VOXPOP 'I can't blame photographer Romy Ocon if he turned into an angry bird because some cuckoo bird stole his birdie pic.'

Foreign pixman claims Pos Malaysia stole his photo

voxpop, voxGeneYen: Our Tourism Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz will say: "The pic was not stolen, it just so happened that our bird was the other bird's twin. It had migrated to Sabah from Philippines, given MyKad, too.

"Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has confirmed it with the National Registration Department (NRD). We have the Petronas Twin Towers (where one tower is the same as the other), yet nobody's complaining. Anyway, it's all Anwar Ibrahim's fault."

Anonymous #28052681: We have thousands of local professional photographers who would happily sell/offer their works to adorn our stamps. Instead they Google for 'free' pictures...

Jstom: It is a photograph of a lone bird. Do you expect the bird to wear different 'feathers' for a different shot? Birds of a species would definitely look the same.

It's not like a human face where there are facial features. Birds of a species also have a particular 'stance' so any two pictures would be indistinguishable.

Having said that, the name of the bird is a different story altogether that only an ornithologist (part-time or full) would be able to answer. There's no excuse for getting that wrong.

MinahBulat: Claiming a White-fronted Falconet is no different than a Long-tailed Shrike is like comparing chalk to cheese.

Nazri, is this your work or is that your boy's work? Looking at the pictures I am afraid I agree with photographer Romy Ocon that someone from Tourism Ministry or Pos Malaysia stole his picture.

Peacemaker: Stealing taxpayers' money has been good training for stealing photos. Being a shutterbug myself, I know it feels to be violated this way. Pos Malaysia should own up and pay up.

MockingYou: I can't blame Romy Ocon if he turned into an angry bird because some cuckoo bird stole his birdie pic. No big deal compared to our GE13 but good luck with the legal process in the la la Bolehland of Endless Possibilities.

Wira: ‘Curi Curi' 1Malaysia. Plagiarism is our 'boleh' trademark.

GST good for you, Muslims told in sermon

Kawak: When did Islamic Development Department (Jakim) become an expert in Goods and Services Tax (GST)? The GST taxes collected are from all races and from Malaysians of all religions.

Some GST taxes are from the sale of non-halal items. The money collected are from the rakyat. Umno does not own them. If they steal or abuse these funds, is it ‘haram'?

Hang Babeuf: Next we will be told - perhaps even next week - that Pemandu is mandated and endowed with public authority in the Quran, and that GST is an Arabic abbreviation for doing God's will. Here in truly Asia, truly moderate, and truly surprising Malaysia, anything is possible.

Not just possible. It can even happen by next week. And probably will. Every half an hour, something altogether new and surprising. And also wonderfully inventive - courtesy of Umno-BN.

Perhaps when you die and they weigh up all your dosa, you have to add 6 percent too to them on that balance account as ‘transitional' GST between dunia and akhirat. A sermon on that too, please, Jakim!

Awakened: I do agree that GST is a fairer tax system. But the sermon only tells part of the story. The sermon should also question why the car taxes in Malaysia are so high which really burden the rakyat.

Based on recent statistics provided by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri, a major chunk of the bankruptcy cases comes from inability to service our car loans.

The other is the full-tax exemptions on zakat contribution. For example, if a Muslim contributes RM1,000 for zakat, he can get the corresponding amount of RM1,000 deducted from his income tax whereas a non-Muslim who donated the same amount to any charity only get deducted a small percentage (from 1 to 25 percent) of the RM1,000 depending on his highest tax bracket.

With the full exemption from tax on zakat contribution, basically the net contribution from the person is nil. Lastly, the sin taxes from gambling and liquor. These taxes are non-halal tax and should have been set aside strictly for non-Muslims.

Magnus: Question: Does one go the house of God/Allah to commune with and pray to God/Allah in all humility or to listen to religious politicians giving political sermons and tax lessons to the worshippers?

NewMalaysia: Wow, I am amazed how Muslims could put up with this kind of sermon? They talk as if it's a component party of BN and even dares to claim that GST will not be a burden to the people.

If GST is not a burden and yet so important to strengthen the ummah's economy, why not propose a 50 percent GST rate?

Paul Warren: For once I agree with Jakim. And since they are so open about it, I shall also be just as open.

For one, I would like to welcome the hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Muslims, in joining me and about a million others, mostly non-Muslims, in contributing towards the government's General Fund.

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