FMT News |  |
- Share prices close lower on lack of buying interest
- Hospital plays safe over ‘Virgin Mary’ sighting
- Asian markets down on US fears, Japan data
- Will indelible ink mess up the polls?
- ‘Maafkan Nurul, dia masih budak-budak’
- Fight on neutral ground
- A feast for Tamil rock fans
- Malaysia’s Q3 GDP growth may have eased slightly
- 10 reasons for Indians to drop BN
- India unveils new version of ‘world’s cheapest tablet’
- Australia to hold national inquiry into child sex abuse
- Sabah’s oil curse strikes again
- Japan’s Olympus swings to US$100 million first-half profit
- Apostasy, compulsion, and Nurul’s point
- ‘Penans asked for clinics, they got dams’
- Odour-eliminating pants hot seller in Japan
- Petronas seeks to win over Canada on Progress bid-FT
- Starbucks, Amazon and Google to face UK lawmakers over tax
- ‘There was misconduct, reprimand was issued’
- More back Karpal’s ‘one candidate-one seat’ formula
- Del Potro targets big four in 2013
- 14-day anti-Lynas walk begins tomorrow
- Mat Zain: Najib guna nama berbeza dalam afidavit
- ‘Why does govt need a rally for NGOs?’
- Pelatih PLKN perlu patuh syarat berpolitik dalam kem
- Japan economy shrinks, points to recession
- Rush for ‘who-wants-to-be-a-candidate’
- Rakuten targets 5% e-market share
- Mengapa perlu ubah kerajaan?
- Discard race-based politics, Bian tells Dayaks
- NGC Energy to use M’sia as hub to access region
- GW Plastics posts lower results for 3Q
- Why love makes us giddy, nervous
- RHBCap targets 30% revenue from offshore by 2017
- Lebih separuh aduan pekerja Indonesia tidak diselesaikan
- 7 ways to be a wonder woman
- Foreign insurance brokers pose main challenge to locals
- Messi surpasses Pele’s tally
- Seniman nafi abaikan bakat muda
- Pedrosa wins in Valencia as Lorenzo crashes
- The ‘GR1M’ reality
- Vintage Federer sets up showdown with Djokovic
- Terry faces scan to assess knee injury
- Overshadowing the Festival of Lights
- Di Matteo rues misses as Chelsea held by Liverpool
- Polish police clash with protesters on national holiday
- Republicans say deal can be done on US ‘fisval cliff’
- Obama hails veterans, pledges continued support
- How debts and double-dealing sparked Japan-China islets row
- Syria’s opposition groups strike unity deal against Assad
| Share prices close lower on lack of buying interest Posted: 12 Nov 2012 01:56 AM PST
The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 3.49 points to 1,637.59, after hovering between 1,636.65 and 1,640.78. OSK Investment Bank Bhd technical analyst Mohammad Ashraf Abu Bakar said the local bourse was dampened by telecommunications stocks like Axiata, which wasdown one sen to RM5.93, and Telekom Malaysia eased two sen to RM5.58. Also, other stocks did not support the local bourse, he told Bernama. He, however, said that as long as the benchmark was maintained over the 1,630 level, there was still a possible rebound that might happen on Wednesday, the next trading day, after the Deepavali public holiday tomorrow. Another dealer said the Asian bourse was affected by worries over whether Washington would be able to work out a spending and taxation deal that were crucial to keep the US economic recovery on track. In the broader market, losers led gainers by 390 to 225, while 317 counters were unchanged, 710 counters untraded and 27 others suspended. Volume rose to 780 million shares worth RM1.03 billion from Friday’s 777.107 million shares valued at RM1.32 billion. The Finance Index shed 19.61 points to 15,048.76, the Plantation Index fell 50.06 points to 8,022.8 and the Industrial Index lost 8.72 points to 2,816.55. The FBM Ace Index slipped 33.05 points to 4,248.55, the FBM Emas Index slid 22.79 points to 11,173.69, the FBMT100 dwindled 21.47 points to 11,012.25 and the FBM Mid 70 Index declined 14.75 points to 12,272.47. Among actives, Patimas Computers and Luster Industries earned half a sen each to 3.5 sen and 11.5 sen, respectively, Metronic Global added one sen to 13 sen but Tiger Synergy fell four sen to 32.5 sen. Of the heavyweights, Maybank was flat at RM9.02, Sime Darby and Petronas Chemicals eased one sen to RM9.69 and 6.41, respectively, while CIMB lost five sen to RM7.67. Volume on the Main Market advanced to 593.05 million units worth RM1.01 billion from 580.187 million units worth RM1.282 billion last Friday. Turnover on the ACE Market fell to 133.33 million shares worth RM178.87 million from 150.619 million shares valued at RM34.075 million last week. Warrants jumped to 50.48 million units worth RM2.84 million from 45.046 million units valued at RM3.678 million last Friday. Consumer products accounted for 46.3 million shares on the Main Market, industrial products 122.61 million, construction 20.49 million, trade and services 219.97 million, technology 92.45 million, infrastructure 12.68 million, finance 33.39 million, hotels 389,100, properties 30.38 million, plantations 8.61 million, mining 41,000, REITs 5.42 million and closed/fund 317,000. - Bernama |
| Hospital plays safe over ‘Virgin Mary’ sighting Posted: 12 Nov 2012 01:22 AM PST
But Sime Darby Medical Centre (SDMC) itself has chosen to tread carefully over the incident, due to Malaysia’s religious sensitivities, by officially remaining mum. “Our official position is no comment, [because] when we deal with religion, it is very delicate,” said a senior Sime Darby official, who declined to be named. The official said that the hospital’s administration was trying to manage the situation “as best as we can”. “We are operating a hospital and our main concern is our patients. We also expect people to behave like in any other hospitals,” he said. It is learnt that both Rela (People’s Volunteer Corps) and traffic police have been roped in to manage the crowd, which is expected to swell in coming days if the image continues to be present at the hospital’s seventh-floor glass windows. Religious matters are considered sensitive in Malaysia. In January 2010, a court decision over the use of the word “Allah” in Malay-language bibles sparked a series of arson attacks on churches, and other places of worship, all over the country. More recently, a statement by PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar over freedom of religion has also drawn controversy, with the police opening up investigations under the Sedition Act. Meanwhile, Rev Father Lawrence Andrew, editor of The Herald, said that he does not foresee any issues arising from the image; instead he said that it should be regarded as a call to peace. “When there is an apparition, it is always a call to prayer and repentance, a call to look at our lives and make them better and more virtuous. It is a call to go away from sin, and to peace,” said Lawrence. “People are going there to pray and it is the faith of the people being expressed. It is something they have not seen before. And you can see that it is not painted or pasted on. It is something that has come out on its own. It is a remarkable thing, an extraordinary phenomenon,” he said. However, when asked if he believed it was a true miracle, Lawrence said that he and the Catholic Church would only be issuing a press statement after further studies. (Normally, a local bishop must conduct a "serious investigation" to ascertain whether the Marian apparition really took place.) “At the moment, we have to wait and see how this develops. I wouldn’t commit to anything on this, and I will not jump the gun. It is not subject to feelings, and there is a process of verification,” he said. Since Friday afternoon, the "holy image" has drawn many to the hospital. It was reported that a cleaner discovered it, claiming it could not be wiped away. |
| Asian markets down on US fears, Japan data Posted: 12 Nov 2012 01:05 AM PST
The euro lost the gains it made earlier in the day after Greek lawmakers said they had approved a 2013 budget that would secure the latest batch of bailout cash that will help it avoid bankruptcy. Tokyo fell 0.93%, or 81.16 points, to 8,676.44, Sydney lost 0.31%, or 14.0 points, to end at 4,448.0 and Seoul shed 0.19%, or 3.54 points, to 1,900.87. Hong Kong added 0.210%, or 45.92 points, to 21,430.30 and Shanghai was 0.49%, or 10.21 points, higher at 2,079.27. Recent indications that the Chinese economy is emerging from a drawn-out slumber were reinforced on Saturday when figures showed exports rose 11.6% year-on-year in October, following a near 10% jump in September. The numbers, which were released as the Communist Party holds its 18th Congress and prepares for a once-a-decade leadership transition, came a day after officials said industrial output surged last month, while government asset investment also saw a healthy rise. Zhang Ping, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said the growth slowdown, which has impacted the global economy, had been “effectively curbed”. However, while the world’s number two economy continues to show signs of a resurgence Japan on Monday said gross domestic product had shrunk 0.9% in the July-September period from the previous three months. It comes after Japan posted its worst September trade figures for 30 years as exports slumped, with analysts blaming the continued strength of the yen, a territorial spat with Beijing and the debilitating debt crisis in Europe. In forex trade the euro bought US$1.2712, compared with US$1.2709 yen in New York late Friday. It also edged up to 101.97 yen from 100.99 yen. The dollar was trading at 79.44 yen against 79.47 yen. The euro was given a little support from the news out of Athens that the parliament had passed a 2013 budget full of swingeing cuts deemed necessary to meet creditors’ demands for its next round of rescue money. The vote passed with a comfortable majority of 167 deputies in favour from the 300-seat chamber but markets are still edgy until a decision is finally made by Greece’s lenders on whether to release the much-needed money. Eyes are also on the United States, where rival politicians must reach a deal to avoid a fiscal cliff of deep spending cuts and huge tax hikes which would come into force on Jan 1 and which observers say would tip the country back into recession. The package was put together after a protracted but possibly reckless compromise was reached last year – with the expectation a less painful plan could be agreed – to raise the country’s borrowing cap. Oil prices were mixed, with New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December, gaining seven US cents to US$86.14 a barrel in the afternoon, while Brent North Sea crude for December delivery shed eight US cents to US$109.32. Gold was at US$1,733.50 by 0805 GMT compared with US$1,730.30 late Friday. In other markets, Taipei fell 0.35%, or 25.47 points, to 7,267.75. Smartphone maker HTC ended up by its 7% daily limit at Tw$241.5 after reaching a global patent settlement with US giant Apple. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co was 0.55% higher at Tw$91.3. Manila closed flat, edging up 1.91 points to 5,470.70. Ayala Corp gained 0.45% to 450 pesos while Metro Pacific Investment rose 3.04% to 4.40 pesos. Wellington added 0.66%, or 26.08 points, to 3,983.99. Fletcher Building rose 3.3% to NZ$7.48 and Telecom was 1.04% higher at NZ$2.44. - AFP |
| Will indelible ink mess up the polls? Posted: 12 Nov 2012 01:00 AM PST
Referring to an EC poster outlining the steps a voter has to take to cast his ballot, the watchdog group indicated it disagreed that the ink be applied on a voter before he votes because he could smudge the ballot paper and thus make it invalid. It urged the commission to follow the practice of such countries as Iraq, Egypt and Afghanistan and apply the ink after the casting of a vote. Bersih also disagrees that the inking be done inside voting stations, saying this could result in long queues. "While the EC states that the process is very quick ('less than one minute') and also says it can handle up to 800 voters per voting channel from 8am to 5pm, has it factored in the potential queue factor which may lead to overcrowding in the voting station?" a Bersih press release said. It urged the commission to conduct demonstrations with the public to ensure that the timing would be adequate and suggested a minimum allocation of one minute per voter. It also urged the commission to review its proposal to supply voters with tissue paper to wipe off excess ink from their fingers. The statement asked EC to publicise the costs involved in the purchase and use of the ink. "The EC should also ensure that the quality and type of ink purchased is suitable for the election to avoid any last-minute withdrawal such as in the previous election." Bersih urged the commission not to delay resolving the concerns it was raising as well as those that had been raised by other civic groups with regard to the use of indelible ink. These should be resolved before the coming election, it added. |
| ‘Maafkan Nurul, dia masih budak-budak’ Posted: 12 Nov 2012 12:37 AM PST
Umur Nurul yang masih muda boleh menyebabkan beliau boleh membuat kesilapan jika bercakap mengenai agama Islam, kata Ketua Dewan Ulama PAS, Datuk Harun Taib. “Saya mengingatkan orang poltik yang tidak tahu agama Islam supaya tidak bercakap mengenai agama Islam. “Kalau orang yang tahu agama boleh lah mereka bercakap hal agama,” kata Harun. Harun menegaskan beliau tidak mengambil serius bimbang dengan kenyataan Nurul, sebaliknya lebih risau orang yang pandai agama tetapi banyak membuat salah dalam agama. Dan tokoh PAS itu meminta orang ramai memaafkan Naib Presiden PKR dan ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai itu. “Nurul masih budak-budak lagi, dan dia juga tidak ada pendidikan tinggi dalam agama,” katanya. Harun turut bertanya, mengapa isu Nurul heboh diperkatakan tetapi tidak kepada Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak walaupun pemimpin nombor satu juga banyak bercakap salah mengenai agama Islam. Harun berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas kenyataan Nurul dalam satu program di dalam sebuah gereja Sabtu lalu. Dalam program tersebut Nurul dilaporkan sebagai berkata, jika kebebasan beragama boleh digunakan kepada orang bukan Islam ia juga seharusnya melibatkan orang Islam juga. Kenyataan tersebut menimbulkan kontroversi sehingga beberapa pihak membuat laporan polis terhadap pemimpin muda PKR itu. Nurul bagaimanapun, menafikan beliau membuat kenyataan tersebut dan mendakwa ia diputarbelit oleh media. |
| Posted: 12 Nov 2012 12:17 AM PST
If PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang were to take on Umno president Najib Tun Razak in the latter’s stronghold, the stage will be set for a highly-charged contest. Here are two men who represent the hopes of their respective parties. A victory for the PAS strongman will give his party a tremendous boost. A win for the Umno president will end the political career of the veteran opposition politician. But let’s all be realistic. The PAS chief toppling the prime minister? A fat chance. This is simply because Pekan is a very safe seat for the Umno incumbent. The voters have no reason to throw out their beloved leader who has been looking after their interests all these years. They will not kill this golden goose. They would rather dump the Islamist party in the dustbin than see their pampered constituency slip into an uncertain future. Hence the prime minister will be more than happy to welcome any challenge from his enemy. He can afford to be brave, brash and arrogant in the sure knowledge that no one can knock him off his pedestal. He will never lose his pants even if he faces several candidates. Such a gallant combatant but he is only cheered on by his obsequious troops and not the country. In the eyes of the people, a courageous leader is one who will step out of his comfort zone and take the fight to an unknown territory. The prime minister should march to Marang and prove his mettle there. He can cross swords with the incumbent if the latter chooses to defend his seat, and if Najib comes out unscathed with the scalp of his foe in his hand, it will be an impressive victory for him. He can hold his head up and thumb nose at his vanquished opponent. Battle royal A far better proposition would be if all the main combatants slug it out on neutral ground. Let the rivals agree on the battleground and let the people decide who is the better leader. In this new constituency, the voters will decide on issues and not be moved by dirty politics. More importantly, the intellectual prowess and moral integrity of the adversaries will be judged dispassionately. But it is not a Najib-Hadi contest that will fire up the electoral trail. A bout between Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and Najib is the one that the country wants. It will be a battle royal because a triumph for either one will settle once and for all the burning question: who is the better leader? Who has the better claim to the crown in Putrajaya? But the fight must not be in Permatang Pauh or Pekan. Anwar will be mauled if he enters the lion’s den in Pekan. Najib will lose his shirt and pants if he so much as tip-toes into Permatang Pauh. It is unlikely Najib or Anwar will give up his cosy seat to engage against each other in another constituency. Anwar harbours big dreams, which will evaporate if the new constituency rejects him. Najib, already in the seat of power, simply cannot afford a ruinous end to his political journey in an "alien" environment. He will not venture out only to see himself voted into political wilderness and staring at retribution. Challenges will be thrown all over the place as excitement reaches fever pitch with the approach of the crucial general election. Najib and Anwar and all their candidates will be making loud, threatening noises in a show of confidence and valour. All want to be victors but only on their own ground. All are brave in their own cocoons. All aspire to be winnable candidates. Heroes all but only in their own rooms. Let the focus be on Anwar and Najib. Pluck them out from their safe havens and throw them into untested waters. The champion – and the true hero – deserves the Prime Minister’s Cup. The defeated can go out in disgrace and nobody will mourn his fall. Also read: Anwar challenges Najib to contest in Marang |
| Posted: 12 Nov 2012 12:12 AM PST
The crowd was slowly ushered to the rock show with a 'warm-up' session of a solo performance by Sivam who showcased his skills in playing the drums. The proper show started with a bang with a superb performance by Dhesam 7 Rock!, a group of youngsters from Seremban. The four piece band rendered their own compositions as well as playing famous themes from Tamil movies. The next band to take the center stage was Intermezzo who also hails from Seremban. Like the act before them, Intermezzo too performed their own compositions. There was also a special appearance by Malaysia's most popular Tamil rock group Kashmir Stone's vocalist Brahma, who only gave a short speech. The third band to perform that night was Suruthi Sutra. Their 'Paakeera Parvai' was inspired by a famous 80s Tamil movie song 'Aasaiya Kaathula Thoothu Vittu' from the Tamil movie 'Johny'. Suruthi Sutra completely changed the lyrics and gave a fresh coat of rock music element while maintaining the basic melody. Their fourth number, 'Headbang' made the crowd do just that – head banging.
The last act to perform at the gig was RPGIO and they didn’t let down the crowd with a heavy metal intro. RPGIO performed 'Tavikiren' which is a ballad number and the hard rock number 'Silky Sista'. Both were their own songs. The crowd went wild when RPGIO performed a 90s hit song 'Vettalai Potta' from the movie 'Amaran'. This performance was a super hit that the crowd got the group to sing the song for a second time. Based on the performances by the local Indian rock bands and the support they received from the energetic crowd, one can safely say that there is future for Tamil rock music in this country. |
| Malaysia’s Q3 GDP growth may have eased slightly Posted: 12 Nov 2012 12:12 AM PST
Exports account for roughly 60% of Malaysia’s gross domestic product, and these have been hurt by weaker demand for commodities and electronic components in China as well as the European Union. Third quarter gross domestic product likely rose 4.8% from a year ago, slowing from the previous quarter’s 5.4% pace of expansion and 4.9% growth in the first quarter, according to the median forecast. The forecasts provided by 21 economists ranged from 3.5% to 5.5%. “The drag on growth has come from the external sector, where the trade balance has narrowed, with exports stagnating and imports of capital and consumer goods rising amid sustained domestic demand,” said Daniel Wilson, an economist with ANZ in Singapore. The country’s exports fell 2% year-on-year in the third quarter, compared to a 4% annual rise in the second quarter. On a monthly basis, a gain in September exports on the back of firmer electronics demand helped cushion the slide after contractions in both July and August. Industrial production also rebounded in September, after shrinking for the first time in 13 months in August, in line with data from elsewhere in the region suggesting that the global trade slowdown was easing. Manufactured goods make up about two thirds of the exports of Southeast Asia’s third largest economy. Strong auto sales, loan growth Economists said robust consumption and investment spurred domestic activities, underlined by strong growth in business and household loans as well as a pickup in automobile production and Motor vehicle sales in the third quarter rose 3% year-on-year or up 2% for the nine months to September. The consumer sentiment index published by the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research was positive for the third quarter. “Growth was likely supported by strong domestic demand. Consumer and fiscal spending probably stayed strong on the back of government handouts, stable employment conditions and income growth,” said Chua Hak Bin, a Singapore-based economist with Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Some of the growth has been driven by infrastructure projects such as a new mass transit system for Kuala Lumpur and the Iskandar economic zone, just over the border from Singapore and three times the size of the city-state. These measures include bonus payments to civil servants and cash handouts to low income households and students. The implementation of a minimum wage level in October is also “We expect more fiscal support to growth in the coming months, which should again partly offset weakness in exports,” said Nomura economist Euben Paracuelles in a recent research note. Full year GDP growth is expected to be 4.8%, according to a Reuters quarterly poll last month, within the government’s target of 4.5%-5.0%. The economy expanded by 5.1% in 2011. |
| 10 reasons for Indians to drop BN Posted: 12 Nov 2012 12:10 AM PST
Umno’s 'Malay Supremacy' agenda I would be echoing the sentiments of the great majority of Indians in Malaysia when I say they are effectively second class citizens under Umno’s rule. Umno and BN can be used interchangeably because Umno is not only the dominant party but the de facto ruling party as well. The much entrenched 'Ketuanan Melayu ' or Malay Supremacy is the unwritten code of Umno’s rule. The ruling party has perfected this philosophy to the extent of rivalling the notorious racist agenda of apartheid South Africa. Basically, Ketuanan Melayu aims to contain the progress and prosperity of the non-Malays. The Indians have traditionally looked to the civil service for employment but in the last few decades they have seen their share of public sector jobs severely curtailed. Too many Indians have to eke out a harsh living outside the comfort of the government service and the GLCs. Many resort to low paying jobs which in turn locks them in a vicious cycle of poverty. Also, the high crime rate among Indians is a direct result of the lack of access to good, high- income jobs for Indians. NEP's lopsided implementation The NEP introduced in 1970 and which has set the direction of the nation ever since was designed to: a) restructure society so that race is no longer identified with occupation, and b) eradicate poverty irrespective of race/ ethnicity. However, none of these noble intentions ever reached the Indian community. The implementation of the NEP has bypassed the Indians. In the past, Indians were identified with the civil service, professions and the plantations. Today, they are increasingly associated with low pay jobs and hard, physical labour. Many flagship projects of the NEP offered little to the Indian community. Felda which transformed the landless and the poor among the Malays to proud land owners had little impact on the Indians. It was the same story with Felcra, Risda and the numerous other schemes designed to uplift the rural poor. Somehow, the Indian poor, a large proportion of whom were in the plantations were invisible to the formulators and the implementers of the NEP. There were no quotas assigned to the Indian community for jobs in the GLCs or the private sector. If the BN government could do it for the poor Malays, why did it overlook the poor Indians? Was not the NEP designed for all Malaysians? Why the lop-sided implementation? Today, we have an Indian community that has high endemic poverty, the highest violent crime rate and a decreasing proportion in the top professions. The pathetic state of the Tamil schools Any responsible government would look into the education needs of its entire people. But then, BN has never been a responsible government. The BN government has systematically marginalised vernacular education. Fortunately, the economic and philanthropic strength of the Chinese community has mitigated the many challenges facing Chinese schools. There are 523 Tamil schools in the country, but up to 79% or some 379 of these schools are still occupying dilapidated, termite infested, semi-permanent buildings built on private land before Merdeka. The bigger majority of these schools are in a pathetic state – undersized classrooms, leaking roofs and some even without water or electricity. Almost all face teacher shortage of some kind, some more acute than others. Promises are made from time to time by the government to improve trainee teacher intake, training temporary teachers and offering them permanent positions but the reality is the opposite. Some 40% of all Tamil school teachers are contract or temporary teachers. This potent combination of poor infrastructure and teacher shortage is a definite recipe for the high failure rate of Tamil school students. Tamil schools are a neglected lot and the BN must be held responsible by all Indian voters. Limited opportunities in the civil service and GLCs Indians and other non-Bumiputeras are severely discriminated both in the intake as well as in subsequent promotions. For instance, there is not a single Indian judge in the Federal Court. The BN government must look into an Equal Opportunity Commission & an Equal Opportunity Act to redress the gross imbalance among the races in the Government service. Citizens denied citizenship Almost 300,000 Indians who are eligible for citizenship do not have MyKads. They are children born to citizen parents whose births were not registered for one reason or another. In a nutshell, they have been denied citizenship due to a government bureaucracy that is callous to their plight. Many dreams have been shattered, jobs and careers foregone and households mired in poverty due to citizenship denied. Almost all are deserving cases because most were born in Malaysia or have lived here all their lives. Of late, the MIC has organised citizenship for about 4,000 cases but this hardly scratches the surface of the problem. It is more of a publicity stunt for the BN to dupe the Indian electorate as many of the cases publicised in the media are senior citizens in their twilight years and well past their prime. Sadly, it is a case of political gimmicking taking precedence over resolution of people's grievances. Indians have the highest unemployment rate among the major races in the country. The neglect of the Tamil schools means it ill-prepares the students for secondary school and beyond. Many Indian students lack the linguistic and numerical skills needed for today's job market. Moreover, Indians do not have access to skills training institutes like GiatMara, polytechnics, Mara Training Institutes, vocational schools and numerous other training institutes' set-up with public money at the state and national levels. Certainly, there is a lack of concerted action by the BN government to train and equip Indian youths with the necessary job skills. The typical response by BN leaders is that Indians do not apply for these opportunities. How can Indians apply for these places when it is not made known to them? As a result, the majority resort to the private sector. With low levels of education and absence of marketable skills, they are forced to work as lorry drivers, road sweepers, dishwashers, free-lance house maids, cleaners, despatch clerks, personal drivers, etc. These jobs are shunned by the other races because of the low pay, long working hours and physical risks involved. The situation has got so bad that Indians are forced to compete with foreigners for these very jobs. The poor state of the Tamil schools which contributes in large part to the high school drop-out rate and school leavers with limited skills for the demanding modern job market means that crime is an attractive option. BN government initiatives are focussed on the symptoms and not the causes. Therefore, we have a high violent crime rate that contributes to a disproportionate high number of detainees in the detention centres and remand prisoners in the police stations. Racial profiling and a very reactive, single race monopolised police force keen on violent interrogation procedures has led to an astronomical high number of unaccounted deaths in police custody. The way BN chooses to put up a charade that all is well and often providing the most ridiculous of answers to custodian deaths points to a police force that belongs to the bottom tier of the 3rd world. The politicisation of Batu Caves Sri Subramaniam Temple For some time now, the BN has used the Batu Caves Sri Subramaniam Swamy Temple for political capital. The temple committee played a pivotal role in the arrest of the Nov 25, 2007 Hindraf rally supporters who had gathered at the temple grounds on the eve of the historic event. The presence of PM Najib Tun Razak on Thaipusam Day to endear himself to the Hindu electorate is an affront to the Hindus performing the sacred duty of fulfilling their spiritual vows. And most recently, we have the issue of the 29 storey condominium. Vedic teachings tell us that a temple is a sacred place where one goes for peace of mind and to commune with the Almighty. But MIC and its cohorts have reduced Batu Caves to a political pawn to wage war against its political rivals. We must stop them from this sacrilege. Until today, the police chief and the police force as well as the Home Ministry have yet to apologise to Hindraf, especially the five leaders detained under the ISA, for wrongfully and maliciously labelling Hindraf as a terrorist organisation detrimental to the security of our beloved nation. Racist agenda against Indian leaders We see a racist agenda in demonising Indian leaders who choose to stand out and fight for our rights. S Ambiga, Dr Xavier Jeyakumar and P Uthayakumar have all been labelled unilaterally as enemies of the nation by Umno and the BN. This is done surreptitiously by pro-Umno blogs and the mainstream media as well as other radical organisations which are funded by Umno and enjoy the tacit approval of the top BN leadership.MIC, the BN designated representative of the Indians chooses to play mute, so as not to offend its political master. |
| India unveils new version of ‘world’s cheapest tablet’ Posted: 11 Nov 2012 11:50 PM PST
The Aakash tablet, dubbed the world’s cheapest computer, has been developed as a public-private partnership aimed at making computing technology available to students in a country where Internet usage is only at around 10 percent. Makers of the tablet, Britain-based Datawind, say the Aakash 2 is powered by a processor that runs three times faster than the original, has a bigger touchscreen and a battery with a life of three hours. “Technology enabled learning is a very important aspect of education,” Indian President Pranab Mukherjee said Sunday at an official launch function. “This must be adapted to our specific needs and introduced expeditiously in all educational institutions across the country,” he added. The first version of the Aakash was launched by the government in October last year but it was marred by problems including a short battery life, initial long waiting lists and difficulties with distribution. The paperback-book-sized Aakash 2, developed by Indian engineers at elite IIT public universities, runs the Google operating system Android 4.0 and has a screen measuring seven inches (18 centimetres) wide. “Unlike the previous version which was a non-starter, this time around there are some functions and features around the Android tablet which make it a decent computing device for that price,” stated pluggd.in, an Indian website that analyses gadgets. The first 100,000 devices will be sold to students at engineering colleges and universities at a subsidised price of 1,130 rupees (20 dollars) and subsequently Aakash 2 will be distributed to book stores in Indian universities. Datawind says the commercial sale price without subsidies for Aakash 2 is 3,500 rupees (64 dollars). Over 15,000 teachers at 250 colleges have been trained on the use of Aakash for education, according to India’s human resource development ministry. The country has nearly 115 million Internet users, giving it the the third-largest number in the world after China and the United States, but low penetration rates, data from the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI) shows. -AFP |
| Australia to hold national inquiry into child sex abuse Posted: 11 Nov 2012 11:45 PM PST
Gillard made the announcement in the wake of claims by a senior policeman that the Catholic Church in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales destroyed evidence and silenced investigations. “There have been revelations of child abusers being moved from place to place rather than the nature of their abuse and their crimes being dealt with,” Gillard told reporters. “There have been too many revelations of adults who have averted their eyes from this evil. “I believe in these circumstances that it is appropriate for there to be a national response through a royal commission.” Gillard had been under growing pressure to establish a national inquiry after the recent allegations but she said the probe would be broader than just the Catholic Church. “This is not a royal commission targeting any one Church,” Gillard said. Allegations by a senior police investigator emerged last week that the Church had covered up sexual abuse of children in the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, to protect paedophiles and its own reputation. Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox said it was his experience that the church not just covered up, but silenced victims, hindered police, alerted offenders, destroyed evidence and moved priests to protect the church. He said limiting an inquiry to one region was ineffective, particularly as priests alleged to have committed offences were often moved interstate. “I’ve got no doubt that it’s got tentacles everywhere,” he said Monday. “State boundaries aren’t going to stop these sorts of predators from operating.” The conservative opposition, led by Tony Abbott, said ahead of Gillard’s announcement it was prepared to support a wide-ranging royal commission as long as it was not be limited to one institution. Gillard said further announcements, including the proposed Commissioner and detailed terms of reference, would be made in coming weeks. -AFP |
| Sabah’s oil curse strikes again Posted: 11 Nov 2012 11:42 PM PST
The state Barisan Nasional government is now facing more questions over how it is managing the Petronas-sponsored Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT) project that began more than a year ago. The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has accused Chief Minister Musa Aman’s Umno-led BN government of failing to safeguard the interest of the local companies in the ongoing multi-billion-ringgit project. Melanie Chia, the party’s outspoken women’s wing chief, said there appeared to be no attempt by the state government to ensure locals get a bigger share of the spin-offs from the SOGT project. She said they had since discovered that the main contract work had been handed over to a Sarawak company which had in turn subcontracted the job valued at RM2.4 billion to a South Korean company to the extent that even the canteen at the site was operated by Koreans. She noted that while 35 companies with Sabah connections had obtained sub-contract works, the value of these contracts totalled a fraction of the value of the main contract. "The total value of these sub-contract works is only RM470 million, or a mere 19.6% of the total contract value of RM2.4 billion. Even the Kimanis new township will be developed by Miri-based Homelite Development Sdn Bhd. "I don't believe that we do not have enough local companies which can do the jobs. We also have very established and esteemed developers who can develop the new township. "Do we have to be subservient and remain playing second fiddle all the time even in our own state?" she asked. Sabah's oil reserve She said the issue of out-of-state companies not only taking the lion’s share of the SOGT work and then sub-contracting it out to foreign companies needed to be studied. “The government owes the people a good explanation as to why Sabah remains the poorest state in Malaysia despite being blessed with abundance of natural resources,” she added. The state is the sixth biggest contributor to the national economy, contributing more than a quarter of the total oil and gas produced in the country. Sabah's oil reserves were calculated at 1.5 billion barrels as of last year but new oilfields discovered since then have raised the estimate substantially. Gas reserves stand at 11 trillion cubic feet, with four new oilfields found in the Sabah waters in the last two years. The projected production from one area, the Gumusat/Kakap Project, is 135,000 barrels per day will come on stream soon, but Sabah's share is unknown as other oil-producing companies are in on the project with Petronas on a contract-sharing basis. SAPP and the opposition have been hitting on the wealth extraction from the state and at the same time holding up its high poverty rate and unemployment figures. Sabah has the highest number of unemployed in the country at 5.6% or 76,000 people without jobs. The opposition says that the ruling coalition government has had almost 20 uninterrupted years of power in the state but has yet to come up with a coherent and comprehensive development policy to ensure the state’s well-being well into the future. "Obviously, something is not right with the present government; otherwise Sabah would not end up the poorest despite having abundance of oil and gas," Chia said. Sabah-Sarawak O&G project The SOGT is part of the Sabah-Sarawak Integrated Oil and Gas Project to harness the oil and gas resources in the offshore areas of the two states. Besides the development of the new oil and gas fields off the coast of Sabah, namely Gumusut/Kakap, Kinabalu Deep and East, Kebabangan and Malikai, the project consists of SOGT and the Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline (SSGP) The SOGT will receive, store and export crude oil as well as receive, process, compress and transport the gas produced from the fields offshore Sabah and complements the operations of the existing Sabah Gas Terminal, the Labuan Crude Oil Terminal and the Labuan Gas Terminal which handle the oil and gas produced from other fields offshore Sabah. According to Petronas, the terminal covers an area of about 250 acres and will have the capacity to handle up to 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day and 1.0 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day. The 500km SSGP will transport gas from the SOGT in Kimanis to Bintulu for processing into liquefied natural gas (LNG) at the Petronas LNG Complex for export. The pipeline system also has provisions for future domestic consumption in Sabah and Sarawak. |
| Japan’s Olympus swings to US$100 million first-half profit Posted: 11 Nov 2012 11:25 PM PST
The company said it earned a net profit of 8.02 billion yen (US$100 million) for the six months to September, from a loss of 32.33 billion yen, while also upping its full-year profit forecast to 8.0 billion yen from 7.0 billion yen. However, the firm chopped its operating profit and full-year revenue outlook to 38 billion yen and 757 billion yen, respectively, down from an earlier forecast of 50 billion yen and 920 billion yen. Olympus’s reputation was badly damaged after its British former chief executive blew the whistle last year on an accounting scam that saw US$1.7 billion worth of losses moved off its balance sheet. The firm has since announced a major overhaul that includes cutting about seven percent of its workforce, while its new boss had publicly said he was seeking a capital injection to shore up the company’s finances. In September, consumer electronics giant Sony said it would invest 50 billion yen in Olympus, citing its desire to tap the lucrative medical equipment business as its mainstay television business struggles. Olympus dominates the global market for endoscopes, which are used for internal medical examinations, with nearly three-quarters of the market. - AFP |
| Apostasy, compulsion, and Nurul’s point Posted: 11 Nov 2012 11:24 PM PST
According to a transcript provided by Malaysiakini, Nurul Izzah Anwar said at a forum last weekend that "…there is no compulsion in religion… How can anyone really say, 'sorry, this only applies to non-Malays.' It has to apply equally." Hishammuddin Hussein, the home minister, described Nurul's statements as insensitive and causing public anger. Nasharudin, the former PAS vice-president, said that she must repent and what she said goes against Islam. Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the former prime minister, said her statement was stupid. Now, putting aside the fact that nearly every time good ol' Hisham, Nasha and Mahathir open their mouths, they say something stupid and insensitive that anger the public, Nurul, on the other hand, did not say anything "radical", "liberal", "dangerous to the faith" or even new. On the contrary, what she said has been discussed among Islamic scholars across the globe for years. It's just that no one seems to have clued the Powers That Be on this. And she has a point. Islam is all about an individual's own voluntary submission to Allah; there can be no coercion because faith cannot be forced upon anyone, even on those Malays who are born Muslims. I mean, if I asked you, at gunpoint, to believe in Islam, would you? Unless you're already a believer, then of course not. You'd probably blubber a bit about how being at the brink of death has opened your eyes to Islam, but your convictions would remain the same. So compulsion is not the answer – education is, just as Nurul mentioned in a later statement. In fact, even in the Quran, Surah Al-Nahl, verse 126 states: "Invite [all] to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance." (16:126 – translated by Yusuf Ali) Now, for those of you who are going to say that I’m no scholar and should just keep my mouth shut and let the experts talk it out, allow me to produce a quote from the former Chief Judge of Pakistan, SA Rahman. "Man is free to choose between truth and falsehood and the Prophet's function is to convey the message, exemplify it in his own life and to leave the rest to God – he is no warder over men to compel them to adopt particular beliefs," he wrote. This is further fortified in several Islamic verses, including Surah Ali Imran, verse 20 and Al-Ma'idah, verse 92, which state if individuals turn away from the message of Islam, then the Prophet Muhammad's duty is only to educate – not force nor coerce. Freedom to choose still exists Unfortunately, we still have the likes of Nasharudin who argue that the "no compulsion in religion" verse (2:256) only applies to non-Muslims in the issue of converting to Islam. In other words, once one becomes Muslim, let the coercion begin! Now, I challenge him and other like-minded individuals to point out any verse in the Quran which states that that sort of double standard exists. Nasharudin did mention Surah al-Ahzab verse 36 as "proof" that there is no freedom in religion for Muslims. "It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, to have any option about their decision: if any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path." (33:36 – translation by Yusuf Ali) But, as you can see, this verse just states that when Allah has commanded something, it is not fitting for a believer to have any choice in their matter – the freedom to choose still exists, as mentioned several times in the Quran. But while freedom exists, the Quran still states what is right and wrong. And if one chooses what has been forbidden, then one will face the consequences of that decision, whether in this life or the hereafter. Islam and apostasy Now, by virtue of the fact that freedom of religion exists in Islam, does that mean Muslims, and Malays, have the freedom to renounce their religion and should not be coerced or punished into remaining as Muslims? Since I'd rather not have 15 policemen raid FMT's office over this article, I'll refrain from stating my stand, but just share the views of several revered scholars in Islam who are not Malaysians, not Malays, and do not have any vested political interest in the issue. The former chief judge of Pakistan, SA Rahman, wrote in his book "Punishment of apostasy in Islam" that: "There is absolutely no mention in the Quran of mundane punishment for defection from the faith by a believer, except in the shape of deprivation of the spiritual benefits of Islam or of the civil status and advantages that accrue to an individual as a member of the well-knit fraternity of Muslims. "He should, however, be free to profess and propagate the faith of his choice, so long as he keeps within the bounds of law and morality, and to enjoy all other rights as a peaceful citizen of the State, in common with his Muslim co-citizens." He also added that apostasy is an offence in the realm of the rights of God, rather than the rights of mankind, thus there would be no pressing necessity to punish a peaceful change of faith. Meanwhile, Dr Ahmad Ar-Raysouni, a professor of principles of Islamic jurisprudence, wrote: "…if Allah did not coerce His creation towards belief in Him, nor did He permit his Prophet [pbuh] to do so instructing him, then how could He allow, or order, the leaders of the Muslims to force one to remain as a Muslim or return to it under the threat of death?" Another Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, wrote: "…all of the moral teachings of the Quran are based on the notion of moral responsibility, which entails the freedom of choice. Therefore, to state that one must be put to death for choosing to disbelieve would only undermine the entire moral edifice of the Quran." Controversy over nothing In the end, it's clear that what Nurul said on that fateful day has its basis – both in the Quran and in the viewpoints of certain scholars. And while some people, including Siti Kassim, may view her later statement as a "retraction", I don't – just because Nurul doesn't condone nor support apostasy, doesn't mean she is denying that freedom in religion exists. She is just not supportive of fellow Muslims making the wrong decision. So, really, the fact that Umno is latching onto this issue and fanning the flames of religious sentiments is just another sign of its desperation to stay in power. But in this case, Umno is signing its own death warrant because misusing religion for political mileage does not go down well with (thinking) Malays and Muslims. As for Nurul? Kudos to you for answering Siti Kassim's question honestly and risking your own political standing to do so. A Muslim should never hide the truth from another just to save his/her own ass. So I suggest the best thing for you to do from here on out is to stick to your stand, and the facts that support it. Because we Muslims are behind you all the way on this. |
| ‘Penans asked for clinics, they got dams’ Posted: 11 Nov 2012 11:10 PM PST
Said Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian: "It's shocking… there is no public toilet in Sungai Asap despite the fact that there are markets and shops. I was shocked when told about this. "I asked an elderly woman who was selling vegetables where I could pee. She told me that since there is no public toilet, I could pee in the bush. "She warned me that I might step on someone's urine or human waste." Bian, who is Ba'Kelalan assemblyman, was also stumped at the sight of 17 Penan families staying in a chicken coop belonging to one Tajang Laing. "When I asked them why they were here, they told me that they have to send their children to school in Bakun, some three hours ride from Sungai Asap. "That is the nearest school. No wonder there are so many kids running around and not going to school. "The government has failed to plan properly about what should have been done following the construction of mega dams such as Bakun, Murum and Baleh," he said. He pointed out that the government had got the best out of the people, taking away their land, forest and flooding the whole area in the name of national interest but left the victims with with "chicken feeds and crumbs". "The Penans asked for schools, the government gave them oil palm plantations, and when they asked for clinics, the government gave them dams. "I think the government has completely neglected the people," he said after chairing the state leadership committee meeting. Meanwhile, when asked about support for PKR in the rural areas, Bian said: "We have received 1,700 applications to join the party for the months of September, October and November. The bulk of this came from Julau with 525 applications, Selangau (521), and Baram (131). "This is a very a good indication of the support and the interest of the people in the party. The response from the ground is very encouraging as indicated by the recent visit of Anwar Ibrahim [PKR de facto leader] to Saratok and Kanowit." he said. |
| Odour-eliminating pants hot seller in Japan Posted: 11 Nov 2012 11:04 PM PST
A Japanese textile company has developed a range of underwear which it says prevent unwelcome odours. “It took us a few years to develop the first deodorant pants that are comfortable enough to wear in daily life but efficient in quickly eliminating strong smells,” said Nami Yoshida, a spokeswoman for the company, Seiren. “At first we thought about selling them to those who require nursing care and to hospitals. “But to our surprise, lots of ordinary people, like businessmen who are in positions that require them to see people on a daily basis, bought them,” she said. The underwear is manufactured with niff-absorbing ceramic particles in the material fibres. Seiren developed the technology after being contacted by a doctor who wanted something to disguise the regular parps emitted by people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. The company’s range has now expanded to 22 items, including socks that prevent feet from smelling and t-shirts that mask the whiff of sweaty armpits. - AFP |
| Petronas seeks to win over Canada on Progress bid-FT Posted: 11 Nov 2012 10:55 PM PST
The newspaper cited the Malaysian state oil firm's chief executive Shamsul Azhar Abbas as saying in an interview that Petronas was prepared to make the move to soothe Canada's concerns about a lack of transparency after the takeover. Canada blocked Petronas's bid for Progress last month, with Industry Minister Christian Paradis saying it was unlikely to bring a "net benefit" to the country. Petronas and Progress are planning a multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas plant on Canada's West Coast. "We've told them if you want more transparency from us we're prepared to increase the number of independent directors (on the Progress board). It's good governance," Shamsul was quoted as saying by the newspaper. Shamsul also said Petronas as a whole had become more transparent since he took over in 2010, even though he reported ultimately to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. "In terms of governance and transparency we are not a publicly listed company but we behave as one. There is no interference from the government," Shamsul said. Petronas is Malaysia's largest single taxpayer and its biggest source of revenue, covering as much as 45 per cent of the government's annual budget. Shamsul said Petronas has been in talks to cut special dividend payments to the government, which amounted to RM28 billion last year. The dividend would be cut next year by a billion ringgit and likely fall further each year, he said. - Reuters |
| Starbucks, Amazon and Google to face UK lawmakers over tax Posted: 11 Nov 2012 10:52 PM PST
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which is charged with monitoring government financial affairs, has invited the companies to give evidence amid mounting public and political concern about tax avoidance by big international companies. “It is hard for the ordinary person to believe it’s fair,” said Margaret Hodge, a member of parliament for the opposition Labour party and chairman of PAC. “It makes people incredibly angry in the current fiscal climate,” she added, in reference to the austerity measures which large budget deficits have forced on the UK, and other countries. Britain and Germany last week announced plans to push the Group of 20 economic powers to make multinational companies pay their “fair share” of taxes following reports of large firms exploiting loopholes to avoid taxes. A Reuters report last month showed that Starbucks had paid no corporation, or income, tax in the UK in the past three years. The world’s biggest coffee chain paid only £8.6 million (US$13.74 million) in total UK tax over 13 years during which it recorded sales of £3.1 billion. Campaign group UK Uncut, which is opposed to government austerity measures, and which has organised protests against British telecoms operator Vodafone and pharmacist Boots over their tax practices, said in a statement today that they planned to target Starbucks. Starbucks said it followed the tax rules in every country where it operates and sought to pay its fair share of taxes. “We are committed to being transparent on this issue and look forward to appearing before this committee,” a spokeswoman said. Starbucks chief financial officer Tory Alstead will give evidence to the committee, as will Matt Brittin, CEO of Google UK, and Andrew Cecil, Brussels-based Director of Public Policy for Amazon, a PAC spokesman said. Google’s filings show it had US$4 billion of sales in the UK last year, but despite having a group-wide profit margin of 33%, its main UK unit had a tax charge of just £3.4 million in 2011. The company avoids UK tax by channelling non-US sales via an Irish unit, an arrangement that allowed it to pay taxes at a rate of 3.2% on non-US profits. Amazon’s main UK unit paid less than £1 million in income tax last year. The company had UK sales worth US$5.3-US$7.2 billion, filings show. Amazon avoids UK taxes by reporting European sales through a Luxembourg-based unit. This structure allowed it to pay a tax rate of 11% on foreign profits last year – less than half the average corporate income tax rate in its major markets. Google declined to comment. Amazon did not respond to requests for comment. Hodge and former financial services minister Paul Myners told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper that the government should consider a new revenue-based tax to ensure profits from UK sales didn’t go offshore. - Reuters |
| ‘There was misconduct, reprimand was issued’ Posted: 11 Nov 2012 10:48 PM PST
Instead, in a written response to FMT over the weekend, Awam president Ho Yock Lin merely shed light on the process of the inquiry into the case. "A complaint from a former member in 2010 was made against a member," wrote Ho. "We conducted a mediation process between the two parties and this was agreed to by both of them and the proceding was confidential. "The conclusion reached by the panel was that there was a misconduct, and a reprimand was issued to the member concerned," she wrote. Notably absent in Ho's brief response was a denial that the sexual harassment had taken place. Nor did she refute claims that Awam was protecting a sexual offender. Instead, Ho only denied that the perpetrator had been "promoted" to a key position in Awam. In the article, FMT had written "but two years later, the angst and pain came flooding back when [the victim] learned that the very same perpetrator had been promoted to a key position on Awam's board in March 2012". Ho wrote: "Contrary to what was written in your article, the member concerned was not promoted to Awam's key position, it was an election by Awam members and votes were taken during the Awam's last AGM in accordance with our constitution." But that, again, confirms what FMT had written, which is as follows: "[The victim] was also informed that the perpetrator had been elected by Awam's members in accordance with the organisation's constitution, and that prior to the election, a notice of contesting members and the positions contested was duly informed to all Awam members." Awam under the spotlight The organisation also blocked its accusers who had posted the allegations, including the victim herself. In defending its move, Awam had earlier denied outright that a domestic inquiry on the incident had found the accused to have committed sexual misconduct or molestation. This was despite the fact that in the outcome of the inquiry sent to the victim, the then president of Awam wrote: "We refer to the complainant dated April 24, 2010, alleging that [the perpetrator] has 'grabbed the breast of [the complainant] on April 8, 2009, during dinner between the hours of 8pm-9pm, at the Fish Shop in Bangsar Village." "We write to inform that after due inquiry, we conclude that the above action did take place and that the [perpetrator] has misconducted herself." Awam defines sexual harassment on its website as "receiving any unwanted conduct of sexual nature including sexual comments, fondling, lewd gestures, jokes, e-mails, SMSes, pornographic pictures, coercion and more". On this basis, the fact that it acknowledged in the outcome of the inquiry that the perpetrator had grabbed the complainant's breast, yet later denied on its wall that any sexual misconduct had taken place, suggests a deliberate cover-up – a suggestion that Awam has yet to deny. Also read: |
| More back Karpal’s ‘one candidate-one seat’ formula Posted: 11 Nov 2012 10:20 PM PST
The final results of the FMT survey on the "Do you agree with Karpal Singh's ‘one candidate-one seat’" formula showed 79% or 2,612 out of 3,305 readers supported it. Only 558 readers or 18% were against it while 105 or 3% were undecided. The poll started on Nov 6 and ended today. Karpal has said that he felt vindicated by the overwhelming support for his proposal when the preliminary results of the survey was released. "The people overwhelmingly supported the 'one man-one seat' proposal. I feel vindicated. The FMT poll showed it has become a major public interest issue," he said. Karpal mooted the one man-one seat formula to expand the party's electoral opportunity to fresh, younger, dynamic and energetic members. He has said the idea was advanced to address the unhappiness of grassroots leaders not being given the opportunity to contest. He said that a candidate could hold two seats only in special cases as agreed to during one of the party's central executive committee meetings. He suggested that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng be considered an exception as he needs to bring state issues to Parliament. He added that there should not be any difficulty for candidates to surrender one of their seats as DAP was no longer short of candidates. |
| Del Potro targets big four in 2013 Posted: 11 Nov 2012 10:16 PM PST
The 1.98 metres tall Argentine saw his bid to win the ATP World Tour Finals ended by world number one Novak Djokovic on Sunday but there was enough evidence in his three-set defeat to offer real hope that he can challenge for the big prizes. Del Potro, who reached the semi-finals at the season-ender in London with a second win over Roger Federer in as many weeks, was irresistible for a set against Djokovic before fading to lose 4-6 6-3 6-2 at the O2 Arena. Safely back inside the world’s top 10 after a series of wrist problems, Del Potro is regarded as the man most likely to break up the status quo in the men’s game and it was easy to see why on Sunday as he pummelled Djokovic early on. His forehand wrought havoc in the opening set and his serve was brutal at times before he ran out of steam. Despite defeat, Del Potro can look back on an injury-free year in which he reaped 65 match wins – 11 more than in 2009 when he stunned Federer to claim his first grand slam title. “I think I’m playing good,” the 24-year-old Tandil native, who beat Djokovic to win the Olympic bronze this year, told reporters. “I don’t know if I’m playing better than 2009 but being in the semi-finals in this tournament was so big for me. “These kind of matches give me illusions for the next season. I beat Roger yesterday. I was close to beating Novak today. But in the end, they are too good for me. “But I’m getting closer every day. It’s my big challenge for next year, my big goal. Trying to fight at all the grand slams with this group. You know, they are winning all the grand slams: Novak, Federer, Rafa (Nadal) and now (Andy) Murray. I would like to be part of that in the grand slams.” Del Potro was a set and a break ahead against Djokovic before losing 11 of the last 14 games – a possible reaction to his three-set victory over Federer on Saturday. “I think I played two good sets today,” del Potro said. “But in the end, the difference is he’s the number one in the world so if you don’t play the whole match at your best level, it’s really difficult to beat him.” -Reuters |
| 14-day anti-Lynas walk begins tomorrow Posted: 11 Nov 2012 09:24 PM PST
Scores of supporters are expected to join him on the 300-kilometre journey. “I announced this as an individual action, but now the whole of Malaysia is coming forward, and that’s what we need,” said Wong, who leads Himpunan Hijau, a group campaigning against the Lynas plant in Gebeng, near Kuantan. “This is not an organised event,” he told FMT. “I had planned to do this alone, but my committee responded immediately to gather support. Now other NGOs and people along the way are chipping in, like bicycle teams to provide security. I am touched and excited about this.” Wong said he hoped the exercise would highlight other controversial projects like the petrochemical plant in Pengerang, the Murum dam in Sarawak, the Raub gold mine, and the alleged land grab in Cameron Highlands. “There are so many issues. There are so many destructive projects in our country. They are all serious and irreversible. Our citizens have come forward for years to ask the government to respond, but all these while we have been pushed aside, ignored completely. “We have submitted so many reports and expert findings about Lynas, but the only thing our prime minister says is simply that ‘it is safe.’ We cannot accept that.” He lambasted the parliamentary select committee that declared the Gebeng plant safe, belittling its deliberations on the issue as a “teh tarik” session. “Nobody cares about this country any more,” he said. “People in position don’t care. They don’t listen to the rakyat. They are no longer concerned about this country. What they care about is how much more they can grab.” Blockade Wong said one of the objectives of his walk was to call on supporters to prepare for a blockade of the Lynas plant. Last week, the Kuantan High Court lifted a suspension of Lynas’s temporary operating license, and the Gebeng plant is expected to begin operations soon. “We know the ore might be coming any time now,” Wong said. “I’ve sent out a red-alert. Any time now we might have to converge in Kuantan to stop the ore from reaching our shores. We will not allow an ounce of it in. If we need to go to jail, to sacrifice our freedom to protect the country, so be it.” Asked if he expected the walk to develop into a major march involving a large number of supporters, Wong said the numbers were not important. “Numbers is not what we want. We don’t want too many people on the road, as there would be safety issues too, but we just want spiritual support. If you are in your office, send a few SMSes, inspire a few other people, go to Facebook. Because when the time comes, we want people to take the responsibility to act.” Wong is expected to begin his walk at 7am at the Kuantan Municipal Council Field 1, next to the State Mosque. He said he planned to reach Dataran Merdeka on Nov 25 and walk to Parliament from there. He added that he would stop at some villages and towns along the way to talk about his campaign. “Reaching the destination is just symbolic. Basically we want to tell this regime that power is in the hands of the people. If you are tired of running the country, then the people want to take over. You should get out.” |
| Mat Zain: Najib guna nama berbeza dalam afidavit Posted: 11 Nov 2012 09:22 PM PST
Beliau berkata, afidavit yang berbeza memungkinkan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) menolak pencalonan beliau dalam pilihan raya umum ke 13. Mat Zain merujuk kepada afidavit yang diikrarkan Najib pada 21 dan 23 September 2011 dan juga oleh isterinya, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor pada 21 September 2011, ketika memohon mahkamah mengenepikan sapina untuk memberi keterangan dalam kes sodomi II. Katanya, semasa mengangkat sumpah jawatan sebagai Perdana Menteri ke 6 di hadapan Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di-Pertuan Agong pada 3 April 2009 dengan melafazkan "Wallahi,Wabillahi,Watallahi, Najib secara jelas dan lantang menyebut nama beliau sebagai Muhammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak . Bagaimanapun, katanya, pada 21 dan 23 September 2011, sewaktu mengikrarkan nama beliau di hadapan seorang Pesuruhjaya Sumpah, Najib telah mengistiharkan nama penuh beliau dalam afidavit-afidavit berkenaan sebagai Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak sahaja. Manakala Rosmah dalam affidavit berasingan bertarikh 21 September 2011 yang diikrarkan di hadapan Pesuruhjaya Sumpah yang sama,memberikan nama suami beliau, sebagai Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak. “Fakta yang jelas di sini ialah nama Muhammad telah digugurkan daripada menjadi sebahagian daripada nama Najib secara bersumpah oleh kedua-dua PM dan isteri beliau, seperti yang terdapat dalam afidavit masing-masing. “Memberikan nama penuh dan betul apabila mengikrarkan sesuatu afidavit adalah keperluan undang-undang.,” kata beliau dalam suratnya kepada Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Ismail Omar dan salinannya kepada Najib. Mat Zain merujuk kes bekas pembaca berita RTM, Sharma Kumari Shukla yang pernah dijatuhkan hukuman penjara enam tahun kerana kesalahan membuat dua afidavit berasingan yang berkisar di antara Sharma Kumari dan Sharma Kumari Shukla. Beliau meminta Ismail membuat semakan mengenai perkara "Afidavit YAB PM:Membongkar kelemahan diri sendiri" yang disalinkan juga kepada Menteri Dalam Negeri. Turut dilampirkan dalam surat tersebut ialah salinan afidavit Najib. Beri pertimbangan ikut undang-undang “Selain itu saya sarankan Tan Sri melihat rencana saya yang disiarkan sepenuhnya oleh Malaysiakini pada 10 Disember 2011 atas tajuk "Najib's name game may cost him GE nomination". “Susulan itu satu lagi rencana yang disiarkan oleh beberapa blog khasnya blog Lim Kit Siang pada 20 Disember 2011 bertajuk , "Election Commission gets rid of candidate objection period :A pre-emptive move to save PM Najib?." kata Mat Zain lagi. Beliau juga menegaskan jika terdapat bantahan daripada mana-mana pihak, sama ada bakal calon atau individu persaorangan terhadap pencalonan Najib, untuk bertanding bagi kerusi mana pun dalam PRU 13 dengan mengemukakan perbezaan nama penuh Perdana Menteri yang beliau ikrarkan dalam afidavit-afidavit dengan nama yang beliau lafazkan ketika mengangkat sumpah Perdana Menteri Ke-6, SPR terpaksa memberi pertimbangan mengikut undang-undang bersangkutan dengan kecelaruan nama Najib itu. Setakat yang diketahuinya, SPR tidak mempunyai hak atau kuasa untuk membatalkan sesuatu afidavit yang telah dikemukakan dan diterima oleh Mahkamah Tinggi atau kuasa untuk memutuskan sama ada afidavit berkenaan palsu atau tidak. “Dalam keadaan yang ada sekarang, SPR terpaksa menolak pencalonan Najib untuk bertanding dalam PRU akan datang, sama ada PM menggunakan nama Mohd.Najib atau pun nama Najib. “Tanggungjawab untuk menyelesaikan kecelaruan ini dengan pihak Istana Negara,Kerajaan dan Mahkamah serta menjelaskan isu kecelaruan ini kepada seluruh rakyat, terletak di atas bahu Najib sendiri dan isteri beliau. “Pembikinan afidavit-afidavit berkenaan yang mencetuskan kekeliruan ini adalah urusan persendirian dan kerelaan mereka suami isteri,” kata Mat Zain. Bekas pegawai kanan polis itu berkata, Najib sepatutnya bersyukur dan berterima kasih, kerana isu pertandingan merebut kerusi Parlimen Pekan ditimbulkan sekarang. Sekiranya isu ini tambah beliau dibangkitkan selepas Parlimen di-bubarkan atau pada hari penamaan calon, maka Najib mungkin tidak ada masa untuk membuat pembetulan kepada afidavit beliau. Najib wajar isytihar nama sebenar Kemungkinan terdapat pihak yang telah bersedia untuk membuat permohonan mendapatkan perintah Mahkamah untuk menghalang Najib dari dibenarkan bertanding dalam PRU kKatanya, tanggungjawab membuat laporan polis berkaitan pembikinan afidavit palsu yang difailkan ketika sesuatu prosiding kehakiman seperti ini, terletak diatas bahu Pegawai Penyiasat atau Timbalan Pendakwa Raya yang mengendalikan kes yang sedang dibicarakan itu seperti yang lazimnya. Setakat yang diketahuinya kedua-dua pihak ini tidak ada membuat sebarang laporan mengenainya, tegasnya. Mat Zain juga berkata, sama ada Najib suka atau tidak, tindakan beliau dan isteri menggugurkan nama Muhammad (atau Mohd.) secara bersumpah dalam afidavit-afidavit mereka, boleh menyinggung perasaan atau membangkitkan perasaan marah sesetengah rakyat yang beragama Islam khasnya orang Melayu. Seolah-olah Najib hanya menggunakan kegemilangan dan kebesaran nama Muhammad itu ketika mengangkat sumpah untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri sahaja dan menggugurkan nama tersebut sebagai tidak berguna lagi, apabila telah mendapat apa yang diidamkan. Najib, katanya tidak boleh menyalahkan sesiapa jika terdapat dikalangan orang Islam yang menganggap tindakan PM menggugurkan nama Mohd dalam afidavit beliau, sebagai suatu perbuatan menghina dan mempersendakan nama Nabi Muhammad S.A.W. “Nama Muhammad adalah nama Rasulullah .Nama ini telah sebati dalam jiwa setiap umat Islam sebagai suatu nama yang amat besar,suci dan bersih dan tidak akan merelakan nama ini dipersendakan. “Apakah pendirian dan pendekatan Tan Sri dan PDRM apabila terdapat pula laporan polis dari mana-mana pihak yang mendakwa YAB PM Najib sendiri yang telah mempersendakan Nabi Muhammad SAW?.,” tanya Mat Zain. |
| ‘Why does govt need a rally for NGOs?’ Posted: 11 Nov 2012 09:14 PM PST
Dong Zong deputy president Chow Siow Hon described the proposed rally, dubbed as ‘Himpunan Barisan 1Malaysia’, as redundant because many NGOs had already pressed their demands using words and actions. His comment came after Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister Department Ahmad Maslan announced the rally yesterday and invited 1,500 NGOs including Dong Zong to voice up through the platform. Ahmad said the rally was a gathering between leaders and people who embraced the 1Malaysia spirit and each participating NGO would be given a feedback form for comments. Chow said Dong Zong has yet to receive an official invitation but would weigh the matter carefully. "I don't think the objective of the rally is to solve the problems, but for the elections. "Since they are government, they could have held meetings to look into the outstanding issues raised by NGOs. Why do we need a rally?" he said when contacted by FMT today. He added that Dong Zong would consider the invitation but was skeptical about what kind of a difference attending the rally would make. Nov 25 protest Meanwhile, Chow said the Dong Zong's protest on National Education Blueprint would be held as scheduled on Nov 25, regardless of the outcome of the NGO rally. He said a police permit had been issued for the Nov 25 rally and there was no way for a U-turn now. Yesterday, the Chinese education pressure group released a 24-page booklet detailing the objective of the rally, frequent questions and answers, newspaper cuttings, and promotional materials in the run up to the rally. It also stressed that the rally would have a multiracial appeal as they have invited groups from all types of schools to attend. |
| Pelatih PLKN perlu patuh syarat berpolitik dalam kem Posted: 11 Nov 2012 08:52 PM PST
Beliau berkata .kepatuhan syarat itu penting bagi menjaga keharmonian mereka dan menjunjung kedaulatan negara “Kebenaran pelatih aktif berpolitik itu menunjukkan perkembangan terbaharu dan terbaik dalam mengembangkan ilmu kepolitikan dalam kem PLKN, tetapi ia perlu akur kepada peraturan ditetapkan. “Kita mahu setiap pelatih ada kehormatan di samping memilih pemimpin di kalangan mereka yang ada kebijaksanaannya,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas majlis Ramah Mesra dengan pelatih PLKN di Kem Etnobotani di sini, hari ini. Beliau berkata demikian ketika mengulas kenyataan Pengerusi Majlis Latihan Khidmat Negara, Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe semalam yang mengumumkan pelatih di semua kem PLKN akan dibenar aktif berpolitik sepanjang menjalani latihan tiga bulan itu, mulai 2013. Abdul Hadi berkata kempen politik itu hanya membabitkan kawasan dalam kem bagi mereka memilih pemimpin, sebagaimana yang dilakukan penuntut universiti. |
| Japan economy shrinks, points to recession Posted: 11 Nov 2012 08:30 PM PST
The 0.9% fall in GDP was in line with expectations, although a decline in capital expenditure was much steeper than forecast. Sony Corp and Panasonic Corp have slashed spending plans to cope with massive losses as they struggle with competitive markets and a strong yen. The fall in GDP translated into an annualised rate of decline of 3.5%, government data showed today. While US growth showed a modest pick up in the third quarter, Japan and the euro zone economies are shrinking. “The GDP data confirms that the economy has fallen into a recession,” said Tatsushi Shikano, senior economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities in Tokyo. “It is set for a second straight quarter of contraction in the current quarter.” A recession is commonly defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction. The data will keep the Bank of Japan under pressure to boost monetary stimulus even after it eased policy in October for the second straight month as a strong yen and a territorial row with China add to the impact on exports of the global slowdown. Many analysts expect the BOJ to leave policy unchanged at a review next week, but some see it boosting stimulus again at a Dec 19-20 meeting, shortly after the US Federal Reserve is due to meet. External demand accounted for 0.7 percentage points of July-September GDP contraction, matching the median projection. Japan’s exports fell 5.0% in July-September, the biggest decline since a 6.0% decline in April-June last year, the data showed. A row with China over sovereignty of some islands in the East China Sea sparked violent protests in China and the boycott of Japanese goods, which added to the slide in exports, particularly for automakers such as Nissan Motor Co. Private consumption – which accounts for roughly 60% of the economy – fell 0.5% in the third quarter against a median forecast of a 0.6% drop. Capital expenditure tumbled 3.2%, the fastest pace of decline since a 5.5% drop in April-June 2009, as companies turned more pessimistic about earnings from domestic and overseas markets. Nimble rivals Japan’s ailing electronics sector is one good example of the extent to which companies are cutting back on investment. Sony plans to reduce capital spending by 29% in the year to March 2013 and Panasonic plans a 27% cut, after incurring huge losses in their TV manufacturing businesses. The companies are struggling to compete with more nimble rivals, such as South Korea Samsung Electronics and America’s Apple Inc, and a steady rise in the yen, which makes exports from Japan more expensive. Japan’s economy outperformed most of its Group of Seven peers in the first half of this year on robust private consumption and spending for reconstruction from last year’s earthquake. But growth has stalled since then. Indeed, second-quarter growth was revised down by half to just 0.1% compared with an initial report. The last quarterly contraction was in the October-December period of 2011, when GDP fell 0.3%. With the economic effect of rebuilding from last year’s earthquake and tsunami fading, the government acknowledged last week that its index of leading indicators gauge fell to a level suggesting the onset of a recession. “Judging from the coincident indicator index, the economy peaked in March and it is likely to bottom out in October or November, as the global economy is expected to pick up gradually,” Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley’s Shikano said. The BOJ set a 1 percent inflation target and eased policy in February. It followed up with further stimulus in April, September and October on mounting evidence that the economy was on the cusp of recession. The euro zone is expected to report on Thursday that the economy contracted by 0.2% in the third quarter, adding to a 0.2% contraction in the second quarter. - Reuters |
| Rush for ‘who-wants-to-be-a-candidate’ Posted: 11 Nov 2012 08:30 PM PST
So it is hardly surprising that scores of Sabahans want to be contestants in the upcoming 13th general election and some may even be forgiven for considering a new group as organisers of Sabah’s version of “who wants to be a millionaire” with an election slant. Days after announcing its formation, the "Sabah Independent Candidates Sponsorship Body" has received 30 applications by wannabe electoral candidates in the upcoming 13th general election. Co-founder and chairman of the body, Abdul Kadir Tahir who launched the organisation to act like a party to help provide voters not satisfied with the usual field of candidates, a third choice, said he was happy with the surge of interest. He told reporters here that the applicants were from Pensiangan, Keningau, Pitas, Beaufort and Kuala Penyu as well as one who wants to contest both state and parliamentary constituency seats in an interior district. He described the response from the interior and west coast areas of the state as “very encouraging” and said a second meeting would be held here soon to decide on the organisation’s committee line-up as well as to screen all the independent applicants seeking their help. Part of the mechanishm to measure applicants’ suitability for being candidates is their views on eradicating hardcore poverty, reducing crime, corruption and malpractices within the government. "We want well educated, credible and trustworthy persons to be our independent candidates… we need to know their motives behind offering themselves to be candidates first before we can proceed to the final decision on who will become our candidates," he said. Abdul Kadir, an ex-liaison officer to former Silam MP Samsu Baharom Abdul Rahman, said the organisation’s intention is to place its independent candidates in all 60 state and 25 parliamentary constituencies in Sabah, but a final decision would be made after the parliament is dissolved. According to him, the body was formed to strike a balance between the mighty Barisan National and opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalitions. It will help its candidates by providing “advice to them in upholding the interest of the people”. "After one-and-a-half years of watching the political situation in our country we feel there is a need to provide a third force in the elections. "With the emphasis on clean and healthy politics, this body can play its role in assisting the new government rule after the elections," he said. Abdul Kadir, who declined to name the people backing his organisation, said the backers believe almost half of the voters in Sabah are still uncertain who they will support, thus giving independent candidates' a chance. Like many others, they are skeptical of the country achieving developed nation status by 2020 as envisioned in former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad if political stays quo remains. But the organisation is also scornful of the opposition’s plan to fund Sabah’s development by increasing the oil royalty it receives from the federal government from the current 5% to 20%. Abdul Kadir said there must be a clear change in the government's political and administration system in improving and enhancing its services to the people as many of its programmes had not benefited the targeted groups. "For examples, in the BR1M (handouts) and (in the award of) PPRT houses, I've seen many wearing their gold necklaces, earrings and bracelets who came and collected their BR1M. And many recipients of PPRT housing scheme had renovated their flat lavishly while some rented out and even sold off their units to third parties, so how poor really are these people?” Indeed, as Abdul Kadir points out, there is little to show for the billions of ringgit spent by the government on poverty eradication as the number of poor and hardcore poor continued to increase over the years. "Clearly something is wrong here and this is why there is a need for us to come in and interfere … to rectify the parts that had been overlooked by the authorities and to improve the system and make it work for the people truly in need," he said. |
| Rakuten targets 5% e-market share Posted: 11 Nov 2012 08:28 PM PST
KUALA LUMPUR: Japanese electronic commerce company Rakuten Inc hopes to capture 5% of the local market share in the electronic commerce sector within a period of five years with the recent launch of its online shopping. Rakuten chairman/CEO Hiroshi Mikitani said the company would focus its business in Asean countries as it has the "highest growth potential" in the e-commerce sector. A study by market intelligence firm Euromonitor International predicted the online shopping market to exceed RM1.9 billion by 2016 from RM842 million in 2011. Meanwhile, Internet analytics company Comscore Inc, in a 2011 survey, noted that online retail sites had a 44% reach in Malaysia. The Japanese company has expanded its e-commerce business to 13 countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, and Taiwan in the Asian region. In Europe, it has online marketplaces in France, Germany, and the UK. Rakuten Online Shopping has recruited some 40 local retailers including Senheng Electric, Best Denki and Poh Kong, together offering 11,000 goods. Rakuten, listed on Japan's Jasdaq, has a market cap of US$13.5 billion (RM41.34 billion) as of September. Among its other services are travel, finance, e-books and professional sports. This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve. |
| Posted: 11 Nov 2012 08:26 PM PST
Dalam keasyikan kedua-dua pihak merebut kuasa, kita jangan sesekali lupa bahawa "kuasa" sebenar terletak pada tangan Rakyat (huruf besar disengajakan). Dalam sistem pemerintah demokrasi, Rakyat yang berkuasa dan berhak memilih wakil yang akan membentuk kerajaan. Di tengah-tengah keghairahan BN dan PR berebut bola di tengah padang, usah kita lupa walau sesaat bahawa keputusan mutlak sebenarnya terletak di tangan kita sebagai Rakyat; khususnya individu yang sudah mendaftar sebagai pengundi. Kita mengikuti pandangan yang dikemukakan orang ramai dan ramai orang mengenai isu ini di pelbagai media alternatif – lupakan media konvensional yang ternyata lebih cenderung menjadi lidah salah satu pihak. Persoalan utama yang muncul adalah mengenai "perubahan" yang mahu disaksikan dan mahu dilakukan oleh Rakyat menerusi PRU-13. Gambaran umum yang disebarkan melalui media alternatif oleh orang ramai adalah bahawa pengundi perlu berani menukar pemerintah yang terlalu berkuasa sehingga pemeintah itu beranggapan bahawa kuasa pemerintahan itu adalah hak mutlak yang dimilikinya. Benar, saya bersetuju dengan bahagian kedua pada pandangan ini: pemerintah mengandaikan bahawa kuasa memerintah adalah hak mutlak yang sudah diberikan sepenuhnya kepadanya sejak Pilihan Raya Umum pertama. Bagi saya, jika kerajaan yang ada sekarang gagal "berubah" maka Rakyat berhak menggunakan kuasa undi untuk melakukan "perubahan" yang wajar dan sesuai. Itulah makna sebenar demokrasi. Namun, persoalannya di sini: jika PR membentuk Kerajaan Persekutuan, apakah Rakyat boleh berasa yakin bahawa segala "kepincangan" yang (kononnya) dimiliki kerajaan BN akan dapat diatasi? Demikian persoalan yang saya kemukakan menerusi ruangan status pada laman rangkaian sosial Facebook pada 9 November 2012 untuk mendapatkan pandangan, hujah dan reaksi rakan-rakan. Pada pendapat Rosihan Pawnstar Amri, PR wajar diberi peluang selama lima tahun. "Kalau gagal, semasa PRU-14, kita buat keputusan semula," katanya. Bagi Sofian Alias, kepincangan tidak dapat dihapuskan dengan sekelip mata. "Tetapi rakyat pada waktu itu (lima tahun lagi) akan mudah untuk dididik dengan ilmu dan kebenaran. Tiada lagi agen untuk menakut-nakutkan Rakyat; serta akhbar yang memperbodohkan manusia. Jadi, apabila manusia sudah terdidik, maka mudahlah untuk mereka memilih wakil mereka daripada kalangan politikus yang terdidik pula," katanya. Seorang lagi rakan di Facebook, John Phoon berkongsi pandangan dengan mengatakan bahawa "jika PR tidak diberi peluang, bila kita akan tahu sama ada BN adalah sebuah parti pemerintah yang lebih efektif? Mungkin negara kita akan lebih baik di bawah PR dan jikalau keputusan tidak seperti yang dikehendaki, maka Rakyat boleh membuat pilihan baru pada PRU-14." Pandangan ini ada logiknya kerana selagi kita tidak mencuba, selagi itulah kita tidak tahu. Tambahan pula, dalam konteks negara kita, Rakyat sentiasa berada di bawah Kerajaan Pusat BN. Perhatikan sahaja dalam kes di Selangor, misalnya. Setelah sekian lama berada di bawah BN, Rakyat berani melakukan perubahan. Mereka berani mengambil risiko "menukar" kerajaan kerana mahu membersihkan segala kepincangan yang (kononnya) wujud di bawah pemerintah terdahulu. Selangor sebagai contoh Lihat sahaja keadaan di Selangor sekarang. Apakah Rakyat di negeri Selangor merana kerana "menderhaka" kepada BN pada PRU-12? Dan kalaulah benar mereka – dan saya juga sebagai pengundi di Selangor – mendapati PR gagal memenuhi tuntutan Rakyat, maka Rakyat pasti akan menggunakan kuasa undi pada PRU-13 nanti. Dalam hal ini, pada pandangan John Norafizan, "lima tahun adalah satu jangka masa yang panjang untuk mengorbankan keamanan". Mungkin pada pandangan beliau, "keamanan" akan tergugat sebaik sahaja BN tidak lagi menguasai Putrajaya. Pada masa sama, jangan kita lupa bahawa "kebimbangan" sama pasti dikongsi ramai lagi Rakyat di negara ini yang sering dimomokkan dengan pelbagai cerita. Hal ini juga tidaklah bermakna saya setuju agar kuasa "dirampas" daripada BN dan diberikan kepada PR menerusi kuasa undi pada PRU-13. Perkara ini dihuraikan secara jelas oleh Kumaran Rajamoney yang turut berkongsi pandangan di Facebook. "Ahli politik yang belum memiliki kuasa lazimnya ikhlas dalam perjuangan. Malangnya, apabila sudah mempunyai kerusi empuk, segalanya mungkin berubah. Ada pemimpin yang seakan-akan mahu menghapuskan apa sahaja legasi kepimpinan terdahulu, akhirnya membebankan Rakyat," ulasnya dengan penuh kritikan. Menurut Kumaran lagi, "Bukannya tiada perkara baik yang berlaku, Cuma kecenderungan untuk kekal berkuasa mengakibatkan niat sebenar berpolitik sudah semakin malap. Akhbar milik Kerajaan Negeri juga dikatakan sudah berkiblatkan pemimpin politik dan bukannya berorientasikan Rakyat; sekali gus mencerminkan seolah-olah kebebasan media tidak wujud meski pun pemerintahan berubah." Kata-kata pengamal media itu ada benarnya. Malah, pada penelitiannya, Rakyat kini berada dalam keadaan serba kekeliruan. "Ramai calon yang ada sekarang sebenarnya tidak layak dan calon yang bakal dipilih nampaknya masih banyak kepincangan. Inilah dilema bagi Rakyat yang tidak memihak kepada mana-mana parti politik," katanya. Berbalik kepada pandangan John Norafizan mengenai "mengorbankan keamanan", Rosihan kembali berkongsi pandangan bahawa Amerika Syarikat berpeluang menukar presiden setiap empat tahun, seluruh kongres setiap dua tahun. "Tidak pula kelihatan negara itu lumpuh. Amankah kita sekarang jika kita pergi ke ceramah politik, kita dibaling cat merah, batu, kasut dan selipar? Adakah dengan menekan golongan minoriti, Malaysia dianggap aman? Dengan membiarkan penyelewengan berleluasa, adakah kita dianggap bangsa yang cinta akan keamanan?" Soalnya secara penuh retorik. Perubahan bawa kelainan, ketidak selesaan Persoalan sama diperkatakan oleh John Phoon. Dia tertanya-tanya bagaimana dan mengapa John Norafizan "yakin kita akan ada kekacauan" jika tampuk pemerintah negara berubah – daripada BN kepada PR. "Bukankah kita semua orang Malaysia? BN orang Malaysia dan PR orang Malaysia. Jadi, kenapa mesti Rakyat Malaysia mengundi BN, baru ada keamanan?" Satu lagi pertanyaan retorik yang wajar difikirkan. Seorang lagi rakan, Unus Sabri, melihat segalanya sebagai transformasi. "Selalunya orang meminta Rakyat menerima perubahan dan perubahan itu adalah perubahan. Namun, semua yang dilakukan perlu ke arah yang betul iaitu ke arah pembinaan negara bangsa; satu Malaysia," katanya. Pada pandangan Antonie William Augustine, "Segala kejayaan perlu ada pengorbanan serta perubahan. Perubahan mungkin akan memberikan kelainan dan ketidak selesaan. Kita perlu mengalami perubahan dan bersedia melakukan sedikit pengorbanan jika ingin menikmati kelainan." Dalam pada itu, Patricia Rose anne Clement tampil mengingatkan bahawa apabila seorang politikus mengisi ruang/kerusi dalam kerajaan (pemerintahan), maka ketamakan, kuasa dan populariti muncul secara automatik. "Jadi, isu mengenai kepincangan itu bukan persoalan utama. Apa yang penting adalah bahawa sebuah negara harus ada kerajaan (pemerintah) dan pembangkang supaya tidak ada hanya satu pihak yang mempunyai kuasa mutlak dalam pemerintahan. Sekiranya PR membentuk Kerajaan Persekutuan menerusi PRU-13, BN akan menjadi pembangkang. Maka, tidak menjadi persoalan besar kerana tetap demokratik. Jangan kita lupa bahawa masih ada banyak lagi isu penting untuk difikirkan dan diselesaikan berbanding memikirkan parti mana yang memerintah negara," katanya. Hussain Sajad pula membawa tumpuan kembali kepada pandangan John Norafizan yang tidak sanggup "mengorbankan keamanan". Katanya secara penuh sinis: "Sudah tentu akan ada kekacauan. Pihak yang pernah memerintah lebih 5 tahun tidak akan duduk diam selepas disingkir oleh Rakyat menerusi kuasa undi." "Mereka mungkin akan membuat kekacauan semasa proses peralihan kuasa atau mereka mungkin menjadi pembangkang yang akan berbuat apa sahaja untuk menang kembali lima tahun kemudian," katanya tanpa menafikan bahawa Rakyat tetap berkuasa melakukan perubahan jika Kerajaan PR juga gagal menepati janji nanti. Pada penelitian Muthannah Marawan, kepincangan akan sentiasa wujud di mana-mana. "Tetapi perubahan adalah sesuatu yang amat perlu. Idea-idea baru harus didengar dan dipraktikkan sekiranya ia sesuai dengan keadaan semasa," katanya dan membiarkan kita menganalisis makna kata-kata itu. Harus dinyatakan bahawa persoalan utama di sini bukan mengenai "perebutan kuasa" antara BN dan PR. Sebaliknya, kuasa dan hak Rakyat untuk melakukan perubahan serta menuntut sebuah kerajaan yang benar-benar bekerja untuk Rakyat. Jangan sampai politikus terlalu leka dan menganggap mereka adalah "bayangan Tuhan" dan perlu disembah oleh Rakyat. Dalam hal ini, saya bersetuju dengan kenyataan Amin Ahmad bahawa beliau tidak mengundi kerana mereka BN atau PR. Ya, Rakyat mahu memilih calon atau pemimpin yang boleh benar-benar melaksanakan tugas yang diamanahkan. Apabila saya berkali-kali mengatakan bahawa Rakyat adalah pihak yang sebenarnya memiliki kuasa, jangan pula ada pihak yang mengandaikan bahawa Rakyat boleh menuntut apa sahaja daripada pemerintah. Perkara sama turut dinyatakan Nordianah Bachok. Beliau secara sinis – tetapi benar – mengatakan bahawa "Rakyat juga adalah ahli politik yang menentukan budaya dan gaya politik di Malaysia". "Walaupun wujud BN dan PR, ramai yang terlupa peranan Rakyat. Malah, khabarnya sekarang ada Rakyat yang mengambil kesempatan daripada Wakil Rakyat dengan menuntut perkara-perkara yang tidak masuk akal dan membebankan Wakil Rakyat," katanya. Apa yang dikemukakan itu ada benarnya. Pelbagai pihak membuat pelbagai tuntutan yang kadang-kadang melucukan dan menunjukkan tahap mentaliti mereka. Kita sering mengungkitkan kepincangan dalam kerajaan. Bagaimana pula dengan kepincangan dalam kalangan Rakyat iaitu satu lagi komponen penting dalam pemerintahan negara? Sempena sambutan Deepavali dan Maal Hijrah, mari kira renungkan bersama: Apakah Rakyat di negara ini sebenarnya sudah sampai ke tahap benar-benar berani melakukan transformasi, lonjakan dan perubahan pada pemerintahan negara? Tepuklah dada, tanyalah selera. Uthaya Sankar SB adalah penulis bebas dan pemilik tunggal 'Perunding Media, Motivasi dan Penerbitan Uthaya' |
| Discard race-based politics, Bian tells Dayaks Posted: 11 Nov 2012 08:09 PM PST
Former PBDS supreme council member Baru Bian said the days of race and community based politics were no longer relevant in a new era of politics in Sarawak and Malaysia. "I do recognise that political parties in Malaysia started by representing various communities such as MIC representing the Indian community, Umno the Malays, MCA the Chinese, and PBDS the Dayaks, and even PBB. "But such political parties are no longer relevant in a new era of Sarawak. "I think we have come out of this and we are now in a new era and this is the reason why people like us are with PKR," said Bian who is Ba'Kelalan assemblyman. He was commenting on the efforts by some ex-PBDS to register the party in order to regroup some 100,000 hardcore members to continue with the unfinished struggle by the party. PBDS was deregistered about eight years ago due to a leadership tussle. Said Bian: "My response to the revival efforts is; don't waste your time in trying to revive something of sentimental value. "It does not help the future of our community, nor for the state and nor for the nation. How much can we do as a race-based political party? "I think we should all move into national politics, into multi-racialism and multi-perspectives and play our role more effectively alongside leaders of diverse background. "This is very crucial for our future," he said urging the Dayaks to join them in PKR which he considered as the best platform for them to voice their concerns. What Bian feared most is that upon the registration of PBDS Baru the Dayaks would be further split by those who wished to see the Dayaks to remain disunited. "And by forming a Dayak based party, I know they are going to use it in their campaign against us in the Ulu to say the Dayaks are racialists," he said, adding that the power that be had been using it against the Dayaks for more than 30 years. Recalling the days they were in PBDS, Bian said: "I appreciate the fight for the protection of our rights including native customary rights land. "Nothing much we could achieve. And when we applied back to join BN, (Sarawak Chief Minister and State Chairman of BN) Abdul Taib Mahmud said very clearly that PBDS should not raise NCR land issues any more. "We were even told that all past resolutions regarding the NCR land should be erased and thrown away. We accepted the condition and what choice we had as we had only seven seats," he said. "We were at their mercy, but now things have changed. "I ask every Dayak not to look back into the past. Let us look forward to the future for a new Sarawak and a new Malaysia," he said, pointing out that gone are days where political parties are based on race and community. |
| NGC Energy to use M’sia as hub to access region Posted: 11 Nov 2012 08:01 PM PST
KUALA LUMPUR: NGC Energy Sdn Bhd, an Omani and Malaysian joint-venture company, says it will supply up to 25% of Malaysia's liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) needs on its way to becoming a major energy player in the region. The company, which recently acquired the LPG assets of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd in the country, said it will supply up to 25,000 tonnes per month to domestic and industrial users under the Mira brand without naming a specific date. "NGC Energy plans to work closely with the existing distribution network throughout West Malaysia and expand the network in the future," the company said in a statement last Friday. It was reported that prior to the acquisition, the Shell LPG business was the second-largest player with a monthly volume of 22,000 tonnes per month, commanding about 25% of the market, with 80% of its business derived from the consumer segment while the remainder from industrial clients. In the gas supply market, NGC Energy's direct competitor would be Gas Malaysia Bhd, the sole holder of a 20-year licence to distribute gas to customers consuming up to two million standard cu ft per day (mmscfd) which will be expanded to five mmscfd from January 2013 onwards. NGC Energy's immediate goals locally include making Malaysia as a hub to grow its business regionally and plans are underway to float NGC Energy within four years, its general manager Julianna Kamaruddin said. NGC Energy is a unit of Oman-based National Gas Co SAOG (NGC). Its CEO Gautam Sen said the acquisition was part of the company's strategy to give shareholders added value through profitable operations in Asia. He said its long-term plan is to become a major player in the energy sector in Malaysia, which promises the company a steady growth supported by Malaysia's solid economic prospects. "Business expansion is likely to be more aggressive given NGC Energy's credentials and specialisation in the LPG sector in the Middle East. "Our current goal is to preserve the high standard set by Shell, and grow the business organically," NGC chairman Sheikh Abdulla Suleiman Hamed Al-Harthy (photo) said in a press release. In May, Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd acquired a 40% stake in NGC Energy for RM40 million and became NGC's Bumiputera partner. The deal with Shell was first announced in March this year when NGC indicated that its entry into Malaysia was done in partnership with a senior LPG industry professional Wan Zulkiflee Wan Yusoff. "The local NGC Energy management team comprises key personnel from Shell Malaysia," it said in the press release last Friday. NGC is a fully owned Omani joint stock company which has remained the lifeline of LPG supply in the Sultanate of Oman for the past three decades. Besides LPG, cylinder and bulk gas supply and installation, NGC has diversified into synthetic natural gas, cutting gas and other energy-related services, products and activities. This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve. |
| GW Plastics posts lower results for 3Q Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:53 PM PST By Ranjit Singh
For the cumulative nine-month period ended Sept 30, 2012, the company recorded a net profit of RM15.98 million, up 13.5% than previously with revenue up by 11.4 %. In an exchange filing last Friday, the company attributed the lower profits to the provision for doubtful debts and the realised foreign exchange losses. In October, another plastic packaging company Scientex Bhd had bought the company's two plastic packaging units for RM283 million. Scientex had acquired 88 million shares of Great Wall Plastic Industries Bhd and six million shares of GW Packaging Sdn Bhd. The acquisitions would enable Scientex to increase its annual production capacity of cast stretch film from its existing capacity of 120,000 tonnes to 154,000 tonnes. This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve. |
| Why love makes us giddy, nervous Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:45 PM PST
Scanning technology allows neurologists to unravel the mystery of why love can turn us giddy, irrational and even ridiculous and make us nervous and unstable. Researchers hope it may also one day reveal why a few of us might overstep the mark when dealing with the object of our affections, the Daily Mail reported. They found the frontal cortex, vital to judgement, shuts down when we fall in love. MRI scans show this de-activation occurs only when someone is shown a photo of the person they adore, causing them to suspend all criticism or doubt. “When you see someone you are passionate about, some areas of the brain become active. But a large part is de-activated, the part that plays a role in judgement,” Semir Zeki, professor of neuro-aesthetics at University College London, said. Zeki believes the brain may behave in this way for “higher biological purposes” – it makes reproduction more likely. If judgement is suspended, the most unlikely pair can get together and reproduce. Studies have shown brain chemical dopamine is at higher levels in those in love, the report said. Dopamine is key to our experiences of pleasure and pain, linked to desire, addiction, euphoria, and a surge may cause such acute feelings of reward that it makes love hard to give up. - Agencies |
| RHBCap targets 30% revenue from offshore by 2017 Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:44 PM PST
KUALA LUMPUR: RHB Capital Bhd (RHBCap), which is about to complete its acquisition of Indonesian bank PT Bank Mestika Dharma (BMD), has projected that 30% of its revenue will come from non-Malaysian operations by 2017. RHBCap managing director Kellee Kam Chee Khiong (photo) said the bank's non-Malaysian operations will contribute up to 13% of earnings when the acquisition is completed next year. "Today we are at about 5%, and with the recent transaction with OSK Investment Bank Bhd, it will take us up in-between 9% to 9.5%. "Once we complete our transaction with BMD, we will be up 13% and we are confident in achieving our 30% target in the next four years," he told The Malaysian Reserve at the RHB SEED (Students Education Enrichment Development) Camp in Nilai on Saturday. RHBCap completed its RM1.98 billion acquisition and merger with OSK on Nov 9, giving the bank access to markets in seven countries and a firm platform for its regional expansion plan. RHBCap is eyeing presence in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei and Hong Kong. Kam said banks face two challenges in venturing into overseas markets – accessibility and scale – of which accessibility must come first. "With the completion of our transaction with BMD by next year, we will be able to solve accessibility to key markets and then we have about four years to work in scaling up the business, which is sufficient time for us to take us up to 30%," he said. RHBCap previously planned to acquire an 80% stake in BMD before the Indonesian central bank imposed a 40% foreign ownership limit on local banks. The acquisition is awaiting approvals from the Indonesian central bank but is expected to be completed next year. Focusing on RHBCap's outlook for 2013, Kam said RHBCap will be an entity that is "very dissimilar" from 2012, as the bank aims to grow from a "purely-Malaysian" company to an organisation that has presence in several countries. "The challenge for us is the significant jump from 95% Malaysian to almost 10% non-Malaysian by next year, which I am quite hopeful we will be able to make that change. "I am still very optimistic for next year, as the Economic Transformation Programme has provided some economic stability, and the country's gross domestic product sustaining at 4.5% to 5% gives us a very stable economic environment," he said. This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve. |
| Lebih separuh aduan pekerja Indonesia tidak diselesaikan Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:41 PM PST
Beliau berkata, sejak Jun tahun lalu hingga Oktober 2012, 46.6 peratus pengaduan yang berjaya diselesaikan. Sejak diwujudkan pada 27 Jun 2011, pusat ini menerima 9, 384 aduan dari pekerja warga Indonesia atau keluarganya, mahupun pihak lain. Aduan tertinggi adalah gaji tidak dibayar (940 aduan), putus hubungan komunikasi (934), pekerjaan tidak sesuai perjanjian (396), TKI ingin dipulangkan (336), meninggal dunia di negara penempatan (264), akibat tindakan kekejaman (224) dan TKI sakit/rawat (170). Dalam Perkembangan berkaitan, NGO Migrant Care pula mendakwa ada kelemahan dalam penegakkan undang-undang terhadap kes yang menimpa buruh Indonesia. Ia melibatkan penganiayaan terhadap pekerja yang tidak diselesaikan melalui undang-undang seperti kes Ceriyati, Kunarsih, Modesta Rangga Kaka, Winfaidah, Fitria dan Sumarsih. “Ini juga disebabkan kerana lemahnya diplomasi pemerintah Indonesia terhadap Malaysia,” kata Pengarah Eksekutifnya Anis Hidayah. Migrant Care menuntut Malaysia bertindak serius dan menghukum tiga anggota polis berkenaan. Tiga anggota polis di Pulau Pinang ditahan reman tujuh hari bagi membantu siasatan berhubung aduan seorang wanita warga asing yang mendakwa dipaksa melakukan hubungan seks ketika disiasat. Pemerintah Malaysia juga diminta untuk segera menguatkan penegakan undang-undang terhadap rentetan kes penganiayaan dan pemerkosaan yang dialami amah Indonesia . “Migrant Care juga mendesak Presiden SBY untuk tampil ke depan, berangkat ke Malaysia untuk menyelamatkan TKI dan martabat bangsa Indonesia yang selama ini terus menerus dilecehkan oleh Malaysia,” katanya. |
| Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:40 PM PST
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| Foreign insurance brokers pose main challenge to locals Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:35 PM PST
The uneven playing field is apparent with six foreign-owned insurance brokers accounting for 85% of brokerage earned while the remaining piece of the pie is shared among the 27 other insurance broker companies. Insurance brokers are also increasingly concerned about competition from non-conventional sources like agencies and insurance companies' marketing teams selling directly to clients, thereby bypassing both agents and brokers. "For the local players, the onslaught of the foreign-backed insurance brokerage is a key issue," one industry executive told The Malaysian Reserve. There are 33 insurance brokers which generated RM4.67 billion in premiums and RM322.6 million in brokerage earned in 2011, according to the Bank Negara Malaysia annual report. Among the largest insurance brokers, in terms of business size locally, are Tradewinds International Insurance Broker Sdn Bhd (TIIB), AON Insurance Brokers (M) Sdn Bhd, Willis (M) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Insurance Brokers (M) Sdn Bhd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Sdn Bhd (JLT) and Sime Darby Lockton Insurance Brokers Sdn Bhd. TIIB claims that it is the largest insurance brokerage firm in Malaysia, providing comprehensive insurance broking to individuals and small and large businesses in Malaysia and 12 overseas ventures for over 36 years, according to information on its website. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tradewinds Corp Bhd, a company controlled by tycoon Syed Mokhtar Albukhary. In defence of foreign-owned insurance brokers, an industry executive said they were perceived to receive substantial business from multinational clients, but they had to work hard to grow their businesses within the locally owned clients. On this point, Aon plc president/CEO Greg Case, in the company's earnings conference call in October, said: "Multinational clients are increasingly looking for global benefit solutions that support their global organisations that are delivered at a local level." Double-digit growth On brokerage revenue, Marsh topped the global list for 2011 with a brokerage revenue of US$11.52 billion (RM35.25 billion) for 2011, according to a survey by Business Insurance Review. Its local entity is a majority Bumiputera-owned joint-venture company (JV) between Zulayang Sdn Bhd and Marsh & McLennan Cos Inc, according to its website. In the same survey, Aon was the second-largest outfit for 2011 with a brokerage revenue of US$11.23 billion, followed by Willis Group Holdings plc (US$3.41 billion), Arthur J Gallagher & Co (US$2.09 billion), Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA Inc (US$1.63 billion) and Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc ((US$1.27 billion). Aon saw "double-digit growth" for Malaysia, according to Case in another conference call in February. Willis Malaysia, which handled a premium portfolio of RM11 million in 1991, saw the figure increase to RM348.5 million in 2010, and was expecting it to surpass RM350 million for 2011, according to information on its website. It listed Petroliam Nasional Bhd, Lembaga Letrik Sabah and Shell Refining Co as some of its major past and present clients. Willis Malaysia is a Bumiputera company, with a foreign partner holding a 49% stake. Another significant foreign presence is in the Sime Darby Lockton JV. It is 60% controlled by local conglomerate Sime Darby Bhd and 40% by Lockton Companies LLP, which badges itself as the world's largest privately-owned global insurance broker, and the ninth-largest in the earlier mentioned global survey. Moving forward, one executive suggested that the industry should be operated like their counterparts in the more developed markets where they are more fee-based rather than commission-based, as it would reduce the strain of revenue generation for these companies. This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve. |
| Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:33 PM PST
Xavi Hernandez, Messi and Cristian Tello got first-half goals for the Catalans before Victor Casadesus and Michael Pereira reduced the lead after the interval. Messi then hit his fifteenth in the league to wrap up the game and make it 76 goals now in 2012, beating Pele’s tally of 75 from 1958 and taking him to within nine of Gerd Muller’s all time record total of 85 set in 1972. The win increases Barca’s lead to six points at the top, ahead of games for Atletico and Real Madrid, who sit 2nd and 3rd, later on Sunday. Barca made five changes from the side that had lost 2-1 to Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Gerard Pique, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Busquets, David Villa and Tello all starting. The visitors began slowly and Mallorca enjoyed the better early chances. Barca keeper Valdes was alert to tip wide a header from Israeli international Tomer Hemed on 22 minutes. However, five minutes later Barca were ahead when Xavi curled a perfect free-kick over the defensive wall after Jose Luis Marti fouled Fabregas on the left edge of the area. Mallorca centre-half Pedro Geromel saved an almost certain second on 34 minutes when a Tello cross was about to find Villa in front of an open goal. Barca were now on top and looking to add to their lead and did so on 43 minutes when Messi went on a run and hit a well struck shot – though Dudu Aouate in the Mallorca goal should have done better than allow the ball to squirm out of his hands and into the net. A minute later and Tello controlled a pass on the left-wing before cutting inside and unleashing a right-footed drive that went across Aouate and into the far corner. Half-time arrived and Barca suddenly had a three-goal cushion they hardly deserved. Mallorca began to find their way back into it early in the second-half, however. A Casadesus drive was blocked by Fabregas before Michael Pereira converted a right wing cross to reduce the lead on 55 minutes. Two minutes later Busquets’ outstretched hand made enough contact with the ball for the referee to award a penalty that Casadesus converted to reduce the arrears to 3-2. Mallorca rallied without really causing too much trouble before Messi smashed home his second on 76 minutes to make the game safe after Alexis Sanchez had cleverly chested a cross into his path. Earlier on Sunday Athletic Bilbao battled to a hard fought 2-1 win over Sevilla despite finishing the game with ten men. Oscar de Marcos put Bilbao ahead on 27 minutes side-footing home a cross from Jon Aurtenetxe before Markel Susaeta doubled the lead just before the interval. Ander Herrera received his marching orders for a second caution with fifteen minutes remaining, and Alvaro Negredo struck a penalty four minutes later to give the away side some hope. However Bilbao held on to claim the win that moves them to within a point of Sevilla, who have 15, in mid-table. Also on 15 points are Valladolid and Valencia, who drew 1-1 with Ali Cissokho in the thick of the action. Valencia’s French full-back opened the scoring in the first-half but then received a straight red for a trip in the area on Omar Ramos. Victor Perez converted the penalty for a share of the points. -Agencies |
| Seniman nafi abaikan bakat muda Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:30 PM PST
Tujuan penganjuran sedemikian dilakukan kerana persatuan ingin mendekatkan dan membuka minda artis dengan fesyen-fesyen Islam. Menurut Presiden Seniman, Rozaidi Abdul Jamil atau lebih dikenali sebagai Zed Zaidi, sejak kebelakangan ini artis-artis sering di hentam oleh pelbagai pihak kerana berpakaian tidak sopan dan seksi di majlis-majlis anugerah terutamanya di dalam negara. Ketika ditanya mengenai pembabitan kerjasama Persatuan Seniman Malaysia bersama badan bukan kerajaan (NGO), menurutnya, "Jika kita bekerjasama dengan mana-mana NGO, ia adalah satu perkara yang baik dan boleh dikatakan sebagai 'smart partnership'." Mengenai Persatuan Seniman Malaysia yang terlalu mengfokuskan masalah artis veteran berbanding masalah artis-artis baru yang meliputi pelbagai aspek, Zed berkata, "Persatuan telah mengadakan pelan-pelan tindakan untuk membantu artis-artis dari segi ekonomi seperti "Pelan Memperkasakan Seniman melalui Dasar Transformasi Nasional". Melalui program ini, tiga perkara asas akan di tekankan iaitu tentang pendidikan, kebajikan yang proaktif dan keprofesionalan dalam bidang seni. Baginya, artis perlu pandai mengambil peluang untuk lebih maju dan berdaya saing. Persatuan juga menyediakan beberapa kursus praktikal bersama beberapa badan serta bantuan pinjaman untuk menjalankan perniagaan-perniagaan seperti syarikat rakaman, produksi, peragaan dan sebagainya khas buat para ahli persatuan yang ingin memajukan diri. [This content is provided by FMT content partner galaxtar.com, hiburan informasi terkini dan sensasi] |
| Pedrosa wins in Valencia as Lorenzo crashes Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:28 PM PST
Lorenzo – who sealed the title in Australia last month – opted to start on slick tyres on a wet track. He was able to take the lead as other riders came in to change from wet tyres, but then crashed out from the lead in spectacular style. That allowed Pedrosa to win, with Katsuyuki Nakasuga second. Stoner, who won the championship in 2007 and 2011, has retired from the sport at the age of just 27. Stoner told BBC Sport: “I took the easy way out today by starting on wet tyres and to be honest, I was scared of crashing. “I didn’t want to injure my foot any more than I have already, especially in my last race. You can see there were a lot of crashes today. “My eyes were the size of dinner plates the whole race. With a couple of laps to go I decided to go for it and it’s a fantastic way to end it. I want to thank all my supporters down the years.” With riders starting on different tyres, the first few laps were chaotic as Aleix Espargaro took a shock lead to become the first CRT rider to lead a MotoGP race. Within a few laps it was clear that the slick tyres were quicker, and as riders came into the pits to change bikes Lorenzo was able to stay out and take the lead. Lorenzo and Pedrosa, who lined up on wets before changing his mind on the warm-up lap and coming in to change tyres and start the race from the pit lane, pulled clear before Lorenzo’s huge crash. The Spaniard was trying to lap British rider James Ellison when he got off line, weaved several times before being catapulted into the air and landed on his head before coming to a stop. That left Pedrosa clear to win his seventh race of the season, while Crutchlow’s crash left Nakasuga to take second. In the day’s earlier races, Danny Kent took victory in the Moto3 class before Marc Marquez produced a remarkable ride to win the Moto2 race. World champion Marquez started from 33rd and last on the grid but managed to scythe through to 11th by the end of the first lap. The 19-year-old – who will replace Stoner in MotoGP next year – eventually worked his way through to win the 26th grand prix of his young career. -Agencies |
| Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:15 PM PST
The 1Malaysia concept started with the promise of uniting Malaysians and conducting the affairs of the country in a professional manner. But it has turned into a satirical sideshow. Among all the slogans dished out since the Dr Mahathir Mohamad era, "Malaysia Boleh" still carries more weight than those crafted by his successors. The decision by the Barisan Nasional government to roll out the concept in order to make its mark as a "new" BN government in 2009 was not supported by all and sundry within the ruling coalition. Rejected by many, the 1Malaysia concept has not helped BN, however good its intentions were. The very first people to show caution about the concept were the pro-BN Malays. They were followed by other communities who did not trust the underlying reasonings within the concept. While the BN wanted to tell the people that 1Malaysia stood for a "united country", the big question was: how united can Malaysia be with its inherent communal divisions? Three years after its launch, racism is still rife in Malaysia with communalism still strong in the political arena, certainly within BN itself. The ruling coalition, instead of giving an example to the country, allowed more race-based parties/components to join its formation. It will surely nominate candidates in the forthcoming general election with the ethnic race of the candidates and the electorate of the constituencies in mind. In a majority Malay constituency, there will be a Malay-Muslim candidate while in a Chinese majority seat, a member of the Chinese community will probably lead the assault for BN. BN expected more political gains if it succeeded in pushing the idea of a 1Malaysia across the board. It had hoped that the "masses" will rally behind the call for a "one nation" concept but all hopes have since then nosedived into a litany of "1" that has sent the "rakyat" into boredom. From the BR1M to the 1Malaysia wedding ceremony, the ruling coalition showed that it lacked imagination in relentlessly pushing forward the concept. Must it be said how the Internet was buzzing with laughter with the infamous "1Malaysia" logo for the 2012 Merdeka celebrations? With utter satire, some folks had posted all over the Internet a logo of a certain brand of "noodle" that could cook in "1Minit" (that is in one minute) with the Malaysian depicted next to it and Happy Merdeka inscribed below. Almost everywhere in the country, pro-Pakatan Rakyat supporters are arduously waiting for the next wave of "BR1M" with the sole intent of pocketing the RM500. They do not intend to vote for BN in the next general election, many of them said during conversations with the writer. Under the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi prime ministership, the concept of "Islam Hadhari" was rolled out. Though the concept was dubious, since many informed Islamist insisted that there cannot be any "Islam Hadhari" as it implied there were various Islam concepts and sources, the former prime minister pushed on with the concept. It resulted in his ousting in 2009 after his government suffered a massive setback in the 12th national polls. It can be argued that his regime established many concrete business and cultural landmarks with the halal business thriving until today and Malaysia leading the world in Islamic finance. Yet, the Islam Hadhari concept was barely accepted by the public at large and it did not help his regime in the face of a growing opposition under Anwar Ibrahim. Have the Indians and Chinese benefited? The 1Malaysia concept, it must be said, never had a good beginning. Many among the majority community in the country questioned the very idea of taking away what "belonged" to the Malays to give it to "others". Today, the sentiment is still the same and there may even be a simmering conflict on the potential elimination of what is called the "economic rights" of the Malay community with the gradual roll-back of the Bumiputera status. On the other hand, the community that has suffered the most in the 55 years since the country gained independence, asked what would they really get out of the 1Malaysia concept? Today, their fate is not any better than what it was four or five years ago. The Indian community is still in the doldrums. Did the Chinese community benefit from 1Malaysia? It is doubtful altogether since there is no real exuberance noted from the second largest community in the country about the concept. They, too, do not understand where they stand in a country riddled with communalism and racism. Had they benefited from this concept, they would surely have showed more support for Najib. However, it is hard to see massive Chinese support for BN at this moment and this has been acknowledged by many BN leaders in their speeches and comments. Why is the Najib government sticking its neck out in full to defend the concept? Marred by accusations that the idea was conceived by an image promoter working for the Malaysian government, 1Malaysia seems stuck in controversies and a total loss of the management of public opinion by the ruling coalition. The persistence in which the regime is pushing the 1Malaysia concept shows that it is either incapable of conceiving a solid strategy for its survival or is suffering from gross deficiencies. It is also a sign of the rejection of the concept by a majority of the people. It is true that the 1Malaysia concept has benefited some large corporations that have "adopted" the logo and the slogan to promote their businesses or it may have also helped some entrepreneurs too. Whether it met its goals and objectives remains questionable on the eve of a massive test with the 13th general election on the horizon. The people may have benefited financially with the disbursing of the first wave of the BR1M of RM500, but there are questions on the viability of the plethora of the "1" logo in almost everything the government does. As farcical as this obsession with the "1" is, it will not help BN get away with the "GR1M" realities in Malaysia at a time when the opposition is set to make further inroads in the next electoral battle. Ali Cordoba writes extensively on local politics. |
| Vintage Federer sets up showdown with Djokovic Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:15 PM PST
The Swiss 17-times grand slam champion, who will turn 32 next year, continued his dominance of the ATP World Tour Finals with a 7-6 6-2 victory over the man who deprived him of Olympic singles gold at Wimbledon. In his eighth final in 11 years at the ATP’s blue-riband tournament, Federer will face world number one Djokovic after the Serb’s granite-like defences helped repel the brute force of Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro for a 4-6 6-3 6-2 victory. Neither semi-final lived up to their pre-match billing although Federer’s majestic form after a slow start against Murray had a sell-out crowd at the O2 Arena in raptures even if he was playing a home favourite. Murray, who bounced back to win Olympic gold and then the U.S. Open after the heartache of losing to Federer in this year’s Wimbledon final, made a lightning start, breaking in the opening game, but ultimately played second fiddle to the master. Federer edged an hour-long first set after an exemplary tiebreak and then turned on the style in the second to move one victory away from winning a hat-trick of titles at the Thames-side arena that has been hosting the championships since 2009. “I love playing Novak,” Federer said, looking ahead to Monday’s final. “I think for both of us, it’s pretty straightforward. I think we’ve got to press out the last juice that’s left in our body and make it a successful year end.” Like Federer, Djokovic also found himself initially overpowered by the wrist-bending forehand of the towering Del Potro but came through what he described as a “crisis” to ultimately romp to victory and stay on course for the $1.76m jackpot for an undefeated champion. The 25-year-old, the only player in the eight-man event to win all three round-robin matches, was a set and break down but once again showed the warrior-like qualities that have enabled him to end a second consecutive year as world number one. Djokovic broke a faltering Del Potro’s serve twice in the second and third sets and surged to victory after winning 11 of the last 14 games. “I believed that I could come back,” a good-humoured Djokovic told reporters, before softening up the assembled media by offering up boxes of chocolates. “I had a little, let’s say, crisis in today’s match from 4-4 in the first set to 2-2 in the second where I didn’t feel so good on the court, struggling to find my momentum and my rhythm. “From that moment on, when I got the break back, I played very flawless tennis. That makes me very happy and also confident before tomorrow’s final.” World number seven Del Potro had played down his chances despite beating Federer in their final group match on Saturday, saying “three big names and one big guy” had reached the semis. Hefty blow However, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, back to near his best after some career-disrupting injuries, showed scant regard for reputations with his thunderous forehand working Djokovic over. Djokovic looked increasingly uncomfortable as Del Potro pinned him way back behind the baseline and he spent most of the first set soaking up punishment. He survived a break point in the sixth game after a miss-hit smash gave his opponent a chance but a stunning forehand pass on the run by Del Potro and some uncharacteristic Djokovic errors handed the initiative to the South American. Del Potro clinched the opener with a confident love service game and Djokovic found himself under immediate pressure at the start of the second set. He wriggled his way out of one hole, saving three break points, but two games later Del Potro broke serve again when he finished off a stunning baseline exchange by ripping a monstrous forehand that brought gasps from the crowd. Del Potro appeared to have Djokovic where he wanted but the world number one proved far from a spent force when he broke for the first time in the match in the following game. The sting suddenly went from Del Potro’s game and Djokovic levelled the match after breaking for a 5-3 lead. Djokovic ruthlessly picked Del Potro off in the decider, breaking in the third game with an angled forehand and again for 5-2 before wrapping up the win with the minimum of fuss. “I played really two good sets today,” Del Potro said. “But in the end, he’s the number one in the world so if you don’t play whole match your best level, it’s difficult to beat him.” -Reuters |
| Terry faces scan to assess knee injury Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:12 PM PST
The Chelsea captain was carried off on a stretcher after 39 minutes of the Premier League match against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, 19 minutes after heading his side in front with his 50th goal for the club. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. Terry was in an accidental collision with Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and his knee was injured as his leg buckled as he fell just outside his own penalty area. Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo said it was too early to say how serious the injury was. “He has a problem with the knee and he will have to have a scan in the morning,” the Italian told Sky Sports. “Hopefully it is not too serious, but at the moment we cannot say more.” Terry did not go to hospital and was seen to be bending the knee while being treated, but Di Matteo was not ruling out a cruciate ligament injury which could sideline him for the rest of the season. He left the ground on crutches with his right knee in a brace. “We will just have to wait for the scan. We don’t exactly know the extent of the injury yet. It is a shame because he just got back from his ban as well.” Terry missed three Premier League matches and a League Cup tie against Manchester United after the FA found him guilty of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand. Suarez, who like Terry scored an unchallenged header from a corner to earn Liverpool a draw, was suspended last season for eight matches for racially insulting Patrice Evra of Manchester United. -Reuters |
| Overshadowing the Festival of Lights Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:09 PM PST
But their words remain mere lip service, for had the kindred spirit been alive and kicking, the love, affection, empathy and compassion shared by Malaysians of different faiths would have stood the test of time. Had "muhibbah" or goodwill been alive, the respect shown to one another would not have been taken for granted, as is the case these days. To shove the minority races aside by virtue of their "immigrant" status has left a blotch on the country's reputation as a multi-racial nation. The truth cannot be hidden or ignored that the non-Malays, especially the Indians, have never been treated with all due respect. Had they been, their Malay brothers would never dream of severing the head of a cow, an animal worshipped and considered sacred by the Hindus simply to prove their supremacy. Still, are the Indians crying foul over this insensitivity shown? No and it is because the Indians have learned to tolerate and accept. However, such acceptance and tolerance has been taken for granted by some quarters, especially when it comes to the yearly celebration of Deepavali or "Festival of Lights". Dismissing the existence of other races Even though the Indians form a relatively small number at 16%, that does not make their festivals any less significant. Deepavali, celebrated tomorrow, is held auspicious for it marks the victory of good over evil, of darkness being conquered by light. Still, the message behind the celebration of Deepavali fails many, as seen from the Petronas advertisement featuring the antics of a bunch of people wriggling to perform Dappankuthu, a dance prominent in Tamil cinema. To some who saw it on the telly or YouTube, it was fun but to the rest the "Do the Dappan Deepavali" advertisement by the country's national oil and gas company has left a bitter taste. It leaves many wondering why is Deepavali regarded as "trivial" to the extent that it is hardly portrayed fervently, a far cry when compared to the exaggerated excitement surrounding the Hari Raya Puasa and Chinese New Year? Petronas' Dappan effort was a tepid affair, done with no understanding of the meaning "Pesta Cahaya" or "Festival of Lights". The Dappan instead came across as a half-baked effort by Petronas in dragging itself to partake in the Deepavali celebration. Why? Was Dappan any cheaper to produce compared to Petronas' Hari Raya Puasa and Chinese New Year advertisements? Or was the Dappan done for the sake of coming out with something to placate the Indian community? While Petronas has since removed its Dappan video from its official YouTube page after the brickbats that came its way, the replacement advertisement is just as nonsensical. It is at such times one wishes that "storyteller" Yasmin Ahmad was alive for she would have done a superb job in understanding and relating to the Deepavali spirit, as she always did while producing festive advertisements for Petronas. Treat Deepavali with respect Recently, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak warned of repercussions should the country's official religion Islam be insulted in any way, that is, films, video clips, You Tube, Facebook or Twitter. The "threat" was prompted by the "religious freedom for all" remark that came from PKR vice-president, Nurul Izzah Anwar about a week ago. The premier took great pains to be politically correct when he "advised" Muslims to defend and not compromise on matters relating to aqidah (faith) in spite of the universal values that all religions shared. By making such statements, what message is Najib sending to the non-Malays? For one, it is obvious that he is uninterested in the disrespect accorded to them, be it by the Barisan Nasional politicians or the advertisers who find it "unprofitable" to sponsor Deepavali advertisements. Had respect been the bedrock of our so-called muhibbah society, Najib woud have voiced out his unhappiness over the Dappan advertisement or the fact that there are hardly any Deepavali greetings coming the viewers way or that both the government and Media Prima-controlled television stations respectively have not bothered to foster goodwill among the rakyat by arousing the Deepavali spirit by way of a festive tagline and an array of programmes. Why the discrepancy and discrimination when it comes to the "Festival of Lights"? Why are the TV stations in no mood to usher Deepavali, as they do in the case of Hari Raya Puasa, providing viewers with exciting programmes that stretch over 10 days, instead showing an Ikea (the Swedish home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture) advertisement promoting products heralding the coming of Christmas? 1Malaysia a political stunt Will it upset Najib if his 1Malaysia concept is summarised at best as a political stunt, going by the disrespect shown to the "Festival of Lights", both by the media and the politicians? The opposition politicians have the presence of mind to wish the rakyat a "Happy Deepavali" via banners unlike the Barisan Nasional MPs and ADUNs. Were 1Malaysia a "serious business" for Najib and company, the premier would watch his mouth and that of his colleagues and predecessors each time the topic of Malay supremacy or ketuanan Melayu cropped up. It was just last year that "statesman" Dr Mahathir Mohamad berated the non-Malays, asking them to be thankful to the Malays for being allowed to regard this country as "home". In 2005, the then deputy internal security minister Noh Omar chastised foreign visitors asking them to return to their home countries if they felt the Malaysian police were as cruel in view of the "nude squat" controversy. Despite making an apology and assurance to be more cautious, five years later Noh again stepped on the toes of the non-Malay rakyat when in his keynote address at the Selangor BN convention Noh quoted former MCA president Tan Siew Sin and former MIC president VT Sambanthan as praising Umno and the Malays for granting citizenship to the non-Malays. Now, it is Najib who has added fuel to fire by instigating the Malays to defend their faith at all cost, irrespective of the universal values that all religions shared. No surprise then why the "Festival of Lights" continues to be overshadowed by insensitive politicking. Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist. |
| Di Matteo rues misses as Chelsea held by Liverpool Posted: 11 Nov 2012 07:08 PM PST
Despite their win over Liverpool in last season’s FA Cup final, Liverpool have had a good recent record against the European champions and are now unbeaten in their last four matches at Stamford Bridge. They maintained that run when Luis Suarez headed an equaliser 17 minutes from time to cancel out Terry’s 20th-minute opener. The result stretched Liverpool’s unbeaten run in the league to six matches and left Chelsea without a win in three games. “We knew that the second goal was crucial to the game,” Di Matteo told reporters. “We had opportunities, their goalkeeper made some great saves. We couldn’t push on. “We are still playing well and we are still creating chances, but we have to be clinical to take our chances and finish the game off.” Chelsea slipped to third in the table and lost two points to leaders Manchester United and second-placed Manchester City who both won over the weekend. United lead the table with 27 points from 11 games, City have 25 and Chelsea 24. But Di Matteo was looking on the bright side, even though Chelsea lost 3-2 at home to Manchester United in their last home match and had two players, Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres, sent off. “I think we are in much better shape than previous years,” he said. “We are very close to our best as well. “If we had won today it would have been great for us. But we are still in the mix. The United game was obviously a real blow because of the way it happened. Two players sent off and a goal that should have been disallowed.” He was also naturally concerned about Terry, who left the ground in a brace and on crutches after damaging his knee, 19 minutes after scoring Chelsea’s goal. “We have to wait to tomorrow to understand the extent of the injury. It was great to see him lead the team out there we just have to hope it’s not a serious injury we have to see him back soon. “He’s in pain now but we hope it’s not serious. He will go to hospital tomorrow to have a scan. It’s a real shame he had to come off. He was playing really well.” Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, back at the club where he worked under Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant and Luis Felipe Scolari, was pleased with his team’s performance. “We were a wee bit tentative in the first half and we couldn’t quite press it as we like to. When we changed the formation we got more on to the front foot. “There was great character from all the players. I know more than anyone how difficult it is to come here and get a result. So it’s great point for us. “It’s a difficult place to come. They are fantastic players, European champions and it’s great club so I’m delighted for our young players. “There’s great character and resilience and survival instincts in the squad but if we can get one or two in January that can turn those draws into wins that would be great.” -Reuters |
| Polish police clash with protesters on national holiday Posted: 11 Nov 2012 05:35 PM PST
It was the second year independence day celebrations have degenerated into violence, underlining the gulf between the government and hardline nationalists who think liberal values imported from Europe are ruining Poland’s Catholic traditions. Police told Reuters that 132 people were detained following the violence, which took place in central Warsaw. Five policemen sustained injuries that needed hospital treatment. The day started with thousands of police in riot gear lining the streets trying to stop trouble erupting between right-wing groups, left-wing radicals, and government supporters – all holding their own independence day parades to push their competing visions of what sort of country Poland should be. Poland, the biggest economy in eastern Europe, is experiencing a period of peace and prosperity unusual for a country with such a turbulent history. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a liberal, is credited by many Poles for bringing political stability. But the predominantly Catholic society is deeply split over issues such as abortion, gay rights and how deeply to integrate with the European Union. Violence flared as demonstrators gathered for a right-wing rally in the shadow of the Palace of Culture and Science, a neo-gothic, Soviet-era skyscraper in the city center. Young men with their faces covered by scarves chanted nationalist slogans and railed against supposed Jewish conspiracies. “We are Poles, that is why we came here. Poland is going in … the direction of dependency, energy dependency, economic dependency,” said a demonstrator who gave his name as Wojciech. Not all were there because of their political convictions. Large numbers appeared to be soccer hooligans who were attracted by the prospect of a fight. Some of the crowd threw firecrackers and projectiles at police in riot gear who had cordoned off the area. They also ran to a nearby construction site and tore off lumps of concrete to use as missiles. Deep divide A Reuters correspondent saw police respond by beating protesters with truncheons, forcing the rioters to disperse. “The police used rubber bullets, pepper spray, stun grenades and truncheons,” said police spokesman Mariusz Sokolowski. After about an hour the fighting ended and the right-wing march was allowed to set off, though it was shadowed closely by a big contingent of riot police. Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, addressing the official independence day parade in Warsaw a few hours before the violence broke out, appealed for a less polarized society. “Today public life is poisoned by excessive rows,” he said. “We should be critical, but criticism should not mean mutual destruction.” The November 11 celebration marks the day in 1918 when Poland regained its independence after having been carved up for 123 years by Russia, Prussia and Austria. On the same date last year, right-wing demonstrators fought pitched battles with police who were trying to prevent them attacking a counter-demonstration by left-wing radicals. - Reuters |
| Republicans say deal can be done on US ‘fisval cliff’ Posted: 11 Nov 2012 05:33 PM PST
Republican Senator Bob Corker said increasing tax revenues from wealthier Americans would have to be part of the plan, but he stressed closing loopholes rather than raising top tax rates as many Democrats favor, provided spending is also tackled. “I am optimistic,” Corker told “Fox News Sunday.” “I think there is the basis for the deal. … There is a way of getting there on the revenue side. The real question is: can we come to terms on the entitlement side?” Obama has invited congressional leaders to the White House on Friday to discuss the issue, with only 50 days left until the end of the year. Unless Congress acts first, $600 billion in tax hikes and automatic federal spending cuts would take effect at the end of December, with a potentially devastating impact on the economy. The Obama administration and congressional leaders are attempting to negotiate a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff, and instead work toward a deficit-reduction package in the next session of Congress that begins in January. Skin this cat Top Obama aide David Axelrod, asked if it was possible to raise enough revenue to curb the deficit without increasing the top tax rate, praised the “encouraging” remarks by Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, on the need to tackle the problem. “Obviously, there is money to be gained by closing some of these loopholes and applying them to deficit reduction,” Axelrod told CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “So I think there are a lot of ways to skin this cat, so long as everybody comes with a positive, constructive attitude toward the task.” Boehner last week repeated his party’s commitment to not raise anyone’s tax rates, but said that he would be open to a compromise that includes changes in the tax code that bring in more revenue, something fiscal conservatives in his party have argued strongly against in the past as tantamount to a tax hike. Tax cuts first put in place under Republican former President George W. Bush are due to expire at the end of the year for all Americans unless Congress acts. That would lift the top rate of income tax from the current 35 percent for households earning more than US$250,000 a year to 39.6 percent. Obama won re-election on Tuesday after a campaign in which he called for wealthier Americans to pay a bit more in taxes. But a range of deductions, including on mortgage interest payments and charitable giving, can significantly lower the effective tax rate that most affluent US households pay. Mathematically impossible Another influential Democrat, Senator Charles Schumer, voiced skepticism that it would be possible to raise enough revenue to lower the deficit sufficiently without lifting the tax rate on the rich, but said he is open to hearing other ideas. “The only way mathematically that I’ve seen to do it, is go to that 39.6 percent rate. If someone can show another plan that doesn’t do that … we could look at it. But no one has shown one because I think it is mathematically impossible,” Schumer said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Limiting some deductions while closing loopholes is the middle ground proposed in 2010 by a commission created by the president and led by Republican Alan Simpson and Democrat Erskine Bowles. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham urged Obama to sign on to its recommendations while pledging to do the same. “Say ‘yes’ to Simpson-Bowles, Mr. President. I’m willing to say ‘yes’ to Simpson-Bowles. We need more revenue in Washington. We need more private sector jobs. We don’t need to raise tax rates,” he said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” Graham also warned that no Republican will vote for higher tax rates, and that reform of entitlement programs – such as the Social Security retirement program, the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, and the Medicaid health insurance program for the poor – must also be tackled. “We will generate revenue from eliminating deductions and loopholes. But we will insist our Democratic friends reform entitlements. … That is where the big money is at.” Failure to convincingly tackle the fiscal cliff could unsettled financial markets and risk another downgrade of the US credit rating, while imposing a heavy burden on a fragile recovery that could even tip the economy back into recession. Democrat Kent Conrad, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, voiced optimism that the country would avoid the fiscal cliff, and said Congress must agree on a measure that wins some time to work out a more detailed plan to overhaul the tax code and entitlement programs. “You can’t settle every detail in these next few weeks. What you can do is agree on a framework agreement that sets out for the (congressional) committees of jurisdiction how much they need to save, how much money needs to be raised,” Conrad said on “Fox News Sunday.” - Reuters |
| Obama hails veterans, pledges continued support Posted: 11 Nov 2012 05:30 PM PST
In the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Obama pledged continuing support for veterans as they make the transition to civilian life. “This is the first Veterans Day in a decade in which there are no American troops fighting and dying in Iraq,” the president said at the cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington, where soldiers’ graves are marked with row upon row of simple white stones. “After a decade of war, our heroes are coming home,” he said. “Over the next few years more than a million service members will transition back to civilian life.” The president touted the work of first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, for their work in the Joining Forces campaign, which urges businesses to hire veterans. He also reaffirmed his commitment to continuing the post-9/11 GI Bill program, which provides college education funding for those who have served, and said soldiers suffering war-related health problems will get the care they need. “No one who fights for this country overseas should ever have to fight for a job, or a roof over their head, or the care that they have earned when they come home,” he said. After the ceremony, Obama visited with people in an area of the cemetery known as Section 60, where many of the solders who died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are buried. The Democratic president won re-election to a second four-year term on Tuesday and now faces tough negotiations with Republican congressional leaders to avoid sharp spending cuts that loom at the end of the year. A big chunk of those reductions would come through a decline in defense spending. During the campaign, Obama and Biden regularly pledged their commitment to bringing troops home from Afghanistan and taking care of American veterans. Obama criticized his opponent, Republican Mitt Romney, for failing to mention the war in Afghanistan during his speech to the Republican National Convention. - Reuters |
| How debts and double-dealing sparked Japan-China islets row Posted: 11 Nov 2012 05:29 PM PST
Surrounded by concrete walls, security cameras and warnings of guard dogs, Kunioki Kurihara has shunned the spotlight in his compound since closing a deal to sell three uninhabited islands in the East China Sea to Japan’s government in September. The islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan, are also claimed by China, where they are known as the Diaoyu and deemed part of its national territory for centuries. Their US$25.5 million sale sent tension soaring between Tokyo and Beijing. Seen in Beijing as a nationalisation of private property, it sparked violent protests and a boycott of Japanese goods. Chinese ships were dispatched to patrol disputed waters. Participants close to the deal describe how a property magnate with heavy debts clinched a deal he had sought with the government for at least six years by playing it off against a fiery nationalist – Tokyo’s then-governor, Shintaro Ishihara. Ishihara has since resigned to return to national politics at age 80. It was his initial offer to buy the islands that led to a quick government purchase – at a markup of at least half a million dollars. Kurihara, 70, declined a request for an interview. His younger brother Hiroyuki, who describes himself as family spokesman, has used his sudden fame to promote a book, “Senkaku Islands for Sale” — and a longshot plan to turn the islands into a centre for medical tourism. “It’s odd that they owned the islands for so long,” said Jeffrey Kingston, director of Asia Studies at Temple University in Japan. “It’s only now that the ante is up.” From fish processing to flashpoint Mostly rocky outcroppings which serve as a home to migratory birds and a herd of wild goats, the islands are closest to Taiwan, about 210 km northeast of Taipei and 1,800 km from Tokyo. The largest, Uotsurijima in Japanese, rises up like a forest-canopied mountain from the sea, with no port for landing. A little larger than New York’s Central Park, the island’s highest point tops the Eiffel Tower. The Kuriharas obtained the islands for an undisclosed amount in the 1970s from Zenji Koga, a journalist from Okinawa, an island to the northeast. Before World War Two, his father had run a fish processing plant on Uotsurijima. Japan annexed the islands in 1895 and Koga rented them, then bought them in 1932, when they fell under the jurisdiction of colonial Taiwan, also annexed by Japan. Taiwan also claims the islands. The Kuriharas obtained the islands after the United States returned Okinawa to Japan in 1972 and interest grew in potential oil and gas deposits. But the family’s focus was on commercial and residential property in Omiya, a legacy of wealth built up in the rice trade. Records show Kunioki pledged at least 75 real estate parcels in Omiya and Tokyo against his bank borrowing. One building next to his house served until recently as headquarters of a Buddhist-affiliated group, Kenshokai, which preaches that Japan faces an apocalyptic reckoning and invasion by China. The group, a former Kurihara tenant, has described the isles as a potential flashpoint in that conflict. In the summer of 2011, Kurihara approached Akiko Santo, a lawmaker from the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, saying he wanted to try to sell the islands to Tokyo governor Ishihara. Ishihara became internationally known in 1989 for his best-seller “The Japan that Can Say No,” an argument to reduce Japan’s reliance on the protection of the United States. The strongest promise you can make Kurihara described himself as an admirer of the governor and said he wanted to sell him the islands, Santo said. The two met at the Omiya compound in September 2011 and later in Tokyo’s fashionable Ginza district, where they reached a verbal deal. “They shook hands and gave their word to each other as men, which in Japan is the strongest promise you can make,” she said. In April, Ishihara announced a plan to buy the islands, raising US$17 million from private donors. His deputy, Vice-Governor Naoki Inose, also an author, estimated Kurihara’s net debt at about 1.5 billion yen, almost US$19 million. “I’m not stupid. I checked his mortgages,” Inose told Reuters. Records show Kurihara had a credit line of almost US$50 million, or 4 billion yen by 2012. The funding was provided by Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Japan’s largest lender, and the Saitama Shinkin Bank, a local bank. The final offer from Ishihara’s team was just over 2 billion yen, nearly US$25 million, two people close to the talks said. But Kurihara had also been talking to the government. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda saw a national bid as a way to head off a more damaging confrontation with China. “He first approached us about the islands in 2006,” said Akihisa Kameda, the official responsible for negotiating the deal. Kameda said Kurihara had earlier rejected proposed swaps for forests or fields elsewhere in Japan. With the Tokyo governor offering cash, the government was forced into the bidding. By late June, Kurihara had grown worried that the sale could be tied up in Tokyo’s local parliament or derailed by assessors, Santo said. He broke off talks with Ishihara’s team with a curt message: “I decided to sell the islands to Japan.” Government negotiators offered Kurihara the higher price, people involved told Reuters, and fast-tracked a deal that would have taken up to a year with a private-sector buyer. Kameda offered few details on the price, saying that it reflected a calculation of what it would cost to “replace” the islands, without further explanation. Officials declined requests by Reuters to see documents related to the valuation and sale. On September 11, Japan announced it had nationalised three of the Senkaku islands, generating outrage in China, where a Communist Party Congress opened last week to put in place new leaders who will face the challenge of re-engaging with Japan. “Japan should have pressed more for China to accept that the Senkaku are Japanese islands,” Kurihara’s brother, Hiroyuki, told Reuters. Kazuko Kurihara, a younger sister, still holds the second-largest island, Kubajima, and in May renewed a 20-year lease to the Defence Ministry. Kubajima has been made available to the United States as a bombing range, last used in 1978. Ishihara has told aides he wants to fund building projects on the islands. That would strain ties with China further. Santo said she understood Kurihara’s pursuit of the highest offer. “For him, business considerations were the most important. After all, he is a real-estate broker,” she said. - Reuters |
| Syria’s opposition groups strike unity deal against Assad Posted: 11 Nov 2012 05:26 PM PST
After days of wrangling in Qatar under constant cajoling by exasperated Arab, US and other officials, representatives of groups including rebel fighters, veteran dissidents and ethnic and religious minorities agreed yesterday to join a new assembly that can form a government-in-exile. They unanimously elected reformist Damascus cleric Mouaz al-Khatib as its president. Khatib, a soft-spoken preacher who was once imam of the ancient Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, immediately called on soldiers to quit the Syrian army and on all sects to unite. “We demand freedom for every Sunni, Alawi, Ismaili (Shi’ite), Christian, Druze, Assyrian … and rights for all parts of the harmonious Syrian people,” he told reporters. It remains to be seen whether the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces can overcome the mutual suspicions and in-fighting that have weakened the 20-month-old drive to end four decades of rule by President Assad’s family. But for allies who see it emulating Libya’s Transitional National Council, the deal was welcome on a day when Israel fired a missile after a Syrian mortar bomb hit the Golan Heights and Assad’s air force strafed along Turkey’s border. “We will strive from now on to have this new body recognised completely by all parties … as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people,” said Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim of Qatar, an important supporter of the rebels. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu said there was “no excuse any more” for foreign governments not to support an opposition whose internal divisions had given many pause. The United States had also strongly promoted the plan for the Doha meeting to unite the various factions and, notably, subsume the previously ineffectual Syrian National Council into a wider body that would be more inclusive of minorities from a country of great ethnic and religious diversity. France, a vocal backer of the rebels and which once ruled Syria, hailed the deal. “France will work with its partners to secure international recognition of this new entity as the representative of the aspirations of the Syrian people,” Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement in which he called the Assad government “the criminal regime in Damascus”. Stalemate Twenty months after street demonstrations inspired by the Arab Spring drew a military response from Assad, his enemies hope a more cohesive opposition can break a stalemate in the civil war and win more military and diplomatic support from allies who have been wary of the influence of anti-Western militants, some of them linked to al Qaeda. While there has been renewed talk in Turkey and elsewhere of providing some sort of no-fly zones or other protection for refugees and the lightly armed rebels facing Assad’s air force, Western governments have shown little appetite for new military ventures in such a complex Arab state. And Russia and China, which have blocked previous moves against Assad in the United Nations Security Council, are unlikely swiftly to alter positions which call for dialogue with Assad and view opposition groups as being in thrall to the West. Regional power Iran , in whose Shi’ite brand of Islam Assad’s Alawite minority has its religious roots, remains firmly behind the president in a conflict which pits him against majority Sunni Muslims supported by Iran’s Sunni Arab adversaries. Opposition After long arguments over whether and how to form the new opposition assembly, the speed with which a consensus emerged within hours to ensure that Khatib stood unopposed for the post of president was notable and may encourage its supporters. His deputies will be Riad Seif, a veteran dissident who had proposed the US-backed initiative to set up an umbrella group uniting groups inside and outside Syria, and Suhair al-Atassi, one of the relatively few women with a leading role. Delegates said a third deputy may yet be named from among ethnic Kurds. Businessman Mustafa Sabbagh was elected general secretary. Khatib, 50, was jailed several times for criticising Assad. He finally fled into exile this year. “This is a serious step against the regime and a serious step towards freedom,” Syrian National Council leader George Sabra said of Khatib, who has long promoted a liberal Islam tolerant of Syria’s Christian, Alawite and other minorities. Critics of the SNC had said it was too much influenced by the Sunni Islamist Muslim Brotherhood and too little open to minorities, including Alawites, some 10 percent of the population who fear a backlash if Assad is overthrown after a war that has taken on increasingly sectarian characteristics. SNC member Wael Merza said all Assad’s opponents were now welcome. “We are open to all the real opposition powers that have weight, influence and the same aims as the Coalition to bring down the regime and establish a democratic Syria.” In a sign of the wider sectarian confrontation across the Middle East, three people were killed on Sunday in the Lebanese coastal city of Sidon in fighting between Sunni Islamists and the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shi’ite movement Hezbollah. In the Golan Heights, Israeli troops fired a guided missile into Syria on Sunday in a potent “warning shot” after mortar fire from fighting between Syrian troops and rebels hit the Israeli-occupied territory for the second time in four days. Israel Radio said it was the first direct engagement of the Syrian military on the Golan since the war of 1973. There was no immediate comment from the 1,000-strong United Nations force which patrols the area, and no reaction from Syria. In other violence, Assad’s troops bombarded the Ras al-Ain area on the border with Turkey, days after the town fell to rebels during an advance that has sent thousands of refugees fleeing for safety. Increasingly critical of the failure of world powers to halt the war, Turkey is in discussions with its NATO allies over the possible deployment of Patriot surface-to-air missiles to defend against any spillover of violence. The move could also be a step towards enforcing a no-fly zone within Syria. More than 38,000 people have been killed and many tens of thousands more displaced in the violence since March last year. - Reuters |
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