But the protest that took place on Friday certainly went too far. The group calling itself Pancasila Youth had marched to the embassy in Kuningan after Friday prayers. They then headed for Malaysia Hall and began acting more violently, causing damage to the building. Their grievances were over Malaysia’s purported decision to declare the Tor-tor dance and Gordang Sambilan music as part of our national heritage.

It seems to be just another excuse for this bunch of jobless youths, who are probably too lazy to be construction workers in Malaysia, to stage another demonstration.

Various groups in Indonesia have staged protests against Malaysia on practically every issue, which includes even the arrests of certain Malaysian politicians. The only thing they have never protested about is the perennial haze problem in Malay­sia, which is the result of forest fires in Sumatra.

In 2009, a nationalist group calling itself Bendera claimed to have signed up 486 volunteers who were ready to wage war against Malaysia. Its spokesman Mustar Bonaventura claimed the group had stockpiled medicine, food and “samurai swords and ninja-throwing stars” for the fight.

The dispute started after word spread that Malaysia had promoted the traditional pendet dance of Indonesia’s Hindu-majority Bali in its tourism drive. It turned out that the advertisement was part of a Discovery Channel programme on Malaysia, and the Malaysian authorities had nothing to do with it at all.

But of course, the Indonesian rabble-rousers were not going to let the facts spoil the story or they might risk not getting paid for another outing. We are not sure if the 486 are now illegal workers in Malaysia.

We have also been accused of plagiarising the Rasa Sayang song, which is widely used in our tourism promotions, because it purportedly originated from Indonesia’s Maluku Islands.

Last week’s protest, however, seems to have taken a different twist. First, they hurled eggs and stones into the embassy’s compound. Then they torched the Jalur Gemilang, which were all part of the script. But this time, they became more aggressive and violent by attacking a security personnel who, fortunately, only sustained slight injuries.

Malaysians must be left wondering where the Indonesian policemen were during the fiasco. Surely it is their responsibility to dispatch a team of anti-riot police there to protect our embassy and its staff. But from the violence carried out by these Indonesians, it would appear the police did a lousy job.

The temperature had already gone up a few notches when the Indonesian government demanded a written explanation from Malaysia. Deputy Education and Culture Minister Windu Nuryati was quoted by Antara, its national news agency, as saying that “Indonesia’s stance is clear, we demand a written explanation.”

The Indonesian media seem to be also enjoying themselves and have aggravated the issue by giving space to those bent on bashing Malaysia. For example, there have been pretty hilarious remarks from a certain Hikmahanto Juwana, an international law professor at the University of Indonesia, in his response to our Consul-General in Medan. Juwana, too, wants a written explanation from our government.

But seriously, we know the reasons for such purported pent-up frustration from the Indonesian side. Indonesia has done well on many fronts but the poverty level has not been fully addressed. They may complain about a lot of things but Malaysia remains the land of opportunity for many of its citizens.

We cannot deny that there have been stories of mistreatment of Indonesian migrant workers by their Malaysian bosses. But really, if we are that inhumane and cruel, we wouldn’t be seeing the influx of Indonesians into Malaysia.

In fact, many Malaysians are terrified of the many Indonesians who come not only to make a living but also to indulge in crime. And when they are arrested, our police would diplomatically refer to these criminals as coming from “a neighbouring country”. Not only are we diplomatic, we also do not want to embarrass our neighbour.

We have been too nice for too long, preferring to be the submissive little brother to the abang (big brother) across the Straits of Malacca in this saudara charade.

The brouhaha over such issues is pretty ludicrous. Such flag-waving exercises are sometimes good in bringing the nation together, for both sides, but let’s not get entangled in narrow-minded nationalism that is nothing but a façade to justify violence or juvenile delinquency

The universally loved pandas are regarded as national treasures and certainly deserve to be given the royal treatment.

Taking a snooze: A giant panda resting on a tree stump in a giant panda research centre in Wolong, China’s Sichuan province. The universally loved pandas are regarded as national treasures. — Reuters

On Friday, an agreement was signed by the China Wildlife Conservation Association and Malaysia’s Wildlife and National Parks Department. It is certainly a feather in the cap because the panda loan request was made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao during his visit to Nanning in April.

Besides Malaysia, only eight other countries have reportedly been given the honour of hosting these giant pandas, including Thailand and Singapore. In the case of Malaysia, the loan is to mark our 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties with China.

Singapore’s panda pair of Kai Kai and Jia Jia are due to arrive in September, about six months later than the originally planned date.

Their new home is River Safari in Mandai, which is slated to be open by the year’s end. It has been reported that the pandas will be placed in a 1,500 sq metre enclosure that will cost Singapore S$8.5mil (RM20.9mil).

The enclosure, which includes an outdoor area, a walkway that allows visitors to view the pandas up close and an air-conditioned exhibit area, will be ready by the end of this month.

Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) chairman Claire Chiang was quoted as saying that the environment had to be at its best when the pandas arrived.

“The pandas are a precious gift from the state, so we are exercising the highest level of prudence and a heightened sense of responsibility,” she said.

When the panda loan to Singapore was first announced, a television crew was sent to Sichuan Province for a sneak preview of the pandas at the Bifengxia base.

The authorities went on a public relations campaign to boast of its “eco-friendly” food for the two pandas, pointing out that a special bamboo plantation covering 8,000 sq metres had been created to grow bamboo for the endangered animals.

In Thailand, Chiangmai Zoo has been home to panda couple Lin Hui and Xuang Xuang, on loan from China since 2003. The zoo has been really lucky because Lin Hui gave birth to her first baby in May 2009.

The panda birth created such a global sensation that visitors waited in long queues just to catch a glimpse of baby Lin Ping through closed circuit television during its first three months.

Shortly after the birth, The Nation newspaper quoted zoo director Thanapat Pongamorn as saying that the zoo had clinched a deal with cable television True to broadcast the life of Lin Ping and other animals at the zoo for two years.

At the time of the report, Lin Ping had already raked in 10 million baht (RM1mil) for the zoo, with half of the zoo’s daily income of 100,000 to 200,000 baht (RM10,000 to RM20,000) coming from tickets for the panda section.

For Singapore and Thailand, the authorities and the public wasted no time in exploring the numerous opportunities available from the loan of the pandas instead of engaging in time-consuming unproductive debate.

That aside, it is important for us to note that diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China are at its peak today. According to reports, bilateral trade volume is set to hit US101bil (RM319bil) this year, after reaching US$91bil (RM287bil) in 2011.

We are also reportedly the third country in Asia to hit this milestone after Japan and South Korea. Malaysia benefited from a surplus of US$30bil (RM95bil) last year, with IT products making up 40% of bilateral trade and palm oil being the biggest commodity export to China.

Relations with China received a further boost when both sides launched the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park. There is already talk of setting up an economic and trade cooperation zone in Malaysia.

The panda loan is more than just a visit by two cuddly animals – its significance goes beyond that as far as diplomatic and economic relations are concerned. A lot is at stake, thus the pandas deserve nothing but the best during their stay here.

The late Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu had to fend off accusations of plans to develop Penang Hill and even the late Datuk Ooi Ean Kwong, the State Assembly Speaker, was not spared. Following allegations of bribes being given for a project that would have blocked the view of the Kek Lok Si temple, he had to allow a motion to proceed in the State Assembly.

The allegation was unproven but the fact is that an ugly apartment block now stands on the foothills of the world-famous pagoda.

No sane local authority would have allowed such a structure to be put up but it did, and the state government came under shelling.

There was also a battle during the 1980s between non-governmental organisations and the state government over the loss of a heritage building belonging to the Christian mission to a prominent developer.

All these issues were prominently carried by the media and one only has to look up the archives to understand the passion of Penangites, who feel they should have a say in how the state is developed.

Penangites prefer a healthy balance between development and their leisurely pace of life. They do not want Penang to be like Kuala Lumpur but neither do they want George Town to be like Kota Baru or Shah Alam, where there is little night life.

As the Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng must expect to come under scrutiny over how development in the state, especially on the island, is shaped.

There’s no need for him to be defensive and claim that he is facing a “media lynching”, assuming there is always an agenda behind every criticism.

He only located himself to Penang after the 2008 general election and it is understandable if he is unaware of the many issues that have been fought in the past between the Penang-based non-governmental organisations and the previous state government leaders.

Some of the current senior state assemblymen and Members of Parliament were not even born in Penang and neither have they stayed long enough there to have a sense of belonging and history of the state.

There are two issues here – apart from what they see as insensitive development, many Penangites are feeling the pinch from the increasing cost of property in the state, especially on the island.

Lim has said that this is also a problem in the Klang Valley and Johor Baru but he must understand that there are differences.

In the Klang Valley, for example, the return of investment from the purchase of properties is better because there is a large pool of out-of-state workers and expatriates who make up the rental market. Penang, however, does not have that – you are likely to buy an apartment to live in rather than to let out.

Yes, Penang does attract its share of Malay­sia My Second Home residents and also wealthy investors but the increasing number of high-end development projects does not match the real demand. But such projects do result in corresponding hikes in entry-level or mid-level properties that the majority of Penangites need.

Many Penangites living in the Klang Valley have found that prices of apartments, especially the middle and upper range, have shot up so much that their dreams of retiring in the state have become near unachievable.

Their only option is the mainland and this writer has many ex-schoolmates who have been forced to move out of the island so they can balance their household budget better. Some have children studying in Kulim – where Friday is a holiday – while they continue to work in Penang, and juggling this difference over family life has itself become a challenge.

Penangites understand perfectly that land is limited in Penang and reclaiming land is highly expensive. With the cost of raw materials like cement and steel on the rise, developers will try to squeeze as much into a good location to maximise profits.

In terms of location, places like Batu Ferringhi, Tanjung Bungah and Gurney Drive are highly attractive and putting up high-rise apartments seems to be a cost-efficient way for developers. And when these projects are not on reclaimed land but are hugging the surrounding hills, whether at a slope below or higher than 250ft, the impact on the hills will still be there.

You only need to compare the Google Earth pictures of the hills in Penang to see how much damage has been done.

The previous Barisan Nasional state government cannot escape criticism but the present government can revise or stop more of such projects. There is no need to be defensive and argumentative over these issues.

Penangites have always been independent-minded and have a reputation of knocking off every single Chief Minister. They are also among the most outspoken activists around, so do listen well and hard.

Take, for example, the case of Australian Senator Nick Xenophon. In a move to discredit him, a Malaysian newspaper reported, inaccurately, that Xenophon had made an anti-Islam speech in the Australian parliament. The report also carried comments on the issue from independent MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim (Bayan Baru, Penang).

Actually, in the 2009 speech, the South Australian had criticised Scientology.

An apology had to be made by the newspaper which had published the story without checking the facts and Xenophon, who was being criticised for defending the Bersih 3.0 protest, walked off smugly. He even arrogantly threatened to sue the newspaper.

If Zahrain had done his homework properly, he would have identified Xenophon for his long-standing and active campaign against Malaysian palm oil. He is hardly the hero that some Malaysians want to make him out to be.

Malaysians just need to Google to find out the number of economic sabotages Xenophon has carried out against the Malaysian palm oil industry.

The fact is that palm oil is the backbone of Malaysia’s commodities sector, earning a revenue of RM80bil last year alone, and 150 countries are using it in food and non-food products. This miracle tree puts food on the tables of over half a million workers, mostly in the rural areas where there are few or no alternative employment opportunities.

The rivals of our palm oil industry, especially US-based soy bean groups, once claimed that palm oil products were bad for health.

When that campaign flopped, they turned to purported deforestation and the killing of orang utans, which would surely have better emotive impact.

Web magazine Libertiamo.it has exposed European governments funding NGOs on environment issues, particularly those against palm oil producers. Never mind the fact that Malaysia has set aside more than half of its natural forests for conservation.

The study was aptly titled “Disarming The Green: Taxpayer Funding, NGO Collusion and Manufactured Crisis – A Case Study of Malaysia and Palm Oil”.

“EU-funded NGOs have elected to portray Malaysia and other developing countries as purveyors of environmental destruction, distorting facts and figures to suit their ambitions of complete dominance over economic development – establishing themselves as de facto regulatory bodies,” the study reported.

Rainforest Action Network and Greenpeace, for example, reportedly called for a complete end to the use of palm oil products.

A 2003 study found that RM16mil (US$5mil) was secured from major, principally US-based, foundations, to fund an NGO campaigning against biotechnology in Malaysia. The same NGO is said to be now campaigning against palm oil.

NGOs have also made claims that the palm oil industry is responsible for orang utan deaths. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), for example, is claiming that 1,000 orang utans are dying each year as a result of deforestation. None can produce the evidence, however.

Australia has been active in the orang utan campaign although it should be worried about what’s happening in its own backyard. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has said that Australia has the highest number of endangered animals in the world. In Australia, two-thirds of original forests have vanished, according to the Granby Zoo website.

The fact is that WWF International received RM140mil (US$44mil) in government grants and contracts, according to its 2010/11 financial year report. It received nearly RM20mil (US$6.5mil) from the European Commission.

A Malaysian environmental group was also named by the website as having received RM3.2mil (U$1mil) in 2011.

The reality is that trade wars are being waged in various forms now and heavily-financed NGOs along with their local affiliates are being roped in to fight the battles because the economic stakes are high.

For that matter, none of the protesters outside Ambiga’s house would be amused if they woke up one fine morning to find over-weight people doing butt exercises outside their gates.

If these protesters believe they have helped Barisan Nasional with their silly antics, someone had better tell them they haven’t.

So, BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor understandably condemned these protests, describing them as unbecoming of Malaysians, and urged authorities to put an immediate end to them.

“We understand that you are upset because of Bersih 3.0 but this country has laws. You want to sue Ambiga, go ahead, but gathering in front of her house to cook things she doesn’t eat (beef burgers), showing your backside, then organising a pasar malam – what is all this?” he asked.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said such protests were wrong and that although these people were affected by Bersih 3.0, it did not give them the right to harass Ambiga.

We need to stand up and speak up against what is not right. It has nothing to do with politics, but respect for plain decency and privacy.

I think the protesters have made their point and they should now stop troubling City Hall and the police with plans for more protests.

Ambiga, I am sure, has many admirers for standing up for what she believes in. However, there are also many who do not share in her political enthusiasm.

While the majority of those who took part in Bersih 3.0 were peaceful and law-abiding, a large section was also rowdy and out to create havoc. Ambiga should have come down harder on such rowdiness but she didn’t.

It is clear that the actions of the protesters outside her home cannot be defended. Likewise, those who attended Bersih 3.0 with the intention of starting a street battle do not deserve to be defended.

Malaysia, unfortunately, has become so politically divided that we do not see right and wrong in the correct perspective. Blind loyalty rules the day and we are in danger of sliding down its slippery slope. Many of us who may be highly vocal against one side are not prepared to register our unhappiness over what is wrong when it does not suit our political palate.

It is wrong to beat up Bersih 3.0 protesters, wrong for protesters to beat up policemen and certainly wrong to beat up journalists on duty.

Let’s stop assuming that every protester wearing a yellow T-shirt or a law enforcement officer in a blue uniform is an angel.

Stone-throwing and disrupting the ceramah of a rival political party surely cannot be right. It should not be tolerated and the police must not allow this trend to continue. This is just plain rowdiness. It does not matter whether Barisan members have been provoked; surely, there must be a better sense of restraint.

Similarly, why have Ambiga, the opposition politicians and their supporters been silent on the heckling of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when he spoke at an investment promotion event in London?

It was wrong – plain and simple – but yet they seem ready to overlook such uncouth behaviour because it involved Bersih 3.0 supporters.

Or are we going to hear that they are government agents and planted by the Special Branch, which now seems to be another excuse to defend bad behaviour?

The political temperature has hit near boiling point. The sooner the general election is called, the better it will be for all of us.

Let’s get it over and done with. The silly season, as newsmen call the election period, has come earlier than expected. Let Barisan and Pakatan Rakyat settle this once and for all so that we can all go back to our normal lives.

They could have protested loudly outside the 02 Arena on Najib’s arrival or departure but they chose to heckle him inside.

I do not think Datuk S. Ambiga would appreciate it if she gets booed or heckled while giving a speech on law at an international event when she does not touch on Bersih 3.0.

Likewise, I believe most Malaysians did not appreciate the “burger stall” protest by members of the unheard of Malaysia Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Alliance outside Ambiga’s house last week.

Its president Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah had threatened to return with more stalls but he has wisely called it off, saying: “We are afraid that if a large group was gathered outside Ambiga’s house, provocation may occur, resulting in fights.”

Their protest was then followed by a group of army veterans who, in a bid to show they were turning their back on Ambiga, did “butt exercises” in front of her house. This is intimidation, it is as simple as that.

The police and City Hall have done the right thing by sending officers to her house to prevent such protests. Certainly, she is entitled to her privacy and none of us would be amused if someone did the same thing outside our house.

Another group calling itself WargaAMAN had also planned a “thosai” protest outside the house of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar but it was called off.

Just weeks earlier, Perkasa had staged a noisy protest outside Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s residence and scattered posters featuring Lim with the Nazi sign.

They also hung on the gate a framed picture of Lim with a garland, resembling a picture for a funeral.

This has happened to other leaders, too. Last year, students of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris in Tanjung Malim carried out a mock funeral for the government with “funeral pictures” of the PM and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin.

In the 2008 elections, Penang Wanita MCA leader Tan Cheng Liang found her picture being used by Pakatan Rakyat members in a “funeral rite”.

It is time for rational political leaders, regardless of their allegiance, to condemn such unruly and despicable behaviour. This is not our Malaysian culture and we should not allow such practices to flourish by keeping silent because the target is not in sync with our political belief.

So when Najib was heckled, the only ones to chastise such rowdy behaviour were from Barisan Nasional and when Perkasa members held the mock funeral at Lim’s house, the DAP members angrily reacted.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin must be commended for voicing his objections against the “butt exercise” protest.

So should Tan Cheng Liang and Wanita MCA national vice-chairman Heng Seai Kie, who expressed similar sentiments about such events including the protest outside Lim’s residence.

This has to cut across political lines. A wrong is a wrong but when we compromise our principles for political expediency, then we are going down the wrong way.

Last week, a Gallup Poll Survey showed that 50% of Americans supported gay marriage while 48% opposed it. What Obama hopes to do from his announcement is to win over the younger voters who are more open to this subject. His rival, Republican’s Mitt Romney, has come under attack from the Obama camp for being out of touch with his anti-gay marriage stand.

Obama also believes that blacks will still stick with him even though opposition against gay marriage among black church-goers is the highest among all the racial groups in the US. He retains the black votes and wins extra votes from the white liberals, and he knows he’s into his second term.

But I do not think it is necessary for Obama to invoke his Christian faith as well as Scripture in his defence of gay marriage.

He is not only the first American president to reaffirm same-sex marriage but must also be the first one to quote from the Bible to justify his decision. In this instance, he quoted Matthew 7:12, known as the Golden Rule from Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount.

The Sermon On The Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus that emphasises moral teaching in the Gospel of Matthew. The Sermon is the longest piece of teaching from Jesus in the New Testament.

In a nutshell, the Golden Rule states that one should treat others the way one wants to be treated. My Bible states the Golden Rule paragraph as: “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

What Obama has done, like many politicians and their supporters including those in Malaysia, is to read selectively a passage or chapter from a holy book to back their political arguments – political expediency, in other words.

Worse still, some Obama supporters have written about or appeared on TV to point out how some figures in the Bible were polygamists or adulterers while conveniently leaving out the parts that these people eventually repented and found God. They can get away with this because most of us feel inadequate to take on a debate on theology.

Holy books are supposed to be read as a whole, not as a chapter or two, to enable us to have a complete understanding.

Obama, for example, has even implied that the Apostle Paul’s objection to homosexuality in the Bible “is less than transparent” and perhaps even at odds with Jesus. I am not sure if Obama, whose campaign theme is Change, is planning to change the Scripture.

In Malaysia, we are used to reading and hearing PAS leaders – politicians masquerading as theologians – quoting from the Quran to justify their political positions. Umno leaders are often criticised as “pharaohs” from the Age of Ignorance – kejahilan – before the age of Islam.

But now there is a trend among some Malaysian church leaders and Christian-based writers, who support Pakatan Rakyat, to quote from Scripture to justify the need to vote against the government in the coming general election.

This is done during Sunday sermons and via email, and those who are uncomfortable with this religious push are being made to feel guilty or not in sync with the rest of the church. Likewise, nobody wants to listen to a priest or pastor on a Sunday heaping praises on the Barisan Nasional or telling us about the coalition’s transformation plans. We will leave that to the Prime Minister and Datuk Seri Idris Jala.

Politics and religion should not be mixed. People who go to places of worship are united in their faith and never for a particular political party or politician. That’s why we are in a democracy and that’s why we have elections – the right to differ and the right to choose.

The lesson to learn from the Obama controversy is this – the first time around, he was a fresh personality and people around the US wanted change. They were fed up with anything conventional and mainstream. Obama represented hope and ideals.

But the fact is, he is not a Saviour. He is just another self-serving politician who will do anything for self-preservation.

First, it was same-sex civil union. Now it’s same-sex marriage and once that’s legal, same-sex couples would have the constitutional rights to adopt babies from orphanages, and churches will break the law if they reject performing wedding rites for them.

Well, that’s change for you from Obama.

The lady who asked the question said that before she moved to Malaysia, she had been told that the neighbourhood here was safe and well maintained to meet the demands of the international community.

But she was upset after hearing that break-ins had taken place in condominiums. How did they get past the security guards and CCTV? she wanted to know.

The management of the condominiums in the area and police were of course not keen to splash such news in the media.

The Star subsequently reported that the wealthy living in the posh area were being targeted by burglars and robbers.

Police presence: Security in Mont Kiara was beefed up after the abduction of Nayati.

On March 11, an ex-wife of a prominent Tan Sri was robbed by four men armed with crowbars and they reportedly escaped with RM1.5mil worth of jewellery and RM50,000 cash. There have also been break-ins with the thieves getting away with smaller amounts.

That these crimes happened in gated properties with security guards and in flats where residents need access cards to get in is highly disturbing.

Brickfields OCPD Asst Comm Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid confirmed that a robbery occurred at about 6pm in a condominium with a 24-hour security. Everyone knows that all the condominiums in that area have round-the-clock security.

I am not sure whether the culprits have been caught as they were said to have bypassed the guards with a stolen or duplicate access card to enter the premises.

A month later, Sunrise Bhd, the biggest developer in the area, spearheaded a community-based campaign with the police. The campaign included conducting joint patrols by the police and auxiliary force, crime prevention talks, dialogues and exhibitions by the police.

Datuk Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim said Sunrise was setting up an Intelligent Video Analytics system that could send alerts instantaneously in response to a crime.

That was before the kidnapping of 12-year-old Nayati Shamelin Moodliar last week, which attracted international attention.

Obviously there is now a greater need to assure the safety of the international community here. They would have heard about the numerous snatch thieves in Malaysia but this kidnapping incident would have jolted them. The bottom line is that after the kidnapping incident, Mont Kiara has lost its reputation as a safe place.

The population density at Mont Kiara has increased over the past years and the police beat there isn’t sufficient any more. Surely the force must consider upgrading to a fully-fledged police station now.

There are currently a total of 45 cameras in the area but more would be needed given the increase in people and traffic movement.

We cannot afford to have another kidnapping case involving a foreigner in Mont Kiara. If that happens, then Kuala Lumpur could be downgraded into the ranks of Manila where no one is safe in the streets.

I hope the police will see the seriousness of this whole episode.

The public still have high regard for the police in handling serious crimes.

When Nayati was kidnapped, many Malay­sians found it hard to believe that a foreigner could be kidnapped and many were asking whether the family had offended anyone at work or whether it was a family-related case.

There was disbelief because when a foreigner is kidnapped, greater pressure is exerted on the police, who certainly would go the extra mile to pursue the kidnappers. The risk of the criminals being caught and killed by the police is greater, for sure.

There was even speculation that the kidnappers could be foreigners as there have been cases of Africans abducting other Africans in Kuala Lumpur. But now it has dawned on many that Malaysians could be involved although the police have not made any comments.

We believe the police will complete their task successfully. Despite the criticism of our men in blue’s handling of Bersih 3.0, where protesters and media personnel were assaulted, many of us recognise the work of the police in fighting serious crimes.

But they need to re-look their operations in Mont Kiara as it is Kuala Lumpur’s biggest international community enclave. They must be made to feel safe here; there can be no compromise on that. A lot is at stake to maintain our reputation and our efforts to attract the best and brightest brains to work here.

On the government side, while the Prime Minister has made several nationwide trips, his series of visits, which emphasises his government transformation plans on services for the people, has only just started.

Both sides have also not finalised their list of candidates despite their bravado in making declarations that they are ready for elections.

With a tough fight ahead, being winnable candidates is not good enough; they have to be trustworthy too. Both sides do not want defections after the general election.

This is especially so for Pakatan Rakyat whose elected representatives defected after the polls.

For the Barisan Nasional, it would not want to deal with a situation similar to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s attempt to woo Barisan MPs to cross over.

So far, only the DAP’s Karpal Singh has consistently argued for a law to stop defections. The rest from both sides have refused to be drawn into such a commitment, preferring perhaps to keep the options open.

Then there is the matter of seat swapping. Both sides are still at the negotiation table and, in the case of Pakatan Rakyat, the unhappy components have gone to the media to voice their frustrations.

In Sabah, the local opposition want the Pakatan Rakyat to stay out but the DAP, especially, is adamant in contesting. It will lead to a crowded fight if no compromises are made within the opposition.

In the Barisan, the seat-swapping issue is still being sorted out and has not even gone to the supreme council level yet.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s diary is packed with commitments, including overseas visits. The media has already been informed of his trips to the United Kingdom and United States in mid-May.

It does not look like a red herring as planning for his meetings has been completed and he would also take a short holiday with his family after his official duties, which include meeting members of the Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council in New York.

The council was set up to enable the country to make a quantum leap from a middle-income status to a high-income one.

By the time Najib returns, it would be the last week of May, and calling for polls in June will be unlikely from a strategic planning point of view.

The push for rural votes – the core of Umno’s support – will continue in June, especially after the windfall for Felda settlers has been declared from the listing of Felda Global Ventures Holdings (FGVH) Bhd, either in end May or early June.

The windfall will be in two forms – cash and equity – but the excitement would be the amount of the quantum. But word is that the rewards would be good.

Over the next few days, Najib will also be announcing details of the minimum wage plan and there is also talk that the Government will unravel the nine-month Malaysia Airlines-Air Asia alliance as early as Wednesday.

The alliance has been a source of discontent for the 22,000-strong staff of the national flag carrier. Their number is big, and given the fact that they are believed to be supporters of the ruling coalition, and their family members who are voters would be too, this issue is significant.

Over in Sabah and Sarawak, there will be two major celebrations – the Kaamatan festival of the Kadazandusun community on May 30 and 31 and Gawai for the Sarawakian Dayaks on June 1 and 2.

As these festivals are the most important events on the calendars of the two main communities in these states, no one would be expected to campaign for elections during this period.

Many Sabahans and Sarawakians, especially those working in the peninsula, are also expected to take a long break at this time.

Those who talk about a June 9 general election obviously have no idea of what’s happening in Sabah and Sarawak.

By July, it will already be the fasting month, which means there won’t be any election campaign. After this, the whole month of August will be taken up by the Hari Raya celebrations.

That means the first week of September will be the last window period.

The general election cannot be in late September as the haj season would have begun, ending only in October.

Then there is the Parliament meeting from Sept 24 to Nov 27, where the Budget needs to be tabled.

Once it is tabled, it has to be approved by the Dewan Negara, which means the session will drag on until next year.

If you are planning a holiday or a major corporate event in May or June, go ahead, your plans won’t be disrupted.

In fact, Malaysia is hosting Asia’s largest oil and gas event from June 5 to 7, bringing top people from this industry to Kuala Lumpur.

If you have planned for the Olympics in London, enjoy the Games, which starts on July 26 and ends on Aug 12.

But don’t be away too long because the drumbeats of the general election would be very loud by then.

So, for the first time in Malaysian journalism, you will have a print newspaper that provides you with both sound and visual. If you have done that, we would have taken a big step together in this exciting journey.

Go to any of the pages in the newspaper from today. If you see an article or advertisement with the iSnap logo, it would have a playable video or audio clip or additional content such as a photo gallery, maps, product catalogues or contest entry forms.

For instance, if you read an “iSnapped” article about football in the sports pages, you can watch a video clip of the goal being scored. For a review of a movie, the iSnap technology allows us to show a video trailer of the movie on your phone or tablet.

I am always asked about the fate of the newspaper. If we recall, there were those who predicted that video would kill the cinemas, but cinemas have re-invented themselves and have staged a strong comeback, proving their critics wrong.

There is also the tendency to divide the media into mainstream and alternative media but really, the line has blurred.

In Malaysia, the top 20 news websites on the Internet are by the traditional news companies. This is because people want to read news of all kinds, not just politics. In fact, media practitioners have long realised that the top 10 news items read are often not political news.

Media organisations are just like any other business concerns with wages and expenses to pay. They need to make money.

Most have found it hard to monetise the model of just providing news over the Internet. People expect content to be free over the Internet, that’s the culture.

Media organisations have tried the subscription model only to find out that Malaysians share passwords. In the case of games applications, they try to break the codes. There are plenty of such experts at Low Yat Plaza in Kuala Lumpur.

In the media industry, print is still king in Malaysia, taking a huge chunk of the advertising revenue.

The Star Online is the country’s number one news portal with 47 million pageviews a month. However, it is the newspaper, The Star/Sunday Star, that is the flagship with 1.3 million readership.

We went online 19 years ago with our Star Online and today, we are taking another lead with this innovative approach.

Then there are our four radio stations – in Bahasa Malaysia, English and Chinese – Redfm 104.9, Suria FM, 99.8FM and Capital Radio 88.9FM, which is targeted at women. In short, we are a content provider delivering news and information via print, Internet and radio.

Thanks to the emergence of smartphones and tablet computers, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, for example, the entire newspaper is now available on the go online for those who want to read it in its original format and they can switch to the Internet edition for updates at the same time.

And, more important, the Audit Bureau of Circulation has allowed the sale of the digital replica of a newspaper to be accepted as the same as the sale of the printed version.

For advertisers, this means having their presence on both the print and digital versions at the same time. It also means the young and old can read the paper at the same time.

Furthermore, via the e-paper, readers in Sabah and the more remote parts of Sarawak can now read the newspaper’s different editions no later than seven every morning.

So Malaysia, our new journey begins today. Thanks for making history together.