Jumaat, 6 Disember 2013

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

The best croissants at Les Deux Garcons

Posted: 06 Dec 2013 07:10 PM PST

BY EU HOOI KHAW
December 07, 2013

Croissants take three days to make.A month before Les Deux Garcons opened their Viennoisserie and Patisserie in Taman Desa in Kuala Lumpur, I received a box of croissants, pithivier, brioche and French pastries filled with fruits.

Pascal (left) and Kah Mun with the croissants just out of the oven.The croissant flaked and flew up as I bit into it, and my lips were covered with the buttery, paper-thin pieces of pastry. It had a soft centre, moist with butter melting into the pastry.
That was so pleasurable and unforgettable that I started making orders for me and my friends even before it opened.

Pascal Yeong and his partner Toto Ooi were happy to oblige, as test runs were being made in the main kitchen there.

Les Deux Garcons (LDG) opened two Sundays ago in Taman Desa, followed by the one in Shell House, Brickfields, three days later.

This LDG outlet is in a leafy neighbourhood of Taman Desa. As it opens from 8am onwards, it is just perfect for a breakfast of croissants and coffee or tea. As a friend said, it's the best croissant East of Paris and it certainly is!

But there are other pastries to like too, such as pithivier, brioche a' tete, pain au chocolat, chocolate éclairs and pastries filled with fruits like peaches and berries.

The pithivier is a puff pastry with a layer of almond paste.Pithivier is a gateau of puff pastry with a layer of frangipane or almond paste. "It's like a French mooncake," said Pascal.

It's a pastry to savour slowly, going through the buttery layers, touching the lovely frangipane that is slightly sweet.

The brioche a' tete is a very rich bread, with a deliciously eggy, buttery aroma. It's round in shape, with a small ball of dough on top.

Puff pastry with peaches.There is also a brioche loaf studded with apricot and cranberries.

Pain au chocolat is a croissant with chocolate inside.

The croissants are best eaten the same day, while the brioche can be kept overnight, if you can resist eating it for that long. All of these are just divine.

Macarons with different flavours.Macarons, marble cakes and the finest French cakes are also made here and you can also treat yourself to these. My favourite macarons at LDG are the truffle, salted caramel and wasabi ones.

The marble cake is irresistible. I am wowed by the Le Palladio, the delectable truffle mascarpone on a macadamia nut and butter crumble base, with a layer of hazelnut daquoise.

Le Palladio, truffle mascarpone on a macadamia and buttter crumble base.The croissants and the other pastries are made with French premier ingredients. I watched as pastry chef Ng Kah Mun put a whole slab of Lescure butter on the smooth sheet dough, folded it over the butter, sealed the edges and slapped them down. The pastry for croissants contains 84% butter.

The dough is frozen overnight. Next morning it is put through the sheeter. The lamination or folding the dough is done, then put through the sheeter, and the whole process is repeated several times till the folds are just 5mm thick.

"As you fold, you make both ends meet. One double fold is 12 layers, and it has to be rested for an hour. Proving takes at least 3 hours," said Kah Mun.

Making the folds with the sheets of dough for the croissant."We have to let it rest to cool it. A lot of people do croissants and the butter leaks out. With a good lamination, the butter should be melting in the oven. We have to ensure the butter is at a certain temperature at all times."

Kah Mun studied at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York and has an associate degree in baking. She has worked in New York for a year, with a stint at the one-Michelin-star Nomad there.

By the time the croissant dough is ready to be shaped, egg washed and baked, it would have taken three days.

"A croissant dough has 108 layers. By the time you roll it up as a croissant, it's 300 over layers!" said Pascal. "The croissant must have a honeycomb cross-section."

More than 300 layers make up the honeycomb texture in this amazing croissant.We were there when the baking was done, and the oven kept beeping at intervals, with wonderful aromas filling the room.

Pascal came back from the United Kingdom in 2002, where he had studied for a degree in marketing, then got his MBA.

During his time there, he had always visited a certain patisserie and became fascinated with their cakes and pastries. His mind was filled with the idea of a European restaurant and he started Café Café in Kuala Lumpur. The restaurant has been around 12 years.

Pascal noticed the uptrend in macarons, looked around for a school to learn how to make them, and found a French-Spanish master patissiere in Thailand.

He took up a course in making macarons, cakes and desserts, travelling there every three months for two years.

"All my training is French-based. I then decided to have a warehouse to do R&D and develop recipes in Taman Desa," he said.

Les Deux Garcons in Taman Desa.He opened the first Les Deux Garcons kiosk in Bangsar more than two years ago. The macarons were a runaway success, as were the cakes.

"Kah Mun and I have the same philosophy. We want to do things properly, with no shortcuts. We have combined my recipe with hers and taken two months to get things right."

The cafe will be looking into serving light meals with croissants and salads next. For all that work, the croissants and other pastries are just RM5 each. A pack of six macarons are RM27, truffle macarons RM9 each, marble cake RM28, Le Palladio RM24. You can also buy the cakes and macarons online at lesdeuxgarcons.com.my/store/ - December 7, 2013.

The three Les Deux Garcons are at:
* 16 Jalan 2/109E, Desa Business Park, Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur, telephone: 03-7980 0200.
* 36 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur, telephone: 03-2284 7833
* K01, Ground floor, Menara Shell, Jalan Tun Sambathan, Kuala Lumpur, telephone: 03-2282 1234.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

Black armbands, tributes for “hero” Nelson Mandela

Posted: 06 Dec 2013 07:14 AM PST

December 06, 2013

The height of sportsmanship, Nelson Mandela presenting the Rugby World Cup to Francois Pienaar, captain of the successful South African national team in 1995, in Johannesburg. - AFP pic, December 6, 2013.Muhammad Ali paid heartfelt tribute and cricketers and golfers donned black armbands and ribbons Friday as the sports world united in respect and mourning after the death of Nelson Mandela.

Heavyweight boxing legend Ali said Mandela "taught us forgiveness on a grand scale" as athletes and officials from Australia to Brazil and at home in South Africa expressed their sadness.

FIFA chief Sepp Blatter called Mandela "one of the greatest humanists of our time" and Tiger Woods said he had been inspired by South Africa's anti-apartheid hero.

In Sun City north of Johannesburg, golfer Ernie Els hailed the former South African president as an "iconic leader".

"You cannot say anything bad about the man. He fought for what he believed in, went to prison for so many years and came out to lead our country up until now," said the South African champion, who wore a black ribbon when he went out to play in the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

"He was the father of our country and our continent. It's just very sad that he had to go. He was 95 and led a full life but a lot of that wasn't spent on what he was so good at because he was away for so many years."

Australia and England's cricketers held a minute's silence before play in the second Ashes cricket Test in Adelaide, and later donned black armbands.

Ali, in a statement from the Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, paid tribute to South Africa's first black president, who led the country peacefully out of apartheid rule after spending nearly three decades in prison.

"He made us realise, we are our brother's keeper and that our brothers come in all colours," said Ali, a towering figure in America's civil rights movement.

"What I will remember most about Mr. Mandela is that he was a man whose heart, soul and spirit could not be contained or restrained by racial and economic injustices, metal bars or the burden of hate and revenge."

Brazilian football legend Pele said on Twitter that Mandela was "one of the most influential people in my life."

"He was my hero, my friend, and also a companion to me in our fight for the people and for world peace," he added.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach called Mandela "a great friend and a hero of humanity".

"His attitude towards sport can make us proud - proud at his understanding of the potential of sport to bring inclusion," Bach said.

Blatter, who is attending the 2014 World Cup draw in Brazil, said he and Mandela had "shared an unwavering belief in the extraordinary power of football (and sport generally) to unite people in peace and friendship".

New Zealand's rugby board hailed Mandela's "far-reaching" influence on sport after he inspired South Africa to victory over the All Blacks in the 1995 World Cup final.

Mandela famously appeared at the final in Johannesburg wearing a Springboks jersey - a stark symbol of white South Africa - in an act that electrified the stadium.

"We have lost a champion for our game, a leader whose inspiration ensured the Rugby World Cup in 1995 was a remarkable time for our sport and whose influence on sport has been far-reaching," said New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew.

International Rugby Board chairman Bernard Lapasset said: "I was honoured to be with him during the historic days of Rugby World Cup 1995 and saw his incredible impact on his nation and his people. His wisdom, intelligence and sheer presence was a wonder to behold."

Woods, the world's number one golfer, recalled having lunch with Mandela in 1998, the year after his first Masters triumph.

"It was one of the most inspiring times I've ever had in my life," said Woods. "I don't think any of us probably here could have survived that and come out as humble and as dignified as he did."

South African golf great Gary Player called Mandela "our beloved Father of the South African nation".

Football superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham sent tributes, while Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton posted a picture of himself with Mandela on his Facebook page.

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson called Mandela a "great man" and a "true fan" of boxing, which was a sport he pursued as a young man. - AFP, December 6, 2013.

Teams await World Cup draw fate, FIFA face down fears

Posted: 06 Dec 2013 06:59 AM PST

December 06, 2013

Sepp Blatter (left) and Jerome Valcke telling the media on how today's World Cup 2014 draw will transpire. - AFP pic, December 6, 2013.Thirty-two teams will learn their World Cup fate when the draw for Brazil's problem-plagued 2014 showpiece takes place Friday as governing body FIFA plays down concerns over stadium delays.

Friday's draw will follow a ceremony starting at 1600 GMT (midnight, Malaysian time) and will involve some complex juggling to separate as far as possible teams from the same continent.

But some of the eight groups will have to contain two European sides, with the Old Continent having 13 of the 32 qualifiers.

The presence of all eight former champions - only surprise package Bosnia will be making their debut - could produce some ultra-tough groups.

Brazil could theoretically face two European former champions in the shape of, for example, France and Italy.

England coach Roy Hodgson, meanwhile, indicated where a team plays could be more important than whom they face as the team drawn second in Brazil's group faces a marathon travel schedule and having to play in sweltering heat in the north.

Those considerations mean European teams are likely to struggle while a South American side is likely to triumph, England legend Geoff Hurst predicted.

"There has to be some realism for the European team," said Hurst, who scored a hat-trick in the 1966 final win over Germany and will assist in Friday's draw.

"Brazil must be looked upon as favourites. Anyone wanting to win will have to beat Brazil to do it."

Despite fears over stadium delays, a host of stars insist Brazil will rise to the challenge.

"Everyone wants to come to the World Cup, where they will see the passion of Brazilians for football," said Ronaldo, who scored both goals in Brazil's 2002 final win over Germany.

"A month's delay won't jeopardise things. There is no chance an arena won't be ready -- all will be ready for the World Cup."

Ronaldo also admitted the draw will be crucial.

"I think the rankings tell us who's the best right now. Being a traditional powerhouse doesn't mean to say you're going to win the World Cup," said the man who scored 15 goals in World Cup finals.

"You have to play good football and have a bit of luck too. Some of the big names aren't seeded and that's because they haven't performed that well over the last couple of years."

Last week's fatal accident at the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo, in which two workers died, forced organisers to put back the stadium's completion date.

But FIFA president Sepp Blatter insisted he was confident the venue would still be able to host the opening match on June 12.

That would mean the stadium will have to undergo testing less than two months before the kick-off of the game which will feature the hosts and five-times world champions.

"We have received information it should be ready in mid-April," Blatter told reporters at the draw venue in Costa do Sauipe, north-eastern Brazil, in a final briefing before the eight groups are drawn.

"For the time being there is no Plan B," Blatter added, though secretary general Jerome Valcke later urged caution ahead of April's tests.

Aside from Sao Paulo, Curitiba is also running behind schedule and set for February completion while Cuiaba is on course for a late January finish, forcing FIFA to drop an initial firm December deadline for the completion of all 12 venues.

"All FIFA can do now is ask God, Allah, whoever, that no more accidents shall arise in connection with the World Cup. That is all we can do and we hope the reconstruction can start as soon as possible," said Blatter.

The Arena Corinthians stadium's fatal accident was the third to occur at World Cup venues in Brazil.

Valcke told AFP that FIFA had resolved to look at the overall glass as half full over venue delays, particularly in the context of Sao Paulo.

"The fact (a stadium) is not ready on December 31 but on January 15 is not fundamentally a problem," said Valcke.

"But if it's not January but March 15 it's more of a problem. That gives you less time to be sure things are working."

Brazil last hosted the World Cup in 1950 but in those days there were only 13 teams and none of the mass media coverage which accompanies the modern game.

The stadium delays and a price tag of an estimated $11 billion have fomented public unrest and pressure groups have called for public protest of the kind which accompanied last June's Confederations Cup rehearsal.

Luis Fernandes, Brazil's deputy minister of sport, told AFP that "given the delay we shall have to accelerate preparations. It is too early to say how this will affect (Sao Paulo).

"Before the accident it was 97 percent complete. According to the information we have there was no significant damage to the structure."

Fernandes added that relations with FIFA had improved since Valcke caused a storm by suggesting on an early visit that Brazil needed a "kick up the backside".

He explained Brazil did not wish to be "ordered about - but at the same time recognises society's interest in celebrating the World Cup.

"Once FIFA recognised the importance of the Brazilian government for the event's success relations vastly improved." - AFP, December 6, 2013.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

Study casts doubt on whether extra vitamin D prevents disease

Posted: 05 Dec 2013 10:49 PM PST

December 06, 2013

Researchers are questioning the prevailing wisdom that vitamin D supplements can ward off illness, saying that low vitamin D levels may be a consequence, not a cause, of ill health.Researchers cast doubt on the prevailing wisdom that vitamin D supplements can prevent conditions like cancer, diabetes and heart disease, saying today low vitamin D may be a consequence, not a cause, of ill health.

The findings could have implications for millions of people who take vitamin D pills and other supplements to ward off illness - Americans spend an estimated $600 million (RM1.9 billion) a year on them alone.

Vitamin D, sometimes known as the "sunshine vitamin" is made in the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight and in found in foods like fish liver oil, eggs and fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel.

It is known to boost the uptake of calcium and bone formation, and some observational studies have also suggested a link between low levels of vitamin D and greater risks of many acute and chronic diseases.

But it is not clear whether this is a cause-and-effect relationship, so various large trials have been conducted to test whether vitamin D supplementation can reduce the risk of developing disease.

Researchers led by Philippe Autier of France's International Prevention Research Institute in Lyon analysed data from several hundred observational studies and clinical trials examining the effects of vitamin D levels on so-called non-bone health, including links to illness such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

They found that the benefits of high vitamin D levels seen in observational studies - including reduced risk of cardiovascular events, diabetes and colorectal cancer - were not replicated in randomised trials where participants were given vitamin D to see if it would protect against illness.

"What this discrepancy suggests is that decreases in vitamin D levels are a marker of deteriorating health," said Autier.

In other words, he explained, serious illness like cancer and diabetes may reduce vitamin D concentrations, but that does not necessarily mean that raising vitamin D levels would prevent the illness from occurring.

Yet experts not involved in Autier's review said its conclusions were not definitive, and cautioned against reading it as a reason to dissuade people from taking vitamin D.

"This paper is very useful because it highlights the need for more long term intervention studies specifically looking at the effect of proper vitamin D supplementation on disease risk," said Nigel Belshaw, research leader at Britain's Institute of Food Research.

"However, it does not suggest that taking vitamin D supplements can not be useful in some cases for some purposes. Neither does it rule out a health advantage of increasing vitamin D levels in the blood for those who are deficient."

Helen Macdonald, a professor of nutrition and musculoskeletal health at Britain's University of Aberdeen stressed that vitamin D was important for bone health.

"And we already know that people who are at risk of vitamin D deficiency, like older people, pregnant and breastfeeding women, young children and people with darker skin, need to take a supplement because it is difficult to boost vitamin D levels from food sources alone," she said.

She added that Autier's study did, however, appear to confirm what many nutrition experts have suspected for a while - "that healthy people probably don't need to take a high dose supplement and that the best source of vitamin D for most people is sunlight in the summer, always taking care not to burn." - Reuters, December 6, 2013.

Young American sings classical Arabic music, wows audiences

Posted: 05 Dec 2013 05:16 PM PST

December 06, 2013

An image taken from a video uploaded by MBC (Middle East Broadcasting Centre) on YouTube on November 9, 2013, shows Jennifer Grout (centre), the American contestant in the pan-Arab TV programme 'Arabs Got Talent' performing at the MBC television station studios in Zouk Mosbeh, north of Beirut. - AFP pic, December 6, 2013.Young American Jennifer Grout doesn't speak a word of Arabic, but has taught herself to sing the Arab world's best-known, most difficult songs, and could even win its major music competition.

Her blonde hair loose and without a sign of make-up, the 23-year-old appeared before a panel of judges to audition for the Arabs Got Talent show.

When Egyptian film star and panel member Ahmed Helmy asked her in Arabic what her what her name was, she didn't have a clue what he was saying.

But then she began to play the oud and sing a classic by Egyptian diva Umm Kalthoum, "Baeed Annak" (Far from you).

She stunned the audience, enunciating every word to perfection as her voice effortlessly navigated the quarter-notes that make Arabic music so distinctive.

Grout, who grew up in a musical home in Boston, Massachusetts and has studied piano and violin since the age of five, only discovered her passion for Arabic music three years ago.

As a 20-year-old student in Boston, Grout says she "came across an online article about Fairouz", whose unique, angelic voice rings out on radio stations across the Arab world every morning.

"I listened to her and watched a video of her, and I was just really intrigued and mesmerised by her voice. So I decided to start exploring Arabic music more," Grout told AFP.

Ever since, she has learned to sing not only songs by Umm Kalthoum — whose voice is still considered the Arab world's finest three decades after her death — but also Syrian star Asmahan and the compositions of Egypt's Mohammad Abdel Wahab.

Quietly confident, Grout's is a rare presence on the hugely popular Arabs Got Talent, which usually hosts artists more likely to choose pop music, either Arabic or Western.

Asked why she didn't choose that path, she laughed: "That would be like asking an opera singer why she sings opera as opposed to Britney Spears."

Although the music she loves best is decades old, it would have been well-nigh impossible for Grout to develop her passion without the Internet, with its wealth of videos of classical Arabic songs and their lyrics.

She says that although she doesn't speak Arabic, she understands the lyrics because she has found the translations for many of the songs online.

At the same time, she has asked her Arabic-speaking friends to help.

"Of course it's essential to understand what you're singing about," she said while preparing for rehearsal at a production studio of MBC broadcaster in Zouk Mosbeh, north of Beirut.

Several teachers have taught her to play oud, which she sometimes plays as an accompaniment.

The final of the show will be held tomorrow, when Grout will compete for first place against 11 other contestants.

Voters will call in to name their favourite, and Grout says that, if she wins, she will use the opportunity to get more exposure.

"I guess I would just see what opportunities rise out of this. Hopefully this will give me enough exposure to get performance opportunities, because that's really all I want to do, if I can, for the rest of my life," she said.

YouTube and Facebook users have left scores of comments on her singing, most of them positive.

"Jennifer is the best," writes one on YouTube. "Wow, damn she is good!" writes another. "She has a beautiful soul," writes a third.

But some viewers have expressed disbelief, calling her performances a publicity stunt.

"It's a trick in order to gain publicity," says one sceptic on YouTube, accusing the Arabs Got Talent show of merely pretending that she can't speak Arabic.

Grout says she is familiar with that disbelief, and that she experienced it at her fateful TV audition.

"Initially when I got on stage the audience was not expecting much," she said.

"I actually heard the audience started to laugh. And then later on, about 30 seconds in, it changed to silence, and then it changed to cheering, because everyone in the end was very impressed." - AFP, December 6, 2013.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

US television, Twitter, alive with new version of “Sound of Music”

Posted: 05 Dec 2013 08:48 PM PST

December 06, 2013

US television was alive with "The Sound of Music" yesterday as country singer Carrie Underwood (pic) and "True Blood" actor Stephen Moyer starred in a live version of the classic musical about an aspiring nun who falls in love with an Austrian captain.

Filmed on vast movie sets and with lavish costumes but without an audience, the NBC television broadcast harked back to the traditions of the 1950s and 1960s when live musicals were often shown on American television.

Yesterday's three-hour show was based on the 1959 stage version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein show rather than the Oscar-winning 1965 musical starring Julie Andrews.

After heavy promotion for weeks, the live broadcast was the No. 2 topic on Twitter yesterday, behind the death of South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela.

But not everyone found the new version one of their favourite things, with many viewers taking to social media to snipe over the quality of Underwood's acting and bemoan a lack of atmosphere and chemistry between some of the key characters.

"Don't get me wrong. I love me some Carrie Underwood but I am not digging this version," tweeted TV viewer Heather Whitford.

"Nothing will beat an original, but doing this live on TV is amazing!" countered Lonz on the micro-blogging website.

Underwood, 30, who has become one of America's biggest country stars since winning "American Idol" in 2005, has scant experience as an actress.

"I just want to say before the craziness starts... I am truly honoured to be in #TheSoundofMusicLive. This is an exciting/moving moment," Underwood tweeted before the broadcast from New York got under way.

Moyer, 44, is best known as the star of HBO's quirky vampire drama "True Blood". While not known as a singer, he performed in a musical version of "Chicago" at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this year.

Moyer played the strict widower with seven children who falls in love with aspiring nun Maria, played by Underwood, on the cusp of World War Two.

Veteran Broadway stars Audra McDonald (Mother Abbess), Laura Benanti (Elsa Schrader) and Christian Borle (Max Detweiler) rounded out the cast.

More than a year ago, producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron came up with the idea of doing a live version of "The Sound of Music" - whose hit songs "My Favourite Things" and "Edelweiss" have made it a beloved musical for several generations.

They told Reuters earlier that they hoped it would spark a resumption of the tradition of showing live musicals on US television. - Reuters, December 6, 2013.

Indian court orders fresh trial for Bollywood’s Khan

Posted: 05 Dec 2013 06:31 PM PST

December 06, 2013

In this photograph taken on October 6, 2003, Indian film actor Salman Khan (centre) is seen escorted by police personnel and bodyguards after a court appearance for a 2002 hit-and-run case in Mumbai. - AFP pic, December 6, 2013.An Indian court yesterday ordered a fresh trial for Bollywood star Salman Khan, who is accused of culpable homicide in a hit-and-run case dating back to 2002, reports said.

Khan, 47, is alleged to have driven his Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle onto a pavement and over five sleeping homeless people in suburban Mumbai, killing one and injuring four others.

During the decade-long court proceedings, Khan initially faced lesser charges of rash and negligent driving. But prosecutors secured a charge of culpable homicide earlier this year.

On the basis of the more serious charge, Khan applied for a fresh trial discarding earlier evidence.

This was granted by Mumbai Judge D.W. Deshpande yesterday, the Press Trust of India reported.

Deshpande said all the witnesses would be examined and cross-examined again in the fresh trial, which would be put on fast-track mode.

He fixed December 23 for the prosecution and defence to submit their lists of witnesses, after which a trial date would be fixed.

Prosecutors objected to a fresh trial, calling it a "stalling tactic" by the actor, India's NDTV news network reported.

Khan faces a jail term of up to ten years if found guilty.

The actor has been a controversial figure since he first broke into Bollywood in the late 1980s in the hit romance film "Maine Pyar Kiya" (I Fell in Love).

In 1998 he spent more than a week in prison for killing endangered Indian gazelles in the western state of Rajasthan. - AFP, December 6, 2013.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

Malaysia’s royal heads of Islam

Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:00 PM PST

December 06, 2013

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!

Dear Lord Bobo, I understand that in Malaysia, the Sultans are the heads of Islam in their respective States. Is this in line with the teachings of Islam? Also, what kind of things do the Sultans do as part of this role? (Throne Sitter, via email).

Malaysia has nine Sultans, who are also the head of Islam in their respective states. The Agong serves as the head of Islam for states without a Sultan such as Penang, Melaka, Sabah, and Sarawak.

This means there is effectively a total of ten heads of Islam. Ten! That's one more than a nine-headed hydra of Greek mythology. Or two more than the mythical eight-headed Japanese serpent. It's three more than the seven-headed beast in Revelations. Heck, it's four more than the six-headed wild ram in Sumerian mythology. Even for those who like head, that's a whole lotta head (of Islam) for such a small country. We can appreciate two heads are better than one; but we're not sure whether ten heads are better than two.

To address your question whether this is in line with the teachings of Islam, we think it appropriate to quote the following as being the first part of our answer. Regarding Islam's egalitarian nature, Bernard Lewis, a respected Islamic historian (yes, contrary to the views of some Malaysians, it is indeed possible for a Westerner to be an authority on Islam) argues: "There is much truth in this assertion… The Islamic dispensation does indeed bring a message of equality. Not only does Islam not endorse such systems of social differentiation (racism, caste system etc.), it explicitly and resolutely rejects them. The action and utterances of the Prophet, the honoured precedents of the early rulers of Islam as preserved by tradition, are overwhelmingly against privilege by decent, by birth, by status, by wealth, or even by piety and merit in Islam. (What Went Wrong, 2002)" – Quoted from page 179, Islamic Jihad: A Legacy of Forced Conversion, Imperialism, and Slavery (Editor: M.A. Khan) 2009, Chapter on The Arab-Islamic Imperialism.

So there you have it. In Islam, everyone is of equal standing. There is no such thing as inherent superiority or privilege of one over another. It therefore does seem strange that the ones assigned as heads of Islam in Malaysia do not conform to the egalitarian principle in Islam. How that happened was down to how events unfolded in history.

The growth and spread of Islam in the region had a close and deep relationship with the Rulers, to the point they were finally intertwined as enshrined in the Federal and State Constitutions. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) may have started as a trader and finished as a leader but he never claimed to be king. On the contrary, he emphasised his humanness on several occasions. It is disappointing to note how little in the way of local research is done to explore the notion of royalty vis-a-vis the tenets and principles of Islam.

As to your second question – what the Sultans do as part of their role of heads of Islam – to be quite honest, we're not very sure. We do know that their Highnesses have a Council of Rulers that make important national decisions, attend charity functions, attend golf invitationals, give out titles and awards, and grace other formal, governmental functions. Lord Bobo assumes that this obviously is no different from royalty elsewhere around the world. Their Highnesses are encouraged to keep busy, and Lord Bobo is certain that their days are filled with doing matters of utmost national importance. Although we cannot be certain what exactly they do (these things do have to be kept confidential, you know) we are fairly certain that Malaysia would probably implode without their constant and invaluable sacrifices.

Specifically in relation to their role as heads of Islam, we suppose that they approach every situation with the question: "What would Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) do?" This approach would ensure that they would stay clear of things which would very obviously be inappropriate for a "head of Islam" – for example, we cannot imagine that they would live a flash, jet-setting lifestyle, go on lavish shopping sprees, amass a collection of limited edition Rolls Royce or Bentleys, be a loyal patron of the Hard Rock Cafe, make a profit from dodgy land deals or by selling honorific titles, own extremely valuable blocks of shares in various large companies, use sports equipment as deadly weapons, rub shoulders and other body parts with supermodels and famous actresses, or get "jiggy" with girls young enough to be their daughters.

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)! – December 5, 2013.

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

Malaysia’s royal heads of Islam

Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:00 PM PST

December 06, 2013

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!

Malaysia has nine Sultans, who are also the head of Islam in their respective states. The Agong serves as the head of Islam for states without a Sultan such as Penang, Melaka, Sabah, and Sarawak.

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

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

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Mahasiswa Nasional saran wujud Skim Simpanan Tetap Perumahan

Posted: 06 Dec 2013 03:07 AM PST

December 06, 2013

Mahasiswa Nasional mengutarakan Skim Simpanan Tetap Perumahan untuk membantu mahasiswa Bumiputera memiliki rumah.Mahasiswa Nasional hari ini mencadangkan kerajaan mewujudkan Skim Simpanan Tetap Perumahan (SSTP) sebagai satu inisiatif meringankan beban dan membantu mahasiswa Bumiputera dalam pemilikan rumah.

Mencadangkan perkata itu, wakil Mahasiswa Nasional dari Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Pahang, Mohd Affifi Mohd Aris, berkata skim berkenaan berperanan seumpama Skim Simpanan Pendidikan Nasional (SSPN) yang menjadikan tabungan sebagai asas permulaan.

Mengakui kerajaan telah melaksanakan banyak bantuan dalam isu perumahan termasuk membina rumah kos rendah, beliau bagaimanapun berkata ia belum mencukupi memandangkan jumlah rumah yang dibina tidak banyak selain mahasiswa kini terbeban dengan hutang lain seperti pendidikan.

"Kekangan ekonomi, penawaran rumah mampu milik yang tidak mencukupi adalah masalah penting dan utama untuk mahasiswa Bumiputera memiliki rumah bagi menjamin kehidupan mereka yang selesa.

"Justeru skim ini berupaya membantu golongan mahasiswa Bumiputera mendapatkan rumah dengan penabungan sejak kecil dan budaya menabung yang diamal akan mengurangkan beban kewangan mereka," katanya.

Mohd Affifi, 21, yang juga bekas Yang Dipertua Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar UiTM berkata demikian ketika membahaskan usul ekonomi dalam Perhimpunan Agung Umno 2013.

Beliau berkata skim berkenaan juga akan menjadi titik awal menyuntik kesedaran mahasiswa dan ibu bapa akan kepentingan pemilikan aset untuk meningkatkan kualiti hidup Bumiputera di negara ini.

Selain itu beliau turut menyentuh mengenai syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC) apabila menyarankan syarikat tersebut mewujudkan sistem kuota dalam memberi peluang kepada mahasiswa menjalani latihan industri selain dijadikan penunjuk prestasi utama kepada syarikat.

Jelasnya penetapan kuota itu terutama di syarikat GLC yang memiliki nama besar akan membantu memberi pengalaman bernilai kepada mahasiswa Bumiputera di negara ini.

"Pendedahan awal mahasiswa kepada syarikat GLC ini penting untuk membina hubungan baik dengan industri dan membantu mereka mendapat pekerjaan sebaik tamat pengajian," katanya. – Bernama, 6 Disember, 2013.

Mayat AJK Umno Pekan yang lemas ditemui

Posted: 06 Dec 2013 02:47 AM PST

OLEH HASBULLAH AWANG CHIK
December 06, 2013

Mayat Jamali Ali telah ditemui oleh penduduk dan anggota penyelamat berdekatan tali air utama di Sungai Isap. Gambar The Malaysian Insider.Mayat Ahli Jawatankuasa Umno Bahagian Pekan Jamali Ali, 44, yang lemas ditelenggami pusaran banjir pada Rabu di Sungai Isap, ditemui di tali air Kampung Razali jam 2.30 petang tadi, kata Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Sungai Lembing Datuk Md Sohaimi Md Shah.

Beliau berkata, mayat ditemui penduduk bersama anggota penyelamat dalam keadaan terapung kira-kira satu kilometer dari lokasi kejadian lemas.

"Mayat mangsa ditemui jam 2.30 petang oleh penduduk kampung, anggota tentera dan bomba. Lokasi penemuan mayat berhampiran tali air utama di Sungai Isap," katanya ketika dihubungi The Malaysian Insider.

Pagi tadi, mayat anak Jamali, Megat Nazri, 17, ditemui di tali air Taman Guru iaitu dua kilometer dari lokasi kejadian pada jam 9.30 pagi.

Dalam kejadian 7.30 malam pada Rabu, dua beranak itu dikhuatiri lemas ketika memindahkan barang ke bot.

Jamali dan Megat Nazri dipercayai terjatuh ke dalam arus deras selepas bot itu terbalik dipercayai melanggar arus pusaran air.

Md Sohaimi berkata kini mayat Jamali sedang dibedah siasat di Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan dan akan dimandikan di hospital berkenaan.

Katanya, mayat dua beranak itu akan dibawa pulang ke Pekan sebelum dikebumikan dalam satu lahad hari ini juga.

Banjir melanda negeri Pahang, Terengganu dan Johor dan dikatakan diantara yang terburuk sehingga menyebabkan Menteri Komunikasi dan Multimedia Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek turun sendiri ke kawasan Parlimennya di Kemaman untuk memberikan bantuan.

Sementara Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang menyeru kerajaan agar dapat mengisytiharkan kawasan Kuantan, Pahang dan daerah Kemaman, Terengganu sebagai "kawasan bencana" akibat dilanda banjir yang terburuk dalam sejarah kedua-dua negeri berkenaan.

Menurut Abdul Hadi, pengisytiharan kawasan bencana ini adalah perlu kerana ia membolehkan proses menyelamatkan nyawa penduduk dan penghantaran bekalan.

Katanya penghantaran makanan, pakaian, air bersih terutamanya dapat dilakukan dengan kadar segera tanpa kerenah birokrasi, dan bencana banjir ini diangkat sebagai perkara yang sangat perlu disegerakan penyelesaiannya di peringkat nasional. – 6 Disember, 2013.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Jumaat, 6 Disember 2013