Isnin, 17 Oktober 2011

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Muhyiddin: BN will stick to power-sharing formula

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:45 AM PDT

Muhyiddin: BN will stick to power-sharing formula

2011/10/18
By Rizalman Hammim
news@nst.com.my


 Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin helping 73-year-old Alijah Jaafar into a wheelchair given to her under the Special Programme for People’s Welfare  in Pagoh yesterday. — NST picture  by  Shahrul M. Zain

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin helping 73-year-old Alijah Jaafar into a wheelchair given to her under the Special Programme for People's Welfare in Pagoh yesterday. — NST picture by Shahrul M. Zain

PAGOH: Barisan Nasional will not abandon the basic principles of power sharing and justice to reach an agreement on seat allocation in the next general election, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said yesterday.

He said the concept was important in determining seat allocation and also helped BN to stay in power.

The Umno deputy president said seat allocation among BN component parties would take into consideration the current political landscape and the people's support.


He reminded BN members not to be too confident or arrogant about the people's support as many factors could change that.

"BN should be aware of the changes in the political landscape and what people expect of them.

"We need to continue to work hard to serve the people. We can't afford to be complacent," said Muhyiddin after presenting aid to 168 recipients under the Special Programme for People's Welfare at SK Paya Panjang here yesterday.


Muhyiddin said the people's support for BN was returning because they had realised the coalition's ability to develop the country and its track record.

"But there are still groups and areas that need attention. Therefore, we need to continue with our touch point programmes and efforts to solve people's problems."

On candidates for the general election, Muhyiddin said the matter was still being discussed by the component parties.


"We are in discussion with all the component parties. All the leaders are aware of the challenges and the different political landscape we are facing today.

"We need a consensus so that we can achieve a win-win formula for all," said the BN deputy chairman.

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Muhyiddin: BN will stick to power-sharing formula

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Readers' comments (1)

Our by election Marverick is back. Datuk Muhy's message is loud and clear.

BN professes fairness and equality.

BN candidates must not be winnable but also be committed.

Muhy is humble and not being over confident, one of his winning trademarks

Avoid complacency and help solve the people's ever growing problems.

Yes, we like it.

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Double trouble for snatch theft suspects

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:24 AM PDT

Double trouble for snatch theft suspects

2011/10/18
By Jassmine Shadiqe
news@nst.com.my

KLUANG: Two snatch theft suspects on the run from police hid in an army camp, but were later caught by military policemen for trespassing.

The military policemen at Mahkota Army camp here handed the suspects, aged 28 and 31, to policemen waiting outside the camp.


The suspects are in big trouble, for apart from charges of trespassing and theft, they are also looking at a murder rap after a victim they had assaulted died on Sunday.


The drama began in Taman Intan last week when the two suspects tried to grab a woman's handbag.

She put up a struggle and a passing patrol car spotted the commotion.


Seeing the policemen, the suspects abandoned their motorcycle and climbed over a gate at the side entrance of the army camp, where they hid for a while.


Several minutes later, they tried to walk out through the main entrance, without realising that military policemen and policemen in the patrol car were waiting for them.

Johor deputy police chief Datuk Ismail Yatim said they were investigating the suspects for the murder of a 79-year-old man, who was attacked while returning home after a morning walk on Sept 1.

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Red Crescent sets up flood squads

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:24 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) has set up a rapid deployment squad in every state in preparation for the floods during the monsoon season at the end of the year, MRCS national vice-chairman Datuk Dr Bahari Abu Mansor said today.

He said each 20-member squad is trained to go to disaster areas to provide aid and, in fact, can also cook for 500 people in an hour.

Dr Bahari, who also MRCS disaster management committee chairman, said the society had issued a flood alert to each state committee as a precaution.


He also said that the society needs new boats and ambulances to replace the old ones.

"We have 25 ambulances and five boats at the headquarters for use nationwide and some of them have been in use for more than 20 years," he said.

Dr Bahari said he hoped that corporate organisations could help contribute ambulances and boats to the society. -- BERNAMA

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Strike-hit Qantas grounds more jets

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 09:54 PM PDT

SYDNEY: Australian flag-carrier Qantas grounded another two aircraft and cancelled 80 flights Tuesday due to a bitter row with unions which has seen engineers down tools and repeated walkouts by ground staff.

Qantas chief Alan Joyce said the airline's on-time performance had dropped to 75 percent in the past week due to ongoing industrial action by staff which had seen maintenance work back up to an impossible level.

The airline grounded five jets and axed almost 100 domestic weekly services last week due to the disruption, and Joyce said another two Boeing 767s had been taken out of service, resulting in the loss of another 80 flights.


Joyce has received death threats since announcing a major Asia-focused restructure of Qantas which inflamed existing tensions with ground staff, pilots and engineers over contract talks, triggering strikes and stoppages.

Almost 500 flights have now been cancelled for the next month, and Joyce warned of further disruptions, with industrial action scheduled until Christmas.

"The ongoing action from the licensed aircraft maintenance engineers' union means we do not have the manpower to fulfill all of the necessary maintenance on our fleet of aircraft," Joyce said.


"If this overtime ban continues, we will be grounding even more aircraft."

Joyce said the go-slow by engineers had seen a backlog of 60,000 maintenance man hours amass, causing "ongoing and unplanned disruption to our
customers".

He rejected claims that the aircraft had already been slated for grounding prior to the strikes, accusing engineers of attempting "to divert attention away from the significant damage" of their actions.

"These aircraft are flying this week and from Monday they won't be," Joyce said.

"When we clear the backlog of maintenance then the aircraft will be put back into service. It's as simple as that." More than 60,000 passengers have been affected by the industrial action over the past two months, with 129 flights cancelled and another 321 rescheduled.

Joyce said the engineers' "unreasonable" demands, which include a new Aus$95 million hangar, would cost Qantas Aus$165 million.

Talks would resume with the ground staff union Tuesday, engineers on Thursday and pilots next Friday, he added, saying Qantas remained "committed to reaching a negotiated outcome with the three unions".

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has urged the warring parties to "get on" with talks, warning they could face government intervention if the Australian economy or the welfare of its population is deemed to to be under threat. - AFP

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Both sides display professionalism

Posted: 15 Mar 2011 08:21 AM PDT

2010/10/26
Patrick Sennyah and Aidi Amin
news@nst.com.my


GUA MUSANG: Leaders from both the Barisan Nasional and Pas demonstrated a high level of professionalism during nominations for the Galas state seat today, ensuring a smooth, fast and clean nomination process.

The BN delegation was led by Umno vice-president, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Wanita Umno chief, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Wanita MCA chief, Datuk Ng Yen Yen and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, while the Pas delegation was helmed by its party president, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president Azmin Ali and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

Both delegations arrived separately and though seated in different tents were seen chatting with each other in a very cordial and peaceful manner.


At one point, Shahrizat was seen leading a delegation of Wanita Umno members to visit the Opposition tent.

There, Shahrizat warmly greeted Hadi Awang, who stood up to greet her, along with Kit Siang and Azmin.

Hadi Awang asked Shahrizat how the recently concluded Umno general assembly had progressed and congratulated her on a smooth and successful assembly.


"It went well. There were no problems and everyone was happy," said Shahrizat, who also took time to ask Kit Siang about his health.

"I'm well ... how about you," asked the DAP stalwart.

The group then spent a few minutes chatting and later returned to their respective camps.


Overall, there was not a single untoward incident and supporters from both sides demonstrated a high level of professionalism.

"We are very happy with how the nominations progressed and hope this same kind of spirit will prevail throughout the campaign period and on polling day also," said Kelantan police chief, Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi.

Abdul Rahim has assured both the Barisan Nasional, who will be fielding Abdul Aziz Yusoff, 49, for the seat and Pas' Dr Zulkefli Mohamed,44, that the police will not reject any permits for ceramahs, as long as it is submitted a day earlier.

There were more than 500 supporters on each side and police, who had anticipated large crowds had took steps to place the groups 180 metres apart as opposed to only 60 metres as in previous by-elections.

There was also very smooth traffic flow, with no major disturbances to the locals who were busy on their way to work.

"We did not close any major roads and did our best not to disturb the daily lives of the people here," said Abdul Rahim.

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New faces expected in Sarawak election

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 03:12 PM PDT

2010/11/23
By Lian Cheng
news@nst.com.my

KUCHING: The coming state election may see the most number of new faces within the Sarawak Barisan Nasional in its history.

In the past, it has been the practice of BN to maintain the incumbents to ensure political stability - the fewer changes made, the less risk would be at stake.

However, since the last state election in 2006, the general public's mentality seems to have shifted to opt for new blood and younger state representatives, especially after the op position made it a point to recruit young professionals with no historical baggage or even political background to stand as their candidates.


While BN had little time to react to this change in the last state election, this time around, however, one can expect to see BN putting forth new faces to replace some of the incumbents, especially those who did not secure impressive majorities in the last state elections.

Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), for instance, did not wait for the coming election to make known its intention to replace some of the incumbents.

As early as November 2008, its president Tan Sri Taib Mahmud replaced three PBB assistant ministers when reshuffling his Cabinet - Datuk Bolhassan Di (Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communica tion), Datuk Hamden Ahmad (Assistant Minister of Youth as well as Tourism) and Datuk Ambrose Blikau (Assistant Minister of Rural Development as well as Public Utilities).


With growing rumours that a state election would take place March 26 (which coincides with Taib's 30th an niversary as Chief Minister) next year, there are predictions that more than a handful of PBB incumbents would be dropped after Taib's declaration of 30 per cent new faces.

PBB was allocated 35 out of the 71 state seats in the last elections and 30 per cent new faces would mean 10 new candidates, which was also confirmed by party insiders.

Those on top of the list speculated to be dropped are the three dropped assistant minsiters Bolhassan (Beting Maro), Hamden (Belawai) and Blikau (Katibas).


Others included Dr Wahbi Junaidi (Saribas; 94-vote ma jority), Simoi Peri (Lingga; 1870-vote majority), Gramong Juna (Machan; 2,289-vote majority), Frederick Bayoi (Kedup; 1981-vote majority) and Wan Wahap (Sadong Jaya, 858-vote majority).

Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), meanwhile, has been going on its rounds to solve issues, reaching out to young voters and recruiting thousands of them. SUPP has also produced dramas to rekindle among the veteran party members their initial love and sacrifice for the party.

These efforts were taken note of by the Chinese, but initial grassroots feedback seems to indicate no significant impact as yet on Chinese voters.

"Every day, we make it a point to spend time with our voters. We are experiencing a total transformation especially with regards to our candidates," said its president Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam.

SUPP plans to put forth at least 30 per cent new faces and no "recycled candidates". These changes are expected in all the areas it had lost ground previously, such as Padungan, Pending, Batu Lintang, Kidurong, Merandong and Bukit Assek. SUPP has 19 allocated constituencies.

Only one recycled candidate would be expected, namely Datuk Alfred Yap, contesting in Kota Sentosa which he lost by 531 votes to Sarawak DAP secretary general Chong Chieng Jen.

For Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) which has been allocated nine seats, its president Datuk Seri Dr James Masing has stated that there would be at least two new faces, speculated to be at Ngemah and Pelagus.

Ngemah was lost to Gabriel Adit, a former BN member who is now Parti Cinta Malaysia Sarawak state chief.

Pelagus, a seat of dispute due to Larry Sng's expulsion from the party after challenging Masing's presidency, remains a problem that BN needs to solve before the state elections is called.

To Masing, the Pelagus seat is non-negotiable.

Sng, who has been a partyless assistant minister over the last three years, would have to be absorbed by other component parties and contest in another constituency besides Pelagus if he wished to stand under the BN banner.

Speculation is that he would either stand in Meradong, the birthplace of his tycoon father-in-law Tan Sri Ting Phek Kiing, if he is to be absorbed by SUPP; or Meluan, replacing Wong Judat, should he be accepted by Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

Holding eight seats, SPDP's president Datuk Seri William has said that he would retain all the incumbents.

However, it has been reported that the four state as semblymen within "the disgruntled five" namely Datuk Peter Nansian (Tasik Biru), Rosey Yunus (Bekenu), Sylvester Entri (Marudi) and Paulus Palu Gumbang (Batu Danau) would be replaced with new faces.

"The disgruntled five", which also includes Mas Gading Member of Parliament Datuk Dr Tiki Lafe, was given the nickname when they teamed up to call on party president Mawan to resign.

They claimed that Mawan, who is also the State Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation, was influenced by an invisible hand when he did not re-appoint Entri as the party secretary-general.

The five walked out from a SPDP supreme council meeting when Mawan replaced Entri.

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NST Online: Sports

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Football / Champions League: United, City look to end drought

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 05:16 PM PDT


City manager Roberto Mancini.

City manager Roberto Mancini.

PARIS: Dominance has been the domestic watchword of both defending champions Manchester United and current leaders Manchester City in the English Premier League so far this season.

But Europe is proving a different story.

In two Champions League outings to date, neither City nor United have managed a single win between them, making today's matches crucial.


Despite his side's bright overall start, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has bemoaned recent defensive lapses.

Saturday, he was critical of Ryan Giggs for leaving the wall to allow Steven Gerrard to score for Liverpool in a 1-1 draw at Anfield.

"We have got to defend better. It's exactly the same as last season," said Ferguson, who was reciting the same mantra three weeks ago after United squandered a two-goal lead in a 3-3 home draw with Group C rivals FC Basel.


"We threw the game away," Ferguson said of that showing, which left Basel in the unlikely position of group leaders with Benfica also two points clear of the men from Old Trafford.

Having failed before to get out of a group containing the Portuguese -- who held United in Lisbon -- Ferguson will not expect to get caught a second time as he chases a third Champions League crown after 1999 and 2008, as well as a fourth final in five seasons.

A first group win of this campaign today is now urgently required at Romanian outfit Otelul Galati, already beaten both by Basel and Benfica, who face off in Switzerland.


City are, meanwhile, learning the hard way that money cannot buy experience at this level as they tackle their debut season in the competition.

A draw at home to Napoli and defeat at Bayern Munich have left Roberto Mancini's side desperately needing three home points against Group A tailenders Villarreal.

The Bayern loss not only punctured City's recent cash-induced aura of invincibility but also jolted morale with the media raking over the Carlos Tevez saga after the Argentine allegedly refused to appear from the bench.

But Mancini's men showed in dismissing Aston Villa on Saturday that the players themselves are making light of the Tevez unrest.

Ahead of the Villarreal face off at the Etihad Stadium, Mancini said: "I think the only problem we had in Munich was the result. For 50 minutes we played very well and should have had two penalties."

City will hope that Bayern, who are proving unstoppable in Germany, can bring Napoli back to earth at the Stadio San Paolo after the Italians' strong start.

The Bavarians head to Italy after crushing Hertha Berlin on Saturday but will not underestimate rivals, albeit ones playing in their first European Cup campaign in 21 years.

Napoli suffered a blow with a weekend home loss to Parma which took some of the gloss off their recent good form.

In Group B, many eyes will be on crisis club Inter Milan, European champions under Jose Mourinho only 17 months ago but struggling with four defeats in six matches in Serie A as they head towards the drop zone.

But new coach Claudio Ranieri saw the side bag a 3-2 win at CSKA Moscow which went some way to making up for a shock home loss to Turkey's Trabzonspor.

That put the Nerazzurri -- winless in their past six meetings with French opposition -- a point clear of French champions Lille, whose inability to protect leads has cost them dearly in two draws to date.

The two face off in France in their first ever meeting while Trabzonspor look to inflict a second home loss on CSKA.

In Group D, Mourinho's current side Real Madrid take on a Lyon side they know well from recent encounters.

The pair meet for the third time in as many seasons -- Real sent them packing 3-0 in last year's round of 16.

Lyon playmaker Yoann Gourcuff, just back after nearly six months on the sidelines with ankle trouble, hopes to make the date at the Bernabeu with youngster Clement Grenier out injured.

Real lead the way with a perfect record to date with Lyon on four points with four-time champions Ajax needing a win at Dinamo Zagreb to stay realistically in contention. -- AFP

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Football / Malaysia Cup: Hairuddin to work his magic again

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 05:15 PM PDT

2011/10/18
Ajitpal Singh
ajitpalsingh@nst.com.my


Hairuddin (right) is expected to lead Negri’s attack.

Hairuddin (right) is expected to lead Negri's attack.

AT 32, many footballers would be considering retirement but not Negri Sembilan's Hairuddin Omar.

The striker, who battled his way back into Negri's starting line-up after recovering from a knee injury, is gunning for his third straight appearance in a Malaysia Cup final.

The Setiu-born played a key role in Negri's victory in the 2009 final and did the same for Kelantan last year. Hairuddin bagged his first title with his home state, Terengganu in 2001.


Hairuddin is determined to work his magic once again for Negri, who visit T-Team in today's semi-finals first leg in Kuala Terengganu.

"It's been a tough season. My knee problem restricted me in the Super League but lucky for me, I was declared fully fit for the Malaysia Cup," said Hairuddin, who scored two goals in Negri's 3-1 aggregate victory over Felda United in the quarter-finals.

"I've scored five goals so far in this competition but I am hungry for more as I want to help Negri win the title."


Hairuddin said Negri's fine run in the Malaysia Cup is attributed to team work.

"We want to win something for our fans after mediocre outings in the Super League and FA Cup. We did not do well then because of injuries.

"I must thank coach Azraai Khor for helping us through difficult times in the Super League. He came at the right time to motivate us and we want to repay him with a title," said Hairuddin, who was named Man of the Match in the 2001 and 2010 Malaysia Cup finals.


Hairuddin is expected to lead Negri's attack as national striker Zaquan Adha Radzak, who played for 30 minutes against Felda last Friday, is low on confidence.

Azraai said Hairuddin's form has greatly helped Negri in the Malaysia Cup.

"He (Hairuddin) has done a fantastic job in getting the goals in the absence of Ahmad (Fakri Saraani) and Zaquan. I hope he will continue with his form in the semi-finals," said Azraai.

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NST Online Business Times : latest

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Leader Universal surges most in 11 years

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:20 PM PDT

Leader Universal Holdings Bhd, a Malaysian cable and wire maker, surged the most in more than 11 years in Kuala Lumpur trading after it received a buyout offer valued at RM480.1 million.

The stock jumped 21 percent to RM1.02 at 9:01 a.m. local time, set for its steepest gain since February 2000.

HNG Capital Sdn Bhd offered the equivalent of RM1.10 a share, Leader said in a statement yesterday. -- Bloomberg

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PacificMas gains on OCBC Cap offer

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:21 PM PDT

PacificMas Bhd, a Malaysian insurer, rose the most in a month in Kuala Lumpur trading after OCBC Capital (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd offered to buy its stakes in five subsidiaries for a total RM450 million.

The stock gained 5.9 percent to RM3.25 at 9:01 a.m. local time, set for its biggest increase since Sept. 20. -- Bloomberg

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NST Online: StreetsJohor

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FREE THERAPY

Posted: 16 Oct 2011 11:28 AM PDT

2011/10/16
By Chuah Bee Kim


Physiotherapy, which is a rather expensive treatment, is being provided free of charge to Down's Syndrome and cerebral palsy children

PHYSIOTHERAPY is vital for children with special needs as the exercises will help correct their posture and and gain balance in standing, walking and running.

However, physiotherapy can be expensive. A trained physiotherapist can command between RM60 and RM80 per session.


That is the reason Shafar Physiotherapy Centre, in Melodies Garden, Johor Baru, is offering this service for free to various homes run by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), especially those that care for children with Down's Syndrome and cerebral palsy.

One of the homes enjoying the free service is the Kiwanis Down's Syndrome Centre in Taman Majidee Park, Johor Baru.

Chieng Ping Ling, a volunteer at the centre, said the service provided by the centre is invaluable.


She is grateful for Fauziah Shaik Omar, who helms the Shafar Trading Sdn Bhd which manages the centre under its rehabilitation clinic division.

"We have over 50 children at the Kiwanis Down's Syndrome Centre, so we have to group the children so that they can take turns to undergo physiotherapy," said Chieng.

"Being an NGO, we cannot charge charity homes the market rate for children to undergo physiotherapy," she said, adding that the service is free for six months on a bi-weekly basis.


The Johor Spastic Children's Association in Jalan Dato Menteri, Johor Baru, is also enjoying free services at the centre.

Shafar Trading Sdn Bhd started 25 years ago in Larkin Idaman, Johor Baru.

It offers an array of medical equipment such as wheelchairs, ripple mattresses, portable oxygen therapy units, crutches and homecare beds.

It also has a biomedical division which provides repair services and maintenance of clinical apparatus and equipment in hospitals and clinics.

The biomedical division was launched in 2004.

This was followed by the launch of the rehabilitation clinic division (the physiotherapy centre) in July this year.

Last February, the company launched the Shafar Welfare Association, which is managed by the welfare foundation division.

"The money for the free physiotherapy sessions come from the company's sales of medical and homecare equipment," said Faiz Banafe, 26, the general manager of Shafar Trading.

Faiz said its welfare association plans to buy a piece of land to build a shelter for single mothers and orphans.

Currently, Faiz's mother Fauziah is running the company.

In time to come, Fauziah said she will gradually hand over the business to Faiz and her older son, Sharif Banafe, 29, who is excited about the prospect.

There are two trained physiotherapists and two assistants at the centre, which operates in a bungalow.

The centre features a gymnasium in its hall. It also has three treatment rooms and a consultation room.

The centre also offers chargeable physiotherapy services to stroke patients and those suffering from spinal injuries, joint problems, accidents and sports injuries.

"It also caters to the elderly and those suffering from arthritis, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.

The physiotherapy centre opens daily from 9am to 6pm. It closes on Mondays.

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A passion for remote control cars

Posted: 16 Oct 2011 06:33 AM PDT


I FIRST become interested in remote control (RC) car racing about 10 years ago when I saw some people playing the hobby cars at the Titiwangsa Lake Garden in Kuala Lumpur.

  I was working in the city at the time and would always find people playing the RC cars whenever I visited the park to wind down on the weekends.

After watching these people on numerous occasions, my interest heightenedbecame higher and I decided to buy a RC car to so that I can try it out for myself.


I immediately fell in love with the hobby and have been involved ever since. At first, I was racing gas-powered RC cars but for the past few years, I have converted to racing electric-powered RC cars.

Over the years, I have become more serious in this sport and have started to compete in the national championship series organised by Radio Control Auto Club (RCAC) of Kuala Lumpur.

  The championship consists of several rounds of competition held in various location nationwide, and are usually held in the weekends, as most of the competitors, as well as the organisers, have jobs outside the sport.


  I tried to compete in all the rounds of the championship but there are times that I had to miss a round because of other commitments.

Being around other RC car enthusiasts so much of the time most of the time, we have become a close knit community and have formed a kind of a clique.

  We have discussions on everything relating to the sport. We have an online forum where we talk about racing strategies, the latest racing parts and the best set up for a race.


In Batu Pahat, we have a club called BPRR, which has about 40 members.  We are also lucky because we have a proper place to race RC cars.

The Minyak Beku Agrotourism Resort opened a track for RC car racing about a year ago.

Before that, the track was opened, we had a difficult time finding a suitable place to race RC cars although we did have the permission from the Batu Pahat Municipal Council to use the parking lot of the council building to practice.

When people see us racing RC cars, they often would usually assume that it is a simple hobby, but into take part in when it actual fact, it is complicated and expensive.

There is a lot of preparation that needed to be done before we can race. We need to get up the car with the proper engine setting and the right tyres and suspensions.

RC car racing is a rapidly changing sport with new parts and component being introduced every few months, so if you want to be able to compete, you have to spend some money.

Sometimes, you have to spend up to RM800 to compete in a competition, but that is the price you have to pay for something that you are passionate about.

  I am lucky that my family, especially my wife, is understanding about my passion although there are times that she would nag at me for spending to much time and money on the sport.

  I try to make it a family affair by bringing my family with me to a competition, especially if it is outside of Batu Pahat.

Nazleen Daud, 39, is an executive at the Putra Specialist Hospital in Batu Pahat.

Interview by Rizalman Hammim

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