The complainants argue that the columbarium would not fit
into the environment because Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, formerly Northam Road,
has been promoted as a tourist district.

Among the landmarks in the area are the E & O Hotel, City Bayview Hotel, the
Homestead, which was the home of the late Yeap Chor Ee who founded Ban Hin Lee
Bank, and the late Loh Boon Siew's mansion.

The protesting businessmen and residents want to know why the council did not
bother to seek their views as adjoining property owners and whether an impact
study was carried out.

Regarded as the Golden Mile of Penang, the businessmen there fear that property
values would drop once the columbarium is built and the area might eventually
be known as the Memorial Mile. They want to the columbarium to be sited
elsewhere on the island or the mainland preferably near a crematorium, in line
with the environmental character of such areas.

A memorandum, which includes the signatures of some well-connected businessmen
in Kuala Lumpur, has been sent to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi.

Those who feel that these businessmen are over-reacting have said the
columbarium would, in fact, be merely an extension of the Christian cemetery
where the founder of Penang, Captain Francis Light, is buried. The tomb of
Thomas Leonowen – the husband of Anna, the tutor of King Mongkut's children,
who was portrayed in the movie Anna and The King – is also at the
cemetery.

Critics of the project say that although the cemetery is rich in history, the
state government has failed to exploit its tourism potential. They add that it
could not be regarded as an extension of the columbarium because the last
recorded burial was in 1894.

Defenders of the project point out that the columbarium – to be known as the
House of Remembrance – would not affect the aesthetic beauty of the area
because its facade looks like a five-star hotel.

From artist impressions, the columbarium certainly looks classy with shiny
marble floors and fountains at the lobby and other parts of the building. Under
the project, the old Shih Chung school would be incorporated into the new
building and thus help stop heritage buildings from being torn down.

The columbarium, argue the defenders, would not affect the cultural value of Penang
and may even become a tourist attraction if it was properly maintained, like
the Nirwana Memorial Park in Semenyih, Selangor.

The council can expect plenty of questions from Penangites: would hotel guests
want to see funeral services conducted near the columbarium, no matter how well
maintained it would be? That aside, during the annual Qing Ming (All Souls'
Day) festival, the area would be jammed with traffic, even with an underground
car park.

Last week, state executive councillor Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said the project
had been approved and the question of review did not arise. Earlier, the
council's planning and development chairman Tan Hiap Seng said the developer
had complied with the requirements to build the vault to hold the urns and that
approval was given last year.

The developer, Stamford Raffles By The Sea Sdn Bhd, has not commented on the
project despite its magnitude.

The site was originally owned by Cheah Tek Soon, a prominent 19th century
figure after whom Tek Soon Street was named. The island's first four-storey
private residence was built there before 1893 and later acquired by businessman
Tye Yee Koon who turned it into a hotel. It has appeared in old postcards as
''Bellevue Hotel'' and ''Raffles By The Sea.'' The site was later occupied by
Shih Chung school which was founded in 1908.

For the council to keep silent on the project when a controversy is raging is
poor urban management. If it feels strongly that it is right in approving the
columbarium, then it should explain the rationale to Penangites.

Surely there must be merits to the building of a columbarium, given the
shortage of land on the island. Despite the negative perception of such a
project, it certainly fulfils the needs of the people.

However, the council should not give the impression that it does not owe
Penangites an explanation. The trouble with many state and council leaders is
they forget that their salaries come from taxpayers.

Penang has lost its shine over the years because of poor urban planning and
lack of vision. The people of Penang deserve to have a say in how they want the
city to be run.

Thus, some officials have treated their municipalities as
their fiefdom, subtly reminding the Local Government and Housing Ministry that
it only has a policy-making role despite being a federal entity.

As minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting says, the rules are there but the problem
begins at the implementation stage especially when rules are interpreted to
suit the council, or the officials.

In fact, at one time, many municipal council presidents' posts were held by the
mentris besar or chief ministers themselves.

Unlike other government agencies, the local governments have plenty of cash as
they collect revenue in various forms such as assessment rates, parking fees
and summonses.

In affluent areas, we sometimes see these councils spending taxpayers' money on
so-called beautification projects but which actually brought the
opposite.

The Subang Jaya Municipal Council, one of the richest councils, spent RM3mil to
build the Millennium Square, with some steel replicas of palm trees and a pond
squeezed into it — hardly the tourist attraction the council tried to spin to
justify this wastage.

But the main complaints of ordinary Malaysians are basically the failure of
councils to do a decent job in keeping their residential areas clean.

They want their rubbish collected, the streets properly lit, the grass properly
cut, the wet markets clean and playing fields available for our children to
spend their time.

For traders and businessmen, they want the enforcement officers to be fair.
Many of us must have, at one time or another, seen how high-handed these
officers can be in dealing with unlicensed traders.

We must have wondered why no action was taken against restaurant owners who
placed their tables on parking lots when motorists, just down the road, are
fined when their meters run out of parking time.

No one can fault ordinary Malaysians if they suspect these officials of being
corrupt. The saddest part is that councils are acting against these errant
restaurateurs only after a fatal car accident in Petaling Jaya.

We are talking about making Malaysia a developed nation but our city officials
are certainly not doing what they are supposedly paid to do.

Forget about living in well-managed cities like those in Australia and Canada.
You can choose to live in Putrajaya, where 70% of the land is earmarked for
parks, gardens, open spaces and lakes if we want quality of living.

For the rest of us, we have to live with our councils which are doing a lousy
job in grappling with problems like flash floods, illegal building extensions,
cleanliness, maintenance, traffic jams and the ubiquitous hawkers.

Even the cleanliness in affluent Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur, billed as the
alternate Bangsar, is fast deteriorating as its popularity grows.

You only have to stroll along the sidewalks to see rubbish strewn around, the
stench and the rats in the back lanes. Parking is, of course, a serious problem
and it makes us wonder how so many buildings can be approved when there is
insufficient parking space.

Our council officials can expect Malaysians to check on them. With Malaysians
travelling more and becoming more educated, our councillors would have to
reinvent themselves to meet rising expectations.

They should be prepared to be questioned over their actions. Their legitimacy,
accountability and transparency will always be the basis by which we judge
their ability to manage urban problems.

There have been suggestions that councillors should be elected instead of
appointed. It may be democratically attractive but it may not necessarily be workable,
especially if the Federal Government is run by another political party.

Let us also not assume that opposition politicians are angels. In Kelantan and
Terengganu, we have seen how the PAS-run councils have imposed outrageous rules
such as segregation of the sexes in supermarket checkouts, cinemas and even
Ferris-wheel rides.

According to urban planner Dr Goh Ban Lee, the Penang Island City Council,
under the Socialist Front in 1963, refused to celebrate Malaysia Day because it
considered the formation of Malaysia a form of neo-colonialism.

The council was subsequently suspended by the Alliance government and the state
secretary took over the council's administration. The two parties also spent
their time fighting each other instead of solving the people's problems.

It's time the Federal Government take away some of the powers of the councils
as well as lift the shroud of secrecy surrounding council meetings.

If parliamentary and senate meetings are open to the press, why should the
councils be exempted? If some mentris besar are now opening their doors once a
week to the people, why should council presidents be exempted?

If the telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of elected representatives in
Selangor are put up on billboards, why can't the senior officials and
councillors follow suit?

The job of running a city now no longer just require officials with urban
management background but those who will not be tempted to put their hand into
the kitty.

After 17 years at the helm as the party's longest serving
chief, it was still difficult for many MCA leaders, including his party rivals,
to accept the fact that a new leader had been elected.

As the party leaders spoke about the day's historic event at Wisma MCA, they
still referred to Dr Ling as ''the president'' as they talked about the
Transport Minister.

It was the same with non-MCA members who called up newsmen and party leaders to
find out what was going on at ''the president's house.'' (There was plenty of
food and drinks as the impromptu gathering dragged on to near midnight.)

There was no sadness at the party. The leadership succession has finally taken
place with both Dr Ling and his deputy, Datuk Seri Lim Ah Lek, stepping down
simultaneously.

''I resign not with a heavy heart but with a sense of ease in the knowledge
that our party will be in capable hands,'' he wrote in his resignation
letter.

The same sentiments were felt that evening.

The central committee had voted to reject the two resignations and wanted them to
reconsider their decisions but they remained adamant, proving sceptics
wrong.

As the central committee reconvened its meeting on Friday evening, they
proceeded to vote in Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting as president and Datuk Chan Kong
Choy as deputy.

With the exception of vice-president Datuk Chua Jui Meng, Youth chief Datuk Ong
Tee Keat and veteran Datuk Wong Mook Leong who were absent, the committee voted
solidly for the two.

The two names were proposed by Datuk Chor Chee Heung, aligned to Team A
previously, and seconded by Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek (Team A) and Datuk Tang See
Hang (Team B). There were no other names for the two posts.

Chua, who had to attend the Malaysian Medical Association dinner graced by the
King, sportingly congratulated Ong and Chan.

He wished them the best and hoped that they would deal with matters in a fair
manner. He noted that they would have to work hard to resolve the party's
problems before the general election.

The Health Minister, who is said to have also eyed the president's post, did
not express support for either Ong or Chan but his words were certainly
comforting, given the scenario.

Tee Keat, who has criticised the leadership harshly, abstained when the
resolution to reject Dr Ling and Lim's resignations were put to a vote earlier.
He did not turn up for the meeting in the evening.

Chua and Tee Keat were elected to their party posts and they would remain until
2005, as agreed under the peace plan.

However, with the political realignment taking place in the MCA, their influence
is likely to be affected.

When Chua arrived at the KL International Airport on Friday morning from
Geneva, he was greeted only by Tee Keat and Wanita deputy chief Datuk Paduka Dr
Tan Yee Kew and other supporters.

But at the evening central committee meeting, Dr Tan, who is the MP for Klang,
voted for Ong and Chan for the top two posts. In the afternoon, Chua also
followed the tide and voted against the resignations of Dr Ling and Lim.

In the case of Tee Keat, he has chosen to go the opposite direction.

The spotlight is likely to continue to be trained on the hot-headed MP as he
awaits the outcome of disciplinary charges against him. He has allegedly
tarnished the image of the party by claiming there was triad
infiltration.

No one is sure how the political drama will unfold in the coming months or even
weeks but a new beginning has started with a generation of younger leaders at
the helm.

Ong and Chan have served in many capacities at party and government levels.
They are both experienced and would certainly be able to deal with issues in a
mature way.

They will bring fresh perspectives to the MCA and certainly help to rejuvenate
the second largest Barisan component party.

The two leaders have at least eight months to create a new party image and
identity ahead of the next general election, speculated to be held early next
year.

Every effort must be made to ensure that the two become a solid pair as they
have the urgent task of reuniting the party, split by 14 months of
infighting.

There will be those with selfish political interests who would attempt to pit
them against each other with lies and rumours.

Ong and Chan would by now understand these underlying dangers as they go hand
in hand to rebuild the MCA.

The message seems to be directed at the MCA, which is
trying to end its leadership crisis after more than a year. As the second
largest component party, there is no way the coalition can go to the polls
without the MCA ending its feud, which has badly affected the party's image and
credibility.

Party insiders say the two factions in the MCA are trying to reach a solution
ahead of the party general assembly in July.

In Sabah, Dr Mahathir reminded his audience at the Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah
congress on Friday about Barisan's concept of power sharing. His presence at
the meeting was certainly a testimony to what he said because the PBRS is one
of the smallest parties in the 14-member coalition.

Tracing the formation of Umno, Dr Mahathir said Barisan had been effective
because Malaysia was one of the most successful developing nations today.

More election talk was uttered in Terengganu when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi stepped up his campaign against PAS by criticising the way in which the
Islamist party had been running the state.

Expressing regret that the PAS state government had opposed the setting up of
two Mara junior science colleges in Terengganu, Abdullah said the action had
deprived Terengganu students of getting an education in the state.

More salvos can be expected over the coming months. Next month, the Umno
general assembly will be held for four days from June 18 at the Putra World
Trade Centre.

It is likely to be the largest party general assembly as the nation awaits Dr
Mahathir's final message at the meeting. He is also scheduled to speak to
members on June 17 at a closed-door meeting in the run-up to the general
assembly.

It will be MCA's turn on July 12, where Dr Mahathir has been invited to open
the party's general assembly at the Dewan San Choon. From June 1, MCA president
Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik and other party leaders will attend the various
state conventions ahead of the assembly.

These meetings are crucial because they will serve as a platform for the
leaders to send a clear message to their grassroots members.

MCA leaders would have to seriously examine their priorities, as well as that
of Barisan, as the clock ticks away. They have to prove to the Chinese
community that they can place the people's interest first and that message
would have to be emphasised at the general assembly.

The setting up of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman and the on-going fund-raising
campaign is evident of what the MCA can do when its leaders put their hearts
into a particular project.

The feud in the MCA has been a fight over party and government positions –
nothing else. It is clear that the patience of Barisan elders is running thin
and the MCA leaders must resolve their differences now.

The Umno and MCA general assemblies would probably be the last before the next
general election.

It is unlikely that the polls would be held this year as the calendar of the
Prime Minister is packed until October, when the Organisation of Islamic
Conference (OIC) summit would be held in Kuala Lumpur.

Once Abdullah takes over the helm, he would have to seek a fresh mandate for
his leadership and a certain period of preparation would be needed before the
polls are called.

The opposition, too, has been busy getting ready for the general election. PAS
secretary-general Nasharuddin Mat Isa said the party, together with Parti
Keadilan Nasional and Parti Rakyat Malaysia which are in the process of
merging, had ''roughly agreed on which party will contest where.''

The DAP and Keadilan, according to reports, are also working on an
understanding to avoid clashing with each other, particularly in certain
constituencies.

The present parliamentary term ends in November next year but Barisan has the
option of managing a caretaker government for an additional six months before
it calls for the next general election, which will see additional seats in both
Parliament and state assemblies.

The Election Commission has drawn up new electoral boundaries, increasing the
number of seats in the Dewan Rakyat to 219 from 194, with a total of 505 state
assembly seats.

The seriousness of the moment was lightened when the two politicians admitted
that they, too, had been watching pirated VCDs.

The fact that so many VCDs are being openly sold,
particularly at night markets and five-foot ways, is proof that there is a
demand.

No Malaysian will admit on record that they buy these fakes, at RM5 each or
less, but there certainly is a market for them.

Among the many reasons why Malaysians buy pirated VCDs – mostly movies – is
because they are out on the streets faster than at the cinemas.

As much as Malaysians are aware that stolen intellectual property is a crime,
the reality of the pocket seems to have taken priority.

Malaysians also prefer to watch their movies uncensored. Most of us are simply
tired of our Censorship Board, comprising mostly retired civil servants who
seem out of touch with the growing sophistication of Malaysians.

These scissors-wielding protectors of society have earned the wrath of most
Malaysians who find most of their decisions ridiculous.

But pirated VCDs have come with a price for Malaysians who want cheap movies –
the easier availability of pornographic shows.

South Korean, Hong Kong and Japanese smut now flood the VCD market and school
children are said to be among the big buyers.

According to one recent church survey in Malaysia, pornographic addiction is
now the biggest problem for the Christian community. It has affected not just
churchgoers but also church workers such as pastors.

The problem is not just the occasional purchase of a pornographic VCD but an
addiction either through VCD or the Internet.

Realising the magnitude of this social concern, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Abdullah Badawi has taken the right step in ordering a joint assault on
pornographic VCD, with the various agencies vowing to go after manufacturers,
production houses and street peddlers to stamp out this menace.

Last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad gave a similar order
and, for a while, the authorities concerned sprang into a series of
high-profile action. However, the operations dissipated after a while.

It remains to be seen whether these agencies have the determination and stamina
to keep at it in this current clampdown.

To make the operations more meaningful, the Anti-Corruption Agency should be
roped in with its own investigations.

The pirated VCD market is too lucrative and no one will be surprised if
powerful forces are found to be involved.

Let's not fool ourselves into believing that eradicating smut peddlers from our
neighbourhoods would solve our problem.

The menace is easily available on the Internet in the privacy of our homes, and
sometimes for free.

Unless we monitor our children's usage of the Internet, we cannot be certain of
the websites they visit.

We would only be paying the telephone bill, believing that our hard-working
youngsters are on the way to Harvard.

There is a positive note, however. Remember when the first video recorders came
to Malaysia, pornographic video tapes were the rage but soon, people got bored
and went on to other things.

Tourists prefer to talk about the opportunity to
experience marvellous scenery, the rich cultural history and traditions, than
to point out a few Chinese idiosyncrasies.

Spitting is so prevalent that it happens just about everywhere – in restaurants
as you are eating, in buses or on the sidewalks, from the person standing next
to you and at just about all tourist spots.

But with the SARS outbreak, the Chinese authorities have the opportunity to
educate the people that it is unhealthy and unacceptable behaviour to spit in
public places.

To be fair, the Chinese Government has tried to curtail this nasty habit – even
before SARS became part our daily vocabulary – by imposing fines but it has
never been taken seriously because it is near impossible to enforce.

Heavy smoking among the mainlanders has also contributed to widespread
spitting. According to estimates, the average Chinese smoker puffs away more
than a pack of 20 sticks a day, with more and more of their countrymen lighting
up.

Smoking may be socially unacceptable now in many Asian countries, including
Malaysia and Singapore, but in China smokers do not bother to ask their guests
for permission to light up in restaurants.

During a recent trip to Kunming in Yunnan, southern China, my 20-something
tourist guide was surprised when I voiced my unhappiness over smoking in
restaurants.

In China, this young man said, smoking was considered a ''macho'' thing
although the people knew the health dangers. Men were encouraged to smoke to
prove their manliness, he added.

It is impossible to stay in a hotel room that is free from cigarette smell. Unless
you are booked into a five-star hotel with non-smoking floors, you would have
to put up with the smell of stale cigarette smoke during your package tour
(where the accommodation is usually three-star.)

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal in 2001,
two-thirds of all young men in China's population of 1.27 billion people end up
as smokers. They use up 30% per cent of the world's cigarettes and the Chinese
Government is the largest producer of cigarettes in the world.

Public toilets are a nightmare in most parts of China. They make spitting and
smoking tolerable as little attention seems to be paid to keeping public
toilets clean.

Having travelled to almost 20 cities in China, I still find it a culture shock
when I have to look for toilets; these are sometimes just holes in the ground
or ditches. In many cases, toilets have very low wooden partitions; some do not
even have doors.

As a man, I have the advantage over women in many ways whenever I travel along
Chinese highways. I don't have to deliberate on this but my wife says the
''open air system'' is sometimes the best!

Despite having a weak stomach, I managed to control myself extremely well
during an overnight train ride along the Silk Road and once to Harbin, one of
the coldest parts of China.

It is good that the Chinese authorities are fully aware of these shortcomings.
In many major cities, the authorities have started to impose heavier fines on
its people for spitting.

In a similar development, the Beijing authorities recently decided to increase
the fine against chewing gum droppers at Tiananmen Square from 20 to 50 yuan
(US$2.40 to US$6) because nearly 1,000 people have been working to remove
600,000 wads of chewing gum carelessly discarded by residents and visitors.

The clean-up reportedly cost the Beijing authorities over a million yuan
(US$120,000).

Beijing has also initiated a programme to clean up hundreds of public toilets
and to equip them with modern facilities as the Chinese capital gears itself up
for the 2008 Olympics.

Aware of the huge income derived from tourism, the toilets at some tourist
spots are reserved for visitors.

That aside, China has to educate its people – in a revolutionary way – on the
need for personal hygiene.

One classic case is Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee
Hwa, who has come under fire from the demanding islanders for his handling of
the SARS issue, although there is very little he can do.

The best brains in Hong Kong's health services are working overtime and under
intense pressure to find a cure and they should be commended for tracking down
the virus in record time.

The finger pointing is really unnecessary because it does not help to solve the
SARS problem. It does not make sense to blame health officials for the outbreak
but they should be penalised if they attempt to keep the situation under
wraps.

China's Health Minister Zhang Wenkang and Beijing Major Meng Xuenong were
sacked from the Communist Party by the leadership to show it was serious in its
handling of the SARS problem.

Zhang has been former President Jiang Zemin's personal doctor since the late
1980s when the latter was still Mayor of Shanghai. His mistake, like many other
politicians, was to lie to the public.

The sacking of the two and China's admittance that it had not been transparent
are unusual and such loss of face is tremendously hard to swallow for the
Chinese leadership.

But the lesson from this episode, for the Chinese leaders as well as other
Asian leaders, is the habit of resorting to secrecy as a first step in crisis
management is no longer applicable today.

Those responsible for internal security should realise that bad news today
would not lead to social unrest and panic. That may have been the case of
street-style politics during the 60s.

But times have changed. Such secrecy can no longer work in the Internet age.
While the state can attempt to stop the media from highlighting the SARS issue,
it will not be able to stop reports over the Internet.

In fact, when rumours broke out via SMS that a fashion outlet at a shopping
complex in Petaling Jaya had shut down because its workers were inflicted with
SARS, it was the print media that took the task of informing the public that it
was not true.

It was the print media, lambasted by some quarters for supposedly
sensationalising the SARS issue, that took the trouble to send reporters to the
shopping complex to determine the true situation. Not the electronic or online
media.

Then there are those in the tourism industry. There can be no doubt that people
will now travel only when absolutely necessary. No responsible employers would
ask their workers to travel unnecessarily and most overseas holidays would be
postponed.

It is irresponsible for any tourism official or politician in charge of tourism
to suggest that the press should not highlight the SARS issue. Turning a blind
eye, for the sake of political and economic expediency, is not the way.

The role of the media is to inform and educate the public and, in the case of
SARS, the Malaysian press has generally played a meaningful role. Politicians
should learn to accept criticisms, not just praises.

Last week, New Straits Times editor-in-chief Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad correctly
pointed out ''it will be folly for the Health Ministry to follow China's
example. There were sloppy attempts early on to manage information, but the
media's careful uncovering of the incidence of the disease has done more to
assuage public concern.''

He wrote in his column On The Record on April 23 that every precaution must be
taken, with enough visibility to show that the Government was both earnest and
effective in dealing with the potential scourge.

''The irony of disinformation is that there can be a severe backlash if that is
what it is shown to be – a sophisticated attempt to bluff your way out of
trouble. Open and rapidly communicative economies such as Singapore and Hong
Kong don't even bother to quell the fear factor, and err on the side of
over-reaction.

''On the other hand, Malaysia tends to err on the side of under-reaction. In
previous disease outbreaks, such as the coxsackie and viral encephalitis,
information curtailment can be argued to have worked to stem panic – the
pathogens did not spread too far and wide. But SARS is different.''

In Malaysia, I still believe the health officials have handled the flow of
information reasonably well, despite the initial hiccups, but the reprimand to
the Chinese dailies seems unnecessary.

The criticism and counter arguments between the Chinese dailies and the Health
Ministry are unhealthy. Both sides should get on with the real work of fighting
the health menace.

Shortly after the Bup Kudus, as the Iban-language Bible
is called, was banned by the ministry, quiet overtures were made to
Abdullah.

I believe that Abdullah, who is also Home Minister, will give a fair hearing to
the appeals by the church groups.

He has said he is prepared to meet the Council of Churches to discuss the ban,
saying it will be lifted if the ministry is satisfied with arguments put
forward by the Iban community.

On Friday, Abdullah said the matter was brought up at the Cabinet meeting and
the ministers were briefed by Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak president Datuk Leo
Moggie, who is the Energy, Communications and Multimedia Minister. The council
should now let the process of appeal take its course.

Abdullah has pointed out that the translation of some of the words and phrases
in the book had created confusion.

Citing that God had been translated as Allah Ta'ala, Abdullah said he was
surprised to know this ''but if that's the meaning, we cannot object and
(cannot) ask them to change.''

To avoid confusion, Abdullah suggested that translations of the Bible should
clearly state that they were meant for that particular community. He said this
would ensure that Muslims understood the book was meant for Iban-speaking
Christians.

On why the ban was imposed when Bup Kudus had been used for more than 15 years,
Abdullah said doubts over the translation had been raised.

''Many things can happen in 15 years. Suddenly people find 'errors' in the
book,'' he added.

The council should adopt an open mind to the suggestions made by Abdullah.
There should not be any problem stating on copies of the Bible that these are
meant for Christians.

As the book is merely a translation, there is also nothing wrong to state that
these are translations. After all, English Bibles are also translations and
depending on which version you own, the words used do differ.

The original Bible is in Hebrew, not English or Iban, and the churches should
be prepared to be flexible.

Once these adjustments are made, there should be no reason why the ban on the
Iban-language Bible should not be lifted.

If those phrases in question have been used for 15 years without any confusion,
then the council also has a right to point this out. They should argue along
the lines of who has been confused or confusing the whole situation, which
should never have arisen in the first place.

The Government must understand that eventually more and more Christian books
will be written in Bahasa Malaysia because the young are more comfortable with
the language as a result of the national education policy. The use of the
national language in churches, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, is only
natural.

As Deputy Information Minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin said, no one should be
paranoid when a sermon is delivered in Bahasa Malaysia.

During our chat on Saturday morning, he said the Malay language no longer
belonged to the Malays but to all Malaysians. Similarly, there is an
Indonesian-language Bible.

Zainuddin said Abdullah hoped everyone concerned could discuss the
matter.

Likewise, there should be no obstruction to applications to set up churches in
predominantly non-Muslim areas because their purpose is to fulfil the spiritual
needs of Christians, nothing more.

The Federal Constitution clearly guarantees the freedom of religious practices
among Malaysians.

The reasoning of moderate leaders like Pak Lah and Zam are reassuring. I am
sure their views will provide Christians with some comfort as we celebrate the
holy day of Easter, when Jesus Christ arose three days after being crucified on
the cross.

Malaysians should always be vigilant against extremists, irrespective of their
religion and race. At the same time, we should place our trust in the
Government's leadership of consensus and accommodation.

Shutting down information and pretending SARS doesn't
exist has not only caused many lives to be lost but has put millions of
mainland Chinese at risk.

The impact is being felt three months later as more countries are being hit by
SARS as a result of international travel. Even countries in Europe and South
America have reported suspected cases.

But as both nations deal with SARS, another fight is taking place at the
diplomatic level. China is trying to salvage its image, with Health Minister
Zhang Wenkang appearing regularly on television to talk about the precautions
and successes in curbing the virus.

Newly appointed Premier Wen Jiabao has also spoken about a ''national emergency
mechanism'' to fight the killer virus, as well as taking a more honest approach
toward the public.

Taiwan – in the classic case of seeing an opportunity in a crisis – has
launched a campaign to seek international support to gain observer's status in
the World Health Organisation.

It has complained that it sought help from WHO to diagnose and treat three
suspected SARS cases but was refused, evidently because of objections from
China. When Taiwan withdrew from the United Nations in 1971, it also lost its
WHO membership that is part of the UN administration.

It has tried every year to gain observer's status, but is blocked by China and
the majority of members of the World Health Assembly because of the ''one-China
policy.''

Besides losing out on benefits enjoyed by members, Taiwan claims it cannot
effectively share its health-related experiences and resources with the
international community.

With plenty of money at its disposal, Taiwan has pointed out that from 1995 to
2002, it donated over US$120mil in relief to the international community in 78
countries spanning five continents.

Taiwan, understandably, has cried foul, saying China's stand was a form of
''health apartheid'' as politics should not be a factor in health treatment,
particularly when human lives are involved.

Politics aside, the reality is that as the pace of globalisation quickens and
the spread of infectious disease becomes critical, the world must re-look the
way it handles health cases.

In over three months, a disease has spread speedily and infected people around
the world. The SARS disease will not just hit humans but also affect the
economy of many countries, particularly those who depend on tourism.

Political barriers should not be used to fight health threats. What is required
is the collective effort of all countries, regardless of their political
allegiance. The sharing of information has become more urgent.

The dissemination of relevant data, technology and other resources to monitor,
prevent and respond to SARS is of great urgency now as travelling becomes
easier. Countries must always be a step ahead and political motivations should
not be allowed to get in the way of fighting the epidemic.

The SARS issue should also be a lesson to those in government – when vital
information about a deadly disease is kept away from the public, it will soon
become a bigger problem for the government.

The value of a responsive and accountable government must be valued and Acting
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must be commended for insisting
that the Cabinet would be open.

The world has yet to see Iraqis holding little American
flags and welcoming their ''liberators.'' Instead, the US-led troops have found
a more hostile reception. In the meantime, more coalition troops have been
killed by ''friendly fire'' than by Iraqis in the desert.

Bush, who has been expecting an uprising against Saddam, has found strong
resistance from Iraqis while the sandstorms have slowed down the march into
Baghdad. It has frustrated the Americans but there should be no doubt that the
US will eventually win the war.

No one should kid themselves into assuming that the Iraqis will be able to
defeat the Americans when they enter Baghdad. It's a one-sided war but the
coalition is finding the human cost much higher than expected.

Blatantly using the American media to justify the invasion, CNN, CNBC and Fox
TV are giving ordinary Americans the impression that everything has gone according
to plan despite the little hitches.

The American people have been given a different picture through the so-called
embedded reporters, who are informing the world how the attack is being waged
through the eyes of coalition troops.

Malaysians are luckier than Americans, in a sense. Through Astro, we are able
to follow the developments in Iraq through various options such as CNN, CNBC,
Al-Jazeera, BBC and occasionally the German station.

Last week, Malaysians even got to see how Beijing-based CCTV covered the war
through Chinese reporters.

So far, there has been little objectivity in the coverage by the major media.
The American TV stations repeat that the attack is to liberate the Iraqi people
– it is not an invasion or an attack.

These terms would never be used by the embedded reporters. The joke is because
these reporters are already ''in bed'' with the American forces.

CNBC has even used the the official codename Operation Iraqi Freedom as its
tagline. We are seeing more soldiers moving into Iraq rather than coverage of
injured Iraqi citizens.

The Qatar-based al-Jazeera is no better. It may have given the world the Arab
voice, particularly from Iraq, but it has been emotional in its coverage.

It reaches over 35 million Arabs, including 150,000 in the US. The station,
which has broadcast tapes from Osama bin Laden, has long incurred the wrath of
the White House.

By showing footage of captured American prisoners, the station was kicked out
of the New York Stock Exchange. Crying foul and citing the Geneva Convention,
the US was suddenly talking about international law.

Never mind the fact that it snubbed the United Nations and international laws.
Worse, White House officials have forgotten that the American stations were the
ones who had showed video footage of captured Iraqi soldiers first.

In comparison, the European media has been more sceptical in its coverage of
the war. The European reporters have provided a better perspective, asking
different questions at press conferences about the invasion.

While the US media is concerned over whether how many Iraqi cities have been
captured or whether Saddam is alive or dead, the Europeans have persistently
asked whether the US managed to turn up any weapons of mass destruction.

One reason for the difference in reportage could be because Europe, except for
Britain, is not involved in the invasion. Unlike the US, most European cities
have a high number of Muslims.

For example, Marseille, France, has a 30% Muslim population. It is similar in
German cities.

The call to boycott American products is unlikely to be effective. In fact, it
can even be self-defeating. As developing countries, these markets are hardly
significant to the US.

But should the Americans retaliate against these small countries, it would be
disastrous to these producers of commodities. All the US needs to do is to
impose difficult conditions or to increase tariffs.

Politicians who called for the boycott of American goods probably have little
understanding of global trade. They won't be doing the farmers and planters at
their constituencies a favour. That aside, fund managers feel jittery over any
harsh anti-American rhetoric.

Still, the world must speak up against a war that is clearly unjust and
unwarranted. With so many lives already lost, it is difficult not to be
emotional.