BUKIT LANJAN: It’s a folly to take national harmony and prosperity for granted

Malaysians co-existing peacefully despite differences, say unity advocates
NATION
Tuesday, 16 Sep 2014
PETALING JAYA: There is no country that can compare to Malaysia in terms of harmony and peace, says a widely travelled retiree. Pritam Singh, 84, who has visited numerous countries all over the world in the course of his work with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), said there was no country like Malaysia. “There is plenty of peace and harmony here. For a country with a large racial mix, we can surprisingly get on well with one another and respect the different cultures,” he said at his residence here. Pritam who was born in Punjab in 1930, dismissed the racial problems that are highlighted every now and then, saying that they are a normal occurrence everywhere. “Even in a family there are problems, maybe between a father and his son. We just should not bother too much about them,” said Pritam who moved to Kuala Pilah from India when he was a toddler … for more, go to https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2014/09/16/all-praise-for-nations-harmony-malaysians-coexisting-peacefully-despite-differences-say-unity-advoca/

BUKIT LANJAN: It’s a folly to take national harmony and prosperity for granted

Vienna has successfully, for the ninth consecutive year, defended its status as the world’s most liveable city in Mercer's survey of 231 cities.

And, the US war-ravaged Baghdad remains the worst in the world for the last decade.

“In fact, the majority of Islamic cities have been, and are still, languishing in the bottom 10 of Mercer’s list,” Gerakan Deputy Speaker Syed Abdul Razak Alsagoff said.

He said Malaysians should ask and answer with honesty why the Islamic cities were considered “not liveable”.

“We are blessed with peace, harmony and prosperity. It will be a folly to take all these for granted.

“Extremism in any form must be checked and rejected. Tolerance must be upheld and promoted to ensure Malaysians and Malaysia remain progressive and prosperous,” he added.

16 Years After 9/11, Terrorism Has Arrived In Malaysia
Published on Monday, 11 September 2017 07:56
16 years ago Malaysians only read about terrorism as American Airlines Flight 11 and Flight 175 planes crashed into the World Trade Center buildings in New York. Today terrorists walk among us. How did terror threats infiltrate the average Malaysian psyche? The sudden attack on the morning of 11 September 2001 resulted in the death of more than 2,900 innocent civilians, including seven Malaysians. The incident put the world’s focus on extremist Islamic terrorism, and countries all over the world prepared themselves to defend against possible attacks by al-Qaeda or its other radical affiliate groups. Passport holders of majority-Muslim countries had their travel restrictions tightened overnight. Islam was quickly brandished as a religion of terror, and many Muslims around the world were seen as a possible threat to society. Malaysia responded to the 9/11 incident by focusing on possible terrorists that could be hiding on home soil, and iconic buildings including the Petronas Twin Towers ran emergency drills for its occupants, in case of a similar 9/11 attack. Fast forward 16 years later, there is still the stigma of Muslims are terrorists, and that is because the threat posed by radical Islamists is still apparent … for more, go to http://malaysiandigest.com/frontpage/282-main-tile/696854-16-years-after-9-11-terrorism-has-arrived-in-malaysia.html

Syed Razak, who is Gerakan’s nominee to contest N.37 Bukit Lanjan in the coming 14th General Election (GE14), said Malaysia’s national security “is being challenged and stressed by global extremism and terrorism”.

“The sluggish global economy is adding to the economic woes that is affecting everyone, everywhere. We have to remain vigilant against those who promote activities aimed at dividing Malaysians and destabilising the country’s national security,” he added.

Here’s the Reuters report on the world’s liveable cities as posted by The Star Online:

"Vienna unbeatable as world's most liveable city, Baghdad still worst

WORLD
Tuesday, 20 Mar 2018
8:19 AM MYT
by kirsti knolle



VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria's capital Vienna once again defended its position as the city offering the best quality of life in the world, while Iraq's capital Baghdad remains the worst in an annual survey from consulting firm Mercer.

Mercer's survey of 231 cities helps companies and organisations determine compensation and hardship allowances for international staff. Its criteria include political stability, health care, education, crime, recreation and transport.

Europe has eight of the world's top 10 most pleasant cities: Germany and Switzerland each have three cities in the top 10, while New Zealand, Canada and Australia each have one.

With a population of 1.8 million, Vienna topped the survey for the ninth year in a row, boasting a vibrant cultural scene, comprehensive healthcare and moderate housing costs.

Vienna is followed by Switzerland's Zurich and then New Zealand's Auckland and Germany's Munich in joint third.

Vancouver, ranked fifth, offers the best quality of living in North America. Singapore at 25 and Montevideo at 77 topped the Asian and Latin American places. The best African entry on the list was South Africa's Durban in 89th place.

A year before Britain is expected to leave the European Union, its highest ranked city, London, fell one rank to 41 in an annual comparison.

"Cities in the UK continue to rank highly for quality of living, and remain attractive destinations for multinationals and their employees," said Kate Fitzpatrick, Mercer's Global Mobility Practice Leader for Britain and Ireland.

Over the past 20 years, living standards increased the most in some eastern European cities such as Sarajevo, now at 159, and Bratislava, at 80, the report said.

"As a result of increased living standards, a competitive labour market and talent availability, many of these cities have started attracting multinational businesses setting up new operations," said Martine Ferland, President Europe and Pacific.

Baghdad has been at the bottom of the list for a decade now. Waves of sectarian violence have swept through the city since the American-led invasion in 2003.

Yemen's capital Sanaa, devastated by conflict, ranked two places above Baghdad, and Syria's Damascus, seven years into a civil war, ranked six places above Iraq's capital.

(Reporting by Kirsti Knolle; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
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N.37 LET BUKIT LANJAN SOAR WITH SYED ABDUL RAZAK ALSAGOFF

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