How Not to Increase Forest Cover

Malaysia seems to have found a clever way to increase forest cover: Plant more rubber trees. But if you have to clear virgin jungle to do it, this may not do planet earth any good. The news items may be long, but...

Rhino Sanctuary In Sabah receives backing

  The East Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island teems with wildlife. Flora and fauna species in its primary rain forests arguably are more diverse than even those found in the Amazon jungles. Pygmy...

Hydropower from East Malaysia's Bakun Dam to Feed Developed West

After being dogged by numerous delays since the late 90's Asian financial crisis and lack of a clear direction for completing this massive project - rainforests the size of Singapore will be flooded - the...

First judge in Australia to be jailed on perjury charge

Former Australian Federal Court judge Marcus Einfeld appeared in court today after arriving in a taxi. He must have known this was a one-way journey as a free man. Einfeld was later sentenced to three years' jail for "deliberate premeditated perjury". "Einfeld claimed he...

Catch-me-if-you-can, Aussie-style

A conman has been jailed for cheating gullible victims out of thousands of dollars after posing as a doctor, airline pilot, CIA agent, military officer and even member of the band, the Monkees. " Faulkner approached people telling them that as a FedEx employee he was entitled...

Australians world's most prosperous?

"Good health, freedom of choice, political liberty, civil rights - these, along with high income, make Australians the most prosperous people in the world, found a study by the Dubai-based Legatum Institute ranking countries according to their prosperity. The...

Shell drops new investments in solar, wind and hydrogen energy

The world's second largest non state-controlled oil company has announced that its priority was to focus on investments that would bring the best return to its shareholders, and that wind and solar power projects...

Malaysia's employee savings fund declares 4.5% dividend

If returns from investments made in 2008 are used as a measure of how successful investment funds are, then Malaysia's Employee Provident Fund or EPF will arguably be one of the world's most successful.At 4.5%, the declared dividend is lower than the previous year's 5.8%. But...

Malaysia's next first lady expresses shock over smears

If Malaysia's first lady-in-waiting wants to look for a role model, she may have a tough act to follow. This March 31, her husband Najib Tun Razak takes over as the sixth prime minister of Malaysia after Abdullah...

Facebook outrage at 'Not Guilty' verdict

After a jury acquitted the thugs who had brutally attacked a policeman who subsequently became partially paralysed, the police force in Western Australia has warned that its morale would be seriously affected. Cases...

Justice for genocide victims - 30 years late

After 30 years, the first trial of a former Khmer Rouge leader begins. Kaing Guek Eav, 66, better known as Duch, was in charge of the Toul Sleng prison. It is believed that he was responsible for the deaths of...

Rare estuarine crocodile spotted in Straits of Malacca

  These beasts lurk in rivers and can be a deadly menace to swimmers and residents in the northern coasts of Australia. But last weekend, a lone "saltie", as these giants are often called, was spotted off...

International Arts Festival Opens in Perth.

  The three-week Perth International Arts Festival has opened with a fitting memorial to victims of the Boxing Day Tsunami. The musical event was held last evening on the bank of the River Swan. The packed...

Is $150 too much to pay to climb a mountain?

Climbing the highest mountain in Malaysia is not an easy feat. But booking a spot for the 2-day adventure trip seems to be harder. "In the past year, regular climbers and tourists, both foreign and local, have been...

1948 Massacre: Britain Rejects Inquiry Call

Britain has rejected a Malaysian petition to open an inquiry into a massacre of unarmed villages in British Malaya. "The "Batang Kali massacre" occurred in a village in central Selangor state on December 12, 1948,...

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