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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.

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.

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Genting Malaysia gains on Miami resort plan Posted: 18 Sep 2011 06:18 PM PDT Genting Malaysia Bhd, a casino-operator, rose the most in almost two weeks after saying it plans to invest US$3 billion to develop a bayfront resort in Miami, Florida. The stock gained 1.2 percent to RM3.40 at 9:05 a.m. local time in Kuala Lumpur trading, set for its biggest increase since Sept. 7. -- Bloomberg

Petronas Gas falls to 8-year low Posted: 18 Sep 2011 06:30 PM PDT Petronas Gas Bhd, a Malaysian gas distributor, fell the most in more than eight years in Kuala Lumpur trading after rallying to a record last week. The stock slid 6.5 percent to RM13.72 at 9:20 a.m. local time, set for its steepest drop since January 2003. It surged 8.7 percent to a record on Sept. 15, raising its 14-day relative strength index to 74, above the 70 level considered by some traders as a sell signal. The shares climbed last week after JPMorgan Chase & Co said the Malaysian gas distributor will gain from rising infrastructure spending in Southeast Asia. -- Bloomberg

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Badminton: Kien Keat-Boon Heong remain best bet Posted: 18 Sep 2011 05:20 PM PDT 2011/09/19 K.M. Boopathy boopathy@nst.com.my Doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her believes Koo Kien Keat (left) and Tan Boon Heong remain Malaysia's best hopes for an Olympic medal in the men's doubles. AS far as men's doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her is concerned, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong will still be Malaysia's best bets in the London Olympics even if their form is unconvincing. This is because doubles Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah, who are ranked No 2 in the national team, are still not in the same league as Kien Keat-Boon Heong's, and it is hard for them to qualify for the Olympics unless they started winning the Super Series. Kim Her feels that Kien Keat-Boon Heong would regain their world conquering form if Kien Keat starts reprising his role as the leader of the men's doubles squad and leads like Lee Chong Wei. "Next year's Olympics are Kien Keat-Boon Heong's best opportunity to strike gold because this is the prime time of their career. We will try to do everything necessary to ensure they are successful in London," said Kim Her yesterday. "Both are world class performers and have been around long enough to know what they are capable of. We want to ensure they are provided with a programme that is going to make them feel assured and push hard to regain their form. "I want to see the Kien Keat of the old who has been the leader of the group and starting becoming an inspiration to Boon Heong and other players. "As coaches, we have complete faith that Kien Keat and Boon Heong can make a strong comeback." The national coaches will have a meeting with BAM high performance director Datuk James Selvaraj and manager Kenny Goh to finalise the programmes for the London Olympics. Pang Cheh Chang has been long touted as the coach to guide Kien Keat-Boon Heong but Kim Her's experience as a much travelled coach and Rosman Razak's expertise in several areas will be utilised by the top pair in their resurgence, As for V Shem-Khim Wah, Kim Her said they would find it hard to break into the top eight in the Olympic qualifying rankings as they are not consistent enough. "V Shem-Khim Wah have progressed but they have not become an independent combination. A top class pair will show their pedigree during the crucial stages where a split second decision from them can make a difference between victory and defeat, and this is something V Shem-Khim Wah must master," said Kim Her. "If a pair still keeps looking at the coaches during matches, they are going to struggle. They must believe their instincts and make decisions fast." Kien Keat-Boon Heong, who turned 26 and 24 respectively yesterday, are competing in the Japan Open and upon return, they can be assured of a coaching staff waiting to reignite them.

Hockey: YNS leave it late for victory Posted: 18 Sep 2011 05:18 PM PDT 2011/09/19 Jugjet Singh jugjet@nst.com.my Sapura's Izwan Firdaus Ahmad Tajuddin (left) tries to get past an Armed Forces Airod player yesterday. Sapura won 4-0. YAYASAN Negri Sembilan (YNS) needed a ninth penalty corner to beat Nur Insafi 2-1 in the Premier Division of the TNB-Malaysia Hockey League yesterday. YNS started off with a stroke of luck in the ninth minute when Nur Insafi Pakistan import Kashif Ali missed a penalty stroke, but Lady Luck deserted them in the 24th minute. Harris Fadila scored off a field attempt, and that was the most exciting action of the first half. Nur Insafi and YNS have each registered six foreign players, but there seemed to be a lack of understanding. The second half was a midfield affair, but YNS started attacking after 15 minutes and won a string of penalty corners, but only got it right in their eighth attempt. Pakistan import Ihsan Ullah Khan's 59th minute effort pulled his team level, and YNS started to attack more, looking for the winner. And they got it in the 69th minute off their ninth penalty corner when Ullah struck again. Meanwhile, Sapura chalked up an unimpressive 4-0 win over a weak Armed Forces Airod. Sapura fielded four national players but only Azreen Rizal delivered with a hat-trick (eighth, 29th, 66th minutes). The other goal was scored by Joel Samuel van Huizen in the 69th minute. "While I am happy with the win and the four goals, we were playing in patches and that is an area we need to work on. In reality this was the first time they played together as a team as many of my players had work commitments," said Sapura coach I. Vikneswaran. In another Premier Division match, unfancied UiTM scared the daylights out of UniKL when their Qatar import Sherza Ali scored in the 12th minute, but Noor Faeez scored off their fifth penalty corner in the 59th minute to hand UniKL one important point. UiTM yesterday fielded all their five Qatar imports, Muhammad Rizwan, Sheraz Ali, Tariq Nazir, Sami Ullah and Sohail Mustafa. RESULTS -- Division One: SSTMI-Thunderbolt 4 Uniten 2, Ipoh City Hall 0 BJSS 6. Premier League: Armed Forces Airod 0 Sapura 4, Uitm 1 UniKL 1, Nur Insafi Penang 1 Yayasan Negri Sembilan 2. FIXTURES -- WEDNESDAY: Premier Division -- Sapura v Maybank (6pm, Pitch I), UniKL v Yayasan NS (8pm, Pitch I), Kuala Lumpur HC v UiTM (6pm, Pitch II), Tenaga v Nur Insafi (8pm, Pitch II). All matches at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil. DIVISION ONE -- SSTMI-Thunderbolt v UNIMAP (Ministry of Education, 5pm), BJSS v Uniten (Ministry of Education, 8pm).

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Cops: Bombings carried out by drug dealers Posted: 17 Sep 2011 05:35 PM PDT A victim being rushed to Sungai Golok Hospital for treatment yesterday. — Picture by Syamsi Suhaimi SUNGAI GOLOK: Thai authorities alleged yesterday that drug dealers had a hand in deadly coordinated bombings in the country's south that killed four Malaysians and wounded dozens more. Sungai Golok police chief Col Chakapon Thenthong said the death toll from Friday night's three explosions here had climbed to five after a victim died in hospital. He said the latest victim was a Thai national. Chakapon also said 13 of the more than 60 people injured in the attack were severely wounded. The bomb attacks are one of the biggest since the new Thai government was installed last month. More than 4,700 people have been killed in southern Thailand since an insurgency erupted in 2004. No one immediately claimed responsibility for Friday's attacks. "The attacks were in response to the authorities' frequent crackdown on narcotics." Chakapon said since the new government took office last month, police had seized 100,000 methamphetamine tablets in Narathiwat, where Sungai Golok is located. He said the latest anti-drug crackdown in the area took place on Wednesday. "We believe drug dealers funded the insurgents in Friday's incident. "They definitely aimed at harming the public, given the time and the locations of the explosions." The explosions took place outside two hotels and a community centre in the early evening. A massive military effort has failed to stop the violence in the south, attributed to the secretive insurgents who advocate separatism. On Thursday, suspected insurgents killed five soldiers and severely wounded another in a roadside bombing in neighbouring Pattani province. Some Thai officials have long alleged ties between the drug trade and the violence, but they have offered little evidence. Several small fires were set off by Friday's explosions. Authorities cut off mobile phone service in the area to prevent possible detonations of more bombs, and traffic was snarled by army roadblocks. The town here attracts Malaysians seeking entertainment. However, attacks in recent years have discouraged visitors. The previous most dramatic attack happened during celebrations of the 2008 new year, when suspected insurgents set off five bombs in a hotel, wounding 27 people. -- AP

DPM: Don’t question ISA move Posted: 17 Sep 2011 10:55 AM PDT 2011/09/18 By Adie Suri Zulkefli and Looi Sue-Chern news@nst.com.my Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin arriving at a Merdeka Raya gathering in Sungai Acheh, Nibong Tebal, yesterday. — Picture by Rosli Ahmad NIBONG TEBAL: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has urged all quarters not to cast doubt on the government's decision to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA). He said the opposition parties which appeared to have been caught off-guard by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's announcement should not question the government's honesty in honouring the decision. Describing the decision as a radical and bold move by Najib, Muhyiddin also brushed aside suggestions that the announcement was a political stunt for the general election. "This is not main-main (game). The prime minister's announcement was not only widely reported by the local media but also by the international news organisations. "Yes, we can understand that some people, including the opposition leaders, were caught by surprise but it is something real. "What is important is that the decision is for the rakyat's benef it," he said after attending a Merdeka Raya gathering at the Perda community hall in Sungai Acheh here yesterday. Muhyiddin, who was on a oneday visit to Penang, was commenting on claims by the opposition leaders that the announcement was a political trick in wake of the coming general election. He explained that the decision was not made in haste, as it was done after two years of review of the laws. "This reflects the courage of the prime minister. It was not a response to the demands of many, although the matter had been raised over a long time. " The decision was made according to the changes in the countr y's landscape and it was something that the people wished for. " Muhyiddin said the decision would complement the Government Transformation Programme and the Economic Transformation Programme introduced earlier under Najib's leadership as the nation was moving towards becoming a developed nation by 2020. "We have initiated economic and government transformation, and we are now moving towards political transformation, which is linked to the political situation, national security, human rights and freedom of speech. This means we have progressed to a mature level." However, he said, the government would not compromise on national security and would introduce two new laws to combat terrorism and organised crime. "Hopefully, the enactment of the two new laws can be tabled in Parliament before the year end." In his Malaysia Day message three days ago, Najib had announced, among other things, that the ISA would be repealed and two new laws would be enacted to protect the peace, harmony and security of the country. Muhyiddin had earlier approved allocations, totalling several million ringgit, for the people here. This included RM2.5 million for a local mosque, RM1 million for a new fishermen jetty in Sungai Udang and RM500,000 for SJK(C) Pai Teik. Muhyiddin also said the government had approved an additional RM4.6 mil allocation to build a new school building for SJK(T) Batu Kawan. He said this at a ground-breaking ceremony for the school on a 0.8ha piece of land belonging to the Penang Development Corporation in Batu Kawan yesterday. In Bukit Mertajam, Muhyiddin said the government planned to take over the responsibility of state governments and pay the salaries of religious teachers in sekolah agama rakyat (people's religious schools). Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said although it was not the job of the Federal Government to take over this responsibility, such a move would allow it to support the schools better in efforts to strengthen the religious education system. Muhyiddin was addressing more than 500 religious teachers at a meeting in Universiti Teknologi Mara Permatang Pauh campus. He gave RM7.1 million to 35 SARs, government-aided religious schools and national religious secondary schools in Penang. In Tasek Gelugor, Muhyiddin announced a RM2.4 million allocation to upgrade a market and a make-over for low-cost flats. He said the allocations were approved following appeals from the Tasek Gelugor market traders to upgrade the existing market and the repainting work for four blocks of low-cost flats in Taman Retina, Permatang Berangan.

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Singapore under pressure to abolish security law Posted: 17 Sep 2011 09:37 PM PDT SINGAPORE - Singapore is coming under mounting pressure to ease political restrictions after neighbouring Malaysia unveiled steps to abolish tough security laws and ease media and protest regulations. Human rights and opposition groups say Singapore needs to keep up with the times and abolish the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows for detention without trial and is seen by critics as an instrument to stifle dissent. In a surprise move, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said last week his government would scrap the ISA and ease other laws perceived as curbs on civil liberties, including protest rules and annual newspaper licensing. But Singapore insists the ISA, which was used against leftists in the past and suspected Islamic extremists in recent years, remains relevant and maintains that media regulations are needed to preserve social cohesion. The city-state's longest-held ISA detainee was Chia Thye Poh, a former Socialist Party MP who was held for 23 years from 1966 to 1989, followed by nine more years of effective house arrest. - AFP

Death toll from Nevada air crash rises to nine Posted: 17 Sep 2011 06:57 PM PDT RENO, Nevada - The death toll in the crash of a vintage World War Two fighter plane near the grandstand at a Nevada air race has risen to nine, authorities said on Saturday. In Martinsburg, West Virginia, another vintage U.S. military plane went down in a fireball at an air show on Saturday, killing the pilot. There were no other casualties. In the Reno crash, two people who died of injuries at hospitals and seven died on the tarmac following the Friday night crash, Reno Deputy Police Chief Dave Evans said. More than 50 people were injured. Officials said previously the crash killed at least three people. The pilot, Jimmy Leeward, 74, was among those killed when his P-51 Mustang dubbed the "Galloping Ghost" crashed into a box seat area in front of the main grandstand, said Mike Draper, spokesman for the 48th Annual National Championship Air Races, also known as the Reno Air Races. - Reuters

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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.

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.

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Club CEOs: Can't live with or without them Posted: 17 Sep 2011 07:25 PM PDT THE setting was a fitting tribute for a legend of the club: more than 500 fans gathered under a marquee tent at the stadium to see their CEO induct a decorated German striker into the Manchester United Hall of Fame. One small problem: Uwe Rosler never played for United. He was a 1990s star for arch rivals, Manchester City. You could have heard a pin drop when Garry Cook made his infamous gaffe in December 2009, 18 months after taking up the top job at Eastlands. Then there were murmurs of discontent at the function as incensed supporters looked at each other in disbelief. The Citizens' faithful never forgot it and many were pleased to see the one-time Nike executive depart the club last week in the wake of a leaked e-mail mocking the cancer-stricken mother of defender Nedum Onuoha. The search goes on to fill the now vacant position of executive director on the blue side of Manchester. With all the riches provided by owner Sheikh Mansour Zayed al Nahyan and the Abu Dhabi royal family plus a fantasy football squad comes a huge weight of expectation for the suit on an estimated salary of STG1.5 million (RM7.5 million) per year in the front office. "Garry Cook was never the right person for that job," said a Manchester City insider, who's been associated with the club since the 1960s. "He was naive yet cocky, with all his American ideas, and didn't want to know who the northern people were. "As much as Man City is a modern club, it also has strong, traditional northern English roots that anyone in charge must be aware of and respect." In his defence, Cook tried to court the club's traditions by introducing the 'My first City game' campaign in which the fans' written recollections were placed around the interior of the Etihad Stadium. But others would point out that Cook was a Birmingham City supporter who had zero emotional investment in his job. A previous Man City boss was a Londoner with a business background, known to be partial to one of the southern teams. In an infamous episode a decade ago, he banned Manchester-born comedian Bernard Manning from the club after his brazen humour at a testimonial dinner had offended his wife. "Bernard had been a City fan for more than 60 years and came up with a joke that had the whole room laughing at the woman's expense, something like she looked like a bulldog who swallowed a wasp," the City insider said. "The next thing we know Bernard wasn't allowed to come to games and we'd have to smuggle tickets to him via his son." Len Shackleton, a journalist and former England international of the 1950's, perhaps summed it up best in his autobiography, 'The Clown Prince of Football'. One chapter of the book, entitled The Average Director's Knowledge of Football, consisted of a single blank page. *Join Jason Dasey (www.jasondasey.com) for exclusive 'live' coverage of Man Utd v Chelsea on BPL Sunday (10pm) for Malaysia's only HD BPL studio shows on Channel 831. Also available on Channel 817.

International triumphs rub off on Malaysia Cup Posted: 17 Sep 2011 07:24 PM PDT IF unpredictability is your cup of tea, it would be better to follow the Malaysia Cup rather than the English Premier League (EPL). It may be early days yet in the EPL but already, the teams expected to be frontrunners have raced off the blocks and it does seem that the trophy will stay in Manchester for yet another season. Whether it will be in the United cabinet or that of City's remains to be seen but it will take a huge effort to deny either the title. It is a totally different scenario in the Malaysia Cup though as most of the pre-tournament favourites have suffered a hiccup or two, even mighty Kelantan were brought down to earth by club side Felda United. Whether Felda can go on to emulate what Selangor MPPJ did in 2003 and win the Malaysia Cup will only be decided in the coming weeks but the unpredictability is certainly good for a tournament of this stature. Before last night's matches, teams like Sabah, Kuala Lumpur and Felda were lording over the likes of Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan in their respective groups and it is certainly a breath of fresh air for the Malaysia Cup. Malaysian football, despite the failure to advance past Singapore in the 2014 World Cup Qualifier, is currently enjoying a high but only sustained effort can see this continuing. The Sea Games triumph of 2009 was followed by the lifting of the Asean Cup for the first time last year and on Wednesday the national Under-23 squad take on Japan in their first Olympic qualifying final round match. This would have been unthinkable just two years ago as Malaysians had lost faith in the game and preferred to focus on the EPL and other European leagues. The odds are against Malaysia qualifying for the London Olympics but after years of negativity, playing in the qualifier is a positive step forward and that is what matters at this time. The national teams are better managed and the local teams can, rightfully so, share the credit for they too are more professionally run. Gone are the days where clubs were accused of encouraging players to shirk national duty and there is genuine competition for places in the various national teams. This, surely, is the reason why upsets have become a norm in the Malaysia Cup as players -- even those featuring for teams not expected to challenge for honours -- try their best to catch the eyes of selectors. Most teams have also learnt to live within their means and have also been quick to take action -- Johor leading the way -- at the slightest indication of match-fixing, something which was lacking in previous years. For sure, the M-League may be lacking the quality of the heydays of Malaysian football but what matters is that the journey has started and we must focus on getting there. So follow the EPL but do keep an eye on the Malaysia Cup for there are some good things taking place closer to home.

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