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World Culinary Olympics: Malaysia in the running Posted: 05 Oct 2012 08:03 PM PDT ERFURT, Germany, Oct 6 — Fifty-four countries will go under a pressure cooker test from today as they vie for gold in Erfurt in the IKA World Culinary Olympics, billed as the oldest, international cooking competition of its kind. National teams including Malaysia will prepare a hot and cold meal each. The hot component entails preparing a three-course meal in under five hours that can feed 110 people, while the cold meal is judged wholly on presentation. Dishes are prepared ahead of time and laid out on a buffet-type table to be evaluated on how appetising the ensemble is. Here is the schedule of countries competing over the next four days, from today to October. Results will be updated on the IKA Facebook page. Saturday, October 6 Hot platters Canada, Germany, Turkey, Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Romania, Wales, Czech Republic. Cold platters display Denmark, Australia, Finland, England, Japan, Poland, South Korea, Bulgaria, Ireland. Sunday, October 7 Hot platters Norway, USA, Slovenia, South Africa, Malaysia, Mexico, Hong Kong, Cyprus, Israel. Cold Platters display Switzerland, Sweden, Scotland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Malta, Italy. Monday, October 8 Hot platters Denmark, Australia, Finland, England, Japan, Poland, South Korea, Bulgaria, Ireland. Cold Platters display Canada, Germany, Turkey, Hungary, Turkey, Croatia, Slovakia, Romania, Wales, Czech Republic. Tuesday, October 9 Hot platters Switzerland, Sweden, Scotland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Malta, Italy. Cold platters display Norway, USA, Slovenia, South Africa, Malaysia, Mexico, Hong Kong, Cyprus, Israel. — AFP/Relaxnews

Tedboy: An opening with a difference Posted: 05 Oct 2012 06:59 PM PDT Glorious breads; sourdough, wholemeal, croissants, pastries, buns, sandwiches and all things nice. And all for charity today. — Picture by CK Lim KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — When Edward Tan and his wife Patrina started Tedboy Bakery in Bangsar Baru, they had one vision: to sell and serve bread, pastries they would be happy to feed their son Ted. Just two months on, they have already become part of the neighbourhood, and any time you walk into the bakery you are sure to bump into somebody you know... if you live and/or work in Bangsar Baru. There are tables on the sidewalk outside for those who want to indulge in a cigarette with their cup of coffee. And of course, there are the breads. Glorious breads; sourdough, wholemeal, croissants, pastries, buns and sandwiches made to order. All good. Today, they celebrate their "grand opening" and in true Tedboy style, they have requested that their friends and suppliers not send them flowers. Instead, their invitation included the October wishlist of Ti-Ratana Welfare Society. Yes, no flowers are needed to celebrate Tedboy's "opening"; just bring some much-needed items for the 198 orphans and 104 old folks looked after by T-Ratana. If you have had the chance to meet and chat with Ted's parents, you will know this is no gimmick. This is what the Tans believe in. Enjoy life, pass on the good stuff. So if you are in the neighbourhood and fancy a cup of coffee and some sandwiches (or a lovely salad and a healthy smoothie) or want to buy some bread, go to Tedboy's and join in the fun. The entire day's proceeds go to Ti-Ratana as well. Now, isn't that the perfect way to kick off your weekend? Who knows, you might get to meet Ted (and his parents, of course!)

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Schumacher crashes, Webber sets the pace Posted: 05 Oct 2012 06:02 AM PDT Mercedes Formula One driver Michael Schumacher of Germany drives during the second practice session of the Japanese F1 Grand Prix at the Suzuka circuit October 5, 2012. — Reuters pic SUZUKA, Oct 5 — Michael Schumacher crashed out of Japanese Grand Prix practice today, a day after announcing his retirement, while Australian Mark Webber set the pace for Red Bull. Schumacher, a seven times champion and winner six times at Suzuka, went wide into the Spoon corner and lost control with the car slewing sideways into the tyre wall. The 43-year-old German removed the steering wheel, extricated himself from the cockpit, patted a marshal on the back and helped tidy up some debris before walking away. He had been fifth fastest in the morning. "I had to go to the medical centre...but I'm 100 per cent okay," said Schumacher. "I think I was already concentrating on too much on the corner ahead of me and therefore had a wheel on the dirt and went off." Force India's Paul Di Resta had earlier gone off at the same place, a slip that left him without a timed lap in the afternoon session. His teammate Nico Hulkenberg was fourth fastest. Webber's best lap of one minute 32.493 seconds was the quickest of the day after McLaren's Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton had led the opening session at one of the classic drivers' tracks. Button, last year's race winner in Japan but with a five-place grid penalty for Sunday's race after a gearbox change, set a time of 1:34.507 on a sunny morning at the Honda-owned figure of eight circuit. McLaren will be chasing a fifth successive pole position tomorrow, the team's best run of qualifying form since 1999 when Finland's Mika Hakkinen chalked up five in a row, but Webber showed championship leaders Red Bull would be hard to beat. The Australian was third fastest in the morning, a position filled by teammate and double world champion Sebastian Vettel in the afternoon. "It was a smooth one for us today and we completed all the runs we wanted to," said Webber. "We have areas where we can improve, mostly with the balance." Vettel, who clinched his second title at Suzuka last year, has won two of the last three Japanese Grands Prix after starting all of them from pole. Button was seventh after lunch with Hamilton second. Alonso relaxed Ferrari's championship leader Fernando Alonso, who is 29 points clear of Vettel, was 11th and fifth respectively. The Spaniard has been a model of consistency, however, and Friday practice times count for little. "This was a reasonably good day," he said. "Overall the feeling is good and I don't think the high temperatures can constitute a problem for the tyres." Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 champion, was 13th and 14th in a Lotus with an updated front wing but had to pit with the team warning him about a possible KERS problem that rendered the car unsafe. He stepped out gingerly in the pits before gloved mechanics removed the car's battery. The Finn is third overall despite not having won a race yet this year. Germany's Nico Rosberg, who will have Hamilton joining him at Mercedes next year, slowed and parked up at the side of the track two minutes from the end between turns three and four in the morning. The team said it was due to an oil pressure problem and the engine shut down as a precaution. With a different engine, he was 11th in the afternoon. Local favourite Kamui Kobayashi was sixth and 13th fastest for Sauber. Vitaly Petrov's Caterham shed its rear wing at speed in the second session, leaving the Russian shaken and relieved to step out unscathed. — Reuters

Security increased in Shanghai after Federer death threat Posted: 05 Oct 2012 05:09 AM PDT Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts after matchpoint against Robin Haase of the Netherlands during their Davis Cup tennis match in Amsterdam September 16, 2012. — Reuters pic BEIJING, Oct 5 — Shanghai Masters organisers have increased security for the tournament starting tomorrow after an online threat to decapitate world number one Roger Federer, the Shanghai Youth Daily newspaper reported today. "On October 6 I plan to assassinate Federer in order to exterminate tennis," read a post by "Blue Cat Polytheistic Leader 07" on a Federer fan website on September 25, the newspaper's website said. The paper said the post was accompanied by a "very scary" computer modified image showing a decapitated Federer. Federer may go directly from the airport's VIP arrival hall to his hotel as part of the precautions, Yang Yibin, the tournament director, told the paper in an interview earlier in the week. It said Shanghai police were investigating. Local journalists said Shanghai municipal authorities had told local media not to report the issue. — Reuters

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Aspirin shown to reduce cognitive decline in some elderly women Posted: 05 Oct 2012 06:52 AM PDT STOCKHOLM, Oct 5 — According to a new Swedish study, an aspirin a day may slow brain decline in elderly women at high risk of cardiovascular disease. To reach their findings, researchers tracked 682 women (with 601 of them at high risk for heart disease and stroke) between the ages of 70 to 92 for five years. Both at the beginning and at the end of the five-year time frame, the women underwent a battery of tests to measure their intellectual and physical health, including tests on verbal fluency and memory as well as dementia. In the study, the 129 women who took a low dose of aspirin (75 to 160 mg) every day to ward off a heart attack or stroke saw their test scores fall much less than those who did not. The BBC adds that while the findings showed that aspirin slowed changes in cognitive ability, it didn't make an impact on the rate at which the subjects developed dementia, as examined by a neuropscyhiatrist. Dr. Silke Kern, one of paper's authors, told the BBC: "We don't know the long term risks of taking routine aspirin. For examples ulcers and serious bleeds may outweigh the benefits we have seen. More work is needed. We will be following up the women in this study again in five years." The study was published Wednesday in BMJ Open. — AFP/Relaxnews

Can meditation make you more empathic? Posted: 05 Oct 2012 03:14 AM PDT ATLANTA, Oct 5 — According to a study announced yesterday, a meditation program that focuses on compassion was found to boost a person's ability to read the facial expressions of others as well as activate regions in the brain that help us be more empathic. A form of meditation called Cognitively-Based Compassion Training, developed by US researchers, is shown to improve our ability to empathize with others. — Photo courtersy of iofoto "It's an intriguing result, suggesting that a behavioral intervention could enhance a key aspect of empathy," says lead author Jennifer Mascaro of Emory University in the US state of Georgia. "Previous research has shown that both children and adults who are better at reading the emotional expressions of others have better relationships." The meditation program is called Cognitively-Based Compassion Training, or CBCT, and was developed at Emory by study co-author Lobsang Tenzin Negi, director of the Emory-Tibet Partnership. Derived from Tibetan Buddhist practices, the program (which is secular) includes elements of concentration and non-judgmental awareness of thoughts and feelings, similar to the much-talked-about mindfulness meditation. Yet according to the university, the CBCT also focuses on training people to analyze and reinterpret their relationships with others. "The idea is that the feelings we have about people can be trained in optimal ways," Negi says. "CBCT aims to condition one's mind to recognize how we are all inter-dependent, and that everybody desires to be happy and free from suffering at a deep level." In the study, 13 subjects with no prior meditation experience were randomized to CBCT meditation, where they completed regular weekly training sessions and at-home practice for eight weeks. Eight subjects in the control group didn't meditate but attended health discussion classes that covered the topics of stress and wellbeing. All participants received fMRI brain scans while completing a version of a facial expression test called the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), which consists of black-and-white photographs that feature only the eyes of people making various expressions. Subjects were asked to interpret what the person in the photograph is thinking or feeling. These tests were performed before and after the meditation training. According to the findings, those in the meditation group improved their RMET scores by an average of 4.6 per cent, while the control group showed no increase. The meditators, in comparison to the control group, "also had significant increases in neural activity in areas of the brain important for empathy, including the inferior frontal gyrus and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex." "These findings raise the intriguing possibility that CBCT may have enhanced empathic abilities by increasing activity in parts of the brain that are of central importance for our ability to recognize the emotional states of others," says senior author Charles Raison. — AFP/Relaxnews

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Bruce Willis in teaser trailer for ‘Die Hard 5’ Posted: 05 Oct 2012 04:25 AM PDT LOS ANGELES, Oct 5 — Beethoven's Ode to Joy plays on and John McClane (Bruce Willis) offers a glimpse of his extensive arsenal in the trailer for A Good Day to Die Hard, the latest chapter in the Die Hard saga.  The trailer for A Good Day to Die Hard, the fifth film of the franchise launched in 1988, is just over a minute long, but that proves enough to pack in an impressive number of explosions and firearms. Directed by John Moore (Max Payne) and launching on February 13 in North America, the film will pit the New York cop and his son (Jai Courtney) against Russian terrorists. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Sebastian Koch are also part of the cast. — AFP-Relaxnews

Bond films turn 50 with Adele song and documentary Posted: 05 Oct 2012 02:52 AM PDT A worker walks past a complete set of original cinema door panel posters from the film "Thunderball", during a media preview of "50 Years of James Bond - the Auction", at Christie's in London September 28, 2012.— Reuters pic LONDON, Oct 5 — The James Bond film franchise turns 50 today with the release of a revealing new documentary about its turbulent past and the first listen of the new theme tune performed by Adele. The premiere of the first Bond film, "Dr. No", was held in London on October 5, 1962 and starred Scottish actor Sean Connery as the suave and brutal super-spy working for British intelligence to thwart the plans of an evil megalomaniac. By the time the third movie in the franchise, "Goldfinger", hit the screens two years later, Bond was a cultural phenomenon generating the kind of public excitement more often associated with British pop group the Beatles. The character was quickly adopted by the British public and further afield as the embodiment of sophistication and courage, and his dress sense, taste in fast cars and beautiful women and catch phrase "shaken, not stirred" entered mainstream culture. Not everyone liked Bond. The films have often been dismissed as sexist for the seemingly endless line of scantily clad women who fall into bed with Bond, and several have been panned by the critics. But Bond's lasting appeal was underlined this summer when actor Daniel Craig, as 007, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth appeared together in a short, comic scene at Buckingham Palace in a highlight of the London Olympics opening ceremony. Over the last five decades, EON Productions, formed by the central partnership of Albert "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, has made 22 Bond movies which have amassed around US$5 billion (RM15 billion) at the global box office. A selection of ten tarot cards used by Jane Seymour in the film "Live and Let Die" are seen during a media preview of "50 Years of James Bond - the Auction" at Christie's in London September 28, 2012. — Reuters pic The 23rd film "Skyfall" gets its royal world premiere in London later this month and Adele's theme tune for the movie starring Craig on Her Majesty's secret service hit the airwaves early today to mixed reviews. Also released today was "Everything or Nothing", the documentary directed by Stevan Riley that charts Bond's passage through studio collapses, personality clashes and the end of the Cold War which could have spelled disaster for the series. Instead it has adapted to the modern era with a female spymaster M, played by Judi Dench, and a tough and serious 007 in the form of Craig. That constant reinvention has been one of the franchise's greatest strengths, with six actors playing the role in the official Bond movies. Asked what he thought was the key to Bond's survival, producer Michael G. Wilson, the stepson of Broccoli who now co-produces the films, said it was down to the source material – Ian Fleming's novels. "It comes first of all from Fleming writing a character that has many aspects, so that when we turned them into film, different actors could take on different aspects of the character," he told Reuters. "And it's really been our great fan base we've kept faith with over the years and they've kept coming back. It's really the public that makes it more than anything else." Also planned for "Global James Bond Day" is a charity auction at Christie's in London where among the Bond memorabilia on sale is an Aston Martin car driven in "Quantum of Solace" valued up to 150,000 pounds (RM735,000). In the United States, events include a film retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art in New York and a Music of Bond Night hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles. There is also the inevitable marketing drive with an anniversary Blu-ray box set on sale and even a fragrance for men called "007". — Reuters

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Book of rare Beatles photos offers inside peek at iconic band Posted: 04 Oct 2012 05:28 PM PDT An undated handout photo shows The Beatles during a promotional video for their song "Rain", in a garden outside Chiswick House. — Reuters pic NEW YORK, Oct 5 — The heyday of Beatlemania may have been nearly 50 years ago, but the Beatles and their music remain loved, scrutinised and relevant to an adoring public forever clamouring for more details of the Fab Four. A new book, "LIFE With the Beatles," gives an inside peek at the band that split up in 1970. It features hundreds of never-before-seen and rare photos by the late Robert Whitaker, who was granted generous access to John, Paul, George and Ringo from 1964 to 1966. Whitaker, who died last year at 71, was hired by the group's then-manager, Brian Epstein, and documented candid and personal moments from concerts to cover shoots. Editors of Life magazine compiled the photos into the book recently released by Time Home Entertainment Inc. Whitaker's images end when the band stopped touring in the summer of 1966, but for the preceding two years he captured the Beatles in moments of happiness and humour, mischief and creativity, boredom and fatigue. "We've used many of Bob's seldom or never-seen-before photographs," said Barbara Baker Burrows, director of photography for Life Books in New York. "He tried hard to catalogue his work, and on a couple of trips to England I was able to encourage him to dig deeper into his files than he had done before." Ringo Starr puts on finishing touches before stepping onto Shea Stadium in this 1965 handout photo. — Reuters pic Whitaker's access to the band came after he gained Epstein's trust when the Beatles performed in Australia. Though born in Hertfordshire, Whitaker had moved to Australia and was already a photographer when the Beatles invaded the Southern Hemisphere. The young photographer initially turned down Epstein when offered a job, but he reconsidered after seeing the group perform. The close access he was to enjoy for those two years is what makes the photographs unique, said Burrows. "Bob's time with the Beatles was in an era quite unlike today when a photographer is lucky to get a few minutes with a subject," she said. "He also had what Life photographers had — the trust of his subjects, and their respect." Whitaker was thrilled by the prospect of the 300-page book's publication, Burrows added, and he often said it was what kept him alive. "Although he didn't live to see the finished publication, I think that he would be pleased," she said. Though his time with the Beatles was likely a career highlight, Burrows said, Whitaker photographed Epstein himself and his other acts including Gerry and the Pacemakers and Cilla Black. After the Beatles disbanded, Whitaker, who first picked up a camera as a child, had a successful run documenting the art world, photographing Salvador Dali and other luminaries. But those other career doors were likely opened by the Beatles, a group that remains relevant to music and popular culture today. "They mirrored the times, and helped create the times," said Robert Sullivan, managing editor of Life Books. "Whether you think that was a service or a disservice to society, it was an extraordinary achievement, especially for what was, at bottom and in the beginning, a pretty gritty rock and roll band." — Reuters

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NGO buat laporan polis terhadap Anwar dan tiga MP Pakatan Posted: 05 Oct 2012 02:03 AM PDT Kelab Wartawan Muda membuat laporan polis terhadap Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, bersama tiga ahli Parliment PR, hari ini. KUALA LUMPUR, 5 Okt — Kelab Wartawan Muda hari ini membuat laporan polis terhadap ketua pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, serta tiga ahli parlimen dari Pakatan Rakyat (PR) iaitu Tian Chua, Datuk Mahfuz Omar dan R Sivarasa kerana mahu membawa tiga peguam asing ke Parlimen untuk membentangkan isu Scorpene. Menurut presidennya, Dzulkarnain Taib berkata, Kelab Wartawan Muda tidak mahu campurtangan asing di dalam hal ehwal negara. "Apakah hak pembangkang membawa peguam asing untuk memberi taklimat di dalam Parlimen? "Beliau juga mahu membawa William Bourdon, peguam Perancis yang pernah ditahan di KLIA, selain Joseph Breham dan Oliver Netzer. "Apakah locus standi Suaram (Suara Rakyat Malaysia) terhadap kes tersebut?" kata Dzulkarnain selepas membuat laporan tersebut di balai polis Dang Wangi petang hari ini. Dia juga bertanya apakah hubungkait pembangkang dengan Suaram serta siapa yang membiayai kos membawa tiga peguam asing tersebut. Menurut bekas editor Suara Keadilan itu, Kelab Wartawan Muda itu mempunyai keahlian seramai 100 orang. Selain dari Kelab Wartawan Muda, turut menghantar wakil ialah dari Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM), Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (PERKASA), Lembaga Kesedaran Pencegahan Jenayah (LKPJ), Lembaga Pelindung Kebajikan Pengguna Malaysia (LPKPM) dan Persatuan Pengguna Islam Malaysia (PPIM). Dzulkarnain berkata, beliau kini memantau media untuk kepentingan negara dan sentiasa menyokong kerajaan, serta tidak bekerja untuk mana-mana media.

Kerajaan disaran laksana kajian untuk gubal sistem subsidi baharu Posted: 05 Oct 2012 01:45 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 5 Okt — Kerajaan disaran melaksanakan kajian untuk menambah baik sistem subsidi dan memastikan hanya yang benar-benar layak menerima keistimewaan itu. Ketua Pemuda Umno Khairy Jamaluddin (gambar) berkata sistem sedia ada perlu dihentikan kerana mereka yang tidak sepatutnya turut mendapat manfaat daripada usaha kerajaan membantu rakyat tidak berkemampuan. Jika sistem yang lebih efisien dilaksana, peruntukan subsidi yang sekarang dinikmati golongan tidak sepatutnya boleh dimanfaat untuk pembangunan negara, katanya pada sidang akhbar selepas merasmikan Persidangan Antarabangsa Parti-parti Politik Asia (ICAPP), di sini hari ini. Beliau juga berkata kajian perlu agar rakyat "tidak terkejut" jika pemberian subsidi diberhentikan secara tiba-tiba. Pada 20 Jan lalu, Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob dilapor berkata kerajaan dijangka menanggung bebanan subsidi berjumlah RM18.92 bilion bagi barang-barang kawalan bersubsidi pada tahun ini.  Ditanya mekanisma yang boleh diguna untuk tujuan itu, Khairy berkata kerajaan boleh mengunakan maklumat golongan yang kurang berkemampuan melalui pemberian Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M). "Kita akan guna maklumat hasil pemberian BR1M bagi memastikan sistem yang akan mengantikan sistem sekarang akan memanfaatkan mereka yang berpendapatan kurang dari RM3,000 sahaja dan ia untuk peringkat permulaan. "Melalui pemberian subsidi yang sistematik saya yakin jumlah wang untuk subsidi mampu dikurangkan dan boleh digunakan untuk membuat program mesra rakyat seperti pembangunan luar bandar," katanya. Sementara itu, Khairy memaklumkan Majlis Jawatankuasa IPACC telah bersetuju untuk menubuhkan Sayap Orang Muda yang akan berpangkalan di Kuala Lumpur dalam masa terdekat. "Ini satu peluang untuk kita memainkan peranan di peringkat antarabangsa dan kita bercadang menjemput pemimpin-pemimpin muda dari seluruh Asia, tidak sahaja kepada pemimpin parti yang memerintah tetapi juga parti pembangkang termasuklah pemimpin muda parti pembangkang di negara kita untuk terlibat sama dalam Sekretariat Sayap Orang Muda ICAPP," katanya. ICAPP ialah forum melibatkan parti pemerintah, pembangkang dan bebas dari rantau Asia-Oceania dan ditubuhkan di Manila, Filipina pada September 2000.     Persidangan ICAPP di sini itu dihadiri 26 delegasi dari 11 negara dan 11 parti politik. Delegasi Malaysia diketuai anggota Majlis Tertinggi Umno dan bekas Menteri Besar Perlis Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim. — Bernama

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Tunjuk sebab Anwar tak boleh naik jet Posted: 04 Oct 2012 04:49 PM PDT 5 OKT — Lalu rioh sekalian penceceh kerana Datuk Seri Anwar naik jet dari Kuala Lumpur ke Labuan, ke Sabah dan ke Sawarak. Sebelumnya kecoh Anwar dan orang-orangnya naik bas ke sana ke mari dalam jelajah kempennya menunggu PRU 13. Apa yang dinaiknya seolah-olah tidak kena belaka. Naik bas tak boleh, naik jet pun tak boleh. Habis apa yang boleh? Mungkin naik motosikal dan naik basikal pun tak boleh juga. Kita tunggu bila pula Anwar hendak menonggang kuda di desa dan kota? Atau tunggu saja dia dan orang-orang berkuda masuk ke Putrajaya nanti. Tok Guru Haji Abdul Hadi Awang memang selalu berkuda di belakang rumahnya di pantai Rusila. Tentu beliau tidak kekok berkuda ke Putrajaya. Salahkah Anwar naik jet dalam keadaan jet sebagai satu kenaikan sudah tidak pelik lagi bagi dunia umumnya? Eloknya kita minta saja sekalian yang gian dan mabuk dengan angin kencang Pakatan Rakyat hendak memfathul (membebaskan) Putrajaya memberi tunjuk sebab mengapa Anwar tidak boleh gunakan jet? Saya teringat kisah laporan Musnyi Abdullah tentang rakyat jelata tidak boleh berpayung melalui depan istana Raja Terengganu. Komen Munsyi Abdullah, mengapa tidak dilarang burung terbang melintasi istana? Masa itu belum ada budaya tunjuk sebab. Jika ia berlaku sekarang, kita boleh tanya kerajaan Terengganu memberi tunjuk sebab mengapa orang tidak boleh berpayung di hadapan istana? Saya tahu cerita seorang pemimpin Umno Terengganu naik jet dengan seorang anak kecil balik ke Terengganu dari Kuala Lumpur kerana bondanya meninggal dunia. Pada hal dia boleh menggunakan motokar yang terbaik untuk ke sana atau tunggu penerbangan biasa. Tidak berbangkit kapalterbang penuh kerana ada ruang bagi mjuslihat istimewa MAS mengosongkan satu dua kerusinya. Tetapi kerana hendak cepat, dia naik jet. Besar mana belanja dan dari mana dapat duit keranya terpaksa berbayar tidak berbangkit. Manusia sudah ada kemudahan untuk memanfaatkan jet atau apa-apa kenaikan yang lebih canggih. Apa yang hendak diungkit dengan kemudahan Anwar menggunakan jet? Apa salahnya dan apa tidak betulnya dia menaiki jet? Adakah kerana dari mana dia dapat duit untuk memajak jet itu? Atau jet siapa dan siapa yang membenarkannya menggunakan jet itu? Atau kalau ada rakan-rakannya di luar negara memberinya kemudahan menggunakan jet, adakah ia suatu yang tidak dibenarkan? Anwar memang mempunyai ramai rakan di seluruh dunia yang boleh menawarkan kemudahan, malah percuma pun ada yang bersedia. Kisah Anwar dikatakan senang dengan duit bukan benda yang pelik. Semasa Anwar memimpin ABIM dulu heboh orang kata dia diberi banyak duit oleh Muammar Gaddafi. Tiada sebarang langkah kerajaan ambil tentangnya atau menyiasatnya. Dalam heboh itulah Umno menawarnya untuk menjadi calonnya. Apa pun yang dikatakan tentang Anwar ialah dia berupaya untuk mendapatkan apa-apa kemudahan seperti yang orang lain boleh dapat. Mungkin Anwar tidak ada duit dan tidak ada keupayaan untuk menggunakan jet? Soal dia tidak mampu tidak menjadi isu kerana kemudahan itu boleh ditawarkan oleh penyokong-penyokongnya. Ia adalah tanda dia disokong oleh berbagai jenis orang. Bukan orang miskin saja yang menyokongnya, orang-orang ada jet pun boleh meminjamkan kepadanya. Jika sebagai pembangkang dia dapat macam-macam kemudahan, maka tidaklah payah baginya untuk mendapat berbagai jenis sokongan kiranya dia memerintah. Dia guna jet tidaklah jadi isu yang pelik, tetapi kalau dia curi jet baru jadi cerita. Di mana dia dapat duit? Duit Anwar ada dalam poket setiap penyokongnya. Bila dia mahu, sekaliannya akan mengeluarkan duit dari sakunya. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Internet freedom: It’s not that bad lah! Posted: 04 Oct 2012 04:42 PM PDT OCT 5 — Malaysia and Libya have the same Internet freedom ranking, which is 23 out of 47 countries. We trail behind countries such as the Philippines, Ukraine, Georgia, Uganda and Kyrgyzstan. This is according to a recent study done by Freedom House, an independent watchdog organisation that monitors freedom around the world, called Freedom on the Net 2012. In fact, the report even puts Malaysia under its list of countries at risk, which consists of another five countries (Russia, Sri Lanka, Libya, Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Rwanda). Malaysia definitely didn't start out this way when it came to Internet freedom. It started with former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's declaration that the country would never censor the Internet. Fast forward about a decade later, Malaysia has sort of still stayed true to the promise made by the old man even if he has retired from office. But I guess the powers-that-be didn't anticipate the good that would come to the Malaysian people and its society with having an Internet that is free. The 12th general election in 2008 was proof of this as many believed that Internet freedom was what caused Barisan Nasional to lose four states and its two-thirds majority in Parliament. And so, they started devising about a gazillion other strategies that they could use and manipulate to slowly curtail that promised freedom. And these same gazillion strategies are what Freedom House says is affecting Malaysia's Internet freedom ranking adversely this year. Section 114A, which I have written about, is at the top of the list. It basically means the owner of the computer or even a wifi network can be liable for content posted by others. Another law is the Security Offences (Special Measures Act) which apparently allows the authorities to access information without a court order. And, there has also been an amendment to the Penal Code which declares that activities "detrimental to parliamentary democracy" is a crime. I wonder how that definition works. And that's not yet mentioning the civil lawsuits against individuals like bloggers and online new sites that put pressure on them (actually, this is mentioned in the report too!). And then there are the cybertroopers! Oh, the cybertroopers! Need I say more about them? I guess not! The report did mention that news content sites have proliferated in Malaysia at a very encouraging rate, a vibrant blogosphere and the Internet penetration rate is at a healthy 60 per cent. So, I have to admit that Malaysia can't be as bad as Freedom House claims she is. If we take a closer look at the list, we're way ahead of countries like Iran, Syria and Myanmar. And if it's one thing Malaysians are good at, it's being thankful for the positive things in life. So I guess it's pretty positive that we're not worse off than these oppressive countries. Our points (keep in mind that an increase means a negative trajectory), according to the report, actually worsened from 41 in 2011 to 43 in 2012. Hey, be thankful it didn't go to 44! But seriously, how bad can we be? I mean, our prime minister even had a cool, laid-back, Google Hangout session a couple days ago. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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