Venezuela floats chance of gasoline price hike

Venezuela floats chance of gasoline price hike
Uruguay to make marijuana legal in trailblazing gamble
22,608 Primary Five pupils score 8A in UPPK examination
West Kalimantan
Gerakan launches campaign to abolish death penalty
Siti Nurhaliza does her bit for flood victims

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 06:19 PM PST

Venezuela on Monday floated the idea of raising gasoline prices, in one of the least expensive fuel markets in the world.

"We have to have big debates in Venezuela," Vice President Jorge Arreaza said Monday in a meeting with business leaders.

"For example, we have to talk about budget issues, for example the price of gasoline, starting to charge for it since it is given away almost for free," he added.

In this OPEC member state sitting atop the world's largest proven reserves of crude, cheap gasoline is seen as basically a birthright. Politically, it has been taboo even to bring up price hikes.

Arreaza said the idea would be studied in consultation with "the people, in neighborhood councils, with businesses and with all Venezuelans."

A liter of gasoline in Venezuela costs less than 0.10 bolivar; the bolivar officially trades at 6.3 to the dollar.

Filling up one's tank typically costs less than a candy bar would. The price has not gone up in over 20 years.

Economic reforms are needed to "balance the situation once and for all in Venezuela," which has 54 percent inflation, Latin America's highest, and very sluggish growth.

Venezuela loses an estimated $1.4 billion a year just on gasoline smuggled to neighboring Colombia where it is costlier.-AFP

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Uruguay to make marijuana legal in trailblazing gamble

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 05:47 PM PST

Uruguay is to give a green light Tuesday to making marijuana legal, in a social experiment that countries plagued by drug-related crime worldwide will watch.

The legal change in this largely rural and well-educated South American nation of just 3.3 million, looms large with a vote in the Senate.

The lower house of Congress passed the bill in August, so passage in the upper house is assured because the ruling leftist Broad Front coalition controls both.

"It is going to be a history-making day. This puts Uruguay squarely in the forefront of changing policy-making and strategies," said Senator Luis Gallo of the Broad Front.

The plan was unveiled a year and a half ago by President Jose Mujica along with other measures aimed at ending crime and violence associated with the drug trade.

"This is an experiment", Mujica, 78 and a doctor by training, told AFP in August.

"We can make a real contribution to humanity. Be a testing ground with a series of measures to confront the problem and provide tools to fight drug addiction," he said.

The law will give the government control and regulatory power over imports, growing, harvesting, distribution and sales of pot and its derivatives.

After signing up, people 18 and older will be able to grow up to six marijuana plants, get the drug in marijuana smoking clubs and buy up to 40 grams a month in pharmacies.

Neighbors, voters unconvinced

Uruguay's change on pot comes in addition to other significant moves in the country with a leftist goverment: legalization of abortion, gay marriage and same-sex adoption.

But not everyone is thrilled by the idea of legalizing marijuana. A poll carried out in September found a high 61 percent of those surveyed do not approve.

Continental heavyweights and next-door neighbors Brazil and Argentina have expressed surprise. Uruguay long has been a main beach destination for Argentines, and tourism is important for Uruguay but not its only industry. Uruguay also is a key agricultural exporter and increasingly popular outpost with service industries.

Many analysts wonder what would happen if such a law were passed in countries torn and bloodied by drug trafficking, such as Colombia and Mexico.

Uruguay frames the change as supporting an international drug panel whose members include former presidents Cesar Gaviria of Colombia and Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico and which has concluded that the US-led "war on drugs" has failed.

Lower price, higher quality

Currently, consuming drugs is not illegal in Uruguay but selling illegal drugs is. Pot is the most common of illegal drugs here and consumption of it has doubled in the past 10 years.

Authorities say there are some 128,000 marijuana smokers in this country, but pot consumer groups but the figure higher, at 200,000.

Uruguayan doctors are divided. Some say the change will lower consumption of more dangerous drugs, while others argue that it ignores the pernicious effects of smoking pot.

Opposition lawmakers say there is the risk that consumption will rise.

Experts on the global drug trade and social impacts of illegal drug use are divided on Uruguay's legal pot outlook as well.

Arjan Roskam, head of Holland's Green House, the world's biggest marijuana seed bank, said that if the regulation is done "in a very socialist way it will not work."

Roskam, one of the experts consulted by the government of Uruguay, told AFP that if everything depends on the state and sales to tourists are not allowed, there will still be street dealing and the black market problem will not be solved.

"So you do something very good, you regulate cannabis, but you do not solve the dealing in the streets," he said.

Still, many local marijuana users are ready to light up with a smile. One last march against illegal pot is planned.-AFP

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22,608 Primary Five pupils score 8A in UPPK examination

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 05:16 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 22,608 from the 185,082 Primary Five pupils who sat for the Ujian Penilaian Kelas KAFA (UPKK) nationwide from Sept 30 to Oct 3 obtained an aggregate of 8A.

Director-general of Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) Datuk Othman Mustapha said the number has decreased compared with last year's total of 24,962 students.

"This decrease is due to the increased enrolment of about 4,000 students sitting for the exam and this is not alarming," he said during a press conference while presenting the results at his office, here, today.

Othman said the overall total of 185,080 or 99.999 percent of students passed while two students scored 8D.

He said the three states that recorded the highest 8A aggregate are Sabah with 22.85 percent (from 5,672 students), Melaka with 20.19 percent (from 7,015 students) and Terengganu with 19.11 percent (from 17,799 students).

Meanwhile, Othman said, for this year Jakim has allocated RM5 million to finance the purchase of teaching aids for KAFA classes. – Bernama

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West Kalimantan

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 04:46 PM PST

by Adjie Hidayat. Posted on December 10, 2013, Tuesday

Covering a length of 1400km from the hinterlands to the South China Sea, the Kapuas and other small rivers are the arteries of this province on the western tip of Kalimantan. Added the legacy of its past kingdom, Dayak and Chinese influence, and its dazzling nature, exploring West Kalimantan is fun!

Thousands of rivers that flow about give a distinctive vibe to the lives of West Kalimantan people. Their livelihood is closely connected to the rivers – both a transportation facility as well as a habitat for hundreds of species of fresh water fish, those that are consumed by the locals daily. Most of the natives still choose to live around the river –like the Dayak Uud Bukhot around the headwater of Jelundung River, or the Pompakng that roams by the banks of Kapuas and Sekayam River.

From the upstream to the mouth of Kapuas River, numerous gorgeous façade spring out – from the wilderness of nature, to Dayak settlements with longhouses lining- these sights are simply out of this world to the eyes of those used to downtown city life. At the upper part of Kapuas lies the Sentarum Lake National Park, 700 km from the river's mouth. Sentarum area amazingly compiles 20 small lakes, surrounded by trees and highlands. This place keeps 33 species of endemic flora such as tembesu or tengkawang (Shorea beccariana) and Pungguk Tree (Crateva relegiosa) – a type of vegetation commonly found in Amazon's jungles. Special species of animals like Arwana fish and clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) are also found here. Three Dayak tribes the Tanambaloh, Iban and Kantuk reside nearby, interacting harmoniously with nature- making Lake Sentarum often dubbed as one of the last paradises on earth.

The existence of Chinese community in quite a significant amount has added to West Kalimantan native Malay community. Singkawang, a city of goldsmiths in the past, now has Chinese majority amongst its townspeople. The central of ceramic making, Singkawang is also uniquely Kalimantan in terms of culinary treats, as well as famously active in holding festivities every year. The biggest one is Cap Go Meh with parades of Liong, Barongsay and tatung (a trancey ritual). In this festival the Chinese celebrate Imlek or their Chinese new year. Cap Go Meh is easily Indonesia's best folk party.

Bordering with Sarawak in Malaysia, nature is undoubtedly West Kalimantan's biggest feature. Bentuang Karimun National Park that neighbors with Nature Reserve Lanjak Entimau is the biggest conservation area in Kalimantan. Mount Palung National Park protects over 2000 orangutans, while beaches of Pasir Panjang and Tanjung Gandul show aspects of West Kalimantan that is no less spectacular. Added with eight islets that form the Karimata archipelago, this province offers stunning tropical wonderments.

This province also has a scatter of little sultanates- once actively involved during the heyday of Malacca Strait's trade route. Check out the Keraton Sambas palace built in 1933, or Al Mukkaramah Palace in Sintang, or the Kadariah sultanate palace in Pontianak where the authentic copy of sketch of the national symbol the Garuda is kept.

This reproduced article is taken from: http://www.burufly.com/en/destinations/west-kalimantan/

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Gerakan launches campaign to abolish death penalty

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 03:44 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: In conjunction with World Human Rights Day 2013 today, Gerakan has launched a '100,000 Signatures Campaign' to call for the abolishment of the death penalty.

Party president Datuk Mah Siew Keong said the campaign would be held for three months, beginning yesterday, to collect public signatures before submitting them, together with a memorandum, to the attorney-general and the Prime Minister's Department for further action.

He said the campaign was Gerakan's constructive action as certain quarters viewed the death penalty as inhuman and incompatible with human rights.

"A lot of research shows that the death penalty does not deter crime effectively, (and) that is why, most countries have abolished it.

"So, we need the political will (towards this issue), and Gerakan has planned a constructive role by organising (this campaign) to get enough signatures to push through this (abolishment). That is why we decided to embarked on this," he told reporters after launching the campaign here. — Bernama

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Siti Nurhaliza does her bit for flood victims

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 03:42 PM PST

KUANTAN: Malaysia's pop diva Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin went to the ground to survey and provide assistance to flood victims in affected areas.

The assistance was in the form of contributions from the Nurjiwa Foundation and SimplySiti.

Among the items donated were food items and items of personal needs for women, as well as disposable diapers for children and infants.

"Like today, many people have already returned to their homes, and if possible, I want to stop by one or two more places.

"Maybe, there are some more victims in the other states. My husband and I will probably go and see, Insya Allah, depending on the flood situation," she told reporters after presenting contributions to flood victims at the Sekolah Menengah Gudang Rasau and Sekolah Kebangsaan Pandan here yesterday.

As of 9am yesterday, 33,952 flood victims were still at the 141 evacuation centres at the nine districts in Pahang, affected by flood.

Kuantan still has the highest number of flood evacuees at 27,700 people, who are housed in 35 evacuation centres. — Bernama

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