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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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Top food trade shows in 2012

Posted: 31 Dec 2011 06:20 PM PST

The Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair is one of the most important wine fairs of the year. — AFP pic

NEW YORK, Jan 1 — Kicking off the food calendar for 2012 is the 37th annual Winter Fancy Food Show in the US, an important trade expo where premium fine foods make their debut before being picked up by major retailers around the world. And with the return of Vinexpo to Hong Kong this year, look for a lot of movements in the wine world to emerge out of Asia, where the thirst for wine has seen explosive growth over the past few years. Here are some of the most important food trade shows of 2012 where trends are born and new products discovered. 

37th annual Winter Fancy Food Show, January 15-17 Moscone Center San Francisco, California, USA 

The 37th annual edition of the Winter Fancy Food Show is poised to be the largest of its kind on the West Coast and serves as a show ground for luxury, artisanal products. This year, more than 17,000 buyers are expected to converge in San Francisco looking for the latest specialty and premium products like chocolates, cheeses, olive oils, spices, ethnic foods and natural and organic products. More than 35 countries will be represented and 80,000 products on display. American cheese makers and craft brewers will be featured in nearby pavilions from the American Cheese Society and the Brewers Association. International offerings include new twists on tea from India, quinoa from Peru, and meats from Poland. Italy returns with the largest international pavilion. The summer version of the Fancy Food Show takes place June 17-19 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. http://www.specialtyfood.com/fancy-food-show/winter-fancy-food-show/ 

42nd Annual International Sweets and Biscuits Fair (ISM) 2012: The Future of Sweets, Germany, January 29-February 1 Cologne Exhibition Centre Cologne, Germany 

ISM is the largest global sweets and biscuits fair. This year's event will feature Belgium as the partner country and is expected to draw 1,400 suppliers from around the world. Like last year, master chocolatiers will be hand to demonstrate the art of making pralines, while students from the Cologne International School of Design will showcase how confectionery can be turned into gift ideas. Journalists will also select the top three new products at the fair, and highlight emerging trends in the world of sweets and confectionery. The 2011 event attracted 1,500 exhibitors and 32,450 visitors. http://www.ism-cologne.com 

13th annual European Snack and Sandwich Show, February 15-16 Porte de Versailles Paris, France European Sandwich & Snack Show 

2012  is the biggest exhibition specialising in eating-on-the go, bringing together food products, consumables, equipment, services and technologies under one roof. The exhibition is designed for all sandwich and snack distribution channels, including alternative food channels, hotels and restaurants, group catering, supermarkets and hypermarkets, and the self-service vending sector. http://www.reedexpo.com/en/Events/2324/Sandwich-Snack-Show 

23rd annual BioFach & Vivaness 2012, Germany February 15 -18 Exhibition Centre Nuremberg, Germany 

A trade fair dedicated to organic products, from food to holistic health and wellness products,  key special themes include organic wine and organic olive oil. BioFach is larger in scope and size than the other comparable European organic and natural ingredients trade fair like Food Ingredients Europe or Natural Ingredients. This year's event is expected to attract 2,500 exhibitors and 44,000 trade visitors. India has been chosen as the Country of the Year for BioFach 2012 and will present their offerings as an emerging organic supplier. The event has a global presence with events in Shanghai, Sao Paolo, Tokyo, Mumbai and Baltimore. http://www.biofach.de/de/sitemap/ 

17th Annual Gulfood 2011, Dubai World Trade Centre Dubai, UAE 

Gulfood is the Middle East's largest food, drink, foodservice and hospitality exhibition. Live events include a live baking theatre, global chef competition and award ceremonies, while conference topics will cover packaging trends, consumer trends and Halal. Last year's event drew 62,024 trade visitors — an increase of 12% over last year - from more than 150 countries. In excess of 1 million square feet of exhibition space was allocated to 3,800 exhibitors bringing products, services and innovations the Middle East from 100 countries around the world. http://www.gulfood.com/ 

46th Annual Vinitaly, March 25-28 Veronafiere Fairground Verona, Italy 

Vinitaly is the Italian answer to France's Vinexpo, a four-day event devoted to international wines and spirits, winemaking and wine business. Last year's event attracted more than 4,000 exhibitors, and 156,000 visitors from 100 countries. Unlike other wine trade shows that are closed to the public, Vinitaly focuses on consumers, oenophiles and wine lovers in addition to offering tastings, workshops and meetings between suppliers, growers and trade operators. http://www.vinitaly.com/ 

18th annual Food & Hotel Asia, April 17-20? Singapore Expo 

Singapore As Asia's largest food and hospitality trade event, the 2012 edition is expected to host 40,000 trade visitors from 90 countries. The show is made up of five specialized events that include Food Asia, Hotel Asia, Bakery & Pastry, Hospitality Style Asia and Hospitality Technology and Tead & Coffee. About 2,600 exhibitors from 65 countries will showcase their wares this year. http://www.foodnhotelasia.com/ 

24th Annual Specialty Coffee Exposition, April 18-19-Symposium April 19-22-Exposition Oregon Convention Centre Portland, Oregon, USA 

The Specialty Coffee Association of America is the world's coffee authority and largest coffee trade association with nearly 3,000 member companies from more than 40 countries. The event brings together the entire industry — from producers to baristas and enthusiasts. Each year, the event hosts two major industry competitions (which have been emulated at similar conferences around the world) — the United States Barista Championship and the Roasters Guild Coffees of the Year. The exposition features new products and coffee purveyors, while the symposium delves deeper into the topics like the relationship between coffee and its drinkers, research about the market growth and how to green their coffee. http://www.scaaevent.org/ 

93rd annual National Restaurant Association Show, May 5-8 McCormick Place Chicago, IL, USA 

As one of the longest-running, most established food shows in the US, the NRA Show attracts more than 58,000 foodservice professionals from all 50 states and over 100 countries each year and pumps in an estimated US$100 million (RM340 million) dollars into the local economy. The NRA Show has been in Chicago since 1950. It's a star-studded event with celebrity guests sharing their kitchen secrets at the World Culinary Showcase Theatre, and industry insiders sharing their insight with fellow restaurateurs. It's also a show grounds for the latest in cutting-edge kitchen and commercial equipment and a launching pad for innovative consumer products. The show also co-hosts the 5th annual International Wine, Spirits & Beer event this year, dedicated to all things beverage and bar-related. http://show.restaurant.org/nra11/public/enter.aspx 

13th Annual SIAL China, May 9-11 Shanghai New Int'l Expo Centre Shanghai, China 

SIAL China is part of the international SIAL Group, which was created in 1964 in Paris and puts on international trade shows annually in rotating locations each year.  SIAL CHINA 2012 will indulge inner foodies and wine aficionados from around the world and is expected to attract 40,000 visitors and more than 1,800 exhibitors. New this year will be Team Contest, Hospitality and Retail Forum and Coffee Trend areas. The always popular Wine & Gourmet World also returns. http://www.sialchina.com/ Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo June 25-28? Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, USA 

The IFT annual meeting is the largest annual food science forum and exposition in the world. Every year, thousands of food scientists, R&D professionals, suppliers and marketers gather to learn about the driving forces behind trends and innovations. Major industry players, government agencies, and representatives from research institutions provide insight in 100 educational sessions and 1,000 presentations covering topics in health, safety, product innovations and trends. http://www.am-fe.ift.org/cms/ 

24th annual Vinexpo Asia-Pacific, 12 May 29-31 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Hong Kong 

As one of the biggest and most important wine trade events, Vinexpo alternates locations between Hong Kong and France every year. In 2012, it's Asia's turn to host. Given the meteoric rise of the wine industry in Asia, interest is expected to be high. According to the latest Vinexpo/IWSR study, Asia will experience the strongest increase in its wine markets in the next five years with five percent annual growth compared to the world average, which is less than one percent. Retail sales of still light wines in Asia in 2009 were worth US$7.18 billion and are expected to increase by 27 per cent by 2013. In 2010, the event attracted 12,620 visitors from 18 countries, and 882 exhibitors from 35 countries. Vinexpo is second to the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair in size and popularity. http://www.vinexpo.com/en/visiting/ 

11th annual Natural Products Expo Asia, August 23-25 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Hong Kong 

In an region where health and well-being tops consumer priorities, the Natural Products Expo Asia show is an important trade show for industries hoping to set foot in the eastern marketplace. Natural and organic food sales have grown by almost threefold over the last decade to US$85 billion US and China has consistently outperformed the global market since 1995. This year's show is forecast to bring 250 exhibitors to the region and attract 10,000 visitors. The show is closed to trade professionals Aug. 23-24 and open to the public August 25. http://www.naturalproductsasia.com/ea12/public/enter.aspx 

5th Annual Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, November 8-10 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Hong Kong 

Organised by the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council, this event is billed as the largest wine fair in Asia and serves as a platform for buyers, producers, and other wine industry professionals from all over the world. As Hong Kong is considered the entry point into Chinese and Asian markets, this fair is strategically and geographically significant for all those interested in cementing their position in Asia. Its spring On the fair's final day in 2011, 19,690 public visitors hit the show — a 38 per cent growth over the previous year. Overall, the 2011 edition hosted 930 exhibitors and 19,400 buyers from countries like Italy, China, France, Taiwan, the US and Australia. http://www.hktdc.com/fair/hkwinefair-en/HKTDC-Hong-Kong-International-Wine-and-Spirits-Fair.html 

Health Ingredients Europe, November 12-15 Messe Frankfurt Frankfurt, Germany 

Health Ingredients Europe & Natural Ingredients will be held in the absence of Food Ingredients Europe, its big sister and the larger of the trade shows held every two years. New in 2012 will be four new categories: nutritional solutions, packaging and processing, innovation, contract services and formulation solutions, including flavour, taste, texture and shelf life. About 500 exhibitors are expected to showcase their wares. http://hieurope.ingredientsnetwork.com/. — AFP-Relaxnews

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Local and sustainable foods to be hottest menu trends in 2012, chefs say

Posted: 31 Dec 2011 06:03 PM PST

Locally sourced meat and seafood are predicted to be the hottest restaurant menu trends in 2012, according to a US poll of 1,800 chefs. — AFP pic

NEW YORK, Jan 1 — When it comes to restaurant menu trends next year, it's all going to be about location, location, location. 

That's according to the National Restaurant Association's annual chef survey which polled 1,800 professionals in the US asking them to predict the hottest menu trends to take over 2012. 

Released earlier this month, the survey found that locally sourced meats and seafood as well as locally grown produce topped the list, followed by healthy kids' meals, 'hyper-local' items and sustainability as a culinary theme. 

Not only will chefs be seeking out locally sourced proteins and vegetables, the principle of supporting the local economy, reducing food miles, and using seasonal ingredients will extend to alcohol, wine and local distilleries, says the NRA. 

Sourcing suppliers close to home also dovetails into another trend chefs foresee will play a dominant role in menu development next year: "sustainability as a culinary theme." 

Perhaps one of the best examples of sustainable dining comes from chef Dan Barber's Blue Hill restaurant in New York City, which sources local ingredients from nearby farms to create dishes like Stone Barns Berkshire Pig with bio char apples, savoy cabbage and bacon; Hudson Valley Chicken with black dirt carrots and shiitake mushrooms; and cauliflower steak au poivre with parsnips, pine nuts and capers. 

The best-known West Coast champion of sustainable dining, meanwhile, is Alice Waters of Chez Panisse, who has been described as a trailblazer for pioneering the notion of sustainable eating 40 years ago. 

And after a year in which McDonald's Happy Meals and calorie-laden kids' meals grabbed headlines, chefs also predict that restaurants will turn their focus to creating more healthy meal options for children in 2012, coming in the No. 3 spot on the report. 

"The top menu trends we're seeing in our What's Hot in 2012 survey reflect the macro-trends we have seen grow over the last several years," said Joy Dubost, nutrition director for the NRA. 

"Nutrition — especially when it comes to children — is becoming a major focus for the nation's nearly one million restaurants, in tune with consumers' increasing interest in healthful eating." 

Here are the 10 hottest menu trends for 2012, as predicted by 1,800 US chefs: 

1. Locally sourced meats and seafood 

2. Locally grown produce 

3. Healthful kids' meals 

4. Hyper-local items 

5. Sustainability as a culinary theme 

6. Children's nutrition as a culinary theme 

7. Gluten-free/food allergy-conscious items 

8. Locally produced wine and beer 

9. Sustainable seafood 

10. Whole grain items in kids' meals. — AFP-Relaxnews

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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Neymar voted South America’s Footballer of Year

Posted: 31 Dec 2011 07:31 AM PST

MONTEVIDEO, Dec 31 — Brazil's teenage striker Neymar, who won the Copa Libertadores with Santos, has been voted South American football's Footballer of the Year.

Uruguay's Oscar Washington Tabarez was named coach of the year for the second time in a row after steering his World Cup semi-finalists to a record 15th Copa America crown in July.

Neymar (picture), who inspired Santos to victory over Penarol of Uruguay in the Copa Libertadores final in June, succeeds Argentine midfielder Andres D'Alessandro of Brazil's Internacional in the annual South American poll conducted by the Uruguayan daily El Pais.

The 19-year-old took 130 votes to 70 for second-placed Chilean striker Eduardo Vargas, whose exploits in helping Universidad de Chile win the Copa Sudamericana and both domestic league titles this year earned him a transfer to Napoli.

Neymar's Santos team mate Paulo Henrique Ganso was third, while Universidad de Chile's Argentine trainer Jorge Sampaoli was voted second among the coaches. — Reuters

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Blackburn stun Man United to spoil Ferguson’s party

Posted: 31 Dec 2011 06:48 AM PST

Manchester United's Phil Jones (top) challenges Blackburn Rovers' Ayegbeni Yakubu during their match at Old Trafford in Manchester on December 31, 2011. — Reuters pic

MANCHESTER, Dec 31 — Manchester United wasted the chance to start the new year at the top of the Premier League when they were stunned 3-2 by strugglers Blackburn Rovers today to spoil manager Alex Ferguson's 70th birthday.

Blackburn, who started the day bottom of the table, had taken an unlikely 2-0 lead early in the second half thanks to a Yakubu double before the injury-ravaged champions drew level through two Dimitar Berbatov goals.

United had needed a point to ensure they would finish the year in top spot with leaders Manchester City not playing until tomorrow but Grant Hanley's 80th-minute winner for Blackburn stopped them in their tracks.

"Obviously it's a disappointment... We never expected that," Ferguson told ESPN television, "We lost two terrible goals in a game, you can't do that in games like this."

Defeat leaves United with 45 points from 19 games, behind City on goal difference. Roberto Mancini's side can go three points clear with a victory at Sunderland.

Third-placed Tottenham Hotspur travel to Swansea City later today, with fourth-placed Chelsea hosting Aston Villa and sixth-placed Arsenal at home to Queens Park Rangers.

The party atmosphere around Old Trafford, where fans had stood up to sing "Happy Birthday" to Ferguson, was silenced after a quarter of an hour when Berbatov grabbed Rovers defender Christopher Samba's shirt and pulled him to the ground.

Referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot and Yakubu sent keeper David de Gea the wrong way before casually slotting the ball in to give under-fire Steve Kean's side a shock lead.

As if to prove it was no fluke, Yakubu extended the visitors' lead six minutes after the break when he shrugged off the challenges by Phil Jones and temporary centre back Michael Carrick to shoot past De Gea.

Blackburn fans were still celebrating the goal when Berbatov headed in Rafael's mis-hit shot to pull one back for the hosts and raise home fans' hopes of a comeback.

The Bulgarian striker, who hit five goals past Blackburn in this fixture last season, found the net again just after the hour when he turned in an Antonio Valencia cross.

United continued to press forward looking for the winner before a blunder by De Gea destroyed his side's fightback.

The Spanish keeper came out to meet a Morten Gamst Pedersen corner but Hanley beat him to it and the 20-year-old defender headed in a winner that lifted Blackburn to 18th place in the 20-team table.

"It's great to win and great to win in a place like this ... it can be a springboard for us," Blackburn manager Kean, who has faced repeated calls from fans to resign, told ESPN. — Reuters

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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Screen queen, golf kings get royal honours

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 07:35 PM PST

Actress Helena Bonham Carter poses as she arrives at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles Britannia Awards in Beverly Hills, California November 30, 2011. — Reuters pic

LONDON, Dec 31 — After playing the mother of Queen Elizabeth in "The King's Speech", actress Helena Bonham Carter will take part in a real-life royal performance when she receives an honour from the monarch herself.

The actress is among close to 1,000 people from all walks of life whose achievements are recognized in the annual New Year's Honours List.

Northern Irish golfers Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke, who won the US and British opens this year, are also on the list, capping an outstanding year for UK golf.

Most of the people honoured with knighthoods or a variety of slightly lesser traditional titles such as Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of the British Empire (CBE, OBE and MBE), are unknown to the public.

Among them is former teenage drug dealer and gang member Chris Preddie, now 24, who renounced crime after his brother was shot dead and now campaigns against knife and gun crime among black youths in London.

Preddie is related to two brothers who murdered a 10-year-old boy in 2000, a crime that shocked Britain. The victim's father told British media he objected to Preddie being honoured with an OBE.

TV producer Peter Bazalgette, credited with popularising the "Big Brother" reality show format across the globe, will receive a knighthood — becoming Sir Peter — which may please legions of Big Brother fans but dismay critics who say the show is vulgar.

PALACE POMP

Novelist Penelope Lively, a past winner of the prestigious Booker Prize for her 1987 novel Moon Tiger, is also on the list. She becomes a "Dame", the female equivalent of a knighthood.

A rung down from a Dame with her CBE award, Bonham Carter received one of her two Oscar nominations for portraying Queen Elizabeth's mother in Oscar-winning film The King's Speech.

She will experience true royal pomp when she receives her award at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace next year, but she is no stranger to nobility, coming from an aristocratic family. Her great-grandfather, the Earl of Oxford and Asquith, served as prime minister under Elizabeth's grandfather, King George V.

Also honoured at a high point in a long career is golfer Clarke, who won the last British Open at the age of 42, on his 20th attempt. He will receive an OBE, one step down from CBE.

It was a particularly emotional win for Clarke, who has gone through hard times since losing his wife to cancer in 2006. He was the oldest winner of the Open since 1967 and the first home champion in 12 years.

McIlroy will have an MBE to show for his efforts during a rollercoaster year that saw him throw away victory at the US Masters in April only to bounce back by clinching his first major at the US Open in June.

At 22, McIlroy was the youngest winner of the championship since 1923.

Queen Elizabeth, whose sporting interests lie more in the world of horse-racing than of golf, does not draw up the Honours' List herself. Government officials seek out worthy recipients, who can also be nominated by members of the public. — Reuters 

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‘A Separation’ builds Iranian Oscar hopes

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 03:50 PM PST

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi of the film 'Jodaeiye Nadar Az Simin' ('Nadar and Simin, A Separation') poses with the Golden Bear award for Best Film, during a news conference after the awards ceremony at the 61st Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin February February 19, 2011. — Reuters pic

LOS ANGELES, Dec 31 — Hollywood has often criticised Tehran for stifling movie-making, but the acclaimed film "A Separation" is breathing life into Iran's hopes for a rare Oscar success.

Released in the United States on Friday after a year of award wins, Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's morally complex look at two contemporary Tehran families could earn Iran's first foreign language Oscar nomination since 1998.

"A Separation" began 2011 as the first Iranian movie ever to win the prestigious Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in February. It went on to win best foreign language film awards from the US National Board of Review and New York Film Critics Circle, and a Golden Globe nomination.

Farhadi told Reuters that recognition in the West had been gratifying and that he hoped the Oscar buzz will inspire filmmakers in other parts of the world.

"Under difficult conditions you can make films," he said. "If filmmakers from my country can make it to the Oscars, this can be an important message for other filmmakers."

If "A Separation" makes it to the foreign language Oscar short-list of five on January 26, it will be the first Iranian film to be nominated since "Children of Heaven" in 1998.

The film scored a rare 100 per cent positive score on US aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes this week, putting it among the best movies — in any language — of 2011.

Just three months ago, Hollywood organizations representing writers, directors, actors and the group that awards the Oscars, issued a sharply-worded statement lending their support to jailed Iranian filmmakers.

Those included the house arrest of director Jafar Panahi and the imprisonment of actress Marzieh Vafamehr.

Farhadi has managed to mostly avoid clashing with Iran's conservative censors with his specialty of character-driven dramas — the type of movies that put family politics over state politics.

"On the one hand, when you've been born and raised there, you know inside yourself, without having to consciously think, you can go after this subject, can't go after the other," Farhadi told Reuters.

ESCAPING CENSORSHIP GAZE

He said filmmakers in Iran address prohibited subjects the way they always have — in the form of subtext.

Despite his protests to the contrary, some critics say that is exactly what Farhadi does with "A Separation", a domestic drama about a couple, Nader (Peyman Maadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami), going through a divorce.

Living with his father, an Alzheimer's patient, Nader hires Razieh (Sareh Bayat) to look after the old man. In an altercation, Nader accuses Razieh of neglect and physically expels her from his home. She later suffers a miscarriage and, before a court, holds Nader responsible.

Many critics see the movie as a comment on class differences. Some see it as a critique of Iran's byzantine justice system. And others see it as a clash between modernity and tradition.

Farhadi prides himself on presenting audiences with questions instead of answers. In doing so, he said, "A Separation" offers few targets for censors to aim at.

"I don't think that this form of character development actually has an effect on the gaze of the censorship," Farhadi said.

But by gaining recognition on an international level, circumstances could easily change. Last year, while accepting an award for his previous film "About Elly", Farhadi expressed empathy for fellow filmmaker Panahi. That led to a two-week halt in production on "A Separation".

The reproach failed to chasten Farhadi. A few months later in Berlin he openly wished exiled actress, Golshifteh Farahani ("About Elly") could return to her homeland.

"I feel it's my duty to speak out," he said. "We're all part of a community."

Farhadi could be more vociferous on behalf of his colleagues but that would require self-exile. It's an option he has little interest in pursuing.

"For Iranian filmmakers, the conditions that exist notwithstanding, it's better to make their films in Iran," he said. "Because we know that culture, it's best to, as long as possible, work there."

While Farhadi believes the limitations he has grown used to can inspire greater creativity, eventually they have the opposite effect.

Nevertheless, he criticises fellow Iranians who emphasise state censorship in order to promote their movies abroad, saying they are as morally culpable as the government officials who censor them. — Reuters pic

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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How old is old? It depends on the age of who you ask

Posted: 31 Dec 2011 02:49 AM PST

File photo of residents in a senior citizens' home in Svetlograd, Russia. — Reuters pic

NEW YORK, Dec 31 — With 40 billed as the new 30 and baby boomers redefining the perceptions of ageing, how old is old?

The answer, it seems, depends on the age of the person being asked, according to a new survey of Americans.

For Millennials, people born in the 1980s and 1990s, 62 is considered old, but Generations Xers, whose birth year fell between 1964 and 1970, don't think anyone is old until they reach 71, the Marist poll showed.

Baby boomers suggest old is a description that fits seniors 77 and older and members of the Greatest Generation, who lived through World War Two, don't think it is applicable description until 81 years old.

"Everybody has a different opinion about what being old is, where old age starts," said Roger Baumgart, the CEO of Home Instead Senior Care, which commissioned the telephone poll of 1,235 Americans across the country.

"There is a 19-year disparity between what the Millennials and the Greatest Generation think is old age," he added." As you age, your perception of ageing is going to change."

Although the range for what is considered old was nearly two decades, the age to which each group wanted to live was more consistent at 89 to 92 years old.

Despite thinking 62 was old, Millennials said they would like to reach their 90th birthday.

"If you look at it, they are forecasting they will spend about a third of their lives in old age," said Baumgart.

The poll also uncovered a difference in age perception between the sexes, with women pushing the boundaries further than men. Women don't think they or men are old until 75 and 74 respectively. But for men it drops to 70 for themselves and 69 for women. — Reuters

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Jumaat, 30 Disember 2011

The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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PSG name Ancelotti as coach

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 06:41 AM PST

Carlo Ancelotti in his time at Chelsea. —Reuters pic

PARIS, Dec 30 — Paris St Germain named Carlo Ancelotti as their new coach today, having parted company with Antoine Kombouare despite the club lying top of the French league at the mid-season break.

Sporting director Leonardo made the announcement at a news conference. The club had earlier issued a statement saying Kombouare was leaving but gave no explanation.

Kombouare's position had come under intense scrutiny after the club's ambitious new Qatari owners bankrolled a close-season spending spree of around €85 million (RM348.2 million).

A bigger name such as Ancelotti fits with their aim of turning PSG into one of Europe's top clubs, and their pursuit of former England captain David Beckham, who reports say could sign soon, is another example.

Italian Ancelotti, who twice won the Champions League as coach of AC Milan, left Chelsea at the end of last term despite guiding the London club to a domestic league and cup double the previous season.

Ancelotti had previously said he would like to stay in England.

Under Kombouare, PSG spent almost half their outlay on Argentina international Javier Pastore from Palermo, whose sparkling early-season form tailed off as the club, who had made a strong start, began to stutter at home and in Europe.

They suffered an embarrassing 3-0 league defeat by arch-rivals Olympique Marseille in November and were knocked out in the group stages of the Europa League, winning only three of their six matches.

However, they recovered in Ligue 1 to be top after 19 games but that was not enough to stop the owners and sporting director Leonardo, who worked with Ancelotti at Milan, from wielding the axe on the unheralded former Valenciennes boss. — Reuters

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United to keep Berbatov as Ferguson praises Spurs

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 06:13 AM PST

MANCHESTER, Dec 30 — Manchester United will be exercising their option to extend club record signing Dimitar Berbatov's contract by a further season, manager Alex Ferguson said today.

Dimitar Berbatov: More affinity with Sir Alex than chewing gum. —Reuters pic

The Bulgarian striker, who became United's most expensive player when he joined from Tottenham Hotspur in 2008 for £30.7 million (RM150.1 million), had been linked with a move to Bayer Leverkusen or Fulham.

"We'll be exercising it (the option to renew)," Ferguson said. "I think it kicks in in March."

Speaking to reporters before United's Premier League match with Blackburn Rovers tomorrow when he celebrates his 70th birthday, Ferguson dismissed reports that defender Chris Smalling was suffering from glandular fever and could be out for three months.

"He has tonsillitis," Ferguson said, adding that Smalling should return to action next week.

Berbatov, 30, the joint top scorer in the Premier League last season, has struggled to find a place in the United starting line-up with just two league starts this season, but he has netted four times in his past two appearances, including a hat-trick in United's 5-0 win over Wigan Athletic on Monday.

United will top the table if they beat bottom-placed Blackburn at Old Trafford as they did last season when Berbatov scored five times in a 7-1 win.

While Manchester City appear to pose the most serious threat to United retaining their title, Ferguson acknowledged the challenge of third-placed Tottenham.

"They are playing the best football in the country. They could win it on this form," he said.

With the season reaching its halfway mark this weekend, leaders City and United both have 45 points, seven ahead of Spurs who have a match in hand. Chelsea are fourth on 34, followed by Arsenal on 33. — Reuters

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Kings of Leon frontman Caleb expecting first child

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 02:51 AM PST

Caleb Followill, in this file photo before performing on NBC's "Today" show in New York, July 31, 2009. — Reuters pic

LOS ANGELES, Dec 30 — Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill and his wife, Victoria's Secret model Lily Aldridge, said yesterday they were expecting their first child, ending a rollercoaster year for the rock band.

"We are thrilled to announce that we are expecting our first child together," Followill and Aldridge said in a statement. "We can't wait to meet the new addition to our family."

Followill, 29, and Aldridge, 26, married in May in California after dating for two years. This will be the first child for both.

Grammy-winning Kings of Leon, formed by Followill brothers Caleb, Jared and Nathan and their cousin Matthew in Nashville, Tennessee, broke through with their 2008 album "Only By the Night", featuring hit singles such as "Sex On Fire".

The band was forced to cancel the remainder of the US leg of their "Come Around Sundown" tour in August. Bass player Jared Followill tweeted at the time, "there are internal sicknesses & problems that have needed to be addressed". The band announced a hiatus shortly afterwards.

A documentary, "Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon", on their rise to fame, premiered at Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. — Reuters

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Country singer Wynonna Judd goes for marriage No. 3

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 02:13 AM PST

Country singer Wynonna Judd goes for marriage No. 3

Wynonna (left) and mother Naomi as the Judds at the 46th annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, April 3, 2011. — Reuters file pic

LOS ANGELES, Dec 30 — Country music star Wynonna Judd received an early Christmas gift when her boyfriend, Cactus Moser, proposed on Christmas Eve, the singer's spokesman said yesterday.

Grammy-winning Judd is currently touring with Moser, the drummer of country music band Highway 101, as Wynonna and The Big Noise.

This will be the third trip down the aisle for the singer, who married first husband Arch Kelley III in 1996 and with whom she has two children. The couple divorced in 1998, and the singer married her former bodyguard D.R. Roach in 2003, and split in 2007 after Roach was arrested for sexual assault of a minor.

No wedding date has been set yet, but the singer said yesterday she would be tweeting on New Year's Eve with more details on her engagement.

Judd, 47, rose to fame in the 1980s performing with her mother Naomi in the duo band The Judds, with hit songs such as "Love Can Build a Bridge" and "Why Not Me" winning Grammy awards.

After the duo parted ways in 1991, Judd went on to pursue a successful solo career under the moniker Wynonna, garnering hits such as "She is His Only Need" and "No One Else On Earth".

Judd's personal life has been in the spotlight recently after she and her mother revealed they had both been sexually abused as children, and Judd's younger sister, actress Ashley Judd, published a memoir detailing her own painful childhood.

Judd and her mother took part in a six-part documentary series on Oprah Winfrey's OWN network earlier this year, allowing cameras to film their tempestuous relationship. — Reuters

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Hello Heidi to bye bye bunga bunga in 2011 odd news

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 07:26 AM PST

Hugh Hefner: Jilted by prospective wife No. 3. —Reuters pic

LONDON, Dec 30 — Bunga Bunga, Zenga Zenga, a tweeting cobra and other wacky news capped a year that saw the capture of America's most wanted man and the overthrow of dictators.

2011 was filled with animal antics that began with the introduction of Heidi, the cross-eyed opossum, as the latest feral German celebrity to capture hearts around the world.

The star of Leipzig Zoo made an appearance on US television in February predicting Oscar winners, had her own merchandise, a song written about her and gained more than 330,000 fans on Facebook before dying in September to join Paul the oracle octopus and Knut the polar bear in the hereafter.

"The cross-eyed opossum Heidi has closed her eyes forever," the zoo wrote on its website.

But Heidi wasn't the only news story about the animal world that saw New Zealanders rescue, set free and then lose track of "Happy Feet", the wrong-way Emperor penguin. A fox also escaped from a Belarus hunter by shooting his would-be killer with his own rifle and a flying bear killed two people in Canada.

And who could forget Mia, the cobra who escaped from New York's Bronx zoo? She became a Twitter sensation when an anonymous Twitter user began posting tweets from @bronxzooscobra, which followed the snake's progress visiting New York landmarks and a popular cafe for morning coffee.

"Getting my morning coffee at the Mudtruck. Don't even talk to me until I've had my morning coffee. Seriously, don't. I'm venomous," one Twitter message read.

Twitter gained followers and broke news, including the musings of Osama bin Laden's unwitting neighbour who tweeted about the "unusual" noises in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad during the raid to capture America's most wanted man in May.

"Uh oh, now I'm the guy who live blogged the Osama raid without knowing it," IT consultant Sohaib Athar said on Twitter a few hours after reporting a loud bang rattling his windows.

Video-sharing website YouTube delighted millions with hit videos showing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev parking a car and then trying to hold it back from ploughing into a crowd. It also showed the US Presidential Cadillac marooned on a Dublin ramp and a music video entitled "Zenga Zenga", which lampooned embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Gaddafi, who is flanked by gyrating female dancers in the video, was later captured and killed — one of four dictators overthrown in an Arab Spring that also swept through Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen.

Bunga bunga

Other less authoritarian leaders also fell in 2011.

Silvio Berlusconi: "From Bunga Bunga to Banca Banca." —Reuters pic

In seven tumultuous days in November Italy went, as one cartoonist put it, "from Bunga Bunga to Banca Banca". The first refers to the name that former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi bestowed on the wild parties he allegedly held at his villas.

The second, Italian for bank, refers to the financial world that will dominate much of new Prime Minister Mario Monti's term as he tries to reign in Italy's profligate spending and tackle a major debt crisis threatening the entire euro zone.

The flamboyant Berlusconi, who is accused of sleeping with a teenage prostitute and hosting parties where girls dressed up in sexy nun or nurse outfits, said he had no regrets.

"I have a high regard for myself and I have nothing to reprimand myself for when I look at myself in the mirror," he said. "Perhaps at times I've exaggerated with irony, but never with brutal offences like those directed towards me."

Berlusconi once described US President Barack Obama as "suntanned", suggested that he seduced Finnish President Tarja Halonen, and held up two fingers behind a Spanish minister's head in an EU summit photograph.

British royalty enjoyed a surge of global popularity, with the marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton in April, which sparked celebrations across Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and a horse-racing victory on the day for the aptly named Royal Wedding at odds of 4/1.

Irish leprechauns, tea-sipping Britons, Australian ABBA impersonators and the oldest yoga teacher on the planet were just some of the people who set records on Guinness World Records Day in November.

In Ireland, 262 people in Dublin set the record for the largest gathering of people dressed as leprechauns.

"We believe that a record for leprechauns belongs to its native soil and we're really pleased to bring it back to Ireland," Derek Mooney from Ireland's RTE Radio One said.

No jobs, hope or cash

Charlie Sheen wasn't the only celebrity to top odd stories with his "winning" ways.

Three Polish police commandos were sacked from an elite anti-terrorist unit for serving as bodyguards for Paris Hilton, and singer Lady Gaga threatened to sue a London ice cream shop for its "Baby Gaga" ice cream made from breast milk.

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner was jilted in June by prospective wife No. 3 and French actor Gerard Depardieu apologised to fellow passengers for urinating during takeoff on an Air France flight.

The presenters of British motoring TV show "Top Gear" described Mexicans as "lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight" and didn't fear complaints from Mexico's UK envoy. Ambassador Eduardo Medina Mora described the comments as "vulgar", "inexcusable" and "xenophobic" in a letter to the BBC.

Apple's iPhone edged past pop stars and celebrities as the top searched term on the Web in 2011, despite the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

"10 years ago we had Steve Jobs, Bob Hope and Johnny Cash. Now we have no Jobs, no Hope and no Cash," according to a joke lamenting the dire straits of the current US economy.

The world of comedy also lost one of its favourite figures with the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in December.

Although he was a brutal dictator reviled by human rights groups for jailing or starving hundreds of thousands of North Koreans and abhorred for his proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Kim was comedy gold to satirists.

The late leader with his elevator shoes and bouffant hairstyle was immortalised in the 2004 US film "Team America: World Police" in which a foul-mouthed Kim drops UN nuclear inspector Hans Blix into a shark aquarium and sings a heartfelt ballad about the burden of leadership in politically incorrect accented English: "I'm so Ronery" (I'm so Lonely).

The last laugh fell to The Economist magazine, which put a waving Kim on its cover in 2000 under the headline "Greetings, earthlings" as the world's most reclusive nation began cautiously opening up to South Korea.

Eleven years later, the British magazine's Asia blog noted Kim's death with another photo of Kim waving under the caption "Farewell, earthlings". — Reuters

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African rhino poaching hits record on Asian demand

Posted: 30 Dec 2011 06:54 AM PST

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 30 — A record number of rhinos were poached this year in South Africa, home to the greatest number of the animals, as rising demand in Asia for their horns led to increased killing of the threatened species.

Rhinoceros horns worth their weight more than gold, platinum and cocaine. —Reuters pic

At least 443 rhinos have been killed in South Africa in 2011, up from 333 last year, the national park service and conservationists said.

The street value of rhinoceros horns has soared to about US$65,000 (RM206,100) a kilogram, making it more expensive than gold, platinum and in many cases cocaine, as a belief — with no basis in science — has taken hold in recent years in parts of Asia that ingesting it can cure or prevent cancer.

South Africa, home to more than 20,000 rhinos, was losing about 15 animals a year a decade ago. But poaching increased dramatically from about 2007 as a growing affluent class in places such as Vietnam and Thailand began spending more on rhino horn for traditional medicine.

The number of rhinoceroses dying unnatural deaths in South Africa, either through illegal poaching or legal hunts, has reached a level likely to lead to population decline, according to a study by Richard Emslie, an expert in the field.

About half of poaching takes place in Kruger National Park, the country's flagship park covering an area about the size of Israel, where soldiers and surveillance aircraft have been deployed in recent months to slow the carnage.

The park has been the focal point of an arms race as gangs of poachers sponsored by international crime syndicates have used high-powered weaponry, night vision goggles and helicopters to hunt the animals, investigators said.

In a separate study, the number of large-scale ivory seizures is likely to set a record this year, pointing to increased African elephant poaching.

South Africa, home to over 90 per cent of the rhinos in Africa, grants licences for legal hunts, with a growing number of the horns then mounted as trophies, shipped to Asia and sold on the black market, according to police and customs officials.

Many poachers were trained by Mozambique's military or police and are now living in squalor in the border region next to Kruger, South African investigators said.

Their cut of the rhino money is relatively small compared with other players in the international trade but is considered a fortune at home.

Rhino horn has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine, where it was ground into a powder and often mixed with hot water to treat a variety of maladies including rheumatism, gout, high fever and even devil possession.

In recent years, it has also taken on a reputation for being an aphrodisiac and cancer cure.

"Nothing is more tragic than to see this totally unnecessary and brutal killing of an animal for its horn, and the horn in turn has zero medicinal value," said Pelham Jones, a leader of the South Africa Private Rhino Owners Association. — Reuters

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MILF-PRON Special Report for 2011: Malays under threat

Posted: 29 Dec 2011 04:17 PM PST

DEC 30 — As the year draws to a close, the researchers at the Malaysian Institute of Learning Foundation for Political Research On Nationalism (MILF-PRON) have decided to release a special report for public consumption on a very important issue, that is the threats which threaten the Malays such that they are constantly feeling threatened.

There is absolutely no doubt that 2011 has been the most threatening year for the survival of the Malays in their own land — which includes Malaysia, southern Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, parts of South Africa and the Liverpool docks.

The challenges that have come the way of the Malays from every direction have put all hard-working and grafting Malays at risk of once again being colonised by (or at the very least, under the protection of) foreign powers, whether physically, emotionally or, even especially, spiritually.

Before the year started, there was a letter allegedly written by an MCA member complaining about the volume of the azan coming from a mosque 1km away from where he normally sleeps. Since this is an issue that would crop up every few months or so, the Malays did not feel very threatened going into the new year.

However, there was brief excitement when former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed that the Malays in Kampung Baru would end up like the Malays in Singapore if they (the Kampung Baru ones) were not careful.

This claim was greeted with some concern, even though a small segment of the Malays in Kampung Baru opined that it wouldn't actually be too bad a thing. At least, they would already have an MRT system working in the area, if nothing else.

The claim from the former PM was in response to a book published by a former PM of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, in which he wrote, among other things, the Malays in Singapore should be "less strict" about observing their religion.

And so, at the start of February, a Malay NGO in Singapore called for Lee Kuan Yew to be detained under the republic's Internal Security Act for being seditious. The minister mentor, in a display of restraint, did not bother to respond.

In the meantime, Mahathir said in a talk on the "Malay race and the future" that Malaysians as a whole need to accept that the country belonged to the Malays. He felt that the people of the nation have to "be sincere and accept that the country is Tanah Melayu."

In a separate statement, he also took the opportunity to call PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz a, well, opportunist who was willing to forsake his Islamic beliefs for political mileage. This then led to Nik Aziz accusing Mahathir and his party, Umno, of oppressing the Malays.

This was then followed up by Utusan Malaysia claiming that Nik Aziz prefers the company of Lee Kuan Yew to that of the Malays nationalists who fought for the freedom of the nation.

Nik Aziz, in response to something else entirely, said that he did not ask to be born a Malay, adding that it was pure coincidence that he was born in Malaysia.

At this juncture, it was still unclear as to the nature of the threats that threaten the Malays, apart from being run over by statements which make no sense whatsoever.

Which then brings us into March where Mahathir said that the Malays are not immigrants, even if they originally came from the Arab peninsula, India, Indonesia or anywhere else. He also pointed out that "those who support racist statements by the opposition are the real racists."

Not wanting to be left out, Singapore's minister mentor then made a statement in which he felt that his observation that the Malays in Singapore needed to be integrated better into the rest of the country may possibly be outdated and therefore he stood to be corrected.

Since he was no longer threatening, no Malay NGO called for him to not be detained under the ISA.

While Mahathir continued his series of warnings to the Malays by warning that the Malays could end up like the Palestinians who sold their own country out to the Jews, a new threat to the Malays reared its ugly head — Kentucky Fried Chicken could possibly be out of Malay hands.

Based on an unconfirmed rumour, it was said that the majority owner of KFC in Malaysia, Kulim Bhd, could be sold off to a non-Malay company and therefore this would constitute a major threat to the ability of Malays to consume chicken fried in 11 secret herbs and spices.

The owners of Kulim Bhd, Johor Corp, denied the rumours.

When asked whether they were the ones responsible for spreading the rumour, the owners of the Radix Fried Chicken chain refused to comment. They did however say that Radix Fried Chicken contained more that 11 herbs and spices as well as Tongkat Ali and quite possibly ginseng. For a stiffer fried chicken experience, presumably.

In April, the simmering controversy regarding the import and distribution of Bahasa Melayu (or more likely Bahasa Indonesia) bibles, referred to as "The Alkitab Controversy", came to a boil that no one seemed capable of lancing. With the Sarawak polls looming, the government decided to allow the release of said bibles that had been held back by Customs.

The existence of these bibles was clearly a threat to the faith of the Malays, given that — according to a few mullahs — the Malays are clearly so easily trapped into converting into Christianity and thus commit apostasy simply because they know how to read in their own language.

That the Alkitab can easily be read and downloaded digitally via the Internet onto PCs, tablets, phones and wristwatches seemed to be less threatening than the actual physical books, all of which are clearly stamped with the words "Untuk Kegunaan Penganut Kristian Sahaja."

In addition to the Malay Bible, the mufti of Perak also identified another Christian plot to convert impressionable Malays, this time using dance. Specifically, poco-poco. His fatwa banning poco-poco caused a stir, and a few twisted knickers among the Malays, not all of whom live in Perak. This prompted the National Fatwa Council to convene a special meeting to discuss the fatwa.

Rumour had it that the council instructed several military personnel to demonstrate the poco-poco, and after deep deliberation the council decreed that the dance is not threatening to the Malays. The mufti of Perak remained adamant, however, saying that his department had studied the issue and found that the dance incorporated moves originated by Jamaican Christians.

The additional rumour that the National Fatwa Council was planning a trip to the Caribbean to investigate the gyrating Jamaican Christians themselves has not been substantiated.

The "Christianisation of Malays" threat is to remain a recurring theme throughout the rest of the year, for as we go into May …

A report appeared in Utusan Malaysia saying that a couple of bloggers have uncovered a plot by a group of pastors in Penang to create a Christian Malaysia — by installing a Christian prime minister. Apparently, at the invite of the DAP, what seemed on the surface to be a dinner in appreciation of either the the DAP being in Sarawak, or Sarawak pastors being in Penang, a pledge was allegedly made by those present to work towards getting a Christian to be made PM of the country.

While this already presented a clear and present threat to the Malays and the sovereignty of the land, the situation became even more precarious when it was alleged by Datuk Ibrahim Ali of Perkasa that former members of the Communist Party of Malaysia were also involved in the dastardly plot to replace Islam as the official religion of Malaysia.

If these rumours were proven true (and who's to say that they aren't?) then it was obvious that the secular democrats in the DAP are truly in collusion with the godless heathens in CPM to put a Christian priest into the highest executive office in the land.

At this point, it was clear that there was an unholy trinity comprising secularists, communists and Malay-speaking Christians threatening the unity, harmony and prosperity of the Malays.

On a brighter note, though, it seemed that KFC would still remain in Malay hands.

The "Christianisation of Malays" threat then took a back-seat in June when a coalition of NGOs calling itself The Coalition For Clean And Fair Elections (stupefyingly simplified to "Bersih", instead of TCFCAFE, or even COFOCAFE which would be much catchier) announced plans to hold a rally in Kuala Lumpur. While the rally was to be held the following month, July, plans were already in place.

Bersih had planned to hold this rally mainly to pressure the Election Commission to implement a set of changes encapsulated in Bersih's "8 demands." However, according to independent lawmaker, Datuk Zulkifli Nordin, Bersih's true aim is to enslave all Malays by pressing for equality and fairness in elections while at the same time supporting apostasy and interfaith discussions. According to Zulkifli, this fact was made amply clear by the fact that the leader of the coalition is a non-Malay. 

In addition, there was a raft of hacker attacks on Malaysian government websites which, it was the belief of Information, Communications, and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim, was connected to the rally.

How the anonymous collective calling itself Anonymous (which executed the attacks) is linked to the coalition named Bersih was not quite made clear, but a threat is a threat is what we say.

As June headed to a close, the feeling of being imminently threatened by what was now obviously going to be referred to eventually as the "Bersih riots" was assuaged somewhat when the mahaguru of the Pertubuhan Seni Silat Lincah Malaysia (PSSLM), Tan Sri Omardin Mauju, declared that the silat exponents constitute the third line of defence for the country, and would therefore not hesitate to go to "war" against Bersih should Bersih go on with the rally.

It was then that we headed into July, knowing that the defence of the Malays would partially be handled by men in black pajamas striking artful poses while holding bendy knives …

This then ends the first part of MILF-PRON's special report on the threats which threaten the Malays such that they are constantly feeling threatened.

In the second part, we cover the rest of the year as we continue to expand on the Christianisation plot (which now includes solar-powered bibles), as well as cover the aftermath of the Bersih bloodbath, the triumphant gathering of one million Malays in a football stadium, and the great threat of homosexuals espousing acceptance, understanding, self-pride and sex fiestas.

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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Berakhir dan bermula sesuatu episod

Posted: 29 Dec 2011 03:56 PM PST

DEC 30 — Tinggal berberapa hari lagi tahun 2011 akan berakhir. Sepanjang tahun ini, telah banyak cabaran dan rintangan yang dilalui. Tahun 2011 tidak akan kembali. Ianya menjadi kenangan yang tersimpan di minda ataupun video dan gambar didalam "hard disk" kita.

Isu-isu politik, tidak kurang hebatnya. Persaingan hebat diantara Barisan Nasional (BN) dan Pakatan Rakyat (PR) merancakkan lagi politik negara.

Dari satu isu ke satu isu timbul dan tenggelam dengan begitu pantas. Teknologi membantu mempercepatkan perkembangan ini.

Facebook, Twitter, blog dan lain-lain menjadi senjata utama abad ini dalam menyampaikan maklumat. Media-media tradisional seperti akhbar, televisyen dan radio terpaksa mengikut kelajuan penyampaian maklumat oleh Internet.

Telefon pintar (smartphone) seperti BlackBerry, Iphone, Samsung Galaxy dan macam-macam lagi kini dimiliki oleh rakyat ramai.

Kalau dahulu maklumat hanya diperolehi apabila membuka komputer riba atau komputer, kini maklumat diperolehi melalui telefon bimbit.

Jika dalam PRU 12 lalu, blog menjadi senjata utama dalam perlawanan dialam maya, kini Facebook dan Twitter megambil alih peranan tersebut.

Dalam kesibukan tugas harian, masa untuk membaca bagi mendapatkan maklumat menjadi begitu pendek dan hanya maklumat yang penting menjadi pilihan.

Cabaran kedepan

Alhamdulillah, perkembangan pantas yang berlaku dalam politik negara membantu mematangkan majoriti rakyat. Kini rakyat Malaysia sudah meningkat maju kefahaman politiknya dan tidak mudah diprovokasi.

Jika provokasi-provokasi yang dilemparkan pada hari ini berlaku pada tahun 60an, 70an dan 80an, sudah pasti huru-hara telah berlaku.

Melihat kembali bagaimana isu agama dan kaum yang seringkali dimainkan untuk kepentingan golongan tertentu, hanya kematangan rakyat menjadi benteng kepada keharmonian negara.

Terima kasih kepada Internet yang membantu rakyat untuk mendapatkan maklumat alternatif selain dari media arus perdana.

Tanpa maklumat yang disalurkan oleh Internet, tidak mungkin rakyat Malaysia mampu menjadi matang dari segi politik seperti hari ini.

Tahun 2012 akan menjadi lebih mencabar bagi Malaysia. Apatah lagi, ianya dilihat sebagai tahun dimana PRU 13 akan berlaku.

Keputusan kes Anwar Ibrahim

9 Januari 2012 akan menjadi titik penting dalam arena politik negara. Mahkamah akan mengumumkan keputusan perbicaraan kes liwat ketua pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Minggu lalu, Mahkamah Tinggi Shah Alam telah memutuskan bahawa bekas menteri besar Selangor, Dr Khir Toyo bersalah dan dihukum 12 bulan penjara dalam isu pembelian tanah di Seksyen 7, Shah Alam.

Khir Toyo sendiri mendakwa beliau telah dijadikan "kambing hitam" dan akan mengumumkan masa depan politik beliau pada tarikh 9 Januari (tarikh keputusan perbicaraan Anwar).

Ramai penganalisis politik melihat keputusan mahkamah terhadap Khir Toyo adalah taktik untuk mengolah persetujuan (manufacturing consent) rakyat terhadap keputusan kes Anwar Ibrahim.

Ertinya, jika Khir Toyo seorang bekas menteri Umno didapati bersalah oleh mahkamah, tindakan mahkamah pada 9 Januari menjatuhkan hukuman bersalah terhadap kes Anwar Ibrahim membuktikan sistem kehakiman di Malaysia adalah adil.

Dalam ertikata lain, apabila mahkamah menjatuhkan hukuman bersalah terhadap Khir Toyo pada minggu lalu, maka "halal" tindakan untuk memenjarakan Anwar Ibrahim.

Episod baru politik Malaysia

Jika Anwar Ibrahim dipenjarakan, bermulalah episod baru dalam politik Malaysia. Walaupun episod seperti ini telah berlaku pada akhir 1990an yang lalu, kali ini ianya pasti berbeza.

Sewaktu akhir 1990an lalu, parti pembangkang di Malaysia masih lagi lemah dan belum bersatu. Akan tetapi kali ini jika Anwar dipenjarakan, parti pembangkang di Malaysia telah bersatu di bawah Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Parti pembangkang dan kumpulan yang menyokong Anwar Ibrahim lebih tersusun dan teratur.

Suka atau tidak, Anwar Ibrahim adalah musuh politik utama bagi Barisan Nasional (BN). Beliau adalah antara punca BN kehilangan majoriti 2/3 di parlimen dan hilang penguasaan di beberapa negeri.

Menghantar Anwar Ibrahim ke penjara dianggap akan melemahkan PR oleh sesetengah pihak kerana mantan timbalan perdana menteri itu adalah penyatu kepada parti-parti di bawah PR.

Akan tetapi, ramai juga yang percaya jika Anwar dipenjara, simpati rakyat terhadap PR akan bertambah. Kita tunggu dan lihat sejauh manakah kebenarannya. Tinggal beberapa hari saja lagi kita akan bertemu dengan 9 Januari.

Tahun 2011 akan pergi dan 2012 menanti. Selamat tahun baru kepada pembaca-pembaca The Malaysian Insider. Semoga 2012 akan menjadi lebih baik buat anda semua dan juga untuk Malaysia.

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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