Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

---

Britain hands back FIFA position after 67 years Posted: 28 May 2013 08:29 AM PDT May 28, 2013 PORT LOUIS, May 28 – Britain's once-untouchable position on FIFA's executive committee will be swept away after 67 years at this week's reform-driven Congress of world soccer's governing body. England, and to a lesser extent Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, have had a love-hate relationship with FIFA from the time it was formed in 1904 and none of them were among the founding fathers. This has been due partly to the permanent vice-president's seat on the executive committee that Britain enjoys, but that seat is to be handed back at the Congress in Mauritius. The affable Jim Boyce of Northern Ireland will be the last British vice-president and he is not unhappy about the change. "The time has come, it was a bit of an anachronism, but I do not think our influence will be diminished in the slightest," he said. FIFA has six vice-presidents and the removal of the British one should go some way to placating nations who have long regarded Britain, and the English in particular, with suspicion. The English Football Association, the world's first, was founded in 1863, some 41 years before FIFA, and is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. The British associations collectively dismissed the idea of joining FIFA at the outset and the repercussions of this aloofness still resonate to this day. Two years ago at the Congress in Zurich, FIFA vice-president Julio Grondona of Argentina called the English "pirates" after they attempted to delay the election of Sepp Blatter as president for a fourth term. A number of delegates took the floor to berate the English for suggesting the vote should be delayed because Blatter was standing unopposed in the wake of Qatari Mohamed Bin Hamman's withdrawal from the presidential race. US AND THEM The guaranteed vice-presidency was written into the statutes in 1946 when the four nations rejoined FIFA after they had left in the 1920s in a row over players' payments. They returned in the immediate aftermath of World War Two when Stanley Rous, then general secretary of the English FA and later the president of FIFA, promised the impoverished world governing body all the gate receipts from a Britain v Rest of the World match in Glasgow. That helped put FIFA back on its financial feet and, in return, Britain were handed the seat. Like Boyce, English FA chief executive Alex Horne is not upset over the handing back of the seat. "It is perhaps a long overdue move and we are happy about it happening," Horne said. "What is far more important to us now, is that we continue to have a major influence in the International Board. "There are also other positives in handing over the British vice-presidency to a European representative through which we still hope to have a say on the top table." In other words, the British nations will continue, along with FIFA, to keep a controlling hand on the laws of the game that was invented and nurtured in Britain through the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The seat's return is one of a number of changes that will become part of a new FIFA statute book being written once the dust has settled after the Congress on this tropical Indian Ocean island. Something that will not change is England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland continuing as four separate nations. Some Asian and African nations are unhappy about that but, as Blatter says when challenged on the matter: "That is not up for discussion and, as far as FIFA is concerned, it never will be." – Reuters

Dortmund draft in Papastathopoulos after Santana exit Posted: 28 May 2013 07:22 AM PDT May 28, 2013 LONDON, May 28 – Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund signed Greece defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Werder Bremen today after allowing fellow centre back Felipe Santana to leave for Schalke 04. The much-travelled Papastathopoulos, 24, has penned a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee. "We are delighted that Sokratis has decided to join Borussia Dortmund. He is a flexible player capable to play in a variety of positions in defence who we believe has tremendous potential," Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said in a club statement. Dortmund, beaten 2-1 by German rivals Bayern Munich in Saturday's Champions League final having also lost their Bundesliga title to the Bavarians, have moved quickly to shore up their defence with Felipe Santana moving to rivals Schalke. The Brazilian, 27, has signed a deal with Schalke until 2016 with the fee again undisclosed. "Felipe expressed the wish to leave Dortmund. We would like to thank him for five great, successful years and we wish him all the best for his future," added Zorc. Schalke finished fourth in the Bundesliga this term, 11 points behind second-placed Dortmund. Juergen Klopp's Dortmund could well see more remodelling following their Champions League final defeat with Bayern's retiring coach Jupp Heynckes hinting at Wembley that the club are close to signing Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski. Germany midfielder Mario Goetze has already announced he will leave Dortmund for Bayern next month. – Reuters

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Sports To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

---

Bernardo Bertolucci says TV shows better than Hollywood now Posted: 28 May 2013 08:21 AM PDT May 28, 2013 AFP file pic of Bernardo Bertolucci.ROME, May 28 — When he was 12, Bernardo Bertolucci looked in a mirror and imagined himself as John Wayne. Now, at 73, he is confined to a wheelchair but is still a towering figure of Italian cinema. Today, the Oscar-winning director is disappointed with the Hollywood that once inspired him and prefers television series such as "Mad Men", saying they are better casted and better directed than big screen productions. Bertolucci discussed his love affair with American culture - and his disdain for what Hollywood is producing today - on Monday night when he was honoured by the American Academy in Rome. "Jazz was the first music I heard in my life and jazz for me meant America," Bertolucci told the crowd at the gala benefit to fund grants for artists. The Academy, the oldest American overseas centre for independent study of the arts and humanities, honoured Bertolucci with the prestigious McKim award, whose previous recipients include conductor Riccardo Muti, composer Ennio Morricone, director Franco Zeffirelli and writer Umberto Eco. "I saw 'Stagecoach' and for me (director) John Ford became Homer," he said of the classic American Western film made in 1939, a year before he was born in the northern Italian city of Parma. "I was in front of a full-length mirror and what I was seeing at 12 wasn't me, it was John Wayne." But today, the director who made "Last Tango in Paris", "The Last Emperor" and "Novecento", says the Hollywood that once excited him now depresses him. "My generation had an affair with American culture, there's no doubt about it. A street lamp and a fire hydrant made me sing in the rain." "But the American films I like now do not come from Hollywood studios but from television series, like 'Mad Men', 'Breaking Bad', 'The Americans'," he said in interview after acceptance speech. Sad Hollywood "I like when they last 13 episodes but then there is a new series coming with another 13 episodes," he said, laughing, comparing them to novels printed in instalments in 19th century newspapers. "Apart from a few independent productions, I think that everything that comes from Hollywood is generally sad. It makes me very sad". Last year Bertolucci made his first feature film in nearly a decade with "Me and You," about an introverted 14-year-old teenager who tells his mother he is going on a ski trip but spends a week in the family basement with his drug addicted half-sister. Like "Last Tango in Paris", which caused a scandal in Italy and beyond in 1972 for its sex scenes with Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider, "Me and You," was shot mostly indoors. Bertolucci has spent a lot of time indoors since a back injury about 10 years ago confined him to a wheelchair, which he referred to at Monday night's event only as "the recent time of my life." Still, despite physical and emotional difficulties resulting from the wheelchair confinement, Bertolucci says he wants to do what he can to promote culture between countries. "Exchange of culture is the salvation of the world," he said, recalling how his father set him off on a quest for new experiences when he gave him a copy of "Moby Dick" as a young boy. While he was still too young to read it, he said he knew that "somewhere there was a big landscape and a huge sky". This year, Venice will be the backdrop for Bertolucci's vision when he serves as head of the international jury at the 70th edition of the Venice Film Festival, which runs from August 28 to September 7 in the lagoon city. "I am going to nurture myself with cinema. To be the president of the jury will give me a great joy. I will be able to see beautiful experimental films," he said. As for his own creative plans, Bertolucci is holding his cards close to his chest. "I have some ideas but they are still amorphous, still at the germination stage," he said. — Reuters

French lesbian love story wins top prize at Cannes Posted: 27 May 2013 05:50 PM PDT May 28, 2013 Actresses Lea Seydoux (right) and Adele Exarchopoulos pose with director Abdellatif Kechiche after he received the Palme d'Or award for the film "La Vie D'Adele". — Reuters picCANNES, May 28 — An intimate lesbian love story by French director Abdellatif Kechiche won the top prize in Cannes on Sunday, and the film festival's director immediately urged the large crowds protesting against gay marriage in Paris to go and see it. "La Vie d'Adele — Chapitre 1 & 2" (Blue is the Warmest Colour) was chosen from a field of 20 films exploring sex, violence and emotional anguish which were vying for the Palme d'Or, one of the most coveted film awards after the Oscars. Critics picked the three-hour film as a possible winner at the 66th Cannes festival, but wondered if its explicit lesbian sex scenes — one lasting up to 10 minutes — would deter the jury deciding the awards led by US filmmaker Steven Spielberg. In an unusual move, Spielberg said the award would be shared between Kechiche and his two lead actresses Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux as they were central to the film's success. "I think it will get a lot of play ... I think this film carries a very strong message, a very positive message," Spielberg told journalists. "It was the perfect choice between those two actresses and this incredible very sensitive and observant filmmaker." Spielberg said he supported same-sex marriage, but downplayed any suggestion the award was to promote this cause. Festival director Thierry Fremaux said the film was timely, as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators marched in Paris on Sunday to protest France's recent legalization of same-sex marriage. "Everyone who is against same-sex marriage or love between two people of the same sex must see the film," he told Reuters. Kechiche, a Tunisia-born actor who made his directorial debut in 2000, was virtually speechless as he accepted the award, which he dedicated to the youth of France and Tunisia who, during the Arab Spring, "wanted only to live, speak and love freely." "La Vie d'Adele" is an emotional tale of love and sexuality centred on 15-year-old Adele (Exarchopoulos) and her lover Emma (Seydoux) that follows the course of their tumultuous relationship. Berenice Bejo received the Best Actress award for her role in the film "Le Passe" (The Past). — Reuters picWorld's largest Critics had also considered as a forerunner "Inside Llewyn Davis" about a struggling New York folk singer by the American Coen brothers Ethan and Joel, which was named as runner-up. The third prize went to Japanese director Kore-Eda Hirokazu for the baby-swapping drama "Soshite Chichi Ni Naru" (Like Father, Like Son) while the best director award went to Mexico's Amat Escalante for his brutal look at Mexico's drug war, "Heli". American Bruce Dern, 76, won a best actor award in Alexander Payne's road trip film "Nebraska," beating out Michael Douglas, who was widely praised for his performance as flamboyant pianist Liberace in Steven Soderbergh's "Behind the Candelabra." French actress Berenice Bejo ("The Artist") won the best actress award in Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's tense domestic drama "Le Passe" (The Past). Before the ceremony, stars including Kim Novak and Laetitia Casta signed autographs and posed for photographers on the red carpet in blazing sunshine, a contrast to the festival's opening ceremony on May 15 when umbrellas took over in the rain. The awards ended the 2013 edition of the world's largest film festival, where up to 40,000 film professionals also bought and sold titles on the bustling marketplace hidden away from the glitzy promotional circuit of parties and stunts. — Reuters

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Features

---

South Korea’s plastic surgery fad goes extreme Posted: 28 May 2013 01:57 AM PDT May 28, 2013 This picture taken on May 22, 2013 shows a South Korean woman walking past a street billboard advertising double-jaw surgery at a subway station in Seoul. – AFP picSEOUL, May 28 – South Korea's obsession with plastic surgery is moving on from standard eye and nose jobs to embrace a radical surgical procedure that requires months of often painful recovery. A stream of celebrities boast on TV shows how it gave them a "new life," while advertisements extolling its cosmetic benefits are everywhere from street billboards to subway stations, magazines and popular Internet sites. But there's nothing really "cosmetic" about double-jaw surgery. A radical solution to congenital facial deformities or for people unable to chew properly due to excessive over or underbite, the operation involves realigning the upper and lower jaws. One result of the bone-cutting procedure is often a slimmer jawline – and that's what caught the attention of South Korea's booming beauty industry. A small face with a "V-shaped" chin and jawline is considered a mark of feminine beauty in much of East Asia, along with a high-bridged nose and big eyes. "This surgery alters your look far more dramatically than, say, Botox or a nose job because it changes your entire facial bone structure," said Choi Jin-Young, a professor in dentistry at Seoul National University. "But it's a very complex, potentially dangerous surgery ... it's disturbing to see people with no real dental flaws daring to go through it just to have a small, pretty face," Choi said. The procedure, which involves general anaesthesia and takes months to recover from, carries the risk of various complications including permanent facial numbness or even paralysis. Data from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons suggests South Korea has one of the highest per-capita rates of plastic surgery procedures in the world. Cut throat competition among the growing number of plastic surgeons has driven some to promote more radical procedures that others might not offer. A number of celebrities, some reportedly paid by doctors, underwent double-jaw surgery and later appeared on TV talk shows saying it had provided a "turning point" in their career and personal lives. There is no official data on how many double jaw surgeries are performed. One recent study estimated the annual figure at 5,000, but it did not differentiate between cosmetic and medically prescribed procedures. Some 52 per cent of those who had taken the surgery suffered sensory problems such as facial numbness, the study said. Seoul's consumer protection agency saw the number of registered complaints surge from 29 in 2010 to 89 last year, though many more cases of post-operative problems are believed to go unreported. "My mouth keeps moving leftward and the jaw area has gone numb," wrote one user of a medical consumer online forum, showing photos of her skewed mouth. "I can't even feel when saliva keeps dripping out of my mouth," she said. Last August, a 23-year-old college who underwent double-jaw surgery killed herself. She left a suicide note explaining her desperation after the surgery left her unable to chew food or stop crying due to nerve damage in a tear duct. Shin Hyon-Ho, a medical malpractice lawyer in Seoul, said he had seen cases where the surgery had resulted in chronic jaw pain, a skewed mouth, misaligned teeth and an inability to chew or smile. "The number of plastic surgery-related cases is growing ... with complications becoming more serious," Shin said. A doctor with the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons said the procedure took off around four years ago when a Seoul dental clinic ran a major ad campaign promoting the cosmetic benefits. As it became popular, plastic surgeons began offering the surgery, causing the price to fall and making it more affordable to more people. "If we are seeing more complications, that's largely because the sheer number of people getting the surgery has increased rapidly in such a short period of time," said the doctor, who declined to be identified. "Yes, it was originally invented to correct a dental deformity, but you can't blame someone for getting the surgery to look good, especially in a place like the South where beauty, especially for women, pretty much trumps it all," the doctor said. Advertising for the procedure is prevalent and unambiguous. "The double jaw surgery clinic chosen by the pickiest ladies," reads one typical poster on a Seoul subway station wall, with large before and after photos. "Everyone but you has done it," admonishes another on a metro bus. A Seoul lawmaker in January proposed setting a minimum age limit for plastic surgery, noting the danger of "bone-related surgeries" in particular. But Lim In-Sook, professor of sociology at Korea University, said legislation couldn't tackle the root causes that push some women to risk their health for a prettier face. "This is a highly male-dominated nation where women need both brains and beauty, or often beauty more than brains, to get a job, get married and to survive in all aspects of life," she said. Plastic surgery, according to Lim, has become just another accepted way of giving yourself an edge in what is a super-competitive society. "So every single part of our bodies becomes an object for nip and tuck," Lim said. "Today it's your jaw, but who knows what we'll have to fix tomorrow?" – AFP/Relaxnews

Your hands-free device can still lead to wreckless driving Posted: 28 May 2013 12:48 AM PDT May 28, 2013 A new study finds that talking on your hands-free device while driving leads to significantly more driving errors. - AFP pic ALBERTA, May 28 — Talking on a hands-free device while behind the wheel can lead to wreckless driving, according to new research from the University of Alberta. Announced Friday, a pilot study lead by Dr Yagesh Bhambhani showed that drivers who talk using a hands-free cellular device made significantly more driving errors—such as crossing the center line, speeding and changing lanes without signaling—compared with just driving alone. The jump in errors also corresponded with a spike in heart rate and brain activity. "It is commonplace knowledge, but for some reason it is not getting into the public conscience that the safest thing to do while driving is to focus on the road," said researcher Mayank Rehani. The researchers said that they became interested in the topic in 2009 shortly after Alberta introduced legislation that banned the use of handheld cellphones while driving but not hands-free devices. In this study, they used a noninvasive optical technique called near infrared spectroscopy to study the brain activity of 26 participants who completed a driving course using the Virage VS500M driving simulator at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. Near infrared spectroscopy allowed the researchers to examine real-time changes in brain activity in the left prefrontal lobe. Participants were first tested in a control condition, using the simulator to drive in city street conditions using no telecommunications device. They were tested again while talking on a hands-free device during two-minute conversations that avoided emotionally charged topics. The research team found there was a significant increase in brain activity while talking on a hands-free device compared with the control condition. "The findings also indicated that blood flow to the brain is significantly increased during hands-free telecommunication in order to meet the oxygen demands of the neurons under the 'distracted' condition," said Bhambhani. – AFP-Relaxnews

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Features To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Books

---

Israeli writer Amos Oz wins 2013 Kafka award Posted: 28 May 2013 01:41 AM PDT

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Books To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

---

Apa lagi penulis Tamil mahu? Posted: 27 May 2013 05:11 PM PDT May 28, 2013 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. 28 MEI — Dalam pada orang ramai sibuk memberi tumpuan serta bercakap mengenai politik dan politikus, golongan penulis usah dilupakan. Memanglah dunia politik sangat "menghiburkan" (dan selalu menjadi sumber inspirasi bagi banyak cerpen saya) serta politikus pula umpama sekumpulan badut dengan aksi yang melucukan. Saya menggelarkan mereka sebagai "Badut Paul Lathic" sempena presiden pertama Pulau Cinta. Pada masa sama, hakikat yang boleh dipertikaikan tetapi tidak boleh dinafikan adalah bahawa ada juga golongan yang menggelarkan diri mereka sebagai "penulis" semata-mata untuk menyembunyikan realiti bahawa mereka sebenarnya "pengampu", "penjilat" dan "juak-juak" kepada politikus. Apabila bercakap mengenai golongan penulis secara umum pula, bukan hanya "Penulis Melayu" mendapat habuan hebat daripada Kerajaan Bar1san Nas1onal (BN) yang prihatin; khususnya menerusi Gabungan Persatuan Penulis Nasional Malaysia (Gapena) dan Persatuan Penulis Nasional Malaysia (Pena). Menurut laporan Bernama (29 April 2013), Perdana Menteri merangkap Pengerusi BN, Datuk Seri Najib Razak sudah mengumumkan sumbangan RM450,000 kepada Persatuan Penulis-penulis Tamil Malaysia dengan harapan bahawa golongan "Penulis Tamil" akan menghasilkan karya-karya bermutu. Apa yang dimaksudkan oleh Najib dengan frasa "karya-karya bermutu" adalah amat subjektif. Pada 19 Julai 2012, Ketua Satu Gapena, Abdul Latif Abu Bakar dilaporkan berkata, "Hal-hal berkaitan sastera dan penulisan, kita (Gapena) tiada masalah dengan kerajaan. Kita anggap apa-apa yang kerajaan buat semuanya betul, ikut saluran." Jumlah sumbangan dinyatakan Palanivel (kiri) berbeza dengan jumlah dinyatakan Rajendran (kanan).Namun, tentulah tidak adil — malah umpama menghina martabat dan intelekualiti golongan penulis karya sastera — jika definisi "karya-karya bermutu" diserahkan kepada kerajaan semata-mata. Sepatutnya, golongan penulis (sasterawan dan pemikir) menjadi sumber maklumat (input) kepada kerajaan; bukan menjadi sumber propaganda (output) bagi kerajaan. Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin sendiri pasti bersetuju dengan saya apabila saya nyatakan bahawa golongan penulis telah memainkan peranan amat penting dalam proses pembinaan negara bangsa. Malah, seperti dilaporkan oleh Bernama (15 April 2013), Muhyiddin mengakui bahawa "golongan penulis di negara kita perlu terus dibela supaya mereka dapat menyumbang secara lebih bermakna terhadap usaha membina sebuah masyarakat yang maju, berilmu dan bersatu padu." Golongan penulis yang diharapkan tentulah bukan "pak turut", "pengampu", "pembodek", "juak-juak", "penjilat" dan seumpamanya kerana golongan "penulis" seperti itu sudah ramai dan tidak sukar untuk mengenal pasti siapakah mereka. Sumbangan RM450,000 jadi RM100,000 Berbalik kepada sumbangan RM450,000 kepada "Penulis Tamil" seperti diumumkan Najib sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU13) serta dilaporkan oleh Bernama dan beberapa media arus perdana pada 29 April 2013 dengan memetik kata-kata presiden Persatuan Penulis-penulis Tamil Malaysia, P. Rajendran. "Golongan penulis Tamil perlu terus dibela supaya mereka dapat menyumbang secara lebih bermakna terhadap usaha membina sebuah masyarakat yang maju, berilmu dan bersatu padu," katanya sambil memuji keprihatinan Najib. Untuk rekod, saya bukan "Penulis Tamil" dan Kumpulan Sasterawan Kavyan (Kavyan) yang saya terajui bersama-sama sekumpulan rakan-rakan juga bukan "Persatuan Penulis Tamil". Bagaimanapun, kami meraikan kepelbagaian bahasa, kaum, budaya dan agama; sekali gus berbangga dengan berita "durian runtuh" yang bakal diterima "Penulis Tamil". Pada 26 Mei 2013, menyedari hakikat "Melayu mudah lupa" (memetik kata-kata keramat Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad), saya mengingatkan menerusi paparan pada ruangan status Facebook: "Presiden Makkal Sakti, RS Thanenthiran dilaporkan berkata, satu lagi majlis akan diadakan untuk menghargai 25 penulis Tamil di Malaysia sebaik sahaja PRU13 berakhir." Beberapa jam kemudian, keluar pula berita di Bernama dan Presiden MIC, Datuk G. Palanivel dilaporkan berkata, Najib bersetuju memberikan peruntukan berjumlah RM100,000 kepada Persatuan Penulis-penulis Tamil Malaysia. Sumbangan RM450,000 dijanjikan oleh BN sebelum PRU13 tetapi nampaknya hanya peruntukan RM100,000 dipersetujui selepas PRU13. Dalam kedua-dua keadaan, kata kunci adalah "akan" iaitu tidak diketahui bilakah janji-janji manis itu bakal dilaksanakan. Hanya masa mampu menentukan sama ada ia menjadi "janji ditepati" atau "janji dicapati". Najib mahu kaum India memelihara warisan dan budaya. Mungkin ada golongan "Penulis Melayu" dan "Persatuan Penulis Melayu" yang tertanya-tanya (bukanlah pula "mempertikaikan") mengapa "Penulis Tamil" dijanjikan sumbangan seperti itu. Alasan yang lazim diberikan adalah bahawa karya Bahasa Tamil hanya boleh dibaca "orang Tamil" serta tidak selaras dengan Dasar Bahasa/Budaya Kebangsaan. Sekadar makluman, Kavyan berusaha membantu dalam kerja-kerja menterjemahkan cerpen karya "Penulis Tamil" untuk disiarkan dalam majalah-majalah seperti Dewan Sastera terbitan Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) supaya dapat dinikmati khalayak pelbagai kaum.  Akan tetapi, sebaik sahaja cerpen terjemahan pertama tersiar, sudah ada "bantahan" daripada puak tertentu. Kononnya mana-mana karya penulis kaum India tempatan pasti ada unsur penyebaran agama Hindu! Untuk rekod, puak yang membuat kenyataan seperti itu bukanlah pencuci tandas dan penurap jalan, tetapi tokoh penulis yang diraikan dan menang pelbagai anugerah. Bidang penulisan karya kreatif Bahasa Tamil di Malaysia bermula dengan novel "Karunakaran Allathu Katalin Matchi" (Karunakaran atau Kesucian Cinta) pada 1917, manakala antologi cerpen pertama muncul pada 1930. Maklumat terperinci berhubung perkembangan cerpen Tamil di Malaysia boleh dibaca dalam buku "Cerpen Tamil dan Melayu (1957-1970): Perbandingan Tema dan Struktur" (1993) tulisan Krishanan Maniam. Janji ditepati atau janji dicapati? Menurut laporan Bernama (29 April 2013), terdapat sekurang-kurangnya seribu "Penulis Tamil" sepenuh masa di Malaysia. Selain daripada itu, ribuan lagi didapati menulis "cerpen, novel, puisi, sajak, pantun, penulisan drama dan skrip dan lain-lain lagi" secara sambilan dari semasa ke semasa. Agak menarik untuk diperhatikan bahawa 1,500 orang menjadi ahli Persatuan Penulis-penulis Tamil Malaysia seperti dinyatakan oleh setiausaha persatuan itu, A. Gunanathan (Bernama, 26 Mei 2013). Maka, tentulah soal kebajikan "Penulis Tamil" tidak boleh diabaikan. Mengenai peruntukan RM100,000 yang diumumkan oleh Palanivel yang juga Menteri Sumber Asli dan Alam Sekitar selepas PRU13 — berbanding sumbangan RM450,000 yang dinyatakan oleh Rajendran sebelum PRU13 — persatuan terbabit "hanya menunggu peruntukan tersebut mendapat kelulusan". Satu-satunya antologi cerpen terjemahan Tamil yang 'berjaya' diterbitkan.Maka, golongan "Penulis Tamil" dan Persatuan Penulis-penulis Tamil Malaysia yang menyambut jubli emas pada tahun ini tidak boleh melonjak kegembiraan atau menari beramai-ramai seperti dalam filem Tamil/Hindi atau "menghitung anak ayam sebelum telur menetas" (peribahasa Inggeris).  Palanivel sudah mengesahkan bahawa peruntukan itu (asalnya RM450,000 tetapi kemudian menjadi RM100,000 selepas PRU13) belum mendapat kelulusan walaupun sudah diumumkan semasa kempen PRU13 dan sudah dipropagandakan menerusi Bernama dan Berita Harian pada 29 April 2013. Bekas penyelaras kebangsaan gerakan Hindraf, Thanenthiran menyifatkan Najib sebagai "satu-satunya perdana menteri Malaysia yang melancarkan buku Tamil penulis tempatan" dengan merujuk kepada majlis anjuran Parti Makkal Sakti Malaysia (MMSP) di Universiti Malaya pada November 2012. Puji-pujian itu tidaklah menghairankan kerana MMSP ditubuhkan pada 11 Mei 2009 (tarikh ulang tahun bagi Umno asal) dan dilancarkan oleh Najib pada 10 Oktober 2009 di Taman Pameran Pertanian Malaysia, Serdang. Bernama (29 April 2013) turut melaporkan bahawa Najib telah meminta Institut Terjemahan dan Buku Malaysia (ITBM) "membantu penerbitan lebih banyak karya Tamil supaya khazanah budaya dan kesusasteraan Tamil dipelihara untuk generasi akan datang" sambil mengakui bahawa "masyarakat India tidak terkecuali dalam usaha untuk memelihara warisan dan budaya mereka." Apa-apa pun, semoga "Penulis Tamil" tidak perlu menunggu sehingga PRU14 sebelum "berita" — atau "cerita" — mengenai sumbangan dan peruntukan khas ini muncul kembali menghiasi halaman akhbar-akhbar arus perdana. Jika "janji dicapati", golongan "Penulis Tamil" mungkin tidak akan merayu-rayu kepada MIC. Sebaliknya mungkin akan mengadu terus kepada presiden Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia (Hindraf), P. Waythamoorthy yang juga Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri. * Uthaya Sankar SB menulis karya Bahasa Malaysia tetapi turut mengikuti perkembangan sastera Bahasa Tamil di Malaysia. * Ini adalah pendapat peribadi penulis.

I wanna take you to a Neymar! Posted: 27 May 2013 04:44 PM PDT May 28, 2013 Andy West is a sports writer originally from the UK and now living in Barcelona. He has worked in professional football since 1998 and specialises in the Spanish Primera Division and the English Premier League. Follow him on Twitter at @andywest01. MAY 28 — Do you remember that funny little song from a few years back, "Gay Bar" by Electric Six? Well, I reckon Barcelona fans should prepare to revive it in honour of their new signing: "Neymar! I wanna take you to a Neymar!" Unfortunately, Spanish football fans aren't particularly inventive when it comes to terrace chants, so I'll probably be earning some quizzical looks by singing it alone in the press box, whilst the rest of the stadium simply reworks the well-worn "Meeeeeeeessi" and "Xaaaaaaaavi" chants into "Neeeeeeeeymar." Either way, the Brazilian starlet will certainly have his name sung loudly at the Nou Camp next season after finally confirming this weekend that he will leave Santos and cross the Atlantic to join Barca. The Catalan club's pursuit of the flamboyant Brazilian winger has been long and determined. They were not alone on the journey as a number of other clubs — including Chelsea and Real Madrid — also attempted to secure his signature. But Barca were always in the driving seat and now — finally — they have landed their prey. Exactly how good is Neymar? 136 goals in 225 games for Santos, and another 20 in 32 outings for Brazil, suggest he is very good indeed, but the truth is that nobody really knows how successful he will become in the more demanding European environment. It's sure going to be interesting to find out. If Neymar really is as good as it appears he might be, the prospect of him lining up alongside Lionel Messi is truly mouth-watering, and would prove reports of Barca's supposed "demise" following their Champions League mauling at the hands of Bayern Munich to be severely premature. Indeed, there was a heavy amount of (perhaps intended) symbolism in the timing of Neymar's announcement that he will join Barca. Less than five hours after Bayern Munich lifted the Champions League trophy at Wembley on Saturday night, Neymar gazumped them on the global news agenda by confirming the transfer. "Move over Bayern... your time in the limelight is temporary," was the clear message. From my perspective, there are two particularly fascinating questions surrounding Neymar's impending arrival in Catalonia. Firstly, tactical. His ball skills and technical ability cannot be doubted — he clearly possesses rare talent. However, Barcelona's playing system requires rigorous positional discipline and a fierce commitment to hard work from every member of the team. Neymar will not be given the freedom of movement and lack of defensive responsibilities that he enjoyed at Santos, or that Cristiano Ronaldo enjoys at Real Madrid. He will be expected to retain the team's defensive shape and work hard without the ball. How successfully he's able to do that without losing his attacking edge will be an important factor in deciding how successful he is with Barca. Secondly, there's the element of his exuberant personality. Neymar is clearly a great showman, an extrovert character who loves being the centre of attention and is used to be being the main man, the star attraction. In Barcelona, however, Neymar will be forced to play a subordinate role to Messi, and will have to quickly become accustomed to his new status as a secondary star. The Argentine ace will never be dethroned in Barcelona and, however famous and popular he might be in Brazil, Neymar will only ever play second fiddle in the public's imagination at the Nou Camp. The team will continue to be based around Messi — and why not? — and Neymar, both mentally and tactically, will be expected to fit in. Whether this precocious young man is able to adjust to this new state of affairs will be fascinating to witness. Those question marks aside, it's undoubtedly an extremely exciting signing and I am personally very much looking to seeing him in action on a regular basis next season. Barca have historically enjoyed a long line of success with Brazilian imports: Romario, Ronaldo (the original), Ronaldinho and Rivaldo are among the samba stars to have shone brightly in the famous Blaugrana colours. If Neymar is anywhere near as good as that lot, it's going to be a huge amount of fun. * This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa

---

MIC WP sokong Saravanan untuk jawatan presiden atau timbalan presiden Posted: 28 May 2013 02:19 AM PDT May 28, 2013 KUALA LUMPUR, 28 Mei — MIC Wilayah Persekutuan akan memberi sokongan padu kepada pengerusinya Datuk M. Saravanan sekiranya beliau berhasrat bertanding jawatan Timbalan Presiden MIC pada pemilihan parti tahun depan. Setiausahanya, S. Rajah berkata Saravanan, yang juga Naib Presiden MIC, layak untuk menyandang jawatan nombor dua dalam parti berdasarkan pengalamannya. Selain jawatan Timbalan Presiden, beliau mendakwa kesemua 12 bahagian MIC Persekutuan juga akan menyokong sekiranya Saravanan mahu bertanding jawatan presiden yang kini disandang Datuk Seri G. Palanivel. "Beliau (Saravanan) bermula dari peringkat akar umbi...maka orang seperti ini yang boleh mendekati dan menyelami denyut nadi segenap lapisan anggota parti serta mendengar suara anak muda," katanya dalam sidang media di ibu pejabat MIC di sini, hari ini. Beliau mengulas laporan akhbar hari ini yang menyatakan bahawa Saravanan, yang juga Timbalan Menteri Belia dan Sukan, berminat untuk bertanding jawatan Timbalan Presiden. Menurut sumber dalaman parti, Timbalan Presiden Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam, yang juga Menteri Kesihatan, juga membayangkan hasrat untuk merebut jawatan presiden. Kali terakhir pemilihan presiden diadakan ialah pada Mac 2009 untuk penggal tiga tahun dan penyandang Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu menang tanpa bertanding. Pada Disember 2010, Samy Vellu secara rasmi melepaskan jawatan sebagai presiden MIC yang disandangnya sejak 31 tahun lalu dan menyerahkan jawatan berkenaan kepada Palanivel yang merupakan timbalannya pada masa itu. Jawatankuasa Kerja Pusat (CWC) MIC baru-baru ini memutuskan pemilihan parti bagi semua peringkat akan diadakan pada suku pertama tahuan depan manakala pemilihan presiden akan diadakan tiga bulan sebelum pemilihan untuk jawatan timbalan presiden, tiga naib presiden dan 23 anggota CWC. — Bernama

Polis Terengganu sudah ambil keterangan beberapa individu berhubung perhimpunan Posted: 28 May 2013 02:16 AM PDT May 28, 2013 KUALA TERENGGANU, 28 Mei — Polis Terengganu telah merakamkan percakapan beberapa individu termasuk pemimpin pembangkang bagi membantu siasatan berhubung penganjuran perhimpunan di Kuala Ibai, Khamis lepas. Ketua Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Negeri, ACP K. Manoharan berkata siasatan lanjut berhubung perhimpunan anjuran pembangkang di sini bagi membantah keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13) sedang giat dijalankan. Selepas selesai siasatan mengikut Seksyen 9(5) Akta Perhimpunan Aman 2012, kes ini akan dirujuk kepada pejabat Timbalan Pendakwa Raya untuk tindakan susulan, katanya kepada pemberita di sini hari ini. Khamis lalu puluhan ribu rakyat Terengganu majoritinya anak muda membanjiri Markas PAS Kuala Ibai sempena Himpunan Blackout 505 bagi membantah keputusan PRU13. Antara pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat yang hadir dan berucap ialah Penasihat PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Timbalan Presiden PAS Mohamad Sabu dan Naib Presiden PAS merangkap Anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Salor, Husam Musa. — Bernama

You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com