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Chicken and Candy Corn Oreos top Yahoo! food searches this year Posted: 03 Dec 2012 03:32 PM PST According to Yahoo's annual report of top search terms over the past year, home cooks in the US looked up chicken recipes the most this year. – Picture courtesy of ©Gregory Gerber/shutterstock.com LONDON, Dec 4 – According to search engine Yahoo!, the most popular meal to grace dinner tables in American households is chicken. Because according to their analysis, every day at 5pm when families start to get cooking, searches for "chicken recipes" experience a noticeable spike in the recipes category. In their annual round-up of top online searches, Yahoo! tracked the most popular recipes sought among users in the US over the year, in addition to foods that fell under a category they call "The Most Appetising Yet Stomach-Turning Searches on Yahoo! in 2012." Topping that list? The wildly popular candy corn-flavoured limited-edition Oreo cookies released this Halloween. Yahoo's list of top recipe searches provides a glimpse into the eating habits of households across the US. In addition to chicken recipes, home cooks were keen  on one-pot crockpot recipes which was the second most popular recipe search term, followed by Halloween, vegetarian and salmon meals. Yahoo's roundup comes a week after Microsoft released its annual Bing ranking which, among other categories, found that turkey was the most searched holiday food, followed by apple cider and ham. The most popular desserts included sugar cookies, fudge and gingerbread. Here were the most popular recipe searches on Yahoo! this year: 1. Chicken recipes 2. Crockpot recipes 3. Halloween recipes 4. Vegetarian recipes 5. Salmon recipes 6. Beef stew recipes 7. Zucchini recipes 8. Eggplant recipes 9. Cake recipes 10. Shrimp recipes. In the how-to category, the top food-related searches included queries on how to boil an egg, cook corn on the cob, cook Swiss chard, make salsa, cake pops and how to cook pumpkin seeds. Most appetising yet stomach-turning searches on Yahoo! this year: 1. Candy corn Oreos 2. Pork doughnuts 3. Bacon ice cream 4. Flamin' hot Cheetos 5. Deep-fried strawberries 6. Beer milkshake 7. Deep Kool-Aid 8. Guinness cupcakes 9. Maple bacon beer 10. Grape jelly meatballs. – AFP-Relaxnews

Louis Vuitton descendant launches wine for Chinese consumer Posted: 03 Dec 2012 03:21 PM PST The family connection and name recognition is sure to sway consumers in brand-obsessed Hong Kong. – AFP pic BEIJING, Dec 4 – A fifth-generation family member of the Louis Vuitton dynasty has launched a wine in Hong Kong developed specifically to cater to the Asian palate. Winemaker Xavier-Louis Vuitton's XLV, an exclusive private label, was developed with the Asian drinker in mind, a palate that favors fruit-driven notes and softer tannins in red wines, reports industry publication The Drinks Business. While XLV has no connection with the Louis Vuitton brand LVMH, the family connection and name recognition is sure to sway consumers in brand-obsessed Hong Kong, notes the story. Vuitton owns a wine estate near the village of Apt in southern France, which he manages with his son Quentin-Louis who acts as cellar master. Only the Ventoux wine is made from Vuitton's estate grapes, while others are made with grapes from the Bordeaux, Rhone, and Champagne regions. The XLV brand is available through Hong Kong-based online retailer yeswine.com, with prices ranging from HK$360 (RM141) for the XLV Ventoux 2010, to HK$2,450 for the XLV Pauillac 2007 or €242. While Xavier-Louis may be developing a wine made with French grapes for Chinese drinkers, another brand within the LVMH family Moet Hennessy has set its sights on China as a wine-producing nation in its own right, snapping up estates in Shangri-La county in Yunnan Province. Similarly, Chateau Lafite Rothschild has also begun work on a vineyard in the Penglai region of China's eastern Shandong province to cater to the country's growing thirst for premium luxury wines. China is the fifth largest wine market by volume in the world, having recently knocked Britain into sixth place. – AFP-Relaxnews

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Arsenal rest six for Olympiakos in bid to avoid fatigue Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:45 AM PST LONDON, Dec 3 – Arsenal have opted to leave six first-team regulars in London ahead of their final Champions League group stage match against Olympiakos Piraeus in a bid to avoid fatigue, manager Arsene Wenger said today. Midfielders Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta, forwards Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott as well as defender Per Mertesacker were all missing from Arsenal's 18-man squad named to travel to Greece for tomorrow's match. Wojciech Szczesny, Thomas Vermaelen, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey, and Gervinho will be surrounded by fringe and youth team players, five of whom are yet to make their first-team debut. "Some players needed a rest because they were a bit on the fringe of injury, and some players are injured," Wenger (picture) told club website (http://www.arsenal.com). "When I count the injured players I speak about Podolski and Walcott. We needed to rest Wilshere, 100 per cent, and Cazorla, Arteta and Mertesacker played many games recently. They have been rested. "It is [to avoid fatigue], and we have one luxury, that we can do it. But we have as well one necessity, to win the game tomorrow night. I tried to find the right balance between resting some players and as well having a competitive team tomorrow night." Arsenal have already guaranteed their passage through to the last 16. They can top Group B if they win and German side Schalke, who lead the English club by one point, draw or lose against French champions Montpellier. Despite a weakened side Wenger will be hoping his 150th Champions League match in charge as coach ends in glory, however Arsenal's last visit to Olympiakos's Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium 12 months ago ended in a 3-1 defeat for the north London side. Arsenal overcame the Greek side by the same margin at home in October. Swansea City striker Miguel Michu condemned Arsenal to a fourth Premier League defeat on Saturday when he scored twice to leave Wenger's side 10th in the table as their worst start to a domestic season under his reign continued. – Reuters

Chelsea deny reports linking Avram Grant return Posted: 03 Dec 2012 06:58 AM PST LONDON, Dec 3 – European champions Chelsea have denied British media reports linking former manager Avram Grant to an assistant role alongside interim coach Rafael Benitez at Stamford Bridge. Newspaper reports suggested the club's Russian owner Roman Abramovich was second guessing his decision to bring in Spaniard Benitez after Roberto Di Matteo was sacked in late November. Former Liverpool boss Benitez's first three games in charge have failed to yield a victory and Grant, who fell agonisingly close to winning the Champions League in 2008 when Chelsea lost to Manchester United on penalties, was linked as a possible consultant to help the Spaniard manage the squad. "There is no truth in reports that Avram Grant (picture) will be returning to the club," a Chelsea spokeman said today. Israeli Grant replaced Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge in 2007 and spent 54 games in charge, winning 36 of those until he was dismissed in May 2008. Chelsea have gone seven Premier League games without a win after losing 3-1 to West Ham United on Saturday. The Londoners sit in third place, 10 points behind leaders Manchester United after 15 games. – Reuters

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One Direction boys follow their nose: band to release fragrance in fall 2013 Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:53 AM PST British boyband One Direction earlier this year. — AFP-Relaxnews pic LOS ANGELES, Dec 3 — The boys from the band One Direction are planning a new perfume set for a fall 2013 release, following the celebrity scent trend set by stars including Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber.  According to Vogue UK, the pop megastars have reportedly inked a licensing deal with Olivann Beauty, the luxury fragrance division of Fusion Beauty.  Details on the name of the perfume will be released early next year, but NY Mag has already taken a humorous look through the band's back catalogue to find potential clues. The scent is set to roll out first in markets where the band is touring, according to Dana Kline, president of Olivann Beauty, and will then hit department stores in the fall.  The Anglo-Irish band has scored a series of hits with two number-one albums within the space of a year, Up All Night and Take Me Home. Formed on the UK version of the X Factor in 2010, the band was quickly signed to Universal and has now sold 15 million records worldwide. — AFP-Relaxnews

‘Twilight’ clings to top N. America box office slot Posted: 03 Dec 2012 01:33 AM PST 'Twilight' clings to top N. America box office slot Still from 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2'. — AFP-Relaxnews pic LOS ANGELES, Dec 3 — The final "Twilight" vampire movie held on for a third week to the top spot at the North America box office, narrowly holding off the latest James Bond effort, preliminary estimates said yesterday. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2," the fifth and final installment of the wildly popular series, took US$17.4 million (RM52.2 million), said industry tracker Exhibitor Relations, pushing the film's three-week total past US$250 million. The previous four films, based on novels by Stephenie Meyer and starting in 2008, earned a colossal US$2.4 billion. In second spot was the Bond movie "Skyfall," which earned US$17 million on its fourth weekend - it has grossed more than US$246 million since its US opening. Tied for third place were Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, and "Rise of the Guardians," DreamWorks's latest animated offering, featuring Jack Frost. Each earned US$13.5 million in box office receipts. Day-Lewis has been tipped as a likely Oscar nominee for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in the critically-acclaimed biopic of the assassinated 16th president of the United States. Holding on to fifth place, 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, took in US$12 million. Also tied, for sixth place, "Wreck-It Ralph," the animated Disney film about a video game villain aspiring to be a hero, and new entry "Killing Them Softly," directed by and starring Brad Pitt as a mob enforcer. Each took in US$7 million. In eighth place was "Red Dawn," an updated take on a 1984 movie, about a group of teenagers who look to save their town from an invasion of North Korean soldiers. It took in US$6.6 million. And at number nine was "Flight," starring Denzel Washington, who is also drawing Oscar buzz for his role as a crash-landing hero pilot with drink and drug problems. It pulled in US$4.5 million. Rounding out the top 10 was horror flick "The Collection," about a man who escapes the vicious grip of a serial killer and is blackmailed to rescue a girl from the killer's clutches, which debuted with US$3.4 million in ticket sales. — AFP-Relaxnews

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Adventurer to recreate Shackleton’s Antarctic exploits Posted: 03 Dec 2012 05:05 AM PST SYDNEY, Dec 3 — A polar explorer who famously retraced Douglas Mawson's Antarctic trek yesterday launched an ambitious new challenge — recreating Ernest Shackleton's perilous crossing of the Southern Ocean. Tim Jarvis, a renowned British/Australian adventurer who in 2007 re-enacted Mawson's 1912 odyssey across the frozen continent, is planning a similar trip in 2013 to follow Shackleton's dramatic 1916 voyage. Jarvis described the perilous 1,300-km Southern Ocean crossing in a spartan lifeboat and punishing traverse of South Georgia Island with basic gear and rations as "the biggest survival journey of them all". Shackleton had hoped to complete the first land crossing of the Antarctic when his ship, the Endurance, was crushed by ice, triggering a desperate mission on a lifeboat from nearby Elephant Island to South Georgia for help. The adventurer and five other men made it across the hostile ocean with little more than the clothes on their backs and the most basic of rations and battled across the rugged island to a whaling station to raise the alarm. This undated handout image taken by Champagne Productions and released by www.shackletonepic.com to AFP on December 2, 2012 shows members of the expedition crew on board the expedition vessel Alexandra Shackleton (from clockwise) Barry Gray, Tim Jarvis, Paul Swain, Nick Bubb, Ed Wardle and Seb Coulthard in Portmouth, England. — AFP/Champagne Productions pic It was a two-year ordeal that "well and truly bookmarked the end of the heroic era of exploration that started in 1895 when the first person set foot on the Antarctic and finished with the First World War", Jarvis said. Inspired by the story and hoping to map the dramatic changes that global warming has brought to the region, Jarvis and a crew of five sailors will repeat the ocean crossing in a replica boat with all the same privations. They will be without navigational aids or any modern equipment, live off the same lard rations as Shackleton's men and wear the same clothes as they battle high seas and icy, bleak conditions to reach Stromness on South Georgia. "I'm expecting constant hardship and vigilance; there are periods of darkness down there, we're on a boat with absolutely no modern navigational aids whatsoever, we'll just be going into darkness," Jarvis told AFP at the crew's official farewell from Sydney yesterday. "Icebergs can loom up on the horizon; we wouldn't even see them until they're on us; there are whales, it's big, big sea," he added. "It's a very, very challenging boat journey and we'll require the luck that he had I think. Expect the worst, hope for the best." Along with Norway's Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole in 1911, Australian explorer Mawson and Briton Robert Falcon Scott — his patron-turned-rival — Shackleton was among the great Antarctic explorers. Though his first polar expedition was with Scott in 1901, Shackleton and his mentor went on to part ways, sparking an intense rivalry that overshadowed his career. Scott perished on his return journey from the pole in 1912, having been beaten to the milestone by Amundsen five weeks earlier. Shackleton died of a heart attack off South Georgia in 1922 during his fourth Antarctic expedition, aiming to circumnavigate the continent. He is buried on the island and Jarvis said it would "be fantastic to feel that he was there with us", almost 100 years on from his original mercy dash. The men will set off in their replica lifeboat, named the Alexandra Shackleton after the explorer's granddaughter, in early January 2013 from South America and expect the journey to take two months. It has taken six years and A$2.5 million (RM7.8 million) to plan. The sailors are undertaking basic mountaineering training in the French Alps "testing gear and learning how to pull themselves out of crevasses with virtually no equipment — we've only got a tiny section of rope". A support vessel, the Australis, a modern and fully equipped steel-hulled motor boat, will trail the lifeboat, but will only go to its aid in the event of a serious emergency. As well as honouring Shackleton's legacy, Jarvis hopes to raise awareness about the impact of climate change on the polar regions. "The irony is that Shackleton tried to save his men from Antarctica," he said. "We are now trying to save Antarctica from man." — AFP/Relaxnews

Time for Santa to wave ‘vaarwel’ to Black Pete? Posted: 03 Dec 2012 04:31 AM PST Saint Nicholas (2nd left) is escorted by his three assistants called "Zwarte Piet" (Black Pete) during a traditional parade in central Brussels December 1, 2012. — Reuters pic BRUSSELS, Dec 3 — The Netherlands and Belgium are two countries that pride themselves on progressive laws and open societies, but critics say they are stuck in the dark ages when it comes to depictions of Santa Claus and his helpers. Saint Nicholas, or "Sinterklaas" in Dutch, brings presents to children on December 5 in the Netherlands and on December 6 in Belgium, and is always accompanied by at least one assistant dressed in 17th century costume who has a blackened face. The tradition has been difficult for Dutch and Belgian people to explain abroad, where "Zwarte Piet" (Black Pete) is viewed with either outrage or ridicule. Dutch pub "De Hems" in London opts for blue face paint instead. Sinterklaas celebrations in western Canada organised by the Dutch community were called off last year and former Dutch colony Suriname has said Zwarte Piet is not welcome this year because of concerns over racism. For most Dutch and Belgians Zwarte Piet is an innocuous fairytale character who assists the popular Sinterklaas and hands out candy to children, but some there too argue he is a harmful stereotype best done away with. "It was about six years ago when my mum came home from work and phoned me," performance artist Quinsy Gario, who was born on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao, told Reuters. "On the phone I could hear her trembling. She was upset, livid, and said someone at work had called her Zwarte Piet." In 2011, Gario decided to protest against the tradition by standing with a "Zwarte Piet is racism" T-shirt in a crowd watching a Sinterklaas parade in the Dutch town of Dordrecht. His subsequent arrest made headlines in Dutch media. Film by a bystander showed three police officers pinning him to the ground and kneeing him in the back. Gario also said he had pepper spray sprayed in his eyes. "I spent six and a half hours in a jail cell for freedom of expression," he said. Business embrace Nevertheless, Zwarte Piet remains popular in 2012, and his traditional arrival by boat with Sinterklaas a few weeks ahead of the actual celebration was witnessed by thousands of starry-eyed children in Brussels and Amsterdam. Sinterklaas, the presents he brings, as well as the traditional food and candy sold around this time are also good business for companies such as toy stores and supermarkets. "Families with children are a very important customer group of ours. How would you explain to your children that Zwarte Piet is no longer allowed?," said Chief Operating Officer Sander van der Laan of Albert Heijn, the Netherlands' largest supermarket. Dutch anti-discrimination organisation RADAR said that it would talk to retail organisations in the coming months about how to make Zwarte Piet less racist. "We believe that you have to go to Piet, not Zwarte Piet, to leave the celebration intact but get rid of the stereotypes," said Margriet Maris, a lawyer at RADAR. Formal complaints are still quite rare. Belgium's centre of equal opportunities said that of more than 4,000 complaints it received a year only one or two were related to Zwarte Piet. RADAR said it had received about 25 related complaints this year, still only a fraction of the 1,000 it dealt with overall. The tradition of St Nicholas exists in other European countries, including Austria and Germany. But he is only accompanied by black helpers in the Netherlands and Belgium. Celebrations were depicted on paintings of 17th century Dutch artists Jan Steen and Richard Brakenburg, but Zwarte Piet only made his first appearance in a mid-19th century illustrated book by Dutch teacher Jan Schenkman. Entitled "St Nicholas and his servant," it showed a short, dark-faced man dressed in a Moorish costume a few steps behind an imposing white man with a white beard and bishop's outfit. "There's a theory that says that important people had a black servant, it was a status symbol. Sinterklaas was an important man, so he needed one too," said John Helsloot a researcher at the Meertens Institute in Amsterdam. "Somebody who dresses up as Zwarte Piet is not a racist but it is a fact that he's part of a tradition which gives a stereotypical, racist image of black people," he said. Pressure on Zwarte Piet seems to be increasing in 2012 and even well-known conservative blog "Geen Stijl" (No Style) has written that it's time for Sinterklaas to find a new helper. "It's 2012, people," wrote GeenStijl in a post that attracted much attention. "We're better than Zwarte Piet." — Reuters

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Napoleon essay fetches record price at French auction Posted: 03 Dec 2012 07:31 AM PST A photo taken on October 31, 2012 in Paris, shows a coded letter signed by French Emperor Napoleon I. – AFP pic PARIS, Dec 3 – A 200-year-old letter in which Napoleon Bonaparte vows to blow up the Kremlin fetched €187,500 (RM744,259) at a French auction yesterday, while an essay by him on the failed Russian campaign set another record. The coded missive, written in numbers and signed "Nap", said: "I will blow up the Kremlin on the 22nd at three in the morning." Dated October 20, 1812, the day after Napoleon retreated from the centre of Moscow, it is addressed to his external relations minister Hugues-Bernard Maret. It had been expected to fetch between €10,000 and €15,000 at the sale in Fontainebleau, south-east of Paris. Napoleon's order was executed and several towers and sections of wall at the Kremlin, at the time both an imperial palace and military fortress, were destroyed. The towers were later rebuilt identically. But another manuscript, the last dictated by Napoleon during his exile on the British island of Saint Helena, set a record at the sale, drawing a winning bid of €375,000. "It's a world record for a manuscript of Napoleon," the Osenat auction house said. The "Essay on campaign fortification" has the fallen emperor mulling over the outcome of the Russian invasion. It runs into more than 300 pages and has 44 illustrations. "It should not be called a retreat since the army was victorious," he says of the campaign, today seen as a turning point in the Napoleonic wars that dramatically weakened French power in Europe. The manuscript was given for sale by the descendants of Napoleon's general, Henri Gatien Bertrand, who had accompanied him to Saint Helena. Napoleon's army entered Moscow on September 14, 1812, but much of the population had already fled and the emperor was forced to leave without securing a formal victory over Alexander I, embarking on a disastrous westward retreat. – AFP/Relaxnews

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MAIWP dakwa Masjid Ar-Rahman rosak, tolak fitnah pembangkang Posted: 03 Dec 2012 12:15 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Dis — Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (MAIWP) dalam  menjelaskan penutupan Masjid Ar-Rahman, Universiti Malaya (UM) adalah bertujuan untuk membaik-pulih dan menolak fitnah oleh pembangkang yang mengatakan ia didalangi oleh Umno dan Barisan Nasional (BN). Setiausahanya, Datuk Che Mat Che Ali dalam kenyataan media menyatakan keadaan infrastruktur yang sudah teruk sebagai sebab utama masjid tersebut ditutup dan hanya untuk sementara waktu. "Oleh kerana terdapat banyak kerosakan di Masjid Ar-Rahman meliputi kebocoran bumbung, kerosakan pendawaian, kerosakan paip dan air melimpah ketika hujan lebat, masjid ini telah ditutup sementara. "Kerosakan ini mengancam keselamatan jemaah masjid sekiranya lambat dibaiki," kata Che Mat. MAIWP juga mengecam pemimpin parti pembangkang yang cuba mengambil kesempatan dengan mewujudkan isu dengan mengatakan masjid tersebut ditutup dan memutarbelitnya. "Kenyataan daripada orang tidak bertanggungjawab mengatakan kita menutup masjid adalah tidak benar sama sekali kerana penutupan masjid adalah untuk membaiki demi untuk keselamatan dan keselesaan jemaah. "Sehubungan itu, jangan ada pihak yang bermain politik dan memutarbelitkan isu ini kerana Jabatan Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (JAWI) dan kerajaan sentiasa berkhidmat untuk meningkatkan syiar Islam di negara ini," tambah beliau yang juga merupakan pengarah JAWI. Jumaat lalu, Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah Anwar (gambar) hadir bersama-sama sekumpulan jemaah masjid yang diketuai pengerusi jawatankuasa jemaah mempertahankan Masjid Ar-Rahman, Jamlus Mansor bagi meminta kerajaan menjelaskan penutupan masjid tersebut. "Kita tidak menolak keperluan (naik taraf), tapi saya mahu laporan daripada jurutera serta laporan daripada syarikat pemaju untuk menunjukkan tahap kerosakan di masjid dan adakah kemungkinan boleh buka ruangan tertentu untuk memudahkan jemaah daripada UM dan penduduk sekitar," kata naib presiden PKR itu. "Sepatutnya masjid dijadikan tempat untuk diimarahkan semua. Saya datang ke sini tidak membawa bendera parti. Kita utarakan kebimbangan para jemaah. "Kita minta secara baik supaya semua laporan ini diberikan kepada umum secara terbuka," tambah Nurul Izzah.

Hasan Ali dakwa DAP penghalang Islam walaupun MCA seringkali mengatakan parti tersebut menyokong hukum hudud Posted: 02 Dec 2012 11:34 PM PST Hasan Ali dakwa DAP penghalang Islam walaupun MCA seringkali mengatakan parti tersebut menyokong hukum hudud Dr Hasan berkata tindakan Karpal Singh menggambarkan bahawa DAP tidak sesekali bersedia menerima apa sahaja peraturan yang mempunyai roh Islam, sehinggakan hal-hal yang diterima baik oleh rakyat daripada sudut akhlak turut disanggah. – Gambar fail KUALA LUMPUR, 3 Dis – Datuk Dr Hasan Ali hari ini mendakwa parti DAP merupakan batu penghalang untuk Islam dilaksanakan dinegara ini walaupun parti komponen MCA seringkali mendakwa DAP mahu membenarkan hukum hudud dilaksanakan di negara ini oleh kerana parti tersebut bergabung dengan PAS dalam Pakatan Rakyat (PR). "Apa yang hendak ditimbulkan di sini bukan soal penguatkuasaan peraturan seperti yang terdapat dalam enakmen yang telah berkuatkuasa sejak sekian lamanya. "Tetapi, lebih kepada soal tentangan dan halangan terhadap peraturan itu yang datangnya daripada DAP rakan politik PAS dalam pakatan pembangkang," katanya dalam satu kenyataan di sini. Presiden Jalur Tiga (Jati) berkata, tindakan DAP yang seringkali membangkang apa jua usaha PAS memartabatkan Islam serta sikap PAS yang seringkali akur dengan bangkangan tersebut mengecewakan umat Islam. Terbaru, Pengerusi DAP Karpal Singh turut campur tangan dalam isu penggunting/pendandan rambut wanita tidak dibenarkan memotong/mendandan rambut lelaki termasuk yang bukan Islam menyebabkan Jawatankuasa PAS Pusat secara tergesa-gesa meminta Majlis Perbandaran Kota Bharu (MPKB) mengkaji semula tindakan penguatkuasaan yang diambil oleh mereka. Dr Hasan berkata tindakan Karpal Singh menggambarkan bahawa DAP tidak sesekali bersedia menerima apa sahaja peraturan yang mempunyai roh Islam, sehinggakan hal-hal yang diterima baik oleh rakyat daripada sudut akhlak turut disanggah. Tegasnya, tanpa berfikir panjang dan menilai implikasi bentuk tindakan yang akan diambil, pimpinan tertinggi PAS dilihat terus mundur ke belakang dan akur dengan kemahuan dan niat jahat terhadap Islam yang menjadi amalan DAP. "Dalam hal yang dikatakan remeh seperti ini pun tidak dapat diterima baik oleh DAP apa lagi dalam hal-hal besar seperti melaksanakan Hudud dan Negara Islam yang PAS berjanji akan merealisasikannya apabila pakatan pembangkang berjaya menawan Putrajaya," katanya. MCA dalam kempennya kepada masyarakat Cina seringkali mendakwa DAP bersekongkol dengan PAS untuk menubuhkan negara Islam dan melaksanakan hukum Hudud. "MCA sekali lagi hendak mencabar pendirian DAP sama ada mereka bersama–sama MCA menentang pelaksanaan hudud versi PAS atau tidak? "Sekirannya mereka menyatakan mereka tidak berkongsi pendirian yang sama dengan MCA dalam isu hudud versi PAS maka mereka perlu tampil memberitahu rakyat bahawa mereka menyokong pelaksanaan hudud versi PAS di negara. "Diharapkan DAP tidak lari  dan sembunyi daripada cabaran pendirian mereka dalam isu ini. Mereka hanya perlu menyatakan pendirian sokong atau tidak? bertanya Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek baru-baru ini.

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Kisah dari Lombok Posted: 02 Dec 2012 04:17 PM PST 3 DIS — Baru-baru ini Taman Tema Legoland telah dibuka di Nusajaya, satu-satunya di Asia. Jika ke bahagian Miniland, kita dihidangkan dengan model-model bangunan seperti Menara Petronas, Masjid Putra dan sebagainya yang dibina dari permainan Lego. Namun jika ingin melihat percuma miniland versi dunia nyata , sila berkunjung ke Putrajaya dengan puluhan bangunan, ke Bali dengan ribuan pura (kuil) dan Lombok dengan ribuan masjid, Minggu baru lalu saya berkesempatan melawat Lombok yang terkenal di saentero Malaysia gara-gara kes-kes percintaan lelaki Lombok dengan gadis tempatan yang berhujung "dilarikan". Lokasi Lombok sangat strategis untuk menarik kedatangan pelancong kerana berjarak dekat dengan Bali yang telah puluhan tahun menjadi destinasi pelancongan popular dunia. Lombok menurut banyak orang adalah Bali 10-20 tahun yang lalu, masih terjaga dari serangan pelabur dan pelancongan massa yang merosakkan lingkungan seperti dialami Bali. Gili Trawangan. Kunjungan singkat ini telah membenarkan pandangan itu. Tidak terlihat ramai pelancong dan rombongan bas seperti sering dilihat di Bali, dan di beberapa kawasan seperti Sekotong, Sembalun Lawang dan Senggigi sangat jauh dari keramaian meski pemandangan alam yang terhidang sangat indah. Namun hal itu akan berubah seiring pembukaan jalur penerbangan Kuala Lumpur-Lombok oleh AirAsia baru-baru ini selain daripada kejenuhan pelancong yang ingin melarikan diri dari hiruk pikuk Bali. Sememangnya Lombok sangat sesuai mengambil peranan sebagai kawasan pelancongan berwatak pembantu seperti mana Wilayah Iskandar di Johor dan Singapura serta Shenzhen dan Hong Kong. Namun apa yang terlihat di Lombok tidak demikian, Lombok jelas sekali ingin meniru Bali dalam pembinaan imej. Jika Bali terkenal dengan pura, maka Lombok yang majoriti Islam membina masjid-masjid yang anehnya jarak di antara satu sama lain sangat berdekatan. Primata, salah seorang blogger Indonesia yang aktif menulis di blog Kompasiana mencatat, "Jika anda baru pertama menginjakkan kaki di Lombok, bahkan lewat angkasa pun anda akan melihat di bawah, terhampar banyak pemandangan kubah masjid. Terlebih jika anda sudah jalan-jalan ke sekeliling kota Mataram ataupun bagian lain dari pulau Lombok. Masjid Kuno Suku Sasak. Masjid seakan bertebaran dimana-mana, hampir mirip dengan Bali yang dikelilingi oleh seribu pura. Tapi sayang, mereka hanya membangun fisiknya saja. Bayangkan, di kota Mataram ada dua buah masjid besar saling berhadapan, cuma bersebrangan jalan saja. Bahkan fisik masjid tersebut belum sepenuhnya selesai. Pembangunan fisik masjid, oleh masyarakat Lombok, yang didahulukan malah kubah/menaranya, sementara bagian dalamnya dibiarkan apa adanya dulu". Memasuki Lombok sepertinya melawat pameran masjid yang menurut beberapa penduduk tempatan yang saya temui, tidak lebih dari upaya pemerintah Lombok untuk bersaing dengan Bali dalam erti menggunakan agama dan budaya untuk menarik kedatangan pelancong. Sayangnya tidak seperti Bali yang memanfaatkan pura untuk tujuan ibadat dan pelancongan, masjid-masjid di Lombok bukan sahaja sepi pelancong kerana kepura-puraan bahkan manfaatnya kepada penduduk setempat dipertanyakan terutama warga miskinnya. Sembalun Lawang. Meski demikian pujian harus diberikan kepada pemerintah Lombok yang akhirnya serius untuk mempromosikan Lombok kepada dunia luar walaupun masih banyak aspek yang perlu diperkerjakan terutama pengangkutan umum yang baik dan akses ke tempat pelancongan. Hanya saja pemerintah harus lebih jelas dalam merangka konsep Lombok seperti apa yang harus dijual. Ada yang melontarkan idea Lombok harus memilih pelancongan Islam sebagai daya jual terutama kepada pelancong dari dunia Islam dan ada yang cenderung menyeimbangkan antara Islam dan ala-Bali. Jika memilih menjual Lombok sebagai pulau bernuansa Islam seperti diciptakan Belanda terhadap Bali sebagai pulau bernuansa Hindu menurut saya tidak akan berjaya melihatkan imej Islam yang tidak begitu positif dan masyarakat Lombok secara umumnya bukanlah seperti rakan seagama mereka di Acheh. Lombok lebih terbuka dan pragmatik dalam menyikapi persoalan agama dan dunia. Contohnya di Pulau Gili Trawangan, masjid utama terletak di pusat keramaian dan berjarak beberapa meter, pelancong lelaki dan wanita dengan bebas berjemur mengenakan pakaian yang terdedah. Semoga Lombok akan menemukan konsep terbaik agar generasi mendatang Lombok mendapat manfaatnya. Jangan semberono meniru Bali terutama dalam hal pelancongan kerana 80 peratus pelaburan dalam bidang pelancongannya dikuasai asing dan agama Hindu di Bali hanyalah komoditi yang dipergunakan asing untuk meraih keuntungan semaksimal mungkin. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

Tentang guru besar SJKT Posted: 02 Dec 2012 03:54 PM PST 3 DIS — Dua topik yang cukup sensitif dan dekat dalam hati rata-rata penduduk kaum India beragama Hindu di negara ini adalah topik berkaitan Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) dan isu kuil. Tentu sahaja kedua-dua topik ini tidak semestinya mendapat perhatian seluruh masyarakat India, tetapi tetap merupakan antara isu yang sering ditimbulkan pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) dan parti-parti politik dari semasa ke semasa. Mengikut data terkini, terdapat sejumlah 523 SJKT di Malaysia. Rata-rata SJKT diterajui oleh guru besar daripada kalangan kaum India yang berpendidikan Bahasa Tamil. Secara lumrah, mereka beragama Hindu dan mengamalkan budaya serta adat India-Hindu. Pada 5 November, saya mengemukakan pertanyaan menerusi ruangan status di laman rangkaian sosial Facebook untuk mendapatkan pandangan rakan-rakan sekiranya jawatan guru besar SJKT diberikan kepada individu bukan kaum India dan bukan daripada aliran pendidikan Tamil. Pelbagai aktiviti budaya dan agama turut dikendalikan di SJKT. — Foto-foto sekadar hiasan Rasional saya adalah bahawa tugas utama guru besar adalah mentadbir sekolah. Maka, tidak semestinya hanya diserahkan kepada individu India-Hindu dengan latar pendidikan Tamil. Namun, pandangan dan saranan berbentuk provokasi itu adalah disengajakan untuk mendapatkan reaksi ikhlas rakan-rakan yang sering berkongsi pandangan bersama-sama saya menerusi Facebook. Berikut beberapa pandangan yang dikemukakan dan boleh dijadikan asas untuk membantu kita sama-sama lebih memahami senario sebenar berhubung sentimen berkaitan SJKT. Khususnya apabila membicarakan soal berhubung Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan Malaysia 2013-2025 dan hubungannya dengan SJKT. Arivu Ananthan (guru, Puchong): SJKT bukan sekadar pusat pengembangan bahasa. Guru besar mestilah seorang individu yang tahu mengenai budaya dan adat kaum India. Memang menjadi kebiasaan untuk SJKT menganjurkan aktiviti berkaitan budaya dan agama. Maka, seorang guru besar perlu tahu serta terlibat sama. Jika ada individu bukan kaum India yang fasih Bahasa Tamil serta tahu adat dan budaya kaum India, maka tidak menjadi masalah untuk mempertimbangkan memberi jawatan guru besar SJKT kepadanya. Azrul Hisham Abu Said (jurutera bunyi, Kota Damansara): Saya rasa cara utama untuk menyelesaikan persoalan ini adalah dengan mendidik masyarakat supaya persefahaman antara pelbagai kaum boleh wujud. Apabila isu itu berjaya diatasi, pemilihan guru besar nanti adalah berdasarkan kelayakan dan bukan berdasarkan kaum/bahasa. Ahmad Burhan (Selayang): Sana-sini dicanangkan tentang perpaduan antara kaum. Jadi apa masalahnya andai guru besar SJKT tidak terdiri daripada kaum India? Bukankah dengan berbuat demikian boleh pula dijadikan teladan baik ke arah menangani isu perkauman. Kalau seorang Perdana Menteri kaum Melayu boleh memimpin penduduk pelbagai kaum dan agama, apa salahnya seorang guru besar SJKT bukan daripada kaum India? Apa yang penting adalah sikap kita sendiri dan nilai-nilai murni dalam diri. Kaum dan agama sepatutnya tidak menjadi persoalan. John Phoon: Sebenarnya, sesiapa sahaja yang berwibawa dan memenuhi syarat boleh menjadi guru besar di mana-mana sekolah. Akan tetapi, ternyata masih sukar dilaksanakan di negara kita pada masa ini. Saya harap suatu hari nanti ia akan menjadi kenyataan. Murid-murid SJKT juga datang dengan harapan dan mahu pulang dengan kejayaan. Murugan Alimuthu (Taiping): Kalau guru besar kaum Melayu ditempatkan di SJKT, besar kemungkinan guru dan murid dianak-tirikan. Di sekolah kebangsaan (SK) pun kita selalu dengar kenyataan yang mengguris perasaan seperti "balik India" diungkapkan guru-guru tertentu. Apakah jaminan bahawa ungkapan seumpama itu tidak diucapkan dan diamalkan oleh guru besar bukan kaum India nanti? Selain itu, guru besar perlu memahami budaya dan cara hidup kaum India; misalnya sambutan/perayaan kaum/agama serta amalan seperti pemakaian pottu, thiruneer dan sari. Seterusnya, saya menyelitkan pertanyaan tambahan: Bagaimana jika guru besar itu merupakan individu India-Muslim? Beliau mungkin faham budaya India tetapi beragama Islam.  Murugan Alimuthu: Kalau India-Muslim, tidak menjadi halangan kerana beliau sememangnya memahami budaya India secara mendalam. Muthannah Marawan (Shah Alam): Tidak menjadi masalah sekiranya guru besar tersebut bukan kaum India dan bukan beragama Hindu, asalkan beliau memahami hala tuju SJKT selain mengetahui budaya kaum India. Bagi guru besar India-Muslim, mungkin ia satu nilai tambah kerana rata-rata India-Muslim boleh berkomunikasi dalam Bahasa Tamil. Mohd Rafi Jalaluddin (Shah Alam): Kadang-kadang untuk mengembangkan sebuah organisasi, kita perlukan pemikiran yang tidak terhad pada budaya yang sama. Apa sekali pun kaum/agama guru besar itu, niat dan pemikirannya perlu betul.  Aziyana Md Jais: Sememangnya guru besar adalah pentadbir sekolah. Maka mereka merupakan kalangan yang terpilih. Mana mungkin individu yang tidak mampu memimpin dilantik dan diberi tugas besar sebagai guru besar. Malah, kehadiran guru besar Bukan Kaum India di SJKT merupakan satu cara mewujudkan persefahaman dan perpaduan. Guru dan guru besar mampu menjadi pemangkin perpaduan antara kaum di sekolah. Shahrun Nizam Shahir (guru sekolah agama rakyat, Muar): Menurut pengalaman saya, lebih bagus SJKT diketuai kaum India; lebih bagus jika ada latar belakang pendidikan Tamil. Bukan tidak boleh memberi jawatan itu kepada individu bukan kaum India, tapi biarlah ada latar belakang pendidikan Tamil. Biarlah guru besar itu ada pengalaman bergaul dengan kaum India dan ada kepekaan terhadap murid, guru dan masyarakat India. Lazimnya, SJKT dikaitkan dengan MIC. Malah, semacam ada hubungan erat (dalam konteks positif) antara guru besar SJKT dan MIC. Mungkinkah juga itu antara sebab guru besar SJKT amat sesuai jika terdiri daripada kaum India yang pro-MIC? Demikian saya melontarkan pertanyaan tambahan. Murugan Alimuthu: Sememangnya benar bahawa SJKT berkait rapat dengan MIC tetapi itu cerita lama. Mendiang bapa mentua saya bekas SJKT dan pengerusi MIC di suatu kawasan. Tetapi saya tidak nampak keadaan seperti itu di SJKT sekarang. Sebagai bekas guru sandaran di SJKT, saya tidak nampak keadaan seperti itu masih wujud. Para guru besar sekarang lebih berminat dengan tugas hakiki di sekolah berbanding terlibat dalam politik. Anak saya belajar di SJKT dan saya selalu berurusan dengan guru besar sekolah itu. Sampai hari ini saya tidak dengar bahawa beliau adalah wakil MIC atau mana-mana parti politik. Bagaimanapun, hubungan SJKT-MIC tidak dapat dipisahkan atas alasan segala peruntukan serta saluran bantuan daripada kerajaan pusat adalah melalui MIC. Pada masa sama, adalah tidak wajar jika dikatakan bahawa guru besar SJKT amat sesuai jika dilantik daripada kalangan kaum India sahaja. Aziyana Md Jais: Betul, warga pendidik dan guru besar lebih berminat berbicara bagaimana mahu mencapai matlamat pendidikan negara. Saya yakin bahawa guru besar selaku pentadbir tidak mencampur-adukkan politik dengan urusan sekolah. Apa pun, pada saya, tidak wajar jika dikatakan guru besar SJKT mesti daripada kaum India sahaja.  Guru besar yang berdedikasi mampu menyumbang kepada kejayaan murid dalam pelbagai bidang. Devakumaran Palnisamy (Kuala Lumpur): Menjadi guru besar umpama menjadi CEO sebuah syarikat. Apa yang penting adalah kemampuan mentadbir (management skills). Penguasaan Bahasa Tamil dan pemahaman budaya India adalah semacam nilai tambah tetapi bukan syarat wajib. Sekadar contoh, dahulu CEO hospital terdiri daripada kalangan doktor tetapi kini tugas mereka khusus sebagai doktor manakala urusan pentadbiran hospital dilakukan orang lain yang merupakan pakar bidang pentadbiran. Maka, pada saya, pakar Bahasa Tamil dan budaya India sepatutnya menjadi guru di SJKT manakala tugas pentadbiran (guru besar) boleh diserahkan kepada pakar bidang pentadbiran yang tidak semestinya kaum India.  Antonie William (Pulau Pinang): Guru besar SJKT sewajarnya daripada golongan kaum India yang fasih Bahasa Tamil. Hal ini penting kerana beliau bukan hanya bertugas sebagai pentadbir tetapi juga sebagai pendidik, perantara dan pemupuk budaya serta ilmu Bahasa Tamil. Pertama, bagaimana seseorang Bukan Kaum India yang tidak tahu-menahu budaya kaum India mampu menerajui atau menyemai budaya India kepada murid-murid? Kedua, jika terdapat masalah berkaitan budaya India dan Bahasa Tamil, bagaimana beliau dapat menyelesaikannya? Ketiga, bagaimana perasaan guru-guru berpendidikan Tamil dan berpengalaman serta banyak berjasa kepada SJKT tetapi tidak dinaikkan pangkat menjadi guru besar? Demikian antara pandangan dan hujah yang dikongsikan rakan-rakan secara ikhlas menerusi dialog di Facebook. Mungkin belum memadai untuk membuat rumusan berhubung topik yang dibincangkan. Apatah lagi untuk membahaskan Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan Malaysia 2013-2025. Sekurang-kurangnya perbincangan topik yang agak sensitif mengenai jawatan guru besar SJKT ini membuka laluan untuk dibahaskan secara terbuka demi kebaikan bersama. Malah, perkongsian pandangan juga memutikkan pelbagai persoalan baru yang mungkin terkeluar daripada topik asal. Misalnya, ramai yang berpendapat bahawa guru besar SJKT wajib memenuhi syarat itu dan syarat ini. Jika syarat-syarat sama diterapkan dalam konteks kerajaan, entah berapa ramai menteri yang benar-benar layak memegang jawatan yang diberikan oleh Perdana Menteri! Namun, itu adalah topik yang lain pula. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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