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Courtyard dining in Beijing Posted: 21 Oct 2011 06:46 PM PDT Guijie (Ghost Street) which is chock-a-block with restaurants. — Pictures by Helen Ong OCT 22 — Beijing can truly be described as cosmopolitan: parts of the sprawling city of over 17 million people are very modern, teeming with visitors from all over the world. A wealth of eateries, both local and international, has sprung up in recent years to cater for its many inhabitants, some of them offering excellent food. When we were there recently, some kind friends took us to a rather unique restaurant that started in the hutongs over a decade ago. "Hua's Courtyard Restaurant" is in Guijie, Dongzhimen Inner Street in Dongcheng District, aka Ghost Street, presumably because the place is very busy at night. In the evening, the entire street is lit up with hundreds of glowing red lamps strung from tree to tree, and lined with restaurants on either side, and reminded me a bit of the busy Bukit Bintang night scene in Kuala Lumpur. 6872: Yong Zheng Dynasty Duck with three types of sauces. Established by the enterprising and philanthropic Mr Hua, the restaurant serves popular ethnic Chinese food to locals and tourists. Walking in through the unassuming façade, you won't believe just how big this restaurant is: it has become so well known that there are now six branches and two clubs, which employ over 2,000 employees, which can serve up to 4,000 guests at any one time. Even by Beijing standards, it's huge. The large, partitioned courtyard is laid out in attractive but serviceable black furniture, with private rooms leading off it. When we arrived, it was buzzing with hungry and satiated customers, the waiters, waitresses and chefs serving up platter after platter of steaming, delicious-looking food. We were lucky to get a table near the front … and I'll tell you why a bit later. Friendly guest relations manager Rola Heng who, incidentally, is from Indonesia, was happy to take us through the menu, discoursing on the history of the place and advising us on which dishes to order. Yi Yuan Famous Noodles served cold with a spicy, peanut butter and sesame seed sauce. Of course we had to try their most famous dish — after all, we are in Beijing! Here, it is called Yongzheng Dynasty Duck, skilfully carved up into thin, delicate slices by one of the chefs, then served with no less than three types of thin, different-coloured pancakes to wrap it in, and six types of julienned vegetables as well as three sauces: sour plum with tips of wasabi, sweet red fruit and a unique, yellow floral osmanthus. "We've improved on the traditional Peking Duck because people have different tastes," according to Rola. Eaten the traditional way i.e. the meat and skin rolled up in a pancake with the vegetables and one of the sauces, it was tasty, as was the Braised Eggplant with Abalone Sauce and Spinach with Chicken Soup. However, I thought their "Yi Yuan" Famous Noodles were excellent: cold noodles tossed in their own-recipe spicy peanut butter and sesame sauce, one of their signature dishes. "It was a favourite of Anita Mui's," who called it "Bawang ji" after she tasted it the first time", Rola said. It's a bit like gado gado with noodles, but with much more delicate flavours; crunchy, nutty and quite delicious. Everything is beautifully presented, and the dishes are adorned with carved vegetables. However, what was really interesting about this place was what happened after our meal — that is why I said we were lucky to be seated near the front. The canny proprietor lays on a floor show nightly, when their trained waiters and waitresses perform for the diners. For amateurs, they are surprisingly good, and the half-hour show of various feats including Kung Fu Tea Pouring with a two-foot long spout, plate spinning and noodle-slicing (dao xiao mian) whilst balancing on a monocycle was very enjoyable. The large courtyard is furnished in serviceable black furniture. The final act though was the piece de resistance: bian lian, the ancient art of face changing. It was fascinating and much too short — apparently only 200 people in the whole of China are privy to this amazing act, and one of them is based here! It's worth going just to see it. After the evening's entertainment, we were privileged to be given a quick tour of the entire premises, when Rola showed us round the other parts of the massive place, going past their clean show kitchens where teams of chefs are busily and skilfully preparing yet more food; down dimly-lit alleyways and side streets, weaving in and out of the six yards and three courtyards which are spread over more than 30,000 sq metres and includes alfresco and fine dining areas. Hua's Courtyard Restaurant is at 235 Dongzhimen Inner Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100007 (Tel: 512-83315). Opening hours: daily from 10.30am to 4am. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Wide, wide choice at Mosaic Posted: 21 Oct 2011 06:06 PM PDT When in doubt, go for the Indian curries. — Pictures by Eu Hooi Khaw KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — Your eyes are riveted by rows of intricate pewter lights all the way into the restaurant, the Peranakan windows of the semi-private dining rooms, the mosaic walls. Then there are the many live stations in this newly-opened Mosaic, the all-day dining place of the Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur. I'm particularly taken with the grill station where you could get a piece of steak, or a helping of beef shawarma, with all the sauces and side dishes like potatoes and vegetables in various forms. The pasta station has a wide selection of pastas and sauces. But first the cold dishes and the sushi and sashimi counter. I liked the beetroot-cured salmon that appeared redder than usual but tasted wonderfully smooth, with a mellow flavour. Add to this smoked salmon, some oysters, lovely buffalo mozzarella with tomato and pesto, grilled vegetables and salad, and I was set for the mains. It's a wide choice at Mosaic. There was this steamed red garoupa that was staring at me from the Chinese station, stirfried dishes and dimsum. The noodle station offered Hokkien noodles, fried kwayteow and Thai fried noodles, among others. Strawberries and ice cream a lovely combination. At the pasta station, where there was a wide selection of pastas and sauces, I picked out some penne carbonara, which turned out to be good. I had a small slice of beef with black pepper sauce from the grill station, and liked very much the moussaka that everyone seemed to be having. I was still very much attracted to the Tandoori Station where the kebabs, curries and naan were beckoning. Listed on the menu there were Murgh Malai Kebab, Kashimiri Lamb Kofta, Chicken Tikka, Salmon Tandoori, Tandoori Lamb Chops and Kesari Paneer Tikka. I could have ordered some of these, but I went for the curries — Murgh Makhani, Fish Malabar, Palak Paneer and some saffron prawns with capsicums. If the naans had been produced hot from tandoor (instead of lying cold and hard there), my Indian meal would have been fantastic. But I also had a small portion of saffron rice to go with the delicious curries. The Fish Malabar was particularly good. Intricate pewter lamps, Peranakan decor touches inside Mosaic. I went to survey the desserts. You could pull out trays of them from the glass shelves and take your pick, from the Nyonya kuih to the western cakes, orange sable peanut butter mousse, crème caramel, bread and butter pudding, chocolate apricot brownie, and so on. Then there was this guy cooking strawberries with honey syrup in a pan, and he asked if I wanted some. It was topping for the ice cream of various flavours there. It was the perfect dessert. I chose strawberry and vanilla ice cream and the luscious strawberries touched with the honey sauce were just excellent with these two flavours. I was told that the coffee ice cream was very good too, and it was. Mosaic is open 24 hours and serves buffet breakfast from 6am to 10.30am, lunch from 12pm to 2.30pm and dinner between 6.30pm to 10.30pm. The restaurant seats up to 148 diners. For lunch it is RM88++, dinner RM108 (Monday to Thursday) and RM128++ from Friday to Sunday. To book, call 03-2179-8881. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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NBA: Labour talks break off putting more games in doubt Posted: 21 Oct 2011 07:12 AM PDT NEW YORK, Oct 21 — Marathon talks between NBA players and owners to resolve a long-running labour dispute that has put the entire season on hold broke off yesterday with little sign of progress toward a deal, raising the likelihood of more games being cancelled. The two sides met for five hours on the third straight day of talks with federal mediator George Cohen but emerged without a breakthrough, nor any schedule to re-convene. "Ultimately, we were unable to bridge the gap that separates the two parties," NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver told NBA TV. "We understand the ramifications of where we are. We're saddened on behalf of the game." NBA Commissioner David Stern was unable to attend yesterday's meeting with the flu, but the outstanding differences between the parties will likely see him scrap more games. The pre-season and the first two weeks of the regular season had already been cancelled due to the protracted lockout that began on July 1 after the players and owners failed to reach a new collective bargaining agreement. NBA owners contend the league lost US$300 million (RM944.9 million) last season with 22 of 30 teams in the red and initially demanded players cut their share of basketball-related income from 57 to 47 per cent from the previous collective bargaining agreement, along with a firm salary cap and shorter contracts. The players offered to reduce their share from 57 to 53 per cent, and lowered that to 52.5 per cent yesterday. The owners have formally proposed a 50-50 split but the players union rejected the offer and both sides remain divided on the core issues. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Tevez inquiry gets underway at Manchester City Posted: 21 Oct 2011 07:10 AM PDT Tevez is being investigated following his alleged refusal to come off the bench during Manchester City's Champions League match at Bayern Munich on September 27. — Reuters pic MANCHESTER, Oct 21 — Manchester City's internal disciplinary hearing into striker Carlos Tevez was taking place today, although a club official said it was "highly unlikely" a decision would be announced before the end of the day. The 27-year-old Argentine striker is being investigated following his alleged refusal to come off the bench during Manchester City's Champions League match at Bayern Munich on September 27. A City spokeswoman said the club did not expect a quick resolution to the question of Tevez's future and would anticipate an appeal from the player's representatives should the findings go against him. City confirmed last week that Tevez would face disciplinary proceedings for alleged breaches of contract after manager Roberto Mancini had said he refused to come on as a substitute against Bayern. According to Mancini, he instructed Tevez to come off the bench with around 35 minutes of the game to go and the player refused. The Italian also said Tevez was "finished" at City while he was manager. The Argentine has since said he was not asked to come on but to warm up, and he felt he had already warmed up sufficiently. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Robbie Williams to release album with Universal next year Posted: 21 Oct 2011 07:55 AM PDT British singer Robbie Williams performs during a concert a the Alhambra in Paris on October 10, 2010. ― Reuters pic LONDON, Oct 21 ― British singer Robbie Williams, who signed one of the world's biggest music deals with EMI in 2002, is to release his ninth studio album with Universal Music, the world's largest music company, next year. Williams is currently recording songs for the new album in his own studio in Los Angeles, Universal said today. "I'm really thrilled to be joining the Universal family at what I think is the most exciting time in my career," the 37-year-old said in a statement. Williams, who has sold over 60 million albums as a solo artist, last recorded a new album in 2009 before re-joining his former bandmates from 'Take That' for a tour. Take That are already under the Universal umbrella, while for EMI, controlled by US bank Citigroup, Williams is the latest in a growing list of stars to leave in recent years including Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and Radiohead. Universal will release the new Williams record around the globe next autumn. "This great new deal puts Robbie Williams firmly in control of his own destiny, but with the most muscular of partners," said Tim Clark, director of ie:music, the management company which represents Williams. Williams has won more Brit awards ― Britain's top pop music prizes ― than any other artist. ― Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Coldplay launch fresh chart assault with fifth album Posted: 21 Oct 2011 06:12 AM PDT Coldplay lead vocalist Chris Martin performs at the Rock in Rio Music Festival in Rio de Janeiro on October 1, 2011. ― Reuters pic LONDON, Oct 21 ― You may not understand the title of Coldplay's new album let alone be able to pronounce it, but "Mylo Xyloto" is a name music fans may have to get used to as the group launches a fresh assault on the world's charts. The English quartet's fifth studio album hits shelves in Britain on Monday and the United States on Tuesday, and early critical response is mostly positive for a record aided and "enoxified" by Brian Eno. Judging by comments made during a blitz of interviews to publicise the album, Coldplay could do with a little love, something that might seem strange given their success. Their last record, "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends", was released in 2008 and went on to become that calendar year's top-selling album at 6.8 million copies. The one before that, "X & Y", claimed the same honour in 2005, shifting 8.3 million copies globally. They are one of the world's biggest bands, have multiple Grammys and album sales of around 50 million to their name. Yet that has not shielded the unusually unassuming rock stars from criticism that tends to focus on their clean-cut "middle class" image and music that naysayers label as "bland" and "Radiohead-lite". Guitarist Joe Satriani also sued the band, alleging that their chart-topping and award-winning "Viva La Vida" contained elements of his "If I Could Fly". The two sides reportedly settled out of court in late 2009. "We got to a very low place on the last record where we felt not very popular," lead singer Chris Martin told the Sun tabloid. "But it was refreshing as it made us start from scratch. A clean slate. So many people had made up their minds about us already that we had nothing to lose." Young competition That sense of defiance came with a realisation that, in order to rule the charts again, Coldplay are not up against "stadium bands" like, say, U2 but teen sensation Justin Bieber and English singing sensation Adele. "Now we have Justin Bieber and Adele to compete with and they're a lot younger," 34-year-old Martin, who is married to Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow, said in a recent interview. "We have to have the energy to put as much effort into our work as they do. If it's over, it's over and I can live with that. The most important thing always is to proceed as if every album is the last and not expect anything more." Early reviews of Mylo Xyloto have been generally positive, with critics remarking that, while offering some fresh twists, the sound is essentially the Coldplay of old. "It's a surging, chiming, upbeat epic, almost thunderously enthusiastic," wrote Neil McCormick of the Daily Telegraph in a four-star review. He went on to call the album "irresistible", but voiced reservations, shared by Alexis Petridis of the Guardian in a three-star review, about the lack of depth in lyrics and music. "Questioned about the title, Martin has insisted 'it doesn't have any meaning'," said McCormick. "His defiant inarticulacy feeds the notion that Coldplay are a pop group in rock clothing." Rolling Stone magazine's Josh Eells gave the record three-and-a-half stars, commenting: "On Mylo Xyloto, the choruses are bigger, the textures grander, the optimism more optimistic. It's a bear-hug record for a bear-market world." Martin, along with bandmates Jonny Buckland (guitar), Guy Berryman (bass) and Will Champion (drums), have produced a concept album loosely based on a love story set in a dystopian world. In June, Coldplay released its first single "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" followed by "Paradise" in September. Among the highlights of the 14-track album are "Princess of China", featuring Rihanna on vocals, and "Charlie Brown", which Billboard magazine called the record's best song. Coldplay is signed to EMI Group Ltd. ― Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Revolutionary technology unlocking secrets of rainforest Posted: 21 Oct 2011 07:08 AM PDT NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Oct 21 — A new imaging system that uses a suite of airborne sensors is being developed that could transform how tropical forest research is conducted. The system is capable of providing detailed, three-dimensional pictures of tropical forests — including the species they contain and the amount of CO2 they store — at astonishing speed. These advances could play a key role in preserving the world's rainforests. Tropical rainforests play a vital role in the conservation global bio-diversity and climate regulation. — Reuters pic This summer, high above the Amazon rainforest in Peru, a team of scientists and technicians conducted an ambitious experiment using a pioneering technology. Deploying a pair of sweeping lasers that sent 400,000 pulses per second towards the ground, as well as an imaging spectrometer that could detect the chemical and light-reflecting properties of individual plants and trees 2,140 metres below, the researchers were able to instantaneously gather a vast amount of information about the unexplored tracts of cloud forest that passed beneath their airplane. The system known as AToMS — or Airborne Taxonomic Mapping System — conceived by Greg Asner, a scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science, has the potential to transform how tropical forest research is conducted. By combining several breakthrough technologies, Asner and his colleagues can capture detailed images of individual trees at a rate of 500,000 or more a minute, enabling them to create a high-resolution, three-dimensional map of the physical structure of the forest, as well as its chemical and optical properties. In Peru, the scientists hoped to not only determine what tree species lay below, but also to gauge how the ecosystem was responding to last year's drought — the worst ever recorded in the Amazon — as well as help Peru develop a better mechanism for monitoring deforestation and degradation. Asner's system, a significant advance on the so-called Carnegie Airborne Observatory (CAO) that he developed in 2006, could also play a vital role in global forestry in the decades ahead. The technology could help alleviate uncertainty about carbon emissions from deforestation and different forms of forest management, both of which are critical to the emerging policy of REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), a United Nations programme that aims to compensate tropical countries for preserving their forests. "The whole idea was to measure each of the things plant ecologists measure on the ground to evaluate biodiversity," said Asner, as he flew over the Amazonian cloud forest. Asner is now helping the National Science Foundation develop an airplane with this suite of monitoring technologies, and is in talks with Nasa about equipping a satellite with the system. One of the key technologies Asner uses is known as LiDAR, which employs two powerful lasers to blast through canopy vegetation, reach the forest floor, and return a wealth of information about the forest's structure. Depending on the aircraft's altitude, sensors can map the forest at resolutions ranging from 10 centimetres to one metre, fine enough to "see" understory shrubs and epiphytes in tree crowns. LiDAR is also good for measuring aboveground biomass, or the amount of carbon stored in a forest's vegetation. It can also detect surface elevations to identify watersheds and waterways. To truly understand an ecosystem, however, scientists need to know more about its characteristics, including aspects that can't be seen with the naked eye. This is where Asner's CAO really sets itself apart, using newly developed sensors — built by engineers at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory — that can detect dozens of signals. These signals include photosynthetic pigment concentrations, water content of leaves, defence compounds such as phenols, structural compounds such as lignin and cellulose, as well as phosphorous and other micronutrients — all of which can be used to build signatures to distinguish individual plant species, as well as other measures of forest condition. The result, using the so-called VSWIR Imaging Spectrometer, is a system that can map the chemical and spectral attributes of a forest that may have more than 200 species of trees in a single hectare. "When leaves interact with sunlight, the compounds bend, stretch and vibrate at different patterns and rates," said Asner. "These different rates led to different scattering of light. The spectrometer picks up on this and we've been able to deduce chemicals from these signatures." But for the CAO to accurately assess biodiversity, Asner's team has to first do the groundwork by creating a database of the chemical and spectral properties of various plants, which are then fed into the CAO's library of information on individual plant species. These are then correlated with the data collected by the CAO's various sensors. In the Amazon, Asner and his team conducted extensive, on-the-ground work to compile information on nearly 5,000 plant species. "We have the best team of tree climbers in the world," said Asner. "They can climb 75 trees a day, conducting full sampling." The aircraft that carries the system allows Asner's team to map large areas, sometimes more than 49,000 hectares a day. In 2009, using an older, less sophisticated version of the system, Asner mapped 4.3 million hectares of Peru's Madre de Dios region. Now he is working on a bigger scale: nearly the entire Peruvian Amazon. After this, he goes to Colombia and Panama. "We're looking at biodiversity in regions that have never been put down on the science map," said Asner. * Reprinted with permission from Yale Environment 360. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Telenor Norway opens Europe’s most modern mobile network Posted: 21 Oct 2011 05:57 AM PDT Blogger Nereng launching Telenor's new mobile network in Fornebu, October 20, 2011. On the left is Telenor CEO Berit Svendsen. FORNEBU, Norway, Oct 21 — Emilie "Voe" Nereng, one of Norway's most popular bloggers, opened Telenor's new mobile network here yesterday. The countrywide network will give Norway Europe's most modern mobile network. "This new mobile network secures its users higher speeds and greater capacity when surfing on PCs, tablets or mobile phones," said Telenor CEO Berit Svendsen, at a time when smartphones are accelerating data traffic. Increasingly, people are using the mobile network to send pictures and videos, browse the news, read emails and share movies and information on Facebook. This doubles the data traffic each year, and Telenor estimates 15 times more data traffic by 2015. Said 15-year-old Nereng: "I blog and use my mobile phone everywhere, so for me it is important to have good coverage. Sharing video clips and checking Facebook is a must, and I demand high speed." Said Svendsen: "We have acknowledged the consequences of new user requirements. Last summer saw the implementation of, by far, the quickest and largest-scale replacement of the mobile network for exactly this reason. "We've expanded the network to ensure that customers throughout the country can enjoy superb coverage, and the capacity required to make use of all the new services to come, even in the future." Norway showcase The total upgrade includes more than 9,000 base stations in 6,379 sites throughout Norway, including oil installations in the North Sea. The new network gives Telenor improved data traffic capacity, enabling higher speeds. The new equipment will be used to deploy the next generation mobile network (4G/LTE), starting in 2012. "Right now we can access all the information we want from a mobile phone, freeing us up to move out of the office and into the nature, up at the cabin or down on the beach," said Svendsen. "There is nowhere in the world where communication services create a better experience than in Norway." Behind Telenor's major investments lies a clear ambition to make Norway into the showcase for the rest of the world in this regard. Successful teamwork Base stations are located on mountain tops, in confined lofts in apartment buildings, on oil installations in the North Sea — to provide coverage wherever people are to be found. More than 1,000 of these sites could only be reached by helicopter to replace the equipment. Norwegian weather and road conditions — with snow storms, darkness and mountains and forests with no roads — presented challenges in implementation. "We have replaced the entire infrastructure while still handling daily operations of the network," said Svendsen. "The process has been a bit like changing the engine while driving the car. "The implementation was a team effort, with participants from Telenor Norway and more than 10 suppliers and contractors. Around 700 people of more than 20 different nationalities have worked together. I am extremely proud of the work that has been done, and not least, the results." The new equipment reduces Telenor's energy consumption by around 15 GWh a year, or the equivalent of power used in 800 homes. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Photographs of Kennedy funeral train inspire novel Posted: 21 Oct 2011 04:32 AM PDT The magnetic charisma of the Kennedys: Brothers (from left) John, Robert and Edward at the family home in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, in this photograph taken in July 1960. — Reuters pic TOKYO, Oct 21 — Women brought flowers, people fell to their knees in anguish, young mothers held babies on their hips as Robert F. Kennedy's funeral train passed. A boys' baseball team, all in uniform, stood with their caps over their hearts. These images, in photographs taken from the train that carried Kennedy's body from New York to Washington after his assassination in June 1968, fascinated David Rowell so much that he used them as inspiration for "The Train of Small Mercies", a novel that chronicles the day of the journey through the lives of several characters drawn from the photos. "Here are young and old, black and white, and they're standing shoulder to shoulder and this country's just been through a terrible tragedy after a string of tragedies, and yet here they are standing next to each other, neighbour to neighbour," Rowell said in a telephone interview. "What you see in these pictures is a terrible amount of sadness and confusion — because, if you remember, (civil rights activist) Martin Luther King was killed just two months earlier." Rowell said that a years'-long admiration for a book of photographs by Paul Fusco, who was on the train for its June 8 journey through cities and rural areas, prompted him to turn to the pictures when he first began contemplating a novel. The vividness of the photographs, which make a viewer feel they too are on the train, expertly captured the grief that many felt for Kennedy, a congressman and aspiring presidential candidate who fought for civil rights and was slain just after celebrating a primary election victory. The grief was unusually public — and affecting, he said. "At first I just thought I'd take six pictures and just write very literally to these pictures," Rowell said. "But it didn't really work out like that, because two pictures would come together in my head. "I'd take some details from this picture and some details from that, or some plot possibilities, or (it would) give me some notions of a character, or quiet tension . . . Ultimately it was all works of imagination, but I was trying to let the seeds of the stories come from the photographs, and they did." His book follows the lives of six people as they try to see the train pass, ranging from a young Irish woman who'd been scheduled to be interviewed by the Kennedy family as a nanny to a newly disabled Vietnam veteran. Only one wasn't inspired by a picture — Lionel, a young black train porter working his first day on the job. "If I had a character in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey and one in Delaware, those characters were only going to be able to speak about what was right in front of them. But if I had a character on the train, (they) could look out the window and see it, mile after mile and hour after hour," Rowell said. "I wanted to do justice to the book's full scope and beauty in that way." To understand why people would go out and stand out in the hot sun for hours, waiting, Rowell — who is too young to remember Kennedy himself — said he first had to understand Kennedy's overall appeal, which he termed a combination of unusual honesty and a willingness to fight for groups that had been left behind, such as African Americans. "He would say things that if you were running for president today, that would be the end of you right then and there. You would never have somebody today who would say 'I'm really disappointed in my country' the way he did," Rowell said. In addition, he maintains, 1968 — a year in which both Kennedy and King were killed, US troops were dying in Vietnam and US cities erupted in riots — still has things to teach us, despite the vastly different times in which we live. "At the time . . . there was real reason to think that the country might fall into a kind of chaos it might not recover from. That's a reality we don't have today," he said. "At a very basic level, you have to look it and see, we were able to deal with the unthinkable. We were able to survive as a society." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Laporan Ketua Audit Negara dibentang Isnin Posted: 21 Oct 2011 02:44 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 21 Okt ― Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 2010, yang menjadi isu kontroversi sejak minggu lalu, akan dibentangkan di Dewan Rakyat pada Isnin ini, kata Ketua Audit Negara Tan Sri Ambrin Buang. Ambrin berkata beliau akan memberi taklimat kepada anggota Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Awam Negara (PAC) di Parlimen pada hari sama. "Jabatan Audit Negara ingin memaklumkan segala persiapan telah dibuat supaya Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 2010 dibentang pada Isnin, bersekali dengan laporan maklum balas yang disediakan Perbendaharaan Malaysia," katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini. Beliau menjelaskan sejak 2010, Laporan Ketua Audit Negara tidak dibentang pada hari yang sama dengan pembentangan belanjawan negara bagi membolehkan kedua-dua perkara berkenaan mendapat liputan saksama. "Sejak tahun 1982 lagi, Laporan Ketua Audit Negara dimaklumkan kepada Jemaah Menteri sebelum dibentangkan di Dewan Rakyat supaya kerajaan dapat mengetahui isu-isu yang dibangkitkan oleh audit dan bersedia memberi penjelasan apabila diperlukan," katanya dipetik Bernama Online. Ambrin menjelaskan Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 2010 bagi negeri dimaklumkan terlebih dahulu kepada Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri sebelum dibentangkan di Dewan Undangan Negeri masing-masing. "Jabatan Audit Negara juga ingin menegaskan tidak ada apa-apa pindaan dibuat oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan mahupun negeri terhadap Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 2010 berkenaan," katanya. Beberapa Anggota Parlimen mewakili pakatan pembangkang mempersoalkan ketiadaan laporan itu semasa pembentangan Belanjawan 2012 di Dewan Rakyat baru-baru ini. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Jangan hukum Aziz Bari kerana tekanan pihak ketiga, gesa staf akademik UIA Posted: 21 Oct 2011 01:35 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 21 Okt ― Persatuan Kakitangan Akademik Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (PKAUIA) menyatakan sokongannya kepada Profesor Dr Abdul Aziz Bari dalam menjalankan amanahnya sebagai sarjana sambil mengkritik atas campur tangan pihak luar ke atas sistem pendidikan negara ini, yang sepatutnya bebas dan bersifat profesional. Kenyataan itu menegaskan, Aziz tidak harus dihukum hanya disebabkan reaksi pihak ketiga dalam isu semasa. "Tohmahan serta tekanan yang tidak berasaskan ilmu yang dilemparkan kepada Profesor Abdul Aziz Bari hanya membuang masa dan merendahkan status negara di mata dunia," kata kenyataan persatuan itu dikeluarkan petang ini. Tegas kenyataan itu, Aziz (gambar) merupakan seorang yang berwibawa dan berkelayakan untuk membuat kenyataan ilmiah dan rasional dalam bidang kepakaran beliau. Justeru katanya, mana-mana pihak yang tidak bersetuju dengan pandangan beliau sepatutnya memberi ruang kepadanya untuk berdebat secara lebih terbuka kerana proses konstruktif akan meningkatkan tahap pemikiran masyarakat. "Profesor Abdul Aziz Bari sepatutnya diberi penghargaan kerana berjaya membuat satu negara berfikir dan memberi reaksi di dalam pelbagai cara," kata kenyataan itu lagi. Sebaliknya kenyataan menegaskan, Aziz tidak harus dihukum kerana reaksi pihak ketiga ini. Aziz yang disiasat polis dan SKMM diberi surat tunjuk sebab oleh UIA dan digantung tugas. Kenyataan itu menambah, sebagai seorang ahli akademik, Aziz berhak menyatakan pendapat seperti yang telah dilakukannya. "Ini adalah sebahagian dari kebebasan akademik yang dipunyai oleh setiap ahli akademik. Mana-mana negara yang mahukan universiti mereka disanjungi dan dihormati sebagai universiti bertaraf dunia pasti menyokong, menghormati dan melindungi kebebasan akademik ini," katanya lagi. Kenyataan itu juga menambah, "kami tidak mahu tindakan ini kelak dijadikan satu 'precedence' pada masa akan datang kerana ia boleh menyekat sumbangan intelektual dari ahli akademik terhadap isu-isu kenegaraan sama ada yang dianggap sensitif atau sebaliknya." Ia juga menegaskan sebarang tafsiran dan pandangan yang dibuat dari hasil kepakaran seseorang ahli akademik sewajarnya disambut secara lapang dada oleh mana-mana pihak. "Kritikan inteletek adalah sangat penting di dalam dunia akademik kerana dengannya budaya keilmuan di sesebuah universiti itu boleh berkembang dan menyumbang sesuatu kepada pembangunan anak bangsa dan negara," katanya sambil menambah, "kebebasan akademik ini telah disaran oleh Unesco." Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Scaring people into submission Posted: 20 Oct 2011 05:31 PM PDT OCT 21 — Just as the body was being lowered into the ground to be buried, dozens of snakes start to crawl out filling up the grave. They pull out the body and the brave ones who are standing around start to chase and clear the snakes away from the grave. They try again to lower the body into the grave, but again, the snakes appear from everywhere inside, finally stopping the funeral. Apparently, the deceased had been a very bad Muslim during his life and now that he has died, the earth doesn't want to accept his body. Another popular story is of an old woman (or man, as the stories do vary) who is at her deathbed surrounded by friends and family. She is about to die but seems to be struggling and in tremendous discomfort. The story continues to explain that this goes on for weeks. Then it is discovered that she had led a sinful life and used to (insert dreaded sin of your choice) and she is now being punished for it. They had to do special prayers to ask for forgiveness and only then did the old woman die, and into the next life where she will presumably be punished again. Recently, stories like these have been making its rounds on FaceBook and as spam emails and the senders always make comments like "repent now!" or "fear Allah!". After reading one too many of these stories whenever I log on to FaceBook, it's actually making me want to repent of all my sins… NOT! I wonder if it's desperation that Muslims are trying to preach to other fellow Muslims to repent and return to the right path. How low do you have to be when you feel the only way to pull somebody back to Islam is by scaring them witless? Come on! Muslims can't be that dumb. I'm sure there has to be a better luring strategy into the religion than that! You don't even have to be really creative. All you need to do is look within Islam itself to find more enticing ways to get people to do good. Surah Al-Fatin in the Quran states of people who are virtuous: "They will enter the gardens of Eden wherein they will be decked with bracelets of gold, pearls and silk garments. They will say, 'It is only God who deserves all praise. He has removed all of our suffering. Our Lord is certainly All-forgiving and All-appreciating." That sounds so much nicer than telling someone their grave is going to be filled with venomous serpents if they were bad! There are actually many more surahs in the Quran that are positive rather than negative in nature. There is Surah Al-Fussilat which states: "To those who have said, 'God is our Lord,' and who have remained steadfast to their belief, the angels will descend saying, 'Do not be afraid or grieved. Receive the glad news of Paradise which has been promised to you. We are your guardians in this world and in the life to come, where you will have whatever you call for, a hospitable welcome from the All-forgiving and All-merciful God." The word "Islam" itself may mean "submission", but I don't think it's literal meaning is to scare people into submission. God gave human beings intelligence and free will. Hence, I'd like to believe that people are invited to submit to the goodwill of God and to be Muslim. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Give parents their right to choose PPSMI Posted: 20 Oct 2011 05:17 PM PDT OCT 21 — The teaching of science and mathematics in English or PPSMI is once again at the forefront of the news headlines. Over the past few months, the Parents Action Group for Education (PAGE) has been lobbying hard to keep the PPSMI policy alive, citing various reasons for doing so. As parents whose children go to one of the schools in Petaling Jaya that supports the continuation of such a policy, my wife and I received a passionate plea last week to sign an online petition in support of PPSMI. We have duly done so as we believe that the teaching of science and mathematics has indeed helped my children with the understanding of English as a whole. Also, my children too have given feedback that their interest and proficiency in English have peaked, using English as the medium of instruction for science and maths. There have been hoards of people who have spoken out about this issue and written in to the press expressing their views, either supporting or taking their stand against it. I too have written about it on this portal. In July, I wrote about how a fully functioning democracy is founded on the bedrock principle that a government is elected by the people, for the people. As such, it necessarily means that when governments do not govern according to the wishes of the people, that government could then be booted out, through free and fairly administered elections. Couple this with the current mantra of this current administration, "People first, performance now," under the tutelage of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, I am frustrated and disappointed that the government isn't listening to the wishes of its people. So often, the Right Honourable PM states that he wants to achieve a developed status for Malaysia, and to do so by being inclusive and by listening to its citizens as espoused through his 1 Malaysia policy. But when the rubber meets the road, his 1 Malaysia tagline, remains just that — a tagline, fit only for the billboards, TV commercials and rhetoric speeches made in public. From what I understand, PAGE has on several occasions tried to submit a memo stating its stand on why it believes PPSMI should continue. Rational reasons from how students have fared better in their examinations to the argument that parents have a right to choose the best possible education for their children as enshrined in the Education Act 1996 have been put forth. And yet there has been a deafening silence on the part of the incumbent government over this issue. In the run-up to the Sarawak state elections earlier this year, news reports noted that the PM was willing to re-consider this issue with an open mind. Of course, many have said that this was merely another empty election ploy on Najib's part, which is not surprising given how the PM has shown how he's often flipped-flopped on so many crucial decisions. But it was his deputy and education minister who drove the final nail into the coffin on this possibility when he said that there will be no going back to the PPSMI policy. There are many reasons why I find this whole issue objectionable, besides the clear politicking of this issue. But by far for me, the greatest indictment to this administration is the fact that the moving from the PPSMI to MBMMBI (the reversion to Bahasa Malaysia for science and maths) will definitely set the country back. What remains to be seen is how far we're going to be set back. It's completely oxymoronic to speak about wanting to take Malaysia to the next level of achieving a per capita income of US$15,000 (RM46,500) in tandem with becoming a developed nation by 2020. This very group of people are the ones who are expected to form a large part of our workforce by then are being shackled from achieving their highest potential without being able to master English, especially in science and maths. As I've argued in another column before, the world is continually being globalised and the speed of with which it's happening isn't measured in terms of years anymore, but instead by months. Even China with all its economic prowess and homogenous use of Mandarin has realised that the language of international trade, diplomacy, technology, and progress is English. As a result, China itself is scrambling to master English the lingua franca of this world. Our failure all these years to address this problem has resulted in deep-seated problems for Malaysia, something that has recently been documented in a World Bank study. An advanced excerpt of the study to be released later this month noted that "as NUS kept pace with the demands of a growing economy that sought to become competitive internationally, with English continuing as the language of instruction and research, University Malaya began to focus inward as proficiency in English declined in favour of the national language Bahasa Malaysia…" While I'll readily acknowledge that not all of Malaysia's dire educational challenges are affected by this issue alone and that there must be a much more holistic approach to healing our education system, what I find difficult to accept is that parents who want to continue raising the bar for their children can't do so by invoking their right to run a parallel system and to choose PPSMI in favour of MBMMBI. And with so much politicking in the air, empty pre-election promises, tap dancing around this issue, and without clear decisions to be made by the PM over this issue, we have lost our right to act in the best interest of our nation. That said, I still believe that there is time for the Right Honourable PM to act in a bid to tackle the sliding proficiency in English — but he'll need to do so immediately and put to rest this issue by allowing those who want the PPSMI policy to continue so that parents will be granted the right to choose what's best for their children. For the sake of our children, and the future of this country, I hope he will act — and to do so swiftly and decisively. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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