Rabu, 13 Februari 2013

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Another 3-star Michelin restaurant for France?

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:46 PM PST

PARIS, Feb 14 – The French food world is abuzz amid reports of a major leak out of Michelin and a new three-starred restaurant.

According to French publication LePoint, 35-year-old chef Arnaud Donckele of La Vague d'Or at the Résidence de la Pinède in Saint-Tropez has earned his third Michelin star.

Should the leak – which comes one week before Michelin's official 2013 France release – prove true, the newly inducted triple-garlanded restaurant would make it the 27th restaurant in France to join the exclusive three-star club.

Currently, La Vague d'Or holds two stars.

Described by the publication as "exceptionally gifted," Donckele's training circuit included stints under Alain Ducasse at both Louis XV in Monte Carlo and the Plaza Athénée in Paris, both of which are triple-starred.

A Michelin-starred meal at Donckele's restaurant, meanwhile, includes dishes such as baby lobster and John Dory in aspic, pearled and cooked in their natural sea water with grains of caviar and a verbena infusion, or Zitoni pasta filled with black truffle and foie gras, served with violet artichokes and flavored Thai basil.

Donckele's cuisine is described as being Mediterranean-inspired, with a particular emphasis on locally produced vegetables and citrus fruits.

Located along the Cote d'Azur, the five-star property comes with its own private beach.

Meanwhile, LePoint also reports that five restaurants in France earn their second Michelin star in the new edition, including Marc Veyrat's newest restaurant La Marine d'Alexandre Couillon in Noirmoutier, an island off the French Atlantic coast.

In last year's Michelin edition, Emmanuel Renaut's Mégève restaurant in the French alps, Flocons de Sel, likewise joined the three-star club. – AFP-Relaxnews

Champagne sales lose fizz

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:39 PM PST

Exports of the high-end French sparkling white wine rose by 3.2 per cent in 2012 however to reach a record high of 61 million bottles. – AFP pic

PARIS, Feb 14 – Sales of champagne fell by 4.4 per cent in volume terms last year, but increased exports helped compensate for sagging European consumption and kept revenue flat at €4.37 billion euros (RM18 billion), a trade association said on Tuesday.

The slide in annual sales to 308.8 million bottles last year was primarily due to the sharp 13.3 per cent fall in European sales and a 8.8 per cent fall in France in December, the Champagne Wine Professionals Committee (CIVC) said Tuesday.

Exports of the high-end French sparkling white wine rose by 3.2 per cent however to reach a record high of 61 million bottles.

"More than ever champagne has an international value, and other countries represent an essential conduit to growth due to their strong consumption of prestigious vintages," said CIVC spokesman Thibaut Le Mailloux. – AFP-Relaxnews

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

IOC plays down wrestling’s exit after global uproar

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 05:42 AM PST

The IOC board is taking in stride furore over wrestling possibly being dropped from Olympics. — Reuters pic

LAUSANNE, Feb 13 — The surprise recommendation to drop wrestling from the Olympics has angered athletes, officials and fans around the world and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) played down the finality of its decision on Wednesday.

The IOC's 15-member executive board voted on Tuesday to recommend that the sport be dropped from the 2020 Olympic programme, with a final decision resting with the IOC session in September in Buenos Aires.

The vote prompted an instant wave of protest and anger from the sport's global community with the international federation (FILA) calling it an aberration, petitions launched with the United States White House and on-line wrestling support groups signing up thousands of supporters.

India's government said on Wednesday it would seek the support of other countries where wrestling is popular to help the sport remain an Olympic discipline.

"These reactions, they are quite normal," IOC Vice President Thomas Bach told reporters. "This would have happened with any decision. You have to find the right balance between tradition and progress.

"This was a decision about core sports and nothing more," he said of Tuesday's vote that cut the core Olympic sports from 26 to 25, leaving out wrestling.

"I am happy about FILA's reaction, to draw up a plan to act. That is the right way. Keep in mind a final decision has not yet been taken. If they (FILA) continue like that they will win a lot of sympathies," said Bach, a potential presidential candidate later this year.

The IOC's executive board will decide in St Petersburg in May to decide which of eight candidate sports, including wrestling, will be put forward to win the spot left vacant for the 2020 Games.

Painful decision

It will then put its recommendation for the 25 core sports and the new entry to a vote at its session in Argentina.

"It was always going to be a painful decision," said IOC member and head of the organisation's finance commission Richard Carrion, also a potential presidential candidate.

"No matter what we do, it will be criticised by someone," said Puerto Rican Carrion, whose country won a silver medal in wrestling at the London 2012 Olympics, one of two medals overall.

"From a personal point of view I am sad. I have become attached to the wrestling club (in Puerto Rico) which doesn't even have a regulation-size mat and still managed to send three athletes to the Games."

For Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior, who is both an executive board member and a modern pentathlon vice-president, the decision was a good one.

"I am very sorry for wrestling as it is a sport I respect," the son of former IOC president Samaranch, told reporters.

"I cannot be surprised by the reaction because any sport would have created the same reaction."

Wrestling's surprise exit has been blamed by some on a lack of political support within the executive board, where other sports at risk - including modern pentathlon and taekwondo - had the upper hand with representatives in the 15-member group.

Asked whether his double capacity was a conflict of interest, Samaranch said: "I am here in my capacity as executive board member." — Reuters

Celtic cry foul after Champions League humbling

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:31 AM PST

Juventus' Stephan Lichtsteiner (left) and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon tussle with Celtic's Gary Hooper during their Champions League soccer match at Celtic Park stadium in Glasgow, Scotland February 12, 2013. – Reuters pic

LONDON, Feb 13 – Celtic manager Neil Lennon accused the referee of favouring Juventus after a series of penalty-box tussles went unpunished in their Champions League last-16 first leg.

Celtic were ruthlessly taken apart in a 3-0 defeat in Glasgow yesterday as the Italians soaked up everything the Scots could throw at them and counter-punched their way to a substantial first-leg lead.

It was the persistent pushing and shoving at corners and free kicks that irked the Glasgow club and sparked a post-match debate after Spanish referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco chose to warn players rather than give the hosts a penalty.

"I thought he (the referee) was poor," Lennon said on Sky Sports.

"I thought he was very pro-Juventus. I was disappointed with his performance to say the least."

He added: "It's not rugby we're playing, it's soccer.

"I pointed it out to the referee at halftime in the tunnel area but he just waved me away. I made it clear to the players to flag it up to the referee in the second half but he ignored our requests.

"They were being fouled, manhandled. Every time one of my players tried to move he was held. He should have given a penalty on at least two occasions.

"I'd like to know what the interpretation of the rules are in Italy or Spain, because it's blatantly different to what they are in Britain from what I've seen tonight. They were fouling on every opportunity and he was staring right at it. So are the rules different in Spain? Because, on that showing, they must be."

Stephan Lichtsteiner was involved in a long-running tussle with Celtic striker Gary Hooper, with both receiving yellow cards in the first half.

The Juventus defender seemed more intent on keeping Hooper away from his goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon than making any attempt to defend the ball.

"It's normal," Lichtsteiner told Sky Sports.

"I think it is part of football that they play the corners and the free kicks, and of course they score more than 40 per cent of their goals in the Champions League from free kicks, and they look to block the goalkeeper.

"It was my role today to keep him away from Buffon.

"A penalty for what?" he added. "It is more a foul from him than for me because if you attack the goalkeeper it is a goal."

Celtic took a different view with midfielder Kris Commons questioning how the additional officials UEFA employ behind the goal failed to spot any offence.

"You've got a referee there, a guy behind the goal, a linesman - the whole idea of the official behind the goal is to look out for this sort of stuff," Commons said.

"If he can't identify when people are being hauled, manhandled, wrestled to the floor then I don't think he should be in a job."

Celtic right back Mikael Lustig added: "They used a lot of arms when we got our corners but it is up to the referee.

"Of course, we tried to speak to him, but he didn't listen to us." – Reuters

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The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views

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The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views

‘African pope would be quite some miracle’

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 07:43 AM PST

Pope Benedict XVI leaves at the end of his Wednesday general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican February 13, 2013. — Reuters pic

CAPE COAST, Feb 13 — A black African pope to succeed Pope Benedict would be "quite some miracle", a leading archbishop from Ghana said, adding that a developing world candidate might have to overcome negative perceptions within the Catholic hierarchy.

"If the Church chooses a Third World person or a black pope it will have to come to terms with itself," Matthias Kobena Nketsiah, archbishop of Cape Coast, told Reuters

"I am not saying the Church is racist, but there are overtones and perceptions that maybe add up to that."

Speaking in an interview with Reuters TV recorded yesterday, Nketsiah said he supported Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, his predecessor in the Cape Coast archbishopric, for the job of leading the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

"I am all for it but I have to have my feet on the ground. It will be quite some miracle given the perception of an African of the Third World," he said at his residence in Cape Coast.

Benedict stunned Catholics across the globe on Monday by saying he would step down on February28.

Some 117 cardinals will enter a closed-door conclave at the Vatican in mid-March to elect a successor.

Two-thirds of today's Catholics live in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Ghana's Cardinal Turkson and Cardinal Odilo Scherer of Brazil are among those mentioned as candidates.

Nketsiah said he believed Turkson, who is 64 and currently head of the Vatican justice and peace bureau, would tend towards being conservative on moral issues if he were elected.

"We in Ghana, and I think in the Third World, we are loyal children of the Church, if I may say so, so he will stick to the teaching of the Church," he said.

"If the Church says there is no way for same sex (relations), that is what he's going to pursue ... He would be somebody who would stick to it and teach how the Church teaches," Nketsiah added, saying he had trained to be a priest with Turkson.

Another African Cardinal, Laurent Mosengwo, archbishop of Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of Congo, is seen as another potential candidate from Africa.

There are no open campaigns or declared candidates for the post and cardinals are forbidden by Church law from revealing who they voted for. Many cardinals choose their favourite after a series of discreet contacts in the days before the election. — Reuters

Chinese in Costa Rica set record for fried rice

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 07:38 AM PST

SAN JOSE, Feb 13 — Members of Costa Rica's Chinese community celebrated the the arrival of the Year of the Snake by setting the world record yesterday for the largest amount of fried rice ever cooked.

Chinese and Costa Rican chefs cook the world´s largest fried rice in celebration of Chinese New Year, for which they obtained a Guinness record, in San Jose on February 12, 2013. — AFP pic

Briton Ralph Hannah, an inspector with the Guinness World Records, certified the win after putting the giant meal — enough to feed some 7,000 people -- on a scale.

The official weight: 837 kilograms (1,845 pounds), which nearly doubles the previous record.

Armed with shovel-sized spoons, 52 cooks toiled over an enormous wok built especially for the event in San Jose's recently inaugurated Chinatown.

Some 735 kilograms of rice were used, along with 200 kilograms of chicken, 120 kilograms of ham, 20 kilograms of Chinese sausage, hundreds of eggs and vast amounts of chopped vegetables.

The Chinese Association of Costa Rica came up with the idea for the giant meal, said Godwin Pang, who helped coordinate the event.

Pang said the Chinese community wanted to mark the Year of the Snake, which began on Sunday, with a big event.

Most Chinese residents in Costa Rica are in the restaurant business. Chinese restaurants can be found even in small towns across this Central American country of 4.7 million.

Hannah, the Guinness representative for Latin America, said this was the first time that Costa Rica enters the world record book. — AFP/Relaxnews

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

An online dating primer to playing it safe

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 06:53 AM PST

Looking for Mr. Right online? Experts say one in five people who try internet dating find love online. — shutterstock.com pic

NEW YORK, Feb 13 — According to online dating statistics, 40 million people in the US have dabbled in online dating. Experts say you've got a one in five shot at finding love online. But how do you weed out the bad seeds and keep yourself safe?

Don't fall for fraud
"Like any new technology, there are some downsides to online dating, too," says Wichita State University's Deborah Ballard-Reisch, an expert on communication and relationships for about 20 years. "One of the biggest is fraud." She adds: "There are a number of international consortiums that get on online dating sites and pretend to be someone they're not in order to get money out of people. So if someone asks you to send them money, especially out of the country, run."

Start sleuthing
Since friends and family can't vet your potential online dates, you'll have to do some detective work. Before you meet someone in person whom you've met online, Google them, she advises. "Use multiple search engines. Consider seeking criminal background checks. Make sure that people are who they say they are."

Meet in a public place
"Always meet in a public place the first few times," says Ballard-Reisch. "Let your friends and family know where you're going, with whom and when you plan to return." Keep your phone online so you can be tracked via GPS, she adds. "If something feels wrong, get out."

Don't overshare
"Don't give information about yourself too quickly," she adds. While it's important to be yourself, you can do this without sharing personal information. Take time to build trust with the person. — AFP-Relaxnews

IBM puts supercomputer to work on cancer

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 12:34 AM PST

Watson, powered by IBM POWER7, a work-load optimised system that can answer questions posed in natural language over a nearly unlimited range of knowledge. — AFP pic

WASHINGTON, Feb 13 — IBM is putting its Watson supercomputer to work fighting cancer, in what is described as the first commercial program of its kind to use "big data" to help patients with the disease.

The US computing giant last week unveiled its initiative with health insurer WellPoint and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

The supercomputer, which gained fame by defeating two human champions in the "Jeopardy!" quiz show, has been sifting through some 600,000 pieces of medical evidence, two million pages of text from 42 medical journals and clinical trials in oncology research.

This can speed up the way data is analysed to make the best diagnosis and find the optimal treatment, says Craig Thompson, Sloan-Kettering's president.

"It can take years for the latest developments in oncology to reach all practice settings," Thompson said.

"The combination of transformational technologies found in Watson with our cancer analytics and decision-making process has the potential to revolutionise the accessibility of information for the treatment of cancer in communities across the country and around the world."

IBM first announced plans to work with WellPoint in 2011, and last year began receiving data from the New York research hospital which specializes in cancer.

The first application will work with 1,500 lung cancer cases, where clinicians and analysts are training Watson to extract and interpret physician notes, lab results and clinical research.

The Maine Center for Cancer Medicine and Westmed Medical Group will be two centers testing the service and providing feedback to WellPoint, IBM and Memorial Sloan-Kettering.

"IBM's work with WellPoint and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center represents a landmark collaboration in how technology and evidence based medicine can transform the way in which health care is practiced," said Manoj Saxena at IBM.

"These breakthrough capabilities bring forward the first in a series of Watson-based technologies, which exemplifies the value of applying big data and analytics and cognitive computing to tackle the industry's most pressing challenges."

The program is being commercialised under the name Interactive Care Insights for Oncology, powered by Watson.

Watson, named after IBM founder Thomas Watson, can ingest tens of million pages of data in just seconds. — AFP-Relaxnews

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

Michael Haneke and the story behind ‘Amour’

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:38 AM PST

German director Michael Haneke, Golden Globe winner for best foreign film "Amour" arrives at the HBO after-party following the 70th annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California January 13, 2013. — Reuters pic

LOS ANGELES, Feb 13 — Austrian director Michael Haneke said his stark drama "Amour," which has scored a surprising five Oscar nominations including for Best Picture, was inspired by his own experiences dealing with an aged aunt facing death.

The unflinching take on devotion, growing old and illness has also picked up Oscar nominations for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Foreign Film and Best Actress for Emmanuelle Riva's performance as bed-ridden Anne.

Haneke, who is also known for 2001's "The Piano Teacher" and 1997's "Funny Games" and its 2007 Hollywood remake, is the favourite to win the Best Foreign Film award for which he was nominated in 2010 for "The White Ribbon."

Haneke, 70, spoke to Reuters from Madrid, where he is directing the Mozart opera "Cosi Fan Tutte," about the film, what it would mean to win an Oscar, and his future plans.

Q: What do you make of some of the critics who, in their praise, have called the drama a horror film for its graphic portrayal of the end of life?

A: I believe that it has been a bit exaggerated how the film has been portrayed. The film is shocking, but the truth is always shocking. It's no walk in the park, but it's difficult and serious, and that makes it contemplative. I assume that I have an adult audience and that they'll understand the situation. The film shouldn't be a distraction (from life) — as many films are — but the film is also not meant to shock.

Q: What intentions did you set out with?

A: I wanted to make a film about how we deal with the suffering of the people that we love. I could've certainly made a film about a couple married for 40 years with a child who dies of cancer. That would only be a tragic, singular case and less representative. But we all grow old and nearly all of us get sick and that subject matter is more general and concerns nearly everyone one of us.

I've also heard in the reception to the film from people that have said it's just like what happened to me and my family. Indeed, that crosses generations as young people live through how their grandparents die or become ill or simply suffer, and now their parents are in the same situation. It's a matter that affects everyone.

Q: Did you have an inspiration for the film?

A: The story arose out of my family. My aunt killed herself at the age of 93 and before she did it she asked me whether or not I could help her. I loved her very much and to watch her suffer was very difficult, but I certainly couldn't help her (kill herself) because I'd be thrown in jail. Personally, I don't believe I could've done it anyway.

Q: Did you expect "Amour" to receive five Oscar nominations?

A: No, certainly not. I had hoped and figured ... that one or another nomination would come our way but I was naturally, like many, pleasantly surprised.

Q: How will it be to be a star of sorts at the Oscars?

A: Star? Those who are invited are of course stars (laughs) ... I certainly find it delightful to get dressed up with these people that the entire world knows and to compete alongside them. It's quite enjoyable.

Q: What will it be like if "Amour" wins?

A: I'll be happy. We're happy about any prize but you don't make films to win awards. Nonetheless, you're certainly quite happy about the recognition. For the film, it also makes it possible for many more to see it. And each prize piques the interest of more people to watch the film.

Q: How much longer do you intend to keep making films?

A: As long as I can. I don't know that answer. I could drop dead tomorrow or fall seriously ill. I'm no longer 25 years old but I don't plan on calling it quits anytime soon, and perhaps that annoys someone somewhere. — Reuters

Director Panahi defies Iran ban to make another film

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 01:15 AM PST

Members of the Peace Film Award jury hold banners to support Iranian director Jafar Panahi who is co-director of the movie "Parde" (Closed Curtain) at the 63rd Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin February 12, 2013. — Reuters pic

BERLIN, Feb 13 — Iran's Jafar Panahi has defied a 20-year ban on filmmaking to secretly co-direct "Closed Curtain", a multi-layered portrayal of how restrictions on his work and movement have brought on depression and even thoughts of suicide.

The movie, in competition at the Berlin film festival, has its premiere yesterday, but Panahi was not expected on the red carpet despite festival organisers saying the German government had requested he be allowed to travel.

His co-director and compatriot Kamboziya Partovi did attend a press conference along with actress Maryam Moghadam, but would not be drawn on what the consequences of making the movie could be for Panahi or others involved.

"Nothing has happened up until now," he said, speaking through an interpreter. "We do not know what the future holds for us."

Moghadam acknowledged she was taking a risk by acting in a project involving Panahi, a darling of the Western film festival circuit and best known for his 2000 movie "The Circle" and "Offside" released six years later.

His socially engaged films about issues such as women's rights in Iran and support for the political opposition have made him a target of the Iranian authorities.

In 2010 he was banned from making films for 20 years and sentenced to six years in prison for "propaganda against the system", although he is now under house arrest.

Moghadam, who has dual Swedish and Iranian nationality, told Reuters she would try to continue travelling to Iran, where she had family. "I am not the only one (taking risks)," she said.

"Closed Curtain" is the second picture Panahi has made in defiance of the ban, and it remains to be seen whether the 52-year-old faces further punishment for a movie that has drawn major attention in Berlin.

"This is Not a Film", made in 2011, was reportedly smuggled out of the country on a USB stick hidden inside a cake.

EMPTY VILLA, FEAR, FRUSTRATION

"Closed Curtain" is set in an empty villa in Iran, presumably beside the Caspian Sea.

A man, played by Partovi, arrives with his dog, and proceeds to draw the curtains and black out the windows, sealing himself off from the world outside and preventing the authorities — real and imagined — from seeing what was happening.

When the dog accidentally switches on the television, we see footage of stray dogs being rounded up and killed, explaining why he had to be smuggled in inside a bag and kept indoors.

A young man and woman, on the run from the police, burst in and the woman stays, but her existence and that of the man becomes unclear as viewers must decide if they are fictional characters in Panahi's script or actual people.

The layers of reality multiply as Panahi himself arrives, and posters advertising some of his past movies are revealed beneath sheets before being covered up again.

In the allegory of Panahi's life under house arrest and inability to work freely, we see him walking into the sea at one point, a reference to taking his own life.

"He was not constantly thinking about suicide, no, because then he wouldn't have been able to make the film," Partovi said. "But if I imagine myself unable to work and just sitting at home, then I am sure I would start to think about suicide."

According to Partovi, "Closed Curtain" was made out of a desire to express oneself, even though it was unlikely to be seen by people inside Iran.

"It's difficult to work, but not being able to work is even more difficult, and especially when you are at the height of your career. You become depressed, and I believe this is shown in the film and it comes through."

The mood is one of frustration, fear and anger, as young people are rounded up for having parties and drinking alcohol.

"She is a young woman like many other women in my country," Moghadam said of her character Melika.

"She is a symbol of many other young women who struggle," added the actress, who was wearing a hat to cover her hair.

She said her character represented "the dark side of his (Panahi's) mind ... that part that doesn't hope any more and wants to give up." — Reuters

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The Malaysian Insider :: Books

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The Malaysian Insider :: Books

Review of ‘literary blah’ wins 2013 mauling award

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 07:03 AM PST

screencap of the winner of the "Hatchet Job of the Year".

LONDON, Feb 13 — A review belitting award-winning British novelist Rachel Cusk's memoir of her bitter divorce as "poetic whimsy and vague literary blah" has won an annual prize for most competently trashing a literary work.

The "Hatchet Job of the Year", run by British literary criticism website The Omnivore, was set up to promote integrity and wit in literary jouralism and is awarded to the "angriest, funniest, most trenchant book review".

Literary heavyweights are as game for a public mauling as lesser known writers with reviews of works by novelists Martin Amis and Salman Rushdie and former poet laureate Andrew Motion among the shortlist for the 2013 award.

But a panel of three journalists and writers chose Sunday Times journalist Camilla Long over seven others as the winner for the second annual award for her review of "Aftermath".

Long, who wins a year's supply of potted shrimp, described the book as bizarre and "a needy, neurotic mandolin solo of reflections on child sacrifice and asides about drains".

"I thought what was wonderful about Camilla's review was that it totally hatcheted the book, but in such an intriguing way that I then thought I must read "Aftermath" - and did, and loved it because it was just as weird as Camilla said," said judge Lynn Barber, a Sunday Times journalist, in a statement.

"So a hatchet job isn't necessarily a turnoff."

Among those with the harshest verdicts over the last year were Ron Charles of the Washington Post for his review of Amis's "Lionel Asbo", and Zoe Heller for her critique of Rushdie's memoir "Joseph Anton" in the New York Review of Books.

Heller took Rushdie to task for what she called his "magisterial amour propre."

Motion, poet laureate until 2009, fell foul of the London Evening Standard's Claire Harman for his "Silver: A Return to Treasure Island", in which she described the characters "as wooden as absent Silver's leg."

In the Mail on Sunday, Craig Brown accused Richard Bradford of plagiarising himself in "The Odd Couple", while Allan Massie damned Craig Raine with faint praise in the Scotsman, writing of "The Divine Comedy" that "Raine can spell. That much must be admitted."

Suzanne Moore of The Guardian slated Naomi Wolf's biography "Vagina," saying much of her work is "utter drivel" while Richard Evans in the New Statesman wrote that A.N. Wilson's judgments in "Hitler: A Short Biography" were "breathtaking in their banality."

But the authors savaged by reviewers may yet have their revenge. Long is currently at work on her first book. — Reuters

Zulu goes high-tech

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 12:13 AM PST

Phiwayinkosi Mbuyazi has created 450 new words in Zulu, the mother tongue of a quarter of South Africa's 50 million population. – Picture courtesy of ©marema/shutterstock.com

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 13 – When a middle-aged South African engineer recently set out to write a novel in his native Zulu, he found himself hamstrung by a lack of words to describe modern life.

Determined not to use English as a crutch, Phiwayinkosi Mbuyazi instead created 450 new words in Zulu, the mother tongue of a quarter of South Africa's 50 million population.

His book, titled Amayiphendleya, is an adventure tale about four teenage boys and the wonders of technology.

For the first time in Zulu history they come across an isilolongamoya - a machine that controls the air temperature, or air conditioner.

They also come to terms with umnukubalo,(pollution) and with ubungqonela (colonialism), both words derived from their function or sound.

Mbuyazi said his creations were motivated by a realisation that Zulu has not kept up with the developments in almost all major sectors of knowledge.

"It now lacks the terminology that would allow one to hold a conversation, let alone write a book."

The 41-year-old is dismissive of traditionalists who would keep isiZulu—of the Zulu language—"pure."

"Many people speak proudly about preserving isiZulu but the truth is by keeping it unchanged we are contributing to its death," he said.

"Languages evolve, and isiZulu need not be left behind, otherwise it will become irrelevant," he told AFP.

He hopes that the new words will catch on with the legions people who speak Zulu as a first and second language, and eventually become part of everyday vocabulary.

But the author's own path shows how many hurdles exist.

He had to set up his own publishing company after several mainstream houses turned him down, saying there was "no market for Zulu literature."

A recent industry survey showed no Zulu books were published in 2011, except for religious or school books.

Some 33 books were published in Afrikaans, which is spoken by around seven million people in South Africa.

But Mbuyazi feels that little has been done to create the market for Zulu readers.

The Oxford University graduate is trying to change that.

He compiles a crossword puzzle for the Sunday Times Zulu edition and wants to use his company, Mbuyazi Publishing, to get Zulu writers published.

So far the company has produced his three books.

Despite its shortfalls, Zulu has some major advantages compared to South Africa's eight other indigenous African languages.

It is the only South African language besides English and Afrikaans in which a major national newspaper is produced.

The first Zulu newspaper Ilanga (The Sun) as published in 1903 by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) founding leader John Langalibalele Dube.

It is still in existence and has faces fierce competition from Isolezwe (The Eye of the Nation), which is owned by Irish media mogul Denis O'Brien.

Mbuyazi's work has caught the attention of academics, some of whom caution against words being created on the hop.

Professor Nhlanhla Mathonsi who is an African Languages researcher at the University of KwaZulu Natal warned that "people must not make up words just for the sake of it".

"Creating new words takes a deep understanding of the language and it nuances... words should not confuse people but enlighten them," he added. – AFP-Relaxnews

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The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa

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Jangan terlalu taksub tukar kerajaan boleh bawa perubahan — Dr M

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 02:41 AM PST

PUTRAJAYA, 13 Feb — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (gambar) berkata ada golongan muda terlalu taksub dan percaya bahawa hanya perubahan dalam pemerintahan negara akan dapat mengubah keadaan hidup mereka.

Bekas perdana menteri itu berkata golongan ini ingin melihat perubahan pentadbiran kerajaan semata-mata kerana percaya janji-janji pembangkang.

"Apa jua yang dikatakan oleh Barisan Nasional (BN) nampak tidak berkesan. Walaupun benar dan nyata tapi nampak tidak berkesan kerana mereka taksub dengan kepercayaan bahawa hanya perubahan pemerintahan akan membawa kepada perubahan dalam kehidupan mereka, sebab itu keadaan sekarang berbeza dengan suatu masa dulu," kata beliau dalam temu bual dengan Bernama di pejabat beliau di Yayasan Kepimpinan Perdana di sini.

Katanya ketika Malaysia tidak banyak pembangunan dan masih dianggap negara membangun, setiap perubahan akan dihargai, berbeza dengan orang muda sekarang yang lahir semasa negara sudah mencapai banyak kemajuan yang ketara.

Menurutnya generasi sekarang tidak mengalami keadaan negara miskin, terhad dalam peluang pekerjaan, peluang pelajaran, peluang menjadi ahli profesional dan sebagainya; menjadikan mereka tidak begitu menghargai kemajuan semasa.

"Bila kita anggap sesuatu itu sebagai perkara biasa, kita tidak begitu menghargainya. Kita menghargainya bila kita mendapat sesuatu yang tidak kita pernah dapat, tapi mereka dilahirkan di zaman negara sudah capai banyak kemajuan dan bagi merek, ini memang keadaan biasa, dengan itu mereka tidak menghargainya," katanya.

Dr Mahathir berkata golongan sekarang juga dilihat terlalu terdedah dengan pengaruh barat, umpamanya berhubung prinsip kebebasan, mengakibatkan mereka berpendapat keadaan sekarang masih belum cukup bebas, masih lagi tersekat dalam banyak perkara.

Beliau mengakui memang banyak yang perlu dilakukan oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak untuk memenangi hati golongan muda dalam tempoh masa yang semakin suntuk, ketika bahang pilihan raya sudah terlalu hampir.

(Berdasarkan statistik suku ketiga Daftar Pemilih 2012 Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya, sejumlah 13.1 juta pemilih berdaftar layak mengundi pada pilihan raya umum ke-13, dan daripada jumlah itu 18.07 peratus atau 2.37 juta pengundi terdiri daripada kumpulan umur antara 21 dan 29 tahun manakala 22.8 peratus atau hampir tiga juta terdiri daripada kumpulan umur antara 30 dan 39 tahun).

Dr Mahthir berkata sejak pilihan raya umum lepas, kepimpinan Najib dilihat berusaha gigih untuk meraih kembali kepercayaan pengundi, dan sedikit sebanyak beliau kelihatan berjaya.

Katanya Najib sudah tidak punyai banyak masa, semasa beliau bertungkus lumus bekerja keras untuk mendekati rakyat seramai mungkin, beliau juga berhadapan dengan pelbagai tuntutan daripada banyak pihak.

"Masa saya (masih perdana menteri) dulu orang tidak tahu bila ada election (pilihan raya), jadi dengan itu, sebelum mereka buat tuntutan itu ini, kita sudah adakan election (pilihan raya). Tapi bila kita tunggu sampai saat terakhir yang mana kita terpaksa bubar Parlimen, tidak ada unsur kejutan lagi, semakin hampir pilihan raya, semakin banyak tuntutan diterima," katanya.

Mengenai konsep 1Malaysia, Dr Mahathir berkata ia sememangnya baik dan ia memerlukan sambutan daripada semua kaum.

Katanya kesejahteraan dan keharmonian negara selama ini ialah hasil persetujuan antara kaum untuk berkongsi kuasa, sekaligus menjauhkan keadaan huru-hara.

"...dengan itu negara dapat dimajukan, kalau hari ini masing-masing kaum hendakkan semua yang mereka tuntut, ini akan sebabkan ada kaum yang tidak puas hati, maka kestabilan negara tergugat.

"(Dan) kemajuan tidak tercapai, ekonomi tidak akan tumbuh dan kita semua tidak akan dapat nikmat pembangunan. Ini patut semua kaum faham," katanya. — Bernama

Polis pohon prosiding inkues kematian William Yau

Posted: 13 Feb 2013 02:36 AM PST

PETALING JAYA, 13 Feb — Polis hari ini memfail permohonan prosiding inkues bagi menyiasat punca kematian William Yau Zhen Zhong, 6, yang ditemui di Jeti Kampung Sungai Sireh, Pelabuhan Klang, Januari lepas.

Permohonan itu difailkan oleh pegawai polis dari Ibu pejabat Polis Daerah Subang Jaya ASP Mohd Zainal Abdullah di kaunter mahkamah di sini pada 10 pagi. Inkues itu akan disebut di Mahkamah Majistret di sini.

Ketua Polis Daerah Subang Jaya ACP Yahya Ramli ketika dihubungi Bernama mengesahkan pendaftaran itu, bagaimanapun tiada sebarang tarikh ditetapkan.

"Matlamat inkues itu untuk mencari punca sebenar kematian. Sekiranya wujud elemen jenayah dalam kematian William, kami akan siasat semula. Jika tiada, kes itu ditutup," katanya.

William, anak kedua pasangan Goh Ying Ying, 28, dan Yau Kok Kang, 32, dilapor hilang pada 16 Jan di Jalan Putra Mahkota, Putra Heights, Subang Jaya selepas dipercayai keluar daripada kenderaan untuk mencari ibu bapanya yang singgah di sebuah kedai barang elektrik.

Pada 24 Jan, mayat seorang kanak-kanak lelaki lengkap berpakaian ditemui di Jeti Kampung Sungai Sireh, Pelabuhan Klang dan laporan awal DNA oleh Jabatan Kimia mengesahkan mayat kanak-kanak lelaki itu ialah William. — Bernama

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

Lost in translation?

Posted: 12 Feb 2013 04:25 PM PST

FEB 13 ― It is heartening to hear that the one who gave out white packets for Chinese New Year does not speak for the ruling government.

He does not speak for me, my family and friends either. Nor do those who belong in the same book-burning club, masquerading as defenders of all that is good and holy even when the public perceives them to have little or nothing between their ears.

God forbid someone like that ever speaking on my behalf, ever.

I have often pointed out the danger these people pose to the society. They may be small in number, noisy empty cans, but leave them alone and you will find many joining their ranks. What started off as a small flame will end up burning our home.

Our education system, as we know it, does not produce the sharpest tools in the shed. The education minister must realise this when calling for calm.

It is only a matter of time before the like-minded get together to form a bigger coalition. Imagine if those running correction camps for LGBTs join forces with the Perkasa boys. No number of marches by BERSIH and water cannons will ever clean our streets of them.

Fools seldom differ.

But since we are talking about the usage of Allah in Malay-language bibles, let us discuss it rationally. I am in no way trying to question the decision by the High Court regarding this matter, nor pretend to be an expert on Islam or Christianity so my comment is based mainly on logic and rationale. Those who lack these two faculties should stop reading now.

But before we wade into deeper waters, Malaysians who were shocked to find out about Malay-language bibles please grow up. To think that all Malaysian Christians speak English is a bit too much. Besides what is our national language for if not to unite all Malaysians across racial and religious lines?

There are, of course, bibles in other languages too: Arabic, Mandarin, Tamil, Urdu, French, Japanese, Korean, etc. Christianity is, after all, a religion embraced by many worldwide.

As the bible is read across the world in many, many languages, there is a need to translate the word for "God" in the English bibles into one that the locals understand. For instance the Mandarin bibles translate the word God into "Shen," in Tamil "Devan."

The Arabs would translate the word God as "Allah" in their bibles.

If we were to follow this logic, and leave foolish emotions, politics, and most importantly egos aside, what would the word God be in the Malay language? Bahasa Malaysia 101, people, what is "God" in Malay?

I may be wrong but isn't God "Tuhan" in Malay?

So here comes the big question, what is an Arabic word doing in a Malay bible? Allow me to be more specific. What is the ONLY Arabic word doing in the Malay-language bible?

There are no Arabic words in the Mandarin, Tamil, Japanese nor Korean bibles. So why the Malay-language bibles?

This is not a rethorical question. I need it answered.

The Indonesian bibles, for instance, use the word Allah. It was first made by Dutch Christian missionaries in what is now Indonesia, aimed at converting Muslims to Christianity, and so deliberately used the term "Allah" instead of the Malay term "Tuhan" to refer to God.

Is that the answer, then? An attempt at conversion?

Yes, the Christians and Muslims may worship the same God in spite of our differences. You may say that we share the same prophets who were sent down to guide us by the same God, The Author of all our holy scriptures. The word Allah predates Islam, and is therefore not exclusive to Muslims.

So what is the big deal?

We live in a world where people wage wars, burn families and severe heads in the name of religion. What makes every religion addictive to mere mortals like us is the emotional, and spiritual attachment that is unique to every follower which demands a certain amount of faith to follow.

Depending on education and upbringing, it could bring out the best in people but unfortunately also brings out the worst in some. That is religion ― which is why it is a big deal.

If you ask me, I would be more than happy if everyone can accept the fact that we are all descendants of Adam and Eve, that we all share the same God akin to one big happy family instead of eyeing and treating each other with suspicion.

But this is Malaysia, a land where our children eat, play and learn separately. A land where disparities are as clear as day with religion worn on sleeves for all to see.

A land where politicians use race and religion to attract votes and are willing to stoop low for an extra point or two.

To use an Arabic word in the Malay language bible, when it is not the case with the bibles of other languages would seem wrong, unfair, and suspicious to Muslims. For someone who has Christian family members and friends, I will be the first to defend their freedom to practise the religion without interference from anyone.

But this isn't about freedom of worship, or defiling the sanctity of a holy book. Nor is it about the exclusive ownership of the word Allah by Malaysian Muslims.

This is about respecting other religious sensitivities in a multiethnic, multicultural society.

Fighting over a mistake such as this will not be beneficial to Muslims nor Christians and will only allow politicians to put a wedge in and part us further. We need to resolve this amicably and move forward for the sake of our nation, and the future generation.

My suggestion is that the Malay language bibles need not be any more different than the bibles of other languages. Do what has been done elsewhere. There won't be any confusion then.

To you your religion, to me mine (Quran 109:06).

* This is the personal opinion of the writer

Time we stopped rejecting Bahasa Malaysia

Posted: 12 Feb 2013 04:03 PM PST

FEB 13 ― It strikes me as ridiculous that more than 50 years on, Malaysians still can't come to terms with our supposed "national language."

There seems to be no middle ground when it comes to Bahasa Malaysia.

On one side, we have the loudly-shouting camp constantly calling for us to "memartabatkan" Bahasa Malaysia. Then on the other side, we have the people calling Bahasa Malaysia "useless."

Both sides need a time out and, at the same time, a really firm scolding.

Bahasa Malaysia is, like it or not, our national language. It should be part of our identity, the one language that we use to communicate with each other, regardless of racial background.

Instead, we have to live with the knowledge that there are plenty of citizens born and raised in this country who cannot speak our national language. And that is unacceptable. If you are Malaysian, you should be able to speak Bahasa Malaysia.

At the same time, forcing it down our throats is not helpful. Let us be realistic: Linguistic ability is something that varies from person to person. If my fellow citizen speaks pidgin Malay, so be it. We are all most fluent with the language we speak at home and with our diverse makeup; it makes sense that some will speak Bahasa Malaysia better than others.

The status quo cannot stand. The national language champions must ease their rhetoric and the Bahasa Malaysia detractors must accept that, constitutionally, Bahasa Malaysia is our national language and learn to live with it.

There are people who actually refuse to speak Bahasa Malaysia, calling it the "colonist's language."

My answer to that: What is wrong with you?

This is Malaysia's biggest problem — that we are unable to divorce the issue of race from anything we do. Take, for instance, the rejection of Bahasa Malaysia by some people because it is seen not as the national language but as the "language of the Malays."

How are we ever going to move forward as a country if all we do is obsess over the most ridiculous things while using the most infantile reasoning?

You want to be called Malaysian? Then learn to speak Bahasa Malaysia. Let us forget that short period of history when some ninny tried to make us call it Bahasa Melayu instead of Bahasa Malaysia.

All we seem to be doing these days is moving back, regressing into the same old racial or religious rhetoric. The British are gone! There is no more need for divide and conquer!

Malays, get over your inferiority complex. I am looking at you, Perkasa. (Also, when are we going to start ignoring Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad? Someone start a Facebook cause for it, stat.)

Everyone else, learn when to fight and when to compromise.

And I wish everyone would just get on board with this one statement: Becoming skilled at another language or speaking another language better than Bahasa Malaysia does not make you less Malaysian.

Let the Chinese have their Chinese schools. Let the Indians have their Tamil schools. Let the Malays learn and use English without being made fun of or treated as race traitors for learning "Bahasa penjajah." The colonists are gone, replaced by the far more useful tourists.

Instead of this constant fighting and nitpicking, can we not establish a new identity? Malaysia, land of the multilinguists, where everyone can speak at least two languages.

We must learn to find strength and merit in our unique diversity and stop letting the politicians use it to control us. Let us move forward, embrace the national language as well as all the other languages spoken in this funny little country of ours.

And ban that ridiculous "Bahasa Malaysia Jiwa Bangsa" song.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Rabu, 13 Februari 2013