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French whisky makers take on the competition Posted: 02 Nov 2012 09:40 PM PDT PARIS, Nov 3 — France is the world's biggest consumer of Scotch whisky per capita, but there are still only a handful of whisky producers. The first, a distillery in Brittany, decided 20 years ago that it would take on the Celtic competition with "Le Whisky". France did not produce any whisky of its own until Yves Leizour came along. Twenty years ago, facing falling demand for his traditional liqueurs, Leizour decided to launch France's first whisky distillery. "Why whisky? It's simple," said Leizour, founder of Warenghem Distillery. "Brittany is part of the Celtic nations. You have whisky in Scotland and in Ireland, so why not in Brittany. That idea is now well-established." Whisky production in Brittany is really no different from its northern neighbours. But the French challengers say their milder weather gives them the edge. Said David Roussier, managing director of Warenghem Distillery: "The main difference we have is the climate. We have the sea nearby. "The humidity is almost like the humidity in Scotland. But we usually get two or three degrees more than in Scotland so the whisky tends to mature a little faster." And faster maturation means a higher alcohol content when it's time to drink the brew. An undeniable strength. Said one person of the Warenghem whisky in a vox populi: "It's got character and taste and it's a little... I wouldn't exactly say oily but it's smooth and strong at the same time and it slides down easily." Said another: "Compared to the whiskies I've known, this one holds its own." With hundreds of thousands of bottles produced in a year, the Warenghem distillery also holds its own. It may still be tiny compared with the Scottish competition. But Bretons are known for being tenacious. They hope that one day "Le Whisky" will become a global household name. — AFP/Relaxnews

The Gunton Arms named pub of the year Posted: 02 Nov 2012 07:25 PM PDT ©All rights reserved LONDON, Nov 3 — The Gunton Arms, in the village of Thorpe Market in Norfolk county, was crowned "Pub of the Year" by the Michelin Eating out in Pubs 2013 guide, released yesterday. The pub, which has undergone extensive renovations since 2009, is also a restaurant and an eight-suite luxury hotel. With traditional British fare as its main inspiration, the menu contains dishes that use seasonal ingredients. Among them are deep-fried cod cheeks with caper mayonnaise, slow-roast shoulder of lamb with dauphinoise potatoes, Aberdeen Angus beef hung for 28 days, and sausages made from Gunton Estate venison cooked over the fire. The guide is now available in bookshops and online for £13.99 (RM69). — AFP/Relaxnews

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Oosthuizen evokes St Andrews memories with China onslaught Posted: 02 Nov 2012 06:21 AM PDT SHENZHEN, Nov 2 — Louis Oosthuizen is in familiar territory after a record-breaking performance at the HSBC-WGC Champions Tournament put him in pole position after the first two days at Mission Hills. Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa acknowledges spectators on the 18th green during the second day of the WGC-HSBC Champions Tournament at Mission Hills in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan November 2, 2012. — Reuters pic The 30-year-old from Mossel Bay holds a five-shot lead over Australia's Adam Scott and that is exactly the same advantage he had after the opening two rounds at St Andrews in 2010 on his way to winning The Open Championship. Oosthuizen bettered the course record seven-under-par 65 he shot yesterday with a nine-under 63 to mirror the lead he held over Mark Calcavecchia when he claimed The Open, his only major triumph to date. "Scoreboard-wise it is probably the same, looking at the leaderboard there are so many great players up there," Oosthuizen told reporters after a round which included eight birdies and an eagle at the par-five seventh hole where he sank a long putt across the green. "But it's far from over as it was at The Open. With this tournament, I am probably in a great position to win but it has not even crossed my mind at the moment. "There is still a lot of golf to be played and I need to put myself in a great position going down the back nine." On a course which has five par-fives, all of which offer birdie or eagle opportunities, there has been speculation the European Tour could witness its first 59-shot round. Despite breaking the layout record twice, however, Oosthuizen remains sceptical. "I think 59 is something that when the day comes it just happens," he said. "I would be really surprised if I shot 59 this week. I have just been playing really solid to shoot low numbers. You know for a 59 you need everything to go in, you need everything to go right." Scott said making up a five-shot deficit over the weekend would be difficult with a quality player like Oosthuizen leading from the front. The Australian kept pace with Oosthuizen with four birdies in his first seven holes but then fell back with three bogeys on the back nine. "It's tough chipping around these greens," he said. "There are quite a lot of run-off areas and it's tricky to judge how your shots are going to respond when you hit chip shots." Scott shares second place with another South African Ernie Els, who matched Oosthuizen's second-round 63 today. — Reuters

Ferguson refuses to believe Chelsea claims Posted: 02 Nov 2012 06:07 AM PDT Manchester United's manager Alex Ferguson gestures as Nani looks on during their English League Cup soccer match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in London October 31, 2012. — Reuters pic LONDON, Nov 2 — Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson stirred the pot in the latest racism storm to hit English soccer today when he dismissed Chelsea's allegations that referee Mark Clattenburg racially abused two of their players last week. Former Chelsea player Paul Elliott, the club's first black captain, also cast doubt on the club's claims that have put racism on the back pages again. Chelsea lodged an official complaint to the Premier League season after last Sunday's 3-2 home defeat by United, saying Clattenburg, who sent off two of their players in, had used "inappropriate language" to two of their players. Later in the week they issued another statement saying they did not have evidence to support a second complaint of verbal abuse but said they had lodged a complaint with the Football Association regarding comments to Nigerian John Obi Mikel. The Football Association, which has had to deal with high-profile racism cases involving Chelsea's former England skipper John Terry and Liverpool striker Luis Suarez this year, has opened an investigation into the claims. Ferguson, however, refuses to believe Chelsea's version of events. "I don't believe Mark Clattenburg would make comments like that, I refuse to believe it," Ferguson told reporters at his Friday news conference ahead of tomorrow's Premier League clash at home to Arsenal. "I think it's unthinkable in the modern climate and I just don't believe it, there is no way that a referee would stoop to that. I'm convinced of that. "I think in the modern game it's completely changed. I know myself that the banter that went on between players and the referee 25 years ago is different than today. "I've never heard of a player coming to me in the last 15 years saying the referee swore in a game. That's where I stand, I don't believe it." Talking to Reuters, Elliott, an ambassador for the anti-racism charity Kick it Out, said: "To me, what happened at Chelsea last Sunday, seemed like a car out of control, I thought with the John Terry thing, this had stopped. "I thought we were moving forward but it's like we've been hit by a two-footed challenge from the side and you've not seen it coming. "Mark Clattenburg is a very capable and competent referee and I would be astonished if an authority figure in our game like him, an elite referee, could be found guilty of racism. "I think we have to keep it in the balance and say "they are nothing more than allegations at the moment. There has to be a robust and transparent process to gather the information. Football does not need this at the moment. "Our referees, in general terms are among the best in the world. And Mark Clattenburg has a fundamental right to defend those allegations." FIFA referee Clattenburg, who will not be officiating at any Premier League games this weekend in the wake of Chelsea's claims, was at the centre of a tumultuous clash at Stamford Bridge last week. He sent off Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic and then showed a red card to the home side's Fernando Torres after believing the Spaniard had dived to try and win a free kick. He later allowed United's 75th minute winner, scored by Javier Hernandez, despite it looking suspiciously offside. Some Chelsea players and officials are understood to have visited Clattenburg in his dressing room after the match. Chelsea did not name any of the players involved in the claims regarding Clattenburg although would not deny that Mikel was one of them. The claims made by Chelsea come in the wake of Terry being banned for four matches after the FA found him guilty of racially abusing Queen Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand. Chelsea found themselves involved in another racism incident this week after a fan was photographed making monkey gestures during the 5-4 League Cup victory over United on Wednesday. "Chelsea Football Club can confirm we are investigating an incident involving a member of the crowd at last night's game against Manchester United," the club said in a statement. — Reuters

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US auto sales strong despite Sandy hit Posted: 02 Nov 2012 09:03 AM PDT The logo for Chrysler. Chrysler US sales rose 10 percent to 126,185 vehicles in October and are up 23 per cent for the year to date. — AFP-Relaxnews pic NEW YORK, Nov 2 — Chrysler and General Motors posted their best October numbers since the 2008 financial crisis as US auto sales extended their steady gains yesterday despite taking a hit from Hurricane Sandy. Total industry sales rose 6.9 per cent from October 2011 and set an adjusted annualized pace of 14.3 million units, down from 14.9 million in September, according to Autodata. Ford estimates that the deadly storm prevented dealers across the industry from selling about 20,000 to 25,000 vehicles in the final days of the month and knocked about 300,000 units off the annualised pace. Those sales will likely simply be postponed, not lost, and sales will climb even further as people replace vehicles damaged in the storm, Ford sales chief Ken Czubay said. "I would expect we'll see a lot of them in November as people quickly need to get back on their feet," Czubay said in a conference call. Several automakers have already launched incentive programs aimed at helping storm victims replace their damaged vehicles at a lower cost. But while those replacements could result in a brief uptick, automakers said the real growth is coming from an improving economy and pent-up demand. "Economic fundamentals are pointing to modest economic growth with signs of a better housing recovery ahead," Ford economist Jenny Lin said. That's good news for the auto industry, GM sales chief Kurt McNeil said. "Year over year, the light vehicle selling rate has increased for eight consecutive quarters without a tailwind from the residential housing sector, but that is starting to change," McNeil said. "If these trends continue, housing may be the final piece of the puzzle that lifts sales above 15 million units on an annual basis just as GM prepares to launch even more new cars, crossovers and trucks." Ford sales were up 0.4 per cent at 168,456 vehicles in October and have climbed five per cent for the year to date to 1.9 million vehicles. GM posted its best October since 2007 as sales rose five percent to 195,764, pushing sales for the first 10 months of the year up four percent to 2.2 million vehicles. Toyota said its sales rose 16 per cent to 155,242 vehicles in October with sales up 30 per cent for the year to date at 1.7 million vehicles. "Despite the impact of Sandy, October was a solid month for Toyota and the industry, and we look for the market to remain strong in the months ahead," said Bob Carter, head of US automotive operations at Toyota. Chrysler sales rose 10 percent to 126,185 vehicles and are up 23 percent to 1.4 million for the year to date. "In spite of Hurricane Sandy, Chrysler Group posted its best October sales since 2007 and we achieved our 31st consecutive month of year-over-year sales growth," sales chief Reid Bigland said in a statement. Honda's sales rose nine percent to 106,973 units and were up 23 percent for the year at 1.2 million. Nissan sales fell three percent to 79,685 in October but are up 11 per cent so far this year. Hyundai's sales dropped four percent to 50,271 but increased 8.2 per cent for the year. Kia saw sales rose 13 per cent to 42,452 and jump 18 per cent for the year. — AFP-Relaxnews

Minister urges employers not to hire by race Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:42 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — Employers in this country have been reminded not to practice racial discrimination in the recruitment of workers. Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam (picture)said they should be transparent and not put certain conditions that prevent certain races from joining their organisations. "If there is evidence of discrimination, the ministry can take action against the employer in accordance with the provisions of existing laws," he told reporters after opening Batu Caves Library in the compound of Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple here today. Subramaniam was commenting on a study by a news portal on the tendency of employers in Malaysia to favour a particular race than other races. He added the ministry would examine the basis of the study before taking further action if necessary. At the event, Subramaniam donated books to the library that has nearly 6,000 titles in Tamil literature and religion. — Bernama

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New Jersey natives Springsteen, Bon Jovi join Sting in Sandy concert Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:03 AM PDT NEW YORK, Nov 2 — New Jersey natives Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi will join Sting and other top music stars today for a special television benefit concert on NBC to aid victims of Sandy, the giant storm that killed scores and devastated large sections of the US Northeast. The Walt Disney Co meanwhile yesterday announced a US$2 million (RM6.1 million) donation for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, while Disney/ABC Television Group designated Monday as a "Day of Giving" during which viewers of network and syndicated programming would be encouraged to help. NBC icons at the home of its studios in the Rockefeller Centre in New York raises cheer over plans for a benefit concert. — Reuters file pic Entertainment giant Viacom Inc. also announced a US$1 million donation to the Mayor's Fund NYC and local organisations. Springsteen and Bon Jovi have often taken inspiration from their home state and used their star platform to highlight the charms and challenges of New Jersey. NBC said yesterday that the commercial-free one-hour telecast, "Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together", would air tonight and would include appearances by Christina Aguilera, Billy Joel, Jimmy Fallon and NBC News anchor Brian Williams. The telethon, also to be shown on NBC Universal networks Bravo, CNBC, E!, G4, MSNBC, Style, Syfy and USA and live-streamed on NBC.com, will benefit the American Red Cross, with proceeds going towards victims of Hurricane Sandy. "Today" show anchor Matt Lauer, who announced the concert on air yesterday, will host. Donors can also text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a US$10 contribution. On Tuesday, Springsteen tweeted a picture of the legendary Stony Pony club in New Jersey, saying "The Stone Pony stands proud despite hurricane Sandy!" The club, at the ocean's edge in Asbury Park, one of the shoreline communities lashed by the storm, has been associated with Springsteen since he performed there early in his career, and he continues to make appearances. Bon Jovi cut short a promotional tour in the United Kingdom to rush back to his home state, where he established a charity restaurant several years ago. "I really need to get back home having spoken to my wife and kids," he told Britain's Daily Mail before flying out of London. "I need to be with my people. Thankfully, my family are safe," he said, adding "The devastation is off the charts." Large sections of the state, especially its famous coastline, were devastated by the monster storm this week. Most of the other telethon performers are also from areas hard-hit by the storm, which killed at least 82 people in the United States and Canada and was the largest storm by area to hit the United States in decades. Millions remain without power, and emergency teams have struggled to reach the worst-hit areas. Announcing ABC's "Day of Giving", Anne Sweeney, president of Disney-ABC Television Group, said: "This coordinated effort between network and syndicated programming spanning news, daytime, primetime and late night will reach tens of millions of viewers with a specific call to action", such as encouraging viewers to donate to the Red Cross. — Reuters

Suicide Silence singer Lucker dies in California motorcycle accident Posted: 02 Nov 2012 07:45 AM PDT LOS ANGELES, Nov 2 — Mitch Lucker, the lead singer of extreme heavy metal band Suicide Silence, died yesterday of injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident in Huntington Beach, California, police said. The band from Southern California was given the Golden Gods award for best new talent by Revolver magazine in 2009. Lucker, 28, was on a new Harley Davidson motorcycle riding in the Orange County city of Huntington Beach on Halloween night when he lost control and crashed into a light pole, according to a statement from the local police department. He was taken to the University of California Irvine Medical Centre where he later died, police said. Investigators said they were looking into the cause of the collision and whether alcohol was a factor. "There's no easy way to say this," the band said in a post on Facebook. "Mitch passed away earlier this morning from injuries sustained during a motorcycle accident." Suicide Silence in 2007 came out with the album "The Cleansing" and followed that up with the 2009 "No Time to Bleed" and last year's "The Black Crown", which made its way to No. 9 on the Billboard hard rock chart. The band, whose musical style is referred to as "deathcore", is originally from Riverside, California, a working-class community 80 km east of Los Angeles. — Reuters

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US Supreme Court hints at limits on dog sniffs for drugs Posted: 02 Nov 2012 08:11 AM PDT The state's highest court found the detection of drugs by trained police dogs violated the ban on unreasonable searches and seizures under the US Constitution's Fourth Amendment. — Reuters pic WASHINGTON, Nov 2 — While considering whether a police dog should be allowed to sniff outside a home for illegal drugs inside, some US Supreme Court justices smelled a rat. At their Wednesday session, justices from across the ideological spectrum signalled that the privacy interest of a person in his home was too great to give police a broad license to let trained canines sniff around a home for evidence they could not see. But in a second case involving a sniffer dog, some of the justices indicated they were hesitant to set too high a bar on police to show that their dogs are reliable. The nine-member court has often allowed dog searches, including of luggage at airports and cars at checkpoints. On Wednesday, it addressed Florida's appeals of two decisions by the state's highest court that found the detection of drugs by trained police dogs violated the ban on unreasonable searches and seizures under the US Constitution's Fourth Amendment. The first case focused on the location of the search, on the doorstep of a home, while the second was focused on whether the dog in question was sufficiently reliable. Reasonable expectations of privacy In the first case, police let their chocolate Labrador retriever Franky sniff the base of the front door of Joelis Jardines' home near Miami after receiving an anonymous tip that marijuana was growing inside. Franky's "alert" led to the discovery of more than 25 pounds of marijuana inside. At least six justices challenged some assertions by Gregory Garre, a former US solicitor general arguing for Florida, who said drug detection dogs only reveal the presence of contraband, in which no one had a legitimate expectation of privacy. "That just can't be a proposition that we can accept across the board," Justice Anthony Kennedy said. Justice Antonin Scalia said it would be okay to let police use binoculars to look inside a home from afar if the blinds were left open, but not to walk right up if they saw nothing. "Why isn't it the same thing with the dog?" Scalia asked. "It seems to me crucial that the police officer went up to the portion of the house as to which there is privacy." Garre said police deserved the capacity to effectively combat the "serious epidemic" of so-called grow houses. Justice Stephen Breyer, however, said many homeowners would resent having a dog walk up and down near their homes. "You're looking at the expectation of a reasonable homeowner," he said. Some justices likened Franky to the thermal imagers that the Supreme Court said in 2001 could not be used to look inside homes, because they could uncover things that deserved privacy. Justice Elena Kagan asked if police could use a "Smell-o-Matic" that found the same things a dog might find. "Your basic distinction is between a machine and Franky," she told Garre. Howard Blumberg, an assistant public defender arguing for Jardines, the homeowner in the case, also came under fire. Justice Samuel Alito rejected as too broad his argument that Franky's sniff was a search because it revealed details that a homeowner wanted to keep private. Blumberg also called the sniff a trespass, but struggled to tell Alito whether any cases in the last few hundred years had made that point. Chief Justice John Roberts asked if it mattered that mothballs, which mask odors, were found outside Jardines' home. "Are we talking about an expectation of privacy in the marijuana or an expectation of privacy in the odor?" he said. Adequate training The second case concerned the discovery of methamphetamine ingredients inside Clayton Harris' pickup truck, after it had been pulled over for having an expired tag. An officer gave his German shepherd Aldo a "free air sniff" after the nervous-looking driver refused to allow a search. Florida's supreme court said the state did not show enough evidence, beyond training and any certifications, that Aldo's nose was reliable. Glen Gifford, another assistant public defender arguing for Harris, said more evidence was needed, and that dogs' enforcement records and the conduct of their handlers might also play roles. But he couldn't offer what Roberts called a "magic number" for the percentage of correct alerts that would be acceptable to determine whether a dog was reliable. Scalia challenged the argument that police might deliberately use ill-trained dogs to generate more false alerts, and more searches. Police "like to search where they're likely to find something, and that only exists when the dog is well-trained," Scalia said. "They have every incentive to train the dog well." Decisions are expected by the end of June. — Reuters

Remains uncovered as Sandy uproots 100-year-old tree Posted: 02 Nov 2012 07:54 AM PDT A tent protects the skeletal remains of at least two individuals which were unearthed when a 100-year-old oak tree fell on the Green in New Haven, Connecticut after Hurricane Sandy hit the area October 31, 2012. — Reuters pic NEW HAVEN, Nov 2 — A Connecticut town got an unexpected history lesson after fierce winds from monster storm Sandy toppled a 103-year-old oak tree and exposed skeletal remains below it, officials said on Wednesday. The remains likely belonged to a victim of yellow fever or smallpox who might have been buried on the New Haven town green between 1799 and 1821, police spokesman David Hartman said. Headstones for those buried below the green were moved to a local cemetery in 1821, but the bodies of potentially thousands of residents were never relocated, he said. This week's storm brought 40 to 70 mile per hour winds to New Haven, knocking out power, downing trees and causing some flooding to properties, Hartman said. Sandy's force overturned a well-known oak that was planted on the town green in 1909 in honor of the 100th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birth. A passerby looking at the fallen oak on Tuesday spotted human bones in its roots and alerted authorities, Hartman said. News of the discovery drew a crowd to the green, where people offered historical information and wild theories about the origins of the skeleton, he said. "It was a great deal of fun, with no disrespect intended to the dead of course," Hartman said. "It was good Halloween stuff." A death investigator from the medical examiner's office and a research associate from Yale University's Department of Anthropology are collecting the remains. The city is discussing how to properly bury them after they are studied, Hartman said. Given the likely history of the skeleton, no criminal investigation is planned, he said.— Reuters

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NGO Islam Pahang bantah kenyataan presiden MCA Posted: 02 Nov 2012 03:04 AM PDT KUANTAN, 2 Nov — Kira-kira 150 individu dan gabungan pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) Islam Pahang berkumpul di Bangunan MCA Kuantan untuk menyerahkan memorandum bagi membantah kenyataan Presiden MCA Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek baru-baru ini yang dianggap menghina hukum hudud. Ketua Polis Daerah Kuantan ACP Mohd Jasmani Yusof berkata beberapa wakil pertubuhan terbabit telah memaklumkan kepada pihak polis sebelum itu untuk berkumpul menyerahkan memorandum berkenaan. "Kami benarkan asalkan tidak melanggar syarat-syarat yang ditetapkan," katanya kepada pemberita di sini, hari ini. Beliau berkata perhimpunan itu bersurai sebaik wakil mereka menyerahkan memorandum bantahan itu kepada wakil MCA pada pukul 2.15 petang. Sementara itu, Setiausaha Perhubungan Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim) Pahang, Mahadi Deraman, memaklumkan tindakan itu dibuat bagi membantah kenyataan Presiden MCA itu baru-baru ini yang mendakwa 1.2 juta rakyat Malaysia akan hilang pekerjaan jika hukum hudud dilaksanakan. Justeru, mereka mendesak Dr Chua (foto fail) supaya menarik balik kenyataan itu dengan memohon maaf secara terbuka kepada seluruh umat Islam, katanya dalam kenyataan di sini. — Bernama

Kes BAFIA terhadap Rafizi harus kekal, kata peguam NFCorp Posted: 02 Nov 2012 02:45 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 2 Nov — Peguam Perbadanan Fidlot Nasional (NFCorp) hari ini berkata, kes mahkamah melibatkan pengarah strategi PKR, Rafizi Ramli kerana tuduhan melanggar akta Bank dan Institusi Kewangan (BAFIA) haruslah dikekalkan, dan tidak diletakkan di bawah "akta pemberi maklumat". Pada 1 Ogos, Rafizi telah dituduh kerana melanggar BAFIA kerana mendedahkan data bank NFCorp, di mana akta tersebut melindungi data bank pemilik akaun yang turut menyebabkan percanggahan dengan akta pelindung maklumat yang baru diluluskan. NFCorp menjalankan Pusat Fidlot Nasional (NFC), iaitu projek penternakan lembu yang bernilai RM250 juta yang menjadi skandal kewangan terbesar dalam negara. "Jika BAFIA boleh dilanggar atas alasan pemberi maklumat, seluruh struktur sistem bank akan jatuh," kata Shafee & Co, firma undang-undang yang mewakili NFCorp, dalam kenyataannya. Dalam menerangkan kenapa tuduhan BAFIA ke atas Rafizi (foto fail) "patut dikekalkan", dengan firma undang-undang itu melakukan "kesalahan" melibatkan pendedahan dokumen. "Rafizi mendedahkan dokumen bank tanpa kebenaran pemilik akaun, bank dan Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM)," katanya lagi. "Peguam Negara dan Bank Negara Malaysia seharusnya tidak terikut dengan retorik politik tetapi terus menyiasat Rafizi kerana melanggar BAFIA . "Sistem kewangan dan bank Malaysia dihormati dan ia tidak harus mengikut drama dan sensasi politik." Ia juga menambah, beberapa pemimpin dalam sektor perbankan, termasuk pengerusi Persatuan Bank-Bank Malaysia menegaskan kerahsiaan perlu dikekalkan walau bagaimana sekalipun. Shafee & Co turut berkata Akta Pelindungan Pemberi Maklumat 2010, pemberi maklumat tulen mestilah melaporkan kepada pihak berkuasa untuk membenarkan mereka mengambil tindakan. "Bagaimanapun, jika pemberi maklumat dibenarkan menyebarkan maklumat di bawah undang-undang BAFIA tanpa saluran yang betul, ia akan menyebabkan kekacauan dalam sistem kewangan kita," katanya lagi. Pada 19 November, Mahkamah Tinggi Shah Alam akan mendengar permohonan Rafizi untuk membatalkan tuduhan BAFIA terhadapnya. Rafizi telah dituduh dibawah seksyen 97(1) di dalam BAFIA, kerana membongkarkan empat akaun yang melibatkan NFCorp, National Meat and Livestock Sdn Bhd, Agroscience and Industries Sdn Bhd, dan pengerusi NFCorp, Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail, dua individu yang dikenali sebagai Yusof Abdul Alim dan Erle Martin Carvalho. Di bawah Seksyen 103(1)(a) dalam akta yang sama, beliau akan didenda maksimum RM3 juta atau dipenjara selama tiga tahun jika didapati bersalah, akan dapat menjejaskan peluang Rafizi untuk menjadi calon dalam pilihan raya yang akan datang. Bekas kerani Public Bank Johari Mohamad juga didakwa bersama Rafizi pada 1 Ogos yang lalu, kerana mendedahkan akaun yang melibatkan empat pemilik akaun, di bawah Seksyen 112(1)(a) BAFIA, dibaca bersama Seksyen 91(1) akta yang sama kerana mendedahkan maklumat rahsia bank. Beliau akan menerima hukuman yang sama dengan Rafizi jika didapati bersalah. Kedua Rafizi dan Johari mengaku tidak bersalah apabila dibacakan dakwaan di mahkamah sesyen Shah Alam pada 1 Ogos, dengan keduanya diikatjamin sebanyak RM15,000 seorang.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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Writing the obituary for the death penalty Posted: 01 Nov 2012 04:32 PM PDT NOV 2 — Many of us born in the '70s would be familiar with this particular public service announcement ad on TV: a man in a kampung does a favour for a friend — he delivers a parcel during a trip to the city. It's something we have all done at one time or another. Upon arrival, he meets up with the intended recipient of the package, a mysterious woman in a white dress who takes him to an abandoned building. He passes the parcel to her and at that very moment, police emerge from the shadows and arrest him.  It turns out that he was unknowingly acting as a courier for the distribution and trafficking of illegal drugs. An offence that carries the death penalty. The segment ends with a shot of the man walking towards the gallows and the noose. It is very possible that mandatory capital punishment for drug offences, like this public service announcement, may soon be a thing of the past. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz's recent announcement that the government is looking into the possibility of abolishing the mandatory death sentence for drug offences is certainly a welcome one. Abolishing capital punishment is actually a potentially unpopular move and one which will have many detractors who will insist the death penalty be maintained in the belief that it deters heinous crimes. There are many who are in favour of the death penalty for crimes such as murder, rape and the like. The debate might be long and quite tumultuous. But this initiative by the government is a necessary one and is long overdue. We need to fully support this proposal and ensure that the death penalty for drug offences is finally abolished. We need to get behind this and the government must stay the course and make the abolishment become a reality. But we must go further and put an end altogether to the existence of capital punishment in our legal system. Just as slavery which is allowed in quite a few religions and has existed throughout Malaysian culture, heritage and history but has been dropped from contemporary practice, the death penalty too must head the way of the dodo. The death penalty is a simplistic response to societal problems which emerge from issues such as poverty. The belief that an eye for an eye is the way to solve or provide remedy for the victims actually promotes and extends the suffering of those affected to the family and loved ones of those condemned to be on death row. It is with sound reason that more than two-thirds of countries around the world have abolished the death penalty or no longer practise it. However, Malaysia is among 18 countries where the death penalty is still being carried out and it is legally mandatory upon conviction for crimes such as murder, drug trafficking, the possession of illegal firearms, and waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. A common question asked is whether the death penalty actually deters the occurrence of heinous and violent crimes such as murder. It does not. There is no evidence from any existing study that demonstrates that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than long prison sentences. However, it has been found that countries which impose the death penalty do not, in fact, have lower crime or murder rates than countries without capital punishment. The death penalty does not deter people from committing the related crime. It has been shown through studies that increasing the severity of a punishment does not in fact add to deterrence. What has instead been demonstrated is that increasing severity results in decreasing weight and value of the deterrence in question. In other words, as hard as it may sound, the death penalty in the end has no value. Capital punishment is also dependent on the perfect application of laws and the delivery of justice. But as we know, all judicial systems make mistakes which is the reason that there is an appeal process. As long as the death penalty exists, it is possible for innocent people to be executed. Let's do this. It is time to abolish capital punishment and consign the death penalty to the dustbin of history. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Spoiler alert: 007 wins in the end Posted: 01 Nov 2012 04:25 PM PDT NOV 2 — My wife (being a TV personality and all... whoo!) was invited to walk the red carpet at the recent gala premiere of the new James Bond movie "Skyfall". She invited me along. At first I declined, thinking that I wanted to let her have all the attention and did not want to steal her limelight. But she begged and pleaded. So I agreed on certain simple conditions: 1. I did not want any direct camera flashes in my eyes. 2. No questions by reporters about my estranged stepfather. 3. An air-conditioned trailer while waiting. 4. A bowl of M&Ms with all the green ones removed. 5. A lobster. Then came time for the movie. I'm not a James Bond fan but I've seen almost all instalments of the franchise. And I would complain and rant every time. "Skyfall" opened with a big fight and chase scene between Bond (who else?), another MI6 agent and a bad guy, with the mother of all lady bosses, M, directing them through ear-pieces. Should I even bother describing the ridiculously outrageous chase scene which involved cars, motorcycles, trains, tunnels and a gigantic hoe tractor? I shouldn't. It ends with Bond getting shot by mistake by his fellow MI6 agent, with orders by M. Should I even bother to mention that it is impossible for the hero to be killed so early in a movie like this? I shouldn't. After everyone gets over the guilt and sadness of a dead orphan who has no other next-of-kin, lo and behold, he shows up after being nursed back to health by a beautiful Turkish woman (who he has sex with, of course!). And more predictability happens after that. Bad guy does a dastardly deed. Good guy hunts bad guy down. Good guy and bad guy have ridiculously outrageous fight scenes. Good guy wins. And let's not forget, good guy has several sexual encounters in between. But I do have to mention that there are several "twists" in the "Skyfall" movie. Spoiler alert: do not read on if you want to be surprised. The first "twist" is that Moneypenny is now black (looks like Obama being president has made some inroads!). The second "twist" is that M (played by Judi Dench) dies in the end after getting hit by a bullet. And the third "twist" is that Bond actually sheds tears of sadness as M dies in his arms, but in a very macho and gentlemanly way, of course. After the movie ended, my wife had to endure several hours of my ranting and complaining about how lousy, clichéd and predictable the new James Bond movie is. But then again, that's exactly the reason people watch James Bond movies. I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole 143 minutes of "Skyfall", and all of the other Bond movies that I have seen. However, they're all very forgettable and it would all be completely erased from my memory several days after my viewing. At the end of the gala evening, no reporters asked questions about my estranged stepfather. In fact, no reporters asked me any questions at all. Neither did I get my air-conditioned trailer, M&Ms (sans green) and lobster. However, camera flashes did go off in my face and I did find a picture of me and my wife in the newspaper. The caption read: "News anchor Jasmine Abu Bakar (left) looking glamorous on the red carpet and partner." * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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