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Malaysia’s Jing Yi walks tall despite Uber Cup exit Posted: 21 May 2014 09:07 AM PDT May 22, 2014 Malaysia may have failed to make the quarter-finals of the Uber Cup competition but the country's top women's singles player Tee Jing Yi (pic) can still walk tall after putting up a superb performance throughout the group matches. Although the Malaysian Uber Cup team were the underdogs in the tournament, Jing Yi's success in winning all her three matches, especially in straight sets, augers well for the country and the player herself. "I am extremely happy and now I shall work toward the coming tournaments," she told reporters after her match in the tournament at the Siri Fort Stadium, New Delhi today. Jing Yi won all her three matches in the group stages in straight sets by beating Denmark's Line Kjaersfeldt 21-17, 22-20; Japan's Sayaka Takahashi 22-20, 21-19 and Germany's Karin Schnaase 21-13, 21-18. Jing Yi, who had late last year quit the national team as she felt she could no longer contribute to the national squad, was recalled to participate in the Uber Cup and played as the first singles player. "It is about fighting for the country," said Jing Yi when asked what made her return to national team. The support from coaches and encouragement were also crucial contributions for her success, she said adding that she felt her game now was more matured then what it was before when she decided to leave the Badminton Association of Malaysia fold. Echoing Jing Yi's sentiment was women's singles coach Wong Tat Meng who said Jing Yi was better in her defence and game plan now. "She managed to upset Japan's top singles player who is a much stronger opponent," he said. Having gained a world of confidence after a splendid performance in New Delhi, Jing Yi would start preparing for the Indonesia Super Series and Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. "I aim to win a bronze medal at Commonwealth in Scotland," she said. – Bernama, May 21, 2014.

Jing Yi walks tall in despite Uber Cup exit Posted: 21 May 2014 09:07 AM PDT May 22, 2014 Malaysia may have failed to make the quarter-finals of the Uber Cup competition but the country's top women's singles player Tee Jing Yi (pic) can still walk tall after putting up a superb performance throughout the group matches. Although the Malaysian Uber Cup team were the underdogs in the tournament, Jing Yi's success in winning all her three matches, especially in straight sets, augers well for the country and the player herself. "I am extremely happy and now I shall work toward the coming tournaments," she told reporters after her match in the tournament at the Siri Fort Stadium, New Delhi today. Jing Yi won all her three matches in the group stages in straight sets by beating Denmark's Line Kjaersfeldt 21-17, 22-20; Japan's Sayaka Takahashi 22-20, 21-19 and Germany's Karin Schnaase 21-13, 21-18. Jing Yi, who had late last year quit the national team as she felt she could no longer contribute to the national squad, was recalled to participate in the Uber Cup and played as the first singles player. "It is about fighting for the country," said Jing Yi when asked what made her return to national team. The support from coaches and encouragement were also crucial contributions for her success, she said adding that she felt her game now was more matured then what it was before when she decided to leave the Badminton Association of Malaysia fold. Echoing Jing Yi's sentiment was women's singles coach Wong Tat Meng who said Jing Yi was better in her defence and game plan now. "She managed to upset Japan's top singles player who is a much stronger opponent," he said. Having gained a world of confidence after a splendid performance in New Delhi, Jing Yi would start preparing for the Indonesia Super Series and Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. "I aim to win a bronze medal at Commonwealth in Scotland," she said. – Bernama, May 21, 2014.

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Aussie kids among world’s least active, research shows Posted: 20 May 2014 11:32 PM PDT May 21, 2014 More than 80% of Australian children aged 5 to 17 fail to get the recommended 60 minutes of moderate physical activity a day. – Reuters pic, May 21, 2014.Australian children are among the least active in the world, ranking behind those in Britain and New Zealand, researchers say warning that the sports-mad nation was raising a "generation of couch potatoes". A study released today showed that more than 80% of Australian children aged 5 to 17 failed to get the recommended 60 minutes of moderate physical activity a day, despite most playing a sport. "We do rank quite highly on organised sport participation and we are a sporting nation as we like to say," Natasha Schranz, a researcher from the University of South Australia, told AFP. "But this has clearly shown that it's not enough because we still rank poorly for overall physical activity levels." The study, which compared data taken from 15,000 young Australians with that from 14 other countries, found that the most active youngsters overall were in Mozambique and New Zealand followed by Mexico. Next came Kenya, Nigeria, England, Colombia, Ghana, Finland and South Africa while Australia was grouped with Canada, Ireland and the United States just above bottom-placed Scotland. Australia's report card, drawn from data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and a national survey of secondary school students, found that less than 30% of children met Australian guidelines of no more than two hours of screen time per day. Fellow researcher Grant Tomkinson, also from the University of South Australia, said many youngsters were spending so much time being sedentary they were likely to hurt their health, growth and development. Trevor Shilton, from Australia's Heart Foundation, said the result was a "wake-up call". "We're raising a generation of couch potatoes," he said. "Far too many kids are being driven to school and spend most of their time sitting when they get there. "What we're facing is a potential future health crisis where heart disease, diabetes and obesity rates will rise," he added. – AFP, May 21, 2014.

Questions build over China’s architectural copies Posted: 20 May 2014 09:37 PM PDT May 21, 2014 This photo taken on February 21 shows a copy of a pyramid at a theme park in Chongqing, China. – AFP pic, May 21, 2014.​Already renowned for copying Western goods from trainers to champagne, China is building up its replica reputation with a miniature Mount Rushmore, Eiffel Tower and an entire Austrian village. The reproduced structures – also dubbed "duplitecture" – can appear bizarre to outsiders but make sense to many in the country. "I think it's a good thing. I can see things from places that I've never been," said a man surnamed Fu, 32, sitting in a Chongqing park scattered with sculptures including Michelangelo's David, Rodin's Thinker and the gigantic heads of four American presidents. Elsewhere in the south-western city a set of curved white buildings under construction have sparked controversy for their striking resemblance to a Beijing development by star British architect Zaha Hadid. Copying was "something China does", a retired judge said as she walked past the site, adding: "I think it's a good thing – we can learn from the experience of others." The director of Hadid's Beijing project was less positive, reportedly calling the property company "pirates". It has denied copying and told AFP it had reached an agreement with the original developer, which declined to comment. A really practical solution The "duplitecture" trend developed alongside China's real estate boom in recent decades, especially for creations conveying prestige and success, said Bianca Bosker, the New York-based author of "Original Copies: Architectural Mimicry in Contemporary China". Among the most eye-popping examples are a copy of the Austrian alpine village and Unesco World Heritage Site of Hallstatt in the southern province of Guangdong, which even the official news agency Xinhua called "a bold example of China's knock-off culture". An assemblage of Parisian monuments including the Eiffel Tower and a fountain from Versailles stand in Hangzhou, as does a French village. Hebei province has an imitation Sphinx, while outside Shanghai sits Thames Town, an English-themed suburb featuring a statue of Winston Churchill, a church from Bristol and lookalikes of guards at Buckingham Palace. The imitations are open to mockery, but Bosker says that such replicas provide an easy way to convey prestige on a huge scale. "In the US we see people who copy as unimaginative thieves. In China copiers have been viewed with more nuance – copying can be a sign of skill and it can also just be a really practical solution to a problem," she told AFP. "Developers wanted a way to brand their developments and the home owners wanted a way to brand their lifestyle and their economic success. "And one of the easiest solutions to that was to copy architecture that was most emblematic of a kind of aristocratic and 'sophisticated'-seeming lifestyle," she said, citing Versailles, Venice and the White House as popular models. That pragmatic streak also drives the mass production of knockoffs including Italian handbags, Swiss watches, French wine, Hollywood films and iPhones, while the south-western city of Kunming once even hosted a fake Apple store. In Dafen, part of the boom town of Shenzhen next to Hong Kong, an army of artists duplicate masterpieces ranging from Vincent van Gogh to Jackson Pollock. The fakes allow Chinese to enjoy what they could not otherwise afford, said a young man strolling at an amusement park in Chongqing featuring a miniature New York, Venice-like canals and Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue rotating atop a ride. "In terms of respecting others' creativity, it's not okay. But for a China that's still developing, for a certain time there's a use for it," he said. "When China's economy becomes developed enough, then there won't be a market for copied goods." Anything foreign is good Even so the rampant imitation raises questions of national pride in a country boasting a rich history and now regaining global clout. In March Renmin University president Chen Yulu urged his countrymen to "refrain from copying European architectural styles and work harder to promote local culture", Xinhua paraphrased him as saying, while itself warning of an "eerie copycat architectural landscape". As China rises in stature and wealth it will increasingly seek inspiration from within, said Bosker, adding that already "there seems to be a new confidence and interest in their own indigenous styles". At the park with the Mount Rushmore replica, a man in his 20s surnamed Mao argued that China's neighbours mimicked its culture when it held greater sway in the past, and would do so again as the country reclaims the stage. "If people have something good then we will copy it," he said. "This is something every country, every society does, not only China." But a 27-year-old woman surnamed Huang, walking past the fake Manhattan with a friend, said her compatriots should embrace their own heritage. "It seems like Chinese people have this view that anything foreign is good, that anything with English writing, whether or not they can read it, is good," she said. "China is not inferior to anyone, but nobody really cares a lot about China's ancient past." – AFP, May 21, 2014.

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Nightmare or dream? Ryan Gosling fantasy debut divides Cannes Posted: 20 May 2014 08:32 PM PDT May 21, 2014 From left to right, British actor Matt Smith, British actor Iain De Caestecker, French actor Reda Kateb, Canadian actor Ryan Gosling, US actor Geoffrey Arend and US actress Christina Hendricks arrive for the screening of the film 'Lost River' at the 67th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France. – AFP pic, May 21, 2014.Hollywood heartthrob Ryan Gosling served up his hugely-anticipated directorial debut "Lost River" in Cannes yesterday, a psychedelic fantasy with strong David Lynch echoes that had some critics screaming in pain and others singing his praise. Journalists jostled with movie-buffs to get into the festival hall's plush movie theatre for what was one of the most eagerly awaited events of the Cannes Film Festival, and many ended up being turned away. "Dumb-foundingly poor", "a first-rate folie de grandeur", "mesmerising", "impressive"... Critics could not make their mind up over the 33-year-old's sombre, visually-stunning picture set in a decaying American ghost town called Lost River. Inspired by bankrupt Detroit "Mad Men" star Christina Hendricks stars as Billy, a single mother-of-two who works at a local striptease joint, desperately trying to make ends meet to keep her rundown, mortgaged home. She decides to take another, mysterious job touted by her sinister bank manager (Australia's Ben Mendelsohn), and discovers a shady, cabaret underworld where Cat (Eva Mendes) performs gory stunts to the delight of locals. Meanwhile, her teenage son Bones ("Agents of SHIELD" actor Iain De Caestecker) spends his days tearing copper pipes out of derelict houses to earn some cash. He grows close to his solitary neighbour Rat, played by rising Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, who lives in a ramshackle house with her mute grandmother and tells him about a curse over the town. The film also stars British actor Matt Smith of "Doctor Who" fame as Bully, a rabid man-about-town who spreads terror in Lost River and likes to cut the lips off those who displease him. Burning houses, graffiti-laden buildings, flooded streets, smoky corridors and a rousing, oppressive music score throughout... The film sucks the audience into a surreal world with strong – and perhaps too many – echoes of Lynch and Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, with whom Gosling worked on "Drive" and "Only God Forgives", the ultra-violent film that competed for the top Palme d'Or prize last year and also divided viewers. "This film is a present from directors I have been lucky to work with over the past few years," Gosling, who also wrote the screenplay, said in production notes. "As an actor, I went from films deeply anchored in reality by Derek Cianfrance ("Blue Valentine") to the imaginary world of Nicolas Winding Refn." The film was shot in Detroit, the once-thriving Motor City that has since declared the largest bankruptcy in US history, leaving parts of the city near deserted and in shambles. Gosling said he had taken his inspiration from the city when he went there to shoot George Clooney's political drama "The Ides of March". "Even though I spent just a few days there, this city left a deep mark on me," he said. "There were deserted districts stretching over 60 or so kilometres, and in some of the recesses of these districts, parents were trying to raise their children not far from burnt-down or demolished houses. "At one time, Detroit was a postcard for the American dream, but today, for families in these districts, that dream has morphed into a nightmare," Gosling said. 'Woman decides to move house' And a nightmare it was for some critics, who tore their hair out at what one termed a "crapocalypse." "Ryan Gosling confuses 'making film' with 'assembling Tumblr of David Lynch & Mario Bava gifs'. Dumb-foundingly poor," the Daily Telegraph's Robbie Collin tweeted. "Lost River a cacophony of meaningless motifs stumbling round in service of a plot best summed up by 'woman decides to move house'," said Indiewire's Jessica Kiang. But for entertainment industry observer Anne Thompson, Gosling's film was an "impressive, impressionistic, well-wrought debut." "Gosling's Motown fantasy blitzes eye and mind," the Toronto Star's Peter Howell said. Gosling's film is competing in the Un Certain Regard section of the film festival, which seeks to recognise new talent and encourage innovative, daring work. The Canadian actor-director came to the French Riviera resort in 2010 to promote "Blue Valentine" and again in 2011 for "Drive", which won the Best Director Award. – AFP, May 21, 2014.

Want to marry Prince Harry? Fox spins a twist with new dating show Posted: 20 May 2014 06:48 PM PDT May 21, 2014 Television personality Matt Hicks poses for a portrait while promoting the upcoming reality television series 'I Wanna Marry Harry', in Beverly Hills, California, May 2, 2014. – Reuters pic, May 21, 2014.An English country manor, a gaggle of giggling bachelorettes, a slew of butlers and one very mysterious ginger-haired Prince Charming are at the center of Fox's new dating show, where the bachelor is not quite what he seems. Meet Matt Hicks, the 24-year-old British environmental consultant who bears more than a passing resemblance to Britain's Prince Harry, and was given the task of persuading 12 American girls that they were vying to date the fun-loving royal. "As far as I was aware, impersonating a member of the royal family was treason and I'm pretty sure the punishment for that was being locked in the Tower of London," Hicks told Reuters. Fox's "I Wanna Marry Harry" spins a twist on the televised dating format used most notably by ABC for "The Bachelor", where one man is charged with finding love from a group of 25 women, honing it down to the lucky one over a series of glamorous and drama-filled dates. Hicks, brought up in Hertfordshire, a neighbouring county to London, went to Southampton University, graduating with a degree in geology and oceanography, a different path from his royal look-alike's military career. In "I Wanna Marry Harry", Hicks was sought by the show's producers after being spotted on a celebrity look-alike website, and was given the ultimate makeover. They dyed his blond hair red, gave him intensive training on royal family history and put him in a manor house with guards and a facade of wealth. His quest, over five weeks and a series of dates, is to persuade the girls that he really is the 29-year-old prince, and at the end, to reveal his true identity to the one girl left, and hope that she accepts him for his real self. "There was a lot of weight on my shoulders, they had put a massive budget on this, but I was never really too worried about not pulling it off," Hicks said. "It was just down to being genuine and charming and getting the girls to like me." The female contenders for Hicks's affection range between Rose, the saucy 22-year-old pre-school teacher to 25-year-old Karina, studying for a PhD in physical therapy. All have quite an impact on Hicks when he first meets them at a masquerade ball, where they already suspect he may be Harry. Hicks, who never once calls himself Harry and is referred to throughout the show as "Sir" or "The Gentleman", said he never thought the show's premise was mean or deceiving to the girls, despite him masquerading as the prince. "They put themselves in this situation," he said. "They're not weak, mentally fragile girls who especially might break down, and at the end of the day we're all there for a laugh." And as for what the real Prince Harry may think of the show? "I think he'd think it was quite funny," he said. – Reuters, May 21, 2014.

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Conservative author D’Souza pleads guilty in campaign scheme Posted: 20 May 2014 05:56 PM PDT May 21, 2014 Conservative commentator and best-selling author Dinesh D'Souza exits the Manhattan Federal Courthouse after pleading guilty in New York yesterday. – Reuters pic, May 21, 2014.Right-wing author and pundit Dinesh D'Souza, a forceful critic of President Barack Obama, pleaded guilty yesterday to using straw donors to boost contributions to a US Senate candidate in 2012. In January, D'Souza was charged with violating laws which limit the amount individuals can donate to political campaigns, and with making false statements. At the time, he insisted on his innocence, and his backers, including nationally-known conservative pundits, stressed that the Republican firebrand was targeted for federal prosecution because of his anti-Obama views. But he pleaded guilty in New York federal court yesterday to one campaign finance violation, avoiding a trial that was due to begin the same day. "I deeply regret my conduct," D'Souza, 53, told the judge, according to the New York Daily News. "I knew that causing a campaign contribution to be made in the name of another was wrong and something the law forbids." D'Souza is a best-selling author of several books on politics and the influence of religion on American society, and his film "2016: Obama's America" was popular with conservative groups. His attorney Benjamin Brafman said the charges stemmed from D'Souza arranging for two associates to contribute US$10,000 (RM32,190) each to the US Senate campaign of Wendy Long, who lost to incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand. "Given the technical nature of the charge, there was no viable defence," said Brafman, who described D'Souza's act as an "isolated instance of wrongdoing". D'Souza faced two years in prison and a US$250,000 fine, but the defence team said that with the guilty plea it was hoping he could avoid imprisonment upon his sentencing in September. – AFP, May 21, 2014.

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GTP and ETP 2013 Report: Looking beyond numbers Posted: 20 May 2014 08:08 PM PDT May 21, 2014 Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad is a member of the PAS central working committee and ex-MP of Kuala Selangor. With the raging debate on hudud taking centre stage and the disappearance of the unfortunate MH370 refusing to be relegated to the second place, discussion on the annual report of the GTP and ETP 2013, in the public sphere, were understandably muted. The mainstream media were admittedly abuzzed albeit for a few days. The premier was elated as he stood grinning, reading some arguably "impressive" numbers. Despite global economic challenges and regional volatilities, achieving 104% of overall goals in the GTP are, however, admirable. Notably too in 2013 alone, the ETP contributed RM7.4 billion to the Gross National Income (GNI), creating 29,373 new employment opportunities and driving RM8 billion worth of investments. If only it could be audited and showcased for all to peruse. Or perhaps to be verified by the federal opposition parliamentarians who are always keen to pick holes, much within their constitutional roles, to check and balance the federal government. Economic growth has been steady at about 5.1% per annum for the last three years with both incomes and employment reported to have risen, while the budget deficit has also ostensibly been under control. With all those inspiring numbers, little wonder that the prime minister pronounced that we are well on our way to becoming a high-income nation by 2020. This writer is not about to end the frenzy with these good news, a luxury Malaysians have longed been denied of. Before we get overawed by the numbers, let us put things to perspective. But let us have a closer look at the GTP and ETP numbers first. Not all are well. Poor scores of four NKEAs were noted. They have failed their KPIs as noted by RHB Research Institute. Most significantly, investments were down by 75% year-on-year to RM8 billion as compared to RM32.1 billion in 2012 and RM179.2 in 2011. Research houses are already alluding to concern of our attractiveness as an investment destination. ETP projects have been essentially infrastructural in nature but these are unsustainable on a longer timeline. This could be a boost for the economy but its contribution to growth would be gone once projects are completed. Moving forward, the lack of investment in the high-technology manufacturing sectors is worrying. But attracting more interest is handicapped by availability of skilled labour and the correct investment policy as the case of the recent uncertainties in the National Automotive Policy. With that scenario looking most plausible, the trajectory to a "high-income nation" would not be that easy after all. Let us truly understand the notion of "high-income nation" and why are stuck in the "middle-income trap". Simply put, a country moves from a low-income to middle-income status, thanks to rapid economic growth, but subsequently fails to get to the high-income status and got stuck in a "middle-income trap". Malaysia is one example. The middle-income trap is a development stage that characterises countries that are squeezed in between low-wage producers and highly skilled and fast-moving innovators. Malaysia experiences a structural transformation from a low-income agricultural-based nation to a middle-income manufacturing-based economy. However, in an intensely competitive global economy, Malaysia, like many other middle-income economies, is sandwiched between low-waged economies on one hand and the more advanced and innovative economies on the other. Many middle-income countries typically commit two common mistakes. One is hanging on to past successful policies or exiting prematurely from the industries, which could have very well served them into higher-value added economy. Malaysia is guilty of both. The inability to extricate herself from the ethnic-based affirmative action of the "over-used" New Economic Policy and the inadvertent premature deindustrialisation were perennial problems worthy of intense discourse. So putting to perspective again, what do all these good numbers hold for us? Are we on a sure trajectory, ceteris paribus, which will propel us into a high-income economy come 2020? The status of a high-income nation by 2020 with a gross national income (GNI) of over RM1.7 trillion and a GNI per capita of RM48,000 (USD15,000) per year in 2020, is well within reach. Already, we have achieved a GNI per capita of RM22,815 (USD7,059) in 2009 and RM32,556 (USD10,060) in 2013. The target of RM48,000 (USD15,000) is achievable barring any calamity. But a developed nation is not about meeting the income numbers set by the World Bank. More importantly, it is about achieving quality of life, equitable and sustainable "steady-state" growth for the longer term. Needless to say on the crtical need for rule of law, a vibrant democracy, quality education, and good governance as to plug leakages, corruption and rent-seeking activities. This brings us to the central issue of GNI per capita versus household income per capita. While the index of GNI per capita has been highlighted, this is neither similar nor are they measurements of the same thing. While GNI per capita is predicted to double from RM23,700 per year in 2009 to the targeted RM48,000 per year in 2020, could household per capita approximately experience a two-fold increase in income? Very unfortunately, from the Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey Report 2009 by the Department of Statistics, while household member earned RM11,208 (RM981 per month), the GNI per capita income level was showing a figure of RM23,700. Hence the GNI per capita use in the target to achieve the high-income economy bears little semblance of the realities of the state of the rakyat-citizenry. There is an obvious disconnect between the two parametres. We are also reminded of transfer payment of RM2.9billion paid to over 4.8 million low-income households through the infamous BRIM2.0. Achieving GNI per capita of US$15,000 or RM48,000 and heralding ourselves as a "High-Income Nation" is very misleading. More specifically here, neither has the quality of life for the bottom 40% of the rakyat or citizenry improved, worse still, declined. Nor that the size of the middle class has become broader based and improving. Given an inflationary pressure consequent to the subsidy rationalisation and with the impending Goods and Services Tax or the GST, the scenario could only get worse. The entire taxation system warrants a total review, especially in respect of a tax on capital gains or some form of wealth tax as to make it genuinely progressive. In the final analysis, while the numbers in the ETP and GTP annual report may look good, this writer will join the chorus of those clamouring for more serious structural reforms to be effected and institutionalised. We really could no longer afford to do more of the same! As the saying goes, if you want to have what you never had, you have got to do what you have never done. – May 21, 2014. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Di Teluk Intan, pilihan raya belum berakhir, Umno sudah dimalukan Posted: 20 May 2014 04:14 PM PDT May 21, 2014 Md Izwan adalah wartawan The Malaysian Insider. ‎Beliau berkicau di @izwan_noborders. Pilihan raya kecil di Teluk Intan menyaksikan beberapa perkara ganjil timbul, puncanya hanya kerana calon bekas graduan UiTM daripada DAP melawan kuda tua Gerakan. Lebih ganjil ialah walaupun bukan Umno yang bertanding kali ini, tetapi parti Melayu konservatif tersebut pasti akan menerima kesan yang teruk. Kebimbangan akan dimalukan terserlah apabila Umno mula membidas calon DAP tersebut sebagai pengkhianat. Bahkan bukan sahaja calon sahaja jadi mangsa tapi ibunya yang juga ahli Umno menerima kesan sama, parti itu mahu pecat keahliannya. Mengapa saya kata Umno terasa mereka dimalukan? Pening kepala orang Umno hendak memikirkannya, keluarga totok Umno tapi anak calon DAP. Puas Raja Bomoh Ibrahim Mat Zin meneropong binokular ajaibnya, tapi tidak juga dijumpai punca-puncanya. Habis pecah air kelapa, tapi Raja Bomoh juga pening kepala. Lebih mengganjilkan apabila Presiden Perkasa, Datuk Ibrahim Ali juga mahu gambarnya digunakan sebagai modal kempen Barisan Nasional (BN) di Teluk Intan. Terima kasih, ia akan menambah majoriti kepada DAP. Lagi ganjil apabila isu hukum hudud juga mula dimainkan hanya kerana calon DAP tersebut menolak pelaksanaannya. Bukankah Gerakan juga turut sama menolak hukum hudud. Kalau Perkasa atau Umno merasakan mereka mahu bawa isu-isu ini, kenapa tidak meletak calon sendiri di Teluk Intan. Mengapa perlu guna rakan kongsi mereka? Lagi ganjil. Di Teluk Intan, berdasarkan bahan dan corak kempen awal, ini bukan Gerakan yang bertanding tapi lebih kepada Umno yang bertanding. Adakah Gerakan juga akan membawa tema sama dengan Umno? Kalau dahulu parti berbilang bangsa tersebut gigih memperjuangkan kesamarataan, mungkin sudah tiba masanya mereka menunjukkan imej sebenar. Kalau Gerakan mahu menang di Teluk Intan, bukan DAP yang sepatutnya mereka lawan. Umno adalah musuh utama Gerakan di Teluk Intan, jika mereka masih tidak sedar jangan mimpi untuk menang kali ini. Di sinilah keganjilan pilihan raya kecil Teluk Intan, dua parti yang bertanding akan melawan satu musuh iaitu parti konservatif, Umno. Umno patut terasa malu, asas parti mengikut dominasi kaum selama lebih 50 tahun dipecahkan sekali lagi di Teluk Intan. Lagi malu mereka tidak meletak calon sendiri di Teluk Intan. Bagi Gerakan, kasihan. Tetapi sekurang-kurangnya ada lagi yang sanggup berlawan secara berhemah. Menang kalah ramai sudah boleh ramalkan, tetapi mujurlah ada sedikit perencah dalam pilihan raya di Teluk Intan. – 21 Mei, 2014. * Ini adalah pendapat peribadi penulis dan tidak semestinya mewakili pandangan The Malaysian Insider.

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Mahkamah rayuan kekalkan award RM150,000 kepada Mahfuz Posted: 21 May 2014 03:23 AM PDT May 21, 2014 Panel tiga hakim yang dipengerusikan Hakim Mahkamah Rayuan, Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus, sebulat suara menolak rayuan yang dikemukakan bekas pengarang kumpulan New Straits Times (M) Bhd (NST) dan Berita Harian Datuk Ahmad Rejal Arbee terhadap keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi. – Gambar The Malaysian Insider, 21 Mei, 2014.Mahkamah Rayuan hari ini mengekalkan keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi yang mengarahkan pembayaran ganti rugi RM150,000 kepada Ketua Penerangan PAS, Datuk Mahfuz Omar bersabit dengan artikel bersifat fitnah yang diterbitkan akhbar Berita Harian pada tahun 2000. Panel tiga hakim yang dipengerusikan Hakim Mahkamah Rayuan, Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus, sebulat suara menolak rayuan yang dikemukakan bekas  pengarang kumpulan New Straits Times (M) Bhd (NST) dan Berita Harian Datuk Ahmad Rejal Arbee terhadap keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi yang mengisytiharkan artikel itu sebagai fitnah. Dalam keputusannya, Hakim Mohd Hishamudin memutuskan bahawa rayuan yang dikemukakan oleh New Straits Times selaku penerbit Berita Harian dan Ahmad tidak mempunyai merit. Beliau juga mengarahkan mereka membayar kos guaman RM40,000 kepada Mahfuz. Dua lagi hakim yang turut bersidang ialah Datuk Aziah Ali dan Datuk Lim Yee Lan. Mahfuz memfailkan saman sivil terhadap NST dan Ahmad Rejal pada tahun 2002 berhubung artikel bertajuk "Mahfuz ajak wakil BN bertumbuk" yang disiarkan di muka depan akhbar berkenaan pada 9 Nov, 2000. Dalam pernyataan tuntutannya, Mahfuz yang juga anggota Parlimen Pokok Sena mendakwa bahawa artikel itu bersifat fitnah dan mencemarkan reputasinya. Pada 19 Ogos, 2009, Mahkamah Tinggi di Kuala Lumpur membenarkan saman sivil Mahfuz dan mengarahkan NST dan Ahmad Rejal membayar ganti rugi RM150,000 kepada Mahfuz. Mahfuz diwakili peguam Mohamed Hanipa Maidin yang juga anggota Parlimen Sepang sementara pihak perayu diwakili peguam Nad Segaram. – Bernama, 21 Mei, 2014.

Aktiviti keluarkan kapal lama, pendapatan 4,500 nelayan bakal terjejas Posted: 21 May 2014 03:04 AM PDT May 21, 2014 Pendapatan 4,500 nelayan di perairan sekitar Pulau Betong bakal terjejas berikutan aktiviti mengangkut besi buruk daripada bangkai kapal lama oleh pihak tidak bertanggungjawab yang beroperasi sejak sebulan lepas. – Gambar The Malaysian Insider, 21 Mei, 2014. Pendapatan 4,500 nelayan di perairan sekitar Pulau Betong bakal terjejas berikutan aktiviti mengangkut besi buruk daripada bangkai kapal lama oleh pihak tidak bertanggungjawab yang beroperasi sejak sebulan lepas. Anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Pulau Betong Muhamad Farid Saad berkata aktiviti yang tidak diketahui sama ada sah atau tidak itu menjejaskan hasil tangkapan nelayan kawasan tersebut. "Saya dapat aduan ini daripada nelayan dan juga pemancing yang mengatakan bahawa terdapat aktiviti mengangkut besi buruk di laut, aktiviti itu mengurangkan hasil tangkapan, sekaligus menjejaskan pendapatan nelayan. "Oleh itu saya mahu pihak yang bertanggungjawab menyiasat perkara ini kerana sekiranya aktiviti ini berterusan ia akan menjejaskan hidupan laut serta pendapatan nelayan pada masa sekarang dan akan datang," katanya kepada pemberita hari ini. Sebelum itu, Muhamad Farid membahaskan isu itu dalam persidangan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dengan meminta kerajaan negeri menjalankan siasatan terperinci berhubung aktiviti itu. Beliau berkata terdapat empat buah kapal lama yang tenggelam di empat lokasi di sekitar Pulau Betong iaitu kapal Rusia di kawasan sejauh 21 batu nautika, kapal Taiwan tujuh batu nautika dan kapal Jepun yang dipercayai tenggelam di perairan itu sejak 1943 dan berada pada jarak 11 batu nautika. "Sebuah lagi kapal iaitu kapal sayur juga berada di sekitar perairan itu, tetapi tidak diketahui jarak kedudukannya. "Sekiranya aktiviti ini dilakukan semata-mata untuk mendapatkan besi buruk ia sesuatu yang amat malang kerana kapal yang menjadi tukun itu merupakan tempat pembiakan hidupan laut kerana di situ terkumpul banyak plakton iaitu sumber makanan kepada hidupan laut" katanya. Beliau juga berharap agar perkara yang mendukacitakan itu dapat dihentikan segera bagi memelihara ekosistem serta industri pelancongan di negeri ini. – Bernama, 21 Mei, 2014.

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