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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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Biula’s winning burger Posted: 29 Nov 2012 07:16 PM PST The tantalising Big Mama burger that became Biula's winning entry. — Picture courtesy of AFC KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 — Malaysia Boleh! You usually hear that at some sporting event like badminton, or football when our team wins. But this time, it's a 17-year-old girl's amazing burger creation which brought out the Malaysia Boleh yell. Thashini Ramakrishnan, popularly known as Biula on 'The Big Break' made Malaysia proud when she won the Burger Challenge in Episode 3. Thashini Ramakrishnan, better known as Biula on "The Big Break" which is a TV cooking contest for underprivileged children across Asia, was the winner in Episiode 3's Burger Challenge.  She beat the other 10 contestants with her Big Mama recipe, a delicious beef patty served with mouth-watering sauces, buttered sesame buns, garnished with green and purple vegetables ... and won a SG$200 (RM498) shopping voucher.  The feisty 17-year-old lives with an ailing father and a mother who works as a cleaner to support the family of five in a community building in Selayang. When there is not enough food on the table, Biula has been known to go out and search for food and money. Biula enjoys cooking nasi goreng for her family and she said that if there was one person in the world she would cook a special meal for, it would be for her mother.   "The Big Break" is aired on The Asian Food Channel, Astro Channel 703, every Wednesday, 10pm. The winner of the contest will be offered a one-year scholarship at At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy in Singapore. If you want to see Biula do Malaysia and her family proud, catch the repeat of Episode 3 on AFC tomorrow at 10am, 5pm and 11pm.

Eat it, Gangnam-style Posted: 29 Nov 2012 05:03 PM PST The menu (left) and the Beef Rice Burger at Namoo on the Park. — Pictures by CK Lim KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 — I am Gangnam-phobic. Can you blame me, really? The innately ridiculous yet astonishingly addictive bow-legged dance phenomenon has gone viral all over the world in the past few months. Everyone from Wolverine and Madonna has got on the saddle, so to speak. Intimate corners abound, complete with curios. Earlier this month I even had a gaggle of Argentinian kids doing the Gangnam around me when I was admiring the view at the Iguazú Falls. (Obviously everyone remotely Asian-looking must be a Korean. Obviously.) There seems to be no escaping K-Pop sensation Psy's "Gangnam Style": I have friends in KL for a visit, and after I have filled their bellies with the best of local fare available, somehow we manage to find ourselves in a Korean dessert bistro one hot weekend afternoon. It is only a matter of time, I think, before the blasted song comes on over the stereo. The bistro in question, Namoo on the Park, is the brainchild of a trio of young Koreans and their Malaysian business partner who saw the opportunity in a market that was crazy about Korean food but only offered the traditional options.  Instead of more bulgogi and Korean BBQ, the founders – managing director Kim Sung Yong, pâtissière Kim Hye Jin, finance director Desmond Yap and Korean-based partner Hwang Qtek – are offering decidedly contemporary and fusion Korean creations. Hottuk, hot Korean-style pancakes with berries (left); Yuza Smoothie (right). During earlier visits, my partner and I have tried their some of their savoury offerings. Namoo's Beef Rice Burger (grilled handmade beef patty and a fried egg sandwiched between two grilled rice buns) is substantial while their Stewed Ginseng Chicken (a whole spring chicken stewed in a spicy-sweet ginseng gravy) is hearty and perhaps an acquired taste. Today though, we are all dying for a cold drink. Spicy and delicious, the Cinnamon Punch with Dried Korean Persimmon is certainly a good way to ward off the heat wave. Equally soothing is the Yuza Tea, a traditional Korean citrus tea, which comes with ice, of course. My favourite beverage has to be their Yuza Smoothie which is refreshing and has a mild citrus flavour without being too overpowering or acidic. Sweet Potato Cake (green filling) and Sweet Pumpkin Cake (yellow filling). There is a lot of natural sunlight in the alfresco area facing the park but inside wood and concrete dominates, with plenty of curios hidden away in corners. The bistro is always busy but you can carve your little intimate space here nonetheless. My friends and I sip our drinks eagerly and catch up on each other's lives while waiting for our sweet treats to arrive. The desserts are clearly the highlight here at Namoo, and a fine way to finish any meal. We start with Mat Tang, a Korean street snack of honey-glazed sweet potato cubes. Here, it is given a twist by adding chunks of tteok (glutinous rice cake) and honey-glazed pumpkin to the sweet potato. A smattering of yuza-caramelised nuts and a dish of yuza marmalade on the side complete the dessert. Cameras and other small details. Tangy and sticky, the Mat Tang is definitely a dish to share with a partner as it can be a bit cloying. Easier on the palate are the bistro's signature Sweet Potato Cake and Sweet Pumpkin Cake.  How to differentiate? Golden yellow is pumpkin and tofu (denser and blander); pale green is sweet potato and nuts (lighter and more aromatic). The final dessert of the day is Hottuk, a Korean-style pancake that originated from Chinese merchants who arrived in Korea in the late 19th century. Instead of savoury minced meat (which is more Chinese), these doughy pancakes (also known as hotteok) contain sweeter fillings such as honey, cinnamon and chopped peanuts. Namoo's version has a nice bite and comes topped with fresh berries and jam. A fine dusting of matcha powder on the accompanying ice-cream leaves a light scent of green tea that goes well with the desserts. They are what you will remember and return for the next time. The meal is over and it's time to leave. Just when I think it is safe, one of my friends decides to ham it up and performs the now infamous horseback dance move at the table. The rest joins in, providing the chorus, "Oh, sexy lady …" "Namoo" means "tree" in Korean, hence the heavy usage of wood in the bistro decor. There's no escaping K-Pop, or K-Eats for that matter. Oh well. If you can't beat them, join them and dig in. Namoo on the Park Korean Dessert Café n Bistro Level G3, Lot 4A , Publika, Solaris Dutamas No. 1, Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03 6411 6698. Open daily 11am to 10pm. Website: http://www.facebook.com/namoocafe/ * Kenny eats it Malaysian-style most days of the week. More edible adventures at http://lifeforbeginners.com

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Scolari shrugs off pressure on Brazil return Posted: 29 Nov 2012 06:40 AM PST Brazilian soccer coach Luiz Felipe Scolari raises his hand during his official presentation as Brazil's new coach for the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament in Rio de Janeiro November 29, 2012. — Reuters pic RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 29 — Luiz Felipe Scolari shrugged off the pressure of leading Brazil at home in the soccer World Cup and said they were "obliged" to win the title as he took over for a second stint as their coach today. Scolari, who led Brazil to their fifth and last world title in 2002, was officially presented as coach of the 2014 World Cup hosts, while Carlos Alberto Parreira, in charge when they won their fourth World Cup in 1994, was named technical director. "We have the obligation to win the title; we are not favourites at the moment but we intend to become favourites during the competition," said the man known as Felipao (Big Phil). "Third or fourth place is no good for a country that has won five World Cups." Scolari, who has inherited a young side who are seen as lagging behind teams such as Spain, Argentina and Germany, will have to cope with huge expectations from his 190 million compatriots. Scolari replaced Mano Menezes who was surprisingly sacked last Friday, just as his team appeared to be taking shape. The unveiling comes two days before the draw for the next year's Confederations Cup, also to be hosted in Brazil, in Sao Paulo. Scolari's first game in charge is scheduled to be a friendly away to England in February. Brazil's vast and fickle army of supporters always expect them to win the World Cup and the pressure will be even greater as the country hosts the event. Their failure to win on home soil in 1950 still rankles and the members of that team were never wholly forgiven for losing the decisive match to Uruguay. Scolari said it was water off a duck's back. "If you don't like pressure, it's better to go and work in the Bank of Brazil, or outside on the corner or sit in an office and do nothing," he said. "It would not be right if there was no pressure and the players thought the target was just to play at the World Cup. Sixth title "This would be one of our most important titles — the sixth title, at home at our second opportunity." Scolari said he felt under much greater pressure when he took over for the first time in 2001 when Brazil were in danger of missing out on the following year's World Cup. "It would have been the first time that Brazil would have missed a World Cup, that was when I felt under pressure," he said. Scolari, 64, and Parreira, 69, both said they felt rejuvenated by the challenge. "I feel like a young boy, starting all over again," said Parreira, who also coached Brazil at the 2006 World Cup when they reached the quarterfinals. "The Brazil team does you good, all that adrenalin. It's a marvellous challenge, to come back to the team for a World Cup here in Brazil, you can't describe it." Both pointed to their past experience in Brazil and abroad. Scolari has led Portugal at three major tournaments and coached in England, Uzbekistan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, while Parreira has coached the national sides of Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia at the World Cup. Scolari was proud of his record with Portugal who had a reputation for underachieving before he took over. "We revolutionised the relationship with the supporters," said Scolari. "I maybe didn't win anything but the work we did was worth more than 10 or 20 titles." Former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola had been suggested as a possible replacement for Menezes but Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Jose Maria Marin said there was ample domestic talent. "We have won all of our titles with Brazilian coaches who have taken their knowledge beyond these frontiers," he said. "Our country has a great number of competent coaches who deserve to hold this position." — Reuters

High-flying Atletico Madrid seeking Real scalp Posted: 29 Nov 2012 04:10 AM PST Atletico Madrid's coach Diego Simeone gestures during their Spanish first division soccer match against Getafe at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, November 11, 2012. — Reuters pic MADRID, Nov 29 — If coach Diego Simeone was not already a hero to Atletico Madrid fans, victory in Saturday's La Liga clash at bitter city rivals Real for the first time in more than a decade might just tip the balance. The combative Argentine, who helped Atletico to the league and King's Cup double as a player in 1996, has transformed the Spanish capital's second club since taking over from Gregorio Manzano in December 2011. The Europa League champions are three points behind leaders Barcelona after 13 matches and, unbelievably for many of their long-suffering supporters, eight ahead of stuttering Real, who slipped to a third defeat of the campaign at Real Betis last weekend that left their title defence in serious peril. Simeone, a tough-tackling midfielder sometimes described as "playing with a knife between his teeth", has given his players added steel and in Colombia striker Radamel Falcao they have a genuine goal scorer who has attracted the attention of the sport's big spenders. Turkey playmaker Arda Turan is also having an impressive season, linking well with Falcao and scoring goals of his own, while the defensive line has a solidity that has been sorely lacking in recent years. "I think bringing in Simeone has been a success for Atletico," Real captain Iker Casillas said yesterday. "He has given them a new spirit and no one has gifted him anything," added the Spain goalkeeper. "Falcao is a great player. He was a very successful signing and is a very complete, natural finisher." Claudio Ranieri was the last Atletico coach to savour victory over Real, when former Netherlands striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored twice in a 3-1 away triumph in 1999. A win or even a draw on Saturday could spell the end of Real's hopes of a second straight La Liga title and Casillas is well aware of what is at stake. "It is a different match from previous seasons," he said. "They are coming to the Santiago Bernabeu with a very strong team and after a win in a very tough match against Sevilla, who beat us. "We hoped that there would be less of distance between us, but hopefully at the end of the match that advantage will be cut to five points. Any aim other than winning is no good for us." Real's Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho was whistled by some sections of the Bernabeu crowd during Tuesday's Cup victory and their reaction on Saturday will be closely watched. The team's erratic form has prompted speculation the former Inter Milan and Chelsea manager will not last the season, with almost 70 percent of voters in an internet survey conducted by As sports daily saying they believed he would be gone by May. "The club is the club and is in charge and I'm just an employee trying to do their best," Mourinho told a news conference previewing the Cup match on Monday. "The club has to decide if it is happy with the path we're on and we'll get to the end of season calmly," he added. "It is possible that at the end of the season the club will not be happy with my work and that things have to change." Well rested Unbeaten Barca, meanwhile, will seek a 13th win in 14 games and look to increase the pressure on Atletico and Real when struggling Athletic Bilbao visit the Nou Camp a couple of hours before the Madrid derby. Barca's World Player of the Year Lionel Messi has another chance to get closer to, or even overhaul, the record for the number of goals scored in a calendar year of 85 set by Germany and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Mueller 40 years ago. The Argentine forward is on 82 after his double at Levante last weekend and should be well rested after sitting out Wednesday's King's Cup match at home to third-tier Alaves. Also on Saturday, fourth-placed Malaga, four points behind Real, play at Getafe, while 11th-placed Valencia, through to the last 16 of the Champions League but struggling domestically, are at home to Real Sociedad. Mexican Javier Aguirre will take charge of his first match since replacing the sacked Mauricio Pochettino when Espanyol play at Granada on Sunday. — Reuters

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Cate Blanchett in talks to be Cinderella’s stepmother on the big screen Posted: 28 Nov 2012 10:23 PM PST LOS ANGELES, Nov 29 — Disney has chosen Australian actress Cate Blanchett (picture) to star in a modernised version of the famous fairy tale Cinderella, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The movie will be directed by Mark Romanek, a music video director who has built a solid reputation with movies like Photo Obsession (2002) and Never Let Me Go (2010). The modern take on Cinderella will not be an animated movie, the same choice Disney successfully made in 2010 with Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Before Cinderella, in 2014, Disney will bring Maleficent to the screen. The Sleeping Beauty spinoff will star Angelina Jolie as the evil queen. — AFP-Relaxnews

R&B star Mary J. Blige sued for defaulting on US$2.2m loan Posted: 28 Nov 2012 06:38 PM PST R&B star Mary J. Blige sued for defaulting on US$2.2m loan NEW YORK, Nov 29 — R&B star Mary J. Blige was hit with a lawsuit yesterday alleging the Grammy winner and her husband defaulted on a US$2.2 million (RM6.6 million) bank loan. Singer Mary J. Blige speaks during the Glamour Magazine Women of the Year Awards in New York November 12, 2012. — Reuters pic According to court documents filed in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Signature Bank is seeking to recoup the original loan plus US$58,000 in interest. Blige, 41, who has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, and her husband Martin Isaacs took out the loan in October 2011 and defaulted in July 2012, the suit alleges. Blige's publicist declined comment on the lawsuit. The singer's attorney did not immediately return a request to comment. The lawsuit also names Blige's production company, Mary Jane Productions Inc. The lawsuit is the latest financial headache for the New York City native. The "Family Affair" singer's charity, The Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now Inc, was accused earlier in this year of mishandling funds and cheating scholarship students. Blige acknowledged the problems in a June interview. "The lives of young women are at stake," the singer told Reuters when asked about the allegations. "I feel what they feel. I don't want them to suffer. I promised them something and I'm gonna deliver. Period." — Reuters

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Zara owner promises ‘Zero Discharge’ after damning Greenpeace report Posted: 29 Nov 2012 07:26 AM PST Zara owner Inditex has announced it will remove toxic substances from its clothing processes by 2020. – Copyright Zara.com LOS ANGELES, Nov 19 – Spanish fashion group Inditex, the owners of Zara, Massimo Dutti and Pull & Bear, have promised to cut out a range of toxic chemicals from their clothing lines by 2020. The decision comes after the publication last week of a highly damaging report by the Greenpeace environmental group, "Toxic Threads – The Big Fashion Stitch-Up," which criticised the group's use of toxic chemicals. "In line with Inditex's long-term sustainability programme, Inditex recognises the urgent need for eliminating industrial releases of all hazardous chemicals," said Inditex in a statement released November 27 on the group's corporate site. The company has committed to a wholesale reduction in the use of chemicals like formaldehyde, arylamines, phenols (PCP, TeCP), cadmium, lead, chromium (VI), nickel, and allergenic dyes. Inditex has promised to release more details about its supply chain, publish an updated "Restricted Substances List," and audit processes by the end of April 2013 and every year after. The company has also vowed to end the use of APEOs (Alkylphenol ethoxylates), chemicals currently used in the garment manufacturing process, but which have been banned in Germany since 1998, and are described by scientists as "highly toxic to aquatic life." Inditex has committed to changing its business practices, but has called on the fashion industry as a whole to rally around the cause – "the 2020 goal also demands the collective action of industry, as well as engagement of regulators and other stakeholders. To this end, Inditex will work with other companies in the apparel sector and other brands it could sell, as well as material suppliers, the broader chemical industry, NGOs and other stakeholders to achieve this goal." Puma, Nike, and H&M quickly announced a 'joint roadmap' after the publication of the 'Toxic Threads' study and were joined by C&A and Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning, which both made individual 'Detox' commitments welcomed by the environmental group. Inditex is one of the largest clothes manufacturers in the world with global sales of €13.79 billion (RM54.50 billion) in 2012. The company's best-known store, Zara is present in 1,671 locations around the world. – AFP/Relaxnews

New study finds pro-ana websites are flourishing among teen girls Posted: 29 Nov 2012 02:11 AM PST 'Thininspiration' websites often feature montages of images of slim women to encourage extreme dieting. – shutterstock.com LOS ANGELES, Nov 29 – Despite social media sites' attempts to crack down on pro-anorexia images and blogs, more than 500,000 predominately teenage girls visit pro-anorexia websites every year. A new report released yesterday also finds that one in five girls who have visited "thinspiration" sites are between the ages of six and 11. Dr Emma Bond at the University Campus Suffolk in the UK estimates that there are between 400 to 500 eating disorder sites, some of them claim 2,600 members, talking about 1,580 topics in different chat rooms across 15,000 posts. Pro-anorexia websites, also known as "pro-ana" sites, offer instructions, inspiration, and tips for an anorexic and/or bulimic lifestyle. Many sites feature "thinspiration," or photographs or video montages featuring slender or excessively thin models or celebrities. Others feature tips on dieting, with the recommended calorie intake of around 400 to 500 calories per day; hiding symptoms of anorexia and bulimia from friends and family; or finding an "anabuddy" for support and advice. "Eating disorders are not going away, if anything they are becoming more common," says Bond. "We need to alert people to the dangers of harmful content on the Internet." She adds: "Everyone needs to understand better the risks online and the harm that eating disorders can do to young people." – AFP/Relaxnews

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‘Pak Habib’ freed on bail Posted: 29 Nov 2012 08:05 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 — Author Syed Hussein Al-Attas who was detained this morning while selling his book, said to have insulted the Sultan of Johor, at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), the venue of the 66th Umno General Assembly, was later freed on bail. Dang Wangi police chief, ACP Zainuddin Ahmad said the author, also known as Pak Habib, 71, was arrested at 11am and taken to the police operations room at PWTC for his statement to be taken. "We freed him on bail at 4pm," he said when contacted by Bernama. Police also seized 13 books written by Pak Habib, who is also the father of blogger and paranormal practitioner Syed Abdullah or Uncle Seekers, who, prior to this, was detained by police for allegedly slandering the Sultan of Johor on his blog www.uncleseekers.blogspot.com. Zainuddin said police were investigating the case under Section 4(1)(C) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 502 of the Penal Code for distributing printed materials which were defamatory in nature. "Whatever action will be taken after the investigation into the content of the book he wrote is completed," he said. — Bernama

Vatican disciplines Austrian dissident priest Posted: 29 Nov 2012 07:42 AM PST Pope Benedict XVI greets new Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Nigeria (L) during a special audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican November 26, 2012. — Reuters pic VATICAN CITY, Nov 29 — The Vatican has cracked down on a prominent Austrian Roman Catholic priest who has been leading a disobedience campaign to openly challenge Roman Catholic teachings on celibacy and women priests. The Vatican said today it had stripped Father Helmut Schueller of the right to use title monsignor and said he also was no longer a "Chaplain of His Holiness". Schueller remains a priest. Schueller, a former deputy to Vienna's archbishop, Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, had been given the honorary title in his capacity as head of the Austrian branch of the Catholic charity group Caritas. Schueller is head of the group "Call to Disobedience", which has broad public backing in opinion polls and says it represents about 10 per cent of the Austrian clergy. Nearly 150,000 Austrians left the Church in 2011-2012, many in reaction to sexual abuse scandals. The group wants Church rules changed so that priests can marry and women can become priests. It has said it will break Church rules by giving communion to Protestants and divorced Catholics who remarry. Schueller told Austrian media that the Vatican decision had not shaken his principles. Reformist Austrian Catholics have for decades challenged the conservative policies of Benedict and his predecessor John Paul, creating protest movements and advocating changes the Vatican refuses to make. Schueller has met like-minded clergy in Austria and abroad since launching the "Call to Disobedience" group. Catholic reform groups in Germany, Ireland and the United States have made similar demands from the Church. The Catholic Church does not allow priests to marry and teaches that it has no authority to allow women to become priests because Jesus willingly chose only men as his apostles when he instituted the priesthood at the Last Supper. Proponents of a female priesthood say Jesus was only adhering to the social norms of his times. Last week, the Vatican disciplined another priest who advocated women's ordination. Father Ray Bourgeois, an American of the Maryknoll religious order, was kicked out of the priesthood and the order by the Vatican's doctrinal department, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Last year, Bourgeois, who had been a priest for 40 years, was among a group of Roman Catholic activists detained by Italian police after they tried to deliver a petition to the Vatican in favour of a female priesthood. Benedict, who for decades before his 2005 election as pope was the Vatican's chief doctrinal enforcer, directly denounced disobedient priests last April, saying it was not the right path to renewal in the Church. — Reuters

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Book Talk: Do you really know who lives next door? Posted: 29 Nov 2012 04:00 AM PST A neglected house in an American suburb. 'The Neighbors,' Ania Ahlborn's second novel, was inspired by a battered house and a fallen-over mailbox she passed every day, making her think of a perfect house on a perfect street that in fact is 'where all the darkness is'. – Reuters pic TOKYO, Nov 29 – Andrew, in a daring leap to freedom from an overbearing mother, moves in with a friend whose ramshackle house is the one blight on a gorgeous neighbourhood – and promptly is attracted to his next door neighbor, the friendly Harlow. Welcomed by a plate of homemade cookies and admiring of the picture-perfect home where she lives with her husband, Red, it is a while before Andrew starts to suspect there is something a little off about this woman, who seems just too good to be true. "The Neighbors," Ania Ahlborn's second novel, was inspired by a battered house and a fallen-over mailbox she passed every day, making her think of a perfect house on a perfect street that in fact is "where all the darkness is." Ahlborn, whose first book was self-published but became such a success she then picked up a conventional publishing contract, spoke about neighbours, horror and her book. Q: What inspired the book? A: "I've always been pretty fascinated with serial killers, but not in the sense that I read about them and I'm like, let's see how they kill all their victims. I'm more interested in the fact that someone could be living right next door to you, and they might be the nicest person that you had ever met, but they're really not. There's something about that that really intrigues me. Of course it terrifies me, it freaks me out, but just that concept was what spurred my writing 'The Neighbors.' That, and I do have a little bit of a love affair with the atomic age and the perfect sort of Americana thing that was going on. That to me is also a little creepy. It's so perfect that it's almost plastic, it's Stepford Wives. Every time something is super cool and happy and nice, I always find something really creepy going on with it. If you meet the one person who's always happy, always smiling and always laughing, I'm going to be the person who's sitting back thinking, what's this person hiding?" Q: How did you bring this idea to life? A: "I knew that I wanted to have an everyman character that readers could relate to, so I put that into Andrew. He's just a regular guy. He has a lot of issues that he's dealing with, and he really is looking for that whole grass is greener on the other side concept. Then he steps into a life that he thinks is going to be great, oh look how nice these new neighbours are – they're going to give him a job, they're really sweet, they invite him to dinner. And he couldn't be happier, only it's 'oh my God, what have I gotten myself into.' "As far as Red and Harlow go, I had to rewrite this thing three times. The concept was there, but there was something off about it. I actually started writing Harlow as a really nice old lady, kind of like your grandma, and there was something about it that just wasn't working for me. So I let her go and said, 'Do whatever you want.' I let her run with it, and figured I'd just see what happened in the next couple pages. And she turned into this really retro, cougary vixen. I thought 'whoa, we'll run with that.' I had to rewrite the whole thing. I just loved that – it just feels so wrong. A really sweet woman who ends up being almost like a dominatrix, in a way." Q: You sound like that surprised you. Do you have that kind of experience a lot when you write? A: "Yes. When it comes to writing, I think there's two different ways that you can approach it. You can either plot it out and do it by an outline and make the characters do what you want them to do, or you can basically let the characters carry the story and see where it goes. I like to do both techniques. Of course I want to have a beginning, middle and end where I don't feel I'm just writing and writing and writing and it's not going anywhere, because that's horribly frustrating. "On the other hand, you always want it to be kind of organic, so it doesn't feel forced. When you allow those characters to step up to the plate and say 'here's what I would do.' You learn a lot about yourself that way. You don't know that you've got these ideas in your head, and they come out by way of these fictional characters. It can get a little bit weird, especially when you're writing horror and thrillers. You're like, 'oh my God, what's wrong with me?'" Q: What is the function of scary stories? A: I think that scary stories are the most truthful. I think that the honesty behind a lot of stuff that you read in horror is really what's scary. In 'The Neighbors,' one of the things that I tried to do was make Harlow as likable as possible even after I revealed the fact that she is this monster. The reason why I did that is because if your neighbor is some crazy psychopath but you don't know that, you might like that person. That in itself is terrifying because you don't know, they're so good at hiding what they are. "I think that there's bits of humanity that come out in horror and thrillers that are really uncomfortable for us to otherwise think about. Could I relate to the monster next door? Could I care about them? Could I be the monster next door? "That's the way that I think that horror became so popular – it really reflects who we are and who we hide. It also reflects our worst fears. We want to explore those fears and it's a safe way to explore those fears... But forget it, when I have to be alone by myself in a locked house at night, I sleep with all the lights on and the dogs in my room, where otherwise I wouldn't care if my husband was home... It's just funny how those tiny little differences make us interpret things in a totally different way. If he's here I'm fine, but if he's not a serial killer is definitely going to knock on my door and this is the last night of my life. That's just the way that our minds work. I think that horror makes us reflect on our fears, and on who we say we are – but are afraid to say we are." – Reuters

This is happiness Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:42 PM PST KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 ― "What a thrill, what a shock, to be alive on a morning in June, prosperous, almost scandalously privileged, with a simple errand to run." ― Michael Cunningham, The Hours 1. A year before We rise early in the morning. It's a working day. I get up first and switch off the air conditioner. I head into the bathroom and squeeze toothpaste onto both of our toothbrushes. I pull you out of bed and we brush our teeth together, your eyes still half-closed, slowly waking. I finish before you and head out to the kitchen. I take the lemons out of the fridge and cut a few slices. I drop a couple of them into your water bottle for you to bring to the office, so you can have fresh lemon-flavoured water all day. You've read somewhere that drinking water infused with fresh lemon juice will help you lose weight. I had rolled my eyes when you initially told me but still I prepare your drink while you do some stretches in the living room every morning. And like clockwork, I always chuckle and say, "Don't sprain yourself." We shower and then we are out of the door. I am always faster than you at getting dressed because I'm only wearing my track pants and a cardigan; maybe a cap if I can't be bothered to do my hair. After all, you're the one who has to go into the office, not me. I am on chauffeur duty because I don't have a day job. A friend gave me a notebook on my birthday which said on the cover "I'm not a bum; I'm an artist." Mostly I am a domestic supplies organiser (translation: groceries), home kitchen chef (I boil water and unwrap the pack of instant noodles before dropping them into the pot) and financial planner (I deposit cheques at the bank). My friends ask me when I'm going to get a job again and I say, "We'll see." There doesn't seem to be such a hurry when I am discovering that chopping onions and waiting in line at the supermarket isn't that horrible after all. When you are doing something for a life you are building with someone you love, it doesn't matter whether you are sitting in a cubicle or fetching the dry-cleaning. Everything makes you happy if you allow it to. We can be content doing anything. Who knew? "It had seemed like the beginning of happiness, and Clarissa is still sometimes shocked, more than thirty years later, to realize that it was happiness; that the entire experience lay in a kiss and a walk, the anticipation of dinner and a book..." ― Michael Cunningham, The Hours 2. A year later We rise early in the morning. It's a working day. You get up first and switch off the air conditioner. You head into the bathroom and squeeze toothpaste onto both of our toothbrushes. You pull me out of bed and we brush our teeth together, my eyes still half-closed, slowly waking. You finish before I do and head out to the kitchen. You take the lemons out of the fridge and cut a few slices. You drop a couple of them into our water bottles to bring to the office, so we can have fresh lemon-flavoured water all day. "It's good for you," you say, "because you will be stuck in the office all day. It's not healthy. Remember to drink more water." We shower and then we are out of the door. We leave precisely 12 minutes earlier than usual because the Smart Tunnel is closed due to heavy rains last night. You obtain this figure from some obscure calculations involving the school holidays and the humidity. I am still on driving duty because I have more experience in navigating the wilderness of morning Mat Rempits and other half-awake motorists. (Or so you say. I'm convinced you simply want to nap during the ride.) Despite the heavier than normal traffic, we arrive only five minutes later than normal. This is what they call teamwork, I believe. As we walk out of the car park and head to a nearby mamak stall for our breakfast, a feeling of déjà vu. This feels familiar; I recognise this moment. Is it another mundane day in our lives? Perhaps it is. It is also a day I am grateful for, to perform these simple tasks with you and to share these small moments. I love you, in this moment, and should it pass, we would mourn it and move on; and if it doesn't, then may we grow together, older and wiser, every year doubling in our knowledge of each other. May the wrinkles on our faces deepen and multiply, every line a witness, a memory. Which shall pass, we won't know. We cannot know. But this I know. Right now. This moment. This is happiness. "There is still that singular perfection, and it's perfect in part because it seemed, at the time, so clearly to promise more. Now she knows: That was the moment, right then. There has been no other." ― Michael Cunningham, The Hours The Hours, by Michael Cunningham (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998) * Kenny Mah lives in the moment. Read more stories at Life for Beginners

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Saksi beritahu curiga dengan Shamsubahrin selepas lihat komen dalam laman web Posted: 29 Nov 2012 03:21 AM PST Peguam Latifah Koya bersama Shamsubahrin di luar bangunan SPRM di Putrajaya. — Gambar fail KUALA LUMPUR, 29 Nov — Bekas Pengurus Kewangan National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) Hashimah Ahmad hari ini memberitahu Mahkamah Sesyen di sini bahawa beliau mula mencurigai ahli perniagaan Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail selepas melihat komen-komen lelaki itu dalam laman web. Hashimah, 37, yang bertugas dengan syarikat NFC bermula awal Jun tahun lalu berkata selain komen dalam laman web tersebut beliau turut berasa curiga terhadap pembayaran kepada Shamsubahrin. Katanya, pembayaran kepada Shamsubahrin amat besar jumlahnya jika dinilai dengan perkhidmatan yang diberikan terhadap syarikat itu. "Pembayaran melibatkan jumlah yang besar dibuat untuk satu perkhidmatan... selain itu invois dan dokumen juga tidak disertakan," katanya ketika menjawab soalan peguam Hasnal Rezua Merican yang mewakili Shamsubahrin. Hashimah merupakan saksi ke-17 pendakwaan bagi perbicaraan kes Shamsubahrin yang berdepan 17 pertuduhan mengikut Seksyen 4(1)(a) Akta Pencegahan Pengubahan Wang Haram dan Pencegahan Pembiayaan Keganasan 2001, membabitkan sejumlah RM1.755 juta. Hashimah berkata sebaik mengetahui tentang latar belakang Shamsubahrin, beliau terus memaklumkan kepada bekas Pengarah NFC Datuk Mohamad Salleh Ismail. "Selepas mengetahui history (sejarah) Datuk Sham (Shamsubahrin) saya terus memberitahu Datuk Salleh dan Datuk Salleh mengingatkan kami agar berhati-hati," katanya. Terdahulu, Hashimah memberitahu mahkamah bahawa tiada sebarang laporan polis serta laporan terhadap Suruhanjanya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) dibuat beliau berhubung penyalahgunaan keempat-empat pembayaran cek bernilai RM1.755 juta sepanjang tempoh cek tersebut dikeluarkan antara Nov hingga Dis tahun lepas. Hashimah juga memaklumkan mahkamah bahawa tiada sebarang laporan polis serta SPRM dibuat terhadap tertuduh. Shamsubahrin turut berdepan lima pertuduhan menipu Mohamad Salleh membabitkan jumlah sama mengikut Seksyen 420 Kanun Keseksaan. Perbicaraan di depan Hakim Rozilah Salleh bersambung esok. — Bernama

Bapa dihukum penjara 30 tahun rogol anak perempuan Posted: 29 Nov 2012 03:14 AM PST PUTRAJAYA, 29 Nov — Seorang penganggur dihukum penjara 30 tahun oleh Mahkamah Rayuan hari ini terhadap tiga pertuduhan merogol anak perempuannya berusia 14 tahun. Hakim Mahkamah Rayuan Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus mempengerusikan panel hakim tiga anggota membenarkan rayuan pendakwaan supaya hukuman penjara dijalankan secara berasingan mulai 14 Julai tahun lepas. Lelaki berusia 55 tahun itu dijatuhi hukuman penjara sejumlah 48 tahun oleh Mahkamah Sesyen Ampang pada 7 Mei 2010 selepas dapati dia bersalah terhadap tiga tuduhan merogol anaknya di sebuah rumah di Ampang pada 18 Ogos 2002, 15 Sept 2002 dan 17 Jan 2003. Dia dihukum penjara 16 tahun bagi setiap pertuduhan tetapi tidak dikenakan rotan kerana usianya melebihi 50 tahun. Lelaki itu mengemukakan rayuan di Mahkamah Tinggi Shah Alam dan pada 14 Julai 2011, mahkamah membenarkan rayuannya supaya hukuman penjara berjalan serentak, bermakna dia hanya perlu menjalani hukuman selama 16 tahun. Pihak pendakwaan kemudian mengemukakan rayuan di Mahkamah Rayuan terhadap keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi itu. Hishamudin, ketika membenarkan rayuan pendakwaan agar lelaki itu menjalani hukuman penjara secara berasingan, berkata mahkamah berpendapat setiap kesalahan yang dilakukan tertuduh adalah kesalahan berbeza. Bagaimanapun, beliau berkata demi keadilan, mahkamah mengurangkan tempoh hukuman dari 48 tahun kepada 30 tahun selepas mengambil kira dia telah menjalani hukuman penjara empat tahun dan enam bulan ketika ditahan sewaktu menunggu keputusan Mahkamah Sesyen. Hishamudin yang mengetuai panel itu bersama hakim Mahkamah Rayuan Datuk Mohtarudin Baki dan Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi Datuk Zawawi Salleh, berkata tidak ada apa-apa yang menunjukkan Mahkamah Sesyen dan Mahkamah Tinggi telah mengambil kira tempoh tahanan empat tahun dan enam bulan yang dijalani lelaki itu. Beliau berkata mahkamah juga turut mengambil kira pelbagai faktor termasuk usia lelaki itu. Berdasarkan fakta kes, lelaki itu merogol anak perempuannya apabila isterinya tiada di rumah. Mangsa menceritakan insiden itu kepada rakan sekelasnya yang kemudian memaklumkan kepada guru disiplin. Guru itu telah memanggil ibu mangsa ke sekolah dan memberitahu kejadian itu. Mangsa telah membuat laporan polis. Terdahulu, peguam Amer Hamzah Arshad yang mewakili lelaki itu berhujah sekiranya lelaki itu diarah menjalani hukuman penjara selama 48 tahun, ia akan memberi 'kesan yang teruk' kepadanya kerana faktor usia. Katanya anak guamnya akan berusia 102 tahun apabila dibebaskan daripada penjara, dan menambah jangka hayat lelaki Malaysia adalah 70 tahun. Pendakwaan diwakili Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Abazafree Mohd Abas. — Bernama

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Hey Umno, we won’t back down Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:46 PM PST NOV 29 — "The country is under threat! ... The liberals are three steps away from burning your freedoms away... There will be violence if Pakatan wins... There'll be violence if Pakatan loses... There'll be violence if we don't speak out against violence... Avert violence, vote Umno, or else!" Sociologists of the future will undoubtedly mine the speeches of Umno leaders for research into varied research areas like dysfunctional personalities, Fascism, Freudian-based political insecurities, media conditioning, subverting historical data to fit illogical constructs and, my favourite, state-designed destruction of multiculturalism. But till they do — which may not be long — or Hollywood releases a movie on how hate has kept a party in power for half a century, the rest of us have to settle for the peccadilloes emerging from the confines of the PWTC labyrinth for the next few days, the hate-carnival commonly referred to as the Umno general assembly. Dr M set the tone with "What would Pakatan do if they lost?" three days ago, and Umno women's chief gave the other side of the coin, "What would Pakatan do if they won?" yesterday. Both outcomes mean violence, so they say. Which then through a process of elimination leaves us only with one possible situation in which there is no violence; when there is no Pakatan. Umno is telling the Malaysian people that the only time they can foresee no violence is when no one stands in their way anymore. My niece is a smart girl, and she turns four tomorrow, and if I explain to her what Umno wants is for Pakatan to vanish; she'd consider it a short while, lower her voice which she does whenever she is about disapprove and say, "Not good." Not good indeed, if democracy to the party leading the country for 50 years means no other party gets to replace them. Umno is moving closer and closer to saying to the Malaysian public that the right to choose your own government is over-rated and when less is heard from the people, the easier it is for them to get on with the job of governing. That familiar left jab I've said it before, I don't have an appetite for violence. It's crude and nothing good ever comes from partaking in it. But I remember my childhood friend, who I just had drinks with over the weekend in Borneo where he lives now. A year younger, his dad asked me to look after him when he entered my secondary school — not many boys from my neighbourhood attend my school. Ah Meng was also the only Chinese in my neighbourhood football team. Every match we'd go to, he'd be a marked man. For in this nation racism is so ingrained and encouraged from young that many try to hurt him in challenges because they probably worked out that none of his team-mates would stand up for him. I'd stand up for him. Many of us did. Because there is no such thing as standing aside and letting your mate get mauled because of how he looked. Even children know that, from my niece near the Swiss Alps to a bunch of sweaty kids in cheap jerseys chasing a ball on awful fields on Saturday mornings. Demons This year will not see a general election. The drama the prime minister generates is just about keeping the whole country on edge so that everyone is worn down. Mr Prime Minister, you might not want to test the patience of your people indefinitely just to show that you and your people have always been in power. While the PM's closing speech for the assembly this year will be filled with vitriol beyond comprehension and loud thundering applauses within the giant hall, he might remind himself every dictator — as he races to an airfield to flee — is perplexed by how those who have apparently loved him so much have turned on him. A government that runs a police and military, a stacked-up paramilitary unit (RELA) and a subservient judiciary is scared of shadows; that the millions of Malaysians with Astro units and expensive hire-purchase automobile debts will somehow mount a violent uprising — just because. Matey, switch off the telly, take some paracetamol pills, wash your feet and go to bed. Leave a light on, in case the boogieman shows up. Because you are hallucinating. We won't back down The only thing the people of Malaysia have done in the past five years and now with greater alacrity is to stand up for what they believe. There are no pitchforks, just placards. A nation long silenced is speaking out. There will be a general election in 2013, and life will go on after it. It's just that the people of Malaysia will not camp inside their nuclear bunkers for the next five years till the 14th general election. The people have showed up, and they are going to keep showing up because surprise, surprise this is the new world order. But seriously, Umno has to spare itself long-term embarrassment, everything said now is going to public records. Why not come to terms with one key pillar of any democracy, that every party can lose power? It is the flagrant obtuseness of Umno leaders which is forcing all of us into the ridiculous, and a world watches stunned at some of the worst theatrics in the game of politics in living history. I'll help the Umno leadership understand where the country actually stands right now — the rakyat will not be dictated to anymore, irrespective of how the general election pans out. They won't punch you Umno, they will just hold their ground. They won't back down. You can punch if you want, Umno. The truth is, the people are stronger than Umno thought they were. And Umno is weaker than it thinks it is. I've picked my spot in the line, though I do have the butterflies in my stomach. But just as I have all my life, despite my own lack of courage, I never let my mates down. I won't do any punching, I'll just stand my ground. I won't back down. All of us will. Of course in time we will know how many will make up the "us." But please, enjoy your speeches for now. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Save your children from themselves Posted: 28 Nov 2012 03:36 PM PST NOV 29 — Do you remember when you were 13 years old? I'm sure you do, because everyone in primary school looked forward to it. I did. That's when you finally get to wear secondary school clothes. Boys switched from navy blue trousers to green pants. Girls changed colours from dark blue to torquoise. The colours signified that you're a little older now. You're no longer a kid, even if you're not quite a teenager yet, not unlike a certain song by a certain former pop princess. Leaving "childhood" and entering "adolescence", we also felt like we were wiser. We felt that we could now think for ourselves, that we could come to well-informed decisions and opinions of our own. We were past puberty and we discovered the concept of "love" as we understood it then. Raging hormones do wonders for making us feel all grown up. This is what it feels like to be an adult, we thought. And then we started to question things around us. We started to pass judgment. We started to express our thoughts and opinions strongly. We started to argue passionately when people disagreed with us. All this we did, because we felt we knew enough by then to do so. We also began to find out who we were, and we revelled in discovering things we identified with like our favourite music groups and hobbies and sports. But then we reached the end of adolescence, and by our early 20s we look back at our teenage years and wonder at our naivety and stupidity and ignorance. We wonder why we so easily believed rubbish repeated to us by ignorant adults, just because it sounded like it made perfect sense. We wished we were more aware of how lacking our knowledge and experience were back then. By our early 20s, we learn to question deeper, not just what we heard but what we felt and thought we knew, too. As the famous saying goes, wisdom is, and starts with, the humility to accept the fact that you don't have all the right answers, and the courage to learn to ask the right questions. The word "wisdom" there is interchangeable with "maturity". And we realise that the "maturity" in our teenage years was far from what we thought it was. With that realisation comes many regrets and embarrassing memories we'll be happy to forget forever. We blush when we recall some of the things we said and did and argued over. Back then they seemed logical and sensible, but in hindsight we see how stupid and immature we were. I'm sure you remember all of this, because it's a stage we all go through. (Unless you're one of those people who never really grew up, in which case let me say you're welcome.) Everytime it crosses my mind, I'm thankful that I was past that stage when Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the like became as widespread as we see today. What makes me thankful for the absence of social media in my teenage years is all the embarrassing things I would've done on it. Remember the funny observations and witty truths we were proud to say back then? Today they make us look silly and lame. Remember the things we felt were impossibly important and merit the utmost attention? With adult perspective today, those things are trivial. But they're not silly, lame or trivial to the teenagers we were back then. We believed earnestly, because there are things that only the passage of time can help us understand. And imagine if the teenagers we were back then had access to the Internet, where we could have (and would have) made our statements for the whole world to see. Instead of a handful of friends occasionally reminding us of our embarrassing outbursts during lunch meet-ups, we have everyone on our Facebook friends list (and everyone they know) know about them, even those we lose touch with after a few years. Today we increasingly see kids and teenagers on these social networking media. And they're loud. They're learning to speak up and have a stand, like we were at their age. They express their thoughts and opinions on anything and everything. This is not necessarily bad, since some of them use these platforms as creative outlets for their poetry and writings and stuff. But some are expressing exactly the thoughts we are thankful to forget today. And once something is out on the Internet, it's there forever. In 2010, the US Library of Congress announced that it was acquiring the entire archive of Twitter messages from March 2006 onwards. There are many other resources on the Internet that keep records too. Unless you've been careful about your privacy, you'll be surprised at what you find when you Google yourself. Unlike us, teenagers today can easily have their embarrassing moments immortalised for posterity. For the unfortunate girl who ranted about renouncing her Malaysian nationality last weekend over the ungracious reception to some K-Pop singers, in 10 years there will still be archives of the incident somewhere on the Internet with her picture. When her prospective employers search hard enough on her background as most employers do today, they'll come across it, and then what happens to her? All it took was one mistake, one moment of impulse on the Internet. Even adults are susceptible to missteps on the Internet. We increasingly hear of job applications turned down due to unflattering discoveries about the applicant on social networking sites. What chance would teenagers with raging hormones driving their mouse clicks and statuses and tweets have? It's up to parents to provide some defence for their children from themselves on the Internet. Educate them on the dangers. Show them what pitfalls await, and stop them from doing things on Facebook or Twitter or YouTube that they'll regret later. They won't understand and they won't appreciate it. To them you're being parents, jealous of their freedom and technological know-how, even if you know better. But some day, they'll thank you for it. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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