Religious destination in Venkannaguda, IndiaThe
Statue of Equality, also referred to as the Ramanuja statue, is a statue of the 11th-century vaishnavaite Ramanuja, located on the premises of the Chinna Jeeyar Trust at Muchintal, Hyderabad. It is the second tallest sitting statue in the world.Wikipedia
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Compiled by JUNAID IBRAHIM, JAROD LIM and R. ARAVINTHAN` `
INDIAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi is under fire after claims emerged that the 10-billion-rupee (RM556mil) Ramanujacharya statue officially unveiled recently was built by a China-based company, Malaysia Nanban reported.` `
The 66m-tall Statue of Equality in Hyderabad, Telangana, was built to commemorate the 11th century Indian saint and is expected to become a tourist and pilgrimage destination.` `
Opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that the statue was not built locally and berated Modi in a Twitter post with a swipe at the New India often touted by the PM, writing “New India is China Dependent”.` `
The “aimpon” or “panchaloha” statue made of five metals – gold, silver, copper, brass and zinc – is said to be one of the tallest in the world.` `
It is located in a 14ha compound which features a temple, meditation hall and a smaller gold statue.` `
> The Taiping Gurukulam Sevai Maiyam received some much-needed help to continue serving underprivileged children of Indian descent, Makkal Osai reported.` `
Recently, the Sri Navaneetha Krishna Temple, which houses the residential school and children’s home in Kampung Boyan, received a donation of RM21,001 from elected representatives.` `
Datuk Dr Jegathisan, who runs the Gurukulam, said the funds will go towards additional classes and tuition for the Children.`
`The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.
Eighteen-year-old Gu is a cross-cultural legend for both China and the US
China is multifaceted, but what’s important is that it is advancing
Uncloaking The Invisible: Anti-Asian Racism Throughout History and Now
` Gu Ailing Eileen competes in the women's freeski big air event at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games on February 7, 2022, with a golden Chinese dragon on her back. Photo: VCGbr `
It's not just Chinese people who are immersed in the victory of Chinese skier Gu Ailing, who won the gold medal of the women's freeski big air final at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games on Tuesday. Her dazzling performance also traveled across the Pacific and inspired those with Chinese descent living in the US, to not be afraid of showing their cultural identity, and break the false dichotomy where one has to be "Chinese or American." One can be both and let the dual cultural background be a bonus, not a burden, they said.br `
As the US faces more and more prominent racial problems, outstanding athletes with a dual cultural background at the Beijing Winter Olympics will be an awakening for the country to reflect on its deep rooted racism against Asian people. Yet the effect will be limited, observers said. They are also certain that a more open and prosperous China will be able to draw more and more talents with Chinese descent to contribute to it. b `
After making worldwide headlines, Gu, who has lived and trained most of her life in the US, also became a hot topic on US social media. b `
"She popped up on my radar very recently since the Winter Olympics started, and I did not know her or ski," said a Chinese American surnamed Zhang, who has been living in Chicago for more than 20 years, told the Global Times. "I dug some of her history and noticed she spoke out for Asian groups in the US. I really appreciate such efforts. There are so few willing to speak out." `
"She really proved how much Chinese can do, how far we can push our limits," said Zhang.br `
Raised by two native Chinese women, her mother and grandmother, Gu travels to China frequently, and never hesitates to demonstrate her Chinese cultural identity, by saying that her favorite food is dumpling and putting on a "Chinese dragon" outfit during the competition on Tuesday. `
Gu announced on Weibo on June 6, 2019 that she would represent Team China in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. In the same month, Gu changed her registered nationality from the US to China on the official website of the International Snow Federation (FIS). `
During the post-match conference, Gu said that "I definitely feel as though I'm just as American as I am Chinese. I'm American when I'm in the US and Chinese when I'm in China and I've been outspoken about my gratitude to both the US and China for making me the person that I am." `
"I think it is amazing that when the relationship is so strained between the two countries, she can stand up and say she is both Chinese and American. Because many of us [Chinese Americans or Chinese living in the US] are stuck in the dichotomy where we have to be one or the other," said a Chinese surnamed Huang who lives in New York, noting that Gu's example enlightened her that you can be both and such a dual cultural background is a bonus, not a burden. `
The day before Gu won, Cathaleen Chen, a China-born American writer, published an article in Cosmopolitan, an American monthly fashion and entertainment magazine, saying that she used to feel guilty rooting for China. Gu "vindicated" her.br `
"Her decision to ski for China is a validation that I didn't know I had been yearning for. Finally, I've learned how to be proud again. And as an Asian American, pride is all we've got for now," wrote Chen.b `
Gu is not the only case, as there are also several promising athletes with Chinese descent in Team US at the Winter Olympics. For example, four of the six single figure skaters in the singles events are Asian American, like Vincent Zhou. `
Zhou once wrote on Instagram and Sina Weibo account in English and Chinese that "As a Chinese American, and the son of Chinese immigrants, the skating program says very clearly what I firmly believe: I am proud of my heritage, I am proud of my culture, and I am proud to be Asian American. ` China's sheen to talentsbr /> ` `
As the US is engulfed by racial problems and rising cases of violent assault against Asian Americans are reported, outstanding athletes with Chinese heritage during the Winter Olympics may send a ripple effect to US society to put more emphasis on this group, said Zhang Tengjun, deputy director of the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, but said that such an effect may be limited. `
The US faces racism poisoned by extreme nationalism, and some white people feel insecure when they see a sluggish economy and a divided society, Zhang noted, saying such a phenomena will only fuel the country's racial issues. `
The most recent case of violence against Asian Americans was Michelle Go, who was shoved in front of a New York subway train in January. It happened less than a year after a gunman killed eight people, six of whom were of Asian descent, in Cherokee County and Atlanta in March 2021. `
The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism revealed that anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 339 percent last year compared to the year before, with New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities surpassing their record numbers in 2020, US media reported this month. `
During a previous interview with the Global Times, Committee of 100 President Huang Zhengyu told the Global Times that despite Asian Americans contributing to all aspects of life in the US throughout two centuries, "we're still seen as perpetual foreigners." `
Zhang believes that since more and more people with Chinese heritage are struggling with racial problems in the US, it is possible that certain talents will veer to China, a place that is not only their original home, but also more and more open and attractive to talents. `
The Winter Olympics is a good window for those talents to show China's rising influence, and a country that makes them proud and willing to contribute to, according to Zhang. `
The University of Arizona and the Committee of 100 conducted a survey of scientists of both Chinese and non-Chinese descent working at academic institutions in the US on issues of race and ethnicity in science and research. Around half of the Chinese scientists surveyed — including some American citizens — said they felt they were being watched by the US government. `
Dr. Jenny Lee, professor of educational policy studies and practice at the University of Arizona and one of the study's authors, said she saw "comments from American scientists of Chinese descent who felt that they would thrive more in other parts of the world. And that includes China."
Xinjiang torchbearer and athlete refutes Western media's irresponsible reports
Tourists play on snow tubes at Oynak ski resort in Moyu County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, January 9, 2022. Located on the southern brim of the Taklimakan Desert, Moyu County barely snows in winter. In order to boost its winter tourism and extend the tourism season, the county built Oynak ski resort by making artificial snow, fueling people's passion for winter sports here. Photo: Xinhua ` `
For a long time, the coverage of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region by Western media outlets, such as Agence France-Presse (AFP), is a Don Quixote-style farce. `
Xinjiang has time-honored ice and snow culture. Its Altay prefecture is the internationally recognized origin of human skiing activities, which can be traced back 12,000 years. Xinjiang is taking the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics as an opportunity to vigorously develop its ice and snow economy, such as promoting tourism, sports and culture. `
But AFP pointed an accusing finger at it. On Wednesday, AFP posted an article entitled, "Beijing sells troubled Xinjiang as a winter sports paradise." It wrote, "Rights advocates worry China is spotlighting minority athletes to whitewash abuses in the region, adding to propaganda efforts to portray Xinjiang as an attractive tourism destination." The article cited Maya Wang of Human Rights Watch as saying, "The Chinese government has promoted tourism to Xinjiang, turning the region into a sort of Disneyland where inhabitants are stripped of their identity and opinion." `
The comments that AFP made are very absurd. In terms of economic development, Xinjiang's boost of its ice and snow economy is a standard green economic development pattern to preserve local inherent ethnic cultural characteristics, and to promote green tourism without environmental pollution. By doing so, Xinjiang can improve the well-being of local people, achieve environmental protection and economic prosperity. What's wrong with that? `
Such remarks raise questions: What kind of life do these Western journalists and the so-called rights advocates want people in Xinjiang to live? Do they hope the local residents stay in a broken economy and an impoverished condition? Or do they simply want Xinjiang to become "independent" and cede from China? `
AFP's rhetoric only demonstrates that some Western media outlets do not hope to see any good and positive change in Xinjiang. What they really care is not Xinjiang nor people of various ethnic backgrounds who live in Xinjiang. Instead, what they actually focus on is how to stir up troubles in China in general and Xinjiang in particular. And now they regard hyping Xinjiang's so-called human rights issues as a "card" to impair China. `
"China should not expect any praise from Western media such as AFP. These media are on the opposite side of China when they report China and the whole world. Take the Soviet Union. After the Soviet Union fell apart, has Russia ever received any goodwill from the West?" asked Shen Yi, a professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University. "If China wants to debunk their [Western media's] lies, it needs to continue exploiting various occasions to show the real situation of Xinjiang to the people across the world," Shen noted. `
The West has repeatedly and groundlessly accused China of disrespecting human rights in Xinjiang. The truth is, the Chinese government is constantly seeking opportunities, such as the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, to promote the economic development of Xinjiang and to make great efforts to lead the local people to a happier life. Aren't such moves respecting local people in Xinjiang? Is it rational for AFP to criticize these attempts? Or is the West trying to make Xinjiang fit their Western-centrist stereotype, hoping the region remains impoverished and the ordinary people shiver in the freezing cold, to satisfy the West's condescending sense of superiority? `
Shen asked, "Why on earth are Western media outlets so angry toward China on the Xinjiang-related affairs? The reason is simple: The rapid and enviable development of Xinjiang has made them feel deeply ashamed of their biased judgment and evil motivation."
You are rawr-some: A person in a dinosaur costume checking in on children waiting their turn and receiving the Covid-19 vaccine jab at a vaccination centre in Kota Damansara. — AZHAR
MAHFOF/The Star
Health experts are calling on Malaysia to fine-tune its Covid-19 mitigation strategies to cope with the Omicron surge as the nation braces itself for the wave of cases, which is expected to last some weeks. `
This comes as Malaysia recorded over 10,000 cases over the past 24 hours, something which it had not seen since October. `
Epidemiologist Dr Sanjay Rampal warned that the peak of this new wave of Covid-19 cases would be felt in the coming two or three months. `
He explained that the reason for this could be due to the community transmission of the Omicron strain and decreased health seeking behaviour following the floods at the end of last year. `
“If the recent increase is due to the Omicron strain, I believe that could breach the 20,000 daily cases in four weeks,” he said when contacted yesterday. `
The Health Ministry had also predicted that Malaysia’s Covid-19 cases would continue to show an upwards trend in the coming weeks. `
However, following the precedent in other countries like South Africa, Britain and the United States, where the strain had peaked and ebbed, the surge was likely to last weeks and not months. `
For example, according to Our World in Data, the number of new cases recorded in Britain were over 847,371 on Jan 31 but this had fallen drastically to over 60,114 by Feb 5. `
Similarly, new cases in South Africa peaked at 26,389 on Dec 15 but had fallen to 8,078 cases by Jan 4. On Feb 5, there were 6,135 cases. `
Health authorities, said Rampal, could manage the coming Omicron wave by getting ready the country’s public health services, testing facilities, and primary health care facilities to cope with the possible exponential increase in demand for prevention activities. `
“A failure to plan for surge capacity at the district level will lead to our public health services being overwhelmed and higher levels of Covid-19 community transmission. `
“Although the stress to our hospitals will be relatively lower in this new wave, I expect a very much higher demand for primary health care services,” he added. `
Immunologist Datuk Dr Musa Nordin said the Health Minister would need to take a proactive stance and sound the clarion call to counter the onslaught of Omicron by reactivating the Covid-19 National Task Force (NTF). `
Originally known as the Greater Klang Valley Special Covid-19 Task Force (GKVSTF), the NTF is made up of an inclusive, coordinated multi-agency or sectorial team with varying expertise in pandemic management. `
“The GKVSTF had successfully flattened the Delta curve when earlier efforts, including MCOs and Emergency Ordinances (EO), failed, causing critical case numbers to spike in July last year, resulting in a total collapse of health care services, and a catastrophic number of deaths,” said Dr Musa. `
He also noted that the entire workflow involving district hospitals, quarantine centres, government and private hospitals must be comprehensively addressed, with the implementation of an end-to-end automated outbreak management system. `
“Omicron has also taken a toll on health care workers with many falling sick. It is important that our health care workers are all boosted with mRNA vaccines to ensure that we are not short-staffed when Omicron really hits us. `
“There is no need to reinvent the wheel. We have a working model (GKVTF) and modus operandi that successfully dealt with the Delta wave,” he suggested. `
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia health economics, hospital and health management’s Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh said if proper mitigation plans were not implemented by the relevant authorities, the numbers would continue to go up in the next few weeks. `
“I would strongly urge the authorities to come up with a proper mitigation plan to address this. `
“I am not saying that they should implement a full movement control order because of its adverse impact including to the economy. But they can implement measures, such as enhanced movement control orders, in certain high risk areas, and re-look at prevention plans to limit movement in public areas like offices and schools,” she said. `
“Those who are able to work from home can continue to do so or perhaps employers can consider implementing a hybrid working arrangement,” she said. `
Although Omicron cases were reportedly less severe, Dr Sharifa Ezat urged everyone not to take the situation for granted due to the rapid transmission. `
“It is true that we should not panic but if we don’t do anything, the situation will worsen as fatalities are still being recorded,” she said. `
On whether the numbers would continue to climb, Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman believes this will largely depend on the public’s commitment to adhere to all the standard operating procedures (SOP). `
“I think the community should play a role as well and help our frontliners from being further overburdened by practising all the SOP,” she said. `
In other countries, including Denmark and Britain, governments have announced plans to lift all their domestic Covid-19 restrictions with Omicron not being categorised “as a severe disease for the vaccinated”. `
However, face coverings are still required in healthcare settings, including hospitals, and on public transport. `
Covid passes are also not required for large events and at public venues, and people are no longer being advised to work from home.
Impressive: A worker cleaning the stairs of the Statue of Equality, depicting 11th century saint Ramanujacharya in Telangana. — AFP
