Isnin, 12 November 2012

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food


One chef, one ingredient: Julie Andrieu on red kuri squash

Posted: 12 Nov 2012 04:42 AM PST

PARIS, Nov 12 — If you are what you eat, then it could be said that chefs are what they cook. In an exclusive series from Relaxnews, some of the top chefs from around the world share their favorite food ingredient to prepare and eat, every week. Whether it be peas, apricots, or sea urchin, the answers are as varied as the chefs themselves. This week, French chef, TV host and food author Julie Andrieu, who insists on merely describing herself as food journalist, talks red kuri squash (potimarron).

French chef, TV host and food author Julie Andrieu. — AFP pic

Relaxnews: Why did you choose this product?

Julie Andrieu: It's a vegetable that is tasty, that packs in lots of flavor, and that can also add texture to a dish. It's very useful, because it can replace flour. It falls into the starches category! Red kuri squash actually has less water content than the winter squash. And it's easy to make desserts with it. I use it as a thickener in my dishes. You can also roast it. I'm thinking about a nice recipe for children: open the squash, and keep the 'lids.' Remove the strands and seeds. Add cream, nutmeg and cheese, and you get a nice and creamy red kuri squash soup. You can also make red kuri squash fries, or you can cook the squash in a microwave. Cut it into four parts and wrap it in cling film. Cooking time shouldn't exceed a few minutes. It can also be served in a hot and cold salad with hazelnut oil. It's a vegetable that's low in calories, that pleases the palate and won't you leave you feeling hungry.

R: What's your favorite memory related to the red kuri squash?

JA: My mother never cooked with it when I was a child. I learned to cook it myself later on. I thought it would be fun, and now it's a staple in my kitchen!

R: When is it in season?

JA: It's a winter vegetable. You can cook up until March-April. It widely grown in France, and is rarely imported from abroad, so it's easy to find here.

R: What's the best way to cook it?

JA: I like it au naturel. I highly recommend microwaving it, so as not to lose any of the vegetable's nutritional value. Microwaves allow for quick cooking, étouffée style. Then it's up to you, depending on the recipe you have in mind. In a soup, I add coconut milk, a product that works just as well with traditional [French] recipes and more exotic fare. Which reminds me, for instance, of my recipe for the galette des rois. I puree the red kuri squash with almond and frangipane spread on the bottom of the dish. There's also an Italian recipe of ravioli filled with amaretti biscuit powder mixed with parmesan and red kuri squash puree. It's a sweet and savory combination that works nicely.

R: What other product can you combine it with to surprise your guests?

JA: Cheese is a great combination with red kuri squash. Especially matured cheese such as cantal or blue cheese. Once again, fresh or bitter almonds of all types, such as almond oil, are also a good option.

R: What are the most common mistakes people make when cooking it?

JA: It's a vegetable that's very easy to cook right. If you're working with a raw red kuri squash, however, be careful not to cut yourself. I recommend throwing it in the oven for a little while or steam cooking it to get rid of the rind easily.

R: What type of red kuri squash recipes did you put in your next cook books?

JA: As a dessert, a creme brulee, in my latest book (Les insolites de Julie, Les Editions Culinaires). My next book will also include a pattypan or white squash recipe, using a small squash that is very similar to the red kuri squash. They're part of the same family.

R: What wine (or other type of alcohol) is best paired with it?

JA: I'd go for a white wine, a sweet moelleux, from the Loire region for instance, or either a Vieilles Vignes or a Vendanges Tardives. Preferably a rich, fruity and subtle wine. — AFP/Relaxnews


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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports


Armstrong steps down from Livestrong board

Posted: 12 Nov 2012 07:45 AM PST

NEW YORK, Nov 12 – Lance Armstrong has stepped down as a board member of Livestrong, the cancer-support charity he founded in 1997, the organisation said today.

"Lance Armstrong has chosen to voluntarily resign from the Board of Directors of the Livestrong Foundation to spare the organisation any negative effects as a result of controversy surrounding his cycling career," Livestrong chairman Jeff Garvey said in a statement.

"We are deeply grateful to Lance for creating a cause that has served millions of cancer survivors and their families."

Armstrong (picture), a survivor of testicular cancer, had previously stepped down as Livestrong's chairman.

The 41-year-old had his seven Tour de France victories nullified and was banned from cycling for life last month after the International Cycling Union (UCI) ratified the United States Anti-Doping Agency's (USADA) sanctions against him.

USADA published a report that said the now-retired rider had been involved in the "most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen."

Livestrong spokeswoman Katherine McLane said that Armstrong "remains the inspiration" for the charity and is its largest donor, having contributed US$7 million (RM21.44 million).

She said Armstrong will remain involved with Livestrong, just not as a board member.

Garvey added: "Lance Armstrong was instrumental in changing the way the world views people affected by cancer.

"His devotion to serving survivors is unparalleled and for 15 years, he committed himself to that cause with all his heart on behalf of the Livestrong Foundation."

Armstrong has denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs. – Reuters

Ronaldo to miss Gabon friendly after nasty gash

Posted: 12 Nov 2012 06:36 AM PST

LISBON, Nov 12 – Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo will miss Wednesday's friendly against Gabon in Libreville after he sustained a cut above his left eye in yesterday's 2-1 La Liga win at Levante, the Portuguese Federation (FPF) said today.

The FPF confirmed the injury would keep him out adding Valencia defender Joao Pereira and Dynamo Kiev midfielder Miguel Veloso had also pulled out of the squad because of injuries.

Ronaldo was caught by David Navarro's elbow in the opening minutes of the match in Valencia and after being patched up on the side of the pitch returned to score Real's 21st-minute opener.

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said after the match Ronaldo's vision in both eyes was affected by the blow, which left one side of the Portuguese international's face covered in blood. – Reuters

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz


Penelope Cruz is the new face of Loewe

Posted: 12 Nov 2012 07:17 AM PST

MADRID, Nov 12 — Spanish luxury brand Loewe broke the news today, that home-grown actress Penelope Cruz is the face of its next campaign.

Spanish actress Penelope Cruz. — AFP pic

Recently seen in plumber's garb and a moustache in a Nintendo ad, the Spanish actress ("Vanilla Sky") will strike more glamorous poses for the Loewe's spring-summer 2013 collection, to be shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

In January, Penelope Cruz will become the new ambassador of the leather goods brand, led by creative director Stuart Vevers. Cruz was signed to the house for three years.

"Loewe is an international brand proud of its Spanish roots and with a rich history. Its collections are made by Spanish master artisans and I have always admired their work. I feel fortunate to be a part of this project," noted the actress in a statement published on Vogue.

Although she is better known for her acting roles, Penelope Cruz has previously been involved in numerous campaigns for ready-to-wear and beauty brands, including Mango and L'Oréal. — AFP/Relaxnews

U2’s Bono to urge US politicians not to cut aid programmes

Posted: 12 Nov 2012 03:47 AM PST

Irish rocker and anti-poverty campaigner Bono. — Reuters pic

WASHINGTON, Nov 12 — Irish rocker and anti-poverty campaigner Bono will appeal to Democrats and Republicans during a visit to Washington this week to spare US development assistance programmes from cuts as Congress tries to avert the looming "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending reductions early next year.

The U2 lead singer's visit comes as the Obama administration and congressional leaders try to forge a deal in coming weeks to avoid the economy hitting the "fiscal cliff" — tax increases and spending cuts worth US$600 billion (RM1.8 trillion) starting in January if Congress does not act.

Analysts say the absence of a deal could shock the United States, the world's biggest economy, back into recession.

Kathy McKiernan, spokeswoman for the ONE Campaign, said Bono will hold talks with congressional lawmakers and senior Obama administration officials during the November 12-14 visit.

During meetings he will stress the effectiveness of US foreign assistance programs and the need to preserve them to avoid putting at risk progress made in fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, she said.

Bono, a long-time advocate for the poor, will argue that US government-funded schemes that support life-saving treatments for HIV/AIDS sufferers, nutrition programs for malnourished children, and emergency food aid make up just 1 per cent of the US government budget but are helping to save tens of millions of lives in impoverished nations.

The One Campaign would not elaborate which lawmakers and senior Obama administration officials Bono will meet.

Today, Bono will discuss the power of social movements with students at Georgetown University. He will also meet new World Bank President Jim Yong Kim for a web cast discussion on Wednesday on the challenges of eradicating poverty. — Reuters

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features


Denmark to scrap world’s first fat tax

Posted: 12 Nov 2012 02:47 AM PST

Denmark's 'fat tax,' which sent the price of butter up, is being scrapped. – shutterstock.com

COPENHAGEN, Nov 12 – Denmark said on Saturday it would scrap a fat tax it introduced a little over a year ago in a world first, saying the measure was costly and failed to change Danes' eating habits.

"The fat tax and the extension of the chocolate tax – the so-called sugar tax – has been criticised for increasing prices for consumers, increasing companies' administrative costs and putting Danish jobs at risk," the Danish tax ministry said in a statement.

"At the same time it is believed that the fat tax has, to a lesser extent, contributed to Danes travelling across the border to make purchases," it added.

"Against this background, the government and the (far-left) Red Green Party have agreed to abolish the fat tax and cancel the planned sugar tax," the ministry said.

Denmark's centre-left minority government is made up of the Social Democrats, Social Liberals and Socialist People's Party, and requires support from other parties to pass legislation in parliament.

The government and the Red Greens reached the agreement as part of their negotiations on the 2013 budget bill.

The previous right-wing government introduced the fat tax in October 2011 to limit the population's intake of fatty foods.

According to the Danish National Health and Medicines Authority, 47 per cent of Danes are overweight and 13 per cent are obese.

"Now we need to try to do something else to address public health," Food Minister Mette Gjerskov said, news agency Ritzau reported.

The fat tax has been levied on all products containing saturated fats – from butter and milk to pizzas, oils, meats and pre-cooked foods – in a costing system that Denmark's Confederation of Industries has described as a bureaucratic nightmare for producers and outlets.

The measure added 16 kroner per kilo of saturated fats in a product.

As an example, when the tax was introduced the price of a pack of 250 grammes (0.5 pounds) of butter rose by 2.20 kroner (RM1.13) to more than 18 kroner.

Several food chains said Saturday they would lower their prices accordingly once the tax is abolished, Ritzau reported. – AFP/Relaxnews

Retailers bank on Diwali to open Indian wallets

Posted: 11 Nov 2012 08:34 PM PST

MUMBAI, Nov 12 ― Indian retailers hope to boost disappointing consumer spending with a frenzy of special offers during this week's Diwali festival, led by automakers crowding the market with nearly 20 new cars.

Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, has always been an auspicious time to splurge, sparking an annual race between retailers to provide the most attractive offers.

But in this year's flagging economy, overcoming consumers' trepidation may prove to be a difficult task.

"I haven't seen so many product launches in a short span of days ever," said Ankur Bisen, vice-president in retail with Technopak, an Indian consultancy firm.

"Cars, luxury jewellery, watches, tablets, iPads, even Microsoft's Windows 8, retailers are trying new product launches to attract consumers," he told AFP.

Months of gloom for the Indian economy have brought consumer spending down to seven year lows, according to the Fitch ratings agency, so businesses are desperately seeking a kickstart.

Gold retailers are hoping that Diwali will bring a boost in sales. ― AFP pic

This Diwali, Indians will be lured into buying from an impressive range of small cars, sedans, utility and luxury vehicles launched by auto giants such as Ford, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra Ssangyong, BMW and others.

Auto dealers are offering a twin attraction—higher discounts on cars bought and better exchange prices for old cars—to boost what has been a forgettable year for India's car market amid rising input and fuel costs.

Electronics giant LG has "blissful offers" to woo customers, giving away a range of Blu-ray players, camcorders or glasses—all 3D versions—free with selected high-end 3D smart televisions.

Rival Samsung is offering a free Galaxy 7.0 tablet with the purchase of certain smart TVs, refrigerators or washing machines, while the hot-selling iPhone5 has also hit the shelves this month.

Indian banks, struggling with bad debts, are also trying to cash in.

State Bank of India, the country's largest commercial bank, has cut its processing fee on home and auto loans by half, for loans borrowed between mid-October to the end of the year.

Others have taken similar steps to remain competitive and some have slashed their auto or home loan rates, despite the central bank's tight monetary policy, analysts said.

Companies are hoping their eye-catching offers will tap India's expanding middle-class as it fast moves to a more Western-style consumer economy, but the Diwali spending rush has its roots in traditional India.

"October is the start of the agricultural new year and generally festivals are times to 'bring in the new'," said Mahantesh Sabarad, auto analyst with Fortune Equity Brokers.

With each festive season, the demographics of shoppers are quickly changing as more and more young people and women join the workforce, giving them disposable incomes to spend as they wish on mobiles, jeans and pizzas.

"It's a no-brainer that Diwali will be competitive," said Pramod Gubbi, vice-president at Mumbai's Ambit Capital, as firms vie for these new consumer groups' attention.

But the rush of discounts and offers still may not be enough to get consumers opening their wallets for pricier items in the current climate.

A range of factors—rising fuel prices, food inflation, job uncertainties and muted wage hike expectations—are likely to hurt buying decisions, said Deep Mukherjee, director with India Ratings and Research, a Fitch group firm.

"Big ticket items like autos, luxury products, vacations, may face a challenging demand condition," Mukherjee said.

Even gold-buying, which usually peaks in Diwali and continues through to India's wedding season in December, is looking muted.

Jewellery showrooms around Mumbai's Zaveri Bazaar have remained half-empty during the festive season so far, with the price of gold close to record highs.

B. Mahesh, an executive in a textile export firm, said he had "reconciled to not splurging this Diwali".

"I usually buy three branded pairs of shoes each year, one always in Diwali. But now I'm going to look for cheaper footwear. I do not see a Diwali bonus coming and prices are just too steep," he said. ― AFP-Relaxnews

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The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views

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The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views


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The Malaysian Insider :: Books

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The Malaysian Insider :: Books


Veterans tell their stories in ‘Portraits of Service’ book

Posted: 12 Nov 2012 07:24 AM PST

US veterans are seen at an event at the National WWI Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, in this file photo of April 7, 2008. About 70 veterans from the United States and Europe told their stories in a new book, 'Portraits of Service: Looking into the Faces of Veterans,' which was released on Sunday. – Reuters pic

NEW YORK, Nov 12 – Despite their public displays of support on Veterans Day, most Americans cannot truly appreciate the sacrifices made by the millions of people who have served in the military during war, a former US Marine Corps veteran says.

To help educate the public, John Ciecko Jr and about 70 other veterans from the United States and Europe told their stories in a new book, "Portraits of Service: Looking into the Faces of Veterans," which was released yesterday.

The short stories reflect the experiences of veterans, and a few still in the service, from World War Two to the conflict in Afghanistan.

Unless someone has experienced war, Ciecko says, it is difficult to comprehend the horror, as well as the camaraderie, and the after-effects of war like post traumatic stress.

"It's hard when you start thinking that most people (in the United States) just think it's just a holiday," said Ciecko, a retired 69-year-old who lives in Warren, Michigan. "They don't really give a damn about veterans."

The book's co-authors, Robert H. Miller and Andrew Wakeford, interviewed and photographed more than 400 veterans from the United States and Europe. More stories from those interviews will be in a second volume planned for next year.

"Every one of these vets has given time in their lives away, and received huge amounts of trauma," said Miller. "We want people to really understand that vets do sacrifice a ton for us to remain free."

Ciecko and active US Army officer Jas Booth use their stories to inform people and to call for better benefits for US veterans.

Booth, a single mother who was made homeless after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, developed cancer and found that her options were few if she left the Army and had to depend on veterans' benefits.

"I'm not just any woman with a kid – I'm a soldier," she said. "But they told me, if I left the military, I had welfare and poverty to look forward to. It was the biggest slap in the face, ever."

So she founded Final Salute Inc, a nonprofit organization that provides housing and other support to homeless female veterans.

Today, there are about 21 million veterans in the United States. And of the 2.6 million who served Iraq and Afghanistan, the US government estimates that between 13 per cent and 20 per cent have post-traumatic stress disorder.

'CRAZY OLD MARINE'

Ciecko calls himself "a crazy old Marine" who gets around in a wheelchair after he lost both his lower legs during his last mission in the Vietnam War. He feels that his military service and years working with a nonprofit group to help veterans work through the maze of government paperwork to get better benefits is a pay back to American soldiers who saved his family during World War Two.

His father was a Polish soldier in 1942 who was captured along with his pregnant wife, and the two were sent to separate camps. In 1943, Ciecko was born in a Nazi concentration camp. His earliest memories are of hard labour, scavenging for food, and the zebra stripes of prison fatigues.

By the time the American soldiers liberated the remote camp in Germany, the young boy's hair was white and brittle from malnutrition.

A few years after World War Two, the reunited family made it to Ellis Island and eventually to Detroit.

As a teenager, he had to choose between college and the military. It was an easy choice, Ciecko said, even though he had been offered a football scholarship.

"There was no doubt in my mind – it was just damn important that I pay this great country back for letting my family settle here," Ciecko said.

As a Marine in the 1960s, Ciecko joined a special intelligence-gathering operations team, and he trained troops for jungle warfare in Vietnam.

"We went on some crazy ops – one time, four of us went into Cambodia to rescue a 30-man team that was captured by Vietnamese fighters," he said. "We got shot up pretty bad, but we made it out of there."

In his 10 years as a Marine, Ciecko was awarded 28 combat medals, including five Purple Hearts. He spent 20 years working for the Military Order of the Purple Heart, helping veterans secure benefits, which he says is more difficult and confusing today than it has ever been. – Reuters


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The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa

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The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa


Penjawat awam perlu kreatif supaya rakyat pandang tinggi, kata Najib

Posted: 12 Nov 2012 01:45 AM PST

PUTRAJAYA, 12 Nov — Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak (gambar) hari ini menggesa penjawat awam untuk berfikir secara kreatif dan proaktif bagi menampilkan imej yang membolehkan mereka dipandang tinggi oleh rakyat negara ini.

Najib ketika Majlis Pelancaran Pusat Panggilan 1 Malaysia (1MOCC) di sini menegaskan, penjawat awam selain menjadi kreatif, mereka juga perlu bersifat unggul dan hebat untuk mengubah persepsi masyarakat terhadap 1.4 juta penjawat awam di seluruh negara.

"Kalau kita tiada penambahbaikan, rakyat yang semakin berkualiti dan mempunyai jangkaan yang semakin meningkat ... kita akan ketinggalan di peringkat global.

"Kalau hendak kerajaan memandang tinggi kepada kerajaan, secara kolektif ... kita perlu sediakan perkhidmatan yang semakin baik dan berkesan," katanya.

Menurut Najib lagi, melalui pelaksanaan 1MOCC itu juga, akan meletakkan perkhidmatan awam sebagai suatu yang dibanggakan oleh rakyat.

"Melalui pemikiran seperti ini, kita telah berjaya mencapai kejayaan yang diiktiraf di peringkat antarabangsa," katanya lagi.

1MOCC merupakan satu kaedah pemusatan panggilan jabatan kerajaan yang boleh dihubungi di talian 03 8000 8000 yang akan memberikan maklumat dan bantuan kepada rakyat untuk mendapatkan segala maklumat berkaitan dengan agensi kerajaan terlibat.

Di bawah pendekatan Strategi Lautan Biru, 1MOCC telah diterajui oleh Unit Pemodenan Tadbiran dan Perancangan Pengurusan Malaysia (MAMPU), TM, dan Perbadanan Putrajaya dengan Pusat Panggilan 1MOCC telah diwujudkan di Pejabat Perbadanan Putrajaya di sini.

Antara 21 agensi kerajaan yang terlibat dalam pemusatan pusat panggilan itu adalah agensi di bawah seliaan Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Kementerian Dalam Negeri, dan Kementerian Pengangkutan, yang bertindak sebagai pilot agencies yang bakal menjadi perantara dan jambatan kukuh untuk menghubungkan rakyat dan kerajaan.

Antara perkhidmatan yang diberikan 1MOCC adalah direktori pegawai termasuk nombor telefon agensi kerajaan, alamat agensi, soalan-soalan lazim, produk dan perkhidmatan 1 Malaysia, peta dan lokasi di Malaysia, serta tempat-tempat menarik di Malaysia, termasuk alamat agensi penguatkuasaan dan perkhidmatan hospital.

Antara yang bakal menerima manfaat daripada 1MOCC ini adalah kumpulan rakyat Malaysia, pelancong, pelabur, dan juga penjawat awam itu sendiri.

Selain nombor telefon, perkhidmatan 1MOCC juga turut melibatkan penggunaan laman sosial seperti laman Facebook dan Twitter, laman web, e-mel dan faks 03-80008001.

Adnan Yaakob sokong anggota Umno isytihar harta

Posted: 12 Nov 2012 01:35 AM PST

BERA, 12 Nov — Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob berkata beliau menyokong jika anggota Umno yang menjadi calon dalam Pilihan Raya Umum ke 13 mengisytiharkan aset atau harta mereka.

Katanya, ia adalah wajar supaya mereka 'bersih' daripada elemen prasangka sebelum layak dipilih mewakili parti dan mengelakkan seseorang itu hidup di luar kemampuan yang tidak seimbang dengan pendapatan. 

"Kita memerlukan bakal calon yang berintegriti, bersih dan berwibawa kerana wakil yang ditonjolkan itu adalah mewakili sebuah parti yang hebat," katanya kepada pemberita selepas menyampaikan surat hak milik tanah kepada 86 peneroka Felda Tementi di sini hari ini.

Sabtu lepas, Dewan Pemuda PAS Pusat mengumumkan bahawa kesemua exconya bakal melakukan pengisytiharan harta pada muktamar dewan itu di Kelantan Khamis ini walaupun tidak semua dalam kalangan mereka tersenarai sebagai calon pilihan raya akan datang.

Manakala Ketua Penerangan Umno, Datuk Ahmad Maslan ketika ditanya pemberita di Kuala Lumpur hari ini mengenai cadangan itu berkata Umno belum membincangkannya. — Bernama

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion


Society’s role in teenage pregnancies

Posted: 11 Nov 2012 04:26 PM PST

Nov 12 — It's tough being a kid and growing up in today's world. It's almost Darwinian in the sense that you are expected to have the necessary life skills to survive despite the fact that your parents, teachers and family may not have taught you any to begin with. But you are expected to have them and survive anyway.

The environment you are born into really determines whether you are able to survive the first few decades of your life. Whether it is into the affluent neighbourhood of Damansara Heights, or into the middle class suburbia of Petaling Jaya, or the hard streets and back alleys of Chow Kit, the accident of birth either makes you rich or poor, able to have access to a good education or be married off because you are deemed not interested in studying.

All of this was very much on my mind during a recent discussion I attended focusing on teenage pregnancy in Malaysia and its causes. It seemed to me that young people are being thrown under the bus and being blamed them for not having life skills or the ability to make decisions such as preventing pregnancy or not having premarital sex. It is hard enough when you are an adult to make some of these decisions. Imagine if you are a 15-year-old girl being asked by a 24-year-old man to have sex.

Out of the 18,652 cases of pregnant children and teenagers between the ages of 10–19 years old who were recorded by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in 2011, 4,222 were unmarried while the rest were married. According to MOH data from January to July 2012, 10 teenage girls also lost their lives due to complications resulting from pregnancy.

It is easy for us to be outraged when we read of reports of babies found buried, dumped in garbage bins, abandoned at mosques or temples, and wrapped in plastic bags and left to die. We look for people to blame. We blame parents, teachers, the education system, pornography. We moan about the lack of religious and moral fibre. And ultimately our eyes and fingers fall upon the girls themselves.

These girls are victims of an environment created due to our continued neglect of issues relating to sexual health such as ensuring the availability of proper sexual reproductive health education and services.

There are too many policies which aim to punish and harm, and few which seek to help and provide necessary support for those in need. We have our priorities on backwards. We allow people who call for hatred, discrimination and abuse on people who are gay or lesbian to give speeches to our students at our schools but refuse entry to educators who talk about sex education and teach things like how to use a condom.

The exploding numbers related to teenage pregnancy is a direct result of our society's failure to acknowledge and address our blinkered views of sex. We continue to allow our personal religious convictions to dictate social, public health and education policies over proven, pragmatic approaches which work.

Imagine finding yourself to be pregnant at 16. We have created a hostile environment where young women who find themselves pregnant out of wedlock have very few places to turn to for help, support and shelter.

No government healthcare facility offers abortion services for unwanted pregnancies or even condoms and sexual health information for singles and unmarried couples. Sex education to our children comes in a confused cornucopia of conflicted and convoluted messages and is knee deep in moral and religious language.

We depend on blind luck for our young to know right from wrong in religious, moral and social norms. "When I grew up, I didn't need all of this and I was still able to live, marry and have kids" is a frequently heard comment from detractors of sex education.

We tolerate and even encourage or impose underage or child marriages in the misguided and simplistic belief that marriage will solve all problems. The belief being a teenage pregnancy in marriage is a better thing than it being outside marriage. Hiding the problem seems to be a more accurate description.

Reality and pragmatism seem to have no place when dealing with issues of sex. Yet, we have so little tolerance for mistakes and are all too ready to judge and punish those who trip and fail.

Today, there are more girls and teenagers living in fear as a result of an unwanted pregnancy. Most of them cannot afford the necessary procedure and they will increasingly resort to unsafe abortions and DIY attempts to force a miscarriage. Sometimes this will cost them their lives. Some will carry their pregnancy to term and end up on the statistics of the Ministry of Health. There will be some girls who commit suicide.

The men responsible, on the other hand, will often go unpunished, unknown and unaccountable.

We need to summon the courage to provide relevant sexual reproductive health services for all and not just those who are married. Let's not sacrifice our young women and girls on the altar of self-righteousness and misguided ideals.

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

Menghadapi Kematian – Bahagian 3

Posted: 11 Nov 2012 04:18 PM PST

11 NOV – Apabila sampai semula di bahagian kepala jenazah, satu lagi lubang ditebuk iaitu di atas sedikit daripada lubang pertama tadi. Proses mengelilingi jenazah diteruskan bagi kali kedua. Pada kali ketiga, lubang ketiga ditebuk di bahagian atas lubang kedua tadi.

Setelah anak lelaki yang membawa belanga berisi air itu sudah mengelilingi jenazah sebanyak tiga kali, dia akan diarah melepaskan belanga berkenaan supaya ia jatuh di bahagian belakang dari bahunya dan pecah.

Perbuatan ini ada makna simbolik berdasarkan kepercayaan dalam budaya India. Salah satu kepercayaan adalah bahawa setelah seseorang meninggal dunia, rohnya akan melalui tiga tempat dalam perjalanan menuju kepada Pencipta. Ketiga-tiga tempat itu digelar Nagaram, Rouravam dan Maharouravam.

Ketiga-tiga tempat persinggahan ini tidak mempunyai bekalan air. Maka, apabila belanga berisi air dibawa mengelilingi jenazah dan dipecahkan sebelum jenazah dibakar, dipercayai bahawa roh si mati akan mendapat bekalan air yang secukupnya apabila berada di Nagaram, Rouravam dan Maharouravam.

Sementara itu, petugas di krematorium biasanya sudah menyusun dahan dan kayu kering di atas pelantar pembakaran serta memasukkan kapur barus dan bahan bakar lain ke dalam keranda.

Jenazah penganut agama Hindu dibakar sebagai simbol mengembalikan jasad itu kepada lima unsur alam.

Anak lelaki yang membawa belanga berisi air tadi akan diberi sebatang kayu berupa unggun. Dia akan diminta mencucuh api pada keranda bagi memulakan proses membakar jenazah si mati. Kemudian, anak lelaki berkenaan akan diarahkan pergi tanpa menoleh. Perbuatan ini adalah simbolik bahawa "pemergian" si mati menemui Pencipta tidak akan ditangisi oleh anak-anaknya.

Petugas di krematorium akan memastikan jenazah dibakar dengan sempurna. Pada masa kini, penggunaan peralatan moden untuk membakar jenazah menjadikan proses menyempurnakan mayat di krematorium lebih mudah. Tidak timbul juga soal jenazah tidak terbakar sepenuhnya apabila keluarga si mati datang untuk mengambil abu mayat pada keesokan hari.

Sehari selepas jenazah dibakar, keluarga mendiang akan pergi ke krematorium untuk mengambil abu dan tulang untuk upacara seterusnya. Anak lelaki yang melakukan upacara membakar jenazah pada hari sebelumnya wajib hadir. Istilah yang digunakan bagi individu tersebut ialah karmi. Beberapa individu yang telah turut serta ke krematorium pada hari sebelumnya juga akan pergi sama.

Antara barangan yang perlu dibawa adalah dua periuk belanga, beg plastik besar, satu kilogram beras, dua atau tiga daun pisang yang penuh (tidak dikerat-kerat), sirih, pinang, sesikat pisang, bunga rampai, setanggi, kapur barus, mancis, dua botol susu lembu, lampu minyak (berserta sumbu dan minyak kelapa), sehelai kain lebar berwarna merah atau putih, dan daun agathee yang sudah dimasak. Bahan-bahan ini mungkin ada tambahan atau pengurangan mengikut keperluan dan amalan keluarga.

Apabila tiba di krematorium, penjaga tempat berkenaan biasanya sudah membersihkan sisa bahan bakar bagi memudahkan abu dan tulang jenazah dikumpul. Semua yang hadir perlu mandi dan berpakaian basah sepanjang proses berikut. Perlu dinyatakan bahawa hanya kaum lelaki akan ke krematorium untuk menyempurnakan upacara ini.

Upacara pertama yang perlu dilakukan oleh karmi adalah berdiri di bahagian kepala jenazah (yang kini tinggal tulang dan abu) dan merenjis air ke atas abu jenazah sebanyak tiga kali. Seterusnya, susu direnjis sebanyak tiga kali.

Kemudian, barulah tulang boleh diambil dari tempat pembakaran. Mula-mula, tulang bahagian kepala (tengkorak), leher, dada (rusuk), pinggul dan kaki perlu diambil secara teliti dan dimasukkan ke dalam salah sebuah periuk belanga yang dibawa. Selepas itu, abu jenazah dikumpul dan dimasukkan ke dalam periuk yang sebuah lagi.

Karmi dan para pengiring akan beredar ke tepi pantai atau ke tebing sungai untuk upacara seterusnya. Tempat yang rata dan kering perlu dicari. Aspek keselamatan dan kebersihan perlu sentiasa diberi perhatian. Segala upacara ini juga perlu dilaksanakan dengan tenang tanpa sebarang perselisihan.

Daun pisang perlu diletak di atas tanah dengan kedudukan bahagian hujung daun menghala ke arah selatan. Beras ditabur di atas daun pisang; biasanya dalam bentuk bujur mengikut bentuk daun pisang.

Tulang-tulang yang disimpan di dalam periuk belanga akan dikeluarkan dengan teliti dan disusun semula di atas beras yang ditabur tadi. Tengkorak diletak dulu, diikuti bahagian-bahagian lain sehinggalah ke bahagian kaki. Kepala (tengkorak) harus menghala ke selatan. Periuk belanga berisi abu jenazah pula diletakkan di sisi tulang tetapi masih di atas daun pisang yang ditabur beras tadi.

Lampu minyak, setanggi dan kapur barus dipasang. Sirih, pinang dan bunga rampai diletakkan berhampiran tengkorak. Kain merah atau putih piasanya dililit pada leher periuk belanga berisi abu. Kain putih bagi balu dan lelaki; manakala kain merah bagi wanita yang masih bersuami atau wanita yang belum berkahwin.

Bagi upacara seterusnya, kaum India beraga Hindu akan cuba mendapatkan sedikit air dari Sungai Ganges dan dicampur dengan air biasa. Sekiranya air Sungai Ganges tidak diperoleh, air biasa sudah memadai. Air berkenaan direnjis ke atas tulang dan abu yang diletak di atas daun pisang. Kemudian direnjis pula dengan susu. Semua ini dilakukan oleh karmi dengan tunjuk ajar daripada warga emas yang berpengalaman.

Sambil merenjis air dan susu, karmi akan mengulang nama Dewa Shiva, Narayana, Govinda atau mana-mana dewa yang biasa disebut oleh mendiang semasa hayat. Semua tulang perlu dipastikan basah terkena air dan susu yang direnjis.

Karmi juga akan merenjis air pada bunga rampai, sirih, pinang serta nasi yang diletak sebagai simbol "mempersembahkan" barangan itu kepada roh mendiang sebelum roh pergi meninggalkan dunia ini.

Arathi iaitu upacara membakar kapur barus dilakukan di mana talam berisi kapur barus yang menyala perlu dipusing melawan arah pusingan jam.

Dalam budaya dan kepercayaan masyarakat India-Hindu, pusingan arathi mengikut arah pusingan jam adalah bagi perkara-perkara baik manakala pusingan melawan arah jam adalah bagi perkara-perkara tidak baik dan menyedihkan.

Tulang dan abu jenazah dimasukkan ke dalam sebuah periuk belanga. Susu dan air dituang ke dalam periuk belanga supaya keseluruhan tulang dan abu ditenggelami sepenuhnya. – Bersambung

* Uthaya Sankar SB adalah penerima Anugerah Duta Keamanan 2008

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

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food


A feast from heaven

Posted: 11 Nov 2012 05:25 PM PST

The wooden house is slightly set back from the main Teluk Bahang Road.

BALIK PULAU, Penang, Nov 12 — Say the words "Balik Pulau" and what immediately springs to mind? Well, apart from old wooden houses on stilts and life as it was half a century ago? Assam laksa and durians, of course!

The dry hilly slopes are perfect for growing this delicious albeit prickly fruit, and several fishing villages here produce belacan (fermented prawn paste) and hey ko (black prawn paste), so it stands to reason that the "back of the island" or Pulo, as the Chinese call it, has become known for its tasty durians and equally fragrant Penang laksa.

At "The Middle of Nowhere", you will be able to feast on both to your heart's content — during the season, that is. It's become known by this name because it does seem to be located in the middle of nowhere, although it is actually set somewhere between the Teluk Bahang Dam and Kongsi, the town centre of Balik Pulau.

Eric tackles one of the durians from his plantation.

As you leave the northern tip of the island and travel the long and windy eight kilometre road that leads to his door, you will come across a wooden house set a few metres in from the road. The sign alone will make you salivate: "DURIAN" in giant words.

Despite the main thoroughfare, it is a peaceful location which brings to mind Cameron Highlands or Fraser's Hill with its abundant greenery and foliage. Luxuriant creepers full of large gorgeous flowers trail up along the open-air sides of the dining porch.

It is here that Eric, a trained chef, has been doling out his version of home-made assam laksa to hungry locals and tourists for the past few years. Originally only open during the durian season, it is now available practically every weekend and during long public holidays.

"It's quite casual and relaxed, more like R&R for folks who pass by," he explained, "because there's not much in town to cater for them."

The laksa is made with locally-caught sardines or "Tua Bak" (big eyes) from Pulau Betong or one of the other fishing villages nearby. He insists on using fresh fish cooked the traditional way: once they have been cooked in the rempah-and-tamarind soup, they are fished out and the flesh removed to be served, together with the other typical laksa ingredients like julienned lettuce, cucumber, mint and bunga kantan, atop the noodles.

However, even in Balik Pulau, sometimes forces of Nature intervene, and the fishermen come back empty-handed. This is when his innovation as a trained chef comes in really handy.

Eric's assam laksa is made with fresh fish and local 'hey ko'.

"I will cook whatever is at hand and whatever my mood is," he said. This could either be Hokkien Mee or, as is the case for the month of December, an added item on the simple menu: Banana Leaf Rice.

His customers don't seem to mind. They come from all over the place, and as far as Singapore and Hong Kong — a French family was tucking into the fragrant fruit when we were there — and delight in whatever is on offer. It's not a big place, so they call up to reserve a table.

The plantation consists of about 80 trees of different varieties including Ang Hey and several others set amidst some 2.7 acres of land. There is usually only one main annual durian season. This year, however, as though to compensate for the worse crop ever — apparently only 5 per cent was fit to be harvested — there is a second lot of bounty to be had which, according to Eric, will run from now till about mid-December.

So gather ye durians while ye may, as this bonus, as he so aptly put it, is "a feast from heaven", and will not last forever.

"The Middle of Nowhere"

202 Jalan Teluk Bahang

Tel: +6012 401 0101

The durians are sold by weight.

Open from about 10am to 4pm on weekends and long public holidays only.


Museum explores America’s food history

Posted: 11 Nov 2012 04:20 PM PST

WASHINGTON, Nov 12 — The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, looking at everything from the influence of immigrant populations, fast food, and the role of science and technology.

Julia Child's Kitchen, the opening story in the new exhibition 'Food: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000' at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. — AFP/Relaxnews

'Food: Transforming the American Table' opens with arguably the most influential culinary figure in the US, Julia Child, who has been credited with demystifying the notion of homecooked meals and making cooking accessible and pleasurable again at a time when the TV dinner was at the peak of its popularity.

The relocated kitchen from her Cambridge, Massachusetts home kicks off the 353-square-metre exhibit, which goes on to explore the way the dinner table has evolved over the years from 1950 to 2000.

The exhibit is divided into four distinct sections displaying 160 objects. 'Resetting the Table,' for instance, explores the way new immigrants have introduced American palates to Asian, African, Middle Eastern, Mexican and Central American flavours, in addition to looking at the rising interest in local, organic and artisanal foods.

'Who did the cooking?'

The display will also explore the impacts of shifting gender roles and the way working patterns and family life changed the way families gathered around the dinner table.

America's wine-making tradition is given homage in the exhibit, while the 'New and Improved' section looks at the way industrial agriculture and commercial food production lined grocery store shelves with convenience foods and how busy, harried lifestyles spawned the birth of drive-thru and take-out dining.

After exploring America's food culture, visitors are then invited to pull up a seat at a 7-metre communal dining table to share their thoughts about the way the food landscape has changed in the US.

The latest exhibit comes on the heels of another American food-themed project by celebrity chef José Andrés, who transformed his Washington DC restaurant Café Atlantico last year into a pop-up eatery called America Eats Tavern. The project, in partnership with the Foundation for the National Archives' exhibit What's Cooking, Uncle Sam?, traced the journey of the government's role in the American diet.

The exhibit opens November 20. — AFP/Relaxnews


Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com
 

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