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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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For the price you pay, you will want to nurse this martini slowly Posted: 27 Sep 2013 07:20 PM PDT September 28, 2013 A $500 martini is on the menu at the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis Lobby Lounge. - AFP pic, September 28, 2013.A martini made with premium cognac, Grand Marnier, champagne and a twist of lemon is being sold for $500 (RM1,613.75) in the US — but don't worry, you get to keep the glass. To celebrate the completion of a $1 million-renovation (RM3.23 million) of their Lobby Lounge and Bar, the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis in Missouri has created a $500 ((RM1,613.75) martini they've dubbed the Grand XIII, reports trade publication Luxury Travel Magazine. The luxury cocktail takes its name from the Louis XIII de Remy Martin cognac which makes up the base of the drink — a bottle of that costs more than $2,000 (RM6,455.00) itself. The beverage is served in a Waterford crystal glass that the customer can keep. According to the magazine, the lounge has already sold a Grand XIII to one customer with deep pockets and expensive thirst. The bar at the Lobby Lounge — which offers a selection of 200 different martinis — includes flavors such as the Strawberry Fields Forever martini made with Stoli Strawberry vodka and the Gooey Butter Cake martini, a liquid version of the savory treat that native St. Louisans grow up on, says Luxury Travel. And while $500 may sound like a lot to drop on a cocktail, the martini is a steal compared to the Guinness World Record holder created by an Australian mixologist earlier this year. The "Winston" was made with 60 ml of Croizet's 1858 Cuvee Leonie cognac, also the Guinness World Records holder as the most expensive cognac sold at auction. The drink sold for $12,970(41,860.68). — AFP Relaxnews, September 28, 2013.

Want fruit with your burger? McDonald’s expands anti-obesity push Posted: 27 Sep 2013 05:30 PM PDT September 28, 2013 Hold the fries, pass the salad. McDonald's Corp said it would offer healthy options as part of its popular value meals, letting customers choose a side salad, fruit or vegetables instead of french fries. The announcement on Thursday by the world's largest fast-food chain comes as more companies respond to government and consumer pressure to address the global obesity epidemic. McDonald's, which often bears the brunt of criticism over the restaurant industry's penchant for tempting diners with indulgent and often high-calorie food, said it would offer the option in all of its 20 major global markets by 2020. McDonald's also vowed to promote and market only water, milk and juice as the beverages in its popular Happy Meals for children as part of its announcement at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York on Thursday. Waist sizes around the world are increasing, setting off alarms in public health circles. In recent years, the US food industry has begun yielding to pressure from government, parents and consumers seeking to slim down adults and children. Sugary sodas have been yanked from public schools; sugar, sodium and calorie levels have been reduced in products, and calorie counts have been posted on some restaurant menus. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit that has tangled with McDonald's over everything from fattening food to the marketing of Happy Meals, approved of the company's move to add more fruits and vegetables to the menu. Still, it says the company and its rivals have a long way to go in terms of offering healthier options. "McDonald's slow march toward healthier meals made a major advance today, but a long road lies ahead for the company," CSPI said in a statement. McDonald's is seen as something of a trend setter among restaurant chains, but like many of its peers, it has tended to resist external efforts to force change. About one year ago McDonald's said it would begin listing calorie information on menus in some 14,000 US restaurants and drive-throughs — ahead of a national rule that would require larger restaurant chains to make such disclosures but months after other chains embraced the idea. In July 2011 it tweaked its popular Happy Meals for children — reducing the french fries portion by more than half and adding apples to every order. The move came after pressure from CSPI, parent groups and others. More than one-third of Americans are obese, and about 10%  of the nation's healthcare bill is tied to obesity-related illnesses, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. McDonald's said its announcement is part of a plan developed with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which was founded by the Clinton Foundation and American Heart Association, to increase customers' access to fruit and vegetables and help families and children to make informed eating and lifestyle choices.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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McIlroy goes it alone after splitting from management firm Posted: 27 Sep 2013 09:09 AM PDT September 28, 2013 Rory McIlroy (pic) has set up his own company to run his business interests after terminating his contract with Dublin-based Horizon Sports Management, the golfer said on Friday. Both McIlroy and Horizon have called in lawyers to try to settle details of an acrimonious split which comes only two years after they began working together. The dispute follows a frustrating season when the 24-year-old from Northern Ireland has struggled for form after switching to clubs supplied by Nike in one of the biggest sponsorship deals in sport. His new management company, Rory McIlroy Incorporated (RMI), will be headed by Donal Casey, an actuary who was already an adviser to the golfer. His father Gerry will also be on the board of the company, with businessmen and family friend Barry Funston. Neither side gave details of the reason for McIlroy's departure, the subject of media rumours for some months. McIlroy was believed to be unhappy with the commission that Horizon was charging for its services. Horizon said it was disappointed that McIlroy was ending a contract that had a number of years left to run. "Since October 2011, Horizon has achieved exceptional results for Rory in realising his commercial objectives," the company said in a statement. "Under Horizon's management, Rory has signed some of the most lucrative endorsements in sports history." McIlroy began the year as the hottest property in golf after signing a 10-year deal with Nike worth a reported $250 million (RM806.9 million) and moving to the top of the world rankings. However, the double major winner has slipped to sixth in the standings after his winning touch deserted him. He is following the example of Wimbledon champion Andy Murray by taking more direct control of his business interests. Murray and his partners have set up a management company called 77— a reference to the numbers of years between Fred Perry winning Wimbledon and fellow Briton Murray claiming the title in July. — Reuters, September 28, 2013.

Woods named PGA Tour player of the year Posted: 27 Sep 2013 08:58 AM PDT September 27, 2013 Tiger Woods (pic) was named on Friday as the PGA Tour's Player of the Year for a record 11th time with fellow-American Jordan Spieth voted rookie of the year. Both awards were determined by votes cast by tour members who played in at least 12 official money events in 2013. "Tiger's five wins came against some of the strongest fields in golf including the Players and two World Golf Championships, while Jordan's rookie season was historic in terms of his accomplishments for a player just 20 years old," said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem in a statement. "The member vote reflects the respect their peers have for both players." Woods, 37, won five of his first 11 events in a spectacular start to the year, winning the Farmers Insurance Open, the WGC-Cadillac Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Players Championship and the WGC-Bridgestone. World number one Woods said winning the award remained a special achievement for him, especially as he has battled back from knee and back ailments to thrive once again on the tour. "I've had to work my way back from injuries on numerous occasions throughout the years," Woods said. "These last couple years is no exception to that. "There were a lot of people saying I could never win again, and two years later I've got eight wins on our tour. I'm very proud of where I've come from, from being ranked outside the top 50 to being ranked where I am now, and to have had the success that I've had this year just makes it all the more rewarding." His 2013 ledger also included a second-place finish in the FedExCup series but was in some ways still disappointing to the American. After his blazing start, a nagging back injury hampered Woods in the latter stages of a season in which he fell short of his goal of adding to his major championship haul of 14. He tied for fourth at the Masters, finished tied for 32 at the US Open, tied for sixth at the British Open and shared 40th place in the PGA Championship. Spieth began the year with no PGA Tour status yet entered 23 events and won the John Deere Classic, where at 19 years, 11 months and 18 days, he became the youngest player to win on the tour since 1931. The former college standout at Texas, who began his run with the help of some sponsor exemptions, became the youngest player to reach the Tour Championship and finished second in that elite, season-ending event. Spieth finished 10th on the money list at just under US$4 million (RM12.9 million) as he recorded nine top-10 finishes, tied for the most on tour, and was made a captain's pick for the 2013 Presidents Cup. "I don't know if it's a pinch‑me moment yet. I think my mind is still really on next week," Spieth said about the upcoming Presidents Cup. "I haven't really had time to sit back and think about it. But with no status was hard to expect or think about something like this happening. "I have confidence in myself...to get the job done. Just the way the year ran, the way it happened, I feel very fortunate, very blessed. A lot of luck involved." – Reuters, September 27, 2013.

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Miami’s high-end cigar rollers create niche industry for top smokes Posted: 27 Sep 2013 12:43 AM PDT September 27, 2013 Inside a Little Havana cigar rolling business in the heart of Cuban Miami, Maria Sierra's gnarled fingers perform the same dance they did for more than three decades for Havana's famed El Laguito cigar factory. She cuts a teardrop from a broad tobacco leaf then glues, wraps and twists it onto the end of a near-finished cigar, forming the small fan that's the signature of high-end Cuban cigar rollers. More than five decades after a trade embargo banned imports of cigars from Communist-ruled Cuba, the majority of US cigar imports come from other Caribbean countries as well as Central America. Yet in Miami a niche industry is growing, centred on a few dozen elite Cuban rollers who make special edition cigars that sell for as much as US$700 per box in Europe. Cigar Aficionado, the industry's leading glossy magazine, recently highlighted Miami's cigar industry describing the city as a "a new hot spot for creative cigarmakers". Sierra, at age 18, was one of 30 Cuban women selected from thousands to learn the craft from Fidel Castro's personal cigar roller Eduardo Rivera. Women entered male-dominated factories at the urging of Cuban revolutionary Celia Sanchez, a close confidant of Castro's in the 1960s and 1970s. "We would start with one little cigar and they would watch over us very closely, removing those who didn't do well enough," said Sierra, now 64. "A group of 30 or 40 women would come in to learn and after a couple of days only one or two were left." Sierra is one of 10 rollers working at El Titan de Bronze (The Bronze Titan), a Little Havana store named after Antonio Maceo, a general in the war for Cuban independence from Spain. Other rollers came from Cuba's respected Partagas and H. Uppman factories. Some were arrested several times trying to escape before they made it to Miami. "We're basically a boutique," said owner Sandy Cobas, whose father Carlos opened the small shop about 20 years ago. "We don't produce in mass quantities and the cigars are done exactly like they are in Cuba." In Miami, Cuban rollers are prized for their rigorous training. Unlike rollers in other cigar-producing countries, each is responsible for his or her cigar, from start to finish. "A lot of the families of plantation owners left for those countries with (Cuban tobacco) seeds in a handkerchief," Cobas said. "None of those countries were known for making cigars." Tropical Tobacco, which produces Casa Fernandez cigars, opened a small factory in Miami in 2012, hiring a dozen or so Cuban rollers who produce about 1,200 cigars a day. At the company's factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, Fernandez employs 50 to 60 rollers who work in pairs – with one bunching tobacco and wrapping the cigars and another applying the cap – to make 15,000 cigars daily. In 2012, the bulk of the nation's cigars came from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras, with imports from those countries totalling almost US$600 million, according to the US Department of Agriculture. "The Cuban rollers that are available in the Miami market are the best in the world," said Tropical's owner Eduardo Fernandez. "We saw a niche where we can respond quickly to the market and make high-end cigars on premises." In Miami's specialty cigar factories, bunches of cured tobacco sit in black garbage bags in walk-in humidors to keep them pliable. They're marked with the country of origin – from Brazil to the Dominican Republic – and whether they are to be used as the cigar's filler or final wrapper. George Rico's G.R. Tabacaleras Corp, a Miami distributor, opened a small suburban factory in 2012, offering enthusiasts the chance to learn everything about the cigar-making process. The company does the bulk of its manufacturing in Danli, about 80.5 kilometre south of Honduras' capital Tegucigalpa. In Miami it offers the deluxe G.A.R. Deli experience for customers who can afford to spend US$250 on a box of 25 cigars. In a two-hour session with Rico, smokers learn that soil and seasons can affect the flavour of tobacco, and also how cigars are made. They sample dozens of tobaccos and finish by creating their own blend, which is handed off to a Cuban roller. Despite the Cuban rollers' lofty reputation, Rico said there are more of them than there is work available. At the same time not all rollers are as passionate as El Titan's Sierra, who retired from cigar making in Cuba in 2011, but returned to it after moving to Miami to be near her daughter. "You can make a decent living," Rico said, "but some rollers... want to move on to other jobs." – Reuters, September 27, 2013.

Fossil fish find in China fills in evolutionary picture Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:18 PM PDT September 27, 2013 An international team of scientists in China has discovered what may be the earliest known creature with a distinct face, a 419-million-year-old fish that could be a missing link in the development of vertebrates. The fossil find in China's Xiaoxiang Reservoir, reported by the journal Nature yesterday, is the most primitive vertebrate discovered with a modern jaw, including a dentary bone found in humans. "It finally solves an age-old problem about the origin of modern fishes," said John Long, a professor in palaeontology at Flinders University in Adelaide. Scientists were surprised to find that the heavily armoured fish, Entelognathus primordialis, a previously unknown member of the now extinct placoderm family, had a complex small skull and jaw bones. That appeared to disprove earlier theories that modern vertebrates with bony skeletons, called osteichthyes, had evolved from a shark-like creature with a frame made of cartilage. Instead, the new find provides a missing branch on the evolutionary tree, pre-dating that shark-like creature and showing that a bony skeleton was the prototype for both bony and cartilaginous vertebrates. "We now know that ancient armoured placoderms gave rise to the modern fish fauna as we know it," said Long, who was not part of the team in China. Long described the discovery as "the most exciting news in palaeontology since Archaeopteryx or Lucy", referring to two fossil discoveries that are crucial to our understanding of the evolution of birds and humans. The journal did not detail when the fossil was found. – Reuters, September 27, 2013.

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Breaking Bad and House creators team up for CBS Posted: 27 Sep 2013 12:06 AM PDT September 27, 2013 The American channel has snapped up a new crime series headed up by Vince Gilligan and David Shore, the respective creators of Breaking Bad and House M.D. Battle Creek has all the trappings of a classic police drama. A young, idealistic and naive police officer is paired with a more experienced and cynical partner to chase crime from the streets of Battle Creek, Michigan. Expected to air on CBS during the 2014/2015 season, the series is actually one of Gilligan's older projects, initiated in 2002 before the creator began pitching Breaking Bad. He will produce the new series and may also direct. David Shore will join Battle Creek as showrunner, marking his first involvement in a TV series since the final season of House M.D. aired on FOX in 2012. The final season of Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad will end Sunday and the creator is now preparing a spin-off focusing on one of its more colourful characters, entitled Better Call Saul. – AFP Relaxnews, September 27, 2013.

Michael Jackson verdict could shake up entertainment business model Posted: 26 Sep 2013 11:58 PM PDT September 27, 2013 The wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of late pop star Michael Jackson against his concert promoter is now in the hands of a jury, and the verdict could have far-reaching implications for how the entertainment industry does business with its biggest stars. The 21-week trial, which has opened a window into the private life and last days of the King of Pop, has put not only concert promoter AEG Live on trial but also the entertainment industry's live-performance business model, analysts say. After closing arguments concluded yesterday, the judge sent the jury to deliberate and a verdict is expected some time next week, if not earlier. Jackson family lawyers have suggested in court documents that damages could exceed US$1 billion. "If AEG is found liable, that puts these companies on the line for millions and billions of dollars, and it is already causing the industry to rethink how the structure is set up," said Jo Piazza, the author of Celebrity, Inc and a celebrity branding consultant. Currently, entertainment producers typically pay upfront sums running into millions of dollars to performers in exchange for being able to have greater control over some of the performers' affairs. The lawsuit alleged that "AEG came to control much of Jackson's life. The home Jackson lived in was provided by AEG; his finances were dependent on AEG, and his assets stood security if he failed to perform." Those assets included The Sony/ATV music catalog owned by Jackson, which even includes iconic Beatles songs. The verdict "could have a chilling effect on how much micro-management of a star's life companies like AEG and other production companies have," Piazza said. "But the reason the micro-management even exists is to make sure that the celebrities, the talent, is in the best position possible to make money for the production company," she added. That kind of control is the crux of the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, and his three children. Profits and risks In the suit, Jackson's family alleges that privately held AEG Live, one of the world's top concert promoters, negligently hired cardiologist Conrad Murray as Jackson's personal physician and ignored signs that the singer was in poor health. The Thriller singer died in 2009 in Los Angeles at age 50 from an overdose of surgical anaesthetic propofol. Murray, who was caring for Jackson as the singer rehearsed for his series of 50 comeback This Is It concerts, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for administering the propofol that killed the star. "It's the kind of case that every entertainment lawyer is paying attention to because everybody in the entertainment industry has assistants and sometimes that entails medical attention as well," said John Nockleby, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. AEG Live has argued that Jackson had prescription drug and addiction problems for years before entering into any agreement with the company. It also has said that it did not hire or supervise Murray and could not have foreseen that the physician would have posed a danger to the singer. "They (AEG Live) chose to run the risk and make a huge profit," Jackson family attorney Brian Panish said this week in closing arguments. "The industry is watching and waiting and seeing very much how this plays out," said Jody Armour, a law professor at the University of Southern California who specialises in personal injury claims. "It could have a deterrent effect on corporations going forward, and how much and how aggressively they push entertainers to meet their contractual obligations," he added. Performance-based pay One change Piazza foresees in the industry's business model would be in how producers would start coupling an entertainer's pay together with fulfilling their contract. "I think the big impact this trial will have is lessening those gigantic, multi-million dollar up-front payments and shifting the model towards a more back-end, profit-sharing model because then it would put the responsibility more on the talent to perform," she said. "They'll be making the money based on their performance." But Reisman believes that the financial pressure for companies like AEG Live is too significant for a substantial change in how they operate or control artists. "It's very, very important that AEG knew they had to meet that tour deadline," Reisman said. "Now, whether or not they knew what this doctor was prescribing, whether or not they authorised it, those are all questions for the jury." – Reuters, September 27, 2013.

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Google Play Books lands in Singapore Posted: 26 Sep 2013 08:29 PM PDT September 27, 2013 E-book service Google Play Books has confirmed its expansion into Singapore and seven other Asia-Pacific countries, offering localised content in some markets. Google said that customers in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and New Zealand can expect localised content. For Singaporeans, local titles such as Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew from Marshall Cavendish will be available. The service is also making a debut in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. This brings the total number of supported countries to 36, as Google continues to expand its Play store services to more customers around the world. Google Play Books says it offers millions of e-book titles from new releases and international bestsellers, such as Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games trilogy and Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, as well as classics which can be purchased and read on any smartphone device or tablet. Just last week, Singapore's first e-book store Skoob, by local telco SingTel, announced that it would shut down after running for nearly two years. This came just a few months after the closure of a similar service, ilovebooks by MediaCorp. – Todayonline.com, September 27, 2013.

Ferran Adria to release elBulli cookbook Posted: 26 Sep 2013 05:52 PM PDT September 27, 2013 Spanish culinary giant Ferran Adria is sharing the secrets to the making of elBulli in a new cookbook opus set to be published next spring. Until its closure in 2011, elBulli in Catalonia, Spain had been widely described in sweeping terms as the best restaurant in the world for its trailblazing molecular gastronomy and visionary leader who elevated food to edible science and high art. And next spring, every dish served between 2005 and 2011 will be chronicled in a seven-volume opus in elBulli 2005-2011 – the final and most creative chapter for the restaurant. Each volume – which covers every season – starts with a photo catalogue of the dishes created during that year. That's followed by detailed recipes which are divided by course. Notes are also provided on techniques, finishing and presentation. ElBulli was open six months of the year. The rest of the time was used to research and develop a new menu. The restaurant held three Michelin stars from 1997 to its closure. The final volume, Evolutionary Analysis, chronicles the creative evolution of the restaurant and the inner workings of the elBulli kitchen throughout the years. In total, elBulli 2005-2011 will include 750 illustrated recipes over 2,720 pages and 1,400 illustrations. Presented in a Perspex slipcase, the series may grace coffee tables as an art book for perusing, or, for the ambitious cook, a step-by-step guide to recreating the legendary restaurant in home kitchens. The "church of elBulli", has served as a training ground for some of today's most influential and elite chefs around the world. Disciples of Ferran Adria include Grant Achatz, Rene Redzepi, Jose Andres and Andoni Luis Aduriz, all of whom started their careers in the kitchens of elBulli. Meanwhile, watch Adria set his eyes on his new cookbook collection for the first time. With the eagerness of a kid at Christmas, the chef tears into the packaging with impatience and, after beholding the work, gives it a kiss of approval. While writing the elBulli cookbook, Adria has also been working concurrently on a project where he hopes to rewrite the history of gastronomy and create Bullipedia. The digital encyclopedia of all things food and gastronomy in the vein of Wikipedia is set to launch in 2016. ElBulli 2005-2011 is published by Phaidon and is scheduled to be released March 2014. It will retail for US$625. – AFP Relaxnews, September 27, 2013.

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Duit jemaah haji susut lagi Posted: 26 Sep 2013 05:02 PM PDT September 27, 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. Bala yang rakyat Malaysia  hadapi sekarang bertimpa-timpa. Sudahlah pengguna kenderaan bermotor terpaksa membeli minyak mahal kerana ketiga-tiga minyak bagi menghidupkan setiap yang berenjin naik antara 15 sen dan 20 seliter. Memang  Pedana Menteri otak bergeliga. Dua jenis  minyak diumumnya naik dan Ron yang satu lagi dinaikkannya 15 sen secara diam-diam. Hanya penggunanya saja tahu minyak itu naik kerana harga yang sama atas minyak yang dibeli  cepat habis. Sebab apa cepat habis? Kerana dengan harga yang sama, minyak itu sudah tidak sebanyak dulu. Itulah bala yang semua hadapi. Otak auta  anggota Kabinet kata, bukan tujuannya menaikkan harga minyak tetapi untuk menurunkan subsidi minyak. Subsidi atas minyak adalah besar, cuma ia diturunkan 20 sen saja. Masih subsidi yang kerajaan tanggung jauh lebih besar. Bala sama ada minyak naik atau subsidi minyak turun adalah sama. Bala untuk semua itu tidak setakat itu. Gara-gara kejadian itu menyebabkan rakyat ditimpa bala lagi kerana harga barang dan perkhidmatan akan naik. Duit kita tidak bertambah, tapi kita tidak boleh barang sebanyak dulu dengan duit itu. Serentak itu, kita hadapi bala duit lagi. Nilai ringgit berbanding dolar Amerika sudah susut tujuh peratus, terburuk sejak beberapa tahun. Atau setelah Najib menjadi Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Kewangan. Orang perleceh pentadbiran Tun Abdullah dulu. Seolah-olah leceh berbanding dengan Dr Mahathir dan Najib. Tapi lecehnya tidak menyusutkan ringgit. Najib ada transformasi tapi ringgit jatuh. Tidak banyak terasa jika rakyat tidak keluar negeri, terkurung seperti sang kodok di bawah tempurung. Bila kita keluar negeri, kita tukar ringgit dengan mata wang asing. Barulah kita terasa duit kita jadi sikit. 20,000 lebih orang naik haji sekarang tidak semewah jemaah sebelumnya semasa berada di Mekah dan Madinah. Mereka tidak dapat beli sesuatu semurah dulu. Mungkin harga di Mekah dan Madinah itu tidak naik.  Tetapi ringgit yang ditukar dengan riyal tidak dapat riyal sebanyak dulu lagi kerana duit kita jatuh. Untuk beli sesuatu terpaksa tambah ringgit lagi. Tabung Haji yang menyediakan penginapan, makan dan tambang menambang terpaksa tambah peruntukan kerana nilai ringgit sudah tidak  sama. Semuanya memungkinkan kos haji akan naik. Jika kita bawa duit poket sebanyak yang dinasihatkan oleh Tabung Haji untuk keperluan sendiri semasa di tanah suci, jumlah itu tidak cukup lagi terpaksa kena tambah. Atau kurang yang dapat dibeli di sana. Bagi orang yang anak belajar di luar negara dengan tanggung sendiri, duit bulanan yang dihantar terpaksa ditambah kerana duit itu sudah  tidak cukup bagi keperluan mereka. Bagaimana dengan beras, tepung dan keperluan makanan yang diimport. Mungkin harga barang yang diimport itu tidak berubah, tukaran duit kita untuk membayar pesanan itu terpaksa ditambah nilai mata wang kita jatuh. Maka beban kewangan yang kerajaan tanggung dalam urusan antarabangsa akan melambung. Semua wartawan simpati dengan beban kerajaan yang bertambah itu. Mereka tanya menteri dan pembesar, apakah rakyat patut tanggung sama beban kerajaan itu? Menteri pun kata, memang kena tanggung samalah. Itulah sebab minyak dinaikkan. Betullah rakyat kena tanggung sama. Tetapi kalau rakyat pun habis duit gara-gara semua barang naik, masing-masing sudah jadi macam  ayam kais pagi makan pagi, kais malam makan malam, dengan apa mereka nak tolong. Tidakkah semuanya ini bala? Berapa lamakah ini hendak dihadapi? Sekurang-kurangnya selama Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Kewangan tidak bertukar. – 27 September, 2013. * Ini adalah pendapat peribadi penulis dan tidak semestinya mewakili pandangan The Malaysian Insider.

Datuk Seri Draco in da house! Posted: 26 Sep 2013 04:28 PM PDT September 27, 2013 Zan Azlee is a documentary filmmaker, journalist, writer, New Media practitioner and lecturer. He runs Fat Bidin Media www.fatbidin.com How well do we know our politicians in Malaysia? We know them well enough to know that they are populists when it comes to election period. How many people remember when the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, announced that the Sedition Act will be abolished? It was before the elections. Then, when the elections were over, the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, stated that it should not be abolished. And how many people remember when the prime minister said that the Internal Security Act would be abolished? It was before the elections. Then, when the elections were over, two days ago as a matter of fact, the home minister stated that there will be amendments made to the Prevention of Crime Act. Study the amendments carefully and you will notice (as many have) that the PCA will then become a new form of the Internal Security Act. The indefinite detention with a maximum of two years without trial for suspects is now back on the table for the authorities to use. Sure, it isn't 100% similar to the Internal Security Act. But the difference is so minute that you might as well see it as 98.9% similar. Instead of a minister who decides who gets detained or not, now it is a three-member board that will have the power to decide if detention is necessary. Once the three-member board, which will consist of judges, has already made a judgment, it cannot be challenged or appealed through a judicial review. And mind you, these are suspects. That means they do not have to do anything wrong to be detained. They just need to be suspected of wanting to do something wrong. So how does this amendment to the Act gel with the concept of being innocent till proven guilty and of just simple, basic human rights? And with a government that has a bad record with detention without trial and abusing the abolished Act, can you blame people if they are apprehensive of this decision? Apparently, Datuk Seri Zahid has said that he is more than willing to discuss and debate his proposed amendments. Here's an exact quote of what he said: "It's up to you to interpret. If you say it's draconian, then you are wrong!" So, dear home minister. How open are you to discussion and debate if you have already made up your mind and declared that any different interpretation is wrong? Henry Ford once said something similar: "Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black." The difference is that Ford was a car manufacturer and consumers had a choice of whether to buy his cars or not. So they still had a choice. But once the amendments to the Act take place and become law, will the people of Malaysia have a choice or not? - September 27, 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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Belanja RM20 juta: “Kenapa dia tak lantik saya?”, soal Dr Mahathir Posted: 27 Sep 2013 02:54 AM PDT OLEH MD IZWAN September 27, 2013 Dr Mahathir mempersoalkan kerajaan belanja RM20 juta untuk PPPM. Gambar The Malaysian Insider oleh Najjua Zulkefli, 27 September, 2013.Langkah Putrajaya membelanjakan RM20 juta melantik firma luar untuk menyediakan Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan Malaysia 2012-2015 dibidas Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad kerana tidak mengambil penasihat tempatan. Dr Mahathir secara sinis mempersoalkan langkah tersebut, walaupun Menteri Pendidikan Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mempertahankannya sebagai "kos memadai". "Saya boleh jadi pakar tempatan, kenapa dia (Putrajaya) tidak lantik saya?" kata bekas perdana menteri tersebut dalam sidang media di Sunway Universiti. - 27 September, 2013. MENYUSUL LAGI

Dr Mahathir sokong tahan tanpa bicara, baik untuk rakyat Posted: 27 Sep 2013 02:09 AM PDT OLEH MD IZWAN September 27, 2013 Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (gambar) hari ini menyokong langkah kerajaan membuat pindaan untuk mengukuhkan Akta Pencegahan Jenayah (PCA) yang dibentangkan baru-baru ini di Dewan Rakyat bagi menahan seseorang individu tanpa bicara. Bekas perdana menteri itu paling lantang mengecam pentadbiran Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang memansuhkan beberapa akta kontroversi sebelum ini menyifatkan langkah tersebut baik demi kepentingan rakyat. "Saya berpendapat undang-undang (pindaan PCA) tersebut baik untuk kepentingan rakyat," kata Dr Mahathir semasa sidang media di Sunway Universiti hari ini. Najib pada 2011 telah memansuhkan beberapa akta yang menahan seseorang tanpa bicara, antaranya Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) dan Ordinan Darurat (EO). – 27 September, 2013.

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