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RM1.1m for clean water in Kelantan Posted: 15 Mar 2011 01:24 AM PDT RM1.1m for clean water in Kelantan 2010/11/01 By NST team in Gua Musang, Kelantan news@nst.com.my GUA MUSANG: The health ministry has allocated RM1.1 million to the Kelantan state government to implement rural water development projects to ensure people living in rural areas receive clean and adequate water supply. Deputy health minister Datuk Rosnah Abd Shirlin said the projects consist of controlled wells, feed gravity system as well as piped connection from Syarikat Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB). "The allocation is channelled to state health department to implement the projects," she said after attending the handing-over of the projects to Sungai Terah residents here. She said to date, Kelantan received 84.7 per cent of clean water supply encompassing 223,115 households. Only 40,212 households have yet to have clean water supplied by the ministry or by AKSB. She expressed hopes that Gua Musang will receive 100 per cent water supply as soon as possible. To ensure the water is safe for consumption, she adviced residents to follow a few simple rules, namely: Boil water before drinking; The wells and feed gravity system need to be chlorinated periodically to kill off bacteria and reduce contamination risk; and Trees or plants near water catchment areas should not be cut down to prevent the water source from drying up. She also said this year, Kelantan has recorded six cholera, 28 typhoid and 2,168 food poisoning cases to date. "These diseases still pose a risk to rural folk," she said. Air your comment on this issue: RM1.1m for clean water in Kelantan 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. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

MCA praises PM Posted: 10 Mar 2011 02:44 PM PST MCA praises PM 2010/11/15 By Chong Chee Seong MUAR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's achievements since taking over the mantle of the country last April had received praise from MCA. In commending Najib for his hard work, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said Barisan Nasional's victories in the Nov 4 Galas and Batu Sapi by-elections were due to the people's acceptance of Najib's 1Malaysia concept. Dr Chua said the Chinese were pragmatic people who will support the Prime Minister for doing what is good for the country. "MCA is confident the results (of two by-elections) will serve as momentum to regain support of the community for the next general election," he said after opening a RM500,000 building and a hall in the SJKC Chung Hwa 3 last Thursday. The speech was made on Dr Chua's behalf by Johor MCA secretary Tay Puay Chuan, who is also MCA Muar division chief. Dr Chua said Najib's assurance that BN pledges in Galas and Batu Sapi would be fulfilled was a positive step to win the trust and confidence of the people. He said by making continuous changes, BN would become a party that will received strong support. "The victory of the two by-elections is an indication that BN's is ready and will do well in the next general election." Dr Chua also said the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) was a clear-cut strategy and a roadmap towards making Malaysia a high-income economy. Earlier, deputy youth and sports minister Datuk Razali Ibrahim, who is also the Muar MP, said investment in education was not measured by ringgit and sen but by quality. Air your comment on this issue: MCA praises PM 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. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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AirAsia price estimated raised, stock rises Posted: 31 Jul 2011 07:46 PM PDT AirAsia Bhd climbed in Kuala Lumpur trading, set to close at a record after UOB-Kay Hian Holdings Ltd raised its share estimate to RM4.60 from RM3.70. The stock advanced 1.8 per cent to RM4 at 10:34 a.m. local time. The carrier's rating was maintained at "buy," UOB- Kay Hian wrote in a report today. -- Bloomberg Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

MAS climbs after new chairman named Posted: 31 Jul 2011 06:20 PM PDT Malaysian Airline System Bhd rose in Kuala Lumpur trading after the national carrier named Md. Nor Yusof as chairman after Mohamed Munir Abdul Majid quit the company. The stock climbed 1.4 per cent to RM1.50 at 9:12 a.m. local time, set for the steepest increase since July 20. -- Bloomberg Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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F1: Stirring win for Button Posted: 31 Jul 2011 05:26 PM PDT Jenson Button drives his McLaren Mercedes en route to winning the Hungarian Grand Prix yesterday. — AFP picture JENSON Button marked his 200th Grand Prix with a reminder of his class yesterday when he drove his McLaren to a stirring victory in a chaotic and incident-filled Hungarian Grand Prix. The 31-year-old Briton, who started third on the grid, made the most of some wretched ill-fortune for his team-mate and compatriot Lewis Hamilton in changing wet-dry-wet-dry conditions to record his second win of the year and the 11th of his career. "It's a great moment, all round a major weekend. For some rason I like these conditions," said Button of the slippery track. Back on the circuit where he claimed his first F1 win in 2006, for Honda, Button revelled in the demanding circumstances. Given a celebratory cake before the race on Saturday, he ate it with relish. Hamilton, having started second, led for long periods after taking early control, but was caught out by a succession of strategic errors -- when he chose the wrong tyres in rapidly-changing weather -- and a harsh stewards' decision to give him a drive-through penalty after he forced Paul Di Resta off the track. "The better man won today," said Hamilton. "The team have done a fantastic job. It's a fantastic way to go into the (summer) break. We would have liked a one-two, I let the team down a little bit but we will be back." Hamilton, who had spun in the sudden rain and then rejoined rapidly in front of oncoming traffic, ended up finishing fourth behind a triumphant Button, second-placed German Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull and two-times champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari. For Vettel, although it was disappointing not to win again, his second place was enough for him to increase his lead in the drivers' title race as his nearest rivals finished behind him. Australian Mark Webber finished fifth in the second Red Bull ahead of Brazilian Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari with impressive British rookie Di Resta seventh for Force India. This meant that the young Scot, in his first season, was the leading Mercedes powered runner in the race as he came home ahead of Swiss Sebastien Buemi of Toro Rosso, German Nico Rosberg in the leading Mercedes car and Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari in the second Toro Rosso. Seven-time champion German Michael Schumacher, 42, was forced to retire in his Mercedes with gearbox problems. -- AFP RESULTS HUNGARIAN Grand Prix at the 4.381-km Hungaroring circuit -- 70 laps: 1 Jenson Button (Bri) McLaren (70 laps completed) 1:46:42.337secs (172.416 kph), 2 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull +3.588, 3 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari +19.819, 4 Lewis Hamilton (Bri) McLaren +48.338, 5 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull +49.742, 6 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari +1:23.176, 7 Paul di Resta (Sco) Force India (69 laps), 8 Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Toro Rosso (69), 9 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP (69), 10 Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Toro Rosso (69), 11 Kamui Kobayashi (Jpn) (69), 12 Vitaly Petrov (Rus) Lotus-Renault (69), 13 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Williams (68), 14 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India (68), 15 Sergio Perez (Mex) Sauber (68), 16 Pastor Maldonado (Ven) Williams (68), 17 Timo Glock (Ger) Virgin Racing (66), 18 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Hispania (66), 19 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Bel) Virgin Racing) (65), 20 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Hispania) (65). NOT CLASSIFIED: Jarno Trulli (Ita) Lotus (18 laps), Nick Heidfeld (Ger) Lotus-Renault (24), Michael Schumacher (Ger) Mercedes (27), Heikki Kovalainen (Fin (Lotus) (56). FASTEST LAP: Felipe Massa 1:23.415 (lap 61). DRIVERS' STANDINGS: 1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) 216pts, 2 Mark Webber (Aus) 139, 3 Lewis Hamilton (Bri) 134, 4 Fernando Alonso (Spa) 130, 5 Jenson Button (Bri) 109, 6 Felipe Massa (Bra) 62, 7 Nico Rosberg (Ger) 46, 8 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) 34, 9 Vitaly Petrov (Rus) 32, 10 Michael Schumacher (Ger) 32. CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP: 1 Red Bull 355pts, 2 McLaren 243, 3 Ferrari 192, 4 Mercedes GP 78.0, 5 Lotus-Renault 66, 6 Sauber 35, 7 Force India 20, 8 Toro Rosso 17, 9 Williams 4. -- AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Football: T-Team get keeper Jibrail Posted: 31 Jul 2011 05:24 PM PDT 2011/08/01 ZAINUDDIN MUHAMMAD nstsport@nstp.com.my Mohd Jibrail Kamaron will be playing for T-Team on loan as a replacement for their goalkeeper Syamsuri Mustapha. T-TEAM are hoping for Mohd Jibrail Kamaron Baharin to ease their goalkeeping woes ahead of the Malaysia Cup campaign which kicks off in September. Coach Yunus Alif said the 26-year-old Pos Malaysia goalkeeper has joined T-Team on loan as replacement for first choice Syamsuri Mustafa who will miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury. "Syamsuri went under the knife on Saturday and it will take between three to six months for him to fully recover," said Yunus. "We will be short-handed in the goalkeeping department as our second choice keeper Zairie Hafizie Idris is recuperating from his recent appendix operation and will not be 100 per cent when the Malaysia Cup competition begins on Sept 9." Yunus said the team will be further strengthened with the inclusion of striker Mohd Fitri Omar, another on-loan signing but from Muar Municipal Council FC. "Both players ply their trade in the FAM League but we are confident they will adapt well when playing against the big boys from the Super League in the Malaysia Cup." "Roping in Mohd Fitri took some effort as the FAM League's top scorer was the target signing of many other teams, so we are happy he has decided to play for us," he added. The coach admitted that T-Team will have no choice but to do well in the Malaysia Cup as the future of the team will depend on how well they do. "Our team are fully funded by the state government and after our dismal run in the Super League and the FA Cup, we need to prove we are able to compete with the best in the country," said Yunus "Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad has also urged us to give a good run, so we are determined to show what we are really made of." Yunus said the management is also working on bringing in Perlis midfielder Mohd Fais Subri as the final on-loan signing. "He has yet to secure a release from the Perlis FA but there's a good chance Fais will be playing for us." Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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UDA Holdings acting managing director dies Posted: 30 Jul 2011 11:11 PM PDT 2011/07/31 By Hamzah Jamaluddin news@nstp.com.my UDA Holdings Bhd acting managing director Muhammad Radzi Mohd Basar, 53, died at a hotel in Kuantan about 6am today. He was supposed to join the ground breaking ceremony for UDA Holdings resort in Pekan. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

MACC denies being scared to probe cases in Kelantan Posted: 30 Jul 2011 09:48 PM PDT KOTA BAHARU -- The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has refuted allegations it lacks the courage to conduct investigations into alleged irregularities associated with the PAS-led Kelantan government. Its Kelantan director, Nasaruddin Mohd Nor, said the MACC had carried out many investigations related to the state government and cited the probe into alleged irregularities and abuse of power by Kelantan Menteri Besar Incorporated CEO Abdul Ariffahmi Ab Rahman and alleged irregularities involving the Tok Guru Bazaar as two of them. "We are doing our work as usual," he told reporters at the handing over of duties to his successor Nor Rasmi Shaari, who was MACC deputy director in Perak. Nasaruddin has been transferred to the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya as director of the Excellence and Professionalism Division. Nasaruddin said the investigation into the alleged irregularities and abuse of power by Abdul Ariffahmi, who is the son-in-law of Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, had been completed and the papers had been handed over to the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya. "In the matter of the Tok Guru Bazaar, we found no element of corruption," he added. -- Bernama Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Nation pays tribute to fallen heroes Posted: 30 Jul 2011 11:01 PM PDT The nation paid tribute to its fallen heroes today, with solemn ceremonies including parades and laying of wreaths held throughout the country. Warriors Day 2011 was centred at the Merdeka Square here, an event graced by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. The nation paid tribute to its fallen heroes today, with solemn ceremonies including parades and laying of wreaths held throughout the country. Warriors Day 2011 was centred at the Merdeka Square here, an event graced by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein also attended the event. Chief of Defence Forces Gen Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar were also present. In his address at the event, Tuanku Mizan called on Malaysians to enhance the spirit of heroism, patriotism, loyalty, love and willing to sacrifice for the country. - Bernama Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

ASHRAF/ALEESHA DIES Posted: 30 Jul 2011 07:07 PM PDT 2011/07/31 By Satiman Jamin and A. Azim Idris news@nst.com.my KUALA TERENGGANU: Mohd Ashraf Hafiz Abdul Aziz, 26, whose application to change his name to Aleesha Farhana was rejected by the High Court here on July 18, died at 5am yesterday. His mother, who wanted to be known only as Mak Yah, 50, told the New Sunday Times that Ashraf complained of nausea on Friday and was admitted to Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital. She said at around 9pm, Ashraf asked to be sedated as he could not stand the pain. His blood pressure was very low. "We went home at around 1am but the hospital called us to come in and see Ashraf immediately as his blood pressure dipped even lower at around 1.45am." Mak Yah said Ashraf had informed her that he was worried about his chances of furthering his studies. "He told me that even if the offer did arrive, it would not be on time." Mak Yah said Ashraf had often told her that there won't be enough time to do anything. Ashraf intended to file an appeal against the High Court decision on his application, but Mak Yah was not sure whether he had actually done it. "He kept delaying doing things by saying tak sempat (can't do on time)," Mak Yah said she hoped public condemnation of her family would end with the death of Ashraf. "All the hype about him might have been a boon for the media but it did nothing for us," she said, adding that Ashraf was very depressed over the negative stories about him. His father, Abdul Aziz Ahmad, 60, held a press conference at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital mortuary after his son's autopsy was completed at 3.30pm yesterday. He accepted Ashraf's death as fate. He said Ashraf would be buried as a male according to Muslim rites at the Seberang Takir Muslim cemetery near here. "He was born a male and, therefore, it is only right for us to bury him that way." He said Ashraf had been acting peculiarly since a few weeks ago. "He asked a relative to sew a baju kurung for Hari Raya Aidilfitri about two weeks ago. "The relative was shocked as he wanted the dress to be completed immediately," he said, adding that Ashraf was happy when the dress was completed in about a week. "Upon collecting it, he was very excited to celebrate Hari Raya, as the baju came with the sequins he requested," Aziz said Ashraf often uttered "Raya tak sempat, renew lesen kereta tak sempat" (I will not make it for Hari Raya, I will not be able to renew my driving licence). "I did not know that it was a sign that he would be leaving us forever," he said, adding that Ashraf succumbed to low blood pressure, a condition he had been suffering from since childhood. The New Straits Times reported on July 22 that Ashraf was looking forward to meeting Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil after she offered to help him through her ministry. On July 20, Shahrizat said everyone should find ways to help Ashraf instead of condemning him. In the end, he never got to meet the minister. Friends and relatives attended his funeral at the Seberang Takir Muslim cemetery at 4.45pm yesterday. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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PM's Kluang visit: A commentary Posted: 27 Mar 2011 03:59 AM PDT 2011/03/27 By Shahrum Sayuthi news@nst.com.my I WAS quietly amused when my hometown friend Fiona reacted with much enthusiasm when I told her that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was making a stopover at her alma mater, the Chong Hwa High School, during his visit to Kluang on Saturday. She is after all a DAP supporter and had not made it a secret to me who she voted for when she had cast her vote for the first time in the 2008 general election. "Oh my God! That's so great of him!" was what she text messaged me in return before proceeding to relate how when as a student she had, along with others, lined the street leading to her school when then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad went there in 1987. "That was the last time a prime minister visited our school. I remember it was a very hot day and we were sweating, but we were all so happy that a prime minister visited our school," she added. If Fiona was at the school on Saturday, she may have thought she had been transported back in time to that day. The over 2,000 students, in their all white uniforms, were equally enthusiastic in welcoming Najib. The highlight of Najib's visit to the school was when he mentioned in his speech the government's "landmark decision" to allow Unified Examinations Certificate holders with three credits including passes in Bahasa Malaysia and English, to take part in the special intake for the Chinese language degree course to become Mandarin teachers. The students cheered as he made the announcement. "We (the government) are committed to being fair to everyone and will continue to strive for this. Dreams will not be realised until we are at peace with one another," Najib had said. My colleague Chuah Bee Kim interviewed some of the students and teachers on how they felt about Najib's visit. Seow Yu Sheng, 15, a Form Three student said it was a memorable day as it was the first time he had seen the prime minister in person. "I am happy to see him. Furthermore, he was here today to launch our school's green programme which my teachers have always promoted among us," he said. Another Form Three student, Dana Lim, 15, echoed Seow's sentiment but lamented that Najib's hour-long visit was such a brief one. "My classmates and I nonetheless feel very honoured to have the prime minister at our school," Lim said. Liong Kok Kiong, 32, a geography teacher at the school for the past six years said the announcement made by Najib regarding UEC holders was very uplifting as it was a step towards the success of the 1Malaysia policy. "I also hope that Najib's visit will encourage more English language teachers to join our school as we need more of them here," he said. Later in the night, Najib attended a "dinner with the people" function at down town Kluang which was attended by more than 10,000 people. Such was the overwhelming response given by the crowd when Najib arrived at the function that Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman had to pause several times to compose himself while delivering the welcoming speech. Expressing his pleasure, Najib in his speech, suggested that judging by the crowd's response at the function and during his walk-about in several parts in Kluang earlier in the day, Barisan Nasional may probably recapture the lost ground it suffered during the coalition's disastrous outing in the 2008 general election. He told the crowd how an old Chinese lady gave him a 51-year-old Jalur Gemilang during the walk-about. "I was so touched because she told me that it was a gift for my effort in initiating 1Malaysia," he said to thunderous applause from the crowd. The prime minister probably had in mind that Kluang, with its huge Chinese community, was the DAP's first stronghold in Johor before it was overwhelmed there by BN in the late 1970s. However, in 2008, DAP captured the Mengkibol state seat there when its Ng Lam Hua defeated Gan Ping Shou of MCA by a majority of 1,281 votes. Ng had got 13,538 votes while Gan received 12,257. When Najib announced an allocation of RM105 million for the construction of a dam in Kahang to ensure no recurrence of a water supply problem which hit Kluang during last year's Chinese New Year, I immediately sent a text message to Fiona. After all, she was the one who had pushed for me to initiate extensive news coverage about the problem in the first place. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Gamis students released after statements taken Posted: 14 Mar 2011 03:24 AM PDT Gamis students released after statements taken 2010/10/31 By Aidi Amin aidiamin@nst.com.my GUA MUSANG: Police today recorded statements from four university students who were detained for several hours yesterday for allegedly distributing political pamphlets in the Galas state constituency. Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Ismail Omar said the students, aged between 18 - 25 years old were taken to the district police station and released soon after. "We are investigating if the students are from Gua Musang or outsiders," he said after a briefing at the police operations centre here. He said they would also work with the Election Commission and the students' universities during their investigations. The students are from a group, calling themselves Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam SeMalaysia (Gamis) and were allegedly distributing brochures urging the locals to exercise their democratic right to vote. A spokesman yesterday said the group represented students from various universities and had come to Galas to observe the campaign process and also explain to the people certain national issues, including the 2011 budget and how it effects them. Higher Education Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the detention of the students should not be politicised as they were merely detained for not possessing a valid permit to distribute the pamphlets. "The students were not aligned to any political party and were merely there to urge the people to come out and vote. They are acting on their own and nothing to do with their respective universities. "However, I would like to advise these students to go home and concentrate on their studies instead," he said when contacted. On another issue, Ismail also said the police had to date received four reports on minor incidents involving the parties contesting the by-election here. "I urge all parties to adhere to the laws and prevent any untoward incidents," he added. Air your comment on this issue: Gamis students released after statements taken 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. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Nicol moves on after rare loss Posted: 30 Jul 2011 06:57 PM PDT 2011/07/31 By Devinder Singh NICOL David will take stock of her unexpected defeat at the CIMB Singapore Masters in her hometown Penang next week before launching an assault on the Australian Open which she will contest for the first time. England's Laura Massaro became the first player to defeat Nicol twice in a calendar year since Jenny Duncalf in 2009 after rallying from two games down to beat the World No 1 in a five-game semi-final battle on Friday. A number of unforced errors in the fourth and fifth games proved to be Nicol's undoing as well as Laura's deceptive shots and boasts which wrong-footed the five-time world champion a few times. Laura registered her second win in three meetings with Nicol in 2011 following victory at the Cleveland Classic final in February which Nicol avenged at the Malaysian Open last week. But Ireland's World No 4 Madeline Perry dashed Laura's hopes of a second Wispa Tour title this year by claiming her first with an 11-7, 11-8, 5-11, 11-9 win in the final yesterday. Since becoming the world's top-ranked player in 2006, ending up on the losing side is a rarity for Nicol who vowed to return stronger when she heads to Canberra for the Aug 9-14 Australian Open. "Laura has beaten me before and it has given her a psychological boost," said Nicol after the semi-finals at the VivoCity Mall in Telok Blangah. "She played a very smart game and didn't make too many mistakes. And when she was playing well the pressure was on me. "I made a couple of crucial errors but that's to be expected when you are under pressure and I was only playing well in patches. "I am disappointed with my defeat but I will get over it. I will be going back to Penang and work on things before the Australian Open," said Nicol. It was only the third time Nicol has been beaten after winning the first two games as Laura joined Australian Rachael Grinham and Madeline, at the 2007 and 2009 British Open respectively, in achieving that rare feat. Meanwhile, Malaysia are in with a chance of finishing fifth at the Women's World Junior Team Championship in Boston after beating Wales 2-1 in the fifth-eighth placing playoff on Friday. The national juniors are assured of improving on their seventh-place finish in 2009 after Vanessa Raj and Celine Yeap won their respective matches. National junior No 1 Tan Yan Xin suffered her third defeat in four matches in the team event when she was beaten 11-4, 3-11, 11-6, 12-10 by Tesni Evans before Vanessa levelled proceedings with an 11-2, 11-7, 11-7 win over Hannah Davies. It was left to Celine, filling in for Yong Sue Ann who was suffering from blistered feet, to deliver the winning point and she did not disappoint by beating Fiona Murphy 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 Malaysia met England again in the playoff for fifth placing late yesterday having won their earlier meeting in pool play 2-1. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Disappointment off the pitch hard to bear Posted: 30 Jul 2011 06:57 PM PDT THURSDAY was, by all accounts, a massive letdown. If the national team failed on the pitch, the FA of Malaysia (FAM) did the same in the stands. Though the determination and spirit of K. Rajagobal's players could not be questioned, what has to be accepted is that Singapore deserved their place in yesterday's World Cup qualifying draw in Rio de Janeiro. Even more depressing for Malaysia is that Thailand and Indonesia will also play against some of Asia's best in the third round of the Qualifiers. Sure, Singapore could have been beaten had it not been for their naturalised players, who between them scored all the goals in the 6-4 aggregate win. Still, all is not lost as there were some positives for Malaysia despite the failure. Though these were not enough to overcome the lack of quality in the team, the determination and spirit of the players were great improvements from that of their predecessors. The players genuinely wanted to win, which was appreciated by the fans who packed the National Stadium to the brim. But this is where FAM failed and despite saying that it will investigate whether counterfeit tickets played a part, the national body is solely to blame for the chaos in the stands. It was a match that the whole of Malaysia wanted to watch, leading to allegations that tickets were being sold for far more than the official rates of RM30 and RM50. This could have been prevented had FAM limited the number of tickets individuals could buy but what was extremely disturbing were the events in the stadium. No doubt excited by the hype, many fans -- the writer included -- decided to bring their families but what they experienced not only have left a bitter taste but also a resolve to stay away from matches until FAM improves security aspects. Counterfeit tickets or not, security was FAM's responsibility and it was obvious that it was ill-equipped for such a turnout. If the grandstand tickets were not numbered, leading to hundreds standing on the walkways, one can only imagine what the situation was at the RM30 areas. FAM placed its faith in the hands of the police but they, other than ensuring there were no fights, were largely hapless. In fact, so stressed were the police personnel that fans who took toilet breaks or visited the concession stalls during halftime were initially prevented from returning to their seats as the gates had been shut to prevent more ticket holders from crowding the terraces. One highly-stressed looking policeman even questioned the need to visit the toilet! What was even more shocking was that bottled water was allowed to be brought into the stadium, leading to quite a few landing in the lower stands and on the stadium's running track. Even Indonesia, with its infamous Senayan Stadium crowd, has banned bottled water but, obviously, FAM saw no reason for this. However, FAM has to remember that all it takes to spark a stampede is a minor incident and lives can be lost. Crowd dispersal at the end of matches also needs to be improved and if FAM doesn't believe this is a problem, all it needs to do is take to social networking websites and and see for itself what the fans thought of security on Thursday. For many, Malaysia's elimination from the World Cup was tolerable -- especially after having lost the first leg 5-3, but the lack of planning and security weren't. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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