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Venezuelan gastronomic festival to be held in KL Posted: 09 Apr 2014 09:02 PM PDT April 10, 2014 The Venezuelan Embassy will be organising a cultural and gastronomic festival titled the "Sounds and Flavours of Venezuela" in Kuala Lumpur, as the preamble of the 9th Venezuelan Week 2014. Its Ambassador to Malaysia, Manuel Guzman, said the event which will be held on April 22 to 27, at the La Boca Latino Bar, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, will showcase Venezuelan food diversity and cultural richness of the South American country. "We will offer a range of typical Venezuelan food such as the 'Pebellon Criollo', a traditional dish of exquisite combination of shredded beef, white rice and black beans and the 'Asado Caraqueno', a delicious staple food of Venezuelan cuisine made of beef coated with a sweet dark sauce filled with flavour and irresistible aroma," he said during a media conference, here today. He said the gastronomic festival is a tribute to the unique food found in the village cafes, city neighbourhoods and shoreline seafood shacks of Venezuela. Apart from that, the festival will feature Venezuelan dance and music all week long with live music on April 25 and 'Salsa Brava Night' on April 27. Venezuelan strings duet, comprising 'cuatro' player Jorge Polanco and harpist Leonard Jacome will also be performing at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas on April 21. – Bernama, April 10, 2014.

Malacca’s kitchen of varied palates Posted: 09 Apr 2014 07:59 PM PDT BY MELISSA DUIS April 10, 2014 A must try when visiting the Portugese Settlement – the mango, fish and roe pickles, as well as a special concoction of Cincalok specific to the Malaccan Portuguese community. – April 10, 2014.Domestic tours may often be unfortunately perceived as less exciting than those to foreign lands, but the ancient Malacca always has its way of surprising the average sightseer, even one that is local to Malaysia. When an unplanned excursion to the Portuguese Settlement of Ujong Pasir, Malacca was added to the itinerary – much to the slight disarray of the day's tour guide – an unexpected chance awaited us. Jerry and Christopher are two locals who manage the Portuguese Heritage Melaka Museum. – April 10, 2014.As we entered the Portuguese Settlement and approached the locals, two friendly men who managed the museum, and gave their first names as Jerry and Christopher duly rose to the occasion; for behind them, the Portuguese Heritage Melaka Museum had just caught our eye. Dainty from the outside but homey and charming on the inside, the marvellously modest doors of the museum were opened to us for what we thought would be an ordinary history lesson. Upon entering, we were reconciled with the renowned crab which bore a cross on its shell, blessed by St. Francis Xavier, the Malaccan Portuguese forbade each other to dine on this said crab ever since that miraculous incident. More mementos caught our minds' eye but the most indelible mark was made by none other than a few simple home recipes of our Malaccan Portuguese hosts. The Malaccan Portuguese culture is so amalgamated in nature that its provenance may very well be likened to a quilt passed down the hands of progenies from layers of generations. And along with that wealth of culture and history, their recipes have also taken interesting turns to tease the palates of many curious travellers then and now. When we first arrived, our hosts forewarned us that we wouldn't leave without stopping by the food section and true to his word, after his 20 minute tour around the bonny museum, some attractively packaged jars and bottles caused us to stop a while before making our final exit. We were treated to a brief explanation and curious sight of warm reds and oranges that were neatly tucked away in glass containers. Upon closer attention and inspection we learnt that these were 3 types of pickles and a special concoction of Cincalok specific to the Malaccan Portuguese community. The three types of pickles were mango, fish and roe pickles coated in a rich hue of red that was reminiscent to another popular Malaccan dish – Devil's Curry. We walked away with one of each of the pickles and one bottle of Cincalok. Aside from a list of "how-to" on enjoying our purchases, our host also told us that their special mix of Cincalok was spiked with alcohol – a friendly warning to those who don't consume alcohol. Home again, and this average Malaysian sightseer wastes no time in digging into her newly acquired possessions. Holding on to every word of our Malaccan Portuguese companions, I try every single pickle on steaming hot, white rice. And obediently, I prepare a full teaspoon of the Cincalok with one lime, one shallot and one big chilli. Another recipe for the Cincalok is an omelette prepared as below: Beat one egg with a teaspoon of Cincalok and fry with shallots. The verdict: Fantabulous, scrumptious, sumptuous and bud-tantalizing. The pickles primarily have a sweet and sour flavour to them but have different degrees of acidity. Their flavours consistent with whether the main fodder is fish, roe or mango but one thing for sure is these pickles are bursting to the brim with seafood goodness. As for the Cincalok, its freshness and zest brings you as close as possible to a fisherman's feast. For a place so entrenched in historical importance, it is commendable how the Portuguese Malaccans have held on so steadfastly to their ancestors' ways, down-to-earth and as pristine as any community can get in today's modern age and yet keeping fully abreast with today's know-how. I suppose at the end of the day, any good Portuguese Malaccan knows that to enjoy a good traditional meal is like reconciling past and present in one yummy sitting. – April 10, 2014.

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PSG vanguished by Chelsea’s wealth of experience Posted: 09 Apr 2014 01:20 AM PDT April 09, 2014 Paris St Germain goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu (right) looks on as Chelsea's Andre Schuerrle (centre) scores the first goal during their Champions League quarter-final second leg soccer match at Stamford Bridge in London. – Reuters pic, April 9, 2014.Paris St Germain have invested heavily in a five-year project to win the Champions League, but money alone could not buy the collective experience or right tactical choices to hold off a battle-hardened Chelsea in the quarter-finals. A confident PSG carried a 3-1 home win into the return leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, but the French giants were outfoxed by Jose Mourinho's team as the 2012 Champions League winners prevailed 2-0 on the night to advance on away goals. While Laurent Blanc's team had promised to stay true to their attacking philosophy, they were dominated in possession and despite a good start, were toothless up front in the absence of their injured talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Chelsea played with intelligence and the patience of a side with belief in their own strengths, an inner trust drawn from four semi-final appearances in the seven previous seasons. They refused to be unsettled by an early injury to Eden Hazard, who made way for Andre Schuerrle, with the German opening the scoring in the first half. "Experience made the difference. Chelsea are more used to playing these games than we are," Blanc told reporters. With the aggregate score at 3-2 in PSG's favour and 45 minutes remaining, the visitors had to choose between defending what they had or trying to score the goal that would have almost certainly been enough to ensure a passage through to the semi-finals. Blanc was unable to make that choice. "In the second half, with a one-goal advantage, we were in an awkward position," explained right back Christophe Jallet. "Should we attack or stay in position? We allowed space between our lines and it became complicated. We did not have our usual grip on the game." In the absence of Ibrahimovic, Blanc opted to field Edinson Cavani up front and to put Lucas on the right wing, leaving out Javier Pastore, whose technical skills would have helped PSG retain the ball when Chelsea were looking to turn the game into an end-to-end contest. Brazil forward Lucas, who has not scored in his last 28 games in all competitions, instead ran through the midfield with his head down, often missing the obvious pass near the box and ending up losing the ball. Yet former national coach Blanc, whose tactical choices were questioned when France lost 2-0 to Spain in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals, left him on the pitch when he decided to send Pastore on after 73 minutes and took Ezequiel Lavezzi off. With Cavani having an off day, PSG failed to score for the first time since last December and just like last year when they went out to Barcelona, were knocked out on the away goals rule in the last eight. Demba Ba, the Senegalese striker born in the Paris suburbs, scooped in the winner in the 87th minute as PSG paid the price for their lack of ambition on the pitch. "In the second half, we were pinned back in our half," Blanc admitted as his team only enjoyed 46% of possession over 90 minutes. "I am disappointed, even if we have to admit Chelsea are more experienced than us," PSG president Nasser al Khelaifi said. "We were close. We have not won this tie, but we have gained experience for the future." PSG have spent more than 200 million euros (RM892 million) on transfers since being taken over by Qatar Sports Investments in 2012, with a five-year plan to win the Champions League. They realised on Tuesday that it may take them a little longer. Chelsea, who were taken over by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in 2003, waited nine years to finally lift the trophy and they could soon be adding a second. – Reuters, April 9. 2014.

Spirited Chelsea leave Mourinho aiming high Posted: 09 Apr 2014 12:06 AM PDT April 09, 2014 Chelsea's Demba Ba (bottom) celebrates with coach Jose Mourinho (right) and team mates after scoring the second goal for the team during their Champions League quarter-final second leg match against Paris St-Germain at Stamford Bridge in London, yesterday. – Reuters pic, April 9, 2014.Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho hailed his side's "special spirit" after a dramatic late goal by Demba Ba propelled them into the Champions League semi-finals at Paris Saint-Germain's expense. Despite trimming PSG's 3-1 aggregate lead through Andre Schuerrle, Chelsea were heading out of the competition until Ba bundled home in the 87th minute of yesterday's quarter-final second leg at Stamford Bridge to send his team through on away goals. The London club's comeback carried echoes of their 2012 success over Napoli, when they overcame a 3-1 first-leg loss in the last 16 with a 4-1 win before going on to beat Bayern Munich on penalties in the final. While Mourinho has often declared that his team are a work in progress – and described the victory over PSG as "nothing extraordinary" – he said the belief that his players had shown augured well for the last four. "We're in the semi-finals and if the quarter-finals had eight fantastic teams, imagine the four that are going to reach the semi-finals," he said. "Anything can happen. A big opponent is waiting for us in the semi-finals, but I think it doesn't matter who. They know that we are the team with special spirit, even if we are not at the maximum of our potential." Asked if he would like to face former club Real Madrid in the last four, Mourinho replied: "No. It doesn't matter. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico (Madrid), Bayern Munich, Manchester (United), it doesn't matter." Mourinho regularly complains about the lack of top-level goal-scorers in his squad and he hailed Ba's decisive contribution after electing to send him on instead of Fernando Torres in the 66th minute. "He's a good guy, a good professional, a good group man. I'm very happy for him," said the Portuguese. "The fact I played him before Nando made him feel that he doesn't have the number three striker on his back and his enthusiasm was fantastic. "He started to give problems to Paris that normally they don't have in their league because normally there's a different style of approach." On his goal, Ba told ITV: "It all happened so quick. I saw the ball and it was in the goal. "I just do what I have to do when I get chances. I didn't have chances this season, but tonight (Tuesday) I took it." Mourinho celebrated Ba's goal by gambolling down the touchline towards his players, but he said that his dash was purely motivated by a desire to impart some tactical instructions. "It was not to celebrate. It was to tell the players how we have to play the last minutes," he said. "In that moment they want to celebrate, to think the game is over, and they forget that you still have three plus three or four minutes (of stoppage time) to play." The only black marks for Chelsea were a booking for Branislav Ivanovic that rules him out of the first leg of their semi-final and a calf injury to Eden Hazard that Mourinho said could keep him out for two weeks. For PSG it was a second successive quarter-final defeat on away goals, after last season's elimination at the hands of Barcelona. They were left to rue a series of missed chances when the score was still 1-0, notably an effort that Edinson Cavani put over the crossbar, and coach Laurent Blanc said that his side could not use the supposed inferiority of Ligue 1 as an excuse. "We can't hide behind that," he said. "You guys (journalists) often denigrate Ligue 1 compared to the Champions League, but we can't always use that as an excuse. We can't change it. Ligue 1 is what it is. "In my opinion, the tie between PSG and Chelsea came down to not much. I'd attribute it more to Chelsea's experience at this level compared to us. "I think the familiarity with playing these matches ultimately makes the little difference. I'd flag that up instead of the supposed weakness of Ligue 1." – AFP, April 9, 2014.

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Morocco’s mentally ill await deliverance from their ‘demons’ Posted: 08 Apr 2014 10:31 PM PDT April 09, 2014 A thin mist hangs in the air as a handful of troubled souls wander aimlessly around the Bouya Omar mausoleum in central Morocco, the occasional chilling cry rising from behind its walls. These are Morocco's "possessed" – from violent schizophrenics to hard drug users – who are believed to be tormented by evil spirits and whose relatives bring them here to await deliverance. But many are left wondering exactly what goes on inside the sanctuary of the 16th-century Moroccan saint, situated in a small town named after him on the plains east of Marrakesh. Bouya Omar's followers claim the mentally ill are healed by the saint's supernatural powers, but rights groups allege gross mistreatment of those taken there, with one former inmate describing months of "hell". Activists say hundreds of people have been kept in chains there, sometimes starved and beaten, making the place a byword for cruelty and highlighting the stigma attached to mental illness in Morocco. Their numbers cannot be verified and officials are reluctant to speak about what they say it is a "sensitive subject". Mohammed, a former drug addict from Tangiers, is adamant that he was subjected to brutal treatment seven years ago. Taken to Bouya Omar by his brother in 2006 to be cured of his "demon", he says he was shackled and beaten repeatedly, given barely enough food to survive and robbed of the little money he had. "I lived in hell for a year," Mohammed told AFP, adding that the experience had left him partially blind in one eye. He says his brother eventually returned and "saved" him. Damning reports about mistreatment, including one presented by a human rights organisation to the UN group on arbitrary detention visiting Morocco in December, prompted the health minister to announce that he would close Bouya Omar immediately – if only he could. "I'm going to do everything I can to get this centre closed. Unfortunately the decision is not for the ministry of health," Hossein El Ouardi said in January. Popular beliefs The issue touches a sensitive nerve running through Moroccan society. Popular beliefs abound in the Muslim country, about good and bad genies ("jinn") capable of affecting one's daily life, and the power over them of marabouts, holy men like Bouya Omar, whose ubiquitous white tombs are credited with the same supernatural forces. Over the past decade, sociologists say, King Mohammed VI has encouraged such popular Islamic beliefs, commonly linked in Morocco to the world of healing, partly as a way of countering extremist ideology. Despite the human rights violations now associated with it, the cult of Bouya Omar falls squarely within this tradition. The saint's modern-day followers, who embody his authority and profit handsomely from the money paid for healing, mediate between the "patients" and the jinn believed to have possessed them, in rituals focused around the tomb and aimed at casting out the evil spirits. "The health minister cannot close Bouya Omar because it serves a political purpose and exists for other social and cultural reasons that are deeply rooted in Moroccan society," says author and academic Zakaria Rhani. Promoting the culture of sainthood also strengthens the king's legitimacy, which is itself based on the mythology of sainthood and inherited religious authority, Rhani says, referring to the monarch's claim to be descended from the Muslim Prophet Mohammed. A source at the ministry of religious affairs admitted Bouya Omar is a "very complex and sensitive subject." "The patient is imprisoned in a way to protect him, and to restrain this force, which is a kind of blind force, to exorcise the spirit," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We leave people there because we can't look after them. But it's a traditional system and it has to change." Crime against humanity The difficulty of properly looking after the patients, by getting them treatment at psychiatric facilities run by qualified personnel, stems from the backward state of Morocco's mental health sector after decades of neglect, medical experts say. Jallal Toufiq, head doctor at the Arrazi mental hospital in Rabat's twin city Sale, says there are only 400 psychiatrists in a country of 33 million people, while some of the psychiatric institutions are in a "very advanced state of disrepair". The US-trained doctor describes the practises at Bouya Omar as a "crime against humanity," lamenting the "extremely negative attitude towards mental illness" in Morocco, which he mainly attributes to poor education. "The level of awareness in the general population is so low that a lot of people tend to interpret their syndromes, their delusions and anxieties, as a curse, as something that has nothing to do with medicine. "So they seek healings in marabouts, and the problem is that they come to see us long after, when they're in bad shape." Mohammed Oubouli, an activist with the Moroccan Association of Human Rights in Attaouia, a town near Bouya Omar, has campaigned for years to get what he calls "Morocco's Guantanamo" closed. "We're not against what the people believe; they can believe what they like. What bothers us is the suffering of those brought here." – AFP, April 9, 2014.

Westerners head to Gabon for drug-fuelled ‘spiritual’ tourism Posted: 08 Apr 2014 09:13 PM PDT April 09, 2014 Some in Gabon believe the bitter iboga root comes from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Others elsewhere have derided it as a dangerous drug. Today a growing number of Westerners are travelling to the central African country to sample it themselves as part of an ancestral rite called Bwiti, one of Gabon's official religions. Among them is Remy Causse, who at 45 made the long journey from France in hopes that the ritual would help him to "see more clearly". Bwiti combines worship of ancient forest spirits with elements of Christianity. It is practiced regularly and involves ingesting the powerful psychoactive root, iboga, which has effects similar to LSD, mescaline or amphetamines. "Iboga cleans the insides," says Tatayo, a French-Gabonese spiritual guide who receives many of the Western "bandzi", or candidates for initiation. "The bandzi empties himself of everything bad that is buried inside before coming face to face with himself." But the deaths, deemed accidental, of two Western initiates saw the practice come under sharp scrutiny, notably in former colonial power France where health officials warned it was "hallucinogenic and highly toxic". A report by the Mission of Vigilance against Sectarian Abuses (Miviludes) from 2007, called Bwiti a form of cult ritual that is dangerous "both physically and mentally". Tatayo himself concedes that "you must be closely watched when you ingest iboga". But Bwiti shamans like Tatayo believe that when they eat iboga, they are granted the power to see the future, heal the sick and speak with the dead. Users say it helps them to break away from negative habits, and an extract from the root is now being used in Western medicine to treat drug addicts and alcoholics. Like many foreigners before him, Causse turned to "Tatayo", who is originally from southwest France, at his beachside concession next to the president's quarters in Gabon's capital Libreville. By the torchlight Under the light of the torches, initiates, their faces painted white, intone traditional chants over the music of the Ngombi, a form of sacred harp, or the Mogongo, an instrument made of a chord strung across an arc that the musician strums with a pulsating rhythm. Causse starts to eat the iboga, crushed into powder, which Tatayo feeds him by the spoonful until he is overcome by visions amid the deafening noise of singing and dancing by "escorts". Lying on a mat, he seems to be sleeping as his spirit "roams". Ingested in high doses, iboga causes anxiety, extreme apprehension and hallucinations, which are enhanced by the darkness and music. Sometimes Causse rouses and begins to vomit. The visions last all night, and it's not until the early hours of the morning that Causse wakes up. Still groggy from the experience, he is unable to walk for several hours. Despite being "a bit scared", he said he was happy two days after shaking off the lethargy caused by the iboga root. After this he will bear the name "Moukoukou", which means "spirits". "The ritual has given me an understanding that cannot be explained in words, it has answered many of my questions," he says. Risks of initiation Few people in Gabon doubt the effectiveness of the iboga root, which is considered an important part of the country's national heritage. The country's first president was an initiate. Outside the country, a dozen or so deaths have been reported in the United States and Europe among people who experimented with iboga, though the exact circumstances have not been clarified. Medical reports said the victims' nervous systems and hearts appear to have been affected and the deaths generally occurred more than 20 hours after taking the root. In Gabon, neither the French embassy nor the Gabonese health ministry would comment on the bwiti ritual, given that it involves a recognised religious practice and use of a product authorised in the country. Yet despite the dangers and the high price that Westerners must pay for their new experiences – Causse paid 2,800 euros (RM12, 467) for his three-week journey – more and more are coming. Tatayo says that he now receives around 20 to 25 new foreign initiates – mainly Europeans – a year. – AFP, April 9, 2014.

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Garcia Marquez leaves hospital, in ‘delicate’ state Posted: 08 Apr 2014 06:40 PM PDT April 09, 2014 Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez stands outside his house on his 87th birthday in Mexico City March 6, 2014. – Reuters pic, April 9, 2014.Nobel literature laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez returned to his Mexico City home yesterday after a week-long hospitalisation for pneumonia, but officials said he remains in "delicate" condition. The 87-year-old Colombian writer, who has lived in the Mexican capital for more than three decades, arrived in an ambulance as a throng of journalists waited outside his home, which was guarded by police. Garcia Marquez overcame a lung infection after "quite severe pneumonic symptoms", Health Minister Mercedes Juan told Radio Formula. The treatment had to be "very special due to the writer's age", she said, adding that he will receive oxygen therapy at home to prevent a new infection. An oxygen tank was delivered to his home along with a medical bed and yellow roses, his favorite colour. When the ambulance arrived, his assistants held up bed sheets to prevent journalists from filming or taking pictures of Garcia Marquez. "His condition is delicate due to his age. He will recover at home," Jaqueline Pineda, spokeswoman of the National Medical Sciences and Nutrition Institute, told reporters outside the hospital. Garcia Marquez was hospitalized on March 31 and treated with antibiotics for lung and urinary tract infections. His hospitalisation was only made public four days later. At the time, his son, Gonzalo Garcia Barcha, said the family decided to take him to the hospital as a precaution and that it was not an emergency. Over the weekend, his son had said that Garcia Marquez was doing well and wanted to go home. The 1982 Nobel laureate is a pioneer of magical realism, writing epic stories of love, family and dictatorship in Latin America. His masterpiece "One Hundred Years of Solitude" has sold millions of copies and has been translated into 35 languages since it was first published in 1967. His other works include "Love in the Time of Cholera" and "Chronicle of a Death Foretold". His last published novel is "Memories of My Melancholy Whores" (2004). Known affectionately as "Gabo", Garcia Marquez has made fewer public appearances in recent years. His last public outing was on March 6, when he came out of his house to greet journalists who visited him for his birthday. The author smiled, accepted gifts and posed for photographs, but he did not speak to reporters. His brother Jaime said in July 2012 that his famous sibling was suffering from dementia. He lives in Mexico with his wife, Mercedes Barcha, mother of his two children. Garcia Marquez, who also worked as a journalist, had asked his assistant to convey a message to reporters during his hospitalisation last week: "Are you crazy? Why are you spending so much time out here? Go back to work." – AFP, April 9, 2014.

Hirst autobiography due from Morrissey publisher Posted: 08 Apr 2014 05:58 PM PDT April 09, 2014 British artist Damien Hirst poses before his creation 'The immortal' in 2010. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, April 9, 2014. The autobiography of controversial British artist and Turner Prize winner Damien Hirst is being written with help from the ghostwriter behind Keith Richards's "Life". Due in autumn 2015, Damien Hirst's autobiography is to reach back into the artist's early life in the industrial city of Leeds and his time as a student in London at prominent art institution Goldsmiths. Co-writer James Fox, who worked with Rolling Stones member Richards for the singer's best-selling 2010 memoir, told BBC Radio 4's April 8 "Today" programme that he found Hirst's history "completely fascinating". "He grew up in a pretty bad situation, with his mother, and he and his gang – many of whom became (Young British Artists) – spent half their time housebreaking, stealing, criminality, and the rest of their time indulging their passion for art, which started very early on in their years," Fox had said. That time at Goldsmiths also led to the "Freeze" exhibition, masterminded by Hirst, and attended by Charles Saatchi, who would go on to become an important advocate for the young man's work. Penguin previously published Morrissey's bestselling 2013 memoir, "Autobiography", under its Penguin Classics imprint, though literary subsidiary Viking is handling publication duties for Hirst's personal history. – AFP/Relaxnews, April 9, 2014.

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GST lulus: Apakah Najib akan ubah tatakelola kewangannya? Posted: 08 Apr 2014 07:48 PM PDT April 09, 2014 Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad is a member of the PAS central working committee and ex-MP of Kuala Selangor. Akhirnya Rang Undang-Undang Cukai Barangan dan Perkhidmatan (CBP-GST) diluluskan di Dewan Rakyat selepas dua kali percubaan sejak 2005 dan 2009. Untuk ingatan umum, hujah utama pihak kerajaan persekutuan melaksanakan GST adalah bagi mengatasi kedudukan kewangan negara yang getir. Perdana Menteri Najib Razak seperti DS Idris Jala juga, pernah menakut-nakutkan rakyat dengan risiko negara akan bankrap andainya tidak ditangani isu hutang dan defisit fiskal. Pokoknya, Cukai Barangan dan Perkhidmatan (CBP atau GST) disarankan sebagai penyelesaian kemestian paling baik mengatasi masalah kewangan negara. Benar bahawa GST bakal menjana pendapatan negara yang mewah. Antaranya kerana 'Cukai Kepenggunaan' ini  adalah cukai 'pelbagai peringkat' dalam rantaian kebakalan barangan. Cukai ini juga dikenakan dengan tidak membezakan pendapatan (kaya atau miskin) serta umurnya (bayi atau orang tua). Juga kerana lebih banyak barangan dan perkhidmatan dikenakan berbanding cukai lama SST. Unjuran pendapatan adalah lebih RM20 bilion pada operasi optimanya. Penulis mahu membedah hujah simplistik pihak kerajaan dengan lebih mendalam. Sesungguhnya, hujah kerajaan nyata tempang dan meleset. Diagnosis masalahnya tersasar dan preskripsi rawatannya kini bakal meninggalkan risiko yang parah mungkin maut kepada pesakit (rakyat). Pertamanya, apakah sebabnya kerajaan BN menanggung defisit fiskal berterusan selama 16 tahun? Mengapakah hutang kerajaan Persekutuan mencecah hampir 55% daripada KDNK yang tidak diizinkan oleh Akta Pinjaman Tempatan 1959? Kedua-dua soalan ini mesti dijawab oleh Menteri Kewangan Najib Tun Razak secara tuntas dan penuh sedar. Mengapakah Najib meletakkan 'subsidi' sebagai punca kebejatan kewangan negara? Dan mengapa penghapusan subsidi sebagai 'preskripsi rawatan'? Hutang kerajaan pusat bukanlah disebabkan oleh faktor 'subsidi' sahaja, bahkan sedikit kalau pun benar sumbangan subsidi. Memangsakan 'subsidi' sebagai punca kebejatan hutang dan defisit fiskal adalah tidak tepat dan dangkal di segi analisis. Tidak sukar dan rumit untuk memahami bahawa dalam 'Persamaan Belanjawan' atau 'Budget Equation' yang seimbang, semua ahli ekonomi tahu bahawa pendapatan = perbelanjaan. Pendapatan kerajaan dijana melalui pelbagai cukai langsung (contoh pendapatan, korporat) dan tidak langsung (contoh eksais, cukai jualan), hasil bukan cukai (contoh sewaan, denda-hukuman) dan terimaan bukan hasil (contoh bayaran tidak dituntut). Sementara itu 'perbelanjaan' terdiri daripada 'perbelanjaan operasi' dan 'perbelanjaan pembangunan' serta bayaran subsidi. Maka jelasnya, tidak benar meletakkan semua kesalahan kepada 'subsidi'. Perbelanjaan yang tidak pruden, berbelanja besar semasa kedua-dua zaman mewah dan meleset, 'tanpa kekangan' adalah punca utama defisit dan hutang kerajaan pusat. Daripada segi prinsip ekonomi klasikal dan juga daripada segi anjuran Al-Quran perbelanjaan Najib tidak pruden. Berbelanja secara 'mengepam ekonomi' ('pump-priming atau 'counter-cyclical) hanya digunakan pada zaman meleset. Ini kaedah yang dianjur oleh teori 'Keynesian' seorang pakar ekonomi Barat yang kebetulan sama mengesahkan Al-Quran yang dianjurkan kepada Nabi Allah Yusuf (AS) ketika dilantik mentadbir ekonomi kerajaan Mesir. Di samping itu berbelanja dengan tatakelola yang 'tidak mengikut awlawiyyat (keutamaan), boros dan sarat dengan ketirisan dan kebocoran serta amalan kronisme adalah juga sebab utama kebejatan kewangan. Menyelamat (bailout) syarikat kroni dan kerajaan (GLCs) menelan berbilion ringgit. Begitu juga 'cost-overrun' dan harga kontrak yang membelon (bloated) kerana cara runding-langsung. Inilah yang menyebabkan kerajaan Najib-UBN meminjam dan berhutang besar! Malangnya pentadbiran Najib terus memangsakan 'subsidi'. Program 'rasionalisasi subsidi' tanpa menghitung kesan langsung dan kesan berantai kepada rakyat khasnya golongan berpendapatan rendah-sederhana. Tidak pula subsidi kepada Penjana Tenaga Bebas (IPP) dan pelbagai geran, 'tax-break' dan pengecualian cukai kepada syarikat besar termasuk utiliti (air, lebuhraya) disebut-sebut. Ini yang dimaksukan oleh Tengku Razaleigh mantan Menteri Kewangan sebagai dosa-dosa kerajaan BN. Najib diingatkan bahawa 'subsidi' wujud dalam ekonomi (welfare economy) dengan istilah 'transfer payment' dan dilakukan bagi mencapai matlamat 'pengagihan semula sumber dalam sesebuah sistem pasaran atau 'redistribution of income in a market system' . Kesimpulan tulisan ini bertujuan untuk mengingatkan Najib dan kerajaan UBN supaya segera melakukan reformasi dan penambahbaikan dalam tatakelola kewangan Negara. Dalam pentadbiran Najiblah hutang berganda dua kali dan kini mencecah RM543.6 bilion. Setiap tahun mengemukakan dua kali anggaran perbelanjaan tambahan purata RM20 bilion setahun. 75% adalah untuk kos mengurus.  Tahun hadapan unjuran inflasi oleh pakar-pakar ekonomi akan melepasi 4%. Kini CPI mencecah 3.4% dan akan berakhir setinggi 3.8% pada hujung tahun ini. Rakyat akan terus terbeban. Barang dan kos saraan hidup akan terus meningkat. Wahai PM Najib, meskipun berbilion RM akan dipungut dalam sistem cukai baru GST, yang menggantikan cukai lama SST, namun apa yang jelas rakyat akan dimangsakan sekali lagi. Sementara itu sah bagai dek kata….cukai baru ini akan mencekik serta menghempit dan menhenyak rakyat sehingga… di Gasak Sampai Tertunggeng (GST)! Maka kami akan berhimpun pada 1 Mei di Dataran Merdeka bagi menyatakan penentangan kami terhadap GST, TPPA dan BN..Barang Naik! – 9 April, 2014. * Ini adalah pendapat peribadi penulis dan tidak semestinya mewakili pandangan The Malaysian Insider.

Malaysia on the wrong side of history in Karpal’s conviction for sedition Posted: 08 Apr 2014 04:36 PM PDT April 09, 2014 Jeyaseelen Anthony is an advocate and a councillor of the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ). He also heads the Centre for Constitutional Research and Education Malaysia. Karpal Singh's conviction for sedition recently has thrown Malaysia back into the days of the Court of Star Chambers in the 17th century where people were convicted and imprisoned for critisicing the British monarch and the British Empire. The law on sedition came about during a period when kings and queens were believed to have divine powers and they were believed to be god sent and as such the laws dispensed by them were unquestionable and criticism of rulers were seen as sinful and unlawful and therefore they cannot be challenged. Today, this believe is no longer true, foolish and an abberation. In India prominent Indian freedom fighters and nationalist like Mahatma Gandhi, V.O. Chidambaram Pillai ( better known as " Kappalotiyar Tamilzhan) and Balgandhar Tilak were arrested charged for sedition for speaking against the British in India. Mahatma Gandhi for example was imprisoned several times after being convicted for sedition. The  intention of the British was clearly to  suppress  and  punish  per se  any  individual  who  attempts  to  create  feelings  of  disaffection,  hatred  or  contempt  to its rule.   The  crime  of  sedition  was  the  most  effective  weapon  used by  the  British  to suppress  dissent  and  to  fulfill  its  colonial  agenda  in  India. The Sedition Act is draconian because the truth or falsity of the words uttered or written, are immaterial and will not provide a defense. Even if the words are uttered by the speaker with the most, noblest intention again this will not provide him with a defence. It is therefore an absolute liability offence where intention is irrelevant. In Public Prosecutor v Mark Koding, Justice Azmi Kamaruddin in the course of his judgment said: "… it is immaterial whether the accused intention or motive was honorable or evil when making the speech."   All the judge has to do is to see whether the words are likely to create disaffection against the government, the ruler or the people. If in his honest judgment he finds it is likely to do that then the statement is seditious. The Malaysian courts have adopted the meaning of "disaffection" in the Australian case of Burns v Ransley, which means disloyalty, enmity and hostility. In other common law jurisdictions like Canada, Australia and India it has been established sedition could not be established without proof of acts that have implicit in them the idea of subverting the government by violent means and inciting others to violence and disorder. Unfortunately the trend in Malaysia gleaned from the cases decided, does not require any proof of incitement to violence or unlawful behaviour. In essence the Malaysian courts have rejected the common law requirement. It is quite clear that prosecutions under the Sedition Act are carried out to suppress dissent and its reach even extends to what is said by Members of Parliament, in Parliament. This is rather shocking as the electorate expects the people whom they have voted into Parliament to speak on their behalf without fear or favour. The question is, how are the representatives of the people expected to perform their parliamentary duties if their mouths are gagged by the Sedition Act? This is definitely an affront to the principle of parliamentary democracy. No other parliament in the world is subjected to such a restriction. It is unfortunate to see that Malaysia has gone down the same road that the British had taken decades ago and with the convictions of Karpal Singh, Lim Guan Eng and Uthaya Kumar of Hindraf for sedition, they will go down in history undoubtedly as the Mahathma Gandhi's of Malaysia. In many countries, sedition laws have either become obsolete or have been repealed. There has not been a prosecution for sedition in Canada since the 1950s.This may be due to the fact that the Law Reform commission of Canada in 1986 had described that the offence of sedition as "an outdated and unprincipled law". In Australia, the post 9/11 era led to the passing of the Anti- Terrorism Act (No 2) 2005 which made substantial amendments to existing sedition laws by repealing several sections of the Crimes Act 1914 concerning sedition. In India, most charges of sedition are dismissed since the Indian Supreme Court has decided that the incitement to violence and disorder must be proven in order to constitute the offence of sedition unlike Malaysia. In England, the last conviction for sedition occurred in 1909 and thereafter prosecutions have become very rare and now the UK has repealed its laws on sedition. Even Kenya has repealed their Sedition Act. Although our Sedition Act is up for repeal as announced by the Prime Minister in July 2012, it is sad to note that the draconian law is continuously being used and threatened to be used against the people. The government should seriously push for the repeal of the Sedition Act immediately as promised and stop the use of the Act pending its repeal as Karpal Singh's conviction for sedition has severely dented the country's image in the global arena more so with Malaysia being a former member of United Nations Human Rights Council we have clearly send the wrong message to the global community and now we are surely in the wrong side of history. – April 9, 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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Buruh binaan maut dihempap pintu gerbang konkrit Posted: 09 Apr 2014 02:57 AM PDT April 09, 2014 Seorang buruh binaan maut selepas dihempap pintu gerbang konkrit yang dilanggar secara tidak sengaja oleh sebuah lori di Lorong Sentosa Kanan 2 dekat Muadzam Shah, Rompin semalam. Ketua Jabatan Ketenteraman Awam dan Trafik Negeri Supt Mohamed Fauzi Abdul Rahim berkata kejadian jam 9.50 pagi itu berlaku ketika mangsa, Juhari Muhammad, 51, sedang memberi arahan kepada pemandu lori terbabit untuk membuang bancuhan simen dalam keadaan kenderaan mengundur. Katanya lori terbabit secara tiba-tiba terlanggar bahagian atas pintu gerbang konkrit di situ lalu menghempap mangsa. "Akibat itu mangsa yang parah di kepala dan badan  mati semasa menerima rawatan di Hospital Muadzam Shah," katanya di Kuantan hari ini. Sementara itu, beliau berkata seorang kontraktor kabel, Mohd Amel Mohd Dahalan, 24, maut semalam selepas kereta yang dipandunya terbabas di Kilometer 47 Jalan Kuantan-Segamat dekat Pekan, tengah malam tadi. Menurutnya, nahas jam 12.30 tengah malam itu berlaku semasa mangsa dalam perjalanan dari rumahnya di Tanjung Pulai, Pekan menghala ke Segamat. Mohamed Fauzi berkata kereta mangsa hilang kawalan sewaktu melalui tempat kejadian lalu terbabas dan merempuh sebatang pokok di laluan bertentangan. Beliau berkata mangsa meninggal dunia di tempat kejadian akibat kecederaan parah di kepala dan badan. Katanya kedua-dua kes sedang disiasat di bawah Seksyen 41 (1) Akta Pengangkutan Jalan 1987. – Bernama, 9 April, 2014.

SPR sedia kaji proses pengundian lebih singkat dan tempoh bertenang dipanjangkan Posted: 09 Apr 2014 02:54 AM PDT April 09, 2014 Proses pengundian lebih singkat dan tempoh bertenang yang dilanjutkan sehingga kepada tiga hari mungkin diperkenalkan dalam sistem pilihan raya Malaysia pada masa akan datang. Pengerusi SPR Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof (gambar) berkata suruhanjaya berkenaan sedia mengkaji dan memperkenal peraturan baharu itu jika terbukti dapat menjadikan sistem pilihan raya di Malaysia lebih efektif. "Kedua-dua perkara ini adalah peraturan yang boleh dipinda tanpa perlu meminda (perkara-perkara berkaitan pilihan raya) seperti termaktub dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan," katanya kepada pemberita selepas meninjau beberapa tempat pengundian di Jakarta, sempena Pemilihan Umum (Pemilu) Parlimen Indonesia 2014 pada Rabu. Mengenai proses pengundian lebih singkat, Abdul Aziz berkata tempoh yang mungkin diperkenal di Malaysia adalah dari 8 pagi hingga 3 petang berbanding 8 pagi hingga 5 petang seperti yang dipraktik sekarang. "Berdasarkan pengalaman, selepas pukul 3 petang peratusan yang keluar mengundi menurun sehingga dua peratus sehingga tamat proses pengundian...pada saya tempoh yang ideal (proses pengundian) adalah tujuh jam. "Peraturan ini (proses pengundian singkat) telah pun kita perkenalkan di kawasan pedalaman seperti di Sabah dan Sarawak yang mana jumlah pengundi tidak terlalu ramai," katanya. Dalam pada itu, Abdul Aziz berkata daripada pemerhatiannya, tempoh bertenang selama tiga hari seperti yang diamalkan pada Pemilu Indonesia, sangat berkesan termasuk dapat mengelak penyokong parti politik terus berkempen selepas tamat tempohnya. Beliau juga mendapati kaedah itu berjaya mendisiplinkan parti bertanding dan penyokong sehingga mewujudkan tempoh bertenang dalam erti kata sebenar. Malah, beliau berkata pengundi juga "lebih tenang" dalam memilih calon kerana diberikan tempoh yang mencukupi sebelum membuat pertimbangan mereka. Abdul Aziz berkata pada masa ini di Malaysia, tempoh bertenang bermula dari 12 tengah malam hari terakhir kempen sehingga ke tempoh pengumuman calon yang menang. "Di Malaysia, tiada yang mahu mengikut peraturan tempoh bertenang yang ditetapkan SPR. Walaupun dilarang, pada hari mengundi masih ada yang mengambil kesempatan meraih serta merayu undi," katanya. Sementara itu, beliau berkata SPR yang mendapat penghormatan menjadi tetamu rakan setugasnya di Indonesia, Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU), memuji perjalanan pilihan raya umum di negara ini yang disifatkannya dilaksanakan dalam keadaan "tertib dan hormat". Hubungan akrab SPR dan KPU telah berlangsung sejak lama, katanya sambil menambah bahawa SPR juga mengundang KPU menyaksikan proses pilihan raya umum ke-13 di Malaysia pada tahun lepas. Tinjauan Bernama di beberapa pusat pengundian di sekitar Jakarta Pusat dan Jakarta Selatan mendapati proses yang melibatkan kira-kira 400 pengundi di setiap pusat pengundian itu berjalan lancar tanpa insiden kekecohan. Lebih 500,000 pusat mengundi di seluruh Indonesia yang dibuka sejak 7 pagi telah ditutup pada 1 tengah hari tadi. Pada pemilihan umum ke-11 Indonesia ini, sebanyak 185.5 juta pengundi berdaftar akan memilih wakil rakyat bagi menduduki 560 kerusi di Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat atau Parlimen Indonesia. Rakyat Indonesia juga secara serentak akan memilih lebih 18,000 anggota Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah (DPRD) Tingkat I dan Tingkat II (ahli majlis tempatan) di semua 33 provinsi atau wilayah. – Bernama, 9 April, 2014.

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