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Top of the pops(icles) Posted: 16 Sep 2012 06:10 PM PDT G Stick's cooler with its myriad yummy gelato treats. KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 — On a typical hot Malaysian afternoon, nothing beats the refreshing blast of a popsicle. Fru-T-Pop's eponymous popsicle is a taste of every fruit from the other flavours in the shop. Ice-cream, gelato, sorbet... there is no shortage of these cool treats around but some days, nothing but a popsicle, or "aiskrim potong", will do. And now that the "aiskrim potong" man does not visit our neighbourhood anymore, we decided to scour the Klang Valley for the best popsicle joints. Our first stop was G Stick @ Ben's Independent Grocer (B.I.G) Supermarket, Publika. We asked the woman at the counter which was their best-seller and she pointed out a pretty yellow heart-shaped popsicle called Mango. We had to get that one of course plus the Rocky Road and Oreo. The Rocky Road looked pretty spectacular, with walnuts and marshmallows in the chocolate-bar-like popsicle. Aesthetics! That is what draws people to buy things, right? As we slurped away, nobody spoke. Mango had a refreshing taste and we could see why that was a best-seller.  The Rocky Road had the right balance of chocolatey goodness and cream. The Oreo, however, wasn't that great because the white chocolate coating had a "strange" taste... we felt it would have been better without the coating, just let people savour the Oreo gelato inside which was surprisingly good. Our next stop? Fru-T-Pop, located along Jalan Sri Hartamas 8. While parking is usually difficult to find in this residential area, we managed to find one a few steps away from the store. The famous red Mercedes truck inside Fru-T-Pop. Colours! Trippy rainbow colours! That totally describes the decor of Fru-T-Pop. Walking in, we saw an actual red truck IN the shop. We asked the friendly woman who attended to us about it. "A friend of mine found it and we refurbished it. It was so heavy we had to get 10 men to bring that in through the back of the store! "I was so afraid that they would get injured just bringing it in and I would have to pay damages for broken bones, but they did it," laughed Giselda  Parkin, whom we discovered owned the place. Although new to the area, it is already becoming popular among the residents. Oreo from G Stick; Gianduia with dark chocolate and biscuit topping from Stickhouse and the Papaya, Lime and Orange from Fru-T-Pop. "My children love popsicles and I wanted them to enjoy healthy ones, so I decided to make them on my own. You know during sporting events, kids just love popsicles. "My initial plan was to supply them to international schools in this area but I found out that a lot of our customers were Malaysians living nearby. Our neighbours asked I didn't serve lunch so I decided to serve healthy wraps. I make the dough myself and for now, the wraps are vegetarian," explained Giselda about how Fru-T-Pop came about.   "How come you don't have any chocolate flavours?" we asked. "Well, for now I just want to concentrate on getting the fruit flavours right. If I can get proper Swiss chocolate, authentic ingredients and more, I would consider that," she replied. All her popsicles are free of colouring, sugar, water, preservatives and things that we couldn't pronounce. Orange from Stickhouse; Chocolate Mini also from Stickhouse and Banana & Strawberry from Fru-T-Pop. When asked about how the popsicles held together (what with all the fruit in it), Giselda told us it was because of the water from the fruit itself. We picked the Papaya, Lime & Orange and Banana & Strawberry plus the most colourful of all, the Fru-T-Pop, a popsicle that had just been renamed to match the store's and was a mixture of every fruit from all the other Fru-T-Pop flavours. The Fru-T-Pop was absolutely delicious. You could taste the grapes, mango, strawberries and kiwis — refreshing, natural and absolutely delectable. The Banana & Strawberry had the perfect level of sweetness, clearing any initial scepticism we had about the fruit combination. Stickhouse's gelato on a stick selection is tempting. Up next was Stickhouse, located in Citta Mall, Ara Damansara, with its selection of Premium, Classic and Mini flavours, ranging from fruit sorbet to chocolate gelato variants. They even give customers the additional option of coating their popsicles further with chocolate and biscuit crumbs. This Italian popsicle company uses gluten-free, natural ingredients, and started in 2006 when they created a machine called "The Ghiacciola" which prevents air from entirely entering the gelato, thus preserving the taste more than any other type of ice-cream and gelato. The Malaysian franchise reached Malaysia only recently last year. G Stick's best-seller Mango is lovely and refreshing. We tried out the Gianduia, a Premium flavour with dark chocolate topping and biscuits as well as Orange, a Classic flavour, and a Chocolate in Mini form. The Gianduia was rich and luxurious, the biscuit topping crisp and satisfying. However, we found the Orange a bit too sour, and thought that the taste of the fruit-flavoured pops at Fru-T-Pop was better. Price wise, G Stick, Fru-T-Pop and Stickhouse are different. Fru-T-Pop is the most affordable at RM4.90 while Stickhouse charges RM8.90 for Premium. At G-Stick, it is also about the price of Stickhouse's Premium. G Stick and Stickhouse adds tax, while Fru-T-Pop does not charge tax. After a day of popscicles, we decided that Fru-T-Pop is the top of the pops, with its interesting decor, warm environment and fresh popsicle tastes. G Stick, B.I.G., Lot No. 1A, 83-95, Level UG1, Publika, Solaris Dutamas, Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur Fru-T-Pop, 22, Jalan Sri Hartamas 8 (next to My Elephant Thai Restaurant), Taman Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. Open 10am-5pm, closed Sundays. Stickhouse, G-K7, Citta Mall, Jalan PJU 1A/48, Ara Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

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Real need to snap out of malaise quickly, says Ramos Posted: 16 Sep 2012 08:08 AM PDT MADRID, Sept 16 — Real Madrid's players need to take on board Jose Mourinho's criticisms and lift their game, Spain defender and a leading figure in the Bernabeu squad, Sergio Ramos, has said. Action speaks for Ramos, Spain defender and a leading figure in the Bernabeu squad: "Just awful." — Reuters pic The Spanish champions slumped to their second La Liga defeat of the campaign in a 1-0 reverse at Sevilla yesterday, prompting sharp words from Mourinho, who questioned the attitude and commitment of a large number of his players. "It's rare that after four games the boss has been so tough and the team have not raised themselves," Ramos told reporters, referring to earlier comments the Portuguese coach had made about his team. "The moment has arrived for us to look at ourselves and say we can give more, that we should improve and change our attitude." Real have taken only four points from their opening four games and are now eight adrift of arch-rivals and leaders Barcelona, who have a 100 per cent record so far. Although it is early days, Real lost only two games and drew four on their way to winning the title last season. Daily El Pais headlined their match report today: "Madrid in a state of alarm", while sports daily AS made reference to Cristiano Ronaldo's remarks from two weeks ago that he was sad. Real's leading striker appears to have unsettled the side with his public outburst, prompting wide-ranging media speculation over the reasons for his unhappiness that the club have failed to staunch. "It isn't a matter of whether Cristiano is sad or not anymore," AS wrote. "Now all of Madrid is sad. Unexpectedly sad." Real host Manchester City in their opening Champions League group game on Tuesday. — Reuters

Lorenzo wins San Marino GP, Pedrosa crashes Posted: 16 Sep 2012 07:24 AM PDT Lorenzo takes a flying leap on the podium to celebrate his victory over Rossi (left). — Reuters pic MISANO, Italy, Sept 16 — World championship leader Jorge Lorenzo won the San Marino MotoGP today to extend his lead in the standings while his nearest challenger and fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa crashed early in the race in Misano. Honda rider Pedrosa collided with Karel Abraham, causing both riders to crash out, with the two of them lucky to walk away unscathed. Italy's Valentino Rossi was second, just ahead of Alvaro Bautista. Australian world champion Casey Stoner, third in the overall standings, is out of action after undergoing surgery on his ankle in August. — Reuters

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Paris show puts spotlight on high jewellery craft Posted: 16 Sep 2012 09:16 AM PDT PARIS, Sept 16 — The Van Cleef & Arpels exhibit at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris opening this week will open a window on the history and craftsmanship techniques of the jewellery house. "Van Cleef & Arpels — L'Art de la haute joaillerie" will showcase more than 400 jewellery creations, as well as a selection of archival documents and sketches. The Jouin-Manku agency will set up the display in the central hall of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The exhibition will from September 20 to February 10. The exhibition is designed to take visitors on a chronological journey that sheds light on the world of high-end jewellery and especially on the Van Cleef & Arpels house. Visitors will learn about the house's history, from the opening of its first boutique in 1906 — at 22, Place Vendôme, Paris — to the creation of its most iconic pieces, such as the "Philippine" ring from 1968 and the famous "Zip" necklace, patented in 1939. — AFP/Relaxnews

‘Regarding Warhol: Sixty Artists, Fifty Years’ at the Met Posted: 16 Sep 2012 03:13 AM PDT Andy Warhol, Self Portrait: The exhibition includes Warhol's paintings, sculptures and films. ©2012 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York NEW YORK, Sept 16 — "Regarding Warhol: Sixty Artists, Fifty Years" is getting to be known as the first exhibition to examine the legacy of Pop Art king Andy Warhol. The show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York juxtaposes about 45 works by Warhol alongside 100 works by some 60 other artists who have reinterpreted, responded to or reacted to his work. The show runs from Tuesday through the end of the year. — AFP/Relaxnews

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Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban join ‘American Idol’ as judges Posted: 16 Sep 2012 08:21 AM PDT Nicky Minaj performs on the Alicia Keys song "Girl on Fire" during the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, September 6, 2012. — Reuters pic LOS ANGELES, Sept 16 — Rapper Nicki Minaj and country singer Keith Urban have signed up as judges for TV singing contest "American Idol," Fox television said on Sunday. They will join Grammy-winning artist Mariah Carey for the 12th season of the show when it returns in January 2013. It lost some 20 percent of its audience last season. Randy Jackson, the only remaining member of the original panel, will remain with the show. The new judging line-up follows the departures earlier this year of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and singer-actress Jennifer Lopez after two years on the show. Carey's name was announced in July. Fox is a unit of News Corp. — Reuters

Unlikely Korean pop star conquers the US — ‘Gangnam Style’ Posted: 16 Sep 2012 05:25 AM PDT South Korean singer Park Jae-Sang, better known by his stage name "Psy", during an Asia song festival in the southern port city of Yeosu on August 3. — AFP pic SEOUL, Sept 16 — A chubby thirty-something with wacky dance moves, Park Jae-Sang falls far short of the prettified, teenage ideal embodied by the stars of South Korea's phenomenally successful K-pop industry. But Park, known as "Psy," has succeeded where the industry-manufactured girl and boy bands have tried and failed, making a huge splash on the mainstream US music scene thanks to a viral video and a rare sense of irony. Since being posted on YouTube in July, Psy's video for "Gangnam Style" -- the title song of his sixth album -- has racked up more than 150 million views and spawned a host of admiring parodies. The accompanying worldwide publicity has earned him a US contract with Justin Bieber's management agency, a guest appearance at last week's MTV awards in Los Angeles and a spot on NBC's flagship "Today" show. Earlier this week he was given the opportunity to school US pop diva Britney Spears on his increasingly famous signature dance moves on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show". The breakout success of "Gangnam Style" has been viewed with a mixture of pride and surprise in Psy's home country, with industry analysts scrabbling to identify the magic ingredient that made it such a phenomenal success abroad. The Gangnam of the title is Seoul's wealthiest residential and shopping district, lined with luxury boutiques, top-end bars and restaurants frequented by celebrities and well-heeled, designer-clad socialites. The video pokes fun at the district's lifestyle, with Psy breezing through a world of speed boats, yoga classes and exclusive clubs -- all the while performing an eccentric horse-riding dance accompanied by beautiful models. Humour, especially satirical humour, is rare in the mainstream Korean music scene, and that coupled with the 34-year-old's embrace of his anti-pop idol looks has helped set him apart. According to Simon Stawski, the Canadian co-founder of the popular "Eat Your Kimchi" blog on K-pop and Korean culture, Psy is the "antithesis of K-pop" and its stable of preening, sexualised, fashion-conscious young stars. "K-pop bands are exceptionally controlled by their management. Psy doesn't buy into that at all, and that's partly why he's such a breath of fresh air," Stawski told AFP. "Above all, Psy doesn't take himself seriously and uses irony and self-deprecation that are absent from K-pop," he said. This, Stawski adds, is what has allowed Psy to jump the English language barrier and find a wider audience for a song which, apart from its title, is almost entirely in Korean. "Someone people would want to party with" In South Korea, "Gangnam Style" has won Psy a new fan base by appealing to those for whom the sanitised image of K-pop bears little resemblance to their actual lives. "His somewhat 'normal' appearance makes him feel familiar, and the comic dancing and wacky fashion style give off a friendly image, branding Psy as someone people would want to party with," the daily Munhwa Ilbo commented. Psy himself says he invites laughter, not ridicule. "My motto is to be funny, but not stupid," he said in an interview with the Yonhap news agency. "I want everyone who sees my performance to feel the efforts I've made so far as a singer rather than a lucky guy who got here without anything," he said. A relative veteran after 11 years on the Korean music scene, Psy has always had a small but loyal fan base that has stuck with him through numerous ups and downs, including an early brush with the law for smoking marijuana. In 2007, he was forced to serve a second period of compulsory military service after it was revealed that he had continued with his showbiz interests during his first two-year stint. His overnight leap from relative obscurity to global sensation came as a personal, if welcome, shock. "It's all so surreal to me," he told Yonhap. "I never thought such a day would come in my life as a singer." It remains to be seen if "Gangnam Style" will prove to be anything more than a one-hit wonder, but its success so far, especially in the United States, is likely to prompt a review of marketing strategies in the Korean music industry. "It's not going to be a revolution, but more of a baby-steps evolution," said Esther Oh, online news editor at CJ Entertainment, the country's largest media conglomerate. "Psy has shown you can be successful as a human, regular guy with a touch of humour. Other artists and management companies are going to look at that and maybe rethink their own styles and strategies," Oh said. — AFP-Relaxnews

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Incest novels raise eyebrows in Japan Posted: 16 Sep 2012 06:30 AM PDT TOKYO, Sept 16 — Novels with incest themes are becoming popular in Japan, Japan Today's news website reported today. These novels are popularly known as "light novels", and usually stretch no longer than 200 pages. They are also often serialised, and target mostly middle and high school students. 'My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute' chronicles the life of a high school student who finds out his younger sister has an obsession with anime and incest-themed adult computer games. ©All Rights Reserved One of the more popular light novel series is My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute, which chronicles the life of a high school student who finds out his younger sister has an obsession with anime and incest-themed adult computer games. Testament to the popularity of this series is the planned release in October of 12 Little Sister novels, added the report. Some of these include My Little Sister Who Is Popular With Girls and Me Who Suffers (Volume 5), My Little Sister is Mad Because My Girlfriend Came Onto Me, I Know You're My Brother but as Long as There's Love It Doesn't Matter, Right? (Volume 7) and Little Sister Complex (Volume 3). The popularity of incest-themed light novels has spawned adaptations into video games, manga and anime series. Recently, an anime adaptation of Hajime Taguchi's light novel titled My Little Sister is Among Them! premiered in Japan through video streaming service Crunchyroll on July 6. A home video release is planned for launch in 2013. The trend has drawn the attention of the Japanese authorities, who have taken continual measures to crack down on publications and material they consider unsuitable for youths in the country. In 2011, the Tokyo Youth Health Development Council imposed restrictions on the number of publications it deemed "excessively disrupting of social order". It used the Tokyo Youth Healthy Development Ordinance, a law passed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly in 1964 to promote the healthy development of youths under the age of 18 by restricting their access to published material that was considered harmful. This followed an earlier announcement by manga comics creator Masahiro Itosugi in April 2011 on ending the printing of volumes 1 and 3 in her Aki Sora manga series. Itsosugi cited the story's depiction of incest as the main reason for this. — AFP/Relaxnews

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‘Sarawakian first, Malaysian after equality’ Posted: 15 Sep 2012 06:18 PM PDT Peter Kallang and family (Petrus Kallang is in the white suit, Peter is next to him). SEPT 16 — It isn't easy to be in the forefront of a controversial home-grown campaign to stop the 12 mega-dams from being built in Sarawak. After all, you would have to stand up against the most paramount leader in the State, and as most Sarawakians know, this is a pretty big deal.  For Peter Kallang, however, being the chairman of SAVE Rivers network, a coalition of indigenous peoples, and NGOs to stop the 12 mega-dams in Sarawak, was a no-brainer.  Born and raised in Baram, Peter feels that the plan to flood the Baram area, of 41,200 hectares (half the size of Singapore), is a huge travesty to thousands of indigenous peoples who would have to be relocated to new lands.  This would not be the first time local communities are relocated to make way for a mega-dam in Sarawak, and promises of a new better home with a prosperous lifestyle, reneged by the government.  When I sat down with Peter in early September to learn more of what inspired him to take on his momentous task, he had just returned from a visit to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in Miri.  Peter and the rest of the SAVE Rivers network submitted documents as part of their complaint against the CEO of Sarawak Energy Bhd, Torstein Dale Sjotveit. They are saying that he abused his power to award contracts to family members of the Chief Minister of Sarawak.  While Peter himself isn't convinced that MACC will do a thorough investigation on the SAVE Rivers complaint, he explains that it is nevertheless an important step to expose the massive corruption taking place in Sarawak.  We are sitting in what he affectionately calls "coffeeshop politik", a corner shop canteen in the middle of Miri town that amusingly sells nothing that the large wall menu advertises.  "When they took over from the previous owner, they never took the wall menu down. I guess they like it."  A reminder of Sarawak's idiosyncracies; where appearances are not what they seem.  His inspiration  Peter Kallang (on the right) in the field, showing where the proposed dam is going to be built. Take Peter Kallang, for example: I was curious to know what made him decide to get involved in the SAVE Rivers campaign as he didn't appear to be your run of the mill activist with an NGO background.  "Oh, I have always been like this [active in civil issues] all my life" he laughs, "My father in fact inspired me to look out for the welfare of others."  Peter's father, the late Petrus Kallang, was an industrious Penghulu (headman) of three Kelabit longhouses in Lower Baram: Long Ekeng, Long Banyo, and Uma Akeh. Petrus Kallang also started the first school in the area after World War II in 1947.  Petrus's pioneering work has been chronicled in the book, "Borneo People", published in 1956. The author, Malcolm MacDonald, then the British Commissioner-General for South-east Asia, describes his visit to Petrus Kallang's longhouse: when he had enquired about the blackboard in the Kallang's bilik, he was informed that it was for classes for the longhouse children.  Petrus Kallang also started the first co-operative in Baram, where each family donated a certain amount of harvested padi and the combined proceeds were then used to buy an electric generator for the longhouse. It was the first longhouse in the Lower Baram area to run on an electric generator.  His journey  Born on September 24, 1950 in Long Ekang, Baram, Peter Kallang went on to study electrical installation in Miri in 1971. In 1975, while working for Shell, he joined the labour union to advocate for workers' rights.  Peter remained active in the union where he was elected to be a three-term president, until 1984 when he moved to England to study power plant engineering for two years. When he returned from England, he was promoted to senior staff but remained loyal in looking out for workers' rights by sitting on the senior staff council of the labour union.  It was exciting to be in England at that time, especially for someone like Peter with a strong social conscience. The coal miners of the UK had gone on a prolonged strike in 1984, a major industrial action against the country's coal industry.  The strike ended in March 1985, nearly a year after it had begun. The committed strikers and their families experienced extreme hardship for they had no wages during that long period of civil action. Many picketers were reported to have been subjected to intimidation, and sometimes violence by the police.  Peter Kallang was greatly inspired by the UK coal miners' dedication and symbolic struggle. He was especially inspired by the head of the National Union of Mineworkers, noting that while the coal miners' strike had received much coverage in the press, it was Margaret Thatcher and her political party that received the best press.  Peter's passion for meaningful interaction with people remained true throughout the years, and he opted to take the Shell package for early retirement in 1999, to embark on a new career of network marketing. It was an opportunity to travel around Sarawak and to train people on how to optimise their income.  In 2006, he decided to concentrate more on church and social work, and thus formed the Kenyah Miri Association (Persatuan Kenyah Miri). He is also the president of the Orang Ulu National Association, and remains active in his church men's group, the Rights of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) and the Sarawak Shell Retiree Association.  On politics  Happy smiles after successful (and safe) trip to MACC office (Peter Kallang is in the middle). With a man so active in social work, you would expect that Peter Kallang would have been approached by political parties. After all, politics is in his blood: his father, the former Penghulu, was one of the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) co-founders in Baram. Peter admits that he has been courted as early as in the late 1970s by political parties from both sides of the divide.  When pressed to confirm rumours that PKR had offered him to be their Baram representative for the next general election, he laughed it off. Peter explains that if he had any interest in politics, he would have joined a long time ago. For him, there just isn't any ifs or buts or maybes surrounding the "will you ever join politics" question.  "When you join a political party, you have to toe the line. I can't do that. I'm a man of principle," Peter laughingly explains.  On family  Besides God, Peter's source of strength is his marriage of almost 30 years to Maria Usuna Ajang of Long Palai, Baram. Together, they have four children: Petrus (25 years old), Pius (24 years old), Polina (20 years old), and Priscilla (15 years old), all of whom are just as active as their parents in church and social work. Peter remarks with pride how well-travelled his children are, having travelled to India and the Philippines for church youth retreats.  His extended family is just as proud and very supportive of his work with SAVE Rivers network: Peter's laptop and PA system were donated by fundraising from his siblings and cousins.  Peter recounts the generosity of a cousin whose husband had just passed away; she donated RM1,000 without question for his hard (unpaid) work in SAVE Rivers. All the funds were channeled into equipment and travel expenses for the campaign.  On Malaysia  With Malaysia Day coming up, I asked Peter his thoughts of being a Malaysian.  "Malaysia is a nice concept but not practised in reality. They [West Malaysians] don't treat us like an independent country that joined the Federation [along with Sabah] to form a new country. They look down on us in fact. There is no equality in Malaysia.  "I'm a Sarawakian, and only a Malaysian when they start treating us as equals.". * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Can art and art education flourish without race? Posted: 15 Sep 2012 06:03 PM PDT The main interior exhibition space of the Segaris art center. All photos by Victor Chin SEPT 16 — Segaris Art Center is a new art gallery in Kuala Lumpur. This establishment, a subsidiary of UiTM Holdings, is the first showcase for all the fine art graduates from the university. It will operate like any other commercial gallery but the commission they charge artists will be below market rate.  The title of their first exhibition in May this year was "Suarasa" and they showed 14 of their best artists from their alumni. This collection of over 30 artworks covers four generations of artists from the 1970s, 80s, 90s to the present. Since then it has had other art-related events and is beginning to attract an audience.  In the 60s, there was no art school in Malaysia; the nearest was the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore and it was mainly for Mandarin-speaking students. Many who could afford the cost of an overseas education went to the United Kingdoom, USA, France or Australia.  For the Malays, the government started the Maktab MARA in 1965. Later in 1967 it became Institute Teknology MARA. Then in 1999 it took the name Universiti Teknologi MARA.  At present, with a student population of 200,000 spread over 12 branch campuses, three satellite campuses, nine city campuses and 12 affiliated collages nationwide, it is Malaysia's largest institute of learning in terms of size and population.  It also logically takes up a large percentage of the over RM50 billion the government allocated to national education in its last Budget. This sum goes to feed UiTM's workforce of over 20,000 that run over 300 academic programs -- including the arts.  Sharifah Fatimah, Floating 2, 2009, 61 x 76 cm acrylic on canvas. - All Pictures by Victor Chin Sharifah Fatimah is from one of their first batches of art graduates from the 70s. After that she went to England and America to do her postgraduate training. She is of course the top of her class as an artist from her alumni. However, she is the only female from her batch of fine arts graduates still actively painting and exhibiting today.  Her artworks have their roots in American Abstract Expressionism and are mainly abstract constructions of bright primary colours, designs and shapes. This painting "Floating 2" has a predominantly orange network of angular shapes of various sizes and designs contrasting with the blue and the yellow ones. This is a medium-size work and conveys a floating feel about it as the title suggests.  Awang Damit Ahmad, Jejak Waktu Serie ll, 2008, 122 x 122cm mix-media on canvas. Awang Damit graduated in the 1980s and like many others from UiTM went on to do his post graduate study in America. This has influenced his style of painting in the same way it did Sharifah's work. Awang, like many of his fellow graduate students, went on to teach at UiTM for many years.  In "Jejak Waktu", we see large and heavy horizontal and vertical bands of greyish-coloured shapes interlocking at the centre of the canvas. It is almost like a detail of a geological formation 50 million years old from some part of the Malaysian landscape like that found in Langkawi. The red bits at the corner as well as that at the top could represent the volcanic forces at the bottom of the geological movement.  Ahmad Shukri Mohamad, Waiting for Mr Right (detailed), 2012, mixed media, 203 x 203 cm. There are a few younger UiTm artists from the 1990s who do realistic paintings and among them, Ahmad Shukri is the most prominent of all. He has consistently featured subjects like plants, flowers, insects, animals etc within a landscape. These are often done with great precision in both shapes and colours. This wall-size painting when viewed up close can perhaps make you feel like you are in the middle of a deep valley with lush vegetation.  Besides his artistic concerns, he is also trying to perhaps suggest that he is worried about the looming deterioration of the environment through deforestation and other man made threats.  Featuring pitcher plants which are endemic to certain parts of the jungle, as in this painting, "Waiting for Mr Right", we get the sense that these unique plants need the right sort of protection from extinction. But the question is, how well and far can this "embedded" message get?  Art and the environment is a major issue with Fauzin Mustafa and he shares this same theme with Ahmad Shukri. The many issues from climate change to food security in the world are not just a national concern but a global one. The answers to some of these urgent questions are not found in a painting like "Hutan Simpan IV", we have to look for them at the world's geo-political stage. Fauzin Mustafa, Hutan Simpan lV, 2007, mixed media, 97 x 127 cm. But an artist like Fauzin has persisted in using images of the plants, trees, insects and animals in juxtaposition in a well-balanced composition like "Hutan Simpan IV."  This fine balance of all the shapes, images and colours gives off a sense of beauty amidst imminent environmental disaster.  In a deeper sense, this artistic striving for beauty by all artists may hopefully lead them to the truth. If that's the case, what has this truth to offer us? To a certain extent, this truth perhaps can save us and get us to commit to becoming better people; we are then obliged to be more just and fair.  But after more than 45 years, have any of these illustrious UiTM artists paused to ponder if the system they enjoyed is a just and fair one to fellow artists who are not Malays? Failure to address the injustice is also a refusal to achieve a vision of equality.  Honestly, will not a more inclusive and open environment nurture and perhaps produce better artists that transcend institutional racism? In that way we can truly champion Malaysian artists and Malaysian art as opposed to Malay artists and Malay art. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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DAP turut kecam filem hina Nabi Muhammad Posted: 16 Sep 2012 12:07 AM PDT Lim berkata demokrasi bukanlah lesen untuk mencetuskan persengkatan keagamaan. — Gambar file KUALAL LUMPUR, 16 Sept — DAP hari ini turut mengecam penerbitan filem anti Islam dan menghina Nabi Muhammad "The Innocence of Muslims", dan mengingatkan bahawa demokrasi bukanlah "lesen untuk mencetuskan persengkatan keagamaan". Setiausaha Agung DAP Lim Guan Eng dalam satu kenyataan hari ini menegaskan pihaknya turut mengutuk keganasan yang telah berlaku ke atas empat rakyat Amerika termasuk dutanya di Libya, Christopher Stevens, yang terbunuh dalam insiden rusuhan dipercayai mempunyai kaitan dengan filem tersebut. "DAP mengecam sekeras-kerasnya filem anti-Islam terbaru yang dikatakan menghina agama Islam dan juga Nabi Muhammad. Filem ini yang bukan sahaja kurang sensitif tetapi jelas bertujuan untuk mengapi-apikan sentimen keagamaan. "Ia juga harus ditarik balik daripada mana-mana laman web termasuk Youtube dengan serta merta," tegas Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang itu lagi. Beliau turut menambah, DAP menjunjung prinsip kebebasan bersuara dan berkreativiti, namun setiap karya yang dihasilkan perlulah mempunyai tanggungjawab moral ke atas budaya dan kepercayaan mana-mana agama mahupun bangsa. "Kebebasan berkarya tidak wajar disalahgunakan seperti yang telah berlaku dalam filem ini. "Isu seperti ini harus menjadi teladan kepada kita bahawa demokrasi dan kebebasan bukanlah lesen untuk kita menggunakan atau memperalatkan bangsa, agama, budaya atau kepercayaan untuk mencetuskan sengketa atau permusuhan," tambah Ahli Parlimen Bagan ini lagi. Video kontroversi 14 minit yang didakwa menghina Nabi Muhammad sebagai kaki perempuan, dipercayai dibuat oleh Coptic Christian Mesir dan telah menimbulkan protes seluruh dunia dipercayai telah dimuat naik ke Youtube pada Julai lalu. Ekoran itu, masyarakat Islam seluruh dunia telah mengadakan demonstrasi dan tunjuk perasaan bagi membantah penerbitan video berkenaan yang menghina Nabi Muhammad kerana memaparkan watak baginda sebagai kaki perempuan. Klip video berkenaan telah pun dikeluarkan dari laman Youtube di beberapa negara termasuk Indonesia dan India kerana dua negara itu mempunyai undang-undang berkenaan perkara tersebut. Malah, enjin carian video terbesar itu turut menghalang pengguna di Libya dan Mesir daripada mengakses video berkenaan atas alasan "situasi yang sangat sensitif". Kerajaan juga telah menggesa Google Malaysia untuk mengeluarkan video tersebut dari laman enjin carian mereka berikutan kemarahan komuniti Muslim di negara ini yang mewakili 60 peratus daripada 28 juta populasi rakyat Malaysia. Google Malaysia mengesahkan telah menerima permintaan daripada Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia (SKMM), dipetik akhbar The Sunday Star hari ini yang melaporkan "Google patuh kepada undang-undang di setiap Negara". "Jadi, (kami) akan bertindak berdasarkan rungutan rasmi daripada pihak berkuasa," kata Ketua Komunikasi dan Perhubungan Awam Google Malaysia Zeffri Yusof dan menambah, rungutan tersebut perlu dibuat dengan "menyatakan undang-undang yang dilanggar". Menteri Penerangan Datuk Seri Rais Yatim dipetik Bernama sebelum ini berkata adalah menjadi tanggungjawab Youtube untuk membuang video filem itu. Beliau turut berkata, "membuang video klip berkenaan bukanlah di bawah bidang teknikal kami," namun menambah SKMM "terikat dengan langkah pencegahan untuk mengambil tindakan menghalang akses kepada video tersebut". Lim turut mengingatkan masyarakat Islam di Malaysia agar bantahan yang dibuat dikemukakan dengan cara yang paling baik demi mengelak kejadian-kejadian yang lebih buruk daripada berlaku. "Kita yakin bahawa masyarakat Islam di Malaysia sudah cukup matang dan bijak dalam berhadapan dengan tragedi seperti ini," katanya lagi.

Shahrir: Iskandar Malaysia untuk masa depan golongan muda Posted: 15 Sep 2012 11:58 PM PDT JOHOR BARU, 16 Sept — Iskandar Malaysia, sebuah projek pembangunan ekonomi yang dipromosikan oleh Khazanah Nasional Berhad, akan memberi masa depan yang lebih gemilang untuk golongan muda Johor, kata Ahli Parlimen Johor Baru Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad. Beliau berkata Iskandar Malaysia "bukan mengenai hartanah atau harga harta yang tinggi. Ia adalah tentang mencipta masa depan untuk golongan muda". "Projek yang telah dilaksanakan di Iskandar Malaysia akan membolehkan 'generasi baharu' membina kerjaya dan kejayaan profesional di negeri mereka sendiri. "Jika aktiviti perniagaan dan pembangunan hanya tertumpu di Kuala Lumpur dengan sasaran untuk membina sebuah metropolis di Lembah Kelang, belia akan terus meninggalkan kampung halaman mereka di pelbagai tempat di Malaysia untuk mencari peluang di ibu negara. "Tanpa pembangunan koridor ekonomi, banyak bandar akan kehilangan kepentingan mereka kerana Kuala Lumpur akan menyerap semua bakat, sumber dan minat dari lain-lain negeri," katanya pada satu wawancara sempena Hari Malaysia. Shahrir berkata rakyat Johor telah mula teruja dengan beberapa projek Iskandar Malaysia seperti yang dilihat pada pembangunan Legoland Malaysia, Cruyff Court Iskandar dan Johor Premium Outlet. "Dalam jangka masa yang pendek selama 6 tahun, Iskandar Malaysia telah mengubah JB dan sekelilingnya dengan potensi yang boleh ditawarkan kepada golongan muda menerusi Legoland Malaysia, Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios, kampus perubatan Newcastle University, kampus University of Southampton serta hospital-hospital. "Saya gembira untuk melihat lebih banyak interaksi antara Johor dan kerajaan persekutuan, dan sektor swasata. "Dengan Khazanah sebagai penggerak utama Iskandar Malaysia, interaksi seperti ini akan mengumpulkan idea dan budaya yang akan memastikan pembangunan berterusan wilayah ini," kata Shahrir. Menurut Shahrir, kanak-kanak dan pelajar perlu didedahkan kepada kejayaan Iskandar Malaysia untuk lebih mengenali pelbagai mercu tanda di Iskandar, sambil berkata "Iskandar Malaysia bukan hanya satu destinasi pelancong asing". "Kita tidak membina hartanah di Iskandar Malaysia untuk rakyat Singapura dan tarikannya adalah untuk rakyat Malaysia. Kami membina semua ini untuk rakyat," terangnya. Dilancarkan pada November 2006 dengan keluasan 2,217km, Iskandar Malaysia dikenalpasti sebagai salah satu pemangkin dan pembangunan berimpak tinggi di bawah Rancangan Malaysia Ke-9 dan ke-10. Pihak Berkuasa Pembangunan Wilayah Iskandar (IRDA) adalah badan berkanun persekutuan yang diberi kepercayaan untuk mengawal atur dan menjana pembangunan di wilayah itu. Shahrir berkata terdapat potensi yang besar untuk Iskandar Malaysia mentransformasi sosio-ekonomi Johor, sambil berkata Iskandar Malaysia dilengkapi dengan prasana yang lengkap dan dikelilingi oleh tiga pelabuhan utama dan sebuah lapangan terbang antarabangsa di Senai. Beliau berkata idea untuk sebuah koridor ekonomi bukan sesuatu yang baru kerana ia diilhamkan oleh Tun Abdul Razak Hussein ketika beliau menjadi perdana menteri dan dilancarkan oleh Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pada akhir 2000. Sejajar dengan pendekatan pembangunan seimbang, sebuah koridor ekonomi seperti Iskandar Malaysia akan menghasilkan limpahan ekonomi yang positif. Iskandar Malaysia menerima komitmen pelaburan daripada pelabur domestik dan asing berjumlah RM95.45 bilion daripada 2006 hingga Jun 2012, yang mana 43 peratus telah dilaksanakan. Ia menyasarkan untuk mencecah sasaran komitmen pelaburan RM100 bilion menjelang akhir tahun. Berikutan oleh daya saingnya yang tinggi, Iskandar Malaysia telah menduduki tempat keempat terbaik Zon Bebas Global Masa Depan 2012/2013 oleh fDi Magazine terbitan Financial Times Ltd. — Bernama

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