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The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

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Fulham confirm Meulensteen exit

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 02:44 PM PST

February 19, 2014

Fulham manager Rene Meulensteen walks off the pitch after losing their English FA Cup match against Sheffield United at Craven Cottage in London, February 4, 2014. – Reuters pic, February 19, 2014.Premier League strugglers Fulham bowed to the inevitable yesterday by confirming the departure of former manager Rene Meulensteen.

The west London club took dramatic action Friday in a bid to preserve their top-flight status by bringing in Felix Magath as their new manager with just 12 games of the season left.

However, at the time Fulham made no mention of Meulensteen's fate or that of assistant manager Ray Wilkins and technical director Alan Curbishley.

But a Fulham statement issued yesterday confirmed the trio had all left Craven Cottage as Magath brought in his own backroom staff.

"Fulham Football Club have officially announced the appointments of Tomas Oral as first-team coach and Werner Leuthard as conditioning coach, both reporting to new first-team manager Felix Magath, effective immediately," the statement said.

"The club simultaneously made the formal announcement that Rene Meulensteen, Alan Curbishley, Ray Wilkins, (coaches) Mick Priest and Jonathan Hill have departed Fulham. Terms of the parting are complete and confidential."

Fulham chairman Shahid Khan added: "I'm very grateful to Rene, Alan and Ray, as well as Mick and Jonathan, for their commitment to Fulham. Their efforts were admirable and appreciated, and I wish them the best.

"Felix has come to Fulham with purpose and exceptional confidence, and I know he's extremely pleased to have Tomas Oral and Werner Leuthard join him for the mission ahead. From today forward, the focus is singularly on winning football matches and remaining in the Barclays Premier League. The work has begun."

Former Manchester United head coach Meulensteen had been in charge of the Cottagers for little more than two months after being promoted from within the west London club's backroom staff to replace fellow-Dutchman Martin Jol on December 1.

However, Wednesday's 3-2 home defeat by Liverpool – where Fulham twice took the lead before losing out to Steven Gerrard's stoppage-time penalty – left the Cottagers bottom of the table and four points adrift of safety.

And that was enough for Khan, a Pakistan-born US-based businessman, to sack Meulensteen.

It was the second time this season Meulensteen had been dismissed after he was fired just 16 days into his time in charge of Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala in August.

Meulensteen responded to his effective sacking Friday by accusing Fulham of "freaking out" and "hitting the panic button on the emotions of fear".

Former Bayern Munich manager Magath's first match as Fulham boss will be away to West Bromwich Albion, themselves just above the relegation zone, on Saturday. – AFP, February 19, 2014.

Ibrahimovic double puts PSG on verge of quarters

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 02:40 PM PST

February 19, 2014

Paris St Germain's (left to right) Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Maxwell and Bayer Leverkusen's Stefan Kiessling jump for the ball during their Champions League match in Leverkusen, yesterday. – Reuters pic, February 19, 2014.Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice to leave Paris Saint-Germain on course for the Champions League quarter-finals after their 4-0 win at ten-man Bayer Leverkusen in yesterday's last 16, first-leg clash.

Leverkusen, second only to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, suffered their third straight home defeat as Laurent Blanc's PSG were rarely troubled at the BayArena with Ibrahimovic the architect of the victory with two goals in three first-half minutes.

"We had a good start and when you are one goal up, it's easier, it gives you space," said Ibrahimovic.

"We had a good first half and continued to play our game after the break, when they played with one less, so it was a good day."

Left winger Blaise Matuidi put PSG ahead with barely two minutes gone before Ibrahimovic netted a penalty, then added a second when he unleashed a thunderbolt of a shot to make it 3-0 at the break.

Replacement Yohan Cabaye then added PSG's fourth just before the final whistle.

It meant 32-year-old Ibrahimovic replaced Cristiano Ronaldo as the competition's top-scorer with 10 goals in six Champions League games this season after the Swedish star also netted four in the 5-0 rout of RSC Anderlecht in Belgium last October.

"I have an embarrassment of riches in my team at the moment," said PSG's contented coach Blanc.

Bayer were reduced to ten men when Ibrahimovic's marker Emir Spahic was sent off for a second yellow, and the subsequent red, for the final half an hour.

Sami Hyypia-coached Leverkusen now face an unenviable task to try and salvage something from the return leg in Paris on March 12.

Leverkusen defender Omer Toprak complained: "In the first half, we played without motivation, with fear. I don't know why we played like that but in any case, we played very badly. Paris walked over us. It was too easy for them."

The French league leaders took an almost immediate lead when Leverkusen captain Simon Rolfes lost possession in midfield, Matuidi fed Ibrahimovic out the flank and the Swedish striker's pass found Marco Verratti in space.

The Italian right winger put a superbly timed ball in behind the Leverkusen defence which Matuidi slotted home.

It could have 2-0 after ten minutes as Ibrahimovic's shot cannoned off Roberto Hilbert's torso, with the right-back the last defence with the hosts' back four in disarray.

Having lost their last two home games, Leverkusen started to find their rhythm after the initial setback with striker Stefan Kiessling heading over from a free-kick on 19 minutes during a rare forage into the PSG half.

With just over 60% possession, it seemed only a matter of time before PSG added a second and Ibrahimovic struck with two goals in three minutes.

The first came when referee Viktor Kassai spotted Spahic pulling down Ibrahimovic in the area, booked the defender and awarded the spot-kick, despite furious protests from the Bayer defence.

Ibrahimovic slotted the penalty on 39 minutes and then gave the guests a commanding lead with a fantastic shot from just outside the area.

Matuidi found Ibrahimovic on the edge of the box and the Swedish star rifled a spectacular first time shot into the top right corner.

Hyypia reacted at half-time by taking off left winger Son Heung-Min for 17-year-old Julian Brandt and swapping captain Rolfes for Stefan Reinartz.

The hosts fortunes did not improve as Spahic, who had already been shown a yellow for the foul which led to Ibrahimovic's penalty, was booked again for holding back right-wing Lucas and sent off on 59 minutes.

Matuidi's replacement Cabaye then added the fourth on 88 minutes with PSG players lining up to score as the Leverkusen defence once again breached. – AFP, February 19, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz

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Want to win an Oscar for acting? Get cast by David O. Russell

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 05:39 AM PST

February 18, 2014

For the aspiring actor and actress who sits at home during awards season fantasizing that they too could be feted as an Oscar nominee or Golden Globe winner there is a simple recipe: get cast in a film by David O. Russell (pic).

The director of romance "Silver Linings Playbook" and boxing drama "The Fighter" has helped the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Christian Bale score some of Hollywood's biggest prizes, and this year has coaxed performances worthy of four Oscar nods from the stars of his crime caper "American Hustle."

If an "American Hustle" actor - which could be Lawrence, Bale, Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper - takes home a statuette on March 2, it would be the third consecutive Russell film to have an actor win Hollywood's top honours.

"I feel pride," the 55-year-old director said of his actors' Oscar nominations.

"I feel that I delivered to them because I aspire to deliver a role to them that is special, and I'm going to ask them to do things they've never done before and take risks they've never taken," he added.

Russell, who is easily identified by his uniform of dark three-piece suits and black-rimmed glasses, has himself been nominated for five Oscars and this year is up for best director and best original screenplay. "American Hustle," like his previous two films, also earned a best picture nomination.

The transformation of Russell over his past three films into a surefire Hollywood director came together like the self-reinvention tales of his cast of characters, which have ranged from downtrodden boxers to con artists and the mentally ill.

"Sometimes fate deals you a hand where you've been undone for the better," the director said. "I did that a little bit."

Russell's career appeared to stall after his 2004 comedy "I Heart Huckabees" did poorly at the box office, and his reputation took a hit with stories of butting heads - sometimes literally - and furious on-set arguments with his stars.

"There have been people who have made flops and come back from them before," said Andrew O'Hehir, a film critic and senior writer for Salon.com.

"But David's reputation was of somebody who not merely was this auteurist, independent filmmaker who wanted to do everything his own way, but was also a jerk and was difficult to work with," he added.

There is also no contemporary filmmaker with a trajectory quite like Russell, who went six years between "Huckabees" and the release of his career-reviving "The Fighter," O'Hehir said.

Now, Russell has made himself into a director who gets the most out of his players and who has helped turn Lawrence and Cooper from Hollywood headliners into serious dramatic actors, and his staunchest supporters.

"The man who made my career what it is," Lawrence, 23, said accepting the Golden Globe award last month for her supporting role as the loopy housewife in "American Hustle," a year after she won her best actress Oscar for "Silver Linings."

The film also won best ensemble cast at the Screen Actors Guild awards, the top honour of their peers.

"He is an actor's director. He is the embodiment of it," Cooper said of Russell while accepting the prize. "He's the reason why all of us wanted to become actors when we were children."

Stuck in so-called director's jail and struggling to get work, Russell points to the upheaval in his personal life - his divorce in 2007, and the effort and energy it took raising a son suffering from bipolar disorder - as one of the pivotal moments in turning around his career.

"By the time I'd come back, I saw more clearly the kind of people that had been right under my nose my whole life that I had fascination with and affection for, making cinema about these people," Russell said.

"I didn't see that 10 or 12 years ago, 20 years ago when I first started. It was after going through some trials with my own life, my son and having some projects that didn't come out well."

Russell said he now tries to foster a warm and loose environment on set, often playing music, as the brisk schedule of film production can be a pressure cooker for all involved.

Screenwriter Eric Warren Singer, who co-wrote "American Hustle," said the director's on-set style could be described as a companion to his actors.

"No other director in the world works like David," Singer said. "He's an alchemist. Most directors will lay back. David is on the front line with his actors and in the scene with them in a way. There are no rules with him."

Russell likes to call the challenge of eliciting top-notch performances from actors a task of "braiding" a character's story with its on-screen portrayal.

"If you do a braid or a weave, you have to be balanced," he said. "You have to find the right measure of each character to blend them." - Reuters, February 18, 2014.

Jimmy Fallon takes helm of ‘Tonight Show’, brings it back to New York

Posted: 17 Feb 2014 10:50 PM PST

February 18, 2014

Jimmy Fallon, who assumes the position from long-time 'Tonight Show' host Jay Leno last night, will welcome guests including Jerry Seinfeld, Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper and Michelle Obama during his first week behind the 'Tonight Show' desk. - Reuters pic, February 18, 2014.Jimmy Fallon took the reins of the long-running "Tonight Show" yesterday night, bringing NBC's late night talk show flagship back to Manhattan after an absence of more than 40 years, being welcomed on set by a host of top stars, including Robert De Niro, Mike Tyson and Lady Gaga.

The surprise appearances, which also included Tina Fey, Joan Rivers, former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Sarah Jessica Parker, Joe Namath and Steve Colbert, were among highlights of Fallon's "Tonight Show" debut, following the departure this month of long-serving host Jay Leno.

The slew of unannounced walk-ons followed Fallon's remark that someone owed him $100 after betting he would never host the "Tonight Show," at which point De Niro, then others strode on stage one after another, each plunking bills onto his desk until finally Colbert doused him with a bucket of pennies.

Actor Will Smith and Irish band U2 were the Brooklyn-born Fallon's first official, previously announced guests as the former "Saturday Night Live" comic launched the show's widely anticipated return to Manhattan's Rockefeller Centre.

Fallon's stepping into one of the most visible roles in television marked NBC's second attempt to imbue the competitive late-night landscape on US television with a more youthful vibe by appealing to the coveted 18-to-34 year-old demographic.

"I'm Jimmy Fallon and I'll be your host - for now," Fallon told the audience in the new multi-million dollar studio where such beloved "Tonight" veterans Johnny Carson and Jack Paar once presided.

It was one of a handful of references to the show's recent troubled history. Leno was initially replaced by Conan O'Brien in 2009, but he returned months later in a public relations debacle for the network.

He also paid tribute to the show's previous hosts by name, being sure to mention Leno twice - once before, and once after, O'Brien.

"If you guys let me stick around long enough, maybe I'll get the hang of it," joked Fallon, who wore an understated gray suit, white shirt and blue tie for his first show.

New York setting embraced

From the outset, the New York "Tonight Show" boldly embraced its new home.

Brooklyn-raised director Spike Lee shot a new opening, a stirring series of black-and-white night shots that gave way to colourful depictions of such iconic locations as Radio City Music Hall, Grand Central Terminal and Rockefeller Centre.

The new set, with a dramatic Manhattan skyline backdrop, befit its Rockefeller Centre location.

And when it came time for U2 to perform its new single, "Invisible," the band took to 30 Rock's rooftop at sunset.

Scores of fans rocked to the beat with such New York landmarks as the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and Times Square providing a glittering backdrop. Even Mother Nature cooperated, with crystal clear skies and a burnished sunset over New Jersey on a cold, winter dusk.

But in other ways, Fallon's "Tonight Show" hewed to tradition. An opening monologue featured topical issues - chiefly the Olympics, which also happen to be airing on NBC - and a chat with Smith touched on the actor's recent adventures skydiving, and more on the Olympics.

"I think I could win a gold medal in the things with the broom," Smith laughed, referring to the curling competition.

When the four members of U2 joined Fallon for a chat after their rousing al fresco performance, Fallon, 39, asked "Was that the highest you've ever been?"

Earlier, Fallon introduced what seemed likely to become a regular feature, "Tonight Show Superlatives," in which photos - in this case, again, Olympic athletes - were paired with "most likely to," high school yearbook-style captions.

The "Tonight Show" first aired on NBC in 1954 from New York with host Steve Allen. Paar hosted the show from 1957 until Carson took over in 1962, and reigned for 30 years, before departing in 1992. Carson moved the show to southern California in 1972.

In its final Burbank days, the "Tonight Show" drew about 3.9 million viewers per episode.

First Lady Michelle Obama is among the guests scheduled for this week, along with Bradley Cooper and Justin Timberlake. Jerry Seinfeld, Kristen Wiig and Lady Gaga will appear tonight. – Reuters, February 18, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Features

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For India’s railway children, a dangerous life by the tracks

Posted: 17 Feb 2014 08:27 PM PST

February 18, 2014

The young boys huddled over a fire between two tracks just beyond the platforms of New Delhi railway station, oblivious to the trains rolling past. They were trying to boil some water to make tea.

One, a grime-encrusted urchin wearing a filthy baseball cap at a jaunty angle, said this was their home. He had run away after his mother died and he could take no more beatings from his alcoholic father.

The nine-year-old from the northern state of Haryana said he slept on the platform or in a waiting room, scrounged for food and earned some money scavenging plastic bottles for reselling.

"I used to go to school but when my mother died everything was shattered," he said.

These were just a few of India's "railway children" - whose ranks are swelled by an estimated 120,000 runaways arriving each year at the stations of the world's fourth-largest railway network to make their homes there.

They have fled poverty, violence and abuse or are simply seeking adventure, attracted by the bright lights of the big cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

The children are a reminder that despite newfound wealth, ranks of billionaires and a growing middle-class, there is no magic wand to solve the problems of the old India.

Even though growth has slowed in the last few years, the chance to make money still attracts the railway children to the big cities. With India on course to have the world's youngest population by 2020, their plight is a signal the country could fail to exploit this economic advantage.

The last survey of New Delhi station in 2007 by charity groups estimated 35 to 40 children were arriving each day.

"Now it is increasing," said Pramod Singh from the Salaam Baalak Trust, who combs the platforms each morning for new arrivals and tries to bring them into his group's safety net.

Navin Sellaraju, country director of the Railway Children India, a branch of the UK-based organisation, said it is a huge issue in a country that has a fifth of the world's children.

"A good number of them have run away from poverty in rural areas of the most backward states. In Delhi and Mumbai, you have many from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal," he said, referring to large northern and eastern states whose combined populations exceed those of Brazil and Russia together.

"A lot of remote areas are connected by rail but not by road. A child can get on a train and travel without a ticket."

Despite the shelter of the stations, danger is everywhere.

The minute the children arrive, they are exposed to the risk of physical abuse by older boys, sexual abuse by adults and gang rivalry. Girls are particularly vulnerable and are often taken off by traffickers with hours of landing.

Social workers try to get to them first.

"It is important to get to them within a day or so of arrival, otherwise it becomes difficult," Singh said. "They pick up survival skills. They are easily trapped."

Reluctant returnees

A number of boys were being cared for by Salaam Baalak and Railway Children in a shabby building in the station compound. Nine lads, all barefoot, sat on a rug, playing checkers. A few had arrived that morning. The oldest was thought to be 14.

One said he came from Kishanganj in Bihar state - a journey of nearly 1,000 km. He arrived in Delhi three years ago but met social workers only in the past few months.

"I don't want to go home. Now I'm attached to this place," he said.

Railway Children's Kiran Jyoti said it was often hard to get the children to return to their families.

"Newcomers are reluctant to talk. They can take months to disclose where they are from," she said. "If they can't be restored to the family, they eventually have to go into long-term care."

Some do not want to return to abusive homes. Others simply like the freedom and the fact they can earn money - 250 rupees (RM13) on a good day. On the downside, some take to sniffing substances and turn to pick-pocketing and petty crime.

Indian law provides a framework to tackle the problem with child protection and anti-trafficking laws, but enforcing and funding those measures prove difficult, Sellaraju said.

The children have also suffered threats and violence from the police and railway officials but that is now changing.

"It used to be cruelty. Now no shouting, no handcuffs. We want child-friendly police stations. Protecting children is also a policeman's duty," said Thaneshwar Adiguar of the Special Juvenile Police Unit.

Railway companies are involved in the effort, setting up posts and spreading awareness through staff, vendors, porters and passengers with announcements and leaflets.

"There is a positive intent on the part of the government and railways but there are many challenges," Sellaraju said. "India is at a crossroads. There are two extremes which exist now." – Reuters, February 18, 2014.

First biomarker could help boys at risk of major depression

Posted: 17 Feb 2014 07:22 PM PST

February 18, 2014

British brain scientists have identified the first biomarker, or biological signpost, for clinical depression and say it could help find boys in particular who are at risk of developing the debilitating mental illness.

In a study in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science (PNAS) journal, the team found that teenage boys who have a combination of depressive symptoms and raised levels of the stress hormone cortisol are up to 14 times more likely to develop major depression than those who show neither trait.

The findings suggest teenagers could in future be screened for such signals, and those at highest risk could be helped to develop the kind of coping strategies and "brain fitness" to help them avoid becoming depressive.

"We're very bad about looking after our mental health, and yet the problems of mental health are extremely common," said Barbara Sahakian, a Cambridge University professor of Clinical neuropsychology who worked on the study.

"Depression is one of the greatest global burdens of disease - it's a much bigger problem than heart disease or cancer and it's much more expensive."

Depression affects around 350 million people worldwide and at its worst can blight patients' lives for decades, affecting their relationships, work and ability to function. It can also lead to suicide, which alone leads to a million deaths a year.

"Depression is a terrible illness," said Ian Goodyer, a child and adolescent psychiatrist who led the research team. "We now have a very real way of identifying those teenage boys most likely to develop clinical depression."

He said armed with such knowledge, doctors and other carers could target prevention strategies at depression-vulnerable boys and "hopefully help reduce their risk of serious episodes of depression and their consequences in adult life".

According to the World Health Organisation, prevention programmes - including boosting cognitive, problem-solving and social skills in children - have been shown to reduce depression, and earlier intervention is more effective.

Depression triggers

Different factors are thought to influence the development of depression, including genetics, brain chemistry, lifestyle and upbringing. Key triggers for the condition can include stressful life events, medical illness and alcohol abuse.

For their study, Goodyear's team measured levels of cortisol in saliva from two large separate groups of teenagers. The first group of 660 provided samples on four school mornings within a week and then again 12 months later. A second group of 1,198 teenagers gave samples over three school mornings.

Using self-reports, collected over 12 months, of any symptoms of depression - such as feeling sad or anxious - and combining them with the cortisol results, the researchers then divided the teenagers into four sub-groups ranging from those with normal levels of cortisol and low symptoms of depression in Group 1 through to those teenagers with more cortisol and high symptoms of depression in Group 4.

Tracking the teenagers for three years, the team found that those in Group 4 were on average seven times more likely than those in Group 1, and two to three times more likely than in the other two groups, to develop clinical depression.

Further analysis showed that boys in Group 4 were 14 times more likely to develop clinical depression than those in Group 1, and two to four times more likely to develop it than either of the other two groups.

Commenting on the findings, John Williams, head of neuroscience and mental at the Wellcome Trust charity which helped fund the study, noted that depression is "incredibly costly to society" and cited a 2011 European College of Neuropsychopharmacology report that said mood disorders cost Europe alone more than 110 billion euros (RM496.7 billion) a year.

"We desperately need ways to identify people at high risk of depression early so we can potentially prevent its onset and treat it early to reduce its burden. In this context, (this) study... is a landmark in the field," he said. – AFP, February 18, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Books

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J.K. Rowling’s Galbraith sequel ‘The Silkworm’ due in June

Posted: 17 Feb 2014 05:07 PM PST

February 18, 2014

The second Robert Galbraith novel, "The Silkworm", has been set for June 24 in North America and June 19 in the United Kingdom.

Again starring private eye Cormoran Strike, the second book puts the ex-military policeman on the trail of Owen Quine, a missing novelist.

With his wife assuming that Quine's merely looking for some solitude away from the world, as is his habit, Strike uncovers evidence that the writer was on the verge of making some very powerful enemies by way of his latest book.

"There are a lot of people who might want to silence him," informs the Robert Galbraith website, "and when Quine is found brutally murdered in bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any he has encountered before."

J.K. Rowling rose to fame as author of the "Harry Potter" series and explored more pronounced social and political themes in "The Casual Vacancy" before writing last year's breakout "The Cuckoo's Calling" under the Galbraith pen-name.

In common with Quine, she is to follow a similarly reclusive approach for "The Silkworm", with only one date in the publicity diary, appearing in conversation with fellow Scottish crime fiction writer Val McDermid at the Harrowgate Crime Writing Festival on July 18.

And in keeping with the themes of "The Silkworm", McDermid had been assaulted during a 2013 book signing, after a woman objected to her supposed portrayal in the 1994 book about the work of real-life female private investigators, "A Suitable Job for a Woman". – AFP/Relaxnews, February 18, 2014.

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The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion

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Anwar wajar diberi peluang

Posted: 17 Feb 2014 04:22 PM PST

February 18, 2014

Shukur mempunyai lebih 30 tahun pengalaman sebagai wartawan dan bekerja dengan pelbagai media. Beliau kini pencen tetapi menjadi pemerhati politik yang tegar.

Cabaran yang dihadapi oleh Pakatan Rakyat menjelang PRK Kajang dilihat sangat berat, kerana ia berangkai jauh di mana penghujungnya ialah sama ada Pakatan berjaya atau tidak dalam hasrat untuk menawan Putrajaya dalam PRU akan datang.

PRK Kajang adalah permulaan dari sebuah langkah yang jauh yang akan dilalui oleh Pakatan, di mana ia berdepan dengan cabaran yang bukan saja datang dari musuh politiknya, Barisan Nasional, bahkan datang dari dalaman Pakatan sendiri, iaitu jika berlaku perpecahan dalaman.

Pemerhati politik percaya jika perpaduan dalam Pakatan dapat dibina dengan disertai pula calon heavyweightnya, DS Anwar Ibrahim, serta kerja keras dan strategi yang tepat, Pakatan akan dapat memenangi PRK Kajang yang memungkinkannya dapat membina lebuhraya kuasa ke Putrajaya.

Kepada saya, DS Anwar adalah tokoh yang unik, beliau menghadapi ujian paling getir yang belum pernah dilalui oleh mana-mana tokoh politik lain di sepanjang sejarah negara ini.

Dengan pengalamannya yang panjang, bacaan politiknya yang luas, serta kecerdasan fikirannya, beliau wajar diberi peluang – sebagai pemimpin penting yang berwibawa – untuk mendambakan dirinya memimpin negeri Selangor dan seterusnya negara ini.

Adalah sangat mendukacitakan, jika berlaku berantakan dari dalam Pakatan Rakyat sendiri, disebabkan perselisihan mengenai isu umpamanya, siapa yang bakal menjadi Menteri Besar Selangor nanti, maka sukarlah Pakatan mengelak dari berlaku perpecahan itu dan menjadi lebih sukar lagi untuk memenangi PRU akan datang.

Ketika itu, janganlah bermimpi untuk berkuasa di Putrajaya, sebab itu elakkanlah ia daripada berlaku.

Kini semakin ketara dan tidak mungkin dapat disembunyikan lagi berhubung pelbagai kenyataan media oleh pendukung Pakatan sendiri yang memberi isyarat ada pihak tidak dapat menerima DS Anwar Ibrahim sebagai bakal MB Selangor.

Bahkan juga menolaknya sebagai tokoh yang bakal menjadi pemimpin utama jika Pakatan berkuasa di Putrajaya.

Kenyataan kontrovesi yang muncul ini nampaknya seperti tidak terkawal dan mencerminkan siapa saja boleh memberikan kenyataan tanpa mengira mudarat kenyataan itu sendiri, sama ada kenyataan itu sudah diputuskan oleh parti, atau pendapatnya sendiri saja.

Bahkan seolah-olah tiada halangan bagi pendukung parti dalam Pakatan untuk mengeluarkan apa saja kenyataan sama ada menyentuh polisi kecil mahupun besar parti.

Adakah ini sebuah kebijaksanaan berpolitik? Pada pendapat saya, ini sebuah kemunduran kerana merosakkkan dan tidak bijaksana.

Lalu ada yang bertanya, tidak adakah etika atau peraturan dalam sesebuah parti politik, untuk mengekang perbuatan seperti ini? Ataukah mereka yang gemar membuat kenyataan tanpa perhitungan ini dikira sangat demokratik?

Disebabkan itu, seorang ideolog PAS, Dr Dzulkifly Ahmad menyatakan kebimbangannya jika berlaku perpecahan dalam Pakatan Rakyat yang diakibatkan oleh sikap tidak bijaksana dalam berpolitik ini.

Kebimbangannya ini ditulisnya dalam dua siri rencana dalam Malaysian Insider dan Harakah.

Saya mendapat tahu, ramai yang menyertai kebimbangannya ini.

Menurut Dr Dzulkifly, jika Selangor mampu dipertahankan PR dengan gandingan kekuatan pengurusan ekonomi Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim bersama kekuatan politik Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, serta 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 sangat dihajatkan bagi meyakinkan rakyat di negara ini bahawa Pakatan Rakyat bersedia menawan dan memerintah Putrajaya, kata beliau.

Tetapi tokoh pemikir PAS itu menyatakan kebimbangan bahawa persoalan besar yang mesti dijawab oleh pimpinan Pakatan sekarang iaitu "Apakah yang bakal menghalang usaha merealisasikan cita-cita murni ini?"

Di sinilah beliau mahu menumpukan kepada persoalan cabaran dan ancaman yang terbit dari dalam Pakatan Rakyat sendiri.

Saya kira, kebimbangannya yang sangat berasas, ialah 'halangan yang bakal terbit dari dalam Pakatan Rakyat sendiri.

Ini lebih membimbangkan beliau. Bahkan gambaran senario yang mampu dilakar menyebabkan kekhuatiran yang bukan kepalang baginya.

Pada pendapat saya, mereka yang dilihat mengundang perpecahan dalam Pakatan dengan sikap yang tidak munasabah, tidak melihat sesuatu dengan kaca mata politik jangka panjang dan luas, malah melayani fikiran jangka pendek, beremosi, merasakan sikap politik sendiri yang benar.

Dalam hal ini, berkali-kali diingatkan oleh beberapa pihak bahawa tumpuan Pakatan, setakat ini, hanya untuk memenangi calon Pakatan di PRK Kajang, DS Anwar Ibrahim.

Oleh itu jangan ditimbulkan siapa bakal MB Selangor selepas ini.

Tetapi malangnya, belum apa-apa, malah awal-awal lagi sudah menolak DS Anwar sebagai MB baru Selangor jika menang.

Justeru, ini adalah sikap politik yang tidak bijaksana.

Sesungguhnya cabaran yang dihadapi Pakatan sangat besar.

Musuh Pakatan sentiasa berusaha siang dan malam untuk menghancurkannya.

Dr Mahathir Muhamad sudah memasang perangkap untuk memecahbelahkan Pakatan, apabila beliau menyatakan bahawa PAS juga berhak untuk menuntut jawatan MB Selangor, kerana PAS mempunyai 15 kerusi DUN di negeri itu.

Saya yakin, pendukung PAS faham dan tidak akan melayan provokasinya ini.

Sesungguhnya rakyat, bukan saja Selangor, bahkan juga seluruh negara, memerhatikan senario politik yang berlaku di Selangor.

Mereka sedang mengkaji parti politik manakah – Pakatan atau BN – yang boleh digantungkan harapan masa depan mereka.

Oleh itu, sangat perlu Pakatan Rakyat memberikan gambaran bahawa ia mampu memerintah bukan saja di Selangor, bahkan hingga ke Putrajaya.

Persepsi ini perlu diperlihatkan melalui sikap dan tindakan politik Pakatan sendiri.

Maka cerminan awalnya ialah senario PRK Kajang ini.

Jika daripada awal lagi sudah demikian bercelaru dan kontrovesi mengenai isu siapa bakal MB Selangor jika Pakatan menang dalam PRK Kajang nanti, maka bagaimanakah rakyat boleh menaruh harapan kepada Pakatan Rakyat.

Ini persoalan yang sangat wajar difikirkan oleh pendukung Pakatan Rakyat.

Politik ialah mengenai kuasa, maka siapa yang berkuasa dialah yang akan menentukan masa depan kehidupan rakyat dan haluan negara.

Oleh itu, jika Pakatan Rakyat tidak berpecah dan terus membina kekuatan, maka dengan segala keupayaannya boleh mencapai cita-cita untuk berkuasa hingga ke Putrajaya.

Ini tidak mustahil dan bukan sebuah dongeng penglipur lara. Justeru ia boleh menjadi kenyataan.

Maka itu perpecahan dalaman adalah musuh Pakatan sebenarnya dan berilah peluang kepada DS Anwar Ibrahim. – 18 Februari, 2014.

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

United States of the World in America

Posted: 17 Feb 2014 02:42 PM PST

February 18, 2014

Rushdi believes that a change agent must tell the truth to a benevolent dictator, religious hardliner, and compassionately connect with youth and have nots.

Mark J. Perry, a scholar at American Enterprise Institute, mapped the United States's states as countries of the world. For our purpose, the focus is on 12 Muslim countries from the stated 50 states, and the challenges of fast-tracking Islamic finance in non-OIC and and GDP growth in OIC.

Source: American Enterprise Institute

Country	GDP (2012)	State (GDP)	Company^	Market Cap (2012)*
Saudi Arabia	$711 Billion	Illinois ($695 Billion)	Apple	$560B
Malaysia	$304B	Minnesota ($294B)	Microsoft	$270B
Nigeria	$262B	Wisconsin ($261B)	Microsoft	$270B
Pakistan	$215B	Connecticut ($229B)	GE	$212B
Kuwait	$183B	South Carolina ($176B)	AT&T	$185B
Iraq	$149B	Nevada ($133B)	Oracle	$145B
Bangladesh	$127B	Utah ($130B)	Merck	$116B
Morocco	$95B	Mississippi ($101B)	Abbott	$96B
Libya	$95B	Nebraska ($99B)	Abbott	$96B
Oman	$78B	Hawaii ($72B)	Walt Disney	$78B
Azerbaijan	$68B	Delaware ($65B)	Caterpillar	$68B
Syria	$46B	N. Dakota ($46B)	Comcast	$62B

^ S&P 500 100 Largest Companies Ranked by Market Cap.

*March 30, 2012.

Dr. Perry stated, "...Overall, the US [at $16 Trillion GDP] produced 22.3% of world GDP in 2012, with only 4.4% of the world's population. Three of America's states (California, Texas and New York) – as separate countries – would rank in the world's top 15 largest economies. And one of those states – California – produced more than $2 trillion in economic output in 2012 – and the other two (Texas and New York) produced more than $1 trillion of GDP in 2012..."

In other words, the talk of US decline is premature, if not wrong, and the guesstimates associated with QE speaks volumes of US reach and influence, notwithstanding S&P downgrading its Triple A rating. The US has recognised that it must continually reinvent itself, from technology to energy, to continue to lead the world in almost every relevant category that impacts and influences business, commerce, trade, innovation, finance and capital markets.

A future article will map the GDP of the 57 OIC countries to the market capitalisation of publicly listed companies in the Muslim world. But, are the largest companies in the Muslim world publicly listed, privately held or state-owned enterprises? Can it be said that the median GDP of the 57 countries is a large capitalised western company? Based upon Dr Perry's above research, I would expect the GDP of countries to be much higher than the market capitalisation of OIC based companies, and there are implications.

Fast-tracking Islamic finance

A number of enlightened, non-Muslim countries have overcome irrational fear of Islamic finance, like UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Bermuda, etc. They want to tap the petro-liquidity by (1) planting the flag of "Islamic finance hub" and (2) establishing a level playing field regulatory and tax infrastructure. For example, the UK has been in the Islamic finance space since the 1980s, and, only in 2013, Prime Minister David Cameron declared, during the 9th World Islamic Economic Forum in London, that it will issue a 200 Million GBP sovereign Sukuk.

Furthermore, Baroness Warsi, Senior Minister of State and Minister for Faith and Communities, and the Ministerial lead on Islamic Finance, who launched UK's first Islamic Finance Task Force in 2013, and chairs the Global Islamic Finance & Investment Group, recently said "… the skyline of London is being changed by Islamic finance...an Islamic finance market that doesn't sleep... We need to make sure that all time zones are trading in terms of Islamic finance products."

She went on to say, "...As a Muslim, I believe in the principles of Islamic finance. As a Conservative, I can see the huge economic benefits of Islamic finance and as somebody who feels that Britain's best days are still ahead of us, I feel that Islamic finance provides another opportunity to reach out to the world and bring the benefits of that for our citizens."

However, other countries have not reached the stage where the country leader and cabinet minister, working with years of Islamic finance on their shores, endorses Islamic finance as part of their global financial hub offering. So, fast tracking Islamic finance is a challenge!

Is fast tracking GDP development in OIC also a challenge?

Lessons for OIC

The first lesson about the US is simply "size matters", be it the GDP, stock market capitalisation, or private sector employment and (equity) ownership opportunities! But, the question becomes how does a Muslim country obtain respectable size on fast track basis with minimal impact from the expected law of unintended consequences?

Is it just a matter of moving away (by decree or bill) from the low value added apparel, agriculture and manufacturing economic sectors to the service and technology sectors? Follow up question is there an enabling infrastructure of visionary leadership, education culture, human capital development and capital markets to move up the value chain?

In places like US, its well accepted net job growth comes from start-ups [and SMEs with access to capital], which implies enabling "hard asset infrastructure" of angel investing, VC, mentoring/incubation, linking with research universities, and Nasdaq type exchange. There is also the [more important] soft asset culture of encouraging free-flow of "ambiance inter-activity" on, say, spur of the moment!

Former US President Ronald Regan, said, "...Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States."

Thus, outsourcing money to VC firms in Silicon Valley, with hope of transferring technology- reverse linkage- is not going to be effective, as the home country is not establishing 'start ups' and net job growth.

[Enticing diasporas to return, like in India, China, etc., with their experience, knowledge, capital, connections, etc., is an article for another day.]

G20 value chain

It is well known Turkey, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia are part of the elite group of 'G-20 countries,' but are there upcoming Muslim countries, with 2020 vision, that can become part of the club? The runner ups to number 16 Indonesia (World Bank, 2012, GDP of $878 Billion), number 17 Turkey ($789B) and number 19 Saudi Arabia ($711B) are (a) number 22 Iran at $514B, (b) number 32 UAE at $348B, and (c) number 34 Malaysia at $303B. It's interesting to note that Malaysia is a short distance, through number 33 Denmark at $314B, to the UAE, led by global brand Dubai and petroleum heavy weight Abu Dhabi

Conclusion

Muslim countries need an enabling infrastructure the naturally facilitates economic growth, development and diversification, and it won't be not be based on "hedge fund holding time period".

The example of UK becoming an Islamic finance hub has lessons for Muslim countries wanting to achieve "shock absorbing size that matters".

But, "Economic growth doesn't mean anything if it leaves people out", said Jack Kemp. – February 18, 2014.

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

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

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Perkasa Selangor gesa Tony Pua dikenakan tindakan kenyataan di Facebook

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 02:40 AM PST

February 18, 2014

Perkasa Selangor menggesa siasatan dan tindakan dikenakan terhadap pengerusi DAP Selangor Tony Pua (gambar) atas kenyataan yang didakwa berbaur sindiran di Facebook terhadap keputusan Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan melarang umat Islam menyambut Hari Kekasih baru-baru ini.

Yang Dipertuanya Abu Bakar Yahya berkata kenyataan Pua itu boleh mencetuskan kemarahan dan seolah-olah satu cubaan provokasi terhadap umat Islam di negara ini.

"Setelah membaca dalam blog dan Facebook, tindakan ini jika benar seperti yang dimaksudkan oleh pihak yang terlibat, ia merupakan satu penghinaan kepada umat Islam.

"Kami tidak boleh berdiam diri kerana ini boleh menggugat keharmonian rakyat pelbagai kaum dan agama di negara ini terutamanya agama Islam," katanya kepada pemberita selepas membuat laporan polis di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Shah Alam hari ini.

Melalui laman sosial Facebook miliknya baru-baru ini, Pua membuat kenyataan yang didakwa menyentuh larangan pihak berkuasa agama Islam di negara ini yang mengisytiharkan sambutan Hari Kekasih sebagai haram.

Abu Bakar berkata pihaknya juga kesal dengan kenyataan Pua yang seolah-olah mempersenda peranan Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim).

"Kami berharap Pua tidak campur tangan dalam hal agama kami dan kami tidak pernah menghina malah menghormati agama lain. Negara kita sudah merdeka berpuluh tahun kenapa tiada masalah sebelum ini." soal beliau. – Bernama, 18, Februari, 2014.

Perkasa cadang Front Perpaduan Nasional ganti MPPN

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 02:00 AM PST

OLEH DIYANA IBRAHIM
February 18, 2014

Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) hari ini menyarankan penubuhan gabungan kesemua badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) Melayu Islam iaitu Front Perpaduan Nasional sebagai satu alternatif menggantikan kegagalan Majlis Perundingan Perpaduan Negara (MPPN).

Presiden Perkasa, Datuk Ibrahim Ali (gambar) berkata cadangan itu timbul setelah melihat MPPN‎ tidak lagi berupaya membantu kerajaan ‎mengekalkan perpaduan di antara rakyat Malaysia.

‎"Sebagai gantinya atau pilihan saya cadangan gabungan kesemua Melayu Islam yang dapat dijadikan barisan hadapan di mana ia dapat menangani masalah agama dan bangsa dengan lebih mendalam dan agresif.

"Mana-mana NGO yang terlibat mesti menandatangani deklarasi mempertahankan Perlembagaan Negara dan Rukan Negara," katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Pada masa sama, beliau menyelar tindakan MPPN yang kerap kali mengkritik Putrajaya walhal sebenarnya badan itu langsung tidak layak untuk berbuat demikian.

"Hebat MPPN boleh tegur Putrajaya lambat bertindak tangani masalah perkauman dan agama, mereka sendiri sebenarnya sudah berat sebelah namun masih lagi berani menggelarkan diri mereka Majlis Perundingan Perpaduan Negara," katanya.

‎Tegasnya MPPN tidak layak menegur Putrajaya kerana kenyataan pertama mereka sudah dilihat lebih bersifat partisan.

‎Ibrahim berkata, perubahan mesti dilakukan dalam MPPN sekiranya masih berminat melibatkan diri membincangkan isu perpaduan seperti merombak kembali ahli mereka.

‎"Agenda pertamanya sepatutnya program promosi sekolah 1 aliran. Jika MPPN tidak mahu bercakap mengenainya eloklah langsung tidak menyentuh soal perpaduan.

"Ahlinya juga tidak menggambarkan dan tidak mewakili lapisan masyarakat. Mana dia Prof Khoo Kay Kim? MPPN tidak sepatutnya mempunyai individu yang pandangan mereka bersifat anti nasional dan partisan," katanya.

Ibrahim juga mendakwa latar belakang ahli MPPN yang dilihat lebih kepada anti kebangsaan dan terlibat dalam gabungan Comango yang ditentang kerana menyokong LGBT dan menamatkan hak istimewa orang Melayu.

"Dari gaya nada suara MPPN tidak bersifat berkecuali. Ia lebih mewakili pandangan ahlinya yang latar belakang mereka adalah anti kebangsaan sekaligus tidak langsung membantu penubuhan majlis itu," katanya.

Ibrahim berkata lagi sejak awal, Perkasa sememangnya akan bersifat prejudis dan akan terus mengenepikan kumpulan yang menentang asas Perlembagaan Negara dan kedaulatan institusi diraja. – 18 Februari, 2014.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Selasa, 18 Februari 2014