Jumaat, 14 Februari 2014

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Savour the finest and the best from Kansai

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 06:24 PM PST

BY EU HOOI KHAW
February 15, 2014

The Fresh Hiroshima Oyster with Ponzu Vinegar Gelee. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 15, 2014.I swooned at the taste of the Fresh Hiroshima Oyster with Ponzu Vinegar Gelee in my mouth. It was plump and lush, and so, so sweet. I slurped it down with the delicate ponzu gelee, not that it needed any embellishment.

The Clear Soup with Clam, Japanese mustard spinach, julienned leek and young Japanese pepper buds. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 15, 2014.It was a splendid start to our Kansai gastronomy journey at Kampachi. It was a preview of six of the nine courses that would make up the kaiseki dinner on February 19, 20 and 21 at the Kampachi restaurant at The Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur.

The finest seafood and produce from the Kansai region, located in the south-central part of Honshu Island, Japan, would be flown in for this "Taste of Kansai" event. Kansai, which covers seven prefectures including Osaka, Kyoto and Nara, is known for its abundance of food from the sea, rivers, lakes and mountains. There is a Japanese saying: "Kyotoites are ruined by overspending on clothing, Osakans are ruined by overspending on food." I'm with the Osakans!

Our Suimono course was the Clear Soup with Clam, Japanese mustard spinach, julienned leek and young Japanese pepper buds. Again, the clam tasted like it had just been harvested, bursting with a pure, marine flavour. Every vegetable in the soup had come from Kansai. I was drawn to the Kujyo leek in it. If French wines have an appellation, so does this leek which belongs only to Kujyo. It stands out with its thick stem, and it warms your body when you eat it. I also liked the lightly fragrant pepperbuds.

Next was the Tsukuri course with Slices of Raw Fish – tuna, ark shell and yellowtail. All these stood out with their freshness, especially the large orangey ark shell which had a springy bite and a gentle sweetness. The accompanying soya sauce was made in-house. I liked all these artisanal touches which made the meal The Grilled Yellowtail with Teriyaki Sauce garnished with Marinated Shishito Green Pepper. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 15, 2014.so special.

The Yakimono dish was Grilled Yellowtail with Teriyaki Sauce garnished with Marinated Shishito Green Pepper. We found the fish a little dry. I did enjoy the mild sweet peppers stuffed with bonito flakes. Only one out of 10 shishito peppers were spicy. Chef Koji Tamaru explained later that the yellowtail is not an oily fish like the wild amberjack which would be served at the dinner over the three nights.

The Tsukuri course with Slices of Raw Fish – tuna, ark shell and yellowtail. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 15, 2014.One of the highlights of the meal was the Sanshoku Oshizushi which is Box Sushi with Sea Bream, Prawn and Conger Eel. The sushi is made in a beautiful handcrafted box with a technique that is unique to the Osaka prefecture.

The prawn and the sea bream sushi had a thin gelatinous covering over them, distilled from seaweed. They were such a delight to eat, especially the sea bream which tasted like it had just been fished out of the sea. The Box Sushi with Sea Bream, Prawn and Conger Eel. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 15, 2014.And there was the soft, tender, slightly sweet conger eel to luxuriate in.

The Yuzu Mousse was like delicate, silky custard well-infused with the fragrance of the yuzu lime. It was the famous Tokushima yuzu that we were savouring in the mousse.

There are three other courses that will appear in the All-Kansai menu. These are the Steamed Colourful Spring Vegetables (small turnip, bamboo shoot, onion, Kujyo leek, Kintoki carrot, canola blossom, pumpkin), Soft Bean Curd topped with Sea Urchin in Special Homemade Sauce and Steamed Sweet Snapper topped with an Assorted Paste of Turnip, Gingko Nut, Lily Bulb, Shimeji The Yuzu Mousse. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 15, 2014.Mushrooms and Kintoki Carrot in Thick Sauce. In addition to the Yuzu Mousse there will be the Japanese Mugwort Mochi with Sweet Red Bean Filling for dessert.

The kaiseki dinner which is limited to only 30 people each night is priced at RM300++, which is a modest sum to pay for the finest seasonal ingredients from Kansai with their natural flavours expressed through the hands of a master Japanese chef.

The dinners are a collaboration between the Kampachi Restaurants with the All Kansai Food Promotion Committee and The Kansai Food Export Promotion Cooperative.

Diners at Kampachi Pavilion can also enjoy traditional Japanese performances today (Saturday) and Sunday and other performances such as the Piro Piro Pipe on February 22 and 23.

There will also be a Takoyaki or octopus balls workshop on these two days. These are grilled in a special cast-iron pan lined with half-spherical moulds.The Tsukuri course with Slices of Raw Fish – tuna, ark shell and yellowtail. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 15, 2014. Takoyaki was first popularised in Osaka by Endo Tomekichi, a street vendor in 1935. He subsequently opened a takoyaki shop called Aizu-ya.

The hands-on workshop on February 22 and 23, from 3.30pm to 5pm, costs RM150++ per person. It will be led by takoyaki specialists from Aizu-ya. Guests will learn the techniques of perfecting the batter and skill in turning the dumplings. They will also take home a complimentary takoyaki pan.

Kampachi is located at Lot 6.09.00, Level 6, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. Call +603 2148 9608 or email: kampachi@equatorial.com. – February 15, 2014.

SuperStar Libra’s chefs clinch 17 awards at the 1st Battle of the Halal Chefs 2014

Posted: 13 Feb 2014 11:56 PM PST

February 14, 2014

Led by Executive Chef, Saifol Iskandar Ikhsan, the chef team of SuperStar Libra won two gold, five silver and five bronze medals, and five diplomas in the 1st Battle of the Halal Chefs 2014. - Picture courtesy of SuperStar Libra, February 14, 2014.The chef team of SuperStar Libra emerged victorious at the 1st Battle of the Halal Chefs 2014. Together the culinary talent bagged a total of 17 awards at the sizzling culinary battle held from 17-19 January at Setia SPICE, Penang, Malaysia.

SuperStar Libra, currently home ported in Penang, has eight food and beverage outlets serving a variety of international and Asian cuisines and delicacies on board. Led by Executive Chef Saifol Iskandar Ikhsan, the team has won two gold, five silver and five bronze medals as well as five diplomas over the three-day event.

Mr. Shah Irwan Omar, the 32-year-old Sous Chef of SuperStar Libra, made a successful competitive debut at the Battle of the Halal Chefs by winning a gold medal in the Plated Main Course Seafood Category. He impressed the judges with his innovative and mouth-watering dish - Poached Cod Fish with Cepes Butter Accompanied with Broad Bean Puree, Topped with Seafood Symphony and Tobiko Cream Sauce Served with Crustacean Bisque and Seasonal Vegetables. He also brought home the Best Outstanding Chef Award.

Another gold medal was won by 22-year-old 2nd Cook Ms. Karmila Erwan with her masterfully crafted Dessert Trio of Bubur Pulut Hitam Durian, Maja De Ube, and Mango Coconut Mousse with Sago Kasturi under the Asian Plated Dessert Category. – February 14, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

Wenger is specialist in failure, says Mourinho

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 08:16 AM PST

February 15, 2014

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger (pic) is a "specialist in failure", according to his Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho as the Premier League title-chasing coaches exchanged jibes today.

The Chelsea coach hit back at Wenger, who had earlier said that the title was Chelsea's to lose and that Mourinho had ruled his side out of the race because of a fear of failing.

Mourinho, who claimed last week that everything he says and does is "mind games", returned fire by referring to Arsenal's lack of silverware since they won the FA Cup in 2005.

"He is a specialist in failure, I'm not," Mourinho told a news conference.

"If supposedly he (Arsene Wenger) is right and I am afraid of failure it is because I don't fail many times.

"He is specialist because eight years without silverware is very long. If I do that with Chelsea, I leave and I don't come back."

The remarks recalled Mourinho's famous outburst against Wenger in 2005 when he labelled the Arsenal manager a "voyeur", after becoming annoyed at comments from the Frenchman about his Chelsea team.

Chelsea, who face Manchester City in the fifth round of the FA Cup tomorrow, are top of the Premier League, a point clear of Arsenal in second.

Mourinho, who often provokes and antagonises other managers with barbed comments, turned his guns on Wenger after last week aiming volleys at Manchester City and their manager Manuel Pellegrini.

After each manager labelled the other team as being title favourites by virtue of how much they had spent in the transfer market, Mourinho hinted City were not operating within the same UEFA Financial Fair Play guidelines.

He then turned his attentions to City's Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure, who aimed an off-the-ball kick at Norwich striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel in their 0-0 stalemate last weekend but escaped any FA punishment.

Chilean coach Pellegrini has been reluctant to involve himself in a verbal spat and said this week that mental strength will decide who wins the Premier League and not mind games.

"I don't like this history of records between managers because it is between teams," said Mourinho, who will be without injured defenders Gary Cahill and John Terry for the trip to the Etihad.

"If he (Pellegrini) doesn't like to speak about me perfect, I hope it stays that way."

Heavyweights City and Chelsea meet at the Etihad Stadium for their second clash in quick succession, after the London club won 1-0 to complete a league double over their title rivals 12 days ago.

"It is not easy to play consecutive matches against the same team. You try to read the previous game and try to improve. Sometimes you can be influenced by the direction the game takes," Mourinho added.

"We know they are strong. Our priority is always the next match." – Reuters, February 14, 2014.

Philippine skater hailed after reaching Sochi finals

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 07:41 AM PST

February 14, 2014

The Philippine ice skater who reached the finals of the Winter Olympics was hailed as a hero today even as a senior sport official denied accusations that the government failed to support him.

Michael Martinez (pic), 17, the lone representative of the tropical country in Sochi, made history after he qualified yesterday from the men's figure skating short programme for the free skate final today, despite numerous disadvantages.

Among the challenges faced by the skater was the absence of snow in the Philippines which forced Martinez to initially learn his craft in a mall's skating rink.

Local news reports suggested that his family had struggled to pay for his training and that the government did not provide any support to him.

"We are very happy with his performance. For a guy who learned how to skate in the Philippines, to make it to the finals... it is really amazing," said Ricardo Garcia, chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission.

"This is a very big issue for us. We have an athlete who is an Olympian who made it to the final rounds," he said.

Garcia also stressed that Martinez had received adequate financial support from the government and private donors.

Some of the country's wealthiest tycoons were sponsoring Martinez and the national skating association never asked for additional funds for him, Garcia said.

Social media was agog over Martinez's success in a sport so alien to his country.

Popular director Jose Javier Reyes wrote in a message to Martinez on Twitter: "the medal is immaterial. In the hearts of your countrymen, your feat is more than an Olympic Gold. You inspire?"

"Was teary eyed when I saw #MichaelChristianMartinez wave his jacket with PHILIPPINES printed on it. He put his heart&soul in his performance," another tweet read.

Despite the steep odds facing the young man, Garcia said "He might pull off something that will make him win. He has the capabilities. He has the attitude of a winner."

The Philippine Olympic Committee asked the government for US$7,200 (RM24,000) to cover some of Martinez's additional expenses but this money was released in December, Garcia added.

If Martinez does not win a medal in the 2014 games, he will use the experience "as a stepping stone to gain more experience for the next Olympics," Garcia said. – AFP, February 14, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

Oscar-nominated ‘Act of Killing’ confronts Indonesia’s dark past

Posted: 13 Feb 2014 11:10 PM PST

February 14, 2014

Oscar-nominated documentary 'The Act of Killing' director Joshua Oppenheimer. - AFP pic, February 14, 2014. Anwar Congo makes no secret of the fact that he killed about 1,000 people with his bare hands, boasting about the methods he used to murder alleged communists in 1960s Indonesia.

There were blocks of wood used to cave in skulls; machetes with which he butchered victims, or a simple wire that he says helped achieve quick and effective strangulation.

Congo's testimony provides the chilling framework for director Joshua Oppenheimer's Oscar-nominated documentary "The Act of Killing", which turns its cameras on to the perpetrators of massacres that claimed at least 500,000 lives.

Oppenheimer says that the attention the film has received around the world is forcing Indonesia to address a dark episode in its history, which ushered in the 32-year rule of dictator Suharto.

"I thought I had wandered into Germany 40 years after the Holocaust to find the Nazis were still in power," Oppenheimer said of the men who feature in his documentary.

"They are very proud of what they did and often told me the stories with smiles on their faces," he said on the phone from Los Angeles.

In the film the men, who carried out the killings during a purge triggered by a failed coup in late 1965, show little if any remorse.

"What I hope - should we be so lucky as to win the Academy Award - is that it will encourage Indonesians to finally hold their leaders to account for their crimes," said Oppenheimer.

Some in Indonesia have not welcomed the film, contending the country was already taking its own steps towards coming to terms with the episode - and that such outside interference hinders the process.

The film is nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar. It is also in the running for two Bafta awards - the British equivalent whose ceremony takes place this Sunday.

While Oppenheimer has publicised the film, a number of the Indonesians involved in its production - including the person cited as one of its co-directors - have chosen to stay anonymous in fear for their safety.

Imposing denial

To get the likes of Congo to talk, the film invites those involved in the killings to re-enact their past as though they were making a feature film, including musical numbers and even attempts at slapstick humour.

Those involved do not seem aware that the film will cast them in a bad light. It makes for compelling - and disturbing - viewing.

"I was not sure whether it was safe to approach these people at all, but when I did I found they were immediately boastful," Oppenheimer said.

Army General Suharto blamed the coup attempt on Indonesia's Communist Party, and the military actively encouraged - and in some cases took part in - the anti-communist killings that erupted in some parts of the country.

Suharto put down the coup and used the episode to muscle out then- president Sukarno and take power, later ruling Indonesia for three decades.

Paramilitary groups such as the one Congo was part of were given licence to gather and kill suspected communists, and seize their property and possessions. No action has ever been taken against those responsible for the deaths.

"I suddenly realised that all these men are boasting not because they are proud but because they know what they did is wrong," said Oppenheimer.

"They are trying to deny that to themselves and impose that denial on the whole society."

The film was produced by Oscar- winner Errol Morris ("The Fog of War") and Oscar-nominated Werner Herzog ("Encounters at the End of the World"). It has so far picked up 32 international awards.

Taking sides

"The Act of Killing" was not granted a general release at Indonesian cinemas, with the government raising doubts about the film's portrayal of history. Beyond special select screenings, the film is available for download.

The killings are not closely examined by school textbooks and were not widely discussed during Suharto's iron-fisted rule.

However following his fall in 1998, and in recent years, Indonesians have begun to talk about the issue more openly with frequent newspaper stories, academic seminars and published memoirs.

Critics say more needs to be done, and point to the fact the Attorney General's office has refused to start a probe despite an extensive 2012 report from Indonesia's official human rights body which claimed to have found extensive evidence of abuse.

Presidential spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said the film "is simplifying a dark, complicated period of history," and was one-sided.

In a statement issued last week to the Jakarta Globe newspaper, the film's anonymous co-director denied the charge it had been produced by foreigners out to negatively affect Indonesia's global reputation.

"A negative image is when unfairness and impunity is being sustained. Negative image is when there was no apology conveyed to the victims and the families of the victims of the crimes against humanity. A negative image is to make the architect of the mass killing a hero," the co-director's statement said.

And Oppenheimer, who is working on a follow-up focusing on the victims' side of the story, is convinced "The Act of Killing" has helped mainstream media in Indonesia address the genocide and open it up further for public debate.

"There's no stuffing the genie back in the bottle," he said. "It is opening a space for people to finally acknowledge the most painful and troubling aspect of contemporary Indonesia without fear." – AFP, February 14, 2014.

British DJ Travis cleared of sex assaults

Posted: 13 Feb 2014 06:00 PM PST

February 14, 2014

Former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis (left), whose real name is David Patrick Griffin, and his wife Marian Griffin (right) leave Southwark Crown Court in London, yesterday. – Reuters pic, February 14, 2014.British disc jockey Dave Lee Travis said he had been through "a year and a half of hell" after he was was cleared by a jury yesterday of a string of sexual assault charges.

Travis, 68, one of the biggest names in British broadcasting in the 1970s and 1980s, was found not guilty of 12 indecent assault charges, while the jury could not reach a verdict on two other counts.

Prosecutors will take a week to decide whether to seek a retrial for the former BBC star on the two remaining charges.

It is the latest failure for police probes set up in the wake of the sex abuse scandal surrounding the late BBC presenter Jimmy Savile.

Speaking outside London's Southwark Crown Court, Travis declined to answer questions about whether he felt he had been the victim of a celebrity witch-hunt.

The presenter said he had had to sell his house to fund his defence in the four-week trial.

"I don't feel like there's a victory in any way, shape or form," he told reporters.

"I have been through a year and a half of hell on this which included costing me so much money to pay out for my part of this trial.

"I did lose my reputation as well, which I may try and get back later."

Travis, who was nicknamed the "Hairy Cornflake" and counted Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi among his fans, showed no emotion as the verdicts were read out.

He had denied all 14 assault charges dating back to 1976.

The trial heard allegations that Travis had assaulted girls while live on television and in radio studios.

It was shown television footage of Travis allegedly putting his hand up a young woman's skirt as he introduced a song by The Smurfs on the BBC's music show "Top of the Pops" in 1978.

Travis argued that it would have been "insane" for him to grope someone on live TV.

Travis, whose real name is David Griffin, spent 25 years presenting on BBC Radio 1, and also hosted a music request show on BBC World Service radio.

Arrested in November 2012, he was among several aging celebrities and others detained under Operation Yewtree, the British police probe into historical abuse set up following revelations that Savile was a prolific sex offender.

Several of those arrested have been told no further action will be taken against them.

Last week another veteran star, Coronation Street actor William Roache, was cleared of rape, although he was not arrested as part of Operation Yewtree.

Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman said yesterday the premier continued to have confidence in the Crown Prosecution Service. – AFP, February 14, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

From gas to submarines, Great War was crucible for deadly innovation

Posted: 13 Feb 2014 10:55 PM PST

February 14, 2014

A picture taken in 1916 shows French soldiers moving into attack from their trench during the Verdun battle in eastern France during the First World War. The battle won by the French in November 1916 cost the life of 163,000 French soldiers and 143,000 German soldiers. – AFP pic, February 14, 2014.Fighter aircraft, tanks, submarines and heavy artillery were the horrors of warfare between 1914 and 1918 were a crucible for deadly technological innovation, including the poison gas that came to symbolise the barbarity of the conflict.

When World War I broke out in 1914, no European army was prepared for the heavily defensive conflict that was to define the coming years.

Faced with a wall of bullets from machine guns and a deluge of shells from above that German writer Ernst Junger later described as a four-year "storm of steel", armies on all sides dug down into trenches and relied on a formidable array of defences.

Barbed wire - invented in the United States for fencing cattle - became ubiquitous. Thousands of infantrymen lost their lives entangled in the wires, earning them the grim nickname of "clothes-line" among French veterans.

Britain and France made more attempts than Germany to break through enemy lines on the Western Front.

They focused on perfecting their heavy artillery. Previously packed with shrapnel, shells were now filled with high explosives that could flatten defences and maximise casualties. Smoke shells and more accurate targeting became major priorities as the war progressed.

Tanks and poison gas

The British also unveiled a new caterpillar-tracked armoured vehicle - the tank - in 1914. Initially clumsy, plodding and prone to frequent break-downs, it was quickly perfected to become a key tool for penetrating enemy lines in the closing stages of the war.

In the early years, Germany was largely content to sit back and wait for attrition to take its toll on the enemy. Indeed, it carried out only one major attack on the Western front in 1915 - at Ypres in Belgium - and this only to test a brutal new weapon: chlorine poison gas.

Total war destroyed any moral inhibition in the development of weaponry. The French and Belgian soldiers at Ypres in April 1915 saw thick smoke rising, "then a cloud of green, about 10 metres high, particularly thick at the base, coming towards us, pushed by the wind. Almost immediately, we were suffocating," recalled a French lieutenant, Jules-Henri Guntzberger.

Gas brought a previously unknown level of terror to soldiers on the front line. Panicked, blinded and choking, thousands died in agony.

The horror of poison gas would permanently scar the collective imagination, and forms the root of international condemnation directed against the Syrian regime's chemical attacks against civilians in August 2013.

But it actually had a minimal impact on the outcome of World War I. Soldiers learned to cover their faces in wet handkerchiefs, soon supplanted by goggles, canvas masks and a medical antidote. The lethal effectiveness of gas was further blunted by the public revulsion it stirred on the home front. In the end, gas attacks caused less than one percent of the deaths in the war.

Combat aviation takes off

Another danger came from the sky. Combat aviation was still in its infancy in 1914, but the war triggered a rapid industrial mobilisation that meant France alone had some 3,700 aircraft by the end of hostilities.

Verdun, in eastern France, was host to the world's first large-scale aerial battle.

"The Great War may have been the quintessential land battle, but it also highlighted a strategic concept that would dominate conflicts in the 20th century: the importance of airpower as a prerequisite for any successful major ground attack," wrote French historian Jean-Yves Le Naur.

Initially, the air was a place for surveillance, helped by improvements in mapping, aerial photography and communications. The dogfights - which alone in the conflict retained some vestige of the romantic warfighting of the past - were primarily geared towards denying the enemy these reconnaissance opportunities.

Bombardments emerged only gradually, most notably in the form of the German dirigible balloons named after their inventor, Graf von Zeppelin. They were first used to attack Antwerp in August 1914 and then deployed for night raids in the UK from January 1915.

By 1917, long-range German Gotha bombers were carrying out daylight raids in London, and the UK had developed its Royal Airforce for retaliatory attacks in the Rhine, but the technology's deadly potential would not be realised until later.

The other major innovation came at sea. Germany had all but given up trying to compete with Britain above the waterline, but turned its attention to the U-boat that it started building after the outbreak of war.

Britain's naval blockade in late 1914 triggered the first submarine warfare in the North Sea. By 1917, Germany had set itself a target of sinking 600,000 tonnes of shipping every month, and was at first successful. But the use of convoys to protect ships, produced in vast numbers in US factories, was able to overwhelm the U-boat strategy.

None of these weapons proved decisive. It was ultimately the involvement of the vast US industrial war machine that tipped the scales in favour of the West.

But the firepower and technologies that emerged during the Great War were to define most of the conflicts since then. – AFP, February 14, 2014.

Graves of empire tell of India’s troubled past

Posted: 13 Feb 2014 08:27 PM PST

February 14, 2014

A man walks around the graves at Nicholson Christian Cemetery in old quarters of Delhi, yesterday. – Reuters pic, February 14, 2014.By the side of a crowded Delhi highway with buses thundering by and hawkers touting their wares lies a small, walled cemetery.

It holds the graves of hundreds of British citizens and other foreigners who, for better or worse, played roles in India's colonial past. Soldiers, missionaries, traders and officials rest here, the cracked tombstones giving only hints of their lives.

Despite the peaceful air, the Nicholson Christian Cemetery near the Kashmere Gate is also testimony to a history of violence. It was founded after the Indian Mutiny in 1857 and many of its inhabitants died in that conflict, now seen by some as India's first war for independence.

The cemetery is named after Brigadier General John Nicholson, who was mortally wounded at the age of 36 leading the assault to relieve the siege of Delhi during the insurrection.

His grave is surrounded by a railing fence and features a white marble slab. His ghost is reputed to haunt the cemetery.

Nicholson was a controversial character in life and in death. An Ulsterman who fought in Afghanistan and Punjab before meeting his fate in Delhi, he was disliked for his haughty manner by fellow officers but revered by many of his Indian troops who elevated him to a cult-like status.

But he detested Indians and Afghans and dealt with them ruthlessly, reputedly displaying the severed head of one of his adversaries on his desk.

To a fellow officer, he proposed "the flaying alive, impalement or burning of the murderers of (British) women and children. The idea of simply hanging the perpetrators of such atrocities is maddening".

Historian William Dalrymple, in his book "The Last Moghul", calls Nicholson an "imperial psychopath" with a "merciless capacity for extreme aggression and brutality".

Still, his grave is designated a national monument by the Archaeological Survey of India's antiquities department.

"We don't bear any grudges," said Father Jesuario Rebello, head of the Delhi Cemeteries Commission.

Other soldiers buried among the bougainvilleas and tamarind trees include Alexander William Murray of the 42nd Bengal Regiment. According to his gravestone, Murray "fell while encouraging his men to follow his example on the 18th of September 1857 during the siege of Delhi".

Plenty of civilians are buried here too. James Cumming was a telegraph master killed by lightning on July 28, 1874, "leaving a widow and infant daughter to bewail his loss". James Daof "died of heatstroke" in August 1907 at the age of 29.

Elizabeth Badley Read, daughter of the Reverend B.H. Badley of the American Methodist Mission Society, was born in Los Angeles in 1885 and died in Delhi in 1935.

"She loved India," her tombstone says.

There are also the graves of many infants and children for whom the rigours of life in India were too much.

Father Rebello's problems are with the present, not the past.

"The cemetery is closed now. There's no space anymore," he told Reuters at New Delhi's Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Only "second burials" are allowed – when relatives move the deceased's cremated remains to a niche and use the vacated lot for a new body.

In fact, five of Delhi's 11 old Christian cemeteries are full. The government had allocated land for a new cemetery but that is getting crammed too, said Rebello, a Roman Catholic priest from the former Portuguese colony of Goa.

"We're fighting. The government does not give easily. We are a minority," he said.

The small staff of grave-tenders often have to chase away drug addicts, who climb over the wall to seek peace and seclusion to indulge their habit, he said.

Funds are also a problem. The graveyard charges a small fee from relatives to clean the graves and clear away the weeds which sprout relentlessly.

So modern India has encroached on the graveyard. One way to raise money has been to rent it to Bollywood movie productions as a set.

But after the plot of one movie involved an assassination attempt on a politician by a bishop, the committee now vets scripts to make sure they are appropriate. Anything too racy – no doubt with the silent approval of the Victorians lying there – will not be allowed.

"We don't permit any semi-nudity and things like that here," Rebello said. – Reuters, February 14, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Books

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Second Stephen King novel for 2014 announced

Posted: 13 Feb 2014 04:41 PM PST

February 14, 2014

US author Stephen King has more than 60 novels to his name. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, February 14, 2014.Stephen King announced yesterday a second novel to hit bookstores this year, a tale of God and the Devil that starts in a small New England town in the mid-20th century.

On his website, the best-selling American suspense novelist said "Revival" would be published on November 11 by US publisher Scribner and Britain's Hodder and Stoughton.

It finds a young rock musician, Jaime Morton, grappling with his demons, crossing paths with a preacher from his hometown, Charles Jacobs, who curses God in the wake of a family tragedy.

"Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings," according to a blurb on www.stephenking.com.

King, 66, has another novel, the thriller "Mr Mercedes", slated to be published on June 3 – on the heels of an ebook version of last year's potboiler "Joyland" to appear sometime in April.

The prolific author has more than 60 novels to his name, several of which – like "Carrie" and "The Shining" – went on to become major motion pictures. More than 350 million copies of his works have been sold. – AFP, February 14, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa

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The Malaysian Insider :: Bahasa

Waytha Moorthy sepatutnya berunding dengan saya sebelum letak jawatan, kata Najib

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 02:55 AM PST

February 14, 2014

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak (gambar) hari ini mengesahkan beliau telah menerima surat peletakan jawatan Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri P.Waytha Moorthy pada Isnin lepas (10 Februari).

Bagaimanapun perdana menteri berkata Waytha Moorthy tidak berjumpa dan berunding dengannya terlebih dahulu sebelum berbuat demikian.

"Saya menghormati dan menerima keputusan beliau serta mengucapkan selamat berjaya dan mengharapkan yang terbaik untuk usaha beliau di masa hadapan.

"P.Waytha Moorthy mungkin mempunyai pendekatan yang berbeza, namun beliau sepatutnya berjumpa dan berunding dengan saya terlebih dahulu sebelum mengumumkan peletakan jawatannya," katanya dalam kenyataan di Kuala Lumpur hari ini.

Najib berkata keputusan pengerusi Hindraf itu untuk meletakkan jawatan setelah memeterai perjanjian persefahaman dengan Barisan Nasional bagi memajukan lagi agenda masyarakat India, adalah mendukacitakan.

"Bagi menjayakan persefahaman ini, P. Waytha Moorthy seharusnya menyesuaikan diri dalam sistem pentadbiran kerajaan dan menjalin kerjasama bagi mendapatkan konsensus untuk melaksanakan program kerajaan.

"Saya ingin menegaskan bahawa selaras dengan pendekatan saya membentuk kerajaan yang mudah didekati dan sentiasa memberi bantuan kepada mereka yang memerlukan, kita akan melaksanakan program pembangunan sosioekonomi kepada kaum India sebagaimana kita lakukan untuk kaum-kaum yang lain," kata perdana menteri.

Dalam satu kenyataan Barisan Bertindak Hak Penganut Hindu (Hindraf) pada Isnin lepas, Setiausahanya P.Ramesh berkata Waytha Moorty memutuskan untuk meletak jawatan kerana mendakwa kerajaan BN gagal mengotakan janji, biarpun menang Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 tahun lepas.

Waytha Moorthy dilantik sebagai senator dan timbalan menteri selepas PRU13.

Sebelum itu, Hindraf memeterai perjanjian persefahaman dengan kerajaan pada 18 April untuk berusaha menyelesaikan isu sosioekonomi melibatkan masyarakat India. - Bernama, 14 Februari, 2014.

Zaid Ibrahim bakal bertanding PRK Kajang

Posted: 14 Feb 2014 02:29 AM PST

February 14, 2014

Zaid berharap keputusannya akan membantu menyelesaikan banyak isu-isu berbangkit yang melanda negara sekarang. - Gambar fail.Bekas menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim mengumumkan hasrat untuk bertanding dalam pilihan raya kecil (PRK) Kajang akan datang dalam posting terbaru di blognya.

Menurut beliau, keputusan bertanding kerusi itu akan membolehkannya menangani banyak isu-isu politik dan ekonomi yang dihadapi negara kini.

"Menulis di blog (www.zaid.my) menyeronokkan tetapi ia juga baik jika dapat bersemuka dengan rakyat, mendengar apa yang mereka katakan dan sudah tentu berpeluang menjamu sate dengan mereka."

"Bercakap kepada pengundi Kajang juga akan menguji penerimaan mereka terhadap beberapa idea saya yang seterusnya boleh menjadi maklum balas berguna untuk pembuat dasar kita," kata beliau dalam tulisan bertajuk "Mulling for Kajang" yang diterbitkan hari ini.

Mohd Zaid berkata beliau menggariskan beberapa perkara yang disuarakan sepanjang tempoh berkempen, antara lain ialah kepentingan menangani punca permasalahan polarisasi kaum; usaha mengekalkan keamanan dan perpaduan antara orang Islam dan bukan Islam; dan pembangunan program kemahiran ekonomi dan pendidikan. – 14 Februari, 2014.

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Liku-liku Rencana Kajang, peringatan buat pemimpin Pakatan

Posted: 13 Feb 2014 07:33 PM PST

February 14, 2014

Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad is a member of the PAS central working committee and ex-MP of Kuala Selangor.

Penulisan ini adalah sambungan tulisan Mengapa saya sokong Rencana Kajang. Ia tidak lengkap bahkan tempang kalau tidak disusuli segera dengan penulisan ini.

Sebagai ingatan, penulis majukan Rencana Kajang (RK) daripada perspektif kerangka kerja sebuah muafakat politik. Pakatan Rakyat adalah antara hasil ijtihad PAS, dalam menyerlahkan konsep serta pengalaman muafakat politik atau Tahaaluf Siyasi sebuah gerakan Islam dalam era penglibatan demokrasi abad 21 Masehi atau 14 Hijrah.

Kejayaan PAS mengemudi bersama penglibatan ini sekali gus meninggalkan satu tanda aras atau 'milestone' yang signifikan dalam gerakan Islam kontemporari. PAS sangat cemburu untuk memastikan 'tajribah' atau 'eksperimen' ini berjaya.

Bagi mengingatkan pembaca kembali, penulis menyokong keharusan Rencana Kajang justeru untuk mempertahan kerajaan Selangor daripada serangan ganas lawan. Sehingga kini, pelbagai asakan dan provokasi dilancarkan sama ada di atas garis agama mahupun perkauman. Ia adalah dalam rangka prinsip 'Menolak Kemudharatan' atau "Dar ul Mafasid".

Dengan itu juga Rencana Kajang merupakan salah satu Faktor Kritikal Kejayaan (CSF) dalam pelan strategik menawan Putrajaya. Di satu segi lain, ia adalah kelainan langkah Pakatan Rakyat dalam meneruskan perjuangannya. PR mengajak rakyat membuat pembangunan semula negara sebagai sebuah negara yang maju dan bermaruah.

Umno BN sebaliknya, ditanggapi sedang melalui era tepu dan beku, kini mengambil laluan ekstremis agama dan perkauman untuk mengekalkan relevensinya dalam persaingan PRU ke-14 ini. Umno menaruh segala pergantungan kepada penyokong tegarnya, dengan pendekatan emosi yang berteraskan ketakutan dan kegusaran satu kaum dan anutan agamanya secara sempit.

Andainya Selangor mampu dipertahankan PR dengan gandingan kekuatan pengurusan ekonomi Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim bersama kekuatan politik Datuk Seri Anwar Ibarahim bersama pemimpin PAS dan DAP yang lain, maka Selangor akan diperagakan sekaligus sebagai 'the Leading State of the Federation' atau 'negeri contoh dan idaman' dalam Persekutuan Malaysia.

Pencapaian cemerlang ini adalah sangat dihajatkan bagi meyakinkan rakyat di negara ini bahawa Pakatan Rakyat bersedia menawan dan memeritah Putrajaya.

Kita tekad dan berazam untuk mewujudkan keharmonian hidup di antara agama dan kaum serta mengecapi sumber kekayaan negara secara adil dan bermaruah dengan tidak dibolot secara rakus oleh segelintir manusia yang mempunyai 'hubungan sumbang' dengan penguasa politik.

Dengan naratif yang sebegini murni, persoalan besar yang mesti dijawab sendiri oleh pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat sekarang adalah "Apakah yang bakal menghalang usaha merealisasikan cita-cita murni ini?"

Beredar daripada huraian tentang bagaimana lawan dan seteru akan bakal mewujudkan pelbagai halangan dan rintangan, penulis mahu menumpu kepada cabaran dan ancaman yang terbit dari dalam Pakatan Rakyat sendiri.

Sudah amat jelas bagaimana seteru politik PR akan memunggah segala cara dan menggunakan segala saluran baik undang-undang mahupun institusi negara termasuk kuasa sultan untuk menghalang kejayaan murni mengukuhkan matlamat strategik Rencana Kajang ini. Itu sudah pasti!

Namun yang hendak dibicara penulis secara serius dalam ruang sempit ini adalah 'halangan yang bakal terbit dari dalam Pakatan Rakyat" itu sendiri. Ini lebih menggusar dan menakutkan penulis. Bahkan gambaran senario yang mampu dilakar meninggalkan kekhuatiran yang bukan kepalang.

Penulis ungkapkan kemudaratan yang lebih besar sebagai satu penyebab atau penghalang yang tidak mengizinkan Rencana Kajang dilakukan, seandainya tidak mampu diuruskan dengan baik dan cermat oleh pimpinan PR.

Secara ringkasnya, isu kedudukan menteri besar selepas kemenangan dicapai di PRK Kajang adalah sangat kritikal. Penulis mengingatkan semua pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat bahawa jangan sampai kita pula yang hilang kewajaran dan kompas perjuangan ketika bertegas membuat pendirian serta ketetapan masing-masing.

Bagaimana hebat hujah kita, penulis suka untuk mengingatkan bahawa semuanya mesti dikembalikan kepada asas perhitungan "Maslahah Kully" (kepentingan keseluruhan) dalam konteks muafakat siasah PR, iaitu apakah ia mampu memenangkan matlamat strategik yang didukungi dan dikongsi bersama?

Dalam mendepani isu MB nanti, apakah pendirian kita, yang kini menjadi harapan rakyat, untuk menumbangkan kerajaan Umno BN, satu yang masih mampu dicapai?

Ataukah dalam kegelojohan tindakan kita masing-masing, akhirnya PR yang bakal tumbang dahulu, sebelum musuh dan seteru kita? Kita yang bakal terbunuh dengan pedang kita sendiri dan menembak kaki kita sendiri.

Sebelum kita bermudah menggunakan kalimat seumpama 'kita bersedia berpatah arang' atau 'kita bersedia break-rank' atau 'kita bersedia berjuang bersendiri', atau 'kita kita tidak sanggup berkorban prinsip perjuangan' walhal 'prinsip' yang mana yang kita maksudkan pun tidak ketentuan.

Maka penulis minta supaya setiap seorang pemimpin bersama sahabat mereka, dalam parti komponen Pakatan Rakyat, termasuk diri ini, berfikir masak-masak, dalam-dalam dan jauh-jauh segala implikasi dan risiko tindakan.

Apakah pendirian kita masih berpijak di atas maklumat dan ilmu serta semangat menjunjung cita-cita bersama? Ataukah kita bakal dipersepsi umum sebagai dikuasai emosi dan menuruti kepentingan diri - kelompok sahaja?

Nah, tanpa perlu melakar senario kebrentakan dan krisis, memadai penulis ingatkan yang memahami "Fiqhud Siyasi" dan "Qawaid Fiqhiyyah" bahawa segala hujah yang digunakan awal tadi bagi mengharus dan mewajarkan Rencana Kajang, kini sudah jelasnya berada dalam lingkungan hukuman "La Yajus" – "Tidak Dizinkan". Sebabnya? Amat jelas.

Apabila kita menyandarkan tindakan Rencana Kajang dengan mahu menutup pintu kemudaratan bagi perjuangan, namun pada penghujung tindakan, kita pula yang membuka pintu kemudaratan, maka ia adalah sangat dipertikaikan. Penulis sangat tidak senang untuk mengulas secara terperinci seperti kedengaran dalam ruang media sosial.

Mendengarnya sahaja sudah cukup menggusarkan. Dalam roh tuntutan berwaspada atau 'hazar', penulis terpaksa menyebutkan sebelum berlaku segala yang tidak diingini. Biarpun ada yang kurang senang namun ia wajar disebut. Apakah penulis sengaja menakut-nakutkan dengan pendekatan 'alarmist'? Tentunya tidak!

Maka jelas kalau begitulah kesudahannya, Rencana Kajang menjadi musuhnya sendiri iaitu 'petualang dalam skema strategi perjuangan Pakatan Rakyat. Dalam unjuran 'Senario Paling Buruk' (Worst Case Scenario), Rencana Kajang membawa malapetaka dan perpecahan bagi seluruh muafakat politik Pakatan Rakyat.

Sangat malang jika ia berlaku, wal'iyyazubilLah! Minta Allah jauhkan dan selamatkan perjuangan murni ini.

Namun sebaliknya, penulis masih mahu menaruh keyakinan bahawa pimpinan tertinggi Pakatan Rakyat akan bertindak matang, bijak dan cemerlang apabila sampai waktunya..biiznillah. – 14 Februari, 2014.

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