"Nigger Brown" sofa ?

Doris Moore was shocked when her new couch was delivered to her Toronto home with a label that used a racial slur to describe the dark brown shade of the upholstery.

The situation was even more alarming for Moore because it was her 7-year-old daughter who pointed out "nigger brown" on the tag.

"My daughter saw the label and she knew the color brown, but didn't know what the other word meant. She asked, 'Mommy, what color is that?' I was stunned. I didn't know what to say. I never thought that's how she'd learn of that word," Moore said.

The mother complained to the furniture store, which blamed the supplier, who pointed to a computer problem as the source of the derogatory label

Kingsoft Corp., a Chinese software company, acknowledged its translation program was at fault and said it was a regrettable error.

"I know this is a very bad word," Huang Luoyi, a product manager for the Beijing-based company's translation software, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

He explained that when the Chinese characters for "dark brown" are typed into an older version of its Chinese-English translation software, the offensive description comes up.

"We got the definition from a Chinese-English dictionary. We've been using the dictionary for 10 years. Maybe the dictionary was updated, but we probably didn't follow suit," he said.

Moore, who is black, said Kingsoft's acknowledgment of a mistake does not make her feel better.

"They should know what they are typing, even if it is a software error," she said. "In order for something to come into the country, don't they read it first? Doesn't the manufacturer? The supplier?"

Romesh Vanaik, owner of Vanaik Furniture, where Moore bought the sofa, said it has been a best seller. He said he checked his stock but found no other couch with the offensive label.

"It's amazing. I've been here since 1972 and I never knew the meaning of this word," said Vanaik, a native of India.

His supplier, Paul Kumar of Cosmos Furniture in Toronto, denied responsibility and refused to give the name of the couch's Chinese manufacturer.

"It's not my fault. It's not the manufacturers' fault," he said, adding that Kingsoft was to blame.

Huang said Kingsoft has worked to correct the translation error. In the 2007 version, typing "dark brown" in Chinese does not produce the racial slur in English. But if the offensive term is typed in English, the Chinese translation is "dark brown," he said.

Moore is consulting with a lawyer and wants compensation. Last week, she filed a report with the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

Commission spokeswoman Afroze Edwards said the case is in the initial stages and could take six months to two years to resolve.

Moore, 30, has three young children, and said the issue has taken a toll on her family.

"Something more has to be done. We don't just need a personal apology, but someone needs to own up to where these labels were made, and someone needs to apologize to all people of color," Moore said. "I had friends over from St. Lucia yesterday and they wouldn't sit on the couch."

(CNN)

Teacher caned by school principal

A teacher who was caned by the principal of her school after being mistaken for a student idling outside the classroom has complained to authorities in a bid to stop the incident from happening again

"I was ashamed because all the students in Form One saw the incident," national news agency Bernama quoted the 28-year-old teacher as saying, after she was hit on the buttocks along with several students on Wednesday morning.

The principal, a 53-year-old woman, apologised, saying she thought the teacher, dressed in loose-fitting clothes for a session of silat, the traditional Malay martial art, was a student.

But the apology failed to soothe matters, said the agency, which did not identify either woman.

"Although she did not know me because she was transferred to the school two weeks ago, there was no reason not to ask me," said the teacher, based at a school in the southern state of Johor.

Malaysian teachers' union wants the education ministry to take action. "The union has always stressed that leadership in schools is very important," union official Loke Yim Pheng said.

"If true, the act of caning a teacher has gone too far."


The incident has sparked anger among members of the national teachers union, which called for the inquiry.

State deputy education director Jamian Jaffar said those involved would be questioned, adding that any action against the principal would be taken after the investigation

Probably the most shocking thing to have ever happened in a Malaysian court of law

On 15th Feb 2007, Kuppan Muniandy, 50 became the first Malaysian to expose himself in the middle of court proceedings when he suddenly dropped his trousers in full view of everyone present at a magistrate’s court in Kuala Lumpur.

Hailing from Ipoh, he was brought to court to be charged with robbing salesman Johan Razali Hang Jebat, 18 of a mobile phone worth RM200 in January. While the charge was being read, the unrepresented Kuppan suddenly dropped his trousers.

This so shocked magistrate Tasnim Abu Bakar that she adjourned the case. Upon resumption of the proceedings, she ordered Kuppan to undergo psychiatric evaluation.

Probably not available in your 2007 Guinness Book of World Malaysia Records.


Accused turns flasher

KUALA LUMPUR: An elderly man caused an uproar at the magistrate’s court yesterday when he suddenly dropped his pants in full view of everyone present.

Kuppan Muniandy, 50, from Taman Mas, Ipoh, was brought to court yesterday where he was charged with robbing a salesman of a mobile phone.

While the charge was being read, Kuppan suddenly dropped his pants.

A shocked magistrate Tasnim Abu Bakar adjourned the case.

When the proceedings resumed, she ordered that Kuppan undergo psychiatric evaluation. She fixed March 22, for mention.

Kuppan, who was unrepresented, was charged with robbing Johan Razali Hang Jebat, 18, of his RM200 mobile phone at Jalan Hang Kasturi at 9.10am on Jan 11.

(New Straits Times-16 Feb 2007)

Mythical Malaysia

Westerners may never understand why Malaysians call the green soccer ball-sized durian the "Queen of Fruits." Its outer shell is as huggable as a hedgehog and, piled up in pyramids under the hot Malaysian sun, the fruits tend to develop an unpleasant odor.

"Tastes like vanilla," the young durian seller at the market in Terengganu at Malaysia's East Coast says, smiling warmly. It is a friendly smile and well-meant, but a deceiving one: The group of Westerners who have just put big chunks of white, soft durian pulp in their mouths almost instantly start making funny faces, much to the pleasure of bystanding locals.

Nope -- vanilla's not it. Mushy onion sauce might describe the taste more accurately.

Luckily, not far from Terengganu in the village of Cherating lives Mamat, who plucks something tastier than durian from palm trees: coconuts. Mamat is a short-tailed makak, and this monkey loves coconut juice, which he drinks directly from the nuts with a straw.

"He's the only monkey here on the East Coast that knows how to drink with a straw," says Pa Ali, Mamat's owner. He is proud of Mamat, even though at times the monkey develops an odd sense of humor and throws coconuts at people oblivious of him sitting high up in the palm fronds.

Malaysian people are usually more peaceful: Tolerance is held high not only by the government. Though most Malaysians -- especially at the touristically less developed East Coast -- are Muslims, religious freedom is one of the most important Malaysian values. Christian churches can be found right next to mosques, and mosques right next to Hindu or Buddhist temples. Penang Island, off the country's West Coast, is home to Malaysia's only Jewish community.

Ezekiel Menassah, a Jewish emigrant from Baghdad, is said to have been the first Jew to come to Penang in 1895 -- though headstones on the local Jewish cemetery seem to prove that there was already a Jewish community at Penang in 1805. Supposedly, Menassah was the only Jew in Malaysia for about 30 years, where he observed Jewish holidays and kept up with kash

From Russia, With Emigration
Today, there are about 100 Jews residing in all of Malaysia, most of them refugees from Russia.

Besides religion, nature is something Malaysians treasure. And there is hardly a better place to experience South East Asian nature than on small islands like Redang.

Arriving at Redang is like coming to paradise. Turquoise water, a clear blue sky, white sand -- a perfect tropical-island cliché. Directly behind the simple, TV-free huts that are Coral Redang Resort, the jungle begins -- and its inhabitants may come really close.

"That squirrel is in the room again!" and the British woman next door sounds almost hysterical. "I used to think they are cute, but, oh, I've come to hate them! They eat everything!"

Except, possibly, mosquitoes. Geckos take care of them -- and the big-eyed, perfectly harmless lizards are at home in just about any of the hotel rooms. At night, as soon as the lights go out, tiny feet dribble above sleepers' heads.

Heavy showers and jungle thunderstorms rain down outside in the middle of the night; in the morning, the air is humid, but clear. Monitor lizards lie at the banks of the small jungle creek close to the resort, warming themselves up for the day.

The first snorkelers are out at the house reef directly after breakfast. Finding Nemo is not a problem there, though you may also encounter a shark not far from the shore.

"The sharks are harmless," says the guy from the resort's diving base. He says the same of the grimly grinning moraines. Obviously, the animals agree: There have been no shark attacks in Malaysia so far -- none that have become known, anyway.

The only village at Redang can be reached either by boat or by taking a narrow footpath through the jungle. Exotic colorful flowers line the path; every now and then the chitchat of monkeys is heard high up in the trees.

At a small roadside shop in the village, children greet visitors, who are soon served baked bananas and cool drinks. Selamat datang -- these Malaysian words, meaning "welcome," will greet guests to the country everywhere.

Speechless? No way

And though it might happen that in the towns and villages on the East Coast, where there are still only a few hotels, people do not speak English, they will never be speechless, offering their hospitality to everyone respecting local culture.

Unless, of course, you happen to run across the monkey Mamat. Remember: You might just have found him if a coconut drops to the ground right next to where you're standing.

To learn more about Malaysian travel, log on to: www. tourism.gov.my.

Silke Schmidt
(Jewish Exponent Feature)

The man behind Malaysia's toilet revolution

Meet Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, Menteri Besar of Terengganu, a Sultanate of Malaysia. All those big words mean he is charged with making Malaysia more attractive to tourists. And he's a hard worker -- this high-level government official conducts spot checks on public toilet facilities personally.

Why? Of all the things he has to worry about in a tourist infrastructure -- transportation, hotel capacity, parking garages -- why toilets?

Because Malaysia has a pretty bad reputation among tourists -- and its own people - for the state of its toilets. As one commenter to an article in the Times Online puts it, "Malaysian public lavs remind me of France in the early 80s. Particularly annoying is that even when you find a "real" loo there's usually no paper and even if there is someone has used the hose on the wall instead and now the cubicle looks like a shower - water everywhere!" The author of the Times Online article agrees that while Malaysia has much to be proud of, its toilets are "execrable."

If a big shot government official is himself inspecting toilets, then these Malaysian horror stories may be no exaggeration. And Idris Jusoh's anal behavior is part of what has been dubbed a "toilet revolution" in that country. Other parts of this revolution include the fact that public toilets are to be upgraded to "high tech" models and, amazingly, there is now a college course available: How to Keep Public Restrooms Clean!

This course deals with design, maintenance and hygiene -- the essentials of anything toilet-related. Classes will start in the next three years. "Mom, Dad, I've decided to major in toilets!" Time was when I would find that hilarious -- however, now that I'm working in the lumber and hardware business, I have come to appreciate just how involved toilet design, plumbing, maintenance, repair, and cleanliness really is. Doubtless the Malaysian course will have heavy emphasis on plumbing theory and practice, as well as engineering. But chemistry, biology, and sociology will also play their part.

The Malaysian toilet revolution illustrates some of the difficulties associated with changing cultural mores (from the Times Online: "the transition from the traditional Asian squat toilet to Western-style seats"). It also highlights the importance of good public toilet facilities to keep society running smoothly. I'm sure everyone has, at some point, been inside a toilet that has made you frown, retch, or flee in horror. No one likes to walk into a feces-ridden cubicle and find no toilet paper (or, worse, no dispenser at all); and I'm sure that most people would prefer to sit on a seat than on the cold porcelain bowl itself. If this revolution is about fixing all that's wrong with Malaysia's public toilets, then I'm all for it. As Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said last year, "Good, clean toilets are associated with good health, good manners, good upbringing, good housekeeping and civilization. That is why the Government feels this must be a national effort."

And what an effort. Even as the revolution gains strength, Idris Jusoh will continue to carry out spot checks. "I am not going to rest on my laurels, hoping that the situation is all okay on the ground." Well, Mr. Idris Jusoh, thanks to you, we can hope that the one thing not on the ground in your public toilets will be the restroom users' poop!


Malaysia cleric: Women should wear chastity belts !

Women should wear chastity belts to prevent rape, incest and other sex crimes, a prominent Islamic cleric in northern Malaysia was quoted as saying Friday.

Abu Hassan Din Al-Hafiz, speaking in the northern state of Terengganu, said chastity belts could protect women from a growing number of sex crimes in Malaysia, The Star newspaper reported.

"The best way to avert sex perpetrators is to wear protection," Abu Hassan told a crowd of followers. "My intention is not to offend women, but to safeguard them from sex maniacs."

The cleric said sex crimes had increased in the region of late. "We have even come across a number of unusual sex cases where even senior citizens and children are not spared," he said.

Think, then announce decisions

Is it a sign of the times that a decision by one minister is rubbished by another eighteen months later?

It reflects badly on our public administration when an exercise involving the entire adult and adolescent population - getting them to apply for the high security MyKad identification card - is caught in the midst of conflicting decisions by government leaders.

Yet this is exactly what Home Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad has achieved by countermanding the decision of his cabinet colleague Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid who, when he was running the ministry, introduced a lucky draw to encourage Malaysians to apply for their MyKad quickly.

The new home minister, who cancelled the lucky draw, also described it as "silly and rubbish". While the incumbent home minister may have announced the decision after prior consultation with his predecessor, the impression that is given is that he had not done so and the wags are having a field day.

Still it does not explain whether the lucky draw was implemented with sufficient thought put into it or whether it was merely one of those brainwaves that somehow became a programme involving the public.

It may seem to be an internal matter what the home ministry thinks is a good way to ensure that the public cooperates with the ministry's targets for completing the exercise for identity card holders to convert them to the MyKad. However, as in any situation involving public resources, there is a question about the proper execution of the incentive programme,including whether the prizes were awarded following the usual standards of auditing and good governance.

Strict accountability must be adhered to so that the public can be fully confident that nothing but fair play can be expected at all times.

And what about the decision to cancel it? While the jury is still out on whether it is proper for people to be given incentives to do their civic duty, does it not matter that several thousand people who had come forward to participate in the contest are now angry that it had been called off?

Stupid is as stupid does !

Zoo pays feng shui expert to aid monkeys

From: (Los Angeles) Daily News

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Zoo paid $4,500 to an expert in the ancient Chinese art of feng shui to ensure three endangered golden monkeys on loan from China can have a strong life force.

Consulting the feng shui expert was part of the cost for a $7.4 million enclosure for the golden monkeys debuting at the zoo later his year. Feng shui focuses on balance in design to promote health and happiness.

Feng shui is in demand among high-end architects and interior designers, but Beverly Hills-based feng shui expert Simona Mainini said the Los Angeles Zoo's effort may be a first in animal enclosure design.

"It's very experimental," Mainini said. "We don't have any books on feng shui for monkeys. We just have to assume that Darwin is correct and that there is a connection and what is good for humans is good for monkeys."

The exhibit for the male and two female golden monkeys is nearing completion and they are expected to arrive by the end of the year, once China approves the export permit.

Exhibit designers from the Seattle-based Portico Group said the enclosure was designed to re-create the feel of a rural Chinese village.

"The viewing building has a Chinese character," said principal architect Charles Mays, who hire Mainini. "We thought it would be more authentic if we went that extra step and made sure it was done with good feng shui."

Mainini said she tweaked the plans to maximize the good qi (pronounced chee). For example, she recommended moving a door on the observation tower or adding a fountain or water feature to "soften, with moisture, the harsh energy" in that area of the tower.

The city will pay the Chinese government $100,000 a year for the period of the 10-year loan of the simians.

"The idea is to get people beyond just looking at the animals so they experience how the animals and people live," zoo General Manager John Lewis (news, bio, voting record) said. "So when people see that a species is endangered, maybe they'll feel motivated to do something to save them."

Golden monkeys, which weigh about 30 pounds, have blue faces, long hair and make a catlike meow.

Monkey Business !!