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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. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Business Times : latest Posted: http://www.btimes.com.my enTuesday, August 09, 2011, 11.19 AMhttp://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809090120/Article/ http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809090120/Article/Tue, 09 Aug 2011 09:01:26 +0800Ranhill Bhd received a buyout offer from a group of investors including Chief Executive Officer Hamdan Mohamad at 90 sen a share, according to a company statement in Kuala Lumpur today. -- Bloomberg http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809093309/Article/ http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809093309/Article/Tue, 09 Aug 2011 09:33:09 +0800CIMB Holdings Bhd fell the most in almost two years after the stock was downgraded to "neutral" from "buy" at OSK Research Sdn Bhd, which cut its fair value to RM8.75 from RM9.15. The stock slumped 4.3 per cent to RM7.94 at 9:13 a.m. local time in Kuala Lumpur, set for its steepest decline since Aug. 28, 2009. -- Bloomberg http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809093448/Article/ http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809093448/Article/Tue, 09 Aug 2011 09:34:48 +0800Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd fell the most in 22 months in Kuala Lumpur trading, leading a drop by Malaysian plantation companies, after palm oil futures dipped below the RM3,000 a metric ton level yesterday, the first time since October. KL Kepong lost 5.3 per cent to RM20.10 at 9:09 a.m., set for its biggest drop since Oct. 6, 2009. IOI Corp declined 4.5 per cent to RM4.47 and Sime Darby Bhd slid 2.7 per cent to RM8.71. -- Bloomberg http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809093142/Article/ http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809093142/Article/Tue, 09 Aug 2011 09:31:42 +0800Malaysian stocks tumbled, driving the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index down 10 per cent from its record high. The benchmark gauge slid 4.2 per cent to 1,433.43 at 9:06 a.m. local time, losing 10 per cent from its July 8 record. A drop of 10 per cent or more from a recent high signifies a correction to some analysts and investors. -- Bloomberg http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809101533/Article/ http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809101533/Article/Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:15:33 +0800SapuraCrest Petroleum Bhd led a drop in Malaysian oil and gas producers after oil futures slid below US$80 a barrel in New York. SapuraCrest lost 4.3 per cent to RM4.06, set for its biggest drop since February 10. Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd declined 4.2 per cent to RM6.16. - Bloomberg http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809102652/Article/ http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809102652/Article/Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:26:52 +0800HeiTech Padu Bhd, a Malaysian computer services company, rose the most in seven weeks in Kuala Lumpur trading after winning a RM7.5 million contract from the government. The stock gained 2.9 per cent to RM1.07 at 9:48 a.m. local time, set for the largest gain since June 22. -- Bloomberg http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809093652/Article/ http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809093652/Article/Tue, 09 Aug 2011 09:36:52 +0800Malaysia's ringgit fell for a sixth day, its longest losing streak since June 2009, on concerns the US economy is slowing and Europe's debt crisis will worsen. The currency dropped to its weakest level in more than a month after the SandP 500 fell the most since December 2008 on speculation the world's largest economy is sliding into a recession. Malaysia's industrial output shrank 1.0 per cent in June from a year earlier after having contracted 5.1 per cent in May, according to the median forecast of economists in a Bloomberg survey before a government report tomorrow. "Risk appetite has weakened because of concerns in the US and Europe," said Akira Banno, a treasury adviser in Kuala Lumpur at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Bhd. "Trading is expected to be choppy as many traders are still squaring and adjusting their positions." The ringgit retreated 0.4 per cent to 3.0458 per dollar as of 8:57 a.m. in Kuala Lumpur, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That was its weakest level since June 29, when the currency reached 3.0508. Standard and Poor's triggered a selloff in global stocks after it lowered the US credit rating by one level to AA+ from AAA on Aug. 5, citing failure to address the nation's budget deficit. The European Central Bank's move to buy Italian and Spanish bonds to tame the region's crisis may threaten fresh political fault lines, Royal Bank of Scotland Plc said yesterday. Malaysian government bonds were little changed. The yield on the 4.262 per cent notes due September 2016 was 3.41 per cent, data from Bursa Malaysia show. The treasury will auction RM3 billion (US$986 million) of bonds maturing in April 2016 on Aug. 12, according to data published by the central bank on its website yesterday. -- Bloomberg http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809080006/Article/ http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20110809080006/Article/Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:00:06 +0800NEW YORK: US stocks plummeted more than five per cent on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average losing 634.76 points, after Standard and Poor's dealt the United States an unprecedented downgrade. The Dow was down 5.55 per cent to finish at 10,809.85, its lowest close since last October. It was the steepest one-day drop in point terms since the financial crisis of 2008. The broader SandP 500 fell 79.92 points (6.66 per cent) to 1,119.46, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 174.72 (6.9 per cent) to 2,357.69. SandP lowered the US long-term sovereign debt rating from AAA to AA+ after markets closed on Friday, citing Washington's inability to rein in its mounting deficits. US stocks started falling as markets opened and hit new lows after President Barack Obama gave a televised speech to defend Washington's credit-worthiness and declare that the United States "always will be a triple-A country". Traders worried that the downgrade would hit the bond markets, but instead Treasury prices rallied strongly. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 2.34 per cent from 2.56 per cent late Friday, while 30-year bonds dropped to 3.66 per cent from 3.82 per cent. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions. Gold, seen as a safe-haven asset in time of financial turmoil, was trading for US$1,716.68 per troy ounce on the spot market in New York, after earlier hitting a new intraday record of US$1,720.82. "The SandP downgrade of US sovereign debt, to AAA to AA+, sent a shockwave through the markets today," said Briefing.com. All of the Dow's 30 blue-chip stocks closed lower on Monday, but losses were steepest among financial companies, industrials and corporations whose bottom lines are closely tied to commodity prices. JPMorgan Chase fell 9.4 per cent, while American Express closed the day 8.8 percent down. Bank of America plunged an eye-popping 20.3 per cent after it was hit with a US$10.5 billion lawsuit from insurer AIG over its sales of faulty mortgage-backed securities prior to 2008. Aluminium giant Alcoa dropped 11.4 per cent, while Caterpillar fell 9.2 per cent. - AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Badminton / World Championships: No smooth start for Chong Wei Posted: 08 Aug 2011 05:19 PM PDT 2011/08/09 Vijesh Rai rai@nst.com.my Chen Long was sensationally beaten by Guatemala's Kevin Gordon 19-21, 21-8, 25-27 in the first major upset in the men's singles. THE challenge was tougher than expected but Lee Chong Wei still had plenty in reserve to stop Thailand's Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk in his World Championships opening round at the Wembley Arena yesterday. Having always had it easy against the Thai, Chong Wei admitted he was surprised by Tanongsak's approach but was glad of the challenge in his first competitive match since the Kedah Open in July. "I was a bit surprised at the aggressive approach employed by Tanongsak as he is normally not this kind of player," said Chong Wei after registering a 21-15, 21-17 win. There was good news for the Malaysian though as Chen Long was sensationally beaten by Guatemala's Kevin Gordon 19-21, 21-8, 25-27 in the first major upset in the men's singles. The China fifth seed was drawn to meet Chong Wei in the quarter-finals. Chong Wei, however, was more focused on his game and admitted that he had been a little sluggish throughout the tie. "I was struggling with my timing while my judgement was also a little off. However, it was good to be given a stiff challenge so early in the competition as this is exactly what I needed," added the World No 1. Chasing his first World Championships title, Chong Wei knows that it will get tougher as the competition progresses but expressed confidence in his form. "There was no discomfort (in his back which he strained during the Kedah Open) and I am also happy with my movement on court. What was especially pleasing was that I was able to vary my tactics. "This was crucial as Tanongsak was attacking my defence but when I changed my tactics, he started to struggle." Up next for Chong Wei tomorrow is, in all likelihood, Indonesian Ayus Rumbaka who played Finland's Ville Lang in a late first round match yesterday. "I have beaten him in all four previous meetings but I am taking it a match at a time here. I will not underestimate any opponent as what matters is my form." There was also a winning start for 2005 champion Taufik Hidayat who beat Rodrigo Pacheco Carrillo of Peru 21-10, 21-14. Unlike Chong Wei, the fourth seeded Indonesian isn't a player under pressure -- having won all the major titles in his illustrious career. Still, Taufik has shown that he is still a player to be reckoned with, as proven in last year's World Championships where he beat Chong Wei in the quarter-finals en route to an appearance in the final in Paris. "It was good to register an easy win as it will get tougher after this. I don't know how to rate my chances but I will give it a serious shot. "My focus is on next year's Olympics after which I will call it a day but for the moment, I am still enjoying the game," added Taufik, one of a select group of players to have beaten the mercurial Lin Dan in major finals. Taufik next plays either China's Hu Yun or Poland's Przemyslaw Wacha, who met in the first round late yesterday. Lin Dan, chasing a fourth world title and seeking redemption after sensationally losing in the quarter-finals last year, opens his campaign against Kestutis Navickas of Lithunia today. RESULTS Selected 1st rd Men's singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas ) bt Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (Tha) 21-15, 21-17; Kevin Cordon (Gua) bt Chen Long (Chn) 21-19, 8-21, 27-25; Pabli Abian (Spa) bt Tan Yuhan (Bel) 16-21, 21-17, 21-15; Vladimir Ivanov (Rus) bt Michal Matejka (Svk) 21-12, 21-6; Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Rodrigo Pacheco Carrilla (Per) 21-10, 21-14. Men's doubles: Zakry Latif-Hoon Thien How (Mas) bt Tony Gunawan-Howard 21-17, 21-14 (US). Women's singles: Fu Mingtian (Sin) bt Larisa Griga (Ukr) 21-10, 21-10; Chan Ka Tsz (HK) bt Jeanine Cicognini (Sui) 20-22, 21-19, 21-13; Lindaweni Fanetri (ina) bt Tatjana Bibik (Rus) 21-11, 21-9; Lianne Tan (Bel) bt Charmaine Reid (Can) 21-9, 21-19; Chloe Magee (Irl) bt Adrianti Firdasari (Ina) 13-21, 24-22, 21-13; Elizabeth Cann (Eng) bt Michelle Chan Ky (Nzl) 16-21, 21-13, 21-11. Women's doubles: Ng Hui Ern- Ng Hui Lin (Mas) bt Anna Kobceva -Elena Prus (Ukr) 21-14, 22-20; Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying (Mas) bt Lino Munoz (Mex) Cynthia Gonzalez 21-9 21-5. Mixed doubles: Adam Cwalina- Michal Logosz (Pol) bt Chan Peng Soon-Lim Khim Wah 21-13 21-19 Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Badminton / World Championships: Zakri-Hoon stun former world champs Posted: 08 Aug 2011 05:12 PM PDT 2011/08/09 Vijesh Rai rai@nst.com.my ZAKRY Latif-Hoon Thien How led the charge as Malaysia opened their World Championships doubles campaign on a winning note at the Wembley Arena yesterday. Zakry-Thien How faced a potentially difficult first round tie against Tony Gunawan-Howard Bach but the Malaysians produced a great show to send the Americans, surprise world champions in the 2005 edition, packing 21-17, 21-14. Though Gunawan-Bach are no longer the force they were in winning the world title in Anaheim, victory was a morale booster for Zakri-Thien How as it would, albeit slightly, silence their critics over the Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen fiasco. "We were told to focus on the match and not the controversy leading up to the World Championships and that is exactly what we did against the Americans," said Zakry. "The coach (Rexy Mainaky) said what was important was for us to prove that we deserve our place in the World Championships. He said to forget everything else." While victory was sweet, the Malaysians were nonetheless guilty of numerous unforced errors and will have to tighten their game ahead of the second round clash against Taiwan's Fang Chieh Min-Lee Sheng Mu today. Zakry-Thien How beat the 10th seeds in the All England in March but Rexy said that wouldn't make today's match any easier. "The Taiwanese are a solid pair and Zakry-Thien How have to produce their best if they want to advance. "It was a good victory today (yesterday) but there is still room for improvement. With (Indonesians) Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan having withdrawn, Zakry-Thien How should aim for a good run here," said Rexy. He, too, refused to be drawn into the Teik Chai-Bin Shen saga, where the two were omitted by BAM in favour of Zakry-Thien How for the World Championships despite the former having qualified on merit. "I don't want to dwell into the matter as the focus now is on trying to get Zakry-Thien to advance as far as possible. With Markis-Hendra out (the Malaysians were drawn to play them in the third round), they should be targetting the quarters and semis even." There was a winning start for the Ng sisters, Hui Lin-Hui Ern who beat Anna Kobceva-Elena Prus of Ukraine 21-14, 22-20. "It is our first World Championships and all that we have targeted is a good run. We shall see how it goes," said Hui Lin, a mixed doubles gold medallist in the 2007 World Junior Championships. They will play Japan's Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi, the 15th seeds, today. Mixed doubles Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying also advanced after beating Mexico's Lino Munoz-Cynthia Gonzalez 21-9, 21-5 and play English 10th seeds Nathan Robertson-Jenny Wallwork today. In late action yesterday were women's pair Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui who took on England's Jenna Wallwork-Gabrielle White while mixed doubles Chan Peng Soon-Lim Khim Wah lost to Poland's Adam Cwalina-Michal Logosz 21-13 21-19. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Carving a career out of hospitality Posted: 07 Aug 2011 07:52 AM PDT MY career in the hospitality industry began with Reliance Travel & Shipping Agencies Sdn Bhd almost 30 years ago. It was 1982 when I first set foot in that company, where I took on many responsibilities such as control of payments, customer servicing, travel consultations and hotel contracting. Being a hotel contracting manager in the company meant I not only dealt with one hotel but many hotels throughout Malaysia. After spending 15 years in the travel industry and dealing with many hotels, it was an easy transition when I decided to move on to the Capitol Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. I spent about four years at this hotel. Then I moved on to the Dorsett Regency Hotel in Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur. I was the director of sales at Dorsett Regency for about three-and-a-half years. Due to the expansion of the hotel's parent company, I was later asked to helm the branding of Silka Johor Hotel. I became its general manager in May this year. Dorsett Regency and Silka Johor come under the same management, the Hong Kong-listed Kosmopolito Hotels International Limited. As a reputable, growing brand, the Silka has always acknowledged its team. We identify key associates and groom them to meet their full potential. With my latest role, I lead and guide my staff to continually improve our business. I bounce off ideas with my staff day and night -- to the point that they sometimes lament it is just too much to handle! But that does not mean I expect them to put in late hours. I believe in having balance in life, so I do not expect my staff to work all day and night. My staff are a dedicated lot, and once they finish work at 6.30pm or so, they go home to spend time with their families. I now live in the hotel itself. I keep myself busy with a hectic schedule. I seldom have any free time when I am in Johor, and time often passes by quickly with work. I workout whenever I can and enjoy reading motivational and spiritual books by such authors as Robin Sharma, Deepak Chopra and the Dalai Lama. As for the hotel, my staff and I have our work cut out for us. The hotel recently underwent a rebranding exercise -- from Dorsett Johor Hotel to Silka Johor Hotel. The launch of Silka Johor was held last month with a luncheon for our corporate clients. A lion dance troupe entertained us while a promotional campaign involving taxis was launched. I have people coming to me to ask, "When did the hotel change?" I would then explain to them about our rebranding exercise. The three-star Silka has three properties in Hong Kong. There will soon be another Silka in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. I like the hotel industry for it challenges my mind to be more creative. It is an industry that never lets me sleep, but it keeps me fit. Dealing with people is what I like to do best. The hotel industry is constantly changing. As it is evolving, one has to move forward with the times. Whatever we did 10 years ago may not be applicable now. Nowadays, we need to understand market demand. As the Silka Johor is corporate-client based, we often see this category of guests checking in between Mondays and Thursdays. On weekends, we have foreign tour groups who come from Southeast Asian countries. The hotel's most recent event was the annual buka puasa dinner in which we invited 44 senior citizens from Pusat Jagaan Warga Emas Nur Ehsan, Kempas. They were treated to food, drinks and entertained by our house band. They were presented with duit raya and goodies courtesy of our staff with contributions from Tesco. My businessman husband and two daughters aged 27 and 20 are still in Kuala Lumpur. Jennifer Thor, 49, leads a balanced life by travelling fortnightly to Kuala Lumpurto see her family. Interview by Ahmad Fairuz Othman Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

A popularity to the Tune of 2mil guests Posted: 07 Aug 2011 07:43 AM PDT 2011/08/07 By Chuah Bee Kim TUNE Hotel Danga Bay in Johor Baru, which opened for business on May 15 last year, follows the low cost model similar to airlines that employ a self-service online booking system. The hotel has six levels with 218 rooms. Of these, 155 come with a double bed and 63 with twin beds. There are also two spacious rooms designed with wheelchair-friendly features on the ground floor to cater for disabled guests. The hotel was among the first to open in Iskandar Malaysia since the corridor development project was launched in 2006. It provides guests with easy access to the Johor-Singapore Causeway and the Second Link bridge, as well as shuttle transfers to Resorts World Sentosa's Universal Studio Singapore and the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort, both in the republic. Tune Hotels Group chief executive officer Mark Lankester said every room is equipped with a ceiling fan and guests would have to pay for add-ons, including air conditioning, television and hair dryer. Lankester said this after presenting a mock key card to Indonesian Budi Hariyanto, 57, and his wife, Sandra Kartika Yuwono, 52. The couple recently became the two millionth guest after the opening of the Tune Hotel Downtown Kuala Lumpur, the chain's first hotel, in 2007. The key card will entitle businessman Budi to enjoy free stays for life at the Tune Hotel Danga Bay whenever he comes to Johor Baru. "I always enjoy staying at Tune Hotels whenever I travel because of the affordable price and clean, comfortable environment. "The free stays in Tune Hotel Danga Bay will motivate me to holiday in Johor Baru more often," said Budi. Lankester said the Tune Group of Companies was planning to open 30 more hotels worldwide by next year. "There will be six more budget hotels in Malaysia, six in the Philippines, six in Thailand and five in London, as well as our first Tune Hotel in Melbourne, Australia," he said. Tune hotel is scheduled to open in Kulim, Kedah, in September this year. This will be followed by Ermita in Manila in the Philippines, and Hatyai, Thailand, by the end of this year. Next year, Tune Hotels will open in Cyberjaya, Putrajaya, Ipoh, Malacca and Bandar Tasik Selatan, Kuala Lumpur. Lankester is excited about the opening of the six Tune Hotels in the Philippines. They will be in Makati and Ortigas City, both in Manila; Angeles City and Clark Airbase, both in Pampanga; Cebu City and Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao. The group currently has 12 hotels in the country -- Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, KLIA-LCCT Airport, Penang, Johor Baru, Kota Damansara, Bintulu and Kota Baru. There are also Tune Hotels in Kuta and Legian in Bali, Indonesia; and in well known London Westminster in the United Kingdom. "We plan to spend between US$5 million and US$10 million (RM15 million and RM30 million) to set up each new hotel," he added. The Tune Group of Companies also owns Tune Money, Tune Talk, Tune Tones, Tune Box, Tune Studios, Team Lotus, ASEAN Basketball League and the Epsom College in Malaysia in the Kuala Lumpur Education City. One hundred Tune Hotels are being planned to be opened worldwide by 2015 the latest. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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North, northeast Thai still suffer from floods Posted: 07 Aug 2011 11:24 PM PDT BANGKOK: The flood situation in Thailand's north and northeast has continued to infringe on local livelihoods, with many areas still isolated and running out of food, reports Thai News Agency (TNA). In Tak province, almost 5,000 people in eight villages of Tambon Mae Tuen locality in Mae Ramat district remain stranded on their fourth day following the collapse of a local bridge. In Mae Hong Son province, troops began using machines to clear debris off roads in Sob Moei and Mae Sariang districts to enable road access. In Phichit province, the flood situation had worsened due to the overflowing Yom river and the inflow of upstream floodwater from Kamphaeng Phet province. Over 500 houses in Tambon Rangnok locality of Sam Ngam district remain heavily inundated as people were seen commuting by boat. In Phitsanulok province, the level of floodwater in Phrom Phiram district had risen with stronger currents. Local official warned at least 2,000 families could be isolated if a wooden bridge in Wang Nam Yen area collapses. Meanwhile, the Mekong river in Thailand's Northeast had overflown into central business districts of Mukdahan province, submerging the basement of the Indochina market and forcing the closure of schools. -- BERNAMA Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Pheu Thai party cabinet line-up Tuesday Posted: 07 Aug 2011 10:19 PM PDT BANGKOK: Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit says the cabinet line-up will likely be proposed for royal endorsement on Tuesday, reports Thai news Agency (TNA). Prompong told reporters on Sunday the cabinet arrangement was more than half way done and should be proposed to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej by August 9. He also said his party's work on government policies was nearly completed, saying Yingluck Shinawatra was ready to begin working on flood and economic problems once royally endorsed as prime minister. Meanwhile, the Pheu Thai spokesman congratulated Abhisit Vejjajiva on being chosen for a second-term as Democrat Party leader, saying Abhisit's abilities would suit him well as the new opposition leader. -- BERNAMA Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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Cameron Highlands landslide: 7 dead, 2 injured Posted: 07 Aug 2011 06:00 PM PDT CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Four women and three men died while another man and a woman were seriously injured in a landslide at the Sungai Ruil Orang Asli settlement in Brinchang, here yesterday afternoon. The dead were identified as Normadiah Lasik, 69, Ali Hassan, 50, Jaafar, 49, Mohd Ikbal Jaafar, 15, Sara Gunung, 37, Norma Gunung, 51, and Yusnizan Yusof, 22, while the two seriously injured were identified as Bah Anjang Besar a/l Anjang, 39, and Serry Priary a/p Suri, 15. In the incident at 5.45pm, heavy rain that occurred since 5pm resulted in a mudslide and landslide which buried three houses at the Hardcore Poor Public Housing Project in the hillside settlement. Cameron Highlands OCPD, DSP Wan Zahari Wan Busu said the mudslide and landslide occurred about 100 metres below the highland and buried the three houses. "All search and rescue operations had been stopped at 1.50am. However, police are still maintaining security operations in the area," he told reporters at the scene early this morning. He said the last victim was found at 1.20am. All the deceased in the incident had been taken to the Hospital Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom for a post mortem while those seriously injured were taken to the Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, in Ipoh for further treatment, he said. Wan Zahari said the two victims who were injured were reported to be in stable condition. "Two hundred and forty-eight personnel from the various agencies including the police, Fire and Rescue Department, the SMART team and Rela were involved in the operations at the scene of the incident," he said. He said all the 60 families living in houses which were in the area had been evacuated to the Brinchang Multipurpose Hall, here. A check by Bernama at the Brinchang Multipurpose Hall at 4.30 this morning found that the evacuation of all the families by the Cameron Highlands District Welfare Department was still going on. A spokesman of the Social Welfare Department said the families were required to stay there temporarily until the status of their homes in Sungai Ruil had been confirmed safe for occupation. -- BERNAMA Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

Lack of trained English teachers the cause Posted: 07 Aug 2011 10:13 AM PDT 2011/08/07 By Ling Poh Lean and Aisyah Sulaiman news@nst.com.my KUALA LUMPUR: The shortage of trained English language teachers is one of the reasons for the students' poor grasp of the language, National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) president Hashim Adnan said yesterday. "Most of the teachers have a poor command of the language. How do you expect students to learn English when the teachers themselves do not know the basics of the language? "There is nothing wrong with the textbooks or curriculum. It is all about the teachers. I am sorry to say this but our young teachers are simply not up to the standard when teaching English. "We did have many good English-trained teachers before but most of them have retired." Hashim said the shortage of trained English language teachers began when the government decided to change the medium of instruction from English to Bahasa Malaysia 20 years ago. While it was important to master the national language, Hashim said the English language, as the international lingua franca, should not be sidelined. He said it was quite impossible for students to master the language when almost 90 per cent of the subjects in schools were taught in Bahasa Malaysia or other mother tongues. "How can we expect our students to have good command of English when they are given little opportunity to use the language?" He said the five years of Teaching and Learning Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) was simply too short to judge the efficiency of the initiative. "It's quite impossible to improve the standard of English overnight. Five years is not enough. It should be at least a 14-year plan -- six years for primary school, five for secondary and three for tertiary. Taylor's University dean of education Professor Dr Malachi Edwin Vethamani said instead of hiring retired teachers, the government should train new teachers with the right components. "Proper training is crucial to ensure teachers' quality. For example, teachers in rural areas might need a different kind of training to help them tack the problem faced by students there. "Many parents and students in rural areas do not see the importance of mastering English. We might not get this kind of problem in urban schools." Hiring native speakers to teach in rural areas, Malachi said, was not the solution either. "Getting foreigners to teach will just discourage our teachers here. Although they speak English on a daily basis, this does not guarantee that they will be good teachers." The New Sunday Times reported that the Education Ministry was looking at several factors, such as teachers' incompetency and unsuitable school books, to determine why students continue to have a poor grasp of the English language. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also education minister, said even after learning the language for 13 years at primary, secondary and matriculation levels, some students still could not master English. National Parent-Teacher Association president Associate Professor Datuk Mohamad Ali Hasan said lack of communication in English caused students to have a poor grasp of the language. While welcoming the Education Ministry's announcement to review the English language curriculum, Ali attributed the problem in improving students' language skills to lack of communication in the language. "Language is a spoken media. You have to speak it in order to master it and not enough focus has been given to communicating in English. "The children are also not encouraged to participate in activities that are English-oriented, such as drama, choral speaking and debate." Nurwahidah Mohd Khairuddin, 34, who has a 7-year-old son, said children were naturally averse to something they were not used to. Therefore, the emphasis should be on cultivating an English-speaking culture. "Parents and teachers should encourage and support the children and help them learn through other ways such as through the media where they can visualise and understand things better and more clearly," she said. Chandrika Nair, 50, who has a daughter in Form Five, said the problem was caused by lack of capable teachers. "What is important is ensuring that there are enough trained teachers who are proficient in the language." Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search.

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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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