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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-singapore-sand-exclusive-idUSKCN1TY0C4 Surprised how come this haven't reached local media yet.

Another indication on how electoral needs are pushing malaysia slowly towards a more non-tolerant society. This is a book on how Islam can work in a constitutional democracy. Written and contributed by academics and scholars on the topic with the foreword by Badawi. http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/malaysia-bans-book-foreword-former-pm

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/south-korea-bans-sales-of-some-nissan-bmw-and-porsche-models/3408636.html SEOUL: South Korea has banned the sale of 10 models of Nissan, BMW and Porsche vehicles after the carmakers were found to have fabricated certification documents, in the latest fallout from the Volkswagen emissions scandal. The government announced in August that it would ban all 10 models after conducting an investigation into whether foreign carmakers besides Volkswagen AG falsified documents on emissions and noise-level tests. Nine of the models have been banned since last month and Nissan's Qashqai diesel sport utility vehicle has been banned since June, the environment ministry said on Monday. It said it has also fined the carmakers' local units a combined 7.17 billion won (US$5.9 million) for the affected 4,523 vehicles already sold in South Korea. Spokespersons at the South Korean units of Nissan Motor Co Ltd and BMW AG acknowledged the findings in the government investigation, saying they would try to achieve certification for those affected models again. A spokesperson at Porsche AG, which is owned by Volkswagen, was not immediately available for comment. South Korea has been tough with Volkswagen, filing complaints against local executives, suspending sales of most of its models and imposing fines for alleged forging of documents on emissions or noise-level tests. In the latest move, South Korea said last month that it will file criminal complaints against five former and current executives at Volkswagen AG's South Korean unit and fine the company a record 37.3 billion won for false advertising on vehicle emissions. South Korea's sales of imported cars fell 7 percent in the first 11 months of last year, heading for their first annual sales decline since 2009. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Susan Fenton) - Reuters

Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/05/08/asia-pacific/offbeat-asia-pacific/forbidden-fruit-china-bans-erotic-banana-eating-live-streams/#.V1Gg-Hxf1aQ Didn't know People can go bananas over bananas...lol

Singapore claims no import of such apples, those buying apples take note. I just bought some gala apples from Sheng Siong, label is like french apples, but cannot find such labels online..LOL BERA - Malaysia has stopped the import of two brands of apples from California because of fears that they could be tainted with the Listeriosis bacteria, reported Malaysian media. Agriculture minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the ministry had received a notice from the US authorities that the Gala red apples and Granny Smith green apples from California were suspected to be contaminated with the bacteria, reported New Straits Times. "The ministry will stop the import of the affected apples while the Health Ministry will check those already in the local market," he said on Saturday. He added that his ministry had no jurisdiction to recall apples that were already in Malaysia as this involved food nutrition, which is regulated by the Health Ministry. Malaysia's Health Ministry said it had conducted tests on the apples from California-based Bidart Bros at all entry points in Malaysia. The ministry's director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry had identified two importers of the apples in Malaysia, and had directed them to recall the apples. Consumption of food tainted with the bacteria could cause high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, nausea and in severe cases, death. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore told Zaobao in comments published on Sunday that Singapore does not import the affected batches of apples from the US. In Thailand, local authorities have already seized a shipment of US apples from the 2014 harvest, and health officials are examining shipments at agriculture shipment checkpoints in the country, the Bangkok Post reported. The Philippines, too, has issued advisories recalling imported Gala and Granny Smith apples from the US, reported Xinhua news agency. Bidart Bros said the last shipment date of the affected apples was on Dec 2, reported Los Angeles Times. The affected apples were sold under the names Big Big and Granny’s Best, but the company says they could also be sold under other brand names, or with no name. Consumers were being advised to ask fruit sellers if their Granny Smith or Gala apples came from Bidart Bros. The US Food and Drug Administration found two strains of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that causes listeriosis, at the company's processing plant in Bakersfield. It has determined that the plant was a supplier of the contaminated apples used to make the affected caramel apples, reported Los Angeles Times. The packaged caramel apples were at the centre of a recent listeria outbreak that resulted in the deaths of several people in the US. - See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/us-gala-granny-smith-apples-now-barred-malaysia-20150118#sthash.BRuH02N6.dpuf

Singapore should ban doraemon to match Malaysia http://allsingaporestuff.com/article/ultraman-comic-falls-home-ministry-ban KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — The Home Ministry has done what countless monsters and space aliens could not: Vanquish Ultraman. According to a report by national news agency Bernama today, the ministry issued a ban on the publication of the Bahasa Malaysia edition of the comic book, “Ultraman the Ultra Power”, for allegedly containing elements detrimental to public order. “It is an offence under Section 8 (2) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 for any person to print, import, produce, reproduce, publish, sell, distribute, offer to sell or have in his possession for any such purpose the banned publication,” the ministry said in a statement. The statement was not yet available on the ministry’s website this evening, but an official verified the ban when contacted by The Malay Mail Online today. "Yes, KDN has banned the book ‘Ultraman the Ultra Power’," the official said in a brief text message. KDN is the Malay acronym for the Home Ministry. The ministry added that a gazette was issued on February 18 banning the comic that is published by Resign Publications and printed by Network Printers. It is unclear what aspect of the comic had led to the ban. Ultraman is a fictional Japanese superhero who fights “Kaiju” (monsters), and first appeared on television in the 1960s. It later gained popularity worldwide, including in Malaysia, leading to localised versions of the TV series and comic books.

The Commissioner of Charities (COC) has ordered Global Virtue, a business consulting and marketing communications firm, to stop conducting fund-raising appeals from Thursday. The COC's office had received complaints about teenagers representing the company to solicit donations or sell vouchers in public purportedly for charitable causes. The company claimed, including on its website, to be contributing part of its sale proceeds to non-profit and charitable organisations as part of its corporate social responsibility programme. But investigations showed that the firm had "no proper control over the vouchers or sale proceeds and no proper accounting records were maintained". The COC concluded that the fund-raising appeals were "improperly administered". The prohibition order was issued to the company, its directors Muhammad Zuhairi Abdullah and Mohammad Rudi Muhammad Suffian, and its advisor Jeffri Pawel.

Dubai bans selling tobacco for 24 hours Why isnt our government doing something similar? Can we file a lawsuit about them allowing the pollution of air with 2nd hand smoke and eventually slowly poisoning us? Dubai bans selling tobacco for 24 hours DUBAI: Nearly 300 stores in the Gulf emirate of Dubai will ban the sale of cigarettes for 24 hours on Thursday to mark the World No Tobacco Day, local media reported. "In Dubai, nearly 300 outlets including petrol stations and supermarkets will stop selling tobacco for 24 hours," reported English daily, The National. Another daily, 7Days, said the move was to spread awareness about smoking hazards. "The move is aimed at spreading awareness about the dangers of cigarette smoking to make people think about tobacco consumption as it kills millions of people and affects public health," the daily quoted Redha Salaman, director of public health and safety at Dubai municipality, as saying. "One in four deaths is linked to smoking-related diseases" in the United Arab Emirates, another local daily, Gulf News, quoted a hospital official as saying. The sale of cigarettes in Dubai is prohibited to anyone below 20 years of age and public smoking is banned in the emirate, including in hotels, restaurants, cafes and offices.

http://fukushima-diary.com/2011/11/mongoli...ars-from-japan/ Mongolia banned importing cars from Japan Having measured radiation from imported cars, Ulan Bator custom office and nuclear energy department of Mongolia decided to ban importing cars from Japan. They will start stopping importing cars from Japan as of 11/30/2011. Mongolian government have been checking imported cars since May, and 18 cars turned to be irradiated.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20110223/tls-...rk-aeafa1b.html Well done! Will it happen here also????

FIFA to ban big-screen replays June 28, 2010 By Soccernet FIFA has reacted to the controversy in the game between Argentina and Mexico - by censoring match action shown on giant screens inside stadiums. On Sunday, replays of Argentina's disputed first goal against Mexico triggered arguments on the pitch as Mexico's players protested when Carlos Tevez was shown as being clearly offside. FIFA spokesman Nicolas Maingot said replaying the incident was "a clear mistake." He continued: "This will be corrected and we will have a closer look into that. We will work on this and be a bit more, I would say, tight on this for the games to be played." Maingot said FIFA had yet to receive feedback from match officials about the protests, or a fracas behind the dug-outs as the teams left the field at half-time. Jermaine Craig of the South Africa Organising Committee said he had spoken to the broadcasting team about the incident. "The goal was awarded and it happened relatively quickly," he said. "In retrospect, maybe it shouldn't have been shown. It was shown and unfortunately there is nothing we can do about that." What nonsense! Digging a bigger hole to hide their heads now.

According to the CBC, the Canadian province of Quebec is saying "No way, Jose" to importing right-hand drive cars for six months. Even though there are 3,000 RHD cars on the roads and none of them have been faulted for anything, the province's insurance board wants to investigate the safety of such vehicles. The official line is that "they don't always meet Transport Canada safety standards." Perhaps the genuine reason will be known soon, but we're guessing that safety nannies will point to their comparative danger when passing vehicles on single-lane roads. For now, the board is going to consult accident reports and ask around before lifting the ban. No more Japanese gray imports for you Canadians in the meantime.

Life in hardscrabble North Korea gets harder, as authorities crack down on a key segment of the unofficial economy. AFP/Kim Jae-Myoung PAJU, South Korea: Vehicles head to the North Korean Kaesong joint industrial zone, Nov. 24, 2008. SEOUL—Authorities in North Korea have begun enforcing a ban on the use of foreign cars in the isolated Stalinist state, putting further pressure on a population already struggling to survive. Beginning in early February, Pyongyang's National Defense Commission began enforcing a directive banning imported cars and ordered a crackdown. According to a cross-border Chinese merchant, those targeted by the crackdown are primarily officials who take bribes to fraudulently register cars to state-owned enterprises or military bases. We’re pretty much done for." Source http://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/nkor...2009112654.html North Korean car owner Authorities also want to stop North Korean mechanics from rebuilding and modifying imported cars by changing them from right-hand-drive Japanese vehicles—the Japanese drive on the left—to left-hand-drive vehicles for use on North Korean roads. "The National Defense Commission regards failure to enforce its directive banning imported cars as a provocative act," said the Chinese merchant, who is a frequent traveler to North Korea. "Various officials have been instructed to let go of the imported used cars, and many of those who failed to comply with that directive are in trouble now. In particular, officials working for the Forestry Department appear to have been reprimanded," he added. Deadlines expire In February 2007, the National Defense Commission issued a nationwide directive to eliminate imported cars. Foreign passenger cars were to be removed within three months, while foreign freight vehicles were to be phased out within two years. National Defense Commission officials were clamping down in particular on right-hand-drive used cars imported from Japan, ordering that they all be scrapped. Sources said this could be because supreme leader Kim Jong Il dislikes the sight of Japanese cars, most of which are smuggled into the country and given fake military license plates, on North Korean roads. But they also note that the North Korean military is experiencing shortages both of fuel and of the hard currency needed to buy it. One expert suggested that the National Defense Commission may want to prevent imported cars from burning the fuel that keeps military vehicles on the road. Conversion of used cars The order to scrap right-hand-drive Japanese cars prompted a rush by the owners of imported cars to convert their vehicles to left-hand drive, a complicated and expensive process. In Songpyong, a district of Chungjin city in Northern Hamgyong province, mechanics at the Soosong Tractor Plant and bus factories are switching steering wheels from right to left, sources said. Owners of the modified cars then have them registered to military bases or factories that are authorized to operate the cars, paying their officials about 300,000 North Korean won (U.S. $100) monthly for the favor. But even converted vehicles are no longer slipping through the net, North Korean car owners say. "We’re pretty much done for," one such car owner said. "From here on, the only vehicles allowed on the roads of North Korea are military vehicles." "Life is already very hard, but if our cars are taken away and scrapped, the situation will be terrible, and our very survival in jeopardy," the car owner said. Currently, Japanese cars make up around 80 percent of imported vehicles in North Korea.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp.../393623/1/.html REFORMASI

With rising pump prices, we may have to stay at home and play with ourselves and yet this happens SINGAPORE - Singapore has banned access to two pornographic websites in a "symbolic statement" of the country's societal values, its media regulator said on Friday. The two sites, which the regulator declined to identify but local media named as YouPorn and RedTube, work in a similar fashion to popular video-sharing website YouTube. The two Web sites allow users to add and download sex videos. "It should be noted that the hardcore pornographic videos posted on these sites are very easily accessible by the young as each video will start streaming for free once a user clicks on the related link," said Jason Hoong, an official from the Media Development Authority . The sites, which were banned after the authorities received feedback from the public, are the latest additions to a list of 100 "mass impact objectionable" pornographic websites banned in Singapore. Singapore, which disallows the possession, distribution and making of pornographic films, defends its action as necessary to protect the young. Online responses to a local media report on the ban have been unfavorable, with users condemning it as unnecessarily moralistic. "I will definitely surf the Internet by proxy from now on, to be defiant so as to preserve my rights," wrote one user. (Reporting by Melanie Lee; Editing by Neil Chatterjee and Roger Crabb)

Analyst gets cold shoulder from OCBC Morgan Stanley's Matthew Wilson will no longer have access to top staff By SIOW LI SEN Email this article Print article ? Feedback OCBC Bank will not be inviting bank analyst Matthew Wilson of Morgan Stanley for future briefings. The bank is believed to be unhappy with his views and treatment of Singapore's third-largest lender. Mr Wilson, who has been covering the three local banks for three-and-a-half years, has generally regarded OCBC as an expensive stock. He has never had a 'buy' call on it and has stuck to 'equal weight' or 'sell'. The bank, it is believed, feels aggrieved about his attitude. BT understands that OCBC has advised Morgan Stanley that the analyst will no longer have access to their senior management or investor relations people. In addition, OCBC will decline meetings with fund managers introduced by Morgan Stanley Research, a source told BT. Mr Wilson declined to comment but in a research note on the banking sector dated Sept 19 on OCBC, he wrote that 'recent events also lead us to question the bank's attitude to corporate governance'. Koh Ching Ching, OCBC spokeswoman, said the bank does not ban anyone but invitations to its events are at its discretion. 'To ensure we are fair to all who are interested, our quarterly-results presentation slides are released to the SGX and also posted on our website. Our half-yearly results briefings are also webcast live and can be viewed on our website,' said Ms Koh. 'We do not wish to make any comment with regard to Mr Matthew Wilson,' she added. Mr Wilson currently has a 'sell' rating on OCBC and 'equal weight' for DBS and United Overseas Bank. 'In particular, we highlight zero mortgage growth for the last two years and a very high concentration of lending to Singapore constructors and developers,' he wrote about OCBC in September. Listed companies banning analysts, while not unheard of, is pretty rare in corporate Singapore. The Singapore Exchange recommends that issuers observe an 'open door' policy in dealing with analysts, journalists, stockholders and others. Ms Koh said the bank is aware of the listing rules on corporate disclosure and releases all material information through the stock exchange so that all investors, analysts, fund managers and journalists have the opportunity to access it at the same time. She added that the bank did not disclose any 'material, price-sensitive and non-public information' in its meetings with analysts or investors. Still, some appeared surprised by the bank's tough stance on the analyst. Said David Gerald, president of Securities Investors Association of Singapore: 'Unless listed companies have very good reasons and they should state the reasons for doing so, they should not exclude analysts because investors do rely on research from analysts.'

if there are no discussion how to move forward many people like myself want to know more about them so that we can learn to respect them as members of our society more in short, i disagree that any "handicap" in our little red dot is useless not every school drop out is another lost cause ... look at bill gates .... seriously, if we cannot stage protest, can even discuss in public than how to move forward have anyway here drive a car with only two gears ..... NEUTRAL & REVERSE http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SIN...-08-03-10-48-38

Recently, there had been many news of car accidents which was basically caused by reckless driving. Personally, I have seen drivers who drive dangerously like driving through traffic lights which just turned red, stopping suddenly with giving advanced warnings, or just changed lanes abruptly. Is it because our current penalties for flouting traffic rules are too light and is not effective as a deterrent?