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Croisette does Christmas! Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:43 PM PST Prawn Bisque with Crouton, Rouille and Emmenthal cheese... I loved it. — Pictures by Eu Hooi Khaw KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 — Pierre Chaillou, the chef/owner of Croisette, was in an ebullient mood. And not just because he had called a few friends over to the cafe to taste his Christmas menu. No, Pierre and his wife Michelle are expecting a baby! So there we were in a party mood and Pierre's food did not disappoint. He had assembled a five-course Christmas menu, which will be available from Tuesday onwards. Pierre Chaillou... the chef and father-to-be! The chef kept coming in from the kitchen to explain what was being served. "It's tuna and smoked salmon on a cucumber galette," he said of the first course — Smoked Salmon on Cucumber Tagliatelle, Cream Lemon and Chives. "The rest is just things I scattered on the plate," he pointed to the chopped tomato, black olives and dill. We got crisp, tart cucumber slices at the base, embraced with lemon cream and topped with chopped fresh tuna, smoked salmon and salmon roe and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. It was a mouthful of textures – from crunchy to soft and smooth, with salty bursts from salmon roe. Pierre has a fondness for chilli, after having been here 21 years.  He can make a good har meen or prawn noodles, according to Michelle who is Hakka, as well as Pan Mee and Salted Fried Rice. His Prawn Bisque with Crouton, Rouille and Emmenthal Cheese was super delicious. The bisque was intense with prawn flavour, and hot with chilli! A light, crumbly crouton heaped with mayonnaise with garlic, chilli and saffron, tasted amazing. The hotness of this topping matched the hotness of the soup. I loved it. Fresh Barramundi Fillet with lightly curry flavoured sauce... delightful. The Fresh Barramundi Fillet with a light curry flavoured pumpkin sauce turned out well. The pan-fried fish flaked off as you dug into it, picking up the subtly spiced sweetness of the sauce. In the Christmas menu you can expect Lamb Fillet with Mild Garlic Puree, Parsley Flan and Baked Potato Truffle Oil Scented, or Pan Seared Duck Breast with Raspberry Sauce and Potato Gratin. For our tasting, Pierre had reversed the styles of cooking for the two meats, and presented us with the two courses on a plate.  So we had the duck breast with the garlic puree, which I have always liked. It's on Croisette's a la carte menu and is one of Pierre's specialities. The roast duck has to be pinkish for that tender, delicate and succulent bite. A smooth, eggy parsley flan studded with carrot and cucumber separated the duck from the small rounds of lamb fillet on the plate. They were surprisingly good with the raspberry sauce. The fabulous Smoked Salmon on Cucumber Tagliatelle, Cream Lemon and Chives. Of course we had to have a Christmas dessert — the Chocolate Passion Xmas Yule Log. It was Pierre's unique take on the usual Yule Log. At Croisette, it's a divine passionfruit mousse covered with chocolate ganache; you'll relish the light, tart mousse and superbly smooth and thick chocolate covering. For all the five courses, it's just RM88 nett.  It would be wise to pre-order to ensure availability. During the week, except Monday when it's closed, you can sample Pierre's other outstanding dishes including the Caesar Salad, Duck Confit with Potato Salardaise, Lamb Tajine Almonds and Prunes, Smoked Salmon Pasta and Pasta Clams Mariniere and irresistible desserts like Crème Brulee Croisette, Parfait Chocolate Orange and Bavarois Raspberry. There are always dishes of the day written on the board. The food, which is pork-free, is reasonably priced in this French restaurant. Main courses are RM22 for the Lamb Tajine, RM30.80 f or Duck Confit, and RM32 for the Duck Breast with Garlic Sauce. It is located at Level 3 at the Cascadium Condominium, Jalan Penaga, Bukit Bandaraya in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 014-665 7944, 016-330 4477. It's open from 11.45am for lunch, and dinner from 6.45pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Pierre's take on the traditional Yule log is a beautiful light dessert.

Fast-food culture is killing Japanese cuisine, says chef Yoshihiro Murata Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:35 AM PST Yoshihiro Murata at the Plaza Athénée. — AFP-Relaxnews pic TOKYO, Dec 14 — Chef Yoshihiro Murata laments what he calls the loss of traditional Japanese cuisine in his home country. It's been "polluted," he says, by the invasion of fast food restaurant chains from the US and abroad, feeding young people foods like "hamburgers, curry, and spaghetti," he says through his translator with a look of disdain. Murata, a triple Michelin-starred chef at Kikunoi in Kyoto, is speaking to Relaxnews in an interview before cooking a special luncheon in December at the Plaza Athénée in Paris at the invitation of one of France's chef titans, Alain Ducasse. He was one of four international chefs cherry-picked by the French chef for being a disciple of Ducasse's own culinary philosophy, one that calls for simple, honest cookery that puts the spotlight back on the ingredients - and away from the chef. Murata is also widely described as a champion of traditional Japanese cuisine for the outside world, a chef Ducasse praises for having succeeded in striking a balance between creating contemporary cuisine and maintaining a deferential respect for his Japanese culinary heritage. Japan's loss of culinary identity But the culinary landscape in Japan has changed dramatically over the years, Murata tells Relaxnews, with US fast food chains exerting an unhealthy influence over young people in his country and eroding Japan's rich culinary traditions, he said. "There's been a real loss in the Japanese culinary identity," Murata said through his translator. "We have a lot of work to do in re-educating Japanese people on the culinary traditions. We have to return to our roots and origins." But it's not a phenomenon exclusive to Japan, he adds. Other countries face the same culinary crisis, where multi-national fast food chains have made a negative impact on a nation's gastronomic identity. With, perhaps, the notable exception of one country, he says: France. "I have great respect for the French because they value their culinary traditions and gastronomic heritage." But even in France, the proliferation and increasing popularity of fast food brands like McDonald's and Belgian burger brand Quick have become a growing concern, particularly in regard to the impact on the health and food culture of younger generations. Japanese phenomenon Meanwhile, though Japan may be facing an onslaught of Westernised and foreign influences to what Murata says is the detriment of the country's culinary traditions, the outside world has experienced an epicurean awakening of Japanese cuisine for the past few decades, with sushi eateries popping up in all corners of the developed world. And while some lament what's been described as the cheapening of sushi with fast food joints and the factory production of Japan's signature food, Murata remained positive about its popularity, happy to see his country's cuisine proliferate around the world. "We need to let the movement roll out and continue. It may not be good sushi, but then good chefs will fan out into the world and educate consumers on what real, authentic Japanese food tastes like." — AFP-Relaxnews

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Sneijder left out of Inter Milan squad to face Lazio Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:16 AM PST Inter Milan's Yuto Nagatomo (L) challenges Zuniga of Napoli during their Serie A soccer match at San Siro stadium in Milan December 9, 2012. — Reuters pic ROME, Dec 14 — Wesley Sneijder has again been left out of the Inter Milan squad to face Lazio tomorrow (1945 GMT), as a contract row rumbles on. Inter announced their squad to face Lazio on their website (http://www.inter.it) today, and the Dutchman was missing from the 23 players named. Sneijder has refused to sign a new contract with Inter after the Serie A club asked him to extend his contract from 2015 to 2016 for the same overall payment, a move criticised by the world players' union FIFPro. The midfielder, who was a leading light in the 2010 treble-winning side, has not played for them since the row broke out last month. Inter are second in Serie A, four points behind champions Juventus. — Reuters

Bastia official starts hunger strike over stadium ban Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:58 AM PST Supporters watch the match on a giant screen during the closed doors Ligue 1 soccer match between Bastia and Olympique Marseille, December 12, 2012. — Reuters pic PARIS, Dec 14 — A Bastia official has started a hunger strike after the French club were barred from playing at home until further notice because of a series of violent incidents, the Ligue 1 side said today. The disciplinary commission of the French League (LFP) imposed the sanction yesterday after fans threw a barrage of fireworks outside the Furiani stadium in Corsica on Wednesday as Bastia's 2-1 defeat by Olympique Marseille was played behind closed doors. "Outraged by the decision, Jo Bonavita, responsible for the logistics at the club, has decided to start a hunger strike this morning in the light of the sanctions imposed by the LFP," the club said on their website (http://www.sc-bastia.net). The 73-year-old Bonavita is a much-loved figure at Bastia, where he has been working since 1981. The LFP said yesterday security could not be guaranteed in or around Bastia's stadium for the time being. The ground was empty for the game against Marseille after violent incidents in the stands marred their match with neighbours Ajaccio in October. The disciplinary commission is also investigating two other games including the League Cup quarter-final against Lille, which was interrupted for five minutes after a linesman was hit by a missile two weeks ago. Promoted Bastia, 15th in the league standings, travel to champions Montpellier tomorrow. Their next home game is scheduled for December22 against strugglers Nancy. — Reuters

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California health officials sound alarm over hookah smoking Posted: 14 Dec 2012 05:54 AM PST California public health officials warned that tobacco smoking from hookah can be at least as harmful as cigarettes. — Reuters SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 13 — California public health officials warned yesterday of a sharp rise in tobacco smoking from hookahs, and a proliferation of cafes and lounges offering the Middle Eastern-style water pipes, which experts say can be at least as harmful as cigarettes. Hookah smoking among Californians jumped more than 40 per cent between 2005 and 2008, said Dr Ron Chapman, the state director of public health, citing a 2011 state tobacco survey published in the American Journal of Public Health. He said the trend was particularly pronounced among college-age adults, with nearly a quarter of men 18 to 24 years old reporting they had used a hookah at least once, according to the same study. Experts say the growing popularity of hookahs has been fuelled in part by a perception that the water pipes are more socially acceptable than cigarettes and the erroneous belief that inhaling tobacco smoke drawn through the water filters out some of its toxins. But smoke from hookah tobacco — which comes in such flavours as apple, strawberry, honey and mint — retains all the carcinogens of cigarette smoke while adding more carbon monoxide and extra carcinogens from the use of burning coals that are used to keep the nicotine flowing, health officials say. During a typical hour-long session, a hookah user inhales 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "There is a very, very concerning misperception about the use of hookahs among youth, thinking it's somehow safer. In fact, it puts you at the same risk," Chapman said. The warning came as Chapman announced an anti-smoking advertising campaign aimed at those most likely to light up — low-income, minority youth, especially African-Americans. While California has in many ways led the nation in discouraging smoking, "tobacco use is still the No. 1 cause of death and disease in California," he said. Tobacco kills nearly 34,000 Californians a year and leads to annual healthcare costs of US$6.5 billion (RM20 billion), or US$400 for each state taxpayer, he said. Although pubs and restaurants in California have banned smoking since 1998, hookah bars and cafes are permitted under exemptions for owner-operated tobacco shops or other businesses where no food or beverages are sold without employees or staff, said Corey Egel, a state public health department spokesman. The growing popularity of hookahs among young adults in California mirrors a broader trend nationwide. A s tudy in May by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine of 152 universities nationwide found that over 30 per cent of students had smoked tobacco from a hookah during the previous month. Hookah smoking, which originated in Persia and India, has seen resurgence in Middle Eastern countries and elsewhere, too, with water pipes referred to as narguila in Syria, Lebanon and Turkey and as sheesha in Egypt. — Reuters

NASA moon-mapping mission to come to a crashing end Posted: 14 Dec 2012 05:47 AM PST NASA handout image shows an artist's concept of the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission's twin spacecraft in orbit around the moon. — Reuters pic CAPE CANAVERAL (Florida), Dec 13 — NASA plans to crash a pair of small robotic science probes into the moon next week after a successful yearlong mission to learn what lies beneath the lunar surface, officials said yesterday. The twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft will make suicidal plunges on Monday into a mountain near the moon's north pole, a site selected to avoid the chance of hitting any of the Apollo or other lunar relics. The impacts, which are not expected to be visible from Earth, will take place about 20 seconds apart at 5.28pm EST (2228 GMT) on Monday. "They're going to be completely blown apart," GRAIL project manager David Lehman, with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, told reporters on a conference call. Almost out of fuel and currently flying just 7 miles (11km) above the lunar surface, the probes will make a final steering maneuver today and shut down their science instruments in preparation for Monday's crash. The two spacecraft, each about the size of a small washing machine, have been flying in close formation around the moon for nearly a year to map the lunar gravity. Scientists precisely measure the distance between the two, a figure that slightly changes as they fly over denser regions of the moon. The gravitational pull of the additional mass causes first the leading probe and then the following one to speed up, altering the gap between them. Gravity maps from the first part of the mission, collected between March and May 2012 when the spacecraft were about 34 miles (55km) above the lunar surface, revealed the moon has a shallower and much more fractured crust than expected — the result of asteroid and comet impacts billions of years ago. "We know that the moon had been bombarded by impacts but what we found is just how broken up and fractured the crust of the moon is," said lead scientist Maria Zuber, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Similar bombardments happened on all the solid bodies of the inner solar system though the evidence on Earth has been erased by erosion, plate tectonics and other phenomena. "With Mars, there's a questions about where did the water that we think was on the surface go," Zuber said. "These fractures provide a pathway deep inside the planet and it's very easy to envision now how a possible ocean on the surface could have found its way deep into the crust." Scientists also discovered lava-filled subterranean cracks inside the moon, evidence that the body expanded early in its history. In addition to planetary science, the gravity maps, along with detailed images of the lunar surface, should help engineers pick landing sites for future robotic and human expeditions to the moon, Zuber said. "In my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined that this mission would have gone any better than it has," she said, adding that NASA will be getting US$8 million (RM24 million) or US$9 million back from the mission's US$471 million budget. The spacecraft will hit the surface at about 3,760 miles per hour (6,120kph). No pictures are expected because the region will be dark at the time of impact, but a sister spacecraft circling the moon, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, will attempt to survey the crash site. "These are two small spacecraft with empty fuel tanks, so we're not expecting a flash that is visible from Earth," Zuber said. — Reuters

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Japan animator Miyazaki’s new film next year Posted: 14 Dec 2012 05:09 AM PST Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. — AFP-Relaxnews pic TOKYO, Dec 14 — Oscar-winning Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's first film in five years - a wartime romance - will be released next year, its distributor has said. Miyazaki, who created "Spirited Away", which won Best Animated Feature in 2003, and "Ponyo" (2008), will release "Kaze Tachinu", based on the novel of the same name, usually translated as "The Wind Has Risen", distributor Toho said yesterday. The film's hero is modelled on flight engineer Jiro Horikoshi, who designed the Zero fighter, Japan's best known World War II fighter aircraft. In a career that has spanned five decades, Miyazaki has achieved critical and commercial success around the globe, blazing a trail for the genre of Japanese cartoons - known as anime. Miyazaki collaborator Isao Takahata will also release his first new film in more than a decade next year. "Kaguyahime no Monogatari" will be based on Japan's oldest novel "Taketori Monogatari" (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter) believed to have been written more than 1,000 years ago. — AFP-Relaxnews

Hugh Jackman gets Hollywood Walk of Fame star Posted: 14 Dec 2012 03:32 AM PST Actor Hugh Jackman poses at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after the star was revealed at an unveiling ceremony, December 13, 2012 in Hollywood, California. — AFP-Relaxnews pic LOS ANGELES, Dec 14 — Australian actor Hugh Jackman got a Hollywood double whammy yesterday as he was nominated for a Golden Globe and got his star on Tinseltown's famous Walk of Fame on the same day. Jackman, who is being tipped for possible Oscar glory for his role in upcoming musical adaptation "Les Miserables," said he couldn't believe the good fortune that his career has given him. "This is quite a ride ... It's a surreal experience. I'm a kid from the suburb of Barunga, on the northern side of Sydney ... This is completely surreal," he said as he unveiled his sidewalk star. "Apart from Lassie, I'm the only one to get to play the same character in 15 movies," he quipped, flanked by Les Mis co-star Anne Hathaway, director Tom Hooper, DreamWorks boss Jeffrey Katzenberg and Tonight Show host Jay Leno. Leno, due to interview him later, told Jackman: "I don't believe wealth and fame change anybody, it exaggerates who you already are. And I think all your wealth and success and fame have just made you a better person." "You have a wonderful family, you're a wonderful role model ... besides the obvious talent, is the fact that you are a regular person." Jackman thanked his fans, about 200 of whom turned out to see him get his Walk of Fame star on the sidewalk outside Madame Tussaud's next to Grauman's Chinese Theatre in the tourist centre of Tinseltown. "I have the greatest fans in the world. I don't take it lightly and or take it for granted and thank you so much for all you do. (...) The Boy from Oz was a hit because of the fans. His wife Deborra-Lee Furness and adopted children Oscar, 12, and Ava, 7, were also there. "None of this would have been possible, and certainly none of this would have been rewarding to me, if not for my family," said Jackman, nominated for best actor in a musical or comedy at the Golden Globes earlier in the day. "And kids, you maybe don't understand it now, but you're gonna save a fortune in therapy by just coming here and spitting on it, jumping on it ... you can come and take it out here," he said of his star. "Sorry, city of Los Angeles," he added. — AFP-Relaxnews

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Choose your own ‘Hamlet’ adventure book nears funding finish Posted: 13 Dec 2012 04:27 PM PST LOS ANGELES, Dec 14 — With a week to go until its crowdfunding drive closes on December 21, interactive Shakespearean adaptation To Be Or Not To Be: That Is The Adventure is already Kickstarter's third most-funded comic project. The book, which is to be produced in both digital and print formats, presents the story of Hamlet as a choose-your-own-adventure, allowing readers to play through as Hamlet, Ophelia, or Hamlet's pa, King Hamlet, along with a few additional elements — pirates, explosions, and illustrations from the webcomic world's elite artists. Its initial US$20,000 (RM60,000) appeal stands at over US$330,000 pledged; Kickstarter monitoring site Kicktraq has To Be Or Not To Be trending towards a US$450,000 total. The concept comes from Ryan North, who is well known for not only the Adventure Time comic book tie-ins, but also Dinosaur Comics, a fixture of the webcomic scene which will be 10 years old in February. 2003 was a fertile year for long-lasting webcomic debuts, as Dinosaur Comics can count several well-known titles among its cohort, including A Modest Destiny, A Softer World, Matt Bors' Idiot Box, The Adventures of Dr. McNinja, and The Order of the Stick. In fact, both A Softer World and Dr. McNinja became part of North's own online ad network, Project Wonderful; The Order of the Stick's February 2012 print drive remains Kickstarter's highest funded comics project with US$1.2 5million banked. To Be Or Not To Be on Kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/breadpig/to-be-or-not-to-be-that-is-the-adventure — AFP/Relaxnews

Autumn 2013 Bond novel set in 1969 Posted: 13 Dec 2012 04:00 PM PST LONDON, Dec 14 — New James Bond novelist William Boyd revealed that his 2013 addition to the Bond canon will take place in 1969, also telling the UK's Radio Times that he had avoided Bond film Skyfall. Boyd revealed himself to be a stickler for Bond lore, pointing out that the novels portrayed 007 as a man with dangerously high levels of alcohol consumption and, contra-Skyfall, that the young Bond only went to school in Scotland — at Edinburgh's Fettes College — but his childhood home was actually in the southern English county of Wiltshire. Boyd had previously written Any Human Heart, granting Ian Fleming a cameo role, and spy thriller Restless; he succeeds the two most recent post-Fleming Bond authors in Sebastian Faulks (Birdsong) and Jeffery Deaver (The Bone Collector), and his as-yet-untitled entry to the Bond fiction will coincide with the 60th anniversary year of Casino Royale, the super-spy's very first outing. — AFP/Relaxnews

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Kit Siang seru Pakatan yakinkan pengundi atas pagar untuk bentuk kerajaan Posted: 14 Dec 2012 03:12 AM PST Lim berkata PR mempunyai jalan yang masih jauh dalam menuju objektifnya. — Gambar fail KUALA LUMPUR, 14 Dis ― Dengan tinggal sehari sahaja lagi Kongres Tahunan Ke-16 DAP akan berlangsung di Pulau Pinang, Lim Kit Siang hari ini menyeru agar rakan-rakan parti komponen pembangkang dalam Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supaya komited dalam menarik sokongan empat juta pengundi atas pagar supaya memilih mereka bagi membolehkan pembangkang membentuk kerajaan di Putrajaya ketika Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 akan datang. "Seandainya kita mahu berjaya melakukan perubahan kerajaan di Putrajaya, kerana kita mesti meyakinkan mereka (pengundi atas pagar) bahawa ketiga-tiga parti PR benar-benar komited untuk mengangkat prinsip-prinsip dan dasar-dasar yang menyatukan kita bersama seperti yang termaktub dalam Common Policy Framework dan Buku Jingga sambil meletak ke tepi sejarah perbezaan ideologi," kata Ketua Parlimen DAP itu hari ini dalam satu kenyataan sempena kongres DAP. Jelas ahli Parlimen Ipoh Timor itu lagi, PR telah sepakat untuk menyertai pilihan raya kali ini dan membentuk kerajaan di Putrajaya dengan 125 kerusi di Parlimen melalui pembahagian kerusi melalui kadar nisbah 45:40:40 antara PKR, PAS dan DAP. "PR mempunyai jalan yang masih jauh dalam menuju objektifnya ... memandangkan ketiga-tiga parti komponen mesti memenangi sekurang-kurangnya 30 kerusi lagi berbanding dengan yang telah dimenangi pada tahun 2008 untuk mendapat majoriti 112 kerusi di Parlimen dalam PRU-13.  "Namun untuk menjadi kerajaan persekutuan yang baik, PR tidak boleh setakat memiliki majoriti mudah dengan lebihan satu kerusi di Parlimen, bahkan mesti mencuba untuk memenangi lebih banyak kerusi majoriti dalam PRU-13.  "Ini adalah tugas yang payah, malah amat berat, tetapi bukanlah mustahil," katanya. Beliau turut menyentuh berkenaan isu hubungan antara ketiga-tiga komponen parti PR yang menurutnya "adalah sama setaraf di mana kami menghormati perbezaan pendapat satu sama lain." "Inilah sebabnya pemimpin DAP telah menyatakan dengan jelas pendirian kami tentang kontroversi salun rambut di Kelantan kepada pimpinan PAS sejak dari mula, walaupun kami tidak mengumumkannya melalui media.  "Peraturan pemisahan gender di Kelantan yang turut memberi kesan kepada orang bukan Islam adalah kes penting, di mana untuk isu yang serupa DAP dituduh tunduk kepada PAS manakala PAS pula dituduh berkompromi demi menyenangkan hati DAP. "Tetapi ini tidak cukup untuk mendapatkan sokongan daripada empat juta pengundi atas pagar," tambah pemimpin veteran DAP itu lagi.  Beliau turut menegaskan, mana-mana komponen parti PR tidak pernah tunduk sesama mereka, sebaliknya mereka mengamalkan prinsip berkhidmat kepada rakyat tanpa mengira sebarang perbezaan. "Adalah bohong jika dikatakan pemimpin DAP takut kepada pemimpin PAS, seperti juga jika dikatakan pemimpin PAS takut kepada pemimpin DAP, dan jika dikatakan orang Melayu atau orang Cina akan tertindas di bawah pentadbiran kerajaan PR. "PKR, PAS dan DAP amat komited untuk berkhidmat demi kebaikan semua rakyat Malaysia, tanpa peduli latar belakang kaum, agama ataupun kawasan," tegasnya. Kit Siang turut menegaskan, meskipun berlakunya sedikit perbezaan pendapat antara DAP dan PAS, atas semangat demokrasi, mereka mengetepikan perbezaan pendapat tersebut. "DAP menyokong sebuah negara yang sekular ... PAS pula berada pada pendirian yang sama sekali berbeza tentang hudud. "Namun kami bersetuju untuk berbeza pendapat demi kemaslahatan demokrasi. "Asas DAP untuk bekerjasama dengan PAS bukanlah untuk negara Islam atau hudud, tetapi demi prinsip pendemokrasian, kemajmukan, kepelbagaian budaya, hak asasi manusia, hak wanita dan pembangunan negara," katanya. Beliau turut mengakui, dua pertiga majoriti Parlimen untuk Umno dan Barisan Nasional (BN) bukanlah suatu perkara yang sukar apabila parti pemerintah itu hanya memerlukan tambahan lapan kerusi sahaja lagi berbanding 140 kerusi yang dimenangi dalam Pilihan Raya Umum 2008. "Biarlah Kongres Kebangsaan DAP ke-16 membunyikan semboyan siapsiaga untuk PR menjadi kerajaan di Putrajaya. "Rahsia kepada kejayaan kempen 'Seratus Hari Menuju Putrajaya' oleh PR bergantung kepada kemampuan kita untuk memenangi undi empat juta pengundi atas pagar dengan menumpukan kepada isu-isu penting nasional, dan juga kemampuan PR," tambahnya lagi. Kongres ke-16 DAP yang bakal berlangsung esok adalah kongres terakhir parti politik di negara ini. DAP juga adalah satu-satunya parti politik yang mengadakan pemilihan parti di ambang pilihan raya, sedangkan parti-parti politik lain telah menangguhkan pemilihan parti sehingga selepas pilihan raya.

Ibrahim Ali nafikan dirinya dan Perkasa rasis, hanya pertahankan perlembagaan Posted: 14 Dec 2012 01:32 AM PST Ibrahim mendakwa Perkasa hanya mempertahankan perlembagaan. — Gambar fail KUALA LUMPUR, 14 Dis — Presiden Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa (Perkasa), Datuk Ibrahim Ali menafikan dirinya dan pertubuhan tersebut sebagai rasis kerana mendakwa mereka hanya mempertahankan apa yang dijamin oleh Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Ahli parlimen Pasir Mas itu turut menambah, label rasis itu timbul oleh kerana Perkasa memperjuangkan hak Melayu dan Bumiputera walaupun ianya termaktub dalam perundangan tertinggi negara semenjak Malaysia mula merdeka pada tahun 1957. "Saya perjuangkan agenda Melayu dan agenda Bumiputera, mengikut Perlembagaan, saya mempertahankan asas Perlembagaan dan Perkara 153 hak keistimewaan orang Melayu, ada pihak menuntut pada sesuatu perkara yang pada pandangan saya secara tidak langsung bertentangan dengan Perlembagaan, atau tuntutan yang bertentangan dengan dasar-dasar nasional," kata beliau dalam wawancara eksklusif bersama Sinar Harian Online. Tambah Ibrahim, jika benar beliau adalah seorang rasis, mengapa sepanjang beliau menjadi pemimpin semenjak 1986 sehingga menjawat jawatan timbalan menteri, beliau tidak pernah dituduh rasis. "Sepanjang saya memimpin Perkasa, orang tuduh rasis dan macam-macam lagi, saya tidak pernah menerima laporan polis terhadap saya, orang lain yang tidak kata rasis, mereka menerima banyak laporan polis, saya tak ada," katanya. Ibrahim turut mempersoalkan mengapa orang tidak mengatakan apa-apa kepada pertubuhan Dong Zong dan Hindraf sedangkan menurutnya pertubuhan-pertubuhan tersebut lebih rasis kerana membuat tuntutan bertentangan dengan perlembagaan. "Sebagai contoh bila Dong Zong tuntut macam-macam hal pendidikan, kita hanya tekankan kerajaan kena tegas, sebab ada tuntutan-tuntutan itu bertentangan dengan perlembagaan, begitu juga Hindraf sebelum ini mereka buat memorandum, mereka tuntut macam-macam, mereka burukkan nama negara, jadi kita kritik Hindraf mengapa mereka patut buat demikian, kenapa mereka perlu ke luar negara dan burukkan nama negara, jadi ini akhirnya mereka kata kita (Perkasa) rasis. "Tidak pernah dalam sejarah sejak saya tubuhkan Perkasa, pernahkah saya mengeluarkan kenyataan yang menyuruh jangan bantu orang India, jangan bantu orang Cina?," tambah beliau.  Menurut Ibrahim, dalam mempertahankan Perlembagaan negara, mereka bukan sahaja mempertahankan Islam sebagai agama persekutuan, Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa Kebangsaan, kedaulatan Raja Melayu, hak Melayu termasuk juga hak kerakyatan semua warganegara.  "Siapa saja persoalkan hak kerakyatan kita tentang mereka, pasal kita inklusif, kita mempertahankan kontrak sosial dalam Perkara 153 termasuk kerakyatan, malah sekarang pun kalau orang India layak dapat kerakyatan, sebab ramai orang India bising kerana soal kerakyatan, kita tidak tentang, kalau kita rasis, kita akan tentang, cuma kalau kita nak tegur kerajaan, lakukan dengan betul, maknanya, orang yang layak saja boleh terima kerakyatan, kalau dia baru datang Malaysia satu atau dua tahun, mereka tak boleh dapat kerakyatan, tetapi kita tidak menentang supaya tidak beri kerakyatan ini, di mana yang dikatakan saya atau Perkasa rasis?," tambah beliau lagi. Menurut Ibrahim, Perkasa dituduh rasis kerana dilabel oleh surat khabar Cina, termasuk terus memutar belitkan isu pemberian angpau bersampul putih walaupun dibuat dengan ikhlas tapi isu ini dibesarkan oleh portal berita Malaysiakini. Ahli parlimen Pasir Mas itu menambah, mereka lakukan itu kerana sebab politik sebab mereka tengok pendirian Perkasa sebagai NGO tidak menyokong pembangkang.  Pada pilihan raya 2008, Ibrahim Ali memenangi kerusi parlimen Pasir Mas dibawah tiket PAS. Walaubagaimanapun tidak beberapa lama selepas itu, beliau mengisytiharkan dirinya sebagai ahli parlimen bebas dan menubuhkan NGO yang digelar Perkasa. Perkasa aktif dalam memperjuangkan kepentingan bangsa Melayu dan seringkali mengkritik Pakatan Rakyat (PR) – gabungan PKR, PAS dan DAP yang dikatakan menggugat kepentingan  Melayu dan bumiputera sepertimana yang dijamin oleh perlembagaan persekutuan. Kehadiran Perkasa tidak disenangi oleh sesetengah pihak terutamanya dari PR yang menggangap pertubuhan tersebut sebagai perkauman dan tidak menghormati Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara berbilang kaum.

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I’m older than I look, really! Posted: 13 Dec 2012 03:45 PM PST DEC 14 — I'm lucky to have youthful looks that do not reflect my actual age. I dare say this because many people have guessed my age as being a decade younger than my actual 34 years. But sometimes, I think people think that I'm younger than my age because of my demeanour and my child-like, hyperactive personality. Heck, I've even had my university students diagnose me as having Peter Pan Syndrome! Talk about respecting your elders. I always felt it was cool to be youngish and that my daughter would be known among her friends as the one with the cool and hip dad. But recently, I have been feeling like I've been ageing. And its no thanks to the fact that I have slowly realised that my musical preference has slowly become obsolete. Music has been a passion for me ever since I can remember. I would seek out the latest and the most different kinds to listen to. One of the first few albums I had were Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" and the "La Bamba" soundtrack (which were the latest hot cassettes at that time). My musical taste started to develop as the years progressed. I started trying to listen to music that other people didn't listen to and bought bootleg cassettes. This went on for years. I realised today the bands I listen to now have been the same ones I've been listening to the past 15 years. I tried to listen to some newer contemporary bands and all the sounds that I heard just irritated me and made me whine and complain about how lousy music is today. I also started to realise that I was starting to go backwards in my quest for new music. Ironically, to find new music, I searched for old music. The Steve Miller Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chuck Berry and Cat Stevens started featuring on my iPhone as the most played. This realisation has hit me like the Roadrunner's barbell hitting the head of Wile E. Coyote (the top rated cartoon on TV when I was in school). I used to play basketball every day and didn't feel any acid buildup. Now, my regular Friday night basketball session takes me until the next Friday to recover physically. My BMX bike hasn't been ridden in a year even though it sits behind my editing desk in my man room and I keep pumping the tyres to maintain the right air pressure. And to think about it, by the time little Athena reaches her teens, I would be 50 and probably need a walking stick and constant supply of batteries for my pacemaker. I wouldn't be the cool dad anymore. Instead, I would be the old grouch who has nothing to do during retirement but act as a driver for his teenage daughter. And this entire breakdown came about because I hate One Direction, feel like killing Adam Levine, and feel like killing myself when I hear dubstep. And to make things worse, I have tickets to Weezer's (a band I started listening to in 1995) Memories Tour this coming January in Jakarta. I repeat — MEMORIES TOUR! * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

We know best. You shut up Posted: 13 Dec 2012 03:38 PM PST We know best. You shut up DEC 14 — Obviously someone in the National Sports Council didn't get the transparency and public accountability memo. Or maybe didn't attend the kursus on this issue. A new low was reached last week when National Sports Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong declared that the detailed accounts for the expenditure incurred during the preparation and participation in the 2012 London Olympics would not be accessible to the public. He also deemed such access as unnecessary and that there was no obligation for the NSC to do so. If we needed an example of how far bureaucratic arrogance can go and how quite a few of our senior civil servants consider themselves no longer answerable or accountable (if ever) to the Malaysian public, this is certainly a good one. The declaration last August by Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek that there would be full disclosure of the records of the RM20 million spent on Olympic preparations was greeted with much interest, support and I daresay optimism that perhaps, this time, it would be different. That such expenditure seen under the light of day would help the public understand and appreciate why these investments are necessary. I was one of those who had this line of thought. What I didn't count on, and probably neither did the minister, was for the D-G of the NSC to decide that we, you and I and the media, are not entitled to see the accounts. You have got to wonder how is it that a civil servant is able to overrule a promise made publicly by a Cabinet minister who acted in the interest of improving transparency and accountability. This is not defence spending where you can claim that public disclosure has implications towards national security. It is a pity that the D-G saw it fit to act this way. Public disclosure in such instances is not only about trying to find corruption and misuse of funds (for example, were there family members of officials or unrelated officials travelling to London on a so-called reward holiday on the public dime?). It is also a great way for the public to understand how funding and investments are necessary to improve the level and quality of sports in Malaysia. It will help answer questions such as whether a particular sport needs more attention and better funding and support in order for us to achieve the high level of quality and excellence expected in the Olympics. Did we fail to win medals in competition because we didn't provide sufficient allocation and training support? Better public understanding can make the case and improve support and arguments for increased funding. Instead we are treated to the attitude akin to "We know best. You shut up."  Slowly dying are the days when such paternalistic behaviour was tolerated and acceptable. The Malaysian public, in these days of increased public sector expenditure and of calls to change lifestyles and tighten belts, are becoming better informed and concerned about how public money is spent. They want to know. They want to be involved and support. This is a good thing. Also, I don't know about you, but if somebody spent RM20 million of my money (yes, it is our money as quite a few of us pay taxes and vote in elections) on something, I would like to know what it was spent on. I call for us to give our full support to the youth and sports minister to help him to deliver his promise. Dear Minister, don't allow yourself to be bamboozled by these civil servants who have forgotten that their job is to serve the people. We support you! A civil servant who does not view as necessary the full disclosure of the use of public funds (read: taxpayers' money) despite what his minister has already clearly indicated does not deserve to have the trust of the Malaysian people. If he feels that he cannot be open and accountable on these issues, then the D-G should resign forthwith. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

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