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Making ends meet people's main concern Posted: 06 Oct 2011 12:44 PM PDT Making ends meet people's main concern 2011/10/06 By Rahmah Ghazali rahmah@nst.com.my KUALA LUMPUR: An online survey has found that Malaysians are increasingly concerned about making ends meet and hoping to see measures that could alleviate the rising cost of living in the 2012 Budget. The poll conducted by The New Straits Times Press publications on their Facebook pages showed that a whopping 82 per cent of the 5,361 surveyed indicated the cost of living is their biggest concern. This is followed by education (355), housing (263), unemployment (189) and business incentive (116). One of the respondents, Rickie Sano, said the cost of living was increasing even in the rural areas as the prices of goods were equally high. Another reader, Maslynna Eve, said those who were studying and working at the same time felt the pinch the most. "The high cost of living has caused financial problems, especially when we still have to pay tuition fees." Md Fauzi Jaafar said the education system was top priority because it would provide jobs and business opportunities. "This automatically will help us to bear the cost of living and reduce unemployment." For Zelifah Ibrahim, housing is her biggest concern. "This is because most people who cannot afford their own houses are also hard-pressed to pay their monthly rent." Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will unveil the 2012 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat today and it is expected to help ease the cost of living of low-income earners. The statistics were collected within three hours from polls posted on the Facebook pages of the New Straits Times, Berita Harian and Harian Metro. Air your comment on this issue: Making ends meet people's main concern 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.

Easing rakyat’s burden Posted: 06 Oct 2011 12:44 PM PDT Easing rakyat's burden 2011/10/07 By Mustapha Kamil news@nst.com.my Najib: Transformational budget for all KUALA LUMPUR: The 2012 Budget, to be tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the Dewan Rakyat this afternoon, will satisfy a common request made by an overwhelming number of Malaysians for measures to lighten their burden in the currently high cost of living environment. There will be new policies specifically crafted to ease the financial burden of low-to-medium income earners. Najib yesterday broadly described the budget as a "transformational budget for all Malaysians". He said there would be a wide range of winners in the measured and moderate budget. The poor and low-to-medium income earners have been most affected by the rapid increase in the cost of living in recent years. The grossly weakened global economy and the worldwide increase in energy prices have driven the cost of almost every other consumer item and service, including those of food, sharply higher. Malaysians have also been asking for cheaper homes and lower costs for medical care while civil servants have made known their wish for an upward revision in wages. The 2012 Budget is also expected to sharpen further the Najib administration's inclusive approach where no part of society will be left behind in the government's push towards making Malaysia a high-income nation by 2020. The government, however, would remain prudent with Najib saying it would maintain a fiscally-responsible approach to managing the economy. Najib, who is also finance minister, said the 2012 Budget would be about the government delivering on its promise to ensure social justice while keeping Malaysia on a strong economic course that will deliver long-term prosperity for all. "In line with the guiding principle of 1Malaysia — People First, Performance Now — I am totally focused on maintaining economic growth and cutting the deficit, but will never do so at the expense of ordinary citizens," Najib said in a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya yesterday. Air your comment on this issue: Easing rakyat's burden 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.

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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 [unable to retrieve full-text content]KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's Umno membership is inching towards the half million mark.

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WTK cut to 'market perform', stock falls Posted: 06 Oct 2011 07:08 PM PDT WTK Holdings Bhd, a timber producer, fell 1.7 percent to RM1.15. The stock was cut to "market perform" from "outperform" at RHB Capital Bhd to reflect concern that a recovery in Japan's housing starts will falter and the prospect of lower plywood prices. -- Bloomberg

CIMB jumps on San Miguel talks Posted: 06 Oct 2011 06:21 PM PDT CIMB Group Holdings Bhd rose to a one-month high after the Malaysian banking group said it's in talks with San Miguel Corp (SMC PM) for a possible acquisition of a stake in Bank of Commerce in the Philippines. CIMB climbed 1 percent to RM7.13 at 9:08 a.m. local time in Kuala Lumpur, set for its highest close since Sept. 9. -- Bloomberg

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Football: Safee and Norshahrul to reunite Posted: 06 Oct 2011 05:15 PM PDT 2011/10/07 By Devinder Singh devinder@nst.com.my Safee Sali (front) and Norshahrul Idlan Talaha have not played together since June. SAFEE Sali and Norshahrul Idlan Talaha will finally reunite on the playing field against Australia in Canberra today after injuries kept the two forwards apart since early June. National coach K. Rajagobal has not been able to field Safee and Norshahrul together in the national team's last seven matches since a 1-1 draw with Hong Kong on June 3. Norshahrul's absence was particularly missed as Safee at times was left alone to shoulder the burden of scoring goals for Malaysia during a run which included four World Cup qualifiers against Taiwan and Singapore and friendlies against Myanmar, Arsenal and Liverpool. But now that Norshahrul is back in fine form after scoring twice in Kelantan's 2-0 win over Felda United in his last outing, Rajagobal is keen for his favoured attacking pair to hit the ground running, having utilised Hadi Yahya previously with mixed success. "As you know, Norshahrul has missed a number of games due to injury and I have been forced to include other players in the team. "But now that he is back, I want to see if he can resume his understanding with Safee. I have also Shahrizal Saad and Izzaq Faris Ramlan at my disposal which was one reason why I did not include Hadi. "This is a chance for the players to show me what they can do against a strong team like Australia," said Rajagobal. Malaysia's reputation as AFF Cup champions will count for nothing despite having beaten Australia 1-0 when the two teams last met at the 1992 Jakarta Anniversary tournament as the gulf has widened considerably in the 19 years since with the Aussies ranked 19th to Malaysia's 147th. Today, a majority of the Australian players ply their trade in Europe and East Asia while Safee is the only Malaysian player based abroad with Indonesia's Pelita Jaya. Rajagobal, who was assistant to Ken Worden in 1992, cautioned against expecting Malaysia to produce a similar result against Australia, who are without Mark Schwarzer, Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton. "You must understand that Australia are a better team but we will try to play our football and use the occasion to test a few new players," he said. Goalkeeper Khairul Fahmi Che Mat will be counted upon to repeat the heroics displayed in the Olympic qualifier against Japan to keep the Australians at bay. But Australia coach Holger Osieck is certainly not underestimating the challenge posed by Malaysia as they warm up for a World Cup qualifier against Oman four days later in Sydney. "I think Malaysia are a good opponent for us because they have a similar style as Thailand and we can see like in our first qualifier, these games are not easy," Osieck said, according to Australia Associated Press. "It's a different type of football, and I think down the road we have to prepare for any style of football. "In their home game against Singapore, they played in front of a crowd of 90,000, so they cannot be a Mickey Mouse team, I assure you," he said. MALAYSIA XI (probable): Khairul Fahmi Che Mat; Mahalli Jasuli, Norhafiz Zamani Misbah, Muslim Ahmad, Asraruddin Putra Omar; S. Kunanlan, Amar Rohidan, Joseph Kalang Tie, Khyril Muhymeen Zambri; Safee Sali, Norshahrul Idlan Talaha.

Badminton: Korean help for pair Posted: 06 Oct 2011 05:13 PM PDT 2011/10/07 K.M. Boopathy boopathy@nst.com.my Koo Kien Keat (left) and Tan Boon Heong are expected to be coached by Yoo Yong Sung (inset). THE BA of Malaysia (BAM) will hire former South Korea international Yoo Yong Sung as a men's doubles coach in an attempt to help Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong win gold in the London Olympics next year. Yong Sung, 37, who won silver medals with Lee Dong Soo in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, is currently a club coach in South Korea and is expected to start work with BAM on Nov 1. Yong Sung will assist Pang Cheh Chang in a move aimed at getting Kien Keat-Boon Heong back to the top. National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Zolkples Embong, after a joint-committee meeting with BAM officials at his office in Bukit Jalil yesterday, said it is good that the association is trying its best to help Kien Keat-Boon Heong win gold in London. "BAM proposed Yong Sung to help Kien Keat-Boon Heong to rediscover their form and we (NSC) have no problem with that. It will benefit Kien Keat-Boon Heong as they will learn some of the Koreans' tactics which have proven to be very effective in men's doubles over the years," said Zolkples. "Yong Sung used to be South Korea's second pair with Lee Dong Soo and hopefully, he can guide Kien Keat-Boon Heong to become a top pair again. "However, I have asked BAM to pay his salary for the next six months and we will evaluate his performance after that. "What is important is for Kien Keat-Boon Heong to become gold medal hopes again and we will continue our support for the players. "It is good that BAM has stronger financial backing with the arrival of new sponsor Maybank and others and we want them to also be self sufficient in developing players while we will continue with our support as usual." BAM made sweeping changes last month where Tan Kim Her took over from Rexy Mainaky as the men's doubles chief coach while Cheh Chang was put in charge of Kien Keat-Boon Heong. Rexy has assumed the position of women's doubles and mixed doubles chief coach and is assisted by Jeremy Gan. Kim Her's close relationship with the South Korean national team, when he was the men's doubles coach for several years, is said to be one of the main reasons behind Yong Sung's arrival. Kim Her, himself, has been instilling some of the Korean methods of training to the back-up pairs since he was rehired by BAM in January last year and his task is expected to be much easier with Yong Sung as one of the assistant coaches. BAM president Datuk Seri Nadzmi Salleh, deputy president Datuk Al Amin Majid, secretary Ng Chin Chai and general manager Kenny Goh attended the joint-committee meeting with NSC.

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NICHE BUSINESS Posted: 05 Oct 2011 11:34 AM PDT 2011/10/05 By Rizalman Hammim A passion for making miniature houses is turning two women's hobby lucrative SITI Umi Kalsom Suparmin has always loved the arts but marriage and family life forced her to put her passion on the backburners for a long time. However, while walking on a beach several years ago, she saw pieces of drift wood and this made her start thinking about ways of turning them into pieces of art. "I have always loved art but when I got married and started having children, I had to forget about it. "Since my all children have grown up, I have a lot more spare time. "When I saw the pieces of wood on the beach, I was inspired to turn them into art," said Siti Umi Kalsom, 49, a single mother of three. Ever since that day, she and her cousin Hanizah Jamal have been turning discarded pieces of wood into miniature models of houses, which she sells as souvenir and gifts. "I learned how to make the models through trial and error. I have to do everything myself, from cutting the pieces to assembling them," she said. Siti Umi Kalsom can complete a simple house within a week but for more complicated designs, she will need a few months. "The largest model I have ever made was one over three feet (0.9m) high and was sold for about RM1,000. I am happy that my models have received good response from customers. "I have received orders from as far as Singapore. Normally, the customers would want me to make a miniature model of their own house," said Siti Umi Kalsom. Most of her customers were referred through word of mouth as she does not have an outlet and works out of her home in Kampung Parit Sri Baharum Laut in Rengit. "I would like to open my own shop to cater to a bigger market," said Siti Umi Kalsom, who has received many invitations to participate in exhibitions and expos. Her customers have also suggested that she promotes and sells her miniature models online. "However, you need the know-how to do that. Maybe, I will do it later when I find someone who has the expertise," said Siti Umi Kalsom. She hopes to acquire more tools like the bandsaw and jigsaw to facilitate her work. "I lucky because the village head Mustafa Omar has been supportive and has helped me submit applications to the agencies so that I can acquire the tools," she said. Siti Umi Kalsom said she is always looking to improve the quality and design of the models. "Lately, I have been trying to brighten up the models by installing LED light in the models." Besides the miniature models, Siti Umi Kalsom and Hanizah also make shell decorations and items used in Malay wedding gifts. "We have started doing wood carvings. We are still learning this craft so most of the items are small ones," she said.

Road safety starts with courtesy and common sense Posted: 05 Oct 2011 09:13 AM PDT 2011/10/05 by Syed Umar Ariff IT is good to note that the traffic jam in Johor Baru has lessened significantly with the opening of the second ramp at the Jalan Tun Abdul Razak Interchange. Travelling time from Skudai and Kulaijaya to the city had been reduced up to between 15 and 20 minutes during the morning rush hour. One can't say the same for the opposite lane, but perhaps the situation is progressing on the road. Among the main hindrances to smooth traffic are motorists and pedestrians. As this article was being written on a Saturday, a boy had just been hit by a speeding vehicle while crossing the busy Skudai road, just before the interchange. It took place right in front of the New Straits Times Press office. The 11-year-old was immediately taken to the hospital but his fate is yet to be ascertained. No one is to blame here. It was unfortunate that the accident took place but there is a lesson, or two, to be learned from this tragedy. Motorists who drive on the Skudai road have seen their share of accidents while heading to work: motorcyclists falling off their bikes and cars that more than just nudge the rears of other vehicles while moving into the next lane. A traffic crawl will ensue. The time it takes to reach the office will lengthen, thanks to the curiosity of other drivers who slow down to take a look, and decide whether the dent made is worth a remark. Adhering to the speed limit and being courteous to other drivers would have avoided accidents and subsequently losses. But those two traits are such rarities today, judging from the daily episodes on the road. Many motorcyclists on underbone bikes like to think of themselves as kings of the road. Such antics have been written numerous times in this column but they persist due to what the locals call the kiasu culture. Kicking the side of vehicles, as a method to make their way through the traffic is the epitome of boorishness. Speeding among car drivers has also contributed to our lack of civility. There is a reason speed limits are imposed and speed limit signs put up on roads. Failure to comply will only increase the risk of accidents, and of being slapped with summonses. We only keep within the speed limit when there is a police patrol car doing its rounds or parked by the side of the road. Not too long ago, a reader wrote a to the NST, expressing his thoughts on the attitude of drivers in the country. He mentioned that when it comes to extending courtesy, Malaysians scored points when giving directions to tourists. Sadly on the road, we are not so friendly when other motorists signal to change lanes. Instead of courteously slowing down for other drivers to move safely into our lane, more often then not we refuse to make way. We, apparently, are territorial of our stretch of the road. Pedestrians too, are nonchalant about their own safety. When crossing roads, for example, rarely is the pedestrian bridge used. Some say, it is too taxing to climb the stairs to use the bridge while others are simply ignorant to the dangers of jaywalking. Many will only open their mind and see the wisdom in using the pedestrian bridge after someone has been hit by a car on that particular stretch while jaywalking. It is unfortunate to opine that only with tragedy comes realisation. Pedestrians should know that motorists are not mind readers. They can only anticipate the pedestrian's next move by guessing his or her body language, but they can never determine whether the pedestrians' thoughts are in tune with their movements. Our roads could be safer with more motorcycle and bicycle lanes. Traffic could be better with wider roads and better networking of pathways. But all of these are rendered useless if the people who use the facilities most do not understand the importance of safety and lack the maturity needed to be responsible road users.

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