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Ops Sikap campaign to continue Posted: 01 Nov 2011 11:19 PM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: The "Ops Sikap" campaign to curtail road accidents during festive periods will continue to be held, the Dewan Rakyat was told today. Deputy Home Minister Datuk Abu Seman Yusop said the campaign is still relevant and helps to ensure that motorists exercise prudence in their driving. "Ops Sikap" will not be replaced with another mechanism because it remains effective in checking the rate of accidents and deaths during festive periods, he said when replying to a question from Salleh Kalbi (BN-Silam). "Based on statistics, 60 per cent of fatal accidents occur outside the Ops Sikap areas," he added. Abu Seman said a study by the Bukit Aman Traffic Branch Research Unit showed that 90 per cent of road users agree that they become more alert to traffic regulations with the enforcement of the "Ops Sikap" campaigns. "A study by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia indicates that generally factors contributing to accidents are recklessness of the motorists due to driving without sufficient rest, using the handphone while driving, speeding and being insensitive to traffic regulations," he said. On the cost of the "Ops Sikap" campaigns, he said many of the operations were sponsored by companies such as Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan (PLUS) Berhad and Telekom Malaysia (TM) Berhad. -- BERNAMA Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Qantas agrees to compensate stranded passengers Posted: 01 Nov 2011 11:13 PM PDT SYDNEY: Australian airline Qantas said today it would compensate passengers stranded by its sudden grounding of all flights over the weekend for "all reasonable losses". Australia's iconic carrier shut down suddenly on Saturday, saying industrial action by unions had forced its hand. The move left tens of thousands of business people, holiday makers and travellers around the world stranded. The airline issued a statement Wednesday after Australia's consumer watchdog called on the carrier to clarify its response to travellers affected by the grounding, saying it was "squarely in the airline's camp to make good". Qantas, which said its flight schedule returned to normal yesterday, said it acknowledged the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's comments. "Qantas agrees to and accepts the ACCC'S request that it compensate all passengers for all reasonable losses incurred as a direct result of the grounding," the airline said in a statement. "Qantas has always intended to ensure that disrupted customers incur no financial loss." -- AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Review of ‘restrictive’ laws: Expect changes next year Posted: 01 Nov 2011 05:31 PM PDT 2011/11/02 By Farrah Naz Karim farrah@nst.com.my PUTRAJAYA: The Attorney-General's Chambers has put all laws deemed restrictive on Malaysians' fundamental rights under its microscope. Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said he and his team were in the midst of reviewing not only laws that were unsuitable for current times but also those that curtailed basic human rights. Saying that his review team was also looking at reviewing the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) 1971, Gani said it would not be impossible to expect the "changes" to materialise next year. "We are looking at these law reviews but you cannot expect this to be done by next month. But we are getting there," he told the New Straits Times yesterday. "These amendments are the (A-G's) chambers' proactive initiatives. It is normal for us to carry out such reviews in the course of our duty to advise the government (on the need for law reviews)." It is understood that among the laws being looked at are the Police Act, the Multimedia and Communications Act, the Restrictive Residence Ordinance and Public Security Act. Gani said while his office had begun the review of laws that curbed fundamental rights, he did not want to comment on Monday's Court of Appeal decision, which ruled that Section 15(5)(a) of the UUCA, which restricts students from expressing support or opposing any political party, as unconstitutional. In the landmark 2-1 majority decision, the court held that the provision was unreasonable and violated the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. It allowed the appeal by four former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia students — Muhammad Hilman Idham, Woon King Chai, Muhammad Ismail Aminuddin and Azlin Shafina Mohamad Adzha — after the High Court dismissed a suit by them to get a declaration that the section violated Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. Short of giving an indication of the kind of changes to come, Gani said the spirit of the review could be reflected in the recent announcement of the abolition of the Internal Security Act 1960 (to be replaced with two new laws to safeguard peace and order) and repealing of the Banishment Act 1959. In making the announcement in September, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had said that the government was reviewing other laws to be in line with current needs. Najib had said that a comprehensive study would be carried out on the Restricted Residence Act 1993 and the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, where annual renewals would be done away with and replaced with issuance of a licence until it was revoked . Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) commissioner Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah said with the government liberalising contentious laws t h at curtailed human rights, Malaysia would be positioning itself on the right roadmap. "This, in the end, will also improve transparency and stop abuse of the law," he said, adding that he hoped that the government would not appeal the de - cision on the UUCA. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

On track towards high income Posted: 01 Nov 2011 10:16 AM PDT 2011/11/02 By Adeline Paul Raj news@nst.com.my Minister in the Prime Minster's Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala says Malaysia's economy is making good progress KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is on the right trajectory towards becoming a high-income nation by 2020. This is based on what it has managed to achieve so far in the first year of its Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), said Datuk Seri Idris Jala, who is chief executive officer of Pemandu, the unit under the Prime Minister's Department that oversees ETP's implementation. Some RM10 billion in investments under the ETP have been realised so far. The amount constitutes 64 per cent of RM15 billion investments committed for this year, he said in an analyst-and-media briefing here yesterday that marked ETP's one year anniversary. Projects are also "prog ressing well", with 70 out of the 131 entry point projects (EPPs) under ETP had taken off. "As some EPPs have multiple projects,we nowhave 97 projects which are in various stages of implementation." Malaysia made good progress, matching up to its targets this year for gross national income (GNI), private investments and jobs creation, which Idris described as "the most important numbers". In the first half of this year, the country realised 58 per cent of its GNI target of RM494 billion, 62 per cent of its full-year target of RM83 billion for private investments, and about half of its jobs target of 684,000, Idris said. As for foreign direct investments (FDI), they grew by 76 per cent compared with the first half of last year. The government also brought home more than 450 Malaysians working abroad under Talent Corp's Returning Expert Programme, he said. "To me, we are okay and are on the right trajectory. We need to keep the momentum and stay focused. This is not a sprint. No one in the government is declaring victory here," Idris said of the ETP's progress. He believed that the European debt crisis would not lead to a global recession, but would slow down economic growth next year. When asked what Malaysia could learn from Singapore in attracting FDI, Idris said the country needed to stay focused through the ETP's 12 key economic areas and stay competitive through its reform initiatives. "We lost the plot over the last 10 years because we wanted to do everything under the sun. Let's not lose that focus, orwe'll end up becoming 'Mr Average'." On the goods and services tax, he said it would have to be implemented "sooner, rather than later", adding that 104 other countries were already using this as a way to boost revenue. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Flood spoils 30-year vinyl collection Posted: 14 Mar 2011 06:27 PM PDT 2010/11/10 Adie Suri Zulkefli adie@nst.com.my Tengku Nahar Tengku Mansor holds his treasured collection of Michael Jackson Thriller at his flood-ravaged house at Taman Rakyat, Alor Star. NST picture by Ramdzan Masiam ALOR STAR: Flood victim Tengku Nahar Tengku Mansor, 48, was devastated when he came home to find his collection of vinyl records was soaked in mudwaters after the city was ravaged by floods last Wednesday. The father of three only realised the irreparable damages when he returned to his house at Taman Rakyat, Jalan Sultanah Bahiyah here on Saturday after seeking refuge at a relative's home in Hutan Kampung. Self-employed Tengku Nahar said his record collection were kept in the storeroom of his double-storey house and he had forgotten about the records when his family were rushing to evacuate the house last week. "I was busy moving our furniture to the upper-floor when the flood started to reach our doorstep last Wednesday. I forgot about the records that was stacked in a box which I placed on the floor of the store room," said crestfallen Tengku Nahar. Tengku Nahar said he may salvage the vinyl records but the album covers were spoilt. His collection includes evergreens and superstars the likes of Bee Gees, Dan Hill, Neil Young, David Gates, Kim Carnes, Cliff Richard, Nat King Cole, and Graham Nash. Tengku Nahar began collecting the vinyl records in the 1970s, and he loved each of them dearly. "This is the precious collection of my life, I simply could not believe that I forgot about them when we were leaving the house," he added. Tengku Nahar had lived in Langkawi for over 20 years before moving back to his hometown in Alor Star two months ago. "I had never expected this area would be inundated by flood as it was never badly affected even during the major flood in 2005. I certainly hope that it would not occur again," he said. He thanked the volunteer rescuers for helping them in the evacuation process. "I didn't realise how serious the situation was until the rescuers arrived at 11pm on Thursday telling us to leave the house as the authority was about to cut-off the electricity supply on safety ground," he said, sharing his first experience with flood disaster. Tengku Nahar said he was planning to frame all the vinyl record and have them hung on the wall but did not have the time to do so. He only managed to frame his most treasured album 'Thriller', by the late King of Pop Michael Jackson. "At least I still have this." Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Nation needs DNA banks, says lead CSI Posted: 09 Mar 2011 10:50 AM PST 2010/12/08 By Nor Hidayati Mokhtar SHAH ALAM: Malaysia needs to build DNA banks or repositories to assist in solving crimes and prosecuting cases, according to a senior forensic police officer. Head of the Police Forensic Lab's Crime Scene Unit (CSU) Supt Amidon Anan said the ability to collect DNA at crime scenes often proved futile as the forensic lab had only a limited bank of samples. "Having the DNA is useful if we have suspects we can match the samples against. But we are unable to use the samples to help us find potential perpetrators as we don't have DNA banks like what you see on the television series CSI," said Amidon. He was speaking to students from UiTM's Faculty of Communication and Media Studies on the topic, 'Crime as the elective subject' at the campus here on Oct 5. The need to create and develop DNA banks was critical, said Amidon, given the high public expectations on the police to safeguard society and reduce crime. He said: "DNA banks can help the CSU in many pending cases, such as Nurin Jazlin. It was sad that while we were able to collect a DNA sample from the body of the child, we had little means or resources to match it with the likely murderer," he said. Nurin Jazlin was a high-profile case of a missing child whose body was subsequently dumped in a gym bag in Petaling Jaya more than three years ago. Amidon expressed his frustration that the CSU's repeated requests for the establishment of DNA banks seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. While the cost of implementing such a project would be substantial, he said it would only escalate over time and "if not now, then when?" "It is not about being a hero in solving these cases. It is about finding justice for the victim's family." "Having this ability to solve and prosecute cases would significantly reduce the ability of criminals to get away with their crimes," added Amidon. (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.) Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Badminton: Coach: New plan can save Koo-Tan Posted: 01 Nov 2011 04:56 PM PDT 2011/11/02 Ajitpal Singh ajitpalsingh@nst.com.my IT has been attempted before but doubles coach Pang Cheh Chang believes a revamped training programme will help Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong bounce back from their slump. According to Cheh Chang, the World No 5 pair need a slight change in their game to re-establish themselves among the world's top four pairs. "Kien Keat-Boon Heong are not thinking enough on court unlike the top pairs from China, South Korea and Europe," said Cheh Chang after an informal meeting between coaches and BA of Malaysia (BAM) officials in Bukit Kiara yesterday. "They need to elevate their game to the next level like what China's Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng and Korea's Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae have done. "Tan Kim Her (head coach) and I are working closely to find solutions. Anyway, I have started implementing changes to their game." Cheh Chang, however, said Kien Keat-Boon Heong are still Malaysia's best bet for gold at the London Olympic Games. "Kien Keat and Boon Heong have quality but tend to be individualistic at times. They need to implement new strategies to remain relevant," added the coach. "We have to help them regain their form and confidence. "I am confident Kien Keat-Boon Heong will be medallists in London." Kien Keat-Boon Heong, gold medallists, at the 2006 Doha Asian Games, lost 21-16, 21-19 to Denmark's World No 13 Mads Conrad-Petersen-Jonas Rasmussen in last week's French Open second round. This came in the wake of their embarrassing first-round defeat to South Korea's No 3 Kwon Yi Goo-Cho Gun Woo in the recent Denmark Open. Kien Keat-Boon Heong made headlines in September when they said they wanted Cheh Chang as their new coach over Rexy Mainaky to revive their careers, which BAM agreed to. However, the pair's performances have instead dipped to an all-time low. Cheh Chang claimed Kien Keat-Boon Heong have been working extremely hard in training. "In fact, they are putting in extra hours. I believe they have lost confidence, so this is something they need to work on," he said. BAM confirmed that Korean Yoo Yong Sung, appointed on a six-month probation, will have a hand in coaching Kien Keat-Boon Heong for one session a day. "Yong Sung's no-nonsense attitude and training drills could help Kien Keat-Boong regain their form," said Cheh Chang. On whether Kien Keat-Boon Heong will compete again this year, Cheh Chang said it would depend on how well they responded to the new training system. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Football: Irfan: Money was never a factor Posted: 01 Nov 2011 04:52 PM PDT 2011/11/02 By Zainuddin Muhammad nstsport@nstp.com.my Irfan admitted the morale in the camp was not all that high before last Saturday's Malaysia Cup final. IT was not money that prompted Irfan Bakti to join Selangor. Instead, it was the culmination of all the little things which led to his big decision, said the 60-year-old coach who parted company with Terengganu just two days after losing Saturday's Malaysia Cup final to Negri Sembilan. The Kelantan-born coach said most people thought it was the money that took him away from the East Coast club after just two years at the helm. "They can check with the FA of Malaysia (FAM) and they will find that my pay will not be any higher than what Terengganu were paying me. "Money was never a motivation for me and at my age, it will never be," said Irfan in Kota Baru yesterday. Reluctant to reveal the reason behind his decision to quit the team that won the FA Cup, finished second in the Super League and the Malaysia Cup, Irfan said certain things are better left unsaid. "Suffice to say, my heart is broken beyond repair and I knew before the Malaysia Cup final first whistle that I could no longer stay in Kuala Terengganu," he said. "That was one of the hardest decisions I had to ever make as I love my players, I admire the fans and most of all, my family and I have a great life here." Irfan said he was truly sorry for the fans who had every right to expect Terengganu to bring the Malaysia Cup home. "We did our best under the circumstances but I guess our best was just not good enough this time round. "Perhaps things could have been different but that is water under the bridge now and there is no point in crying over spilt milk," said the coach who admitted the morale in the camp was not all that high before Saturday's big match. He said some of the players were not "themselves" on the night judging by their body language and facial expressions. "I hate pointing fingers at anybody but somebody has to take the blame for neglecting the needs of the players and the coaches for that matter, before the biggest match of their lives. "Among the players' grouses was that they were allocated only four tickets to the final and to them that was just unacceptable and I agreed," he said. Meanwhile, Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said the losing finalists will not receive any reward from the state government. "It is up to the Terengganu FA to decide on the form of incentives, if any, for the players who came close to winning the Malaysia Cup," he said. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Billionaire Ross' IAC enters Malaysia Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:30 PM PDT International Automotive Components Group, the auto-parts maker owned by billionaire Wilbur Ross, said it is expanding in Asia through joint ventures with a Malaysian supplier in its home country and in Thailand. IAC will own 60 percent of a venture in Thailand with APM Automotive Holdings Bhd, while in Malaysia, IAC will hold a 40 percent stake, Ross's company said yesterday in a statement. IAC and APM said they will design, engineer and manufacture instrument and door panels, floor consoles, flooring and acoustics, package trays and rocker panels for global automakers and domestic companies in the region. "IAC considers the ASEAN region to be very important," Jim Kamsickas president of IAC North America and Asia, said in the statement. "APM and IAC share similar visions for business, along with core competencies and experience in automotive interiors, comprehensive manufacturing capability and commitment to providing exceptional customer satisfaction." Ross assembled IAC through 14 takeovers starting in 2006. IAC, which makes instrument displays, door panels and headliners, had sales of about US$3.75 billion in 2010, 6 percent of it in Asia. The company employs about 22,000 people in 16 countries. It had net income of US$25 million last year and US$3 million in this year's first half, according to a registration statement Luxembourg-based IAC filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange commission. In September, IAC delayed a planned initial public offering of its stock until at least January because of market turmoil in the U.S. and Europe, two people familiar with the matter said last month. IAC's North American headquarters are in Southfield, Michigan. Jens Hohnel, president of the Europe division, is co- chief executive officer with Kamsickas. -- Bloomberg Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

AirAsia Japan to add long-haul flights in 2013 Posted: 01 Nov 2011 06:33 PM PDT AirAsia Japan Co, the start-up airline backed by the region's biggest low-cost carrier, will add long-distance flights in 2013 as it seeks to lure holidaymakers and budget travelers with cheap flights. The airline may offer services to Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore after introducing widebody Airbus SAS A330 planes, Chief Executive Officer Kazuyuki Iwakata said in interview yesterday. The company will begin short-haul routes from Tokyo's Narita airport in August with single-aisle A320s. AirAsia Japan may order the A330s with part-owner AirAsia Bhd. to help win lower prices, Iwakata said without elaboration. The Japanese carrier is also counting on AirAsia's regionwide operations and marketing to help it carry 10 million passengers annually within five years. "We don't view our competitors as ANA and JAL as much as resorts such as Tokyo Disney Resort," Iwakata said, referring to full-service carriers All Nippon Airways Co and Japan Airlines Co. "We're aiming at families who want to enjoy the weekend or people who play Pachinko -- we want them to be able to think about taking a flight as easily as they would hop on a bus." The new airline, part-owned by ANA, intends to lure passengers with fares as much as two-thirds cheaper than traditional carriers. It will compete with Skymark Airlines Inc, Japan's biggest budget carrier, and Jetstar Japan, a low- cost venture being set up by JAL and Qantas Airways Ltd.'s budget unit. ANA is also backing Peach Aviation Ltd, another planned no-frills carrier that will serve western Japan. Separately, Singapore Airlines Ltd also yesterday detailed plans for a new long-haul discount carrier, Scoot, which will begin flights next year. -- Bloomberg Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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SINSEH ON WHEELS Posted: 31 Oct 2011 10:20 AM PDT 2011/10/31 By Sim Bak Heng Every fortnight, a group of Chinese physicians and volunteers treat the sick at a mobile clinic FROM the outside, it looks like an ambulance. But this vehicle carries out a bigger and much nobler mission. Named Bangkit Mobile Clinic, it operates from one place to another, without a permanent base. It will tend to the needs of patients once a fortnight. The body behind this social service is Yayasan Bakti Nusa Malaysia, a non-governmental organisation of which former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat is executive adviser. The interior of the mobile clinic is specially modified and fitted to provide a bed and other basic medical facilities. Backed by a team of professionally-trained Chinese physicians, the clinic is aimed at providing free consultation, treatment and medicines for the poor and needy, irrespective of race and religion, as well as promoting awareness of healthcare. So far, the foundation has a mobile clinic each in Penang, Selangor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan and Johor. Usually, the mobile clinics cooperate with another party to provide its services. The mobile clinic started operations in Johor, in May, led by James Wu. He is assisted by eight Chinese physicians, headed by Y.S. Song, and 20 volunteers. Wu said the mobile clinic promotes a healthy lifestyle, and shares with the public how to live a cancer-free life. "We are working with a team of dedicated and compassionate Chinese physicians who are willing to contribute their time, energy and money for a worthy cause," he said. "More importantly, we run the clinic based on a common understanding with the local community, which is to promote Chinese healthcare services to benefit the poor and needy in the community who are seeking an alternative way of treatment," he said. To date, it has provided nine sessions of treatment in different parts of the state. The Chinese physicians give up their Sundays twice a month to provide their social services from 2pm to 6pm, when the mobile clinic is in operations. However, it is usually after 8pm when the session ends. Volunteers from different walks of life provide registration, coordination and prescription services. All consultations are done at the halls of the respective premises. For those who need acupuncture, cupping or tuina service, it is done inside the mobile clinic. To provide them the best service, each patient has to go through two levels of consultation. An attending Chinese physician will diagnose the patient's problem, then Song will personally screen, diagnose and prescribe treatment. As this is an NGO, all funding is from private donors, mostly businessmen. The cost of medicines alone in each outing of providing medical service to about 70 patients runs up to about RM3,500. Wu said he is looking forward to seeing more good Samaritans provide financial assistance to keep the mobile clinic afloat. "As we believe in using the best medicines for our service, the prescription cost for each patient easily comes to about RM50," he said. "This is despite our having secured the best pricing for our medicines from suppliers, who know we are running a charity," he added. For details, call Jackson Tiew at 016-744 3300 or Chan Tong Sink at 012-708 8894, or find Rakan Bangkit MobileClinic on Facebook. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

From fireman to masseur Posted: 31 Oct 2011 09:00 AM PDT THE Johor Baru city landscape has changed since I moved to Kampung Pasir from Muar in 1954. It was once the only major town and became a city and is poised to soon become a metropolis as part of the Iskandar Malaysia economic growth region. I tasted the best of the past, when the lifestyle was much simpler and the cost of living cheaper. During the late 1950s, the average rent for a house in Kampung Pasir was between RM7 and RM18. This is a far cry from the current rent rates but not all homes had electricity then, and we relied mainly on kerosene lamps. Piped water was practically unheard of and villagers fetched water from the wells. However, things began to change when I enlisted in the Malayan Armed Forces as a fireman in 1957 and was then attached to a barracks. I was posted to the Alexander Army Camp in Singapore before being sent to the Tebrau Army Camp, followed by my last posting in 1969 at the Paroi Army Camp in Negri Sembilan. I left service and returned in 1970 to Johor Baru, where I did several odd-jobs working in factories and canteens for four years. I joined the fire department in 1974. I was lucky to get the fireman's job, as I was already 34 years old. However, I also had more than a decade's worth of experience as a military fireman. In my 20 years of serving the Johor Fire Department, which was based in Larkin, I saw many changes taking place. Most notable was the growth of Johor Baru. Towards the late 1980s, development became rapid, with many residential areas opening-up. More development took place in the 1990s, with the opening of commercial complexes. As I was nearing retirement, I realised that I needed something to do. A former colleague introduced me to the art of traditional massage and I was interested to take it up at that time. This was about six years before I was due to retire in 1994. My decision to become a traditional masseur became my retirement plan. By the time of my retirement, I had already established myself as a traditional masseur in my home in Kampung Pasir, Tampoi. We had all the conveniences of modern living under one roof, which was different from the old days. As the cost of living was always escalating, I needed to do something to supplement my pension. Over the years, I have helped many people who have come to me mainly through word-of-mouth. My job as a traditional masseur took off rather well after my retirement, and the response has always been good. My 41-year-old daughter Samiah Ishak quit her job and also became a traditional masseuse, for my female clientele. People from as far as Penang, Pahang and Malacca come to me to treat various ailments, from simple backaches to torn ligaments and sprained ankles. I receive repeat customers from 10am to 10pm every day. The only problem I see now is that the younger generation, including my sons and grandchildren, have no interest in learning the art of traditional massage. People like me are considered a dying breed. Ishak Ahmad, 72, popularly known as Pak Sahak Bomba, is a retired fireman, who spends his time with his grandchildren when he is not offering traditional massage services in his home. Interviewed by Ben Tan Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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