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Budweiser creates reclosable beer bottles Posted: 16 Feb 2014 09:47 PM PST February 17, 2014 Still shot of the Bud Light Cool Twist. – AFP/Relaxnews, February 17, 2014.From the beer maker that overhauled its packaging lines to create bow-tie-shaped cans after its iconic logo, comes a reclosable aluminium twist bottle. The latest innovation in beer packaging comes from Budweiser, which has created 16-ounce (one pint) bottles that can be reclosed after opening. The product could be ideal for concert venues and clubs, saving frequent trips to the bar (pint-sized drinks) and eliminating beer spills all over the backs of fellow concert and club goers. Last year, Budweiser also developed bow-tie packaging for its 12-ounce cans. The Bud Light Cool Twist is the latest in beer packaging technology. Thermochromatic ink on Coors Light cans, for instance, turns the brand's Rocky Mountain logo blue when the beer is chilled, signalling that it's ready for consumption. And Miller Lite introduced the 'Vortex' bottle, with specially designed grooves on the inside of the neck to facilitate pouring. – AFP/Relaxnews, February 17, 2014.

The Penang food escapade Posted: 16 Feb 2014 04:30 PM PST BY EMMANUEL SURENDRA February 17, 2014 Check out the roti canai at Transfer Road, George Town – roti, dhal, spicy beef curry and a teh tarik for RM6. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 17, 2014.You know you have truly reached Penang when The End of the World is a seafood restaurant, Najib is a cafe and Cheeseman is a road. Well, this is the oriental smorgasbord of Malaysian cuisine after all, so the quirks are just part of the fun when you are up north for a food crawl. And that was exactly what I did last weekend, armed with four wheels, bottles of water and coconut juice, a clutch of RM10s and RM50s, and a travel companion – all in the name of having my kerbside cravings fixed. Here's a list of places I visited during my excursion to the island's food spots: Transfer Road, George Town At 7am on a Saturday, the breakfast for champions seems to be the roti canai at Transfer Road [GPS: 5 25.238, 100 19.839]. Over here, locals indulge in roti drowned in dhal and spicy beef curry by the roadside, while watching the morning traffic whiz by. The roti is doughy – I like mine crispy and fluffy – but the dhal and the spicy beef curry really hits the spot. The beef is braised well too. All, including a hot cup of teh tarik, would cost you RM6. But I'd say eat this only for the experience... nothing to shout about really. Open daily from 6am to 2pm. But just across the road is Deen Nasi Kandar at Kedai Kopi Toon Leong [GPS: 5.421461, 100.330823]. Located just a few metres away from the roti stall, this coffee shop has been around since 1936 and retains its old-school charm; the nasi kandar stand is as old as the coffee shop. The apom manis food cart has been run by a mother-daughter tag team for over 50 years. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 17, 2014.This carbo-loaded breakfast stall opens early in the morning daily and closes shop by 10am. Famous here is the curried cat fish head (RM5), the fish well-seasoned with spices that it doesn't leave that slimy, fishy feel in your mouth. You can also have cat fish meat, if the head's too exotic for you, or other meat dishes, ranging from beef to chicken. A decent plate would cost you anywhere from RM5-10. Tip: tell the cook "banjir" and drown your rice in those tantalising curries. This is one of two nasi kandar joints I visit when I am here. Jelutong Market, Jelutong Get to Jalan Penaga in Jelutong in the am, around 7 to 11, for apom manis [GPS: 5.3887391, 100.3152881]. This Indian pancake is cooked in a clay pot over charcoal, and it's soft and moderately sweet in the middle, with crispy golden brown edges. A retro photo of Sirajudeen in his early days. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 17, 2014.The food cart has been run by a mother-daughter tag team for over 50 years, and delivers the finest apoms. The regular one is priced at 30 sen; add an egg to for a few extra sens. Both are toothsome. Jalan Tan Sri Teh Ewe Lim, Batu Lanchang Hans Food Centre [GPS: 5.39246, 100.3061] is a coffee shop located next to the famous Eaton Food Centre. It's here that you'll find Penang's best-kept secret: the Syein Shah Nasi Kandar stall. Curries here are the real deal with the perfect blend of spices, and the dark, sweet beef sauce is well-prepared. A plate of nasi kandar with two veggies and a slab of beef would cost around RM5-6. Oh yea, go "banjir" on this... it's worth it.  However, instead of the beef, I'd recommend the curried fish. Hans Food Centre, home to the Syein Shah Nasi Kandar stall. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 17, 2014.In front of the nasi kandar stall is the Eaton Satay stand. This intriguing take to a local cuisine is fat-free and lacks that peanut sauce dip, the de rigueur for the conventional satay. In its place is a sweet marinade that's glazed before and after the satay is grilled, a "secret sauce" it seems, with hints of galangal and lemongrass. At 80 sen per stick, the only reason I am not complaining is because it has zero lard and is a good snack to have while you're on the go. Both shops are open daily, anywhere from 10am to 3pm. Gurney Drive, George Town If you're walking along this famous seafront promenade, the 77 Restaurant [GPS: 5.433471, 100.315819] is hard to miss. Obviously, from their signboard, fish head curry seems to be this eatery's bragging right. This restaurant uses the head of the red snapper, or "ang cho", which is cooked in a sour and mildly spicy broth with sliced tofu, brinjals, tomatoes and ladies' fingers, and garnished with mint leaves. Find the Koh Low Sar Hor Fun at Macalister Road, George Town. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 17, 2014.The sourness may turn some people off, but it works just fine for me. The best part is: you can eat everything, from the eyes to the tongue to the cheeks. The fish head curry, which can easily provide for two, costs RM39. If you're a sucker for merchandise, like me, a 77 Restaurant tee at RM15 is available. Restaurant 77 is open daily, 11am to 10pm. Jalan Air Iitam, Air Hitam I decided to drop the famous – or was it overrated – assam laksa [GPS: 5.401183, 100.277967] near the Air Iitam market in return for something more badass. The Air Hitam Hokkien mee stall. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 17, 2014.Located at the intersection between Jalan Air Itam and Jalan Kampung Melayu is a 30-year-old Hokkien noodle stall [N05 24.271, E100 17.290] that serves a hearty bowl of noodles in a mildly spiced, prawn and pork broth with strips of lean pork meat, tiny prawns, fried shallots and jellied pork's blood. The kicker here is that if you eat in, you've got to hold a bowl of piping hot noodles in your hands while scouring for a place to sit or stand. Yeah, "no frills". And, you only order when the cooks ask you for your order. If you hastily do it, you are told to wait. Don't worry, they never mess up their orders. A standard bowl costs RM3; a large one at RM3.50 The cart is located directly opposite Min Jiang Coffee Shop and is open from Wednesdays to Mondays, 3pm to 7pm. Macalister Road, George Town The quintessential sar hor fun – stir–fried vermicelli and fat rice noodles in thick pork and chicken broth garnished with pork and fish slices, and chunks of prawns and squid – is located at a coffee shop at the intersection between Macalister and Mamak mee goreng at Bangkok Lane, Pulau Tikus. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 17, 2014.Rangoon road. This is Koh Low Sar Hor Fun [ 5.4162332, 100.3241929]. A satisfying plate costs RM5 and it is available from Mondays to Saturdays, 11am to 11pm. Bangkok Lane, Pulau Tikus At Kedai Kopi Swee Kong [5.431453,100.31216], you can have a threesome of delectable Penang fare. If you can get there from 7am to 10am, treat yourself to a bowl of Hokkien noodles. If you can get there for lunch, try out the nasi kandar at Sharif's. And if you can get here anywhere from 10am right till late evening, there's this tall, rotund Indian-Muslim man that makes the finest fried mamak noodles in the land for RM5.00 a plate every Tuesday to Sunday. King's Street, George Town Of desserts, forget the Penang Road cendol [N05 2501.9, E100 1950.1], another overvalued foodie joint, and head down to Coffeelane at King's Street. This cafeTry the kiya kueh – sticky, sweet green morsels made from rice flour, lye water and pandan juice, dunked in thick gula Melaka. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 17, 2014. serves gourmet coffee, including Kopi Luwak, with a cuppa anywhere from RM8 to RM60, brewed through a siphon – looks like coffee made at a lab. Anyway, try its kiya kueh – sticky, sweet green morsels made from rice flour, lye water and pandan juice, dunked in thick gula Melaka. At RM5, the price is pretty steep – my companion tells me this was once a poor man's delight, which is kind of reflective of all of Penang's street food anyway – but worth it. Coffeelane opens from 11am to 8pm, Fridays to Wednesdays. – February 17, 2014.

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Real rejoin Barca and Atletico at the top Posted: 16 Feb 2014 02:40 PM PST February 17, 2014 Real Madrid's Karim Benzema (second left) celebrates his goal against Getafe with teammates during their Spanish first division match at Coliseum Alfonso Perez stadium in Getafe, outside Madrid, yesterday. – Reuters pic, February 17, 2014.Real Madrid extended their unbeaten run to 25 matches, rejoining Barcelona and Atletico Madrid on 60 points at the top of La Liga, after Jese, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric scored in a 3-0 win at Getafe yesterday. Barcelona and Atletico recorded easy home wins on Saturday, the champions thrashing Rayo Vallecano 6-0 and Atletico thumping Real Valladolid 3-0 to leave the title race a tight three-way fight with 14 matches left. Barca, chasing a fifth crown in six years, lead on goal difference from Real and Atletico. But the three teams, who have all played 24 games, will be separated by their head-to-head records if they are still tied at the end of the campaign. Real have not lost since a 2-1 La Liga defeat at Barca at the end of October. They were beaten 1-0 at home by Atletico in the league a month earlier while Barca and Atletico drew 0-0 in Madrid in January. "We have to carry on like this because the important part of the season is starting now," said Real coach Carlo Ancelotti referring to the Champions League last-16 first leg at Schalke 04 in 10 days. "We are more solid and have more confidence," the Italian told a news conference. "We are in good physical and mental shape." Athletic Bilbao are fourth on 44 points after losing 2-1 at home to Espanyol, the Basque club's first league defeat at their new San Mames stadium. Sevilla failed to kill off Valencia despite playing most of the second half at their Sanchez Pizjuan venue with an extra man after the dismissal of centre back Ricardo Costa. A poor-quality match littered with yellow cards, and in which home midfielder Ivan Rakitic had a penalty saved by Diego Alves, ended 0-0 to leave the two teams tied on 32 points with Sevilla in seventh position and Valencia eighth. Denis Cheryshev of Sevilla was also sent off in stoppage time. Espanyol also have 32 points in ninth, five behind sixth-placed Real Sociedad who visit struggling Malaga today. Real Madrid were missing La Liga top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo for the trip to the city suburbs and it was Jese, the player brought in for the suspended Portugal forward, who opened the scoring at Getafe's Coliseum stadium in the fifth minute. France forward Benzema finished off a swift break with some neat control and a clinical shot in the 27th and Croatia midfielder Modric fired the third from just outside the penalty area in the 66th. "I am happy with the goals I am giving to the team," said Jese, a product of Real's academy who has been in good form in recent weeks. "It is important the coach has faith in me and I am grateful," added the forward who turns 21 on the day of the first leg at Schalke. Bottom club Real Betis look destined for the drop after they lost 1-0 in Sunday's midday kickoff at Andalusian rivals Granada. Seville-based Betis have won just three league games this season and have 14 points, six adrift of 19th-placed Rayo. Getafe are 15th on 25 points, two fewer than Granada in 12th. – Reuters, February 17, 2014.

Liverpool fury as Arsenal gain sweet revenge Posted: 16 Feb 2014 02:33 PM PST February 17, 2014 Arsenal's Lukas Podolski (left) challenges Liverpool's Joe Allen during their English FA Cup fifth round match at the Emirates stadium in London, yesterday. – Reuters pic, February 17, 2014.Arsenal, thumped 5-1 in the Premier League by Liverpool last weekend, took sweet revenge at the Emirates yesterday with a 2-1 win in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Visiting manager Brendan Rodgers, however, was furious his side were denied a "blatant penalty" by 2010 World Cup final referee Howard Webb in the second half. Arsenal will be at home again in the quarter-finals, having been drawn against Liverpool's local rivals Everton. Arsene Wenger's team were in control when they led 2-0 shortly after halftime, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scoring the first goal after 16 minutes and then created the second for Lukas Podolski. Podolski then conceded a penalty for a trip on Luis Suarez and it was converted by Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard in the 60th minute. Liverpool felt they should have had another penalty for an Oxlade-Chamberlain challenge on Uruguayan Suarez soon after but Webb turned down their strong appeals. "I thought it was a blatant penalty," Rodgers told BT Sport television. "Luis got a touch on the ball and young Alex has just taken him out." Wenger was less certain that it was a spot kick. "Maybe, maybe not," said the Frenchman before adding: "I'm very proud of the way we responded to the huge defeat last week". Earlier, Liverpool started the tie well but missed two early chances that fell to England striker Daniel Sturridge who had scored in his previous eight games. Arsenal went ahead when a shot by French Under-21 international Yaya Sanogo, making his first start, fell kindly for Oxlade-Chamberlain to pounce. Podolski made it 2-0 before Gerrard's penalty launched a Liverpool fightback. Arsenal held on for victory, though, to gain a huge boost ahead of Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg at home to holders Bayern Munich. Liverpool will now focus solely on the Premier League. Rodgers's men are in fourth place, four points behind leaders Chelsea. – Reuters, February 17, 2014.

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Skype-type money swaps bad news for banks? Posted: 15 Feb 2014 10:00 PM PST February 16, 2014 Irked by high bank fees on international money transfers, two Estonian IT whizzes who helped engineer Skype and Paypal have hatched Transferwise, a global Internet platform coordinating currency swaps between individuals. "Hey, hidden fees. Your secret's out," taunts the site founded by Taavet Hinrikus, 32, and partner Kristo Kaarmann, 33. Transferwise has been giving banks a run for their money since its 2011 launch, even attracting applause from tycoon Richard Branson, who sings its praises as a low cost business tool for start-ups. "They are dramatically lowering the cost of transferring money overseas, by effectively matching people and companies in different countries who want the opposite currency," the Virgin billionaire said in a recent blog post. The marriage of IT ingenuity and financial savvy also garnered a prestigious 2013 World Summit Award (WSA), a United Nations-backed prize for outstanding web-based business innovations. Transferwise offers international money transfers for a fee of just one British pound (RM5.40) for all transfers under £200 and 0.5% for everything above – a tenth of what banks typically charge. At that price, business is booming with the company processing around £1 million per day. While European rules specify that euro to euro transfers must be free of charge, banks fees on international money transfers between currencies range between three and six percent with exchange rates that routinely favour banks. The new platform boasts customers from across Europe and is most popular in Britain, France and Spain, mostly among working or retired expats plus small and medium-sized businesses looking to cut operating costs. It's also eyeing expansion in Asia, Africa and the US, offering services for the Indian rupee, South African rand as well as US, Australian, Hong Kong and Singapore dollars. Co-founder, Hinrikus was Skype's director of strategy until 2008, where he joined as the first employee. Kaarmann worked as a consultant for banks with Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers before setting up TransferWise. Cashing-in on algorithms The idea took shape when Hinrikus found himself living in London and spending in pounds, but earning euros at his job with Skype at its headquarters in his native Estonia. Kaarmann, meanwhile was earning pounds in London, but paying a mortgage for his home in the Estonian capital Tallinn in euros. "We found that we had the opposite currency requirements, so we started to exchange it among ourselves at the actual mid-market rate – that's the exchange rate you see in the papers, not the inflated rate you'll be offered by your bank," Hinrikus told AFP. "Soon we realised we had saved a fortune by not moving the money across borders and that perhaps it could be a big business idea. A few years later TransferWise was born," he added. A few algorithms later, they had come up with the programming to connect people with complementary currency needs. Hinrikus explains that a customer in Britain who wants to send money home to Estonia can put their pounds on a TransferWise account. The company then spots a customer in Estonia who wants to send an equivalent amount of money to the UK. Rather than actually sending the money across borders, TransferWise then simply pays it out to the desired recipient in each country, for the minimal fee. While concerns have been raised over the potential abuse of the system to launder money, TransferWise spokeswoman Huggins points out the service is certified by Britain's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). "This means that the business is subject to the same rules as commercial banks in the UK," she explained. The half-dozen TransferWise investors read like a who's who of IT venture capitalists. PayPal founder and Facebook's first financier Peter Thiel is among them via his Valar Ventures company as is Xavier Niel, the founder of French communications provider Free. – AFP, February 16, 2014.

Still much to be done in post-Haiyan Philippines Posted: 15 Feb 2014 09:24 PM PST February 16, 2014 The sun sets on a row of tents used as temporary shelters by survivors of Typhoon Haiyan, along the coastal area of Tacloban City, in central Philippines, yesterday. The United Nations warned that millions of survivors were still without adequate shelter 100 days after the disaster. – AFP pic, February 16, 2014.It was Christmas Day of 2013 and people were celebrating the festival at a church in Palo in the Philippines. However, at a nearby cemetery, weeping individuals were placing flowers and teddy bears on the graves of their loved ones, their lives claimed by the devastating super typhoon Haiyan that had ripped through the town on November 8, 2013. "It was so touching. While we celebrated Christmas with joy and presents, those family members were crying. And, it was raining," said Malaysian Yew Hee Cheah, who was in Tacloban in the Philippines for about three months, from November 18 to January 25, to help manage logistical support and humanitarian aid for Unicef. Yew, 38, the administrative and finance officer for Unicef in Malaysia, was recounting his experience in the Philippines after Haiyan tore across the central islands on Nov 8, killing 6,200 people and leaving nearly 2,000 others missing. The super typhoon also destroyed or severely damaged 1.1 million houses, leaving more than four million people homeless. Yee said that Haiyan had left 124,000 children in the central Philippines to be dependent on donated attire and to study in makeshift tents that served as temporary classrooms. The tents were provided with school-in-a-box kits that contain stationery and basic teaching tools, he said. Unicef had established 1,244 temporary learning spaces or makeshift tents for children to have access to education, and 420,496 pre-school and school-age children were provided with learning materials and supplies, he said. "After 100 days since Haiyan hit, there remains a lot to be done, especially in terms of schools, sanitation, vaccination for children and clean water supply," he told Bernama. Yew said that generally the situation in the affected areas was improving and Unicef, with its partners, was doing its best to put the children's livelihood back to normal. He said some of the Tacloban schools reopened in January, but classrooms still leaked rain. Some schools had suffered structural damage due to the storm and Unicef had built tents at schools to serve as temporary classrooms. According to Unicef's Philippines Humanitarian Situation Report issued on February 7, a total of 925,626 people now had access to safe water through distribution of water kits, water treatment products, bladders and home-storage containers. The report said more than 78,000 children (of six to 59 months of age) were immunised against measles, 97,000 children under five were screened for malnutrition and 13,576 children were being reached with psycho-social support in 79 Unicef-supported 'child-friendly spaces' in the affected region. Meanwhile, the Unicef representative in Malaysia, Wivina Belmonte, said the people in Malaysia had generously donated US$933,173 (about RM3.08 million) for the Haiyan victims in the Philippines. "Thanks to the generous and rapid response of donors in Malaysia, and globally, Unicef and its partners in the Philippines have been able to provide quick and crucial frontline emergency relief," she said. – Bernama, February 16, 2014.

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Pusingan terakhir perlawanan Dr Mahathir-Anwar Ibrahim (Bahagian 1) Posted: 15 Feb 2014 03:36 PM PST February 16, 2014 Amin Iskandar adalah penerima anugerah zamalah Asian Public Intellectuals (API) bagi sesi 2009-2010. Kini merupakan Pengarang Berita bagi The Malaysian Insider. Beliau "berkicau" di www.twitter.com/aminiskandar. Dalam politik Malaysia, hanya dua watak yang memainkan peranan utama, bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dan bekas timbalannya, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Ini kerana pengaruh kedua-duanya dalam menentukan rentak dalam permainan politik dan percaturan kuasa dalam negara. Yang lain-lain seperti Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang dan Lim Kit Siang penting juga, tetapi tidak lebih seperti pelakon tambahan dalam filem-filem. Semenjak 1998, pertembungan di antara Dr Mahathir dan Anwar yang satu ketika dahulu mempunyai hubungan seperti ayah dan anak, tidak pernah berhenti. Selepas empat pusingan bermula Pilihan Raya Umum 1999, 2004, 2008 dan 2013, akhirnya pertembungan yang berjaya mengheret seluruh negara itu sudah berada di pusingan terakhir. Dan keputusan daripadanya akan menentukan perjalanan Malaysia pada masa akan datang. Apa yang menakjubkan, kedua-dua Dr Mahathir dan Anwar masih lagi mempunyai semangat sama untuk berlawan seperti semasa pusingan pertama dahulu dari 1998-2004. Pertembungan pusingan terakhir ini selain daripada akan menyaksikan survival politik kedua-dua kumpulan yang diketuai kedua tokoh ini, ia juga akan memperlihatkan legasi politik siapakah yang akan terus hidup. Dr Mahathir mempunyai Datuk Seri Mukhriz manakala Anwar mempunyai Nurul Izzah untuk meneruskan legasi masing-masing. Barisan Nasional (BN) dan Pakatan Rakyat (PR) kini berada dalam keadaan sama kuat dan kemenangan sama ada Dr Mahathir atau Anwar dalam pusingan terakhir ini akan menyaksikan kelangsungan BN memimpin negara atau PR mengambil alih Putrajaya. Pada ketika ini, walaupun Dr Mahathir sudah bersara daripada politik lebih 10 tahun, beliau masih dibanjiri dengan pertemuan demi pertemuan dengan ahli politik, ahli politik veteran, ekonomi dan ahli perniagaan yang mahukan beliau melakukan sesuatu terhadap perdana menteri yang dilihat terlalu lemah untuk memastikan survival BN. Bagi kumpulan yang bertemu Dr Mahathir ini, Najib perlu disingkirkan sebelum BN berhadapan dengan Pilihan Raya Umum ke 14 (PRU14). Dr Mahathir – yang masih mendapat liputan luas daripada media arus perdana dan media atas talian, sudahpun mula menyerang polisi dan dasar Najib yang dilihat lebih menguntungkan Anwar dan PR. Seperti dikatakan dalam tulisan terbaru bekas Ketua Pengarang Kumpulan New Straits Times, Datuk A Kadir Jasin di blognya, perbincangan untuk mencari pengganti Najib sudah bermula dikalangan kelompok pro Dr Mahathir dalam Umno. Sementara di pihak Anwar pula, rancangan Kajang yang menyaksikan buat pertama kalinya beliau bertanding di kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dalam sejarah politiknya akan memberi nafas baru kepada konsensus nasional di antara PR dan BN. Selepas menang di DUN Kajang, beliau akan menggantikan Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim sebagai menteri besar Selangor dan ini akan mempercepatkan konsensus nasional yang akan beliau lakukan demi menyelamatkan Najib. Menyelamatkan Najib, akan membantunya menang dalam pertembungan pusingan terakhir dengan Dr Mahathir. Jika rancangan ini berjaya, Najib dan Anwar akan bertemu Presiden Barack Obama yang akan melawat Malaysia pada April ini secara rasmi sebagai ketua kerajaan persekutuan dan ketua kerajaan negeri. Selepas menjadi menteri besar Selangor juga, Anwar dan Najib akan berada bersama dalam mesyuarat perdana menteri bersama menteri besar dan ketua menteri yang akan menyaksikan kerjasama antara negeri terkaya itu dan kerajaan pusat. Pelbagai isu akan cuba diselesaikan dan proses konsensus nasional di antara BN-PR akan berjalan, mahu tak mahu, parti komponen BN, parti komponen PR seperti DAP dan PAS akan mengikutnya juga. Sebab itu kita boleh melihat Najib dan kumpulannya dalam BN tidak begitu beria-ia menyerang Anwar yang bertanding di DUN Kajang. Yang lebih kuat menghalang Anwar adalah PAS Selangor dan sesetengah pemimpin pusat parti Islam itu. Sebab itu, Dr Mahathir dan kumpulan juga akan bertindak cepat bagi memastikan rancangan ini tidak berjaya. Kesukaran utama bagi Dr Mahathir adalah untuk mencari tokoh pengganti Najib. Seperti dikatakan Kadir Jasin, Muhyiddin tidak berminat dan hanya mahu pencen sebagai timbalan perdana menteri. Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yang kini merupakan pemimpin kanan paling popular yang dipilih secara demokratik dalam Umno pula lebih mempunyai ikatan yang kuat dengan Najib dan Anwar berbanding Dr Mahathir. Tidak mustahil PAS akan menjadi sekutu Dr Mahathir dalam pertembungan pusingan terakhir di antara beliau dan Anwar ini. Dr Mahathir juga secara terbuka menyeru agar PAS yang mempunyai 15 kerusi DUN di Selangor agar merebut kerusi menteri besar di negeri terkaya itu. Dalam politik, musuh kepada musuh kita adalah kawan kita. Sekali lagi, pertembungan Dr Mahathir-Anwar akan mengheret seluruh negara untuk bersama. Akan tetapi, ini adalah yang terakhir. – 16 Februari, 2014. * Ini adalah pendapat peribadi penulis dan tidak semestinya mewakili pandangan The Malaysian Insider.

Loving long distance relationships Posted: 15 Feb 2014 03:14 PM PST February 16, 2014 Cass Shan started off as a copywriter tasked with understanding buying behaviour. She now immerses herself in understanding buy-in behaviour. Valentine's Day was celebrated two days ago. I wonder about those in long distance relationships. How is it like not be able to feel the warm embrace of our loved ones often? To not feel the grasp of a loving hand as we walk? To profess our feelings only through phone calls – listening with bated breath to his/her voice? Long distance relationships are tough to handle. A 'normal' relationship survives through 'chemistry' often described to be elicited from physical attraction. Without this, one is left with photos and memories to encapsulate the image of loved ones. A long distance relationship takes greater effort, I feel, to understand each other and keep up with the initial spark through constant maintenance. It can be hard, as absence makes the heart grow fonder, or will it be doomed, as out of sight, out of mind? Most of us only get into long distance relationships if we have to – it's not usually a choice. But the time apart should be put to good use by developing one's own personality and independence. This is something people in relationships lack when they are together and become too close for comfort. Long distance relationships often suffer from a lack of intimacy as a couple hardly see each other. This can tear into the closeness of the relationship if not looked into before it is too late. Other than that, long distance relationships forfeit 'shared experiences' as this is one of the major components of a relationship. There's only so much 'love' that can be conveyed through verbal exchange. However, if there is enough of the same wavelength going around or should there be enough compatibility in personality, then long distance relationships can last longer. Obviously, the distance must end at some point, sooner rather than later. Love is something felt in the heart, seen in the eye, heard in the voice and felt in the touch. Lose one piece of the jigsaw puzzle and it leaves much to be desired. I'm amazed that World War veterans used to send love letters to convey feelings and keep the romance going, obviously out of the circumstances. That said, long distance relationships can be done if not less desirable. For this Valentine's Day, I wish all those in long distance relationships to keep the fire lit through the constant chase, for mutual understanding, banter and spark. – February 16, 2014. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

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SPR disaran hanya benarkan anak jati kawasan tanding kerusi DUN, kata Perkasa Posted: 16 Feb 2014 01:58 AM PST February 16, 2014 Presiden Perkasa Datuk Ibrahim Ali berucap semasa majlis pengisytiharan Barisan Kepimpinan Perkasa di George Town, Pulau Pinang hari ini. – Gambar The Malaysian Insider oleh Hasnoor Hussain.Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) disaran meminda syarat calon pilihan raya bagi kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dengan mewajibkan hanya anak jati sesuatu kawasan itu layak untuk bertanding. Presiden Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) Datuk Ibrahim Ali berkata ia bagi membendung "penyakit" segelintir ahli politik yang bertindak mencalonkan diri untuk bertanding di mana-mana kawasan yang mereka sukai untuk kepentingan diri. "Sebagai contoh di DUN Kajang (di Selangor), banyak anak jati kawasan itu cerdik pandai, kenapa kita nak izinkan perkara ini berlaku (orang luar bertanding), pilihan raya bukan proses mudah, ia libatkan kepentingan semua orang," katanya. Ibrahim berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas majlis pengisytiharan Barisan Kepimpinan Perkasa peringkat negeri di George Town, Pulau Pinang hari ini. Beliau melihat pilihan raya kecil DUN Kajang yang akan berlangsung 23 Mac ini disebabkan wakil rakyatnya dari PKR Lee Chin Cheh meletak jawatan adalah menyusahkan pengundi di kawasan berkenaan dan tidak menyuburkan amalan demokrasi. Pakatan pembangkang telah menamakan Ketua Pembangkang dan Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sebagai calon bagi pilihan raya kecil DUN Kajang. – Bernama 16 Februari, 2014

Peluang BN menang tetap ada, yang penting bertanding, kata Dr Mahathir Posted: 16 Feb 2014 01:38 AM PST February 16, 2014 Bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (gambar) melihat Barisan Nasional (BN) tetap berpeluang memenangi kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kajang dalam pilihan raya kecil bulan depan. "Peluang mungkin 50-50 tapi itu tidak penting, yang penting kena bertanding," katanya dalam sidang media selepas melancarkan Kejohanan Kanu Kebangsaan Putrajaya ke-12 hari ini. Katanya terpulang kepada BN untuk memilih calon yang layak. Beliau ditanya sama ada BN perlu meletak calon yang berpengalaman dalam pilihan raya kecil itu memandangkan akan berdepan dengan Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan bekas Presiden Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air, Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim. Mohd Zaid mengesahkan akan bertanding sebagai calon bebas dalam pilihan raya kecil itu di Kajang hari ini. Anwar pula mengumumkan pencalonannya sehari selepas kerusi itu dikosongkan oleh Lee Chin Cheh daripada PKR pada 27 Januari. Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya menetapkan pilihan raya kecil DUN Kajang diadakan pada 23 Mac, dengan penamaan calon 11 Mac. – Bernama, 16 Februari, 2014.

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