Our Wushu Exponents Get Olympic Medals

The following is extracted from 'Wushu exponents wrap up campaign with credible show' (The Star Online, 24/08/08). See also 'Wushu: Another silver for Malaysia' (NST Online, 23/08/08):

MALAYSIA wrapped up their campaign in the Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008 with two silvers and a bronze in the taolu (barehands and weapons) categories at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium yesterday.

Chai Fong Ying handed Malaysia the first silver in the women’s taijiquan and taijijian combined events in the morning before Lim Yew Fai grabbed the second in the men’s jiangshu (sword) and qiangshu (spear) combined events in the evening.

The 22-year-old Fong Ying, who is also the Doha Asian Games gold medallist, was trailing Japan’s Miyaoka Ai in third spot by a marginal difference of 0.2 after the taijiquan discipline on Friday. But she put up a better performance in the taijijian (taijisword) discipline to earn 9.70 for a combined total of 19.34 points. She received the silver medal from action movie star Jet Li.

Yew Fai finished just 0.1 point ahead of Vietnam’s Nguyen Huy Thanh with his total of 19.32. Chai Fong Wei delivered a bronze in the women’s gunshu and daoshu combined events with 19.16 for Malaysia’s fifth medal of the world meet.

Note: There was not much fanfare or publicity given to the success of our wushu team. The medals are not counted in the Olympic tally. I wonder whether they will receive the cash rewards (like Lee Chong Wei) and the Datukship.

Pak Lah Should Do It More Often

If it is not a political gimmick - given the upcoming Permatang Pauh by-election - then PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's decision to take time off to take rides on the Komuter and the LRT last week probably indicates that he is not particularly happy with the performance of the Transport Ministry. Badawi didn't say it but if the public transport service is in top shape, he need not have to personally see the state of affairs.

Beside the Komuter and LRT services, there are obviously other public services and amenities that need his attention. The lay people will be observing whether the PM will come down from his Putrajaya tower office more often and not during run-ups to by-elections.

Read 'Rail bad! LRT, Komuter not meeting expectations' and 'Mobility woes within the city' (NST Online) and 'PM unhappy with city rail services' (The Star Online).

Pak Lah Does It Again

Our PM had earlier said that there would be a (downward) revision to the pump price of fuel in September, and that an announcement would be made on 31 August. Then on 22 Aug - 10 days earlier than expected - he announced a reduction in fuel prices. This is, of course, not the first time that the PM did something contrary to what he said. But being the PM, he has the prerogative to speak and act in a manner he deems fit.

As expected, the government refuted claims that the earlier-than-expected move was linked to the Permatang Pauh by-election. More need not be said and you be the judge.

Interestingly, the price reduction coincided with the Statistics Department announcing that our country's inflation rate for July 2008 had risen to 8.5% from a year ago, and up 1.1% from June. As a consumer, what's more important is whether cost of living will come down in tandem with petrol price reduction. It is a long shot to see a decline in food prices and other consumer items.

Read 'Cut comes 10 days early' and 'DAP questions timing of petrol price reduction' (The Star).