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McDonald’s UK to give away 15 million kids’ books Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:43 PM PST McDonald's says it plans to give away 15 million kids' books by the end of 2014. — AFP-Relaxnews pic LONDON, Jan 11 — In a bid to strengthen its image as a family-oriented, child-friendly fast food chain, McDonald's in the UK has launched a campaign that will deliver a side of literacy along with kids' Happy Meals. Announced Wednesday, the Golden Arches said it plans to hand out about 15 million fiction and non-fiction books to families across the UK by the end of 2014. The nationwide campaign follows on the heels of a pilot project last year in which the chain gave out nine million copies of Michael Morpurgo's book "Mudpuddle Farm," in promotion of Steven Spielberg's movie adaption of "War Horse", also written by Morpurgo. At the time, British media described McDonald's as the world's biggest children's book retailer for swapping out Happy Meal toys for books. This year, the fast food chain has partnered with literacy organization the National Literacy Trust and bookseller WH Smith for a five-week promotion in which every Happy Meal will include a copy of publisher DK's "Amazing World" series which explores topics such as the stars, planets, animals and oceans, along with puzzles and stickers. Promotional offers for children's books will also be displayed year-round as part of their 'Happy Readers' campaign for redemption at leading book retailer WH Smith. The promotion runs until February 12. Books can also be purchased without a Happy Meal. In the US, McDonald's came under fire for its Happy Meal toys which critics said provoke "pester power" in young children who've been seduced by the marketing ploy and badger their parents until they give in and buy the unhealthy meal. In San Francisco, McDonald's was able to sidestep a blanket ban by charging 10 cents for every toy. In 2011, the fast food chain revamped its Happy Meal menus in the US to include more fruit and vegetables and shrunk the portion of fries - a move that won the stamp of approval from First Lady Michelle Obama. Options include apple slices, carrots, raisins and pineapple slices. — AFP-Relaxnews

Dubai hosts largest gathering of chefs in the world Posted: 10 Jan 2013 03:58 PM PST DUBAI, Jan 11 — In the land where world records are made and broken, more than 2,840 chefs in their white coats and chef hats set a milestone for the largest gathering of chefs in one place in Dubai recently. Dubai hosted 2,847 chefs last week, breaking the record for the largest gathering of chefs in one place. — AFP-Relaxnews pic It's a city that boasts a slew of world records, including the tallest building (Burj Khalifa Tower), the largest shopping mall (Dubai Mall) and the largest box of chocolates (a box filled with Kit Kats weighing 1,700 kg). And last week, the city played host to the largest gathering of chefs in one place, stripping Daejon, South Korea of its title by an additional 836 chefs or 2,847 participants in total, a record that was set just eight months earlier. Held at Meydan racecourse, the world record was achieved as part of an initiative by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and Emirates Culinary Guild and, as pointed out by HotelierMiddleEast.com, was an attempt to bring UAE residents closer to Emirati cuisine. On the menu at the international event? Emirati sweets like Lokmat El Kadi. Recently, American family restaurant chain The Cheesecake Factory also chose Dubai to be the home of the largest restaurant within the chain. — AFP-Relaxnews

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Canadian hopes to make fantasy sports TV channel a reality Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:41 AM PST TORONTO, Jan 10 — Canada's fantasy sports geeks may soon have a cable channel to call their own, thanks to Leonard Asper, former head of a newspaper dynasty that fell victim to the rise of online media. "The League - Fantasy Sports TV" will not feature real sporting events. Instead Asper's proposed channel will air call-in programs and talk shows that cater to the millions of North American sports fans who are now participating in virtual baseball, football and hockey leagues. Canadian media regulators gave Asper's Fight Media Inc the go-ahead on Wednesday to operate the channel, provided it can find a distributor. Since timely information is crucial to any fantasy player's success, Asper is betting that The League will have a hungry niche audience. In fantasy sports, "owners" assemble their teams by drafting and trading real-life professsionals, essentially betting the players they select will get hot. Statistics from real games - say, batting average in baseball, points scored or rebounds in basketball or touchdowns and interceptions in football - go to the virtual team that "owns" each player and aggregate to form the basis for the virtual league's standings. In Canada, fantasy ice hockey pools are particularly popular, pitting coworkers or friends against each other for cash or bragging rights. Starting in the 1990s, the Internet made game results more accessible, and virtual leagues easier to manage - Yahoo runs one popular service. Fantasy sports enthusiasts have become a key demographic for sports networks and leagues. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, there were 34 million players in the United States and Canada in 2010, up from 9 million in 2005. Closely held Fight Media already operates Fight Network, a specialty channel devoted to "combat sports" such as mixed martial arts. The company is controlled by Leonard Asper, former chief executive of Canwest Global Communications. The Asper family founded Canwest Global, once Canada's biggest media company, which crumpled under C$4 billion (RM12.27 billion) in debt, filing for creditor protection in 2009, and sold assets to Shaw Communications Inc and others. — Reuters

Mother of Olympic medal winner Daley dives into TV row Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:24 AM PST British Olympic diver Tom Daley. — Reuters pic LONDON, Jan 10 — The mother of British Olympic diver Tom Daley has laid into the head of British Swimming for criticising the 18-year-old's decision to appear in a celebrity television show. British Swimming chief executive David Sparkes had said Daley, who won bronze in the men's 10 metre platform at last year's London Games, was "putting the cart before the horse" with his role in ITV show Splash. Sparkes said Daley had "yet to achieve his full potential" in the sport but his proud parent hit back. Rather than criticise her son, who was one of only three British medal winners in the pool, Debbie Daley said the governing body should be grateful for his success rather than question his commitment. "Tom was one of the few major success stories for British Swimming this summer... and possibly one of the athletes that helped you retain your job," she said in an open letter to Sparkes, published in the Daily Mail. "Surely you should be thanking Tom and showing your support and gratitude?" Debbie Daley said her son's decision to appear in the show that features celebrities diving had not impacted on his professional commitment. She highlighted the fact that he competed in the world junior championships in Australia in October, winning two golds, while many of his TeamGB team mates were celebrating their Olympic success. "For an individual who is normally so motivated, going back to intense training after the climax of the Games was a real struggle," she added. "Everyone else was taking long holidays, partying, celebrating exams, while Tom had to get straight back to diving. You must remember what you did the summer you were 18 years old? "However, Tom didn't want to back out. While the competition had no real incentive for him, Tom had made the commitment to his performance director Alexei Evangulov and to British Diving and - despite me trying to convince him otherwise - he got his head down and ploughed on." Following the publication of the letter, the diver tweeted: "My mum is amazing." British Swimming were not immediately available for comment. — Reuters

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Brash Brit Ricky Gervais turns sweeter in new comedy Posted: 10 Jan 2013 05:33 AM PST Ricky Gervais stars in "Derek," a comedy he wrote about a man who works in a retirement home filled with many characters in their 80s and 90s. — Reuters pic PASADENA, Jan 10 — Ricky Gervais, the brash Briton who built a career on biting satire, is showing off his sweeter side. Gervais stars in "Derek," a comedy he wrote about a man who works in a retirement home filled with many characters in their 80s and 90s. The creator of "The Office" mockumentary said the new program featured flawed characters like the ones that were hallmarks of his earlier works, but was "sweeter." "It's a show about kindness first and foremost," Gervais told reporters and TV critics yesterday at a meeting of the Television Critics Association. "There's some more dramatic moments than 'The Office' or 'Extras,'" his show about actors looking for a big break, he added. "It's sweeter. It still has the existentialism of 'The Office.' There are still characters being daft, silly, or nice." The show, which has already aired in Britain, will be released this spring on Netflix Inc, the subscription video service available in the United States, Canada, Latin America and parts of Europe. "Derek" stirred controversy in Britain when some critics complained that Gervais' character, Derek Noakes, appeared to have a disability and was being mocked. Gervais has denied Noakes is disabled or that he was being cruel, describing his character as "innocent, he's childlike, and he's in awe of the world. He does the right thing. He doesn't think about it." Gervais famously skewered the top names in Hollywood during three hosting gigs at the Golden Globe awards, one of the industry's biggest celebrations of film and television. Gervais said he conceived the Derek Noakes character more than a decade ago and thought about making him an autograph seeker, putting him in a setting that would provide another chance to satirize celebrity culture. But he decided against it, placing Noakes instead in a retirement home after being inspired by family members who work as caregivers. "I've got the swipes at fame and all those things out of the system, I think, and now it's about things that really matter." Gervais said he will not attend this year's Golden Globes ceremony on Sunday because he is starting work on the next "Muppets" movie. But he does miss the hosting gig. "To be the most feared man in Hollywood for three hours is such fun," he said. — Reuters

‘The Hunger Games’ lead fan favourites at People’s Choice awards Posted: 10 Jan 2013 05:16 AM PST Elizabeth Banks, Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth attend the European Premiere of 'The Hunger Games' in east London on March 14, 2012. — AFP pic LOS ANGELES, Jan 10 — Post-apocalyptic action film "The Hunger Games" was the big winner at the People's Choice Awards today, picking up five awards including favorite movie of the year, while singer Katy Perry again led in the music categories. Hosted by "The Big Bang Theory" actress Kaley Cuoco, the People's Choice Awards named winners in more than 40 categories across film, television and music. About 475 million fans voted through the People's Choice website. "The Hunger Games," based on the trilogy of novels by Suzanne Collins, beat out "The Avengers," "The Amazing Spider-Man," "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Snow White and the Huntsman" for the coveted favourite movie accolade. Jennifer Lawrence, who plays "Hunger Games" heroine Katniss Everdeen, won the favorite movie actress award over Mila Kunis, Emma Stone, Anne Hathaway and Scarlett Johansson. "Thank you for loving movies as much as I do, and loving this movie and voting," Lawrence said. "The Hunger Games" was also named favourite action film and favourite movie franchise, while its stars Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth won favorite on-screen chemistry. The People's Choice is the first of Hollywood's annual awards shows, but unlike the Oscars or the Golden Globes, the winners are determined by fans, so it provides few insights into likely winners of the movie industry's top honours in February. "The Avengers," which was nominated in eight categories, didn't go home empty-handed. Robert Downey Jr. was named favourite movie actor for his role as Iron Man in the superhero ensemble box office hit. "You've chosen wisely," the actor joked on stage. Adam Sandler picked up the fan favourite award for comedic actor, while former "Friends" star Jennifer Aniston picked up the favourite comedic movie actress award, beating out Mila Kunis, Reese Witherspoon, Emily Blunt and Cameron Diaz. "I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to be honoured with this, after supporting me for almost 20 years," Aniston said. Emma Watson of "Harry Potter" fame picked up the favourite dramatic actress accolade for her role in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." "Perks" was also named favourite dramatic movie, while "Ted," the raunchy R-rated comedy from "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane, was named favourite comedy film. Emma Watson accepts the award for "Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress" for her role in the "Perks of Being a Wallflower" at the 2013 People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles, January 9, 2013. — Reuters pic MUSIC AND TELEVISION WINNERS Katy Perry took home four trophies this year, including favourite female artist and a surprise win for favourite pop artist over Justin Bieber. Fan favourite Taylor Swift beat out Tim McGraw, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton and Carrie Underwood for favorite country artist. "You guys have blown my mind with what you've done with this album 'Red.' I want to thank you for caring about my music and me," the singer said in her acceptance speech. Her chart-topping album "Red," which the singer based on her experiences, was one of 2012's top-sellers. The singer attended the awards alone following a widely reported split from boyfriend Harry Styles of UK boy band One Direction. Maroon 5 picked up the favourite band award. The band's popularity skyrocketed in 2012 after lead singer Adam Levine served as a judge on television talent show "The Voice." British boy band The Wanted won favourite breakout artist. In the television categories, CBS comedy "The Big Bang Theory" was named favourite network comedy, while ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" picked up favourite network drama. Ellen Pompano of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Castle" actor Nathan Fillion won the favourite TV dramatic actress and actor awards, while "Glee" stars Lea Michele and Chris Colfer picked up the favourite TV comedic actress and actor awards. Sandra Bullock was named favourite humanitarian for her efforts in helping victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. — Reuters

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Up to half of world’s food goes to waste, report says Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:36 AM PST It's estimated up to half of all food produced goes to waste. — sxc.hu LONDON, Jan 10 — Up to half of all the food produced worldwide ends up going to waste due to poor harvesting, storage and transport methods as well as irresponsible retailer and consumer behaviour, a report said on Thursday. The world produces about four billion metric tonnes of food a year but 1.2 to 2 billion tonnes is not eaten, the study by the London-based Institution of Mechanical Engineers said. "This level of wastage is a tragedy that cannot continue if we are to succeed in the challenge of sustainably meeting our future food demands," said. In developed countries, like Britain, efficient farming methods, transport and storage mean that most of the wastage occurs through retail and customer behaviour. Retailers produce 1.6 million tonnes of food waste a year because they reject crops of edible fruit and vegetables because they do not meet exacting size and appearance criteria, the report by the engineering society said. "Thirty percent of what is harvested from the field never actually reaches the marketplace (primarily the supermarket) due to trimming, quality selection and failure to conform to purely cosmetic criteria," it said. Of the food which does reach supermarket shelves, 30-50 percent of what is bought in developed countries is thrown away by customers, often due to poor understanding of "best before" and "use by" dates. A "use by" date is when there is a health risk associated with using food after that date. A "best before" date is more about quality - when it expires it does not necessarily mean food is harmful but it may lose some flavour and texture. However, many consumers do not know the difference between the labels and bin food after "best before" dates. Promotional offers and bulk discounts also encourage shoppers to buy large quantities in excess of their needs. Rising population In Britain, about 10.2 billion pounds' (RM48.7 billion) worth of food is thrown away from homes every year, with one billion pounds' worth being perfectly edible, the report found. By contrast, in less developed countries, such as in sub-Saharan Africa or South East Asia, wastage mostly happens due to inefficient harvesting and poor handling and storage. In South-East Asian countries, for example, losses of rice range from 37 to 80 pe rcent of their entire production, totalling about 180 million tonnes per year, the report said. The United Nations predicts global population will peak at around 9.5 billion people by 2075, meaning there will be an additional 2.5 billion people to feed. The rising population, together with improved nutrition and shifting diets will put pressure for increases in global food supply over the coming decades. Rising food and commodity prices will drive the need to reduce waste, making the practice of discarding edible fruit and vegetables on cosmetic grounds less economically viable. However, governments should not wait for food pricing to trigger action on this wasteful practice, but produce policies that change consumer behaviour and dissuade retailers from operating in this way, the study said. Rapidly developing countries like China and Brazil have developed infrastructure to transport crops, gain access to export markets and improve storage facilities but they need to avoid the mistakes made by developed nations and make sure they are efficient and well-maintained. Poorer countries require significant investment to improve their infrastructure, the report said. For example, Ethiopia is considering developing a national network of grain storage facilities which is expected to cost at least $1 billion. "This scale of investment will be required for multiple commodities and in numerous countries, and co-ordinated efforts are going to be essential," the report said. — Reuters

Reality TV beauty show viewers more likely to tan: study Posted: 10 Jan 2013 03:33 AM PST A study found that reality television beauty shows aren't promoting the healthiest views on tanning, which has been linked to a higher risk of skin cancer, especially among young people. — AFP pic NEW YORK, Jan 10 — College students who watch reality television beauty shows are at least twice as likely as non-viewers to use tanning lamps or tan outdoors for hours at a time, according to a US study. The findings, which appeared in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, doesn't prove that simply watching shows such as America's Next Top Model and Toddlers & Tiaras drives people to the tanning booths, researchers said. But it does suggest the shows aren't promoting the healthiest views on tanning, which has been linked to a higher risk of skin cancer — especially among young people. "TV shows might not realize the message they're (promoting) by having all of these attractive, tanned people," said study co-author Joshua Fogel, a health policy researcher at Brooklyn College, part of the City University of New York system. For both skin specialists and primary care doctors, he added, "it's worth asking their younger patients if they do use tanning lamps and outdoor tanning ... especially those that watch reality TV shows." The findings were based on surveys of 576 college students who were in their early 20s, on average. About 61 per cent of them watched reality TV beauty shows. Watching reality TV was tied to both indoor and outdoor tanning. Among people who watched the beauty shows, 13 per cent had used tanning lamps in the last year and 43 per cent had tanned outdoors for more than two hours at a time. In comparison, fewer than four per cent of non-watchers used tanning lamps and 29 per cent tanned outdoors. Not surprisingly, women were ten times more likely to use tanning lamps than men. The researchers didn't ask survey participants exactly what shows they watched, so they couldn't tie specific programs to tanning. "It's very clear that people who are watching (these shows) view this as something positive to do," Fogel told Reuters Health, adding that it's possible the programs may directly encourage viewers to tan because they imply tanned people are cooler and more attractive. "The alternative possibility is the people who are tanned in the first place like watching these shows," he added, perhaps because the characters look more like them. Another study, in The Journal of Pediatrics, found that reality TV viewing was tied to better self esteem among adolescent girls. But the girls who watched the shows also focused more on their appearance. A representative from TLC-Discovery Communications, which airs Toddlers & Tiaras, said the network had no comment on Fogel's findings. Dermatologist Elizabeth Tanzi, who wasn't involved in the study, said the results were consistent with what doctors in the field know about the media's influence. "The images on TV of celebrities, they really do send powerful messages to the masses," said Tanzi, from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery. "And if they are going to the tanning salons and giving the impression that to be beautiful you have to be tan, and that's the ideal, that message is a very powerful one that's going to our young people." — Reuters

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Book Talk: Biggest migration in history tests China Posted: 10 Jan 2013 02:19 AM PST LONDON, Jan 10 — Counting on China to keep driving global economic growth boils down in large part to a bet that the ruling Communist party gets urbanisation right. If it does, some 1 billion Chinese will live in cities by 2030, up from around 700 million today. Unproductive peasants will become urban consumers, picking up the growth baton from investment and rebalancing the economy, Tom Miller with Beijing-based research company GK Dragonomics writes in "China's Urban Billion", published by Zed Books. But if the leadership gets it wrong, Miller says, China could spend the next 20 years languishing in middle-income torpor, its cities pockmarked by giant slums that are home to the world's largest urban underclass. Miller, a Briton who has lived in China for more than a decade, frets that Beijing has yet to show the stomach for the daunting political and fiscal reforms required. He spoke to Reuters about what is at stake for the world economy. Q: How critical is it for China to keep moving people into cities? A: "In a sense, economic development equals urbanisation as people move out of unproductive rural jobs. The urbanisation rate in the US and UK is around 90 per cent and 70 per cent in Italy and Japan. China passed the 50 per cent mark in 2011 and on the current trajectory you'd expect it to hit the 70 per cent rate by roughly 2030. If they can do that - and a lot can go wrong - then that will certainly put a floor under economic growth." Q: Why is reform of China's hukou, or household registration, system, so important? A: "One in three people living in Chinese cities don't have urban rights - access to welfare, schooling, social security, etc. - because they are still legally tied to their rural homes by the hukou system. So they tend to lead separate existences and have to save more to spend on schooling and in case they fall ill. If China is going to benefit economically from urbanisation, it has to do a much better job of integrating rural migrant workers into urban society, and that means hukou reform. "If you look at the last decade there's hardly been any reform. Having said that, I'm cautiously optimistic. It's one of incoming Premier Li Keqiang's pet projects and it would be very disappointing if we didn't hear any announcement by the central government at the National People's Congress (the annual parliament meeting) in March." Q: Who's going to foot the bill? A: "Local governments rely on transfers from the central government, so they constantly struggle to finance social spending. Hukou reform means spending a lot more money on migrants. So if the central government is serious about reforms, it has to let local governments keep more taxes locally or do a better job of matching funding to social expenditure. That is a major issue: the central government now has a strong grip on the national tax system and it is loath to give more power to local governments unless they can help it." Q: You worry about housing shortages in China, but some investors point to empty 'ghost towns' to argue that China is already overbuilding. Are they wrong? A: "Some of the comments are foolish. They're based on a misunderstanding of just how large China is. Hedge fund managers like Jim Chanos look at the investment numbers, and they're so huge they just don't seem to make sense. But they're coming at China through the experience of much smaller countries. "China bears don't really understand how China works. They're constantly looking at it as though China functions like a normal market economy. It doesn't. The government here has the power to create markets that wouldn't exist without their intervention. Pudong is a very good example. (Pudong, Shanghai's financial district, was farm land until the mid-1980s.) "If you're looking at companies that have done well feeding off China's huge growth in heavy industry and investment, then you can say Chanos was right to be sceptical. But he made the broader point that the entire economy was going to hell. He made the mistake of looking as an investor rather than looking at the macro economy, which are two different things. "'Ghost cities' gives the impression of cities being created out of nothing. That is simply not the case. Normally we're talking about ghost suburbs - big new developments on the edge of existing cities that have been growing very fast and need room to expand." Q: Which companies will do well out of urbanisation? A: "Companies that have thrived on capital investment will do less well as capital spending slows, but there'll be more opportunities to feed off household consumption. The domestic competition is tough, but there's no reason why well-run foreign consumer goods companies can't do well. A good example has been the enormous rise over the past two or three years of companies like Zara and H&M, selling fashionable but reasonably priced clothing. Foreign car companies will continue to do very well. "Some of it will depend on policy. Financial services have potentially a big opportunity if China decides to open up sectors such as banking and insurance. When it comes to strategic industries China is very reluctant to let everybody in, but there is plenty of room over the next 10-20 years: China will become a massive market for many western firms both in consumer goods and services. But it will be massive market for domestic firms too. It'll be big enough for all them." — Reuters

2.5m seagulls needed to hoist Dahl’s giant peach Posted: 09 Jan 2013 04:27 PM PST PARIS, Jan 10 — Physicists have taken a close look at Roald Dahl's children's book, "James and the Giant Peach," in which a flock of gulls fly an outsize fruit and its occupants across the Atlantic. In Dahl's tale, it took 501 gulls to haul the peach to New York from the mid-Atlantic, where it had drifted with a lad and his magical chums onboard. But students at Britain's University of Leicester say the real number would be close to two and a half million birds. In a tongue-in-cheek study in the Journal of Physics Special Topics, four students calculated the force lift required to pick up a peach of 1.025 tonnes and a radius of six metres. "Although James could have successfully sailed his peach in the manner described by Roald Dahl, for a peach of the dimensions calculated, it would not be possible to fly such a heavy object with the assistance of such a diminutive number of birds," says their "paper." "He would have to harness 2,425,907 seagulls in order to fly to America." The authors add a touch of scientific caution, though. "Whether the Silkworm and Mrs Spider could have managed this is unknown," they say, referring to the two companions who lure the gulls into lifting the peach. — AFP/Relaxnews

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Tune Hotels perluas portfolio, buka hotel pertama di Scotland Posted: 10 Jan 2013 02:52 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 10 Jan — Hotels memperluaskan portfolio UKnya dengan pembukaan hotel pertamanya di Scotland, Tune Hotel Haymarket di Edinburgh. Dalam satu kenyataan hari ini, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Tune Hotels Group,  Mark Lankester, berkata pengenalan jenama Tune Hotel kepada Scotland merupakan satu langkah perniagaan yang penting bagi syarikat itu. Beliau berkata permintaan bagi hotel kos rendah yang menawarkan kemudahan asas berkualiti dan keselesaan bermalam menjadi penting kerana pelancong dipengaruhi oleh harga tetapi tidak bersedia melanggan hotel kurang berkualiti. "Edinburgh adalah hab perdagangan dan pelancongan yang amat penting dan kami amat teruja untuk menyertai dan menyumbang kepada kejayaannya yang berterusan. "Tune Hotel Haymarket menambah portfolio UK Tune Hotels menjadi lima, dan banyak lagi dalam perancangan," katanya. Sementara itu, Menteri Tenaga, Perusahaan dan Pelancongan Scotland, Fergus Ewing, berkata Tune Hotels menawarkan satu produk baharu yang menyeronokkan dan sesuatu yang berbeza sedikit daripada apa yang sudah ada di bandar ini. — Bernama

Musa ingatkan penjawat awam, jangan terpengaruh slogan pembangkang ‘tukar kerajaan’ Posted: 10 Jan 2013 02:27 AM PST Musa ingatkan penjawat awam, jangan terpengaruh slogan pembangkang 'tukar kerajaan' Tahun lepas, Putera William dan isteri Kate melawat Lembah Danum untuk melihat keindahan kawasan hutan hujan tropika utama di Sabah. — Gambar Reuters KOTA KINABALU, 10 Jan — Ketua Menteri Datuk Musa Aman mengingatkan rakyat Sabah, terutama penjawat awam supaya tidak terpengaruh dengan slogan 'tukar kerajaan' yang dimainkan pembangkang bagi meraih sokongan rakyat menjelang pilihan raya umum akan datang. Sambil menepis dakwaan pembangkang bahawa kerajaan sedia ada "tidak membawa apa-apa pembangunan" kepada rakyat di negeri ini, Musa yang juga pengerusi Barisan Nasional (BN) Sabah berkata bahawa hanya orang buta dan tuli sahaja yang tidak mampu melihat kebenaran. "Kalau mahu tukar (kerajaan) mudah sahaja...tapi adakah itu membawa kebaikan atau kemudaratan kepada rakyat dan negeri ini? "Di mana-mana sahaja kita boleh melihat pembangunan yang dibawa oleh kerajaan BN. Saya yakin rakyat Sabah atau penjawat awam matang dan tahu menilai prestasi kerajaan BN yang banyak membawa pembangunan dan menolong rakyat dalam semua aspek tanpa mengira agama, bangsa dan keturunan," katanya. Beliau berucap pada majlis perhimpunan perdana Ketua Menteri bersama penjawat awam negeri di Dewan Bankuasi, Dewan Undangan Negeri Sabah di Likas, dekat sini hari ini. Turut hadir Speaker Dewan Undangan Negeri Datuk Seri Salleh Tun Said, Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri Tan Sri Sukarti Wakiman, timbalan-timbalan ketua menteri, menteri-menteri, pembantu-pembantu menteri dan ketua-ketua jabatan. Musa turut menggariskan kejayaan dan pencapaian kerajaan BN yang membawa perubahan besar dan menyeluruh dalam landskap pembangunan di negeri ini. Katanya ini termasuk kejayaan kerajaan negeri mengurus kewangan dengan baik seperti yang terkandung dalam Laporan Perbendaharaan Negara selain Berjaya mendapat anugerah 'Clean Bill' selama beberapa tahun berturut-turut. "Ini bermakna Sabah adalah antara negeri yang mempunyai pengurusan kewangan yang terbaik di negara ini," katanya. Beliau berkata dengan kedudukan kewangan yang kukuh, kerajaan negeri mampu membelanjakan berbilion ringgit bagi pelbagai projek pembangunan di negeri ini,dan tahun ini sahaja, kerajaan negeri menyediakan bajet tahunan melebihi RM4 bilion. "Kita beri bonus dan kenaikan gaji kepada penjawat awam kerana kerjaan ada cukup kewangan untuk bayar gaji dan bonus kepada kakitangan awam. Bayangkan, kerajaan negeri Sabah membelanjakan sekitar RM700 juta setahun untuk bayar gaji kakitangan awam negeri. "Kita ada bajet besar dan peruntukan pun besar untuk pembangunan di negeri ini termasuk pembangunan infrastruktur seperti membina jalan raya dan membaiki kerosakan jalan akibat tanah runtuh," katanya. Musa berkata walaupun beliau gembira dan berpuas hati dengan pencapaian negeri ini setakat ini namun rakyat Sabah terutama penjawat awam perlu bekerja keras bagi mencapai lebih banyak kejayaan. "Kita punyai perancangan, dibantu dengan kerajaan pusat, dalam menjayakan Rancangan Malaysia kesembilan dan ke-10. Pencapaian ini bukan diberi kredit kepada seorang sahaja tetapi semua pemimpin kerajaan termasuk penjawat awam yang bekerjasama dan bergerak sebagai satu pasukan untuk laksanakan dasar-dasar program yang dirancang oleh kerajaan negeri dan dibantu oleh kerajaan Persekutuan. "Memang saya akui kita ada kelemahan dan masih ada yang belum dicapai tetapi yang penting dengan adanya kerjasama antara pemimpin dan kakitangan kerajaan negeri dan Persekutuan, kita akan mencapai kejayaan yang membanggakan," katanya. Selain itu, Musa berkata kestabilan politik dan iklim pelaburan yang kondusif turut menyumbang kepada pembangunan ekonomi di negeri termasuk sector pelancongan dan pendidikan. "Dengan promosi agresif mengikut acuan kita sendiri, kita berjaya menarik lebih ramai pelancong untuk berkunjung ke negeri ini. Begitu juga dengan pelaburan, banyak pelabur dari luar negara termasuk dari Amerika Syarikat dan Brunei yang berminat melabur di negeri ini. "Dari segi pendidikan, kini kita ada Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kolej Yayasan Sabah (yang bakal dinaik taraf kepada kolej universiti) dan Kolej Kadazandusun Murut (Kolej KDM) yang akan dibina di Tambunan," katanya.  Ketua Menteri turut menolak dakwaan pembangkang yang kononnya Sabah adalah negeri termiskin di negara ini, sebaliknya meminta Universiti Malaysia Sabah dan cawangan kampus UiTM membuat kajian lanjut berhubung perkara itu. Musa juga mempertahankan dasar tanah kerajaan negeri yang memperkenalkan hak milik berkelompok kepada penduduk kampung yang layak demi masa depan mereka yang lebih terjamin. "Tiada ada perbezaan hak milik tanah biasa dan berkelompok...cuma tanah di bawah hak milik berkelompok tidak boleh dijual. Berdasarkan kajian sebelum ini, terdapat kes di mana penduduk kampung yang memilik geran tanah menjual tanah mereka kepada syarikat gergasi dan akhirnya mereka mengeluh tiada tanah...ini yang kita mahu elakkan," katanya. Beliau berkata dasar perhutanan dan pemeliharaan alam sekitar negeri ini dikagumi oleh negara luar yang menyaksikan pasangan diraja Britain melawat hutan simpan di Lembah Danum baru-baru ini. Katanya di bawah pimpinan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, yang memperkenalkan pelbagai program transformasi, Malaysia berada di landasan betul untuk menjadi sebuah negara maju dan pembaharuan itu wajar disokong oleh semua lapisan masyarakat. "Di bawah program transformasi Perdana Menteri, tiada pihak atau kaum yang terpinggir...semua rakyat mendapat manfaat dan pembelaan yang sewajarnya," katanya. Oleh itu, beliau berharap penjawat awam dapat membantu memberi atau menyebarkan persepsi positif terutama kesungguhan kerajaan dalam membangunkan negeri ini, sekali gus memastikan kelangsungan program pembangunan untuk kemudahan rakyat. — Bernama

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Things that bug me Posted: 09 Jan 2013 07:32 PM PST JAN 10 — Anyone can become angry. That is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way... that is not easy. — Aristotle. As the New Year resolution time frame is "officially" over, it's time to air out some pet peeves for 2013, with the hope that it will have therapeutic impact if not for anyone else, then for myself. Self help is often cheaper than professional help, but if you pay peanuts, you wind up getting monkey advice! Let's talk about the LinkedIn agenda Firstly, I wonder about the whole LinkedIn agenda. While I, and like many of you, are very appreciative of  unsolicited endorsements from people not known on first name basis, it's however a bit disconcerting as I have never worked or met many of these people! With so many endorsements, one wonders, if it carries any weight? Furthermore, are these good people expecting me or you to endorse them? I hope not, as an "open letter of recommendation" could dilute the reputation of both the endorser and the subject! Secondly, at one level, all of us are generally interested in new career opportunities, and we try to reach out to or help those we have worked with over the years. The challenge is when you get unsolicited requests for job opportunities from people we never met. One is sympathetic to their plight, especially if the person has faced personal tragedies included (as that could have been you). But the reality is we are not an employment agency. But like the Lottery tagline in NY, "gotta be in it to win it". Thirdly, people who use LinkedIn as Twitter. Some of these people post things like their 5km runs and attending a wedding. Not sure if people really care! LinkedIn is about professional connections, opportunities, insightful articles, wonderful quotes, etc, and there are other forums for weddings, personal training or (non-rat) races.  [BTW, one of the challenges I have with Twitter is that I do not want people to know every detail about me, my doings and often times one has to apologise with a follow-up tweet because of, say, heat-of-moment comment (well, the damage has been done!). Social media has pushed the privacy attribute to a bare minimum, but some people may prefer that route.] What are we commenting on Some of us write bylined pieces, regularly or occasionally, and hope or expect constructive or insightful feedback comments, as the collective intelligence of the market place is greater than any one of us individually. The frustration typically rears its head when (1) there are no comments (but, everybody has an opinion) or (2) personal attacks that have nothing to do with the written piece.  The lack of comments is more prevalent in Islamic finance articles, yet, at, say, conferences, we have mini-presentations from the audience members challenging a panel member or the panel session theme during the Q&A! In fairness, Islamic finance is technical, laden with Arabic lingo, requires a glossary during the read, or people can't be bothered with the effort to reply, as finding a pen or not having spell check on PC are the usual show stoppers! Leaders seeking medical treatment A country's leaders often tout the benefits the government provides for the people, from education, infrastructure, healthcare, subsidies, etc. Yet, we often read about the leader and/or minister receiving treatment at, say, Mayo Clinic in the US or world-class hospitals in western capitals in Europe. Yes, we want out leaders to be free of sickness and disease as consequences of being leaderless for a short period of time is (welcomed?) chaos!  But, what message does it send about local healthcare quality and care of the citizens when leaders and the privileged (repeatedly) go overseas for surgery and treatment? Internet use in hotels There are tight-wad hotels that charge for the Internet! Why don't they charge for actual usage with a clock/timer instead of charging by the day? Thus, pay per use (PPU) would make more sense, as most humans don't use the Internet when not in the room or sleeping, and, more importantly, it would build goodwill (for repeat business) and word-of-mouth endorsement (more effective than a marketing budget), especially if they travel for family/personal reasons. Halal hotels and mini-bar I've stayed at shariah-compliant hotels, but unsure what that really means. But it has included a conservative dress code and greetings of "Asalaam Alaikum" by the staff, alcohol/pork not served, segregated times for males/females for the pool, toilet not facing Mecca, Quran and prayer mat (in the room), etc. This will be an interesting conversation for another day. I would like to see enlightened hotels help out the halal food industry that Islamic finance has missed. In the room's mini-fridge, I would like to see sampling of (certified) halal food, from (healthy) drinks to candy bars, crisps, etc, during the stay. The "regular" hotels can ask the guest, much like options for a smoking room or size of the beds, if they want to stay in a "test room" with a mini-fridge that has only halal-certified offerings. This would not cost hotel anything and is a great opportunity to test market products for companies and consumers, eventual clients. The only "payment" by the client would entail a written review of the consumed items.  Mums of super heroes There is an urgent need to know where super heroes get their values!  In movies, toy stores, comics, prizes (value meals), there are super-heroes characters with their stories, and the move works well for the sell-side stakeholders. It's a thriving global multi-billion dollar business, and some would say it's the wholesale export of US culture at the expense of developing local super heroes. [Unsure how popular The 99, Islamic super-heroes, has been received by the age appropriate children and commercials benefits of off-shoot collaterals.] It's well known that many of the super heroes are males, from Hulk to Iron-Man to Thor to Spiderman to Batman, and such figures are almost always influenced by their mothers. The lessons these super heroes represent must come from somewhere, and it's their mothers. So, it would be nice if the creative people in countries like Malaysia started thinking about "Mums of Super Heroes". Let's assume intellectual property issues do not become an issue for the story.  I see kids connecting with their dad's "big toys" like fast cars, cool outfits, ATM-cum-Santa policies of toy purchases, but what about their mum's, who often have to be the bad guy and say "no"? I would ask the creators to include a script that includes answers to following questions: Who is the super hero's mum? How were they raised? Where do they send flowers and candy on Mother's Day or mother's birthday? Where did they get their powers from and when to use them, whilst keeping anger/revenge in check? Where do they go when they have problems? Conclusion To become a more tolerant person, one has to air out their pet peeves in a civilised manner with the hope readers show compassion and empathy. BTW, I will neither be biking nor hiking today, and will not be attending any marriages or divorces! * This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

Do your bit, be that silent assassin Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:29 PM PST JAN 10 — With the pendulum swinging in Malaysian politics, more and more want to hedge their bets. They may not be able to tell apart an election manifesto from a teapot, but they do know it is not cool, or safe in some instances, to be the guy who supports the guy about to lose. So far, so obvious — as evidenced by the various allegiances shifting in the political landscape. Yet, there is the inconvenient structure of the country impeding many others from crossing the divide. Because in this tropical wonderland almost everything is tied to the federal government, translates to "you can't let go of BN until they lose, oh boy, oh no, conundrum". Therefore hundreds of thousands are beholden to the present government — financially, legally or for job security. They can't appear not supporting Barisan Nasional (BN), even if their conscience objects. Why am I so overtly concerned about this group — the teachers, policemen, undergraduates, civil servants, etc — shouldn't I be overjoyed enough with their votes for Pakatan Rakyat? Their votes would be enough, except there are nefarious forces set to circumvent the will of the people, and to fulfil those intentions they rely on among many this quiet dissenters' group. While this remains a feudal country, with the non-use of family names rather than patronyms hiding the vast wealth and power within a small group of people, the traditional lords are by definition too few to do their own dirty work.   Which is why BN can plan and spend all it has — but in a low-tech, highly labour-intensive environment which is Malaysian political campaigning — it is the people in the machine who make it happen, or not happen. When they stall, the whole machine collapses. No matter how many janji (promises) they want to tepati (meet). Which is why Umno's claim that it got hurt by many party members refusing to vote for some of the selected candidates being a key reason for surprise defeats in Election 2008, has some truth in it. If some stayed home in 2008, we need those who do think BN should fall this time but do not think they can do anything more than vote, to rethink. There is so much more they can do. And here's the list. Feel free to add. Election officers Have you seen an Election Commission (EC) officer lately, in your neighbourhood? You probably have, though they do not put on jumpers adorned with the words "election officer" — and probably not badges, caps, wristbands or other paraphernalia.    Still, every twice or thrice a decade non-EC staffers but civil servants — like teachers and district officers — manage the ballot casting and counting for a voting room. Five hundred-plus votes under the supervision of a group of four non-EC employees — they are pulled in to ensure fair polling for the day. And later, a senior civil servant at the parliamentary seat's election vote centre tallying the various voting rooms and announcing the overall win. Thousands of them across the nation, and all the rakyat ever see on the telly are the senior EC leaders.  While Pakatan is training as many willing members of the public willing to serve pro-bono so that they can keep a set of eyes in the room, right beside their honourable BN polling agent who is on shift and on the payroll, it is the EC-deputised election officers who are in the vantage point to prevent vote aberrations. They just have to do their jobs, let genuine voters in, count their votes impartially, record them accordingly and tally rigorously all the voting rooms, and call the right decision. Without fear or favour. If the thousands of them do that because it is the right thing, that goes a long way to guaranteeing fair elections, and the probable Pakatan win. If doing your job right means Pakatan wins, that does not mean you are a Pakatan supporter, it just means you are a supporter of democracy and the Federation of Malaysia. Planes, trains and automobiles Here we go, a bunch of even ifs. On election day, if there are phantom voters set to travel from constituency to constituency voting repeatedly, they'd need logistics. As a friend noted, a designated phantom voter stuck on the roadside of a stretch on the North-South Expressway near Taiping is not a potential harm to our democratic process, he's just a guy out of luck. Which is why if there were to be cheating, those perpetrating the cheating have to collude with an array of people. Phantom voters are placid, like cattle, I am told. They, if they exist, stand and wait where they are told, walk into buses they are pointed to and carry identity cards passed to them. It takes managers, operators, contractors and party workers to move the resource where they need to be and when. Logistics will determine the success of any phantom voters, if such a group existed. If this fictional account was true, and I am not alleging it is, then it would be an operation requiring thousands to execute and in logistics the whole chain is only as strong as the weakest link. So people, those who are inadvertently dragged into this presumed fiasco, each of you can play a role. Bus drivers may not show up, organisers might organise badly and some may just ask those showing up to go home. Why not? It would be the easiest thing to do. Slowing down things is a Malaysian forte, time to put that to some use, for a good cause. Election workers The BN campaign offices are places of excess. Why a coalition with zero public fundraising has so much fat is moot with Malaysians, but with many of my countrymen foraging for a decent income then it is also disgusting. How do you blame financially-strapped people trying to get a few extra bucks by being BN election workers? Even if those they are working for are those who engineered the oppressive income distribution regiment handicapping them? Take the money, drink the teh tarik and eat the rendang, but don't feel too bad if your lack of conviction in the cause leads you to less than enthusiastic work. While I will resist accusing the money being the rakyat's to begin with, I won't hold back on the naughty remark that those disbursing the money from bags won't remember who they are paying, when they are paying. It is a gravy train with no end. It's a gravy train all year round, just that in campaign period the largesse is opened up to many more. Reminds me of my neighbour of 30 years who used to drag all his boys to the BN operation centre during elections. For the retired serviceman on a NCO pension, being paid per head for all his boys and the free T-shirts were like gifts from the stars. Everything you can do And even if you are not an election officer, phantom voter enabler or BN election worker, you are still worth more than your worth even if your silence is the price of living in Malaysia. This is a country that talks about being seen, a country of coffeeshop gossipers. So do that, keep that gossip up, tell those you are willing to tell that you have lost faith in the government of the day, that nothing will change things unless there is a shift of government. Tell others that though Pakatan has flaws, the monopoly that half a century of hopes but little delivery can very well end if people voted with their conscience. And if you dare take a further step, you can call, email and Facebook tag so many about how you feel, and don't be surprised by the number of election officers, phantom voter enablers and BN election workers who are in your friends' and friends of friends' list. You may not shout at the top of the highest building in your township, but you are worth more than your vote, time to pick up the phone then. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

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