Malaysia Bar Council President Ambiga Sreenevasan, an ethnic Indian, has been honoured by the United States for women's and human rights advocacy.Sreenevasan's courage and leadership garnered her the prestigious Secretary of State's International Women of Courage 2009 award in conjunction with the International Women's Day, local dailies reported on Friday."This award has given us the opportunity, which we would not otherwise have had, to share our stories, our successes, our failures, to reach out across our borders and establish a base upon which we can build a meaningful network of support," she said in her acceptance speech at a function in Washington."These stories must be told in all our countries," Sreenevasan said.

Sreenevasan, one of the eight women from around the world honoured for women's and human rights advocacy in their homeland, was also given the honour of representing the others in a speech before US First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.Clinton, in her speech, lauded her for pursuing judicial reform and good governance, standing up for religious tolerance and resolutely advocating women's equality and their full political participation.The others honoured at the ceremony were from Iraq, Niger Russia, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Guatemala and Afghanistan.

80,000 lose jobs in US and Europe, Iceland govt collapses

THE world went dark for a while as a partial solar eclipse occurred on the Lunar New Year. The sun shone through again but for many parts of the United States, Europe and Asia, the gloom is here to stay.
A wave of job cuts hit major American and European companies which are facing lower demand for their products and even a government collapsed.
Heavy equipment maker Cater-pillar, Dutch financial services giant ING, Dutch electronics giant Philips Electronics and home improvement retailer Home Depot were among the large corporations which announced yesterday that they would shed a total of 80,000 jobs as business conditions deteriorate and profits dip.
Iceland has also been forced to seek a new coalition after the government and its prime minister resigned amid huge protests over the country’s dire economic state.
Job cuts have worsened as economies sour as a result of the global financial crisis, which now threatens to see economic growth in the United States, Europe and Japan contract in 2009.
For Malaysian employees, there was a silver lining of sorts. A job survey by a consultant has found that Malaysian employees feel more secure about their prospects compared to their counterparts in Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Chi-na, Japan and South Kor-ea

Appendixs...

Appendix...?



hai all,

I have discourse to one of my friend who doing medicine about the appendix.. I was a bit surprise went ever he tell me that appendix no any function and no use to our body. However I still not satisfy with the conversation that god give us one of the organ that no use... its puts me to serve the net to know more details about the function of the appendix .



The appendix doesn't appear to have any function in the human body. Scientists theorize that the appendix is a remnant of an ancient digestive tract. They believe that it might have been used by early man to digest tough leaves and bark.
­Because doctors don't really know the purpose of the appendix, they're unable to determine what system it belongs in. It's a simple structure that's made up of two types of tissue. The outside of the appendix is mucsle tissue, but given the lack of activity, the muscle is considerably weaker than the muscle tissues that make up other organs. The lining of the appendix is filled with lymphatic tissue, which produces antibodies, leading many to believe that the appen­dix part of the immnune system.



here some notes about the immune system which believe appendix function ....

Inside our body there is an amazing protection mechanism called the immune system. It is designed to defend you against millions of bacteria, microbes, viruses, toxins and parasites that would love to invade our body


Another odd characteristic of the appendix: It manufactures and secretes a small amount of mucus. No doubt about it, the appendix is confusing.
Of course, it's understood that the human body functions perfectly well without the appendix, but some scientists are still unwilling to declare the appendix useless.
If the appendix has no purpose, yet is potentially subject to all of these dangerous -- even life threatening -- conditions, then why can't we simply have a doctor remove our appendix as a preventative procedure?


For years rumors have circulated that astronauts had their appendixes removed before space travel to avoid a potential medical emergency while in orbit. For similar (yet more earthbound) reasons, many people wonder whether they should have theirs removed before boarding an international flight. There's no truth to the rumor about astronauts, and most physicians do not recommend preventative appendectomies for world travelers either. Seven percent of the general population will have their appendix removed at some point in their lives. Given these low odds, and the fact that most insurance plan will not pay for a prophylactic appendectomy, they are generally not considered for the healthy traveler.

May all hope and dreams come true in this new year.. May this new year bring life to you all filled with peace, joy and wealth…
This is a small post just to say “Happy New Year” - This is how “Happy New Year” recited in Tamil “இனிய புத்தாண்டு நல்வாழ்த்துக்கள்”..
Best of luck to all the bloggers.

Happy Birthday Tun Dr Mahathir

Malaysia's 'Bapa Pemodenan' Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad turns 83 this Saturday.
Mahathir was born on 20 December 1925, in Alor Star, the capital of the northern state of Kedah, the youngest of nine children of a schoolteacher and a housewife. His father, Mohammad Iskandar, was of half-Indian origin, being the son of a Malayalee Muslim (who migrated from Kerala) and a Malay mother, while Mahathir's own mother, Wan Tampawan, was Malay.

WISH U GREAT LONG LIFE AND KEEP GOOD WORK TO MALYSIA ...

A question For all Visitor Please Answer .....

I am a thing.Teachers hate me.Cow like me.Monkey eats me.I am a 9 letter word.

_o_ _ m_ _y_

Find the answer if u are genius....:( my friend send me ...

Can We Believe Anything This Guy Has To Say Either? He Is Going To Be Worse Than Pak Blah. STOP THIS MAN FROM BECOMING PRIME MONSTER!

ISA has protected country from terrorism, says Najib
(We Are Not Terrorist )

I Have come across this article which made by Datuk Sri Najib Tun Razak….

He said the law has kept the nation secure from the threat of terrorism
"There is a very strong raison d'etre for the Internal Security Act. Just look at Mumbai and you realise that we cannot take security lightly."The main reason why there have been no serious acts of terrorism in this country is because we have in place the ISA," he said on the Riz Khan Show on Al-Jazeera last night.Najib, who is also finance minister, acknowledged however that the government needed to look into some elements of the act that troubled the people.
"At the same time, what is important now is to realise that people are concerned about civil liberties... what is important is how you apply the ISA."I realise there are some controversies relating to how the act has been used lately, therefore, we intend to address them in future." The prime minister-in-waiting gave assurance that the nation's security forces were adequately trained and equipped to face any threat to national security
Najib said reforms to the judiciary and Anti-Corruption Agency were clear messages to the people that the government was "listening to the electorate".He said while the government attends to the needs of the Malays and Bumiputeras who form the majority of its support base, it will also champion the rights of the non-Malays.

Yea we come know that Malaysia now just keeping ISA for Control the terrorism in the country how about our leaders. They only fight for Malaysian Indians rights those who have Malaysia Permanent resident Identity more than 50 years.
They are not the terrorist which kill the people for no reason …Before u make the statement please be clear on your decision if u wanted to keep the ISA for terrorism release five great leaders first … Ridiculous BN…

Terrorist attacks in India

The terrorist attacks in India caused worldwide shock and immediate condemnation by the leaders of countries and institutions. The attacks took place in Mumbai, the Indian financial capital, tourist destination and trade center. According to reports, more than 145 people were killed and 300 injured in the attacks including 8 casualties and 24 injured foreigners. The incident began with when terrorists bombed at several places, attacked and battled Indian security forces with their automatic weapons, and grenades, and then took hostages in hotels. The terrorists released some of the hostages after the Indian security forces intervened; some were saved by the Indian commandos. Nevertheless, in the second day of the incident there are still hostages and combat between Indian security forces and terrorists has not ended. The terrorists are still holding some people hostage. The incident has hallmark characteristics including method of the attacks, the choice of Mumbai, India for attack, the general context of global terrorism, and the byproducts of misguided combat with terrorism policies.

Who are they?

It is hard to determine the terrorist group’s roots according to the limited information. The group may be members of a local terrorist organization, or an international terrorist organization that calls themselves the “Deccan Mujahedeen”. The attackers may not belong to any organization but a group solely formed for this specific terrorist activity. However, the way that they conducted the operation gives us clues about particular characteristics of the group and group members.

First, the terrorists group consists of members that are associated with each other, highly organized and in concert. Second, they have depressive and narcissist characteristics. There is great resentment behind the terrorist activity resentment triggered with an accumulated hatred. Third, the group has a singular value system. They reject diversity, diverse values, and see the world in black-white terms. These are well-knowncharacteristics of certain terrorist groups. These types of groups rely on resentment, denial and their biased black-white value system to conduct ruthless and bloody attacks.

New strategy?
The strategy of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai is quite different from the conventional bombings and attacks on security forces. This attack is not just an attack aimed to get attention through maximization of the number of casualties. It brought together a diverse combination of terrorist activities in order to maximize the effect of their operation. The attacks began with simultaneous bombings in different places then attacks with machine weaponry and grenades, and ended with taking hostages. The first terrorist activities took the attention of the media because taking hostages, including tourists, from all over the world captivated media attention.

The intense media coverage about the attacks multiplied their effects. Obviously, this attack is planned in detail in order to reach the utmost effect. It was applied by highly organized and trained groups of militants with a high risk factor. This is not a suicide attack of course, and the terrorists cannot be categorized as suicide bombers, but as Sumantra Bose calls them crazy attackers. This is a gruesome new way of getting massive worldwide attention and triggers the risk of a new trend in terrorist attacks.

Why India?

India was targeted in the attack because of its economic and democratic development a prospective major global power in the world, and its crowded, diverse population. After the economic liberalization of the 90s, India’s economy developed enormously. In the 90s, Indian GDP increased yearly around 4-5% per year and after 2000 it increased to 8-9 % and it is estimated to increase to greater than 10% for the upcoming years. The Indian economy is expected to be one of the major economies along with the US and China. Moreover, India is ethnically diverse in nature, there are more than 200 languages spoken in the country. This development and rich culture attracts the resentment of Deccan Mujahedeen type groups and makes India a target to channel their hatred. Mumbai is the financial center of India and the attacks took place in hotels nearby touristic places. Thus, Mumbai being targeted is not a coincidence. These characteristics naturally make India more vulnerable to terrorist attacks. As a fast developing country, there is always the problem of income disparity in which development does not affect some of the regions and portions of the society. India is highly diverse ethnically, increasing the risk of ethnic tension as economic inequalities increases. Besides these factors, as a democracy, India is vulnerable to such attacks.

No justifications but to understand some causes of terrorism

This terrorist attack is a byproduct of the misguided policies on combating terrorism. The misguided tactics foster new terrorist groups and terrorist activities. Combating terrorism is different from the conventional battles that take place between countries. Terrorist groups use guerilla tactics, vanishing after the attacks into society making them less vulnerable. They do not have certain infrastructure to be marked as strategic targets.

Thus, combating terrorism can not be conducted with the regular army and heavy weapons. The units used in combat with terrorism are supposed to be small, close teams of professionals that are trained for specific operations in different places. These units are supposed to operate fast and efficiently to make the target inoperable. The operations are supposed to be based on intelligence and target specific small groups and cells.

These are not only preconditions of a successful operation but also the only way to prevent dispersal of terrorism. Use of the regular army and heavy weapons generally aggrandizes the target and makes it harder to hit specific and strategic groups. Instead, it causes problems such as civilian casualties that foster hatred and resentment. This resentment bounces back as new terrorist organizations and new terrorist activities. Thus, the wrong methods used to combat terrorism after 9/11 caused resentment against the major powers and the Mumbai incident might be and partly problematic byproducts of these misguided policies.

Good Demand For The Bloggers

1.Pahang Government has been Give a special Allowance for the blogger and some more they will provided by the computer and internet line in home itself for the people who leave the government age of 56.
2. This is on of the way for people who retire from the government can give their opinion and the idea true blog to the government which some of the leader had done now days.
:))) happy Blogging.

Remind: One day u will rewarded like free computer and internet line or (ISA).

Tamil proverb Quotes

~ Even a crow finds its own child precious. ~

~ The worth of shade is only known when the sun is beating down hot ~

~ The wounds of fire would have gone with the time but not the wounds caused by words ~

~ Great anger is more destructive than the sword. ~

~ Great anger is more destructive than the sword. ~

~ A drunkard's words are gone when the next day dawns. ~

~ Fully Filled pot does not spill ~

~ A single tree will never make an orchard. ~

~ A thorn can only be removed with another thorn ~

~ Don't step in the river without knowing its depth ~

~ Even when throwing in the river, measure what you throw ~

~ Make a wrong doer feel shy, by doing him a favour. ~

~ Pepper is small but not its zest ~

~ Even in hunger, Tigers do not eat grass. ~

~ Frog dies because of its making noise ~

multilingual road signs to the streets here.

"If (Kuala Lumpur) City Hall can put up road signs in Arabic in a Chinese populated area like Bukit Bintang, there is nothing wrong with putting up additional languages on the road signs in Penang, a world heritage site.

It's not as though we are taking away the national language. We are only adding more languages."
He urged Umno to stop politicising the issue.

Obama 'win'

Barack Obama swept to an historic election victory that made him America’s first black president but pleaded for time to heal and transform the global superpowerObama told 240,000 euphoric supporters, many in tears, at a rally late yesterday after defeating Republican John McCain.

”The road ahead will be long, our climb will be steep, we may not get there in one year or even one term, but America — I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there,” Obama said in his hometown of Chicago.(Obama Said).

Maths genius: Count on inner gift(Human computer)

(Shakuntala Devi, 69,)

Shakuntala Devi discovered that she had a special attachment and understanding towards numbers when she was just three years old. By the time she was five, she over took learned mathematicians in solving complex problems within seconds; it took hours for the mathematicians to arrive at correct answers to those calculations! At the age of six, little Shakuntala demonstrated her talents at the University of Mysore, before a huge gathering of professors and students of higher studies in mathematics. With lightning rapidity and scientific precision, she declared right answers mentally working out calculations for the most complicated problems. At the age of eight, she thrilled the learned audience of Annamalai University, prompting the Vice Chancellor of the university to call her, 'A living wonder.' As a child, she toured all over India exhibiting her talent not only in numbers but telling the exact day of the week of any date ,month, year of the past or future. Still in her childhood, she took her first tour of Europe in 1950. Visiting London on October 5, 1950, Shakuntala entertained Britain's television viewers with her skills in numbers. In her live programme on BBC, she challenged the interviewer within seconds on hearing the problem, telling that the problem was worked out wrong. The interviewer did a quick check-up and confessed that BBC's calculation was wrong. Similarly, when she was giving a demonstration at the University of Rome, she proved that the machine was wrong and she was right!a( http://www.shakuntaladevi.in/index.htm)

Media report..

O Globo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Nov. 6, 1954: "… the virgin from India is indeed a marvel.

''Mainichi, Tokyo, Japan - Sept. 14, 1958: "… the audience, consisting of representatives, of the diplomatic corps and others, thoroughly enjoyed the remarkable mental performance of the sari clad woman.

" Times of Malta, Malta - Oct.25, 1961: "… anyone who can hold an audience of youngsters spellbound with mathematical figures for over an hour must be a wonder. But that is what Shakuntala Devi, India's human calculator, is…"El Nacional, Caracas, Venezuela - Apr. 8, 1965: "… Shakuntala is an extra -ordinary Indian Girl, on whom nature has bestowed classical beauty and a mathematical brain that has a stunned the whole world…"

Mirror, Manila, Philippines - Dec. 7, 1968: "… she has a remarkable talent for showmanship that can put Bob Hope out panhandling." Daily Mirror, London - Sep.21, 1973: "… the machines have no chance, for Shakuntala has never been beaten.

" The Sunday Times, London - Sep.23, 1973: "… there was no competition when it came to finding a fourth root: The machine can't do it. Shakuntala Devi took just three seconds."

'Detain Khairy and Datuk Ahmad Ismail under ISA' (MCA Youth )!!!~NST~.

1.Ting called Khairy a "political loser"who should be booked under the ISA.

2.He also wanted former Umno Bukit Bendera division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail to be held under the same act for describing Malaysian Chinese as pendatang (squatters).

3."However, people like Khairy and Ahmad can talk all they want and no action was taken against them

4.If we want to use the ISA, let's use it against these people first. Lock them up for two years, let them think through everything they say so they can realise how nonsensical and narrow-minded they are."

Oil now US$78, can go as low as US$60 (Good News !!!)(NST)

The stunning collapse in oil markets accelerated on Friday, sending a barrel of crude plunging below US$78 (RM273) as investors grew more pessimistic about resolving a mushrooming global economic crisis

Oil hasn't been this cheap in 13 months -- a rare silver lining for consumers amid a rapidly imploding financial landscape. Crude prices have almost been cut in half since surging to a record near US$150 barrel recently. Energy experts believe prices could go even lower.

Anwar sets another takeover date...end of the year(The Star)

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has set yet another deadline for Pakatan Rakyat to wrest control of the Federal government.It is not like something I will allow to linger for one or two years. The momentum will continue .

Speaking in English for a foreign media in attendance, Anwar said he was addressing the crowd at a critical time in the country’s history with the global economic crisis happening and Najib’s ascension as prime minister.
Anwar also predicted that the global economic crises would be worse than the Asian financial crises of 1998/1999, saying economists believe it would be similar to the Great Depression of the 1930s.

10 things Umno must do...(The Star Article By P. GUNASEGARAM)

1. Be a true champion of Malays.
Somewhere along the way, the Umno train became derailed in terms of serving the genuine and pressing needs of the Malay masses. Instead the focus came to rest on things such as contracts, companies, cuts, equity stakes and such - in other words the enrichment of a relative few in the community.
Sometimes such things have been at the expense of the interests of the country when businessmen (including some from other communities) got deals which were too good from the Government. That is already bad but this was coupled with less attention and intelligent effort on vital areas such as education which has set the clock back in some cases.
2. Put a full stop to money politics.
The best way of doing this is to simply get the Anti-Corruption Agency into the act to stop vote buying and tampering. It is against the law to buy votes, so let the law enforcers in - it cannot be kept as purely a party matter and only for the party’s disciplinary committee to deal with. Only if such measures are taken will Umno members and the general public be convinced that the leadership wants to do away with money politics once and for all.
3. Renew the fight against corruption.
The evidence of corruption is all over the place if one cares to look for it - people living beyond their means, questionable contracts, strange land deals and so on. These are all at great cost to the nation and an immediate stop must be put to such things.
Measures already considered for more independent law enforcement as well as prosecution of offenders must be put in place to give real meaning and effect to fighting corruption instead of just lip service.
4. Put serious checks against patronage and its abuse.
It may be just too much to expect the nexus between business and politics to be nixed just like that. But certainly a lot, lot more can be done to ensure that patronage politics does not do undue damage to the interests of the country.
One easy way of doing that is to ensure that the awarding of contracts is more transparent and follows guidelines. The next point shows how this can be done.
5. Set benchmarks for all contracts and procurements.
There are international benchmarks available for the procurement of all manner of goods and services. It is also possible to employ consultants at a fraction of the cost of a project to determine benchmark prices and to oversee the project to see that it is finished according to acceptable standards. Doing such simple things ensures that the Government never needs pay excessive sums for goods and services while ensuring that they are up to international standards.
6. Be less racial.
It must be pretty obvious by now that Malaysian communities are not taking too well to the tried and tested means used by the politicians of yore - race - of increasing their appeal to their own communities. If that does not change, there is great risk of polarising some sections of the voting public - and these days you can’t afford that, as the not-so-recent elections showed. Policies these days must appeal to the broader mass of Malaysians.
7. Be more tolerant in terms of religion.
Religious issues have often been deliberately manipulated by all shades of politicians for their own narrow benefits, not of the community even but of the politicians who seek to be champions of their own race and religion.
There are real problems of religion, especially when it comes to things like conversion and the rights of individuals. These won’t go away if their honest, frank and considered discussion is suppressed - they merely surface somewhere else. Politicians must facilitate the discussion of religious issues rather than suppress it, in the spirit of acceptance and tolerance.
8. Cut the emotive content in language issues.
Long ago, Bahasa Malaysia was accepted as the national language. There is no issue there. What we have to do is to think of how we can get our people to equip themselves with everything that they need to thrive in a very competitive world.
One of that is mastery of the English language and we must not let our affection for the Malay, Chinese and Tamil languages stand in the way of that. If we can’t agree, then perhaps the best way is to give people genuine choice in the kind of education they want. As long as language gets politicised, it’s going to be very difficult to move forward.
9. Become more accommodative rather than confrontational.
The old mode of working among the BN coalition was to shout and to draw the lines and this was especially so with Umno. The approach was well, rather confrontational.
And, of course, when the lines are drawn, they are pretty difficult to redraw. It would be far better to seek reconciliation through accommodation and consultation instead. In that mode, chances for solution - rather than stop-gap measures - are infinitely better.
10. Be a true champion of Malaysians.
The time has come for all parties to think of themselves as Malaysians and see how we all as a group can move forward. If we help all the disadvantaged amongst us, automatically the most disadvantaged communities will be helped more.

Ghandhism-A Must read for parents.......and for parents-to-be.....


Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and founder of the M.K.Gandhi Institute for Non-violence, in his June 9 lecture at the University of Puerto Rico , shared the following story: I was 16 years old and living with my parents at the institute my grandfather had founded 18 miles outside of Durban, South Africa, in the middle of the sugar plantations. We were deep in the country and had no neighbours, so my two sisters and I would always look forward to going to town to visit friends or go to the movies. One day, my father asked me to drive him to town for an all-day conference, and I jumped at the chance. Since I was going to town, my mother gave me a list of groceries she needed and, since I had all day in town, my father asked me to take care of several pending chores, such as getting the car serviced. When I dropped my father off that morning, he said, "I will meet you here at 5:00 p.m., and we will go home together." After hurriedly completing my chores, I went straight to the nearest movie theatre. I got so engrossed in a John Wayne double-feature that I forgot the time. It was 5:30 before I remembered. By the time I ran to the garage and got the car and hurried to where my father was waiting for me, it was almost 6:00. He anxiously asked me, "Why were you late?" I was so ashamed of telling him I was watching a John Wayne western movie that I said, "The car wasn't ready, so I had to wait," not realizing that he had already called the garage. When he caught me in the lie, he said: "There's something wrong in the way I brought you up that didn't give you the confidence to tell me the truth. In order to figure out where I went wrong with you, I'm going to walk home 18 miles and think about it." So, dressed in his suit and dress shoes, he began to walk home in the dark on mostly unpaved, unlit roads. I couldn't leave him, so for five-and-a-half hours I drove behind him, watching my father go through this agony for a stupid lie that I uttered. I decided then and there that I was never going to lie again. I often think about that episode and wonder, if he had punished me the way we punish our children, whether I would have learned a lesson at all. I don't think so. I would have suffered the punishment and gone on doing the same thing. But this single non-violent action was so powerful that it is still as if it happened yesterday. That is the power of non-violence.

Mukesh Ambani Quotes.

China and India will, separately and together, unleash an explosion of demand. Mukesh Ambani I think that our fundamental belief is that for us growth is a way of life and we have to grow at all times. Mukesh Ambani The organizational architecture is really that a centipede walks on hundred legs and one or two don't count. So if I lose one or two legs, the process will go on, the organization will go on, the growth will go on. Mukesh Ambani

Malaysian blogger detained for displaying upside down flag: report

Malaysian authorities have arrested a second blogger, this time for displaying an upside down national flag on his website, according to a report Thursday.
Syed Azidi Syed Aziz, better known as Sheih Kickdefella, was picked up by police late Wednesday under the Sedition Act from his home in opposition-held northern Kelantan state, the Star daily reported.
"We were informed that the police were looking for us on Tuesday and waited for them but they didn't show up," his wife Bariah Ishak told the paper.
"We thought the worst was over but they came looking for him and so he surrendered," she added.
Syed Azidi, known for his links to the opposition conservative Islamic PAS party, had recently organised a nationwide Internet campaign to fly the Malaysian flag upside down in a sign of protest over the country's political and economic turmoil.
The campaign caused outrage in the conservative Muslim-led country with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ordering a police investigation into the matter.
Syed Azidi is the second blogger to get in trouble with Malaysian authorities over website content.
Prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, who has targeted government figures on his website, was arrested last Friday under the tough Internal Security Act (ISA).
Raja Petra, founder of the controversial Malaysia Today website, has already been charged with sedition and defamation after linking Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife to the sensational murder of a Mongolian woman.
Rights groups say about 63 people are being held under the ISA, which allows for renewable two-year periods of detention without trial and is normally used against suspected terrorists.
It has also been used to lock up opponents of the government, and last year five Hindu rights activists were detained after mounting an anti-discrimination protest that targeted government race policies.

World shares dive after Lehman Brothers collapse, banks shore up markets

Asian stocks suffered heavy losses Tuesday after the collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers, as nervous governments rushed to assure markets their financial networks were sound.
Officials called emergency meetings in capitals across the region as trading screens went red on the heels of the biggest one-day point loss for Wall Street's Dow Jones index since the September 11 terror attacks.
Japanese shares dropped almost five percent to close at a three-year low, while Hong Kong was off 5.9 percent at the lunch break, near a two-year bottom.
Some analysts said there were signs of panic selling, as officials in Australia, Japan and elsewhere pledged to try to keep markets calm. Japan injected 2.5 trillion yen (24 billion dollars) into the markets.
But investors were faced with an array of bad news that went well beyond the fall of Lehman, a 158-year-old institution which had even survived the market crash of 1929 that heralded the Great Depression.
Ratings agencies downgraded American International Group (AIG) -- a move that could spell the end for the insurance giant. Bank of America shares dropped 21 percent after it bought distressed Lehman rival Merrill Lynch.
"Lurking close to the surface are mounting pressures on institutions and on any number of investors as the dominoes start to tumble," said Patrick Bennett, an Asian currency strategist at Societe Generale.
Officials appealed for calm, trying to avert a panic and urging investors not to over-react to the drop, which comes after months of market turmoil set off by worries over US subprime, or high-risk, housing loans.
In Australia, where a surprise late rally kept the market's losses to 1.4 percent, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd met with the treasury officials and the head of the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Rudd told parliament the government was "acutely conscious" that the turmoil was not over. "As events in the US have demonstrated in the last 24 hours, regrettably, there is a long way to run yet," he said.
US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson vowed Monday to ensure "stability and orderliness" at home and overseas, but markets across Asia found no solace after news that two Japanese banks were among Lehman's biggest lenders.
Aozora, one of those banks, lost around 20 percent of its share value. Meanwhile Lehman's Japanese unit was reported to have the second-largest liability of any bankruptcy filing in post-war Japan.
Government officials held an emergency meeting with Bank of Japan (BoJ) governor Masaaki Shirakawa.
In South Korea, shares closed 6.1 percent lower while the currency, the won, fell 4.3 percent against the dollar, its biggest daily drop in a decade.
The central bank said it would intervene on the foreign exchange market if necessary.
South Korean economic and financial chiefs met to consider their next move, with some looking for a silver lining amid the slew of negative news.
Vice Finance Minister Kim Dong-Soo told reporters before the meeting that Lehman's collapse could be positive for global markets by "quickly removing market instability."
His remarks echoed Paulson, who on Monday insisted that "market discipline" -- in other words, letting failing institutions fail -- needed to be part of the US response to the crisis.
But earlier this month he ordered the US government's takeover of US mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and on Monday he reiterated that the US housing mess was "the root" of the current troubles.
The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 4.4 percent on Monday, its largest one-day point loss since the re-opening after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
Hong Kong said it would ensure orderly market trading as shares tumbled sharply, and Financial Secretary John Tsang said he was not worried about the health of other institutions in the financial hub.
"We have a comprehensive regulatory regime, so I'm not too worried," he said.
Chinese share prices closed 4.47 percent lower while Philippine share prices closed down 4.5 percent, the sharpest one-day fall in Manila since January.

- Dow Jones Newswires contributed to this report -

shocked by arrest of reporter and not perpetrator

shock that former Bukit Bendera Umno division chairman Datuk Ahmad Ismail, who made racist remarks has not been taken to task but reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, who wrote about the incident, has been arrested instead.

The perpetrator who vowed to conduct a nationwide roadshow on his remarks without any remorse is still at large,” MCA vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat said in a statement yesterday.

He said anybody in his right mind would certainly be stunned by such an arrest targeted at the reporter and not the perpetrator.
MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn said he disagreed with the use of the ISA on Tan.
“As a reporter, Tan was only carrying out duties assigned to her. Her story had gone through the due editorial process before it was printed,” he said.
Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the arrest of Raja Petra Kamaruddin was judicious because he ridiculed Islam in his postings which could spark fury among Muslims.


wats going on is that fare to all.....

Former Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail may have an unlikely advocate on the question of whether he should be dealt with under the Internal Security Act for allegedly making racially sensitive statements in the run-up to the Permatang Pauh by-election. (Raja Petra, Teresa Kok and Sin Chew reporter arrested under ISA)

Malaysia Today news portal editor Raja Petra Kamarudin, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) here and in Penang.
The first person to be picked up was Raja Petra, 58, from his house in Sungai Buloh near here, followed by Tan, 32, who was arrested from her house in Bukit Mertajam, Penang. Teresa, 43, was detained at 11.20pm as she was on her way home in a car.
Detained: (From left) Raja Petra, Tan and Kok were picked up under Section 73(1) of the ISA.
All of them were arrested under Section 73(1) of the ISA for allegedly being a threat to security, peace and public order.
A team of police officers from Bukit Aman arrived at Raja Petra’s house at 1.10pm and led him away 40 minutes later.
The team also took some 15 VCDs on ceramah held by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as well as 16 books.
Last week, the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) and several Muslim bodies lodged a police report against Raja Petra, who is already facing criminal defamation charges for allegedly insulting the Malays, Muslims and Islam.
In a statement, Deputy Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said Raja Petra was arrested based on surveillance that showed that he was involved in activities that could cause unrest among the multi-racial and multi-religious society of the country.
Tan, who was picked up at 8.40pm, was taken from her house in Taman Seri Rambai in Bukit Mertajam to the state police headquarters on the island.
Tan, 32, reported former Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail’s racist remarks while campaigning for the Permatang Pauh by-election.
Lee Kelvin from Guang Ming and Tan Ming Xao from Nanyang Siang Pau, who had vouched for the accuracy of Tan’s report had gone into hiding.
Kok, 43, who is also state assemblyman for Kinrara and the senior Selangor state executive councillor, was picked up over an alleged involvement with a resident’s petition over a mosque.
Acting Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar confirmed the arrests of Tan and Kok.
Under the Section, police are empowered to detain the trio for a period of 60 days after which the Home Minister can decide on further detention.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar admitted that the decision to detain people and issue show cause letters would be unpopular and would be criticised but it had to be done.
“While we may want to be popular, freedom without responsibilities has ramifications.
“We have to take action to protect the wishes of the majority,” he said.
Syed Hamid also said Raja Petra had been warned on many occasions in the last two years.
“Now, with so much public uneasiness, we do not want anything that can threaten peace in the country.
“The police looked at all aspects and, under present circumstances, the actions were necessary,” he added.

arrested under ISA for inciting racial sentiments

Ahead of the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting today, Gerakan Youth and Wanita have called for the sacking of Datuk Ahmad Ismail from Umno and for his arrest under the Internal Security Act for inciting racial sentiments.
Ahmad, who is Bukit Bendera Umno division chief, recently came under attack for making controversial remarks about the Chinese community.