SAGUNI TAKES SWIPE AT PALM OIL

   NEW DELHI -- 'Saguni', a newly-released Tamil movie whose
title depicts a person who tactically plans moves to his or her advantage, has
also taken a swipe at palm oil, which has the highest share of consumption in
India's edible oil market.

    The politically satirical movie is directed by Shankar Dhayal and stars lead
actor Karthi Sivakumar and popular comedian Santhanam.

    One of the scenes in the movie shows Karthi intending to buy 'bajji', a
type of banana fritters, but Santhanam tries to dissuade him, saying, "Do you
want to buy that? That is fried in palm oil."

    Santhanam's facial expression also reflects a disdain for palm oil,
sometimes regarded as a "common man's oil" because the government uses palm oil
for its subsidised mid-day meals scheme and allocation of subsidised edible oil
to households below the poverty line.

    Palm oil is the highest selling oil in India, accounting for 42 per cent of
national consumption, especially in the "out-of-home" market segment.
    The plus-points of palm oil are its price in relation to other edible oils,
re-usability and high smoke point at 235 degrees Celsius, the temperature level
at which it breaks down to bluish smoke.

India consumes about 16 million tonnes of edible oil annually and 54 per
cent of this is imported.

    Palm oil is also the preferred oil in South India, accounting for about 70
per cent of consumption in states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and
Kerala, and in coastal East India in states like West Bengal and Orissa.

    Malaysia and Indonesia are the only two main suppliers of palm oil and they
dominate 89 per cent of edible oil exports globally.

    Tamil movies are watched not only in Tamil Nadu, but in the other southern
states, as well.

    'Saguni', also dubbed in Malayalam and Telugu, was released globally on June
22.

    A number of Malaysian Tamil movie viewers who saw the scene on palm oil in
the movie, expressed shock over the negative portrayal of one of Malaysia's top
exports.

PROBABLY A HAPPINESS INDEX FOR MALAYSIA TOO

In recent times there has been growing interest in the international community in measuring happiness, a concept that was introduced in Bhutan, about 40 years ago by its fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

Instead of using the common Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, Bhutan uses Gross National Happiness Index (GNH) to measure quality of life or social progress in more holistic and psychological terms as compared with just economic growth.

The growing enthusiasm in GNH resulted in; Bhutan persuaded to propose a resolution on happiness at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly last year, which was passed unanimously.

 The resolution required Bhutan to host a discussion, which it did in April 2012, but due to the huge interest the discussion was elevated to a high level meeting with participation from the government, civil servant, civil society, the academia, corporate world, Nobel Laureates and spiritual leaders. 

“There was a big success. We were rather intimidated with what rather transpired. It is huge responsibility now for us. It was scheduled as one-day meeting but it had lead to become a four-day event,” its Prime Minister Jigmi Y. Thinley said recently.  

The aim is to present it to the UN General Assembly for a concrete proposal of a new economic paradigm that is sustainable, that is holistic and inclusive. 

“The reason why we ended up we the responsibility was because in the proposal that we made in the high level meeting is that the world has changed.

The business and individuals cannot grow and that we are living in an era that increasing threatened, that we have adopted a financial system or economic system that is self- destructive and not sustainable and there are enough evidence,” he said. 

In the same month, UN launched the First World Happiness Report. Malaysia was placed as the 51^st position the World Happiness ranking among the 156 countries surveyed.

In the report it stated that the happiest countries in the world are all in Northern Europe (Denmark, Norway, Finland, Netherlands). Their average life evaluation score is 7.6 on a 0-to-10 scale.

The least happy countries are all poor countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (Togo, Benin, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone) with average life evaluation scores of 3.4.

“But it is not just wealth that makes people happy: Political freedom, strong social networks and an absence of corruption are together more important than income in explaining well-being differences between the top and bottom countries,” said the report.

At the individual level, good mental and physical health, someone to count on, job security and stable families are crucial.

The global community probably has realized something that Bhutan did four decades ago that GDP or wealth growth not necessarily a true reflection of people’s happiness.

Seriously, what does a 0.1 per cent or 9 per cent GDP growth mean to layman on the street. How many Malaysian out there actually wait for the figure to be released to measure their wealth and happiness?

Even for a journalist, at most time it is just a news report done at the end of every quarter.

ISIS Malaysia’s analyst, Alizan Mahadi said in his column recently that undeniably, the GDP has served Malaysia well and will continue to do so.

Malaysia has transformed itself since the 1970s by averaging impressive growth rates.

However, in what is termed the Easterlin Paradox, studies indicate that whilst societies tend to be happier with an increase in income to meet basic necessities, beyond a certain point, the relationship between happiness and income is only down to how your earnings compare with those around you, he explained.

So, probably a happiness index along with GDP would help reflect the real growth of the country and if that has kept 28 million people happy. – END

BHUTAN STRIVES TO GROW & KEEP PEOPLE HAPPY

    

    Bhutan, a landlocked country at the eastern Himalayas, is fast emerging as an attractive investment destination in South Asia. This is especially so with its strategic location between two big economies in the region, China and India.

    Although Bhutan was among the last few countries to open up after deliberately closing itself to foreigners until 1974, its leadership is now very focused and knows precisely what it wants to do and use this relatively late opening up to its advantage.

As such, it has lined up several plans to sustain its growth momentum, said Prime Minister, Jigme Y. Thinley.

      In an interview with Bernama, Thinley, who was clad in its national dress, called "gho", said: "We would like to become high quality medical service provider. We are looking at having specialised hospitals, for instance, a hospital focused on diabetes amid the high rate of diabetic patients in India.

       "With the ageing population in both India and China, promoting a healthy lifestyle and offering medical treatment would make very good business sense."

       In 2007, Bhutan, with a population of just over 700,000, was the second fastest growing economy in the world, with a growth rate of 22.4 per cent, mainly due to the commissioning of the gigantic Tala hydro-electricity project.

       The Himalayan kingdom's economy is based on agriculture, forestry, tourism and the sale of hydro-electric power to India. It is now keen to promote organic agriculture products, high-end education and tourism.

       Tourism appears to have the potential to emerge as the largest income earner for the government's coffers.

       The government realises the importance of good air links for a growing economy and its flag carrier, Druk Air, the only airline that is allowed to fly into the country, is expanding to Singapore, Hong Kong, and probably Japan in the near future.

       This expansion augurs well for Bhutan as some Japanese and Singapore firms have already shown interest in some niche projects.

        Interestingly, Bhutan's search for prosperity also has to be in consonance with its stringent requirement of a Gross National Happiness Index (GNH), protection of the environment and more importantly, its culture, Thinley stressed.

        "As far as tourism is concern, we want only high value, low impact tourism on our ecological system and culture. We can't accept our environment suffering from various kinds of social issues," he said.

        Hence, Bhutan has started rating its hotels. Unless hotels have a certain score, they cannot accommodate tourists, otherwise, it would be difficult to sustain high-end tourism, said Thinley.

      "We want rich old people, who really want to appreciate and admire our country and don’t have any capacity to do any real damage to our culture and environment," he said.

        Bhutan received 65,756 visitors in 2011, with a major portion above 60 years old. It was the highest recorded number of visitor arrivals in the country and this is 56.65 per cent more over 2010.

        Similarly, Bhutan's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy prohibits foreign investments in gambling, tobacco products, media and broadcasting, wholesale, retail and micro trade, mining for sale in raw form, hotel below three-stars and general health services.

       The country is already facing some of the common problems that any developing economies face like changes in lifestyle, rural-urban migration and a potential property bubble which may distort the very base of a balanced and inclusive growth that Bhutan seeks to attain.

        Adding to the woes is the recent drop in the Indian rupee, which is also pegged to Bhutan's currency, ngultrum, and this has also triggered balance of payment issues.

       Five years ago, it was rare to see Bhutanese wearing western clothes in their country but now the majority of teenagers here are shedding their traditional clothes for jeans and t-shirts, and they also have a preference for pizza as compared to Bhutanese food, said an observer.

        The government recently shot down a proposal for an international fried chicken outlet to be opened here, claiming that it is junk food, said a local, who also asked how long would such a situation last.

       Thinley said although there were concerns about the impact from exposure to the media, television, Internet and western culture, globalisation had also brought about considerable advantages to Bhutan, said Thinley.

       "Westernisation is something that we worry about. At the same time, we are comforted that these kinds of western influences are very brief, (happening) during adolescence, and sooner or later, we find Bhutanese going back to their (traditional) values," he said.

      Universiti Malaya's senior research fellow, Dr Marie Aimie Tourres, said the nature of modernisation strategy chosen by Bhutan would determine the extent the local population would get exposed to Western culture.

     "There is no doubt opening up will have consequences on local culture but static culture does not exist. Also, you cannot force people to resist changes  resulting from the globalisation process, especially in a democratic country like Bhutan," she said.

     In less than a decade, the price of land in the capital, Thimphu, had increased 10-fold, fuelled by unabated rural-urban migration, especially after the city boundaries were extended to Changtagang and Ngabirongchu.

      Thinley agreed that the government is worried of the rising migration problem, but was fast to point out that it is not as serious as some other nations.

      "Rural-urban migration is the bane of most developing countries. It is the biggest challenge. In Bhutan, it has not been as serious as some other countries, but we see it growing," he said when asked if the migration would have an impact on its agriculture sector.

       Thimphu has been growing at a rate of seven per cent annually, "so we are worried."

      "That is why the government aims to provide all services that are available in the cities such as road connectivity, access to electricity, safe drinking water supply and easy access to education, to the rural as well and we have been quite successful," he said.

       The government also plans to effect income supplementation by enhancing farm productivity, providing new kinds of seeds and helping farmers to mechanise more of their farming processes so that they would not become "back-breaking jobs."

       For this, Dr Marie said programmes like having extra incomes and better facilities in rural areas would probably reduce the need to move to cities.

       "Migration will happen no matter what. More so when the median age of the population is 24.8 years. Attractive agriculture policies cannot help much to retain this part of the population," she said.

     The transition that the country is going through right now is a normal process of opening up and from the impact of globalisation. But the difference with Bhutan is that it has to tackle two massive challenges all at once, unlike other countries, which took on a more progressive pace.

      By moving into a higher gear of development, Bhutan has to set an equilibrium between national interests, especially its core development philosophy through the Gross National Happiness Index, and integrating with the international community by using the best strategies possible.

       One has to wait and see how Bhutan will take on the challenges in the Bhutanese way.

JAMA MASJID, AN ANCIENT GEM OF OLD DELHI

Photo By Nishat Rehman

NEW DELHI – A mere mention of the word India would immediately take one’s mind to the much-admired Taj Mahal, but the white marble mausoleum is just one of the many finest Mughal architectures in the country and there are many more of such stature.

The Masjid Jahan Numa, which is now known as Jama Masjid, located in Old Delhi is one of them and was built by the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. History has it that the Emperor himself laid the mosque’s foundation stone on the strong basement of a hillock in 1650AD.

About 6,000 workers completed the red sandstone mosque in 1656 AD, six years after the construction began, the Jama Masjid Delhi Advisory Council’s general secretary Syed Tariq Bukhari said.

It can accommodate up to 25,000 people at any one time.

The 356-year-old internationally acclaimed mosque is the largest Mosque in India and probably the only place of worship place in the country that has the Royal Imam leading the prayers continuously for the 13th generation, he said.

FORGOTTEN OVER TIME

Syed Tariq, who is the youngest brother of the current Shahi Imam, Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari, said most people don’t know or have forgotten over time that the mosque has its own precious uniqueness and stories like many other historical monument.

The mosque houses some precious relics, such as the Holy Quran written on deerskin by the Prophet’s son in law, Hazrat Ali, which is 1,400 years old, its keeper Syed Zahoor al Haq Hussaini said.

“There is another Holy Quran written also on deerskin by the Prophet’s grandson. But this one, only one part is here, the other part is in the Blue Mosque in Istanbul,” said Syed Zahoor, who is the 14th generation of the keeper.

Both scripts are written in original Kufi language, he said.

The other important relics are footprint on marble, shoe made of camel skin and beard hair of the Prophet.

“Only three mosques in the world have the footprint and beard hair, in the Jama Masjid,  in the Hazratbal Mosque in Srinagar and in the Blue Mosque of Istanbul.”

“The footprint miracle happened in Mecca when the Prophet was praying the marble became soft and his footprint emerged,” he said.

As for the shoe, one is in the Jama Masjid India, its pair is in the Blue Mosque.

Visitors are allowed to see the relics for themselves, he said.

Sharing some other insights, Syed Tariq said the chief architect of the mosque disappeared for two years after the foundation was laid.

“He came back after two years and informed the Emperor that it was a deliberate move to ensure that the foundation was able to face all the four seasons as the size of the monument requires a strong base,” he said.

Secondly, when the mosque was still under construction there were complaints of its slow progress, but when Shah Jahan came to know that it was because recital of the Holy Quran preceded the installation of every stone to consecrate it, the Emperor was pleased with it and ordered that it should be continued that way.

He said the mosque is actually located on a hill called Bhojla to ensure the stature above all, although the height that it was build on a hill is not visible now.

Special care was also taken to maintain the level of the pulpit of the mosque above that of the royal throne in the Red Fort, which is opposite the Jama Masjid. “Shah Jahan wanted his crown to be below the level of the mosque,” he said.

Similarly, the Emperor also wanted the Imam of the mosque to be a man noble by birth and direct descendent of the Prophet and requested one from Bukhara, Uzbekistan, which was the hub of Islamic scholars then, he said.

Right from the beginning, the Shahi Imam of the Jama Masjid enjoyed the honour to perform the coronation ceremony of the Mughal Emperor.

RESTORATION WORK AND FUTURE PLANS

There has been continuous restoration work since Independence Day as per the need of time fully funded by the government through the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

He said to maintain the mosque for the next 50 years, restoration work needs to be done continuous for five years.

There have also been many plans to redevelop the whole area, which could make the mosque a bigger attraction for tourist as compared with what it is now, said Syed Tariq.

Currently, between 1,500 and 2,000 tourist visits the mosque daily.

However, the plans have been pending for years amid a lack of political will to implement them.

Asked about rumors that the mosque’s administration doesn’t want this place to be developed, he said: “We are very much ready with an open mind to redevelop the area with the cooperation of the government.”

Syed Tariq pointed out that the congestion at the road leading to the mosque is one of the crucial issues that need to be addressed.

He suggested the buildings along the streets leading to the mosque need to be restored according to the Mughal style architecture to bring back the Mughal feel to the surroundings as well.

“About 95 per cent of the tourist come by buses, we have made parking facilities but to expand the roads and clean up the surrounding is the government’s prerogative.”

The government should come up with inclusive plan, not only to make it easily accessible for tourist but also ensure that the business and livelihood of the people are sustained.

“Majority are too poor and they have to earn their living within the area. The government should accommodate this people in a planned way to keep the businesses alive. They are the daily wage. We don’t want them to be dislocated,” he said.

He said the government should give a real thought to the area’s redevelopment. “Our concern is the bureaucracy and the fact that a lot of departments involved in one work.”

He pointed out that Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah had once offered Rs 3,000 million about (US$56 million) for the restoration work when he visited the mosque.

The Shahi Imam said it had to go through the Indian government as such huge funding need to be a government-to-government arrangement. Syed Tariq said unfortunately the offer was not taken by the Indian government and the money got diverted to other use.

As for salary and administrative expenses, he said they are handled by the trust led by the Shahi Imam.

CAUGHT IN BETWEEN

All historical monuments come under the complete care of ASI, but the Jama Masjid administration choose not have the mosque under ASI as it is a live monument.

The ASI has few strict rules, one of which is that the mosque can be opened from 10am to 5pm only.

“This is a live monument and it is not possible (to have) Fajr and Maghrib prayers if we had to follow the ASI’s time,” he said.

Besides, it has been traditional for worshipers, especially those who are too poor to find cheap accommodation to stay in the Mosque, this has been a concern from the government, especially after a twin blast in the mosque in 2006 and a shooting in 2010.

“So, we have to keep a strict vigil but we can’t stop them people from coming as far as security measures are concern,” he said.

“The rugs for prayers is also laid manually everyday as not modern machines can be fit into such historical monument,” he said, adding that besides security concern, there are also sanitary issues to be deal with.

These were among the challenges in looking after a mosque of such magnitude, where people of all walks of life come and go.

A TAKE OFF THE STREET

“It is not going to be positive,” was 30-year-old Slovak tourist Maca’s immediate reply when asked about the surroundings of the Jama Masjid.

The place definitely needs a lot of improvements in terms of cleanliness and more sanitary facilities that tourist can use, she said.

“It is a holy place and I respect it very much but it is very stressful to come here. The place is congested and there isn’t any proper place for us to buy drinks as well,” said Maca, who was leading a tour group of eight people.

“We don’t mind haggling with the rickshaw (on price) but the place needs much improvement,” a rather disappointed Maca said. 

Two other tourists met at the Mosque, Chen Shu Rong, 30, from Southern China, and Mohammad Jameel, 50, from the state of Jammu and Kashmir, also felt the same way as Maca.

“It is crowded everywhere. It was difficult to get to the Jama Masjid from the Red Fort,” said Chen.

Jameel felt that the traffic around the place makes it difficult for pedestrians to walk.

“This area has so much traffic. It is not easy for pedestrians to cross the road or walk around,” he said.

MORE THAN JUST A TOURIST ATTRACTION

The Jama Masjid’s location is truly a showcase of two cultures’ convergence, making it more then a just a tourist attraction, said Syed Tariq.

“Around the mosque is 100 per cent Muslim population, you walk across the street and it is 100 per cent Hindus. So, it is also an important monument as far as the culture and unity is concern.”

Similarly, at one end the tourist can indulge themselves with mouthwatering Mughal dishes and the other end with pure Hindu vegetarian food.

Hence, the mosque’s administration has a lot of plans but if it can be inducted in the government’s plan and be executed the result will be a gem.

Syed Tariq who loves to travel also opined that the government was not doing enough not only to make the Jama Masjid a better tourist attraction but also India in general.

“I have been to Malaysia as tourist and for business purpose. There are very minimal historical monuments as attraction but a lot of modern structures to attract tourists.”

Malaysia has managed to attract many Asian tourists with modern architectures, whilst in India there are a lot of natural attraction and yet it is not being fully utilized.

-- END

NEW DELHI: A MIX OF THE OLD AND NEW

NEW DELHI, -- Old Delhi, where the majority of captivating historical monuments are located, and New Delhi, which exudes a modern image, provide a compelling mixture of old and new panoramas for any visitor to India.     Located on the banks of the Yamuna River, Delhi is said to have existed since the sixth century, which explains its rich heritage and diversity.     With a population of 19 million, Delhi is a very energetic city, and like any other major town in India, places in Delhi are easily accessible by trains, cabs, buses and the infamous auto rickshaws.     The Delhi Metro – with its vast network of stations located within walking distance from many of the historical monuments and attractions – provides an added advantage for tourists, especially for those who want to avoid haggling over fares with cab or rickshaw drivers.     Tourists can purchase a one-day or three-day unlimited travel card for Rs150 (RM8.85) and Rs300 (RM17.70), respectively, which includes a refundable deposit of Rs50 (RM2.95) if the travel card is returned in good condition.     Although Hindi and Urdu are the prevalent languages here, English is widely spoken, which makes it easier for foreign visitors to move about.           A CITY WITHIN CITIES         Plenty of venues await visitors to Delhi, such as the Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, Jama Masjid, India Gate, the Lotus Temple and the Akshardham Temple, which should not be missed.     The Red Fort, also known as Lal Qila, was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and once served as the royal abode; it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.     "The Red Fort was a city within a city for the royal family during Emperor Shah Jahan’s time," said a passionate traveller from Simla, Tanuja Sud.     "I believe that the women could not leave the fort, and their shopping needs were taken care of by the bazaar within the walls of the fort," said Sud, who shares her travel experience through her ‘Savvy Travellers' page on Facebook.     Humayun's Tomb is another enormous monument with splendid architecture and is currently undergoing restoration.     The tallest minaret in India, the Qutub Minar, is equally beautiful - especially at sunset - while the Lotus Temple, a modern marvel, provides a breathtaking view.     For Muslim travellers, the 350-year-old Jama Mosque, also built by Shah Jahan, is a place they must visit.     The mosque houses several well-preserved relics, including an antique copy of the Quran written on deer skin, a red beard-hair and the sandals of the Prophet, and the Prophet's footprint embedded in a marble slab.     Most of these places, except for the Qutub Minar, are located in Old Delhi, which the Lonely Planet travel guide has aptly described as "unruly Old Delhi with a wonderful raw and unique charm."     Other places worth mentioning are the Safdarjang Tomb, Purana Qila, Raj Ghat, Connaught Place and Jantar Mantar.     Akshardham is one of the latest attractions of Delhi; it is a cultural complex displaying the glory of Indian culture.     For those who are keen to see more of Emperor Shah Jahan's enduring legacy, a one-day visit to the Taj Mahal, located in Agra about 200 km away from Delhi, will complete Shah Jahan's marvellous architectural trail.

"KEYS TO BHUTAN" KEEN TO TIE-UP WITH POTENTIAL AGENT IN M'SIA

THIMPHU (Bhutan), June 2 (Bernama) -- Travel agent, "Keys to Bhutan" is keen to tie-up with potential Malaysian travel agents to attract more high-end tourists from Malaysia, said its Chief Executive Officer, Anan Gurung.      He said "Keys to Bhutan" met potential travel agents from Malaysia when it participated in ITB Asia, the trade show for the Asian travel market, held annually in Singapore but nothing worked out.     "Somehow, we couldn't be of any help to each other. This year, we are again attending ITB Singapore and will keep an eye open for potential Malaysian agents," he told Bernama in an interview.     "Keys to Bhutan", registered and licenced by the Tourism Council of Bhutan, is an active member of the Association of Bhutanese Tour operators of which Gurung is a board member.     The company has been trying to promote both outbound and inbound travel but lamented that outbound travel was still slow to pick up.     "Our population is just over 700,000 and the fact that Bhutanese don't travel much (makes it difficult to promote outbound travel)," said Gurung, who is also founder of keystobhutan.com.     As for inbound travel, the company handles around 3,000 plus tourists a year.     "Our biggest market is India as we are tied up with "makemytrip.com", he said, adding that the firm conducted both cultural and trekking tours.     Traveling with "Keys to Bhutan" offers a distinctive opportunity to explore Bhutan in style as most of the trips are exclusive and fully customised.     "We concentrate on the highlights of each region, linking one exotic valley to another. The result is an unforgettable travel experience unlike anything else available," he said.     Asked if the company would like to open a travel agency in potential countries, Gurung said in order to keep cost low, the company preferred to tie up with agents like makemytrip.com and other international agents.     Last year, Bhutan received 65,756 tourists, mainly from the United States, Japan, China and United Kingdom.     The majority of tourists to Bhutan are above 60 years old.     -- BERNAMA