FMT News |  |
- Shahrizat slams news portals, says God is with Utusan
- PAS the main target in opposition bashing
- ‘Don’t believe web of lies and half-truths’
- KL shares end higher led by telcos and banking heavyweights
- Unusual New Year’s resolutions
- DNA study: Bigfoot is part human claim
- MAS shares plunge on RM3.1b rights issue plan
- Asian shares slip on US fiscal cliff fears
- World’s first toilet park
- Umno kalah lagi di Pulau Pinang
- EPF caps voluntary contributions at RM60,000 per year
- Buka semula kes bunuh Altantuya
- Lay off Elton John, DAP tells PAS
- RM40m: Nothing in ICAC letter about Musa
- MIC: Probe vile postings about Rajagopal
- Hobbit faithful occupy New Zealand city
- No Sri Lanka leaders at WIEF
- Japan school trains wannabe ‘Santa-sans’
- Philippine economy grows 7.1% in third quarter
- Zico: World football paying price of Brazil’s 1982 defeat
- Beware, boss is watching your Facebook
- We must not be stupid
- Troubled music industry is getting better
- TGV to open five more cinemas next year
- Umno sudah sedia lalui peralihan generasi
- Don’t compare us with South Korea
- Turkish PM fumes over Ottoman opera
- RM5 juta projek tambatan banjir di Klang
- UEFA consider scrapping Europa League
- Thai PM survives no-confidence vote
- The biggest struggle yet for Citi’s repairman
- Aussie campaign against Hydro Tasmania in S’wak
- Malaysia ‘dog’ chant riles Singapore fans
- Share prices rebound at mid-day
- Shahrizat still harbours hope of contesting
- ‘Neutral’ ex-IGP holds press meet with PKR men
- Prayer for Umno’s destruction ‘is Islamic’
- ‘S’gor tiada kuasa beri pinjaman’
- Umno wings set moderate tone
- Bank Negara urged to speed up Genneva investigation
- Ex-Elmo puppeteer faces new allegation
- Nama Musa belum dibersihkan lagi
- Brazilian footballers flourish in Ukraine mining city
- BN ditched rakyat in Bukit Merah, Papan controversy
- Musa Aman lebih baik dari Anwar?
- ‘Youthful’ Najib more appealing than Anwar, Hadi
- RM112.2b in private investments
- Selangor exco clears air over Puchong land swap deal
- ‘Lying’ Guan Eng slammed in Sarawak assembly
- ‘Unapologetic’ tops Billboard album chart
| Shahrizat slams news portals, says God is with Utusan Posted: 28 Nov 2012 05:19 AM PST
"There are pros and cons to social media, but the cons is that it has no limits. They speak without responsibility, especially news portals," said the Wanita Umno chief in her winding-up speech at the Umno general assembly today. "I don't need to elaborate on that. [The news portals] use the word ‘Malaysian’ in their name, am I right? What is this… if you use the word ‘Malaysia’, then you must write with pride, honour and dignity!" she cried. She was likely referring to news portals such as Free Malaysia Today, MalaysiaKini and The Malaysian Insider, which have often been accused of being "pro-opposition" due to their critical stance towards the ruling government. Shahrizat today claimed that a common "trick" used by news portals was to write provocative headlines that lead people into trouble. "How can it be like that? You want to fight for democracy, am I right? Come on… even in the media, pro-opposition news portals, you have to be fair to everyone. "If you have pride in your profession, do it." On the other hand, she said she "saluted" Umno-owned Utusan and its board member Abdul Aziz Ishak for its "sincerity in championing religion, the nation, the country and the people". "I notice that Utusan has always been targeted ceaselessly. Why does this happen? The opposition keep suing them, people do all sorts of things to Utusan… "But Utusan remains steady because it is sincere in championing religion, the nation, the country and the people. I salute Utusan," said Shahrizat, without a trace of irony in her voice. "Do not be afraid. Why? Because, ultimately, God is with Utusan." She reminded the people in the hall that while "the pen is mightier than the sword", there was a Malay saying that roughly translates to "a knife can eat its owner". "Remember that. Do not target Utusan so much. Because Utusan has its own soul," declared Shahrizat. 'Give us fair coverage' Shahrizat said she felt compelled to bring up the issue after a reporter had asked her what Wanita Umno was currently doing. "Excuse me? Join us on the ground, then you know what we are doing. Don't go and ask me!" she seethed. "I want to ask, as the Wanita Umno chief, give space and chance to the women of Barisan Nasional, to its component parties," said Shahrizat. "Write about what we fight for, what we do… When it comes to other NGOs, even if they only have five members, whoah, it's like they are the champions of women! Why is that happening? "You have to be fair to all of them."      |
| PAS the main target in opposition bashing Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:36 AM PST
Delegates from Johor, Kedah, and Terengganu showed they were still smarting from the hurt caused by the Umno-damning prayer during the PAS muktamar two weeks ago. Aminuddin Omar of Kubang Pasu appeared particularly stung by the prayer. His voice cracked as yelled: "They act as if they are more Islamic than Umno." He pointed out that there was no difference in the way Umno and PAS members offered their obligatory prayers and added: "Our Islam is the same as yours." Aminuddin also took a dig at PAS Kedah's Kafalah Scheme, which allocates RM500 as funeral expenses to every household in every case of death in the family. "Only when someone's dead, they get the cash," he said. "Umno gives people BR1M. We gave it last year, we gave it this year. Even youths get BR1M. "So who is Islamic? Barisan Nasional or PAS?" Aminuddin said PAS had failed to make Kedah an Islamic state, pointing to the alleged mushrooming of discos and karaokes there. "AS Paragon Disco, House Bar Disco, Para Para, Venice spa—none of these existed when BN was in power." Azhar Jambul of Dungun sneered at the controversial PAS prayer, declaring: "PAS is truly deviant. "They prayed for BN to be KOed. They want us dead, but if we're dead, who will rule the country?" Johor Umno Youth chief Dzulkarnain Kamisan appeared more disappointed than angry. He said the prayers meant that PAS was equating Umno with the pharaoh of Moses' time, whom God punished for his transgressions. Twisting our faith
"They see (PAS spiritual leader) Nik Aziz as being so sacred. He claims that by voting for PAS, you will enter heaven, but is he guaranteed heaven himself? "He acts as if Allah's ultimate right belongs to him, but then he fraternises with the anti-Islam people of DAP such as Karpal Singh, Lim Guan Eng, and Lim Kit Siang." Halijah Puteh, a delegate from Kedah, said PAS would never be able to replace Umno because it was powerless against its partners in the opposition bloc. "Forget about hudud. PAS wants to replace Umno. How are they going to do that? In Kelantan, there is conflict with Karpal Singh over hair salons. In Selangor, they are unable to ban the selling of alcohol. "And what can PAS do in Pulau Pinang? The religious executive council is given over to PKR. Muslims cannot even make the call for prayer in certain areas. According to information I received, school children do not even have to say their morning prayers." Even Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil used several minutes during her speech to denounce PAS. DAP and PKR were given only a brief mention. "I am very sad and disappointed with the opposition party's behaviour," she said. "PAS, which is supposed to be an Islamic party, is actually far from being one. "Their leaders bring up trivial issues ceaselessly to tear apart the Malay society, such as snubbing events planned by Umno members, not visiting sick Umno members even though they are neighbours, and not approaching fellow Muslims simply because they come from different parties. "Can a party like this be given support?" Also read: It's the system that turns good leaders bad Prayer for Umno's destruction 'is Islamic'    |
| ‘Don’t believe web of lies and half-truths’ Posted: 28 Nov 2012 02:39 AM PST
Taib, who is also Sarawak Finance Minister cum Resource Planning and Environment Minister, said, he did not condone such systematic campaigns which tried to prevent a small developing economy from growing even though in a democracy the people were free to assert their wishes. “Increasingly, we notice that negative actions are being organised in Sarawak to gain global attention and a handful of local organisers seem to lead this opposition to get funding from foreigners,” he said when winding up debate in the state assembly meeting, at Petra Jaya, here. “They discredit the government in a web of lies and half-truths wrapped around ignorance and twisted logic,” he said, adding that it was the position of the Barisan Nasional (BN) that the economic strategy was sustainable growth as opposed to economic stagnation. As such, he said, it would be short-sighted to oppose the construction of dams in Sarawak and to listen to outsiders whose real intention towards the state’s continued development was suspect at best. Taib said that having developed the state’s economy with oil and gas, timber and palm oil, the current development strategy was to develop Sarawak’s resources and promote energy-intensive industries in order to build a niche as part of the global supply chain. It was also a rare opportunity for the government to create good-paying jobs in Sarawak and to stimulate the business and investment environment, he said. On dam construction to generate hydro power, he said, the state government would carry out its plan to develop hydro-electric power projects to make the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score) a success as such an energy development roadmap was important to provide Sarawak with a certainty in its future economic direction. He said hydro dams had the advantage as a cheaper source of energy besides serving multiple purposes, including flood control, water irrigation, water supply and ship navigation, as well as the development of tourism. Even International Rivers, an international non-governmental organisation that had spread its tentacles, acknowledged that an opposition to a dam did not mean that it should not be built, he said. Pointing out that the government was serious in ensuring that the hydro dam projects were done properly, he said it established the Sarawak socio-environmental impact assessment (SEIA) process, which was an adaptation of the key elements of international guidelines to Sarawak’s conditions, including the right of the indigenous people to land and land-based activities. - Bernama Also read Aussie campaign against Hydro Tasmania in S'wak    |
| KL shares end higher led by telcos and banking heavyweights Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:59 AM PST
As at 5.30pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 8.35 points to 1,606.52, after opening 5.34 points lower at 1,592.83. The market’s barometer index moved between 1,590.67 and 1,607.22 in trading today. Mercury Securities head of research Edmund Tham said investors are anticipating good financial results from telcos which will announce their quarterly performance soon. Axiata rose 25 sen to RM5.87, Maxis and Telekom Malaysia chalked up 13 sen each to RM6.50 and RM5.50 respectively, and Digi gained 20 sen to RM4.75. Tham said the market was dominated by local institutional funds amid low participation from retail investors. Losers slightly outpaced gainers by 358 to 343, while 333 counters were unchanged, 630 untraded and 45 others suspended. Volume rose to 1.2 billion shares worth RM1.93 billion from yesterday’s 1.14 billion shares worth RM1.67 billion. The Finance Index rose 45.17 points to 14,932.11 and the Plantation Index increased 69.53 points to 7,936.75, while the Industrial Index fell 37.46 points to 2,643.84. The FBM Ace Index slipped 1.62 points to 4,190.38, while the FBM Emas Index firmed 51.54 points to 10,943.33 and the FBMT100 strengthened 52.4 points to 10,790.28. The FBM Mid 70 Index appreciated 40.85 points to 11,963.67. Among actives, Malaysia Airlines fell 17 sen to 84 sen, Hiap Huat lost two sen to 20 sen and Tiger Synergy added 5.5 sen to 38.5 sen, while SAAG and Scomi-WA were unchanged at 0.5 sen each. For the heavyweights, Maybank added two sen to RM9.04, CIMB earned four sen to RM7.54 and Public Bank garnered six sen to RM15.44. Sime Darby fell 25 sen to RM9 and Petronas Chemicals dropped nine sen to RM6. Volume on the Main Market rose to 963.26 million shares valued at RM1.9 billion from 863.48 million shares valued at RM1.63 billion yesterday. Turnover on the ACE Market dipped to 124.82 million shares worth RM21.86 million from 202.97 million shares worth RM34.11 million previously. Warrants improved to 117.53 million units valued at RM52.35 million from the 55.70 million units valued at RM3.21 million. Consumer products accounted for 54.83 million shares on the Main Market, industrial products 208.85 million, construction 31.3 million, trade and services 463.29 million, technology 32.57 million, infrastructure 29.53 million, finance 34.2 million, hotels 587,900, properties 60.95 million, plantations 16.81 million, mining 2,000, REITs 30.27 million and closed/fund 21,000. - Bernama    |
| Unusual New Year’s resolutions Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:26 AM PST
Learn a decent party trick Get your photo taken in five interesting places Break a record Make a new friend a month Develop a good relationship with your body Learn something you never learned as a child Try a new food each week Make the usual unusual Sort out a financial worry Do something nice for others every day LINKS    |
| DNA study: Bigfoot is part human claim Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:26 AM PST
The study conducted by a team of experts in genetics, forensics, imaging and pathology, led by Texan researcher Dr Melba S Ketchum sequenced three complete Bigfoot nuclear genomes and determined the species is a human hybrid, her firm, DNA Diagnostics said in a statement. Ketchum suggested that Bigfoot or Sasquatch mated with modern human females that resulted in hairy hominin hybrids, but the scientific community is dubious about her claim, LiveScience reported. “A team of scientists can verify that their five-year long DNA study, currently under peer-review, confirms the existence of a novel hominin hybrid species, commonly called ‘Bigfoot’ or ‘Sasquatch’, living in North America,” the statement said. “Our study has sequenced 20 whole mitochondrial genomes and utilised next generation sequencing to obtain three whole nuclear genomes from purported Sasquatch samples,” Ketchum said. “The genome sequencing shows that Sasquatch mtDNA is identical to modern Homo sapiens, but Sasquatch nuDNA is a novel, unknown hominin related to Homo sapiens and other primate species,” she said in the statement. “Our data indicate that the North American Sasquatch is a hybrid species, the result of males of an unknown hominin species crossing with female Homo sapiens,” she said. “Hominins are members of the taxonomic grouping Hominini, which includes all members of the genus Homo. Genetic testing has already ruled out Homo neanderthalis and the Denisova hominin as contributors to Sasquatch mtDNA or nuDNA,” she added. “The male progenitor that contributed the unknown sequence to this hybrid is unique as its DNA is more distantly removed from humans than other recently discovered hominins like the Denisovan individual,” explained Ketchum. Ketchum’s research has not appeared in any peer-reviewed scientific journal, and there’s no indication when that might happen, LiveScience said. Ketchum has also called on public officials and law enforcement to immediately recognise the Sasquatch as an indigenous people. “Genetically, the Sasquatch are a human hybrid with unambiguously modern human maternal ancestry. Government at all levels must recognise them as an indigenous people and immediately protect their human and Constitutional rights against those who would see in their physical and cultural differences a ‘license’ to hunt, trap, or kill them,” she said. - AFP    |
| MAS shares plunge on RM3.1b rights issue plan Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:13 AM PST
Ahmad Jauhari, chief executive of Malaysia’s national carrier, said in a statement to the stock exchange late yesterday that the rights issue was aimed at paying capital and debt expenses, without specifying the number of shares or the price for the issuance. The share plunge came despite the carrier swinging to a profit of RM37.1 million in the third quarter, reversing a loss of RM477.6 million in the same quarter a year earlier. The struggling carrier posted a small operating profit of RM4 million, ending six quarters of losses. “The dilution on the company from the issue will be immense, there will be supreme volatility in the stock until there is more clarity on the exercise,” an analyst from Maybank IB Research, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters. Maybank has a "buy" call and a target price of RM1.20 for MAS, although the rating is under review pending further details on the rights issue. MAS was down 17.8% at 83 sen as of 0254 GMT, after falling as much 20.8% earlier, its biggest single-day drop in about 14 years. “There is no doubt the market is over-reacting, but this is what will happen until there is input from the management on the structure of the rights issue,” said the analyst. MAS also said it will reduce the par value of its shares to 90 sen from RM1 in order to build a credit reserve of RM8 billion. The company raised RM2.7 billion in a rights issue in 2010. The company saw its performance improve on lower fuel costs after it cut unprofitable routes, asserting that cost management remained a priority going forward. “Revenue initiatives have started to gain traction in the market, and combined with the improved utilisation of the fleet and our manpower, we are beginning to see the results of our hard work,” Jauhari said in a statement. MAS shares are down about 22.5% since the beginning of the year. In February, the company reported its worst-ever loss of RM2.5 billion for 2011, surprising analysts who had expected its restructuring to limit losses. Reuters    |
| Asian shares slip on US fiscal cliff fears Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:13 AM PST
Forex dealers also ran for cover after the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said “little progress” had been made in cross-party talks on the looming tax hikes and spending cuts due to come in on Jan 1 that would tip the US into recession. Tokyo slumped 1.22%, or 114.95 points, to close at 9,308.35, Seoul ended 0.65%, or 12.42 points, lower at 1,912.78 while Sydney shed 0.21%, or 9.5 points, to finish at 4,447.3. Hong Kong was down 0.62%, or 135.05 points, at 21,708.98 and Shanghai closed down 0.89%, or 17.64 points, at 1,973.52. Reid’s comments raised the spectre of another long battle between Republicans and Democrats, similar to last year’s row over raising the country’s borrowing cap, which led to the United States losing its AAA credit rating. “The difficulties with solving the US ‘fiscal cliff’ are coming to a head again and may present a good selling opportunity for investors,” said Kenichi Hirano, market analyst at Tachibana Securities. The news hit Wall Street shares. The Dow ended 0.69% lower, the S&P 500 lost 0.52% and the Nasdaq slid 0.30%. The losses came despite data showing US consumer confidence rose in November to its highest level since February 2008, while a separate report said home prices rose in September, a fresh sign of recovery in the crucial housing market. Also yesterday the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) warned that failure to reach a deal would likely see the world’s number one economy fall back into recession, which would have a global knock-on effect. And Richard Fisher, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said a temporary fix with no clarity on tax and regulatory policy could have destructive effects. Currency traders have also been spooked, with euro and dollar falling against the yen after enjoying a recent rally on hopes for a US deal, while the Greek bailout success had also been priced in. The euro bought US$1.2922 and 105.78 yen in Asian trade, compared with US$1.2938 and 106.30 yen in New York late yesterday. The dollar was at 81.86 yen against 82.16 yen. The yen has seen selling pressure in recent weeks after the man expected to become prime minister following next month’s election vowed to press for more aggressive monetary easing to lift the economy. Focus has moved to Washington as Greece debt concerns abate after the country was eventually given long-frozen bailout cash on Tuesday. After marathon talks in Brussels, the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund agreed to unlock 43.7 billion euros (US$56 billion) in loans and on the need to grant significant debt relief for decades to come. Greece must still meet a series of agreed conditions but “the decision will certainly reduce the uncertainty and strengthen confidence in Europe and in Greece,” said European Central Bank President Mario Draghi. On oil markets New York’s main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for January delivery, was down 18 US cents to US$87.00 a barrel in the afternoon, and Brent North Sea crude for January was down seven US cents at US$109.80 in volatile trade. Gold was at US$1,739.60 at 0800 GMT compared with US$1,746.42 late yesterday. In other markets, Taipei was almost unchanged, edging up 4.73 points to 7,434.93. Hon Hai Precision added 0.54% to Tw$93.3 while TSMC was 0.42% lower at Tw$95.9. Manila rose 0.85%, or 47.27 points, to 5,633.72. Dealers welcomed news that the economy grew 7.1 percent year on year in the three months to September, making it the best performer in Southeast Asia. Top-traded Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co gained 1.41% to 2,586 pesos while SM Investments Corp rose 0.12% to 842.50 pesos. Wellington ended flat, edging up 2.55 points to 4,012.16. Air New Zealand added 2.0% to NZ$1.27 and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare climbed 2.4% to NZ$2.59. Mumbai was closed for a public holiday. - AFP    |
| Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:06 AM PST
The park, located about an hour outside of Seoul in the city of Suwon – otherwise known as the home of Samsung Electronics- centers around a toilet-shaped museum building that was once the home of Sim Jae-duck, founder and first president of the World Toilet Association. Legend has it that Sim, a former Suwon mayor who made his fortune with a metal products business and was dubbed “Mr Toilet,” was born in his impoverished grandmother’s outhouse. “He is a man whose life literally began in a toilet and ended at a commode-shaped house,” said Lee Yeun-sook, manager of planning at the “Mr Toilet Sim Jae-duck Foundation”. Sim, who died in 2009 at the age of 70, shot to fame in South Korea when he provided loos for soccer fans when the country hosted the 2002 World Cup.
Before Mr.Toilet’s house was donated to Suwon city, visitors could book it for an overnight stay, but at the cost of US$50,000 a night – the charge to raise money for a toilet building charity. There were no takers. Other exhibits at the park include Korean traditional squat toilets, European bedpans, and Marcel Duchamp’s sculpture “Fountain,” a porcelain urinal. Suwon has since dubbed itself the mecca of toilet culture and has pushed to get toilets recognized as a central part of everyday life. It has funded toilet building programs in developing countries such as the Philippines. At home, toilet conditions have rapidly improved as South Korean living standards shot from poverty to riches in a generation.
Suwon will continue the life-work of one of its most famous sons by constructing a toilet culture center in 2014 near the current park, which has attracted about 40,000 visitors since it opened in July. Like many of the best things in life, the toilet museum is free. “Going to the restroom is as vital as eating. In a sense, nations and governments should work to make sure everyone has an equal access to toilets and feels happiness in there,” said Lee.—Reuters    |
| Umno kalah lagi di Pulau Pinang Posted: 28 Nov 2012 12:55 AM PST
Alasannya pemimpin Umno di peringkat bahagian mementingkan diri serta tidak menemui rakyat di tempat masing-masing. Perkara ini dinyatakan oleh beberapa ahli dan penyokong Umno yang ditemui di perhimpunan agung Umno di PWTC hari ini. Ramlan Ahmad dari Bukit Mertajam memberitahu, "beberapa bahagian sangat teruk." "Ketua bahagian Umno Pulau Pinang teruk-teruk belaka…orang yang lawan akan diblack list (senarai hitam). "Cawangan pula akan dikeluarkan dari senarai Umno bahagian. "Tempat saya tujuh lapan cawangan telah dikeluarkan. "Mereka nak jadi ketua saja kerana nak buat rumah atas bukit. "Tetapi tak mahu jumpa rakyat, macam mana Umno nak menang," kata Ramlan lagi. `Terpinggir dan terhapus’ Bagaimanapun, beliau enggan fotonya diambil kerana tidak mahu menimbulkan masalah dengan pemimpin Umno di bahagiannya. Rakannya yang mahu dikenali sebagai Mahmud dari Bukit Gelugor menambah, Pakatan Rakyat akan menang lagi di Pulau Pinang dalam pilihan raya akan datang. Pemimpin Umno bercakap sahaja tetapi tidak buat kerja untuk rakyat, dakwa Mahmud. Beliau mengaku takut jika DAP terus berkuasa di Pulau Pinang kerana orang akan semakin terhapus. "Sekarangpun dalam tempoh empat tahun Lim Guan Eng jadi Ketua Menteri, kami sudah terpinggir. "Kalau tambah empat tahun lagi kami semua akan terhapus," ujar Mahmud. Turut baca: Umno sudah sedia lalui peralihan generasi Ucapan Muhyiddin sedarkan rakyat    |
| EPF caps voluntary contributions at RM60,000 per year Posted: 28 Nov 2012 12:46 AM PST
“Voluntary contributions in the context of the EPF refer to contributions made by those who are self-employed, owners of sole proprietorships, business partners or those without a fixed monthly income including housewives,” EPF deputy CEO for operations, Ibrahim Taib, said in a statement today. “While participants can contribute a minimum of RM50 a month, effective Jan 1, 2013, the maximum that can be contributed under voluntary contributions in a year is RM60,000,” he added. Contribution payments can be made via cash or cheque using the KWSP 6A(1) form for voluntary contributions and KWSP 6A(2) form for the 1Malaysia Retirement Savings Scheme. Both forms are available at the nearest EPF branch or can be downloaded from the myEPF website at www.kwsp.gov.my. More information can be obtained from the nearest EPF branch or by contacting the EPF Call Centre at 03-8922 6000 or log on to the myEPF website. - Bernama    |
| Buka semula kes bunuh Altantuya Posted: 28 Nov 2012 12:41 AM PST
“Ini kerana akuan bersumpah kedua Inspektor Polis P Balasubramaniam telah dipengaruhi oleh keluarga (Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri) Najib Tun Razak,” kata pengasasnya Badrul Hisham Shaharin @ CheguBard. Portal berita harakahdaily hari ini menyiarkan wawancara dengan usahawan permaidani Deepak Jaikishan yang mengakui membantu untuk memujuk penyiasat bebas P Balasubramaniam menukar akuan bersumpahnya. Deepak Jaikishan mengakui bahawa tindakannya membantu Bala mengubah akaun bersumpah pertama dilakukan demi untuk menolong keluarga Najib. Menurut CheguBard, pengakuan bersumpah Bala yang pertama mengaitkan penglibatan Najib dengan peristiwa pembunuhan Altantuya. CheguBard berkata pihaknya melihat kes pembunuhan Altantuya menimbulkan pelbagai persoalan, apatah lagi ia berkait rapat dengan skandal pembelian kapal selam Scorpene yang disifatkan sebagai 'bapa' kepada semua kes jenayah di Malaysia. “Skandal pembunuhan Altantuya dan skandal pembelian kapal selam Scorpene yang terkait ini harus dirungkai dan rakyat harus tahu. “Demi memastikan rakyat celik dalam isu ini, pelbagai usaha dilakukan oleh SAMM termasuklah jelajah sesi taklimat penerangan di setiap negeri dan ceramah pencerahan,” terang beliau yang juga Ketua Cabang PKR Rembau. Menurutnya, SAMM juga akan melancarkan buku bertajuk 'Antara Dua Razak, Dua Scorpene dan Satu Mongolia' pada Disember ini. Beliau menyeru rakyat menolak kepimpinan Najib yang tercalit skandal Altantuya dan Scorpene. “Hanya selepas kerajaan Umno-Barisan Nasional ditumbangkan barulah kebenaran akan terungkai kerana ketika itu tiada lagi imuniti undang-undang terhadap para pemimpin negara,” ujar beliau.    |
| Lay off Elton John, DAP tells PAS Posted: 28 Nov 2012 12:16 AM PST
In a statement, DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke said that his party supports the concert and it should proceed as planned. "We see no reason why the authority should withdraw the permit for the concert. PAS Youth should change its approach in addressing social problems," said Loke who is also Rasah MP. Elton John, a homosexual, is currently married to his partner after the United Kingdom allowed same sex marriages in recent years. Yesterday, PAS Youth chief Nasruddin Hassan Tantawi said that the movement would continue to protest against the legendary singer from performing in Malaysia. "We will use the approach of submitting a memorandum to protest against the concert. "This is one of the measures we intend to take to check social ills in Malaysia," Nasruddin was reported saying. Loke said that he disagreed with Nasruddin’s notion that Elton John’s concert would promote homosexuality and other social ills, saying the argument is both simplistic and unacceptable. "People go to his concert to enjoy his music, not to support and be influenced by his sexual orientation. Banning a concert is not the solution to tackle our social ills. "PAS Youth should focus on education and awareness campaign instead of imposing their views and values on young people, " he said. Loke added that PAS Youth’s move against the singer would only give more ammunition to Barisan Nasional (BN) to paint the Islamist party a regressive organisation. "This will not help Pakatan Rakyat to convince Malaysians that we are a progressive and moderate coalitio, that is ready to replace BN as the federal government," said Loke. ‘We like his music’ "We accept Elton John because we like his music, not because of his personal life, religion or whatever," said the Gombak MP. However, Azmin said that he was confident that PAS Youth would be able to provide an explanation on the matter. "And we will be able to resolve this matter," he said. Meanwhile, PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub was coy on the matter, saying that there was no rule that bars non-Muslims from attending the concert. "As for Muslims, just give it a thought first before choosing to go," said the Kubang Kerian MP. Also read: 'Elton John's music won't make us all gay'    |
| RM40m: Nothing in ICAC letter about Musa Posted: 28 Nov 2012 12:15 AM PST
Rafizi was referring to a report in The Malaysian Insider yesterday, "ICAC Letter Shows Musa Aman Cleared of Graft Last December", in which Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan revealed the contents of a private letter to Musa. The letter apparently said that Musa was no longer under probe for corruption involving the RM40 million donation to Sabah Umno. “The letter by ICAC did not once state that Musa has been cleared from the accusations of bribery, or reflect that the ICAC was confident that he is clean from corruption as what Umno and Barisan Nasional is trying to portray,” he said in a statement today. Rafizi argued that the letter merely stated that based on the information that ICAC obtained, the anti-graft body had decided not to resume investigations. “If Musa does not agree with these facts, he should then reveal the full contents of the letter and not use Abdul Rahman to verbally show it to reporters.” Rafizi repeated his belief that the reason ICAC halted investigations was due to the lack of cooperation from Malaysian authorities, as the Hong Kong authority lacked the powers to gather evidence. “They depend solely on our Attorney-General’s Chambers and MACC for evidence.” “The statement by Hong Kong’s chief prosecutor Kevin Zervos recently confirms that ICAC’s hands were tied from continuing the investigations,” he said. Rafizi said that the PKR team (William Leong, Hee Loy Sian and Chang Lih Kang) is still gathering evidence, including financial statements and transactions in Hong Kong to be handed over to ICAC to facilitate a re-opening of investigations. They will return on Dec 11. “I urge Musa not to pull Umno into his own personal problems. The best way to clear his name is to declare in detail information about the RM40 million donation he received, including:
Legal threats Rafizi said that the above information is not only being demanded by the rakyat, but also by the Umno leadership itself. He said that when PKR was attacked on their campaign bus and private jet, the leadership had immediately revealed information in detail and the same accountability must be shown by Musa. Rafizi added that he was not afraid of threats of a legal suit as mentioned by Abdul Rahman. It was reported that in the letter sent to Musa, dated Dec 22, 2011, both the Operations Review Committee (ORC) and the ICAC Commissioner had agreed not to further investigative action "on the basis of the facts now known". The letter, which was addressed to Musa alone, bore the ICAC's letterhead and was signed off by principal investigator Tso Wai-Yan. The case surrounds the reported arrest of timber tycoon Michael Chia at Hong Kong International Airport on suspicion of trying to smuggle Singapore currency worth RM40 million in 2008. Chia had then allegedly told ICAC that the money was meant for Musa. In October this year, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz told Parliament that the money was political funding for Sabah Umno. He announced that both Hong Kong and Malaysian authorities had closed the case. Rafizi has been lobbying the ICAC to reopen the case against Musa, going all the way to Hong Kong recently to meet with ICAC officials. He plans to return again with fresh evidence.    |
| MIC: Probe vile postings about Rajagopal Posted: 28 Nov 2012 12:11 AM PST
Federal Territory Putera MIC deputy chairman S Visraaje called for swift action to be taken against the Facebook account holder, who is believed to be a police officer. Speaking to reporters outside the Brickfields police station where he lodged a report, Visraaje said that he was shocked by the postings that were published on Nov 27. He said there were two comments posted under the account name Fauzi Ismail. The remarks, in Malay, used derogatory terms like “pariah” and “keling” on Rajagopal. The first one reads: “ini Paria Aa mesti banyak pusing cerita, satu treller alasan ini keling… kalau sayangkan pasukan Malaysia engkau berundurlah… shittt” (This pariah twists and turns stories, if he truly loves the Malaysian team, then step back… shit).” The second: “Woi keling itak jawatan la ko… strategi estet mana ko pakai… ini bukan friendly la woi”(Keling, resign… which estate strategy did you use… this is not a friendly game). It is believed that Fauzi’s comments about Rajagopal came after defending champions Malaysia lost 3-0 to Singapore in the AFF Suzuki Cup. “As a Malaysian, he (Fauzi) has all the right to comment on the national team. But, it should be with proper words,” said Visraaje. Visraaje added that he found out that Fauzi is believed to be a police officer as his Facebook pictures show him in police uniform. “If that is the case, we want the police department to suspend him immediately before they investigate the matter,” said Visraaje. Also present at the police station together with Visraaje was Wilayah’s Putera MIC chairman S Yogendran. Pariah refers to persons in the lowest rung of society in the Indian caste system while keling is used as a derogatory term generally considered offensive by the majority of Indians.    |
| Hobbit faithful occupy New Zealand city Posted: 28 Nov 2012 12:09 AM PST
Wellington, where director Peter Jackson and much of the post production is based, has renamed itself “the Middle of Middle Earth”, and fans with prominent Hobbit ears, medieval style costumes, grey beards, wigs, and wizard hats claimed spaces along the 500 meter red carpet. Tens of thousands are expected to pack the route to the theatre, along which the cast, crew, and celebrities will travel. “It’s Tolkien, so it’s absolutely huge, it’s one of the most adored books ever after Lord of the Rings, everyone’s really excited,” said student Chelsea Thomson.
New Zealand has virtually claimed the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings as national treasures and emblems since Jackson started making the Oscar-winning movies, based on the epic fantasy books of J.R.R Tolkien, more than 12 years ago. The first film of the Hobbit trilogy is set 60 years before “The Lord of The Rings” and was originally planned as only two movies before it was decided that there was enough material to justify a third. Many of the film’s stars have flown in for the premiere, including British actor Martin Freeman, who plays the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, and Elijah Wood. Ian McKellen, who plays the wizard Gandalf, is absent. Tolkien’s great grandson, Royd Tolkien, has also come out for the premiere. Fans from the United States and Europe have traveled for the premiere of the film in what for some is almost a pilgrimage. “We’re on a 15 day tour, we’re looking at every Lord of the Rings and Hobbit location that we know of and just having a lot of fun doing it,” said a young man named Dave from Ohio. The production has been at the center of several controversies, including a dispute with unions in 2010 over labor contracts that nearly sent the filming overseas and resulted in the government stepping in to change employment laws, as well as giving Warner Brothers increased incentives to keep the production in New Zealand.
Jackson has said some animals used in the film died on the farm where they were being housed, but that none had been hurt during filming. The films are also notable for being the first filmed at 48 frames per second (fps), compared with the 24 fps that has been the industry standard since the 1920s. The second film “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” will be released in December next year, with the third “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” due in mid-July 2014.—Reuters    |
| Posted: 28 Nov 2012 12:05 AM PST
This was confirmed by the organisers WIEF Foundation secretariat and the Sri Lanka High Commission envoy today. On the WIEF list of 63 dignitaries and speakers, which also includes Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and International Trade and Industries Minister Mustapa Mohamed, there was not a single Sri Lankan leader listed. The list is available for public purview on its website. An official from WIEF Foundation, who declined to be named, also confirmed that they did not extend an invitation to any Sri Lankan leader. Widespread rumours of a Sri Lankan leader attending the WIEF had led to protests from the Indian community in Malaysia. The Indians, especially from the ethnic Tamil community, have been critical against the Sri Lankan government following the deaths of 40,000 Tamil civilians during a 29-year civil war against the Liberation of Tamil Tigers Eelam that ended in 2009. Initially, various Indian groups protested against the rumoured arrival of Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Sri Lankan High Commission, however, confirmed on Sunday that Rajapaksa will not attend the international forum. The issue did not die off altogether. Objection letters A flush of SMS messages this week noted that Sri Lanka’s former president, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who ruled from 1994 to 2005, would be attending the forum on behalf of the president. The message stated: “War criminal Rajapaksa has cancelled his visit to Malaysia but he will be represented by ex-president, Chandrika Kumaratunga. What is the difference between Rajapaksa and Kumaratunga? The only difference is Rajapaksa killed more innocent Tamils.” This morning, an NGO calling itself Tamilar Action Force, in response to the SMSes, sent objection letters to the WIEF secretariat. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan envoy, Deputy High Commissioner Major-General Lalit Daulagala told FMT that they were not aware of plans for Kumaratunga to attend the WIEF. “It is not to our knowledge. Invitations are normally given to the head of state. "Our president could not come and our prime minister (Disanayaka Mudiyanselage Jayaratne) is ailing,” said Daulagala.    |
| Japan school trains wannabe ‘Santa-sans’ Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:57 PM PST
On a recent weekend, 88 Santa wannabes packed the school in Tokyo’s fashionable Roppongi district for a crash course in how to behave as “Santa-san,” as the man in red is known in Japan. “There are many children who don’t believe in Santa Claus anymore,” said Masaki Azuma, head of the school. “So I said to myself, ‘Let’s bring Santa Claus back.’” The morning session began with Azuma training students in the mindset of being Santa Claus, such as not to reply to anything unless addressed as “Santa-san,” along with teaching them magic tricks, which Azuma recommends as a good ice-breaker for often shy tots. The rest of the session was devoted to answering the difficult questions that children have a habit of posing, such as “My house doesn’t have a chimney and we also have a security system, so how will you be able to come in and deliver my present?”
After this, the students dressed in their Santa outfits to stroll streets in the busy Omotesando district, exchanging high fives with shoppers and occasionally stopping to pose for pictures. “Not only were we able to attract attention, we also interacted and made each other’s days,” said Kazuko Iida, who visits local preschools and retirement homes during the Christmas season. Despite nearing 70, Azuma has vowed to press on with his school, believing it has a key role to fulfill. “Even as times change, Santa Claus is a figure that needs to live in the hearts of everyone,” he said.—Reuters    |
| Philippine economy grows 7.1% in third quarter Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:56 PM PST
Officials said reforms initiated by President Benigno Aquino had led to improved fiscal management, transparent public spending and a better overall business environment that all helped to fuel growth. “This was made possible due to sustained confidence in the leadership of President Aquino and his administration, which has consistently equated good governance with good economics,” Aquino spokesman Edwin Lacierda said. Aquino, who was elected in 2010, has instituted anti-corruption reforms while seeking to boost revenues and improve government spending. As a result, the Philippines, once an economic laggard, posted higher growth in the third quarter than Indonesia, the region’s biggest economy, which grew 6.2%, Lacierda said. It also beat Malaysia’s 5.2%, Vietnam’s 4.7% and Thailand’s 3.0% growth, he told reporters. The July-September performance also helped push growth in the first nine months of the year to 6.5%, Lacierda added. Government economists said full-year growth would likely surpass their original forecast of 5.0-6.0 percent and could even hit near 7.0 percent. HSBC Bank economist Trinh Nguyen credited “timely policy actions” of the central bank and the government to deal with falling demand from China and Europe as well as the “resilient” nature of the Philippine economy. “There is no denying it, the Philippines is having a fantastic year despite strong global headwinds,” she said in a report. Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the latest indicators showed that the country faced “very fruitful times ahead” with low inflation and interest rates and increased confidence in government reforms. He added that this would improve the country’s credit rating further. Both Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s raised the Philippines’ credit ratings to within one rung of investment grade in recent months. However Socio-economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said there were still external threats such as the “looming fiscal cliff” in the United States and the long-running eurozone debt crisis. He also said the government was closely watching the strengthening peso, which could hurt exporters’ competitiveness. - AFP    |
| Zico: World football paying price of Brazil’s 1982 defeat Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:50 PM PST
Brazil had delighted the world with their adventurous, flowing football until the fateful day at Barcelona’s Sarria stadium when a Paolo Rossi hat-trick, scored with the aid of a blunder-prone Brazil defence, knocked them out before the knockout stage. Needing only a draw to qualify, Brazil nevertheless went for all-out attack and Zico said their failure to win the trophy meant their style of play was subsequently viewed as obsolete. “Brazil had a fantastic team, recognised around the world, and everywhere we go people remind us about that team in 1982,” Zico told the Soccerex conference. “If we had won that game, football would have been different. Instead, we started to create football based on getting the result at whatever cost, football based on breaking up the opposition’s move, and based on fouling the opposition. “That defeat for Brazil was not beneficial for world football. “If we had scored five goals that day, Italy would have scored six as they always found a way of capitalising on our mistakes.” The consequences were especially far-reaching in Brazil, whose two World Cup wins since have been achieved in a more efficient, less flamboyant manner. Brazil’s former coach Mano Menezes said earlier this year that Spain, rather than the five-times world champions, had become the new benchmark in international football. Zico, who is considered one of the country’s finest players but failed to win the World Cup in three attempts, said Brazilian teams had become more interested in physical strength and doubted that he would be able to make it as a professional in the current game. “Brazil is a fertile land for players but we have to change the mentality in the junior divisions of the clubs,” he said. “I’m sure that I went for a trial at a football club today, I would be rejected for being thin and small.” “You don’t see Romario-type forwards in the youth divisions, (the centre forward) is always a big guy,” he said referring to the stocky striker who led their 1994 World Cup attack. “That’s where the deterioration of Brazilian football begins. Clubs are worried about winning titles in the junior categories, rather than developing players.” Brazil was also paying the price for building over its football pitches, he added. “We have lost out since losing the (informal) football pitches and buildings and condos went up in their place. Today, kids from humble backgrounds have trouble finding a place to play football. “Sometimes, they close off streets at the weekends for football games, but it’s not the same. If you don’t live in a condo or aren’t the member of a private club, you have trouble getting a game.” -Reuters    |
| Beware, boss is watching your Facebook Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:48 PM PST
A survey from Edinburgh Business School released on Monday showed Facebook users are anxious that all those self-published sins may be coming home to roost with more than half of employers claiming to have used Facebook to weed out job candidates. “Facebook used to be like a great party for all your friends where you can dance, drink and flirt,” said Ben Marder, author of the report and fellow in marketing at the Business School. “But now with your Mom, Dad and boss there, the party becomes an anxious event full of potential social landmines.”
More than four-fifths of users add extended family on Facebook, a similar number add siblings. Less than 70 percent are connected to friends of friends while more than 60 percent added their colleagues online, despite the anxiety this may cause. Facebook has settings to control the information seen by different types of friends, but only one third use them, the report said. “I’m not worried at all because all the really messy pics – me, drunken or worse – I detag straight away,” said Chris from London, aged 30. People were more commonly friends with former boyfriends or girlfriends than with current ones, the report also found.—Reuters    |
| Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:45 PM PST
Anyway if BN wins again, then Malaysia will herald the rise of stupidity! No, you don’t think so? These two instances come to mind, examples furnished by two prominent BN politicians, one of whom is now a former minister as she has relinquished her ministerial post. She was the one who had said that she was in the dark pertaining to her spouse’s business activities while a current BN minister said he does not sleep with his son. These are stupid statements that display the obvious stupidity of the owner of such statements who must think that the rakyat will be just as stupid to swallow them hook, line and sinker. Well, if we believe their stupid statements and continue to vote them in, then we are just as stupid. And we can continue to expect more of the same stupidity being doled out to us for who knows until when. There is a saying by an anonymous person which goes like this: "An intelligent person can see another intelligent person’s intelligence but a stupid person will fail to see another stupid person’s stupidity." This simply means that if we continue to vote in politicians who give us stupid responses and excuses, then we are equally stupid because we fail to see their stupidity. Another stupid matter that has happened recently this month was the ruling made by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia that the public cannot use the Parliament’s press conference facilities. Among members of the public who have made use of the these facilities are: 1. The late Customs officer Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed’s family members who had wanted to know the exact circumstances of his death outside the MACC office in Jalan Cochrane, KL; 2. Rafizi Ramli (PKR strategist) who revealed details of the Cowgate saga; 3. A factory owner who complained about his RM1 million plus electricity bill; 4. Dong Zong which spoke about some matters pertaining to Chinese education; and  5. The Jalan Sultan property owners who had wanted the MRT line to be re-aligned to Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock. Many more examples abound but the above are enough to illustrate the point that there are all sorts of grouses being brought to Parliament. Why bar the people’s voices from the people’s Parliament? Pakatan reps are not stupid Compared to the BN politicians, the politicians from Pakatan Rakyat are not so stupid. Below is a list of Pakatan MPs who have never made any stupid statement although they give regular press conferences in Parliament and go for a good number of ceramahs and public forums. Therefore they have a 100% clean record: PAS: 1. Dzulkefly Ahmad (Kuala Selangor MP) 2. Khalid Samad (Shah Alam MP) 3. Mahfuz Omar (Pokok Sena MP) 4. Mujahid Yusuf Rawa (Parit Buntar MP) 5. Hatta Ramli (Kuala Krai MP) PKR: 1. Rafizi Ramli (will be contesting for a Parliament seat in the coming polls) 2. William Leong (Selayang MP) 3. R. Sivarasa (Subang MP) DAP: 1. Gobind Singh Deo (Puchong MP) 2. M. Manogaran (Teluk Intan MP) 3. Lim Lip Eng (Segambut MP) 4. Tan Seng Giaw (Kepong MP) 5. Tan Kok Wai (Cheras MP) Those Pakatan MPs who have not made it to the above list is not because they have said anything stupid but it is either because they rarely give press conferences, or are not as active in public forums or have had their statements twisted by their political foes or some ever-compliant media. Generally those citizens who stay in urban areas with Internet access and still want to vote for the incumbent government are stupid and lazy to get themselves informed in order to be able to exercise their grey cells a bit more. This is because if we think a bit, we can easily see through BN’s game. The giving of book vouchers to school and university students, RM500 cash aid to households earning below RM3,000, smartphone rebate for youths, RM250 to singletons is all because BN wants to inject the feel-good factor before the polls. Actually the prevalent view in the Facebook page "Road To Putrajaya" is that the rakyat should grab these handouts but vote for Pakatan. After all, this money is the rakyat’s own money and not the money of the BN politicians. So, why not? No reason to be grateful The BN cybertroopers, on the other hand, have said that the recipients must be grateful for these cash handouts and vote for BN. But there is no reason for us to be grateful when all we are getting is our very own money anyway. We must not be stupid. The government is merely the stewards tasked with taking good care of our money and to utilise it for the public good. However, this columnist knows of urban folks who are very afraid that if Pakatan comes to power, the RM500 cash aid will be stopped. This is a stupid idea. If Pakatan comes to power, the cash aid can still continue as the government is the management of a nation similar to the management of a company. The company may see a change in management but the company still goes on operating and the workers still continue to receive their wages. As such, why not change to a better management? It must be said, however, that cash handouts enjoyed by the rakyat under the BR1M programme is given out at a great cost and soon we, the rakyat, will have to repay it via the GST (goods and services tax) which will be levied on all and sundry. Even the poor will not be spared. We will see in the coming 13th general election whether the rakyat has the courage and intelligence to make the change to a new management team or whether the stupidity syndrome will still continue to hold sway over the majority of the citizens. Selena Tay is a FMT columnist.    |
| Troubled music industry is getting better Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:33 PM PST
Yet Pemandu (Performance Management & Delivery Unit) director Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek said that while measures designed to help musicians were in place, few artistes knew about them. “On the government side, we’ve not communicated enough. As Pemandu, we try to shout as much as we can, but the owner of this space will still be the Ministry (of Information, Communications and Culture),” Fadhlullah told FMT recently. At the same time, it was implied that the local music forefront, represented by the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM), had done little in this way as well. Fadhlullah, is a director with Pemandu’s Communication Content & Infrastructure-National Key Economic Area or better known as CCI-NKEA, and is skewed towards the creative industry. Explaining, Fadhlullah said that the government had come up with a National Creative Industry Policy (DIKN), designed to address Malaysia’s artistic issues, and that Pemandu had a week-long lab session with music industry heads in January this year. He said that a total of RM120 million had been allocated for the creative industry, with an unspecified amount for music. In the meeting, Pemandu agreed to a matching-grant model wherein artistes could get funds for music videos, marketing and other expenses from the government, but they would have to go through RIM to access this money. “The industry guys would know and decide what would sell. The industry needs to figure out what works and the government facilitates that,” he said. Citing Korean superstar PSY’s Gangnam Style, Fadhlullah said that the easiest way for artistes to get attention was through music videos. With the matching grant in place, he added that RIM set a target of 30 music videos by the third quarter, and 90 videos by the end of the year. However, Fadhlullah said that by September’s end, not a single music video had been made. “We’ve not been able to put that money to RIM because there’s no products to put our grant to,” he said, adding that the industry needed to help itself. ‘Understand what works’ At the same time, he advised artistes here to keep to their creative integrity, yet understand what worked and what didn’t if they wanted to be heard. “Today you have Flo Rida, and it ain’t going to beat Beastie Boys, but hey it sells. If our practitioners don’t appreciate market economics, you’re going to be syiok sendiri (self-gratifying). “[Heavy metal band] Kromok is a good example. I heard them, and they’re cool, but they didn’t break into the greater market, so it became a niche play,” he said. It might appear that when it comes to music, Malaysia is in a mess. However, if there is one thing that musicians here have in common, it is their relentless determination.
He said that various bands and personalities such as Love Me Butch, Pop Shuvit and Mizz Nina have continued to push on in the face of many adversities. “The industry is troubled, but I don’t think you need to be hand-held. If platforms don’t exist, then go create it. If nobody does it, then go do your own thing,” he said. Internet boon “Malaysia is still young. We’ve got a long way to go. The only way is up and out, so we have to focus on transforming music into an export product,” he said. Technology has enabled musicians to bypass expensive studios and recording labels, allowing them to reach their fans through Facebook and Twitter. YouTube also gives many here an opportunity to be discovered by agents, as Zee Avi and Yuna have found out. There are also more avenues for music today. Dedicated music festivals such as Urbanscapes, Rock The World, MTV World Stage Live and national talent search competitions have been around. It was also revealed by Pemandu that the once-Malay-dominated Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) -Malaysia’s national music awards- would also have Chinese and Tamil-language categories in the future. “Funds are being provided for that. I’m not sure if they can pull it off this year, but as a project, it is there,” Fadhlullah said, smiling.
“Some of our local acts have really made it big, but when you look at their portfolio and how they managed to reach the position they’re in, you’ll see a lot of small gigs, clever street marketing and perseverance,” he said. Media must be supportive Local media, he said, also had to do more than focus on big personalities and give up-and-coming artistes a chance. Nevertheless, Siva added that more musicians today were being recognised.
The public, according to local music supporter Tarrant Kwok, also had an important role to play. “The whole foreign-is-better-than-local mindset has to go away if we are ever to escape apathy about the local scene, because there’s some really nice stuff out there. Just that people can’t be bothered to look for it,” he said. The rise of a more vibrant national music scene, was a sentiment that local rapper Ahmad Abdul Rahman (better known as Altimet) agreed with. “I’d say it’s getting better. There’s been a conscious effort on the artistes’ side to reach out, and for Malaysian music consumers to actively seek out more content,” he said. Also read:    |
| TGV to open five more cinemas next year Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:27 PM PST
Its CEO, Kenny Wong, said with the latest trends where even infants are into using the iPad and youths having immersed themselves in digital high technology, the company must “get behind new cinema technologies". To this end, TGV Cinemas plans to incorporate new technologies once they are available in the market such as laser beam projection which significantly increases the brightness of all 3D movies. As part of this ongoing endeavour, TGV Cinemas launched the new Digital 3D projection system called 3D-X with the exclusive premiere of highly-acclaimed Asian Director Ang Lee’s first 3D film, “Life of Pi” at the TGV Cinemas Setiawalk in Puchong. “Apart from delivering unmatched brightness, sharpness and superior 3D images, with 3D-X, TGV Cinemas is now capable of displaying high-definition content – 2K, 4K, and 3D feature films, documentaries and alternative content,” said Wong prior to the launch of TGV Setiawalk yesterday. “The innovation found in today’s digital cinema technology to greatly improve the movie-going experience makes the film-to-digital conversion a top priority for TGV Cinemas which now has 160 screens nationwide. “We have to keep ahead given that the cinema landscape is forever evolving as evidenced by its joint venture to offer the new digital IMAX theatre system,” he said. Another new technological feature would be films shot at a revolutionary 48 frames per second format from the traditional 24 previously – a new projection technique that’s designed to offer viewers a hyper-realistic “immersive” experience. The first movie inculcating such new technology would be screened by TGV Cinemas when “The Hobbit” premiers on Dec 13, he said. Other features TGV Cinemas has adopted to make the cinema-going experience more cosy is the Beanieplex which has cushy beanbag seats that come in pairs. They are available at TGV Setiawalk and eight other cinema halls. Wong also expressed confidence that new spanking TGV Setiawalk at Puchong would be a crowd- puller in view that the cinema is surrounded by numerous residential areas and is well connnected by high highways which can bring in patrons from Shah Alam, Subang and Puchong. TGV Cinemas owns and operates the largest multiplex circuit in the country. In line with its vision to provide the “ultimate cinema-going experience” to the discerning public, TGV offers numerous facilities and conveniences, such as generous seating gradients, sophisticated digital sound and projection systems, central computerised ticketing system with integrated tele-reservation hotlines, and facilities for the handicapped including special wheelchair lifts. - Bernama    |
| Umno sudah sedia lalui peralihan generasi Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:19 PM PST
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno dan parti komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) memikul tugas berat untuk memikat hati 42 peratus pengundi muda yang akan memberi impak kepada keputusan pilihan raya umum ke-13, penentu parti mana yang akan meneraju Malaysia. Tanggungjawab dan peranan untuk meraih undi kira-kira 5.37 juta pengundi berusia bawah 40 tahun ini mesti dilaksanakan bersungguh-sungguh kerana Umno dan BN bersaing dengan parti pembangkang untuk mendapatkan sokongan, sekali gus memenangkan parti masing-masing. Agenda memenangi hati dan minda pengundi generasi Y adalah antara yang disentuh Presiden Umno Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak semasa menyampaikan amanat kepada barisan pimpinan jawatankuasa bahagian, sempena Perhimpunan Agung Umno 2012 semalam. Berdasarkan statistik suku ketiga Daftar Pemilih 2012 Suruhan Pilihan Raya, sejumlah 13.1 juta pemilih berdaftar layak mengundi pada pilihan raya umum ke-13 yang boleh diadakan pada bila-bila masa sahaja. Sebanyak 18.07 peratus atau 2.37 juta pengundi terdiri daripada kumpulan umur antara 21 dan 29 tahun manakala 22.8 peratus atau hampir tiga juta terdiri daripada kumpulan umur antara 30 dan 39 tahun. Exco Pergerakan Pemuda Umno Datuk Muhammad Khairun Aseh ketika ditemui Bernama, merumuskan amanat Perdana Menteri memberi isyarat jelas bahawa Umno sudah bersedia untuk melalui peralihan generasi, iaitu menampilkan orang muda untuk memimpin parti dan negara. Muhammad Khairun berkata konsep pengorbanan yang menghendaki pemimpin lama memberi laluan kepada golongan muda sebagai calon, terserlah dalam amanat Presiden parti kepada anggota Umno, semasa beliau membincangkan isu taktikal Umno dalam menghadapi pilihan raya umum nanti. Katanya rata-rata anggota juga dilihat senada dengan Najib, melafazkan ikrar janji setia untuk bersatu padu dan kesanggupan mereka untuk berkorban demi parti. Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda Umno Seputeh Muhammad Razlan Muhammad Rafii pulaberkata Umno kini dilihat memberi peluang seluasnya kepada generasi muda untuk menjadi pemimpin pada masa depan. Menurutnya pelbagai langkah yang diambil Umno, parti terbesar di negara ini yang sudah berusia 66 tahun, sering melibatkan dan memberi peluang golongan muda untuk turut sama memberi pandangan mereka dalam soal pentadbiran. Beliau berkata Pemuda Umno akan terus memberi penjelasan kepada generasi muda mengenai usaha yang sedang dilakukan kerajaan khusus buat orang muda ketika ini, di samping berusaha menyediakan mereka untuk mencorakkan masa depan Malaysia. Katanya banyak program yang dilaksanakan kerajaan menyerlahkan kepentingan suara golongan muda dalam negara yang adakalanya tidak disedari mereka secara langsung, dan menjadi tanggungjawab Umno untuk menyedarkan mereka. Pelbagai program dilaksanakan kerajaan khusus buat golongan muda, antaranya seperti karnival peluang pekerjaan, pemberian RM250 bantuan kewangan Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia dipanjangkan kepada kumpulan bujang berumur 21 tahun ke atas yang layak, rebat RM200 bagi pembelian telefon mudah alih pintar 3G kepada belia berumur 21 hingga 30 tahun. - Bernama    |
| Don’t compare us with South Korea Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:14 PM PST
He said this while debating the Islamic Financial Services Bill 2012 at Parliament today. Tajuddin was responding to Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad's statement who earlier said that the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita for Malaysia was at USD 400 in the 1970s, while South Korea was at USD 270, showing how Malaysia was ahead of South Korea then. "Since then, Malaysia was left way behind. In 2011, South Korea's GNI was at USD 20,870 while Malaysia was only at USD 8,420. "There is a lot of catching up to do because we have failed to implement and leverage on all the resources that we have," said Dzulkefly. However, Tajuddin disagreed and said that the comparison between South Korea and Malaysia is not relevant because South Korea is backed by the US in terms of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) to counter North Korea, which is a communist bloc. "Do you know that there is a big market for South Korean products in America? [Thus] this is not a relevant comparison. It is not because we cannot compete with them. It is because the US supports South Korea. "It is the same with Turkey, the country is catching up in development because they have the European market. We do not have a market in Europe; you must understand the international economics," he said. At this juncture, Dzulkefly interjected and said Malaysia lagged behind due to the government's failure to invest in human capital. "We have wasted a lot, in terms of our time and resources, with the failure of the first privatisation wave and the 1997 financial crisis," said Dzulkefly. The PAS MP added that Malaysia has yet to learn its lesson, claiming that the government is creating a new rent class group that would be a bane to the nation's economy. "We created a rent seeking group in the 1980s, and due to that, the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis almost crippled the nation's economy. "But now we're going to repeat the second privatisation wave with a new rent class group," said Dzulkefly. He added that Malaysia has to drive the economy through domestic aggregate demand and Malaysia should find new trading partners, for example, like from the Middle East and China.    |
| Turkish PM fumes over Ottoman opera Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:07 PM PST
Erdogan tore into the weekly soap opera “Magnificent Century”, which attracts an audience of up to 150 million people in Turkey as well as parts of the Balkans and Middle East, in response to criticism of his government’s foreign policy. The lavish television production, which grips audiences with tales of power struggles and palace intrigue, is set during the 16th century reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, when Ottoman rulers held sway over an empire straddling three continents. Bristling at suggestions that Turkey was meddling too much in its neighbors’ affairs, Erdogan recalled Turkey’s heritage, and said Suleiman had been a proud conqueror rather than the indulgent harem-lover portrayed in the show. “(Critics) ask why are we dealing with the affairs of Iraq, Syria and Gaza,” Erdogan said at the opening of an airport in western Turkey on Sunday.
Scenes that showed Suleiman with women in the harem have prompted calls from viewers in the mostly Muslim and largely conservative country for the broadcasting regulator (RTUK) to ban the series. But it tops the viewing charts each week. Erdogan said the director of the series, which has been on air since January 2011, and the owner of the channel that broadcasts it had been warned, but also said he expected the judiciary to act, without elaborating. Erdogan’s opponents accused him of authoritarianism. “The prime minister must be jealous of the series’ popularity. He thinks there’s no need for another sultan when he’s in power,” said Muharrem Ince, the deputy chairman of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). “Erdogan wants to be the only sultan.” Elected a decade ago with the strongest majority seen in years, Erdogan has overseen a period of unprecedented prosperity in Turkey. But concerns are growing about his increasingly authoritarian rule. Hundreds of politicians, academics and journalists are in jail on charges of plotting against the government, while more than 300 army officers were given prison terms in September for conspiring to topple him not long after he swept to power. Turkey has been increasingly assertive in regional politics, most notably over the crisis in neighbouring Syria, where it has led calls for international action and scrambled war planes in a warning to Damascus not to violate its territory. “I think the prime minister’s aim here is to change the agenda. I can’t think of any other reason to discuss an imaginary television series when there are so many problems in a country,” Nebahat Cehre, who played Suleiman’s mother during the first two seasons, told Turkey’s Birgun newspaper.—Reuters    |
| RM5 juta projek tambatan banjir di Klang Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:05 PM PST
SHAH ALAM: Kerajaan Negeri Selangor hanya meluluskan peruntukan sebanyak RM5 juta untuk projek tambatan banjir bagi mengatasi bencana alam itu yang sering berlaku di Klang. Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Tetap Kerajaan Tempatan, Kajian dan Penyelidikan Negeri, Ronnie Liu berkata kerajaan negeri memperuntukan RM1.2 bilion, namun Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Selangor (MTES) hanya meluluskan RM5 juta untuk pelaksanaan projek berkenaan. Beliau berkata sembilan projek tambatan banjir sudah mula dilaksanakan di Klang dengan tujuh daripadanya dijangka siap tahun ini manakala dua lagi projek dijangka siap Mac depan. Ronnie turut menyifatkan kejadian banjir yang berlaku di Klang adalah disebabkan faktor permukaan muka bumi di daerah itu yang lebih rendah daripada paras laut. “Sikap orang ramai yang mengambil jalan mudah dengan membuang sampah di dalam saluran air memburukkan lagi keadaan banjir setiap kali hujan lebat,” katanya sewaktu menjawab soalan daripada M. Manoharan (DAP-Kota Alam Shah) dalam sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN), di sini semalam. Dalam soalan tambahan, Manoharan ingin mengetahui sama ada ketiadaan Yang Dipertuan Majlis Perbandaran Klang (MPK) menjejaskan operasi mengatasi banjir di daerah itu. Ronnie dalam jawapannya berkata, jawatan YDP MPK yang kini dipangku tidak mendatangkan masalah terhadap sebarang operasi dalam menangani banjir di Klang. Ujar beliau, pemangku YDP MPK kini menjalankan tugas dengan baik dan bertanggungjawab selain dapat melaksanakan pengurusan operasi MPK dengan lancar.    |
| UEFA consider scrapping Europa League Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:00 PM PST
Asked about possible plans to extend the elite Champions League at the expense of the second-tier Europa League, Platini said: “There is an ongoing debate to determine what form the European competitions will have between 2015 and 2018. “We’re discussing it, we will make a decision in 2014. Nothing is decided yet.” One of the options being looked at is the possibility of extending the final phase of the Champions League from 32 to 64 teams. The Europa League generates far lower revenue for clubs than the Champions League and has been criticized since it evolved from the UEFA Cup in 2009. Meanwhile, the UEFA president said that he was not worried by talk of the creation by Europe’s rich clubs of a competition to rival the Champions League. “It’s a question that is regularly brought up,” said the former French midfielder. “It doesn’t worry me. I can’t see how it could work outside the UEFA framework. Who will referee them? In what stadiums will they play? A lot of people want them? I don’t think so.”    |
| Thai PM survives no-confidence vote Posted: 27 Nov 2012 11:00 PM PST  BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today easily survived a no-confidence vote orchestrated by her opponents in parliament who accused her of failing to crack down on graft.Yingluck, Thailand’s first female premier, won 308 of the 467 votes, securing support even from outside her six-party coalition which commands about three-fifths of the seats in the lower house. The former businesswoman took office in August 2011 after a decisive election victory by her Puea Thai party which has close links to her brother, ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. “Parliament has voted for Prime Minister Yingluck to continue her work,” house speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont announced after the vote, which followed three days of debate by MPs. Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubumrung, Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat and Deputy Interior Minister Chat Kuladilok also survived censure motions. Yingluck was accused by the main opposition Democrat Party of overseeing corruption — particularly in a controversial government rice purchase scheme — and of being the puppet of her brother. Thaksin was toppled by royalist generals in a coup in 2006. He lives overseas to avoid a jail sentence imposed in his absence for corruption charges that he contends were politically motivated. His overthrow unleashed years of rival political street protests. Two months of mass rallies against the previous government in 2010 by “Red Shirt” Thaksin supporters sparked a deadly military crackdown that left about 90 people dead and nearly 1,900 wounded. Thaksin’s opponents staged their own anti-government protests in Bangkok on Saturday, sparking clashes with the police. - AFP    |
| The biggest struggle yet for Citi’s repairman Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:53 PM PST
O’Neill spoke to a Citigroup board member on the telephone, but the board was reluctant to consider O’Neill seriously because he had never run a bank of Citigroup’s size or complexity, according to a person familiar with the situation. Five years later, O’Neill, 66, is effectively running Citigroup, which is more than 130 times bigger than Bank of Hawaii was last decade, as measured by assets. He joined the Citigroup board in 2009, became chairman this year and has played an increasingly powerful role, as most vividly shown by his ousting of Vikram Pandit as chief executive in October, after months of tension. O’Neill, who hand-picked new CEO Michael Corbat, has an uphill task ahead of him. Citigroup is groaning under US$171 billion of assets it wants to shed, has high expenses, and its profitability lags behind that of such competitors as JPMorgan Chase & Co. And O’Neill faces the same question that kept him from being a contender for the Citigroup CEO spot: while he can fix a smaller bank, can he revamp a behemoth as complicated as Citigroup? “It is an awfully complex situation,” said current Bank of Hawaii CEO Peter Ho, who worked for O’Neill. “He relishes simplicity.” O’Neill, who declined to comment for this story through a spokesman, has provided some clues about his plan to turn the bank around. On a conference call with investors the day that Pandit stepped down, he said that he will follow his typical playbook. A dozen people who have worked with O’Neill over the years say that plan usually involves the ruthless pruning of underperforming operations and deciding which ones are worth additional investment. As he evaluates a bank, he delves deeply into details to look for value or risk that others may have missed. His decisions may differ from those of competitors, but he has a strong track record of being right, these people said. For example, when he was at BankAmerica in 1998, he exited a type of mortgage lending that brought heartburn to competitors a few years later. Given Corbat spent three years after the financial crisis helping to dispose of Citigroup’s bad assets, he may be a perfect chief executive – and ally – for O’Neill. Still, it remains far from certain that O’Neill can use the methods he has previously used to turn Citi around. It not only dwarfs Bank of Hawaii but is also seven times as large as BankAmerica was in 1997, when O’Neill was that bank’s chief financial officer. Citigroup is also vastly more complicated and has been exiting businesses for years. At this stage, O’Neill could still decide to shed a big business, like investment banking. But Citigroup executives who have considered such steps in the past decided that the damage to other businesses, like corporate lending, would be too great. “Take the process at Bank of Hawaii, and multiply it by 10,000, and you’ve got what Citigroup will be like,” said one former senior Citi executive. It may take years for O’Neill’s effort to bear fruit, barring a major global economic turnaround, he added. Aloha shirts and bar graphs In 2000, when O’Neill took the CEO’s job at Bank of Hawaii, he had to fix a regional bank that was struggling after over-expanding around the Pacific Rim. Employees, already bruised by deep cost-cutting, were wary of an outsider from the US mainland, said Lori McCarney, the bank’s former chief marketing officer. But O’Neill listened to employees, laid out a strategy and put his own money behind it, investing US$10 million in the bank’s stock. The former US Marine even starred in a series of commercials, dressed in a flowered aloha shirt. At investor meetings in New York, O’Neill would show a chart with about 30 bars – about three-fourths represented businesses that were profitable, while the remainder were losing money or breaking even. “It was a pretty clear graphic picture of what to expect,” said Al Landon, a risk manager hired shortly before O’Neill’s arrival and who later became his successor. Within six months of being named CEO, O’Neill announced that the company would shed its holdings in California, Asia and most of the South Pacific. O’Neill dug into various businesses to understand what was happening. He would suddenly show up in employees’ offices or summon them for short discussions, recalls Ho, who was then a senior vice- president fairly low down in the chain of command. “He clearly understood the issues in my sphere, wanted to get my opinion on them, and wanted to make sure that I understood that he understood what was going on several layers down,” said Ho, who became CEO of the bank in 2010. It was in such no-nonsense meetings that O’Neill convinced Bank of Hawaii employees that the company would rationally sort out which of its businesses. When O’Neill departed in 2004, he left the bank “with a very strong credit culture and they got through the credit crisis better than most banks,” said Fred Cannon, who was director of investor relations at BankAmerica and is now director of US research and chief equity strategist at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. Former colleagues say O’Neill also has a knack for seeing risks that other executives may miss. In 1997, when he was chief financial officer at BankAmerica, he pushed the lender to auction off its manufactured housing finance business, which was then booking strong profits as the second-biggest lender in a booming market. “It was a smart analysis of the numbers using good judgment,” Cannon said. “Mike sold that business for a very good price.” That deal happened in 1998, and two years later, most players in the manufactured housing finance industry suffered big losses. BankAmerica, led by then CEO David Coulter, agreed to merge in 1998 with Charlotte, North Carolina-based NationsBank to form today’s Bank of America Corp. A crazy quilt At Citigroup, O’Neill will have to take these skills to an entirely new level. But the bank was slow to integrate its many businesses into a single company, resulting in a crazy quilt of computer systems, overlapping operations and confusing organisational charts, making it hard to figure out whether any business was earning a meaningful return. The bank has made progress but is still working on these issues, which would complicate a Bank of Hawaii-type analysis on profitability of various units. Moreover, unlike Bank of Hawaii and BankAmerica, shedding assets will be much harder at Citigroup. The bank has been disposing of extraneous and risky assets housed in its Citi Holdings unit for nearly four years. It had cut down assets to US$171 billion by the end of September from US$649 billion in mid-2009, but executives expect the pace of disposals to slow as few obvious buyers remain. What’s left is likely to be a source of more losses in the future. Despite these challenges, veteran bank analyst Mike Mayo said he can think of no better person than O’Neill to be chairman of Citigroup. “He almost wrote the book on how to decide which businesses should be sold or kept,” said Mayo, whose 2012 book “Exile on Wall Street” details his numerous arguments with senior bank executives, including former Citigroup leaders Chuck Prince, Robert Rubin and Pandit. - Reuters    |
| Aussie campaign against Hydro Tasmania in S’wak Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:42 PM PST
Hydro Tasmania is involved in the controversial proposals for the construction of dams in Sarawak. The Greens are in a formal alliance with the Australian Labor Party in the Tasmanian Parliament. Yesterday, Greens Senators Christine Milne and Lee Rhiannon together with Sarawak indigenous leaders launched a national-level campaign calling for Hydro Tasmania to pull out its support of the dams in the state. Rhiannon, who is also Greens overseas development spokesperson, said: "Momentum Energy [part of the Hydro Tasmania group of companies] is in NSW [New South Wales] , Victoria and South Australia busily promoting themselves as a champion of green energy but Hydro Tasmania's record in Sarawak shows the opposite. "The Australian Greens will work with community groups and state MPs to send a decisive message that Hydro Tasmania must walk away from supporting dams in Sarawak." In an e-mail statement to FMT, Milne noted that the dams, when built, will “displace tens of thousands of people from their homes and flood large tracts of forests and farmland”. "Hydro Tasmania cannot walk away from its responsibility for the damage these dams will cause to thousands of villagers in Sarawak. "Hydro Tasmania continues to supply staff and technical expertise to push these projects along despite a growing campaign in Sarawak against the dams. "I am calling on Hydro Tasmania to walk away from this destructive project," Milne said. Forests, villagers will be wiped out Meanwhile, a coalition of Sarawak NGOs, Save Rivers, whose leaders are currently in Australia campaigning against the construction of these dams, said that Hydro Tasmania is “turning a blind eye” to human rights and the impact of the constructions. Its chairman Peter Kallang said: “People in Australia need to be aware that an Australian state-owned company Hydro Tasmania is involved in massive dam proposals that stand to affect up to 20,000 people who live along the Baram River in Sarawak. "Hydro Tasmania is turning a blind eye to the human rights and environmental impacts of these dams," he said. James Nyurang, a village headman from the Baram River region, said that if the dams were built, he would lose his home and his land. "I have no idea where my family will be moved to or how we will make our livelihood. "Hydro Tasmania's involvement in Sarawak will flood thousands of hectares of land belonging to the indigenous peoples of Sarawak. This will spell the end of our heritage, our means of livelihood, custom and culture. "We will not stand by while our homes, our rive fields, our fruit trees go under water," he said. In the next 20 to 30 years, Sarawak is expected to build 12 more mega dams to generate electricity for the use of smelting plants in the SCORE (Sarawak Corridor of Renewal Energy) area. Virtually all the land and villages belonging to the Kayan, Kenyah, Penan and other Orang Ulu communities will be wiped out.    |
| Malaysia ‘dog’ chant riles Singapore fans Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:39 PM PST
Video posted on YouTube shows thousands of Malaysian fans chanting “Singapore itu anjing” (Singapore are dogs) during Sunday’s group game in Kuala Lumpur, when Singapore beat the defending Southeast Asian champions 3-0. Singapore’s New Paper, describing the chant as “vile”, said footage of the incident had been viewed nearly 200,000 times online. “Frankly, we are angry and hurt. But we were the minority… there were just about 1,000 of us there,” one fan told the newspaper. Another said: “You had more than half the stadium calling us dogs. How else would we feel? “The chants started even before the Singapore team went onto the pitch to warm up.” Tensions are often high at matches between the Asian neighbours, whose regional teams play each other in the Malaysian Cup. “They can’t even beat ‘dogs’ in soccer, so what does that make them?” commented one Facebook user, according to the New Paper. -AFP    |
| Share prices rebound at mid-day Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:34 PM PST
At lunch break, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 6.67 points to 1,604.84, after opening at 1,592.83. A dealer said the market started to pick up again after the recent persistent selling pressure on blue chip heavyweights forced the index to slide below the 1,600 level yesterday. “This could signal the beginning of a correction phase,” he said. Among banking heavyweights, CIMB and Hong Leong Bank added four sen each to RM7.54 and RM14.42, and Public Bank earned six sen to RM15.44. Of the telco heavyweights, Axiata rose 26 sen to RM5.88, DiGi garnered 16 sen to RM4.74 and TM chalked up 20 sen to RM5.57. On the scoreboard, the Finance Index rose 46.06 points to 14,933 while the Plantation Index slipped 4.72 points to 7,862.5 and the Industrial Index fell 20.96 points to 2,660.34. The FBM Emas Index expanded 38.83 points to 10,930.62, the FBMT100 rose 40.16 points to 10,778.04, the FBM Mid 70 Index went up 22.31 points to 11,945.13 while the FBM Ace Index decreased 8.01 points to 4,183.99. Losers led gainers by 344 to 267, with 284 counters unchanged, 769 untraded and 45 others suspended. Volume stood at 663.31 million shares worth RM862.32 million. Karambunai added one sen to 14 sen while SAAG was unchanged at 0.5 sen. Of the heavyweights, Maybank, Maxis and Tenaga added two sen each to RM9.04, RM6.39 and RM6.92 respectively. Sime Darby lost 17 sen to RM9.08 and Petronas Chemicals shed nine sen to RM6. - Bernama    |
| Shahrizat still harbours hope of contesting Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:29 PM PST
Despite the prospects appearing bleak, she downplayed the uncertainty of her political future, saying that she was only focusing on delivering the votes for Umno. Observers believe that the RM250 million scandal had raised doubts if the former minister would be picked to run in the polls while her future as Wanita chief was also said to be under threat. Shahrizat, however, said it was ultimately up to Umno president and prime minister Najib Tun Razak to decide on her candidacy. “I don’t see why I shouldn’t offer myself as a candidate (but) what is important is that I am focusing on delivering the votes to Umno. “And only, maybe, by doing this the president will see my importance,” she told reporters after opening the wing’s annual general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre here. In her speech earlier, Shahrizat said Wanita vowed to be the backbone of the party’s election machinery as Umno was set to face a strong opposition in what would be its toughest election to date. But even Umno insiders claimed that support for her in Wanita was withering after some, including her influential predecessor Rafidah Aziz, described her as a liability to the wing. Divided Wanita Shahrizat was forced to step down as minister after her family members were accused of swindling taxpayers’ money meant for a national cattle breeding project but she had so far maintained that she had no direct link to the issue. Najib was forced to intervene and contain the split when what was seen as a move to unseat her became stronger at the height of the scandal. The issue was subsequently declared “resolved” after a closed-door meeting was held between Najib and the wing with Shahrizat’s critics coming out saying they would give their full support to their chief. In her speech today, Shahrizat, who was defeated by PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah for the Lembah Pantai parliamentary seat in 2008, again called for unity among the party grassroots. She also echoed this year’s prevailing sentiment of unity as Umno would face a strong opposition in the upcoming polls. Najib had said that only a united Umno could prevail against its opponent in a signal that the division within the party was real and the prospect of sabotages, blamed for the party’s dismal performance in the last polls, could ruin its chances again. Barisan Nasional lost five states and its customary parliamentary two-thirds majority in the 12th national polls. Also read:
Ucapan Muhyiddin sedarkan rakyat    |
| ‘Neutral’ ex-IGP holds press meet with PKR men Posted: 27 Nov 2012 10:01 PM PST
This afternoon, former inspector general of police Musa Hassan held a press conference here flanked by NGO leaders linked to the opposition. This fueled speculations that the ex-top cop would be joining the Pakatan Rakyat coalition soon. The press briefing was organised by a new NGO called the Malaysian Crime Watch Task or MyWatch, which is chaired by R Sri Sanjeevan. Also present was Power NGO chief S Gobi Krishnan, who acts as adviser of MyWatch. Gobi Krishnan is also PKR’s national strategy and political bureau secretary. Sri Sanjeevan, on the other hand, is known to be a harsh critic of the police and PKR Negeri Sembilan Youth exco member. The focus of the press conference was on the tackling of crime and Musa was announced as the patron of MyWatch today. When asked on the possibility of joining politics, Musa firmly stated “I won’t join any political party,” he told a lengthy press conference at the Hilton hotel here. “As I have said, I’m neutral. I’m not a politician, I work for the people, I care for the people. I don’t need to join a political party to work for the people,” he added. Previously, speculation had been rife about Musa joining PAS though he repeatedly denied it. Musa last month said he never supported or joined any side in politics since joining the police force, though he refused to say what he would "I cannot speak about the future," he was reported as saying. Musa, along with Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, were accused of fabricating evidence against former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim during the Sodomy 1 trial in 1998. The former top cop filed a lawsuit against Anwar in 2008 for accusing him of fabricating evidence but withdrew his suit last month, citing a "misunderstanding". The sudden withdrawal of the suit had spurred further talks of a deal with Pakatan Rakyat leaders. Then, several sites, including PAS mouthpiece Harakah Daily, reported rumours that a former IGP would be joining the Islamist party then. Several government pensioners had over the past months joined PAS ahead of the 13th general election. Among them were former CID chief Fauzi Shaari, former Land and Cooperative Development Ministry secretary-general Nik Zain Nik Yusof and Ramli Buyong, the deputy vice-president of Felcra Berhad.    |
| Prayer for Umno’s destruction ‘is Islamic’ Posted: 27 Nov 2012 09:25 PM PST
"Umno had robbed Kelantanese of oil royalty money to the tune of RM10 billion since the contract (Petronas agreement) was signed. "The federal government failed to respect the sanctity of a contract which is unIslamic," said Dzulkefly during the debate on the Islamic Financial Services Bill 2012 at Parliament. Earlier, Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman accused PAS of being unIslamic for praying for Umno’s destruction. "You’re talking about being Syariah compliant on everything. Do you think the prayer against Umno was Syariah compliant?" he asked. That was when Dzulkefly stood up and defended the prayer, and said that the hadith had indicated that evil-doers should fear the prayer of the oppressed as it was powerful. This started a heated argument between both lawmakers, with Tajuddin saying that a Muslim must pray for forgiveness and repentance for their enemies, no matter how bad they are. But Dzulkefly rebutted his claims, saying there were exceptions to the rule. Tajuddin then reminded Dzulkefly that Umno was not cruel as it was the party that brought progress and independence to the country. "Who fought for Merdeka? It’s because of the independence we fought for that we have a democracy and a parliament today. "And you can sit here in the Parliament to debate because we are free country. If not, you will be in some village right now," said Tajuddin. At this juncture, Kuala Kedah MP Ahmad Kassim stood up and told Tajuddin," You deviated from the topic at hand. You should reserve your speech for PWTC ( Umno general assembly) not the Dewan Rakyat." Deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee concurred with Ahmad and instructed both MPs to stick to the topic at hand. On Nov 16, PAS held a mammoth gathering in Kota Baru, Kelantan, to pray for Umno’s destruction. The event was attended by nearly 50,000 members and supporters.    |
| ‘S’gor tiada kuasa beri pinjaman’ Posted: 27 Nov 2012 09:14 PM PST
SHAH ALAM: Selangor tidak ada kuasa untuk memberi pinjaman kewangan kepada negeri-negeri Pakatan Rakyat yang lain dari simpanan rizab negeri walaupun atas dasar kebajikan melainkan mendapat kelulusan dari Kerajaan Persekutuan. Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim sebaliknya berkata kuasa itu terletak di bawah Kerajaan Persekutuan. “Kita tidak boleh memberi pinjaman kepada negeri lain. Maka saya akan simpan dan jaga rizab negeri tersebut,” katanya dalam persidangan Dewan Undangan Negeri Selangor (DUN) di sini hari ini. Beliau berkata demikian ketika menjawab soalan tambahan Dr Shafie Abu Bakar (PAS-Bangi) yang mencadangkan agar kerajaan negeri membuat kebajikan melalui simpanan rizab negeri dengan memberi pinjaman kepada negeri-negeri di bawah pentadbiran Pakatan Rakyat. Menurut Abdul Khalid, hasil kerajaan negeri meningkat kepada RM1.7 bilion sehingga 27 Oktober 2012 berbanding RM1.63 juta pada tahun 2011. Pada 2010, kerajaan negeri memperoleh RM1.57 juta, RM1.7 juta (2009) dan RM1.55 juta (2008). Katanya sumbangan hasil kerajaan negeri ini diperoleh dari dua sektor iaitu perkhidmatan dan pembuatan. "Umpamanya dalam tahun-tahun lepas, terdapat lebihan di antara RM100 juta hingga RM150 juta hasil amalan tender terbuka. Lebihan dimasukkan dalam rizab negeri. Itu sebab rizab kita naik walaupun perbelanjaan dan penggunaan negeri stabil. "Bagaimanapun, kita sudah mula guna rizab dalam bajet tahun depan. Sebanyak RM500 juta diperuntukkan untuk projek spesifik untuk menyelesaikan masalah jambatan, banjir dan sebagainya," katanya. Menurut beliau, pihaknya sentiasa memastikan pengurusan negeri stabil dan dipercayai pelabur supaya ekonomi Selangor terus meningkat.    |
| Posted: 27 Nov 2012 09:13 PM PST
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin touched only lightly on the opposition threat and tried to exude confidence that Umno could redeem itself in the coming general election. He claimed that youth support was returning to Barisan Nasional. Most of his speech referred to key government policies and demands for the resolution of issues affecting young people. His main message was that Umno must step up its offensive to win over the support of youths, who make up the bulk of newly registered voters. Both Khairy and his opposition counterparts have been asserting that support from the traditional voters is evenly split and that success in the polls will depend on winning over the majority of the three million new voters. Wanita chief Shahrizat Jalil, under fire over the RM250 million "cowgate" scandal, emphasised the need for Umno to close ranks and echoed president Najib Tun Razak’s warning that the party could lose it all if divided. Internal divisions and sabotage were blamed for the party’s record losses in the 2008 general election. The ruling coalition lost five states and its parliamentary super-majority. But the former senator, who was forced to step down because of the scandal, said she was confident that the women's wing would step up to the plate and perform for Umno's glory. “I know and I believe the women are with us, with Umno,” she told the delegates at the Merdeka Hall of Putra World Trade Centre. Clear signal This year’s assembly will be the party’s last before it faces a strong opposition in the 13th general election. Umno’s top leaders, including Najib, have called on the delegates attending the meeting to “watch themselves” when debating on the policy speeches of their respective chiefs. Observers see this as a clear signal that the Malay ruling party, known for its hardline politics, is keen to avoid any controversy that could hurt its election chances. This year’s assembly will likely reflect that sentiment with much of the focus given on party unity and strengthening its election machinery.    |
| Bank Negara urged to speed up Genneva investigation Posted: 27 Nov 2012 09:10 PM PST
PETALING JAYA: Bank Negara Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz should expedite the central bank’s investigation into Genneva’s Sdn Bhd gold trading activities. Senator S Ramakrishnan said it has taken Zeti two months and still the issue has not been resolved. Billions of ringgit of the savings of some 60,000 Genneva's customers has been frozen by Bank Negara since its raid about two months ago. "As the central bank your enforcement officers had raided, frozen accounts, investigated and checked the accounts books. If the company has defaulted, reprimand the directors by issuing a warning, fining and let them operate under your watchful eye. " The central bank must act fast to release the money and gold that BNM had seized, as these are working money for those who depend on it to pay all sort of household bills, ” Ramakrishnan said. In fact, Zeti had pledged three weeks ago to expedite its probe into the controversy behind gold trading company Genneva Malaysia, and said: “We are expediting all investigations so that we can come to an early conclusion.” "Genneva’s syariah hybrid savings scheme facilitates the growth of the GDP. People save and spend more in the country and GNP grows through the multiplier effect of savings, unlike banks which pay 3% and limits the expansion of the economy. More than RM4 billion worth of gold has been sold and this was bought through the local banks.” he said. Bank Negara has victimised only four of the gold trading companies while it has put about 70 gold trading companies on its alert list. Genneva's customers are neither “depositors” nor “investors”. They are merely customers who bought gold from Genneva with their life-savings. Genneva's syariah compliant gold was officially launched by former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, on Dec 15, 2010.    |
| Ex-Elmo puppeteer faces new allegation Posted: 27 Nov 2012 09:09 PM PST NEW YORK: The puppeteer formerly behind the “Sesame Street” character Elmo faces a new accusation of having sex with an underage boy, a week after a similar allegation prompted him to resign from the iconic public television children’s program. In a lawsuit filed yesterday in US District Court in Manhattan, a man identified only as John alleges Kevin Clash engaged in oral sex and other sex acts with him when John was 16 years old. The suit seeks at least US$75,000 in damages. The suit alleges the incident occurred in either 2000 or 2001 when John, who is from Florida, visited New York for modeling opportunities. John came to know Clash, then 40, through a telephone chat line for gays on which Clash claimed to be a 30-year-old named Craig, according to the suit.
“Mr. Clash believes the lawsuit has no merit,” Clash’s publicist, Risa B. Heller, said in an emailed statement. It is the latest charge levied against Clash, now 52, who resigned on Nov 20 from Sesame Workshop, the company behind “Sesame Street,” after nearly 30 years on the show. His resignation came the same day Cecil Singleton filed a claim seeking more than US$5 million in damages from Clash. Singleton claims he met the then-32-year-old puppeteer in 1993 in a gay chat room when he was 15. It added that on numerous occasions over a period of years Clash engaged in sexual activity with Singleton. The newest allegation comes about two weeks after another man recanted his claims that Clash had sex with him when he was 16 years old. The man later said the relationship was consensual. Clash had denied the allegations and acknowledged a past relationship with his first accuser. He added the pair were both consenting adults at the time. The Elmo character debuted on “Sesame Street” in 1979, 10 years after the show premiered and introduced the now-iconic characters Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster, among others, to American children. While Clash was the third performer to animate the child-like shaggy red monster, Sesame Workshop credits him with turning Elmo into the international sensation he became.—Reuters    |
| Nama Musa belum dibersihkan lagi Posted: 27 Nov 2012 09:09 PM PST
Ketua Menteri Sabah, Datuk Seri Musa Aman tidak membersihkan namanya dari skandal itu. “Sebaliknya menguatkan pandangan bahawa ICAC terpaksa menghentikan siasatan kerana tidak mendapat kerjasama pihak berkuasa Malaysia,” kata Pengarah Strategi parti itu, Rafizi Ramli dalam satu kenyataan media hari ini. Beliau merujuk kepada laporan berita portal semalam di bawah tajuk “Surat ICAC menunjukkan Musa Aman dibersihkan namanya dari rasuah Disember lalu”. Laporan itu memetik kenyataan Ahli Parlimen Kota Belud Dato’ Abdul Rahman Dahlan bagi pihak Musa bahawa kes telah ditutup oleh ICAC Hong Kong berdasarkan satu surat yang dihantar secara peribadi kepada Musa. Rafizi menegaskan surat ICAC itu sekali-kali tidak menyatakan bahawa Musa dibersihkan dari tuduhan rasuah, atau membayangkan bahawa ICAC yakin Musa bersih dari rasuah seperti yang cuba diwar-warkan oleh Umno-Barisan Nasional. “Surat itu hanya memaklumkan bahawa berdasarkan maklumat-maklumat yang ICAC perolehi setakat itu, ICAC mengambil keputusan untuk tidak meneruskan siasatan terhadap Musa,” katanya. Ujar beliau, “jika Musa tidak bersetuju dengan fakta-fakta ini, maka wajarlah beliau mendedahkan kandungan keseluruhan surat tersebut, bukannya menggunakan Rahman Dahlan untuk menyampaikan secara lisan sahaja kepada wartawan.” Menurut Rafizi, keputusan ICAC untuk tidak meneruskan siasatan berdasarkan maklumat-maklumat yang mereka perolehi setakat itu menimbulkan lebih banyak persoalan. “Ia juga menguatkan pandangan beberapa pihak bahawa ICAC tidak mendapat kerjasama sepenuhnya dari pihak berkuasa Malaysia untuk meneruskan siasatan kerana mereka tidak mempunyai kuasa menyiasat dan mengumpulkan bukti. Oleh yang demikian, mereka bergantung sepenuhnya kepada Peguam Negara dan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) untuk mendapatkan bukti,” terang beliau. Katanya lagi, kenyataan Ketua Pendakwaraya Hong Kong, Kevin Zevros baru-baru ini bahawa pihak berkuasa Hong Kong mengambil keputusan untuk menghentikan siasatan berdasarkan maklumat pihak berkuasa Malaysia mengesahkan bahawa tangan ICAC terikat dari meneruskan siasatan. Menurut Rafizi, pihaknya sedang giat mengumpulkan bukti termasuk penyata-penyata kewangan dan urusniaga di Hong Kong untuk dilaporkan kepada ICAC agar siasatan baru dibuka, seperti persetujuan dengan ICAC baru-baru ini. “Rombongan kami akan menemui ICAC pada 11 Disember 2012 dalam kunjungan yang kedua,” katanya.    |
| Brazilian footballers flourish in Ukraine mining city Posted: 27 Nov 2012 09:07 PM PST
Yet it is in this unlikely location on the fringes of Europe where for the last few years a legion of Brazilian footballers has prospered to turn the local football team, Shakhtar Donetsk, into arguably the finest in the former Soviet Union. An entire football team could be formed from the Brazilian players who have pulled on the orange jersey of The Pitmen in the recent decade. Backed by the financial clout of club owner Rinat Akhmetov and inspired by the leadership of Romanian manager Mircea Lucescu, the Brazilians have now made the club a force to be reckoned with in Europe. “They all are really talented, hard-working and well-adapted for our playing style,” Akhmetov told AFP. “They all are also full of desire to keep on progressing. And that means that we are moving in the right direction.” The city, founded by Welsh industrialist John Hughes in the 19th century, is marked by Soviet high-rises and no architectural jewel. But thanks to Akhmetov it now boasts the Donbass Arena, one of the finest football grounds in Europe. Shakhtar won the last edition of the UEFA Cup in 2009 but the club is now enjoying what could be its best ever season — outclassing rivals Dynamo Kiev to head the Ukrainian domestic league and into the last 16 of the Champions League. Current star Fernandinho, who hails from the balmy climes of Londrina in southern Brazil, remembered the shock of arriving in Donetsk seven years ago. “Frankly speaking, when I was a 20-year-old guy and crossed the ocean to find myself in a completely uncommon country I could hardly imagine that I would stay here for more than three seasons,” he told AFP. “But it became a rapidly growing club and everything changed quickly for the better. We achieved some serious results and my opinion about Shakhtar and its prospects has also changed.” “Today I’m 27 and my current contract with Shakhtar runs until 2016. And it would not be a sensation if I decided to finish my career here,” he added. Fernandinho acknowledged that money was the main driving force for young Brazilian players in their transfer moves to Europe. “Of course money is the main thing,” he said. “Financial opportunities of the European clubs outweigh the means of Brazilian sides.” “Besides, the advanced western European countries like Italy, Germany, France attract footballers with their high standards of life, which are much better than the conditions in Brazil.” He added that though Ukraine has so far failed to reach the level of the advanced European countries, the club from Donetsk is an oasis of comfort which allows the footballer to concentrate on the game completely and to show rapid progress. Turning point Forward Brandao was the first Brazilian player to come to Shakhtar. He appeared in the Donbass mining belt team two years before Lucescu became manager in 2004. Under Lucescu’s coaching, Brandao developed his playing skills, which attracted the attention of French giants Marseille, who lured the Brazilian in 2008. Lucescu has made no secret of his admiration for Brazilian football since he captained Romania in the 1970s and had players like Ronaldo at his disposal when he was coach at Italian Serie A giants Inter Milan. The manager said he considered defender Francelino Matuzalem, whom Shakhtar purchased in 2005, as the key signing which triggered the club’s “Brazilian” development. “The Matuzalem transfer became a turning point for Shakhtar as we started to create the new team around this player, who immediately became its true leader,” said Lucescu, who even learned Portuguese to help coach the Brazilians. “I’m really happy to have an opportunity to take very young players into the team and raise their skills to the level of the Champions League in just two or three years,” Lucescu said. Lucescu’s practice of nurturing young talents allowed Shakhtar to overcome the departure of its leaders Matuzalem and Elano, who left the club in 2008. Top European sides have now woken up to the riches on display in the Donbass. Another Brazilian star at Shakhtar, 24-year-old midfielder Willian, who netted a double in November’s clash with European champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, was hugely disappointed when his transfer move to the west London club failed because the clubs were unable to agree financial terms. “Willian was really upset when the deal collapsed but he behaved as a true professional,” Lucescu commented. “He managed to overcome his disappointment and now we see at the pitch that Willian is as he once was.” -AFP    |
| BN ditched rakyat in Bukit Merah, Papan controversy Posted: 27 Nov 2012 09:07 PM PST FMT LETTER: From Choo Sing Chye, via e-mail Never for once has the Barisan Nasional government has stood by the rakyat on issues dear to their hearts. For an example, their pursuit for a cleaner environment had always been hindered by the machinations of the government. By not having the rakyat's welfare at heart, the Minister of the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (MOSTI), Maximus Ongkili, has forsaken the "prime duty" of the regulatory authorities that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had proposed. The IAEA, which was invited by the government during the Bukit Merah and Papan controversy made many recommendations, and one of them was the "prime duty" which the regulatory authorities should "adhere" to: "there is one principle to which all should adhere to: regulatory authorities (government) should be effectively separated from implementing organisation (ARE), since… the prime duty of regulatory authorities is to protect Man and the environment, ensuing the… radiation doses to Man do not contravene the recommendations of the ICRP regulation." Contrary to what the IAEA had recommended, the Federal and the state government, in the case of the Papan and Bukit Merah controversy, chose to sideline the welfare of the rakyat and sided with the giant conglomerate – Mitsubishi Chemical, Japan. Likewise in Ongkili's case, by ignoring the rakyat's welfare, he had deviated from the "prime duty of (the) regulatory authorities… to protect Man and the environment". Unmistakably, the proof is in his unambiguous statement where he said: "The onus is on them (anti-Lynas group), not on me, to say that decision of the board is not correct. So give me additional information to point to the fact that it was not a wise decision." (Ongkili's interview with Malaysian Insider, April 15, 2012) Let us wind the clock to 28 years ago. In the same frame of mind, the then Minister of Science, Technology and Environment, Amar Stephen Yong, let loose his uninhibited hostility towards the residents of Papan and Bukit Merah by demanding proof that the radioactive dumping was hazardous to health. He also challenged critics of the radioactive waste dumps to prove that the dumps were not safe. Ramli Ngah Talib, the then Menteri Besar, told the press that the Thorium waste dumps were safe and went on to say: "That although some foreign experts claimed that the dump is unsafe, it is merely their opinion". Dr Mahathir even remarked that the activists were naïve of the fact that the government was committed to the safety of the dumps. But in the end, like huge slaps on their faces, the IAEA team reported the same faults as the experts invited by the Anti radioactive groups: "The already constructed three trenches which definitely do not meet the required specifications. They are not constructed in accordance with the basic principles of sound civil engineering and should therefore not be accepted for the storage of Thorium Hydroxide waste." Apparently, the crux of the matter was that the "prime duty" was not upheld in the Bukit Merah and Papan dispute, and unfortunately, this trend has not stopped. The importance of the "prime duty" must be upheld without fear or favour, and if we are presented with a problem similar to what had happened in Japan recently – how will the government respond? This is one case where the rakyat would never in a million years believe that any hanky-panky would happen in Japan – lying about the level of radiation exposure. In Japan, where prime ministers come and go at a slightest mistake, this is a no-no, but it happens! But if it happens in Malaysia, then, who should bear the onus of blame? Maximus Ongkili?    |
| Musa Aman lebih baik dari Anwar? Posted: 27 Nov 2012 08:56 PM PST
Demikian kata beberapa ahli Umno bahagian Tawau, Sabah yang ditemui di perhimpunan agung parti itu di PWTC hari ini. Mereka menolak kehadiran Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ke negeri itu. "Datuk Seri Musa Aman (Ketua Menteri) lebih dari Anwar. Kami orang Sabah tidak mahu Anwar. "Rakyat Sabah tidak ada masalah dengan Datuk Seri Musa," kata Duruse Mohamadi ketua Umno cawangan Ladang Timun di Kunak. Beliau menambah, kebanyakan orang Sabah tidak percaya kepada Anwar. "Anwar datang Sabah, orang tidak pergi ceramahnya. Orang dia ajak yang pergi, kata Duruse yang berusia 70 tahun. Manakala Munir Jorong juga dari Kunak berkata, satu hari nanti beliau berharap seorang lagi pemimpin Sabah iaitu Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal menjadi Ketua Menteri. "Bagus kalau orang kita, orang Semporna jadi Ketua Menteri. "Bagus. Saya suka," kata Munir sambil tersenyum. Mohd Shafie merupakan Timbalan Pengerusi Umno Sabah dan ahli Parlimen Semporna. Di peringkat Pusat belau merupakan Menteri Kemajuan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah.    |
| ‘Youthful’ Najib more appealing than Anwar, Hadi Posted: 27 Nov 2012 08:50 PM PST
Taking a stab at Anwar, Senior Minister Wong Soon Koh said: “Anwar has been so busy lately. He knows the general election is going to be his last political tango. "He has busy with his ceramah circuit; he is out on the road several nights a week and covers two or three places in a single night. Anwar normally travels in a convoy, he himself riding in a Mercedes Benz while his many minders in other cars. His campaign style is somewhat like a presidential style of campaigning. “His campaign bus as we all know has a huge picture of his smiling face. He has also been seen in a private jet, adding more glamour to his presidential campaign style. "Indeed, we ought to salute Anwar – he still has all the energy to be up and about, having gone through a series of controversies – there have been the Sept 16 fiasco, the sodomy trial, the subsequent acquittal, the sex video etc. ” Wong added that Anwar was also facing charges in court, alongside PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, for allegedly violating a court order surrounding Dataran Merdeka during the Bersih 3.0 April protest and that they had incited others to bring down the police barricades. He said there was also the latest allegations against Anwar and the RM3 billion ‘savings”. It was alleged that during the time when he was deputy prime minister, Anwar accumulated RM3 billion held in some 20 accounts. Najib is capable leader Continuing his tirade against Anwar, Wong said that Murad Khalid, who was a former assistant governor of Bank Negara, had in a statutory declaration mentioned the RM3 billion collected by Anwar. "Against such allegation, Anwar did nothing except dismiss it as 'tiada lagi modal' implying that the other side had run out of 'bullets' to use against him. "Anwar seems to have been very fortunate that none of the allegations seems to stick. “He had to traverse such an arduous, tortuous path; his credibility along the way has been much dented and the days when he could walk on water have passed. "What makes Anwar unhappy these days is the fact that while he portrays himself as an internationalist surrounded by well-known international personalities such as Saudi prince, Hamas leader Khalid, notable Islamic thinker Yusof etc, but the international community is starting to regard Najib (Tun Razak) as a more reform-minded leader," he said. He added that in Malaysia, people were seeing Najib as a capable leader. “People are beginning to see a youthful Najib as having greater ability, more depth and focus to do the job of the Prime Minister of Malaysia than anyone else including Anwar or Hadi Awang (PAS president),” Wong said. Earlier opposition assemblyman Wong Ho Leng (Bukit Assek) had called for a point of order 32(1) asking the relevance of Wong’s tirade to the Sarawak budget. "I want a word on that, whether under Standing Order 32 (1) the minister has breached it or not? The subject matter of the debate is the State Budget 2013. The RM3 billion, sodomy and sex video should not have been mentioned in this august house. "Can you make a ruling on that, was that relevant or not?" Ho Leng asked Speaker Asfia Awang Nassar. But Asfia dismissed Ho Leng’s request, adding that the latter had always made political speeches and it was time the minister made his replies.    |
| RM112.2b in private investments Posted: 27 Nov 2012 08:48 PM PST
KUALA LUMPUR: Private investments in Malaysia reached a record RM112.2 billion as of September 2012, growing by 25.5% for the same quarter last year, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala said. "It is comforting to note that 2012's investment growth of 22.5% is a significant growth," Jala said. He said the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) had clearly stated that it expects the private sector to lead the economic transformation in terms of investment and "we continue to see private investment outpacing public investment". "In 2011, private investment accounted for 57% while public investment was at 43% of total investment. This year, so far, we see 63% of private investment versus 27% public," he said at a seminar entitled "Economic Transformation Programme Journey in its second Year" here yesterday. He said the ETP wrapped up its second year announcing approximately RM20.6 billion in realised investments as of third-quarter 2012, which constituted 71% of some RM29 billion investments committed for the first two years of implementation. Idris also said that 152 Entry Point Projects had been recorded, of which 149 projects have been announced with a total committed investment of RM212 billion.    |
| Selangor exco clears air over Puchong land swap deal Posted: 27 Nov 2012 08:46 PM PST
SHAH ALAM: The Selangor state government had engaged a private valuer before embarking on a land swap deal in Puchong, Selangor, that was meant to resolve a longstanding expansion woe of a Chinese school. However, a Selangor state executive committee member yesterday revealed that it had decided to forgo an open tender exercise when making a decision in November 2011 to give a 9-acre land in Bukit Puchong to property developer Bukit Hitam Development Sdn Bhd (BHDSB) due to the "urgency" to resolve the need to expand SJKC Sin Ming. In response to The Malaysian Reserve front page story on Monday raising questions on the valuation of the land swap deal, Selangor exco member Teresa Kok said the land deal was based on valuation dated Sept 6, 2011, by TD Aziz Sdn Bhd. "No open tender was called due to the urgency of the matter as SJKC Sin Ming was in pressing and urgent need to start construction of its school hall and classrooms at that material time. As mentioned earlier, the school had requested the neighbouring land since year 2001, and the Mentri Besar had promised to acquire the land for the school since February 2009," she said in an email reply yesterday. Kok is also the state assemblyman for Kinrara. BHDSB, a unit under publicly-listed TAHPS Group Bhd, is slated to get a 9-acre land in Bukit Puchong that will eventually be rezoned for high technology industry usage in return for a 1.8-acre land for the extension of the Chinese school and a RM25 million cash payment to Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ) to facilitate the building of a sports complex. It was understood that the Selangor state government had approved the land swap deal in a meeting on Nov 30, 2011. The state government had agreed in general to give BHDSB the 9-acre land for industrial purposes at a land premium to be determined later by the Petaling Land Department and another six acres to MPSJ for the construction of the sports complex. The earlier report quoted a former counsellor questioning if the deal was equitable in the sense that the state got its pound of flesh for releasing a larger slice of land to the developer, at a time when Puchong has already seen intense development, with so few pockets of land available for commercial development. A simple back-of-the-envelope calculation would go like this. The net land received by BHDSB is 7.2 acres. Assuming that both land parcels are of similar value, a 7.2-acre land would fetch RM78.4 million at RM250psf and RM31.4 million at RM100psf. Responding on the valuation, Kok said the unconverted land was given a market value of RM63.76 psf by private valuer, after adding other related development cost. The developer's cost to complete the high tech industrial land comes to RM136.31 psf. She said the cost breakdown of development of the nine acres of industrial land show that BHDSB has to pay a much higher price than RM25 million to develop the said land which works out to RM53.44 million. In the same email, Kok also highlighted that BHDSB had converted the lot neighbouring Sin Ming to commercial land since 2007. "So even if the Selangor state government acquired the land for SJKC Sin Ming, the school board would not have been able to pay the acquisition cost," she said. On land ownership, she said: "In view of the fact that the nine acres of land is state land, the Selangor state government, and not MPSJ, has the right or power to alienate the said land to BHDSB." Puchong land swap deal raises concerns over valuations This content is provided by FMT content partner The Malaysian Reserve.    |
| ‘Lying’ Guan Eng slammed in Sarawak assembly Posted: 27 Nov 2012 08:41 PM PST
Wong, who is also Minister of Local Government and Community Development, unleashed his disgust at Lim, prompting an opposition member to call for a point of order. Raising his objections, Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, who is also state DAP secretary, further questioned Wong’s tirade, asking whether the state minister was debating the Penang state budget or Sarawak’s. But the speaker, appearing somewhat oblivious to Chong, did not respond. In his winding-up speech of his ministry, Wong accused Lim of lying about the Penang state coffers when it assumed leadership of the state after the 2008 general election. "But let me say this, it was widely reported that Dr Koh Tsu Koon was furious when Lim Guan Eng claimed the Penang state coffers were empty when he took office in 2008 whereas it actually held more than RM800 million. "Koh generally regarded as a perfect gentleman accused Lim of being no gentlemen, of not telling the truth. "Lim has often boasted that his administration was the first to have the Competency, Accountability and Transparency policy and also the Freedom of Information Act," he said. Accusing Penang government of paying lip-service, Wong said that Gerakan was unable to get information about state land that was sold to a developer by Penang government to build shopping malls and boutique hotels or land that was meant for low-cost housing being given for a private dental hospital and a hotel. “Penang people say Lim Guan Eng has been working very hard to develop Penang and he had many friendly developers. "Many development projects have been approved even in the upscale areas like Pulau Tikus, Tanjung Bungah and Sungai Ara and people are now seen carrying placards to protest against such projects affecting the quality of life in their in the neighbourhood. "Lim as usual blamed the previous Gerakan government for the state of affairs. He went to the press and said repeatedly that his administration has not approved a single project above 76 metres except for green areas like a park. "But, Patahiyah Ismail, the president of Penang Island City Council (MPPP) released documents showing that between April 2008 and May 2012, a total of 19 projects situated on land above 76 metres were approved under Lim Guan Eng's tenure of office," he said. He said that when Penang Gerakan leaders wanted to apply for more detailed information of hill slope development projects, they were told that the state had to get the developer's consent and permission before they could release the document. Wong said that Lim is the chairman of the three most powerful committees in Penang namely, the State Planning Committee, the State Land Committee and Penang Development Corporation. "Why did he have to kowtow to developers in Penang unless he is too pro-developer? Some prominent community leaders in Penang said that Lim ought to be reminded that running a government is not like handling a crowd at a ceramah or running an administration is not as easy as talking at a ceramah. "He is the man, who was here in Kuching over the weekend to conduct ceramah and talked about 'say good-bye to corrupt practices'. "He talked about freedom of speech but look at how Lim handled a popular Chinese newspaper Guang Ming Daily,” he said alluding to a front paged article featuring Lim and his wife Betty in relation to an issue with a female staff who was suddenly transferred out. The matter was also raised at the Dewan Undangan Negeri Malacca.    |
| ‘Unapologetic’ tops Billboard album chart Posted: 27 Nov 2012 08:36 PM PST
“Unapologetic,” which topped iTunes charts in 43 countries just hours after its release on November19, sold 238,000 copies according to Billboard, scoring the 24-year-old singer from Barbados her best opening sales week to date. The album’s lead single “Diamonds” landed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart last week, giving Rihanna her 12th No. 1 single and tying her with Madonna and The Supremes for the fourth-most chart-topping singles in Billboard history.
The album has been promoted extensively by Rihanna, who embarked on a seven day tour across seven cities around the world, accompanied by a plane full of fans and journalists. The full Billboard charts will be released today.    |
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