31st January 2012 by Tan Pek Wan

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NATIONAL

BUSINESS

WORLD

SPORTS

Guan Eng slams Soi Lek

NCB boost with takaful policy

‘Honour’ killers get 25 years

Malaysia still in AFC Cup

Penang CM lambasts MCA chief for lying that opposition plans to set up Chinese govt in Perak

ING Public Takaful Ehsan Bhd’s medical plan offers up to RM400 if no claims made in previous year

Afghan couple, son, found guilty of murdering four female family members in 2009

FAM competitions committee chairman says best Malaysian team will take part in the event

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WORLD

Top help Viola Davis (right) and Octavia Spencer with the Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards for their roles in ‘The Help’— AFPpic

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PETALING JAYA

Sweeping UM changes Transformation plans set in motion for Universiti Malaya to regain premier status  Monetary rewards for academic staff who perform and allowance cuts for non-performers

FLASHBACK: Our front page yesterday

By TERENCE FERNANDEZ and ASRUL HADI ABDULLAH SANI mmnews@mmail.com.my

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PETALING JAYA

 Staff who fail doctorates on UM scholarships must repay the amount spent  Research papers to be increased to achieve top 100 universities target  Increase in English credit hours for undergraduates  Association with Nobel laureates

Captivated!

(From left) S. Sathiaraj, 28, Cheong Sue Lynn, 26, Iris Wong, 28, Ann Wee, 29, and Sarinah Sabtu, 43, enjoying the new The Malay Mail at a restaurant in AmCorp Mall yesterday morning.

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NEWS

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

NATIONAL EDITORIAL Tel: 03-74951288 | Fax: 03-74951229 | E-mail: mmnews@mmail.com.my THE MALAY MAIL IS PUBLISHED BY: Malay Mail Sdn Bhd, Lot 2A, Jalan 13/2, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

SEPANG

KUALA LUMPUR

PETALING JAYA

Illegal parking menace at airports

Alien invasion in Petaling Street

Ambassador slams Anwar’s comments

UKRC gets closer to reclaim land

The bad behaviour of Malaysian drivers to blame for massive traffic congestion plaguing KL International Airport and the LCCT

Present state of affairs spoiling the Chinese heritage site as traders ignore City Hall ultimatum to stop hiring illegal foreign labour

Abdelaziz Abughoush describes PR leader’s support to protect Israel’s security unbecoming for a Muslim leader

Members and residents can expect a step closer to solving the club’s longstanding land status woe by the end of next month

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PETALING JAYA

Out with mediocrity, in with excellence Changes underway to recapture former glory of being performance-based institution of learning By TERENCE FERNANDEZ and ASRUL HADI ABDULLAH SANI mmnews@mmail.com.my

UNIVERSITI MALAYA, reeling from “mediocrity”, is set to undergo sweeping changes that will transform the nation’s oldest institution of higher learning into a performance-based varsity. The transformation plans come in tandem with the recent decision by the government to give UM and four other universities autonomy to become innovative and competitive institutions. UM, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia will focus on the four aspects covered by the autonomy — governance, human resource, academic management and student intake — to excel and they would not be tied down by government rules and processes. UM vice-chancellor Tan Sri Prof Dr Ghauth Jasmon whose broadside on the shortfalls

plaguing the institution frontpaged by The Malay Mail in its maiden morning edition, spelt out the university’s road to recovery in an interview before last week’s announcement of the autonomy. Ghauth said he plans to turn UM into a performance-based institution and stressed the need to remove itself from “mediocrity”. The changes, he said, would begin with the university’s 2,000-odd academic staff. Ghauth said 200 of them had failed their doctorates since 2008 — when he first took over as vice-chancellor — which they pursued abroad, some on university scholarships. “We must put a stop to this because if one had gone overseas and had spent four to five years and hundreds of thousands of ringgit and failed to get the PhD, then they ought to pay back. “We want everyone to know that the university expects performance,” he said. Ghauth said the university management has set new key performance indicators

ON THE RIGHT TRACK: Ghauth (left) says academics like Jomo would like to come back

(KPIs) to ensure the quality of academic staff. He said: “The KPIs will help elevate the status of the university as in the past, we were not too selective whom we brought into the university. “There is so much mediocrity whereas Singapore has been pushing for quality. That is why they have been going up and this is fundamentally the problem with UM.” He said he would no longer compromise on performance in his second term as the university don.

Producing research papers would also be emphasised to help in university rankings. Ghauth has set the target of UM becoming one of the top 100 universities by 2015 and warned: “I want the deans and deputy deans to perform better than before. I don’t expect laggards in my management. They have to be truly performance-driven. While introducing new promotion criteria for academic staff, the university is set to implement a new performance-based remuneration scheme. The new package will have

academic staff earning basic salary based on their grade plus performance based allowance (PBA). Lecturers who excel will be given an increment in their PBA up to 35 per cent. This will also be complemented by other special incentives such as special performance bonus. Non-performers will have their PBA allowances deducted by up to 35 per cent and receive no increment in their salaries. Ghauth also said local universities cannot escape from the importance of English to ensure employability. He countered his critics who accused him of being anti-Bahasa Malaysia, saying he allowed examinations to be conducted in both Bahasa Malaysia and English. “Presently, we are allowing the various faculties to teach in both English and Malay. The examination papers are published in both languages. We don’t say everything has to be in English because that will be wrong on my part. “But the ministry has also

asked us to increase the English credit hours for undergraduates. So, from now it has been extended to six credit hours that they must pass,” he said. Ghauth is already facing resistance from certain quarters to re-model the system at UM. “People like (prominent economist) Jomo Kwame Sundaram write to me and say you are doing the right thing. Of course, he wants to come back and I would welcome him anytime. “So, if people are under the impression that the measures in force or those being planned would turn away academics, they are wrong. The good ones would want to stay.” He noted that three Nobel Laureates were currently working with UM — Barry Marshall (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2005), Nobel Fellow Ryoji Noyori (Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2001), David Baltimore (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1975), who are building their labs here.

Government cooks spoiled UM soup, says Khoo By AZRIL ANNUAR azrilannuar@mmail.com.my

INTERFERENCE and control by the government were the reasons for Universiti Malaya’s (UM) decline and downfall in recent years, said UM History Department Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim. He said after UM lost its autonomy and the Higher Education Ministry gained control over Malaysia’s oldest university, the institution’s policy makers decided to stop competing

for a global ranking. “The university began to decline after its separation with UM Singapore in the early 1960s, and it became more rigid after the ministry’s formation. “It was a gradual decline; UM managed to maintain very good standards for many years but I think in the end, it did not have full say in governing itself. “It was autonomous until the ministry gained control of it. We used to be particular about maintaining an international image, later we tended to withdraw from that.

“Lacking confidence, the younger people didn’t want to compete internationally. Now UM is very quiet,” he said in response to The Malay Mail’s front-page report. Khoo explained the government’s involvement in universities was due to immense student political activism. “At one point the students were too highly politicised and became very involved in politics with frequent demonstrations and strikes. It became difficult to concentrate on studies,” he said. He hoped the university will do better now that it has

regained its autonomy. He said the scrapping of the Chair system in the 1970s, where renowned professors across the globe could compete to be in various departments and faculties in UM, was another factor for its decline. “Those days, when we had the Chair of Geography, Chair of History, it was great academic exposure for students. But when they scrapped the Chair, promotion became entirely internal, we stopped having foreign professors and this deprived students from having the best (minds) in the world as

their lecturers. “This happened because the people controlling UM wanted to control everything. They didn’t want to compete internationally, so it became a very insular university.” Khoo said another reason for UM’s decline was that both students and the faculties “had it easy” due to university policies. “I can’t speak for the others but in our faculty, the practice of competing with others internationally gradually declined. They found it easier not to bother with foreign universities.

“Also, many students realised they didn’t have to compete to get what they wanted; they got it too easily. Before the split with UM Singapore, students had to work very hard because they were pushed to live up to world standards,” he said. Even though he agreed with some of Ghauth’s points, Khoo disagreed the decline was due to the ethnic-based quota system as stated by the latter. “The quota system is not that significant because in certain departments they still manage to keep the standards.”

THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

NEWS

NATIONAL Whatever the political parties think of a person, one thing for sure is they will never get a perfect one TUN MUSA HITAM FORMER DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

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KUALA LUMPUR PETALING JAYA

UKRC land tussle nears closure Hearing committee to submit recommendations over land status By MEENA LAKSHANA meena@mmail.com.my

ULU Klang Recreation Club (UKRC) members and residents can expect to get a step closer to solving the club’s longstanding land status woe by the end of next month. When contacted, Orang Besar Daerah Gombak Datuk Paduka Raja Wan Mahmood Pa’wan Teh, who chaired the long-awaited public hearing on the two-hectare plot of land yesterday, said the hearing committee would deliberate on the “evidence” submitted by the club. “We have received all the information we need on the matter. We will submit our findings and recommendations to the Selangor Menteri Besar.” Raja Wan Mahmood also commended the residents and club members for their cooperation. UKRC president Andrew Gopal told The Malay Mail about 40 residents and club

members attended the public hearing on the club’s right to the land. He said he submitted correspondence and a copy of the original approval letter, dated July 12, 1958, from the Kuala Lumpur Land Office, which stated the then Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Jamil Abdul Rais had approved for the land to be given to UKRC. The tussle between the club and local government over the land where the clubhouse and a field are situated has been ongoing for close to two decades. UKRC did not receive a land title since it was registered in the 1950s despite paying the land premium. The issue was brought to the fore in 1994 when the site was earmarked for a primary school and 10 bungalow lots, prompting the residents and club members to protest. Eight years later, the site was allocated for a squatter relocation project, supported by former Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohamad

Khir Toyo. Club members and residents enjoyed a small measure of victory when, in 2005, the site was gazetted as a green area and the public field remained. The field, however, was put under Ampang Jaya Municipal Council’s management. The Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government had vowed to solve the matter within a year of its takeover of the state after the 2008 general election. A serious effort was only made last April when Hulu Kelang assemblyman Saari Sungib tabled a motion to change the land status from open space to recreational during the state assembly sitting. The motion, which was approved, also proposed either the land be placed under the UKRC committee for management or the state government awarded a permanent grant to the club on condition the land could not be sold or had a change in ownership.

SOLUTION IN SIGHT: UKRC’s long land tussle may end soon

The UKRC was established on Sept 20, 1957, to foster ties among Hulu Kelang residents through recreational activities. Over the years, it had

produced outstanding state sportsmen. It now boasts a junior football academy with about 100 children training under qualified coaches.

Opposition says it will scrap Lynas project THE opposition has vowed to scrap the controversial US$200 million (RM611mil) rare-earth processing plant being built by Australia’s Lynas Corp if it wins the general election expected to be called within months. The plant, which aims to weaken China’s monopoly on the global supply of metals used in a range of products from flat screens to iPhones and energy-efficient light bulbs, is also backed by Japanese investors keen to see the development of alternative supplies. “The opposition will put a stop to the plant,” said Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh yesterday. “We are very clear about our position with regards to sustainable development. And Lynas is definitely not what we categorise as sustainable development.” The opposition, she said, was backing some residents and green groups which have voiced fears over radioactivity from thorium waste from the plant, though Lynas says this will be extracted and kept in a facility that meets world standards. — Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR

PETALING JAYA

Anwar’s two states or two faces?

Only voters decide candidates winnable or not

OPPOSITION Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pic) lied. That is the verdict of veteran journalist and blogger Jailani Harun, who took aim at Anwar’s attempt to clarify controversial remarks he had made in a recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) interview. In the interview, Anwar was quoted as saying: “I support all efforts to protect the security of the state of Israel.” The article added that Anwar had “stopped short of saying he would open diplomatic ties with the Jewish state, a step which he said remains contingent on Israel respecting the aspirations of Palestinians”. Anwar’s remarks drew fire from several quarters, notably Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin, who asked: “Is this the stand of the the opposition

Pakatan coalition, when the government does not even have diplomatic relations with Israel?” Umno Youth international bureau chief Datuk Ahmad Zaki Zahid also criticised Anwar, asking: “Does PKR now agree and support attacks on Gaza based on the policy of protecting Israel’s security?” Anwar reacted to the criticism with a post in his blog on Jan 28, saying: “I was firm in stating that the wishes and rights of the Palestinian people must be protected and that includes the right to form an independent and sovereign state of their own, and not to be continuously oppressed. “I also posited that if these conditions are fulfilled, then by the same logic, the rights if the Israelis should also be respected.” He added, “…my view runs concurrent with that of

Resolution 1397 of the United Nations Security Council and the Arab Peace Initiative which promotes the Two-State Solution. What more, the same principle of the Two-State Solution approach had been addressed by the Hon Foreign Minister at the General Debate Of The 66th Session Of The United Nations Assembly on Sept 27, 2011 in New York.” According to Jailani, however, Anwar’s references to the “two-state solution” were inconsistent with his earlier remarks. “Read Anwar’s interview with WSJ properly, every line and every single word he said,” Jailani wrote in his blog, Just Read. “Nowhere in the story did he speak of the ‘two state solution’, a reference to Israel and Palestine. “He even said what he told WSJ journalist is in line with Malaysia’s and UN policy

with regards to recognising the state of Israel and Palestine. “He lied again,” Jailani said. ”This is not in the WSJ story. “Now that he is under attack, he is changing his stand.” — The Mole

FORMER deputy prime minister Tun Musa Hitam says only voters will decide whether electoral candidates were winnable or not. He said a winnable candidate must be able to satisfy the party’s needs as well as the people’s. Musa said all political parties must come up with a checklist before fielding their candidates in the next general election. “Whatever the political parties think of a person, one thing for sure is they will never get a perfect one,” he said to reporters after opening UM Land Bhd’s sales office and corporate headquarters at Bandar Seri Alam here yesterday. He said people nowadays were educated, critical and demanding and they knew much better than anybody else what was going on not

only in terms of activities of individual persons but also of the politics, strategies and ideologies of the political parties. The selection of a winnable candidate must be made in the broader sense and more in conformity to the will of the voters and people, he said. In the past, he said, the candidates must fit in with the aspirations of the people, blend in with them and represent them. However, he said, some people’s representatives nowadays acted as if there was a big gap between them and the people. The Umno veteran politician said the huge group among the people is the middle class comprising people of all races and their well-being should be taken care of if a party is to win the election. — Bernama

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NEWS

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

NATIONAL I strongly condemn the rumours. He (the IGP) is abroad to ensure the security of our people and country Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein HOME Minister

GEORGE TOWN

Guan Eng hits out at Soi Lek MCA chief ‘ganging up’ with others in racist attack against Opposition, says CM By Llew -Ann Phang llewann@mmail.com.my

PENANG Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng lashed out at MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, accusing him of ganging up in a racist attack against the Opposition. At a press conference held at the state administration office in Komtar yesterday, Lim rubbished Utusan Malaysia’s report in which Dr Chua was quoted as saying the Opposition intended to set up a “Chinese government” in Perak. “That is a big lie because neither DAP nor PKR nor PAS had wanted to set up a Chinese government. If

anything, we want to set up a Malaysian government,” Lim, the DAP secretary-general, said. “What Chua is doing is embarrassing and disgusting because he seems to be cooperating with a newspaper already famous for its racial antics and I think this shows MCA is running out of ideas to win in the elections and Chua is losing his mind.” Lim gave Dr Chua until tomorrow to publicly withdraw his statement or set the record right (if Utusan had spun his statement), failing which Lim would urge the Perak DAP leaders to lodge a police report against the former health minister. “This article fans up the

racial sentiments and it is a dangerous, malicious and vicious move to play up these sentiments,” he said. “In setting up any government, the Pakatan Rakyat only wants a Malaysian government, not as Chua accuses of us in the article.” In the report published yesterday, Dr Chua had warned the Chinese community in Perak of the Opposition’s tricks in wanting to set up a “Chinese government”. He cited sources as informing him the Opposition’s campaign was telling the grassroots they would be made taikor if Pakatan Rakyat took over the state. However, Dr Chua said, even when PR did win mo-

TOP ACHIEVER: Lim presenting a recognition certificate to Law, the first Malaysian head boy at the prestigious Ruthin School

mentarily in Perak in 2008, its menteri besar, Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, was from PAS and was not a Tionghua. Dr Chua said this at the Perak MCA Chinese New Year celebrations on Sunday, which was also attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir. Dr Chua declined to comment, saying he was on “the highway” and had yet to see the report.

KUALA LUMPUR

sa is not for one race but they are fighting for all the people, regardless of race”. Earlier, Lim gave state recognition to Daniel Law Min Ern, 21, who became the first Malaysian head boy at the UK’s prestigious Ruthin School.

KLUANG

Taxi drivers get pledge THE look of relief was clearly seen on the 200 plus faces of cabbies servicing the Lembah Pantai vicinity yesterday, after Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin (fifth from right) pledged to look into their issues. The minister met the taxi drivers for a two-hour dialogue session at the popular “Pak Ayob” stall in PPR Kerinchi, mingling and bantering with them over a simple teh tarik and roti canai meal. He pledged that he would look into all their

Lim also claimed that Seputeh MCA Division chief Dr Tiew Chew Ming had helped bring the crowd to Perkasa’s Chinese New Year open house in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. He claimed Tiew was quoted in a vernacular newspaper as saying “Perka-

Hisham condemns rumours of IGP’s death

issues by end of March, following the dialogue session that was held with them last month.

The evening ended with all the drivers chanting “1Malaysia”, with many of them voicing out hope

that their woes would end soon. For the full story, visit http://www.mmail. com.my.

HOME Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein yesterday condemned rumours saying that Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar has died in London. He said Ismail was in London on official matters associated with the United Kingdom Police and was in good health and that he would return on Thursday. “I strongly condemn the rumours. He is abroad on duty to ensure the security of our people and country,” he told reporters. He said Ismail was in London to look into expanding

cooperation between the Royal Malaysian Police and the MI5 and MI6 intelligence agencies of the UK. Hishammuddin said he could not understand what benefit the perpetrators of the rumours derived. He advised the people not to be influenced by unverified news on blogs, Facebook and Twitter. The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) also dismissed the rumours. “Rumours that the IGP passed away in London are totally unfounded,” it said in its Facebook page. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR

RM100m civil suit hearing postponed By T.K. LETCHUMY TAMBOO t.k.letchumy@mmail.com.my

THE first hearing of a RM100 million civil suit filed by the former managing director of Perunding Pakarmedia Sdn Bhd, a bumiputra media specialist company, was postponed at the High Court here yesterday.

Judge Datuk Has Zanah Mehat postponed the case, filed by Mirza Mohamed Tariq Beg last year, naming seven respondents, after meeting counsel representing Mirza Mohamed Tariq and the respondents in chambers. The plaintiff is the older brother of former Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Mirza Mohammad

Taiyab Beg The Malay Mail was informed by Mirza Mohamed Tariq’s counsel, Renu Zecharia, that Has Zanah had instructed all parties to prepare, exchange and e-file their respective witnesses’ statements. The judge fixed Feb 8 as the next hearing date. Mirza Mohamed Tariq,

55, who was also one of the founders of Perunding Pakarmedia, established in March 2002, filed the suit at the High Court last year, through Messrs Rosley Zechariah, alleging unlawful conspiracy to remove him from the position of managing director. He named seven of the company’s directors and

shareholders in the suit — Margaret Low, Zulhisham Ayob, Haneda Omar, Caren Fong, Narumon Arunavarnont, Philip Lindsay Brook and Carat Media Services Sdn Bhd. Mirza Mohamed Tariq owns 40 per cent shares in the company while Carat Media Services owns 30 per cent of the share.

Low, Zulhisham and Haneda own 10 per cent share each. However, according to Mirza Mohamed Tariq, the company had not been operating since April 2010. Mirza Mohamed Tariq Beg was yesterday accompanied by family members, including Mirza Mohammad Taiyab.

THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

NEWS

THE MALAY MAIL

NATIONAL The new layout is also fantastic. I’d gladly pay RM1 for it Abdul Rahman Mohd Isa legal firm clerk

KUALA LUMPUR

Parading a bold new attitude The Malay Mail hits the streets to grand applause By FAIZAL NOR IZHAM faizal.nor@mmail.com.my

JUST another manic Monday for LRT users? Not quite for avid readers of The Malay Mail. Commuters at the Masjid Jamek and Ampang Park LRT stations were pleasantly surprised as they were given free issues of the improved daily to kick-start their day. Malay Mail circulation department staff were present as early as 7.30am rolling out free issues of the daily to Malaysians from all walks of life.

Joe Wong, 35, a project manager from Bangsar, said he used to read The Malay Mail three-to-four years ago and was pleased to see it return with a new look. “It was my favourite, as the news was more compact and easy to read.” He said the variety of news in the paper also made it interesting, despite it being thinner than other newspapers. “Unlike other publications, there are no cluttered sections to take out,” he said. “It also appeals more to the younger generation because the news is sharp and not dry.” Pooja Bhatia, a 20-year-

old intern at HSBC, said she was impressed with the overall appeal of the newspaper. “The last time I read it was two months ago,” said the Bangsar native, adding she used to read it regularly. “I look for general and world news but I’m also glad there’s a new business section as I’m just stepping into the working world.” She said it would attract older readers, while the younger generation would still enjoy the news and entertainment sections. “I would definitely pay RM1 for it, as long as its quality is the same as other papers.”

Abdul Rahman Mohd Isa, a 49-year-old legal firm clerk from Cheras Baru, said he used to read The Malay Mail as far back as 10 years ago when it cost only 80 cents. “I need to have my daily coverage of sports, especially the English Premier League and local football,” said the Manchester United fan. He said he was thrilled to see a return of the business section. “I was previously in the construction line so I used to read all the papers for my business needs.” . He said he had made an appearance in a report in The Malay Mail a few years

back, when he had been featured in an interview. “The new layout is also fantastic. I’d gladly pay RM1 for it.” Earlier in the day, Malay Mail circulation staff members had also distributed copies of the paper to residents of Taman Kinrara, Bandar Kinrara, Puchong, Puchong Jaya, Bandar Wawasan Puchong and Puchong Intan. They also delivered the paper personally to individual households from 6am to 8.30am. The all-new morning daily will continue to be handed out free until Feb 6, after which it will be sold at RM1.

I look for general and world news but I’m also glad there’s a new business section as I’m just stepping into the working world NEW LOOK: (Clockwise from right) Basirah Sinthamadar, 40, (left) Ananthi Subramaniam, 29, (centre) and El Sie Elaine Fredily, 28, checking out yesterday’s edition of The Malay Mail; a long-time reader perusing the paper near the Masjid Jamek LRT station and; Cheryl Khoo Shujen, 20, (left) and Angela Yuen Kahmun, 19, absorbing the day’s news — Pix: Shahir Omar, Razak Ghazali and Ashraf Shamsul Azlan

Pooja Bhatia INTERN AT HSBC

LOYAL READERS: (From top) Joe, Pooja and Abdul Rahman are all glad The Malay Mail is making a comeback

HSDM/AUTO/2012/014_Malay Mail_370x260mm THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

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NEWS

•

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

NATIONAL The motorists who refuse to use the car parks provided are the ones causing the traffic problems Supt Imran Abdul Rahman Sepang police chief

PUTRAJAYA

KUALA LUMPUR

‘Hard times drive local women to vice’ Many turn to prostitution to feed their children, pay off debts and survive city living By AIZAT SHARIF aizat@mmail.com.my

FINANCIAL difficulties and the lure of easy money. These are the top two reasons why Malaysian women are turning to prostitution. Police yesterday revealed figures showing an increase in the number of local women busted for providing sexual services last year. Federal Criminal Investigations Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin said the trend was worrying and urged women not to be easily duped into such activities. “Last year, a total of 1,801 local women were

picked up for prostitution. This is 741 women more than 1,060 local women nabbed in 2010,” He said out of the figure, more Malays were nabbed for vice, from 213 in 2010 to 377 last year compared with Chinese (from 333 to 420) and Indians (from 84 to 151). Checks by the Anti-Vice, Gaming and Secret Society Division showed most of the local prostitutes came from poor and broken families. “It is believed financial hardship forced them into participating in the illegal activity. “There are those, especially the younger ones, who could not resist the lucrative pay promised by these syndicates. Some

were taken in by peer pressure after seeing their friends living luxuriously, driving flashy cars and living in luxury houses. “At the same time, there are also those who claimed to have been abandoned by their partners. Without any steady income and support, they turn to prostitution to feed their children, pay off debts and survive living in the city,” he said. Meanwhile, on foreign prostitution activities, Mohd Bakri said of those caught last year, China nationals totalled 5,922, followed by those from Vietnam (2,169), Thailand (1,492), Indonesia (1,208), the Philippines (750), Myanmar (112), India (67), Cambodia (36),

FROM DESTITUTION TO PROSTITUTION: Mohd Bakri said many of the women come from poverty stricken and broken homes

Bangladesh (34), Laos (14), Uzbekistan (12), Nigeria (eight), Uganda (four), Austria and Taiwan (one each). “There is a slight drop of arrests involving for-

eign prostitutes last year from 11,919 in 2010 to 11,832,” he said, adding police would not compromise in combating vice activities, human trafficking and gambling.

SEPANG

‘Ugly’ drivers cause airport agony By G. PRAKASH prakash@mmail.com.my

THE poor behaviour of Malaysian drivers is to blame for the traffic woes plaguing KL International Airport and the LCCT. Sepang police yesterday slammed the “ugly Malaysian drivers” they said were at fault for the increasing congestion at the departure halls of both terminals. The problem remained despite 59,896 summonses being issued last year, of which 39,554 were for vehicles parked illegally in KLIA

and 20,342 for violations at the LCCT. Sepang police chief Supt Imran Abdul Rahman said: “LCCT is the most affected as the area allocated for picking up and dropping passengers was much smaller in size compared with the lots at KLIA. The motorists who refuse to use the car parks provided are the ones causing the traffic problems,” he said during a press conference yesterday. Imran said a total of 1,911 summonses were issued to vehicles parked illegally in LCCT and 4,978 issued at KLIA until Sunday.

“Although there are enough car parks in both terminals, these motorist find it more convenient to park their vehicles at the passenger drop-off zones. This causes problems for taxis and airport limousines. “I have instructed the Sepang traffic police department to form a special team to monitor the situation at both airports and issue summonses on a daily basis.” Imran said each summons is set at RM300 but if paid within 14 days, the driver will be given a 50 per cent discount.

CROSSING THE LINE: Cops at the airports have been instructed to issue summonses daily — Pic: Arif Kartono

“The attitude of the motorists must change for the problem to be resolved.

They have no good reason to park their vehicles haphazardly,” he said.

Jail term reduced for ex-UiTM dean FORMER Universiti Teknologi Mara’s (UiTM) Sports Science and Recreation Faculty dean Datuk Md Saberi Md Salleh was yesterday ordered to serve his one-year jail term at the Kajang prison after losing the final appeal to set aside his conviction for falsifying documents. In upholding Saberi’s conviction, a three-man Court of Appeal panel chaired by Justice Datuk Sulaiman Daud, concurred Md Saberi intentionally misled the university. However, the panel allowed Md Saberi’s appeal on the three-year jail term meted out by Shah Alam Sessions Court and reduced it to one year. Taking into account Md Saberi was a first-time offender, Justice Sulaiman considered three years to be excessive. The court also maintained the RM10,000 fine or default three months jail, part of the original sentence. Md Saberi paid the fine. The panel acquitted and discharged businesswoman Zaleha Abd Rahman, 52, after allowing the appeal to set aside her conviction with a three-year jail term and RM10,000 fine, for abetting Md Saberi. Justice Sulaiman held the prosecution failed to prove Zaleha, the owner of a company supplying sports equipment, had knowledge of Md Saberi intentions. On Oct 15, 2008, the Sessions Court found Md Saberi guilty of falsely acknowledging an invoice dated March 4, 1999, for a unit of “Multijoint 2 AP” (a sports equipment) costing RM138,000, while knowing the faculty had not received such an item. — Bernama

SEPANG

Cops seek murder victim’s housemates POLICE are looking for three foreigners believed to be Nigerians in connection with the murder of a housemate in their apartment unit in Taman Putra Perdana, Sepang. The yet-to-be-identified victim, also a foreigner in

his 30s, was found gagged with his hands and legs bound at about 12.30pm on Wednesday. Police are seeking Kaba N’Famory, Ekemezie Elochukwu Jacob and Mazlina Kashedeli, all private college students in Petaling

Jaya, all in their 30s. Sepang police chief Supt Imran Abdul Rahman said they found the victim’s body in the apartment after receiving a call from a cleaner complaining of a foul smell. “We broke into the unit

and found the victim lying on the floor in a bedroom.” He said the deceased was only clad in blue jeans while the apartment showed no signs of a breakin or struggle. “His hand and legs were

tied while his mouth was stuffed with a cloth.” Initial investigations revealed the body could have been in the apartment for four days. “According to the house owner, the apartment unit had been rented out to a

group of college students since last May,” said Imran. Police are yet to establish the victim’s identity as no personal documents were found in the unit. An autopsy revealed the victim died from suffocation.

THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

10NEWS

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

NATIONAL Malaysians are not attracted by wages earned from trading there although they are able to earn as much as RM2,000 a month Fong Kui Loon Bukit Bintang MP

KUALA LUMPUR

Petaling Street losing its charm Traders ignore City Hall ultimatum to stop hiring illegal foreign labour By Pearl Lee and Meena Lakshana mmnews@mmail.com.my

AN open-ended problem with no immediate solution in sight. This is the present state of affairs plaguing Petaling Street which has lost its charm, no thanks to foreigners who have invaded the area. Despite an improvement in infrastructure and traffic flow in the Chinese heritage area over the years, the lack of local presence provides little charm to a locality that has often been dubbed a bargain-hunter’s paradise. In 2009, Kuala Lumpur mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail announced that City Hall, along with the Immigration Department, the Police and the National Registration Department, was serious about getting rid of illegal foreign traders and stall assistants in the city. He said the image of Petaling Street would be boosted if traders hired Malaysians. That solution was simple. Get rid of your foreign helper or lose your trading licence. The June 1, 2009 deadline

to purge foreign helpers was not only mooted by the authorities but even lauded by the Kuala Lumpur Hawkers and Petty Traders Association, which was adamant about preserving the Chinese identity of the area. Fast-forward, two years later, and the situation remains at square one as foreign stall helpers still outnumber Malaysians. There are 773 stalls, but a brief walkabout in the area will reveal that eight out of 10 stalls are manned by Bangladeshi, Myanmar or Indonesians. These were the findings of The Malay Mail, recently. Traders continue to bend the law and hire foreigners claiming that Malaysians were not interested in taking up the jobs. Immigration laws only allow foreigners to work in restaurants and plantations, not as helpers in hawker stalls. Even City Hall’s wholesale market and hawker bylaws do not permit traders to hire foreigners. Kuala Lumpur Hawkers and Petty Traders Association vice-president Datuk Ang Say Tee said it was difficult to attract Malaysians to work there.

“It is not an easy job. Traders work for long hours, a minimum of 10 hours a day, and on weekends, too,” he said. Ang said it was embarrassing as tourists who visit Petaling Street with the hope of immersing themselves in an authentic Malaysian experience find themselves being tended to foreigners. Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Loon said meager wages were keeping Malaysian

Mayor: No willpower to preserve identity TRADERS in Petaling Street must be serious if they want to preserve the identity of the area. Mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail (pic) said while the authorities can continue to carry out enforcement actions to weed out foreign stall helpers, locals in the area should also play their part. “If it was up to me, I would have their licences revoked but if you want to retain the character of the place, it’s all about education and the people there must have some sense of pride to preserve its identity.” “Previously people complained the area was not tourist friendly as there

were foreign helpers in the area who would threaten tourists and they claimed the area did not have a Chinatown character.” Ahmad Fuad said City Hall may need to meet the stakeholders again address the problem. “The hawkers association and had approached us telling us that people were afraid to come to the area as they would often be harassed.” The mayor said there were two reasons the problem was not ending and apart from the low wages, it was also about traders’ will to hire locals to help them at their stalls. “Perhaps they should of-

fer higher salaries to attract locals to work in the area.” “We can continue to take action against errant traders, but in the long term, the will power lies with the traders. They have to tell us whether we should revoke their licences if they are caught employing foreigners,” Ahmad Fuad said.

youths from working at the tourist spot. “Malaysians are not attracted by the wages earned from trading there although they are able to earn between RM1,500 and RM2,000,” he said. However, when The Malay Mail visited the area to speak to hawkers, some of them said Malaysian youths were keeping away from working there because of the uncomfortable working

conditions (see accompanying story). Fong also said there were indigenous people from Sabah and Sarawak working at the stalls, who might be mistaken for foreigners. “But there are some traders who do not abide by the ban and continue employing foreigners,” he said. He said enforcement was the key to eliminate the problem. The lack of enforcement

NO LONGER AUTHENTIC: Tourists hoping to enjoy an authentic Malaysian experience might be disappointed by the heavy presence of foreign workers — Pic: Shahir Omar

in the area is one of the reasons this longstanding problem is still not solved. “The authorities have been infrequent in enforcement action. The last major operation was conducted two years ago,” Fong said.

Malaysians not up to the challenge HARD work and austere working conditions are among the reasons for the dwindling number of Malaysians working at Petaling Street. According to local vendors, the recurrence of foreign workers at the area was inevitable as locals prefer comfortable working conditions at shopping complexes. Local helper Nita, 30, said: “Malaysians care too much about standards to work here.” “They complain about the heat and long hours but they don’t realise they can earn much more money by working here.” Nita sells clothing items in the area and has worked there for more than five years. She said she gets a 10 per cent commission rate for sales worth RM10,000.

A local trader who identified himself as Lok, 66, echoed Nita’s sentiments and said: “Malaysians do not want to work here because it is tough. “The hours are long, you have to work on most weekends and there is no air-conditioning.” Lok, who sells sunglasses, said this was regrettable, as there was money to be made, more than the cosy shopping complexes in the city. “You can earn about RM1,600 a month. If you are really good, you can earn up to RM3,000,” he said. “Sales assistants in shopping complexes only earn about RM1,200 a month,” he added. He said there had been many local vendors in the area, a few years ago, but most have left. But things are picking up,

he said, and sighed about the reluctance of locals to work in the area, saying youths have been “pampered” too much. “The young people are too fussy sometimes. They shun hard work. They prefer an easy life,” he said. Myanmar stall assistant Syamsudin Min Zaw Lin Naring, 33, who has been working in the area for more than 10 years, said he earns between RM1,500 and RM2,000 a month. “I work 12 hours a day. I only get to enjoy the weekends twice a month,” he said. “When it rains, the area gets flooded which hampers business.” Despite the odds, he said he does not mind working in Petaling Street as it offers better remuneration than working elsewhere.

THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

NEWS

THE MALAY MAIL

NATIONAL He (Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail) is not ready to come out because he fears for his safety. Ironically enough he feels safer in Sungai Buloh Latheefa Koya PKR legal bureau chief

KUALA LUMPUR

‘Anwar support for Israel shocking’ Palestine ambassador condemns remarks supporting the protection of Tel Aviv’s security

PALESTINIAN envoy Abdelaziz Abughoush described Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s remarks, expressing support for efforts to protect the security of Israel during a recent Wall Street Journal interview, as ‘strange and weird’. Abdelaziz, said it was unbecoming for a Muslim leader like Anwar to come up with such statements. “We are shocked and surprised by ‘weird’ remarks in which he (Anwar) supported the security of Israel,”

the Palestinian ambassador to Malaysia said in a statement, yesterday. He pointed out that Palestine is the core issue for all the Muslim ummah (community) and Malaysia has always been in support of the Palestinian people and their struggle. “We do not know who actually needs security here. Israel after all has more than 200 types of nuclear weapons and an army armed to the teeth. “We do not know that

security is needed for the occupier whereas the occupied people of Palestine are oppressed daily and face illegal measures and inhuman practices by the Israelis, who continue to violate humanitarian law and international law and neglect all the good efforts of the international community for peace and stability in the Middle East.” Abughoush thanked Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman for making clear the Malaysian govern-

ment’s stand on the matter. Anifah, in a statement on Sunday, said actions defined by Israel as necessary to safeguard the security of its country include military attacks on Gaza; indiscriminate arrests and detention of Palestinians; killing of Palestinians, including their leaders through bomb and missile attacks; and implementation of policies that suppress and victimise the Palestinians, such as confiscation of Palestinian homes and the building of illegal

settlements by Israelis on Palestinian land. He said the Malaysian government never supported any of these actions. In fact, along with the international community, it criticises and strongly condemns such actions, which clearly violate international law. Anifah said the Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s advisor’s remark reflected his acceptance and support for all actions by Israel against the Palestinian people. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR

Lawyers walk out of Syariah Court of Appeal

Construction work resumes on building affected by fire

OPPOSITION Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s lawyers walked out of the Syariah Court of Appeal yesterday in protest against its unprecedented decision to allow three applicants who did not obtain leave (permission) to strike off his qazaf’s (bearing false witness) appeal application. The lawyers, Kamar Ainiah Kamarulzaman, Dorina Abdullah, Dr Mohd Rafie Shafie and Mohamad Burok objected to the hearing of the application by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir

Baharom, Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Department director Datuk Che Mat Che Ali and enforcement officer Shamsuddin Haron, arguing that procedure had not been followed. During the proceedings, Kamar Ainiah objected three times, saying the plaintiffs’ lawyers could not continue their submission to strike out Anwar’s appeal before the court grants them leave to do so. “They have to state their grounds as to why leave should be granted, as this is not stated in their applica-

tion or in their affidavit. I am prepared to allow them more time to file a proper application. “However, (the hearing) cannot be done this way without leave being granted, as it is against court procedure. It would lead to a precedent being set if the plaintiffs’ application is heard right away.” The three-member bench was headed by Justice Zohdi Taha. The other judges were Justices Aidi Moktar and Hussin Harun. Zohdi ruled that leave is not relevant in the strike-out application as this did not origi-

nate from the lower Syariah Court. He told the parties to continue with their submissions. Kamar Ainiah stood up again and said she and her team could not be associated with the court’s decision and would leave the courtroom. They then packed their bags and left with PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her supporters. While leaving the courtroom, Kamar Ainiah took a swipe at the plaintiffs’ lawyers, saying they could have the money from the zakat (tithes) fund. — Malaysiakini

CONSTRUCTION work has resumed on the multi-storey commercial building in Jalan Tun Sambanthan near KL Sentral after it was disrupted by fire on the top floor on Jan 18. Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department director Khiruddin Derahman said yesterday the department has allowed work to resume after getting an assurance that the developer would step up security features in stages. “The preliminary cleaning up has been completed. Water taps and hoses will be made available at every floor to prevent a recurrence of fire,” he said. Construction material on the top floor of the 33-storey building caught fire at 3.50am on Jan 18. Fire-

We do not know who actually needs security here. Israel after all has more than 200 types of nuclear weapons and an army armed to the teeth

Abdelaziz Abughoush PALESTINIAN envoy

FLASHBACK: The fire at level 30 of KL Sentral on Jan 18

men closed nearby roads while they engaged the fire, resulting in massive traffic congestion in the surrounding area. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR

NFC chief pressured me to bribe police, says businessman BUSINESSMAN Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail, charged with cheating National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) executive chairman Datuk Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismai, has claimed the latter pressured him to bribe police to cover up the company’s scandal. He made this claim in a police report lodged at the Klang General Hospital last Friday, which was revealed by PKR at its headquarters in Petaling Jaya yesterday. The police report read: “In my appointment, I received messages and pressure from Salleh asking me to cover up the NFC case with police. “Salleh, through phone

calls and SMSes, pressured me to bribe to police to cover up the case.” In the report, Shamsubahrin claimed he was appointed by NFC as a corporate advisor and consultant to “clean up” NFC’s internal problems. He said he met with police to facilitate their investigation but told Salleh he would not offer bribes. NFC is accused of misappropriating a RM250 million government soft loan by allegedly spending it on luxurious assets instead of the cattle centre in Gemas, which it was tasked to manage. Asked if PKR possessed

the SMS evidence, its vice president N. Surendran said: “Several phones were taken from Shamsubahrin and all the phones were later returned except for one. The one held by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission is the one containing this crucial matter.” “It is in the hands of the authority but we have records, we have a backup of it.” Surendran also questioned the MACC, saying despite possessing the information, it failed to act against the “real culprits”. Shamsubahrin was charged with cheating Salleh of RM2million in consultation fees on Dec 30.

Surendran, along with PKR legal bureau chief Latheefa Koya, are lawyers for Shamsubahrin. He said after he managed to raise enough money to post the RM300,000 bail on Jan 19, but was immediately re-arrested and slapped with another two cheating charges. The two charges were brought against him on the same day he lodged the police report. He was at that time warded in hospital for health complications. He is now in Sungai Buloh prison and has refused to post bail for the second time for fear of being slapped with more charges, said Surendran.

“He is not ready to come out because he fears for his safety. Ironically enough he feels safer in Sungai Buloh,” said Latheefa. In the police report, Shamsubahrin said: “I believe I have been made a scapegoat and lied to by Salleh to cover-up and save the reputation of Salleh and his wife (Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil). “The accusations and investigations are politically motivated and I have been victimised. This is intended to cover-up the NFC investigation.” PKR Wanita chief Zuraida

Kamaruddin, who was also present, said the information released will be used for her and PKR strategies director Rafizi Ramli’s defence in a RM100 million defamation lawsuit filed by Shahrizat against her. When contacted, GRA Communications chief executive Ghazalie Abdullah, who is acting for NFC, said he will respond after he ascertains the content of the police report. “We have just got wind of this. We do not know exactly what is in the police statement, I’m trying to establish it and indicate it to our client,” he said. — Malaysiakini

THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

14 NEWS

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

NATIONAL I don’t see 1Malaysia as a political idea, but rather a humane idea, and in that sense, Malaysia is leading the way in so many respects Jay Scott Berry Mag1cal Malaysia Festival PRODUCER AND MAGIGIAN

KUALA LUMPUR

Voila! A magical March

FOR the first time in its 53year history, the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will be sending an aerobatics team to the Singapore Airshow. Popularly known as The Smokey Bandits, the team of MiG-29N aircraft from No 17 Squadron base in Kuantan has been invited by their Singapore counterpart to showcase their flying manoeuvres at the airshow to be held at the Changi Exhi-

13 top illusionists to thrill fans By RAM ANAND ramanand@mmail.com.my

MAGIC is in the air come March, when 13 of the world’s top magicians appear on these shores for the maiden Mag1cal Malaysia Festival. The event, touted as Southeast Asia’s biggest and featuring three Merlin awards, the equivalent of Oscars in magic, will be held at the Planetary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, from March 23 to 25. Said Las Vegas-based magician and show producer Jay Scott Berry: “This idea has been brewing for at least three years, to bring all the magicians together.

“This is a great opportunity for Malaysians and Malaysian magicians alike to witness up-close renowned magicians and several grandmasters of the magical arts. It’s the chance of a lifetime since most are based in Las Vegas.” Berry, however, refuted that the inclusion of the 1Malaysia theme into the event, also featured in its logo, was a political idea. “I don’t see 1Malaysia as a political idea, but rather a humane idea, and in that sense, Malaysia is leading the way in so many respects,” he said, adding he thought Kuala Lumpur was a perfect place to conduct the inaugural event. “I think this is a great city and that it is a convenient focal point for visitors in so

Smokey Bandits to soar in Singapore

many ways.” Berry is producing the event along with magician friend Mahdi Moudini, who will also perform at the festival. Four performers will also hold lectures on magic during the event for enthusiasts and budding talents. International Magician’s Society president Tony Hassini is expected to present

bition Centre between Feb 14 and 19. The five-men aerobatic team will be led by commanding officer Lt Col Mior Nor Badrishah Mohamad, callsign “Ghost”, head of training Capt Mohd Azizi Musa (Skinner), executive officer Maj Razali Ahmad Jumali (Vendor), squadron safety officer Maj Nasruddin Khalid (Digi) and standards officer Maj Azri Ahmad (Adiq).

PRESTO! Mahdi Moudini (left) and Jay Scott Berry demonstrating a trick at a press conference at KLCC yesterday — Pic: Shahir Omar

the Merlin awards to selected recipients. Berry said Hassini had also agreed to induct two magicians into the IMS Hall of Fame.

NEED FOR SPEED: The Smokey Bandits to perform in Singapore — Pic: Katsuhiko Tokunaga

THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

NEWS

Complainants have to submit their personal particulars and provide a detailed account of their complaint

Complaints referred by Hotline to the relevant parties would be published if there is no response in seven days

Complainants have to first file their complaints with the respective parties before contacting Hotline

After a complaint has been resolved, the complainant cannot demand nonpublication of the matter

By Che’AZ, T.K. LETCHUMY TAMBOO and FAIZAL NOR IZHAM

your right to be heard

TEL: 019-2614948 (after 9pm)

hotline@mmail.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR

FYI

Unhappy with half-leather sofa Synthetic material for ‘calf part’ was not what salesman promised, says buyer SHOPPING for the right furniture can be a stressful affair. First, it must be confortable. Then, the colour, design, shape, size and material used have to be perfect or else it may look odd in a well-decorated space. SHERLYN LOW, 48, of Kuala Lumpur thought she had found the perfect sofa set for her home. “I bought a set of halfleather sofa from Rustica, Bandar Puchong Jaya, in September for RM2,965 during the mega sale,” says LOW. “I thought it would be perfect for the living room. “I was told by the salesman that the part of the sofa that touches the body was made of leather. The rest is PU (synthetic leather). “When I asked the saleman whether the part that touches my calf was made of leather, he confirmed it.” Just to be sure, LOW visited the outlet again and asked the same question. She claimed the salesman re-confirmed it. “When my husband and I were about to place a booking, we asked the salesman again. As he told us that part of the sofa is made of leather, we agreed to place

the order,” she says. “However, when the sofa arrived in October, we realised the particular part of the sofa was made of PU. This was misleading and I felt cheated because we were told otherwise by the salesman.” Unhappy with the purchase, LOW contacted Rustica’s headquarters for an explanation and was told the salesman was new. After numerous visits and calls to their showroom, LOW says, Rustica offered to take back the sofa set and change the particular part to leather, with an extra cost of RM300. “Why should I fork out another RM300 when they were the ones who confirmed it was made of leather in the first place? They are the ones who should pay for it,” she says. LOW says she filed a complaint with the National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) a few days later. After two letters from NCCC over two months, Rustica finally replied to her and claimed she was confused with the combination of materials used in the sofa.

1. Kuala Lumpur City Hall wants to maintain and preser ve the business area of Jalan Petaling as an attractive tourist destination. Therefore, Mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail urged traders there not to employ foreigners in order to preserve the value and tradition of the area. 2. Owners of entertainment outlets must abide by the rules outlined in their licences or face the music from Subang Jaya Municipal Council. For example, the council might take action against outlets operating beyond the permitted hours set by the council under the Local Government Act 1976.

ONLINECOMMENTS

Dec 22 Unpopular parallel parking

She says the company did not make any offer to compensate her. “How can they just get away like that? Shouldn’t they sort this out with their own staff instead of covering it up at my expense?” she asks. RUSTICA SDN BHD says it has contacted LOW and tried to solve the issue. Says its marketing manager, STEVEN: “We feel this matter is the result of a misunderstanding. “LOW wanted a half-leath-

er sofa set and the specifications are the same even if she purchased the particular set anywhere else. The calf part is made of PU or PVC whereas the other frontal parts are made of leather. “We offered to change the calf part to leather by adding RM300 to the cost but she refused. We also told her that if she was still unhappy, we were willing to take the sofa back and give her a full refund. She declined both our offers.” When contacted, LOW says she is still unhappy with the way the company attended

NOT THE PERFECT PURCHASE: The half-leather sofa set bought by LOW

to her complaint. “It is irresponsible of them to say I was confused when it was its salesperson who confirmed the calf part is leather. We asked him several times to clarify the matter,” she says. “I went through difficulties and a great deal of hassle to get the right sofa for my house. They should compensate me for all the troubles.”

THE equation is simple. These shopkeepers make a profit when customers park illegally in front of their shops. But motorists lose out as they are being blocked by customers’ cars along busy Jalan Gasing. Same sorry situation in Old Klang Road and Brickfields. The government should make these shopkeepers financially responsible for the traffic congestion they cause. No parking, they say? That’s a lame excuse. Move your business elsewhere or if you are principled, refuse to serve customers who park illegally. — NATIONALIST

DEC 21 No parking at the market THERE are laws for a lot of things in Malaysia. Only problem is the people enforcing the law not doing their job.

KUALA LUMPUR

Viewing pleasure restored after service disruptions fixed WONG POOI LING says she has been unable to find a solution for her UniFi woes since October. The irate piano teacher says she has been experiencing problems with her UniFi service since Oct 18 and, despite numerous emails and calls to the company, the problem persists. “The TV freezes every four minutes. It takes the fun away from watching our favourite programmes everyday,” she says. At first, WONG says, only certain channels were affected but as time went by, she began encountering the same problem even with YouTube streaming. She is disappointed as she had previously cancelled

her Astro account thinking UniFi would serve her better. “The first time I complained to UniFi, they sent a technician who replaced the old router with a new one. But the problem remained and, despite that, the technician said he had to go to another house,” she says. WONG says a second technician tested her UniFi later and said a number of users from Taman Tun Dr. Isail were having the same problem. “However, at the end of the day, my UniFi problem was still not solved as the technician did not know what else to do. He also said he had to go off some-

where,” she says. Not long after that, WONG received an SMS from UniFi informing her they had detected a problem as a result of a technical glitch on their side and assured her the error would be rectified the same day. However, disappointment followed yet again as the problem was not rectified. “I have always settled my bills on time and I still get this sort of service. They should not continue charging me, not until I get to watch my programmes without interruption,” she says. WONG wants a permanent solution so she can resume watching her favourite shows uninterrupted.

She also wants a reply to an email she sent the company regarding payments she was making for a service she has not been able to use. “I cannot wait this long just to get a reply or for my problem to be solved,” she says.

TELEKOM MALAYSIA Berhad (TM) says it has contacted WONG and they have resolved the problem. Its group communications spokesman said: “With regard to WONG’s complaint on her Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) HyppTV service on UniFi, upon investigation, our technical

team discovered the IPTV service disruption she experienced was due to the configuration issue on her Customer Premise Equipment (CPE). The spokesman said its technician has repaired the equipment and reconfigured it accordingly. TM says WONG has confirmed her IPTV service is working normally. “We have credited a rebate for the period the service was unavailable and the amount will be reflected in the customer’s bill within the next three months,” the spokesman says. When contacted, WONG confirmed the problem had been resolved.

— ABUGAGA

I SUGGEST that workshops not to be located in housing estates or commercial areas. Instead, they should be located in low and medium industrial areas. In addition, issuance of licences to workshops should be given only when the operators prove the location of their business is in the required area. Otherwise, just cancel the licence on the spot. — Anonymous

Jan 20 Offer gets lost in translation GOOD one CARs! “windscreen cleaning refers to NORMAL cleaning”. Maybe we should ask CARs if they have any abnormal cleaning packages. Cheap offers always come with hidden tricks and terms. By the way, why use the term ‘auto detailing’ if it’s just ‘normal’ cleaning? Mohd, you just got conned!. — Anonymous

F●

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

opinion Time to leave the kitchen — and still take the heat Sumthin’ else by Juana Jaafar

THE year 2011 ended on a low note for women in Malaysia as the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, got herself entangled in controversy involving members of her family and the National Feedlot Centre. The only other woman minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, did not fare any better. Ng spent much of the year under pressure over her ministry’s exorbitant disbursement for a Facebook campaign to promote tourism. In Pakatan Rakyat, Malaysia’s sole woman

political party president, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail continued to be overshadowed by her male contemporaries and husband, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. In fact, in 2008 she resigned from her parliamentary seat and post as the country’s first ever woman opposition leader to make way for Anwar’s re-entry into politics. Dr Wan Azizah’s position was an important one for women. Had Pakatan Rakyat won majority seats in Parliament in March 2008, Malaysia could have seen her first woman prime minister. Whatever the result in the upcoming general elections, it seems highly unlikely now that any woman politician would stand a chance at the premiership. What shall we make of this then, when the upper

echelons of women political leadership in Malaysia (that is, women in the position to shift national policies) fail to inspire the nation, much less bring radical change in national leadership? Perhaps we should look to civil society instead. Bersih 2.0, whatever one’s views may be, was one movement that saw active women participation and leadership last year. Led by Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, the movement managed to force the formation of a parliamentary select committee to study the country’s electoral system, following a massive rally in Kuala Lumpur calling for electoral reform endorsed by more than 60 civil society organisations including several prominent women’s groups. Nevertheless, Ambiga —

and fellow Bersih 2.0 committee member, Maria Chin Abdullah — took a lot of heat for the event. Their secretariat based at the Empower office (an organisation that promotes women’s political participation) was raided by the police, and they too were eventually arrested. This kind of harassment is not new as the women in Sisters in Islam would testify. Alicia Izharuddin, a Malaysian post-graduate student in Gender Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, said harassment is one of the main reasons women feel discouraged from participating in public discourse. While this may be true, one might want to ask. At what cost to Malaysia? Well, until and unless the

average Malaysian woman participates in national discourse, child and forced marriages will continue to be sanctioned by the state. Our office space will continue to be unfriendly to working mothers and the trend of mass exodus among young professional women will persist at the expense of our economy and Wawasan 2020. These are among the many outstanding issues that need to be addressed urgently in Malaysia. Organised women’s groups are doing all they can to affect change in an environment that continues to be resistant, despite all political talk of national transformation and calls to jom ubah (let’s change). They need help. To put all our hopes for change in the hands of women politicians has

proven to be futile. They seem so easily whipped as we have seen within their own parties and in federal and state legislative bodies. It is evident now more than ever that the average Malaysian woman must rise and take ownership of issues that concern them directly and the nation as a whole. Malaysian women must be brave and actively join, if not initiate, positive discourse at their workplace, home, online and in the media. Ya, that also means possibly taking the heat and harassment that comes with it. It is already 2012. The time to engage is now. Well-travelled and opinionated Juana tweets as @juanajaafar. Comments at feedback@mmail.com.my

Future not bright enough for Science I DON’T CARE By muzli mohd zin

APPARENTLY, Putrajaya is “a bit” concerned that we don’t like science. How funny. Seriously, how many of us really enjoyed science subjects at school? I didn’t care at all, to the extent of dropping Physics, Chemistry and Biology from my SPM exam in 1986, and happily taking Accounting, Commerce and Rampaian Sains (general science). But to Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, it’s not a joking matter; it’s rather alarming. Statistics revealed interest in science education in schools had dropped to a critical level. The Science and Technology Human Capital Direction Plan 2020’s requirement of 60 per cent from the Science stream and 40 per cent from Arts had yet to be achieved, Khaled griped. He said the number of Science stream students had dropped up to 29 per cent since 2007 and the trend continued at the universities. If left unchecked, it may impede efforts to improve hi-tech innovations to make Malaysia a high in-

come nation. Many countries consider advances in science, technology and healthcare as the pathway to regaining their foothold in the global economy. Our government was compelled to set up Agensi Inovasi Malaysia under the Prime Minister’s Department via the AIM Act 2010 as the driving force to establish an “innovation economy”. It’s a grim outlook considering that our future leaders have no interest in pursuing careers in science and technology. Khaled said students entering universities found Science difficult, boring and not worth the effort, adding they needed to imagine the interesting and profitable career prospects in science. Now, it would be folly if I were to be blamed for finding Science as such back then at school and university. Fifty years ago, we may have been inspired by the Apollo missions to the moon, but not now. The thought of wearing white long coats and working in laboratories is not sexy. If I had been asked back then to draw a scientist, I would have portray a man in a lab coat with a test tube, alone in a chilly room, looking stressed. So, I stopped imagining interesting careers in Science. You can’t fault my orang

kampung parents either as some quarters would argue that they, not teachers, were to blame for the lack of interest their children have in Science. I agree parents often exert the biggest influence on a child’s choices. But bear in mind the range of careers and prospects an average family knows about is naturally limited. One of the many reasons (in my opinion), students cite for not wanting to enter science and technology fields are lack of knowledge of careers in these fields and a general feeling they are not good at Math and Science. I once felt science served no purpose later in life. How wrong I was. I only knew you had to be good in Science to become a doctor or a mad scientist. I didn’t want to be either.

I also couldn’t recall other interesting moments learning Science, apart from the part on human anatomy and when I did minor surgery on a frog. My eldest, when he was in Tahun 1, came home beaming with the product of his Science class project. I don’t get that from him anymore. Once, I had to buy various springs to make him grasp how they worked as he didn’t understand what was taught in class. Science needs an image makeover. We all know science and technology save and improve lives. Scientists are opinionated and creative people. They are expected to act aggressively and nobody trains us for that in school. We all know the younger the kids, the better the ideas. But many of us start

losing our creativity and imagination in due course, no thanks to our lack of determination and our education system. We have a society so fixated by materialism, sports and entertainment, it has drained our children’s interest in Science. The curriculum needs to be reviewed. Teaching methods need to be improved. It’s important to make science subjects more inviting to all, especially if they want to draw a variety of thinkers and innovators. Of course, that’s the job of the education panel which was set up several months ago by Putrajaya to review our education system. I am telling my children, in my own innovative way, that physics teaches us how mirrors work, how glasses

STARTING YOUNG: Curriculum and teaching methods for children need to be improved — FILEpic

can aid my poor vision. Chemistry is about atoms, molecules and compounds making up the water we drink, the food we eat, the air we breathe, the medicines we take when we are sick. Biology is the study of life; why we are the way we are, how all living things complement us. So Putrajaya should continue innovating. Muzli Mohd Zin recently allowed his boy to embark on a ‘Science project’ and he collected six spiders from their wooden kampung house. The arachnids are now being ‘taken care of’ in a big bottle and he hopes they are released soon. Muzli receives brickbats at muleez@gmail.com

THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

OPINION

JAKARTA

INDONESIA BACK IN INVESTMENT GRADING

SINGAPORE | CORRUPTION REARS ITS UGLY HEAD

Religion and Facebook dent nation's AAA aspirations

City-state grapples with bribery scandals XXXXXXX By ANDREA TAN and KYOUNGWHA KIM

BEING FRANK By WILLIAM PESEK

IT'S a rare economic story that involves God, Facebook and credit ratings. Leave it to Indonesia to serve up a saga that speaks volumes about the obstacles facing Southeast Asia's biggest economy. Although Indonesia doesn't often make global headlines, one event last week should have received more ink: Moody's Investors Service returned the country to investment grade for the first time since the Asian financial crisis. It was an overdue recognition of how far Indonesia progressed in the last 14 years. Another news item got far more international attention: A civil servant, Alexander Aan, posted "God does not exist" on Facebook. He was beaten by a mob and faces as long as five years in prison. Atheism is illegal in Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim nation of 240 million. The real story is misdirected anger. One guy with a laptop and a Facebook account ginned up more outrage than the public manages to direct at corrupt government officials who enrich themselves while more than 100 million Indonesians survive on about RM6 a day. That's the real affront, and it's a reminder of what's at stake. Incidents such as the attack on Aan serve as a distraction from the broader Indonesia turnaround story. As the United States and France smart over losing their AAA ratings, Indonesia is quietly moving in the other direction. Standard & Poor's still rates it as junk, but it's just a matter of time before S&P follows Moody's lead. By 2030, Indonesia will be the world's sixth-biggest economy, surpassing Germany, Mexico, France and Britain, according to Tai Hui, head of Southeast Asian research at Standard Chartered. It's on Goldman Sachs's short list to join Brazil, Russia, India and China as a "BRIC" nation. BRICs? The trouble with such optimism, though, is that it

SUSILO: Reduced debt, negotiated trade agreement with Japan and solidiﬁed democracy

doesn't take account the serious obstacles to Indonesia's ascent. Two are worth exploring: China and a sense of fatigue with reforms aimed at fighting endemic corruption. On a recent trip to Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, where I met with policy makers, business people and economists, a question kept popping in my mind: OK, now what? The widely held concern is about complacency, of Indonesia beginning to believe the hype about its unstoppable trajectory and not acting to realise it. Much of the credit for Indonesia's 6.5 per cent growth goes to political stability. Since 2004, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has reduced debt, negotiated a trade agreement with Japan and solidified the democracy that replaced a corrupt dictatorship. A torrent of money flowed to Indonesia in 2011, when foreign direct investment surged 21 per cent. But the caveats are important. Indonesia's economy is less open than Singapore's or South Korea's. Much of the economy is based on domestic sales of coal, metals, palm oil and timber. Those goods it does export often go to China, which is emerging as the big wild card in the Indonesia equation. We can add Nouriel Roubini to the list of those betting

on a significant slowdown for the world's second-biggest economy. "Export growth is slowing," the co-founder of Roubini Global Economics told Bloomberg TV on Jan. 20. "If they don't do something — stimulus in monetary and fiscal credit — the risk is that the growth will slow down well below eight per cent." That may not sound so bad, considering China's gross domestic product expanded 9.2 per cent last year. But given the fast-widening gap between rich and poor in China, the worsening global outlook and the general lack of growth engines, a Chinese deceleration would be a significant blow. The bigger issue is Indonesia's long and tricky to-do list. Along with improved economic fundamentals, Yudhoyono's team fought corruption and cracked down on radicalism in the nation with the largest Muslim population. At best, though, Yudhoyono has made a small dent in the vast kleptocracy that's a holdover from dictator Suharto's 32-year rule, from 1968 to 1998. Infrastructure is a major hurdle, one more related to graft than is often acknowledged. Recent upgrades will reinvigorate Yudhoyono's push to double spending on roads, ports and airports to RM425 billion by the end of

2014. The question is how many of those billions will go into the pockets of corrupt officials. At the moment, assume MANY. Only when Indonesia creates strong institutions — a more independent judiciary, greater accountability among public officials, a more aggressive agency to investigate and root out graft — will big infrastructure projects do their part to generate growth and reduce poverty. This challenge shows how corruption really is at the heart of so much of what ails Indonesia. The public needs to do its part. Indonesian demands for cleaner government is the key to raising the nation's ranking in Transparency International's corruption perceptions index. Last year, it came in 100th out of 183 economies, tied with Argentina, Burkina Faso and Mexico. Granted, that's a big improvement from 2004, when Indonesia ranked 133rd along with Democratic Republic of Congo, Georgia and Tajikistan. Yet to get into the ranks of the world's top 10 economies within two decades, Indonesia must do better. The return to investmentgrade status is a fresh start for Indonesia. It's now up to officials in Jakarta to do something with it. — Bloomberg News

SINGAPORE has replaced its civil defence and narcotics bureau heads on allegations of "serious personal misconduct" in the city-state's highest-level probe of public servants in almost two decades. The commissioner of the Singapore Civil Defence Force, Peter Lim Sin Peng, has been dismissed along with Central Narcotics Bureau director Ng Boon Gay, according to statements from the Home Affairs Ministry. The city's Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau began investigations into the activities of the two as early as last month, requiring them to go on leave from their duties. The probe adds to challenges faced by the Southeast Asian nation since Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's People's Action Party won elections in May by the smallest margin since Independence. The city, which lost its top spot on Transparency International's corruption index, last year, is also grappling with public criticism following the worst disruptions to its subway services and flooding in the biggest shopping district. “Major bribery scandals dent Singapore's reputation for clean government," said Richard Cassin, author of Bribery Abroad: Lessons From the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. “The enormous corporate and personal wealth in Singapore is bound to create more temptation.” Lawmakers in Singapore, ranked as the Asian city with

SAW: Stepped down after train delay debacle

the best quality of life by consulting, outsourcing and investments giant Mercer, and the world's easiest place to do business by the World Bank, have raised concerns about the efficiency of the country's infrastructure system after train breakdowns and flash floods, last month. The country also has the highest proportion of millionaires in the world. "You can't always stop bad things from happening," said Hri Kumar, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Law and Home Affairs. "What defines a proper system is where errors and inappropriate conduct are identified and investigated thoroughly and dealt with in an open and transparent manner." SMRT Corp chief cxecutive officer Saw Phaik Hwa stepped down on Jan 6 as head of the city's biggest train operator after glitches on Dec 15 and 17 delayed more than 200,000 people, including shoppers in the Orchard Road retail district in the last weekend before the Christmas holidays. Singapore's parliament backed a motion last week, to cut salaries for Lee and top office holders even after some members said the reductions may make it more difficult to attract talent in politics. — Bloomberg News

TUESday 31 january 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

opinion

YANGON | UP CLOSE WITH AUNG SAN SUU KYI

Myanmar star on Thein Sein, freedom and her political agenda By Lally Weymouth

Aung San Suu Kyi sat in the living room of the home where she lived under house arrest for so many years and talked about the future. She is now a free citizen, meeting with high-level foreign delegations; a political star and possibly future president of her country. In an interview on Jan 18 — the same day Suu Kyi registered as a candidate for Burma’s (Myanmar) parliamentary elections — she talked about her country’s President, US economic sanctions and her political agenda. The excerpts follow. Q: In the United States, people are asking if President Thein Sein’s reform process is real. Do you think the reforms are real? And how did your meeting with the president go? A: My meeting with the president went well, and I believe he sincerely wants reform. But he is not the only one in government. Our present constitution gives the military far too much power. Although the president is the head of state, he is not necessarily the highest power in the land. The commander-in-chief can take over all powers of government at any time he feels it necessary. That must be very difficult if you are in the position in which our president is. I don’t know how much support he has within the army. He himself is an army man, so I assume there must be considerable support for him in military circles. But that is just an assumption. I think the president is genuine about reform. I think there are those who support him in the government. Whether or not all people support him, I can’t answer.

editorial

Q: Do you worry that there could be a reversal of this reform process? A: I don’t worry overmuch, but I am aware there is a possibility of reversal. I think we have to work very hard to diminish this possibility. I do appreciate what the United States is doing to encourage this process. I think we here inside Burma have to do the major part of the work. Q: Should the United States lift sanctions and engage? A: Engage and lift sanctions when they think the time is right. The US has laid out very clearly what the conditions are for the removal of sanctions. If this government wants sanctions removed, they will have to try and meet those conditions. Q: One condition was the prisoner releases, and the president did release quite a few recently. A: Yes, but not all of them yet. All the major political prisoners have been released. Q: Do you feel you could you play a role in bringing about peace and reconciliation between the ethnic groups and the government? A: I could play a role only if both sides are willing to have me play a role. I can’t just go in because one side has asked me to take part. The ethnics have indicated they want me to be part of it. Q: I asked the president if he would consider giving you a cabinet post. He said it was up to parliament. A: Quite right. Even if we win all the seats we are contesting, that will be only 48 out of 600 seats. The reason we want to get into parliament is not that we expect

to do all our work in parliament. We want to extend our activities into parliament. Q: Going back to the US demands — what other conditions must be met? A: There should be an end to all hostilities in the ethnic areas. There has been a ceasefire with the KNU (Karen National Union) but not yet with the KIA (Kachin Independence Army). That is a big problem for the country. Q: Senior US officials look to you for guidance in regard to lifting the sanctions. A: What they have in me is someone to give an honest assessment of the situation. The situation in the Kachin (state) is a major problem. If we are to have a genuinely peaceful nation, we will have to resolve these problems politically, not militarily. Q: The government reportedly has been brutal in the ethnic areas. A: Yes, there have been human rights violations, and that’s why it’s necessary to allow third-party access to those areas to find out what’s really happening. Q: Senator Richard Lugar has said that Burma is developing a nuclear weapon with the help of North Korea. A: I don’t know that they are developing a nuclear weapon. They certainly have re-established diplomatic relations with North Korea. That cannot be denied. Q: Is it true they picked Naypyidaw as the new capital because of an astrologer? A: I understand that the previous government was guided by astrologers. Q: Do you think Thein Sein is sort of a Gorbachev?

I don't want to be President, but I want to be free to decide whether or not I want to be President of this country

Aung San Suu Kyi candidate for Myanmar's parliamentary elections

A: No, because Gorbachev came into power gradually through the ranks, and he had his grip on power quite firmly before he started going towards reform. Thein Sein is in a rather different situation. I think very few people expected him to become head of state. He was not the highest-ranking member in the military government under General (Than) Shwe. Q: You referred to the fact that the Army could overthrow this president. What is his relationship with the Army? A: He is respected in the army, that we know. He is one of the few members of the previous regime who is considered by all to be clean. Not only he, but his family as well, and that is unusual. Q: Do you want to be president one day? A: I don’t want to be president, but I want to be free to decide whether or not I want to be president of this country. Q: If you win a majority of the parliamentary seats in 2015, as you did in 1990, do you think they would let you

assume power? A: What we want is to make sure that by 2015, this should not be a question at all. By 2015, we should be certain that whichever party wins the majority in parliament should decide how the government is going to be organised. We have said quite clearly that one of the aims of the NLD (National League for Democracy) is the necessary amendments to the constitution. We have reregistered our party. I went to register myself as a candidate, this morning. We have started campaigning around the country. People have been very enthusiastic. It is very encouraging — all these years, and they are still standing solidly behind us. Q: What about a free press? A: There is no real freedom of the press yet. When I was released, last year, I think we didn’t have half the number of journalists and publications that we have now. Within the last year, the number of publications has proliferated. Q: But they have to submit their stories to a censor. A: Yes. The censorship laws

have been relaxed considerably. When I was released, I couldn’t publish anything under my name. Q: Do you have ideas on how to improve the living standards of the people of this country? A: We need to empower the people. One way to empower them is to make them stronger economically. That’s where we would like our friends to help: foreign aid in the right way; development aid that is not frittered away to those who are administering the funds. Q: Do you favour privatising the economy? A: Yes, but we need sound laws with regard to the economy. We need sound banking and sound investment laws. Only a small minority of our people have anything to do with banks. Q: What is your view of the Arab Spring? Do you think the government in Naypyidaw was influenced by it? A: The situation in the Middle East is considerably different. I was heartened that people everywhere want certain basic freedoms, even if they live in a totally different cultural environment. — The Washington Post

MANAGEMENT

Editors

Yushaimi Yahaya

Terence Fernandez

Muzli Mohamad Zin

Frankie D'Cruz

Ahmad Najmuddin

Phillip Karuppiah

Joel Miranda

Joehari Abd Jabbar

Group Editorial Advisor yushem@mmail.com.my

Managing Editor | News terence@mmail.com.my

Managing Editor | Operations muzli@mmail.com.my

Editor-At-Large frankie@mmail.com.my

News Editor ahmadnajmuddin@mmail.com.my

Chief Executive Officer phillip@redberry.com.my

General Manager | Sales joel.miranda@redberry.com.my

General Manager | Distribution joehari@redberry.com.my

tuesday 31 january 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

Letters Letters To The Editor must carry your name, address and contact number. A pseudonym may be included

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MAIL Letters To The Editor, Malay Mail Sdn Bhd, Lot 2A, Jalan 13/2, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

PENANG

feedback@mmail.com.my

TO BAN OR NOT TO BAN

Tighter control on fireworks needed THE Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) calls on the government to lift the ban on firecrackers as it is a mockery of the law if enforcement is not carried out. Firecrackers have been banned since 1978; but they were fired all over Penang at midnight when the Chinese celebrated their new year. Fireworks and firecrackers have caused inhumane deaths and destruction and unless enforcement is tightened, the lessons of these tragedies will not be learnt. The latest tragedy happened in Kota Kinabalu, when a 26-year-old man was killed in a horrifying fireworks mishap. Family members watched in horror when the victim KUALA LUMPUR

dropped to the ground lifeless after malfunctioning fireworks suddenly exploded in his face as he went to check on them. The proliferation in the market of these explosives reflects the weakness of the checks of the Customs Department. If the Customs had been diligent in their work, this dangerous merchandise would not be in the market. At the moment, only firecrackers are banned under the Explosives Act. This rule is inadequate. Fireworks are also explosives and as such pose a threat to the safety of users. Furthermore, a total ban on both firecrackers and fireworks will make enforcement an easier task as

the mayor's office

KUALA LUMPUR

Mayoral elections are what Kuala Lumpur needs TOMORROW is Federal Territories Day and my wish for Kuala Lumpur is to have a mayor who is elected and not appointed. The mayor I would like to have should be a politician and not a civil servant. While several cities in developing and developed nations have moved towards direct election of a mayor, our policymakers seem to be taking its sweet time to study the concept of electing a mayor. A mayor who is elected will give his or her best in office because the same voters can kick him out of office if they are unsatisfied with the official’s performance or behaviour.

there is no ambiguity. At present, enforcement officers will find it difficult to do their job if firecrackers are hidden in a pile of fireworks. Banning fireworks and firecrackers of any nature will not only make enforcement simpler. The public will also find it easier to identify offences and report the culprits. Over the years, CAP had made numerous calls to enforce the ban on firecrackers and fireworks. However, our calls have fallen on deaf ears. Both the Police and Customs have dismally and miserably failed to check what has become a mockery of the law. CAP regrets that the authorities charged with duties of enforcing the law

Surely, there would be that emotional element of the ethnicity of the mayor of Kuala Lumpur, for instance. After nine Malay mayors of Kuala Lumpur, what is so wrong if the people pick a Chinese?. We are after all 1Malaysia. I feel the people of KL are becoming more detached from City Hall and in particular the Mayor. I doubt many can name all the nine mayors KL has had. We need a mayor who feels for the city and is in love with it; not someone continuing a career in the civil service. FAKHRY JUNIT KUALA LUMPUR

FIRECRACKERS: Deadly, freely-available explosives

have shown total apathy and laxity over violators who blatantly break the law. Children are being maimed and killed each year. If we care about them, the only option is to ban all fireworks and firecrackers without exception. Only then will our children be safe from this annual tragedy. It is understandable that merrymakers should not be denied during the festive season but the price is too high to pay.

SM MOHAMED IDRIS PRESIDENT, CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION OF PENANG

the 'ang pow' affair

When ignorance is not bliss IT IS highly unlikely that leaders of the rightwing Malay pressure group, Perkasa, who handed out the Chinese New Year ang pow in uncharacteristic white envelopes did not know that in Chinese tradition white packets are reserved for funerals. The explanation by Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali (pic) — “Don't think like that, they're just white envelopes, we didn't mean anything (bad).” — clearly PENANG

demonstrates the group’s lack of understanding of the culture and tradition of fellow Chinese Malaysians. Perkasa’s attempt to show they aren’t racist fell flat largely due to a total lack of understanding and sensitivity to the community. Apart from the white envelope fiasco, the event at Kampung Baru tells us much has to be done to address the issue of poverty

Don't think like that, it's just white envelopes, we didn't mean anything (bad) IBRAHIM ALI Perkasa chief

and inequality across all communities. I feel sad for our fellow citizens having to rely on

handouts. better.

They

Hasan in a hot house

Hasan Ali's comments far-fetched and ridiculous SACKED PAS leader Datuk Dr. Hasan Ali (pic) is becoming a bigger joke by the day and his comments are getting supremely ludicrous. I cannot fathom where he gets his farfetched and ridiculous "facts" from. At the recent anti-apostasy rally in Penang he made a preposterous suggestion that Muslims are converted into Christianity via the giving of money and gifts. He related stories about

how individuals or couples who were Christianised had been lured by gifts of money, laptops, cameras, cars, monthly food provisions and gadgets like solar-powered Bibles to help them in their faith. He then declared he was told international Christian groups have unlimited funds. There are many churches locally that struggle to meet their operating expenses and have to rely

on the generosity of its members to get by. They are definitely not in any position at all to be throwing money or gifts to lure anybody into Christianity. Hasan Ali should be glad to know this. Because if they really did what he alleged, anyone who needs money or a car can just claim them from a church. CELYN ROSARIO KUALA LUMPUR

deserve FRANCIS NG SEREMBAN

F ● TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

NEWS

THE MALAY MAIL

Business

SINGAPORE

PARIS

TOKYO

BEIJING

Tiger expands via Mandala Air

Plassat to clean up Carrefour mess

Canon forecasts weaker earnings

Plan for Shanghai as global yuan centre

Budget airline buys 33% stake in beleaguered Indonesian carrier as part of its regional expansion plans

New chief executive with solid track record for company restructuring must save Europe’s largest grocer from break-up

Worries over a slowing global economy and a strong yen likely to weigh on the export-dependent camera and printer maker’s profits

City aims to rival London, New York and Hong Kong to become international financial centre by 2015

 PAGE22

 PAGE23

KUALA LUMPUR

NCB boost from takaful

INNOVATIVE: Saiful (left) with finance head Mohd Rizal Mohd Raiz and distribution head Mohd Hakim Nordin launching the new medical plan — Pix: Ashraf Shamsul Azlan

Medical policy entry for customers even up to age 65 By Andrea Mathew andrea@mmail.com.my

ING PUBLIC Takaful Ehsan Bhd yesterday launched its investment-linked medical plan that offers entry for customers even up to age 65. Takaful Ehsan chief executive officer Saiful Yazan Ahmad said: “While most companies only offer insurance products for a maximum entry age of 50 or 55 years old, leveraging on our sister company’s years of experience and historical data, we are confident in offering our product for much older customers at a

reasonable pricing. “We also feel, with the government extending the retirement age to 60, there is a market need for this age group.” The new Investment-Linked Takaful Medical (ILT-Med) also offers cashless hospital administration with the Cashless ILT-Med plan and lifetime limit of up to 10 times the annual limit. Further, a no claims bonus (NCB) of up to RM400 if no claims are made in the previous certificate year. Saiful said: “ILT-Med is the latest rider we have added to our Investment-Linked Takaful Salam plan, which offers financial protection against 35 critical illnesses, with

coverage extending to angioplasty and early stages of various cancer diagnoses. “Our customers will also benefit from the Referral Emergency Assistance Programme where they can enjoy worldwide assistance 24/7.” Takaful Ehsan currently has 71 hospitals on the panel list and hopes to increase this figure in the coming months to at least 100 or 150. “With the ILT-Med, we intend to leverage on the network and relationship cultivated over the years between our sister company, ING Insurance Bhd, and the various hospitals across the country. We hope to secure one hospital in every major town and

city,” said Saiful. Last year, the company obtained RM30 million in applications from bancatakaful business. The company targets 28,000 policies from bancatakaful and 14,000 policies from re-

Forex liberalisation for local banks licensed onshore banks are permitted to offer ringgitdenominated interest rate derivatives to a non-bank non-resident. Flexibility is also given for a resident to convert their existing ringgit or foreign currency debt obligation

into a debt obligation of another foreign currency, it said in a statement yesterday. All these measures are part of continuous efforts by Bank Negara to enhance competitiveness in the economy and to develop the

domestic financial market. The measures in line with the road thrust of the Financial Sector Blueprint will contribute towards increasing liquidity, depth and participation of wider range of players in the domestic financial market. — Bernama

10 MOST ACTIVE STOCKS MONday JAN 30, 2012 STOCK

VOLUME

CLSG (sen)

+/– (sen)

DBE

155,524,500

- 1

DRBHCOM-CG

62,285,700

18.5

+ 0.5

TMS-WA

60,750,400

+ 9.5

DRBHCOM-CI

49,121,600

+ 7

DRBHCOM-CF

45,535,000

+ 1.5

COMPUGT

44,004,500

8.5

- 0.5

POS-CB

42,203,300

2.5

+ 8.5

DRBHCOM-HA

40,814,200

+ 2.5

REDTONE

39,060,800

UNCH

UTOPIA

35,748,400

6.5

+ 3.5

KL MARKET SUMMARY

KUALA LUMPUR

MONday JAN 30, 2012

MAHB raising RM600m for KLIA2 capex A PRIVATE placement of up to 110 million shares worth RM598.4 million has been proposed by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) to raise funds to finance additional capital expenditure (capex). The gross proceeds is based

Later this year, Takaful Ehsan also plans to introduce an educational plan and a few employee benefit products. With an almost 2% market share currently, Takaful Ehsan hopes to reach a 10% market share by 2015.

MARKETREPORT

KUALA LUMPUR

LICENSED onshore banks are now allowed to trade in foreign currencies against another foreign currency with a resident effective today, Bank Negara Malaysia announced. The central bank also announced that from today,

tail agencies this year - with at least 7,000 of the latter coming from the new ILTMed rider. Saiful said: “Last year, we had 300 agents but we are hoping to raise that number to 1,000 to 1,500 this year.

on the assumption that the issue price is fixed at RM5.44 per placement share. In a filing to Bursa Malaysia yesterday, Maybank Investment Bank Bhd said the proposed private placement represents up to 10% of the company’s issued and paid-

up share capital. “The gross proceeds to be raised from the proposed exercise will allow the company to meet its obligations, related to the construction of the KL International Airport 2 (KLIA2), scheduled to be completed by April

next year. “It will also enable MAHB to strengthen its equity base, which in turn will provide it with financing flexibility in the future, to finance the balance of additional capex and other operational capex requirements.” — Bernama

INDICES

CHANGE

FBMEMAS

10,540.95

(- 37.38)

FBM-KLCI

1,513.55

(- 7.35)

INDUSTRIAL

2,786.42

(- 4.87)

CONSUMER PRODUCT

487.62

(- 2.14)

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT

117.85

(+ 0.33)

CONSTRUCTION

258.46

(- 1.02)

TRADING SERVICES

193.05

(- 1.71)

FINANCE

13,425.09

(+ 4.32)

PROPERTIES

1,030.10

(+ 4.59)

PLANTATIONS

8,727.99

(- 22.52)

MINING

393.13

(+ 2.03)

TECHNOLOGY

18.05

(+ 0.34)

THE MALAY MAIL

tuesday 31 january 2012

NEWS

Business Maybe the non-Muslims are quite confused with the Arabic terms used in Islamic banking, maybe the terms should be translated into simple language Tan Sri Dr Mohd Munir Abdul Majid Chairman, Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd

GEORGE TOWN

Bank Muamalat targets non-Muslims Proactive move to enhance market for Islamic banking, given growing interest globally

NEW BRANCH: Dr Mohd Munir (right) assisted by a bank staff at the Lebuh Pantai outlet launching yesterday — BERNAMApic

INCREASING the number of non-Muslim customers will be the focus of Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd as a proactive move to enhance the market of various Islamic banking products and services which are increasing drawing the attention of non-Muslims in Europe. Chairman Tan Sri Dr Mohd Munir Abdul Majid said: “There’s nothing wrong with non-Muslims using Islamic banking products and services. If we look at the international level, they’ve started

to show interest to use the Islamic banking system. “The Islamic banking system offers more attractive services compared with those provided by conventional banks. For example, the Ar-Rahnu Islamic pawnbroking service which is safer and fair when compared with the other pawnbroking system.” Speaking to reporters after opening Bank Muamalat’s Lebuh Pantai branch yesterday, he said the interpretation and use of accurate and correct terms for a particular

By Malayan Banking Bhd

Maybank funds Indonesian hydro plant to take over the entire existing project loans for the construction of the 2x90MW Asahan 1 Hydroelectric Power Plant located in North Sumatra, Indonesia. Maybank deputy president and head of global wholesale banking Abdul Farid Alias said: “This transaction marks the continuation of Maybank Group’s support for its International Currency Business Unit platform,

which is an initiative under the Malaysian International Financial Centre by the Malaysian government. “Given our significant regional reach, we are seeing greater opportunities in cross-border financing, including in Islamic banking.” BDSN is the independent power producer which builds, owns and operates the Asahan 1 Hydroelectric

Power Plant under a 30-year power purchase agreement with PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (Persero). The Asahan 1 Hydroplant achieved commercial operation on Jan 18 last year and the electricity generated is used by amongst others, export-oriented industries situated in North Sumatra, hence directly contributing towards economic growth in the region. — Bernama

LONDON

AirAsia X offers alternatives for cancellations LONG haul budget carrier AirAsia X is making arrangements for at least 30,000 cancelled online bookings following the low-cost carrier’s withdrawal from London, Paris and India, its chairman Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said. Though the costs for this exercise have not been disclosed, Rafidah said the withdrawals have curtailed the dimensions of losses already felt by AirAsia X long-haul routes following escalating oil prices and government taxes. As promised, the budget airline announced that all passengers, who hold bookings to the destinations, will be offered an alternative travel option at no additional cost to mitigate the inconvenience caused from the route withdrawals.

lamic banking system.” Mohd Munir said that presently, the percentage of nonMuslims using Bank Muamalat’s services was 20% for the deposits segment and 40% for the financing segment. He said the number of nonMuslims using the Islamic banking system in Malaysia was still low because they thought the system was only for the Muslims. Bank Muamalat, which started operations 13 years ago, has 56 branches nationwide. — Bernama

EXCHANGERATES

KUALA LUMPUR

THE Maybank Group has concluded the syndication of US$330.6 million (RM1 billion) syndicated term facility for PT Bajradaya Sentranusa (BDSN). The 10-year facility is segregated into dual-currency conventional tranches of US$187.5 million and 400 billion Indonesian rupiah as well as US$100 million in an Islamic tranche. The proceeds will be used

product or service offered in the Islamic banking system was also an important element to attracting the interest of non-Muslims to the system. “Maybe the non-Muslims are quite confused with the Arabic terms used in Islamic banking, maybe the terms should be translated into simple language like Ar-Rahnu is replaced with Islamic pawnbroking. “This alternative can possibly help increase the number of non-Muslims using the Is-

An email stating available options will be sent to the affected passengers, including a full refund, a re-route to another AirAsia X destination (in Australia and North Asia) or move to an alternative carrier where available. Rafidah also said any possibility for AirAsia X’s return in the future has not been written off as the budget airline’s strategy for Europe in the future remains open as she said nobody had expected for the frills-free airline to fly longhaul in the first place. Despite the cancellations, the former international trade and industry minister said AirAsia still remained as the away jersey kit sponsor for the London football club, Queens Park Rangers, owned by the airline’s founder Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.

The sponsorship deal is until the end of the 2012/2013 football season. “When our sponsorship ends, the board will have to make a decision.” Commenting on reports highlighting the disappointment of Malaysian students and frequent AirAsia travellers to Europe, Rafidah said what happened was unfortunate and what was done was in the business best interest. “When a business strategy is not working, we’ve to resolve it, which we did with many early warnings.” In a separate statement, AirAsia X said it will increase its flight frequency to Tokyo (Haneda), Japan from its current three flights to six flights weekly effective from March 23. From June 22, AirAsia X will operate daily flights

from the Low Cost Carrier Terminal in Kuala Lumpur to the Japanese capital. In addition, AirAsia X currently flies four times weekly to Osaka (Kansai). The increase in frequency is part of the airline’s realignment plan announced recently which will focus on increasing services to its core markets in Australasia, China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. The increase in flight frequencies to Tokyo (Haneda) follows AirAsia X’s recent announcement of its Australian route to Sydney, which will see AirAsia X commencing services from Kuala Lumpur from April 1. To date, AirAsia X has flown over 100,000 passengers to Tokyo (Haneda) with an average passenger load factor of 75%. — Bernama

FOREIGN CURRENCY MONday jan 30, 2012 FOREIGN CURRENCY

SELLING

BUYING

TT/OD

BUYING

1 US DOLLAR

3.0745

3.0075

2.9975

1 AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR

3.2750

3.1810

3.1650

1 BRUNEI DOLLAR

2.4570

2.3950

2.3870

1 EURO

4.0550

3.9710

3.9510

1 NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR

2.5520

2.4520

2.4360

1 PAPUA N GUINEA KINA

1.6270

1.3220

1.3060

1 SINGAPORE DOLLAR

2.4565

2.3950

2.3870

1 STERLING POUND

4.8260

4.7350

4.7150

100 ARAB EMIRATES DIRHAM

85.0800

80.5100

80.3100

100 BANGLADESH TAKA

3.7020

3.4980

3.2980

100 HONGKONG DOLLAR

40.2900

38.1300

37.9300

100 INDIAN RUPEE

6.3270

5.9900

5.7900

100 INDONESIAN RUPIAH

0.0349

0.0329

0.0279

100 JAPANESE YEN

4.0120

3.9110

3.9010

100 PAKISTAN RUPEE

3.4800

3.2600

3.0600

100 PHILIPPINE PESO

7.3100

6.9000

6.7000

100 SAUDI RIYAL

83.2000

78.9800

78.7800

100 SOUTH AFRICAN RAND

40.9300

37.6200

37.4200

100 SRI LANKA RUPEE

2.7900

2.5600

2.3600

100 THAI BAHT

10.5900

8.9700

8.5700

BRIEFS

New director at OSK bank

Higher profit at Public Bank

KUALA LUMPUR: OSK Holdings Bhd yesterday said Dr Choong Tuck Yew has retired as director and chairman of OSK Investment Bank Bhd (OSKIB), a wholly-owned subsidiary of OSK, effective Jan 28. The company’s senior independent non-executive director, Foo San Kan, has been redesignated to assume the chairmanship of OSKIB with the approval of Bank Negara Malaysia, it said in a statement. Foo’s term, from Jan 29 this year, will be for three years. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: Public Bank Bhd has reported a 12.8% increase in pretax profit to RM4.61 billion for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2011 from RM4.09 billion in the previous year. Revenue for the twelvemonth period rose to RM12.76 billion from RM11.04 billion. The bank’s gross loans as at the end of 2011 stood at RM177.7 billion, representing a growth of 13.5% as compared to a year ago. — Bernama

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

NEWS

THE MALAY MAIL

Business (Myanmar) is a huge country which will provide new growth for airlines, especially the low-cost carriers Shukor Yusof Standard and Poor’s analyst

BRIEFS

SINGAPORE

Tiger expands via Mandala Air Buys 33% stake in beleaguered Indonesian carrier for regional expansion SINGAPORE budget airline Tiger Airways said yesterday it had bought a 33% stake in beleaguered Indonesian carrier PT Mandala Airlines as part of its regional expansion plans. The investment will see Tiger Airways become the second biggest shareholder in Mandala, which has undergone financial restructuring after being grounded in January last year due to massive debts. Indonesian investment company Saratoga Group will hold a 51.3% stake while the remaining 15.7% will be held by Mandala’s previous shareholders and creditors. Tiger said in a statement the investment in Mandala will be be held through a wholly-owned subsidiary, Roar Aviation Pte Ltd and expects the firm’s air operator’s certificate to be reacti-

REBUILDING: Tiger Airways had its reputation dented after Australian aviation regulators grounded its domestic services for six weeks in 2010, citing safety concerns — Gettypic

vated next month and flights to resume in April. Mandala Airlines — which was owned by the Indonesian military until 2006 when private investors took over — will adopt Tiger Airways’ low-cost carrier model and will use Airbus A320 aircraft in its fleet. It aims to fly within Indonesia and to international destinations within a fivehour flying radius. The number of aircraft, and the initial routes and destinations “will be announced once all approvals have been granted by the regulators and authorities,” said Tiger Airways, which is partly owned by

Singapore Airlines. “Mandala is the first of Tiger Airways’ joint venture ‘cubs’ and represents a significant step in our efforts to expand our ‘paw print’ in this region,” said Tiger Airways Holdings Ltd chief executive Chin Yau Seng. Tiger Airways, which has domestic operations in Aus-

tralia, has been looking for expansion opportunities in Asia and last year it raised more than S$158 million ($126 million) in a rights issue to fund its plans, including the purchase of aircraft. The acquisition comes as Tiger Airways itself struggles to rebuild its dented reputation after aviation regula-

tors in Australia grounded its domestic services for six weeks last year, citing safety concerns. The suspension in July last year led to a major management shake-up in the airline, which is partially owned by Singapore Airlines and government investment arm Temasek Holdings. — AFP

SINGAPORE

PARIS

Myanmar attracts Asian airlines

Plassat to clean up Carrefour mess

SOUTHEAST Asian carriers are set to profit from the expected surge in the number of leisure and business travellers to Myanmar as it re-emerges from political isolation, but poor infrastructure is likely to slow development. The former Burma, one of the most isolated countries in Asia, is being welcomed back into the international fold after two decades of sanctions, thanks to democratic reforms including the release of political prisoners by President Thein Sein. Thai Airways International PCL, SilkAir, AirAsia Bhd, and JetStar, have flown to Myanmar’s capital Yangon for a number of years and are seen as the main beneficiaries from the political shift in the country. “This is a huge country which will provide new growth for airlines, especially the low cost carriers,” Standard and Poor’s analyst Shukor Yusof said, adding that the yields that carriers are enjoying on Yangon routes have been good. With its pristine beaches and unspoilt cultural sites,

Myanmar is an attractive destination for travellers jaded by the rapid development seen elsewhere in Southeast Asia, and tourist numbers are already rising rapidly with potential for much more growth. During the 2010-2011 (April-March) fiscal year, 424,000 people visited Myanmar, according to official data. That compares with 19 million tourists that its neighbouring Thailand attracts each year. The Thai affiliate of Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia, Thai AirAsia, said it was looking to add new routes into the country’s inland cultural centres. AirAsia flies to Yangon from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. “We are considering opening more flights and destinations in Myanmar. We’re only operating to Yangon at the moment, but we’re currently looking at Mandalay and Bagan,” Thai AirAsia chief executive officer Tassapon Bijleveld said. Silk Air, the regional carrier of Singapore Airlines Ltd, and JetStar, a subsidiary of Qantas Airways

Ltd, said they have no current plans to add flights to Myanmar but will monitor any opportunities to expand. Political risks aside, analysts said boosting the capacity to Myanmar would not be easy due to various infrastructure problems in the country. Currently there are only three airports that can accommodate single aisle commercial aircraft like Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, a popular choice of among airlines to start a new route, none near the country’s nascent beach centres such as Thandwe. Standard & Poor’s Yusof said this could provide an opportunity for Changi Airport Group, the operator of Singapore’s Changi Airport, to engage in management contract to improve the airports in Myanmar. Some major hotel operators, including Starwood Hotels & Resorts — which runs chains such as Westin, Sheraton and Le Meridien — and Marriott International had said they wanted to start running hotels in Myanmar. — Reuters

KNOWN as “The Cleaner” when at the helm of French retail group Vivarte, Georges Plassat, comes with a reputation as a ruthless costkiller who could at times be harsh with the troops. Now the 62-year-old retail veteran is taking on the toughest challenge of his career — the top seat at Carrefour, the world’s secondlargest stores group with annual sales of over €90 billion (RM360 billion). As new chief executive, the Frenchman with a solid track record for company restructuring must turn around Europe’s largest grocer to save it from a possible break-up. “Carrefour is sinking and shareholders will be expecting Plassat to hit the ground running. There is no doubt that he has the biggest task in retail this year,” said Natalie Berg, director of global research at Planet Retail. Plassat replaces Lars Olofsson, a former Nestle executive, who after three years leaves a group in disarray. Carrefour warned its profits would fall short of tar-

gets six times in a little over a year. Staff morale is the doldrums. The shares have lost 24% since Olofsson took over. Plassat, a man who shuns the limelight, must pull off what Olofsson and a procession of chief executives before him failed to do — fix Carrefour’s struggling European hypermarket business and halt market share loss in the company’s core French market. Plassat’s experience at Vivarte, owner of brands such as Andre shoes, Kookai womenswear and discount retailer La Halle aux Vetements, could be crucial in helping Carrefour revive its underperforming hypermarkets, analysts say. His stroke of genius came in 2000 when he identified loss-making shoe retailer Groupe Andre as a bargain and eventually transformed it into the profitable Vivarte with sales of over €3 billion. Two restructuring plans and hefty job cuts at Groupe Andre won Plassat the nickname of “Georges The Cleaner”. — Reuters

Steelmaker’s profit halves TOKYO: JFE Holdings Inc, the world’s fifth-biggest steelmaker, reported a 58% fall in AprilDecember profit as exports fell and prices sagged, and it downgraded its full-year profit outlook by 60%. JFE, which is heavily exposed to Asia’s export market, trimmed its annual profit outlook to ¥40 billion only three months after it slashed the forecast more than a fifth to ¥100 billion in October. Demand growth in China, the world’s top producer and consumer, has decelerated in a knock-on effect of Europe’s debt woes, while the strong yen curbed exports and boosted imports of cheaper-priced steel in Japan, pressuring prices. — Reuters

Ryanair raises profit forecast DUBLIN: Ryanair raised its profit forecast yesterday, saying higher ticket prices were more than making up for expensive fuel and reduced capacity, underlining the resilience of its low-cost sector as legacy carriers struggle. The Irish low cost carrier, Europe’s largest, increased its full year profit forecast by 9% to €480 million (RM1.9 billion) after posting revenue growth of 13% in the three month s to Dec 31. “The EU recession, higher oil prices, the unfolding failure of the package tour operator model, significant competitor fare increases and capacity cuts, has created enormous growth opportunities for Ryanair,” chief executive Michael O’Leary said in a statement. It reported a net profit of €15 million after it grounded 80 of its 270 planes over the winter due to high fuel costs. — Reuters

Citigroup chairman quitting WASHINGTON: Citigroup chairman Richard Parsons, who helped steer the bank through the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, is considering stepping down after three years in the post, The Wall Street Journal reported. Citing unnamed people familiar with the situation, the newspaper said Parsons was expected to make his decision by early March. Parsons became Citigroup’s chairman in 2009. Bad mortgages and other questionable financial decisions nearly led to Citigroup’s collapse in 2008 and forced the bank to accept tens of billions of dollars in US aid. But in 2011, Citigroup had a profit of US$11.3 billion, The Journal noted. — AFP

THE MALAY MAIL

tuesday 31 january 2012 F ●

NEWS

Business We consider ourselves the best partner for a business tie-up (with Olympus) ... while contributing to the general development of the medical industry Shigehiro Nakajima representative director, Fujifilm Holdings Corp

LONDON

BEIJING/SHANGHAI

Plan for Shanghai as yuan centre

Sept trial for rogue UBS trader

Underpins China’s ambition in creating own version of New York, London or Hong Kong

FORMER UBS trader Kweku Adoboli will stand trial in September after pleading not guilty yesterday to charges related to the loss of more than US$2 billion on trades the Swiss bank says were unauthorised. The trial, which is likely to shine a searching light on the adequacy of the bank’s management and risk controls, could land Adoboli with a maximum 10-year jail sentence if convicted of the two counts of fraud and two of false accounting. His lawyer Paul Garlick said Adoboli, who worked for the bank as a director of exchange traded funds in London, where the trial is being held, would try to win bail before it starts on Sept 3, nearly a year after his arrest. The losses led to the resignation of UBS’ former chief executive Oswald Gruebel and a shake-up of its investment arm to cut its exposure to risk. Judge Alistair McCreath said the case was “of such magnitude” that there would have to be a long gap between the plea hearing and the start of the trial. “An earlier trial would simply not be possible.” Dressed in a grey suit and blue tie, Adoboli sat in the glass and wood-panelled dock at Southwark Crown Court, taking notes on a piece of paper. He thanked the judge before being led from the dock and back into custody at the end of the hearing. Adoboli, the British-educated son of a retired UN official from Ghana, was arrested on Sept 15 and charged a day later. “This puts the focus back on UBS, which is negative,” said one banking analyst, who asked not to be named. “They did not provide a lot of detail about what happened, but a trial does mean more details on their risk systems and on their internal investigation will have to come out.” The case rocked an industry struggling with the eurozone debt crisis and a global economic slowdown. UBS itself came close to collapse during the 2008 financial crisis because of its exposure to bad loans in the mortgage market. — Reuters

CHINA will make Shanghai the global centre of yuan trading, clearing and pricing by 2015, according to a specific state plan laying out the city’s future as an international financial centre. The detailed plan, published jointly by the country’s economic planning agency and the Shanghai government, shows the scale of China’s ambition in creating its own version of New York, London or Hong Kong. China is aiming to trans-

form Shanghai into an international financial centre by 2020 and analysts said Monday’s blueprint was likely a part of that longer-term scheme. Currency traders said the statement by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) was also a message from Beijing that the yuan’s movements, which have increasingly been influenced by the offshore market over the past few months, would be decided by the government.

“There have been recent developments that have put Hong Kong’s offshore market in the spotlight from time to time, such as its pricing of the yuan quite differently from the onshore market,” said a trader at a European bank in Shanghai. “In this sense, the NDRC statement is published at a sensitive time and means the government once again wants to emphasise that it has the final say in the value of the yuan.” The NDRC envisions a

trading hub with annual non-forex financial market trading volume of 1,000 trillion yuan by 2015, up from less than 400 trillion yuan in 2010. The plan said the daily mid-point price published by the central bank in the onshore yuan market would be the benchmark for both domestic and foreign yuan trading markets, and the government-backed Shanghai Interbank Offered Rate, or Shibor, would be the benchmark for yuan credit

everywhere. China would also encourage overseas companies to sell yuan-denominated shares in its domestic stock markets, but the plan did not give a detailed timetable. Authorities have been discussing launching a socalled “international board” of the Shanghai stock exchange for listing foreign companies’ shares, but the city’s mayor said this month that the time was not currently right for its launch. — Reuters

TOKYO

Canon forecasts weaker earnings CANON INC forecast weaker-than-expected earnings growth for 2012, citing worries over a slowing global economy and a strong yen that are likely to weigh on the export-dependent camera and printer maker’s profits. The company also posted a slightly better-than-forecast 14% rise in fourth-quarter operating profit. Like other Japanese exporters, Canon, which makes 80% of its revenue overseas, has been buffeted by the strong yen and the floods in Thailand, but it has emphasised it plans to counter these challenges by cutting costs and increasing automation. “Owing to the historically high valuation of the yen combined with the effects of

CHALLENGING: Customers check Canon’s digital cameras at a Tokyo camera shop — AFPpic

the earthquake and floods, all of Canon’s businesses faced extremely demanding conditions throughout the year,” the company said in a statement. Canon, which competes with Xerox in printers and Nikon and Sony Corp in cameras, aims to sell 9.2 million interchangeable lens cameras and 22 million compact cameras in the year to December, compared with 7.2 million and 18.7 million, respectively, last year. Xerox lowered its outlook for 2012 this month, on expectations that the debt crisis in Europe would hurt its business. — Reuters

TOKYO

Fujifilm forging alliance with Olympus for medical equipment JAPAN’s Fujifilm Holdings Corp said yesterday it has proposed an alliance with scandalhit medical equipment maker Olympus Corp, which is looking to shore up its finances after a US$1.7 billion (RM5.2 billion) accounting fraud. Olympus, which holds a 70% share of the global market for diagnostic endoscopes, has seen its net assets severely depleted after the scandal, but is being supported by major

Japanese shareholders who prefer bringing in an equity partner to selling the whole company or its assets. “We consider ourselves the best partner for a business tieup that would allow for maintaining global competitiveness while contributing to the general development of the medical industry,” Shigehiro Nakajima, Fujifilm’s representative director, said. He noted that Fujifilm has knowledge

in Olympus’s main business area of endoscopes. Fujifilm’s operating profit for the three months to December was ¥26.5 billion (RM1 billion), lower than the average forecast of four analysts for a profit of ¥37.5 billion. Analysts have said that a tie-up between Olympus and Fujifilm, which holds about 15% of the global diagnostic endoscope market, could be hindered by Japan’s antimo-

nopoly rules. But Nakajima, who said his firm sees synergies between Olympus’s endoscopes and Fujifilm’s IT systems, ultrasound and X-ray technologies, added that there were areas in which the two rivals could cooperate without infringing on antitrust rules. Fujifilm has made a proposal through Olympus’s financial adviser Nikko SMBC, he said, but declined to comment on

the ownership pattern. Medical equipment maker Terumo Corp also said yesterday that it wants to strengthen its relationship with Olympus and that there are various options regarding its relationship with the firm. Olympus President Shuichi Takayama has said that any decisions on tie-ups should be made by a new management team that is set to take over in April. — Reuters

LIFESTYLE&ENTERTAINMENT

HEALTH&BEAUTY

Be kinder to your skin Michelle Ho has a range of handmade soaps that provides relief for people with sensitive skin

BY Sophia Halim sophia@mmail.com.my

THROUGH word-ofmouth and extensive blogging online, Kuala Lumpur-born Michelle Ho has built up an evergrowing clientele for her handmade range of luxurious soap bars which promises relief for people of all skin types, from dry to hypersensitive skin. Appropriately calling her products Kinder Soaps, which can be purchased online through her website, 30year-old Ho uses a “cold process” technique to transform vegetable and plant oils into all-natural soaps that are free of artificial fragrances and unnecessary preservatives, and can be used from head to toe, including hair. Her customers are mainly young families and many also buy her products as gift baskets for baby showers. Priced at RM20 per soap bar, there are currently 10 types descriptively named Clarity, Dark Chocolate, DreamTime, Goats Milk & Honey, Goats Milk & Patchouli, Soap Sampler, Songbird, Spiced Coffee, Summer Fizz and Tangy Lavender, and there are plans for more new types. Ho, who has two sons and a daughter below the age of 10, started Kinder Soaps after discovering that her daughter, her second child, had eczema, a chronic skin disorder that involves scaly

and itchy rashes. “I know what eczema’s like because I am afflicted with it from young and still have it now, on and off,” said Ho who single-handedly produces and markets the soaps at a premise in Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya and has been concentrating full-time on

I know what eczema’s like because I am afflicted with it from young and still have it now, on and off this business since 2008. “I didn’t want my daughter having to regularly go for medication as most doctors would merely prescribe a steroid cream which is only for symptomatic relief and doesn’t address the root cause of eczema.” Ho graduated in management science from the University of Warwick in Coventry, England. Prior to Kinder Soaps, she worked as a research assistant at a unit trust company for three years and picked up the soap-making skills by surfing the Internet. “I produce the soaps in batches at least four times a year,” she said, adding that in 2008, she sold about 20 soap bars a month on the average. Last year, she was averaging no less than 80 soap bars a month. She believes the ingredients in modern commercial soap are not really as mild or gentle as some

manufacturers claim. “Additives in some brands of soap work well but there are people sensitive to those additives too. I developed my own type of natural soap with goats milk and essential oils and when it helped soothe my daughter’s ailment, I passed my soap around to different people to try it and it helped them too,” she said, adding that Kinder Soaps do not contain any skin-irritant ingredients. However, she said, because no preservatives are added in her soaps, the heat and humidity of Malaysian weather can make the oils in the Kinder Soaps go rancid after a year. “My customers are advised to use the Kinder Soaps within a year at the most,”

Additives in some brands of soap work well but there are people sensitive to those additives too she said, acknowledging that modern commercial soap have a shelf life of at least five years. From initially creating soap to help people with eczema, Ho stretched her soap line to include bars that provide therapeutic benefits such as combating depression or encouraging mental clarity. Summer Fizz, for instance, is a blend of sweet orange, rosemary and peppermint essential oils, that can

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2011

also be used on hair. Dark Chocolate does not smell of chocolate but contains a high percentage of cocoa butter to make the skin soft and silky-smooth. Used primarily for its therapeutic benefits, this type has higher anti-oxidant levels in comparison to the other soaps and is beneficial for very dry and cracked skin. DreamTime is intended for sensitive skin prone to acne flare-ups, and especially those with reddened skin on the face when aggravated by stress or external pollutants. Apart from the soap bars, Ho has a side range of products called Skin Treat oil blends and Body Polish which are available in small bottles. The three types of Skin Treats, at RM65 for each 110g bottle, are marketed as Body Bliss Oil, Eczema Support Oil and Dry Skin Relief Oil. And the two types of Body Polish, at RM35 for each 70g bottle, are known as Gentle Body Polish for Oily, Blemished Skin and Gentle Body Polish for Dry Skin. “Showering with a bar of soap can only go so far during the day, but if you need more moisture for the skin, especially if you’re working in an air-conditioned environment, my three types of oil blends will continue to give you moisture throughout the day,” she said. The Body Polish is for oily, blemished skin and dry skin and touted as an alternative to using normal salt and sugar-based scrubs. “Most commercial body polish are normally sugar or salt-based and for people with sensitive skin, that can be too harsh. I did research on other things that people use as gentle scrubs and discovered that people use oats, and grounded

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THE MALAY MAIL

red beans,” said Ho. “You can also make this at home. Take one part red bean, one part oat and put it into a blender until it is finely grounded. You can add a bit of olive oil or honey and mix it into a paste. If you want to make it a bit more runny you can add a bit more water.” Ho is currently testing a new range of shampoo bars.

To treat your hair is quite different than treating your skin as you’ve got the strands of hair and your scalp “To treat your hair is quite different than treating your skin as you’ve got the strands of hair and your scalp. I’ve formulated something for this and once the results are satisfactory, I will make it available too,” said this entrepreneur who has been sharing her soap-making skills with the Myanmar refugee community here. She approached the Myanmars via a friend from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). “I have taught them how to make soap and they are now selling it under their own brand called Kaoprise Bath and Spa and they are doing quite well, and providing employment opportunities for a growing number of women with young children to care for,” she said. Ho’s concern for the less fortunate is also reflected in her contributing 10 per cent of the net profits from Kinder Soaps to various charitable purposes. All the Kinder Soaps skin care products can be purchased online at www.kindersoaps.com.

Uncut blocks of Goats Milk & Patchouli (left) and Clarity (right)

5 reasons to smile more 1. Smiling relieves stress. When you’re stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you’ll be better able to take action. 2. Smiling boosts your immune system. When you smile or laugh, your level of infection-fighting white blood T cells rise, so your immune function improves as well. 3. Smiling lowers your blood pressure. When you smile, there’s a measurable

reduction in your blood pressure. 4. Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers and serotonin. Together, these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural uplifting drug. 5. Smiling lifts the face and makes you look years younger. The muscles we use to smile also act as a momentary facelift, making a person appear younger.

60 seconds on.. Bars of Kinder Soaps in the “curing” process

Deep muscle relaxation This technique may take a little time to learn, but it will help you cope with stress, lower your blood pressure, decrease your chance of getting headaches and make you sleep better. 1. Find a peaceful place, lie down on your back or sit in a comfortable chair and close your eyes. Slow your breathing rate so that you take half as many breaths.

Michelle Ho (left) with her father (centre) and brother

2. Begin by tensing your right hand (or left, if you’re left-handed) and then letting it go loose. Now imagine that your hand feels heavy and warm. Repeat this with your right forearm, upper arm, and shoulder, then move on to the right foot, lower leg and the upper leg. Do exactly the same thing with the left side of your body. 3. Now relax the muscles around your hips and waist. Let the relaxation flow up to the abdomen into the chest. A good

trick is to try to imagine that the surface under you is pushing up into your back, so that you get a sensation of heaviness. 4. Let the relaxation go up into your shoulders, jaw and facial muscles, especially around the eyes and forehead. 5. Practise this twice a day for 15 to 20 minutes each time. However, even as little as three minutes will be sufficient to give you a sense of well-being. The best time to practise is just before meals or an hour afterwards.

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT

THE MALAY MAIL

HEALTH&BEAUTY I even wear perfume sometimes when I’m alone CARRIE UNDERWOOD AMERICAN IDOL WINNER

Have a healthy sex life to look young

INBRIEF

Pamper your hands and feet at these nail bars

A majority of women see sex as a means of bonding with their partner Did you know that a healthy sex life can keep you looking younger? In fact, a healthy sex life could be seen as the fountain of youth, says a study from the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. It reveals that women who have sex at least four times a week were scored as looking up to 10 years younger than their natural age. However, another survey by www.healthywomen.org.uk on more than 1,000 women aged 18 and above suggests this doesn’t count for very much. Making love a few times a week is reckoned to be sexually healthy, but only one in three women were having sex a few times a week, and two in three were having sex once a week. If this is representative of

the average woman, it seems only half believe that a healthy sex life makes an important contribution to their overall health. Yet an active sex life can cement a close bond, acts as a stress-buster, strengthens pelvic floor muscles, boosts your immunity and burns calories. Perhaps today’s women see sex in a different way from the past, and not necessarily in a better way. The majority of women see sex as a means of connecting with their partner but a substantial number are disappointed with the results. Which begs the question, on why today’s women are even having sex? Is it because they feel they have to out of an obligation to their partners and not for personal enjoyment? It would be a sorry state of

affairs if women are neither having sex for its health benefits nor feel it necessarily strengthens a relationship. One can’t help harking back to that saying of past generations of women who felt sex was a duty and thought, “lie back and think of England”. Are present-day women doing that, too? Four out of five mothers now work and the time for sex is pushed aside by a clamouring list of domestic chores. If a moment arises, she’s exhausted and sex is the last thing on her mind. Could a woman’s sexual desire be re-awakened by the knowledge that sex can make her look younger? Surely that’s much more fun than getting a jar of youthful elixir from an overpriced cosmetics store. — The Daily Mirror

The Nail Parlour Outlets at 1 Utama, Suria KLCC, Mid Valley Megamall, Empire Shopping Gallery This nail bar chain is a favourite among manicure addicts and beauty editors, offering an extensive menu of indulgent manicures and pedicures with more than 200 different shades of nail polish.

Colour Culture OPI Nail Bar Outlets at 1 Utama, Bangsar Village, Pavilion KL, Sunway Giza, Empire Shopping Gallery With soothing music playing softly in the background and a warm beverage to comfort you it will keep you coming back for more. Choose over hundreds of dazzling colours.

Ingredient of the week

Shiso

5 celebrity beauty tips you should know By Sophia Halim sophia@mmail.com.my

EVER wonder how your favourite celebrities always look so great? You needn’t be a high-paying actress or model to afford the following easy and simple beauty tips that these celebrity beauties live by. 1. Always clean your face Whenever she’s too tired and needs to take off her makeup, US reality TV star

Kim Kardashian always makes sure to use facial wipes to clean her face. American singer Keri Hilson also admitted that she lives by facial wipes makeup remover after long days of wearing makeup. Try out Biore Cleansing Oil in Cotton Wipes Facial Sheets (Makeup Remover), RM5.50 at Watsons outlets. 2. Keep your skin hydrated At age 49, how does Demi Moore stay looking young? “I moisturise, moisturise,

moisturise,” says Moore, who always takes time to clean and moisturise her face. The American actress believes that if you focus on good skin care, you really won’t need a lot of makeup. Try out DHC Moisture Fruit Lotion 100ml, RM59.90 also at Watsons. 3. Practice safe sun “My mom has always been a big believer in sunblock, and now I always use sunblock lotion on myself,” says American actress Jennifer Garner. Always choose and

use a sunscreen that is SPF 15 or higher, broad-spectrum (protects from both UVA and UVB rays), waterproof or sweatproof. Use Fruit of the Earth Block Up! Sunscreen SPF50, RM22.90 at Guardian outlets. 4. Keep your breath fresh Don’t be a beauty with bad breath. Aside from making sure to brush her teeth twice a day, US pop sensation Lady Gaga always ensure that she travels with a box of breath mints in her bag. Use Extra Professional Strong Mints,

retails at RM4.50 here. 5. Smell delicious Mexican actress Salma Hayek loves scented beauty products. “Make yourself smell nice,” she advises. “I even wear perfume sometimes when I’m alone.” American Idol winner Carrie Underwood has said her favourite scents are caramel, vanilla and fudge. “I love anything that smells like food.” Try Body Shop Limited Edition Midnight Bakula Body Mist 100ml, RM45 at Body Shop outlets.

This jagged-edged leaf is a type of herb which is popularly known for being a part of Japanese sushi cuisine. Sometimes referred to as Japanese Basil has often been described as having a mix of flavours, with hints of basil, mint and cumin. Besides finding it delicately fried in tempura and in sushi, look out for it’s qualities in The Body Shop’s Moisture White Shiso Collection. It claims to improve appearances of dark spots and discolouration of your skin at its source, even before hyperpigmentation begins. The Moisture White Shiso UV Protector Cream (RM89 for 30ml) when tried recently absorbed easily onto our skin, leaving it feeling oil-free for most of the day. It is suitable for all skin types.

THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

LIFESTYLE&ENTERTAINMENT

THE MALAY MAIL

SHOWBIZ My mother told me that when I was born she just knew I would be an actress Kirsten Dunst ACTRESS

INBRIEF

‘The Help’ and ‘Boardwalk Empire’ take top honours at SAG Awards Dujardin, Davis, Plummer and Spencer get boosts for the coming Oscars INTER-RACIAL drama The Help had a big night at the 18th Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, taking home the prize for performance by a cast in a motion picture. And the film’s stars, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, won top acting honours for their roles in the muchhyped film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s novel. The win gives The Help a nice boost heading into the Academy Awards next month, where it will face the Golden Globe-winning films The Artist and The Descendants. The Artist’s Jean Dujardin (pic) and Christopher Plummer of Beginners repeated their Globe wins, taking home the honours for leading

actor and supporting actor, respectively. On the TV side, there were a good amount of repeat wins from last year’s SAG Awards. Boardwalk Empire

and Modern Family won for ensemble in drama and comedy series, respectively. Steve Buscemi and Betty White also won again, as did Alec Baldwin. Jessica Lange won for her role on American Horror Story. The women of Bridesmaids may not have won an award, but they did have one of the best moments of the night. While introducing their film, Kristin Wiig and Maya Rudolph asked the audience to take a drink every time Martin Scorsese was mentioned. Melissa McCarthy gamely played along (a couple of times) onstage. Buscemi also got into the act during his acceptance speech. He thanked Scorsese, an executive producer on Boardwalk Empire, leading presenter Tina Fey to down a glass of wine. — The Washington Post

The winners list Actor in a leading role Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Actress in a leading role

Actor in a drama series

Viola Davis, The Help

Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Actor in a supporting role

Actress in a drama series

Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Jessica Lange, American Horror Story

Actress in a supporting role

Actor in a comedy series

Octavia Spencer, The Help

Outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture The Help

Actor in a TV movie or miniseries Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail

Actress in a TV movie or miniseries

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Actress in a comedy series Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series Modern Family

Katy Perry seeks comfort from dancer The Firework singer and British actor Russell Brand announced the end of their 14-month marriage in December and friends say Malik Le Nost, a backing dancer on Katy’s California Dreams world tour, has been helping her cope although the relationship is strictly platonic. “Throughout her trip to India, Katy spent a lot of time with him and the pair would often stay up late into the night chatting and drinking in the hotel bar. When they were dancing on stage together, it was clear she only had eyes for him,” a source told The Sunday Mirror. “In sound-check on the day of the last show, the pair started falling about in fits of giggles over a private joke. It was as if they were a couple. Malik shot her cheeky winks across the stage and showered her with hugs. Katy was clearly loving the attention.”

Celebrities rocked the red carpet in timeless pieces Kirsten Dunst claims to have a normal life

Diane Lane opted for a sapphire, one shoulder Grecian-inspired David Meister gown

Emily Blunt in a one-shouldered emerald Oscar de la Renta gown

Sofia Vergara’s hot pink Marchesa

Kristen Wiig in Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere and was accessoriSed by Fred Leighton

Rose Byrne eschewed tradition with a shimmering white Elie Saab jumpsuit

Although the Melancholia star — who first shot to fame in Interview With The Vampire at the age of 12 — suffered with depression issues in the past, she wouldn’t change her upbringing and believes her parents did the right thing in letting her become an actress. Kirsten also revealed her career occurred by accident when people recommended she take part in commercials because she was such a ‘happy child’. “My mother told me that when I was born she just knew I would be an actress. Every time we’d go to the grocery store, everyone would come up to her and say, ‘Your daughter is so animated, she’s such a happy child, she has such a light. You should put her in commercials,’” she added. It didn’t take long for until her mum decided to try her out at acting and there was no turning back. — BANG Showbiz

THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT

ENTERTAINMENT TV HIGHLIGHT

HOROSCOPE

Awan Nano tops the list Hafiz grabs two awards at the recent Anugerah Juara Lagu 26

EVENTFUL: (From left to right) Faizal Tahir heats things up with a burning piano while performing. Haﬁz AF7 walked home with the grand prize. Second place winners 3 Suara and Alyah winning the Best Performance — Pic: ASHRAF SHAMSUL AZLAN

PISCES

FEB 19 - MARCH 20

People are going to respond a lot better to concrete examples than to ambiguous concepts today, so if you are trying to make a point or sell an idea, you’ll have to do it with facts and figures, set down in black and white. Stay calm and collected if you want to impress.

ARIES

MAR 21 - APR 19

Things might not feel like they’re moving along as quickly as you would like, which could cause a certain degree of fraying when it comes to your nerves right now. But don’t worry — this pause in the action is a necessary stop along the way to where you want to go.

TAURUS

APR 20 - MAY 20

It will be a productive, active day — even if your energy is a bit slow this morning. Don’t worry if you can’t quite get out of bed. Once you do get out into the world, you will get going and get energized.

burning piano, sand art display and a good backdrop display which will have the local entertainment industry talking about it for quite a while. Of the 12 contestants, eight really stood out from the rest with either their exceptionally powerful voices, great performance or a coveted combination of both. These were courtesy of Jaclyn Victor (Sedetik Lebih which was originally sung by Anuar

The Biography Channel Astro Ch 731 10:30 pm Gene Simmons: Family Jewels (Gene Gets Punked)

HISTORY HD Astro Ch 575 9:00 pm Ice Road Truckers: The Heat Is On

Gene is led to believe the roadies have gone on strike due to a curse put on him, and he is forced to go through the ritual to ‘cure the curse’.

In Alaska, Lisa and Maya help a stranded driver get back on the road. Tony gets a surprise from Carlile while Dave continues his descent into isolation. In Canada, Hugh and Rick keep up their load count with backhauls. Alex has to deal with unstable freight but also scores a backhaul, keeping the race with his rival close.

An estranged New York couple witnesses a murder and is placed in a witness-protection program in a small Wyoming town.

JAN 20 - FEB 18

Today, you should let your heart push you to get involved more in helping your community become a more supportive, welcoming place. Community can be defined as your family, your household, your social circle — whatever group of people you feel could be made better.

Zain), 16 year old YouTube sensation Najwa Latif (Cinta Muka Buku), Faizal Tahir (Karma,) Alyah (Kisah Hati), Aizat (Sungai Lui), Yuna (Penakut), Hafiz (Awan Nano) and trio from 3 Suara, Jaclyn Victor, Ning Baizurah and Shila Hamzah (Seribu Sesalan). Kudos and congratulations to the winners and pat on the back to the producers for keeping the show tight and well-oiled.

The result for AJL 26: ● Juara Lagu: Awan Nano (Hafiz, composed by M Nasir, lyric by Budi Hekayat ) ● Second Place: Beribu Sesalan (3 Suara, composed by Kevin Chin, lyric by Tinta) ● Third Place: Karma ( Faizal Tahir, composed/lyric by Faizal Tahir and Audi Mok) ● Best Performance: Alyah ● Best Vocal: Hafiz

TV PICKS

HBO Asia Astro Ch 411 6:45 pm Did You Hear About the Morgans?

DEC 22 - JAN 19

Do you want to try out a new sport or hobby, but you’re afraid you’ll fail at it? Don’t worry — everyone knows it takes time to develop new skills! Worrying too much about what ‘might’ happen or how silly you ‘might’ look is only going to prevent you from trying new things.

AQUARIUS

By CHETZ YUSOF maznah@mmail.com.my

TWELVE Malaysian hit songs battled it out to grab the prestigious Juara Lagu title at the 26th Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL 26) held at Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil, Selangor. Packed to the brim with fans who had arrived as early as 5pm, the country's most prestigious music awards didn’t disappoint this year. There was however, a slight change to this year’s judging panel. After some discontent on last year’s results where the results were thought to be less than fair, the 2012 outing boasted 30 professional judges. This was to ensure that results were unbiased and the breakdown of scoring was put down at 80 percent from 20 judges and 20 percent from 10 judges on the night of the competition. Aside from this, a new category called “Juara Mobile” made its debut. This award was given to the most uploaded song through Celcom The Cube which went to Edry Abdul Halim. The 26th Anugerah Juara Lagu not only featured hit songs but also offered a memorable performance by the guest artists such as Datuk Sheila Majid, Awie and Jamal Abdillah. The AJL 26 didn't fall short of entertainment for the night with a

CAPRICORN

Travel Channel HyppTV Ch 144 3:01pm It’s a Woman’s World The Philippines — Manila sees Camilla donning maid’s outﬁts, ballet leotards and ten-pin bowling shoes while she meets some delightful Philippinas. Later she joins the adorable angel procession of Flores de Mayo.

Max Astro Ch 412 9:15 pm RoboCop

Universal Channel HD HyppTV Ch 163 11:05 pm The Event

In crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded police ofﬁcer returns to the force as a super-human crime-ﬁghting cyborg named ‘RoboCop’, who has to deal with submerged memories that are haunting him.

Ep. 5 — Casualties Of War: When computer game programmer Sean Walker searches for his missing girlfriend, he stumbles across a terrifying government conspiracy.

BBC Lifestyle HyppTV Ch 140 4:45 pm Rachel Allen’s Dinner Parties Ep. 5 — Rachel makes spinach soup, beef Wellington with potato and gruyere gratin and French beans with lemon and pine nuts, then a chocolate creme brulee.

GEMINI

MAY 21 - JUN 20

Do you think someone is not being totally open with you right now? Your instincts are right on. But their tight-lipped status is not due to an inability to trust you — they are keeping quiet because they are afraid that you don’t want to hear what they have to say!

CANCER

JUN 21 - JUL 22

This morning’s news will stimulate your already quick mind, allowing you to come up with many different plans for what you want to do with your day. Not every single thing you want to do is going to be possible, so if you want to get anything done at all, you need to prioritize.

LEO

JUL 23 - AUG 22

If you feel your blood pressure mounting today, you should do more than take a deep breath. Take a different attitude towards the situation! There is a funny side to any stressful situation, and if you can identify it, you can have a good time, any time.

VIRGO

AUG 23 - SEPT 22

For especially incisive insight on your latest problems, turn to one of your friends today. You need to consult someone who either is in the same situation as you are, or has been before. Their opinions and different perspective will help you make the best decisions.

LIBRA

SEPT 23 - OCT 22

One of your friendships is starting to feel one-sided -- and you are not on the right side. Do you feel like you are giving more than you get? Compromising more than they do? If so, it’s time to have a one-on-one conversation with them.

SCORPIO

OCT 23 - NOV 21

If your routine is starting to get boring, resist the urge to create a problem just for the sake of having something to talk about! You need to avoid conflict now more than ever. Things might be less than exciting, but they are stable, and that is a very good thing.

SAGITTARIUS

NOV 22 - DEC 21

If you are working on starting or strengthening or shoring up a romance today, you had better take it all the way! Have fun with it. Be over the top. Flirt to a ridiculous degree. Show the person you care about that to spend time with you is to feel good about themselves!

tuesday 31 JANUARY 2012

NEWS

THE MALAY MAIL

world

PORTO ALEGRE (Brazil)

NICOSIA

VIENNA

PARIS

Capitalism gets the thumbs down

Death toll rises in Syria violence

Social aid pioneer beatified

Beat these bugs? Not easy

Thousands in Brazil call for worldwide protest in June to press for concrete steps to tackle global economic crisis

Twenty-six civilians among 66 killed in fighting on Sunday, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

Hildegard Burjan, an Austrian woman of Jewish origin who is celebrated as a pioneer of social welfare work, has been beatified

Bugs that cause childhood pneumonia have evolved to evade vaccines by swapping bits of their genome with other bacteria

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WASHINGTON

PATTANI (Thailand)

Shooting raises questions

Pentagon warns Iran over nuke bomb threat

Four shot dead by Thai police include elderly man and teenager

Iran could develop a nuclear bomb in about a year and create the means for delivery in a further two to three years, the US defence chief said yesterday, reiterating President Barack Obama’s determination to halt the effort. “The United States — and the president’s made this clear — does not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon,” Defence Secretary Leon Panetta (pic), told the CBS programme 60 Minutes. “That’s a red line for us. And it’s a red line obviously for the Israelis so we share a common goal here.” Panetta maintained that US officials “will take whatever steps are necessary to stop it” if Washington receives intelligence that Iran is proceeding with developing a nuclear weapon. Asked if that meant military action, he said: “There are no options that are off the table.” Panetta told the interviewer “the consensus is that, if they (Iran) decided to do it, it would probably take them about a year to be able to produce a bomb and then possibly another one to two years in order to put it on a deliverable vehicle of some

Thai paramilitaries shot dead four people, including an elderly man and a teenager, in the kingdom’s violence-torn far south because they feared they were under attack, police said yesterday. The victims were male Muslim relatives returning from a funeral in a truck, the driver of the vehicle told police in Pattani, one of three southernmost provinces plagued by a long-running insurgency. “Army rangers saw a pick-up truck and asked it to stop. They heard a gunshot and assumed they were being fired on, so they pounded the truck with gunfire, killing four men and injuring five others,” said a police report on the incident on Sunday evening. A 70-year-old and an 18-year-old man were among the dead, while five men and boys were also hurt including three teenagers, aged 14, 15 and 19, and a 76-year-old. Two guns were found in the truck, although the report did not reveal wheth-

Grief: Relatives of the men shot dead by Thai paramilitaries mourn ahead of their burial at a cemetery in Pattani yesterday — AFPpic

er either had been fired. Police said the driver told officers that the weapons did not belong to anyone on the truck. “We will have to investigate this incident carefully and I will interview both the rangers and survivors to ensure justice to both sides,” said Police Colonel Chonnawee Chamareuk, Nongjik district police chief.

Thailand’s three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, near the border with Malaysia, have been riven by a complex insurgency, waged without clear aims. There is a heavy presence of government troops, supported by armed paramilitaries. According to the latest figures from Deep South Watch, which closely mon-

itors the southern conflict, almost 5,000 people — both Buddhists and Muslims — have been killed and 8,300 wounded since the unrest began in 2004. People in the region complain of a long history of discrimination against ethnic Malay Muslims by authorities in the Buddhist-majority nation, including alleged abuses by the armed forces. — AFP

sort in order to deliver that weapon.” In a report issued in November, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said intelligence from more than 10 countries and its own sources “indicates that Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear device.” It detailed 12 suspicious areas such as testing explosives in a steel container at a military base and studies on Shahab-3 ballistic missile warheads that the IAEA said were “highly relevant to a nuclear weapon programme.” Iran rejected the dossier as based on forgeries. The Islamic Republic has come under unprecedented international pressure since the publication of the report, with Washington and the European Union targeting its oil sector and central bank. — AFP

LONDON

Chinese ‘dragons’ invade Trafalgar Square Thousands of people packed into London’s Trafalgar Square on Sunday to celebrate Chinese New Year, with pyrotechnics and dancers in dragon costumes entertaining the crowds. London Mayor Boris Johnson said the big turnout “shows the way the world economy is going”, as people braced the chilly weath-

er to see performers parade through the city and sample Chinese food. The festivities to welcome the Year of the Dragon, which officially started on Jan 23, included a dramatic firecracker display and performers from Britain and China, while acrobats dressed in elaborate dragon outfits leapt from podiums

to a backdrop of heavy percussion. “It’s an amazing occasion and we’ve never seen a crowd quite as big as this in all the years that we’ve been doing it. I think it shows the way the world economy is going,” Johnson said at the event. “London is a global city; you’ve got more Chinese

students here in London contributing to the London economy than any other city in the world and I think they love it because it’s a safe city. “The point of this kind of event is to celebrate the Chinese New Year but also to intensify those links between London and China.” — AFP

SUPER SHOW: Dragon dancers thrilling the crowd in Trafalgar Square as London welcomed the mightiest sign in the chinese zodiac — AFPpic

THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012 • F

NEWS

world The political and economic elites are the one per cent who control the world and we are the one per cent seeking to change it Chico Whitaker a founder of the World Social Forum

SEOUL

KINGSTON (Ontario)

‘Honour’ killers jailed

‘N. Korea planning big military parade’

Parents, son get 25 years for ‘heinous’ crimes

North Korea plans a massive military parade including missiles and other weaponry to mark major anniversaries early this year after its leader’s death, South Korean media reports said yesterday. A large number of army, naval and air force troops have been practising for months at Mirim air base near the capital Pyongyang, Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unidentified Seoul official. “The practice was under way even before the death of Kim Jong-Il,” Yonhap quoted the official as saying. The leader died on Dec 17 and was succeeded by his youngest son Jong-Un in the country’s second dynastic power transfer. The parade will likely be staged to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of founding president Kim IlSung on April 15, or the anniversary of the founding of the army on April 25, the official was quoted as saying. Major weaponry including new tanks and armoured vehicles as well as short- and

AN Afghan immigrant couple and their son were found guilty in a Canadian court on Sunday of first degree murder in the 2009 “honour killing” deaths of four female family members, and sentenced to 25 years in prison. The jury in Kingston, Ontario, deliberated for two days before pronouncing a guilty sentence against Mohammad Shafia, 58, his 42-yearold wife Tooba Mahommad Yahya and their 21-year-old son Hamed. Their defence attorneys said they would appeal the convictions. Judge Robert Maranger called the crimes “heinous” as he sentenced the accused to 25 years in prison, and said the evidence clearly supported the charges. “The apparent reason behind these cold-blooded, shameful murders was that the four completely innocent victims offended your completely twisted concept of

honour,” the judge said. “It’s a sick notion of honour that has no place in a civilised society.” Mohammad Shafia replied: “We are not criminals. We are not murderers. We didn’t commit murder. This is unjust.” “I am not a murderer. I am a mother,” echoed Tooba Yahya. The three defendants were found guilty of the deaths of the couple’s three daughters and Shafia’s first wife in his polygamous marriage after a four-month-long trial that heard dozens of witnesses testify. The bodies of the victims — Zainab Shafia, 19; Sahar Shafia, 17; Geeti Shafia, 13; and Rona Amir Mohammad, 50, — were found in a car submerged in a canal lock near Kingston, Ontario in June 2009. Court testimony told of an abusive home gripped by fear and where the victims

received frequent death threats, in part over the fact that the two eldest daughters had boyfriends without their father’s approval. Prosecutors argued throughout the four-month trial the murders were staged as an accident by the accused to cover up what they called an honour killing. They said the victims were drowned or rendered unconscious before being put in a car and then pushed into the water. It was argued that in the eyes of the father the three girls had damaged the family’s reputation with their indiscretions, such as wearing revealing clothing and telling school officials of alleged abuse at home. Crown attorney Laurie Lacelle said in her closing arguments that the goal was to “remove the diseased limb” from the family tree. The defence, however, maintained the deaths were

accidental and a result of the eldest daughter going on a joyride. They contend Zainab took the car in the middle of the night while the family slept at a Kingston motel overnight where they stopped to rest returning to Montreal from a trip to Niagara Falls. Shafia and his family had come to Canada in 2007, after living in Australia, Pakistan and Dubai over the previous 15 years. On the morning of the deaths, a car was discovered underwater at the upper lock at Kingston Mills with the four bodies inside. A postmortem examination indicated they died of drowning. Canada has seen 13 such killings — which are more common in countries in the Middle East and South Asia — since 2002, Amin Muhammed, a psychiatry professor at Memorial University in Saint John’s, Newfoundland, said in October. — AFP

PORTO ALEGRE (Brazil)

Anti-capitalism protesters flood Brazil streets Thousands of critics of capitalism meeting in Brazil called yesterday for a worldwide protest in June to press for concrete steps to tackle the global economic crisis. The World Social Forum wrapped up a five-day meeting in this southern Brazilian city, urging citizens to “take to the streets on June 5” for the global action, which would be in support of social and environmental justice. The forum also announced a “peoples’ summit” of social movements to be held in parallel with the high-level UN conference on sustainable development scheduled next June 20-22 in Rio. The Rio+20 summit, the fourth major gathering on sustainable development since 1972, will press world leaders to commit themselves to creating a social and “green economy,” with priority being given to eradicating hunger. But World Social Forum participants, including representatives of the Arab

Spring, Spain’s “Indignant” movement, Occupy Wall Street, and students from Chile, sharply criticised the concept of “a green economy” that would allow multinational corporations to reap the profit. “The political and economic elites are the one percent who control the world and we are the one percent seeking to change it. Where are the (other) 98 per cent?” said Chico Whitaker, one of the Forum’s founders. “There are many who are happy because each time they get more consumer goods, but many are concerned and unsatisfied. The challenge for us is to speak with them.” “If we do not raise the issue of inequality, we won’t solve the problems,” said Venezuelan sociologist Edgardo Lander. “If the system is not capable of redistributing and deal with inequality, we have to do it ourselves,” agreed Sam Halvorsen, of the Occupy London movement. The Forum is an alliance of

mid-range missiles have been deployed, the official said. The event will likely be the largest military parade ever held in the country if all weaponry that has been deployed for practice sessions actually takes part, JoongAng Ilbo newspaper quoted an official as saying. Seoul’s defence ministry declined to confirm the reports. JoongAng Ilbo said it was assumed the parade would be held to mark Kim JongIl’s birthday on Feb 16, but Yonhap said it was likelier to go ahead in April. Kim Jong-Il’s birthday was never marked by a military parade while he was alive. The impoverished but heavily-armed state with 1.2 million troops has regularly staged large parades featuring thousands of goosestepping soldiers and major weaponry to mark major anniversaries. Kim Jong-Il had declared 2012 as the year when the North would become a “powerful and prosperous nation” to mark the centenary of its founder’s birth. — AFP

ISLAMABAD

Twist to Mumbai blast case

Global support: A mock head of Brazilan president Dilma Roussef is seen during the demonstration on the first day of the 2012 World Social Forum — AFPpic

social movements opposed to the World Economic Forum, the annual gathering of the world’s economic and political elites held at the same time in the Swiss resort of Davos. Addressing the gathering on Thursday, Brazilian

President Dilma Rousseff appealed for “a development model that articulates growth and job creation, battles poverty and decreases inequalities,” and advocates for the “sustainable use and preservation of natural resources.” — AFP

Pakistani investigators and lawyers will visit India next month to gather more evidence for the prosecution of seven suspects linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, they said yesterday. Pakistan indicted seven alleged perpetrators over the attacks but says that its own commission needs to gather more evidence in India. Delhi has called for “decisive” action from Pakistan against the perpetrators of the attacks and accuses its efforts so far of being a “facade”, saying it has already handed over enough evidence to convict the accused men. “If all goes well, the visit will take place between Feb 4 to Feb 10,” senior public prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali said. Both sides, he said, agreed that the Pakistani commission could visit India between Feb 1 to Feb 10 to cross exam-

ine witnesses of the carnage in which 166 people were killed. But Ali said there is a “possibility that the visit may be delayed” by the death of the lawyer representing alleged mastermind, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi. The deceased’s son, Khwaja Harris Ahmad, has applied to replace his father and the issue would be taken up by the court on Feb 4, Ali said. The commission is made up of two senior prosecutors, a director from the Federal Investigation Agency and five lawyers representing the suspects. “We can proceed to India before Feb 10 if our authorities address all the legal requirements,” Ahmad said. Pakistan had wanted Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving gunman from the Mumbai attacks, to testify. — AFP

tuesday 31 january 2012

NEWS

THE MALAY MAIL

world I called him Captain Schettino, you know, the captain that fled the ship in Italy. That’s our own president, who is fleeing the American people Reince Priebus top Republican official

FORT MYERS (Florida)

FORT MYERS

Romney likely to win Florida But rival Gingrich promises bitter fight all the way to August convention Mitt Romney stormed yesterday towards a likely victory in Florida that would all but lock up the Republican presidential nomination, but rival Newt Gingrich promised a bitter fight all the way to the August convention. Polls Sunday showed Romney pulling clear in the Sunshine State after his campaign team went on the offensive, unleashing blistering ads that painted Gingrich as unethical and not fit for office. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and millionaire venture capitalist considered the party establishment’s favourite, was leading Gingrich by 15 points in Florida, 42 per cent to 27 per cent, according to an NBC/Marist poll. A new Miami Herald poll showed Gingrich behind by 11 points. Hoping to finish off his rival, Romney renewed his assault before a crowd of several hundred supporters in an affluent Naples shopping centre.

“The reason that speaker Gingrich has been having a hard time in Florida is that people of Florida have watched the debates, have listened to the speaker, have listened to the other candidates and have said, ‘You know what, Mitt Romney’s the guy we’re going to support,’” he said. Despite the polls, Gingrich said he expected a close race in Florida, which will be a key battleground in the November election, pitting President Barack Obama, a Democrat, against the eventual Republican nominee. After attending church services in the community of Fort Myers north of Tampa, a fiery Gingrich insisted “the election will be substantially closer than the two polls” suggest. With time running out for Gingrich to claw back lost ground in Florida, he turned to the national fight. Romney, who has switched positions on abortion and is now pro-life, has had to fend off lingering doubts over his

Santorum abandons Florida campaign

Surging support: Romney supporters at a campaign rally at Emma Lou Olson Civic Centre in Pompano Beach, Florida, yesterday — AFPpic

conservative credentials dating back to his time as governor of liberal Massachusetts. Gingrich, 68, shocked the party establishment when he thumped Romney, 64, in South Carolina earlier this month, but his support has been sinking fast in Florida and his opponent now appears to be the one with all the momentum.

Gingrich’s campaign got a weekend boost when he received an endorsement from former rival Herman Cain. Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, a favourite of the ultra-conservative Tea Party wing of the Republican Party, also weighed in, telling supporters to “Vote for Newt” in Florida. But seizing on his rival’s

precarious position, Romney’s ad used television news footage from 1997 when Gingrich became the first speaker ever reprimanded by the House of Representatives. Gingrich was accused of dozens of violations, including a claim of tax-exempt status for his college course. — AFP

WASHINGTON

Obama likened to disgraced ship captain Top Republican official Reince Priebus sparked a political uproar yesterday by comparing President Barack Obama (pic), to disgraced Italian ship captain Francesco Schettino. Commenting on tough exchanges between Republicans vying to face Obama in November, the Republican National Committee chairman told CBS the focus would soon shift to Obama.

“In a few months, this is all going to be ancient history and we’re going to talk about our own little Captain Schettino, which is President Obama, who is abandoning the ship here in the United States and is more interested in campaigning than doing his job as president.” Asked by the interviewer to clarify his remarks, Priebus went further. “I called him Captain Schet-

tino, you know, the captain that fled the ship in Italy. That’s our own president, who is fleeing the American people and not doing his job and running around the country and campaigning.” Schettino became infamous around the world this month when his Costa Concordia ship liner run aground, killing at least 16 people. Schettino is accused of be-

ing responsible and of fleeing the stricken ship before his passengers were safe. The comparison to Obama prompted indignation among Democrats, with the Democratic National Committee describing it as “shameful.” Democratic strategist Donna Brazile described the comments as “misleading,” and “shameful and disgraceful.” — AFP

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum (pic), appeared to concede defeat in Florida’s primary yesterday, announcing that he would begin campaigning in other states. “The Rick Santorum for President Campaign will expand nationally this week with campaign stops in Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nevada in the coming days,” a spokesman MAtt Beynon said in a statement. Santorum is slated to make several stops in battleground states over the next few days, but did not appear to be heading back to Florida, where Republicans go to the polls today. Two days before Florida’s winner-takes-all primary, Santorum spent the day in Pennsylvania, where his three year-old was admitted to a Philadelphia children’s hospital. Bella Santorum was born with a genetic disorder called trisomy 18 — or Edwards syndrome — which results in severe disabilities and abnormalities. The Santorum campaign was at pains to say that this did not spell the end of his run for the White House. Nevada will vote just four days after Florida, while Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri all vote on Feb 7th. – AFP

BRIEFS

Belgium on strike before summit

Scuffles erupt at Cairo protest

Abbas consults party on Israel talks

BRUSSELS: Belgian rail workers launched a national strike yesterday in protest at EU-ordered austerity just as European leaders were to gather for a Brussels summit on the debt crisis. The first trains stopped turning around at night, travellers said on Twitter. High-speed international Eurostar, Thalys and inter-

CAIRO: Hundreds of Egyptian protesters demanding an end to military rule and a group of men in civilian clothes scuffled in central Cairo on Sunday, leaving three injured, the health ministry said yesterday. The protest, held outside the state television building, was part of a series of rallies

RAMALLAH: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas yesterday convened the central committee of his Fatah movement to discuss contacts with Israel after a series of preliminary talks. Abbas, opening the meeting, said he would consult with the leadership of his party and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), as well as the Arab League Follow-Up

city Belgian trains had warned passengers in advance that the network would resume functioning only at mid-day today. Southern Charleroi airport -- a key lowcost hub -- was also expected to be out of action, but the main international runways at Brussels were due to be functional. — AFP

organised by pro-democracy groups to mark one year since the uprising that toppled president Hosni Mubarak and left the military in power. “Down with military rule!” the protesters chanted, on the same day as Egyptians headed to polling stations to vote in upper house elections. — AFP

Committee, on the next steps for the Palestinians. After the meeting, Abbas’s spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said the committee had stressed “the consistency of the movement’s position that a return to direct negotiations required (from Israel) a halt to settlements and the acceptance of the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders.” — AFP

THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

NEWS

world They acted together to declare Papua an independent region, which constitutes an act of treason Judge Jack L. Oktovianus at the Jayapura district court

BRIEFS

NICOSIA

Syria clashes continue, 66 dead London-based rights group says several soldiers and army deserters among fatalities At least 66 people, including 26 civilians, were killed in violence across Syria on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said yesterday. The London-based rights group said 26 soldiers, five other members of the security forces and nine army deserters were also among those killed as the regime cracked down on protesters and rebels. Security forces killed eight people, including a nineyear-old child, in the restive Homs region of central Syria, and shot dead another five in the northwestern region of Idlib, the Observatory said. It said four civilians were killed in and around Hama, also in the centre of the country, and two in the Jassem area of Daraa, southern Syria.

Also among those killed were six civilians caught up in military operations and clashes in the Damascus area, the activists said in statements received in Nicosia. One person was shot dead in the Juber district of the capital. The watchdog said the regime soldiers were killed in three separate attacks in the Idlib and Damascus regions. Earlier, it reported fierce clashes between regime troops and deserters in the Ghuta area near the capital. Government forces were backed by 32 tanks and 50 armoured cars, it added. Firefights between regime forces and deserters in Ghuta, 10 kilometres (six miles) from Damascus, on Saturday killed 17 people — 11 soldiers and six civilians, the Observatory said. — AFP

SYDNEY

JAYAPURA

Bomb scare at embassies

Papuan activists indicted for treason

Bomb squad officers were called to the French and Israeli embassies in Australia, yesterday, following the discovery of suspicious packages that were later found to be harmless. Police said a bomb response team dispatched to the diplomatic posts in Canberra determined that the items were not suspicious and road closures around the embassies were lifted, a Police spokeswoman said. It was not clear if the incidents were linked. The French embassy said the drama was sparked by a courier parcel delivered yesterday morning. The building was evacuated while police officers examined the parcel but it was deemed not to be dangerous, she added. The Israeli embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The embassies are near one another in Yarralumla, a suburb of Canberra that is home to a large number of foreign missions. — AFP

An Indonesian court yesterday indicted five Papuan activists for treason for raising an outlawed Papuan flag and declaring the region independent. The men, who led a peaceful pro-independence celebration attended by 5,000 indigenous Papuans on Oct 19, face life in prison if found guilty. “The defendants jointly tried to commit treason with the intention of allowing the country or part of the country to fall into the hands of the enemy,” judge Jack L. Oktovianus at the Jayapura district court said. “They acted together to de-

WASHINGTON: A strong earthquake measuring 6.3 shook an area near the Pacific coast of central Peru, early yesterday, US government researchers said. The epicentre of the tremor, which occurred just after midnight local time (1pm in Malaysia), was 23km southeast of the town of Ica, the US Geological Survey said. The depth of the epicentre was 39km. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The reading was based on the openended Moment Magnitude scale used by US seismologists, which measures the area of the fault that ruptured and the total energy released. — AFP

Disputed school book seized

ONWARD MARCH: A picture released by the Local Coordination Committees of Syria shows Syrians holding Kurdish and Syrian independence flags during a demonstration in the northwestern town of Afrin — AFPpic

clare Papua an independent region, constituting an act of treason.” Local TV footage had showed the men declaring the region’s independence in the Papuan capital, Jayapura, and paramilitary police then shooting into the crowd and beating participants with batons and bare fists. At least three people were killed and more than 90 injured in the chaos. Eight police officers were let off with written warnings for disciplinary infractions. New-York-based Human

Rights Watch on Sunday called for the cancellation of the trial. “It’s appalling that a modern, democratic nation like Indonesia continues to lock up people for organising a demonstration and expressing controversial views,” the group’s Asia deputy director, Elaine Pearson, said in a statement. Indonesia in 1969 took control of Papua, a former Dutch colony on the western half of New Guinea island, after a vote among a select group of Papuans widely seen as a sham. Papuans, mostly indigenous Melanesians, have long accused

Indonesia’s military of violating human rights in the province and complain that the bulk of earnings from its rich natural resources flow to the capital. Jakarta keeps a tight grip on the region through its military which regularly clashes with locals, and foreign-based journalists are barred from reporting in the region. More than 170 people are currently imprisoned in Indonesia for peacefully promoting separatism in Indonesia, most of them from Papua or the eastern Maluku islands, according to Human Rights Watch. — AFP

TOKYO

Japan’s population shrinking, says ministry Japan’s population is expected to shrink to a third of its current size over the next century, with the average woman living to over 90 within 50 years, a government report said yesterday. The population is forecast to decline from the current 127.7 million to 86.7 million by 2060 and to tumble again to 42.9 million by 2110 “if conditions

Strong quake hits Peruvian coast

remain unchanged”, the Health and Welfare Ministry said in the report. The projections by the ministry’s National Institute of Population and Social Security Research forecast that Japanese women would on average have just 1.35 babies, well below the replacement rate, within 50 years.

The report said that last year’s earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, which left more than 19,000 people dead or missing, hit average life expectancy but that the figure was expected to continue its upward trend. Japan’s life expectancy — one of the highest in the world — is expected to rise from 86.39

years in 2010 to 90.93 years in 2060 for women and from 79.64 years to 84.19 years for men. Japan’s population has been declining as many young people have put off starting families, seeing it as a burden on their lifestyles and careers. A slow economy has also discouraged young people from having babies. — AFP

DHAKA: A Bangladesh court has ordered millions of copies of a school textbook to be seized in a dispute over credit for the nation’s 1971 independence struggle, a state prosecutor said yesterday. The high court in Dhaka instructed police to confiscate the book, a compilation of essays taught in high schools, for “distortion” in its account of how the country, then known as East Pakistan, emerged as Bangladesh. “The court ruled that the book wrongly said Major General Ziaur Rahman was the proclaimer of the country’s independence in 1971,” deputy attorney general Altaf Hossain said. — AFP

Travel restriction on ex-envoy lifted ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s highest court yesterday lifted travel restrictions imposed on a former diplomat in a fresh sign that a probe into a major scandal threatening the President is running out of steam. Husain Haqqani (pic) was forced to resign as ambassador to Washington over claims that he was involved in drafting a secret memo trying to enlist US help to curb the power of the military. He denies the accusations. The Supreme Court restricted his travel and ordered judges to investigate who was behind the memo, heightening frenzied speculation that President Asif Ali Zardari could be forced out of office. — AFP

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

NEWS

THE MALAY MAIL

world The apparent reason behind these cold-blooded, shameful murders was that the four completely innocent victims offended your completely twisted concept of honour Robert Maranger Canadian judge

KHARTOUM

VIENNA

Social aid pioneer beatified

Army frees kidnapped Chinese

Burjan founded order of Caritas Socialis, which helps women and children in need

The Sudanese military has freed 14 Chinese workers “kidnapped” by rebels in the country’s South Kordofan state, the official SUNA news agency reported yesterday. “SAF troops succeeded in freeing 14 of the Chinese workers,” SUNA quoted state governor Ahmad Harun as saying. Harun said the Chinese were in good condition and had been taken to nearby El Obeid in neighbouring North Kordofan. The fate of other Chinese reported captured with the group was not immediately clear. China confirmed on Sunday that some of its nationals had “gone missing” after rebels on Saturday attacked the camp of a Chinese company, the official Xinhua news agency reported. It quoted an embassy official as saying more than 20 Chinese were missing, a figure also given by a senior executive at Power Construction Corp of China, their employer. – AFP

Hildegard Burjan, an Austrian woman of Jewish origin who is celebrated as a pioneer of social welfare work, was beatified in a Catholic ceremony in Vienna yesterday. Burjan, who lived from 1883 to 1933, founded the order Caritas Socialis, which helped women and children in need, and promoted workers’ rights as a parliamentarian of the Christian-Social Party. The papal decree — which praised Burjan for her efforts to promote “the dignity of women, family values and the common good” — was read by Italian Cardinal Angelo Amato, the envoy of Pope Benedict XVI. In the Roman Catholic church, the beatification ceremony gives a deceased person the title “Blessed”. It is the third of four steps in the canonisation process which leads to sainthood. Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, archbishop of Vienna,

honoured the “tireless” fight for the needy of Burjan, speaking at the first beatification ceremony to be held in the city’s Stephansdom cathedral. Burjan, born into a liberal Jewish family in Germany, studied literature and philosophy. She converted to Catholicism in 1909 after surviving a serious illness, after doctors had given up on her. In Vienna, where she moved with her Hungarian-born husband, she started her social and political work for the rights of labourers, especially domestic workers. The mother of one girl, she especially denounced child labour. In 1919, she entered parliament as the first female member of the ChristianSocial Party. The same year she founded Caritas Socialis, an order of sisters which she which ran until her death at the age of 50. The order has branches in Germany, Hungary and Brazil. — AFP

Austria’s heroine: Cardinal Schoenborn speaking during the beatification of Burjan (pictured behind) — AFPpic

BEIJING

KINGSTON

Fugitive millionaire appeals sentence

Afghans jailed for ‘honour killings’

A Chinese millionaire who fled to Canada and was jailed for fraud after he was deported back to China has lodged an appeal against the sentence, his son and lawyer said yesterday. Zeng Hanlin (pic), 66, fled in 2004 to escape the charges but was deported in March last year after Canadian authorities dismissed concerns he would be tortured or executed if he returned to China. He was tried and convicted of fraud in November over a stock scheme linked to a failed business merger and a court in the southwestern city of Chengdu earlier this month sentenced Zeng to 15 years in prison. “We sent the appeal to the Supreme Court in Chengdu,” Zeng’s son, Sam, told AFP. “We are appealing the original decision and we would like a retrial.” Zeng’s lawyer, Yang Zhaodong, said the appeal was lodged last week but he had not yet received confirmation from the court, which was closed for

the week-long Lunar New Year holiday. Calls to the court yesterday went unanswered. Canada, which does not practise capital punishment, bans the return of prisoners to countries where they might face the death penalty. But it has recently deported several people wanted by China. Last year, Canada deported alleged Chinese smuggling kingpin Lai Changxing after a 12year legal battle when Beijing issued an unusual promise not to execute him if he was found guilty. Sam Zeng said his father was “innocent” of the charges and he wanted the case heard in an open court in Beijing to ensure a fair trial. “We don’t want the Chengdu court because we will not have a fair trial -- we want to change the hearing place to Beijing,” he said, noting journalists had been barred from the original trial and crucial evidence rejected.

Sam Zeng said the family would hold a news conference in Toronto next week ahead of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s visit to China. He wants Harper, who arrives in Beijing next Monday, to raise his father’s case during talks with Chinese leaders. “Everyone knows he is innocent. How can they do this?” he said, adding his father suffers heart problems and diabetes. — AFP

An Afghan immigrant couple and their son were found guilty in a Canadian court yesterday of first degree murder in the 2009 “honour killing” deaths of four female family members, and sentenced to 25 years in prison. The jury in Kingston, Ontario, deliberated for two days before pronouncing a guilty sentence against Mohammad Shafia, 58, his 42-year-old wife Tooba Mahommad Yahya and their 21-year-old son Hamed. Their defence attorneys said they would appeal the convictions. Judge Robert Maranger called the crimes “heinous” as he sentenced the accused to 25 years in prison, and said the evidence clearly supported the charges. “The apparent reason behind these cold-blooded, shameful murders was that the four completely innocent victims offended your completely twisted concept of honour,” the judge said. “It’s a sick notion of honour that has no place in a civilized society.”

Mohammad Shafia replied: “We are not criminals. We are not murderers. We didn’t commit murder. This is unjust.” “I am not a murderer. I am a mother,” echoed Tooba Yahya. The three defendants were found guilty of the deaths of the couple’s three daughters and Shafia’s first wife in his polygamous marriage after a four-month-long trial that heard dozens of witnesses testify. The bodies of the victims — Zainab Shafia, 19; Sahar Shafia, 17; Geeti Shafia, 13; and Rona Amir Mohammad, 50 — were found in a car submerged in a canal lock near Kingston, Ontario in June 2009. Prosecutors argued throughout the four-month trial the murders were staged as an accident by the accused to cover up what they called an honor killing. They said the victims were drowned or rendered unconscious before being put in a car and then pushed into the water. It was argued that in the

eyes of the father the three girls had damaged the family’s reputation with their indiscretions, such as wearing revealing clothing and telling school officials of alleged abuse at home. Crown attorney Laurie Lacelle said in her closing arguments that the goal was to “remove the diseased limb” from the family tree. The defence, however, maintained the deaths were accidental and a result of the eldest daughter going on a joyride. They contend Zainab took the car in the middle of the night while the family slept at a Kingston motel overnight where they stopped to rest returning to Montreal from a trip to Niagara Falls. Shafia and his family came to Canada in 2007, after living in Australia, Pakistan and Dubai over the previous 15 years. On the morning of the deaths, a car was discovered underwater at the upper lock at Kingston Mills with the four bodies inside. A post-mortem examination indicated they died of drowning. — AFP

THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

NEWS

world You’ve destroyed the military, the army is broken and you’ve spat on the soldiers and sent the officers packing. We’re asking you nicely: Go, tyrant! Former Russian paratroopers in their surprise hit song

MOSCOW

PARIS

Beat the bugs? Not easy

Rock video labels Putin a ‘tyrant’

They evade vaccines by swapping bits of their genome with other bacteria

A rock band made up of Russian former paratroopers has scored a surprise hit with a song that labels Vladimir Putin (pic), a “tyrant”, registering half a million hits on YouTube. Beefy, tattooed, wearing berets and military decorations on their chests, two singers and three back-up musicians let rip at Putin, the prime minister who is seeking to return to the presidency term in March 4 elections. “You’ve destroyed the military, the army is broken and you’ve spat on the soldiers and sent the officers packing,” they sing. “We’re asking you nicely: Go, tyrant!” Belting out the chorus, they sing: “We are free paratroopers and the Motherland is with us! You’re just a public servant, not a tsar or God.” By yesterday the video had been watched 445,000 times since being posted on at www.youtube.com/ watch?feature=player_ embedded&v=2aVlR_ Oe3v0 on Thursday. It has also been watched 150,000 times on the Dojd television station’s posting at www.youtube.com/

Bugs that cause childhood pneumonia and meningitis have evolved to evade vaccines by swapping bits of their genome with other bacteria, according to a study published yesterday. The findings, published in Nature Genetics, show how quickly these life-threatening pathogens can disguise themselves with borrowed genetic decoys, and how hard it is for medicine to keep up. Diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae are thought to kill over a million young children around the world each year. Vaccines that protect against these so-called pneumoccoccal infections are designed to recognise a material on the outer surface of a bacterium’s cell called polysaccharide. Each of over 90 kinds, or “serotypes”, of these bacteria have a different polysaccharide coating.

In 2000, a vaccine that targeted seven serotypes proved highly effective when introduced in the United States. The same formula — which also prevented transmission from children to adults — was adopted in Britain. Over time, however, the vaccine worked less well, so researchers led by Rory Bowden at the University of Oxford set out to discover why. Combining cutting-edge genetic analysis with epidemiology, which examines how disease spreads, they found that the deadly pathogens escaped detection by swapping genes with other, slightly different, bacteria. Remarkably, the exchanged genetic material came from precisely that part of the genome responsible for making the cell’s coating — the area targeted by the vaccine. The bacteria, in other words, had kept their virulence intact but changed

their outward appearance. “Imagine that each strain of the pneumoccoccus bacteria is a class of schoolchildren all wearing the school uniform,” explained Bowden. “If a boy steals from the corner shop, a policeman — the vaccine — can easily identify which school he belongs to by his uniform.” But if the boy swaps his sweater with a friend from another school, Bowden continued, the policeman will no longer know where to look and the thief, like the bacteria, will escape. The researchers identified several such “recombined” serotypes resistant to the vaccine, and one in particular that had spread across the United States from east to west over several years. They also observed — for the first time outside a laboratory — that the bugs were able to swap several parts of their respective genomes at once.

“This is of particular concern, as recombination involving multiple fragments of DNA allows rapid and simultaneous exchange of key regions of the genome within the bug, potentially allowing it to quickly develop antibiotic resistance,” the researchers said. In both the United States and Britain, the original vaccine has now been replaced with a new one that targets 13 rather than seven of the telltale serotypes. But the scientists caution that the bacteria will continue to morph into new forms. “The current vaccine strategy ... is extremely effective,” co-author Bernard Beall, a scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said in a statement. “However, our observations indicate that the organism will continue to adapt to this strategy with some measurable success.” — AFP

ISHINOMAKI (Japan)

Search goes on for tsunami victims Leaden winter skies lour on a coastguard boat as it cuts its way through the seas off Japan’s tsunami-wrecked shores. Somewhere under these unforgiving grey waters lie hundreds, perhaps thousands of bodies; the unfound, unclaimed dead of one of the country’s worst ever disasters. Even though the hunt on these sullen seas goes on every day, Yoshifumi Suzuki says none of his coastguard colleagues has seen a single corpse since the partial remains of a man were untangled from a fishing net in November. But they are not prepared to give up. “If we don’t do this, nobody will,” Suzuki said. “We want to continue the search until we find the very last one. I want to return people to their families not because it is my official duty, but because it is my duty as a human being.” “The (missing) person is in the mind of his or her family but they still want proof

that the person lived in this world. I think it’s hard for them to accept the reality” without a body, he said. The massive tsunami that pummelled Japan in March last year claimed more than 19,000 lives. One-in-six of the dead has never been found. In the ravaged port city of Ishinomaki and the adjacent town of Onagawa, 20 percent of the 4,700 victims are still officially listed as missing, although no-one believes they will be found alive. “If the sea was transparent, we would be able to find more people. It’s awful,” Suzuki said aboard the 26-ton Shimakaze. Occasional snow stings the five-strong crew as they peer through winter fog at the surface of the sea and use underwater sonar equipment to detect submerged cars or other debris that can trap bodies. If they see anything that suggests a corpse, they call for divers. But visibility below the

watch?v=dV-prXX1ZOw &feature=related. One of the singers, asked by a journalist why he opposes the former KGB agent Putin, said that he does not support his corrupt regime. “We are like all the people, we don’t want to live in a country where one flies around and one lies,” he said, explaining the song. Its title Nobody but us! is the motto of Russia’s paratroopers. The paratroopers, an elite airborne military force with about 30,000 members, have had a reputation since Soviet times of being fearsome fighters. — AFP

TOKYO

Study on radiation impact on plants

surface is only one metre and the cold temperature means frogmen can be in the water for no more than a few minutes. Yoshiyuki Kikuchi, the captain of the Shimakaze, remembers the horror of the tsunami and the frantic days he spent in the initial search for bodies. When he got the tsunami warning, Kikuchi sailed out to sea to protect his boat — waves are smaller offshore and easier to ride over. He saw a huge wall of wa-

Caring for victims: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda visited temporary housing for displaced persons left homeless since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in the town of Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture on Jan 10 — AFPpic

ter coming his way 10km offshore. His passage blocked by the swirling clouds of flotsam, Kikuchi was only able to return to port on the third day after the disaster and immediately began the task of recovering bodies. — AFP

Japanese scientists are studying how radiation has affected plants and animals living near the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, an official said yesterday. Researchers are examining field mice, red pine trees, a certain type of shellfish and other wild flora and fauna in and around the 20km no-go zone surrounding the plant, an Environment Ministry official said. “The researchers are studying the impact of high radiation levels on wild animals and plants, examining the appearance, reproductive function and possible abnormalities in chromosomes,” said the official. They will also grow seeds from plant samples and monitor the offspring of animals in the research.

The study began in November and an initial report on the findings is expected in March, he said. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, some 220km north of Tokyo, suffered blasts and fires after the March 11 quake and tsunami crippled its cooling systems, releasing radiation into the environment. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from the area near the plant, many abandoning pets and livestock which have since gone feral. Parts of the exclusion zone are expected to be reclassified to allow people to move back to their homes over the next few years, but other areas are expected to be uninhabitable for several decades. — AFP

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

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TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

SQUASH

THE MALAY MAIL

SPORTS We must give the opportunity to our best singles players so that they will be able to compete against the best in the world later on Razif Sidek former national doubles player

PERTH

CLEVELAND

Nicol still riding high

Malaysia go down again to Australia

World No 1 on course to make amends for losing last year

A VERY defensive Malaysia were beaten 5-2 by Australia at the Perth Hockey Stadium in their second friendly match yesterday evening. Malaysia opted to have all their players in their own 25 for a large part of the match. Perhaps the strategy adopted was to counter the strong Aussie side fielded by coach Ric Charlesworth. Australia had the likes of three-times FIH Player of the Year Jaime Dywer, Matt Ghodes, Christopher Cirello and Kieren Govers. The team fielded was from a list of 28 Olympic hopefuls and had trouble getting the better of a Malaysian side that opted to “park the bus” in front of goal. Australia went ahead in the very first minute through Ghodes. Although the Aussies were awarded penalty corners in the 17th, 19th and 20th minutes, the combined efforts of Baljit

WORLD No 1 Nicol Ann David is on track to redeem herself at the Cleveland Racquet Classic after missing out on the title last year following a defeat to England’s Laura Massaro in the final. In the first round match at the Cleveland Racquet Club in Ohio yesterday morning, Nicol cruised into the quarterfinals by defeating a qualifier, Joelle King of New Zealand. Nicol beat king 11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 8-11 and 11-7 in a gruelling 63-minute match to book her berth. She meets Hong Kong’s Annie Au, who claimed the quarterfinal berth following the withdrawal of France’s Camille Serme. Meanwhile, national No 2, Low Wee Wern went down to Giulia Massaro 4-11, 6-11, 11-9 and 5-11 in 53 minutes. — Bernama

NICOL: Gruelling game against King — APFpic

Singh and Mohd Madzli Ikmar kept the score intact. But that did not prevent the Australians from doubling their advantage via Simon Orchard. Off Malaysia’s first foray into the opponent’s semi-circle, they were awarded a penalty corner in the 23rd minute. The attempt by Mohd Razie Abdul Rahim sailed into goal, deflected off a defender’s stick. Australia had another penalty corner but Baljit denied them a clear shot at goal and the halftime score stood at 2-1 in favour of Australia. Dwyer made it 3-1 in the 44th minute before Ghodes scored his second and Australia’s fourth in the 50th minute. Liam de Young made it 5-1 in the 53rd minute but Malaysia reduced the deficit when Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Tengku Jalil pounced on a penalty corner rebound in the 55th minute to reduce the deficit to 5-2. — www.malaysianhockey.blogspot.com

KUALA LUMPUR | BADMINTON

Razif slams BAM for omitting Zul FORMER national badminton coach Razif Sidek (pic)took the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to task for not including world junior champion Zulfadli Zulkiffli in the Thomas Cup squad. Razif, during an interview with Bernama TV recently, said Zulfadli should be given a chance to represent the country in the Thomas Cup qualifier in Macau on Feb 13-19. The former doubles player who, together with his brother Jalani, formed the backbone of the Thomas Cup squad in 1992, said Zulfadli’s presence in Macau would

give him valuable exposure and experience. “At least he (Zulfadli) will be able to witness in person, how difficult or tough the competition is at the Thomas Cup. It does not matter whether he is from the Kuala Lumpur Racquet Club or not,” he said. “BAM must still open the door to players like Zulfadli. We must give the opportunity to our best singles players so that they will be able to compete against the best in the world later on.” Zulfadli, currently ranked world No 125 and second in the world junior ranking,

was not in the list announced by BAM to lead the country’s challenge in the Thomas Cup qualifier. Among those in the team are Lee Chong Wei, Muhammad Hafiz Hashim, Liew Daren and Mohd Arif Abdul Latiff. “If the best players are not chosen, it will not help Malaysia’s quest to qualify for the Thomas Cup Finals in China on May 20-27.” Zulfadli said he would focus on preparing for the German Open, All England and Swiss Open. “I’ll play the Selangor Open before all that,” he said. — Bernama

Tengku Ahmad

NEW DELHI | TABLE TENNIS

India champion incurs fine with over-the-top celebration A WILD, top-of-the-table celebration is set to cost the new Indian table tennis champion A. Amalraj a quarter of his winner’s purse, the national federation have said in a statement. Pitted against six-time national champion Achanta Sharath Kamal in the final of the men’s

event at the 73rd Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships, Amalraj had a difficult job at hand. The 25-year-old paddler conjured up a special performance though to eke out an 11-8, 11-8, 12-10, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8 victory before bursting into

a bizarre celebration in the north Indian city of Lucknow. Amalraj, hopeful of qualifying for the London Olympics later this year, first leapt onto the table and hurled his bat before pumping his fists like a man possessed. The umpire first showed him

the yellow card but Amalraj did not care and went merrily around the court, inviting a red card. He also forgot to shake hands with his opponent until his coach reminded him. “Now he stands to lose 25 per cent of his (RM15,000) prize money,” the Table Ten-

nis Federation of India (TTFI) said in a statement, adding the competition manager had recommended the fine. Even though TTFI claimed Amalraj was penitent, the paddler did not sound so. “I don’t mind losing a portion of the money,” he said. “The

celebration was not intentional and I did it in excitement. “My national level goal has been achieved and I now want to concentrate on even bigger goals. I am off to Germany to train for the Asian and world championships,” said the Commonwealth doubles gold medallist. — Reuters

THE MALAY MAIL

tuesday 31 january 2012

BADMINTON

SPORTS There is no conflict of interest or favouritism and it is through such strict training regimes that my son was able to win those titles ZULKIFLI SIDEk KLRC coach

CHERAS

CHERAS I BADMINTON

Zulkifli’s passion-fuelled patriotism

‘I want to play for Malaysia’ Zulfadli reiterates desire to don national colours By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my

NOT many knew who Zulfadli Zulkifli (pic) was a year ago but all that changed when he won the Asian Junior Championship in April followed by the World Junior Championship in November. He then became an instant celebrity, with many parties wanting a piece of him. Some even said he could be the next world No 1, but he remains unperturbed by such attention. “Oh yes, everyone wanted to be friends. People who never used to talk to me before wanted to hang out with me. It’s a little odd but I don’t care,” said Zulfadli. “My focus is on badminton and nothing else. I have my own plans and I plan to achieve them. Zulfadli has options. The Los Angeles-born lad can play for the United States. He can even feature for Indonesia, the birth country of his mother Hanny Pranatyo. In fact, Zulfadli was approached by the USBA to become a part of their Thomas Cup squad. Ironically, the BA of Malaysia left Zulfadli’s name out of their Thomas Cup list as announced during the Malaysia Open. “I want to play for Malaysia. That is my ambition for now. I have not thought

about other options yet,” Zulfadli stressed. “But my name was not listed. It would have been the perfect birthday gift,” said Zulfadli, who turns 19 on Feb 11. Zulfadli spent his first four years in LA before moving to Johor Baru, where he was introduced to the sport. “My dad (Zulkifli Sidek) used to head to the courts a lot and one day, he decided to take me. I remember my first racquet clearly. It was a pink Carlton.” There has been no turning back since. Zulfadli went on to win local tournaments before slowly making his mark on the international scene. Last year, he inked his name in the history books as the first Malaysian to bag the Asian Junior, World Junior and Youth Commonwealth

Games titles. “Initially, I just wanted to have fun. But after I started winning, I realised I had to aim higher to further improve and yes, I started having ambitions of being a champion.” Zulfadli, a Manchester United fan, described his relationship with his fathercum-coach as interesting. “We have made it very clear he is a father at home and a coach on the courts. I used to ask him to cut me some slack but as I progressed, I saw the need to push myself and respected his decisions although they can be painful at times.” Zulfadli still heads over to the KLBA Stadium in Cheras and spars with some of the junior shuttlers there. He blends in with the other players and shows no arrogance on and off the courts.

His younger brothers, Zulfaiz (age 17) and Zulhelmi (16), still train at KLBA. Where does Zulfadli see himself in five years? “Playing alongside some of the big names in the world!” he exclaimed. Biodata Name: Zulfadli Zulkifli Age: 19 Date of birth: 11 Feb 1993 Place of birth: Los Angeles, USA Favourite drink: Iced cappuccino Favourite food: Seafood (especially crab) Primary education: SK Damansara Utama Secondray education: SMK Damansara Utama Ambition: To be the best badminton player in the world

CHERAS

Proud mother Hanny stands firm behind her boys HANNY PRANATYO has spent most of her life ferrying her three sons between school, home and the badminton courts and the homemaker has no regrets. Today, she wears a satisfied look as her eldest son, Zulfadli Zulkifli, is now a celebrated lad on the international badminton scene while the younger offsprings, Zulfaiz and Zulhelmi, are working towards achieving success in their own way. “I’ve sacrificed a lot but I have no complaints,”

said Hanny. Hanny has never stopped any of her children from taking up sports. After all, she used to play badminton herself and trained at Pelita Jaya in Indonesia, the same club where Indonesian ace Susi Susanti was attached to. “All I want is to see all three of my boys having sound education and being good in sports. I’ve played badminton at the lower level before so I’ll be the last person to ever stop them from playing sports.” Hanny, who worked for

the Malaysian Embassy in the USA before marrying Zulkifli Sidek, said Zulfadli has always been responsible and disciplined. “If you were expecting him to be a cheeky or naughty boy, I’m sorry to disappoint you,” laughed Hanny. “He is very matured for his age. He has never bugged us for anything. He is not the type to waste money on stuff and always thinks about the future.” Hanny recalled Zulfadli growing up wanting to be

a doctor. “It was right after he received his PMR results and he got quite a number of As. He had aspirations to go to medical school, but it would be difficult to juggle medicine and badminton. Now he has enrolled himself at Universiti Putra Malaysia for a business course.” Zulfadli is now saving up to buy a small car for his birthday. “He does not want us to fork out a single sen. He believes we have spent enough raising him. That is Zulfadli.”

THE thought of packing up and returning to the US did cross his mind. However, Zulkifli Sidek is very much a Malaysian at heart. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t think of returning to the US. Things were good there. But I am a Malaysian and I want my son to represent Malaysia,” said Zulkifli. The US Badminton Association were keen on having Zulkifli’s eldest son Zulfadli in their Thomas Cup team. “In fact, we just returned from the US earlier this month and several senior officials there asked us to reconsider our decision to play for the US,” admitted Zulkifli. “Zulfadli wants to play for Malaysia and I’m happy with his decision.” Despite having won the Asian Junior, World Junior and Youth Commonwealth Games titles last year, Zulfadli was not listed in Malaysia’s Thomas Cup squad and did not make the cut for the reserve team. For the record, Zulfadli plays for KLRC and was never part of BAM’s programme. However, BAM have offered financial assistance and support to Zulfadli in his quest to become a better player. The red tape and politics have constantly left Zulfadli on the sidelines but this has not dampened the youngster’s appetite to represent the nation. Zulkifli insists he is still the best person to coach his son. “Why fix something which is not broken?” Zulkifli asked. “I’ve trained him all this while and he has created history. I coached the US national team and served the National Sports Council (NSC). I know what’s best for my son.”

Zulkifli said he draws a clear line between being a father and a coach. “I know when to be a dad and when to be a coach. There is no conflict of interest or favouritism and it is through such strict training regimes that my son was able to win those titles.” Zulkifli was pursuing a degree in marketing and business at California State University while actively playing in several local tournaments. “I won the Miami Open in 1988 and was spotted by several people from the US BA. They offered me a job to coach the US team between 1990-1993.” He then returned to Malaysia and started to coach Zulfadli and his younger sons Zulfaiz and Zulhelmi, with the aspiration of turning them into national players one day. His diligence paid off but it has been a roller-coaster journey for him and the family. Zulkifli was offered a job as a CEO of a company with a five figure salary but he turned it down due to his passion for badminton. Some may call him silly, but Zulkifli knows where his priorities lie — to mould talents and ensure his son Zulfadli continues to make waves in the scene. “The money was really good but I love badminton,” confessed Zulkifli. “Some even asked me to apply for the high performance director’s post with BAM but I laughed it off.” Zulkifli thanked the NSC, the National Sports Institute (NSI), KLRC and BAM for their support and believes Zulfadli has more to offer. “This is only the beginning. I would like to see him become the next big thing in Malaysian sports.”

PROUD PARENTS: Zulkifli (right) and his wife Hanny are fully supportive of their sons — Pic: ARIF KARTONO

tuesday 31 january 2012

FOOTBALL

THE MALAY MAIL

SPORTS AFC have approved that the best Malaysian team from these competitions will be the recognised representative. It has been sorted out hamidin mohd amin competitions committee chairman

PETALING JAYA I FAM LEAGUE

PETALING JAYA i AFC CUP

Truth won’t set FAM free Conflicting replies from national body’s bigwigs do not provide comfort BY VIJHAY VICK vijhayvick@mmail.com.my

HAVE the FA of Malaysia (FAM) sorted out the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) about their representatives in the next AFC Cup? Well, it really all depends with whom in the FAM you are speaking with? And whose story you want to believe. On one side we have the secretary-general, Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad, who admitted they had not thought the matter out thoroughly. When the scenario was explained to him, Azzuddin was non-

plussed. And then we have the FAM competitions committee chairman, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin (pic). He says the matter has been sorted out, that the best-placed Malaysian team in the Super League and the FA Cup will go through to the AFC Cup. “AFC have approved that the best Malaysian team from these competitions will be the recognised representative. It has been sorted out,” said Hamidin. Hamidin also sits in the AFC competitions committee. The same was the case when Tampines Rovers, runnersup in the S-League, was allowed to compete in

the AFC Cup instead of SLeague winners Etoile FC, a club from France. An AFC spokesman clarified though allowing Tampines Rovers was an exception, not the norm. “It is good to have rules and regulations but they should be tempered with common sense as well. In this case, AFC should reconsider,” said Azzuddin. “Afterall, we are trying to improve the quality of the game in this region by allowing our young teams to play in the leagues. We should not be punished because the intention is noble. It is all being done in good faith.” Azzuddin was quick to point out Singapore may

also be affected if Harimau Muda A win the S-League. “Never mind, now that the matter has been highlighted, we will write to AFC to clarify this,” he added.

SEPANG i MotoGP

SIC set to roar again AFTER a lull in the local racing scene, the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) will again be rocked by the roar of engines as the MotoGP teams and riders converge for their annual pre-season tests from today until Thursday. The three-day tests will give a glimpse of the new 1000cc MotoGP bikes as manufacturers initiate their first official test of the year on the 2012 machinery. It will be a step into uncharted territory for all the riders as they get to grips with their new 1000cc machines, replacing the now defunct 800cc bikes. It will also mean an emotional return for all the MotoGP riders as this will be first time the riders will return to SIC after the tragic death of San Carlo Honda Gresini rider, Marco Simoncelli, last October during the Malaysian MotoGP. Simoncelli, from Italy, suffered critical injuries after being involved in a collision with Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi at Turn 11 while the race was still in its infancy. Teams and riders will have to make the most of the three-day sessions,

GO BOY, GO: Nicky Hayden putting his Ducati to the test

with another test on Feb 28-March 1, before a final test in Jerez on March 23-25, before the start of the season in Qatar on April 8. The key factory teams will see their line-up unchanged, with Casey Stoner set to defend his world title alongside Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa; the Yamaha Factory team will again be represented

by Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies, while Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden will be hard at work with the Ducati team in order to push the Italian outfit at the front of the MotoGP pack. Now recovering from a broken left shoulder blade and two broken ribs from a flat track crash during the last week of December, Hayden has been work-

ing on his fitness from his California home that he shares with his brothers to prepare for his debut on the Ducati GP12 at Sepang next week. The American hasn’t ridden the new GP12 yet, nor was he able to test the version of it Valentino Rossi rode at the Valencia test in early November, as he broke his wrist in a crash at the final race of 2011.

League may be scrapped BY haresh deol haresh@mmail.com.my

THE FA of Malaysia (FAM) may scrap the FAM League if there are less than eight teams. However, some teams are crying foul, adding the national body should have looked into status of the teams before drawing up the fixtures for the league. They said it was foolish to cancel the league, especially when deciding on the qualifiers for the Premier League next season. “We know the bottom Premier League teams will be relegated to the FAM League but what about the winners of the FAM League?” asked a coach. Another coach, speaking on anonymity for fear of being penalised by FAM for “speaking against policy matters”, added the teams should have been scrutinised by FAM earlier instead of at the 11th hour. “Did the competitions committee just wake up? Only now have they decided to speak to the teams and ask them to pay the up for the insurance scheme. The league is supposed to start in less than a week,” he stressed. “This should have been discussed a long time ago. Why waste time drawing up the fixtures if the teams competing have failed to even get the basics right, including obtaining insurance policies for the players? “There is just no sense of professionalism, from the top to bottom. The players and coaches are the ones who suffer,” he added. The league, which was supposed to start tomorrow (Feb 1), has been postponed indefinitely. A letter, signed by FAM general-secretary Datuk Azzudin Ahmad (pic), was sent to the teams last Wednesday. Among the teams registered for the league are Penang, Malacca, UiTM FC, Armed Forces (Land), Johor Melodi Jaya, Pahang Kuantan Port, KL SPA, PBAPP and Penang

Sinar DiMaja Maisarah. However, the meeting revealed Malacca, Penang Sinar DiMaja Maisarah, KL SPA and UiTM FC were yet to pay their insurance premiums. They have until Feb 7 to do so. The first paragraph of the letter states; “If the teams fail to pay, their participation in the FAM League will be cancelled.” The committee also decided that Armed Forces (Land) will need to provide a copy of their insurance policy and if the terms and coverage of the policy are not as good as that offered by the national body, Armed Forces (Land) will need to then take up FAM’s insurance policy. Nevertheless, Paragraph Three of the letter comes as a shocker as the committee decided that “the league will be postponed to a later date and if there are less than eight teams competing, then the FAM League will be cancelled”. The insurance fiasco followed Mailsport’s expose that players in the MLeague were not insured for the first four months of he competition last year. This came about after former Negri Sembilan physiotherapist See Kim Leong passed away on Feb 5, 2011 but his family were not compensated. They eventually learnt Kim Leong was “not insured”.

THE MALAY MAIL

tuesday 31 january 2012

TENNIS

SPORTS I think it was important to lay down a marker to the other top three that I am improving and getting close to winning a Slam andy murray british no. 1

LONDON I australian open

Top of the world target Spanish ace Nadal thinks Murray can achieve ambition ANDY MURRAY has targeted becoming world No 1 by the end of the year. The Scot claimed his narrow semifinal defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open proves he has closed the gap on the current top-ranked player on the planet. And, under the guidance of new coach Ivan Lendl, the British No 1 said he will now work on overtaking the Serb, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal in the rankings while chasing his first Grand Slam.

“I think it was important to lay down a marker to the other top three that I am improving and getting close to winning a Slam,” said the 24-year-old. “You’re always going to have people that doubt me and say: ‘He’s not that good’ or ‘He’s not as good as them’. “I’m aware that I still need to prove some things and win matches like the semi. “It was so close. But I need to make that last little jump and I’m much closer than I was at this stage last year.

“I don’t know how much Novak can keep improving but he’s played great tennis the whole of last year and made a big improvement. “I think now I’ve started to improve and I think it’s because of those guys that I’m playing as well as I am. “I want to get to No.1. That’s one of my goals this year and I’ll try my best to do it.” Rafa Nadal agreed Murray can reach the top of the world. But the Spaniard said the Scot still needs to show

more mental strength. “He’s playing fantastic and deserves to win a Grand Slam,” said Nadal. “Here he lost another very good opportunity in my opinion, because winning two sets to one, you cannot start the fourth set like he did. “But he can be No 1 at the end of the season. I don’t have any doubt on that. The level is there. “When you are able to play five Grand Slam semifinals or finals in a row, it’s only a mental thing.” — Daily Mirror

murray: Under Ivan Lendl’s guidance

MELBOURNE

‘I was pushed to the edge’

Nadal says record final has banished mental demons

NOVAK DJOKOVIC said Rafa Nadal had pushed him to the brink of exhaustion as his weary legs held him upright just long enough to see off the Spaniard in the longest grand slam final on record. The Serb finally prevailed 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 7-5 in five hours and 53 minutes to win the Australian Open for the third time. “I overcame everything, and that’s the most important thing for me,” Djokovic said when asked about his physical troubles that had hindered his quarter-final win over David Ferrer and semi-final defeat of Andy Murray. “And to be able to mentally hang in there and physically, you know I mean, it was obvious on the court for everybody who has watched the match that both of us, physically, we took the last drop of energy that we had from our bodies. “You know, I think it was just the matter of maybe luck in some moments and matter of wanting this more than maybe other player in the certain point. “It’s just an incredible effort.” Djokovic’s crushing flat forehands did the trick for the world No 1, allowing him to consistently drive Nadal deep behind the baseline and negate the Span-

iard’s stinging top-spin. His inner strength also proved to be his trump card, something several observers felt he had been lacking in the past. The Serb had retired in the 2006 French Open quarterfinals against Nadal when trailing by two sets and again a year later due to blisters in the Wimbledon semi-final against the same opponent. He also failed to defend his Melbourne Park title in 2009 when he controversially pulled out of his quarterfinal against Andy Roddick citing heat exhaustion on a sweltering day. In the early hours yesterday, the steel that drove him to the world’s top ranking and three grand slam titles in 2011 was evident again. “I’m a professional tennis player. I’m sure any other colleague tennis player would say the same: we live for these matches,” he added. “We work every day. We’re trying to dedicate all our life to this sport to come to the situation where we play a six hour match for a grand slam title.” Djokovic seized the one opening Nadal gave him in the fifth set. Trailing 30-15 and 3-4 in the decider, and with the crowd firmly behind the Spaniard, he rallied when the world No 2

feels so good: Djokovic kisses the Norman Brooks trophy — AFPpic

missed an easy backhand down the line with the court wide open. Sensing the slightest hint of blood, Djokovic moved in for the kill. He picked off Nadal’s serve in the 11th game to give him a 6-5 lead and while he had to fight off a break point, he sealed his third successive grand slam title with a forehand winner.

“I had lots of chances to finish the match in the fourth, but he came up with some incredible serves and incredible points,” Djokovoic said. “So he deserved to prolong the match in the fifth set, and then really both of us could have won the match. “And even when I was 4-2 down I still pushed myself up to the limit.” — Reuters

RAFA NADAL (pic) soothed his disappointment at yet another loss to Novak Djokovic in the longest ever grand slam final by declaring he was at least free of the mental chokehold the Serb had placed him under throughout last year. The Spaniard threw everything at world No 1 Djokovic in the Australian Open final but still came up agonisingly short to lose 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 7-5 in the early hours yesterday at Rod Laver Arena. With a break in hand and two points from taking a 5-2 lead in the fifth set, Nadal missed an easy backhand down the line with the court wide open and an exhausted Djokovic rose from the abyss. Having appeared on the verge of collapse, the 24-year-old Serb broke back and went on to complete an astonishing victory and condemn Nadal to his third successive grand slam final loss to Djokovic. It was also Nadal’s seventh successive loss to the Serb, all in finals. Nadal apologised at his post-match news conference before ripping open a sachet of energy formula with his teeth and sucking it dry before taking questions. “Fine,” he quipped after being asked how he felt

following the five-hour 53-minute match. “No, I’m tired, sure. Physically it was the toughest match I ever played ... I am tired.” While Nadal rued his missed chances, he also chose to look on the bright side. “(I had) very real chances to have the title and to win against a player who I lost six times last year,” he said. “But I didn’t. I never put him in this situation during 2011, all of 2011, so that’s another positive thing for me. “I didn’t have mental problems today against him. I had in 2011 all these mental problems. Today I didn’t have (any). “So that’s another positive thing. (I) probably never say that many positive things after I lose.” — Reuters

tuesday 31 january 2012

CRICKET

THE MALAY MAIL

SPORTS You would see different cricket from India Suresh Raina

ABU DHABI I Golf

SYDNEY

Oz rising from Ashes

Woods upbeat after Dubai challenge

After thrashing India, Australia now look ahead to restore position in world cricket

TIGER WOODS was heading home to Florida yesterday with a mixed report card from his first foray into the 2012 golf season at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championships. A share of third place in a tournament that boasted the top four players in the world and six out of the top 10 was, on the face of it, an encouraging performance. But eyebrows were still raised by his inability to finish the job off when he was tied for a share of the lead going into the final round with 34-year-old Robert Rock, an Englishman ranked 117th in the world, whose sole tournament win in nine years came at last year’s Italian Open. “I’m pleased at the progress I’ve made so far,” he said of his work with new coach Sean Foley who has been helping him re-fash-

ONLY months ago, one-time powerhouse Australia were wallowing fifth in the Test rankings but now they are nudging India for third spot after the 4-0 series annihilation of M.S. Dhoni’s men. The pain of being humiliated at home in the Ashes 12 months ago is still deeply ingrained in the Australians and they are determined to get their act together for another tilt at No 1 ranked England some 500 days away. Andrew Strauss’s England team comprehensively outplayed Australia in the 2010-11 series, inflicting an unprecedented three innings defeats on the home side to claim their second consecutive Ashes win. That prompted a major overhaul of Australian cricket and ushered in a new captain, new coach and a revamped selection panel with a view to restoring Australia to the top of world cricket. Michael Clarke, who took over as captain from Ricky Ponting last March, is at the helm of a reinvigorated team, identifying new potential Test stars, revitalising the old stagers and working hard towards becoming No 1 again.

One-time top ranked India now shade Australia by only a decimal point in third place in the ICC Test rankings after crashing to four huge defeats in their ill-fated series Down Under. Australia struggled to dismiss England regularly in the Ashes, but against India the bowlers were a revelation. Under the influence of new bowling coach Craig McDermott, Ashes flops Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle were far and away the top bowlers of the India series, with 27 and 23 wickets respectively, while youngster James Pattinson took 11 wickets in two Tests before injury. After an Ashes series where Australia struggled to build a solid platform at the top of the innings, Twenty20 specialist David Warner has exploded on to the Test scene with two thumping centuries in his first five Tests as opener. Ed Cowan replaced the technically-flawed Philip Hughes in the other opening slot and averaged 34.33 with two half-centuries in the India series, while 162-Test veteran Ponting has enjoyed a sparkling return to form. But there is more ahead for

LEADING THE REVOLUTION: Clarke (right) and Ponting working hard to be No 1 again — AFPpic

the recharged Australians, says Clarke, who against India became the first skipper to score a triple century and a double hundred in the same series, and was justifiably named man of the series. “Right now we’re not the No 1 Test team in the world

ion his swing to accommodate the leg injuries that sidelined him for most of last year. The 36-year-old American had fallen outside the world top 50 due to his time on the injury sidelines, Woods had already moved up to 25th in the world rankings coming into Abu Dhabi and his performance here will nudge him back into the top 20. Next up is his US season starter at Pebble Beach next month followed by the WGC Matchplay Championship in Arizona and the WGC Championship tournament at Doral in March. That will lead him into what is his main priority — The Masters at Augusta National — in early April where he will be aiming to win a 15th Major title, just three shy of matching Jack Nicklaus. — AFP

so it’s about us trying to become better every single match,” Clarke said. Before the Ashes in 2013, Australia face the West Indies away in March-April and South Africa and Sri Lanka at home next southern summer. — AFP

SYDNEY I Cricket

‘Young’ India will bounce back, says Raina UNFAZED by the Test debacle as he was not a part of the team, Indian middleorder batsman Suresh Raina yesterday said his side will play some “different cricket” to give a better account of itself in the shorter formats starting with a Twenty20 match against Australia tomorrow.

India lost the Test series 0-4 but Raina said the squad for Twenty20s and ODI tri-series, also featuring Sri Lanka, will deliver better performances. “We won the ODI series here last time. We have also won the World Cup. We won other series too. It’s the same set of players largely. You

would see different cricket from India,” Raina told the Press Trust of India. Raina’s confidence stems from the fact that most of the youngsters, including himself, have prepared well for the forthcoming series. He believes the present tour would be useful for the youngsters as the next World

Cup, in 2015, is scheduled in Australia and New Zealand. “We will play 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and the same youngsters would benefit a great deal,” Raina said, adding that Australia should watch out for the young Indians and not gloat on their Test success too much. — Agencies

WOODS: Looking forward to The Masters at Augusta National in April — GETTYpic

BRIEFS

S’pore to play in qualifiers

Ponting to sue firm

NEW DELHI: Unfancied Singapore will replace the United States in next month’s Olympic men’s qualifiers here, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) said. The decision to rope in Singapore for the six-nation tournament was

MELBOURNE: Former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting is likely to sue an Indian software company for using his face in a mobile phone application without permission. Retired greats Glen McGrath, Steve Waugh and

taken after the US “unexpectedly” pulled out “due to player unavailability besides retirements and injuries”. Singapore are currently at the 41st place in the world ranking while the US are on 24th. — Agencies

Cullen double secures draw Shane Warne’s faces have also been used without permission by Indian firm AHI Infotech in 99c iPhone app “Face Guess Cricket”. The applications asks for users to guess a cricketer’s identity from close-ups of his face. — Agencies

ROSARIO: Britain staged a fighting second-half comeback to hold the Netherlands, the world’s No 1 ranked hockey team, to a 2-2 draw at the Champions Trophy here yesterday. Coach Danny Kerry admitted he delivered some strong words at half-time after

the Dutch had taken control of the game with strikes from Naomi Van As and Kim Lammers. Great Britain now have a rest day before their final group fixture against Olympic silver medallists China, where a win would progress them to the semifinals. — Agencies

THE MALAY MAIL

TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012

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tuesday 31 january 2012

FOOTBALL

THE MALAY MAIL

SPORTS It is not always easy to come back and for the team to find the resources to impose themselves Gernot Rohr GABON COACH

LIBREVILLE | African Nations Cup

FRANCEVILLE

Libya out of quarterfinals

Gyan’s ego goes into overdrive

First victory in 30 years but they still go home FAIRYTALE qualifiers Libya enjoyed a bittersweet day yesterday, defeating Senegal for their first Africa Cup of Nations win since 1982, yet missing out on the quarterfinals. The Libyans’ 2-1 defeat of already eliminated Senegal in Bata was insufficient to lift them into the last eight after Zambia beat Equtorial Guinea 1-0 in Malabo. That left Zambia as the Group A winners, with the significant reward of avoiding a probable quarterfinal date with competition favourites Ivory Coast. That dubious honour now looks set to fall to Group A runners-up Equatorial Guinea. Topping the table means the Zambian Copper Bullets are likely to face Angola or Sudan in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Zambia’s French coach Herve Renard said: “The aim was to secure first place, as in 2010 when we finished in front of Cameroon. “Here, we’re ahead of the co-hosts, who were on cloud

Leading scorers 3-

Kharja (Mar), Manucho (Ang)

C. Katongo and Mayuka (ZAM), El Busaifi (LBA), Aubameyang (GAB), Bashir (SUD), Diallo (GUI), Msakni (TUN), Osman (LBA)

P W D L F A Pts 3 3 3 3

2 2 1 0

1 0 1 0

0 1 1 3

5 3 4 3

3 2 4 6

7 6 4 0

GROUP B Ivory Coast Angola Sudan Burkina Faso

2 2 2 2

2 1 0 0

0 1 1 0

0 0 1 2

3 4 2 1

0 3 3 4

6 4 1 0

GROUP C Gabon Tunisia Morocco Niger

2 2 2 2

2 2 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 2 2

5 4 3 1

2 2 5 4

6 6 0 0

GROUP D Ghana Guinea Mali Botswana

2 2 2 2

2 1 1 0

0 0 0 0

0 1 1 2

3 6 1 1

0 2 2 7

6 3 3 0

(Teams in upper case have qualified for quarterfinals)

nine after beating Senegal. “It wasn’t a great match but the important thing was to get the points. “Now it’s imperative we get to the semifinals for the first time since 1996.”

Zambia captain and striker Christopher Katongo settled a cagey Nuevo Estadio de Malabo clash of few scoring chances on 67 minutes, beating Brazil-born goalkeeper Danilo with a hard

low shot. Although the Equatoguineans are 25 places below the Zambians on the African rankings, there was no evidence of a yawning gap between the teams with the

FRANCEVILLE

Gabon and Tunisia battle to stay in Libreville

Standings GROUP A Zambia EQ Guinea Libya Senegal

OUT OF MY WAY: Senegal’s Omar Daf (right) vies for the ball with Libya’s Ahmed Osmane — AFPpic

National Lightning holding their own entering the final quarter. However, a goal out of nothing from China-based Katongo silenced the crowd as a throw-in set up the former army sergeant to beat Danilo with a shot into the corner of the net. At the simultaneous match over on the mainland in Bata, Libya celebrated their first victory since defeating Zambia 30 years ago when they hosted the competition. Libya went in front after just five minutes through Ihab Abousaifi. Senegal responded six minutes later, when Deme Ndiaye rose above the Libyan defence to head home a corner. Abousaifi scored his second goal six minutes from time with a fine volley. Group B wraps up today with Sudan requiring all the points against Burkina Faso in Bata and already qualified Ivory Coast to beat Angola in Malabo to put them in contention for a last eight place depending on goal difference. — AFP

The right to stay put in Libreville will be at stake when co-hosts Gabon and Tunisia do battle in tonight’s final 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Group C match. Both teams are already through to the last eight of the tournament after they won their first two matches. Today’s clash will therefore determine who wins this group to return to Gabon’s capital city of Libreville for a quarterfinal against the second-placed team in Group D. The runners-up in Group C will stay back in Gabon’s second city of Franceville to take on the winners of Group D, which features Ghana, Guinea, Mali and Botswana. A draw will suffice for hosts Gabon as they already enjoy a better goals difference than Tunisia. Second place for the Azingo would also mean that if they reach the semifinals, they would have to travel to co-

HOTSHOT STRIKER: Aubameyang (left) living up to his star billing — AFPpic

hosts Equatorial Guinea for that game. The home team would therefore very much wish to be back in the capital, where they have been lifted by the tremendous support from their fans at the Stade de L’Amitie to go past Niger

and Morocco. Les Pantheres of Gabon showed great character to come back from a goal down to beat a fired-up Morocco 3-2 in their last group game in Libreville. “It is not always easy to come back and for the team to find the resources to impose themselves on the game in the final minutes shows that mentally they are very

strong,” said German coach Gernot Rohr, who has prepared his team for the past two years. The co-hosts have already equalled their best ever performance in this competition by reaching the quarterfinals, as they did in 1996. On three other occasions, in 1994, 2000 and 2010, they failed to go past the first round. Gabon forward PierreEmerick Aubameyang has lived up to the star billing leading up to this championship. The Saint Etienne ace was the man of the match against Niger and crowned it with a goal. He then followed up with another against Morocco. However, the durable Daniel Cousin showed he could also still some damage when he came off the bench to score his first goal of the tournament against Morocco. — AFP

GHANA star striker Asamoah Gyan (pic) has said being a marked man any time his country is in action has shown what a great a player he is. The former Rennes striker, nicknamed “Baby Jet”, was shackled by the Mali defence for most of Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations Group D match only for him to conjure up a superb free kick in the 63rd minute to spark a Black Stars win. In the opening Group D clash against Botswana, skipper Mompeti Thuma ensured Baby Jet did not cruise and even spoke of the referee “over protecting” the Black Stars hitman. Gyan was a doubt for the Mali match after he limped out of his team’s training in Ngouni on Thursday but coach Goran Stevanovic insisted on playing the striker, who repaid his faith with another match-winning performance. “Everyone who plays against Ghana, comes out strongly to stop Asamoah Gyan,” said the Al Ain striker, who is on loan from English Premier League club Sunderland. “I have been the country’s lone striker for the past six years, it shows how great I am,’’ said Gyan. He has scored crucial goals for Ghana at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups — but also missed the last minute penalty agaisnt Uruguay that would have taken Ghana into the 2010 World Cup semi-final — as well as the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola, where a youthful Black Stars went all the way to the final. Ghana take on another west African rivals Guinea in their final first round game tomorrow knowing they cannot afford any slips in a group that is still wide open with even bottom team Botswana still in the reckoning, even if only mathematically. — AFP

THE MALAY MAIL

tuesday 31 january 2012

football

SPORTS What we’re doing wrong also clearly involves our passing game and not just set pieces Unai Emery Valencia coach

STANDINGS primera liga P W D L F A Pts Real Madrid 20 17 1 2 70 19 52 Barcelona 20 13 6 1 59 12 45 Valencia 19 10 5 4 29 20 35 Levante 19 9 4 6 25 22 31 Espanyol 20 9 4 7 22 21 31 A. Bilbao 20 7 8 5 30 25 29 Osasuna 19 6 9 4 22 31 27 A. Madrid 19 7 5 7 30 27 26 Sevilla 19 6 8 5 20 20 26 Malaga 19 7 4 8 22 28 25 Getafe 19 6 6 7 20 25 24 Real Betis 19 7 2 10 22 27 23 R. Vallecano 20 6 4 10 23 31 22 R. Mallorca 20 5 7 8 17 25 22 R. Sociedad 19 5 6 8 17 27 21 R. Santander 19 4 8 7 15 23 20 Villarreal 20 4 8 8 18 28 20 Grenade 19 5 4 10 12 26 19 S. Gijon 19 5 3 11 18 33 18 R. Zaragoza 20 2 6 12 15 36 12

results primera liga Real Betis 1 Granada 2 Levante 1 Getafe 2 Real Sociedad 5 Sporting Gijon 1 Racing Santander 2 Valencia 2 Malaga 2 Sevilla 1

top scorer primera liga Cristiano Ronaldo 24 Lionel Messi 22 Gonzalo Higuaín 14 Radamel Falcao 14 Roberto Soldado 12

results SERIE A Fiorentina 2 Siena 1 Cesena 0 Atalanta 1 AS Roma 1 Bologna 1 Genoa 3 Napoli 2 Chievo 0 Lazio 3 Palermo 2 Novara 0 Lecce 1 Inter Milan 0

STANDINGS seriE a Juventus AC Milan Udinese Inter Milan Lazio Roma Napoli Parma Chievo Palermo Genoa Cagliari Catania Fiorentina Bologna Atalanta Siena Cesena Lecce Novara

P W D L F A Pts 20 12 8 0 33 13 44 19 12 4 3 40 17 40 20 11 5 4 29 16 38 19 11 2 6 30 20 35 19 9 6 4 27 19 33 18 9 3 6 28 20 30 19 7 8 4 34 21 29 20 6 6 8 25 33 24 19 6 6 7 16 22 24 19 7 3 9 24 27 24 19 7 3 9 25 34 24 19 5 8 6 16 18 23 19 5 8 6 22 28 23 19 5 7 7 18 16 22 19 5 5 9 17 25 20 19 6 8 5 23 25 20 19 4 7 8 20 20 19 19 4 3 12 13 30 15 19 3 4 12 20 36 13 19 2 6 11 18 38 12

top scorer SERIE A Zlatan Ibrahimovic 14 Antonio Di Natale 14 German Denis 12 Edinson Cavani 11 Miroslav Klose 9 Alessandro Matri 9

BRIEFS

Barcelona l Primera Liga

‘Arrogant’ refs slammed Sub-standard match officials in Spain’s top league, say Messi and Xavi BARCELONA duo Lionel Messi and Xavi have revealed their frustration at what they consider unfair officiating and criticised the standard of refereeing in Spain. The Catalan club fell further behind rivals Real Madrid in the title race after being held to a 0-0 draw at Villarreal on Sunday, while Jose Mourinho’s men downed Zaragoza 3-1 to open up a commanding seven-point lead at the top of the table. Commenting after the final whistle, Argentine maestro Messi led the chorus of Barca players less than happy with the match-day officials. “The referees can be arrogant and pull out a card at the most minor provoca-

tion,” the Fifa Ballon d’Or winner told reporters after the game. Playmaker Xavi, who suggested that his team had been targeted by referees, says Barca are being ‘’punished more than other teams in the league’’. His words were echoed by Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes who believes the Catalans should have been awarded more spot-kicks this term. “Some clear penalties have not been awarded over the course of the season,” Valdes said. The draw at El Madrigal leaves Barca with 45 points after 20 games, and they will hope to cut the deficit at the top next weekend when they face Real Sociedad at home. — Agencies

Honda confirms Lazio move

milan

‘Los Che’ hold on to No 3

Sneijder to gather Dutch courage

LEADING THE WAY: Sneijder (centre) heads the ball surrounded by Lecce defenders last Saturday — AFPpic

of their minds and is urging them to concentrate on securing qualification for the Champions League. Indeed, while Valencia remain third in the standings, five points clear of fourth-placed Levante, Emery admitted after the draw at El Sardindero: “A point is insufficient. All the signs are that we must focus on the league.” Valencia return to action at the Vicente Calderon next weekend against Diego Simeone’s in-form Atletico Madrid. — Agencies

MILAN: AC Milan earned a valuable three points as they overcame an impotent Cagliari side at San Siro in a comfortable 3-0 triumph yesterday. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (pic) opened the scoring with a wonderfully struck free kick in the 32nd minute and then assisted Antonio Nocerino for his side’s second with a deftly chested knock down. Massimo Ambrosini then wrapped up the points with a placed effort with 15 minutes remaining. — Agencies

FRUSTRATED: Barcelona players protest to the referee during the Spanish League football match against Villarreal last Saturday — AFPpic

valencia

VALENCIA coach Unai Emery (pic) admitted that he has a number of problems to address after his side were held to a 2-2 draw with Racing Santander yesterday. After falling behind to a second-minute strike from Adrian Gonzalez, Los Che appeared to be heading towards three valuable points after a brace of goals from second-half substitute Aritz Aduriz. However, Racing snatched a point courtesy of a late header from Bernardo, leaving Emery bemoaning his side’s vulnerability in the air once more. The 40-year-old coach argued in his post-match Press conference, though, that “what we’re doing wrong also clearly involves our passing game and not just set pieces’’. Emery was well aware that he has plenty to work on if they are to hold on to third spot in the Primera Liga. Valencia set up an intriguing Copa del Rey semifinal showdown with Barcelona by seeing off Levante last week but Emery wants his players to put that tie out

Ibra inspires Milan victory

INTER’S Wesley Sneijder has revealed that he intends to speak with coach Claudio Ranieri over the reasons behind his half-time withdrawal in yesterday’s 1-0 defeat at Lecce. After being handed his first start in Serie A by the Nerazzurri since returning from a couple of months out with a muscular problem, the Netherlands international failed to shine in his usual trequartista role behind in-form striking duo Diego Milito and Giampaolo Pazzini and was replaced by Ricardo Alvarez during the interval. Clearly frustrated, Sneijder told Italian media after the game that he would ‘’talk with Ranieri about his substitution tomorrow’’.

Ranieri, however, said the tactical change suggested he was struggling to work out exactly what to do with Sneijder. “He was not playing badly but I wanted to restore defensive security,” he said, alluding to the fact that Inter had been caught out on the break a number of times during the first-half. “Can he play in behind the forwards? We’ve said it many times before, he is a central player that must be free to make mistakes.” Sneijder was repeatedly linked with a move to Manchester United last summer and this latest development could spark further speculation over a possible move to Old Trafford. — Agencies

ROME: Japan and CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda is to join Serie A side Lazio in a €14 million (RM56m) transfer, ending weeks of speculation. According to Sports Nippon, the 25-year-old has agreed terms with the Rome outfit and will join the club pending a medical. Lazio will formally announce the signing once the Italian side fulfills its quota on non-European Union players. Yesterday, Honda met with Lazio president Claudio Lotito in Rome after arriving from Barcelona, where he was undergoing rehabilitation on his injured right knee, the newspaper writes. — Agencies

Bayern chased by Dormund, Schalke MUNICH: Borussia Moenchengladbach ensured just one point divides the top four teams in the German league after their impressive 3-0 win over VfB Stuttgart yesterday with Mike Hanke, Marco Reus and Igor de Camargo on target. Bayern remain top of the league on goal difference after their home win against Wolfsburg on Sunday, but defending Bundesliga champions Dortmund and Schalke are hard on Bayern’s heels after Japan winger Shinji Kagawa scored twice in Dortmund’s 3-1 win over Hoffenheim. Meanwhile, Schalke came from behind to record a 4-1 win at 10man Cologne to stay third. — AFP

tuesday 31 january 2012

football

THE MALAY MAIL

SPORTS I’m convinced it’s time to allow the challenge system in football Amit Bhatia qpr co-owner

BRIEFS

AVB rules out late replacement LONDON: Andre Villas-Boas last night scotched talk of a late transfer swoop to replace crocked Brazilian Ramires. The midfielder was stretchered off after damaging medial ligaments in his right knee at QPR on Saturday. Ramires could be out for at least a month, but Villas-Boas insists the Blues have sufficient backup. “We used Florent Malouda in midfield, have Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel to return,” he said. “We have enough numbers to cope with it. If we add Florent to the midfield options then even without Rami we have six midfield options.” Ramires believes his absence will not be long-term. “The internal knee ligament is stretched, but not broken,” he said. — DM

Bolton plotting swoop for Zaha LONDON: Bolton boss Owen Coyle is getting his teenage kicks with a sensational double swoop for Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha and Porto’s Argentinian likely lad Juan Iturbe. Coyle’s club yesterday tabled a bumper offer for attacking prospect Zaha, 19, and hope the Eagles will accept a package that rises to around £5million — plus an attractive sell-on clause. Zaha could be sold by Palace now to help them plan for their longterm future. They are seeking a price that gives boss Dougie Freedman cash to spend while also setting a standard for future deals. The London club had set the bar as high as £10m and Bolton’s offer could see that figure eventually reached if Zaha is sold on to one of the game’s elite. — DM

Cabaye in danger of ban LONDON: Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye could face a three match ban after being accused of an X-rated Mario Balotelli-style kick. Brighton defender Adam ElAbd was left with a cut lip after the second-half clash and claims Cabaye deliberately kicked him. He says referee Lee Probert has promised to study the video evidence after missing it during the game and that could leave Cabaye facing retrospective action from the FA. Manchester City striker Balotelli was banned for four games — including an extra game for a previous red card — after video last weekend showed him kicking out at Tottenham’s Scott Parker. El-Abd said: “I think it was frustration on his part. He had a little kick out at me. I’m a big boy and I can deal with it.” — DM

LONDON

LONDON I premier league

Norwich rookie wants to keep place

Reds want Tevez Liverpool make cheeky attempt to take Argentinian on loan LIVERPOOL boss Kenny Dalglish would take Carlos Tevez on loan — if Manchester City let their rebel star leave before the window shuts. Dalglish’s club have made a cheeky approach for the Argentinian who could play for them in their push for the top four and both Cup competitions. Tevez is currently in dispute with City and still pining for a move to AC Milan, but the Italian giants — and all other interested parties — are unwilling to commit to a full-time deal. So Liverpool have joined the queue of interested parties who would take Tevez on loan, paying his £200,000-a-week (RM1m) wages in the process at the cost of around £5million in rent. Tevez’s fate will be decided at midnight today, when the transfer window will close. Relations between City and their former skipper

tevez: Liverpool to pay his wages — AFPpic

are so poor that they may block the Milan move and push the Liverpool idea instead.

The Anfield club are furious at suggestions that misfiring £35million striker Andy Carroll was offered

in a swap deal as Dalglish wants him to be in his side for the push on three fronts. — Daily Mirror

ROOKIE Norwich keeper Jed Steer insists he can save Paul Lambert money. The Canaries boss considered buying a new shot-stopper with No 2 Declan Rudd crocked. But Lambert gave 19-yearold Steer, an England youth international, his debut in City’s 2-1 win at West Bromwich. And after turning in a manof-the-match display, Steer proved an able deputy for No.1 John Ruddy, who was rested. Steer, a Norfolk lad, said: “Bringing in someone is still a big option but hopefully I have done enough to show him I am up for it. “The gaffer told me in the morning and it was a lot of excitement and a lot of nerves. “I have grown up a Norwich fan so it is fantastic. “I had a Norwich season ticket when I was five. Andy Marshall was the keeper, then Robert Green.” — DM

LONDON

QPR co-owner dares game to adopt challenge system

Ba set for swap deal with Kop flop Carroll

QPR vice-chairman Amit Bhatia (pic) claimed Chelsea’s controversial FA Cup match-winner proved the laws of football need to be changed to allow managers to challenge on-field decisions. Clint Hill was outraged at ref Mike Dean when he was penalised for a gentle nudge on Daniel Sturridge which saw the England man hit the deck before Juan Mata pinged home the spot-kick. Rangers boss Mark Hughes moaned about the penalty and Bhatia, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes’ co-owner at Loftus Road, said on Twitter: “I’m convinced it’s time to allow the challenge system in football. Almost all other sports around the world allow it now. “We have to have some kind of video replay system so that harsh decisions can be reviewed

when so much is at stake in every game. “Mistakes are made because decisions are difficult and that’s fine, but why not allow those difficult decisions to be reviewed “One challenge per half per manager wouldn’t slow the game any more than 30 seconds. Every fan and player in the land would appreciate a fair review of a difficult decision. It’s not rocket science. “Every decision really does matter and I can already think of a few decisions that have cost us points. It’s not just us but all the other clubs too.” Hughes, who said the prematch “fair play” handshake should be stopped at all games because it’s little more than an “irritation” was left struggling to accept Dean’s big call. “I think Mike Dean will be a little disappointed

when he sees the decision he has given,” said Hughes. “He told Paddy Kenny that he had to give the penalty because the lad was about to head the ball in, which wasn’t my take on it. “Daniel Sturridge went down a little bit easy and unfortunately for us he has given it.” — DM

DEMBA BA (pic) will quit Newcastle this summer and pocket a staggering £3million (TM5m) of a £7m buy-out clause. The Magpies are furious details of the in-form Senegalese striker’s contract have been made public. But they are resigned to losing the 26-year-old at the end of the season. And his advisers made it clear widespread interest in him would inevitably lead to his departure after just one season in the North East. Six Premier League clubs including Tottenham and Liverpool are ready to meet the buy-out clause leaving Newcastle powerless to keep Ba if the player wishes to move on. West Ham were in a similar situation when they were relegated from the Premier League last season. Under the terms of Ba’s contract, they were forced to give him a free transfer. It seems negotiations over

Ba’s move to Newcastle last summer depended on the buy-out clause being inserted, after the club refused to meet the player’s personal demands or pay a significant amount of agents’ fees. Ba, who earns around £30,000 a week plus appearance money, is expected to double his salary with another move and prefers to stay in the Premier League despite interest from European clubs. His departure will inevitably lead to more speculation about the return of Andy Carroll to Newcastle 18 months after joining Liverpool for a huge £35m. — DM

THE MALAY MAIL

tuesday 31 january 2012

FOOTBALL

SPORTS The problem is, once you get labelled, mud sticks and now any tiny mistake is magnified MICHAEL OWEN Manchester United striker

BRIEFS

MANCHESTER I Premier League

Owen sticks up for De Gea But Spaniard has been making some critical mistakes MICHAEL OWEN has launched a staunch defence of teammate David De Gea after the Spanish stopper was criticised for his performance in Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat to Liverpool. De Gea came under fire for Liverpool’s two goals, failing to claim the ball when Liverpool defender Daniel Agger shot past him and then unable to get a touch on Dirk Kuyt’s rising shot for the late winner. But Owen has defended De Gea against criticism by TV pundits and from fans on Twitter. Owen wrote on his Twitter account: “One comment on yesterdays game. Don’t agree with all this negativity towards De Gea. “Admittedly he has made a

couple of mistakes this season but listening to some people you would think he had a nightmare yesterday. “I’m not saying either goal was his fault. The problem is, once you get labelled, mud sticks and now any tiny mistake is magnified. Other keepers make similar mistakes and nothing gets said. “The ball was on the 6 yard box for the first goal. He has to go for it. He also needs to watch the flight of the ball. There is then 6 players in front of him. There is nothing he could do. The free header was the problem, not the keeper. “He couldn’t do much with the second goal either. Is the problem not just a case of us not winning the first ball and not picking up a runner?

“In my opinion two bad goals to give away but to blame everything on the keeper is totally wrong. The lad will be a top keeper, he is only young. Harsh to blame him for everything. “Must say, as you will be quick to remind me, I’ve watched a lot of home games this season! The support from behind both goals for him has been brilliant. “The fans know he needs their support, his confidence needs boosting. I’m sure he will repay that support for years to come.” Owen, who is currently out of the United side with a thigh injury, added: “Apart from that, well done to Liverpool. We will dust ourselves down and go full steam ahead for the league.” — Daily Mirror

Newcastle will battle Liverpool for Okore LONDON: Newcastle boss Alan Pardew wants to seal a deal for teenage Danish defender Jores Okore (pic). The Magpies chief is hoping to steal a march on Liverpool, who are also watching the talented FC Nordsjaelland star. — DM

Moyes wants Jelavic deal

FIRST BLOOD: Daniel Agger of Liverpool celebrates scoring their first goal against Manchester United at Anfield — GETTYpic

LONDON

McLeish accuses RVP of giving defender the elbow

Stevenage boss can’t wait to earn his Spurs

ALEX McLEISH (pic) called on the FA to investigate Arsenal hero Robin van Persie’s elbow on Carlos Cuellar. Van Persie’s two penalties crowned the Gunners’ stunning second-half fightback from 2-0 down and took him level with fellow Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp on 120 goals for Arsenal. But Villa boss McLeish claimed van Persie spiced the pot with too much elbow grease by catching Cuellar in the 64th minute, shortly after three goals in seven minutes turned a crazy Cup tie on its head. Big Eck said: “I thought it was an elbow in the face. I thought it was clear - the referee didn’t seem to see anything in that. “I thought he hit him, he lifted the elbow towards his face. I don’t know if there was a connection — I’ve not seen it back yet. “But the big man is not a guy to lie down, he would get up pretty quickly. If it was an elbow in the face, then yes — I would like it looked at (by the FA). “Look at my nose — it’s the result of being elbowed throughout my career, it’s

dangerous. I don’t like to point the finger at players, but it’s happened to me enough times. “I’ve not spoken to the referee about it, you have backed it up but I know what the headlines will read.” Skipper van Persie had earlier rallied Arsenal with a half-time battlecry after the Gunners were booed off at the interval and the north London natives were turning restless. Theo Walcott, scorer of a fluke equaliser after Richard Dunne and Darren Bent had put Villa in the driving seat, said: “The FA Cup means masses to us because we haven’t won a trophy for a long time and Robin reflected that in the dressing room at half-time.

“You’ve always got to believe you can come back, but it was a dodgy first half from us.” After drawing level with Bergkamp in Arsenal’s alltime scoring charts, Van Persie said: “It’s a big honour — Dennis is a legend here and I have massive respect for him.” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said of his fickle fans, who turned on him when he substituted Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain against Manchester United seven days earlier: “I felt they were quite positive compared to last time! “Maybe it was because we have just come off a bad period of three Premier League defeats, and you can’t always keep them happy, but all we can do is to show the spirit the players displayed today. “I want to do well for the club I love, and I understand fans questioning my decisions, but I will not let anyone question my dedication or commitment.” Arsenal’s comeback booked a fifth round trip to Sunderland or Middlesbrough. — DM

STEVENAGE boss Gary Smith was jubilant after landing a plum FA Cup home date with Tottenham — after just one game in charge. Former Arsenal scout Smith opened his reign at the League One high-flyers by beating Notts County and taking Stevenage into the last 16 for the first time in the club’s history. And his reward was a duel with Harry Redknapp for the crown as king of Herts. Smith, headhunted by Stevenage after the defection of Graham Westley — who had led them to successive promotions — to Preston, said: “The chairman was on the phone within seconds of the draw and he was absolutely overjoyed. “It’s a great opportunity for our players to acquit themselves well against one of the top teams in the country. “I don’t know what sort of team Harry will be putting out, because Spurs have a busy schedule and they are chasing big prizes of their own. “But we are not a soft touch at home, as Newcastle found out last year, and there are

lots of north London connections which will give the tie a special flavour of its own. “I used to be a scout at Arsenal and my assistant, Mark Newson, was Harry’s captain at Bournemouth, and it will be a fantastic occasion for some of our players as well. “Ronnie Henry’s grandad won the Double with Spurs and our goalkeeper Chris Day started out there, so they will be relishing it.” Crawley are also facing a visit from the top flight following their win over Hull after the pulled Stoke out in the draw. And a delighted chief executive Alan Williams said: “This is the first time we have hosted Premier League opposition at the Broadfield Stadium in a competitive fixture and I’m sure the ground will be packed. “It’s another wonderful occasion for the club, the players and the fans and we look forward to welcoming Tony Pulis and his side here next month.” Liverpool were first out in a home tie against Brighton, one of the teams they eliminated on their way to the League Cup final. — DM

LONDON: David Moyes is making a late bid to hijack Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic. Moyes plans to plunge all of his available budget into landing a goalscorer and has turned to the SPL giants for their £5million-rated (RM25m) Croatian hitman. Jelavic wants to move to England and will consider Everton ahead of West Ham as they are in the Premier League. — DM

Wolves at Clyne’s door LONDON: Wolves boss Mick McCarthy will make a £2million (RM10m) bid to land Crystal Palace’s England Under-21 defender Nathaniel Clyne (pic). McCarthy hopes to agree a fee for the home-grown starlet who is refusing to sign a new contract. — DM

fixtures FA CUP Liverpool v Brighton Everton v Blackpool or Sheffield Wednesday Chelsea v Birmingham Crawley Town v Stoke Stevenage v Tottenham Norwich v Leicester Sunderland or Middlesbrough v Arsenal Millwall or Southampton v Bolton Ties to be played the weekend of February 18 or 19

SQUASH

BADMINTON

Still no stopping Nicol David

Malaysia is still home

World No 1 cruises into quarterfinals of Cleveland Classic in effort to redeem last year’s loss

Zulfadli vows not to turn his back on the Jalur Gemilang despite compelling offer from US

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TUESDAY JANUARY 31, 2012

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GOLF I TIGER WOODS: Feeling upbeat after Dubai

Grandpa taught me to bicycle kick

CHENNAI

Squash’s new pin-up girl

Gunner reveals his deep afﬁnity for family patriarch

GREAT TRIBUTE: Van Persie showing the emotional message after scoring against Manchester United at Emirates Stadium recently — GETTYpic

ROBIN VAN PERSIE raised eyebrows when he revealed a T-shirt with the words “Happy 91st Opa Wim” when he scored against Manchester United last week. And the Arsenal striker has now revealed why his granddad Wim is so special to him. Van Persie said: “I think I was seven or eight years old when my granddad took me to the park in the village where he lived. It was the middle of the winter and he wanted to go and play football with me. “He showed me how I could volley the ball when it was coming high up in the air. He showed me how to fall on my back with the bicycle kick. And you know what, he just did it so I

DELIGHT: Grandpa Wim responds to Van Persie’s goal from the VIP box — GETTYpic

could copy him. “It was 21 years ago and he was 70 years old. “Granddad Wim was a professional player. He played for Dutch club NEC Nijmegen. He was in goal, he had a good kick and he had a really good vision on the game. He has been an inspiration for me throughout my life. “He has motivated me and I used to be proud when he came to watch me. I would always give that little bit extra if I knew he was there to watch me. I would try and show off. I wanted him to be proud of me. “It is fabulous to have an arm around your shoulder when you are young and

have lost a game.’’ Granddad Wim was chauffeured to a VIP box at the Emirates and was crying when Robin revealed the message. “It was so emotional,” he said. “Afterwards he invited me to the changing rooms. I sat in Robin’s seat and he took pictures of me and Mr Thierry Henry. It was the best day of my life. Robin was only little when he would kick a ball in my garden. “I saw he was kicking it with his left foot. And what a kick it was! I realised he had a chance of becoming a really good player. Now he is one of the best in the world.” — Daily Mirror

A MALAYSIAN is involved in the grooming of India’s new squash sensation, 21year-old Dipika Rebecca Pallikal. He is none other than former national champion and coach, Mej (Rtd) S. Maniam, who trains Dipika along with Cyrus Poncha at the ICL-TNSRA Academy in Chennai. She also receives coaching from Sarah FitzGerald. Dipika is fast emerging not only as a squash superstar but her stunning good looks have attracted modelling contracts and movie offers. She is currently ranked world No 15, the highestever ranking achieved by an Indian in women’s squash.

Published by Malay Mail Sdn Bhd (239512V), Lot 2A, Jalan 13/2, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, and printed by Dasar Cetak (M) Sdn Bhd (195294-X), No. 7, Persiaran Selangor, Seksyen 15, 40200 Shah Alam, Selangor