2. The last negotiations for the loans were made in 1997. These were for projects in:

a) Education sector USD 244 million

b) Social sector USD 60million

c) Technical sector USD100million

3. The currency crisis also began in 1997. Naturally the loans were not approved until 1999 when the crisis was over. The usual sequence is for application for a loan to be made, followed by negotiations. Approval would be given by the bank later.

2. Tetapi kadang-kadang kita takut kepada yang kita tidak patut takut. Kita takut gelap. Kita takut makhluk yang sebenarnya tidak wujud melainkan dalam fikiran kita atau dari cerita-cerita yang kita dengar, terutama semasa kecil.

3. Ramai kita orang Melayu percaya ada manusia yang mempunyai kelebihan tertentu – mampu meresap, menghilangkan diri. Dan kita takut kepada mereka ini.

Pulau Pinang negerinya baru

Duduk mengalir air mata

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2. Many would say what is the use of a trial by a tribunal which is not recognised by any Government. And in addition the accused persons were not present although the summons were legally served on them.

3. But think again.

2. But now they have demanded that Italy be governed by an unelected Government of technocrats headed by Mario Monti, an economist.

3. So democracy is not the panacea for all political and economic problems. So the will of the majority cannot always be permitted to wield power. In the end democracy has to depend on oligarchy to rescue it from the capitalist abuses.

2. Mereka diterima oleh masyarakat sejak dahulukala lagi tanpa banyak masalah.

3. Tetapi di Barat, kerana gerakan bagi mendaulatkan kebebasan (freedom), mereka ini digesa untuk menuntut hak supaya diiktiraf sebagai sejenis yang berlainan. Mereka juga manusia dan manusia mesti diberi kebebasan untuk melakukan apa sahaja.

2. Sains dan matematik (hisab) bukan seperti mata pelajaran lain. Fakta sejarah, geografi, sastera tidak berubah dengan pengaliran masa. Fakta dalam sejarah, geografi dan sastera kekal dan tidak bertukar.

3. Sains sebagai ilmu berkembang melalui penyelidikan dan kajian sepanjang masa. Sains yang saya belajar di sekolah dan di universiti tidak sama dengan sains masa kini. Dahulu tidak ada sains elektronik, komputer sains, sains angkasa lepas, “nano” sains, sains pembedahan dada, sains perubatan stem cell dan berbagai-bagai lagi. Semua ini di kenali dan diperkenal dari masa ke semasa melalui penyelidikan oleh pakar-pakar sains.

2. I wonder whether Bush thinks a country like Greece, which is totally incapable of paying its debts after irresponsible financial management, is a successful country.

3. The debt of Greece has not only destroyed the country but it has dragged down all the European countries as well. Such is the disaster brought on by Greece’s impecunious ways that Europe is threatened with the possibility of financial collapse. So far the great economic and financial minds of Europe have not found any real solution. Instead there is the possibility that the failure would spread to Italy, Spain and Portugal.

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2. As Prime Minister I met Gaddafi several times. He was always hospitable. Much of my time with him was spent in answering questions explaining about Malaysia. He seemed to want to learn about developing a country. I believe he wanted to do the same for Libya.

3. In his early years he had plans for improving the lives of the Libyans. He, it was, who initiated the irrigation of the fertile coastal areas through building the great artificial river. A Korean contractor undertook the job, building a huge pipeline to carry underground water from the distant interior to huge tank storage farms and then to irrigate the land.