A breath of life for well-being

Link to Penang Green Council

Focus: A breath of life for well-being ~~ by Carolyn Khor

Almost everyone takes breathing for granted. In this fast-paced life, almost nobody takes notice of breathing except for when some problem crops up. At The Art of Living, an organization which is a not-for-profit, educational and humanitarian NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), breathing is taught as a technique to live a stress-free and violence-free life and to experience inner peace. “Our guruji’s objective was simply to make people smile and be happy always,” said Sam, a 29 year old Penang Art of Living volunteer. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of the organization known as The Art of Living, has 152 centres worldwide with five centres in Penang. It was founded in 1982. Sri Sri was born on 13 May 1956 and resides in India. He currently tweets at @srisrispeaks. Among Sri Sri’s insightful quotes are: “If there are ripples on the surface of the lake, we cannot see its depth. Similarly, unless the mind is restful, we cannot experience the harmony and union within us.” “Break through all the barrier and feel that you are blessed. This is the only step you have to take. The rest will all happen.” “Life teaches you the art of letting go in every event. When you have learnt to let go, you will be joyful, and as you start being joyful, more will be given to you.” Besides breathing techniques, meditation and yoga are also offered at the centre. Sam says that the breathing technique taught at their centres, called Sudarshan Kriya, is recognized as a proven method to manage anger, violence and other negativities like anxieties and depression. The meditation technique used is called Sahaj Samadhi. The Sri Sri Yoga method adopted by the centre is an integrated approach to Yoga using a combination of Asana, Pranayama, meditation,, ancient yoga knowledge and service. According to the brochure, this is a prayerful discipline that leads to the union of the body and the mind. Sam’s wife, Angel had introduced Sam to The Art of Living about three years ago due to the increasing demands in life which included juggling with an education, a career and his family life. With sleep deprivation, Sam decided to seek help. Angel was introduced to the organization some time earlier to help her improve on her general well-being. Both husband and wife found the techniques useful and helpful.                     “Just one hour of the Sudarshan Kriya breathing exercise tames anger, soothes worries, stress and anxieties and heals emotional frustrations,” claims Sam. “It also helped me view things in a broader perspective and I now lead a healthier and happier lifestyle with a peaceful mind”. “We are all on the same journey but using different paths,” said Sam when asked about how The Art of Living differs from all other organizations which claim to also offer the same stress-free solution. The Art of Living Foundation channels a large percentage of their collection from courses, The Art of Living publications and sales of Ayurveda products to help rural areas in India and other parts of the world with humanitarian projects such as conflict resolution, disaster relief and sustainable rural development, empowerment of women, prisoner rehabilitation, education and environmental sustainability. For those who are interested to understand The Art of Living may want to attend the basic course which is usually conducted for 6 days continuously from Tuesdays to Sundays, for a total of approximately 24 hours. Class fees are RM350 per course for adults and RM250 for senior citizens above 60 years old. For more information, please contact Sam 016-4841280 or visit the website: http://www.artofliving.org/my-en

Real men don’t hit women

Link to MSN News

Carolyn Khor

Violence is a vicious cycle and violence begets violence. There should be no excuse to perpetuate violence and every effort must be made to eliminate violence. 25 Nov was International Day for the elimination of violence against women.

In cultures that see no wrong in violence towards women, physical and sexual violence are practiced to subdue women. These women are silenced and victimised by the society to withstand the abuse and are expected to allow these torment to continue as a form of subservience and obedience towards men. This form of ‘accepted punishment’ is derogatory and psychologically damaging.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 3 out of 10 women experience violence by an intimate partner at some point during their lifetime, and 603 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not yet considered a crime. The UNDP also reveals that in more than 35 countries worldwide, marital rape is not considered a criminal offence.

In Malaysia, 35,684 cases of domestic violence were reported nationwide during 2000 to 2010, of which 3,255 cases originated from Penang.

Of these reported cases, only 4% were brought to court and an estimated 45% of the accused aggressors were acquitted, indicating that there is insufficient mechanism to discourage domestic violence.

Chong Eng, through her portfolio in the Penang state government as Chairman of Youth and Sports, Women’s Development, Family and Community together with the Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC) held an event at Prangin Mall in Georgetown in conjuction with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women yesterday. The event marks the first day of a 16-day campaign against gender-based violence.

Chong Eng delivered her speech to an audience that largely comprised of civil activists and members of the public. Penang State elected representatives like Teh Lai Heng, Dr. Afif Bahardin and Lim Siew Khim were also present to support the event. A number of men were also spotted among those present. Non-Governmental Organisations that turned up include Pusat Kesedaran Wanita (WCC Penang), Pusat Perkhidmatan Wanita (PPW) and Soroptimist International Club of Penang.

“There are many ways men can help to end violence against women,” said Chong Eng.

She also urged men to take the initiative to understand the issue of violence against women and to also volunteer in women-friendly organisations.

While Penangites may be enthusiastic and eager to spread awareness against domestic violence, the actual catalysts for change are the women themselves. As Dr. Afif said in his speech, all religions do not support violence against women - citing verses both from the Quran and Bible.

Distressed women may seek confidential help at the Women’s Centre for Change 04-2280342 or emailwcc@wccpenang.org.

Press statement by YB Zuraida on NFCorp’s failed takeover by Japanese company

Press statement by YB Zuraida on NFCorp’s failed takeover by Japanese company

Prime Minister Najib Razak should just liquidate the National Feedlot Corporation and recover the RM250 million soft loan that was given to the agricultural company run by Sharizat’s family. That is the only way to hold Sharizat’s family accountable for the mismanagement of funds. The board of directors which includes Sharizat’s husband and children inappropriately spent the people’s money on luxury items unrelated to the agricultural business like purchasing high-end condominiums and prestigious cars.

It is simply illogical that any company would want to inject RM20 million into a debt-ridden company that operates at a loss with no foreseeable opportunity for a turnaround. For Kirimitomas Agro to even consider a deal like that, we can only imagine what negotiations went on behind closed doors. Regardless, it is still not a worthwhile deal.

Kirimitomas Agro would be better off just starting with a clean slate with no encumbrances. In fact, there are qualified local companies that are equally suitable to provide similar services to the public. Malaysia is an agricultural-based country and the government should have no problems at all identifying experienced companies with good track records. This is in contrast to the NFC, a company that does not even have a track record to begin with.

Since the NFC expose, ‘Condo Lembu’ has become a household name.  The severity of the matter goes to show that our country sorely needs transparency and good governance. The ‘gravy train’ has been practiced for far too long and people should be made aware that this habit is selfish and deprives our children of a good future. It is morally wrong and it is ethically wrong. As they say, monkey see, monkey do, and we need leaders who can show a good example. If the big boss ‘makan’, the small ones ‘makan’ too. We do not want this culture to be cultivated any further. Instead, we should focus on transparency, good governance and efficiency.

Kirimitomas Agro Sdn. Bhd. (KASB) is a joint venture between Otoshitos Sdn. Bhd and Hannan Food Group. Prime Minister Najib Razak announced KASB as willing parties to take over the scandal and debt-ridden National Feedlot Corporation in April this year but replied in parliament yesterday that the deal has fallen through.

YB Zuraida Kamaruddin

Ahli Parliament Ampang

24/10/13

Related links:

Link to Malaysian Insider article
Link to Malaysiakini article