Ahad, 1 Disember 2013

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food


Parents who set and stick to rules have thinner kids - study

Posted: 01 Dec 2013 07:49 PM PST

December 02, 2013

Children of parents who enforce a set routine at home in regards to watching television, eating dinner, and exercising have slimmer waistlines, a new Australian study shows.

When both parents set clear guidelines about household routines, children had a lower body mass index and were thinner, said researchers from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne.

The study involved 4,002 children and their parents who participated in a long-term study. Findings were published online this week in the journal Pediatrics.

Prior research has found that parents can change up a few household routines to help their kids fight the battle of the bulge. Published September 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. - AFP/Relaxnews, December 2, 2013.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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Blow to Liverpool as Sturridge could be out for up to 8 weeks

Posted: 01 Dec 2013 06:25 AM PST

December 01, 2013

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge (pic) will be out of action for up to eight weeks because of an ankle injury, manager Brendan Rogers said on Sunday.

The England forward, who suffered the injury during training on Friday, has scored 11 goals in all competitions for Liverpool this season and has linked well up front with Luis Suarez in the Anfield attack.

Rodgers told Sky Sports before his team's match at Hull: "Daniel is probably going to be out six to eight weeks.

"It was something we thought was never going to be as serious as that to be honest.

"He slipped over in training and we thought initially it was his toe. He got brought inside straight away and he was taken for a scan straight away and it showed he'd actually got a ligament strain.

"It's a big blow for us because he's been brilliant since he's come in." - AFP, December 1, 2013.

Rooney gets Manchester United out of trouble at Spurs

Posted: 01 Dec 2013 06:15 AM PST

December 01, 2013

Danny Wellbeck (Manchester United) goes down as Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris fouls him in the penalty box at White Hart Lane. Wayne Rooney scored the resulting penalty for a 2-2 draw. - AFP pic, December 1, 2013.Danny Wellbeck (Manchester United) goes down as Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris fouls him in the penalty box at White Hart Lane. Wayne Rooney scored the resulting penalty for a 2-2 draw. - AFP pic, December 1, 2013.Wayne Rooney scored a brace as Manchester United twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at Tottenham Hotspur in an entertaining Premier League encounter today.

Spurs led twice, through a Kyle Walker free-kick and then a stunning strike from Sandro, but Rooney hit back on each occasion to extend United's unbeaten record to 12 games in all competitions.

David Moyes's side were thankful to leave White Hart Lane with a point, but having also drawn 2-2 at Cardiff City last weekend, this was another missed opportunity to gain ground on the top four.

Following the euphoria of the 5-0 mid-week thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, it was a reality check for the champions, who remain in eighth place, nine points behind leaders Arsenal.

It is now 13 games since Spurs last beat United at home, but they were unrecognisable from the team thrashed 6-0 at Manchester City last weekend and continue to trail United by only a point.

United welcomed back captain Nemanja Vidic following concussion, but Robin van Persie was once again unavailable due to a groin injury, so Shinji Kagawa reprised his role in support of lone striker Rooney.

Spurs made six changes to the team that won 2-0 at Tromso in the Europa League on Thursday, with manager Andre Villas-Boas electing to deploy Sandro, Paulinho and Mousa Dembele in a three-man midfield.

Eager to atone for last weekend's drubbing, Spurs began in purposeful fashion, with Aaron Lennon seeing a low shot saved by David de Gea, and in the 18th minute they went ahead.

An ill-advised challenge on Paulinho by Jonny Evans presented Spurs with a free-kick just outside the box, slightly to the left of centre, and Walker drilled a low shot beneath the jumping defensive wall and past De Gea.

Momentarily, United looked in danger of being swept away and they survived several scares as the home side looked to press home their early advantage.

Rooney blocked on the line from Michael Dawson, while Roberto Soldado should have done better than screw high and wide after a slick one-two with Paulinho.

The Spanish striker then freed Lennon with an incisive pass down the inside-left channel, but De Gea thwarted the former Leeds United winger at his near post.

United had not carried an attacking threat, but in the 32nd minute they drew level and Walker was at fault.

United's forwards seemed closely marshalled as Phil Jones sent a cross into the Spurs box from the United right, but in dangling out his right leg the England right-back inadvertently diverted the ball straight into the path of Rooney, who rattled home from close range.

Spurs restored their lead nine minutes into the second half with a goal from Sandro that will linger long in the memory.

Picking up the ball near halfway, the Brazilian sent Tom Cleverley one way and then the other, before arrowing a sumptuous shot past a motionless De Gea from just outside the area.

However, just as in the first half, Spurs were unable to protect their lead.

Barely two minutes had elapsed when Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris brought down Danny Welbeck and after referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot, Rooney drilled his penalty down the middle to tie the scores and take his tally of league goals to eight.

Villas-Boas introduced Andros Townsend and Jermain Defoe from the bench, while Javier Hernandez, Nani and Ashley Young were sent on by Moyes as both teams chased a winner.

Townsend came closest to settling the game, narrowly failing to make contact with a low centre from Walker, but although a draw was fair on both sides, a point suited neither. - AFP, December 1, 2013.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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Japan’s yakuza mobsters becoming “Goldman Sachs with guns”

Posted: 01 Dec 2013 04:52 AM PST

December 01, 2013

Japanese mobsters driving flash cars purchased with bank loans. Executives bowing in apology for loaning millions to those underworld figures. And high-level officials vowing to squash the crime syndicates, known as yakuza.

Japan Inc. is engulfed in its worst mob scandal in years and it's shining a rare light on the links between big business and shadowy organised crime groups usually known for low-brow ventures like extortion and loan sharking.

But with membership falling as police ratchet up a crackdown, experts say the yakuza are branching far outside their traditional business into everything from insider trading to funding business startups.

"Insider trading has become huge - you can make much more money manipulating stocks" than extorting businesses, says Jake Adelstein, a crime writer whose bestselling memoir Tokyo Vice is set to become a Hollywood movie.

Adelstein, a former reporter at Japan's top-selling Yomiuri daily, likens the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's biggest organised crime group, to "Goldman Sachs with guns".

Tattoos and missing pinkies

Many mobsters - forever associated with full-body tattoos and lopped-off pinky fingers - have now ditched that tough guy persona in favour of tailored suits and clean-cut look that could pass in any boardroom, Adelstein said.

"They're savvy investors," he said added. "They like to gamble."

The yakuza occupy a grey area in Japan's usually law-abiding society.

They are both feared and loathed as social outcasts, while they're revered in equal measure through film, fanzines and manga cartoons.

Like the Italian mafia or Chinese triads, the yakuza engage in activities ranging from gambling, drugs, and prostitution to loan sharking, protection rackets and other illegal ventures often run through front companies.

But unlike their foreign counterparts, yakuza are legal groups with offices in major Japanese cities, and they have historically been tolerated by authorities, although there are periodic clampdowns on some of their less savoury activities.

In fact, the Yamaguchi-gumi helped dole out food after a major quake in the western city of Kobe in 1995.

"Sophisticated methods"

But Tokyo is now under intense pressure from abroad to clamp down on yakuza and their money laundering, as the US Treasury Department works to freeze the overseas assets of top Japanese crime groups which it says make "billions of dollars annually in illicit proceeds".

The crackdown at home has intensified after Mizuho Bank said in September that it had loaned money to organised crime members, an admission subsequently repeated by at least four other major lenders including Japan's biggest bank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group.

Sometimes loans were legitimately used by gangsters to buy foreign sports cars or other expensive items, while in other cases the vehicle was quickly sold on the black market with the loan never paid back.

The scandal at Mizuho worsened after it initially said top executives knew nothing about the loans, only to backtrack on that claim as a company-commissioned report blasted its laissez-faire compliance.

Mizuho later said more than 50 executives would be punished with its chief executive foregoing pay for six months.

But the latest admissions are not a first for the country's banks, a big source of concern among police wary of sharing details of investigations with mob-linked firms, experts say.

"It is baffling that Mizuho board members failed to act," said Toshihiko Kubo, professor of financial law at Ritsumeikan University.

"Once they learned that loan recipients were related to the mob, they should have taken immediate action."

Major lenders are routinely approached by those with links to organised crime looking to raise money, said an anti-yakuza campaigner in Tokyo, echoing calls from Finance Minister Taro Aso, among others, to tighten banking rules.

"Crime syndicates... are out to make money, and they'll use whatever means available," said the campaigner, who asked not to be identified.

"Many companies are trying not to deal with organised crime...But It's difficult to filter everything because their methods are also becoming sophisticated."

Earlier this year, the Japan Securities Dealers Association launched a database to help keep those with mob links out of the country's now-sizzling stock market.

The pressure on Tokyo to clean up the problem is set to intensify as Japan looks to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.

On paper, the police crackdown appears headed in the right direction with yakuza membership down by about 28 percent to 63,000 in 2012 from a decade ago, according to police data.

Mob links run deep

Still, yakuza links run deep in Japan and some credit their tough presence for keeping street crime low.

Their place is so deeply rooted that senior politicians are sometimes found to have mob ties, including ex-Justice Minister Keishu Tanaka who resigned last year following reports of his association with mobsters.

"There are lots of politicians that, in some sense, owe their positions to yakuza support back in old days, so clearly their influence is not non-existent," Adelstein says.

"It's still a bizarre system because Japan's organised crime groups are legal entities. They are regulated but not banned." - AFP, December 1, 2013.

In Paris, umbrellas built to outlast their owners

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 07:10 PM PST

December 01, 2013

Umbrellas hand-made by Michel Heurtault's shop in Paris. – AFP pic, December 1, 2013.Umbrellas hand-made by Michel Heurtault's shop in Paris. – AFP pic, December 1, 2013.Easily broken and frequently lost, the humble umbrella is not usually seen as a luxury item. But for Frenchman Michel Heurtault, whose creations can sell for thousands of euros,  that is exactly what they are.

The 48-year-old artisan uses the finest of materials for his umbrellas and parasols, which are made to last and intended to be handed down from generation to generation.

Despite his high prices, Heurtault's Paris shop attracts clients from around the world – one Qatari princess went for an umbrella handle covered with shagreen, a type of leather, at a cost of more than €8,000 (RM47,300).

"Umbrellas have always been my passion," he says.

"They were my favourite toy when I was small. I was fascinated – which my mother found very strange!" he says, recalling how he used to take them apart, using parts from two to build a single umbrella.

Heurtault only set up his business in 2008, but some of his tools are more than 100 years old. The setting is also special, in one of the elegant 19th-century arches under a former railway viaduct in eastern Paris housing many chic shops of skilled artisans.

"All those umbrellas are made in China," he says as he watches pedestrians pass by the shop on a wet autumn day.

"Here, everything is done by hand, which is unique," says Heurtault, who also restores umbrellas and creates them for the film industry.

Heurtault's business partner Jean-Yves Thibert says Australians and Japanese are "gaga for parasols", while umbrellas have a following in the United States and Europe, particularly in Austria and Germany.

Throwaway culture

The cheapest woman's item costs 2€50 and is made of silk, with a leather-covered handle.

For men, the cheapest is €490, which buys an elegant gentleman's umbrella in silk twill with a maplewood handle. "You won't find that kind of finish anywhere else," says Thibert.

Heurtault despairs of what he sees as today's throwaway culture.

"Things are becoming cheaper and cheaper, they don't last, they break easily and are disposable. These umbrellas are made to last generations."

"In the 1950s people didn't lose their umbrellas, they looked after them," he says. Today, a girl buys an umbrella for €10, breaks it, and buys another for €10. Of course it doesn't last."

At Heurtault, they do things differently. Clients can opt for bespoke umbrellas, choosing the handle, the fabric, the pattern and the wood.

"This is real luxury, it's not standardised," says Thibert, showing off antique handles sourced all over France. One is made of ivory with insets of pearl. – AFP, December 1, 2013.


 

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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Fast and Furious actor Paul Walker dies in crash

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 08:48 PM PST

December 01, 2013

Paul Walker (pic), one of the stars of the popular Fast and Furious fast-car action movies, died in an auto crash yesterday, his publicists said on his social media accounts.

"It is with a truly heavy heart that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organisation Reach Out Worldwide," read the posting on the actor's Facebook account.

"He was a passenger in a friend's car, in which both lost their lives."

The publicists, who described themselves as Team PW, wrote that they were "stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news."

A similar message was posted on Twitter.

Walker, 40, was best known for his role as undercover agent Brian O'Connor in the "Fast and Furious" movies.

He appeared in all but one of the six movies in the series, and was one of the leading protagonists along with Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez.

Walker died in Los Angeles county when the car he was traveling in slammed into a tree and caught fire, US media reported. - AFP, December 1, 2013.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Books

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Obama and daughters go big on books on Small Business Saturday

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 06:53 PM PST

December 01, 2013

Obama with daughter Malia at Politics and Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse in Washington. - Reuters pic, December 1, 2013. Obama with daughter Malia at Politics and Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse in Washington. - Reuters pic, December 1, 2013. President Barack Obama and his daughters, Sasha and Malia, went on what has become an annual book shopping spree yesterday, stopping at a bookstore to promote an event called Small Business Saturday.

The First Family, in casual dress, stopped traffic in Politics and Prose, a tiny locally-owned store in Northwest Washington. They took time to mingle with camera-phone wielding shoppers before heading to the checkout.

They purchased about two dozen books, including "The Lowland," by Jhumpa Lahiri, "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe: Other stories" by Carson McCullers, "Red Sparrow" by Jason Matthews, and "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini.

"It's a long list," Obama said while paying, his daughters, aged 12 and 15, standing behind him. "I've got books for every age group, from 5 to 52."

Part of the American Thanksgiving tradition is shopping for holiday gifts. Big box stores have Black Friday, online retailers have Cyber Monday, and more recently, mom-and-pop stores have Small Business Saturday.

Created in 2010 by credit card company American Express , the day aims to encourage Americans to spend their holiday shopping money at locally owned businesses, which have been particularly hit hard by the economic downturn.

Last year, Americans spent approximately $5.5 billion (RM17.7 billion) on Small Business Saturday, according to American Express.

Earlier in the morning, taking a break from a game of basketball, Obama said on Twitter: "When our small businesses do well, our communities do well. Join me and visit a small business near you today to celebrate #SmallBizSat," signing with "-bo" to indicate he had authored the tweet. - Reuters, December 1, 2013.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa

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Cukai pintu: Tengku Adnan dakwa pembangkang gila “berdemonstrasi”

Posted: 01 Dec 2013 02:49 AM PST

OLEH YISWAREE PALANSAMY
December 01, 2013

Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor (gambar) membidas pembangkang yang disifatkannya sebagai gila "berdemonstrasi" terhadap rancangan untuk mengadakan bantahan kenaikan cukai pintu.

Tengku Adnan berkata, pembangkang hanya berminat mempolitikkan dan mensensasikan isu tersebut walaupun permohonan maaf telah dibuatnya susulan kekeliruan yang tercetus.

"Itulah masalah pembangkang. Mereka gila berdemonstrasi. Mereka suka mempolitikkan dan mensensasikan, politik sebegini sangat buruk," katanya.

"Saya sudahpun minta maaf. Kamu tidak boleh salahkan Datuk Bandar. Saya sepatutnya semak dahulu.

"Sebab itu saya minta maaf," katanya.

Ahli Parlimen Pakatan Rakyat Wilayah Persekutuan merancang untuk mengadakan demonstrasi pada 16 Disember ini di hadapan bangunan Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur bagi membantah kadar kenaikkan cukai tersebut yang dianggap terlalu tinggi.

Naib Presiden PKR dan Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai, Nurul Izzah Anwar juga sebelum ini mendesak Tengku Adnan dan Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib meletak jawatan susulan kontroversi isu tersebut.

Tengku Adnan dalam sidang media di Putrajaya hari ini memberitahu media pemimpin PR menjadi isu yang terpaksa ditanganinya sejak kenaikan cukai pintu dimainkan oleh pihak media.

"Maaflah saya nak cakap, tetapi mereka keliru dan suka mengelirukan orang ramai.

"Mereka tidak bekerja dan hanya tahu bercakap dan menipu," kata beliau dalam nada kecewa. – 1 Disember, 2013.

MENYUSUL LAGI

AirAsia buka laluan baru ke Bandung perkukuh kedudukan di hab Selatan

Posted: 01 Dec 2013 02:45 AM PST

December 01, 2013

AirAsia kini membuka laluan baru menghubungkan Bandung, Indonesia dengan Johor Bahru.

Ketua Pegawai Eksekutifnya Aireen Omar berkata, destinasi antarabangsa baru itu merupakan yang ketiga diperkenalkan dari Johor Bahru selepas Jakarta serta Surabaya.

Beliau berkata AirAsia akan menawarkan penerbangan empat kali seminggu di laluan baru iaitu pada Isnin, Rabu, Jumaat dan Ahad.

"Johor Bahru adalah hab AirAsia yang penting dan mempunyai banyak potensi untuk dibangunkan dan sehingga kini kita telah menerbangkan lebih 600,000 tetamu melalui Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Senai.

"Tambahan laluan antarabangsa ke Bandung ini diharap akan dapat memperkukuhkan lagi kerjasama bersama Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Senai bagi menghubungkan komuniti di Selatan dengan lebih banyak pilihan melalui jaringan kami yang lebih luas," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas majlis menyambut penerbangan sulung dari Bandung ke Johor Bahru di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Senai dan sambutan ulang tahun ke-10 kerjasama AirAsia dengan lapangan terbang itu hari ini.

Majlis itu turut dihadiri Pengarah Komersil AirAsia Datuk Bernard Francis dan Timbalan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Senai International Airport, Safuan Basir.

Penerbangan QZ 151 yang dioperasikan oleh AirAsia Indonesia itu tiba jam 12.50 tengahari bersama rombongan media dari Indonesia yang kemudian dibawa melawat tempat menarik di sekitar bandar raya ini.

Bersempena dengan pengenalan laluan baru itu juga, AirAsia menawarkan promosi tambang rendah bermula daripada RM184 sehala yang boleh ditempah secara dalam talian dari 2 hingga 8 Disember 2013 di www.airasia.com.

Sementara itu Bernard berkata dengan adanya daya tarikan pelancongan yang menarik di negeri ini seperti Puteri Habour, Taman Tema Legoland dan Johor Premium Outlet, pihaknya menyasar menarik lebih 70% penumpang dari Indonesia ke negeri ini. – Bernama, 1 Disember, 2013.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion


Umno, perhimpunan agung dan Malaysia Timur

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 04:17 PM PST

December 01, 2013

Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed is a three-term MP for Pulai and the new PAC chairman. Apart from being in the new politics, he also writes for The Malaysian Insider while debating other matters at www.jazlan.net

Selasa ini, bermulalah Perhimpunan Agung Umno (PAU) 2013 selama empat hari dengan dijangka lebih 5,000 perwakilan mewakili ketiga-tiga sayap parti Wanita, Pemuda dan Puteri berkampung di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC).

Walaupun, PAU mungkin dikatakan kurang meriah disebabkan proses pemilihan parti di peringkat tertinggi sudah dilaksanakan 146,500 perwakilan pada 19 Oktober lalu, namun perhimpunan parti terbesar orang Melayu serta tulang belakang kerajaan ini, amat penting.

Ketika Umno dilihat agak defensif dalam mempertahankan dasar kerajaan selepas memenangi Pilihanraya Umum (PRU) 13 Mei lalu, ramai pemimpin parti terus mempertahankan kedudukan parti yang berjaya mencapai keputusan lebih baik dengan memenangi 88 kerusi  Parlimen di bawah pimpinan Presiden, YAB Dato' Sri Najib Razak.

Sekali lalu, semua akur bahawa keputusan PRU13 untuk Umno lebih baik berbanding PRU12 di bawah pimpinan Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi apabila parti hanya berjaya memperoleh 78 kerusi Parlimen.

Namun, ramai juga pemimpin Umno perlu sedar dan bermuhasabah diri bahawa sebenarnya, pengekalan kuasa Barisan Nasional (BN) dalam PRU13, adalah disumbang rakan komponen dari Malaysia Timur khususnya, Sarawak.

Presiden Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bumiputera Sarawak (PBB), Tan Sri Taib Mahmud terus memimpin BN Sarawak menjadi "simpanan tetap" untuk BN untuk terus mengekalkan kuasa pemerintahan.

Walaupun, dibelenggu serta dilemparkan dengan pelbagai dakwaan rasuah, pemimpin berpengalaman ini tetap teguh mengemudi partinya sehingga mencapai kejayaan memberikan 14 kerusi kepada BN pada PRU13 sama seperti ketika PRU12.

Malah ketika perasmian Perhimpunan Agung PBB ke-13, Oktober lalu, Tan Sri Taib Mahmud dalam ucapannya menegaskan bahawa Sarawak ditadbir dengan cara Sarawak dan atas sebab itu, sokongan rakyat Bumi Kenyalang itu sentiasa tidak berbelah bahagi kepada BN.

Ketika kedudukan parti komponen BN di Semenanjung boleh diibaratkan seperti "telur di hujung tanduk", parti komponen BN Malaysia Timur memastikan bahawa Dato' Sri Najib akan terus dapat melaksanakan janji yang dibuat dalam manifesto ketika pilihan raya.

Jika dianalisa daripada 133 kerusi parlimen BN yang dimenangi dalam PRU13, 32 daripadanya disumbangkan parti komponen daripada Malaysia Timur.  Jika ditolak bilangan berkenaan, adakah Umno dan parti komponen dari Malaysia Barat boleh membentuk kerajaan?

Apa akan terjadi sekiranya, parti-parti komponen Malaysia Timur ini, pada satu hari bertindak untuk "tidak" mempedulikan BN, apa yang Umno akan lakukan terutama sekali Umno Malaysia Barat. 

Walaupun, persoalan itu tidak seharusnya menjadi "bayang-bayang" kepada semangat setiakawan komponen parti BN tetapi cabaran untuk mengekalkan ukhuwah itu dilihat begitu mencabar.

Sama ada pemimpin Umno sedar atau tidak, pembangkang sudah mula agresif merencanakan apa yang mereka mahu lakukan  dalam usaha untuk mendapat kuasa menawan Putrajaya pada PRU14 nanti.

Beberapa hari lalu, DAP melalui Penasihatnya, Lim Kit Siang tanpa segan silu mendedahkan pelan tindakan pembangkang untuk berkuasa menewaskan BN terutama sekali Umno apabila melancarkan strategi Impian Sarawak dan Impian Sabah.

Mereka (pembangkang) sedar bahawa kedudukan Malaysia Barat bukanlah lagi satu masalah kerana ia terbukti apabila berjaya mempertahankan Selangor, Pulau Pinang dan Kelantan selain merobek masuk ke negeri tiang seri Umno di Selatan Semenanjung.

Impian mereka adalah Sarawak serta Sabah dan jika kawasan pendalaman di Malaysia Timur ini, berjaya dikuasai, tidak mustahil kuasa pemerintahan akan beralih…ia seakan sudah mula menjadi satu realiti dengan pelbagai isu yang membelenggu fikiran rakyat penduduk Sarawak serta Sabah.

Isu-isu berkaitan penduduk Malaysia Timur terutama sekali penggunaan kalimah Allah digunakan sebaik mungkin dalam menimbulkan persepsi serta keraguan rakyat Sarawak serta Sabah bahawa Putrajaya seakan mengabaikan hak keistimewaan mereka.

Dalam isu penggunaan kalimah Allah, Putrajaya seakan-akan bersendirian mempertahankan keistimewaan itu kepada umat Islam di negara ini, sedangkan tiada satu komen konkrit dikeluarkan pemimpin BN termasuk Umno daripada Malaysia Timur yang menyokong keputusan Putrajaya.

Pelbagai sangkaan serta dakwaan dilemparkan kepada Umno dalam isu pengunaan kalimah Allah ini, terutama sekali di Malaysia Timur dengan ada yang menuduh bahawa parti terus mempermainkan isu agaman serta kaum dalam menarik sokongan orang Melayu.

Sebenarnya, bagi pemimpin BN Malaysia Timur, penggunaan kalimah Allah di gereja-gereja di negeri berkenaan bukan satu masalah dan tidak pernah menjadi masalah kepada penduduk Islam di sana.

Sebab itu, mereka mendiamkan diri kerana sebarang kenyataan yang menyokong larangan penggunaan kalimah Allah di gereja di Malaysia Timur seperti yang dikeluarkan Putrajaya akan menyebabkan pengundi bukan Islam di kawasan masing-masing tersinggung sekaligus bakal berdepan dengan kehilangan sokongan.

Risiko berkenaan sudah pasti tidak mahu diambil oleh mana-mana pemimpin BN Malaysia Timur ketika ini, kerana silap cakap pasti akan membawa padah dan pembangkang akan memggunakannya sebagai senjata.

Atas sebab itu juga, Putrajaya turut diingatkan supaya mematuhi Perjanjian "20-Point" antara Sabah dan Kuala Lumpur yang dimeterai pada 1963 sekaligus membuktikan bahawa pemimpin dari Negeri Di Bawah Bayu itu mahu suara mereka didengar.

13 Ahli Parlimen Umno Sabah walaupun, tidak lantang menyuarakan pandangan mengenai perjanjian berkenaan tetapi juga sedar lama kelamaan masyarakat di kawasan mereka akan menyuarakan mengenai ketidakpatuhan terhadap perjanjian yang penting kepada negeri itu.

Jika selama ini, pengagihan pembangunan setiap kali pembentangan Bajet negara seringkali menyaksikan bahawa anggaran pembangunan kira-kira 70% kepada Malaysia Barat manakala bakinya kepada Sabah serta Sarawak.

Dengan kekuatan yang ada kepada parti komponen Malaysia Timur termasuk kepada Umno Sabah, penduduk di Sarawak serta Sabah sudah merasakan sudah sampai masanya, pengagihan bajet pembangunan dilakukan dengan lebih seimbang iaitu 40% untuk Malaysia Barat dan bakinya, masing-masing 30% bagi Sarawak serta Sabah.

Sebenarnya, Umno mungkin tidak pernah membayangkan bahawa situasi atau keadaan seperti ini, akan terjadi disebabkan sebelum ini, parti keramat ini, sentiasa mendapat sokongan padu daripada penduduk di Malaysia Barat.

Setiap kali Pilihanraya Umum kecuali PRU13 dan 12, Umno sentiasa berjaya mendapat jumlah kerusi melebihi 100 sekaligus tidak perlu bergantung penuh kepada mana-mana parti komponen BN untuk membentuk kerajaan.

Kini, Umno perlu bermuhasabah diri bahawa kegemilangan parti keramat ini, yang menjadi wadah perjuangan orang Melayu di tanah air ini, perlu bergantung kepada rakan komponen dari Malaysia Timur untuk terus berkuasa.

Seharusnya, PAU 2013 selama empat hari ini, perlu dijadikan medan, pentas serta platform terbaik untuk melakar satu pelan tindakan bersepadu dalam menarik semula sokongan rakyat terutama sekali orang Melayu dari Malaysia Barat kepada Umno.

Umno tidak boleh terus terawang-awang dan memuji diri sendiri atas pencapaian mendapat kerusi lebih baik ketika PRU 13 berbanding PRU 12, kerana jika itu berlaku, perubahan yang diharapkan tidak akan berlaku.

Perubahan itu juga tidak boleh hanya tertakluk kepada penduduk di Malaysia Barat sahaja, pemikiran unilateral pemimpin Umno di Semenanjung tidak lagi sesuai, mereka juga perlu serius memikir cara terbaik untuk memastikan sokongan rakyat Sarawak serta Sabah terus bersama dengan Umno serta BN.

Kegagalan untuk berubah secara holistik ini, akan membawa kepada kesan buruk apabila sokongan rakyat kepada Umno akan terus merosot dan pelbagai persepsi negatif  terus dilemparkan kepada parti. – 1 Disember, 2013.

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

Siti Aishah: Kisah tentang kesetiaan

Posted: 30 Nov 2013 03:56 PM PST

December 01, 2013
Latest Update: December 01, 2013 08:21 am

Amin Iskandar adalah penerima anugerah zamalah Asian Public Intellectuals (API) bagi sesi 2009-2010. Kini merupakan Pengarang Berita bagi The Malaysian Insider. Beliau "berkicau" di www.twitter.com/aminiskandar.

Selepas identiti Siti Aishah Abdul Wahab (gambar), 69, warga Malaysia yang dikatakan menjadi "hamba psikologi" selama 30 tahun di London didedahkan, namanya tidak henti-henti disebut oleh media dalam dan luar negara.

Kakaknya, Kamar Mahtum Abdul Wahab, 73, ditemani bekas aktivis mahasiswa, Hishamuddin Rais terbang ke kota London untuk bertemu dengan adiknya selepas 46 tahun terpisah.

Ramai pihak memberikan komen mengenai Siti Aishah yang dikatakan mengikut ajaran pemimpin besar China Mao Tse Tung bersama kumpulan dipimpin Aravindan Balakrishnan, juga dikenali sebagai "Chairman Ara" - berasal dari Singapura dan pasangannya Chanda dari Tanzania.

Daripada hanya ingin mengetahui tentang identiti wanita warga Malaysia yang dilaporkan media Britian "dikurung" selama 30 tahun, perbincangan mengenai Siti Aishah meleret-leret ke zaman persekolahannya.

Lebih teruk lagi apabila sebuah akhbar berbahasa Inggeris menemuramah bekas rakan sekelas Siti Aishah yang menceritakan tentang betapa "mantapnya" Siti Aishah di zaman mudanya.

Siti Aishah yang mendapat anugerah Colombo Plan merupakan wanita Malaysia pertama layak untuk mempelajari bidang Juruukur Bahan di London School of Economics (LSE) 46 tahun lalu.

Perlu diingat, pada zaman Siti Aishah terbang ke London buat kali pertama, masih belum ada Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB) dan wanita itu melanjutkan pelajaran ke luar negara kerana kepintarannya dan bukan kerana beliau seorang Bumiputera. Ini yang pengkritik-pengkritik perlu sedari.

Pada ketika artikel ini sedang ditulis, Kamar Mahtum dan Hishamuddin baru sahaja mendarat di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) selepas misi bertemu dengan Siti Aishah di kota London berjaya.

Kamar Mahtum mengharapkan selepas setahun siasatan polis berhubung dakwaan perhambaan selama 30 tahun itu selesai, Siti Aishah akan pulang ke Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan, tempat mereka pernah membesar bersama satu ketika dahulu.

"Saya beritahu kepadanya saya sudah menyediakan rumah untuknya. Saya mempunyai cukup wang. Saya boleh tanggung dia.

"Dia tidak akan berhadapan dengan cabaran seperti yang dilalui sekarang," kata Kamar Mahtum seperti dilaporkan akhbar Britain The Telegraph.

Begitu hebatnya kasih sayang seorang kakak seperti Kamar Mahtum yang tetap menerima Siti Aishah walaupun adiknya yang dikenali 46 tahun dahulu sudah menjadi manusia lain.

Sama ada kita bersetuju atau tidak dengan apa yang diperjuangkan oleh Siti Aishah, ada satu perkara yang boleh kita pelajari daripada episod ini iaitu mengenai kesetiaan.

Siti Aishah menunjukkan kepada dunia bagaimana setianya dia terhadap apa yang diperjuangkan.

Dia tidak berganjak semenjak hari pertama mengenali perjuangannya.

Siti Aishah juga tidak menjadi seperti wanita-wanita lain sezaman dengannya iaitu "liberal" di waktu muda akan tetapi "berjubah" di hari tua kerana takut berhadapan dengan kematian.

Terdapat ramai sezaman dengan Siti Aishah yang tidak mahu lagi mengingati zaman "radikal" mereka.

Tidak mahu bercakap lagi tentangnya, walaupun dalam hati mereka meronta-ronta. – 1 Disember, 2013.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com
 

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