PENULIS DIUGUT PANCUG

Ada pembaca cakap saya bodoh kerana tidak tahu mengenai sejarah kepahlawanan Dusun. Macam-macam tuduhan, ada yang mahu Pancung (momuyus) kepala saya, ada yang menyumpah saranah saya dan ada juga yang menghina seteruk-teruknya kepada saya. Saya menulis mengenai Tidak Ada Sejarah Kepahlawanan Dusun, yang merujuk bahawa Dusun tidak ada pahlawan yang dinamakan seperti ANTENOM (Ontoros) bagi suku kaum Murut. Saya tidak menyebut pemenggal-pemenggal kepala seperti yang dirujuk sebagai Monsopiad dan sebagainya, memandangkan kepahlawanan mereka itu terpencil. Di Keningau ramai pemenggal kepala dikalangan Bangsa Dusun yang dicatatkan secara lisan. Dimana-mana di Sabah juga terdapat sejarah lisan yang berkaitan.
   Begitupun penekanan saya ialah Tidak Ada Seperti Antenom. Mat Salleh bukan Dusun, sebaliknya bangsa ini sekadar pematuh / pengikut.
   Saya berterima kasih kepada pengkritik, tetapi mencabar agar menulis mengenai ketokohan pahlawan-pahlawan yang anda nyatakan. Salam.

IMPIAN PEMUDA KAMPUNG BERTEMU PEMIMPIN TERCAPAI

DATUK FRANKIE CHONG DENGAN HARRY

LEWAT petang pada Rabu di Keningau, saya menemui Datuk Frankie Chong yang merupakan Timbalan Spekar Dewan Undangan Negeri Sabah. Perjumpaan tidak terancang, adalah menunaikan impian seorang anak muda bernama Harry Dalusim yang ingin bergambar dengan idolanya – Datuk Frankie, yang menjadi impiannya sejak beliau berusia belasan tahun.

   Menunaikan harapan dan impian Harry, bukanlah sesuatu yang mudah kerana ia melibatkan seorang pemimpin yang begitu berpengaruh.

   Sejarah Datuk Frankie ialah beliau bermula sebagai orang biasa kepada seorang Setiausaha Politik, Wakil Rakyat dan kemudian Timbalan Spekar Dewan Undangan Negeri, dan pencapaian inilah yang telah menambat Harry untuk bersalaman dan mengabadikan gambar kenangan.

   Harry seorang budak kampong yang berpendidikan setakat Tingkatan Lima, memilih keriar sebagai seorang penoreh getah dan berkebun untuk meneruskan survival hidup.

   Bagitupun katanya, beliau yakin gilirannya untuk senang seperti yang dinikmati oleh orang yang sudah jauh Berjaya akan tiba.

   “Sebab itu saya mahu jumpa idola saya,” katanya.

   Dalam perjumpaan itu, Harry lebih banyak berdiam diri tetapi setia mendengar cerita yang disampaikan oleh Datuk Frankie, yang kebanyakan intipatinya mengenai motivasi.

   Antara yang menarik mengenai khabar yang disampaikan oleh Datuk Frankie, ialah mengenai pengalaman peribadinya pada beberapa minggu yang lalu pada ketika beliau dirawat di IIJN Kuala Lumpur.

   Datuk Frankie mengamalmi sedikit komplokasi di bahagian dalaman anggota, tetapi diperingkat yang tidak serius.

   Kos perubatan menjangkau RM18,000 yang hanya mengambil masa dalam beberapa minit.

   Moral pengalamannya ialah dengan kos seperti itu, rakyat biasa pastinya tidak mampu untuk mendapatkan perubatan yang terbaik di Negara ini.

   Apa yang Datuk Frankie tegaskan ialah betapa pentingnya insuran kepada setiap rakyat Malaysia, jika tidak dengan kemudahan ini, menyaksikan hanya mereka yang mampu memperolehi rawatan yang terbaik dan pantas.

   Datuk Frankie memberitahu bahawa ramai yang meninggal sebelum giliran mereka untuk mendapatkan rawatan, hanya kerana tidak mampu untuk membiayai kos perubatan.

   “Inilah yang membezakan orang kaya dengan miskin,” katanya.

   Begitupun jelas Datuk Frankie, masalah itu boleh diatasi jika rakyat menyedari mengenai kepentingan insuran. Insuran di Malaysia serendah RM30 sebulan (mengikut umur) yang membolehkan semua rakyat mampu untuk memilikinya.

   Di Negara-negara maju, pemilikan insuran adalah diwajibkan kepada setiap rakyatnya.

   Perjumpaan yang sangat bersejarah kepada Harry itu, telah memberikan satu suntikan semangat kepada beliau untuk terus merubah hidup, namun yang lebih penting di sini ialah saranan Datuk Frankie mengenai kepentingan insuran seharusnya disahut oleh rakyat.

   Jangan mengeluh bahawa kerajaan tidak melakukan sesuatu yang baik terhadap rakyat, kerana Datuk Frankie telah menyatakan kepentingan melalui pengalaman yang sebenar.

  

VILLAGERS COME TOGETHER TO REPAIR ROAD AND BRIDGE

By MOHD KHAIRY ABDULLAH

Villagers repairing the road

KENINGAU(Sabah, Malaysia): Villagers in Kg. Pohon Batu and Binanon here have come together to repair damages on their main access road and bridge, which were affected during a flash flood earlier this week.

   The have come together in an effort to reduce dependency on government aid, after the flood incident affected some teachers who were about to return  to their respective homes for the holidays.

   A teachers at SK Pohon Batu, Juanis Sandiang , said villagers have displayed good cooperation during the two-day ‘gotong royong’, which also gave them an opportunity to display their skills.

   “The work has been tiring but brought relief to all road users,” he said.

   The road is frequented by locals and teachers from the villages to reach Keningau town, especially teachers and farmers who wanted to sell their produce in Keningau and Nabawan, after it was left by logging firm.

   The road is exposed to risks like landslides and mud, during the rainy season.

   “The spirit of not being too dependent on the government has become a strong practice among the people here, we have succeeded to solve the problem,” Juanis said.

   Kg. Pohon Batu and Binanon are located about 50km from the Pensiangan forest, which is a remote area populated by the Murut.

   

How to Be a Millionaire by Age 25

By Marc Wojno, John Miley, Susannah Snider and Mohd Khairy Abdullah

Here are eight millionaires, all of whom made their first million by 25, with advice for achieving prosperity.

MARK ZUCKERBERG

Wish you were as wealthy as this guy? He's Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, and his super-geek-to-billionaire story is the basis of the hit movie The Social Network. 

"Young people are just smarter," he told a Stanford University audience in 2007. He started Facebook from his Harvard dorm in 2004 as a sophomore. Now he's a 26-year-old philanthropist, recently donating $100 million to the Newark, N.J., school district. 

Zuckerberg's youthful fame and fortune makes for a riveting tale. But across America every year, plenty of entrepreneurs make their first million under the age of 25, some in high school. It takes vision, smarts, determination
and a little luck. 

Age now: 45

Title/Company: Founder and CEO, Dell Computers

Made his first million by age: 19 

Dell launched his computer company in 1984, just before dropping out of the University of Texas. By selling direct, Dell lowered prices and won over customers. At 24, the company had revenues of $258 million. At last check, his estimated net worth was $13.5 billion. 

His advice for young entrepreneurs: "You've got to be passionate about it," he said in an interview with the Academy of Achievement. "I think people that look for great ideas to make money aren't nearly as successful as those who say, 'Okay, what do I really love to do? What am I excited about?'"

7 Self-Made Immigrant Millionaires

ARNOLD 

Immigrants make up 13% of the U.S. population. They come here in pursuit of the American Dream, an opportunity for a better life in exchange for hard work. For many, their unique skills and fresh perspectives lead them to entrepreneurship. 

That may explain why one small-business owner in six in the U.S. is an immigrant, according to arecent report by the Fiscal Policy Institute's Immigration Research Initiative. Professional and business services, such as waste-disposal services and office administration and cleaning, boast the largest number of immigrant business owners, followed by retail, construction, educational and social services, and leisure and hospitality industries. "Immigrants are such a varied group with people from countries all around the world that have a wide range of skill sets . . . and these [fields] have always been a natural fit" both locally and nationally, says David Dyssegaard Kallick, director of FPI's Immigration Research Initiative. 

[More from Kiplinger: How to Be a Millionaire by Age 25]

The seven entrepreneurs featured here come from diverse backgrounds. They made their millions (and, in one case, billions) in industries ranging from Internet technology to restaurant services. Here are their stories.

Age: 65 
Country of origin: Austria 
Occupation: Hollywood actor and former California governor 

His advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: Don't let others' negativity discourage you from achieving your goals. 

"Aw-nold" wasn't always a famous face with a big bank account. He's originally from Thal, Austria, and immigrated to the United States in 1968 at age 21. His meal ticket back then was body-building. Schwarzenegger would eventually become a five-time Mr. Universe and seven-time Mr. Olympia champion, which helped open many doors for him -- especially in Hollywood. From 1969 to 1980, he was cast in a series of small roles in films such as "Hercules in New York" and "Stay Hungry." When he was cast as the title character in the 1982 film "Conan the Barbarian," Schwarzenegger's acting career took off. He became a U.S. citizen in 1983. One year later, he starred in "The Terminator" and has gone on to star in more than 20 films. 

Schwarzenegger's entrepreneurial ventures include the Arnold Sports Festival, which he started in 1989 and is held annually in Columbus, Ohio. It hosts thousands of international health and fitness professionals and has expanded into a three-day expo. He was one of the founding celebrity shareholders in the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain that opened in 1991. Schwarzenegger also owns Oak Productions, Inc., a movie production company, and Fitness Publications, a publishing interest with Simon & Schuster. 

In 2003, he ran for governor of California, and won, ultimately serving two terms. Today, Schwarzenegger is worth an estimated $300 million. His films have grossed $1.6 billion domestically. In October, he published his memoir "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story." 

Earlier this year, he was profiled in ESPN's "30 for 30" short documentary-film series. During that interview, Schwarzenegger discussed how early in his career, he refused to let naysayers stop him from pursuing his dreams: "I didn't pay any attention to it. . . I did not listen to the 'no' . . . and it worked out. I used that attitude as a blueprint for the rest of my life."

Age: 64 
Country of origin: Philippines 
Occupation: Founder and CEO, the Natori Company 

Her advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "There is no better place in the world for an immigrant to succeed than in the U.S. Follow your dream and make it happen." 

Moving from the Philippines to Westchester, N.Y., to attend Manhattanville College in 1964 was a complete culture shock for Natori. "The cold winters, the food and the sense of humor were just different. I was very homesick," she told Kiplinger. But it never stopped her. 

After earning an economics degree, she went to work for Bache & Company on Wall Street, moving to Merrill Lynch in 1971. But climbing the corporate ladder wasn't enough. "While I loved the [corporate] culture, I also had a very strong desire to build something myself," she says. 

In 1974, Natori became a U.S. citizen. And after giving birth to a son in 1976, she and her husband Ken brainstormed a variety of ideas for starting her own business -- from opening a car wash to running a McDonald's franchise. It was by chance in 1977, however, that she would become a high-end women’s sleepwear designer after showing a nightgown (made from what was originally a hand-embroidered blouse) to a buyer at Bloomingdale's. 

In the early days, Natori ran her company solo. "It's easy to take for granted the amount of work that goes into [making] the clothes you see in stores," she says. "There are so many elements -- from the design concept to production -- that all need to work in order to make something happen." Today, she has nearly 400 employees. Her husband is chairman, and her son, Kenneth, is vice-president of finance and e-commerce. Her business has expanded to include fragrances, eyewear and home décor. In 2011, Natori teamed up with mass retailer Target for a budget-friendly line of lingerie and loungewear. That same year, her company generated $150 million in retail sales. 

[More from Kiplinger: 6 Millionaire Moms]

"Some people may see their immigrant status as an obstacle," she says. "I have always viewed it as one of my biggest assets. Natori is unique in the design world, because of its East-meets-West aesthetic. All of that is due to my background and heritage."

Age: 52 
Country of origin: Jamaica 
Occupation: Founder and CEO, Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill 

His advice to immigrant entrepreneurs: "Anybody can achieve the American dream. You've got to be focused, educated, have discipline, and just go for it." 

Shortly after moving to the Bronx from Jamaica in 1981, Hawthorne, 21, green card in hand, landed a job as an assistant stock handler with the New York Police Department. He earned an associate's degree in accounting from Bronx Community College and was eventually promoted to accountant. But entrepreneurship beckoned. 

Hawthorne had watched his father operate a bakery in his native Jamaica and knew he wanted to work alongside family. So he pitched the idea for Golden Krust, a Caribbean-themed, family-style eatery, to his seven brothers and sisters who had also come to the U.S. At first, they couldn't get a small business loan. "The banks were hesitant to grant loans to new restaurants because of the failure rate -- especially niche restaurants such as ours," Hawthorne recalls. "We also didn't have a lot of personal assets to guarantee the loan." So the siblings took out second mortgages on their homes and borrowed money from family and friends, raising $107,000. In 1989, the first Golden Krust restaurant opened in the Bronx. In 1991, Hawthorne left his job with the NYPD for good. The next year, he became a U.S. citizen. 

There are now more than 100 Golden Krust locations in nine states along the Eastern seaboard. Hawthorne and Golden Krust have been profiled in major publications such as The New York Times, the Washington Post and Black Enterprise magazine. In 2011, the company generated $100 million in revenue. Hawthorne says in addition to opening more franchises, there are plans to expand the company with a line of cooking sauces. 

"Risks not taken are opportunities missed," he says. "You've always got to take calculated risks in entrepreneurship.”

Apple’s iPhone losing edge in Asia: survey

Apple’s iPhone losing edge in Asia: survey

By Deborah Choo | What’s buzzing? – Fri, Nov 9, 2012

Has iPhone 5 delivered? (Photo courtesy of Blackbox Research)

Nearly one in five Asians who were early iPhone buyers said the phone has failed to meet their expectations.

But at the same time, 28 per cent of buyers said the new iPhone 5 has surpassed their expectations.

These are among some of the findings by independent research company Blackbox Research in Singapore and AIP in Japan, which surveyed 12,000 adults across 12 Asian countries last month.

Blackbox Managing Director, David Black, said, "Apple has definitely lost a little of its gloss and it will be interesting to see how they respond in what is now an increasingly competitive category. Remember what happened to Nokia when everyone thought they were unstoppable. "

The survey also found that 39 per cent of Asians feel that Apple is paling in comparison to other brands in the smartphone category.

When surveyed on the next brand of phone they would buy, respondents were evenly split between Apple and Samsung, the former garnering 37 per cent and the latter, 35 per cent. 28 per cent opted for other brands.

Black added, "The survey results really demonstrate why both Apple and Samsung have thrown so much into their legal and PR battles this year. The smartphone battle in Asia is now incredibly fierce with both brands winning battlegrounds in different parts of Asia and running neck to neck in others."

Here in Asia, Black said the iPhone seems to be a more popular choice for Japanese and Thai consumers, while South Koreans, Malaysians and Indians were more keen on a new Samsung handset.

Consumers in Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines were far more divided with solid support for both major brands.

Just on Thursday, another research firm Strategy Analytics reported that Samsung's Galaxy S3 became the world's best-selling smartphone model last quarter, pushing aside the iPhone, which has dominated the chart for more than two years.

It estimated Samsung sold 18 million S3 models in the third quarter, compared with iPhone 4S sales of 16.2 million.

Consumers reflect their intentions to purchase their next new iPhone. (Photo courtesy of Blackbox Research)

Barack Obama wins election for second term as president

By Liz Goodwin, 

President Barack Obama handily defeated Gov. Mitt Romney and won himself a second term on Tuesday after a bitter and historically expensive race that was primarily fought in just a handful of battleground states. Obama beat Romney after nabbing almost every one of the 12 crucial battleground states.

The Romney campaign's last-ditch attempt to put blue-leaning Midwestern swing states in play failed as Obama's Midwestern firewall sent the president back to the White House for four more years. Obama picked up the swing states of New Hampshire, Michigan, New Mexico, Iowa, Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Ohio. Of the swing states, Romney picked up only North Carolina. Florida is still too close to call, but even if Romney wins the state, Obama still beat him in the Electoral College vote. The popular vote will most likely be narrower than the president's decisive Electoral College victory.

In a sweeping victory speech early Wednesday morning, Obama thanked every American who voted, and vowed to work with leaders from both parties to tackle the country's challenges.

"Our economy is recovering, a decade of war is ending, a long campaign is now over," he told a crowd of cheering supporters in Chicago. "And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you and you have made me a better president." Obama added he has "never been more hopeful about America. ... We're not as divided as our politics suggest. We remain more than a collection of blue states and red states."

In his speech, he offered clues to the policy goals of his second term, which included a deficit reduction plan that combines tax increases with spending cuts, a comprehensive overhaul of the nation's federal immigration laws and tax reform. He called on Republicans to join him in achieving those goals.

The battle for the White House between Obama and Romney divided the nation, causing, at times, bitter disputes between the parties. Obama urged his supporters to look beyond the fight of the past several months and defended the process of choosing a president.

"I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even  silly," Obama said. "And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics who tell us  that politics is nothing more than a contest of evils or the domain of  special interests. If you ever get the chance to talk to folks who  turned out to our rallies and along the rope lines of high school gyms,  or saw folks working late at campaign office or some tiny county a long way from home, you'll discover something else."

Romney conceded in Boston in a speech around 1 a.m. ET. "Like so many of you, Paul [Ryan] and I have left everything on the field. We have given our all to this campaign," Romney said. "I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead your country in another direction. But the nation chose another leader." Romney congratulated the president and his campaign on their victory.

The Obama victory marks an end to a years-long campaign that saw historic advertisement spending levels, countless rallies and speeches, and three much-watched debates.

The Romney campaign cast the election as a referendum on Obama's economic policies, frequently comparing him to former President Jimmy Carter and asking voters the Reagan-esque question of whether they are better off than they were four years ago. But the Obama campaign pushed back, blanketing key states such as Ohio early on with ads painting him as a multimillionaire more concerned with profits than people. The Obama campaign also aggressively attacked Romney on reproductive rights issues, tying Romney to a handful of Republican candidates who made controversial comments about rape and abortion.

The ads were one reason Romney faced a steep likeability problem for most of the race, until his expert performance at the first presidential debate in Denver in October. After that debate, and a near universal panning of Obama's performance, Romney caught up with Obama in national polls, and almost closed his favorability gap with the president. In polls, voters consistently gave him an edge over Obama on who would handle the economy better and create more jobs, even as they rated Obama higher on caring about the middle class.

But the president's Midwestern firewall—and the campaign's impressive grassroots operation—carried him through. Ohio tends to vote a bit more Republican than the nation as a whole, but Obama was able to stave off that trend and hold an edge there over Romney, perhaps due to the president's support of the auto bailout three years ago. Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, all but moved to Ohio in the last weeks of the campaign, trying and ultimately failing to erase Obama's lead there.

A shrinking electoral battleground this year meant that only 12 states were really seen as in play, and both candidates spent most of their time and money there. Though national polls showed the two candidates in a dead heat, Obama consistently held a lead in the states that mattered. That, and his campaign's much-touted get-out-the-vote efforts and overall ground game, may be what pushed Obama over the finish line.

Now, Obama heads back to office facing what will most likely be bitterly partisan negotiations over whether the Bush tax cuts should expire. The House will still be majority Republican, with Democrats maintaining their majority in the Senate.

The loss may provoke some soul searching in the Republican Party. This election was seen as a prime opportunity to unseat Obama, as polls showed Americans were unhappy with a sluggish economy, sky-high unemployment and a health care reform bill that remained widely unpopular. Romney took hardline positions on immigration, federal spending and taxes during the long Republican primary when he faced multiple challenges from the right. He later shifted to the center in tone on many of those issues, but it's possible the primary painted him into a too-conservative corner to appeal to moderates during the general election. The candidate also at times seemed unable to effectively counter Democratic attacks on his business experience and personal wealth.

"In the coming weeks and months I am looking forward to reaching out to leaders of both parties," Obama said.

He won't have much time to fulfill that promise. With tax hikes looming and a sequestration deal that will make enormous , automatic cuts in government funding, Congress and the White House must move quickly to find a compromise and put Obama's high-minded rhetoric into action.

Chris Moody contributed reporting from Chicago.