FMT News |  |
- MCA denies threatening green eatery
- Anwar lebih berkaliber dari Hadi
- Malaysians overseas will be allowed to vote
- Tropical citizens die 7.7 years sooner
- Share prices close lower in lacklustre trade
- ‘Cold-blooded’ ice cream lady in Austrian murder trial
- China urges ‘maximum restraint’ in Gaza
- Australia imposes two-year ban on supertrawlers
- Bieber dominates AMAs
- F1′s successful return leaves US wanting more
- Giantkillers Samoa give France coach sleepless night
- India trounce England by 9 wickets
- Saya tidak keluarkan arahan, kata MB Selangor
- Mah Sing on track to meet RM2.5b sales target
- Gaza death toll hits 87 as truce efforts intensify
- RM300 juta untuk jambatan ketiga Klang
- Hadi as PM: Is Najib responsible?
- More dirt revealed on ‘violent’ 6P agents
- MCA slams PAS over Kedah logging
- Anwar tetap pilihan, bukan Hadi
- Analysts: Hadi as PM is a moot issue
- Commission to police the police needed
- Karpal Singh not alone
- Asian markets mostly up on hopes for US fiscal deal
- Suu Kyi voices caution on Myanmar reforms
- ‘Pulangkan hak persatuan’
- UPSR 2012: Drop in students who scored As
- MCA blames Pakatan for Batu Caves fiasco
- Emergency motion on Gaza attacks tomorrow
- Surprising health and fitness figures
- Build us roads, not dams, say natives
- Relief through nasal cleansing
- Murtad: Mesej jelas dari Tok Guru
- HSBC in talks to sell stake in Chinese insurer
- Obama feted on historic Myanmar visit
- Japan high-tech toilet maker eyes global throne
- Paper: Alibaba plans stake buy in China’s microblogging service
- Electrician jailed for sex with minor after uproar
- Singapore hotels feel the squeeze as corporate budgets tighten
- FMT-Fox Malaysia ‘Life of Pi’ contest
- Jeffrey paints bleak scenario on Sabah
- Mobiliti sosial melalui pendidikan
- China arrests 73 in fake luxury bag bust
- Seaport Worldwide expects RM1b in investments
- Nusa Gapurna, MRCB discussing share swap deal
- Hindraf is with Karpal on hudud, Islamic state
- BN must explain rise of apostasy
- PBS preparing for Pairin’s last stand
- One Direction top British single and album charts
- Online museum showcases Britain’s hidden art
| MCA denies threatening green eatery Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:30 AM PST
Chuah speculated today that the owner of Tong Onn Restaurant, Ho Yup Onn, might have misinterpreted what the two party leaders said. "I have talked to the two leaders and I was told there is no such thing," he told FMT. "Maybe there are some wrong interpretations from the other side." Sin Chew Daily yesterday quoted Ho as saying that a Temerloh MCA leader, identified only as Kok, threatened to revoke his business licence should he go ahead to feed lunch to the marchers. The licence was issued by the Temerloh District Council. According to Sin Chew, Ho alleged that Kok went to his restaurant and issued the threat before the arrival of the group. The newspaper also said another MCA leader, identified as Wong, called Ho in the morning and questioned whether he was a supporter of the anti-Lynas movement. The report has sparked an uproar among netizens, many of whom labeled MCA as arrogant and accused it of abusing power. Pahang MCA dissident David Choi has urged the state party chief, Liow Tiong Lai, to take disciplinary action against Kok and Wong. Choi was recently suspended from the party for supporting the anti-Lynas group. "If he doesn’t, that means the Pahang MCA leadership is supporting Lynas," Choi said. Chuah said the Sin Chew report did not make sense. "You cannot just revoke somebody's licence like that," he said. "It's absurd. From what I was told, Kok actually went there to support them." He added that Wong, who he described as a close friend of Ho's, phoned only to find out what happened. "Maybe people just want to make accusations and create havoc," he said. The green walk group is on a 300km trek from Kuantan to KL in a last ditch of effort to rally support against the Lynas rare earth plant, which will begin its operations soon. At the time of writing, the group is heading towards Karak. Its final destination is Parliament House. |
| Anwar lebih berkaliber dari Hadi Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:17 AM PST
“Tapi pada saya Hadi ke, Anwar Ibrahim ke, yang paling layak adalah Perdana Menteri yang ada sekarang (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak),” kata Ahli Parlimen Kota Tinggi Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar. Beliau menegaskan perpecahan dalam Pakatan Rakyat semakin jelas apabila masing-masing cuba menunjukkan belang tersendiri. “Cara mereka bertindak berasaskan emosi (tapi) pada saya Hadi tak layak jadi PM,” kata bekas Menteri Dalam Negeri itu ketika ditemui pemberita di lobi Parlimen hari ini. Pendapat Syed Hamid itu turut disokong Ahli Parlimen Putrajaya Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor yang yakin cita-cita Anwar mahu pun Hadi itu tidak akan tercapai kerana baginya Pakatan Rakyat tidak akan mampu menawan Putarajaya pada Pilihan Raya Umum (PRU) 13 nanti. “Itu masalahnya dengan pembangkang, mereka sendiri tiada pendirian tetap mengenai siapa paling layak jadi pemimpin nombor satu negara. “Saya percaya rakyat takkan terpedaya dengan helah mereka kerana Pakatan sendiri tidak pernah melaksanakan apa yang mereka janjikan,” katanya. Sementara itu Naib Presiden MCA Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai berkata, terpulang kepada majoriti rakyat menentukannya, namun menyeru DAP supaya memikirkan semula langkah mereka untuk terus bersama Pakatan Rakyat. Katanya, PAS perlu memberikan penjelasan yang meyakinkan terutamanya kepada masyarakat bukan Islam tentang impian mereka untuk melaksanakan hukum hudud. “DAP perlu bertindak tegas dalam hal ini. Kalau rasa PAS tidak betul, DAP sepatutnya keluar daripada Pakatan,” kata Timbalan Menteri Kewangan itu. Manakala Ahli Parlimen Tangga Batu Datuk Idris Haron berkata isu ini membuktikan ‘lakonan’ Pakatan Rakyat yang kononnya menyokong antara satu sama lain terserlah. Sekaligus dapat meyakinkan rakyat bahawa Pakatan memang tidak layak mentadbir kerajaan Persekutuan. “Akhirnya kebenaran terserlah. PAS mahukan Hadi sebagai Presiden pada masa yang sama DAP dan PKR mahukan orang lain. “Ini cukup membuktikan mereka memang tak layak mentadbir kerajaan,” katanya. Wakil Dewan Ulama PAS Pusat Hairun Nizam Mat Hussain dalam Muktamar PAS ke-58 minggu lalu membuat usul tersebut dan kemudiannya disambut baik oleh Hadi sendiri. Cadangan Hairun Nizam itu susulan kenyataan Penasihat DAP, Lim Kit Siang pada ceramah Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat sebelum itu yang menyatakan Anwar sebagai calon paling layak menerajui kepimpinan negara. |
| Malaysians overseas will be allowed to vote Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:05 AM PST
DAP MP Anthony Loke said this at a press conference held at the Parliament lobby today. Also present were PKR MPs Fuziah Salleh and Nurul Izzah Anwar. This was revealed to the parliamentarians by the EC is a meeting held at the Parliament secretariat room. The meeting was chaired by EC chairman Abdul Aziz Yusof and his deputy Wan Ahmad Wan Omar. The nearly three hours meeting was attended by about 50 MPs from both sides of the political divide. Loke, who is Rasah MP, said he was glad by the assurance given by the EC. However, he also reminded the electoral body that they had only two weeks to gazette the required regulations. "I told them that they only have two weeks. The next parliamentary session will be held only after the 13th general election," he said. Loke added that Abdul Aziz also promised that military and police officers would be called for advanced voting, instead of being postal voters, for the general election except for those serving overseas and at the borders. "He also assured that Rela officers will not be postal voters and categorised as normal voters," he said. On related matter, Fuziah said that Pakatan leaders were concerned over some reports that Rela officers may be turned into postal voters and Abdul Aziz’s assurance was timely. The Kuantan MP said that a parliamentary constituency would have between 8,000 and 10,000 Rela members, which could affect an area’s electoral results. "I also pointed out that about 2,000 voters were shifted from their voting locality from Pekan to Kuantan, which is illegal. "When I asked EC about this, Abdul Aziz said they were correcting the voters’ locality. But when I told them their homes were in Pekan, he just said he would look into it," said Fuziah. Nurul said that it was upsetting that MPs had to verify the voters’ list when it was supposed to be the EC’s job to do so. "In India, the electoral commission does all this. As for my constituency alone, I have about 40% dubious names in the electoral list," she said. |
| Tropical citizens die 7.7 years sooner Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:52 AM PST  SYDNEY, Nov 19, 2012 (AFP) – People living in the tropics are likely to die more than seven years younger than those in other regions, according to the first findings of a global research project released today.The “State of the Tropics” study, run by 13 institutions across 12 countries, reported that people living in the world’s tropical zones in 2010 had an average life expectancy of 64.4 years. This was 7.7 years less than those living in non-tropical areas, according to the broad-ranging research project, which was initiated by Australia’s James Cook University (JCU). Overall mortality in the region was affected by disease, conflict, poverty and food insecurity, the study said. Investment in social services, such as health and education, as well as access to water, sanitation and medical technology, were also important factors. According to the report, Central and Southern Africa had the worst adult mortality rates, with 377 in every 1,000 people who live to 15 years old dying before they reach 60. That compares with an average of 240 in every 1,000 across the tropics and 154 in every 1,000 for the rest of the world. Australia has the largest tropical landmass among developed nations and JCU vice chancellor Sandra Harding said a citizen of the country’s tropical north typically died two-and-a-half years earlier than one in the south. The study estimates that all continents except Europe and Antarctica are partly in the tropics and 144 nations or territories are either “fully or partly in the tropical region”. By 2050 about half the world is expected to live in the tropics – a vast area encompassing swathes of Australia, South and Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Oceania. Harding said the tropics were an increasingly critical region, being home to more than 40 percent of the world’s population and generating about 20 percent of global economic output. “However, the resources to sustain larger populations and economic growth are imposing ever-increasing pressures,” said Harding. “The idea of the tropics has geopolitical, economic and strategic importance,” she added. “Sooner or later, we will have to take this seriously.” The report found that life expectancy in the tropics has increased in the past 60 years, with people living 22.8 years longer than in 1950. Southeast Asia saw the biggest improvements in life expectancy in the 60 years to 2010, adding 26.7 years to the average lifespan, compared with a global average increase of 20.2 years in the same period. Infant mortality in the tropics also decreased from 161 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1950 to 58 per 1,000 in 2010, though this is still much higher than the 33 per 1,000 rate in the rest of the world. Institutions in Kenya, Ecuador, England, Thailand, Singapore, Costa Rica, Denmark, the United States, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Brazil are partners in the study, which will release its next installments on forests, marine life and economic output in 2013. - AFP |
| Share prices close lower in lacklustre trade Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:49 AM PST
The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 5.97 points to close at 1,623.31, after hovering between 1,620.51 and 1,626.96. “On the technical side, telco stocks seemed to have added a downward pressure on the local bourse,” one dealer said today. If the stocks of Telekom Malaysia and DiGi manage to get past the level of RM5.60 and RM4.90 respectively, then it would add interest to the stocks and help lift up the market. Another dealer said the market was quiet with investors sidelined and awaiting positive outcome from the US in solving its fiscal cliff issue. Losers led gainers by 378 to 280, while 335 counters were unchanged, 654 counters untraded and 17 others suspended. Volume fell to 848.81 million shares worth RM1.112 billion from 895.96 million shares worth RM1.75 billion last Friday. The Finance Index fell 19.59 points to 14,997.32, the Plantation Index lost 53.70 points to 7,968.8 and the Industrial Index was down 14.76 points to 2,783.92. The FBM Ace Index decreased 9.97 points to 4,247.68, the FBM Emas Index eased 38.54 points to 11,092.20, FBMT100 weakened 39.34 points to 10,928.11 and the FBM Mid 70 Index fell 40.05 points to 12,234.84. Among actives, Karambunai Corp gained 4.5 sen to 16.5 sen, Tiger Synergy rose one sen to 33.5 sen while Luster Industries added half-a-sen to 12.5 sen. Of the heavyweights, Maybank lost two sen to RM9.03, Sime Darby fell three sen to RM9.53 and CIMB declined one sen to RM7.63. Volume on the Main Market dwindled to 657.242 million units worth RM1.08 billion from 723.89 million units worth RM1.72 billion last Friday. Turnover on the ACE Market fell to 100.02 million shares valued at RM18.71 million from 104.5 million shares valued at RM17.77 million previously. Warrants rose to 87.69 million units worth RM5.38 million from 63.45 million units worth RM4.45 million previously. Consumer products accounted for 58.99 million shares on the Main Market, industrial products 123.79 million, construction 14.16 million, trade and services 237.14 million, technology 32.87 million, infrastructure 13.71 million, finance 27.29 million, hotels 590,500, properties 130.84 million, plantations 9.13 million, mining 13,000, REITs 8.66 million and closed/fund 39,500. - Bernama |
| ‘Cold-blooded’ ice cream lady in Austrian murder trial Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:48 AM PST  VIENNA: A woman described as “singularly cold-blooded” went on trial in Austria today accused of murdering two men and setting their sawn-up body parts in concrete in the cellar of her ice cream parlour.Dubbed the “trial of the year” in Austrian media, Goidsargi Estibaliz Carranza Zabala, who has joint Spanish-Mexican citizenship, is charged with shooting dead her husband in 2008 and in 2010 her new partner. Prosecutors allege she then sliced up the bodies of Holger Holz and Manfred Hinterberger with a chain saw and concealed the pieces in concrete that she mixed in the cellar under her “Schleckeria” shop in Vienna. The gruesome remains were discovered by chance during maintenance work in June 2011. After going on the run to Italy, Carranza was captured several days afterwards and later extradited. When arrested, Carranza was two-months pregnant by another man, whom she married in prison in March this year. The baby was born in January but the boy was immediately taken away from her and is now reportedly being looked after Carranza’s parents in Barcelona. A psychiatric report commissioned by the court said that Carranza, now in a unit for the “mentally abnormal”, was dangerous and was like a “princess … who just wants to be ‘rescued’ by a man”. “She intends to confess. She has already told the court-appointed expert everything that she did, as she also did when she was arrested by the Italian police,” Werner Tomanek, one of her defence lawyers, told AFP. - AFP |
| China urges ‘maximum restraint’ in Gaza Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:44 AM PST  BEIJING: China today called for “maximum restraint” by all parties, especially Israel, in the Gaza Strip conflict as the death toll from air strikes on the territory rose to 87.The statement came as Israel pushed raids against Palestinian Hamas militants into a sixth day and geared up to expand operations with a ground offensive even as international efforts to broker a ceasefire gathered pace. “We strongly urge relevant parties, in particular Israel, to exercise maximum restraint,” said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. “China supports Arab countries’ just position on the Israeli-Arab issue.” A UN Security Council member, China has voiced support for the Palestinian push for statehood and urged the international community to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but not played an active role itself. As with the neighbouring conflict in Syria, China generally opposes intervention in the internal affairs of other nations. Senior officials from Hamas, which controls Gaza, have said that Egypt-mediated talks held on Sunday with Israel were “positive” but now focused on the need to guarantee the terms of any truce. Analysts say Israel’s leadership appears satisfied with the success of Operation Pillar of Defence, which it launched in an effort to halt Palestinian rocket fire, and that could it be ready for a ceasefire. The Israeli operation began with the targeted killing of Hamas military chief Ahmed Jaabari in an air strike last Wednesday. The latest deaths came after a night of air strikes and sustained fire from navy ships. - AFP |
| Australia imposes two-year ban on supertrawlers Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:43 AM PST  SYDNEY: Australia banned supertrawlers fishing in its southern waters for two years today, saying there was uncertainty about the impact of such large vessels on species such as dolphins and seals.Environment Minister Tony Burke in September blocked the 9,500-tonne, 143-metre Abel Tasman from operating for 60 days until more scientific research was completed. The Dutch-owned vessel, previously known as the Margiris, planned to trawl off Tasmania, but environmental campaign group Greenpeace voiced fears its haul could include threatened species in its by-catch and deplete fish stocks. On Monday Burke extended the ban — which covers the Small Pelagic Fishery running along the country’s southern coast from near Perth in the west almost to the Queensland border in the east — for the maximum 24 months allowed. “I’ve signed off on there being a two-year ban… for supertrawlers to be operating in our waters,” he told reporters in Canberra. So-called “supertrawlers” are designed to store a much larger amount of fish on board than ordinary trawlers, so that they can remain at sea for much longer periods before having to return to port. Burke said while scientists believed the Abel Tasman would not impact on all species adversely, there were question marks over some, including seals and dolphins. An expert panel will carry out an assessment. “The challenge here has always been, a vessel of this nature had never been used in Australian waters,” he said. “It did carry additional environmental challenges where on a number of occasions the information that I sought was not available. There was significant uncertainty about what the environmental consequence will be.” Fisheries authorities have dismissed concerns about over-fishing, saying the trawler would only be allowed to catch 10 percent of available fish and would have little, if any, impact on the broader ecosystem. - AFP |
| Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:36 AM PST  WASHINGTON: Canadian pop star Justin Bieber had a big night at the American Music Awards, taking three prizes including the top honor, favorite artist of the year.The other two awards bestowed on the 18-year-old yesterday were favorite pop/rock male artist and favorite pop/rock album for his record “Believe.” Rapper Nicki Minaj won the awards for favorite rap/hip hop album and favorite rap/hip hop artist. Rihanna won a prize for best soul/R&B album for “Talk that Talk.” Taylor Swift took her fifth straight award for favorite country female artist. The awards ceremony was held in Los Angeles. Fans chose winners by voting online.—AFP |
| F1′s successful return leaves US wanting more Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:24 AM PST
“The future of F1 in the USA? I think we’ll finish with three races here within the next three years,” a beaming Ecclestone told reporters. “The race was fantastic wasn’t it? Really was a super race. “If you tried to plan this, to have the (title) race finish in Brazil, you couldn’t have done a better job. “Everybody is very happy here. The governor’s happy, they’re all happy. You feel good when you’ve done something that works.” On a busy sporting Sunday with a full slate of National Football League action and NASCAR crowning their champion in Florida, the U.S. Grand Prix held its own, delivering gripping drama as Formula One made a rousing return to America following a five-year absence. Circuit of the Americas, the United States’s only purpose-built F1 track carved spectacularly out of the south Texas scrublands at a cost of $400 million, provided a magnificent stage as McLaren’s Hamilton out-raced championship contenders Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso for the win. A capacity crowd of almost 120,000 flooded into Formula One’s newest venue on a sun-splashed day to cap off weekend of partying that had attracted jet-setters and A-listers along with the political and business elite to the quirky Texas capital. Among those spotted roaming the paddock were Mexico president Felipe Calderon, Texas governor Rick Perry, movie mogul George Lucas, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and director Ron Howard, who is about to release a Formula One-themed movie. Conspicuously absent was Austin’s most famous sportsman, disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, who kept a low profile with world’s media at his doorstep. Although all conceded there was much work to be done before the series can claim a firm foothold in the U.S., many hailed Sunday’s race as the start of a new era for Formula One in a market it is determined to conquer. “I think they have done a great job here. The track is fantastic.” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said. “I think we saw a great race today and the enthusiasm from the fans and the public and the town has been tremendous. It looks like Formula One has been a big hit here in Texas. “We just have to make sure we continue to put on a good show. You can see the enthusiasm there is for Formula One it would be great at some point to have another race in the States, which is obviously under discussion.” Formula One teams up and down the Austin paddock could not hide their delight at being back in the US., while Ecclestone found a new-found enthusiasm for a market he had once dismissed. It seems almost certain that more U.S. races will find their way onto the calendar. Plans to put a race in New Jersey next year were postponed when local organisers said they could not be ready in time but Ecclestone remained confident that the event will find a place on the 2014 schedule while tossing out Los Angeles as another serious possibility. “It’s been a great weekend, the fans have been amazing this weekend,” said Hamilton, who also won the last F1 race staged in the United States in 2007. “The warm welcome we’ve had has been fantastic and I think this is probably one of the best, if not the best grand prix we’ve had all year. “Especially for me and my team, this is so special.” -Reuters |
| Giantkillers Samoa give France coach sleepless night Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:10 AM PST
France recorded their second win in the November international matches on Saturday after recovering from a slow start to defeat the Pumas in Lille a week after they opened the Autumn campaign with a 33-6 rout of Australia. They will play their final test next week at the Stade de France against Samoa, who surprised Six Nations champions Wales 26-19 in Cardiff on Friday – a result which triggered a few nightmares for Saint-Andre. “I told the guys that now, the toughest was ahead of us against Samoa,” he told a news conference in Lille. “I have to congratulate my squad tonight but we have to stay humble because the giantkillers are coming at the Stade de France. “Last night, after I watched Wales versus Samoa, I did not sleep very well — and it was not because of today’s game.” France have only played Samoa twice in their history, winning both tests, one home in 2009 and one away ten years before. (Writing by Gregory Blachier; Editing by Nick Mulvenney) -Reuters |
| India trounce England by 9 wickets Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:09 AM PST
Virender Sehwag (25) and Cheteswar Pujara (41 not out) helped India chase down the 77-run target in 15.3 overs. Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 11. Earlier, India took control of the match after packing England off for 406 in their second innings at lunch, which left the home team with a paltry victory target of 77 on the fifth and final day here today. Pragyan Ojha dealt two severe blows on England in the space of only 12 balls, by breaking the stubborn sixth wicket stand between rival captain Alastair Cook and wicketkeeper Matt Prior, to provide the spark for India's renewed quest of winning the Test. Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and Zaheer Khan polished off the tail in style to leave the hosts a small target to chase in the last two sessions and take a 1—0 lead in the four—match series. Ojha finished with 4 for 120 after a fine morning spell of 2 for 18 in 11 overs, which included the wickets of Cook (176) and Prior (91). England trailed India by 330 runs after making 191 in their first innings in reply to India's mammoth for 521 for 8 declared and then avoided the innings defeat yesterday by reaching 340 for five. The visitors lost their last five wickets for the addition of 66 runs in 26.3 overs and the final wicket — that of Tim Bresnan — fell seven minutes before the scheduled lunch forcing an early break. After being frustrated by Cook and Prior since the afternoon session yesterday, Ojha dismissed the two in superb fashion by deceiving both with his turn off the bowlers' rough to prise open the doors of victory for India before lunch. Yadav then packed off England vice captain Stuart Broad for 3 to leave the visitors tottering at 378 for 8 in their second innings, in effect 48 for 8 having conceded a 330—run first innings lead to the hosts. Zaheer Khan ended the England innings by having Bresnan (20 in 75 minutes) caught at short extra cover by substitute fielder Ajinkya Rahane, fielding for the absent Gautam Gambhir who was yet to return from Delhi where he had gone yesterday. -Agencies |
| Saya tidak keluarkan arahan, kata MB Selangor Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:06 AM PST
Beliau sebaliknya berkata cadangan dikemukakan adalah untuk memilih bakal Datuk Bandar dan Yang Dipertua di negeri ini mengikut kehendaknya dan tiada kaitan dengan penamatan tugas Zainal Abidin. “Saya hanya bercakap dengan pegawai perjawatan di Pejabat Setiausaha Kerajaan, bahawa kerajaan negeri ingin tentukan siapa yang akan jadi Datuk Bandar. Saya minta mereka senaraikan nama-nama yang boleh dicadangkan untuk jadi Datuk Bandar. “Saya sendiri tidak tahu sama ada cadangan saya itu diluluskan atau tidak sehinggalah pengumuman (penamatan tugas Zainal Abidin) di buat oleh Ketua Setiausaha Negara (KSN) Datuk Seri Dr Ali Hamsa,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Selangor di sini hari ini. Ditanya pemberita sama ada beliau mengeluarkan surat penamatan berkenaan, Abdul Khalid menafikan perkara itu. Malah beliau menjelaskan beberapa cadangan nama untuk pemilihan Datuk Bandar dan Yang Dipertua Negeri dilakukan sebelum timbulnya kontroversi pembinaan projek kondominium, Dolomite Park Avenue setinggi 29 tingkat di Batu Caves. “Saya tidak pernah menulis surat kepada KSN supaya memberhentikan YDP. Sebagai Menteri Besar saya juga mesti melihat apa yang dipanggil ‘succession planning’ (rancangan penggantian) dapat dilakukan. “Jika Datuk Bandar tinggal setahun (kerja) lepas itu pencen…saya tak nak tunggu hingga sehingga dia berpencen baru saya nak cari pengganti,” jelasnya. Pada Jumaat lalu, Ali Hamsa berkata Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri Selangor melalui surat bertarikh 15 Okt lepas memaklumkan bahawa Abdul Khalid memutuskan untuk menggantikan Zainal Abidin dengan pegawai lain. Pertukaran Zainal Abidin ke Institut Tadbiran Awam Negara (Intan) sebelum ini menimbulkan beberapa kontroversi termasuk tuduhan yang mengatakan beliau ditukarkan dalam tempoh 24 jam atas kenyataannya berhubung pembinaan projek kondominium setinggi 29 tingkat itu. Ali berkata kekeliruan itu timbul mungkin kerana pihak yang mengeluarkan kenyataan itu sebelum ini tidak dimaklumkan mengenai permohonan kerajaan negeri untuk menggantikan Zainal Abidin. |
| Mah Sing on track to meet RM2.5b sales target Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:48 AM PST
“We have consistently achieved more than RM2 billion sales since 2011, and our stable of 40 projects will enable us to continue sustaining our sales growing forward. “We are targeting another record sales in 2013 of at least RM3 billion,” group managing director and group chief executive Leong Hoy Kum said in a statement. The group said with 40 projects in hand, its unbilled locked in sales and remaining gross development value (GDV) is estimated at more than RM20 billion, which would last up to eight years. On the RM3 billion sales target next year, Mah Sing expects 59% to come from the sales of its Greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley properties, while Penang would contribute 14%, Johor Baru 20% and Sabah 6%. On land acquisition, the group has currently embarked on four land deals with a combined GDV of RM5.88 billion. Mah Sing recorded a 37% higher net profit of about RM175.2 million for the nine months ended Sept 30, 2012, from the same period last year. The premier lifestyle developer said it achieved a 16% rise in revenue of RM1.3 billion for the period. “Basic earnings per share were up 37% to 21 sen, a leap from the 15 sen last year,” it added. - Bernama |
| Gaza death toll hits 87 as truce efforts intensify Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:47 AM PST  GAZA: Air strikes today killed 10 Palestinians raising the toll to 87, as Israel pushed raids against Gaza militants into a sixth day amid a flurry of efforts to broker a truce.The latest deaths, which medics and Palestinian security officials said occurred right across the Gaza Strip, came after a night of air strikes and sustained fire from navy ships which also levelled a police station. As the violence escalated, international efforts to broker a ceasefire gathered pace, with senior Hamas officials in Cairo saying Egyptian-mediated talks on Sunday with Israel were “positive” but now focused on the need to guarantee the terms of any truce. Egypt, led by Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, has been pressed to exert its influence on Gaza’s Hamas rulers to restore calm. Morsi’s office said that the president had met with both Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal and Islamic Jihad chief Abdullah Shalah to discuss “Egyptian efforts to end the aggression.” UN leader Ban Ki-moon urged Israel and Hamas to work with Egypt to reach a ceasefire, and in a statement said he was heading for the region to support truce efforts. His office did not say when he would arrive but Israel’s foreign ministry said it was expecting him on Wednesday, with the Palestinians also confirming he would meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas at some point. Palestinian officials said it was possible a deal would be reached as early as Monday, despite warnings by Israel it was gearing up to expand its operation, which until now has been predominantly an air campaign, into ground offensive. Analysts say Israel’s leadership appears satisfied with the success of Operation Pillar of Defence, which it launched on Wednesday aimed at halting Palestinian rocket fire, and that could it be ready for a ceasefire. But Hamas, emboldened by Arab support, has demanded as conditions for a ceasefire that Israel lift its siege of Gaza, in place since 2006, and international guarantees that it will halt attacks on Gaza, including assassinations of the movement's leaders. The latest operation against the Gaza Strip began with the targeted killing of Hamas military chief Ahmed Jaabari in an air strike in Gaza City on Wednesday. Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman insisted that “the first and absolute condition for a truce is stopping all fire from Gaza,” and that all armed groups would have to commit to it. The Israeli army said today morning it had “at least 80 terror sites” overnight, including the Hamas police headquarters, bringing the number of sites it has targeted in Gaza to more than 1,350. A military spokeswoman said no rockets from Gaza hit Israel overnight, although at least two exploded in the early hours of today. Among those killed on Monday were three farmers killed in two separate air strikes, as well as three members of the same family who died in a strike on a car in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Palestinian officials said. In Gaza City, two women and a child were among four killed in a strike on the Zeitun neighbourhood. Monday’s deaths came after multiple raids on Sunday that killed 29, in the bloodiest day of Israel’s bombing campaign. Three Israelis have been killed and more than 50 injured by rocket fire since Wednesday. By far the deadliest strike on Sunday was in northern Gaza City where a missile levelled a three-storey building, killing nine members of the Al-Dallu family – five of them children – and two of their neighbours, medics said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that Israel was ready to “significantly expand” its operation as public radio reported that 40,000 reservists were amassed near the Gaza border, ready for a ground incursion. US President Barack Obama said it was “preferable” for the Gaza crisis to be resolved without a “ramping up” of Israeli military activity, while French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said his country was willing to help broker a truce. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said “a ground invasion of Gaza would lose Israel a lot of the international support and sympathy that they have in this situation.” - AFP |
| RM300 juta untuk jambatan ketiga Klang Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:35 AM PST
SHAH ALAM: Kerajaan Negeri Selangor memperuntukkan RM300 juta bagi pembinaan jambatan ketiga di Klang yang didakwa gagal disempurnakan oleh kerajaan Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN). Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim mengumumkan perkara itu ketika sesi belanjawan 2013 yang bertemakan “Selangor Peneraju Ekonomi Malaysia” pada sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) di sini hari ini. Katanya, kerajaan negeri akan mendahulukan wang tersebut bagi pembinaan jambatan itu untuk mengotakan janji yang tidak ditepati oleh Umno-BN. “Saya difahamkan upacara pecah tanah telah disempurnakan oleh kerajaan terdahulu beberapa hari sahaja sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum ke-12. Malangnya, setelah lebih empat tahun, jangankan jambatan……sebatang rangka tiang pun masih tidak kelihatan. “Oleh itu, pada tahun 2013 nanti, meskipun kita maklum bahawa pembinaan jambatan adalah tanggungjawab Kerajaan Persekutuan, namun Kerajaan negeri akan mendahulukan wang untuk pembinaannya bagi "mengotakan" Janji Yang Tidak Ditepati oleh UMNO-BN,” katanya yang juga Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Ijok. Kerajaan negeri juga memperuntukan sejumlah RM1,630 juta dianggarkan diterima daripada Hasil Cukai sebanyak RM584,444,172.26 (35.86 peratus), Hasil Bukan Cukai sebanyak RM859,803,567.74 (52.75 peratus) dan Terimaan Bukan Hasil sebanyak RM185,752,260 atau (11.40 peratus).
Penjimatan perbelanjaan sebanyak RM102.2 juta daripada tender terbuka melibatkan 63 projek diluluskan sepanjang tahun lalu dan lebih membanggakan ia menerusi konsep ‘value for money’. Pengambilalihan kerja-kerja pelupusan sisa pepejal turut membantu kerajaan negeri menjimatkan lebih RM80 juta setahun. |
| Hadi as PM: Is Najib responsible? Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:10 AM PST
In his latest posting “Does ABU equal to Anwar-for-PM?”, Raja Petra said that about a month before Anwar was acquitted, there was already news filtering out from Umno that Anwar would be freed, adding that the information came from ‘high-ups’ in Umno and was told to him by lawyer-activist Haris Ibrahim. “Sam [Haris] received from his contacts in Umno that Anwar would be acquitted from the 'Sodomy 2' charge. The information that Sam received was that Najib had made a deal with Anwar. However, it was not too clear what type of deal it was,” wrote Raja Petra. He said that Anwar’s acquittal would ‘more or less confirm’ that the latter had turned “Umno Trojan horse”. Raja Petra also referred to the latest statements by the PAS Ulama and Muslimat wings’ supporting party president Abdul Hadi Awang to be made prime minister, saying that this may have been in response to Anwar’s unexpected acquittal. “We were not the only ones caught gasping by Anwar's acquittal. PAS, too, could not accept Anwar as prime minister. But for them to renounce Anwar would have been 'bad politics'. However, if Anwar were convicted for Sodomy 2, then the problem would solve itself. “Due to Anwar's conviction for Sodomy 2, he would be disqualified from becoming prime minister even if Pakatan Rakyat wins enough seats to form the next federal government,” he wrote. “If Anwar had been convicted for Sodomy 2, it would have been considered 'good politics', said Raja Petra. According to Raja Petra, jailing Anwar would have had a adverse effect on Barisan Nasiona (BN). “The sympathy factor would be high and Anwar could be 'marketed' as a martyr and a victim of injustice. Having Anwar in jail would benefit the opposition a great deal. “Plus it would solve the additional problem of not having him as the Prime Minister in the event Pakatan Rakyat gets to form the federal government,” he said. Was acquittal an independent decision? Raja Petra said PM Najib may have realised that acquitting Anwar worked better for BN than putting him in jail. “Najib, too, knew that PAS did not want Anwar as prime minister. Hence the prime minister would be doing PAS a favour by putting Anwar in jail. “But if Anwar were to be acquitted, then PAS would face a dilemma. Do they (PAS) keep quiet and accept Anwar as prime minister or do they openly declare that they cannot accept Anwar as prime minister?” “Was Anwar's acquittal an independent decision by the judge or was the judge's decision to acquit Anwar a brilliant political move by Najib to drive a wedge between PAS and PKR (plus also now between PAS and DAP it seems)?” Many in PAS are not convinced about Anwar's innocence in the Sodomy II matter, but did not want to openly say so, said Raja Petra. “They are convinced that Anwar is guilty. But they do not want to be the ones to say so. They want the court to say so by convicting Anwar. “But when the court did not do that, PAS either has to accept that as an indication that Anwar is innocent or else they would have to come out and say that they do not want Anwar as prime minister — without explaining why and leaving it unsaid that the reason is because they think Anwar is guilty.” Speculating further, Raja Petra said that if PAS won 60 seats out of a 120 in Parliament to form the federal government, DAP and PKR combined would only have 60 seats, giving PAS a concrete standing to assert who should be the prime minister. “Hence it is not impossible for Abdul Hadi to become the prime minister if PAS wins more seats that PKR and DAP — unless DAP wins the most number of seats and they nominate Anwar for prime minister.” Also read:
Does ABU equal to Anwar-for-PM? DAP: Anwar tetap pilihan, bukan Hadi |
| More dirt revealed on ‘violent’ 6P agents Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:09 AM PST
Investigations by the Selangor Anti-Human Trafficking Council (Mapmas) together with FMT have revealed that the company, SNT Universal Corporation Sdn Bhd, may have acted beyond its supposed duties of registering foreign labour to have deceived, not only the foreign workers, but also the authorities. The deception, according to Mapmas task force member and activist Abdul Aziz Ismail, involved the setting up of more than a dozen companies which act as “bogus employers”. These “bogus employers”, he explained, were companies with no proper business infrastructure, and were formed for the sole purpose of obtaining fraudulent work permits for foreign workers under the 6P programme. FMT saw documents, including several company searches from Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), which showed that the same few individuals who ran and owned SNT Universal Corporation were behind at least 10 other companies. Most of them were set up between 2011 and 2012. Among the same owners and directors, one of the recurring names in these companies was that of one “Md. Shahidul Islam”, supposedly of a Bangladeshi man called “Babul”. He was the same man who was named in a police report in regard to the previous cheating and assault case. (Authorities have yet to explain why a foreigner is able to run a 6P “management” company, which is prohibited by the Home Ministry under the 6P programme.) “Basically, the same people have more than a dozen companies. These are quite simply what we term as bogus employers. These are companies that, in reality, don’t really need workers. Instead, they are formed just to victimise them,” said Abdul Aziz.
“But from my checks on these companies, both at the SSM and local authorities, none of them are actually involved in these businesses. They neither have the proper audited report, or the licences for these respective industries,” alleged Abdul Aziz. He said with the absence of those audited reports and licences, the companies do not qualify the requirements set by the Home Ministry as a proper employers. “It is also very strange that the same set of individuals and proxies are running so many kinds of businesses, don’t you think?” “That is because they are setting up all these companies with the sole objective of obtaining these fake permits for these foreign workers. When the workers are being arrested for not having the proper documents, they force them to pay RM1,000 to RM2,000 so that they can help them settle, because they are the ones holding their passports. They basically hold these workers at ransom,” he said. A check on a previously publicly available list of government-appointed 6P agents found SNT Universal Corporation to be on the list. Inside help Meanwhile, a 6P agent familiar with the processes told FMT that given the facts of this case, the company in question would most likely need a “jalan” or inside help from government authorities for their supposed modus operandi to work. “The criteria the government has are supposedly quite strict. Appointed 6P agent cannot be foreigners themselves,” the source said.
(Under the 6P programme, illegal foreign workers will either be legalised or deported without punishment. The six Ps represent the Malay words for registration, legalisation, amnesty, monitoring, enforcement and deportation. Some 330 companies have been appointed to assist in the registration process.) On Nov 5, FMT reported about two CCTV videos showing Bangladeshi workers being slapped and attacked by those allegedly from SNT Universal Corporation, based in Taman Maluri, Cheras. The videos, exposed by Mapmas with the help of a whistleblower, showed victims who are allegedly part of a bigger group of some 200 who were cheated by the same company. A police report was lodged over the matter. It was understood that police have picked up several individuals to assist investigations into the case. Pix courtesy of Abdul Aziz Ismail Also read: CCTV exposes 6P agents abusing foreign worker |
| MCA slams PAS over Kedah logging Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:07 AM PST
Gurun state assemblyman, Leong Yong Kong, said despite news report exposes on the matter in recent months, Kedah continues to allow forest reserve land to be cleared. “The Kedah state government has not done anything about the situation despite the fact that the area logged is classified as a forest reserve,” he said. Citing a Nov 19 NST report, Leong added that logging took place just 500 metres from the Pedu Dam water catchment area. The report said that 13,325 hectares of land had been cleared under the state’s Ladang Rakyat rubber plantation programme. According to the recent Auditor-General’s Report 2011, the state received RM74.92 million in “Forest Premium” tax revenue in 2011, a RM26.38 million increase from the previous year. The report said that most of this revenue came from rubber project areas worth RM30.84 million and “annual allowable logging” worth RM32.41 million. At the same time, the state also earned RM4.12 million in 2011 (a 71.7% increase from 2010) from “Forest Material Production Royalties”, due to an increase in logging areas. Leong attacked the state government for increasing its logging revenue at the expense of its water resources. Calling it deforestation, he added that Kedah’s water supply was in danger of contamination, and warned of the possibility of landslides. With the logging in mind, he mused what PAS might do if it was in control of the federal government. “While PAS can go around bragging about how they will clean corruption, the voters should take note of the cleaning of trees in PAS’s own backyard,” he said. Attempts to contact the Kedah state government were unsuccessful. |
| Anwar tetap pilihan, bukan Hadi Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:05 AM PST
Setiausaha Agungnya Lim Guan Eng berkata, tiada individu lain selayak Anwar dan perkara ini sudah pun diputuskan dari awal sejak Pakatan Rakyat dibentuk. “Pakatan Rakyat telah membuat kata sepakat sebelum ini bahawa sekiranya Pakatan menang pada pilihan raya kali ini, bakal Perdana Menteri adalah Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. "Setakat ini tidak ada permintaan atau perubahan dan pendirian DAP masih sama seperti dulu iaitu calon PM adalah Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim," katanya kepada pemberita di lobi Parlimen hari ini. Ahli Parlimen Bagan itu berkata, sesiapa pun boleh mengeluarkan cadangan untuk memilih pemimpin daripada parti masing-masing, namun keputusan akhir tetap berada ditangan pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat yang akan diputuskan secara bersama. Walaupun mengakui wujudnya percanggahan agenda politik antara DAP dan PAS kebelakangan ini, namun hubungan itu tidak akan terjejas kerana tetap fokus terhadap isu yang memenangkan mereka semasa PRU13 nanti. “Memang perbezaan pendapat wujud antara DAP dan PAS tapi kita perjuangkan agenda yang ada dalam Buku Jingga. “Kita hormat PAS seperti PAS hormat DAP. Kita berganding bahu dalam isu bersama iaitu melawan rasuah dan mahu selamatkan Malaysia daripada cengkaman kuasa kronisme,” katanya. |
| Analysts: Hadi as PM is a moot issue Posted: 19 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST P At least four prominent analysts seem agreed that it will not affect Pakatan Rakyat's solidarity. They said the opposition alliance had firmly decided on Anwar Ibrahim's premiership even if some PAS members were averse to the idea. “This will not cause a rift in Pakatan because its leadership has formally agreed that Anwar will be picked as PM," said James Chin, a professor at Monash University. Chin was referring to the repeated endorsement of Abdul Hadi as premier-in-waiting during last weekend's PAS muktamar. Delegates who made the call included those of PAS’s Ulama wing. Independent analyst Khoo Kay Peng said the PAS leader was never in the running for the prime minister's position. “I don’t think this will be taken seriously, unless it is endorsed by the highest of PAS’s leadership,” he said. Furthermore, he added, Abdul Hadi might not make a better PM than Anwar, given their large differences in experience and international image. He noted that Anwar had held various ministerial posts, including that of deputy prime minister. Denison Jayasooria, a research fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said having a well-balanced federal cabinet was more important than deciding who should be PM. He also advised Pakatan to focus more on a comprehensive policy direction rather than on the PM’s position. Universiti Malaya’s Azmi Sharom said the question was premature and would not matter if Pakatan were to lose the coming general election. He pointed out that a potential PM needed first to win a seat, win the confidence of the majority of Parliament and have the endorsement of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. He said that there was no way, at present, of knowing whether either Anwar or Abdul Hadi would win a seat in the 13th general election. Also read: DAP: Anwar tetap pilihan, bukan Hadi |
| Commission to police the police needed Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:50 PM PST
Penang DAP Youth said it would campaign for the establishment of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to check these abuses. Its assistant secretary M Satees said an independent commission was urgently needed because of many high-profile cases involving police personnel. He listed three such cases: the deaths of Altantuya Shaarriibu, A Kugan, and the rape of an Indonesian maid in Penang. Satees’ group has sent a memorandum urging for the setting up of the IPCMC to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar today. “We, the members of Penang DAP Youth, want the IPCMC to be formed immediately so that it can investigate complaints against the police force as recommended in the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police,” said the memorandum. The memorandum also called for the tabling of an IPCMC Bill in the Dewan Rakyat. A royal commission led by former chief justice Mohamed Dzaidin Abdullah, among others, had recommended the formation of an IPCMC in 2005. However, the IPCMC was not formed due to strong objection from the police force. Instead, a watered-down bill was pushed through Parliament that led to the formation of the Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission. In the memorandum, the Penang DAP Youth also strongly stated that the police force should not object to the formation of the commission. “It is the only mechanism that assures the people that police investigations are conducted with integrity,” the memorandum stated. |
| Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:42 PM PST FMT LETTER: From Gobind Singh Deo, via e-mail DAP Chairman Karpal Singh is not the lone voice against PAS’ islamist stand in the DAP. The DAP is united in its stand against hudud and the setting up of an islamic state. We have been consistent and our views on this will not change. If anybody has doubts, let it be clear that the views expressed by the Chairman reflect the official stand of the DAP. The writer is MP for Puchong Also read: Hindraf is with Karpal on hudud, Islamic state |
| Asian markets mostly up on hopes for US fiscal deal Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:30 PM PST
The Nikkei in Tokyo enjoyed a third straight rally due to the yen’s weakness after the front-runner to become Japan’s next prime minister said he would push for unlimited monetary easing if his party won next month’s general election. Tokyo climbed 1.43%, or 129.04 points, to end at 9,153.20, Sydney rose 0.57%, or 24.6 points, to 4,361.4, and Seoul was up 0.93%, or 17.27 points, to close at 1,878.10. In afternoon trade Hong Kong was up 0.29% but Shanghai, where traders were awaiting stimulus policies in Beijing, was down 0.78% to a more than three-year low. US President Barack Obama – currently on a Southeast Asia visit – has met congressional leaders from both parties to open talks on pulling back from the fiscal cliff of tax hikes and spending cuts, due to take effect on Jan 1. Fears around the world over the looming deadline have depressed markets for most of the month. The comments helped Wall Street last Friday. The Dow finished up 0.37% and the S&P 500 added 0.48%, although the Nasdaq shed 0.57%. On currency markets the increased confidence that a deal can be sealed in Washington saw investors move away from the safe-haven yen, providing support to the under-pressure euro and the dollar. The euro bought US$1.2761 and 103.65 yen in early trade, up from US$1.2741 and 103.60 yen in New York late last Friday. The dollar was slightly down at 81.24 yen from 81.31 yen, after it hit 81.59 yen in earlier trade, its highest level in nearly seven months. The dollar climbed 2.3% against the yen last week, its best week since February. The yen was also under selling pressure after opposition party chief Shinzo Abe said last week that he would press the Japanese central bank to carry out a more aggressive monetary policy, which would flood markets with the local currency. Abe is the leader of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, which is expected to win the election on Dec 16. The Nikkei rose 1.90% last Thursday and another 2.20% last Friday on expectations of a win for Abe, who is a former prime minister. “After Friday’s rise, there is renewed energy in the market,” said Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of equities at SMBC Nikko Securities. “With the weaker yen and stronger US stocks, the market is looking more bullish,” he told Dow Jones Newswires. Oil prices rose. New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in January, added 82 US cents to US$87.74 a barrel in the afternoon. Brent North Sea crude for January delivery gained 69 US cents to US$109.64. Gold was at US$1,722.40 by 0700 GMT compared with US$1,707.80 late Friday. In other markets, Wellington closed 0.13%, or 5.23 points, lower at 3,942.61. Fletcher Building was off 0.94% at NZ$7.38, Telecom fell 0.42% to NZ$2.38 and Contact Energy slipped 0.39% to NZ$5.14. Taiwan fell 1.03 points, or 0.01%, to 7,129.04. HTC dropped 2.01% to Tw$243.5 while Hon Hai Precision was 0.56% lower at Tw$89.2. - AFP |
| Suu Kyi voices caution on Myanmar reforms Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:23 PM PST
“The most difficult time in any transition is when we think that success is in sight,” she said at her lakeside home alongside Obama. “We have to be very careful that we’re not lured by the mirage of success.” Obama said the goal of his trip was “to sustain the momentum for democratisation”. “That includes building credible government institutions, establishing rule of law, ending ethnic conflicts and ensuring that the people of this country have access to greater education, health care and economic opportunity,” he said. “I want to make a pledge to the people of this country that I am confident we can keep, and that is, if we see continued progress towards reform our bilateral ties will grow stronger and we will do everything we can to help ensure success.” Obama arrived by limousine for talks with his fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner at the lakeside villa that was her prison for decades under the former junta. Suu Kyi, dressed in a traditional sarong-style skirt, greeted Obama who clasped his hands together as the pair approached each other with a small bow and shook hands. They were joined by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who shared a warm embrace with Suu Kyi, and other senior US officials. The once-dilapidated villa has been spruced up since the veteran dissident’s release from house arrest in November 2010, just days after a controversial election swept by the military’s political allies. Now she regularly welcomes visiting dignitaries and foreign media there, and the White House press corps set up their equipment in the garden Monday. -AFP |
| Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:15 PM PST
Menurut Pengerusi PPPKPD, Mohd Arshad Jalani, sebelum ini wang sewa tapak memang dikutip oleh pihak persatuan. Tetapi krisis ini timbul apabila Ahli Jawatankuasa (AJK) persatuan yang lama tidak terpilih semula pada Mesyuarat Agung yang lepas, Bekas Pengerusi telah mengumumkan bahawa sewa tapak pasar malam akan dikutip oleh MPPD. "Kami amat kesal dengan tindakan Pengerusi lama PPPKPD yang jelas membelakangkan keputusan Mesyuarat Agung bertarikh 15.07.2012 yang lepas. Beliau sebenarnya tiada 'autoriti' untuk membuat sebarang keputusan secara peribadi, namun ini yang berlaku. "Keputusan membenarkan MPPD mengutip sewa tapak pasar malam menyebabkan persatuan tidak ada sebarang dana untuk menjaga kebajikan ahli persatuan. Tindakan Bekas Pengerusi juga jelas membelakangkan undang-undang kerana tidak membentangkan penyata kewangan persatuan semasa Mesyuarat Agung persatuan yang lepas. Ini menyebabkan AJK persatuan yang baru tidak mengetahui kedudukan kewangan persatuan yang terkini," kata Mohd Arshad. Kutipan sewa untuk siapa? Sementara itu Norazizi A Aziz yang mewakili Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) pula berkata perkara ini tidak wajar dipolitikkan kerana ini membabitkan kebajikan para peniaga kecil yang berniaga. "Tindakan MPPD ini jelas menzalimi pihak persatuan dan peniaga kecil itu sendiri. Oleh kerana tiada dana, nasib para peniaga kecil ini akan terabai. Bayangkan jika berlaku kematian atau musibah pada para peniaga, kepada siapa mereka ini nak mengadu? Siapa yang bertanggungjawab terhadap masalah mereka? "Justeru tindakan MPPD ini boleh dipersoalkan. MPPD mengutip sewa bagi pihak siapa? Apa status kewangan terkini duit kutipan sewa tapak para peniaga pasar malam ini? Ini semua boleh dipersoalkan dan akhirnya saya yakin bahawa pihak persatuan yang akan dipersalahkan," kata Norazizi. Norazizi juga menjamin bahawa pihak SAMM akan menyediakan khidmat peguam sekiranya pihak persatuan ingin mengambil sebarang tindakan undang-undang ke atas segala tindakan bekas Pengerusi atau AJK persatuan sebelum ini. Ambil alih kutipan Affandy Malek yang merupakan Setiausaha PPPKPD pula berkata bahawa bermula 17 Nov 2012, pihak persatuan akan mengambil alih kutipan wang sewa tapak pasar malam daripada pihak MPPD. "Ini merupakan langkah awal kemenangan hak pihak persatuan apabila hari ini tidak nampak kelibat penguatkuasa MPPD mengutip duit sewa tapak dari para peniaga. Namun perjuangan ini tidak harus selesai di sini sahaja kerana banyak lagi perkara yang perlu dilakukan demi menjaga kebajikan para peniaga. "Kami juga akan membuka kaunter aduan di tapak pasar malam ini di mana kaunter ini bertujuan untuk menerima sebarang aduan atau cadangan untuk penambahbaikan demi menjamin kebajikan para peniaga. Para peniaga boleh berhubung secara terus dengan pihak kami di kaunter ini. "Pihak persatuan akan memaklumkan secara rasmi tindakan mengutip sewa kepada pihak MPPD dan akan berbincang tentang status terkini pasar malam. "Pihak persatuan juga akan memohon kembali wang kutipan yang dianggarkan mencecah RM10,000 daripada pihak MPPD. Pihak persatuan juga akan meminta penyata kewangan daripada Pengerusi Persatuan sebelum ini untuk dibentangkan kepada ahli dan saya amat berharap agar perkara ini dapat diselesaikan secara baik," ujar Affandy. Jarang turun padang Sementara itu berkaitan isu tersebut Norazizi bagi pihak SAMM dan mewakili pihak penjaja yang terlibat dalam kes ini menyatakan rasa kesal beliau terhadap Ahli Parlimen Telok Kemang, Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas (PKR) dan Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Bagan Pinang (BN), Tan Sri Mohd Isa Samad yang tidak turun padang untuk membantu menyelesaikan masalah rakyat atau penjaja terbabit. "Ketika SAMM membawa penjaja yang bermasalah ini ke Parlimen untuk mengenengahkan masalah yang tidak berkesudahan ini seorang wartawan telah bertanya kepada Ahli Parlimen Telok Kemang dan beliau berkata kehadiran warga Telok Kemang itu tidak ikut protokol, beliau tidak dimaklum awal dan isu itu adalah isu negeri dan bukan isu Parlimen. Beliau begitu sombong dan angkuh sekali. "Sememangnya bukan rahsia lagi Ahli Parlimen Telok Kemang dan ADUN Bagan Pinang jarang turun kawasan dan susah ditemui," kata Norazizi. |
| UPSR 2012: Drop in students who scored As Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:05 PM PST
Malaysia Examinations Board director Na’imah Ishak said the overall performance of UPSR candidates had also fallen by 0.01 point from a National Average Grade (GPN) of 2.30 last year to 2.31 this year. “The cause for this drop is still unknown and the State Education Department and schools will conduct a study on this later,” she said when annoucing the UPSR results here today. A total of 517,139 candidates sat for the UPSR this year, an increase of 3.9% compared to 497,691 candidates last year, whereby 98.2% or 507,783 candidates were from ministry schools and 1.8% or 9,356 candidates were from private schools. Na’imah said 286,930 candidates obtained good results this year with a minimum of C not including all As, a 1.49% increase compared to 269,021 candidates last year, while 17,251 more candidates were below the minum level with all D or E or a combination of both, a 0.54% increase compared to 13,958 candidates last year. She said the number of rural candidates scoring all As increased to 17,329 this year compared to 16,244 candidates last year, while urban candidates dropped to 27,681 candidates compared to 29,462 last year. In terms of good achievement, she said both urban and rural candidates showed an increase of 149,911 urban candidates this year compared to 148,265 last year, and 136,590 rural candidates this year compared to 118,543 last year. “This year the percentage of candidates who scored all subjects below the minimum level decreased, especially in rural areas with a 0.86% drop while urban areas showed a 0.20% drop. “This decrease in percentage shows rural candidates are doing better in terms of minimum scores compared to urban candidates with a 0.66% difference,” she said. Na’imah said the percentage of candidates with special needs scoring all As increased to 25 people this year compared to 17 last year, whereby they consist of three blind, seven visually impaired and 15 others with various disabilities. She said the percentage of special need candidates who scored good results also increased by 0.44% with 218 people last year to 295 this year, and the overall achievement of this group went up by 0.01 GPN points compared to last year. The number of special need candidates sitting for the UPSR this year also increased to 1,752 people compared to 1,329 last year. Aptitude test In terms of subjects, Dr Na’imah said the Subject Average Grade (GPMP) showed that Bahasa Melayu (Comprehension) in national schools (SK) showed a drop of 0.07 points while candidates who scored Grade A and Grade ABC also dropped by 1.6% and 2.6%. For the subject Bahasa Melayu (Writing), national schools registered an increase of 0.03 GPMP points compared to last year, and the percentage of Grade A also increased by 3.2% but the percentage of Grade ABC dropped by 0.2%. For the subject Bahasa Melayu (Comprehension and Writing) in national-type schools (SJK) the percentage of candidates scoring Grade A both dropped by 1.5% and 2.8%, while the GPMP for Bahasa Melayu-Comprehension dropped by 0.04 points and Bahasa Melayu (Writing) recorded a 0.03 point increase, she said. Na’imah said for English in SK, an improvement was seen with a 0.05 point increase in GPMP, and the percentage of candidates scoring Grade A and Grade ABC each increased by 0.8% and 2.6% compared to last year. She said the performance for this subject in SJK dropped by 0.07 GPMP points and the percentage of candidates scoring Grade A and ABC also dropped by 1.9% and 1.6% each. Nai’mah said the overall performance for the Chinese language (Comprehension) dropped by 0.01 GPMP points while Chinese language (Writing) increased by 0.02 GPMP points, and Tamil (Comprehension and Writing) registered a drop of 0.10 and 0.04 GPMP points each. For the aptitude test conducted for the fourth year to indicate students’ mental preparedness to enter secondary school, she said results were not stated on UPSR exam result slips but can be obtained through the school. UPSR examinations were conduction nationwide on Sept 11, 12 and 13 at 8,284 centres, wherby 52,172 personnel were appointed for examination administration and 11,079 examiners were appointed to conduct the subjective papers. Bernama |
| MCA blames Pakatan for Batu Caves fiasco Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:55 PM PST
Addressing a press conference here today, Lim said the state government had the authority to cancel decisions made by local councils. "The Menteri Besar cannot keep blaming the previous state government," he said. "You cannot keep saying you don’t know anything about it. No wonder Azmin Ali wants to take over his job." The Batu Caves temple committee went up in arms recently after it came to light that Dolomite Industries Sdn Bhd was planning to build a 29-storey condominium on land adjacent to the historic temple. Barisan Nasional leaders were quick to blame Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim's administration for approving the project, but Selangor exco Ronnie Liu subsequently produced documents showing the project was approved in November 2007, when the state was still under BN. Last week, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced that BN would scrap the project should it win the state again after the next general election. "The Batu Caves temple is a heritage and cultural site which attracts a lot of tourists," Lim said. "That’s why I support the prime minister’s announcement that Barisan Nasional will scrap the condominium project if we are voted to power in the state again." Lim said MPS in 2007 allowed the developer only to plan a project on the land. "But after the state fell to Pakatan, the MPS approved the condominium project as stated on a letter dated June 26, 2008," he said. When a reporter pointed out that the first batch of Pakatan Rakyat councillors took office only on July 1, 2008, Lim said he was unsure of the matter but insisted that the current state administration must bear responsibility for the fiasco. When told that the land for the condominium belonged to the developer, he said he was unsure of that as well. Asked if BN would compensate the developer in the event of the project being scrapped, Lim said: "We will discuss the matter. Definitely some compensation needs to be there." Also read: Najib: Batu Caves will be preserved Police report filed against Kohilan |
| Emergency motion on Gaza attacks tomorrow Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:41 PM PST
This was stated by the Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, at the sitting today. Kubang Kerian MP Salehuddin Ayub had sought clarificaton on the media report that stated that the government would table an emergency motion on Gaza. Yesterday, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had said the government would table the motion today to urge the Dewan Rakyat to pass a resolution which, among other things, would strongly condemn Israeli military attacks on the Palestinian region in Gaza that led to the deaths of many Palestinian civilians. In addition, it also urged the United Nations’ Security Council to pass a resolution so that Israel would immediately stop its military attacks on Gaza through a ceasefire. Najib, who is now in Phnom Penh to attend the 21st Asean Summit and Related Summits, said he had instructed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz to table the emergency motion. Bernama |
| Surprising health and fitness figures Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:10 PM PST
One in 10 parents think cola counts as fruit One in six women would rather be blind than fat 48 per cent of women want cosmetic surgery One third of all cancers are preventable Smokers lose one third of their everyday memory Only six per cent of Americans exercise for 30 minutes a day You could unknowingly eat 46 teaspoons of sugar a day LINKS |
| Build us roads, not dams, say natives Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:08 PM PST
Phillip Jau, chairman of the Baram Protection Action committee, said the state government must put a stop to the construction of the project. He said this after submitting a memorandum to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng at the old Parliament lobby. Also present were MPs Fuziah Salleh, Charles Santiago and John Fernandez. "We are not against development but we don’t want this dam. We love our homes and rainforests. Build us roads like the ones in KL and we can bring progress to ourselves," he said. The Baram Dam, which is still in the planning stages, is set to flood an area of 412 square kilometres, affecting the lives of more than 20,000 people living in that area. Among the tribes that would be most affected are the Kenyah, Kayan and the Penans. Save Sarawak Rivers chairman Peter Kallang urged the government to scrap all 12 dam projects mooted under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score) programme. He also said that the Baram and the Murum dam projects were proven to have violated international standards on the treatment to "And Malaysia is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). “The Penans and the Kenyah people had clearly stated that their consent was not sought by the authorities prior to approving the dam project," said Kallang. He also said that the Sarawak state government had not even informed the communities on their resettlement plan if the Baram dam is constructed. "So we demand the government to resolve all this outstanding issue. The government must also abide by the people’s decision should they oppose the dam project," said Kallang. Meanwhile, Lim said that Pakatan Rakyat MPs were in support of the natives’ demands as the project is affecting the latter’s livelihood and heritage. "It’s obvious the project is to profit a select few, not the people of Sarawak as a whole," he said. |
| Relief through nasal cleansing Posted: 18 Nov 2012 09:57 PM PST
Age old yogi practice In fact, the practice of nasal cleansing has been around for thousands of years in India where is goes by the name 'Jala Neti'. Today this practice is experiencing a resurgence of sorts with many Western doctors including the famed Dr. Oz, recommending it as a safe and effective way to relieve the symptoms of rhinitis, sinusitis, asthma and the common cold. A study published by the National Institute of Health suggests nasal irrigation helps those with general sinus congestion and is beneficial for patients with chronic respiratory problems. While it is not a cure for any of these ailments, it does alleviate symptoms dramatically so one can enjoy an improved quality of life.
All one needs to carry out nasal cleansing is a 'neti pot' – a small 'Aladdin's lamp' lookalike with a bulbous body and a long spout. A saline solution made of up salt and warm water (to mimic the temperature and consistency of blood) is poured into the pot and used to cleanse your sinus cavity. No steroids… no expensive chemicals… just salt water. Easy to use The saline solution is easy enough to mix together. Just add one teaspoon of sea salt into the pot and fill with warm water. When the salt is completely dissolved, hold the tip of the spout to your left nostril. Then tip your head forward and to the side as you pour the saline mixture into your nose. You will see that the solution will exit your right nostril with relative ease. When half the solution has been used, put the spout into your right nostril and do the same. Then you're done. Gentle cleansing During nasal cleansing, the solution flushes the sinus cavities, gently carting off excess mucous and other impurities like allergens and infectious agents. It also helps moisten the mucous membranes of the nose and sinuses, improving breathing and enhancing your sense of taste and smell. After cleansing
The most effective way to rid your nasal passages of excess water is to close one nostril and forcefully breath out of the other nostril rapidly until you don't feel any more water inside. Then repeat on the other nostril. Modern versions of the neti pot Far from the days when neti pots were only available in copper, today's pots come in plastic or ceramic versions. Some are so aesthetically beautiful with slender, clean lines that they make a rather pretty statement on your bathroom countertop. The medical fraternity has also cashed-in on the popularity of nasal cleansing by offering variations of the pot although sticking to the core concept of nasal cleansing. The neti pot of a brand called NeilMed is actually a plastic bottle with a spout at the top. All one needs to do is place the spout at the tip of one's nostril and squeeze the bottle to gently push the water up and out. For added convenience, a month's supply of sachets are included in the nasal cleansing kit. The sachets contain a saline powder that when mixed with warm water makes a perfectly balanced saline solution. NeilMed is available at most local pharmacies. Safe for everyone While many adults might want to give this a try, there is still a lot of skepticism about whether it is safe for children. The good news is that even two year-olds can do nasal cleansing as it is gentle, safe and has no negative side effects. LINKS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e22Ta7iRgks&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOBQcLBxTe4&feature=related |
| Murtad: Mesej jelas dari Tok Guru Posted: 18 Nov 2012 09:57 PM PST
Beliau yang juga Menteri Besar Kelantan berkata, sesiapa sahaja orang Islam yang memperlekeh agama Islam dengan sengaja maka ia boleh jatuh kepada murtad (terkeluar dari Islam). Katanya, tindakan memperlekeh Islam boleh berlaku dengan banyak cara termasuk menolak Islam sebagai dasar perjuangan kerana menganggap Islam itu sudah lapuk dan tidak sesuai lagi pada zaman ini. Nik Aziz berkata demikian kepada para pemberita di Muktamar Tahunan PAS kali ke 58 di Pusat Tarbiyah Islamiyah Kelantan (Putik), Pengkalan Chepa dekat Kota Baharu semalam. “Tak kira siapa pun kalau tok guru berserban berjanggut sekalipun kalau tolak Islam dengan hati yang sengaja, dia kata Islam tak guna, dia murtad sekalipun tak ada mufti bagi tau dia, lapor beberapa laman web. Utusan Malaysia, akhbar milik Umno hari ini memperbesarkan isu murtad dengan memuatkan berita ini di muka hadapannya bertajuk “Nik Aziz dakwa Umno murtad”. Ini merupakan satu lagi percubaan Utusan untuk memburuk-burukkan peribadi Nik Aziz dan PAS dengan memuatkan komen dan ulasan para pemimpin dan ulama Umno dengan membuat pelbagai andaian. Mereka kononnya mendakwa umat Islam ditegah dari berdoa kepada Allah untuk menghancurkan saudara sesama Islam dan langkah ini akan mengundang perpecahan di kalangan umat Islam. Isu murtad kali ini timbul berpunca daripada doa pimpinan Ustaz Nik Razi Nik Mat (adik Nik Aziz) pada Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat di Stadium Sultan Muhammad ke IV di Kota Bharu pada malam 16 November lalu. Beliau mendoakan agar kerajaan yang zalim, Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) di hancurkan oleh Allah s.w.t seperti mana Allah menghancurkan kerajaan Fir’aun, Hammam, Qarun dan Abu Lahab. Di antara doanya, beliau menyebut “hancur Umno, tumbang BN” dan “Umno K.O., K.O. Umno” dan memohon kepada Allah supaya memberi laluan yang mudah kepada Pakatan Rakyat mara ke Putrajaya. Ramai di kalangan umat Islam di negara ini telah mula sedar bahawa doa untuk menghancurkan kezaliman, kejahatan dan ketidakadilan yang dilakukan oleh seseorang, sekumpulan, parti atau kerajaan dibolehkan dalam Islam. Malahan kenyataan Nik Aziz ini juga disokong oleh Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang ketika ditanya wartawan dengan merujuk kepada Kitab Mustika Hadis yang diterbitkan oleh Jabatan Perdana Menteri. “Baca kitab itu, ada hukum mengenai orang yang memperlekehkan Islam. Kitab ini ditandatangani Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad,” katanya walaupun enggan mengulas lebih lanjut. Memandangkan pilihan raya umum ke 13 semakin hampir, berkemungkinan pada Disember ini atau selewat-lewatnya selepas Tahun Baru Cina 2013 nanti, maka jentera Umno khususnya media miliknya akan menyemarakkan isu agama, selain dari isu Raja dan perkauman. Isu sensitif Umno tidak boleh ‘survive’ tanpa memainkan ketiga-tiga isu yang sensitif ini dan cuba mencetuskan keadaan yang tidak stabil dan berkemungkinan huru hara jika mereka melihat survival politik mereka terancam. Selepas isu Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah Anwar yang didakwa membuat kenyataan bahawa semua orang bebas memilih agama termasuk orang Melayu tetapi enggan disentuh oleh perwakilan muktamar, di ikuti pula dengan isu doa Nik Razi kepada isu murtad. Isu murtad ini dicuba ditikam ke dada PAS memandangkan kerajaan Umno-BN sendiri gagal membendung meningkatnya kes murtad di kalangan orang-orang Melayu beragama Islam. Inilah bencananya apabila sesebuah kerajaan sekular yang mengaku sebagai sebuah negara Islam di rantau ini menolak sistem perundangan dan syariat Islam daripada dilaksanakan secara keseluruhannya. Undang-undang atau Akta Murtad yang diketengahkan oleh ahli-ahli parlimen PAS di Parlimen sudah tiga kali ditolak, bermula dari zaman pimpinan arwah Ustaz Fadhil Noor sebagai presiden PAS sehingga ketika pimpinan Hadi Awang dewasa ini. Barangkali mereka bimbang undang-undang murtad ini terkena pada batang hidung mereka sendiri atau kaum kerabat mereka yang sering kali mempersendakan hukum Islam. Islam akan terus terpinggir selagi Umno menerajui kerajaan pusat dan sebab itulah Nik Razi yang memimpin doa di Stadium Sultan Muhammad ke IV tempoh hari menyeru agar rakyat membuat perubahan. Semoga Allah memperkenankan doa orang-orang yang dizalimi dengan menghancurkan Umno-BN. |
| HSBC in talks to sell stake in Chinese insurer Posted: 18 Nov 2012 09:53 PM PST
The British-based but Asia-focused lender said in a statement it was “in discussions which may or may not lead” to the sale of its 15.57% stake, which the bank bought in 2002 before Ping An’s listing in Hong Kong. HSBC is the single-biggest shareholder in Ping An, which has a market capitalisation of HK$186 billion (US$24 billion). It did not reveal the party it was in talks with but Hong Kong Economic Journal newspaper cited sources saying Thai businessman Dhanin Chearavanont, owner of the Charoen Pokphand group, might be interested. The Hong Kong-listed shares of Ping An fell 2.69% to HK$58.0 at the lunch break. The benchmark Hang Seng Index was 0.65% higher. HSBC has been selling non-core assets as part of a broad restructuring plan designed to boost profitability. The London-listed bank is also setting aside hundreds of millions of dollars as provision for fines related to possible criminal charges over money laundering allegations in the United States. Net profits tumbled by more than half to US$2.498 billion in the three months to September, compared with a year earlier. - AFP |
| Obama feted on historic Myanmar visit Posted: 18 Nov 2012 09:36 PM PST
In scenes that would have been unthinkable until recently, Obama’s motorcade passed tens of thousands of people lining the road from Yangon’s airport into the heart of the ramshackle city, after a red-carpet welcome for Air Force One. Waving US and Myanmar flags, some chanted “America.” One poster read “Legend, hero of our world”. Obama met with the country’s reformist President Thein Sein at the city’s regional parliament building, hoping to embolden the former general to deepen the country’s march out of decades of iron-fisted military rule. He will later use a major speech at Yangon University to hail “the flickers of progress” in Myanmar, the White House said. “Today, I have come to keep my promise, and extend the hand of friendship,” Obama will say, according to excerpts of his address. “But this remarkable journey has just begun, and has much further to go.” The setting for the speech will be rich in symbolism as the university was the scene of past episodes of pro-democratic student unrest, including mass demonstrations in 1988 that ended in a bloody military crackdown. “Instead of being repressed, the right of people to assemble together must now be fully respected,” Obama was to say. “Instead of being stifled, the veil of media censorship must continue to be lifted.” In a nod to a recent wave of deadly sectarian violence in western Rakhine state, Obama will urge Myanmar to “draw on diversity as a strength, not a weakness”. Obama will later Monday stand side-by-side with democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi at the lakeside villa where his fellow Nobel laureate languished for years under house arrest. The White House hopes Obama’s visit to Myanmar will boost Thein Sein’s reform drive, which saw Suu Kyi enter parliament after her rivals in the junta made way for a nominally civilian government — albeit in a system still stacked heavily in favour of the military. US officials said Obama would announce a $170 million development aid pledge to Myanmar to coincide with the formal opening of a US Agency for International Development (USAID) mission in Myanmar, which was suspended for years over the junta’s repression of the democracy movement. The money, spread over a two-year period, will target projects in civil society designed to build democratic institutions and improve education. Some human rights groups said Obama should have waited longer to visit, arguing that he could have dangled the prospect of a trip as leverage to seek more progress such as the release of scores of remaining political prisoners. Myanmar unveiled new pledges on human rights on the eve of the visit, saying it would review prisoner cases in line with “international standards” and open its jails to the Red Cross, as part of efforts to burnish its reform credentials. The United States on Friday scrapped a nearly decade-old ban on most imports from the country, after earlier lifting other sanctions. But it continues to call for the release of scores of political prisoners still in Myanmar’s jails, as well as an end to sectarian bloodshed between Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine state. Obama fever has swept Myanmar’s biggest city Yangon, with his image emblazoned on T-shirts, mugs and even graffiti-covered walls. “I would like to tell President Obama to push the Myanmar government to walk the path to democracy bravely and to aim for full human rights which our country needs,” said 28-year-old shopkeeper Thant Zaw Oo. Obama’s trip to Asia, coming less than a fortnight after his re-election, is the latest manifestation of his determination to anchor the United States in a dynamic, fast-emerging region he sees as vital to its future. The Hawaii-born US president is making his fifth official visit to the region, where he spent four years as a boy in Indonesia, and is diving back into foreign policy after a year spent on the campaign trail. Later on Monday Obama will fly to Cambodia, where he is likely to face a tense encounter over human rights with Prime Minister Hun Sen, ahead of the East Asia Summit, the main institutional focus of his pivot of US foreign policy to the region. -AFP |
| Japan high-tech toilet maker eyes global throne Posted: 18 Nov 2012 09:35 PM PST
But for the company that has sold over 30 million high-tech toilets, commonly known as Washlets, global lavatory domination remains elusive, especially among shy US consumers. “It’s because of the cultural taboo over talking about toilets,” said Hiromichi Tabata, head of the international division at Washlet-maker TOTO, a company that also makes bath tubs, kitchen taps, basins and plumbing fixtures. “Americans avoid talking about those kinds of things so we can’t expect success from word-of-mouth, even if they recognise our products are excellent. “Many celebrities say they love the Washlet when they visit Japan, but the fervour is temporary,” he added. Pop diva Madonna gushed about Japanese culture during a 2005 visit and pointed to the Washlet as a key draw, saying “I’ve missed the heated toilet seats” — the kind of free marketing most companies dream about. For a nation that claims globally recognised brand names such as Sony and Toyota, the Washlet’s relative lack of overseas presence comes as a surprise to many foreign visitors, even if they’re initially baffled by its dizzying array of functions and Japanese signage. In technology and hygiene-obsessed Japan, where restaurants provide a steaming hot towel for customers’ hands, they’re found in public toilets, office lavatories and over 70 percent of Japanese households. “We thought that Japanese people, who are clean freaks, would like the idea of the Washlet,” said spokeswoman Atsuko Kuno. But when it hit the market in the booming 1980s, the high-tech toilet wasn’t an immediate success in conservative Japan either. Some viewers were irate over a 1982 television commercial for the newly-released Washlet which featured a girl trying to wipe black paint off her hand with paper, making a mess in the process. “Paper won’t fully clean it,” she told viewers. “It’s the same with your bottom.” But the provocative marketing eventually paid off by putting the unique toilets into the minds of consumers. TOTO designed its Washlet by asking hundreds of its employees to test a toilet and mark, using a string stretched across the bowl and a piece of paper, their preferred location for the water jet target area. The Washlet’s functions, laid out on a computerised control panel with pictograms, include water jets with pressure and temperature controls, hot-air bottom dryers and ambient background music. Another function produces a flushing sound to mask bodily noises — a hit among the easily-embarrassed — while some models have a lid that automatically swings open when users enter the restroom. Others feature seats and lids that glide back into horizontal position, possibly solving gender battles over flipped-up toilet seats in the home. Business continues to be robust for the toilet maker, whose rivals in the key domestic market include Lixil Group. In the full-year to March 2012, TOTO posted a net profit of 9.27 billion yen ($114 million) on global sales of 452.7 billion yen, up 4.4 percent from a year earlier. But only about 14 percent of that revenue figure was from overseas sales. Despite the challenges in reaching foreign consumers, tapping the hotel market has met with some success, executives say, while China and other East Asian nations have seen growing demand “because they have cultures similar to Japan”, Tabata said. Localising products is also key. Washlets sold in tropical markets such as Indonesia don’t come with heated seats and blast lukewarm water into users’ nether regions instead of the hot spray offered in chillier climes. Despite the Washlet’s relatively expensive price tag — the cheapest sells for about $900 — TOTO executives figure that liberal Europeans are a hugely promising bet, especially now that a Swiss rival is selling a similar product. “We expect Europe will eventually get used to the idea of a heated toilet seat with warm water,” Tabata predicted. Monday is World Toilet Day, a day designed to raise awareness of the plight of people around the world without access to adequate sanitation. www.worldtoiletday.org -AFP |
| Paper: Alibaba plans stake buy in China’s microblogging service Posted: 18 Nov 2012 09:22 PM PST
Alibaba declined to comment on the report. Sources in Alibaba told the official newspaper, which is owned by the Shanghai municipal government, that investment negotiations between Alibaba and Sina have entered the final phase. Alibaba has valued Sina Weibo at around US$3 billion, the sources said. The report quoted other domestic media sources who reported that Alibaba plans to buy a 15%-20% stake in Sina Weibo. Alibaba, which runs Taobao Marketplace, China’s largest e-commerce website with a consumer focus, and Alibaba.com, China’s largest business-to-business commerce platform, has a business model that revolves around online advertising and subscription fees. “We see the potential deal is synergetic to both parties,” Credit Suisse said a research note, published in reaction to the rumour. Alibaba’s investment in Weibo will help drive web traffic to Taobao, while providing incremental advertising revenue to Sina Weibo, the note said. Credit Suisse said that the reported valuation was lower than its internal valuation of US$4.4 billion but higher than the implied valuation of US$1.8 billion based on Friday’s closing share price. - Reuters |
| Electrician jailed for sex with minor after uproar Posted: 18 Nov 2012 09:06 PM PST
The court upheld Chuah Guan Jiu’s conviction and ordered him jailed for five-and-a-half years on two charges of statutory rape, his lawyer Yusuf Idris said. Yusuf told AFP that he would appeal the verdict. A lower court in August had freed the 22-year-old electrician on probation after finding him guilty of having sex with the girl on two occasions in July last year, when she was 12 years and 10 months old. That court was reported to have said it had considered Chuah’s future when coming to its decision, as he was a young first-time offender. Yusuf had argued the sex was “purely consensual” and that his client was not educated on the law, having dropped out of school at 14. Chuah’s release in August came weeks after another man, national ten-pin bowler Noor Afizal Azizan, 21, was also freed on probation after having sex with a 13-year-old in 2009. His release followed a successful appeal against a five-year jail sentence for the offence. The two rulings caused anger among activists who called for a legal review to ensure children are given adequate protection. Although the age of consent in Malaysia is 16, and statutory rape is punishable by a maximum jail sentence of 20 years and whipping, judges are given discretion when sentencing offenders. Malaysia’s de facto law minister Nazri Aziz said in October that the government was planning to change the law to make jail terms mandatory for sex with minors. -AFP |
| Singapore hotels feel the squeeze as corporate budgets tighten Posted: 18 Nov 2012 09:02 PM PST
Singapore runs neck-and-neck with Hong Kong for the title of the world’s busiest hotel market, with both boasting occupancy rates that exceeded 85% for 2011, according to the two cities’ tourism boards. That’s higher than in global tourist hot spots such as New York and London. Hong Kong’s occupancy rate may pull ahead of Singapore’s in 2013, largely because it has fewer new hotels slated to open. If Singapore’s demand stays lukewarm next year, as many hotel operators expect, room rates and profits will slip. “We will see a slight drop in occupancy rate [in Singapore] mainly due to new supply that is about to come on board in 2013,” said Jonas Ogren, Asia director at hotel data provider STR Global, based in Singapore. “In Hong Kong, we are not seeing so much new supply coming on board, which means the hotels that are already there will continue to do better and better.” The supply of four- and five-star hotel rooms in Singapore is expected to increase by 17.4% from 2011 to 2014, while Hong Kong’s will grow by just 13.5%, according to real estate services firm CBRE. The city-state’s high-end hotels have been hit harder than moderately priced rooms, which suggests that weaker corporate travel rather than tourism is weighing on demand. September’s occupancy rate for upscale and luxury rooms dipped to an average of 81%, compared with 86% for mid-tier accommodations. Far East Hospitality Trust, which operates 11 hotels and serviced apartments in Singapore, said some customers were downgrading to cheaper rooms. “The uncertainty in the West and the slowdown in businesses in certain sectors have caused some to cut back on the deployment of expats and corporate travel,” Gerald Lee, Far East’s chief executive, said in a telephone interview. “Impact from the financial sector is the most visible,” he said. Demand has eased at Far East’s Regency House serviced apartments, a popular choice among visiting or relocating bankers who can rent three-bedroom suites by the month. CDL, which owns four- and five-star hotels in Singapore, reported weaker-than-expected results on Oct 30 and said its revenue per available room slipped to S$209 (US$170) in the July-September quarter from S$217 in the previous three months. That was the highest rate since the second quarter of 2008, just before the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy sparked a global recession that crushed hotel demand. CDL blamed slowing corporate and conferences demand for the sluggish performance. Recovery stalls A booming financial services industry and the launch of two new casino resorts in 2010 helped Singapore’s hotels come roaring back after the global financial crisis, which drove down the occupancy rate to just 76% in 2009. But banks have cut jobs and casino revenues have softened. Other hotel operators, including Hotel Properties Ltd which owns the Four Seasons and Hilton hotels here, are cautious and blame the worsening business environment as the main culprit. “Singapore’s hospitality sector may close the year on a weakened note,” Overseas Union Enterprise Ltd, which owns Marina Orchard on Singapore’s main shopping belt, said in its third quarter earnings statement. Southeast Asia booms While’s Singapore’s hotel market slows, other parts of Southeast Asia are picking up. Investors have pushed the shares to record highs. Shares of Central Plaza have more than doubled so far this year, while Minor has surged 87% versus a 25% rise in the broader index .SETI. Units of CDL are up 17% on the year, but they have dropped 9% since the company released its weaker-than-expected third-quarter results on Oct 30. In Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, Jones Lang Lasalle expects average revenue per available room to rise 15% to 20% this year versus 10% for Singapore. “Jakarta is going through a big growth spurt, underpinned by a strong economy. [Multinational companies] are expanding, and there’s increasing demand for hotels and serviced residences,” said Tom Oakden, executive vice president of investment sales Asia at Jones Lang Lasalle Hotels. - Reuters Photo: A general view of Raffles Hotel in Singapore is seen in this Sept 10, 2012 file photo. |
| FMT-Fox Malaysia ‘Life of Pi’ contest Posted: 18 Nov 2012 08:54 PM PST
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Please answer both questions and email us at contest@freemalaysiatoday.com. Please include your full name, contact number and address. Contest deadline is 5pm, Nov 27, 2012. Office Address: Twentieth Century Fox Film (M) S/B,No 50B, Jalan SS21/62,Damansara Utama,47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Tel: 03-7727 7780 Fax: 03-7727 7706 FMTnews : Twitter: http://twitter.com/fmtoday Official Life of Pi synopsis: Writers: Yann Martel (novel), David Magee (screenplay) Stars: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Rafe Spall and Gรฉrard Depardieu Release date: Nov 29, 2012 Based upon the bestselling book by Yann Martel, Life of Pi tells the story of a young man's incredible survival at sea against impossible odds. A remarkable technological breakthrough in 3D epic adventure, Pi is an emotionally captivating experience that will inspire, touch and transport audiences to a place of discovery that they will never forget. Watch the trailer here www.facebook.com/foxmovies.my 20th Century Fox Malaysia Facebook |
| Jeffrey paints bleak scenario on Sabah Posted: 18 Nov 2012 08:52 PM PST
It's an issue being flogged to death by both sides of the political divide in Sabah and Sarawak. Jeffrey surprisingly waxed more eloquently than usual late this week in the local media on a nightmare scenario in the state. He hesitated in the temptation, for once, to go as usual all over the place. The opposition, he hastened to add, wasn't being blind to the reality and accused the state government of being in a state of denial on Sabah's "grinding poverty". He noted that jobless Sabahans, driven out by cheap foreign labour, are fleeing in ever increasing numbers to Brunei, Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia, among other places. Meanwhile, their foreign replacements in the local job market abandon their employers not long after they arrive and often, even before or as soon as they do. They prefer to join other illegals in the state to do their own thing, including joining the underworld and underground economy, rather than put up with patently slave labour conditions. In short, the foreign labour influx into Sabah is allegedly a thinly-disguised scam of sorts by desperate employers to dupe the authorities into compliance with short-term remedies. And, there are also people smuggling and human trafficking going on under the guise of bringing in foreign labour. The long-term answer lies in paying Sabahans a living wage to reduce reliance on foreign labour. However, employers are balking at paying even the minimum RM800 per month, far from being a living wage, announced recently for all workers in the state. Patently, it's a vicious cycle which sees the foreign poor entering the official statistics on poverty in the state as they continue, allegedly, to get their hands on MyKads by the backdoor. The Philippines and Indonesia in particular are seen as callously continuing to dump their impoverished hordes on the state by both the front and back doors. The World Bank itself, pointed out Jeffrey, cautioned in one study not so long ago that "Sabah was chasing its tail in poverty eradication given the influx of illegals and other foreigners". The message is implicit in the World Bank report cited by Jeffrey: Sabah has to better manage foreign labour influx to ensure that locals are not driven out of their jobs. Any foreign labour cannot be allowed to overstay and swell the number of illegals and the poor in the state. There must be better monitoring of the coastlines by the authorities for the influx of illegals and tighter rein on approving work permits. Obviously, all this will help mitigate the chasing of the tail scenario on poverty as painted by World Bank. Jeffrey, the State Reform Party (STAR) chairman, doesn't want to get into polemics with BN component parties on the poverty figures in the state. He thinks those interested can either Google the figures themselves or read the Hansard. Still, he couldn't resist making reference to a statement in the recent session of Parliament by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Mohd Nor Yakop, on the poverty situation in the state. Mohd Nor surprisingly disclosed that Nabawan, with a 70% poverty rate, was the poorest place in Malaysia. Pitas in northern Sabah, which hitherto had that dubious distinction, was close, having in fact suffered an increase in poverty. Mohd Nor's statement, according to Jeffrey, tallied with the contents of a World Bank Report released in December 2010 in Kota Kinabalu to the state government. The report confirmed that Sabah and Sarawak were the poorest and second poorest states, respectively, in Malaysia. It appears that the World Bank Report was based on figures from the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), which reports to Mohd Nor, and the respective State Planning Units in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. It would be surprising if the state governments concerned and the federal gvernment continue to be as candid in future with the World Bank on poverty figures. Alternatively, the illegals with MyKads in Sabah are likely to be excluded in future figures on poverty in the state. In that case, it would simply mean Sarawak would overtake Sabah as the poorest state in the country and the latter relegated to the category of second poorest. Big picture The political fallout from the World Bank Report 2010 continues to this day and isn't likely to cease until the bank itself reports significant progress in Sabah and Sarawak on combating poverty. Looking at the big picture, Jeffrey attributes the grinding poverty in Sabah to "internal colonisation policies being pursued in the state by Putrajaya". The continuing influx of illegals is only part of the story, according to Jeffrey. He wants the state government to stand up to the bullying by the federal government and demand the return of the control of its oil and gas resources and, elsewhere, enter into negotiations for a fairer and more equitable revenue-sharing formula. "It will be a pyrrhic victory if Petronas returns control over the oil and gas fields after they are depleted. This would be the Mother of All Theft," Jeffrey warned in one statement in the local media. "We may be running out of time, perhaps 15 years at the most." Sabah, like Sarawak, belabours Jeffrey, are "Nations in Malaysia like Scotland in the United Kingdom". Hence, he sees no reason for Putrajaya to manage more than defence, foreign and national economic planning for Sabah and Sarawak. He wants the rest of the government's work to be left to Sabah and Sarawak in line with their autonomy in Malaysia. More money in the hands of Sabah and Sarawak, pleads Jeffrey, is the way forward in dealing with the grinding poverty in both states. |
| Mobiliti sosial melalui pendidikan Posted: 18 Nov 2012 08:50 PM PST
Selaras pendirian itu, saya tidak melepaskan peluang mengikuti Konvensyen Halatuju Pendidikan Negara anjuran Yayasan Selangor di Universiti Selangor (Unisel) pada 18 November 2012. Memandangkan beberapa sesi berlangsung serentak, saya hanya berpeluang mengikuti perbincangan berkaitan topik pendidikan bahasa ibunda (Mandarin dan Tamil) serta pendidikan masyarakat awam. Ketiga-tiga topik ini sangat mengujakan dan merangsang pemikiran berhubung pelbagai isu yang berada di depan mata. Dr Tee Boon Chuan dari UTAR yang mengupas topik "Pendidikan Bahasa Mandarin dalam Arus Perdana Pendidikan Negara" menyatakan pandangan bahawa aspek pendidikan Bahasa Mandarin sebagai "bahasa ibunda" sebenarnya sudah ada dan sudah pun dilaksanakan secara agak menyeluruh. Baginya, penekanan harus diberikan terhadap pendidikan Bahasa Mandarin sebagai "bahasa asing" dan tidak tertumpu semata-mata kepada khalayak kaum Cina di negara ini. Mengulas pandangan itu, Teo Lee Ken dari Institut Kajian Etnik UKM kurang setuju dengan label "bahasa asing" kerana katanya, Bahasa Mandarin dan Tamil sudah menjadi sebahagian daripada bahasa utama yang digunakan penduduk di negara ini. Boon Chuan segera menjelaskan bahawa label "bahasa asing" digunakan bukan untuk menafikan kedudukan Bahasa Mandarin di negara ini tetapi untuk menunjukkan bahawa bahasa berkenaan bukan merupakan "bahasa ibunda" bagi semua orang; termasuk kelompok kaum Cina sendiri. Malah, katanya, ramai juga generasi muda kaum Cina yang tidak lagi menggunakan Bahasa Mandarin sebagai "bahasa ibunda". Maka, walaupun mereka – atau anak-anak mereka – belajar di Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC), Bahasa Mandarin masih dipelajari sebagai bahasa kedua atau "bahasa asing". Diskriminasi terancang terhadap SJKC dan SJKT Dengan erti kata lain, aspek budaya, sejarah, pemikiran, kepercayaan, adat, sastera dan pelbagai perkara berkaitan kaum Cina tidak diajar di SJKC. Sebenarnya, perkara yang hampir sama juga berlaku di Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT); walaupun ternyata bahawa pelbagai upacara keagamaan sempat diselitkan dalam aktiviti sekolah. Topik berkaitan pendidikan Bahasa Tamil dihuraikan secara terperinci oleh Jiwi Kathiah dari Yayasan Tamil. Beliau mengemukakan pelbagai maklumat, fakta, dokumen dan perangkaan daripada sumber-sumber sahih untuk menunjukkan perkembangan SJKT sejak sebelum merdeka. Kathiah secara terang-terangan menyatakan bahawa memang ada usaha menghapuskan SJKT dan SJKC oleh Kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN); khususnya UMNO. Pandangan ini disokong menerusi pelbagai bahan bukti yang diambil dari pelbagai sumber. Katanya, BN melakukan "diskriminasi terancang" ke atas SJKT dan SJKC dalam usaha berterusan memastikan sekolah-sekolah berasaskan bahasa ibunda itu pupus. Tentu sahaja sebarang usaha seperti itu bertentangan dengan peruntukan Perlembagaan Malaysia. Kathiah turut menghuraikan "permainan politik" yang dilakukan pemimpin-pemimpin BN dan UMNO sejak dahulu berhubung SJKC dan SJKT. Misalnya, beliau memetik kenyataan-kenyataan "flip flop" yang pernah dikeluarkan oleh Tun Mahathir, Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein dan Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Kesemua kenyataan itu dikemukakan berserta bahan bukti dan ternyata bukan usaha memburuk-burukkan nama BN dan UMNO. Dalam pada memperkatakan mengenai SJKT dan SJKC, Kathiah juga menyentuh mengenai Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) yang dikatakannya turut dijadikan alat demi kepentingan politik pihak tertentu. Beliau mengambil contoh Datin Marina Mahathir yang tidak mahu anaknya belajar di SK kerana katanya, aspek pendidikan di SK tidak membantu ke arah pembinaan individu berjiwa Malaysia. Dengar kata lain, SK turut menanam bibit perkauman dalam jiwa murid-murid. Tidak dinafikan bahawa pemimpin politik dari BN sering melaungkan bahawa mereka akan memberi sumbangan wang kepada SJKT. Akan tetapi, menurut Kathiah, dalam kebanyakan kes, wang yang dijanjikan itu tidak pernah kunjung tiba. Pemimpin MIC juga dikatakan turut terlibat sama (secara langsung atau tidak langsung) dalam permainan politik, diskriminasi terancang dan usaha penghapusan SJKT di negara ini. Akhirnya, berlaku mogok lapar sebagai usaha terakhir "pejuang bahasa ibunda" dalam memastikan SJKT mendapat perhatian, peluang dan hak yang sewajarnya mengikut undang-undang. Malah, satu mogok lapar juga dirancang pada minggu ini. Pendidikan tidak formal kurang diberi perhatian
Satu lagi topik menarik diperkatakan oleh Mohd Azmi Abd Hamid dari TERAS sewaktu membicarakan topik "Pendidikan Masyarakat Awam". Huraian beliau amat kemas dan mudah difahami serta benar-benar membuka minda. Ternyata bahawa apa yang dipentingkan dalam sistem pendidikan negara tercinta ini hanyalah pendidikan formal yang mementingkan keupayaan melahirkan robot yang mampu menghafaz dan "memuntahkan" jawapan tepat/sama semasa peperiksaan. Pendidikan tidak formal sepatutnya diberi penekanan kerana bentuk pendidikan itu memberi sumbangan besar terhadap kemampuan sebenar dan jati diri individu. Sekiranya difikirkan, bentuk pendidikan masyarakat atau pendidikan tidak formal bukan sesuatu yang baru dalam budaya masyarakat tempatan – tanpa mengira kaum dan etnik. Sayang sekali kerana institusi pendidikan sudah dikerajaankan; seperti kata Mohd Azmi. Menurut beliau, rumah-rumah ibadat seperti masjid, tokong, gereja, kuil, wat dan sebagainya harus kembali menjadi pusat pendidikan tidak formal. Pendidikan bentuk ini amat penting kerana ia tidak memandang pada sijil, ijazah dan sebagainya. Sebaliknya, masyarakat menimba ilmu demi ilmu itu sendiri; bukan untuk "kelayakan pada kertas" (paper qualification). Pandangan yang dikemukakan Mohd Azmi memang amat menarik dan membuatkan kita sedar – dan menyesal – memikirkan pelbagai peluang yang terlepas kerana tumpuan sistem pendidikan hanya pada pendidikan formal. Secara keseluruhan, Konvensyen Halatuju Pendidikan Negara memang membuka minda para hadirin untuk memikirkan dan membahaskan secara serius berhubung pelbagai persoalan berkaitan pendidikan. Apatah lagi, penganjur berpendapat bahawa Transformasi Pendidikan Negara yang diumumkan kerajaan pusat baru-baru ini "hanya sebagai 'lips service' kerana tidak menyentuh isu-isu yang lebih dasar seperti Falsafah Pendidikan Negara, pendemokrasian pendidikan, pendidikan agama, pendidikan bahasa ibunda, prasarana pendidikan di Sabah dan Sarawak, pendidikan Orang Asal, pendidikan khas dan pendidikan vokasional dalam konteks pembinaan negara yang maju". Uthaya Sankar SB adalah penulis bebas dan pemilik tunggal 'Perunding Media, Motivasi dan Penerbitan Uthaya'. |
| China arrests 73 in fake luxury bag bust Posted: 18 Nov 2012 08:11 PM PST
Police also confiscated more than 20,000 counterfeit bags and closed 37 illegal sites used for the production and sale of the bags, Xinhua said late on Sunday, citing a Ministry of Public Security statement. The gang had manufactured and sold more than 960,000 such fake bags, it added. Officials in the southern export hub of Guangdong province began uncovering the ring in January which was producing and exporting huge amounts of fake goods, the report said. “The [public security] ministry soon exchanged the information with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and proposed a joint investigation,” it added. Police later discovered other production sites in the eastern provinces of Fujian and Anhui, Xinhua said. Foreign governments, including the United States, have for years urged China to take a stronger stand against violations of intellectual property rights on products ranging from medicines to software to DVD movies. The United States in April again put China, along with Russia, on its annual list of countries with the worst records of preventing the theft of copyrighted material and other intellectual property. The country’s top official in charge of fighting copyright piracy this month slammed what he said was deliberate distortion of the problem by the Western media caused by the country’s poor global image, saying important facts had been ignored. - Reuters |
| Seaport Worldwide expects RM1b in investments Posted: 18 Nov 2012 07:39 PM PST
PUTRAJAYA: Seaport Worldwide Sdn Bhd expects Phase II of its Tanjung Bin petrochemical and maritime industrial centre to attract RM1 billion in investments. MMC Corp Bhd, a unit of Johor Port Bhd, has invested RM320 million on the first phase of the project to set up infrastructure for 162ha of the 904ha free industrial zone and will spend another RM750 million for the same purpose over the next five years. "The money will come from credit facilities and internally generated funds. We have attracted some RM700 million in private investments so far and Seaport is now in advanced discussions with four or five tank storage companies, both local and foreign, to set up operations here," said Seaport CEO Mahusni Hasnan in Putrajaya last Friday. Seaport intends to develop the area into a petrochemical and maritime hub and has attracted as anchor tenant for the first phase, ATT Tanjung Bin Sdn Bhd (ATB), a sub-subsidiary of international oil trader Vitol group. ATB has taken 49.7ha to house 44 storage tanks in the complex and Mahusni expects to secure new clients by early next year. He said 65% of the development will be lettable. Seaport's Tanjung Bin project is expected to add RM128.96 million to the gross national income (GNI) by 2020. Its's project was among 11 Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) projects announced by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak last Friday. Najib announced 20 new projects under ETP that are expected to result in RM26.1 billion investments that will contribute RM10.1 billion to the GNI and create 64,000 jobs by 2020. Other projects include the RM40.3 million, 108-bed "green" hospital that is being built by Amanjaya Specialist Centre Sdn Bhd in Kedah, which is expected to be operational in the first-quarter of 2014. Another healthcare project is the RM68.5 million "KASIH" project proposed by Love On Wheels Healthcare Services Sdn Bhd, that will see senior citizens receiving post-hospitalisation care in the comfort of their own homes. Nine of the total projects will be launched in the regional economic corridors of Iskandar Malaysia, the Northern Corridor Economic Region and the Sabah Development Corridor. The prime minister also announced that six subsectors of the services sector, namely, legal services, medical specialist services, dental specialist services, private universities, international schools and network facilities providers and network services providers are now ready to be liberalised. This would bring to 15 of the 17 subsectors to be liberalised since the Budget 2012 announcement with the remaining two – engineering, architectural services including quantity surveying – to be liberalised once legislation to permit them is passed. |
| Nusa Gapurna, MRCB discussing share swap deal Posted: 18 Nov 2012 07:27 PM PST
PUTRAJAYA: Property developer Nusa Gapurna Development Sdn Bhd is currently in "the early stages" of discussing a share swap deal with Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB). The deal could see Nusa Gapurna managing director Mohamad Salim Fateh Din gain a 20% stake in MRCB and a lead management role in the company, one of the biggest property developers in Malaysia in terms of gross development value (GDV). It is one of the 11 key projects in seven National Key Economic Areas announced by Prime Minister Najib tUN Razak last Friday. The projects, collectively, are estimated to contribute RM1.13 billion of gross national income (GNI) in 2020, attract investments of RM6.68 billion and create 40,021 jobs by 2020. It was reported in July this year that Nusa Gapurna was in the midst of preparing a proposal, but the developments have since progressed to talks between the two parties, according to Gapurna Sdn Bhd director Imran Salim. Nusa Gapurna is a 60:40 partnership between Gapurna Sdn Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund. MRCB was reported to have been attracted to Nusa Gapurna's 60-acre landbank in the Klang Valley worth an estimated RM13 billion. "The share swap talks are still in the early stages and it is still a work-in-progress and we are going through the figures. We still need to get the approval from shareholders and members of the board," said Imran, who is Mohamad Salim's son. He was speaking to press on the sidelines of the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) progress update, in Putrajaya last Friday. Imran said the formal announcement on the deal will be made public in less than two months' time. Meanwhile, work on Nusa Gapurna's PJ Sentral Garden City development will begin in the first-half of 2013, and will see the completion of the first four of its six office blocks in 3½ years. The development, located in Section 52 of Petaling Jaya, has a GDV of RM11 billion, and will be a certified green development. PJ Sentral is a 70:30 joint venture between Nusa Gapurna and the Selangor Economic Development Corp (PKNS). Nusa Gapurna, along with PKNS, have invested RM5.23 billion in the project which will create 36,828 jobs and has an impact on GNI of RM522.97 million. Following the completion of the buildings, the property developer will form a REIT (real estate investment trust) in four years' time, said Imran. "The REIT will be the end goal for the development. It will remain private for the first few years while we get some good investors in, then we'll list it," he said. Photo: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak (centre) at the ETP progress update meeting in Putrajaya. Sitting (from left) Iskandar Regional Development Authority CEO Ismail Ibrahim, Northern Corridor Implementation Authority CEO Redza Rafiq, International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapha Mohamed, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala, Sabah Economic Development Implementation Authority CEO Mohd Yaakub Johari and Tekun Cemerlang Sdn Bhd CEO Sucy Ng.
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| Hindraf is with Karpal on hudud, Islamic state Posted: 18 Nov 2012 07:13 PM PST
Hindraf Makkal Sakti feels that when other Pakatan Rakyat leaders do not speak up againt PAS, the right of non-Muslims will be pushed aside if the coalition comes into power. Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy said DAP and PKR leaders' silence raised suspicions that they would not defend the rights of over 12 million non-Muslim citizens if PAS pushed for an Islamic state. He said their silence suggested that MCA theory of PAS to establish Islamic theocracy by amending the Federal Constitution with the help of all Muslim MPs from Pakatan and Barisan Nasional could be right. "Will PKR and Umno MPs vote against PAS Islamist initiatives? It is a million dollar question that only time will answer," the Hindraf leader told FMT here today. He said Hindraf like many other concerned NGOs were baffled on why others in DAP and PKR, especially non-Muslim leaders like Lim Kit Siang and his son Guan Eng, were silent on this issue. "Just imagine if there was no Karpal, no one in Pakatan would be voicing out against PAS.The DAP supremo is the only leader defending non-Muslim rights. Right thinking citizens should back him. He critised PAS of being fanatical in establishing an Islamic state and introducing hudud law, pointing out that an Islamist agenda was unconstitutional and would rock the very foundation of formation of Malaysia in 1963. He reminded that freedom of religion and, absolute protection of rights of natives to their own land, religion, culture and custom were among main conditions agreed upon by all parties when Malaysia was formed with merger of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. He stressed that a "Batu Sumpah Peringatan" in Keningau still existed to emphasis the agreement and declare Sabah as a religious-free land. The civil rights movement leader said he can't accept PAS assurance that Islamic laws would not affect non-Muslims because laws of a nation would eventually affect all citizens. When Article 121 (1) (a) of the Federal Constitution was amended in 1988 to give legitimacy to Syariah law, he recalled that federal ruling party Umno too guaranteed non-Muslims that it would not affect them. "But today hundreds of non-Muslim families are affected due cases of conversion and body snatching," Waythamoorthy noted. "We can't afford to replace Umno's racism with PAS religious extremism, which is equally racist in nature," he said. Also read: |
| BN must explain rise of apostasy Posted: 18 Nov 2012 07:00 PM PST
According to the mainstream media (MSM), the MP for Lembah Pantai has breached an "Islamic" principle in calling for the "freedom" of religion of Muslims who want to leave Islam. And for that, she deserved jail or a severe sentence that would cripple her political career. With this in mind, the "witch-hunters" are rubbing their hands at the prospects of hitting hard at PKR as the party that supports "apostasy", hence a party that is against Malays, Islam and peace in the country. Let’s take a look at the realities in Malaysia, when it comes to murtad or "apostasy". There’s no denying that there exist Malays who have left Islam and left the country altogether, thus taking the "freedom of religion" into their own hands. There is also no denying that there are attempts by some forces, be they local or foreign, to champion the case of "apostates" in Malaysia. These are prominent on the Internet and a simple search of "murtad" in Malaysia will reveal the extent of the discussions and the number of forums regarding the issue. There are also reports by high-level personalities in Malaysia that "apostasy" has reached an alarming level in the country. It is reported by some blogs such as sebaikbaikcahaya.com that there are 100,000 murtads in Malaysia and the number is rising. In the 1990s, some political figures who were in the opposition but have since climbed onto the Barisan National bandwagon indicated there were at least 5,000 cases of murtad in Malaysia. There is thus an undeniable increase in the number of Muslims who are leaving their faith. Attacking Nurul Izzah on her comments is easy for the BN and Umno. However, the responsibility as it is inscribed in Islam, rests with the people who are running the country. It is not the responsibility of the "opposition" which incidentally is also not to be blamed for the rise in murtad in Malaysia. The onus is purely on the ruling coalition to explain to the nation in general what has happened under its rule and how "100,000 Muslims" became "apostates" today. The focus on Nurul Izzah is simply another political gimmick by the BN to divert attention from Janji Di-Capati which is the slogan used by the Pakatan Rakyat to debunk Janji Ditepati. The opposition PKR and the PAS have no real reason to promote "apostasy" among Muslims. Hence, it is not possible to finger-point the opposition or its member Nurul Izzah on the matter. The constant attacks on Nurul Izzah is altogether a desperate act by a regime that has failed in its "defence" of Islam as it has claimed this as its "success story". Thus, there is no way for the "rakyat" to believe that the opposition has a "hidden agenda" in promoting murtad in the country. Nevertheless, deep within the Malay community, there are concerns that many among them who do not observe the rites and rituals of Islam are claiming to be "Bumiputeras". And these "lost folks" who are not really "Muslims" in their heart, are getting the benefits reserved for Malay-Muslims. The question many are asking is whether there should be a clear distinction between the "true, Malay-Muslims" and the "apostates" who are surviving under the disguise of being "Muslims". Notwithstanding that point, the flurry of comments and threats against the PKR MP is in direct violation of the regime’s promises of "freedom of expression". It is obvious that Nurul Izzah gave her views on a very taboo subject and it was certain she would expect bashings from BN MPs, acolytes and fringe elements. This "Nurul Izzah bashing" has now exposed the true weaknesses of the BN. The authorities and the country run by the BN machinery has been in power for 55 years but has failed to prevent "100,000 Muslims" from abandoning their faith. This is the direct result of the rule of the current government in a largely Muslim nation. And this is the plain truth that will hurt BN more than its media circus on what Nurul Izzah may have or may have not said. KL-based Amir Ali works for an Indonesian NGO called the Warisan Melayu Riau, which is based in Bengkalis, Riau. |
| PBS preparing for Pairin’s last stand Posted: 18 Nov 2012 06:55 PM PST
With others in the party hierarchy expected to either shore up their positions or jockey for them, the congress is also expected to be closely monitored by many in the state hoping for a hint of what course the party will take. Drafts of Pairin’s policy speech are being vetted by the top leadership, said sources who revealed that it focuses on pressing issues facing Sabah, such as the illegal immigrants, preparations for the general election and eventual change of leadership. But Pairin, now 72, could still deviate from the text and shock members and supporters of the party, Umno’s staunchest ally in the Sabah Barisan Nasional coalition government. While few outside PBS have commented on the Nov 20-22 congress yet, many within the party are expecting a bit of drama. They remember the theatrics at the Umno general assembly several years ago when Dr Mahathir Mohamad caused a sensation by announcing he was stepping down as party president, causing many to break down in tears and beg him to withdraw his resignation. As it turned out, he relented after shedding a few tears himself. A similar outbreak of emotion could happen at the iconic Hongkod Koisaan hall next week if Pairin does something similar. Pairin founded PBS in 1985. After helming the state government for nine years, he was deposed from his post as chief minister in 1994 by the current government and was state opposition leader for several years until the party was re-admitted into the BN in 2002. He is now one of Chief Minister Musa Aman’s deputies and has been the MP for Keningau and state representative for Tambunan uninterruptedly since 1976. He is also Huguan Siou or paramount chief of the Kadazandusun people, taking over the honorific position from former chief minister Fuad Stephens who was killed in an air crash in 1976. Pairin is also president of the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA), a position that gives him absolute control of community affairs. In turmoil Several months ago, however, he set in motion plans to retire from politics by announcing that this coming 13th general election would be the last he would contest. Some say the decision was prompted by the gradual loss of support for the party by his own people and was his way of delaying a revolt against him. Others say his family circle has been pressuring him to retreat from active politics after this congress. Pairin could take a middle path by relinquishing the parliamentary seat of Keningau and only contesting the Tambunan state seat. That would be welcome news for his younger brother Jeffrey, who is in the opposition and is eager to stand in Keningau and possibly the Bingkor state seat. Sources say that Pairin has opted to officiate at the party’s youth and women’s wing meetings tomorrow (Nov 20), something that is a bit unusual. His deputy was usually tasked with these duties in the past in keeping with the protocol of other political parties. It could yet be his way to gauge the party’s maturity at all levels. PBS information chief, Johnny Mositun, said the youth and women’s wing meetings will be held on the first day of the congress, while the official opening of the congress will be held the following day in the afternoon followed by the party’s traditional Unity Night or “Malam Bersatu”. The congress proper only takes place on the final day on Nov 22 with the focus being on Pairin’s two speeches – his policy speech in the morning and a closing speech in the evening. According to party insiders, Pairin was asked to stay and contest in the coming general election by all members of his supreme council including his top four potential heirs – deputy presidents, Maximus Ongkili, Dr Yee Moh Chai, Almudin Kaida and secretary-general Henrynus Amin. But not all are worried about the prospect of losing Pairin. At least one of the senior leaders was not very “enthusiastic”, as one source put it, to join the chorus of people urging their president to stay. Declining to reveal who the person was, the source said that he could be manoeuvring for the post- Musa-Pairin period and appears to be in Shafie Apdal’s camp. PBS members are also wary of the potent threat to PBS seats in the coming election from Jeffrey who was also a founder of PBS in 1985. Jeffrey to benefit If Pairin retreats from public service, the Kadazandusuns could well favour someone with a family connection to take over. Jeffrey’s State Reform Party or STAR has reportedly already drawn away support from PBS in many constituencies. While PBS leaders will not admit it, there are claims that some party branches and divisions are suddenly having a problem attracting the minimum number of members to hold their meetings including annual general meetings. Some say that in many of the party’s divisional AGMs this year, fewer than 200 people turned up unlike before PBS rejoined the BN when the turnout would number well over 500. Many disaffected former supporters and members have reportedly quietly joined STAR which claims a membership of over 170,000 in a mere 10 months of its existence in the state. The disenfranchised natives empathise with Jeffrey who they view as having borne the humiliation and hardship of imprisonment for almost three years under the now repealed Internal Security Act while Pairin and PBS reaped the benefits. Party supporters have not discounted the possibility of Pairin being humiliated in the coming election even if he wins as it could be by a diminishing majority. A local political pundit who requested anonymity said: “There is nothing more that Pairin can do now than he could not have done in his peak year. PBS should see itself post-Pairin era, but it just cannot shake away its mentality that PBS is Pairin and Pairin is PBS." |
| One Direction top British single and album charts Posted: 18 Nov 2012 06:46 PM PST
The English-Irish quintet shot to number one in the album charts with “Take Me Home”, with one of its tracks, “Little Things”, also taking first place in the singles rankings. Singer Rod Stewart had to settle for number two for his new collection of seasonal classics “Merry Christmas Baby”, while the Rolling Stones were third with their 50th anniversary compilation “GRRR!”.
American singer Bruno Mars took second place in the singles charts with “Locked Out Of Heaven”, just ahead of “DNA” at number three from British girl group Little Mix.—Reuters |
| Online museum showcases Britain’s hidden art Posted: 18 Nov 2012 06:41 PM PST
By the end of the year, 210,000 paintings will have been dusted off and photographed for inclusion in a ground-breaking online museum, accessible to members of the public at just a click of a button. “The UK has a very large collection of oil paintings in public ownership and about 80 percent are not on view,” said Andy Ellis, the director of the Public Catalogue Foundation which has organised the project with the BBC. In one of the most ambitious art projects in the world, curators have spent ten years tracking down publicly-owned paintings by 45,000 artists from every corner of Britain, from the Shetlands to the Channel Islands. Some have been in storage and others hung in buildings where there is no access to members of the public, but they are finally seeing the light of day on a dedicated website, “Your Paintings”.
The hunt took them to a zoo, a lighthouse and to art colleges that held some early works by their famous alumni, including David Hockney. There were other nice surprises. A London hospital had a Veronese, a huge triptych by William Hogarth adorned a wall of the town hall in Bristol, surrounded by computers and photocopiers, while a Whistler was found in a Cold War bunker. Unlike the Google Art Project, an online initiative cataloguing works of art from museums across the world, the British website only includes paintings in oil, acrylic and egg tempera. This is partly because the curators decided that including watercolours and drawings would have busted its £6-million (US$9.5-million) budget, largely funded by private donations. But within these techniques, anything and everything is welcome. The work of thousands of obscure painters, such as a fireman who dabbled during the Blitz, is pictured alongside masterpieces by Rembrandt and Raphael. Ten percent of the paintings remain unattributed, but the curators hope members of the public may be able to help identify their artists, as well as their often mysterious subjects. “The project is democratic. We include all the works, irrespective of the quality, the condition of the work,” said Ellis. “The point of this project is to allow everyone to see all the works in the collection and then make the decision themselves about what they like and what they don’t like.” He added: “We don’t think there is any equivalent anywhere in the world.” Ellis, a former financier who was drawn into the project through his passion for art, is already looking at how to expand the museum to include sculptures. “It’s the ultimate realisation of Andre Malraux’s dream of a museum without walls,” commented Charles Saumarez Smith, chief executive of the Royal Academy, referring to the post-World War II French writer’s vision of how photography would democratise art.—Reuters |
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