Jumaat, 13 September 2013

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food


Chef Choi’s creation with a Penang touch

Posted: 13 Sep 2013 08:51 PM PDT

BY EU HOOI KHAW

September 14, 2013
Latest Update: September 14, 2013 01:35 pm

Penang "Loh Bak" and fried scrambled eggs with caviar would not appear to belong in a Chinese restaurant menu, but it definitely reflects the chef's diverse food experiences in Chef Choi.

First off, chef Chan Thye Seng's family has roots in Penang, so he sets about attempting to make the best "Loh Bak" there is.

Scrambled Eggs with CaviarScrambled Eggs with CaviarIt may sound strange but we arguably had the best scrambled eggs in this restaurant, stirred patiently over a low flame at tableside. The outcome was a buttery, creamy and velvety feel, with salty bursts from the Beluga caviar. I tried my best to prolong the exquisite moment on my palate.

The Penang "Loh Bak" on the other hand had a crackling and crispy skin, falling apart to chunks of pork and the requisite hints of five spices, matched with a light dip. It was Penang in every bite.

Then it was on to The Double-boiled Shark Bone Soup with Bamboo Pith. The soup had a round mouthfeel, steeped with all the essence of the shark bone, meat and herbs. The fine, crunchy bamboo pith and the gourd in it soaked this up.

Next, The Matsuzaka beef was pink in the pan, with its fat marbling as all it needed was just two minutes of pan frying. It's beef was savoured slowly, to relish the sublime, buttery texture. The Panfried Matsuzaka Beef is a taste of what is to come when the restaurant sets up its own teppanyaki.

"Boston lobsters are harder to cook, as they come from cold waters," said Chan.

"The superior broth has to be at the highest heat on the stove for the lobster to be thoroughly infused with the flavours of the stock."

This was obviously achieved as the Baked Boston Lobster with Superior Stock turned out superbly sweet, with the bouncy meat almost translucent.

Roast GooseRoast GooseA wonderful aroma of The Traditional Roasted Crispy Goose marinated with Chinese herbs hung in the air as it was brought out.  It had the right amount of fat under the skin that melted under the heat of the roasting, allowing the goose meat to be tender, juicy, moist and flavourful.  It was served with a light, mellow plum sauce dip. We were informed that The Roast Goose has to be ordered a day in advance.

We then moved on to The Steamed Brown Marbled Grouper with Light Soya Sauce, also known as the Tiger Grouper.  Not surprising, it was perfectly steamed.

Thereafter, The Fresh Sliced Lotus Root with Waterchestnut and Celery was a welcomed plate of crunchy vegetables, with fresh shiitake mushrooms and sweet "pak hup".

Fried Rice with Mini AbaloneFried Rice with Mini AbaloneThe Fried Rice with Mini Abalone was a delicious ending and it was in an eggy, soupy sauce though it took effort to finish this after all the dishes we had eaten.

Finally, for desert we had The Sweet Red Bean Paste with 18-Year Mandarin Peel. The boiled red beans had been put between two sieves to render them to a silky texture and it was fragrant with the Mandarin peel.

A dinner at Chef Choi is always a treat you shoul save up for.

The Fried Rice with Mini Abalone is RM18 per person, Red Bean Paste is RM20 per person, Fried Sliced Lotus Root is RM48 (large), Roast Goose is RM320 (whole bird), Baked Boston Lobster is RM35 per 100g, Shark Bone Soup with Bamboo Pith is RM25 per person, "Loh Bak" is RM18 per portion, and Scrambled Eggs with Caviar is RM180 per person.

Chef Choi is located at No 159, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur and the contact number is 03-2163 5866. - September 14, 2013.

Chef Choi’s creation with a Penang touch

Posted: 13 Sep 2013 08:51 PM PDT

BY EU HOOI KHAW

September 14, 2013
Latest Update: September 14, 2013 01:35 pm

Penang "Loh Bak" and fried scrambled eggs with caviar would not appear to belong in a Chinese restaurant menu, but it definitely reflects the chef's diverse food experiences in Chef Choi.

First off, chef Chan Thye Seng's family has roots in Penang, so he sets about attempting to make the best "Loh Bak" there is.

Scrambled Eggs with CaviarScrambled Eggs with CaviarIt may sound strange but we arguably had the best scrambled eggs in this restaurant, stirred patiently over a low flame at tableside. The outcome was a buttery, creamy and velvety feel, with salty bursts from the Beluga caviar. I tried my best to prolong the exquisite moment on my palate.

The Penang "Loh Bak" on the other hand had a crackling and crispy skin, falling apart to chunks of pork and the requisite hints of five spices, matched with a light dip. It was Penang in every bite.

Then it was on to The Double-boiled Shark Bone Soup with Bamboo Pith. The soup had a round mouthfeel, steeped with all the essence of the shark bone, meat and herbs. The fine, crunchy bamboo pith and the gourd in it soaked this up.

Next, The Matsuzaka beef was pink in the pan, with its fat marbling as all it needed was just two minutes of pan frying. It's beef was savoured slowly, to relish the sublime, buttery texture. The Panfried Matsuzaka Beef is a taste of what is to come when the restaurant sets up its own teppanyaki.

"Boston lobsters are harder to cook, as they come from cold waters," said Chan.

"The superior broth has to be at the highest heat on the stove for the lobster to be thoroughly infused with the flavours of the stock."

This was obviously achieved as the Baked Boston Lobster with Superior Stock turned out superbly sweet, with the bouncy meat almost translucent.

Roast GooseRoast GooseA wonderful aroma of The Traditional Roasted Crispy Goose marinated with Chinese herbs hung in the air as it was brought out.  It had the right amount of fat under the skin that melted under the heat of the roasting, allowing the goose meat to be tender, juicy, moist and flavourful.  It was served with a light, mellow plum sauce dip. We were informed that The Roast Goose has to be ordered a day in advance.

We then moved on to The Steamed Brown Marbled Grouper with Light Soya Sauce, also known as the Tiger Grouper.  Not surprising, it was perfectly steamed.

Thereafter, The Fresh Sliced Lotus Root with Waterchestnut and Celery was a welcomed plate of crunchy vegetables, with fresh shiitake mushrooms and sweet "pak hup".

Fried Rice with Mini AbaloneFried Rice with Mini AbaloneThe Fried Rice with Mini Abalone was a delicious ending and it was in an eggy, soupy sauce though it took effort to finish this after all the dishes we had eaten.

Finally, for desert we had The Sweet Red Bean Paste with 18-Year Mandarin Peel. The boiled red beans had been put between two sieves to render them to a silky texture and it was fragrant with the Mandarin peel.

A dinner at Chef Choi is always a treat you shoul save up for.

The Fried Rice with Mini Abalone is RM18 per person, Red Bean Paste is RM20 per person, Fried Sliced Lotus Root is RM48 (large), Roast Goose is RM320 (whole bird), Baked Boston Lobster is RM35 per 100g, Shark Bone Soup with Bamboo Pith is RM25 per person, "Loh Bak" is RM18 per portion, and Scrambled Eggs with Caviar is RM180 per person.

Chef Choi is located at No 159, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur and the contact number is 03-2163 5866. - September 14, 2013.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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Nicol in Malaysian Open semi-finals - Bernama

Posted: 13 Sep 2013 09:15 AM PDT

September 14, 2013
Latest Update: September 14, 2013 12:20 am

Malaysian squash queen and world number one Datuk Nicol Ann David (pic) advanced to the semi-finals of the 2013 Malaysian Open Squash  Championships after outclassing compatriot Low Wee Wern, tonight.

The 30-year-old Nicol defeated Wee Wern 11-4, 11-6, 3-11 and 11-5 in the quarterfinals at the Curve shopping mall.

"Wee Wern played very well and she's getting used to the  court and she was very comfortable in the third game. At that  time I just stepped back a little bit. She's very  consistent," Nicol told reporters after her match.

Nicol will be meeting France's Camille Serme in tomorrow's semi-finals.

"I am happy to be in the semi-finals. Camille is a very  powerful player and very determined. I'm looking foward  to another good match tomorrow," she said.

Earlier, in another women's quarter-final match, world number 12 Camille defeated Sarah-Jane Perry of  England, 11-8, 9-11, 11-3 and 11-9 in 50 minutes.

The semi-final match would be Camille's third semi-final  appearance this year.

She made two semi-final appearances at the World Series Finals and the Greenwich Open in January.

In a men's quarter-final match, defending  champion Tarek Momen of Egypt defeated his compatriot  Mazen Hesham Ga Sabry, 11-3, 11-9, 11-6 in just 20 minutes  to bookd his berth in the last four.

England's Peter Baker had beaten Malaysia's Mohd  Nafiizwan Adnan 11-8, 11-0, 7-11 and 11-2 to set up a semifinal clash against Spain's Borja Golan, who defeated  Karim Abdel Gawad of Egypt on 8-11, 11-8, 12-10 and 11-5. - Bernama, September 13, 2013.

Eto’o back with manager he once never wanted

Posted: 13 Sep 2013 08:11 AM PDT

September 13, 2013
Latest Update: September 14, 2013 12:10 am

Striker Samuel Eto'o is likely to make his Chelsea debut in tomorrow's Premier League match against Everton when he embarks on a second stint under Jose Mourinho (pic), a manager he once vowed he would never play for.

Mourinho, who signed Eto'o last month from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala having previously worked with the Cameroonian at Inter Milan, suggested the 32-year-old would see some action at Goodison Park.

"He will be selected," Mourinho, whose side are unbeaten in their opening three league games, told a news conference today.

"When you are selected and you're a striker, normally you play. You start or you finish the game. My attacking players, when I select them, normally they play, because it's an area where I make more changes during the match."

A few years ago, having the Portuguese as his boss was inconceivable for Eto'o, who then went on to play in the 2010 Champions League final when Mourinho's Inter beat Bayern Munich.

"Before meeting at Inter, we didn't know each other personally, so our relationship was tense. I even said one time that I'd never play for a club where Jose was coach," Eto'o told the British newspaper The Sun in comments published today.

"But God knows best. He wanted to show me that I was wrong and today Jose is a friend. Now he's my coach again.

"It's a real pleasure to team up with him once more and join a great team.

"Jose has a real clear idea. He talks straight and it's really important in this business. He's sincere and straightforward."

Mourinho is counting on Eto'o to add experience in front of a young midfield and also provide competition for Fernando Torres and Demba Ba.

"I think he is adapted to the style of play we want in our team, which is a bit contradictory to the general style and philosophy in the Premier League," he added.

"We are not a physical, direct team. We are a team that want to use the qualities of our attacking players in a different way and Samuel is adapted to it.

"Technically he is very good, his movement is very intelligent, he knows exactly the kind of movement he has to do to give continuity to the attacking game, and he has this natural appetite for goals."

With the arrival of Eto'o, Mourinho allowed forward Romelu Lukaku to join Everton on a season-long loan but the Belgian will not feature against Chelsea because of league rules on players facing their parent clubs. - Reuters, September 13, 2013.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz


Chinese e-car set for “Transformers” movie debut

Posted: 13 Sep 2013 01:29 AM PDT

September 13, 2013
Latest Update: September 14, 2013 12:29 am

A Chinese-made car is set to make its international movie debut in the fourth "Transformers" film next year in a product placement aimed at raising the profile of Chinese models abroad.

The Trumpchi E-jet, a sleek, plug-in electric hybrid developed by state-owned Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd (GAC) , will feature in "Transformers: Age of Extinction", the fourth in the popular movie franchise due for release in mid-2014, said two people close to GAC, based in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

The "Transformers" series has previously featured other Chinese brands, including PC and TV makers Lenovo Group Ltd and TCL Corp, and Meters/bonwe, a leading leisurewear brand. The movies are among the most popular to be released in China, with "Transformers 3, Dark of the Moon" grossing $165 million in 2011.

"Product placements with "Transformers" would boost the profile of GAC's car brands both at home and abroad," said one of those close to the carmaker, which has local joint ventures with Fiat SpA, Honda Motor Co Ltd, Toyota Motor Corp and Mitsubishi Motors Corp.

Neither source wanted to be named due to confidentiality agreements they signed in connection with the upcoming film. A spokesperson for Paramount Pictures, the movie's distributor, said the company wouldn't confirm specific brands until nearer the release date. Paramount's local partner, China Movie Channel, declined to comment.

The new movie is being filmed in both the United States and China, with Chinese singer/actor Han Geng making his English-language debut, according to a blog posted on Paramount Pictures' Facebook page.

The film's producer, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, told the Beijing News earlier this month the movie would feature locally-made cars. "The world's coolest, most exciting cars will appear in the film, including Chinese vehicles, so whether you're a car enthusiast or not, it will be a feast for the eyes," he said.

Sales Booster

It wasn't clear if the Trumpchi E-jet would be cast as an heroic 'autobot' or evil 'decepticon' - humanoid robots that turn into familiar machines and mechanical objects - or have a more limited non-transforming, drive-on role.

One of those close to GAC said the firm wouldn't want the E-jet to be cast in an evil role. Ultimately, casting will be down to the movie's director Michael Bay.

Previous "Transformers" movies have featured an 'autobot' called Bumblebee based on the Chevrolet Camaro, prompting the company to bring out a Camaro Transformers Special Edition in 2011, which sold more than 1,500 globally, said Michael Albano, a Chevrolet spokesman in Detroit, adding: "We very much look forward to Camaro reprising its role in the upcoming film."

The E-jet, which GAC showed off at the Detroit auto show in January, is a concept car, which the company currently has no plans to commercialize.

As growth slows in the world's largest auto market from break-neck speeds over the past decade, GAC aims to have exports of its Trumpchi brand account for a fifth of total sales in five years. It currently sells just a few hundred cars overseas. Last year, GAC earned a profit of 1.1 billion yuan on sales of around 13 billion yuan ($2.12 billion).

Other Chinese carmakers such as Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd, Beijing Automotive Group and Warren Buffett-backed BYD Co Ltd are stepping up their export efforts. After years of partnerships with foreign automakers, Chinese firms are promoting their home-grown brands under President Xi Jinping's "Chinese Dream" campaign.

GAC Vice President Xiangdong Huang said this year his company would target emerging markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East with a line-up of no-frills, gasoline-fuelled cars, while pushing its "new energy" models at developed markets such as the United States.

China last year opened its market to more U.S. movies, and the country's box office grew by 36 percent to $2.7 billion, making it Hollywood's largest international market. Also last year, China's privately-owned Dalian Wanda Group, the world's biggest owner of movie theaters, bought U.S. theater chain AMC Entertainment Inc for $2.6 billion. – Reuters, September 13, 2013.

Bowie heads Britain’s Mercury Prize shortlist

Posted: 12 Sep 2013 05:33 PM PDT

September 13, 2013
Latest Update: September 13, 2013 04:33 pm

Rock icon David Bowie's re-emergence into the limelight continued on Wednesday when he was named on the shortlist for the Mercury Prize, one of Britain's most prestigious music awards.

The winners of the award, for the best British or Irish album of any genre released in the year to July, will be announced at a ceremony in London on October 30.

Also on the list are former winner Arctic Monkeys, folk singers Jake Bugg and Laura Marling and Oxford art-rockers Foals.

The victors, chosen by an independent panel of judges, will join an exclusive club of past winners including Portishead, Pulp and Franz Ferdinand.

Bowie reconquered his home charts in March by scoring his first number one album in 20 years with "The Next Day".

Bowie surprised the music world by breaking a decade-long musical silence in January when he unveiled a new single entitled "Where Are We Now?" to coincide with his 66th birthday - his first release since the 2003 studio album "Reality".

Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys, winners in 2006, said they were "delighted and hugely flattered" at being nominated for their latest release, "AM", while Jake Bugg's self-titled album secured his first nomination.

Two-time former nominee Laura Marling makes the list again for "Once I Was an Eagle" Bowie and the Arctic Monkeys emerged as early favourites with British bookmakers.

The Mercury Prize organisers claim it is Europe's top arts award in terms of influence and media coverage. Winning, or even being shortlisted, usually sparks a surge in sales.

The prize is known for representing an eclectic range of styles, but usually leans towards indie and rock music.

Simon Frith, chair of the judging panel, described the list as the culmination of "a fascinating year for British and Irish music.

"You don't have Adele and all her imitators in the charts, so it's kind of an open field," he added. Leeds indie band Alt-J scooped last year's prize.

Shortlist:

Arctic Monkeys - "AM"

David Bowie - "The Next Day"

Disclosure - "Settle"

Foals - "Holy Fire"

Jake Bugg - "Jake Bugg"

James Blake - "Overgrown"

Jon Hopkins - "Immunity"

Laura Marling - "Once I Was An Eagle"

Laura Mvula - "Sing to the Moon"

Rudimental - "Home"

Savages - "Silence Yourself"

Villagers - "Awayland"

– AFP/Relaxnews, September 13, 2013.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features


To help kids shed weight, change up the family routine: study

Posted: 12 Sep 2013 08:21 PM PDT

September 13, 2013
Latest Update: September 13, 2013 07:21 pm

To help kids fight the battle of the bulge, a new study suggests changing up household routines with a few simple strategies. In a new study published online September 9 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, US and Canadian researchers implemented a home-based intervention to help young kids lose weight, by curbing TV time, increasing sleep time, and encouraging families to dine together, LiveScience reports.

While childhood obesity is looming large around the globe, the US is especially struggling: some 17 percent of US children are obese, with the problem particularly acute among minority groups and low-income families, the report added.

One solution: a holistic lifestyle change, Aaron Carroll, a pediatric obesity expert who penned an editorial to the study, suggested to LiveScience.

"Rather than drill down to a specific eating or exercise change, creating a healthier household may be a better way not only to improve weight, but overall physical and mental health as well," he wrote in the editorial.

In the study, researchers from Harvard Medical School and Ontario's University of Guelph enlisted 121 families with overweight kids in a six-month study, with 59 families assigned to a control group. Prior to the study, all of the children slept in a room with a television.

In the intervention group, families received in-home counseling about healthy habits, and children increased their sleep by a half hour per day, cut down their television time by one hour per day, and in turn reduced their body mass index (BMI) by 20 percent. Children in the control group increased their BMI by 20 percent. In a separate 2012 study from Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana, researchers found that televisions in bedrooms can put kids at greater risk of obesity. A separate 2011 study in the journal Pediatric Obesity also found that electronic devices -- TVs, computers, and mobile phones -- in kids' bedrooms are linked with both poor sleep and obesity. – AFP/Relaxnews, September 13, 2013.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion


Apa pilihan lain selesai isu Syria?

Posted: 12 Sep 2013 05:05 PM PDT

September 13, 2013

Haji Subky Abdul Latif seorang penulis bebas dan tinggal di Kuala Lumpur. Seorang pendiam, dia gemar meneliti perangai manusia dan berita politik di Malaysia.

Apa sudahnya dengan krisis – perang saudara – Syria yang sudah melewati dua tahun dengan mengorbankan ribuan nyawa, puluh ribu cedera, jutaan rakyat menjadi pelarian di negara jiran? Gara-gara huru-hara itu seluruh rakyat menderita.

Berbagai-bagai usaha damai diikhtiarkan, namun tidak nampak ia dapat diredakan. Turki yang rapat dengan Presiden Basher Assad sebelum kebangkitan rakyat habis ikhtiar memujuk diktator Syria itu supaya berundur kerana tiada cara bagi menyelesaikan huru-hara itu selain daripada Basher berundur.

Akhirnya Turki terpaksa bersama dunia menentang Basher kerana selagi Basher di situ, bukan saja perang berterusan, bahkan Turki tidak berkesudahan menanggung beban pengungsi dari Syria yang berjuta di wilayahnya.

PBB penat. Ia menghantar dua pendamai diplomat yang berpengalaman bermula dengan Kofi Annan, masing-masing balik dengan tangan kosong.

Usaha terakhir sekarang ialah resolusi Barrak Obama mahu serangan dilancarkan terhadap kedudukan Basher. Obama muncul sebagai pahlawan anti perang Amerika di Iraq dan Afghanistan. Pada masa dia hampir mengosongkan tenteranya di Iraq dan Afghanistan, dia pula mahu menyerang Syria yang dijangka mengulang tragedi di Iraq dan Afghanistan.

Rata-rata dunia termasuk rakyat Amerika sendiri tidak merestui penglibatan tentera Amerika di Syria. Obama seolah-olah keseorangan sekarang.

Sebagaimana semua mengutuk campur tangan Amerika di Mesir dan di mana saja di dunia selama ini, maka sentimen sama tentang resolusi Obama itu. Turki yang menentang Amerika masuk Iraq, Afghanistan serta campur tangannya mengguling Mursi adalah bersama Amerika dalam menghadapi isu Syria.

Kita di Malaysia sejak pergolakan Syria bermula lebih ramai yang tidak memihak kepada regimnya. Tiada pelajar Malaysia di Syria menyokong Basher. Semuanya mengira Basher kejam.

Kejamnya sama seperti bedebah Hosni Mubarak. Bezanya Mubarak menjadi boneka Amerika dan Israel. Basher seteru utama Israel dan Amerika.

Sasaran utama Mubarak selain rakyatnya ialah pejuang Ikhwanul Muslimin. Sasaran keluarga Basher ialah majoriti rakyat yang terdiri daripada Islam Sunni. Regim Basher sejak Parti Baath pimpinan bapanya berkuasa disokong oleh manoriti Alawiyah-Syiah yang 20 peratus saja dari rakyat Syria.

Golongan Alawiyah inilah yang menguasai semua kedudukan penting pemerintahan baik awam mahupun tentera. Rata-rata Sunni sebagai gorka saja.

Rata-rata anti Amerika dan Israel bersama regim Syria kerana ia anti tegar Israel dan Amerika, tetapi layanannya terhadap rakyat Sunni tidak banyak beza Israel dan Amerika terhadap Islam.

Apabila rakyat Syria mula bangun, sebelum Amerika menunjukkan sikap bersungguhnya, majoriti umat Islam dunia mengharapkan perubahan di Syria. Sekalipun Turki baik dengan Basher tetapi rakyat Turki adalah bersama majoriti rakyat Syria yang tertindas.

Apabila Obama mengugut untuk menyerang kedudukan Basher dunia tidak sekata, bahkan orang Malaysia juga tidak suka campur tangan Amerika itu seperti tidak setuju campur  tangan Amerika di mana-mana.

Puncak pada krisis itu ialah penggunaan senjata kimia. Tiada yang lebih kejam selian dari menghujankan bumi dengan senjata kimia. Pandangan umum dunia penggunaan senjata beracun itu adalah angkara tentera Basher. Turki sendiri bimbang orang gila yang berkrisis itu akan menggugurkan kimia itu ke buminya.

Rakyat Syria yang menderita mengharapkan pembelaan supaya perang itu dihentikan. Tiada yang dapat membantu rayuan rakyat Syria itu.

Kita simpati kepada rakyat yang sengsara itu, kita tolak campur tangan asing seperti yang  dihendaki Amerika. Tetapi tiada cara perang itu dapat diselesaikan. Sekalian yang sengsara mahu kes mereka diselesaikan. Resolusi yang ada sekarang hanya cadangan Obama. Kita tolak hasrat Obama tetapi tidak tahu bila perang akan selesai.

Kita tentang campur tangan asing untuk menghapuskan Ghadafi, tetapi tiada cara lain hal Libya dapat diselesaikan selagi Ghadafi ada. Rakyat Syria melihat Libya mula ada penyelesaian atas campur tangan asing bagi mengakhiri zaman kejam Ghadafi.

Apa pilihan rakyat Syria untuk selesai selain dari resolusi Obama? Kita simpati atas nasib rakyat Syria tetapi yang sengsara itu lebih merasa peritnya. – 13 September, 2013.

* Ini adalah pendapat peribadi penulis dan tidak semestinya mewakili pandangan The Malaysian Insider.

Learn to swim if you don’t want to sink

Posted: 12 Sep 2013 03:58 PM PDT

September 13, 2013
Latest Update: September 13, 2013 02:58 pm

Zan Azlee is a documentary filmmaker, journalist, writer, New Media practitioner and lecturer. He runs Fat Bidin Media www.fatbidin.com

The Bumiputeras of Malaysia. The princes of the land. The race that has the ruling blood flowing through it's veins. The rightful owner of Malaysia. Or so they say.

Before I continue, let me declare that although I know that the term Bumiputera also defines those of the indigenous ethnicities in Malaysia, I am specifically only refering to the Malays in this article.

Always behind and always needing help ever since the dawn of Malaysia, it cannot be denied the Malays are a very unique race indeed.

For the sake of harmony and equality, affirmative action was put in place in the state system so that the Malays could prosper along with the other races in Malaysia.

They were given all kinds of handouts such as land, property, university quotas, corporate quotas and even literally cash (as in the case of Bumiputera handouts).

The objective was to give an advantage to the lagging Malays so they could then compete on an equal level with the rest of Malaysia.

It's like a handicap in the sport of golf. Someone who isn't as good would have a higher handicap so he or she could compete on an equal footing with someone better and who have a lower handicap.

The objective of this affirmative action was to provide the Malays with the essential confidence and know-how to finally compete on equal footing.

Like in the sport of golf, the main objective of a player is to finally turn professional and not have a handicap at all. That is when you know you are at par with the best.

Now that the country is turning 50 years old, one would wonder how strange it is that this Bumiputera affirmative action plan is stil in place. You mean after 50 years, the Malays still need a handicap?

I guess they have gotten accustomed to all the handouts that they are now spoilt and cannot survive without these handouts to help them along.

But what else is new in what I am saying? People have been harping on this matter for many years and still nothing is being done about it.

The Malays feel like they deserve the sky and the moon, while the other races in Malaysia feel neglected and bertrayed in their own country.

You would think that after 50 years have gone by, the Malays, or even Malaysia as a whole, would have progressed and moved on.

But no. The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has just declared that to take the place of the old affirmative action bible, he will announce new policies that aims to further help Bumiputeras.

According to the Prime Minister, Bumiputera participation in many sectors such as medicine and law have increased and so has it in many corporate sectors as well. However, it can still improve.

The new policies have also been mentioned by Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, as focusing on increasing equity and property ownership among Bumiputeras and human capital development.

I am all for this idea, but by having it implemented as a state-sanctioned form of encouragement only means that other races will be sidelined.

This is just like how the Chinese community feel. And does it actually mean that all Bumiputeras will benefit or only a certain few will?

During the last general election, I spoke to representatives of the taxi driving community and they reminded me that Bumiputera policies have led to several companies benefiting from taxi licenses rather than being more holistic and spreading the wealth amongst individuals.

Teraju Stakeholder Management Senior Director, Norizan Sharif, said that policies have meant that Bumiputeras have been successful in Malaysia, but now it has to up the level and make them competitive in the global arena.

So what should the Malaysian government do? Create international laws so Bumiputeras can have quotas and subsidies around the world as well, so they have "equal footing"?

I strongly believe that if the Bumiputeras were to be given an advantage in any field or sector, the best way is to educate them and make them strong.

And to do that is by taking away the crutches that have held them up for so long. Let them learn to fall and fail and rise up to be stronger. If you do not want to sink and drown, then you are forced to learn how to swim, right? - September 13, 2013.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa

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Utusan Malaysia lambang kejayaan Melayu, kata Najib

Posted: 13 Sep 2013 02:23 AM PDT

OLEH MOHD FARHAN DARWIS
September 13, 2013
Latest Update: September 13, 2013 06:01 pm

Akhbar milik Umno, Utusan Malaysia adalah lambang kejayaan bangsa Melayu di negara ini kata Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Najib menyifatkan sejak 70 tahun penubuhan akhbar berkenaan ia bertujuan untuk memperjuangkan komuniti Melayu.

"Jika Utusan sebagai suara lidah keramat Melayu, lambang imej Utusan juga lambang kejayaan orang Melayu," kata Najib dalam ucapan perasmian bangunan baru akhbar berkenaan di Kuala Lumpur hari ini.

Jelas Najib, Utusan ditubuhkan atas semangat kebangsaan yang tinggi dan sejarah membuktikan ia lahir atas jerih perih masyarakat Melayu.

"Peranan Utusan Malaysia diakui membuka minda rakyat kepada maklumat mutakhir ... memang benar jika dilihat sejarah, Utusan adalah milik Melayu yg begitu berjasa kepada negara," kata Najib, dan juga Pengerusi Umno.

Umno adalah pemegang saham majoriti Utusan Malaysia selepas diambil alih pada tahun 1961 walaupun mendapatkan bantahan termasuk mogok pekerja akhbar itu.

Najib dalam ucapan perasmiannya turut menggesa agar syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC) dan syarikat milik Melayu dan Bumiputera untuk membeli iklan daripada akhbar berkenaan bagi membantu kelangsungan mereka.

"Saya harap kepada badan kerajaan, GLC,dan syarikat Bumiputera mereka menghargai Utusan dengan pengiklanan lebih kepada Utusan. Ini sahaja dapat letakkan Utusan di atas landasan lebih kukuh," katanya.

Najib turut menambah, sebagai ketua kerajaan, beliau yakin, peranan akhbar berkenaan akan akhirnya membawa kepada pengukuhan Malaysia sebagai negara bangsa.

Utusan sebelum ini menimbulkan kontroversi apabila laporan muka hadapan akhbar berkenaan memaparkan tajuk "Apa Lagi Cina Mahu" sejurus selepas Pilihan Raya Umum 2013.

Laporan berkenaan menimbulkan reaksi negatif pelbagai pihak yang mengkritik penerbitan berkenaan.

Kenyataan Najib itu dilihat sebagai restu kerajaan kepada akhbar berhaluan kanan itu.

Perdana menteri itu juga turut berkata, pihaknya akan menukar nama Jalan Enam di hadapan bangunan baru Utusan Melayu kepada Jalan Utusan, bersempena dengan nama syarikat penerbitan tersebut. - 13 September, 2013. – 13 September, 2013.

13 dipenjara, denda RM5,000 kerana menentang “rampasan kuasa” Perak 2009

Posted: 13 Sep 2013 01:30 AM PDT

September 13, 2013

Menteri Besar Perak, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.Menteri Besar Perak, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.Mahkaman Sesyen hari ini mensabitkan 13 individu yang menyertai perhimpunan di Masjid Ubudiah, Bukit Chandan di Kuala Kangsar, Perak semasa majlis angkat sumpah Menteri Besar Perak, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir empat tahun lalu, bersalah dan dijatuhkan hukuman penjara dua tahun dan masing-masing didenda RM5,000.

Mereka yang didakwa pada 6 Februari 2009 itu ialah Bad Latif Mansor, 47; Suhana Abdullah; Meor Safizal Meor Mohamed Amin, 38; Mohd Faiz Mohd Arshad, 26; Zulhaizam Zulkifli, 29; Isha Riduan Ishak, 59; Adi Hilmee Mohd Nasir, 44; Yusoff Jaafar, 48; Idris Mohd Thaib; Nazir Hamid, Mohd Hasri Ismail dan Mohamed Ismail, 47.

Hakim Norsalha Hamzah memerintahkan hukuman penjara itu berkuat kuasa serta-merta hari ini.

Beliau juga memerintahkan semua tertuduh menjalani hukuman penjara tambahan lima bulan jika gagal membayar denda itu.

Pada Pilihan Raya 2008, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) memenangi negeri Perak dengan majoriti tipis, dengan 32 kerusi berbanding BN 27.

Seorang Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) kemudian kembali menyertai Barisan Nasional (BN) sementara tiga ahli PR menggelarkan diri mereka sebagai bebas dan menyokong BN.

Menteri besar pada ketika itu, Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin kemudian memohon Sultan Perak Sultan Azlan Shah membubarkan Dewan Undangan Negeri, namun Sultan bertitah supaya Nizar dan excBekas Menteri Besar Perak, Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.Bekas Menteri Besar Perak, Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.onya meletak jawatan.

Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir dari Umno kemudiannya dipanggil Sultan untuk menubuhkan kerajaan, dan mengangkat sumpah pada 6 Februari 2009.

Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur memerintahkan pada Mei 2009 pengambilalihan kuasa itu sebagai "tidak sah", tetapi keputusan tersebut ditolak oleh Mahkamah Rayuan pada Februari 2010. – 13 September, 2013.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com
 

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