7 GREATEST JOBS ON EARTH

1ST:Paradise island caretaker

Ben Southall, 34, of Petersfield, beat out nearly 35,000 applicants from around the world for the dream assignment to swim, explore and relax on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef, while writing a blog to promote the area. He was selected for the $111,000 gig - a six-month contract to serve as caretaker of a tropical Australian island. He now has to live rent-free in a three-bedroom villa, complete with pool.

Before getting the job he had to spend four days on the island for an extended interview process, which required applicants to snorkel through crystalline waters, gorge themselves at a beachside barbecue and relax at a spa. He also had to demonstrate his blogging abilities, take swimming tests and sit through in-person interviews.

2ND:Luxury bed tester

A student from Birmingham City University has landed her dream job...literally! Sleeping on the job and having a lie-in will no longer be a problem for a girl, who has been selected to test out luxury beds for a month and get paid for it.

Roisin Madigan, 22, is earning £1,000 to sleep in designer beds every day for a month. The student is helping with a "sleep survey" carried out by luxury bed specialists Simon Horn Ltd. The company sells luxury Savoir Beds, originally made for the Savoy Hotel. General manager Craig Roylance said Roisin will not only provide an objective view of the beds on sale, but will also be part of a look into what brings a good night's sleep. She will spend 10am to 6pm in beds in the company's showroom in Edgbaston, and then will blog about her experiences.

3RD:Resort waterslide tester

Surely the envy of any desk-bound office worker, Tommy Lynch has travelled over 27,000 miles this year for his job, testing holiday resort waterslides. Mr Lynch, 29, works for holiday giant First Choice, checking the height, speed, water quantity and landing of the flumes, as well as all safety aspects. In 2008 Mr Lynch tested waterslides at holiday villages in Lanzarote, Majorca, Egypt, Turkey, Costa Del Sol, Cyprus, Algarve, Dominican Republic and Mexico. This year he will quality control First Choice's new splash resorts in Greece, Turkey, Florida, Jamaica and Ibiza.

Liverpool-born Mr Lynch, whose job title is lifestyle product development manager, was recruited to identify the very best pools to be featured in First Choice's new Splash Resort collection. He also ensures potential new resorts are up to the company's standard.

4TH:Candy taster

Another one of the world's best job has gone to schoolboy Harry Willsher, 12, chief taster in a sweet factory. Harry's job is to test top secret recipes. He got the job after winning a contest at Swizzell's Matlow to find a recruit. According to him, after his first tour at his new job, he felt like having tepped into the book Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. He wowed judges by describing the flavor and smell of his favourite sweet, the Drumstick lolly. The Derby firm, which also makes Love Hearts, Rainbow Drops and Parma Violets, has now given the youngster chief taster overalls and business cards. As well as sampling the sweets, he will also monitor their development at the company's factory in New Mills, Derbyshire. I don't know if it's the best job, but it's definitely the sweetest.

5TH:World of Warcraft Tester

Do you Play World of Warcraft? And if so, do you play well? Can you farm 200 gold an hour and hit level 80 in under 2 weeks? If the answer is yes, you can apply for the job that about 12 million players only dream about, as a Wow game tester! There are in fact several Blizzard jobs posted on their website. The Blizzard employment database has dozens of mmorpg jobs available, mostly WoW employment opportunities. They are currently hiring for several game tester positions for World of Warcraft, under the QA department. They are in particular looking for foreign language testers, so if you speak any other language besides English, don't hesitate to apply to start your Blizzard career. And, yeah, you will be required to play at least four hours a day.

6TH:Director of Fun at a museum (age 6)

A six-year-old boy who wanted to become the director of York's National Railway Museum landed himself a job - as the director of fun. The ambitious youngster got a plum role at the National Railway Museum after applying to replace retiring boss Andrew Scott. Sam Pointon sent a handwritten letter headed "Application for director" asking for an interview at the centre, in York. The letter listed his credentials for the role, including his expertise on his train set. "I am only six but I think I can do this job," wrote Sam. "I have an electrick (sic) train track. I am good on my train track. I can control two trains at once." Staff was so impressed they appointed Sam an honorary "Director of Fun" and his job will be to bosses how he thinks they can ensure the museum is the most fun place for kids to spend a day out.Ok, maybe this isn't the best job in the world for an adult, but it certainly rocks the world of a 6 year old.

7TH:Bike rider-photographer for Google Maps

Google Earth has hired two lucky young men to ride around France on dopey looking tricycles snapping up photos of historical sites that are inaccessible by car. This three-wheeler is a sight with its long pole holding nine cameras, a GPS, a computer and a generator. But the contraption tooling around the French capital needs all that gear to do its job – adding three-dimensional images to Google's Street View Maps.The riders, wearing Google tee-shirts and white helmets, are visiting well-known sites such as the Chateau de Versailles, west of Paris, the Jardin du Luxembourg on the city's Left Bank or Les Halles, in the busy centre of the French capital.

OUCH....IT HURTS !!!

"OUCH IT HURTS"...the perfect phrase to describe these images...or may be they don't even have the time to say so...







Malaysia's 20 Richest Tycoons


1)Robert Kuok
$9 billion diversified
85. Married, 8 children

Onetime rice, sugar trader heads multinational Kuok Group. Biggest source of wealth is stake in Wilmar International, palm oil outfit run by his nephew. Other big holdings are Hong Kong real estate group Kerry Properties, hotel operator Shangri-La Asia. Has an interest in South China Morning Post ( SCHPY.PK - news - people ) publisher. With Filipino tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.'s San Miguel, plans to spend up to $1 billion to develop public land for farming to boost agricultural sector.

2)Ananda Krishnan
$7 billion telecom
71. Married, 3 children

Runs Maxis Communications, Malaysia's largest cell phone service provider, with more than 10 million subscribers; took it private in June 2007 in $12 billion deal, then sold 25% to Saudi Telecom the same month. Last year sold Excel, the exhibition venue in London's Docklands, for reported $230 million and bought 20% stake in British regional newspaper chain Johnston Press, luckily a small holding, as stock has dropped more than 80% since as it struggles with debt. Modern art collector, has homes in Kuala Lumpur, London and south of France; has a son who is a monk living in the forest.

3)Lee Shin Cheng
$3.2 billion palm oil
70. Married, 6 children

Former plantation field supervisor heads ioi Group, one of world's leading operators of palm oil plantations, refineries. Took its IOI Properties private in April. IOI's stock has doubled since November but still down a third since last year amid falling commodity prices.

4)Lee Kim Hua
$2.5 billion gaming
80. Widowed, 6 children

Widow of Lim Goh Tong, who transformed a jungle on outskirts of Kuala Lumpur into one of world's most successful casino resorts. Genting Group now run by her son Lim Kok Thay (No. 14) but inheritance held in trust to benefit Lee, her children and grandchildren.

5)Teh Hong Piow
$2.4 billion banking
79. Married, 4 children

Former bank clerk opened first bank in 1966. Now his Public Bank has 14,000 employees; branches throughout Malaysia, also in Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, China. Set up Public Islamic Bank as a subsidiary in November 2008. Donates to medical institutions and to the Malaysian Nature Society to fund planting of trees.

6)Quek Leng Chan
$2.3 billion diversified
68. Married, 3 children

Heads conglomerate Hong Leong Group Malaysia, with interests in finance, entertainment, real estate. Bought 5% stake in Mokhzani Mahathir's (No. 16) Kencana Petroleum and 3% in Intercontinental Hotels Group last year. Family's GuocoLand is planning retail, residential, office projects in China. Inherited business from his father, one of 3 brothers to start a banking group in 1920s.

7)Yeoh Tiong Lay
$1.8 billion diversified
79. Married, 7 children

Founded YTL Corp., one of Malaysia's largest conglomerates, run by son Francis.

8)Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary
$1.1 billion diversified
57. Married, 5 children

Former rice trader controls Malaysia Mining Corp. (MMC); has stakes in Malaysia's Johor Port, independent power producer Malakoff, natural gas distributor Gas Malaysia. Inking projects in Saudi Arabia, Jordan. Lost billionaire status earlier this year but back up top thanks to rebound of MMC stock. His Albukhary Foundation offers scholarships to students from poor countries to pursue college education in Malaysia.

9)Tiong Hiew King
$1 billion timber
74. Married, 4 children

Dubbed by some as Asia's Rupert Murdoch--his Chinese Media International has 5 newspapers, 30 magazines in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, North America. His Rimbunan Hijua, which means "forever green," has palm oil, timber assets. Big player in New Zealand, where he owns timber, property and fish farming companies; also in Papua New Guinea, where he has an English-language newspaper, hypermarkets and controversial logging operations.

10)Vincent Tan
$750 million diversified
57. Married, 11 children

Has run Berjaya, which means "success" in Malay, since 1984; interests in hotels, lotteries, real estate, finance. Operates 7-Eleven, Wendy's ( WEN - news - people ), Starbucks ( SBUX - news - people ), Borders in Malaysia. Opened first Krispy Kreme ( KKD - news - people ) store there in April. Also operates water and sewage treatment and sanitary landfills in Malaysia, Indonesia and China. Selling stake in moneylosing U.S. eatery Roadhouse Grill; setting up a school in China.

11)Azman Hashim
$470 million finance
69. Married, 5 children

Longtime banking executive has been executive chairman of Amcorp since 1993. Malaysian financial services group. Opened Brunei operations in May. Chairman of the Malaysian Investment Banking Association. Loves scuba diving, painting and fast cars. A singer, has also recorded numerous albums.

12)William H.J. Cheng
$390 million retail
66. Married, 3 children

Runs the Lion Group, which has interests in plantations, steel, property. Though nicknamed "Steel King," biggest source of wealth is his indirect stake in Chinese retailer Parkson Retail, which he chairs. Also known as Cheng Heng Jem.

13)G. Gnanalingam
$260 million ports
64. Married, 3 children

Former tobacco and advertising executive cofounded, heads Westports Malaysia, one of nation's biggest ports. Private company valuation up because of better information from outside analysts; expects volume to contract for first time since it started as a container business in 1996. Has stake in transit hub KL Sentral.

14)Lim Kok Thay
$225 million gaming
57. Married, 3 children

Son of late Lim Goh Tong, has run Genting since 2003. Building gaming resort on Singapore's Sentosa Island, slated to open in 2010. His Star Cruises is working with Filipino tycoon Andrew Tan's Alliance Global to develop resort complex in Manila Bay.

15)Anthony Fernandes
$220 million airlines
45. Married, 2 children

Perennially optimistic travel tycoon on move during recession. His AirAsia,region's largest budget airline, adding flights to Bali, Taipei; secured debt financing for 15 new planes. Stock down just 2% in past year. Its 2-year-old long-haul discount airline AirAsia X began flying from Kuala Lumpur to London in March; Richard Branson is an investor.

16)Mokhzani Mahathir
$215 million oil services
48. Married, 5 children

Son of former pm Mahathir Mohamad runs petroleum company Kencana; former chairman switched roles and was redesignated chief executive in September. Investors include Quek Leng Chan (No. 6). Recently became chairman of fiber optic cable outfit Opcom Holdings, replacing his brother, its founder, who was named deputy international trade and industry minister. Also Malaysian Grand Prix chief, authorized Porsche ( PSEPF.PK - news - people ) dealer.

17)Lee Oi Hian
$210 million diversified
58. Married, 4 children

Chief executive of Kuala Lumpur Kepong, involved in plantation, property, retail. Bought palm oil business, Ladang Perbadanan-Fima last year; disposed of stake in Barry Callebaut Malaysia. Its Crabtree & Evelyn brand being hit by economic downturn. Also chairs Malaysia Palm Oil Council, chemicals company Batu Kawan; serves as director of U.K. chemicals maker Yule Catto & Co. Plc.

18)Chan Fong Ann
$209 million palm oil
78. Married

Joined board of Lee Shin Cheng's palm oil group, IOI 1985; remains a nonexecutive director and one of its biggest individual shareholders with a nearly 3% stake.

19)Kamarudin Meranun
$205 million airlines
48. Married, 5 children

Deputy chief executive of AirAsia, which he cofounded with Anthony Fernandes (No. 15). Also close partner with Tony in several other businesses including AirAsia x, in which he owns a bigger stake; Tune Hotels, which has 5 locations and is opening 7 more; and Tune Money.

20)Chong Chook Yew
$200 million real estate
87. Widowed, 4 children

Columbia University grad has run family's Selangor Properties since 2000. Stock down just 5% in past year, buoyed by successful housing project in Claremont, Australia.

Think twice before celebrating it


Nowadays, whenever a person visits some of the Muslim countries, they'll find out that the circumstances within them are quite different to what they would have expected. One only needs to set foot in these countries and begin to wander their streets to witness the tragic behaviour of its inhabitants.When one observes the level of joy and ecstasy as the different classes of people within the Muslim communities prepare to receive Christmas and New Year’s Eve, it seems impossible to believe what one previously heard about the Muslim countries and how its people were adhering to Islam.The entrances of hotels, cafés and stores are festooned with Christmas decorations; Photographers dress up as Santa Claus and go around taking souvenir photos of people; Florists compete in selling their products for people who rush to buy it for this occasion regardless of the price; Muslims of all persuasions prepare to hold parties in their houses and hotels and these hotels have tempting special offers for people to hold their parties in their halls and party rooms during that period.

Alcohol sales rocket in many stores to the extent that there are no youth or elderly or rich or poor except that they have their share of it; Confectionary stores completely sell out of all candies and sweets, old or new - indeed it seems as if as if this period is the first time that people see such items in the stores.The media plays a huge part in propagating these celebrations; it prepares various television programmes and series in anticipation of these events. When New Years Eve arrives, people stay up all night committing sinful acts such as adultery, fornication, drinking alcohol and other things which Satan himself would be ashamed of mentioning; witnessing all this, one would think that he is in the capital city of a western country. The fact of the matter is that all of these actions represent a comprehensive imitation of western culture and can only be the result of very low levels of faith or indeed a total lack of it; to exhibit this type of behaviour is to strip oneself from the distinction and superiority of Islaam and it is also an evil which makes Muslims who partake in such celebrations be included in the saying of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam “He who imitates a people will be from among them (on the Day of Judgement).”


When Muslims imitate the disbelievers their rank in the sight of Allah decreases. This is because a Muslim is superior to a disbeliever, so if he were to imitate a disbeliever then he would descend from his lofty rank to that which is inferior and this is a form of being ungrateful for the bounties of Allaah and an insult to the religion of Islam because Islam is superior to everything else and nothing should be given priority over it.Islam has established a path to guidance which differs from the culture and customs of the disbelievers regardless of whether they are from the people of the book or otherwise. Islam abrogates all previous religions and legislations and our Muslim nation is the one to be followed and not one which should blindly imitate others.Muslim merchants and traders must not participate in any aspect of celebrating this day; they should not imitate the Christian merchants in the types of merchandise they sell during this period and they should refrain from decorating their shops with special lights and other kinds of decorations to commemorate this occasion.It is our religious duty to boycott these celebrations; are we unable to prevent our children and other members of our household from participating in these immoral celebrations? How can a Muslim father watch his children prepare for these parties on New Years Eve and remain silent? Some parents even participate in this by purchasing items for the parties and by making their own plans for that night with their friends and relatives so that the way is paved for their children to spend the night with their girlfriend or boyfriend by listening to music, dancing, intermixing with the opposite sex and many other acts that Allah has prohibited and which would make morality shed tears and chastity protest.



Such parents seem to consider these actions as normal, despite the fact that they will certainly be held to account for the cultivation and upbringing of their children; Allaah says that which means: “O you who believe! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones…” (At-Tahreem: 6); did such fathers, who did not prevent their children from celebrating the New Year protect themselves and their children from the Hellfire?Fear Allaah in your behaviour and actions; remain firm on His obedience and refrain from disobeying Him; encourage your family to adhere to Islamic rulings and assist them in this; rebuke them and restrain them from committing sins. so that you may protect yourselves from the Hellfire....amin....

THE REAL ENGLISH


We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Then shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I speak of my foot and show you my feet,
And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger;
neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England ..
We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes,
we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,
and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing,
grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend.
If you have a bunch of odds and ends
and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English
should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
We ship by truck but send cargo by ship.
We have noses that run and feet that smell.
We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway.
And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
in which your house can burn up as it burns
down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out,
and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother's not Mop?

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT IF PEOPLE FROM POLAND ARE CALLED POLES THEN

PEOPLE FROM HOLLAND SHOULD BE HOLES AND THE GERMANS GERMS!!!

Earthquake in Padang


The earthquake that hit West Sumatra more than two weeks ago has made 80 per cent of the houses there unsafe to live in.

Villagers in Sikucur Pariaman are slowly picking up the pieces in the aftermath of the devastation.

Some are cleaning up the mess left behind by the earthquake while others have resumed business.

Authorities are trying to convince affected villagers to move to safer ground, to prevent further casualties in the event of another catastrophe.

But many are reluctant to leave the place that has been their home for most of their lives.

Differences between wife & girlfriend


Wife is like TV,
girlfriend is like Hand phone (HP)
At home watch TV
Go out bring HP.
No money, sell TV.
Got money change HP.
Sometimes enjoy TV
But most of the time play with HP.
TV free for life
HP, if you don't pay, services terminated
TV is big, bulky and most of the time old
HP is cute, slim, curvy, portable at any time.
Operational cost for TV is often acceptable
HP is high and often demanding,
Most Important......
TV got remote.. HP don't have..

Last but not least..........

TV never get virus, but HP yes........... have VIRUS................ aids ..... so better choose wisely

college's life

So far so good....a perfect phrase to desrcibe my life in IIUM...frankly speaking, life in university is far different from what I've once experienced during my school time....why? because........

10 main reasons which makes college's life to be an ultimate enjoyment of studies :


1. no need to wake up early and rush for assembly as there is no such thing here.

2. no need to rush for the morning class as sometimes the earlisest class starts at 2pm.

3. no need to afraid of warden chasing after squatters as they(wardens) can only be seen at the hostel once in a blue moon.

4. no need to wear uniforms to attend the classes.

5. no need to beg for money from others as the allowance is always there when we need it.

7. no need to pass up homeworks as the lecturers won't ask you to do so.

8. no need to afraid of the seniors as they can't really differentiate which one is the senior and which one is not (everyone is same in size).

9. no need to be afraid of being scolded by lecturers for not attending their class as they won't do so.

10. no need to be at school before 6pm after outing as there is no such thing in university.

;

US journalist jailed in Iran goes on hunger strike

TEHRAN, Iran – An American journalist jailed in Iran for allegedly spying for the U.S. was on her fifth day of a hunger strike Saturday and does not plan to stop until she is freed, her father said.Roxana Saberi, a dual American-Iranian citizen who will turn 32 on Sunday, was convicted more than a week ago and sentenced to eight years in prison after a swift, one-day trial behind closed doors. She began her hunger strike Tuesday to protest her imprisonment, her father said."She said that she has started a hunger strike and this is the fifth day and that she will continue until she is free. I tried to tell her that this can be dangerous, but she didn't give me any time to protest," her father, Reza Saberi, told The Associated Press.

The case has been a source of tension between the United States and Iran at a time when the Obama administration has said it wants to engage its longtime adversary. The U.S. has called the accusations against Saberi baseless and demanded her release.Saberi's father said her lawyer appealed the court's ruling on Saturday — less than a week after Iran's judiciary spokesman said an Iranian appeals court would reconsider her verdict, an indication her sentence could be commuted.Iran's judiciary chief has ordered a full investigation into the case, andPresident Ahmadinejad urged Tehran's chief prosecutor to ensure Saberi be allowed a full defense during her appeal.

Saberi was arrested in late January and initially accused of working without press credentials. But earlier this month, an Iranian judge leveled the far more serious allegation of espionage.Saberi, who was born in the United States and grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, moved to Iran six years ago and worked as a freelance journalist for news organizations including National Public RadioBritish Broadcasting Corp. She received Iranian citizenship because her father was born in Iran.Saberi's parents have traveled to Iran from their home in Fargo in a bid to help win their daughter's release. Her father has said his daughter, who was Miss North Dakota in 1997, had been working on a book about the culture and people of Iran, and hoped to finish it and return to the United States this year.Reza Saberi said he hoped to see his daughter in prison on Monday and was concerned about her health."After five days, I am pretty certain that she must be very weak now, because we know she is already frail," he said.

Iran has released few details about the charges against Saberi, but Iran's Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi said Tuesday that the initial investigation of Saberi was done by an expert on security and counterespionage at the Intelligence Ministry before her case was referred to the court.An Iranian investigative judge involved in the case also alleged that Saberi was passing classified information to U.S. intelligence services.The U.S. broke off diplomatic relations with Iran after the 1979 Islamic revolution and the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by hard-line Iranian students. The Obama administration has said it is working with Swiss intermediaries who represent U.S. interests in Iran to secure her release.

Ahmadinejad's speech on Holocaust

GENEVA – A day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad caused an uproar with a speech attacking Israel at a U.N. conference on racism, the U.N. said Tuesday that Ahmadinejad had actually dropped language from the speech that described the Holocaust as "ambiguous and dubious."The U.N. and the Iranian Mission in Geneva did not comment on why the change was made. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, however, said he had met with the Iranian president before his speech Monday and reminded him the U.N. had adopted resolutions "to revoke the equation of Zionism with racism and to reaffirm the historical facts of the Holocaust."

Ahmadinejad may have decided to drop the Holocaust phrase that was in his original text to deliver his condemnation of Israel in a more palatable fashion for many countries.Still, Ahmadinejad's accusation that the West used the Holocaust as a "pretext" for aggression against Palestinians still provoked walkouts by delegates including every European Union country in attendance. But others, including those from the Vatican, stayed because they said he stopped short of denying the Holocaust.

The walkout came after Ahmadinejad accused Western nations of complicity in violence against Palestinians surrounding the foundation of Israel.The original text of his speech said "following World War II, they resorted to military aggression to make an entire nation homeless on the pretext of Jewish sufferings and the ambiguous and dubious question of Holocaust."

U.N. spokeswoman Marie Heuze said U.N. officials had checked back with the interpreters and the Farsi recording of Ahmadinejad's speech, and determined that the Iranian president had dropped the terms "ambiguous and dubious," referring instead in Farsi to "the abuse of the question of the Holocaust."Adding to the confusion, the live English translation of the speech did not mention the word "Holocaust" at all, while the French stayed true to the spoken words of Ahmadinejad. The English translator apparently was following the prepared text and stopped speaking when the Iranian president changed the wording.

The meeting turned chaotic from the start when two protesters in rainbow wigs tossed red clown noses at Ahmadinejad as he began his speech with a Muslim prayer. A Jewish student group from France said it had been trying to convey "the masquerade that this conference represents."The United States and eight other Western countries had already boycotted the event that started on the eve of Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, because of concerns Muslim countries would drown out all other issues with calls to denounce Israel and restrict free speech when it comes to criticizing Islam.

Over 100 other countries on Tuesday approved a 16-page declaration calling on the world to combat intolerance. The declaration did not mention Israel, but among dozens of other points, it reaffirms a 2001 statement issued after the U.N.'s first global racism meeting in South Africa that recognized the "plight of the Palestinians" while affirming the Jewish state's right to security.That support of the 2001 document was cited by President Barack Obama's administration as the reason it boycotted the Geneva meeting.African-American groups participating in the conference sharply criticized Obama and his administration for not attending and not signing its declaration against racism.

"The boycott of the Obama administration both saddens us and angers us," said Jaribu Hill, executive director of the Mississippi Workers' Center for Human Rights."We will not let Mr. Obama off the hook simply because he stands inside black skin, or because his campaign served to energize and inspire thousands of young people and people of color," she said.Ban, the U.N. chief, was heartened at the adoption of the declaration by consensus and urged countries not at the conference to rejoin the fight against racism.

In Paris, France's foreign minister criticized the U.S. decision to stay away from an event featuring Ahmadinejad while declaring itself open for negotiations on Iran's nuclear program."More than a paradox, it could really be a mistake," Bernard Kouchner said.But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a note Tuesday thanking those nations that boycotted the Geneva conference."This decision restored a bit of sanity to a world in which an anti-racism conference turns its stage over to a Holocaust denier who expresses his desire to wipe Israel off the map," the note said, according to his office.

Most of Ahmadinejad's rhetoric was not new but its timing and high profile could complicate U.S. efforts to warm ties with the Islamic republic. Alejandro Wolff, the U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations, denounced what he called "the Ahmadinejad spectacle."In Tehran, some 200 people gathered at the airport to give Ahmadinejad a hero's welcome as he returned home.Iranian state TV described him as having defended Palestinian rights against a racist regime.

The official IRNA news agency quoted lawmakerMohammad Reza Bahonar as saying that Ahmadinejad's speech in Geneva was a "great achievement for (Iran's ruling) system."The U.N. said it expelled 13 people Tuesday from the conference, including members of Jewish and Iranian groups that disrupted Ahmadinejad's speech."At the United Nations we demand that conferences and debates be held in a spirit of mutual respect and dignity," Heuze said.

BOYCOTT ISRAELI PRODUCTS CAMPAIGN



Today,the world community begins to see evidence of the massacre of Palestinians planned by Ariel Sharon and his murderous Zionist Army........ Here in Malaysia, we have become extremely frustrated at President George Bush and his inability or unwillingness to stop the horrible slaughter that is occurring in the Holy Land and that may culminate in the genocide of the Palestinian people...... We individually have the power of choice to buy one product over another or to simply forgo a purchase entirely..... If more and more people around the world do the same, the pressure will become powerful enough to force a positive change..... We each can also help by asking our family members and friends to do the same.

Below are products and brands of corporations and businesses that are helping Ariel Sharon and Zionist Israel to continue their racist apartheid policies and illegal occupation of Palestinian lands.....Each of the companies have ties to Israel and support their policies against the Palestinian people.... As an example, Estée Lauder's chairman, Ronald Lauder, served as the Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and is the current President of the Jewish National Fund (JNF) - a quasi-governmental agency whose main function is to legitimize Israeli occupation of Palestinian land..... Ronald Lauder is a hardcore Zionist and his views are often more extreme then those of the Israeli government...Other examples are:

KIMBERLY-CLARK
In 1998 Mr. Robert P. Van der Merwe, chairman of Kimberly-Clark Europe received the Jubilee Award by the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. This is the highest tribute ever awarded by the "State of Israel" in recognition of those individuals and organizations, that through their investments and trade relationships, have done the most to strengthen the Israeli economy.

COCA-COLA
From 1966 onward Coca-Cola has been a staunch supporter of Israel. Recently the Government of Israel Economic Mission honored Coca-Cola at the Israel Trade Award Dinner for its continued support of Israel for the last 30 years and for refusing to abide by the Arab League boycott of Israel.

NESTLE
Swiss food giant Nestle will set up a global research and development center for snack foods next year in Sderot, a town in Israel's Negev desert, the Maariv newspaper reported on Sunday. Nestle owns 50.1 percent of Israeli food maker Osem Investments and the two together produce snack foods at a plant in Sderot.

INTEL
Intel is one of the biggest supporters of Israel. Their very first development center outside the US was opened in Haifa in 1974. Since then they have continued pouring investment in to Israel. By year 2000 they employed over 4000 Israelis. Exports from their Lachish-Qiryat Gat plant in israel total $3 million a day at peak capacity - approximately $ 1 billion a year. The Intel plant at "Qiryat Gat" is built on land Israel confiscated from the Palestinian villages of Iraq al Manshiya. Iraq al Manshiya was a village of 2000 people living in 300 houses with two mosques and one school. The original Palestinian inhabitants were terrorized out of the village and then the whole village was razed to the ground to prepare the way for the new Israeli settlement of Qiryat Gat. Today the remaining population from Iraq al Manshiya is still not allowed to return.

SARA LEE
In 1998, Mr. Lucien Nessim of Sara Lee Personal Products received the Jubilee Award by the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. This is the highest tribute ever awarded by the "State of Israel" in recognition of those individuals and organizations, that through their investments and trade relationships, have done the most to strengthen the Israeli economy


A glimpse of SBP's history


Sekolah Berasrama Penuh (SBP) or Fully Residential School is a school system established during the 1970's in Malaysia . The main purpose of it is to nurture selected outstanding students in a conducive and educational environment to excel in academics and extracurricular activities, creating a wholesome student.

Student Selection Criteria

There is great competition to acquire places in these elite schools as the number of places are limited compared to the number of eligible applicants. Students are chosen by the SBP unit of the Ministry of Education based on certain criteria. Enrolment is open at the level of Form 1 & Form 4

Entry to Form 1

  • - Achieving at least 5A's in the UPSR or Primary School Evaluation Test
  • - Have outstanding achievements in extracurricular activities

Entry to Form 4

  • -Achieving at least 8A's in the PMR formerly known as Lower Certificate of Education (LCE)
  • -Have outstanding achievements in extracurricular activities

Other criterias included in this selection:

  • - Bumiputra and Non-Bumiputra allocation
  • - eligible students from rural schools
  • - children of school alumni members (in certain schools)

School System

Students are required to stay in campus throughout the academic session. Amenities such as classrooms, lodging, praying area, sports facilities and food halls are provided for the use of the students with the aim of developing their talents and cultivating their potential in a conducive learning environment. Being selected students, the government spends a high sum of allocation subsidising students of SBP.

Schools can either be single sex or coed. The teachers chosen are among the best in their fields, and this is particularly important as a great emphasis is placed in excellent academic achievements.

In accordance to the high standard expected from these schools, students who are found to not achieve at required levels may be dismissed from the system, but this vary between the schools and is at the discretion of the governing body of the respective schools. Students with poor disciplinary records are also dismissed from the school system, as there is little tolerance for misbehaviour.

SBP schools do produce excellent results in all government examinations, and also in extracurricular activities in both the field of academics and sports. Great achievements of these schools is celebrated in the yearly event "Hari Kecemerlangan Sekolah Berasrama Penuh" (HKSBP) where awards are given out to schools with outstanding achievements.


Traditions and Pride

The history of SBP is a rich one, and certain fields are considered the hallmark of SBP schools. These include

  • - Piala Perdana Menteri (PPM) debate competition of which is a yearly event as part of the HKSBP calendar
  • - Wind Orchestra SBP competition
  • - annual basketball competitions (both at zone and national level) also part of HKSBP calendar
  • - Rugby SBP 10's
  • - Nadwah Kepimpinan Islam
  • - Kem Kepimpinan PRS
  • - Kem Ketua Rumah (KESUMA)
  • - Kem Ketua Pelajar

List of Fully Residential Schools in Malaysia

Pulau Pinang

  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Tun Syed Sheh Shahabuddin (SMSTSSS)

Wilayah Persekutuan

  • Sekolah Sultan Alam Shah(SAS)
  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Seri Puteri(SESERI)
  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Alam Shah(ASIS)
  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor
  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Labuan(SMS EXCEL)
  • Maktab Tentera Diraja(RMC)

Perlis

Sekolah Menengah Sains Tuanku Syed Putra

Kedah

  • Sekolah Menengah Sultan Abdul Halim(SMSAH)
  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Mohammad Jiwa(SEMUJI)
  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Pokok Sena(SAINA)
  • SBP Integrasi Kubang Pasu(I-KUPS)
  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Kubang Pasu

Perak

  • Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK)
  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Raja Tun Azlan Shah (SERATAS)
  • Sekolah Menegah Sains Teluk Intan (SEMESTI)
  • SBP Integrasi Gopeng (I-GOP)
  • Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (STAR)

Sabah

  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Sabah (SMESH)
  • SM Sains Lahad Datu (SEMSALD)

Sarawak

  • SM Sains Kuching(SainsKu)
  • SM Sains Miri(SAINSRI)

Selangor

  • Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah (KISAS)
  • SBP Integrasi Gombak (INTERGOM)
  • SBP Integrasi Rawang (SEPINTAR)
  • SBP Integrasi Sabak Bernam (INTESABER)
  • Sekolah Seri Puteri(SSP)
  • SM Agama Persekutuan Kajang (SMAPK)
  • SM Sains Hulu Selangor(SEMASHUR)
  • SM Sains Kuala Selangor (KUSESS)

Negeri Sembilan

  • Sekolah Dato' Abdul Razak (SDAR)
  • SBP Integrasi Jempol
  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Tuanku Jaafar (STJ)
  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Seremban (SASER)
  • Sekolah Menengah Agama Persekutuan Labu(SMAPL)
  • Kolej Tunku Kurshiah (TKC)

Melaka

  • SBP Integrasi Selandar
  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Muzaffar Syah (MOZAC)

Johor

  • SM Sains Johor
  • SM Sains Kota Tinggi (SAKTI)
  • SM Sains Sultan Iskandar
  • SM Sains Muar ( SAMURA )
  • Sekolah Tun Fatimah (STF)

Pahang

  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Tengku Abdullah(SEMESTA)
  • Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Kuantan(SEMSAS)
  • Sekolah Sains Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Pekan (SHAH PEKAN)
  • SBP Integrasi Temerloh(INs0FT)
  • SBP Integrasi Kuantan(I.K.)
  • SBP Integrasi Pekan(INTEP)

Terengganu

  • SBP Integrasi Batu Rakit(BRaInS)
  • SM Sains Dungun
  • SM Sains Kuala Terengganu (SESTER)
  • SM Sains Sultan Mahmud(SESMA)

Kelantan

  • SM Sains Machang(SMACH)
  • SM Sains Pasir Puteh(SCIPP)
  • SM Sains Tengku Muhamad Faris Petra (SCIFER)

When poverty spurs student to excellence



Nik Nur Madihah of SMA Maahad Muhammadi Kota Baru who scored 19 1As and a 2A has emerged as the top scorer of the recent SPM 2008 examination.The eldest of four siblings did mention that she did not miss any tuition classes as well as group studies organised by the school as she could not afford to take private tuition with her parents small income.Nik Nur Madihah also mentioned in the newspaper that her father, Nik Mohd Kamal Husin,who is a fisherman and her mother Mariani Omar, a cleaner in Kota Bharu, had always encouraged her to do well in her studies.She had planned to further her studies overseas so that she could help her parents and siblings in the future.Her success should be a motivation for all of us to pursue our studies to the highest plateau.....When there's a will,there's a way....

Pictures of innocent souls

The 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza Massive War, started when Israel launched a military campaign in the Gaza Strip on December 27 2008, codenamed Operation Cast Lead. The operation's aim was to stop Hamas attacks on southern Israel.The ongoing conflict has been described as the Gaza Massacre. These are some of the pictures of innocent souls in Gaza....


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