Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online: Topnews

---

Johor sultan: I’m offended Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:54 AM PDT 2011/09/30 Jassmine Shadiqe news@nst.com.my JOHOR BARU: Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar yesterday said he was offended by the disparaging remarks about the state allegedly made by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng recently but added that as a ruler, he would stay above politics. The sultan said politics should be left to politicians and the people should not be dragging rulers into politics. "Yes, I was offended when I got to know about that statement, but I don't want to react, because as a ruler, I shouldn't be dragged into politics. "Don't speak for me. I am capable of doing it... I have the interests of my rakyat and also foreigners living in Johor at heart." Sultan Ibrahim also said Johor police under its chief, Datuk Mokhtar Shariff, had been entrusted with the security of the state and that he was doing his job. He said this during an exclusive interview with the New Straits Times at his office here. Lim had come under fire from numerous parties, who demanded that he apologise to the Sultan of Johor for his alleged statements made during a luncheon function in Singapore last month. TV3, during its Buletin Utama prime time news on Monday night, had played an audio recording of a voice that was said to be Lim's, making disparaging statements about the public security situation in Johor. Lim was alleged to have said: "Penang was number one last year in terms of cutting crime by 27 per cent. For the first six months... also cut crime by another 25 per cent. Whereas in Johor, a Singaporean is likely to get kidnapped. Won't have that problem when you come to Penang." Lim's alleged statement was reportedly made while he was attending a luncheon organised by the Foreign Correspondents Association of Singapore on Aug 12. Meanwhile, during the interview, Sultan Ibrahim also shared his plans for Johor. Among them is to open Istana Bukit Serene once a year for the public to enjoy the scenic view from the palace, once the landscaping in the Danga Bay area was ready. He said the date and the mechanism had yet to be determined, but the aim was to allow people to enjoy the state's beauty and glory from the vantage point of the palace. Sultan Ibrahim also said the stalls in Jalan Pantai Lido would be demolished and the traders moved. "Pantai Lido will be a place where the rakyat can stroll and enjoy nature at its best without any inconveniences." Another "mess" that would be removed are the illegal stalls in the Stulang area here. Sultan Ibrahim said these would be demolished and the traders moved to a better place where cars would no longer be parked haphazardly and cause traffic jams. In Pontian, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Lim's statement was disrespectful to his fellow leaders from other states. He described Lim's statement as irresponsible and unbecoming of a state leader. "It is irresponsible and disrespectful when someone bad mouths the other states. "This is not the Barisan Nasional way. I never said 'Don't go to Penang' when I was the Johor menteri besar." On calls by Umno Youth urging Lim to apologise, Muhyiddin said it was the right thing to do. "If Lim feels he has done wrong, then there is no harm in him apologising." Muhyiddin said Lim's statement, which compared the crime rates between Johor and Penang, was inaccurate as statistics had shown that the crime rate in all states had dropped by 15 per cent.

I don't remember, says Guan Eng Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:51 AM PDT Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar is upset over the remarks allegedly made by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said yesterday he did not remember what he had said during a luncheon talk in Singapore. He said whatever remark that might have been uttered by him about Johor was made during a "private conversation" because there was nothing about the state in the speech text he prepared for the function. Lim, who was alleged to have maligned Johor while attending a luncheon organised by the Foreign Correspondents Association of Singapore on Aug 12, also questioned whether the remark was indeed made as he had never mentioned it in his speech. "Number one is this. Was this statement made? That is the first... For that, I have to listen to the tape. "But what I want to say is this: that speech was made in private. It was not made in public and now there is suddenly a tape," he said at his office in Komtar. Lim said the context in which his remark was made must be determined and the best reference body to do it was the court. "I don't remember. I make so many speeches every day... sometimes four to five times a day." He also said he wanted to deal with the matter one by one, and would start with national news agency Bernama, which first reported that the alleged remark was made when the chief minister was interviewed in Australia by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio station. "If Bernama refuses to cooperate, I will ask my lawyers to look into it." Earlier, before answering questions on the alleged remark, Lim asked TV3 broadcast journalist Selwam Arjunan to leave the press conference as he did not want to answer questions on the issue in the presence of the TV station. The New Straits Times, which had been barred from covering Lim, obtained a video of the press conference from ntv7. Utusan Malaysia had also been barred from covering Lim. Bernama, TV3 and Berita Harian are often left out of the official invite lists from the chief minister's office.

You are subscribed to email updates from NST Online: Topnews To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online: Latest

---

Two jobless men freed of robbery charge Posted: 29 Sep 2011 10:45 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court today acquitted and discharged two unemployed men who had been charged with robbing two Nepali workers of RM2,200 at a petrol kiosk here three years ago. Judge Zulhazmi Abdullah said the prosecution had failed to make a prima facie case against Jalaluddin Abdul Karim, 26, and Chong Vuu Han, 29. Jalaluddin and Chong, along with two others still at large, had been charged with robbing Nepalis Lokendra and Mahesh of the cash while they were at work at a Petronas NGV kiosk in Jalan Jambu Jerteh, Jinjang South, at about 5.30 am on June 12, 2008. Jalaluddin was represented by counsel Richard Khoo and Chong by Harjeet Singh Sidhu while Nurmadiana Mamat appeared for the prosecution. -- BERNAMA

Malaysian Insider apologises to Tajudin over article Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:18 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: The "Malaysian Insider" news portal today apologised to former Malaysia Airlines executive chairman Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli for posting a baseless and defamatory article on him. The Malaysian Insider Sdn Bhd, its chief executive officer Jahabar Sadiq and reporter Shazwan Mustafa Kamal handed the statement of apology to lawyer Lim Kian Leong, who represented Tajudin, through their lawyer George Miranda before High Court Judge Harminder Singh Dhaliwal in chambers. Miranda told reporters that all parties concerned had signed the statement and that several terms which could not be disclosed had been discussed as well. In their apology, the three parties expressed regret for all the inconvenience caused to Tajudin following publication of the article, he said. They also agreed to retract the article and acknowledged that it was baseless and defamatory in nature, he added. Today's out-of-court settlement was a result of Tajudin's RM200-million defamation suit against the portal on Aug 18 in which he named The Malaysian Insider Sdn Bhd, Jahabar and Shazwan as the respondents. -- BERNAMA

You are subscribed to email updates from NST Online: Latest To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online: Exclusive

---

I can take on Aziz anytime: Dr Zul Posted: 14 Mar 2011 11:25 PM PDT I can take on Aziz anytime: Dr Zul 2010/10/29 By NST team in Gua Musang, Kelantan news@nst.com.my GUA MUSANG: Pas' candidate Dr Zulkefli Mohamed remained a good sport over jokes that his stocky frame might tire him fast during the campaign trail. He said he was used to work long hours when he was a doctor at government hospitals in the past. "There were times when I had to work over 36 hours on a stretch, then. I think I can keep up with the hectic campaign schedule now," he said. Dr Zulkefli, 44, will be up against Barisan Nasional's Abdul Aziz Yusoff, 49, in the Galas by-election on Nov 4. Some segments of political watchers have been heard making comparisons between the two candidates of their physiques. Such light banter follows an absence of substantive issues to debate since campaigning started on Nov 26. Dr Zulkefli said he was feeling alright even when there were many places to visit over the past three days. To keep fit, he said he took a lot of water and sufficient rest. When a reporter asked about his weight, Dr Zulkefli said: "I do not know. Let us keep it as a secret." In jest, he said he could take on Aziz in a running or tug-of-war competition. Visit us for more web exclusives everyday from NST Galas team. For full stories and in-depth news, get NST in print tomorrow. Air your comment on this issue: I can take on Aziz anytime: Dr Zul Log in with your Facebook account or use the form below to comment. New Straits Times reserves the right not to publish offensive or abusive comments and those of hate speech, harassment, commercial promos and invasion of privacy. Your IP will be logged and may be used to prevent further submission.The views expressed here are that of the members of the public and unless specifically stated are not those of NST.

Sabah Umno reaching the 500,000 mark Posted: 14 Mar 2011 08:17 PM PDT Once upon a time, a real history took place and handed down the real lessons out of the events concluded that a small number can defeat a huge number of opponents by the will of Allah taala. Therefore, in the modern institutions and struggle like political institutions, this lessons of history is still relevant and worthy to ponder. In fact, there are many facts to ponder on why the listed numbers of political members do not reflex the true pictures. The Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Musa Aman's recent annoucement of Sabah UMNO success in the recruitment of membership drive does not mean much to me as it seems to suggest it is the result of his leadership. A leader should be humble and not self glorifying. One's work should be judged by the people and not himself. I still remember our DPM, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin remark in the opening of the PBS congress in Kota Kinabalu recently where he said "he has done little in the success of the Batu Sapi by election ". Frankly how many can do that ? This is the model of leader we must emulate - humble, unassuming and lead by example. Traits of great leader who make small people feel great. Afterall, recruitment of new members in any party is the duty and obligation of its leaders. It is not a competition as it is the quality and not quantity of the effort that count. We should not trumpet about it. High membership in any political party does not guarantee success if the party and its leaders do not command the support from its ranks and files as well as leaders from other coalition parties, particularly in the state of Sabah. Having such a mentality would breed complacency and place the party concerned and BN in a perilous situation. Sabah UMNO chief, Datuk Musa Aman's annoucement that their membership drive to date has reached 456,000 membership level, the highest among all other states is indeed quite credible. The first thing that comes to thought is 456,000 is 456,000 until the half million mark is reached which is another 44,000 more to go and this is not a small number. In the annoucement, last year alone, they only managed to recruit 40,000 new members and has no mention of what this year's result is ? Has the effort reached been saturated is another question that surfaces in my mind. My concern however is in any numerical assessment, we must give the picture in its correct perspective and not try to over dramatise or sensationalise it to justify certain motives, personal or otherwise. And when figures concerning and affecting the outcome of an election, the state and the image of UMNO and Barisan Nasional, we have to be careful and truthful. The annoucement also gives rise to many questions to be answered. First, how many of these registered members will actually and eventually vote and vote for BN comes election time?. Is the annoucement trying to suggest we are growing stronger, there is nothing to worry and we can repeat the big win in the state achieved in the last election ? The Batu Sapi by election is no doubt the combined efforts in greater and lesser extend of all state BN coalition members. However, with the bad blood that existed all along with the Chief Minister of Sabah, Datuk Musa Aman and PBS president, Datuk Pairin, with SAPP president, Datuk Yong Teck Lee, the duel was in actual fact a life and dead battle among the subject combatants. Aided by a predominantly bumi constituency,the vast resources from BN and the ever tireless presence of our DPM, the vast win at Batu Sapi could be an isolated incident. Removing these factors, or in a diluted extent, the result could be different. As a rough estimate, Sabah with a population of 2.5 million and say,with a 60% eligible voters, it will work out to have about 1.5 million potential voters. From the above, the present UMNO membership only represents to about 30% of the total possible voters. Will that be adequate to determine another landslide victory in the coming election ? given the fact there 60 constituencies in the state ? Many in the last encounter encountered sort of narrow escape ? The growing number of unresolved problems faced by the people todate? The discontents of the present leadership among the files and ranks ? How much support the present state leadership since last reappointed, still enjoy is therefore any one's guess. To me the annoucement seems to be made in conjunction with the coming BN convention in Kuala Lumpur in an effort to influence its outcomes

You are subscribed to email updates from NST Online: Exclusive To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online: Sports

---

Seu Bock: Prepare for a ruthless Chong Wei Posted: 29 Sep 2011 07:13 PM PDT 2011/09/30 By K.M. Boopathy Lee Chong Wei will not make life easy for China's Chen Long or Chen Jin in future meetings. CHINA'S shuttlers will go full throttle to deny Lee Chong Wei the Olympic gold but national singles coach Tey Seu Bock is optimistic the World No 1 will not allow his rivals to dictate terms anymore. The first indication came in the Japan Open final where China's Lin Dan, the leader of the pack, handed compatriot Chen Long a walkover in the semis so he would be fresh to battle Chong Wei in the final and it paid off. However, Seu Bock said the result will only motivate Chong Wei to be ruthless in future meetings against Chen Long or Chen Jin. The Lin Dan-Chong Wei rivalry is expected to be intense as usual but Seu Bock expects his charge to prove his superiority in coming tournaments. "Chong Wei is well aware of what China are doing and he is strong enough to disrupt their plan. They will be on a three-pronged attack all the way to the Olympics but Chong Wei is not going to allow Chen Long or Chen Jin to gain a psychological edge," said Seu Bock. "He has done it well so far and just one defeat will not turn things around for Chen Long. The next time Chong Wei plays Chen Long, he is not going to let him settle at all and will go for a comprehensive win. "It is the same with Chen Jin and this will only leave China to depend on Lin Dan. China can have three in the Olympics but the fact remains only Lin Dan has the confidence and track record against Chong Wei. "It is becoming increasingly close between the top two players and this is why China are panicking. It will only make Chong Wei more confident." Seu Bock added: "It's still a long way to the Olympics and Chong Wei should be maintaining his form now and peak at the right time which is London next year. "We will not be alarmed if he doesn't win the Denmark Open or the French Open next month. Chong Wei has made the final of all the tournaments he has competed in so far and he could do it again in Europe. There is no pressure on him to win. "However, Chong Wei will not make life easy for Chen Long or Chen Jin if they think they have made a breakthrough in Japan. If the duo are not doing well, the pressure will be on Lin Dan and things will be easier for us again." Chong Wei will not lose any world ranking points if he fails to win in Denmark and France as he skipped the events last year but the European legs will be very important for China. This is because of their ambition to have three players in the top four to confirm maximum berths in the Olympics and so far, Chen Jin is still off the pace at No 6. Lin Dan is second while Chen Long, who is at No 3, must also consistently make it to the finals of the Super Series to ensure he remains in the top four. Chong Wei doesn't have to worry about the math as he has a healthy lead at the top and must only stay focused on his objective of striking gold in London.

Perfect Performer looks sharp Posted: 29 Sep 2011 06:27 PM PDT PERFECT Performer, like his name suggests, underlined his chances of a perfect record of three wins in as many attempts in the Malaysian circuit going by the way he looked during track work in Penang yesterday. Taken out by jockey Muhamed Zaidi Hassim, the six-year-old Australian gelding by Beckett cantered one round on the sand track and pulled up looking as fit as ever. The going was yielding. Perfect Performer, who arrived with three unplaced outings in Australia, has four wins, a second and a third in 12 outings to date. He went four up, which was also his double beating Trump Player by 2 1/4 lengths in a Class 3 event over 1200m in heavy going in Penang in August and clocked 1:13.2 seconds. Trained by American John Brink, Perfect Performer has made further headway and should keep his unbeaten record in the local circuit in the FBI Handicap for Class 3 horses over 1100m in Race 5 tomorrow. All fast work was done on the No. 2 grass track and slow work on the sand track.

You are subscribed to email updates from NST Online: Sports To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online Business Times : latest

---

RHB,OSK rise on planned merger talks Posted: 29 Sep 2011 06:15 PM PDT Shares in Malaysia's RHB Capital Berhad and OSK Holdings Berhad rose on Friday after the companies said they had asked for central bank approval to start merger talks. The two financial groups said on Thursday that they had submitted an application to Bank Negara for approval to start talks to merge RHB's banking business with that of OSK Investment Bank. RHB was earlier the subject of a takeover target by larger rivals Maybank and CIMB , but talks fell through due to pricing considerations. Previous local media reports said that Maybank was keen to acquire OSK, but the latter had said it was not in any serious talks although it had been approached by many parties to explore equity partnerships. Malaysian authorities are encouraging bank mergers to create larger institutions with the financial muscle to grab regional market share. Hwang DBS said an RHB-OSK Investment merger would cost RHB about RM2.1 billion-RM2.8 billion (US$660 million-US$880 million) based on OSK's latest book value of RM1.57 per share. "OSK has been spreading its wings regionally for its broking business, including to Singapore and Indonesia, apart from having a bank in Cambodia," Hwang said in a research note on Friday. "RHB Capital's merger move indicates that it does not want to be left out in the capital market race. We think RHB Capital is taking the opportunity of current market conditions to commence negotiations." RHB's shares rose as much as 2.7 per cent while OSK's jumped as much as 25.9 per cent in early trade on Friday. RHB was up 2.4 per cent at RM7.33 by 0125 GMT while OSK shares were up 20.1 percent at RM1.67, compared with the broader market's 0.8 per cent gain. - Reuters

CIMB climbs after Thai stake purchase Posted: 29 Sep 2011 06:57 PM PDT CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, Malaysia's second-largest bank, rose in Kuala Lumpur trading after saying it bought 70 percent of Thailand's Sicco Securities Pcl for 767.9 million baht (US$24.6 million). The stock climbed 1 percent to RM6.95 at 9:33 a.m. local time. -- Bloomberg

You are subscribed to email updates from Business Times : latest To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

NST Online: StreetsJohor

---

MAKING NEWS Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:16 AM PDT 2011/09/29 By Chuah Bee Kim Socially engaged locals get together at the Citizen Journalists Malaysia's gala night THE number of Malaysians who are embracing citizen journalism is growing, according to the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ) media development consultant Ross Settles. Settles, 52, who was in Johor Baru recently to attend the Citizen Journalists Malaysia (CJMY) gala night held in conjunction with the 2nd annual conference, described Malaysians as a "socially engaged" community. "I do not have the statistics but CJMY is fairly new and the number of stories contributed by Malaysians as well as the number of members in the country is growing at an encouraging rate," Settles said. "Printed media will always be there but the cost of running a newspaper is high. ICFJ wants to train citizen journalists (CJs) to bring news to the people via mobile phones and video," he added. ICFJ is a non-profit, professional organisation that is based in Washington, United States. Since 1984, it has worked with more than 55,000 journalists from 176 countries. ICFJ, founded by three American journalists, namely, Tom Winship, Jim Ewing and George Krimsky, offers hands-on training, workshops, seminars, fellowships and international exchanges to reporters and media managers around the globe. In Malaysia, it is working with a non-governmental online news portal to churn out citizen journalists, all of whom are volunteers. The role of a citizen journalist is to report on issues that will help to alleviate the problems faced by a community. That was one of the reasons that prompted Maeram Uek Mewa, 23, and her husband Gayut Lim, 34, both farmers in Ulu Baram, Sarawak, to become citizen journalists. "We like to highlight environmental issues as well as stories about what we know best, which is farming. We cannot write like professional writers but when we have a story to share with others, we just tell it like it is. "Sometimes, the plight of farmers are not highlighted by the mainstream media, especially common problems encountered by the local folk. "That is how a citizen journalist can make a difference in someone's life," said Gayut. CJMY Johor Baru chapter event organising chairman Steven Chen said the Johor Baru chapter was launched last October and there are about 20 members. "My first video concerned several blocks of abandoned apartment buildings in Permas Jaya, Johor Baru. The buildings were left in a dilapidated state for more than 10 years. The buyers were at a loss as to what to do. "I decided to focus on the story and when it came out in the news portal, I actually received a call from a relevant party who agreed to help the buyers. "The sense of empowerment I felt at that moment motivated me to continue being a volunteer journalist," Chen said. He also related another story where he had highlighted the plight of a nurse who had to support her children and husband who became bedridden after a road accident. "The story of the nurse touched me deeply. She had to go to work, take care of her children and also attend to her husband's medical needs. "And the husband actually had money in the bank. It's just that he was unable to go to the bank and the bank refused to let the wife withdraw the money. "So, I highlighted her plight and after the video came out, someone from the bank got in touch with her and that eased her financial burden," he said. K.S. Tan, from the CJMY Kuala Lumpur chapter, said he enjoyed the travelling and the thrill of creating videos that would make an impact on people. "I have produced over 100 videos since I joined CJMY and I cannot stop anymore. I have travelled to Jakarta, Indonesia, and to Orang Asli settlements in various parts of Malaysia to get my stories. I am not getting paid for my effort. I am pretty much driven by my passion," said Tan, a 62-year-old retiree who used to work for an international company. Johor Baru Tionghua Federation manager Eric Ku, 40, said he became a citizen journalist because he wanted to play a bigger role in spreading an awareness of the Chinese culture to others via the Internet. "In spite of my busy schedule, I try to produce three to four stories per month." Also spotted at the gala night dinner, which was attended by some 150 people comprising citizen journalists from the northern, central, southern and East Malaysian regions were trainers Wanida Sanjit, 26, from Chiang Mai, Thailand; and W.L. Phyo, 30, from Myanmar; both journalists by profession. Themed "Citizen Journalists Empowering Communities", the gala night also saw singing, dance and skit performances presented by members.

Reflections of a contemporary artist Posted: 29 Sep 2011 09:08 AM PDT IT seemed like a perfect day for just lazing around, after the Hari Raya holidays. I had my hands full during the fasting month with hamper delivery orders received via my portal and on my Facebook page. Suddenly, a fellow artist called to inform me about the 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Exhibition which is being held in Danga City Mall. The curator of the exhibition, Fakhrul Zaman Mohd Sambas, asked me to submit some of my works to be exhibited alongside some 15 esteemed artists from Johor. I was in ecstasy, and agreed without even giving it a second thought. About a year ago, I had submitted two of my works for an art competition organised by Johor Art Gallery, though I did not win. Johor has always been one of the states where I have always wanted to exhibit my work, as it is known for producing many renowned artists. Begin relatively new in the art industry, I had always dreamed of having my creation exhibited among them one fine day. Though I did not get the chance then during the art competition in Johor Baru, having the opportunity now means the world to me. I started painting several years ago and recently gained enough courage to have my work exhibited. After my first win in an art competition organised by the the Shah Alam Art Gallery in 2009, I went ahead and joined several more competitions. I had my works exhibited at Penang State Art Gallery, Art Cabin- National Art Gallery and Art Under 500-Pahang Art Museum. Johor artists have set up a group called Artgeng, which was established by a teacher Norazalan Ahmad and his mentor, Abdul Majid Yahya. I participated in Artgeng's art demonstration held at U Mall in Taman University, Skudai, Johor Baru early this year and had a blast. Since then, I have been in constant contact with Artgeng members on facebook that includes several renowned artists nationwide, including Yusof Gajah and Hasren Ismail. The group comprises renowned artists, amateurs, newbies, students and also several international artists, who will share tips, information and also on art-related events. Having my work exhibited in such an esteemed event as 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Exhibition and being able to be here in Johor Baru is such an honour. Among my works on exhibit are Hoax, Epiphany and my Essences series 1 and 2. I use mixed media on my works and I selected these four because each one tells a story which can be related to Johor. Hoax can be translated to something that is deliberately fabricated to be masqueraded as the truth. If one reads news reports about Johor, especially from its neighbouring country, one cannot be blamed for having a perception that it is crime-infested. But when you are in Johor, you will realise that the reports are false. Johor is beautiful and safe like the other states in our country, and rich in culture. While Epiphany is the sudden realisation of the larger essence or meaning of something, each visit to Johor gives me exactly that -- a feeling that I found the last piece of the puzzle and I am able to see the whole picture. The 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Exhibition is open to the public from 10am to 10pm daily until Oct 15. Admission is free. State Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs committee chairman Hoo Seong Chang officiated the Johor-leg of the 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival (1MCAT). Since July, a number of exhibitions with the theme "Malaysia Art -- A Vibrant Destination" have been held in various states including Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Penang, Langkawi; Kedah and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. It was launched by Tourism Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. In line with the Tourism Ministry's recognition of the growing importance of art in tourism, these exhibitions are being organised for the development and promotion of Malaysian art. The 1MCAT Festival aims to position Malaysia as a reputable destination for art enthusiasts to enjoy and acquire contemporary art. It is also a platform for artists and gallery owners, as well as a younger generation of artists and collectors, to share ideas and exchange information about contemporary art in Malaysia. The Johor-leg was co-organised by Tourism Malaysia Johor , Galeri Seni Johor-Yayasan Warisan Johor and Persatuan Seni Lukis & Reka Cipta Johor (SERUPA). All the exhibits, including sculptures, represent contemporary art, and are for sale. Interviewed by Jassmine Shadiqe, Fai Zakaria is a self-employed interior designer. She runs a portal, www.faizakaria.com.my, where she sells her paintings, provides her interior designing services and also designs and delivers personalised gifts for special occasions and celebrations.

You are subscribed to email updates from NST Online: StreetsJohor To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.nst.com.my