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Preparation key for world number one Djokovic Posted: 29 Dec 2011 03:24 PM PST Djokovic hits a return during a Mubadala World Tennis Championship match at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi, December 29, 2011. — Reuters pic ABU DHABI, Dec 30 — Novak Djokovic's preparation over the next two weeks will be key to holding on to top spot in the rankings next year, the world number one said yestersday. The Serb enjoyed some outstanding form in 2011, winning 41 matches in a row, lifting three grand slam titles and knocking Rafa Nadal off the top of the rankings. "If I have the right mindset, if I do my preparation in the next two weeks as well as I did in 2011 you know I am confident that I can still play well," Djokovic told a news conference in Abu Dhabi where he is playing in an exhibition tournament. "And if I could repeat the year I had in 2011, that's something that I can tell you I cannot promise, you know I am looking forward to it. I am enjoying my game now, I have lots of confidence." Djokovic beat France's Gaels Monfils to set up a meeting with Roger Federer tomorrow. The winner will play Nadal or David Ferrer in the final. "It's always nice to start off the new season with a win but...I was working on something throughout the match, I was trying to find good rhythm. I think I was playing well for this stage," he said. "I am still not 100 per cent on the court, I don't know how I will play tomorrow but it is always a challenge when you are playing Federer." Djokovic said he had no plans to play any other tournament before defending his Australian Open crown at the year's opening grand slam starting on January 16. French Open champion Nadal said he planned to become more aggressive next year after losing his world number one ranking. "Last year I played sometimes a little bit predictable," he said. "My game doesn't have enough surprise for opponents especially the last part of the year. "I have to play more aggressive, not play every point the same way, concentrate on trying to create opportunities." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Donald voted golf writers’ male player of the year Posted: 29 Dec 2011 03:19 PM PST Donald poses with the Race to Dubai trophy at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai December 11, 2011. — Reuters pic LONDON, Dec 30 — British world number one Luke Donald added another accolade to his rapidly growing resume when he was named male player of the year by the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) yesterday. Taiwan's world number one Yani Tseng, who triumphed 12 times across the globe in 2011, was the runaway GWAA female player of the year while American veteran Tom Lehman was named senior player of the year. Donald, who won four times worldwide in 2011 and became the first player to clinch the money titles on both sides of the Atlantic, earned 88 per cent of the GWAA votes. The 34-year-old Englishman comfortably beat Americans Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy for the award. Bradley won his maiden major title at the PGA Championship and McIlroy claimed his first grand slam crown at the Masters but Donald eclipsed all his rivals with an extraordinarily consistent campaign. He won twice on the US PGA Tour and posted a further 12 top-10s in 19 starts. Donald took over at the top of the world rankings on May 30 and went on to win the 2011 PGA of America player of the year award and the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average. On December 13, he became the first Briton to be named PGA Tour player of the year and just two days later was voted the European Tour's golfer of the year. Donald, Tseng and Lehman will be honoured at the GWAA's annual awards dinner on April 4 next year, held on the eve of the Masters. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Spas focus on coaching, gaming, feet in 2012 Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:46 PM PST NEW YORK, Dec 29 — Beauty coaching, online wellness, snow showers and sound massages are just a few of the luxury treatments clients at spas around the globe will be experiencing in 2012. Massages and facials will still be big draws for the US$250 billion (RM790.5 billion) industry, but spas will be branching out into more personal coaching programmes, spa parties and packages for families and even online games, according to a new report. "Overall, we see two distinct themes emerging," said Susie Ellis, the president of SpaFinder Inc, which compiled the 2012 Spa Trend Report of the top 10 trends. "One is the industry innovating with diverse, new sensory experiences and treatments — from cold and vibration therapies to new services for healthy feet. "The second is how spas are ... moving beyond the sporadic visit, to programmes aimed at developing long-term relationships such as coaching and online gaming." All types of coaching, whether it is beauty, sleep or wellness, are expected to be big in 2012, with spas offering coaching packages, with follow-up emails and phone conferences to support clients. Spas will also be turning down the heat, with cold therapies designed to improve circulation and reduce inflammation. Spa designer Thermarium's will launch the first-ever snow shower, according to the report. The shower's digital touch screen will enable users to choose between light snowfall, moderate snowfall or blizzard. For an even more bone-chilling experience, there is cryotherapy — a few minutes in a frigid chamber at -120 degrees C wearing only a swimsuit, socks, gloves and ear and mouth protection against frostbite. "A human can only last two to three minutes in a cryotherapy room or pod, but it's all the rage with elite athletes to help them recover from workout inflammation and pain," the report said. "The Olympic rehabilitation centre in Poland has a cryotherapy chamber used by sports teams from around the world." Focus on feet, gaming Ellis and a team of up to 100 experts, who visited hundreds of spas around the world to compile the report, also predict a surge in wellness gaming next year. "Our report is more of a forecast," Ellis said. "We wanted to look into the future and one of the things we are seeing is that online gaming is becoming huge in different parts of the world." The report noted that French cosmetic company Clarins is a pioneer in the field with its Facebook game "Spa Life". Other companies are expected to follow by using gaming to connect with clients through online workouts and sessions with therapists. Ellis is also seeing a new focus on feet because of aging baby boomers, foot ailments and the popularity of high heels. Some spas are offering computerised gait analysis, treatments in zero-gravity chairs and lessons to strengthen some of the muscles in the foot, according to the report. "Medical experts argue that high heels share the blame for the fact that four in five American women now suffer foot problems and also for the arthritis pandemic under way in the UK, with 60 per cent of cases now occurring in feet," according to the report. "The pain can be so agonising that some women are actually having Botox, silicone and Restylane injected into the bottoms of their feet, to counteract the damage their high heels have done," it added. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

For the not-so-serious drinker: Marshmallow vodka Posted: 28 Dec 2011 08:57 PM PST NEW YORK, Dec 29 — Vodkas flavoured with citrus and berry have been around for years and recently some newer brands have been trying to create buzz with unusual flavours. But this holiday season, for the first time, the world's largest vodka brand is trying to appeal to Americans' sweet tooth with zany flavours such as "fluffed marshmallow" and "whipped cream". Diageo's Smirnoff Whipped Cream (left) and Fluffed Marshmallow flavoured vodkas recently launched in the US: Taking on the upstart brands. — Reuters pic Faced with relentless competition from established and upstart brands, Smirnoff's owner — the London-based beverage group Diageo Plc — took inspiration from things like cookie-scented candles and vanilla-scented laundry soap. It then relied on focus groups, mixologists and food scientists to come up with the new drinks, which went through some 15 iterations, according to the company's chief marketing and innovation officer for North America, Peter McDonough. Tasters preferred a "toasted" marshmallow flavour, but the marketing team decided that "fluffed" marshmallow would be a better name, McDonough said, since it would help avoid perceptions that the drink tasted "chalky or burnt". Diageo paired the drinks with an advertising campaign around the title "Fluffed and Whipped" that features a circus of dancers, dogs, aerialists, women spraying whipped cream into their mouths and model Amber Rose purring that "vodka never felt this good". Young vs mature drinkers The mixing of sugar and spice has struck a chord, particularly with younger, female drinkers, say some New York bartenders. "In five years of bartending, I have never seen a bottle sell out that fast," said Dena Kravitz of Rosie O'Grady's Irish Pub in Manhattan's Times Square. "It's the martini of the younger generation." Smirnoff, born in Russia about 150 years ago, says it is trying to make itself relevant and cool to younger adults, drinkers in their 20s and 30s. But some industry opponents see sweet drinks as moves to lure under-age drinkers who can use them to transition from soft drinks to hard liquor. "I see this move into these sweet drinks as catering to a youthful taste," said James Mosher, president of Alcohol Policy Consultations, a private consultancy group. "This is not a drink that a mature adult is going to prefer." Mosher wrote an article slated for publication in the January 2012 issue of The American Journal of Public Health in which he argues that youth-oriented marketing campaigns by Smirnoff and other distilled spirits, which appeal to underage drinkers, were a key factor in the rise of spirits consumption over the past decade in the United States. Furthermore, the sexy images and allusions in the "Fluffed and Whipped" ad put Diageo in the dog house at industry watchdog group Alcohol Justice, which did a "Doghouse Blog" entry on it in November, saying the campaign "may have set the bar at a new low" for what it calls "pornahol" ads, or those that "use sexual innuendo and objectification to sell alcoholic beverages". Young adults the targets. — Reuters pic Diageo, which says the target market for the new varieties is 25-to-35-year-old men and women, rejects any suggestion that it is marketing to kids, and cited four investigations into alcohol marketing by the US Federal Trade Commission that concluded that industry ads were directed at adults. Diageo called Mosher's article "seriously flawed and unsupported by government data and marketplace realities". As for the sexy ad, McDonough defended it and called it "a little bit tongue-in-cheek". Diageo, the world's biggest spirits maker, has a portfolio that includes Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky, Captain Morgan rum and Jose Cuervo tequila. Going straight to dessert The notion of confectionary flavours in alcoholic drinks is not new. In recent years, smaller producers have come out with Cupcake Vodka, Burnett's Whipped Cream Flavoured Vodka, Pinnacle Cotton Candy Vodka, Three Olives Bubble Gum Vodka and Georgi Candy Cane Vodka. Diageo already sells Godiva Chocolate vodka, Ciroc Coconut vodka and Qream, an ice-cream inspired liqueur. But Smirnoff is the first very large brand to go straight to dessert. Smirnoff, the top-selling vodka in the United States, has faced competition from small, fast-growing brands that have more cachet, such as Bacardi's Grey Goose and Diageo's Ciroc. Its sales in the United States are still more than double those of the No. 2 vodka, Pernod Ricard's Absolut, but its market share slipped and it reported net sales fell 2 per cent in North America in the fiscal year that ended June 30. In the months that followed, Smirnoff had seen sales increase, with US sales up 3.6 per cent in November, Diageo said, citing data from industry sales tracker IRI. The beverage behemoth has been pulling out all the stops, including sponsoring a reality television show and various nightlife events. Diageo said Smirnoff controlled about 30 per cent of the flavoured vodka market, a fast-growing segment. According to Nielsen data, in the 12 months that ended November 12, flavoured vodka sales rose 20 per cent to account for 19 per cent of all US vodka sales. Unflavoured vodka sales rose only 2 per cent over the same period. But the more unusual the flavour, the more limited its appeal, some say. "As they become more esoteric, you've got to wonder what the return on these is, since you're speaking to a smaller and smaller consumer base," said Alexander Smith, editor-in-chief of the IWSR Magazine. And while sweet cocktails in the United States date back to a rum punch by the original first lady Martha Washington, certainly not everyone wants sugar in their alcoholic drinks. "It's too much," said one man in his 40s who was drinking recently at a bar in Manhattan's Harlem neighbourhood, when asked about the new Smirnoff flavours. "It's too, too much." For now, at least, Smirnoff does not have to share the pie with its larger rivals. For Absolut, confectionary-inspired flavours would "not be consistent with" the brand's flavour strategy, a spokesman said. Its newest creations include Absolut Grapevine, a blend of white grape, dragon fruit and papaya. Skyy Vodka, owned by Italy's Campari, also has a slightly different strategy. It says its flavours — such as ginger, pineapple and coconut — are based on real fruit infusions rather than using artificial sweeteners. "We don't think that consumer is interested in flavours derived from the candy aisle at their local convenience store," said Skyy spokesman Dave Karraker. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Outrage as BBC chooses panda as 2011 female face Posted: 29 Dec 2011 02:45 AM PST LONDON, Dec 29 — The BBC has ignited its second sexism spat in the space of a month by choosing a panda as one of its 12 female faces of the year. Last week, it was criticised for choosing its annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year from an entirely male shortlist. The BBC chose Tian Tian (pictured at Edinburgh Zoo) as one of its 12 female faces of the year. — Reuters file pic The decision to include the face of Tian Tian (Sweetie), a female panda whose arrival at Edinburgh Zoo on loan from China generated huge publicity earlier this month, has provoked a storm of angry tweets, including one from former deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. "So the BBC couldn't find a woman for Sports Personality of the Year, but they could find a panda for a female face of 2011," he wrote. Labour MP Stella Creasy also tweeted: "No offence to Sweetie — sure a lovely panda and best in the class etc — but clue is in the title 'women' not 'female of the species' of the year." The corporation has also been criticised because a quarter of the female faces this year were chosen for their involvement in marriages. They include Prince William's new sister-in-law Pippa Middleton, South African Charlene Wittstock who married Prince Albert of Monaco and Spanish billionaire the Duchess of Alba, 85, who tied the knot with a civil servant 24 years her junior. Among the BBC's male faces of year were "King's Speech" actor Colin Firth, Tunisian Mohammed Bouazizi whose suicide sparked the Arab Spring revolutions and golfer Rory McIlroy who became the youngest player to win the US Open. Bob Chaundy, the freelance journalist who wrote the piece for the BBC, responded on Twitter: "I didn't choose the BBC women faces of the year subjects — just wrote them. Two black eyes from wife though. Pandemonium!" The BBC pointed out this was not the first time an animal had appeared in its Faces of the Year lists. "Including Sweetie (Tian Tian) as one of the annual headline makers was a light-hearted addition to the list, and this isn't the first time it has featured a non-human," it said in a statement. "In 2009, Benson the Carp, a much-caught giant fish, was August's entry on the male list and last year Peppa the Pig was on the female list for April." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Taylor Swift song from ‘The Hunger Games’ soundtrack tops chart Posted: 28 Dec 2011 10:27 PM PST Taylor Swift's single "Safe and Sound" with The Civil Wars from 'The Hunger Games' soundtrack. — AFP pic LOS ANGELES, Dec 29 — Pop singer Taylor Swift's "Safe and Sound," performed with The Civil Wars for the soundtrack of The Hunger Games, quickly hit number one on iTunes. Other acts on the upcoming film soundtrack include Arcade Fire, which contributed "Horn Of Plenty," and The Decemberists with "One Engine" on the companion album to the film, which includes songs that may not be in the film but are based on the story's themes. The producer, Grammy winner T Bone Burnett (Crazy Heart), collaborated with Swift and Arcade Fire's Win Butler and Regine Chassagne on songs. The film adapted from the young adult novels by Suzanne Collins features Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone), Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are All Right), Liam Hemsworth (Knowing) and Elizabeth Banks (W.) in a post-apocalyptic world. The album will be released prior to the movie's opening. The Hunger Games opens March 21-23 in North America, Australia, France, Germany and other European markets, Brazil, Hong Kong, the UK and additional markets. — AFP-Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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A change is gonna come Posted: 28 Dec 2011 04:08 PM PST DEC 29 — An important time is arriving in Malaysia, and it does not matter if you are for it or not; that's not material anymore. The growing fear is that the nation is about to enter this phase without a seat belt. History students in the distant future will love 2011. When in doubt in a class history quiz, 2011 is, as they say in basketball, a high percentage shot (or guess in that situation). The world has plenty of discussion points from this year, with the death of Kim Jung-il tipping the year to epic proportion. However for Malaysians, despite its share of watershed moments this year, 2012 will be the one that is monumental.  Two inevitable events in 2012 will dictate life in Malaysia for some time. A general election and a court verdict. He will go to jail With his declaration from the defendant's dock of his innocence and that Sodomy II is an elaborate political attack, Anwar Ibrahim has announced his disbelief in the country's justice system under Barisan Nasional. Legal minds are divided on the strategy, but still it did more than suggest that the leader of the opposition is readying himself for what seems like a predictable verdict. Few of those legal minds, outside the employ of the Malaysian government, disagree with Anwar. On January 9 when the verdict comes out, there will be a reaction. Not rage, but a quiet shrug of the shoulder by millions of Malaysians. This disgust may translate to votes in the coming general election. The column is mindful that there will be many other developments between that January week and the general election, but none will capture the collective imagination of Malaysians as much as this. The spectre of a grandfather going to jail six months after Prime Minister Najib Razak promising to reform the country's arcane and oppressive laws removes any semblance of reform from the present administration. The administration's fear of a free Anwar in an election year may be its undoing. General election This column made the prognosis last year that there will be no general election this year. It has been vindicated on that score. Six months ago it would be outright optimism bordering on blind faith to expect Pakatan Rakyat to exceed its Election 2008 results. Today, there is talk in saner political corners of a possible election upset. Najib has a large party, but most are in for what Umno can give them and are led by very few charismatic leaders. It is a party of money, not a party of ideas. It can only rely on the following: a good economy, the buzz of 1 Malaysia, mainstream media and its election machinery. The economy is strong, and the planned handouts leading to the election will affect votes. Still, decades of poor wealth distribution are starting to bite all over, the emerging scandals are only confirming allegations of an elitist system run to please one class, not any race, religion or state. Mainstream media has been less dismissive of Pakatan Rakyat, even if they'd rather have dead air than say salutary things about the coalition. Some of the commentaries have given way to doubt. The buzz of 1 Malaysia is the random factor. No poll can gauge it. Only a fair election will. It is conceivable that this administration is leaking support. The BN machine is a money machine. It is less incisive in a general election than in a by-election. It is about pump-priming activities based on money. The question remains, how many Malaysians are keen on appearing to openly support the BN in the coming election, even if the money is good? There is an air of change in the country, and an Anwar conviction will electrify the country more and convince them that if they let this moment slip, then a reversal will occur. The electoral maths then… The dwindled support for BN's Chinese parties will start to tell. The Indian votes are divided at best, not in Najib's bag necessarily. It is curious to note that Najib, not the MIC, holds sway with the community. It is the young vote which will determine the result. Anwar does not poll that well with women, but that does not discount Pakatan's overall appeal to women. Penang is destined to stay with Pakatan. The parliamentary seats will be status quo. Kedah will copy Penang, and Perlis is on a knife edge. Pundits will not be surprised if the northwest turns into a Pakatan surge. Kelantan is a safe seat, and the vagaries of Terengganu Umno politics does leave more questions than answers. Umno may keep the state, but only a two-seat majority in the parliamentary count. Pahang will be Peninsular Malaysia's battleground. There were urban wins for Pakatan, but it is the reach to Felda areas that will be telling. Umno to keep Pahang, but to lose more ground. Perak and Selangor will go Pakatan, the first is a bigger call but a call has to be made. With the expectation of a slim Pakatan win in Negri Sembilan, that leaves Malacca and Johor as solid Umno states. All eyes will turn to Borneo. It is a mighty ask to expect a lion's share of the parliamentary seats there, but Pakatan might broach the 20-seat mark, though it might end up being 15. That would reduce BN's majority from Borneo (31 seats in Sarawak, 25 in Sabah) from 54 in 2008 to a manageable 26. A national electoral win is possible, even if quite challenging, if the above inroad is achieved in Borneo. Unlike Pakatan's leadership conviction that the right candidates will win Putrajaya, this column is ready to call that it will be the national mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of Malaysians wanting a new Malaysia which will secure the change. Side shows without Bob Klang Valley residents will be in a "reign of fire" as MRT work goes warp speed in 2012. Prasarana's failure to announce any adjustments, reroutes and realignments in bus transportation, and Selangor and KL traffic cops' attitude of responding as necessary, together spells disaster. There is no temporary transportation plan as the valley goes into construction mode. Lynas starting Gebeng operation. The prime minister's home state, Pahang, is fairly lackadaisical about the rare earth refinery, but Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh is thriving in the situation. Najib can only lose if things persist at the present rate. Porn in the mail then. The election year will bring with it pornography. Since in Malaysia, there is no sex education in public schools, let alone educational videos, a nation has to rely on politicians to sate any need for graphical images. Trust more videos to emerge to tarnish the usual and not usual suspects. Living with less. Not sexy, but quite pressing, the rising cost of living with no economic policy to stem it will bite more than the analysts in government think. Probably because over time it seems, they've actually started to believe their own spiel. Brave new world At the end of 2012, a different Malaysia might stand. As tyrants around the world fall, die or assume a cheerful personality to the Western democracies they used to openly loathe, Malaysia will become a standout case if it remains in this political rut. Even opposition politicians are puzzled by this column's prediction, saying they don't think they are worthy of the adulation. Actually, the adulation is for the people of Malaysia long denied a government worthy of their aspiration and hope. Time, technology, history and opportunity are actively conspiring to give, not to politicians but a larger Malaysian population, real voice for the first time. It's time they took it. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Felda bergolak menunggu pecah? Posted: 28 Dec 2011 03:26 PM PST 29 DIS — Saya penuhi undangan makan seorang simi-vetren Umno. Vetren bermaksud aktivis lama yang bersara. Simi-vetren bererti aktivis lama tidak tua sangat dan sebagai ahli biasa tidak cergas tetapi tidak pula bersara dari politik. Bersamanya dua orang pegawai penting ibu pejabat Felda. Kedua-duanya teman seperjuangan orang Umno, belum lekang rasa sayangnya pada Umno. Mereka tidak berkongsi tuntutan dengan ANAK, sebuah NGO peneroka pro-PAS pimpinan Mazlan. Tetapi mengira ada kegiatan ANAK dapat membantu Felda mengatasi kelemahannya. Saya tidak mengikut sangat masalah Felda tetapi dari keduanya saya difahamkan Felda sedang bergolak dan menunggu masa pecah saja, sejak Tan Sri Isa Samad masuk ke Felda sebagai pengerusi. Mereka tidak mempersoal perlantikan Isa sebagai orang kuat baru Felda kerana dia adalah proksi kepada Perdana Menteri Najib. Keupayaan Najib menjadikan duit Felda seperti duitnya adalah perkembangan lama sebelum Isa datang ke situ. Tetapi Isa dikatakan menjadi masalah besar kepada peneroka apabila dia merampas jawatan pengerusi koperasi warga Felda — peneroka dan sekalian pegawai dan kakitangan. Tiada pengerusi-pengerusi yang lalu, baik terdiri dari orang politik atau pegawai tabdir yang dipinjmakan ke situ, mengusik koperasi itu. Tetapi Isa merampas jawatan itu ketika pengerusinya, pemimpin utama pentadbiran Felda, bernama Datuk Zulkifli menunaikan ibadat di Mekah. Dia juga diberi cuti dari jawatannya di Felda, dan beberapa pegawai penting di bawah Datuk Zulkifli dipulangkan semula ke PTD. Walaupun warga Felda ada hak atas Felda tetapi hak kerajaan lebih besar dari hak setiap individu di Felda. Tetapi koperasi adalah hak warga yang menjadi ahlinya dan ia bukan hak Najib dan Isa yang diamanatkan oleh kerajaan untuk menjaga Felda. Hak untuk menjadi pengerusi koperasi ditentukan oleh lembaga pengarah. Lembaga pengarah pula dipilih mesyuarat ahli-ahlinya. Pengerusi koperasi hanya boleh dilucutkan oleh lembaga pengarah dengan pengesahan suruhanjaya koperasi. Isa dikatakan menjadi pengerusi yang tidak sah. Sejak dia mengambil alih jawatan itu, dia belum dapat mempengerusikan mesyuaratnya. Suruhanjaya koperasi tidak dapat menyetujui kejadian seperti itu. Nasib Isa dalam koperasi itu akan ditentukan dalam mesyuarat agung koperasi yang diwakili oleh wakil koperasi Felda dari seluruh negara pada 5 Januari ini. Malah ada perkembangan dalam keluarga Felda untuk membawa perkara ini ke mahkamah. Maklumat yang saya faham dari mereka, Felda seolah-olah tidak lagi menjadi simpanan tetap Umno dalam pilihan raya yang akan datang. Selama ini ia adalah simpanan tetap Umno, tetapi politik Isa Samad bukan saja memburukkan politik Umno bahkan ia menambah burukkan politik Najib di Felda. Keburukan Najib dulu tidak pecah di mulut dan di perut warga Felda. Tetapi kedatangan Isa ke Felda dikatakan mengundang yang ada diperut keluar ke mulut. Masalah tentang Najib masih disimpan di perut. Yang jelas pecah di mulut ialah Isa. Rasa marah meluap orang Umno kepada pemimpinnya semasa tidak berdepan dengan pemimpinnya. Bila pemimpin datang, semuanya jadi sejuk. Bagaimana kalau Najib bertindak menamatkan perkhidmatan Isa sebelum pilihan raya? Bukankah Najib ada keupayaan untuk menutup mulut penentang kumpulannya dan memenangi mereka ke pihaknya? Tidaklah susah bagi Najib untuk memenangi semula hati orang-orang Felda. Pada keduanya, akan datang orang Felda yang boleh diredakan kemarahannya, kalau Isa dikeluarkan dari Felda. Tetapi untuk memulihkan keyakinan kebanyakan warga Felda, sudah payah. Marah itu bukan sekadar terhadap Isa saja. Marah sudah mula menjalar kepada Najib. Mereka menyebut kononnya banyak benar duit Felda yang dialirkan keluar. Felda dikatakan tidak lagi seperti di zaman Taib Andak dan Raja Alias. Tidak sedikit pun mereka menunjukkan mereka suka kepada PAS dan Pakatan Rakyat, tetapi mereka merasakan melalui pilihan raya boleh mengubah keadaan yang tidak menentu dalam Felda. Mereka mendapat rezeki Allah melalui Felda. Anak-anak menumpang nikmat di situ. Mereka gembira jika Felda itu terus perkasa seperti di zaman Raja Alias. Cuma mereka bertanya, tidak bolehkah pemimpin pembangkang menutup mulut atas isu-isu yang dibangkitkan oleh media, yang menggambarkan seolah-olah mereka bercakar sama sendiri. Termasuklah isu Hasan Ali dan Nasharuddin Mat Isa. Mereka sendiri keliru atas kejadian itu. Ia boleh mengalih gelora yang retak menanti belah dalam masyarakat Felda. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Pintu rundingan sudah ditutup, kata JCorp kepada DPMM Posted: 29 Dec 2011 02:05 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 29 Dis — Johor Corporation Bhd (JCorp), syarikat milik kerajaan negeri hari ini menolak tawaran Dewan Perniagaan Melayu Malaysia (DPMM) yang berhasrat membeli keseluruhan kepentingan Kulim Bhd dalam QSR Brands Bhd bagi melindungi faedah KFC Holdings Malaysia Bhd (KFCH). "JCorp tidak akan menjualnya kepada orang luar. Muktamad," kata jurucakap JCorp kepada The Malaysian Insider. Seorang anggota, yang enggan namanya didedahkan kerana tiada kuasa untuk bersuara berkata kedua-dua pengurusan QSR dan KFCH telah mengeluarkan kenyataan pada 21 Disember yang mengatakan mereka menerima tawaran itu daripada Massive Equity Sdn Bhd dan tidak berhasrat mencari bidaan alternatif. JCorp memegang kepentingan 53 peratus dalam syarikat perladangan Kulim, yang memiliki 57.5 peratus dari QSR; selain mempunyai kepentingan 50.6 peratus sumber kewangan KFCH. Massive Equity merupakan sebuah perniagaan kenderaan di bawah JCorp dan rakan perniagaannya, sebuah firma persendirian, CVC Capital Partners Asia Pacific, untuk menswastakan KFCH dan QSR untuk mencapai sasaran RM5.24 bilion atau RM4 pegangan KFCH dan RM6.80 pegangan QSR. Sumber itu berkata perjanjian itu akan dibentangkan untuk kelulusan semasa mesyuarat agung syarikat pada Mac tahun depan. Beliau menambah Kumpulan Carlyle dan Halim Saad sebelum ini turut menawarkan untuk membeli pegangan untuk perniagaan makanan segera tetapi JCorp menolaknya demi menjaga kepentingan KFCH. "Kenapa kekalkan dalam kumpulan? JCorp adalah pelaburan negeri Johor dan ia melihat kepada kepentingan Bumiputera." Presiden DPMM Syed Ali Alattas dalam laporan awal hari ini berkata pihaknya berhasrat untuk mendapatkan RM6.80 pegangan QSR dan ia boleh mencecah sehingga RM6.90 setiap pegangan. "Ia terhenti daripada dimiliki orang luar," katanya. "Apa yang kita katakan hari ini adalah tentang keadilan. Kita mahu semua rakyat mengamalkan keadilan." Beliau menambah DPMM akan membuat pinjaman termasuk daripada Tabung Haji, Felda dan Amanah Saham Mara untuk membantu membiayai kos yang dianggarkan melebihi RM1 bilion. Bernama, memetik seorang analisis yang tidak dinamakan berkata awal bulan ini Felda berhasrat membeli pegangan JCorp dalam QSR dan KFCH. Syed Ali juga berkata DPMM akan menghantar surat kepada Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak hari ini. DPMM bercadang memperbesarkan francis KFCH kepada Bumiputera yang menjadi keutamaan, katanya. "Sekali kita meluaskan pasangan, purata francis KFCH kira-kira RM500,000. Dengan 1,000 premis ... pendapatan yang bagus," katanya. Syed Ali menambah sekiranya Kulim tidak berhasrat mejual pegangan dalam QSR kepada DPMM, pihaknya bersedia bekerjasama dengan syarikat itu. JCorp merupakan rakan perniagaan CVC untuk membeli keseluruhan pegangan Kulim dalam QSR dan KFCH, yang mana agensi pelaburan negeri berkata akan membantu mengurangkan hutang 2012. Pembelian pegangan itu dijangka menjadi satu langkah ke arah pelaksanaan rasioanal yang ditanggung JCorp, yang menyaksikan Kulim akan bertukar perniagaan daripada makanan segera kepada perladangan sebagai asas. Pengarah kedua-dua QSR dan KFCH telah meluluskan tawaran pembelian dan syarikat-syarikat terpaksa memanggil mesyuarat agung di mana 75 peratus pemegang saham tidak berminat untuk melakukan undian. JCorp berkata penerimaan pengarah-pengarah membuktikan bahawa cadangan itu mematfaatkan semua pemegang saham. Ia menambah penswastaan tidak akan menyebabkan JCorp menanggung hutang tetapi ia sebagai transaksi aliran tunai pada masa depan. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Perkasa: Kenyataan Rev Eu terhadap Artikel 153 ‘bermotifkan politik’ Posted: 29 Dec 2011 01:51 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 29 Dis — Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa (Perkasa) hari ini menuduh pemimpin gereja Kristian yang membangkitkan perkara berkaitan Artikel 153 Perlembagaan ketika sambutan Krismas lalu berunsurkan politik. Presiden Perkasa, Datuk Ibrahim Ali (gambar) menggelarnya sebagai 'provokatif' dan mengemukakan teori terdapatnya hubungan antara kenyataan Reverend Dr Eu Hong Seng dengan pilihan raya umum akan datang. "Saya percaya kenyataan Dr Eu itu didorong oleh unsur politik kerana pilihan raya umum akan berlangsung tidak lama lagi. Terdapat motif politik di sini yang saya lihat cubaan untuk mengelirukan orang ramai dengan mengatakan kerajaan tidak berlaku adil terhadap bangsa lain. "Itu matlamat Dr Eu. Artikel 153 tidak boleh dipersoalkan ... terdapat motif politik untuk menghapuskan hak Melayu," katanya kepada pemberita di sini. Pengerusi Kristian Avengelica Nasional (NEFC) itu ketika sambutan Krismas lalu membuat kenyataan bahawa Artikel 153 Perlembagaan  Persekutuan "membuli" sekiranya hanya melindungi hak sesetengah kumpulan etnik sahaja. Artikel 153 menyatakan bahawa Yang di-Pertuan Agong bertanggungjawab untuk "memelihara hak keistimewaan orang Melayu dan penduduk Pribumi Sabah dan Sarawak dan juga kepentingan kaum lain sepertimana peruntukan Artikel ini". Dalam ucapannya, Eu menekankan dia tidak menghadapi sebarang masalah dengan hak Melayu dan Bumiputera, serta Sultan, tetapi "apa yang menjadi masalah adalah 'perpindahan hak' majoriti. Kenyataannya itu telah membuatkan Presiden Perkasa mendesak polis segera menyiasat Eu. Ibrahim, beserta Timbalan Presiden Perkasa Datuk Abdul Rahman Abu Bakar termasuk 30 ahlinya membuat laporan polis terhadap Eu berdasarkan artikel yang dikeluarkan The Malaysian Insider dan beberapa penerbitan lain. Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas ini berkata, kenyataan Eu itu harus disiasat dengan serius oleh pihak polis, kerana ucapan tersebut di buat dalam majlis yang dihadiri oleh ahli politik bukan Melayu daripada Barisan Nasional, seperti MCA dan Gerakan termasuk parti pembangkang seperti DAP dan PKR. Abdul Rahman pula menyatakan Article 153 bukan sahaja melindungi hak Melayu, bahkan juga termasuk Bumiputera di Sabah and Sarawak, yang majoritinya beragama Kristian. Menurutnya, kenyataan Eu itu bersifat menghasut dan menuntut polis menyiasat pemimpin Kristian itu di bawah Akta Hasutan. Abdul Rahman turut menyelar Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon yang hadir di majlis berkenaan tetapi tidak mengambil sebarang tindakan terhadap Eu. "Kami kecewa kerana Koh melepaskan orang yang melakukan perkara sedemikian." Eu masih lagi tetap dengan pendiriannya bahawa "seseorang perlu menyuarakannya". Pembangkang mendakwa, peruntukan berkenaan telah dimanipulasi oleh Umno dan sekarang digunakan sebagai "senjata". Sementara itu, Pakar Perlembagaan, Prof Abdul Aziz Bari menyatakan bahawa Artikel 153 membawa maksud Raja mesti menjaga kepentingan dan hak istimewa Bumiputera tanpa meminggirkan hak dan peranan kaum lain. Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin pula sebelum ini telah menafikan dakwaan peruntukan tersebut membuli kaum lain. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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