4 July 2011

Monday 4 JULY, 2011 •

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Seat belts in buses PETALING JAYA

PAPA, MAMA: ‘Solo’ maid recruitment risky >> pg6 Actor Bront Palarae’s ‘changing’ sides >> pg11

... and tougher express, tour coaches by 2015 to end shocking passenger casualties in crashes MAIL EXCLUSIVE

BeingFrank With Frankie D’Cruz >> pg7

Newspaper ‘royals’ reunion

>> Full reports on pg3

Commando raid on ‘terrorist’ tenant

‘Sheikh’s son’ a handful for landlord, neighbour who lost a total of RM29k >> pg2

Letters & Opinions ON PG10

By SHAHRIM TAMRIN shahrimtamrin@mmail.com.my

No plans for free water (June 24)

Fix the old pipes first

Hotline

A burning garbage issue >> pg8

Roach ruins pizza meal

>> pg9

2

Port Klang and Port of Tanjung Pelepas have maintained their top 20 ports ranking — Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd

news

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JUly, 2011

Wolf in 'sheikh' clothing KUALA LUMPUR

Belarusian pays for being kind BELARUS national Iryna Sheviakova (above) said she is owed RM7,500 by a Palestinian-born man who until recently stayed Solaris Dutamas in Jalan Dutamas.

"The man and his wife first befriended me in mid-May while we were waiting at the elevator," said Iryna, 33, a director of a firm.

"The man told me he's the owner of the service apartment on the same floor where I am renting."

Iryna said several days later, the man knocked on her apartment door and pleaded with her to loan him money.

"He said his wife had an asthma attack and was taken to a hospital and he needed to borrow RM750," she said.

"He repaid me the next day."

On June 9, the man said money due to him was stuck in Dubai and he needed RM500.

"In the following days, he gave all sorts of excuses on why he needed to borrow more money, even resorting to antics like crying, swearing that he will repay by July 1 and giving me a written guarantee.

I took pity on him, and the money I loaned him eventually reached RM7,500."

When the man absconded on July 1, Iryna realised she had been conned.

Man loses RM22k to 'millionaire' tenant

BROKEN: What is left of a three-piece chandelier

By AIZAT SHARIF aizat@mmail.com.my

WHEN businessman Yasni Mohamad Yusof was approached by a foreigner on March 31 to rent a service apartment at Level 13A of Solaris Dutamas in Jalan Dutamas, he thought he had found a model tenant. As it turned out, the encounter resulted in a loss of RM21,600 to Yasni.

"He's a Palestinian-born United Arab Emirates national and together with his Malaysian wife and their five-yearold son, they appeared to be a well-off family as he claimed to be the son of a sheikh and had millions at his disposal from his family's gold-mining business," said 42-year-old Yasni, adding the man had responded to his apartmentfor-rent advertisement.

"He was courteous, paid altogether RM7,500 upfront and fulfilled several terms and conditions before I handed him the apartment keys."

But the tenant did not settle his subsequent dues and was even arrested on suspicion of being a terrorist by the police's Special Action Unit (UTK) which, at 1am on June 19, stormed into the apartment.

"I was shocked. There was damage to the furniture with wall paint peeled off and lighting fixtures ripped out," said

UNKEMPT: Yasni and son in the master bedroom which was in a deplorable state — Pic: Ashraf Shamsul Azlan

Yasni, who lodged a report at Jalan Travers police station on June 20.

The man also conned RM7,500 from a neighbour from Belarus (see accompanying report).

"The man was supposed to pay me a further RM1,250 for utilities and RM350 for the tenancy document. His wife handed a cheque for RM1,600 to me in early April but the cheque was dated 2012 and when I pointed this out to the wife, she said her husband will issue me another cheque."

Yasni said from then on, he started to realise he was dealing with a landlord's worst

No more 'Glee' for Overstreet

nightmare — tenants from hell.

"The couple kept delaying payment until mid-May when they finally issued another cheque for RM4,100 but the cheque was post-dated by a fortnight. On the night of June 18, the couple had an argument and the wife alerted the police and claimed that her husband was carrying a gun and was a terrorist, and the UTK team took quick action."

Yasni said the man's wife and her son secretly left the apartment on June 20.

"I was in for another shock as kitchenware and several

other belongings in my apartment were missing, so I lodged another report the next day."

The tenant, after being remanded by police for a week, was released on June 26 as there was no evidence he was a terrorist as alleged.

"I met the man and gave him a July 1 deadline to settle his outstanding dues or face eviction.

"But on that day, I saw him carrying luggage and asked him what's inside. He told me it's his laundry and he will return soon to settle his dues and also to extend his stay in my apartment. Instead, he absconded."

Yasni estimated his losses at RM21,600, comprising unpaid dues by the tenant and damage to his property and theft.

"I am also disappointed that despite my two police reports, no police officer has taken down my statement," he said while showing The Malay Mail other damage, including a broken chandelier, missing grill in an oven, and steel rod from a wardrobe modified into a television antenna.

When contacted, Sentul district police chief ACP Zakaria Pagan said he would look into Yasni's complaint.

KUALA LUMPUR

No more maids, says Nilai couple

Fitriani: Wanted by police

The Malay Mail is published by Malay Mail Sdn Bhd, Lot 2A, Jalan 13/2, 46200, Petaling Jaya

gan working for them for only a month, assaulted the housewife, hitting, punching and kicking her more than 30 times, resulting in 14 stitches on her head, swollen eyes and scratches on her shoulders.

"My wife was discharged on Friday and is recuperating at home. But she is still traumatised by the attack," said the 39-year-old husband who was at work in Shah Alam when the inci-

EDITORIAL Tel : 03-74951288 Fax : 03-74951229 Email : mmnews@mmail.com.my

dent happened.

"The maid was the second one we hired. But with this experience, we are not going to get any more maids."

He said the maid, identified as Fitriani, was supplied by the same agency which provided the first maid under a one-year contract. The couple claimed they never abused the maid in any way.

The housewife had asked Fitriani the reason for the attack and allegedly the

ADVERTISING SALES Tel : 03-74951273 (Classifieds) / 03-74951262 (Display) Fax : 03-74951228 Email : ad@mmail.com.my

Heroine saves girl from death A TWO-YEAR-OLD Chinese girl cheated death after falling from a 10th-floor window thanks to a passer-by who raced to catch her, the Daily Mail reports. Wu Juping, 31, a mother of a sevenmonth-old baby, saw the child dangling from the window of the high-rise apartment block.

The quick-thinking heroine kicked off her high-heeled shoes and ran towards her with her arms outstretched.

News Alert

By G. Prakash prakash@mmail.com.my

"WE'VE learnt our lesson, no more maids for us," declares a mechanical engineer whose wife was attacked by their Indonesian maid with a hammer and a piece of wood last Monday at a guarded community in Nilai, Negri Sembilan.

In the incident, the 31-year-old housewife was preparing to send her sons, aged two and three, to a kindergarten when the 19-year-old maid, who be-

MCKINLEY HIGH will be missing a student when Glee begins its third season after the television musical's creators declined to renew Chord Overstreet's (pic) contract as a series regular, the Herald Sun reports quoting TVLine. A source told TVLine that Overstreet's character, transfer student Sam Evans, may appear on the show as an occasional guest star. On Friday, Overstreet alluded to the decision in a Twitter post.

"Well its been a good yr too bad its over, time for summer and starting fresh," he wrote.

maid claimed she was ordered by her agent to ''kill'' her employer. The maid fled and police are still looking for her.

When contacted by The Malay Mail, Seremban police chief ACP Saiful Azly Kamaruddin said they had recorded a statement from the maid's agent on Friday.

Those with information on Fitriani are urged to contact the Seremban police headquarters at 06-6033 222.

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Two theatre shows scheduled on July 9 and 10 at Panggung Budaya cancelled due to Bersih rally — National Culture and Arts Department

The Malay Mail Monday 4 July, 2011

MAIL EXclusive

Buckle up

PETALING JAYA

Seat belts compulsory in buses by 2015

By SHAHRIM TAMRIN shahrimtamrin@mmail.com.my

SEAT BELTS for passenger in express and tour buses will be a compulsory feature by 2015.

The path to full implementation of seat belts and higher quality standards of bus body structures in public service vehicles is being done gradually by the government.

An industry source told The Malay Mail this was part of the government's plans to commit to international safety standards.

The source said safety aspects of automotive and commercial vehicles production were being augmented and enhanced as part of Malaysia’s commitment to implement the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) World Forum on Harmonization of Motor Vehicles Regulations (WP 29) for the transport sector.

Malaysia’s technical regulations for motor vehicles are prescribed under the existing legislations of the Road Transport Act 1987, and Construction and Use Rule 1959. Both regulations have generally been acknowledged by transport safety watchdogs as ''brief '' and commonly prescribed minimal technical requirements for road traffic injury prevention.

Besides the two existing

regulations, bus-building initial investigations showed said the department was

DISASTER: Rescue teams at the crash site in Simpang Pulai in December. Twenty-seven people were killed

companies now have to comply with the UN/ECE WP 29 regulations as well.

“By looking at the gradual process of implementation of the UN/ECE regulations on strength of super-structure and seats for large passenger vehicles, the authorities are targeting 2015 as the year when express and tour buses will be equipped with seat belts for all passengers,” the source said.

This development came in the wake of the nation’s worst bus crash tragedy, in Simpang Pulai, near Ipoh, Perak, last December, where

the vehicle had undergone some modifications involving the installation of extra seats which compromised passenger safety and ultimately claimed 28 lives of mostly Thai tourists.

Malaysian buses were said to have with weak body structure, especially on the roof design, and poor seat anchorage which caused many fatalities during crashes.

When contacted by The Malay Mail, Road Transport Department (RTD) automotive engineering division director Mohamad Dalib

moving ahead with efforts to tighten the law with the inclusion of UN/ECE regulations for higher safety standards in private and public service vehicles.

“Over the last two years, "Over the last two years, seat belt installation has been made compulsory just for the first row of passengers behind the bus driver,” Mohamad said, adding RTD must enforce the standards to strengthen the bus structure.

"Before we can fully regulate the seat belts installation in buses, the bus builder's

UN/ECE Regulations on seatbelt and bus body structure R 14 – Safety Belt Anchorages R 16 – Safety Belts R 17 – Seats R 18 – Protection Against Unauthorised Use R 36 – Construction of Public Service Vehicles R 66 – Strength of Super Structure (Large Passenger Vehicle) R 80 – Seat (Large Passenger Vehicle)

must firstly adhere to the strict UN/ECE regulations, in particular, R 14, R 36, R 66 and R 80 for bus design and construction.

“It would be based on technical drawings to be submitted by the bus builder’s professional engineer to RTD. “After the bus construction is completed, it will then be evaluated by Puspakom Sdn Bhd.” Mohamad said the 127 items in UN/ECE WP 29 regulations for all private and public service vehicles production would be done in stages.

“All of the 127 items in the UN/ECE regulations will be monitored and implemented in stages by the working committee which i nclu d e t he Tr ansp or t Mi n ist r y, L and P ubl i c Transport Commission, RTD, International Trade and Industry Ministry, Malaysian Industrial Development Authority, Occupational Safety and Health Department, Department of Standards Malaysia and others.”

Malaysia's worst of the worst bus crashes DECEMBER 20, 2010 The bus accident is believed to be the worst in the nation's history.

Two Malaysians and 25 Thai nationals were killed on board an express bus at KM15 of the Cameron Highlands-Simpang Pulai road. The bus had 37 passengers on board, 34 of them were Thai tourists.

The 11.40am accident was said to be caused by speeding and brake failure.

The driver was trying to negotiate a sharp bend but failed, causing the vehicle to hit a divider before overturning.

It landed on its roof in a ditch about 51m away from the divider. The impact

killed 22 passengers on the spot.

The impact of the crash was so severe that bodies were flung several metres away from the wreckage while others were trapped deep in the ditch. The bus was heading to Kuala Lumpur from Cameron Highlands.

slammed into a Welfare Department bus heading towards Malacca.

DECEMBER 25, 2009 Ten people were killed after a northbound doubledecker Sani Express bus skidded and hit a divider at KM272.8 of the NorthSouth Expressway near the the Jelapang toll plaza. The victims were seated on the lower deck of the bus in the 1am incident.

OCTOBER 10, 2010 The accident involved two buses, a van and two cars at KM223 of the NorthSouth Expressway near the Simpang Ampat toll plaza. It claimed 13 lives and 40 others were seriously injured.

In the 6.40pm tragedy, a bus heading towards Kuala Lumpur went out of control

FLASHBACK: Our report on October 11 last year

and flipped over to the southbound side of the highway.

After colliding with a van and two cars, the bus then

DECEMBER 7, 2008 Ten people were died after an express bus skidded and overturned at KM146.5 of the North-South Expressway near Pagoh, Johor. Five

women, four men and a nine-year-old girl died while another 19 were injured when the bus overturned in the 2am incident.

AUGUST 13, 2007 Twenty passengers of the Super Express bus were killed in an accident which took place near Bukit Berapit, Bukit Gantang, Changkat Jering, Perak. The driver, Rohizan Abu Bakar, 38, lost control of the bus as it was going down an incline and crashed into a ditch at the KM229 of the North-South Expressway. Rohizan died along with 19 passengers.

The driver had two arrest warrants and 13 traffic summonses against him.

3

news

'Pull the plug on fat cats' AN angry public is demanding that the government gets to grips with fat cat bankers and semi-State bosses who are still living it up on a culture of massive salaries, bonuses and pensions, the Irish Independent reports. A new Sunday Independent/ Quantum Research poll finds that a massive 84 per cent want the government to get tougher on senior employees in the semiStates. Last April, it was revealed 28 people in the public service, commercial and non-commercial public sector earned more than €250,000 (RM1.1m) per year — or €50,000 a year more than the prime minister.

Shannon targets celeb jet market WALMART boss Michael Duke, Citigroup's Vikram Pandit and American Express boss Kenneth Chenneault are among the top-ranking United States business giants who have flown private jets through Shannon Airport in recent months since the airport introduced its pre-clearance service for travel to the US. Hollywood stars have also taken advantage of the new regime, according to sources.

Pamela Anderson, Morgan Freeman, Tom Hanks and Mariah Carey have all touched down at the airport, with John Travolta flying his own plane via Shannon. Shannon is trying to boost its business by targeting niche markets such as the private jet sector.

Tom Hanks

Mariah Carey

4

news

The inquest to investigate the death of Selangor Customs Assistant Director Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed will begin today until July 15 — Bernama

Beefing-up child safety

BANDAR SUNWAY

Campaign boosts parental awareness on children's security

By AIZAT SHARIF aizat@mmail.com.my

SELF-PRESERVATION: Participants demonstrate selfdefence techniques during the event — Pix: SHARUL HAFIZ ZAM

EVERYDAY when Sharifah Mazlan sends her daughter to school, she would stop the car directly outside the school gate. Her eyes would remain on the child until she enters the school gates.

This is the degree of precaution taken by the 41-year-old teacher to ensure the safety of her seven-year-old girl.

“I must do that. Only then will I feel secure that I have taken care of every aspect of my daughter’s safety.”

While keeping an eye on her child, Sharifah would also make it a point to see that other students entering the school are safe as well.

The safety-conscious mother was among the 80 parents who attended a child safety campaign ‘Reuniting

CONCERNED PARENTS: Agung (left) says child-safety should take an all-rounded approach while Sharifah (right) does everything she can to ensure that her daughter is safe when going from the car into the school compounds

Families-Child Safety’ organised by the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation, Royal Malaysian Police and RHB Bank at Sunway Pyramid yesterday.

“Parents have the tendency

to automatically place the safety of their children on the teachers’ shoulders once they are in school but as parents, we still have to play our role," said Sharifah.

Her concern for child pro-

tection arrived when she became a teacher at the Dyslexia Association in Ampang several years ago.

"These children need extra care and attention. In time I began to learn a lot about safety,” she said.

“This campaign is good in that everyone can discuss their tips and techniques of crime prevention with the police and later spread the awareness to other parents.”

An expatriate, Agung Primaranu, 42, who works as an IT consultant at a firm, said

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JULY, 2011

Child physical/sexual abuse from 2006 to 2010 An average of 200 cases occur every year • 1,017 children have been abused during this period • 579 victims or 57 per cent are boys while the rest are girls • 431 victims are aged between one and sevens years old • Approximately 11, 809 cases out of 16,150 rape cases involve children • 54 per cent of victims

are aged 16 and below while 19 per cent are aged between 16 and 18 years old • Overall, 73 per cent of rape victims are aged 18 and below • 1,823 cases of sexual abuse were reported within that period • 60 per cent of sexual abuse were committed by close relatives including fathers, stepfathers and uncles

Missing children from 2006 to 2010 • 5,207 children, aged between 18 and below, have been reported missing within that period.

• 2, 982 or 57 per cent of missing children have been found. 43 per cent are still

all parents ahould be made aware of child safety.

“I think the campaign should be conducted more often to ensure the message gets across to the right target. Many of us may think our role in ensuring our child’s safety is only limited to just outside the school.

This is not true because as parents, we must always be cautious and alert about our surroundings. We must also know who our children's friends are, in school and outside.”

Another participant, Vivian Thaw, 33, said her son used to be bullied by his peers and after the incident, his self-esteem dipped.

“He lost his confidence and always felt school was a place

missing until today.

• Among the common reasons given were seeking freedom from home, influenced by boyfriends and disagreement with family members

of torture. However, with the support of myself, his teachers and a few of his closest schoolmates, he began to regain his confidence. The bullying has also stopped."

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar began his speech by speaking about the need for upping the safety culture in our society and presented sobering statistics on crimes against children.

"We take matters concerning safety and crimes related to children seriously and together we can help curb this problem."

The event was also attended by Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Senator Heng Seai Kie, Federal CID chief Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin, MCPF chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, RHB Bank chairman Tan Sri Azlan Zainol.

PETALING JAYA

Politician says son's attack may have 'different agenda'

By G. PRAKASH prakash@mmail.com.my

SELANGOR assemblyman Iskandar Abdul Samad believes the attack on his 20-year-old son in Penang last Wednesday was not robbery as it may appear.

In the incident, the victim, a mechanical engineering student at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Pulau Pinang was brutally beaten up by five men who claimed to be policemen and they took the victim's laptop, mobile phone and wallet.

"They mercilessly assaulted my son and I believe the motive was not simply robbery and there could be a different agenda to it," said Iskandar, the Chempaka assemblyman who is State executive councillor for housing, building management and squatters.

The victim was stabbed and slashed more than 30 times at an apartment in Seberang Jaya which he shared with two friends.

PUZZLED: Iskandar does not know real reason behind incident

"The five men, who were not masked, gained entry into my son's apartment after claiming to be police officers, and they handcuffed my son's two friends and then punched and kicked my son and also stabbed him with a kitchen knife," said Iskandar, when contacted by The Malay Mail.

"They took my son's laptop, mobile phone and wallet but did not harm his two friends or take any of their belong-

ings. The men knew my son's name and did not show any police identification cards."

As soon as the assailants left, Iskandar's son, who suffered bruises all over his body and a deep slash wound on his right hand and thighs, was taken by his two friends and neighbours to Hospital Seberang Jaya where he received 30 stitches.

"My son has been very traumatised over the incident and I have brought him

back here as he does not want to study there anymore," said Iskandar.

"I hope the police will investigate every possible angle and arrest the culprits soon.

My son has no enemies and I can't think of any reason why he was attacked."

When contacted, Central Seberang Prai OCPD Azman Abdullah confirmed the incident and said investigations were ongoing and no arrest had been made so far.

MonDay 4 JuLY, 2011

the malay mail

5

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news

40 per cent of Kuala Lumpur's population expected to use public transport by 2020, reducing traffic congestion in the city — Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JULY, 2011

‘Not on your own’ KUALA LUMPUR

PAPA, MAMA discourage DIY maid-hire although new MoU allows it

By FAIZAL NOR IZHAM faizal.nor@mmail.com.my

INDONESIAN maids can now be hired without going through agents as stipulated under a newly-signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and Indonesia, but the Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (PAPA) and the Malaysian Maid Employers Association (MAMA) are advising employers not to go it alone.

Both associations said their

members will increase their efforts in assisting employers to secure the services of the maids they want.

PAPA president Jeffrey Foo said the new MoU does not mean local maid agencies will be excluded from the hiring process altogether.

"While employers now have the option of doing the hiring themselves, it is advisable for

SHAH ALAM

RAs against MBSA's 'name and shame' plan

By CECILIA VICTOR cecilia@mmail.com.my

DOMINO EFFECT: The lack of bays often leads to indiscriminate parking, a reason why so many drivers are summoned

RESIDENTS' associations (RAs) in the Klang Valley are generally against the Shah Alam City Council's (MBSA) move to "name and shame" defaulting traffic offenders on its website and in the newspapers starting this month, The Malay Mail found in a random survey.

Last week, the council said more than a thousand traffic offenders who have yet to settle their fines will have their names and vehicle numbers published in major newspapers.

“Once the list is published, the offenders must make payment within 14 days or we will take them to court," the council's public relations officer Zaidah Zakaria had said.

“These are stubborn offenders who refuse to settle their fines despite the many chances given by us.”

The RAs had this to say.

Shah Alam's Alam Budiman Residence Association (ABRA) secretary Azhar Aziz said they oppose the move.

"If a motorist was involved in unforgiving cases like hitand-run, then listing his name and vehicle number would be justified.

"Many traffic offenders are issued summonses because of indiscriminate parking but

that's because there are insufficient parking bays."

Klang's Taman Pandamaran RA president Asnor Endon also disagreed with the action.

"Publishing a thousand offenders' names and vehicle numbers will unnecessarily tarnish their reputation."

Bangsar's Bukit Bandaraya RA president Mumtaz Ali said the council must be careful not to implicate innocent parties as an offender may not be the vehicle's owner, thus giving rise to "legal issues".

Ampang's Pandan Perdana RA president Terence Ee said he hopes the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council will not follow the Shah Alam approach.

"In ethical terms, I don't think local councils have the right to publish offenders' names and vehicle numbers.

"If there is an error and an offender sues, the local council will have to pay compensation and that means wasting ratepayers' money."

Petaling Jaya's Section 12 RA president R. Rajasoorian said each local council can do what it feels is right for their respective community.

"However, by doing so, they must be prepared for objections from those who disagree."

employers to continue using local bona fide maid recruiting agencies rather than risk being duped by unlicensed middlemen.

"Using Malaysian agencies may cost more but employers are assured of properly-trained maids who are not illegal or have criminal backgrounds. Agencies also serve as a ready avenue for both employer and maid to

voice complaints, to ensure the rights of both, to settle disputes and to arrange for a replacement maid where necessary."

Foo said that licensed agencies, which are bound by law, are more reliable and provide more advantages.

MAMA president Engku Ahmad Fauzi said employers who put their trust in unlicensed middlemen are exposing them-

selves to hidden costs and being cheated.

"Employers now have the freedom to choose but they should beware of unscrupulous middlemen.

"Our association members follow the correct procedures and have the ability to source good quality maids. Employers are welcome to consult us before they make a choice."

KUALA LUMPUR

Stubborn ad stickers

DESPITE operations to remove advertising stickers off the streets, these illegal banners promoting everything from instant cash loans to properties for sale are back — with a vengeance.

On Friday, The Malay Mail reported the appearance of new stickers in the streets barely 10 minutes after City Hall officers had removed them.

Checks conducted at several locations in Jalan Barat, Bukit Jalil and Jalan Dwitasik, Cheras, yesterday showed no change since the previous raid.

Walls, telephone booths, electrical boxes, signboards and even trees were not spared as they were stuck full with fresh stickers.

"I think the stickers are pointless," said Chua S.Y., an International Medical University (IMU) student living along Jalan Barat.

"They are also inappropriate since this is primarily a student housing area."

Barak Mfaume (pic), a 21year-old Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology

(APIIT) student from Tanzania, suggested the use of temporary signages if advertisers want to get a point across.

"Otherwise, they just cheapen the look of the area as they make the paint peel off the walls," he said.

Another APIIT student wishing to only be known as Irfan, 23, said such stickers would not appeal to the average university student.

At Jalan Dwitasik, shopowners are fed-up of the sticky mess as well.

"These vandals put up new stickers at the start of each week," said Norshaila Mohammad Shakri, a 24-yearold shop assistant.

She said she often sees them putting them on shop walls and doors.

"Perhaps City Hall could try to enforce more security measures to prevent this from happening," she said.

Nelson Wang, a 19-year-old assistant in an optometrist store said he rarely sees the authorities doing anything about the problem.

"Even if the stickers

STICKY SITUATION: Nothing escapes the fingers of these 'paste-up artists'

are removed, they'll be back to put them on again."

He too noticed that the “sticker-gluers” come at least once a week, “at around 3pm to 4pm” and it is usually the same person.

Shop assistant Noraini Mat Lazim, 25, said the practise is common in public areas.

"However, I never actually see anyone taking the numbers down to call. These advertisements are pointless."

Bipasha single again FIRST, there was John Abraham. He was replaced

by Hollywood hunk Josh Hartnett. Now Bipasha Basu (pic) is single again.

She has split from Josh who has gone back to exgirlfriend Sophie Lie, the Hindu reports. Bipasha and Josh used to spend time together on set and while he loved all the attention, she used him to divert her mind. But now Bips is feeling lost. A source reveals, "She misses him immensely and puts his photos on her Blackberry.

And when people ask her about him, all she does is blush and smile coyly."

Science-tech team-up for innovation THE National Innovation Foundation (YIM) is collaborating with the National Innovation Foundation of India (NIF) to develop creative and innovative talents among the grassroot level in the country.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the collaboration was signed by YIM chief executive officer Dr Raslan Ahmad and NIF executive vicechairman Professor Anil Gupta in conjunction with the 2nd MalaysiaIndia Joint Committee Meeting on Cooperation in Science And Technology.

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JULY, 2011

The Election Commission is looking into inviting international observers for the upcoming general election — EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof

news

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Ordinary people, extraordinary lives IT was the biggest "newsroom" filled with some of the biggest names in journalism — former stalwarts of the New Straits Times and The Malay Mail who told thousands of stories, wrote thousands of headlines and made the paper your breakfast and lunch companion.

They were ordinary documenters of history who led extraordinary lives that may never be documented. Maybe, somebody should.

Some had an uncanny knack of knowing what people across the country were thinking and this finely-tuned antenna made them the best journalists the country has seen.

In so many ways, they left their mark on the Malaysian community.

Clearly, Malaysia is the not the same without these newspaper royals who helped nurture the right ones to fruition and soaked in the advice of the late NST Group Editor Tan Sri Noordin Soopie, “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”

The reporting landscape could well be different if only today’s journalists relished in the life these newspaper elders knew. The life they loved. The life they enjoyed.

All their gifts came together in irresistible abundance in the breathless catch-up of some 120 ex-colleagues of the New Straits Times and The Malay Mail recently. We were all on the same page — for once, at least.

They glowed with sheer pleasure and revelled in the glorious company of a "long-lost" family — wondrously blessed

with sharpness and journalistic vision.

It was pure theatre. A convivial June 26, Sunday evening had emerged at the Tropicana Golf and Country Resort, Damansara.

Wine and stories flowed.

Straight-talking rants and gritty witticisms ruled.

Film maker Anwardi Jamil, once a crime reporter, had the perfect script and a heady cast — the greats of the Fourth Estate, super rich with collectively thousands of years experience in journalism.

Prolific is the word that springs to mind when one thinks about the opus and personality of many of them.

When people like them blink, the other guy is emboldened.

Take one of NST’s and The Malay Mail’s finest, the cerebral Fabian Dawson who flew 12,789km from Vancouver — a rather coincidental visit — to join the stellar band of illustrious editors, sub-editors, reporters, photographers and production and advertising executives.

Our relationships took various forms, maybe not quite similar to mine with Fabian, now deputy editor of The Province in Vancouver.

Fabian and I were a combination of drinking buddy, excuse-maker, confidante, firefighter and witness to far more exceptional exploits than can be comfortably listed even in a 480-page hardback.

The journalistic jaunts of some may have been small beer compared to champagne Lat, the much-loved cartoonist who began as an NST crime

BeingFrank With Frankie D’Cruz

ON MONDAY reporter under training ground sergeant-major Rudy Beltran, but each tale that night was delightful.

Rudy, once described as resembling a bulldog chewing a wasp, looked like the cat that got the cream that evening as he milked every moment of the occasion.

Elder NST statesman Ben D’Cunha, in his 70s, shows no sign of winding down. He remains a prizefighter similar to the marathon endurance of sportswriter Ian Pereira — both still with a strong stomach and the wit for a challenge.

Our scoop champ from Seremban, Ronnie Krishnan, was at one time head of the "Malay Mail Department of Late-Night Entertainment", with a "degree" in tempestuous frolicking to boot. These days he’s just sort of winding down.

Former Malay Mail sports editor, the eternally combative Tony Mariadass squared his jaw and looked at us. “I,” he said, through gritted teeth, “want to soak in the joy of being in the biggest newsroom with the best of the best.”

The more serious ones spoke in generalities about the state of the newspaper business, circulation chal-

DANCES WITH LEGENDS: Partying, but that’s how ex-NST crime chief Rudy Beltran (centre, in blue) squirmed when he received a bad copy. Only this time he was doing the Twist

lenges facing titles around the world and current affairs.

Such talk, however, took long breaks especially when former NST women affairs writer Nora Marzuki struck an insouciant pose — and the eye-magnet insisted she wasn’t hamming it up for the cameras.

Much of journalism is about taking the room temperature, knowing when to press and

when to withdraw. The temperature in the Greens 3 function room never plummeted to sub-zero.

In many ways, this celebration of human relationship, angled by former Her World editor turned public relations practitioner Ayesha Harben, was immensely endearing.

The youngest journalist there was Predeep Nambiar, 25, a rookie NST reporter who was assigned to cover the event — and got to know legends in only his third week at work.

There were more than 30 years between Predeep — the son of my former NST crime desk mate K. Vijayan — and several of us but the chemistry

was unrestrained.

Predeep is a future of the NST. Being in the company of newsroom celebrities, he would have been strongly aroused to follow in their footsteps.

Next year, another rookie will cover the gathering and hopefully get inspired as well.

That’s one reason why this meet-up is only the first instalment and they will all be back.

Another is we are family.

FRANKIE D'CRUZ is editor-at-large of The Malay Mail. The multiple award-winning journalist can be contacted at frankie@mmail.com.my

8 ● ● ● ●

Monday 4 JULY, 2011 the malay mail

hotline@mmail.com.my

your right to be heard

tel:03-7495 1000/1001/1002 tel:019-261 4948 (after 9pm)

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

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

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

After a complaint has been resolved, the complainant cannot demand non-publication of the matter.

By FAIZAL NOR IZHAM, REENA RAJ, EE ANN NEE and SITI NURSURAYA ALI

A burning pain

Illegal way of disposing rubbish gets tenant hot under the collar

FIRED UP: Piles of rubbish burning in the apartment compound

LIVING conditions at M. RAMA's apartment in Bandar Baru Selayang have been hell for the past three months.

He attributes the worsening condition to a new contractor who has taken over the cleaning services at Cempaka Apartments.

The resident for over 10 years says he and other tenants have no choice but to endure the smell of smoke

almost every day.

He says after the cleaner is done sweeping the compound, she collects the dry leaves and branches and burns them at 10am.

RAMA says he once spoke to the cleaner and was told she does so because she has run out of garbage bags to dispose of the rubbish.

Despite lodging numerous complaints to the maintenance office, no action has

been taken and the burning persists.

“To make matters worse, some residents choose to take advantage of this and do the same."

He says not only does the smoke make clothes that are hanging out to dry smell bad but the smell lingers in the apartment units.

RAMA fears for his health.

"Such an unhealthy and

dirty manner of disposing rubbish has to stop. If not, we will all be falling ill often because of this."

● SAP Urus Harta Sdn Bhd,

the managing company of the developer, says they are aware of the matter, and a spokesman has met the complainant and assured him the burning will not recur.

"After a visit, I saw some

Taxed for unactivated credit card

THOUGH she has yet to activate her credit card, SONG SU ANN of Kuala Lumpur found she was charged government tax for it.

SONG, 34, says she applied for a credit card with CIMB Bank at its Mid Valley branch recently.

"While filling in the form, I asked if there were any charges and was told the government tax would be charged during the 'anniversary date', which I took to mean during the card renewal," she says, adding she received her

credit card in May by post.

A note enclosed indicated she needed to activate the card before use.

On May 28, SONG says she received a bank statement from CIMB indicating she had to pay a RM50 tax.

"I'm unhappy about it as I haven't even activated the card. If this was the case, I should have been informed when I signed up that the fee was applicable as soon as my credit card was approved, regardless of whether I had activated the card or not."

SONG says she is also not satisfied with the explanation given by the bank’s call centre.

"I wanted to cancel the credit card and have the service tax waived as the card was never used."

But when she filed a complaint with CIMB’s card centre via email, SONG says she received a letter from the bank, dated June 13, refusing her request.

● A CIMB Bank spokesman says they has contacted SONG and the matter has been resolved.

"SONG was not advised on the charges imposed on her new credit card account and we apologise for the inconvenience caused."

CIMB Bank assures its customers it is the bank's priority to provide high-quality service at all times.

When contacted, SONG says she has been informed the bank will waive the government tax.

"I'm waiting for the new credit card statement to see if this was done."

BANDAR BARU SELAYANG FACTS BANDAR Baru Selayang is the district capital of Gombak, Selangor.

It took over Rawang as residents also conducting open burning.”

He says the contractor will be issued a warning letter if the incident persists.

the capital in 1997.

It is named after Selayang, a village 2km southeast of Bandar Baru Selayang.

When contacted, RAMA expressed his relief and says there has been no open burning for the past two days.

Vexed by unanswered calls IN May, FAZRUL YUSOF began experiencing problems with his Internet connection.

However, his many calls to Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) went unanswered.

"When I tried to call customer service to file my complaint, I kept getting disconnected."

FAZRUL hopes TM will rectify the problem he is facing with his Streamyx account.

● A TELEKOM Malaysia Ber-

nectivity."

TM adds a rebate for the duration of the service interruption faced by FAZRUL, has also been credited into the customer's account and will be reflected in his upcoming bill.

FAZRUL confirms he is now able to enjoy Streamyx and work from home.

had (TM) spokeman apologises for the inconvenience caused to FAZRUL. “TM’s technical team discovered the problem was due to faulty equipment at our exchange. TM has since replaced the equipment and restored the customer’s Internet con-

EMBASSIES IN KL: • Australia: 03-2146 5555 • Bangladesh: 03-2148 7940 • Brunei: 03-2161 2828

• Canada: 03-2718 8333 • China: 03-2142 8585 • France: 03-2053 5500

• Germany: 03-2142 9666 • India: 03-2093 3504 • Indonesia: 03-2142 1151

Monday 4 JULY, 2011 the malay mail

New ride ruined by bad paint job REYN CHIN is a managing director from Kuala Lumpur and says his job demands he be on the road 80 per cent of the time.

For this, CHIN says he bought a Mercedes B-class from Cycle & Carriage Bintang Berhad last month.

However, he says during his car inspection and before signing the delivery form, he found black stains all over the car.

"The salesperson tried to convince me the paint job was meant to look like that. After receiving the car, I showed it to a professional car painter and found the the black paint was actually under the clear layer of the paint,” he says, adding he returned the car after learning of this.

CHIN says a manager

SEEING SPOTS: The stains on the new Mercedes

contacted him a few days later saying they would put on a new coat of paint and compensate CHIN with a three-year free car service voucher.

However, CHIN says he told the manager a new paint job alone was not satisfactory.

When CHIN told the manager he would contact the National Consumer Complaints Centre the manager replied: "Even if you call them, we still will re-paint the car for you."

● CYCLE & CARRIAGE Bintang Berhad After

Sales Senior Manager S.V. Balasubramanian says they have discussed this issue with their principal, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM).

"We will replace the vehicle with a new one for the customer on goodwill basis and without admitting any liability.

“We will work out the formalities with the customer."

When contacted, CHIN says although the dealer agreed to a one-to-one exchange, they will not compensate him for the loss of use of the car when he had sent it back to the dealer in the second week of June.

CHIN says he will bring the matter up with the National Consumer Complaints Centre.

Wrong app-roach

Creepy-crawly an unwanted guest during pizza meal COCKROACH FACTS

BAD COMPANY: The cockroach that was caught by Soon with a tissue

THE last thing SOON CHONG HOONG of Taman Tun Dr Ismail expected to find at a popular pizza chain was a cockroach.

SOON, 56, says he went to a Pizza Hut outlet in Taman Tun Dr Ismail with his daughter for dinner on June 22.

"Halfway through, we noticed a cockroach crawling at the edge of our table," SOON says, adding he caught hold of the pest with a tissue and showed it to the restaurant manager.

SOON says the manager

made a call and 10 minutes later told him that the restaurant carries out regular pest control.

He says finding a cockroach in the middle of his meal affected his appetite and he felt disgusted.

"This incident shouldn't happen in a decent place like Pizza Hut." SOON wants the restaurant to assure its customers there will not be any more cockroaches in the eatery.

"I want an investigation started and the staff responsible to be reprimanded as

well as a written apology from Pizza Hut."

● A PIZZA HUT Restaurants Sdn Bhd spokesman says following the incident, immediate corrective measures were taken, including a thorough pest control treatment at the outlet.

"The manager on duty was also reprimanded and advised to be more hospitable and receptive towards customers and their feedback."

The spokesman says Pizza Hut would like to thank SOON for bringing up the

COCKROACHES are insects of the Blattaria or Blattodea order — 30 species out of 4,500 inhabit human environments and four are well-known pests.

Cockroaches leave chemical trails in their faeces and emit airborne pheromones for swarming and mating.

These chemical trails transmit bacteria on surfaces, which other cockroaches will follow to discover sources of food and water, as well as where other cockroaches are hiding.

They can also passively transport microbes on their bodies including those that are potentially dangerous to humans, especially in environments such as hospitals.

They have also been linked with causing allergic reactions. matter and the restaurant looks forward to serving him again.

When contacted, SOON says he accepts the restaurant's apology.

9

Online Hotline comments www.mmail.com.my Credit card still not cancelled (June 24) BANKS are banks. I encountered the same thing and had to call them to get things done. I do not owe them and they do not give out alms, so for the miserable RM4.50, I won't waste my time to contact them again and again. Just let them know it's no fault of ours. — Haha HAD the same problem. Card was inactive but monthly statements still showed the inactive card with credit and credit limit increased two-fold! — Anonymous Battered bunga raya (July 1) WHAT is MBPJ talking about when it said budget constraints? Where did all the fines and tariff payments go? — Good advice THE least the council could do is spruce up the structure so that it looks better. — shaktiman JUST remove the eyesore and plant a tree instead.

No capital budget required for that! — Customer Service First Baffled over cash voucher blow-off (July 1) THIS is how a company should handle their dispute cases, not only by clearly explaining the miscommunication but taking responsibility for it as well. It goes a long way in building the brand. Much better than those big companies that always get complaints but never improve. — abugaga Frustration over flight delays (July 1) JUST throwing reasons like "technical problems" and safety being the company’s top most priority is not good enough to explain the delays. Companies need to be more transparent. Customers are not stupid.

Just citing some common excuse is not good enough to satisfy customers' queries. — abugaga IT IS not just the complainant, as I, too, am not satisfied by Firefly's explanation. — rahim THIS is a poor reply from Firefly. First, an apology is warranted. Then, they should explain in detail the reason for the delay. Then, explain what steps are being taken to remedy the problem. — Curious Cat Bloody Brazilian wax (July 1) JUST because a customer signs an agreement, doesn't mean you are not accountable for your actions. It only means your staff are not properly trained. It doesn't matter whether the person has thin, thick, fine or coarse hair. You don't tear off the person's skin! — Anonymous THE centre is so defensive and places the blame on the customer. — ben yap AN outlet that deals with the sensitive nether regions should be equipped with proper medication and equipment to ensure things like these are well taken care of. — Anonymous PROPERLY-TRAINED staff are essential. However, mishaps do happen. They should have had first-aid equipment at hand. — Anonymous

10 letters&opinions Monday 4 JULY, 2011

the malay mail

● Opinions may be in the form of Letters to the Editor or comments posted in relation to all news.

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

● Letters to the Editor must carry your name, address and contact number. A pseudonym may be included.

Email: mmnews@mmail.com.my Fax: 03-7495 1229

PETALING JAYA No plans for free water (June 24)

Plug holes with new pipes

THE problem of high nonrevenue water (NRW) in most States highlights the question of whether the rele vant aut hor it ies are doing their best to solve the matter.

Last year, NRW was high in several States, such as Kelantan (52.4 per cent), Pa hang (55.3 p er cent) and Sabah (more than 57 per cent). An example of high NRW would be having 1,000 gallons of clean water with only 500 gallons available for consumers' use as half of it is being lost through broken pipes.

From a financial point of view, millions of the people's hard earned money is lost, which could be sal-

vaged if the dilapidated piping systems were changed.

I discovered hundreds of kilometres of asbestos pipes were still being utilised in most States without any plans to change it.

Just think – those pipes are more than 30 or 40 years old, some were even installed before our Independence.

This is appalling as many health experts will attest old asbestos pipes are a health hazard that could spread harmful diseases.

I would like to recommend the Energy, Green Te c h n o l o g y a n d Wat e r Ministry prioritise substituting dilapidated and rusty pipes with new ones instead

of starting new projects, such as the interstate piping system, which will cost a lot to build.

It is only right the people's money b e used to finance the substitution of old pipes.

Many water experts estimate a water crisis will occur in 2014 so we should not make matters worse by not addressing the problems of broken pipes, water theft and leaking pipes, which contribute to high NRW. The situation is worsened by consumers who waste water.

T h e N a t i o n a l Wa t e r Services Commission (SPAN) and the ministry

must take note of the crucial status of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor.

The 6,000 kilometres of old pipes in these areas are in dire need of substitution before the dilapidated systems impedes the socio-economic activities in these areas, which then will jeopardise the image of our nation.

The authorities must be reminde d t he y have an obligation to find a concrete, efficient and immediate solution to the NRW issue.

Zulkifli Mohamad Deputy Chairman Global Economic Foundation

KL Ambiga comes clean (June 28)

KL Canberra defends asylum deal (June 3)

Leaving refugees out in the cold THE asylum deal between Australia and Malaysia is an attempt to tackle human trafficking and people smuggling rather than addressing the needs of asylum-seekers and refugees.

While the policy will harm asylum-seekers and refugees further, it is unlikely this approach will effectively tackle Australia’s human trafficking and people smuggling problem.

A significant barrier to curbing human trafficking is the inability to verify its nature.

Inaccurate data on human trafficking is linked to difficulties in differentiating human trafficking from other forms of irregular migration.

For example, the inabilities of States to distinguish between political asylum-seekers and trafficked persons, as in the case of the Rohingya from Myanmar in Malaysia, have led to perilous living conditions for these people.

This complexity calls for a broader and more nuanced study of irregular migration so its various composites — including refugees, trafficked persons, economic migrants — can be understood and identified.

In March, 41 Asia-Pacific countries met for the 4th Regional Ministerial C on fe re nc e on Pe opl e S m u g g l i n g , Tr a f f i c k i n g i n Pe r s ons an d re l at e d

Opinion of the week V. MURUGESWARAN'S view on the need to recheck the status of the one per cent job allocation in the public sector for the disabled won a hamper worth RM100 from Dutch Lady Malaysia for a deserving charitable institution.

THE MALAY MAIL-DUTCH LADY HAMPER FOR CHARITY THE best opinion of the week as decided by the editor will win a hamper from Dutch Lady Malaysia for charitable institutions. Readers are encouraged to nominate charities deserving of this gesture. The Malay Mail will deliver the winning hamper.

Transnational Crime (Bali Dialogue), held in Bali.

The Bali dialogue indicated through its Regional Cooperation Framework 2011 that consistent assessment processes for asylum-seekers be established and anti-trafficking measures developed with greater sensitivity to economic, social and political root causes.

Following the Bali Dialogue, Australia and Malaysia made an asylum deal.The deal is intended to dampen irregular maritime arrivals into Australia, connected to tackling “human trafficking” and “human smuggling”.

According to the deal, 800 asylum-seekers will be transferred to Malaysia, a non–signatory State to the Refugee Convention. Malaysia’s approach towards asylum-seekers has been mainly arbitrary detention, with little progress in protecting their basic human rights and integration into society after processing.

S i m i l a r l y, Au s t r a l i a’s approach reflects little regard for the rights and protection of asylum-seekers or refugees. For example, the Refugee Convention prohibits discrimination based on the migration means of asylum-seekers.

This means despite their illegal entry, Australia has an obligation to ensure the rights of asylum-seekers are protected by allowing them access to be processed in Australia.

Instead, by diverting these persons to Malaysia, where current conditions of deten-

tion/processing centres are unacceptable, Australia could be forsaking asylum-seekers.

The policy maintains a narrow approach of considering irregular migrants as prima facie illegal migrants, despite the fact most irregular maritime migrants into Australia are eventually given refugee protection.

Therefore, the Bali Dialogue has been unsuccessful. If frameworks and structures under the asylum deal have not been developed to improve conditions to respond to the needs of asylum-seekers and refugees, it is unlikely the trend of irregular maritime migration will cease.

In ongoing debates concerning the asylum deal, calls for Malaysia to ratify the Refugee Convention as a prerequisite to the asylum deal have been prominent. Undoubtedly, ratification by Malaysia will create access for refugees to employment, welfare and legal services, as guaranteed by the Refugee Convention.

However, ratification of the Convention does not guarantee States will fulfil their commitments.

Overall, the Australian – Malaysian asylum deal concentrated on treating asylumseekers as prima facie illegal maritime migrants overshadows States’ commitments at the Bali Dialogue to broaden their conception of and response to irregular migrants.

Manpavan Joth Kaur Singapore

What it's all about THE Bersih 2.0 rally is happening on July 9. Are you sure you know what it is all about? If you don't, or have been side-tracked, or forgotten, it isn't about race, rights and privileges, over-throwing the government or waging war against the Agong. It is not an Opposition initiative.

It is about: ● Cleaning the electoral roll; ● Reforming postal ballot;

● Implementing use of indelible ink; ● Minimum 21 days campaign period; ● Free and fair access to media; ● Strengthening public institutions; ● Stopping corruption and; ● Stopping dirty politics.

That is all.

Jimmy

Prevent other groups from joining rally IT appears Bersih is adamant about carrying on with its rally.

The rally is inevitable but mayhem can be averted by preventing Umno Youth, Perkasa and other groups from holding their rallies on the same day and at the same venue.

One solution is to allow all parties to have their rallies but on different days. There can be no turmoil if the various groups do not meet.

While B ersih has a peaceful and legitimate objective, the others are holding theirs in a deliberate attempt to cause discord. Had they peace on their mind, they would have chosen another day.

Disallowing the rally for causing hardship to the populace is a poor excuse.

Every so often, roads are closed to allow marathon runs. During the biggest celebration in our country's calendar, Merdeka Day, and many others, despite the huge crowds, shopkeepers enjoyed better sales.

What difference is there between these crowds and Bersih supporters? It is the fear that there will be disorder, which will only happen if hooligans, ruffians and troublemakers are allowed to usurp the peaceful rally.

Liberalist

The Malay Mail Monday ● 4 July, 2011

Street demonstrations bring more bad than good. Instead, we should focus on our main objective to develop this country — Extract from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin's statement last night

KUALA LUMPUR

Bront in director's chair Award-winning actor's debut effort '3Rasa' scheduled for screening next year

By Eena Houzyama eena@mmail.com.my

AFTER talking about doing it for quite awhile, award-winning actor Bront Palarae (pic) achieved his dream by making his film directorial debut on 3Rasa which will open in cinemas early next year.

"It's a multi-cultural drama, it's from my own production company Otto Films Sdn Bhd and I am co-directing it with two close friends," said the 32-year-old, who was born Nasrul Sulaimin Saifuddin in Alor Star, Kedah.

"Being in the director's seat is liberating and, unlike acting, it gives one a wider perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience although the workload was taxing mentally and physically, and I am now excitedly editing the scenes we shot."

His co-directors are Sheikh Munasar Abdullah and Rozi Izma Abdul Karim. The film, whose English title is 3Senses, SUBANG JAYA

stars Mano Maniam, Radhi Khalid, Azad Jasmin, Nell Ng, Soffi Jikan, Along Ezendy, Sharifah Amani and Ruminah Sidek.

"3Rasa was also the first time I was involved as producer and I still have a lot to learn but I am eager to start directing-producing on another project soon," said Bront who started acting in 2000 and for his role in 2009's Belukar, won Best Actor at the 23rd Malaysian Film Festival 2010 and TV3's Anugerah Skrin 2010.

"I must say I have been influenced by the works of filmmakers like Mamat Khalid and Osman Ali, and I hope moviegoers will enjoy 3Rasa."

Meanwhile, fans can catch Bront as an actor in the recently-released romantic film Sekali Lagi alongside Shaheizy Sam, Lisa Surihani and child actress Mia Sara.

A BEAST-ly good show

By LoONG WaI TING waiting@mmail.com.my

AS they say, the third time's the charm. Fast-rising and good-looking South Korean boy band BEAST (short for Boys of EAst Standing Tall) certainly whipped up a frenzy when promoting their first studio album Fiction and Fact at Sunway Lagoon's Surf Beach here last Saturday night.

"This is our third time in Malaysia and we are feeling a sense of familiarity here. We are sharing our new album and we hope you fans will love it," said group leader Yoon Dujun as he and his young band-mates belted out two of the 10 songs from the new album, namely, the title

TAKING A BOW: (From left) Dojun, Dongwoon, Yoseob, Gikwang, Hyunseung and Junhyung

track and On Rainy Days, along with a half-dozen of their previous hits.

The group, formed in 2009, also comprises Jang Hyunseung, Yong Junhyung, Yang Yoseob, Lee Gikwang and Son Dongwoon. All of the band members were born between 1989 and 1991.

Specialising in Koreanpop, electropop, dance, hiphop and rhythm and blues, BEAST previously released five extended play (EPs) — one in 2009 and four last year.

"Being in a group, we relieve stress by going to the movies together," said Yoon,

adding they are currently on a First BEAST Fan Meeting Asia Tour.

"We have also performed in Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Los Angeles in Calfornia, and we hope our fans will get to know us more through our first studio album."

news 11

TWITTER YOUR S@Y Where will you be on Saturday?

By Joe Lee joelee@mmail.com.my twitter.com/klubbkiddkl E VERYONE k nows of the planned rally by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) on Saturday in KL, Sabah, Sarawak and overseas.

Curious as to what some folks will be doing on

Saturday, we conducted a quick poll on Twitter.

Here are the responses to this writer at @klubbkiddkl.

Some portions of the tweets have been modified, without alterations to the intent of the messages.

@killa_may: I’ll be sleeping at home, just hanging out at home… as long as it’s at home. I want to avoid the roadblocks and traffic in KL. @DazedYoko: Sitting in front of the TV watching my Hindustani fare. @Amni_Amirul: I’ll be working. Away from it all. @sultanmuzaffar: I’ll be at Belum resort for an event. @Matt_Dark: I will be joining the Bersih rally!

@najwamahiaddin: I’ll be performing at No Black Tie.

@AdrianNCF: Running my errands and such in the heart of KL.

@inaarshad: I’m hoping that Bersih will be a non-event, but I’m still avoiding KL at all costs.

@khemeRoss: On a movie marathon to get away from it all.

GENTING HIGHLANDS

Enigmatic Kimball still at his best BOBBY KIMBALL (pic), a name synonymous with the 80s rock and roll music scene, put up a spectacular show last night at The Greatest Hits Tour featuring Bobby Kimball Original lead Singer of Toto Live in Genting, Arena of Stars The concert, which started at 8.30pm was "enigmatic," as one would put it.

The one-and-half hour show was truly a musical affair, when the singer performed a mix of both old and new songs. There was a solo spot as well when Kimball drew the audience in with his energetic keyboard performance.

Never mind the number of unfilled seats, as the surprise of the night came when Kimball invited the audience to come closer to the stage for a photo session. After some discussion, concert personnel reluctantly opened the gate as thousands of fans netered.

Kimball said: "I want to take a photo with my fans.

I want to put it in my web-

site."

Kimball entertained the crowd with some of his well-known hits like Africa, Rosenna, Stairway to Heaven and Won't Hold You Back.

Accompanying band The Zoo also took the stage by storm when they kept the audience entertained with songs like Lea, Everybody Wants and Jump.

Kimball, who has been in the music industry since he was four, was the former lead vocalist in the Grammyaward winning band, Toto.

The Louisiana-born was certainly inspired by the variety of music styles and musicians w h e n he was growing up.

12

world

Woman stabbed after egging prank A MUM was fatally stabbed on Saturday night after an egging prank in Melbourne, Australia. The woman, 47, and her husband went in pursuit of a group of four to five teenage boys in their car after their home was pelted with eggs, the Herald Sun reports.

The couple drove until they found the boys. The husband got out of the car to chase two boys, a detective said. When he returned to their car, he found his wife dead on the footpath.

Not too Posh to breastfeed VICTORIA BECKHAM has revealed she is planning to ditch formula milk and breast feed her new daughter instead, the Daily Mail reports. The mother to Brooklyn, 12, Romeo, eight, and Cruz, six, maybe too posh to push, but she has decided she wants to feed her fourth child naturally when she arrives this week.

Suspect held in journalist's murder MUMBAI police yesterday arrested a key suspect, Vinod Chembur, in connection with the murder of senior journalist Jyotirmoy Dey, the Indian Express reports. Chembur is believed to have financed the killing and identified Dey to the shooters. Chembur is alleged to be a bookie and aide of underworld don Chhota Rajan. Police sources alleged that Chembur held a meeting with the killers days before the murder and also handed over money to them. Chembur is in police custody.

THOUSANDS of protesters took to the streets of Morocco yesterday to push for democratic reforms despite a vote to curb the king's near absolute powers — AFP

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JULY, 2011

BANGKOK

First woman premier?

Yingluck's win sees Thaksin allies seeking coalition

ALLIES of Thailand's fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra will scramble to form a coalition government today after a huge poll victory that reshaped the kingdom's fractured political landscape.

The result is a remarkable comeback for the ex-leader's supporters after his ouster in a military coup sparked years of turmoil, and his youngest sister Yingluck Shinawatra is set to become Thailand's first female premier.

With almost all the votes counted, her Puea Thai party had won a clear majority with 263 seats out of 500, well ahead of incumbent Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrats on 161, according to the Election Commission.

It estimated turnout at 74 per cent. More than 170,000 police were deployed to secure the vote, but it appeared to proceed peacefully.

The election, and what happens next, is seen as a major test of Thailand's ability to emerge from its long political crisis, which saw mass protests by Thaksin's "Red Shirt" supporters paralyse Bangkok last year.

The demonstrations culminated in the country's worst political violence in decades, when more than 90 people, mostly civilians, died in a military crackdown and major buildings were set ablaze.

The populist Thaksin is BENGHAZI

loathed by the ruling elite who see him as corrupt, authoritarian and a threat to the revered monarchy, and fears have been raised that an opposition victory could unleash more protests or even another coup.

A s m i l i n g Yi n g l u c k addressed jubilant supporters at the Puea Thai Party's headquarters in the Thai capital, saying: "Thaksin has called to congratulate me and said there was a tough job ahead."

The 44-year-old telegenic businesswoman, a political novice who Thaksin has described as his "clone", said she was working on building a coalition with the smaller Chart Thai Pattana and other parties.

"People are giving me a chance and I will work to my best ability," she added.

Abhisit, who took office in a 2008 parliamentary vote after a court threw out the previous administration, conceded, saying: "The outcome is clear, Puea Thai has won the election and the Democrats are defeated."

Although Puea Thai has secured an absolute majority in parliament, bringing other parties into government will bolster its hold on the legislature and may make it harder for the generals to justify seizing power.

The Election Commission

JUBILANT: Shinawatra and supporters ecstatic after getting news of their party's win yesterday. — AFPpic

is already studying some complaints of possible irregularities, which could see candidates given "red cards" and disqualified, potentially whittling down Puea Thai's majority.

Thaksin, who is hugely divisive in Thailand but whose parties or allies have now won the country's last five elections, called on all sides to respect the result.

"All parties must respect the people's decision otherwise our country cannot achieve peace," the billionaire former telecom tycoon told Thai television from his base in Dubai.

"I think people want to see reconciliation. They want to move forward," he said. "We will not seek revenge."

Former army commander Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the leader of the putsch that removed Thaksin in 2006, played down the possibility of military intervention. — AFP

ABUJA

Bomb kills 10 in northern Nigeria A BOMB blast at a police beer garden killed at least 1 0 p e opl e ye ste rd ay i n the troubled northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri where Islamists are active, a military source and a witness said.

Hours earlier, a leading politician was shot dead in the same city, while police sources and residents reported a wave of shootings overnight Saturday that killed nine people, including three retired police officers.

"The bomb was planted at the middle of the 'mammy market' and at least 10 people have been killed and several others seriously

injured from the explosion," said an army officer who prefered not to be named.

The so-called mammy market beer gardens are open air pubs and eateries found around police or military barracks, open to both security personnel and civilians.

Brigadier-General Jack Okechukwu Nwaogbo, the commander of a crack military unit deployed a week ago to curb the unrest in the area, confirmed the attack, saying they had so far recorded eight deaths.

"So far we have eight dead and 13 injured. These are from those counted at the scene," he said. — AFP

Libyan rebels reject African peace plan

LIBYAN rebels yesterday rejected an African Union peace plan, saying it would leave Muammar Gaddafi in power, as South Africa's president headed for talks in Russia on the conflict.

Dismissing the AU plan as not meeting even their

basic demands, rebel spokesman Abdel Hafiz Ghoga said bluntly: "We have rejected it."

"It did not include the departure of Gaddafi, his sons and his inner circle. We have repeated this on more than one occasion."

The rejection came after the rebel army said it was poised for an offensive that could put it within striking distance of Tripoli, after French arms drops and intensified Nato air strikes on the regime's frontline armour.

Deadlock on the battlefield

has prompted mounting pressure from countries outside the Nato-led coalition for a negotiated solution to a conflict that has dragged on for four and a half months.

South Africa, which has taken a lead role in mediation efforts, said that President

Jacob Zuma would hold talks in Moscow today with representatives of the International Contact Group on Libya and Russian officials.

Russia and South Africa are both outspoken advocates of a negotiated solution to the Libya crisis. — AFP

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JUly, 2011

Military officials charging three California-based Marine corporals with fraud for entering into fake marriages to collect housing funds -- News reports

world

13

ITALY

200 injured in clashes Police and protestors exchange tear gas and molotov cocktails over bullet train line

AROUND two hundred people, mainly police officers, were injured as officers clashed with masked protesters at a rally against a high-speed rail link in northern Italy Sunday, police said.

Clashes between protesters and police left at least 188 officers and about a dozen demonstrators hurt, said officials, after a small group stormed a tunnel which was part of the work site at Chiomonte, west of Turin.

Scuffles between protesters and a heavy police presence continued throughout the day, with a steady exchange of tear gas, stones and molotov cocktails.

Police arrested at least five

people and Italy's President Giorgio Napolitano condemned the violence.

Police blamed the trouble on hundreds of masked leftist "black block" extremists from Italy and neighbouring countries.

Protest organisers said tens of thousands of demonstrators had gathered peacefully from surrounding regions to stop the construction of the planned tunnel in the Susa valley.

But a small band broke away from the main group of protestors to enter the gated work site guarded by hundreds of police, who put the number of demonstrators at about 6,000.

The project, agreed by Italy

and France in 2001, would slice three hours off the current seven-hour train journey between Paris and Milan.

But the development has provoked fierce opposition, not least among 23 local mayors.

In a statement, President Napolitano condemned what he said was the work of groups "trained in illegal violence."

He was joined by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and figures across the political spectrum.

Police were out in force yesterday as authorities had expected more trouble from radical groups within the protest movement after similar clashes last week. —AFP

LOS ANGELES

RAIL PROTEST: Demonstrators protest against a planned high-speed rail line running through the Susa valley near Turin. Scuffles between protestors and a heavy police presence continued throughout the day. Police said 30 officers were injured and five protestors arrested.—AFPpic

CASABLANCA

Moroccans continue push for democratic reforms

'Transformers' rampages into box office ROBOTS made fireworks at the box office this weekend, as Transformers: Dark of the Moon scored the biggest holiday blockbuster take on its opening weekend.

The weekend includes both the July 1 Canada Day holiday and July 4 US Independence Day holiday.

The third Transformers

movie lande d a re cord US$99 million (RM298m), according to industry projections by box office tracker Exhibitor Relations, with analyst Paul Degerabedian s aying: "Gre at word of mouth propelled a five per cent Saturday uptick in takings."

The Paramount picture

BOX-OFFICE top ten Top grossing films last week 1 Transformers: Dark of the Moon US$97.4m (total US$162m ) 2 Cars 2

US$25.1m (total US$116m )

3 Bad Teacher

US$14.1m (total US$59.5m )

4 Larry Crowne

US$13m (total US$13m)

5 Monte Carlo

US$7.6m (total US$7.6m )

6 Super 8

US$7.5m (total US$108m )

7 Green Lantern

US$6.27m (total US$102m )

8 Mr. Popper's Penguins

US$5.1m (total US$50.1m )

9 Bridesmaids

US$3.52m (total US$153m

10 Midnight in Paris

US$3.44m (total US$33.6m)

smashed past the previous holiday-weekend record holder, Spider-Man 2, which set a US$88.2 million benchmark for Independence Day weekend openings in 2004, according to studio estimates.

Another talking vehicle franchise, Pixar's Cars 2 finished in second place over the weekend with $25 million, bringing the film's overall earnings to US$116 million to date.

Larr y Crow ne brought together Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks for third place on its opening weekend, tying third overall in ticket sales with Bad Teacher, starring Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz.

In f ift h was romantic comedy Monte Carlo, starring teen sensation Selena Gomez, which played well to tween girls in North America and made US$7.6 million on its debut weekend. — AFP

THOUSANDS of protesters took to the streets of Morocco yesterday to push for democratic reforms despite the vote approving a new constitution curbing the king's near absolute powers.

The Feb 20 Movement, which has organised months of demonstrations calling for reforms in the Arab world's oldest reigning monarchy, has denounced the new constitution as windowdressing.

It says its approval in Friday's referendum, where it passed

with 98 per cent support, was a sham.

More than 6,000 protesters rallied in Morocco's main economic hub Casablanca, chanting "For Dignity and Freedom!".

"I am here to protest against a constitution that changes nothing and reinforces even more the powers of the king," said one demonstrator, who gave his name only as Omar.

Many of the protesters were from the Justice and Charity group, an Islamist organisation that is officially banned

but tolerated by the authorities.

Several dozen pro-government demonstrators confronted the protesters, shouting and throwing stones before police intervened. At least two people were taken away in ambulances with light injuries.

In the capital Rabat, about a thousand protesters marched through the city centre chanting "Dignity! Liberty! Social Justice!" and "Listen to the voice of the people". — AFP

MONACO

Royals prepare for S.Africa trip NEWLYWEDS Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco were preparing a trip to the bride's South African homeland, as her father dismissed reports of a pre-wedding rift.

The couple were formally wed on Friday in a civil service and said "I do" for a second time on Saturday in front of 800 royal and celebrity guests in a lavish ceremony rounded off by fireworks and a ball for 200 friends.

A wedding brunch followed yesterday in the private gardens of the tiny principality's royal palace, prepared

by French chef and creator of the main wedding feast,

Alain Ducasse.

The royal couple will fly to Durban tomorrow where 33-year-old Charlene trained as a swimmer and where the prince, 53, was due to attend a meeting of the International Olympic Committee of which he is a member.

The committee will on Wednesday vote to select the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The princess' father Mike Wittstock meanwhile dismissed reports that the wedding preparations had been disrupted by a last-minute crisis, in an interview with South Africa's Sunday Times newspaper paper.

The weekend's pageantry had been dimmed by media reports of rumours that the bride-to-be had tried to flee to South Africa earlier in the week.

Palace officials said only that there had been a "hiccup" in the wedding preparations when Charlene learned that Albert may face demands for a paternity test after a claim by a former lover.

"The main thing is that the marriage took place," said a local doctor who did not want to be named.

"What we need now is an heir, that's the only thing Monegasques are interested in right now." — AFP

14

the malay mail

Monday 4 July, 2011

lifestyle 15

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JULY, 2011

Thrice the fun at best of Hokkien concert

By Loong Wai Ting waiting@mmail.com.my ACTION speaks louder than words. And for five Taiwanese artistes — Wang Shi Xian, Sun Shu Mei, Chen Mei Feng , Shen Wen Cheng and Xie Jin Yan — nothing is more important than giving their 100 per cent effort and pleasing their fans at the same time.

Though they have made themselves known both locally and internationally for their Taiwanese TV shows, dramas and songs, the five have remained as humble and pledged to further establish themselves through their songs.

They certainly need no introduction, especially among diehard fans of Taiwanese dramas and they are coming here! Fans might already be excited to know that they are going to be here next month for a three-night concert held at the Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands.

The concert, dubbed as 'Best of Hokkien Concert Live in Genting', will see the first show on Aug 14 and it will run until Aug 16. Best of all, the famous five promised that the event will be one of the most extraordinary concerts for fans of Hokkien songs.

"I'm in the midst of preparing for something interesting for my part during the concert.

If everything goes as planned, there won't be any changes in terms of the songs and what I am going to do onstage. But then, I am not limiting myself to the number of songs I am going to perform that night," said Wang Shi Xian, who won Best Taiwanese Male Singer at the Golden Melody Awards in 2005.

Known for his songs like Ai Ni Yi Qian Yi Wan Nian, Qian Nan Wang and Ai Dao Wu Ming Bu Zhi Jing, Wang has also become a household name by appearing in Taiwanese hit dramas like Ai, Liu Mang Jiao Shou and Ye Ge Ren Sheng.

Apart from the show, Wang said he is also game to try

anything in Malaysia, although durian might not be on his list.

"I don't like durian. I can't stand the smell at all. But then, I want to challenge myself to try out the fried durian for a change. I am a coffee lover. There was one time my Malaysian friend introduced me to Ginseng coffee and I fell in love with it instantly. I find the taste to be very unique," he added.

On whether there will be a duet session with the rest of the entourage, Wang said, "There are no concrete plans yet. We're still planning. But, I will be bringing my wife over to enjoy my performance later."

The other big name in the concert is Sun Shu Mei, who is well-known for her artistic abilities like singing, ballet, piano and even modelling.

Sun's phenomenal vocal abilities won her the Best Female Vocalist award at the inaugural Golden Melody Awards, a show that is equivalent to the Grammy Awards.

Her winning the title instantly propelled her to superstardom and eventually turning her into a Taiwanese pop music diva.

"Previously, I had the opportunity to work with Wang Shi Xian in a concert held in Malaysia not long ago. It was my first time to Malaysia and I fell in love with the country instantly. It's very warm and relaxing here - almost like I'm going on a vacation. The audience is great too!" she said.

Sun said she will be singing both old and new songs, and she does not intend to limit herself to a certain number of songs. It's up to the audience apparently. Now does that mean the audience can request which song they want to hear when she is onstage?

"Absolutely! I don't mind, actually. As long as they're happy, that's most important to me," she said.

Joining the two is another multi-talented performer Chen Mei Fong, who has done it all, including juggling between singing, hosting and writing.

She has also made a few appearances in local dramas like Ye Shi Ren Sheng and Ai with Wang Shi Xian.

She has also wrote a number of books like Mei Feng Pao Tang Qu: Taiwan Mi Tang Zhi Lu and Mei Feng Chi Tou Tou Er: Du Jia Shi Fang Mei Shi No. 1.

Unlike Wang, who earlier said that he disliked durian, Chen on the other hand, loves anything that's made of durian.

"I love to keep the durian flesh in a container and put it in the refrigerator. And I love having them cold. It's like eating durian ice-cream," she said.

Also known for her cooking show, Chen said she is looking forward to trying out local Malaysian food.

Fans can expect Chen to doll up in beautiful costumes, besides being serenaded by her voice. But then, she admitted that she is currently thinking of the song selection.

"I am still thinking about my song selection. I want it to be special. Different stops (referring to her other concerts) will have a different (song) selection," she said.

Shen Wen Cheng, another name in the 'famous five', will make an appearance at the concert too.

Currently busy filming a fishing show in

Kenting,Taiwan, Shen said it has been years since he last came to Malaysia. However, he is not worried at all to perform among the clouds in Genting.

"It's a no-problem for me.

I've been to high altitude places before like the Himalayan mountains and Xinjiang," he said.

Completing the famous five is Xie Jin Yan, who is also the daughter of popular comedian, Zhu Ge Liang.

She may look young, but her experience is vast.

A multi-lingual artiste, she has won numerous prestigious awards such as Best Taiwanese Female Singer at the 18th Golden Melody Awards and Best Hokkien Singer at the 7th Southeast Music Chart Awards in 2009. Xie also shared her excitement during the short tele-interview recently.

"I want a different performance this time, but that really depends on the audience," she said.

Would she be doing a duet with Wang Shi Xian?

"Actually, I've never thought of it. But it can be planned, though. I think it would be interesting! Talking about it now, I am already excited for the concert," Xie said.

Tickets to the Best of Hokkien Concert Live in Genting 2011, which will be held at the Arena of Stars from Aug 14 to 16 at 8pm, are priced at RM300 (VIP), RM250 (PS1), RM180 (PS2), RM120 (PS3) and RM80 (PS4). For more information, visit www. rwgenting.com

Ryan Reynolds' hobby is his career The Green Lantern actor (right) — who split from wife Scarlett Johansson in December after two years of marriage — insists he isn't a workaholic, but even in his down time is happy to turn his attention to business calls because making movies is not a difficult profession.

He said, "My hobbies are... work. No, I'm kidding.

But I do love to work and my hobby is also my career.

"Am I a workaholic? It depends who you ask. I don't think so. I think when I have time off I really use it, but I work in Hollywood. It's not like I'm a neurosurgeon.

I can take a phone call when I'm relaxing." Ryan admits that as he has gotten older he finds it easier to relax and no longer has to be busy all the time.

"I'm closer to moderation now than I've ever been, but years ago I would have had trouble with that. If it was a vacation I had to climb something or do something, but that's just being younger I think. Now I can handle a book and some TV for a while." — Bang Showbiz

Jessie J wants to "save the world" The Price Tag hitmaker (below) is pleased when she receives messages from fans who have related to her lyrics because she has always wanted to make a difference to people's lives.

She said, "The most amazing thing is to comfort people. Every day on Twitter I get, 'Your album saved my life right now' and, 'How did you put my life into words?'

"I just don't want to write music that's throwaway.

Ever since I was a kid I've written poetry and songs to make people think. I've always wanted to save the world in my own little way."

The 23-year-old star believes her desire to help people through her music comes from her father, who is a social worker, and

she wants people to realise she doesn't have a "sugarcoated, perfect" life.

"My dad's a social worker and I almost want to give that to the world.

"I think people are done with, 'I'm in the club, shakin' my booty', with running away from their bad day. I think they want someone who's gonna go, 'Fix up — welcome to the real world.'

"I'm fed up of people sugarcoating life for kids, making them think everything's amazing and everyone's perfect looking and artistes don't get spots or diarrhea before a show. We do. And that's what I wanna stand for.

"I want to write music that brings some light into the world."

16 lifestyle

Giving respect where it i

Hear, Say

By JOE LEE joelee@mmail.com.my

twitter @klubbkiddkl SO the storm is becoming more evident over the decision to trash the album categories for various genres in the upcoming 18th Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM), and more dissatisfaction is abound as confusion reigns.

For the sake of mutual respect, and unity of the music industry, perhaps it’s high time that the Recording Industry

of Malaysia (RIM) realise it is no longer the voice of the industry.

After all, the artistes who are releasing albums these days are independent acts who spend their hard earned money – and governing body should respect and listen to the talents that are a minority in representation, but a majority as a whole.

The fact that the labels represented by the decision makers on RIM’s board combined, have put out possibly a handful of titles when it comes to full albums — should be a dead giveaway that the mass of artistes and musicians were not represented when the rash decision was made.

Whatever the outcome of the friction, perhaps it’s best to highlight that, no matter what, at the end of the day, everyone in the industry probably has the same goal of wanting the best for the business.

With that common aim, perhaps it is best that RIM initiate a discussion with the music fraternity to listen to grouses and work on the best solution before the AIM becomes irrelevant.

There is nothing to lose, and in fact, RIM will stand to gain the respect of industry practitioners if they choose to at least review what would appear as rather rash decisions for a change.

Whatever the outcome, the fate of the Malaysian music industry does NOT hang in a balance because of this, as the explosion of talents we’ve seen the past couple of years, has been a beacon guiding more aspiring artistes to believe it is possible to be heard.

The real unfortunate victim of this, will be the brand of AIM itself, which is a sole survivor thus far in the prestige and credibility of awarding the deserving in the music industry.

Unwelcomed in Myanmar Datuk Michelle Yeoh

IT is a shame that actress Datuk Michelle Yeoh was deported from Myanmar on June 22, presumably because of her role as Myanmar freedom Aung San Suu Kyi in The Lady,

Useless catfight

Neelofa

IT’S now in the open. While newcomer actress Neelofa has been playing innocent over accusations that she has been spreading rumours of herself being involved with a couple of men belonging to her ‘seniors’, another artiste has come forward to deliver a response.

Fellow actress Fazura brushed off the accusations that she and Neelofa were involved in a spat, and said she had nothing to do with whatever drama that was brewing, and called on Neelofa to back down from involving the former’s name in whatever remarks she chooses to make.

Neelofa apparently is not keeping it quiet as she has refuted Fazura’s claims, saying she had never involved the actress’ name in the matter.

Oh well…

For public reading Mak Dara Nyonya cast

Theatre postponed THE Mak Dara Nyonya theatre might not be shown on July 9 as scheduled, in anticipation of the Bersih demonstrations, on the advice of the authorities.

Taking cue from the 2 Raksaksa 2011 concert, featuring Blues Gang and Sweet Charity, that was also postponed on the same date — perhaps the

decision was made for the sake of safety of all, who may stand to be unwilling and innocent victims of circumstance.

'Nasty' expresses his utter disgust SO we shared a little about these two reality TV acts who recently were supposedly caught together by an unknown source that has been identified as another former contestant.

In retaliation, the male

contestant at the centre of the allegations has been bad-mouthing the alleged accuser with the ugliest of descriptions in several interviews, though most of it had been uttered ‘off record’.

The label mates are not talking to each other, but here’s hoping their management will step in to put their foot down.

After all, that’s not helping the outfit in promoting their fledgling careers, is it?

YES, social networking is such a hive of activity — and so good for gossip-mongers.

One of the most talkedabout incidents over the past week has been actress Fasha Sandha venting her anger at Dewa Cinta co-star, Iqram Dinzly. After their public spat, both sides had called a truce.

It appears after Iqram’s ‘explanation’ appeared in a weekend paper last week, Fasha was not amused and took to Twitter to vent, making it very public the allegations of Iqram not only turning up late, but also stating that even Iqram was aware that he was hardly the production's first choice for the leading role in Dewa Cinta, and that he was only chosen because Aaron Aziz was busy shooting Stanza Cinta.

Ouch!

Fasha Sandha

directed by Frenchman, Luc Besson. After she was turned away at the Yangon International Airport, Michelle was reportedly saddened and shocked.

Fazura

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JULY, 2011

is due

17

Poor Najwa SHE'S already opened for international stars like Babyface, Ne-Yo and Michael Buble on their tour dates here, and is the proud owner of a criticallypraised album, Innocent Soul.

Yet, accompanying a friend to a recent movie shoot, she had the unfortunate luck to have had a conversation with an actress who had never heard of her.

Najwa remained mum on her credentials, and the actress apparently took that cue to put down Najwa’s music.

To avoid any embarrassment for the actress who did not know that much about music despite desperately trying to present herself as an authority — the 25-year-old Najwa, who is also a Berklee College of Music student, decided to remain silent throughout.

Still, it was redemp-

Najwa

tion when members of the production crew came up to her for autographs, and apparently a senior member of the crew even remarked when he recognised her.

Too bad for the actress though, who had everyone else sniggering behind her back over the incident.

Who's wearing the watch?

AFTER Aaron Aziz shared his two sens about a certain co-star who had disciplinary problems with keeping time, newcomer Nur Fathia Abdul Latiff was immediately thrust in the spotlight as the target.

Nur Fathia of course, as we shared last week, already had less than favourable publicity for chucking her cellphone on set, apart from the supposed issues of lateness.

Now fellow Stanza Cinta drama series co-star of Aaron and Nur Fathia, Fizz Fairuz, is raising eyebrows with similar complaints about a fellow cast member who keeps showing up late.

Déjà vu? Or just bad-timekeeping?

Nur Fathia

GAME ON: The final four crews embodied the essence that distinguished them from one another — Pic: ASHRAF SHAMSUL AZLAN

Aaron Aziz

Showdown of the Final Four

By JEREMY TAN lifestyle@mmail.com.my THE climax is on the horizon as Showdown 2011 approaches its grand finale this Wednesday. It’s been a long journey for the crews, and after witnessing dances spanning all levels of quality.

Showdown 2011 has finally rid itself of the stench of painful performances that was bound to crop up amongst the now eliminated crews.

With the show approaching its hottest episode yet, all that remains is the cream of the crop.

Last week saw a very wellreceived twist — that the four crews will all stand a chance to win the RM50,000 grand prize. For the first time this season, there was no elimination.

It was, as Joe Flizzow confirmed later on, a pre-planned notion but one that was in the best interest of the show; that all four crews deserve a shot in the finale. The recent performances testified to that.

With everyone allowed to liberally express their identity and forte with last week’s theme, the crews embodied the essence that distinguished them from one another.

We had Bounce Stepperz grace the stage first, embodying their self-styled genre of street-traditional dance by incorporating wayang kulit and unique music, which was an amalgam of traditional Malay tunes and contemporary hip-hop sounds.

Even the crew’s attire was

a juxtaposition of traditional and modern concepts, with three members donning the former wear, and the other three the latter. Every aspect of them married two immensely different worlds together, showing that street dance and traditional Malay dance can indeed create something commendable.

However, technically speaking, it was not out of this world. Hot judge Maple opined that the act could have been a lot tighter, though still beautiful. Evidently, beautiful enough that fellow judge Joe Flizzow stated for the first time that they were “mesmerising”.

Emphasising much on the creative expressions that distinguish them, five-man Elecoldxhot performed a wholly entertaining arcadeboxing themed dance to a medley of songs.

Sacrificing complexity of movement for storytelling aspects, it was as guest judge Pat Ibrahim put it, “more a mime show than a dance show”. Joe spoke sense, saying that Elecoldxhot’s creativity was a level of their own, but still in this case it was creativity at the expense of slightly diluting the notion of 'dance'.

Donning horrible attire and hitting the stage third was Rokusteps, rocking out with their breakdancing repertoire to Nightwish’s She’s My Sin. Putting Pat Ibrahim’s worry about dancing to rock song to rest, Rokusteps won the award for most creative in Pat’s eyes with “their layers of

choreography”.

Although the power moves sequences were praiseworthy, other parts looked disorganised and felt as though it was fast-forwarded, a little too hasty. Though it is commendable that they attempted more difficult moves as opposed to the previous two crews.

HMC Phlow's answer to the competition came in the form of technical superiority, especially when compared to Elecoldxhot. By contrast to their rival counterparts, HMC Phlow neglected creative storytelling and instead opted to wow with an aesthetically pleasing combination of welltimed pop and lock standard fare and intense krumping.

Maple loved the anger pulled into the krumping, noting their intensity; Pat believed that they could actually win the competition; and Joe felt like getting up and dance.

That’s basically a unanimous two thumbs up from the judging panel.

Spicing things up a little more was the collaboration that transpired after. Bounce Stepperz and Rokusteps joined forces, dancing to the sounds of two songs integrated together while combining each other’s distinct styles and giving birth to what was a unique visual compilation of genres.

Voguing, traditional, and breakdance elements were all in one performance. It was, as Joe commented, great to see both crews perform each other’s moves; the problem was that with 13 people on

stage, it was one messy affair in certain parts, though some parts had a noticeable sense of cohesion.

Taking the Intensive Care Unit and putting it on the dance floor, the doctorlookalikes HMC Phlow and Elecoldxhot duo treated the audience with a perfect collaboration. They gelled almost seamlessly together, and their performance could leave the audience diagnosed with excessively mouth-gaping.

The dance, which was to the song E.T by Katy Perry featuring Kanye West, prompted Maple to label the show “genius!” Stating that Showdown 2011 wouldn’t be complete without the two crews, Pat added that the display was “simply magical”.

The votes were in minutes later, with HMC Phlow proving most popular, followed

by Bounce Stepperz, then Elecoldxhot, and finally Rokusteps taking bottom spot.

Third place came as a shock to Elecoldxhot, but that doesn’t matter, at least for now. As the votes from last week carry forth to the finale, all the crews will have two chances to persuade voters in their favour with their showcases.

Ultimately, we approach the conclusion of this contest of skill, creativity, and perseverance. Who will reign supreme and take home the lump of cash? Will the finale defy all expectations? Find out this Wednesday from 9.30pm onwards on 8TV! For details, log on to www.8tv.com.my

18 lifestyle

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JULY, 2011

The duet to bridge borders

By Jeremy Tan lifestyle@mmail.com.my FUELLED by the desire to perpetuate the local musical talent on the international podium, Filipino singer Jed Madela and top six Malaysian Idol Season 1 finalist Nikki Palikat have collaborated in a new duet, Antara Kita, with a showcase tour to promote the collaboration.

The Regional Duet, as it is called, is the third of its kind organised by Muzikon, a new

local/regional music label, and thus far comprised the collaboration of prominent singers from Malaysia and the Philippines.

Of course, this programme is not limited to pairing artistes solely from those two countries. The Regional Duet is an opportunity to uphold Malaysian artistes and music across the ASEAN region, so pairings with other ASEAN artistes besides the Philippines, will be a prospect of the near future.

As for now however, Muzikon managing director Richard Voon said, before more partnerships with artistes from, say, Thailand or Vietnam can be forged, the project needs to show success.

"Nothing convinces people more than success. I hope that with Antara Kita, success could be generated to show other labels that we should do this.”

Voon had expressed that it

wasn’t easy to convince other music labels to undertake this kind of programme. Thankfully, the Philippines have proven more receptive, so they’ve started from there.

Once successful show, the programme will then expand to incorporate pairings with other ASEAN artistes.

In retrospect, Noryn Aziz and Christian Bautista kicked off the birth of the regional duet last year with their song Anugerah Cinta in Malaysia.

Following that, Hazami and his Filipino partner Kyla took a Bahasa Malaysia song, Tekad and adapted it into the Tagalog song Hanggang Wakas, which was promoted in the Philippines.

This time around, Jed

(From left) Voon; Sulin Lau, head of marketing services, DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd; Nikki and Jed

PERFECT PAIR: Jed fell in love with Nikki's amazing voice when he first heard it — Pics: KHAIRULL AZRY BIDIN

Madela and Nikki Palikat took the showcase of Antara Kita around Sabah, which also happens to be Nikki’s birthplace.

The showcase tour that spanned from June 24 till yesterday was sponsored by DiGi and dubbed the 'DiGi Jelajah Sabah 2011- Jed Madela and Nikki Tour'.

Antara Kita is obviously a Malay song that was much like Hanggang Wakas but in reverse, adapted from a Filipino song Kailangan Kita, which apparently is a very popular piece that was sung by some of the best singers in that country. It’s a beautiful love song with soulful melodies that may prove popular to local ears… and hopefully beyond.

For Jed Madela, who happens to be one of the best male singers his country ever gave birth to, this duet is his first ever Bahasa Malaysia song. Though according to him, “singing with Nikki made it easier and more comfortable".

“She was very professional, helpful, and made it all seem effortless and natural,” said Jed. “This is a wonderful concept, to sing each other’s songs in a different language.”

For Nikki, it was her first time meeting Jed during the launch of this duet; and they managed to make the song while being on different landmasses.

“The results of our first international duet have exceeded

my expectations and performing with an accomplished and established singer like Jed Madela was an opportunity I did not want to pass,” said Nikki, who is busy being a mother to her seven-monthold baby.

Apparently, when Jed listened to Nikki’s part of the song in Antara Kita before deciding to collaborate with her, he instantly fell in love with her amazing voice. Thus the duet was born.

The duet is also on Jed’s newest album, Between Us, which is available exclusively at Rock Corner music outlets.

So go give Antara Kita a listen, and hear for yourselves just how amazing the result of such a pairing can be.

that night.

In total, they performed eight songs, including some of their best known hits like

Special, Shock, Soom, Rainy Days, Fiction and I Like You Mostly. — By Loong Wai Ting

Partying with the Beast "Aku cinta padamu!" and that was all it took to send fans into a screaming frenzy.

As if that wasn't enough, members of the Korean pop group, BEAST continued to please the crowd with their attempt at speaking the local

language, which only resulted in laughter.

Band leader Du Jun, who celebrates his 23rd birthday today had an early celebration with thousands of fans at their 'First Beast Fan Meeting Asia Tour' held at the Sunway Lagoon Surf Beach last Friday.

Fans sang two versions of the birthday song (Malay and Korean), while Du Jun was presented with a big cake onstage.

The band then took a break by answering questions posed by fans earlier on via email.

However, nothing beats a special request from a fan, who wanted the band to sing a birthday song to his girlfriend, who was also present at the mini showcase.

The music was definitely louder than any of the ear-piercing screams from the diehard fans.

Even though it was only a mini showcase, the boys gave their all out as if that was their actual concert in Malaysia.

In terms of performance,

CROWD-PLEASER: The boys did not disappoint any of their fans in terms of performance

the boys did not disappoint any of their fans and were obviously basking in all the attention they could get on

What’sUp KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia International Jewellery Fair

It's all about the bling bling at the fair, which will be happening from July 7 to 10 from 11am until 7pm. Visit http://www.elite.com.my for more details or call 0358911157 for enquiries.

KUALA LUMPUR: 1Malaysia Mega Sale

The 1Malaysia Mega Sale is now on until Aug 31 in all participated stores and malls all over Malaysia. Get your bargain shopping now! For more information, contact 03-26158188 or visit http://www.tourism. gov.my for more information.

KUALA LUMPUR: Charity Carnival

There will be a Real Community Charity Carnival at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil car park A on July 17 from 10am till 4pm, held to garner donations and more for the underprivileged and orphan homes. if you like to help out, email Molly Brown at targ3t@gmail.com.

SELANGOR: Help the animals at PAWS

The PAWS Animal Welfare Society would appreciate your household throwaways for the centre.

sudoku

So if you have some cash to spare, donations to be used for food, medicines, shelter repairs and more, bring them over to PAWS today!

Other items in need include newspapers, canned or dry pet food, pet toys, pet milk powder, flea powder or shampoo, large plastic rubbish bags, old clothes, detergent, soap and brushes, cat litter and if you have time, do volunteer to help out to make a difference to these animal's lives.

Visit PAWS at Pilmoor Estate, Subang Airport Road, Subang, Selangor. Opens on Monday to Sunday (closed on Wednesdays) at 9am to 4pm. For more info, contact 03-78461087 or visit www.paws.org.my/

KUALA LUMPUR: Arsenal FC Malaysia Tour 2011

Footballers alert! Arsenal Football Club will be heading down to Malaysia for a friendly match with our national football team at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on July 13 at 8.45pm.

Tickets are priced at RM58, RM68, RM108 and RM388 at selected Nike stores and Ticketpro outlets. Go to http://www. ticketpro.com.my or contact 03-78807999 for details.

sudoku

lifestyle 19

The Malay Mail Monday 4 july, 2011

A tribute to MJ

Impersonator has been following MJ’s footsteps since he was eight Commemorating the second anniversary of the King of Pop’s passing, countless Michael Jackson’s fans were sighted attempting to find seats in the already packed The Patio lounge at the First World Plaza at Resorts World Genting.

Everyone wanted to catch the late superstar’s impersonator, Jordan Sam in action.

Also known as the Michael Jackson of Asia, Jordan brought Michael Jackson (MJ) ‘live’ onstage, rendering his all-time hits such as I’ll Be There and Billie Jean.

A life-long ardent fan of MJ, Jordan Sam considers emulating The King of Pop’s showmanship an infinite passion.

Jordan has been following MJ’s footsteps since he was eight years old.

He has certainly done the superstar proud by deftly impressing judges time and again, winning many Michael Jackson look-alike and dance competitions over two decades.

He was crowned champion in the Sony Music Michael Jackson Dance Competition in 1991 and bagged the trophy for the prestigious Pepsi Search for Michael Jackson of Malaysia Competition, beating over 250 participants in 1993.

Mimicking the Gloved One’s grooves outfitted in his signature ensemble, he was an uncanny resemblance to MJ right down to his raspy, gentle “I love you” which got the audience echoing in

couches, Wine & Whisky Bar on the other hand, lends an air of warmth and cosiness as one basks in posh comfort and savour the luxury of imported Cuban cigars, 112 wines and 90 whiskeys.

Patio provides different ambience choices for patrons. They can choose to chill at The Main Deck with a seating capacity of 222 where patrons can enjoy themselves while entertained by the resident band or sports screenings.

For more information on the Patio Bar & Lounge, visit www.rwgenting.com.

Audiences were also invited on stage to dance like Michael Jackson

response.

Affable Jordan got up close and personal with the crowd while singing You Are Not Alone, sending the crowd into a sentimental mood as everyone remembered the world greatest musician.

Audiences were also invited on stage to dance like Michael Jackson.

They were then given a souvenir presented by Resorts World Genting and Guinness as an appreciation for their participation.

Audiences at the Patio Bar & Lounge that Saturday night were also given a great performance by the MJ Impersonation Dancing Group and Peach Apple Tree Band — current resident band at the Patio Bar & Lounge.

The Patio Bar & Lounge, located at First World Plaza, is

a favourite haunt and watering hole to the patrons of Resorts World Genting.

At the Tiger Sports Bar, sports enthusiasts can cheer on their favourite soccer teams in high-definition TV channels.

With its textured brick walls and welcoming antique leather

how to play

FRIday'S solution

Sudoku X is a simple variation of Sudoku with the only difference being the squares in white (which make up the numeral X) need to tally from 1 to 9 along with the remaining coloured squares.

EXCEPTIONAL: Jordan (centre), who also known as the Michael Jackson of Asia, was an uncanny resemblance to MJ right down to his raspy, gentle “I love you”

20

the malay mail

Monday 4 July, 2011

Bukit Jalil

21

the malay mail

MonDay 4 JuLY, 2011

Sri Hartamas

Taman Melawati

Taman OUG

Taman Tun Dr. Ismail

22

PROPERTY / MOTORING / HEALTH

the malay mail

Monday 4 JULY, 2011

Readers can also look out for classified ads ONLINE as early as 9.00a.m at www.mmail.com.my

M20

Houses for sale

SUBANG JAYA SS19 Bungalow Lot for SALE, 10000sf. Prime location.

Interested please contact Mustaffa: 019-389 0325.

M43

Office to let

TMN SETIAWANGSA KL office space for rent, fully furnish. Rental RM700 per mth. Free parking.Call: 019279 2060

M130

M130

Vehicles for hire

Fashion/health & beauty

Fashion/health & beauty

ASX. MIT TRITON. PAJERO Sport, Lancer & Grandis. Trade in accepted . Call: 012-977 6961 HARUN

MITSUBISHI ALL new models.

Fast loan & fast delivery, (Triton max loan accpt), Grandis, Pajero, Lancer, ASX, Sport back. Good trade in, Attractive promotion, good deal in town.

All models stock available. 24 hrs in call. Oscar Tan 012-388 5897

TOYOTA NEW, All models.

Vios, Altis, Camry, Prius, Avanza, Inova, Rush, Hilux, Fortuner, & Hiace Van. Full & Islamic loan, Int rate at 2. ++%, Special discount + free acc @ service @ tinted vou etc.

Fax 03-6201 7113 @ email: shaharudin.toyota@gmail.com

CHEAPEST RATE Car rental in KL. Many types of Cars & MPV. (Pajak- accepted) Call for booking: 012-987 7756

AA MASSAGE: By young female. Rest and relax. Just call: 017-296 3930/ 017-296 3068

MASSAGE BY Indian girls.

Contact us Shalini 016-224 2495, Renu 010-773 2927.

EURO RENT (KKKP4225) New fleet of Proton cars, MPV & vans. Long/ short term rentals.

Corporate/ expats. Credit card accepted. Call Fabian: 03-7877 1834/5, 012-238 1769. www. euro-rentacar.com.my

AAAAA QUEENS SPA Male and female masseurs, out call service available. Private & Cosy. Call: 03-9057 1336/ 016646 9891 www.klqueensland. com

MASSAGE THERAPY: Out call only, male/ female, KL/ PJ area. (710929-04-5280) Pls call Mas 012-931 2133

M44

M133

AUSTIS MORRIS (LONDON TAXI) 1981/2007. 2.5 Liter diesel, very economical 6 seaters, Road tax RM930.00 per yr.Collectors item RM 55K ONO Call: MR.LIM 0123319225 ( LOC. BANGSAR) KL SG Wang Plaza (2nd floor).

2 Shop lots to let. Free Basic Renovation Interested please call: Grace 017-350 1044

NEW MYVI 1.3 (A&M) Book now for fast delivery. Int 3.25% 9 yrs. Free gifts. Call: Salim 012-203 8434

M137 (NEW) HICOM, High discount, high trade in, cheapest in town.

Call: 016-248 8363 / 012-676 3609.

Apartments for sale

Servicing & repairs

M89

Rooms to let

SYMPHONY HEIGHT Batu Caves Unit Terhad Utk Bumi Shj tanpa bayaran muka tanpa SPA fees Tel: 03-6187 7888 / 012-953 6189 Azman 11 MONT KIARA size range 2707-3317 sqf. Selling at RM900 psf. For more info call Adriel 012-685 5755

AMPANG, TAMAN MELUR Middle age lady or female retiree.

Rental RM100. Interested call: 016-622 9696

M130

GOOD NEWS !!!

Great promotion. Immediate stock , Fast approval. High trade in.

Low d/ payment. Free body kit & sport rim for Forte. All new Sorento ready stock. Sportage, Citra RS, Rondo, Picanto, Pregio. Call: 03-4256 5556 Ampang

NISSAN ALL NEW Models Promotion. Full loan. Debit cash RM3k - 10K. 100% ready stock with impuls earo kit. Leader seats, tinted. Guarantee 1 week delivery. High trade in.

24 hrs approval. Door to door service. Call: Junson 016-6666 132

SALES, SERVICE & REPAIR available for Isuzu D-Max pickups and N-Series lorries. Call Today: 019-329 2222 (NEW) INOKOM & HINO Special promotion, free body.

Call:012-3211 453/ 0123225334

BLUE ROSE AROMAS 24A, Lrg Ara Kiri 2, Lucky Gdn Bangsar.Therapist local Indian g i r l s. P r i va t e & c o s y. 1 1 a m 11pm. Ms Meera 03-20945542/ 016-2056003

HYUNDAI PROMOTION !!!

Sonata, Tucson, Santa Fe, Starex, Avante, i30, Accent, Getz, i10. Special discount.

Super high trade in (any car). Low d/p & interest.

Easy loan approval. Mystery gift. Beautiful plate no. Fast delivery. Excellent customer service. HQ 012-381 0737

PERODUA MYVI Lagi best kini dipasaran, Viva, Alza. Int 3.5%.

Mystery prize waiting for you.

Call: Mr Arshad 010-367 5694/ 0122614857 A DAILY, WEEKLY, MTLY. RM50-RM300. All types of cars. MPV, Van & 4 x 4. Call: ARI 016-683 2111 / BEN 016901 2276

99 MASSAGE & SPA (1452468-W). Massage done by young girls. Release your tensions. Tel: 014-2288 921

Office/office building for sale

0 DOWNPAYMENT. ALL CAR MODELS 2011. Full loan arrangement, graduated scheme. No-license accepted.

All INSPIRA rate from 2.33%, SAGA BLM RM378 (Best).

FREE gifts given. Call 019-321 3100

ALL NEW MODELS. Attractive promotion. Lancer.

Fast delevery, max loan. Good service. Pls call: 012-326 9849, 012-6961 552

HYUNDAI SONATA 2.4 (A) 03.

Black, one owner. Full service record. RM28.9k. Interested call: MAT KLANG 017-2247997

KOMUTER VAN 15 seaters.

Brand new 2011. Call: KL Mr CHUA 012-855 9229

PROTON MAC 2.58% Saga FL 37k, d/p 0 9yrs RM398 Pesona 46k, d/p 0 9 yrs RM498 Exora 58k, d/p 0 9 yrs RM 608 - Exchange old car get 6K. SALARY RM1200 aprv. - GOV, BLACKLIST Aprv.

Student welcome - loan 140% -Trade in accpt. face book: rejalfaaisproton 013-679 9967

RAYA PROMO. ‘0’ d/p. Int. 2.33%.Grad scheme. Islamic loan.High trade in. Free Smart tag,TN Go, Steering Lock&Tinted Voucher. Nazim 012-548 1686

RELAXING INDIAN Aromatherapy massage for male and female by experienced therapist.

Ms Lavinia 017-669 2559 (1668909-A)

0 AARON MASSAGE Services (1606620-V) by Female. Privacy assured. Out call service available. +6012393 0136

M40

LIFESTYLE STUDIO & duplex office. Easy ownership scheme with Special Promotion. Size from 479sf - 2100sf. Call for more information CK Tan 012345 1236 / Sean Teo 016-778 3386 / Coral Chong 012-933 8788 / Office - 03-8945 8878

Fashion/health & beauty

Vehicles for hire

‘0’ DEPOSIT ALL PROTON Models, no license can buy, 100% loan for gov. & private staff, int from 3.0%, loan fast approval, high trade in. Meet at your place. Free smart tag, touch n go, full fuel, steering lock, tinted. Open everyday.Mr Lim 012-214 0207

OUT DOOR/ HOTEL Package massage by young Chinese, Indo, Thai girls. Please Call: 016-245 1749

M321

M135

M34

Apartment for sale/to let

AKS BEAUTY CENTRE INDIAN Traditional Hot stone oil massage. Come Experience our exciting services. Call: 037984 3077 for appointment.

Car for sale

MONT KIARA Seni size range 2411-3531 sqf. Selling at RM710 psf. For more info call Adriel 012-685 5755

SUNWAY INDAH Villa Condo 900sf (2r+2b), facing flat, RM260k, Gd invest,ROI 6%.

Ampang Boulevard Condo 1300sf (3r+2b), Renovated, RM580K, Bumi Lot ,Panoramic view. PROPERTY WANTED > To let or To sale yr property , we hv potential buyer & tenant.

Pls Call: sylvia 014-630 6666 E31343

M321

Car for sale

Commercial vehicles for sale

M30

M321

Car for sale

Office for sale/to let

GOOD PRICES OFFERED for land / houses and Apt in Shah Alam, PJ & KL. Quick sale. Owners TEL / SMS 019228 6666

M135

Car for sale

M22

Houses wanted

M130

ALL MODELS CAR Van & MPV, Toyota Alphard, Wish, BMW, Naza Ria, Kia Spectra, Vios, Waja & Perdana V6 etc. Reasonable price. Free delivery. Tel: 019-599 9973 / 012-2532 566 Roadster Travel (KPL/LN 3540)

ALL NEW CARS/ MPV available for rental. We are also looking for vehicles under 5 years for long term lease (pajak) Call: 012-241 7736

A PRIVATE MASSAGE Done by full or part time young models. Sure quality. Out call only : 019-255 6622

A FULL GLAMOUR Massage (001711965-V) by female.

234,Tmn Maluri, 55100 KL. Call: Stella 017-2555 844

CUSTOMIZE HAIRPIECE / Toupee / Wig - RM1,700 only.

More info : www.hairsetup.com Call: 019-3118916 , 03- 9274 7857

SAUNA D’ HOME BEAUTY and Health care. Agent required. 019-735 5295 www. saunaku.com 2011 Great Promotion!

GOLDEN MERMAID. Out call Relaxation massage by Male & Female masseurs. Call: 012907 5995 / 03-2021 7637

STRAWBERRY MASSAGE (1452468-W) Massage done by young girls. Relax & release tensions. Out call Tel: 0111229 2872

INDIAN AROMA TRADITIONAL Massage by local Indian girl. Relaxing for male. 1pm -11pm. Out call/ Hotel. Appointment DIVYA 016-3095 232

TRADITIONAL MASSAGE in Cheras & Serdang. Call Sonia,Hanisha, Julia, Mira & Rosa. 012- 3676 780. 012-258 1334

HOME / OTHERS / JOBS / LEGAL / NOTICES

M321

Fashion/health & beauty

M393

Home furniture/furnishing

M300

Education

M434

Business Services

M370

Articles for sale

M515

M515

Jobs

Jobs

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING for business success. Learn how to use FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE, TWITTER, LINKEDIN etc: to market your business and interact with your customers.

Tel: 03-7877 9216

TRADITIONAL MASSAGE Newly Opened in Damansara .Call Sandra,Nancy, or Fifi, Cindy.Tel: 012-258 1334 ( Just Relax Massage Centre )

SPECIALIST IN REPAIR cushion sofa, curtains, car seat & new sofa, in Jalan Kuchai Lama. Tel: 012- 313 0778 / 037981 1898

M394

Home electrical appliances

FREE ON SITE Checking for all kind of computer problem.

Instant & on the spot repairs & services. 019-245 3889 Lee

M430

WE HAVE more than 1 Million Malaysia Updated Email & Phone List to Boost Up Your Business.10,000 Email List for RM200 & 1,000 Phone List for RM200. This Month Promotion: Free Email Blasting Marketing Software + Training. Call Mr Goh :012-2392775 or Mr Yap :012-2168427

Business opportunities UNIQUE BIDAYUH Traditional Massage using the purest essential oils to relieve stressrelated tension at Cah’ya Aromatherapy Centre Plaza Mont’ Kiara. 40% Off Full Body Aromatherapy Treatment (Normal Price RM120 p/hr) OR 45mins Bidayuh Traditional Treatment for only RM68 (Normal Price RM80). Please call 03-6203 4500.

7 STAR MASSAGE by young female. Relaxing out call / hotel.

016-375 2233, 012-340 3399.

AROMA ASIAN Massage. For outdoor only. With Promotion price. Interested please Call Julie: 016-293 1051

CO FORMATION RM1,400.

Work permit, shelf co., rep. of office, MOF, close down, secretarial & audit. Call: 012696 3631.

PORTABLE AIR COND Italian design. 4 in 1 function cooling,heating, dehumidifying & fan. 1.0hp RM1388, 1.5hp RM1488. Call: 019-334 3997/ 03-7983 3993

Photography

M390

IMPORTED MANGO Juice for retail, wholesale, caterers or for individual consume. For more info call Ms. Wan 012296 9458 / Sue 016-913 0622

Distributors/agents wanted PLSG ONLINE RM50.00 The Mark of The Great Man. Mobile Agent Wanted. Hotline HQ: 012-758 5800 www. abangpower.com

Home services/renovations M300

Education

BRANDED IMPORTED models. Split A/ C. 9k Btu with 5 years warranty compr. 1.0 RM798. 1.5 RM988 Sales & service. Call: 019-334 3997/037983 3993

CENTURY ROLLER SHUTTER specialist.

Installation, service & repairing all kind of door roller shutter.

Call Lee 012-649 9238

PROVEN & TESTED: Over 9,215 people won 4D in a week! Last 2 days for those who want to take the 1 hour 4D Training Prediction Course, to win this week coaching by the Professional Author and Physics Maths Expert at our Training Center at Pusat Kajian Fizik Sains, Sunway. Call: 019329 4728 Mr. Yap or 012-239 2775 Mr. Goh to book now.

Get this new 4D Formula book title: Rahsia Menang Lottery 4D Akhirnya Terbongkar. Click to see www.SureKena.com

Home repairs/maintenance SBP (UK) - Society of Business Practitioners offers internationally recognized Diplomas. Upgrade yourself for promotions and salary increment. Weekend classes at Mâ ™ Sian Approved Study Centre (Reg:M/242/2/11). SMS <name> SEND TO 33310 COMPUTER COURSES, International Certs. School leavers / students / adults / seniors / corporates. Authorized training centre for UBS, Adobe, Cambridge ICT and ICDL. MetaTrader Training. PJ SS2.

Tel: 03-7877 9216

T SHIRT EMBROIDERY & Printing. Requires Agents/ Distributors. Free postage. www.tshirtonline2u.com Email: isminutara@gmail.com

M398

Services

M323 OWN A COMPUTER, put it to work, Part/ full time income RM1000 - RM8000 . Training provided. SMS 012-4444 033

Pets UP TO 5000 pcs of latest designs Carpets (in all sizes) are now on SALE! Hurry! While stock lasts. Lot 106, Ground Floor, Ampang Park Shopping Center, Jalan Ampang. 50450 Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia. Tel / fax : (603)- 2166 4584

DO YOU speak English? Work from Home or Office. P / T 1K - 8K / Mth. SMS: 012-940 5754 Mr. Rob Or www.wfhweb.com/ eastasia 2 MONTH OLD Siberian husky for sale price RM1200 to RM1300 Call : 012-249 5424 www. puppiesglobe.blogspot.com

M372

Articles wanted

KEMENTERIAN KEWANGAN MOF Registration, Bumi status. Call: 03-40434000 / 019-3840000. www.Ready Companies.com RETIREES, HOUSEWIFE, Single mum, others. Learn & earn to make money online simplified. Call/ Sms 010-246 3106 ctlmsb@gmail.com

M434

Business Services

2 MONTH OLD Toy poodle puppies for sale price: RM600 - RM800 call: 012-249 5424 www.puppiesglobe.blogspot. com

RO WATER (Riv.Osmosis) Only RM6. Min10 btls & Rent free dispenser. Tel: 019393 0411 Pn Wati. Adshah Enterprise 001812453-K

BUY / SELL / PAWN Note book, hand phone new/old 70% digital camera.03-42517755 / 012-3388688 Peter. 208 Plaza Ampang City, KL

7 WEEKS GERMAN Shepherd puppies for sale. With MKA cert price: RM1600- 2200 call 012249 5424 www.puppiesglobe. blogspot.com

LORRY DRIVER needed urgently. Familiar with Klang Valley area and with experience.

Contact 036274 2163 MEDIA SALES Executive (3 Positions). Min. Diploma.

Experience in media and advertising will be an added advantage. Skilled in customer relations, marketing and communications.

Possess own transport & willing to travel. Fresh graduates are encouraged to apply. Pls call Mr Steven 03-4253 4319 or send resume to stevenng@digistar. com.my

RECOVERY OFFICERS Supervisors/ Managers/ Clerical needed. Attractive basic salary, commission and performance bonus provided. Loc: near the Pudu LRT station. (walking distance) Call: 03-9195 5551 @ 5552 or E-mail gtr@galatrack. com SALES COORDINATOR, computer literate, 5 days week, medical and other fringe benefits, apply online at www. novarl.com or tel 03 5637 8232 for an appointment

ORIENTAL TRAINING Centre real estate career path to Registered Estate Agent, Project Marketing 012-214 0161/ 012-3200 757/ 8023 0816

(1) BUMIPUTERA MECHANICAL or Electrical Engineer is required. Must be a degree holder or is equivalent.

Good prospect. (2) A Driver to CEO, preferable from Kajang Area. Good salary and benefits.

Interested please call Ms. Zoey 03-7873 7079 for interview.

SECURITY OFFICERS English speaking, experienced and presentable wanted at high rise building in Kuala Lumpur.

Age 25 - 45 years Starting salary RM1800 . EPF, SOCSO, Medical, Insurance & Hostel Provided. Contact Chandran 012-376 0640, 03-2282 7055 & 2282 7044 WAREHOUSE ASSISTANT (Full-time) Local lingerie retail & manufacturer is hiring WAREHOUSE ASSISTANT with well-paid salary. Opportunity is opened only for Malaysian who is below 40 years old. Work at Tmn. Ampang Hilir (KL). For inquiry & interview appointment, please call 03-4270 7113

ADMIN & ACCOUNT CLERK, Sales Exec, General Workers required at Cheras. Please contact:: 03-9223 0037 BUSINESS SERVICES Auditing & Taxation Services.

Incorporation of company.

Doing Backlog accounts.

Please contact:03-9101 9178 / 012-388 5294 Web Site : www. hylmanagement.com.my DRIVER WANTED with working experience and valid license, possess road courtesy, always drives carefully. Preferably stay at Subang. Pls call Mr Steven 03-4253 4319 IMMEDIATE VACANCY FOR CREDIT RECOVERY OFFICERS leader & Age below 37. Min SPM. Male / female.

Indoor / outdoor. With / Without experience. Urgently required in Tmn Shamelin, Cheras. Good basic salary + high commision.

Call Ms.Yatie 03-9285 0500.

INTERIOR DESIGNER cum supervisor urgently required.

Interested kindly call Mr. David at 012-3999899 or send your resume to flairline@gmail.com LAW FIRM based in Plaza Pantai (Kerinchi LRT station) has 1 immediate vacancy for Litigation Clerk. Candidate would be expected to handle order for sale, bankruptcy and winding up matters. Salary commensurate with experience.

Contact Vivian at 03-2282 6399 OR send your resume with photo and expected salary to vivian@lewlaw.com.my LEGAL FIRM in Petaling Jaya requires female Legal Clerk and Legal Assistants for conveyancing. Must be able to work independently. Min 2 years relevant experience. Proficient in English and BM. Knowledge of Mandarin is added advantage.

E-mail resume to: cjleeho@ yahoo.com

MQA APPROVED DIP.in accountancy (ACCT) & Mgt (FT / PT) RM 400 p/m - PTPTN & EPF claimable. Call: 0360925254 / www.asa.edu.my / SMS: 012- 656 1160.

MQA/ JPA recognised MBA programme.Credit transfer and exemptions acceptable.P/T weekends.EPF withdrawable.

Shree 0126561160

TOMAZSHOES! LEATHER Shoes! RM69 - RM89! High Quality and Comfortable!

Come to USJ9 Mall, Puchong 017-707 8383

ACCOUNTS, AUDIT ,TAX, Secretarial, MOF & Register co..Door steps service. Lembah Klang.03-5511 5922 / 03-4107 8457 Sainy. Visit www.mhmfirm. com

FANTASTIC WITH ONLY $10++ earn RM5K & more for life time passive income. Call: 014-629 1808

M392

REPAIR ON THE SPOT., Air cond, fridge, water heater, & w/machine. 24hrs & 7 days operation. Call: Syed 017-388 3154

MORE THEN 15 Millions latest Malaysian emails for your promotions products business. (Mixed: 11,32,161 million, Yahoo: 142,611, TMnet: 129,204, Hotmail: 80,038, Gmail: 15,931, Streamyx: 7,650). Free “Emails collector system” RM250 (Nego) Call: 013-278 8841 Aida

Notices/legal/proclaim

RECEPTIONISTS, BELLMAN. Walk in interview: Cardogan Hotel, 64 Jln Bukit Bintang, KL. 03-2144 6722 / 016-682 0316

MAMYPOKO/ HUGGIES/ MAMAN, Korea/ USA/ Europe.

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26

sports

The women's football carnival (On July 22) will be the platform for spotting talented players to form the Malaysian squad — FAM deputy president Tan Sri Annuar Musa

Sports centres to the fore

PETALING JAYA

FootyFever

with Hussein Shaharuddin hussein@mmail.com.my

WITH the rise of many futsal outlets in the Klang Valley, one has to find ways to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Futsal businesses have to find a niche, hence the new concept — a sports centre.

This is what the Challenger Sports Centre has to offer local health and fitness nuts within Klang Valley.

UNDER ONE ROOF: Challenger is one of the first futsal arenas to expand into a sports centre — Pic: RAZAK GHAZALI

KELANA JAYA: FOOTBALL/ PREMIER LEAGUE

With outlets in Cheras, Petaling Jaya and also in Kepong, Challenger seems to have everything under its roof.

With futsal being its main marketing tool, they also have badminton courts, ping-pong tables and most importantly, they have restaurants/food stalls on their premises, making Challenger a one-stop sports facility.

The Challenger in Petaling Jaya has three futsal courts

RATES FOR THE COURTS ARE MONDAYS TO THURSDAYS 10am to 6pm — RM60/hour 6pm to 8pm — RM90/hour 8pm to 12am — RM110/hour FRIDAYS 10am to 6pm — RM 60/hour 6pm to 8pm — RM 100/hour 8pm to 12am — RM 110/hour WEEKENDS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 10am to 6pm — RM 80/hour 6pm to 8pm — RM 100/hour 8pm to 12am —RM 110/hour

and fifteen badminton courts at your disposal and also has a cafe (The Challenger Cafe) that serves a killer char kuey teow.

Tigers must bear fangs

PETALING JAYA: FOOTBALL

Tough first year for Saarvindran and the lads

By VIJHAY VICK vijhayvick@mmail.com.my

HARIMAU MUDA B, comprising the national Under19 players, were placed in Malaysia's second-tier league to gain exposure.

While they enjoyed a decent start to the Premier League campaign, winning two and drawing two of their first five matches, the rest of the season was dismal.

By the end of the season, they only managed to win five and draw five of their 22 games. In fact, their last points gained were from the 6-0 thrashing they handed SDM Navy in April.

A senior member of the team believes the bad performance in the second-half of the season was purely down to the players' attitude.

"Some players took it easy because everything was provided. They should not have that mentality," he said.

The senior member had a point as it was evident that players tend to slack during matches.

Skipper D. Saarvindran (pic) said the apathy was not the only cause of the team's failure during the later stages of the season.

"We lost out to teams on experience. This is our first time competing at this level," said Saarvindran.

"The main intention of us playing in the Premier League was to gain experience. We have gained that and now it's time to buck up."

They were powerless to stop champions PKNS from recording their well-deserved 18th win of the season last Friday. PKNS won 2-1, thanks to goals from

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JULY, 2011

A lot of work to be done ahead of Singapore clash, says Rajagobal

By HARESH DEOL haresh@mmail.com.my

Results Police USM Forces PKNS Johor SDM Navy

1 3 0 2 4 4

Sime Darby Pos Malaysia Sarawak Harimau B Penang Muar

0 1 1 1 0 3

Standings PKNS Sarawak Police Sime Darby Forces Johor USM Muar Pos Harimau B SDM Penang

P 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22

W 18 15 12 11 9 11 11 8 7 5 3 1

D L F 3 1 51 3 4 51 3 7 36 3 8 35 7 6 26 3 8 37 2 9 32 4 10 29 6 9 26 5 12 21 2 17 22 1 20 14

A 7 16 28 29 22 25 30 42 36 28 63 61

Pts 57 48 39 36 34 36 35 28 27 20 11 4

Mohd Azrif Nasrulhag Badrul and Mohd Zamri Hassan.

The young Tigers have gone on a week's break and will know their plans for the coming months when they report back for training next Monday.

THE national team may have inked their name in the history books as being the first team to qualify to the second round of the PreWorld Cup qualifiers.

However, national coach Datuk K. Rajagobal was quick to admit they will need to work even harder to make an impression against Singapore in their Round 2 clash.

The Malaysian Tigers advanced to the next round on away goals despite losing 3-2 to Taiwan in Taipei yesterday.

Advancing to Round 2 also marks a memorable early birthday gift for Rajagobal who turns 55 on July 10.

The players were not in a joyous mood despite having cleared the first hurdle as it was evident they could have performed better.

Malaysia earlier edged Taiwan 2-1 in the first-leg match held at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

"Rajagobal's first words, right after the final whistle was blown, was that we have got a lot of work to do," revealed team manager Datuk Subahan Kamal.

"Even our captain Safiq (Rahim) echoed Rajagobal's sentiments. There was some confusion on the field as the

IN GOOD SPIRITS: Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek celebrating Malaysia's second goal with fellow supporters — BERNAMApic

players were hardly together prior to this."

Subahan added the team needs to buck up before playing Singapore in round 2.

"We need to be more prepared… we can't be producing the same performance against Singapore."

The morale of the team was quite high in the dressing room during the first-half as Subahan added they were determined to score more goals and turn the result in their favour.

National goalkeep er Sharbinee Ramli was forced to sweat it out throughout the

match but kept the national hopes alive after saving a penalty by Taiwan's Chen Po-Liang to ensure Malaysia advanced on away goals despite being tied 4-4 on aggregate.

Malaysia got the ball rolling through Aidil Zafuan Abdul Radzak in the seventh minute via a thunderous 35-metre free kick. However, Chan Han equalised for Taiwan in the 31st minute.

Safiq's brilliantly executed curling shot, from another free kick, ensured Malaysia's second goal but Taiwan managed two goals through penalties

courtesy of Chen (44th min) and Xavier Tsan Yuan (75th min).

Subahan pointed out the match was marred by several dubious decisions but credited Taiwan for their gutsy display.

"Their ranking (165 in the world) does not reflect their true capabilities. Taiwan played very well but the standard of refereeing was questionable."

The Malaysian team are scheduled to return today. The Tigers play Singapore at the Jalan Besar Stadium on July 23 before hosting the second-leg match in KL on July 28.

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JULY, 2011

We have a bike that is different in many aspects from the one we started the season with.

We’re aware that it needs to undergo further development — Valentino Rossi

VERSAILLES: GOLF

GERMONIMO! Levet jumps into a water hazard after his win — AFPpic

FINAL LEADERBOARD 277 - Thomas Levet (FRA) 70-7067-70; 278 - Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 66-71-71-70, Mark Foster (ENG) 68-68-68-74; 280 - Martin Kaymer (GER) 71-69-67-73; 281 - Richie Ramsay (SCO) 69-68-68-76, Simon Khan (ENG) 70-70-70-71; 282 - Brendan Steele (USA) 74-70-67-71, Hennie Otto (RSA) 69-71-71-71, James Morrison (ENG) 66-66-7278; 283 - Anthony Wall (ENG) 68-73-69-73; 284 - Richard Green (AUS) 65-68-76-75, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 69-7071-74, Lorenzo Gagli (ITA) 72-6773-72, Graeme Storm (ENG) 6575-71-73; 285 - Daniel Gaunt (AUS) 75-69-69-72, Tetsuji Hiratsuka (JPN) 72-70-7073, Michael Jonzon (SWE) 68-74-75-68, Rhys Davies (WAL) 71-72-70-72, Ignacio Garrido (ESP) 72-7171-71, Bradley Dredge (WAL) 72-68-69-76; 286 - Peter Whiteford (SCO) 68-72-75-71, Jamie Donaldson (WAL) 70-71-69-76, Matthew Zions (AUS) 71-71-7470, Peter Lawrie (IRL) 7470-72-70, Gregory Havret (FRA) 71-70-70-75

THOMAS LEVET of France fired a final round of 70 to pull off an upset home win in the French Open at Le Golf National here yesterday.

Levet's seven-under total of 277 left him one stroke clear of Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark and Mark Foster of England.

It was 42-year-old Levet's fifth European Tour title and his first since he took the 2009 Spanish Open.

But, emotionally for him, it was the first time he had won his home Open, 25 years after he first played on the French Golf Federation's flagship course outside of Versailles, which was recently awarded the right to host the 2018 Ryder Cup. He becomes the second French winner of the

sports

27

SEREMBAN: RUGBY

Fans treated to action-packed weekend

By HUSSEIN SHAHARUDDIN hussein@mmail.com.my

Like a dream Emotional win for Levet in French Open tournament after Jean-François Remesy, who triumphed in 2004 and 2005.

It also ensures the Ryder Cup player of a berth in next month's British Open at Royal St George's in southeast England despite his lowly world ranking of 352.

"It was just crazy — the way it went was just like a dream," Levet said.

"The people were going 'Allez, allez, allez' and some of them go 'Captain, captain'. The atmosphere was great — I felt like one of the Tour de France riders climbing a mountain.

"I had everyone behind me basically the same as a Ryder Cup and it was the same adrenaline rush.

"I was reaching distances I've never reached before, but with experience I knew it was going to happen.

"It's the first time my kids have seen me win. I'm not done yet!"

Joint overnight leaders Mark Foster and James Morrison of England made different starts with Morrison falling away badly and Foster holding firm by parring his first 11 holes.

Ahead of them, the field bunched up with Levet, Scotland's Richie Ramsay and world No.4 Martin Kaymer all moving into contention.

Levet opened with a birdie, but bogeyed the next two holes before bouncing back with birdies at the fourth and sixth holes.

With the course playing the hardest it had all week, Levet ran off seven pars in a row before a birdie on the 14th moved him clear.

Foster, meanwhile, led for most of the final day, but a

double bogey at the 12th - where he came up short of the green before chipping off the side of it — and another dropped shot at 13 left him with ground to make up and he was unable to drain a 20-foot birdie attempt on the 18th green Olesen, the 22-year-old Dane, who finished second at the BMW Italian Open last month, also had a chance to force a playoff with Levet, but he missed a par putt of around three feet at the last.

Kaymer eventually settled for fourth place, three strokes off the lead, after a closing 73, but that was still enough to ensure he reclaims the World No.3 ranking he lost last week to US Open champion Rory McIlroy Ramsay was fifth a further stroke back, and level with Simon Kahn of England, after also closing with a 73. — AFP

RUGBY lovers in Negri Sembilan had another treat yesterday when Negri hosted the 13th edition of the NS Royal Sevens Rugby Tournament at MPS Seremban.

The two-day tournament saw participation of clubs and schools from all over Malaysia and other countries as well.

Divided into two sections, the club section and school section, there was no shortage of action in this year's tournament, which consisted of Under-19 students.

The school section saw King George V NSS beat Trafalgar High School Gold 19-17 in the final of the Plate category while Trafalgar High School Blue beat Tsunami SSTMI Bandar Penawar 26-17 to take the Cup category.

It was a whole different ball game when the seniors took to the field in the club section.

NS Wanderers won the Plate category after they beat Sibu RC 19-12 while favorites Cobra, lifted the Cup after they beat Tsunami Bandar Penawar 35-19 in a pulsating finale to the tournament.

Player of the tournament Mohd Saizul Hafiz, of Tsunami Bandar Penawar, said that this tournament has given him and rugby in general, tremendous exposure.

"Tournaments such as this one really helps the development of rugby in Malaysia.

Rugby isn't that big in our country but has slowly picked up down the years and I feel that through tournaments such as this, could be the contributing factor of the rise of rugby in our country," said the 26-year-old.

"And the fact that foreign teams had also participated, just goes to show that rugby in Malaysia is heading the right direction," a d d e d Saizul.

LET ME GO! A Cobra player (left) tries to stop a Bandar Penawar player — Pic: RAZAK GHAZALI

MUGELLO: MOTORSPORT/ MOTOGP

Lorenzo clips Stoner to Italian MotoGP win

SPANISH defending champion Jorge Lorenzo (pic), riding a Yamaha, held off a strong Honda challenge to win the Italian MotoGP here yesterday, his second victory of the season.

Fresh from lowering the track record in qualifying at the Mugel lo c i rc uit on Saturday, Australian Casey Stoner started on pole and led for the opening 17 laps of the 23-lap race.

But with six laps to go, Lorenzo took the lead with a sublime inside pass on Stoner, pinching

the inside lane through a steep, downhill chicane with pinpoint deftness.

"I'm so happy," Lorenzo told the BBC. "Casey was so quick but little by little, lap by lap I managed to catch him. I saw the opportunity (to take Stoner) on the downhill."

The victory lifts Lorenzo (133 points) to within 19 of leader Stoner (152) in the championship standings.

Stoner was then ambushed

by Honda team-mate Andrea Dovizioso on the final lap, and had to be happy with third place on the podium.

"I did everything I could," said Stoner, who blamed the hotter conditions for playing havoc with his tyre grip that

saw him noticeably slow in the latter stages.

"The tyre pressure went up too high and I lost all grip in the rear and you can't do anything without it.

"I tried to keep a consistent pace but it was just too slow."

Dovizioso was left bouncing by his second place.

"To be the first Italian home in Mugello is something special," he said. "Last year I was third. It's something not many people in the world can feel."

There was no fairytale for Italian legend Valentino Rossi, in his first race in front of his home fans since joining Ducati.

"The Doctor", who won

here nine times during his career, came in sixth place 26.45sec off Lorenzo's flying pace.

Yamaha's American, Ben Spies, who won in Assen last weekend to break Stoner's series of three straight wins, finished fourth.

Marco Simoncelli, racing under a cloud after being at fault for a first-lap collision with Lorenzo at Assen and a crash with Dani Pedrosa at Le Mans, avoided any mishaps this time around to claim fifth.

Earlier day, Spain's Marc Marquez, on a Suter, won the Moto2 ahead of Germany's Stefan Bradl on a Kalex and Bradley Smith of Britain on a Tech3.

The Spaniard started on pole but he was pushed all the way by both Bradl and Smith, who briefly held the lead.

It was a third win of the season for Marquez who closed the gap on Bradl at the top of the overall standings.

And Marquez's compatriot Nicolas Terol, on an Aprilia, w r ap p e d up t h e 1 2 5 c c title ahead of Frenchman Johann Zarco on a Derbi and Maverick Vinales of Spain on an Aprilia.

Zarco took the lead halfway through the race but was pipped at the post by the fast-finishing Zarco who tracked him all the way. — AFP

28

sports

It's very hard to be No. 3 for four years. You cannot move on. Now he's done it — Novak's mother Dijana Djokovic

london: TENNIs/ WIMBLEDON

The animal within Djokovic gets taste for turf after Wimbledon glory, and it was good

NOVAK DJOKOVIC admitted he was overcome with an urge to taste the hallowed Centre Court grass after defeating Rafael Nadal to win his first Wimbledon crown this morning.

While most Wimbledon c h a mpi on s m a r k t h e i r moment of triumph with a roar of elation or a joyous leap, Djokovic opted for an altogether more unusual way of celebrating his 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 victory over the defending champion at the All England Club.

After completing his twoand-a-half-hour victory, the Serb knelt down and picked out some grass from the famous court before popping it into his mouth for a taste.

The extrovert 24-year-old, who has won 48 of his 49 matches this year, described his reaction as an animal instinct that overwhelmed him at the moment of triumph.

"I felt like an animal. I wanted to see how it tastes," Djokovic said.

"It just came to me. It came spontaneously really. I didn't plan to do it. You know, I didn't know what to do for my excitement and joy.

"Winning this match was the best feeling I had ever on the tennis court. To win Wimbledon and then look at my box to see the clos-

ROLL OF HONOUR Men's singles Novak Djokovic (SRB) Women's singles Petra Kvitova (CZE) Men's doubles Bob Bryan/ Mike Bryan (USA) Women's doubles Kveta Peschke/ Katarina Srebotnik (CZE/SLO) Mixed doubles Jurgen Melzer/ Iveta Benesova (AUT/CZE) Boy's singles Luke Saville (AUS) Girls' singles Ashleigh Barty (AUS)

est people in my life there supporting me, getting to share that moment and that experience with them was incredible."

After spending much of his career expressing a dislike for playing on grass, Djokovic has clearly developed a taste for the surface — in more ways than one judging by his thoughts on how the Centre Court turf tasted.

"The grass tasted quite well, really. It was well kept.

It tasted good!" he said with a grin.

He also hailed his first Wimbledon triumph as the best day of his life.

Djokovic produced some sensational play in the first two sets to take complete control against the defending champion and then held his nerve after dropping the third set to clinch his third Grand Slam title.

Although Djokovic has twice won the Australian Open and learnt earlier this week that he will take over from Nadal as world No. 1 when the latest rankings are released today, the 24-yearold had no doubts that winning Wimbledon was the greatest moment of all.

Djokovic, who fell in love with the sport while watching Wimbledon on television back at home in Serbia, told the BBC: "It is really hard to

describe with any words apart from that this is the best day of my life. I always dreamt of winning Wimbledon."

The Serb has now beaten Nadal in five finals this year — the other four were Masters events at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Rome — and he admitted he had to produce his very best to end Nadal's 20-match winning run at the All England Club.

"When you are playing the best player in the world, Rafa, who has won two of the last three Wimbledons and always beaten me in the Grand Slams, I had to be at the top of my game and I think I played my b e st g ame on the grass courts ever," he said.

Vi c t o r y over Nadal was the perfect end to a dream three days for Djokovic after he went top of the rankings following his semifinal victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday.

"It's a couple of good days at the office. This is the m o s t b e aut i f u l moment of my career." — AFP

Don'T HAVE A COW, MAN: Djokovic just wanted to know how the grass tastes like — AFPpic

Wimbledon loss not as bad as Aussie woe, says Nadal RAFAEL NADAL (pic) insisted this morning his Wimbledon final defeat to Novak Djokovic was not the worst of his career, claiming his double dose of Australian Open misery was tougher to take.

Nadal, the defending champion, was beaten by the redh o t D j o k ov i c who will take the Spaniard's w o r l d N o. 1 spot today.

But for Nadal, the memories of Melbourne are s t i l l r aw for the 25-yearold, who was in tears ain

January after his injuryruined quarterfinal against compatriot David Ferrer.

A year earlier, knee tendinitis forced him to retire from his quarterfinal with Andy Murray.

"The toughest moment was in Australia and I finished the match and I am injured. In 2010 I have to go out of Australia with an injury.

"That is the toug hest moment. That's the game: sometimes you win; sometimes you lose," he said.

"Three weeks ago I won at Roland Garros; today I was playing the final here and I lost.

"That's the spor t. We started with 128 players.

One has to win. I was the second. It's a good result for me."

The Sp aniard showe d great dignity in defeat and congratulated Djokovic for his performance.

"First of all congratulations to Novak for victory today and his amazing season," Nadal said.

"Wimbledon is the most special tournament. I remember how I felt when I won it for the first time in 2008 and emotions were running high.

"I can imagine how Novak feels today. It is a very special day and I'd like to congratulate him."

"I understand the sport like this.

"When one player is better than you, at this moment the only thing you can do is work, try to find solutions, and try to wait a little bit for your time."

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JuLY, 2011

Big things in store for Kvitova, says Sharapova RUSSIAN tennis pin-up queen Maria Sharapova predicted "great things" from her Wimbledon conquerer, Petra Kvitova, even when the giants of the women's game return to full fitness.

T h e 21 - ye a r - o l d C z e c h Kvitova enjoyed a life-changing experience following her stunning victory over 2004 champion Sharapova in Saturday's final.

However, it must be remembered the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, are on the way back from long stints on the sidelines while Belgian Kim Clijsters missed the tournament with an ankle injury.

The Williams sisters have collected a whopping 24 Grand Slam titles between them.

While Venus has not won a Grand Slam for three years, her sister Serena remains a title threat despite having a year out with a series of health concerns.

Both sisters had minimal lead-up to Wimbledon but they are expected to be back to their sharpest in time for the last Grand Slam, the US Open.

Similarly if Clijsters is able to shake off an ankle problem, the 2009 and 2010 US Open champion will take some beating at Flushing Meadows.

However Sharapova thinks Kvitova had the game to handle any player.

"She's a Grand Slam champion," Sharapova told the Australian Associated Press.

"She has a tremendous amount of potential to go even further and achieve many great things.

"If she keeps playing like that and keeps her level up, absolutely.

"She has a great game for it." — Agencies

Serbians over the moon

NOVAK DJOKOVIC'S first Wimbledon crown was greeted by celebrations on the streets of Serbia this morning.

Hundreds of cheerful mostly young people filled the centre of the capital Belgrade chanting Djokovic's nickname "Nole" as dozens of cars waving Serbian flags drove around downtown honking their horns.

Similar scenes were reported by public television channel RTS from other Serbian towns, including Novi Sad, Nis, Kragujevac and Kraljevo.

"We should vote Nole for president," said a smiling girl in her 20s. — AFP

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JULY, 2011

With France set to face defending champions and hosts Germany, members of the French squad say they have posed naked to draw attention to their sport — AFP

BERLIN: FOOTBALL

Lahm urges women to grab World Cup glory GERMANY captain Philipp Lahm (pic) has urged the women's team to grab World Cup glory as the hosts continue their defence of the trophy against France tomorrow in a key Group A battle.

Germany's women have won the last two World Cup titles and are bidding to complete the hattrick as hosts with the final to take place on July 17 in Frankfurt.

After seeing off Canada 2-1 in Berlin in their opening game, Germany laboured to a nervous 1-0 win over Nigeria last Thursday and are already in the last eight, but must beat France in Moenchengladbach tomorrow to win Group A. Bayern Munich star Lahm was part of the men's team which finished third at the 2006 World Cup, also hosted in Germany.

"We've seen in 2006 what it means to play a World Cup at home," Lahm, who led Germany to third at the 2010 World Cup in South Afria, told Bild yesterday.

"The euphoria, the support, but also the expectations are incredible and the tremendous excitement grabs you.

"Tight games like against Nigeria are normal in such a tournament.

"This is no cause for concern, in 2006 we had our problems before beating Poland 1-0.

"In the end, but no one asks about the how, the decisive factor is the result.

"Unlike us, however, the women should win a World Cup semifinal." — AFP

sports

'We are ready'

WOLFSBURG: football/ women's world cup

Superstar Marta fires warning to opponents

STA R for w ard Marta claimed a brace of goals as Brazil beat Group D rivals Norway 3-0 this morning to reach the quarterfinals of the women's World Cup. The five-time world player of the year showed she had regained the sparkling form which she had lacked during their opening 1-0 win over Australia, scoring after 22 and 48 minutes.

The New York Flash player also set up midfielder Rosana for her second goal in as many matches when she found the net after 46 minutes.

"Our quarterfinal rivals, Sweden or the United States, will have a lot of problems even if they're strong teams because we're ready and we've come here to be world champions," warned Marta of the Brazilians who have never won a world title and were twice Olympic runners-up.

"We're happy to have qualified (for the final eight) it's a reward for our work and will settle us down and motivate us for the coming matches."

Brazil have a maximum six points from two games to head the group with 1995 winners Norway now facing Australia in the final group match with the winner joining Brazil in the last eight.

The South Americans need just a point from their final outing against Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday to guarantee top spot.

Marta, the top player during

LET'S DO THE SAMBA: Marta (No. 10) celebrates with her teammates after scoring the third goal for Brazil — AFPpic

the 2007 edition of the tournament in China where she scored seven goals on Brazil's road to the final, finally got to give a demonstration of her skills after being held back by the Australian defence.

The first-half however was not easy for the Brazilians as the Norwegians controlled played and had most of the early chances on a pitch made slippery by constant drizzle throughout the match.

Norway had strong local

support from the crowd as they lined out with Wolfsburg striker Leni Larsen Kaurin.

The first shot at goal came from Norwegian defender Trine Ronning after five minutes, with striker Madeleine Giske also missing a shot after 18 minutes as her effort was held by Andreia.

But Marta broke through after a defending error by Nora Holstad Berge allowed the Brazilian to break through and head for goal, using her

fancy footwork stills to outwit Maren Mjelde and fire into the net.

Rosana had a chance just before the half-time whistle but goalkeeper Ingrid Hjelmseth pushed over the bar.

But the game was over as a contest within minutes of the restart as Marta raced down the right flank, feeding the ball to Rosana.

Two minutes later Marta slipped the ball past

Matildas edge E.Guinea to keep bid alive AUSTRALIA kept their World Cup dream alive with goals from Leena Khamis (pic), Emily Van Egmond and Lisa De Vanna giving them a crucial 3-2 Group D win over Equatorial Guinea yesterday.

A double from Guinean captain Anonman could not lift the African debutantes, who crash out of the tournament with one match to play after losing 1-0 to Norway in their opener.

The Matildas needed a win to keep in the running for their second consecutive quarterfinal showing after losing 1-0 to Brazil.

29

"I'm pleased with the win — it means we're still in the competition," said Australian coach Tom Sermanni.

"Hopefully we're in a position to decide our own destiny."

D es cr ib e d as "unpredictable" by Sermanni, the Australians found it difficult to control the pacy Africans early on, despite Sydney FC forward Khamis opening for the Matildas after eight minutes.

But there was some controversy in the 16th minute when Khamis hit the post and African defender Bruna caught the ball, believing a

freekick had been awarded, dropped it and played on.

The incident was not seen by Hungarian referee Gyoengyi Gaal, who later apologised through Fifa for missing the obvious handball.

Anonman got the equaliser after 21 minutes with a spectacular solo run to the delight of the 15,640 crowd.

The 22-year-old dispossessed tumbling striker S er vet Uzunlar to race towards goal, beating dithering Australian defender Elise Kellond-Knight and then finishing past advancing

goalkeeper Lydia Williams.

The 11th-ranked Australians came out battling after the break, with 17-year-old Van Egmond getting her first international goal three minutes later before substitute De Vanna slotted home a third after 51 minutes.

The Africans kept pushing and Anonman, who plays for German club Jena, took advantage of another Uzunlar error to fire past Williams after 83 minutes.

"As a team we could have done a bit better," said player of the match De Vanna.

"The refereeing wasn't the

greatest but that's how the game is.

We got the three points and that's all that matters."

S ermanni said he had not seen the handball.

"The referee can't be 100 per cent right all the time. I didn't see it, the referee missed it, you just have to move on," he said.

Australia play Norway n e x t We d n e s d a y i n Leverkusen, with Equatorial Guinea challenging Brazil on the same day in Frankfurt.

— AFP

Hjelmseth after Cristiane’s initial shot was blocked.

Marta, 25, looked set for a hattrick midway through the second half but hesitated allowing Hjelmseth to save.

Norway almost got one back late in the game as Cecilie Pedersen headed a corner across goal, and Madeleine Giske pushed her shot onto the top of the net.

Substitute Elise Thorsnes also had a late shot deflected. — AFP

30 sports

The important thing was to start with a win and that's what we did — Colombian striker Adrian Ramos

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JULY, 2011

Really crying for Argentina

football/ copa america

BUENOS AIRES: football/ copa america

Don't mess with Argies, warns Falcao

...and now Aguero, Di Maria, Pastore should start against Colombia

By MUSTAPHA KAMARUDDIN moose@mmail.com.my

WAKE up, Argentina!

Their fans, including those in Malaysia, could not believe what they saw in the disappointing 1-1 draw with Bolivia in their opening Group A match at Estadio Ciudad de La Plata on Saturday morning (Malaysian time).

Argentina, with all the big names including superstar Lionel Messi, were struggling in midfield and up front against the disciplined and compact Bolivians. Fortunately, substitute Sergio "Kun" Aguero managed to strike the equaliser in the 76th minute after Edvaldo Rojas had put Bolivia in front following a blunder by midfielder Ever Banega three minutes after the interval.

It was a superb effort by Aguero via a volley after he was set up by centreback Nicolas Burdisso, who chested the ball to the Atletico Madrid striker. Surely, a contender for goal of the tournament.

Argentina will take on dangerous Colombia led by Porto's hotshot striker Radamel Falcao on Thursday (8.15am) and their fans want a better p e r for manc e plus a re-

sult here. Another poor show does not augur well in Argentina's aim of winning a trophy for the first time since 1993 at the senior level.

Argentina coach Sergio Batista, despite being cool after the match against Bolivia (what else can he say or do, though), must think deeply on how to plot the downfall of the Colombians, who beat Costa Rica 1-0 in their opening match on Sunday morning.

Batista, in the match against Bolivia, started with Messi, Carlos Tevez and Ezequiel Lavezzi upfront with Banega, Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Mascherano in midfield.

Manchester City's Tevez surprisingly was practically doing nothing. Napoli's Lavezzi did manage to outrun the Bolivians along the right flank on several occasions but was a letdown as his crosses were "going to the moon" rather than across the goal.

With that, Aguero and Di Maria should be partnering Messi upfront against Colombia. They must be given the chance after what happened against the Bolivians.

A lethargic-looking Cambiasso, more of a defensive player, did not not contribute much

blushing opener: Aguero (right) socred his late goal which earned Argentina a draw against Bolivia in the opening game of the Copa America yesterday — AFPpic

either in helping the front runners. So much so, Messi

FIXTURES GROUP C TOMORROW Uruguay v Peru (6.15am) Chile v Mexico (8.45am) GROUP A THURSDAY Argentina v Colombia (8.45am) FRIDAY Bolivia v Costa Rica (6.15am)

Standings

COLOMBIA ARGENTINA BOLIVIA COSTA RICA

GROUP A P W D L 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1

F 1 1 1 0

A Pts 0 3 1 1 1 1 1 0

was forced to play from deep and this made it easier for the Bolivians as they just 'chopped down' the Barcelona superstar once he reached the danger zone.

It was from one of these freekicks Messi earned that resulted in the equaliser by Aguero. Messi should be operating further up to really worry opponents as he is more effective playing that role — just like when he is playing for Barca.

Batista should think of starting 22-year-old Javier Pastore as well instead of Cambiasso against Colombia. The 22-year-old Palermo star is capable of handling the role of a playmaker to improve the attacking aspect.

After all, there are already Javier Mascherano and Banega — both with good defensive qualities — to play in front of centrebacks Burdisso and Gabriel Milito.

More crying for Argentina fans if Batista start with the players he picked against Bolivia. This is a game the hosts must win.

Player ratings ARGENTINA Sergio Romero Faustino Rojo Gabriel Milito Nicolas Burdisso Javier Zanetti Esteban Cambiasso Javier Mascherano Ever Banega Carlos Tevez Lionel Messi Ezequiel Lavezzi SUBSTITUTIONS Angel Di Maria Sergio 'Kun' Aguero

6 5.5 6 6.5 5.5 4.5 6 6 4.5 6.5 5.5 7 8

Match facts Argentina 1 Bolivia 1 15(7) Shots (on Goal) 6(6) 13 Fouls 24 11 Corners 3 1 Offsides 0 2 Yellow Cards 4 0 Red Cards 0 5 Saves 6

BOLIVIA Carlos Arias Luis Gutiérrez Ronald Kuhn Ronald Raldes Lorgio Roca Walter Flores Jaime Robles Joselito Vaca Edvaldo Rojas Jhasmani Campos Marcelo Moreno SUBSTITUTIONS Jose Chavez Juan Arce Rudy Fernandez

7 6 6.5 7.5 7.5 6.5 6.5 5.5 7.5 7.5 7 6 6 n/a

COLOMBIA star striker Radamel Falcao (pic) says they must respect Argentina when the sides clash in a Group A match on Thursday (8.45am).

The Colombians are now on top of the group after the 1-0 win over Costa Rica on Saturday with the winner scored by Adrian Ramos on the stroke of half-time.

Favourites Argentina, meanwhile, had a disappointing start to their campaign when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bolivia.

"Games can develop in different ways and sometimes Bolivia can make life very difficult. They sit back, very deep and just wait for you to come on to them," said Falcao. "We need to respect Argentina who are sleeping giants. It will be a very tough match."

Falcao also echoed Ramos' thoughts that the three points in the opening encounter would enhance their confidence but refused to become complacent.

"To start with a win is a huge step because if you lose or draw it becomes very difficult,” said Falcao. “We need to keep both improving and growing as a team."

The 25-year-old Falcao paid to pay tribute to the defeated the young Costa Ricans.

"We knew it was a tough

team with many youngsters.

It was clear that their plan was to be cautious and we did not find a lot of space to attack. Fortunately, we managed to score," he said.

Ramos is pleased to help his side to a winning start.

The Hertha Berlin man scored by rounding Costa Rica goalkeeper Leonel Moreira after being put through by a superb pass from Porto's Fredy Guarin.

"To start with a win always gives confidence. The team played well at times and not so well at others. We managed to get the job done and secure the three points," he told TYC Sports.

What about the match against Argentina?

"We will prepare the same way. We will train well and be strong. We are now firmly focused on the game against Argentina," he said.

BUENOS AIRES: football/ copa america

Cabanas not scared of bullet

PARAGUAY striker Salvador Cabanas says he was not scared just before being shot in the head as he relives the ordeal which almost cost him his life.

He was gunned down in a Mexico City bar 18 months ago following an argument about his performances for former club America.

Speaking for the first time since the attack, Cabanas said: "In the very moment that I was shot, right then I felt God was close, by my side telling me I had to go back to my family, that I have to be with them, enjoy them, that I still have a lot of life to live and to enjoy it with them.

"The gunman said a lot to me. He started talking a lot and he said to me, 'You're scared', and 'I know you're

scared'," said Cabanas, who missed the World Cup in South Africa last year because of the injury suffered from the shooting.

"I said to him, 'What am I afraid of? What am I going to be afraid of? No, I am not scared'. And he said, 'Oh, so you're not scared? And this (gun) against your forehead?'. 'I'm not scared. Why would I be scared?'."

Cabanas travelled to the Copa America to train with his national team — as an honorary squad member alongside Gerardo Martino's men as he looks to continue his rehabilitation from the incident.

He is unlikely to play again, though after earning 44 caps for Paraguay and 10 goals to show.

The Malay Mail Monday 4 JULY, 2011

PRESSTALK

DAILY STAR

Race on for Rodwell

EVERTON are prepared to sacrifice Jack Rodwell to raise transfer funds for manager David Moyes.

Their decision will spark a £20m (RM96.7m) bidding war with Manchester City, Spurs and Chelsea all eyeing the England Under-21 midfielder.

What is clear is that Everton, somewhat reluctantly, have decided that Rodwell is the asset they would prefer to sell, rather than key players in Moyes’ thinking like Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka and Marouane Fellaini.

Everton have based the value of Rodwell, a midfielder who is tipped to develop into a cultured central defender, on the fee neighbours Liverpool paid for Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson this summer.

NEWS OF THE WORLD

Chelsea's Coentrao bid boosted

CHELSEA'S hopes of landing Fabio Coentrao (pic) have been boosted after it was revealed that Real Madrid's move for the Benfica defender is in tatters.

Jose Mourinho was set to sign the leftback for a fee of about £21m (RM101.5) but complications delayed the deal. Now Benfica chairman Luis Filipe Vieira has told Madrid to trigger the defender's £25m release clause or forget it.

New Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas wants the 23-year-old, and could snatch Coentrao from under the nose of his former boss Mourinho.

Although Villas-Boas already boasts Ashley Cole in his squad, it is understood that he wants to sign his compatriot Coentrao because of his versatility.

L'ÉQUIPE

Arsenal keep tabs on Nasri replacement

ARSENE WENGER will move for 26-year-old France international Mathieu Valbuena if Samir Nasri leaves the club.

With possible departures looming, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is also making plans to bring players in and they appear to include Marseille midfielder Valbuena.

Some of Arsenal's other plans are more advanced and they are close to completing a deal to sign Lille's Ivorian forward Gervinho and have made an offer for Velez Sarsfield midfielder Ricardo Alvarez.

The Gunners are also reported to be interested in Newcastle fullback Jose Enrique, Bolton Wanderers centreback Gary Cahill and Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing.

We think we can take on anyone — Uruguayan star Diego Forlan

sports

BUENOS AIRES: FOOTBALL/ COPA AMERICA

Wine and weather exercise minds

WINE and the freezing weather were exercising minds this morning at the Copa America with Chilean fans revelling in the wintry conditions while Brazil and Venezuela prepared to do battle longing for the warmer climes of home.

Argentina's meteorological office had been warning that sub-zero temperatures were on the way and sure enough the thermometer had dipped to minus two in parts of the area around Buenos Aires, including La Plata, where the auriverde were to take on Caribbean hopefuls the Venezuelans.

Snowfalls were at least absent from the capital — that fate reserved for parts of the Atlantic

seaboard including tourist centre Mar del Plata — while residents in the western province of Mendoza shivered as the mercury slid to a low of minus 14°C. The polar snap is set to last until midweek, forecasters said. They added that winds gusting at up to 140km/ hour would afflict some predominantly

northern provinces.

But while some fans shivered as they made their way to the Estadio Unico to see Brazil open their campaign, other hardier souls were enjoying the cold.

"Never mind the cold — Chile is worth more," Chile fan Luis Gonzalez said as he prepared to set off for Argentina to support La Roja.

IT'S COLD: An Argentina fan bundles up — AFPpic

Dozens of cars and lorries bearing fans were headed for the border and temperatures of around minus ten were shrugged off as the travellers looked forward to tomorrow's match against Mexico at San Juan.

"We are used to the cold and we have come prepared — thick clothes and plenty of wine," grinned Gonzalez.

"Forget the cold — we're off to support Chile, because we're playing better than ever," shouted fellow fan Cristobal Pinto as he set out for his first away international.

Officials say some 25,000 Chilean fans will make the trip to back their team. — AFP

For the right reasons

SAN JUAN: FOOTBALL/ COPA AMERICA

Gold Cup winner Mexico want to forget doping scandal MEXICO will hope to make headlines for the right reasons against Chile in tomorrow's opening Copa America Group C match after a swathe of players became embroiled in a doping probe at the recent Gold Cup while eight more were sanctioned for indiscipine after a friendly.

Chile, for their part, will be concentrating on getting the best out of Udinese wonderkid Alexis Sanchez as they go all out to end their continental duck.

Although Mexico, regular guests at the Copa, South America's footballing pageant, won the Gold Cup, they have seen their reputation tarnished after nine players were found to have traces of clenbuterol, primarily used to promote growth in

livestock.

Then eight Copa squad members were suspended after incidents at their hotel after a warm-up win over Ecuador.

Both the clenbuterol saga and the Ecuadorian affair have taken some of the shine off Copa preparations.

El Tri have twice been runners up in seven previous appearances — in 1993 and 2001 — but a young side competes here owing to the crowded schedule of the Gold Cup and then the Copa in quick succession — their standout name being Tottenham midfielder Giovani Dos Santos.

Chile, coached by Argentine former international Claudio Borghi, have also never won the event but

goalkeeper-skipper Claudio Bravo is promising a good run.

"We'll give it everything we've got in every game. We want to see a Chile out there winning.

"We've got to look at reaching the semi-finals. I'm not setting that as a target but it should be an idea for us. Even so we have to go step by step and not create falsely high expectations," said the Real Sociedad shot-stopper.

Bravo adds that no Chilean will fall into the trap of dismissing Mexico's youngsters.

"We don't see them as an under22 side — we have also done a few things with a young average age and they have a strong side," he insisted.

Marcelo Bielsa, the former Chile coach who masterminded their impressive run through the qualifiers to the 2010 World Cup, may have moved on but La Roja feel that with Sanchez and goalpoacher Humberto Suazo on board they might just go one better than four runner-up finishes. — AFP

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SAN SALVADOR: FOOTBALL/ COPA AMERICA

Colombia reject favourite's tag

COLOMBIA say it's far too early to make them favourites to get out of Group A at the Copa America despite going top of the group with their opening win over Costa Rica.

Argentina's draw with Bolivia left the hosts playing catch-up but experienced cafeteros' coach Hernan Dario Gomez said this morning that before the outcome of Thursday's match with the Albiceleste nobody can say if his men have what it takes to book their passage.

"We are going up against a favourite who may be stumbled at the outset. But Argentina have great players and a great coach. They are the favourites — they'll be out to get right back on track.

"We absolutely aren't the favourites," said Gomez, whose side edged out Costa Rica 1-0 with Adrian Ramos on target.

Highly-rated striker Radamel Falcao noted that "we have a few days to get ready for this one. It'll be more open as Argentina will be going out chasing a result much more so than was the case with Costa Rica."

Teammate Luis Perea added that "at a Copa America, nobody gives anything away, not even a centimetre. We must concentrate on the job 100 per cent."

Argentina, without major silverware since 1993, have won a joint record 14 titles — sharing the mark with Uruguay.

Colombia won the title in 2001 and Gomez intends to push them hard.

"This team has to give it more as we have good players," he urged. — AFP

GOING FOR 100: Chile's Sanchez doing some push-ups during training — AFPpic

Centre Court craving NOVAK DJOKOVIC admitted he was overcome with an urge to taste the hallowed Centre Court grass after defeating Rafael Nadal for his first Wimbledon crown

Petra the great

MARIA SHARAPOVA predicted ‘great things’ from her Wimbledon conquerer, Petra Monday 4 JULY, 2011 Kvitova (pic)

>> pg28

LOCAL

Toothless Tigers NATIONAL football coach Datuk K. Rajagobal admitted Malaysia could have performed better despite qualifying for the second round of the Pre-World Cup qualifiers yesterday

>> pg26

FOOTBALL

Marvellous Marta BRAZIL’S Marta (pic) bagged a brace as Brazil beat Norway 3-0 this morning to reach the quarterfinals of the women’s World Cup

>> pg29 GOLF

Local claims home victory

THOMAS LEVET of France fired a final round of 70 to pull off an upset home win in the French Open

>> pg27 PRESSTALK

Chelsea cut in for Coentrao

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS is set to beat former boss Jose Mourinho to Fabio Coentrao’s signature and hijack Real Madrid’s bid for the Benfica ace

>> pg31

>> pg28

Historic feat

LA PLATA: Football/ COPA AMERICA

Venezuela hold Brazil to scoreless draw

BRAZIL made a tame entrance into the Copa America this morning, missing a host of chances in a goalless draw with ultra-minnows Venezuela at the Estadio Unico in La Plata.

The five-time world champions had chances — Milan’s Pato notably hitting the woodwork early on. But the longed-for samba football never arrived and it was soon apparent there would be no repeat of the Auriverde’s 7-0 thumping of the Vinotinto in a 1999 group opener.

Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho accounted for four of the goals that day and the Brazilians had before yesterday also won all five previous meetings between the two nations in the competition, scoring 25 goals for just one conceded.

But the baseball-loving Venezuelans have come on since then by leaps and bounds and the only South American country never to make it to the World Cup finals even managed a goalless draw in Brazil during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

“This is historic,” commented Venezuela coach Cesar Farias.

Selecao coach Mano Menezes sent out an attackminded line-up, led by Santos’ precocious talents Neymar and Paulo Henrique

good show: Members of the Venezuelan national football team acknowledge the crowd at the end of the 2011 Copa America Group B first round match against Brazil — AFPpic

Ganso, who arrived at the event fresh from winning the Copa Libertadores. With Robinho and Pato also to call in up front, Brazil made an early statement of intent.

But they did not follow through.

Ganso only played in Menezes’ first match in charge — a 2-0 friendly win last August over the United States but is being talked of as a future mainstay in the side.

However, he and his teammates repeatedly ran into cul de sacs against a resolute Venezuelan defence determined not to be cast as pushovers.

Pato made an early foray

but failed to bring the ball under control, then had a header easily claimed by Venezuela keeper Renny Vega before the latter held a shot from the AC Milan forward at the second attempt.

Pato then hit the bar as Brazil continued to be frustrated.

Venezuela were not to be outdone and the impressive Tomas Rincon was held up in his tracks when he was set for a clean run on goal as Bolivian referee Raul Orozco elected to stop play for a foul

by Thiago Silva 10 minutes before the break.

Brazil then were unlucky as Neymar fed Robinho but

Oswaldo Vizcarrondo made a last ditch block almost on the line.

Then Ganso found Neymar but he missed the target The Brazilians have their eye firmly on the 2014 World Cup which they will host — yet they are also after their ninth Copa and fifth in the past six editions.

They first won the regional championship in 1919, adding further triumphs in 1922, 1949, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2004 and 2007.

Argentina and Uruguay hold the record with 14 each.

The favourites continued to press after the break but

had a scare on 59 minutes when Salmon Rondon went down after tangling with Silva in the box.

But Orozco booked Rondon for diving.

Menezes rolled the dice on the hour, withdrawing Robinho and sending on Fluminense’s Fred.

Yet it was Venezuela who came close next as Juan Arango dragged an effort wide Elano and Lucas Silva came on for the tiring Pato and Ramires with 15 minutes remaining but the resolute Venezuelan defence, in which Roberto Rosales and Vizcarrondo were outstanding, held firm. — AFP

SANTA FE: FOOTBALL/ COPA AMERICA

Model vows nude stunt

PARAGUAYAN fans will be keener than ever for their team to land the Copa America after model Larissa Riquelme (pic) promised this morning to pose nude should they triumph.

The Paraguayans are in Group B with favourites and holders Brazil as well as Ecuador and Venezuela.

And the busty Riquelme gave them extra motivation after making her promise, similar to one she also made during the last World Cup,

earning her the sobriquet la Novia del Mundial (World Cup girlfriend) in her homeland.

“If Paraguay win the Copa America then I shall pose nude on the pitch,” she said, gesturing in the direction of the Brigadier General Estanislao Lopez stadium before the Ecuador game.

Argentina has been caught in a polar snap this week with temperatures plunging well below zero Celsius in the middle of the Southern Hemisphere winter.

But Riquelme did her best to bring a warm glow to supporters of Paraguay and Ecuador fans demanding pictures and autographs from the model who eschewed even a coat as she pranced in a sleeveless top in Paraguayan red and white.

“I think we’ll do well at the Copa,” forecast Riquelme, who intends to follow all her country’s matches on the spot.

Her fans will doubtless hope she is right. — AFP

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