* Private Screening of "URBANIZED"

The People’s Research Organisation for Social Political Engagement and Collaborative Thinking (PROSPECT) cordially invites you to a private screening of feature length documentary by the award winning director Gary Hustwit, Urbanized, on the 16th of October 2013, 7pm at

PROSPECT HQ @ PASIR PINJI COMMUNITY CENTRE

12 Jalan Prince, Pasir Pinji, 31650 Ipoh Perak.

Over half the world’s population now live in urban areas, and 75% will call a city home by 2050. But while some cities are experiencing explosive growth, others are shrinking.

The challenges of balancing housing, mobility, public transit, civic engagement, economic development, environmental policy, walkability and cyclability are fast becoming universal concerns. Yet much of the dialogue on these issues are disconnected from the public domain.

Who is allowed to shape our cities, and how do they do it?

Urbanized is a feature-length documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design, featuring some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders, and thinkers.

* Beyond Ketupat & Kimchi

The value of the arts extends beyond the direct economic impact. The key reasons cited by residents for loving their cities were entertainment and social offerings, how welcoming the city is and its aesthetics — in other words, the arts and culture.
 

An arts festival “Beyond Ketupat & Kimchi” was held on 10-Oct at Performing Arts Centre of Penang and on 12-Oct at Ipoh Town Hall, in collaboration with patrons of Malaysian visual artists, talented performing artists with International Standard Korean Traditional Dance and music performances, in celebration of cultural inheritance.

Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng & wife came to show their support for the celebration of cultures by officiating the festival at Penang.

The event was jointly organised by Perak PROSPECT (People's Research Organisation for Social Political Engagement & Collaboration Thinking) and The Brain Truster (Branding Company). 

Prospect's chief executive officer Howard Lee said the purpose of organizing the event was to create awareness for cultural heritage preservation. The cultural exchange also proved that Ipoh is also a venue for cultural events, especially with the presence of the Korean 
dancers to perform in the city.

* Demands the Immediate Resignation of Zahid Hamidi

Media Statement by YB Howard Lee CHuan How, State Secretary for DAPSY Perak and also State Legislative Assemblyperson for Pasir Pinji on this 9th of October 2013 in Ipoh.

I as its secretary, representing DAPSY Perak would like to hereby call for the immediate resignation of Home Minister Zahid Hamidi, as not only has he made statements that clearly indicates his racist tendencies, he has displayed behavioural traits that are befitting of a gangster leader.

It is a shame that the spirit of one-upmanship so spectacularly demonstrated by one UMNO Home minister after another, is seen only in the arena of debacles, wrongdoings and controversies, and not in making the country safer from crime. From the arrest of a journalist with the excuse of ensuring her safety by Syed Hamid Albar, to Hishamuddin Hussein’s laughable accusations of Anwar Ibrahim being a CIA agent. Now, eager to endorse the brand of racist politics UMNO delegates love so dearly, the current fool of a home minister is playing to the gallery in full make-up and costumes to boot.From the use of language, it is also apparent that our Home minister is a self-aggrandising, self-centred and self-serving individual whose every move is designed to fulfil his own political agenda, through the guise of serving some perverted version of greater good. For example, to show to UMNO delegates that he possesses more between the legs and is tough-er and on crime than his predecessors, whilst not forgetting to be the most racist. He does so by painting the picture of the recent PCA amendments were the sole efforts of his (undang-undang saya) to help the police in protecting the Malay community from vices and illegal activities made rife only by non malays.

Please remember Home Minister, crime distinguish neither creed nor colour! Or is that too far against your UMNO grains to acknowledge?

* 不分政党，为民服务

兵如港州议员李存孝于2013年10月7日（星期一）在怡保所发表的新闻稿：

怡保7日讯 – 兵如港州议员李存孝及德彬丁宜州州议员黄文标于日前到大和园巴刹及附近住宅区视察数项市政厅工程。

据知，大和园巴刹的部分性重建工程曾已被拖延了一段很长的时间，李存孝在上任兵如港州议员后，就开始向市政厅追查有关巴刹重建计划。经过一段时间后，市政厅终于下令开始进行此项工程，但却一度因沟通不良而引起巴刹小贩的不满。

在李存孝的安排及调解下，该工程终于顺利动工。除了食物档口被装上了石膏花板，风扇及抽风机，鸡档正如火如荼地进行着重建工程。

此外，两位州议员也到豪华花园视察数月前崩塌的沟渠。该沟渠塌崩问题导致整个豪华花园排水系统严重阻塞，造成当地约450名居民受困扰。李存孝分别于5月6日及6月7日日通过电子投诉系统（E-ADUAN）向市政厅作出投诉，终于该沟渠于近日被修补好了。

* 九皇爺诞

九皇爺诞又到了。刚到兵如港冬天官上香添香油。今天有三个人，包括我妈，分别问我同样的一个问题：你选区应该是全霹雳州集中最多九皇爺庙的地方，对吗？

我的答案－ :多的确是多。。。但还不够。要的一到初九晚晚去一间才算够！

笑话讲完后，就得跟各位分享九皇爺诞及其庆典，风俗与多种仪式的来源史迹:

清朝反清江湖烈士高举反清复明旗帜，郑成功更秘密在福建省樟泉一带积极召集各路江湖好汉于沿海“斗母宫”内商议复明大计，共襄义举。

他们利用宫内诸神千秋宝诞为掩饰，一连九天在宫内招兵买马，高举“九皇大帝”旗帜为号召，“意即要救明朝江山大地”，在斗母娘娘圣像左右两手书日月（即明)。

农历八月的最后一个晚上，出海迎接王爷郑成功来主持大局，郑成功乃受朝廷通缉，因此，从落船到晋宫内，需以凉伞遮住，以免身份曝光。

农历九月初九午夜，奉送郑成功出海以到别处号召义举，准备一艘“王船”及供上一切日常用品、粮食等。起义终归失败，伤亡惨重。樟泉一带乡民为纪念王爷郑成功及众烈士史迹，每年农历八月的最后一天至九月初九一连九天，祀拜王爷祀与众多牺牲的民族英雄。
传统风俗习惯，九皇爷香火随之来到南洋，相传至今应有三百多年的历史。在这斗母宫的九皇信仰仪式中的几个主要步骤都已得到了体现，如“迎神”“请水”“送神归海”“王船”等等。

传说与仪式究竟哪个更早，是为了配合仪式而杜撰了传说，还是因为有传说才刑成了仪式，难以分辨。仪式与传说的相互配合，为信仰的流传找到了某种根据，也为信仰活动抹上浓厚的神秘色彩。