protesters make their way to the capital.