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Sea cucumbers, abalone off the menu in China frugality drive Posted: 08 May 2013 10:14 PM PDT The art of tea cuisine By Eu Hooi Khaw KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — Once they had mastered the art of tea, the owners of Purple Cane Tea worked on creating a tea cuisine. It would be healthy, with less salt, sugar and oil, and engage the subliminal ... Read More How to make silky chawanmushi By Elaine Ho KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 — I adore eggs so much that I can have them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper… you name it!Whether on its own or with a host of other ingredients, eggs are an absolute delight.Apart ... Read More Erawan celebrates Songkran By Eu Hooi Khaw KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 — The Songkran Festival is when Thai chef Korn Yodsuk of Erawan draws upon his impressiveculinary repertoire to amaze his guests, mostly loyal diners at his restaurant, and ... Read More

Cannes Film Festival: Star spotting over dinner Posted: 08 May 2013 08:41 PM PDT The art of tea cuisine By Eu Hooi Khaw KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — Once they had mastered the art of tea, the owners of Purple Cane Tea worked on creating a tea cuisine. It would be healthy, with less salt, sugar and oil, and engage the subliminal ... Read More How to make silky chawanmushi By Elaine Ho KUALA LUMPUR, May 3 — I adore eggs so much that I can have them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper… you name it!Whether on its own or with a host of other ingredients, eggs are an absolute delight.Apart ... Read More Erawan celebrates Songkran By Eu Hooi Khaw KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 — The Songkran Festival is when Thai chef Korn Yodsuk of Erawan draws upon his impressiveculinary repertoire to amaze his guests, mostly loyal diners at his restaurant, and ... Read More

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Alonso must make the most of being at home Posted: 08 May 2013 08:24 AM PDT May 08, 2013 LONDON, May 8 — Ferrari's Fernando Alonso needs to make the most of home advantage when Formula One's European season starts up in Barcelona on Sunday. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. — Reuters picThe Spaniard has ground to make up on Red Bull's triple champion Sebastian Vettel after four races in Asia and the Middle East. "If I was to score our overall performance, I would only give it a six out of 10," Ferrari chief designer Nikolas Tombazis told the Ferrari website (http://www.ferrari.com) ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. "We are not yet quite where we want to be," he added. "In the first four grands prix we were not really able to fight for pole position and that is one of our main objectives at the moment." The days when Alonso could count on the emotional boost of two home grands prix are gone. The Spaniard won in Valencia last year, but that race in the indebted port city is off the 2013 calendar, and he needs to get back on top of the podium at the Circuit de Catalunya. This time a year ago, Alonso arrived in Barcelona 10 points adrift of world champion Vettel in a battle that ultimately went down to the wire in the German's favour. Now, despite Ferrari having a much more competitive car and Alonso winning in China, the gap between them is already 30 points and all the top teams are bringing new developments to the track now that they are back in Europe. Alonso suffered a retirement in Malaysia in March, after losing his front wing when he tagged Vettel at the start, and finished only eighth in Bahrain last month when his rear wing DRS system failed to function. That problem has been solved and Ferrari have updates to the bodywork, floor and wings. "With any new component, the difficulty lies not so much in its development but in deciding whether or not it is working on track as well as we had hoped," said Tombazis."By Friday evening in Barcelona, our objective is to have a clear view on what we will take forward to use in the race." MCLAREN HOPES There are more questions than answers at this stage of the season and McLaren, regular title challengers who ended last year with the fastest car and started 2013 well off the pace, have plenty to deal with. "I think returning to a circuit where we undertook two of the pre-season tests will give us a useful benchmark of our progress so far," said McLaren's 2009 champion Jenson Button in a preview of the race. "I'm pragmatic about what we'll discover next weekend. I'm hopeful that it'll move us a step closer towards the destination." Vettel has already won twice this season and his form in Bahrain looked ominous. Stopping that momentum is the big challenge. Kimi Raikkonen, now second overall for Lotus and chasing his 22nd successive points finish this weekend, is 10 points behind and only too aware of what needs to be done. "It's going to be hard to catch Sebastian if he keeps taking good results so we need to start taking more points from him," said the Finn. "It's no secret that we want more speed from the car in qualifying. It's so tight up there at the front and we really need to be on the first two rows to fight for victories every time." That is more than ever the case in Barcelona, where 18 of the last 22 winners have started on pole and only one driver - the now-retired Michael Schumacher - has ever won from anywhere other than the front row. Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado won last year for Williams, the team's first grand prix success in nearly eight years, but lightning is unlikely to strike twice with the former world champions still chasing their first point of 2013. "Following a good aero test last week at Idiada (in Spain) and a number of upgrades coming for this race, hopefully Barcelona can be the start of improved performance for us this year," said the team's Finnish rookie Valtteri Bottas. — Reuters

Ferguson’s best and worst signings for Manchester United Posted: 08 May 2013 07:14 AM PDT May 08, 2013 Ferguson has usually spent money wisely at Old Trafford. - Reuters pic LONDON, April 8 — Alex Ferguson was a keen promoter of home-grown talent but his incredible collection of silverware would not have been possible without some stunning transfer coups for Manchester United. Beginning with Eric Cantona and ending with Robin van Persie, Ferguson has usually spent money wisely at Old Trafford, although there have been some flops. Here are some of the best and worst Ferguson signings. BEST Eric Cantona Signed from bitter rivals Leeds United in 1992, the feisty French maverick was influential in United winning the title a year later. Cantona went on to win three more titles and remains a true United icon. Peter Schmeichel A colossus between the posts, the Danish international signed from Brondby in 1991 will go down as one of United's greatest goalkeepers. Fearless and demonstrative, Schmeichel led from the back for eight years. Cristiano Ronaldo When Ferguson signed Ronaldo for £12 million (RM55 million) from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 to replace David Beckham many questioned his judgement but the Scot moulded him from a flashy winger into a prolific goalscorer who netted 42 times in the 2007-08 season. Sold to Real Madrid for £80 million. Robin Van Persie After losing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City last season, Ferguson beat their bitter local rivals to the signing of the Dutch striker from Arsenal and his 25 league goals helped United cruise to this season's championship. Roy Keane Signed to replace Bryan Robson in United's midfield engine room, Ireland midfielder Keane stamped his authority on the side throughout the 1990s, leading his team mates by example. His rivalry with Arsenal's Patrick Vieira was pure box office. Wayne Rooney Rooney exploded on to the scene at Everton in 2002 and the young striker was lured to United in 2004 for £25 million. Scored a hat-trick on his debut in the Champions League and is now approaching 150 goals for the club. Rio Ferdinand A thoroughbred among defenders, Ferdinand's calmness on the ball prompted Ferguson to sign him from Leeds for £30 million in 2002 and he has been a key part of United's defence ever since. Ferguson stood by him when he was suspended for missing a drugs test in 2003. Nemanja Vidic Not well known before his move to United in 2006, the Serb has formed a telepathic understanding with Ferdinand and is now the club captain. Ruud van Nistelrooy The combative Dutchman scored 95 goals in 150 league games for United after signing from PSV Eindhoven in 2001 for £19 million. Remains United's top scorer in European competitions. Andy Cole Signed from Newcastle United in 1995, Cole spent six years at Old Trafford, many in partnership with Dwight Yorke. Scored vital goals in five league title campaigns and was part of the 1999 treble-winning side. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Unknown outside Norway when he arrived in 1996, Solskjaer's ability to score vital goals, often after coming off the bench, endeared him to fans and Ferguson. Scored 126 goals in 11 years. WORST Eric Djemba-Djemba Cameroon international who was signed from Nantes in 2003 to fill the hole left by Roy Keane but was completely out of his depth and made just 20 appearances. Kleberson Signed on the back of Brazil's 2002 World Cup triumph but the south American managed just two league goals in two years. Juan Sebastian-Veron Arrived at United in 2001 from Lazio for £28 million with a glowing reputation but things did not go to plan for the midfielder and he was eventually sold to Chelsea for half the price. Diego Forlan Hard-working Uruguayan striker was signed in January 2002 for £6.9 million and failed to score for the rest of the season. Overshadowed by Ruud van Nistelrooy and eventually sold to Villarreal where he thrived. Bebe Signed from Portuguese club Vitoria in 2010, the striker has been virtually anonymous ever since. Gabriel Obertan A tricky winger, Obertan was signed for about £3 million from Bordeaux in 2009. Proved too lightweight and lasted just two years before moving to Newcastle United. Massimo Taibi Took over the gloves from Schmeichel in 1999 but quickly dropped them. His fourth and final appearance saw the goalkeeper allow a Matthew le Tissier shot through his legs. Jordi Cruyff Son of the great Johan Cruyff, Jordi was signed from Barcelona. Occasionally showed the family pedigree but there were few high points in his 45 appearances. – Reuters

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Chinese tofu feud lands on Obama’s plate Posted: 08 May 2013 02:18 AM PDT May 08, 2013 Jellied tofu lies in a bowl on a table in Pingyao, Shanxi province in this file photo of September 23, 2008. – Reuters/StringerBEIJING, May 8 – Internet users in China, a country with a long tradition of petitioning, are appealing to a new authority to resolve grievances and controversies such as the merits of salty or sweet tofu – the US White House petitions website. Created by US President Barack Obama, the online petitioning system was designed as an "easy way for Americans to make their voices heard", according to the website. But he may have underestimated its global appeal in the internet age. "We request that the US government make sweet the official flavour of jellied tofu, namely through the addition of syrup, granulated or brown sugar or other sweeteners," said one petition, written in Chinese, on the site. The number of signatures for the appeal created yesterday was steadily climbing. As of this morning, it had received more than 1,000 digital endorsements. That falls far short of the 100,000 signatures needed to merit a response from the Obama administration, a threshold the government has reserved the right to adjust. There is a regional divide in China on how jellied tofu should be consumed, with a slightly sweetened variety enjoyed in many parts of the south and a saltier style common in the north. "Send troops to liberate the Chinese people," reads another petition, this one with more than 3,500 signatures. Part protest, part entreaty, petitioning has deep roots in China, a country where courts are seen as beyond the reach of ordinary people or beholden to officials. Many seek redress for land seizures, factory layoffs, or medical and police disputes. But doing so in China can be a risky affair, often leading to detention in secret facilities dubbed black jails. The China-related requests appeared alongside pleas for Obama to reduce gun violence and increase the budget for NASA, the US space agency, and not all were funny. One called for the United States to extradite a suspect in the 1994 poisoning of Chinese graduate student Zhu Ling. It received 134,000 signatures in five days. – Reuters

Scientists may have found Brazilian ‘Atlantis’ Posted: 07 May 2013 09:53 PM PDT May 08, 2013 A handout picture showing one of the rocks dug from the deep-sea during dredging works. — AFP/Relaxnews picRIO DE JANEIRO, May 8 — Brazilian geologists on Monday announced the discovery, 1,500 kilometres from Rio, of what could be part of the continent submerged when the Atlantic Ocean was formed as Africa and South America drifted apart 100 million years ago. Roberto Ventura Santos, a top official at Brazil's Geology Service (CPRM), said granite samples were found two years ago during dredging operations in an area known as "Rio Grande Elevation", a mountain range in Brazilian and international waters. Granite is seen as a continental rock. "This could be the Brazilian Atlantis. We are almost certain but we must bolster our hypothesis. We will have final (scientific) recognition this year when we conduct drilling in the area to retrieve more samples of these rocks," the G1 news website quoted Ventura as saying. Initially, the scientists thought they were mistaken, Ventura noted. But last month, their case was bolstered when team of Brazilian and Japanese scientists aboard Japan's manned research submersible Shinkai 6500, observed the underwater geological formation located opposite the Brazilian coast, he added. "From an analysis, were began to see that the area could be a piece of the continent that disappeared into the sea millions of years ago," Ventura said. — AFP/Relaxnews

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Tom Cruise accepts his fifth ‘Mission: Impossible’ Posted: 08 May 2013 07:02 AM PDT UPDATED @ 10:07:06 PM 08-05-2013 May 08, 2013 Cruise's name has been linked to the project since George Clooney's withdrawal. — AFP picLOS ANGELES, May 8 — American actor/producer Tom Cruise has officially agreed to reprise the role of agent Ethan Hunt in the fifth installment of "Mission: Impossible." With the exception of executive producer J.J. Abrams, Cruise is the only big name to sign up as yet for the fifth episode. The project team is now looking to recruit a screenwriter and director, according to Deadline.com. Christopher McQuarrie's name was widely cited back in November as a potential successor to Brad Bird, who directed the previous installment, "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol." The American screenwriter and filmmaker has the advantage of knowing Tom Cruise well: he directed him in "Jack Reacher," an action-packed thriller adapted from the novel "One Shot" by Lee Child. Plans for a sequel are currently being thrashed out, adds the online infotainment mag. Pending shooting of "Mission: Impossible V," Tom Cruise will be honing his espionage talents in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," another feature based on a 1960s TV series. English director Guy Ritchie has been tapped to make the film. — AFP-Relaxnews

‘Iron Man 3’ blasts off US blockbuster summer Posted: 08 May 2013 06:45 AM PDT May 08, 2013 Still of 'Iron Man 3' with Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow. — AFP-Relaxnews picLOS ANGELES, May 8 —  Super-hero blockbuster sequel "Iron Man 3" smashed to the top at the US box office with a mega US$174.1 million (RM507.9 million) take — the second best opening weekend ever — industry figures showed Monday. The film starring Robert Downey Jr kicked off what could be a record summer for blockbusters, based notably on sequels to lucrative franchises including the latest "Fast and Furious" and "Hangover" movies, expert say. Worldwide the comic book superhero flick has taken over US$680 million in less than two weeks since opening in much of Europe and Asia late last month, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations. At the US box office "Iron Man 3 rocketed straight to second place in the all-time openings, perhaps appropriately behind last year's US"The Avengers" — in which the metal-suited superhero co-starred — which earned US$207.4 million The Walt Disney film's debut "is the ultimate kick starter for the summer box office, as it will ... electrify audiences, getting them psyched to see upcoming releases," said Exhibitor Relations analyst Jeff Bock told AFP. "That certainly bodes well for the rest of the season, one that will look to top the high water mark of US$4.4 billion set in 2011." The US opening of Iron Man 3 demolished the franchise's previous debuts, with US$98 million for the first movie and US$128 million for the sequel, according to Exhibitor Relations. Blockbuster movies due out in the coming months include "Star Trek: Into Darkness" in two weeks' time, which Bock said will likely provide the second US$100+ million opener of the summer. Then Memorial Day weekend at the end of May will see the release of both "Fast & Furious 6" and "The Hangover: Part III," while next month sees "Man of Steel," an updated version of the Superman story. The near-record debut of "Iron Man 3" left the rest of this week's films trailing way behind at the North American box office. In second place for this weekend's box office was action-comedy "Pain and Gain," starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, with US$7.5 million in ticket sales, Exhibitor Relations said. Not far behind was "42," a biopic about trailblazing black baseball star Jackie Robinson, which made US$6.1 million The fourth spot, with US$5.6 million, went to "Oblivion," the post-apocalyptic action flick starring Tom Cruise, followed by "The Croods" — a stone-age cartoon — in fifth, with US$4.2 million. "The Big Wedding" — a star-studded comedy featuring Robert De Niro, Katherine Heigl, Diane Keaton and Robin Williams — came in sixth place, taking in US$3.9 million. "Mud," a coming-of-age story starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, earned an estimated $2.2 million, for seventh place, the film's first week in the top ten after going into wide release a week earlier. And in eighth, Walt Disney's 3D fantasy adventure flick "Oz the Great and Powerful" earned US$2.1 million, for a nine-week total of US$228.9 million. "Scary Movie 5," the latest installment in the slasher-comedy franchise, took the ninth spot with US$1.4 million. Rounding out the top 10 at US$1.3 million was "The Place Beyond the Pines," starring Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper in a drama about a motorcycle stunt rider who resorts to bank robbery to provide for his lover and their newborn child. — AFP-Relaxnews

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New book teaches children ABCs of Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Posted: 08 May 2013 07:14 AM PDT

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Soi Lek letak jawatan pengerusi pelabuhan P. Pinang Posted: 08 May 2013 02:27 AM PDT TERKINI @ 05:52:13 PM 08-05-2013 Oleh Clara Chooi Penolong Pengarang Berita May 08, 2013 KUALA LUMPUR, 8 Mei — Presiden MCA Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek hari ini mengesahkan beliau meletak jawatan sebagai Pengerusi Pelabuhan Pulau Pinang, ekoran resolusi parti untuk meletak semua jawatan kerajaan selepas menunjukkan prestasi buruk dalam Pilihan Raya 2008. Dr Chua (gambar) bagaimanapun berkata, beliau perlu berjumpa dengan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak sebelum meletak jawatan secara rasmi. "Saya dilantik oleh PM, jadi saya akan berjumpa beliau sebelum mengumumkan perletakan jawatan sebagai tanda penghargaan," katanya di dalam laman Facebook petang ini. "Saya ingin mengucapkan terima kasih kepada mereka yang mengambil berat terhadap saya." Dr Chua turut mengesahkan dalam kenyataan awalnya bahawa beliau menolak jawatan sebagai anggota Majlis Ekonomi Negara ketika pembubaran Parlimen bulan lalu. "Anggota baru akan dilantik oleh Perdana Menteri selepas pembentukan Kabinet baru," katanya. Dr Chua telah digesa melepaskan jawatan sebagai anggota MCA, termasuk disebabkan keputusan pilihan raya Ahad lalu. MCA hanya beroleh kemenangan tujuh kerusi Parlimen dan 11 kerusi negeri, daripada 37 Parlimen dan 90 kerusi negeri. Kekalahan memalukan itu menyaksikan kekalahan kedua terbesar parti komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) apabila tewas lebih 50 peratus daripada 15 kerusi Parlimen dimenangi ketika Pilihan Raya 2008, dan didesak melaksanakan keputusan pada 2010 untuk menolak semua jawatan kerajaan jika tewas lebih teruk. Dalam kenyataan ringkasnya selepas keputusan pilihan raya, Dr Chua mengumumkan beliau tidak akan pencalonan semula dalam partinya yang akan dilaksanakan pada November. "Sebagai presiden MCA, saya perlu menstabilkan parti dalam keadanaan yang sukat. Saya akan memanggil mesyuarat Majlis Presiden dan Jawatankuasa Tertinggi untuk menyatakan hala tuju parti ekoran keputusan sedemikian. "Pada masa sama, saya memutuskan saya tidak akan dicalonkan semula dalam pemilihan parti," katanya dalam kenyataan. Beliau turut mengakui keputusan lemah MCA itu namun mengesahkan tiada pimpinan partinya akan menerima sebarang jawatan dalam kerajaan sama ada negeri atau persekutuan. "MCA menghormati dan menerima kehendak pengundi. Inilah demokrasi," kata Dr Chua.

RHB Investment isytihar dividen 6.50 sen bagi dana pendapatan RHB Posted: 08 May 2013 02:06 AM PDT May 08, 2013 KUALA LUMPUR, 8 Mei — RHB Investment Management Sdn Bhd (RHBIM) mengisytiharkan dividen sebanyak 6.50 sen seunit bagi Dana Pendapatan RHB dengan pulangan pengagihan kasar 7.2 peratus berdasarkan purata nilai aset bersih (NAV) seunit dana itu dari 1 Mei, 2012 hingga 28 Feb, 2013. Dana Modal RHB juga mengisytiharkan dividen sebanyak lapan peratus seunit dengan pulangan pengagihan kasar 6.3 peratus berdasarkan purata NAV seunit dana itu dari 1 Mei, 2012 hingga 31 Mac, 2013, katanya dalam satu kenyataan. Dana Pendapatan RHB adalah sebuah dana konservatif yang melabur dalam portfolio pelbagai terdiri daripada ekuiti/saham berkualiti tinggi dan sekuriti pendapatan tetap dengan penekanan kepada bon untuk mengurangkan keadaan turun naik, manakala Dana Modal RHB adalah sebuah dana agresif yang melabur terutamanya dalam syarikat-syarikat senaraian awam Malaysia yang mempunyai potensi pertumbuhan yang kukuh. RHBIM adalah sebuah anak syarikat milik penuh RHB Investment Bank, di bawah cabang perbankan korporat dan pelaburan Kumpulan Perbankan RHB, dan pada masa ini mempunyai 23 dana runcit. — Bernama

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Are you a closet racist? Posted: 07 May 2013 05:50 PM PDT May 08, 2013 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. MAY 8 ― On Sunday night, a Chinese friend tweeted: "Why are Malays so anti-Chinese? What did we ever do to you guys?" Dear friend, I have no idea how to answer that. I don't know. Results aside, this election has brought out the worst in many people. Social media was inundated with hate and disparaging comments disguised behind the words "Not to be racist, but..." All the closet racists who had been hiding behind carefully maintained facades and politically-correct words came clean as the election results filtered in. And these racists can't even hide behind the stale "lack of education" excuse. These are young people with Internet access to alternative media, with tertiary qualifications. These are supposed to be the next generation, the so-called "enlightened" generation who are beyond these petty things like racism. "It's very unwise when you let other people+races rule. Just look at Penang, exactly like Singapore!" tweeted a university degree-holder who is Malay. "Flowers given, shit returned (by the Chinese)," posted one public university graduate, also Malay. "It's a good thing if PAS win (seats), but it's a bad sign if DAP win (a lot)," one FB user posted. That user's friend agreed and commented that "those (Chinese) will really cause trouble." Both are Malays. Scrolling through my Facebook feed, my eyes caught one particularly jarring comment made in response to a user's status about Datuk Seri Najib Razak commenting on the "Chinese tsunami." It comprised two short words: "Send back!" Reading these, I feel embarrassed to call the racists fellow Malays. After so many years of independence and so many years of affirmative action to help us catch up with other races, are we still lagging so far behind in mentality? Is this racism a product of our education system? I doubt it as there are many other Malays who do not subscribe to such racism even though they graduated from the public education system. So why the racism in some yet not others? One progressive-minded academic opined anonymously: "(Some) Malays are very easily deceived by propaganda from TV and the mainstream papers. To them, whatever comes out of their TVs are the truth without any checking or check-and-balance." Having kept watch on my social media feeds the whole night and more, I find it hard to disagree. My grandmother was born Chinese. My father has Chinese cousins, one of whom resembles him so closely they could be brothers. Go back enough generations and many Malaysians can find mixed bloodlines. Go back enough generations and many of us can find ancestors from different races, sometimes from those we accuse of terrible intentions towards our own. Go back enough generations, my fellow Malays and Muslims, and we'll all come to Prophet Adam, the first man Allah created. Our ultimate common ancestor. Why such hate just on the basis of race? Why do we still buy racist politics? Because we don't want our special rights to be taken away? Then is it that easy to change our Constitution that safeguards Bumiputera rights? Do we really believe that any one party can get enough support in Parliament to do so? Or that any one party dares risk the backlash? Or that anyone even wants to do that? Is it so hard to believe that other races just want fair chances without bringing down Malays? Alas, I long for the day when my fellow Malays who still think along racial lines to wake up. The Constitution's definition of Malays is intertwined with being Muslim. Yet there is no racism in Islam — is it so convenient to forget that? * This is the personal opinion of the columnist

Don’t blame the East Malaysians for your mistakes Posted: 07 May 2013 05:46 PM PDT May 08, 2013 Native Sabahan Erna is (not) Malay but loves Malay literature. Her hobbies: cats/gaming/blogging at ernamerin.com/Tweeting at @ernamh. MAY 8 — Again, some people on this side of the country have been blaming Sabah and Sarawak for Barisan Nasional winning the election. Someone on Facebook said this: "There must be some way to neutralise or get them out of equation. Peninsular people already voted BN out." A friend of mine chimed in with: "Why do the rural folks (who are also being oppressed although they may not fully realise it) think that a different regime will not meet their needs?" My feelings, for once, can be neatly summarised in one picture. Sadly my editor would not let me write my column in memes, so I must needs explain myself. There is a historical precedent for why East Malaysia has its seat allotment. It was agreed that it would have one-third plus one of existing Parliamentary seats to assure that it would never be "bullied" or "neutralised." Even that agreement has been reneged upon as, thanks to gerrymandering, in actual fact, Sabah and Sarawak hold only a quarter of the vote. It is extremely condescending to assume that what ails and concerns the rural voter or voters in East Malaysia are not as "important" as what keeps an urbanite up at night. Just because my priorities are different from another person's does not make them wrong and the same goes for the situation in Malaysia. From the very beginning, the Opposition had the cards stacked against them. BN had money and the control of mainstream media on their side, yet this did not stop them from winning over most urban voters. It takes 140 characters in a Tweet to reach thousands of people on Twitter but for the rural folk, you need to be on foot and in their faces. Not just before the elections but all year around. I look at the many urban professionals in the Opposition and I wonder if they could easily give up their day jobs to move into the villages, to figure out practical ways of solving problems like the lack of bridges, electricity or safe transport. Could they really endure months of dirt roads, baths in cold, hard water and eating nothing but the simplest, most basic of foodstuffs? My mother voted for her BN rep because she sees her often, knows that she is often busy on the ground. When my mother was ill, her BN rep came to visit her. That is what my mother remembers... and also that she has no clue who the Opposition candidates are. "What have they (the Opposition) done for me?" She scoffed as we sat together in our comfortable, though shabby family home in the poorer parts of Kg.Likas. When you are poor, as my family was growing up, you have enough uncertainty in your life that you do not need any more. For a lot of the rural poor, life is hard. But most somehow survive, eke the barest of livings with no time nor space to complain. "If you vote for me, I will make this a better place!" The rural folk have no time for promises with nothing to back them up. It is a different mindset — they have so much more to lose than the monied upper-middle class person who could easily just find better pastures overseas. In Sarawak, the general election proved that Taib Mahmud's PBB is a force to be reckoned with. Its win cemented its place as the strongest party in the BN coalition after Umno. Over in Sabah, SAPP and STAR both had their behinds thoroughly kicked with Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan being the only one to win a seat for STAR. Kitingan won only courtesy of his being a "known" face with the public choosing to reject SAPP and STAR. PKR won its seats in Sabah likely due to having already known faces like Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing and Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin while DAP capitalised on its growing popularity with Chinese in the state, who chose DAP over the "suspect" SAPP. It is simply wrong to think winning Malaysia is like a hostile takeover where you can simply "buy over" the Peninsula and leave East Malaysia out in the cold. You must give rural and East Malaysian voters a good reason to choose someone else over BN. Promises are not reason enough. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist

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