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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

Charges laid against 93 suspects in Turkish match-fix probe

Posted: 03 Dec 2011 07:21 AM PST

ISTANBUL, Dec 3 — Prosecutors investigating football match-fixing in Turkey have brought charges against 93 suspects — including the chairman of champions Fenerbahce — in an indictment that mentioned almost all of the country's top clubs, media reported today.

More than 30 players and officials, including Fenerbahce chairman Aziz Yildirim, have been jailed pending trial since the scandal forced the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) to delay the start of the season by a month.

Yildirim is accused of "forming an organisation for unjust financial gain" among a raft of charges ranging from larceny to match-fixing and payment of bribes, a statement by Chief Deputy Istanbul Public Prosecutor Fikret Secen said.

One of two deputy presidents of the TFF, Goksel Gumusdag, was among those indicted on match-fixing charges.

Another suspect, Olgun Peker, an ex-president of club Orduspor, was accused of organising an armed gang.

An Istanbul court has 15 days to decide whether the case is strong enough to go to trial, the prosecutors' statement said.

Yesterday, President Abdullah Gul vetoed legislation approved by Parliament that would have reduced jail sentences for match-fixing crimes from a maximum 12 years to three years.

The president based his decision on concern that the public would view the change in the law as being made to benefit certain individuals, and that the reduced penalties would not act as a sufficient deterrent.

The investigation probed alleged manipulation in 19 matches, including Fenerbahce's 4-3 victory over Sivasspor that won the league championship on the final day of last season.

Under pressure from UEFA, the Turkish Football Federation barred last term's champions Fenerbahce from this season's Champions League. Last season's runners-up Trabzonspor were entered as Fenerbahce's replacements.

Fenerbahce, Turkey's richest and best-supported club, are once again heading the rankings with 12 games played.

Other clubs mentioned in the indictment were Besiktas, Trabzonspor, Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyesi Spor (IBB), Sivasspor, Manisaspor, Giresunspor and Mersin Idman Yurdu.

Last term's cup final between Besiktas and IBB is another match under investigation. Winners Besiktas have returned the trophy pending the probe's outcome.

With today's fixtures still to be played, out of the top eight in the standings, only second-placed Galatasaray have been untouched by the scandal. — Reuters

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Chelsea beat Newcastle after Lampard penalty miss

Posted: 03 Dec 2011 07:05 AM PST

LONDON, Dec 3 — Frank Lampard missed a penalty but Didier Drogba scored with a header as Chelsea avoided a sixth defeat in 10 games with a 3-0 win at mourning Newcastle United in the Premier League today.

With the home fans paying tribute to late captain Gary Speed, found dead last Sunday at the age of 42, Newcastle looked lively on an emotional end-to-end lunchtime kickoff match at St James' Park.

Chelsea coach Andre Villas-Boas (second from left) reacts after Salomon Kalou (unseen) scored during their English Premier League match against Newcastle United in Newcastle on December 3, 2011. — Reuters pic

Chelsea, now third on 28 points and ahead of Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference, were fortunate to go in 1-0 up at the break through Drogba's booming 38th-minute header off a Juan Mata cross.

In a game that hung in the balance until the closing minutes, they then grabbed two late goals with Salomon Kalou in the 89th and Daniel Sturridge in stoppage time for a more flattering scoreline.

The visitors could have been either a man down or two goals up after just 25 minutes of a frenetic first half, with defender David Luiz lucky not to be shown a red card in the fourth for felling Newcastle's Demba Ba on the edge of the area.

Ten minutes later and Chelsea looked sure to break the ice when Yohan Cabaye tripped Sturridge as the striker burst into the area.

Referee Mike Dean pointed to the penalty spot and Lampard stepped up, only to see his shot tipped against the upright by Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul for his fourth penalty miss in the Premier League.

Sturridge was denied by the post two minutes later and then let slip an even better chance when he shot straight at Krul, who kept Newcastle in the game with repeated saves, in the 22nd.

At the other end, Chelsea's masked keeper Petr Cech tipped over to deny Ba what would have been a stunning 24th-minute goal and was again in action 10 minutes later when the striker hit the post with the defence in disarray.

Drogba made it 1-0 in the 38th and could have doubled his tally in the 52nd while Newcastle had a Sammy Ameobi shot cleared off the line by John Terry 16 minutes from time.

Shola Ameobi also hit the bar in the 80th with brother Sammy's follow-up saved by Cech.

Newcastle stayed fifth pending later matches.

Leaders Manchester City (35 points) were playing at home to Norwich City and Tottenham hosting lowly Bolton Wanderers while second placed Manchester United (30 points) travelled to Aston Villa for the evening game.

The rolling advertising hoardings around Newcastle's ground paid tribute to "Gary Speed Legend" before the start with fans chanting his name and a makeshift shrine outside the stadium.

Wreaths were laid and a minute's applause held before the Championship (second division) match at Elland Road between Leeds United and Millwall.

Speed was a member of the Leeds team that won the last First Division title in 1992, before the start of the Premier League.

An emotional Gary McAllister, wiping away tears, joined former team-mates Gordon Strachan and David Batty in laying a wreath on the edge of the centre circle. — Reuters

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From horse heads to blogs, mafia threats evolve

Posted: 03 Dec 2011 07:21 AM PST

Mafia threat have evolved. While Italian mobsters still use bullets, anonymous phone calls and dead animals to make threats, they've also found a new tool of intimidation: anonymous blogging. – Reuters pic

ROME, Dec 3 – While 21st century Italian mobsters still use bullets, anonymous phone calls and dead animals to make threats, they've also found a new tool of intimidation: blogging.

Italian mayors and local administrators received 212 threats last year, according to a new report showing the continuing influence of organised crime on Italian society and politics, especially in the nation's underdeveloped south.

In the past 20 years, 202 city governments have been dissolved because they were controlled by organised crime syndicates, said the report released yesterday by Avviso Pubblico, an association of local and regional governments.

The most common ways to threaten administrators who refused to collude with the criminal syndicates was to burn their cars, mail them envelopes containing bullets, or send boxes with severed animal heads, an act reminiscent of a memorable scene involving the head of a racehorse in "The Godfather".

However, a more modern method, anonymous blogging, was used to target Carolina Girasole, mayor of a town of 15,000 in southern Italy.

"I don't feel safe," said Girasole, 48, in a telephone interview from Isola Capo Rizzuto in the Calabria region, where the powerful 'Ndrangheta organisation is based.

"The blog shows that these people are willing to do and say anything to make us leave. If we don't go, and we don't have any intention to, what will be their next move?"

The authors, who write anonymously on a blog hosted by WordPress, "know my movements. They know what I do," she said.

Last year, the 'Ndrangheta made 41 per cent of the threats, double the number made by the Mafia in Sicily, according to the study.

THREATS

As new Prime Minister Mario Monti battles to regain control of Italy's battered public finances and overhaul a stagnant economy, organised crime remains a constant drag on business and employment as well as a threat to law and order.

Italy's accounting court estimates that corruption among public officials amounted to €60 billion (RM251.58 billion) in Italy last year, while the Bank of Italy said that as much as €150 billion in dirty money is laundered every year.

Organised crime bosses need support from the local population, and for that they need to control local governments and administrators, said Raffaele Cantone, a prosecutor in Naples, where the Camorra organisation operates.

"When they can't control the election of the mayor directly, the clans use threats to try to gain back influence," he said during the presentation of the report.

In the province that includes Girasole's town of Isola Capo Rizzuto, more than 18 per cent of the city governments said they had received threats, according to the report.

E-mails, faxes and even graffiti were used to make threats. Pets were killed, bombs were planted in front of homes and offices, and private orchards of orange, olive and hazelnut trees were cut down.

When the threats don't work, killing can sometimes be the next step.

One mayor, Angelo Vassallo, was shot and killed last year because of his effort to provide honest and transparent governance in the seaside town of Pollica, south of Naples. Local politician Francesco Fortugno was shot dead in 2005 as he voted in primaries for the Democratic Party in Locri, Calabria. – Reuters

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Half of greenhouse gases emitted by five nations: Report

Posted: 03 Dec 2011 01:57 AM PST

Smoke coming out from chimneys at a coal mine in Huo Lin Guo Le, China's north Inner Mongolia region. China, the United States, India, Russia and Japan account for half of all carbon pollution released into the atmosphere. – AFP pic

DURBAN, Dec 3 – More than half of all carbon pollution released into the atmosphere comes from five countries, according to a national ranking of greenhouse gas emissions released Thursday.

The first 10 countries on the list, made available during UN climate talks in Durban, South Africa, account for two-thirds of global emissions, said the report, compiled by British-based firm Maplecroft, specialists in risk analysis.

China, the United States, India, Russia and Japan top the ranking, with Brazil, Germany, Canada, Mexico and Iran just behind.

Three of the top six nations are energy-hungry emerging giants developing their economies at breakneck speed.

China, which eclipsed the United States several years ago to head the list, produced 9,441 megatons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e), a measure that combines C02 with other heat-trapping gases such as methane and nitrous oxide.

The method of calculation used combines 2009 figures for energy consumption with estimated numbers for 2010.

The majority of the countries' emissions are carbon dioxide, thanks to massive energy demand. Renewable energy use is increasing, but remains dwarfed by fossil fuel use.

India produced 2272.45 megatons of CO2e, a significant portion from methane generated by agriculture.

"Although per capita energy use in China and India is relatively low, overall energy demand is very large," said Maplecroft Analyst, Chris Laws.

"When combined with high use of coal and other fossil fuels, this results in large emissions in both countries."

Brazil's output of 1,144 megatons from energy use would be significantly higher if deforestation were taken into account.

Among advanced economies, the United States – No. 1 among large nations for per capita emissions – produced 6,539 megatons of CO2e.

Russia, at 1,963 megatons, ranked fourth. Its emissions dropped after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but are expected to rise.

In Japan, where output was at 1,203 megatonnes of CO2e, safety fears over nuclear power could lead to a greater reliance on fossil fuels – and a spike in carbon emissions, Laws said.

He noted, however, that the Japanese government has announced their intention to fill the energy gap with renewable energy sources.

"The trend of increasing global greenhouse gas emissions is unlikely to be abated in the short-to-medium term," he said by e-mail.

The index of 176 nations ranks countries based on the total annual level of greenhouse gas emissions, combining data on CO2 emissions from energy use and non-CO2 emissions.

Data comes from several sources, including the US Energy Information Administration and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

The 194-nation negotiations in Durban, under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), run until December 9. – AFP

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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Sundance Film Festival reveals offbeat out-of-competition lineup

Posted: 03 Dec 2011 03:13 AM PST

The Sundance Film Festival will show experimental low-budget films in its 2012 out-of-competition schedule. – Photo by Jill Orschel

LOS ANGELES, Dec 3 – The Sundance Film Festival continued to roll out announcements of films scheduled at the event in Park City, Utah, January 19-29, spotlighting more experimental low-budget films in its 2012 out-of-competition schedule.

Four programmes, Spotlight, Park City at Midnight, NEXT <=> and New Frontier, feature films in the festival that depart from more traditional storytelling. Highlights include Rodney Ascher's Room 237, which explores the meaning of Stanley Kubrick's film The Shining, Your Sister's Sister starring Emily Blunt.

The Midnight section, which focuses on thrillers and bizarre comedies, will show seven world premieres. Highlights include Richard Bates, Jr.'s Excision with filmmaker John Waters, and Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie, a wacky comedy featuring Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly and Zach Galifianakis.

Also, Shut Up and Play the Hits, a documentary about the end of LCD Soundsystem, will be shown, following frontman James Murphy during the day of the band's final gig at Madison Square Garden.

The 28th annual Sundance Festival will screen 110 feature-length films from 31 countries, including 88 world premieres. The remainder of the out-of-competition films, narrative and documentary premieres will be unveiled December 5.

http://www.sundance.org/festival/ – AFP

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Sesame Street comes to Afghanistan

Posted: 03 Dec 2011 01:26 AM PST

Sesame Street Live charactors on February 4, 2010 outside Madison Square Garden in New York. The children's television show came to Afghanistan this week with the launch of a new series featuring familiar characters like Elmo and Big Bird. – AFP pic

KABUL, Dec 3 – US children's television favourite Sesame Street came to Afghanistan this week with the launch of a new series featuring familiar characters like Elmo and Big Bird.

"Baghch-e-Simsim" made its debut on a local TV channel Thursday and aims to improve education for children in the desperately poor, warring country.

Its initial run is for 26 half-hour episodes featuring Sesame Street's typical mix of Jim Henson's Muppets and short educational films.

It is not the first time that the Sesame Street format has been exported.

A version of the show came to neighbouring Pakistan earlier this year, funded by the US government's international aid agency USAID, while co-productions have also screened in Bangladesh, Egypt, Mexico and Russia.

The latest version is a joint production by Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organisation behind Sesame Street, and Afghan television station Tolo.

"Teachers here in Afghanistan will discover that Sesame Street can help children start school well prepared," said the US ambassador to Kabul, Ryan Crocker. "Perhaps most importantly, it shows children the world around them."

Afghanistan's deputy education minister Mohammad Siddiq Patman said he believed the programme would "depict traditions, culture and other aspects of Afghan rural and urban life" and would be "profoundly useful" for children. – AFP

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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In Malaysia, reforms take a staggered path

Posted: 03 Dec 2011 01:44 AM PST

DEC 3 — The leader of the Youth wing declared at the Umno annual general assembly held this week that the opposition parties had been vehemently opposing the Peaceful Assembly Act because they were hoping to create the conditions for widespread demonstrations in the hope that these would sweep away the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional (BN).

But it is not an Arab Spring that Umno, the country's dominant party, should be worried about.

Despite some seriously bad governance, the country has always had a democratic structure, and despite authoritarian trends, there are more possibilities for venting dissatisfaction than in the Arab world. The political process of change in Malaysia is thus not revolutionary as has been the case in the Middle East. It is reformist, and evolutionary at most, coming in stages.

Seen that way, the new powers given to the police by the new Act, and the curbing of demonstrations this involves, will have the effect of limiting the venting of popular anger, and push political dissent to take less peaceful forms.

Paradoxically, the most successful reform rhetoric in Malaysia in recent times did not come from the opposition parties, although calls for reform echoed strongly after former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was sacked in September 1998 and created a generation of activists. It came from the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi administration that succeeded Dr Mahathir Mohamad in October 2003.

Abdullah sought to project a liberal image of Islam with his "Islam Hadhari", an approach that apparently "emphasises development consistent with the tenets of Islam and focuses on enhancing the quality of life".

His famous slogan, "Work with me, not for me", evoked enough optimism and confidence to win for the BN more than 90 per cent of the seats in Parliament in 2004. This was a national record.

Thus, there was a time when Umno and BN actually had the political initiative and dictated the reform agenda. Umno could have easily denied the brow-beaten opposition of 2004 any chance of mounting the successful offensive that in 2008 saw five of 13 states being lost by the ruling coalition.

But what we saw instead was a government who got its political slogans right, but whose political will was found to be badly wanting. The success of the slogans made the failure of the policies all the more jarring.

Premier Najib Razak's reform programmes transcend rhetoric more than Abdullah's did, but too little is being done too late. His "1 Malaysia, People first, Performance Now" could have worked if he had shown more purpose and acted more decisively. But today, cynicism still pervades the country.

BN's weak position today is therefore not necessarily the result of decades-old policies, but of its post-Mahathir failure to remedy the excesses of the 1981-2003 period.

Malaysia is not a Middle Eastern country. Its problems are not purely bread-and-butter ones and the sense of desperation is far from being as deep as the case has been in the Arab world.

Why it was necessary for the government to push through the unpopular Peaceful Assembly Act through Parliament this week was because of the historical precedent of demonstrations in 2007, which saw the opposition ride into power in five states the following year.

Lacking better strategies at a time when elections need to be called, the Najib administration has decided to prevent a superficial repeat of BN's losses. It is highly doubtful that it will work since the process of reform that has been going on since 1998 is far from over. — Today

* The writer is the deputy director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. His recent books include "The Right to Differ: A Biographical Sketch of Lim Kit Siang".

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

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What a debacle!

Posted: 02 Dec 2011 04:49 PM PST

DEC 3 — Malaysia's top awards shows for film and music both happened in the last two weeks and, like weddings, there's bound to be some sort of drama happening to set tongues wagging amongst followers and detractors.

Of slightly more minor concern is the controversy surrounding Raja Azmi, that well-known film producer who is no stranger to controversies after all her years in the industry, in which she reportedly grumbled out loud her discontent about the winner of this year's "Pengarah Harapan" (Most Potential Director) award at the Festival Filem Malaysia, which went to Jurey Latiff Rosli for his film Libas.

I've heard quite a few media friends questioning her behaviour, but to be honest I also understand why she, or anyone else for that matter would complain. First and foremost, the winner of that award is also the president of this year's Festival Filem Malaysia.

While I'm not at all well-versed in what a person in his role's job is with regard to the festival, I also think it's commonsense to politely decline or disqualify oneself from being nominated simply to brush off any possible talk of bias or favouritism. Either that, or just decline to take any post connected with the festival so that one can compete with a clear conscience. As people say, justice must not only be done, but it must also be seen to be done.

My next comment is a matter of my own personal taste and judgment, but I paid to see Libas on its first day of showing in cinemas, and frankly I don't think it's any good at all, let alone worthy of winning the "Pengarah Harapan" award.

It claims to be an action-comedy, and it's fairly clear for all to see that it wants to be to sepak takraw what Shaolin Soccer is to soccer. The comedy is painfully unfunny, the drama ridiculous, and the way it makes fun of the Thai baddies, let's just say that the whole nation would be fuming if a Thai film made fun of Malaysians that way. And you call that promising? At least I don't think so.

So while Raja Azmi's actions might be uncalled for (if the reports are true, that is), I wholeheartedly understand her frustration, especially since her own film Dalam Botol, directed by Khir Rahman, who was also in the running for the same award is no slouch either.

But as controversial as that is, the debacle after this year's Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) well and truly takes the cake. Anyone on the street must have heard about it, and have their own opinions about the AIM withdrawing the award they gave to Yuna and her song Penakut for Song Of The Year, and all this happening a few days after the awards show itself, which means that they've announced the winner onstage, had Yuna come up to pick up the award, with the thank you speech that comes with it, witnessed not only by those in attendance but also by I don't know how many people who saw it on television.

The reason for all this is because that same song by Yuna didn't win in the Best Pop Song category, and apparently the rule is that only winners of the best song in each category will be eligible for the Song Of The Year award, and so there was some error when tallying up the votes because of a misunderstanding of this rule.

If you ask me, it is a valid reason, although a case can also be made that sometimes a song may be sui generis enough to not be the best in any particular category, but actually is the best song as a whole, without having to evaluate it through the particular requirements of a particular genre.

But rules are rules, so we must respect them. The problem is, how can this sort of misunderstanding of rules occur in what is supposed to our very own version of the Grammy Awards in the first place? And how awkward must it look for AIM that the eventual winner of the award, after taking it back from Yuna, is Edry Abdul Halim for his song Sedetik Lebih sung by Anuar Zain, who also happens to be the brother of Norman Abdul Halim, the president of the Recording Industry of Malaysia (RIM), the main body that takes care of the AIM?

I doubt that there's any hanky panky going on in the re-awarding of the awards, and if it had originally gone to Edry in the first place, I don't think that anyone would even bring it up. But speaking as an industry insider, even before this whole Song Of The Year debacle, I know for a fact that there's a pretty substantial section of the local music industry who've already lost faith in the way the whole AIM has been run, especially this year. Now that all this has happened, I don't think their faith will be restored anytime soon.

It's just a shame to see our two biggest awards shows, supposedly dedicated to awarding excellence and not popularity, keep on cocking up year after year. As corruptly mainstream as some people may think the Grammys are, they still at least found room to award the likes of The Black Keys and Arcade Fire for their excellence, just to give an example from recent years. Don't you think it's time that we deserve better too?

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

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Shafie Afdal: BN perlu menang selesa dapat ‘kuasa’ pinda Perlembagaan

Posted: 03 Dec 2011 02:58 AM PST

KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Dis – Naib Presiden Umno Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal menegaskan Barisan Nasional (BN) perlu menang selesa kerana ia akan memudahkan usaha meminda Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

Katanya, kemenangan tipis BN pada pilihan raya umum 2008 telah memeritkan parti betapa bahaya bila sesuatu kerajaan tidak mendapat majoriti dua pertiga.

"Kita bukan sahaja mesti menang dalam pilihan raya umum ini tetapi kita mesti menang dengan selesa," kata beliau (gambar) ketika menyampaikan ucapan penggulungan pada Perhimpunan Agung Tahunan Umno 2011 petang ini.

Sambil membandingkan kerajaan yang lemah di England dan Amerika Syarikat, katanya, BN kena menang besar supaya mudah meminda Perlembagaan di Parlimen.

"Obama tidak dapat meluluskan bajetnya kerana partinya tidak menguasai Kongres," katanya.

Beliau yang juga Menteri Pembangunan Luar Bandar dan Wilayah percaya BN tetap menang dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang berdasarkan semua pilihan raya kecil selepas Datuk Seri Najib Razak mengendalikan parti itu menang semua kerusi.

"Kita menang di Batu Sapi, Galas, Merlimau, Tenang. Ini membuktikan BN diyakini semula rakyat setelah gagal mendapat majoriti dua pertiga pada pilihan raya umum ke-12," kata beliau.

Katanya, pilihan raya umum ke-13 amat penting dalam menentukan survival orang Melayu dan kedaulatan orang Islam.

Beliau yang juga pengerusi pendaftaran pengundi baru berkata, kalau "kita ada calon boleh menang pun tak guna, kalau undi tidak cukup."

"Sebab itu Umno bahagian kena pastikan semua yang layak mengundi didaftar sebagai pengundi," katanya.

Seorang lagi naib presiden Umno Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein pula ketika menyampaikan ucapannya berkata, Umno dalam memperkenalkan transformasi tidak akan sama sekali menggadaikan hak-hak orang Melayu.

Katanya, Najib sudah memperkenalkan pelbagai transformasi dan ia perlu diterjemahkan dalam bentuk undi.

"Apa guna buat transformasi kalau kita kalah dalam pilihan raya," katanya lagi.

Rakan sejawatannya, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi pula menjelaskan menurut kajian PAS, sokongan rakyat terhadap Najib semakin meningkat.

"Kajian ini bukan dibuat oleh Umno tetapi dibuat oleh PAS yang kita dapat capynya," kata beliau dalam ucapan penggulungannya.

Katanya, seramai 54 peratus bersetuju dengan transformasi yang dibuat Najib. Begitu juga 76 peratus responden kecewa dengan kerajaan Selangor.

Seramai 55 peratus pula tidak suka kepada PKR dan 54 peratus menganggap Umno membela hak ketuanan orang Melayu dan Islam.

"Saya yakin kita dapat tawan semula Selangor berpandukan kajian yang dibuat oleh PAS ini," katanya yang akan membantu BN Selangor untuk menawan semula negeri itu.

Beliau yang juga Menteri Pertahanan berkata potensi BN untuk menang semula amat cerah.

"Tetapi potensi kena ada pada semua orang. Bukan sahaja kepada presiden, timbalan presiden, ahli-ahli majlis tertinggi, ketua-ketua bahagian, ketua-ketua cawangan malah potensi itu kena ada pada semua orang Umno," katanya lagi.

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Ali Rustam: Pakatan tidak boleh rampas tiga negeri selatan

Posted: 03 Dec 2011 02:49 AM PST

KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Dis – Ahli Majlis Tertinggi Umno Datuk Seri Mohamed Ali Rustam memberi amaran kepada Umno dan Barisan Nasional supaya berwaspada dengan strategi terbaru DAP meletakkan calon Melayu bertanding pada pilihan raya umum akan datang.

Mohamed Ali (gambar), yang juga Ketua Menteri Melaka, yakin dengan strategi terbaru itu, DAP tidak akan lagi mengharapkan PAS untuk meraih sokongan Melayu memenangi kerusi yang ditandingi pakatan pembangkang.

"DAP telah berjaya mengalahkan PAS untuk kepentingan mereka. Kita nak tengok macam mana DAP meletakkan calon di kawasan PAS manakala PAS meletakkan calon di kawasan DAP.

"Apapun mereka buat, tak mungkin boleh berjaya dan BN telah siap sedia dengan taktik terbaru ini. Ini trend baru dan permainan baru," katanya dipetik Bernama Online.

Mohamed Ali, yang juga Ketua Umno Bahagian Bukit Katil, percaya matlamat DAP ialah untuk menguasai PAS dan menggunakan taktik sama seperti PAP di Singapura untuk memecahbelahkan orang Melayu di negara jiran berkenaan.

Beliau juga mahu melihat sejauh mana strategi itu mengena kerana kononnya DAP berpendapat masyarakat akan mengikut secara membuta tuli.

"Tapi saya yakin masyarakat bijak... mereka akan buat penilaian yang terbaik untuk masa depan negara kita, kita tak boleh perjudikan masa depan negara," katanya.

Katanya strategi terbaru pembangkang itu juga dilihat sebagai cabaran besar kepada Umno dan BN selain daripada cabaran media sosial yang dilihat sebagai punca kekalahan parti pemerintah itu pada pilihan raya umum 2008.

"Saya harap pengundi bersikap sederhana, mementingkan perpaduan dan masa depan negara dan tidak boleh terikut-ikut dengan rentak DAP. Rentak DAP ini boleh membawa masa depan yang bahaya berikutan ekstremisme mereka," katanya.

Sebagai contoh, katanya penghinaan kepada orang Melayu pada 13 Mei 1969, gelaran hitam metalik kepada pemimpin Umno dan cadangan parti itu untuk mengurangkan jumlah penjawat awam jika berkuasa, jelas menunjukkan DAP adalah anti Melayu, katanya.

Katanya sekiranya parti itu berkuasa, Malaysia akan menjadi negara yang tidak stabil dan harmoni kerana keangkuhan parti berkenaan boleh menimbulkan kebencian di kalangan penduduk berbilang kaum dan mengganggu-gugat masa depan negara yang aman dan makmur.

Selain itu, katanya wujud pertembungan nilai dan akhlak yang diamalkan pembangkang seperti sokongan yang diberikan program Seksualiti Merdeka baru-baru ini sedangkan Umno dan BN sentiasa mempertahankan nilai-nilai ketimuran.

Mohamed Ali berkata pembangkang juga jangan bermimpi untuk merampas Johor, Melaka dan Negeri Sembilan pada pilihan raya akan datang.

"Dia kena jaga negeri yang dia dah tawan. Difahamkan Kelantan boleh tumbang begitu juga Kedah dan Selangor dan kalau dia nak pertahan pun Pulau Pinang. Saya percaya jika orang Umno dan BN Pulau Pinang kerja kuat, kita boleh rampas Pulau Pinang," katanya.

Beliau berkata Umno dan BN tidak berputus asa berusaha mengambil semula negeri terbabit walauapa pun yang terjadi dengan memberi contoh keupayaan BN merampas semula kerusi parlimen Kota Melaka selepas 34 tahun dikuasai DAP.

Mengenai Umno yang disaran menjadi ejen perubahan dalam arena politik baru, lebih banyak penjelasan perlu dilakukan supaya anggota Umno dapat memahami dalam semua aspek bagaimana parti bersedia untuk menghadapi pilihan raya dengan tindakan yang patut dilakukan dan juga gerak kerja yang tersusun.

"Saya melihat kita pada kali ini perlu memahami perjuangan Umno sendiri kerana parti banyak difitnah, dikatakan parti yang tidak berjasa, hanya kepada kumpulan tertentu, parti perkauman, rasuah, menekan orang Melayu, menganiaya orang Cina dan tidak berjasa kepada negara," katanya.

Sebaliknya, sejarah telah membuktikan bahawa sumbangan Umno dan pengorbanan orang Melayu kepada negara dan penduduk Malaysia yang berbilang kaum sangat besar sehinggakan kerusi majoriti Melayu pun diberikan kepada parti lain dengan tujuan berkongsi kuasa.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Erawan celebrates… with a feast!

Posted: 02 Dec 2011 05:11 PM PST

Fat, luscious scallops in a Thai salad... absolutely delicious.

The amazing Chi Chuan Chicken made from a lost recipe.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — Anan and Korn, the owners of the highly-regarded Thai restaurant Erawan in Kota Damansara in Petaling Jaya, were at the Miele Gala Dinner at Resorts World Singapore last month where the top 20 restaurants in Asia were named. And the Miele Guide 2011/2012 was launched.

They were eager to know their Malaysian ranking in the guide and were ecstatic when they found out Erawan had moved up to the No. 3 spot of Malaysia's top five restaurants (it was No. 5 last year).

Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar bagged the No. 1 spot; it's also Asia's sixth best restaurant. El Cerdo is No 2 in Malaysia.

Thai chef Korn promised a celebration at his restaurant, and here we were on a drizzly Sunday afternoon, thoroughly amazed at the spread he laid out, mostly of new dishes which he will make available at Erawan.

He had spent days thinking of the food, his inspiration taking shape in a Pad Thai croissant, for instance, or small burgers filled with fragrant Thai fishcake, a slice of cheese, cucumber and tomato.

Thai laksa with a tangy fish curry... you won't stop at one bowl.

The chef had intended to use a puff for the Pad Thai creation, and when that was not available, improvised with a croissant, which offered a similar fluffy texture. Inside it were fat prawns with some beansprouts and spring onion, doused with a sweet sauce with hints of shrimp paste and chilli. All the ingredients of a Pad Thai minus the noodles. Wow!

New flavours exploded and claimed our palate, as in the case of two Thai laksa – one with creamy coconut curry and the other a sourish tamarind one with fish and fishballs. Both were equally good.

The Smoked Duck Mieng Kam had luscious duck and juicy pomelo sacs sitting on a sheath of kadok leaves, topped with crunchy peanuts and drizzled with a sweet and sour sauce. It was exquisite.

There was the incredible Grilled Scallop sitting on a shiso leaf, topped with shredded lemongrass and fried shallots, with just a drizzle of a piquant Thai sauce.

The Thai sashimi salad perked up our senses again, with its spicy, sweet and sour dressing, contrasting with the slightly bitter endive leaf it was on.

The huge, bouncy prawns stirfried in a lovely Thai sauce with kaffir lime leaves, and generously finished with lemongrass were just so good, as was the grilled, tender duck breast tossed in a hot, spicy bean sauce and served smothered with fried basil leaves.

The Pineapple Spicy Flying Fish had deepfried fish fillets embraced in thick, spicy sweet and sour sauce with shrimp paste, with small chunks of pineapple. They certainly flew off the plate.

The salmon sashimi salad had a slow burn that came from its dressing... a nice surprise.

The celebration was also an opportunity for Korn to showcase his curries. " I have more than 30 curries already," he said. There was the wonderful Massaman Lamb Curry scented with lots of coriander and black pepper, and the bay fruits which resemble small cardamoms.

"Without the bay fruits from Thailand, there will be no Massaman curry," said the chef, who wants to stay true to the traditional recipe of the curry. He used prime lamb in the curry with potato. It's what his diners want: premier ingredients in his detailed and highly skilled cooking methods.

The exquisite Lup Chup... almost too pretty to eat.

There is the Pang Hang Lay Beef Curry that has Burmese influence, originating from the northern part of Thailand near the Myanmar border. It bursts with spiced flavours, and in the light, coconut curry are tener peanuts.

The Panaeng Beef Curry is already an all-time favourite in the restaurant. Our lucky star must have shone last Sunday because in front of us were sumptuous, plump, juicy cockles in this delicious curry with lots of kadok leaves. The chef will not compromise: if the cockles are not of a satisfying quality and size, he will not cook the Cockles Curry, no matter how much you beg him to.

Pounding the nine spices for the Chi Chuan Chicken Curry, and the aromas thus released, sent the chef into raptures. One could understand his passion for cooking as he described the process. "It's a lost recipe in Thailand. It's close to Massaman, with sourness from local lime juice." Besides chicken, there were peanuts in the curry and piquant fat chillies in a translucent green.

The man of the hour... Chef Korn of Erawan.

In between all these I tasted "banana sweets" that had me going for more, and small puffs filled with a sweet and savoury spicy dried prawns and chopped nuts.

Dessert was the magnificent Lup Chup; miniature pears, oranges, papaya, grapes, apples and bananas with a mung bean filling, and a thin gelatinous covering.

Korn sprang up at the last to serve a warm dessert of Spiced Apple with Vanilla Ice-Cream, speckled with black pepper, and fragrant with cinnamon and star anise.

All the dishes can be ordered in advance at Erawan. Regular diners have got used to calling up a couple of days in advance to book a table, and order the main courses from the menu on its website, and be assured of a really satisfying meal with the chef seeing to every detail of it.

Erawan is located at 22 Jalan PJU 5/16, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya. Tel: 03-6141 2393. Website: www.erawan-classicthai.com.

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Sabtu, 3 Disember 2011