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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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3 Egg Vegetable - an eggs-tatic combination Posted: 20 Sep 2013 08:03 PM PDT [unable to retrieve full-text content]As you may have guessed from the name of this dish, it is a beautiful combination of spinach and three different types of eggs to be precise: chicken egg, century egg and salted duck egg. I'm sure you're familiar with chicken egg, but century egg? Also known commonly as hundred-year egg, or alkalized egg, this preserved egg is a Chinese...

Sweet on Breton crepes Posted: 20 Sep 2013 04:01 PM PDT BY EU HOOI KHAW September 21, 2013 Latest Update: September 21, 2013 01:03 pm La Breitz Burger - a deconstructed burger on a crepe - tasted so good.IT'S my second time at the newly opened La Creperie de Caroline in Bangsar, and I asked the owner Caroline Broutin to suggest what we should order from the a la carte menu. "The La Breitz Burger is the most popular here," she said. We took that, and my curiosity was piqued by the very name of the crepe. It was a thin brown crepe, with six corners folded up in a hexagonal shape and marked with parsley. On top of it was a ring of cooked tomatoes, followed by another of onions, then sautéed minced beef, and a runny egg in the centre. It was filled with a thin layer of melted emmental cheese as well. It was brilliant – the colours, the shape and the ingredients. There was a lovely, buttery aroma as the crepe was brought to the table. It was excellent – the sweet onions, soft tomato, the luscious egg, small knobs of crispy minced beef on a soft crepe, touching the cheese as I took a bite. The "Burger Crepe" came with a bowl of salad with all the requisite greens, julienned beetroot, onions, shavings of cheese, pine nuts and sundried tomato tossed in a light vinaigrette. This salad is served with all the crepes, giving it that healthy balance. We drank a toast to this fine and delicious crepe with a glass of sparkling wine with Monin strawberry syrup. The sparkling wine was part of a lunch set which we had also settled on. At RM49+, we could have one savoury crepe and one sweet crepe together with this wine, or an ice lemon tea. La Stanislas - with ratatouille and goat cheese.We chose the La Stanislas Crepe with Ratatouille, Goat Cheese and salad, and the Home-made Salted Butter Caramel, which was the sweet crepe. There was a nice, salty tang from the goat cheese tucked in the folds of the crepe, contrasting with the mild, sweet and moist ratatouille of eggplant, onions and red peppers. There were punches of flavour in the incredibly light crepe. Our sweet crepe for this lunch set was the Homemade Salted Butter Caramel. It was divine – the crepe dripping with sweet caramel with salty and toffee-ish nuances. It was so wonderfully buttery. The other choice of sweet crepe was one filled with chocolate and whipped cream. Homemade Salted Butter Caramel - oozing with the buttery sweet sauce tinged with salt.This is the second time I had the Salted Butter Caramel Crepe and it's still unforgettable. On my first visit I had the La Pont Aven that had leek fondue, scallops and shrimps. The creamy and mellow leek fondue complemented well the fine crepe, as well as the plump scallop and sweet shrimps. Caroline Broutin - the woman behind La Creperie de Caroline.I asked Caroline what makes a good crepe. "It's a good flour, butter, a family recipe and patience," she said. She comes from Lille, near Brittany in northwest France, where her family owns a creperie. "I make the crepes myself.  I use French Lescure butter which makes a big difference to the crepe, and buckwheat flour from Brittany. It makes the crepe brown and very soft," she said. Breton crepes are well-known in France, and in Brittany they are usually downed with a pint of cider. This lovely waffle will be on the menu in two weeks' time.La Creperie de Caroline has waffles too. It's a waffle to die for – crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside, with that delicious buttery and eggy aroma. It's served with salted caramel. Response has been good for La Creperie de Caroline, but 60 per cent of them think it's a dessert place. "It takes time for the customers to get used to a savoury crepe," said Caroline. I would come back for more of the savoury crepes, and there are enough varieties of these to keep me interested and happy. The savoury crepes are from RM27 (for the La Stanislas on the a la carte menu), RM32 for the La Breitz Burger and La Pont Aven.  The Salted Butter Caramel is RM21. The restaurant is open throughout the day, from 11am to midnight. At tea time you can have a sweet crepe and hot chocolate for just RM19. La Creperie de Caroline is located at 33 Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru,  Kuala Lumpur 59100, Tel: 03-2202 0238 – September 21, 2013. Inside La Creperie de Caroline.

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Mourinho says Chelsea have to change but no crisis Posted: 20 Sep 2013 08:36 AM PDT September 20, 2013 Latest Update: September 21, 2013 07:36 am Two bad results do not make a crisis but Chelsea must break with the past and change their style of play to get back on top in the Premier League and Europe, manager Jose Mourinho (pic) said today. Chelsea suffered a shock 2-1 home defeat to Swiss side Basel in their opening Champions League group game in midweek, which followed a 1-0 loss to Everton in the Premier League last Saturday. Before that, they lost the European Super Cup on penalties to Bayern Munich and Chelsea's start to the season is now their worst in a decade. Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday's West London derby at home to Fulham, the Portuguese said he had to agree with some of the criticism levelled at his side but played down talk of a crisis. "I'm worried because I lost and I don't want to lose, but again this is the way it happens sometimes. For me there is no crisis - it's just two bad results," he said. "It's not the way you start the season but the way you finish." On past form, Saturday should end the sequence for the former European champions. Fulham have not won a top flight league game at Stamford Bridge since 1964, when the late England manager Bobby Robson was playing for them. Mourinho, the 'Special One' in his second stint at Chelsea, pointed out that all of the top six in the Premiership - with the exception of leaders Liverpool - had also lost once in the league this season. "I don't like the way Chelsea were playing the last couple of years; the club doesn't like it and we want to change," he said. "We want to play a different style. The past is history - even my past. I'm here like I've just arrived. "People were asking if I wanted Didier (Drogba) here but that's history and we need to change. I agree we must have better results and we are not the kind of club who will wait three to five years for that to happen. We want them to play in a certain way now." Mourinho said critics were bound to speak up when results went against Chelsea but he would not be swayed. "I know the steps I have to take; when you want to build something different, the players are adapted and comfortable - it is more difficult," he said. "If you want to do something different and the results are not good, there will be question marks. If someone expects me to play against Fulham with nine players behind the ball and wait for them to make a mistake and win 1-0, then I will not go home happy." Mourinho, who left captain John Terry on the bench in midweek, said after the Basel defeat that his talented but young team needed to show more emotional maturity. On Friday he recognised he did not know how long the transformation would take. "We have a lot to do. The work I have to do does not sell papers - big defeats and big victories do - but the only thing I can do is to have belief in my players and wait for the results to come," he said. Fernando Torres, who did not play in midweek, could feature from the start up front against Fulham. - Reuters, September 20, 2013.

Seven athletes tested positive at world championships Posted: 20 Sep 2013 08:27 AM PDT September 20, 2013 Latest Update: September 21, 2013 07:27 am Seven athletes failed drugs tests at last month's Moscow world championships, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced today. Ukraine's Roman Avramenko, fifth in the men's javelin, was the only finalist to test positive. The seven, who were named on the IAAF website (www.iaaf.org), have been sanctioned or provisionally suspended, the sport's governing body said. Urine tests were taken from 538 athletes during competition and 132 in the runup to the championships. "All urine samples collected in Moscow will shortly be transferred to long-term storage facilities provided by the Lausanne laboratory for eventual re-analyses at a later stage," an IAAF statement said. As part of the Athlete Biological Passport programme, 1,919 blood samples were also collected in Moscow. The programme tracks athletes' blood data over time to detect any abnormalities. - Reuters, September 20, 2013.

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Syrian rebels upset with US after chemical weapons deal Posted: 20 Sep 2013 01:47 AM PDT September 20, 2013 Latest Update: September 21, 2013 12:47 am The Syrian opposition feels badly let down by Washington's decision to do a deal with Moscow to eliminate Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons but diplomats are warning the Syrian National Coalition that it risks losing Western support if it cannot adapt to new realities. The rift that has alienated the Syrian opposition from the United States threatens to derail international efforts to end the two and a half year civil war, diplomatic and opposition sources said. It comes as the war has turned into a something of a stalemate on the battlefield and the rebels had been looking to the United States to tilt the balance in their favour by intervening militarily to punish Assad for using chemical weapons. The behind the scenes dispute, in which Saudi Arabia and Turkey appear to be siding with the opposition, developed last week as the United States and Russia made their deal to destroy Assad's chemical arsenal following a nerve gas attack on rebel areas of Damascus that killed hundreds, the sources said. The agreement, from which the United States hopes a wider political settlement can emerge, has reduced the likelihood of a US strike on Assad's forces that the opposition had hoped would weaken him militarily and force him to attend a planned new peace conference. The opposition is therefore furious that Washington suddenly and without its knowledge changed course a week after informing leaders of the main Syrian National Coalition that a strike was imminent, according to coalition members. In the opposition's view, the deal with Russia contains a de facto admission of the legitimacy of the Assad government, undermining the goal of Syrian uprising and the likelihood that any peace talks will result in Assad's removal. US President Barack Obama said this week that while it was still his goal to "transition" Assad out of power, dealing with his chemical weapons would come first. Diplomats who monitored a major opposition meeting in Istanbul at the weekend said a lack of flexibility by the coalition in the way it deals with the changing diplomatic priorities, as spelled out by Obama, could rob the opposition of Western support. Mounting chaos The Arab- and Western-backed Free Syrian Army needs what friends it can get as it struggles to deal with mounting chaos in rebel areas. Al Qaeda-linked groups, ostensibly opposed to the Assad government, are also fighting against the mainstream Syrian rebels and have even defeated FSA units. The worsening outlook for the opposition, and the rift with Washington, became clear at its meeting in Istanbul, when US diplomats did not show up. Western diplomats who were there criticised the opposition's clumsily negative reaction to the chemical weapons deal, which has been largely supported by the international community. "The coalition just has to make the right noises and realise that there is a big powers game going on," one diplomat said. "They cannot ignore that the removal of Assad's chemical weapons is a good thing and the people in Ghouta are probably sleeping better now," the diplomat said, referring to the site of the August 21 chemical attack. "Otherwise our parliaments will not keep giving us the mandate to support the Syrian opposition forever. We're already having to convince lawmakers that not every other Syrian is an al Qaeda member." A senior opposition official acknowledged that the coalition's meeting, which concluded on Monday, did not come up with any new strategy. The opposition was still reeling from the U.S.-Russian deal, which he described as "slap in the face" for the coalition. "The Americans did not even bother to send a single diplomat to inform us what they were doing with the Russians," the opposition official said. "The Gulf States cannot say it openly but there is a tendency developing to ignore the Americans and a big gap now between the Americans on one side and the Saudis, the Turks and the Emiratis. Even Qatar is not pleased with the deal, as if the problem was chemical weapons, not the Assad regime," he added. Gulf countries have been the main financial backers of the opposition, providing weapons to rebel brigades via Turkey. In a further sign of difficulties with Washington, the coalition elected moderate Islamist Ahmad Tumeh as provisional prime minister, shortly after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called coalition president Ahmad Jarba and asked him not to pursue the issue for now, coalition sources said. Human rights Under Tumeh, a 48-year-old dentist who has served time in Assad's jails for defending human rights, a provisional government set up by the opposition would clash with the big powers' plans for a transitional administration. On Sunday, the coalition issued a declaration all but denouncing the Russian-US deal, saying it had already encouraged Assad to order massive bombing of rebel areas. The deal undermined the proposed Geneva peace talks because it "gave the regime an opportunity to regroup militarily", the statement said. With the opposition increasingly reluctant to go to Geneva, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said it was time to force them to attend. But senior coalition member Anas Al-Abdah said the opposition cannot go to Geneva without Assad honouring an earlier plan brokered by former U.N. envoy Kofi Annan. This includes releasing political prisoners, withdrawing heavy weapons from cities and allowing peaceful protests -- conditions diplomats say could bring down Assad. In early sign of difficulties ahead, Assad's foreign minister, Walid Moualem, said in June the authorities were ready to form a government of national unity but would not "head to Geneva to hand over power to another side", in an indication that Assad was not planning to give up control. Western diplomats based in the Middle East said while the West shared the opposition's concern that Assad was not serious about a political settlement, the coalition could not ignore the United States and just depend on the Gulf for support. "The opposition needs to realise that the United States is ready to strike at the first sign of Assad reneging. They need to develop a strategy. They cannot just think they are the only game in town and the United States cannot move without them," a Western official said. Fawaz Tello, a veteran opposition campaigner, said that if it is to be credible, the opposition needs to answer the big questions: What would a Syria without Assad look like, how should it handle the humanitarian crisis, and how can it unite the military struggle against Assad. - Reuters, September 20, 2012.

“Perfect” white diamond unveiled in Hong Kong Posted: 19 Sep 2013 06:33 PM PDT September 20, 2013 Latest Update: September 20, 2013 05:33 pm A "perfect" white diamond which is expected to fetch a record price of up to $35 million when it is auctioned in Hong Kong next month made its first appearance in the city yesterday. The egg-shaped 118.28-carat "Magnificent Oval Diamond" - the largest of its kind - stunned onlookers at a preview and could set a new record for the amount fetched by a white diamond at auction. Although the official estimate is set between $28 and $35 million, Sotheby's says it could command more when it goes under the hammer at the auction house in Hong Kong on October 7. The current record is $26.74 million. "It's a perfect diamond. There's not a better diamond ever offered anywhere in the world," Sotheby's Asia Deputy Head of Jewellery Department Terry Chu told AFP. The stone, described by Sotheby's as "the largest D colour flawless diamond" has the highest quality rating awarded by the Gemological Institute of America, she said. "D colour" diamonds are rare and colourless, fetching premium prices. "We can very confidently believe that this diamond should go at what we expected or has a good chance to go beyond what we expected," Chu said. The sparkling, translucent stone was unveiled to a packed press conference at Sotheby's office in central Hong Kong. The auction is expected to attract an international group of collectors, with the diamond already showcased in London, New York and Geneva. It will also be exhibited in Doha before the sale. "At this level, it's going to be a very international group of collectors or clientele that will be looking to acquire this amazing stone," Sotheby's Chairman of International Jewellery for Asia, Quek Chin Yeow, said. A "Premier Blue Diamond" at 7.59-carat which is expected to fetch up to $19 million, and two jadeite bead necklaces from the Chinese republican period, worth up to $3.8 million are also for sale. Hong Kong, already an auction hub thanks to growing wealth in China and other parts of the region, is increasingly becoming a centre for jewellery. The "Magnificent Oval Diamond" was discovered in a deep mine in an undisclosed southern African country in 2011. "It takes over two years to slowly look at the stone and to maximise the weight, to cut and to polish it," Quek said. "It really is man and nature combined to make such a beautiful object." – AFP/Relaxnews, September 20, 2013.

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‘W is for Wasted’ tops US bestsellers list Posted: 20 Sep 2013 01:13 AM PDT September 20, 2013 Latest Update: September 20, 2013 04:41 pm Sue Grafton's newest mystery novel, "W is for Wasted," debuted at the top of the US bestsellers fiction list on Thursday. The list is compiled using data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide. Hardcover Fiction 1. W Is for Wasted by Sue Grafton 2. Never Go Back by Lee Child 3. The Mayan Secrets by Clive Cussler/Thomas Perry 4. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith 5. Inferno by Dan Brown 6. Second Watch by J.A. Jance 7. Robert B. Parker's Damned If You Do by Michael Brandman 8. Mistress by James Patterson and David Ellis 9. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini 10.Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon Hardcover Non-Fiction 1. Si-Cology 1 by Si Robertson 2. Still Foolin' 'Em by Billy Crystal 3. The Liberty Amendments by Mark R. Levin 4. Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson 5. Zealot by Reza Aslan 6. Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman 7. Wilson by A. Scott Berg 8. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg 9. The Duck Commander Family by Willie & Korie Robertson 10.God Is Not Mad at You by Joyce Meyer

‘W is for Wasted’ tops US bestsellers list Posted: 20 Sep 2013 01:12 AM PDT September 20, 2013 Latest Update: September 20, 2013 04:41 pm Sue Grafton's newest mystery novel, "W is for Wasted," debuted at the top of the US bestsellers fiction list on Thursday. The list is compiled using data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide. Hardcover Fiction 1. W Is for Wasted by Sue Grafton 2. Never Go Back by Lee Child 3. The Mayan Secrets by Clive Cussler/Thomas Perry 4. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith 5. Inferno by Dan Brown 6. Second Watch by J.A. Jance 7. Robert B. Parker's Damned If You Do by Michael Brandman 8. Mistress by James Patterson and David Ellis 9. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini 10.Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon Hardcover Non-Fiction 1. Si-Cology 1 by Si Robertson 2. Still Foolin' 'Em by Billy Crystal 3. The Liberty Amendments by Mark R. Levin 4. Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson 5. Zealot by Reza Aslan 6. Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman 7. Wilson by A. Scott Berg 8. Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg 9. The Duck Commander Family by Willie & Korie Robertson 10.God Is Not Mad at You by Joyce Meyer

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Ask Lord Bobo: Are Malaysian courts now upholding justice? And boring Umno stuff Posted: 19 Sep 2013 04:32 PM PDT September 20, 2013 Latest Update: September 20, 2013 03:32 pm Ask Lord Bobo is a weekly column by LoyarBurok where all your profound, abstruse, erudite, hermetic, recondite, sagacious, and other thesaurus-described queries are answered. Free Your Mind! Lord Bobo, we've recently seen some very brave judgements coming out of our courts when it comes to religious cases. Does this now mean that we can rely on our courts to uphold justice, even in sensitive cases like these? (Upholding Justice, via email) We have previously pointed out our good friend and pupil Aristotle's famous saying on this, where he babbled on a bit about a swallow and how just one of those swallows does not necessary mean it's summer. A recent judgment on religious freedom emanates from one Justice Lee Swee Seng in the Ipoh High Court, where he quashed the conversion certificates of three children who had been converted to Islam by their father without their mother's consent. The Judge said that the mother had to give her consent, and more importantly, also said that the children themselves needed to have been present at their conversion, and needed to have uttered the two Affirmations of Faith understanding their meaning and implications, and with free will. You can read more about this judgment here. And yes, Justice Zaleha Yusof in the Kuala Lumpur High Court also unbanned the Malay translation of Irshad Manji's Allah, Liberty & Love. In doing so, the Court pointed out the incongruity of the Home Minister considering only Malay speakers as being easily prone to religious confusion, and anyway said that "leading to confusion" was not a public order issue. These are promising signs. Lord Bobo has some hope for the Malaysian judiciary. But we must remember that the Malaysian judiciary suffers from a systemic flaw. Article 121 (1) of your Federal Constitution was amended in 1988 by Malaysia's wonderful Dr Mahathir. (By the way, this is the same Dr Mahathir who was recently awarded the Lifetime Campaigner for Global Peace award by the Mahathir Global Peace Foundation. Perhaps it was the way Mahathir conducted Operasi Lalang in 1987, and the stories of torture in detention at Kamunting undergone by detainees that was so peaceful? Endless possibilities.) Anyway, Article 121(1) of Malaysia's Federal Constitution previously enshrined the concept of judicial independence and impartiality. In 1988, Mahathir got that provision amended (whilst much of the opposition was languishing in Kamunting in the aforesaid Ops Lalang) so that the judiciary now only had powers granted to it by Parliament. Which in Malaysia, means powers bestowed upon it by the prime minister and Cabinet. It was in 1988 as well that DMahathir sacked 3 judges, including the top judge then, Tun Salleh Abbas. Many claim this was done because the judges were becoming increasingly independent, and because Tun Salleh Abbas had convened a full panel of nine Judges to hear the case where Umno had been declared illegal (paving the way for Mahathir to form Umno Baru). So now, more than a generation of judges have been appointed and have acted with the idea that their powers are limited to what Parliament says they have, instead of Malaysia's original conception of an independent judiciary vested with judicial power. Lone dissenting voices in the judiciary who maintain that the judiciary's power remains unsullied are drowned out by a cacophony of men and women who are hard-pressed ever to find anything wrong done by the Government. The other point is how Judges are appointed and promoted. The Bar Council, always poking their noses into affairs concerning the rule of law (perhaps trying to show that lawyers really care about such things instead of accumulating Rolex and Mercedes) has pointed out that the Judicial Appointments Commission we now have is inadequate. For Malaysia to truly have an independent judiciary, first Article 121(1) of the Federal Constitution must be restored to its position before 1988, and a more independent Judicial Appointments Commission must be implemented. Then we can start taking the first steps on what will be a long journey to get a judiciary fit for the galaxy. Lord Bobo, excited over the upcoming Umno General Assembly? (Politico, via email) Who really cares? Conquering the galaxy is much more interesting. You see some of the younger politicians trying to be heroes by criticising Umno publicly to get the progressives on their side. In response, the established order criticises the younger ones and say there is no problem with the party. Then there are those who will vote for your prime minister. Yes, Umno votes for YOUR Prime Minister, believe or not. If you are not one of the lucky ones sent to the General Assembly, you have no say in who leads Malaysia. What General Election? The now widely-implied fact of corrupt practices saw a change in how delegates will vote. It is much harder to bribe more people. Whoever came up with this idea is a genius. Regardless, the sad fact is we will read, hear and see the same old speeches about championing one race and religion at the Assembly. His Supreme Eminenceness might as well draft the script now. Booooorrrriiinnnng! Although Lord Bobo already knows your question before you even knew you had a question, as a practical display of your true desire to have your query answered, His Supreme Eminenceness has graciously allowed you to communicate your questions by either emailing asklordbobo@loyarburok.com or tweeting your question, mentioning @LoyarBurok and using the hashtag #AskLordBobo. Now, what the hell are you waiting for? Hear This and Tremblingly Obey (although trembling is optional if you are somewhere very warm)!  - September 20, 2013. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

One positive statement regarding Umno please Posted: 19 Sep 2013 04:21 PM PDT September 20, 2013 Latest Update: September 20, 2013 03:21 pm Zan Azlee is a documentary filmmaker, journalist, writer, New Media practitioner and lecturer. He runs Fat Bidin Media www.fatbidin.com My colleague, Dzulfitri Yusop, a fellow journalist, asked me yesterday if I could make one positive statement about Umno or name one positive member of Umno. I laughed. Too many people like to assume that I am anti-establishment just for the sake of being anti-establishment all of the time without being rational. So I thought really hard to come up with a positive statement to show that I was not one of those ABU (Asalkan Bukan Umno, or Anything But Umno) people. We have to always keep an open mind, right? Quite some time passed by and I still could not think of anything positive to say about the party aside from it being formed in my home state of Johor. All jokes aside, I do know that Umno was formed with the best intentions in mind to help the Malays have political and authoritative powers in Malaya (and later Malaysia). It was a party that was meant to protect the rights of the Malays and be a voice for them so that they will not be oppressed. Quite noble, I agree. But the very fact that it was to protect a particular race makes it, in my opinion, totally unsuitable to be a political party because no one country consists of only one race. If that particular party were to win the right to govern the country, common sense would come to the conclusion that their priority when governing is to protect the interests of that one particular race. That does no sound too appealing, does it? No wonder Dato' Onn Jaafar, the founding father of Umno, decided to leave the party when his suggestion to make the party multi-racial was rejected. Aside from Dato' Onn, there were many other attempts by other rational and forward thinking Umno members who wanted to change the party for the better. Tunku Abdul Rahman was one. But even he failed and ended up being ousted and deposed by his deputy, Tun Abdul Razak, following the May 13, 1969 incident. And even today, it would not be fair to say that all Umno members are racists, backward thinking and archaic. Because that would be too generalising. People like Datuk Saiffuddin Abdullah are very forward thinking and, in my opinion, non-racist. But even he fell short of calling for Umno to be multi-racial. Instead, he only suggested that people of any race can apply to be direct members of Barisan Nasional instead of being forced to join the racial-based component parties. But these people are few and far between. I can probably count their numbers with just one of my hands. In fact, I actually can. And when it comes to Umno, the saying that a drop of blue can taint the whole pot of milk does not exactly apply since everyone has to toe the party line. At best, a party like Umno, with such specific interests as their objective would only qualify to be a non-governmental organisation (NGO) or even a lobbying organisation. Then at least our suffering would just be limited to listening to or reading their ridiculous and atrocious statements instead of actually seeing them passed and becoming policy. - September 20, 2013. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

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Hentikan pelaksanaan AES hingga kajian selesai, kata KASE Posted: 20 Sep 2013 01:35 AM PDT September 20, 2013 Latest Update: September 21, 2013 12:35 am Jawatankuasa Kempen Anti Saman Ekor (KASE) mendesak kerajaan supaya hentikan serta merta perlaksanaan AES sehingga semua kajian mengenainya selesai. Tambah-tambah lagi apabila kerajaan mengumumkan pengambilalihan dua syarikat konsesi melalui syarikat kerajaan AES Solution Sdn Bhd. Pengerusi KASE,  Datuk Mahfuz Omar (gambar) mengulas kenyataan  Pemangku Menteri Pengangkutan Malaysia Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein mengumumkan bahawa perlaksanaan Sistem Penguatkuasaan Automatik (AES) akan diambilalih oleh Kerajaan melalui syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC) iaitu AES Solution. Walau bagaimana pun terdapat beberapa isu yang mengelirukan timbul di dalam pengumuman tersebut, kata Mahfuz yang juga Naib Presiden PAS. "Saya melihat pengumuman tersebut adalah suatu pengumuman pra-matang kerana kajian terperinci oleh jawatankuasa pemandu masih belum selesai," kata Mahfuz. Kerajaan mengumumkan bahawa AES Solution Sdn Bhd akan mengambil pegangan (share) di dalam kedua-dua syarikat tersebut secara berperingkat. "Ini lebih menimbulkan persoalan. Kenapa syarikat berkaitan kerajaan AES Solution Sdn Bhd perlu mengambil pegangan saham kedua-dua syarikat tersebut?" soal Mahfuz. Selama ini, katanya, yang dipertikaikan ialah kenapa penguatkuasaan undang-undang perlu dilibatkan syarikat swasta. "Sekiranya AES Solution Sdn Bhd mengambil pegangan saham (share) di dalam Beta Tegap Sdn Bhd dan ATES Sdn Bhd, ianya masih sama kerana perlaksanaan AES masih dilibatkan pihak swasta walaupun ianya syarikat berkaitan kerajaan," kata Mahfuz. Malah dengan cara ini, katanya, jelas bahawa Kerajaan sedang "bail-out" syarikat Beta tegap Sdn Bhd dan ATES Sdn Bhd. Mahfuz juga mempertikaikan kenapa kerajaan tidak menjelaskan status saman-saman yang telah dikeluarkan sejak AES dilaksanakan pada 22 September 2012. Pemangku Menteri hanya menyatakan status saman-saman tersebut hanya akan dibawa ke Jemaah menteri untuk dibincangkan tetapi dalam masa yang sama menggesa penerima saman membayar kompaun yang telah dikurangkan sebanyak 50%. "Ini suatu tindakan terdesak Kerajaan untuk memeras duit rakyat yang sudah sedia tertekan dengan rasionalisasi subsidi minyak yang menyebabkan harga minyak Ron95 naik 20sen. Jika saman-saman masih belum diputuskan statusnya kenapa perlu dibayar kompaun yang ditawarkan. "Adakah tindakan ini adalah sebahagian kaedah kerajaan mendapatkan duit untuk membayar pampasan kepada syarikat?" katanya. Menurut Mahfuz, sejak tahun 1995 PDRM telah dibekalkan secara berperingkat kamera perangkap laju dan sehingga tahun 2012 jumlahnya adalah sebanyak 124 unit di mana 85 unit model Laser Digicam yang bernilai RM173,925.00 seunit dan model Laser Trucam berjumlah 39 unit yang bernilai RM223,500.00 seunit. Sejak dari 1995 juga kadar kemalangan tidak menurun malah meningkat begitu mendadak walau pun PDRM telah dibekalkan dengan kamera berteknologi tinggi. Malah, katanya, PDRM juga gagal menguruskan saman-saman yang telah mereka keluarkan sehinggakan pada awal bulan yang lepas Ketua Polis Negara mencadangkan untuk membatalkan lesen memandu bagi 1.7 juta pemilik saman tertunggak. "Sekarang AES pula hendak diserahkan operasinya kepada PDRM. Apakah jaminan PDRM boleh menguruskan AES lebih baik? Adakah selama AES dikuatkuasakan JPJ telah gagal menjalankan tugas mereka dalam operasi AES sehinggakan perlu diserahkan kepada PDRM?" soal Mahfuz. Beliau juga bertanya, berapa kos pampasan dan bagaimana pampasan dibuat? Kerajaan telah memasuki Perjanjian bersama dua (2) syarikat swasta yang menyediakan perkhidmatan. Apabila diumumkan bahawa kerajaan mengambil alih operasi, ini bermaksud kerajaan terpaksa membatalkan perjanjian dengan syarikat. Akibat pembatalan perjanjian, kerajaan terpaksa membayar pampasan dan kos-kos terlibat. "Pemangku Menteri hanya memberikan jaminan tiada pihak mengaut keuntungan, tetapi bagaimana pampasan akan dibuat untuk mengelakkan keuntungan? " soalnya. Menurut Mahfuz, perlu diambil perhatian bahawa Kerajaan mengumumkan di Dewan Rakyat bahawa kos penyediaan AES oleh syarikat ialah sebanyak RM717 juta. Mengikut Model Kewangan Dengan Formula Tiga Langkah yang dipersetujui kedua-dua pihak, syarikat akan menjana sekurang-kurangnya RM769.6 juta setahu dan selama lima (5) tahun syarikat berupaya menjana RM3,848 juta. "Jadi berapa sebenarnya jumlah yang akan dibayar oleh Kerajaan, adakah RM717 juta atau RM3,848 juta?" soalnya lagi. Menurut Mahfuz, sejak AES dilaksanakan, KASE mendesak di luar dan di dalam Parlimen agar kerajaan dedahkan butiran perjanjian untuk dilihat dan dinilai oleh rakyat kerana perlaksanaan AES ini melibatkan rakyat secara langsung. Kerajaan bertegas bahawa perjanjian adalah rahsia sehingga hari ini kerajaan akan terpaksa membayar pampasan kepada syarikat. Jadi adalah wajar kerajaan dedahkan isi perjanjian kerana ianya bukan sesuatu yang melibatkan keselamatan negara, tegasnya. - 20 September, 2013.

UiTM: Dilema antara kedudukan dan peranan untuk Bumiputera Posted: 20 Sep 2013 12:23 AM PDT Oleh Hasbullah Awang Chik September 20, 2013 Kenyataan Naib Canselor Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Tan Sri Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar bahawa universiti itu tidak mengejar kedudukan universiti terbaik dunia mendapat reaksi berbeza di kalangan mereka yang terlibat dengan institusi Bumiputera itu. Kesatuan kakitangannya berbeza dengan Sahol kerana kedudukan ini, sementara persatuan alumni dan kumpulan pejuang hak Melayu, Perkasa menyokong Sahol menyatakan bahawa kedudukan itu tidak sepenting peranan UiTM untuk pelajar Bumiputera. Setiausaha Agung Kesatuan Kakitangan Akademik UiTM (Mitasa), Norshiha Maidin, berkata selaku universiti yang menjalankan penyelidikan, berada dalam kedudukan universiti terbaik penting bagi melambangkan keutuhan sesuatu institusi akademik itu. Oleh itu, katanya, kedudukan di kalangan universiti dunia juga penting untuk dikejar oleh UiTM. Sahol ketika ditemui The Malaysian Insider pada Sabtu lalu berkata, UiTM tidak pernah meminta untuk dinilai bagi berada dalam kedudukan itu dan salah satu faktor yang diambil kira adalah bilangan pelajar antarabangsa menjadikan UiTM kurang daripada segi pemarkahan. "Jika UiTM mahu muncul di kalangan universiti terbaik mungkin sukar, selain bebanan seharian pensyarah yang tambah menyulitkan untuk tampil dengan penyelidikan dan penerbitan. "Pengurusan seharusnya mempunyai sasaran untuk dicapai selain agendanya bagi membantu pelajar Bumiputera. Jika UiTM sendiri tidak membantu pelajar tersebut, maka sukar mencari institusi lain seperti UiTM," katanya semasa dihubungi The Malaysian Insider sebelum ini. Norshiha berkata, kualiti pelajar tidak perlu dipertikaikan tetapi keunikan UiTM sendiri yang terdiri daripada banyak fakulti dan kampus cawangan memberi cabaran berbeza. Katanya, pertambahan pelajar yang diumumkan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak hanya akan menambah bebanan pensyarah dan menyebabkan masa penyelidikan yang harus dilakukan pensyarah berkurangan. Bagaimanapun, Persatuan Alumni UiTM tidak sependapat dengan Mitasa. Salah seorang pemimpinnya ketika dihubungi The Malaysian Insider berkata, kenyataan Sahol itu bertepatan dengan prinsip UiTM yang dilihat berbeza daripada institusi pendidikan lain. Katanya, fungsi UiTM ditubuhkan bagi memperkasa pelajar Bumiputera dan tidak wajar dibandingkan dengan institusi akademik yang berbeza objektifnya daripada UiTM. "Universiti ini juga tidak mengambil pelajar luar negara kerana matlamatnya untuk melatih pelajar Bumiputera. "Kualiti kemasukan ke UiTM sangat dikawal rapi kerana bukan sahaja mengambil pelajar berkelayakan tetapi fokusnya ditumpukan kepada pelajar lepasan SPM yang mendapat keputusan enam ke 10 A dalam mata pelajaran yang diambil," katanya. Kepimpinan alumni universiti yang tidak mahu namanya disebut itu berkata, UiTM adalah sebuah universiti terkemuka yang melahirkan pelajar bijaksana ekoran kualiti pendidikan yang diberikan. Katanya, graduan yang dilahirkan UiTM memenuhi pasaran pekerjaan apabila ramai di antara mereka mudah mendapat pekerjaan setelah tamat pengajian. Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) pula menyifatkan UiTM masih berada dalam kedudukan universiti terbaik dunia kerana daripada 30,000 universiti yang dinilai di serata dunia, hanya 5,000 yang disenarai pendek dan UiTM berada di sekitar tangga 700 dalam senarai itu. Pengerusinya, Datuk Ibrahim Ali,berkata objektif UiTM yang mengutamakan Bumiputera menyebabkan tiada pelajar bukan Bumiputera selain pensyarahnya juga banyak terdiri daripada tenaga separa profesional. "Saya difahamkan ada universiti yang membelanjakan sekitar RM500,000 bagi memastikan berada dalam kedudukan tersebut. Alangkah baiknya dana tersebut dijadikan biasiswa kepada pelajar kurang berkemampuan. "Kecemerlangan sisiwazah UiTM juga terserlah apabila ada di antara mereka yang berjaya menggondol anugerah inovasi dan mendapat pertauliahan akauntan profesional. "Kedudukan universiti itu tidak memberi apa-apa makna sekiranya pelajar yang dilahirkan tidak menepati pasaran pekerjaan," katanya semasa dihubungi The Malaysian Insider. Ibrahim berkata, contoh terbaik adalah pelajar Giat Mara meskipun tidak mempunyai taraf pendidikan yang tinggi tetapi ilmu dalam bidang kemahiran menjadikan mereka berjaya meraih pendapatan kira-kira RM6,000 sebulan. – 20 September, 2013.

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