New Straits Times articles from August 2010

New Straits Times archives from August 2010

Assurance from Celcom.
August 31, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: Celcom Axiata Bhd has assured that the privacy and confidentiality of its customers remained the company's top priority. Its chief corporate officer, Adlan Ahmad Tajudin, said the company upheld strict policies in ensuring the...

College boss gets threats.
August 31, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: Noor Haslina Abdullah has had to put up with threatening text messages and telephone calls after she lodged a police report on the leak of her explicit exchanges over the handphone. "I fear for my safety. I feel distressed and...

Probe into leak of text messages, phone calls.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Aidi Amin; Maizatul Ranai; Rozanna Latiff KUALA LUMPUR: The alleged leak of confidential text messages and telephone conversations of a woman is now being probed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The...

KLIA 2 to boost tourism revenue.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Eileen Ng SEPANG: The new permanent low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) here dubbed "KLIA 2" will serve as an economic stimulus to the country. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said not only would KLIA 2 provide more job...

Selangor water talks resume.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Farrah Naz Karim PUTRAJAYA: The Federal and Selangor governments have restarted stalled talks to restructure the water services industry in Selangor, thwarting an impending water crisis in the Klang Valley - the country's most...

Busy days ahead for orphanage.
August 31, 2010... KUALA TERENGGANU: Nine-year-old Mohd Hakimi Aris has been busy since the start of Ramadan, thanks to the back-to- back invitations for breaking of fast from hotels and other establishments. Hakimi became the newest resident of Darul Hilmi...

Traditional greeting card more 'personal'.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Atiqa Hazellah KUALA LUMPUR: National postal service provider Pos Malaysia Bhd expects to see the number of Hari Raya Aidilfitri greeting cards sent surge by three per cent this year, despite growing popularity of short messaging...

Two dug up alive after landslide at dumpsite.
August 31, 2010... TANAH MERAH: Two men had a close shave with death after they were buried for about 30 minutes under tonnes of earth following a landslide at the Becah Laut dumpsite here on Saturday. Rustam Osman, 29, was buried up to his chest while his...

Kelantan sues Petronas over oil royalty.
August 31, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: The Kelantan government is taking the oil royalty dispute against Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) to court. It filed a suit yesterday at the Kuala Lumpur High Court (commercial) registry through Messrs Tommy Thomas. The...

Malaysians in Indonesia safe.
August 31, 2010... Byline: R. Sittamparam KUALA LUMPUR: Parents of Malaysian students in Indonesia need not worry about their children's safety following the recent spate of anti-Malaysian demonstrations there. Indonesian Minister of National Education...

Sabah PKR sees more trouble brewing.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Roy Goh PARTI Keadilan Rakyat will soon be put to the test in Sabah by 12 leaders now unceremoniously called the "dirty dozen". Reprimanded for attempting to form a new party called Parti Cinta Sabah, they have become the latest...

Young people flocking to National Archives.
August 31, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: The National Archives, which houses a myriad of valuable records belonging to the government, is fast gaining popularity among locals who are keen to rummage through the nation's history and get insights on Merdeka. Besides...

Be ready for memorable Merdeka celebration.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Ili Liyana Mokhtar; Aidi Amin; Elvina Fernandez KUALA LUMPUR: There will be neither colourful floats nor a big parade. But this year's Merdeka celebration will be just as joyful as the previous years. Information, Communication and...

How a Merdeka pair met and wed.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Sager Ahmad KUALA LUMPUR: Ismail Mat Isa and Saudah Wahid are special by virtue of being among the 1,054 Merdeka babies born on Aug 31, 1957. What makes them extra special is they are husband and wife. Before they were an item,...

Rare piece of history.
August 31, 2010... MALACCA: Abdol Rahman Madlan probably has one of the rarest documents on the country's birth. The 28-year-old teacher is among a handful of people who has a copy of the Declaration of Merdeka. The document has been in his family's possession...

Performance with a fresh approach.
August 31, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: The hour-long 1Malaysia performance to celebrate Merdeka Day will have a captivating light and laser display in a fresh approach to showcase the country's road to nationhood. Culture and Arts Department director-general Datuk...

Raja Nazrin tells Muslim leaders to stop bickering.
August 31, 2010... Byline: M. Husairy Othman; Abdul Azim Idris IPOH: Muslim leaders in the country should stop competing with one another and avoid carrying out extreme acts that might undermine the religion and affect the ummah. Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr...

Muhyiddin: Namewee must be dealt with accordingly.
August 31, 2010... PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin wants action to be taken against Wee Meng Chee, or better known as Namewee, whose blog entry touches on the royalty. Speaking after chairing the fifth National Water Resources Council...

Selangor drawing up guidelines for mosque visitors.
August 31, 2010... SHAH ALAM: Detailed guidelines will be prepared for those visiting mosques and surau in the state. State Islamic Affairs, Malay Culture, Infrastructure and Public Amenities Committee chairman Datuk Dr Hasan Mohamed Ali said he would submit a...

Air Supply set to rock Kuantan.
August 31, 2010... Byline: M. Hamzah Jamaludin KUANTAN: East coast folk will finally get to see an international-class performance when soft rock duo Air Supply holds a concert at the Sukpa indoor stadium here on Nov 18. The concert is the third in Malaysia...

December wedding for Marion, Nasarudin.
August 31, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: Naza Group of Companies joint group executive chairman SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin has confirmed that he and television personality, Marion Caunter, will be getting married. The wedding, he said, would be held in Kuala Lumpur in...

Tian Chua gets nod to appeal against decision.
August 31, 2010... PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal yesterday granted Batu member of parliament Tian Chua leave to appeal against a High Court ruling affirming a lower court decision that he was guilty of assaulting a policeman three years ago. Court of Appeal...

Parcel bomb may be linked to bad debt.
August 31, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: A bad debt could be the possible motive for the explosion outside an apartment in Cheras on Sunday morning which claimed the life of Ng Siew Hong and wounded another man. This is what Ng's family believed after speaking to the...

Night market trader arrested for staging own kidnap.
August 31, 2010... KUALA LANGAT: A night market trader staged his own kidnapping to raise RM10,000 to save his business. The victim of his ploy was his own father. The 24-year-old suspect, however, was nabbed less than 24 hours after his father lodged a...

'Cheap fare' offer led to trio's abduction.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Natasha Ilyas KUALA LUMPUR: Three Sri Lankan visitors were held captive for ransom for three days after a drive to the city from the airport. When they tried to escape, one of them died while another broke his leg. The third man was...

Dengue at serious level in Kelantan.
August 31, 2010... KOTA BARU: The dengue outbreak in the state is at a serious level registering 2,010 cases to date since early this year, said Raja Perempuan Zainab II hospital director Datuk Dr Ghazali Hasni Md. Hassan. He said the number of deaths in the...

Man bags RM11.66m in first Toto attempt.
August 31, 2010... KUALA LUMPUR: Less than two weeks after a security officer won the lottery jackpot of RM5.89 million, the record was broken again on Aug 25. This time, a technician in his 30s working in the Klang Valley walked away with RM11.66 million...

Doctor acquitted of wife's murder.
August 31, 2010... Byline: G. Surach SHAH ALAM: "What a great gift for Merdeka!" said a thankful doctor who was freed by the High Court yesterday on a charge of murdering his wife three years ago. Dr Jitweer Singh Ojagar Singh, 56, was acquitted by judicial...

Comedian Yusof Chong in hospital.
August 31, 2010... SUNGAI PETANI: Comedian Yusof Chong, 63, was hospitalised at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital here after suffering from kidney stones and several other ailments. Yusof, who is popularly known for impersonating politicians, was warded on Aug 22...

Illegal betting syndicate smashed.
August 31, 2010... BATU KAWAN: A team from Bukit Aman has smashed a major illegal betting syndicate in the northern states that was able to process bets of up to RM2.4 million a month. The syndicate, which used a prawn supply shop as a front, was busted after the...

Gaza mission needs RM7m.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Yiswaree Palansamy KUALA LUMPUR: Representatives of Lifeline for Gaza (LL4G) and the People's Association for Peace Malaysia (Aman Malaysia) will leave on a humanitarian mission to Gaza in November. The coalition of 16...

Duo rob couple in lucky draw scam.
August 31, 2010... KUALA TERENGGANU: An elderly couple lost more than RM30,000 worth of gold jewellery in the latest "lucky draw" cheating case here on Sunday. Two men approached the couple about 11am and asked them the brand of cooking oil they regularly used...

Nigerian held for drug trafficking.
August 31, 2010... GEORGE TOWN: A 31-year-old Nigerian was arrested for trafficking 29 ganja slabs on board an express bus along the North-South Expressway on Sunday. The foreigner was detained after police found the ganja hidden in his bags. The bus was...

Man sought over rape, kidnap cases.
August 31, 2010... TELUK INTAN: Police yesterday released the photofit of a suspect believed to be involved in the rape of a 15-year-old student and the attempted abduction of two pupils from a primary school here on Aug 20. Hilir Perak district police chief...

Ex-army man held over guns.
August 31, 2010... JOHOR BARU: Johor police seized a pistol and two homemade air rifles in two incidents last week. On Saturday, police received information that someone had found a firearm at a plantation at Mile 11, Jalan Panchor, Bukit Pasir, Muar. State...

Directors jailed for contempt.
August 31, 2010... PUTRAJAYA: Two directors of a construction company yesterday began serving a 21-day jail term for contempt of court six years ago. Tan See Siong and Soe Bank Tee, directors of Tactland Development Sdn Bhd, were accompanied by policemen to the...

Cinema treat for townsfolk.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Zainuddin Muhammad KEMAMAN: The big screen will be back here next month after an absence of more than 10 years. The three-screen multiplex operated by TGV Cinemas Sdn Bhd will be located at the Mesra Mall in Kemasik. Mall...

Milk powder mess causes jam.
August 31, 2010... SEREMBAN: An 18-tonne trailer lorry carrying bags of milk powder crashed into the road divider about 11am yesterday on Km281 of the North-South Expressway here. No one was hurt in the accident which caused a 1km traffic snarl. The driver,...

Pools for National Service camps.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Phuah Ken Lin GEORGE TOWN: The National Service Training Department plans to build swimming pools in all 78 National Service camps nationwide to enhance safety of trainees when undertaking water sports activities. Its...

Illegals thrive on selling contraband.
August 31, 2010... LAHAD DATU: Street vendors here have taken the illicit trade to a different level. Besides trading in contraband items such as cigarettes and titbits, they also sell groceries and fireworks and even act as moneychangers. Bold and aggressive,...

Rethinking retirement.
August 31, 2010... THE retirement age for bank employees seems set to rise to 60. And if some reports are to be believed, there are also plans to allow civil servants to punch out for the last time when they reach that age. The age of 55 was, of course, for a very...

Merdeka and the fidelity to freedom.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Umapagan Ampikaipakan "MERDEKA." It was acquired not by conflict but by a shared ideology; by a mutual history. It was not a product of whim or ambition, but rather the end result of what happens when a group of people with a common...

Isa Bakar, zippy to the very end.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Syed Nadzri PENANG football legend Isa Bakar died as he had lived -- cracking jokes up to the final hours and teasing and taunting visitors from his hospital bed. He also died as he had played - delivering that element of surprise...

A lesson in love for this country that we call home.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Poonam Kukreja AS we celebrate Hari Merdeka today, it's about time we learnt what it means to be a Malaysian. Patriotism is the affectionate attachment for one's property in the shape of his or her country. The love for the country...

Uphold founding fathers' legacy.
August 31, 2010... Byline: David Tih MALAYSIA attained independence 53 years ago today. During the past 53 years, this great nation has witnessed a lot of political, social and economic crises but, fortunately, with wisdom, compassion and maturity, we have...

Let's innovate for a better future.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Dr Megawati Omar; Dr Abu Bakar Abdul Majeed HAPPY Birthday Malaysia! We pray the new morrow will always dawn well for Malaysia. It has been 53 years. Thus today, on our 53rd birthday, we must set our birthday aim. Can we make a...

Lacking mutual goal to unite us.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Zamri Mahmud THE country has come a long way since its founding fathers cast aside their differences, worked together and forged ahead as one to claim independence for this blessed land. Looking back, one could reminisce about the...

Time to count our blessings.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Hayati Nordin WE are celebrating our 53rd Merdeka Day today. I see more premises flying the Jalur Gemilang. It's true that patriotism is not only shown by flying the flag. Nevertheless, the flag is the most visible way of...

Honesty is best for unity.
August 31, 2010... Byline: K.T. Maran WE need to reflect on the state of affairs in our country as we celebrate Merdeka. Are we more united now than we were during Independence? The Federal Constitution, created by mutual understanding of all the races with...

Don't be swayed by manipulations of a few.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Dzulkifli Abdul Razak THE "Ganyang Malaysia" sentiment has boiled over yet again in our neighbouring country. This time, it has a special significance as Malaysians are in the midst of celebrating independence day today, and Malaysia...

It's not just about flying the flag.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye IN conjunction with our 53rd Independence Day, Malaysians are encouraged to fly the Jalur Gemilang. But we should realise this without being told or reminded about the significance of flying the flag. A...

Spanner crabs a hot seller.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Roy Goh LAHAD DATU: Their bright red shell and flat pincers could easily provoke a second glance. The spanner crab or red frog crab, or scientifically known as ranina ranina, is becoming more popular in fish markets and restaurants...

Conflience can strike today.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Go-Ram CONFLIENCE, who has been a model of consistency this season with a win, two seconds and two thirds from as many outings, looks ready for a comeback win in the RM35,000 Perfect Hideaway Tioman Island Stakes for Table 1 horses...

Superb Burridge keeps churning out winners.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Go-Ram JOCKEY-turned-trainer Steven Burridge is heading for one of his best ever season as a trainer licensed by the Malayan Racing Association with another good day at the Kranji meeting last Friday. Burridge, 54, saddled four...

Bowling likely to get nod for 2018.
August 31, 2010... Byline: Ajitpal Singh BOWLING will make a return to the Commonwealth Games in 2018. The sport was recently given a category 'two' status in the Games which means a host country has the option of including it in its programme. If...

FAP to honour Isa.
August 31, 2010... Byline: K. Kandiah FA of Penang will dedicate a corner at the association's office in Jalan Scotland in honour of former international striker Isa Bakar who died at the age of 58 on Saturday. FA president Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim said it...

Malaysia strike gold in Paris.
August 31, 2010... THE Malaysian hockey team did what the badminton players failed to do in Paris when they won only their second ever international gold medal in a Five-Nation in the French capital on Sunday. Malaysia's only other gold medal, other than the...

Frustrating outing for Zulfahmi.
August 31, 2010... MOHD Zulfahmi Khairuddin was forced to endure what was only his second retirement of the season at the United States Motorcycle Grand Prix in Indianapolis on Sunday. The disappointed Team Air Asia-SIC 125cc rider had to put a stop to his race...

Kien Keat-Boon Heong must build on Paris silver.
August 31, 2010... Byline: K.M. Boopathy DIFFERENT scripts but the same results as Malaysians players once again squandered the chance to become the world's best men's doubles pair. Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong arrived in Paris for the World Championships...

Failure puts harsh truth under spotlight.
August 31, 2010... Byline: K.M. Boopathy IT was another golden opportunity that Lee Chong Wei let slip and his latest World Championships failure has raised serious doubts about his ability to win major events. Though Chong Wei was only to know later,...

Popular Android handsets.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Siti Syameen Md Khalili ANDROID smartphones are not only user-friendly but also good for multitasking as they can run several applications simultaneously, writes SITI SYAMEEN MD KHALILI. WHAT is so cool about Android smartphones?...

Malaysia's fastest rising searches on Google.
August 30, 2010... Week: Aug 20-26 1. OSKIC OSK Investment Bank Berhad's OSK Investment Challenge, launched on Aug 15, is a virtual investing competition offering cash prizes in a bid to build youth awareness of stock market investing. 2. Salleh Gregor Samsa A...

Spy calculator.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Edwin Kee A calculator that doubles as a camera from Casio might interest those who have more than number crunching in mind, writes EDWIN KEE. Casio calculator This Casio calculator actually holds a spy camera within. If you look...

The Prince returns.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Bruno Dieter Chan THE Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is a more polished game than the previous versions. BRUNO DIETER CHAN tells you why. THE last Prince of Persia game I played was the kiddy version called Prince of Persia...

Top in sound and video quality.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Dick Tan PIONEER has come out with a new Blu-ray disc player which offers web and wireless capabilities, writes DICK TAN. THE popularity of web streaming has not missed Pioneer's attention. With its new BDP-330 Blu-ray disc high...

3-D and more from AV receiver.
August 30, 2010... COINCIDING with its 100-year anniversary, Denon has launched a new range of AV receivers, which is the first in the family to support the HDMI version 1.4 standard. This means that the HDMI 1.4 AV receivers are compatible with 3-D AV devices....

Simple yet elegant turntables.
August 30, 2010... WHEN Rega made its entry into the world of hi-fi, it did so with a turntable. Today, some 37 years later, the Rega range includes integrated amplifiers, CD players, speaker systems and interconnects. Rega founder and chief designer Roy Gandy...

A media player with more options.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Noor Khan THE Noontec V9-T offers all that you need in a media player, but for less, writes NOOR KHAN. WITH easy accessibility to the Internet and increasing availability of personal and public media content, the demand for media...

Cradle-to-grave cost saving.
August 30, 2010... ORGANISATIONS can save quite a lot if they can rationally manage their document output assets. Ricoh Malaysia claims that it has successfully helped to implement such measures in various entities in such industries as education, construction and...

Nurturing future animators.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Izwan Ismail BUDDING talents in animation were unearthed at a recent workshop in Cyberjaya. IZWAN ISMAIL has the story. IN the function room at Cyberjaya Lodge, three primary schoolers - Mohd Rusdi Jabani, Mohd Irfan Lufti Hajullah...

Helping hand for local animation industry.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Izwan Ismail WALT Disney Television International liked what it saw at the Digital Storytelling through Animation with Stitch! Nationwide animation workshop held in Cyberjaya recently. Its Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand...

Religious sparks of technology.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Izwan Ismail HI-TECH touch to age-old religious practices. IZWAN ISMAIL meets the entrepreneur who finds success doing just that. MOHAMAD Azam takes out a palm-sized device from his pocket. He switches it on and plays with the...

Knee navigation system.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Rozana Sani WE have GPS devices to point us in the right direction. But a 'GPS' for knee surgery? ROZANA SANI talks to KPJ's consultant orthopaedic surgeon to find out more. IF you find yourself needing a total knee replacement...

Design your Merdeka theme.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Siti Syameen Md Khalili PUMP up your Merdeka spirit with Reggie Lee's artworks for your PC. Together with Microsoft Malaysia, the cartoonist recently introduced seven unique Merdeka-inspired Windows 7 theme for PC users to download...

Toshiba's gone green and attractive.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Rozana Sani TOSHIBA'S latest range of consumer electronics products are more energy-efficient, writes ROZANA SANI. ECO-friendliness and attractive pricing are Toshiba Sales & Service Sdn Bhd's (Toshiba) main propositions to...

Retirement at 60 (HL).
August 30, 2010... Byline: Suganthi Suparmaniam; Roy See KUALA LUMPUR: Local banks and the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) have agreed to raise the retirement age for employees from the current 55 years to 60. This was one of the matters agreed to at...

Indonesian media, blogs seek end to protests.
August 30, 2010... Byline: R. Sittamparam KUALA LUMPUR: Politicians, the media and bloggers in Indonesia have decried the recent spate of anti-Malaysia demonstrations there by a small group of hardliners and are advocating for peace between the two nations. ...

RM6.6m advance for oil palm smallholders.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Roy Goh LAHAD DATU: More than 1,000 smallholders who joined an oil palm development programme run by Sabah received payments totalling RM6.6 million here. In a simple ceremony witnessed by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin...

500,000 in haj queue this year.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Nik Imran Abdullah KOTA BARU: Some 500,000 Muslims have registered with Tabung Haji to perform the haj, about 20 times the annual quota for the pilgrimage. Chairman Tan Sri Abi Musa Asa'ari Abdullah Mohamed Nor said those at the...

More teachers and care for special needs pupils.
August 30, 2010... MUAR: The Education Ministry is reviewing the education system for special needs students. Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said a study into the needs of different types of special students - the visually impaired, hearing...

Baby in bag found hanging on sign.
August 30, 2010... SHAH ALAM: A newborn boy, with the umbilical cord still attached, was found in a paper bag hung on a signboard yesterday. District police chief Assistant Commissioner Noor Azlan Jamaluddin said a passer-by, who heard faint cries and saw some...

Hit by falling beam, schoolboy dies in blaze.
August 30, 2010... MALACCA: An 11-year-old boy was killed when fire razed his family's single-storey house in Jalan Laksamana Cheng Ho, Melaka Tengah, early yesterday. Tan Ho Meng, a Year Five pupil of SRJK (C) Pay Fong 2 was trying to flee the blaze which...

Parcel bomb kills woman.
August 30, 2010... Byline: Roy See; Elizabeth Zachariah KUALA LUMPUR: A 51-year-old woman was fatally wounded and her colleague left in critical condition when a mysterious parcel left on their employer's doorstep exploded. Ng Siew Hong succumbed to her...

Hari Raya shopping spree for 83 children.
August 30, 2010... Byline: V. Shankar Ganesh KUALA SELANGOR: It was a day 83 children from two homes would not forget for a long time. They were treated to a Hari Raya shopping spree, courtesy of Harian Metro's Titipan Kasih programme. The children from...