How to see the past?

When we look up in the sky on a clear night, we will see thousands of twinkling lights scattered across the vast universe. Some, of course are not stars even though they look like one. They are satellites, planets, moons of planets and other extra terrestrial objects. Do you know that when we look at a star, we are actually looking back into time? Light travels at, well, light speed (that is very fast in layman's term) and that still takes a few years for the light to arrive from the nearest star. So essentially we are looking at the star a few years back. At this very moment, the star could have gone supernova and exploded due to mass indigestion of its natives. And we will only know in a few years.

So let say we have a vehicle which is faster than the speed of light and we take this vehicle to a location very far from here, say 10 light years away. But we will reach there in only 1 year because we have hitched a ride with Captain Kirk on the Enterprise which was traveling at maximum warp speed all the way. Now, let say we also have a super duper telescope that can have an infinite magnification and we train the super duper telescope on Earth, I bet we could see ourselves ten years ago or nine years before we started our journey because the light has taken 10 years to reach that location.

What if Captain Kirk wasn't available? Well, there another way to look into the past. Take two mirrors of identical size slightly smaller than you. Place the two mirrors across a well lighted room facing each other. Stand behind one of the mirrors. Look into the reflection on the other mirror. On that mirror, there should be a reflection of you behind a mirror. Look closely in the reflection of the mirror in front of you and you should see a mirror with a reflection of you behind a mirror. As you look into the mirrors, you are actually looking into the past because the the distance traveled by light although insignificant at room size could be significant as you increased the size of the mirrors and the number of reflections that could be seen in the mirrors. Imagine a planet size mirrors, placed at the distance of the moon. The reflections in those mirrors could be light years apart and in the end you will be looking into history. Try it and be surprised!!!!

Political Opportunist or AKA Barnacles from the DAP

There are many kinds of politicians in Malaysia. Some politicians like to do good and let their deeds be judged by the public at the ballot box. Then there are a kind that like to dig up dirt on their opponents and points out the flaw in others while trying to increase their political image. The third kind is worst of them all. They are the kind that preys on the miseries of others and twist their plight to promote their own agenda. These opportunists or also known as "barnacles" are like a parasite that enjoys the facilities of its host but at the same time defecates in it, making it impossible for everyone else to enjoy the facility.

Recently, the opposition has been highlighting the Pontian Flyover problems on the chinese press. It is hard not to suspect that the chinese press are not sleeping in the same bed as the opposition by the lopsided report on the Pontian Flyover problems.

Among the qualms are:

Taman Sri Skudai access road has been cut off and business has dropped. The main complain is that traffic from the north(ie Senai) will not be able to access directly into the main business center. Another complaint is that, the residents will have to travel a couple of km further to make a U turn if they wish to go to JB or Senai.

What strike me strange with the report is the one sidedness of it all. Where are the interviews with the people who has benefited from this structure? Maybe anyone from Pekan Nenas or Pontian will do. Or even Taman University or anybody from Senai because NOW there is no more jam at the intersection. Focusing their attention on a few provoked protesters from Taman Sri Skudai is bad journalism. Of course there will be changes in traffic pattern. Some people might be disadvantaged but no real study was done before the paper decided to highlight the alleged bad decision of the government to build the flyover.

The truth is Taman Sri Skudai was already a depressed area long before the flyover was even a figment of anybody's imagination. It was never a bustling business area and cheap rents encouraged the infestation of dirty illegal workshops in the area. The main problem could be the never ending traffic jam along Jalan Skudai in the 90s.

The Skudai - Pontian junction was also a major problem area until the flyover was opened not too long ago. Now, the traffic is clear until Senai and Pulai Perdana before the first traffic light appear. With this improvement, the population along the Pontian road will cut down their traveling time and could also benefit from an increase in real estate prices. Population from Taman Universiti, Desa Skudai, Pulai Perdana, Pulai Jaya up to Pekan Nenas will benefit from this flyover. In fact, the population from Taman Sri Skudai will not lose out too. With the jam gone, people will not be adverse to travel to Taman Sri Skudai anymore. Even if the access road is a bit further down the road, many road users will be thankful for the smooth and stress-free traffic. Long term study needs to be done to assess the effects of the flyover to not only the population of Taman Sri Skudai but also the surrounding areas and not forgetting Pekan Nenas, Ulu Choh, Pontian and Senai.

The economic and social benefit from this flyover will be tremendous. Let not the cries of a disgruntled and provoked few stain our judgment. There are forces out there that will take advantage of any situation (even a good one) just to score points with the political electorate. And as for the press covering this event, print the facts please. Take the RED pill.

Single Mother Charity Night

Gerakan Gelang Patah Wanita had a Single Mother Charity Night at Bestmart last Saturday night. The charity dinner was attended by the state chairman, Dato Teo Kok Chee and also Dato Tan Lian Hoe, the Gerakan Wanita national president. The objective of the dinner was to raise fund for the single mother fund championed by the Wanita. Love cookies were sold to raise fund apart from the normal donations by concerned citizens. Total raised for the fund was RM13000. The head of Gelang Patah Gerakan Wanita, Sdri Ong Poh Hoi handed a mock cheque to Dato Tan Lian Hoe. Various entertainment programs including a hilarious chinese opera snippet, belly dancing troupe and young women jazz dance group were on hand to entertain the crowd. The full house hall was ably "MC"ed by Sdri Loo Mun Fong, the secretary for the Wanita Gelang Patah.

Gerakan Pasir Gudang to organize charity dinner for WOU

Gerakan Pasir Gudang has convened a committee to organize a charity dinner for Wawasan Open University. Tentatively scheduled for December or January 08, the dinner aims to raise RM50000 for the education fund for WOU. Dr Ker Ching Shen, Gerakan Pasir Gudang chairman, will head the committee to organize the 100 table event to held in Johor Jaya. Expected guest of honor will be Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, the Chief Minister of Penang and also the acting President of Gerakan Malaysia.

In the same thread, Wawasan Open University Regional Office will be officially opened by the Menteri Besar of Johor, Dato Abdul Ghani Othman on 19 November 2007 at 2.30pm. The office is located at Taman Jaya, Skudai. That is beside Skudai Parade in Skudai. Be sure to be there to witness this historic event. At the opening of the Ipoh branch, the MB donated a total of RM150000 and a piece of land to WOU. Just can't wait what the MB here will give. After all, we are right in the middle of the education hub of the Iskandar Development Region.