Best friend sold off as bride

Ng Meixi was 17 (right) when her best friend, nicknamed Da, (left) told her that she would soon be sold off as a bride.

The 16-year-old Thai teenager was sold for 40,000 baht (RM4,000) to the 19-year-old son of a farmer as her family needed the dowry to survive.
Meixi, now 23, who has been volunteering in Chiangrai with her family for the last 10 years, had made friends with Da during her volunteer trips.

'Let’s retire BN’ campaign by PSM kicks off

Party embarks on nationwide tour to create awareness among citizens' of democratic rights and the pitfalls of returning BN to power.

IPOH: Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), with a pithy slogan, ‘Udahlah tu…Bersaralah’ (Enough already – retire now), has embarked on nationwide campaign to remind Malaysians of the pitfalls of returning Barisan Nasional to power in the 13th General Election.

The party said it’s time for BN to ‘retire’ from politics as it is already 54 years old politically and has done little to uplift the socio- economic status of  the majority of Malaysians .

It kicked off its three-day national campaign tour yesterday in Ipoh with its leaders leaving in two chartered buses yesterday – one from Ipoh to the northern region up to Perlis and the from Johor heading for Kuala Lumpur.

They will hold ceramahs at major towns enroute to create awareness among Malaysians of their democratic rights as citizens and the
pitfalls of returning BN to power.

PSM leader Dr D Jeyakumar said the BN has diverted from its original path of serving  and uniting all Malaysians and is engaged in a divide and rule policy by playing on race and religion.

Jeyakumar said there was economic development for the people during Tun Abdul Razak’s term but now only the elite in BN are enjoying the economic cake of the country.

Jeyakumar who is also Sungai Siput MP said that most Malaysians will suffer economically and financially if BN is returned to power.

Weakened workforce

He outlined the contributing factors to the gloomy financial outlook for the nation:

• BN will implement the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which will affect those in the lower and middle income groups. The initial rate of GST is 5 % now but this percentage will go up as in the case of Singapore which started with 3 %, but now the figure has jumped to 7%.
• BN will privatise all hospitals, thus pushing up health costs in its efforts to promote health tourism among foreigners.
• BN will also privatise education that will make it difficult for most Malaysians to send their children for further education locally.
• Labour laws will be amended to weaken the bargaining power of the workforce by making local companies not answerable to labour disputes or problems.

This will be done by outsourcing their businesses to  contractors who will be made the fall-guys for any labour problems arising.

• BN will sign the Foreign Trade Agreements (FTA) with Europe and USA and the cost of consumer goods like medication for  life-threatening diseases like AIDs and cancer will rise beyond the reach of most Malaysians.

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First Picture of 11-Year-Old Girl Who Fell 100 Feet off Moving Ferris Wheel

An 11-year-old girl has died after falling 100 feet from a Ferris wheel during a school trip.

Witnesses say 11-year-old Abiah Jones, from Pleasantville, New Jersey, was about half-way up the ride when she somehow fell from the ride’s car

Horrified classmates watched as Abiah Jones, from Pleasantville, New Jersey, fell from the upper half of the big wheel at just after midday on Friday as the ride at the Wildwood boardwalk, also in New Jersey, was still moving.

Police said the girl was over half-way up the ride when she fell from her Ferris wheel car.

She plunged into the area in front of the ride where children were getting on and off.

Police said there was no sign that it was an intentional jump or horseplay.

The ride owners said it appeared that the girl was alone in one of the car’s passenger gondolas, which is secured with a double latch.

The door of the car opens inward, making it difficult to climb out of, the company said.

The tragic accident happened during the boardwalk’s annual Education Extravaganza – a day for students from grades three to 12 and their teachers to enjoy the park and nearby beach and amusement pier.

The girl was on a trip with her school, the Pleasant Tech Academy.

Captain Lynn Frane of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the girl died on Friday after authorities were called and she was taken to a local hospital.

She was pronounced dead around 45 minutes later.

The incident happened at 12:30 p.m. Friday at Morey’s Mariner’s Landing Pier.

Morey’s said in a statement the cause did not appear to be mechanical but was being investigated. Meanwhile, the Ferris wheel and a few other rides were closed.

‘The Morey staff and family offer our thoughts and prayers to the family,’ Morey’s said in a statement.

Chief executive Will Morey said: ‘I’d like to say how sorry we are for the incident that occurred here.’

He said it was the first death of a customer in the history of the company, which has owned amusement parks at the Jersey shore since 1969.

The Ferris wheel was cordoned off with police tape this afternoon and part of the landing dock was covered in white sheets.

After closing the Ferris wheel and a few others rides throughout the afternoon, the amusement park’s owners closed the entire park at 4pm.

It was due to reopen Saturday morning.

Two bags of the girl’s clothing were taken from the scene by police.

The ride passed its last inspection on March 17 2011, according to authorities.

The 156 foot tall wheel is one of the largest Ferris wheels on the East Coast and is about the same height as a 10-story building.

It has been a popular attraction since it was built in 1985.

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