http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/while-malaysia-fiddles-its-opportunities-are-running-dry/2006/11/14/1163266550487.html
In his latest article on Malaysia in The Age (see above), Michael Backman criticises Malaysians for wasting large amounts of government money on "white elephant" projects. He takes as one example Malaysia's project to send a Malaysian into space:
"Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian
rocket — the first Malay in space. And the cost? $RM95 million ($A34.3
million), to be footed by Malaysian taxpayers. The Science and
Technology Minister has said that a moon landing in 2020 is the next
target, aboard a US flight. There's no indication of what the
Americans will charge for this, assuming there's even a chance that
they will consider it. But what is Malaysia getting by using the space
programs of others as a taxi service? There are no obvious technical
benefits, but no doubt Malaysians will be told once again, that they
are "boleh". The trouble is, they're not. It's not their space
program."
I bet Mr Backman is eating humble pie now that it was revealed in Parliament yesterday the vital studies the lucky Malaysian astronaut will carry out on board the space station:
Parliament
Thursday November 16, 2006
Playing games part of space research
TOP-SPINNING and playing batu seremban may be some of the experiments the first Malaysian astronaut will carry out in space.
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim, who was replying on behalf of the Science, Technology and Innovations Ministry, said the astronaut would also do batik painting and make teh tarik.
She said this in reply to comments made by MPs on what the Malaysian astronaut might do at the International Space Station.
"Such experiments will also be studied by our own scientists in the medical, science and educational fields.
"Schoolchildren will be further motivated to increase their interest in science and technology when our astronaut holds a live teleconference with students from several selected schools," she said, adding that the astronaut would also conduct experiments on micro-gravity in front of the television camera.
Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor and Kapten Dr Faiz Khaleed, who have been selected for Malaysia’s first astronaut programme, are undergoing training in Russia before departing for the International Space Station. Only one of them will travel to the ISS on Sept 2 next year.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
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6 comments:
A quick google shows ‘Batu seremban or five stones is a game originally played by girls.’ Says it all really.
Malaysians, they haven’t a cluedo….
Whilst some would argue that sending Malaysians into space is a waste of money, I would .......
But this is all about man's great advancements and desire to conquer the universe. And to set goals that are just achievable with considerable effort.
On the International Space Station is one lady who was born in Tehran in 1967. Anousheh Ansari. A lady who knows all about generating dollars and encouraging us to part with money to fly into space.
Richard Branson - one of UK's greatest entrepreneurs- is behind the venture to hurl people into sub space (and back again).
http://www.virgingalactic.com/
Well I can only hope that this modest Iranian maid will have left the space station before the lucky Malay who is chosen arrives, otherwise they will be guilty of the grave crime of "Proximity", and the Mutawween will be obliged to set about them with sticks.
Just returned
Am sorry. Disinformation problem on green. She's already visited space and returned safely. She spent 10 days having launched on Sept 18th along with a very fetching Spaniard Michael Lopez-Alegria and raunchy Russian. She was the first female MUSLIM and Iranian in space.
How long before the Space Stations have minarets, are positioned towards Mecca, and the astronauts are obliged, five times a day ...?
Is there nowhere in the universe now that we infidels can find refuge? Does she wear the jilbab and veil under her spacesuit?
If you played your cards wrong you could be in daylight during Ramadan for about a year, and a bit peckish by the time they brought you down.
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