KUALA LUMPUR: Online business is proving to be popular with women who do not have the time or opportunity to run conventional business ventures.

Among those involved in online businesses are highly qualified women who opt for the sector because it gives them more time with their young and growing children.

A survey found that many types of businesses could be carried out via the Internet, ranging from selling beauty products such as contact lenses and cosmetics to food, health products and clothing.

Many of them use blogs or social networking sites to promote and take orders from their customers.

Hadhatina Abdul Halim, 30, a housewife with an information technology diploma from Universiti Kuala Lumpur, said her gross monthly income from health product sales through her blog could reach up to five figures.

Hadhatina, who has two children, aged 16 months and four months, said she stumbled into the business after coming across a health product on the Internet, adding that she used to buy it before becoming its distributor.

As an active blogger, she said she found it convenient to conduct her business on the Internet.

Hadhatina, who is originally from Perak but now resides in Shah Alam, said one challenge was for her to gain credibility as a blogger and a source of quality health products.

Another Internet entrepreneur is Siti Aisyah Agus, 26, a housewife with a diploma in management technology (accounting) from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, who sells contact lenses from South Korea.

“Online business gives me the flexibility to manage my time as a mother and housewife and saves me the cost of operating from a shop,” said Siti Aisyah, who is expecting her first child in November.

Association of Bumiputra Women Entrepreneurs President Faridah Jabbar said the involvement of young mothers in online businesses was a positive first step toward entrepreneurship.

“However, the desire for business must be sincere and not merely to profit or get caught up in an Internet business fad,” she said.

She said online business entrepreneurs must also be serious and not jeopardise the interest of the genuine operators with poor customer service and inferior products.

“Young women entrepreneurs should not be afraid of competition. They should be creative in ensuring that their business is successful and sustainable,” she said. - Bernama

Source: The Star

PETALING JAYA: Many parents are finding it tough to keep up with their more IT-savvy children, let alone monitor their activities in the cyber world.

Gesvin Jk, who posted a comment on The Star's Facebook page, said many children were now smarter than their parents in accessing websites blocked for their protection.

“Even if the parents know, what can they do? Do you think if they block websites, their children can't access them using mobile phones? Nowadays, kids are smarter than parents,” said Gesvin Jk, whose post garnered three “likes”.

He was responding to the report that six out of 10 parents were unaware of their children's online activities at a time when 90% of the youngsters had experienced some form of threat on the Internet.

Following this, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil announced the drafting of a strategic master plan to provide online protection to 11.2 million youths below 18 years of age.

Lakshmi Regu said youths today were able to come up with new tactics and learn new ways to evade their parents' control over their Internet usage.

Jeganeswari Chandragasan agreed, saying parents needed to do more “homework” in order to guide their children on the dos and don'ts of using the Internet because children “were smart and always had solutions”.

Motivational speaker Datuk Dr Fadzilah Kamsah said parents must set aside a regular time for “heart-to-heart” talks with their children.

“Be kind to them, befriend them and listen to what they have to say. Or else, they will find friendships outside the home that you won't know about. Even if you are busy, wherever you are in the world, call or send SMSes regularly,” said Dr Fadzilah.

He said house rules were also important, adding that parents should not only give general advice such as not to go online for too long.

“They should also set specific rules for their children like allowing them to only go on the Internet for two hours after they have finished all their homework,” he added.

Parents who took time to listen to their children, said Dr Fadzilah, were more likely to have their advice heeded.

Pusat Kebajikan Generasi Gemilang (PKGG) executive director Daniel Tan suggested that all computers used by the family be placed in a common area like the living room.

“As role models, parents should do the same with their personal computers to create accountability for the whole family.

“Parental control software is an option and should be installed with the whole family's knowledge with the intent on accountability rather than to spy,” he said.

Tan also called on parents to embrace and equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and understanding to mentor and engage with their children.

“Methods and technology will change but principles and values do not,” he said.

By YVONNE LIM 
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PETALING JAYA: Parents gave mixed reaction to suggestions that they keep closer tabs on their children’s activities online. “I do not monitor my sons’ Internet usage as I work most of the time,” said shop helper Indah Susanti.

For the 34-year-old mother of two boys aged 11 and eight, and a three-year-old girl, it is enough to know that her sons only go online after finishing their homework, and that they usually go on Facebook, chat with friends and surf for song lyrics.

“Sometimes my husband checks on what they do when he is home,” she said. Unlike Indah, Pat Segaran, 55, takes on a stricter approach towards the amount of time her two daughters, aged 17 and 14, spend on the Internet. She also wants to know what they use it for. “The family computer is placed in the living room, and my laptop which is password-protected is in my bedroom.

“When I am not at home, I remove and hide the laptop cable. They sometimes use my husband’s iPhone 4, but only for a limited time,” said Pat who runs her own business. 

Juny Loh, meanwhile, said everyone in her family had their own laptop and was allowed to go online whenever they wanted to. “I have inculcated strong Christian values in my children and I trust them to know right from wrong,” said the 48-year-old mother of three.

Parents, teachers and youth associations, meanwhile, welcomed efforts to tighten laws and give better protection to young Internet users.

“Kids are easy targets of cyber crime perpetrators because they are naive".

“The Government should give teachers guidelines on the do’s and don’ts of using the Internet,” said National Union of the Teaching Profession president Hashim Adnan.

SMK Seri Hartamas parent-teacher association vice-chairman Datin Noor Azimah described the move as “forward-looking”.

“As parents, we find it difficult to keep track of what our children view online".

 “We welcome any developments that help to control what our children are exposed to via the Internet.”

Besides controls, she added, trust between parents and children was important. “They will not abuse the privilege of going online.” World Youth Foundation chief operating officer Varsha Ameraj said children as young as 13 were on Facebook and use the Internet with no restrictions.

“They don’t know what they’re getting into when they make friends with strangers. Sometimes, that leads to danger,” she said.

KUALA LUMPUR (March 31, 2011): A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer who assisted in the interviewing of Teoh Beng Hock was watching porn in his office in the early hours of July 16, 2009, the day Teoh was found dead, revealed Tan Sri James Foong, chairman of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) investigating Teoh’s death .

Foong told Negri Sembilan MACC chief Hishamuddin Hashim that Mohd Ashraf Mohd Yunus had been found to be visiting pornographic websites at 1.20am on July 16, contrary to Ashraf’s testimony to the RCI that he was reading newspapers in his office at the time.

Hishamuddin was the Selangor MACC deputy head when Teoh was found dead on July 16, 2009.

“When the whole operation was ongoing, Ashraf was downloading pornography on July 16 at 1.25am after interviewing the witness. An important operation is going on and an officer is viewing porn even though there is a government directive forbidding this,” said Foong.

Hishamuddin said that this was a problem of a personal and not professional nature on the part of Ashraf. “It is a personal matter,” said Hishamuddin, adding that the matter was out of his control.

“You should knock his door, go in and see what he is doing,” replied Foong.

Teoh was brought in to the Selangor MACC branch on the 14th floor of Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam on July 15 as a witness in investigations of Ean Yong. Teoh’s body was found on a fifth floor landing of the building the next day.

In questioning by Bar Council lawyer Cheow Wee, Hishamuddin was asked about a poison pen letter carrying accusations directed at Hishamuddin.

The letter alleged that Hishamuddin refused to give a DNA sample and had a trademark interrogation technique, which was to pick the person up by the belt and shake them.

Hishamuddin dismissed the allegation as “fitnah” (malicious claim). “You can call all witnesses I have taken statements from or questioned,” said Hishamuddin.

He said that officers were given two days to give a DNA sample, and he gave his on the second day, adding that he did not participate in interrogations.

“I was the deputy director then and I just coordinated and gave orders,” added Hishamuddin.

To a question from Cheow as to Hishamuddin’s absence from

an internal inquiry conducted by the MACC Complaints Committee, he firmly disagreed that he was uncooperative.

"I would have voluntarily attended the inquiry but there were no orders from top management issued to me on that," said Hishamuddin, who was hit by a barrage of questions from Bar Council lawyer Edmund Bon.

"Who is the real person in-charge of this operation? Anuar, Hairul and you pointed at each other," said Bon, who was told by Foong to “let Hishamuddin answer”.

Hishamuddin said the head of operations was Hairul Ilham Hamzah, and then Mohd Anuar Ismail in Hairul’s absence.

When asked by Bon about the 17½-hour interrogation of Kajang municipal councillor Tan Boon Wah, Hishamuddin agreed with Bon.

“For this case, we have to unravel the issues concerning assemblymen’s allocations and claims. We need and depend on witnesses," said Hishamuddin.

He added that he had told an MACC officer, Bulkini Paharuddin to continue questioning Tan when Bulkini came to his office between 9 to 9.30pm to tell him Tan was not cooperating.

Earlier, responding to questions from conducting officer Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud, Hishamuddin said Section 47 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act 2009 gives MACC officers the power to compel witnesses to cooperate. However, it must be done politely.

To questions by Bar Council lawyer Cheow Wee on the investigation and interrogation techniques used by him, Hishamuddin defined MACC’s techniques as “ordinary”.

“Our meetings with witnesses are done in harmony. It is useless to use force as witnesses may turn hostile when in court. There is no other technique,” said Hishamuddin.

“We need their help to get truthful information,” he added, stressing that there was no use of threats when asked by Cheow.

Hishamuddin also said that a police report had not been made as investigations into Teoh’s death had already begun.

“One report is enough for the police to begin investigations. Teoh was found dead in the compound of Plaza Masalam, not in the offices of the MACC,” said Hishamuddin.

“If a witness had died in the office, I would have made a report myself,” he added, stressing that Teoh had been cleared to go home. "Teoh had left the MACC office as far as I am concerned,” he said.

Hishamuddin’s demeanour during hearings was picked up by Foong, who told Hishamuddin to be calm as he feared he would get a heart attack in the witness box.

"You have been attending court cases as a MACC officer. You haven’t learnt how to answer questions. You get emotional,” said Foong.

The hearing continues