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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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Dine with Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow for charity Posted: 27 Nov 2012 05:13 PM PST Gwyneth Paltrow — AFP/Relaxnews NEW YORK, Nov 28 — Want to dine with besties Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow and have more than US$16,000 (RM48,000) kicking around? You're in luck. The BFFs are auctioning off the chance to dine in their celebrity presence, with proceeds going to victims of Hurricane Sandy. As of yesterday, the bid is up to US$16,000. The money will benefit the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and Vogue's Fashion For Sandy Relief. According to the auction description, the dinner, which is to take place in New York, is valid for two people and will be set at a mutually agreed upon date. The winner is advised, however, that it could take up to a year to schedule, based on availability. Paltrow and Batali teamed up to host travel culinary show "On the Road Again", in which the pair took viewers on an epicurean trip throughout Spain along with food writer Mark Bittman and Spanish actress Claudia Bassols. Meanwhile, other restaurants and restaurateurs who have lent a helping hand to Hurricane Sandy victims include chef Scott Conant, who donated US$20 from every US$80 or US$115 tasting menu from his Scarpetta chain to benefit City Harvest, which delivers food to people affected by the hurricane. Bidding for the Batali-Paltrow dinner, meanwhile, closes December 5 at 4 pm EST. http://bit.ly/US8vJx — AFP/Relaxnews

Bocuse d’Or announces secret fish ingredient Posted: 27 Nov 2012 07:46 AM PST LYON, Nov 27 — It will be a battle of Turbot Label Rouge and European Blue Lobster at the Bocuse d'Or next year, when chefs from 24 countries will be locked down in a major cooking competition known as the culinary Olympics of the food world. Organisers made the announcement two months before the event, a major departure from tradition when chefs were told of the fish ingredient six months ahead of time. For the 25th edition of the Bocuse d'Or, a major cooking throw down held every two years in Lyon, France, organizers have changed the rules of the game to encourage more creativity, spontaneity and diversity in the dishes prepared. Teams must prepare both a beef and fish dish over the two-day event. The beef battle was announced in the summer: chefs will work with fillet of Irish beef. The Association Turbot Qualité in France describes the Turbot Label Rouge as a full-flavored, low-fat fish with a slightly "iodised" aroma and melt-in-the-mouth properties. The red tag acts as a quality assurance label. European Blue Lobster is closely related to the American lobster and is typically found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. On the eve of the competition, chefs will have 30 minutes to choose the fruits and vegetables that will be used for two of the three garnishes. The third garnish must represent the candidate's national heritage. After picking their produce, chefs will have one hour to create and write down the recipe and five hours and 35 minutes to cook their meal. Meanwhile, at the World Culinary Olympics last month billed as the oldest competition of its kind, team Sweden took home the gold medal, outcooking 53 other competitor countries. Likewise, the Scandinavians have been the teams to beat in the last few Bocuse d'Or editions. In 2011, Rasmus Kofoed of Denmark was winner, while Norway took home the gold in 2009. — AFP/Relaxnews

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Messi’s pursuit of Mueller record on hold Posted: 27 Nov 2012 07:32 AM PST MADRID, Nov 27 – Former Germany and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Mueller's record of 85 goals in a calendar year will stand for a little longer after Barcelona decided to rest Lionel Messi for a midweek outing in the King's Cup against lowly Alaves. The Argentina forward (picture), a favourite to secure a fourth straight World Player of the Year award in January, is three goals short of the tally Mueller set in 1972 after netting twice in La Liga at the weekend. "Messi's only thinking about helping the team to win, not about personal records," Barca coach Tito Vilanova told a news conference today. "If he was thinking the other way he would have asked me to play in the Cup." Holders Barcelona host third-tier Alaves in a last-32 second leg at the Nou Camp tomorrow when they will defend a 3-0 lead. Vilanova left out first-team regulars such as Messi, Victor Valdes, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Gerard Pique when naming a 16-man squad, while calling up a number of Academy players. "We have given the players who have played the most recently a rest," Vilanova said. "It will be a good game for those just back from injury such as Thiago (Alcantara), Adriano and the players from Barca B." Spain striker David Villa returned to the side after missing Sunday's trip to Levante with an ankle problem, though he has yet to be given the go-ahead to play by the club's medical services. "David's fine. We'll see how he is tomorrow but there shouldn't be a problem with him playing," Vilanova added. The unbeaten La Liga leaders moved 11 points clear of champions Real Madrid at the weekend, after Jose Mourinho's men were surprise 1-0 losers at Real Betis. Real's third league defeat in 13 games, and the prospect of a city derby against second-placed Atletico Madrid on Saturday, has upped the pressure on Mourinho, but Vilanova side-stepped any comment on their arch-rivals. "I know you find it hard to understand but my priority is tomorrow's game and later the visit of Athletic Bilbao," Vilanova said. "What happens with other clubs is nothing to do with me." – Reuters

Kompany fit to lead Manchester City Posted: 27 Nov 2012 05:23 AM PST LONDON, Nov 27 – Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany will be fit to lead his side in their Premier League match at Wigan Athletic tomorrow, first-team coach David Platt said. Kompany (picture) hurt his knee in City's Champions League draw with Real Madrid last week but played the full match against Chelsea on Sunday, despite being on crutches 48 hours before kickoff. Platt told a news conference today that two games in a week was not too much for the Belgium defender. "Vinnie would have still been feeling the effects of the injury that he picked up last Wednesday in the (Chelsea) game but he got through the game and got through it very well," he said. "There were no after effects, he iced it straight afterwards as a precaution. We don't really have any concerns for him for Wednesday night." Gael Clichy (ankle) and Jack Rodwell (hamstring) remain sidelined for the champions, while Joleon Lescott is available. – Reuters

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‘Twilight’ remains atop US box office Posted: 27 Nov 2012 06:56 AM PST LOS ANGELES, Nov 27 — The last "Twilight" vampire movie clung to the top of North America's box office for a second weekend, fighting off the latest 007 movie "Skyfall" in second place, figures showed Monday. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2," the fifth and final installment of the wildly popular series, took US$43.6 million (RM133 million) dollars, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations. The previous four films, based on novels by Stephenie Meyer and starting in 2008, earned a colossal US$2.4 billion altogether. In second spot was the new James Bond movie "Skyfall," which earned US$35.5 million on its third weekend in theaters, or US$51 over the combined five days including last Thursday's Thanksgiving holiday. Third place went to Steven Spielberg film "Lincoln," starring Daniel Day-Lewis — tipped for an Oscar for his role of America's assassinated 16th president — which had US$25.7 million in ticket sales. Entering the top 10 in fourth place was "Rise of the Guardians," DreamWorks's latest animated offering in which Jack Frost is called to help in the battle against evil. It took US$23.8 million at the weekend. Also new was 3D fantasy "Life of Pi" by Oscar-winning Taiwanese-American director Ang Lee, based on a Booker prize-winning novel about an Indian boy adrift on a lifeboat in the Pacific, which took US$22.5 million in fifth place. In sixth spot was "Wreck-It Ralph," the animated Disney film about a video game villain with dreams of becoming a hero, which earned US$16.6 million on its fourth week in theaters. Another new entry, "Red Dawn," about a group of teenagers look to save their town from an invasion of North Korean soldiers, took seventh place with US$14.3 million worth of tickets sold. In eighth spot was "Flight," a vehicle for Denzel Washington, who is also drawing Oscar buzz for his role as a crash-landing hero pilot with substance abuse problems. It pulled in US$8.5 million. At number nine was "Silver Linings Playbook," David O. Russell's dramatic comedy about a man's recovery from a meltdown, which won the Toronto Film Festival's top prize in September, and earned US$4.4 million this weekend. Rounding out the top 10 was "Argo," based on the true story of six Americans spirited out of Iran during the 1979-1980 hostage crisis. The film directed by and starring Ben Affleck earned US$3.9 million. — AFP-Relaxnews

Lindsay Lohan befriended by Sheen, loses out as Liz Posted: 26 Nov 2012 11:22 PM PST Lindsay Lohan arrives for a private dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, November 20, 2012, celebrating the premiere of "Liz & Dick". — Reuters file pic LOS ANGELES, Nov 27 — Hollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen found a kindred spirit in actress Lindsay Lohan when they worked on the set of "Scary Movie 5" and gave the actress US$100,000 (RM298,000) to pay off some of her overdue taxes. Sheen's camp yesterday confirmed that the "Anger Management" star gave the cash gift to the in-and-out-of-trouble Lohan who reportedly owes the US government more than US$200,000 in unpaid taxes for 2009 and 2010. "Charlie has a long history of helping out his friends in many ways and this is just another example of that," Sheen's publicist Larry Solters said in a statement. Sheen and Lohan worked earlier this year on the horror spoof "Scary Movie 5", which is scheduled for an April 2013 release. Lohan's latest performance as late Hollywood screen legend Elizabeth Taylor did not go so well. Her role in the TV movie "Liz & Dick" was slammed by critics and largely ridiculed on Twitter. Cable TV channel Lifetime said yesterday that a modest 3.5 million Americans watched the film at the weekend. Lohan and Sheen's hard partying and off-screen antics have made them tabloid favourites. Lohan, 26, has been mired in legal and financial troubles since 2007. Sheen, 47, once the highest-earning actor on television, was infamously fired from CBS comedy "Two and a Half Men" in 2011 after making derogatory comments about the show's creator, Chuck Lorre. During that time Sheen gripped the public in a meltdown of drug use, erratic behaviour and Internet soliloquies. Sheen has cleaned up his image in recent months while starring in "Anger Management" on cable television channel FX. — Reuters

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Injuries caused by bouncy houses on the rise, study says Posted: 27 Nov 2012 07:52 AM PST A new US study finds that injuries from inflatable slides and bouncers are on the rise. — shutterstock.com pic NEW YORK, Nov 27 — Inflatable castles and slides are often a kids' birthday party essential, but researchers say they've found an alarming increase in injuries over the years. In a study published Monday, scientists at the Centre for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in the US examined paediatric injuries associated with inflatable bouncers. Dr. Gary A. Smith and his colleagues found that from 1995 to 2010 there was a 15-fold increase in the number of injuries that were treated in US emergency centres among children younger than 18 years old. In 2010 alone, more than 30 children per day, or about one child every 45 minutes, were treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries linked to inflatable bouncers. The study, which appears online in the journal Paediatrics, found that the most common injuries were fractures, sprains and strains, but 19 per cent of injuries were to the head and neck. "It is time for us to take action to prevent these injuries, says Smith. "Ensuring that parents are aware of the potential risks, improving surveillance of the injuries, developing national safety guidelines and improving bouncer design are the first steps." The study follows a warning published in the same journal in September from the American Academy of Paediatrics that states that backyard trampolines aren't worth the risks. "One-third to one-half of all trampoline-related injuries happened with an adult supervising trampoline use," said Susannah Briskin, MD, a co-author of the policy statement. "If injuries are still occurring, adults are likely not appropriately monitoring behaviour on the mat." Access the new study: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/11/21/peds.2012-0473.abstract — AFP-Relaxnews

Gimme shelter and light therapy at Swedish bus stops Posted: 27 Nov 2012 07:51 AM PST STOCKHOLM, Nov 27 — Commuters in the northern Swedish town of Umea are being treated to ultra-violet light therapy as the long, dark winter for which the Nordic state is renowned draws in. Energy company Umea Energi has decided to install ultra-violet lights at about 30 bus stops for people, which will be in place for the next three weeks. "This is so people can get a little energy kick as they are waiting," said Umea Energi marketing chief Anna Norrgard. Umea is about 600 km north of capital city Stockholm. The company also wanted to highlight the fact that its energy comes from environmentally sound sources, she said. Any harmful rays from the light have been filtered out of it, the company said. Much of Sweden is plunged into long, dark winters, often with lots of snow. The sun in Umea currently rises at about 8 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) and sets at 3 p.m. The daylight hours are shortest in December, when the sun comes up at about 10 a.m. and disappears again at about 2:30 pm. Some towns north of the Arctic circle have no daylight for several weeks in the winter. — Reuters

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Roth retirement stuns literary critics Posted: 26 Nov 2012 04:29 PM PST Roth hit stardom in 1969 with 'Portnoy's Complaint'. — Reuters pic NEW YORK, Nov 27 — Novelist Philip Roth's decision to lay down his pen despite seemingly good health and his formerly unstoppable production at the age of 79, has stunned US literary circles. The low-key announcement first appeared in the French cultural magazine Les Inrockuptibles and was missed by many in the United States, where Roth was one of the country's "literary lions," as The New York Observer said. Then the news gradually spread, prompting surprise and some skepticism. "It's surprising, given his obsessive habit of constantly working," said Ross Posnock, a Columbia University professor who wrote the 2006 study, Philip Roth's Rude Truth: The Art of Immaturity. Posnock told AFP there could be a good reason behind Roth's decision to quit, even if at some level he could go on. "Artistically, I think it makes sense. I don't think that (his recent work) is as strong at all as some of the works of the 90s, for instance Sabbath's Theater, or Human Stain," he said. "They required so much energy and concentration that he probably doesn't have that left." But Posnock echoed other commentators, like The New Yorker's Adam Gopnik, who think Roth may be eating his own words soon. "I never expected him to retire... but I have a suspicion he may un-retire. I can't imagine it being easy for him not to write," Posnock said. The speculation over Roth reflects his stature on the post-World War II literary scene, with writing that was at once comic, sincere, satirical and provocative. He hit stardom in 1969 with Portnoy's Complaint, a sexually explicit comedy about a young Jewish-American obsessed by masturbation and his mother, and took off on a decades-long career. "He is probably the greatest American novelist since Faulkner, in my opinion. Harold Bloom says it too, I'm sure many people say it," Posnock said, referring to the renowned literary critic. "He liberated a certain American vernacular... similar to what Salinger did in The Catcher in the Rye, bringing out a vernacular of American idiom, but in Roth's case more obscene, Jewish, urban, that had never really been heard before." The grandson of Jewish immigrants from eastern Europe, Roth grew up in Newark, New Jersey, and his own life and Jewish background were constant sources of material for his fiction. The Observer said "he is the Jewish-American writer", although at the same time "he made Jewish fiction mainstream, allowing Jewish writers to focus on something other than just being Jewish". That ability to escape being pigeon-holed and the universality of his message best explains Roth's success. As far back as 1962, literary critic Orville Prescott wrote in The New York Times that "Philip Roth writes out of his passionate interest in his fellow human beings". Five decades later, with his books taking up entire shelves in libraries, his retirement is "not just a sad blow, but also as a genuine shock", critic James Walton wrote in Britain's Daily Telegraph. "It's a bit like hearing that Keith Richards has given up rock and roll, or that the Pope is abandoning religion." All that remains to be done: "Give Philip Roth a Nobel Prize as a retirement present," Walton said. — AFP-Relaxnews

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Umno, parti Melayu yang relevan — Datuk Siti Rahmah Kassim Posted: 27 Nov 2012 02:12 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Nov — Usia senja 87 tahun tidak menghalang srikandi veteran Umno, Datuk Siti Rahmah Kassim menghadiri perhimpunan agung Umno kali ini, selain masih giat berjuang demi agama, bangsa dan negara. Berpegang kepada prinsip hidup "selagi hayat dikandung badan, selagi kesihatan mengizinkan, selagi tenaga membolehkan, selama itu saya berjuang demi agama, bangsa dan negara kerana Allah SWT", semangat perjuangan wanita ini terus kental. Bagi Siti Rahmah, insan pertama menyerahkan gelang emas kesayangan pemberian bapanya untuk membiayai perjalanan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ke London dalam misi menuntut kemerdekaan semata-mata kerana perjuangan bangsa, Umno baginya adalah 'dulu, kini dan selama-lamanya' di hati. Perjuangan Umno tiada noktah dan inilah institusi politik Melayu yang relevan untuk memperjuangkan agama, bangsa dan negara, katanya tegas. Ditemui penulis di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra ketika menghadiri Forum Antarabangsa Umno yang berlangsung selama dua hari dan berakhir hari ini, jelas terpancar di sebalik garisan mamahan usia pada wajahnya, bahawa hanya Umno boleh terus membela dan mempertahan nasib Melayu serta tunjang Barisan Nasional (BN) untuk  memacu negara ke arah kecemerlangan. "Umno lah sebuah parti politik yang betul-betul berani berhadapan dengan  kerajaan British, menyuarakan keinginan negara untuk merdeka. Barisan (Nasional) telah berkuasa 55 tahun, negara membangun, universiti bertambah, anak-anak kita ramai yang lulus daripada universiti," katanya penuh bersemangat. Masih cergas menabur bakti kepada masyarakat sambil diiringi seorang pembantu, Siti Rahmah menceburi politik seawal usia 19 tahun dan merupakan wanita pertama bertanding dalam pilihan raya pada 1959. Beliau yang pernah menjadi Pengerusi Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam Malaysia (Perkim) Negeri Sembilan masih aktif dan menjadi anggota Perkim. Jawatan lain yang pernah disandang ialah Pengerusi Persatuan Ibu Tunggal Negeri Sembilan dan Timbalan Presiden Majlis Ibu Tunggal Malaysia. Cinta Siti Rahmah yang amat mendalam terhadap agama, bangsa dan negara membuatkan beliau sanggup menyertai forum antarabangsa Umno kali ketiga yang bertema 'Konflik dan Pendamaian Dalam Politik Rakyat - Menoleh ke Belakang atau Memandang ke Hadapan?' sempena Persidangan Agung Umno 2012 di sini. Anak jati kelahiran Rembau, Negeri Sembilan ini yang telah bersama-sama orang Melayu lain menentang Malayan Union, berkata anggota Umno mesti yakin kepada organisasi yang dianggotai dan terus setia bersama-sama berjuang bersama pemimpin parti. "Cuma pengikut yang di bawah ni, kita perlu setia. Jangan hari ini kita masuk Umno, esok orang datang cakap Parti Negara (sebagai contoh) elok, kita masuk pulak. Tak boleh," katanya. Ditanya bagaimana beliau melihat barisan kepimpinan negara di bawah Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Siti Rahmah berkata: "Saya berpendapat pemimpin pada hari ini mempunyai semangat wira negara. Mereka mewarisi sikap-sikap pemimpin yang terdahulu." Beliau berpendapat kepimpinan negara yang diteraju Najib serta di peringkat lain menjalankan tugas dengan penuh bertanggungjawab. Berdasarkan pemerhatiannya, pembangkang ketika ini hanya menimbulkan isu untuk menarik perhatian rakyat. "Cuma pembangkang ni, umpama memukul tin kosong. Bila dia pukul tin kosong pun, orang datang tengok. Jadi orang tak mengkaji apa peranan dia dan apa kejayaan dia. Kenapa kita mesti percaya?, katanya. Siti Rahmah berkata tiada sebab kukuh untuk mana-mana pihak menukar dan menubuhkan sebuah kerajaan baru semata-mata atas nama demokrasi. "Pembangkang memang itu sifatnya. Kalau mereka tidak menyalahkan kerajaan apa lagi modal mereka," katanya sinis. — Bernama

Generasi muda tidak mudah terpengaruh dengan anasir luar — Khairy Posted: 27 Nov 2012 02:10 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 27 Nov —  Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda Umno Khairy Jamaluddin (gambar) yakin generasi muda di negara ini tidak mudah terpengaruh dengan anasir luar terutama pihak yang mahu menggulingkan kerajaan. Beliau berkata ini kerana kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) memberi ruang yang cukup kepada orang muda untuk menyampaikan pandangan termasuk menerusi anggota Parlimen. "...zaman kerajaan tahu segalanya sudah kita tamatkan, kita 'engage' generasi muda selami jiwa mereka itu dan buat segalanya untuk mereka," katanya kepada Bernama, di sini. Anggota Parlimen Rembau itu berkata hasil inisiatif kerajaan mendekati mereka, sokongan golongan muda kepada BN kini semakin kukuh. Selain itu tegasnya proses demokrasi di negara ini juga lebih baik berbanding di beberapa negara yang menyaksikan rakyatnya bangkit menggulingkan kerajaan. Beliau berkata usaha kerajaan memperkasa generasi muda dapat dilihat menerusi Belanjawan 2013 dibentang Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak baru-baru ini, antaranya menyediakan peruntukan khas bagi latihan kemahiran belia. "Pindaan Akta Universiti Kolej (AUKU) yang membolehkan mahasiswa berpolitik juga merupakan antara usaha kita memperkasa generasi muda. Ada kata takut kampus kucar-kacir jika perkara ini dilaksana. "Tetapi sudah lebih setahun pindaan ini terlaksana, tiada kucar-kacir yang berlaku malah suara mahasiswa semakin lantang berusaha memajukan negara. Percayalah kepada kami, kami orang muda, mahu dan akan menjadikan negara ini yang terbaik di dunia," katanya. — Bernama

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Mahu gunting rambut di KB? Posted: 26 Nov 2012 04:21 PM PST 27 NOV — Sure heboh Heboh di dada akhbar penguatkuasaan undang-undang oleh Majlis Perbandaran Kota Baru Bandaraya Islam (MPKB BI) ke atas sebuah saloon gunting rambut wanita di KB Mall. Tindakan itu berpandukan pada seksyen 107(2) Undang Kecil Majlis Tempatan yang sudah berjalan sejak 1991 lagi. Peruntukan undang-undang ini melarang wanita menggunting rambut lelaki dan begitulah sebaliknya. Biasalah di Malaysia, perkara lama boleh disensasikan asalkan ada kepentingan di situ. Kali ini undang-undang kecil yang sudah lama dikuatkuasakan tiba-tiba menjadi sensasi dan yang menariknya semua pihak menambah rencah mengikut selera masing-masing, sure heboh satu Malaysia punya. Hadiah Krismas Di Malaysia sesuatu isu itu apabila hangit sangat diputarkan sehingga kita tidak tahu apa puncanya dan apa isunya. Disensasikan dengan kebebasan media ala Malaysia, orang ramai disuap secara paksa dengan apa yang dimahukan oleh pencacai politik. Tiada budaya sihat di mana berbagai pandangan membentuk kematangan rakyat berfikir. MCA nampaknya seronok dalam isu saman di KB Mall ini ke atas pengusaha saloon sehingga menganggap ini adalah "hadiah dari tuhan untuk sambutan Krismas" dengan kata lain mereka mendapat "peluru percuma" membantai PAS dengan bantaian maut. Semua sedia maklum betapa MCA jadi parti yang terpalit dengan krisis termasuk moral di mana pelakon utamanya adalah presidennya sendiri. Walaupun demikian dia masih tetap Presiden, entah apa ilmu dipakainya ataupun perwakilan ada tahap tertentu menentukan kepimpinannya. Saya boleh bayang betapa sukanya parti ini mendapat hadiah Krismas dengan isu di KB Mall ini. Tapi... tunggu dulu, apa isunya? Keselesaan atau paksaan Apa yang dihebohkan adalah isu segregasi jantina, walaupun perbahasannya luas, saya mahu melihat dari sudut memberikan keselesaan dan menjaga hak wanita sebagai menangkis hujah pihak tertentu yang membawa konotasi negatif. Bukankah amalan segregasi ini telahpun diamalkan di negara-negara lain termasuk Jepun dan India wa imma di China dan Eropah sendiri? Tidak berbangkit isu ini dikaitkan dengan "memaksa hak bukan Islam" ia adalah untuk memelihara keselesaan kaum Hawa yang perlu pembelaan terhadap ruangnya yang tidak boleh dikongsi sama oleh kaum Adam. Keselesaan ruang dicipta eksklusif untuk wanita di dalam pengangkutan awam, tempat awam dan ketika berbaris panjang bukan kerana diskriminasi tetapi kerana menjaga sifat wanita yang lemah lembut supaya tak perlu berasak dengan lelaki atau berebut tempat.Manakala di saloon pula segregasi adalah bentuk keselesaan supaya wanita mendapat ruang eksklusifnya tanpa diganggu dengan kehadiran kaum lelaki sebagai pengguntingnya mahupun sebagai pelanggannya. Amalan segregasi jantina ini perlu dilihat dalam perspektif keselesaan dan bukan paksaan. Adakah ini bermakna semua wanita bersetuju ruang eksklusif mereka dicerobohi dan dikongsi khususnya di tempat seperti saloon wanita seperti yang dilaungkan oleh MCA dan yang sama waktu dengannya? Apakah yang MCA perjuangkan? Hak wanita atau mahu publisiti politik? Mengaitkan isu ini dengan kononnya memaksa bukan Islam adalah tersasar dari fahaman malah menggambarkan kecelaruan MCA dalam isu ini. Mereka tidak dapat membezakan antara memberi keselesaan dengan paksaan, apatah lagi MCA buat sekian kalinya menggunakan Islam sebagai temanya kononnya undang-undang ini memaksa bukan Islam! Unisex Perkataan unisex menggambarkan ianya terbuka untuk lelaki dan wanita. Ia adalah manifestasi kebebasan yang menggambarkan kemodenan apabila ia mula diperkenalkan, maka lahirlah unisex saloon. Bagi sesetengah pihak konsep ini disalahertikan untuk mewajarkan kegiatan yang boleh memberi ruang kepada aktiviti yang tidak ada kena mengena dengan pendandanan rambut. Banyak aktiviti di bandar besar menggunakan platform ini untuk menawarkan khidmat lain dari dandanan rambut. Walaupun tidak semua yang mengambil kesempatan tapi tiada jaminan kekal yang profesion ini terpelihara dari tujuan lain. Sebagai tanda prevention is better than cure, adalah normal bagi negeri seperti Kelantan yang padat budaya ketimurannya memelihara nilai-nilai ini dari dicemari. Bukankah budaya sebahagian dari faktor mempengaruhi sesuatu perundangan? Undang-undang kecil Oleh kerana tindakan ini adalah tindakan yang diperuntukkan oleh perundangan maka adalah wajar pihak yang tidak berpuas hati menangani isu ini mengikut perundangan juga. Masyarakat yang demokratik bukan sahaja melaungkan hak kebebasannya tetapi dia juga menggunakan saluran perundangan untuk memperbaiki keadaan masyarakatnya. Tiada yang mutlak dan tidak boleh dipertikaikan selagimana ia berlaku dalam konteks perundangan yang bebas memberi intepretasi kepada permasalahan yang timbul. Saya juga melihat di sebalik rencah selera politik Umno dan MCA yang ditambah dalam isu ini, MPKB BI perlu menilai semula peruntukan-peruntukan ini dengan semangat memperbaikinya dari masa ke semasa mengikut kesesuaian dan tahap persediaan. Sebuah kerajaan yang mahu berkhidmat kepada subjeknya perlu peka dan sensitif dengan respons yang tulen dari orang ramai lalu memperluaskan ruang dialog samada memahamkan undang-undang tertentu ataupun mengharapkan feedback orang ramai. Semangat dialog dan sikap demokratik ini perlu diambil oleh kerajaan Kelantan dan mana-mana kerajaan lain,supaya isu ini dilanggani dengan bijaksana dan sikap yang terbuka. Di mana silapnya Di negeri-negeri lain berselerak lesen yang dikeluarkan oleh majlis kerajaan tempatan yang disalahgunakan untuk kegiatan tidak bermoral. Walaupun operasi demi operasi dilakukan ia tetap tumbuh seperti cendawan. Harga yang dibayar oleh masyarakat dalam gejala ini amatlah tinggi di mana seks bebas, pemerdagangan orang dan perhambaan moden telah meluas dan melata. Semuanya bermula dengan pemberian lesen untuk mereka beroperasi, walaupun tidak adil isu KB Mall ini dikaitkan dengan kegiatan tidak bermoral tetapi sekurangnya MPKB BI mahu menutup ruang-ruang ini daripada berlaku, di mana silapnya? Adakah kerana bukan Islam dipaksa untuk menerima undang-undang segregasi jantina ini ataukah kerana undang-undang kecil ini mahu memelihara kemaslahatan yang lebih besar untuk semua? Ataukah silapnya ialah MPKB BI mahu memelihara kesopanan wanita timur? * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Mourinho’s Madrid empire crumbling Posted: 26 Nov 2012 04:09 PM PST NOV 27 — Love him or loathe him (and you may be aware that I'm firmly in the latter camp), life is never dull when Jose Mourinho's around. The Real Madrid boss reacted to his team's latest title setback — a 1-0 defeat at Real Betis on Saturday night — in typically outspoken style. After starting off by saying that he wouldn't make any excuses for his team's loss, he promptly proceeded to make excuses for his team's loss. Specifically, Mourinho lambasted the officials for failing to award Madrid a late penalty and ruling out a goal by Karim Benzema for a questionable offside. He was also upset that the fixture at Betis had been scheduled for Saturday night, three days after Madrid's Champions League game at Manchester City, whereas title rivals Barcelona had been allowed an extra day of preparation for Sunday's game at Levante following their midweek trip to Spartak Moscow. The post-match outburst at Betis was just the latest in a long line of controversial incidents involving Mourinho this season, and the increasing frequency of his complaints suggests that everything might soon come to a head. Mourinho seems to be a man who thrives on confrontation — he never seems happy unless he is starting a fire somewhere. Whether he's conscious of it or not, his relentless habit of entering into personal vendettas is probably an important part of his mental approach to the job, firing his competitive instinct and providing a more personal edge to his motivation. Normally, Madrid's perennial rivals Barcelona are the logical recipients of his outrage, as they were again on Saturday night when he ridiculously suggested that the Catalan club control the scheduling of fixtures. However, Mourinho's attempts to commence a flame war between himself and Barcelona have largely failed so far this season for the simple reason that new Barca boss Tito Vilanova has stoically refused to play ball. Recognising that he doesn't possess the same kind of charisma or media-friendly magnetism of his Madrid contemporary, Vilanova simply dismisses any attempt of Mourinho to get under his skin with a tired shrug of the shoulders, admirably refusing to respond to the goading of journalists by venturing into confrontation or criticism of Mourinho. It's a wise choice: any war of words between the two managers would undoubtedly be won by Mourinho because it's something that he's brilliant at, and Vilanova is therefore much better off leaving well alone. This, no doubt, has enraged Mourinho further: the man he's trying to fight is simply refusing to have anything to do with it, preferring instead to turn his back and calmly walk away. And so he's also managed to find other victims for his fury. Notably, around a month ago Mourinho started a verbal tussle within his own club by criticising the selection and tactical policies of Madrid's B team manager Alberto Toril, who was publicly condemned by Mourinho in a press conference for failing to play his teams in the way that the Portuguese boss wants him to. That's right: Mourinho is prepared to start fires within his own club. Nobody is safe from his tongue-lashings — even members of his own coaching staff. Such an aggressive approach is just about tolerable when the team is winning, as Madrid were last season when they brilliantly set new La Liga records for points, wins and goals in the course of ending Barcelona's run of four consecutive league trophies. But this season Madrid have lost that winning habit, with Saturday's defeat at Betis leaving them 11 points adrift of rampant league leaders Barca, who extended their lead into double figures with a crushing 4-0 victory at Levante on Sunday. In fact, Madrid have already lost no less than five games so far this season when all competitions are considered, and face the prospect of a tough draw in the last 16 of the Champions League following their failure to overhaul Borussia Dortmund in the group stage. Despite operating with practically the same squad that was so dominant last season, Mourinho's team have clearly lost their way in the current campaign, somehow failing to find the bite and penetration that made them such a potent force in the past. Whether and to what extent Mourinho is directly to blame for the deterioration is questionable — the players should also be held to account for the lethargy of some of their performances — but any manager is always ultimately responsible for the successes or failures of his team, and the mounting pressure on Mourinho will only be exacerbated by his insistence upon continually upsetting everybody. An unpopular and charmless coach can be tolerated if he wins; if he doesn't, he quickly turns into a liability. And that's exactly what Mourinho is rapidly becoming for Real Madrid, a club that is rightly proud of its traditions and history of stylish success, and is unwilling to become tainted by the aggressive vulgarity that comes as par for the course with Mourinho. The club's president Florentino Perez faces an interesting few months. Sacking Mourinho — one of the most successful coaches in the history of football — is an enormous decision, but the Portuguese boss is unlikely to resign unless he is guaranteed a full financial pay-off. For the good of Real Madrid, Perez probably needs to steel himself in preparation of making that big decision. At the moment, Mourinho's inability to behave with grace or respect is starting to sully his club's reputation; Real Madrid deserve better.  * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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