Jumaat, 28 Disember 2012

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Foochow cuisine comes to Taman Desa

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 04:02 PM PST

Heng Hwa Mee Sua in Oyster Broth... a lighter version of the original.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 ― I had been driving bypassing by this restaurant in Taman Desa for the past four months, noticing the crowds in it each time.

Finally I decided I had to go check it out for myself. Hoi Kee Heng Hwa Restaurant is famous for its Foochow food; it was in Brickfields for 20 years ― on the row most people referred to as Pines after the restaurant by that name on that row ― and then it moved to Serdang for 20 months.

Now it is newly ensconced in Taman Desa and owner/chef Thomas Yee realised diners here have a finer palate, eschewing the heavier flavours and going for a lighter style of cooking.

Steamed Fishhead with Ginger and Oyster Sauce... a must-try at Hoi Kee.

He cleverly served up the old favourites in the new style as brilliantly reflected in the Heng Hwa Mee Sua in Oyster Broth. It featured a thicker mee sua, specially made for the restaurant.

The noodles were silken smooth, embraced by a broth which had been livened up with a dash of Chiu Hing wine and plump oysters. Some chopped choy sum, seaweed and fried peanuts were thrown into the light, lovely broth.

This got us off to a delicious start to dinner. I wished I had ordered a larger portion for the three of us.

The yummy Oyster Omelette.

The Signature Fishhead was highly recommended – this portion of carp or wan yue from the head to the belly – was heaped with a hot, fragrant ginger paste, then almost smothered in an oyster sauce that that had first been simmered with some taucheo and cili padi.

I picked up a large piece of the carp and spread the ginger over it, after dipping it in the sauce. The smooth flesh tasted so good in the hot, spicy and lightly sweet sauce. I was told by a friend that her sister managed to finish a whole fishhead by herself at this restaurant.

The Fresh Oyster Omelette was fluffy, its texture enhanced by some tapioca starch added to it. It was studded with fat round oysters that burst sublimely at the bite. Some chopped spring onions and peanuts, and a tart and garlicky chilli sauce complemented the omelette well.

Pork in Pineapple Boat is another popular dish here.

We liked the Stuffed Boneless Chicken Wings with Ham and Mushroom as well. Beneath the crispy skin was a juicy, smooth centre of black mushroom and ham. Altogether it was well seasoned and flavourful.

The Pork in Pineapple Boat turned out nicely too; the meaty ribs were a well-balanced sweet and sour flavour. We were told there is no colouring in the tomato sauce which is cooked from scratch, as the chef, who learnt the trade from his father, is particular about the fresh ingredients staying natural.

Now what should we eat when we come again, we asked the friendly woman who had taken our orders. She pointed to the Pork Knuckle in Claypot with herbs, mushrooms and fish bladder, Boneless Chicken with Plum Sauce, Fried Hockchew Rice Cake with garlic, Chinese cabbage and celery, Fried Heng Hwa Meehoon with chives and beansprouts, the Seaweed Broth with tofu, lala, chicken and crabmeat, and the Signature Crispy Beancurd.

Hoi Kee Heng Hwa Restaurant is now in Taman Desa.

No wonder when we were waiting outside for a table, the couple who had just finished and offered us their table generously told us everything on the menu was nice!

The prices: the Signature Fishhead was RM28, Stuffed Boneless Chicken Wings RM2.50 per piece, Pork in Pineapple Boat RM15, Oyster Omelette RM15, Mee Sua in Oyster Broth RM15.

Hoi Kee Heng Hwa is located at 16 Jalan 1/109E, Desa Business Park, Taman Desa, Jalan Kelang Lama, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, Tel: 012- 366 4096, 012-208 1910. It's just opposite the Taman Desa Medical Centre.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

Nadal to miss Australian Open due to illness

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 08:05 AM PST

MADRID, Dec 28 — French Open champion Rafa Nadal has been forced to withdraw from next month's Australian Open because of a stomach virus that has disrupted his recovery from a knee injury, the world number four said today.

"My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors, but this virus didn't allow me to practise this past week," the Spaniard, who has also pulled out of the Qatar Open in Doha, said in a statement.

"Therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open, as we had initially scheduled."

Nadal (picture) was due to make his competitive comeback after the knee injury sidelined him for six months at an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi this week.

The 26-year-old has not played since June when he suffered a shock defeat in the second round of Wimbledon to Czech Lukas Rosol. He had won the exhibition event in the United Arab Emirates in 2010 and 2011.

Nadal said doctors had advised a period of rest without any sport for the next seven days starting today.

"As my team and doctors say, the safest thing to do is to do things well and this virus has delayed my plans of playing these weeks," he said.

"I will have to wait until the Acapulco tournament (at the end of February) to compete again although I could consider to play before at any other ATP event.

"I always said that my return to competition will be when I am in the right conditions to play and after all this time away from the courts I rather not accelerate the comeback and prefer to do things well." — Reuters

Liverpool’s Suarez fit to face QPR

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 07:38 AM PST

Liverpool's Luis Suarez throws a drink bottle from the pitch during their English Premier League soccer match against Stoke City at The Britannia stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, northern England, December 26, 2012. — Reuters pic

LONDON, Dec 28 — Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is fit to face Premier League basement club Queens Park Rangers on Sunday (1600), manager Brendan Rodgers said today.

The Uruguay international, who has scored 11 times in the league this season, took a knock to the ankle during the midweek defeat at Stoke City.

"Luis will be fine," Rodgers told a news conference.

"He's a real robust player and is very rarely in the treatment room.

"He's been playing with a bad ankle for a couple of weeks and took a heavy knock the other night, but he's fine," added Rodgers.

Liverpool are 10th in the league with 25 points, 21 behind leaders Manchester United and eight adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. — Reuters

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

Five tips for keeping your weight loss resolutions

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 02:44 AM PST

HOUSTON, Dec 28 — If you've jotted down "lose weight" as your New Year's resolution, you're in good company. While it's said to be the most popular resolution, it's also one of the least successful. But there are a few ways to stay on track in the new year.

First step, recognise that losing weight is a lifestyle, not a diet, says 20-year-veteran clinical nutrition expert Shaynee Roper, LD, RD, of Harris Health System in Houston, Texas. "A lot of people set goals and are really gung-ho in January and February, but then their energy fades because they're not making a lifestyle change."

If you have more than just a few kilos to lose, there isn't a quick fix, and you'll need to stay on task for six to 12 months, or even more, she says.

Roper's top five tips:

1. Set small goals. Opt to lose a half a kilo a week or about two kilos a month. Start cutting out junk food, empty calories, fried foods, and sweets.

2. Jot down everything you eat and drink for two weeks. A food journal can offer clues to your daily habits and pitfalls and help you make decisions about what to eliminate, reduce, and add.

3. Identity your trigger foods. If you know you are likely to gorge on salty snacks or chocolate, keep tempting treats out of reach.

4. Find an eating replacement. Exercise, read a book, or ride a bike rather than snacking. Learn to listen to your body's clues about hunger versus boredom, for example. Exercising 30 minutes a day, four to five times a week, is recommended.

5. Reward yourself. When you achieve a goal you've set for yourself, splurge on a pair of shoes or some other non-food treat.

"When eliminating or reducing certain foods from your diet, pick one or two to start," Roper advises. "Work on these for two weeks before adding more." While it may feel like a slow process, it's a lifestyle change. "Doing it slowly will help you stick with it and make you feel like you're not giving up everything all at once." — AFP/Relaxnews

Six of the hottest fitness trends in 2012

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 12:03 AM PST

CrossFit Kids aims to help youngsters win the battle of the bulge.

LOS ANGELES, Dec 28 — How did you stay fit this year? Chances are you've tried Zumba, TRX, yoga, or running — the hottest fitness trends this year — but here are few trends that have also made their mark in the past 12 months.

Indoor surfing classes

If you love surfing, or at least want the body of someone who does, a slew of new gym gadgets simulating the feel of open water have been making waves. But perhaps the biggest new contender on the scene is SurfSET, a surf simulation technique that rapidly expanded in US gyms this fall, with its sights set on the Canadian market next year. Other options include the US-made Indo Board Balance Trainer and the German Sensoboard.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No0V8wpHTK0

Trail running

An old-school trend has become a hot new fad this year, as more trail-specific shoes and gear are available to backcountry runners. A Runner's World survey finds that 40 per cent of US runners say they've hit the trails one or two times a week, with 61 per cent of them shelling out cash for trail running shoes. For tips, watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjtch51fznI

CrossFit

Now with Reebok's backing, CrossFit has hit the global mainstream with its hellish workouts done in short, intense bursts. Movements are done as fast as humanly possible, typically lasting anywhere from five to 20 minutes. This year CrossFit created a full product line and its annual competition was broadcast on ESPN2.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdEFBXhiGsk

Zombie runs

Zombie mania has expanded to fitness, with undead zombies chasing down participants in a series of 5K obstacle courses. If you'd rather not run, you can always sign up to be a zombie, which looks to be even more fun. Check out the runforyourlives.com series in the US.

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKEVbC0GiUg#!

Kid fitness

To help overturn all the bad news about childhood obesity, an ever-growing variety of fitness geared for kids has hit the global fitness scene, such as CrossFit Kids and Zumbatronic, all designed to get kids excited about getting pumped.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dep32m8Zu3c

Barre classes

Start with ballet, add a sprinkling of yoga and a pinch of Pilates and you've got the ingredients for barre workouts, one of the hottest fitness trends of the moment. If you're in the market for lean thighs, flat abs, a lifted derrière, and shapely back (who isn't?), barre is a good place to start. Not only are barre workouts spreading into mainstream gyms around the globe, but heated barre classes are starting to pick up momentum as well.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG2h8G8p5Wc — AFP/Relaxnews

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

Zachary Levi and Jim Sturgess shortlisted for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 12:06 AM PST

Zachary Levi will appear in "Thor : The Dark World", a Marvel production to be released in November 2013. He will take the role of Fandral, a warrior character played by Joshua Dallas in the previous installment. — AFP-Relaxnews pic

LOS ANGELES, Dec 28 — Actors Zachary Levi and Jim Sturgess are competing to be the hero of Marvel Studios' newest movie, scheduled to hit the screens in 2014, Variety reveals.

According to Variety, Zachary Levi ("Chuck") is the more likely contender for the role of Peter Quill in "Guardians of the Galaxy." Also known as Star-Lord, the son of a human woman and an alien is the charismatic leader of a team of intergalactic superheroes from the future.

James Gunn ("Super") will direct the movie with production starting in 2013. Less famous than Iron Man or Captain America, the characters introduced in the movie might feature in "Avengers 2," set for a 2014 release. — AFP-Relaxnews

Billy Crystal channels real-life role in ‘Parental Guidance’

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 08:14 PM PST

In 'Parental Guidance', Crystal stars as a recently fired baseball announcer, who agrees to watch his three grandchildren with his wife (Bette Midler), while his daughter and her husband go on a business trip. – Reuters pic

LOS ANGELES, Dec 28 – After a decade away from the big screen, funnyman Billy Crystal has mined his real-life experiences as a grandfather and is back in the holiday season movie "Parental Guidance".

The film, which opened in US theatres on Christmas, stars Crystal as a recently fired baseball announcer, who agrees to watch his three grandchildren with his wife (Bette Midler), while his daughter and her husband go on a business trip.

Crystal, 64, sat down with Reuters to talk about the film, being a grandparent and why he won't host the Oscars ceremony anymore.

Q: You have not been on the big screen in a starring role since 2002's "Analyze That." Did you miss making movies?

A: "I spent over four years doing my one-man Broadway show, '700 Sundays' and didn't care about doing movies. I just so love being in front of live audiences. The play is more satisfying than anything. I'm not interrupted by planes flying overhead, waiting for them to light and all those gruesome slow things on a movie. But really, the last five years were spent getting this movie made."

Q: How did "Parental Guidance" become your return to film?

A: "When I wrote the first story for this movie, my wife Janice and I babysat for our daughter Jenny while she went away with her husband. We had six days with their girls, all alone. It was an eye-opener. When you're not used to that energy, it's tough. On the 7th day I rested and came in to the office and said, 'Here's the idea for the movie.'"

Q: What was eye-opening about those six days?

A: "The eye-opener was the bible that we were given before they left town about what to say (to the kids), what to do, all the rules, don't do this, don't do that, this child has to be taken here. They have my respect of how they programmed their days and weeks. It's insane what they have to do nowadays for schooling and parenting. It's wild."

Q: Quite a difference between your childhood and the grandkids' childhood, right?

A: "When I was a kid growing up, it was basically 'Go outside and play and I'll see you at dinner.' There was no thought that there were bad people out there. There was such a carefree wonderful trust which forced you to use your imagination, which also bonded you with the best of you, and your friends. We didn't have that 'inside' thing like videogames. My only 'inside' thing was watching the Yankees. Otherwise everything was outside."

Q: Speaking of the Yankees, your well-documented lifelong love of baseball is incorporated in to the film with your character being a ball-game announcer. That must have been fun to do.

A: "I love the game and I thought it was a really interesting occupation we hadn't seen before. And a good one for me to play because I love it. I wanted my character to have something he loved doing where I didn't have to fake it."

Q: In being absent from the silver screen for a while, did you find that the movie-making business has changed much?

A: "The studios are so concerned with quadrants (capturing four major demographic groups of moviegoers - men, woman and those over and under 25). I'd never heard of these things when I was in my early years of making movies. You just did them. There was no interference. Now it's a whole different ball game. They're so worried: 'Who's going to come?' Well, there's 77 million American who are babyboomers. That's a huge audience who wants to laugh and have a story told to them that doesn't have bombs and spies and killing."

Q: Does "Parental Guidance" reflect where are you now at this stage of your life?

A: "I was fortunate to be in a great romantic comedy about falling in love (1989's 'When Harry Met Sally'). I wrote the original story for my turning 40, 'City Slickers' (in 1991), which became a huge hit and a very liked movie. And now 'Parental Guidance' happened at this point in my life. I relate to it as a parent and a grandparent."

Q: You will be a grandfather for the fourth time in March. What do you like best about that role?

A: "It's so hard to understand how you can love someone so much that's not yours, but extensions of you. I'm always so moved seeing my girls pregnant, and seeing them move on in their lives. I'm going to turn 65 on March 14. My wife's birthday is the 16th. The baby's due the 18th. So we've got maybe a straight flush happening here. That would be the greatest present of all - a healthy new baby."

Q: Last year you hosted the Oscar ceremony for the ninth time, making you the second most-used host after the late Bob Hope. Are you gunning for his title?

A: "I'm not even close. I've done 9, he's done 19 and neither one of us are doing it again. It's hard to say, 'Can't wait to do it again,' but I can wait." – Reuters

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The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views

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Nadal to miss Australian Open due to illness

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 08:05 AM PST

"Therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open, as we had initially scheduled."

Nadal (picture) was due to make his competitive comeback after the knee injury sidelined him for six months at an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi this week.

Nadal said doctors had advised a period of rest without any sport for the next seven days starting today.

"As my team and doctors say, the safest thing to do is to do things well and this virus has delayed my plans of playing these weeks," he said.

"I will have to wait until the Acapulco tournament (at the end of February) to compete again although I could consider to play before at any other ATP event.

Novel takes on the tumult of bipolar disorder

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 07:45 AM PST

NEW YORK, Dec 28 — "Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See" is a work of fiction, but author Juliann Garey said the protagonist's struggles with bipolar disorder are based on her own reality.

The debut novel from journalist and screenwriter Garey, which was published this week, centres on Hollywood executive Greyson Todd's struggle to navigate life with bipolar disorder.

The story is told as a collection of memories that include Greyson's childhood with his mentally ill father, the discord that his symptoms cause in his marriage and professional life, and his travels around the world that precede his stay in a New York psychiatric hospital.

Garey herself is bipolar and the illness runs in her family.

"There are components that are conceived from my life, but it's certainly not autobiographical," she said in an interview. "It's definitely fiction in terms of the plot. In terms of the psychic rollercoaster that he (Greyson) goes through in the book, that is actually very much from my own life."

Garey said the steep crests and drops of Greyson's moods closely paralleled her own. Beginning at age 39, she experienced a seven-year, treatment-resistant bipolar episode during which she wrote the book.

"When Greyson was having a manic episode, it was because I was having a manic episode and I wrote it during that period," she said. "During his very depressed periods, I was probably very depressed and I wrote it at that time, so I was feeling what he was feeling."

Garey's book coincides with the recent release of a critically acclaimed film, "Silver Linings Playbook," which centers on a character who is bipolar. It also comes as a rash of mass shootings has prompted questions about the accessibility of mental healthcare in the United States.

Though Garey said there is still a "huge stigma" attached to mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, she considers open discussion a step in the right direction.

"People have to know that it's a brain disorder, a matter of circuitry," she said. "It's an illness like diabetes or multiple sclerosis or any other medical illness, and it needs to be treated in the same way."

Greyson's difficulties with his illness might make for a compelling novel, but Garey believes that a few key changes could prevent many mentally ill people from similar suffering. She advocates integrating mental healthcare more closely with existing care.

"Kids get screened when they go to the pediatrician for their sight, their hearing, and they should get screened for mental health as well. It should be part of a regular annual physical," she said.

She praised President Barack Obama for increasing research funding to the National Institute of Mental Health, and for backing mental healthcare parity. She also criticised politicians for their silence on mental health issues, particularly during the 2012 presidential election.

"There are 11 million Americans with a serious mental illness who were voting in that election, and mental illness never came up once during the campaign," she said of the 2012 presidential election. "We have a long way to go." — Reuters

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The Malaysian Insider :: Books

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The Malaysian Insider :: Books

Novel takes on the tumult of bipolar disorder

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 07:45 AM PST

NEW YORK, Dec 28 — "Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See" is a work of fiction, but author Juliann Garey said the protagonist's struggles with bipolar disorder are based on her own reality.

The debut novel from journalist and screenwriter Garey, which was published this week, centres on Hollywood executive Greyson Todd's struggle to navigate life with bipolar disorder.

Garey herself is bipolar and the illness runs in her family.

Though Garey said there is still a "huge stigma" attached to mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, she considers open discussion a step in the right direction.

"Kids get screened when they go to the pediatrician for their sight, their hearing, and they should get screened for mental health as well. It should be part of a regular annual physical," she said.

More US readers choosing e-books, study finds

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 09:48 PM PST

The share of US adults reading electronic books rose to 23 per cent in November from 16 per cent the same time last year. — Picture by Claudio Bravo/shutterstock.com

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 28 — US readers are increasingly opting for digital books instead of ink-and-paper editions, according to a Pew Research Center study released yesterday.

The share of US adults reading electronic books rose to 23 per cent in November from 16 per cent the same time last year, according to the Pew study.

Meanwhile, ranks of peopMore US readers choosing e-books, study findsle age 16 or older turning to pages of printed books fell to 67 per cent from 72 per cent, the findings indicated.

Overall, 75 per cent of US adults read books in one form or another in a slight slip from the 78 per cent figure seen late in 2011, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

The growing popularity of e-books was in step with the hot trend in tablet computers, whether they are dedicated reading devices such as Kindles or Nooks or multi-purpose Internet portals such as Apple iPads or Google Nexus devices.

The portion of US adults with some kind of tablet jumped to 33 per cent late this year, as compared with 18 per cent as 2011 came to an end, according to the Pew study.

Understandably, the number of people borrowing e-books from US libraries also rose, findings indicated.

People in higher education and income brackets were more likely to be e-book readers, as were those between the ages of 30 and 49, according to Pew.

The findings were based on a survey taken between October 15 and November 10. — AFP/Relaxnews

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The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa

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The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa

Kerajaan iktiraf sumbangan penjawat awam, kata Muhyiddin

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 12:34 AM PST

PUTRAJAYA, 28 Dis — Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin berkata kerajaan sentiasa mengiktiraf dan menghargai sumbangan penjawat awam yang telah banyak membantu negara mengecapi pelbagai kejayaan sehingga ke peringkat antarabangsa.

Beliau berkata pencapaian Malaysia yang mendapat pengiktirafan antarabangsa termasuk menduduki tangga ke-10 dalam senarai 'The 2011 Foreign Direct Investment Confident Index List' selain menjadi negara yang ke-12 paling berdaya saing bagi menjalankan perniagaan baru-baru ini membuktikan ia adalah sumbangan penjawat awam.

Pencapaian Malaysia hari ini adalah hasil daripada pencapaian yang dicipta penjawat awam, katanya pada sidang media selepas menghadiri majlis interaksi bersama Pegawai Tadbir dan Diplomatik Muda di Pusat Persidangan Antarabangsa Putrajaya (PICC) di sini, hari ini.

"Kerajaan sentiasa mengiktiraf sumbangan penjawat awam dan tidak seperti pembangkang yang memperkecilkan sumbangan kumpulan itu dalam pembangunan

negara ... mereka (pembangkang) tidak mahu mengiktiraf pencapaian itu kerana pengiktirafan bermakna mereka mengaku kejayaan yang dicapai kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN).

"Itu adalah strategi pembangkang yang hanya mahu menidakkan kejayaan kita (kerajaan BN). Mereka harus faham bahawa kejayaan yang dicapai Malaysia kerana dasar dan kerjasama dengan penjawat awam," katanya. — Bernama

MENYUSUL LAGI

Tee Keat mungkin tinggalkan MCA jika Parlimen tergantung, kata Soi Lek

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 11:53 PM PST

Dr Chua dikatakan berkata terdapat puak dalam MCA dan satu-satunya cara untuk mengatasinya adalah dengan bekerja keras. – Gambar fail

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 Dis – Presiden MCA Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek mendakwa pesaingnya dan presiden parti sebelum beliau, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat akan meninggalkan parti tersebut jika Parlimen tergantung selepas pilihan raya akan datang.

Dr Chua membuat kenyataan tersebut semalam kepada kumpulan penulis blog pro Umno dipejabatnya. Pembantu kepada Dr Chua mengesahkan kenyataan tersebut.

Menurut Syed Akbar Ali, seorang penulis blog pro Umno yang hadir semasa pertemuan tersebut, Dr Chua berkata terdapat puak dalam MCA dan satu-satunya cara untuk mengatasinya adalah dengan bekerja keras.

"Menghayati semula isu berpuak-puak dan kekurangan sokongan beliau bercakap terus terang tentang pecubaan puak Ong Tee Keat untuk mensabotaj beliau di Melaka.

"Dr Chua merasakan jika terjadi Parlimen tergantung selepas pilihan raya umum, Ong Tee Keat hanya akan mengemas barang dan pergi. Seperti Chua Jui Ming," kata Syed Akbar di blognya.

Apabila ditanya tentang kenyataan Dr Chua, Ong memberitahu The Malaysian Insider terpulang kepada presiden MCA itu untuk "membayangkan apa sahaja yang beliau suka".

"Dia boleh bayangkan apa yang dia suka ... bukan urusan saya, dan itu adalah kebebasan beliau tetapi sila hormat kebebasan orang lain," kata Ong kepada The Malaysian Insider.

Ketika ditanya apakah beliau mengetuai mana-mana kumpulan dalam MCA, Ong berkata beliau tidak berminat dengan "desas-desus dan gosip" itu.

"Saya tidak berminat dalam desas-desus dan gosip jenis ini dan tuduhan yang tidak bertanggungjawab. Saya tidak pernah peduli untuk membaca benda jenis ini," kata bekas presiden MCA itu.

Beliau juga menegaskan amat jarang pergi ke Melaka.

Ketika ditanya jika beliau mahu untuk menafikan dakwaan yang ditulis dalam blog, Ong berkata: "Apakah ada keperluan untuk menafikan atau mengakui ... saya tidak membaca sampah jenis ini."

Dalam tulisan yang sama di blog, Syed Akbar menulis Dr Chua menegaskan beliau mengalahkan dua bekas presiden MCA - Ong dan Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting - dalam pemilihan parti untuk menjadi presiden semasa.

"Berbalik kepada Ong Tee Keat, beliau berkata beliau adalah presiden MCA pertama yang mengalahkan dua bekas presiden parti untuk mendapatkan jawatan presiden MCA. Katanya, beliau tidak megah tetapi ia adalah perkara fakta.

"Jadi beliau berkata boleh mengalahkan apa sahaja bilangan puak dalam MCA," Syed menulis.

Ong dipilih untuk mengetuai parti pada tahun 2008, sebelum perpecahan dalam parti yang membawa kepada pemilihan semula pada tahun 2010 menyaksikan Dr Chua menang dan mengambil alih sebagai presiden MCA.

Difahamkan Ong disokong oleh pemimpin kanan Umno untuk mempertahankan kerusi parlimen Pandan disebabkan oleh populariti peribadinya.

Akan tetapi pesaingnya Dr Chua difahamkan mahukan calon lain.

Presiden MCA itu juga menghadapi persoalan sama ada beliau harus bertanding sebagai calon Barisan Nasional (BN), berikutan sejarah skandal seks beliau.

Pada penghujung tahun 2007, salinan video hubungan seks Dr Chua bersama gundiknya diedarkan secara terbuka, membawa kepada peletakan jawatannya sebagai menteri kesihatan.

Beliau juga tidak diletakkan sebagai calon dalam pilihan raya umum 2008, akan tetapi membuat kemunculan semula dalam politik MCA kemudian.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

2012 according to Google

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 04:23 PM PST

DEC 28 ― The year is coming to an end and it is time to look back and reflect upon the momentous events of the passing year.

I thought it would be a good idea to look back at 2012's top ten searches on Google… and that led to my website, Fatbidin.com!

10. Ridhuan Tee Abdullah

Number ten could be one that has given me the most pleasure this year. I disagree with everything this academician, TV host and writer ― whose real name is Tee Chuan Seng ― says. We had a brief heated exchange in our respective columns (his is in Sinar Harian), from which I emerged victorious.

9. Kabul

Being the gloriously brave war journalist and adrenaline junkie that I am, I went to Afghanistan to shoot a documentary. After a decade of war and after the Taliban, it's quite a surprise that the country is still getting media coverage.

8. Bersih 3.0

This has to be one of the lowest points of the year. I witnessed things that I don't ever want to witness in Malaysia again. The police were brutally attacking demonstrators and even journalists like a bunch of street thugs ― after they removed their nametags, of course. But the spirit of Malaysians that gathered, now that was a high point.

7. Lomokino

This was quite fun. Lomography, the novelty film camera manufacturer, hooked me up with their virgin attempt at making motion picture film cameras. I used the Lomokino camera to shoot a short documentary film about the Fugees School, which provided education for Somalian refugees.

6. Malaysian army in Afghanistan

Not many people in Malaysia are aware of the fact that the country has a small contingent serving under NATO in Afghanistan. I was embedded with them during the second half of my time in Afghanistan and what impressed me was that they were not on a combat mission. They were mainly doctors, dentists and nurses who were on a humanitarian objective.

5. Lim Chee Wee

Lim Chee Wee, the current Malaysian Bar Council president, was in the news for quite a bit for being very vocal and also for organising the lawyers' Walk 4 Freedom march to parliament against the Peaceful Assembly Act. Unfortunately, the bill was passed anyway.

4. Damascus, Syria

Everyone is familiar with the violent uprising against Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad. I had visited Damascus in 2007 to shoot my documentary film "I'm Muslim Too!" but it was peaceful then. I had planned to go to Syria last month when I was on assignment in the region, but cancelled due to safety issues. (Fine! I got scared!)

3. Fat Bidin

It is the name of my website and my company. People are always asking me what it means. I've mentioned it during interviews before. There's still a running contest on my Facebook page for the public to guess and win a Fat Bidin Media original DVD!

2. Sex Melayu

Don't ask!

1. Zan Azlee

Hey, I'm glamorous, smart and have rugged good looks! Is it my fault if people like to stalk celebrities? Let it be known that I sign autographs for RM5 a pop while a picture with me will cost you only RM8. I kid! (Not really! Haha!)

Happy New Year everyone. May you all have a great 2013!

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist

The dog of freedom

Posted: 27 Dec 2012 03:26 PM PST

DEC 28 ― The diminutive old man waved his arms energetically as he explained his favourite recipe.

"After neutralising the chicken with ginger, I steam it to cook the meat. At the same time, I heat up the oil. And then…," he pauses for effect, "Just when the oil is hot enough, I send the chicken into thermal shock."

Habibie the engineer-cook smiled satisfyingly. His use of technical jargon in describing a recipe was characteristically endearing of the man. "Voila! And that is how you prepare the best chicken in the world ― golden on the outside, white on the inside." I was at a loss for words. Had I not known any better, I would never have figured this humble, passionate and grandfatherly man to be the former head of state to nearly a quarter of a billion people.

One is immediately put at ease in the presence of BJ Habibie, third president of the Republic of Indonesia. Ever ready to regale his surrounding company with a tale or three, Habibie's greatest strength is perhaps his ability to seamlessly weave together his multiple facets ― scientist, technocrat, politician and now, elder statesman.

Habibie speaks at Universiti Selangor in Shah Alam, December 6, 2012.—File pic

The former president was in town to deliver a speech at the Penang Institute's invitation, during which he talked of aeroplanes (his pride and joy ― the N-250 turboprop), pluralism (a celebrated concept in Indonesia but a foul word in Malaysia), love and respect (for country, culture and community), and what he thought was the greatest gift that the Chinese gave to Indonesia ― the Islamic religion (long before the Arabs came, we were told).

However, no political leader is without his detractors, even one as genial as Habibie. I had expected his visit to elicit some critique and even the odd disparagement, but I was utterly shocked by what can only be described as a vengeful, intemperate and grossly personal attack by former Malaysian information minister Tan Sri Zainudin Maidin in his column in a national daily.

Without mincing his words, Zainudin labelled Habibie a "dog of imperialism" in a stinging piece that also likened the former president to a pair of "scissors in Suharto's fold", as well as a "traitor to the Indonesian race."

Habibie, he opined, is to blame for the "political chaos" that has enveloped the country on the count of the fact that Indonesians are now "split" into 48 political parties.

The shallowness of Zainudin's arguments is not even worth pointing out. Exactly what is wrong in having 48 political parties in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural country of 240 million people separated into 33 provinces spread across 17,508 islands? Is freedom of association not an expression of democratic rights?

I suppose it would be asking too much to expect an ideologue from the very party which frowns upon freedom of assembly and speech to grasp the fundamental precepts of democracy.

In his article, Zainudin also cynically attributed Habibie's short reign in office (one year and five months) to his decision to allow a referendum for self-rule in East Timor, presumably under the weight of Western pressure.

In other words, is Zainudin suggesting that Habibie is a traitor and imperialist stooge for giving a long-oppressed people the right to choose their own government?

By the same token, would Zainudin also suggest that Palestine should not be allowed self-rule? Or that Malaysia should not have been granted independence because it would have been treacherous to the British monarchy to do so?

The fact is that the East Timor referendum remains one of Habibie's proudest achievements. To his mind, he had righted a wrong. Historically, East Timor was not even a Dutch colony and should not have been part of Indonesia. Hence, to lay claim to the land was, in Habibie's own words, akin to colonising them.

Zainudin, though, is correct on one point. Democratisation and decentralisation are indeed Habibie's greatest legacies. After all, it was under his short-lived presidency that sweeping reforms were made, including the lifting of restrictions on the formation of political parties, the unconditional release of political detainees, the provisions for press freedom and the setting of a two-term limit for the presidency. Even more significantly, it was also by his decree that the terms "pribumi and "non-pribumi" were abolished from all official circumstances.

One can only wonder whether Malaysia would ever see such transformational reforms.

Having said that, it is also true that no one is perfect. Certainly, it is worth noting that Habibie himself had been a party to Suharto's iron-fisted rule for over three decades, even if it was in a mostly technocratic role.

One can also say that he did not go far enough as president, but considering that he had come into office at a most tumultuous time, with an economy in free-fall, riots in the streets and a rebellious military descending upon him, it is not difficult to imagine that a lesser man would have yielded.

But not Habibie. For when the moment of history was thrust upon him, he did not disappoint. And that is the measure of the man. If he is to be likened to a dog, then let him be remembered as the hound who championed freedom.

Zainudin, on the other hand, has been revealed to be of a completely different pedigree. His legacy will forever be cemented by this salacious attempt at cheap propaganda.

Nevertheless, I daresay he has committed political hara-kiri, for not only has Umno lost the support of moderate and sensible Malaysians, Zainuddin's latest gaffe may have ensured that they will also lose the support of their phantom voters.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Jumaat, 28 Disember 2012