KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — The perfect appetiser subtly leads you towards the star of the meal — the main course.But when bruschetta — pronounced "bru-sket-ta" — is the choice of appetizer, I'm really not ... Read More
KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — That newspaper clipping is still there. I snapped a photo of it on impulse. Melody was tickled by that, as was the manageress of the place.What memories.We have been to a number ... Read More
KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — The perfect appetiser subtly leads you towards the star of the meal — the main course.But when bruschetta — pronounced "bru-sket-ta" — is the choice of appetizer, I'm really not ... Read More
KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — That newspaper clipping is still there. I snapped a photo of it on impulse. Melody was tickled by that, as was the manageress of the place.What memories.We have been to a number ... Read More
BERLIN, April 22 — Embattled Bayern Munich boss Uli Hoeness has refused to comment on an ongoing tax evasion probe involving a Swiss bank account but plans to defend himself against what he said were "excesses in some media coverage" of the high-profile case.
Bayern Munich's press officer Markus Hoerwick announces that the club refuses to comment on Uli Hoeness' tax evasion probe before a news conference about the Champions League first leg semi-final soccer match in Munich April 22, 2013. — Reuters picA day before the newly crowned Bundesliga champions take on Barcelona in the first leg of a Champions League semi-final, Hoeness told the Munich Merkur newspaper today that he would let the dust settle before discussing the issue.
"I will let a few weeks go by before I say anything," he told the local newspaper. "But I will legally defend myself against the excesses in some media coverage. It will be really expensive for them."
The outspoken and passionate Bayern president is under investigation for tax evasion after he filed a complaint against himself in relation to a Swiss bank account and then went public with it on Saturday.
The prosecutor's office in Munich confirmed the probe which has made the front pages in the media across the country for the past two days and triggered mixed reactions from politicians across all major parties.
There were no official details on the amounts involved, although authorities tend to offer some leniency in cases where individuals file a complaint against themselves over tax evasion.
Hoeness, former European champion and World Cup winner with West Germany, is the public face of one of the world's richest clubs, having served as a successful player, general manager for 30 years and then club president since 2009. — Reuters
Roberta Vinci of Italy returns a shot to Jelena Jankovic of Serbia in their women's singles quarter-final match at the Sony Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida March 27, 2013. — Reuters picPALERMO, April 22 — Roberta Vinci sent Italy into the Fed Cup final for the fifth time in eight years with a 6-3 6-7 6-3 victory over Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova in Palermo today.
The match was held over because of rain on Sunday.
Italy, winners of the trophy in 2009 and 2010, now have an unassailable 3-1 lead over the twice defending champions with one rubber remaining.
The Italians face Russia in the final in November after they came back from 2-0 down to beat Slovakia 3-2 in Moscow on Sunday. — Reuters
Crossrope.NEW YORK, April 22 — While you don't have to spend a fortune to create a home gym, there's plenty of good reason to do so — convenience, you'll save money on gym fees, and studies show that people with home fitness equipment are more likely to start exercising.
But while treadmills and other cardio equipment can soon collect dust, experts recommend a variety of workout options to keep you engaged. When getting started, focus on a few key ingredients for a complete workout — cardio, strength, and a few extras. Here are options suited to just about any budget.
Jumping rope can torch calories as well as running. Even better, weighted ropes can increase heart rate while toning your arms. Try the Reebok Adjustable Speed Jump Rope (US$34/RM103), or for a higher end option, Crossrope, an interchangeable cable and weighted handle jump rope. Cables start at 54g with the heaviest weight coming in at 1.36 kg, and you can switch out cables in a quick clip-out, clip-in motion. Price is US$140, with a mini-set with two cables selling for US$50.
If you prefer cycling, transform your bike into an indoor cardio machine by hooking it up to the CycleOps Magneto bike trainer, which even provides progression resistance (US$280).
For a high-intensity strength and cardio routine, grab a kettlebell. GoFit offers a 10-pound kettlebell with a beginner DVD (US$35). Or try rubber resistance bands and tubes, which can target problem areas such as hips and inner thighs. Check out Braided Xertubes (US$30).
Train with TRX: One of the hottest fitness trends of the moment, this suspension trainer attaches to a door and allows for more than 300 exercises (US$200, includes guide and DVD).
Train your abs with a stability ball, which helps activate ab and back muscles. With the TrainerBall, the moves are printed right on the ball (US$30).
If you're hankering for group classes, you can sign up online and stream live classes at home. Try Mary Helen Bower's Ballet Beautiful (US$35 a class or US$280 for a month of unlimited classes) or Flirty Girl Fitness Live for bootcamp, boxing, sculpting and Pilates classes for US$10 a week of unlimited classes. Other options include EMG Live Fitness, which offers Piloxing, barre, and bootcamp classes, as well as Yogalo, which streams live yoga classes from top-rate instructors. — AFP/Relaxnews
The crowd cheers as Singapore's former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew (centre) arrives for the annual National Day Parade celebrations in Singapore in this August 9, 2012 file photo. — Reuters picSINGAPORE, April 22 — They crammed into an art cafe in Singapore and pulled no punches, deriding authoritarian officials who ruled with an "iron fist" and complaining that government ministers with million-dollar salaries were out of touch.
One woman, a middle-aged professional, got nods of agreement when she said modern Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, had done great things but that new ways were needed from current leaders still practising a "do-as-I-say style of parenting".
Singapore remains regimented but the unusually frank criticism at the recent gathering, part of a government-run national "conversation" about the city state's future, reflects the reality that this is no longer the era of Lee Kuan Yew.
LKY, as he is widely known, built the tiny Southeast Asian island into one of the world's wealthiest nations with a strong, pervasive role by the state and no patience for dissent.
Now 89 and in declining health, LKY has receded from the public and political scene, leaving the government of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, his elder son, to deal with economic and social challenges roiling the country of 5.3 million people.
"The time has come for a younger generation to carry Singapore forward in a more difficult and complex situation," LKY said in 2011 as he resigned from the cabinet after the ruling party suffered its worst election result in history.
Saying they feel inundated by foreign workers and priced out of their own homeland, Singaporeans are angry. And with the hugely respected figure of LKY retired from the political stage, they are no longer hesitant to show it.
In online chatrooms, letters to state-linked newspapers and at the "Our Singapore Conversation" sessions, they are pressing for answers from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) which is doing more to listen but struggling with how to change after five decades in power.
Despite the new climate of open criticism, there is still some trepidation about speaking out in front of journalists. At the recent "conversation" session, the organisers asked Reuters not to identify the participants so they could talk freely without being intimidated by the presence of a foreign reporter.
Lee Kuan Yew is now 89 and in declining health. — Reuters pic
LKY's long-standing openness to foreign workers clashes with the current mood and detractors decry his paternalistic and stern ways, including defamation lawsuits against critics.
But his legacy as Singapore's first prime minister for 31 years and then advisor emeritus is not in doubt.
Last August, rumours spread that LKY was gravely ill or had died. When he disproved the chatter by appearing at the National Day parade, the flag-waving crowd erupted into cheers.
In February, he was hospitalised when an irregular heartbeat interrupted the flow of blood to his brain. But he turned up at a forum a month later and took the stage with Paul Volcker, the former chairman of the US Federal Reserve.
Replying to questions about US-China relations, Europe's woes and Asia's future, LKY showed his intellect remains intact and powerful. But his speech was slow and sometimes difficult to understand. Many of his answers were short and trailed off.
Volcker prompted nervous laughter from the crowd when he said: "Singapore is going to have to adjust to Lee Kuan Yew at some point not being the guide."
'Vested in the system'
That adjustment is already happening, senior officials say, with LKY leaving the current leaders to set policies without him pulling the strings. The pace of change is the big question.
Hit by voter discontent in 2011 and again in a by-election in January, the PAP must walk a fine line in pacifying the public's concerns without abandoning policies that have created a financial powerhouse where stability and an ease of doing business are magnets for investors and multinational companies.
People walk past miniature resin figurines of Singapore's former prime minister along a shopping street in Singapore in this April 20, 2013 file photo. — Reuters pic
"We have to work in a more open way. We have to accept more of the untidiness and the to-ing and fro-ing, which is part of normal politics," Prime Minister Lee told the Washington Post.
"It is a major change, of course, which we hope we will be able to navigate safely over a period of time and not suddenly."
While the PAP's majority in parliament has shrunk to 80 of 87 elected seats, few expect the opposition to prevail in the next election in 2016. But as the PAP charts the way ahead, there are internal differences over what approach to take, senior officials say.
Some of those divisions were on display in parliament in February over a government document that envisioned the population swelling by as much as 30 percent by 2030, largely due to more foreigners, to maintain economic growth.
"I have very serious reservations about the white paper," PAP member Tin Pei Ling said during the five-day debate.
Inderjit Singh, also from the PAP, said: "Our past decade of rapid population growth has already created too many problems which need to be solved first before we take the next step."
During LKY's time, it was very rare for PAP politicians and civil servants to publicly voice any difference of opinion. But the new scope for dissent extends only so far.
In the end, no PAP member voted against the white paper and it passed by a 77-13 margin. Singh was not present for the vote.
Despite the unusually heated debate, the outcome illustrates why speculation may be overblown about a split in the ruling party or major shifts in policy when LKY is no longer around.
"They still have this pretty much authoritarian kind of mindset," said Kumaran Pillai, a businessman and former chief editor of The Online Citizen, a popular public affairs website.
"I don't think the split would happen so soon. The main reason is a lot of PAP cadre members, grassroots members and the elite are vested in the system and they aren't going to let it fall apart just because Lee Kuan Yew has passed away."
LKY showed his intellect remains intact and powerful but his speech was slow and sometimes difficult to understand when he spoke at a political and business discussion forum in March. — Reuters pic
'More opposition voices'
The government has taken steps to restrict immigration, cool the property market, build up infrastructure and broaden social safety nets. But it did itself no favours with the population white paper which sent public anger into overdrive and, for many, reaffirmed the PAP's reputation for prescriptive policies.
"I just want more opposition voices," said Brendan Mok, a university student with a dragon tattoo on his arm. "At the same time, I don't feel the opposition is solid enough for anything that could deliver positive change. But we do want more debate."
Mok and his friend Ron Ho, who both voted for the opposition in 2011, said the priority was to narrow income inequalities and address concerns about housing, good jobs and living costs.
"A lot of Singaporeans aren't happy and one of the reasons is because there's a lot of status anxiety here," said Ho.
With the PAP under pressure to listen, the year-old "Our Singapore Conversation" is assuming greater resonance.
In a Singaporean twist, the dialogue about the role of the state is organised by the government at venues such as The Connoisseur Concerto, a boutique cafe where about 50 people from diverse backgrounds recently gathered.
Crowded around low tables, they tucked into a buffet dinner and then engaged in a feisty chat about the PAP listening but not really changing and about well-paid officials being out of touch with anxiety over public transport and home prices.
"They don't take the train, they don't take taxis, they don't live in HDBs," said one woman, referring to the state-built Housing & Development Board apartments where most Singaporeans live. "So how do they know?"
Lee Kuan Yew, who continues to espouse the need for immigrants and scolds Singaporeans for not having enough babies, is also seen as out of touch as citizens challenge the government's top-down approach and demand their voices be heard.
With characteristic bluntness, he summed up his own legacy in the book "Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going" published in 2011, just before the election that led to his retirement.
"It's irrelevant to me what young Singaporeans think of me," he said. "I've lived long enough to know that you may be idealised in life and reviled after you're dead." — Reuters
Australian actress-singer Chrissy Amphlett performs as Judy Garland during a photo call for the musical "The Boy from Oz" in Sydney, in this August 2, 2006 file picture. — Reuters picCANBERRA, April 22 — Rock singer Chrissy Amphlett, who fronted the Australian group the Divinyls best known for the worldwide hit "I Touch Myself", has died in New York at the age of 53 after battling breast cancer and multiple sclerosis.
Her husband and former Divinyls drummer Charley Drayton said Amphlett died in her sleep, surrounded by close friends and family.
"Chrissy's light burns so very brightly," Drayton said in a statement posted on the Australian Recording Industry Association's (ARIA) website.
"Hers was a life of passion and creativity; she always lived it to the fullest. With her force of character and vocal strength she paved the way for strong, sexy, outspoken women."
Amphlett, who founded the Divinyls in 1980 in Sydney, was best known for her performances as a pouting, brash singer in her signature school uniform with fishnet stockings.
The Divinyls recorded five studio albums between 1982 and 1996 when they split up. The 1991 hit "I Touch Myself" the band's biggest hit, climbing the charts in both Britain and the United States as well as Australia.
Last month Amphlett was named as one of Australia's top 10 singers of all time.
"Chrissy expressed hope that her worldwide hit "I Touch Myself" would be utilized to remind all women to perform annual breast examinations," said Drayton.
Amphlett also acted on stage and in film, and starred alongside Oscar winner Russell Crowe in the Australian production of the musical "Blood Brothers" in 1988, playing the mother of Crowe's character.
In 2007, Amphlett said she had multiple sclerosis (MS) and in 2010 announced she was also fighting breast cancer.
"Unfortunately the last 18 months have been a real challenge for me, having breast cancer and MS and all the new places that will take you," she wrote on Facebook in March 2012.
"My illnesses have really exhausted this little body of mine that I have thrown from one end of a stage to another and performed thousands of shows."
Crowe led the tributes to Amphlett on Twitter.
"Dear Chrissie, the last time I saw you was in the Botanic Gardens, loving life and reciting verse. That's how I'll remember you, your boy, R," wrote Crowe. — Reuters
LOS ANGELES, April 22 — French electro act Daft Punk has broken Spotify records with latest track "Get Lucky," taken from the forthcoming album "Random Access Memories."
The duo broke records on the freemium music streaming service when "Get Lucky" became the most streamed single track in a single day in both the UK and US when it was released on Friday.
While Spotify has not yet revealed the exact number of streams the track registered, or as-of-yet published a press release, several news agencies including Sky are reporting the electro outfit's record-breaking achievements.
BBC News reports that Spotify's Director of Label Relations, Will Hope, stated, "We expect the album to become one of the biggest, if not the biggest, on Spotify this year."
Daft Punk's highly anticipated forthcoming album, "Random Access Memories," drops on May 20/21 (UK/USA). But prior to the album's release Daft Punk will play its new album for the first time for a select crowd of 4,000 people in the small Australian town of Wee Waa at the town's agricultural show on May 17. — AFP/Relaxnews
A geology graduate turned writer, Khairie Hisyam Aliman enjoys stating the obvious... occasionally in writing. He is still figuring out how to write a proper bio of himself.
APRIL 22 — People who know me know that I think about death a lot in a preparing-for-afterlife way. So it was welcome news that Google announced the Inactive Account Manager feature recently. Or as Contextly founder Ryan Singel called it in his tweet, "Google Death Manager."
In a nutshell, the feature allows you to dictate what happens to your Google accounts — which includes Gmail, Drive, Blogger and other Google services — after a certain period of inactivity that signals death, ranging from three, six, nine and 12 months. One option is to have all data deleted. Another option is you can also instruct Google to send data from some or all the Google services you've engaged to specified contacts.
"We hope that this new feature will enable you to plan your digital afterlife — in a way that protects your privacy and security — and make life easier for your loved ones after you're gone," wrote product manager Andreas Tuerk.
Our digital lives and what happens to them after our physical deaths is a subject that fascinates me. Not everyone gets the chance to get things in order before passing away. Accidents and other misfortunes often have other ideas — never mind social media and online things, some people never even get the chance to say goodbye to loved ones.
With that in mind, let's remember that a lot of people, like me, have exclusive access to their social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter and email. The login names and passwords are all in our heads, and we often use different login names and passwords for different things for security.
So it happens a lot that when people die, their online things become "frozen" in time, inaccessible to their loved ones yet enduring as a (sometimes painful) reminder that their owners once roamed the Net.
Our statuses, written thoughts and photos remain as snapshots of who we were. Plenty of things on the Internet unfortunately do not yet have a mechanism dealing with owners' demise like what Google is introducing, and sometimes accounts are not deleted even after years of inactivity.
In the case of Facebook, our family members can request Facebook to turn our profiles into a virtual memorial. Of course, that relies on our immediate family members knowing that they have this option. And what if we personally would rather have our Facebook presence completely erased after we die?
The same goes with this latest feature from Google. It's great to decide now what happens to our Google things when we die. But unless you're telling Google to delete it all, it's also important to discuss with your loved ones what you want them to do with your Google things after you die.
Likewise for your forum accounts, various email accounts, Twitter account, etc, if you were suddenly run over by a cement truck tomorrow. Tying up these digital loose ends just in case, so to speak.
Unless, of course, you don't care what happens to your online things after you die, and you're absolutely certain that your loved ones don't care too.
Uthaya Sankar SB berkarya dalam Bahasa Malaysia. Beliau adalah presiden Kumpulan Sasterawan Kavyan (Kavyan) dan pemilik tunggal Perunding Media, Motivasi dan Penerbitan Uthaya. Selain menulis, membaca dan bercakap, beliau juga suka menonton filem.
22 APRIL — "In politics, you either make your enemy guilty or an example."
Demikian terjemahan salah satu dialog yang diucapkan oleh seorang politikus bernama Malati Tai (lakonan Rohini Hattangadi) kepada watak David yang mempersoalkan mengapa bapanya dipukul dan dihina pengikut parti politik pimpinan wanita itu.
Jika anda bercadang menonton filem "David" (2013) tulisan/arahan Bejoy Nambiar, suka saya mencadangkan supaya anda menonton versi Tamil mengenai kisah watak David dan David sebelum menonton versi Hindi mengenai kisah watak David, David, David dan anak David. Ada kejutan (twist) menanti.
Bagaimanapun, sebelum bercakap mengenai filem Tamil/Hindi berkenaan, amat wajar jika kita melihat sedikit perkembangan politik dalam negara menjelang Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU-13). Sekiranya diteliti, ada satu bahagian daripada filem "David" yang boleh dikaitkan dengan "naluri kebinatangan" golongan politikus.
Seperti dijangka, MIC sanggup mencium orang yang menghina agama Hindu dan kaum India.Apabila memperkatakan mengenai politik dalam kalangan kaum India, tidak dapat tidak, pasti perlu dikaitkan (walau sedikit) dengan MIC kerana parti politik itu kononnya mewakili "suara" kaum India dalam kerajaan sejak negara merdeka.
Namun begitu, bukti nyata MIC sudah tidak mampu "bersuara" menjadi amat nyata pada saat Pengerusi Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Seri Najib Razak mengangkat Zulkifli Noordin untuk bertanding kerusi Parlimen Shah Alam sebagai calon "rakan BN" dan MIC hanya membisu.
Maka, kita lupakan sahaja mengenai MIC buat waktu ini. Kredibiliti Najib sendiri sebagai "Tokoh Nambikei" yang melaung-laungkan slogan muluk "1 Malaysia" sejak beberapa tahun lalu juga musnah dan "berkecai seperti tembikai" apabila beliau mengangkat Zulkifli tanpa mengambil kira sensitiviti kaum India dan penganut agama Hindu.
Malah, sebenarnya, pemilihan Zulkifli dibantah masyarakat pelbagai kaum dan agama. Hanya juak-juak BN yang tiada pilihan selain menyokong, menyanjung — malah mencium pipi dan entah menjilat apa lagi — Zulkifli, seorang lelaki yang terbukti rasis, etnosentrik, fanatik dan ultra kiasu.
Permainan politik BN yang sangat menarik juga dapat diperhatikan apabila calon BN bagi Parlimen Pasir Mas "memilih" untuk tidak mengemukakan borang pencalonan pada 20 April. Maka, seorang lagi tokoh rasis, ultra kiasu, fanatik dan etnosentrik bernama Ibrahim Ali sah bertanding sebagai calon bebas menentang calon PAS, Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz.
Secara logik, tentulah jentera pilihan raya BN di Pasir Mas tidak akan menyokong calon PAS. Sebaliknya, pasti bermati-matian menyokong Presiden Perkasa itu. Jangan terkejut jika keluar pula foto juak-juak MIC/Umno memeluk dan mencium pipi/mulut lelaki itu yang digelar "katak" kerana selalu lompat parti.
Najib membuktikan kepada masyarakat pelbagai kaum bahawa BN merestui, menyokong serta mengalu-alukan pemimpin rasis, fanatik, etnosentrik dan ultra kiasu dalam pentadbirannya pada masa "dulu, kini dan selama-lamanya". Slogan "1 Malaysia" bagaikan sudah disumbat ke dalam lubang tandas secara rasmi pada 20 April lalu.
Dua hari sebelum itu, perpecahan lebih nyata berlaku dalam kalangan penyokong dan pemimpin gerakan Hindraf yang mula bernafas pada 2006 dan bangkit berjuang pada November 2007. Malangnya, selepas itu, para pemimpin dalam gerakan itu sendiri sudah berpecah dan berpisah.
Hindraf tak kisah BN atau PKR memerintah?
Mungkin tidak ramai yang tahu bahawa P. Waythamoorthy sudah berjaya mendaftarkan Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia (Hindraf) sebagai sebuah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) pada 8 Mac 2013. Ramai juga — mungkin termasuk Najib sendiri — tidak tahu bahawa sebelum menandatangani perjanjian bersama-sama BN pada 18 April, Waythamoorthy telah berusaha mengadakan rundingan bersama-sama para pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
Dr Paraman Subramaniam mendedahkan pada 20 April bahawa pertemuan antara Hindraf dan PR sepatutnya diadakan seminggu lebih awal sebelum perjanjian Hindraf-BN.
"Sejak Sabtu (13/4), Ahad (14/4) dan Isnin (15/4), pemimpin PR mempermainkan (teasing) kami dengan mengajak mengadakan pertemuan. … Pada petang Ahad, mereka mengesahkan Anwar, Lim Kit Siang dan Husam Musa akan hadir," katanya dalam catat di Facebook.
Khabarnya, pada petang Isnin (15 April), Paraman dan Ganesan (penasihat kebangsaan Hindraf) pergi ke ibu pajabat PKR atas pujukan pihak tertentu. Menurut Paraman dalam catatannya, Anwar mengelakkan diri daripada bertemu dengan menyusup keluar dari sana selepas mereka berdua tiba.
Menurut maklumat di laman sesawang pihak berkenaan, Hindraf pimpinan Waythamoorthy mengadakan 24 kali pertemuan dengan Anwar dan lima pertemuan dengan Najib. Akhirnya Najib menerima Hindraf selepas "diabaikan" oleh Anwar yang turut mengabaikan HRP pimpinan Uthayakumar.
Sama ada benar atau tidak kisah-kisah itu, apa yang lebih menarik dalam plot cerita ini adalah bahawa apabila gagal berunding dengan PR, Hindraf masih ada "peluang" berunding dengan BN. Maka, jangan ada sesiapa yang terkejut dengan kata-kata pengakuan bahawa Waythamoorthy "tidak kisah sama ada Rama atau Ravana yang memerintah".
Dalam filem "David" yang saya sebut pada bahagian awal tadi, ada beberapa cerita berlaku sekali gus. Begitulah juga dalam perkembangan plot melibatkan Umno, MIC, Hindraf, Perkasa dan Human Rights Party (HRP). Kesemuanya kelihatan berasingan tetapi masih ada kaitan dan titik pertemuan. Ada kejutan dan twist yang menanti di mana-mana.
Filem "David" tulisan/arahan Bejoy Nambiar menampilkan plot menarik sepertimana politik Malaysia.HRP masih belum diluluskan pendaftaran sebagai parti politik. Dalam perkembangan terbaru, jurucakap HRP meminta saya supaya tidak merujuk kepada P. Uthayakumar sebagai calon HRP dalam PRU-13; sebaliknya sebagai "calon bebas yang membawa semangat Hindraf". Tentulah kurang sesuai — dan kurang tepat — memandangkan Hindraf adalah sebuah NGO berdaftar yang menyokong BN, sedangkan Uthayakumar diisytiharkan oleh jurucakap HRP itu sendiri sebagai "musuh nombor dua bagi Umno".
Apa-apa pun, HRP memang telah berusaha mengadakan rundingan dengan PR, khabarnya bagi membela nasib "kaum India miskin". Malangnya Anwar/PKR tidak bersetuju untuk bekerjasama; khususnya apabila HRP/Uthayakumar meminta sejumlah kerusi Parlimen dan DUN untuk ditandingi wakil HRP di bawah tiket PKR.
Selepas "kegagalan" itulah maka HRP mengumumkan akan bertanding sebagai calon bebas di beberapa tempat yang ditandingi calon PKR dan PAS. Jurucakap HRP mengakui bahawa langkah itu bertujuan "kacau daun" dan mendesak Anwar akur pada permintaan mereka.
Anehnya, pada masa sama — atau sekurang-kirangnya sehingga sehari sebelum tarikh penamaan calon — HRP masih merayu-rayu dan mengharapkan agar Anwar bermurah hati dan membenarkan calon HRP bertanding atas tiket PKR. Tambahan pula (pada penelitian saya) selepas Hindraf pimpinan Waythamoorthy (adik kandung Uthayakumar) sudah mengisytiharkan sokongan 100 peratus kepada BN.
Dalam politik, kamu sama ada menjadikan musuh kamu sebagai pihak yang bersalah atau menjadikan mereka sebagai contoh (amaran) kepada orang lain. Demikian terjemahan kata-kata Malati Tai (Ibu Malati) dalam filem "David".
PR jangan jadi "musuh" kepada rakyat!
Versi Tamil filem itu menampilkan kisah watak David (lakonan Vikram) dan David (Jiiva). Versi Hindi pula menyajikan kisah watak David (lakonan Vikram), David (Vinay Virmani), David (Neil Nitin Mukesh) dan anaknya, Iqbal (juga lakonan Neil Nitin Mukesh). Jukstaposisi yang dilakukan amat hidup dan menjadikan kisah lebih menarik.
Kisah dalam kedua-dua versi lakonan Vikram adalah sama; hanya dialih bahasa dan ditambah pada beberapa babak melibatkan interaksi dengan watak dari versi Hindi.
Kisah melibatkan watak lakonan Vinay Virmani dan Jiiva lebih menarik kerana menggabungkan babak-babak yang sama dan juga babak-babak yang dirakam dua kali menggunakan watak-watak yang sama. (Jangan lupa bahawa saya masih bercakap mengenai politik tanah air melalui kiasan ini.)
Kisah ketiga (filem hitam-putih) melibatkan watak David dan Iqbal lakonan Neil Nitin Mukesh langsung tiada dalam versi Tamil. Maka, apabila menonton filem versi Hindi, kita berpeluang mendapatkan maklumat tambahan yang "tiada" (disembunyikan?) dalam versi Tamil.
Komik mudah yang menjelaskan kuasa sebenar rakyat.Walau bagaimanapun, individu ultra kiasu seperti Ridhuan Tee Abdullah yang menyokong pengharaman filem "Vishwaroopam" (2013) selepas "Majlis Madrasah India Muslim Malaysia (MIM) memberi maklumat" pasti akan tampil menggesa versi Hindi filem "David" diharamkan di Malaysia.
Apa tidaknya! Ada adegan asmara di atas katil melibatkan lelaki beragama Kristian dan wanita beragama Islam yang bukan suami-isteri. Sekumpulan watak beragama Islam digambarkan sebagai penjenayah di London. Ada pula adegan melibatkan upacara mazhab Syiah. Ridhuan Tee bolehlah mendapatkan maklumat lanjut daripada MIM sebelum menulis di akhbar.
Drama politik melibatkan Umno, MIC, Perkasa, Hindraf dan HRP pada masa sekarang adalah umpama kisah dalam filem "David". David mencintai Roma tetapi wanita itu mahu mengahwini Peter. Father Noel menjadi mangsa politik sehingga menyebabkan David mengubah "tujuan" hidup. Dalam situasi lain, David mahu tahu apakah benar mendiang ibunya pernah menjadi wanita simpanan tuannya.
Sementara Umno, MIC, Perkasa, Hindraf dan HRP berganding bahu dan bekerjasama — secara langsung atau tidak langsung, secara sedar atau tidak sedar — untuk menafikan kemenangan calon-calon PR dalam PRU-13, jangan kita lupa bahawa plot dalam kisah politik PR juga amat menarik dan mampu meloyakan Rakyat (huruf besar disengajakan).
Selepas sekian ramai pengundi menunggu peluang untuk "mengubah" kerajaan BN, kini timbul pula kisah mengenai realiti perpecahan, percanggahan dan pergeseran dalam PR apabila berlaku pertindihan antara calon PAS dan PKR melibatkan satu kerusi Parlimen dan lima kerusi DUN.
Dilaporkan juga bahawa dua ahli DAP bertanding sebagai calon bebas tanpa kebenaran parti. Segala drama dan plot ini mungkin akan menyebabkan orang ramai (pengundi) mempertikaikan kredibiliti PR. Sudahlah Umno, MIC, Perkasa, Hindraf dan HRP dipinggirkan ramai orang; bayangkan apa pula yang akan berlaku jika DAP, PKR dan PAS menampilkan kebodohan yang sama.
Politikus usah lupa bahawa rakyat sudah semakin bijak dan tidak menyokong mana-mana individu atau parti politik secara membabi buta. Realiti kehidupan juga tidak seperti filem "David" yang boleh dibuat dalam dua versi dengan menampilkan beberapa pengakhiran yang boleh dipilih-pilih dan dimanipulasi mengikut sempadan geografi.
"In politics, you either make your enemy guilty or an example." Maka, dalam keghairahan mengejar undi, kerusi dan kuasa, jangan sampai politikus menjadi musuh kepada rakyat.
* Uthaya Sankar SB adalah pengundi berdaftar di Parlimen Kota Raja dan DUN Sri Muda.
KUANTAN, 22 April — Polis Pahang hari ini menafikan laporan akhbar yang mendakwa mereka melepaskan bom asap ke arah penyokong pembangkang semasa proses penamaan calon di Dewan Jubli Perak Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Bentong, Sabtu lepas.
Ketua Jabatan Pengurusan Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen Pahang ACP Anuar Osman berkata polis amat kesal dengan laporan yang tidak bertanggungjawab itu.
"Pasukan keselamatan tidak akan melepaskan kepulan asap merah tersebut memandangkan tidak ada sebab untuk menggunakannya lebih-lebih lagi majlis penamaan calon itu berjalan dengan lancar," katanya kepada pemberita di sini, hari ini.
Beliau berkata pihak polis juga tidak menerima sebarang laporan polis berhubung dakwaan kononnya pasukan polis melepaskan bom asap daripada mana-mana pihak.
Mengulas lanjut, beliau berkata siasatan awal mendapati bahan kes yang ditemui dalam kejadian berkenaan bukan milik polis.
"Terdapat beberapa perbezaan yang ketara, melalui barang kes ditemui ia berukuran setinggi kira-kira 13.4 sentimeter, berdiameter enam sentimeter dan lubang asap yang dikeluarkan adalah daripada sebelah atas.
"Sekiranya ia milik polis, tin bom asap tersebut berketinggian 13 sentimeter, berdiameter 5.4 sentimeter dan lubang asap yang dikeluarkan adalah daripada bawah," katanya.
Beliau berkata siasatan juga mendapati catatan nama syarikat pengeluar pada tin yang berwarna hijau itu telah dikikis. — Bernama
KUALA NERANG, 22 April — Kerajaan negeri Kedah pimpinan PAS meminggirkan golongan muda di negeri ini apabila didakwa gagal menyediakan program dan kemudahan yang bersesuaian dengan keperluan golongan berkenaan.
Janji pakatan pembangkang untuk membina sebuah litar lumba motosikal dalam manifesto pilihan raya umum ke-12 (PRU12) juga gagal ditunaikan.
Pengerusi Pemuda BN Kedah Badrol Hisham Hashim berkata pelbagai program dan kemudahan untuk anak muda seperti gelanggang futsal di negeri ini dalam tempoh lima tahun ini adalah inisiatif kerajaan persekutuan yang prihatin dengan keperluan golongan muda.
"PAS tak ambil berat dan tak hiraukan anak-anak muda di negeri ini. Kini golongan ini telah kembali menyokong BN (Barisan Nasional). Mereka mahukan sebuah kerajaan yang mampu untuk beri kemudahan untuk mereka," katanya kepada pemberita selepas melawat padang bola di tapak hasil sumbangan seorang penduduk kampung di Kampung Nako di sini dan bertemu golongan muda di kampung itu.
Badrol Hisham yang juga calon BN di kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kuala Nerang berkata dalam manifesto atau aku janji PRU13 BN Kedah yang dilancarkan baru-baru ini, BN turut mengutamakan pembangunan untuk golongan muda daripada segi ekonomi dan prasarana termasuk pembinaan litar lumba motosikal.
Beliau berkata komitmen dan perjuangannya adalah untuk melihat generasi muda diberi keutamaan sejajar dengan perjuangan BN yang mahu keluhan golongan muda diberi perhatian.
"Saya cuba nak selesaikan prasarana mengikut keperluan penduduk kampong seperti kemudahan jalur lebar, gelanggang takraw dan padang bola. Saya sendiri akan turun padang serta selesaikan masalah orang-orang muda," jelasnya.
Beliau berkata statistik pengundi muda di negeri ini pada pilihan raya kali ini seramai 440,000 orang dan yakin mereka akan memberi undi kepada BN.
Muhamad Zakiyuddin Shaari, 19, berkata dia berterima kasih kepada Pemuda BN yang menyumbangkan dana untuk menyelenggara padang bola tersebut bagi kegunaan golongan belia di kampung itu.
Katanya sebelum ini mereka tidak mempunyai padang bola untuk beriadah dan terpaksa menumpang menggunakan padang di kampung lain dan sekolah berhampiran.
"Kami amat syukur bila ada padang bola ini. Terima kasih kepada pemilik tanah yang sumbang tanah ini dan BN banyak membantu dalam proses membina padang bola ini," katanya. — Bernama
The Malaysian Insider :: Food
KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — The perfect appetiser subtly leads you towards the star of the meal — the main course.But when bruschetta — pronounced "bru-sket-ta" — is the choice of appetizer, I'm really not ... Read More 
KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — That newspaper clipping is still there. I snapped a photo of it on impulse. Melody was tickled by that, as was the manageress of the place.What memories.We have been to a number ... Read More 
KUANTAN, 22 April — Polis Pahang hari ini menafikan laporan akhbar yang mendakwa mereka melepaskan bom asap ke arah penyokong pembangkang semasa proses penamaan calon di Dewan Jubli Perak Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Bentong, Sabtu lepas.