FMT News |  |
- Tiba masa Orang Asli tuntut hak
- Heavyweight stocks drag KL shares close lower
- Chua likens our roads to Iraqi war zone
- Kenapa ambil tanah Yayasan S’gor?
- Debate over Myanmar violence rejected
- Khidmat peguam batal saman AES
- New storm hits New York, New Jersey
- Suu Kyi calls for troop surge to end Myanmar unrest
- Ahmadinejad hits out at ‘capitalist’ US elections
- CM should explain sale of Tmn Manggis land
- PKR launches election website
- Japan: China must use sea power in ‘peaceful manner’
- New Zealand judge throws out case against dead man
- Park pitches herself as South Korea’s ‘captain’
- Search on for 50 missing after Bangladesh sinking
- Residents protest against ‘Highland Towers II’
- China leader warns of ‘collapse’ at start of congress
- Taiwan made ‘Life of Pi’ possible
- British expert mulls study on displaced Indians
- MP Jerai: Bertindak tegas terhadap pengasas sekolah pondok
- Superheroes jump from print to tablets
- Oppa ‘Oxford University’ Style
- Pakatan will face uphill task in Tapah
- US$23 million for Kandisky painting
- Muslihat Nazri larang guna ruang akhbar Parlimen – Rafizi
- Ruang sidang akhbar eksklusif untuk anggota parlimen
- Nurul Izzah buat laporan Jais esok
- ‘Stop targeting Nurul’
- ‘I am disappointed with Nurul’
- Australia to target South Africa with bouncers
- China’s Lenovo claims top spot for consumer PCs
- India’s ailing Kingfisher Airlines sees record loss
- Non-MPs barred from Parliament PC area
- Movie Review: Gangster Macha
- Rivals Chelsea and Liverpool have point to prove
- Can Gerakan rise from the ashes?
- Condo project: ‘Technical requirements met’
- Court lifts suspension on Lynas licence
- ‘AES not suitable for Sabah roads’
- Is freedom a folly of faith?
- Learning from the Obama win
- Chua Soi Lek! We are not immoral idiots
- Sea lions not a protected species
- Boeing shakes up defence business, cuts management jobs
- Pendekatan baru tingkat sokongan Melayu untuk PAS
- Hyundai, Kia face US$775m lawsuit over false fuel economy claims
- Muktamar, motivasi PAS untuk PRU 13
- Asian markets hit by US ‘fiscal cliff’ fears
- Nadzmi ups stake in Tiger Synergy
- Philips upbeat about its Asian businesses
| Tiba masa Orang Asli tuntut hak Posted: 08 Nov 2012 02:34 AM PST
Penyelaras JKOASM Tijah Yop Chopil berkata, walaupun Orang Asli merupakan golongan minoriti kerajaan tidak sewajarnya meminggirkan nasib 180,000 anggota masyarakat yang masih ada. Katanya, walaupun RM3 bilion diperuntukkan kerajaan sejak Rancangan Malaysia Kelapan (RMK8) sehingga RMK10, namun mereka masih menjalani hidup yang sukar tanpa kemudahan asas yang mencukupi. Malah hak pemilikan tanah adat semakin terancam apabila kerajaan sewenangnya merampas tanah mereka dan menggunakannya atas alasan untuk tujuan pembangunan dan perlombongan. “Majoriti Orang Asli tidak tahu apa itu Parlimen dan fungsinya tapi bila disuruh mengundi Pilihan Raya mereka pangkah saja,” katanya kepada pemberita di bangunan Parlimen hari ini. Dalam pertemuan itu turut hadir Ahli Parlimen DAP-Ipoh Timur Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng (DAP-Bagan), Tian Chua (PKR-Batu), Fuziah Salleh (PKR-Kuantan), dan Tan Sri Dr Fong Chan Onn (BN-Alor Gajah). Sehubungan itu beliau mahu ahli parlimen mengambil serius dan memantau isu peruntukan tersebut namun sehingga sekarang masih belum dinikmati mereka. Kedatangan JKOASM ke Parlimen itu juga sempena Persidangan Tanah Orang |
| Heavyweight stocks drag KL shares close lower Posted: 08 Nov 2012 02:32 AM PST
At close, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) fell 4.46 points to 1,641.07 from yesterday’s 1,645.53 closing. The FBM KLCI touched an intra-day low and high of 1,632.04 and 1,644.1, respectively, weighed down by selected blue chips like DiGi.com, declining seven sen to RM4.83 and Petronas Gas eased eight sen to RM19.40. OSK Investment Bank Bhd technical analyst Mohammad Ashraf Abu Bakar said the local market was also dragged down by negative sentiments among investors globally, tracking Wall Street’s overnight losses. He, however, said late buying interest from domestic funds helped cushion the market’s main index. Although Bursa posted lower trading today, it was still doing better as compared to Wall Street and other regional bourses, he told Bernama, adding that positive support is expected to remain until tomorrow. Ashraf said construction counters would continue to be the preferred stock tomorrow on anticipation of the general election. “Normally, this counter is linked to the election,” he said. Construction counter shares gained 0.39 of a point to 241.13. On the broader market, losers led gainers by 458 to 218, while 343 counters were unchanged, 622 counters untraded and 29 others suspended. Volume fell to 999.664 million shares worth RM1.492 billion from yesterday’s 1.207 billion shares valued at RM1.709 billion. The Finance Index fell 21.78 points to 15,062.54, the Plantation Index lost 32.76 points to 8,080.9 and the Industrial Index shed 13.27 points to 2,833.32. The FBM Ace Index slipped 4.85 points to 4,267.69, the FBMT100 was 32.81 points lower at 11,042.18, the FBM Emas Index dipped 34.86 points to 11,204.25 and the FBM Mid 70 Index slid 50.12 points to 12,336.6. Actives, Axiata added eight sen to RM5.91 and Ariantec, Scomi and Asia Bioenergy rose half-a-sen each to eight sen, 39 sen and 7.5 sen, respectively. Tiger Synergy lost half-a-sen to 39.5 sen and Maxis eased three sen to RM6.72 while TM and Metronic was flat at RM5.60 and 12 sen, respectively. Heavyweights, Public Bank and KLK gained two sen each to RM15.52 and RM21.00, respectively, while both Genting Bhd and YLT Corp were flat at RM3.58 and RM1.74, respectively. However, Maybank was three sen lower at RM9.02, Sime Darby and Petronas Chemicals shed two sen each to RM9.73 and RM6.42, respectively, while CIMB slipped one sen to RM7.72. Volume on the Main Market dwindled to 764.982 million units worth RM1.463 billion from 1.206 billion units worth RM1.708 billion yesterday. Turnover on the ACE Market fell to 177.318 million shares valued at RM23.708 million from 192.416 million shares worth RM31.433 million yesterday. Warrants eased to 56.218 million units valued at RM4.868 million from 85.898 million units worth RM8.001 million. Consumer products accounted for 147.297 million shares on the Main Market, industrial products 143.072 million, construction 21.98 million, trade and services 299.69 million, technology 30.02 million, infrastructure 28.72 million, finance 41.83 million, hotels 4.02 million, properties 28.31 million, plantations 9.83 million, mining 162,100, REITs 9.87 million and closed/fund 181,700. - Bernama |
| Chua likens our roads to Iraqi war zone Posted: 08 Nov 2012 02:04 AM PST
He likened Malaysian highways to the Iraqi war zone and urged Pakatan Rakyat to stop politicising the issue. Quoting official statistics, he said there were 400,000 road accidents last year and 6,800 road deaths. "The number of American soldiers who have died in Iraq is fewer than 3,000 since they were deployed to that country," he said. "That is already a big political issue in America. But we have 6,800 people who die every year. Imagine that." Chua was addressing a press conference after chairing the MCA presidential council meeting this afternoon. Pakatan bashing "Umno has 3.5 million members, and MCA has 1.1 million members. So whatever projects they do, certain individuals would definitely be awarded," he said. He added that AES was a long-standing project that has been discussed since 2005. "And (Redzuan) used to be a good friend of Anwar Ibrahim. Are you (media) going to play up this issue?" he said. He mocked Pakatan Rakyat for playing the blame game when the auditor-general’s report had also found wrongdoings in the Pakatan-held states. He noted that the Kedah government had repeatedly paid a contractor for repairs job on three low-cost housing units which did not exist. "Actually there isn't much difference between BN and Pakatan. One has been in power for a long time, thus there are many scandals; the other only has ruled for four years, but bad things start to crop out," he said. He reiterated that the transport ministry should provide a grace period of between three and six months to AES offenders; and summonses issued in that period should only serve as warnings. Hadi lacks confidence "It's better that he got defeated in the hands of the PM. If he goes to Pekan, he doesn't die in vain, he dies as a hero. "It shows that the PM is a formidable candidate….that takes a PAS president to fight. Indirectly it elevates the standing of Hadi Awang as well," he said. Meanwhile, the MCA president said the party was going to submit a 25-point recommendations on National Education Blueprint 2013- 2025 to Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin next week. He said the recommendations included an objection to introduce national school syllabus on Bahasa Malaysia to Year 4 to Year 6 students in the vernacular schools. |
| Kenapa ambil tanah Yayasan S’gor? Posted: 08 Nov 2012 01:50 AM PST
Pengerusi Ahli Jawatankuasa Bertindak Saya Anak Yayasan Selangor, Badrulzaman Baharuddin mendakwa urusan pemberian tanah 18.1 ekar itu diluluskan oleh Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim dalam waktu yang singkat. Beliau mendakwa, tanah itu yang dipohon oleh Exco negeri Elizabeth Wong melalui sepucuk surat bertarikh 21 Mac 2011 dan mendapat kelulusan pada 18 Mei tahun yang sama. “Apa yang menjadi tanda tanya kenapa tanah milik Yayasan Selangor perlu diberikan dan tidak tanah lain? Adakah kerana kedudukannya yang strategik atau ada agenda tertentu untuk merampas aset milik Yayasan secara halus?,” soal beliau. “Tempoh kelulusan yang singkat (tidak sampai dua bulan) dibuat secara tergesa-gesa dan meragukan,” katanya dalam sidang media di Ibu Pejabat Umno Selangor petang tadi. Badrulzaman ingin tahu kenapa tiada perbincangan dengan pihak Yayasan terlebih dahulu sebelum keputusan dibuat. Turut hadir Presiden Persatuan Alumni Asrama Yayasan Selangor, Azme Dollah dan Presiden Gagasan Anti Penyelewengan Selangor (Gaps), Hamidzun Khairuddin. Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, Azme turut memohon Kerajaan Pusat untuk memberi perhatian mengenai penutupan asrama Yayasan Selangor di Kuala Lumpur oleh kerajaan negeri. Menurut Azme, matlamat Yayasan Selangor kini bertukar matlamat dari menjadi pemangkin kepada aktiviti pendidikan anak-anak luar bandar kepada pencairan aset yang sedia ada. Ini kerana asrama ATDI dan ATPN di Kampung Pandan A akan ditutup selepas tamat peperiksaan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) pada tahun ini. “Penutupan kedua asrama ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan pulangan wang oleh pihak kerajaan Selangor,” dakwa Badrulzaman. |
| Debate over Myanmar violence rejected Posted: 08 Nov 2012 01:45 AM PST
Filed by PKR-Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar on Tuesday, the intended debate would have focused on the violence there, which has already seen almost 200 people dead and nearly 30,000 people displaced. Speaking to FMT, Nurul said that her motion was rejected because the Foreign Ministry had already addressed the matter through various public statements. “It’s insufficient. It’s bad enough that we have a very inactive Foreign Ministry, with its reactions over the state-involved killings in Syria not up to mark,” she said, referring to the Syrian civil war. According to a June 17 press release, the Foreign Ministry said that it was “concerned” with the ongoing violence in Myanmar. It said that Malaysia welcomed the declaration of a state of emergency in Rakhine, Myanmar, by President Thein Sein and the establishment of a investigation committee to probe the cause of the conflict. Malaysia, it added, was also ready to extend humanitarian aid to those it deemed in need. She worried that the violence in the region would create a spillover of sorts, affecting the region. In her letter to the Speaker, Nurul said that it was important that Malaysia – as an Asean member – not keep silent over the riots, which erupted in June this year. She said that the Myanmar government was reportedly stonewalling humanitarian aid being sent to the area, a worrying development. At the same time, she also criticised pro-democracy leader Aung Sun Suu Kyi for not specifically condemning riots, which are seeing sectarian clashes between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims. “When a human rights violation against a minority group is taking place, condemnation and critique must come. It is irresponsible and shocking of Suu Kyi to say the least,” she said. |
| Khidmat peguam batal saman AES Posted: 08 Nov 2012 01:28 AM PST
Pengerusi KASE, Datuk Mahfuz Omar berkata kaunter itu akan dibuka mulai 21 November ini dari jam 12.00 tengahari hingga 2.00 petang di Jalan Raja Laut di sini yang akan dikendalikan peguam daripada Jabatan Undang-undang dan Hak Asasi Manusia (Juham) Dewan Pemuda PAS. “Orang ramai boleh menyerahkan surat saman AES dan dapat khidmat nasihat peguam. “Jika OKS bersetuju untuk ke mahkamah, kami akan menyediakan khidmat peguam percuma untuk mereka yang terlibat,” katanya dalam sidang media di lobi Parlimen hari ini. Mahfuz yang juga Ahli Parlimen Pokok Sena berkata, selepas tarikh tersebut pihaknya akan terus membuka kaunter dua minggu sekali pada Sabtu bermula 11.00 pagi hingga 1.00 tengahari. “Untuk memudahkan anggota masyarakat menghubungi KASE bolehlah menggunakan talian 0133493848 atau melalui laman sosial Facebook kami,” katanya. Beliau berkata setakat ini seramai 50 pemandu sekitar Kuala Lumpur tampil menggunakan bantuan KASE dan turut menasihatkan yang lain Katanya, kes pertama pemandu jalan raya menentang saman AES akan didengar di Mahkamah Jalan Duta pada 7 Disember depan dan akan diwakili peguam Juham. |
| New storm hits New York, New Jersey Posted: 08 Nov 2012 01:26 AM PST
The nor’easter storm brought fresh misery to thousands in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut whose homes were destroyed by Sandy when it smashed ashore on October 29, bringing historic flooding and high winds. The storm killed 120 people in the United States and Canada. Some 22,000 homes and businesses from the Carolinas to New York lost power on Wednesday, joining the more than 640,000 customers who still lacked electricity from one of the biggest and costliest storms ever to hit the United States. New York and New Jersey evacuated the most vulnerable coastal areas ahead of the nor’easter, which was forecast to bring a high tide about 2 feet above normal by early Thursday. No major flooding was reported during the storm’s first hours, though New York warned residents whose homes had flooded during Sandy to consider moving to friends’ homes on higher ground or to city shelters. Christine Jones, 73, said she had continued to live without heat or power in her beachside apartment building in coastal Far Rockaway in New York – even though it means climbing the stairs to her 10th floor apartment with a flashlight in hand. “They tell us to evacuate,” she said, but she and her neighbors do not want to leave. “They’re scared they’re going to be robbed … The teen-age boys … they try to break in.” In any case, Jones’ 1999 Buick was dead after water from the Atlantic Ocean washed over it during Sandy, leaving her with no means to evacuate the narrow peninsula she calls home. But authorities warned weary residents not to ignore this storm’s dangers. “You have to prepare for the storm that’s coming in a few hours,” New Jersey Governor Chris Christie told residents. “I’m waiting for the locusts and pestilence next,” he joked, in a reference to Old Testament plagues. The low-pressure weather system brought wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour and could drop 2 inches to 4 inches of snow on New York City, the National Weather Service said. Ice pellets hit Long Island and the storm lifted wave heights to nearly 20 feet off Nantucket, Massachusetts, AccuWeather reported. School districts in Connecticut sent students home early as a precaution and the New York Stock Exchange removed the giant U.S. flag from its facade to protect it from high winds. A mix of rain and snow fell on parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, causing airport delays. Airlines canceled more than 1,700 flights, with Newark airport facing the most cancellations, according to tracking service FlightAware.com. Cold and snow was particularly bad news to residents who lost heat. “It’s coming up on 10 days with people being freezing in their homes,” said Peter DiPaola, town supervisor of Pelham, north of New York City. “I lost all my winter clothing in the flood, so I am wearing three layers of things in order to stay somewhat warm and dry,” said Wayne Steinman, a resident of Staten Island, one of the parts of New York City hardest hit by Sandy. “Everything becomes overwhelming.” Utilities warned that the storm would slow their efforts to restore power to homes and businesses. “Up until today we have been making some good restoration progress. We’ve had some good restoration weather, but today is certainly an exception,” said John Miksad, senior vice president of electric operations at New York-area utility Consolidated Edison Inc. “We actually pulled back as a result of the weather today but we will be back out there first thing tomorrow morning.” New York City authorities said they distributed 1,500 space heaters to residents of coastal Broad Channel and Rockaway, two low-lying neighborhoods that were hard hit by Sandy’s storm surge. Many gasoline stations remained shut around the region, complicating residents’ efforts to flee the new storm. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg closed parks and beaches and temporarily halted outdoor construction ahead of the storm. On the devastated New Jersey shore, a summer tourist haven where Sandy’s storm surge pushed entire homes across the street, the town of Brick issued a mandatory evacuation order for waterfront neighborhoods ahead of Wednesday’s storm. Middletown also ordered evacuations. Reuters |
| Suu Kyi calls for troop surge to end Myanmar unrest Posted: 08 Nov 2012 01:00 AM PST  YANGON: Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has urged the government to send more troops to western Myanmar to restore peace to a region convulsed by communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims.The Nobel laureate, who has been criticised for failing specifically to condemn the treatment of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims, called for an end to the unrest in Rakhine state that has left at least 180 people dead and 110,000 displaced since June. “Everyone is responsible for respecting human rights, without discriminating between majority and minority, ethnicity and religion,” she said in a statement released with lawmakers from ethnic minority parties on Wednesday. The democracy champion said more security forces must be sent to bring “peace, stability and the rule of law” to Rakhine, where renewed conflict last month involving ethnic Rakhine and Muslims, mainly the Rohingya, killed scores. The statement followed a meeting of the parliamentary committee on the Rule of Law and Stability, which Suu Kyi chairs. It did not mention the Rohingya by name but it directly addressed the “concerns” of ethnic Rakhine. The unrest pivots on the Rohingya’s lack of legal status in Myanmar, where they are seen by the government and many Burmese as illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh. In rare comments touching on the incendiary topic, Suu Kyi said the government must “inform the public clearly how it will handle the citizenship issue”. A 1982 law enshrines the citizenship of Myanmar’s officially-recognised ethnic groups but the Rohingya were excluded, despite their claims to have met the criteria by having ancestors in the country some 160 years before. With around 800,000 stateless Rohingya in Rakhine, the reformist government is under international pressure to give them a legal status, with warnings that the conflict threatens its democratic transition. Acknowledging the “very profound and sensitive” nature of the unrest, Suu Kyi also said the issue “is not the responsibility of a single country”, in comments likely to refer to Bangladesh. The Rohingya are considered by the United Nations to be one of the most persecuted minorities on the planet. Tens of thousands languish in squalid makeshift camps across Rakhine state after their homes were torched, while many others have tried to flee the restive region in rickety boats. Bangladeshi rescuers today searched for 50 people missing after a boat carrying Rohingya heading for Malaysia capsized. - AFP |
| Ahmadinejad hits out at ‘capitalist’ US elections Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:57 AM PST  NUSA DUA (Indonesia): Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today labelled elections in the US as a “battleground for the capitalists” following Barack Obama’s re-election as president.An estimated US$6 billion was spent in US federal races, making the 2012 general election the most expensive poll in American history, experts said. Speaking on the opening day of the Bali Democracy Forum, a day after Obama was elected for a second term, Ahmadinejad said: “Just take a look at the situation in Europe and the US. “An election, which is one of the manifestations of the people’s will, has become a battleground for the capitalists, and an excuse for hefty spending.” Ahmadinejad, who did not comment directly on Obama’s re-election, also criticised “countries who claim to be the forerunners of democracy”. “Slavery, colonialism and rights abuses continue to be imposed on human beings,” he said. Ahmadinejad, re-elected Iranian president in 2009 in a vote marred by allegations of fraud, is attending the Bali Democracy Forum for the first time. But critics have said that Tehran will use the meeting, which is being held for the fifth time, to try and end its growing isolation as sanctions over its nuclear programme bite. A host of world leaders including Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Afghan President Hamid Karzai are also attending the forum. |
| CM should explain sale of Tmn Manggis land Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:50 AM PST
Youth chief Oh Tong Keong said Guan Eng has 24 hours to give an explanation and if he fails to do so, they will seek legal action. Oh accused Guan Eng and the Pakatan government of being dishonest and committing fraud by attempting to sell part of the Taman Manggis land to two different companies. "We have documented evidence to show that the state government had deliberately flouted the law. It's clear that the Chief Minister had lied over the sales of Taman Manggis land,” he said. Also present were youth chiefs of other BN partners, J Dhinagaran of MIC and Andrew Rajah of PPP, the movement’s information head H'ng Khoon Leng, and Gerakan youth wing's vice-chairman Ng Say Keng and committee member Tan Chooi Leng. Oh said Guan Eng had offered to sell a 0.45ha plot of Taman Manggis land for RM22,407,300 million to a BN-link company when he had already sold it for some RM11 million to Kuala Lumpur International Dental Centre Sdn Bhd (KLIDC). At a press conference here Oh produced a print copy from Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) to prove that KLIDC had mortgaged the land to obtain a loan worth RM11,494,176 from AmIslamic Bank Berhad on Nov 10, 2011. The CCM document, certified on Nov 21, 2011, revealed the mortgaged Taman Manggis lots were No 305, 306, 313 and 314 under Section 16 in Jalan Burmah, George Town. Oh also produced a copy of official receipt from the state treasury department to Taman Manggis Fasa 2 Development Sdn Bhd on the RM224,073 earnest money that BN paid for the same land on Oct 3, 2012. Oh argued that the KLIDC could only mortgage and obtain full loan to purchase the land if the state government had either transferred the land title or issued "some kind of supporting documents" to guarantee the land transfer. High level conspiracy He also revealed that the dental company had already submitted its building plan to the island municipal council (MPPP) on Dec 23, last year. He described the land sale controversy as a product of a "high level conspiracy between the chief minister's office and government agencies." The KLIDC project is a 30-storey building comprising a 19-storey hotel, a six-storey private hospital and a five-storey car park BN says it had originally set aside the land for affordable housing. The BN government built a block of 18-storey affordable units on 4.9 acres Taman Manggis, leaving the remaining 1.1 acres for future development of a second block. An official internal memo from the state housing and local government director to the state secretary in July 2003 confirmed this. Lim has claimed that state decided to sell the 1.1 acre land for nearly RM11.5 million or RM232 psf to KLIDC as its size was not viable for housing project. He said the state government would use the land sales proceed to fund its affordable city housing project in Jalan SP Chelliah, some 3km from Taman Manggis. When BN slammed the Pakatan Rakyat state government for selling the land to KLIDC below market price, Lim promptly offered BN to buy the land for over RM22 million or RM450 psf. BN state chief Teng Chang Yeow instantly agreed to purchase the land, which compelled the state government to make the sale offer. Oh then led a group of BN youth leaders and members to Komtar deposit the earnest money into a state Maybank account top facilitate the land purchase.
In return, BN requested for a copy of the land sales and purchase agreement if the state government wanted all the balance money for the land purchase. Two more conditions Yesterday however, the state government extended the deadline for balance payment to another 30 days until Dec 4 and added two conditions for BN to fulfill. Firstly, Komtar assemblyman and Lim's political secretary Ng Wei Aik asked the consortium to change its current directorship by replacing two outsiders – former MPPP planning director Khoo Boo Soon and another Woo Pooi San, with local BN leaders. Since Penang BN wanted to build low-cost housing, Ng insisted that "it should be them running the show, not anyone else”. The other condition is a demand for a higher paid-up capital for the consortium, which apparently stands at RM2. “If they do not make the payment, the offer will lapse on Dec 4,” Ng said. But Teng called Lim's government to give BN the same treatment and terms it had given the dental company, which apparently bought the land via an open tender. |
| Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:48 AM PST
PKR communications director Nik Azmi Nik Ahmad told reporters www.demirakyat.my would serve as the party's main election platform and the central point for information on its election efforts. "The website is the place the public can visit to find out all they need to know about their candidates," he said. "All our election materials, including candidate lists, will be included on the site. "It will allow netizens to share our election messages, speeches, visuals and other paraphernalia either directly with people in their communities or with their virtual communities in Facebook and Twitter, for instance." Most important, Nik Nazmi quipped, would be the "donation page" because the "resource-strapped PKR" needed funds for its campaign. The site informs donors how their money will be put to use. For example, a donation of RM100 would allow PKR volunteers to reach out to voters residing in rural areas. "The website is a call to action and will be increased in capacity to display information about all election candidates as we progress to the general election," Nik Nazmi said. He said he expected www.demirakyat.my to attract large traffic, adding that it had been receiving 1,500 hits a day even before it was launched. He said the target groups included Malaysians living overseas who might not return in time for the general election but could contribute in ways other than voting for Pakatan Rakyat candidates. Social media Nik Nazmi noted that the Internet had undergone vast changes since 2008 and said the new site would especially target those engaged in social media. But Praba Ganesan, PKR's social media strategist, said the site's main objective was to provide a platform for discussion rather than to attract votes. "You have to make something worth talking about," he said. "It's not about paving your way through the Internet, but about engaging with the people. He pointed out that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's Facebook had at least four times more "likes" than does PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim's Facebook. "But if you look at how many people are talking about their pages or viralling their information, Anwar trumps Najib ." Nik Nazmi said PKR regarded the Internet as a platform on which it could compete on the same level with BN, unlike the mainstream media. "We see the Internet as a great leveller in the sense that we can compete with BN," he said. "We don't get a chance to be on TV or on the radio. We don't have much access to the mainstream media in terms of putting our message across. So this is one of the ways we can reach out to the people." He acknowledged that BN had stepped up its online presence since the last general election, but added that he was confident PKR's message would resonate more strongly with the public. "This is definitely a more level playing field that the mainstream media," he said. "We can defeat BN on this terrain." |
| Japan: China must use sea power in ‘peaceful manner’ Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:48 AM PST  TOKYO: Beijing must use its sea power in a “peaceful manner”, Japan said today, after President Hu Jintao staked a claim for China to become a maritime force.“It is not surprising to hear leaders in (China) speak about their intention to engage in maritime activities,” a Japanese foreign ministry spokeswoman said. “But those activities must be carried out in a peaceful manner based on international law.” Hours after Hu told the Communist Party congress that Beijing should “resolutely safeguard China’s maritime rights and interests, and build China into a maritime power”, Naoko Saiki, deputy press secretary at the foreign ministry, said it needed to be “responsible”. “Both Japan and China are equally responsible for the maintenance and enhancement of peace, stability and prosperity in the region, including maritime order,” she said. “I think China must be a responsible member of the international community.” Beijing and Tokyo are at loggerheads over the sovereignty of an uninhabited island chain in the East China Sea. Chinese government ships have loitered around the Tokyo-administered Senkaku islands, which Beijing calls the Diaoyus, for weeks, sending diplomatic temperatures soaring between Asia’s two largest economies. The islands lie in rich fishing grounds and their possession theoretically grants access to a potential energy reserve in the sea bed. But they also have strategic significance, with some observers suggesting they could provide a beachhead for Chinese projections of military might. Japan has watched warily over the last decade as China’s military prestige has grown, but commentators say Tokyo’s own formidable armed forces are not to be underestimated, despite the nation’s officially pacifist stance. “All countries, including the PRC (People’s Republic of China), have rights and responsibilities to protect their respective territorial lands or territorial seas and to ensure the safety of their respective people, in accordance with international law,” Saiki told reporters in Tokyo. “The rule of law… is the basic principle to be respected by any and every country in the international community.” Hu was speaking to the five-yearly congress, which this year will anoint a new slate of party and national leaders, who will govern China for the next decade. - AFP |
| New Zealand judge throws out case against dead man Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:43 AM PST  WELLINGTON: A New Zealand judge today threw out an attempt to prosecute a dead South Korean fisherman, comparing the case to a Monty Python sketch, reports said.Trawler officers Soon Ill Hwang and Dae Jun Lee were accused in Christchurch District Court of illegally dumping dead fish at sea in a case brought by the Ministry for Primary Industries, the New Zealand Herald reported. However, shortly after charges were laid against him earlier this year, Soon was killed in a car crash and may not have been aware that he was facing legal proceedings, a lawyer for his estate told the court. Unperturbed by the death of the fisherman, a solicitor representing the ministry reportedly told the court there were still valid reasons for the prosecution to go ahead – although judge Gary MacAskill rejected the argument as “absurd”. “It reminds me of Monty Python and his dead parrot,” Fairfax Media quoted the judge as saying, referring to the well-known comedy sketch. “I would have thought that the death of the accused is pretty fundamental.” “We can’t try dead people,” he reportedly said, sarcastically suggesting that the only way to obtain evidence from the accused would be through a seance. The case against Soon’s co-accused Dae, relating to dumping fish and making false fisheries returns, is proceeding. He has indicated he will defend the charges. - AFP |
| Park pitches herself as South Korea’s ‘captain’ Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:39 AM PST  SEOUL: South Korea’s presidential frontrunner warned today of a “critically transformative” period ahead for the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia, marked by political flux and potential instability.Pitching herself as a leader steeled by personal tragedy, Park Geun-Hye, daughter of assassinated military dictator Park Chung-Hee, said the country’s new president would face unprecedented challenges. She specifically cited the presence of a new and still largely unknown leader in Pyongyang, as well as territorial disputes that are fuelling wider regional tensions at a time of political transition, notably in China. The situation on the Korean peninsula is “in flux as never before”, while conflicts and tensions in Northeast Asia are “on the rise unlike any other previous period”, Park told a briefing for foreign reporters in Seoul. “I stand before you as a captain on a ship who is trying to steer her boat in the midst of history’s cascading waters,” she said. Candidate of the ruling conservative New Frontier Party, 60-year-old Park is bidding to become the country’s first woman president in the December 19 election. With polls suggesting Park would easily win a three-way race, her two left-leaning rivals announced Tuesday that they would merge their campaigns and field a single candidate to challenge her for the presidential Blue House. On North Korea, Park promised to pursue a dual policy of greater engagement and “robust deterrence”, and reiterated her willingness to hold a summit with the North’s young leader Kim Jong-Un, who came to power a year ago. Although it “remains unclear just what policies the new Korean leadership will adopt”, Park said she would resume the humanitarian aid suspended by current President Lee Myung-Bak. When Lee came to power in 2008 he cut off aid to the impoverished North, saying future food and other shipments would be conditional on progress in persuading Pyongyang to halt its nuclear programme. Lee is stepping down because the South Korean constitution limits the presidency to a single five-year term. In the wider region, Park warned of a dangerous “Asian paradox” where a desire for development and cooperation contends with escalating tensions over security issues, especially territorial disputes. China, Japan and South Korea are locked in bitter, separate sovereignty rows over isolated island chains, in which other regional countries including Vietnam and the Philippines also have a stake. “The next several years are likely to be critically transformative in shaping the future of the Korean peninsula,” Park said. Park was just 22 when she assumed the role of de facto first lady when her mother was shot dead in 1974 by a pro-North Korean assassin who was trying to kill her father. Park Chung-Hee was later assassinated by his own intelligence chief in 1979. Her father’s legacy has loomed large over Park Geun-Hye’s campaign ahead of the presidential election on December 19. Widely respected for transforming the impoverished, war-ravaged nation into an economic juggernaut, her father is equally reviled in some quarters for human rights abuses during his 18-year, iron-fisted rule. Last month, Park publicly apologised to the relatives of victims of her father’s regime and acknowledged that his autocratic style had damaged the constitution. - AFP |
| Search on for 50 missing after Bangladesh sinking Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:35 AM PST  DHAKA: Bangladeshi rescuers today searched for 50 people still missing after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees heading for Malaysia capsized with 110 passengers on board, officials said.Coastguards, the navy and fishermen have rescued about 60 people since the boat went down yesterday morning 15 kilometres off the southern district of Cox’s Bazaar. “So far about 60 passengers, about half the number of passengers of the boat, have been rescued,” Bangladesh Border Guard commander Lieutenant Colonel Zahid Hasan told AFP. He said the border guards have held 25 survivors, both Bangladeshis and Rohingya, for questioning and there were about 35 others who were picked up by fishing boats. “We have not found any dead bodies yet,” he said. Security officers have asked coastal villages to report other survivors, Hasan said. “A navy ship is continuing its patrol in search of any bodies,” Faizul Kabir, a local coastguard commander in the Teknaf area. The latest tragedy comes after a boat carrying some 135 passengers, mostly Muslim Rohingya refugees who had fled unrest in neighbouring Myanmar, sank in the Bay of Bengal on October 28. Only around half a dozen made it to safety. Hundreds of thousands of Muslim Rohingya have fled Myanmar in past decades to escape persecution, often heading to neighbouring Bangladesh, and recent outbreaks of violence, in June and October, have triggered another exodus. Survivors of Wednesday’s sinking said the overloaded wooden motorboat had a capacity of 70 passengers and it capsized after a passenger fell into the sea and the boat turned abruptly in a bid to rescue him. Since the unrest erupted in Myanmar, Bangladesh has been turning away boatloads of fleeing Rohingya. The policy has been criticised by the United Nations but Bangladesh said it was already burdened with an estimated 300,000 of the minority group. Myanmar’s 800,000 stateless Rohingya, described by the UN as among the world’s most persecuted minorities, are seen by the government and many Burmese as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. - AFP |
| Residents protest against ‘Highland Towers II’ Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:33 AM PST
One project, at Lot 847 near the entrance to Taman Hillview, is slated for three blocks of 40-storey buildings. Another project is planned for Lot 5, involving five blocks of 17-storey buildings, which is near the ruins of the Highland Towers apartment. Both projects are to be carried out by two different developers. Members of the Special Committee Action Committee of Taman Sri Ukay and Taman Hillview staged their protest near the entrance to the residential area at about 10am. They carried banners saying "No More Tragedies" and "Say No to Highland Towers Part 2." They later handed over a memorandum to Azura Aziz, an aide to Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin. Committee spokesperson Lee Joo Khim said that they were worried as the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) appears to be ignoring the safety concerns raised by the residents. She also said they noticed some discrepancies on the land title for Lot 847, in that the documents submitted by the developer were not endorsed by relevant professionals. "We have written to MPAJ to verify whether is it the same documents sent to the local council but we have yet to receive a reply," said Lee. Who is responsible?
"The developer refused to give us copies of the studies to be assessed by our experts, despite making a promise on Oct 3 during an official meeting with the MPAJ. "Instead, the developer just held a briefing session for about three hours on the matter," she said, adding the company had removed its signboard two days ago after hearing of the protest. Lee said this was making things difficult for the residents to verify whether the documents showed to them were the same ones sent to MPAJ. She also questioned MPAJ’s decision to hand over the job to rectify the slope there to the developers when it was the responsibility of the local council to do so. "So if anything happens, who is going to be responsible?" asked Lee. She said that she wanted to avoid another tragedy like the Highland Towers incident in 1993, which claimed the lives of some of her friends. "Obviously, this projects evokes strong emotions. We don’t want to see anymore lives lost," she said. State to discuss the matter
"I need to tell the state that people’s safety is the government’s responsibility. You cannot pass the buck to a private developer. "I have already informed Selangor executive councillor for local government Ronnie Liu of the matter and he is looking into it," he said. Last month, a MPAJ official told FMT that it would cost the local council RM12 million to rectify the slopes and it did not have sufficient funds for it. Asked why funds were not sought from the state government, the official, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "You have to ask the state government. In areas managed by MPAJ alone, we have about 600 slopes to maintain. We only have funds to manage these slopes." But in an immediate response, Saari said that the local council should have brought up the matter (lack of funds) to the state government.
Click here to view the video on YouTube. "Did the council make any application [for funds] in the past four years? The problem here is that it is still working in the old way: always saying it has no money, no resources… and just doing nothing. "Even for these proposed condominium projects, I was only informed recently. I was really embarrassed," said Saari, who is also a resident at the area. Another committee member, Hachim Baudjit, said that the land near Highland Towers had four river streams, making the soil soggy at all times. "On Lot 5, there used to be a pond but somebody dumped earth on it some years back. "Nevertheless, the water is still there, making the soil wet. It could affect our house structure," he said. The crowd dispersed peacefully at about 12am. Also read: Another high-rise project near Highland Towers? |
| China leader warns of ‘collapse’ at start of congress Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:32 AM PST  BEIJING: China’s president today warned the Communist Party faces “collapse” if it fails to clean up corruption and called for an economic revamp as he opened a congress to inaugurate a new slate of leaders.The week-long party congress will end with a transition of power to Vice President Xi Jinping, who will govern for the coming decade amid growing pressure for reform of the communist regime’s iron-clad grip on power. The party’s outgoing general-secretary, President Hu Jintao, delivered his starkest warning yet about fighting rampant corruption following a top-level murder and graft scandal involving former regional boss Bo Xilai. “If we fail to handle this issue well, it could prove fatal to the party and even cause the collapse of the party and the fall of the state,” Hu told more than 2,200 delegates inside Beijing’s cavernous Great Hall of the People. At the congress, which is held every five years, Hu also positioned the world’s second-largest economy for a more assertive role as he insisted China should be a “maritime power” that “resolutely” protects its interests. Heading into the 18th party congress, China has been skirmishing with Japan and other Asian neighbours over a slew of territorial disputes, and flexing its growing military muscles to the disquiet of the United States. “We must continue to make both active and prudent efforts to carry out reform of the political structure and make the people’s democracy more extensive, fuller in scope and sounder in practice,” Hu also said. Without naming Bo, the president added that the party “must make sure that all are equal before the law”. But Hu’s call for political reform contrasted with the treatment meted out to would-be protestors outside the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square, where the army gunned down massed ranks of pro-democracy students in 1989. An AFP reporter saw two elderly women hustled away from the vast esplanade as they attempted to present petitions against wrongdoing by their local communist leaders. One woman was bundled into a police van and the other led away sobbing as police shooed away onlookers at the scene. In a metro station near the square, another group of up to 30 petitioners were surrounded and taken away by bus. Hundreds of activists have been put under house arrest, rights groups say, while Beijing taxi drivers have been told to lock their back windows apparently to prevent passengers from throwing out flyers with political messages. On China’s wildly popular social media websites, search terms related to the congress were censored but a few caustic responses to Hu’s speech got through. “What a joke. My high school essays were better than that!” one posting said. In his 90-minute address, Hu also stressed that China must recalibrate its export- and investment-led growth model, after years of breakneck economic expansion that experts warn is unsustainable. “In response to changes in both domestic and international economic developments, we should speed up the creation of a new growth model and ensure that development is based on improved quality and performance,” he said. Communist leaders including Premier Wen Jiabao — who is due to step down in March as part of the leadership transition — have long been calling for China to rebalance its economy by fostering domestic consumer spending. That would help redress China’s swollen trade surpluses, which have been an irritant to the West for years and cast the country as the foreign bogeyman of the just-concluded US presidential campaign. But the economy still rests heavily tilted towards export-led growth. And with Western markets reeling, China in the latest quarter posted its slowest rate of growth since the global financial crisis in 2009. The congress will end next week with the installation of Xi as the party’s new general-secretary, and he is in line to succeed Hu as state president next March. But Xi, the son of a revolutionary hero who has been Hu’s heir apparent since 2007, will take over at a challenging time given the rare economic slowdown, amid demands for change from the country’s vocal netizens. A state-run newspaper published a survey Wednesday suggesting eight out of 10 Chinese in major cities want political reform of some sort. The contrast with how the United States manages its political affairs was laid bare with President Barack Obama’s re-election triumph, and did not go unnoticed among commentators on China’s “weibo” chat sites. Behind closed doors, Communist Party leaders appear to have settled on the new line-up of the Politburo Standing Committee, China’s highest decision-making body, which will be unveiled when the congress ends on November 14. The committee will be steered by Xi, 59, who has previously headed some of China’s most economically dynamic and reform-minded areas. But in the opaque communist system, little is known about his personality or policy inclinations. - AFP |
| Taiwan made ‘Life of Pi’ possible Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:23 AM PST TAIPEI: Oscar-winning Taiwanese-American director Ang Lee said yesterday he could not have made his new 3D film “Life of Pi” if he had opted for Hollywood as the shooting location rather than Taiwan. “The movie couldn’t have been shot if it hadn’t been in Taiwan… it couldn’t have been done in Los Angeles,” Lee said in Taipei during a visit to promote the movie which will hit US and Taiwanese theatres on November 21. He said the decision not to shoot the movie in Hollywood had allowed him and his crew to think outside the box.
About 70 percent of the movie was shot in Taiwan, including a now-abandoned airport in the centre of the country where Lee’s team built a specially designed wave-generating tank. The movie is based on the Booker prize-winning novel by Yann Martel about an Indian boy adrift on a lifeboat in the Pacific with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a tiger. It features a newcomer, 17-year-old Suraj Sharma from India, in the lead role of Pi Patel, who was chosen out of 3,000 candidates during casting sessions across India. “The movie depends on Suraj. I would not shoot the film if it weren’t for this person and his talent,” Lee said. “He is very spirited… I was moved by his sincerity.” The filmmaker, who is based in New York, was hailed as the “glory of Taiwan” after becoming the first Asian to win a best director Oscar for his gay cowboy drama “Brokeback Mountain” in 2007.—AFP |
| British expert mulls study on displaced Indians Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:23 AM PST
“This visit is a start of a project. It is a question of meeting people and speaking to them. I have just arrived here for 20 hours and I will definitely come again if invited,” said Chris Smith. Smith, who is a scholar specialising in the field of conflict and security from University of London, had visited the Bukit Jalil estate. This morning, he attended a presentation by a local social activist on the the plight of the ex- Bukit Jalil estate workers. “I am concerned that the state is ignoring the basic and material support for the people in favour of development. “Based on the presentation, there is a lack of information on what is going on in Bukit Jalil. There is a need for more transparency,” said Smith. Smith was invited by Hindraf to study the 800,000 displaced Indian estate workers over a five-day period. Aside from the Bukit Jalil estate, Smith would be visiting the Byran Estate in Penang, demolished temple sites and temples that were at risk of being demolished by the authorities. Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy told FMT that the study to be conducted by Brown would be an independent one that would be used for lobbying purposes. “Currently there is only one study on the 800,000 displaced Indians. The case here is unique because the Indians are not displaced due to war or conflict," he said. |
| MP Jerai: Bertindak tegas terhadap pengasas sekolah pondok Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:15 AM PST
Ahli Parlimen PAS-Jerai Mohd Firdaus Jaafar berkata, dalam masa yang sama akhbar Utusan Malaysia juga dikenakan tindakan sama di Mahkamah Sivil kerana menemubual Abdullah dan menyiarkan artikel mengenainya. Beliau merujuk kenyataan Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim mengenai kewujudan satu peruntukan “Jika disabitkan kesalahan boleh dipenjara bagi tempoh tidak kurang dari dua tahun dan tidak lebih lima tahun,” kata Mashitah dalam Dewan Rakyat semalam. Mohd Firdaus turut membidas motif sebenar kenyataan Abdullah kerana mendapat sumbangan kerajaan sebanyak RM2 juta yang disampaikan Ahli Parlimen Jeli Datuk Mustapa Mohamed yang juga Ahli Majlis Tertinggi Umno bagi membangunkan sekolah pondoknya. “Beliau dapat habuan RM2 juta untuk pembinaan sekolah selepas enam hari mengeluarkan kenyataan menghentam DAP. “Utusan dan ustaz itu sepatutnya dikenakan tindakan. Kalau tak isu ini terus dipolemikkan,” katanya kepada pemberita di lobi Parlimen hari ini. Muka depan Utusan Malaysia 'Haram, berdosa undi DAP' pada 7 Ogos lalu menyiarkan kenyataan Abdullah bahawa adalah haram menyokong DAP kerana parti itu menolak hukum Islam. Istilah ‘kafir harbi’ merujuk kepada golongan musuh yang berperang dengan umat Islam di mana darah mereka halal ditumpahkan. Dalam konotasi suasana perang, ia boleh dilakukan di peringkat negara kerana golongan kafir harbi itu sendiri berusaha untuk membunuh umat Islam. |
| Superheroes jump from print to tablets Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:09 AM PST  WASHINGTON: DC Comics said yesterday its full lineup of comic books will be made available for tablet computers from three powerhouses of digital distribution — Amazon’s Kindle Store, the Nook Store from Barnes & Noble and the iBookstore for Apple devices.That means Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and the Justice League comics will be offered in digital format for tablets and e-readers. “As e-readers and tablets continue to explode in popularity, it’s important for us to offer consumers convenience and choice in how they download digital comics and graphic novels and these new distribution deals with the top three e-bookstores do just that,” said Jim Lee, co-publisher at DC Entertainment. “We’re very excited to work with Amazon, Apple and Barnes & Noble to bring best-selling DC Comics and Vertigo periodicals to their e-bookstores.” DC Entertainment said it is the only comic book publisher to offer its periodical line-up across all major e-bookstore platforms. Prior to the announcement, only DC Entertainment graphic novels were available through the top e-bookstores. But the comics may also be downloaded directly from the company website. “We were the first to offer our entire comic book line same-day digital and now we are the first to offer fans the convenience of multiple download options,” Lee said.—AFP |
| Oppa ‘Oxford University’ Style Posted: 08 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST  LONDON: South Korean pop sensation Psy was mobbed by screaming fans as he arrived in Britain yesterday to bring a touch of his “Gangnam Style” to the prestigious Oxford University debating society.Wearing his trademark dapper suit and sunglasses, the rapper attracted a horde of fans and photographers as he walked into the 189-year-old Oxford Union club. Asked by reporters at the entrance how it felt to be in the historic city, the 34-year-old said, “It’s an honour,” before adding: “It’s kind of weird — why did they call me?” Psy, whose single “Gangnam Style” has more than 665 million views on YouTube and has spawned countless videos copying his distinctive dance moves, arrived in Britain from France on Monday for a three-day visit. Former boxing champion Chris Eubank was among the crowds that turned out to greet him in Oxford.
“The president and Psy are both from Gangnam — the area (of the South Korean capital Seoul) where the eponymous hit song takes its name,” a spokesman for the debating society said. Psy is already an established star in South Korea with six albums under his belt, but the song — which parodies the extravagant lifestyle of the residents of Gangnam — has turned him into a global star. His address to the Oxford Union, due later yesterday, was to be his first public speech in English. The debating society’s previous guests include US presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa. On Monday, a flash mob of some 20,000 fans joined Psy in Paris to perform his “horse-riding dance”. His new album is set to feature a new single half in Korean, half in English and a selection of songs from his 12-year career in his home country. South Korea awarded Psy on Tuesday with one of its highest cultural honours, the Okgwan Order of Cultural Merit, as a reward for taking the world by storm. |
| Pakatan will face uphill task in Tapah Posted: 07 Nov 2012 11:55 PM PST
Insisting that Tapah was a sure bet for BN, Tapah Umno committee member Mazlan Johari said there was no reason for incumbent M Saravanan (photo) to lose the parliamentary seat. He said Malays constitute about 47% of voters in the constituency and majority of them were still loyal to BN and Umno. “This alone can guarantee Saravanan’s victory. Malay votes can be divided into three categories — Umno, PAS and PKR. But, in total 70% of the Malays in Tapah are still loyal to BN and Umno,” he told FMT . “The momentum is there. The people of Tapah like Saravanan. I can even say that he is looking at a bigger majority this time around. People know him better now. In 2008, he was a newcomer. He struggled to get votes in 2008 due to the political tsunami. But the same can’t be said now,” “Even in 2008 he won with a relatively comfortable majority. That was when he was not a deputy minister. Now he is a deputy minister. He is also active on the ground. So, I don’t think that he would face any major problem in retaining this seat,” said Mazlan. On Tuesday Mohd Ariff Sabri, a former Barisan Nasional state assemblyman and blogger, who runs the ‘Sakmongkol AK47′ blog, claimed that the Tapah parliamentary constituency was not a sure bet for BN and that the constituency could fall to Pakatan Rakyat at the next general election. The one term Pulau Manis (Pekan, Pahang) state representative pointed that MIC can be defeated in Tapah if the opposition pact wins over 20% Indian support in the tussle for the seat. While supporting Ariff’s speculation, a Tapah based DAP leader who declined to be named had said that the MIC vice president could be kicked out of Tapah if the Malay votes are split . Saravanan, who is also Federal Territories and Urban Well-being deputy minister, won the Tapah parliamentary seat at the 2008 general election beating a PKR candidate by a 3,000 vote majority. Tapah is relatively a small constituency in terms of number of registered voters. It has about 38,000 voters with Malays constituting about 47%, Chinese 32%, Indians and Orang Asli 20% and 1% respectively “National issues do not carry much weight here. This is a semi-urban constituency. If it was urban then the situation could be different. It will be mission impossible for both PKR and Pakatan to win the Tapah parliamentary seat. “Of course, Pakatan leaders have run a series of ceramahs in Tapah. But, national issues does not hold water here. The people here have already made up their mind. They would vote based on the candidate and what we have now is one of the best in terms of service,” added Sivaraj. “Saravanan often visits the constituency and listens to the people’s grouses. He has also settled some long standing issues here. For example the Tapah Tamil school problem and the construction of a public hall in Tapah. "These are the issue which touch the peoples heart. So, I feel there is no reason for the people of Tapah to vote him out,” he added. |
| US$23 million for Kandisky painting Posted: 07 Nov 2012 11:43 PM PST  NEW YORK: A painting by Wassily Kandinsky sold for US$23 million in New York yesterday, setting an auction record for the Russian avant-garde artist.The oil painting “Studie fur improvisation 8″ was a highlight of the big evening sale of impressionist and modern works at Christie’s auction house in Manhattan. The price, within the US$20-30 million pre-sale estimate, broke the artist’s previous record of US$20.9 million for “Fugue,” set in 1990. One of Claude Monet’s water lily paintings sold for US$43.76 million, but a Picasso sculpture of a cockerel was among the prestigious works failing to find buyers. Monet’s oil on canvas “Nympheas” was the biggest single seller, hitting the high end of the US$30-50 million estimate. Alberto Giacometti’s “La Jambe,” a single skinny bronze leg, sold for US$11.3 million, at the low end of the estimate. “Peinture (Femme, journal, chien)” by Spanish artist Joan Miro, sold for US$13.7 million, compared to the US$12-18 million estimate. Among the night’s losers was the bronze sculpture “Coq” by Picasso, which had a pre-sale estimate of US$10-15 million but did not sell. Also failing to find a buyer was “Deux danseuses aux corsages jaunes” by French Impressionist giant Edgar Degas and estimated at US$7-10 million. Marc Chagall’s “Nature morte,” estimated at US$6-8 million, also didn’t sell. Today, Sotheby’s holds its New York impressionist and modern sale. Next week will see the contemporary sales.—AFP |
| Muslihat Nazri larang guna ruang akhbar Parlimen – Rafizi Posted: 07 Nov 2012 11:36 PM PST
“Saya memang sudah menjangka tindakan seterusnya yang akan diambil oleh Datuk Seri Mohamad Nazri Abdul Aziz adalah dengan menggunakan kuasanya untuk menghalang saya dari membuat sidang media di Parlimen. “Beliau seharusnya sedar bahawa Parlimen adalah institusi tertinggi milik rakyat di negara ini. Ia wajar disemarakkan dengan isu rakyat baik di dalam atau luar dewan,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan media hari ini. Tegas beliau, “tindakan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri itu dan pengurusan Parlimen menghadkan akses rakyat biasa untuk ke Parlimen dan bersuara melalui sidang media hanya akan merendahkan martabat dan kedudukan Parlimen. “Pada fikiran saya, Nazri sekali lagi mengambil tindakan yang berunsurkan "conflict of interest" kerana sidang-sidang media yang akan datang mungkin akan berkisar mengenai beliau. “Sebelum ini beliau tidak pernah mempunyai apa-apa halangan dengan sidang media yang dibuat di Parlimen,” jelas Rafizi. Malah katanya, ketika isu NFC dibongkarkan dan bekas rakan kabinet beliau Dato' Seri Shahrizat Jalil menjadi topik hangat sidang media, beliau langsung tidak membantah terhadap sidang-sidang media di Parlimen. “Beliau juga dipetik berkali-kali melalui sidang media di Parlimen turut sama mendesak Shahrizat meletakkan jawatan. “Hanya apabila beliau yang menjadi bahan sasaran sidang-sidang media kebelakangan ini ekoran persoalan mengenai hubungan beliau dengan Michael Chia, barulah timbul soal hak menggunakan Parlimen untuk sidang media. “Sebab itu saya terus mengulangi saranan saya supaya Nazri mengambil sikap yang lebih terbuka dan tenang seperti Shahrizat dalam menghadapi persoalan mengenai integriti dan perhubungan beliau dengan ahli perniagaan yang disiasat. “Keputusan terbaru Parlimen ini sedikit pun tidak merencatkan rancangan PKR untuk menumpukan perhatian kepada kes Nazri. Sidang media akan diteruskan dari semasa ke semasa dan pihak media akan dimaklumkan lebih awal,” ujar Rafizi. Bernama melaporkan Yang Dipertua Dewan Rakyat Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia hari ini mengisytiharkan ruang sidang akhbar di bangunan Parlimen, adalah khas dan eksklusif untuk anggota Parlimen sahaja berkuat kuasa serta-merta. Beliau berkata orang luar yang masuk ke Parlimen dilarang menggunakan fasiliti itu untuk membuat apa sahaja kenyataan atau sidang akhbar walaupun ditemani oleh anggota Parlimen Bebas, Barisan Nasional mahupun pembangkang.  |
| Ruang sidang akhbar eksklusif untuk anggota parlimen Posted: 07 Nov 2012 11:14 PM PST
Beliau berkata orang luar yang masuk ke Parlimen dilarang menggunakan fasiliti itu untuk membuat apa sahaja kenyataan atau sidang akhbar walaupun ditemani oleh anggota Parlimen Bebas, Barisan Nasional (BN) mahupun pembangkang. “Saya sudah lama fikirkan perkara ini. Sudah sampai masanya, perkara ini dilaksanakan demi faktor keselamatan dan kesucian institusi Parlimen,” katanya pada sidang media khas di pejabatnya di bangunan Parlimen, di sini. Katanya surat mengenai perkara tersebut telah dikemukakan kepada Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan para petugas di bangunan Parlimen. Beliau menyifatkan apa yang berlaku pada masa ini berhubung tindakan orang luar dengan sewenang-wenangnya mengadakan sidang akhbar di lobi Parlimen, sebagai sesuatu yang memalukan dan mencemar institusi tersebut. “Jika saya pulang ke rumah dan menonton berita pada waktu malam, saya terkejut melihat orang luar, dengan berlatarbelakangkan Parlimen, dengan mudahnya membuat sidang akhbar. “Kalau di negara luar seperti India dan Australia, kita tidak dibenarkan sentuh (logo Parlimen) mahupun duduk,” katanya. Tempat larangan Ditanya mengenai tindakan yang akan diambil jika masih terdapat pihak tertentu berbuat demikian, beliau berkata: “Bentara saya akan halau keluar sebab ini tempat larangan. Hanya untuk kegunaan Ahli Parlimen sahaja.” Beliau berkata larangan tersebut menggunakan Peraturan Mesyuarat 93 dan 94 iaitu ruang sidang media di lobi Parlimen hanya boleh digunakan secara eksklusif oleh anggota Parlimen dan bukannya pihak luar. Katanya orang luar boleh mengadakan sidang akhbar tetapi bukan menggunakan fasiliti Parlimen seperti di ruang sidang media di lobi Parlimen, sebaliknya di kawasan lain di dalam bangunan Parlimen. Terdahulu, selepas selesai sesi soal jawab lisan pada sidang Dewan Rakyat di sini, Pandikar Amin mengarahkan ruang sidang media di lobi Parlimen hanya eksklusif untuk kegunaan anggota Parlimen sahaja. Katanya tindakan itu dibuat berdasarkan Peraturan Mesyuarat 93 dan 94 bagi melindungi keistimewaan dan hak anggota Parlimen. “Kebelakangan ini, isu bersabit dengan tahap keselamatan Parlimen Malaysia dan penggunaan kemudahan anggota Parlimen oleh pihak lain telah memberi kesan kepada kemuliaan dan keselesaan anggota Parlimen yang merupakan satu keistimewaan atau hak seorang anggota Parlimen. “Keistimewaan dan hak anggota Parlimen ialah sesuatu yang sentiasa saya utamakan. Saya sebagai Yang Dipertua Dewan Rakyat memberi keutamaan (terhadap perkara itu),” katanya. Pandikar Amin berkata perkara itu akan dikemukakan kepada ketua majlis iaitu Perdana Menteri, menteri yang bertanggungjawab terhadap Hal Ehwal Parlimen dan ketua pembangkang serta Ketua Pentadbir Parlimen. - Bernama |
| Nurul Izzah buat laporan Jais esok Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:48 PM PST
Nurul Izzah berkata, aduan itu termasuk segala kenyataan dan dakwaan yang dilemparkan terhadapnya berdasarkan laporan Utusan Malaysia yang menyentuh kebebasan memilih agama. “Saya sudah berhubung dengan Pengarah Jais (Datuk Marzuki Hussin) esok 11 pagi untuk mengemukakan aduan terhadap laporan yang menyerang dan memfitnah saya. “Segala dakwaan yang disebut itu berasaskan laporan Utusan dan bukannya (kenyataan) saya,” katanya kepada pemberita di Lobi Parlimen hari ini. Manakala proses dokumentasi untuk memfailkan saman terhadap Utusan Malaysia dan Berita Harian akan dilakukan dalam masa terdekat. Naib Presiden PKR pada forum ‘Negara Islam: Versi Mana; Siapa Bertanggungjawab’ pada Sabtu lalu dilaporkan berkata rakyat tidak seharusnya dipaksa mengamalkan agama tertentu dan ia juga terpakai secara sama rata kepada orang Melayu. Kemudian Utusan Malaysia pada Isnin memetik dan menyiarkan semula laporan tersebut, namun menggambarkan kenyataan Nurul Izzah seakan-akan menyokong gejala murtad. Laporan Utusan itu kemudiannya mendapat reaksi negatif dan kecaman daripada pelbagai pihak. Malah Sultan Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah melalui kenyataan Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (Mais) kelmarin turut terkejut dan kecewa dengan kenyataan itu. |
| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:32 PM PST
But an outspoken MIC leader cautioned the powers-that-be against "doing to her what was done to her father." Party communication chief S Vell Paari said Nurul – whom he described as "one of the few bright sparks in a pitch black room" – should not be hauled up over a political vendetta. Furthermore, he added that Nurul had explained herself. In 1998, Nurul’s father Anwar Ibrahim was sacked as the deputy prime minister. He was then charged with sodomy and corruption, which Anwar claimed were trumped up by his former boss turned arch nemesis Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Anwar, now the opposition leader, was once again charged with sodomy in 2008 but had been acquitted this year. Once again, he accused his political rivals of hatching a plot. Conceding that he had no authority to comment on issues pertaining to Islam, Vell Paari explained that he was looking at the matter from a different vantage point. "While it is common for politicians to sing a different tune and issue threats of legal action when the heat is turned on, Utusan however is not the benchmark for free and accurate reporting either. "So Utusan’s reports must be taken with not a pinch but rather a fistful of salt," he added. The MIC leader also took a swipe at Mahathir for claiming that Nurul was influenced by the ideals of Western liberalism. Firstly, he said it was wrong for the former premier to presume that the daughter of his nemesis had supported apostasy, when there were two versions to the dispute. Secondly, Vell Paari said Mahathir should stop blaming everything on the West as if this part of the world was free from sin. "If these critics feel that the West is the root of all evil, then they should stop wearing tailor-made designer suits and stop being chauffeured around in continental cars," he quipped. On a more serious note, Vell Paari said the latest controversy highlighted once again how the political climate in Malaysia was now enveloped in hate and fear. "Politics of hate and fear have become the staple diet in this country with both sides of the divide indulging in such antics to seek mileage. This must stop. "Both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat leaders must cease this unhealthy brand of politics as it impedes the maturing process of this nation," he added. Give them room to express
He told FMT that the younger generation of leaders must be given the scope to express themselves without fear of reprisals, be it from their seniors or the authorities. He noted that the new breed of politicians were more vocal in putting forth their views, and this should not be curtailed. "This is what democracy is all about. I put across my view and you have the right to agree or disagree with it," he said. Furthermore, Sivakumar said being a single MP, Nurul did not possess the required numbers to effect constitutional changes. Nurul had courted controversy when it was reported that she had suggested that Islam permitted Muslims to denounce their religion in the name of religious freedom. Following this, religious conservatives and Umno leaders pounced on the Lembah Pantai MP, accusing her of promoting apostasy. Nurul’s alleged remarks, made at a public forum over the weekend, also drew a royal rebuke from the Sultan of Selangor. However, the PKR leader denied the allegation and threatened to take legal action against Umno-owned dailies Utusan and Berita Harian for allegedly twisting her statement. Utusan, which had given the issue much prominence, today quoted Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Masitah Ibrahim of warning that those who promoted apostasy could be jailed. Also read: ‘I am disappointed with Nurul’ |
| ‘I am disappointed with Nurul’ Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:31 PM PST
Siti Kasim, a member of the Bar Council human rights committee, said she was disappointed that Nurul had "retracted" her remark. "I believe Nurul was just trying to impress the people, she didn’t think of the consequences," she told FMT. Siti said Nurul should have stood firm on her remark that freedom of religion was a right for all including the Malay-Muslim. "There’s nothing wrong about it, she is saying the truth. I expected a hoo-ha after that. But as a politician, you just need to stick to the truth," she added. She wondered if Nurul was merely adjusting herself to the largely non-Muslim audience on that day and making a political remark. At the forum titled "Islamic state: Which vision? Whose responsibility?", Siti asked Nurul whether freedom of religion should be extended to the Malays since the PKR leader talked about the issue in her speech. Siti said while Nurul did not mention about apostasy in her response, the latter however was a clear supporter of freedom of religion for the Malays. "In the following days she ‘retracted’ her remark, and said she did not support apostasy. But indirectly when you say you support freedom of religion, and if Malay wants to get out from Islam, that’s apostasy," she pointed out. The Orang Asli rights advocate said she once posed the same question to Nurul’s father, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, but failed to get a direct response. "He was going around the bush and didn’t answer directly. We want politicians to be straight forward," she said. Meanwhile, Siti said it was high time for the issue to be debated as the Federal Constitution did not exclude the Malays from their right to freedom of religion. She said the individuals who criticised Nurul were the conservatives who insisted that their version of religion was the correct one. Also read: |
| Australia to target South Africa with bouncers Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:22 PM PST SYDNEY: Australia’s pace bowlers would be pushing the boundaries of acceptable aggression with a barrage of short bowling at South Africa’s batsmen in this week’s first test against the Proteas, captain Michael Clarke has said. South Africa come into the three-match series as the top ranked team in test cricket with four batsmen in the top 10 of the individual standings and looking to win back-to-back series on Australian soil. Clarke said the likes of Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith and AB De Villiers could expect a hostile reception from his seamers on what is expected to be a bouncy wicket at the Gabba, where the first match starts on Friday. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw a lot of short stuff, that’s for sure,” he told a news conference on Thursday. “When you’ve got four guys who can bowl at well over 140 kilometres per hour, they’re not shy on bouncers whether it be in the nets or in the centre. “The young quicks know what they have to do, they know how important it is that they execute their skills. But they know they need to keep the same aggression they had last summer against India. “They understand there’s a line they can’t cross but we’ll be pushing that line.” Clarke said he had not decided whether to use Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc as a four-pronged pace attack at the Gabba and leave spinner Nathan Lyon to handle the drinks. “The wicket’s changed a bit since yesterday and I need to wait and see if it changes any more come tomorrow morning,” he added. “I guess weather plays a big part, whether it’s overcast or the sun’s shining, the forecast is okay for the week but I guess we just want to have a good look at it.” The weather on Thursday was overcast with a few scattered showers and intermittent sunshine over the Gabba pitch, which had a green sheen to it. Australia’s plans on how to target individual batsmen – short balls to Amla, Kallis and JP Duminy, for example – were exposed in a supposed leaked “team dossier” published by the Courier Mail newspaper on Thursday. Clarke said it had made an “interesting read” but said it had not been assembled by the team and he had played no part in it being leaked – if it was indeed intended as a psychological ploy to unsettle the South Africans. The 31-year-old said he had been telling his players to focus on their own game rather than their much-vaunted opposition. “You’d be silly not to look at footage of the opposition but the player you’re facing is irrelevant. “We’ve got as much talent as any team in the world, especially our young fast bowlers, but if you don’t execute your plans you won’t take wickets in first grade. “If you do execute your plans, you’ll take 20 wickets against India and South Africa is no different. We beat a very good India team 4-0 last summer and our preparation has been the same.” Clarke said former captain Ricky Ponting was “100 percent fit” after a hamstring problem, and he had every faith that Rob Quiney, who will make his test debut in place of the injured Shane Watson on Friday, would prove up to the task. “I really hope Rob grabs this opportunity with both hands and earns that number three position with Australia,” he said of the 30-year-old lefthander. -Reuters |
| China’s Lenovo claims top spot for consumer PCs Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:15 PM PST
Net profit for the three months to the end of September rose to US$162.1 million from US$143.9 million a year earlier, the company said. Revenue climbed 11% to US$8.67 billion from US$7.79 billion a year earlier. “Lenovo became the worldwide number one consumer and notebook PC company in fiscal quarter two and remained as the largest PC company in emerging markets, including China,” the company told the Hong Kong stock exchange. Its share of the overall PC market reached a record high of 15.6% in the July-September quarter, it added, putting it just 0.2% shy of leader Hewlett-Packard. Lenovo has been outperforming rivals such as US-based HP and Dell, with a rise in PC shipments of 10% in the second quarter compared to a year earlier despite softening global demand. Worldwide PC shipments have been declining as consumer habits change and more people connect to the Internet through smartphones and tablets instead of more cumbersome personal computers and laptops. A survey by research firm Gartner released last month gave Lenovo 15.7% of the overall PC market, ahead of HP with 15.5%. Gartner said Dell was the number three maker with a 10.5% global market share followed by Taiwan’s Acer with 9.8% and Asus, another Taiwan firm, with 7.3%. A separate report showed global sales of personal computers are set to show a decline for the first time in 11 years. The survey by IHS iSuppli said the total PC market in 2012 is expected to contract 1.2% to 348.7 million units, down from 352.8 million in 2011. That would be the first drop since 2001, but sales have been sluggish for the past two years. IHS said a strong rebound could still occur in 2013, with more adoption of Windows 8 computers and newer, thinner notebook computers gaining tracking. |
| India’s ailing Kingfisher Airlines sees record loss Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:08 PM PST
Kingfisher said it saw a net loss of 7.54 billion rupees (US$139 million) for its fiscal second quarter, against 4.69 billion rupees in the same period a year earlier. The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation, the airline industry’s regulator, suspended Kingfisher’s licence last month until it comes up with a “viable” revival plan. The airline said it was “preparing a comprehensive plan for a re-start of operations”, which it would share with the regulator and bankers. “We expect to resume operations in the near future,” it said. Kingfisher has been struggling to survive after staff strikes over unpaid salaries, while it owes billions of dollars in taxes and payments to suppliers, lenders and employees. It has the smallest market share among Indian airlines at 3.5%, after being the second-largest among the country’s six major carriers at its peak. The problems of Kingfisher are the worst among India’s private carriers, partly due to overly rapid expansion, while the government is reviving state-run Air India with a nearly US$6 billion bailout. The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, a Sydney-based consultancy, in a recent report said Kingfisher’s debt was US$2.49 billion including bank debts of US$1.1 billion, and it had accumulated losses of US$1.9 billion. - AFP |
| Non-MPs barred from Parliament PC area Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:44 PM PST
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia said the space, reserved for MPs, was misused by others to give press conferences. “This is for those people who purposely use Parliament facilities to sit with the MPs for coverage,” he told reporters in his chambers. At the same time, he said that people were still allowed to speak to the media within Parliament grounds, so long as it wasn’t within the special press conference area. There had been many times during Parliament sessions when groups or individuals were invited by various MPs to speak to the media. In many cases, some of them had been members of these MPs’ own political parties, and would sometimes take charge of these press events. Earlier today, Pandikar told the Dewan Rakyat that with immediate effect, the press conference area could only be used by MPs. Invoking Standing Order 93 and 94, he said the matter would be relayed to the Prime Minister, the Minister in charge of Parliamentary Affairs, the Opposition Leader and the head of Parliament’s Administration. At the time, none of the MPs present in the House stood up to object. Pandikar also said that some Parliaments around the world did not even allow the press to enter their grounds. He added that even India’s Parliament had a special press conference area outside its gates. “You are allowed here because that is our culture… Our culture here is, you want to be with the minister the moment he comes out after the debate. You feel comfortable like that, okay… but don’t go beyond that,” he said. Pandikar also disagreed with claims that there was no space for Malaysians to air their grouses, adding that press conferences could be done anywhere. “I think their purpose is, this is Parliament, [and] once they sit there [in the area], they’re going to have coverage,” he said. Speaking to FMT later, PKR-Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar said that while it was important for MPs to engage with Malaysians, she acknowledged the need for decorum in Parliament. “I hope it won’t be too stringent on [other] matters, as long as there is a balance between decorum and the engagement of the people,” she said. |
| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:37 PM PST
Screenplay/Director: Yusuf Amin There are some movies that will challenge us, force us to think in ways we have never thought before, made in a style so amazing that it will change the way we look at things forever. ‘Gangster Macha: The Rise of Muthusammy’, is not one of those movies. Though a crime movie in every aspect, it will not provoke the innermost recesses of your mind, nor will it force you to engage in a deep political discussion. But it does what many movie makers fail to do. It will entertain, and it will make you laugh. Out loud. Literally. If it doesn’t, then you’re taking it way too seriously. Set in present-day Malaysia, Yusuf Amin’s debut film Gangster Macha: The Rise of Muthusammy takes place in the fictional and aptly-named Kampung Bedebush (it never gets old). Like our world, the general election is coming soon, and the local Member of Parliament YB (Tung Jit Yang) wants to show the rakyat that he has cleaned his constituency of gangsterism. Unknown to many, he has created and supported the fearsome Gang Ular, led by the absolutely sinister warlord Snake Raja (Oliver Johanan), a man whose moustache (tries to, at least) comes close to Rajinikanth’s.
Snake then turns against his creator, leaving YB with no other option but to create another gangster to solve his problem, finding it in Muthusammy (Umesh Logandran). YB has little trouble in recruiting his new protege by offering the young Muthusammy a lot of money, which the latter desperately needs. Presumably neglected by his father, his mother (Marina Tan) is dying of some unknown disease. He then creates a gang, and fills it with the overly-innocent James (Phoon Chi Ho) and his cowardly cousin (Santosh Logandran), though not without earning Snake and his right-hand-man Babu’s (Omar Ali) wrath. From a bird’s eye view, Gangster Macha plays with things that most filmmakers would rather not have: long inner monologues, over-the-top acting, huge explosions, corny special effects and giant moustaches.
Click here to view the video on YouTube. However, coupled with a grainy film effect, all these factors give the movie a very grindhouse feel, reminiscent of Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror and Jason Eisener’s Hobo With a Shotgun. The film is simply made, with enough motivation and sub-plots to further the story. It also carries its fair share of Malaysian cultural references. But the movie is not without criticism however. Though it is centred around Muthusammy, Johanan’s portrayal as the diabolical-yet-charismatic Snake Raja steals the show, so much so that everyone else pales around him. It also felt that it could have come with a little more action, and more complete fight scenes. There are also times when you might feel the movie was a little bit short (42 minutes in length), leaving you wanting for more. It’s six-part-division might also come as an annoyance for some, especially if you want to watch everything in one go. Though quite comical, the film also presents itself as in insight into local gangsterism, and why some budding youths join in the first place.
All in all, its a decent and hilarious watch, especially if you’re high on something. Also, do keep an eye for its Bahasa Malaysia version, which may or may not come out in the near future. Gangster Macha: The Rise of Muthusammy can be viewed for FREE on its YouTube page. For more information, check out its Facebook page. Or, you can also watch the first part of the movie here. |
| Rivals Chelsea and Liverpool have point to prove Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:36 PM PST
After enduring their worst start to the league for 101 years, Liverpool – mired in mid-table with 11 points from 10 matches and just two wins – would relish the chance to get one over on the capital side. Chelsea, who lost top spot to Manchester United last weekend, will be hoping the return to league action of captain John Terry following a four-match ban for racially abusing Queens Park Rangers’ Anton Ferdinand, will plug the London team’s leaky defence. Last season’s more memorable clashes came in the FA Cup final where Chelsea survived a late fightback to win 2-1, and then in the league three days later at Anfield where a 4-1 defeat consigned Chelsea to their first finish outside the top four since the 2001-02 season. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers made it clear where his priorities lay this week by leaving several first-team players, including skipper Steven Gerrard and top scorer Luis Suarez out of the squad for Thursday’s Europa League trip to Russia to face Anzhi Makhachkala. Rodgers has conceded the club need to strengthen the squad in the January transfer window but defender Jose Enrique believes Liverpool, who drew 1-1 at home to Newcastle last weekend, are showing improved form. “We’re doing well in training everyday, which people don’t get to see, and we take that momentum into games,” Enrique told the Daily Mirror. “We’re improving a lot under Brendan Rodgers. I’m improving a lot under him. We have to keep going and the results will come.” Premier League leaders Manchester United travel to Aston Villa on Saturday (1730) and a victory could put them four points clear of Chelsea, albeit temporarily. Champions Manchester City, whose 2-2 draw with Ajax in midweek all but ended their chances of making the Champions League knockout stage, host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (1330). Bottom side Southampton take on Swansea City with speculation mounting over the future of manager Nigel Adkins at the South Coast club. Earlier this week, Adkins conceded he was favourite to become the first Premier League managerial casualty of the season. “Someone is always going to be the favourite to be sacked. “If you’re bottom of the league, you should be the favourite probably,” he said. Southampton’s only Premier League win so far was against Aston Villa in September and they are bottom on four points. -Reuters |
| Can Gerakan rise from the ashes? Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:34 PM PST
The Gerakan leaders, at least those in Perak, are singing praises of Najib's projects and how it is going to help the party to rise from the ashes. In the 2008 general election, the party was almost annihilated. Gerakan won only two of the 12 parliamentary seats that it contested in 2008 and four state seats out of the 31 it contested. Gerakan national deputy president Chang Ko Youn told FMT that the party will see a brighter future and win more seats under Najib's various 1Malaysia projects and economic programmes. He said "under the 1Malaysia theme, Najib has brought a lot of changes and reforms that are effective, which is better than [under the administration of former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi]". Chang, who is also Perak state chief, said: "We will be contesting in the three parliamentary seats of Taiping, Beruas and Teluk Intan and four state seats of Aulong, Kuala Sepetang [both in Taiping area], Jalong [in Sungai Siput] and Canning [in Ipoh] in the coming general election." "We have submitted our list of candidates to Najib and we are waiting for his approval," added Chang. Younger candidates
In Perak, according to party insiders, the three parliamentary seats and one state seat may be contested by party veterans while the remaining three state seats may see new faces. It will be the second attempt for Chang to contest in Beruas against incumbent DAP state chief Ngeh Khoo Ham while state vice chief Mah Siew Keong will once again challenge either incumbent DAP's M Manoharan or probably a new DAP candidate in Teluk Intan. Meanwhile, party Wanita chief Tan Lian Hoe, who is also deputy domestic trade and consumer minister, will stand for the first time in Taiping to challenge incumbent DAP strongman Nga Kor Ming. The sole veteran earmarked for the state seat of Kuala Sepatang is party state secretary See Tean Seng, who is going for his third attempt in this traditional Gerakan seat against either incumbent PKR Tai Sing Ng or a new PKR candidate as being speculated. The other three potential new Gerakan faces for Jalong, Canning and Aulong are state vice chief Liew Yew Aw, Ipoh Timor division Wanita chief Ceylyn Tay and Taiping division secretary Soo Kay Ping respectively. Ceylyn, 36, said that BN might face an uphill battle to retain Perak which it took over by defections from the duly elected Pakatan state government after nine months in 2009. "Retaining Perak under BN control will be more difficult than taking control of Selangor," she said. Her argument is that Pakatan had ruled Selangor for the past four years so BN can make comparisons with its own past rule of the state whereas in Perak, Pakatan had a short reign and BN cannot make such similar comparisons. Meanwhile, Soo, 47, a computer engineer and party member for 12 years, also echoed Chang's sentiment that Najib was doing a good job in addressing all the problems faced by Malaysians, especially the non-Malays which will be plus point for Gerakan in the coming polls. As to the Chinese community's anger against BN for forcefully taking over Perak from Pakatan, his reasoning was that voters now want only candidates who can perform well and address the voters' grievances instead of just allegedly giving lip service like DAP. |
| Condo project: ‘Technical requirements met’ Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:30 PM PST
JMG director Zakaria Mohamad said: “We only deal with the technical requirements of the project. As far as we are concerned, the conditions were met." Zakaria’s statement runs contrary to a report in The Sun on Tuesday. The report noted that JMG had informed the state government that developer Dolomite Industries Sdn Bhd had failed to comply with some of the conditions set. The daily based the report on the minutes of a Selayang Municipal Council’s (MPS) meeting dated Nov 29, 2007. Last month, the Selangor state government issued a temporary stop-work order on a condominium project slated to take place on a land adjacent to the iconic Sri Subramaniar Temple. Barisan Nasional leaders had since accused the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government of approving the project and called for them to halt the project indefinitely. However, Selangor executive councillor for local government Ronnie Liu hit back by showing documents that the project was approved in 2007 by the then BN state government. Liu also said that Gerakan Senator A Kohillan Pillay, then a councillor for Selayang Municipal Council along with three other MIC members, gave the nod for the project. Pressed for details, Zakaria said that it was best to get advice from the consultants hired by the developer on the matter. He added that the developer’s documentations were processed at the MPS’ One Stop Centre and thus, many other agencies were aware of the matter such as the Public Works Department. "At the end of the day, it was MPS which gave the approval," said Zakaria. As to whether he had probed further the developer’s reports bearing in mind they may have been bias, Zakaria said: “The consultants are professionals as they are registered with relevant agencies." |
| Court lifts suspension on Lynas licence Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:29 PM PST
The rare earth plant – the world’s biggest outside China – has been ready to fire up since early May, but the company has been embroiled in lengthy environmental and safety disputes with local residents since construction began two years ago. Shares in Lynas jumped 13% after coming off a trading halt. The stock has been on a rollercoaster due to the fight over the plant, with investors concerned the company would have to raise funds if operations were delayed much longer. The plant in Gebeng, near Kuantan, is considered important to breaking China’s grip on the processing of rare earths, which are used in products ranging from smartphones to hybrid cars. Activists linked to the environmental group Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) wanted the court to suspend the licence for the Australian firm until two judicial review cases challenging the government’s decision to grant the licence are decided. The court refused to put a temporary stay on the licence until the judicial reviews start at a date which hasn’t been set yet, Hon Kai Ping, a lawyer for the activists, told Reuters. “We’ll be formally appealing the decision not to grant the interim stay,” Hon said. Lynas said it expected a hearing on the judicial review “in a few months”. - Reuters |
| ‘AES not suitable for Sabah roads’ Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:28 PM PST
A Sabah MP pointed out that the poor infrastructure and conditions of roads in the east Malaysian state should be addressed first before the expensive AES project is implemented. “It is pointless for the government to spend a huge sum of the taxpayers' money to install such a sophisticated system, when in the first place it can't even provide a good and safer road for the people to drive on,” said Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew King Cheu. "We all know that our roads are bad, unsafe, not up to the required standard and in many places it is a killer. “A West Malaysian engineer once told me that he can’t understand why the Sabah roads are having so many ‘Handy-plast’ (bitumen patches) and he could not find a road that was level, smooth and built to the correct specifications. This just shows how unsafe and bad the Sabah roads are," he said. Hiew, a civil engineer himself, cited the numerous road accidents occurring along a major highway here that was poorly designed with multiple turn-offs and where on-going work was taking place. The busy stretch which is often unlit like many highways in the state, he said, had been the scene of several spectacular accidents with vehicles “flying over to the opposite lane and ramming into on-coming cars”. "Why can’t the authorities, the ministry and the minister see this? Don’t blame the drivers always. Look into the reason on what caused the accidents. "Has the ministry ever considered installing a central crush barricade to prevent the cars from crossing over? In Semananjung, this has been installed at many parts of their roads. Why not Sabah roads?" he asked. Unlit road stretches Hiew was responding to a statement by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan who is also the Minister of Infrastructure Development that the state government supported the installation of the AES. If approved, up to 32 of the units will be installed along highways in the state that have a heavy concentration of fast-moving traffic. Critics say the state and federal authorities should first ensure that state roads are safe and in good condition before indulging in road-safety campaigns to remind motorists to drive safely. They point to how long stretches of Sabah’s highways even in the state capital are unlit and vehicles left parked with impunity on road verges, dividers, traffic islands and pavements at all times of the day and night posing a danger to traffic and pedestrians. Motorists have also complained of extraordinary long delays in completing work along highways and how piles of construction materials and machinery are left haphazardly along roadsides by public works contractors with little regard for safety. |
| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:21 PM PST FMT LETTER: From Shenaaz Khan, via e-mail In a decadent country crammed with prejudiced politicians spewing their inherent ignorance, it is wholly refreshing to see a young gifted politician view religion through a non-sectarian lens. Nurul Izzah Anwar's observations on the merits of religious freedom are both courages and inspiring. This is after all a country where one is branded from birth by race and religion, then coerced and conditioned into being clothed with the fabric of societal acceptance. And should one deign to tread away from this muzzling moralistic mould, one is deemed an unsound, satan-worshipping, bubonic-plague-carrying concubine! It is therefore no revelation that religious freedom is deliberately viewed as an ambush on Islam, having diabolical and moral repercussions. Even a mere suggestion of examination of any doctrine is swiftly slayed as if it were brought forth by pagan beasts! But spiritual scholars, religious rookies and political pinheads would do well to remember that though laws and restrictions may be legally exerted upon persons, these edicts can never truly hijack hearts or heads. The moral police cannot control mental vistas or vices. The complex contraption that is religion requires discourse and understanding, not cosmetic rituals, loud pontificating and doctrinal proclamations. The fervour for ones faith should lie in the heart of the follower. It should not be demanded upon by other mere mortals. Nor should it infringe upon the rights of non-believers. Nevertheless, this country's overt obsession with righteous religious paths has all but shoved God to the unhallowed pavement! While God is said to be the all merciful, compassionate creator, the interpreted tenets of religion instead expose an iron-fisted intolerance of biblical proportions. The level of intolerance permeating through Malaysian society and the Islamic intellect is simply god awful! Though all prophetic preaching's bear identical ideologies, to, say propose, that the principles of Ahimsa be practised by a Muslim would be akin to religious renunciation! We now live in times where crooning Christian carols in Malay is a malediction upon Muslim mankind. Where seeking Muslim women's rights is religiously wrong. Where a unit of language is permitted to be used solely at the behest of one faith. And the scriptured strictures go on! Thus, what remains the fundamental failure of faith is a divine devotion devoid of depth. A patronage of a parish that glorifies a genuflecting body rather than a generous soul. It is then hardly surprising that the hudud hobgoblin is repeatedly resurrected to scare one away from the pantheon of Pakatan or sway one towards the temple of BN. But while Pakatan parties have purged itself of puritan parasites the likes of Hassan Ali and Zulkifli Nordin, it is the government that routinely employs religious discrimination. It was after all the harebrained Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein who fervently defended a brutish bunch of protestors who desecrated a cow head to protest the building of a hindu temple. It was this same malevolent minister who defiled justice by having Egyptian student Hamzah Kahgari deported for tweeting a liberalist message. And renowned writer, Irshad Manji, was labelled an LGBT loving Lucifer and her book Allah, Liberty and Love banned by the Malaysian government. This again, was the handiwork of our hideous home minister. And lest we forget the sins of the past, former Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had in 2008 ludicrously banned the book "Muslim Women and the Challenges of Extremism, published by Sisters In Islam. It was also the ruling government that had gone on a guideline galore of intolerance, declaring V-neck t-shirts as the dress of the debauched. Alas, while this bias government exercises great restraint in intelligent pursuits, they disgorge mindless drivel with great speed. Hence, opportunistic orthodox ogres have scrambled to scream sacrilege at Nurul Izzah. But let it be made clear that the heart of her message was that any affirmation and adherence of faith should be one of free will and not of force. Her statement was not in support of apostasy; it was an endorsement of equality. And in making that stunning statement, my dear MP typified her principles by displaying graceful gumption and astute knowledge. The same however cannot be said of the vapid vulgar BN blockheads who are solely capable of despicable babble. That which they lack in refinement and sophistication, they very well make up for in stupidity and shallowness. The MP of Kota Belud is one such stellar sap. Ever equipped with witless quips and armed with the integrity of Iago, the sycophant from Sabah was quick to mouth off his inane insipid insights. Which is no surprise given that his entire parliamentary pilgrimage is piled with political posturing and apple-polishing. As expected, many of his bigoted BN brethren were quick to follow suit. Such is the covenant of the cult called corruption! A sect whose five pillars of faith include trickery, treachery, tyranny, thuggery and thievery. Their trodden path to divinity has led them to the mosque of miscreants where the sins of spawn and spouse are miraculously cleansed by MACC messiahs. Where their Episcopal empire endows erstwhile ministers with beefy bankrolls. And their prophets of profane profit congregate and extol great virtues upon their very own trinitas; the father, the son and the holy hummer. But while these caliphs of cruelty command the sacrificial burning of human liberties, Malaysians must rise and declare a jihad for justice! We have had it with BN's man-made hadiths. Along with the hypocritical holiness of this greedy government, we have been made to endure the disciples of dumbness such as the neanderthal Nazri Aziz, the imbecilic Ibrahim Ali and the boorish Bung Mukhtar. That these unworthy specimens were voted in as parliamentarians is an abomination in itself! Hence, if we wish not to be doomed to eternal damnation, we need to elect legitimate leaders and not lavatory litter. So whether you're guided by what thy Lord had decreed, or what humanity has heralded, please vote with your conscience. I know my vote will be for MP Nurul Izzah! Shenaaz Khan has been a resident of Bangsar Baru for the last 37 years. |
| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:20 PM PST
Barack Obama, in his US presidential campaign, said: "Stand with me, work with me, let's finish what we started." With that, the Americans re-elected Obama, based on his credentials and his four-year administration's report card. Come the 13th general election, Malaysians will also be called for duty armed with their ballots. For the Pakatan Rakyat, its battle cry must surely be: "Stand with us, work with us and let's get started and moving." As you would have noticed, my blog tag line is: ‘Chua Jui Meng … moving, not waiting for change.’ Even if Pakatan gets the mandate to govern, the task ahead is colossal, saddled with the burden of undoing Barisan Nasional’s 55 years of corrupt ways. Corruption has made deep in roads into every level of the country's civil and public system. It won't be easy but not impossible to undo. Look at the way the BN component party leaders and members are behaving in the run up to the next national polls which must be called by June. Nothing concrete is being carried out to assure Malaysians that it will change to make it better for us. All they do to try and win another mandate to plunder the national coffer are devious tactics that mean nothing to nation building. They use their state-controlled media to concoct and spread lies, to mislead and misinform, to confuse and disunite Malaysians with racial and religious rhetoric. The list goes on. They ignore the people's basic demand for justice and fairness. The obvious corrupt practices, abuses of power at high levels are all brushed off. Where is the justice for Altantuya, Teoh Beng Hock and customs officer Sarbani? Where is the accountability for the RM574 million in kickbacks for the purchase of two second hand or reconditioned French-made Scorpene submarines? The accountability list Where is the accountability for the inflated pricing of the submarines at RM6.7 billion, only to find that it could not dive when delivered in 2009 and are unarmed? Taxpayers had to come up with another RM600 million to repair and make the submarines dive, and another RM800 million for arms, the delivery for which is scheduled for next year. Where is the accountability for Sabah timber tycoon Michael Chia's RM40 million cash-in-bag fiasco which is dismissed as above board because the money belongs to Sabah Umno? Where is the accountability for the RM250 million Cowgate? And in no small way, where is the accountability of Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz's son, Nedim's links with Chia? Where is the accountability of Nedim's affordability to wear a million-ringgit watch? The accountability list goes on and on. The latest Batu Caves condominium fiasco is a classic example of lies and deceit by BN component party leaders and members. The condominium project was approved by the BN Selangor government in 2007. Pakatan was given the mandate by the people to govern the state after the March 2008 political tsunami. Now, the Indian members and leaders of MIC and Gerakan are crying foul, staging protests to blame the Pakatan government for approving the project in an environmentally sensitive Batu Caves. BN is both the devil and the angel. Compare all these with Pakatan’s ongoing nationwide campaign trail. The Pakatan campaign Leaders are talking about the need to fight corruption, the need to change and make the civil service more professional and productive. Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has gone on record to say that a Pakatan federal government would do away with race-based policies, replacing them with people-centric initiatives that will propel and fast track socio-economic growth for Malaysians and Malaysia. The details of the initiatives and proposals have been well spelt out in Pakatan’s Buku Jingga and the alternative Budget 2013 and posted in the internet. In contrast, have any BN leader, including Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, explained to the 26 million Malaysians why we are still living off debts? After 55 years, why are we saddled with a federal debt of RM502.4 billion which is only 1.3% short of the legislated federal debt ceiling? Where have all our trillions of ringgit in natural resources, including oil and gas, gone to? That is why Obama's presidential electoral victory is significant for the world and us, Malaysians, because as far as good governance is concerned, there is no room for race, only "I am Malaysian First" Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor state chief. He is also a former MCA vice-president and an ex-Cabinet member. |
| Chua Soi Lek! We are not immoral idiots Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:10 PM PST FMT LETTER: From Victor Lim, via e-mail THE morally-tainted MCA president Chua Soi Lek is shameless, arrogant and likes to insult Malaysians' intelligence. As the president of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN)'s second largest component party, his statements are unbecoming of a leader. Does he think we, the voters of Malaysia, are really idiots politically? He says he does not know who in the MCA would succeed Heng Seai Kie in the Senate? (view story reproduced below.) Chua Soi Lek. If you don't have the balls to say something intelligent in response to an issue, there is such a thing as keeping your mouth shut. At least the faeces don't flow out of your gab in public's view. This type of arrogant behaviour is common among BN leaders, the latest hot shot being de facto law minister, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz (See Nazri's latest display of stupidity and arrogance reproduced below). At least, we know for sure, Heng is out based on his statement: This is to say someone will succeed her. Only that this moronic adulterer, who was caught having a sex tryst in camera, does not know who. One fact is for certain. Whoever this adulterer picks or endorses to succeed Heng as Senator is not going to be fielded as a candidate in the general election which must be called by June. So, those with political ambitions to secure a high office would not want to lobby for the appointment now. Certainly a storm is brewing in MCA but a tsunami is waiting to sweep it out of political relevance in Malaysia in the next general election. Here are the two stories for No News Is Bad News readers: Another storm brewing between Seai Kie & Soi Lek? KUALA LUMPUR – MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek says the party has yet to officially discuss the candidate to succeed Senator Heng Saei Kie whose term ends later this month. He said the media, which have been speculating on the possible choices, can ask Heng as she has thrice told the press that MCA had made recommendations, China Press reported yesterday. Heng’s senatorship expires on Nov 15 but Chua, speaking at a function in Batu Pahat on Monday night, said he did not know who from MCA would succeed her in the Senate. He quipped that as the party chief, he has no knowledge (who would be the next MCA senator) whereas Heng, who is deputy women, family and social development minister, meets the prime minister every day and perhaps has already reached a consensus with the latter on her successor. He said that anyone who wants to know who would be the next senator or deputy minister should ask Heng. Meanwhile, Heng clarified that she had not made any recommendation to the prime minister regarding candidates to succeed her as senator or even as deputy minister. On the senator post, she said that since it is under Perak’s quota, it will be left to the Perak MCA to recommend a candidate to the mentri besar. As for the deputy minister post, she hopes that Wanita MCA will be given the chance to recommend a candidate to the party president. Heng also told China Press she did meet the prime minister to inform him of the impending expiry of her senatorship but made no recommendation. - thesundaily Also read: Nazri: I am attacked because I am valuable |
| Sea lions not a protected species Posted: 07 Nov 2012 08:44 PM PST FMT LETTER: From Loo Kean Seong, via e-mail We refer to the article, ‘Perhilitan should hang their heads in shame’, by Shiva Lucian, which was published in the FMT on Nov 6, 2012. We encourage feedbacks from the public on wildlife and we also highly appreciate feedback given by Shiva Lucian as we welcome transparency in handling issues regarding wildlife. We would like to urge the writer to explore the department's jurisdiction thoroughly and not to pass his/ her judgments without appreciating efforts being taken by this department. We would like to inform the writer that sea lions are not covered by the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, Act 716, which means that sea lions are not listed as protected species under the said act. Nevertheless, we have forwarded the concerns raised by the writer to the rightful authority in Malaysia. The department would like to plead to all segments of the society to work with us with all sincerity by feeding us with constructive views and sincere feedback. Let's work together in implementing the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, Act 716 and please allow the law to develop accordingly. On behalf of the Director General, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) |
| Boeing shakes up defence business, cuts management jobs Posted: 07 Nov 2012 08:35 PM PST
Boeing, the Pentagon’s second-largest supplier, said it also will close some facilities in California and consolidate several business units in an effort to trim US$1.6 billion in costs by the end of 2015, on top of US$2.2 billion in reductions achieved since 2010. “We are raising the bar higher because our market challenges and opportunities require it, and our customers’ needs demand it,” Dennis Muilenburg, chief executive of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, told employees in a memo obtained by Reuters and confirmed by Boeing. He said the total savings of US$4 billion would make the company healthier and better able to deal with an increasingly complex and challenging marketplace. “Even with the uncertainty ahead of us, we are charting a positive course, and we are committed to excellence, execution and investment,” Muilenburg said. “I like Boeing’s competitive position and our approach – facing into it aggressively and with a sense of productive urgency – and not ‘hunkering down.’” The sweeping measures come as all US weapons makers are under pressure to cut costs and preserve profit margins amid dwindling defence spending in the US. Boeing shares pared early losses after news of the restructuring. Early in the day, the stock was down as much as US$2.27, or 3.2%, at US$69.31, partly on concern about dwindling defence spending following President Barack Obama’s re-election. Boeing said the changes were not a direct response to the threat of additional, across-the-board budget cuts due to take effect on Jan 2, or the outcome of US elections, but marked another step in its long-term effort to be more competitive. Muilenburg said the company’s strategy had already helped it take market share from competitors, pioneer new innovations and win orders around the world. Tough but necessary Muilenburg said Boeing would trim executive jobs in its defence business by an additional 10% percent by the end of 2012, eliminating many vice president and director-level jobs and resulting in a 30% overall cut in executive jobs over the past two years. In addition to this “tough, but necessary work,” Muilenburg said Boeing also planned to increase the ratio of non-managers to managers to a more affordable 12.5 to 1 from 9.7 to 1 now. Together, the measures would result in a 10% cut in the cost of management, he said in the message to employees. Boeing said it could not project exactly how many workers would lose their jobs because it would try to place people in its growing commercial business or other areas. A company spokesman declined to say how many jobs had already been cut from the 2010 level. Boeing and other top weapons makers such as Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp and Raytheon Co have focused heavily on cutting costs and drumming up foreign sales to maintain profits as they prepare for a sustained period of weaker defence budgets. Lockheed reduced its management ranks by about 25% in recent years after announcing a voluntary buyout. Boeing said it would also expand efforts to cut supply-chain costs by working closely with its suppliers, but did not provide details. Pension obligations Defence consultant Loren Thompson said the changes were needed to ensure Boeing’s continued profitability. “Many investors focus on Boeing’s commercial operations,” Thompson said, referring to the jet-making business. “But defence provides 40% of the company’s revenues and returns, so controlling costs there is crucial to maintaining the company’s overall profitability.” Phil Finnegan, an analyst at the Virginia-based Teal Group, said Boeing and other companies were taking steps to deal with growing pension obligations and maintain profit margins. “They’re trying to stay ahead of the coming defence cuts… and the way to do that is to cut costs,” Finnegan said. As part of the restructuring, Boeing appointed five women to new, senior positions, two heading newly reorganized divisions. Leanne Caret will be vice-president of the vertical lift division, which will include the Chinook and V-22 rotorcraft programmes. Debbie Rub will be vice-president of the global strike division, which manages F/A-18E/F and EA-18G fighter jet programmes. Boeing plans to merge its current mobility division with a separate surveillance business. It also said it would consolidate its missiles and unmanned airborne systems, while weapons programs such as the small diameter bomb would shift to the global strike business. Unmanned systems would continue reporting to Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft, but support functions would be shared with other divisions, Boeing said. Boeing also planned to merge its electronic and missions systems business with a separate unit focused on information solutions to create a leaner operation. The company said it would further cut facilities, which are already down 10% since 2010, including two sites in Seal Beach, California, and other locations in the state. - Reuters |
| Pendekatan baru tingkat sokongan Melayu untuk PAS Posted: 07 Nov 2012 08:28 PM PST
“Kita memerlukan pelbagai pendekatan. Saya mempunyai antara tiga hingga lima pendekatan untuk meraih sokongan pengundi Melayu. “Ia bukan hanya melibatkan sesi ceramah semata-mata. Ahli PAS perlu turun padang dan berjumpa dengan pengundi Melayu,” kata Hu semasa dihubungi. Bagaimanapun beliau enggan mengulas lanjut berkenaan pendekataan yang akan dicadangkan. Apabila ditanya berkenaan pengundi bukan Melayu, beliau melahirkan keyakinannya bahawa mereka akan menyokong PAS. “Kita telah menjalankan beberapa sesi dialog dengan NGO Cina di Johor dan respon yang saya terima sangat baik. “Kita memberitahu mereka apa yang dilaksanakan PAS di Kelantan dan Kedah agar mereka tidak terpesong dengan dakyah media kerajaan,” kata Hu. Beliau juga yakin terhadap sokongan padu masyarakat India kepada PAS menerusi sesi pertemuan yang dijalankan oleh ahli DHPP India yang dikendalikan dalam bahasa ibunda mereka. |
| Hyundai, Kia face US$775m lawsuit over false fuel economy claims Posted: 07 Nov 2012 08:24 PM PST
The South Korea carmakers conceded last Friday that they had overstated the fuel efficiency ratings on more than one million recently sold vehicles in the United States and Canada, and agreed to compensate owners for the additional fuel costs. The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, was filed in the US District Court for Central California on behalf of 23 Hyundai and Kia car owners and challenges the automakers’ compensation plan. Under the plan, customers will receive a debit card that will reimburse them for the difference in fuel economy, and an extra 15% to the amount will be added to acknowledge the inconvenience. The lawsuit, which like a separate one filed in the Southern District of Ohio this week, is seeking further compensation for the reduced value of their vehicles. Hyundai Motor was also sued in July by public interest group Consumer Watchdog for allegedly misleading consumers sensitive to high gas prices that its popular 2011 and 2012 Elantra model is more fuel efficient than it actually is. A Hyundai Motor spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuits. Moody’s Investors Service has estimated that the automakers’ compensation plan for fuel costs will cost them US$100 million a year until the cars are scrapped but has not estimated potential legal costs. Hyundai shares were down one percent today morning, and have lost 7% since rumours of lawsuits first emerged late last week. Kia’s stock fell 2.4% and has lost 5% since late last week. The broader market was down 1.5% today. - Reuters |
| Muktamar, motivasi PAS untuk PRU 13 Posted: 07 Nov 2012 08:24 PM PST
Tumpuan pasti kepada ucapan dasar Presiden, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang yang dijangka memberi amanat terakhir kepada ahli dan pemimpin mengenai cabaran pilihan raya. Pun begitu, perbahasan mengenai keperluan PAS untuk sangat erat dengan DAP dijangka ditimbulkan meskipun pucuk pimpinan termasuk Musyidul Am, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat dan Abdul sendiri telah menjelaskan keperluan tersebut. PAS memilih tema Negara Kebajikan Teras Perpaduan yang menurut Ketua Penerangan, Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man merupakan agenda baru PAS dalam nenawarkan yang terbaik kepada rakyat. Bagaimanapun, tumpuan PAS ialah strategi dan persiapan bagi menghadapi pilihan raya umum yang akan diadakan sebeum bulan April tahun depan. “Kita sedang meneliti usul-usul yang akan dibentang dan dibahaskan tetapi apa yang boleh saya beritahu fokusnya ialah menghadapi pilihan raya. “Sama ada Pemuda atau pun Muslimah kebanyakan usul ialah mengenai pilihanraya. Muktamar ini untuk meningkatkan fokus dan daya juang ahli dan pemimpin menjelang pilihan raya,” kata Ketua Penerangan PAS itu. Setiausaha Agung PAS, Datuk Mustafa Ali berkata, muktamar kali ini merupakan muktamar terpenting memandangkan ia yang terakhir sebelum pilihan raya umum akan datang. ” …Muktamar terpenting yang akan menggerakkan seluruh parti bagi menghadapi pilihan raya umum,” katanya. Agenda-agenda penting yang akan dibincangkan pada muktamar kali ini, Mustafa berkata, ia akan memfokuskan kepada perbahasan ucapan dasar yang disampaikan Abdul Hadi. Sementara itu, bekas Menteri Besar Perak Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin berkata Presiden PAS, perlu menekankan banyak isu kepada ahli PAS di dalam muktamar pada minggu depan. “Dalam bidang ekonomi, hutang kita bertimbun, isu rasuah, dan ketirisan RM40 juta. Selain itu, beliau turut berharap agar presiden PAS menekankan kepada penentangan amalan kronisme dan peningkatan peranan wanita. Pemimpin profesional tersebut juga memberitahu FMT bahawa isu rampasan kuasa akan dikemukakan oleh ahli PAS Perak. Timbalan Pesuruhjaya PAS I Selangor Khalid Samad pula sangat pasti bahawa muktamar PAS tahun ini berkaitan dengan pilihan raya umumke 13. “Tema utamanya ialah berkaitan soal pilihan raya dan persediaan jentera pilihanraya,” kata beliau yang juga ialah Ahli Parlimen Shah Alam. |
| Asian markets hit by US ‘fiscal cliff’ fears Posted: 07 Nov 2012 08:17 PM PST
Investors fear a deeply divided Congress will not be able to reach an agreement to avoid a so-called fiscal cliff at the end of the year that many say will send the United States back into recession. Eyes are also on Beijing, where the Communist Party has kicked off its 18th congress, which will see the beginning of a once-in-a-decade leadership change. Tokyo stumbled 1.27% by the break, Hong Kong skidded 1.24%, Sydney lost 0.85%, Seoul was 0.89% lower and Shanghai fell 0.87%. The initial upbeat reaction yesterday to Obama’s victory over Republican Mitt Romney was replaced today with trepidation as the focus turned to the fiscal cliff, a combination of deep spending cuts and huge tax hikes to take effect on Jan 1. The package is a major threat to the economy after a protracted but possibly reckless compromise was agreed last year between Democrats and Republicans in order to raise the country’s borrowing cap. If it kicks in, the United States’ slow recovery from the financial crisis could be reversed and the economy tip back into recession, which would in turn deal a major blow to the global economy. And with Democrats holding the Senate while the Republicans hold the House of Representatives analysts say a compromise could be as tough to find as last August, when the row over the spending limit saw the country lose its AAA sovereign debt rating. “Immediately after the re-election parties ended, markets returned to the daunting issue of the US ‘fiscal cliff’,” Nicholas Smith, Japan strategist for CLSA in Tokyo, told Dow Jones Newswires. Wall Street, which had favoured a pro-business Romney win, tumbled on Obama’s victory. The Dow dived 2.36%, the Nasdaq shed 2.48% and the S&P 500 lost 2.37%. Currency markets also reacted negatively. The dollar fell to 79.87 yen in early Asian trade, from 79.96 yen in New York late yesterday, as investors seek out the safe Japanese unit amid times of economic uncertainty. And the euro was also hit by traders becoming more risk-averse. The single currency, which rose against the dollar Wednesday on expectations of continued loose US monetary policy under Obama, fetched US$1.2757 in Tokyo, compared with US$1.2767 in New York. It had reached US$1.2860 yesterday in Asia. The European currency also fell to 101.87 yen, compared with and 102.09 yen. Market sentiment was also pressured after the European Union slashed its eurozone economic forecast and European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi warned that the eurozone’s woes were beginning to hurt Germany, the bloc’s powerhouse. However, Greek lawmakers did manage to pass a crucial austerity package that opens the way for it to qualify for a fresh batch of bailout cash. In China the week-long congress is expected to see the anointment of the country’s next leaders, with the focus on the composition of the Communist Party’s top governing body for signs of future policy direction. In a speech to open the event President Hu Jintao called for the country’s future leadership to “speed up the creation of a new growth model and ensure that development is based on improved quality and performance”. Oil prices rose, with New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December, adding 42 US cents to US$84.86 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for December delivery gaining 41 US cents to US$107.23. Gold was at US$1,716.60 by 0300 GMT compared with US$1,729.40 yesterday. - AFP |
| Nadzmi ups stake in Tiger Synergy Posted: 07 Nov 2012 08:06 PM PST
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Proton Holdings Bhd chairman Nadzmi Salleh, through a private company Hayat Maya Sdn Bhd, has increased his stake in little known property developer Tiger Synergy Bhd. "In the last two weeks, the volumes traded for the stock had been rising quite significantly, but broking houses had been advised to exercise caution while trading on the stock," said a dealer with a local broking house. Nadzmi, who is the current chairman of Konsortium Transnasional Bhd, was previously the chairman of national carmaker Proton. Through his unlisted vehicle, Hayat Maya, he had acquired 16.1 million shares or 5.26% stake in Tiger Synergy at an average price of 45.3 sen on Nov 2 and yesterday had further increased his stake to 8.9% or 27.3 million shares at an average price of 39.9 sen. Tiger Synergy's 52 week high was 54.5 sen while the corresponding low was 10 sen. The company had announced to Bursa Malaysia on Nov 5 that Nadzmi had become a substantial shareholder by virtue of his shareholding in the company. At this juncture, it is unclear whether Nadzmi will seek board representation in the company. This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve. |
| Philips upbeat about its Asian businesses Posted: 07 Nov 2012 08:01 PM PST
KUALA LUMPUR: The Netherland's Royal Philips Electronics NV says its Asian business, particularly in Malaysia, will continue to cushion the impact of Europe's economic slowdown. This outlook is based on the strong growth in the demand for its LED (light-emitting diode)-based solutions and products in this region. Philip's president and CEO Frans A van Houten said the 36% of the company's global total sales value of €24 billion (RM93.3 billion), is contributed by its Asian businesses. "Our mid-term target for 2013 is to achieve a double-digit growth in Asia, and between 4% and 6% globally. "As Europe is slowing down, we expect to be more profitable in Asia. That explains our heavy investment in the region particularly in Malaysia, Singapore, India and China," he told The Malaysian Reserve after the launch of Philips Lumileds Lighting Plant 2 manufacturing facility in Penang yesterday. The facility will double its capacity of producing the components of the LED in Penang. Van Houten said the 300,000 sq ft facility will solidify Philip Lighting's leadership in the fast-growing power LED market. "The demand for new digital lighting applications is growing fast and the company saw a strong sales momentum of LED-based Philips products and solutions. Year-on-year growth rates now exceed 50%. "This new facility will substantially increase the production of our new LUXEON power LEDs and allow us to meet the increasing demands of LED lighting," he said in his speech at the launch. Van Houten said the company believes in the future of the lighting industry and the fast adoption of LEDs in lighting applications. Philips holds 25% of the global market share in LED lighting. This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve. |
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