Rabu, 7 September 2011

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Customs officer charged for bribery

Posted: 07 Sep 2011 10:54 PM PDT

ALOR SETAR: A Customs assistant superintendent was charged in the Sessions Court here today with asking for and receiving a bribe.

Lee Kuang Guan, 52, is accused of asking for RM440 from A.Sinappayen as an inducement not to take action against him for bringing out from Langkawi liquor with unpaid duty.

Lee, who worked in the passengers inspection unit at the Kuah jetty in Langkawi, is said to have asked for the bribe through the phone at 10.10am on March 26 last year.


He was also charged with receiving the bribe in the toilet of the departure hall of the Kuah jetty at 2.30pm the same day.

On both counts, Lee faces a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of RM10,000 or five times the value of the bribe, whichever is higher, under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act 2009.

Judge Mohd Rosli Osman set bail at RM8,000 in one surety after Lee pleaded not guilty, and fixed Oct 11 for mention. -- BERNAMA

New Myvi model records 18,000 in sales

Posted: 07 Sep 2011 09:38 PM PDT

RAWANG: Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua's (Perodua)latest Myvi model has recorded 18,000 in vehicle sales from Jan 4 to yesterday.

Managing Director Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said demand for the model is still strong with the Elegance series continuing to receive the highest number of orders from customers.

"To date, we have received about 34,000 orders with 18,000 cars having been delivered. We expect to deliver the remaining 16,000 over the next two months," he told reporters after a national flag raising ceremony here, today.


The ceremony, along with a mini parade at its headquarters, was for the upcoming Malaysia Day and the 54th Independence Day celebration on Aug 31.

Aminar Rashid also said Perodua is on track to achieve its yearly sales target of 190,000 vehicles this year, having sold about 115,000 to date. -- BERNAMA

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PM announces 8 new investment projects worth RM1.4b

Posted: 07 Sep 2011 10:30 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced today eight new investment projects worth RM1.4 billion in various sectors such as agriculture, education, aerospace, wholesale, retail and manufacturing.

He said Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd will invest RM706 million in an effort to develop the downstream sector of the palm oil industry.

In an initiative to develop and position Malaysia as a hub for high value engineering services, Stand Aerospace Malaysia Sdn Bhd, will invest RM177 million.


In healthcare, Vasseti Datatech Bhd will invest RM400 million to deploy 1,410 sets of 42" television sets at 168 locations nationwide, including hospitals, 1Malaysia clinics and Ministry of Health sites.

For agriculture, Najib said Hannan Corporation Sdn Bhd will invest RM72.6 million in two aquaculture complexes that can produce 14,000 tonnes of white shrimp per annum.

On high-value herbal products, Nova Laboratories Sdn Bhd will invest RM16.29 million in research and development as well as pre-clinical and clinical trials to develop three high value herbal products and its commercialisation.


Meanwhile, Doorstep Retail Sdn Bhd will invest RM35 million by 2020 to provide a platform of convenience for small medium enterprises (SMEs) in terms of technical support and facilities.

Complementing this, Koperasi Jiwa Malaysia Bhd will lead an initiative to provide a virtual mall platform for SMEs to enter the online sphere, with an investment of RM15 million.

The eighth investment will see DSEM Holdings Sdn Bhd evolve from contract manufacturing into a company that produces, distributes and markets its own brand of LED products.


Turning to human capital, the Prime Minister said MSC Malaysia's MyProCert is a programme to upskill Malaysians towards international certification standards, alongside the National Talent Enhancement Programme (NTEP).

He said the NTEP is open to engineering graduates with between one or two years of working experience and those who wish to upskill/re-skill to enter into the electrical and electronics and green technology sectors.

Five agencies and companies would spearhead this initiative, namely Akademi Teknologi Hijau Sdn Bhd, the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC), the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) and the Selangor Human Resources Development Centre (SHRDC).

Meanwhile, TERAS which aims to increase Bumiputera SMEs, has identified to date 100 Bumiputera SMEs and 1,000 small/micro companies as a starting point.

Najib said the participation of Bumiputera SMEs was encouraging and urged more to come on board, going forward. -- BERNAMA

6pc tax on prepaid reloads, sim packs from Sept 15

Posted: 07 Sep 2011 09:43 PM PDT

6pc tax on prepaid reloads, sim packs from Sept 15

KUALA LUMPUR: Purchases of prepaid reloads and prepaid starter/SIM packs for all telcos will be charged a six per cent service tax, effective Sept 15.

Prepaid customers would be informed via SMS beginning noon today of this service tax, the Malaysian telco industry said in a joint statement here today.
Customers can also refer to the respective telcos' websites for details or contact the customer service centres if they have further queries.

The telcos said the service tax is a consumption tax and chargeable to the customer, as provided for in the service tax laws.

The Service Tax Act 1975 requires telecommunication companies to levy service tax at the prevailing rate on telecommunication services, including mobile prepaid services.


This is similar to the service tax levied on food and beverage purchases from restaurants and hotels.

Whilst service tax on prepaids is not new, the telcos have been absorbing it for mobile prepaid services since the introduction in 1998.

The move taken is to ensure mobile prepaid services remain competitive compared to the postpaid, given the high prepaid rates for calls and SMS at its onset.

With prepaid rates progressively reduced over the years, it is currently offered at very competitive rates.

"With the six per cent service tax on prepaid services, a customer who purchases a RM10 prepaid reload will need to pay RM10.60, with the 60 sen being the service tax," the statement said.-- BERNAMA

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6pc tax on prepaid reloads, sim packs from Sept 15

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<b>2 - 0</b>

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 10:28 AM PDT

2010/11/04
Joniston Bangkuai, Patrick Sennyah and Sajahan Waheed
news@nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Substantive swings produced two key by-election victories for the Barisan Nasional tonight.

BN has now won three of the four of by-elections this year, losing Sibu by 398 votes.

In Kelantan, BN wrested the Galas State seat from Pas by a majority of 1,190 - improving its near-victory in the July 2009 Manik Urai by-election when the coalition lost by 65 votes.


BN shall now look to repeat the kind of performance it produced in the 2004 general election when it won 21 state seats in Kelantan. As for now, Galas brings its state seats to 7 in a 45-seat Legislative Assembly.

The Galas by-election was called following the death of Pas' Che Hashim Sulaima, 46, on Sept 27 from colon cancer. Che Sulaima had defeated BN's Mohd Saufi Deraman by a 646 vote-majority in the March 2008 general election.

In the 2004 general election, Che Hashim had lost to Mohamad Saufi, by 1,729 votes.


Significantly for Kelantan politics, the Galas battle had been billed as contest between BN's Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the Kelantan Menteri Besar and Pas spiritual leader.

Analysts had said that a Pas defeat would be seen as a sign of Nik Aziz losing grip. He is 79 and had been Menteri Besar since 1990.

"The face to face interaction adopted by BN has worked..this is a indicator of how BN can change," Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia told the New Straits Times tonight.


Pas had during the campaigning mocked Abdul Aziz Yusoff, the BN candidate for his lack of qualification. Dr Zulkefli Mohamed of Pas now has to his name three unsuccessful attempts to win seats in the Gua Musang area.

The results of the nation's 12th by election since March 2008 were announced by returning officer Wan Mustapa Abdul Hamid at the Gua Musang Civic Centre here tonight.

Many of Chinese voters in Galas had returned to BN, according to preliminary analysis of the results.

Pas lost in Kampung Baru, which is a Chinese majority area by 41 votes. It garnered more than 200 over votes there in the general election.

The BN election machinery which was led by Tengku Razaleigh, the Gua Musang MP, had adopted a new campaign strategy this time where they focused on a more personal approach as opposed to big scale ceramah and large entourages.

Election Commission deputy chairman, Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said voter turnout was 82.71 per cent or 9,555 of the total 11,553 voters in the constituency, compared to a 80.57 per cent turnout in 2008.

In Batu Sapi, the choice of a woman as a candidate and the joint-leadership of Datuk Seri Musa Aman and Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan of Parti Bersatu Sabah had contributed to the increase of majority from 3,708 (2008 general election) to 6,359, analysts said.

"My husband is watching me now and I think he is proud of me," said the BN candidate, Datin Linda Tsen Thau Lin.

Tsen's husband Datuk Edmund Chong was the late parliamentarian of Batu Sapi. His death on Oct 9 had led to the by-election.

UiTM student posts highest score in accounting course

Posted: 10 Mar 2011 03:55 PM PST

2010/12/23
By Hanif Miswan


SHAH ALAM: Few Malaysians can stake claim to being the best in the world, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) student Khalid Kamarulzaman is one of
them.

He was acclaimed the 'World's Best CAT Graduate' in the Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) programme. The results were announced in October.

The 19-year-old Faculty of Accountancy student scored the highest aggregate of 474 marks or an average of almost 95 per cent, for five advanced CAT papers.


CAT is an international qualification offered by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the global body for professional accountants headquartered in the United Kingdom.

The qualification provides the graduate with the necessary knowledge and skills in Finance and Accounting to perform an accounting-support role. It is also designed to fast-track students towards a full-fledged career in accountancy.

Khalid achieved a perfect score in Drafting Financial Statements (T6) and came close in Managing People and Systems (T5) with 98 per cent.


His marks in these two papers were the highest in the world.

He also posted 97 per cent for Planning - Control and Performance Management (T7), 90 per cent for Preparing Taxation Computations (T9) and 89 per cent for Managing Finances (T10).

"It was important for me to shine in this programme as it has placed me on the right path to achieving my dreams so I can help my less fortunate family," said Khalid in an interview with Varsity Voice on Nov 21.


Although he expected to pass the CAT exams with flying colours, the outstanding results were "...a dream come true, and a tribute to my love for mathematics and numbers".

The third son in a family of nine siblings from Hulu Langat, Selangor, Khalid has now set his sights on completing another 11 courses in the ACCA programme to become a chartered certified accountant.

"CAT is only the first step. I intend to do just as well in the ACCA examination before gaining work experience and eventually opening up my own accountancy practice."

"For now, I must be careful not to get too carried away as there is still a lot to learn and a long way to go before I can fulfill my aspirations," he added.

The CAT programme was first offered by the faculty in 2002 to SPM graduates who had at least five credits, inclusive of Mathematics, Malay and English.

Khalid was recognised as a top student during the Faculty's Excellence Day on Oct 6, during which he received an award from UiTM's Vice Chancellor Datuk Professor Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar.

(Ed: This article first appeared in Varsity Voice, a monthly publication jointly produced by the New Straits Times and Universiti Teknoogi MARA (UiTM) under the newspaper's Journalism on Campus project.)

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Football: Cardiff get first bite at Safee

Posted: 07 Sep 2011 05:21 PM PDT

2011/09/08
Devinder Singh
devinder@nst.com.my


Safee Sali has two weeks to impress Cardiff.

Safee Sali has two weeks to impress Cardiff.

CARDIFF City stole a march on Queens Park Rangers by offering national striker Safee Sali a two-week trial at the Welsh club starting from Monday.

Safee will attend the trial with English Championship side Cardiff for two weeks until Sept 27 after having secured the approval of his current club, Indonesian Super League side Pelita Jaya.

"Every Malaysian football fan follows the English game and I'm no different. Even as a kid, I've always dreamt of one day plying my trade in the English league and now I have a chance to do that with this trial.


"The door has been opened for me. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am going to give it my all to prove my credentials," said Safee in a statement yesterday.

Cardiff chairman Datuk Chan Teck Ghee confirmed Safee's impending arrival in the Welsh city where he said the striker is in for the time of his life.

"I can confirm that he leaves on Sept 12 till 27 for a full trial," Teck Ghee told Timesport yesterday. "It's a trial with the first team so he's going to have one hell of an experience. He'll know what level he is at and he's really looking forward to it.


"There's a lot of talent back home and it's time we start unearthing the gifted by giving them proper exposure. I think this could be the beginning of a revolution."

Asked how the arrangement for a trial came about, Teck Ghee added: "With hard work and perseverance. We asked the right people and we've done everything above board.

"His current club Pelita have also agreed to this trial and they are happy to let him go. It would be a great for them as well, I'm sure."


Safee, who began his career with Kuala Lumpur and also played for Sarawak, only moved from Selangor to Pelita Jaya in February and has scored 10 goals in 15 appearances for the Indonesian club but he is now a man very much in demand.

His stock began to rise when he scored five goals for Malaysia from the semi-finals onwards in the national team's successful AFF Cup campaign last December.

Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, chairman of English Premier League club QPR, last month spoke of giving Safee a trial but it appears that Cardiff have got a move on from the London-based club.

Last month, Teck Ghee also offered Safiq Rahim a trial with Cardiff, which the national skipper will undergo after Selangor's interest in the on-going Malaysia Cup ends.

QPR manager Neil Warnock rates Safee highly and described the 27-year-old forward as the "David Beckham of Malaysia."

"There's going to be opportunities now with the chairman's contact in Malaysia. It's a very emerging country football-wise, Safee Sali is the David Beckham of Malaysia.

"I think everyone knows him and there is a problem at the moment with regards to the work permit in bringing players in from Malaysia. But that will not stop us from bringing players over," said Warnock in an online conference with Malaysian media yesterday.

If successful, Safee will have done what several previous Malaysian players tried and failed before him including Baddrol Bakhtiar and Bunyamin Umar (Chelsea) and Syed Adney Syed Hussain (Middlesbrough and Darlington).

Golf / Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia: Aretha, Ainil join the elite

Posted: 07 Sep 2011 05:19 PM PDT


 (From left) Thailand&#8217;s  Tanaporn Kongkiatkrai and Porani Chutichai with Malaysia&#8217;s  Aretha Pan and  Ainil Johani  yesterday. &#8212; Picture by Osman Adnan

(From left) Thailand's Tanaporn Kongkiatkrai and Porani Chutichai with Malaysia's Aretha Pan and Ainil Johani yesterday. — Picture by Osman Adnan

ARETHA Pan and Ainil Johani Abu Bakar scored an identical 16-over 158 after two rounds to finish on top of the national qualifying leaderboard to earn their berths in the US$1.9 million (RM5.67 million) Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia 2011 yesterday.

The 21-year-old Ainil Johani, who turned professional last year, said she was looking forward to making her appearance at the LPGA Tour sanctioned competition.

"I didn't play well today (yesterday) but I'm glad that I will join world-class players at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia," said Ainil Johani.


The Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club on Oct 13-16.

Aretha, who qualified for the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia for the second time, hoped that she could shrug off her nervousness when she takes on the world's best women golfers.

"Last year, I really couldn't focus on my game. I was mesmerised by the professional players in action. But this year, I want to focus on my own game," said Aretha.


Meanwhile, Thailand's Porani Chutichai and Tanaporn Kongkiatkrai also booked their tickets with scores of six-over 148 and seven-over 149, respectively.

Both of the Thai players topped the regional qualifying leaderboard which was held concurrently with the national qualifying session. -- Bernama

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UOA Dev climbs on winning hotel job

Posted: 07 Sep 2011 06:08 PM PDT

UOA Development Bhd, a Malaysian property developer, rose the most in a week in Kuala Lumpur trading after winning a RM101.4 million-contract to build a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Its shares climbed 2 percent to RM1.53 at 9:03 a.m. local time, set for their biggest increase since Sept. 2. -- Bloomberg

Palette slides after unveiling rights offer

Posted: 07 Sep 2011 06:20 PM PDT

Palette Multimedia Bhd dropped the most in almost two weeks after the Malaysian communications and multimedia company proposed a rights offer of warrants.

The stock slid 6.7 percent to 7 sen at 9:12 a.m. local time in Kuala Lumpur trading, set for its biggest decline since Aug. 26. -- Bloomberg

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AND THE DANCE GOES ON

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 11:39 AM PDT

2011/09/06
By Sim Bak Heng


For over 50 years, a kuda kepang maker has been preserving the art form

FOR the past 50 years,kuda kepang maker Naim Marjani, 70, has been training countless number of people not only to make the handicraft, but also how to use the two-dimensional bamboo horse in a graceful dance.

Some come to him to master the making of the Javanese handicraft to make a living out of it, but many treat it as just a hobby.


UiTM students enrolling in the studies of art and design will come to Naim if they choose dancing and making the kuda kepang as their practical training.

Naim, of Kampung Sungai Nibong in Batu Pahat, is probably the only one in Johor who has been keeping alive the tradition of making the kuda kepang .

He learnt about dancing with it when he was 18.


Today he owns a workshop specialising in making kuda kepang and a dance troupe comprising 20 members.

The kuda kepang is made by weaving bamboo strips into a mat before it is shaped into a a horse.

Some people use dried cattle skins but this is rather rare.


The outline of a kuda kepang is drawn on the mat before it is cut out along the outline.

The mat is later fastened onto a bamboo framework before it is painted, embroidered and decorated with animal fur.

The horse is drawn and painted to give it "character" and "personality".

In a performance, a dancer will look as if he or she is riding the limbless figure.

It is common to perform the kuda kepang dance upon arrivals of VIPs, for wedding ceremonies or major celebrations.

Salina Bohiran, 21, from neighbouring Kampung Sarang Buaya, is among the few who are passionate about kuda kepang culture, having devoted herself to the art which she treats as her life-long vocation.

She joined the workshop two years ago, and took only a month to master the art.

"It is basically my interest which prompted me to choose this handicraft-making art as my career.

"I never get bored weaving the bamboo strips and creating the framework.

"Now, I can easily make a medium-sized kuda kepang a day," she said.

Salina is also a member of the dance troupe.

The art not only attracts the young ones, but also senior citizens like Yunos Sulaiman, 67.

Yunos said he has been making the handicraft for seven years. He is also a kuda kepang dancer.

The former carpenter became interested in making kuda kepang after his retirement.

"The job is like a hobby, which keeps me occupied," said Yunos, who specialises in drawing and painting the kuda kepang to inject life into it.

Yunos said he would continue making the craft as long as his vision allows him to.

He said a good kuda kepang is judged by its aesthetic value, adding that beads and other accessories are added to enhance its value.

Fazirin Abdul Rahim is a UiTM student who had just completed his practical training at Naim's workshop.

He said he chose kuda kepang for his practical training as he was fascinated by the weaving work.

"After the two-month training, I also know how to make the handicraft now. I dance well too," he said.

Naim said schools with cultural clubs form the majority of the kuda kepang buyers, while tourists are more interested with miniature kuda kepang.

He said all his seven children have families of their own, and none of them are interested to inherit the art from him.

As for the future, Naim said he prefers to live one day at a time.

Be on guard against security guards

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 08:00 AM PDT

2011/09/06
by Chuah Bee Kim


IF one is too strict and rigid, either people will rebel or they will acquiesce -- but curse you under their breath. If you are too nice and lenient, people will walk all over you and think you are not doing your job.

I have nothing against security guards but the story of Zulfadli Abu Bakar, which was highlighted in the Harian Metro article entitled Jaga Marah Lawat Isteri on Aug 31, brought back a flood of memories concerning overbearing security guards.

A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property or people. They have bosses to answer to. So, if they are "too nice", they would probably not be able to carry out their duties.


However, some guards abuse their power and talk down to visitors. Some appear uncaring when circumstances warrant kindness.

Take the case of Zulfadli, for instance. The 33-year-old reportedly brought his 2-year-old daughter to visit his sick wife at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (SAH) on the first day of Hari Raya.

It was reported that Zulfadli had already sought the permission of a nurse to bring the toddler in as the child missed her mother.


Moreover, it was Hari Raya and Zulfadli did not want to deprive the little girl the chance of seeing her mother.

At the guard post, however, Zulfadli and the child was not only stopped by a security guard, the latter reportedly ticked off Zulfadli in front of a crowd which ignited an argument between the two.

I remembered an incident when I had accompanied a friend to SAH several years ago. She had received a call from the hospital regarding her relative that morning, and she instantly knew that something was amiss.


By the tone of the speaker's voice, my friend could tell that the relative was not going to make it.

That day as we were entering the gate, a security guard stopped us and told us to use another gate which was at the other side of the building. He said that the gate, through which we were planning to enter, was meant for hospital staff.

If that were the case, why was there no sign put up saying so, and why was it that on other occasions, she could use that gate?

The guard just did not want to listen to reason, and insisted that my friend use the other gate. My friend did not want to waste another moment arguing with the guard as she knew time was of the essence. So she complied.

A colleague of mine also told me a story of how she had wanted to go into the children's ward to interview a patient when the guard told her rudely that he was going to chase her out if she were to enter.

Since my colleague was there because of work, the security guard should have talked to her in a firm but courteous way. After all, both the guard and my colleague were doing their jobs. Being rude was simply uncalled for.

Another colleague also shared with me an incident where he had snapped some pictures of a hypermarket. He was outside the hypermarket and was taking a shot of the crowd doing some last-minute Hari Raya shopping when a security guard rushed out and shouted at him to delete the photos.

It made me very uncomfortable having to witness this incident because I felt the security guard didn't have to be rude even though he was following orders from his employer.

My friend, who is working with a complex management company, then told me that security guards were instructed not to allow customers to take photographs in a shopping complex -- but never were they permitted to be rude to customers.

"We explained to the guards why customers are not allowed to snap photographs in a complex, as some customers are our competitors," she said.

"Some of our security guards are retired army personnel, so they come across as "fierce" as they are so used to behaving that way.

"No, we don't encourage our guards to be rude, but to be firm -- unless the customer tries to be difficult. In such cases, stricter measures have to be taken.

"If an employer were to see someone taking photographs in our complex, the employer is going to go after the guard, not the person taking the photos," she added.

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