Angkasawan??

This program was officially announced by the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir bin Mohamad, as a joint programme with the Russian Federation. It is a project under the government-to-government offset agreement through the purchase of Sukhoi SU-30MKM fighter jets for the Royal Malaysian Air Force.


Under this agreement the Russian Federation bears the cost of training two Malaysians for space travel and for sending one to the International Space Station (ISS) in October 2007.
The Malaysian National Space Agency (ANGKASA), Ministry of Science, Technologies and Innovations was given the responsibility of selecting the candidates. Two of the four selected participants were sent to the Astronaut Training Programme in Star City, Russia for 18 months of training.



The four finalists were:

Siva Vanajah, 35
Mohammed Faiz Kamaluddin, 34
Faiz Khaleed, 25
Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 34



All four trained at Star City. Initially, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor was thought to be the confirmed candidate to be launched on Soyuz TMA-11 and to come back with Soyuz TMA-10 after a ten-day stay on the ISS.


On July 23, 2007, Sheikh Muszaphar participated in a NASA news conference with the Expedition 16 crew.Sheikh Muszaphar was the prime Malaysian crew member who eventually took part in the October 10 launch while Faiz Khaleed served as his backup.



On November 15, 2006, in a response to a question in the Dewan Rakyat, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim (representing the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry) stated that the Malaysian astronaut would, "spin top and toss Batu Seremban (five-stone game) as part of an experiment during his space travel". She added, "The astronaut will also paint a batik motif and make "teh tarik" ("pulled" tea) which would be shared with his fellow astronauts.


However, on December 18, 2006, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis said that making teh-tarik in space would not happen. Various experiments drawn up by selected Malaysian institutes would be carried out by the Malaysian astronaut while in zero-gravity. In the planned physics education (live class in space) portion of the spaceflight, the astronaut will also be, "demonstrating the behavior of fluids" and "observing the effects of a spinning object", to show Malaysian students on the ground the effects of zero-gravity on selected physical phenomena.



The cost of sending a single Malaysian into space has been estimated at RM 105 million (approximately USD 26 million). The entire Malaysian space program has been criticized as a waste of money for a developing nation that could ill afford such indulgences.



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I got that article from Wikipedia. If you people still think that i am creating a story, go fuck yourselves. Anyway what the fuck does this mean : "spin top and toss Batu Seremban (five-stone game) as part of an experiment during his space travel". She added, "The astronaut will also paint a batik motif and make "teh tarik" ("pulled" tea) which would be shared with his fellow astronauts"??



Are we that crazy? How would someone spin top at the space? Wouldn't it float? Batu seremban? What???? Pulled tea??? Are you people nuts?? Is that the way to show our 'love' to the country? Why didn't we spin top at the Everest? Or why didnt we make teh tarik when the guy was sailing around the world??



RM 105 fucking million. Well we heard people telling that "Why do we have to waste so much of money??" Yea. Why the fuck we have to waste RM 105 million to send a guy to the space? Why can't we use that money to do something else? I dunno, maybe we can cut down the Mat Rempits, or build better schools, fields, temples?? No. We must send this guy to space to play batu seremban and make teh tarik for fellow astronauts.



The word 'astronaut' is misunderstood here. The whole Malaysia thinks that Dr Sheik is an astronaut. Actually he is not. He is a Spaceflight Attendant. Astronauts are the people who walks on space, work on space. Sheik is just a normal hitchhiker to satisfy racist politicians in Malaysia.

It's the same as 'tsunami'. That thing that hit Aceh a few years ago, wasn't a tsunami. It was just a tidal wave. Yet, millions of Malaysians never heard or know what a tsunami is. Government, use that RM 105 million to educate them!!



We all can be proud with this 'small' achievements. Yes, small. Don't come nagging to me that climbing Everest, going to space, sailing around the world or swimming at the British Channel is something so great. And don't come nagging about "If it's small, then why don't you do it?" I'm just not interested. Swimming at the British Channel?? Big thing? Even a 11 year old kid from England has done it. Way many people has done it. We are just doing it? And sailing around the world. Rumours that he didn't sail alone. He sailed with a whiteman hiding in his boat. Wonder what do they do at the sea... Hmm...



Anyway, the swimmer and the sailer got Dato' for their achievements. And yea maybe they deserve it. How bout the guys who conquered Everest? The 2 indian guys? They didn't get anything, as far as i know. One even got burried the Muslim way (Moorthy). Sheik is going to get Dato' for sure. For me, climbing the Everest is the biggest achievement. Yet they didn't get anything. Well, maybe if the Malays conquered the mountain, they would have the Dato' ship. Fucking fair, ain't it?



And by the way, "It is a project under the government-to-government offset agreement through the purchase of Sukhoi SU-30MKM fighter jets for the Royal Malaysian Air Force." and " Under this agreement the Russian Federation bears the cost of training two Malaysians for space travel and for sending one to the International Space Station (ISS) in October 2007." is all crap. Total bullshit. Which country would have trained 2 astronauts for free? Rusia don't care how many fighter jets did Malaysia bought from them, they will never trained 2 Malaysian astronauts for free. The cost is fucking expensive. It's even more expensive that the amount Malaysia spend in purchasing that 2nd hand fighter jets. This means that Malaysia has spend more than the amount they have stated to send that guy in space. They say that it's because the 'Thanks' for the purchase of the fighter jets is to blind us for not realising the truth.



For me, I think that they didn't send that guy up as a Malaysian. They sent him as a Muslim. Would you think our goverment will spend hell lots of money to send a 'Malaysian' up? I don't think so. And why do he have to be Muslim? Is he the only fittest guy they found? Out of 4 candidates, they got 3 Muslim guys and 1 indian lady. They made it that way because, guys are more fitter than lady and they know that the lady will not last in the training. The other reason why they chose the indian lady is because, they don't want people to think that they are racist. Yet they are.



Call me racist, i'll be proud.