Isnin, 3 Februari 2014

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food


Chocolate makers try to charm Chinese with lunar new year bonbons

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 04:36 PM PST

February 04, 2014

The 32-piece chocolate gift set is $120 (RM401) while the 20-piece gift set retails for $50. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, February 4, 2014.The 32-piece chocolate gift set is $120 (RM401) while the 20-piece gift set retails for $50. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, February 4, 2014.Though Chinese consumers are known for lacking a sweet tooth, premium chocolate makers are hoping to cash in on the tradition of gift giving over the lunar new year with a slew of limited edition, commemorative gift sets.

The Chinese may have enthusiastically taken up Western food trends like coffee, wine, and fast food over the past decades, but chocolate has failed to make significant inroads, given a palate that prefers salty and savoury flavours over sweet.

According to figures out of global research firm Euromonitor, the average Chinese eats a modest 100g of chocolate a year – or the equivalent of two chocolate bars.

By comparison, the per capita consumption in Switzerland averaged 12kg in 2012.

But where chocolate brands hope to endear themselves to the middle-class Chinese market is by pitching the confectionery as a premium product ideal for gift giving, particularly during the biggest holiday of the Asian calendar, lunar new year.

Over at Godiva, chocolatiers have created a trio of new flavours for the holiday including dark caramel pear, milk cherry almond and white pineapple Macadamia.

The 32-piece chocolate gift set is $120 (RM401) while the 20-piece gift set retails for $50. Both come with red envelopes.

Neuhaus has also launched a limited edition year of the horse gift box for $30 that houses 16 bonbons, while La Maison du Chocolat has assembled a special trio of red and gold-ribboned gift boxes including hat boxes for the occasion.

And for small, handout treats, Purdys Chocolatier has created solid milk chocolate medallions which are individually wrapped in a red and gold Chinese new year motif.

For a chocolate alternative, Laduree boutiques at airports across Asia like Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, as well as Paris and Australia, will offer a limited edition gift box to house the brand's iconic macarons. The burgundy boxes are emblazoned with gold horseshoes. – AFP/Relaxnews, February 4, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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17 KL players charged with match-fixing slapped on the wrist with RM5,000 fine

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 05:28 AM PST

February 03, 2014

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) allowed 17 Kuala Lumpur players who were charged with match-fixing to 'escape' with a light sentence of RM5,000 fine each and a stern warning.

The FAM Disciplinary Committee chairman Datuk Taufik Abdul Razak said all 17 players were let off with fines, as the FAM had taken into account the fact that they could have been victims of circumstances of their sponsors.

He said the players were warned by their sponsor not to report the alleged match-fixing to the higher authorities, and the players, for fear of their safety and the safety of their families, had not reported such activities.

"The agreement between the Football Association of Kuala Lumpur and the sponsor was dated November 12, 2012, but signed only on December 11, just two days before the dateline for registration of players.

"The committee feels it was a planned move by the sponsor. The mastermind has been identified, but we cannot reveal the identity for safety reasons. We will refer the case to the higher authorities, Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission (MACC) and the police for action," he told reporters, after chairing the meeting at Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya, today.

The 17 players were Azizon Abdul Kadir, Benedict Martin, Muhammad Syazwan Mohamed Rani, J. Mughilan Kartik, Muhamad Azwan Jatin, S. Sivaraj, Mohamad Amirul Asraf Mohd Noor, Ahmad Dashila Tajudin, Hishamuddin Othman, Mohd Badrul Hisyam Azmi, Muhamad Ar'ra'uf Roslee, Muhammad Hanis Mohtar, Muhammad
Rafef Raya, Muhammad Syafiq Johari, Mohd Munir Amran, Muhammad Taufiq Mohd Shukor and Ahmad Jihad Ismail.

Taufik said the players had notified the Kuala Lumpur team management, but the hands of the KLFA were tied as they were indebted to the sponsors under the agreement.

"The sponsor had set various conditions. One of the conditions was part managing the team, while the payment of salary was done by the sponsor. Before the start of the 2012 Premier League, all the players were gathered and directed to follow the instructions and directive given by the sponsor.

"The players followed orders, and not according to sportsmanship, by allowing 60 goals in 16 matches," he said.

On December 20, 2013, the FAM Disciplinary Committee banned five players for life and fined them RM20,000 each after finding them guilty of match-fixing and bribery.

The five were Fadhullah Yunsifar, Phoo Kai Lun, Khairul Anuar Shafie, Jeremy Danker and Hafizi Roslee, while Kuala Lumpur head coach Stanislav Lieskovsky from Slovakia, assistant manager Rosli Omar and sports official Saari Jani were also handed similar punishment. - Bernama, February 3, 2014.

FAM appoint Kim Swee as interim national coach

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 03:50 AM PST

February 03, 2014

The Football Association of Malaysia has appointed Harimau Muda A coach, Datuk Ong Kim Swee (pic) as the interim national team (Harimau Malaya) head coach, to replace Datuk K. Rajagobal whose contract expired on December 31.

FAM vice president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal, when making the announcement today, said Kim Swee would be in charge of the national squad until the end of the 2015 Asia Cup Qualifier.

Malaysia, drawn in Group D, play Yemen in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), early next month.

Subahan said the decision to appoint Kim Swee, 43, was taken after talks with prospective coach Philippe Troussier from France, hit a dead end.

"Since time was short before the Qualifier, we had to make a quick decision. I hope the appointment will end speculation about the appointment of the national coach.
  
"I, as the national team manager, am confident of Kim Swee's capability to lift the status of the team," he told reporters at Wisma FAM, Kelana Jaya.

Subahan stressed that the FAM was considering a number of candidates for the job of national coach; the list had been shortlisted to 42 applicants.

He added that the FAM had not set any time frame for the appointment because 2014 is not a busy year for the national squad on the international football stage.

Meanwhile, Kim Swee expressed confidence with the capability of his new assistant for the Harimau Muda A team - Rusdi Suparman, a former international who played for Selangor.

Rusdi will assist Kim Swee in preparing the Harimau Muda A team that will play in Australia's National Premier League (NPL) in Queensland, starting next month. - Bernama, February 3, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz


Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman dead of suspected drug overdose

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 12:33 AM PST

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Philip Seymour Hoffman (pic), one of the leading actors of his generation and winner of an Academy Award for his title role in the film 'Capote,' was found dead in his Manhattan apartment on Sunday in what a New York police source described as an apparent drug overdose. Hoffman, 46, was discovered unresponsive on the bathroom floor of his...
    






Bruno Mars gives high-wattage halftime act at Super Bowl

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 07:15 PM PST

February 03, 2014

Bruno Mars (centre) performs during the halftime show of the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks in East Rutherford, New Jersey, yesterday. - Reuters pic, February 3, 2014.Bruno Mars (centre) performs during the halftime show of the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks in East Rutherford, New Jersey, yesterday. - Reuters pic, February 3, 2014.Accompanied by a light show that featured 80,000 fans with illuminated hats, pop star Bruno Mars rocked the Super Bowl halftime show yesterday with a selection of his hits including "Treasure" and "Runaway Baby".

Dressed in a glittery, '50s style jacket and narrow tie, the bouffant-topped singer danced across the stage as fire effects and fireworks lit up East Rutherford, New Jersey's Met Life Stadium.

He was backed by alternative rockers the Red Hot Chili Peppers, whose lead singer Anthony Kiedis strutted out onto the stage shirtless and in shorts even as the temperature dropped to 7 degrees Celsius, belting out the group's 1991 hit "Give it Away".

Mars later rolled on a round stage out to the center of the field to perform "Just the Way You Are", which earned him the first of his two Grammy Awards, completing his performance.

The Hawaiian-born R&B singer follows performers from previous years who include Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen and Prince in singing at what is far and away the most-watched US sporting event.

Mars, whose album "Unorthodox Jukebox" was named best pop vocal album at the 2014 Grammys, had joked that he prepared for the rigors of performing at the first outdoor cold-weather Super Bowl by securing his pompadour hairstyle with "three gallons of hair spray".

Before the game, soprano Renee Fleming delivered a rousing performance of the US national anthem, backed by a symphony orchestra singers from all four branches of the US armed forces and fireworks.

A military colour guard marched out while an enormous US flag was unfurled over the field.

Fleming, with four Grammy Awards to her name, was the first opera star to sing the national anthem before the NFL championship, a task that normally falls to a pop singer. - Reuters, February 3, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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China’s horses fight in Lunar New Year battles

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 07:56 PM PST

February 03, 2014

Two stallions fight during a traditional Chinese New Year horse-fighting competition for the Year of the Horse at the Miao Minority village of Tiantou in China's Guangxi Province, yesterday. - AFP pic, February 3, 2014.Two stallions fight during a traditional Chinese New Year horse-fighting competition for the Year of the Horse at the Miao Minority village of Tiantou in China's Guangxi Province, yesterday. - AFP pic, February 3, 2014.Hooves clash in mid-air, a stallion bites his opponent while delighted spectators cheer wildly – in southern China some saw in the Year of the Horse by watching the animals fight.

For the residents of Tiantou, a remote village in the Guangxi region, the 500-year-old tradition which pits male horses against each other in a fight over a female was the only way to kick off the Lunar New Year.

"Without horse fighting it wouldn't feel like a new year," said Pan Jianming, whose horse Little Black reared-up on its hind legs and bit its opponent's neck to scoop victory in a competition this weekend.

"He stood up and hit the other horse straight away," Pan, a 31-year-old air conditioner repairman, said.

"If he likes the female horse, it doesn't matter how much pain he's in, he won't run away," he added, his black and white shirt stained with blood which dripped from a gash on his horse's nose.

"We have medicine to treat his injuries, and he will gradually get better," added Pan, who claimed a champion's prize of 500 yuan (RM276).

Fifteen animals fought in bouts, which saw horses jump into the air with their front hooves spinning before crashing down on their opponents and biting their head or neck, sometimes drawing hair and blood.

Horse fighting competitions held by the Miao – an ethnic group living in mountain areas of Southern China and Southeast Asia – date back more than five centuries, according to locals.

The first battle is said to have been held to settle a dispute between two brothers who both hoped to marry the same woman.

But the fights, held in dozens of small mountain villages in Southern China every year with prizes of up to 10,000 yuan, have been condemned by animal rights groups.

In 2010, Hong-Kong based Animals Asia called horse-fighting a "horrific spectacle", accusing the scraps of causing "abuse and suffering to animals in the name of entertainment".

The stallions are encouraged to fight by the presence of a female horse, who is kept metres away from the clashing pairs by a villager armed with little more than a stick.

The horse which successfully defends its position close to the female is declared the winner.

Animals Asia has said the female horses are sometimes "induced into season through the injection of hormones".

In Tiantou, hundreds of spectators gathered just metres away from the battling equines – without any barriers separating them from the action.

The animals squared up to each other like boxers before unleashing a flurry of backwards-directed kicks and bites. Most did not appear to sustain any visible injuries.

Onlookers scrambled to escape when pairs of bucking mares periodically galloped towards them.

Others shouted: "Fight, Fight!" as the animals clashed but most insisted the contest was not cruel.

"Sometimes the horses will be injured but it won't be very serious, they have thick skin," said Di Zhai, a 16-year-old spectator.

Some travellers from Chinese cities, which have seen a rise in concern for animal welfare in recent years alongside a growth in pet-ownership, seemed more concerned.

"It's horrible to see the horses get injured, I don't like to watch," said 14-year-old Ma Jiasui, who had travelled to the village from a nearby province as part of a tourist group.

However, she added: "It's the Year of the Horse, and my surname means horse, so its special to see horse fighting this year."

The contests are held year-round but peak following the start of the Lunar New Year – the most important annual festival in China, which fell on Friday.

"Now there are more horse fighting competitions than ever," said Jia Yingcai, the head of a local horse fighting association.

Zhou Tingyi, a 63-year-old who presided over the competition with a white plastic megaphone, said: "We used to hold horse fights just once a year but now we do it more often. Because this is the year of the horse, we are even more happy."

"You need a good horse for fighting, it needs to be fat, it needs to have more energy," he added.

Horse breeders said that the ideal age for an equine pugilist was between four and eight years. Most animals do farm work when not fighting.

"Horse fighting is just for fun," said Pan Yinghong, who held his horse with a rope as animals neighed and whinnied.

The competitions are also about "glory", he added.

"If I win, people will think of me as a horse king, and its also good for attracting women." - AFP, February 3, 2014.

China’s horses fight in Lunar New Year battles

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 07:56 PM PST

February 03, 2014

Two stallions fight during a traditional Chinese New Year horse-fighting competition for the Year of the Horse at the Miao Minority village of Tiantou in China's Guangxi Province, yesterday. - AFP pic, February 3, 2014.Two stallions fight during a traditional Chinese New Year horse-fighting competition for the Year of the Horse at the Miao Minority village of Tiantou in China's Guangxi Province, yesterday. - AFP pic, February 3, 2014.Hooves clash in mid-air, a stallion bites his opponent while delighted spectators cheer wildly – in southern China some saw in the Year of the Horse by watching the animals fight.

For the residents of Tiantou, a remote village in the Guangxi region, the 500-year-old tradition which pits male horses against each other in a fight over a female was the only way to kick off the Lunar New Year.

"Without horse fighting it wouldn't feel like a new year," said Pan Jianming, whose horse Little Black reared-up on its hind legs and bit its opponent's neck to scoop victory in a competition this weekend.

"He stood up and hit the other horse straight away," Pan, a 31-year-old air conditioner repairman, said.

"If he likes the female horse, it doesn't matter how much pain he's in, he won't run away," he added, his black and white shirt stained with blood which dripped from a gash on his horse's nose.

"We have medicine to treat his injuries, and he will gradually get better," added Pan, who claimed a champion's prize of 500 yuan (RM276).

Fifteen animals fought in bouts, which saw horses jump into the air with their front hooves spinning before crashing down on their opponents and biting their head or neck, sometimes drawing hair and blood.

Horse fighting competitions held by the Miao – an ethnic group living in mountain areas of Southern China and Southeast Asia – date back more than five centuries, according to locals.

The first battle is said to have been held to settle a dispute between two brothers who both hoped to marry the same woman.

But the fights, held in dozens of small mountain villages in Southern China every year with prizes of up to 10,000 yuan, have been condemned by animal rights groups.

In 2010, Hong-Kong based Animals Asia called horse-fighting a "horrific spectacle", accusing the scraps of causing "abuse and suffering to animals in the name of entertainment".

The stallions are encouraged to fight by the presence of a female horse, who is kept metres away from the clashing pairs by a villager armed with little more than a stick.

The horse which successfully defends its position close to the female is declared the winner.

Animals Asia has said the female horses are sometimes "induced into season through the injection of hormones".

In Tiantou, hundreds of spectators gathered just metres away from the battling equines – without any barriers separating them from the action.

The animals squared up to each other like boxers before unleashing a flurry of backwards-directed kicks and bites. Most did not appear to sustain any visible injuries.

Onlookers scrambled to escape when pairs of bucking mares periodically galloped towards them.

Others shouted: "Fight, Fight!" as the animals clashed but most insisted the contest was not cruel.

"Sometimes the horses will be injured but it won't be very serious, they have thick skin," said Di Zhai, a 16-year-old spectator.

Some travellers from Chinese cities, which have seen a rise in concern for animal welfare in recent years alongside a growth in pet-ownership, seemed more concerned.

"It's horrible to see the horses get injured, I don't like to watch," said 14-year-old Ma Jiasui, who had travelled to the village from a nearby province as part of a tourist group.

However, she added: "It's the Year of the Horse, and my surname means horse, so its special to see horse fighting this year."

The contests are held year-round but peak following the start of the Lunar New Year – the most important annual festival in China, which fell on Friday.

"Now there are more horse fighting competitions than ever," said Jia Yingcai, the head of a local horse fighting association.

Zhou Tingyi, a 63-year-old who presided over the competition with a white plastic megaphone, said: "We used to hold horse fights just once a year but now we do it more often. Because this is the year of the horse, we are even more happy."

"You need a good horse for fighting, it needs to be fat, it needs to have more energy," he added.

Horse breeders said that the ideal age for an equine pugilist was between four and eight years. Most animals do farm work when not fighting.

"Horse fighting is just for fun," said Pan Yinghong, who held his horse with a rope as animals neighed and whinnied.

The competitions are also about "glory", he added.

"If I win, people will think of me as a horse king, and its also good for attracting women." - AFP, February 3, 2014.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

The Malaysian Insider :: Books

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‘Calvin and Hobbes’ author wins top French prize

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 05:42 PM PST

February 03, 2014

Carola Strang, director of 'Hors Collection', the French publisher of US cartoonist Bill Watterson, author of the worldwide cult series 'Calvin and Hobbes', holds the trophy after the artist won the top prize at France's Angouleme world comic strip festival in Angouleme, southwestern France, yesterday. - AFP pic, February 3, 2014.Carola Strang, director of 'Hors Collection', the French publisher of US cartoonist Bill Watterson, author of the worldwide cult series 'Calvin and Hobbes', holds the trophy after the artist won the top prize at France's Angouleme world comic strip festival in Angouleme, southwestern France, yesterday. - AFP pic, February 3, 2014.US cartoonist Bill Watterson, author of the worldwide cult series "Calvin and Hobbes", won the top prize yesterday for his craft at France's Angouleme world comic strip festival, organisers said.

Watterson, 56, won the grand prix at the 41st edition of the festival, beating Japan's Katsuhiro Otomo ("Akira") and Britain's Alan Moore ("Watchmen").

He was not present to receive his prize, the most prestigious of its kind in the French-speaking world.

"Calvin and Hobbes", which catalogues the trials and triumphs of a six-year-old boy and his toy tiger, is the chief work of this cartoonist, who syndicated it from 1985 to 1995. It has sold more than 30 million comic books worldwide and been distributed to 2,400 newspapers.

Born William B. Watterson on July 5, 1958 in Washington DC, the author grew up in Chagrin Falls, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. Passionate about drawing since childhood, he worked as a political cartoonist for the Cincinnati Post following studies in political science. Fired from the newspaper, he suffered a series of setbacks and returned to live with his parents.

It was on November 18, 1985 that the Universal Syndicate Press published the first installment of "Calvin and Hobbes". It was the beginning of a great success. Appearing first in 130 newspapers, the series was eventually distributed to newspapers around the world, translated into some 40 languages.

In 1986, Watterson received the Reuben Award of the US National Cartoonist Society. In 1992, he won the prize for best foreign comic book at the Angouleme Festival. - AFP, February 3, 2014.

Isabel Allende nostalgic for ‘literary innocence’

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 04:40 PM PST

February 03, 2014

Chilean writer Isabel Allende (pic) admits she sometimes feels nostalgic for her "literary innocence" when she wrote "The House of the Spirits", the award-winning debut book which catapulted her to stardom.

Allende, who has just published her first police thriller, said she has come a long way since the best-selling 1982 work.

"Back then I was totally innocent about literature," the 71-year-old, whose books have sold 60 million copies and been translated into 35 languages, told AFP from San Francisco, where she lives.

The writer, whose 20 or so books have included novels, essays and memoirs, also remembers the time she spent exiled in Venezuela and had to get up at dawn to write for a few hours before going out to work.

"I wasn't scared of anything because I knew nothing about the world of editors, agents and contracts. I have lost that innocence," she said. "I have a lot of freedom to write, but (I miss) the liberty of not knowing, of the person who doesn't know what they're getting into."

Her latest book, "Ripper: a Novel", is a best-seller in Spain and Latin America since its release at the start of January. The English translation came out last Tuesday.

In it, Allende contrasts the mysticism of a faith healer, Indiana, with the pragmatism of her daughter Amanda, a teenager obsessed with finding a serial killer in San Francisco.

The action happens in 2012, "which means I didn't have to study" to be able to write about the setting, and so could concentrate on the crime story itself, helped by attending a conference for writers of police novels.

"The speakers were detectives, police officers, medical examiners, weapons experts, or a chemist who talked about poisons. A whole range of people who gave me information. That helped me a lot," she said.

But the need for accuracy and attention to realistic detail was difficult for a writer who does not usually plan what she writes.

"Writers of this type of novel have to have everything very well-organised because you have to set out all the keys to what is going to happen," she said. "But I don't get along with plans. I've written 20 books in 30 years and I've never been able to make a plan."

It's a method that works, judging by her sales. "But it makes me work much more," she lamented. "I advance in circles, instead of following a clear and straight line."

While her latest book fits into the police novel genre, the variety of characters and the importance given to "new age" beliefs comes directly from the style of the "House of the Spirits" author.

Teasingly, the book's narrator notes that "magic realism" – the literary form made famous by Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez – is "a literary style which has gone out of fashion."

Allende declares: "I am still accused of magic realism, but the truth is that it's no longer used.

"Do you have to call acupuncture or astrology magic realism? I don't think so because people use them here every day," she said by telephone from famously free-thinking San Francisco.

"It's very bizarre," she continued. "When you're talking about something which happens in the United States, it's not magic realism. But if the same thing happens in Latin America, it becomes magic realism.

"What Americans believe in is religion. And what we believe (in Latin America) is superstition."

The writer, in another tease, casts scorn on the erotic acrobatics of British author E.L. James' bestseller "Fifty Shades of Grey".

Allende, who has lived in the United States since 1993 – she became a US citizen a decade ago – said she wanted to make fun of the book "and what is fashionable".

"To tell you the truth, I couldn't finish it because it's a cheesy romantic novel with a bit of pornography," she said. - AFP/Relaxnews, February 3, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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Singles’ hell at Lunar New Year

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 04:14 PM PST

February 03, 2014

Ying Hooi is attached with a local university. Her research interests cover the fields of civil society, social movements, protests, political participation, human rights and democratization.

It is that time of the year again and this year is the Year of Horse, a lucky year according to the Chinese.

It is the time where you see red everywhere, from home decorations and clothes to, of course, the most-wanted "item" for the kids – ang pow.

It is also the time where you get to see lion dances in homes, malls and offices.

For many Chinese, who live far away from home, Chinese New Year is a once-a-year opportunity to visit relatives.

It is a season of joy but not for all, particularly, singles.

It is also a time where many young single Chinese particularly feel the pressure of constant questions by the elderly on when they are going to settle down and start a family.

It has gone to the extent where some Chinese newspapers have termed this "scenario" as "marriage pressure season".

Recently, a Chinese mother bought a full front-page advertisement in the form of letter in Chinese Melbourne Daily, begging her son to come home for New Year and promised that the parents would not pressure him to get married again.

According to news reports, the son is working in Australia where he had completed his study.

He refused to return to China as his family had constantly pressured him to find a Chinese girlfriend and settle down.

So he retaliated by not answering their calls.

The message reads, "Peng, I have called you several times but you did not pick up. Maybe this is the only way for you to receive my message. Mum and Dad will not pressure you to marry again. Please come home for Chinese New Year! From your Mum who loves you."

Such action surprised Chinese social media websites.

Odd but true, there are Chinese websites that offer services of fake boyfriends or girlfriends for hire at various rates. These "partners" accompany them home for the New Year. The rates depend on the kind of services needed.

Many are under great pressure, especially single women to bring home potential partners during the festive season. So some opt not to return home.

For single ladies who reach 27, China has a special term for them – shengnu or "leftover women".

This term was added to the Education Ministry's list of words in August 2007.

To "overcome" such scenario, Taobao launched a rent-a-boyfriend service that allows the customers to rent a partner.

Taobao is the Chinese version of Amazon and eBay.

The phenomenon of renting a boyfriend or girlfriend is not new in China. It started in the early 2000s. Such pressure has been perpetuated by the one-child policy that was introduced in 1979 by the Chinese government.

Therefore, parents focus all their attention on the success of their one child, including marriage.

Moreover in China, it is crucial to retain the family last name and continuing the family tree.

Some find ways to "release" the pressure.

In a recent advertisement posted on iweju, a Chinese social media app, a 25-year-old offered 1 million yuan (RM540,000) to anyone willing to pose as a "girlfriend" for a week, over the New Year holidays. However, he cancelled the offer after the posting went viral and was criticised severely.

Families forcing marriage is a real headache, not only for the Chinese but also to some Malaysians.

Will this phenomenon become a trend in Malaysia in years to come? I hope not. – February 3, 2014.

Bukan Islam tiada pilihan, Melayu bagaimana?

Posted: 02 Feb 2014 03:59 PM PST

February 03, 2014

Penulis adalah seorang jurutera semikonduktor, wartawan freelance, penerbit dan editor buku motivasi yang suka mengikuti perkembangan politik Malaysia

Pelbagai alasan diberikan mengapa Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kajang ini perlu disengajakan oleh PKR sehinggakan permohonan maaf terbuka terpaksa dilakukan.

Permohonan maaf yang dilakukan Pengarah Strategi PKR, Rafizi Ramli menandakan beliau langsung tidak menjangka penyokong Pakatan Rakyat (PR) memberikan reaksi sebegitu negatif terhadap langkah politik kontroversi ini.

Ketika berita 'Langkah Kajang' ini diledakkan, ramai penyokong PR yang menghentam PKR.

Bagi pemerhati awam, memberikan laluan kepada Anwar dengan sengaja mengadakan PRK adalah satu tindakan memanipulasikan demokrasi.

Bagi mereka, sindrom 'nafi-mengaku-nafi-mengaku' PKR dalam episod ini sangat menjengkelkan, terutamanya sikap ini amat menonjol pada Anwar yang diwar-warkan mereka selama ini sebagai calon perdana menteri.

Terbaru, Anwar 'masih' menafikan beliau akan menggantikan Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim sebagai menteri besar Selangor sekiranya menang nanti. Tunggu sahaja penafian ini menjadi pengakuan dengan pelbagai alasan apabila Kajang berjaya dimenanginya nanti.

Kajang mempunyai komposisi penduduk 52% bukan Islam dan 48% Islam.

Ini adalah faktor utama mengapa Kajang dipilih sebagai medan pertaruhan PKR.

Bagi mereka, meskipun pengundi bukan Islam marah, mereka tetap akan kembali ke pangkuan PR kerana menumbangkan Umno-BN menjadi matlamat utama mereka.

Setelah pengundi bukan Islam meluahkan kemarahan mereka, mereka berdepan dengan realiti pilihan, sama ada undi PKR, undi Umno-BN ataupun undi rosak.

Pengundi kumpulan ini sedar bahawa kerajaan Selangor PR tidak akan tumbang dengan kejatuhan DUN Kajang.

Tetapi bayangan untuk melihat Umno-BN, Perkasa dan Jati berpesta di media perdana meraikan kemenangan PRK Kajang adalah "way too much" untuk penyokong bukan Islam.

Oleh itu, meskipun mereka tidak dapat menerima sikap memberi alasan tidak  konsisten dan dangkal PKR dalam memaksa PRK Kajang, mereka tetap tidak akan memberikan kemenangan kepada Umno-BN.

Keinginan mereka untuk kejatuhan Umno-BN melebihi segalanya dan ini dimanipulasikan dengan baik oleh PKR dalam strategi 'Langkah Kajang'.

Di sudut pengundi Islam pula, PRK Kajang ini membawa makna berbeza.

Dalam episod 'Langkah Kajang' ini, PKR bertindak secara bersendirian sebelum mendapat persetujuan daripada DAP dan PAS.

Atas dasar Kajang ialah kerusi PKR, maka PKR berhak menentukan siapa calonnya, DAP dan PAS  menerima Anwar sebagai calon di DUN Kajang.

Namun, ini tidak bermakna mereka bersetuju dengan langkah politik yang diadakan.

Dalam soalan mengadakan PRK Kajang, bagi PAS dan DAP, PKR meminta persetujuan selepas nasi sudah menjadi bubur.

Setuju atau tidak setuju, Adun Kajang akan meletak jawatan dan memberikan laluan kepada Anwar. Sama ada PAS dan DAP gembira atau tidak, akhirnya mereka terpaksa memberi sokongan atas semangat setiakawan.

Namun, PAS dan DAP hanya bersetuju Anwar menjadi calon DUN Kajang tetapi tidak MB Selangor.

Walaupun PAS dan DAP mempunyai masalah dengan Khalid, tetapi bagi mereka, ia tidak sampai tahap Khalid perlu ditukarkan.

Menukar MB Selangor memerlukan konsensus dan ini akan dibincangkan lagi selepas tamatnya PRK Kajang.

Secara sinis, sebenarnya tiada apa yang perlu dibincangkan jika kata-kata Anwar yang menafikan bahawa beliau tidak akan menggantikan Khalid boleh dipercayai.

Namun, Anwar ialah Anwar, yang kata-kata politiknya boleh berubah dengan pelbagai alasan, terutamanya 'ia adalah salah Umno.'

PAS perlu menunjukkan mereka mempunyai suara di dalam PR, dan bukan sekadar mengikut kehendak PKR dan DAP semata-mata.

DAP berani menyatakan sokongan mereka kepada PKR di PRK Kajang meskipun penyokongnya marah dengan tindakan PKR dalam 'Langkah Kajang' atas semangat setiakawan dan barangkali mereka sedar bahawa bukan Islam tidak mempunyai pilihan lain.

PAS juga akan menyokong PKR di DUN Kajang atas semangat setiakawan dan Islam yang melarang pengkhianatan terhadap sahabat.

Namun ini tidak bermakna PAS tidak akan berani mengkritik PKR secara berdepan apabila merasakan sahabat mereka mengambil kesempatan pada mereka dalam 'Langkah Kajang' dengan memberi keyakinan bahawa mereka adalah payung yang lebih baik daripada Umno.

Tidak seperti bukan Islam, orang Melayu-Islam tidak mempunyai masalah untuk melihat Umno-BN menang di Kajang.

Orang Melayu-Islam mempunyai dua pilihan, sama ada kekal di pangkuan Umno-BN atau berhijrah ke PR.

Di mata orang Melayu-Islam, pengganti Umno ialah PAS, dan bukannya PKR dan DAP.

Sekiranya PAS dilihat tidak mempunyai suara yang setara seperti DAP dan PKR di dalam PR, amat dibimbangi bahawa situasi ini akan menyebabkan orang Melayu-Islam pula tiada pilihan selain terus mendokong Umno-BN meskipun mereka semakin tenggelam.

Bagaimana pengundi Melayu-Islam akan mengundi kini menjadi dilema Anwar dan PR di PRK Kajang.

Apakah mereka masih boleh menaruh harapan pada PR, atau kembali ke pangkuan Umno-BN? Apakah isu Allah, di mana Anwar mengambil pendirian berbeza daripada Khalid juga akan menjadi faktor penentu pengundi Melayu-Islam di Kajang?

Segalanya hanya dapat diuji sekiranya Umno meletakkan calon berdepan dengan Anwar dan bukannya MCA.

Apakah Umno, terutamanya Najib berani mencuba mood pengundi Melayu-Islam pada mereka? Seperti Anwar, PRK Kajang juga akan menjadi risiko kepada karier politik Najib jika BN mengalami penurunan undi daripada kalangan pengundi Melayu-Islam. – 3 Februari, 2014.

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

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

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Khalid penting dalam pentadbiran Selangor selepas PRK Kajang, kata Anwar

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 01:22 AM PST

OLEH MOHD FARHAN DARWIS DAN SHERIDAN MAHAVERA
February 03, 2014

Anwar dijadualkan akan memberikan penjelasan lanjut berhubung tindakan beliau bertanding di kerusi berkenaan kepada pengundi Kajang malam ini. – Gambar The Malaysian Insider, 3 Februari, 2014.Anwar dijadualkan akan memberikan penjelasan lanjut berhubung tindakan beliau bertanding di kerusi berkenaan kepada pengundi Kajang malam ini. – Gambar The Malaysian Insider, 3 Februari, 2014.

Ketua pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hari ini memberi bayangan Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim akan kekal dalam pasukan pentadbir negeri berkenaan selepas Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kajang.

Calon PKR bagi kerusi DUN Kajang itu ketika ditemui The Malaysian Insider di pejabatnya di Petaling Jaya bagaimanapun berkata, butiran lanjut berkenaan kedudukan Abdul Khalid hanya akan dibincangkan selepas Pakatan Rakyat (PR) memenangi kerusi berkenaan.

"(Kedudukan Abdul Khalid), kita akan uruskan selepas PRK.

"Peranan (Abdul) Khalid penting berdasarkan rekod kejayaan beliau.

"Sama ada kedudukannya sama atau berbeza, saya merasakan beliau perlu memainkan peranan untuk membantu Selangor," kata Ketua Umum PKR itu kepada The Malaysian Insider.

Ditanya sama ada Timbalan Presiden PKR Mohamed Azmin Ali, Abdul Khalid, dan dirinya adalah satu 'bayangan pasukan' yang akan mentadbir negeri terkaya di Malaysia selepas selesai PRK Kajang, Anwar menegaskan sokongan kesemua pemimpin PKR itu perlu dalam pentadbiran Selangor.

"Anwar harus menang DUN Kajang dulu ... saya perlukan sokongan mereka," katanya.

Tindakan PKR meletakkan Anwar bagi mengisi kekosongan kerusi DUN Kajang menimbulkan spekulasi beliau akan menjadi menteri besar menggantikan Abdul Khalid, ekoran krisis dalaman parti komponen PR itu yang melibatkan Mohamed Azmin dan Abdul Khalid.

Bekas Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Kajang, Lee Chin Cheh telah melepaskan jawatan minggu lalu bagi memberikan laluan kepada Anwar untuk bertanding di kawasan tersebut.

DUN Kajang meliputi sejumlah 48% pengundi Melayu, 41% pengundi Cina, dan 10% pengundi India.

Anwar dijadualkan akan memberikan penjelasan lanjut berhubung tindakan beliau bertanding di kerusi berkenaan kepada pengundi Kajang malam ini.

Sebaik sahaja pengumuman beliau menjadi calon diumumkan Abdul Khalid minggu lepas, Anwar, Mohamed Azmin dan Abdul Khalid dilihat seringkali bersama dalam setiap acara dan program negeri, termasuk Solat Jumaat di Masjid Kariah Batu 10, Cheras, dan juga pertemuan dengan penyokong Kelab Bola Sepak Selangor hujung minggu lalu di Shah Alam. 

Mohamed Azmin sebelum ini berkata PR Selangor masih belum berbincang berkenaan kedudukan menteri besar selepas Pilihan PRK DUN Kajang.

Beliau berkata, dalam pertemuan dengan parti komponen PR daripada DAP dan PAS, mereka hanya berbincang soal gerak kerja jentera PR dalam PRK DUN Kajang.

"Kami tidak pernah berbincang apa-apa selepas Kajang. Perbincangan kita hanya setakat gerak kerja di Kajang," katanya.

Anwar turut berkata, meskipun kepimpinan Abdul Khalid dari aspek ekonomi tidak dapat dinafikan sehingga memberikan mandat yang besar kepada kerajaan PR di Selangor, kepimpinan politik yang kukuh perlu bagi menangkis serangan politik dari Umno dan Barisan Nasional (BN).

"Walaupun ia diuruskan secara ekonomi oleh (Abdul) Khalid, dan diberikan mandat yang mengagumkan dalam Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13), namun sebagai strategi penting, kami lihat Selangor di bawah tekanan dan serangan oleh Umno BN termasuk eksploitasi kaum dan sentimen agama.

"Kami perlu, bersama dengan pengurusan ekonomi, kepimpinan politik perlu efektif untuk hentikannya," kata Anwar yang juga ahli Permatang Pauh. – 3 Februari, 2014.

Khalid penting dalam pentadbiran Selangor selepas PRK Kajang, kata Anwar

Posted: 03 Feb 2014 01:22 AM PST

OLEH MOHD FARHAN DARWIS DAN SHERIDAN MAHAVERA
February 03, 2014

Anwar dijadualkan akan memberikan penjelasan lanjut berhubung tindakan beliau bertanding di kerusi berkenaan kepada pengundi Kajang malam ini. – Gambar The Malaysian Insider, 3 Februari, 2014.Anwar dijadualkan akan memberikan penjelasan lanjut berhubung tindakan beliau bertanding di kerusi berkenaan kepada pengundi Kajang malam ini. – Gambar The Malaysian Insider, 3 Februari, 2014.

Ketua pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hari ini memberi bayangan Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim akan kekal dalam pasukan pentadbir negeri berkenaan selepas Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kajang.

Calon PKR bagi kerusi DUN Kajang itu ketika ditemui The Malaysian Insider di pejabatnya di Petaling Jaya bagaimanapun berkata, butiran lanjut berkenaan kedudukan Abdul Khalid hanya akan dibincangkan selepas Pakatan Rakyat (PR) memenangi kerusi berkenaan.

"(Kedudukan Abdul Khalid), kita akan uruskan selepas PRK.

"Peranan (Abdul) Khalid penting berdasarkan rekod kejayaan beliau.

"Sama ada kedudukannya sama atau berbeza, saya merasakan beliau perlu memainkan peranan untuk membantu Selangor," kata Ketua Umum PKR itu kepada The Malaysian Insider.

Ditanya sama ada Timbalan Presiden PKR Mohamed Azmin Ali, Abdul Khalid, dan dirinya adalah satu 'bayangan pasukan' yang akan mentadbir negeri terkaya di Malaysia selepas selesai PRK Kajang, Anwar menegaskan sokongan kesemua pemimpin PKR itu perlu dalam pentadbiran Selangor.

"Anwar harus menang DUN Kajang dulu ... saya perlukan sokongan mereka," katanya.

Tindakan PKR meletakkan Anwar bagi mengisi kekosongan kerusi DUN Kajang menimbulkan spekulasi beliau akan menjadi menteri besar menggantikan Abdul Khalid, ekoran krisis dalaman parti komponen PR itu yang melibatkan Mohamed Azmin dan Abdul Khalid.

Bekas Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Kajang, Lee Chin Cheh telah melepaskan jawatan minggu lalu bagi memberikan laluan kepada Anwar untuk bertanding di kawasan tersebut.

DUN Kajang meliputi sejumlah 48% pengundi Melayu, 41% pengundi Cina, dan 10% pengundi India.

Anwar dijadualkan akan memberikan penjelasan lanjut berhubung tindakan beliau bertanding di kerusi berkenaan kepada pengundi Kajang malam ini.

Sebaik sahaja pengumuman beliau menjadi calon diumumkan Abdul Khalid minggu lepas, Anwar, Mohamed Azmin dan Abdul Khalid dilihat seringkali bersama dalam setiap acara dan program negeri, termasuk Solat Jumaat di Masjid Kariah Batu 10, Cheras, dan juga pertemuan dengan penyokong Kelab Bola Sepak Selangor hujung minggu lalu di Shah Alam. 

Mohamed Azmin sebelum ini berkata PR Selangor masih belum berbincang berkenaan kedudukan menteri besar selepas Pilihan PRK DUN Kajang.

Beliau berkata, dalam pertemuan dengan parti komponen PR daripada DAP dan PAS, mereka hanya berbincang soal gerak kerja jentera PR dalam PRK DUN Kajang.

"Kami tidak pernah berbincang apa-apa selepas Kajang. Perbincangan kita hanya setakat gerak kerja di Kajang," katanya.

Anwar turut berkata, meskipun kepimpinan Abdul Khalid dari aspek ekonomi tidak dapat dinafikan sehingga memberikan mandat yang besar kepada kerajaan PR di Selangor, kepimpinan politik yang kukuh perlu bagi menangkis serangan politik dari Umno dan Barisan Nasional (BN).

"Walaupun ia diuruskan secara ekonomi oleh (Abdul) Khalid, dan diberikan mandat yang mengagumkan dalam Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13), namun sebagai strategi penting, kami lihat Selangor di bawah tekanan dan serangan oleh Umno BN termasuk eksploitasi kaum dan sentimen agama.

"Kami perlu, bersama dengan pengurusan ekonomi, kepimpinan politik perlu efektif untuk hentikannya," kata Anwar yang juga ahli Permatang Pauh. – 3 Februari, 2014.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com
 

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