FMT News |  |
- Hudud: Umno dalang di sebalik kenyataan MCA
- When a house is not a home
- KL share prices close higher
- Dr M: ‘Weak’ Najib won’t heed Malay concerns
- ‘CAT’ culprit identified
- Make Malay agenda ‘top priority’
- Chua diberi tempoh seminggu minta maaf
- ‘Stop the slaying, set up IPCMC’
- VW says net profit up 60% in third quarter
- Microsoft’s newest weapon in China piracy fight
- Woods: Honour culture limits drug scandals
- Australia’s Antarctic runway melting
- Students lead anti-Rohingya rally in Myanmar
- Guatemala to track police with computer chips
- India tries handing out cash to help teeming poor
- Romney faces backlash over candidate’s rape gaffe
- Muslim pilgrims begin hajj rituals
- IGP must stop his boys from provoking Penans
- Sabah IC figure: Home Ministry unsure
- China hits out at money-making religious sites
- BN man wants EIA study on BaKelalan road
- Noh cabar MB S’gor nafi PKNS mahu jual aset
- Lampard in race to be fit for Man Utd match
- Report: Nissan to double Thai production
- MCA screws workers to please Umno, says DAP
- Probe RM40m scandal, PKR tells Bank Negara
- Asian markets lower after Wall St tumbles
- ‘Affirmative actions, policies only for elite’
- Key quotes from final Obama-Romney debate – Quotes, facts
- LG Electronics swings back to profit in Q3
- Heineken posts 10% third-quarter profit leap
- 9/11 mastermind’s beard mystery solved
- S’gor to offer IPP stake to state GLCs
- UN chief meets Psy, Austrian skydiver
- Malindo linked to Umno MP’s family?
- Lifetime award for Degeneres
- Rapturous welcome as Tiger arrives ‘home’ in Asia
- RM3.7b tech park in Nusajaya
- Green tea drinkers show lower cancer risks
- Drug-related executions on hold
- DiGi set to pay out RM933m in dividends on higher data revenue
- Time not on Stoner’s side
- New Zealand seek Muralitharan help on Sri Lanka tour
- Survey: M’sian consumers put debt reduction as priority
- Pernikahan Qazem Nor-Embun ‘kelam-kabut’
- Audit report ‘rubbished’ by BN?
- Much ado about hudud
- ‘Nobody gives free political donations’
- ‘DAP Malay candidate a safety cushion’
- ‘Hudud tiada kesan kepada bukan Islam’
| Hudud: Umno dalang di sebalik kenyataan MCA Posted: 24 Oct 2012 04:56 AM PDT
Pesuruhjaya PAS Selangor, Dr Abd Rani Osman berkata, sejarah telah membuktikan bahawa Umno menolak usaha untuk pelaksanaan hudud sejak ia diperkenalkan pada tahun 1993 di Kelantan. Abd Rani berkata, tindakan tersebut hanya untuk meraih undi masyarakat Tiong Hua untuk memberi undi kepada Barisan Nasional (BN). “Perjuangan mereka (Umno) memang untuk memisahkan Islam dengan politik. Cuma mereka cuba kononnya pertahan hudud. Saya percaya selepas pilihan raya isu hudud tidak akan dimainkan lagi. “Maka PAS jangan layan mereka ini, kerana wujud agenda tersembunyi. Dengan kenyataan-kenyataan MCA ini diharapkan ketegangan akan terhasil melalui Umno-BN boleh mendakwa ianya kerana sikap dan pandangan PAS kononnya ekstrim,” katanya dalam sidang media petang tadi. Katanya, kenyataan provokasi khusus tentang pelaksanaan undang-undang hudud disifatkan hanya ditokok tambah dengan fitnah melampau berhubung kebenaran merogol wanita bukan Islam dan berkongsi isteri. Ujar beliau, tindakan itu juga satu usaha terdesak MCA untuk melonjakkan imejnya di kalangan masyarakat Tiong Hua, kononnya bertindak berani menegur PAS. Turut hadir dalam sidang media itu ialah Ahli Parlimen Shah Alam, Khalid Samad. Isu air jangan dipolitikkan Sementara itu, 80 badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) hadir menyatakan sokongan terhadap kerajaan negeri Selangor yang membantu rakyat dalam isu air. NGO itu yang diwakili oleh Pengerusi Solidariti Hijau, Zulkifli Mohamad Omar mahu kerajaan Persekutuan membantu dalam pembangunan air di negeri itu Beliau turut menggesa agar isu air tidak dipolitikkan kerana ia merupakan hak asasi manusia. Satu memorandum turut disampaikan kepada Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim yang turut serta dalam perjumpaan selama seejam itu. Bagaimanapun, Abdul Khalid dalam ucapan ringkasnya berkata, kerajaan negeri tidak akan meminta sebarang bantuan dari kerajaan Persekutuan berhubung isu air ini. |
| Posted: 24 Oct 2012 03:36 AM PDT
Whenever there is heavy rain, they would have to deal with knee-deep water that not only destroys their furniture but also endangers their life. Some claim to have seen snakes crawling about in their homes during such times. Tamil Selvan, the general manager of a manufacturing company in Rawang, said his house had been flooded eight times this year. "Water from the sewers will fill the living room up to the knees," he said. A homemaker who referred to herself as Mrs Ravinder said her family once had to throw out every piece of furniture after a flood because everything was spoilt. The main problem appears to be the poor drainage system. Selvan said the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) had confirmed that the main drain serving the area was shallower than the three-foot minimum required by law. "So it is puzzling how they got the certificate of fitness in the first place," he said, referring to IOI Corporation, the company that built Bandar Puteri Klang. Residents also spoke of the danger posed by slippery floors and stairs, saying some had experienced bad falls.
Another resident, who introduced herself as Mrs Viji, said inspectors from MPK had said that houses in the area were sinking. However, she said the residents could not properly complain to IOI because MPK had yet to produce an official letter stating the problem. Selvan said the residents had written to the Selangor government about their problem but "again, nothing has been done". He said he was planning to take his complaint to the Prime Minister's office. The MP for Kota Raja, Dr Mariah Mahmud, said she was arranging for MPK and IOI officials to visit the area together. |
| Posted: 24 Oct 2012 03:29 AM PDT
At close, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) was 3.09 points higher at 1,667.99, supported by stocks like Genting and UEM Land. The benchmark index opened 1.43 points lower at 1,663.47, and hovered between 1,661.03 and 1,670.09 throughout the day. The dealers said Bursa Malaysia ignored Wall Street’s weak overnight close which was affected by poor corporate earnings and concerns about Spain’s economy. The exchange performed broadly in line with some regional peers as the China purchasing managers’ index advanced to 49.1 points in October from 47.9 points in September. However, some mild fund selling in local bourses capped further gains. “Profit-taking activities seem to be continuing as buyers tend to be more cautious, due possibly to the weak external cue,” a dealer said. Among individual stocks, Astro rose 6.25% to RM2.89 after the Singapore High Court awarded the company RM762 million in compensation for a failed joint venture with Indonesia’s Lippo Group. UEM Land advanced 11.4% to RM2.15 after it entered into a 40:60 joint venture with Ascendas to build a RM3 billion industrial park in Iskandar Malaysia’s economic zone. Meanwhile, the Finance Index rose 49.58 points to 14,891.35, the Plantation Index gained 50.21 points to 8,213.75, and the Industrial Index added 3.17 points to 2,897.74. The FBM Emas Index advanced 36.12 points to 11,336.66, the FBMT100 rose 32.88 points to 11,173.61 and the FBM Mid 70 Index gained 93.641 points to 12,249.41. The FBM Ace Index improved 12.28 points to 4,252.73. On the broader market, gainers led losers 410 to 272, with 348 counters unchanged and 613 others untraded. Volume rose to 1.13 billion shares worth RM1.46 billion from the 1.01 billion shares valued at RM1.36 billion yesterday. Of the actives, Tiger Synergy and Naim Indah were flat at 22 sen and 21.5 sen, while TH Heavy Engineering gained three sen to 59.5 sen. Among heavyweights, Maybank lost five sen to RM9, Axiata dropped two sen to RM6.63 and Sime Darby was flat at RM9.80. Volume on the Main Market increased to 948.52 million shares worth RM1.43 million from 864.56 million shares valued at RM1.33 billion yesterday. Turnover on the ACE Market declined to 97.73 million shares valued at RM19.6 million from 105 million shares worth RM19.41 million yesterday. Warrants rose to 83.33 million worth RM5.61 million from 38.04 million valued at RM2.77 million previously. - Bernama |
| Dr M: ‘Weak’ Najib won’t heed Malay concerns Posted: 24 Oct 2012 03:27 AM PDT
The former premier said the division among the country’s majority electorate has made them fragile and forced the present government to depend on the support of “others” in an apparent reference to the non-Malays. This is the second time Mahathir had openly called Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s government “frail”, saying it is forced to make key concessions to non-Malay demands in the hope of winning their support in the upcoming national polls. “I do not believe this government will take your demands seriously,” he told the 2012 Malay Economic Congress held here. “This is because we [the Malays] no longer hold anymore political power… we have become a beggar in our own country,” he added. The congress, in its resolutions passed today, criticised the Najib government for what it described as its failure to uphold the New Economic Policy, a system meant to enhance Bumiputera economic participation through race-based affirmative action programmes. Mahathir claimed that Bumiputeras, forming 60% of the electorate of which the majority are Malays, are forced to fight for “what is theirs” silently as they feared being labelled as racists. ‘I am no racist’ The former prime minister, who served for 22 years, said however, if the non-Malays are vocal in protecting their interests they would not be viewed as racists. “But I am not a racist. I want the wealth of this resource-rich nation to be shared equitably. “I am not asking for much. We form 60% and we are only asking for 30% and they can take the rest. But even so, we are not getting the 30%,” he said, referring to the 30% equity ownership programme under the NEP. Respectable leaders like Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and former Umno No 2 and now Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim had said that corruption under the ruling coalition had caused the NEP to fail. Up to now, since more than 30 years of its implementation, the target had only reached 19% due to abuses of the system often by cronies connected to the ruling party, Umno. This was admitted by Mahathir himself who told the congress that many of the policies created by the government and aimed at helping the Malays were frequently abused. “So don’t blame the government. Sometimes we have done much for you but you have abused it. You need to look at yourself and reflect,” he said. |
| Posted: 24 Oct 2012 03:14 AM PDT
Sources said the state leadership had submitted a comprehensive inquiry report on the CAT – "cocky arrogant, tokong" – issue to the national leadership for further action. The report was prepared based on findings of the state-level internal inquiry conducted early this month by a panel headed by party state vice-chairman and Penang Speaker Abdul Halim Hussain. Sources said the inquiry report contained compiled facts and evidence from all witnesses. Since the inquiry was concluded, speculations had been rife that the culprit could be a young party newcomer, who is a member of a division headed by a prominent and ambitious PKR assemblyman. However, it was not clear whether or not the person’s name was mentioned in the report. But insiders said the report had indicated to the national party leaders a clear picture on the highly likely person to have secretly recorded the meeting proceedings. Since the speculated culprit was a newcomer, the report is said to have suggested few senior politician names as possible mastermind behind the alleged conspiracy to oust Mansor from state politics. It is learnt that the identified person could be one who was heard in an alleged audio recording of the closed door casual meet up asking a lot of questions. The alleged audio recording was aired during TV3 prime time on Sept 24. If the audio recording was authentic as claimed by TV3 sources, then Mansor could clearly be heard using the words "angkuh" (cocky) and "sombong" (arrogant). He also allegedly described Lim endeared like a "tokong" (deity) to the Chinese community. When the CAT controversy first emerged as a hot issue in August, Mansor denied he described Lim as "cocky and arrogant", but admitted saying "tokong" in a positive note. However, when asked again after the TV3 airing, Mansor did not deny the audio recording contents. The leaked details were first published in June postings of a blog called "Gelagat Anwar" before being highlighted by the media. Apart from Mansor, sources said all seven, who attended the meeting, were grilled during the inquiry. They were party state deputy chairman and Pakatan Rakyat state government executive councillor Law Choo Kiang, Bukit Bendera division deputy chief and councillor Felix Ooi Keat Hin, Bayan Baru vice chairman and councillor Tan Seng Keat, 2004 PKR candidate for Bayan Baru federal and Batu Uban state seats – Raymond Ong Ting Cheow, Tanjung Youth chief Ng Chek Siang; Bayan Baru member Cheah Peng Guan and Mansor's special assistant John Ooh Sin Hwa. The internal meeting was apparently held to discuss seat allocations for the party's Chinese candidates in Penang. |
| Make Malay agenda ‘top priority’ Posted: 24 Oct 2012 03:11 AM PDT
The demand reflected the growing frustration among Malay businesses over Putrajaya’s liberal directions and the contention that the New Economic Policy had failed to elevate the community’s economic status. The race-based affirmative action NEP was created in the 1970s to boost the ethnic majority’s business participation through a 30% equity ownership programme, but the target had not been achieved up until today. Although the policy created a large pool of Malay middle class, genuine supporters of the system, often mid to low-level Malay businesses, lamented the widespread abuse of the system by “cronies” linked to the ruling party. Today’s congress reflected that sentiment. In its resolutions, the congress criticised the Najib administration’s alleged “lack of support” for the Malay business community, especially on the growing choke-hold of government-linked companies (GLC) on government contracts. The demands included assurance from the prime minister that all GLCs have a clear Malay agenda with a key performance index system in place to ensure they “partake in the economic advancement of the Malays”. Leaders failed NEP Malay Chamber of Commerce president Syed Ali Alattas in his speech at the congress here criticised the GLCs for their alleged failure to carry out their duty as the vanguard of the NEP. “There was no sense of urgency on the part of the government to address the poor implementation of the NEP,” he said. Other demands included change in Teraju’s leadership, which the congress accused of negating its duty to create more Malay entrepreneurs. Teraju was one of Najib’s initiatives in safeguarding the Bumiputera economy. It was set up amid a tumultuous reaction to his Economic Transformation Programme chiefly from the Malay businesses which saw the liberalisation plans in the blueprint as a threat to their livelihood. Najib had promised that the Malay agenda will never be compromised but the congress today showed the majority of its businesses remain unconvinced. “We will or will not continue to vote for this government. It all depends on how serious it is at championing the Malay cause and right now it’s not doing a great job,” said one of the congress’ delegates. |
| Chua diberi tempoh seminggu minta maaf Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:55 AM PDT
Setiausaha Dewan Pemuda PAS Malaysia Khairul Faizi Ahmad Kamil berkata disebabkan keceluparan Chua yang tidak mempedulikan sensitiviti umat Islam, tempoh seminggu diberikan kepadanya. “Pemuda PAS mendesak Datuk Seri (Chua) memohon maaf secara terbuka kepada umat Islam atas keceluparan kenyataan Datuk Seri. “Jika tidak, kami akan menghantar memorandum kepada Yang DiPertuan Agong selaku Ketua Agama Islam di negara ini untuk mengadukan perkara ini supaya tindakan tegas diambil terhadap Datuk Seri serta MCA,” katanya dalam memorandum. Pemuda PAS sebelum itu membuat satu perhimpunan aman diperkarangan Wisma MCA di Jalan Ampang di sini pukul 3 petang tadi. Selain Pemuda PAS, turut serta Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK), NGO Jingga 13, Setiausaha Dewan Ulama PAS Pusat, Ahli Jawatankuasa PAS Pusat Idris Ahmad, serta beberapa pemimpin PAS lain. Perhimpunan aman yang disertai kira-kira 200 penyokong itu melaungkan takbir sambil membawa sepanduk “Soi Lek wajib minta maaf” dan “Jangan hina Islam”. Memorandum itu kemudiannya diserahkan kepada Pegawai Pemuda MCA Leonnad Tan Soon Huat di lobi Wisma MCA. Selain menghina hudud, desakan maaf daripada Chua itu juga dituntut kerana menghina peribadi Mursyidul Am PAS Tuan Guru Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat yang dianggap seorang ulama yang disegani dan dijadikan rujukan. Khairul Faizi berkata, kecaman dan penghinaan terhadap Nik Aziz adalah satu penghinaan terhadap rakyat Kelantan sekaligus terhadap Perlembagaan Malaysia yang menyatakan agama Islam sebagai agama Persekutuan. “Chua sebagai pemimpin parti kompenna BN sepatutnya menunjukkan contoh yang baik kepada rakyat dengan menghormati amalan agama dan kepelbagaian bangsa dan kaum di negara ini. “Namun dalam hal ini beliau tidak boleh diteladani dan dihormati kerana keceluparannya mengeluarkan kenyataan. “MCA juga dianggap sebagai parti yang wajar ditolak oleh rakyat dalam PRU13 kerana mengamalkan sikap perkauman yang melampau,” katanya. Selain Pemuda PAS, Jingga 13 turut menghantar memorandum mendesak perkara yang sama, malah mendesak Chua mohon maaf kepada Yang diPertuan Agong diatas sikapnya yang menderhaka memandangkan Seri Paduka merupakan Ketua Agama Islam Persekutuan Mahathir ajar Chua biadap Sementara itu Ketua AMK Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin dalam ucapannya berkata, kebiadapan Chua ‘diwarisi’ daripada mantan Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. “Perkara ini (penghinaan hudud) sudah lama berada di dalam Umno. “Mahathir semasa menjadi Presiden Umno dan Perdana Menteri menyatakan perkara mengenai janggut Rasulullah s.a.w.yang tidak dicukur kerana pada waktu itu tiada pisau cukur berjenama Gillette. “Sekarang giliran Chua Soi Lek,” tegasnya. Perhimpunan selesai kira-kira sejam kemudian dan orang ramai dilihat meninggalkan perkarangan Wisma MCA dengan aman tanpa sebarang gangguan. |
| ‘Stop the slaying, set up IPCMC’ Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:38 AM PDT
The human rights NGO was responding to a FMT article yesterday which quoted a parliamentary answer by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein which said that 298 have been killed by the police since 2007. “Suaram was not shocked to see the figures as the numbers clearly reflect the common unofficial Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the force in Malaysia which is to ‘shoot to kill’,” said Suaram’s Right to Justice coordinator R Thevarajan in a statement. “The question is, was there anyone accountable for these atrocities done by the police force in this country?” he asked. Thevarajan noted that while some policemen were charged, many others were not. He questioned how the police arrived at their conclusions that a person was already a criminal before being proven guilty by a court of law. “If all the accusations and judgments towards a suspect can be done by the Royal Police of Malaysia, why do we need the courts?” he asked. He claimed that Suaram’s studies showed that police had been too quick in establishing the victims as criminals. And often, police claimed to be acting in self-defence, with the victims attacking the police using a parang. Failed reforms The victims were also commonly linked to gangsterism and their deaths were justified by showing that they had criminal records. Thevarajan cited the killing of 15-year-old Aminulrasyih Amzah in Shah Alam April 2010; the fatal shooting of Mohd Shaml Hafiz Shafie and Mohd Khairul Nizam Tuah in Glenmarie in November 2011; and 26-year-old D Dinesh who was gunned down in Ampang in August this year. He said that unless every death was investigated automatically without the pressure from the public, to prove transparency and credibility of the force, more would be killed by the police. He said that it was insufficient for police to investigate their own. “This mechanism is the mirror of failed reforms as can be seen from past records, coupled with the lackadaisical approach of the police on the safety of individuals,” he added. Thevarajan also said that the police’s attitude seemed to contravene Article 3 of the Federal Constitution, which talked about the right to life. “Furthermore, Malaysia as a member of the United Nations disrespects the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) under Article 3, which says 'Everyone has the right to life, to be free and to feel safe',” he noted. He said that the saddest part was for the family of victims having to “run up and down to seek justice”. “Why do the family members of the victims have to run up and down pressuring the government to take action against the police? How many memorandums the family has to submit to the authorities before any meaningful actions are taken?” he asked. |
| VW says net profit up 60% in third quarter Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:20 AM PDT
The results were in stark contrast to the state of the number two European carmaker, French group PSA Peugeot Citroen, which said it was waiving dividends in return for state support. VW said in its interim report that net profit amounted to 11.289 billion euros (US$14.595 billion) in the period from July to September, an increase of 60.4% over the year earlier figure, as sales powered ahead by 26.8% to 48.848 billion euros. Underlying or operating profit, on the other hand, fell by 19% to 2.343 billion euros in the third quarter. Taking the first nine months, net profit was up 50.8% at 20.062 billion euros and sales rose by 24% to 144.226 billion euros, while operating profit slipped by 1.6% to 8.835 billion euros. “The Volkswagen Group maintained its positive trajectory in the first nine months of 2012 despite difficult conditions,” said chief executive Martin Winterkorn. “Although the times aren’t easy… we remain committed to our ambitious goals for 2012, despite growing headwinds,” he said. VW was sticking to its goal to beat the prior-year sales revenue of 159.3 billion euros and match 2011 operating profit of 11.271 billion euros, Winterkorn said. - AFP |
| Microsoft’s newest weapon in China piracy fight Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:15 AM PDT
That might change with the launch of its Surface tablet, which goes on sale online in China at the same time as a handful of other countries. The Surface is a rare piece of Microsoft hardware, and will run the company’s new Windows 8 operating system. While both Windows 8 and the Surface are Microsoft’s global challenge to assaults by Apple Inc’s iPad and tablets running Google Inc’s Android operating system, analysts say the company’s splash is a sign of its determination to crack the elusive yet vital China market. “The fact that there is no (release) delay and they are treating China as one of their primary markets reflects how important China is to Microsoft and I think that’s evident in how they plan to launch Surface,” said Adam Leach, a London-based analyst with technology consulting firm Ovum. Microsoft chose Shanghai as its first global site for what it called a “pre-launch” of Windows 8 yesterday. Speaking to an enthusiastic audience, Windows head Steve Sinofsky began his speech in Mandarin before launching into his sales pitch for Windows 8. The full launch will take place in New York tomorrow. The tablet will be sold from Friday in China through Suning Appliance Co Ltd’s website and retail stores as well as Microsoft’s online China store. Microsoft, the world’s biggest software maker, has long struggled to monetise China. Its biggest problem has been piracy. Since opening its first Beijing office in 1992, Microsoft has found it hard to gain traction among Chinese consumers unwilling to pay full price for software. According to a Business Software Alliance report in May, China had an illegal software market worth nearly US$9 billion last year or a piracy rate of 77%. A pirated copy of Microsoft Office can be found for as little as US$2 – against an official price of up to 398 yuan (US$63.63). Fighting pirates After years of symbolic raids on software pirates and pronouncements, Microsoft has in recent years changed tack, prodding the government to get pirated software off its computers and replace it with legitimate copies. Although progress is being made, it is not necessarily benefiting Microsoft, analysts said. State-owned enterprises have offices and subsidiaries spread across the country, slowing down the process, said Bryan Wang, China principal analyst at Forrester Research, while those who do replace their pirated software tend to opt for a much cheaper local variant called Kingsoft WPS. “It’s going to take some time,” he said. Microsoft’s other businesses have also not fared so well in China. Since its launch in 2009, Microsoft’s search engine Bing is still in beta mode and a sales ban on video game consoles in China means its popular Xbox cannot be sold legally in the country. In the second quarter, Microsoft’s smartphone software had a negligible share of the market while Apple’s iPhone accounted for 6% of the market and Android phones for 83%, according to Analysys International. Local media reported that Nokia is due to launch its first Windows 8 Phone in China by the end of the year. At first blush it faces a similar uphill battle in tablets. Sales of Apple’s iPad accounted for 71% of tablets sold in the third quarter. Lenovo Group garnered 11% and Samsung Electronics 4%. Apple announced yesterday a smaller version of its iPad, adding to the already crowded field of choices. But Microsoft believes it has prepared the ground to win over sceptics. In its favour is a fast-growing collection of software applications – usually called apps – already popular among Chinese users of Apple and Android devices. Microsoft has persuaded Chinese developers such as Tencent Holdings, Sina Corp and PPTV to develop Windows 8 versions of their popular apps that will run on the Surface in advance of the launch. That means that while globally the Surface will have fewer apps than Google’s Play store and the Apple’s App Store, the Windows App Store in China will have the second-highest number of apps globally when Windows 8 is launched, according to Ralph Haupter, Microsoft’s China chief executive. Atop that is the familiarity of Microsoft’s operating system and office applications. “I already have an iPad and a Galaxy Note but there are two major constraints with both products, they can’t use USB and they can’t handle Microsoft Office documents,” said one customer who gave only her surname, Ma, who ordered her RT Surface online. Also working in its favour is the price. A 32-gigabyte model of the Surface will sell in China for 3,688 yuan (US$590), about 800 yuan cheaper than a similar model of iPad sold by Apple. Pricing for the iPad mini was set at US$329, which was higher than expected. Some doubt this is low enough to win over users. “Chinese consumers like foreign brands but they are still price sensitive. Microsoft’s dominance is in software and while the introduction of Surface is good for the Chinese market it needs to be even cheaper if it wants to be more competitive,” said Li Yanyan, an analyst with Beijing-based research firm Analysys International. - Reuters |
| Woods: Honour culture limits drug scandals Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:10 AM PDT
The American great, speaking after Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France wins in a case that has rocked cycling, said anti-doping officials test golfers’ urine while they do not take blood samples. He indicated that a sport such as golf, where players admit their own penalties, had an intrinsic honesty which was not apparent elsewhere. “We just implemented testing probably three years ago I think it is… I know we don’t do any blood work like some of the other sports do,” he said ahead of the CIMB Classic tournament in Malaysia. “Right now it’s just urine samples, but that’s certainly a positive step in the right direction to try and validate our sport.” World cycling chiefs this week accepted the findings of a United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) report which put Armstrong at the heart of a sophisticated drugs conspiracy. But Woods, another iconic sporting figure who fell from grace when a sex scandal came to light in 2009, said golf was an entirely different matter. “This is a sport where we turn ourselves in on mistakes. A ball moves in the trees, guys call penalties on themselves. Golf is a different sport,” he said. “I think that’s one of the neat things about our great game, and I think with the testing, it’s only enhanced that respectability throughout all of sport.” Comparisons have been drawn this week between Woods, who remains sponsored by Nike despite his marital infidelities, and Armstrong, who was dumped by the sportswear giant over the USADA report. Golf lacks the intense physical demands of cycling but the pressure to hit the ball hard and accurately, and maintain mental focus over four four-hour rounds, with huge rewards at stake, could tempt some players to seek an unfair edge. In 2007, nine-time Major-winner Gary Player said he knew “for a fact” that golfers were taking human growth hormone, creatine and steroids, and called for random drug-testing. In November 2009, after tests were introduced the PGA and European tours, America’s Doug Barron became the first golfer to be banned for taking a performance-enhancing drug. -AFP |
| Australia’s Antarctic runway melting Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:09 AM PDT  SYDNEY: Australia said today it was searching for a new aircraft landing site for planes supplying its three bases in Antarctica because the current runway is melting due to global warming.Australia has three stations on the icy continent – Casey, Davis and Mawson – occupied by scientists and support staff, with the Wilkins runway, carved into glacial blue ice, a vital transport link. But a melting surface is restricting use of the Aus$45 million (US$46.4 million) landing strip near Casey and the Australian Antarctic Division said they were looking at alternatives. They include the ice-free Vestfold Hills near Davis. “During the first few years since the introduction of Australia’s airlink to Antarctica in 2007/08 our operations have, on occasions, been hampered by glacial melt at the current Wilkins runway,” a spokesperson told AFP. “The Australian Antarctic Division will investigate a range of alternative or additional landing sites for fixed-wing aircraft near our three stations in Antarctica.” Meteorological stations have shown a temperature rise of two degrees Celsius in the past 50 years in the Antarctic peninsula, which is roughly triple that of the global temperature rise. Planes can only land if the temperature is below minus five degrees Celsius. “There (are) signs there’s a long-term warming trend, global warming. And that will make it more difficult to operate this runway in the future,” the division’s director Tony Fleming told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Instead of the 20 flights a season predicted by the Australian Antarctic Division before the runway opened, just two landed in the 2010/11 season with the runway closed from December to February due to melt. Four landed last season and six are planned this year. The Australian bases are also serviced by ship but the journey can take up to two weeks, compared to the 4.5 hour flight from Hobart in Tasmania state. While the runway is suffering from a lack of ice, Australia’s Antarctic supply ship, the Aurora Australis, is currently stuck some 200 nautical miles from the Casey station because there is too much ice. “What’s happened is that a northerly (wind) has blown ice against the ship,” Fleming said. “We are waiting for a change in the weather patterns, an increasing swell, to move that ice again.” - AFP |
| Students lead anti-Rohingya rally in Myanmar Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:06 AM PDT  YANGON: Hundreds of Buddhist university students rallied today against Muslims in a flashpoint city at the centre of communal tensions in western Myanmar, a protest leader told AFP.The protest in Sittwe, capital of Rakhine state, followed overnight violence in nearby towns as a fresh outbreak of unrest between ethnic Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya stretched into a third day. At least three people died and hundreds of homes were torched on Monday in clashes between the two sides, according to officials, with a further 50 properties set ablaze on Tuesday morning. Rakhine state witnessed widespread violence in June that left dozens dead, tens of thousands displaced and prompted rights groups to warn of a humanitarian crisis. The Rohingya are viewed as illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh by the Myanmar government and many Burmese — who call them “Bengalis”. More than 800 students joined the rally to call for an end to “studying with terrorist Bengalis”, and for the removal of Muslim villages on the road to the university, student protest leader Wai Yan told AFP by telephone. It was the latest in a series of protests by Buddhists in Myanmar against the stateless Rohingya, who have long been considered by the United Nations to be one of the most persecuted minorities on the planet. Tensions remain at boiling point across Rakhine state with a curfew in force in many areas, while tens of thousands of Rohingya languish in basic camps, some behind barbed wire in Sittwe, since June’s flare-up of violence. Rights groups say the Rohingya are becoming increasingly desperate as a campaign to force them out of the country intensifies, with Buddhist monks taking a lead role in whipping up sentiment against them. Fresh violence, including the torching of homes, took place overnight in two towns, a Rakhine state spokesman said. “There were clashes yesterday (Tuesday) night and houses were burnt in Myebon and Kyauk Phyu towns,” Myo That told AFP, adding that he did not know if there were any casualties. “They took the chance to attack each other at night when it was dark.” - AFP |
| Guatemala to track police with computer chips Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:03 AM PDT  GUATEMALA CITY: Police in Guatemala will be equipped with computer chips to track their movements starting next year in a new bid to restore public confidence in a security force plagued by charges of abuse.Interior Minister Mauricio Lopez said yesterday that the chips, which will be fixed onto officers’ badges, will allow supervisors to track their movements and ensure they are responding to orders. Police will also get new uniforms “so they can be considered friends of the population,” Lopez told reporters, without providing further information. All police currently wear black uniforms, which Lopez said would be reserved for special forces and other elite units. Guatemala’s 24,000-strong police force has instilled little confidence in the public following the arrest of former top officials on a wide array of charges, including murder. In August former police chief Erwin Sperisen was arrested in Geneva on charges of murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal detention, extortion and drug theft. Guatemala had been calling for the arrest of the dual Swiss citizen since 2010, along with 18 other former members of the police and interior ministry. The 42-year-old, who was chief of the national police from 2004-2007, is wanted by Guatemala over the 2005 killing of seven detainees and three other prisoners who had fled. By law, Sperisen cannot be extradited because he has Swiss citizenship. In March, Guatemala’s former deputy interior minister Marlene Blanco was arrested on charges of involvement in several extra-judicial killings in 2009. Guatemala and other Central American countries have seen a rise in drug violence in recent years as Mexico’s powerful cartels – which have long conspired with corrupt local officials – have expanded their reach. - AFP |
| India tries handing out cash to help teeming poor Posted: 24 Oct 2012 02:00 AM PDT  BUDHI BAWAL (India): Uddal Singh, a retired army sergeant, is part of an experiment trying out radical changes to the Indian welfare system that the government plans to adopt nation-wide. And he’s furious.He along with the 250,000 residents of Kotkasim, a bloc of Alwar district in western Rajasthan state, were chosen to be part of a pilot scheme to end the sale of subsidised kerosene, a fuel used by the poor for lighting and cooking. Instead of buying it at a heavily discounted rate at the local government shop, those with ration cards were each in theory paid cash by the government and required to purchase the liquid at the market price. “Since one year, no money has come into my account, not one paisa (cent),” the mustachioed 58-year-old said bitterly in the village of Budhi Bawal, a dusty one-street settlement of a few thousand people, mostly farmers. Instead of lighting his kerosene lamps, he says he now makes do with candles at night. Officials “come here to the shop, see the record of our ration card numbers and say the money will come,” he explained outside the grubby Fair Price Shop run by the local government dealer. The Kotkasim trial has been disruptive, tricky to implement, and — depending on who you listen to — either a roaring success in cutting wasteful state spending, or a disaster that has caused hardship. The conclusions are important. In New Delhi, where the trial is viewed as a model for the future, the government is fast-tracking plans to distribute as much of India’s $61-billion welfare budget in cash as possible. India is home to hundreds of millions of some of the poorest people on the planet who depend on government hand-outs for survival. “As long as the money arrives in people’s accounts, the scheme is not a bad idea at all,” village leader Rakesh Kumar told AFP in an interview. But he estimates 70 percent of people in his area have had problems receiving the cash. “We have had to deal with the fall-out of the government’s experiments.” The cash model The attraction of paying cash to the poor and leaving them to spend it has been enhanced by two foreign programmes which are broadly seen as successful: Mexico’s Progresa or Oportunidades, and Brazil’s Bolsa Familia. Under the cash model, governments can keep track of the money they spend better, cut out middlemen, and even make the money conditional on beneficial things such as sending children to school. They also bring the poor into the banking system, obliging them to open accounts to receive welfare payments. Nandan Nilekani, who runs the government’s scheme handing out new biometric IDs known as Aadhar, says the system has already reduced fraud. “When Aadhar is used, in some of pilots, there has been a 20-30 percent reduction in beneficiaries by reducing duplicants,” he says, pointing to trials in the states of Tripura, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. Nation-wide 200 million people already have a new unique Aadhar ID and Nilekani’s scheme aims to cover half the population, or 600 million people, in the next 18 months. “On the basis of Aadhaar, we can ensure that the benefit of schemes reach genuine beneficiaries and that there is no mediator,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said last weekend. India subsidises everything from fertilizer and food to kerosene so cutting waste is crucial to the government’s drive to rein in its budget deficit. But a welfare shake-up is politically risky and fraught with danger in a country where an estimated 42 percent of children under five are malnourished. The Public Distribution System is the biggest such scheme in the world, providing subsidised kerosene, wheat and rice to up to a quarter of all households from cob-webbed shops of the sort seen in Budhi Bawal. It is also staggeringly inefficient. An estimated 58 percent of grains purchased by the government fail to meet their intended targets, data from the national Planning Commission showed in 2005. Kotkasim trial The results in Kotkasim are described by the top local administrator, District Collector Ashutosh Pednekar, as “remarkable”. Figures from his office show kerosene consumption has fallen 82 percent since the cash scheme began, a saving for the government of 1.5 million rupees (US$30,000) per month. Before, crooked dealers would siphon off subsidised kerosene at 15 rupees a litre and sell it on the black market for around 30 rupees, where it was purchased as a cheap replacement for diesel to run tractors or generators. Those entitled to discounted fuel also had an incentive to draw their full allotment – up to three litres per month – and then sell it on at a profit. “The diversion of kerosene for purposes other than cooking and lighting has been stopped,” Pednekar told AFP. “The moment you start selling kerosene at a market price, the business collapses for those with a business in ‘leakages’,” added the 34-year-old. Under the next phase of his plan, the sale of subsidised cooking gas cylinders will be phased out in Kotkasim. In five months time, the whole of Pednekar’s district of Alwar, home to 3.7 million people, will move over to the cash transfer system for kerosene. While he conceded people were “not going gaga” over the cash system, “by now, there would have been a hue and cry” if they had not received the money. In the dusty villages of the trial area, AFP spoke to households who said the cash had indeed arrived promptly. But there was also anger and confusion. Some complained of surly bank officials who refused to help them; others said repeated complaints had come to naught; many said they had either stopped buying kerosene altogether or were now paying the higher price from their own pockets. John Blomquist, an economist from the World Bank in New Delhi and expert on welfare programmes, says cash transfers can be an effective strategy to cut fuel and power subsidies. “As countries get more developed, you tend to see fewer in-kind benefits” such as subsidised fuel, he told AFP. “You can design a great cash transfer system, but it’s really about do you have the mechanism in place to implement well? Can you monitor well?” - AFP |
| Romney faces backlash over candidate’s rape gaffe Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:53 AM PDT  RENO (Nevada): White House hopeful Mitt Romney today sought to distance himself from controversial remarks on rape made by a fellow Republican that drew fire less than two weeks ahead of election day.Anti-abortion Senate candidate Richard Mourdock’s statement that pregnancy caused by rape was “something God intended to happen” gave President Barack Obama a new opening to attack his rival’s record on women’s rights. With the presidential candidates locked in a virtual tie, women voters in key swing states could decide the November 6 election, and a fresh row over abortion would distract from Romney’s focus on the sluggish US economy. Speaking at a Senate debate late Tuesday, Mourdock said he believed life begins at conception and opposed abortion in all cases except when the mother’s life was in danger. “I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God, and I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen,” he said. Romney’s campaign moved to distance him from the remarks, with spokeswoman Andrea Saul saying “Governor Romney disagrees with Richard Mourdock’s comments, and they do not reflect his views.” Romney has said he opposes abortion except in cases of rape or incest, or to save the mother’s life. President Barack Obama has long accused Romney and other Republicans of having extreme views on abortion and other women’s rights, and the Democratic National Committee quickly moved to link Romney to Mourdock. The committee sent a link to a television ad in which Romney endorsed Mourdock, but the ad did not mention abortion or other social issues. Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker meanwhile said that, “as a pro-life Catholic, I’m stunned and ashamed that Richard Mourdock believes God intended rape.” “Do we need any more proof that Richard Mourdock is an extremist who’s out of touch with Hoosiers?” he asked, referring to Indiana natives. In an appeal to women during the final presidential debate Monday night, Obama accused Romney of wanting to take America back to the “social policies of the 1950s.” Romney has vowed to be a “pro-life president,” and his current presidential platform supports overturning the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, letting states decide on the legality of the practice. The multimillionaire former venture capitalist has preferred to focus on the economy, arguing that women have suffered from stubbornly high unemployment and that he has the business acumen to speed up the sluggish recovery. Campaigning earlier Tuesday in Nevada, one of the handful of toss-up states expected to decide the election, Romney said Obama’s campaign was ‘taking on water” after a trio of debates “supercharged” his own White House bid. “His is a status quo candidacy. His is a message of going forward with the same policies of the last four years. And that’s why his campaign is slipping. And that’s why ours is gaining so much steam,” Romney said. Campaigning through Ohio and Florida, Obama accused Romney of suffering from “stage three Romnesia,” saying he had forgotten or completely changed his views on a wide range of issues. “We are accustomed to seeing politicians change their positions from four years ago. We are not accustomed to seeing politicians change their positions from four days ago,” Obama told a Florida rally. Romney led in an average of national polls by 0.7 percent yesterday, but Obama still held small leads in Ohio, Iowa, Nevada, Wisconsin and New Hampshire, states that could hand him a second four-year term. Mourdock’s rape gaffe could help the Obama campaign regain momentum. Another Republican Senate candidate, Todd Akin of Missouri, sparked controversy in August when he said that a woman’s body could prevent conception in cases of “legitimate rape.” Those remarks dominated the US news cycle for days, provoking an avalanche of condemnation from both parties and calls by Romney and other Republicans for Akin to quit the race. Akin apologized but refused to step aside, potentially dashing Republican hopes of wresting back control of the 100-member Senate from Democrats in congressional elections, which will also be held November 6. Later Wednesday, Obama sets off on a 48-hour sprint through Iowa, Colorado, Nevada, Florida, Virginia and Ohio, while Romney was due to campaign in Iowa, Ohio and Virginia. - AFP |
| Muslim pilgrims begin hajj rituals Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:50 AM PDT  MECCA (Saudi Arabia): More than two million Muslims began the main rituals of the annual hajj pilgrimage today, heading from Mecca to Mina where they rest and pray for the night before moving on to Mount Arafat.The pilgrims, of whom nearly 1.7 million came to Saudi Arabia from abroad, started to travel by bus, on foot or with the Mashair light railway to the arid plain of Mina where they will spend the night in government supplied tents. The pilgrims’ stay in Mecca has so far been incident-free, with some 25,700 members of the Saudi security forces deployed throughout the kingdom’s holy cities. In Mina, 100 civil defence teams are on call, ready to deal with emergencies. The passage to Mina marks the official launch of the hajj on the eighth day of the Muslim calendar month of Dhul Hijja. The day is known as Tarwiah (Watering) as pilgrims in the past stopped at Mina to feed their animals and stock up for the following day’s trip to Mount Arafat. On Thursday, they will ascend to Mount Arafat, some 10 kilometres southeast of Mina, to spend the day in prayer. After sunset, they head to Muzdalifah, between Mina and Arafat, where pilgrims collect stones to throw at the devil, one of the last rituals which takes place Friday and marks the first day of Eid al-Adha, the annual feast of sacrifice. The symbolic “stoning of the devil” is followed by the ritual sacrifice of an animal, usually a lamb. During the remaining three days of the hajj, the pilgrims continue the ritual stoning before performing the circumambulation of the Kaaba shrine in Mecca and heading home. - AFP |
| IGP must stop his boys from provoking Penans Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:47 AM PDT
“In order to bring the credibility to the force, they should be seen as a neutral party and not to take the side of the oppressor. “People resort to the blockade as an option to stop destruction of their livelihood as the construction of the dam progresses. Is this a criminal offence?” asked Suaram in a statement issued today. Suaram was commenting on a statement by Sibu police chief DSP Bakar Sebau who warned protesting Penan natives that criminal action will be taken against them if they continued to mount blockades on the accesses road leading to the controversial Murum dam project site. The Penan community from eight affected villagers have been setting up blockades since Sept 25 stopping lorries and heavy vehicles from entering into the RM3 billion Murum Dam project site. They are demanding that the state government and contractors Sarawak Energy Berhad respect their rights and demands and keep promises given to them four years ago. Bakar had also warned the natives that they will be charged under Section 143 and 147 of the Penal Code for unlawful assembly and causing riot. He had reportedly said that police reinforcement from Sibu and Kapit would be despatched to the blockade site. Condemning the “intimidation” and “provocative tactic” by the police, Suaram said: “This is clearly a bully tactic from the state against the Penan natives. “The state is now employing the police to forcibly remove the blockade to further its project. “Suaram reiterates that this is an intimidation and provocation tactic used by the police in order to create tension at the blockade area for the police to take action.” ‘Abuse of law’ Earlier this week Sarawak PKR leader-cum lawyer Baru Bian warned Bakar not to provoke the Penans. Said Bian: "I am disturbed to read about the recent development in the Murum Dam issue… I sense that this is a buildup to the arrest of the Penans who are manning the blockades. “I am extremely disappointed by the statement by district police chief DSP Bakar Sebau that action could be taken against them under Section 143 or 147 of the Penal Code for illegal assembly or taking part in a riot. This is an abuse of the process of the law. "The Penans are a peaceful people and if there is any riot, it would be as a result of provocation by agents of the dam-builders or the authorities.” |
| Sabah IC figure: Home Ministry unsure Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:41 AM PDT
In a parliamentary written response, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the ministry had a hard time in getting information in this area. He was referring to Independent-Tuaran MP Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing, who asked how many ICs had been granted from 1990 until now. “The ministry wishes to state that before 2006, state Registration Departments (NRD) had their application processes done manually,” Hishammuddin said. He said that data from the Sabah NRD had to be collected manually, and as such, his ministry needed more time before they could come up with a detailed answer. He was, however, able to reveal that 43,617 first-ICs or MyKads (for those aged 12 and above), MyPR (permanent resident) and MkKAS (temporary resident) cards had been issued after 2006 until September this year. Hishammuddin also added that since 1990, those born in Malaysia were required to have and produce their birth certificates when applying for their ICs. Letters of declarations, he said, were invalid forms of proof. Allegations have arisen over the years over the issuance of identity cards to illegal immigrants in Malaysia’s easternmost state since the 1990s. Critics claimed that those who received these cards did so on the condition that they would vote for the Barisan Nasional federal government during later general elections. Termed as “Project IC”, the move has been a sore point for many local Sabahans, including former BN MPs. In 1970, Sabah had a population of 651,304. This increased to 1.5 million in 1980 before shooting up to 2.4 million in 2000. By 2010, the state was said to have 3.1 million people. These details have led Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry to look into the matter. |
| China hits out at money-making religious sites Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:37 AM PDT  BEIJING: China’s religious affairs ministry has lashed out at the rampant commercialisation of sacred places and temples in the country, including the practice of employing “fake monks” and fortune-tellers.In a statement posted online, the State Administration for Religious Affairs, which oversees the country’s religious organisations, also criticised plans by some Buddhist and Taoist temples to raise funds by listing on the stock market. “Temples shall not in any way engage in ‘stock’ or ‘joint venture’ activities,” the administration said in the statement dated October 22. Policies by the Communist Party suppressing religion have been relaxed since the 1970s, leading to a rapid increase in pilgrimages and visits to temples. Religious organisations are still required to register with the government. The State Administration for Religious Affairs picked out for particular criticism those “using the excuse of promoting traditional culture” to profit from devotees. “There have been reports of non-religious sites employing fake monks… illegally setting up donation boxes to take religious donations, even threatening religious believers and tourists to cheat them out of money,” the statement said. “These phenomena seriously violate the party’s policies towards religion, and national laws,” it added, listing other abuses including pressuring tourists to buy expensive incense and illegal fortune-telling. The Famen temple in northwest China is set to list on Hong Kong’s stock exchange next year, according to the Global Times daily, while Mount Putuo, a sacred Buddhist mountain, has announced plans to go public within three years. Two fake monks wearing orange Buddhist robes were detained in Beijing in April after they were caught drinking alcohol on the city’s subway and checked into a luxury hotel with two women, local reports said at the time. - AFP |
| BN man wants EIA study on BaKelalan road Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:30 AM PDT
Some 2,000 villagers from six highland villages appear to be stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea, to quote an old English adage. While wanting a new road, they are worried about the impact the project will have on the Sungai Muda water catchment area, which is literally their "lifeline". The affected villages are Punan Kelalan, Long Muda, Long Kumap, Long Langai, Long Lemutut and Buduk. The villagers fear that allowing the army to pound through Sungai Muda to build a road would mean contaminating their main source of drinking water, irrigation for paddy fields and water for their livestock. They fear that instead of improving their lives, the new road will impoverish them because the main economic activity here is paddy and livestock rearing. Balang, a former BaKelalan assemblyman, said on Monday that an EIA study “should be conducted immediately to make sure the area is not adversely affected”. Echoing his views, Bian said no EIA had been done todate and the locals as stakeholders had not been engaged. Said Bian: “The government must listen to the people. They are not against a new road, they just want the road to benefit the people and not the contractors.” Losing their livelihood Affected villagers reportedly told a local daily that they preferred if the project could be re-routed to the Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario road. "We find that cutting through Sungai Muda is unnecessary when in fact they can use the Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario route, which will not affect any of our water catchment area. "Sungai Muda River is our livelihood. If it is destroyed and polluted, what will we drink and how will our paddy fields and livestock survive? Our paddy fields and the jungle is our Lun Bawang legacy and we never want to lose it," the village spokesman told BorneoPost. According to the spokesman, their suggestion to develop the existing Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario road was vetoed. “We were told that the Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario route will cost more because it is 20km longer than the 42-km Sungai Muda route. But we believe it shouldn't be because the route is already there, and only culverts are needed to improve the route." Construction of the RM42 million BaKelalan-Bario road project started on last Oct 1 and is expected to be completed by September 2014. The road is being constructed by the army under its Jiwa Murni project. Last month, Defence Minister Ahmad Zaidi Hamidi said the Royal Army Engineers Regiment and heavy machines were already in Ba' Kelalan. He said the project was under the Blue Ocean Strategy, initiated by the Prime Minister. |
| Noh cabar MB S’gor nafi PKNS mahu jual aset Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:29 AM PDT
“Saya mahu Menteri Besar Selangor tampil ke depan dan menafikan dakwaan bahawa lima bangunan PKNS akan dijual,” kata Noh yang juga Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani dalam satu sidang media di lobi Parlimen. Bangunan yang dimaksudkan adalah Menara PKNS, Petaling Jaya pada harga RM90 juta, SACC Mall di Shah Alam (RM97 juta), PKNS Shah Alam (RM88 juta), PKNS Bangi (RM42 juta) dan Wisma Yakin di Jalan Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur pada harga RM7 juta. Kesemua bangunan tersebut berjumlah RM321 juta. Menurut beliau yang juga Timbalan Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Selangor, penjualan aset tersebut telah pun mendapat kelulusan Lembaga Pengarah PKNS. “Saya tak tuduh ‘menteri besar cemerlang’. Kalau (dakwaan) saya tidak betul, esok saya akan bawa bukti,” Noh menyindir sambil merujuk kepada pujian Ketua Pembangkang merangkap Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berhubung prestasi Abdul Khalid sebagai menteri besar. Beliau turut menyindir Abdul Khalid yang dirujuk dengan gelaran menteri besar cemerlang. “Macam mana cemerlang? Cemerlang habiskan harta, cemerlang bailout Talam, cemerlang tak bayar hutang, cemerlang janji tak tertunai, cemerlang pandang rendah terhadap kepakaran tempatan,” sindir Noh. |
| Lampard in race to be fit for Man Utd match Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:12 AM PDT
Lampard, 34, lasted just 18 minutes of his team’s 2-1 Champions League defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday before suffering a calf injury. The England midfielder will undergo a scan which will determine whether he faces United at Stamford Bridge. “It’s a recurrence of an old injury,” said Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo. Lampard was ruled out of England’s World Cup qualifiers earlier this month against San Marino and Poland with a calf problem. “He was training with us fine and there were no alarm bells before the game,” added Di Matteo. “He was in good condition to play.” Leaders Chelsea are four points ahead of United in the Premier League table after winning seven of the first eight matches. -Agencies |
| Report: Nissan to double Thai production Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:09 AM PDT
The new facility in Samut Prakan province will be built near an existing Nissan plant, which emerged largely unscathed from record flooding last year that dented Japanese firms’ production in the country, the Nikkei business daily said. Nissan’s existing plant temporarily stopped production during the disaster, however, owing to a parts shortage. The new factory, scheduled to open in 2014, will produce about 100,000 vehicles annually with plans to boost that figure to 200,000, roughly equivalent to Nissan’s current annual production in Thailand, the Nikkei said. A Tokyo-based Nissan spokeswoman declined to comment, saying only that the firm would “soon make an announcement about its business in Thailand”. In its latest fiscal year through March, Nissan made about 190,000 vehicles in Thailand, she said. The firm has set a goal to more than double its share of the Thai vehicle market to 15% by fiscal 2016, the report said. The move comes as Japanese automakers have cut production in China owing to a sales slump stoked by tensions between Beijing and Tokyo over the a group of islands in the East China Sea. - AFP |
| MCA screws workers to please Umno, says DAP Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:08 AM PDT
He alleged that Umno's business cronies formed the main group trying to suppress wages and that "the MCA towkays" were keen to protect the interests of their "political masters". MCA leaders, particularly president Dr Chua Soi Lek, have often criticised Pakatan's proposal of a RM1,100 minimum wage, saying its implementation would bankrupt the nation. Umno leaders have been using similar rhetoric. Chua has claimed that a RM1,100 minimum wage would force small and medium-sized firms to close down, leading to massive unemployment. Sivanesan, who heads DAP's Labour Bureau, noted that there had been no official rejection of Pakatan's proposal from small and medium-sized industries. He said Chua was merely "shooting off his mouth". Pointing out that civil servants in the bottom ranks were enjoying a monthly salary of RM1,020, he said Barisan Nasional's denial of a similar quantum for private-sector employees smacked of a double standard. "The BN government is oppressing the working class for their right to a basic salary of RM1,100, while allowing Umno's cronies to obtain huge profits," he said. He rejected MCA's theory that a RM1,100 minimum wage would repel foreign investors, saying it was becoming harder for them to find cheap labour anywhere else, including China. Referring to the government's proposal of a RM900 minimum wage for private sector employees, he said it did not match current living costs. He also said he doubted that the BN proposal would be implemented this January, as it has promised. He described it as a "political stunt" meant to draw the support of workers in the private sector. "The coming general election will be the toughest for BN, and in their hour of desperation, they are making tall political promises ," he said. |
| Probe RM40m scandal, PKR tells Bank Negara Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:08 AM PDT
PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said this today at a press conference at the Parliament lobby. Also present were PKR MP Saifuddin Nasution and PAS MP Dzulkefly Ahmad. Earlier, Tuaran MP Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing said that the RM40 million "political donation" to Sabah Umno is being held in a personal account owned by an Umno leader. The money, Wildfred told an online portal, was being taken out little by little to finance expenditures. He, however, refused to name the leader and did not provide any evidence to back his claims. Rafizi said that under Section 14 of Anti-Money Laundering Act, a banking institution should report to Bank Negara if they find any suspicious transactions. "The Act gives huge powers to Bank Negara to probe any transactions on a mere suspicion," said Rafizi. Rafizi said that even Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz had acknowledged in Parliament that the money was initially seized by the Hong Kong authorities. "And Section 61 (3) of Anti-Money Laundering Act requires whichever local banking institution involved in the transaction to report the matter to Bank Negara," said Rafizi. Umno must come clean "The section empowers Bank Negara to probe huge amounts of funds procured by anyone not having any business, financial or industry at the place the money originated from," said Rafizi. He urged Umno leaders to come clean on the matter and assist Bank Negara in probing the scandal. "I’ve been charged under the Banking and Financial Institutions Act. Neverthless, I extended full cooperation to the authorities into their investigation. "Remember that financial players are looking at this case as it involves our country’s financial integrity, especially in dealing with money-laundering," said Rafizi. Saifuddin said that the government should extend the same level of investigation on the matter as they are doing in the case of Suaram. "Don’t just think people will just accept Umno leaders’ explanations on the matter and keep quiet. If that’s what they think, they are dead wrong," he said. Rafizi said he will lodge with Bank Negara on the matter tomorrow. Also read: 'Nobody gives free political donations' |
| Asian markets lower after Wall St tumbles Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:06 AM PDT
Shares in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo did manage to rebound slightly after China released data showing the contraction in manufacturing activity had eased a touch, but they were unable to maintain their strength. The losses have also been stoked by profit-taking after an impressive run by global markets in recent weeks following easing measures in the United States, Japan and Europe, while China has also showed signs of a pick-up. Tokyo closed 0.67% lower, shedding 59.95 points to 8,954.30, Seoul fell 0.67%, or 12.85 points, to 1,913.96 and Sydney ended 0.82%, or 37.3 points, down at 4,505.8. In afternoon trade Hong Kong was down 0.24% and Shanghai was down 0.10%. Mumbai was closed for a public holiday. Investors took fright at big falls in New York after poor earnings figures and guidance from DuPont, United Technologies, UPS, Xerox, Radio Shack and 3M provided evidence that the US corporate earnings boom is stalling. Chemicals giant DuPont was the stand-out loser, lowering its 2012 outlook after posting a 98% fall in earnings in the three months to September. It also said it would cut around 1,500 jobs over the next 18 months. “The US earnings report season has disappointed, with 60 percent of companies missing revenue forecasts so far,” Sean Callow, at Westpac Global Strategy group in Sydney, said in a note. In Europe, the Bank of Spain forecast the economy would contract 0.4% in the third quarter. If confirmed, the figures would mean the recession, which has left one in four workers unemployed, is moving into a second year. Moody’s cut its debt rating for five Spanish regions by one or two notches each, blaming their weak financial positions and looming debt redemptions. Data out of Beijing today indicated the manufacturing sector was showing signs of recovery, with the HSBC Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) hitting 49.1 this month, the highest level in three months and up from 47.9 in September. A reading above 50 indicates growth. While the figures mark the 12th straight month of contraction, they also represent the second consecutive monthly improvement and add to recent indications the economy is on the mend after a slowdown. However, Qu Hongbin, HSBC’s chief economist for China, warned that problems in overseas economies including Europe and the United States, as well as China’s job market, continue to pressure the economy. “This calls for a continuation of policy easing in the coming months to secure a firmer growth recovery,” he said in a statement. On currency markets the euro, which fell in New York, held up in Asia. The single currency bought US$1.2982 and 103.60 yen in afternoon trade, compared with US$1.2978 and 103.64 yen in New York late yesterday. The dollar was at 79.79 yen against 79.84 yen. Oil was higher, with New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December, adding 77 US cents to US$87.44 a barrel in the afternoon and Brent North Sea crude for December gaining 70 US cents to US$108.95. Gold was at US$1,708.30 at 0615 GMT compared with US$1,710.66 late yesterday. In other markets, Taipei fell 0.31%, or 22.60 points, to 7,314.88. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co shed 0.35% to Tw$85.4 while leading smartphone maker HTC rose 2.13% to Tw$263.5. Wellington closed flat, edging down 2.81 points to 4,001.45. Telecom rose 0.2% to NZ$2.48 and Contact Energy was up 1.9% at NZ$5.51. - AFP |
| ‘Affirmative actions, policies only for elite’ Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:05 AM PDT
Syed Ali yesterday blamed the failure of the objectives of the BN-initiated Malay agenda on corruption and greed. He pointed out that dozens of government agencies had been set up and billions of ringgit spent to help develop the Malay economy, but the Malay community was still at the “lowest level of achievement”. “What went wrong?” asked Syed Ali, adding that “there is a lot of carelessness and not enough responsibility among leaders which caused Malays to fall behind”. Commenting on Syed Ali’s statement, Sarawak PKR vice-chairman See Chee How said: "With Syed Ali's statement, I hope that the rural Malay communities will fathom and see through the political myths that only the BN will be able to help their community. "It is only true that, after 50 years of independence, only a handful of the political elite families benefited from the economic fruits and socio-political advancements. "And they get richer and more influential by abusing the allocations for affirmative actions and policies for their own gains." See, who is Batu Lintang assemblyman, added that he had just returned from visiting Beladin, Meludam and nearby villages in the Batang Lupar parliamentary constituency. “The people there are fishermen and they are asking for lands to plant vegetables, crops and fruit trees. Previously the British government gave these fishermen land near their kampung to do some farming. "These were not renewed and were initially given to the sister-in-law of a former assistant minister and leader of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Bolhassan Di. "But the whole area is now owned by Tabung Haji… the government does not care for the poor," said See, adding that plots of land have been given to those who have political links, siblings and cronies. "But what Syed Ali has revealed is that substantial sums [of money] for the implementation of affirmative actions and policies are lost in corruption and dissipation of the country's leadership. “The billions of ringgit simply did not reach the needy and the poor. “In Sarawak, we need only to visit the longhouses and kampung in the coastal and interior areas to understand how neglected our rural poor and the needy folk are. "It is an escalating predicament and not limited to Malays,” he said. |
| Key quotes from final Obama-Romney debate – Quotes, facts Posted: 24 Oct 2012 01:02 AM PDT  BOCA RATON (Florida): US presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Mitt Romney met Monday for the last of three head-to-head debates in the run-up to the November 6 White House poll.Here are some key quotations from the encounter: Golden oldies Obama: “Governor, when it comes to our foreign policy, you seem to want to import the foreign policies of the 1980s, just like the social policies of the 1950s and the economic policies of the 1920s.” Obama’s apology tour Romney: “You said that on occasion America had dictated to other nations. Mr. President, America has not dictated to other nations. We have freed other nations from dictators.” Obama: “Nothing Governor Romney just said is true, starting with this notion of me apologizing. This has been probably the biggest whopper that’s been told during the course of this campaign.” The tour Obama: “And when I went to Israel as a candidate, I didn’t take donors, I didn’t attend fundraisers, I went to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum.” Be afraid Romney: “I look at what’s happening around the world and I see Iran four years closer to a bomb. I see the Middle East with a rising tide of violence, chaos, tumult. I see jihadists continuing to spread.” Manhunt Obama: “I said, if I got bin Laden in our sights, I would take that shot. You said we shouldn’t move heaven and earth to get one man, and you said we should ask Pakistan for permission. “And if we had asked Pakistan for permission, we would not have gotten it. And it was worth moving heaven and earth to get him.” Geographically challenged Romney: “Syria is Iran’s only ally in the Arab world. It’s their route to the sea.” Quick! Change the subject to China Moderator: “What do you believe is the greatest future threat to the national security of this country? Obama: “Well, I think it will continue to be terrorist networks. We have to remain vigilant, as I just said. But with respect to China, China’s both an adversary but also a potential partner.” Romney: “Let me also note that the greatest threat that the world faces, the greatest national security threat, is a nuclear Iran. Let’s talk about China.” Trade war with China Moderator: “If you declare them a currency manipulator on day one, some people are saying you’re just going to start a trade war with China on day one. Isn’t there a risk that that could happen? Romney: “Well, they sell us about this much stuff every year [indicating large amount]. And we sell them about this much stuff every year [indicating small amount]. So it’s pretty clear who doesn’t want a trade war. “And there’s one going on right now that we don’t know about. It’s a silent one and they’re winning.” China trade war sparks war of words Romney: “They’re taking jobs. They’re stealing our intellectual property, our patents, our designs, our technology, hacking into our computers, counterfeiting our goods. Obama: “You are familiar with jobs being shipped overseas, because you invested in companies that were shipping jobs overseas. And, you know, that’s your right. I mean, that’s how our free market works.” Wait until you see the whites of their eyes Obama: “You mentioned the Navy, for example, and that we have fewer ships than we did in 1916. Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets.” Israel vs Iran Obama: “Well, first of all, Israel is a true friend. It is our greatest ally in the region. And if Israel is attacked, America will stand with Israel. “But to the issue of Iran, as long as I’m president of the United States, Iran will not get a nuclear weapon.” Romney: “When I’m president of the United States, we will stand with Israel. And – and if Israel is attacked, we have their back, not just diplomatically, not just culturally, but militarily. That’s number one. “Number two, with regards to Iran and the threat of Iran, there’s no question but that a nuclear Iran, a nuclear-capable Iran, is unacceptable to America.” - AFP |
| LG Electronics swings back to profit in Q3 Posted: 24 Oct 2012 12:55 AM PDT
Net profit of the country’s second-largest mobile phone maker was 157.1 billion won ($142.4 million) for July-September compared to a net loss of 415.3 billion won in the same 2011 period, LG said in a statement. Operating profit stood at 220.5 billion won in a sharp turnaround from a loss of 31.9 billion won a year ago. It was higher than the average of 152 billion won forecast by six analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires. Sales fell four percent to 12.3 trillion won during the same period. LG attributed the turnaround to improved smartphone sales in the third quarter, when the firm sold seven million units, a quarterly record and up nearly 60 percent from a year ago. LG recently rolled out a series of new models under its flagship Optimus line as it sought a bigger share of the lucrative smartphone market where it had for years lagged behind rivals like Samsung Electronics. Its handset business – a segment the company has flagged as a strong pillar of growth – posted a third-quarter operating profit of 20.5 billion won compared to a loss of 139.9 billion won a year ago. “Our strategy to cut shares of feature phones and increase sales of low- and mid-priced smartphones worked,” LG said, adding it would “drastically” step up marketing efforts for smartphones during the upcoming year-end season. Operating profit at the firm’s TV unit remained flat as demand for its high-end TVs helped offset a general slowdown in a depressed global market. LG is the world’s second-largest flat-screen TV maker by shipments after Samsung. - AFP |
| Heineken posts 10% third-quarter profit leap Posted: 24 Oct 2012 12:50 AM PDT
Sales in Europe were undermined by the effects of austerity measures on consumers’ pockets, the group implied in its statement. Sales reached 4.97 billion euros, up 7.1% from the figure 12 months ago, and in line with the 4.96 billion euros forecasted by analysts in a Dow Jones Newswires poll. Demand for the firm’s beer rose by 4.8% in the Asia-Pacific region. In the Americas, group beer volume grew by 4.4% while in Africa and the Middle East, demand rose 3.5%. In Western Europe, however, beer volume declined 2.1%, mainly owing to a double-digit plunge in Portugal “due to the challenging economic environment”, Heineken said “The effect of cautious consumer spending in the on-premise channel contributed to a low-single digit decline in the UK, Netherlands and Spain,” added the brewer. One of the world’s top five brewers, Heineken was founded in the 19th century and produces and sells more than 200 brands of beer and cider including Heineken and Amstel beer and Strongbow cider. - AFP |
| 9/11 mastermind’s beard mystery solved Posted: 24 Oct 2012 12:42 AM PDT GUANTANAMO BAY US NAVAL BASE (Cuba): Accused September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has been tinting his beard red by rubbing it with fruit juice and crushed berries from his breakfast, a Pentagon spokesman said yesterday. Mohammed first showed up for his April arraignment hearing with his long, scraggly beard tinted a rusty red, and it remained dyed the same hue when he returned last week to the courtroom at the Guantanamo Bay US Naval Base in Cuba. That sparked a flurry of questions, since the rule book for the detention operation known as Joint Task Force Guantanamo, or JTF-GTMO, specifically prohibits prisoners from receiving hair dye because it can contain chemicals such as ammonia that could be used as a weapon.
A Pentagon spokesman, Army Lieutenant Colonel Todd Breasseale, revealed the answer yesterday. “I can confirm that Mr. Mohammed did not avail himself of any outside-the-JTF means to dye his beard but did craft his own natural means by which to do it,” Breasseale said, explaining the inmate used fruit juice and berries from breakfast. He said he did not know Mohammed’s reasoning. It is not uncommon for men in the Muslim world to dye their beards with henna, as the Prophet Mohammad is said to have done. Or it could be a case of simple vanity. At age 47, the alleged architect of the hijacked plane attacks that killed 2,976 people has gone gray in the beard.—Reuters |
| S’gor to offer IPP stake to state GLCs Posted: 24 Oct 2012 12:34 AM PDT
PAS MP Khalid Samad said this at a press conference held at the Parliament lobby today. Also present was fellow PAS MP Dzulkefly Ahmad. Khalid said that the state government had contemplated on the matter for the past one year, but had made a firm decision not to sell its stakes on both companies to any private company. "At least if the stakes are held by the state government or a government-linked company [GLC], the money will be used back for the people as opposed to a private company which will only benefit a select few," he said. Yesterday, Umno MP Khairy Jamaluddin accused the Selangor government of being a hypocrite for critising Independent Power Producers (IPP) and highway concessionaires when the state government was holding stakes in some of them. Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS), through its subsidiary Worldwide Holdings Berhad, holds 25% stake in Genting Sanyen.It also holds 20% stake in Kesas Expressway. Dzukefly, on the other hand, criticised the government for allegedly renewing the contracts of two IPPs, Genting Sanyen and Segari Power Ventures, at the expense of the rakyat. "It’s highly suspicious that the government renewed their contracts for another 10 years. The original contract is set to expire in another three years time. "It makes more sense for the government to let the agreement end, and then buy back the power plants to recoup whatever losses made," said Dzukefly. Elaborating, Khalid said that with the 10-year agreement extension, the IPPs got a new lease of life from the government to do the business. "If they have let the agreement lapse, the IPP holders will have no choice but to sell their power plant at a cheap price as it won’t bring them profit anymore. "The government will have an edge to buy back the power plants at a cheap price. Now you give them time, obviously IPP owners will demand extra price if you want to acquire them," he said. This is why, Khalid added, Pakatan leaders were against privatisation as it would not benefit the people. Also read: Pakatan under fire over IPPs double standard |
| UN chief meets Psy, Austrian skydiver Posted: 24 Oct 2012 12:24 AM PDT
Psy’s song “Gangnam Style,” which mocks the consumerism of a rich Seoul suburb, and hit horse-riding-style dance went viral on video-sharing website YouTube. It has been viewed more than 530 million times on YouTube since it was released in mid-July. “I’m a bit jealous,” Ban told reporters. “Until two days ago someone told me I am the most famous Korean in the world. Now I have to relinquish.” “We have a tough negotiations in the United Nations. In such a case I was also thinking of playing ‘Gangnam Style’ dance so that everybody would stop and dance, maybe you can bring UN style,” he said. But while he briefly posed like he was doing Psy’s trademark dance, Ban wasn’t ready to attempt it. “I know that you are here to see me dance but don’t worry – I cannot even imitate your movement,” Ban said.
Ban asked Baumgartner if he would be able to jump from the top floor of the United Nations headquarters, to which the skydiver replied: “With your permission, sure.” But he later added: “I’m officially retired from the daredevil business now.” Ban hailed Baumgartner – who has made a career of risky jumps including skydiving across the English Channel and parachuting off the Petronas Towers in Malaysia – as “the most courageous person in the world.” While the UN secretary-general deals with weighty issues such as the conflict in Syria and crisis in Mali, he also said he believes it is important to engage other parts of society. “I think the music can play a very important role. I hope that we can work together using your global reach. … You have, I think, unlimited global reach,” he told Psy. “You are so cool, I hope that you can end the global warming,” Ban added.—Reuters |
| Malindo linked to Umno MP’s family? Posted: 24 Oct 2012 12:19 AM PDT
Tony Pua made the revelation today at a press conference in Parliament. Also present were PKR MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and PAS MP Khalid Samad. Pua said the majority shareholder company, National Aerospace and Defence Industries Sdn Bhd (Nadi), is made up of four companies, including one called DZJJ Sdn Bhd. "Among the directors in DJZZ are 27-year-old Nur Anis Jamaluddin and 25-year-old Ikhwan Hafiz Jamaluddin," said Pua. On Oct 10, Pua revealed several disturbing issues pertaining to Malindo, alleging that its partner company Indonesia's PT Lion Group, which also runs Mentari Air, is banned in Europe after it was found violating the EU's safety regulations. He also claimed that Nadi had yet to audit its accounts since 2007. Pua said that while Nur Anis holds over two million shares in Nadi, Ikhwan holds exactly 500,000 shares in the same company. "So the question here is whether Malindo was given a licence to fly for its expertise or because Jamaluddin happens to be close to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak," he said. Nurul said that Jamaluddin’s family also controlled stakes in Advanced Air Traffic Systems (M) Sdn Bhd which manages the radar system at the Subang airport. "Why are all the flight-related projects being directed to Jamaluddin’s family? What’s their track record?" she asked. On Sept 12, the air traffic control at Subang airport failed for almost two hours, between 2.30am and 4.20am, due to failure in radar and radio system. On a related matter, Khalid said he was amazed at the "entrepreneurship skills" displayed by Jamaluddin’s family in procuring millions in shares. "The people want to know where they got the money for it. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission [MACC] should investigate this matter immediately," he said. Also read:
Something 'foul' in Malindo joint venture AirAsia has strong barriers to react to Malindo, says Aireen |
| Posted: 24 Oct 2012 12:03 AM PDT
Receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center, the national showcase for arts, DeGeneres was praised as a pioneering female comic whose edgy variety show has helped define the format for daytime television in recent years. But several guests also highlighted the comedian’s groundbreaking decision 15 years ago to go public with her sexual identity in a career-rattling move the comedian said was a necessary step for personal dignity. “I did it for me and it happened to help a lot of other people and cause a big ruckus,” DeGeneres, 54, told reporters before the tribute, summarizing her decision in 1997 to come out publicly as gay in tandem with her on-screen character in a move that sparked controversy and prompted some advertisers to flee. The Twain prize, named after the 19th century satirist, is the nation’s highest honor for achievements in comedy. A native of New Orleans, DeGeneres spent her twenties as an itinerant comedian on the Los Angeles nightclub circuit until prominent spots on late night television led to her own prime time sitcom. The original show, Ellen, featured DeGeneres in the lead role as a bookshop owner in an idiosyncratic neighbourhood. While the show got a boost after the star came out of the closet, it was over a few years later. She later returned to the standup stage, and hosted the 2001 Emmy awards, which was postponed twice after the September 11 attacks – a somewhat subdued celebration that allowed her to try to lighten the national mood. Several guests said that DeGeneres brought a compassion to her comedy that is rare in the field.
In the last 10 seasons on television, DeGeneres has left her mark with a daytime variety show which she often uses as a way to promote a commitment to gay equality. “For a lot of people, Ellen is their only homosexual friend,” said late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. DeGeneres is the forth woman to receive the award since its inception in 1998. Comedian and actor Will Ferrell won last year. Past award winners have included Bob Newhart, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby. Monday night’s ceremony will be broadcast on PBS on October 30.—Reuters |
| Rapturous welcome as Tiger arrives ‘home’ in Asia Posted: 23 Oct 2012 11:55 PM PDT
Despite blazing midday sun at Kuala Lumpur’s Mines Resort and Golf Club, about 200 people watched the enduringly popular 14-time Major champion finish his pro-am round with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. In the two years since Woods last played in Asia, finishing tied sixth at the 2010 WGC-HSBC Champions, he has put a damaging sex scandal behind him and is back at world number two after three wins this year. And the 36-year-old, whose mother is from Thailand, said he was happy to return for the US$6.1 million CIMB Classic at the Mines, where he won golf’s World Cup way back in 1999. “People sometimes forget that my mom was born here, in Asia, so to me Asia does feel like home. I’m very used to the culture, it’s how I was raised,” he said. “I’ve just really enjoyed my time, throughout the years, that I’ve spent in Asia.” Woods headlines a limited, 48-man field at the CIMB Classic after a year in which he made progress with technical changes but couldn’t win a Major — or the Ryder Cup, after Europe’s last-day charge at Medinah. Despite ending a 30-month title drought, and then winning two more, he admitted his irritation at failing to close the gap on Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 Major victories. His last Major win was the 2008 US Open. “I’ve always said winning one Major championship turns a good year into a great year,” Woods said. “I’ve had years where I’ve won five times on tour — it’s a really good year, no doubt, but winning a Major championship just makes it a great year. “I think it’s very similar to what tennis has in the Grand Slams. Guys can have seven, eight, nine win seasons, but if they don’t win a slam, it’s not a great year. I think it’s the same thing in golf.” But he said he was excited at the development of his game and looking forward to some intense training during the off-season, after next week’s exhibition with Rory McIlroy in China and November’s World Challenge in California. “I’m excited about turning some of my weaknesses into strengths. I haven’t driven very well in a very long time, and this year is probably the best I’ve driven in my entire career,” he said. “But my iron game wasn’t as sharp, and neither was my short game… I was very excited about how much better I’m chipping, and putting it and driving it, but certainly I need to get my iron game back to where it used to be.” Defending champion Bo Van Pelt is likely to be chief among Woods’ competitors in Kuala Lumpur after he won last week’s Perth International in Australia, the third title of his career. “This is the first chance I’ve ever had to defend — I’ve only won a few tournaments,” said the American. “But when I won on the Nationwide (tour), the next year I was on the (PGA) tour, and when I won in Milwaukee, that (tournament) went away. This is a first for me.” World number nine Jason Dufner will also challenge in the American-dominated, co-sanctioned event, which will count towards the PGA money list for the first time next year. Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant leads the Asian contingent. -AFP |
| Posted: 23 Oct 2012 11:48 PM PDT
PETALING JAYA: Property developer UEM Land Bhd has formed a joint venture with Singapore's Ascendas Land International Pte Ltd to develop a RM3.7 billion integrated eco-friendly tech park in Nusajaya, one of the five flagship zones in Johor's Iskandar Malaysia. UEM Land and Ascendas will hold 60% and 40% of the company respectively, UEM Land said in an exchange filing yesterday. The park will be developed on a 519-acre plot of land and will offer infrastructure to support a range of industries including electronics, pharmaceutical and medical devices, food processing and precision engineering. It will be the closest industrial site to the Malaysia-Singapore second link checkpoint. The development will take place in three phases over nine years, with the launch of phase one targeted in the last quarter of 2013. The project is expected to cement Nusajaya's position as a desired destination for strategic investment as well as leisure and recreation, said UEM Land managing director/CEO Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim (photo) in a media release yesterday. (This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve.com) |
| Green tea drinkers show lower cancer risks Posted: 23 Oct 2012 11:46 PM PDT
Researchers found that of more than 69,000 Chinese women followed for a decade, those who drank green tea at least three times a week were 14 percent less likely to develop a cancer of the digestive system. That mainly meant lower odds of colon, stomach and esophageal cancers. No one can say whether green tea, itself, is the reason. Green-tea lovers are often more health-conscious in general. The study did try to account for that, said senior researcher Dr. Wei Zheng, who heads epidemiology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville. None of the women smoked or drank alcohol regularly. And the researchers collected information on their diets, exercise habits, weight and medical history. Even with those things factored in, women’s tea habits remained linked to their cancer risks, Zheng noted. Still, he said in an email, this type of study cannot prove cause-and-effect. What’s more, past studies have so far come to conflicting findings on whether green-tea drinkers really do have lower cancer risks. All of those studies are hampered by the fact that it’s hard to isolate the effect of a single food in a person’s diet on the risk of cancer.
But few clinical trials have looked at whether green tea can cut cancer risk, and their results have been inconsistent, according to the National Cancer Institute. There is “strong evidence” from lab research – in animals and in human cells – that green tea has the potential to fight cancer, Zheng’s team writes in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Green tea contains certain antioxidant chemicals – particularly a compound known as EGCG – that may ward off the body-cell damage that can lead to cancer and other diseases. For their study, Zheng and his colleagues used data from a long-running health study of over 69,000 middle-aged and older Chinese women. More than 19,000 were considered regular green-tea drinkers. (They had the beverage at least three times per week.) Over 11 years, 1,255 women developed a cancer of the digestive system. In general, the risks were somewhat lower when a woman drank green tea often and for a long time. For example, women who said they’d regularly had green tea for at least 20 years were 27 percent less likely than non-drinkers to develop any digestive system cancer. And they were 29 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer, specifically. None of that proves you should start drinking green tea to thwart cancer. Women who downed a lot of green tea in this study were also younger, ate more fruits and vegetables, exercised more and had higher-income jobs. The researchers adjusted their data for all those differences – but, they write, it’s not possible to perfectly account for everything. If you want to start drinking green tea, it’s considered safe in moderate amounts, says the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. But the tea and its extracts do contain caffeine, which some people may need to avoid. Green tea also contains small amounts of vitamin K, which means it could interfere with drugs that prevent blood clotting, like warfarin. Since many older people are on multiple medications, it’s wise for them to talk with their doctors before using green tea as a health tonic.—Reuters |
| Drug-related executions on hold Posted: 23 Oct 2012 11:42 PM PDT
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz said the Attorney-General's Chambers was currently studying the possibility of removing the death penalty for those found guilty under Section 39B of that law. "Because we are doing this study, I will bring this to the Cabinet to ask for a moratorium on capital punishments until we finish our study for the possibility of abolishing the death penalty under the DDA," he said. Nazri said this after revealing that 86 Indonesians were on death row here, with 75 convicted under the Dangerous Drugs Act. He later added that nearly 900 Malaysians here were sentenced to death, with a large majority also found guilty under this law. Earlier, he met with Indonesian MPs in Parliament today, who raised concerns over their 2.4 million citizens currently residing in Malaysia. Section 39B of the DDA states that anyone who traffics, offers to, or prepares the act of when it comes to dangerous drugs would be given the death penalty. Speaking to reporters, Nazri said that various factors contributed to the present government view on capital punishment. He admitted that the death penalty did not actually reduce drug crimes in Malaysia. Instead, he said that it only punished drug mules and not the barons themselves. “Most of the people whom we hanged in the past were just footsoldiers. One footsoldier dies, and another 10 will take his place. You keep hanging footsoldiers, whereas their bosses are somewhere in the Mediterranean or the Carribean enjoying their life from their ill-gotten earnings,” he said. Nazri said that the death penalty was easier to look into when it came to drugs, adding that it was not “proportionate” to execute someone for merely being in possession of drugs. Murder a different matter Murder, on the other hand, he said, was a different matter, and needed public engagement as there were some who may have still preferred the “eye-for-an-eye” punishment. Nazri said that there were also some judges who were reluctant to pass the death penalty on drug traffickers, leading to the acquittal of some. Lastly, he said that if Malaysia still hung on to the death penalty, it would make it difficult for the government to appeal for leniency over its citizens imprisoned overseas. “How are we going to appeal for leniency when we hang them if they committ [these crimes] in our country?” he said. He added that there was one Malaysian on death row in Indonesia, with another four under investigation for drug-related offences. According to a New Straits Times report, about 2,500 Malaysians were detained in foreign prisons as of June this year. A majority of them (1,096) were in Singapore. |
| DiGi set to pay out RM933m in dividends on higher data revenue Posted: 23 Oct 2012 11:32 PM PDT
KUALA LUMPUR: Telecommunications company DiGi.Com Bhd will pay a third interim tax exempt dividend of four sen per share and a one-off special dividend of eight sen for its financial year ending Dec 31, 2012, following an increase in data revenue for the third-quarter (3Q). Both payouts would total RM933 million. With a 49% stake in DiGi, Norway-based telco Telenor Group would stand to receive RM457 million from these latest dividend payouts, while the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), the second-largest shareholder with a 16% stake, would get RM159 million. The company controlled by Telenor, which has a 49% stake, has committed to pay at least 80% of its profits as dividends. It has paid out 23.8 sen as dividend per share for the nine-month period, which translated to a yield of 4.37%. The special dividend announced yesterday was not a novelty in the Malaysian bourse as other companies like Telekom Malaysia Bhd, Media Chinese International Bhd and Adventa Bhd have also paid out such dividends as part of their active capital management. DiGi, helmed by its CEO Henrik Clausen (photo), posted a 3.4% growth in data revenue to RM460 million in the 3Q compared to RM445 million in the 2Q. The company continues to see positive momentum in the uptake of mobile Internet services from a larger mix of smartphone users on its network, which now makes up 25% of its total customer base, said DiGi in a statement yesterday. Year to date, data revenue also increased to RM1.35 billion, up 15.6%. (This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve.com) |
| Posted: 23 Oct 2012 11:28 PM PDT
Stoner needed surgery after breaking his right ankle in a crash during qualifying at Indianapolis in August and while he returned for the last two races in Japan and Malaysia, the 27-year-old knows he needs more time to fully recover. With retirement looming in November, however, time is not on Stoner’s side. “There is a bloody good reason why I can’t ride like I really want to,” the Honda rider told local media on Wednesday. “I know I am not at 100 percent and, to win at this level, everything has to be very close to 100 percent to feel fantastic. “So for Phillip Island, I really don’t know what to expect,” added Stoner, who said he felt as if something was “holding him back”. Stoner, who has notched 37 MotoGP wins, finished fifth in Japan on his return from injury and while he took third in Malaysia last weekend, he admitted he lacked the confidence to challenge for the win in wet weather. “The thing is I’m not fully healed. Most people would have waited a lot longer before coming back and I should have but I can’t. I haven’t got much time left before the end of my season,” said Stoner. “If I was in much better shape and I crashed and hit my foot, it would not be a problem but, if I do that now, then I am going to put myself back another four or five months.” “If I dislocate it again, I’m in strife. We are talking broken ligaments – not just torn,” he added. “Last Sunday in Sepang, I went thinking I’d just go around carefully, finish the race and not take any risks.” Stoner, who is out of the championship race, will have Turn 3 at the Phillip Island track named after him at a ceremony on Thursday. His final MotoGP race is in Valencia next month. Fellow Australian world motorcycling champions Mick Doohan and Wayne Gardner also have portions of the track named after them at the circuit on the island southeast of Melbourne. Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo leads the standings on 330 points ahead of fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa of Honda on 307. Stoner is in third on 213 points. -AFP |
| New Zealand seek Muralitharan help on Sri Lanka tour Posted: 23 Oct 2012 11:24 PM PDT
The New Zealand-based members of the team leave for the tour, which includes a Twenty20 match, five one day internationals and two tests, on Thursday with new bowling coach Shane Bond making his first tour with the side. The former New Zealand paceman was only appointed to the role last week and has had little to do with spin bowlers throughout his career, hence head coach Mike Hesson’s decision to seek Muralitharan’s help. “Obviously Muralitharan lives in Sri Lanka in Colombo and he’s someone we’ve got contacts with,” Hesson told reporters at Christchurch airport on Wednesday. “We haven’t been able to firm things up but we’re also looking into the possibility of another specialist coach. “We’ve got some guys lined up but they add to the mix and help Shane in terms of his development – and also the players. “We play half of our cricket in the sub-continent and even now the West Indies’ conditions are very sub-continental. We’ll get exposed to a lot of spin, and in this series 70-80 percent of our overs we face will be spin-based. “How well we adapt and how well we play them will dictate the outcome.” Local media also reported that former Sri Lankan left arm pace bowler Chaminda Vaas would help Bond work with the attack. New Zealand have selected three left arm seamers – Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and James Franklin – for the tour, while Jeetan Patel and newcomer Todd Astle are the only specialist spin bowlers in the test squad. Off-spinner Nathan McCullum and left arm spinner Ronnie Hira have been included in the limited-overs squad, while batsmen Rob Nicol, Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson are handy part-time spinners. “That (spin bowling) is an area of weakness I think,” Bond told Television New Zealand. “In terms of technique, psychology and playing under the pressure it is all the same bowling seam and pace. “It is probably more getting into the mindset of a spin bowler. “All I can do is communicate and talk as much as I can with those spin bowlers and still challenge around their plans and what they want to do.” The first match will be the Twenty20 international at Pallekele on October 30. -AFP |
| Survey: M’sian consumers put debt reduction as priority Posted: 23 Oct 2012 11:21 PM PDT
by Azli Jamil PETALING JAYA: Malaysian consumers put higher priority on paring off debts with their spare cash rather than spending the money on goods, potentially dampening fast moving consumer goods market (FMCG) growth. Nielsen's Retail and Shopping Trend Report 2012 showed that at 34%, Malaysians are more concerned with reducing their debts compared to Asia Pacific's average of 21%. The survey also showed that at 18%, Malaysians are also less likely to buy new technology products while only 18% would spend their spare cash on home entertainment, compared to Asia Pacific's average of 30% and 34% respectively. On responses to food prices survey, 86% of Malaysian shoppers are aware of price increases while 63% of hyper and supermarket shoppers indicated that they would only purchase essential goods or reduce buying luxury items in response to price hikes. These findings do not bode well on growth of the FMCG, especially since the survey also indicated that about 32% of respondents would buy less in total, representing the highest percentage in Southeast Asia. "The reaction from shoppers to economise isn't a surprise and it has the potential to impact the growth rate for the total FMCG market," said Nielsen Malaysia retail services director Jake Shephard in a statement released yesterday. The survey showed that though traditional groceries, wet markets and vegetable vendors remained the top three most frequently visited channels per month, their visit frequencies have declined over the last three years while hypermarket visits have remained stable. Jake said hypermarket was where shoppers were encouraged to buy additional goods and if shoppers were not visiting more often, then the overall volume of goods they buy may not increase. Unattractive yield According to the latest figures available from the Department of Statistics, Malaysia's consumer price index (CPI) for January to September 2012 increased by 1.8% to 104.7 compared to 102.9 in the same period last year. The CPI for September 2012 registered an increase of 1.3% to 105.2 from 103.8 for the same month last year and when compared to the previous month, the CPI has increased by 0.2%. CPI is a measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a basket of consumer goods and services like transport, food and medical care. The CPI is calculated by taking price changes for each item in the predetermined basket of goods and averaging them; the goods are weighted according to their importance. CPI is one of the most frequently used statistics to identify periods of inflation or deflation, with changes in CPI used to assess price changes associated with the cost of living. In the report, the research house said some of the things that it "dislikes" about Astro was the long-term future of pay-TV services, which remain uncertain with the market moving into Internet protocol television. The other was Astro's expensive valuation coupled with unattractive yield of between 2% and 3%. One of the key drivers highlighted in the report was the penetration rate for pay-TV services which was expected to breach 60% in 2013 as the nation becomes more affluent. A higher-earning population will result in higher average returns per unit, and Astro has prepared for this by offering high-definition services, it said. Astro is the largest pay-TV operator in Southeast Asia, with over 3.1 million residential subscribers in Malaysia, and a market share of 99%. This is the second time the pioneer pay-TV operator has been listed on Bursa Malaysia, however this time, only its Malaysian business is listed. (This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve.com) |
| Pernikahan Qazem Nor-Embun ‘kelam-kabut’ Posted: 23 Oct 2012 11:00 PM PDT
Bagaimanapun, Qazem telahpun membuat laporan polis berhubung pembatalan tersebut yang menyebabkan dia kelam-kabut untuk menguruskan segala keperluan pernikahan dan resepsi gara-gara pembatalan itu.
Qazem dikatakan telah membuat laporan polis pada 14 Oktober lepas terhadap Mavex Sdn. Bhd. yang menjanjikan tajaan untuk majlis resepsi Qazem yang sepatutnya berlangsung Sabtu lepas. Disebabkan pembatalan itu, Qazem dan Embun telah menguruskan majlis mereka sendiri, namun terpaksa menangguhkan majlis resepsi pada tarikh cadangan mereka iaitu 3 November di Shah Alam. [This content is provided by FMT content partner galaxtar.com, hiburan informasi terkini dan sensasi] |
| Audit report ‘rubbished’ by BN? Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:54 PM PDT
The budget was presented on Sept 28 and the audit report was made available to all the MPs only on Oct 15. Last year, the budget was presented on Oct 7 and the report was out Oct 24, also 17 days late. No doubt this is becoming quite a record of sorts. Parliamentary procedure demands that the audit report must always be on the table of all the MPs when the budget is presented. Credit must be given to Dr Mahathir Mohamad in regard to this matter as during his 22-year tenure the Auditor-General’s Report was never late, sometimes even early by up to a week. The lateness of the report hinders Pakatan Rakyat’s efforts in bringing up relevant issues as the period for debating the report is limited to only two weeks after the budget is presented. With the report being issued 17 days late, the Pakatan MPs can no longer bring up issues concerning the report, issues such as wastages, leakages, overpriced purchases and delays in completion of projects. All the Pakatan MPs will try to slot in questions on the audit report during the debate on ministries, but many times the Dewan Rakyat Speaker rejects these questions and tells the Pakatan MPs to move on. This simply means that the Pakatan MPs have no opportunity to question the Barisan MPs. How to do check and balance then? The delay in issuing the audit report works in the government’s favour and is the government’s ploy to avoid answering difficult questions posed by the Pakatan MPs. Thus the government will not be held accountable and therefore can get away with its misdeeds. According to Kuala Selangor PAS MP, Dzulkefly Ahmad, the lateness in issuing the audit report gives rise to a negative impression towards the government of the day. “The BN federal government cannot avoid the perception that there is something it is hiding and perhaps there exists what can be termed as ‘selective reports’ to portray the government in a favourable manner,” said Dzulkefly. Controversial issues This time there is a marked improvement in the performance of government departments in terms of financial management, with 111 government agencies obtaining a four-star rating compared to 77 government agencies in the previous Auditor-General’s Report. The Pakatan-helmed states also obtained good performance rating in terms of fiscal management. For instance, the PAS Kelantan state government has seen a 58.1% increase in its consolidated fund from RM148.0 million in 2010 to RM234.47 million last year. Investment inflow into Kelantan increased from RM15.33 million in 2010 to RM111.33 million in 2011. That is a tremendous increase of RM96 million and is not bad at all considering the way Kelantan has been sidelined in regard to the oil royalty payments. PAS vice-president and also Kubang Krian MP, Salahuddin Ayub, noted that this time there is nothing controversial in the audit report unlike last year whereby the failure of National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) in meeting its objectives was mentioned. This gave rise to the opinion among Pakatan MPs that the 13th general election, which was supposed to be held in March this year, had to be postponed due to the feedlot saga. “Therefore, this time the audit report is clean enough so that there will be no more controversial issues troubling the government before the polls are held,” said Salahuddin. Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim (Permatang Pauh MP) and DAP stalwart, Lim Kit Siang (Ipoh Timur MP), have again questioned why the Auditor-General’s Report is late again. Both are of the view that the government wants to conceal something from the citizens. PKR’s Gombak MP, Azmin Ali, opined that at the end of the day the citizens are the ones to bear the cost of the leakages and the cost of the delayed or failed projects. PAS Rantau Panjang MP, Siti Zailah Mohd Yusof, of Kelantan commented that “the BN federal government is afraid of facing the citizens with the truth of the situation” whereas PKR’s Indera Mahkota MP, Azan Ismail, questioned why the awarding of new contracts, for example, the MRT contracts were not stated. Many failed projects Other traditional sectors such as electricity, water and public transport were not the main focus this time around unlike the norm in the past. “There was no report on the Defence Ministry which has several big issues which logically we think should have been included in the audit report,” added Azan. He also noticed that there seems to be a lack of compilation in the 2011 report unlike in previous years. According to PKR’s strategist, Rafizi Ramli, the Attorney-General’s Office and Bank Negara should use the Anti-Money Laundering Act to freeze and seize the assets belonging to the family of Sharizat Abdul Jalil (the former Minister of Women, Family and Community Development) to ensure that the RM250 million loan can be obtained back in full, although this matter was no longer mentioned in the audit report. The two big ticket items brought to light were Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) incurring a lost of RM888.81 million up to the end of 2010 and RapidKL incurring accumulated losses amounting to RM293.82 million from 2008 to 2010. As for the state governments, the Malacca state government is reported to be owing the federal government a massive sum of RM865.94 million. Three of the many failed projects in Malacca are the Eye On Malaysia Ferris Wheel, International Airport in Batu Berendam (has anyone heard of this airport?) and the waterfall project in Bukit Beruang. A special point to note is that in Johor, funds from the Johor state government were used to purchase 39 electrical appliances and equipment (amounting to RM55,360) but these were instead installed in the homes of individuals. The audit report mentioned that this is clearly against Paragraph 4 of Garis Panduan Rancangan Pembangunan Kerja-kerja Kecil wherein it is stated that approvals of purchases and installation for individual usage is disallowed. Although it is not a big sum, it is still wrong and that is only a tip of the iceberg. Who knows how many cases have escaped detection? Although the audit report is mild this year, perhaps to set the tone for the 13th general election, the truth is that there are still many things being swept under the carpet undetected. The public should remain vigilant and alert and it is time that the government gave some credible answers. Selena Tay is a FMT columnist. |
| Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:40 PM PDT
You’d like to keep your eyes firmly on the ground, but you’ve just had your lunch and the sight of freshly dismembered hands still writhing on the road is just a bit too much. This is the year 2015, three years after Pakatan Rakyat won the general election and began implementing hudud – the Islamic criminal law – with delirious zeal. Cinemas have been shut down, Muslim and non-Muslim women alike stay at home for fear of being raped, and Genting Highlands has been transformed into a Taliban stronghold. Or so MCA would like you to think. If you were to swallow what they have been touting for the few months (years?), hudud means The End of Malaysia As We Know it. Prevention is better than cure But let’s make this clear: contrary to belief made popular by MCA and other uninformed members of the public, hudud is not a law meant to brutalise Muslims, it is not a tool meant to perpetuate social injustice, and it is definitely not an archaic relic from a barbaric civilisation of the past. In Islam, hudud is a specific set of fixed penalties laid down by Allah for specified transgressions or crimes, such as adultery, fornication, stealing, or consuming alcohol. Its purpose, simply put, is to maintain justice and to protect society. "But why is it so brutal?" you cry as you gingerly stroke your wrist and flex your beloved fingers. Oh to part with such digits! The answer is simple: because hudud works by preventing people from committing crime in the first place – through sheer fear of such brutal retaliation. Take theft as an example. After all, who wouldn't think twice about committing a theft if they risk, not a mere slap on the wrist, but a slice of it? But take heart: even if a person was found guilty of thievery under hudud, it’s not a simple matter of hacking the wrongdoer’s hand off and calling it a day. Instead, there are a multitude of factors that must be taken into consideration before any punishment can be meted out. In the case of theft, the court must take into account the amount of money stolen, the thief’s financial situation as well as his or her mental stability before even considering the ultimate punishment of amputation. Rape = adultery? Another controversial, so-called unjust part of hudud is the fact that a rape victim must supposedly produce four male – adult, pious, credible Muslims – to testify they had witnessed her rape. If she fails to do so, she will then be charged as having committed zina (fornication or adultery); a crime against the state punishable by stoning to death. But according to a paper written by Dr Mohammad Omar Farooq, an associate professor at the Royal University for Women, Bahrain, classical Islamic jurisprudence clearly treated rape as a special case of assault, never zina. In fact, he wrote, Prophet Muhammad himself differentiated between consensual and non-consensual actions and punished individuals accordingly. An equally important note he made was that, in the case of zina, the burden of providing the four credible and pious eyewitnesses is not on the person accused of committing zina, but the accuser. Hence, because the requirement is so strict, cases of zina that emerged during the time of the Prophet were generally a result of voluntary confessions by the wrongdoers themselves, rather than gangs of vigilant peeping toms. Are we ready for hudud? Taking all the (mis)information into consideration, and the situation of our society now, are Malaysians, particularly Muslim Malaysians, even ready for hudud? According to former mufti of Perak Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, before Prophet Muhammad implemented hudud, he made sure that the society was in a condition where there would be no excuse for any member to commit the crimes stipulated under hudud. In other words, all people were equal before the law, there was no discrimination, people's rights were preserved, everybody was helping each other… the picture perfect society. And that should be our end goal – to create a conducive society where there is no reason for people to have to resort to committing crimes to survive. Hudud should only come in the picture later – as a safeguard to ensure society’s members are further protected from social deviants. Otherwise, if we introduce hudud at a time when society isn’t prepared for it – when politicians are still dithering over the final details, when the elite can openly flout the law without repercussions, when poverty is widespread – then the law would destroy the very fabric of society, much like what we see in Pakistan. And the scenario written in the opening paragraphs? It might just become a reality. Also read: Politicisation of hudud angers Dr M |
| ‘Nobody gives free political donations’ Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:38 PM PDT
“Nobody would give you free things or free money. And in Malaysia it must be in exchange for certain favours. Either they expect you to give them something or it has already been granted,” he said. He said that the law must include sections that requires those who intend to give such donations to declare their objectives. The donor, he added, must also have “no interests whatsoever” in dealing with the government. Phang said that the government’s reply on the issue so far has been shocking, and is akin to giving all political parties a “license to collect”. “If this area is not carefully and seriously addressed, it will condone very bad practices to have political parties just simply collect [money] from anyone. The gates are left wide open and sets a dangerous precedent,” he warned. Phang said that during the 6th International Association Of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAAC) conference recently, he posed this question about political donations in a workshop chaired by IAAC general counsellor Bulelani Ngcuka and attended by eight international rapporteurs. “Michael Symons, from the Anti-Corruption Consultants of Australia, replied me saying that political donations are normally accepted with conditions. "He said that unless there is full transparency and that purpose of such donations are made known, there can be no other interpretation but for it to be a corrupt practice,” he added. Phang urged the Attorney-General, the MACC, and the Prime Minister’s Office to study the issue and consider coming up with strict regulations on the matter. “We just need one set of rules to cement the issue once and for all. This issue must be handled or it leave a very black mark on this country. “I feel that the prime minister has been grossly misled and badly advised on this when he said that it was okay to receive political donations," he said. ‘No element of corruption’ On Oct 11, parliament was told that MACC had cleared Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman of graft and money-laundering allegations after finding that the over S$16 million (RM40 million) was not meant for the latter’s personal use but for for Sabah Umno. The minister had also said that the Attorney-General's Chambers had shelved the matter after finding "no element of corruption" in the case. The matter first surfaced in 2008 when businessman Michael Chia was allegedly caught red-handed at the Hong Kong International Airport with Singapore currency worth RM40 million in his luggage before he could board a flight to Kuala Lumpur. He was reportedly arrested and charged with money laundering for attempting to smuggle the amount to Malaysia. On Monday, in a unexpected twist, Nazri told Parliament that, according to the MACC, Chia was never arrested. Nazri had explained that the RM40 million, which was allegedly meant for Musa, was actually frozen in an investment account in Hong Kong. Phang today said that both MACC and ICAC should independently come forward to clarify instead of having Nazri explaining the issue. |
| ‘DAP Malay candidate a safety cushion’ Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:36 PM PDT
Rahmad Isahak, the Penang Malay Congress chief, said PAS and PKR have failed to secure the Malay ground since 2008 although the opposition’s leader Anwar Ibrahim hails from the state. “No government can last in Penang for two weeks if it does not have calibre Malay candidates to sit in the state government,” said Rahmad. To avoid a scenerio where all of Pakatan’s non Malays win in the next polls while all of its Malay candidates lose in Penang, it is best to allow DAP to field Malay candidates to strategically leverage against such a possibility, he said. Rahmad said that DAP had risen to become a prominent party here, and it is best that it reflects its ambition to be a truly multi-ethnic party under its ‘Malaysia Malaysian’ slogan. “What better way to reflect its multi-ethnic leanings by parading a multi-racial candidates list in a state as diverse as Penang?” he asked. Rahmad alleged that there was a fracture within PKR over the choice of candidates and seat allocations, while its leaders were suffering from an inferiority complex dealing with DAP. For example, Rahmad said state PKR chairman Mansor Othman was allegedly quoted in a leaked taped recording, describing DAP secretary-general and chief minister Lim Guan Eng as arrogant. “PAS is also dealing with its own “demons” as its former state youth wing head Mohammad Hafiz Noordin has been critical of the party of late,” said Rahmad. “DAP Malay candidates may able to stave off a spirited challenge from BN, led by Umno and “hold the fort” in the event PAS and PKR candidates lose heavily in Penang,” he added. Malays still struggling Rahmad said his views were based on the present political realities confronting the Malays in Penang. He also rebuked another Malay NGO called PAJIM for suggesting that the congress is not the voice of the Malay community here. PAJIM adviser Ahmad Mokhtar Muhammad said recently that the congress has less than 10 members, and it seen by the community to be more of a “puppet” of DAP in Penang. Ahmad Mokhtar said the issues confronting the Malays in Penang have not changed since 2008, which is the community continues to lag behind others in many socio-economic facets. “Being the second largest group in Penang, the Malays hold the dubious distinction of having the most number of residents who have fallen under the squatters catagory, even on the mainland and they are struggling to qualify for quality jobs, said Ahmad Mokhtar. The DAP-led state government is seen as insensitive to the plight of the community, or unable to do much in addressing these deficits. To this, Rahmad said the number of members are unimportant here, as what counts is the delivery of issues and to raise consistently the plight of Malays in Penang. He agreed with Ahmad Mokhtar on the issues confronting the Malays such as affordable housing and good jobs, but stressed that whoever wants to “do anything” in Penang, must be willing to engage DAP. “They have become the powerhouses here and in many urbanised electorates where there is a high presence of Chinese. The Malays need a “bridge” to DAP and likewise, they too need to cement better ties with the community,” said Rahmad. The congress is the only NGO driven by the political realities in Penang, and not by self-interests, he claimed, adding that the long-term political standing of Malays in Penang will be shaped by the outcome of the next general election. Also read: DAP's Malay candidates a 'gimmick' |
| ‘Hudud tiada kesan kepada bukan Islam’ Posted: 23 Oct 2012 10:25 PM PDT
KUALA LUMPUR: Kerajaan hari ini memberi jaminan bahawa sekiranya undang-undang hudud dilaksanakan maka undang-undang itu tidak akan memberi kesan kepada rakyat bukan Islam. “Jika undang-undang hudud hendak dilaksanakan di Malaysia, maka undang-undang hudud yang merupakan sebahagian daripada undang-undang Islam berada di bawah kuasa negeri. “Mahkamah Syariah hanya mempunyai bidang kuasa terhadap orang-orang Islam sahaja seperti termaktub dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan,” kata Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Senator Mejar Jeneral (B), Datuk Sri Jamil Khir Baharom. Oleh itu katanya, undang-undang hudud tidak akan memberi kesan terhadap rakyat bukan Islam. Beliau berkata demikian dalam jawapan bertulis kepada soalan Ahli Parlimen Bebas Tan Tee Beng. Tan dalam soalannya bertanya kesan pelaksanaan hudud, sekiranya dilaksanakan, terhadap rakyat bukan Islam. Beliau turut bertanya samada Akta Pencegahan Jenayah 1959 akan dipinda dan diselaraskan mengikut undang-undang hudud di dalam pelaksanaan hukuman. Menurut Jamil Khir, undang-undang hudud akan tertakluk kepada peruntukan Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan undang-undang Islam yang terletak di bawah bidang kuasa negeri seperti dalam Fasal (2) Perkara 74 dan butiran 1 Senarai Negeri Jadual Kesembilan Perlembagaan Persekutuan. “Berdasarkan Seksyen 2 Akta Mahkamah Syariah (Bidang Kuasa jenayah) 1965, bidang kuasa mahkamah syariah terhad kepada hukuman penjara tidak melebihi tiga tahun, denda tidak melebihi RM5,000 dan sebatan tidak melebihi enam kali atau apa-apa gabungan hukuman -hukuman tersebut,” kata Jamil Khir. Beliau turut menolak sebarang perkaitan Akta Pencegahan Jenayah 1959 dengan undang-undang hudud. “Justeru itu kerajaan tidak merancang untuk meminda akta ini,” katanya. |
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