Wednesday, December 11, 2019

The fastest way to reduce Sydney's "not normal" temperature is to replace these buildings with trees:Will NSW Minister Matt Kean be brave enough to do it

by Ganesh Sahathevan


First the headline:


Doing nothing is not a solution': Matt Kean blames climate crisis for bushfires
NSW environment minister splits with federal Coalition to urge immediate emissions reduction, saying weather conditions are exactly what scientists warned

Worldwide emission reduction takes time, but since Kean says there is an emergency,he can start by ordering the replacement of all these buildings with trees.The impact on local temperature is likely to be immediate.

Given the emergency there is no time to impose a carbon tax,as previously suggested. 

END 

A climate change tax on the waterside mansions ,high rises of Manly, Northern Beaches, Wentworth and other seaside locations where rich people live. Rich must pay for causing urban heat islands 

by Ganesh Sahathevan



introduction-4-1200x600

One The Waterfront, Wentworth Point NSW


Image result for manly wentworth  waterfront

Manly, NSW 2095



During the Wentworth by-election campaign and now in Manly in the charge of the "independents" Get Rid Of Tony Abbott campaign constituents have had plenty to say about the need for a carbon tax but said nothing about their direct contribution to the problem of higher temperatures in Sydney. The issue is quite simple; the rich in places like Wentowrth and Manly,and all along the Northern Beaches like to live in large concrete properties,,either in houses or high rise apartments. To do so they trees and clear the greenery such that cool ocean breezes blowing inland are warmed up in these urban heat islands.


Subsequently the further one lives from the waterfront, the less the cooling effect. This warming effect has been studied and documented with regards other regions; the impact of Singapore's urbanization on Johor Bahru is an example( see articles below). 

The policy prescription is then quite simple;those who live on the waterfronts ought to pay a penalty, which can go to subsidizing the costs inlanders suffer in higher cooling bills. We can start with the good people of Wentworth who are determined that Australians should suffer a carbon tax.

END 








 1. Introduction Urban development in rapidly urbanizing regions, such as Southeast Asia, requires comprehensive planning and consideration of local characteristics. Tropical and subtropical cities, with their high temperatures and humidity, are particularly affected by increasing air temperature in relatively densely built-up areas. Increase in air temperature is in turn associated with higher cooling loads and hence higher energy consumption (Santamouris et al., 2001). Many major cities developed therefore strategies to ensure sustainable urban development. However, in regard to urban climate, proposed development strategies are limited to the borders of the city or the country. A comprehensive understanding of interactions between two major cities on their urban climate needs further investigation. This study aims to assess the interaction between the development in Singapore and Johor Bahru on urban climate and formation of Urban Heat Island (UHI). Despite relatively low wind speed, the characteristic wind flow pattern in this region is expected to impact the occurrence of UHIs in Singapore and Johor Bahru and provide some understanding on cross-boundary mitigation strategies. Johor Bahru is located in the southern-most tip of Peninsular Malaysia and is the second largest city after Kuala Lumpur. Singapore is a city-state, located on an island south of Johor Bahru. Both cities are separated by the Strait of Johor (see figure 1). Recently, Johor Bahru is experiencing rapid development in the course of the implementation of the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) 2006. The CDP proposes strategic interventions to promote economic growth and improve quality of life in South Johor. Singapore, in contrast, almost reached its physical limits for further development. By 2030, Singapore will develop about 7.3% of land to meet its future land requirements. The wind flow over Peninsular Malaysia is determined by southwest and northeast monsoon, and by intermonsoon seasons. From June to September, southwesterly winds prevail, whereas from November to March the prevailing wind direction is northeast. In the intermonsoon season, wind flow is light and variable. Uniform and periodic changes of wind flow during summer and winter were of particular interest for this study. 


4. Conclusion 
The assessment of the current development in JB and Singapore shows an impact on the urban climate and UHI. Various factors including geographic location, seasonal wind changes, and urban morphology of both cities result in a unique constellation which affects the air temperature in the CBD of JB and Singapore. Despite a constant cool sea breeze during the SW-monsoon, cooler air temperature in the city center of JB cannot be observed. In case of Singapore, there is a clear indication of sea breeze effect that reduces the air temperature along the southern coast of Singapore below the values in rural areas. Comprehensive regional planning, including JB and Singapore may benefit future development of this metropolitan region by taking into account the building and street layout and the prevailing wind directions during the dominate monsoon seasons. Further research on the urban scale may results in findings that contribute to sustainable urban development of JB and Singapore.


AND, climate has been found to have an impact on the flows and evaporation rates of the Johor River Basin ,from which Singapore draws its water:

Hydrological Sciences Journal/Journal des Sciences Hydrologiques (Impact Factor: 1.55). 09/2014; 60(5). DOI: 10.1080/02626667.2014.967246
ABSTRACT
This study aims to investigate separate and combined impacts of land-use and climate changes on hydrological components in the Johor River Basin (JRB), Malaysia. The Mann-Kendall and Sen’s slope test were applied to detect the trends in precipitation, temperature and streamflow of JRB. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was calibrated and validated using measured monthly streamflow data. Validation results supported that SWAT was reliable in the tropical JRB. The trend analysis showed that there was an insignificant increasing trend for streamflow, whereas significant increasing trends for precipitation and temperature were found. The combined (land-use + climate change) impact caused the annual streamflow and evaporation to increase by 4.4% and 1.2%, respectively. Climate (land-use) raised annual streamflow by 4.4% (0.06%) and evaporation by 2.2% (−0.2%).Climate change imposed a stronger impact than land-use change on the streamflow and evaporation. These findings are useful for decision makers to develop better water and land-use policies.

Impacts of land-use and climate variability on hydrological components in the Johor River basin, Malaysia (PDF Download Available). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266616485_Impacts_of_land-use_and_climate_variability_on_hydrological_components_in_the_Johor_River_basin_Malaysia [accessed Feb 14, 2016].

END 

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Najib sues AMBaink,action against ANZ .Gonski and co must follow

by Ganesh Sahathevan



Deafening Silence Out Of Australia Over 1MDB's Connection To Top Bank ANZ

 Deafening Silence Out Of Australia Over 1MDB's 


The Edge has reported:

Najib is suing (AMBank) and AmBank Islamic, as well as former AmBank relationship manager Joanna Yu Ging Ping, over what he claimed were the dealings that were undertaken via his accounts which ended with the numbers 694, 880, 898 and 906, without his knowledge or consent.
These accounts were alleged to have been used to divert funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd, where Najib is facing graft and power abuse charges for the siphoning off of RM42 million from the former 1MDB subsidiary.
In the court document filed and sighted by theedgemarkets, Najib claimed the defendants had breached their duties and were negligent in the affairs relating to the accounts, as the parties had liaised with fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low, an unauthorised third party.

This writer noted more than three years ago that Najib had even then started pointing the finger of blame for the 1MDB theft at his bankers, the ANZ managed AMBank. It is now even harder to see how ANZ and its directors, led by chairman David Gonski,are going to escape liability for the multibillion dollar loss that is 1MDB.

END

SEE ALSO







In his defence,Najib pointed the finger at AMBank, ANZ, Gonski & co. 

by Ganesh Sahathevan

Readers were reminded yesterday that in October last year Malaysia's
Ministry of Finance' said the  transfer of US$11.95 million from its SRC BSI accounts was authorized at the highest level. Singapore prosecutors have since provided evidence that the transfer was fraudulent, 

The transfer is of interest to parties investigating the movement of funds into Malaysian PM and Finance Minister Najib Razak's AMBank/ANZ accounts for some of those funds are believed to be from SRC. The Sarawak Report investigative news site first broke the story and explained the flow of funds with this diagram



These transfers are the subject matter of a defamation action brought by PM Najib against veteran Malaysian politician Ling Liong Sik.In one of the related affidavits Najib swore that while the funds were transferred to his account , he was unaware of its origin. 
Najib was in effect claiming that his bank, AMBank, mamanged by ANZ, and reporting in part to the ANZ board led by David Gonski, failed in its duty under Malaysian and Australian AML/CTF laws to ascertain the origin of those funds and advice him accordingly. 
END













Sunday, December 8, 2019

Lawyers take note: This trait that makes others a success can deem you "Not Fit And Proper" in the eyes of the NSW LPAB

by Ganesh Sahathevan


Readers will be aware that this writer has been found not fit and proper for admission to practise law in NSW (see story below).

Among the findings against this writer was the finding that this writer appears to have a problem with authority; examples of how this writer has demonstrated disrespect for the Chief Justice, the Governor, the Attorney General, and especially the senior managers of the College Of Law (to whom the NSW LPAB feels this writer owes an apology, to each and everyone concerned , individually).

So, it was with some degree of consolation that this writer read this recent study into the traits of millionaires and billionaires
Many ultra-wealthy people are great leaders, but that doesn’t mean they’re good at being led.
A psychological study of 43 ultra-high net worth individuals from across the globe by German researcher Rainer Zitelmann found that one of the personality traits many of them share is a problem with authority.

Having said that,coming from the Ceylon Tamil community which has produced most of Malaysia and Singapore's lawyers,this writer is more than familiar with the protocols of addressing judges,and can say that that acceptable conduct that  has been witnessed in Australia, and in particular NSW  would be regarded as  evidence of poor upbringing by Asian standards. 

END 



Bizarre blog claims used to deny man right to practise law

Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak.Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak.


The body overseen by Chief Justice Tom Bathurst responsible for deciding who can practise law in NSW relied on a wildly defamatory Malaysian blog depicting ABC journalists, former British prime minister Tony Blair, financier George Soros and others as part of a global conspiracy when deciding to deny a would-be solicitor a certificate to practise.

Chief Justice Bathurst and Legal Practitioner Admission Board executive officer Louise Pritchard declined to answer The Australian’s questions about how the article came into the board’s hands and why its members felt the conspiracy-laden material could be relied upon as part of a decision to deny Sydney man Ganesh Sahathevan admission as a lawyer. Nor would either say which of the 10 members of the LPAB, three of whom are serving NSW Supreme Court judges, was on the deciding panel.

Ms Pritchard has left her role at the LPAB since The Australian began making inquiries in September. The article, published in December 2017 on website The Third Force, accuses Mr Sahathevan of engaging in a conspiracy to attack then Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak.

READ NEXT



Mahathir Mohamad, who returned as prime minister after toppling Mr Najib in elections held last May, is also smeared as a participant in the globe-spanning conspiracy.

Mr Najib was under pressure at the time over the country’s sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB, which the US Department of Justice says has been looted of billions of dollars that was spent on property, art, jewels and the Leonardo DiCaprio film, The Wolf of Wall Street.

Malaysian authorities have charged Mr Najib with dozens of corruption offences that could attract decades in jail over his role in the 1MDB scandal, which allegedly included the flow of about $US1 billion through his personal bank account.

The article’s author, Malaysian political operative and Najib loyalist Raggie Jessy, also accused Rewcastle-Brown, Stein and Besser of receiving money, totalling millions of dollars, to participate in a Four Corners program exposing the 1MDB scandal that aired on the ABC in March 2016.

There is no suggestion any of Mr Jessy’s bizarre allegations are true. However, the LPAB cited the piece when denying Mr Sahathevan admission as a lawyer in an undated and unsigned set of reasons sent to him on August 3 last year.

It used the article as evidence in a passage dealing with legal conflicts between Mr Sahathevan, who has largely worked in the past as a journalist, his former employer, Malaysia’s Sun Media Group, and the company’s owner, tycoon Vincent Tan.

In that context, the board said the Third Force article reported “that Mr Sahathevan was investigated for blackmail, extortion, bribery and defamation”. While the article claims that blackmail, extortion, bribery and defamation “are but some of the transgressions many from around the world attribute” to Mr Sahathevan, The Australian was unable to find any reference in it to an investigation into him on these grounds.

It is unclear why the board felt the need to rely on the article, as it also made adverse findings about Mr Sahathevan’s character based on a series of other allegations including that he used “threatening and intimidating” language in emails to the College of Law and the NSW Attorney General and did not disclose his sacking from a previous job to the board.

Mr Sahathevan has denied the allegations in correspondence with the board.

The board also cited evidence that one of Mr Sahathevan’s blogs on Malaysian politics was banned by the Najib regime as indicating his poor character.

In an email to Chief Justice Bathurst, sent on August 30, Rewcastle-Brown said her site, Sarawak Report, which exposed much of the 1MDB scandal, was banned by the Malaysian government.

“I along with other critics of the 1MDB scandal (which includes Mr Sahathevan) became the target of immense state-backed vilification, intimidation and online defamation campaigns on behalf of the Malaysian government,” she said.

She said the board’s use of the Third Force article against Mr Sahathevan displayed “a troubling level of misjudgment and poor quality research, giving a strong impression that someone seeking to find reasons to disqualify this candidate simply went through the internet looking for ‘dirt’ against him”.

“The Third Force has consistently been by far the most outlandish, libellous, vicious and frankly ludicrous of all the publications that were commissioned as part of former prime minister Najib Razak’s self-proclaimed ‘cyber army’ which he paid (and continues to pay) to defame his perceived enemies and critics,” she said.

Besser, who now works in the ABC’s London bureau, told The Australian: “It’s clearly nonsense and comes from the darkest corners of some pretty wild Malaysian conspiracy theorists.”

Mr Sahathevan’s application is to be reconsidered at an LPAB meeting next month (Admission has since been denied, for the same reasons, but without explicit reference to the Thirdforce story).

   
BUSINESS REPORTER
Business reporter Ben Butler has covered everything from tractors to fashion to corporate collapses. He has previously worked for the Herald Sun and as a senior business reporter with The Age and Sydney Morning... 

Australia's decision to allow a Communist Party China linked school to produce lawyers who can practise in Australian courts is a world first: Scrutiny of senior judicial officers under Australia's foreign interference rules unavoidable, as would be scrutiny by agencies in the US,UK

by Ganesh Sahathevan

Troy Grant MP

NSW Libs received donations of $44,275 from TOP Education Grosup 



In 2015 the Legal Profession Admission Board of the State Of New South Wales, Australia (LPAB NSW), granted for the very first time a license to grant law degrees leading to admission to practise to a private company that was not a university. The company, Top Education Group Ltd, has been shown to have strong links to the Communist Party Of China, and to have interfered in Australian politics. 

The granting of that license was not only a first for Australia, bu t appears also to be the first time anywhere in the world that a Communist Party China or indeed Chinese controlled college has been allowed that privilege by any country anywhere in the world.

The LPAB NSW has maintained a stony silence with regards  that approval, despite the issue of that approval being raised, questioned and criticised by this writer and others.

Meanwhile, Australia has just introduced foreign interference laws that are intended to prevent foreign agents from interfering in local politics. Top Education Group and its major shareholders have had a number of high profile interventions in local politics:



Zhu Minshen has been a big Liberal Party donor. And his Top Education college was (anomalously) licensed to award law degrees. He bussed his Chinese students to Canberra in 2008 for Olympic Torch relay. Tight CCP links.


TOP Education Institute's Bachelor of Laws : Political donations,HK Stock Exchange IPO seem to have left regulators confounded, speechless

Amen Lee is part of Top Education Group's Controlling Shareholder Group: Fresh questions for NSW LPAB,AG Speakman ,and NSW Libs over issuance of Top's LLB license and political donations



Participation in a country's legal system  through its law schools, is tightly controlled and seldom if ever a privilege granted to foreign or foreign controlled entities. The reason should be obvious: members of the legal  profession tend to be over-represented in politics.

The Australian decision to grant a Communist Party Of China linked entity entree into the Australian legal system is obviously one that ought to attract the attention of Australian regulators responsible for enforcing its recently enacted foreign interference laws.

That the persons responsible are among Australia's most senior judicial officers, some of whom may have retired, ought not stand in the way of investigation and prosecution. Given Australia's intelligence sharing arrangements it is  not unlikely that the same judicial officers would have by now attracted the attention f similar agencies in the UK and the USA,

END 

See also

China orders lawyers to pledge allegiance to Communist Party

Sui-Lee Wee


4 MIN READ






BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s Justice Ministry has ordered lawyers to take a loyalty oath to the Communist Party, in an unusual move that has drawn condemnation from attorneys worried about the government’s attempts to rein them in.

The ministry issued a notice on Wednesday demanding that first-time applicants and lawyers who want to renew their licenses have to take the oath.

The oath was necessary to “firmly establish among the vast circle of lawyers faith in socialism with Chinese characteristics ... and effectively improve the quality of lawyers’ political ideology”, the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

“I promise to faithfully fulfill the sacred mission of socialism with Chinese characteristics ... loyalty to the motherland, its people, and uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China,” lawyers must say under the oath.

This is the first time that lawyers have been required to pledge allegiance to the Party in an oath, Mo Shaoping, a prominent human rights lawyer, said.

The Party has always been wary of lawyers, who they suspect could challenge one-party rule through the advocacy of the rule of law.

“I think it’s inappropriate,” Mo told Reuters by telephone. “As a lawyer, you should only pay attention to the law and be faithful to your client.”

The new rule comes as Communist Party chiefs are preparing for a tricky leadership handover later this year, when the party’s long-standing focus on fending off political challenges is likely to intensify.

“If the oath says you must be faithful to the Communist Party and accept the leadership of the Party, that may exclude many other people in the legal profession who belong to other political parties or have other religious beliefs,” Mo said.

“The oath will hurt the development of the Chinese legal system.”


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Over the past decade, a loose network of lawyers has sought to use litigation mixed with publicity to challenge laws and policies restricting citizens’ movements and rights to protest.
PRODUCING CONFLICT?

Pu Zhiqiang, a Beijing lawyer who has often represented people in sensitive political cases, called the oath “baffling”.

“I don’t see the legal basis for adding these procedures. On what basis is the Ministry of Justice doing this?” Pu told Reuters by telephone. “If I don’t take the oath, are you not going to give me a license?”

Pu said the oath “will produce a conflict” among lawyers who want to be independent from enforcing the will of the party.

“In my opinion, the biggest destroyer of the rule of law in China is the Communist Party,” he said.

Although the Party has always imposed tight controls on lawyers, the pressure has intensified in the past year.


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Loss of forest and higher temperatures: Lessons from Sarawak and Sabah

by Ganesh Sahathevan






per McAlpine and others:

The relationship between deforestation and changes in local climate was most pronounced for watersheds in southeast Borneo, which have lost 40%–75% of their forests since 1973. These watersheds also had a significantly higher frequency of temperatures above 31 °C. Watersheds in north and northwest Borneo, which have lost 5%–25% of their forest cover, maintained a more stable climate with a similar distribution of mean and extreme warm temperatures between forest and modified forest areas. Watersheds with >15% forest loss had a >15% reduction in rainfall. We conclude that loss of forest in Borneo has increased local daily temperatures and temperature extremes, and reduced daily precipitation.

END

See Also 


Wednesday, December 4, 2019


Sabah's forest can capture even more carbon: Steps must be taken to ensure no more logging,and more areas are designated for maximum protection

by Ganesh Sahathevan


Locations of the top 5% and top quartile of aboveground carbon densities (ACD) for natural forests of Sabah, Malaysia, not including mangroves. Thin black lines indicate the location of Sabah Forest “Class I” and “Parks” designated reserves, which are the most protected in the State. Lettering highlights areas of high carbon stock forest including (a) Crocker Range, (b) Mount Kinabalu area, (c) Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon, (d) Danum Valley, (e) Tawau Hills area, (f) Tabin area, (g) Sepilok, and (h) southwestern Sabah near to the Sarawak, Malaysia and Kalimantan, Indonesian borders.



Anser et al published in 2017 research based on remote sensing data including Landsat 8 imagery. Their findings (summarized)are:

.........that unlogged, intact forests contain aboveground carbon densities averaging over 200 Mg C ha−1, with peaks of 500 Mg C ha−1Critically, more than 40% of the highest carbon stock forests were discovered outside of areas designated for maximum protection...Our mapped distributions of forest carbon stock suggest that the state of Sabah could double its total aboveground carbon storage if previously logged forests are allowed to recover in the future.


Two new governments were installed in the State Of Sabah within a time span of 48 hours in May 2018. The changes were, as is usual in that state, accompanied by much party hopping, horse trading and all those other things that politician excel at.

Unfortunately the horse trading often includes timber  logging concessions which is likely to mean little if any  prospect for conservation or recovery. 

It is for the people of Sabah, the NGOs, and the Opposition to ensure that the new government is constrained enough so that at very least what remains is preserved. 

END 

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Sabah's forest can capture even more carbon: Steps must be taken to ensure no more logging,and more areas are designated for maximum protection

by Ganesh Sahathevan


Locations of the top 5% and top quartile of aboveground carbon densities (ACD) for natural forests of Sabah, Malaysia, not including mangroves. Thin black lines indicate the location of Sabah Forest “Class I” and “Parks” designated reserves, which are the most protected in the State. Lettering highlights areas of high carbon stock forest including (a) Crocker Range, (b) Mount Kinabalu area, (c) Maliau Basin and Imbak Canyon, (d) Danum Valley, (e) Tawau Hills area, (f) Tabin area, (g) Sepilok, and (h) southwestern Sabah near to the Sarawak, Malaysia and Kalimantan, Indonesian borders.



Anser et al published in 2017 research based on remote sensing data including Landsat 8 imagery. Their findings (summarized)are:

.........that unlogged, intact forests contain aboveground carbon densities averaging over 200 Mg C ha−1, with peaks of 500 Mg C ha−1. Critically, more than 40% of the highest carbon stock forests were discovered outside of areas designated for maximum protection...Our mapped distributions of forest carbon stock suggest that the state of Sabah could double its total aboveground carbon storage if previously logged forests are allowed to recover in the future.


Two new governments were installed in the State Of Sabah within a time span of 48 hours in May 2018. The changes were, as is usual in that state, accompanied by much party hopping, horse trading and all those other things that politician excel at.

Unfortunately the horse trading often includes timber  logging concessions which is likely to mean little if any  prospect for conservation or recovery. 

It is for the people of Sabah, the NGOs, and the Opposition to ensure that the new government is constrained enough so that at very least what remains is preserved. 

END 

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Is Malaysia's judiciary seeing a return to the days of Eusoffe Chin: CoA decision on the SD strategy of changing governments has raised questions about judicial independence -are Malaysia's senior judges (again) playing politics.?

by Ganesh Sahathevan

That this was posted on Facebook on the day before the appeal by former Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman was even heard, and when heard thrown out on the basis of a preliminary objection that the matter was "academic" raises questions about the state of Malaysia's judiciary.Is Malaysia seeing  a return to the days of Eusoffe Chin, and are Malaysia's judges again playing politics?

Chu Kok Leong
I have observed the performance of the 3 Court of Appeal judges this morning.
Pada pendapat saya, Musa akan kalah teruk esok.