The Malaysian Insider :: Food
The Malaysian Insider :: Food |
| One chef, one ingredient: Gérald Passédat on octopus Posted: 18 Mar 2013 04:19 PM PDT Drink and ride with MyTeksi Paris' first sake salon |
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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Grand slams, not top spot, the lure for Sharapova Posted: 18 Mar 2013 05:33 PM PDT LOS ANGELES, March 19 — Maria Sharapova rose to number two in the rankings yesterday after her impressive title run at the BNP Paribas Open but says she is motivated much more by grand slam glory than the prospect of regaining the top spot. "Number one is a great number," the elegant Russian laughed after demolishing eighth-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki 6-2 6-2 in Sunday's final of the elite WTA event at Indian Wells to land her 28th title on the circuit. "The more consistent you are and the better results that you have and the more wins that you're able to get, the better chances you have of getting that spot. "Is it something that all of us want? Absolutely. It's a 'no-brainer' question. But I think at this point in my career, titles and grand slams are just a bigger priority." Four-times grand slam Sharapova is well accustomed to the allure of being viewed as the game's best player, having become the fifth youngest woman to reach the top of the world rankings, at the age of 18 in 2005. For her to regain that top spot, however, she will have to overhaul American Serena Williams who, when fully fit and on her game, is virtually unbeatable in women's tennis. "Serena was very dominant last year," Sharapova said of Williams, who won Wimbledon, Olympic gold and the US Open as she piled up seven titles in a dazzling 2012 campaign. "She played tremendous, confident tennis. "She's also very strong and very athletic, so you need to be consistent with her. She's also a great frontrunner. You're down a little bit and she goes with it. She's a confidence player." When it comes to head-to-heads between Sharapova and Williams, it is virtually no-contest. The Russian has won only twice in their 13 career meetings, with her most recent victory dating back nine years to the Tour Championship in Los Angeles. Sharapova has been beaten in straight sets by Williams in their past six matches. Musical chairs
"Serena is the most dangerous and she is the favourite at this point when she goes into tournaments because she has the most weapons," former world number one Tracy Austin told Reuters. "She's an extraordinary athlete and I think because she has had some time off in her career, for extended periods where she was either injured or just away from the game, she still has the hunger." Asked whether anyone could get close to Williams when the American was in prime form, Austin replied: "Azarenka gave her a good show at the US Open last year, losing 6-2 2-6 7-5 in the final. "Then we thought Serena was on her game at the Australian Open in January and she lost to Sloane Stephens (in the quarter-finals). So it's certainly possible." Austin, who at 16 became the youngest US Open champion in 1979 before claiming a second US crown in 1981, regards Azarenka and Sharapova as the likeliest challengers to Williams for top spot. "Victoria has really come through," said Austin. "She got mentally tougher, has more belief, got speedier about the court, got better movement and now she has the two grand slams. "She is the most likely challenger right now. And then you have Maria. She is just a great story because she's already won so much and yet the motivation never seems to dissipate. "She just seems to love the challenge of trying to improve as a tennis player and I just admire her so much for that because she clearly has won enough, she clearly has enough money." Austin said she had been hugely impressed by the Russian's fighting spirit after having surgery on her right shoulder in October 2008 before dropping out of the top 100 in the rankings by May of the following year. "After the surgery, I am sure she was concerned whether she was ever going to get that big weapon of a serve back again, as most of us were. "But she just kept on fighting and working and believing in herself, won the French Open last year and got back to number one for a short time. It's a really spectacular story." — Reuters |
| Paternity suit dropped against basketball legend Michael Jordan Posted: 18 Mar 2013 04:16 PM PDT
Pamela Smith, 48, filed a paternity suit against Jordan last month seeking child support. Jordan denies he is the father of the child and has also filed a counterclaim seeking sanctions against Smith for making false claims. Smith acknowledged in a previous divorce proceeding that her now ex-husband is the father of the child, according to Jordan's lawyers. The case has not been settled, Smith's lawyer, Randy Kessler, told Reuters yesterday. His client had voluntarily dismissed the case "without prejudice", which meant she could refile it later if she chose to, Kessler added. "She began this case without an attorney and did her best to file what she believed to be a legally appropriate case," Kessler said. "She then hired our firm just before the first court appearance. Ms. Smith has relied on our advice and determined that dismissal at this time, without prejudice, is in her son's best interests," he said. In a statement, Estee Portnoy, Michael Jordan's spokeswoman, confirmed that the suit had been dropped and said: "There has been no settlement or money paid to Ms. Smith." Jordan, 50, is widely hailed as the best basketball player of all time and was a member of six NBA championship teams with the Chicago Bulls. He is majority owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats team. John Mayoue, Jordan's lawyer, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment on the case. Last week, Smith asked a Georgia court to force Jordan to submit to a DNA test to prove or disprove whether he is the father. "My son has the right to know who his father is," Smith told reporters after the hearing. "He has had an issue with it over the years." — Reuters |
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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| Artist David Hockney ‘devastated’ by assistant’s death Posted: 18 Mar 2013 05:30 PM PDT  Hockney is one of Britain's most influential living artists who was an important contributor to British pop art. – Reuters pic LONDON, March 19 — Police are investigating the death of British artist David Hockney's assistant who was rushed to hospital from his employer's home yesterday and later died in hospital. Humberside police said a 23-year-old man from Hockney's hometown of Bridlington in northeast England died in Scarborough General Hospital after being taken there in serious condition at around 6am yesterday by a friend. Hockney's publicist, Erica Bolton, confirmed that the deceased was 23-year-old Dominic Elliott who had worked as an assistant in the artist's studio in Bridlington and was painted by Hockney on occasion. "He worked for him for over two years and was a hugely valued member of the team," Bolton told Reuters. "David Hockney has been unable to comment. He is really devastated by the news." Bolton was unable to confirm local media reports that it was Hockney's long-term partner who had taken Elliott to hospital after he fell at their house or whether the artist was at home at the time. Police said in a statement that the circumstances of the man's death were not clear and inquiries into the events leading to his death were ongoing. "There were no signs of violence and a post mortem examination is due to take place tomorrow," said a police statement. Tributes were paid to Elliott by the Bridlington rugby club, where he played in the first and second teams. "He will be sadly missed by all the players and Club members," said a statement on the club's website. Hockney, 75, famous for his colourful landscapes and portraits, is one of Britain's most influential living artists who was an important contributor to British pop art. He was born in the northern city of Bradford in 1937 and spent decades in the United States. But he now lives in the seaside town of Bridlington and has spent the last few years painting the landscapes of the East Yorkshire Wolds. A major show of Hockney's landscapes at the Royal Academy last year, titled, "A Bigger Picture", attracted more than 600,000 people. – Reuters |
| ‘Parenthood’, ‘Newsroom’ among Television Academy honourees Posted: 18 Mar 2013 05:03 PM PDT
Joining the two shows were "A Smile as Big as The Moon," "D.L. Hughley: The Endangered List," "Half The Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide," "Hunger Hits Home," "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee" and "One Nation Under Dog: Stories of Fear, Loss & Betrayal." The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences said the winning shows have used television to create positive social change by focusing attention on topics such as women's oppression around the world, childhood hunger in America, the increasing support for special education, honest reporting of news, childhood AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the inhumane treatment of dogs. "Each year we are seeing more and more programs that educate as well as entertain which is exactly what the Television Academy Honours is all about," said Lynn Roth, a co-chair of the academy committee. Last season NBC's "Parenthood" tackled topics such as breast cancer, a wedding, children leaving for college, aging parents, post-traumatic stress disorder, adoption and autism. On "The Newsroom," characters struggle to gather and report the news with integrity while confronting corporate and commercial obstacles and personal complications. Past winners of the honours, which have been awarded since 2008, include "Boston Legal," "The Big C," "Rescue Me," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," "Dr. Oz Show," "Brothers and Sisters" and "Glee". The awards will be presented on May 9 at a ceremony in Los Angeles hosted by actress Dana Delaney. – Reuters |
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The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views
The Malaysian Insider :: Breaking Views |
| Oman court frees 8 activists on bail — lawyer Posted: 18 Mar 2013 08:53 AM PDT MUSCAT, March 18 — Oman's appeal court has freed on bail eight out of 11 jailed demonstrators pending a retrial ordered by the Supreme Court after they staged a hunger strike against their imprisonment, their lawyer said today. The men, convicted of forming an illegal gathering, were jailed last year in a security crackdown after protests in the Gulf Arab sultanate inspired by Arab uprisings elsewhere. They were sentenced to 18 months in prison after being detained at protests over unemployment and corruption. "The supreme court has ordered the appeal court to release on bail the eight activists until a new trial is announced. They are out today," Khalifa al-Hinai, their lawyer, told Reuters. Those freed paid bail of 200 rials (RM1,664) while the three still in prison were awaiting the Supreme Court's orders, Hinai said, adding that no date had been set for the retrial. Oman's Supreme Court on March 4 ordered a retrial after the group went on hunger strike for several days in February to press their case that their imprisonment was unlawful. A higher court had earlier rejected their requests for an appeal. Oman, which sits on the Strait of Hormuz through which some 40 per cent of the world's sea-borne oil exports passes, has sought to placate demonstrators by pledging to create tens of thousands of public sector jobs. But delays in implementing the promises have kept the protests simmering, and some popular anger has been directed against the once-sacrosanct figure of the sultan. — Reuters |
| Snatch thieves caught, set upon by passers-by Posted: 18 Mar 2013 08:41 AM PDT KUALA TERENGGANU, March 18 — It was a double whammy for two suspected snatch thieves when they targeted a handbag belonging to a salesgirl. The duo not only failed to take possession of the woman's handbag but were also on the receiving end of a group of people who overpowered and beat them up in the incident in Jalan Sultan Mahmud here last Saturday. The construction workers who sustained injuries in the face and eyes were handed over to the police. State CID chief ACP K. Manoharan said today that the duo were remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations. He said the youths on a motorcycle had earlier snatched the 27-year-old salesgirl's handbag from her motorcycle basket, in front of the Al-Muktafli Billah Shah mosque about 10pm. At the time, the victim was heading towards her home in Chendering. "Following the incident, the salesgirl panicked and honked many times to attract the attention of the public. A policeman who saw the commotion, chased the snatch thieves in his car. "During the chase, one of the youths threw the handbag in the middle of the road in front of the state stadium here and attempted to flee but the duo were caught and beaten up by a group of onlookers," added Manoharan. — Bernama |
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The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| Nature fans get green fix at Hong Kong flower show Posted: 18 Mar 2013 05:31 AM PDT
Though most residents have no outdoor space for gardening, thousands flock to the annual 10-day event, which started on Friday and covers six football pitches in the central Victoria Park. In contrast to the surrounding apartment and office blocks, the park has been overtaken by cascades of orchids – the show's theme flower – along with tulips and kitsch floral sculptures, from giant ants to pandas and toadstools. Some visitors come just to photograph the lavish displays, but many are picking up plants and gardening equipment. The park is lined with stalls selling seeds, pot plants, compost and garden tools. It's a testament to the fact that, despite Hong Kong's cheek-by-jowl and high-rise lifestyle, its residents crave greenery and are making the most of the limited space they have to grow plants. Queenie Wong, 25, who is studying Chinese medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University, holds a tiny fern in a pot, which she has just bought from one of the stalls. "I don't grow anything at home because I don't have the space. I'll take care of this plant in my university office, which is where I spend most of my time," she says. Like many in Hong Kong, 11-year-old Zoe Shum makes do with a balcony at home for her horticultural ambitions. "I grow bamboos on a balcony, but I wish I had more garden space to grow more things. At school we have lots of plants and they're really pretty," she said. For 30-year-old Amy Tang, the show is a chance for her parents to stock up. "I bring my parents here every year because they like to shop for plants for their balcony – and we like just looking at the flowers," she said. Hong Kong's popular image is of a frenetic commercial hub where making a fast buck trumps all other concerns, but flower show chairman Horace Cheung says its seven million people do enjoy connecting with nature. "We may be a busy, densely populated city but there is increasing awareness of how planting and growing things can enrich the environment and our lives," he told AFP. Small plots for vegetables and flowers, made available to residents as part of the government's community garden scheme, are heavily oversubscribed, says Cheung. "We have to have a ballot for plots every time they come up because of the demand," he said. Residents pay HK$400 (RM159.71) to do a gardening course which includes working on a 2.25 square metre plot for four months. The year 2011-12 saw more than 10,600 participants across 21 gardens, according to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, which also runs the flower show. The event was launched in 1968. Organisers expect around 500,000 visitors at this year's show, which features a series of gardening talks and an information stall to promote sustainable living – another contrast in a city where avid consumption often outpaces environmental concerns. Joseph Leung, an executive director at Hong Kong theme park Ocean Park, is promoting its vibrant stand at the show, which includes edible plants, recycled containers and an aquaponics section on how plants can grow without soil. He believes Hong Kong residents are indeed concerned about their environment and want to simplify their lives. "People are more interested in sustainable living. I think they have got to a point where they are so busy that they want to stop and go back to basics," he said. "When it comes to improving our environment we have to start somewhere – we have to start at home." – AFP/Relaxnews |
| Documenting Malaysia’s path to a neo-liberal utopia? Posted: 17 Mar 2013 11:37 PM PDT
This enabled the British to create an inherently factionalised politics in which racial groupings could be pitted against each other. This racial and ethnic orientation was so deeply entrenched that it persisted even after Malaysia became independent in 1957. To this day, the party that has ruled Malaysia since independence — now called Barisan Nasional — consists of three sub-parties purportedly representing the Malay, the Chinese and the Indian communities. A political system organised along racial and ethnic lines is of course deeply debilitating. The initial spirit of co-operation that accompanies the euphoria of independence weakens as the euphoria subsides, and it becomes increasingly difficult to surmount the particular interests of the different communities, except through the rhetoric of a certain kind of nationalism. However, this rhetoric is relatively easy to see through, since it rests on the shaky but unstated assumption that under the umbrella of "one nation" as in 1 Malaysia, the interests of the dominant community can be presented in the form of the universal, that is, in ways that can be shared by the other communities (or at any rate be rendered acceptable to their elites, who had of course by this time been thoroughly incorporated into the national ruling elite dominated by Umno, the Malay party). Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's prime minister for 22 years, gave this racially-based politics a novel and decisive twist, by bringing about a convergence between it and the neo-liberal economic paradigm that had started to prevail since Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan came to power in the 1970s to 1980s. The outcome is that the Malaysian economy was pushed from its peripheral status along the road towards a more advanced semi-peripheralisation, as it was opened to metropolitan finance and to the supply chains spreading rapidly outwards from the expanding Chinese economy. The upshot of these developments was impressive in many ways. Malaysia became an "East Asian tiger", as massive infrastructural projects were implemented and production zones set up. But there were significant drawbacks: the fruits of prosperity were not distributed evenly, environmental despoliation became an increasing problem that the government made little or no attempt to redress, and the haphazard urbanisation so characteristic of the move towards semi-peripheralisation became evident as people flocked from the countryside to the prosperous Kuala Lumpur (KL), with its huge traffic gridlock, atmospheric pollution, housing scarcities and pockets of exacerbated poverty. This is the context for this excellent documentary — M-C-M': Utopia Milik Siapa? — on Malaysia's distressed and distressing housing situation. Boon Kia Meng, its director, belongs to a new and emerging political constellation that is starting to take root amongst younger Malaysians, especially those who are urban and well-educated. This constellation is post-racial, and encompasses members of all the ethnic communities. Its modus operandi is the alliance, bringing together environmentalists, advocates of gender and sexual equality, anti-capitalists, anti-poverty campaigners, human rights groups, workers' rights activists, campaigners for affordable housing, and so on, all clustered round the notion that the prevailing political order has failed ordinary Malaysians, whilst of course conferring immense privileges on a small elite. As yet, this new politics, like the Occupy Movement (with which it has notable affinities), eschews any participation in the official politics of representation. This official politics, as in the US and UK, is deeply marked by corruption and its allied nepotistic networks. The Malaysian political order has, and will, certainly not open itself to an alternative social-movement politics of this kind, in this way paralleling the heavy-fisted approach of Western governments towards their Occupy movements, which were infiltrated by their secret services and brutalised by paramilitary units at nearly every turn, all in the name of "national security". Now to the film itself.
KL adheres to the basic pattern of the new Asian city (to use the title of a book by my Korean-Australian former doctoral student Jini Kim Watson), namely, exponential horizontal and vertical surface expansion, an exploding population, a city government that is out of its depth more often than not, a typically choked traffic system with the ensuing pollution, stresses on health and social service systems, the palpable co-existence of conspicuous consumption with abject poverty, escalating land and property values, and the inevitable shortages of affordable housing. Boon's film concentrates on the latter two features of the "new" KL. The film uses standard documentary techniques, done to near perfection. There are interviews with those on the receiving end as it were, typically young professionals who were initially hopeful but who were subsequently disillusioned as it dawned on them that the totally unaffordable housing market was going to price them out. There are interviews with those who keep the system going (real estate sellers, mortgage brokers), some of whom had clearly swallowed the deceptive logic behind the whole wretched system — a logic that to those who do not benefit from it seems little better than a form of racketeering. There are snippets from the inevitable TV adverts puffing up the utopia of individual home ownership, as well as the self-congratulatory speeches of banking CEOs who report on yet another year of record profits, derived in large part from their home-loan activities. But the overall effect, conveyed by the neutral sounding voice-over, is stark, and the unfolding narrative is cumulative and inexorable. Boon's film focuses on the following crux, expounded with a vigorous eloquence by the surveyor Dr Ernest Cheong: If the majority of young Malaysians (i.e. those most in need of housing) earn RM5,000 or less, and the typical property developer in search of the maximum profit is only interested in building "high end" properties that can be sold at RM700,000 or more, then how can someone who earns RM5,000 (and who therefore only qualifies for a housing loan of RM150,000) be able to afford something vastly beyond their price range? Two possible answers are likely: The hapless young Malaysian earning RM5,000 or less and working in KL either lives in an overpriced rabbit-hutch in a central location, or else moves to Rawang and Nilai (where in bygone days members of my family were rubber planters in estates that have long since disappeared), or even further to Seremban, in order to buy something reasonably decent they can afford. But they then have to spend RM20 or more a day commuting to their workplace in the centre of KL. Some choice! The film shows us that there is so far no solution in sight for this predicament. The private sector is only interested in the maximisation of profit, and the government, still wedded to neo-liberalism, is not unhappy to accommodate this state of affairs, and thus shows no interest in facilitating the construction of affordable low-cost housing. The film begins with M-C-M', and after providing a compelling account of Malaysia's housing situation, it concludes with just that… M-C-M'. (M-C-M': Utopia Milik Siapa? can now be viewed for free on Youtube. Click here.) Kenneth Surin is Professor of Religion and Critical Theory at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA. He teaches philosophy, critical theory, and international political economy. |
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The Malaysian Insider :: Books
The Malaysian Insider :: Books |
| Fountainhead of Jihad: The Haqqani Nexus 1973-2012 Posted: 18 Mar 2013 08:37 AM PDT 'I told you so' |
| Posted: 17 Mar 2013 05:31 PM PDT 'I told you so' |
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The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa
The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa |
| Usahawan Melayu jangan terlalu bergantung kepada status ‘Bumiputera’ — Rafidah Aziz Posted: 18 Mar 2013 04:50 AM PDT PETALING JAYA, 18 Mac — Usahawan Melayu tidak seharusnya bergantung kepada status Bumiputera dalam dunia perniagaan yang kompetitif, kata bekas Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz (gambar).
"Kalau kita katakan kita ini seorang usahawan Bumiputera, itu kita sudah silap. Seharusnya kita perlu meletakkan diri kita sebagai seorang usahawan kerana pasaran luar adalah pasaran neutral dan tidak mengenal bangsa, jantina dan agama. "Oleh itu, usahawan perlu menggunakan FTA sebagai peluang meluaskan perniagaan, bukan sebagai penghalang," kata Rafidah dalam seminar "Inovasi dan Transformasi PKS Menuju Pasaran Global", di sini, hari ini. Rafidah juga menegaskan para usahawan haruslah mengkaji kehendak semasa pasaran, di samping memahami demografi dan kebudayaan pasaran di luar. "Terdapat banyak isu-isu yang kini diberi tekanan oleh masyarakat, seperti isu alam sekitar, hak pekerja, ketelusan urusniaga, dan hak pengguna, usahawan kita perlu bersedia menangani isu-isu ini sebelum menceburi perniagaan di luar negara," kata Rafidah lagi. Beliau juga menegur sikap sesetengah golongan usahawan yang tidak memberikan penekanan terhadap kualiti selepas mendapat persijilan kualiti antarabangsa (ISO), dan berkata ia seharusnya diberi penilaian secara kerap bagi melihat kualiti produk yang baik sebelum dipasarkan. "Kadang-kadang usahawan kita yang mengeksport ini leka dengan perkara sebegini, menyebabkan nama baik negara kita tercemar kerana mengeksport produk-produk yang tidak bermutu tinggi, kita harus jaga kualiti, bukan sahaja untuk perniagaan kita tapi nama negara secara keseluruhan," katanya lagi. Beliau juga memuji langkah SME Corp yang banyak membantu golongan usahawan memajukan industri kecil dan sederhana di negara ini, dan mengatakan terdapat peningkatan dari segi kualiti dan kuantiti eksport pasaran sejak penglibatan SME Corp. Rafidah merupakan bekas Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri semenjak 1987 sehingga 2008, selepas menang tipis dalam pilihan raya 2008 di kawasan parlimennya di Kuala Kangsar. |
| PM luang masa dengan pemimpin gereja menjelang pilihan raya Posted: 18 Mar 2013 04:38 AM PDT
Demografi penganut Kristian terdiri kurang 10 peratus daripada 28 juta keseluruhan penduduk Malaysia tetapi dilihat sebagai kumpulan pengundi yang berpengaruh kerana paling lantang mempertahankan hak bukan Islam ditengah-tengah kontroversi kalimah "Allah". The Malaysian Insider difahamkan jamuan teh tersebut dijadualkan 4 petang ini, ia dianjurkan Jabatan Perdana Menteri dan pertubuhan belia Kristian kebangsaan yang telah dirancang sejak dua minggu lalu. Namun beberapa paderi berkata mereka hanya menerima jemputan 11 jam sebelum jamuan tersebut dan tidak akan menghadirinya. "Sebenarnya, saya hanya terima jemputan dua jam lalu. Saya tidak rasa akan hadirnya," kata pemimpin gereja Sabah kepada The Malaysian Insider dalam satu pesanan ringkas selepas dihubungi tengahari tadi. Pemimpin gereja Protestan berkata beliau dalam satu mesyuarat. Seorang lagi paderi berkata beliau menerima jemputan menerusi Pos Laju pada Jumaat lalu, tetapi juga memberitahu tidak akan menghadirinya tanpa memberikan sebarang alasan. Kontroversi tercetus pada 2011 apabila penghantaran Alkitab, kitab Injil dalam bahasa Melayu kepada Bumiputera Kristian yang menggunakan Bahasa Melayu telah disekat atau dirampas di pelabuhan, sebelum kerajaan akhirnya tunduk kepada tekanan dan membebaskannya. Perselisihan di antara majoriti Melayu-Islam yang membentuk 60 peratus dari 28 juta rakyat Malaysia dan minoriti Kristian berlaku pada awal 2010 walaupun Mahkamah Tinggi pada 2009 membenarkan Gereja Katolik mempunyai hak untuk memanggil tuhan mereka sebagai "Allah". Kumpulan Buddha turut menyeru Jabatan Perpaduan dan Intergrasi Nasional, di bawah Jabatan Perdana Menteri untuk menyelesaikan masalah kalimah "Allah" ini. Jadual Najib padat bagi dua tempoh minggu ini di mana perdana menteri akan bertemu dengan rakyat di seluruh negara sebelum membubarkan Parlimen pada hujung Mac ini untuk memberi laluan pilihan raya umum dijalankan pada pertengahan April. Najib juga telah menjelajah ke seluruh negara untuk program TV3 Jelajah Janji Di Tepati sepanjang tahun selain dari lawatan ke tempat popular Malaysia dalam usaha untuk melibatkan diri dengan pelbagai demografi rakyat Malaysia. Beliau juga telah mengumumkan beberapa inisiatif ekonomi dan undang-undang termasuk pemberian kepada orang ramai dengan yang terbaru adalah menyetarakan gaji anggota polis dan tentera dan peningkatan gaji untuk penjawat awam lain semalam. Pengerusi BN telah menangguhkan beberapa acara beberapa minggu lalu akibat daripada pencerobohan pemberontak bersenjata Sulu yang menuntut Sabah akan tetapi acara kembali pulih seminggu selepas itu. Semalam Najib telah menghadiri program One Million Purple Walk anjuran Kementerian Wanita dan Pembangunan Masyarakat. Hari ini Najib akan melancarkan kad laporan tahunan untuk Program Transformasi Ekonomi (ETP) dan Program Transformasi Kerajaan (GTP) yang beliau perkenalkan selepas menjadi orang nombor satu negara pada April 2009. Perdana menteri kemudiannya dijadualkan akan menghadiri perhimpunan Polis Di Raja Malaysia (PDRM) pada 22 Mac sebelum menghadiri program Janji Di Tepati di kawasan parlimennya Pekan pada 23 Mac. Jadual terakhirnya untuk program awam pada bulan ini setakat ini adalah perlumbaan F1 Petronas Malaysia di Sepang pada 24 Mac, apabila cuti sekolah penggal pertama bermula. |
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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion
The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion |
| Posted: 17 Mar 2013 04:38 PM PDT
18 MAC — Mata saya terbeliak memandang foto dua pensyarah Kolej Siru Kambam yang ditunjukkan oleh Puan Parameswari. Sesungguhnya saya amat mengenali mereka bedua. "Mereka?" Saya bertanya sambil memandang wanita berumur 55 tahun itu dengan kening berkerut. "Adik tidak percaya?" Lidah saya kelu. Saya datang bertemu guru Bahasa Tamil ini untuk mendapatkan maklumat asas mengenai Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) Ladang Siru Kambam bagi tujuan tugasan kolej. Beliau pula memberikan pelbagai maklumat berserta bukti yang menggemparkan serta sukar dipercayai. "Mereka berdua adalah pensyarah saya," saya berkata akhirnya. Parameswari tidak pula terkejut mendengar jawapan saya. Beliau hanya tersenyum kecil. "Ya, saya sudah mengagak." "Maksud puan?"
Saya semakin keliru. Kedua-kedua pensyarah itulah yang menyuruh saya mengumpul maklumat mengenai SJKT Siru Kambam bagi tujuan tugasan. Mengapa pula mereka berbuat begitu jika mereka terlibat sama dalam konspirasi seperti dikatakan oleh wanita ini? "Saya percaya bahawa adik hanya mengenali mereka berdua sebagai pensyarah. Akan tetapi, saya mengenali mereka sejak mereka masih menjadi mahasiswa universiti." Sambil berkata begitu, Parameswari meletakkan dua fail kertas yang agak tebal di atas meja. Nama "Kumara" dan "Krishna" tertera pada kulit hadapan fail. Saya membelek-belek beberapa halaman kandungan kedua-dua fail berkenaan. Saya tidak pasti dari mana dan bagaimana Parameswari berjaya memperoleh pelbagai dokumen, surat dan memo sulit serta peribadi antara kedua-dua pensyarah berkenaan dengan sebuah organisasi yang secara terang-terangan sedang berusaha menghapuskan sekolah-sekolah Tamil di Malaysia. "Saya pernah mengemukakan bahan-bahan bukti ini berserta tulisan berupa komentar ke beberapa akhbar dan majalah Tamil sejak tahun 1996. Akan tetapi, kesemuanya dibakul sampahkan. Mungkin kerana tulisan saya mendedahkan kepincangan dan konspirasi melibatkan pelbagai pihak. Mujurlah saya masih simpan salinan setiap tulisan itu," guru itu menjelaskan sementara saya meneliti kandungan fail. Segala maklumat, dokumen, keratan akhbar dan foto yang tersaji di hadapan mata membuatkan saya kaku seketika. Minda saya berusaha mencerna sebanyak mungkin fakta yang sukar dipercayai. Konspirasi terancang oleh tokoh kaum India sendiri untuk menghapuskan sekolah Tamil? "Tapi bukankah Encik Kumara dan Encik Krishna dikenali sebagai tokoh yang sangat mencintai budaya India dan bahasa Tamil? Masakan mereka tergamak berbuat seperti apa yang puan katakan … seperti apa yang puan tunjukkan menerusi bukti-bukti di dalam fail ini?" Wanita itu tidak segera menjawab. Wajahnya sayu seketika. Bagaikan ada sesuatu yang mahu diceritakan tetapi tidak mampu diluahkan menerusi kata-kata. "Seks, wang, kedudukan dan jawatan adalah antara perkara yang mampu melemahkan manusia yang kurang keimanan dan integriti. Sewaktu Kumara dan Krishna menjadi mahasiswa, mereka menghadapi masalah kewangan. Pada waktu itulah mereka dihubungi wakil sebuah organisasi yang menawarkan untuk menanggung sepenuhnya kos pengajian mereka hingga ke peringkat kedoktoran." Mulut saya terlopong tanpa saya sedari. Kedua-dua pensyarah berkenaan sedang dalam proses menyiapkan tesis kedoktoran. Maknanya, mereka masih ditaja pertubuhan tersebut? "Saya percaya bahawa mereka menghantar adik bertemu saya dengan tujuan mahu mengetahui berapa banyak maklumat yang saya tahu dan masih simpan mengenai operasi mereka. Mereka tidak berani berdepan dengan saya kerana takut pada bahan-bahan bukti yang ada di tangan saya," katanya. Kalau begitu, mengapa guru ini sedia mendedahkan begitu banyak maklumat kepada saya? "Saya percaya pada kuasa Tuhan. Walaupun mungkin benar bahawa Kumara dan Krishna menghantar adik untuk bertemu saya bagi mengorek rahsia, saya sedar bahawa adik bukan sebahagian daripada kumpulan mereka. Saya dapat merasakan kemurnian dalam jiwa dan roh adik. Sebab itulah saya tidak keberatan untuk mendedahkan begitu banyak perkara," wanita itu menjawab bagaikan mampu membaca apa yang bermain dalam fikiran saya. Saya segera menutup kedua-dua fail. Agak bimbang juga memikirkan kemungkinan saya terjerumus dalam sesawang konspirasi seperti yang diceritakan oleh Parameswari. Jika segala apa yang beliau ceritakan adalah benar, entah apa yang mampu dilakukan oleh organisasi yang menaja kedua-dua pensyarah saya. "Saya sudah pening." Saya memegang kepala dengan kedua-dua tangan. "SJKT Ladang Siru Kambam terletak di bawah tabung amanah Kuil Sivaperuman. Jawatankuasa itu pula ada kaitan rapat dengan Pertubuhan Politik India (PPI) cawangan Siru Kambam. PPI sentiasa memperjuangkan bahasa Tamil, budaya Tamil dan segala apa yang berkaitan dengan Tamil. Jadi, mana mungkin PPI, pihak kuil dan pensyarah saya terlibat dalam konspirasi menutup sekolah Tamil dan menjual tanah itu?" Parameswari tidak segera menjawab. Wanita itu juga ternyata tidak marah mahu pun terkejut dengan pandangan yang saya kemukakan. Sebaliknya beliau membuka sebuah fail lain dan mengeluarkan kembali foto Presiden PPI bersama seorang wanita jelita. "Wanita seksi ini adalah salah seorang aktivis dalam organisasi ini," katanya sambil jari telunjuk menuding salinan kepala surat pertubuhan yang dimaksudkan. "Hasil pujukan serta habuan seks, Presiden PPI sudah menukar hak milik Dewan Besar Siru Kambam kepada wanita ini. Adik tahu di mana letaknya dewan itu?" Saya menggeleng. Saya pernah membaca mengenai dewan itu dalam buku "Unknown Facts About Little Known Siru Kambam" tetapi tidak pernah berpeluang melihatnya walaupun belajar di Kolej Siru Kambam sejak dua tahun lalu. "Dewan Besar Siru Kambam sudah bertukar menjadi pejabat cawangan organisasi ini," katanya sementara tangan kanan menepuk-nepuk kepala surat tadi. Oh! Rupa-rupanya bangunan pejabat itulah dahulu merupakan Dewan Besar Siru Kambam. Encik Krishna dan Encik Kumara selalu juga mengajak saya menyertai perjumpaan dan aktiviti organisasi tersebut pada hujung minggu. Menurut mereka, saya boleh mendapatkan bekalan beras, gula, kacang hijau, air mineral dan sebagainya secara percuma jika menjadi ahli. "Mengapa puan menceritakan semua ini kepada saya? Tentu sahaja saya tidak boleh memasukkan pendedahan ini dalam tugasan yang perlu ditulis." Sambil berkata begitu, saya berfikir: Matilah saya kalau Encik Kumara dan Encik Krishna tahu bahawa saya sudah tahu mengenai perancangan licik mereka! Atau mungkinkah itu rancangan sebenar mereka? Supaya saya tahu kisah sebenar? "Mengapa saya menceritakan semua ini kepada adik?" Parameswari bertanya kembali sambil tersenyum. "Bukankah adik sendiri yang datang bertemu saya untuk mendapatkan maklumat mengenai SJKT Ladang Siru Kambam?" Saya memandang wajah wanita itu; mengharapkan jawapan yang lebih tulus. "Saya sudah berjuang secara sendirian sejak 1996. Sebelum sesuatu yang buruk berlaku terhadap saya, elok saya ceritakan kepada orang." Lalu saya memutuskan untuk menceritakan pula kisah ini kepada anda sebelum sesuatu berlaku ke atas saya. Seperti yang sudah berlaku ke atas Parameswari. * Uthaya Sankar SB menulis faksyen ini hasil perbualan bersama seorang pengkaji dan penyelidik yang berwibawa. * Ini adalah pandangan peribadi penulis. |
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