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Former Everton manager David Moyes (centre) starts his reign at Old Trafford on July 1, 2013.David Moyes on Monday officially started his job as manager of Manchester United, taking over from Alex Ferguson, who resigned in May after 26 years in the post.
The 50-year-old former Everton boss drove into the United's Carrington training ground in a sponsored Chevrolet at just after 8am (3pm Malaysian time) , stopping briefly to wait for security barriers to be raised before heading into work.
Club officials confirmed Monday the appointments of Steve Round as assistant manager, Chris Woods as goalkeeping coach and Jimmy Lumsden as coach.
"I have worked with Steve, Chris and Jimmy for a number of years and I am delighted they have decided to join me at this great club," said Moyes.
"They bring great qualities in their respective fields and I know that, like me, they feel that this is a challenge to relish.
"I have great faith that together, we can build upon the success this club has enjoyed over many years."
As well as having a new manager and coaching staff, United's boardroom has also undergone a shake-up, following long-serving chief executive David Gill's decision to stand down at the end of last season.
Richard Arnold has taken over as group managing director, with London-based executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward assuming many of Gill's football-related duties.
"I believe with David and his new team in place, along with our current backroom staff, we can now start preparing for the new season ahead," Woodward said.
"This is an exciting and challenging time for the club and I have great belief that David and his team will have all the energy and attributes needed to help this club continue in its long-standing traditions."
In a sign of the changes underway at Old Trafford, within minutes of Moyes' arrival the club confirmed another regional partnership - with leading Thai telecommunications company True Corporation Plc.
True will be an associate match sponsor for United's opening tour match against Singha All Stars in Bangkok on July 13 - Moyes's first in charge of the English champions.
Meanwhile, Carrington is now officially known as the AON Training Complex as a result of a sponsorship deal announced in April worth some £150 million ($228 million) with the financial group. - Reuters, July 1, 2013.
Li Na hits a smashing return on her way to victory over Italy's Roberta Vinci in the 4th round match at Wimbledon. Reuters, July 1, 2013.Chinese sixth seed Li Na raced into the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-0 demolition of Italian 11th seed Roberta Vinci on Monday.
In contrast to her roller-coaster two previous matches, which both went to three sets, the 2011 French Open champion took just 55 minutes to get past her fourth round opponent.
In reaching the last eight, Li has matched her Wimbledon best, having made the quarter-finals in 2006 and 2010.
The 31-year-old will face either Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska or Bulgarian world number 72 Tsvetana Pironkova on Tuesday for a place in the semi-finals.
Li said she had been practicing returning slices with Jiang Shan, her husband and hitting partner, with her coach Carlos Rodriguez -- who mentored former world number one Justine Henin -- taking it all in.
"I was so nervous really because in the warm-up, my husband, he tried to hit slice. It's totally different men and women. I was feeling so bad," Li said.
"Before I came to the court, Carlos was talking to me because he already saw what happened. I was like, 'I can't catch the ball, he was hitting so much slice, I couldn't catch it at the right time'. But I think he was happy.
"For his job, he makes me unhappy; I think it's his job. I thought the match would be so tough because I know how good she will slice on the grass court."
Li beat Czech 32nd seed Klara Zakopalova 4-6, 6-0, 8-6 on Saturday after nearly blowing it in the final set, having beaten Romania's in-form Simona Halep with a similarly roller-coaster performance in the previous round, winning 6-2, 1-6, 6-0.
"I was surprised how was I hitting on the court," said Li.
"It was totally different from the last match. The last match I was feeling like it's not terrible, but I was feeling so tired.
"I was ready for running for another three hours again."
Li hit 26 winners to Vinci's eight, and her serving was far more reliable than the Italian's on the 2,000-seater Court 3.
Vinci, on a career-high world ranking of 11 matched her previous Wimbledon best in making the last 16, which she achieved last year.
However, the 30-year-old went into the match having never beaten Li in their previous three encounters, dating back to 2001.
Li's run to the Australian Open final earlier this year was the only other time she has made a Grand Slam quarter-final in nine majors since winning the French Open two years ago. - Reuters, July 1, 2013.
Despite various efforts to monitor encroachment by the relevant authorities, the Maliau Basin Conservation Area, dubbed Sabah's 'Lost World', is still facing threat of environmental and wildlife disturbance as poachers and gaharu (sandalwood) collectors are occasionally intruding into the protected area.
This was the shocking discovery during a 10-day intensive resource and wildlife inventory survey of the pristine rainforest by local researchers recently.
Several members of the survey team, who included this writer, not only found hard and fresh evidence of encroachment, such as bullet casings, camping sites, hunting and fishing paraphernalia and graffiti on tree trunks, but even came into close encounters with a band of suspected poachers or gaharu collectors.
In fact, three suspected poachers even 'registered' their presence by peeping into one of the 132 camera traps set up in scattered places by the survey team to capture wildlife presence in the Class 1 protected forest.
"After we destroyed the suspected poachers' camping site, we were surprised when they suddenly appeared, and fearing for our safety, we had to run away," said Sharon Koh from World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF Malaysia), who participated in the field study.
A check with the Maliau Basin Studies Centre, an administrative centre for the conservation area, revealed that the poaching and gaharu collectors' activities are mainly confined to the buffer zone area, which plays a critical role in the protection of the whole basin.
The buffer zone is where most immediate threats to the 58,840-hectare conservation area are addressed in a tactical sense, including blocking the intrusion of hunters, loggers and gaharu collectors from entering the core areas.
Yayasan Sabah rangers, with the cooperation of other government agencies, especially the Sabah Wildlife Department, have been regularly patrolling the buffer zone as well as the core areas to check out intruders, while rangers' posts were also set up in several places, including Sungai Kuamut and Lake Linumunsut.
The intensive field survey however produced an impressive listing of mammals and birds, including rare and endangered species living in the untouched wilderness that is characterised by a diverse assemblage of forest types with complex river systems and dozens of beautiful waterfalls.
The local researchers, numbering 137, were from Yayasan Sabah, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD), Sabah Parks, WWF Malaysia, Sabah Institute for Development Studies (IDS) and Kinabatangan Orang Utan Conservation Program (HUTAN-KOCP), INIKEA and Sabah Environmental Trust (SET).
The flora and fauna inventory survey, which started on June 14, covered almost the entir conservation area, except the 15,000ha heritage zone set aside for future generations to explore in the next 50 years (no sooner than 2050).
The intensive study confirmed that the protected area, which is slightly larger than Penang island, is home to some of Sabah's most rare and endangered species, including pygmy elephants, orang utans and proboscis monkeys.
Researchers also recorded the presence of other mammals through direct sighting or captured by camera traps such as clouded leopard, Malayan sun bear, barking deer, mousedeers, banded palm civet, bay cat, short-tailed Mongoose, Borneon gibbon, porcupine, pangolin and langur.
The exciting list of birds recorded includes Bulwer's Pheasant, Giant Pitta, Bat Hawk, Red-Bearded Bee-eater, Borneo Ground Cuckoo, White-fronted Falconet, Crested Fireback, Bornean Bristlehead and Scarlet-rumped Trogon.
Alim Biun from Sabah Parks, who is also an expert on birds, confirmed that all eight living species of Bornean hornbills, including the Helmeted Hornbill, are also found in the 588.4 sq km conservation area.
SWD deputy director Augustine Tuuga said the survey, led by the department, was a huge success despite the many evidences of poaching activities.
"These poachers are a real threat to the wildlife population not only at Maliau Basin but also all the state's conservation areas like Danum Valley and Imbak Canyon. These are not only a national heritage but of world interest and we must protect them at all costs," he said.
Dr Waidi Sainun, Sabah Foundation group manager for conservation and environmental conservation, said the survey will provide baseline input about flora and fauna studies, human impact on the area, including rivers and morphology.
"The findings will be documented to help charter the inter-Agency Maliau Basin Management Committee's management plan, while the inventory survey will be a regular affair at five-year intervals.
"This (survey) is intended to be a regular affair, as we want to monitor the situation of the conservation area (including Imbak Canyon and Danum Valley conservation area) every five years.
"Through this effort, we would be able to know the increase or decrease of the wildlife population within the conservation area," he told Bernama.
Waidi, who also participated in this survey, said the field study was supported by INIKEA, a collaboration between Innoprise of Sabah Foundation, and Ikea, a Swedish organisation involved in environmental projects.
According to Waidi, intensive field surveys on Maliau Basin started in 2000 as part of the preparation of the Maliau Basin Conservation Area Management Plan, and in 2001 the first major expedition reached Linumunsut Lake in the northern part of the basin. - Bernama, 1 July, 2013.
"World War Z" outearned "Monsters University"over the weekend to top the worldwide box office chart. This apocalyptic horror film starring Brad Pitt grossed $99.9 million (RM 316.1 million) during its second weekend in commercial theaters.
Meanwhile, the prequel to "Monsters, Inc.," the computer-animated movie released by Pixar in 2001, dropped a rung to $90.38 million (RM 286 million) in gross receipts last weekend. "Man of Steel" remains on the podium after raking in $73 million (RM 231 million) over the weekend; the new Superman franchise adventure has broken the $500 million barrier since its release.
"Despicable Me 2," which can only be seen in seven countries in the world, came in fourth ($41.5 million), ahead of the police action comedy "The Heat" starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy ($40 million). - AFP/Relaxnews, July 1, 2013.
O.S. Arun, the music maestro from New Delhi, and leading Orissa vocalist, Dheeraj Kumar Mohapatra, will soon offer a unique fusion of melodic sound for the dance, Sharanagati (Absolute Surrender) scheduled for July 19-20, 2013 in Kuala Lumpur.
Often called the Prince Charming of Carnatic music, Arun is renowned in many musical styles, from bhajans and devotional music to jazz and fusion music. He is also much in demand to sing for dancers, including Malaysia's Mavin Khoo.
On composing the music for the dance, Sharanagati, he says: "The music will be a cultural exchange between Orissa and south India.
"It will be a blend of the two art forms, east Indian and south Indian music, on stage at the same time."
The choreography for Sharanagati is by P.T. Narendran and Leena Mohanty, also of India. A total of 8 dancers will be accompanied on stage by Guru Durga Charan Ranbir on nattuvagam, S. Venkatasubramaniam on violin, and Sukania Venugopal on narration, among others.
Sharanagati is presented by Malaysia's Kalpana Dance Theatre, under its director, Shangita Namasivayam. It will offer both the bharathanatyam and odissi dance styles on stage, in a theme of overcoming ego, losing the connection to the corporeal, to reach an understanding of, and with, the divine. You can catch it the Temple of Fine Arts, Brickfields. For invitations, call 03-22743709 )TFA) or Kalpana Dance Theatre at 017-6725672/012-2918308/012-7877467. - By Subhadra Devan, July 1, 2013.India's music master O.S. Arun
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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.
Penari Mohiniyattam mudah dikenali menerusi pakaian mereka.
Pandangan mata yang kuyu dan malu-malu, tetapi penuh ghairah membuatkan khalayak terpukau. Ditambah pula alunan pinggul ke kiri dan ke kanan secara berirama, serta pergerakan perlahan bahagian atas tubuh (torso) umpama pohon palma yang ditiup angin lembut dan sungai yang mengalir tenang.
Persembahan yang diiringi alunan muzik tradisional India seperti veenai, venu, maddalam dan idakka, serta nyanyian dalam bahasa Manipravalam menambah kesan estetik kepada tarian klasik itu.
Demikianlah gambaran umum yang dapat diberikan apabila berpeluang menyaksikan persembahan Mohiniyattam, tarian klasik yang berasal dari Kerala, India pada sekitar abad ke-16.
Apabila penduduk Malaysia (termasuk Semenanjung Malaysia) meraikan sambutan Hari Malaysia pada 16 September 2013, penduduk berketurunan Malayali pula turut menyambut Onam, iaitu pesta menuai yang berasal dari Kerala dan terus kekal sebagai tradisi masyarakat Malayali di seluruh dunia.
Memandangkan budaya masyarakat Malayali masih terlalu asing di Malaysia, mari kita mengenali tarian Mohiniyattam secara umum menjelang tarikh sambutan pada tahun ini.
(Makalah saya bertajuk Onam 1Malaysia boleh dibaca dalam The Malaysian Insider, 4 September 2009 manakala Vishu: Meraikan Kepelbagaian dalam The Malaysian Insider, 20 Jun 2011.)
Rujukan bertulis yang pertama mengenai Mohiniyattam terdapat dalam teks Vyavaharamala karangan Mazhamangalam Narayanan Nambodiri. Pengarang menggambarkan bahawa tarian klasik itu dipersembahkan oleh golongan "devadasi" di kuil dan istana.
Agak menarik untuk diperhatikan bahawa pada peringkat permulaan, Mohiniyattam hanya dipersembahkan di kuil, khusus untuk para dewa. Golongan "devadasi" adalah gadis-gadis yang mengabdikan hidup kepada dewa-dewa menerusi upacara penkettu. Seterusnya, mereka membuat persembahan tarian di kuil untuk meluahkan rasa cinta dan rindu terhadap dewa.
Sejak abad ke-13, terdapat banyak karya klasik yang menyebut mengenai golongan "devadasi" di Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Orissa dan Andra Pradesh. Patung-patung dan ukiran di kuil juga membuktikan kewujudan golongan penari itu. Mereka dikatakan mengabdikan diri kepada dewa-dewa, khususnya Krishna, Vishnu dan Shiva.
Walaupun berasal sebagai tradisi di kuil, tarian klasik ini kemudian dialihkan ke istana untuk menghiburkan raja-raja. Khabarnya, daripada memuja dan meluahkan rindu kepada dewa-dewa, tumpuan penari mula beralih kepada raja-raja yang berkuasa dan berharta.
Pada abad ke-19, Maharaja Swathi Thirunal di bahagian selatan Kerala dan Maharaja Vadivelu dari Thanjavur menunjukkan minat terhadap tarian Mohiniyattam. Beberapa lagu yang digubah pada zaman itu masih dipersembahkan di Kerala pada masa kini.
Bagaimanapun, tokoh yang diakui mengangkat semula martabat Mohiniyattam ialah penyair terkenal di Kerala, Vallathol Narayana Menon (1878-1958). Beliau mengasaskan Kerala Kalamandalam pada 1930 khusus untuk mempopularkan semula Mohiniyattam dan Kathakali yang menjadi ikon seni persembahan negeri itu.
Nama bagi taria klasik Mohiniyattam terhasil daripada gabungan dua perkataan bahasa Malayalam. "Mohini" dalam konteks masyarakat Tamil di Malaysia sering dikaitkan dengan "hantu" dan "penunggu". Bagaimanapun, istilah itu sebenarnya merujuk kepada wanita yang cantik dan mampu menggoda sesiapa sahaja yang memandang.
Dua mitos tentang asal-usul tarian
Istilah "attam" pula bukan setakat bermakna "menari" tetapi merujuk pada gerak-geri seluruh tubuh yang penuh seni dan menggoda. Maka, tidak hairanlah Mohiniyattam diklasifikasikan sebagai "tarian si penggoda".
Tamadun India memang kaya dengan mitos, purana dan kisah dewa-dewi. Terdapat dua kisah utama yang dikaitkan dengan asal-usul tarian Mohiniyattam.
Dalam mitos pertama, Dewa Vishnu muncul sebagai Mohini (wanita yang cantik dan menggoda) bagi menghalang sekumpulan asura (raksasa yang menghuni bumi) daripada mengambil amirtham (madu ajaib yang mampu memberi kekebalan).
Dikisahkan bahawa pada waktu itu, Dewa Shiva sedang menggaul Lautan Susu khusus untuk sajian para dewa di kayangan. Kaum asura pula cuba mengambilnya supaya boleh turut menjadi kebal. Maka, Dewa Vishnu bertukar menjadi seorang wanita cantik lalu menari, menggoda, mengalpakan dan memesongkan perhatian golongan asura daripada amirtham berkenaan.
Dalam mitos kedua, seorang asura bernama Pathmasura mendapat anugerah daripada Tuhan bahawa dia tidak boleh dibunuh oleh lelaki mahu pun wanita.
Maka, Dewa Vishnu muncul sebagai Mohini lalu menari, menggoda dan akhirnya membunuh asura berkenaan. Tarian itulah yang dinamakan Mohiniyattam kerana terbukti mampu menggoda dan memukau sesiapa sahaja.
Bagaimanapun, tarian Mohiniyattam yang ditarikan di Kerala oleh "devadasi" bukan sebagai mewakili Dewa Vishnu yang muncul sebagai Mohini. Sebaliknya, para penari wanita itu memegang peranan sebagai "kekasih" yang dilanda rindu dan mahu bersatu dengan buah hati mereka, iaitu Dewa Vishnu atau Dewa Krishna.
Kisah-kisah yang dipersembahkan menerusi Mohiniyattam biasanya diambil daripada epik-epik klasik dan purana seperti Krishnalila yang banyak menampilkan tema percintaan, kerinduan dan perkasihan.
Orang ramai boleh belajar tarian ini menerusi DVD.Secara tradisi, tarian Mohiniyattam dipersembahkan oleh orang perseorangan (solo) supaya penari mendapat sepenuhnya ruang dan peluang untuk menunjukkan bakat seni persembahan. Penari Kathakali terdiri daripada lelaki sahaja manakala penari Mohiniyattam pula khusus bagi wanita sahaja.
Teknik tarian adalah mengikut mudra yang diterangkan dalam Natyasastra. Mudra merujuk kepada posisi-posisi asas tangan seperti yang biasa dilihat dalam tarian bharatanatyam. Natyasastra adalah sebuah buku panduan serba lengkap yang ditulis oleh Bharata tentang seni klasik India; meliputi bidang muzik, tarian dan drama.
Teks klasik Hasta Lakshanadeepika juga dijadikan rujukan wajib untuk mempelajari dan menguasai pergerakan tangan dan jari yang disebut sebagai mudra dan hastabhinaya.
Penari Mohiniyattam harus mampu menyampaikan cerita menggunakan pergerakan tangan (hastabhinaya), pergerakan mata (netrabhinaya), ekspresi muka (mukhabhinaya) dan pergerakan tubuh badan (angikabhinaya).
Sebuah persembahan tarian klasik Mohiniyattam yang sempurna akan dimulakan dengan "Cholkettu". Penari membuat persembahan tarian khas untuk memuja Dewa Shiva dan Devi Shakti yang dianggap sebagai Nadaraja ("raja seni tari").
Seluruh tubuh penari bercerita
Seterusnya, si penari berpeluang menunjukkan bakat yang dimiliki menerusi "Jathiswaram" sambil diiringi muzik dan swaram (nyanyian vokal). Pada bahagian ini, penari biasanya berusaha menyajikan kehebatannya menguasai pelbagai teknik tarian (nritta) yang terkandung dalam Natyasastra dan Hasta Lakshanadeepika.
Bahagian ketiga dalam repertoire persembahan Mohiniyattam adalah "Padavarnam" yang menggabungkan teknik nritta dan nritya. Nritta atau pure dance merujuk kepada persembahan tarian tanpa cerita kerana apa yang dipentingkan pada bahagian ini adalah kemampuan penari menyajikan teknik gerak tari abstrak dan sukar.
Cerita pula disampaikan dengan penuh ekspresi melalui penggunaan teknik pergerakan yang disebut abhinaya. Abhinaya atau nritya merujuk kepada pergerakan pantomimi tubuh badan yang berfungsi menyampaikan cerita atau disebut storytelling. Maka Mohiniyattam juga berciri danced-mime di mana penari memegang peranan seorang wanita yang merindui kekasihnya.
Bagaimanapun, tentu sahaja persembahan Mohiniyattam pada masa kini bukan lagi oleh golongan "devadasi" yang memuja dewa-dewa. Tambahan pula, persembahan dilakukan secara berkumpulan bagi tujuan meraikan perayaan seperti Onam dan Vishu.
Bahagian keempat dalam persembahan tarian klasik ini disebut "Padam". Pergerakan tubuh dan tangan menjadi minimun. Sebaliknya penari menggunakan sepenuhnya penguasaan mukhabhinaya (ekspresi muka) dan netrabhinaya (ekspresi mata) untuk menyampaikan cerita.
Penari profesional perlu kuasai semua bahagian ini.
Daripada persembahan untuk dewa, ia kini bagi pertunjukan sahaja.
Pada bahagian ini juga seorang penari yang pakar akan benar-benar mampu memukau khalayak (khususnya lelaki) melalui matanya yang sayu, ayu dan menggoda. Wajah si penari menjadi wahana untuk meluahkan navarasa iaitu sembilan emosi termasuk gembira, marah, sedih dan terkejut.
Bahagian terakhir dalam persembahan adalah "Thillana" di mana kesemua nritta yang dikuasai dan kombinasi nritta itu digunakan untuk menggambarkan tema utama tarian yang disajikan. Terdapat sekitar 40 nritta asas yang dinamakan atavukal. Gabungannya mampu menghasilkan ratusan nritta, bergantung pada kepakaran si penari.
Semasa si penari mempersembahkan Mohiniyattam, vokalis pula menyanyikan lagu menggunakan bahasa Manipravalam iaitu gabungan Sanskrit dan Malayalam. Terdapat pelbagai repertoire yang dinamakan chollu dan diklasifikasi mengikut struktur ritma dinyanyikan.
Keayuan dan kelembutan tarian klasik ini diserikan lagi dengan pakaian mundu neryatum iaitu pakaian tradisional wanita Kerala. Pakaian ini terdiri daripada dua bahagian iaitu mundu (sarung) dan neryatum yang diperbuat daripada kain kapas bermutu dan terdapat kasavu (bahagian tepi) bersulam benang warna emas.
Semoga menjelang sambutan Onam pada 16 September 2013, masyarakat pelbagai kaum di Malaysia sudah terdidik dengan maklumat asas berkaitan satu lagi aspek budaya masyarakat Malayali. Ayuh kita tolak perkauman, pupuk perpaduan dan raikan kepelbagaian! - 1 Julai, 2013.
* Uthaya Sankar SB suka menulis mengenai budaya dalam Bahasa Malaysia bagi memupuk persefahaman antara kaum.
* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.
Penasihat DAP, Lim Kit Siang mempersoal kejujuran Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yang bercakap mengenai kepentingan semua kaum berikutan ia hanya terpacul dua bulan pilihan raya umum (PRU) ke-13, berakhir.
Mengalu-alukan kenyataan yang merujuk kepentingan dan masalah semua kaum termasuk golongan bandar, beliau menyifatkan ia sebagai suatu perkembangan baru.
"Ini tak ubah seperti menghirup udara segar selepas menyaksikan orang Cina diserang dengan isu perkauman dan gambaran keputusan PRU 13 seolah-olah berlaku tsunami Cina sedang ia sebenarnya tsunami Malaysia," kata Lim dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.
Beliau berkata demikian hari ini sebagai reaksi kepada ucapan 'perpaduan' Muhyiddin pada Majlis Kesyukuran dan Penghargaan Barisan Nasional (BN) Wilayah Persekutuan Sabtu lalu.
Muhyiddin menyentuh isu kepentingan dan 'isyarat' pengundi muda dan golongan bandar pada PRU 13 dan percaya sokongan mereka bergantung kepada keupayaan BN menangani isu berkaitan.
Menyatakan isu yang dibangkit golongan urban memberi impak kepada pelbagai kaum dan perlu penyelesaian segera, ucapan beliau memberi penekanan terhadap kepentingan tolenrasi kaum.
Bagimanapun, Lim tertanya-tanya sampai bilakah Muhyiddin mampu mengekalkan peranan sebagai timbalan perdana menteri 'sebenar' berdasarkan kenyataan sebelum PRU 13.
"Ia berlawanan dengan kenyataan Muhyiddin pada Mac lalu yang menyatakan beliau adalah 'Melayu pertama, Malaysia kedua'," katanya.
Beliau berharap Muhyidin tidak hanya menjadi timbalan perdana menteri kepada 47 peratus pengundi BN, sebaliknya memainkan peranan itu bagi semua rakyat Malaysia. - 1 Julai, 2013.
Seorang saksi Suruhanjaya Siasatan Diraja (RCI) berhubung pendatang haram di Sabah, warga asing dari Pakistan, Abdullah Mahmud hari ini berkata beliau terpaksa tukar lokasi mengundi kerana menerima ancaman di lokasi mengundi ketika pilihan raya.
Abdullah, 55, memberitahu Inkuiri RCI beliau pernah ditampar ketika mahu mengundi di Keningau walaupun telah menunjukkan kad pengenalan.
"Saya pernah mengundi enam kali ... waktu itu di Keningau, semasa (Tan Sri Joseph) Pairin Kitingan pembangkang, saya undi kerajaan," kata Abdullah kepada panel RCI di Mahkamah Tinggi Kota Kinabalu.
Ekoran dikasari semasa ingin mengundi, Abdullah kemudiannya menukar tempat mengundi ke Beufort.
"Saya tunjuk IC mereka tidak terima, mereka minta saya tunjuk sijil beranak," katanya yang tidak memiliki dokumen berkenaan kerana lahir di Peshawar, Pakistan.
"Saya minta maaf cakap ... sana (Keningau) ada perkauman," kata Abdullah, yang telah memperoleh kerakyatan dan mengahwini wanita dari suku kaum Dusun dan beroleh tiga anak.
Abdullah merupakan saksi ke-144 RCI dan memperolehi kad pengenalan tanpa melalui proses mengikut sistem perundangan.
Beliau berkata kepada panel RCI yang diketuai bekas Hakim Besar Sabah dan Sarawak Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong, telah memperolehi kad pengenalan ketika pentadbiran Tan Sri Haris Salleh sebagai Ketua Menteri Sabah.
"Saya diarahkan ke Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) di Kota Kinabalu, dan bawa gambar hitam putih ... empat lima tahun kemudian baru dapat itu IC," katanya kepada lima panel RCI.
Abdullah memasuki Sabah ketika berusia 10 tahun bersama pak ciknya, dan sejak itu beliau berkata telah menetap di Sabah.
Ketiga-tiga anak lelakinya yang berusia, 21, 19, dan 18 tahun turut memperolehi Mykad.
Pengarah Jabatan Pendaftaran Negeri Sarawak Datuk Abu Bakar Geng sebelum ini memberi keterangan sebanyak 5,373 pendatang di Sarawak telah diberikan IC biru dari 1963 hingga 2012.
Dianggarkan sekitar 28 peratus daripada 3.2 juta penduduk Sabah adalah warga asing, menjadikannya berjumlah sebanyak 889,000 orang.
Sementara itu, seorang lagi saksi RCI berbangsa India, Zainal Abidin Mohamad berkata beliau terpaksa menukar namanya daripada Ahmad Bashir bagi membolehkan beliau memiliki kad pengenalan.
Zainal Abidin yang lahir di Tamil Nadu, India, pada 11 Ogos 1961 telah menetap di Sabah selama lebih 35 tahun dan menjalankan aktiviti perniagaan termasuk mempunyai beberapa rantaian restoran India Muslim dan juga kedai tekstil.
"Saya cuba pakai nama saya, dua tiga kali tidak lepas (buat IC) ... kemudian tukar Zainal Abidin, itu nama pak cik saya," katanya kepada panel RCI.
Beliau yang mengundi di Likas bagaimanapun berkata isteri dan anak-anaknya tidak mempunyai kad pengenalan, sebaliknya hanya menggunakan passport India.
Beliau juga gagal menjawab ketika ditanya sama ada setuju kad pengenalannya boleh ditarik balik kerana memperolehinya melalui jalan yang salah, serta tidak mengetahu nama Perdana Menteri dan juga Ketua Menteri Sabah.
"Nasem," jawabnya ketika ditanya nama Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak, dan "Musa Hitam," ketika ditanya siapa Ketua Menteri Sabah, Datuk Seri Musa Aman. - Julai 1, 2013.
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