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Novelist Lauren Myracle out of award race after error Posted: 17 Oct 2011 08:32 PM PDT NEW YORK, Oct 18 — Young adult novelist Lauren Myracle said yesterday she had withdrawn her latest novel "Shine" from the 2011 National Book Awards after being told it had been short-listed by mistake. Myracle, author of teen best-sellers "ttyl" and ttfn" and other novels about disenfranchised young people, said in a statement she was "over the moon last week after receiving the call telling me that 'Shine' was a finalist for the award." Myracle said she was later told that "Shine" had been included in error but would remain on the list "based on its merits." The novel is the tale of the hate crime murder of a young gay teen in a small US town. But on Friday, the National Book Foundation asked her to withdraw, "to preserve the integrity of the award and the judges' work, and I have agreed to do so," she said. Myracle added that she continued to support the remaining authors on the short-list for the young people's literature prize. Her publisher at Amulet Books, Susan Van Meter, added; "We strongly encourage the NBF to review their procedures for transmitting award information between the judges and the staff and to authors and the public so that a painful error like this doesn't happen again." Myracle suggested that NBF make a donation to the Matthew Shepard Foundation "so that something positive might come of this error." Shepard, 21, was attacked and killed in Wyoming in 1998, apparently because he was gay. The National Book Awards will be presented at a gala ceremony in New York on November 16. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Julian Barnes backed for Booker amid literary spat Posted: 17 Oct 2011 07:46 PM PDT Man Booker Prize-nominated British author Julian Barnes holds his book 'Arthur and George' in London. — Reuters pic LONDON, Oct 18 — English author and four-time nominee Julian Barnes, who once dismissed the Man Booker Prize for fiction as "posh bingo", is favoured to win it today with his novel "The Sense of an Ending". The annual award to a writer in English from the Commonwealth, Ireland or Zimbabwe is a major event in the publishing calendar, significantly boosting publicity and sales for shortlisted and winning works. It is also an opportunity for Britain's "literati" to air their grievances about writers who have or have not been nominated and question the ability the judging panels to choose the right winner. That criticism has been unusually loud this year, prompting chair of judges Stella Rimington to hit back at critics who have accused the award of populism and launched a rival award, The Literature Prize. The board of the new prize, whose spokesman is literary agent Andrew Kidd, said in a statement that the Booker "now prioritises a notion of 'readability' over artistic achievement." Leo Robson, critic for the New Statesman magazine, recently wrote: "If things continue as they are, it isn't hard to imagine a time when the (Man Booker) prize will be seen as a way not of celebrating novels, just of selling them." Rimington, a former British spy chief who turned to novel writing, put up a robust defence of this year's judges in a recent newspaper interview. "As somebody interested in literary criticism, it's pathetic that so-called literary critics are abusing my judges and me," she told the Guardian newspaper. "They live in such an insular world they can't stand their domain being intruded upon." "Sour grapes"? Ion Trewin, administrator of the Man Booker Prize, weighed into the debate yesterday with an article in the Daily Telegraph. He said that who ever wins the coveted prize at a glitzy dinner in London today, will have passed "the severest of critical tests." Trewin also brushed off the sniping surrounding this year's award as a minor distraction. "Do I detect sour grapes in some of those who support the possibility of a new literary prize, said to be a rival to the Man Booker?" If the winner is Barnes, as bookmakers predict, he may have mixed feelings. A Man Booker Prize means a cheque for £50,000 (RM245,000), a flurry of media attention and, perhaps most importantly, a major boost in sales. But he has been critical of the award in the past, likening it to "posh bingo" and berating judges for being "inflated by their brief celebrity". Before 2011, he was shortlisted in 1984 ("Flaubert's Parrot"), 1998 ("England, England") and 2005 ("Arthur and George"). This year's contender, The Sense of an Ending, is sufficiently short to be described in one review as a "novella", and tells the story of Tony in a meditation on memory and regret. It is up against Carol Birch for "Jamrach's Menagerie", Canadian authors Patrick deWitt and Esi Edugyan for "The Sisters Brothers" and "Half Blood Blues" respectively, and debut British novelists Stephen Kelman ("Pigeon English") and A.D. Miller ("Snowdrops"). — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Kes fitnah: Permohonan Hisham batal pembelaan Anwar didengar 27 Okt Posted: 18 Oct 2011 02:46 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 18 Okt – Mahkamah Tinggi menetapkan 27 Oktober untuk mendengar permohonan Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein untuk membatalkan sebahagian kenyataan pembelaan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dalam saman berhubung video seks memaparkan pelaku mirip ketua pembangkang itu. Dipetik Bernama Online, peguam Sunil Abraham, yang mewakili Hishammuddin berkata permohonan itu akan didengar oleh Hakim Datuk V T Singham. Pada 26 April, Hishammuddin memfailkan saman fitnah terhadap Anwar berhubung wawancara ketua pembangkang itu dengan wakil media pada 22 Mac di Balai Polis Dang Wangi, selepas membuat laporan menafikan yang dirinya adalah lelaki dalam video itu. Hishammuddin berkata kata-kata dalam temu bual itu antara lain bermaksud yang beliau bertanggungjawab menayangkan video berkenaan kepada sekumpulan editor dan wartawan di hotel Carcosa Seri Negara pada 21 Mac. Menteri itu berkata kata-kata itu juga bermaksud yang beliau telah mengaturkan penayangan video itu dan berkomplot dengan perdana menteri dan pegawai tinggi polis berhubung penayangan video itu. Dalam pernyataan pembelaannya, Anwar berkata kata-kata beliau dalam wawancara itu telah diterbitkan atas kapasiti pelindungan bersyarat dan kedudukannya sebagai ketua pembangkang. Anwar turut memfailkan kenyataan balas menyatakan kata-kata Hishammuddin pada sidang media yang diadakan beliau pada 21 Mac, seolah-olah mengesahkan kenyataan oleh tiga individu yang mendedahkan video itu bahawa pelaku dalam video itu adalah dirinya (Anwar). Hishammuddin, dalam jawapannya, berkata Anwar mempunyai niat buruk semasa mengeluarkan kata-kata memfitnah itu yang kemudiannya telah dilaporkan secara meluas di media dan internet. Beliau berkata kata-kata itu bukan diterbitkan dengan niat baik dan motif utama Anwar ialah untuk mencemarkan reputasinya sebagai menteri dan ahli politik. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Himpunan Sejuta: Pemuda PAS perlu patuh keputusan parti, kata SU Agung Posted: 18 Oct 2011 01:17 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 18 Okt  — Pemuda PAS perlu mematuhi keputusan diambil kepimpinan parti berhubung Himpunan Sejuta Umat (Himpun) yang akan diadakan di Shah Alam Sabtu ini, kata Setiausaha Agungnya Datuk Mustafa Ali. Majlis Kepimpinan Pakatan Rakyat hari ini memutuskan bahawa biro politik PAS, yang akan bertemu malam ini, akan mengambil pendirian sama ada Himpun merupakan strategi Umno untuk menggunakan isu etnik menjelang pilihan raya umum ke-13. "Mereka berada di bawah kami. Apa sahaja kami putuskan, mereka mesti patuh," kata  Mustafa kepada The Malaysian Insider selepas sidang media Pakatan Rakyat hari ini. PAS pusat akan membuat pendirian sama ada akan menyertai kempen Himpun ataupun sebaliknya malam ini. Dalam satu kenyataan awal pagi tadi, Pemuda PAS berkata pihaknya menyokong perhimpunan tersebut yang bermatlamat mahu menegaskan pendirian mempertahankan akidah Islam dengan memfokus isu murtad. Ketuanya Nasrudin Hassan berkata, pihaknya akan memberi sokongan sebagaimana diperlihatkan ketika perhimpunan Bersih 2.0 pada 9 Julai lalu. Semalam, Pesuruhjaya PAS Selangor Dr Abdul Rani Osman berkata, kepimpinan pusat akan mengadakan mesyuarat khas malam ini dan keputusan itu akan menentukan sama ada mereka akan menyertai Himpunan yang akan diadakan di Stadium Shah Alam, Selangor Sabtu ini. "Dewan Pemuda PAS Malaysia mengambil pendekatan serupa sewaktu menyokong gabungan lebih 60 buah NGO Bersih 2.0 yang berjuang menuntut pemulihan sistem demokrasi dan pengurusan pilihan raya negara kita. Pemuda PAS bersama dengan himpunan dan denyut nadi puluhan ribu rakyat pada 9 Julai yang lalu. "Insya-Allah, saya dan rakan-rakan Dewan Pemuda PAS mengambil sikap yang sama terhadap Himpunan Sejuta Umat pada 22 Oktober kelak," kata Nasrudin. Dr Rani yang juga Adun Meru berkata, PAS berharap penganjuran himpunan itu tidak dijadikan agenda politik yang bertujuan menyerang kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat. Dalam pada itu, Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang memberitahu sidang media bahawa biro politik akan melihat sama ada terdapat agenda politik di sebalik penganjuran Himpun. "Ya, anda mesti mempertahankan akidah anda tetapi tidak harus bertindak tidak adil ke atas kepercayaan-kepercayaan lain. Ketegangan kaum tidak harus dicetuskan," kata beliau. Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim memberitahu, PAS akan mengetuai isu itu dan perikatan akan membuat keputusan akhir selepas pertemuan biro politik komponen tersebut malam ini. "Kami sedang mengumpulkan maklumat sama ada terdapat pembabitan Umno. Adakah mereka benar-benar mempertahankan akidah? kata Ketua Umum PKR ini. Beberapa jam sebelum sidang media itu, penganjur Himpun menegaskan, gerakan itu tiada kaitan dengan elemen politik ataupun akan digunakan bagi menyerang mana-mana kumpulan termasuk kaum lain. Pengerusi Bersama Himpun Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid berkata perhimpunan itu juga tiada kaitan dengan beberapa ahli politik yang kontroversial termasuk Ahli Parlimen Kulim-Bandar Baru Datuk Zulkifli Noordin yang dilaporkan akan berucap pada majlis tersebut. "Zulkifli Nordin, Senator Ezam Mohd Noor dan (Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas) Datuk Ibrahim Ali tidak terlibat dalam kepimpinan Himpun. Mereka juga tidak terlibat dengan ucapan tokoh pada hari perhimpunan. "Jika mereka mengeluar sebarang kenyataan berkait dengan perhimpunan, itu tidak mewakili Himpun," kata beliau dalam satu kenyataan. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Steady progress for new-look Chelsea Posted: 17 Oct 2011 06:06 PM PDT OCT 18 — While the new Premier League season's headlines have been dominated by the growing rivalry between Manchester United and Manchester City, with Liverpool's resurgence and Arsenal's decline providing an occasional sub-plot, deposed champions Chelsea have been picking up regular victories and quietly going about their business. That's right: I just used the words "Chelsea" and "quietly going about their business" in the same sentence. Now that is a development. For the last few years — ever since Roman Abramovich and his Russian roubles arrived in West London in 2003 — the Blues have been anything but quiet. They have been brash, bold, cocky, outspoken and generally pretty unlikeable. The tone for all that unpleasantness was largely set by the manager who until now has defined their modern era — Jose Mourinho. The upstart Portuguese maestro brought with him a single-minded devotion to winning and an "us-against-the-world" mentality that was inevitably accompanied by levels of confidence bordering on — and often veering into — arrogance. Although it's a long time since Mourinho departed these shores — he fell out with Abramovich and left Stamford Bridge by "mutual consent" in late 2007 — his legacy remained in place and, despite the changes undertaken during the reigns of Avram Grant, Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea have continued to be a team built in Mourinho's confrontational and self-satisfied image. When Andre Villas-Boas was appointed new Chelsea manager in the summer, I feared the worst. Villas-Boas was, after all, widely known as "the new Mourinho" as a reflection of their startlingly similar backgrounds. Like his compatriot predecessor, Villas-Boas arrived at Stamford Bridge as a relatively young man after no notable playing career, an early leg-up from Bobby Robson, varied assistant managerial roles (under Mourinho at Chelsea and Inter Milan) and a brief but hugely successful spell in charge of Porto. He seemed certain to be a Mourinho clone, bringing more of the same of smugness and arrogance to Stamford Bridge. (By the way, you may have gathered that I don't really like Jose Mourinho. In fact, it's more accurate if you swap around two of those words: I really don't like Jose Mourinho. Hugely talented coach? Of course? Appealing human being? Urgh.) Three months into Villas-Boas' reign, and Chelsea are coming along nicely. Saturday's routine 3-1 home victory over Everton kept them within touching distance of the two Manchester clubs at the top of the table, with six wins and a draw from their opening eight Premier League games. They've also progressed well in the Champions' League, beating Bayer Leverkusen at home and drawing in Spain with Valencia. Most notably, they've done it all without really upsetting anybody (apart from Tottenham over their pursuit of Luka Modric), playing eye-catching football in an attack-minded fashion and largely keeping themselves to themselves. Of course, there has been the occasional drama: record signing Fernando Torres has earned internal censure for appearing to criticise his teammates in a Spanish media interview; Frank Lampard has been dropped and then recalled amid speculation over his future at the club; John Terry and Ashley Cole have... well, been John Terry and Ashley Cole. But Villas-Boas has done what he's had to do in a calm, controlled and diplomatic manner, preventing any internal dissent from entering into the public domain, showing maturity and composure in his media interviews and managing to not ruffle any feathers. Rather unlike his supposed mentor, Villas-Boas seems to actually be quite a nice chap, which comes as a significant relief. It should be pointed out that Chelsea have failed their one big test to date, losing 3-1 at Manchester United last month, and the early indications are the Villas-Boas' new team will struggle to last the pace with the new "big two" of English football. But Villas-Boas has shown signs that he will be there for the long haul. He appears ready to tackle the challenge of gradually overhauling his squad — Daniel Sturridge and Juan Mata have started more Premier League games so far this season than Nicolas Anelka and Florent Maluoda — and you can sense a growing feeling that Chelsea are already less reliant on Drogba and Lampard than they have been in the past. The Portuguese manager has a big job on his hands. The nucleus of his team is still far too old and, with access to Abramovich's wallet seemingly more restricted these days, younger players such as David Luiz, Josh McEachran, Oriol Romeu and Romelu Lukaku will need to become regular starters before too long. That probably suits Villas-Boas just fine. Although they'll help him gain a few short-term results, the new manager won't be able to build long-lasting success around a team containing Terry, Lampard and Drogba. Their contribution to Chelsea's recent history has been enormous, but they are nearly yesterday's men. They are certainly Mourinho's men, and Villas-Boas has to mould a squad of players who feel loyalty to him rather than to his self-promoting predecessor. It will be a big challenge, but so far, so good. Perhaps the only way for Chelsea to finally break their attachment to the old Mourinho was to appoint the new one. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. 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Sejarah Mat Indera perlu ditulis semula Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:35 PM PDT 18 OKT — Sejak Mohamad Sabu menimbulkan pandangan baru tentang Mat Indera dan menuntut supaya sejarah kemerdekaan ditulis semula, mulai berkembang persepsi baru tentang kehidupan Mat Indera yang dilebel inteligen Bitish sebagai seorang komunis. Adik Mat Indera, seorang pesara tentera yang selamanya membisu tentang sebaran nama abangnya yang buruk itu tiba-tiba muncul di khalayak umum membela abangnya bukan seorang pemimpin komunis. Kemunculannya sama seperti yang berlaku kepada Mat Kilau. Selepas dia dan rakan-rakannya termasuk Dato Bahaman diburu oleh pencerobohan penjajah British di Pahang, mereka melarikan diri. Setelah kira-kira 13 tahun merdeka, sesudah merasa dirinya selamat, Mat Kilau muncul di khalayak ramai di masjid mengumumkan dirinya Mat Kilau yang dikehendaki polis dulu. Adik Mat Indera juga begitu. Setelah Mat Sabu menggemparkan cerita abangnya, dia merasa ada suasana kondusif baginya untuk membela abang, seperti keluar dari persembunyian, dia menyokong seruan Mat Sabu supaya ditulis semula sejarah abangnya. Antara persepsi baru tentang Mat Indera itu, ada keterangan bahawa dia bukan orang yang memimpin pasukan komunis menyerang Rumah Pasong Bukit Kepong. Sekali pun dia ada hubungan dengan orang-orang komunis kerana sama-sama mahu mengusir penjajah British, dia pergi ke balai polis itu menyelamatkan polis dan keluarganya dari serangan komunis itu. Dia tidak memimpin serangan itu tetapi dia datang sesudah ada serangan bagi menyelamatkan siapa yang boleh diselamatkan. Tetapi ketika dia sampai, hanya seorang saja yang dapat diselamatkan. Keterangan mata-mata yang diselamatkannya itu ada direkodkan. Persepsi baru itu pula menyebut Mat Indera adalah seorang yang bencikan penjajah Inggeris dan tidak bersedia untuk bertolak ansur dengan Inggeris dan bersedia untuk bekerjasama dengan mana-mana pihak yang menentang Inggeris. Sikap itu sama dengan sikap Dr Burhanuddin al-Hilmy yang memimpin Partai Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya bersikap non-co atau tidak berkompromi terhadap Inggeris. Sikap Dr Burhanuddin itu adalah disebabkan terpengaruh dengan sikap Mahatma Gandhi memimpin gerakan kemerdekaan India. Dr Burhanuddin belajar lama di India, terdedah dengan perjuangan Gandhi, bahkan beliau berkenalan rapat dengan dua pejuang kemerdekaan India iaitu Pandit Nehru dan Ali Jinnah yang kemudiannya menjadi bapa kebebasan Pakistan. Sikap non-co Dr Burhanuddin ini menjadi pegangan PKMM dan Mat Indera adalah seorang aktavis PKMM yang berpengaruh di tempatnya di Muar. Kalau British boleh mendapat kerjasama Dato Onn Jaafar dan penyokong-penyokongnya di Johor, tetapi Mat Indera langsung tidak memberi muka kepada Inggeris. Bahkan Mat Indera boleh menjadi pemimpin lebih ke depan dari komunis dalam menghadapi Inggeris. Ada masanya Inggeris boleh bermain mata dengan komunis tetapi Inggeris tidak boleh dapat apa-apa dari Mat Indera. Sikap Mat Indera itu mendapat sokongan orang Melayu dan bukan Melayu yang menentang penjajahan. Dasar British adalah jelas melagakan orang Melayu dan Cina. Antara kemarahan orang Melayu kepada Cina ialah rata-rata ketua komunis itu adalah Cina. Ia adalah peluang baik bagi British menenamkan rasa curiga orang Melayu kepada Cina. Apabila Mat Indera dilebelkan sebagai pemimpin komunis dan mengepalai komunis menyerang Bukit Kepong, maka ia mengubah pandangan orang Melayu kepada Mat Indera. Kebetulan Mat Indera pula hadir di Bukit Kepong dalam kejaadian itu maka ia satu kesempatan terbaik bagi British menamkan sikap bencikan Mat Indera. Mat Indera tidak peluang untuk membela diri. Dia diburu dan apabila ditangkap, Mat Indera terus dipisahkan dari masyarakat umum khususnya orang Melayu. Ada pandangan mengatakan Mat Indera tidak mendapat perbicaraan adil. Tiada keterangan tentang pembelaan diri Mat Indera. Yang diketahui dia dihukup bunuh saja. Mengikut Ghani Ismail, penulis bebas yang pernah bekerja dengan Tengku Razaleigh, berasal dari Taiping. Dia tidak jumpa orang Melayu di sekitar Taiping percaya Mat Indera seorang komunis. Bagi mereka dia seorang yang kuat Islam dan terpelajar. Malah ada orang Taiping menganggapnya keramat. Boleh diterima teori mengatakan dia komunis dan mengetuai serangan balai polis Bukit Kepong itu adalah muslihat British bagi menggelapkan perjuangan anti Inggeris Mat Indera. Tektik Inggeris sama seperti yang dilakukannya terhadap pejuang Palestin terhadap British dan Yahudi sebelum ia ditakluk Israil. Semua Arab yang penentang British di Palestin dilebel sebagai pengganas. Tektik sama digunakan Amerika dan Nato sekarang terhadap orang Islam yang menentang penindasan Amerika dan barat. Semuanya dituduh teroris. Jika Chin Peng mengesahkan Mat Indera adalah komunis, ia bukan mustahil bagi propaganda komunis untuk membuktikan parti komunis juga disokong oleh orang Melayu dan Islam. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Cardinals beat Brewers to reach World Series Posted: 17 Oct 2011 05:51 AM PDT MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin, Oct 17 — The St Louis Cardinals advanced to the World Series yesterday after a 12-6 victory over Milwaukee in Game Six sealed the National League Championship Series. The Cardinals will play American League champions Texas Rangers, who travel to St Louis for Wednesday's opener of the best-of-seven Major League Baseball championship. St Louis scored four runs in the first inning, one in the second and another four in the third to seize a 9-4 lead and were never headed as they clinched the series 4-2 and booked their first return to the Fall Classic since winning it in 2006. St Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols (right) joins relief pitcher Jason Motte (centre) and catcher Yadier Molina (on ground) as they celebrate advancing to the World Series. — Reuters pic Cardinals starting pitcher Edwin Jackson went only two innings, but as they did all series long, their relievers shut the Brewers down to secure the win. Third baseman David Freese, who belted a three-run blast in the first inning, was named NLCS Most Valuable Player after notching three home runs, nine RBIs and hitting .545. Freese's homer followed an RBI single by Lance Berkman to put the Cardinals ahead 4-0. The outburst continued a St Louis trend as the Cardinals scored first in every game, putting runs on the board four times in the first inning during the series and scoring in the second inning of the other two games. "They were unbelievable in the first inning," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke. "We couldn't get away with anything. We just never had a chance to get into our comfort zone, get into our rhythm. They just didn't let up on us." Early action The early action felt like a home run derby as six were hit in the first three innings and nine of the first 10 runs came from round-trippers. Corey Hart homered in the first for Milwaukee, Rafael Furcal matched his solo homer in the second, while in the Brewers' half of the second, Rickie Weeks and Jonathan Lucroy cleared the fences to bring the home team within one at 5-4. Albert Pujols's blast leading off the third made it 6-4 and the Cardinals added three more runs on a sacrifice fly by Nick Punto and a two-run single by pinch-hitter Allen Craig. After a sloppy showing in Friday's Game Five in St Louis, in which Milwaukee committed four errors in a 7-1 loss, the Brewers were once again loose in the field with three miscues. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa used five relievers to secure the victory. In all, St Louis relievers pitched a remarkable 282/3 innings against just 241/3 innings by the team's starters. "They pitched with a lot of heart," La Russa said. "You don't get in the postseason unless you have great starting pitching. But it was a unique and weird situation; the starters couldn't make a mistake and get away with it." Freese, who went 3-for-4 to pace the Cards' 14-hit attack, saluted the team's relief corps. "I wish we could do eight or nine of these and give them to the bullpen," he said while clutching the MVP trophy. "What they did, they really deserve this award." Left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski registered the win, while Milwaukee starter Shaun Marcum, who was tagged for four runs in his lone inning of work, took the loss. Jason Motte closed it out in the ninth, setting off a group hug and chant of "Happy Flight, Happy Flight", in the middle of the diamond, repeating a theme that brought the Cardinals wins in their last 17 games on travel days. The Cardinals now travel home for the World Series opener after winning their 18th National League pennant. St Louis, who trailed Atlanta for the wild card by 101/2 games with one month to play, clinched the playoff berth on the last day of the regular season. "They never quit," said La Russa. "Once they got going, the guys played every game as if it were the last game of their lives." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

NBA lockout puts star focus on Euroleague Posted: 17 Oct 2011 03:47 AM PDT BELGRADE, Oct 17 — The cancellation of the first two weeks of games in the US National Basketball League (NBA) has left Europe's Euroleague, albeit temporarily, as the world's top club competition promising an exciting season. League owners and players in the NBA have been unable to resolve a labour dispute, meaning that the season will not start before November 14 and more games are under threat with a collective bargaining agreement still looking distant. Star quality of Europe: Panathinaikos players celebrate after defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Euroleague final in Barcelona, May 8, 2011. — Reuters pic Europe's premier club competition, which starts today with a curtain-raiser between six-times winners CSKA Moscow and Lithuanian team Zhalgiris Kaunas, has benefited as a result, with some top contenders bolstering their ranks. But Jordi Bertomeu, the Euroleague's chief executive officer, warned the exodus of NBA players to Europe was only temporary as most of them had pledged to return when the lockout across the Atlatnic ended. "Teams that have decided to sign players knowing they are likely to leave understand the risks, both good and bad," Bertomeu said on the Euroleague's official website. "The good one is that such a player will help win games while he's here, the bad one is that team chemistry will be difficult to maintain when a player leaves. "But fans new and old can expect to see great basketball, first and foremost. "The way our competition is structured, with almost no games that do not impact the standings in some way, the teams are playing for survival from the opening night." The top four teams from each of the four preliminary pools of six will advance to the second stage, featuring four groups of four, where the top two teams from each group will qualify for the business end of the competition. The knockout stage begins with best-of-five quarter-final series from which the winners advance to the Final Four, with this season's showpiece tournament set for Istanbul in May. Clear vision Anadolu Efes Istanbul, who were already boasting a stack of top European performers, have welcomed former Los Angeles Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic, who joined the Turkish contenders from the New Jersey Nets. The Slovenian, part of the Lakers roster that won the NBA titles in 2009 and 2010, was delighted to have arrived at one of the favourites to reach this season's Euroleague Final Four in their own Sinan Erdem Arena. "I am very excited to be with a team with a great history, with a clear vision where they want to be in the Euroleague and what they want to accomplish," Vujacic said. "It's going to take a lot of hard work to adjust to the European game and adapt to it, but seven years in the NBA, 61/2 of them with the Lakers, helped me mature as a player and a person. "Like the NBA, it's a long season in the Euroleague; it's a marathon and not a sprint so what matters is not how you start but how you finish," said Vujacic, who signed a one-year deal with Efes with an option to extend. Efes start their campaign with tricky tie on Thursday at Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade, whose Pinoir Arena resembles a cauldron and is one of the most intimidating away courts for any opponents. Defending champions Panathinaikos Athens, whose squad has remained virtually intact, are at home to Spaniards Unicaja Malaga while last season's finalists Maccabi Tel Aviv are away to Emporio Armani Milan. Real Madrid, who have signed Dallas Mavericks forward Rudy Fernandez until the NBA lockout ends, visit Belgian champions Belgacom Spirou while bitter Spanish rivals Barcelona travel to Slovenians Olimpija Ljubljana. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Why Black Death was the mother of all plagues Posted: 17 Oct 2011 04:59 AM PDT Bubonic plague bacteria taken from a patient. Plague germs teased from mediaeval cadavers in a London cemetery have shed light on why the bacterium that unleashed the Black Death was so lethal and spawned later waves of epidemics. – AFP pic PARIS, Oct 17 – Plague germs teased from mediaeval cadavers in a London cemetery have shed light on why the bacterium that unleashed the Black Death was so lethal and spawned later waves of epidemics. The DNA of Yersinia pestis shows, in evolutionary terms, a highly successful germ to which the population of 14th-century Europe had no immune defences, according to a study published recently in the British journal Nature. It also lays bare a pathogen that has undergone no major genetic change over six centuries. "The Black Death was the first plague pandemic in human history," said Johannes Krause, lead researcher and a professor at the University of Tuebingen, Germany. "Humans were (immunologically) naive and not adapted to this disease," he said in an email exchange. No bug or virus has wiped out a greater proportion of humankind in a single epidemic than the Black Death. Brought to Europe from China, it scythed through the continent from 1347 to 1351, killing about 30 million people – about one in three of Europe's and nearly one in 12 of the world's population at the time. Remarkably, more recent variants of the bacterium hardly vary compared to the original microbe, says the paper. "Based on the reconstructed genome, we can say that the mediaeval plague is close to the root of all modern human pathogenic plague strains," said Krause. "The ancient plague strain does not carry a single position that cannot be found in the same state in modern strains." This deep similarity between ancient and modern plague calls into question the long-held assumption that virulence-enhancing mutations are what made Y. pestis so deadly to the Middle Ages. Like Native American Indians who were exposed to smallpox, Europeans had never been exposed to the bacterium, said Krause. "Plague was among the strongest sources of selection on the human population in the last few thousand years," he added. "People who were less susceptible due to mutations might have survived, and these (beneficial) mutations may have spread." Another likely factor that worsened the Black Death's toll was social conditions, which were far worse compared to the 18th or 19th centuries. Poverty and malnutrition were rampant, and even the concept of hygiene was non-existent. The onset of the so-called "Little Ice Age" could also have favoured the spread of the disease which, like many pathogens, travels more quickly in cold climes. The same goes for the rats that carried the blood-sucking insects – fleas or lice, perhaps both – that transmit the disease. Indeed, the species of rodent, Ratus ratus, that sowed terror across a continent in the 14th century is not the same as the one that transports plague today, Ratus norvegicus, Krause said. The 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic killed by some estimates 50 million people. In absolute terms, this was the deadliest pandemic in human history. But with a world population that was close to two billion, the toll in relative terms was far smaller than that of the Black Death, when the number of humans was in the hundreds of millions. The first outbreak of plague occurred in China more than 2,600 years ago before reaching Europe via Central Asia's "Silk Road" trade route, according to a molecular "family tree" – mapped out last year – of 17 Y. pestis strains. It then spread to Africa, probably by an expedition led by Chinese seafarer Zhang He in the 15th century. In the late 19th century, plague came to the United States from China, arriving in the ports of California via Hawaii, according to this evidence. – AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Green vegetables shown to help boost immune system Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:02 AM PDT Eating green vegetables like broccoli has been shown to help regulate the immune system. — AFP pic CAMBRIDGE (England), Oct 17 — If you're constantly fightng off colds, tuck into a big bowl of greens. That's the conclusion of a new study from researchers at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, where scientists found that green vegetables turn out to be the source of a chemical signal that's important for a fully functioning immune system. The study, published online in the journal Cell October 13, found that these chemical signals ensure that immune cells in the gut and skin function properly. Known as intra-epithelial lymphocytes or IELs, the immune cells exist beneath another barrier of cells that cover inner and outer body surfaces and act as a first line of defence and help with wound repair. In lab experiments on mice, researchers found that a diet rich in green vegetables like broccoli or bok choy was found to help regulate this complex immune system, while the same was true of the reverse. After depriving mice of vegetables for three weeks, researchers said they found that 70 to 80 per cent of the protective cells disappeared. The weakened mice showed lower levels of antimicrobial proteins, heightened immune activation and were more vulnerable to injury. When researchers intentionally damaged the intestinal surface, for example, their bodies were slow to recover. The implications of their findings could help with conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, scientists say, which shares the same characteristics observed in the mice. Another study published last year in the British Medical Journal also found that eating more leafy green vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. — AFP-Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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NYC’s Occupy Wall Street: Democracy in action Posted: 16 Oct 2011 05:26 PM PDT OCT 17 — When hundreds of protestors were penned in with orange netting and arrested on Brooklyn Bridge earlier this month, I knew something big was brewing out of the Occupy Wall Street movement, now entering its fifth week. More than 700 people were arrested by the New York Police Department on October 1; the largest arrest of non-violent protestors in United States history. Their crime? Having the audacity to draw the world's attention to the inequities of corporate America. For a developed nation the statistics (mostly sourced from the US government's own data) make a sobering read: more than 14 million unemployed; 43.6 million live in poverty (annual earnings less than US$22,000 (RM70,400) for a family of four); one in six lives without healthcare coverage; as many as 3.5 million will experience homeless this year and a national debt exceeding US$14 trillion. Robert Carlson, who works in New York City's financial district, took a week's holiday to join the movement. — Pictures by Helen Hickey Set against this deeply-depressed economy, a grassroots movement of humble beginnings began on September 17 around the corner from Wall Street and its bankers, the recipients of numerous taxpayer-funded bailouts. I don't think anyone could have predicted that that first hundred or so people, with their wads of cardboard and Sharpie pen-markers, would spark a mass anti-austerity movement of tens of thousands not just in New York, but across America including Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC. I grabbed my camera and headed down to the financial district's Zuccotti Park, now renamed "Liberty Square", as thousands — including several major labour unions that had just announced their unanimous support to the Occupy Wall Street movement — prepared to march to New York City Hall a week last Wednesday.  I arrived just after noon to a sea of placards, a band playing, and thousands milling around the small private park filled with ad hoc food canteens, spare clothes stalls, tarps, sleeping bags and an increasing number of camera crew. The march was scheduled to start at 4.30pm, just after Wall Street's closing bell marking the end of the business day. The "I-could-lose-my-job-for-having-a-voice" placard held by a young man with an American flag shoved down his back grabbed my attention. Without removing the green one dollar bill taped across his mouth, 25-year-old financier Robert J. Carlson said he had taken a week's holiday to join the movement because: "I want to raise awareness to some very serious economic issues that are happening in the world today, and to get leaders to talk about solutions before it is too late." He told me he had met nurses, doctors, professors, teachers, Wall Street bankers and "even two off-duty police officers" in the crowds over the past few days. These people are all "potentially sacrificing their jobs to participate in this peaceful movement — it's amazing that it has come to this," he added. A healthy cross-section of society; this is what I saw too. Hardly the picture painted by Bill O'Reilly, Fox News, of a movement fuelled by the great unwashed, unemployed or marijuana-smoking hippie-types (OK, I admit there were some). More moderate news outlets like CNN cautiously hedge their bets. While coverage from the traditionally liberal leaning The New York Times has ranged from outrageously dismissive (check out Ginia Bellafante's column of September 23) to the positively respectful, following President Obama's concession in a recent press conference that the movement might have a point: "I think it expresses the frustrations that the American people feel."   Dressed in pink scrubs, Tammy Vick, a 49-year-old medical secretary from Connecticut, said: "I've been waiting since the '80s and the [right-wing] Reaganomic-years for this movement to take place." It's finally happened: "I just had to come down here to voice out about the inequalities that is going on in this country." Vick recently lost her job after she lodged a complaint over unfair working conditions. I eavesdropped on an interview with a Californian construction worker wearing a hardhat and sporting a tattoo on his left arm reading "Union Ironworker Built America". Carl Armstrong, a 48-year-old Ironworkers Union member since 1996, joined the movement on Day Three after his job in lower Manhattan was postponed. The movement attracted a healthy cross-section of society, including this group of musicians. "I am very proud of my job, and I love what I do for a living... but if only America would wake up to the fact that the rich keep getting richer and the poor, poorer, and an increasing number of the middle classes are on the brink of poverty." These people "can't even pay their bills and feed their children" let alone pay their taxes, he added. He wants tax reform and Washington DC lobbyists to back the movement. A fresh-faced student, who went by the name of "Sugts", held a placard reading "Wall Street is Stealing the American Dream". The senior, about to graduate in economics and politics from Seaton Hall University, timorously confided that he was joining Wednesday's march because the economy is in such a mess that his "job prospects don't look at all good". He wasn't alone; two other students from the same university stood at his side. A class-action suit has been filed over the mass arrests on Brooklyn Bridge. Occupy Wall Street lawyers argue police invited them to march on the roadway, as opposed to the pedestrian crossing.  Rightly or wrongly the NYPD were just doing their job, albeit one helped along by a US$4.6 million gift recently given to New York City Police Foundation by JPMorgan Chase — the largest private donation ever received by foundation. As with this year's Arab Spring uprisings, the more democracy in action is suppressed the bigger the explosion of support. The Occupy Wall Street protests have gone global this weekend. Thousands have marched in anti-austerity protests in Rome, Madrid, Sydney and London. But what will become of this movement? Are we watching history unfold? Who knows. The only certainty right now is that the protestors are not ready to be silenced. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Nandurin Karang Awak Posted: 16 Oct 2011 04:28 PM PDT 17 OKT — Hakikat yang diketahui umum adalah bahawa karya-karya yang terbit dalam bahasa-bahasa utama seluruh dunia akan segera diterjemah ke Bahasa Indonesia. Langkah ini secara langsung dan tidak langsung membuka ruang serta peluang kepada penduduk di seluruh negara berkenaan membaca kandungan karya dari seluruh dunia dalam bahasa rasmi negara tersebut. Tentu sahaja tidak adil dan tidak wajar untuk membandingkan keadaan ini dengan realiti di Malaysia; walaupun Oktober diiktiraf Bulan Bahasa Kebangsaan. Berbalik pada situasi di Indonesia, suatu lagi hakikat yang menarik dan wajar diberi perhatian adalah bahawa karya-karya yang ditulis dalam Bahasa Indonesia turut diterjemah ke bahasa-bahasa lain, khususnya Bahasa Inggeris. Dalam hal ini, saya tidak hanya bercakap mengenai karya-karya Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Putu Wijaya dan beberapa penulis vateran yang terkenal pada peringkat antarabangsa. Antologi 'Cultivate the Land Within' dilancarkan di Ubud, Bali. Novel "Laskar Pelangi" karya Andrea Hirata sudah diterjemah ke Bahasa Inggeris dan beberapa bahasa lain. Novel "Negeri 5 Menara" karya A. Fuadi yang dilancarkan pada 6 Oktober 2011 sempena Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF) juga sudah diterjemah ke Bahasa Inggeris. Sebuah lagi buku yang menarik minat saya adalah antologi "Nandurin Karang Awak — Cultivate the Land Within" yang mengumpulkan prosa dan puisi karya 17 pengarang Indonesia yang menyertai UWRF. Majlis pelancaran dan pembacaan teks daripada antologi berkenaan berlangsung pada 9 Oktober di Warung Pulau Kelapa, Jalan Raya Sanggingan, Ubud, Bali. Selesai acara, saya berpeluang berbual bersama-sama Toni Pollard, seorang wanita Australia yang merupakan bekas guru Bahasa Indonesia dan kini menjadi perunding serta penterjemah bebas. Katanya, ini tahun keempat beliau terlibat dalam membantu kerja-kerja menterjemah karya Bahasa Indonesia ke Bahasa Inggeris bagi antologi khas sempena UWRF. "Saya bangga dapat memberi sumbangan ke arah memperkenalkan hasil karya penulis Indonesia kepada khalayak lebih besar," katanya. Suatu perkara yang menarik perhatian saya adalah bahawa Toni tidak melakukan terjemahan secara langsung. Sebaliknya beliau menggunakan teknik tertentu yang saya percaya wajar juga dipelajari dan dipraktikkan di Malaysia. "Saya akan membaca seluruh cerpen dan kemudian menulis terjemahannya menggunakan tulisan tangan. Semasa menaipnya kemudian, saya kemaskan lenggok bahasa supaya sesuai dengan gaya penulisan karya Bahasa Inggeris. "Selepas membaca dan menyunting beberapa kali, saya akan serahkan manuskrip Bahasa Inggeris sahaja kepada orang lain untuk perhatikan sama ada mereka boleh membaca dan menghayati keindahan kandungan karya itu," wanita berkenaan menceritakan. Sering kali Toni selaku penterjemah berpengalaman perlu membuat beberapa keputusan penting, khususnya berhubung perkataan-perkataan dalam bahasa tempatan serta istilah tertentu yang menggambarkan budaya setempat. "Ada kalanya saya mengubah judul karya supaya sesuai dengan versi terjemahan dan khalayak pembaca karya Bahasa Inggeris. Ramai juga penterjemah yang selalu meletakkan nota kaki untuk menerangkan perkataan, istilah atau frasa dalam bahasa tempatan. "Saya ingin menasihatkan penterjemah supaya menggunakan terus istilah Bahasa Inggeris kerana nota kaki dan glosari mengganggu proses penghayataan sebuah karya sastera," Toni memberi panduan. Saya yakin pada panduan dan saranan yang diberikan oleh wanita berkenaan kerana beliau berpengalaman sebagai guru Bahasa Indonesia selama 44 tahun di beberapa sekolah menengah di Australia. Toni juga menjadi pensyarah selama 12 tahun di University of Western Sydney, sebelum bersara enam tahun lalu. Sejak itu, beliau menjadi penterjemah profesional. Satu lagi sikap terpuji Toni adalah bahawa beliau menjadi tenaga sukarelawan bagi menjayakan UWRF dan penterjemah karya bagi antologi "Cultivate the Land Within". Antara karya dalam antologi itu yang diterjemah oleh Toni adalah "Weddings of Defiance" iaitu petikan novel "Nika Baronta" karya Alan Malingi dan "Hongkong" iaitu petikan novel "Sebongkah Tanah Retak" karya Rida Fitria. Toni turut menterjemah "Surat Berdarah untuk Presiden" tulisan Jaladara sebagai "A Blood Stained Letter to the President" dan petikan novel "Rumah Debu" karya Sandi Firly iaitu "The Long Night". Cerpen "Lali Panggora" karya Saut Poltak Tambunan pula diterjemahkannya menjadi "The Hawk That Heralds Death" kerana bagi Toni, judul dalam versi Bahasa Inggeris perlu sesuai dan menepati kandungan cerita. UWRF kali ini disertai sekitar 130 penulis dari 27 negara dan hampir 170 acara berlangsung di 57 lokasi. Walaupun khalayak yang menghadiri majlis pelancaran dan pembacaan teks "Cultivate the Land Within" tidak ramai, penerbitan buku itu amat bermakna. Tambahan pula, pengasas UWRF, Janet De Neefe berkata, antologi dwibahasa berjudul "Reasons for Harmony" (2008), "Compassion and Solidarity" (2009), "Harmony in Diversity" (2010) dan "Cultivate the Land Within" (2011) terbitan Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati dengan kerjasama HiVOS dihantar ke pelbagai universiti, pusat penulisan dan perpustakaan di Indonesia dan seluruh dunia. "Saya amat suka melakukan kerja-kerja terjemahan kerana memang mencabar untuk 'mencipta' semula sebuah karya seni atau sastera seorang pengarang ke dalam bentuk lain atau bahasa lain untuk dihayati khalayak dengan latar budaya yang lain," kata Toni yang tinggal di Paddington, New South Wales. Toni Pollard berasal dari Australia. Tentu sahaja amat menarik untuk mendengar penjelasan Toni bahawa karya yang diterjemah ke Bahasa Inggeris (atau mana-mana bahasa lain) perlu mampu berdiri sendiri. Maknanya, pembaca perlu berupaya membaca, memahami dan menghayati karya berkenaan tanpa perlu membaca atau memahami karya dalam bahasa asal. Sebagai pembaca tegar karya-karya sastera yang diterjemah ke Bahasa Inggeris daripada bahasa-bahasa utama dunia, saya amat bersetuju dengan pandangan dan pendirian Toni dalam hal ini. Mungkin ada pihak yang mengatakan bahawa Toni (dan saya) "membunuh" keaslian karya asal kerana menyokong usaha terjemahan "konteks" cerita berbanding terjemahan "perkataan demi perkataan". Dalam hal ini, saya ingin melihat secara khusus pada pengarang yang karya mereka dimuatkan dalam antologi "Cultivate the Land Within". Saya berpeluang bertemu mereka serta mendengar mereka berkongsi pengalaman menerusi beberapa sesi diskusi. Rata-rata mereka bukan menutur dan pembaca karya Bahasa Inggeris. Mujurlah mereka memahami bahawa apabila karya yang mereka tulis dalam Bahasa Indonesia diterjemah ke Bahasa Inggeris, aspek "pemahaman" khalayak perlu diambil kira. Kita perlu faham bahawa khalayak yang membaca karya dalam versi terjemahan itu mungkin tidak tahu Bahasa Indonesia dan mungkin tidak tahu adat, budaya dan latar masyarakat di Indonesia. Maka, Toni bukan setakat "menterjemah" karya-karya itu supaya sesuai bagi khalayak pada peringkat antarabangsa. Sebaliknya, beliau "menyesuaikan" dan "mengadaptasikan" karya berkenaan supaya mampu dibaca, difahami dan dihayati masyarakat di seluruh pelosok dunia. "Saya tidak bermaksud hendak 'membunuh' karya itu. Sebaliknya saya berusaha membantu khalayak umum memahami kehebatan karya dan budaya Indonesia," katanya dengan penuh bersemangat. Betapa baik jika semangat yang sama dapat dikongsi pelbagai pihak (individu dan organisasi) di Malaysia dalam usaha menterjemah karya Bahasa Tamil dan Mandarin ke Bahasa Malaysia; serta karya ketiga-tiga bahasa itu ke Bahasa Inggeris. Saya yakin bahawa semangat "Nandurin Karang Awak" UWRF yang dipetik daripada sebuah gaguritan (puisi tradisional) karya sasterawan terkenal Bali, Ida Pedanda Made Sidemen, boleh turut memberi inspirasi kepada penduduk pelbagai kaum dan agama di Malaysia. Selamat menyambut Bulan Bahasa Kebangsaan! Om shanti shanti shanti. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Penulis Indonesia gemar menggunakan bahasa kebangsaan. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Bayi dengan kesan kelaran ditemui di asrama sekolah Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:45 AM PDT BETONG, 17 Okt – Seorang bayi perempuan yang dipercayai dilahirkan semalam ditemui mati dengan kesan kelaran di bilik asrama perempuan sebuah sekolah menengah di sini hari ini. Susulan kejadian itu, polis menahan seorang pelajar perempuan berusia 16 tahun pada 9.15 pagi ini bagi membantu siasatan. "Selepas menerima laporan daripada pihak sekolah, pasukan Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Betong ke lokasi kejadian dan menemui seorang bayi perempuan yang sudah meninggal dengan beberapa kesan luka di bahagian leher, perut dan belakang badan," kata  Pemangku Ketua Polis Daerah Betong ASP Hendry Nyuhai dipetik Bernama Online. Beliau berkata mayat bayi itu ditemui terbaring bersebelahan katil pelajar perempuan berkenaan. Katanya polis turut merampas sebilah pisau yang ditemui disorokkan dalam selimut di tempat kejadian. Pelajar perempuan itu dihantar ke Hospital Umum Betong bagi mendapat rawatan, manakala kes disiasat mengikut Seksyen 302 Kanun Keseksaan. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Malaysia bakal lewati had hutang, Anwar cabar Najib debat Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:10 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, 17 Okt – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata kritikan Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang melabel Belanjawan Pakatan Rakyat 2012 sebagai "belanjawan Republikan aliran kanan yang gagal memahami kehendak rakyat" adalah sesuatu yang dangkal. Malah Anwar (gambar) berkata, kenyataan itu membuktikan Najib mengelak dari isu asas yang menjangkiti pentadbiran beliau seumpama tadbir urus yang goyah, rasuah berleluasa dan dasar Barisan Nasional yang memperkaya keluarga dan kroni. Sehubungan itu Ketua Pembangkang berkata, beliau mempelawa Najib berdebat berkaitan kedudukan ekonomi negara dan persoalan berkaitan belanjawan. "Debat tersebut seharusnya disiarkan secara langsung dan ditayangkan melalui televisyen ke seluruh negara. Semenjak Pakatan Rakyat melancarkan Buku Jingga pada 2010, saya sudah pun mempelawa Datuk Seri Najib untuk berdebat," kata beliau dalam satu kenyataan dikeluarkan hari ini. Anwar yang juga Ketua Umum PKR berkata wacana umum antara Pakatan Rakyat dan pentadbiran beliau pastinya memberi manfaat tidak terhingga kepada rakyat terutamanya ketika ekonomi negara memasuki wilayah yang tidak dikenali serta kegagalan pentadbiran beliau untuk melonjak ekonomi Malaysia. "Sewajarnya Datuk Seri Najib Razak perihatin terhadap kebimbangan meluas berkaitan kenaikan kadar hutang negara, bukannya mengejek kekhuatiran tersebut," kata beliau. Bekas timbalan perdana menteri dan bekas menteri kewangan ini berkata kadar hutang negara ditetapkan oleh pelbagai peruntukan undang-undang. Antara peruntukan tersebut adalah Akta Pinjaman (Tempatan) 1959 (Pindaan 2004) dan Akta Pelaburan Kerajaan 1983, yang menetapkan gabungan pinjaman tempatan tidak boleh melewati kadar 55 peratus dari KDNK Negara. "Manakala Akta Pinjaman Luar Negeri 1963 (Pindaan) mengehadkan pinjaman luar negeri pada RM35,000 juta pada sesuatu masa. "Selain dari kadar yang ditetapkan oleh peruntukan undang-undang, Perbendaharaan juga mengenakan peraturan ketat untuk diikuti demi mengukuhkan displin fiskal," kata beliau sambil berkata, "amalan ini, malah ditetapkan sebelum dari saya menjadi Menteri Kewangan lagi." Sebagai contoh perbelanjaan pengurusan untuk tahun terbabit tidak boleh melebihi unjuran pendapatan, katanya. Begitu juga pinjaman yang dibuat kerajaan hanya untuk dibelanjakan demi pembangunan, tambah beliau. "Oleh itu, wacana umum berkaitan kadar hutang negara kini menjadi persoalan undang-undang dan berkepentingan nasional, apatah lagi pentadbiran Datuk Seri Najib kini hampir melanggari kadar hutang negara yang dihadkan undang-undang serta cuba untuk menyembunyikannya dari pengetahuan umum," katanya. Menurut Anwar, laporan terkini Bank Negara menunjukkan hutang negara kini berada pada RM437,000 juta pada suatu tempoh yang berakhir pada 30 Jun 2011. Jumlah tersebut merupakan pecahan dari RM421,000 juta hutang tempatan dan RM16,000 juta hutang luar negara. Ini bermaksud negara kini sudah berada pada 51 peratus dari nisbah hutang tempatan kepada KDNK negara, sepertimana yang ditetapkan oleh undang-undang,  yang hanya membenarkan tambahan hutang sebanyak RM 33,000 juta. "Oleh itu berdasarkan fakta ini adalah jelas kerajaan tidak mempunyai dana secukupnya untuk membiayai perbelanjaan selebihnya bagi 2011 dan defisit RM46,000 juta untuk dibiayai oleh hutang lebihan sebagaimana yang diumumkan dalam Belanjawan 2012," kata Anwar lagi. Menurut beliau, rakyat sedar unjuran pertumbuhan sebanyak lima hingga enam peratus yang diumumkan Najib dalam belanjawannya tidak tepat dan berkemungkinan besar pentadbirannya terpaksa bergantung kepada hutang demi membiayai janji janji pilihan rayanya. "Oleh itu debat serta wacana awam berkaitan ekonomi merupakan sesuatu yang mendesak terutamanya ketika pentadbiran Datuk Seri Najib Razak mengumumkan data ekonomi yang tidak meyakinkan dan sagu hati pilihan raya yang pastinya tidak mampu melonjak ekonomi negara. "Akan tetapi sekiranya Datuk Seri Najib Razak merasakan agenda ekonomi beliau mampu memberi manfaat kepada rakyat, adalah mustahak agar beliau memperincikannya kepada umum termasuklah menyatakan alasan mengapa beliau gagal melaksanakan perubahan struktur ekonomi secara menyeluruh termasuklah melaksanakan gaji minimum sejagat kepada seluruh pekerja dan merungkai monopoli di sektor barangan serta perkhidmatan awam," katanya. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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