Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
PP423/01/2012(029578)
I Don’tCare
SPORTS
Straight from the Hart
With Muzli Mohd Zin
Amnesty mockery
Keeper Joe Hart praises Sergio Aguero (inset) after the hitman’s explosive debut propelled Man City to 4-0 win over Swansea this morning >> pg31
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Tougher land fraud deterrence PUTRAJAYA
Proposed changes to the National Land Code: • Introduction of ‘Certificate of Correctness’ in transfers • Implementation of biometric system to authenticate owner’s identity
Answers at hand PATIENCE pays off for Mohd Marzuki Muda as he ponders the latest break on the death of his 11-year-old son, Muhammad Naquiddin, who was electrocuted after touching a lamp post at a Shah Alam playground five long months ago. He was ‘invited’ by The Paper That Cares to a meeting with the Energy Commission last Thursday where it was disclosed the contractor involved in cable works on the faulty streetlight had been located. — Pic: SHAHIR OMAR
>> Reports on pg4
THE Land and Mines Department is tightening up loose ends to give better protection to genuine land owners from fraudsters. In an exclusive interview with The Malay Mail recently, the department’s senior officials said the changes were part of their proposal to amend the National Land Code (NLC) 1965. Land and Mines directorgeneral Datuk Azemi Kassim said the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry was eager to see a new set of rules to better protect property owners from unscrupulous syndicates. “We are aware of land scams in the country. We are now trying to minimise such scams and this can be done with an amended NLC.” He said the department was in the midst of consulting relevant parties before drawing up the final paperwork by year-end. Upon getting the Cabinet’s greenlight, the department hopes the proposal will be tabled in Parliament by the middle of next year. Azemi said about 75 per cent of the NLC needed to be amended. Among the proposed
By HARESH DEOL haresh@mmail.com.my changes are the introduction of the Certificate of Correctness as an additional document when transferring land to another person and to implement the biometric system to ensure authenticity of a seller’s identity. The Malay Mail had reported on syndicates obtaining original land titles by forging documents, such as identity cards, letter of undertaking and signatures, and selling the land without property owners’ knowledge. Our probe on fake documentproducing syndicates was made following our July 26 expose on a land grab case in Shah Alam involving Datin Murnina Sujak, whose four plots of land in Bukit Jelutong were sold by an impostor without her knowledge. In the case, a woman named “Elizabeth George” managed to execute the deal using a fake MyKad and driving licence that bore her face but Murnina’s personal details. • Continued on pg2
What was supposed to be the government’s initiative to account for all foreign workers in the country has turned into one profiteering circus
>> pg6
LOCAL
Fireworks busters S’gor Customs covert team to nab firecracker smugglers, sellers, buyers
>> pg3
Holes in the plan
Robbers who drilled clinic wall to break into pawn shop end up losers >> pg3
Ipoh bros go to Bollywood Bhangra duo Goldkartz make movie soundtrack history >> pg7
Condo ‘war’ Puncak Baiduri Apartments folks torn between two management committees >> pg8
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news
Buka Puasa/Imsak Times IMSAK Ramadan 16, MAGHRIB 1432H (TODAY) (TOMORROW)
WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya
7.26pm
5.43am
SELANGOR Zone I: Daerah Gombak, Petaling/Shah Alam, Hulu Selangor, Hulu Langat and Sepang Zone II: Daerah Klang, Kuala Langat, Kuala Selangor, and Sabak Bernam
7.26pm
7.29pm
5.43am
5.45am
History of the NLC THE National Land Code (NLC) 1965 is the highest law related to land matters in Peninsular Malaysia. The NLC does not apply to Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan. The Acts embedded in the NLC, however, does not and cannot override any prior law or decisions made before the NLC was fully implemented. Nevertheless, the NLC has come under fire for failing to protect property owners from losing their properties through land scams. In the Adorna Properties Sdn Bhd vs Boonsom Boonyanit case in 2001, the Federal Court protected the buyer of such properties, leaving the real owner with little recourse. This decision was overturned by the same court last year, plugging a loophole in the law and now allowing owners who lost their land to fraudsters to redeem their right to their property. In 2007, the MCA Public Services And Complaints Department recorded 16 cases of land scams with a total worth of RM20 million. Last year, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz had hinted the government was likely to amend the NLC to protect the interests of genuine land titleholders in the country.
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Education Ministry targetting a 50 per cent increase in Internet access from homes through EduwebTV by year-end with presentation of 1Malaysia netbooks to students — Deputy Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi PETALING JAYA
MAHB: It's not our doing Airport operator cites Home Ministry, Immigration responsible for RM35 security fee THE extra RM35 "security" charge for international passengers travelling from Malaysia to countries with t he Advanc e Pass e nge r Information System (APIS) is not imposed by the Malaysia Air p or ts Holdings Bhd (MAHB). This was clarified by the national airport operator's corporate communications general manager Nik Anis Nik Zakaria yesterday. "APIS is a system (implemented) by the Home Ministry under t he Immigration
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By ASRUL HADI ABDULLAH SANI asrul@mmail.com.my
Department. It is not a system developed by MAHB. "I would like to reiterate the RM35 APIS system fee is not imposed by MAHB and is not part of the Passenger Service Charge (PSC)," she stated in an email to The Malay Mail. In our front-page report yesterday, it was revealed i nte r n at i on a l t r avel l e rs departing from Malaysia may find themselves paying RM35
more for security on top of the RM14 hike on airport tax. Sources had told The Paper That Cares MAHB may impose the RM35 fee to cover costs of maintenance and new equipment if it implements the APIS. Designed in the United States, APIS is an electronic data interchange system that captures a passenger's details, including full name, gender, birth date, nationality, country of residence, travel document type, travel document
reference number and final destination. The system is used to vet high-risk passengers, such as suspected terrorists. Data gathered can be used to stop passengers from boarding an aircraft by immigration at the destination country. The US had imposed the system after the Sept 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. It is also understood the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had been pushing the Malaysian gov-
ernment to implement APIS so airports here could conform to international standards. However, according to the sources, the IATA is against the move to impose the RM35 fee as it believes the government should bear the costs as it involved security issues. Nik Anis declined to comments on IATA's stance over the implementation of APIS in the country's airports. "I am not aware of IATA's position on this matter," she said.
Changes to deter land scams
Certificate of Correctness
ACCORDING to the "RegistrarGeneral of Land, Information Paper 2000/01: The certificate of correctness under the Land Transfer Act" by BE Hayes, the Certificate of Correctness was first seen in the New Zealand land system in 1870. Here, a lawyer (when a lawyer is acting) has to sign a Certificate of Correctness. To give this cer-
tificate, the lawyer must be satisfied (among other conditions) with the identity of the person who has signed the instrument. Hayes had illustrated the Basis of the Practitioner's Certificate of Correctness. (see graph above) The article "Identity Fraud" published on lawlink.co.nz, stated: "It is important for lawyers to check on the identity of new cli-
ents. Lawyers also have an obligation to check on a client's identity under the Financial Transactions Reporting Act 1996 (which is aimed at detecting money laundering). In the future, lawyers are therefore more likely to request clients to produce original identification, and may ask for a second document to confirm identification."
● SUBSCRIPTION to National Registration Department (NRD): State and district land offices are advised to subscribe to the online NRD services to check the details of parties involved in transactions. ● Upgrade computer land registration system to version 2.8.4: Thirty of the 101 land offices in the country use the new system. Among the features include a "push email" feature where, once a land is registered, a copy of the transaction will be emailed to the law firm. There are also better firewalls to avoid hacking. ● Bar codes on original land titles. ● Checks at counter: Experienced land officers will be placed at the counters to vet documents before proceeding with transfer application. ● Cooperation with police:
Police to conduct audit trails if required to help investigations. This will enable cops and the Land and Mines Department to pin point officers involved in the transaction. ● Advertisements: The Land and Mines Department, in collaboration with the National Film Department, have produced and aired several advertisements advising property owners to pay their assessment to encourage them to check their land ownership status. ● Data cleaning: About RM5 million was spent to clean the records and data system for several States including Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Pahang, Kuala Lumpur, Terengganu and Putrajaya. This was done to ensure records were updated while irrelevant files were deleted from the system.
Land offices need to subscribe to NRD online service
● Weekly: RM1.50, Monthly: RM5.00
Weather Update
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
● From pg1 Our investigation led to the admission by Selangor Land Office assistant director Nazrul Shukri Ali that they did not have an infallible method to ensure land titles were granted to rightful owners. He also admitted thumbprint scanners in the State land offices were offline as their
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system was not linked with the National Registration Department (NRD). This was clarified by the NRD in our Aug 2 report. On this, Azemi said thumbprint scanners distributed to the land offices were in working order, just that some of them had not subscribed to the NRD's online service. "NRD handed us 180 units of
EDITORIAL Tel : 03-74951288 Fax : 03-74951229 Email : mmnews@mmail.com.my
scanners which we gave to the States. To have real-time details of the persons intending to transfer land ownership, land offices need to subscribe to the NRD's online service. He said biometrics were already being used at the Federal Territory Land Office and the Temerloh District Office in which RM97,000 was spent to introduce the system in the lat-
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ter office. Azemi also stressed land grab scams had been gradually reduced over the years. "We have had cases where several land officers were involved with syndicates, including in Perak and Selangor. In 2009, a clerk from the FT office was arrested. We have not heard of any other cases since." Meanwhile, Land and Mines
Office research and development director Mohd Shukri Ismail said the Certificate of Correctness would ensure lawyers' responsibility when dealing with land and property transfers. "It will be part of the memorandum of transfer document. We will also conduct checks on the law firm and lawyers dealing with us."
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The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
The YouTube clip of the assault and robbery on Mohd Asyraf Haziq Rossli in Barking, East London, recorded nearly three million hits as of yesterday, the highest watched in London and other British cities — Bernama
news
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PETALING JAYA
Smoking out smugglers Special Customs teams to enforce firecracker ban in Selangor
THE Selangor Customs has deployed special teams to detect smuggling of banned f ire crackers dur ing t he month of Ramadan. Selangor Customs director Datuk Aziz Yacub told The Malay Mail five units comprising three to five officers would work on tracking down suspects involved in smuggling banned firecrackers into the State.
By G. PRAKASH prakash@mmail.com.my
"These special units would survey key areas such as Port Klang, Ramadan bazaars and other hotspots concerning the sale of banned firecrackers." Aziz also pointed out there will also be a permanent intelligence team based in Port Klang.
"Based on previous crackdowns, we feel Port Klang is one of the main hotspots from where firecrackers are smuggled in from neighbouring countries." The intelligence team is tasked to assist the five special squads. This, he said, reflected the level of seriousness with which Customs view smuggling of firecrackers into the
country. “We are not only going after those involved in smuggling banned items but also those found selling or possessing firecrackers,” he said. There are only two types of firecrackers, “pop-pop” and “happy boom”, which are not banned here. Aziz said the public should not be surprised or afraid if Customs officers knocked
on their doors to check their homes for banned firecrackers. He said the officers had the authority to check homes and those found in possession of the banned fireworks could be charged with possession. Aziz said the department was also working with the Selangor police on the issue. "The public must not take
this lightly. It is a serious offence if they purchase banned firecrackers. We have had many cases of accidents caused by firecrackers. This should be a reminder." He said so far no firecrackers have been seized. Those with information on smuggling or selling of firecrackers are urged to contact the departments hotline: 03-8882 2100.
SHAH ALAM
Burglars end up with RM33 loot for all their trouble BURGLARS planning to raid a pawnshop after boring two holes from a clinic next door ended up settling for just RM33 from the doctor's room. In the 3am incident yesterday in Section 23, Shah Alam, the burglars broke into the clinic and managed to bore two 0.3 metre-wide holes into the outlet's but in doing so triggered the pawnshop's alarm. “The burglars immediately took flight, turning their attention on the clinic which they ransacked only to find RM33 in the doctor's examination room," said Shah Alam district police chief ACP Zahedi Ayob. The suspects gained access into the clinic via the staircase wall in the two-storey shoplot. “They broke the lock of the staircase’s grill, then drilled a hole in the staircase’s wall in order to gain entry into the clinic,” said Zahedi. Once in the clinic, the suspects went to the hold-
KUALA LUMPUR
By AIZAT SHARIF aizat@mmail.com.my
ing section for patients and drilled two more holes to break into the neighbouring pawnshop. “The burglars drilled two holes about 183 cm from the clinic’s floor. This triggered the pawnshop's security alarm forcing the suspects to abort plans to raid the pawnshop," said Zahedi. He said they spent about an hour in the clinic. "We believe the suspects used hydraulic drills to break through the clinic and pawnshop walls. " B ot h t he cl i n i c and pawnshop did not have any closed-circuit television cameras." Meanwhile, a clinic staff, Mohd Fauzi Aziz, said the place closes at 1pm on Sundays, and only reopens on Monday morning. “We have been operating here for four years and this is the first time our clinic was broken into."
GAPING: Mohd Fauzi showing the hole bored by the suspects to enter his clinic
NORTH KLANG
Thai national believed killed by colleagues THE body of a Thai national was found with his hands and legs bound and his head bloodied near a Buddhist temple at Jalan Pasar off Jalan Harper on Sunday. A passer-by returning from work about 11.30pm stumbled on the body. North Klang district police chief Supt Shukor Sulong said the victim, in his 20s, could have been attacked by more than one person. “We believe the victim had an argument with colleagues who are also foreigners,” he said. "They used a blunt object to bash him. He fled before collapsing in front of the temple. They pursued him, and finding him, they bound his hands and legs leaving him to bleed to death." The victim's body was taken to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital mortuary for a postmortem.
Police: Latest acid-splasher not serial offender
CITY police said the latest acid-splashing incident here was not connected to the serial splasher of corrosive liquids who terrorised KL for months earlier this year but had been lying low since mid-May. In the incident earlier this month at the Sogo shopping complex in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the nephew of 1980s singer Datin Ramziela Radzillah suffered
serious facial injuries when a man splashed corrosive liquid on him. The victim, Mohd Rafie Abd Latif, was shopping at the complex at the time. City deputy CID chief ACP Arasa said the latest incident happened after the victim was involved in a minor accident with the suspect along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, "The victim's car knocked
the suspect's car. Upset by this, the suspect trailed the victim to a public toilet beside the Sogo shopping complex and splashed liquid on the victim," he said. Police are checking the closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) recordings along the road for possible leads on the suspect's car number. "We assure the public this is not the work of the serial
acid-splasher. In this case, the suspect had revenge on his mind." ACP said the serial acidsplasher targeted pedestrians, mainly women and school children. He travelled on motorcycles, usually a Honda EX5 with a number plate. "We are taking measures to detain the culprit in the latest case while we are still looking for the serial acid-
splasher," he said. Mohd Rafie is still being treated for chemical burns at Kuala Lumpur Hospital intensive care unit. The victim suffered burns on his face and neck. His condition is reported to be stable. In the case of the serial acid-splasher, city police have a task force on the lookout for him and his accomplice for injuring over
20 women and students from March 2 to May 7, mainly in KL, along with one case in Mantin, Negri Sembilan. Those with information on the serial acid-splasher are urged to call the Rakan Cop Hotline at Kuala Lumpur (03-21460585), Selangor (03-20529999) and Bukit Aman (03-22663333) or SMS POLISKL and send to 32728.
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news
Fine for leaving car engines running BEGINNING today, drivers who leave their engines running for more than 10 minutes within premises of the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and the Civic Centre will be fined RM50. This is a three-month pilot project by the council to create awareness on air pollution. Mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman said the fine would be doubled if not paid within 60 days. He said flyers on the ban on idling engines would be given to employees and ratepayers. The ban on idling engines, however, will not affect ambulances and cars of diplomats. Roslan said the ban would also be extended to areas around the PJ Library, Menara MBPJ, Landscape and Greenery Department of the DamansaraPuchong Highway, Mechanical and Electrical Department and multipurpose halls in January.
Heritage body voices concern THE Badan Warisan Malaysia has called for a cultural heritage impact assessment over the proposed acquisition of buildings in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown area. Its president, Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid, said the heritage body believed the retention and future sustainability of the authenticity and integrity of one of the capital's original historic neighbourhoods could only be determined through such an assessment. Alluding to media reports on the impending acquisition of over 30 properties in Chinatown, he said the body was "gravely concerned" over what would be lost in this was not just heritage buildings but the "intangible heritage, the soul that ties the buildings together — generations-old trades, the uprooting of individuals, as well as businesses who call the place home".
Smart Highway closes for seven hours THE Smart Highway will be closed to all traffic from 11pm tomorrow to 6am the next day to facilitate maintenance work on the highway's tunnel system. For assistance, highway users are urged to contact the Smart helpline at telephone number 1-300-88-7188 for enquiries on the closure.
Government-linked companies (GLC) and the private sector should invest in agriculture to develop agro-food industries -- Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar PETALING JAYA
Found at last!
'Mystery' contractor traced after five months of intensive search By FAIZAL NOR IZHAM faizal.nor@mmail.com.my
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PP423/01/2011(026291)
Monday 21 MARCH, 2011
BeingFrank with Frankie D’Cruz
AFTER five months, the contractor responsible for carrying out cable works on lamp posts in a Taman Batu Tiga playground in Shah Alam, which allegedly caused the electrocution of a 11-yearold boy last March, has finally been identified. Having tracked him down, the commission's long-awaited probe into the incident that cost the life of Muhammad Naquiddin Mohd Marzuki is expected to be completed soon. In a meeting with The Malay Mail last Thursday, Energy Commission of Malaysia chief executive officer Ahmad Fauzi Hasan clarified a report of their investigation was to be released in a month. "The Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) can request for the report soon," he said. "Marzuki (Naquiddin's father Mohd Marzuki Muda) will also be presented with an overview of our findings." While unwilling to disclose the identity of the contractors or their whereabouts, Ahmad Fauzi said the commission recommended action against the former, such as charging them in court or suspending their licence. "The commission will refer the case to the AttorneyGeneral's Chambers for further action." Ahmad Fauzi explained the probe took a long time because of difficulties in locating the contractors as they had to go to the ground and ask around in their attempts to identify the latter. He also reproached the
council for not asking them directly for the report, instead of voicing their wish through other parties. However, according to the council, they sent out letters to the commission but never received a reply. (see accompanying report) Also present at the meeting was the commission's enforcement and regional co-ordinating director Othman Omar. Meanwhile, Marzuki, 47, who also attended the meeting at the invitation of The Malay Mail, expressed relief at the news. "It's only a matter of time before the council completes their own inquest into the issue as well as take the matter to court," he told The Paper That Cares. For now, he leaves further decisions to be made to the council. "It just goes to show constant maintenance was necessary to avoid such incidents. Otherwise, this issue may continue to be widespread in playgrounds all over the country," said the factory worker who was recently laid off after the factory shut down. The meeting with the commission last week was an impromptu one. After our effort to contact the commission to find out the progress of their investigation proved futile, we decided to call on the commission officials at their headquarters in Putrajaya. Seeing Marzuki was also frustrated with the commission's delay in releasing their
KL shows to add Sepang F1 sparkle
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FATAL TMN BATU TIGA, SHAH ALAM, PLAYGROUND LAMP POST ELECTROCUTION
BOY’S DEATH WAITING TO HAPPEN By AIZAT SHARIF mmnews @mmail.com.my PETALING JAYA: Could the fatal accidental electrocution of 11-year-old Muhammad Naquiddin Mohd Marzuki (pic) last Saturday evening at a playground in Taman Batu Tiga, Shah Alam, have been avoided if someone had earlier alerted the authorities of the death trap the malay mail open field had the become? The poser Monday arose t when The 21Malay MARCH, 2011 Mail gathered from the victim’s friends and residents that they were aware of the danger posed by an LIFESTYLE
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apparently faulty lamp post at the playground. Some of the children who regularly play there claimed the danger was first detected about a year ago when a number of them felt slight electricity jolts when in close proxity to the streetlight. When The Paper That Cares visited the playground yesterday, the area close to the utility pole was sealed off. Fariz Danish Shamsul Kamal, 14, who witnessed the incident, said he now realised he was almost electrocuted there about a year ago. “I remember my hand accidentally touched the lamp post and I felt a slight electric shock. I quickly pulled back my hand and did not think much about it until now,” he said. “Looking back, it was dry that day and there were no puddles of water near the lamp post.” His friend, Iqbal Daniel Razmi, 10, said he and his brother also
to be named, said the lamp post was used to light up the playground’s futsal court at night. “I believe due to malfunctioning of the lamp post, some futsal players used a screwdriver to open up its circuit panel and perhaps altered some of the internal cabling.” Another resident, Shah Zarin Azri Abdul Hamid, 30, said what happened to Muhammad Naquiddin had caused parents and their children to now fear using the playground, especially near the lamp post. “Playgrounds are supposed to be a safe area and after what happened, the authorities must act to resolve it.” When The Malay Mail visited the area yesterday, five Energy Commission officers could be seen investigating the scene and recording statements from nearby residents.
DESPERATE BID ‘Innocent TO SAVE SON Soul’ experienced a slight electric shock when they touched the streetlight’s metal pole. “It hurt a little but we did not understand what happened to us and did not think of telling anyone about it.” A nearby resident, who declined
s More reports on pg2
STOP-WORK ON REGALIA APARTMENTS
Factory worker used plywood to free boy from lamp post
NajwaByis AIZAT SHARIF aizat@mmail.com.my one tough PETALING JAYA: The father of cookie 11-year-old Muhammad Naquiddin,
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HELPLESS: Ester's paraglider dangling from
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name and they told me my son he was homesick and was looking had been electrocuted. I ran there forward to playing football with his and saw my son struggling to free friends which they usually did in his right leg which was stuck to the evenings," said Marzuki. Naquiddin’s friend, Fariz Danish the lamp post. I am still wonderpg21 >>the Report SITI ALI 14, on said pg3they were Shamsul Kamal, lamp by post to NURSURAYA who was>> electrocuted at a play- ing what caused FOR UPDATES, VISIT www.mmail.com.my ground at Taman Batu Tiga in Shah be electrified," said Marzuki at the about to finish the game when he Alam on Saturday evening, used a University Malaya Medical Centre saw Naquiddin slip and fall against MALAY MAIL IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE.the IF YOU GET A COPY, PLEASE CALL 0322842829. A CHARGE OF 40 SEN IS lampCANNOT post. (UMMC) mortuary yesterday. piece of plywood to free THE his son body was shaking over.LOCAL VENDORS "His skin had turned black and TO “His from the lamp post which the boy APPLICABLE FOR DELIVERY YOUR DOORSTEP BY all YOUR there were burns on his leg. He was At first, we thought it was some had come in contact with. "My son had apparently slipped struggling to breath and I tried to sort of a prank and when we went to help him, my hand felt a slight and fallen on the wet ground and revive him." Marzuki rushed Naquiddin to a electric shock and I had to back touched the lamp post. His leg was stuck on the lamp post and I private hospital in Section 20, Shah off." Fariz said he and his friends had to use plywood to free him," Alam, but his son was pronounced said Mohd Marzuki Muda, 44, a dead on arrival. Naquiddin's body ran to Naquiddin's house to call factory worker at Subang Hi-Tech was transferred to UMMC for a his father. Subang Jaya district police chief post-mortem. industrial park in Batu Tiga. Just as Ester readied himself for By JOSEPH KAOS JR "Naquiddin liked to play football ACP Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar said Marzuki and his wife, Rose "touchdown", the motor of his parajoejr@mmail.com.my Zakaria, 43, were resting with their and was active in the sport at SK a post-mortem on Naquiddin was glider failed. He tried his best to three younger children — a boy Seksyen 20 Shah Alam although completed at 1.30pm yesterday. "Naquiddin died of electrocution PUTRAJAYA: Paraglider Ester Marasik manoeuvre his paraglider for a safe and two girls aged 10, nine and six he was not in the school team," and there were severe burns on was hoping to be part of a record- landing but ended up tangled on a — when Naquiddin left the house said Marzuki. The family had just returned his lower torso and right leg. The breaking feat at Putrajaya yesterday. lamp post. at 6pm to play football with his “It was unpleasant, with the huge He ended up in the record books of friends at the playground in front from a trip to his wife's village in case has been classified as sudden crowd and all,” said Ester on his sticky another kind. Jertih, Terengganu, for the school death." of their house. The policeman from Sabah was situation. “But these things happen in Naquiddin was buried at his "About 50 minutes later, I heard holidays. among 30 participants at the 3rd para-motoring. It’s unpredictable and "While there, Naquiddin said mother's village in Jertih. Naquiddin's friends calling my Putrajaya International Hot Air Balloon dangerous. I guess I should be grateful Fiesta 2011 in Presint 2 here attempt- I got off safe. On the brighter side, our DAD'S ORDEAL: ing to be part of the highest number feat still made the record books." Marzuki says he Happily, he was rescued in a matter of motor powered paragliders in the saw Naquiddin of minutes. air at one time. struggling to free his right leg stuck to the Dec 17, 2010 Jan 13, 2011 lamp post. (Inset) M O S Q U E official Arsyad W I L L I AM Jimdad, 55, an Children looking Awang, 61, died while harvest- employee of Sabah Electricity around the area ing coconuts near his home Sdn Bhd (SESB), was killed and facilitate investigations. By ANDREW SAGAYAM where Naquiddin in Kampung Tengah, Sungai a colleague injured during "We are looking for the stepmother andrew@mmmail.com.my was electrocuted repair work on an electricity Setar Besar, Penang. who is in her 30s and unemployed," — Pic: GAN JIN It was believed the sickle at pole at Taman Tshun Ngen in KUALA LUMPUR: A four-year-old boy said Amiruddin. LIANG the end of the 8m pole he was Sandakan, Sabah. He fell to the now under the care of the Welfare using cut into an overhead ground at 2.55am and died. Department had been repeatedly The other worker, Azamain electric cable. News Alert abused by his father and stepmother. Kassim, 26, was wearing a Ampang police chief ACP Amiruddin CELCOM subscribers! Be the first to get safety belt and did not fall. Jan 12, 2011 Jamaluddin said the boy's babysitter The Malay Mail's news updates via SMS! FLOOD victim Norshazila Rosli, The two men had been carryhad claimed in her police report the You will get a minimum of 5 SMSes 27, slipped and grasped a live ing out repairs after electricdaily by following these simple steps: child had been abused several times. wire at Kampung Simpangan ity supply to the area was Weekly subscription: Type He said the babysitter contacted ON<space>MMAILW and send to Hulu in Tumpat, Kelantan. She disrupted. Talian Nur, a hotline operated by 23999 had moved to her mother-inthe Women, Family and Community Monthly subscription: Type Sept 28, 2010 law's house a few days earlier Development Ministry for complaints ON<space>MMAIL and send to 23999 after her house at Kampung MOHD Syahibul Ismail's first on domestic abuse, last Wednesday ● Weekly: RM1.50, Monthly: RM5.00 Pauh Sebatang was affected day at work was also his last after noticing bruises on the boy's when a metal rod he used to by floods. body. Her husband, Mahadi Yahya, erect a signboard hit an underWeather Update Acting on the report to Talian Nur, 30, said they had just returned ground electric cable in Jalan Welfare Department officers conPLANNING a day out? Don't get caught home about 1pm after visiting Tun Kudu, near the Bukit Katil tacted the police who rescued the boy out. Keeping up-to-date with the latest relatives at Pengkalan Kubur. interchange in Malacca. from an apartment in Jalan Duta here weather conditions is vital. Syahibul, 27, of Taman Norshazila was climbing the Subscribe to receive the daily weather on the same day. stairs of the house when she Merdeka in Batu Berendam, forecast for Klang Valley areas direct to The boy was sent to hospital where slipped and grabbed a live Malacca, was holding the rod your mobile phone via SMS! doctors found bruises on his head, All you need to do is just type: wire connecting the house while his friend, Amy Faisal face and body. ON<space>MM<space>WEATHER and and the garage. At the time, Mokhtar, also 27, was hamHis father, a sales executive, send to 33333 the compound of the house mering it into the ground. was arrested on Thursday when Sample: ON MM WEATHER was flooded by 0.5cm of The 5am incident caused a he turned up at the hospital. He ● RM0.50/SMS. Normal telco charges apply. blackout in several areas. water. is under remand until today to
Not the landing Ester had hoped for
Recent cases of death by electrocution
Toddler abused by father and stepmother
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MARZUKI: Frustrated with the commission's delay — Pic: SHAHIR OMAR
report, as highlighted in our Aug 9 report, we invited him to tag along on our "visit". He agreed. We were surprised but thankful as he had previously turned down an invitation to
meet with Council president Datuk Asmawi Kasbi, councillor Keshminder Singh and Batu Tiga assemblyman Rodziah Ismail when the trio met at the council on Aug 8 (see accompanying report).
'Justice will be served'
UPON learning the Energy Commission of Malaysia had finally located the "missing" contractor responsible for cable works at the playground in Taman Batu Tiga, Shah Alam, Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) councillor Keshminder Singh was elated. "At long last, justice will be served," he told The Malay Mail. "We were just as anxious as Marzuki to find out who was responsible," he said, adding he was now looking forward to the report.
He said the council will request for an inquest by the Federal government. "This is so that we can determine how records on the contractor's identity went missing all this while, or if they had even existed," he said. "We also want to find out how the project was done and how much was put into it, as well as why the quality of the underground cables were compromised and not properly maintained. "Also, we want to know
who approved the project and what its cost value was." Keshminder said they would also await the A-G's recommendation after the report was released. "If projects like these were conducted properly, we would not be seeing such tragedies." As for Batu Tiga assemblyman Rodziah Ismail, she said while she was relieved the report was finally ready, she was unhappy the commission had not responded professionally to the letters sent. "Since requests had been
made in writing, the very least they could do was to respond in the same manner," she said. "The procedure should not have been prolonged to this extent. They could have at least kept us updated regularly within the five-month period, as they are a government agency." Meanwhile, both council president Datuk Asmawi Kasbi and Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui declined comment.
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 August, 2011
What transpired in meeting SUBANG Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) president Datuk Asmawi Kasbi, councillor Kehsminder Singh and Batu Tiga assemblyman Rodziah Ismail met at the MPSJ building on Aug 8 to discuss the playground electrocution that claimed the life of Muhammad Naquiddin Mohd Marzuki. This was to help them chart their next course of action, given the fact that the Energy Commission's report was not ready five months after the initial incident took place in March. "A council representative visited Marzuki at his residence at 11am that day to invite him for the meeting, after we invited him the week before," Keshminder told The Malay Mail afterwards. However, the response from the boy's father was negative. He said getting the contractor's identity and obtaining the report was not his responsibility. "We sympathise with him as he had also been laid off from his senior technician job several weeks ago," Keshminder said. The factory closed down leaving him without a job. Despite this, Marzuki seems far more interested in finding out the party responsible for his son's death, rather than financial compensation from insurance. "We understand he may still be grieving," Keshminder said. "However, we need as much input from all parties to aid the investigation or else it cannot be processed." He said so far, the Energy Commission took statements and documents from the council, the police and Keshminder's deputy. At that point, Asmawi demanded compensation to be awarded unconditionally for Marzuki and not just as a settlement. He said Marzuki was free to press charges for whatever amount the latter felt necessary. Rodziah called for the council's internal investigation as well. "We want to bring the issue to the State government," she said. "This is a unique case that will serve as a precedent for future reference in the public interest." She also called for the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui to disclose the commission's findings not just to the council but the public as well.
tuesday 16 august, 2011
the malay mail
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Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim set to take the stand on Aug 22 to answer the charge of sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan — Bernama
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
Money-making amnesty “SO in total, you kena bayar (must pay) RM400.” The lady sitting on the opposite side of the table bluntly told me and my neighbour while pointing out to a piece a paper in front of us. On the paper was a list of costs incurred for registration of illegals under the government’s legalisation and amnesty exercise, dubbed as 6P. I was in the office of an agent, one of the over 300 companies appointed and “trusted” by the Home Ministry nationwide to facilitate the exercise, last week and I knew for sure that the piece of paper in front of us was not a circular from the ministry. I was tagging along with my elderly neighbour to “surrender” and register her illegal maid of a year and a half — a "task" I gladly volunteered for after I was approached by my neighbour for details on the exercise and how to go about it. I had thought that it was a great opportunity for me to
experience the process, amidst rising complaints that some unscrupulous agents were overcharging illegals and their employers for quick bucks. It came on the heels of a front-page expose by The Paper That Cares more than a week ago on agents asking no less than RM500 from helpless illegals and employers for them to partake in the exercise. This despite prior government instructions that agents should only charge a RM35 administration fee, not a sen more. Responding to my query (I had to ask, being a journalist) why the charges were RM400, “RM35 untuk (is for) registration fee, RM65 miscellaneous disbursement dan (and) RM300 service charge,” the lady said with a straight face. That was it. I was agitated by the daylight robbery. My neighbour was already digging into her purse when I took out my mobile. “Let me check with my
I Don’tCare With Muzli Mohd Zin
ON TUESDAY friends in the Immigration Department. I was told it is only RM35,” I told the lady while walking to the centre of the room, pretending to make a call. I took three minutes talking to myself, and guess what? When I got back to her table, I saw the lady issuing a receipt for RM35 to my neighbour. “Sorry, it’s only RM35. Mistake. The remaining fees are only if you want to employ her legally later after we get the results (of her registration) from Immigration (Deparmtent),” she said, this time with a smile. My charade worked and I had saved my neighbour RM365 of her hard-earned money, if not more, for which
she later profusely thanked me. We had her maid’s fingerprints recorded in another room, and it was done. Not a sen more. But, while walking out of the office, I couldn’t help noticing an Indonesian man handing out what I believe was RM400 to the agent’s staff at another table. He was robbed like many others too! To feed my curiosity, I personally made several calls to some agencies and found that none of them charged RM35 as instructed. In fact, they were upfront about the extra “fees” with some asking additional RM2,000 or more for a guaranteed amnesty and legalisation. Last weekend, during my
visit to Janda Baik, some illegals claimed to me that they each paid RM335 to agencies for their registration. Now, why am I sharing this? Because, we should be disturbed at what is happening on the ground. What was supposed to be the government’s initiative to account for all foreign workers in the country has turned into one profiteering circus. And if I could discover this easily, why can’t the authorities? And, I hope our officers have no part in this circus. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has already initiated a probe. The discovery of a syndicate, headed by a "Datuk", which is believed to have raked in millions of ringgit from thousands of unsuspecting foreigners to ensure they are granted amnesty and legalisation, is only a tip of the iceberg. An open letter to Home Secretary secretary-general Tan Sri Mahmood Adam from a company executive direc-
tor, published by an online news portal yesterday, said it all. She wrote that she and her staff called and visited 60 listed agencies and of the total, 51 told them to pay between RM35 and RM3,500 for an illegal worker registration fee. She even listed the 51 errant agencies for the ministry to act. This was because she claimed that ministry officers didn’t bother to take down the companies’ names when complaints were lodged. 6P is a massive exercise that has also turned messy and comedic. Could we still repair it? Could we have done it better? MUZLI MOHD ZIN read that 1,031,275 illegals had since registered under the 6P exercise with at least 800,000 more to follow suit. There is a lot of money to be made. He receives brickbats at muleez@ gmail.com
Glue sniffing becoming more serious as those as young as 12 have been found to be involved in the activity — Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
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PETALING JAYA
Crossing borders Bollywood breakthrough for local Bhangra duo
LOCAL Bhangra duo Goldkartz has become the first Malaysian and Southeast Asian Punjabi group to be invited to compose and sing a song for a Bollywood movie. The duo comprises Ipohborn siblings Manjit Singh Gill, 26, a lawyer, and his brother Sukhjit, 22, a thirdyear law student at Universiti Malaya. "When we received the invite from Bollywood film-maker Rajiv Mehra to produce a song for his latest movie Office Office, we just could not pass up the challenge," said Manjit, whose nickname is M-Ji, while Sukhjit's nickname is Surj.
By FAIZAL NOR IZHAM faizal.nor@mmail.com.my
"Our contribution is called Mauja and it was a little tricky as we had to create an upbeat tune that had to convey weighty themes as Office Office was a comedy about government corruption. Sukhjit and I were thrilled when Rajiv accepted our song upon first listen, without having to make any alterations." Office Office, based on an earlier 2000 TV series of the same title which Rajiv had helmed, just opened in cinemas in India on Aug 5. Rajiv started out as an
This was in contrast to Goldkartz's first album, Loaded which was released only in Malaysia. It was distributed by EMI and received an entry in the Malaysia Book of Records as the first Bhangra album to be recorded and completely produced in Malaysia. It was also nominated at the Anugerah Industri Muzik Malaysia (AIM) in 2009. "Our first album sold about 5,000 copies and that led to frequent requests for us to perform live throughout Malaysia. Since then, we have regularly performed overseas and have shared the stage with artistes like Siti Nurhaliza, M. Nasir,
Mawi, Shah Rukh Khan, Sonu Nigam and Ud it Narayan," said Manjit, adding that over the past four months, 24 Karaatz sold ab out 1 0 , 0 0 0 copies in Malaysia and Singapore alone. Goldkartz can be reached at 012-500 8889 and online at goldkartz. com, facebook.com/ goldkartz and twitter. GOING FOR GOLD: Goldkartz comprises brothers Sukhjit (left) and Manjit com/goldkartz.
PUTRAJAYA
KUALA LUMPUR
Putrajaya Night Marathon holds video online reality show
THIS IS HOW WE DO IT: Yong (right) briefing Najib on the news gathering system while Dr Rais (left) looks on
PM breaks fast with Bernama
IT was a historic and proud moment for newsmen of the National News Agency (Bernama) last night when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak visited the agency for buka puasa (breaking fast). Najib, attired in a pink baju Melayu arrived at Wisma Bernama at 6.45pm, accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and their children, Norashman Razak and Nooryana Najwa. Bernama chairman Datuk Abdul Rahman Sulaiman, general manager Datuk Hasnul Hassan, editor-in-chief Datuk Yong Soo Heong and senior editors were there to greet them. Before breaking fast, Najib and Rosmah toured Bernama's edito-
executive producer of 1980's actioner Alibaba Aur 40 Chor (starring Dharmendra as Ali Baba), then made his directorial debut on 1983's romance Ek Jaan Hain Hum (starring Rajiv Kapoor) and his subsequent hits as director-writer included 1992's Chamatkar (starring Shah Rukh Khan) and another TV series, 2004's Shararat. "This has been a good year as our second album called 24 Karaatz, which we produced ourselves, went on sale worldwide on April 1, simultaneously in Malaysia, India, Britain, Canada and the US," said Manjit.
rial department on the first floor as Yong briefed them on the daily operations of the news agency. In his speech, Najib wanted Bernama to continue being an important news provider in the country. Before leaving at 10.15pm, Najib and Rosmah performed the Tarawih prayer followed by moreh with Bernama's staff. Also present were Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, his wife Datin Seri Masnah Rais, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk G. Palanivel, Deputy Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Maglin Dennis D'Cruz, and senior editors of the mainstream media.
IN conjunction with the 2nd Putrajaya Night Marathon (PNM) 2011 on Oct 15, local sports website hooHa.asia will be conducting the country's first-ever online reality show leading up to the event with a RM6,000 cash prize for the reality show winner. The online reality show, billed as Make That Change, invites PNM participants to submit real-life short videos concerning whatever cause (or person in need) they intend to run for, and the best five videos will be uploaded on www.hooHa.asia for public viewing and voting next month. "We came up with Make
That Change together with PNM race organiser Twenty First Century Sports, and our online reality show will capture the essence of running for a loved one," said Anand
Vegathunam (pic), the director of hooHa.asia which is the online partner for PNM. "The videos by PNM participants must be real-life stories on their bid to 'make a change' in the life of a loved one and must be submitted to us before Sept 3. We will choose 500 video submissions for consideration, filtering it down to 10 based on authencity of story content, and then upload the five best videos on our website for the public to cast their votes during September." Anand said the winning video will be announced during PNM on Oct 15. "The winner will receive
RM6,000 to fulfil his or her dream of making a difference." One of the first PNM participants to submit a video w a s 3 5 - ye ar- ol d Gr a c e Tabitha. She said: "I will be running for my best friend who is stricken with lupus. I first met her 12 years ago when I was hospitalised and we became good friends ever since. She is the same age as me and yet she is the most upbeat and optimistic person I know." For enquiries, registration forms and information, visit www.putrajayanightmarathon2011.com, or phone 03-5637 3821.
KUALA LUMPUR
Celcom’s Ramadan, Raya and Merdeka gifts IN celebration of Ramadan, Raya and Merdeka, Celcom Axiata Berhad is giving extensive offers to its customers until Sept 16. In a statement, Celcom Axiata chief executive officer Datuk Seri Shazalli Ramly said: “Ramadan and Raya are truly a time of spreading good cheer and creating memorable moments with loved ones. To enable our Muslim customers to celebrate this festivity and enjoy amazing rewards, we
By ANDREW SAGAYAM andrew@mmail.com.my
are offering a suite of mobile content related to Ramadan and Aidilfitri. And since our Merdeka Day celebration coincides with Raya, it will help promote the love for our country and unity among the races through our services." From Aug 14 to Sept 12, 30 lucky Celcom customers will be randomly rewarded with RM1,000 duit raya if they download a minimum of any
two Call Me Tones (CMT) within a day. Customers just need to dial *118# and select Duit Raya to enjoy Raya in Celcom Territory. Charges range from RM1 to RM1.50 per week. Meanwhile, on social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, you may get rewarded by subscribing to any of the social networks (charged at RM1 per week). By subscribing to Facebook SMS or Twitter SMS, you may bring home RM100 duit raya
every day. And to commemorate the country's upcoming 54th anniversary of Merdeka on Aug 31, Celcom is offering free Merdeka mobile content to its customers such as Jalur Gemilang MMS, Merdeka and Malaysia's Best CMT, and an exciting quiz on Rukun Negara starting next Monday until Sept 16. For more information on the Ramadan, Raya and Merdeka offers, please log on to www.channelx.
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The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
hotline@mmail.com.my
tel:03-7495 1000/1001/1002 tel:019-261 4948 (after 9pm)
your right to be heard ● ● ● ●
Complainants have to submit their personal particulars and provide a detailed account of their complaint. Complainants have to first file their complaints with the respective parties before contacting Hotline. Complaints referred by Hotline to the relevant parties would be published if there is no response in seven days. After a complaint has been resolved, the complainant cannot demand non-publication of the matter.
By IKRAM ISMAIL and T.K. LETCHUMY TAMBOO
Tale of two condo committees
ONE CONDO, TWO JOINT MANAGEMENT BODIES: The Puncak Baiduri Apartments in Cheras — Pix: ASHRAF SHAMSUL AZLAN
Joint management bodies to hold separate EGMs
THE "new" joint management body (JMB) of the Puncak Baiduri Apartments in Cheras is surprised it is not recognised by the Kajang Municipal Council. Its chairman, LAM KHIN SENG, says the joint management body has received a letter from the municipal council, dated July 27, with an order to carry out an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to elect new members. LAM says the letter was addressed to former chairman Chong Chee Meng instead of him. "The council has not had a discussion with my joint management body yet. It only had the discussion with former JMB chairman Chong and the letter was issued directly to him. "We received the letter through Chong and in the letter, it was also stated we were to strip JMB administrative executive Grace Chong Mei Fong of her position." LAM says his joint management body sent a letter to the local council on Aug 1 to seek clarification of the
letter but has yet to receive a reply. "In the letter to the JMB, the council said it received complaints from residents against Grace Chong and also that the election of the new JMB in the annual general meeting (AGM) in March this year was not carried out according to procedures." According to LAM, the council says it only recognises Chong as the chairman, as the election of LAM as the new chairman and Chong as a normal committee member in the March AGM was not forwarded to the council for validation as required under the law. LAM says the 477 residents are now faced with two EGMs. "The new joint management body will hold its EGM on Aug 21 and resident are welcomed to attend," he says. (The other EGM is being called by Chong on Sept 25.) "We do not agree with the council and we've sent them a letter. But we've yet to hear from them. How can the council say an EGM has to be carried out when they
GRACE CHONG: Says position cannot be terminated because she has not received three warning letters
have not heard our side of the story?" says LAM. Meanwhile, Grace Chong says: "My JMB position cannot be terminated because under the law, I must receive three warning letters before that can be done. If the residents support me, I will continue as administrative executive."
LAM: Surprised his committee has not been recognised by Kajang Municipal Council
● WHEN contacted, Chong says: "In the March AGM, I was displaced as the chairman but retained as a committee member. "By law, the AGM results should have been submitted to the Kajang Municipal Council within 30 days and I did advise the JMB to do that but they only submitted
them in May. So, as stated by the council, I am still the JMB chairman and I am entitled to call the EGM. "Under the local authority's Building and Common Property (Maintenance and Management) Act 2007 (Act 663), Section 10(3) states that if the local authority is satisfied that the JMB has not
been properly constituted, it may be authorised in writing for residents to convene an EGM to elect a new body." Chong says he will call for an EGM on Sept 25. A spokesman for the Kajang Municipal Council says they are investigating and declines to comment further.
Rebate given on outstanding payment GLATUS PEREIRA, of Taman Overseas Union in Kuala Lumpur, feels it unfair she has to pay an outstanding Streamyx bill after she moved to a new house. “I moved to my new house in December last year and made two visits to the Telekom Malaysia branch in Raja Chulan to transfer my fixed line and my Streamyx broadband account,” she says.
Following that, her fixed line bill was sent to her new address, but not the Streamyx bill. A few months later, when she could not access her broadband service, she contacted TM but was told her account was in order. When the problem persisted, PEREIRA contacted TM again, this time giving her old address. Only then did she discover the service had been disconnect-
ed because of an outstanding bill of about RM700, covering several months. PEREIRA says she was told it was her responsibility to change her billing address when requesting the transfer of her old lines. But she questions why she is only able to receive her phone bill at her new address even though she made the transfer application for both the fixed line
and broadband service at the same time, using the same form. "I was told I should have gone to a TM office or visited its website to check on my Streamyx bills but I pointed out I was told my account was in order when I first contacted TM." PEREIRA says she is planning to terminate her Streamyx account and wants TM waive the outstanding amount.
● A TM Group Corporate Communications spokesman says technical difficulties arose during the line transfer process. "TM’s technical team has since transferred and activated her TM phone as well as updated her billing address. "However, there was some delay in activating her TM broadband service and the complain-
ant has requested to terminate the service." The spokesman says TM has terminated PEREIRA's broadband service and credited a rebate for the period the service was unavailable. The amount will be reflected in her next bill. When contacted, PEREIRA says she is waiting for the August bill to see if the rebate is credited.
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
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1. Petaling Jaya City Council offers rewards to littering offences, depending on their severity, those who give tip-offs on Ah Long adverby the Petaling Jaya City Council in line with the TAKE NOTE tisements. Take a picture of anyone sticking council's on-going anti-littering Kempen Kutu such advertisements and send it to the council. Sampah, launched in March. Contact 03-7958 8085 or email the council's enforcement depart- 3. Multi-storey carpark complexes in Petaling Jaya will be furbished by ment director Mohd Fauzi Maaro at fauzi@mbpj.gov.my. year-end by the city council. The refurbishment includes repainting 2. Litterbugs in PJ will be fined between RM100 and RM500 for and repairing of wall cracks.
Annoying neighbour Cigarette butts thrown onto driveway next door, council says owner can take civil action
A RESIDENT'S porch in Subang Jaya has been turned into a large ashtray by his chain-smoking neighbour and he does not know why. Corporate chef BRIAN MELLING, says he has found cigarette butts in his driveway ever since he moved into his house in April. "Upon further investigation, I noticed my neighbour has this habit of smoking in the driveway and throwing the cigarette butts onto my driveway and also outside my front gate." MELLING says that when he was leaving for
work one morning, he found a cigarette box in his driveway and he got so annoyed he threw it back into his neighbour's compound. "This is getting out of hand and I am fed-up with his annoying habit. If I don't throw things into his compound, why is he throwing things into mine? "I have no choice but to turn to Hotline for help." MELLING also says his neighbour has two dogs, one of which barks continuously the minute it is released into the garden. "I do not have problems with animals as I love them very much. However, even though the barking only
goes on at a certain time of the day, it's beginning to get very annoying." MELLING wants to know if the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) can take any action against his neighbour. ● IN a statement, the Subang Jaya Municipal Council says: "With regards to the issue of cigarette butts, this is clearly a neighbourly issue, where in extreme cases, MELLING can take civil action or an injunction to prevent his neighbour from repeating the said act. The council has no jurisdiction to take legal action in this matter.
"With regards to the barking, the council has conducted an investigation on June 22. We have taken action against the dog owner by issuing a warning notice because he failed to display his dog's licence on its collar, the dog is a nuisance to his neighbour, and the owner kept two dogs within a premises which is 1,000 sq ft or less. "The council's monitoring of the premises on June 28 revealed the owner has complied with the requirements set in the notice. The council will continue to monitor the premises from time to time."
Jalan Gasing bunting to come down
Online comments www.mmail.com.my 'Dead' phone line replaced (Aug 12) ● TM only responded af ter numerous complaints by Lim. What a shame. Why promise your technicians will be contacting her in 72 hours and then not keep your word? TM needs to buck up where its services are concerned, as we are hearing many complaints in the newspapers lately. It needs to be more proactive in solving its subscribers' problems fast, and providing good and efficient services when required. — Shaktiman Dinner that never came (Aug 11) ● I THINK it's important to look at the bigger picture here. McD, once again, failed to deliver. They should not have kept the complainant waiting without returning his calls. I encountered a similar incident last week from the Kelana Jaya outlet. I ordered two large meals and they forgot to bring the fries. When I called, the manager was rude and hung up on me. Then the delivery boy called and pretended to be the manager. When I didn't believe him he passed the phone to another boy who then claimed to be the manager also. I called the hotline and the team leader informed me the manager was, in fact, a lady. Oh, and the fries never came. So I basically paid for something I didn't get. — Jivani Signboard up again (Aug 15) ● I AM neither satisfied nor happy about the issue of the fallen signboard being re-erected by MPAJ. There is nothing to celebrate. Instead, it reflects the callous performance of the people in the MPAJ itself. Why do they need The Malay Mail to highlight such a small issue and then only act on the matter? And for such a trivial matter, MPAJ can even blow its own trumpet. I can imagine that if this is one of the major KPIs for MPAJ, this re-erecting of the signboard will be celebrated by them with all the fanfare! It is sickening to read the comments and complaints against the performance of the town councils in Malaysia. No wonder M. Kayveas was much perturbed by the inaction and lazy people in the town councils that he dared to bring them to court. — Nawawi
MUSHROOMING: The city council says banners along the road that are put up illegally will be taken down— Pic: Ashraf Shamsul Azlan
THE first things that come to mind when Jalan Gasing is mentioned are the churches and popular eateries. Recently, however, illegal posters have been mushrooming in the area and residents say they are giving the area a bad image. "All one has to do is take a drive along this road and, sooner or later, they will lose count of the illegal posters that swish past
them," says K. TAMIL ARASAN, of Petaling Jaya. "These posters are not only an eyesore but they also tarnish the image of Jalan Gasing, which is an upscale residential area." K. SARAVANAN, of Ampang, who dines regularly in Jalan Gasing, says he feels ashamed every time he sees such posters. "I have no idea whether these posters are legal or not. If they are illegal, they
should be removed immediately as they are an eyesore," he says. ● PETALING JAYA City Council (MBPJ) public relations officer Zainun Zakaria says a check on Jalan Gasing after being alerted by Hotline reveals the posters have been put up without permits. "We have taken down some of the posters. We
have also given notice to one of the companies which put up the bunting to bring them down and they have until Friday to comply." Zainun says 2,186 illegal advertisements and posters were taken down by the council from January to June this year. They include banners, small advertisement boards, loanshark stickers and bunting.
Rail problems being looked into, says KTMB (Aug 15) ● WHY are we spending billions on new railway tracks with vague future demand instead of providing proper commuter services which require urgent and immediate attention? — Vigilante ● EXCUSES, excuses. That's all they are good at doing. How about focusing on improving your services? The air-conditioning does not work. Trains are cancelled for no apparent reason. They are never punctual and always overcrowded. There is also no proper enforcement of the 'ladies only' coaches. What about deploying plainclothes policemen to ride in the coaches during peak hours to curb pickpocketing and unruly behaviour? — Anonymous
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letters&opinions
● Mail: Letters To The Editor, Malay Mail Sdn Bhd, Lot 2A, Jalan 13/2, 46200, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
● Email: mmnews@mmail.com.my Fax: 03-7495 1229
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
● Opinions may be in the form of Letters to the Editor or comments posted in relation to all news. ● Letters to the Editor must carry your name, address and contact number. A pseudonym may be included.
PJ: Towards better public transportation
POOR service has always been the main complaint against buses. Irregular frequencies, overloading and failure to stop to pick up passengers are among the bane of commuters. Looking back, the industry itself has long been plagued by pilferage, corruption, wastage, discourtesy, internal squabbling and politics. Stage buses operate in all cities, towns and other populated areas nationwide. Combined, they transport more passengers than all other buses, taxis and trains put together. As such, the efficiency of stage bus operations has an enormous impact on the nation's productivity and
Stage bus saga
quality of life for those dependent on their service. Are problems besieging the industry due to lack of good ideas and equipment? If so, they can be solved by acquiring proven methods and technologies without having to reinvent the wheel. However, if it is due to human problem, a change of mindset or personnel would be necessary. Continuing more of the same would not resolve any problems, as unhealthy work practice and culture are deeply embedded and entrenched. Pilferage is one good example. Bus conductors find ingenious ways to rake in a portion of the fares collected by them and bus inspectors are
paid to close their eyes. One-man operation (OMO) buses were then introduced with a cash payment machine installed next to the driver. It may have saved the cost of a conductor but pilferage still continues. In countries with efficient bus operations, payment is cashless, resulting in swift boarding and reduced journey time. In Malaysia, passengers have to wait for the bus to arrive and wait in queue for boarding which can take several minutes, as some tend to fumble when paying cash. At the same time, the bus may be obstructing traffic. As such, investing RM35 million to install the cashless
PJ: Sports champions
Happy birthday, Nicol
MALAYSIA's squash darling, five-time world champion, three-time British Open and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Datuk Nicol Ann David’s wish to see her name engraved on the Heather McKay trophy was fulfilled when she won for the first time the Australian Open by defeating England’s Jenny Duncalf 11-8, 11-4, 11-6 in the finals played at the Royal Theatre, Canberra on Sunday. Her first maiden attempt at the Australian Open title and she won it with flying colours. Fantastic. Her Australian coach, Liz Irving, should be pleased with her performance.
Winning the title could further motivate Nicol to win many more titles and trophies which are waiting to be “captured” by the Penangite in the months ahead, especially in her defence of her world title before the Women’s International Squash Players Association (WISPA) tour comes to an end for 2011. Thumbs up, Nicol. Keep the Jalur Gemilang flying high. Oh, lest I forget, here’s an early birthday wish for you, Nicol. Happy 28th birthday! Wish you good health and happiness and may all your wishes come true. Mohd Faizal Abdullah
Lee: No need to apologise
tampering, the management was swift in reverting to status quo. Machines are tampered with for various reasons. A taxi meter is rigged to collect higher fares. Tampering of the biometric registration machines by several 6P amnesty programme management companies will generate misinformation on data protected by the Official Secrets Act. Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar rightly announced in a recent press conference that issues of public interest, including public transportation, should not be politicised.
However, SPAD must be bold in its implementation and execution. It must be prepared to deal with those in both the public and private sectors keen to maintain status quo and will go all-out to sabotage any new implementations. Switching the bus machines to cashless and cash again may be the tip of the iceberg but the final decision taken will give a clear indication of the direction the industry is heading. If we continue to flip-flop at every resistance to change, then the same old saga of our stage buses is unlikely to end anytime soon. YS Chan
PJ: Pre-marital course: 'Smart Start' (Aug 11)
Making marriages work
IT troubles me to read that non-Muslim divorce cases are on the rise. Mar r i age s are G o d ' s ordained, and must be kept going and improved upon. Sure, sometimes in a marriage, the partners want to walk different paths but it is usually the conflict that tests a marriage. Today's society needs to acknowledge that a marriage requires skills, which include communication, appreciation and understanding. Contrary to the assumption
that everything will fall in place naturally in a relationship, the fact is, it takes work, a lot of work. Education, such as the premarital course, can help highlight the strength, weakness and uniqueness of each party, helping them to better understand their partner and their relationship. We each have our own opinions, our own tastes, prejudices, and backgrounds. We are unique inividuals bound together in the most intimate and demanding realtionships.
A successful marriage is not "perfect" or "made in heaven", but rather one that is wellmanaged. Both parties have to accept the realities of day-to-day life and work with them. Whatever it is, family institution is important to any society and will continue to be so. This vital unit that gives us satisfaction and happiness must be guarded, developed and maintained at all times. Bulbir Singh
KL: Land grab scam: MyKad tamper-proof (July 29) Nicol: Australian Open champ
Great games, great players CHINA’S Lin Dan once again proved himself the man to beat when he captured the world title for a fourth time on Sunday against his old nemesis Datuk Lee Chong Wei in an exciting final. In the 24 times these two giants had met on the badminton court, Lin Dan won 16 of the matches and Lee only eight. My heart sank when I read that Lee apologised to Malaysia for losing the game. There is nothing to apologise. For me, Lee has done his best and that is most
bus ticketing system in buses of a major company operating 165 routes and covering 980 housing estates in the Klang Valley is certainly a step in the right direction. It is one of the 11 initiatives under the National Key Results Area (NKRA) for Urban Public Transport (UPT) and incorporated in the Government Transformation Plan (GTP) Roadmap. However, the pilot project was suddenly rolled back and old cash machines quickly refitted when the new cashless machines, which have proven to be reliable, mysteriously did not perform consistently in some buses. In the end, instead of tackling the menace of machine
important. I will still support him no matter what. From the game itself, you can see how close it was for Malaysia to finally grab the world title. But it was not meant to be. Nonetheless, it was a good game and I believe many would agree. Apart from all that, our squash champion Datuk Nicol David managed to ease our "sadness" by clinching the Australian Open. Congratulations, Lee and Nicol. Mokhtar
Ease the security check THERE was a time when someone could sell off a stolen or fake Malaysian passport for RM10,000 to RM30,000, but nowadays, nobody wants to buy it. Even burglars shun away and concentrate on ransacking the house for cash and valuables instead. News travels fast and far. It all started since Malaysia has been overly treated as a nation harbouring terrorists, so to speak, apart from other incidences reported in the past by the local dailies. One may have also heard of horror stories about Malaysians being held up at the immigration checkpoint in the US for hours just to check on Muslim-sounding names they bear. Surely, many were offend-
ed by such treatment and methods of arbitration of profiles. It is this sort of ruling or “unwelcome to the US” exercise that Malaysians detest. Therefore, should these offensive profile checks continue, then Malaysian travellers should be discouraged to go there and choose other nations to go for holidays instead. Now, a few other nations have also jumped on the bandwagon and started such scrutiny. I feel there is no need to put visitors from Malaysia under such tight security checks just because of a few isolated incidences which appear in the newspapers. It is because of this the demand for Malaysian pass-
ports (genuine and fakes) on the black market has gone down which, in a way, is good. At least, we know no one will rob us of our passports or there is nothing to fear if we were to lose it. Our passport is relatively safe. We can now keep it at home and there is no need to run up and down the bank to keep it in a safe deposit box or take it out for our travels. Nonetheless, since the passport is government property, it is imperative we do our best to keep it in the safest place. This is my way of calling on the government to do the necessary to get their counterpart in the US to relax the rules on Malaysian tourists and visitors. Lau Bing
The Malay Mail Tuesday • 16 AUGUST, 2011
They told me I did not have one hit song on my album. I guess they were kind of right: I had five. — Beyonce on her first solo album during a show at the Roseland Ballroom in New York NEW YORK
Barneys, Lady Gaga team up for campaign Luxury department store Barneys is teaming up with flamboyant pop singer Lady Gaga for a Christmas holiday campaign and window display called "Gaga's Workshop." Barneys said yesterday it would turn over an entire floor of its flagship Madison Avenue store to the pop singer's interpretation of Santa's Workshop, as well as dedicating its 2011 holiday window display to the Gaga theme. Small limited edition gift items created by the Born This Way singer and Nicola Formichetti will also be available for sale, while signature artwork will be featured on Barneys holiday shopping bags and packaging.
LOS ANGELES
Barneys New York chief executive Mark Lee said it would be the largest and most encompassing holiday theme ever mounted by the upscale fashion retailer. "As a New York city landmark, we wanted to celebrate Lady Gaga as a fellow New Yorker and amazing talent," Lee said in a statement. Known as much for her bizarre outfits as her string of hit records and music awards, Lady Gaga, 25, was born Stefani Germanotta and raised in New York City. Barneys said it would donate 25 per cent of all the items featured in Gaga's Workshop to a charity of the singer's choice. — Reuters
LOS ANGELES
Rembrandt heist: Cops search for thieves Police were on the lookout yesterday for two people suspected in the theft of a Rembrandt drawing from a luxury hotel in the California beachfront resort of Marina del Rey, Los Angeles police said. The Judgment (pic), a pen and ink drawing with an estimated value of US$250,000, (RM745,250) was on display for an exhibition held in the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton hotel that also featured a Picasso. The Dutch master's piece was stolen late on Saturday around 10.30pm local time when an accomplice of the thief distracted the exhibition's curator, Los
Let it play
MJ's mother again pushes support for tribute concert
Angeles County Sheriff spokesman Steve Whitmore said. "The curator turned his attention away from the exhibit, toward this other individual. And when he turned back, the Rembrandt was gone," Whitmore explained. "This appears to be a well-thought, well-planned, well-executed theft." — AFP
LOS ANGELES
Jessica Alba has second child actress Jessica Alba (pic) has given birth to her second child, a girl named Haven, and took to Facebook for the announcement. Husband "Cash (Warren) and I are so excited to announce the birth of our daughter, Haven Garner Warren," the 30-year-old star wrote on her account. "She was born on Saturday, weighed 3.2kg, and was 48.3cm-long. Healthy and happy! Big Sister Honor couldn't be more excited about the new addition to our family." — AFP
THE mother of late pop icon Michael Jackson yesterday again threw her support behind a tribute concert scheduled to take place in Britain in October, despite criticism from two of her other sons. Pop diva Christina Aguilera, Motown legend Smokey Robinson and singer-songwriter Cee Lo Green have confirmed they will perform at the massive concert set for Oct 8 at Cardiff 's Millennium Stadium, organisers said. Jackson's brothers Randy and Jermaine, however, have voiced their opposition, saying the family should be concentrating on the upcoming manslaughter trial of their brother's doctor, which will begin on Sept 26. But Katherine Jackson told CNN the show should go on. "I can understand how they feel. I feel sort of the same way, but at the same time, it's been two years and the court
IN SUPPORT: Katherine (left) and LaToya want the show to go on — AFPpic
has to do what they have to do but this is a tribute to my son and I support it," she told the news network. "I just want them to remember Michael. This concert is going to be a very good concert and that's why I joined with my partner to support it," she said, seated next to Paul Ring, one of the US promoters of the event. Jackson's sister La Toya and brothers Tito, Marlon and Jackie also support the project, which will also star British singer Leona Lewis and rock band Alien Ant
Farm, who have covered Jackson's Smooth Criminal. According to entertainment website TMZ.com, which cited a spokesman for the family, Jackson's children Paris, Blanket and Prince "have been asked to attend the MJ Tribute in Wales and they have decided to go." Fans have until Aug 16 to register for the ticket lottery. Seats cost from £55 to £240 (RM268 to RM1,100). Some of the proceeds from ticket sales will be given to charity. — AFP
BEIJING
Film giant links with China distributor Relativity Media, the production company behind The Social Network, has teamed up with two Chinese firms in a US$100 million (RM298 mil) deal that gives
it access to China's rapidly expanding film market. Relativity will co-produce and distribute "cross cultural" films and television programmes with
C h i n a ' s Hu a x i a F i l m Distribution and SkyLand Film-Television Culture Development, the companies said in a statement. — AFP
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Myers may reprise 'Austin Powers' role COMIC actor Mike Myers is close to signing on to star in the fourth instalment of the Austin Powers franchise, sources confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. A report on entertainment website Hitfix claimed recently that Myers had officially agreed to write, produce and star in a new film in the series, which has been a box office hit worldwide, but sources cautioned on Saturday that the deal with New Line Cinema was not yet confirmed. Entertainment news websites The Hollywood Reporter and The Wrap both reported that the 48-year-old star was expected to sign on for the project, with a deal close.
'Sex and the City' stars keen to shine again THE stars of Sex and the City (pic) are reportedly keen to put the lukewarm reaction of last year's movie sequel behind them by making another series of the hit TV show. Sarah Jessica Parker and her co-stars are said to be happy to ditch further Hollywood outings and return to the small screen, following the critical backlash and mediocre box office success of Sex and the City 2, reports The Daily Mail. "Everyone is agreed a TV show is the direction they want to take the franchise to," a source said. "Sarah Jessica Parker will be producing. She was worried about doing another film after the bad reaction but a TV show is definitely something she wants to happen." The girls' return to TV would mean the much discussed big screen Sex and the City prequel will be put on hold. The film, which charts the early lives of Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda, has been heavily speculated recently, with actresses Blake Lively, Selena Gomez and Emma Roberts all linked to the movie.
'Mindfreak' opens magic shop CRISS ANGEL, the magician and star of Mindfreak, yesterday announced he was launching a one-stop magic shop, MagicPlace.com, in a live event from Las Vegas. The site will not only serve as an online magic resource for fans of the entertainer, but will also offer exclusive presentations from fellow illusionists Lance Burton and Seigfried & Roy. In addition to the world’s largest magic store boasting more than 10,000 items, magic hopefuls can even enrol in Angel’s Mindfreak Magic Academy and compete to perform alongside the entertainer in Las Vegas, says the Hollywood Reporter.
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Three years for Libya's oil to flow IT will take Libya at least three years to get oil production back to pre-war levels, even if the ongoing fighting causes limited damage to installations, an oil analyst said yesterday. Ross Cassidy, an expert with British research and consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, said technical and security challenges mean it is likely to be 36 months from the end of hostilities before Libya again pumps 1.6 million barrels of crude a day. "They are not going to just turn production back on," he said. "Thirty-six months is quite an optimistic scenario." The hiatus would spell tens of billions in lost revenue and would punch a crater-sized hole in any financial plan that Tripoli or Benghazi may have to rebuild the war-shattered Saharan nation. Oil revenues have long been essential to pay for basic services and public sector wages in a country whose economy depends heavily on both. — AFP
Suicide bomb attack on contractor THREE people were killed and six others wounded yesterday in an attack on a contractor's compound near a huge foreign military base in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, the governor's spokesman, Zalmai Ayubi, said. Police and the military said three suicide bombers had tried to storm the compound belonging to Supreme Global Services, a logistics company which works with the international military. — Reuters
US encouraged Suu Kyi can now travel THE United States yesterday welcomed the authorities in Myanmar for allowing democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi to travel and speak to her supporters inside the country. "We are encouraged by her talks with the government. And we are also encouraged that she was able to travel, that she was able to speak when she traveled and that the government met its responsibilities to keep her safe and secure," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. — AFP
China's Vice Premier Li Keqiang visits Hong Kong today to repair strained ties and showcase himself ahead of a key leadership reshuffle in Beijing next year — AFP LONDON
North Sea oil leak Spill described as Britain's biggest in a decade
AN oil spill from a North Sea platform is the biggest in British waters in a decade, government figures showed yesterday as Shell battled to close off the leak completely. Around 216 tonnes or 1,300 barrels of oil has leaked from the Gannet Alpha platform, 180km east of Aberdeen on the Scottish coast, the AngloDutch oil giant said. The estimate is bigger than the total amount spilled in any year in British waters over the last 10 years, according to fig-
ures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). "It is not easy to quantify the total volume spilled but we estimate so far that it is around 216 tonnes," said Glen Cayley, a Shell technical director. "This is a significant spill in the context of annual amounts of oil spilled in the North Sea. We care about the environment and we regret that the spill happened. We have taken it very seriously and re-
sponded promptly to it." The subsea well was shut on Wednesday and work is ongoing to stop the oil remaining in the flowline from leaking. The current daily spillage rate is below one tonne, while the amount of oil on the surface is estimated at about one tonne, covering 0.5 square kilometres, Shell said. Both Shell and the DECC said they expected the surface sheen would be broken up by wind and waves and
not reach the shore. "Although small in comparison to the Macondo-Gulf of Mexico incident, in the context of the UK continental shelf the spill is substantial," a DECC spokesman said. "The UK continental shelf oil spill record is strong, which is why it is disappointing that this spill has happened. "We will be investigating the causes of the spill and learning any lessons from the response to it." — AFP
CANNON FALLS (Minnesota)
Obama gets another 'beast'
PRESIDENT Barack Obama's limo is a "Beast" but his new bus is even more of a monster. The US leader swept onto the campaign trail yesterday with a sleek and even sinister looking set of wheels with blacked out windows worth US$1.1 million (RM3.2m). The shiny, black armoured bus, bristling with secret communications technology, with flashing police-style red and blue lights on the front and the back, made its debut on Obama's three-day tour of Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. The vehicle was commissioned by the Secret Service, which has always hired buses for election campaigns and retrofitted them to provide suitable protection for presidents and rival party nominees. But the Service decided to commission its own vehicles, reasoning that the initial total outlay of US$2.2 million for two buses would soon pay for itself over a projected
BIG BUS: Obama boards his bus outside the Old Market Deli in Cannon Falls, Minnesota yesterday, during a three-day bus tour of the Midwest. — AFPpic
10-year lifespan. "We have demonstrated the need for these buses going back to 1980," said Ed Donovan, a Secret Service spokes-
man, recalling the days when future president Ronald Reagan stormed the country by bus. Each of the new buses will
be available to Obama and the eventual Republican presidential nominee if required through next year's election season.— AFP
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 August, 2011
WASHINGTON
Manila urged to end alcohol tax THE United States and European Union yesterday urged the Philippines to quickly comply with a new World Trade Organisation ruling by ending a discriminatory tax system against foreign alcoholic beverages like Jack Daniel's and Spain's Brandy de Jerez. "Today's panel report confirms that the Philippines' taxes on imported distilled spirits are discriminatory and inconsistent with WTO rules," US Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk said in statement. "We urge the Philippine government to comply swiftly with the panel's recommendations and rulings, and level the playing field for our exports immediately," Kirk said. EU spokesman John Clancy also pressed the Philippines to end the discriminatory tax system "without further ado." The European Union and United States are the world's No. 1 and No. 2 exporters of distilled spirits, but have been all but shut out of the Philippines, one of the largest markets for alcohol in the AsiaPacific region. In separate cases filed at the WTO, Brussels and Washington complained the Philippines had violated global trade rules by taxing foreign alcoholic beverages at rates 10 to 40 times higher than brands made in the Philippines from home-grown materials such as sugar and palm. The WTO generally bars members from discriminating between imported and domestic products in their tax regimes. The United States brought two legal claims against the Philippines' measures, and prevailed on both, USTR said. The Philippines applies higher taxes to imported alcohol than it does to similar domestic products. — AFP
WASHINGTON
Coffee's anti-cancer link explained: study
COFFEE has been shown to reduce the risk of skin cancer by helping kill off damaged cells that could otherwise turn into tumours, according to a US study published yesterday. The findings indicate that moderate caffeine drinking, or perhaps even applying coffee to the skin, could be useful in warding off non-melanoma cancer, the most commonly
diagnosed of all skin cancers. Using mice that had been genetically altered to suppress a protein called ATR, researchers showed that the mice were able to fend off cancer even when exposed to ultraviolet light. Previous studies have suggested that drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee per day has the effect of suppressing ATR and triggering the die-off of
cells harmed by UV rays. The altered mice eventually did develop cancer, but three weeks later than normal mice. After 19 weeks of ultraviolet light exposure, the engineered mice showed 69 per cent fewer tumours and four times fewer invasive tumours than the control group. However, the protective effects only went so far. After 34 weeks of UV exposure, all the
mice developed tumours. "Eventually, if you treat them long enough, the mice will develop cancer so it is not 100 per cent protection forever," Allan Coffey, one of the study's authors, told media. "Really, with almost any carcinogen, eventually all animals will develop tumours." Coffey and his team were able to confirm their hypothesis that caffeine, when con-
sumed or applied to the skin, works by inhibiting ATR. Now studies are needed to see how it may work on humans. "We want to see whether caffeine has an effect in people when you give it topically," he said. Skin cancer is the most prevalent cancer in the United States, with more than one million new cases each year. — AFP
the malay mail
tuesday 16 august, 2011
If you practice being kind, you’ll get good at it. If you practice being conscious, you’ll get good at it. If you practice garnering peace in your life, you’re going to get good at it.
10.00pm
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world
Divers search for woman turns up man CANADIAN police divers discovered the remains of an unidentified man yesterday while searching for the body of a young Japanese woman who was swept over Niagara Falls. The Japanese woman, 19, had lost her footing while climbing onto a railing near the river's edge at about 8:30 pm Sunday (0030 GMT Monday) and was swept over the Horseshoe Falls. "The subject female was observed climbing over the railing and straddling it while looking out at the falls," Inspector Paul Forcier said. "She was holding an umbrella at the time." "The young woman stood up in what appeared to be an attempt to climb back over when she lost her balance and fell into the waters." She is presumed drowned. Canadian and US authorities searched for several hours for her body, but came up instead yesterday morning with the "unidentified human remains of a male" in the lower Niagara River. — AFP
Chocolate cuts hunger, maybe sunburn too SCIENTISTS in Canada said yesterday they plan to study whether eating dark chocolate not only satisfies sweet tooth cravings, but protects against sunburn as well. The study by researchers at Laval University in Quebec will monitor the effects of chocolate consumption on fair-skinned volunteers between the ages of 25 and 65, each of whom will be prevailed upon to eat three squares of chocolate per day for 12 weeks. Earlier research in Germany and Britain has found chemicals in chocolate called polyphenals increase blood flow close to the skin, which helps protect against ultraviolet rays, but those studies were too small in scale to be conclusive. The scientists at Laval University's Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods hope to confirm the link in a study of 60 people, about half of whom already have been recruited, they said.— AFP
Nigerian police kill would-be bomber NIGERIAN police said they killed a "would-be suicide bomber" seeking to drive an explosives-laden car into state police headquarters in the violence-torn city of Maiduguri yesterday. The incident came a day before a committee appointed by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to look into violence in the northeast, where Maiduguri is located, is to submit its report to the government. Police said the man was around 25 years old and suspected to be a member of an Islamist sect known as Boko Haram, which has been blamed for scores of attacks, mainly in the northeast. — AFP
Bolivian President Evo Morales yesterday joked that China was becoming such an economic powerhouse that it could soon colonise the United States — AFP WASHINGTON
Keep spending! IMF warns sudden cuts will stall global recovery
IMF chief Christine Lagarde (pic) yesterday warned governments not to slash spending to avoid sparking a new recession and stalling the feeble economic recovery from the 2008 crisis. "For the advanced economies, there is an unmistakable need to restore fiscal sustainability through credible consolidation plans. At the same time we know that slamming on the brakes too quickly will hurt the recovery and worsen job prospects," Lagarde said in an opinion piece to be published in today's Financial Times newspaper. Lagarde's comments came as pressure was rising, including from the International Monetary Fund itself, on advanced countries like the United States and Europe's
largest economies to trim their debt burdens, and also as worries rose over slowing growth around the world. In the United States especially, domestic politics and the recent sovereign credit rating downgrade by Standard and Poor's are pushing the government into drastic spending cuts just as the economy appears to be stalling. In France, where there are also worries of an S&P downgrade, the government is preparing spending cuts as well. But the IMF has encouraged the highly indebted, advanced economies to take a longterm view of deficit reduction and to implement both spending cuts and tax increases. On Aug 2, after US politicians
struck a last-minute deal to raise the country's statutory debt ceiling to avoid a default, Lagarde warned the country's planned spending cuts should be "appropriately phased" to avoid undermining economic growth. Policy-makers need a plan with "clear medium-term debt and deficit objectives," she said, adding that new revenues had to be found in parallel with long-term cost reduction. — AFP
DAMASCUS
Outrage after Syria attacks Palestinian camp SYRIA came under sharp Arab and international condemnation yesterday after activists said gunboats pounded Latakia port, forcing thousands of Palestinians to flee a refugee camp. As activists reported new deaths at the camp, the Palestinians condemned Syria over the violence and the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported that more than 5,000 refugees had fled the Ramel camp in southern Latakia under fire. The United States, however, said it was unable to confirm the reports of the Syrian navy shelling Latakia, in what would amount to an escalating bid to crush pro-democracy protests.
PEACEFUL PROTEST: Palestinian youths staging a sit-in at the West Bank city of Ramallah to protest Syria's brutal crackdown on anti-regime protesters — AFPpic
Palestine Liberation Organisation secretary general Yasser Abed Rabbo said the attack on Ramel was "part of the crimes against humanity" targeting Palestinians and Syrians alike. Jordan, adding its voice to a chorus of Arab condemnation of the Syrian crackdown on dissent, urged Damascus to "immediately" stop the violence and "listen to reason," State-run Petra news agency reported. US President Barack Obama said his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad has lost his legitimacy and his people "will be better off without him," the White House spokesman said. — AFP
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
WASHINGTON
Starbucks chief calls for boycott
STARBUCKS coffee chain chief Howard Schultz has brewed up a plan to force polarised US politicians to compromise on a way to reduce the swollen US deficit: Dry up their campaign donations. Schultz cited the recent political crisis over the US debt limit as grounds for the unorthodox boycott, charging in an email obtained by media to fellow business leaders that elected officials "have failed to lead." "Our country is better than this," he said in the appeal, accusing politicians of having squandered "our collective confidence in each other, in the future, and in our ability to solve problems together." Schultz looked ahead to the next phase of the bitter battling over the debt, with a Dec 23 deadline for the US Congress to approve at least US$1.2 trillion (RM3.5 trillion) over ten years in deficit-cutting measures. "We aim to push our elected leaders to face the nation's long-term fiscal challenges with civility, honesty, and a willingness to sacrifice their own re-election," he said. "That is why we today pledge to withhold any further campaign contributions to the President and all members of Congress until a fair, bipartisan deal is reached that sets our nation on stronger long-term fiscal footing." At the same time, he said, major US firms now hoarding cash out of fear must set in motion an upward spiral of confidence and growth by tackling stubbornly high unemployment. — AFP
NEW YORK
Racists plague NY Fire Dept, court told
THE storied New York Fire Department was accused yesterday of being plagued by racism against its tiny minority of black firefighters. The start of the third week of a federal discrimination trial saw a representative for one of the lead plaintiffs — the Vulcan Society for black firefighters — testify about a corrosive atmosphere. Paul Washington, a firefighter captain and former head of the Vulcan Society, said that on several occasions he had overheard white firefighters, who make up about
90 percent of the department, refer to "niggers." "Someone didn't know I was there and would say something about niggers and I'd turn and there would be a confrontation," Washington said in Brooklyn federal court. At an all-white fire house where he was temporarily stationed, "they would play a game every night where they'd pick someone and say 'you're the nigger tonight,'" meaning that person would do the menial jobs, Washington testified.
In another incident, he referred to a flier announcing a Vulcan Society memorial ceremony for black firefighters killed during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. On the flier — which was presented in court — someone had scrawled "Lick me" and "What about the white guys?" The word "black" was written over the request that guests come in dress uniform "with white gloves." In addition, the guest list, which featured the black former New York mayor David
Dinkins, had been defaced to include rap stars. Thundering around on immaculately maintained red trucks, the city's so-called "Bravest" are local heroes, admired for their professionalism and lauded for their self-sacrifice on 9/11, when 343 died in the collapsing Twin Towers. With generous pay, pension and vacation, the job is seen as a highly attractive way to enter the middle class. But the discrimination trial in Brooklyn is challenging the FDNY's reputation and
could see the judge imposing drastic change in the way recruitment is done. A quarter of New York's population is black and 27 per cent Hispanic, but just 3.4 per cent of firefighters are black and 6.7 percent Latino, the plaintiffs say. The fire department says recruitment in the past did not pay enough attention to minorities, but that this has changed, with a high-volume campaign now underway in black and Hispanic-focused media, as well as street recruitment drives. — AFP
lifestyle 15
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
Exquisite East Coast tastes
By CHE'AZ cheaz@mmail.com.my WHENEVER people mention the beautiful and amazing taste of the East Coast, the reference would always be the food and delicacies of Kelantan. It is rather rare for people to refer to the flavours of the neighbouring Terengganu. Perhaps people are just a little confused about the tastes between the two States. In fact, both States share quite the same taste or the same look and feel of their cuisines. However, let this be a note for every reader that Terengganu and Kelantan do not share the same recipes. The foods might look alike but they taste a little different from each other. As many might know and agree, Kelantan food is by far sweeter, and people in the State do really love sugar. People in Terengganu, on the other hand, are more focused on the spices and the flavour of the food they serve. If you are a fan of East Coast delights, the normal and easiest place in Kuala Lumpur for you might be the famous Kampung Baru. East Coast dishes there are thought to be authentic. Sad to say,
however, not every food there can be considered as authentic. So the question is, where can we find all these authentic East Coast cuisines in Kuala Lumpur? Worry not. Now you can just go to Solaris Dutamas and chomp away as you savour the real taste of Terengganu-Kelantan cuisines. Wau Penyu is definitely the perfect place for your family to really get re-acquainted to the East Coast flavour, while having the fun of eating out as a family. Small but cozy, this restaurant will just take your breath away with its beautiful interior decoration — with decor items dated reliably from an ancestor's home in Terengganu and Kelantan. So, apart from having real East Coast food, you get to embrace the true culture of two amazing States. Browse through the menu and you'd be titillated by the old photos of the great grandparents of both husband-and-wife owners. Read the menu from cover to cover and you will get more than the history of the food. The winning food in the menu is the Nasi Dagang. Besides that, the restaurant also serves western food under the Makanang Orang Puteh bracket. You might want to try Murtabak Kelantan, Nasi Kerabu or Laksam which are apparently a favourite among customers. One of the dishes that you should try is the molecular gastronomic invention of the Nasi Dagang and sushi. They managed to invent an interesting
menu where they combine two elements and produce a whole new dish called Dagang Sushi — a roll of Nasi Dagang served bite-sized (like sushi), accompanied with pickled vegetables and ikan tongkol gravy. If you are a true fan of East Coast food and always on the hunt for the best place, visit this restaurant and get the
feel yourself. For Ramadan, the restaurant serves a special
Food
buffet priced at RM49 for adults and RM24 for children. The Ramadan offering starts from 7pm to 9pm. The place is open from Monday to Thursday, from
11am to midnight. As for Friday, the opening time is 11am to 2am and on Saturday, 9am to 2am. On Sunday, the restaurant opens from 9am to midnight.
Sweet bites
REGARDED by the Chinese as one of the most auspicious days, the Mid-Autumn Festival which falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar is an occasion that should be celebrated on a massive scale. During this day, it is said that the moon is at its fullest and most beautiful. And to mark the event, traditional food such as pomelos, baby yams and mooncakes are shared and eaten among family members and friends. Besides that, children as well as adults would mark the occasion by carrying brightly lit lanterns or hanging them on trees or clothes lines. As the years progress, MidAutumn Festival has evolved from a merely Chinese event into a day celebrated by just about anyone. And as the festival changes with time, the traditional must-have mooncake is not free from the grasp of transformation as well. As such, more and more flavours are introduced to suit today's modern lifestyle and people's preference. In order to celebrate this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, One World Hotel's only
Chinese restaurant, Zuan Yuan Restaurant, decides to bring the celebration to another level by introducing new mooncake flavours that will make you crave for more. True to its promise, Zuan Yuan is offering mooncake lovers a wide range of flavours to choose from, starting from freshly-baked traditional mooncakes to snowskin mooncakes. Indeed, be prepared to be spoilt for choice as the restaurant, famous for its intricate take on Chinese cuisine, is going all-out in spoiling its patrons with choices after choices of mooncake, starting from the most basic mooncake of all — White Lotus Paste Single Yolk. But then, whenever you're in Zuan Yuan Restaurant, always expect the unexpected from the chef and the friendly waitresses. Take your time to try out some
of the must-have mooncakes that Zuan Yuan has to offer for your own personal indulgence. For a start, why not try the Shanghai Single Yolk? On the outside, the Shanghai Single Yolk has a pastry-like skin that crumbles under delicate touch. The lotus paste is not overly sweet and complements really well with the shimmering egg yolk. Moving on, if you're the adventurous type, do impress your tastebuds by trying the Low Sugar Royal Milk Tea and Charcoal. This hot new item under the mini snowskin selection might got fans of bubble milk tea jumping for joy, as this dessert tastes just like your favourite milk tea. The Low Sugar Royal Milk Tea and Charcoal, as the name suggests, is indeed mildly sweet, perfect for those who are healthconscious. Another eccentric creation under the snowskin selection is the Low Sugar Qi Zi Tong Kwei and Chinese Almond. This mini selection has a hint of herbal smell to it but not too overpowering, making it easier for people who dislike the smell of herbs accept it for the first time. However, if you are a true
fitness person, and watch what you eat, there is no harm done in trying the Honey Grapefruit and Mango. However, if you prefer it to be slightly larger, do try the Honey Grapefruit Paste Single Yolk. As you bring a slice closer to your nose, immediately you are greeted with the aromatic smell of grapefruit that is quite appetising. Last on the must-try list is the White Lotus and Black Sesame Paste Single Yolk. From the outside, it looks just like any ordinary baked mooncake. However, its secret lies inside the mooncake itself. The black sesame that wraps the egg yolk seals the yolk's juiciness and all of its flavour inside. The sweetness of the lotus paste and the saltiness of the yolk is the best combination of all that a mooncake could offer. Starting from RM10 per piece, Zuan Yuan's mooncake is freshly-made every day and comes in a beautiful gift box, if you're planning to give them away to family and friends. The mooncakes are also available for dine-in at the restaurant. To order, call Zuan Yuan Restaurant at 0376811159. — By LOONG WAI TING
16 lifestyle
Spotlight on dance Dua Space
By ANU VENUGOPAL anu@mmail.com.my IT is time to pick up your dancing shoes and polish your moves for MyDance Festival 2011 from Sept 9 to 25. Organised by MyDance Alliance, a non-profit organisation that supports and promotes dance in Malaysia, in partnership with Asia Dance magazine, the Cultural Centre of University of Malaya, and supported by the National Department of Culture and Arts, Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture Malaysia, the three-week long festival sets to be one of the most prestigious dance events in Malaysia. “MyDance Festival is a platform to once again position MyDance Alliance in the forefront of the dance community in Malaysia. What better way to promote the organisation than through an allinclusive large-scale festival,” said Choy
Lapar Lab
Su-Ling, head of promotion and management, MyDance Alliance. This festival will be held at various venues, including Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac), Actors Studio (Lot 10), and Malaysia Tourism Centre (Matic). The festival integrates various dance genres ranging from contemporary to wushu art, joget, latin and ballroom as well as traditional dances through a singular platform, which is the festival. Starting off with an Opening Gala at Pentas 1, KLPac, dance enthusiasts and art lovers will be able to catch a glimpse of talented homegrown artistes, such as Suhaili Michelin, Aswara Dance Company, Temple of Fine Arts, Lapar Lab and Dua Space Dance Theatre, taking the spotlight in a variety of performances. For those looking to develop their own artistic skills, there are plenty of workshops to attend, including Joget Gamelan Lantai Lima by Norsafini Jafar, Introduction to Acroyoga by Living Arts Dance Studio and a Dance Film Lecture-Demonstration by Robin Cantrell. “From its inauguration in 2001, MyDance Alliance has grown to become a real player
in privileging diversities of our dance culture as a means of engaging young and senior dance artistes, performers, choreographers and scholars to deliberate and experiment on the multiple cultural heritages that have become the core of being Malaysian,” said Professor Anis Md Nor, national advisor, MyDance Alliance. Starting out modestly with three performers and gradually adding more dance workshops and seminar sessions, 'Living Heritage,’ the last festival held in 2005 featured eight main performances, two showcases, 28 dance workshops and two collaborations with international performers, six dance video screenings and 14 seminar sessions. “The third edition co-hosted the first Asia Pacific International Dance Conference (APIDC) with the University of Malaya's Cultural Centre and the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage bringing observers, participants and presenters from the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific in a big and successful dance festival organised by an independent dance organisation in Malaysia,” said Anis. A book containing papers of the first APIDC was also copublished by the Cultural Centre of University of Malaya, the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Anis and Revathi Murugappan entitled Global and Local: Dance in Performance. This year’s fourth edition of the MyDance Festival is back again with 11 performances. The first weekend features established Malaysian dance companies, followed by the second weekend featuring independent Malaysian dancers, and the third weekend with international artistes from Australia, Taiwan, Singapore and Fiji. Running in conjunction are
17 dance workshops covering various dances, including contemporary, latin, traditional, dance film and dance photography. With the theme 'All in One', MyDance Festival 2011 aims to demonstrate the diversity of culture through dance to support and reinforce the 1Malaysia concept and to provide opportunities for local talents to showcase their dance choreographies to audiences. The organisers also hope to educate, create awareness and create new audiences for dance. “MyDance Festival is already a brand name with heritage and with a proven growth record. It made sense to revive the brand and the spirit of the festival,” said Choy, who is also managing director of MyDance Festival 2011. Choy, who spearheaded the revival of the festival after a six-year gap, added that this is the first time that the festival is managed professionally involving volunteers with expertise from the event management and public relations industries so that the artistic teams could focus on programmings. Among the programmes set for the festival are evening performances, showcases, workshops as well as a major international dance conference in the form of the 2nd Asia Pacific International Dance Conference (APIDC 2011). At the conference, there will be 34 papers/panels and three keynote speakers on the theme, 'Hybridity in Dance: Researching, Performing and Writing Old and New Genres', from Sept 21 to 25 at the Royale Bintang Kuala Lumpur Hotel. The APIDC 2011 is co-hosted by the University of Malaya and the National Department Temple of Fine Arts
of Culture and Arts. The festival will also see grant money collected through an Emerging Choreographer Fund at the closing ceremony of the artistic festival. The Emerging Choreographer Fund supports our young choreographers in producing their first independent, professional production to help kickstart their dance career. The recipient will be announced at the closing ceremony of this festival. Recently launched at a Press conference, the festival saw support from Datuk Norliza Rofli, director-general, National
Aswara
Department of Culture and Arts, at the chic Bistro42. Besides sponsoring the venue, food and beverage for the Press conference, the Big Group will offer a complimentary dessert with every main meal dined at Ben’s, T Forty Two, Bistro42 and Plan B throughout September to patrons with a MyDance Festival ticket stub. MYDANCE Festival promises to be one filled with entertainment and edu-
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
17
Pow-wow to end spat THE conflict between rock outfit Meet Uncle Hussain (MUH) and their former session vocalist Hazama, has finally simmered down after both parties sat down for a healthy pow-wow to iron out their differences. Caught at the centre of it, is 27-year-old Hazama Ahmad Azmi, who ‘deserted’ the band in their hour of need, and showed extreme ungratefulness in doing so — or at least that’s what some comments by the band on social networking site, Facebook implied. Hazama, who was the standin vocalist for the band along with singer Black, had accepted an offer to enter Akademi Fan-
cation that could likely change the way Malaysians perceive the art of dance. Tickets are now available at KLPac Box Office (03-40479000), The Actors Studio @Lot 10 (03-21422009) and iLasso (03-79576088). Online bookings can be made at www.ilassotickets.com. For more information on the festival, visit ww.mydancefestival.net or reach contact@mydancefestival.net.
Taja
tasia 9 (AF9), and subsequently emerged champion and then signed to Astro Entertainment Sdn Bhd (AESB). Met last week, the leader and guitarist of MUH, Nik Mustaza Nik Mustapha, 32, or Taja, cleared the air and said there was no animosity between the band and Hazama. “We’re not at odds in terms of friendship,” he explained. “There was a little conflict in planning out our work schedule, which snowballed into something bigger and resulted in unnecessary and undesirable news. “MUH is now handicapped without a vocalist. We were planning to feature Hazama, and we didn’t know he had an offer from Akademi Fantasia, and that disrupted our plans.” Taja said the frustration arose from Hazama’s departure with the release of their single Pokok, which has since, in the last couple of months, gained attention on radio. “And now we can’t even re-record as Pokok was tailormade for Hazama, and we now just have to push the song before anything else,” he sighed. “For Pokok, we have not had any negotiations with Astro, but for its music video shoot, we couldn’t get Hazama who was the voice behind it to commit, but at least that had challenged us to come up with something different without a lead in the music video,” Taja said, trying to look for a silver lining. Still, Taja is not justifying the
Hazama comments made on Facebook by the administrator of their band page. “We have to bear the responsibility, and own up to the stand of the band. It happened because it threw a spanner in the works and we were all frustrated. “You could say the words came out in the heat of the moment. It’s not we didn’t want to release Hazama, as both sides knew that in the long run, we don't have the same direction musically.” He said MUH was just taken aback at how the situation was handled. “I realise that it’s not his fault, as he has his own future to take care of, and he had to protect the confidentiality of the situation upon receiving the offer to enter AF9. “However, on our side, if we had known, we could have helped him where we could have been more understanding.” The band’s critics have slammed MUH for raising a fuss, when the fact is, they did not tie down Hazama for a permanent spot, nor did they give much attention to him before AF9 — constantly picking Black over Hazama. “In almost two years of being with MUH, on and off, we made
it clear to Hazama that the partnership was not forever for the growth of different musical directions. Pokok was our way of helping him to launch his career. That’s all. “On more well-paid shows going to Black, and cheaper shows to Hazama, it’s a reality. There are a lot of instances where payment is usually disappointing. Black’s rate is set by his management, and we understand that. Hence, there are some situations where we can’t afford him.” In fact, with both Black and Hazama now tied up with their respective managements, MUH were the ones left in a lurch sans singer. He debunked the notion that MUH were ‘opportunistic’ to release Pokok at the same time Hazama’s winning single in Cinta Teragung hit the airwaves despite the former having been recorded over a year ago. “Pokok was not released then as it was not the right time. Shows weren’t happening, budget was tight and much of what we wanted couldn’t be done. It was not an opportunistic thing that we wanted to take advantage of his fame now that he’s known.” After a simple meeting over a buka puasa event last week, Taja
VOCAL-LESS: Meet Uncle Hussain with another former frontman Lan (right)
admitted both sides were making the effort to patch the rift, which he now calls merely a "small misunderstanding". “Hazama is a nice guy, and we’ve already met up, and we’ve sorted things out and I don’t see any problems or grudges. “It’s just that the immediate situation didn't allow for any cooperation at the moment.” Meanwhile, MUH continues to struggle for a permanent candidate to fill the vacancy of a singer with a planned reality TV show to seek a successor to the likes of Lan, Black and Hazama while another newcomer Nubhan now filling the spot temporarily. The 10-year-old band won the Pop/Rock Category at the 23rd Anugerah Juara Lagu along with the Best Song Award, apart from the Best New Artist recognition at the 16th Anugerah Industri Muzik. Quite an achievement for an act that despite its decade-long involvement in the industry, has no album to call its own to date. Would they consider perhaps a different direction in an instrumental album? “We know in Malaysia, there is little or no hope for going instrumental no matter how good the music is,” said Taja. “We need to look for a new vocalist. We already have a funder and plans are on, and we’re just waiting for the green light from the TV station involved. “Once we have a vocalist to call our own, I’m looking forward to no more problems stemming from the fact that we have to use guest vocalists,” he laughed in reference to past controversies, including the highly-publicised departure of former vocalist Lan who parted ways with the band to form his own outfit, Azlan and the Typewriter. — By JOE LEE
18 lifestyle
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
Interactive mag for travel junkies
Story and pix by LOONG WAI TING waiting@mmail.com.my FOR travel junkies, it is time to rejoice. Malaysian Harmony Tour & Travel Sdn Bhd has announced its auspicious launch of a new interactive travel magazine, 12fly (pronounced 'want-to-fly'), which is available for download from iTunes App Store — for free! If planning and packing for a holiday is stressful, look no further as 12fly promises exclusive video tours of featured destinations, travelogues as well as useful tips, whether you're a lone traveller or travelling in a large group. The interactive magazine
has just about anything under one roof, literally. That's not all, if you're on a tight budget, just give it a go too and view high quality images of great sceneries and famous makan hotspots. Those in the travel and hospitality business can also have their products, packages and services — like holiday destinations, resorts and theme parks — featured and promoted via the interactive magazine. "Our main goal of this 12fly interactive magazine is to promote and enhance interactive experience for both our customers and advertisers," Malaysian Harmony Tour & Services chief executive officer Cooper Huang said. Indeed, flipping through the futuristic magazine feels like being on an actual holiday. Moving away from the traditional paper, 12fly wins over the competition with its professional take on handling high-definition videos and dynamic photo galleries that boast of crystal clear quality. With 12fly, more and more good things are easier to
HOLIDAY LOVERS: (From left) Dorothy Ng, Huang, Angel Wong and Tiffany Hew gracing the 12fly launch discover now. Recently, the magazine has shown a promising collaboration between Taiwan Leisure Farm Association and China Airlines that was also featured online. The magazine has also an-
nounced its recent collaboration with Korea Tourism Organisation and Taiwan Tourist Association to bring readers more exciting travel tips and travellogues. In conjunction with the first
edition, 12fly is also launching the 100 WOWZ Lucky Draw contest with at least 100 prizes worth more than RM100,000 that include air tickets, tour packages, cruise tours, watches, sunglasses, frangrances
and even iPads awaiting lucky winners. Just download the apps for free from iTunes App Store and complete the registration form. For more information, visit www.12fly. com.my
A weekend treat made to last TIME is of essence and these days, many are looking for a quick solution to all woes and problems. When it comes to choosing a holiday spot, the impatient ones would certainly want it near, or at least a location that can be reached within a short time. For many in Kuala Lumpur (and the surrounding areas), Port Dickson has long been one of the best holiday spots, particularly during weekends. After all, it might take you just above an hour to reach Port Dickson. Once you reach PD (as
INVITING: It might take you about an hour from KL to reach this beautiful destination
Gen Japanese Restaurant locals prefer to call it), choosing a place to stay is just a matter of taste and personal preference. If sanctuary of peace and
serenity and a quick weekend trip away from the bustling city is what you're looking for, the Grand Lexis Port Dickson
(formerly The Legend International Water Homes) might just be the place for you and the entire family. Privacy? Definitely, as you might even be able to enjoy the luxury of your own private pool. Best of all, you have a number of different water homes to choose from. There are three main lines of themed water homes — Above the Seas Living, Garden Living and Sky High Living. With 240 homes in total, all are furnished with a
Lanun Bar Balinese-inspired theme. Other little luxuries will tempt you to remain in the room — from the large LCD TV with DVD player, to a mini kitchenette stocked with a microwave oven, crockery and utensils to make dining for the whole clan easier. The main dining outlets are the Duyung Restaurant and the Gen Japanese Restaurant. Duyung serves both local and international cuisine while
Scuba diving lesson
Gen has a wide range of sushi, sashimi, teppanyaki, tempura and other Japanese delicacies. There is also the Lanun Bar for those looking for a sundowner in the evenings. Other facilities which are available include the beautifully-landscaped pool and another dedicated children’s pool and gazebo. A host of activities are catered for such as fishing, crabbing, beach soccer, volleyball, sumo wrestling, archery and basic scuba diving lessons. There is also a games room with board games and video game consoles. The karaoke room is also a perennial favourite with groups who love belting out a few numbers. Other facilities include a gym and the Sompoton Spa. Tempted? Call 03-33432884 today for reservation.
lifestyle 19
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
Caring couple spreads joy By CHE'AZ cheaz@mmail.com.my NEWLY-MARRIED hip hop artiste Mizz Nina and her husband, frontman of indie band Hujan, Noh, embraced the spirit of the holy month by organising a buka puasa session with 22 orphans from the Murad Foundation recently. The couple, is still in their honeymoon mode, both looked happy entertaining the children from table to table. Restoran Seri Melayu was filled with laughter from the children and members of the media as Noh, as always, loved to crack a joke on someone. The restaurant holds a certain sentimental value to the couple, which was why they chose it again this time to organise another meaningful event with the children. "Two years ago, when we were first getting to know each other and my father decided to meet Noh, this is the
PAMPERED: Each child went home with a backpack designed by Mizz Nina
place where both of them talked and had his blessings to go on with our relationship. And when we first announced our engagement to the media, this was the place of the Press conference. "This restaurant has been a memorable place not just to us but also to our families. Taking on that reason, we decided to celebrate these 22 beautiful kids with us here," said Mizz Nina. The guests were spoilt with a scumptious spread from the kitchen of Restoran Seri Melayu. From Malay tra-
ditional food to western grills and salad bars, the choices were lavish and aplenty. Going through the first Ramadan as Noh's wife, Mizz Nina feels it is the best thing that has ever happened to her, what with the opportunity to hold such an endearing event with Noh and give out gifts to the children of Murad Foundation. "We are going through a phase to understand each other's needs and both of us are embracing that. "Before, we didn't need to worry about anyone else be-
sides us, but now everything needs to be discussed and considered for families' sake. We believe this marriage is the best thing that has ever happened to us and together we will make it through." She added this buka puasa event is one of the least things the couple can do in helping those who in need. "We have been getting lots of support and love from the public and this is just one of those times when we give back and return the love," said Nina. Among other things that were presented to the children were Raya cookies and backpacks filled with stationery. The special thing about the backpack is that it was designed by Mizz Nina herself as part of the merchandise produced by her own company, MizzNina Production. The merchandise, which will be available online soon, can be purchased at a boutique, Liberte, in Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya.
20 lifestyle
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
More than a cuppa TITLE: Onward: How Starbucks Fought For Its Life without Losing Its Soul AUTHOR: Howard Schultz PUBLISHER: Rodale Books RATING: 4/10 THIS book is strictly for fans of Starbucks, and not for those who love their lattes but long to be in the small circle of people with hopes of succeeding Schultz as CEO or open up a coffee chain. In 2008, Howard Schultz, president and chairman of Starbucks, made the decision to return as the CEO eight years after he stepped down from daily oversight of the company and became chairman. Concerned that Starbucks had lost its way, Schultz was determined to help it return to its
A thrilling murder TITLE: The Silent Girl AUTHOR: Tess Gerritsen PUBLISHER: Bantam Press RATING: 6/10 THIS ninth Rizzoli and Isles novel by Gerritsen is a gripping piece of fiction — as long as you are ready for gory thrills. After Detective Jane Rizzoli discovers a severed hand found on a rooftop in Chinatown, she soon finds the corpse belonging to the hand — a red-haired woman all dressed in black and almost decapitated. The only clues to her identity are strands of silver hair on the victim’s clothes, presumably not human.
core values and restore not only its financial health, but also its soul. Onward reflects the return of the entrepreneur and the company’s ongoing transformation under his leadership, revealing how, during one of the most tumultuous economic times in history, Starbucks again achieved profitability and sustainability without sacrificing humanity. The fast-paced, candid account is driven by day-to-day tension as conflicts arise and allows readers to get into Schultz's mind as he comes to terms with his own limitations and evolving leadership style. Onward is likely to be a good read for those in business or want to find out the inner workings of the coffee company.
From that piece of evidence, Rizoli together with medical examiner Maura Isles come up with a conclusion — the violent death was a sequel to a murder-suicide in a Chinatown restaurant 19 years earlier. The only person connected to the massacre is a woman. A mysterious martial arts master, she knows a secret that she dares not tell — a secret that lives and breathes in the shadows of Chinatown. Now Rizoli and Isles must outwit the unseen enemy with bone-chilling echoes of an ancient Chinese legend. After her last novel Ice Cold, Gerritsen shows she still has got an edge when it comes to a thriller of murderous proportions.
Will love win in the end? TITLE: 2 States — The Story of My Marriage A U T H O R : Chetan Bhagat PUBLISHER: Rupa & Co RATING: 8/10 MOST love stories are fairly predictable but when there is an Indian twist to it, there is a whole lot of masala in-
cluded. 2 States — The Story of My Marriage is one brilliant example. Like many love stories, Krish and Ananya meet at university, fall in love and want to get married. However, being Indians they would have to have got the green light from their parents before making the marriage vows. As those of Indian descent will know, it is not all that easy. Coming from two different states (Krish is a Punjabi while Ananya hails from Madras), both sides have their own prej-
udices against one another. Together the couple goes on a mission to get their families to like each other and give their blessings, but it is always easier to fight and rebel and much harder to convince the parental units. Bhagat, author of bestsellers Five Point Someone and One Night at the Call Centre, does an amazing job with his latest addition. Realistically funny, the novel is an easy, entertaining read for anyone who has had some family drama in their love life. Let’s face it, who hasn’t?
MPH BEST-SELLER LIST Non-fiction 1. A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad 2. The Power of X: Enter the
10 Gods by Joey Yap 3. Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going by Han Fook Kwang, et al 4. Heaven is for Real: A
Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo;Lynn Vincent 5. Einstein:The Life and
Times by Ronald W. Clark 6. Three Cups of Deceit by John Krakauer 7. Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff 8. At Home: A Short History
of Private Life by Bill Bryson 9. Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock (Second Edition Revised and Updated)
(The Book That Shock Singapore) by Alan Shadrake 10. We are a Muslim, Please: One Girl, Two Lives by Zaiba Malik
George R. R. Martin 3. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
4. One Day (Movie Tie-In) by David Nicholls 5. Love Always by Harriet Evans
6. The Confession by John Grisham 7. A Game of Thrones (A Song of
Ice and Fire) by George R.R. Martin 8. Priceless by Nicole Richie
9. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht 10. Satori by Don Winslow
CW 3. Bogel Menuju Tuhan by Zahiril Adzim 4. The Right to Differ: A Biographical Sketch of Lim Kit Siang (Includes the New Documentary
DVD "Life and Times of Lim Kit Siang") by Ooi Kee Beng 5. Hadis 40 Imam Nawawi by Zahazan Mohamed & Muhammad Zakaria 6. Khalifah Ganti
Superman: Strategi dan Senjata Paling Penting ialah Menjadikan Bisnes Satu Jihad... Teras Sistem Ekonomi Khalifah by Muhammad Ali Hashim 7. 101 Rekreasi Hati: Buat
Diri Ku yang Mudah Lupa by Dr Zahazan Mohamed, Nik Wafdi Nik Jaafar 8. Beduk Diketuk by Pahrol Mohd Juoi 9. Hebatnya Ramadan dan
Amalan Lengkap & Doadoa by Ustaz Sharhan Safie 10. Seni Matematik Islam: Generasi Genius-Ikon Ilmu Anugerah Ilahi by Adi Putra
Fiction 1. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett 2. A Dance with Dragons: A Song of Ice and Fire by
Local Author 1. A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad 2. Awaken Your Healing Power by John Wong
• Weekly list compiled by MPH Bookstores, Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur; www.mphonline.com
lifestyle 21
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
Hilary Duff is pregnant THE actress-and-singer and her husband, NHL player Mike Comrie, are expecting their first child together and announced their happy news over the weekend on their first wedding anniversary. In a posting on her official website, Hilary (left) wrote:
"Hello everyone! This weekend, Mike and I are celebrating our one-year anniversary! In memory of the special day, we decided to post some of our favourite pictures from our wedding! I can't believe it has already been a year, time really flies when you're
having fun! We also want to share the exciting news that BABY MAKES THREE!!! We are extremely happy and ready to start this new chapter of our lives. Thanks to everyone for the continued love and support throughout the years!" Before announcing her
baby news, the 23-year-old star recently admitted she was really "excited" about starting a family with the 30-year-old sportsman. She said: "We talk about it (having a baby). Yes, we're excited to do that. We want it, we're excited for it."
Rihanna 'needs' her chocolate ice cream, says trainer THE S&M hitmaker's personal trainer Ary Nunez refuses to deprive the star of her favourite "comfort food" when devising her eating plans and exercise regime, because she enjoys the calorific treat so much. Ary said: "Chocolate ice cream is her comfort food. She says to me, 'I need my quota.' I believe deprivation leads to
disaster, so I don't stop her — that'd be asking for trouble. "Rihanna (right) does not follow a diet although she tries to eat healthily on tour. She loves protein-rich foods, water, olives and fruit. She's in tune to how her body reacts to different foods." The fitness expert also revealed Rihanna keeps in shape with martial arts training,
50 Cent has 'sweet' lunch with Goldie Hawn
SUDOKU
It is not known why the pair met up, but it is not the first time 50 Cent (right) has dined with a Hollywood legend. Last year he spent time with Gypsie actress Bette Midler, and she confessed afterwards she would love to work with him on a musical project. She said: “He is such a gorgeous star, holy cow. I’d love to collaborate with him, but I’m 30 years older than him. I really can’t rap, but I’d like to sing in the background on Get Rich or Die Tryin.”
SUDOKU
Competitive Cruz SPANISH actress Penelope Cruz (left) and husband Javier Bardem are among a group of actors — including Eva Longoria and Antonio Banderas — who meet weekly to play a murder mystery role-playing game called Wolves and her friends say she often gets carried away with her determination to win. Antonio told Harper's Bazaar magazine: "We play games. We love that. We play one called Wolves. Penelope, Javier and now Eva Longoria comes too. We get together once a week. Penelope and Javier are both very good at Wolves. "I have seen Penelope doing things that you
wouldn't believe to win, picking huge fights with dear friends of hers, unbelievable!" Penelope isn't the only star who is competitive in their leisure time. Christina Aguilera has previously spoken of her love of video games and desire to win against whoever she plays. She said: "I'm a huge game nerd. I have a miniarcade in my house, but it's like old school games like Donkey Kong and Mario. "I hold the record for all of them. Everyone who has a little gamer in them comes over and tries to beat my score, and I get a little competitive. I'm number one on Galaga'." — Bang Showbiz
HOW TO PLAY Sudoku X is a simple variation of Sudoku with the only difference being the squares in white (which make up the numeral X) need to tally from 1 to 9 along with the remaining coloured squares.
FRIDAY'S SOLUTION
THE rapper and the Overboard actress enjoyed a meal together, with both taking to Twitter to compliment each other after the event. He wrote: “I had lunch with Goldie hawn she is complete sweetheart.(sic)” Goldie — who is in a longterm relationship with actor Kurt Russell, added: “Lunch was especially sweet today cause I met 50cent. His smile lit up the room.(sic)” Hours later, she concluded in a tweet to the Buzzin’ hitmaker: “Oh sweetest! I adore you!Xx(sic)”
including karate, tae kwon do and kung fu. Ary added to Grazia magazine: "She's very adventurous and confident, so we do a fusion of different martial arts together. "Rihanna is smart about her body. We have fun working out together. She is all diva. She's all young spirit and a BFF type of girl."
22
the malay mail
tuesday 16 august, 2011
tuesday 16 august, 2011
the malay mail
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PROPERTY / MOTORING / HEALTH / HOME / OTHERS
the malay mail
Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
Readers can also look out for classified ads ONLINE as early as 9.00a.m at www.mmail.com.my
M22
Houses wanted
GOOD PRICES OFFERED for land / houses and Apt in Shah Alam, PJ & KL. Quick sale. Owners TEL / SMS 019-228 6666
M130
Car for sale
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M133
Commercial vehicles for sale
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Car for sale
ONE DAY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY for cars / Mpv manual/ auto. Expat welcome . Fast delivery. Call: 017638 1954 CARS REQUIRED
Fashion/health & beauty
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M135
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Properties for sale
M130
Vehicles for hire
M321
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M35
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M135
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Home repairs/maintenance
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M393
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TRAD MASSAGE, RM50, SS21/12, PJ. Newly open. Call: 03-7873 0971. Gina/ Rina/Apple/ Rozie.
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M390
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Computer SPECIALIST IN notebook / pc repairs. Best price & services. On-site repairs & free troubleshooting. Call 016-380 1984 Teh
M430
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M414
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M392
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UNLEASH THE MUSIC INSIDE YOU. Classes for-guitars, drums, saxophones, keyboards, Piano, violin.Call 03- 7873 6388.
0 AARON MASSAGE Services (1606620-V) by Female. Outcall only. Private & cosy. +6012-393 0136
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Fashion/health & beauty
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M321
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M434
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OTHERS / JOBS / LEGAL / NOTICES Friendship
M372
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IMMEDIATE VACANCY FOR Sales Exec with min. SPM. Senior Technician & Junior Technician preferably with experience in Forklift industry. Call: 03-7848 3122 / 3133. Loc: Subang, Mahsing.
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M370
Articles for sale
ACCOUNTS, AUDIT ,TAX, Secretarial, MOF & Register co..Door steps service. Lembah Klang.03-5511 5922 / 03-4107 8457 Sainy. Visit www.mhmfirm.com
ACCOUNTS cum Administrative Assistant. Min SPM and above.Experience in general accounting functions & duties.Computer literate and well verse with Microsoft Office application especially Excel. Able to start immediately will be an added advantage. Applicants must be willing to work in Sg. Buloh. Contact 013-208 0065 Ms. Siti or send your resume and application to kch2001my@yahoo.com
Retiree with 42 years’ experience as a Secretary seeks full-time employment in KL. Interested parties, please email to suitching.liew@yahoo.com
INTERIOR & ARCHITECTURAL Design Consultancy Tel: (603) 3325 9166 Fax: (603) 3325 9366 Hp: (6012) 321 2096 www.lazern.com
BISTRO BAR AT Damansara requires (1) Manager; attractive salary RM2K++ plus comm.) Required with working experience in Pub & Bistro, Chinese female encouraged to apply. Interested call Chris at 014-262 6300
INDIAN COMPANY SECRETARY/ Company Secretarial/ Accounts/ Income Tax Clerks required. Call: 03-2693 9425/ 2698 4176 LEGAL FIRM in Hicom Glenmarie requires. (1) Conveyancing lawyer (2) Conveyancing Secretary. Call 03-5569 1760/ 1746 or 012-205 3197.
ONLINE EDUCATION BUSINESS. We are looking for business partners to expand our market share. The only e-learning portal endorsed by the Ministry of Education. Huge market potential (Std 1 to Form 5). Pioneer & leader in e-learning. Low start-up capital. High income return. SMS your particulars <NAME> SPACE <AGE> SPACE <OCCUPATION> SPACE <AREA> to 012-3776739
GENERAL CLERK for Music Centre in Taman Tun, Basic computer literate. Contact Ms Kim: 012-636 9215
SALES CO-ORDINATOR. A 25 years well established Co with proven track records & ISO recognition at Bandar Puchong Jaya required min SPM/higher. Working exp in clerical liaise with customer & service dept. Computer literate Chinese dialect preferably Offer Basic+Bonus+Medical Ins+Alt Saturday Off. Contact WAI KING 0358826882/0122329801 or send resume to wkg@corida. com.my /fax 0358826881 SALES EXECUTIVE. Age 18 & above. Basic salary RM 800 + commission + bonus with/ without experience. Professional training provided. Own transport preferable. Vacancies are available at these locations: - Kelana Jaya, Shah Alam, Tmn Segar & Low Yat Plaza. Contact Cik Eyra (T) 2142 9405 (HP) 019-221 1559
STORE LABOURERS urgently required by a Shah Alam company.Age below 30 years old. 5 days week work. Salary below RM800.00 + Allowance.Contact 03-51911069 (NJ/Badrul) TEACHERS / NURSES Required For Sales Job, Excellent Spoken English, Willing to work on weekends/ Public Holidays, Earn 3k7k Monthly, Retireeâ ™s Can also apply Interested candidates please Send Cv to saim_au@yahoo.com” VAN DRIVER Required at USJ for 5 days week. Min SPM with 1 year related working experience and able to work in a fast pace environment. Possesses GDL badge and able to speak English. Call: 03-5638 2208 (Ms. Jessica ) for interview.
CLIENT SERVICING COLLECTION Exec with 1 yr experience, age below 30 (Bt 11 Cheras) Basic + attractive comm. Call Ms.Chin: 032333 9228 /016-271 9996 DRIVER FOR SENIOR Management urgently wanted. Must have a minimum of 5 years experience. Honest, good road knowledge and attitude are required. Call Hema at 03-7958 7611 ext 299.
TOMAZSHOES! Leather Shoes! RM69 - RM89! High Quality and Comfortable! Come to USJ9 Mall, Puchong 017-707 8383
IN-HOUSE TAILOR Ladies Wear. Mont Kiara. Part/Full Time. Salary RM 1K ++ based on experience. Call: 012-201 5526
BEAUTICIAN URGENTLY Chinese / malay beautician wanted with certificate and at least 6 month experience in beauty line. Plzz call 03-26937641 (Ninder)
Centre Associates Wanted. Mail Boxes Etc. Damansara Heights. Please email your resume to mbe_damansara@ mbe.com.my or call 03-20939020 for interview. For more info about us, visit www.mbe.com.my ANTIQUE PREUSED items for sales at 1-059 First Floor, Millennium Square, Jln 14/1 Petaling Jaya. 037956 7753/ 017-287 3789
We want to buy huge volume used medical X-ray films. Pay top price @ USD$1500 or more per MT without paper. If available, please email xraymalaysia@hotmail.com for more discussions. Thanks
M515
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AFFORDABLE RENTAL Rates for cars, Van & we do Inbound Tours as your convenience Call: 03-5882 9445 / 0126799987 / 013- 384 1299
M515
PRIVATE COLLEGE IN KL requires urgently Receptionist & Cashier. For an appointment, call Gayathri / Laila at 03-2031 0266 REAL ESTATE in Kota Damansara requires Negotiator. With / without experience. Male/Female. Any race. Contact 03-6142 7823 / 012-366 2000 or send your resume and application to edwin@i-smarte.com
VETERINARY DOCTOR & Surgeon needed on full / part time basis Interested pls call: 012-249 5424
Call us 03-7495 1273
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Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
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sports
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 August, 2011
Subang Jaya: FOOTBALL
Slow and steady
... but Surendran always makes up for his lack of speed IT was his debut appearance for Kelantan and R. Surendran did not disappoint as he scored in the dying minutes against Kuala Lumpur at Selayang Stadium on Sunday. Kelantan won the friendly match 5-0. However, Surendran admitted he was far from being at his best. “I know I’m looking a little heavy at the moment. I’m not fully fit yet and have only trained with the team for the past three days,” he said. Surendran, who is on loan from Pahang for the upcoming Malaysia Cup, was confident of regaining his stamina and match temperament before the tournament begins next month. Kelantan play Sarawak in the curtain raiser on Sept 6. The other teams in Group C are Johor FC and Felda United. “I’ve just recovered from a hamstring injury and there’s another three more weeks to train. Hopefully, I’ll be in top form by then." Azamudin Akil is the other Pahang player who joins Surendran for a short spell with Kelantan. Surendran, however, could ditch Pahang and return to either Selangor or Perak next season. He started his career with the Silver State in 2003 before playing for the Red Giants in 2007. He left for Pahang last season. Kelantan coach Datuk M. Karathu, meanwhile, said it was too early to judge Surendran and the team's overall performance as they aim to defend their title this year. Karathu fielded controversial goalkeeper Halim Napi who did a fine job entertaining the crowd. There was a point where Karathu even fielded five strikers, leaving the engine room bare. "We have several matches lined up and it's about giving every player a chance to play. It's too soon to tell as we just started training. Let's see how it goes," said Karathu. What about Surendran? "Surendran is good with the ball but lacks the speed. Maybe he should work on that but we have many other capable strikers too," said Karathu.
By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my
The Kelantan team are currently based at the 3K Sports Centre in Subang Jaya. They play Selangor at Shah Alam Stadium tomorrow, followed by Police at Selayang Stadium on Thursday. They will then host T-Team in Kota Baru on Aug 24 before visiting Thai club Songkhla FC two days later.
SURENDRAN: Scored on his debut for Kelantan
KUALA LUMPUR: ATHLETICS
NSC agree to pay Harun's salary NATIONAL athletics coach Harun Rasheed will be paid salary for five months instead of the eight months he had demanded from the National Sports Council (NSC) recently. NSC dire c tor-genera l Datuk Zolkples Embong said yesterday the NSC would pay Harun only RM20,000 as sal-
ary for five months and not the eight months salary of RM32,000 as claimed since he had gone ''absent without leave'' from May 23. "NSC will issue the amount to the Malaysian Amateur Athletic Union, being outstanding salary from January to May," he said. Harun had earlier alleged
that NSC had not paid him the salary for January to August amounting to RM32,000. Zolkples said since Harun had gone missing in May together with three national athletes who were supposed to undergo doping tests, the NSC was not in a position to pay him. — Bernama
sports
Again, bittersweet. It's another Major gone, another year gone without winning a Major — World No 1 Luke Donald
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
27
BUKIT JALIL: SPORTCHECK
Sports Commissioner clueless over MPC investment IT has been more than a month but the Sports Commissioner's Office remain clueless over the RM4 million channeled out of the Malaysian Paralympics Council (MPC) to a company helmed by the council's president and sons. Sports Commissioner Datuk Yassin Salleh admitted MPC have yet to explain the exact situation and only promised to do so during their upcom-
By HARESH DEOL haresh@mmail.com.my
ing Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Sports Commissioner's Office sent MPC a letter asking about legitimacy of the transaction days after The Malay Mail, on June 29, exposed the money was channeled to an events management company Paralimpik Ventures Sdn Bhd.
"MPC claim they were registered with the Registrar of Societies when the investment was made. MPC also said their committee was well aware of the investment and assured us they will reveal the transaction at their AGM in September," said Yassin. "We have sent them another letter requesting for the exact date of the AGM. Also, we
want documents or minutes of meetings to show that the committee actually agreed to such a deal. "We are still keeping tabs on this matter," he said. Mailsport's investigations showed a cheque of RM2 million was issued on April 4, 2008 and another RM2 million transferred on April 17, 2008. Records show MPC have not held an AGM since 2005 and
GEORGIA: GOLF
Age of the youngsters
Bradley makes big statement for the new generation THE United States ended a six tournament long winless streak in Majors with Keegan Bradley's triumph at the PGA Championship a reminder of the emerging young talent in professional golf. An American victory at the Atlanta Athletic Club was not unexpected but what was a surprise was that the country's first Major success since Phil Mickelson's win in the 2010 Masters would come from a playoff between 25-year-old rookie Bradley and the little known Jason Dufner. Another young American, Brendan Steele, was also in the picture before fading on Sunday and while experienced campaigners such as Scott Verplank, David Toms and DA Points were top 10 finishers along with 27-yearold Kevin Na, it is clear that a new, young face holding the Wanamaker Trophy was the boost that American golf needed. Having all four 2011 Majors in the hands of non-Americans would have been hard to take even though the evidence from the PGA Tour this year is that a new generation of domestic talent is coming through. "My class of the Nationwide (tour) and the rookies and the younger players are very, good," Bradley said after his triumph. "I just know from the guys, the rookies that I graduated with on the Nationwide Tour, like Chris Kirk and Jamie
NEW CLASS: Bradley celebrates after his win — AFP photo
was only registered with the Sports Commissioner's Office in May 2008. Checks with the Companies Commission of Malaysia revealed MPC president Datuk Zainal Abu Zarin and his sons Idi Irwan and Ilia Ikhwan were listed as directors of Paralimpik Ventures. While admitting having channelled the RM4 million to Paralimpik Ventures, Zainal
claims the money is in good hands and that it was done for a good cause. It remains unclear to the whereabouts of the money or the interest made, if any, since 2008. A copy of the cheque has been handed to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission but it remains unclear if the agency have initiated any investigation over the matter.
PARIS: TENNIS
Clijsters drops to third BELGIAN Kim Clijsters dropped to third in the latest WTA rankings released yesterday after the two-time defending US Open champion was forced out of the Toronto tournament last week with an abdominal strain. Russia's Vera Zvonareva moved up to second just behind Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, who went out in the first round in Toronto. American Serena Williams jumped 49 places to 31st after winning her second straight title at Toronto, and could be seeded for the US Open where she will target a 14th Grand Slam. Meanwhile, Serbia's Novak Djokovic extended his lead at the top of the latest ATP rankings, a day after winning the Montreal Masters. Djokovic heads the ranking in front of Spaniard Rafael Nadal and Swiss Roger Federer.
CLIJSTERS
American Mardy Fish, runner-up in Montreal, moves up one spot to seventh, as France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga jumps six places to 10th. — AFP
SILVERSTONE: MOTORSPORT/ FORMULA 1
Silverstone looks to upgrade
Lovemark, all of these guys. They are so good, and any one of them could win every week," he said. Dufner, who saw a fivestroke lead evaporate on the last four holes, hopes the entertainment he and Bradley provided will be a reminder that there is plenty of talent besides the big names. "A lot of guys can play. There are new names coming out that people should be excited about. It's not all about everybody you see on TV. There's a lot of guys that can
really play, and they are going to play really good golf for a long time out here," he said. The cynic might suggest that the emphasis on the sheer number of players who have a chance to win helps disguise the fact that since Tiger Woods' barren run began at the end of 2009, the United States has lacked a consistent winner. But Bradley is one of six rookies to win on the PGA Tour this season, including four Americans, and across tournaments, the "twenty-
somethings" are making their presence felt. Mickelson remains consistently popular with US fans but the hope of the game's marketers is that some of the new emerging faces will soon begin to challenge the Europeans, like Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy, at the top of the rankings. Among the main contenders will be Dustin Johnson, Nick Watney, Gary Woodland, Rickie Fowler, Kirk, Steele and Bradley. — Reuters
SILVERSTONE, the home of the British Grand Prix, have submitted plans to expand as they look to compete with overseas rivals, managing director Richard Phillips said yesterday. The Northamptonshire circuit has already undergone a track revamp, and this year the new £27 million (RM132m) pit-and-paddock complex was unveiled. The new plans are for a business park, technology park, education campus, three hotels, ancillary retail and spectator facilities that includes a
Welcome Centre and Museum of Motor Sport, as well as a kart track and outdoor stage. Silverstone Holdings Ltd managing director Phillips said: "This is the most important initiative that Silverstone has taken in its 60-year history. "Approval of this planning application will help maintain Silverstone's position as a leading global centre for sport, leisure, education and technology, and support its vision of becoming a worldleading motorsport destination." — AFP
28
sport
Udinese have lost Sanchez and Zapata but they have many other good players â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
UDINE: football/ champions league
Don't fear the Gunners Slovenian taking Champions League one game at a time
UDINESE goalkeeper Samir Handanovic insists his side have nothing to fear from their Champions League opponents Arsenal. The Zebrette, looking to reach the group stages of Europe's elite club competition for the first time since 2005, take on the Gunners at Emirates Stadium tomorrow (2.45am) for the first-leg of their qualifying round clash. "I think it's always better to play the first-leg away. I'm not afraid of Arsenal, last year in the league we prepared well for games against the big sides and we did well, so you should always be optimistic. I know I am," Handanovic told La Repubbica. "I don't know how to beat Arsenal, I know they play at a fast pace, but I'm sure we will have our chances. We hope to take those chances because it's important to score away from home." The 27-year-old Slovenian, who recently signed a contract extension to keep him at Stadio Friuli until 2016, is refusing to be distracted by recent headlines surrounding their opponents. Arsenal endured a fractious
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS FIRST LEG FIXTURES TOMORROW Arsenal v Udinese BATE Borisov v SK Sturm Graz FC Copenhagen v Plzen Lyon v Rubin Kazan Twente Enschede v Benfica (All matches at 2.45am) THURSDAY Bayern Munich v FC Zurich Dinamo Zagreb v Malmo Maccabi Haifa v Racing Genk Odense BK v Villarreal Wisla Krakow v Apoel Nicosia (All matches at 2.45am)
0-0 draw at Newcastle on the opening day of the Premier League season last Saturday and then captain Cesc Fabregas finally signed up with Barcelona yesterday. "I don't think about the narrative. Think about that when your career is over because even if we lose we will not do anything that goes down in history. "We concentrate match-tomatch, we'll think about the significance of the challenge afterwards," he said.
Rubin relishing underdogs tag
MEDVEDEV
we played Dynamo Kiev as most people regarded them as favourites but it was us who progressed to the next round. "Now the predictions are similar and this will only play into our hands."
Meanwhile, Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has warned his teammates their Russian opponents will not be pushovers. Lloris has reminded his side they face a herculean task against a Kazan team
COPENHAGEN: FOOTBALL/ CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Lions confident of progress DANISH side FC Copenhagen are aiming to emulate last season's exploits in the Champions League. The Superliga title holders reached the competition's round of 16 last season, the first Danish club to progress to the knockout phase, and have started this season in equally impressive form. They host Czech side Viktoria Plzen tomorrow morning as they look to secure their place in the Champions League group stage, and they will be confident of making it through once again. Roland Nilsson's men have to negotiate a tie against Plzen for the first time, but have a considerable home record. They haven't conceded or lost at Parken in Europe since a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea in the last-16 in February, and even then, they have only lost once in seven. However, captain Martin Jorgensen has assured fans that they will not be complacent heading into the tie. "Some say we are big favourites but these European games tend to have a life of their own and a lot can happen over two
NILSSON
matches," Jorgensen told Uefa.com. "We may not yet know our exact level, but we are finding each other better and better in this new team," he added. Meanwhile, Nilsson is also pleased with the way his new charges are coming together, their latest success coming in Saturday's 2-0 home le ague win against FC Midtjylland, and is confident his side will come good. "Now we have played a number of matches with the new team and we are playing more and more like a team, which will also be crucial in tomorrow's game," the FCK coach said.
ENSCHEDE: FOOTBALL/ CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
IN SAFE HANDS: Handanovic not afraid of Arsenal â&#x20AC;&#x201D; AFP photo
LYON: FOOTBALL/ CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
AFTER beating Dynamo Kiev 4-1 on aggregate in the last round, Rubin Kazan striker Aleksei Medvedev believes his side have a fighting chance of picking up a positive result in their Champions League play-off clash against French club Olympique Lyonnais. The Russian outfit meet Lyon at Stade Gerland tomorrow morning in the first-leg of their crunch tie. Lyon's record of 11 successive Champions League campaigns may make them favourites, but Rubin, who have never played French opposition before, are only too happy to play the role of underdogs. "The chances are even," Medvedev is quoted as saying by Uefa.com. "I spoke of this before
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
20 games into the Russian Premier League season. "This is a very important game for us and we know we need to be ready for the two legs," Lloris is quoted as saying on Football365.fr. "I think this is the case and we need to prepare intelligently as we are facing a very good team who have experience of playing in the Champions League. "We are excited because the Champions League is prestigious and we want to make it into the group stages." New Lyon coach Remi Garde, making his European managerial debut, will be forced to rearrange his squad as defenders Cris and John Mensah, along with midfielders Ederson and Yoann Gourcuff, are sidelined by injuries.
Adriaanse backs team effort to eclipse Benfica stars CO ADRIAANSE hope that team ethic will prevail over individual talent when his FC Twente side welcome Benfica for the first-leg of their Champions League play-off tie. Adriaanse has been well briefed by his chief scout Evert Bleuming on the creative qualities of Jorge Jesus's visitors but believes his own team form a stronger unit and is hopeful they can make this count in tomorrow's meeting in the Netherlands. "Benfica are a side with huge attacking power, but sometimes they are also vulnerable," Adriaanse told Uefa.com. " T he bi g d i f fe re nc e between Twente and Benfica is that they have a side full of established stars but I still think that as a team we
are stronger. We will have to wait and see if that will be enough to cancel out their individual superiority." Twe nte, D utch Cup winners and Eredivisie runners-up as well as Champions League debutants in 2010/11, last month beat AFC Ajax in the Dutch Super Cup. Benfica, on the other hand, have only ever won once away against Dutch opposition, losing two and drawing six, and will be hoping for better should they qualify for the group stage, having been outclassed by Lyon and Schalke in 2010-11. The Aguias were European champions in 1961 and 1962, and their best performance in recent years was a quarterfinal appearance in 2006.
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
Blackburn manager Steve Kean was given an 18-month driving ban and fined £1,800 (RM8,800) after being convicted of drunk-driving — AFP
sports
29
BARCELONA: FOOTBALL/ PRIMERA LIGA
'Hola' Cesc
THIS IS WHERE I BELONG: Fabregas is ready for the challenge of his life — AFP photo
Fabregas returns to Spain after eight years in England CESC FABREGAS claims returning to Barcelona presented him with the challenge of his life while Arsene Wenger is sad to see the midfielder leave. The Spain international completed his move from Arsenal to Nou Camp yesterday, penning a five-year contract. A Catalan native, Fabregas heads back to Barca after eight years in England with the Gunners. "It's a special day. I'm returning home,'' Fabregas said. "I know the Arsenal fans will be disappointed with my exit from the club, but I'm here to face an incredible challenge, the challenge of my life." A switch to the reigning Spanish and European champions has been on the cards for some time, with each passing transfer window bringing a fresh round of transfer talks. Fabregas is delighted to have finally secured a dream move, while Barca are relieved to
MILAN: FOOTBALL/ SERIE A
Cassano's call to stay or leave
AC MILAN coach Massimiliano Allegri believes Antonio Cassano will stay at Milan, but has stressed the attacker is the one who has the final say. The Italy international is continually being linked with a move away from the Rossoneri and has reportedly caught the attention of clubs such as Genoa and Fiorentina. "I am confident that he will stay put and the club shares my view on Antonio's future. Nevertheless, he is the one who decides whether he stays here to fight for his place in
CASSANO
the team and play in a team that fights for silverware," Allegri told Il Corriere dello Sport. Cassano impressed in Italy's 2-1 friendly win over Spain last week and continued his fine form in the team's 2-2 friendly draw against Malmo on Sunday. Allegri added: "His good performance for the national side has given him a big boost. He put in a strong performance (against Malmo). He is an important first team player like the rest. But it's up to him to make sure he's in top condition." — Agencies
Ibra down but not out
ITALIAN champions AC Milan received some disappointing news from the aftermath of their 2-2 friendly draw against Sweden's Malmo on Sunday as their Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic sustained an injury. Ibrahimovic could be out of action for a few days, but his participation in AC Milan's
league opener against Cagliari on Aug 27 does not seem to be in danger. "At a certain moment I twisted my ankle, but I really wanted to stay on the pitch as the crowd was fantastic. I couldn't go on after an hour," Ibrahimovic told the Rossoneri's website. "The ankle really hurts at
the moment, but the doctor has told me that it's not too serious." The 29-year-old, who started his professional career with the Swedish club, picked up an ankle problem in the first-half and was forced to leave the pitch after 60 minutes of play due to the knock. — Agencies
have got their man after an umpteenth time of asking. The World Cup winner admits he found it tough to sever ties with Arsenal, the club who helped nurture him into the player he is today, but he admits he cannot wait to open an exciting new chapter in his career with the Catalans, Wenger finally bowed to Barca's relentless pressure on Sunday, with Arsenal announcing they had agreed a deal with the Catalan giants. The Frenchman was criticised in the past for luring Fabregas away from Nou Camp when he was a promising teenager, but the 24-yearold insists he will be eternally grateful to Wenger for putting him on the path to domestic and international glory. "I'll never have enough words to thank him for all he's done for me," said Fabregas. "I'll never forget him." "I don't think he has such a
good image here, he has been portrayed as something he's not, in my opinion. I am here with you today and it's greatly due to him. "I can't express my admiration for him strongly enough, I owe it to him that I am here." Having put the finishing touches to a long-term deal, Fabregas is now looking to make his debut as quickly as possible. He has been training with Arsenal and insists he would be ready to make his bow in the second-leg of a Spanish Super Cup clash against Real Madrid at Nou Camp on Thursday. "Physically I'm fine and ready for everything. It's not my decision whether to play or not. "I'm going to work hard as always and enjoy it. I will give everything to make this club better." Wenger, however, expressed his sadness at seeing Fabregas
return to Spain. "What is important is to focus on our targets and we wish good luck to Cesc, who is a great player, one of the best players in the world. "Life goes on and we want to show we have the needed desire and strength to deal with the situation," said Wenger. "Yes, we lost a world-class player and we are sad about it. We did fight to keep him, but in the end we have to respect the desire of the player. "This club are 125 years old this season and many big players have left the club and the club went on. We want to show that we have the strength and unity to fight as we ever did at this club." Wenger said the lure of Barca for Fabregas was just too strong and that was why Arsenal did not put their captain on the open market, where he would have fetched a much higher fee.
Barca broke after Fab buy BA RC E LONA d i re c tor Andoni Zubizarreta says there is no more money for transfers this summer after Cesc Fabregas' arrival from Arsenal. Fabregas completed his move to Nou Camp following three years of uncertainty as he signed a five-year deal yesterday. Zubizar ret a adde d t he 24-year-old's arrival, coupled with the capture of Alexis Sanchez from Udinese last month, has signalled the end of Barca's summer shopping spree. "We don't need any more players even though the market is still open as we do not have any more money for new players," Zubizarreta told Marca. Speaking of Fabregas and what he will bring to Pep Guardiola's side, the director said: "We were looking for competitiveness with Cesc and he will give our play versatility." Barcelona face Real Madrid in their second-leg Supercopa match on Thursday at Nou Camp, but it is unclear whether the Spain international will make his debut in that game. Sanchez, however, had said the Catalans needed to finish the job in the Spanish Supercopa second-leg after
UP AND OVER: Sanchez (left) avoids a tackle by Real's Xabi Alonso during the match — AFP photo
yesterday's thrilling 2-2 draw with rivals Real Madrid. Sanchez made his debut in the first-leg clash at the Bernabeu in which the visitors struggled to exert their dominance over Jose Mourinho's men. "It is a good result, but we have to finish the tie in
Barcelona in order to lift the cup. We have to play well and win. We must do what the club always does, go out and win," Sanchez told TVE. T h e 2 2 - y e a r- o l d , w h o played for 90 minutes, added: "I dedicate it to my family and all the people of Chile." — Agencies
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sports
RESULTS
This Morning Man City 4 Swansea
0
Standings Bolton Man City Man Utd Wolves Liverpool Norwich Sunderland Wigan Arsenal Aston Villa Chelsea Fulham Newcastle Stoke Everton Tottenham Blackburn West Brom QPR Swansea
P 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1
W D 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
F 4 4 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
A Pts 0 3 0 3 1 3 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 4 0 4 0
LEADING SCORERS
2: Aguero (Man City) 1: Dzeko (Man City), Silva (Man City), Cahill (Bolton), Fletcher (Wolves), Formica (Blackburn), Hoolahan (Norwich City), Klasnic (Bolton), Larsson (Sunderland), Long (West Bromwich), Muamba (Bolton), Rooney (Man United), Young (Man United), Suarez (Liverpool), Ward (Wolves), Watson (Wigan)
It is up to us now as it is our first game and QPR are new in the league and we need to beat them and make sure we have a better start -- Everton's John Heitinga LONDON: football/ premier league
Punishment due Newcastle, Arsenal charged by FA
NEWCASTLE UNITED and Arsenal have been charged with failing to control their players by the Fo otball Association after Saturday's bad-tempered Premier League clash at St James' Park. Trouble flared late in the game and Arsenal's Ivorian striker Gervinho was sent off following an altercation with Magpies combative midfielder Joey Barton. Gervinho went down inside the Newcastle box looking for a penalty, only for an angry Barton to pull him up from the floor to accuse him of diving. Gervinho responded by slapping Barton, who went down clutching his face, as a tussle ensued. Arsenal midfielder Alex Song was involved in an earlier incident with Barton, and has already been charged with violent conduct. The Gunners have appealed against the red card shown to Gervinho but, unless that appeal is successful, Gervinho will miss three games, including meetings with champions Manchester United and Liverpool. "Newcastle United and Arsenal have been charged by The FA with failing to control their players following Saturday's fixture at St James' Park," said the FA in a statement. "Both clubs have been charged following a mass confrontation of players following an incident in which
BILD
Real reunion at Rovers SCHALKE striker Raul is being linked with a move to England as his future in Germany is in question once again. The player is tied to Schalke until 2012 following his move from Real Madrid, but it has been suggested he could be off-loaded early as he weighs heavily on the German club's bills. Blackburn have been mooted as possible suitors for Raul, with former Real teammate Michel Salgado trying to convince him to join Rovers. Raul was linked with a number of high-profile Premier League clubs when he left Madrid last year but he chose Schalke instead.
McCourt
Reds in for more
OFF YOU GO: Gervinho (second from left) receives a red card from referee Peter Walton after an altercation with Barton (not pictured) — GETTY photo
Arsenal's Gervinho was also shown a red card in the 75th minute. "Following Gervinho's dismissal Arsenal have lodged a claim that the standard punishment of a three-match suspension is clearly excessive. A Regulatory Commission will
hear the claim on 16 August. "Meanwhile Arsenal's Alex Song has been charged separately by The FA with violent conduct following an incident earlier in the same fixture. "Both clubs have until 1500GMT (11pm local time) on Thursday to respond to
the charge" Newcastle released a statement of their own to confirm that they will deny the charges levelled against them. However, Barton does not face any further punishment as he was booked for his part in the melee. — AFP
Galaxy sign Ireland captain Keane "Also when David Beckham came and trained at Spurs recently he couldn't speak highly enough about the Galaxy, their fans and the league in general, so I can't wait to get over and get started," he added. The Irishman has been a prolific scorer for several clubs after starting out at 17 with Wolverhampton Wanderers before joining Coventry City, who he joined for a then British record fee for a teenager, Inter Milan and Leeds United. "Robbie Keane will be a great addition to our club. I have followed his career and have always respected his ability as a competitor and
PRESSTALK
DAILY MIRROR
LONDON: football/ premier league
IRELAND captain Robbie Keane (pic), holder of 108 caps and scorer of a record 51 goals for his country, is joining LA Galaxy from Tottenham Hotspur, the MLS team announced this morning. Financial details of the move were not disclosed but British media reported that the 31-year-old striker would join on a two-year contract for £3.5 million (RM17.1m). "I am delighted, honoured and very excited to be joining the LA Galaxy," Keane told the club website (www. galaxy.com). "I have always wanted to come and play in MLS so it's the perfect combination for me and a dream come true.
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
KEANE
a goalscorer," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. "I believe that he brings qualities in and around the penalty area that we have been lacking." Keane leaves Spurs after his second spell at the London
club Having scored 123 in 306 games in all competitions according to the club website (www.tottenhamhotspur. com). His first six-year period, which included winning the League Cup, ended with a
US$30 million (RM89.4m) move to Liverpool in July 2008 only for the striker to return seven months later. During the second spell Keane, who played for Ireland at the 2002 World Cup, struggled to hold down a starting spot and went out on loan to Celtic and West Ham United. The deal is subject to Keane receiving a visa and Galaxy must make an adjustment to their squad to incorporate the striker as a designated player. The rule, also known as the "Beckham Rule", allows teams to sign two players outside the MLS salary cap and three paying an extra so-called "luxury tax". — Reuters
LIVERPOOL manager Kenny Dalglish is rumoured to be interested in securing the services of Celtic winger Paddy McCourt. The Anfield outfit have been monitoring the progress of the 27-yearold McCourt, who joined Celtic in 2008 from his local club Derry City. He has made 39 appearances in three seasons, scoring nine goals. He has failed to hold down a first-team spot with Celtic, but he is hugely talented and is highly skilled. Director of Football Damien Comolli said in the wake of the Jose Enrique signing on Friday that Liverpool were done with their summer signings, but the Reds still lack depth down the flanks.
VANCOUVER SUN
Spanish league on strike PLAYERS from Spain's top two divisions say they're ready to walk out for the first two weekends of the new season as the players' union continues to press for a new contract. At the centre of the dispute is the union's demand for a larger emergency fund to help players who go without being paid because their clubs are in financial difficulty. The season is scheduled to begin next weekend. More than 100 players, including Spanish internationals Iker Casillas of Real Madrid and Carles Puyol of Barcelona, met at a Madrid hotel to issue the strike call. Union representatives from the Italian, German and French leagues also were on hand.
The Malay Mail Tuesday 16 AUGUST, 2011
Whoever has got my dad, whoever knows where my dad is, should please contact me and hopefully he should be released — John Obi Mikel
LONDON: football/ premier league
MANCHESTER: football/ premier league
Cahill's future with Bolton still unclear, says Coyle BOLTON manager Owen Coyle says it would "not be ideal" to sell Gary Cahill this summer but admits the defender could still leave the club. Several Premier League clubs have been linked with a move for the centreback since the end of last season, including Arsenal and Liverpool, but Coyle maintained that no clubs have made an offer for the player yet. Cahill played a sterling role in Bolton's 4-0 win over Queens Park Rangers on the opening day of the Premier League season last Saturday, and Coyle says the player's preferred option needs to be considered when deciding whether or not to cash in on the England international. "We will need to wait and see what the next few weeks holds before the transfer window closes. It would not be ideal for me to lose Gary, but I have always said, I need to be fair to Gary,"
DREAMING ON: Cahill wanted by Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City — GETTY photo
said Coyle. "Any player wants to play at the highest level, to play the best teams, and there is nothing wrong with that. "I have said to Gary he can improve here with Bolton, and he has improved. In the 18 months I have worked with him, Gary has become an integral part of the England squad because of his performances and has improved no end. "There is no doubt he has taken his game to another
sports
level, but that was always going to happen with his age as well. Hopefully with the platform we can give him and encouragement as a staff we can help him on his way to a fantastic career." Meanwhile, representatives from Tottenham and Manchester City reportedly were present at Loftus Road to cast an eye over Cahill's display against QPR — sparking rumours that a move for Cahill could be on the horizon.
Money well spent
Aguero's explosive debut earns praise from teammates HART
MIKEL
"But after speaking to manager Andre Villas-Boas and Mike Emenalo (Chelsea's sporting director), we agreed he had a right to be informed of such a serious incident. He was under a lot of stress but he showed a lot of character and mental strength to play against Stoke." "It's been tough for the young man. The family in Jos reported him missing at the police station as expected, but we're taking all necessary measures to find him," Shittu told BBC.
"We've told him to be brave and to stay calm." Mi kel is not t he f irst Premier League player to have a family member abducted in Nigeria. In July 2008, the elder brother of Everton defender Joseph Yobo was kidnapped in Port Harcourt. Nornu Yobo was released after 10 days but it was never made clear whether a ransom was paid. Kidnappings — more often of oil workers and the rich and famous — are a common occurrence in Nigeria.
presstalk DAILY MAIL
Spurs seek Modric stand-in WILLIAN of Shakhtar Donetsk has been sounded out as an ideal €20m (RM86.2m) replacement for Luka Modric should the Croation leave Spurs. The skilled midfielder, who can operate on either wing, has a decent passing range and good dribbling ability, in addition to some good old Brazilian flair. Willian has never recieved a full cap for Brazil but has 11 U-20 caps and a work permit is not thought to be a foreseeable issue. He has made close to 100 appearances for Shakhtar since joining in 2007 and has featured in the Champions League and the Europa Cup.
THE GUARDIAN
Return of 'Der Hammer'
Mikel played on despite father's abduction CHELSEA midfielder John Obi Mikel played in Sunday's 0-0 draw at Stoke — despite knowing his father had been abducted back in his Nigeria homeland. Mikel's father Michael was seized last Friday but the player insisted on playing in the Blues' Premier League opener at Britannia Stadium. In a statement, Mikel's representatives Sport Entertainment and Media Group said: "SEM confirm that client John Obi Mikel's father was abducted in Nigeria on Friday, Aug 10. " T hu s f a r n o r a n s o m demand has been received. Mikel was informed by his manager prior to the Stoke v Chelsea match and decided to play so as not to let down his team and family." Michael Obi, who runs a transport company, has not been seen or heard from since he failed to return home from work in Jos, the capital of Plateau State in central Nigeria. Mikel's agent, John Ola Shittu, praised his client for the character he showed in playing against Stoke. "He is totally devastated. We were not sure whether to tell him before the game," he told KickOffNigeria.com.
31
MANCHESTER CITY goalkeeper Joe Hart praised newly-signed Sergio Aguero after the Argentine's 30-minute debut propelled Manchester City to a 4-0 win over Swansea this morning. After being held in the firsthalf, City, with the help of the former Atletico Madrid striker who scored twice, brushed aside the Premier League newcomers as David Silva and a rejuvinated Edin Dzeko also netted. "He's decent isn't he? £35 million is a big price tag and it's been well spent," Hart told Sky Sports. "Swansea had 70 per cent of the ball (in the first-half) but we had a brick wall behind us." Vincent Kompany was also impressed with Aguero and insists the Argentine will become a vital part of Roberto Mancini's plans this term. "I liked that he was defending and being hard on Swansea, for the team, and he's going to be very important. We're really happy," he said. "We had the same problem with Blackpool coming here last year, we knew if we kept to our game we'd get enough
chances to win, but sometimes you don't have all the possession but that's not a problem." Me a nw h i l e , C it y b o s s Roberto Mancini admitted his players had taken a while to get going but conceded he could have few complaints about the performance. "Yes I'm delighted after this performance," he told Sky Sports. "But I think in the first-half, Swansea played very well, and for 15-20 minutes we had some problems. "After that we started to press, and then we had many chances to score but in the end I am very happy." Mancini also took time out to pay tribute to his other two goalscorers and insisted it was important for the team to get off to a strong start. "We played only the first match, the season will be very long. "It was very important to start the season like this," he added. "(Edin) Dzeko is a different player to Sergio, it's important for him, that he scored. For him it's important to work for the team." — Agencies
POPULAR former midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger could make a shock return for a second spell at Aston Villa. The German, who was affectionately known as 'Der Hammer', spent five years at the club between 2000 and 2005 and enjoyed a successful relationship with the Villa faithful, which still remains. After playing for VfB Stuttgart, he endured a brief unsuccessful period at Lazio in Italy, before returning to England with West Ham. However, after West Ham’s relegation last year, he finds himself without a club as a free agent. "Thomas’ name has been mentioned. But we won’t be bringing players in until we trade," said Villa manager Alex McLeish of the 29-year-old German international.
L'EQUIPE
Maiga keen on Magpies SOCHAUX striker Modibo Maiga is eyeing a move to the Premier League following interest from Newcastle United. The 23-year-old Mali international was not involved in Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Caen, and reports today claimed he is trying to engineer an €8m (RM34.4m) move to St James' Park. Maiga was quoted as saying: "I want it to be done with Newcastle. I met everybody, they want me and it is not any club. England is a dream. I want to leave." It is understood Newcastle's interest in the player, who claims to have been offered a five-year deal, is genuine, although there was no official comment from the club on Monday.
Kim still top 3
Escape to LA
BELGIAN Kim Clijster drops in world rankings after injury forces her out of Toronto Open Tuesday 16 August, 2011 last week
>> pg27
Kun on the double
THE Los Angeles Galaxy have signed Ireland captain and striker Robbie Keane from Tottenham Hotspur
MANCHESTER: FOOTBALL/ PREMIER LEAGUE
Aguero hits brace as City give Swansea reality check
MANCHESTER CITY’S new striker Sergio Aguero netted twice on a spectacular debut after coming off the bench in their 4-0 home win over promoted Swansea City this morning as the potential Premier League title challengers made an impressive start. The Argentine, who joined in July for a reported City record of US$64 million (RM190.8m), entered the fray on the hour after Edin Dzeko gave the hosts the lead and was soon on the scoresheet himself when he tapped in Micah Richards’ low cross in the 68th minute. Three minutes later the former Atletico Madrid forward turned provider when he superbly hooked a ball back from the byline for David Silva to slam home. Aguero then fired in a mesmeric fourth goal from distance in stoppage time. “He needs two or three weeks to be 100 per cent maybe,” City manager Rober-
to Mancini told Sky Sports in an ominous warning to City’s rivals. “For me he is a fantastic striker, he is young. I’m delighted after this performance but I think in the first-half Swansea played very well.” The Welsh side did indeed make a decent fist of the opening exchanges in their first ever Premier League game but the gulf in class soon began to show. The world’s richest club took their time to break the deadlock but were solidly on top from the middle of the first-half and could have gone ahead when Silva and Gareth Barry rattled the bar while Yaya Toure blasted wide. Bosnian striker Dzeko eased any Eastlands nerves when he tucked the ball away in the 57th minute after Swansea’s busy Dutch keeper Michel Vorm, also making his league debut, parried Adam Johnson’s shot following a superb driving run
by Silva. Aguero, having had no real practice in a City shirt after finishing the Copa America last month, came on just after the goal and almost netted with his first touch as he made one of the most memorable debut cameos English football has seen in recent years. “There is a great bond in this group, I’m feeling the love,” City keeper Joe Hart said. Stephen Dobbie’s secondhalf effort was Swansea’s best although it barely troubled Hart. They will take consolation in the fact that they will face much easier tests this term even if everyone at the club knows they are in for a long hard season. Their style has been compared to Blackpool, who became the neutral’s favourite last term for their attacking endeavour but were still relegated straight back to the Championship
LOCAL
Not fast and furious
R. SURENDRAN needs to speed things up to keep his place in Kelantan’s Malaysia Cup squad
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GOLF
Stars and stripes
YOUNG talents emerging from United States and they’re taking the golfing world by storm
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football
What a Fab feeling aguero (second division). “I said to the players I was very, very proud of them tonight,” Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers said. City have their eyes fixed on the opposite end of the table
and Aguero’s explosive debut will have assured fans they have an ideal replacement for Carlos Tevez, who was not picked after asking weeks ago for a move which has not yet transpired. — Reuters
SPAIN international back on home soil after eight years with Arsenal
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MILAN: FOOTBALL/ SERIE A
Fab too expensive, says Galliani
Galliani
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AC MILAN vice-president Adriano Galliani has ruled out a possible return for Kaka to San Siro and explained his side simply could not afford Barcelona’s new signing Cesc Fabregas. Last season’s Serie A winners have been linked with a plethora of midfielders this summer but one reported target, Fabregas, completed his switch from Arsenal yesterday. But Galliani conceded his side could not compete with the European champions on a financial level.
“He had a very high cost, but this is a problem in general for Italian clubs. We cannot compete with the money they have in Spain. Fabregas could not come to us due to revenue,” Galliani told SkySport 24. Regarding another transfer target, Kaka, Galliani admitted a move for the Real Madrid midfielder is unlikely and again cited the club’s financial structure as a potential snag in any deal. “We’ll see what will happen. At the moment we are
OK like this, even if the transfered window is open until Aug 31. I would be as happy as Gattuso to see Kaka at Milan again; two years ago when he transfer to Madrid, I was very moved,” he explained. “But he has a price tag too high for Milan. To come here he would have to cut his pay by much more than what Fabregas had to for Barcelona. To get him we would have to buy him outright; I’m sorry to disappoint the fans, but his hypothetical acquisition is impossible.”
PRESS TALK
It’s Hammer time
GERMAN midfielder Thomas “der Hammer” Hitzlsperger could be making a shock return for a second spell at Aston Villa
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