Congratulations to Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor as Malaysia’s first angkasawan, orbiting in space to the International Space station — 360 km above the earth.
It is a feat Malaysians can feel proud.
We must however ensure that Malaysia can follow up and take a quantum leap in advances in science and technology and not be like Saudi Arabia, which sent the first Muslim into space more than two decades ago in 1985 in the United States space shuttle Discovery but the desert state has little to show in terms of building a science and technology research and development sector beyond oil and petrochemicals.
The government must also learn from the mistakes of the programme to send the first Malaysian to space, as it had been mired in controversy at almost every stage, from its genesis, conception and selection as well as its transparency and accountability.
The lift-off programme last night would have been more fitting the nation’s 50th Merdeka anniversary if an inter-faith prayer session had been held to give blessings for a successful launch as Malaysia is sending a Malaysian who is a Muslim into space and not a Muslim who happen to be a Malaysian.
#1 by uyatnej on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 5:32 pm
He is not an astronaut or cosmonaut. He’s just a spaceflight participant or space tourist.- devilmaster
That’s why our half past six goverment dare not call him astronaut, but angkasawan, so nobody from NASA or Russian know what its mean. So BN half past six goverment can fool all the orang orang kampung and kindergarden children that he is our first angkasawan meaning first astronaut. kan niamah
#2 by burn on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 5:58 pm
tahniah Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor sebagai Malaysia’s first angkasawan.
but stupid BN gomen!
ada perkara yang lebih penting yang patut di tumpukan.
lihat, si keluarga kat port dickson yang tinggal kat pondok bas! lihat, si makbapa kehilangan anak pompuan mereka kerna tak mampu nak beli baju sekolah… dll. kalau nak sambung, tak habis crita!
apo gomen kito buat karang? berbilion bilion dapat dibelanja… hanya untuk kepentingan diri sendiri! kalau tak tahu macam mana nak mengendalikan negara malaysia, beri pada mereka yang lebih berpengalaman. patutlah orang kata, kat parlimen tu banyak clowns in the making!
#3 by boh-liao on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 6:06 pm
In fact, the Malay language has the best term: Makan angin!
#4 by dawsheng on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 6:29 pm
The spaceman in International Space Station is changing shift and the Soyuz is delivering some cargos up there. Russia needs money to sustain its space program and that’s why they welcome space tourist, participant, peserta whatever, they needs money! So one stone killed two birds. I am sad to know that those happy Malaysian childrens hoodwinked by their BN leaders grow up thinking the first Malaysian in space was an achievement will be so disappointed and not knowing where to place their pride when they discovered the truth that it was nothing special at all, and people will laugh at them as “Katak dibawah tempurung”. This is cruel! But I hope it cured their dillemmas.
#5 by boh-liao on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 6:31 pm
This episode shows the shallow thinking, wasting public money and irresponsible attitude of our political leaders.
These days any country can pay Russia a few millions to have one of its nationals as a passenger in a Russian spaceship. No big deal, just throwing away a big chunk of good money that could otherwise be used to benefit the poor and underprivileged in the country.
However, not many countries chose to do this – to waste so much public money for a shallow self-shiok. Most leaders are responsible and know their priorities.
Our little dot neighbour could certainly afford to pay for one or more space travelers. But would the political leaders there allow such a wastage of public money for a skin-deep national pride?
On the other hand, our political leaders are on a different stratosphere, unaware of the real day-to-day problems that many Malaysians face, and wallowing in easy-come-easy-go money. They are the ones who manipulated the financial opportunities and gladly went for the self-shiok trip. Just to feel a few inches taller or longer!?
#6 by Jonny on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 6:53 pm
why i’m not surprised when Dr. sheikh was chosen?
I looked at the faces. Yes. Just like Akademi Fantasia.
I bet my last dollar that Dr. Sheikh somehow will be the chosen one. And true enough …
#7 by RealWorld on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 7:45 pm
“The astronaut programme has cost the citizen of RM 90 million. If each citizen were given RM 1million each, there still have surplus of RM 63 million which can build schools, research centres and other facilities that beneficial to the citizen.” – michgyver
Dude, your maths are pretty screwed. Of the 90 million, how can each citizen be given 1 million each, there still be a surplus of 63 million?
#8 by umnology on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 7:55 pm
RM90 million advertising campaign to promote Malaysia.
Look at them on TV with two thumbs up is like two kids are going to Disneyland!
OMG, do it right lah ybJJ!! make them look serious abit ok..
Now you make your own people like fools only!
#9 by smeagroo on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 8:26 pm
Can we find out where we MALAYsians have not explore and we can all work hard, pay our taxes and sponsor another bloke to do it and shout MSIA BOLEH just for the heck of it!
Yea, we hv not sent anyone to the deepest abyss in the Pacific Ocean. HOw abt we do that? Heck, I guess no one has ever done it before and live!
Come on BN, hurry up! JUST DO IT!!!!!!
#10 by tidaknama on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 8:55 pm
From the start I knew he would be chosen, because he has all the right points, and brains is not the main point. But anyway well done, after all it still takes guts to go up there.
#11 by rojak on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 9:10 pm
Proud my foot.
Angry, yes.
Angry that $90m was wasted on a space tourist, while M’sia still have families that are so poor, their kids committed suicide etc.
Aiyooh!! NEP must continue’lah. So many underprivileged Malays still……… When will M’sians see through their dishonesty.
Dr Shake should’ve have persisted with doing teh tarik, roti canai and xxx in space now. At least the world would have a good laugh. This way, everyone would have said “M’sian are a real larrikin”. Malu’lah.
On second thoughts, it’s better he is now doing lab assistant work on somebody else experiments. It may actually benefit mankind and not just maruah of his own kind.
Dr Shake, if r reading this “Remember to bring back some photos and souvenirs from your trip”.
#12 by calvin on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 9:24 pm
Well, good look beats substance…!!! Anyway, wonder they have the latter…!!! This is our beautiful Malaysians’ mentality. They just need to put somebody up there with commercial value.
I can’t seems to figure up what are the value adding things that this guy going to bring back after this? Going to space just because of other countries have done so..!!! Typical kiasu case..! The money could be better use for the society and the poors. Mere wasting the public fund..!!
#13 by lakshy on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 9:29 pm
Rojak, rojak! Yalah I also think its a crying shame. Got so much more to do here on earth, developing the nation, uniting it, and moving forward. Why waste huge sums going to space? Thats not the last frontier!
The last frontier is our mind! We should develop that to take us wherever! What the mind can conceive, it can achieve!
#14 by shortie kiasu on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 10:36 pm
He can go up to the space through the Russian space program is all about money, tax payers money, that was paid to get him onboard. He could be any one of average IQ and physique, a Tom, Dick or Harry. That kind of quantum of money could be channelled to much better, productive & meaningful use in the country.
There are still plenty of poor people around, some are hardcore poor. There is thus nothing to shout about, right!?
#15 by AhPek on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 10:38 pm
‘One small step for Sheikh but one big step for Malaysia and the Muslim world.’ And everybody just went bonkers as if Sheikh has made some earth shattering scientific discovery.I’ve all this while have this impression that this ‘syiok sendiri’ syndrome is an infectious disease amongst the UMNOPUTRAS.Now the ‘SUN’ even caught it this morning. Shocking to say the least.
Come on lah he is no better than a space tourist who went up there to makan angin on Malaysian tax payers’ money much like South African Mark Shuttleworth, American Dennis Tito and an Iranian lady(I forgot her name).However the difference is they all each paid USD20million out of their own pocket.
The Russian after the economic collapse in !990 has trimmed down their budget for their space programme drastically and to further help finance some of their programs they have to turn to space tourism whereby they charge each tourist USD20 million which is around 70 million ringgit.According to k1980, he posed an interesting question ie Since Bernama says the trip costs 90 million ringgit somebody must have become an overnight multimillionaire pocketing just 20 million ringgit just like that!!!
#16 by fighter on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 10:43 pm
I think all Malaysians would be surprised and annoyed that after we foot his RM 90 millions’ trip, Dr Sheikh went on to say in BBC News that his trip was a great inspiration to Muslims, mind you, to Muslims world-wide and not to Malaysians!!
Non-Muslims being the largest contributor to Govt. taxes from which this trip was funded was not given any credit and he was so proud to be a Muslim rather than as a Malaysian. After all he was not the 1st Muslim but the 1st Malaysian and why was he not loyal to the country which made this trip possible.
#17 by TheWrathOfGrapes on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 11:06 pm
Just flipped through this magazine in a KL hotel room which featured an article on Malaysia’s first “cosmonaut”. Dr Sheikh was quoted as saying how tough the training was and how he learned of things which he would otherwise not know. One example he gave was the constrictor they put on the thigh portions of the space suit. This is the quality of Malaysia’s “cosmonaut” – he has never heard of a G-suit. I am not a fighter pilot, but at least I know what a G-suit is. Heck, I am not even a pilot.
#18 by AhPek on Thursday, 11 October 2007 - 11:12 pm
I don’t think all Malaysians would be annoyed if in fact Dr.Sheik went on to say in BBC News that his trip is a great inspiration to Muslims world-wide for the most of the world would know that Dr. Sheik did not achieve anything just by hopping on to the spacecraft to be a passenger to the American astronaut and Russian cosmonaut for which according to Bernama 90 million ringgit has been paid as part of the package in the purchase of 18 Sukhoi fighter jets.Its analogy is what so inspirational if you take a taxi ride for which I paid for the fare.You did not invent and make the first car in the world.
In fact most of the listeners would have a great laugh over such thoughtless remarks for they all know it isn’t!
#19 by democratic junkie on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 12:11 am
YB lim,
you said “It is a feat Malaysians can feel proud.”
proud of what? proud of the fact that we have 90million ringgit and a healthy and fit citizen?
He is a space tourist for goodness sake! Space tourism is the recent phenomenon of paying for space travel, primarily for personal satisfaction.
Proud of the fact that Dr.Sheikh is going to host a Hari Raya party and that he brought satays and kuih’s?
Think again. Space travel is available for those with money. Pay up and get fit. Thats about it. check out the list of space tourists on wikipedia.
#20 by democratic junkie on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 12:14 am
Space travel will be available to be public soon via Richard Branson’s Virgin….
#21 by wtf2 on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 12:46 am
As megaman mentioned, apart from the momentary pride of having a fellow citizen in space there appears to be nothing gained in followups. What can be achieved apart from having the label “Malaysian sent to space”.
At the rate corruption and corridors are going to be the theme of the near future, I won’t be surprised if a space center/corridor be setup with billions and billions of ringgits and nothing to show in the future apart from another NEP fiasco.
#22 by AhPek on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 1:03 am
Virgin Galactic is a company with Richard Branson’s Virgin group which plans to offer suborbital spaceflights and later orbital spaceflights to the paying public.Suborbital spaceflight will enable the space tourist to go up to an altitude of 100km (said to be the boundary between earth’s atmosphere and space) allowing each passenger to experience weightlessness for up to 6 minutes at a cost of USD200000.
The company is planning to have a passenger service on its first spaceship, the VSS Enterprise with its inaugural launch in 2008 and main flights beginning in 2009.
Several companies in the US are already talking about planning to build ‘space hotels’.
In fact Richard Branson himself hopes to build one within his lifetime.
So what is all the unnecessary excitement about Dr. Sheikh and what’s new.
#23 by undergrad2 on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 1:22 am
Sending a person out to space no longer grabs headlines today. Now and then some space shuttle takes off somewhere, and nobody is even taking notice!
Malaysia could have sent the first transvestite into space. No one could care less.
#24 by undergrad2 on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 1:25 am
Look at the DAP. For some forty years it has tried to launch its rocket. Some say the feat is in the trying and not the launching. I beg to differ.
#25 by undergrad2 on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 1:28 am
I think Malaysia should send her Fat Lady out to space, and once in space jettison her out so she could be the first woman to circumnavigate the globe in her birthday suit. That would have grabbed headlines!
#26 by sebol on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 6:15 am
18 F-18 hornet is more expensive than ( 18 sukhoi SU 30 MKM + space program) ..
If you guy keep complaining, “space participant” lah, makan angin lah, wasting our money lah.
Then next time, buy F-18 Hornet , didnt get anything & people dont complaint.
After several years, it become besi buruk
No need to next generation about space exploration.
#27 by AhPek on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 7:46 am
You are right, undergrad2.That will be the cause for jubilation and celebration, not this Sheikh chappy.
#28 by ahkok1982 on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 7:51 am
i would not mind sending all of those who are in BN into outerspace on a one way trip. it would be a good use of funds… just that we need to strap them all to a rocket n blast off… doesnt really matter if the rocket blows up and not lift off.
#29 by Tom Peters on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 8:06 am
Belief has always provided impetus for actions, sometimes detrimental ones.
If I was vetting an aspiring spaceman, I would ask him if he accepted the fact that science HAS NOT YET proven the existence of god which is still a belief approach for those who believe.
If he has a problem accepting this fact, I would not shortlist him, because he would be a danger to the others in that confined space.
#30 by ktteokt on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 8:19 am
This is what the Chinese term “Using other people’s buttocks as one’s face”. Borrowing other people’s facilities and two “escorts” to get into outer space is no great achievement. Yuri Gagarin did not have any such escorts. He went up there alone in his nation’s own spaceship, but we had to borrow everything. So what is so great about Malaysia conquering space this way? What if Russia refuse to lend us these facilities? Our great “astronauts” will then be grounded forever!!
And just what is the purpose of spending so much money in sending out astronauts into outer space? What is the exact objective? This money could have been put to better use, especially at a time when the economy of the country is in the pits!!! MALAYSIA BENAR-BENAR BOLEH???
#31 by Counterpoint on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 8:30 am
Just watch him come back and break into the entertainment industry flashing his face on TV and later become an UMNO politician. All this launched from his l’l trip to space , all at the expense of the rakyat.
Angkasawan is a syiok sendiri term for this guy. Piggyback tourist is what I’d call him.
#32 by Jimm on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 9:09 am
We have many achievements that goes to nothing at the end.
The sailor that (heard) migrated to some other country lately, those ‘syoik sendiri’ expeditions to Poles and mainly covering what the country majority population owners can do. The Government claimed that these are good exposure for the younger generations as to inspire them.
Really ????
Don’t talk about all these mega publicities that comes our way, those local community activities that any state assemblymen or MP attending also must at least carries certain weight of publicities before they consider attending otherwise when no other choice, they will send over a representative.
Whenever you can see their faces in your constitution, you can tell that the next GE is around the corner.
I have seen 3 generations of poor communities in same rural areas that still believe in a better future whenever the representatives visited their home whenever the GE campaigning. They still saty loyal to these promises. Can you imagine that ? The 3rd generation still carry on that same believe despite of lacking in livinghood.
That my cousin as to speak back in my hometown and a few of my friendly neighbor there.
I have asked my cousin why ? Why all these ? He is simply replied that it’s GOD’s will.
Sometimes, I do believe that UMNO are very lucky to get away with the act of putting a strong faith practices as their main driving objective for their own kind or members.
Well, like Rod Stewart said, some guy got a the luck …
#33 by chloo on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 9:41 am
Wah….now a Malaysian is in space….sooo proud, who got sent there? The most qualified person? From the Air Force? Scientist? or contest winner? I wonder what type of research is he going to do in space that has not been done b4 since the time mankind launched into space some 40+years ago? I read something about cancer? Wow…i didn’t know that we are so advanced in cancer research….recently an American and an European company launched their vaccine for cervical cancer….I am sure more to come….but surely they are not as smart as Malaysians who has come up with a novel way of treating cancer by sending patients to space and leaving them there indefinitely…..or maybe create an environment like in space where there is no oxygen and putting patients inside these chambers indefinitely…..Wahhh, Malaysia really boleh, 10 steps in front of all these other not so smart people……. well, if not doing research on cancer (i may have read wrongly) then probably stick to teh tarik experiment…..that I am sure has not been done by any of the other astronauts/ cosmonauts…so proud ….Hurray for Malaysians, The Government, The Municipal Councils, The Judiciary, Mat Rempits (Included becos they are the proposed eyes and ears of Police), PRDM, The Poor, The Disabled, The Orpharns, The Aged, etc Money well spent.
#34 by smeagroo on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 9:56 am
THis RM90mil man will be used to the max by UMno to garner votes during GE. This is part of the “contract” between him and UMNO. JUst like how they milked Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong during the Machap by-election.
#35 by 5th Element on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 10:38 am
Why being escorted into space…??? Just in case our half past six and highly fared space tourist press the wrong button and get ejected..!!! The Russian could have foreseen that…!!!
#36 by bhuvan.govindasamy on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 10:40 am
Please forgive if I don’t share your enthusiasm. According to NASA’s website Sheikh is nothing more than a flight participant. Even an idiot, if he can pay, as several millionaires incl a Turkish businesswoman have proven, can become a flight participant.
Indeed, this so-called victory is hollow and nothing more than a pumped show.
#37 by k1980 on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 10:59 am
Jimm October 12th, 2007 at 09: 09.50
Why all these? He simply replied that it’s GOD’s will.
—————————
If Mao had “simply replied that it’s God’s will”, today China would be far worse than Darfur. There is no such nonsense as “God’s will” because God if He exists will not want humanity to sit back and do nothing in the face of oppression.
#38 by 5th Element on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 11:08 am
It is NOT the GOD’s Will for his followers to discriminate as well..!!!
#39 by AhPek on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 11:15 am
On the one hand you go about hyping this event to your gullible kampong folks that Malaysia’s defining moment has come as our Angasawan is about to be launched on to space on our own spacecraft whilst on the other hand you failed to set up the big screen and get it going for the big crowd that has gathered at DATARAN MERDEKA!!!
On the one hand you made it as though you have arrived shoulder to shoulder with the great space-faring nations like US,Russia and China whilst on the other hand you have to send your munisipal
coucillors to South Africa to learn toilet cleaning!!!
What a set of buffons these set of UMNOPuTRAS are!!! Your act of buffoonery will surely go down in history as the greatest act of buffoonery of all times in the book of records!!!!
#40 by wits0 on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 11:44 am
The small potatoes feel proud because the big ministerial ones dictates so. Yea, yea, yea…is so acceptable. Alternative thinking’s a taboo. All exaggerated hypes are acceptable as the spoon fed opiate of “feel good”.
In China, they are ready to eat potatoes and wean away from rice as necessary but in Bolehland potatoes are elevated to “all-wise” ministers.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gxrFqWdpFvIRKDzSEOKpaYL9tvRQ
#41 by pwcheng on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 12:02 pm
This is an indirect message to the DAP “that after 40 years their rocket is only in sketches where else their fishing boat (perikatan era) and now the dacing has a rocket flying a Malaysain to the moon”, of course at the expense of the rakyat. I will not be surprised that they will use this episode to ridicule DAP in the next general election.
So to some bloggers please stop ridiculing the people for being stupid for voting the BN in, in every elections. It is the dirty tactics of the BN, especially UMNO that stonewalled the opportunities of the opposition by creating anything they can think off to ward off the opposition. Imagine, they even have the judiciary ( our last bastion of defence) in their pockets.
Unless we are prepared to be like the Philippines during the Marcos era, there is almost no way out and that possibility is far too remote because they had cunningly created and divide and rule strategy.
#42 by k1980 on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 1:02 pm
Even if George Bush were to go mad from syphilis and donate(!) a space shuttle to Dollah, no one in the muslim world would be able to pilot it.
#43 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 1:25 pm
Undergrad2 says:
“I think Malaysia should send her Fat Lady out to space, and once in space jettison her out so she could be the first woman to circumnavigate the globe in her birthday suit. That would have grabbed headlines!”
Sending the Malayisan Fat Lady (who do you have in mind?). I second that.
In her birthday suit. I object to that.
Why should the world get some more free acid rain when she pees?
#44 by Justicewanted on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 1:39 pm
Congratulations to Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor as Malaysia’s first angkasawan, orbiting in space to the International Space station – 360 km above the earth.
—————————————–
Personally I am of the opinion that any thing that can be purchased using money has nothing to shout about.
Just like the twin tower, within a few years some countries easily beat the record.
Do not be shoik sendiri……….
#45 by AhPek on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 1:55 pm
‘Sending the Malaysian Fat Lady (who do you have in mind?). I second that. In her birthday suit I object to that.’ Endangered Hornbill.
Unlike you Endangered Hornbill I am not too worried about the acid rain she releases from time to time. What I am worried about is that some concerned professor of astronomy will take a peep at her from time to time to see how she is doing circumnavigating the world.That lump of fat will probably put him off forever to such an extent his zest for life is also gone forever!!
#46 by k1980 on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 2:12 pm
Is there any danger of the Fat Lady re-entering the Earth’s gravitional field and then smash down like a meteorite onto my house?
#47 by lee on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 2:47 pm
few hours after our angkasawan took off, blackout happened at my housing area and several areas in kuching. it has been pretty frequent lately, for hours.. in the midst of the warm night, i was wondering, why to space and not improve our very very basic needs…how bizarre?? let’s see wat we gain from space other than boleh.
#48 by boh-liao on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 3:51 pm
Now we may even have national stamps to commemorate our ‘space dummy’ and our folly.
#49 by robert wong on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 4:35 pm
All the ‘space Travel’ was duped up by our gomen just to show that what muslim can do . Anything that has to do with the word ‘Muslim’ , the gomen will do anything irrespective the feeling of other races and faith in the country. No wonder the Dr. uttered that his trip was the grear inspiration the muslim world-wide. If not why isn’t he uttered his trip is an inspiration to all MALAYSIANS.
Mind you all, the gomen is using religion ie Islam to dup the stupid kampong folks.
#50 by justiciary on Friday, 12 October 2007 - 5:57 pm
Our whiteelephant twin-towers has been dwarfed;we have lost terribly in badminton and football,so we are making use of this ‘shiok sendiri’ space participant to feel good and give false pride to the simple minded rural folks.Itu dia.Making use of religion like being the first muslim in space only shows these bums are narrow minded. Tell them to stop harping on multi this and multi that.Stop being hypocrite.