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New Yorkers find Malaysian cuisine exciting Posted: 17 Feb 2014 10:14 PM PST February 18, 2014 New Yorkers who dined for the first time at the newly opened Malaysian restaurant Rasa in Manhattan's Greenwich district said that they found Malaysian cuisine exciting. With its Malay, Chinese and Indian influences, Malaysian cuisine presents a unique blend of the three food cultures, exclaimed Elaine Woods, a Wall Street financial worker, who dined at the Rasa with her two female colleagues on a recent Thursday night. "The first guests to arrive at the restaurant were a mix of ethnic Asians and Americans, many of whom had come to try something new and were not disappointed in their choice of restaurant," according to Elaine's sibling Gerry Woods who was there as well. He was eating the Assam Laksa, which the Huffington Post once described as "one of the ten dishes to try before dying". Although Greenwich has a cluster of Asian eateries, this is the first Malaysian restaurant to be run in the district which is considered to be a trendy place that is patronised mostly by young professionals, students and even the office crowd. Rasa's offering Rasa, which has a total seating capacity for 52 guests, was recently started by renowned Malaysian chef Tommy Lai, a Michelin restaurant star winner, and his sister and co-owner Camie Lai. Rasa means taste in Malay and coincidently both the co-owners also originate from a place called Rasa in Selangor, Malaysia. Together with the brother-sister team, their Malaysian cousin, Michael Lai, who was formerly a sushi chef and Bibi Singh, a Singaporean businesswoman with strong connections with Malaysia, formed the quartet of owners. Rasa has featured what Camie Lai described a "Malaysian-inspired menu, comprising of unique Malaysian signature dishes". "Traditional Malaysian dishes and popular street food like Penang Assam Laksa, Yong Tu Foo, Curry Mee and Hakka Prawn Mee will take centre stage alongside new creations such as Rasa's Asian Rolls which will include Sambal and Curry Satay stuffed rolls," explained Michael Lai in an interview with Bernama at the restaurant recently when Malaysian employees of various Malaysian agencies, including Matrade and Tourism Malaysia, also descended on the restaurant. More on the menu "We wanted to introduce some simple Malaysian small dishes such as Popiah Rolls so that those not familiar with Malaysian and Southeast Asian food could try those first and then 'graduate' on to the main dishes," said Camie Lai, adding that other Malaysian favourites such as roti canai, Malaysian cupcakes, Malay curried wings, and mini curry puffs would also be on Rasa's elaborate menu. Chef Tommy Lai will be showcasing traditional Malaysian dishes with Chinese, Malay and Indian influences such as Wat Tan Hor, Nasi Lemak, Indian Mee Goreng, etc.  Rasa will also offer some Malaysian beverages on its menu such as Teh Tarik and a special concoction of Tamarind Cider, Malaysian grass jelly drink, the refreshing coconut, and ginger drink. One of the Malaysian guests at the Rasa was Muhd. Shahrulmiza Zakaria, the New York based Malaysian Trade Commissioner, who told Bernama that his agency Matrade was supporting Malaysian restaurants through its Malaysian kitchen programme which since its inception in 2010 has been educating and informing consumers about Malaysian cuisine and restaurants throughout the world.  The programme also encourages local chefs and restaurateurs introduce Malaysian cuisine in their establishments. "Matrade welcomes the opening of Rasa, the latest Malaysian restaurant to open in Manhattan," Shahrulmiza added. Bringing Malaysian cuisine to every American home In 2013, three new Malaysian restaurants were established in New York and New Jersey; besides Rasa, the other two restaurants to open were Mamak Food House, which was started in Flushing, New York, and Taste of Malaysia in Fort Lee, New Jersey, according to the Malaysian trade commissioner. With the inclusion of the three new Malaysian restaurants, the number of Malaysian restaurants in the United States has risen to a total of 86 establishments registered under Matrade's Malaysian Kitchen Programme. The next phase of the MKP (2013-2018) will be carried out under the motto "Bringing Malaysian Cuisine into Every American Home!" Besides the proliferating Asian supermarkets in the United States, Matrade will also persuade mainstream supermarkets to offer Malaysian food products on their shelves, as Indian, Thai and Chinese food suppliers have been successfully doing. Apart from participating in six major food trade fairs, Matrade will launch a new public relations campaign in 2014, placing greater emphasis on the use of social media channels, engaging prominent personalities and the Malaysian diaspora in the USA to highlight the attractive attributes of the Malaysian cuisine. According to Sharulmiza,  Malaysian cuisine's growing popularity will also encourage many Americans to not only buy ready-to-eat Malaysian food products but also motivate them to buy ingredients and spices to try their hand at cooking Malaysian dishes at home. "This will also boost exports of Malaysian food products and spices," Sharulmiza said. – Bernama, February 18, 2014.

How a spinach omelette can sharpen your reflexes Posted: 17 Feb 2014 04:49 PM PST February 18, 2014 Foods rich in tyrosine like spinach and eggs have been shown to improve reaction times. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, February 18, 2014.A nutrient found in spinach and eggs could help sharpen reflexes and therefore improve road safety. So says a team of researchers from Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam, who conducted a study on the impact of intake of tyrosine, a nutrient found in foods including spinach, eggs, cheese and soy. For their research, scientists tested the reaction times of participants on a computer screen. Whenever a green arrow appeared, they were instructed to press the corresponding button as quickly as possible. Buttons had to match direction of the arrow – either left or right. When a red arrow appeared, participants were instructed to do nothing. Sessions were divided into two tests: on one occasion, participants were given a tyrosine-enriched orange juice before the task, and on the other, a glass of orange juice that contained a placebo. Results showed that candidates showed improved reflexes after drinking the orange juice with tyrosine. Researchers hypothesise that increased intake of tyrosine-rich foods and supplements could have implications on road safety, improving drivers' reaction times to braking for children or pile-ups. Low levels of tyrosine are also linked to lower levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which can lead to depression and apathy. The findings were published in the journal Neuropsychologia. The research comes from the same university that published a study on the psychological effects of tryptophan, also found in soy, eggs and spinach in addition to fish. The paper theorised that the amino acid increased people's levels of trust in one another. – AFP/Relaxnews, February 18, 2014.

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Leverkusen out to put brakes on PSG’s Ibrahimovic Posted: 17 Feb 2014 02:44 PM PST February 18, 2014 Paris St Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic heads a ball during a training session in Leverkusen, yesterday. – Reuters pic, February 18, 2014.Stopping star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic appears to be Bayer Leverkusen's main preoccupation as they prepare to host Paris Saint-Germain in today's last-16, first-leg Champions League clash. Having hit the net eight times in five Champions League matches this season, Ibrahimovic's goalscoring prowess is second only to Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, who has nine in this campaign so far. "Even if you play perfectly against him, he is always able to score a goal," said Leverkusen coach Sami Hyypia, the former Liverpool centre-back who knows a thing or two about keeping strikers quiet. "But we have to fight to make sure he gets as little ball as possible." Bosnia defender Emir Spahic has the unenviable task of marking Ibrahimovic, but captain Simon Rolfes said the Bundesliga side must make life as uncomfortable as possible for the Swedish star. "You can't completely switch him off, but we have to at least permanently annoy him," said Rolfes. "We have to go to our limits and then we'll have to see if that is enough to cause Paris some problems." PSG coach Laurent Blanc said Ibrahimovic is more than capable of coping with the extra attention. "He has experience to spare, he will always score and he will score goals until the end of his career," said Blanc. "For him to be decisive at this stage in the competition is more difficult, because the defences are better organised. "But he remains our greatest asset to score and he's the player on which Bayer will focus, this type of match motivates him more than a championship." The Parisians come to Leverkusen's BayArena as clear favourites. They finished as comfortable winners of Group C, scoring 16 goals in the process, while Sami Hyypia's Leverkusen reached the last 16 despite a 5-0 hammering at home to Manchester United as Group A runners-up. Leverkusen need no reminding of their last foray into the knockout rounds two years ago when they lost 3-1 at home to Barcelona, only to be humiliated 7-1 in Spain when Lionel Messi hit a record five goals. "Paris are the favourites, but we are confident challengers and will run out with heads held high," insisted Rolfes, as Leverkusen look to reach the last eight of the Champions League for the first time in 12 years. "What we saw against Manchester will not happen again." Recent results suggest Bayer are far from the assured outfit Rolfes insists they are ahead of the visit of the French league leaders after back-to-back home losses. Leverkusen crashed to a 2-1 league reverse to Schalke last Saturday, which followed their shock 1-0 extra-time defeat to second-division Kaiserslautern last Wednesday in the German Cup quarter-finals. Blanc said possession will be key for PSG with unseasonably mild day-time temperatures of 13 degrees Celsius forecast in Leverkusen today. "We have to make sure we have the better share of the possession, we know Bayer are athletic and they like to stand deep and are then deadly on the counter-attack," said Blanc. "We have to be efficient, but possession is everything and when we don't have it, we'll have to work hard to get it back as quickly as possible." – AFP, February 18, 2014.

FIFA expects Brazilian police to bring violent World Cup protests under control Posted: 17 Feb 2014 02:40 PM PST February 18, 2014 Faced with the spectre of street protests disrupting this year's World Cup, football's governing body FIFA expects host country Brazil to deploy police if necessary to contain violent demonstrators and guarantee access to stadiums. FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, who is touring some World Cup host cities this week, said Brazilians are democratically entitled to stage peaceful protests during the global sporting event. "But unpeaceful demonstrations by people who are just trying to create problems and fight against the authorities, there is only way to bring them down, and that is to use the police to make sure these people are under control," Valcke said at a news conference in Brasilia, the capital. Brazilian authorities are bracing for a new wave of protests during the World Cup and plan to deploy tens of thousands of police and have military troops on standby to secure the 12 stadiums across Brazil where the games will be played between June 12 and July 13. In an unexpected outburst of discontent, more than a million people took to the streets during a warm-up for the World Cup last year to protest against poor public services, corruption and the high cost of the stadiums built for the FIFA event. The protests have continued this year, though they have become smaller and more violent with anarchist groups vandalising storefronts and banks and clashing with police. The violent nature of the protests was brought home to Brazilians last week with the death of a TV cameraman who was struck by a homemade bottle rocket days earlier during a protest against a hike in bus fares in Rio de Janeiro. The potential for violence marring the World Cup was highlighted by a member of one of the anarchist groups known as "Black Blocs" who threatened to attack foreign delegations in an interview published by the Estado de S.Paulo newspaper on Sunday. Any disruption of the football tournament, which was meant to mark Brazil's coming of age on the global stage, would embarrass President Dilma Rousseff's government and undermine her popularity as she prepares to seek re-election in October. The ruling Workers' Party, many of whose leaders suffered repression under military dictatorship in the 1970s, has opposed attempts in Congress to pass a bill that would equate violent protests with terrorism. Instead, Rousseff's government is proposing legislation to crack down on vandalism by introducing harsher prison sentences and banning demonstrators from wearing masks that hide their identities. Brazilian authorities expect protests during the World Cup to be smaller and more violent than those seen last June. – Reuters, February 18, 2014.

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Rome restaurant serves up new attitude toward Down syndrome Posted: 16 Feb 2014 08:59 PM PST February 17, 2014 A picture taken on January 28, 2014 in Rome, shows Simone Ippoliti (left), a young waiter with Down syndrome, joking with clients next to his colleague Alessandro Giusto (right) in the restaurant 'Locanda dei Sunflowers'. – AFP pic, February 17, 2014.It was another busy night for the staff with Down syndrome at the Girasoli restaurant in Rome, which serves up traditional pizza and pasta dishes along with a new way of looking at disability in the workplace. The neon-signed restaurant was set up in a suburb southeast of the Italian capital by the parents of children with disabilities, and it functions just like any other eatery – except 13 of its 18 employees are handicapped. "I love this room, monitoring it, making myself available, being in contact with people," said Simone, a 24-year-old who after a paid internship of 600 hours now has a permanent contract with Girasoli (Sunflowers). "And above all I just love being here," he said. When a group of women came in Simone deftly showed them to a table, clutching a few menus in his hand. "We heard good things about it so we wanted to come," said one woman, while her friend added: "Basically it's a normal restaurant – except the waiters are nice." As he tucked into an amatriciana pasta dish, 64-year-old teacher Giuseppe said: "When you come here for the first time, you have certain expectations but you quickly realise that there is no need to have them." The restaurant was set up in 2000 and is aimed at offering work to people with Down syndrome – a genetic disorder usually associated with physical growth delays and intellectual disability. "My waiters do their job and do it very well," said chief waiter Ugo Menghini, who is not handicapped, praising the efficiency and speed of his staff. "If I was to set up my own business, I wouldn't hesitate, I would hire people with Down syndrome." Like many businesses in Italy, the restaurant has been hit by the recession and was forced to shut for several months last year for restructuring and renovation. It is now being run by Consorzio Sintesi, a social co-operative association which specialises in giving jobs to disabled people and also manages three call-centres for the Italian mobile phone operator Wind. "The state pushes for assistance but we prefer professional training. Everything here is self-financed with no subsidies from the state," Enzo Rimicci, the head of the association, told AFP. "Every employee here manages to find their place based on their skills," Rimicci said, explaining for example how one staffer, Marco, was too shy to work with customers but proved to be "a real machine" in the kitchen. "Seen close up, no one is normal," he said, repeating an old Roman proverb that he likes. The restaurant's training is rigorous and out of the 13 employees with Down syndrome, nine are interns. When Girasoli is closed in the morning, another team comes in to make cookies and cakes for the evening customers. Anna, a 22-year-old waitress, came in even on her night off to have dinner with her parents. "For us, for her it's a great victory," said her father, Carlo, tearing up as he described his daughter's transformation since she started work. "Our daughter has gained autonomy. When she comes home from work, she is happy, proud of what she's done," he said, adding that Anna had also made progress "in how she relates to other people, in her language". A further sign of the restaurant's success is that another one is in the works. A new one is expected to open soon in Palermo in Sicily and Rimicci said there were even plans to turn the idea into a franchise and create many more outlets. – AFP, February 17, 2014.

Afghan ghost towns a symbol of lost hope Posted: 16 Feb 2014 05:33 PM PST February 17, 2014 In this photograph taken on January 12, 2014, Afghan children stand among empty houses in Aliceghan, some 30 kilometres north of Kabul. – AFP pic, February 17, 2014. Aliceghan was supposed to be a haven for war-torn Afghanistan's returning refugees and a symbol of resurgence after the dark years of the Taliban. Six years on, it has come to highlight the myriad obstacles facing development projects in the country and an exodus of residents has left it feeling like a ghost town. Located about an hour's drive north of Kabul, the settlement was constructed on a stretch of dry, rocky land allocated by the government to house 1,100 families driven out of their homeland during more than four decades of conflict. Opened in 2008, it was financed by the Australian government to the tune of $7.2 million (RM23.8 million), while the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) took the lead in building homes, schools, roads and water tanks. Today, visitors are greeted by rows of abandoned homes and empty streets as most of its residents have been driven out by a lack of running water, electricity and high commuting costs to Kabul, the nearest city. Residents also complained of "culturally inappropriate" homes which lacked outer walls for privacy, meaning women were confined to their houses as a result. Many of those who left have returned to slums and shelters in the capital they once fled. "In the first year, there was work, people were constructing houses," said 79-year-old Khoja Mohammad, who lived in Iran for 20 years but decided to return for what he hoped would be a better life. "But the following year when construction of houses was completed, people found themselves unemployed, so they started to leave. And now it is like a ghost town," he added. He said there were only about 500 families left in Aliceghan and the number was decreasing. Mohammad is one of the 5.7 million Afghans who had fled the civil war in their country, but returned with great hopes of a better life after the US-led invasion that ousted the Taliban regime in 2001. He and his relatives live with another family – around 20 people in total – spread across two small houses with four rooms. He says life is hard, especially this winter, with temperatures dropping to -20 degrees Celsius. In his home, blankets are piled up at the corner of a room that is transformed to bedroom at night. A car battery connected to a solar panel is placed on the edge of the window and used to light the room when it gets dark. "This is our only source of electricity," Mohammad said. The township is one of the 60 scattered settlements across the country built for the returning refugees. But "there were some weaknesses in implementing the strategy" Islamuddin Jurat spokesman of ministry of refugees and repatriation told AFP. "The towns were built but lack of coordination between other key ministries such as power and energy and others to provide them basic needs of life made the plan a failure," he said, adding that the government was only able to provide shelters for around 300,000 returnees. Antonia Paradela, a UNDP official, told AFP their plan to dig wells in the area has been delayed due to land disputes between the government and residents who claim that the land where the underground water source was located belonged to them. Barek Aub, a neighbouring township, is no better off. Women and children line up in front of the only school in the town with jugs and wheelbarrows to fetch water from the reservoir tanks at least twice a day. Each family is allowed only three barrels a day – enough only for cooking and drinking. "They had promised us running water, good life, jobs opportunities, but they did nothing for us," says Bashir Ahmad, a 45-year-old father of four who has lived in Barek Aub for the past six years. "95% of people here do not work, because the village is far from the city. Some go to Kabul city, but the money they earn can barely cover their transportation costs," Ahmed, who lost a leg during Afghan's civil war, said. He says he fears that village youth will "join the insurgency or fall into drugs" if the situation doesn't change. There are around 300 families living in Barek Aub and there are only two buses for both townships that shuttle between the towns and Kabul twice daily. Abdul Wakil, member of the US based Sozo International, one of the few organisations that still help the settlements, said: "We need to create jobs. Otherwise, I do not see how people can get out." With a presidential election due on April 5 and the future of Afghanistan after foreign troops withdraw hanging in the balance, many residents are fearful. "We used to receive some aid especially during winter in the past, but for three years, the aid agencies have lost interest in us. And there is a big fear that if things go wrong in 2014 and foreign aid stops we will be totally forgotten," Ahmad says. – AFP, February 17, 2014.

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Slave epic big Bafta winner as Hollywood descends on London Posted: 16 Feb 2014 05:15 PM PST February 17, 2014 British director Steve McQueen poses with the award for best film for '12 Years A Slave' at the Bafta British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Opera House in London, yesterday. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, February 17, 2014.12 Years a Slave", the distressing tale of a man sold into slavery, was the big winner at the Baftas yesterday, giving the Steve McQueen directed picture a huge pre-Oscars boost. The film, adapted from Solomon Northup's 1853 memoir, took the coveted best film prize at a star-studded ceremony at London's Royal Opera House. It scored an earlier success when British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who portrays free black man Northup as he is kidnapped and enslaved in the United States, walked away with the best actor prize. London-born McQueen used his acceptance speech to thank his "one and only mother" and to highlight the issue of modern day slavery. "There are 21 million people in slavery as we sit here," he explained. "I just hope 150 years from now our ambivalence will not allow another film-maker to make this film." McQueen's work beat off competition from crime-comedy "American Hustle", pirate drama "Captain Phillips", space sci-fi thriller "Gravity" and "Philomena", the tale of an Irishwoman searching for a son taken by nuns. However, "Philomena" did win in the adapted screenplay category. Leading actor Steve Coogan praised the "real Philomena Lee", revealing that she was in the audience. "Her story has been told and her story finished in the Vatican," he said. "She has been heard but there are 60,000 women who are yet to trace their children." Rising star Jennifer Lawrence won the best supporting actress award for her role in "American Hustle" and Barkhad Abdi claimed the best supporting actor prize for his portrayal of a Somali pirate in "Captain Phillips". McQueen missed out on the best director award, which instead went to Mexican Alfonso Cuaron for "Gravity". Accepting his award, he said: "You can not tell from my accent but I consider myself a part of the British film industry". Australian Cate Blanchett paid tribute to late colleague Philip Seymour Hoffman, calling him "a continual profound touchstone", as she claimed her best actress award for her part in Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine". The British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards are the highlight of the British film calendar and a useful guide to which way the Academy Awards might go on March 2. Hollywood stars including Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt rubbed shoulders with British royalty at the glitzy ceremony. The superstar couple made an unexpected appearance on the red carpet in matching tuxedos and signed autographs for hordes of fans camped outside the venue. Bafta president Prince William was also at the ceremony, which was hosted for a ninth time by actor Stephen Fry. He opened proceedings with a tribute to Helen Mirren, who received Bafta's highest accolade, the Academy Fellowship "in recognition of her exceptional contribution to film". Mirren, who has played Elizabeth II on stage and screen, was presented with the award by William, who called her "an extremely talented British actress who I should probably call granny". The 68-year-old actress quoted Shakespeare's Tempest during her acceptance speech. "We are such stuff as dreams are made on and our little life is rounded with a sleep," she said. "My little life is rounded with this honour, thank you very much indeed." The British capital has recently suffered freak storms, but conditions were fine if cold yesterday, allowing stars to dazzle on the red carpet. Mirren wore a navy blue dress with chiffon sleeves while fellow dame Judi Dench, nominated for best actress, wore a dark velvet gown with turquoise cuffs. Oscar-winner Emma Thompson arrived wrapped up in a red dress and white coat with a huge furry collar, while "American Hustle" star Amy Adams posed for photographers in a floor-length black gown from Victoria Beckham. Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale and Tom Hanks, all nominated in the Best Actor category, were also in London for the event. Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy Irons, Kiefer Sutherland, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Stanley Tucci and Uma Thurman, were among those helping to present the awards. – AFP/Relaxnews, February 17, 2014.

The Simpsons to get Lego makeover on May 4 Posted: 16 Feb 2014 05:21 AM PST February 16, 2014 The Fox network's animated family "The Simpsons" is getting a plastic makeover on May 4, as the creators team up with toy company Lego for an entire episode created out of the plastic building blocks, Fox's consumer products division said today. The episode, entitled "Brick Like Me," will see family patriarch Homer Simpson wake up in a Springfield where everyone and everything is made out of Lego, and he must figure his way out before he gets stuck in the plastic world forever. Danish company The Lego Group first started producing the plastic construction building blocks in 1949, which have become a popular toy around the world. "The Simpsons," created by Matt Groening, is the longest-running animated series in the history of US television, making the cartoon family and their catchphrases, such as Homer's "D'Oh!", a facet of American pop culture. The series, which airs on Fox Television, entered its 25th season last year, and the Lego episode will be its 550th show. So far, the 25th season has seen a special Halloween episode directed by Mexican filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro, while an upcoming show will cross over with another Groening animated series, "Futurama". "The Simpsons" has also been renewed for a 26th season, in which producers have teased that one longstanding character will die. Lego, meanwhile, has become a hot commodity at the box office. Last week's release of "The Lego Movie", featuring superheroes and villains in a world made entirely from Lego, raked in US$69.1 million (RM228 million) at US and Canadian theatres in its opening weekend. The movie is expected to top the domestic box office again this weekend. – Reuters, February 16, 2014.

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London Book Fair to install gaming pavilion Posted: 16 Feb 2014 09:41 PM PST February 17, 2014 Gaming pioneer Ian Livingstone CBE at Buckingham Palace, March 12, 2013. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, February 17, 2014.Acknowledging the importance of interactivity in a changing book market, the London Book Fair aims to blur the lines between games and literature with a Gaming@LBF pavilion. It's purpose? To help connect the book industry with game developers, publishers and distributors, with the LBF and the association for UK Interactive Entertainment acting as matchmakers between interested parties. Ian Livingstone, Rhianna Pratchett and Rob Morgan will be among the speakers invited to present at the platform's seminar stream. Livingstone was, until very recently, president of video game company Eidos Interactive, having previously established himself with the Games Workshop retail chain and Fighting Fantasy series of choose-your-own-adventure books. Pratchett's work on the 2013 "Tomb Raider" reboot was instrumental in fleshing out a new character arc for video game heroine Lara Croft, while she has also shaped the female leads of "Heavenly Sword" and "Mirror's Edge". And Morgan was lead game writer on J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" crossover project for PlayStation, "Wonderbook: Book of Spells". The gaming pavilion counts itself among a number of new areas set up for this year's LBF, which runs April 8-10. Rhianna Pratchett's father, renowned fantasy author Terry Pratchett, will be Author of the Day on April 8. – AFP/Relaxnews, February 17, 2014.

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Isu berbangkit sektor pendidikan Sarawak akan segera diselesaikan, kata Kamalanathan Posted: 17 Feb 2014 03:15 AM PST February 17, 2014 Kementerian Pendidikan akan segera menyelesaikan isu berbangkit dalam sektor pendidikan agar tidak mengganggu proses pembelajaran murid-murid di Sarawak, kata Timbalan Menteri Pendidikan II P. Kamalanathan (gambar). Beliau berkata hasil mesyuarat bersama Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri hari ini, beberapa isu dilihat boleh diselaraskan dalam masa terdekat, ada isu yang perlu mengambil masa untuk diselesaikan, namun beliau memberi jaminan cara penyelesaian terbaik akan diambil. "Ini adalah komitmen kerajaan pusat bersama Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Sarawak untuk memastikan semua sekolah menerima bantuan bagi menambah mutu perkhidmatan," katanya pada sidang media selepas melawat Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Sungai Tapang, dekat Kuching hari ini. Sebelum itu beliau melakukan lawatan ke Sekolah Menengah Green Road. Kamalanathan berkata antara isu yang dibangkitkan pada mesyuarat hari ini ialah penyelarasan perjawatan, penempatan guru dan cara terbaik untuk melaksanakan projek 1BestariNet di negeri ini. - Bernama, 17 Februari, 2014.

Kumpulan NGO lancar petisyen atas talian sekat Taib Mahmud dilantik TYT Posted: 17 Feb 2014 02:36 AM PST OLEH LEE SHI-IAN February 17, 2014 Sekumpulan 50 pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) bersama empat parti politik menentang pelantikan Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud (gambar) sebagai Yang Dipertua Negeri (TYT) Sarawak, menyifatkannya sebagai satu "malapetaka". Kumpulan tersebut melancarkan petisyen dalam usaha menghalang pelantikan ketua menteri Sarawak yang didakwa mereka seorang perasuah dan menyalahgunakan kuasa sepanjang 33 tahun pemerintahannya. "Beliau telah mengeksploitasi sumber asli Sarawak secara besar-besaran untuk kepentingan dirinya," kata NGO tersebut. "Sarawak dikatakan memiliki hutan terluas di Asia tetapi 90% hutannya hilang kerana pembalakkan haram." Kumpulan tersebut juga membidas pentadbiran Taib yang berbelanja besar dalam projek empangan dan pembinaan tetapi Sarawak masih lagi ketinggalan dari segi ekonomi dan merosakkan alam semula jadi negeri tersebut. "Ironinya, Sarawak masih kekal negeri termiskin di Malaysia walaupun kaya alam semula jadi," kata NGO tersebut yang menuduh Taib memunggut kekayaan daripada hasil alam semula jadi Sarawak. Satu kajian oleh Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) mendedahkan harta Taib mencecah AS$15 bilion (RM46 billion) dan 20 ahli keluarganya mengumpul harta hampir AS$21 billion (RM64 bilion). Siasatan oleh NGO antarabangsa, Global Witness juga mendedahkan penglibatan Taib dalam rasuah, rampasan tanah dan mengelak cukai. "Beliau didakwa melakukan kesalahan ini menerusi cengkaman kuku besinya dalam lesen pembalakan dan ladang kelapa sawit di Sarawak," kata NGO tersebut, di samping mendakwa ketua menteri itu bertanggungjawab dalam beberapa sisi pelanggaran hak asasi manusia. "Hak asasi dan politik diketepikan dan dipinggirkam, kebebasan media terhad dan rasuah pilihan raya berlaku secara terbuka," dakwa NGO itu lagi. Menurut kumpulan itu lagi, jawatan TYT adalah simbol perpaduan segenap masyarakat Sarawak dan Taib yang terpalit dengan skandal tidak layan diberikan jawatan tersebut. "Jelas, Taib mengakibatkan kesengsaraan dan penderitaan rakyat Sarawak dan tidak layak diberikan jawatan tersebut," kata NGO itu lagi. Terdapat juga kebimbangan Taib akan mengukuhkan dinasti politiknya di Sarawak dan mengukuhkan cengkaman pada masa depan jika beliau dilantik TYT. Kumpulan tersebut juga tidak menolak bakal ketua menteri, Tan Sri Adenan Satem, yang juga bekas adik iparnya akan melindungi Taib daripada siasatan rasuah dan salah guna kuasa sepanjang mentadbir Sarawak. Antara NGO yang membantah pelantikan Taib tersebut termasuklah Bersih Sibu, Save Malaysia Stop Lynas, Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia, Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia, Suaram dan National Indian Rights Action Team, manakala parti politik yang membantah terdiri daripada DAP Socialist Youth, Angkatan Muda Keadilan dan Pemuda PAS. Peletakan jawatan Taib berkuatkuasa pada 28 Februari ini dan Adenan akan mengambil alih bermula 1 Mac nanti. Taib juga pada masa sama meletak jawatan sebagai Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Balingian dan spekulasi mengatakan beliau akan dilantik sebagai TYT. Semalam, BMF yang berpengkalan di Switzerland membuat laporan polis ke atas keluarga Taib atas dakwaan penyeludupan balak haram di Kanada, malah PAS juga menggesa Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) supaya membuka kertas siasatan ke atas ketua menteri tersebut. Ketua Penerangan PAS, Datuk Mahfuz Omar turut mendesak SPRM supaya mendedahkan siasatan tersebut. BMF berkata satu laporan polis telah dibuat kepadan Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), berdasarkan "bukti baru" yang mendapati wujud kaitan kewangan antara Richfold Investments Ltd di Hong Kong dengan Sakto Development Corporation di Ottawa, Kanada. Sakto Development Corporation merupakan sebuah syarikat pemaju jutaan ringgit yang dimiliki oleh anak perempuan Taib, Jamilah Taib Murray. - 17 Februari, 2014.

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3 senario yang tidak ingin dilihat di Selangor Posted: 16 Feb 2014 04:13 PM PST February 17, 2014 Penulis adalah seorang jurutera semikonduktor, wartawan freelance, penerbit dan editor buku motivasi yang suka mengikuti perkembangan politik Malaysia 23 Mac 2014: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menang Pilihan Raya Kecil Kajang. Apa yang akan berlaku selepas itu? Berikut adalah senario imaginasi kepada apa yang bakal berlaku, sekiranya Langkah Kajang, sebagaimana yang rakyat jangkakan (bukannya apa yang PKR terangkan) bertujuan untuk membuka laluan kepada Anwar untuk menjadi Menteri Besar Selangor. Setakat artikel ini ditulis, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim berkata tiada pelan untuk melepaskan jawatan. Segala yang dibicarakan mengenai pertukaran MB Selangor hanyalah sekadar spekulasi. PAS pula berjanji membantu di PRK Kajang dan menegaskan kedudukan MB Selangor adalah tidak berbangkit (kerana belum dibincangkan) walau apa jua keputusan yang direkodkan Anwar di Kajang. Anwar pada kempen penerangan Langkah Kajang (bukan kempen PRK katanya) memberikan pelbagai bayangan beliau 'bakal' menggantikan Khalid, akan tetapi tidak berani mengesahkannya, dan ingin membawa Mat Taib ke pentadbiran Selangor. PKR menafikan laporan eksklusif The Star bahawa mereka memaksa Khalid menandatangani surat pelepasan jawatan sebagai MB Selangor. PKR juga pernah menafikan laporan The Star sebelum ini mengenai ura-ura satu PRK akan diadakan untuk memberikan laluan kepada Anwar untuk bertanding. Apa yang berlaku selepas itu tidak perlu dibicara lagi. Senario 1 selepas 23 Mac: Tiada apa yang berlaku. Anwar kekal sebagai Adun Selangor. Khalid kekal sebagai MB Selangor. Tiada polemik baru. Nama Anwar dihantar ke istana untuk dilantik sebagai exco, tetapi mendapat nasib yang sama seperti Azmin Ali. Barisan exco kekal. Anwar kekal sebagai Penasihat Ekonomi Selangor dengan status Adun Selangor. Langkah Kajang terus dipertikai. Senario 2 selepas 23 Mac: PKR mengumumkan Khalid sudi melepaskan jawatan sebagai MB Selangor. Penggantinya ialah Anwar. Perkara ini akan dibincangkan bersama rakan di Pakatan Rakyat. Sebahagian Pemimpin DAP terus memberikan sokongan dalam bentuk sokongan media. Khalid tidak bersuara. Akar umbi PAS bersuara membantah. Pemimpin PAS tidak sudi bersuara sehingga mesyuarat diadakan. PKR melancarkan kempen penerangan mengapa Anwar perlu menggantikan Khalid, meskipun konsensus masih tidak dicapai. Alasannya ialah Khalid telah melepaskan jawatan. Atas mempercayai bahawa kerusi MB Selangor adalah hak milik PKR, maka PKR berhak mencalonkan Anwar sebagai penggantinya, sama seperti hujah diadakan PRK Kajang. Pakatan Rakyat mengadakan mesyuarat. Sidang media yang dijadualkan dibatalkan kerana gagal mencapai konsensus. PKR tetap dengan pendirian Khalid melepaskan jawatan, akan tetapi Pakatan Rakyat gagal mencapai kata sepakat siapakah calon yang menggantikan Khalid. Tiba-tiba, polemik baru muncul. Diumumkan peletakan jawatan Khalid ditolak dan majlis angkat sumpah MB Selangor baru ditangguhkan. Polemik dihangatkan lagi apabila pemimpin DAP-PAS yang tidak ingin menukar Khalid bersuara menyokong penolakan perletakan jawatan Khalid. PKR bertegas dengan keputusan bahawa Khalid sudah melepaskan jawatannya sebagai MB Selangor. Azmin mengeluarkan kenyataan mewakili PKR dan PKR Selangor untuk menyokong Anwar sebagai MB Selangor dan membidas semua yang tidak bersetuju dengan mereka. Khalid tetap tidak bersuara dan meneruskan tugasnya sebagai MB Selangor. Para penganalisa politik pro-kerajaan berhujah DUN Selangor wajar dibubarkan kerana Pakatan Rakyat tidak mencapai kata sepakat untuk kedudukan MB Selangor. Kumpulan yang tidak inginkan kedudukan MB Selangor menjadi polemik terus bersuara dan dihentam kumpulan yang menjunjung Anwar. Jalan buntu dan jawatan MB Selangor tiba-tiba tergantung. Khalid sudah melepaskan jawatan, kata PKR, akan tetapi pengganti Khalid iaitu Anwar masih tidak dibenarkan mengangkat sumpah. Akhbar musuh melaporkan terdapat ura-ura Khalid dipaksa melepaskan jawatan Adunnya supaya beliau hilang kelayakan untuk menjadi MB Selangor. "Langkah Klang" pula diwujudkan untuk meleraikan jalan buntu dan satu mesyuarat PKR terpaksa diadakan sekali lagi untuk mencapai objektif Langkah Kajang. PKR menafikan adanya gerakan sedemikian. Khalid diasak segala penjuru untuk bersuara. Sebagai jalan keluar, Khalid akhirnya bersuara dan meminta sidang DUN mengadakan undi tidak percaya pada beliau. Beliau akan terus bekerja sebagai MB Selangor sekiranya majoriti Adun Selangor masih menyokong beliau. Jika tidak, beliau akan memaklumkan kepada istana akan keputusan tersebut dan membiarkan istana mengikut proses perlembagaan apabila mendapati MB Selangor hilang sokongan majoriti di Dewan Undangan Negeri. Apakah kebarangkalian Khalid akan tewas? Antara Anwar dan Khalid, undi Adun Umno akan diberikan kepada siapa supaya polemik yang sengaja diadakan ini terus hidup sehingga rakyat berasa mual? Secara tidak sedar, pemilihan PKR tiba waktunya diadakan. Nama pencabar kepada kedudukan Azmin diketahui. Media mengubah fokus kepada pemilihan PKR tatkala negeri Selangor masih terumbang-ambing. Merasakan rakyat sudah bosan dengan polemik politik dalaman PKR, PAS dan DAP mengambil langkah mengumumkan meneruskan sokongan pada Khalid untuk terus menjadi MB Selangor untuk menghentikan pertikaian dalaman PR. Sebahagian pimpinan PKR mengecam tindakan tersebut. Pakatan Rakyat terus terumbang-ambing… sokongan rakyat terhakis. Persepsi bahawa PAS, DAP dan PKR tidak boleh bekerjasama tersemadi di sanubari rakyat. BN terus ketawa dan menguatkan sokongannya sempena pilihan raya negeri Sarawak yang bakal mendatang, manakala Pakatan Rakyat terus berbalah mengenai kedudukan MB Selangor. Senario 3 selepas 23 Mac: PKR mengumumkan peletakan jawatan Khalid sebagai MB Selangor. Anwar diumumkan sebagai MB Selangor. Istana menerima dan membenarkan majlis angkat sumpah. PAS dan DAP akur. Tiada polemik. Pasukan Khalid tetap tidak bersuara, tidak melawan dan membiarkan. Kes liwat Anwar ditamatkan dengan kemenangan berpihak pada Anwar. Seperti yang dijangka Rafizi, segala serangan Umno menjadi tumpul. Azmin kembali ke pentadbiran Selangor dan PKNS. Nama Rafizi sebagai pengarah strategik semakin digeruni dan Langkah Kajang adalah buktinya. Happy Ending. Tiga senario di atas hanyalah prediksi penulis. Sudah tentu para pembaca dan penganalisa politik yang lain ada pandangan tersendiri. Manusia merancang, Tuhan menentukannya. Ahli politik berperang, rakyat merasai kesannya. – 17 Februari, 2014. * Ini adalah pendapat peribadi penulis dan tidak semestinya mewakili pandangan The Malaysian Insider.

School-based assessment: Are we doing it right? Posted: 16 Feb 2014 03:53 PM PST February 17, 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. The determination shown by a group of teachers, Suara Guru Masyarakat Malaysia (SGMM), to mount a protest against the school-based assessment (SBA) on February 22, caught my attention. Dubbed the "222 Gathering to Abolish PBS", these teachers insist on going ahead with the protest despite assurances by the Education Ministry that the SBA will be re-evaluated As of today, the Facebook page, "Kami Mahu SPPBS Dimansuhkan", has received close to 70,000 likes. These are indications that something is wrong with SBA. The SBA was first introduced in primary and secondary schools in 2011. In the meantime, the E-Prestasi, which has just been introduced recently, also received numerous criticisms.  As a person closely related to the education field, I view this as a crucial issue as it concerns the next generation. In order to have a clearer picture on this issue, I contacted a friend of mine, who is currently teaching in a primary school in the Klang Valley. Her immediate response was one of frustration, and she has her reasons. The SBA requires teachers to key-in data on each student on a daily basis. So can you imagine if you have hundreds of students? Teachers are clearly upset and exhausted. Apart from the usual teaching and administration workloads, they have to spend ample time "fighting" with the system. "Fighting" in the sense that there are always technical problems, such as missing data or server congestion or any other reasons. Most teachers have no choice but to do it in the early hours of the day or when everyone is asleep. The SBA's intention is to avoid students from becoming "exam machines". However, this good intention has not been achieved three years since its implementation. According to my teacher friend, in reality, some parents and teachers still prefer the examination system, because there is a "clearer" way of evaluating the students. This resulted in a situation where some schools operate a dual system to assess students, the SBA and exam. The role of headmasters is very important in ensuring the success of the SBA. Speaking from her experience, she expressed great disappointment that some headmasters are more interested their schools' popularity as far as their performance in examination is concerned, rather than to educate the students. As such, the examination system is a better system for such purpose. My friend revealed another major issue. Some headmasters claim that by purchasing more school workbooks, students' performance can be improved. But the "real" reason is to earn extra income through "commission". Although this issue is not new, it has not been tackled by the Education Ministry. In order to "finish up" the school workbooks, teachers have no choice but to speed up their teachings apart from the tedious paperwork. This has directly affected the effectiveness of teachings. When asked about her opinion on the policies introduced by the Ministry and her hope for the future of the Malaysian education system, she painted a pessimistic view that problems occured every now and then. Unfortunately, most of the time, the Ministry would turn a deaf ear to complaints. Various drawbacks and criticisms again reflect the shortsightedness of the Ministry and their ignorance to complaints. These problems are attestations of the weakness of the top-down approach as is usually practised. The intention of the Ministry is good. SBA is nothing new in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, England, Hong Kong, South Africa and others. By introducing the SBA, the Ministry tries to have a fully computerised school administration system and up to date with the evolution of the education method. If only the Ministry had conducted detailed research and long-term planning before introducing new policies, the SBA could be a much better system to assess students. I welcome the intention to reduce the emphasis on examination. After all, one of the key advantages of the SBA is to produce well-rounded students instead of those who only excell at academics. When it comes to education matters, the Ministry has to realise that it is everyone's concern. As such, whatever new policies should take a bottom-up approach. – February 17, 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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