Bus Crash

IPOH, MALAYSIA: Three Malaysians and 24 Thais were killed in the country's worst road accident when an express bus they were travelling in overturned and crashed into a rocky slope along the Simpang Pulai-Kampung Raja road, about 15km from here yesterday.
The double-decker bus had 37 people on board when it was heading down from Cameron Highlands.
At 11.40am, it breached a concrete divider, rolled over a few times and crashed roofside into a rocky slope before coming to a halt on its side in a monsoon drain at the foot of the slope.
The bodies of some of the dead victims were strewn on the road, with some of their body parts mutilated due to the impact. The roof of the double-decker bus was partially torn from its body with the upper deck's floor pressing down on passengers seated on in the lower deck.
A rescue team comprising about 100 personnel from various agencies took about three hours to retrieve the deceased dead and the those seriously injured.
Acting Perak police chief Datuk Zakaria Yusuf said 22 out of the 27 victims died on the spot while the rest succumbed to their injuries either on the way to or after being admitted to Ipoh Hospital.
The condition of the remaining 10 victims was being monitored closely due to the seriousness of their injuries they had sustained during the impact.
"At this point in time, we cannot ascertain the cause of the accident but police suspect that it could have been caused by a technical problem or speeding,".
"However, what can be said for certain is that the impact was great to have caused so many fatalities," he said at the site of the accident.
Zakaria said the first team of firemen and policemen reached the scene around noon, about 20 minutes after the accident.
He said police were still trying to ascertain the identities of the victims deceased and the injured.

"The three Malaysians who died on the spot were the bus driver of the bus, the assistant bus driver and a tour guide
"All of them are employees of San Express Holiday Sdn Bhd based in Jitra, Kedah. Which is the owner of the double-decker express bus based in Jitra, Kedah."
The road was closed to traffic on both sides until 4pm, after which vehicles coming down from Cameron Highlands were allowed to pass.
At press time, the road leading up to Cameron Highlands was still closed to traffic to facilitate forensic investigation into the accident and to allow ow the bus to be towed hereback to Ipoh.
The site of yesterday's accident is about 500m from the spot where an Kurnia Bestari express bus had plunged into a ravine on Dec 23, 2004 while proceeding downhill on the same road, killing five passengers and seriously injuring 17 others.

Review:

WHAT: 3 Malaysians and 24 Thais died in a bus crash in Ipoh
WHO  : MEN

1. Omar Shahidan, 48 (Malaysian driver)
2. Charcart Knagsuwan, 48
3. Pooporn Poolsaeng, 41
4. Sumruay Swatphet, 48
5. Pongtiawest Akararachewwanont, 45
6. Thitisak Pongtanarat, 51
7. Ekachai Na Banexane, 64
8. Phayone Kruajinli , 49
9. Weera Chuntranwaggn (no age)
10. Soontorn Kian a/l Kian, 38 (Thai Malaysian, tourist guide)

WOMEN

11. Thanyarat Poolsang, 36
12. Nutthiya Inyim, 50
13, Puthinaree Akkrarachewannot, 42
14. Suchanchira Chaigueai, 40
15. Sriwai Swatphet, 42
16. Priya Prassakul Chai, 48
17. Chutima Throukool, 25
18. Junpen Pongthanarat, 50
19. Matana Phromduang, 51
20. Ampaiwan Thiangtham, 50
21. Maliwani Mekmahhprom, 53
22. Achara Wiwati, 36
23. Isarya Thiangtham, 25
24. Areena Somgserm (no age)
25. Natkritta Poolsaeng, 6
26. Rund Da (no age)
27. Darunee Songsern (no age).

Four men (two critical) and six women were admitted to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Perak.

WHY     : Bus crash in overturned and crashed into a rocky slope
WHERE : Simpang Pulai-Kampung Raja road
WHEN   : 20th DECEMBER 2010
HOW     : Breached a concrete divider, rolled over a few times and crashed roofside into a rocky slope before coming to a halt on its side in a monsoon drain at the foot of the slope.

News Worthy : Proximity

8.9 magnitude

Houses are swept by water following a tsunami and earthquake in Natori City in northeastern Japan, March 11, 2011.

inShare163

A magnitude 8.9 earthquake — believed to be one of the most powerful quakes in more than a century — has rocked the northeastern part of Japan. The tremblor, centered a relatively shallow 15 miles below the surface, caused a 23-foot tsunami that swept through coastal areas in Fukushima Prefecture, and a 13-foot tsunami in nearby Iwate Prefecture. Four other northern prefectures were hit with waves also up to 13 feet.
Dramatic aerial images over Miyagi, which is largely flat farming land, showed a dark, debris-filled sea of water and mud enveloping everything in its path, from houses to cars and roads, though the death toll is unconfirmed, the Associated Press is reporting that 300 bodies have washed up on a beach near Sendai. The AP has confirmed 151 deaths. Another 547 were reported missing. (See pictures of the massive earthquake that struck off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011.)
The Japanese government reacted quickly and has said they consider this one of the most serious natural disasters in the country's history. In a press conference, Prime Minister Naoto Kan called for calm and cooperation. "We will secure the safety of the people of Japan and work to remain cautious, and be vigilant about keeping tuned in to television and radio reports," he said. "We ask the people of Japan to act with calm."
For Kan, the timing is particularly sensitive: Parliament was in the middle of discussing an illegal donations scandal when the quake hit. If he leads the country effectively through the disaster, the quake may be his saving grace.
Outside Japan, several countries were on high alert. The Honolulu-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued tsunami warning for a string of countries that now includes Indonesia, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, as well as Mexico, Chile and Peru. Earlier, the center issued a warning for Japan, Russia, Marcus Island, the Northern Marianas, Guam, Wake Island and Taiwan. The tsunami rekindled grim memories of the great Asian tsunami triggered on Dec. 24, 2004, which eventually claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. (Read "Japan Quake Causes Nuclear Emergency.")
Japan's capital, Tokyo, about 186 miles from the epicenter, was badly rattled. "Across the road there's a tenement block. It's swaying horrifically, so much so, in fact, that it looks like a miniature, as though it's been subjected to tilt shift photo technology," wrote one woman, who was live-blogging from Tokyo. "I can't quite compute seeing a building doing that." After the quake, massive crowds in Tokyo gathered outside of major stations as trains and subways came to a halt. People stood in shock. Some cried and others hugged.
Traffic in my neighborhood of Shibuya was paralyzed during the quake. One taxi driver told me he thought he had a flat tire when his vehicle began to shake. "That must have been the biggest one I've ever felt," he said worriedly while trying to telephone his relatives up north. I then noticed a long line forming in front of a lone public phone. It was a bizarre sight in this mobile-crazed society and confirmed my fear that land lines are likely the only reliable telephone service available. Stepping out into the street I saw a growing line in front of a convenience store as people rushed to buy food, water and other necessities. The store manager said some supplies are running short and that chargers for mobile phones have sold out. (See the top 10 deadliest earthquakes.)
More than four million buildings in Tokyo and surrounding areas reportedly lost power soon after the quake. Hundreds of thousands of people in the city of 13 million have been left stranded after train and subway services were suspended. East Japan Railway Company says it stopped train operations, including the Shinkansen bullet trains, although no major damage has been reported so far. The Tokyo Metro subway has also suspended all operations. Company officials say it will take time to check the safety of all tunnels before resuming operations. The Transport Ministry said that Tokyo's two airports, Narita and Haneda, had closed their runways, and the Nuclear Power Security Agency reported that the five nuclear power plants in northeastern Japan were shut down.
At an electronics store TV display I stood in shock with strangers as we watched live coverage of a tsunami sweeping across rice fields, bridges, cars attempting to escape and hundreds of homes in northern Japan. We all agreed it was the first time we've witnessed a natural disaster of this scale in Japan. "Do you think this is the 'big one' we've been expecting?" I asked. "Maybe there's more to come," said one young woman fearfully as an aftershock rolled under our feet. We fear the full extent of the damage has yet to unfold.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2058391,00.html#ixzz28dBUo573
Review:

WHAT : Houses are swept by water
WHO   :
WHY   : Natural disaster
WHEN : March 11, 2011
WHERE: Japan
HOW    : Earthquake by the magnitute of 8.9 and Tsunami

Factors of Newsworthy : Significant

Budget 2013

BUDGET 2013 has been one of the most difficult to design and to present to the people and Parliament. I’ve done this many times before, so I think I know! This budget is crucial for many reasons. First, we are facing global economic decline and considerable uncertainty that can adversely affect our socio-economic outlook.
Second, the 13th general election is imminent. People and voters want and think they can get more from this budget. Third, more so now, there is a major conflict between two perennial budget issues – what people want and what we can afford.
The Government now faces the exacting challenge of both wanting to please the voters and protecting the integrity of the budget and indeed the sustainability of the economy. The budget will thus have to strike a clever balance that will not easily please everyone – the people and the foreign financiers.
On the macroeconomic front, we must take into account the rising concerns of the international rating agencies, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which will be closely watching how we manage these conflicting demands.
We can all merrily ask for more perks, tax concessions, subsidies and even more spending to make us all feel good and happy. But we have to think of the impact of more “give-aways” on the overall health of the economy. We have to remember our overriding need to control the budget deficit and debt burden that have been rising rapidly and weighing down the confidence in the economy in the longer term.
For instance, the longer-term implications of an unduly populist budget, which can lead to a downgrading of our financial rating by Fitch and/or Standard & Poor’s or even the IMF, can be serious. Just as important, foreign investors would want to be assured that the economy is being managed well with greater prudence and fiscal discipline.
Hence, we have to aim to reduce the budget deficit, the federal budget debt and the national debt in this Budget 2013.
So how would the Government also meet the rising expectations of the rakyat?
An important strategy of the budget should seek to give greater priority to fighting inflation.
Prices are rising for several reasons. When the supply of goods and services decrease, prices increase. So, the budget should break more bottlenecks in the supply chains.
The budget should remove more taxes and administrative constraints on small businesses. The economy should be further liberalised without imposing too many controls on land for cultivation of food, and in granting licences and approvals and quotas for small and medium enterprises that are the backbone of our economy.
Budget expenditures should also be more stringently managed to get more value for taxpayers’ money and the borrowings that have to be paid back with interest.
Unemployment and unemployable graduates are becoming major problems. This is largely due to the poor and unsuitable education we provide. Instead of churning out many unemployable graduates from our public schools and universities, more budget allocations for academic education should be diverted to technical education to produce productive technicians who are more employable and who can even operate their own businesses.
The budget strategy should adopt a basic human needs approach. It should provide more funds for housing, transportation, school expenses and reduced utility rates. It could allocate more funds for 1Malaysia clinics, shops for low-priced clothing and a whole range of other basic needs of the poor and low-income groups from the lowest 40% of our population.
It could lessen the subsidies that are now also enjoyed by the high-income groups. Surely, people like professionals, managers and big businessmen do not need petrol and other subsidies as well as scholarships for their children.
Let the budget look after the poor and encourage the rich to look after themselves. After all, big business, particularly foreign investors and multinational corporations, enjoy much more in terms of incentives and tax concessions.
But how do we finance these basic needs of the poor? The budget has to ensure that we get more bang from the taxpayers’ buck. Taxpayers’ money has to be more efficiently spent through more genuine tendering of contracts, a drastic cut in corruption and the removal of inefficient contractors and developers. They short-change the budget and, worse still, the public.
For example, houses can be less expensive if there are fewer “abandoned housing schemes” caused by unscrupulous and unqualified contractors.
Tax evasion and avoidance could be reduced to increase budget savings, to narrow the deficit and debt. The goods and services tax (GST) can be introduced so as to apply mainly to goods and services consumed by the rich and not the poor and low-income groups.
The tax base could thus be widened to get more to pay taxes. Approved permits should be scrapped or auctioned instead, to free the market, raise revenues and increase confidence in fighting wasteful protectionism.
Tax reliefs for the lower-income groups can be increased without too much adverse effects on budget revenue. In any case, this is also the role of the budget – to help promote better income distribution by raising the disposable income of the low-income groups.
The income gaps are widening and the Government has to address this problem more carefully, before it causes social problems. Development expenditure could be reduced or slowed down to reduce the budget deficit and debt burden.
This can be done as we did before, through a managed go-slow on some low-priority, non-urgent and even ‘prestige projects’ that can be stretched over a longer period.
Budget 2013 can meet the challenges and conflicts that we face if we give greater priority to meeting the basic needs of the poor and low-income groups, raise our standards of discipline in revenue and expenditure management, and thus go all out to lower the budget deficit and debt burden.
The budget will then make us all feel good and at the same time enable our continued socio-economic stability and prosperity on a more sustainable basis.
l A former senior civil servant, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam is chairman of the Asli Centre of Public Policy Studies.

Review :
WHAT   : Budget 2013 difficult to design and to be present
WHO     : Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam
WHY     :  This budget is crucial for many reasons
WHEN   :
WHERE :
HOW     : By give greater priority to meeting the basic needs of the poor and low-income people, raise our standards of discipline in revenue and expenditure management, and thus go all out to lower the budget deficit and debt burden

Factors of Newsworthy : Timeliness

Court to hear duo's appeal in Altantuya murder on Oct 31

PUTRAJAYA: The two former police Special Action Squad commandos sentenced to death for the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu had their appeal rescheduled to Oct 31 and Nov 1.
Court of Appeal deputy registrar N. Kanageswari fixed the new dates following an application by C/Insp Azilah Hadri's lawyer J.Kuldeep Kumar to vacate the initial hearing dates which were on Aug 27 and Aug 28.
Azilah's lawyers had applied for the adjournment due to the unsuitability of the dates falling right after Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Kuldeep said he and co-counsel Datuk Hazman Ahmad also needed more time to prepare for the appeal as there were 65 volumes of appeal records.
Hari Raya Adifiltri is expected to fall on Aug 19 and 20.
Meanwhile, Azilah may also include additional grounds in his petition of appeal. On April 30 this year, the Court of Appeal allowed Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar to add another six grounds to the existing nine in his petition of appeal.
The case came up for management before Kanageswari Friday.
Appearing for the prosecution was Attorney-General's Chambers, head of appeals unit, Manoj Kurup with Nurhidayah Mohd Razali representing Sirul Azhar.
Azilah, 34, and Sirul Azhar, 39, were convicted and sentenced to death by the Shah Alam High Court in 2009 for murdering Altantuya, 28, at Mukim Raja between 9.45pm on Oct 18, 2006 and 9.45pm the following day.
Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, 50, was also charged with abetting the duo but was acquitted by the High Court on Oct 31, 2008, on the basis that there was no prima facie case against him. - Bernama 

Review:
WHAT   : Appeal in Altantuya murder hear
WHO     : Kuldeep and Datuk Hazman Ahmad
WHY     : needed more time to prepare for the appeal as there were 65 volumes of appeal records
WHEN   : rescheduled to Oct 31 and Nov 1
WHERE : Court of Appeal
 HOW    : Coury of Appeal deputy registrar N.Kanageswari fixed the new dates

Factors of Newsworthy : Human Interest

Royal Wedding update: Official programme, including Order of Service, available online

28th April 2011

The Official Programme for the wedding of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton is now available for the public to download for free.
The Official Programme includes the full Order of Service (as used by guests in Westminster Abbey), a personal message of thanks from Prince William and Miss Middleton, and a photo of the Couple taken by photographer Mario Testino at the time of the Couple’s engagement.  The Official Programme features Prince William’s recently updated Coat of Arms on the front cover and Catherine Middleton’s new Coat of Arms on the back cover.
The Order of Service includes full details about the processions, music, hymns, prayers and readings.  The Wedding Service follows the Book of Common Prayer (Alternative Services: Series One).  There will be one Lesson during the service, which the Couple have asked James Middleton to read.  
The Official Programme will also be available for free electronically in three formats: as a page-turning PDF (using Flash) and an iBook compatible with Apple products, which can be downloaded from the Apple iBookstore. It is also available as an Adobe Acrobat PDF (you will need Adobe Reader to view the file)
On the wedding day, 150,000 copies of the programme will be sold by 60 Explorer Scouts and 80 Cadets (supervised by adults) for £2 per copy at locations in Green Park, Hyde Park, St James’s Park and Trafalgar Square. Profits from the sale of the Official Programme will go to benefit The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.

Review:
WHAT  : Royal Weding's Official Program is available for public
WHO    : Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton
WHERE: Green Park, Hyde Park, St.James's Park and Trafalgar Square
WHEN  : 28th April 2011
WHY    : to benefit The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry
HOW    : profits from the sale of Official Programme will go to the foundation

Factors of Newsworthy : Prominence

COM 1106

"COM1106-Introduction of Journalism" while looking at this phrase in my second semesters timetable, my first impression was "It going to be bored as a usual English essay writing class", but it was proven as a fault judgement as Mr.K's lecturing wasn't boring at all. He is one of the knowledgeable lecturer we have gotten. Unlike some lecturing classes where we tried to not fall asleep, journalism class is always interesting and cheering. As an ordinary student I would like to learn and gain more information on the field of journalism and will try my level best to improve in my writing skills to hook up the readers while creating my own identity in writing an article. Basically, journalism wasn't my choice.Yet, I have come to the point it isn't mean I should take this subject for guaranteed. Not only for the reason of getting good pointer in end of the semester, I would like to take this as a opportunity to learn a new thing which I have never thought of learning before. 

It's all about me...

My name is Kathir Malar, I were also known as Irthika by some of my friends. I'm a 21years old girl
living in Kelana Jaya together with my parents and my siblings. I have 2 elder brothers and 2 elder sister; my both brothers and a sister were married. I have 2 nieces and 4 nephews who staying along with us. Eventually, I'm their official guardian because my parents are unable to take care of them as my parents itself are been take care by me and my sister.I started my working life as a beautician at Neriah Beauty Channel in 2008. By working there I learned to be independent and learn the way to handle with customers in order to promote our services. After some time, I joined Kudrat Partners & Company as a legal recovery officer. There, I have to call up debtors or anyone related to debtor to persuade them to clear up their debt my given time limit. Besides, I had to send letter to debtors address if I have clarified the address with the debtor during our conversation via phone. Now, I'm earning by giving tuition for primary and secondary students to support my education and my family. Soon, I believe I could start up a business so that I could hire someone to work for me and concentrate in my studies and begin to explore in the field I'm pursuing my higher education.