€400b energy plan to harness African sun

LONDON, July 12 — The world's most ambitious green energy project is about to take shape. It is a plan for a chain of mammoth sun-powered energy plants in the deserts of North Africa to supply power to Europe's homes and factories by the end of the next decade.

In a few days' time a consortium of 20 German firms will meet in Munich to hammer out plans for funding the giant €400 billion (RM2 trillion) project, named Desertec. The scheme is being backed by Chancellor Angela Merkel's government and several German industry household names including Siemens, Deutsche Bank, and the energy companies RWE and E.ON. The Munich meeting will also involve Italian and Spanish energy concerns, as well as representatives from the Arab League and the Club of Rome think-tank.

Energy experts have calculated that Desertec could meet at least 15 per cent of Europe's needs, and be up and running by 2019. By 2050, they estimate the contribution could be between 20 and 25 per cent. Although no host countries have been named, Desertec envisages a string of solar-thermal plants across North Africa's desert. The plants would use mirrors to focus the sun's rays, which would be used to heat water to power steam turbines. The process is cheaper and more efficient than the usual form of solar power, which uses photovoltaic cells to convert the sun's rays into electricity.

The project also envisages setting up a new super grid of high-voltage transmission lines from the Mahgreb desert to Europe. Hans Müller-Steinhagen, of German Aerospace, has researched the project for the German government. He said that although the idea behind the scheme had been around for several years, investors had been deterred by the high costs of setting up the infrastructure.

Professor Müller-Steinhagen said that similar projects have been operating in the American West for years, but these had failed to gain the appropriate recognition. "Solar thermal power plants were built in California and Nevada, but people lost interest in them because fossil fuels became unbeatably cheap," he said.

Until now, projects of Desertec's scale have failed to get off the ground because of the huge problems involved in delivering electricity to consumers hundreds of miles away. The main stumbling block is that the further electricity is transported, the more is lost. However, Siemens claims that it has come up with a solution. Alfons Benziger, a spokesman for the engineering giant which has been involved in the construction of major hydro-power plants in India and China, said: "We have developed so-called high-voltage direct current energy transmission. This can transport energy over long distances without heavy losses. We use the process at the power plants in India and China."

Andree Böhling, an energy expert for Greenpeace Germany, has heaped praise on Desertec: "The initiative is one of the most intelligent answers to the world's environmental and industrial problems," he said. Munich Re, meanwhile, which insures major insurance companies across the globe, was persuaded to invest in the project after seeing a steady rise in the number of claims the company had to meet as a result of climate-change-induced damage.

Yet Germany's largest solar energy company, SolarWorld, argues that North Africa is too risky a location. "Building solar power plants in politically unstable countries opens you to the same kind of dependency as the situation with oil," said Frank Asbeck, the firm's managing director.

Other critics claim that by singling out comparatively poor North African countries as a location for a sophisticated European solar energy project amounts to a form of "solar imperialism". Lars Josefsson, the head of the Swedish energy giant Vattenfall, has also rejected the idea because of a potential risk of terrorist attacks. However Desertec supporters, including the German conservative politician Friedbert Pflüger, argue that a far greater threat is posed by the prospect of nuclear power plants being subjected to such attacks. He points out that a number of nuclear reactors are scheduled to be built in North Africa — Egypt alone plans to build five. Pflüger claims that the risk of politically motivated Russian-style energy stoppages by host countries could be avoided if the solar grid has enough supply channels.

But he warns that politics is likely to be the main stumbling block. "It's not Europe that will decide whether the desert can be used as an energy resource, but the countries of North Africa," he said last week. "So far these countries have either not been involved in the dialogue at all or only at a very limited level." — Independent

Al Qaeda frees Swiss hostage for RM15m

ALGIERS, July 13 — Al Qaeda’s North African wing was paid a €3 million (RM15 million) ransom for the release of Swiss hostage Werner Greiner, an Algerian newspaper said today.

The money was transferred a few days ago and was handed to a Tuareg meddleman in northern Niger, the Arabic language daily El Khabar added, quoting an unnamed security source.

Greiner was handed over to Malian authorities in the remote north on Saturday.

The source declined to say who had paid the ransom.

Greiner and British national Edwin Dyer were kidnapped on Jan. 22 near the Niger-Mali border. Two women with them were later freed but Dyer was killed last month after London refused to pay a ransom.

Algeria has been leading efforts to crack down on ransom payments which it says Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the group which held Greiner and Dyer, uses to finance attacks on security forces inside Algeria.

“The West is a hypocrite. It wants to fight terrorism but it pays ransoms to free its hostages. This is not the best way to combat Al Qaeda,” a senior security source told Reuters. – Reuters

A golden investment that sounds too good to be true

WHEN times are volatile and the economic cycle erratic, investors often turn to gold as a safe investment.

However, unscrupulous companies have now come up with very attractive ways to market gold in the form of coins or bars.

What makes this type of investment attractive or seem safe is not just the returns but the fact that investors are holding on to gold.

Agents for this type of investment would point out that if or should the company go belly-up, the investors would still have their gold coins or bars in hand.

According to a source familiar with such schemes, the gold that was offered to investors was usually lower in value than claimed. He said most goldsmiths would not buy this gold as the purity of the metal was in question.

He added that this was akin to Ponzi schemes as the earlier investors would have a better deal than the ones who come in later.

Starprobe was alerted to a “gold investment scheme” operated by Genneva Sdn Bhd, which was offering investors 50gm gold coins at RM6,500.

A member of the public said the company would pay investors 2.5% of the price of the gold coin and guarantee to buy back the coin at market value after a minimum holding time of one month.

“Initially investors were paid the 2.5% investment on a monthly basis but now it’s every three months because the company claimed the amount of paperwork generated was a hassle,” she said.

“I was approached by one of their agents who claimed to have sold 3kg worth of coins for RM300,000. This was ‘authenticated’ by various photocopied documents,” she added.

Additionally, the company said the coins could be authenticated by Bank Rakyat and that investors could even pawn the coins to the bank at 65% of the value of the coin.

She also said an agent of the company had sent out an SMS with the message that the company was safe in the wake of the Bank Negara investigation into Bestino Group Bhd, a company dealing in gold bars that was being probed for illegal deposit-taking and issuance of redeemable preference shares.

“A check with the central bank’s website did not reveal any information relating to the company,” she said.

A Bank Negara official however told Starprobe that Genneva was not licensed. He could not comment further as no complaint had been lodged against the company.

Bank Rakyat, when contacted, said it was not aware of the scheme.

“We’ve posted notices at all our branches and Ar-Rahnu X’Change that the bank is not involved,” said a Bank Rakyat official.

When contacted, a Genneva official questioned our reporter’s credentials. The official also considered the complaints as not legitimate because they did not come from their clients.

“You’re fishing in very deep waters,” he said before hanging up.

English and our Education System

These days there is a lot of waffle about the deteriorating standards of English among our students. This is a step backward from the complaints about the deteriorating standards in our whole education system, even if some try to link proficiency in English with educational standards. There is altogether also too much emotion about this issue. But then again what can one say? I see the mark of a great seducer in all of this and Malaysians are being seduced in a mightily big way. A great seducer can turn the emotions on and off almost at will.
In a way, trying to improve English proficiency in a rotten education system is an exercise in futility. At most it is a half solution whereby the money allocated for education is being eyed greedily by various quarters.

Some quarters want the money to be spent to educate a super smart elite claiming that if these super smart kids are ignored, it will only constitute a brain drain and /or a loss to the country. In a way they are right, but this is only half the story. A good story must also anticipate the future.

So what if these super smart kids are educated at the expense of the taxpayer and also at the expense of mediocre kids who cannot compete and fall by the wayside? The dumb kids of course have no future anyway and are fit only to be rubbish collectors.

What is to guarantee that they will remain loyal to the country that fed and raised them and will not migrate for better opportunities overseas? This question must be answered if any solution proposed is not to be a half solution.

I don’t think the mediocre students who grow up to be Malaysian adults are that stupid as not to recognize a half solution when they see it. If they see a half solution that favours a small group of elites and super smart Malaysians, will they be so stupid as to accept it wholeheartedly? They might as well stick to a rotten education system rather than risk anarchy or have the goodies cornered by a small group of super smart elites.

So if people want to offer solutions, they should offer good FULL solutions. That way the whole country can be roughly satisfied. It is not enough to try and copy a great seducer by being half a rotten seducer and proposing rotten half solutions.

I suggest that the seduction is complete if people strive to improve a small part of “something” within a rotten structure. To me this is an exercise in futility.

We need a fair and healthy 2 party political structure most of all - one that has a neutral and professional civil service, police and judiciary as well as education system.

To me anything that suggests an improvement in a small part of a wholly rotten system is an exercise in futility. What do you think? Are you willing to be seduced and accept half solutions?

Gov't gambles on our children's future

Why not give everyone a language choice - Bahasa Malaysia or English. Don`t bent on depriving others who wish to seek knowledge.

Kasim : Malaysia is well-known for its flip-flop policy in dealing with important issues. Every time a new education minister is appointed, a new education appears because he wants to make a mark in the book of records.

In 'Bolehland' anything is possible at the beginning but soon died off when there is not much fund left to back up the programme. Imagine the millions of ringgit the ministry has spent on the progamme all these years.

The ones who made the most money would be those who have dealings in computers and softwares. Next, comes the textbooks and other materials. The special subject teachers would have made a lot of money on tuition too.

But the ones who cried the loudest would be the parents because they will have to spend more money on the children to get them ready for the change. The worst scenario is that the ministry is gambling on the future of the children with its flip-flop policy.

We are moving in a vicious circle of trial and error while our neighbours are moving forward by leaps and bounds in this field. They are producing top-notch world class citizens while we are still struggling to know English. In fact, our politicians have destroyed the golden era of education in the 60s.

I cannot understand the logic behind the rural and urban schools put forward by the minister. In trying to be popular with his supporters, he ended pleasing no one! If there are people who well-bent on creating problems, there is no easy way out. The government then has to be firm on what is good for the people and reject the unpopular.

Why not give everyone a language choice - Bahasa Malaysia or English. With a choice available, it would be easy for everyone. Don`t be selfish and bent on depriving others who wish to seek knowledge.

Doraisamy Karuppiah: I am impressed by Mr Sim's article titled 'The English Dilemma'. Learning math and science in English has nothing to do with 'communication' English. It's about 'technical' English which students should master before they step into any higher institution.

For example, a student who want to further his/her education in the field of medicine or pharmaceutical, they need a strong English background. Otherwise, they are unable to read any of the technical books.

Most of the books for biology, physics, chemistry, fluid mechanics, hydraulic and any technical books are all in English. That's why the former PM has switched only maths and science to English.

Globalized Malaysian: Regarding the teaching of science and maths in English issue, I have a few suggestions:

1) Let each school PIBG (Persatuan Ibu-Bapa Guru) vote and decide which language they want to choose.

2) The government to provide some schools with BM as the medium and some schools with English as medium. Give parents the choice of sending to which school they prefer.

3) Allow more private schools to be built that are affordable and use English as a medium for teaching science and maths

Manager VS Fish Wholesaler

KUALA KRAI, July 12 — With two more days before polling the educational background of the candidates in the Manek Urai by-election is still an important issue in the campaign.

Barisan Nasional (BN) also remains consistent in its promise to build more infrastructure in this rural constituency.

Today, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin urged the voters to elect the more knowledgeable candidate, in a direct reference to BN’s Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat who was a manager at the land development body Kesedar.

PAS's candidate Fauzi Abdullah is a well-known fish wholesaler.

“If you want 'development through Islam', it has to be through knowledge,” said Muhyiddin, referring to the PAS's campaign platform.

“If you want to choose a candidate choose someone with more knowledge,” he added.

Citing a verse from the Quran, the BN election chief said that Manek Urai needs a knowledgeable representative.

BN's campaign, which belittled Fauzi's profession, resulted in protests by the state fishmongers association and last night the group organised grilled fish parties in all nine polling districts to show their support to the Kuala Krai PAS treasurer.

Muhyiddin also continued to promise to bring development to the constituency.

“I call it a new deal for Manek Urai, I'm offering something that Nik Aziz cannot do, so why don't you support Barisan Nasional,” he added.

Later at a press conference Muhyiddin claimed that he has received a high number of applications to build more mosques and bridges.

“Many came to me for assistance, the people want new mosques and bridges,” said Muhyiddin, adding that the PAS government has failed to bring development.

“We respect Tok Guru as a religious teacher, but to bring development, he can't,” he said, referring to Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

Solo Ride Ke Satun - Pak Bara - Hatyai - Sadao - Dannok

Ini adalah pengalaman pertama saya membuat ‘solo ride’ ke Thailand. Dari Kangar saya bergerak menuju ke Padang Besar dengan motor Virago 275 easy rider untuk membeli insuran Thailand. Sampai Padang Besar pada pukul 1 tgh terus beli insurance Thailand untuk 9 hari dengan kos rm 18. Lepas makan tengah hari kat Padang Besar terus saya bergerak ke Wang Kelian. Perjalanan berjalan lancer dengan cuaca yg baik, pemandangan kiri dan kanan yg agak memukau disebabkan jalan berbukit bukai dari Kaki Bukit ke Wang Kelian. Sampai kat border Wang Kelian pada pkl 2 ptg, rehat sekejap sambil ambik gambar2 di sekitar post imegresen Malaysia dgn Thailand. Kat situ saya bersembang dengan sorang awek cun orang Satun berbangsa melayu bernama Aishah yg bekerja sebagai jurujual kat gerai barang2 mainan yg terletak betul1 di depan post imegresen Malaysia. Saya tanya tempat2 menarik kat Satun dan Thailand. Dia pun dengan fasih berbahasa melayu menceritakan beberapa tempat yg harus saya lawati kat Thailand. Pukul 230 lepas cop passport kat post imegresen Malaysia dgn Thailand sy bergerak menuju ke Bandar Satun yg berjarak 40 km dari border. Saya bergerak pada kelajuan 70-80km/j . Lebih kurang 40minit sy smpai ke Bandar Satun yg lebih kurang sama besar dgn Bandar Kangar. Lepas pusing2 cari hotel yg sesuai sy pun jumpa sebuah hotel yg paling tinggi di Bandar Satun yg diberi nama Hotel Sinkiat Thani. Hotel 2 bintang 7 tingkat ini agak terkenal kat Bandar Satun untuk pelancong yang inginkan keselesaan. Bilik yg agak besar , kemas, bersih dan selesa berharga 680 baht semalam.
Lepas check in sy keluar jalan2 sekitar Bandar Satun sambil mengambil gambar2 menggunakan kamera Olympus yg baru sy beli dengan harga rm 1500. Saya Nampak banyak juga cybercafé kat sini, sejam 20 baht. Saya try cuba 20 minit kat 1 cc tu, internet laju juga, kena 10 baht utk 20 minit. Bandar Satun agak berbeza dengan bandar2 lain di Thailand seperti Sungai Golok, Dannok dan Betong. Ini adalah kerana daerah Satun yg majority penduduk beragama islam agak aman, damai dan tenteram berbeza dgn bandar2 di daerah Pattani dan Yala yg bergolak. Pusat hiburan seperti disko, baru, rumah urut dan hotel amat kurang. Ini mungkin disebabkan oleh penduduk tempatan yg masih berpegang kuat dgn ajaran agama masing2dan juga kurangnya kunjungan pelancong2 ke bandar ini. Bandar ini biasanya menjadi tempat persinggahan sementara untuk pelancong menuju ke Langkawi , Koh Tratao dan Koh Li Pe . Lepas pkl 9 mlm bandar ini terus sunyi, banyak kedai yg dah ditutup, tiada lampo neon dan music rancak disco, KTV, bar dan pub seperti di Sungai Golok, Betong, Dannok dan juga Hatyai. Pada sebelah malam saya kluar sekejap p jalan2 tgk gerai makanan dekat tepi masjid besar Satun, ada mcm2 makanan tradisi org2 satun, semua tulis siam, jadi sy tak tau pun nama apa. Pun begitu sy cuba makanan isi lala digoreng dgn telus tmbh taugeh. Mak cik yg jual tu hanya boleh cakap melayu sikit2 saja, majority penduduk Satun tidak tahu cakap melayu walaupun mereka itu sebenarnya keturunan melayu. Mengikut sejarah, daerah Satun, Songkhla, Patthalung adalah milik kerajaan Kedah Purba. Jadi pertalian persaudaraan antara orang2 melayu di Kedah, Perlis dan Satun serta Songkhla tidak dapat dinafikan. Makan dengan sos special, sedap juga, kos 35 baht. Lepas makan sy balik hotel untuk update blog, tengok tv, baca buku dan terus tidor.
Pada hari ke-2 di Satun sy bergerak ke Jeti Tammalang lepas breakfast. Jetty Tammalang terletak berdekatan sempadan Malaysia negeri Perlis dan lebih kurang 8 km dari Bandar Satun. Dari Jeti tu kalay nak ke jeti Kuala Perlis dekat sahaja lebih kurang 15 minit naik bot laju. Pelancong dari Langkawi yg nak ke Thailand biasanya melalui jeti Tammalang. Kebanyakan foreigner yg tinggal lama2 kat Langkawi akan buat ‘visa run’ kat jeti Tammalang. Jarak perjalanan dari Langkawi ke Satun menaiki feri lebih kurang 1 jam. Kemudian saya bergerak ke perkampungan nelayan menyusuri jalan tepi laut. Terdapat banyak perkampungan nelayan di sekitar Satun yg majoritinya penduduk beragama islam, berketurunan melayu tapi ramai yg tak tau cakap melayu. Sy Nampak banyak masjid di sekitar perkampungan itu yg secara amnya Nampak seperti kat Kuala Kedah dan juga Kuala Perlis dari segi rumah, bot dan juga orang2 kat situ. Selepas 2 jam ronda2 kat sekitar perkampungan di sekitar Satun , sy kembali ke hotel untuk check out.
Lepas check out pkl 11 pg waktu Thailand (pkl 12 waktu Malaysia), sy singgah kat cc berdekatan utk online sekejap . Kemudian 30minit kemudian sy bergerak menuju ke Pak Bara yg berjarak 50 km dari Satun. Singgah makan tengah hari kat pekan Chalung kat gerai makan makanan milik org melayu Satun yg blkh ckp melayu sikit2. Sy makan nasi lauk gulai ikan keli, kari ayam dan ulam2 serta air the o ais. Kat gerai sy jumpa sorang lelaki berumur 60an orang Pak Bara bernama Pak Man, dia ajak sy join makan skali dgn dia yg blh cakap melayu skt2. Kami makan smbil sembang serba sedikit pada latar belakang dia. Lepas 30 minit kat gerai tu, sy minta diri dulu utk teruskan perjalanan ke Pak Bara, sy blanja Pak Man skali semua skali 70 bhat utk kos makanan sy dgn dia. Lepas menunggan lebih 30 minit sy smpai kat Pak Baram, sebuah pelabuhan nelayan dan juga jeti utk pelancong pergi memancing kat Pulau Adang, juga utk ke Pulau2 di gugusan Koh Tratao. Pekannya agak kecil ada chalet, restoren dan juga pejabat2 agen perlancongan utk aktiviti diving, fishing trip dan sebagainya.
Pada ketika itu cuaca pun agak kelam macam nak hujan, sy pun terus bergerak menuju ke Bandar Hat Yai. Perjalanan dari Pak Bara Ke Hat Yai mengambil masa hampir 1 jam 30 minit, dipertengahan jalan hujan turun agak lebat, jadi terpaksa berhenti berlindung disebuah pekan kecil berhampiran. Lepas 30 minit hujan mulai reda dan sy meneruskan perjalanan ke Hat Yai. Sampai kat Hat Yai pada pukul 4.30 petang, ronda2 sekitar Bandar Hat Yai yang agak terkenal sebagai Bandar hiburan di selatan thai. Pada pukul 5.15 sy bergerak menuju pekan Dannok melalui Sadao . Jarak antara Bandar Hat Yai dengan Dannok lebih kuran 40 km dan masa perjalanan lebih kurang 30 minit.

Dannok merupakan pekan yg terletak di sempadan Malaysia, Dannok di sebelah Thailand dan Bukit Kayu Hitam di sebelah Malaysia. Sampai di pekan Dannok pada pkl 6 ptg terus check in kat hotel Faratel dengan kadar 53 baht semalam. Dannok 10 tahun yg lalu hanyalah pekan kecil dengan beberapa buah rumah kedai using kini bertukar wajah baru, banyak bangunan2, rumah2 kedai baru didirikan. Kebanyakan dijadikan hotel2, bar2, disco2, KTV dan pelbagai jenis pusat hiburan dewasa. Kebanyakan pelancong Malaysia dan Singapore datang berkunjung ke Dannok untuk menikmati hiburan malamnya. Terdapat juga yg datang untuk shopping pakaian, buah2 tempatan, kraftangan dan produk2 thailand. Juga kelihatan restoran2 makanan muslim milik melayu pattani, restoran nasi kandar, gerai pulut ayam dan lain2 lagi.
Lepas check in sy kluar jalan2 disekitar pekan Dannok. Kemana saja sy pergi memang akan jumpa dengan kapten (bapa ayam) yang menawarkan pelacur2 utk di booking. Mereka ambik panggil, datang naik motor ke pelancong @ orang luar yg berjalan2 disekitar kawasan tu. Kebanyakannya blh bercakap melayu dengan baik. Menurut kapten2 yg datang offer kat sy, mereka ada macam jenis perempuan cantik dari Thailand, Vietnam, Laos dan Mynmar. Umur pun ada pelbagai jenis umur, 15 tahun pun ada, 20an dan 30an. Sy tak tanya pun depa bagi tahu macam2 , pandai betol teknik ‘sales’ depa. Dia ajak saya masuk ke dalam premis untuk pilih mana yang berkenan. 1 jam rm 100, kalau ambik 1 malam rm 300, rm 250 dan rm 200 pun ada. Sy menolak dengan baik, dan terus melalui lorong2 suram sambil mengambil gambar2 untuk dimasukkan ke dalam blog. Ramai pengunjuang dari Malaysia yg kelihatan di sekitar pekan Dannok, ada orang melayu, cina dan india. Pada sebelah malam pula pekan Dannok berubah wajah menjadi lebih rancak, berwarna-warni dan penuh dgn kupu2 malam menawarkan perkhidmatan mereka. Bunyi muzik rancak KTV dan disco jelas kedengaran di sekitar tempat sy menginap. Lebih makan malam, sy jalan2 sekitar gerai pakaian dan makanan ringan, terus balik bilik tengok tv. Lebih lama ronda malam2 kat pekan Dannok lebih bahaya…. Lebih baik dok kat bilik, lebih selamat. Sesiapa yg tak kuat iman tak payah la datang ke Dannok. Pi sampai Bukit Kayu Hitam cukup la…..
Keesokan harinya sy check out pukul 9 pagi lepas breakfast roti canai & the tarik kat restoran orang Pattani dan bergerak menuju Bukit Kayu Hitam untuk pulang ke rumah. Seronok juga jalan2 ke Negara ringan tapi dok kat rumah lagi best, home sweet home. Lepas post imegresen Thailand sy singgah kat pusat membeli belah bebas cukai The Zone utk beli coklat , dan sedikit souvenier sempena datang ke Bukit Kayu Hitam…

Ringkasan Perjalanan :-
jarak : 450 km
tempoh : 3 hari 2 malam
bajet : rm 300
risiko : 7/10